Trades are a part of the NHL.
That's true in all professional sports but to me it seems like more deals happen in the NHL than in MLB, the NFL, or the NBA. Just take a look at past trades that happened at the trade deadline and you'll see random Canadians moving from team to team for no other reason than "Team X made a deal, we have to make a deal."
Trades can happen at anytime in the NHL whether it is in the middle of a road trip, after a morning skate or right before a pregame warm-up.
But on Thursday night in Boston I saw a trade made that was odd not only for the deal itself but also for when the deal went down.
Montreal forward Mike Cammalleri was pulled from the lineup during the 2nd intermission and was told by Canadiens GM Pierre Gauthier that he was being traded to Calgary for Rene Bourque.
The timing of the deal comes one day after Cammalleri made comments to the media about a "losing attitude" that is surrounding the Canadiens.
When asked about pulling Cammalleri from the lineup and trading him Gauthier said the trade had nothing to do with Cammalleri's comments and that a deal with Calgary had been in the works for a while.
I'm not buying it for one second.
I don't doubt the fact that Gauthier and Flames GM Jay Feaster may have had discussions during the year and Cammalleri's name may have come up.
But if a deal was imminent why wouldn't you just wait until after the 3rd period to announce the deal or better yet scratch Cammalleri from the lineup so Montreal isn't down a forward on the bench.
Cammalleri played for only nine minutes before being pulled from the lineup. It's not like Feaster saw the 1st period and told Gauthier "I'll take Cammalleri and I'll take him now."
This was a panic move by Gauthier. He trades a player who has been a 30+ goal scorer twice in his career for a player in Rene Bourque who highest season goal total is 27.
In all fairness Bourque does add size up front to a Montreal team that has been looking to get bigger at the forward position.
But a player like Cammalleri should fetch you more on the trade market than a guy who teeters between being a top six forward and a 3rd line winger.
Four years ago Montreal was the top team in the Eastern Conference and two years ago they were and Eastern Conference finalist. Now they are a franchise that looks completely clueless with how they handle things.
First they fired an assistant coach in October to buy Jacques Martin more time to turn things around only to fire him a week before Christmas. Then they hire a coach who can't speak french (not that it should matter) upsetting a province that has a majority of Francophone's. Now they trade one of their better forwards to the first team that would agree to take him off their hands.
Canadiens owner Geoff Molson needs to re-evaluate his player personnel department at the end of the season. If that means bidding adieu to Gauthier as general manager then so be it.
The Montreal Canadiens are the most historic franchise in the NHL. The league is a lot better when they are good than when they are bad. Right now I don't see things getting better for Montreal with the people they have running the show.
Here is the Power Poll for Week 13:
1. Boston 28-12-1 57 points
Bruins are 16-2 this season in games which they score first.
2. Detroit 28-15-1 57 points
Red Wings have won 14 straight games at Joe Louis Arena.
3. N.Y. Rangers 28-11-4 60 points
Followed up 3-0 win over Toronto with a 4-1 defeat in Montreal.
4. Vancouver 28-15-3 59 points
Some good news for the Canucks as they welcome back David Booth to the lineup after missing 18 games with a knee injury.
5. Chicago 27-13-6 60 points
Dan Carcillo will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. This will only help the Blackhawks in the post-season.
6. Philadelphia 26-13-4 56 points
Bad news for the Flyers as James Van Riemsdyk is out indefinitely with a concussion.
7. St. Louis 26-12-6 58 points
Blues are 5-0-1 so far in the month of January.
8. San Jose 25-12-5 55 points
Sharks are 10-1-4 in their last 15 games.
9. Nashville 25-15-4 54 points
Check out this hip check by Rayn Ellis on Wayne Simmonds.
10. New Jersey 25-17-2 52 points
2 goals in 2 minutes help the Devils get two points in Winnipeg.
11. Ottawa 25-15-6 56 points
At some point I'm going to have to start taking the Senators seriously as a playoff team.
12. Washington 24-17-2 50 points
It took a while but look who's back on top in the Southeast Division.
13. Dallas 24-18-1 49 points
Jamie Benn out 10-14 days with an appendectomy.
14. Colorado 24-20-2 50 points
Avalanche welcome back Peter Mueller after missing 40 games with a head injury.
15. Pittsburgh 23-17-4 50 points
The depth of the Penguins is being tested with all these injuries.
16. Los Angeles 22-15-9 53 points
Darryl Sutter is victorious in his first game back in Calgary as coach of the Kings.
17. Toronto 22-17-5 49 points
Defenseman Luke Schenn could be on the move as the Maple Leafs try to acquire a forward.
18. Minnesota 22-16-7 51 points
Shoulder injury to Mikko Koivu is one of the last things the Wild need right now.
19. Florida 21-14-8 50 points
No longer in 1st place in the Southeast Division, let's see if the Panthers can hang around.
20. Calgary 21-20-5 47 points
It's gonna take more than Mike Cammalleri for the Flames to make the playoffs.
21. Winnipeg 20-19-5 45 points
Loss to the Devils on Saturday is one game the Jets might like to have back.
22. Phoenix 20-18-7 47 points
Coyotes are 17-2-4 in games where they score first.
23. Buffalo 19-20-5 43 points
Sabres have lost eight in a row on the road.
24. Montreal 17-20-8 42 points
Odds of the Canadiens making the playoffs is 15.1 percent.
25. Tampa Bay 17-23-4 38 points
I thought the Lightning would fall back a little bit this season. I didn't expect them to be last in the East.
26. Edmonton 17-23-4 38 points
Win over the Kings snaps the Oilers winless streak at 5 games.
