Some interesting news out of Pittsburgh, as John LeClair was placed on waivers today. LeClair has seven points in 21 games, has been demoted to the fourth line, and has since his minutes shrink. Whether or not a team will pick him up with his $1.5M contract remains to be seen.
However, you almost wondered when something like this would happen. Unlike Mark Recchi, LeClair doesn't have a dynamic upside as an older player. Especially considering the work done to his back, the fact he has lasted this long is amazing. Though he can bring veteran leadership to the team, right now his salary and place on the roster is just clogging it up for one of the young guns to come up and take their hack with a very young and fairly good hockey club.
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The NHL announced that during the All-Star weekend in January, the NHL will would roll out their new uniform designs. The league said that the uniforms would be streamlined and had the players in mind. The uniforms have been designed over the past two years and will be used starting next season. The uniforms will supposedly allow the players joints to move more freely.
As long as they aren't like the "all-in-one" jersey that rolled out for the GMs, then this could be a good idea. If it's anything like the Olympic Nike Swift jerseys; then it could be better for everyone involved once people get used to it. If it is anything drastically different...it could be a horrible disaster.
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So, we had issues with Alexei Kaigorodov a few weeks back not reporting to Binghamton of the AHL when Ottawa sent him there; now we have Enver Lisin not reporting to San Antonio after Phoenix assigned him there. In both cases, the players have returned to Russia.
You have to think that something isn't right when they get hear they are getting sent down. Obviously, they could make more money in Russia then they could in the AHL; but they can't get the call up and the PT in the NHL...if they are in Russia. The AHL, for all it's worth, is the best developmental tool for these types of players. I'm not saying that their decision wasn't driven by one thing or another; I'm suggesting that they should have given the AHL a try, just for a little bit, then decide from there.
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TSN will make some kind of history by doing a whole broadcast from ice level. Last season, NBC and TSN tried out having their analyst in the little space, between the benches that is usually reserved for photographers. Now, TSN will do a whole broadcast with the play-by-play man and analyst in that little space on the ice.
Personally, I don't know if this is a good idea or disaster waiting to happen. The fact that it's Chris Cuthbert and Glenn Healy, I feel a little safer, yet I'm still skeptical. Not only will they have to deal with cursing hockey players, but I'm sure the players will have side bets to see who hits them first. Unless they get a plexiglass front, I don't see this being the innovative thing TSN is hoping for.
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The Calgary Flames will be retiring Mike Vernon's #30 in February. Vernon helped lead the Flames to the 1989 Stanley Cup, as Vernon had 16 wins, including three shutouts on way to a Stanley Cup championship. In 1997, Vernon won another Cup with the Detroit Red Wings and won the Conn Smythe Award for Playoff MVP.
The thing is not Vernon getting his number retired, he derserved it. The issue I have is why Al MacInnis' #2 is not retired before Vernon. MacInnis was the Smythe winner in 1989 and was a big part of why the Flames were there in the first place. I'm sure he'll get his day, but Big Al should be up in the Saddledome rafters.
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That's it for now. My little post about the AHL will be out soon. Until then, check out the FOHS main site, the FOHS Podcast, and FOHS Message Board.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Monday, November 27, 2006
Around the Rink 11.27.06
Another one bites the dust, as the Chicago Blackhawks fired Trent Yawney as their head coach and promoted Denis Savard as head coach. The Hawks have won only three of their last 15 games and GM Dale Tallon said the team needed a more "up-tempo style." Yawney went 33-55-15 in his tenure as Hawks coach. Savard has been the assistant coach for the Hawks since 1996-97.
The Hawks have been buggered with injuries to the likes of Martin Havlat, Michal Handzus, and Nikolai Khabibulin, which put them in a hole after an otherwise fantastic start to the season. Yet, something like this couldn't be ignored. The Hawks have plenty of talent, but it's a matter of getting people to buy into system; which seems like what happen to Yawney.
Granted, many fans wish Bill Wirtz could somehow get out of the organziation; but it's wishful thinking.
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You have to hate it for Tomas Vokoun. First, he lost the last part of his season to a severe blood clot, came back and got shelled at the start, then has come around as of late. Yet, after a 6-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks, Vokoun tore a ligament in his finger on his blocker hand. On Sunday, the Preds said that Vokoun would be out at least two weeks and as many as six weeks.
