Last Wednesday night in St. Paul the two best teams in the Western Conference faced off in a nationally televised contest.
You had the Chicago Blackhawks, who were second in the West with 40 points taking on the Minnesota Wild who leads the NHL with 43 points.
Chicago being near the top of the standings is a surprise to no one. They are only one season removed from being Stanley Cup champions have one of the best duos in the NHL in Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.
Minnesota on the other hand has been the surprise team of the NHL this season. Having changed coaches in the off season and trading away two of their better players in Brent Burns and Martin Havlat, most people thought at best the Wild would be a fringe playoff team on the outside looking in. Instead the Wild came into the game as the top team in the NHL.
While Minnesota came into the game with the best point total in the NHL, I was curious to see how they matched up against one of the elite teams. So far this season the Wild have gotten where they are by beating the teams they need to beat.
That's not a knock on what they have accomplished, two points is two points and they are a lot easier to get in October and November than they are in March or April.
But if you are going to be taken seriously as a Stanley Cup contender you need to be able to beat the teams like Detroit, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Boston all who have recently won the Stanley Cup and figure to be in the mix this spring.
After watching the game on Wednesday I still don't know what kind of team Minnesota is.
Yes they lost to the Blackhawks in a shootout 3-2 and yes they got a point in the contest. The Wild were also held without a shot for the first seventeen minutes of the contest. It's hard to score goals when you don't have a shot on net.
But I have to give Minnesota credit as well. When they fell behind 2-0 in the second period they could have mailed it in. Instead the Wild fought back and scored two goals in two and a half minutes to tie the game. When Toews scored in the 3rd period Minnesota kept pressing until Mikko Koivu tied it with five minutes to play.
A few weeks ago a reader asked me how many teams did I think the Wild had a legit shot at beating in the playoffs. If you go by the top five teams in the West according to my Power Poll (Which you can read every Monday afternoon) I think the Wild would beat St. Louis and Dallas in a best of seven series.
Against Vancouver it depends whether it's Good Luongo or Bad Luongo in net. As for Detroit or Chicago, well let's just say Minnesota has a ways to go before being in their class.
Speaking of the Canucks, the Wild will get another shot at them tonight in Vancouver. In the meantime here is the Week 10 Power Poll with a little Christmas twist of what every NHL team wants for the holidays.
1. Chicago 21-8-4 46 points
Christmas Wish: To stay on top as the best team in the NHL.
2. Boston 21-9-1 43 points
Christmas Wish: To have more months like November where they went 12-0-1.
3. Detroit 20-10-1 41 points
Christmas Wish: That Nicklas Lidstrom returns to play another season.
4. Minnesota 20-8-5 45 points
Christmas Wish: That the Wild can overcome their injuries and stay on top in the Northwest Division.
5. Philadelphia 20-8-3 43 points
Christmas Wish: A defenseman to join the team and pick up the minutes usually played by Chris Pronger.
6. Vancouver 19-11-2 40 points
Christmas Wish: That Roberto Luongo starts playing like he did in the 2010 Olympics for Team Canada.
7. St. Louis 19-9-4 42 points
Christmas Wish: That Matthew Hulsizer's purchase of the franchise goes through before the trade deadline.
8. Pittsburgh 18-11-4 40 points
Christmas Wish: That Sidney Crosby returns to full health and is free of concussion symptoms.
9. N.Y. Rangers 18-8-4 40 points
Christmas Wish: That they can take advantage of Pronger and Crosby being out with injuries and become the top team in the Atlantic Division.
10. New Jersey 18-13-1 37 points
Christmas Wish: That Zach Parise signs an extension and stays a Devil for many years to come.
11. Dallas 18-12-1 37 points
Christmas Wish: That their start to this season leads to a playoff berth instead of stumbling down the stretch last year and missing the playoffs.
12. Florida 18-9-6 42 points
Christmas Wish: That the new players on the Panthers roster can keep up this pace and end the longest playoff drought in the NHL. (11 seasons)
13. San Jose 17-10-3 37 points
Christmas Wish: That the Sharks can get over the hump and finally reach the Stanley Cup Finals.
14. Nashville 17-11-4 38 points
Christmas Wish: Contract extensions for Shea Weber and Ryan Suter.
15. Buffalo 16-13-3 35 points
Christmas Wish: That Ville Leino starts playing like he did in the 2010 and 2011 playoffs for Philadelphia.
16. Toronto 16-13-3 35 points
Christmas Wish: That Phil Kessel can continue to lead the NHL in scoring (39 points) and leads the Maple Leafs to their first playoff berth in six seasons.
17. Washington 16-14-1 33 points
Christmas Wish: That they could go back to October when they started 7-0-0.
18. Phoenix 16-13-3 35 points
Christmas Wish: Somebody to buy the franchise and end the speculation of will they stay in the desert or will they move.
19. Winnipeg 15-13-4 34 points
Christmas Wish: You have the NHL back in Winnipeg, you don't need to make a wish.
20. Ottawa 15-14-4 34 points
Christmas Wish: That Kyle Turris can reach his potential as the 3rd pick overall in the 2007 NHL Draft. A change of scenery can only help.
21. Colorado 15-17-1 31 points
Christmas Wish: That Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog can be to this generation of Avalanche fans what Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg was to the previous generation.
22. Los Angeles 14-14-4 32 points
Christmas Wish: That Darryl Sutter being hired as head coach gives the Kings the swift kick in the ass that this team needs.
23. Tampa Bay 14-16-2 30 points
Christmas Wish: A goaltender to come in and do what Dwayne Roloson did last year for the Lightning.
24. Edmonton 14-15-3 31 points
Christmas Wish: A number one defenseman so this team can take the next step.
25. Calgary 14-15-4 32 points
Christmas Wish: An NHL team to make an offer they can't refuse for Jarome Iginla so they can start rebuilding.