27. Carolina 16-24-7 39 points
Hurricanes welcome back Jeff Skinner after missing 16 games with a concussion.
28. N.Y. Islanders 16-20-6 38 points
Congrats to Evgeni Nabokov on win number 300.
29. Anaheim 15-22-7 37 points
Might be a little too late but the Ducks are 5-0-1 in their last six games.
30. Columbus 12-27-5 29 points
Congrats to Todd Richards in his first win as head coach of the Blue Jackets with a 4-3 win over Phoenix Saturday night.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
Yeo Sends a Message, Richards gets a job
This past summer the San Jose Sharks and the Minnesota Wild made three separate trades with each other.
The first trade happened at the NHL Draft where Wild GM Chuck Fletcher traded Brent Burns and a draft pick to San Jose for Devon Setoguchi, the rights to Charlie Coyle, and the Sharks 1st round pick.
Nine days later the teams made another deal with each other swapping Martin Havlat for Dany Heatley. A month later Minnesota sent James Sheppard to San Jose for a 3rd Round pick in the 2013 draft.
Tuesday night was the first meeting between the two clubs in Minnesota since the trades were made. With Havlat out of the lineup with a torn hamstring tendon and Sheppard watching from the Xcel Energy Center press box (a place he knows very well) the focus should have been on Burns making his return to the State of Hockey.
However the attention went to another player involved in the trade and not for the reasons he would have liked.
Devon Setoguchi was a healthy scratch for the game on Tuesday as the result of missing a team meeting. Now I have heard some rumors as to why he missed the meeting but I won't comment on them without verification.
What I do know is that it put Mike Yeo in a tough position. With the Wild having won only one game in their last twelve tries you need a scorer like Setoguchi on the ice.
However when team rules are broken you have to figure out how to discipline the person without losing the respect of the team.
Yeo made the decision to scratch Setoguchi from the lineup for one game and the Wild went on to win in a shootout 5-4, gaining an important two points in the Western Conference.
It was a bold move but the right decision by Yeo. Playing in the NHL is a privilege not a right. Each team has it's own set of rules and if players aren't going to follow the rules then they must be held accountable.
Now in all fairness to Setoguchi he does not have a history of doing things like this. I believe it was an honest mistake on his part and I'm guessing it won't happen again.
This move by Yeo should gain him more respect from the players in the Wild locker room, something the previous coach did not have.
Todd Richards:
Speaking of the previous Minnesota Wild coach, it was announced on Monday that the Columbus Blue Jackets fired head coach Scott Arniel and promoted Todd Richards to interim head coach for the remainder of the 2011-2012 season.
Columbus got off to a horrible start losing their first eight games of the season. They have been at the bottom of the standings the entire season and only a couple weeks ago GM Scott Howson said the Blue Jackets were pretty much playing for next season.
The firing of Arniel was something most people thought would have happened after a 9-2 loss to Philadelphia back on November 5th. Instead six other teams changed coaches before Columbus put Arniel out of his misery.
For Richards it's a chance at redemption after being fired by Minnesota at the end of last season. In two years with the Wild he was 77-71-16.
My thoughts on Richards as a head coach with Minnesota is there was a style of hockey he wanted his team to play but he didn't have the players that fit that style and he didn't know how to adapt with the players he had on his roster.
I'm also not sure how confident Richards was behind the bench. There were many times during his post game press conference that when he was asked a question he had a "deer in the headlights" look on his face.
A lot of teams in sports tend to take on the personality of their coach. That looked to be the case with the Wild the last season, a team good enough to contend for a playoff spot but in the end didn't know how to get the job done.
That being said Richards will have much better offensive personnel to work with in Columbus than he did in Minnesota. He'll have the chance to coach Rick Nash (The best player in the NHL nobody knows about) and Jeff Carter for the rest of the season. Minnesota had no one on their roster as talented offensively as those two players last season.
Right now I don't think Richards is a serious candidate for the Columbus job as the main goal for the Blue Jackets is to get to the end of the season.
But most coaches when they get a second chance in the NHL do things differently than the first time as head coach. I'm guessing Richards will be the same way. If the Blue Jackets are respectable for the rest of the season he'll be a candidate for the full time job next year.
Richards returns to Minnesota on February 11th as a head coach. A game that looked like a snoozer a few weeks ago all of a sudden is a little more intriguing.
The first trade happened at the NHL Draft where Wild GM Chuck Fletcher traded Brent Burns and a draft pick to San Jose for Devon Setoguchi, the rights to Charlie Coyle, and the Sharks 1st round pick.
Nine days later the teams made another deal with each other swapping Martin Havlat for Dany Heatley. A month later Minnesota sent James Sheppard to San Jose for a 3rd Round pick in the 2013 draft.
Tuesday night was the first meeting between the two clubs in Minnesota since the trades were made. With Havlat out of the lineup with a torn hamstring tendon and Sheppard watching from the Xcel Energy Center press box (a place he knows very well) the focus should have been on Burns making his return to the State of Hockey.
However the attention went to another player involved in the trade and not for the reasons he would have liked.
Devon Setoguchi was a healthy scratch for the game on Tuesday as the result of missing a team meeting. Now I have heard some rumors as to why he missed the meeting but I won't comment on them without verification.
What I do know is that it put Mike Yeo in a tough position. With the Wild having won only one game in their last twelve tries you need a scorer like Setoguchi on the ice.
However when team rules are broken you have to figure out how to discipline the person without losing the respect of the team.
Yeo made the decision to scratch Setoguchi from the lineup for one game and the Wild went on to win in a shootout 5-4, gaining an important two points in the Western Conference.