The good thing for the Preds is that Chris Mason has been doing great as the back-up and should be able to hold down the fort while Vokoun is on the shelf. Plus, the Preds are tied for second in goals in the Western Conference, behind the Anaheim Ducks and tied with the San Jose Sharks.
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If there is one game to watch on Tuesday, it's going to be the Anaheim Ducks heading into Edmonton to face the Oilers. It's going to be a crazy crowd as Chris Pronger returns to his former team's home barn; where he helped lead the Oilers to the Cup Finals. Of course, this past summer the turmoil between Pronger and the fans happened which makes this game such an event.
Though Oiler fans do have a gripe with Pronger and the way he left, the way they went about it probably was fairly stupid. The good thing is that Pronger is a focused player and the jeers will more than likely not phase Pronger on the ice. The best thing Pronger can hope for is a big win for the Ducks and to put up some points in the victory.
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Alexei Yashin was having a great start to his season with 28 points in his 22 games. It looked like Yashin was loving the game again. Now, the New York Islanders and Yashin will have to wait to see what happens next, as the captain of the Isles will miss the next two to four weeks as Yashin sustained a sprained knee in a 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday.
Yashin has been critized by the media for giving owner Charles Wang bad tips in order to make the team more friendly to Yashin. Yet, the Isles are one of the more surprising teams in the NHL this season, as they are second in the Atlantic Division and seventh in the Eastern Conference. The loss of Yashin is a big hit, but with plenty of role players stepping up; the pain should be eased a little.
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That's all for now. Be on the lookout for something in the next couple of days concerning clones in hockey. Until then, check out the FOHS Site, the FOHS Podcast, and the FOHS Message Board for all the fun.
The Hawks have been buggered with injuries to the likes of Martin Havlat, Michal Handzus, and Nikolai Khabibulin, which put them in a hole after an otherwise fantastic start to the season. Yet, something like this couldn't be ignored. The Hawks have plenty of talent, but it's a matter of getting people to buy into system; which seems like what happen to Yawney.
Granted, many fans wish Bill Wirtz could somehow get out of the organziation; but it's wishful thinking.
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You have to hate it for Tomas Vokoun. First, he lost the last part of his season to a severe blood clot, came back and got shelled at the start, then has come around as of late. Yet, after a 6-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks, Vokoun tore a ligament in his finger on his blocker hand. On Sunday, the Preds said that Vokoun would be out at least two weeks and as many as six weeks.
The good thing for the Preds is that Chris Mason has been doing great as the back-up and should be able to hold down the fort while Vokoun is on the shelf. Plus, the Preds are tied for second in goals in the Western Conference, behind the Anaheim Ducks and tied with the San Jose Sharks.
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If there is one game to watch on Tuesday, it's going to be the Anaheim Ducks heading into Edmonton to face the Oilers. It's going to be a crazy crowd as Chris Pronger returns to his former team's home barn; where he helped lead the Oilers to the Cup Finals. Of course, this past summer the turmoil between Pronger and the fans happened which makes this game such an event.
Though Oiler fans do have a gripe with Pronger and the way he left, the way they went about it probably was fairly stupid. The good thing is that Pronger is a focused player and the jeers will more than likely not phase Pronger on the ice. The best thing Pronger can hope for is a big win for the Ducks and to put up some points in the victory.
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Alexei Yashin was having a great start to his season with 28 points in his 22 games. It looked like Yashin was loving the game again. Now, the New York Islanders and Yashin will have to wait to see what happens next, as the captain of the Isles will miss the next two to four weeks as Yashin sustained a sprained knee in a 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday.
Yashin has been critized by the media for giving owner Charles Wang bad tips in order to make the team more friendly to Yashin. Yet, the Isles are one of the more surprising teams in the NHL this season, as they are second in the Atlantic Division and seventh in the Eastern Conference. The loss of Yashin is a big hit, but with plenty of role players stepping up; the pain should be eased a little.
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That's all for now. Be on the lookout for something in the next couple of days concerning clones in hockey. Until then, check out the FOHS Site, the FOHS Podcast, and the FOHS Message Board for all the fun.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Around the Rink 11.23.06
The Columbus Blue Jackets did the inevitable and named Ken Hitchcock their new head coach. Hitchcock signed a three year deal with the Jackets to make the deal official. The hope for many is that Hitchcock will actually be able to make the team play a complete game, rather than thinking offense and hope the defense will come later.
