Chris Yarbrough's Taking One For The Team

Thank You Igloo

2010-04-08T17:05:00.002-05:00

It's not quite time to say goodbye, but we all are anyway. I've never physically been inside the Igloo before, but that doesn't mean I've never been there.

And Another Piece Of My Youth Dies...

2009-07-09T16:11:00.004-05:00

A hearty farewell to Joe Sakic. Probably my favorite non-Penguin ever. Hockey won't be the same without him.

Here's a little something extra to remember Joe by:

In Stores Today...

2009-07-07T00:01:00.000-05:00

CBC Comes Through One Last Time

2009-06-13T16:29:00.000-05:00

Playoff recap coming soon...

Never Doubted For A Second

2009-06-13T00:17:00.000-05:00

There's A Storm A Brewin'

2009-06-11T16:40:00.002-05:00

H/T to Puck Daddy via Pensblog

As an aside, I am starting to feel really good about tomorrow night...

Money In The Bank

2009-05-21T13:12:00.000-05:00

2009 Conference Finals Predictions

2009-05-18T12:52:00.000-05:00

A day late again, and I am feeling not so good about my Western Conference pick after watching yesterday's game, but in the spirit of honesty...

Eastern Conference

(4) Pittsburgh over (6) Carolina in 5

Western Conference

(2) Detroit over (4) Chicago in 7

Take Notes VS

2009-05-13T16:57:00.001-05:00

2009 Second Round Predictions

2009-05-01T12:24:00.001-05:00

Okay, I am sort of a day late with these... so sue me! Here are my picks for the second round:

Eastern Conference

(6)Carolina over (1)Boston in 7
(4)Pittsburgh over (2)Washington in 6

Western Conference

(8)Anaheim over (2)Detroit in 6
(3)Vancouver over (4) Chicago in 7

2009 First Round Predictions

2009-04-15T12:32:00.001-05:00

Back from the dead... and just in time to deliver my picks for the first round of the 2009 playoffs (which get underway tonight on Vs. and TSN for those so inclined).

Eastern Conference

(1)Boston over (8)Montreal in 7
(7)Rangers over (2)Washington in 6
(6)Carolina over (3)New Jersey in 6
(4)Pittsburgh over (5)Philadelphia in 6

Western Conference

(8)Anaheim over (1) San Jose in 7
(2)Detroit over (7)Columbus in 5
(6)St. Louis over (3)Vancouver in 7
(5)Calgary over (4)Chicago in 6

Alrighty then... let's drop the puck!

More Than Just Two Points

2008-11-12T20:14:00.004-06:00

Going into last night's showdown between the Penguins and the Red Wings I had pretty easily convinced myself that it was, despite all the hype surrounding the game, 1 out of 82 games the Penguins will play this season and nothing more. I'm not one of those people who thinks beating a team in the regular season after they beat you in the playoffs the season before is any kind of revenge, so that angle was lost on me. It was 2 points just like any other game.

Somewhere in the third period last night that all changed. The Penguins came back from 5-2 and 6-4 defeceits in the third period on the road against one of the best teams in the NHL. That counts for a lot more than just two points. This will be one of those moments that this team can look back on for the rest of the season and remember that even when they are down, they are never out of a game. Even under some of the worst possible circumstances.

Here are my thoughts on the game:

Have to start with Jordan Staal. The way he played in the last 10 minutes of the third and OT was a dominant a performance as you will ever see from any player. Jordan made himself a lot of money this offseason with this game. And it was not lost on me that #11 had the game of his life on 11/11 and set up the OT winner with 1:11 remaining.
Red Wings fans are a joke. Nice of them to show up in time for the second period.
Letang and Goligoski both looked really good to me. They did not have mistake free games, but they both looked really poised down the stretch.
I know he had 2 assists, but really... did Marian Hossa even play last night?
Mike Zigomanis may be the pick-up of the year. His dominance on face-offs can not be overhyped as it is a big boost for the Pens both in the defensive zone and on the power play. If he doesn't win that offensive zone draw at the end of the third I'm writing about a 6-5 Detroit win right now.
Red Wings fans are a joke. This game was so big and such a statement while they were winning, but as soon as Fedo sent them packing in OT it was just another regular home game against some random non-conference team.
Marc-Andre Fleury was much better than the numbers tell. The Hudler goal was the only one he had any chance of stopping. The bottom line is that right now if MAF can see it he is going to stop it 99% of the time.
Red Wings fans are a joke. They love to go on and on about how good Datsyuk and Zetterberg are defensively and all the turnovers they create and then turnaround and dismiss Staal picking Datsyuk's pocket in overtime as lucky or a fluke. Just watch Zetterberg flop around on the ice during the Pens' 5-on-3 goal and then explain to me how great he is defensively.
I have never been happier watching one of my fantasy goalies give up 7 goals.
Hearing Hossa getting booed on his "home" ice was priceless. Penguin fans definitely had the edge at "The Joe" last night.
Red Wings fans are a joke.

And this post would not be complete without a highlight package:

Sympathy For The Devil

2008-11-07T12:21:00.000-06:00

Miroslav Satan scored a highlight reel goal against Edmonton last night that was very similar to one scored by Rick Nash last season. The only problem is that while the hockey world was abuzz after the Nash goal, I have yet to here a peep about Satan's beauty. Coincidence? Anti-Penguin bias? Anti-Euro bias? People forgetting that there are players on the Pens not named Crosby, Malkin, or Staal? Whatever the cause, sit back and enjoy this beauty.

That Satan signing is looking pretty good right about now. As always, in sHERO we trust.

Error Jordan?

2008-11-04T21:57:00.000-06:00

Every season in recent years for the Pittsburgh Penguins it seems like there is some storyline bubbling just under the surface and 2008-09 is no different as all eyes seemed to be focused on 20-year old Jordan Staal. Many Pens fans, and I am guessing people within the organization as well, are wondering just what the Penguins really have in Staal. Jordan set the bar (too?) high in his rookie campaign scoring 29 goals and 42 points in 2006-07. Last season Staal's totals sagged to a modest 12 goals and 28 points. As Jordan enters the final year of his entry level contract it remains to be seen if he can rediscover his scoring touch or if he continues to plug along as a third line center.

I said as early as the start of last season that it could be a while before Jordan approached 29 goals in a season again. His rookie season just felt a little too good to be true to me. It was like almost everything he threw at the net just found a way in. Having said that, I do think he can produce more offensively than he did last season or so far this season.

Offense is just one facet to Staal's game however. While centering the Penguins third line for almost all of last season Staal found himself serving as one of the key pieces to the Penguins defensive puzzle. Jordan thrived in this role, even if his stats may have said otherwise, and was a key contributor in Pittsburgh's trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Staal's defensive contributions can not be taken lightly, but as many NHL media outlets continue to suggest that Staal should command an annual salary around $4.5-$5 million one has to wonder if that is enough. The Penguins are flirting with the salary cap and can ill afford to pay anywhere near those dollar amounts for a third line center. At this point I would argue that Max Talbot, another Penguin headed for free agency, is more valuable to the Pens and could give them everything Staal does at a much more affordable price. If you came to me right now and said the Penguins can only keep Talbot or Staal heading into next season I would start asking who the Pens were planning to trade Staal too.

That brings us to the second part of this discussion... did the Penguins make the right move in drafting Jordan Staal? For the sake of simplicity I will only consider the eight players taken after Staal in 2006 who rounded out the top 10 picks. Here are some of the guys the Pens could have nabbed instead of Staal:

Jonathan Toews - Toews does not even have a full season worth of NHL experience, but he has already been named the Captain of the Blackhawks and is (along with Patrick Kane) the face of the franchise. For the record, Toews has one fewer goal than Staal so far this season... zero.
Nicklas Backstrom - Another player with a grand total of zero goals so far this season, Backstrom had an outstanding rookie season with 69 points in 82 games, yet he is probably best known for a goal he scored for the opposition. Very much a playmaker, Backstrom wouldn't add anything that the Pens don't already have.
Phil Kessel - Kessel has had a turbulent start to his pro career, but he is quietly developing into a top notch goal scorer. He only has 37 goals in 164 career games, but he also has 7 goals already this season in just 12 games. Kessel was also strong for the Bruins in the playoffs last April.
Derick Brassard - Brassard has just 28 NHL contests to his name, but he has 11 points through Columbus' first 11 games this season and is the team leader in scoring. He was also just named the Rookie of the Month in the NHL for October. Brassard may yet prove to be the jewel of the 2006 draft.
Kyle Okposo - Okposo is another player just getting his feet wet in the NHL, but it has been so far so good for the Islanders prospect. 8 points in 20 games is a decent start for Okposo as he should be the centerpiece of the Islanders rebuilding process.
Peter Mueller - Peter Mueller is a player I really like a lot. He got off to a blazing start last season and then hit the wall a bit in the second half, but he still finished with 54 points. Mueller is off to another solid start in 2008-09 and he should be a cornerstone of the Phoenix attack for many years to come.

As of right now I think a lot of Penguins fans would be happy to swap Jordan Staal for Phil Kessel. I think Kessel would be a nice compliment to Sidney Crosby and could realistically be a consistent 40-goal scorer riding shotgun with Sid. Most of the other guys on that list are scoring centers, something the Penguins are not really in need of. Toews may just be the best player of the six and could excel on the wing in Pittsburgh, but I would still take Kessel who is much more of a pure goal scorer than the others.

I want to close this out by saying that I am a big Jordan Staal fan (and I have the Staal jersey tee to prove it) and would love nothing more to see him blossom into a regular 40-goal scoring left winger for the Penguins. With that on the table I understand that this is the salary cap era and the Penguins are not in the position to be throwing around $5 million contracts to anyone who asks for one. Just ask Ryan Malone. I know that Ray Shero has an exact amount in his mind that he thinks Jordan Staal is worth to his Penguins team. If Jordan Staal's offensive output does not increase then I think the gap between that number and the one Staal's agent will be asking for in July will be too much for Shero, and that could pave the way for a Staal trade in February. I for one hope it never comes to that.

A Cold Day In Hell?

2008-11-04T11:38:00.008-06:00

TSN is reporting that New Jersey Devils netminder Martin Brodeur will be out for the next three to four months after having surgery to repair a torn bicep tendon in his elbow. This is a huge blow for the Devils who were already starting to come back down to Earth after a hot start in the Eastern Conference. Could this pave the way for a Nikolai Khabibulin to New Jersey trade, or are the Devils going to simply write off this season?

I really do not see a way for the Devils to keep pace in the Atlantic Division without making a move to shore up their goaltending. Kevin Weekes is a decent backup, but he is simple not good enough to carry this Devils team for the next three or four months.

This injury will also put a hold on Brodeur's assault on the NHL record book as he was looking to become the NHL career leader in wins and shutouts this season. Martin is currenly seven wins behind all-time leader Patrick Roy.

October 2008 NHL Team Of The Month

2008-11-01T19:12:00.004-06:00

It has been a while, but I am back and here with the first Team of the Month for the 2008-09 NHL season. The first month of the season is in the books and it is time to name the best players at each position in the NHL for October.

Left Wing: Alexander Semin - Alexander Ovechkin has been nearly invisible during the first month of the season, but the Caps have survived in large part thanks to the scoring of Alexander Semin. Semin has paced the Caps with eight goals and eight assists through nine games and has given Washington fans cause to wonder just who their top left winger is.
Center: Brandon Dubinsky - The Rangers were the NHL's best team in October and Brandon Dubinsky was a big reason why. His 12 points are not leading the league, but his three game-winners do. If the Rangers can continue to get this kind of production from Dubinsky while getting their higher profile players going they could be real tough to catch in the East.
Right Wing: Marian Hossa - The big prize of the free agent market has fit right in with his new club, as his six goals and nine assists would attest. After getting off to a bit of a slow start Hossa may just be the hottest player in the NHL right now. I can sense NHL GMs getting their offers ready for next July already.
Defense: Filip Kuba - Not much was made of Kuba moving to Ottawa in a trade with Tampa Bay, but Kuba has been huge for the Sens as his 11 points (all assists) are tops among defenders in the NHL. Kuba will undoubtedly come back to earth at some point, but he is more than capable of continuing to shine on the point of the Senator's power play and helping them stay in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference.
Defense: Shea Weber - Weber has had a great start for Nashville as his four goals and 11 points are both tied for the lead among defenders. Weber also has an excellent plus/minus rating of +5. The Predators could have a tough time staying afloat in the competitive Western Conference, but continued excellence from Weber will be a big boost for them.
Goalie: Henrik Lundqvist - As previously stated, the Rangers were the toast of the NHL through the first month and one of the biggest keys to that has been Lundqvist. He has yet to record a shutout after leading the NHL in that category last season, but he is pacing the league in a much more important stat... wins. King Henrik has eight wins to go along with his 1.99 GAA and .928 save percentage. Lundqvist was my pick to win the Vezina this season and so far that pick is looking on target.

Sid'd!

2008-10-15T12:25:00.001-05:00

Better luck next time Flyers.

That picture pretty much says it all from last night's game between the Pens and Flyers. After a ho-hum 1st period (with the exception of Godard beating down Riley Cote) the Pens carried the play for most of the rest of the game. Big props to Brooks Orpik for hitting a wide open Pascal Dupuis in OT and not passing to the equally open Sidney Crosby.

Also, VS. is already in mid-season form... their announcers were pretty unbearable last night. At least they have finally learned about the invention called the instant replay. Baby steps...

It's A Great Day For Hockey!

2008-10-10T12:40:00.002-05:00

The Penguins have unveiled their new marketing campaign for this season and they could not have made a better choice:

Anything that brings up memories of "Badger" Bob gets an A+ in my book!

Anyone Feel A Draft?

2008-10-07T12:39:00.000-05:00

Before things really kick into gear with the NHL season I thought I would take a moment to reflect on my two fantasy hockey drafts. I am in one of Sean's Going Five Hole head-to-head leagues as well as my own sponsored TOFTT roto league. Two very different leagues and two very different draft experiences as you will see. Picks are listed by round with overall selection place in parenthesis.

Team: Black n' Blue Line (GFH league)
Picks:

(3) Jarome Iginla
(22) Sergei Gonchar
(27) Chris Osgood
(46) Brenden Morrow
(51) Johan Franzen
(70) Miroslav Satan
(75) Cam Ward
(94) Ilya Bryzgalov
(99) Teemu Selanne
(118) Jordan Staal
(123) Duncan Keith
(142) Braydon Coburn
(147) Ryan Whitney
(166) Michael Ryder
(171) Joe Sakic
(190) Robert Lang

Notes:

Taking Iginla at #3 was pretty much a no-brainer for me. No offense Geno.
This draft was the night after Gonchar got hurt, which explains why I took him in the 2nd round.
My plan was to take either MAF or Henrik Lundqvist in the 2nd round, but they were both gone. MAF was the 6th player off the board.
Osgood, Franzen, Morrow, Satan, Staal, and Coburn should all be steady producers.
Teemu at 99 should be a steal. Why won't he score at least 40 goals this season?
I'm not looking forward to another season of Cam Ward, but I didn't have a lot of other options at that point.
If Ryder can regain his form under Claude Julien he is a great value pick, as is Sakic at 171.
I've already dropped Robert Lang to pick up Andy McDonald.

Team: TOFTT Again! (TOFTT league)
Picks:

(5) Dany Heatley
(18) Dion Phaneuf
(27) J.S. Giguere
(40) Carey Price
(49) Jason Pominville
(62) Derek Roy
(71) Mike Ribeiro
(84) Brent Burns
(93) Petr Sykora
(106) Pascal Leclaire
(115) Jordan Staal
(128) Daniel Carcillo
(137) Marek Zidlicky
(150) Tomas Plekanec
(159) Teemu Selanne
(172) Sean Avery
(181) Patrice Bergeron
(194) Alex Goligoski

Notes:

Heatley could be a beast this year. I could end up regretting not taking him in my other draft.
I could not be happier that "The Dion" fell to me at 18.
I am set between the pipes with Giguere and Price. Leclaire isn't a bad third option to have either.
If Buffalo makes the playoffs Roy and Pominville push me to an easy title here.
I will own the PIM column with Avery and Carcillo. And they can both provide some offense too.
Selanne at 159?!?! Somebody pinch me, I must be dreaming.
If Patrice Bergeron is back to 100% he could be a nice asset to trade down the road. Plekanec could fall into that category too.

So there are my teams. Initially I was pretty down on my GFH league team, but I am feeling more upbeat about it now. I could not be happier about my TOFTT team. I felt better at the end of that draft then I had at a draft in a long time. Probably since my fantasy football heyday. I would seriously be shocked if I don't win that league. Knock on wood...

The 08-09 NHL Prediction Experience

2008-10-01T12:32:00.002-05:00

It is the first of October, and that means the start of the 2008-09 NHL regular season is just a few short days away. Like any respectable hockey blogger, I need to chime in with my predictions for the season to come, so without further ado...

Pacific Division Champ: Dallas Stars - This is going to be a tight division as the Stars, Ducks, and Sharks are all built to win now. While I really like the Ducks' chances this season, I really like what is going on in Dallas and I think they will eek out a division title.
Northwest Division Champ: Calgary Flames - This division is down right now. I think the Wild and Avalanche have regressed a bit, the Oilers are still a year or two away, and the Canucks just are not that good. That leaves Jarome Iginla and the Flames to come out on top. Iginla should get serious Hart consideration again this season.
Central Division Champ: Detroit Red Wings - I hate picking them to win, but there is not another team in their division strong enough to challenge them this season. Maybe next year Blackhawks fans.
Southeast Division Champ: Carolina Hurricanes - This was a tough one to call for me at first. After giving it some thought though I think Carolina comes out on top. I think the Capitals will regress a little bit under raised expectations and there just isn't enough defense/goaltending in Tampa for me to pick them. I think the Hurricanes will take advantage of being able to fly under the radar for a bit and claim the 3 seed in the East.
Northeast Division Champ: Ottawa Senators - Everyone and their mother is picking the Canadiens to run wild over the rest of the Eastern Conference this season, but I just don't see it. For some reason I can not explain I think the Sens are going to make one more go of it before their Stanley Cup winning window officially closes for a couple years.
Atlantic Division Champ: Philadelphia Flyers - The Flyers are getting their franchise back on track and look to benefit from some addition via subtraction thanks to Derian Hatcher's injury status. I think this will be the most competitive division in hockey (again) this year, and I see the Flyers ending up on top. I think the Rangers will get off to a bit of a slow start as all of their new faces start to gel, and I think the Penguins will hit too many bumps in the road to win the division. Between the Europe trip and their injuries on defense I think the Pens will be hampered enough that they will have to settle for the fourth or fifth seed in the East.
Hart Trophy Winner (MVP): Sidney Crosby - You will get some argument over this, but I think Sid proved last Spring that he is the best player in the game today. I think the defeat in the Finals will drive Crosby to take his game to another level, something that I am sure is a scary thought for the rest of the NHL. I think the Penguins as a team will have their struggles this season, but I do not expect many for their captain.
Vezina Trophy Winner (Top Goalie): Henrik Lundqvist - I think this will be the year King Henrik breaks through and takes his first Vezina. I expect the Devils to drop off enough to deal a blow to Brodeur's chances. Then again, if Marty can get this year's Devils squad back to the post-season he may be deserving of some more hardware. Hopefully this is the year Marc-Andre Fleury gets his name into the Vezina discussion.
Norris Trophy Winner (Top Defender): Dion Phaneuf - Much like Lundqvist with the Vezina, I think this will be the year Phaneuf breaks Nicklas Lidstrom's hold on the Norris trophy and starts a run of his own. Phaneuf is arguably the best all-around blue liner in the game and he should be a regular Norris finalist for the next ten seasons.
Adams Trophy Winner (Top Coach): Dave Tippett - I already said I expect big things from the Stars and that should translate into some honors for their coach. Hopefully this award will go to a coach who gets continued excellence from his team all season long and not someone who squeaks into the playoffs with a team nobody expected a lot from.
Art Ross Trophy Winner (Most Points): Sidney Crosby- As long as Sid stays healthy this one is a slam dunk. When the game's most gifted offensive player is also its hardest worker you have a recipe for scoring titles.
Richard Trophy Winner (Most Goals): Dany Heatley - I went back and forth between Heatley and Iginla on this one, but finally settled on Heatley. I think Dany has the edge because he has better talent around him, like center Jason Spezza, and he will face more teams with bad defenses in the Eastern Conference (see Toronto and the entire Southeast Division as a reference). If Ilya Kovalchuk can stay interested for a full season in Atlanta he coule walk away with the Richard easily.
Stanley Cup Finals: Dallas Stars v Pittsburgh Penguins - Only Detroit stood in the way of this dream matchup (as a Penguins fan withing driving distance of Dallas) last season, but I think I might just get my wish this time around. A lot can change between now and then (especially if someone like Marian Gaborik gets moved), but for now I'm taking this Finals matchup with the Pens skating the Cup on home ice with a six game series victory.

That's all for me from now. There's not much else to do except wait for the puck to drop in Prague and for Yahoo Fantasy to put Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney on IR (more on that later). So for the time being I guess I'll just sit back and wait for all the Caps, Habs, Sharks, and whoever else fans to tell me how stupid I am in the comments section. Game on!

NHL 09 Review

2008-09-23T12:35:00.001-05:00

It is finally time for my review of NHL 09. It has taken me much longer than anticipated to write this, but that is because NHL 09 is that hard to put down. I could easily have written this post on any of the last few nights. The problem is that every minute spent at my keyboard would be one less spent on the virtual ice. That last sentence probably tells you everything you need to know about NHL 09.

Last year's NHL 08 was simply an achievement in sports video games and easily the best game of fake hockey since the glory days of the NHL franchise on the Sega Genesis. The good news for fans this season is that not a whole lot has changed on the ice this year. The couple team-play games I have played went a lot like last year, but with better opposition AI. So if I have only played a "couple" of team games, what is all this talk about me playing so much?

The big addition in NHL 09 is the addition of the Be A Player (BAP) mode. Early on I was very skeptical about BAP. Admittedly this was mainly because I had tried it out in FIFA 08 and did not enjoy it much. BAP mode translates much better to NHL though, and from the first time I stepped into Sidney Crosby's skates in the demo I was hooked.

The real meat of BAP mode is to create yourself and then embark on your pro hockey career. You get to choose which AHL team you start out with and then begin your quest to make it to the NHL. I made myself as a playmaking center and as such decided to join up with the Minnesota Wild's affiliate the Houston Aeros. Obviously I would prefer to be on the Penguins, but I think cracking that lineup as a young center could take a while. Playing as a single player in a hockey game is so much fun you wonder why it took this long to happen. Even sitting on the bench between shifts is bearable as you regain your strength quite quickly and can then manually call for a line change to get back on the ice. The only real drawback is that by starting out on the third line of an AHL team you don't exactly have great talent around you. That was especially tough as a playmaker.