It was a bold move but the right decision by Yeo. Playing in the NHL is a privilege not a right. Each team has it's own set of rules and if players aren't going to follow the rules then they must be held accountable.
Now in all fairness to Setoguchi he does not have a history of doing things like this. I believe it was an honest mistake on his part and I'm guessing it won't happen again.
This move by Yeo should gain him more respect from the players in the Wild locker room, something the previous coach did not have.
Todd Richards:
Speaking of the previous Minnesota Wild coach, it was announced on Monday that the Columbus Blue Jackets fired head coach Scott Arniel and promoted Todd Richards to interim head coach for the remainder of the 2011-2012 season.
Columbus got off to a horrible start losing their first eight games of the season. They have been at the bottom of the standings the entire season and only a couple weeks ago GM Scott Howson said the Blue Jackets were pretty much playing for next season.
The firing of Arniel was something most people thought would have happened after a 9-2 loss to Philadelphia back on November 5th. Instead six other teams changed coaches before Columbus put Arniel out of his misery.
For Richards it's a chance at redemption after being fired by Minnesota at the end of last season. In two years with the Wild he was 77-71-16.
My thoughts on Richards as a head coach with Minnesota is there was a style of hockey he wanted his team to play but he didn't have the players that fit that style and he didn't know how to adapt with the players he had on his roster.
I'm also not sure how confident Richards was behind the bench. There were many times during his post game press conference that when he was asked a question he had a "deer in the headlights" look on his face.
A lot of teams in sports tend to take on the personality of their coach. That looked to be the case with the Wild the last season, a team good enough to contend for a playoff spot but in the end didn't know how to get the job done.
That being said Richards will have much better offensive personnel to work with in Columbus than he did in Minnesota. He'll have the chance to coach Rick Nash (The best player in the NHL nobody knows about) and Jeff Carter for the rest of the season. Minnesota had no one on their roster as talented offensively as those two players last season.
Right now I don't think Richards is a serious candidate for the Columbus job as the main goal for the Blue Jackets is to get to the end of the season.
But most coaches when they get a second chance in the NHL do things differently than the first time as head coach. I'm guessing Richards will be the same way. If the Blue Jackets are respectable for the rest of the season he'll be a candidate for the full time job next year.
Richards returns to Minnesota on February 11th as a head coach. A game that looked like a snoozer a few weeks ago all of a sudden is a little more intriguing.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Week 12 Power Poll
Back in December the NHL Board of Governors voted 26-4 in favor of realignment for the 2012-2013 season going from a two conference setup with three divisions in each conference to a four conference setup with two conference consisting of eight teams and the other consisting of seven teams.
Under this format all the West Coast teams would be together in one conference. Dallas, Minnesota and Winnipeg would join the teams in the Central Division and be playing teams within their time zone on a regular basis.
The rest of the Southeast Division would be split up with Florida and Tampa Bay joining the teams in the Northeast Division with Washington and Carolina joining the teams in the Atlantic Division.
While the plan wasn't perfect it made sense on many different levels and was welcomed by the majority of hockey fans I have talked to. It looked like a sure bet realignment would happen in 2012.
Then on Friday evening, reports surfaced that realignment would be put on hold for the 2012-2013 season because the plan did not receive consent from the NHLPA.
Reasons given for the NHLPA not giving consent to realignment were questions about the travel schedule and concerns about the playoff format. Rest assure though realignment wasn't put on hold because of these issues.
It was put on hold because of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The NHL CBA expires on September 15th. Since the lockout ended in 2005 Owners has pretty much gotten what they have wanted from the NHLPA with very little resistance.
The NHLPA has had four people in charge since Bob Goodenow resigned as executive director after the end of the lockout. During the last year the NHLPA has been lead by Donald Fehr.
Yes, that same Donald Fehr that was the head of the MLBPA from 1983 to 2009 and played a key role in the 1994 strike that cancelled the World Series.
For the last six years commissioner Gary Bettman has had his way when it comes to dealing with the NHLPA. What this move by Fehr does is tell Bettman is that this will be a partnership and there will be dialogue between the owners and the players.
If there isn't, another work stoppage cold be on the horizon and no hockey fan wants that.
Here is the Power Poll for Week 12.
1. Boston 26-11-1 53 points
Despite the loss to Vancouver on Saturday the Bruins have won nine of their last eleven games.
2. Detroit 26-14-1 53 points
Red Wings defeat Chicago 3-2 in a Central Division battle. The rematch is this Saturday in Detroit.
3. N.Y. Rangers 26-9-4 56 points
Rangers have won nine of their last ten games.
4. Vancouver 26-13-3 55 points
Canucks are 20-0 when leading after two periods.
5. Philadelphia 24-12-4 52 points
For the first time all season Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnall, & Jaromir Jagr have been held scoreless in consecutive games.
6. Chicago 24-13-5 53 points
Bad news for the Blackhawks as Patrick Sharp is out three to four weeks with an upper body injury.
7. St. Louis 24-12-5 53 points
Blues are 9-01 in their last ten home games. Haven't lost in regulation at home since December 3rd.
8. San Jose 23-11-4 50 points
Sharks have won four in a row to start 2012.
9. New Jersey 23-16-2 48 points
Devils have scored a league leading nine short-handed goals this season.
10. Dallas 23-16-1 47 points
Jamie Benn (4G, 3A) named first star of the week.
11. Colorado 23-19-1 47 points
Avalanche had their four game win streak snapped Saturday in St. Louis.
12. Nashville 22-15-4 48 points
Predators face Colorado in a home & home series this week. Two big games against a team they are battling for playoff position.
13. Ottawa 22-15-6 50 points
Senators have four played voted to start in the All-Star game later this month.