Granted, this isn't the upgrade Hitchcock may have wanted, but it's coaching in the NHL; so he'll take it. The task for Hitchcock now is the actually get the room to listen to him. What this move also does is allow Doug MacLean to keep his job, though many Jackets' fans want him out of there. We'll see if this changes the team or blows up in their faces.
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The "lame duck" GM in Toronto has a reprise. John Ferguson Jr. found out that Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the owners of the Leafs, will pick up Ferguson's option for another year. It's not the extension that many believe he would get; but it at least means he'll be there next season as well.
There's many around the GTA that think Ferguson should have been fired, with all the bad contract decisions he has made. Of course, with the Leafs off to a decent start; those sentiments have changed. Yet, one thing that is certain in Toronto-- you win, they love you; you lose-- you're out of town.
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There was an interesting article about how Georges Laraque is worried about the role of enforcers in the new NHL. Laraque states that within two years, the enforcer role will be extinct. Laraque notes that more and more teams are ditching the fighters because the league isn't geared towards fighters.
It's a good article to read and big Georges is right. A lot of the younger guys are going to have to adapt or else be left behind. In the junior leagues, every team has a designated fighter pretty much, but they'll have to craft a good balance between the rough stuff and being a good stick-handler/scorer as an aside.
Laraque has found that touch this year, Chris Neil found it last year into this year, while others still need some work before they can think their job is safe.
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A couple entries back, I talked about how idiotic the fan balloting is for All-Star Games. Before the ballot came out, I mentioned on the show to write-in myself and Marc. However, since it's online, you can't actually WRITE in your vote. In absence of that, some fans have thought of something better.
VoteForRory.com is an online movement to get Vancouver Canuck defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick on the All-Star team as a write-in candidate. So, I implore you to go check out the site and Vote for Rory.
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That's it for now, there's more stuff in the works, so keep checking the blog, the FOHS site, the FOHS Podcast and FOHS Message Board.
Granted, this isn't the upgrade Hitchcock may have wanted, but it's coaching in the NHL; so he'll take it. The task for Hitchcock now is the actually get the room to listen to him. What this move also does is allow Doug MacLean to keep his job, though many Jackets' fans want him out of there. We'll see if this changes the team or blows up in their faces.
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The "lame duck" GM in Toronto has a reprise. John Ferguson Jr. found out that Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the owners of the Leafs, will pick up Ferguson's option for another year. It's not the extension that many believe he would get; but it at least means he'll be there next season as well.
There's many around the GTA that think Ferguson should have been fired, with all the bad contract decisions he has made. Of course, with the Leafs off to a decent start; those sentiments have changed. Yet, one thing that is certain in Toronto-- you win, they love you; you lose-- you're out of town.
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There was an interesting article about how Georges Laraque is worried about the role of enforcers in the new NHL. Laraque states that within two years, the enforcer role will be extinct. Laraque notes that more and more teams are ditching the fighters because the league isn't geared towards fighters.
It's a good article to read and big Georges is right. A lot of the younger guys are going to have to adapt or else be left behind. In the junior leagues, every team has a designated fighter pretty much, but they'll have to craft a good balance between the rough stuff and being a good stick-handler/scorer as an aside.
Laraque has found that touch this year, Chris Neil found it last year into this year, while others still need some work before they can think their job is safe.
---------
A couple entries back, I talked about how idiotic the fan balloting is for All-Star Games. Before the ballot came out, I mentioned on the show to write-in myself and Marc. However, since it's online, you can't actually WRITE in your vote. In absence of that, some fans have thought of something better.
VoteForRory.com is an online movement to get Vancouver Canuck defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick on the All-Star team as a write-in candidate. So, I implore you to go check out the site and Vote for Rory.
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That's it for now, there's more stuff in the works, so keep checking the blog, the FOHS site, the FOHS Podcast and FOHS Message Board.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
The Rail Cam Debate
On Monday night, Versus (formerly OLN) tried out their newest innovation to bring to a telecast, the rail cam. You may remember the rail cam from Heritage Classic, which saw a camera follow the play from end-to-end; much like a hockey video game would.