I worked around my teammates' shortcomings though and managed to work my way all the way up to the first line on the Aeros. Then last night, after my 16th game with the Aeros, I got word from the GM that I had been called up by the Wild and would be playing in their next game. This news was tempered by the fact that the Wild also traded for Brendan Morrison, which put another playmaking center between me and first line duty. I played my first game with Minnesota and there was a noticeable step up in difficulty at the NHL level, which was a pleasant surprise. After lighting up the AHL for 16 games I was shut out in my NHL debut against Phoenix. It was still a blast though. BAP is the best thing to happen to hockey video games since making Gretzky's head bleed.

Glove save, and a beauty!

To compliment BAP online, EA has introduced the EASHL (EA Sports Hockey League). This is really what convinced me to buy NHL 09 (and sign up for XBox LIVE as well). EASHL basically allows you to form a team of up to 50 players and then meet up online to take on other teams. You can have anywhere from 3 to 6 players per team in a game and you pick your position and stick to it for the entire game. As someone who loves the team part of hockey this is heaven to me. I have been fortunate enough to get on an awesome team with likeminded people who know the game and play it the "right way". Admittedly there have been some kinks in the system on EA's side with the EASHL, but I am having so much fun with it that I don't really mind. It is just a total blast to get in there with some of the other guys on my team, The Originals, and get after it. Hopefully EA continues to develop and improve this mode for years to come.

Warm up the red light...

All in all EA's Vancouver has reset the bar in hockey gaming and completely changed the way you think about the game. BAP mode has changed the game to focus more on your individual performance and less on wins and losses. Generally I am a team-focused person, but in this medium the shift in philosophy totally works. As an example, I played a game offline last night where my team lost 7-4, but I was still able to walk away positive because I had played well (two goals and an assist). My team lost because my goalie stunk up the joint, and guess what... sometimes that happens in hockey. Then I played another game right after and we won 4-1 even though I was held off the scoresheet. Again I was left with a good feeling after the game. And that is what it is all about. Everyone who even marginally enjoys sports games (not just hockey) owes it to themselves to at least give NHL 09 a rental. You will be glad you did.

Finally!

2008-09-17T16:00:00.004-05:00

Don't look now, but the boys are back and their gloves are golder than ever! Head over to Faceoff Factor for some top shelf training camp coverage.

Just to give you an idea of where things are currently at with me... I am totally engrossed in NHL 09 and The Originals in particular. That said, I will have an NHL 09 review up here some time this week and then next week I will get into season prediction mode.

In other exciting news, I got my Pens/Stars tickets yesterday! March 1st can't get here fast enough.

The Hits Keep Coming

2008-09-12T12:33:00.000-05:00

I have to say that arguably the best part of NHL 09 is the new hitting engine. It is so gratifying to lay out an opposition player with a big check that I have, from time to time, found myself running a little out of position to land a big hit. Especially on the forecheck. With that in mind, here are a couple of my big hits for your viewing pleasure.

Goodbye World

2008-09-11T12:15:00.004-05:00

So after much anticipation (and about four trips to Best Buy) NHL 09 is finally here, and more importantly in my possession. Among other things, this means that there probably won't be much content showing up here in the next few days.

I will at some point in the next week or two be posting a "full" review of the game here. I put quotes around full there because I will probably be playing the Be A Player mode exclusively. I played a few games offline last night and it is as fun and addictive as I had hoped. I also jumped online and played a couple games with my EASHL squad The Originals. It was a lot of fun and all the guys on my team who I have played with so far seem really cool. I also managed to snag the shootout winner in the second game I played in. The only problem is that there is some kind of bug in the online play currently so neither of my games were recorded either for myself or the team. Hopefully EA comes up with a fix for this soon, but in the meantime I think I found a workaround on the EA forums.

Until next time, I'll leave you with my first ever goal. The words "warhorse with hands of silk" spring to mind...

No Running By The Pool!

2008-09-05T22:45:00.007-05:00

It is update time! First I'll hit on fantasy hockey. Yahoo is back up and my league is open. I still have plenty of spots open currently so if you want to join up:

League ID: 5752
Password: LetsGoPens

Now, on to NHL 09. The response to me trying to start up my own EASHL squad was less than desired. Because of that I have scrapped my GM plan and have signed on with the EASHL squad The Originals. So if you are playing NHL 09 online and want to throw down, look for us.

While we're here, I guess I will give my thoughts on the NHL 09 demo. It is freaking awesome! I am loving Be A Pro way more than I thought I would. I tried it out in FIFA 08 and wasn't that impressed by it, but I think it translates way better to hockey than soccer. My one complaint with the demo is that you can't choose your position. It is not that bad since I will be playing as a center when NHL 09 launches, but I was looking forward to the chance to strap on the pads and give goaltending a go. I guess that will have to wait a few days...

UPDATE:
Look at what I just found...

NHL 09 Custom Covers

2008-09-05T20:24:00.001-05:00

It has been well documented by now how jazzed I am for the pending release of NHL 09 next month. Those of you who have been coming around here for a while also know that I like to put together custom covers. So with that in mind, here is my custom cover thread for NHL 09.

It took me a little longer than I had hoped to get these ready because I made my own template this year. The good news is that the hard work is over and new covers will be relatively easy to produce. So... if you want to request a cover you can leave a note in the comments or e-mail me and I will get to it as soon as I can and then add the finished product to this post. Additionally, if there is a particular image you would like me to use feel free to attach it in the e-mail or include a link in your e-mail or comment. Enjoy!

Update:
Pascal Leclaire added. Martin Brodeur and Brenden Morrow are on the way!

Players Wanted

2008-08-29T12:31:00.002-05:00

Okay gang, it's audience participation time! I was going to hold off a little longer on this, but I think the time is right for action. I am organizing both a fantasy hockey league(s?) and an EASHL squad for XBox 360.

First concerning fantasy hockey. I will be setting up my league as soon as Yahoo (re)opens their fantasy hockey for the upcoming season. I have a couple commits, but still have plenty of room for more people. If you are interested in participating just send me an e-mail and I will send you an invite as soon as I get the league set up. I will set up multiple leagues if the demand is there.

Now onto what has the hockey nerd world buzzing... NHL 09's online league! I will be setting up an EASHL team on XBOX Live once the game ships in a couple weeks. I would love to add anyone who wants to join up to the roster. We can have up to 50 people on the roster with multiple games going on simultaneously. I think this is a great opportunity to have some fun online and develop a steady group of people to play with. If you want to enlist just send me an e-mail and be sure to include your XBox LIVE gamertag in the e-mail. You can also include what position you are likely to be playing if you have decided (my poll is still open if you want to have a say in my decision) and what time you are generally online. I know personally I will mainly just be playing at night, likely between the hours of 9PM and 1AM Central time. Not that that will really be an issue if we can get a decent sized roster together. Also, if you want to add me to your friends list on LIVE, my gamertag is merlin48.

That is about it for now. Feel free to leave any questions or comments in the comments section here or send me an e-mail. Otherwise, hockey season is almost here and things are finally starting to heat up!

Fantasy Hockey Live Chat This Thursday

2008-08-25T21:05:00.002-05:00

As I have previously mentioned here, I will be plying my trade as a fantasy hockey writer over at Going Five Hole this season. I put up my first article last Wednesday laying out my rules for a successful draft and will publish my pre-season ranking of the Top 10 centers in fantasy hockey on Friday.

In the meantime, Sean will be hosting a fantasy hockey live chat this Thursday night at 9PM Central Time. Be sure to stop in with your fantasy hockey draft questions, or even just to say "Hi." if you want. Also, be sure to keep checking back here as I will have information about this season's TOFTT fantasy hockey league up as soon as Yahoo goes live.

NHL 09 Media Blowout

2008-08-14T20:45:00.004-05:00

At this point there can be no doubt that EA's NHL 09 is going to dominate the world when it arrives in early September. I have to admit that I was not planning on picking up 09 early on as I have been very content with NHL 08, and with the latest rosters in tow was not feeling compelled to pony up another $60. Needless to say I have changed my mind.

I will have a lot more coverage on NHL 09 in the coming weeks but the wave of fresh new videos this week has forced my hand a bit. Before I get to the videos, there are a couple quick things I want to address:

Be sure to take a second and vote in my poll on the right. I really would like some input on which position I should make my "Be A Pro" player. I am leaning towards being a goalie, but I am not totally sold yet so be sure to have your say.
It is about 99% certain that I will be starting up an EASHL team and I am looking for people to join up. I will go into more detail on this later, but if you are an XBox 360 player and have any interest in being on this team leave a comment, send me an e-mail, or just stayed tuned here for more info.

Now then, on to the videos:

Passing Gameplay

First Fight Footage

"Be A Pro" Player Types

EASHL Demo (This is a MUST watch!)

New Features

What's In My Five

2008-08-12T21:48:00.001-05:00

So the Puck Daddy himself, Greg Wyshynski, has been running a daily feature this month where he is having various luminaries from around the hockey world list the five ways in which they would change the NHL. This series has spawned some interesting lists from around the blogosphere as well, and I figured it was about time that I unleashed my list on an unsuspecting public. You will have to forgive me if a few of these entries look a bit familiar.

Penalties last the full two minutes - This is an easy way to increase offense without really screwing with the integrity of the game. It rewards teams with a good power play while also getting the skill players more ice time. Ideally this would also lead to teams ultimately taking fewer penalties, which in theory would improve the pace of the game.
Eliminate the trapezoid - As I have stated before, I really hate this rule. It just blows my mind that the NHL changed the game because goalies had become too skilled for its liking. I am getting rid of this rule and allowing goalies to take whatever risks they want with the puck.
Reserve 5% of all tickets for the day of the game - There is no better live sport to behold than hockey, and the NHL needs to find a way to get some new blood in the seats. My plan is for teams to hold 5% of their tickets for each game and to put them on sale about 15 minutes before they open the arena doors. Not only would this be about the only way for an "Average Joe" to get tickets in a city like Toronto, but it would allow someone to decide to take in a game on a whim. There really is no downside to this plan as places like Florida and Columbus probably would not have sold those tickets anyway. At the same time you could breathe some added life into an already full arena, much like the Student Rush program did in Pittsburgh the past few seasons.
Contract four teams - With minimal apologies to fans in Miami, Nashville, Atlanta, and Columbus... I am taking your teams away. The skill level in today's NHL is a little too watered down for my tastes, and this should help remedy that. My process would be simple; these four teams cease to exist and all their players become unrestricted free agents. To allow the remaining teams to take on some of these players I would allow the remaining 26 teams to buy out two contracts on their current roster with no cap hit. In reality a move like this would require some kind of compensation to the players who no longer had teams to play for to get the NHLPA to sign off on the move, but I am not going to worry about that here.
Introduce the "Play In" game - On the day after the final day of the regular season the #8 seed in each conference will host the #9 seed in a single-game playoff to determine who goes into the post-season as their respective conference's #8 seed. Clean and simple. Post-season overtime rules apply so we do not have to worry about a post-season spot being decided by a shootout (shudder). I have to admit this is a bit gimmicky and really goes against my general trend of maintaining the integrity of the game, but I think it would be a fun and exciting way to get the post-season underway.

So there is my list for better or worse. In all honesty I could come up with another five ways to improve the NHL without even blinking, but I think these five would be a big step in the right direction. There are probably a couple people in Nashville and Atlanta who would disagree though I'm guessing.

Do More Pucks In The Net Mean More Butts In The Seats?

2008-08-11T21:38:00.001-05:00

The topic of new restrictions on goaltending equipment has risen to the surface of NHL discussion in the last week or so, due largely to the fact that there really isn't anything else to talk about right now. One item that has drawn particular attention from many (including Puck Daddy and James Mirtle) is the idea of goalies wearing pads that are proportional in size to their bodies. While this rule in itself is completely absurd, it underscores a bigger problem with the powers that be in the NHL; the NHL front office is far more concerned with the totals on the scoreboard than they are with the product on the ice.

Short of photographic evidence, there is no way you could convince me that Gary Bettman had ever seen a hockey game before he became commissioner of the NHL, and it shows. All you have to do is go watch old YouTube clips of the NHL in the 80's to see that the goalies of that era were a joke. Somewhere in the early 90's a new generation of Patrick Roy inspired goalies finally caught up with the game and shooters actually had to do more than just shoot five hole every time down the ice. Bettman and Co. are taking the game back to the 80's, and I for one am not happy about it (even if they bring back Cooperalls too).

People can spout all the "Offense sells" rhetoric they want to, I'm not buying. I saw the 92-93 San Jose Sharks in person enough times to know that more goals does not equal better hockey. Some people like to draw a parallel between hockey and baseball and how the "long ball" helped bring fans back to baseball after its strike in the mid-90's. These people want to argue that increased goal scoring will do for the NHL what Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa did for Major League Baseball. This is a ridiculous argument to make. Ignoring the fact that McGwire and Sosa were most likely juiced to the gills, the NHL restricting goalies is not the same as the power surge that took place in MLB. This is more akin to MLB making it illegal for outfielders to jump and catch a ball going over the fence. Players like Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Jarome Iginla are proof that the NHL's skill players can still put the puck in the back of the net. There is no need to keep changing the game until fourth-line grinders are putting up 30 goals a year.

The NHL has already set a precedent for preventing goalies from utilizing their full skill set with the trapezoid behind the goal line. In a nutshell, goalies like Martin Brodeur and Marty Turco (among many others) had gotten too good at handling the puck and diffusing an attack before it could even get going, so the NHL stepped in and attached an invisible leash to them in order to hamper them. I cannot think of another sport that punishes its players for developing a skill to an elite level. The NHL has done that with their puck handling netminders.

Handcuffing goalies will not make the NHL better. Neither will bigger nets. I will not go so far as to say that goalie equipment cannot afford to be reeled in a bit, but the NHL needs to come to the realization that hockey fans do not judge the product on the ice based on the number of pucks in the net. Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals was one of the best hockey games seen in ages, despite the fact that over 50 minutes were played without a single goal scored. There is nothing better in hockey than a jaw dropping save. Nothing. I can only hope that sanity and logic will eventually win the day. Otherwise Matt Bradley may yet get his blindfolded goalies.

Take The Leahy Challenge

2008-08-04T21:26:00.000-05:00

So "Friend of the Team" Sean Leahy put up a great post on Friday over at Puck Daddy where he laid out the roster for his ultimate all-time NHL dream team. I have to give Sean credit as he came up with a pretty solid team. And not too many people would have Kevin Stevens on their dream team, which is another credit to Sean's good taste.

Pleasantries aside, I thought this would be the perfect time for me to map out my own dream roster. So here we go!

First Line
Mario Lemieux - Ron Francis - Jaromir Jagr

The best line ever assembled will work just fine for me thanks. This line could do it all and had no trouble generating offense as they took three of the top four spots on the NHL's scoring list in the one season they played together as a threesome (that's the 95-96 season for those of you counting). There is no better top line I could ask for than Ronnie Franchise centering two of the best offensive talents to ever take the ice. Like I already said, best line ever assembled.

Second Line
Keith Tkachuk - Joe Sakic - Pavel Bure

This is a line that can do it all. Bure brings the explosiveness and will keep defenders honest at all times (especially if we're playing in today's no two-line passes NHL). Keith Tkachuk was one of the NHL's best ever power forwards when in his prime and he will fit in quite nicely next to Sakic and Bure. He's also a guy who was never afraid to, ahem... get his hands dirty if you know what I mean. Kevin Stevens in his prime would fit in nicely here too. And then there's Joe Sakic. Sakic is a great leader who can do it all and is better defensively than he often gets credit for, and then there's that whole best wrist shot ever thing too. Gotta have Sakic on my team.

Third Line
Mike Bossy - Doug Gilmour - Maurice Richard

"Killer" Dougie Gilmour centering the first two 50/50 guys in NHL history? Not a bad "third" line if I may say so. I've got Bossy playing on his off wing here, but I think that would just lead to more goals with Gilmour setting the table. Like my other centers, Gilmour is top notch in his own end and makes up for his lack of size with an abundance of grit and heart. As far as the "Rocket" goes... if I have to explain to you why he makes my team then you aren't a hockey fan.

Fourth Line
Bob Errey - Joel Otto - Gordie Howe

Bob Errey was one of my favorite players ever and I had to leave a spot for him on my team. He is a tremendous leader and will be valuable on the PK. Joel Otto was never a particular favorite of mine, but he brings size, toughness, great defensive ability, and great faceoff skills to the table. That's a prototypical fourth line center if you ask me. Otto is also American, which is always a bonus. Mr. Hockey lands on my fourth line bringing his toughness and scoring touch to the table. Gordie could easily slip onto the right side of either of the top two lines if needed and could be counted on to help dish out some punishment on opposing defenders.

First Defensive Pair
Scott Stevens - Bobby Orr

I truly could not come up with a better defensive pair than this if I had years to think it over. Orr redefined the position and would bring even more offense from the blue line, while Stevens is one of the games great intimidators and would ensure opposing forwards kept their heads up as they entered my defensive zone. Stevens also has a solid offensive game which would allow him to fit right in with my talented forwards.

Second Defensive Pair
Doug Harvey - Paul Coffey

Paul Coffey is the next best thing to Bobby Orr and would look great going coast to coast for my squad. He was also a good defender who could hold his own in the defensive end. Harvey may just be the best player I never saw play. He did a ton for the game off the ice, and was one of it's biggest stars on it. When The Hockey News names you as the sixth best player ever, you can bet there's room for you on my roster.

Third Defensive Pair
Larry Robinson - Larry Murphy

Can't go wrong with "The Larry's" rounding out my defensive six. Larry "Big Bird" Robinson was one of the NHL's great competitors and has a hockey mind to match. He is also one of the game's great all-time hitters. Larry Murphy was the consummate pro. He wasn't the best at anything, but he excelled at everything. I never really felt Murphy got the credit he deserved during his playing days (I still do not know how he did not win the Norris in 92-93), but as a first ballot Hall of Famer, he was recognized when it mattered most. There is no way I could have this team without good ol' number 55 on it.

Goalies
Martin Brodeur
Ken Dryden

The debate over who is better between Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy will probably go on for quite some time. There is no doubt in my mind that Brodeur will own most of Roy's records by the time he retires, but it is Brodeur's temperment that secures him a place on my team. He is calm, cool, and collected at all times and would have no trouble handling the pressure that would come along with backstopping this team. Dryden may be the biggest winner the NHL has ever seen. That alone should be enough to get him onto my team, but there is more to it than that. Dryden probably knows better than any goalie in history what it is like to be expected to win every time your team takes the ice. I also think Dryden would be able to handle being a backup to Brodeur and not let his ego become an issue. Don't get me wrong, Dryden is one of the greats, but if this team plays an 82-game schedule I'm putting Marty between the pipes for at least 60 of them.

So there is my team in all it's glory. There were a few tough choices, but not too many. I really wanted to find a spot for Sidney Crosby on here, but I could not bring myself to drop Sakic or Gilmour to make room for him, and Joel Otto fills a very specific role for me that Sid would not. It took me a while to come to a decision on who was going to be my backup goalie. One of the things that makes a goalie great is that they always want to be the guy in net. Brodeur was clearly going to be my number one guy, so I needed someone who I thought could handle being the backup. That rules out a lot of history's greats. If I could add one more player in some kind of provisional spot it would be Scott Young. He was always one of my favorites (was firmly in my Top Five for a long time) and was also very versatile, which is never a bad thing.

By all means comment away on this and feel free to leave your own dream team in the comments as well. Tell me where I screwed up and tell me where I nabbed the right guy. Just spare me the "Where is the Great One?!?!?!" stuff. The guy is way overrated and never played enough D to get anywhere near my roster.

Meat's Back On The Menu Boys!

2008-08-01T12:21:00.006-05:00

Whew, July is finally over. It is amazing, for a month that starts out so busy, what with free agency and all, July really seems to drag on forever. Granted my own laziness factored into the recent lack of activity around these parts the last couple weeks, but it is time to put all of that behind us. It is a new month and there is work to be done. Most likely August will be even quieter than July was for the NHL, but if all goes according to plan things will be in full swing here.

Here is some of what you can look forward to here in the coming weeks:

I will be using OI% to break down the NHL's leading scorer in each season since 1940 in an attempt to determine which players had the best offensive single seasons in modern NHL history. I will be doing one decade at a time, probably at a pace of two posts per week.
The Salary Cap Challenge is coming. This year's version will be bigger and better than before. Invites should be going out this weekend and I hope to have the results for you around mid-month.
With help once again from my friends at WhatIfSports.com I will be taking another trip back in time. This time we will be visiting the Spring of 1996.
I will have plenty of preview coverage leading up to September's release of NHL 09 from EA Sports.
I will start to get back into fantasy mode towards the end of the month and should have plenty of fantasy hockey coverage for you between here and my new second home over at Going Five Hole.

This is just some of what I have lined up to get us through August and to the start of training camps. The off-season is far from over, but I plan on making the best of the remaining time until pucks start dropping again.

Breaking Down The 08-09 Pittsburgh Penguins Schedule

2008-07-17T12:13:00.005-05:00

The NHL released the full 2008-09 regular season schedule today (view it here). This is probably a little more exciting than it should be, but it is always fun to look at the schedule for the upcoming season and try to find the key points. So I'll get right to it!

October

4th/5th vs. Ottawa - The Pens open up the season with two games against the Senators in Sweden. Hopefully the travel will not be as big of a pain off of the ice as ex-Penguin Jarkko Ruutu is sure to be on it.
11th vs. New Jersey - The Pens return to the States to raise their Eastern Conference championship banner and take on the Devils. On paper this is a game the Pens should win, but crossing "The Pond" may have an impact on that.
14th vs. Philadelphia - The second home game of the year sees the Flyers come to town. They will surely be looking for payback for the Eastern Conference Finals and will undoubtedly be looking to take it to the Pens physically. This is where Eric Godard starts earning his pay.
16th vs. Washington - Continuing a high profile start to the season, the Penguins will welcome the Capitals to town for the next chapter in the Crosby/Malkin/Ovechkin saga.

November

8th @ Islanders - Satan and Fedotenko return to the Island for the first time since becoming Penguins. Hopefully this will help get the team up emotionally for...
11th @ Detroit - The boys head back to Detroit to take on the Red Wings in a Stanley Cup Finals rematch. I'm guessing Marian Hossa will be mentioned once or twice leading up to this one.

December

23rd vs. Tampa Bay - As an early Christmas present, the Penguins get half of their team "back" as Ryan Malone, Mark Recchi, Adam Hall, Michel Oulette, and Gary Roberts come calling. All those familiar faces should make for an interesting night at the Igloo.
27th vs. Montreal - BGL returns to Pittsburgh for the first time. Is a showdown with Godard inevitable?

January

The Pens won't play the Rangers eight times in January, it will just feel like it.
The schedule is really packed this month to account for the All-Star Game being dropped in.

February

8th vs. Detroit - The second half of the Finals rematch. I hope Hossa is ready to receive the Jagr treatment from the Igloo faithful.
27th @ Chicago - Two of the NHL's best young teams play for the only time this season. Should be a very entertaining game.