14. Pittsburgh 21-15-4 46 points
Jordan Staal out 4-6 weeks with a knee injury and James Neal out "weeks" with a broken foot.
15. Washington 21-16-2 44 points
Mike Green, playing in just his second game after an absence of nearly two months from the Washington lineup, left in the second period and did not return.
16. Toronto 21-15-5 47 points
Joffrey Lupul (2G, 5A) named second star of the week.
17. Minnesota 21-15-6 48 points
Wild have won once in their last twelve games. Still not going to panic but there is cause for concern.
18. Los Angeles 20-15-7 47 points
When it comes to ridiculous injuries it's hard to top the one Dustin Penner suffered over the weekend while eating pancakes.
19. Florida 20-13-8 48 points
Still in first place in Southeast Division despite losing six of their last eight games.
20. Winnipeg 20-16-5 45 points
Jets get a much needed win in Buffalo on Saturday after losing back to back games against Montreal and Toronto.
21. Phoenix 20-17-5 45 points
Congrats to Shane Doan on his first career hat trick.
22. Calgary 19-19-5 43 points
Congrats to Jarome Iginla on his 500th goal.
23. Buffalo 18-18-5 41 points
Sabres have received at least one point in it's last six home games.
24. Tampa Bay 17-20-3 37 points
Lightning prospect Brett Connolly receiving high praise after his performance at the World Junior Championships.
25. Montreal 16-18-7 39 points
2010 Playoff hero Jaroslav Halak returns to Montreal Tuesday night for the first time since being traded after the Canadiens magical playoff run.
26. Edmonton 16-22-3 35 points
I don't like to blame injuries for a team's performance but the Oilers would be a lot better if they were completely healthy.
27. N.Y. Islanders 14-19-6 34 points
Honestly you could rank the bottom four teams anyway you want and I don't think anyone would complain.
28. Carolina 14-22-7 35 points
Defenseman Tim Gleason looks to be a hot commodity on the trade market.
29. Anaheim 12-22-6 30 points
Ducks GM Bob Murray says a roster shakeup could be in order.
30. Columbus 11-25-5 27 points
Scott Arniel finally put out of his misery and fired as head coach of the Blue Jackets. Former Minnesota Wild coach Todd Richards named interim coach.
Under this format all the West Coast teams would be together in one conference. Dallas, Minnesota and Winnipeg would join the teams in the Central Division and be playing teams within their time zone on a regular basis.
The rest of the Southeast Division would be split up with Florida and Tampa Bay joining the teams in the Northeast Division with Washington and Carolina joining the teams in the Atlantic Division.
While the plan wasn't perfect it made sense on many different levels and was welcomed by the majority of hockey fans I have talked to. It looked like a sure bet realignment would happen in 2012.
Then on Friday evening, reports surfaced that realignment would be put on hold for the 2012-2013 season because the plan did not receive consent from the NHLPA.
Reasons given for the NHLPA not giving consent to realignment were questions about the travel schedule and concerns about the playoff format. Rest assure though realignment wasn't put on hold because of these issues.
It was put on hold because of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The NHL CBA expires on September 15th. Since the lockout ended in 2005 Owners has pretty much gotten what they have wanted from the NHLPA with very little resistance.
The NHLPA has had four people in charge since Bob Goodenow resigned as executive director after the end of the lockout. During the last year the NHLPA has been lead by Donald Fehr.
Yes, that same Donald Fehr that was the head of the MLBPA from 1983 to 2009 and played a key role in the 1994 strike that cancelled the World Series.
For the last six years commissioner Gary Bettman has had his way when it comes to dealing with the NHLPA. What this move by Fehr does is tell Bettman is that this will be a partnership and there will be dialogue between the owners and the players.
If there isn't, another work stoppage cold be on the horizon and no hockey fan wants that.
Here is the Power Poll for Week 12.
1. Boston 26-11-1 53 points
Despite the loss to Vancouver on Saturday the Bruins have won nine of their last eleven games.
2. Detroit 26-14-1 53 points
Red Wings defeat Chicago 3-2 in a Central Division battle. The rematch is this Saturday in Detroit.
3. N.Y. Rangers 26-9-4 56 points
Rangers have won nine of their last ten games.
4. Vancouver 26-13-3 55 points
Canucks are 20-0 when leading after two periods.
5. Philadelphia 24-12-4 52 points
For the first time all season Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnall, & Jaromir Jagr have been held scoreless in consecutive games.
6. Chicago 24-13-5 53 points
Bad news for the Blackhawks as Patrick Sharp is out three to four weeks with an upper body injury.
7. St. Louis 24-12-5 53 points
Blues are 9-01 in their last ten home games. Haven't lost in regulation at home since December 3rd.
8. San Jose 23-11-4 50 points
Sharks have won four in a row to start 2012.
9. New Jersey 23-16-2 48 points
Devils have scored a league leading nine short-handed goals this season.
10. Dallas 23-16-1 47 points
Jamie Benn (4G, 3A) named first star of the week.
11. Colorado 23-19-1 47 points
Avalanche had their four game win streak snapped Saturday in St. Louis.
12. Nashville 22-15-4 48 points
Predators face Colorado in a home & home series this week. Two big games against a team they are battling for playoff position.
13. Ottawa 22-15-6 50 points
Senators have four played voted to start in the All-Star game later this month.
14. Pittsburgh 21-15-4 46 points
Jordan Staal out 4-6 weeks with a knee injury and James Neal out "weeks" with a broken foot.
15. Washington 21-16-2 44 points
Mike Green, playing in just his second game after an absence of nearly two months from the Washington lineup, left in the second period and did not return.