26. Montreal 13-13-7 33 points
Christmas Wish: A coach that can come in to restore the tradition of the Canadiens and lead them to their 25th Stanley Cup title. Bonus points if he can also speak French.
27. N.Y. Islanders 10-14-6 26 points
Christmas Wish: Some help for John Tavares, preferably a wing who can score.
28. Carolina 10-18-6 26 points
Christmas Wish: That they can turn things around without having to trade Eric Staal or Cam Ward.
29. Anaheim 9-18-5 23 points
Christmas Wish: That somebody other than the first line can start scoring goals for the Ducks.
30. Columbus 9-20-4 22 points
Christmas Wish: A reset to the 2011-2012 NHL season.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Week 9 Power Poll
We might have another coaching change in the NHL by the time you read this column.
A report from the Los Angeles Times says the Los Angeles Kings are preparing to fire Terry Murray perhaps as early as tomorrow night.
Los Angeles is 13-12-4 on the season with 30 points and sit in 12th in the Western Conference, just two points out of the final playoff spot.
But the problem for the Kings is they have enough talent on their roster where they should be one of the top five teams in the West instead of struggling for a playoff spot.
I watched Los Angeles play Minnesota on Thursday night. The Wild scored 24 seconds into the game and 1:25 into the start of the 2nd period. Once that happened the Kings seemed to be just going through the motions and didn't put up much of a fight.
That might be the thing that is Terry Murray's undoing, the lack of passion being shown by the players on the Kings roster. What Los Angeles needs is a guy to come in and give the roster a swift kick in the ass. The perfect coach for that job just so happens recently was coaching in Orange County.
Randy Carlyle led the Anaheim Ducks to five playoff berths in six seasons and won a Stanley Cup in 2007. He won a Norris Trophy as best defenseman back in 1981 and coached two defenseman, Chris Pronger & Scott Niedermeyer that have won Norris Trophies.
The Kings have two potential Norris Trophy defenseman on their roster in Drew Doughty & Jack Johnson. The Kings also have a deep group of forwards on their roster who are having trouble putting the puck in the net. Anaheim may have had their issues scoring this season but it wasn't because their top forwards weren't producing.
Right now the LA Times says Carlyle isn't a candidate to replace Murray should a coaching change be made. The Kings should take a hard look at Carlyle. With the NBA returning in a couple weeks the Kings run the risk of getting lost in the shuffle in LA behind the Lakers and Clippers.
Hiring Carlyle could not only save their season but make them relevant for the first time since Gretzky skated at the Great Western Forum.
Here is the Power Poll for Week 9.
1. Minnesota 20-7-3 43 points
Have won four straight on current road trip. Faces Chicago on Wednesday night at Xcel Energy Center.
2. Detroit 18-9-1 37 points
Fourteen different Red Wings record a point in 7-1 win over Winnipeg on Saturday.
3. Boston 18-9-1 37 points
Zdeno Chara listed as day-to-day with a lower body injury.
4. Chicago 18-8-4 40 points
Game against Minnesota on Wednesday night is a match-up of the top two teams in the NHL.
5. Vancouver 18-10-1 37 points
Canucks have scored at least three goals in last nine games.
6. Philadelphia 18-7-3 39 points
Claude Giroux expected to miss at least one game with concussion like symptoms.
7. Pittsburgh 17-9-4 38 points
Sidney Crosby also out indefinitely with concussion like symptoms.
8. N.Y. Rangers 17-6-4 38 points
6-1 win over Florida has Rangers one point out of the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
9. St. Louis 17-9-3 37 points
Brian Elliott is tied for the league lead in shutouts with four on the season. Not bad for the former Badger.
10. Dallas 16-11-1 33 points
Penalty Kill is a big part of the Stars success so far this season.
11. Florida 16-9-5 37 points
Congrats to Erik Gudbrandson on his first NHL goal.
12. San Jose 15-10-2 32 points
Sharks have one win in their last five games.
13. Washington 15-12-1 31 points
John Carlson (1G, 6A) named NHL 3rd star of the week.
14. Buffalo 15-12-2 32 points
Upcoming 10 day stretch should tell us what kind of team the Sabres are.
15. Toronto 15-11-3 33 points
Maple Leafs ranked 29th in the NHL in Penalty Kill (74.3%)
16. Phoenix 15-11-3 33 points
Coyotes have allowed eight power play goals in their last eighteen penalty kills.
17. New Jersey 14-13-1 29 points
Devils will retire Scott Niedermeyer's number Friday night. (long overdue)
18. Nashville 14-11-4 32 points
Jordin Tootoo returns from a two game suspension, scores game winning goal over Anaheim.
19. Edmonton 14-13-3 31 points
Big challenge ahead for Oilers as eight of next ten games are on the road.
20. Calgary 14-13-2 30 points
Jarome Iginla has four goals and nine points in his last five games.
21. Los Angeles 13-12-4 30 points
Having Mike Richards out of the lineup is not helping the Kings.
22. Winnipeg 13-12-4 30 points
New Jets in Winnipeg, same result against Detroit.
23. Colorado 13-16-1 27 points
Avalanche are 0-7-1 in their last eight road games.
24. Ottawa 13-13-4 30 points
Senators say they aren't giving up on Nikita Filatov despite lending him to CSKA Moscow of the KHL.
25. Montreal 12-11-7 31 points
Swapped defenseman with Carolina sending Jaroslav Spacek to the Hurricanes in exchange for Tomas Kaberle.
26. Tampa Bay 12-15-2 26 points
Lightning signs Antti Miettinen to a two year contract. Should add depth at forward.
27. N.Y. Islanders 9-12-6 24 points
Evgeni Nabokov close to returning after being on injured reserve for the last month.
