Happy Holidays hockey fans. Christmas week is here but before the NHL takes a two day break to celebrate there are a lot of games to get in.
All teams have played at least 30 games which means if you are on the outside looking in at a playoff spot now is the time to make a move.
Here is the Power Poll for Week 10.
1. (2) Philadelphia 22-7-5 49 points
Yes I have them on top, doesn't mean I have to like it.
2. (3) Detroit 20-8-4 44 points
Big match-up with Philadelphia coming up in 12 days.
3. (1) Pittsburgh 21-10-2 44 points
Back to back losses knock Penguins from #1.
4. (10) Dallas 20-10-3 43 points
They keep playing this well and it will be hard for them to miss the playoffs.
5. (17) Colorado 19-10-4 42 points
Six game winning streak vaults them to the top of the Northwest.
6. (4) Washington 19-12-4 42 points
Win over Ottawa ends their eight game winless streak
7. (6) NY Rangers 20-14-1 41 points
Good week for the Rangers going 3-1.
8. (13) Atlanta 18-11-5 41 points
Welcomed back Ilya Kovalchuk by beating Devils 7-1 on Saturday.
9. (7) Vancouver 18-8-4 40 points
Hits the road this week with a three game winning streak
10. (5) Montreal 19-12-2 40 points
On the start of a seven game road trip during the holidays
11. (9) Tampa Bay 18-10-4 40 points
1st place in the Southeast Division is in sight for the Lightning.
12. (16) Nashville 17-9-6 40 points
Loss to the Kings ended their 10 game point streak.
13. (14) San Jose 17-11-5 39 points
Two wins over Chicago puts San Jose ahead of the Blackhawks
14. (12) Chicago 18-14-3 39 points
See above
15. (8) Boston 17-10-4 38 points
A few hockey analysts says this team is built for the post-season.
16. (11) Anaheim 17-15-4 38 points
1-2 as they reach the mid-point of their seven game road trip.
17. (18) Los Angeles 18-12-1 37 points
Marco Sturm should make his Kings debut this week
18. (15) Phoenix 15-9-7 37 points
Sale of the Hockey club to Matthew Hulsizer should keep them in the desert.
19. (19) St. Louis 15-11-5 35 points
With all the injuries the blues have had other players need to step up.
20. (20) Columbus 16-13-3 35 points
Have put away the 3rd jersey for the time being. 0-4 when they wear them.
21. (24) Carolina 15-12-4 34 points
The Canes go into Tampa tonight on a four game winning streak.
22. (23) Ottawa 14-17-4 32 points
Despite win over Minnesota on Thursday this team is a long ways away from the team that made the Stanley Cup Finals in 2007.
23. (21) Minnesota 14-13-4 32 points
This team misses Guillame Latendresse and his goal scoring.
24. (26) Calgary 14-16-3 31 points
Jockeying with Minnesota & Edmonton to stay out of last place in the Northwest Division.
25. (22) Buffalo 13-16-4 30 points
Followed win over boston with back to back losses in Florida this past weekend.
26. (25) Edmonton 12-14-5 29 points
Coach Tom Renney still thinks Edmonton can make the playoffs. I have my doubts.
27. (27) Florida 14-16-0 28 points
Lowest ranked team with a positive goal differential (+2)
28. (28) Toronto 12-16-4 28 points
Goalie J.S. Giguere is out indefinitely with a groin injury.
29. (29) New Jersey 9-21-2 20 points
I wonder if Kovalchuk has any regrets about leaving Atlanta.
30. (30) NY Islanders 6-18-6 18 points
Nathan Lawson made 32 saves in his NHL debut in net for the Islanders.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Random Hockey Thoughs
What happens when there is a lot going on around the NHL and I can't focus on one thing to talk about? that's right, you get a notes column.
This is a sample of things that caught my attention this past week.
Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia:
In case you missed it Tuesday night the two best teams in the NHL took to the ice to play each other. When it was all said & done Philadelphia walked away with a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh.
The win was significant for a couple reasons.
1. It ended Pittsburgh's 12 game winning streak
2. It was the 3rd win of the season for Philadelphia over the Penguins in four games.
These two teams play twice more this season in late March. Right now the Flyers look to have the Penguins number. With as good as both these teams are there is a good chance that these two will be seeing a lot of each other during the spring time.
One more thing about this game that caught my eye was that it was the most watched NHL game on Versus since they started carrying the NHL back in 2005 when they were known as OLN.