16. Toronto 21-15-5 47 points
Joffrey Lupul (2G, 5A) named second star of the week.
17. Minnesota 21-15-6 48 points
Wild have won once in their last twelve games. Still not going to panic but there is cause for concern.
18. Los Angeles 20-15-7 47 points
When it comes to ridiculous injuries it's hard to top the one Dustin Penner suffered over the weekend while eating pancakes.
19. Florida 20-13-8 48 points
Still in first place in Southeast Division despite losing six of their last eight games.
20. Winnipeg 20-16-5 45 points
Jets get a much needed win in Buffalo on Saturday after losing back to back games against Montreal and Toronto.
21. Phoenix 20-17-5 45 points
Congrats to Shane Doan on his first career hat trick.
22. Calgary 19-19-5 43 points
Congrats to Jarome Iginla on his 500th goal.
23. Buffalo 18-18-5 41 points
Sabres have received at least one point in it's last six home games.
24. Tampa Bay 17-20-3 37 points
Lightning prospect Brett Connolly receiving high praise after his performance at the World Junior Championships.
25. Montreal 16-18-7 39 points
2010 Playoff hero Jaroslav Halak returns to Montreal Tuesday night for the first time since being traded after the Canadiens magical playoff run.
26. Edmonton 16-22-3 35 points
I don't like to blame injuries for a team's performance but the Oilers would be a lot better if they were completely healthy.
27. N.Y. Islanders 14-19-6 34 points
Honestly you could rank the bottom four teams anyway you want and I don't think anyone would complain.
28. Carolina 14-22-7 35 points
Defenseman Tim Gleason looks to be a hot commodity on the trade market.
29. Anaheim 12-22-6 30 points
Ducks GM Bob Murray says a roster shakeup could be in order.
30. Columbus 11-25-5 27 points
Scott Arniel finally put out of his misery and fired as head coach of the Blue Jackets. Former Minnesota Wild coach Todd Richards named interim coach.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Observations from the 2012 Winter Classic
The 2012 NHL Winter Classic was held this past Monday in Philadelphia and much like the previous Winter Classics this one was able to carve out it's own niche and stand out apart from previous ones.
The New York Rangers came from behind to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 making it four out of five times the road team had won the Winter Classic.
While the Rangers may have won the game there were many events that stood out to make the weekend memorable.
The Alumni Game:
On Saturday afternoon former players from the Rangers and Flyers gathered for an alumni game between the two teams. For me the two things that stood out were Bernie Parent donning the pads to play goal and the return of Eric Lindros to Philadelphia.
Parent was the goaltender for the Broad Street Bullies in the 70's and was a big reason the Flyers won the Stanley Cup in 1974 & 1975. An eye injury in 1979 cut short his NHL career so it was a treat for Philadelphia fans to see the greatest goalie in team history suit up in net for one more game.
Parent played for five minutes and made a couple saves before departing the game. Not a bad days work for a 66 year old goaltender.
As for Eric Lindros his return to Philadelphia was something to see just because of the soap opera surrounding him and the Flyers throughout his NHL career.
When he was acquired from Quebec in 1992 he was the core piece for a Flyers team searching for an identity since the days of the Broad Street Bullies. He won an MVP award in 1995 (in a short season I must add) and led Philadelphia to the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals where they were swept in four games by the Detroit Red Wings.
Despite losing in the Finals many people thought it was only a matter of time before Lindros led Philadelphia to a Stanley Cup title. Instead he clashed with GM Bobby Clarke and battled concussions before sitting out the entire 2001 season and forcing a trade to the New York Rangers.
When I heard he would play in the Winter Classic part of me was hoping he would turn heel and play for the Rangers. Instead he suited up for Philadelphia which was the right thing to do as that is where he made his biggest impact.
While things may have ended bitterly when he left Philadelphia in 2001 he received a standing ovation when he took the ice at Citizens Bank Park. After 10 years it looks like all was forgiven between Lindros and the Flyers.
That being said watching him take the ice in an orange Flyers sweater just reminded me how much I hated him as a player.
The Winter Classic start time:
Last years Winter Classic was moved from noon to 7 PM because of rain. While conditions weren't perfect there was something magical about playing outdoors under the lights.
This years Winter Classic was only pushed back two hours because of weather conditions. The result was the game finishing under the lights as the sun was setting in Philadelphia.
Maybe it's just me but I think it adds for a cool ambiance. I'm not sure where next years Winter Classic is going to be held. (Rumor has it Detroit is the favorite.) Wherever it is the NHL should consider starting it at 2 PM and have the teams play into the night.
The Jerseys:
Each year the teams participating in the Winter Classic wear a special jersey to celebrate the heritage of the game.
The New York Rangers went with a cream colored jersey with a modified team logo on the front. On the ice the jersey looked as sweet as any jersey I've seen on the ice. It would be a shame if the Rangers didn't add this as an alternate jersey.
As for the Philadelphia Flyers I've never been a fan of their jerseys, logo or color scheme but I will say the orange jersey with black shoulders and black trim did look sharp on the ice.
It was a big improvement over the one they wore in Boston for the 2010 Winter Classic.
Mike Rupp:
Rupp broke into the NHL with the New Jersey Devils in 2003. While he has been a checking line forward for most of his NHL career Rupp has found a way to stand out during some big NHL moments.
He scored his first playoff goal in 2003. That goal just happened to be the game winning goal in the Devils 3-0 Game seven win over Anaheim clinching New Jersey's 3rd Stanley Cup.
In the Winter Classic with the Rangers down 2-0 to the Flyers, Rupp scored the first goal for New York getting the Rangers back into the game. Rupp would score again in the 3rd period to tie the game for New York. Some players step up in big moments. Other times big moments just happened to find certain players.