28. Carolina 9-18-4 22 points
Jaroslav Spacek had two assists in his first game with the Hurricanes.
29. Anaheim 8-16-5 21 points
Ducks trade Kurtis Foster to New Jersey as they try to shake up their roster.
30. Columbus 8-17-4 20 points
Blue Jackets are 7-5-2 when scoring first. They should try to do that more often.
A report from the Los Angeles Times says the Los Angeles Kings are preparing to fire Terry Murray perhaps as early as tomorrow night.
Los Angeles is 13-12-4 on the season with 30 points and sit in 12th in the Western Conference, just two points out of the final playoff spot.
But the problem for the Kings is they have enough talent on their roster where they should be one of the top five teams in the West instead of struggling for a playoff spot.
I watched Los Angeles play Minnesota on Thursday night. The Wild scored 24 seconds into the game and 1:25 into the start of the 2nd period. Once that happened the Kings seemed to be just going through the motions and didn't put up much of a fight.
That might be the thing that is Terry Murray's undoing, the lack of passion being shown by the players on the Kings roster. What Los Angeles needs is a guy to come in and give the roster a swift kick in the ass. The perfect coach for that job just so happens recently was coaching in Orange County.
Randy Carlyle led the Anaheim Ducks to five playoff berths in six seasons and won a Stanley Cup in 2007. He won a Norris Trophy as best defenseman back in 1981 and coached two defenseman, Chris Pronger & Scott Niedermeyer that have won Norris Trophies.
The Kings have two potential Norris Trophy defenseman on their roster in Drew Doughty & Jack Johnson. The Kings also have a deep group of forwards on their roster who are having trouble putting the puck in the net. Anaheim may have had their issues scoring this season but it wasn't because their top forwards weren't producing.
Right now the LA Times says Carlyle isn't a candidate to replace Murray should a coaching change be made. The Kings should take a hard look at Carlyle. With the NBA returning in a couple weeks the Kings run the risk of getting lost in the shuffle in LA behind the Lakers and Clippers.
Hiring Carlyle could not only save their season but make them relevant for the first time since Gretzky skated at the Great Western Forum.
Here is the Power Poll for Week 9.
1. Minnesota 20-7-3 43 points
Have won four straight on current road trip. Faces Chicago on Wednesday night at Xcel Energy Center.
2. Detroit 18-9-1 37 points
Fourteen different Red Wings record a point in 7-1 win over Winnipeg on Saturday.
3. Boston 18-9-1 37 points
Zdeno Chara listed as day-to-day with a lower body injury.
4. Chicago 18-8-4 40 points
Game against Minnesota on Wednesday night is a match-up of the top two teams in the NHL.
5. Vancouver 18-10-1 37 points
Canucks have scored at least three goals in last nine games.
6. Philadelphia 18-7-3 39 points
Claude Giroux expected to miss at least one game with concussion like symptoms.
7. Pittsburgh 17-9-4 38 points
Sidney Crosby also out indefinitely with concussion like symptoms.
8. N.Y. Rangers 17-6-4 38 points
6-1 win over Florida has Rangers one point out of the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
9. St. Louis 17-9-3 37 points
Brian Elliott is tied for the league lead in shutouts with four on the season. Not bad for the former Badger.
10. Dallas 16-11-1 33 points
Penalty Kill is a big part of the Stars success so far this season.
11. Florida 16-9-5 37 points
Congrats to Erik Gudbrandson on his first NHL goal.
12. San Jose 15-10-2 32 points
Sharks have one win in their last five games.
13. Washington 15-12-1 31 points
John Carlson (1G, 6A) named NHL 3rd star of the week.
14. Buffalo 15-12-2 32 points
Upcoming 10 day stretch should tell us what kind of team the Sabres are.
15. Toronto 15-11-3 33 points
Maple Leafs ranked 29th in the NHL in Penalty Kill (74.3%)
16. Phoenix 15-11-3 33 points
Coyotes have allowed eight power play goals in their last eighteen penalty kills.
17. New Jersey 14-13-1 29 points
Devils will retire Scott Niedermeyer's number Friday night. (long overdue)
18. Nashville 14-11-4 32 points
Jordin Tootoo returns from a two game suspension, scores game winning goal over Anaheim.
19. Edmonton 14-13-3 31 points
Big challenge ahead for Oilers as eight of next ten games are on the road.
20. Calgary 14-13-2 30 points
Jarome Iginla has four goals and nine points in his last five games.
21. Los Angeles 13-12-4 30 points
Having Mike Richards out of the lineup is not helping the Kings.
22. Winnipeg 13-12-4 30 points
New Jets in Winnipeg, same result against Detroit.
23. Colorado 13-16-1 27 points
Avalanche are 0-7-1 in their last eight road games.
24. Ottawa 13-13-4 30 points
Senators say they aren't giving up on Nikita Filatov despite lending him to CSKA Moscow of the KHL.
25. Montreal 12-11-7 31 points
Swapped defenseman with Carolina sending Jaroslav Spacek to the Hurricanes in exchange for Tomas Kaberle.
26. Tampa Bay 12-15-2 26 points
Lightning signs Antti Miettinen to a two year contract. Should add depth at forward.
27. N.Y. Islanders 9-12-6 24 points
Evgeni Nabokov close to returning after being on injured reserve for the last month.
28. Carolina 9-18-4 22 points
Jaroslav Spacek had two assists in his first game with the Hurricanes.
29. Anaheim 8-16-5 21 points
Ducks trade Kurtis Foster to New Jersey as they try to shake up their roster.
30. Columbus 8-17-4 20 points
Blue Jackets are 7-5-2 when scoring first. They should try to do that more often.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Radical Realignment: What You Need To Know
This past Monday in Pebble Beach, California the NHL Board of Governors approved Radical Realignment for the 2012-2013 NHL season.