March

1st @ Dallas - Not terribly noteworthy except for the fact that I will be there. The first official TOFTT road trip is on the calendar!
14th vs. Ottawa - The Senators' only visit to Pittsburgh this season (thanks to the Sweden games). Will the fans be booing or Ruuing?

April

9th vs. Islanders - The regular season home finale should be a slam dunk as the Islanders will most likely be resembling a junior team by this point in the year. That being said, those kids will be hungry and fighting for roster spots in 2009-10.
11th @ Montreal - The last game of the regular season could either have a big impact on playoff seeding or be totally meaningless. I'm guessing it will be the second option.

Inside the Numbers:

The Penguins will play on back-to-back days 13 times this season.
The longest homestand will be eight games long, and late in the season to boot.
The longest road trip will be five games long, but take them no further from home then Dallas.

All in all the new schedule looks solid enough. It will be nice to not be playing the Devils or Islanders seemingly every other night. You could argue that the Pens got the short end of the "at large" stick by having to play two of the best teams in the Western Conference (Detroit and San Jose) twice each, but it is worth it to make sure Benedict Hossa has to come to Pittsburgh. My biggest concern is that the travel associated with the Sweden games could see the boys get off to another slow start this year. Let's drop the puck already!

The Curse Of Kris Draper

2008-07-15T20:05:00.002-05:00

The story did not come out too long ago, but by now most have probably heard all about Kris Draper and his adventures with the Stanley Cup this summer. There have been an alarming number of stories coming out about the damage the Wings have been doing to the Cup since winning it back in early June, but this is getting to be too much. I understand that there is a long, colorful history surrounding the Cup and some of the abuse it has taken over the years, and that is part of its charm, but a line has to be drawn somewhere. I mean, his kid freaking crapped in the Stanley Cup! How would you like to win the Cup next season, and then right when you go to drink from it, in the back of your mind you think "Draper's kid took a dump in there"?

So I'm calling it right here and now... The Curse of Kris Draper! It is going to be a long time before the Detroit Red Wings sip from Lord Stanley's Cup again. I don't know what it will take for the curse to be lifted. Maybe it will last until Kris Draper dies, maybe just until his daughter is potty trained, I don't know how these things work exactly. The important thing is that the Wings may want to hold off on planning their next victory parade.

All humor aside, this really is too much. I do not think Draper intentionally put his daughter in the Cup to take care of her business. At the same time I do think he is being way too nonchalant about the whole thing. This isn't dinging the Cup or dropping it in a pool. This is something a whole lot worse. And the worst part is that Draper and the Wings do not seem to care. Red Wings, thou art cursed!

Rewriting History: The '93 Playoffs

2008-07-14T12:15:00.000-05:00

The 1993 NHL playoffs stand out in the memory of every longtime Penguins fan. The Pittsburgh Penguins went into the playoffs that season as two-time defending Stanley Cup champions and had arguably their strongest team yet. The Penguins closed out the regular season with an NHL-record 17 game winning streak and looked all but unstoppable heading into the post-season.

The Pens easily handled the New Jersey Devils in round 1, beating them soundly in five games. In round 2 the Penguins would face an upstart New York Islanders team that had upset the Washington Capitals in the first round, but were without leading scorer Pierre Turgeon, thanks to Dale Hunter. The Islanders gave the Penguins all they could handle (Mario Lemieux missing a couple games with back trouble did not help either) and forced a Game 7 in Pittsburgh. Game 7 was simply epic, and despite being outplayed by the Penguins the Islanders lead for most of the game and then shocked the hockey world by eliminating the Penguins on a David Volek overtime goal.

That Volek goal was easily the most painful moment of my life from a sports fan point of view, and I have always wondered what would have been if the Penguins had scored in overtime to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against Montreal. Well now thanks to my new friends Paul and Paul over at WhatIfSports.com I have a pretty good idea. They have used their technology to sim the '93 Eastern Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals on the assumption that the Penguins won Game 7 and not the Islanders, and the results were pretty much what I expected.

The results of each game are listed below. Be sure to click on the links to see the full breakdown of each game.

Eastern Conference Finals - Penguins v Canadiens:

Game 1 (Pens W 4-3)
Game 2 (Pens W 5-3)
Game 3 (Habs W 5-3)
Game 4 (Pens W 2-1)
Game 5 (Habs W 3-2)
Game 6 (Pens W 4-2)

Stanley Cup Finals - Penguins v Kings

Game 1 (Pens W 5-2)
Game 2 (Pens W 6-4)
Game 3 (Pens W 6-3)
Game 4 (Kings W 4-2)
Game 5 (Pens W 7-4)

Obviously this is not an exact method, but it does help reenforce the theory that the only thing standing between the Penguins and their third straight Stanley Cup was David Volek. And all this time I thought I could not hate him any more. I guess I was wrong.

My Own Free Agency Saga

2008-07-08T12:44:00.001-05:00

So I had been sitting on this for a few days, but the cat is now out of the bag. I will not be writing for RotoTimes again this coming season. I will however be helping out Sean over at Going Five Hole with some fantasy hockey coverage. It was a tough two-part decision that turned out being very easy to make in the the end.

I decided a couple weeks ago that I was not going to write again for RotoTimes for the 2008-09 season. I enjoyed writing for them this past season and had a great experience working with my editor over there, Ray Flowers. My decision came down to the fact that I did not think I could give them the volume and quality of writing expected without sacrificing the amount of time I have to commit to TOFTT and The Flower Shop. I also did not feel up to being locked into a set article theme to be produced every week for an entire season. For these reasons I informed Ray that I was going to take a pass on writing for RotoTimes this season, but the door was left open on both sides and I would not rule out writing for them again in the future. In the meantime I heartily recommend RotoTimes.com and sister site Fanball.com as great resources for fantasy info.

So how does Going Five Hole factor into this equation? At some point earlier in the year Sean had e-mailed me about my fantasy writing and asked if I would be interested in contributing some fantasy posts for GFH. I am a big fan of Sean's and was definitely interested, but I could only write here and for RotoTimes until my contract with them ran out so my hands were pretty much tied. A few days after coming to my decision regarding RotoTimes I e-mailed Sean to see if he was still interested in having me contribute. We reached an agreement pretty quickly to say that I will be writing fantasy hockey posts over at GFH starting in late-August. After going through the pre-season motions I will be writing a weekly post and also commenting on any events that impact the fantasy landscape.

Now some of you might be thinking that I have agreed to do for Sean what I said I did not want to do for RotoTimes, but that is not the case. I am going to have more-or-less complete freedom over my posts on GFH. I will not have a word count to meet or be locked into a set format for my articles. I will beable to write about whatever I want to in the fantasy hockey world, and that was the key factor for me. Essentially, any fantasy posts I would have written here (or at least most of them) will now be appearing on GFH instead. Plus, Sean is apparently now referring to me as a fantasy hockey guru (I wonder if I can get that on my checks?), so I've got that going for me.

Remembering Double J

2008-07-07T22:43:00.002-05:00

With his decision to play in Russia for the next two seasons, the NHL has likely seen the last of Jaromir Jagr. This is a sad thing for me, not just as a Penguins fan, but as a hockey fan in general. Jagr, one of the best offensive players in NHL history, deserved a better way to go out than this.

Two of the best ever.

Jagr has always been a polarizing figure among fans as he was never the most personable guy in the league. He burned a lot of bridges with the way he left Pittsburgh and similarly when he was traded from the Washington Capitals to the New York Rangers. I can see why Caps fans were upset with Jagr as they never really saw the kind of hockey they expected to from the talented Czech, but when you consider the spare parts they gave up to acquire Jagr they still came out ahead on that deal.

Not the happiest time in Jags' life.

Jagr's relationship with Penguins fans is another story. Jagr did not handle his exit from the Penguins well and he, deservedly so, drew the ire of the Penguins faithful. I had no problem at all with Jagr being booed during his first few visits back to Pittsburgh with the Capitals. I do think though that at some point Penguins fans needed to move on and remember Jagr for all that he had done for the Penguins. The final chapter in Jagr's time as a Penguin may not have gone well, but that should not have overshadowed his total body of work in black and gold, and I for one was hoping to see a new chapter to the story written in 2008-09. Unfortunately Jagr has chosen Russia over the Igloo in a move that all but certainly closes the door on him ever returning to the Penguins.

Growing up a young hockey fan in California, we didn't have televised hockey until my cable provider picked up SportsChannel before the 1991-92 season. By that time my beloved Pittsburgh Penguins were defending Stanley Cup champions and a young, mulleted Jagr was beginning his ascent to the top of the NHL. Though I started following hockey in the 80's, it didn't really amount to much more that checking the paper every morning until we finally got hockey on TV in '91. What the really means is that even though I followed the NHL before Jagr's arrival in 1990, I've never really known the NHL without him. The only other guy left who I really identify with being in the NHL when I really came on board is Joe Sakic, and he may be ready to walk away as well. In many ways Jaromir Jagr's departure for Russia has closed the door on the NHL of my youth.

So where does that leave Jagr in Penguins and NHL history? To me, the first thing that comes to mind is that Jagr was the second-most dominant player I have ever seen behind Mario Lemieux. No other players I have watched even come close to those two in terms of being able to simply step on the ice and take over a game. Without actually taking the time to figure it out for certain, I would guess that I saw Jagr play in person more than any other player, and he was worth the price of admission every time. I remember a game in San Jose against the Sharks, I got there a few minutes late (I had flown up from Long Beach just for the game) and Jagr had taken an early penalty. As soon as he got out of the box he got the puck and completely controlled the play inside the Sharks zone for about the next minute. There wasn't a player on the ice for San Jose who was going to get the puck off of his stick. Those are the types of moments I think of when I look back on Jagr's NHL career. When Jaromir Jagr was on his game he was an unstoppable force. There is not a single player in the NHL today who comes close to Jagr's ability to completely control a game. Not one.

Nobody came close to 68 in the late-90's.

Jagr may never get the credit he deserves as a player, mainly thanks to his demeanor off of the ice, but it is easy to see that he is among the best to ever take the ice in the National Hockey League. He currently sits ninth on the career scoring list with 1599 points, and he could have definitely made it as high as second on the list after another three or four productive years. He is 12th on the all-time goals list with 646, and again another three or four years would have surely seen him crack the top five. The same could be said for assists, where he currently ranks 13th with 953 for his career. Jagr also put together quite the collection of silverware during his time in the NHL with a Hart Trophy (he should have also won it in 1995 and 2006), three Pearson Trophies, five Art Ross Trophies, and a pair of Stanley Cups. Jagr was also named to the NHL First All-Star team seven times. Arguably more impressive than all of that was the fact that from the period of about 1995 until 2001 there was no player in the NHL better than Jagr. Jagr was the one player who seemed somewhat immune to all of the trapping and obstruction of the late-90's.

Jaromir Jagr may be walking away from the NHL before his time was up, but at least he went out in vintage Jagr fashion. Jagr was the best player by far for the Rangers in this year's playoffs and seemed to have rediscovered some of his old magic as he at times was able to carry the Rangers to victory. Jagr was the best Ranger on the ice for each of New York's five games against Pittsburgh, and it is worth noting that he was the NHL's leading scorer through two rounds. Somewhere along the way there Jagr made a connection with Ranger fans and has ultimately left them wanting more.

Jagr could only carry the Rangers so far.

I will have many fond memories of Jaromir Jagr's time in the NHL. I'll always have that goal against the Blackhawks in Game 1 of the Finals. I'll always have him scoring in OT to send Wayne Gretzky out a loser in his final game. I'll always have the Jagr/Francis/Lemieux line in '96. I'll always have the way he made defenders look like rag dolls on the ice. What I won't have is the privilege of watching Jagr work his way up the list of the NHL's all-time greatest scorers. I won't have one last season with Jagr back in black and gold. Jaromir Jagr gave hockey fans everything they could have wanted in his 19 NHL seasons, but in the end he still left me wanting more.

Here's just a bit of Jagr being Jagr:

Atlanta = Hockey Purgatory

2008-07-06T16:02:00.000-05:00

A lot has come out in the last couple of days about how Dan Boyle was treated by the new Tampa Bay owners in his final days with the Lightning. Just read the following quote from Boyle:

"I've given this franchise everything I had. I love it. I love the area and the fans. But at the end of the day, I was misled and lied to and completely disrespected. When you're threatened to be put on waivers and end up in Atlanta, it was an eye-opening situation for me."

I'm sure the first thing people think about when they read that quote is how out of control Koules and Barrie are turning out to be in Tampa, but not me. Just look at what Boyle said there again... threatened with ending up in Atlanta. This is what is has come to for the Thrashers. They have to overpay for any free agent to sign with them and now this. I'm sure Ilya Kovalchuk and his agent are counting the days until his contract runs out. I wonder where the over under is for how many years before the Thrashers move. Three or four sounds about right to me at this point.

Making Sense Of The Free Agency Madness

2008-07-03T21:35:00.002-05:00

Well. we are about 58 hours into the NHL's free agency period as I write this and the dust is just now starting to settle. There are still a few big names still out there (Sundin, Jagr, Demitra). Most of the big players in the market appear to be done spending, and it is possible that from here on out most of the noise will be made by teams trying to find a way up to the salary cap minimum. As it is, let's take a look at the free agency winners and losers thus far.

The Winners

The Detroit Red Wings: Obviously the Marian Hossa signing is huge for Detroit, and most people seem ready to forego the 2008-09 season and just give the Red Wings the Stanley Cup now. Hossa's deal is a perfect fit for their contract environment and he is a perfect player for their team. Ty Conklin is also a good signing, assuming he can play near the level he did in January for the Penguins. It seems like they maybe overpaid a little for Brad Stuart, but I'm just a guy with a blog so I will give Kenny Holland the benefit of the doubt here.
The Columbus Blue Jackets: The Blue Jackets needed to make some big additions this off-season. While they didn't go quite as big time as I had hoped, adding Kristian Huselius, Mike Commodore, and R.J. Umberger (via trade) are very good additions for the Jackets. Hopefully for the Jackets Huselius and Umberger can help take some of the pressure off of Rick Nash offensively.
The Chicago Blackhawks: The Hawks made two of the bigger splashes in the free agent pool by signing Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet to huge contracts. You hate to kick dirt on the grave of Bill Wirtz, but signings like this would not have happened 12 months ago and Hawks fans have to be excited. They do have way too much salary tied up between the pipes right now, but they will find a way to deal with that somehow. It looks like the Blackhawks are finally ready to be players again in the Western Conference.
The Pittsburgh Penguins: Losing Hossa has gotten most of the ink in Pittsburgh, but take a step back and look at what Ray Shero has accomplished in about the last 48 hours. He locked up Evgeni Malkin, Brooks Orpik, and Marc-Andre Fleury to long-term deals. He added Eric Godard as a cheap replacement for Georges Laraque. He brought back Mark Eaton and Pascal Dupuis on the cheap. And finally today he brought in Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko with very palattable one-year deals to help fill out the top two lines. Fedotenko should slide right into Ryan Malone's spot quite nicely, and Satan has enough offensive skill to thrive alongside Sidney Crosby. My only real complaint so far is why could the Pens have kept Adam Hall for $1.8 million over three years?
The New York Rangers: This was a tough call for me simply because it is hard to say something positive about a team that is going to be paying Michal Rozsival $5 million per year for the next four years. Aside from that deal though, the Rangers did pretty well. The Wade Redden contract stands out, but he still has a lot of good hockey left in him and he should be a good influence on their young defencemen. The acquisition of Aaron Voros, Markus Naslund, Patrick Rissmiller, Dimitri Kalinin, and Nikolai Zherdev are also pluses for the Blue Shirts.

The Losers

The Toronto Maple Leafs: The Jeff Finger signing has quickly become a running joke in NHL circles and I don't feel real good about the Hagman signing either. Hagman strikes me as the kind of guy who would be great in the right situation, but will flame out in Toronto. Only time will tell there I guess. At least they gave the fans a little service by bringing Curtis Joseph back.
The San Jose Sharks: With Brian Campbell gone that trade looks pretty lousy now. The Sharks did not appear to have much of a Plan B in place after losing out on Campbell and have now had to settle for bringing Rob Blake in on a one-year pact. Losing Patrick Rissmiller to the Rangers is another shot to the Sharks, although the seem to have enough young talent to deal with that loss. Ultimately the Sharks have done nothing to improve a roster that has consistently underacheived for years now. Then again, maybe that Patrick Marleau trade is just around the corner...
The Tampa Bay Lightning: I have to say that on paper I like a lot of the signings the Lightning made. Ryan Malone is an awesome player, they just paid too much for him. The Radim Vrbata and Adam Hall deals are also excellent signings. As is the deals they got Gary Roberts and Olaf Kolzig to sign for. The problem is that none of the players I just named are defensemen, and that is Tampa's biggest weakness. To compound the issue, the Lightning they may now be forced to deal Dan Boyle to compensate for their recent spending spree, which would weaken their defensive corps even further. In a vacuum I like the deals Tampa made, but in reality the Lightning's new owners spent their money in all the wrong places.
The Washington Capitals: The Capitals did what they had to do in re-signing Mike Green, but then they took a big step back in net. The Caps front office can say whatever they want to, but the money they saved in signing Jose Theodore instead of Cristobal Huet was not worth it. With that one transaction the Capitals were transformed from a team on the rise in the East to a team that could easily find themselves on the outside looking in come playoff time. Just when things had started to look up for them too.
The Carolina Hurricanes: If you are intentionally paying Josef Melichar real money to play hockey for your team you are a loser. Nothing else matters. There is a reason why this guy was in Europe last year.

Honorable Mention - The Edmonton Oilers: Kevin Lowe is the punch line to about 75% of all hockey jokes these days, but he has done a real good job of upgrading his team in the last few days. The only reason why the Oilers are here instead of among the winners is because Lowe did it all through trades. Having said that, Erik Cole and Lubomir Visnovsky are players any GM would love to have, and the Oilers will be a better team with them this coming season.

Marian Hossa Stuns The World

2008-07-02T12:07:00.009-05:00

I am in complete shock right now. Marian Hossa just signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings for $7.4 million, and for the life of me I can't figure out why. Why take a one-year with Detroit when the Pittsburgh Penguins were offering similar dollars over five years? Where is the logic in this? The only line of thinking I can come up with on Hossa's part is that he hopes to win a Cup this coming season, and then just get the biggest contract he possibly can next off-season. That is totally ludicrous thinking, and that is about all I could come up with.

For Detroit the move is pure genius. They add another uber-talented forward to their roster who will fit into their style of play perfectly. Then next off-season they simply walk away and put the $7.4 million they paid Hossa towards Henrik Zetterberg's new contract. They get a (hopefully for them) good year out of Hossa and then just let him move on. No big loss for them. It might even be possible that Nicklas Lidstrom retires after next season and Hossa stays in Motown. Either way it all works out for the Wings.

So where do the Pens go from here? Ray Shero undoubtedly was prepared for this and is already hard at work on Plan B. There is a short list of guys out there who Shero can look at to fill the void left by Hossa. Names like Jagr, Naslund, Demitra, and Huselius will surely all be looked at. I think this will work out better for the Penguins when all is said and done because they should be able to bring in new wingers for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin at close to the amount it would have cost to keep Hossa. It will be like the time I traded in my Mustang so that my wife and I could both get new cars. Sure neither car was as nice as the Mustang, but they both got the job done. I would expect at least two or three signings from the Penguins by the end of the day now that Hossa has made his decision.

Where does this leave Marian Hossa's legacy as a Penguin? As far as I'm concerned he does not have one. I'm not trying to downplay all he did for us in the playoffs, but the guy played roughly 40 games in Pittsburgh. That's not exactly enough to earn you a long-term residence in the hearts of fans. Add in the fact that he signed with Detroit, my personal most hated sports franchise, and Marian Hossa is essentially dead to me now. Make no mistake I enjoyed the time he spent with the Pens, but the first thing I'm doing tonight after my kids are in bed is trading Hossa away from my Penguins franchise in NHL 2008. And I sure won't be sending him to Detroit either.

Let The Impulse Buying Commence!

2008-06-30T12:14:00.005-05:00

Well, the Tampa Bay Lightning just couldn't wait until July 1st to start signing free agents. After acquiring the negotiating rights to Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts over the weekend, they followed through and signed them both this morning. To his credit, Penguins GM Ray Shero just got the team a 2009 third-round draft pick in exchange for two players he was never going to bring back anyway. It's the little things...

So the Lightning are now on the hook for $31.5 million to Ryan Malone over the next 7 years. I'm sure this will be a heavily discussed topic this offseason, but you can put me in with the people who think this is too much money for Malone. If that is the kind of money it was going to take to keep Malone, then I think Shero made the right move in letting him walk, regardless of the other contracts he is dealing with. $4.5 million per season is too much to pay a guy who has as many 30-goal seasons in the NHL as I do (yes, that is none).

Tampa did do one thing right with the Malone contract though. By heavily front loading the deal, it will be easy to part ways with Malone in a couple years if necessary. With almost half of the total payout coming Malone's way in the next two seasons, it will be much easier for the Lightning to either trade, waive, or buyout Malone after the 2009-10 season if they need to. Of course if the salary cap continues to go up this contract might not look so bad by then. It is also nice to see that the whole "Sign with us and we'll give your dad a job" trick isn't just for college football any more.

All in all I am not going to totally hammer the Lightning for this signing. I think they did the best they could with the numbers involved and clearly the new owners are committed to turning this team around in a hurry. That being said, I am happy the Penguins are not the ones on the hook for Malone's new contract. I do like the Roberts signing for Tampa. He will be a good presence in their locker room and they were (again) smart with the way they structured the contract. I do think it is interesting that there is already talk of having to move Dan Boyle as a result of these contracts. Maybe Koules and Barrie should have looked over the financial paperwork a little more before whipping out the checkbook this off-season.

2008 NHL Free Agency Explosion

2008-06-25T22:45:00.004-05:00

The anticipation leading up to free agency on July 1st is more intense than I can ever remember. Being a Penguins fan undoubtedly has a lot to do with that, but you just get the feeling there could be some big changes in the NHL landscape this off-season. So here is my guess at where the big name unrestricted free agents will end up.