After all was said and done, there were plenty of various opinions. The main one was that the camera was too bulky and obstructing the view of not only the regular camera views, but also those of the fans in the stands. Sean-O said that even though it's a great shot, it shouldn't be used as a main shot, which is what VSOLN seems to be using. Others had varied opinions from wanting it taken out after one game to people actually wanting to see more of it.
If you have seen it, take a quick look at clip one and clip two from VSOLN by way of YouTube.
Personally, I didn't see the game in real-time, only getting clips. I'd like to see more as it progresses through the season, but I don't think the execution is there just yet. The idea is there, the action of setting it up and actually using it is there; but the execution could have been a whole lot better. It'll be interesting to see what VSOLN will do with this, but unless they can execute it properly; it'll be crap.
I think one of the problems that VSOLN has that CBC and the Heritage Classic didn't was the camera angles of the hard cameras. The good thing about having a hockey game on a football field was the area around the rink to use as hard camera positioned. Plus, with the stands starting 100 feet back, the rail cam didn't effect much even thought it was bulky. If VSOLN can find a way to compact their rail cam and use their hard camera angles better; then this could be a the best thing since sliced bread.
This is almost like the end-zone cam that is used during the power-plays to help out the actual viewing pleasure of most fans, both hard-core and casual alike.
I'd love to hear your thoughts about the rail-cam, so hit us up at the FOHS Email or in the comments' section on the blog.
After all was said and done, there were plenty of various opinions. The main one was that the camera was too bulky and obstructing the view of not only the regular camera views, but also those of the fans in the stands. Sean-O said that even though it's a great shot, it shouldn't be used as a main shot, which is what VSOLN seems to be using. Others had varied opinions from wanting it taken out after one game to people actually wanting to see more of it.
If you have seen it, take a quick look at clip one and clip two from VSOLN by way of YouTube.
Personally, I didn't see the game in real-time, only getting clips. I'd like to see more as it progresses through the season, but I don't think the execution is there just yet. The idea is there, the action of setting it up and actually using it is there; but the execution could have been a whole lot better. It'll be interesting to see what VSOLN will do with this, but unless they can execute it properly; it'll be crap.
I think one of the problems that VSOLN has that CBC and the Heritage Classic didn't was the camera angles of the hard cameras. The good thing about having a hockey game on a football field was the area around the rink to use as hard camera positioned. Plus, with the stands starting 100 feet back, the rail cam didn't effect much even thought it was bulky. If VSOLN can find a way to compact their rail cam and use their hard camera angles better; then this could be a the best thing since sliced bread.
This is almost like the end-zone cam that is used during the power-plays to help out the actual viewing pleasure of most fans, both hard-core and casual alike.
I'd love to hear your thoughts about the rail-cam, so hit us up at the FOHS Email or in the comments' section on the blog.
Around the Rink 11.21.06
It seems that the race for the Columbus Blue Jackets' coach is down to Ken Hitchcock and Andy Murray. Now, either one of these choices right now would be good to whip the team into shape. Whether or not it creates a mutiny in the room is a different story. The Jackets really haven't had a hard-nosed coach, per se, but with either Murray or Hitchcock coming into the fold, that's going to change real quickly.
The main thing that needs to change is scoring, or the lack there of. Rick Nash leads the team with six goals on the year and are currently last in the NHL in goals for with 40. Something needs to kick-start the talent on this team and a coaching chance should be good for what ails them.
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Speaking of Hitchcock, his former team, the Philadelphia Flyers, announced that they have extended the contract of new coach John Stevens. Stevens won a Calder Cup with the Philly Phantoms two seasons ago and the hope is that Stevens can try to salvage any part of this season for the Flyers.
Granted, we're only 20 games in, but let's not kid anyone in thinking that the Flyers will make a dramatic comeback. They only have one regular who is not a minus and that's Randy Robitaille who is an even rating; and that's discounting Todd Fedoruk because he hasn't played a game yet in Philly. We'll see where this takes them, but with Stevens knowing his job is safe for now, it could open up a whole lot of chances.
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Marc Denis is in full free-fall mode, much to the dismay of many Tampa fans. Denis hasn't won since October 26th, has let in at least six goals in two of his last three starts, and could have his position plucked from him by Johan Holmqvist. Denis was brought in to stop the bleeding for the Bolts in net, which hasn't happened.