The broadcast averaged 750,000 viewers and became the most-watched NHL regular season broadcast on cable since December 2003. Not bad for a cable channel that had little to no exposure when they took over the NHL cable contract. With the broadcasting rights up after the season I'm sure Commissioner Gary Bettman & the people who runs Versus took note of it.
Dino Ciccarelli night at Xcel on Thursday:
Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota the Wild paid a tribute to one of the newest inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Dino Ciccarelli.
Ciccarelli played nearly 10 seasons in Minnesota with the Northstars before being traded to the Washington Capitals.
During his time with the Northstars Ciccarelli scored 332 goals and became a fan favorite. He would spend 19 seasons in the NHL playing for Minnesota, Washington, Detroit, Tampa Bay & Florida reaching the Stanley Cup Finals twice with Minnesota in 1981 & Detroit in 1995.
He never skated for the Wild but it was nice to see them bring him back for one night so the fans could honor him & his days playing in Minnesota as that was taken away when the Northstars moved to Dallas. Hopefully other great Northstars that use to play in Minnesota will get their opportunity someday.
Markus Nasland's jersey being retired in Vancouver:
Naslund played in Vancouver for the Canucks from 1996-2008. With the Canucks he scored 346 goals and 756 points.
Along with Todd Bertuzzi & Brendan Morrison they formed The West Coast Express line which became one of the best line combos from 2001-2004. That line combo led Vancouver to five straight playoff berths from 2001-2004.
For as good as Naslund was I find it ridiculous that his jersey was retired by the Canucks last Saturday.
In my opinion jersey retirements should be held for the Elite in their sport. The best of the best. Not for players who were pretty good.
When I watched Naslund play I thought he was a dangerous player when he had the puck and I thought he was very good. I never thought he was Hall of Fame worthy.
Yes Naslund is the franchise leader in goals & points yet in his twelve seasons there the Canucks only advanced past the 1st round twice. If he led them to a Stanley Cup or a Conference Final I might have a better time understanding his number being retired.
If he makes it into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the next couple years I'll take back everything I wrote about him. However I don't see that happening. Naslund was a pretty good player. Pretty good shouldn't get your jersey in the rafters.
That's all for this week. Things will be busy during the holidays so I don't know if I will have any columns for you besides the weekly Power Poll but if something catches my eye I'll write about it.
Thanks for reading & enjoy the hockey.
This is a sample of things that caught my attention this past week.
Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia:
In case you missed it Tuesday night the two best teams in the NHL took to the ice to play each other. When it was all said & done Philadelphia walked away with a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh.
The win was significant for a couple reasons.
1. It ended Pittsburgh's 12 game winning streak
2. It was the 3rd win of the season for Philadelphia over the Penguins in four games.
These two teams play twice more this season in late March. Right now the Flyers look to have the Penguins number. With as good as both these teams are there is a good chance that these two will be seeing a lot of each other during the spring time.
One more thing about this game that caught my eye was that it was the most watched NHL game on Versus since they started carrying the NHL back in 2005 when they were known as OLN.
The broadcast averaged 750,000 viewers and became the most-watched NHL regular season broadcast on cable since December 2003. Not bad for a cable channel that had little to no exposure when they took over the NHL cable contract. With the broadcasting rights up after the season I'm sure Commissioner Gary Bettman & the people who runs Versus took note of it.
Dino Ciccarelli night at Xcel on Thursday:
Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota the Wild paid a tribute to one of the newest inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Dino Ciccarelli.
Ciccarelli played nearly 10 seasons in Minnesota with the Northstars before being traded to the Washington Capitals.
During his time with the Northstars Ciccarelli scored 332 goals and became a fan favorite. He would spend 19 seasons in the NHL playing for Minnesota, Washington, Detroit, Tampa Bay & Florida reaching the Stanley Cup Finals twice with Minnesota in 1981 & Detroit in 1995.
He never skated for the Wild but it was nice to see them bring him back for one night so the fans could honor him & his days playing in Minnesota as that was taken away when the Northstars moved to Dallas. Hopefully other great Northstars that use to play in Minnesota will get their opportunity someday.
Markus Nasland's jersey being retired in Vancouver:
Naslund played in Vancouver for the Canucks from 1996-2008. With the Canucks he scored 346 goals and 756 points.
Along with Todd Bertuzzi & Brendan Morrison they formed The West Coast Express line which became one of the best line combos from 2001-2004. That line combo led Vancouver to five straight playoff berths from 2001-2004.
For as good as Naslund was I find it ridiculous that his jersey was retired by the Canucks last Saturday.
In my opinion jersey retirements should be held for the Elite in their sport. The best of the best. Not for players who were pretty good.