The breakdown for conferences goes like this.
Conference A:
Anaheim, Calgary, Colorado, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver
Conference B:
Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis, Winnipeg
Conference C:
Boston, Buffalo, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Toronto
Conference D:
Carolina, New Jersey, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington.
Realignment hasn't happened in the NHL since the last wave of expansion over 10 years ago. Naturally it has left a lot of questions about how and why this was done the way it was and what can be expected from this.
Lucky for you I am here to help answer your questions and provide you with a better understanding of how things went down.
Why did the NHL decide to realign?
This past summer the Atlanta Thrashers were bought and moved to Winnipeg where they became the Jets. The deal took place right around the time the 2011-2012 schedule was coming out so Winnipeg was still in the Southeast Division for one more season with the NHL deciding to realign in time for the 2012-2013 season.
Couldn't the NHL just swap out a team in the West with Winnipeg instead of blowing up the current six division set up?
That was the NHL's original plan. There were two problems with this.
1. Three teams (Detroit, Columbus, Nashville) wanted to take Winnipeg's spot in the East.
2. A few other franchises out of place in the West (Dallas, Minnesota) said if we are going to realign let's take a look at the whole setup and see if we can find something that works better.
My personal belief is the NHL did want to do a one for one swap but it takes 20 of 30 votes for anything to pass. I don't believe Detroit had the votes to go from the West to the East.
Putting Nashville in the East would have not been fair to the two teams in the West that play in the Eastern time zone. Moving Columbus would have been the lesser of three evils but by doing that you risk upsetting one of your better owners, Mike Illitch, of one of your marquee franchises.
So, the NHL decides to just to move Winnipeg to the West and not another team to the East leaving one conference with 16 teams and one with 14 teams?
Not Exactly.
Instead of dividing the teams by divisions, the NHL will now divide the teams by conferences. Each team will play the majority of games within their conference with the rest of their games being played against teams from different conferences.
Does that mean every team will play each other twice next year?
Yes, next year every team will play everyone at least twice.
That means if you are in the West, Crosby & Ovechkin will play in your building next year instead of having to wait two or more seasons like some cities have done to see them. If you are in the East, Detroit & Chicago will be paying you a visit every season instead of every other season and vice-versa.
To me this makes nothing but sense. Every team should have to play each other twice. Here in Minnesota if seeing Crosby & Ovechkin every season means having Carolina & Florida come to Xcel Center once a year I'm fine with it.
If there are four conferences how will the post-season work?
Think of it as the way it was when the NHL had the Patrick, Adams, Norris & Smythe Divisions.
The first two rounds of the playoffs will be within conference with the top four teams from each conference making it. After that there is talk of the NHL re-seeding the final four teams that advance from their respective conferences.
Is there any chance the NHL goes back to the Original division names of Patrick, Adams, Norris & Smythe as the names for the conferences?
As much as I would love this to happen I doubt it. From what I hear the conferences will be named Pacific, Central, Eastern and Atlantic.
Of course I was also hearing Winnipeg being named the Manitoba Moose when they moved instead of the Jets so anything is possible.
Getting back to re-seeding, does this mean we could have a Boston-Pittsburgh Stanley Cup Final?
If the NHL does decide to re-seed we could absolutely see a Boston-Pittsburgh Final one year. You could also see a Vancouver-Chicago Final or a Detroit-San Jose Final, both of which would have a lot of drama because of recent playoff meetings.
On the downside the door would be open for a Carolina-Florida final or a Phoenix-Nashville Final. The NHL might want to re-think this one.
Speaking of Phoenix, does this mean they are staying in the desert?
Not Exactly. The Coyotes still have ownership issues that need to be straighten out.
One thing this realignment set up does allow is that if Phoenix should move to another city the NHL can just place them in a different conference without having to dramatically realign the other conferences.
If the Phoenix franchise happens to end up in Conference B because of a move then either Detroit or Columbus would probably be placed in Conference C.
Is there any chance the NHL could expand by two more teams to give each conference eight teams?
I think NHL expansion is a stronger possibility under the conference format than it was under the division format. A lot of things have to fall in place though before it is a reality.
The NHL has to see what and where Phoenix ends up before any realignment talk can seriously take place. Then the NHL has to see what cities can and would be willing to support a new franchise.
The last thing the NHL wants is a situation like the one they have in Phoenix or had in Atlanta.
What cities would be in line for expansion?
I'll save that question for another column.
The breakdown for conferences goes like this.
Conference A:
Anaheim, Calgary, Colorado, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver
Conference B:
Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis, Winnipeg
Conference C:
Boston, Buffalo, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Toronto
Conference D:
Carolina, New Jersey, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington.
Realignment hasn't happened in the NHL since the last wave of expansion over 10 years ago. Naturally it has left a lot of questions about how and why this was done the way it was and what can be expected from this.
Lucky for you I am here to help answer your questions and provide you with a better understanding of how things went down.
Why did the NHL decide to realign?
This past summer the Atlanta Thrashers were bought and moved to Winnipeg where they became the Jets. The deal took place right around the time the 2011-2012 schedule was coming out so Winnipeg was still in the Southeast Division for one more season with the NHL deciding to realign in time for the 2012-2013 season.
Couldn't the NHL just swap out a team in the West with Winnipeg instead of blowing up the current six division set up?
That was the NHL's original plan. There were two problems with this.
1. Three teams (Detroit, Columbus, Nashville) wanted to take Winnipeg's spot in the East.
2. A few other franchises out of place in the West (Dallas, Minnesota) said if we are going to realign let's take a look at the whole setup and see if we can find something that works better.
My personal belief is the NHL did want to do a one for one swap but it takes 20 of 30 votes for anything to pass. I don't believe Detroit had the votes to go from the West to the East.
