Remembering Double J

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:

Which Is Truly The Single Best Offensive Season Ever?

I have been running across a lot of old hockey clips from the late 70's and 80's lately and I just can't get over how bad the goaltending used to be in the NHL. That got me thinking about some of Wayne Gretzky's records and how he benefited from being in the league during that era. Comparing different eras in sports is always difficult, but I felt compelled to come up with a way to compare some of the biggest single offensive seasons in recent NHL history and see which was really the most impressive.

I used the following method of comparison; I picked the most impressive single season point totals since 1980 to put up against each other. I then determined the player's Points Per Game (PPG) for each season and then divided that by the overall average Goals Per Game (GPG) in the NHL for that season to determine that player's Offensive Involvement Percentage (OI%). The OI% was the percent of goals that player figured in on by a per game basis, using the league average GPG. This basically told me how much scoring a player accounted for per game compared against the NHL average as a whole. It's not a perfect method, but it does give hard numbers across the last 25+ years in the NHL.

For my comparisons I used the following seasons:

• Wayne Gretzky 81-82 (80 GP, 212 P)
• Wayne Gretzky 85-86 (80 GP, 215 P)
• Mario Lemieux 88-89 (76 GP, 199 P)
• Mario Lemieux 92-93 (60 GP, 160 P)
• Mario Lemieux 95-96 (70 GP, 161 P)
• Jaromir Jagr 98-99 (81 GP, 127 P)
• Jaromir Jagr 00-01 (81 GP, 121 P)
• Mario Lemieux 00-01 (43 GP, 76 P)
• Sidney Crosby 06-07 (79 GP, 120P)

The NHL GPG averages for those seasons were:

• 81-82 - 8.03 GPG
• 85-86 - 7.94 GPG
• 88-89 - 7.48 GPG
• 92-93 - 7.25 GPG
• 95-96 - 6.29 GPG
• 98-99 - 5.27 GPG
• 00-01 - 5.51 GPG
• 06-07 - 5.89 GPG

This resulted in the following OI%'s for each player:

• Wayne Gretzky 81-82 - 33%
  
• Wayne Gretzky 85-86 - 33.85%
  
• Mario Lemieux 88-89 - 35%
  
• Mario Lemieux 92-93 - 36.78%
  
• Mario Lemieux 95-96 - 36.57%
• Jaromir Jagr 98-99 - 29.75%
  
• Jaromir Jagr 00-01 - 27.11%
  
• Mario Lemieux 00-01 - 32.08%
  
• Sidney Crosby 06-07 - 25.79%

Now this is where things get interesting. Using the above stats I was able to take the resulting OI%'s above and then use them to project point totals for each player in each of the other seasons. In other words, I could tell you how many points were the 81-82 equivalent of Jagr's 127 points in the 98-99 season. Think of is as some kind of scoring exchange rate. For the sake of balanced projections, I calculated the projected point totals based on the same number of games played by the actual point leader that season. So for example, the 81-82 projections are all based on the player playing in 80 games, just like Gretzky did that season. One exception: for the 92-93 season I calculated all players' totals based on playing 80 games, due to Lemieux only playing 60 games because of his bout with Hodgkin's Disease. Also, for the 00-01 season, I recalculated Mario's "total" based on playing 81 games, just like Jagr did that year.

Here are the projections:

(click to enlarge)

So going by these projections we can see that Mario Lemieux is actually the owner of the two "best" offensive seasons in modern NHL history based on his OI% from the 92-93 and 95-96 seasons. If Mario had played at the level he did in the 92-93 season during the 85-86 season he would have scored an NHL record 236 total points. Not too shabby.

Again I stress that what I have done here isn't perfect, but it does give a foundation for comparing scoring in the NHL across many seasons. The real conclusion to all of this, if you could call it that, would have to be that as scoring went down in the NHL over the years points became harder to come by and thus are arguably more valuable, for lack of a better term, than points accrued during the wide open glory days of the NHL in the 80's. Naturally you could expand the range of this exercise and probably find some seasons from longer ago that compare favorably to Lemieux and Gretzky. In the meantime I feel very comfortable saying that while Wayne Gretzky may own the major single season scoring records in NHL history, Mario Lemieux has actually had the best offensive seasons in the history of the NHL.