When I watched Naslund play I thought he was a dangerous player when he had the puck and I thought he was very good. I never thought he was Hall of Fame worthy.
Yes Naslund is the franchise leader in goals & points yet in his twelve seasons there the Canucks only advanced past the 1st round twice. If he led them to a Stanley Cup or a Conference Final I might have a better time understanding his number being retired.
If he makes it into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the next couple years I'll take back everything I wrote about him. However I don't see that happening. Naslund was a pretty good player. Pretty good shouldn't get your jersey in the rafters.
That's all for this week. Things will be busy during the holidays so I don't know if I will have any columns for you besides the weekly Power Poll but if something catches my eye I'll write about it.
Thanks for reading & enjoy the hockey.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Week 9: Power Poll
In last night's game between Minnesota & Anaheim I saw one of the strangest goals I have ever seen.
Mikko Koivu lost his stick in Minnesota's zone. With the puck in the zone Koivu grabbed the 1st stick he could get his hands on which happened to belong to Anaheim's Bobby Ryan.
Ryan tried a couple times to get his stick back from Koivu to no avail. Ryan then picked up Koivu's stick which was laying off to the right side of Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom.
About five seconds later Ryan took a pass from Toni Lydman and beat Backstrom with Koivu's stick to give Anaheim a 5-2 lead in the game.
I have attached a video so take a look when you can. In the meantime here is the Power Poll for Week 9.
1. (2) Pittsburgh 21 8 2 44 points
Penguins are white hot as they have won 12 in a row
2. (3) Philadelphia 19 7 5 43 points
Will try to stop Pittsburgh's winning streak in Philadelphia tomorrow night.
3. (4) Detroit 19 6 3 41 points
You won't find many skaters playing better hockey right now than Pavel Datsyuk.
4. (1) Washington 18 11 3 39 points
Rough stretch for the Capitals who have lost five out of six games
5. (5) Montreal 18 10 2 38 points
Lost back-to-back games to Original 6 foes Detroit & Toronto to close out the week.
6. (8) N.Y. Rangers 18 13 1 37 points
Impressive 7-0 win over Washington on Sunday
7. (11) Vancouver 16 8 4 36 points
On top in the Northwest but have yet to pull away
8. (12) Boston 16 8 4 36 points
Marco Sturm is sent to Los Angeles to give the Bruins cap relief
9. (6) Tampa Bay 16 10 4 36 points
Steven Stamkos gets back on the scoresheet with two goals on Saturday.
10. (7) Dallas 17 10 2 36 points
I can't decide if I'm more surprised that Dallas leads the Pacific...
11. (18) Anaheim 16 13 4 36 points
or that the Ducks are right behind them
12. (9) Chicago 16 12 3 35 points
Has faced Antti Niemi twice & lost both times
13. (13) Atlanta 16 11 3 35 points
Craig Ramsey should be the front runner for coach of the year.
14. (20) San Jose 15 10 4 34 points
Sharks are getting in position to take control of the Pacific Division.
15. (10) Phoenix 14 8 6 34 points
But the Coyotes are hanging around near the top as well.
16. (19) Nashville 14 8 6 34 points
Four games this week give the Preds a chance to separate themselves from other teams.
17. (17) Colorado 15 10 4 34 points
Forward Matt Duchene has scored in five of his last six games.
18. (14) Los Angeles 16 10 1 33 points
Hopefully Marco Sturm can provide a spark the Kings desperately need.
19. (15) St. Louis 14 9 5 33 points
Head to Head win over Columbus put the Blues ahead of the Blue Jackets this week.
20. (16) Columbus 16 11 1 33 points
See above.
21. (21) Minnesota 13 12 4 30 points
Earned five out of eight points on recent four game road trip.
22. (23) Buffalo 12 14 4 28 points
Playoff berth not out of the question despite rough start to season.
23. (22) Ottawa 13 16 2 28 points
A win tonight over Atlanta could mean the difference between making & missing the post-season.
24. (24) Carolina 12 12 4 28 points
Cam Ward playing well in net as team struggles to score goals.
25. (25) Edmonton 11 13 5 27 points
I see nothing wrong with Linus Omark's shootout goal.
26. (26) Calgary 12 15 3 27 points
The longer the Flames struggle the greater the possibility of Jarome Iginla being traded.
27. (27) Florida 13 15 0 26 points
Only team without a loss in overtime or the shootout.
28. (28) Toronto 11 14 4 26 points
Dion Phaneuf makes his return to Calgary Thursday night.
29. (29) New Jersey 8 19 2 18 points
The losing streak is at five games.