Marian Hossa - Tampa Bay Lightning: Tampa's new owners came right in and said, without naming names, that they are going to go hard after all of the top free agents except for Brian Campbell. I think they are really looking to create a lot of noise in Tampa and I look for them to give Hossa close to the $8.5 million they just ponied up for Vincent Lecavalier and I think Marian will take it. Recent word has Hossa seriously considering a move to Chicago, but I think Tampa will prove to be more enticing for Marian.
Brian Campbell - New York Rangers: The Rangers want to upgrade their blue line and Campbell supposedly has family issues luring him back to the Eastern Conference. The Rangers should have plenty of salary cap room to work with and signing Campbell would be just the kind of big move we have all come to expect from the Rangers each summer. The Blackhawks are also looking to make a big push for Campbell's services.
Joe Sakic - Colorado Avalanche: I don't think Joe is ready to hang them up yet, and I can't see him playing anywhere else. There is always the chance he heads home to play for the Canucks, but I hope Sakic sticks around for at least one more season in Denver.
Mats Sundin - New York Rangers: This deal seems like a foregone conclusion to me. I think Sundin is too worried about his image/legacy to sign with Montreal, which leaves the Rangers as the most likely destination for the big Swede. This deal could even go down before July 1 under the right circumstances.
Jaromir Jagr - Pittsburgh Penguins: This may just be wishful thinking on my part, but Jagr would seem to be the perfect person to fill the hole left by Hossa on Sidney Crosby's wing. Ever since the Hossa trade went down I have had this feeling in the back of my mind that if the Penguins could not re-sign him then they should bring back Jagr. Jagr showed in the playoffs that he can still be a force and I think he would thrive back in Pittsburgh where he would not be depended on to shoulder the offensive load. Also, huge props go out to the boys over at The Pensblog for putting this idea front and center today.
Kristian Huselius - Columbus Blue Jackets: The Jackets need to start making some additions. It was no secret they really wanted Ryan Malone, but the feeling does not appear to be mutual. I think they will settle on Huselius instead to add some scoring depth.
Sean Avery - New York Islanders: I'm convinced Avery wants to stay in New York. He's not going to re-sign with the Rangers, and I don't see anyway the Devils could bring him in after their testy playoff series. That leaves the Islanders as the prime destination for Avery. I actually think he would be a pretty good fit there too.
Wade Redden - Carolina Hurricanes: Carolina appears desperate to upgrade their defense, and Redden may be the best available option to them. Redden's stock has really fallen in the last few months, but I think he has a lot of good hockey left and he could turn out to be a big signing this off-season, much like Brian Rafalski last summer.
Markus Naslund - Pittsburgh Penguins: Naslund would be a good fit to play with either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, and both of them could use a new left winger. Much like with Jagr, Naslund could really thrive in a situation where he is not the focus of the offense.
Pavol Demitra - Vancouver Canucks: Vancouver is in need of offense and they look to have holes to fill with their potential departing free agents. Demitra is a big injury risk, but he is a very dynamic offensive player when healthy and could be a great addition for Vancouver.
Cristobal Huet - Washington Capitals: There's no way this deal doesn't get done. Huet was an integral part of Washington's late playoff run and should be back to help the Caps try to take the next step towards contention.
John-Michael Liles - Buffalo Sabres: The Sabres need to fill the void left by the departure of Brian Campbell, and Liles would be a nice fit. He is a very unheralded defenseman who could turn out to be a good value signing. Colorado and Carolina are also potential destinations for the talented American.
Ryan Malone - New York Rangers: I haven't seen this possibility mentioned anywhere, but Malone seems to me like the perfect replacement for Brendan Shanahan. The Rangers could have plenty of cap room to play with and would probably not shy away from meeting Malone's contract demands. Plus, we all know he can be successful in the rugged Atlantic Division. If this doesn't happen, look for Vancouver to come knocking on Malone's door come July 1st.
Martin Straka - New Jersey Devils: Marty Straka just seems like he would make a good Devil. He is undersized, but he has plenty of offensive skill, plays hard defense, and isn't afraid to give up his body in his own end. Straka would be an excellent addition for the goal starved Devils, and he should come relatively cheap.
Cory Stillman - Tampa Bay Lightning: Stillman already has one successful stint in Tampa under his belt, and he could be a great signing for the retooling Lightning. Depending on his contract demands Stillman could have plenty of suitors, but I think a move back to Tampa would make plenty of sense for him.
Miroslav Satan - Phoenix Coyotes: I don't think there will be a ton of interest in Satan's services this off-season, but I don't think he'll return to the Islanders either. He could be a nice compliment to new Coyote Olli Jokinen in Phoenix if the price is right. I could also see him ending up, fittingly, in New Jersey. Tell me that wouldn't be a hot selling jersey!
Brian Rolston - Minnesota Wild: I don't think the Wild are ready to part ways with Rolston yet. He has been an excellent player for the Wild since coming to Minnesota as a free agent from Boston and I think he'll stay put when all is said and done. If he can't come to terms with the Wild, Rolston could turn up in a Blackhawks or Canucks sweater.
Jose Theodore - Colorado Avalanche: Theodore doesn't have a whole lot of options if he wants to be a starter and Colorado would likely welcome him back at the right price. I just can't think of another team that would be interested in Theodore at this point. Ottawa maybe? Again that would depend on how cheap they could sign him for.
Brooks Orpik - Pittsburgh Penguins: This candy won't be free, but I expect Orpik to make good on his talk of giving the Pens a hometown discount for his services. Orpik really matured into a key player for the Penguins this season and it would be a shame for them to lose him now after all the patience they have shown with his development.
Brendan Morrison - New Jersey Devils: Another player returning to his old stomping grounds. Morrison is not the player he once was, but he would still be an upgrade for the Devils in the offensive zone. He could be the guy to help Brian Gionta find his scoring touch again.
Ray Emery - Tampa Bay Lightning: Tampa Bay's new owners, and head coach Barry Melrose for that matter, strike me as ~~cocky~~ confident enough to think they can keep Emery in line. Like the guy or not, you have to admit that there is still significant upside with Emery and Tampa's goaltending situation is questionable enough to make taking a chance on Emery a decent move. I also get images of Emery in a Caps jersey from time to time. Make of that what you will.
Gary Roberts - Buffalo Sabres: Gary will not be back with the Penguins, so what options does that leave? First instinct is to assume he will end up in either Toronto or Ottawa, largely for family reasons. A little more thought makes both of those scenarios unlikely as he would seem to have no interest in Ottawa and bringing in Roberts would not be the soundest move for the rebuilding Leafs. Look a little south though and you see the up and coming Sabres. They could definitely use a guy like Roberts to come in and fill the same kind of mentor role he held down for the Penguins. Look for Montreal to show interest in Roberts as well.
Sergei Fedorov - Washington Capitals: Fedorov seems to have found a home in Washington and I look for him to re-sign with the Caps and finish out his career as the elder statesman on an up and coming Capitals squad. Fedorov still has some good hockey in him, and he could definitely have a Gary Roberts-esque impact in the Capitals locker room.
Darcy Tucker - Montreal Canadiens: Doesn't Tucker seem like the kind of guy who would sign with the Habs just to stick it to the Leafs? He got a nice chunk of change from his buyout, so money should not be much of an issue in signing Tucker. He could bring that edge/nastiness that Montreal seems to lack up front right now.
Brendan Shanahan - Detroit Red Wings: Shanny doesn't appear to have much left in the tank, but Detroit wouldn't need too much from him. Plus advanced age never seems to be a deterrent to the Red Wings front office.
Michael Ryder - St. Louis Blues: Ryder has to end up somewhere, right? St. Louis could be a good fit for Ryder as he would get a chance to skate with set up men like Andy McDonald and Paul Kariya. It is one of those moves that looks minor on the surface, but could really pay off in the end.
Daymond Langkow - Calgary Flames: I read somewhere a week or two ago that a new deal with the Flames was all but done for Langkow, and that makes sense. Langkow has been an underrated player in Calgary (and throughout his career really) and I think it definitely in Calgary's best interests to bring him back.
Mark Recchi - Atlanta Thrashers: Recchi had a pretty successful go in Atlanta last season so I don't see much reason for him to leave. Plus, there wouldn't seem to be much of a market for bitter, old guys who can't skate a lick.
Rob Blake - Los Angeles Kings: If Blake was going to leave L.A. he would have by now. He'll still be the topic of trade rumors all season long, but I think Blake is perfectly happy playing out the string for the Kings.
Adam Foote - Colorado Avalanche: It would just be weird if Foote didn't re-sign with Colorado after the stink he made to get traded there in the first place. 2008-09 could be the grand farewell tour for Sakic and Foote.
Pascal Dupuis - Pittsburgh Penguins: If I am Pascal Dupuis I sign a one-year deal with the Pens, hopefully spend the season riding shotgun for Sid, and then try to really cash in next season on the open market. Plus that whole potential Stanley Cup Championship is alluring as well.
Dominic Moore - Pittsburgh Penguins: No Moore isn't a big name player, but he was a good soldier during his previous stint in Pittsburgh and I would love to see him come back. It's the power of positive thinking people!

Atlantic Division 2008 Free Agency Preview

2008-06-19T21:12:00.001-05:00

Well, it's time for the last stop on the incredible journey that has been the 2008 Free Agency Preview. This probably won't be the last time I touch on free agency between now and July 1st, but I'll probably take a step back and see if anything interesting goes down at this weekend's draft in Ottawa. In the meantime, let's break down how things look for the teams in the Atlantic Divsion.

New Jersey Devils

Pending UFA's:

Bryce Salvador ($1,500,000)
Karel Rachunek ($1,400,000)
Jay Pandolfo ($836,000)
Aaron Asham ($700,000)

Pending RFA's:

David Clarkson ($555,000)
Rod Pelley ($522,000)
Barry Tallackson ($475,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $39.8 million
Notes: I don't expect much movement from the Devils. I'm sure they will continue to depend on Martin Brodeur and milk whatever offense they can out of their current roster. Having said that, Jay Pandolfo really deserves a raise. He is a very underrated player and probably deserves to at least double his salary from last season.

New York Islanders

Pending UFA's:

Miroslav Satan ($4,500,000)
Ruslan Fedotenko ($2,900,000)
Josef Vasicek ($750,000)
Bryan Berard ($725,000)
Rob Davison ($525,000)
Wade Dubielewicz ($500,000)

Pending RFA's:

Sean Bergenheim ($500,000)
Bruno Gervais ($475,000)
Aaron Johnson ($475,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $31.3 million
Notes: The Isles are in a pretty good position to begin a rebuilding process with hopes of being competitive in a couple years. Vasicek and Berard have both been solid performers and probably deserve pay hikes, but the money they spent last season on Satan and Fedotenko could definitely be put to better use. They might want to make a run at one relatively young, big name free agent, but they need to come up with a plan for remaking most of their roster if they want to have a chance in the Atlantic. One can only wonder if GM Garth Snow is up to the task.

New York Rangers

Pending UFA's:

Jaromir Jagr ($8,360,000)
Martin Straka ($3,300,000)
Paul Mara ($3,000,000)
Brendan Shanahan ($2,500,000)
Marek Malik ($2,500,000)
Michal Rozsival ($2,300,000)
Sean Avery ($1,900,000)
Stephen Valiquette ($635,000)
Jason Strudwick ($500,000)

Pending RFA's:

Fredrik Sjostrom ($800,000)
Nigel Dawes ($475,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $31.2 million
Notes: It will be real interesting to see what the Rangers do this offseason. They have some pretty big contracts on the books (see Gomez and Drury), but they also have a lot of UFA's who they could simply not bring back. That would give the Rangers a lot of cap room to work with and most of the buzz around this team seems to have them wanting to upgrade on the blue line. Could Glen Sather be getting a monster bid for Brian Campbell ready, or we he aim a little lower and go after someone like John-Michael Liles, Wade Redden, or Mark Streit? It will also be interesting to see what Sean Avery does as I'm sure he has not forgotten all the less than flattering things the Rangers had to say about him in arbitration last year.

Philadelphia Flyers

Pending UFA's:

Jason Smith ($1,976,000)
Jaroslav Modry ($1,200,000)
Jim Down ($500,000)
Riley Cote ($500,000)

Pending RFA's:

R.J. Umberger ($1,250,000)
Jeff Carter ($942,000)
Patrick Thoresen ($542,000)
Randy Jones ($525,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $48.3 million
Notes: The Flyers are really in a bind against the cap. They spent big last offseason in an effort to turn their team around overnight, but now they are going to have a hard time keeping the young players they have developed themselves. The smart money says that either Carter or Umberger won't be back next season. Personally I wouldn't be shocked if other teams managed to snatch up Carter, Umberger, and Jones thanks to the Flyers lack of cap room.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pending UFA's:

Marian Hossa ($7,000,000)
Gary Roberts ($2,500,000)
Mark Eaton ($1,600,000)
Ryan Malone ($1,450,000)
Georges Laraque ($1,300,000)
Jarkko Ruutu ($1,150,000)
Brooks Orpik ($1,075,000)
Pascal Dupuis ($880,000)
Kris Beech ($585,000)
Adam Hall ($525,000)
Ty Conklin ($500,000)
Jeff Taffe ($500,000)

Pending RFA's:

none

Cap $$$ Committed: $26.8 million
Notes: Where to begin here? The good news is that Marc-Andre Fleury was offered arbitration by the Penguins, so that will keep him from becoming a RFA and give the team a longer window to negotiate with him. Ryan Malone is gone. He is going to take the biggest offer he gets and that won't be from the Penguins. It is hard to blame Malone as his stock will likely never be higher. Signing Hossa and Orpik seem to be the top priorities and both players have gone on record that they would take less money for the chance to stay in Pittsburgh and get back to the Finals. I believe it from Orpik, but I'm just not sure I'm buying it from Hossa. Beyond them I think Ruutu, Laraque, Dupuis, and Hall will all be back. Dupuis may even want to think about signing a one-year deal and then trying to really cash in next July after spending a season on Sidney Crosby's wing. Gary Roberts could be back for one more go, but it will have to be at a cheaper price. This is shaping up to be the most interesting offseason in Penguins history, and I'm not even taking into account all the insane Evgeni Malkin trade rumors.

Northeast Division 2008 Free Agency Preview

2008-06-18T21:15:00.000-05:00

It is time to turn our attention to the Northeast Division as we look at what July 1st has in store for teams in the NHL. This is always an intriguing division and I don't expect that to change in 2008-09. Between coaching changes, playoff disappointments, and fan expectations every team in the Northeast has something to get fired up about this summer.

Boston Bruins

Pending UFA's:

Alex Auld ($600,000)
Glen Metropolit ($500,000)
Bobby Allen ($500,000)

Pending RFA's:

Petteri Nokelainen ($984,000)
Mark Stuart ($942,000)
Dennis Wideman ($600,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $43.5 million
Notes: The Bruins don't have many holes to fill and they will enter next season with more or less the same roster as last season. That could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on who you ask. Getting Patrice Bergeron back should be a big boost for the Bruins. Looking beyond next season, the Bruins need to start coming up with a long term plan in net as Manny Fernandez and Tim Thomas are both going into the final years of their contracts.

Buffalo Sabres

Pending UFA's:

Teppo Numminen ($2,600,000)
Dmitri Kalinin ($2,250,000)
Jocelyn Thibault ($760,000)
Nolan Pratt ($550,000)
Michael Ryan ($475,000)

Pending RFA's:

Steve Bernier ($850,000)
Paul Gaustad ($750,000)
Dan Paille ($585,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $37.8 million
Notes: The Sabres have a good group of young, talented forwards to work with, but their blue line is thin and they need to get Ryan Miller signed to a long term deal ASAP. John-Michael Liles would probably make a nice addition to their defensive corps and he could be had for less than what they offered Brian Campbell before they traded him to San Jose.

Montreal Canadiens

Pending UFA's:

Michael Ryder ($2,950,000)
Bryan Smolinski ($2,000,000)
Patrice Brisebois ($700,000)
Mark Streit ($600,000)

Pending RFA's:

Mikhail Grabovski ($700,000)
Andrei Kostitsyn ($612,000)
Ryan O'Byrne ($590,000)
Jaroslav Halak ($500,000)
Josh Gorges ($495,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $32.5 million
Notes: Michael Ryder is a goner, let's get that out of the way right from the get go. Beyond that, they need to take care of locking up all of their RFA's and they would be wise to take care of Mark Streit as he was a big part of what made their league leading power play tick. They are also rumored to be going after Mats Sundin in a big way, which would only serve to fuel what is already one of the league's nastier rivalries.

Ottawa Senators

Pending UFA's:

Wade Redden ($6,500,000)
Martin Lapointe ($2,400,000)
Cory Stillman ($1,750,000)
Mike Commodore ($1,300,000)
Chris Kelly ($1,262,000)
Shean Donovan ($925,000)
Randy Robitaille ($625,000)
Luke Richardson ($500,000)

Pending RFA's:

Antoine Vermette ($1,075,000)
Andrej Meszaros ($984,000)
Brian McGrattan ($550,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $28.8 million
Notes: In all likelihood the Ottawa Senators are going to be a very different looking team next season. They have a slew of UFA's and stand to lose most of them. Re-signing Chris Kelly should be a top priority for the Ottawa front office and they would be well served to bring back Stillman and Commodore if they can get them at the right price. Wade Redden is all but gone, but locking up Meszaros could help to ease that loss. Like seemingly every other team in the Northeast (except for the Habs) they need to come up with a plan in goal beyond 2008-09. Ray Emery will likely be bought out at any moment and Martin Gerber is too inconsistent to be a viable long term option for a team with realistic hopes of challenging for the Cup.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Pending UFA's:

Mats Sundin ($5,500,000)
Dominic Moore ($700,000)
John Pohl ($475,000)

Pending RFA's:

Matt Stajan ($950,000)
Kyle Wellwood ($950,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $38.7 million
Notes: Like the Bruins the Leafs have most of last season's roster under contract, and like the Bruins that may not be great news. The big story will be what happens with Mats Sundin. The Leafs will undoubtedly do all they can to bring him back, but will he reverse his stance of wanting to remain a Leaf and head to Detroit or Montreal? The Leafs also have a lot of good buyout candidates in Darcy Tucker, Andrew Raycroft, and even Bryan McCabe. The Leafs may be forced to take a few steps back this offseason in order to begin the rebuilding process under new coach Ron Wilson.

Southeast Division 2008 Free Agency Preview

2008-06-17T20:42:00.002-05:00

It's time to kick of week two of my free agency extravaganza! We now find ourselves in the friendly confines of the Eastern Conference, and the Southeast Division to be exact. It is hard not to think of the Southeast as the worst division in the NHL, but that could lead to a lot of activity this off-season. The good news for most of these teams is that it shouldn't be too tough to upgrade their rosters through free agency.

Atlanta Thrashers

Pending UFA's:

Bobby Holik ($4,250,000)
Mark Recchi ($1,750,000)
Steve McCarthy ($725,000)
Mark Popovic ($535,000)
Eric Boulton ($525,000)

Pending RFA's:

Kari Lehtonen ($2,200,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $26.9 million
Notes: The Thrashers could be real players in the free agent market. They have plenty of cap space and no noteworthy free agents with the exception of Lehtonen. They also don't have any high end players entering contract years. They figure to be major players in the Marian Hossa sweepstakes if he does not re-sign in Pittsburgh. In reality, the biggest challenge the Thrashers will probably face will be convincing top flight players to come to Atlanta. This team could revamp their roster this season, or they could struggle just to hit the cap minimum. Atlanta should definitely be one of the more interesting teams to watch this off-season.

Carolina Hurricanes

Pending UFA's:

Brett Hedican ($2,432,000)
Trevor Letowski ($800,000)
Wade Brookbank ($500,000)
Keith Aucoin ($475,000)
Ryan Bayda ($475,000)

Pending RFA's:

Tuomo Ruutu ($2,250,000)
Tim Gleason ($1,175,000)
Dennis Seidenberg ($850,000)
Tim Conboy ($550,000)
Chad Larose ($500,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $39.8 million
Notes: The Hurricanes do not have many holes to fill in their roster this off-season. They do have a little cap room to work with, but Erik Cole and Eric Staal are both entering the final years of their contracts so the Hurricanes brass will need to keep that in mind when planning their spending. Especially when you consider that Staal could easily command $8-$9 million from another team if they were to sign him to an offer sheet. The biggest move the Hurricanes make this off-season should be to sign Staal to a long extension to keep their franchise player in place for many years to come.

Florida Panthers

Pending UFA's:

Branislav Mezei ($850,000)
Steve Montador ($800,000)
Magnus Johansson ($700,000)
Wade Belak ($625,000)
Jassen Cullimore ($535,000)

Pending RFA's:

Jay Bouwmeester ($2,250,000)
Rostislav Olesz ($984,000)
Greg Campbell ($525,000)
Kamil Kreps ($495,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $37.4 million
Notes: The Florida Panthers have quite a few above average contracts for such a mediocre team. They could move Olli Jokinen to give themselves some more cap flexibility, but their top priority needs to be locking up Jay Bouwmeester to a long-term contract. Bouwmeester is one of the top young defenders in the NHL and he could realistically get a big offer sheet from another team. The Panthers would almost have to match if that happened, and that could throw their salary structure out of whack for years to come.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Pending UFA's:

Chris Gratton ($1,500,000)
Andre Roy ($1,000,000)
Andreas Karlsson ($500,000)
Craig MacDonald ($500,000)
Junior Lessard ($500,000)
Mathieu Darche ($475,000)
Doug Janik ($475,000)

Pending RFA's:

Craig Ryan ($850,000)
Alexandre Picard ($500,000)
Karl Stewart ($475,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $35.4 million
Notes: Before Tampa Bay does anything else this summer, they need to figure out what they are going to do with Vincent Lecavalier. If they are going to keep him, they need to sign him to an extension before the season starts and get it over with. If they are going to trade him, his value will only go down the longer they hang onto him. Once that issue is settled the Lightning can move forward with their plan for rebuilding their team. Assuming they have one, which may be a big assumption.

Washington Capitals

Pending UFA's:

Sergei Fedorov ($6,080,000)
Olaf Kolzig ($5,450,000)
Cristobal Huet ($2,750,000)
Matt Cooke ($1,525,000)
Quintin Laing ($475,000)

Pending RFA's:

Steve Eminger ($1,000,000)
Shaone Morrisonn ($900,000)
Mike Green ($850,000)
Eric Fehr ($800,000)
Brooks Laich ($725,000)
Boyd Gordon ($650,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $35.8 million
Notes: The Capitals are in pretty good shape right now as most of their roster players are under contract for at least another year. They should also be able to bring Sergei Fedorov back at a fraction of last season's salary. The two big issues for the Capitals are Mike Green and in goal. Mike Green is the best young defenseman in the NHL for my money and the Caps need to lock him up for the long term. Losing Green to another team, or even letting another club sign him to an big offer sheet could cause a big setback in the development of this promising young club. Cristobal Huet will most likely be back between the pipes for the Capitals, but I wouldn't blame them for taking a run at Pascal Leclaire or Dan Ellis first as either one of them is a better long term option than Huet.

Central Division 2008 Free Agency Preview

2008-06-12T21:10:00.001-05:00

Well kids, today we will be wrapping up our stay in the Western Conference as we look at the free agency picture of the Central Division. As has been the case for a few seasons now, this division more or less amounts to the Detroit Red Wings and everyone else. With Detroit taking the Cup last week they'll have an even bigger bullseye than usual on their back. Will any of their Central Division foes be able to make the right moves to challenge them in 2008-09?