Keep Your Head Up Wayne!

Among the other things googling "gretzky hate" will get you:

A Recipe for Hate

So there I was minding my own business a day or two ago, just looking for some decent soccer news on the internet when I stumble across this:

Club America 1 - 2 Chelsea - SSN
Uploaded by FootballHeaven

My reaction was two-fold. First, I'm setting the over/under for number of games it takes Drogba and Malouda to celebrate a goal by making out at 10. Second, I hate Chelsea. Let me try that again... I really hate Chelsea.

I took some time to internalize that and came to the realization that hate is part of what makes sports so great. Sure it's great to have a team to root for and follow, but it is often just as satisfying to root against a team you hate, especially if the team you like is struggling at the time. How many self-proclaimed baseball fans cheer harder against the Yankees than for the team they like? I have realized that hatred makes up a large portion of my sports persona. The list of teams I like/support is nowhere near the size of the list of teams I hate, and I am totally good with that.

One thing you have to realize when examining this topic is that there are different levels of hatred. For example, there are players you hate until they join your team and then you love them (i.e. Darius Kasparaitis), and then there are players you hate so much that even when they are on your team you still hate them (i.e. Marty McSorley). There are also times when two teams you hate are playing each other and you have to decide who you would rather see win. So even though I hate the Dallas Cowboys, I have no choice to cheer them on to victory when they are playing the 49ers. It can get confusing at times, but the important thing to remember is that part of supporting your team is hating several others. If you don't get that then you aren't a real sports fan.

Now that we have established that hatred is a natural part of following sports, let's take a look at how I spread the hate. Keep in mind that this is more of a greatest hits than an anthology. If I were to write about all the teams and players I hate I would need to take a week off of work. So here goes:

• The Detroit Red Wings: I just had to start the list here. If there was one sports franchise I could go back in time and erase from existence it would be this one. There are only four good things to have ever been associated with the Red Wings; Gordie Howe, Bob Probert, Bob Errey, and Larry Murphy. Anything else that ever touched that franchise I hate. I even hate Little Caesars!
• The New York Islanders: You can not be a Penguins fan over the age of 20 and not hate the Islanders with the fury of a thousand suns. Glenn Healy, Steve Thomas, Ray Ferraro, and David Volek ruined the '90s. That team could sign me and all three of my kids to play for them and I would still hate them.
• Chelsea: Back to the beginning! How can you not hate Chelsea? Jose Mourinho alone is enough to drive you insane. Throw in the attitude and the insane spending and you have possibly the easiest team on the planet to hate. Unless you are directly related to a Chelsea player or you are named Chelsea you have no business supporting this club.
• Kirk Gibson: The bane of every A's fan is watching Gibby hobble around the bases pumping his fists in the '88 World Series. I had the misfortune of having a roommate in college who was not only a lifelong Dodger fan, but also in attendance at that very game. If I never see that highlight again it will be too soon.
• Wayne Gretzky: This could be a whole post on its own. "The Great One" represents everything I can't stand in a hockey player. Spend a thousand years looking and you will never find a softer hockey player. Numbers or not, I could name fifty players off the top of my head who I would rate as "better" than Gretzky. I don't think I could name five who I hate more than him though.
• The San Francisco Giants: This one should be a no-brainer. If you are an A's fan then you hate the Giants, and vice versa. I never could understand the losers who would walk around in those half A's/half Giants hats. That's like wearing a bandanna that's half Crips and half Bloods. You just can't do it! I have to say though, along with the Penguins' two Cups, the A's beating the Giants in '89 is probably the fondest sports memory of my youth.
• Peyton Manning: Seriously, does that guy need to be in every commercial that airs on every channel during football season? Somebody tell Peyton it's okay to say "No" to things every now and then.
• The Ottawa Senators: I never had a problem with the Sens before this year. Funny what a difference one playoff series can make. I now officially hate the Senators. They haven't reached Islander status yet, but I won't be running out to buy a Chris Neil jersey anytime soon either.
  