30. (30) N.Y. Islanders 5 17 5 15 points
Also have lost five in a row.
Mikko Koivu lost his stick in Minnesota's zone. With the puck in the zone Koivu grabbed the 1st stick he could get his hands on which happened to belong to Anaheim's Bobby Ryan.
Ryan tried a couple times to get his stick back from Koivu to no avail. Ryan then picked up Koivu's stick which was laying off to the right side of Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom.
About five seconds later Ryan took a pass from Toni Lydman and beat Backstrom with Koivu's stick to give Anaheim a 5-2 lead in the game.
I have attached a video so take a look when you can. In the meantime here is the Power Poll for Week 9.
1. (2) Pittsburgh 21 8 2 44 points
Penguins are white hot as they have won 12 in a row
2. (3) Philadelphia 19 7 5 43 points
Will try to stop Pittsburgh's winning streak in Philadelphia tomorrow night.
3. (4) Detroit 19 6 3 41 points
You won't find many skaters playing better hockey right now than Pavel Datsyuk.
4. (1) Washington 18 11 3 39 points
Rough stretch for the Capitals who have lost five out of six games
5. (5) Montreal 18 10 2 38 points
Lost back-to-back games to Original 6 foes Detroit & Toronto to close out the week.
6. (8) N.Y. Rangers 18 13 1 37 points
Impressive 7-0 win over Washington on Sunday
7. (11) Vancouver 16 8 4 36 points
On top in the Northwest but have yet to pull away
8. (12) Boston 16 8 4 36 points
Marco Sturm is sent to Los Angeles to give the Bruins cap relief
9. (6) Tampa Bay 16 10 4 36 points
Steven Stamkos gets back on the scoresheet with two goals on Saturday.
10. (7) Dallas 17 10 2 36 points
I can't decide if I'm more surprised that Dallas leads the Pacific...
11. (18) Anaheim 16 13 4 36 points
or that the Ducks are right behind them
12. (9) Chicago 16 12 3 35 points
Has faced Antti Niemi twice & lost both times
13. (13) Atlanta 16 11 3 35 points
Craig Ramsey should be the front runner for coach of the year.
14. (20) San Jose 15 10 4 34 points
Sharks are getting in position to take control of the Pacific Division.
15. (10) Phoenix 14 8 6 34 points
But the Coyotes are hanging around near the top as well.
16. (19) Nashville 14 8 6 34 points
Four games this week give the Preds a chance to separate themselves from other teams.
17. (17) Colorado 15 10 4 34 points
Forward Matt Duchene has scored in five of his last six games.
18. (14) Los Angeles 16 10 1 33 points
Hopefully Marco Sturm can provide a spark the Kings desperately need.
19. (15) St. Louis 14 9 5 33 points
Head to Head win over Columbus put the Blues ahead of the Blue Jackets this week.
20. (16) Columbus 16 11 1 33 points
See above.
21. (21) Minnesota 13 12 4 30 points
Earned five out of eight points on recent four game road trip.
22. (23) Buffalo 12 14 4 28 points
Playoff berth not out of the question despite rough start to season.
23. (22) Ottawa 13 16 2 28 points
A win tonight over Atlanta could mean the difference between making & missing the post-season.
24. (24) Carolina 12 12 4 28 points
Cam Ward playing well in net as team struggles to score goals.
25. (25) Edmonton 11 13 5 27 points
I see nothing wrong with Linus Omark's shootout goal.
26. (26) Calgary 12 15 3 27 points
The longer the Flames struggle the greater the possibility of Jarome Iginla being traded.
27. (27) Florida 13 15 0 26 points
Only team without a loss in overtime or the shootout.
28. (28) Toronto 11 14 4 26 points
Dion Phaneuf makes his return to Calgary Thursday night.
29. (29) New Jersey 8 19 2 18 points
The losing streak is at five games.
30. (30) N.Y. Islanders 5 17 5 15 points
Also have lost five in a row.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Power Poll: Week 8
This past Wednesday the Minnesota Wild welcomed back Forward Pierre Marc Bouchard to the line-up for the 1st time since the 2009-10 season opener.
He missed 81 games last year due to post-concussion syndrome stemming from a hit in March of 2009. In his 1st three games back for the Wild he has a goal and an assist while averaging 14:41 minutes of ice time per game.
His time on ice per game should increase as the season moves along and Wild fans can only hope he can keep finding his name on the scoresheet as they are having trouble scoring goals this season averaging 2.42 goals per game.
Here now is the Power Poll for Week eight.