Chicago Blackhawks

Pending UFA's:

Jason Williams ($1,600,000)
Yanic Perreault ($1,500,000)
Andrei Zyuzin ($1,475,000)
Patrick Lalime ($950,000)
Kevyn Adams ($650,000)
David Koci ($525,000)

Pending RFA's:

Andrew Ladd ($984,000)
Rene Bourque ($900,000)
Dustin Byfuglien ($675,000)
James Wisniewski ($650,000)
Adam Burish ($575,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $29.6 million
Notes: The Hawks are a young team on the rise and have that feel the Penguins had a year or two ago. They have plenty of cap space, but would be smart to stay the course and be in position to lock up their young talent when their entry level contracts expire. Being conservative now would also allow them to make additions at the trade deadline if they find themselves in the thick of the Western Conference playoff battle. Patrick Lalime had a good season and could draw interest from other teams. Re-signing Lalime, Williams and Byfuglien should be the top priority for the Blackhawks front office.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Pending UFA's:

David Vyborny ($2,200,000)
Dick Tarnstrom ($2,000,000)
Michael Peca ($1,315,000)
Ron Hainsey ($900,000)
Derek MacKenzie ($500,000)
Zenon Konopka ($500,000)

Pending RFA's:

Pascal Leclaire ($1,400,000)
Dan Fritsche ($750,000)
Clay Wilson ($585,000)
Joakim Lindstrom ($525,000)
Aaron Rome ($495,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $22.3 million
Notes: The Blue Jackets have a lot of salary cap space to work with this offseason, but unlike the Blackhawks there is not as much reason for optimism in Columbus. The honeymoon is beyond over for the Blue Jackets and instead of being viewed as an expansion team still trying to find their way, they are just another bad team. If I were the Jackets front office I would do the following three things on July 1st:

Give Marian Hossa a 5-year, $45 million contract (more if needed).
Give Brian Campbell a 7-year, $52 million contract (more if needed).
Give Marc-Andre Fleury an 8-year, $44 million contract (Re-sign Leclaire if the Penguins match).

Bring in those three to go alongside Rick Nash and then fill out the remaining roster spots with spare parts. It's time for the Blue Jackets to make some noise if they want to be taken seriously.

Detroit Red Wings

Pending UFA's:

Brad Stuart ($3,500,000)
Andreas Lilja ($1,000,000)
Chris Chelios ($850,000)
Dallas Drake ($550,000)
Darren McCarty ($535,000)
Aaron Downey ($525,000)

Pending RFA's:

Valterri Filppula ($850,000)
Jimmy Howard ($850,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $39 million
Notes: Most media outlets went above and beyond the call of duty to point out what a great situation the Red Wings are in financially. I have to admit that at first glance things look really good for the defending champs (paying your starting goalie slightly over $1 million for each of the next three seasons can have that affect). If you dig a little deeper though you see that Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen are both entering the final years of their contracts and can be UFA's next offseason. That means Detroit will need to be fairly conservative this offseason as those two could easily be taking up $15 million in cap space combined by this time next year.

Nashville Predators

Pending UFA's:

Martin Gelinas ($1,250,000)
Jan Hlavac ($700,000)
Darcy Hordichuk ($517,000)
Dan Ellis ($500,000)

Pending RFA's:

Ryan Suter ($942,000)
Brandon Bochenski ($600,000)
Kevin Klein ($500,000)
Rich Peverley ($490,000)
Shea Weber ($475,000)
Ville Koistinen ($475,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $38.1 million
Notes: I just don't know what to make of the Predators. Are they a veteran team looking to take the next step or are they a young team trying to build for the future? A look at their forwards would suggest that they are trying to win now, while looking at their defense corps suggests that they are still a couple years away at least from becoming a legitimate threat in the West. The Predators need to find a way to lock up Ellis, Weber, and Suter while still leaving themselves enough flexibility under the cap to tweak their roster if needed. They should be able to pull that off under the new $55 million salary cap, but it wouldn't shock me if they found a way to screw it up. Especially considering Dan Ellis is unrestricted.

St. Louis Blues

Pending UFA's:

Martin Rucinsky ($3,000,000)
Ryan Johnson ($800,000)
Mike Johnson ($750,000)
Matt Walker ($600,000)

Pending RFA's:

David Backes ($802,000)
Jay McClement ($700,000)
Jeff Woywitka ($690,000)
Hannu Toivonen ($532,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $39.6 million
Notes: The Blues are a lot like the Predators to me. Are they trying to win now, or are they building for the future. I do think St. Louis is in a little better position than Nashville since they have some big ticket items about ready to hang 'em up for good (Tkachuk and Kariya come to mind). They will also probably pull off their annual sign and then eventually trade Doug Weight move. They don't have a ton of cap space to work with so don't expect any big moves from the Blues this offseason, but they might want to look into moving Jay McKee, or more specifically his contract. They should also start looking into a long-term solution in net as Manny Legace isn't getting any younger.

Northwest Division 2008 Free Agency Preview

2008-06-11T20:57:00.000-05:00

It's time for the next installment in my analysis leading up to the 2008 free agency period. Today I'll be looking at they ultra competitive Northwest Division. As always, player's 2007-08 salaries are in parenthesis.

Calgary Flames

Pending UFA's:

Craig Conroy ($2,850,000)
Daymond Langkow ($2,442,000)
Owen Nolan ($1,750,000)
Curtis Joseph ($1,500,000)
Kristian Huselius ($1,400,000)
Stephane Yelle ($1,250,000)
Jim Vandermeer ($1,225,000)
Eric Nystrom ($693,000)
David Hale ($590,000)
Mark Smith ($487,000)
Eric Godard ($475,000)

Pending RFA's:

none

Cap $$$ Committed: $44.8 million
Notes: This offseason could have long term effects on the Calgary Flames. While it's nice for them to not have any noteworthy RFA's, having your top three centers all be UFA's could be something of a problem. My guess is that Langkow and Yelle will be back, but I think Conroy will move on to greener pastures. Beyond that, we all know that Huselius is gone. That was pretty much guaranteed the second Mike Keenan was hired. Most of the others, with the possible exception of Curtis Joseph, will probably be back for the Flames next season, but they could end up a lot closer to the cap limit than I'm sure they would like to be.

Colorado Avalanche

Pending UFA's:

Joe Sakic ($6,750,000)
Jose Theodore ($6,000,000)
Peter Forsberg ($5,000,000)
Adam Foote ($4,600,000)
Andrew Brunette ($1,600,000)
John-Michael Liles ($1,400,000)
Kurt Sauer ($719,000)
Jaroslav Hlinka ($600,000)
Jeff Finger ($475,000)
Scott Parker ($475,000)

Pending RFA's:

Marek Svatos ($1,200,000)
Wotjek Wolski ($860,000)
Cody McLeod ($490,000)
Cody McCormick ($475,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $28.6 million
Notes: Colorado has quite a few big name free agents, but they also have the cap flexibility to deal with them as they wish. Sakic should be back if for no other reason than I wouldn't be able to handle seeing Joe with another franchise, and Foote will most likely return making significantly less than before. Forsberg is most likely done for, but you can never say never with Foppa. Svatos and Wolski will both command hefty raises, but they will be back. The biggest question mark here is what to do with Jose Theodore? If I am the Avs front office I probably make a run at someone like Dan Ellis before bringing Theodore back. Yes, Jose had a great comeback season, but the larger body of work is nothing to write home about and he more or less singlehandedly did the team in against Detroit in the second round of the playoffs. The Avalanche would be smart to explore other options in net.

Edmonton Oilers

Pending UFA's:

Geoff Sanderson ($1,500,000)
Marty Reasoner ($950,000)
Curtis Glencross ($522,000)

Pending RFA's:

Joni Pitkanen ($2,400,000)
Jarret Stoll ($2,200,000)
Zack Stortini ($475,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $41 million
Notes: Bashing Kevin Lowe has become old hat by now, but when you look at the current salary structure in Edmonton you really get a feel for how screwed up things are in Edmonton. They have a decent amount of cap space to bring back whoever they want to this season, but they have a couple of contracts (Souray and Penner) that may really handcuff the Oilers in the near future. Kevin Lowe's foolish moves may end up costing the Oilers a lot more than draft picks in the coming seasons.

Minnesota Wild

Pending UFA's:

Pavol Demitra ($4,500,000)
Brian Rolston ($2,432,000)
Keith Carney ($2,100,000)
Petteri Nummelin ($1,200,000)
Todd Fedoruk ($875,000)
Matt Foy ($506,000)
Steve Kelly ($500,000)
Sean Hill ($475,000)

Pending RFA's:

Pierre-Marc Bouchard ($2,600,000)
Kurtis Foster ($1,025,000)
Stephane Veilleux ($595,000)
Aaron Voros ($495,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $32.5 million
Notes: The three names that immediately jump out at you off of these lists are Demitra, Rolston, and Bouchard. I think Bouchard and Rolston will both be back, but I have a gut feeling that Demitra ends up in another uniform for next season. It will be interesting to see what Marian Gaborik has to say if that happens. Petteri Nummelin could also find some takers on the open market, especially considering his history of success in shootouts.

Vancouver Canucks

Pending UFA's:

Markus Naslund ($6,000,000)
Brendan Morrison ($3,200,000)
Aaron Miller ($1,500,000)
Byron Ritchie ($675,000)
Curtis Sanford ($600,000)
Mike Weaver ($600,000)
Brad Isbister ($525,000)

Pending RFA's:

Ryan Shannon ($550,000)
Nathan McIver ($495,000)
Rick Rypien ($475,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $35.2 million
Notes: This is a crucial offseason for the Canucks and their fans. Not only are they dealing with the disappointment of last season, the retirement of "Mr. Canuck" Trevor Linden, and the tragic loss of Luc Bourdon, but they also have a new GM who is charged with trying to get this franchise turned around. You get the feeling that the Canucks need to bring in a big name signing just to energize the locker room and the fan base. Could this be the year those Joe Sakic to Vancouver rumors finally come true? They should at least benefit from being able to bring Markus Naslund back at a discounted rate.

Pacific Division 2008 Free Agency Preview

2008-06-10T21:00:00.001-05:00

As promised, here is the breakdown for what teams in the Pacific Division are looking at in regards to free agency come July 1st. This is the first in a six part (obviously) series that will run through next Thursday. We'll be starting on the West Coast and heading east. Lists are broken up into restricted free agents (RFA's) and unrestricted free agents (UFA's) with their 2007-08 salaries in parenthesis.

Anaheim Ducks

Pending UFA's:

Doug Weight ($3,500,000)
Teemu Selanne ($1,500,000)
Joe DiPenta ($700,000)
Mark Mowers ($475,000)

Pending RFA's:

Corey Perry ($494,000)
Brian Sutherby ($800,000)
Jonas Hiller ($850,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $49.8 million
Notes: The Ducks are in pretty bad shape in regards to the salary cap. I have to believe there is a GM out there who is going to make a big run at signing Corey Perry, knowing that there won't be a lot of options for Anaheim to match. One other very interesting thing about the Anaheim roster, they have zero defensemen signed beyond next season. Brian Burke really has a mess on his hands in Anaheim.

Dallas Stars

Pending UFA's:

Stu Barnes ($900,000)
Antti Miettinen ($885,000)
Niklas Hagman ($675,000)
Brad Winchester ($475,000)
Johan Holmqvist ($1,000,000)

Pending RFA's:

Loui Eriksson ($650,000)
Francis Wathier ($475,000)
Brandon Crombeen ($675,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $46.5 million
Notes: The Stars don't have a ton of cap space, but they already have most of their roster coming back for next season. One big hole to fill will be the recently retired Mattias Norstrom. They may want to explore their options in regards to finding a backup for Marty Turco as well. I think Stu Barnes will be back, but I wouldn't be surprised if Niklas Hagman left for a better offer as he has shown flashes of ability in Dallas.

Los Angeles Kings

Pending UFA's:

Rob Blake ($6,000,000)
Ladislav Nagy ($3,570,000)
Scott Thornton ($1,500,000)
Brian Willsie ($900,000)
Jon Klemm ($500,000)
Kevin Dallman ($490,000)
Jeff Giuliano ($475,000)

Pending RFA's:

Patrick O'Sullivan ($650,000)
Erik Ersberg ($575,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $32 million
Notes: The Kings have plenty of cap space to spend, which should be a good thing for this perpetually rebuilding club. Patrick O'Sullivan should get a healthy raise and Rob Blake will probably be back, but beyond that is anyone's guess. Maybe they could be the club to make a run at cross town rival Anaheim's Corey Perry.

Phoenix Coyotes

Pending UFA's:

Radim Vrbata ($1,225,000)
Mike York ($1,000,000)
Niko Kapanen ($900,000)
Craig Weller ($475,000)
Mathias Tjarnqvist ($475,000)

Pending RFA's:

Marcel Hossa ($780,000)
Daniel Carcillo ($525,000)
Joel Perrault ($495,000)
Matt Jones ($522,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $29.9 million
Notes: Much like the Kings, the Coyotes have a lot of cap space and nowhere to go in the standings but up. Unlike the Kings, Phoenix seems to have a better nucleus of players in place and thus more reason to be optimistic about the upcoming season. I would expect guys like Hossa and Vrbata to be back next season, but it will be real interesting to see how they deal with Daniel Carcillo. Wayne Gretzky seems to think Carcillo has a lot of potential in the NHL, but he has also been frustrated by his continuing lack of maturity. This team would probably do well to try to upgrade their blue line through free agency. If I were them I would probably throw a big contract at Brian Campbell and cross my fingers that he would take it.

San Jose Sharks

Pending UFA's:

Brian Campbell ($1,750,000)
Curtis Brown ($700,000)
Patrick Rissmiller ($595,000)
Jody Shelley ($650,000)
Alexei Semenov ($650,000)
Sandis Ozolinsh ($625,000)
Jeremy Roenick ($500,000)
Tomas Plihal ($500,000)
Brian Boucher ($490,000)
Brad Norton ($475,000)

Pending RFA's:

Christian Ehrhoff ($900,000)
Joe Pavelski ($810,000)
Marcel Goc ($800,000)
Ryan Clowe ($600,000)

Cap $$$ Committed: $38 million
Notes: The big name that jumps out here is obviously Brian Campbell. The Sharks gave up a lot to bring Campbell at the deadline and though he fit in right away during the regular season, Campbell had a disappointing playoff. The Sharks will undoubtedly try to keep Campbell, but they may have a tough time as they have a few talented youngsters (Pavelski, Rissmiller, and Clowe in particular) up for new contracts who will be looking for significant raises. I think the Sharks may have a fight on their hands to keep Campbell as there should be plenty of teams lining up to sign him. Especially since he came off at the trade deadline as a guy who is more interested in getting the biggest contract than anything else.

Looking Back To Look Ahead

2008-06-09T20:44:00.002-05:00

It's housekeeping time here at TOFTT. I have a few items to discuss as I ramp up for what I hope will be a busy, entertaining, and insightful off-season. First of all, I published my last article for RotoTimes.com, which you can read here, this week. My contract is now at an end for them, but hopefully I'll be able to work something out so that I can continue writing for them in the future. I think it was a nice exercise for me to have a format and deadlines and I would like the chance to take it to another level in 2008-09.

Now, let's talk about what you can expect to see here in the coming weeks. First up, I will be doing a free agency preview for each division, starting tomorrow with the Pacific. My plan is to do one division per day on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week and next. I am going to start with the Pacific Division tomorrow and then work east until I wrap it all up with the Atlantic Division next Thursday. I will also more than likely mix in some other free agency commentary between now and July 1st.

Beyond that, I have other irons in the fire for the summer months. I will be doing another Salary Cap Challenge as well as another Prediction Panel. As before I will be enlisting the help of some of the blogosphere's best and brightest to participate in those posts. I also want to continue my analysis using Offensive Involvement Percentage (OI%) to break down the true top scorers of the NHL's past. My tentative plan with that is to break down the scoring leaders in each season by decade and see how they stack up. I will most likely tackle one decade per week (starting with the 1940's) and then keep a running list of the top 10 OI%'s in modern NHL history. So that is what I have planned so far. I will also be working on The Flower Shop so be sure to check in there as well. As always I'm open to feedback and ideas, so if you have any thoughts on where I should take this site during the harsh months of summer please by all means shoot me an e-mail.

Finally, I have a little gift out there for all hockey fans, but Penguins fans in particular. You can say what you will about the NHL, but in my opinion they are by far the best major sports league when it comes to using the internet to make their game more accessible to fans. With that in mind, I give you the classic Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Just in case you have 3 hours to kill.

2008 Playoffs: Wrapping Up Game 6 And The Finals

2008-06-04T23:34:00.009-05:00

The better team won. Let's just get the clear from the start here. The Detroit Red Wings are your 2008 Stanley Cup Champions thanks to their 3-2 Game 6 win in Pittsburgh. The Penguins gave it all they had, but they were flat for most of the game and two (really) bad goals did them in. They made a game out of it with Marian Hossa's late deflection goal, but it was all for naught as Chris Osgood made one final glove save to seal the deal for Detroit.

Detroit was the better team in this series, but the Pens did themselves in by playing so poorly in the two opening games in Detroit. As good as this Penguins team was, they were not going to be able to take four out of five from this Red Wings team. Hats off to the Wings, they earned it.

My other random musings:

The Pens were really flat for most of this game. They were losing just about every race to a loose puck and they weren't going to beat Detroit playing like that.
That third goal for Detroit (the Cup clincher) was one of the most painful things I ever watched. I could easily throw Brooks Orpik under the bus for not dealing with the loose puck in the crease, but he was trying to protect his goalie and I'll never fault a player for that.
I am legitimately happy for Brian Rafalski. Red Wing or not, I really like him as a player.
I feel completely opposite about Johan Franzen. He's the guy I really learned to hate during this series.
Nice of Kris Draper to take a run at Sergei Gonchar from behind early in the game. Isn't this the same team the whined about Gary Roberts going after Franzen in Game 2?
The refs were terrible tonight from start to finish. I'm not saying that as a Penguins fan either, but just as a hockey fan. The NHL officials really need to get it together.
Evgeni Malkin finally had the kind of game we had all been waiting for. Better late than never I guess.
For about the last 10 minutes of the game I kept telling myself over and over "Ron Francis in Game 7 against the Islanders". Marian Hossa almost made my wish come true. Complete with the brilliant deflection on a wrister from the point. Almost...
I wouldn't be shocked to see these two teams battle for the Cup again next year.
The next few weeks are going to be real interesting for the Penguins as Ray Shero and company begin to deal with their glut of free agents.

The Conn Five

Henrik Zetterberg
Sidney Crosby
Marc-Andre Fleury
Johan Franzen
Chris Osgood

Tiger Woods Takes Time Out Of His Busy Schedule To Bash Hockey

2008-06-04T11:57:00.006-05:00

In a recent teleconference leading up to his next ~~leisurely stroll~~ golf tournament Tiger Woods was asked who he was rooting for in the Stanley Cup Finals. Here was his response:

"I don't really care. Let's talk about the Dodgers. I don't think anybody really watches hockey anymore."

Quite a bold stance from a guy who is about as PC as they come. This is a bit surprising to me that he would say that considering a lot of hockey players are big into golf. Then again, Tiger is a big a-hole so I doubt any of them hang with him. Except for maybe Sean Avery.

I could go on and on here about what a jerk Tiger (and seriously, you're a grown man, do we really need to call you Tiger?) is, but I'm not going to waste my time. Woods has probably never seen a hockey game in his life and should really just keep his mouth shut on this topic. Stick to complaining about people making noises on the course and bossing around your caddy Tiger. Leave all the talk about real sports to the people who have a clue.

And for the record, the only person I know who watches golf is my dad, and only because it's "good to sleep through".

2008 Playoffs: Wrapping Up Game 5 Of The Finals

2008-06-03T00:00:00.011-05:00

Just wow. That's about all I can say. We are just minutes removed from Petr Sykora's triple overtime goal and all the pressure in this series is now squarely on the shoulders of the Detroit Red Wings. The Penguins are back in the Stanley Cup Finals in a big way and they are heading home for Game 6. For the fourth game in a row, many of these young Penguins will be playing in the biggest game of their lives. At some point they just get used to it and get on with life I'm sure.

My notes on Game 5:

When his team needed him the most, Marc-Andre Fleury was at his best. MAF's contract demands probably just got bumped up a little bit. Again.

Huge performance by the Penguins defense tonight. After losing Sergei Gonchar the 5 remaining Penguin blue liners circled the wagons and took care of business. Ryan Whitney in particular was outstanding as he led all skaters in ice time and left it all on the ice.
People will be talking about Sykora calling his shot for years. That was the stuff of legends.
Evgeni Malkin picked up an assist on the winner. Could that be the start of something big?
It seems like forever ago but... Max Freaking Talbot!!

30 minutes ago I hated Jiri Hudler. Now he's possibly my favorite Red Wing ever. Nice stickwork there joke.
It has been said many times but it still holds true, nothing around beats playoff overtime hockey.
Game 6 can't get here soon enough. The Igloo is gonna be rocking!

The Conn Five

Henrik Zetterberg
Sidney Crosby
Marc-Andre Fleury
Johan Franzen
Chris Osgood

2008 Playoffs: Wrapping Up Game 4 Of The Finals

2008-05-31T23:31:00.007-05:00

This sucks. I don't even feel like writing about this game, but on the off chance someone is expecting me to... This loss hurts. A lot. Games 1 and 2 didn't sting too bad because I knew there was a really good chance that the Pens could respond with a pair of wins on home ice. Now that the Pens lost the pivotal Game 4 it feels like someone walked into my house and slapped all three of my kids. I couldn't feel worse right now. I'm not giving up on my Pens, but I'm also smart enough to realize that the odds of beating this Detroit Red Wings team three games in a row, including twice at home, are pretty slim. I guess I'll just have to channel my inner Lloyd Christmas on this one because a least there's still a chance...

My observations on Game 4:

Nothing is going right for Evgeni Malkin right now. You really have to feel for the big guy. Hopefully he comes out of this a better player somehow. In the meantime, he really needs to be taken off the point of the power play. His bad decisions at the blue line are killing the Penguins right now.
Tonight's broadcast by NBC was almost VS. quality. And no, that is not a compliment in any way. The intermission with Ron Francis in particular was a joke. Here you have one of the best players in NHL history on set and the idiot host asks him if he "remembers" winning the Stanley Cup. How's that for insightful? Why not ask him if he remembered to put socks on this morning too?
Marian Hossa was excellent tonight, but he needs to get in to support the puck faster on the power play. That said, if the Pens had won tonight his first period goal would have become a part of Penguins lore.
Mike Babcock has a very Al Bundy quality about him if you ask me.
The refs really let Detroit get away with a lot in this game. I wouldn't go so far as to label the Red Wings a dirty team, but they sure hit from behind a lot. It's hard to blame them though if the refs are going to continue to let them get away with it. Not to mention the whole Dan Cleary shooting a broken stick at Sid thing...
That 5-on-3 gone bad will be giving people nightmares for years.