Brad Richards:
Richards was the marquee free agent of the 2011 class with at least five different teams bidding for his services. Richards ultimately chose to play for the Rangers signing a nine year contract worth 60 million dollars.
I'm always curious to see how a player does in New York when they choose to play there. Sometimes they thrive like Mark Messier did when he joined the blueshirts in 1991. For the most part thou elite players seem to have trouble living up to expectations or the Rangers teams they are on are never as good as they should be.
Richards is only three months into his contract but in his first big moment as a Ranger he scored what proved to be the game winning goal of the Winter Classic. I have a feeling he'll turn out a lot better for New York than Scott Gomez and Chris Drury did when they signed with the Rangers in 2007.
The Penalty Shot:
Each Winter Classic has one moment or event that stands out and makes it memorable. In this years Winter Classic that moment is the Penalty Shot.
Down 3-2 late in the 3rd period the Flyers pull their goalie to get the extra attacker on the ice. During a scramble in front of the net Ryan McDonagh is called for covering the puck in the crease. As a result a penalty shot is awarded to Philadelphia.
With 19 seconds to play in the game the Flyers have the player they want, Danny Briere, taking the penalty shot against Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Briere skates in and tries to go five hole only to have Lundqvist show it then take it away from him.
New York would hold off Philadelphia during the last nineteen seconds of the game and skate away with not only a 3-2 victory but two points in the standings. When these two teams play each other it always seems as points are at a premium so keep that in mind as the season goes along.
In the end this Winter Classic was memorable to me for the reasons I listed above. As to whether it was the greatest one of all time I am going to let history be the judge on that as this event continues to evolve. One thing I do know is that the Flyers are now 0-2 all time in the Winter Classic.
I love happy endings.
The New York Rangers came from behind to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 making it four out of five times the road team had won the Winter Classic.
While the Rangers may have won the game there were many events that stood out to make the weekend memorable.
The Alumni Game:
On Saturday afternoon former players from the Rangers and Flyers gathered for an alumni game between the two teams. For me the two things that stood out were Bernie Parent donning the pads to play goal and the return of Eric Lindros to Philadelphia.
Parent was the goaltender for the Broad Street Bullies in the 70's and was a big reason the Flyers won the Stanley Cup in 1974 & 1975. An eye injury in 1979 cut short his NHL career so it was a treat for Philadelphia fans to see the greatest goalie in team history suit up in net for one more game.
Parent played for five minutes and made a couple saves before departing the game. Not a bad days work for a 66 year old goaltender.
As for Eric Lindros his return to Philadelphia was something to see just because of the soap opera surrounding him and the Flyers throughout his NHL career.
When he was acquired from Quebec in 1992 he was the core piece for a Flyers team searching for an identity since the days of the Broad Street Bullies. He won an MVP award in 1995 (in a short season I must add) and led Philadelphia to the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals where they were swept in four games by the Detroit Red Wings.
Despite losing in the Finals many people thought it was only a matter of time before Lindros led Philadelphia to a Stanley Cup title. Instead he clashed with GM Bobby Clarke and battled concussions before sitting out the entire 2001 season and forcing a trade to the New York Rangers.
When I heard he would play in the Winter Classic part of me was hoping he would turn heel and play for the Rangers. Instead he suited up for Philadelphia which was the right thing to do as that is where he made his biggest impact.
While things may have ended bitterly when he left Philadelphia in 2001 he received a standing ovation when he took the ice at Citizens Bank Park. After 10 years it looks like all was forgiven between Lindros and the Flyers.
That being said watching him take the ice in an orange Flyers sweater just reminded me how much I hated him as a player.
The Winter Classic start time:
Last years Winter Classic was moved from noon to 7 PM because of rain. While conditions weren't perfect there was something magical about playing outdoors under the lights.
This years Winter Classic was only pushed back two hours because of weather conditions. The result was the game finishing under the lights as the sun was setting in Philadelphia.
Maybe it's just me but I think it adds for a cool ambiance. I'm not sure where next years Winter Classic is going to be held. (Rumor has it Detroit is the favorite.) Wherever it is the NHL should consider starting it at 2 PM and have the teams play into the night.
The Jerseys:
Each year the teams participating in the Winter Classic wear a special jersey to celebrate the heritage of the game.
The New York Rangers went with a cream colored jersey with a modified team logo on the front. On the ice the jersey looked as sweet as any jersey I've seen on the ice. It would be a shame if the Rangers didn't add this as an alternate jersey.
As for the Philadelphia Flyers I've never been a fan of their jerseys, logo or color scheme but I will say the orange jersey with black shoulders and black trim did look sharp on the ice.
It was a big improvement over the one they wore in Boston for the 2010 Winter Classic.
Mike Rupp:
Rupp broke into the NHL with the New Jersey Devils in 2003. While he has been a checking line forward for most of his NHL career Rupp has found a way to stand out during some big NHL moments.
He scored his first playoff goal in 2003. That goal just happened to be the game winning goal in the Devils 3-0 Game seven win over Anaheim clinching New Jersey's 3rd Stanley Cup.
In the Winter Classic with the Rangers down 2-0 to the Flyers, Rupp scored the first goal for New York getting the Rangers back into the game. Rupp would score again in the 3rd period to tie the game for New York. Some players step up in big moments. Other times big moments just happened to find certain players.
Brad Richards:
Richards was the marquee free agent of the 2011 class with at least five different teams bidding for his services. Richards ultimately chose to play for the Rangers signing a nine year contract worth 60 million dollars.