Putting Nashville in the East would have not been fair to the two teams in the West that play in the Eastern time zone. Moving Columbus would have been the lesser of three evils but by doing that you risk upsetting one of your better owners, Mike Illitch, of one of your marquee franchises.
So, the NHL decides to just to move Winnipeg to the West and not another team to the East leaving one conference with 16 teams and one with 14 teams?
Not Exactly.
Instead of dividing the teams by divisions, the NHL will now divide the teams by conferences. Each team will play the majority of games within their conference with the rest of their games being played against teams from different conferences.
Does that mean every team will play each other twice next year?
Yes, next year every team will play everyone at least twice.
That means if you are in the West, Crosby & Ovechkin will play in your building next year instead of having to wait two or more seasons like some cities have done to see them. If you are in the East, Detroit & Chicago will be paying you a visit every season instead of every other season and vice-versa.
To me this makes nothing but sense. Every team should have to play each other twice. Here in Minnesota if seeing Crosby & Ovechkin every season means having Carolina & Florida come to Xcel Center once a year I'm fine with it.
If there are four conferences how will the post-season work?
Think of it as the way it was when the NHL had the Patrick, Adams, Norris & Smythe Divisions.
The first two rounds of the playoffs will be within conference with the top four teams from each conference making it. After that there is talk of the NHL re-seeding the final four teams that advance from their respective conferences.
Is there any chance the NHL goes back to the Original division names of Patrick, Adams, Norris & Smythe as the names for the conferences?
As much as I would love this to happen I doubt it. From what I hear the conferences will be named Pacific, Central, Eastern and Atlantic.
Of course I was also hearing Winnipeg being named the Manitoba Moose when they moved instead of the Jets so anything is possible.
Getting back to re-seeding, does this mean we could have a Boston-Pittsburgh Stanley Cup Final?
If the NHL does decide to re-seed we could absolutely see a Boston-Pittsburgh Final one year. You could also see a Vancouver-Chicago Final or a Detroit-San Jose Final, both of which would have a lot of drama because of recent playoff meetings.
On the downside the door would be open for a Carolina-Florida final or a Phoenix-Nashville Final. The NHL might want to re-think this one.
Speaking of Phoenix, does this mean they are staying in the desert?
Not Exactly. The Coyotes still have ownership issues that need to be straighten out.
One thing this realignment set up does allow is that if Phoenix should move to another city the NHL can just place them in a different conference without having to dramatically realign the other conferences.
If the Phoenix franchise happens to end up in Conference B because of a move then either Detroit or Columbus would probably be placed in Conference C.
Is there any chance the NHL could expand by two more teams to give each conference eight teams?
I think NHL expansion is a stronger possibility under the conference format than it was under the division format. A lot of things have to fall in place though before it is a reality.
The NHL has to see what and where Phoenix ends up before any realignment talk can seriously take place. Then the NHL has to see what cities can and would be willing to support a new franchise.
The last thing the NHL wants is a situation like the one they have in Phoenix or had in Atlanta.
What cities would be in line for expansion?
I'll save that question for another column.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Week 8 Power Poll:
The NHL Board of Governor's are meeting today in California and the main thing that is on the agenda is realignment.
Back in October I wrote about teams that could be affected by realignment based on the current six division scenario. The only thing for sure was Winnipeg would be moving to the Western Conference and one team from the West would be moving to the East.
Since then another plan that has come up with the NHL going back to a four division format with two divisions having eight teams and two divisions having seven teams. The only problem with this plan is which teams are grouped in what divisions.
The latest proposal has teams grouped in the following divisions:
Division 1: Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Jose, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Colorado, Phoenix
Division 2: Chicago, Detroit, Dallas, St. Louis, Minnesota, Nashville, Winnipeg, Columbus
Division 3: Montreal, Ottawa, Buffalo, Boston, Toronto, Tampa Bay, Florida
Division 4: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, NY Rangers, NY Islanders, Washington, New Jersey, Carolina
Basically what is being proposed is the previous four division format that was in place before the last round of expansion with the NHL trying to figure out where to place teams that are in Non-Traditional Markets. While this proposal looks reasonable my guess is there will be some tweaking to it.
One thing to keep in mind is it takes 20 of 30 votes to agree on any realignment scenario. I have talked to people that cover the NHL and the only certain thing is nobody has any idea what will happen. Some think there is no way the four division format will happen while others think it is likely depending on how teams are grouped together.
My only request is if the NHL decides to go with a four division format they bring back the original division names Patrick, Adams, Norris & Smythe.
Here is the Power Poll for Week 8:
1. Minnesota 17-7-3 37 points
The Wild are a much better hockey club than people give them credit for.
2. Pittsburgh 16-7-4 36 points
Penguins are 5-1-1 since Sidney Crosby returned to the lineup.
3. Detroit 16-8-1 33 points
Red Wings had won seven in a row before losing to Colorado on Sunday.
4. Boston 16-7-1 33 points
Bruins finished the month of November 12-0-1 and has secured a point in it's last 14 games.
5. Chicago 16-8-3 35 points
Jonathan Toews (9G, 9A in November) named 2nd Star of the month.
6. N.Y. Rangers 15-5-3 33 points
Rangers have won five in a row and 12 out of their last 14 games.
7. Vancouver 15-10-1 31 points
It was this time last season the Canucks got hot en route to the President's Trophy. They have won six of their last seven games.
8. Philadelphia 15-7-3 33 points
The worst thing about Chris Pronger being out with knee surgery is we won't see him on 24/7 Road to the Winter Classic.
9. Dallas 15-10-1 31 points
A barrage of injuries will challenge the Stars depth as they try to stay on top in the Pacific Division.
10. San Jose 14-8-1 29 points
The more I watch Logan Couture (10G, 9A) the more I'm convinced he is destined for great things in the NHL.
