Anyone Feel A Draft?

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:

1. (3) Jarome Iginla
2. (22) Sergei Gonchar
3. (27) Chris Osgood
4. (46) Brenden Morrow
5. (51) Johan Franzen
6. (70) Miroslav Satan
7. (75) Cam Ward
8. (94) Ilya Bryzgalov
9. (99) Teemu Selanne
10. (118) Jordan Staal
11. (123) Duncan Keith
12. (142) Braydon Coburn
13. (147) Ryan Whitney
14. (166) Michael Ryder
15. (171) Joe Sakic
16. (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:

1. (5) Dany Heatley
2. (18) Dion Phaneuf
3. (27) J.S. Giguere
4. (40) Carey Price
5. (49) Jason Pominville
6. (62) Derek Roy
7. (71) Mike Ribeiro
8. (84) Brent Burns
9. (93) Petr Sykora
10. (106) Pascal Leclaire
11. (115) Jordan Staal
12. (128) Daniel Carcillo
13. (137) Marek Zidlicky
14. (150) Tomas Plekanec
15. (159) Teemu Selanne
16. (172) Sean Avery
17. (181) Patrice Bergeron
18. (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...

2008 Playoffs: Wrapping Up Game 6 And The Finals

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

1. Henrik Zetterberg
2. Sidney Crosby
3. Marc-Andre Fleury
4. Johan Franzen
5. Chris Osgood
   

2008 Playoffs: Wrapping Up Game 1 Of The Finals

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

1. Chris Osgood
2. Marc-Andre Fleury
3. Sidney Crosby
4. Henrik Zetterberg
5. Sergei Gonchar

2008 Playoffs: Handicapping The Conn Smythe Contenders

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

1. Chris Osgood
2. Henrik Zetterberg
3. Pavel Datsyuk
4. 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

1. Sidney Crosby
2. Marc-Andre Fleury
3. Evgeni Malkin
4. 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.

All Is Right In The Eastern Conference

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!

Battle Of The Crappy Commercials

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.

NHL Team Of The Month: January 2008

As we turn the calendar page to February, it is time to look back on the first month of 2008 and name the NHL Team of the Month.

• Center: Evgeni Malkin (13 GP, 12 G, 5 A, +8, 6 PPP, 1 GWG)
  
• Right Wing: Shane Doan (13 GP, 7 G, 12 A, +7, 6 PPP, 2 GWG)
  
• Left Wing: Alexander Ovechkin (13 GP, 13 G, 9 A, 8 PPP, 2 GWG)
  
• Defense: Ed Jovanovski (14 GP, 4 G, 8 A, 21 PIM, 7 PPP)
  
• Defense: Sergei Gonchar (13 GP, 1 G, 10 A, +4, 8 PPP)
  
• Goalie: Tim Thomas (10 GP, 7 W, 2.06 GAA, .936 SV%, 1 SO)
  

Comments:

• Ovechkin has been playing out of his mind for the last couple months and wrapped up January with a four goal/five point performance against Montreal. Do we now have the "Ovechkin hat trick" (a goal, an assist, and a broken nose)?
• Evgeni Malkin has been one of the few people in the same stratosphere as Ovechkin and has really stepped up for Pittsburgh. Geno also notched his first two career hat tricks this month.
• Shane Doan is leading a surprising Coyotes squad into the thick of the Western Conference playoff chase. If Doan played in Toronto he would be a household name (by NHL standards).
• Jovanovski and Gonchar have both provided excellent offensive numbers for their respective teams. They have been particularly good on the power play.
• Tim Thomas has been quietly outstanding for the Bruins. He's a guy you rarely hear about, and then you look at the numbers and wonder why. Thomas is as solid as they come between the pipes.
  

NHL Team Of The Month: November 2007

With the quarter mark of this season in the rear view mirror, it's time to name the Team of the Month for November:

• Center: Vincent Lecavalier (14 GP, 9 G, 16 A, 7 PPP)
  
• Right Wing: Martin Erat (12 GP, 8 G, 10 A, 4 GWG)
  
• Left Wing: Ilya Kovalchuk (12 GP, 14 G, 8 A, 8 PPP)
  
• Defense: Sergei Gonchar (12 GP, 4 G, 11 A, +5, 9 PPP)
  
• Defense: Zdeno Chara (13 GP, 3 G, 7 A, +7, 4 PPP)
  
• Goalie: Roberto Luongo (12 GP, 8 W, 1.56 GAA, .940 SV%, 4 SO)

Comments:

• Lecavalier and Kovalchuk were both out of their minds in November. They were no brainers for Team of the Month honors.
• Martin Erat has been quietly sensational for the Predators. Four game winners in a single month is great for anyone. Where would they be without his offense?
  
• Chara and Gonchar both had outstanding months. Gonchar's +5 is especially noteworthy considering he does most of his scoring with the man advantage. Maybe it's time for people to start giving him some credit for his defense.
• Luongo gets the nod over Henrik Lundqvist because he takes the ice every game knowing he has to steal points for the beat up and goal-starved Canucks. Lundqvist has a bit more margin for error on most nights. It also doesn't hurt that Luongo closed out November with a three game shutout streak.