I'm always curious to see how a player does in New York when they choose to play there. Sometimes they thrive like Mark Messier did when he joined the blueshirts in 1991. For the most part thou elite players seem to have trouble living up to expectations or the Rangers teams they are on are never as good as they should be.
Richards is only three months into his contract but in his first big moment as a Ranger he scored what proved to be the game winning goal of the Winter Classic. I have a feeling he'll turn out a lot better for New York than Scott Gomez and Chris Drury did when they signed with the Rangers in 2007.
The Penalty Shot:
Each Winter Classic has one moment or event that stands out and makes it memorable. In this years Winter Classic that moment is the Penalty Shot.
Down 3-2 late in the 3rd period the Flyers pull their goalie to get the extra attacker on the ice. During a scramble in front of the net Ryan McDonagh is called for covering the puck in the crease. As a result a penalty shot is awarded to Philadelphia.
With 19 seconds to play in the game the Flyers have the player they want, Danny Briere, taking the penalty shot against Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Briere skates in and tries to go five hole only to have Lundqvist show it then take it away from him.
New York would hold off Philadelphia during the last nineteen seconds of the game and skate away with not only a 3-2 victory but two points in the standings. When these two teams play each other it always seems as points are at a premium so keep that in mind as the season goes along.
In the end this Winter Classic was memorable to me for the reasons I listed above. As to whether it was the greatest one of all time I am going to let history be the judge on that as this event continues to evolve. One thing I do know is that the Flyers are now 0-2 all time in the Winter Classic.
I love happy endings.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Week 11 Power Poll
If you are reading this I hope you had a great holiday. I've been on vacation for the past week but now that the holidays are over with it's time to get back to hockey.
The 2012 Winter Classic is going on today in Philadelphia and I'll have a recap of that later in the week but I think the best way to get back into the swing of things is with the latest edition of the Power Poll.
As always your comments & feedback are welcomed.
1. Boston 24-10-1 49 points
First Power Poll of 2012 see the defending Stanley Cup Champions on top.
2. Chicago 24-10-4 52 points
Beat Detroit 3-2 on Friday night. Blackhawks will see the Red Wings two more times between now and January 14th.
3. Detroit 24-13-1 49 points
Bounced back nicely from 3-2 defeat against Chicago with a 3-0 over St. Louis.
4. Vancouver 24-13-2 50 points
It took a little longer than expected but the Canucks are back on top in the Northwest Division.
5. N.Y. Rangers 23-9-4 50 points
Much like his brother Jordan did last year, Marc Staal returns to the lineup today in the Winter Classic.
6. Philadelphia 22-10-4 48 points
Right now the Flyers might be rethinking their 9 year commitment they made to Ilya Bryzgalov.
7. Pittsburgh 21-13-4 46 points
Evgeni Malkin (6G, 13A) named 1st star for the month of December. He has 15 goals & 28 assists on the season.
8. Minnesota 21-13-6 48 points
The Wild have lost eight of their last nine games. That being said, it's way too early to panic.
9. St. Louis 21-12-5 47 points
This past week the Blues lost 3-2 & 3-0 against Detroit. These are games they need to find a way to win if they want to contend for the Central Division.
10. Nashville 21-14-4 46 points
Sergei Kostitsyn, anytime you get a hat trick during the only NHL game of the night to start the new year, you get a mention.
11. New Jersey 21-15-1 43 points
Adam Henrique named December rookie of the month after leading all rookies in scoring. (5G, 8A)
12. Dallas 21-15-1 43 points
Lost 4-1 on Thursday to the worst team in the NHL (Columbus) and bounced back two days later to defeat the defending Stanley Cup Champs (Boston) 4-2. You figure it out.
13. Colorado 21-18-1 43 points
In his first game back in Anaheim since being traded in 2010, Jean-Sebastian Giguere has 18 saves in a 4-2 victory over the Ducks.
14. Washington 20-15-2 42 points
Capitals are 8-6-1 since changing coaches. I'm not sure the coach was the problem.
15. Florida 20-12-7 47 points
Only the 4th time in team history the Panthers have won 20 games before January 1st.
16. Los Angeles 19-14-6 44 points
I questioned the hiring of Darryl Sutter as head coach but right now the Kings are on top in the Pacific Division. Whether they stay on top remains to be seen.
17. San Jose 19-11-4 42 points
If the Kings don't hold on to the top spot in the Pacific it will be because the Sharks win the division for the 5th year in a row
18. Winnipeg 19-14-5 43 points
Jets are 14-6-1 at home this season. It's hard to go into the "Peg" and skate away with two points.
19. Phoenix 19-16-4 42 points
Two goals in two minutes by Radim Vrbata gives Coyotes a 4-2 in Minnesota to close out 2011. Phoenix is now 4-0-1 when playing at Xcel with Dave Tippett as head coach.
20. Ottawa 19-15-5 43 points
Coach Paul MacLean has done an excellent job keeping the senators in the playoff mix through the first three months of the season.
21. Toronto 18-15-5 41 points
Maple Leafs are winless in their last three games (0-2-1) since coach Ron Wilson received his contract extension on Christmas Day.
22. Calgary 18-17-5 41 points
Jarome Iginla is one goal away from number 500 for his career.
23. Buffalo 17-17-4 38 points
Owner Terry Pegula spent a lot of money in the off-season to upgrade his roster. So far it isn't working.
24. Tampa Bay 17-17-3 37 points
A hat trick for Steven Stamkos on Saturday night has him leading the NHL in goals with 26.
25. Edmonton 15-19-3 33 points
Remember when early in the season there was talk of the Oilers being a playoff team? Yeah that's not happening this season with the roster they have.