1. (1) Washington 18-8-2 38 points
Acquisition of Scott Hannan from Colorado could be the shutdown defenseman this team has been lacking.
2. (4) Pittsburgh 18-8-2 38 points
See what a nine game winning streak can do
3. (2) Philadelphia 17-7-4 38 points
With Michael Leighton close to returning from injury the Flyers have some decisions to make in goal.
4. (3) Detroit 17-4-3 37 points
Worst case scenario for Mike Modano's wrist injury, 8-10 weeks.
5. (5) Montreal 17-8-2 36 points
Habs are 7-1-1 in their last nine home games
6. (6) Tampa Bay 15-9-3 33 points
Steven Stamkos has gone four games without a goal
7. (15) Dallas 16-8-1 33 points
Stars are 8-1-1 in their last ten games
8. (7) NY Rangers 16-12-1 33 points
Looking for payback in Ottawa on Thursday after 3-1 loss to the Senators on Sunday.
9. (8) Chicago 15-12-2 32 points
lose Patrick Kane to a lower body injury in win over Calgary over Sunday
10. (13) Phoenix 13-7-6 32 points
It's not always pretty but the Coyotes find a way to win hockey games
11. (10) Vancouver 14-8-3 31 points
Canucks are retiring Markus Naslund's jersey this Saturday night
12. (17) Boston 14-8-3 31 points
Is Marco Sturm on his way out due to the Bruins Salary Cap issues?
13. (12) Atlanta 14-10-3 31 points
Thrashers have won seven of their last eight games
14. (16) Los Angeles 15-10-0 30 points
Kings get back into the winner's circle with back to back wins over Florida & Detroit.
15. (11) St. Louis 13-9-4 30 points
Andy McDonald is day to day with an upper body injury
16. (9) Columbus 14-10-1 29 points
Winless in their last five games
17. (14) Colorado 13-10-3 29 points
Acquisition of Tomas Fleischmann gives the Avs another scoring threat.
18. (19) Anaheim 13-13-3 29 points
Have been shutout in back to back games.
19. (20) Nashville 12-8-5 29 points
Goaltender Pekka Rinne out two to four weeks with a left knee injury.
20. (18) San Jose 12-9-4 28 points
Three game road trip ends tonight in Detroit with the Sharks looking to avenge 5-3 loss to the Wings last Tuesday.
21. (20) Minnesota 11-11-4 26 points
GM Chuck Fletcher says he will team responsible before coach Todd Richards.
22. (23) Ottawa 12-14-2 26 points
Chris Neil scores all three goals in win over the Rangers on Sunday
23. (24) Buffalo 11-13-3 25 points
Ryan Miller posts back to back shutouts in wins over Columbus & Ottawa.
24. (21) Carolina 11-12-3 25 points
Five day break comes at a good time with only ten players able to practice on Monday.
25. (29) Edmonton 10-12-4 24 points
Don't look now but the Oilers have won four straight
26. (26) Calgary 11-14-2 24 points
Rematch of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals against Tampa on Tuesday in Calgary
27. (25) Florida 11-14-0 22 points
Rematch of the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals against Colorado this Tuesday in Miami.
28. (27) Toronto 9-12-4 22 points
Best of luck to the Leafs as they face the top four teams in the Eastern conference this week.
29. (28) New Jersey 8-16-2 18 points
As of right now John MacLean is still the coach of the Devils
30. (30) NY Islanders 5-15-5 15 points
Former captain Bill Guerin calls it a career after 18 seasons
He missed 81 games last year due to post-concussion syndrome stemming from a hit in March of 2009. In his 1st three games back for the Wild he has a goal and an assist while averaging 14:41 minutes of ice time per game.
His time on ice per game should increase as the season moves along and Wild fans can only hope he can keep finding his name on the scoresheet as they are having trouble scoring goals this season averaging 2.42 goals per game.
Here now is the Power Poll for Week eight.
1. (1) Washington 18-8-2 38 points
Acquisition of Scott Hannan from Colorado could be the shutdown defenseman this team has been lacking.
2. (4) Pittsburgh 18-8-2 38 points
See what a nine game winning streak can do
3. (2) Philadelphia 17-7-4 38 points
With Michael Leighton close to returning from injury the Flyers have some decisions to make in goal.
4. (3) Detroit 17-4-3 37 points
Worst case scenario for Mike Modano's wrist injury, 8-10 weeks.
5. (5) Montreal 17-8-2 36 points
Habs are 7-1-1 in their last nine home games
6. (6) Tampa Bay 15-9-3 33 points
Steven Stamkos has gone four games without a goal
7. (15) Dallas 16-8-1 33 points
Stars are 8-1-1 in their last ten games
8. (7) NY Rangers 16-12-1 33 points
Looking for payback in Ottawa on Thursday after 3-1 loss to the Senators on Sunday.