You know, I sat here in the summer talking about how underrated Denis was and he's not making me look good at all. Is it because the Bolts miss Pavel Kubina that much?? Is it because they don't have many stay-at-home defensemen?? Is Denis just that bad?? Personally, I couldn't tell you; but it doesn't look good in any light when it hits the bottom line.
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Some WHL news as Dustin Slade, one of the top goalies in the WHL, quit the Vancouver Giants to persue a pro career. Apparently, Slade was unhappy with sharing time with Tyler Sexsmith in net, which led Slade to talk to coach Don Hay about it and ultimately leaving the team. The Giants had moved two players, both overagers, to keep Slade on the roster.
News flash to Slade, welcome to life as a goalie. There's going to be situations whereas you have to see what the other kid is going to do and then split the games if need be. If you're winning, that shouldn't be an issue; though I see where a competitor would want to play every game. Bottom line, you're name is not Martin Brodeur, Miikka Kiprusoff, or Olaf Kolzig. You're going to have to come to the realization that you're not going to get every start because someone is equal to the task.
I guess in the end, sitting on the bench in the ECHL or some other minor league making a bit of change is better than playing for a small stipen in the WHL.
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With trade talks heating up, you better stay tuned to the Face Off Hockey Show blog, the Face Off Hockey Show, the FOHS Podcast, and the FOHS Message Board so you don't miss a single deal.
The main thing that needs to change is scoring, or the lack there of. Rick Nash leads the team with six goals on the year and are currently last in the NHL in goals for with 40. Something needs to kick-start the talent on this team and a coaching chance should be good for what ails them.
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Speaking of Hitchcock, his former team, the Philadelphia Flyers, announced that they have extended the contract of new coach John Stevens. Stevens won a Calder Cup with the Philly Phantoms two seasons ago and the hope is that Stevens can try to salvage any part of this season for the Flyers.
Granted, we're only 20 games in, but let's not kid anyone in thinking that the Flyers will make a dramatic comeback. They only have one regular who is not a minus and that's Randy Robitaille who is an even rating; and that's discounting Todd Fedoruk because he hasn't played a game yet in Philly. We'll see where this takes them, but with Stevens knowing his job is safe for now, it could open up a whole lot of chances.
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Marc Denis is in full free-fall mode, much to the dismay of many Tampa fans. Denis hasn't won since October 26th, has let in at least six goals in two of his last three starts, and could have his position plucked from him by Johan Holmqvist. Denis was brought in to stop the bleeding for the Bolts in net, which hasn't happened.
You know, I sat here in the summer talking about how underrated Denis was and he's not making me look good at all. Is it because the Bolts miss Pavel Kubina that much?? Is it because they don't have many stay-at-home defensemen?? Is Denis just that bad?? Personally, I couldn't tell you; but it doesn't look good in any light when it hits the bottom line.
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Some WHL news as Dustin Slade, one of the top goalies in the WHL, quit the Vancouver Giants to persue a pro career. Apparently, Slade was unhappy with sharing time with Tyler Sexsmith in net, which led Slade to talk to coach Don Hay about it and ultimately leaving the team. The Giants had moved two players, both overagers, to keep Slade on the roster.
News flash to Slade, welcome to life as a goalie. There's going to be situations whereas you have to see what the other kid is going to do and then split the games if need be. If you're winning, that shouldn't be an issue; though I see where a competitor would want to play every game. Bottom line, you're name is not Martin Brodeur, Miikka Kiprusoff, or Olaf Kolzig. You're going to have to come to the realization that you're not going to get every start because someone is equal to the task.
I guess in the end, sitting on the bench in the ECHL or some other minor league making a bit of change is better than playing for a small stipen in the WHL.
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With trade talks heating up, you better stay tuned to the Face Off Hockey Show blog, the Face Off Hockey Show, the FOHS Podcast, and the FOHS Message Board so you don't miss a single deal.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Around the Rink 11.14.06
The second coaching victim of the season happened, but this one wasn't a big surprise. The Columbus Blue Jackets fired Gerard Gallant and are expected to name assistant coach Gary Agnew the interim head coach. Gallant coached 142 games for Columbus, but went 56-76-10 in his tenure.