26. Montreal 14-18-7 35 points
GM Pierre Gauthier signs Defenseman Josh Gorges to a six year extension. Now with that done he can concentrate on finding a coach who speaks French to quiet the Habs fans in Quebec.
27. N.Y. Islanders 13-17-6 32 points
Congrats to Ken Morrow on being inducted into the Islanders Hall of Fame. In fact today he still could probably contribute to the blueline.
28. Carolina 13-21-6 32 points
Good news for the Hurricanes as Jeff Skinner returns to practice for the first time since suffering a concussion on December 7th.
29. Anaheim 10-21-6 26 points
Ducks are 3-8-2 since Bruce Boudreau took over as head coach.
30. Columbus 10-23-5 25 points
It took a few months but GM Scott Howson is ready to reshape the Blue Jackets roster. Anyone not named Rick Nash is available.
The 2012 Winter Classic is going on today in Philadelphia and I'll have a recap of that later in the week but I think the best way to get back into the swing of things is with the latest edition of the Power Poll.
As always your comments & feedback are welcomed.
1. Boston 24-10-1 49 points
First Power Poll of 2012 see the defending Stanley Cup Champions on top.
2. Chicago 24-10-4 52 points
Beat Detroit 3-2 on Friday night. Blackhawks will see the Red Wings two more times between now and January 14th.
3. Detroit 24-13-1 49 points
Bounced back nicely from 3-2 defeat against Chicago with a 3-0 over St. Louis.
4. Vancouver 24-13-2 50 points
It took a little longer than expected but the Canucks are back on top in the Northwest Division.
5. N.Y. Rangers 23-9-4 50 points
Much like his brother Jordan did last year, Marc Staal returns to the lineup today in the Winter Classic.
6. Philadelphia 22-10-4 48 points
Right now the Flyers might be rethinking their 9 year commitment they made to Ilya Bryzgalov.
7. Pittsburgh 21-13-4 46 points
Evgeni Malkin (6G, 13A) named 1st star for the month of December. He has 15 goals & 28 assists on the season.
8. Minnesota 21-13-6 48 points
The Wild have lost eight of their last nine games. That being said, it's way too early to panic.
9. St. Louis 21-12-5 47 points
This past week the Blues lost 3-2 & 3-0 against Detroit. These are games they need to find a way to win if they want to contend for the Central Division.
10. Nashville 21-14-4 46 points
Sergei Kostitsyn, anytime you get a hat trick during the only NHL game of the night to start the new year, you get a mention.
11. New Jersey 21-15-1 43 points
Adam Henrique named December rookie of the month after leading all rookies in scoring. (5G, 8A)
12. Dallas 21-15-1 43 points
Lost 4-1 on Thursday to the worst team in the NHL (Columbus) and bounced back two days later to defeat the defending Stanley Cup Champs (Boston) 4-2. You figure it out.
13. Colorado 21-18-1 43 points
In his first game back in Anaheim since being traded in 2010, Jean-Sebastian Giguere has 18 saves in a 4-2 victory over the Ducks.
14. Washington 20-15-2 42 points
Capitals are 8-6-1 since changing coaches. I'm not sure the coach was the problem.
15. Florida 20-12-7 47 points
Only the 4th time in team history the Panthers have won 20 games before January 1st.
16. Los Angeles 19-14-6 44 points
I questioned the hiring of Darryl Sutter as head coach but right now the Kings are on top in the Pacific Division. Whether they stay on top remains to be seen.
17. San Jose 19-11-4 42 points
If the Kings don't hold on to the top spot in the Pacific it will be because the Sharks win the division for the 5th year in a row
18. Winnipeg 19-14-5 43 points
Jets are 14-6-1 at home this season. It's hard to go into the "Peg" and skate away with two points.
19. Phoenix 19-16-4 42 points
Two goals in two minutes by Radim Vrbata gives Coyotes a 4-2 in Minnesota to close out 2011. Phoenix is now 4-0-1 when playing at Xcel with Dave Tippett as head coach.
20. Ottawa 19-15-5 43 points
Coach Paul MacLean has done an excellent job keeping the senators in the playoff mix through the first three months of the season.
21. Toronto 18-15-5 41 points
Maple Leafs are winless in their last three games (0-2-1) since coach Ron Wilson received his contract extension on Christmas Day.
22. Calgary 18-17-5 41 points
Jarome Iginla is one goal away from number 500 for his career.
23. Buffalo 17-17-4 38 points
Owner Terry Pegula spent a lot of money in the off-season to upgrade his roster. So far it isn't working.
24. Tampa Bay 17-17-3 37 points
A hat trick for Steven Stamkos on Saturday night has him leading the NHL in goals with 26.
25. Edmonton 15-19-3 33 points
Remember when early in the season there was talk of the Oilers being a playoff team? Yeah that's not happening this season with the roster they have.
26. Montreal 14-18-7 35 points
GM Pierre Gauthier signs Defenseman Josh Gorges to a six year extension. Now with that done he can concentrate on finding a coach who speaks French to quiet the Habs fans in Quebec.
27. N.Y. Islanders 13-17-6 32 points
Congrats to Ken Morrow on being inducted into the Islanders Hall of Fame. In fact today he still could probably contribute to the blueline.
28. Carolina 13-21-6 32 points
Good news for the Hurricanes as Jeff Skinner returns to practice for the first time since suffering a concussion on December 7th.
29. Anaheim 10-21-6 26 points
Ducks are 3-8-2 since Bruce Boudreau took over as head coach.
30. Columbus 10-23-5 25 points
It took a few months but GM Scott Howson is ready to reshape the Blue Jackets roster. Anyone not named Rick Nash is available.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Week 10: Power Poll
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.
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 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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