The Conn Five

Henrik Zetterberg
Sidney Crosby
Chris Osgood
Johan Franzen
Marc-Andre Fleury

2008 Playoffs: Wrapping Up Game 3 Of The Finals

2008-05-28T23:15:00.007-05:00

Well, it took three games, but we finally have ourselves a series. The Pens stepped up as they returned to the friendly confines of The Igloo and responded with a 3-2 victory over the Red Wings. Maybe this will be enough to shut up some of the NHL media about how Detroit is the best team ever and the Pens' dynasty is over before it even got started. Pittsburgh came out tonight playing the way they should have from the drop of the first puck. Granted home ice played into their success, but they were simply better. All the little things I said they were doing wrong after Game 2, well they were doing them all right tonight, and it paid off.

Here are the rest of my thoughts on Game 3:

Sid was simply a beast tonight. He had played well in Detroit, but he was on another level tonight. He showed why he is hands down the best hockey player on the planet.
Darryl Sydor looked really rusty tonight, but that is pretty understandable. He got better as the game went along and as much as I love Kris Letang, he will probably be a steadying presence on the blue line for the remainder of the Finals.
Where would Detroit be without Johan Franzen? He has been their most effective offensive player since getting back into the Red Wings lineup.
Brooks Orpik was out of his mind tonight. He brought a level of physicality that Detroit just can't match. Especially in the third when he was hitting everything in a white jersey.

Gary Roberts was back to being Gary Roberts.
I could go on for hours about how much I love the way Tyler Kennedy plays hockey. If you're lucky, someday I will.
Chris Osgood may have a pair of victories in the Finals, but tonight Marc-Andre Fleury became the first goalie in the Finals to win a game.

The Conn Five

Henrik Zetterberg
Sidney Crosby
Marc-Andre Fleury
Chris Osgood
Johan Franzen

2008 Playoffs: Wrapping Up Game 2 Of The Finals

2008-05-26T23:37:00.011-05:00

Well, it seems like we've been down this road before. Once again the Penguins rolled into Joe Louis and walked out with a bagel for their efforts. As with Game 1, I wasn't terribly impressed with Detroit in Game 2, but they still deserved to win. They took advantage of a handful of Penguin mistakes, and that was the difference in the game. Also like Game 1, the Penguins played horribly. I don't know if it is nerves or what, but they are really sucking it up right now. I'm talking about the little things like making clean passes, pulling the puck off the boards, and getting the puck in deep at the blue line.

Here are my other observations from Game 2:

I said it before and I'll probably be saying it again Wednesday night, but Niklas Kronwall is a dirty hitter. He had two big hits tonight. One was a blatant charge, and the other was his more traditional elbow. Sooner or later one of these has to get called.
Chris Osgood is a joke. It is comedic to see him flop around like he was shot at the slightest hint of contact. Let alone the fact that the refs let him initiate contact and then hit players on the other team with a goalie interference call (see Ryan Malone). Someone needs to take a real good run at him and show him what it is like to really get hit. That brings us to...
Johan Franzen. What an embarrassment. I would never wish for a player to get injured, especially when we're talking about head injuries, but if that guy is going to collapse in a heap and play dead five seconds after getting nudged at the blue line then he deserves what is coming to him. Someone on the Pens really is going to go upside his head if he continues to pull that crap. At least (for once) the refs weren't buying what he was selling.
Tyler Kennedy is everything you could want in a hockey player. If every Penguin forward had played as well as TK in the first two games we would be heading home with a split at the very least.
I'm assuming Evgeni Malkin left his game in Pittsburgh. Which should be a good omen for the next two games right?
Hal Gill and Pascal Dupuis were both awful tonight. There's no other way to put it. They both really need to pick up their games in a big way.
No more VS. broadcasts!!! (Just thought I'd end on an up note.)

The Conn Five

Chris Osgood
Henrik Zetterberg
Marc-Andre Fleury
Pavel Datsyuk
Sidney Crosby

2008 Playoffs: Wrapping Up Game 1 Of The Finals

2008-05-24T23:32:00.009-05:00

Well that sure sucked. The Pens really looked flat tonight, but full credit to Detroit. They outplayed the Pens and did a pretty good job of limiting the Penguins offensive chances, especially in the first period. Hopefully this game will be a good wakeup call for Pittsburgh, because tonight they looked a lot more like the team that got battered around by Ottawa last year than the team that cruised through the East this season.

Here are the rest of my notes and observations on Game 1:

The Pens defense looked shaky at times, but in all honesty the Wings didn't have that many good scoring chances. The Wings did take advantage of a couple bad mistakes by the Pens' D though, and in a series this close that will be the difference.
MAF looked a bit shaky for the first time in this post-season, but I think he did a good job of surviving the first period and then settling in.
Granted Henrik Zetterberg scored a garbage time goal, but he and Pavel Datsyuk were not much of a factor tonight.
Evgeni Malkin looked absolutely lost tonight. Geno can be the most dominant player in the NHL when he is on, but he also has nights like tonight when he is really off. Pittsburgh will need more from him if they are going to have a shot in this series.
Sidney Crosby and Marian Hossa both looked good tonight. They weren't at their best, but they were probably the Penguins' two best players aside from MAF. I would even go as far to say that Sid was the best forward for either team.
I hated Mikael Samuelsson going into this game. I still hate him. Move along.
Niklas Kronwall is a nice hitter, but he really leads with his elbows a lot. Some ref needs to step in and call that when applicable. That said, his big hit on Jordan Staal was as clean as they come.
That Detroit crowd is a joke. Can't someone step in and officially strip them of the Hockeytown title already?
I couldn't be more excited about the fact that there is only one more VS. broadcast left in the season. Their broadcasts could not be worse.

One last piece of business to attend to. As I said in a previous post, I will be keeping a running list of Conn Smythe Trophy candidates for the duration of the Finals. So without further delay, here is the first edition of...

The Conn Five

Chris Osgood
Marc-Andre Fleury
Sidney Crosby
Henrik Zetterberg
Sergei Gonchar

2008 Playoffs: Handicapping The Conn Smythe Contenders

2008-05-21T22:03:00.005-05:00

As we get ready for the Stanley Cup Finals to get underway on Saturday night, I thought this would be the perfect time to look at who are the front runners for the Conn Smythe Trophy on both teams. Both the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins have been led by their biggest stars in the post-season, but there have also been some unsung heroes on both teams that I feel should get some recognition for their tremendous play thus far.

I am going to list my top four Conn Smythe candidates for each team below. Once the Finals begin I will include a Conn Smythe Top 5 when I recap each game. This will be a dynamic list that will obviously reflect the ebb and flow of the series as it plays out.

Detroit Red Wings

Chris Osgood
Henrik Zetterberg
Pavel Datsyuk
Johan Franzen

Notes: I give Osgood top billing here because he really turned things around for the Wings in their first round series against Nashville. Datsyuk and Zetterberg are pretty much a coin flip at this point. The bottom line is that the Wings would be lost without them both. Franzen would be much higher on the list if it were not for his injury. It will be interesting to see if the Wings get him back for the Finals or not.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Sidney Crosby
Marc-Andre Fleury
Evgeni Malkin
Sergei Gonchar

Notes: It was a tough call for me here between Sid and MAF. I still don't think MAF has gotten his fair share of the credit for the Penguins' performance thus far. People seem all to eager to declare him the weak link in the Penguin chain, but not give him his due as he continues to outperform every other netminder in the NHL. Geno could be leading the pack here if he hadn't gone quiet in the middle of the Eastern Conference Finals. Gonchar has been unreal all post-season and does not get near the amount of credit that he deserves. He has been an anchor for the Penguins at both ends of the rink.

2008 Playoffs: Stanley Cup Finals Prediction

2008-05-19T22:06:00.005-05:00

The Stanley Cup Finals are set as the Detroit Red Wings get set to open the Finals at home against the Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh Penguins. This looks to be one of the most entertaining Finals in recent memory as two of the most talented teams in the NHL go head to head for hockey's ultimate prize.

Detroit vs. Pittsburgh

Breakdown: This should be one heck of a series to watch. Both teams can really skate. Both teams can shut it down on defense. Both teams have goalies who are on top of their game right now. At the end of the day I give the edge to the Pens. I think they are a little bit deeper, a little bit more talented, a little bit hungrier, a little bit better on defense, and a little bit better in goal. All in all that adds up to a Stanley Cup for Pittsburgh in my book. The Penguins are clicking on all cylinders and have been more impressive against better competition this post-season than Detroit. The Pens are battle tested and ready to finish the job. That is not to say it is going to be easy for Pittsburgh This should be the toughest series yet for the Penguins and Detroit could easily walk away victorious when all is said and done.
Player to Watch: Marian Hossa (PIT) - Make no mistake, Hossa has had a tremendous post-season thus far, but this is why Ray Shero went out and got him at the trade deadline. Hossa is going to have to continue to perform and both ends of the rink and finish off some of Sidney Crosby's passes if the Penguins are going to complete their amazing post-season with a victory over the Red Wings. Hossa could be that one extra weapon that gives Pittsburgh the edge in the Finals. And it could mean a huge pay day for Hossa come July 1st.
Prediction: Pens in 6

2008 Playoffs: Recapping The Conference Finals

2008-05-19T21:50:00.003-05:00

After a pair of series that at one point both looked to be heading towards sweeps, we now have our Stanley Cup finalists. The Pittsburgh Penguins will be taking on the Detroit Red Wings for the right to lift hockey's holy grail. Before we get into breaking down the Finals, let's take one last look at how both teams got there.

Pittsburgh v Philadelphia

I said: Pens in 5
What happened: Pens in 5
Comments: This series was never close, as I expected going in. The Flyers were banged up on their blue line, but I really don't think that mattered too much in the end. The Penguins are getting near-flawless performances from every player on a nightly basis right now. Philly are a much improved team and they can be proud of what they did this season, but they simply had no answer for the Penguins defense or offense in this series. Oh, and having MAF in net helped a little too.

Detroit v Dallas

I said: Stars in 6
What happened: Wings in 6
Comments: I probably should have listened to my head more than my heart when predicting this series, but I really thought the Stars would have enough gas left in the tank to force out Detroit. They did make things interesting before all was said and done, but it was too little too late. Now Detroit has to get ready to face by far the toughest opponent they have come up against this post-season.

All Is Right In The Eastern Conference

2008-05-19T21:01:00.007-05:00

The universe has finally righted itself and after a brisk 14 games the Pittsburgh Penguins have taken back their rightful spot atop the Eastern Conference. I have to say that the path the Pens took to the top of the East could not have been sweeter either. Let's reflect for just a second...

Round 1 - Annihilating the Ottawa Senators in 4 games and getting revenge on the team that took them out behind the proverbial woodshed in last season's playoffs.
Round 2 - Dispatching Jaromir Jagr and the rest of the Penguins alumni squad that not calls themselves the New York Rangers.
Round 3 - Eliminating the rival Flyers in near perfect fashion, culminating in the 6-0 series clincher on home ice.

Back on top, where they belong!

Not looking past the fact that there is still one more round to go, I can't resist the opportunity to look back on what was a dominating romp through the East for the Penguins. Here are a few of my observations on the first 3 rounds:

The Flyers and their fans can make all the injury excuses they want, but except for the 3 goals the refs gift-wrapped for them in the first period of game 4, they were never in their series against the Pens. It was not nearly as close as the 4-1 result would lead you to believe.
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin get most of the press, but Marc-Andre Fleury and Sergei Gonchar have been the Penguins two most consistent and arguably best performers this post-season.
Jordan Staal has gotten better and better as the Pens have gotten deeper into the playoffs. Anyone who would complain about his drop in scoring during the regular season just does not get what hockey is about.
Where have all the people bashing the ~~Pascal Dupuis~~ Marian Hossa trade gone?
Ryan Malone and Marc-Andre Fleury have both made themselves a fortune in the last six weeks.
Every single player on the Penguins has performed their role perfectly. Knowledgeable hockey people realize how valuable guys like Tyler Kennedy and Max Talbot have been in Pittsburgh's run to the Finals.

Well, the Red Wings just (finally) finished off the Stars. So now we know who our new enemy is. Nothing in the world could make me happier than to see the Pens beat the Wings in the Finals. Nothing. This is going to be unreal. The ghosts of '96 have been exorcised! Strap in Pens fans, there's four more miles to go to the promised land!

2008 Playoffs: Conference Finals Predictions

2008-05-07T10:31:00.005-05:00

The chase for Lord Stanley's Cup is down to four teams as the NHL Conference Finals get underway tomorrow night in Detroit. Both series should be very entertaining and hard fought. Much is being made of the physical aspect of the Flyers/Pens series in particular, but I think the Western Conference Final has the potential to get a bit nasty as well. In any case, on to the predictions!

Western Conference Final

(1) Detroit vs. (5) Dallas

Breakdown: Dallas has had arguably the toughest road to the third round of any of the four remaining teams, and I think that will help them against Detroit. By comparison, the Wings had a cakewalk series against Colorado and haven't really been tested since games 3 & 4 against Nashville. I think the Stars can walk away from this series victorious, but I really think they need to at least split the first two games in Detroit. I think Dallas is the better team here, but not so much better that they can afford to go down 2-0 in the series and expect to win 4 out of 5 games against the Red Wings.
Player to Watch: Marty Turco (DAL) - Playing in Detroit has never been kind to Turco, as his 0-7-2 record at "The Joe" will attest. Turco is going to have to forget about that and focus on the now if the Stars are going to return to the Stanley Cup Finals. If Turco can continue to play at the level he has in the first two rounds, then I really like the Stars' chances to move on.
Prediction: Stars in 6

Eastern Conference Final

(2) Pittsburgh vs. (6) Philadelphia

Breakdown: They invented the phrase "no love lost" just for a series like this one. These teams really don't like each other and this could turn out to be the most physical series of the entire post-season. That in turn could lead to a lot of odd-man situations, which favors Pittsburgh. The Pens' power play has been great in the playoffs, but their penalty kill has quietly been their strongest asset thus far. If the Pens can continue to dominate special teams play, get scoring from the third and fourth lines, and keep getting clutch goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury they will make short work of the Flyers.
Player to Watch: Jarkko Ruutu (PIT) - Ruutu is one of those guys who is always trying to stir up trouble. If he can get under the Flyers' skin without crossing the line (to much) and ending up in the box then he could really help tilt the special teams battle in Pens' favor. Plus he is one of those guys for Pittsburgh who has the ability to chip in with a very timely goal.
Prediction: Pens in 5

2008 Playoffs: Second Round Recap

2008-05-06T22:28:00.003-05:00

Well that didn't take long! The second round of the NHL playoffs went by pretty fast as only one series failed to see a team go up 3-0. Ultimately there was only one series sweep, but the second round flew by nonetheless. Let's take a final look back at how I fared with my predictions (quite well if I may say).

Pittsburgh v Rangers

I said: Pens in 6
What happened: Pens in 5
Comments: I expected this series to be longer as I thought these the best two teams in the East. Every game in the series was close, but at the end of the day the Pens prevailed thanks to their special teams and goaltending. The Penguins' power play and penalty kill were both amazing throughout the series and that was the difference. Marc-Andre Fleury continued to be outstanding in net as well. In the end the Rangers just couldn't keep up with the youthful Penguins. It was nice to see Jaromir Jagr still has some gas left in the tank though.

Philadelphia v Montreal

I said: Flyers in 6
What happened: Flyers in 5
Comments: This was the Montreal team I had been waiting to see. I am going to give the Flyers credit for overcoming their game 1 collapse and still wrapping up the series in five games, but Montreal was never really in this series. Carey Price was a disaster for the Habs and he left them with almost no chance to prevail. Easy work for the Flyers in round 2.

Detroit v Colorado

I said: Wings in 7
What happened: Wings in 4
Comments: What a disappointing end to the season for Jose Theodore. He almost singlehandedly got Colorado past the Wild in round 1, and then singlehandedly lost round 2 for them against Detroit. I'm not trying to short change Detroit here, but the Avalanche had no chance in this series with the way Theodore played. Detroit could not have had an easier second round.

Dallas v San Jose

I said: Stars in 6
What happened: Stars in 6
Comments: The Sharks were lucky to get by Calgary, while the Stars took out the defending champs. Seemed like a no-brainer to me. Plus I just think Dallas is a flat out better team than the Sharks. Plus with Marty Turco and Brenden Morrow playing at the level they are right now things are looking really good for the Stars. The Sharks were lucky to push this series to a sixth game.

A Look Inside Penguins Vs. Rangers

2008-04-28T20:32:00.005-05:00

I have a million thoughts racing through my head regarding the series between the Penguins and the Rangers. I figured I might as well voice some of them since everyone and their mother seems to have an opinion on this series. So away we go!

******************************

People keep referring to Marc-Andre Fleury as the big question mark in this series. Normally this would be where I would go on a rant about how dominant he has been since coming back from his ankle injury and how he has now made it just as deep into the playoffs as Henrik Lundqvist ever has, but instead I'll let the numbers do all the talking:

Marc-Andre Fleury's Post-Season Stats:
6-0, 1.51 GAA, .944 SV%, 2 SO

Any more questions?

******************************

The NHL media is reacting to Pittsburgh's 2-0 Game 2 win like the Pens have never played defense before. I know the Penguin offense is what gets all the press, but the boys in black have been one of the top defensive teams in the NHL since we all unwrapped our 2008 calendars. The only reason I can think of for all this sudden amazement on the part of these so-called experts is that they picked the Rangers to win and have to act shocked that the Penguins are this good. Otherwise why wouldn't they have picked them to win the series? Honestly, the Penguins are just as good as the Rangers defensively, if not better, yet they don't get any credit because they actually score goals to go along with it. Die hard Penguin fans know that guys like Gill, Letang, Orpik, and Scuderi have been just as important to the Penguins in the playoffs as Sid and Geno. It doesn't hurt having the hottest goalie in the game between the pipes either (see above).

******************************

No, the Penguins have not lost a game in the playoffs yet, but there is still a lot more work to be done in this series. As much as I would love to see the Pens sweep the Rags, and as good as they are playing right now, I would be perfectly happy with taking one of the next two and returning to the Igloo for Game 5 up 3-1 in the series. The Rangers are still a good team and the biggest competition to the Penguins in the East for my money. I don't expect Pittsburgh to take their foot off the gas, but I don't think the Rangers are ready to roll over yet either.

******************************

So much was made heading into this series about the impact Sean Avery would have on the Penguins. Despite his Game 1 goal, Avery hasn't had much of an impact on the series thus far. At least not until the end of Game 2:

I have a few reactions to the scrum at the end of the game:

Why has nobody mentioned the tomahawk slash Avery took at Hal Gill after the linesman stepped in? Watch closely at about the 1:15 mark of that video and then tell me why Avery should NOT be suspended. That is a flagrant and vicious stick swing and Avery should be out for somewhere in the neighborhood of 4 to 6 games at least. It was an indefensible act by a despicable player and he should be held accountable for it. I am literally in shock that I have not seen this mentioned anywhere.
People are going to talk about how Avery was going after MAF and how he was setting the tone for Game 3, but who is to day MAF hasn't gotten to Avery instead. MAF is a smart kid. You know he knew Gill and Laraque were nearby when he decided to show Avery the business end of his stick and Avery fell for it. If not for the bravest (or stupidest) linesman ever they'd still be picking pieces of Avery out of the end boards.
How great was it to see Scuderi and Talbot arrive on the scene and then turn to keep the oncoming wave of Rangers from coming to the aid of Avery? Part of me wondered if any of the Rangers were even going to bother going to help Avery. I would not have been shocked if they had just headed for the locker room and left Avery to clean up his own mess.

******************************

You can tell that there is really something special going on between Penguins fans and this team. This group of guys is just so likable and easy to get behind that it is not too surprising. But there is something to be said for the fact the Penguins are in the midst of a sellout string better than the teams of the glory days of the early '90s ever enjoyed. I am right in line with this too. This Penguins squad is right there with the '92 Cup winning team as probably my two favorite teams ever. To put it simply, as many others already have...

I love this team!

2008 Playoffs: Second Round Hype Machine!

2008-04-24T11:23:00.002-05:00

It's time to get the blood flowing!!!

Red Wings/ Avalanche

Stars/Sharks

Penguins/Rangers

Flyers/Canadiens

2008 Playoffs: Second Round Predictions

2008-04-23T17:20:00.003-05:00

We're on to round two of the playoffs! This is generally where the real Cup contenders start to separate themselves from the other remaining teams and I don't think this season will be any different. I think this will be the round where we look back and see that the eventual finalists really started to get on a roll.

Eastern Conference

(1) Montreal vs. (7) Philadelphia

Breakdown: I'm man enough to admit that I really have no handle on Montreal at this point. I really don't think that highly of them and would love to pick against them in round two. That said, I also have a hard time picking Martin Biron to get a team to the Conference Finals. I guess that's my long way of saying that I go back and forth on this series.
Player to Watch: Derian Hatcher (PHI) - Hatcher may be the worst skater in the NHL today. Not just among playoff teams either, I'm talking all 30 teams here. Having said that, if he can keep up with Montreal's speedy group of forwards and help neutralize them then Philly stands a much better chance of getting by the Habs.
Prediction: Flyers in 6

(2) Pittsburgh vs. (5) New York Rangers

Breakdown: This is the premier match up in the East to me. I am on record as saying that I think the winner of this series will win the Cup. The Rangers did well against the Pens in the regular season, especially at MSG, but I'm not reading too much into that. Both teams are well rested so I don't think the layoffs benefit one particular team leading into game 1. It should be a pretty tight series, but the Devils were able to score a few goals against the Rangers which makes me think the Pittsburgh offense should be able to get the job done.
Player to Watch: Michal Rozsival (NYR) - Rozsival has made a career out of playing the Pens since joining the Rangers and they will need some of that offensive boost from the blue line to get enough pucks by Marc-Andre Fleury to be competitive in this series.
Prediction: Pens in 6

Western Conference

(1) Detroit vs. (7) Colorado

Breakdown: This rivalry doesn't carry quite the buzz it used to, but that doesn't mean we aren't in store for a good series. I think these teams match up pretty well and it should be a close series. I think Detroit is in a little better shape with Osgood in net and they have more talent and experience on defense. I think those two things will be enough to put them over the top. Joe Sakic and company are playing well enough to make quite a series of this though.
Player to Watch: Andrew Brunette (COL) - The Avalanche will need to continue to get goals from their depth players to make this a competitive series. If Brunette can carry over his hot hand from the series against Minnesota that will go a long way towards helping Colorado make life hard on Detroit.
Prediction: Wings in 7

(2) San Jose vs. (5) Dallas

Breakdown: Much like the Pens/Rangers series in the East, I think this series will produce the team that represents the Western Conference in the Finals. This should be a hard fought series and I think there will be more scoring than one might initially think. These teams are really close on paper and it really could go either way. I think Dallas has an edge though based on how they played while taking out the Ducks and the consistency they showed.
Player to Watch: Brad Richards (DAL) - This series is why the Stars went out and got Richards at the trade deadline. He can be the difference maker for Dallas in this series with his scoring and two-way play. He will need to be among Dallas' top scorers in the series for them to move on.
Prediction: Stars in 6

2008 Playoffs: Looking Back On Round 1

2008-04-23T07:58:00.001-05:00

With the second round of the playoffs just a few short hours away, let's take one last look back at the opening round, including how I fared with my predictions. The first round of the playoffs are possibly my two favorite weeks of the year, and this season was no disappointment.