Gallant's name has always been around when it comes to coaching changes, but many thought it would be much, much earlier than this. The Blue Jackets have plenty of talent. All that is missing is a coach who can be a motivator and mentor for the youngsters, something that Gallant couldn't do.
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Brian Burke and the Anaheim Ducks made three deals today and freed up $800k in cap space. Whether or not it brings more trades is to be determined. The Ducks traded off Stanislav Chistov to the Boston Bruins for a third-round pick in '07 ot '08; dealt Todd Fedoruk to the Philadelphia Flyers for a fourth-round pick in '07; and acquired George Parros from the Colorado Avalanche for a second-round pick in '07.
Like I said, many believe that this is a start to moving Ilya Bryzgalov. I don't know if that would be the best wise move. J-S Giguere has been playing great; but you never know when he could get injured or start to fade. We'll keep tabs on this, but knowing Brian Burke...anything can and usually does happen.
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The NHL announced that they would be giving out a new weekly award to the player that displays leadership on and off the ice. The award will be named after Mark Messier.
Props to Mark Messier for getting this named after him, but come on-- don't we have enough trophies and awards?? I don't even know how you can give this out on a weekly basis, especially since it's really arbitrary on who gets it. Make it a monthly or yearly thing, but not weekly. And enough with the trophies. Unless there's going to be a Wayne Gretzky trophy for most assists in the season; just stop. I don't want to talk about who could win the Alexandre Daigle Award for biggest flop.
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The Hall of Fame Inductions of Patrick Roy, Dick Duff, Herb Brooks, and Harley Hotchkiss is tonight. Of course, with this sparks debate on who is next to go into the Hall and who could be first ballots and who won't.
As much as I would love to go into it, our buddy Lyle Richardson has one of the best takes on the whole situation.
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That's it for now, but as always, check out Face Off Hockey Show, the FOHS Podcast, and the FOHS Message Boards.
Gallant's name has always been around when it comes to coaching changes, but many thought it would be much, much earlier than this. The Blue Jackets have plenty of talent. All that is missing is a coach who can be a motivator and mentor for the youngsters, something that Gallant couldn't do.
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Brian Burke and the Anaheim Ducks made three deals today and freed up $800k in cap space. Whether or not it brings more trades is to be determined. The Ducks traded off Stanislav Chistov to the Boston Bruins for a third-round pick in '07 ot '08; dealt Todd Fedoruk to the Philadelphia Flyers for a fourth-round pick in '07; and acquired George Parros from the Colorado Avalanche for a second-round pick in '07.
Like I said, many believe that this is a start to moving Ilya Bryzgalov. I don't know if that would be the best wise move. J-S Giguere has been playing great; but you never know when he could get injured or start to fade. We'll keep tabs on this, but knowing Brian Burke...anything can and usually does happen.
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The NHL announced that they would be giving out a new weekly award to the player that displays leadership on and off the ice. The award will be named after Mark Messier.
Props to Mark Messier for getting this named after him, but come on-- don't we have enough trophies and awards?? I don't even know how you can give this out on a weekly basis, especially since it's really arbitrary on who gets it. Make it a monthly or yearly thing, but not weekly. And enough with the trophies. Unless there's going to be a Wayne Gretzky trophy for most assists in the season; just stop. I don't want to talk about who could win the Alexandre Daigle Award for biggest flop.
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The Hall of Fame Inductions of Patrick Roy, Dick Duff, Herb Brooks, and Harley Hotchkiss is tonight. Of course, with this sparks debate on who is next to go into the Hall and who could be first ballots and who won't.
As much as I would love to go into it, our buddy Lyle Richardson has one of the best takes on the whole situation.
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That's it for now, but as always, check out Face Off Hockey Show, the FOHS Podcast, and the FOHS Message Boards.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Around the Rink 11.11.06
The Anaheim Ducks have been as good as advertised this season. However, a night after setting the record for most games without a regulation loss, a 6-0 thumping of Vancouver, the Ducks got shutout by Calgary 3-0.
We all knew this couldn't last (unless it was NHL94 against the computer with the offsides off), but the Ducks are showing the league they can be "mighty" without it being in their name. J-S Giguere has gotten back to his '02-'03 form, the pair of Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer is just completely dominant, and the diversity of forwards scoring is pretty amazing. It looks like the Ducks ditched Disney just in time.