9. (8) Chicago 15-12-2 32 points
lose Patrick Kane to a lower body injury in win over Calgary over Sunday
10. (13) Phoenix 13-7-6 32 points
It's not always pretty but the Coyotes find a way to win hockey games
11. (10) Vancouver 14-8-3 31 points
Canucks are retiring Markus Naslund's jersey this Saturday night
12. (17) Boston 14-8-3 31 points
Is Marco Sturm on his way out due to the Bruins Salary Cap issues?
13. (12) Atlanta 14-10-3 31 points
Thrashers have won seven of their last eight games
14. (16) Los Angeles 15-10-0 30 points
Kings get back into the winner's circle with back to back wins over Florida & Detroit.
15. (11) St. Louis 13-9-4 30 points
Andy McDonald is day to day with an upper body injury
16. (9) Columbus 14-10-1 29 points
Winless in their last five games
17. (14) Colorado 13-10-3 29 points
Acquisition of Tomas Fleischmann gives the Avs another scoring threat.
18. (19) Anaheim 13-13-3 29 points
Have been shutout in back to back games.
19. (20) Nashville 12-8-5 29 points
Goaltender Pekka Rinne out two to four weeks with a left knee injury.
20. (18) San Jose 12-9-4 28 points
Three game road trip ends tonight in Detroit with the Sharks looking to avenge 5-3 loss to the Wings last Tuesday.
21. (20) Minnesota 11-11-4 26 points
GM Chuck Fletcher says he will team responsible before coach Todd Richards.
22. (23) Ottawa 12-14-2 26 points
Chris Neil scores all three goals in win over the Rangers on Sunday
23. (24) Buffalo 11-13-3 25 points
Ryan Miller posts back to back shutouts in wins over Columbus & Ottawa.
24. (21) Carolina 11-12-3 25 points
Five day break comes at a good time with only ten players able to practice on Monday.
25. (29) Edmonton 10-12-4 24 points
Don't look now but the Oilers have won four straight
26. (26) Calgary 11-14-2 24 points
Rematch of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals against Tampa on Tuesday in Calgary
27. (25) Florida 11-14-0 22 points
Rematch of the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals against Colorado this Tuesday in Miami.
28. (27) Toronto 9-12-4 22 points
Best of luck to the Leafs as they face the top four teams in the Eastern conference this week.
29. (28) New Jersey 8-16-2 18 points
As of right now John MacLean is still the coach of the Devils
30. (30) NY Islanders 5-15-5 15 points
Former captain Bill Guerin calls it a career after 18 seasons
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Underappreciated in the Desert
On April 28th, 1996 The Winnipeg Jets played their final NHL game losing to the Detroit Red Wings in the 1st round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by a score of 4-1. Later that year the franchise would move to Phoenix & become the Coyotes.
The Coyotes had some moderate success right away qualifying for the playoffs in five of their first six seasons in the desert before a playoff drought hit that finally ended last season.
After a slow start in October the Coyotes won seven straight games in November to get back in the playoff picture. as of right now they are two points out of 1st place in the Pacific division.
Unfortunately success on the ice doesn't lead to success off the ice.
Plagued by ownership issues since filing for bankruptcy in 2008 the Coyotes face a December 31st deadline to resolve this once and for all. If the ownership situation isn't resolved by then rumor has it they might return to Winnipeg.
Which begs the question, why have the Coyotes failed in the Sun Belt when other teams have succeeded? I have a couple theories.
1. Lack of playoff success
While the Coyotes did qualify five of their 1st six years in Phoenix they have never won a playoff series. In fact you have to go back to 1987 to find the last time the franchise won a playoff series. Here is how they have fared in each of their playoff series in Phoenix.
1997: Lost to Anaheim in seven games
1998: Lost to Detroit in six games
1999: Lost to St. Louis in seven games
2000: Lost to Colorado in five games
2002: lost to San Jose in five games
2010: lost to Detroit in seven games
I won't hold it the playoff losses to Detroit & Colorado against the Coyotes as those teams were one of the best in the NHL when they played them.
The loss to Anaheim in 1997 the Coyotes had a 3-2 lead before losing Game six in overtime at home. They would be shutout two nights later in Anaheim and lose the series.
In 1999 the Coyotes had a 3-1 series lead over St. Louis before the Blues rallied to win three in a row to take the series. The worst part about that series was Phoenix lost both games five & seven in overtime on home ice.