11. Buffalo 14-11-1 29 points
Nice to see the Sabres stand up for their goalie after Ryan Miller was run by Jordin Tootoo.
12. Toronto 14-10-2 30 points
The return of James Reimer in goal is a welcome sight for Leafs fans.
13. St. Louis 14 -9-3 31 points
Blues are 8-2-3 since Ken Hitchcock took over as head coach. So far the coaching change is working.
14. Florida 14-8-4 32 points
Panthers are tied for most road wins in the NHL with Philadelphia (9 wins)
15. Washington 13-11-1 27 points
Dale Hunter 1-2 in his first week as coach of the Capitals.
16. Los Angeles 13-9-4 30 points
Jonathan Quick (2-0, 0.50 GAA, .987 save percentage) named 3rd Star of the week.
17. Phoenix 13-9-3 29 points
Coyotes had given up 10 1st period goals in 24 games before giving up four goals in the 1st period against Philadelphia.
18. Edmonton 13-11-3 29 points
Oilers went 0-6 on the Power Play Saturday against Calgary. Currently ranked 4th in the NHL.
19. Colorado 13-13-1 27 points
Ryan O'Reilly (Seven points in four games) named 2nd Star of the Week.
20. Nashville 12-10-4 28 points
Predators have scored nine power-play goals in their last eight games.
21. New Jersey 12-12-1 25 points
I went to Xcel Center on Friday looking forward to watching Martin Brodeur play. He lasted a little over 8 minutes before being pulled after giving up three goals in the 1st period.
22. Ottawa 12-11-3 27 points
Milan Michalek is tied for first in the NHL with 16 goals. Nobody expected that.
23. Tampa Bay 11-12-2 24 points
Steven Stamkos is also tied for first in the NHL with 16 goals. Nobody is surprised by that.
24. Montreal 11-11-5 27 points
Canadiens finished California Road Trip 1-1-1.
25. Winnipeg 11-11-4 26 points
The wait was 15 years for fans in Winnipeg but no win this season will be sweeter than the 1-0 victory over Phoenix last Thursday.
26. Calgary 11-13-2 24 points
Welcome back to the NHL Joe Piskula.
27. N.Y. Islanders 8-11-5 21 points
Matt Moulson (4 goal game Saturday night) named 1st Star of the week.
28. Carolina 8-16-4 20 points
Kirk Muller has a long rebuilding task ahead in Carolina.
29. Anaheim 7-14-5 19 points
Still looking for first win under Bruce Boudreau (0-2)
30. Columbus 7-16-3 17 points
Blue Jackets lineup should get a boost with the return of Kristan Huselius from IR. Missed the first 25 games of the season after injuring pectoral muscle while lifting weights in the off-season.
Back in October I wrote about teams that could be affected by realignment based on the current six division scenario. The only thing for sure was Winnipeg would be moving to the Western Conference and one team from the West would be moving to the East.
Since then another plan that has come up with the NHL going back to a four division format with two divisions having eight teams and two divisions having seven teams. The only problem with this plan is which teams are grouped in what divisions.
The latest proposal has teams grouped in the following divisions:
Division 1: Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Jose, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Colorado, Phoenix
Division 2: Chicago, Detroit, Dallas, St. Louis, Minnesota, Nashville, Winnipeg, Columbus
Division 3: Montreal, Ottawa, Buffalo, Boston, Toronto, Tampa Bay, Florida
Division 4: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, NY Rangers, NY Islanders, Washington, New Jersey, Carolina
Basically what is being proposed is the previous four division format that was in place before the last round of expansion with the NHL trying to figure out where to place teams that are in Non-Traditional Markets. While this proposal looks reasonable my guess is there will be some tweaking to it.
One thing to keep in mind is it takes 20 of 30 votes to agree on any realignment scenario. I have talked to people that cover the NHL and the only certain thing is nobody has any idea what will happen. Some think there is no way the four division format will happen while others think it is likely depending on how teams are grouped together.
My only request is if the NHL decides to go with a four division format they bring back the original division names Patrick, Adams, Norris & Smythe.
Here is the Power Poll for Week 8:
1. Minnesota 17-7-3 37 points
The Wild are a much better hockey club than people give them credit for.
2. Pittsburgh 16-7-4 36 points
Penguins are 5-1-1 since Sidney Crosby returned to the lineup.
3. Detroit 16-8-1 33 points
Red Wings had won seven in a row before losing to Colorado on Sunday.
4. Boston 16-7-1 33 points
Bruins finished the month of November 12-0-1 and has secured a point in it's last 14 games.
5. Chicago 16-8-3 35 points
Jonathan Toews (9G, 9A in November) named 2nd Star of the month.
6. N.Y. Rangers 15-5-3 33 points
Rangers have won five in a row and 12 out of their last 14 games.
7. Vancouver 15-10-1 31 points
It was this time last season the Canucks got hot en route to the President's Trophy. They have won six of their last seven games.
8. Philadelphia 15-7-3 33 points
The worst thing about Chris Pronger being out with knee surgery is we won't see him on 24/7 Road to the Winter Classic.
9. Dallas 15-10-1 31 points
A barrage of injuries will challenge the Stars depth as they try to stay on top in the Pacific Division.
10. San Jose 14-8-1 29 points
The more I watch Logan Couture (10G, 9A) the more I'm convinced he is destined for great things in the NHL.
11. Buffalo 14-11-1 29 points
Nice to see the Sabres stand up for their goalie after Ryan Miller was run by Jordin Tootoo.
12. Toronto 14-10-2 30 points
The return of James Reimer in goal is a welcome sight for Leafs fans.
13. St. Louis 14 -9-3 31 points
Blues are 8-2-3 since Ken Hitchcock took over as head coach. So far the coaching change is working.