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Speaking of the Flames, they seem to have hit their stride. Tony Amonte is finally earning his contract, Jarome Iginla is looking like a man on a serious mission, while Miikka Kiprusoff has been solid night-in and night-out...like always. It seems that after October, the Flames flip a switch and they get back on the right track again.
Amazingly enough, about 10 games in; people in Calgary were writing the team off. One Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun even went so far as saying the Flames wouldn't make the playoffs, regardless the fact that there were 72 games to play. They aren't back at .500 and it may be too early to jump back on the bandwagon for some; but you can't write off a team with this much talent on it and with such high expectations.
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What has happened to the Buffalo Sabres?? They have been winning games, but the fact that they have given up at least four goals in the last five games could be cause for concern. Are they crashing down to Earth after the quick high?? Have teams just figured them out and what weaknesses they have?? I don't have the answer, but for a team to get a great start out of the gate and then start stumbling is scary.
The Sabres are good, I'm not saying otherwise; but something has to be done. Whether it's getting on the defense or goaltending that's the answer; then something needs to be done. The tandem of Martin Biron and Ryan Miller could be, on paper, the best tandem in the league; but they sure as hell aren't showing it lately.
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Are the Ottawa Senators going to be the bi-polar team of this year?? Here's another team, like the Flames, who shouldn't be this bad with the team they have. The one thing I have seen out of them is that they are missing something. I can't pinpoint it, but there's something in their game that is stiffling the confidence of the team and is why they have blown so many leads this year.
Frankly, the combination of Zdeno Chara leaving, Martin Gerber flopping, and overconfidence is what is hassling the team. If you put all three of those together, you have a recipie for disaster in Canada's capital. Is it too late to turn it around?? No, but if something doesn't happen soon, you can bet that there will be some movement one way or the other.
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The Phoenix Coyotes can't catch a break. First, they lose their leading scorer, Mike Comrie, to foot surgery; today, they announced that Shane Doan and Nick Boynton will be out a while.
Right now, they can only hope that Wayne Gretzky straps up the skates again and plays the Reggie Dunlop role on the team; because (to be brutally honest) that's the only way this team will be relevant this season.
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The NHL leaked out the players on the NHL All-Star Ballot for this January. There's really not many surprises on here with all your favorites out there.
However, this has been brought up on the show many times; fan voting is idiotic. That's not a knock on any of you reading this, but it's the truth. People are going to pick their favorite player regardless of how good a year they are having.
You know-- listen into the show or replay Podcast for November 8th, because I have a hairbrain scheme that just could work to straighten this all out.
---------
That's all for now, but as always; check out Face Off Hockey Show every Wednesday at 9 PM ET for all the fun; especially this coming Wednesday. Can't make the show?? Then check out the FOHS Podcast for all you missed and go by the FOHS Message Boards to post about the show and all the fun stuff happening.
We all knew this couldn't last (unless it was NHL94 against the computer with the offsides off), but the Ducks are showing the league they can be "mighty" without it being in their name. J-S Giguere has gotten back to his '02-'03 form, the pair of Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer is just completely dominant, and the diversity of forwards scoring is pretty amazing. It looks like the Ducks ditched Disney just in time.
---------
Speaking of the Flames, they seem to have hit their stride. Tony Amonte is finally earning his contract, Jarome Iginla is looking like a man on a serious mission, while Miikka Kiprusoff has been solid night-in and night-out...like always. It seems that after October, the Flames flip a switch and they get back on the right track again.
Amazingly enough, about 10 games in; people in Calgary were writing the team off. One Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun even went so far as saying the Flames wouldn't make the playoffs, regardless the fact that there were 72 games to play. They aren't back at .500 and it may be too early to jump back on the bandwagon for some; but you can't write off a team with this much talent on it and with such high expectations.
---------
What has happened to the Buffalo Sabres?? They have been winning games, but the fact that they have given up at least four goals in the last five games could be cause for concern. Are they crashing down to Earth after the quick high?? Have teams just figured them out and what weaknesses they have?? I don't have the answer, but for a team to get a great start out of the gate and then start stumbling is scary.