My Predictions:

Detroit v Nashville
I said: Red Wings in 5
What happened: Red Wings in 6
Comments: Nashville made a series of it thanks to goalie Dan Ellis, but they just didn't have enough to hang with the Wings. I picked Alexander Radulov as my player to watch in the series as I expected him to have a big impact for Nashville. I just didn't think it would be for knocking Jason Arnott out of the series with a celebratory check into the boards after a goal. That may signal the end of his days in Nashville before all is said and done.

San Jose v Calgary
I said: Flames in 7
What happened: Sharks in 7
Comments: This was a back and forth series and the tightest of the first round offerings in the West, as I expected. I really thought the Flames were going to pull off the upset, but they just didn't have enough in the end. San Jose's depth was the big difference in the series as Calgary failed to find much offense beyond the Iginla line.

Minnesota v Colorado
I said: Wild in 6
What happened: Avalanche in 6
Comments: In what is becoming a playoff tradition, I was really high on Minnesota heading into the playoffs and they proceeded to let me down. I thought Marian Gaborik would get the Wild through to the next round, but he was nowhere to be seen. It was nice to see Joe Sakic back in vintage form though.

Anaheim v Dallas
I said: Ducks in 6
What happened: Stars in 6
Comments: This one was a minor shock to me. I knew the Stars were capable of big things even though they backed into the playoffs, but I really expected a lot more from the Ducks this post-season. Giving away the first two games in Anaheim really came back to haunt the Ducks once they started trying to make a series of it. With that said, I couldn't be happier the Stars won as I have a soft spot in my heart for them (and it keeps my dreams of a Pens/Stars Finals alive).

Montreal v Boston
I said: Bruins in 7
What happened: Canadiens in 7
Comments: I thought this was going to be a really tight series, and I mistakenly thought the Habs were going to be without the services of Mike Komisarek. If I had known he was going to be playing I probably would have taken Montreal. Oh well, life goes on...

Pittsburgh v Ottawa
I said: Pens in 5
What happened: Pens in 4!!!
Comments: I totally expected the Pens to run Ottawa into the ground, but I thought the Sens at least had enough pride to steal a game at home. I guess they showed me. Sid and Geno spearheaded a scarily balanced Pittsburgh attack while the Marc-Andre Fleury experience was in full effect at the other end. It was a near flawless series for the Pens and I think they have established themselves as the team to beat in the East.

Washington v Philadelphia
I said: Caps in 6
What happened: Flyers in 7
Comments: I could sit here and draw up parallels between this year's Caps and last year's Penguins, but that wouldn't do justice to either team. The fact is that Washington is a young team that put up a good fight after digging themselves quite a hole against the Flyers. Mike Richards led the way for the Flyers as they can now set their sights on the top seeded Canadiens and their rowdy fans.

New Jersey v Rangers
I said: Rangers in 5
What happened: Rangers in 5
Comments: While there was a bit more offense in this series than I expected, thanks largely to a rejuvenated Jaromir Jagr, it went down just as I expected. If someone would have made me bet my life on one of the first round series it would have been this one. The Rangers and Penguins are the two best teams in the East to me hands down. One of those two teams will be lifting the Cup come June.

Other Musings:

How fun was it to watch the Senators implode right before our very eyes? The Pens sweep of Ottawa almost made last year worth it. Almost...
How bad were the Ducks in their first two games? Did they think they could spot Dallas the first two and still roll right over them? And how lame are the Anaheim fans? Talk about fickle.
The Rangers and Penguins are far more consistent (especially defensively) than any of the other teams in the East and that is what is going to get one of them to the Finals.
The NHL brass must be happy a Minnesota/Anaheim rematch was avoided. That had bloodbath written all over it.
Switching to Chris Osgood in net makes the Wings a legitimate contender in the West. Hopefully we've seen the last of Dominik Hasek on NHL ice.
I bet if you petitioned NHL players you could raise enough money to launch Sean Avery and Jordin Tootoo into deep space. Martin Brodeur might even fund the entire venture himself.
Is there another goalie you would rather have in net right now than Marc-Andre Fleury? Me neither.
Bettman almost got his Ovechkin vs. Crosby matchup. Maybe next year...

Reacting To Brodeur And Avery's Non-Handshake

2008-04-19T21:43:00.004-05:00

Much has been made about Martin Brodeur refusing to shake the hand of Sean Avery at the end of the Rangers/Devils first-round playoff series, and rightly so. Pierre McGuire and Mike Milbury fought about it during the first intermission of this afternoon's Flyers/Capitals game and for the first (and hopefully only time in my life) I agree with Milbury. Brodeur was totally justified in not shaking hands with Avery and I think it was totally the right move by Martin. Avery has been going out of his way to insult and embarrass Brodeur ever since he joined the Rangers and the classiest (yeah I said it) way for Brodeur to respond was to not shake Avery's hand.

I am usually the first guy to jump all over someone when they bail on the handshake line (Belfour and Chelios come to mind), but I have no problem with not shaking hands with a particular individual, especially one as detestable as Sean Avery. Avery has made it very clear that he has no respect for Brodeur, the Devils, and arguably the game itself. I think Brodeur made the right move here by showing Avery that he can't try to humiliate someone and then just expect everything to be cool at the end of the series. This conflict has not been about two gladiators playing each other hard over the course of a series, this was about Avery crossing every possible line in an attempt to get Brodeur off of his game. Avery did nothing to show that he is deserving of the common respect due to every other player in the NHL.

Martin's not having it.

The craziest part of this whole situation is Avery trying to make Brodeur look like the bad guy here.

"Everyone talks about how classless I am, but I guess Fatso there just forgot to shake my hand."

"Everyone talks about how much class I don't have, well it's the end of the series and men go to war against each other," Avery said. "I guess he forgot to shake my hand. I don't know if anyone saw that. Of course I was going to shake his hand."
-Sean Avery (AP)

Yeah Sean, Marty's the classless one here. What Avery did against Brodeur and the Devils was well outside the bounds of "going to war", and he knows it. The bottom line is that there is a reason why Sean Avery is the most hated person in the NHL. It is going to be real interesting to see if the Rangers bring Avery back next season as he will be an unrestricted free agent come July 1. I suppose it would be too much to ask for all 30 NHL GMs to get together and agree to all not sign Avery and just let him fade away into obscurity. I know, I know, too much to ask like I said... but a guy can dream.

Takin' Care Of Business

2008-04-15T08:06:00.008-05:00

Just some odds and ends that I need to address:

I'm not even going to touch on Sean Avery Dance Fever because I think the blogosphere has pretty much beaten that horse to death, but I do think the NHL made the right move in the manner and timeliness in which they handled the situation.

****************************************

My latest contribution over at Fanball/RotoTimes is part of a piece handing out some awards for the NHL regular season. Some of them are standard stuff while other pertain solely to the world of fantasy hockey. In an interesting turn of events, you can also read the article over at Sports Illustrated's FanNation site. A little more exposure is never a bad thing...

If you care, my votes were:

MVP - Malkin
Vezina - Nabokov
Norris - Phaneuf
Calder - Price
Out of Nowhere Star - Ribeiro (almost voted for Green)
Most Overlooked - Staal
Fantasy Bust - Marleau

****************************************

The Vs. Network is cranking up the ol' hype machine again for the playoffs:
So far their coverage has been pretty excellent and it has been nice to have two games to watch every night since the playoffs started. I only wish circumstances allowed me to watch more than I have been able. Vs. will continue to show two games per night as long as there are games to show as well as keep their Hockey Central studio show rolling along with various guests from the NHL filling in throughout the playoffs. Manny Legace was in studio for the first week of the playoffs and a new player should be starting their week (or so) run on Hockey Central tonight.

Vs. also seems to be quite pleased with the viewing numbers they are getting for their coverage. This is from their latest press release:

Now in its third year televising the NHL, VERSUS has seen a substantial increase in total viewership and ratings for the 2007/08 regular season compared to the 2006/07 campaign. At the conclusion of this year’s regular season, national household ratings were up 50 percent (.3 vs. .2), total viewership showed an increase of 28 percent (272,417 vs. 212,366), household impressions were up 20 percent (192,675 vs. 160,134) and viewership for Men 25-54 was up 45 percent (99,753 vs. 69,018).

It's nice to see NHL viewership growing. Hopefully this along with the NHL's many efforts online will help the sport catch on with fans. Especially younger ones who may not have been exposed to the sport, and playoff hockey in particular.

****************************************

One last thing...

As any of you who have been with me here for a while already know, along with being a hockey fan I am also a big soccer fan and a Liverpool supporter in particular. Today is the 19th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. If you get the chance during your day, take a second and say a prayer for the families of the 96 we lost that day.

07-08 NHL Regular Season Awards And Recap

2008-04-11T16:06:00.002-05:00

With the playoffs underway I thought I would take one last look back at the regular season that was, and hand out a few awards along the way. So without further delay...

MVP - Evgeni Malkin (PIT) - Most people out there are all too eager to hand the MVP award to Alex Ovechkin this season, but I'm not buying in to that argument. Malkin is the guy for me. Geno is the total package for the Penguins. He is nearly impossible to knock off the puck, is a juggernaut through the neutral zone, and is very underrated in the defensive end. Malkin is also much more of a playmaker and makes those around him much better, just ask Ryan Malone and Petr Sykora (see below). On top of all of this, Malkin finished just 6 points behind Ovechkin in the scoring race and never went more than 2 games without a point over the entire season. All of that adds up to NHL MVP in my book.
Runner-up - Jarome Iginla (CGY)

Defenseman of the Year - Dion Phaneuf (CGY) - Dion Phaneuf had offensive numbers similar to many of the other top defensemen in the NHL this season. What gives him the edge here is the level of physicality Phaneuf brings to the ice on a nightly basis. Phaneuf is well on his way to being the top blue liner in the NHL for years to come and should start building a nice sized Norris trophy collection real soon.
Runner-up - Sergei Gonchar (PIT)

Goalie of the Year - Evgeni Nabokov (SJ) - Evgeni Nabokov was handed the starting role in San Jose when the Sharks traded Vesa Toskala to Toronto and he did not disappoint. Nabokov started an astounding 77 games and led the league in wins with 46 and tied for third in Goals Against. Those numbers are especially strong when you consider that Nabokov played with little margin for error as the Sharks were so bad offensively for most of the season. To put this in perspective a bit, in only 3 of Nabokov's losses did the Sharks manage to give him more than 2 goals to work with.
Runner-up - Martin Brodeur (NJ)

Rookie of the Year - Carey Price (MON) - There was another strong class of rookies in the NHL this season, but none had more of a positive impact on their team than Carey Price. Price was dropped right into the proverbial fire in Montreal and only had the pressure on his shoulders increase when the Habs traded veteran Cristobal Huet to Washington at the deadline. All Price did to respond was lead the Canadiens to the top of the Eastern Conference. By comparison, highly touted rookies Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews could not even get the Blackhawks into the playoffs.
Runners-up - Peter Mueller (PHX) and Tobias Enstrom (ATL)

Coach of the Year - Joel Quenneville (COL) - Few coaches had as much to deal with this season as Joel Quenneville did for the Avalanche. Expectations were high for the Avalanche after they made a big splash in the free agent market during the offseason. Things went downhill pretty quickly for the Avs thanks to a rash of injuries, but Quenneville kept hope alive in Colorado until they could get healthy. On top of that Quenneville had to handle inconsistent goaltending for much of the season and mixing in some new (yet familiar) faces at the trade deadline. Quenneville overcame all of these challenges and more while leading the Avalanche to the 6th seed in the Western Conference. Quite a performance from the very underrated head coach.
Runner-up - Barry Trotz (NSH)

Line of the Year - Malone/Malkin/Sykora (PIT) - Michel Therrien put this line together full time after Sidney Crosby went down with a high ankle sprain and the results were as impressive as they were instant. The "Syko MaMa" line was a dominant force in the NHL in 2008 as all three players tormented opposing defenses with their combination of skill and power.
Runner-up - Heatley/Spezza/Alfredsson (OTT)

Goal of the Year -

Fight of the Year -

Reactions to Penguins vs. Senators Game 1

2008-04-10T15:38:00.003-05:00

The Pittsburgh Penguins put on quite a display against Ottawa last night at the Igloo to open their first round series. It was quite a game, to the point that I feel compelled to share my thoughts (in no particular order):

The goal by Gary Roberts 68 seconds in was just what the Pens needed to set the tone for the series right from the get go. They had every reason to believe that this series would be a reversal of last year's five game defeat to Ottawa, but they needed to go out and show it.
People can say what they want about Marian Hossa, but he played well and the goals will definitely come in time.
Max Talbot racing to the aid of his goaltender was what hockey (especially playoff hockey) is all about. That may have been the highlight of the night.
Marc-Andre Fleury looked solid and in complete control. He has really taken his game to another level since his ankle injury. Having said that, I don't recall a single instance where I actually thought the Senators might score. Great defensive effort by the entire team.
Hats off to the Penguins forecheckers! Guys like Roberts, Talbot, Laraque, Ruutu, Kennedy, and Staal were making life miserable on the Senators defense.
Like every other Penguins fan, I almost had a heart attack when Sid went crashing into the boards early in the 3rd.
Ryan Whitney coming to the aid of his captain and giving Wade Redden the beat down of his life made up for every bad play Whitney has made this season. Being a +3 and assisting on Malkin's goal didn't hurt either.
Evgeni Malkin = BEAST!!!
The refs did everything they could to keep the Senators in the game, and even that was of no avail to Ottawa.
This series ended the second Gary Roberts challenged the entire Senators team to a fight and nobody took him up on it. The Senators are the definition of gutless.
The Bryan Murray taunting will never get old. Whoever put the "Sufferin' Succotash" sign up in the Igloo is my new best friend.
The Jaws theme is back for the Pens PP. Even the arena staff is on board with the greatness that is this Penguins team.

Game Highlights:

Whitney v Redden:

Roberts v Everyone:

2008 Playoffs: First Round Predictions

2008-04-08T22:23:00.005-05:00

The NHL playoffs are finally here! I'm not going to waste time as I get right to my breakdown and predictions for each of the 8 first round playoff match ups.

Western Conference

(1) Detroit vs. (8) Nashville

Breakdown: This one is a train wreck waiting to happen on paper. Of course this is coming from the guy who pretty much completely wrote off the Preds heading into the season, so take that for what you will. I'm not high on the Wings' chances this year, but I think they have more than enough to make it past the Predators relatively comfortably.
Player to Watch: Alex Radulov (NSH) - Arguably Nashville's most gifted offensive weapon, Radulov will need to be in top form if the Predators are going to have a shot at making this a lengthy series.
Prediction: Wings in 5

(2) San Jose vs. (7) Calgary

Breakdown: This series is a really tough one for me to call. The Sharks have been playing outstanding hockey for a while now, but I really think the Flames are capable of great things this post season. Evgeni Nabokov should be the Vezina Winner this year, but Mikka Kiprusoff has the ability to out play him. Joe Thornton is the heart and soul of the Sharks, but Jarome Iginla means just as much to the Flames and is a better all-around player than Thornton. Brian Campbell has been terrific since joining the Sharks, but Dion Phaneuf should have a much greater impact on this series. While all signs point to a Sharks victory, I'm going with the Flames on this one in what should be a hard fought series.
Player to Watch: Dion Phaneuf (CAL) - "The Dion" should make life hard for the Sharks' top forwards with his big hitting. As the checks pile up over the course of what should be a long series the Phaneuf Effect could really tilt things in Calgary's favor.
Prediction: Flames in 7

(3) Minnesota vs. (6) Colorado

Breakdown: This should be a good series as the Wild take on the ~~1998~~ 2008 Avalanche. Minnesota clearly toughened up their roster with a rematch with Anaheim in mind, but they should still be able to handle Colorado in the meantime. The Avalanche have enough skill to take out the Wild, but I think the combination of the Wild's toughness, defense, and Marian Gaborik will be too much for the Avs.
Player to Watch: Ryan Smyth (COL) - Smyth's first season in Colorado has been a disappointing one, but that could all be erased if he has a big series against the Wild. It will be interesting to see if he can take the punishment in front of the net and score some big goals for Colorado.
Prediction: Wild in 6

(4) Anaheim vs. (5) Dallas

Breakdown: Goals will be hard to come by in what should be a very physical series between Dallas and Anaheim. The Ducks have really had a hard time putting the puck in the net, but I think they will find enough offense to get past the Stars. It wouldn't shock me though if the Stars rode Marty Turco and a few timely goals into the 2nd round. Expect a lot of 1-0, 2-1 games in this series. A two or three OT game wouldn't be a shock either.
Player to Watch: Brendan Morrow (DAL) - Dallas' leader could help them pull off the upset if he can counter the physicality of the Ducks with some punishing hits of his own and provide some scoring punch to go along with it. Morrow could prove to be a difference maker in what looks to be a very tightly played series.
Prediction: Ducks in 6

Eastern Conference

(1) Montreal vs. (8) Boston

Breakdown: This series is another one I'm having a tough time getting a handle on. I don't think too much of either of these teams and don't expect either one to make it past the 2nd round. With that said, someone has to win this round. I know Montreal is the #1 seed in the East, but they just don't feel like it, and they have heaped a ton of pressure on the young shoulders of rookie goalie Carey Price. Take into account that the Habs are built on high scoring and their power play, and they are missing their top blue liner in Mike Komisarek and you have a recipe for an upset if you ask me. This series could go in any number of ways, but I'll go out on a limb and take Boston to pull off the upset.
Player to Watch: Tim Thomas (BOS) - Thomas will have to be at his best for the Bruins to have a chance. Thomas seems to play better when facing a lot of shots and I think the Habs will be challenging him early and often throughout the series. If Thomas can play to the best of his ability, the Bruins could end up getting the best of their Original Six rivals.
Prediction: Bruins in 7

(2) Pittsburgh vs. (7) Ottawa

Breakdown: All bias aside, this should be an easy matchup for Pittsburgh. Ottawa has been playing like crap for months now and they are running into one of the hottest teams in the league who also happens to have revenge on the mind. Both teams can score plenty of goals (although the Ottawa offense has really struggled of late and they are missing Daniel Alfredsson), but the Penguins defense and the play of Marc-Andre Fleury is what really has me excited. The Penguins aren't giving up many goals and that is what should let them make short work of the troubled Senators.
Player to Watch: Jordan Staal (PIT) - Staal has struggled to score goals this year, but the talent is still there and he is the type of player who can come out of nowhere to score like mad in the playoffs. In addition he should also be seeing plenty of the Senators top offensive unit, and if he can shut them down it will be a very short series.
Prediction: Pens in 5

(3) Washington vs. (6) Philadelphia

Breakdown: This could be a very interesting series to watch. It will be interesting to see how Alex Ovechkin and the young Caps respond to the pressure of the playoffs and the physical play of the Flyers. The longer the series goes, the more that will favor the Flyers, but I think Cristobal Huet will prove to be the difference in what should for the most part (I can see the Caps blowing out the Flyers once at home somewhere along the way) a close series.
Player to Watch: Mike Richards (PHI) - Richards is the guy on the Flyers most capable of putting the team on his back and carrying them through a playoff round almost singlehandedly. If Richards can play the way he was early in the season, that may be enough of a difference to get the Flyers on to round 2.
Prediction: Capitals in 6

(4) New Jersey vs. (5) New York Rangers

Breakdown: Much like the Ducks/Stars series, goals should be few and far between in this series. Having said that, I don't see the Devils giving the Rangers much trouble. Martin Brodeur will probably steal a game for the Devils at some point, but I think the Rangers are just too much for New Jersey. On the strength of their defense I see the Rangers as one of only two (Pittsburgh being the other) real contenders in the East and I expect them to take care of business against New Jersey in quick fashion.
Player to Watch: Zach Parise (NJ) - Parise is probably New Jersey's most dynamic scorer and he will be called on to try to solve Henrik Lundqvist and the Ranger defense. If he can average over a point-per-game, New Jersey might have a punchers chance at advancing.
Prediction: Rangers in 5

Why There's More To Life Than Goals

2008-04-07T11:51:00.004-05:00

Evgeni Malkin gets my MVP vote this year, and Jarome Iginla is my runner-up (more on that in the next couple days). People can gush over Alexander Ovechkin all they want, but Iginla is so much more and if someone told me the Pens could acquire Iginla or Ovechkin, I would take Iginla in a heartbeat.

Here is just part of what makes the Flames captain such a special player:

NHL Team Of The Month: March 2008

2008-04-01T20:38:00.004-06:00

Okay, it's back to business! It's almost playoff time, can you feel it? In the meantime, here is my last Team of the Month for the 07-08 season. Enjoy!

Center: Johan Franzen (13 GP, 14 G, 4 A, +6, 12 PIM, 8 PPP, 6 GWG)
Right Wing: Jason Pominville (14 GP, 8 G, 11 A, +7, 6 PPP)
Left Wing: Alexander Ovechkin (14 GP, 14 G, 12 A, +17, 12 PIM, 9 PPP)
Defense: Dion Phaneuf (14 GP, 3 G, 9 A, 24 PIM, 6 PPP)
Defense: Brian Campbell (15 GP, 2 G, 13 A, +10, 9 PPP)
Goalie: Marc-Andre Fleury (11 GP, 9 W, 1.44 GAA, .951 SV%, 2 SO)

Comments:

Franzen had 6 game winners in March! It almost got to be a joke.
Pominville has really come into his own as an offensive force in Buffalo. He and Derek Roy have been outstanding in the second half of the season.
Ovechkin has Caps fans thinking playoffs. They may have to win the division to make that happen, but they play in the Southeast so that's not exactly out of the realm of possibility.
I don't know what else to say about "The Dion" at this point. The guy may be a bit of a diva, but he can flat out play. Should be a Norris finalist for sure.
Brian Campbell has been a great addition for the Sharks. That trade really could not have worked out any better for them in the short term.
MAF has been playing out of his mind since coming back from the high ankle sprain. He has been the backbone of the Pens and has them sitting atop the East. He should be fresh after all the time he missed and he is peaking just as we head into the playoffs. It's pretty much the best case scenario for the Penguins.

A Little Unscheduled Down Time

2008-03-17T19:40:00.002-06:00

So I realize that it has been pretty dead around here this month. Things have been pretty out of control for me lately when it comes to attempting to keep my life in order and unfortunately TOFTT has suffered. Because of this I am going to take the rest of the month off to get some things taken care of and gear up for the playoffs. I have some things I want to write about, but I want to do them right so they will have to wait.