In Canada the fans will stand by a team despite a lack of success in the playoffs. (see Toronto) In a Sun Belt market you had better win if you want to stay relevant.
2. Arena Problems
When the Coyotes moved to Phoenix they played their 1st seven season at the America West Arena in downtown Phoenix. The arena was built for the Phoenix Suns in 1993 and was four years old when the Coyotes started playing there.
Unlike most multipurpose arenas, the sight lines were not designed for hockey. While its tight seating configuration suits basketball very well, it made it difficult to fit a standard NHL rink onto the floor. The lower level had to be sheared in half to fit the rink and create retractable seating.
A section of seats in the upper level actually hung over the boards, obstructing the view from over 3,000 seats. In those areas, a good chunk of the view from beyond the top of the face-off circle was cut off.
The problem was so serious that after the team's first season in Phoenix, the team had to curtain off some seats in the areas where the view was particularly obstructed, cutting listed capacity from over 18,000 seats to just over 16,000.
In 2004 the Coyotes moved into a new arena in the suburb of Glendale, Arizona. While the arena is better suited for hockey than the U.S. Airways Center (formerly the America West Arena) the location has not been ideal.
It is about a 35 minute drive in traffic from Downtown Phoenix to Glendale. When you get to Glendale there aren't the same options around the arena like their is in downtown Phoenix before & after the game.
If you aren't winning it is difficult to attract fans to drive all the way out there on a Tuesday night to watch the team play a team like Florida.
3. Lack of fan support
I'm not saying Arizona fans are apathetic like fans are in Atlanta or Miami who only care when their teams are winning. What I am saying is that when a sport like hockey moves to a non-traditional market like Phoenix you had better win right away to capture the fans attention like they did in Denver & Dallas.The Coyotes failed to do this.
One problem is the location of the arena. Another thing to factor in is who the opponent is. When a team like Detroit or Chicago come to town the game is usually a sellout. When a team like Florida or Nashville come to town you aren't going to sell those games out unless you have a really great team.
Earlier this season the Coyotes drew 6,706 fans for a game against Los Angeles. Theses two teams were both in the playoffs last year and the Kings are talked about as a possible Stanley Cup contender There are teams in the AHL that draw more fans than that game did.
You could make a case and say the economy has something to do with it but in a good hockey market there is no way that game draws under 7,000 fans. The transplants from the North can only do so much. Eventually you need to win over the market and that is something the Coyotes haven't been able to do.
4. Ownership issues
The black cloud surrounding ownership of the team has not helped the franchise and their attendance issues. Some fans probable are reluctant to spend their money on a team that may or may not be there next year. When you factor in a tough economy I can't find fault with the fans.
One of the main issues with ownership is the lease with the arena in Glendale makes it impossible for an owner to make any money on the franchise. Any sale of the franchise involves renegotiating a new lease with the City of Glendale.
Since the Coyotes were taken over by the NHL they have see three potential sales to a buyer fall through. The latest name to be linked to ownership of the team is Matthew Hulsizer who is the Chicago chief executive of options-trading firm PEAK6 Investments.
If that deal falls through The chairman of Thomson Reuters, David Thomson, is rumored to be standing by ready to purchase the team and move them back to Winnipeg.
So what will happen with the Coyotes? At this point we don't know. What we do know is that the desert has not embraced the NHL like other markets have in the Sun Belt. The recent success of the franchise doesn't look like it will change how the fans feel.
I understand Gary Bettman's approach to try and grow the game in non-traditional markets. But sometimes it isn't going to work out the way you hoped it would.
The Coyotes would be better off being in a place like Winnipeg where the fans appreciate the game of hockey than in the Phoenix Metro Area which has a population of 4,281,899, most of whom could care less whether the team wins or loses.
The Coyotes had some moderate success right away qualifying for the playoffs in five of their first six seasons in the desert before a playoff drought hit that finally ended last season.
After a slow start in October the Coyotes won seven straight games in November to get back in the playoff picture. as of right now they are two points out of 1st place in the Pacific division.
Unfortunately success on the ice doesn't lead to success off the ice.
Plagued by ownership issues since filing for bankruptcy in 2008 the Coyotes face a December 31st deadline to resolve this once and for all. If the ownership situation isn't resolved by then rumor has it they might return to Winnipeg.
Which begs the question, why have the Coyotes failed in the Sun Belt when other teams have succeeded? I have a couple theories.
1. Lack of playoff success
While the Coyotes did qualify five of their 1st six years in Phoenix they have never won a playoff series. In fact you have to go back to 1987 to find the last time the franchise won a playoff series. Here is how they have fared in each of their playoff series in Phoenix.