I could go on forever here. The important thing to remember is that it is okay to hate when it comes to sports. You just have to keep it in perspective is all. I don't wish any actual misfortune on any player. It's not that kind of hate. I just want to see them fail miserably, that's all. That said, if Pavel Datsyuk blows out his knee he probably shouldn't hold his breath waiting for a Get Well Soon card from me.

Breaking Down the Penguins '07-'08 Schedule

The NHL released it's '07-'08 regular season schedule yesterday. Here is my early analysis of the hand the schedule makers have dealt the Penguins:

• Oct. 5 @ Carolina - The season opener for the Pens. This could be a tough road game to start the campaign. Hopefully they see the Hurricanes that missed the playoffs last year and not the team that lifted the Cup about 14 months ago.
• Oct. 6 vs. Anaheim - At first glance the Pens home opener against the defending champs looks like anything but a gimme. Dig a little deeper and you realize that prior to this game the Ducks will already have played 4 road games and crossed the Atlantic twice thanks to their opening pair against the Kings in London (and I'm not talking Ontario here). It will also be their second game in as many nights and third in the last four nights. If there is such thing as a perfect time to play the defending champs, this is it.
• Oct. 13 @ Toronto - Sid and the boys make their first appearance of the season on Hockey Night in Canada. I'm sure Jordan Staal will be ready.
• Oct. 23 vs. Rangers - The Penguins first look at the revamped Rangers. It may not be that bad since the Rangers' defensemen this year will probably be earning $50 combined. Sather does know there's a salary cap in the NHL right?
• Nov. 7 vs. Philadelphia - The new look Flyers swing into town. The Pens definitely won't go 8-0 against Philly this year, but I'm still not sold on the Flyers. As long as Derian Hatcher is playing I can't bring myself to pick the Flyers over the Pens.
• Nov. 22 @ Ottawa - The Pittsburgh's first rematch with their playoff ousters and the second of two games in as many nights. Hopefully coach Therrien shows the team how lousy they looked against the Sens this April to fire them up a little.
• Dec. 3 vs. Phoenix - Playing the Coyotes is no big deal considering how bad they are, but this will be Penguins fans' only chance to boo Wayne Gretzky in person for the next three years.
• Jan. 1 @ Buffalo - The Pens open the year with the second half of a home-and-home against a dismantled Sabres squad. The reason this game is relevant... it could be played outdoors. Oh to be within driving distance of Buffalo...
• Feb. 24 vs. San Jose - The second of two afternoon starts on consecutive days. After taking on Ottawa on the road the day before, hopefully the boys have enough left in the tank to handle the Sharks. The smart money says Dany Sabourin gets the nod here.
• Mar. 31 @ Rangers - The second leg of a Sunday/Monday home-and-home with the Rangers. These two games could end up deciding the division champ.
• Apr. 6 @ Philadelphia - The second game of a season ending home-and-home with the Flyers. These two games could also end up deciding the division champ.

Notes and observations:

• The Penguins play games on back-to-back days 15 times this season. That seems like an awfully high number to me for a non-Olympic season. I have a feeling a lot of that has to do with the NHL trying to get Sid on national TV as much as possible. Which I can't blame them for. Hopefully Sabourin is able to step in and provide some quality starts in there along the way.
• The first half of November is going to be HUGE for the Pens. They open the month in Colorado, and then play nine games against division opponents in the next nineteen days. The Penguins won't win the Atlantic in November, but they sure could lose it.
• The Pens longest road trip of the season is only four games, which they will do twice. Their longest homestand of the season will also be four games, which they will do three times. It would be nice to see the boys get s solid six or seven game string at home somewhere along the way, but Eastern Conference travel isn't too bad so it's not that big of a deal.
• The western Canada trip will be Sid's first appearance in those parts. Knowing him I'd look for 10-12 points out of those games.

So there's my take on the new schedule. I'm sure once the season starts there will be games that become more significant than they look now. In the meantime, it's just nice to know the Good Ship Penguins is sailing in the right direction and that it's okay to talk about winning the division again without being laughed at. October 5th can't get here soon enough.