I will still be updating the Fight of the Week over on the left on Thursday nights, and I am still writing for Rototimes/Fanball every Friday, but that's about it right now. I want to thank all of you who visit here and who have been constantly checking for new posts. I'm sorry things have been so quiet the last couple weeks, but come April 1 I will be back with March's Team of the Month and I will be hitting the ground running from there as the playoffs approach. Thanks again, and see you all soon!

NHL Team Of The Month: February 2008

2008-03-01T20:13:00.005-06:00

Without further deal, here are the best of the best at each position for the month of February:

Center: Evgeni Malkin (14 GP, 9 G, 17 A, 20 PIM, 12 PPP)
Right Wing: Alexei Kovalev (14 GP, 7 G, 14 A, 12 PPP)
Left Wing: Thomas Vanek (15 GP, 13 G, 7 A, 11 PPP, 4 GWG)
Defense: Dion Phaneuf (14 GP, 7 G, 6 A, 52 PIM, 7 PPP, 2 GWG)
Defense: Zdeno Chara (12 GP, 8 G, 3 A, 20 PIM, 6 PPP)
Goalie: Jean-Sebastien Giguere (10 GP, 8 W, 1.28 GAA, .949 SV%, 2 SO)

Comments:

Malkin was in a class by himself in February. He was dominant game in and game out for the Pens. He's the main reason Pittsburgh is still challenging for the best record in the East.
Kovalev and Vanek have been carrying their respective teams lately. Although Vanek is doing it with a lot less help.
Phaneuf has taken advantage of Nicklas Lidstrom's absence to stake his claim to the title of best defenseman in the NHL, while Chara is quietly having an outstanding year.
Giguere has been unconscious for the Ducks of late. Those numbers speak for themselves.

Instant Gratification For Deadline Dealers

2008-02-29T20:47:00.003-06:00

I have always found it fascinating how often traded players tend to score in their first games with their new teams. While much is being made of Brad Richards' debut in Dallas, and for good reason, it is not just the traditional scorers who seem to get things off on the right foot.

There's a new Star in Dallas!

With that in mind I thought I would chronicle all of the successful debuts for players who were moved at the trade deadline on Tuesday:

Tuomo Ruutu (CAR) - 1 assist, +1 and 40 stitches
Steve Bernier (BUF) - 2 goals, 1 assist, and +3
Jan Hlavac (NSH) - 1 goal
Brian Campbell (SJS) - 1 assist
Jeff Halpern (TB) - 1 goal, 1 assist, and +1
Pascal Dupuis (PIT) - 1 goal
Colby Armstrong (ATL) - 1 assist
Brad Richards (DAL) - 5 assists, and +2
Andrew Ladd (CHI) - 1 goal
Cristobal Huet (WSH) - stopped 18 of 18 shots against New Jersey
Sergei Fedorov (WSH) - 1 assist

That's a pretty significant list of players making an immediate impact on their new clubs. It always amazes me how things seem to work out like this every season after the trade deadline. Hopefully we can add Marian Hossa to the list when he gets a full game under his belt with the Pens.

Reacting To The Marian Hossa Trade

2008-02-26T22:43:00.005-06:00

As I packed up at work and headed for school today at noon Central time Marian Hossa was still in play in the NHL's trade deadline dealing. TSN made it sound all morning as though it was only a matter of if he would end up in Montreal or Ottawa. They even kept talking up how the Thrashers were in Montreal for a game tonight and how easy it would be for him to just stroll down the hall to the home team locker room. Easy indeed.

When I arrived home I kissed the wife and kids and headed for the computer. I had a notion this morning that Sergei Fedorov was going to end up a Pen, so I was curious about that, but I was more curious to see where Hossa landed. As I typed in the web address for TSN and was hitting enter, the thought entered my mind Wouldn't it be wild if Shero snagged Hossa? Sure enough as quickly as the thought formed in my brain there was Marian Hossa on TSN's home page staring back at me in a Penguins jersey.

This is where the story takes an unexpected turn...

You would think my initial reaction would have been one of jubilation. It was not. The first thing to go through my head was, Who did we have to give up? As things turned out, the finalized deal went down as:

Marian Hossa
Pascal Dupuis
for
Colby Armstrong
Erik Christensen
Angelo Esposito
2008 1st round pick

Let's just take this one thing at a time. I had a feeling all along that Christensen wouldn't be here after the deadline and it turns out I was right on that one. I think he still has a good chance to turn into a really good player, and we'll miss him in the shootout naturally, but he's an acceptable loss. Angelo Esposito was going to face an uphill battle to find a spot in Pittsburgh and was a very tradeable asset so I didn't give that a second thought. And a draft pick is pretty much a lottery ticket so that's no big loss either. There's already enough 1st round talent on the Penguins.

But then there was that one other name... Colby Armstrong. That one stung a bit. Colby has been one of my favorite players for quite a while now and I think he ~~plays~~ played a big role for the Pens on the ice and in "the room". Colby is going to be missed very much by the team and the fans. A lot will be made about his relationship with Sid, and I think for good reason. I don't think the Penguins need to keep players around just because Sid likes them, but I think Colby (from what I've heard/read) did a great job of keeping Sid grounded and making him feel like one of the guys. Something Sid seems to truly desire. I know Sid is too much of a pro to complain about Colby being sent to Atlanta, but you know it disappoints him a little.

I'm disappointed too. I knew going in that there was a good chance that Colby could get traded. Honestly, if it came down to needing to include either Colby, Ryan Malone, or Jordan Staal then I think Shero made the right move. I just wish it could have been someone like Ruutu instead. When it all comes down to it though, for me the nucleus of this Penguins team is:

Sidney Crosby
Evgeni Malkin
Marc-Andre Fleury
Jordan Staal
Ryan Whitney
Kris Letang

Having said that, when it comes to trades, especially for players like Marian Hossa, everyone else is fair game.

When I started going through this post in my head I was full of thoughts about how the Penguins overpaid for Hossa if they don't re-sign him, and what would be the trickle down effect of adding a contract like that if they do re-sign him, but I'm not going to get into that. The bottom line for me at this point is that the Penguins brought in a world class talent to play with Sidney and they are a more potent offensive team than they were 24 hours ago. They have players who can fill the roles left empty by Colby and EC (including Dupuis, who I think is an unsung part of this deal), but they didn't have someone like Hossa just waiting around. As far as the cap impact if they do re-sign Hossa, which I'm going to go on record and say they will do, I think they'll be okay. If Ottawa can lock up their top line and still have money to spend then Shero should be able to do the same with Sid, Geno, and Marian. And don't think that extra money Sid left on the table last summer isn't a huge boost for the Pens right now.

Another positive byproduct of the Pens getting Hossa is that Montreal and Ottawa didn't. The Pens not only strengthened themselves with this acquisition, but they also kept Hossa away from two of their biggest competitors in the Eastern Conference and have set themselves up to be one of the favorites to make it to the Finals from the East. That's all you can ask for from your GM on deadline day, and with the brass of a riverboat gambler Ray Shero has come through again for Penguins fans.

In Shero We Trust!

Wrapping Up Deadline Day

2008-02-26T21:42:00.005-06:00

Deadline day is always one of my favorite days of the year. Thankfully the internet and media coverage has taken things to a new level and I was happily able to observe much of the day's proceedings from the comfort of my cube and listen to TSN's streaming coverage. It truly was hockey heaven, and a far cry from my days growing up in Northern California and having to read the transactions section of the sports page the next day to see who went where on deadline day.

There were a lot of moves made, some bigger than others of course, and I will take a look at all of the significant deals (with one exception) here and give my reactions. If you are wanting to find out how I feel about the Marion Hossa deal, you'll have to scroll up because that is getting it's own post. Anyway, on to the rest of the deals:

Marc-Andre Bergeron to Anaheim for a 2008 3rd round pick
My take: I like this trade for the Ducks a lot. It gives them even more defensive depth and if Bergeron can regain the form he showed last season this trade is a steal. I'm not sure why the Islanders gave up on Bergeron so soon.

Chad Kilger to Florida for a 2008 3rd round pick
My take: This move doesn't make much sense to me from a Panthers point of view. Kilger could be a solid contributor for a playoff bound team, but I don't see him making much of a difference in Florida.

Brad Stuart to Detroit for 2008 2nd round pick and 2009 4th round pick
My take: This is a good move for the Red Wings as they are really banged up right now. Stuart is a UFA this summer, but Detroit didn't give up too much to get him so it's not a big loss for them if they don't resign him. The future is now for the Red Wings.

Chris Simon to Minnesota for a 2008 6th round pick
My take: Garth Snow should get a contract extension for getting anything in return for Simon. I don't know why the Wild would be interested in his services, but they got him. Buyer beware.

Hal Gill to Pittsburgh for 2008 2nd round pick and 2009 5th round pick
My take: Gill is the kind of guy who is finding it tough to thrive in the new NHL. Big, but not very mobile, he tends to excel when given a specific assignment and should prove to be useful to the Pens come playoff time. I had hoped for a little more of a blue line upgrade, but I'll take him.

Sergei Fedorov to Washington for Ted Ruth
My take: I woke up this morning with a really strong feeling that Fedorov was going to be a Penguin by day's end. That turned out not to be the case. I like this move for the Caps. They are still in good shape to challenge for the Southeast Division and the 3 seed in the East. If they can pull that off then Fedorov should come in very useful along the way.

Adam Foote to Colorado for conditional draft picks
My take: According to TSN, Foote went into the day optimistic about signing an extension with Columbus. When those talks broke down he pretty much forced them to trade him to the Avalanche. This move should work out for both teams as the Avs add a proven (and familiar) playoff warrior and the Blue Jackets pick up some extra picks to continue to build on this season's modest success.

Martin LaPointe to Ottawa for a 2008 6th round pick
My take: I like this move for the Sens. They are in win now mode and give up relatively nothing to bring in a solid vet who should be real good for their locker room. Unfortunately they didn't address their goaltending situation so I don't feel to good about Ottawa's chances this season. Which makes me feel good, if that makes sense.

Tuomo Ruutu to Carolina for Andrew Ladd
My take: This move surprised me a little only because Ladd had been playing very well of late and seemed to be thriving in an increased role after Carolina sent Cory Stillman to Ottawa. I guess the Hurricanes ran out of patience and decided to swap him for a new bundle of unrealized potential in Ruutu. This move could work out well for both teams if the players involved can stay healthy and benefit from the change in scenery.

Ruslan Salei to Colorado for Karlis Skrastins and a 2008 3rd round pick
My take: Honestly, this strikes me as a pretty lateral move, but since I would take Salei over Skrastins I'll give the edge to Colorado. With Salei and Foote in tow they are definitely tougher to play against than they were this morning.

Cristobal Huet to Washington for a 2009 2nd round pick
My take: This move really shocked me. It just doesn't make sense to me from a Montreal point of view. Sure Huet is a pending UFA, but even if they wanted to hand the reigns to Carey Price that badly Huet still has value as an insurance policy heading into the postseason. This could be a big blunder for a club that entered the day as legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference.

Brad Richards and Johan Holmqvist to Dallas for Mike Smith, Jussi Jokinen, Jeff Halpern, and a 2009 4th round pick
My take: I like this move for both teams. Dallas brings in a top forward and a decent back up to Marty Turco without significantly weakening their lineup. Also, as salaries continue to rise Richards' contract begins to look a little more acceptable. Tampa also helped themselves by bringing in a potential solution between the pipes and shedding Richards' salary, much of which they spent by extending Dan Boyle this morning. This trade makes good sense for both teams and helps solidify the Stars as a real contender in the West.

Brian Campbell and a 2008 7th round pick to San Jose for Steve Bernier and a 2008 1st round pick
My take: This is another deal that works well for both clubs. San Jose got the puck moving defenseman they needed at an acceptable price considering how loaded with young talent they are. The Sabres got a good player in Bernier and a 1st rounder in what is looking like a very deep draft this year. More importantly for Buffalo, they got something for Campbell and won't have to relive last summer's misery come July 1st when Campbell will be a UFA.

Bryce Salvador to New Jersey for Cam Janssen
My take: The first deal of the day was a great one for New Jersey. They solidify their blue line by giving up a player in Janssen that they really didn't want anyway. The Devils are putting themselves in position to be the team to beat in the East.

Random musings:

Once again, listening to the streaming coverage was bliss. I wished I didn't have to miss out on the last two hours before the deadline, but what can you do?
It was hilarious to hear all the former GM's busting on each other, but I was a little shocked nobody called out Milbury for trading Roberto Luongo when he was GM for the Islanders. Maybe they're all afraid of him.
The balance of power definitely seems to lie in the West right now. If you asked me which teams in the East I think have a legit chance to win the Cup I would say the Devils, Penguins, and Rangers. Everyone else just seems to flawed to me.
The NHL shouldn't have games on deadline day. Some of these rosters will be pretty depleted tonight.
What's with the family reunion (Forsberg and Foote) in Colorado? Here's hoping they bring Scott Young and Mike Ricci out of retirement to join in the fun.
After all his big talk, Bob Gainey actually weakened his team today.
Where were Vancouver and Calgary today?
Finally, it's always interesting to see how guys do in their first game with their new team. It seems like there were a few years in the past where almost every new player scored in his debut. Just something to watch for.

Battle Of The Crappy Commercials

2008-02-21T13:02:00.004-06:00

The Kings and Penguins may be at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to on-ice performance, but they are running neck and neck for the "Worst Commercial Ever" Championship. The A&L Motors commercial starring Penguins Max Talbot, Colby Armstrong, Sergei Gonchar, and Evgeni Malkin has taken on near legendary status in some circles. Well Kings players Jack Johnson, Dustin Brown, and Anze Kopitar have answered the challenge and taken things to a whole new level. See for yourself:

Superstar starring Max Talbot and friends

Toy Story featuring the Los Angeles Kings

My opinion:

I may be a tad bit biased here, but I think the Kings commercial is way worse. The A&L commercial has a sort of home video, low quality charm to it. Plus the performance by Max Talbot is earth shattering. Take into account that nobody has a clue what Gonch is saying and they don't even let Geno talk and it's easy to see why this is such a classic. The Kings commercial on the other hand is just embarrassing. Watching Kopitar play with his own ~~doll~~ action figure borders on genuinely disturbing. Plus there are actual production values involved with the Kings commercial which in some sad way implies quality. The bottom line is that I laugh out loud every time I watch the A&L commercial, while the Kings commercial just leaves me feeling bad for the players involved.

An Open Letter To Alexander Ovechkin

2008-02-18T21:24:00.002-06:00

Dear AO,

Let me start off with a bit of thanks. Thank you, AO. I don't know where my fantasy hockey teams would be without you. Okay, now that we have gotten the pleasantries out of the way...

Dude, you've got to check yourself. All this flipping out after every goal stuff has got to stop. I mean really, act like you've scored before big guy. We all know you're a great scorer, you really don't have to keep making a scene. I wouldn't mind if you reserved your post-goal antics for overtime goals and times like that, but it's every freaking goal. I've never seen a player get so excited about a first period goal against a non-division rival in early February. I don't know if I would celebrate that much if my own son scored in overtime of Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals. You really have to tone it down a notch or five. Although to be honest, I wake up every morning hoping that the night before you hurt yourself in one of your wild celebrations. Just to teach you a lesson. Okay, and because that would be hilarious.

While I've got your attention and I'm in an advice giving mood... keep your head up. With the way you continue to take runs at people there's a defenseman's elbow out there somewhere with your name all over it. You are already a marked man due to your skill level and how vital you are to the Caps, you shouldn't stoke the fire by continuing to go out of your way to make the big hit. Payback's a comin'. Don't say I didn't warn you.

One last thing. I know when Sid went down you thought you were going to take the NHL by storm and steal his spotlight, right? Well, for a while it was looking that way. But now that you've come back to Earth a bit, how does it feel to know there's another Penguin out there playing better than you? It shouldn't be too much longer before we all start referring to 2004 as the Malkin Draft.

I'm glad we took the time to have this little chat AO. Now go score some more power play game winners. My fantasy teams can use them.

Sincerely,
Chris Yarbrough

The Hurricanes Run Up The White Flag

2008-02-12T22:00:00.005-06:00

The Hurricanes and Senators pulled off a pretty big trade this week as Carolina sent Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore to Ottawa for Joe Corvo and Patrick Eaves. The trade can be viewed as a good one for both sides in some regards, but I think it sends a signal that the Hurricanes have given up on this season and have started planning for the future.

Let's look at the trade from the Senators' point of view first. This is a really good trade for the Sens. They brought in a veteran scorer in Stillman who has plenty of playoff experience (Cups in Tampa and Carolina), and a physical defenseman in Commodore who was also on Carolina's Cup winning team. Both Stillman and Commodore are also UFA's this summer so the Sens could conceivably let them both walk to free up some cap space in a desperate attempt to re-sign Wade Redden. That is assuming they don't trade him before the deadline. The bottom line for Ottawa is that they got deeper and tougher and have reestablished themselves as the favorite in the Eastern Conference.

And then there's the Hurricanes... I have been hearing for months that the 'Canes were shopping for a quarterback for their power play. That's what they got in Corvo, but I don't think that was what they really needed. Carolina is atrocious defensively and they just traded away arguably their best defensive defenseman. Patrick Eaves could prove to be a solid acquisition, but players like him are a dime a dozen. Carolina basically traded away to pending UFA's for a couple guys who are still under contract for a couple years, and as a result demolished their dwindling hopes of making a successful playoff run.

That's not to say this move was necessarily a bad one for Carolina. It could work out for them in the long run. Especially if Corvo can be the presence on the power play that Carolina apparently thinks he can be. I also wouldn't be shocked if Commodore returned to the Hurricanes in the off season via free agency. That would also tip the deal in favor of Carolina over the long term.

Ultimately this trade will be judged in completely opposite ways for each team. If Ottawa can win the Cup this year then the trade will be viewed as a success. If they don't it still won't be that bad of a deal because they really didn't give up all that much. This trade can't really be evaluated from a Carolina perspective until a year or two from now. If Corvo and Eaves pan out then it was a good deal for them. If not, and they fail to make the playoffs this season, it could end up being a real stinker.

So what is my personal take on this deal? I hate it! First off it helps the Senators, which is never a good thing as far as I am concerned. Second, it pretty much shows that Carolina has given up on this season, which doesn't make me happy. For one thing, I had picked them before the season to make it to the Finals from the Eastern Conference. There's pretty much no way that happens now. If they didn't play in such a weak division they probably wouldn't even challenge for a playoff spot. Also, I think if they had made a move to bring in some better defensive players that they still could have been a force in the East this season. They could still win the Southeast Division and go into the playoffs as a #3 seed. If they could find a way to get back to playing the way they were at the start of the season they could have definitely made it out of the East. As things stand now, they may be on the outside looking in come playoff time. I hope getting Joe Corvo was worth it Hurricanes fans.

In Response To The Richard Zednik Incident

2008-02-11T22:41:00.001-06:00

By now I'm sure everyone has seen the video of Richard Zednik getting his neck cut by teammate Olli Jokinen's skate. It's pretty gruesome stuff and I have no intention of embedding or linking to it here (it's not hard to find if you're looking.) I do have a lot on my mind regarding what happened to Zednik though so I'm just going to lay it all out and let you all do with it what you will.

First and foremost, prayers go out to Zednik and his family. It looks like he is going to make a full recovery. I'm sure playing hockey is the furthest thing from his mind right now, but I'm hoping he makes it back. If for nothing else than the ovation he should get when he hits the ice again for the first time.
Hats off to the medical staff involved for keeping their cool and tending to Zednik. I don't care what the doctors are saying now, they saved Zednik's life.
I really don't think they should have finished the game. There were only 10 minutes left in the third. The NHL could have easily called it an official game at that point and nobody would have batted an eye. I really feel for the guys who had to go out and play after seeing Zednik go down.
How amazing is it that Zednik got himself all the way to the bench? Zednik's composure and toughness were off the charts.
Did this really have to happen in Buffalo?
Sabre's announcer Rick Jeanneret did a superb job of handling the call. I really can't stand the way Jeanneret calls a game, but you could really feel how hard it was for him to watch this situation go down, let alone have to talk everyone through it. You could tell from his voice that he was reliving the Malarchuk accident all over again and that he was really wishing he wasn't. It was genuinely hard to listen to him, but he handled it like a pro.
Finally, I'm sure there are going to be people crying for mandatory neck guards on players after this. I'm so against this I can't even tell you. The players shouldn't be forced into wearing an uncomfortable and unnecessary piece of equipment because of a freak accident. I got hit in the neck with a skate once when I was playing Midget hockey (didn't amount to much more than a nasty scratch) and after I got the thought of "Whoa, that could have been bad." out of my head, at no point did I think I should start wearing a neck guard. They aren't worth the trouble and discomfort, and I'm not even convinced one would have prevented what happened to Richard Zednik. I don't actually think the NHL will actually consider making neck guards mandatory (if for no other reason than how uncool they look), but I just know the issue is going to come up.

Penguins Goalies Strive For White Supremacy

2008-02-08T20:45:00.000-06:00

When Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury finally returned from his high ankle sprain to practice with the team, coach Michel Therrien thought the Penguins had acquired a new netminder. The reason; Fleury had traded in his signature yellow pads for a brand new set of white pads.

R.I.P. yellow pads.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fleury received a letter shortly after his injury from an eye doctor telling him that his yellow pads were actually helping shooters and that he would be well served to trade them in for white pads. The doctor apparently provided charts and everything as he explained that white pads would make Fleury appear bigger in the net and make opponents feel like they have less to shoot at. I'm guessing this is why Ty Conklin switched to white pads in mid-January. MAF said it should take him about two weeks to break in his new glove, blocker, and pads. The best news is that he may be back between the pipes for the Pens before then. I really hope this switch works out for MAF, but regardless it is going to be really weird seeing him on the ice without the yellow pads.

*****************************************

As a side note, this is the 100th post here on Taking One For The Team and I would like to mark this occasion by thanking everyone who has helped make this experience everything that it has been so far. I really appreciate everyone who has contributed to the growth of this site in any way. If you have ever linked to here, a particular post, taken the time to comment on a post, or even just spent a minute or two of your time reading what I have to say I really appreciate it and I am looking forward to the next 100 posts. Onward and upward!

Breakout Passes: The Goalie Value Menu

2008-02-05T22:15:00.000-06:00

It's time for another walk around the NHL online. Some interesting new stats, good news for Pens fans, and more...

Puck That Hit broke down how much each goalie in the NHL cost their team per save. Pretty interesting stuff.
MAF is back on the ice, and he's not alone!
Can you really measure clutch? Somebody took a stab at it.
Daniel Carcillo has some growing up to do.
Some of the Preds are passing their chemistry exams.
Scott Burnside shows us the other side of Sidney Crosby.

If you come across any nice links, be sure to send them my way and I'll get them into a future edition of Breakout Passes.