1997: Lost to Anaheim in seven games
1998: Lost to Detroit in six games
1999: Lost to St. Louis in seven games
2000: Lost to Colorado in five games
2002: lost to San Jose in five games
2010: lost to Detroit in seven games
I won't hold it the playoff losses to Detroit & Colorado against the Coyotes as those teams were one of the best in the NHL when they played them.
The loss to Anaheim in 1997 the Coyotes had a 3-2 lead before losing Game six in overtime at home. They would be shutout two nights later in Anaheim and lose the series.
In 1999 the Coyotes had a 3-1 series lead over St. Louis before the Blues rallied to win three in a row to take the series. The worst part about that series was Phoenix lost both games five & seven in overtime on home ice.
In Canada the fans will stand by a team despite a lack of success in the playoffs. (see Toronto) In a Sun Belt market you had better win if you want to stay relevant.
2. Arena Problems
When the Coyotes moved to Phoenix they played their 1st seven season at the America West Arena in downtown Phoenix. The arena was built for the Phoenix Suns in 1993 and was four years old when the Coyotes started playing there.
Unlike most multipurpose arenas, the sight lines were not designed for hockey. While its tight seating configuration suits basketball very well, it made it difficult to fit a standard NHL rink onto the floor. The lower level had to be sheared in half to fit the rink and create retractable seating.
A section of seats in the upper level actually hung over the boards, obstructing the view from over 3,000 seats. In those areas, a good chunk of the view from beyond the top of the face-off circle was cut off.
The problem was so serious that after the team's first season in Phoenix, the team had to curtain off some seats in the areas where the view was particularly obstructed, cutting listed capacity from over 18,000 seats to just over 16,000.
In 2004 the Coyotes moved into a new arena in the suburb of Glendale, Arizona. While the arena is better suited for hockey than the U.S. Airways Center (formerly the America West Arena) the location has not been ideal.
It is about a 35 minute drive in traffic from Downtown Phoenix to Glendale. When you get to Glendale there aren't the same options around the arena like their is in downtown Phoenix before & after the game.
If you aren't winning it is difficult to attract fans to drive all the way out there on a Tuesday night to watch the team play a team like Florida.
3. Lack of fan support
I'm not saying Arizona fans are apathetic like fans are in Atlanta or Miami who only care when their teams are winning. What I am saying is that when a sport like hockey moves to a non-traditional market like Phoenix you had better win right away to capture the fans attention like they did in Denver & Dallas.The Coyotes failed to do this.
One problem is the location of the arena. Another thing to factor in is who the opponent is. When a team like Detroit or Chicago come to town the game is usually a sellout. When a team like Florida or Nashville come to town you aren't going to sell those games out unless you have a really great team.
Earlier this season the Coyotes drew 6,706 fans for a game against Los Angeles. Theses two teams were both in the playoffs last year and the Kings are talked about as a possible Stanley Cup contender There are teams in the AHL that draw more fans than that game did.
You could make a case and say the economy has something to do with it but in a good hockey market there is no way that game draws under 7,000 fans. The transplants from the North can only do so much. Eventually you need to win over the market and that is something the Coyotes haven't been able to do.
4. Ownership issues
The black cloud surrounding ownership of the team has not helped the franchise and their attendance issues. Some fans probable are reluctant to spend their money on a team that may or may not be there next year. When you factor in a tough economy I can't find fault with the fans.
One of the main issues with ownership is the lease with the arena in Glendale makes it impossible for an owner to make any money on the franchise. Any sale of the franchise involves renegotiating a new lease with the City of Glendale.
Since the Coyotes were taken over by the NHL they have see three potential sales to a buyer fall through. The latest name to be linked to ownership of the team is Matthew Hulsizer who is the Chicago chief executive of options-trading firm PEAK6 Investments.
If that deal falls through The chairman of Thomson Reuters, David Thomson, is rumored to be standing by ready to purchase the team and move them back to Winnipeg.
So what will happen with the Coyotes? At this point we don't know. What we do know is that the desert has not embraced the NHL like other markets have in the Sun Belt. The recent success of the franchise doesn't look like it will change how the fans feel.
I understand Gary Bettman's approach to try and grow the game in non-traditional markets. But sometimes it isn't going to work out the way you hoped it would.
The Coyotes would be better off being in a place like Winnipeg where the fans appreciate the game of hockey than in the Phoenix Metro Area which has a population of 4,281,899, most of whom could care less whether the team wins or loses.
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