14. Florida 14-8-4 32 points
Panthers are tied for most road wins in the NHL with Philadelphia (9 wins)
15. Washington 13-11-1 27 points
Dale Hunter 1-2 in his first week as coach of the Capitals.
16. Los Angeles 13-9-4 30 points
Jonathan Quick (2-0, 0.50 GAA, .987 save percentage) named 3rd Star of the week.
17. Phoenix 13-9-3 29 points
Coyotes had given up 10 1st period goals in 24 games before giving up four goals in the 1st period against Philadelphia.
18. Edmonton 13-11-3 29 points
Oilers went 0-6 on the Power Play Saturday against Calgary. Currently ranked 4th in the NHL.
19. Colorado 13-13-1 27 points
Ryan O'Reilly (Seven points in four games) named 2nd Star of the Week.
20. Nashville 12-10-4 28 points
Predators have scored nine power-play goals in their last eight games.
21. New Jersey 12-12-1 25 points
I went to Xcel Center on Friday looking forward to watching Martin Brodeur play. He lasted a little over 8 minutes before being pulled after giving up three goals in the 1st period.
22. Ottawa 12-11-3 27 points
Milan Michalek is tied for first in the NHL with 16 goals. Nobody expected that.
23. Tampa Bay 11-12-2 24 points
Steven Stamkos is also tied for first in the NHL with 16 goals. Nobody is surprised by that.
24. Montreal 11-11-5 27 points
Canadiens finished California Road Trip 1-1-1.
25. Winnipeg 11-11-4 26 points
The wait was 15 years for fans in Winnipeg but no win this season will be sweeter than the 1-0 victory over Phoenix last Thursday.
26. Calgary 11-13-2 24 points
Welcome back to the NHL Joe Piskula.
27. N.Y. Islanders 8-11-5 21 points
Matt Moulson (4 goal game Saturday night) named 1st Star of the week.
28. Carolina 8-16-4 20 points
Kirk Muller has a long rebuilding task ahead in Carolina.
29. Anaheim 7-14-5 19 points
Still looking for first win under Bruce Boudreau (0-2)
30. Columbus 7-16-3 17 points
Blue Jackets lineup should get a boost with the return of Kristan Huselius from IR. Missed the first 25 games of the season after injuring pectoral muscle while lifting weights in the off-season.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
The Coaching Carousel Spins Again
Three weeks ago I wrote about potential coaching changes in the NHL after the St. Louis Blues fired Davis Payne and replaced him with Ken Hitchcock. When I wrote the blog I identified four coaches that I felt were on the hotseat.
Well we had three coaching changes this past week in the NHL. One of the firings was one of the coaches I identified in my previous blog. The other two coaching changes I did not expect, at least at this present time.
Well cover the two coaches I wasn't expecting to be fired in a moment but let's start with the one that I felt was on borrowed time.
Paul Maurice:
When I wrote about Maurice three weeks ago I left it was only a matter of time before Carolina made a coaching change. Time finally ran out on Monday when Maurice was relieved of his duties and replaced by Kirk Muller.
Maurice finishes his second tenure in Carolina with a record of 116-110-30 and one playoff appearance. While I have never been impressed with Maurice as a head coach I have seen lesser coaches receive multiple opportunities to coach in the NHL. If another team hires Maurice it wouldn't surprise me.
Hired to take his place in Carolina is Kirk Muller who played 19 seasons in the NHL and was an assistant with Montreal from 2006-2011.
Muller's name was mentioned throughout the summer as being a potential head coach in the NHL. He took over as head coach of the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals this year in hopes the experience would lead to a head coaching position. After two months he finds himself behind the bench in Carolina.
Muller is probably best known in coaching circles for coming up with the game plan to contain Alex Ovechkin in the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs and shut down the Capitals offense during the last three games of their playoff series against Montreal. That's important to remember as Carolina has to face Ovechkin six times a season.
Any success Muller will have in Carolina will depend on the play of Eric Staal. Staal is having a miserable season scoring 12 points (5G, 7A) on the season and is a -18 on the ice. He is on pace for his lowest point total since his rookie season in 2003-04 (31 points).
The Hurricanes are currently 14th in the East but only six points out of the final playoff spot. This next month will determine whether Carolina has a chance to be a playoff contender. Either way Muller will have the rest of the season to put his system in place as the Hurricanes move forward.
Bruce Boudreau:
Going into the 2011-2012 NHL season I felt Boudreau had to survive the 1st two rounds of the playoffs to keep his job in Washington.
Turns out he only lasted two months.
Boudreau was fired on Monday after four seasons as coach of the Capitals. He leaves with record of 201-88-40 and reached the 200 win plateau faster than any coach in NHL history.
The Capitals started the season by winning their first seven games of the season but were 3-9-1 in the last 13 games before General Manager George McPhee decided to make a change.
McPhee felt that the Capitals needed a new voice and that Boudreau had done all he could with the roster he had to work with. There had been speculation that Boudreau and Alex Ovechkin had not been seeing eye-to-eye although neither one has indicated that was the problem.
Replacing Boudreau as head coach of the Capitals is former player Dale Hunter who played with Washington from 1987-1999 and was the team captain for five seasons. Hunter had spent the last eleven years as the head coach of the London Knights of the OHL leading them to a Memorial Cup win in 2005.
Hunter is best known for in hockey circles for this hit on Pierre Turgeon in the 1993 playoffs which resulted in a 21 game suspension at the start of the 93-94 NHL season.
With hiring Hunter as head coach, McPhee is hoping the fire he played with on the ice will carry over to the bench and give the Capitals the swift kick in the ass this team needs. As for Boudreau it wouldn't take him long to find another job.
Randy Carlyle:
There has been speculation about the job security for Randy Carlyle all season but I thought he would have a little more leeway after what he had accomplished in Anaheim.
He had lead the Ducks to the Stanley Cup title in 2007 and had made the playoffs in five of his six seasons as head coach in Anaheim.
But the Ducks are 7-13-4 on the season and sit 14th in the West, ten points out of the final playoff spot. They are having trouble scoring goals and have the worst team plus/minus in the NHL at -22.
The talk around the Ducks for the past week was whether they would trade star forward Bobby Ryan. That may still happen at some point but it's easier to fire the coach than turnover an entire roster and that is what happened here.
My opinion is that this coaching move for Anaheim is similar to the one St. Louis made earlier this season where a coach was available and they made a decision to go get him before another team did.
Boudreau did a great job with the Capitals offense when he took over in Washington. My guess is he'll be able to do the same in Anaheim especially with having a first line of Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf & Bobby Ryan (provided Ryan isn't traded)
On the blueline he'll have a couple young defenseman to work with in Cam Fowler and Lucas Sbisa. With Boudreau as coach I could see Fowler becoming Anaheim's version of Mike Green.
As for Carlyle, the situation he is in now is similar to the one in Washington where a new voice was needed and a change was made. Carlyle's record speaks for itself and it won't be long before he is coaching again.
Unlike Boudreau and Maurice, at least Carlyle was able to win his final game as head coach.
Well we had three coaching changes this past week in the NHL. One of the firings was one of the coaches I identified in my previous blog. The other two coaching changes I did not expect, at least at this present time.
Well cover the two coaches I wasn't expecting to be fired in a moment but let's start with the one that I felt was on borrowed time.
Paul Maurice:
When I wrote about Maurice three weeks ago I left it was only a matter of time before Carolina made a coaching change. Time finally ran out on Monday when Maurice was relieved of his duties and replaced by Kirk Muller.
Maurice finishes his second tenure in Carolina with a record of 116-110-30 and one playoff appearance. While I have never been impressed with Maurice as a head coach I have seen lesser coaches receive multiple opportunities to coach in the NHL. If another team hires Maurice it wouldn't surprise me.
Hired to take his place in Carolina is Kirk Muller who played 19 seasons in the NHL and was an assistant with Montreal from 2006-2011.
Muller's name was mentioned throughout the summer as being a potential head coach in the NHL. He took over as head coach of the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals this year in hopes the experience would lead to a head coaching position. After two months he finds himself behind the bench in Carolina.
Muller is probably best known in coaching circles for coming up with the game plan to contain Alex Ovechkin in the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs and shut down the Capitals offense during the last three games of their playoff series against Montreal. That's important to remember as Carolina has to face Ovechkin six times a season.
Any success Muller will have in Carolina will depend on the play of Eric Staal. Staal is having a miserable season scoring 12 points (5G, 7A) on the season and is a -18 on the ice. He is on pace for his lowest point total since his rookie season in 2003-04 (31 points).
The Hurricanes are currently 14th in the East but only six points out of the final playoff spot. This next month will determine whether Carolina has a chance to be a playoff contender. Either way Muller will have the rest of the season to put his system in place as the Hurricanes move forward.
Bruce Boudreau:
Going into the 2011-2012 NHL season I felt Boudreau had to survive the 1st two rounds of the playoffs to keep his job in Washington.
Turns out he only lasted two months.
Boudreau was fired on Monday after four seasons as coach of the Capitals. He leaves with record of 201-88-40 and reached the 200 win plateau faster than any coach in NHL history.
The Capitals started the season by winning their first seven games of the season but were 3-9-1 in the last 13 games before General Manager George McPhee decided to make a change.
McPhee felt that the Capitals needed a new voice and that Boudreau had done all he could with the roster he had to work with. There had been speculation that Boudreau and Alex Ovechkin had not been seeing eye-to-eye although neither one has indicated that was the problem.
Replacing Boudreau as head coach of the Capitals is former player Dale Hunter who played with Washington from 1987-1999 and was the team captain for five seasons. Hunter had spent the last eleven years as the head coach of the London Knights of the OHL leading them to a Memorial Cup win in 2005.
Hunter is best known for in hockey circles for this hit on Pierre Turgeon in the 1993 playoffs which resulted in a 21 game suspension at the start of the 93-94 NHL season.
With hiring Hunter as head coach, McPhee is hoping the fire he played with on the ice will carry over to the bench and give the Capitals the swift kick in the ass this team needs. As for Boudreau it wouldn't take him long to find another job.
Randy Carlyle:
There has been speculation about the job security for Randy Carlyle all season but I thought he would have a little more leeway after what he had accomplished in Anaheim.
He had lead the Ducks to the Stanley Cup title in 2007 and had made the playoffs in five of his six seasons as head coach in Anaheim.
But the Ducks are 7-13-4 on the season and sit 14th in the West, ten points out of the final playoff spot. They are having trouble scoring goals and have the worst team plus/minus in the NHL at -22.
The talk around the Ducks for the past week was whether they would trade star forward Bobby Ryan. That may still happen at some point but it's easier to fire the coach than turnover an entire roster and that is what happened here.
My opinion is that this coaching move for Anaheim is similar to the one St. Louis made earlier this season where a coach was available and they made a decision to go get him before another team did.
Boudreau did a great job with the Capitals offense when he took over in Washington. My guess is he'll be able to do the same in Anaheim especially with having a first line of Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf & Bobby Ryan (provided Ryan isn't traded)
On the blueline he'll have a couple young defenseman to work with in Cam Fowler and Lucas Sbisa. With Boudreau as coach I could see Fowler becoming Anaheim's version of Mike Green.
As for Carlyle, the situation he is in now is similar to the one in Washington where a new voice was needed and a change was made. Carlyle's record speaks for itself and it won't be long before he is coaching again.
Unlike Boudreau and Maurice, at least Carlyle was able to win his final game as head coach.
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