The Sabres are good, I'm not saying otherwise; but something has to be done. Whether it's getting on the defense or goaltending that's the answer; then something needs to be done. The tandem of Martin Biron and Ryan Miller could be, on paper, the best tandem in the league; but they sure as hell aren't showing it lately.
---------
Are the Ottawa Senators going to be the bi-polar team of this year?? Here's another team, like the Flames, who shouldn't be this bad with the team they have. The one thing I have seen out of them is that they are missing something. I can't pinpoint it, but there's something in their game that is stiffling the confidence of the team and is why they have blown so many leads this year.
Frankly, the combination of Zdeno Chara leaving, Martin Gerber flopping, and overconfidence is what is hassling the team. If you put all three of those together, you have a recipie for disaster in Canada's capital. Is it too late to turn it around?? No, but if something doesn't happen soon, you can bet that there will be some movement one way or the other.
---------
The Phoenix Coyotes can't catch a break. First, they lose their leading scorer, Mike Comrie, to foot surgery; today, they announced that Shane Doan and Nick Boynton will be out a while.
Right now, they can only hope that Wayne Gretzky straps up the skates again and plays the Reggie Dunlop role on the team; because (to be brutally honest) that's the only way this team will be relevant this season.
---------
The NHL leaked out the players on the NHL All-Star Ballot for this January. There's really not many surprises on here with all your favorites out there.
However, this has been brought up on the show many times; fan voting is idiotic. That's not a knock on any of you reading this, but it's the truth. People are going to pick their favorite player regardless of how good a year they are having.
You know-- listen into the show or replay Podcast for November 8th, because I have a hairbrain scheme that just could work to straighten this all out.
---------
That's all for now, but as always; check out Face Off Hockey Show every Wednesday at 9 PM ET for all the fun; especially this coming Wednesday. Can't make the show?? Then check out the FOHS Podcast for all you missed and go by the FOHS Message Boards to post about the show and all the fun stuff happening.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Around the Rink 11.08.06
The Toronto Maple Leafs got a hit today when they found out that Captain Mats Sundin will be out three to four weeks with ligament tear in his right elbow. Sundin had 19 points (8g, 11a), which leads the Leafs for the season thus far.
With the Leafs doing so well, it's probably the worse case scenario to have Sundin out for a long period of time. We'll see the true resolve of the team to see if they can bounce back from this news or not.
---------
Speaking of injuries, doesn't it seem like there are more injuries than last season?? Maybe it's me, but it seems everyday there's a new crop of injury news coming around. Yet, it's not the normal "day-to-day" groin pull that happened last season; but it's a lot of serious stuff. There's plenty of ankle injuries this year with Martin Havlat, Chris Higgins, and Jeff Carter. Of course, plenty of back issues has been out there and some "upper-body" stuff, but it just seems like there plenty of them.
I'm sure I'm crazy; but still.
---------
The Vancouver Canucks announced that Luc Bourdon has been sent back to the QMJHL's Moncton Wildcats. Bourdon had no points in his nine games with the Canucks and would have had his contract kick in if he played one more game.
Bourdon is a good defenseman is a hulking presence, but he's not ready for the NHL just yet. He'll have his time to grow and we'll probably see him in the AHL at the end of his junior season. In this instance, I really applaud the AHL for making a 20-year-old age limit for incoming players. It allows more players to get time in juniors and mature before making the big jump.
---------
The NHL GMs concluded their meetings yesterday. The one thing many thought would be possibly changed, the schedule, wasn't changed or thought of during the meeting. I'm sure that the conflict won't go away, but it won't be resolved any time soon. You see, the Western Conference teams want to have more games against the Eastern Conference for the young guns to be seen once a year. The Eastern teams want to keep travel cost downs.
The East, of course, is all up and down the Atlantic seaboard, which had all 15 teams in close quarters. The West is spread out from part of the Eastern Time Zone to the Pacific Time Zone, so travel isn't a big deal for them. So, like always, I'll have to come up with a solution:
-One game, home and away, against other conference teams (30 total)
-Five games each against Divisional teams (20 total)
-Three games against each team outside your division, but in your conference (30 total)
That's 80 games for the year. Though it takes away a home game for each team, it always takes away a travel date. Plus, fewer games aren't the worst thing and could actually make the Finals end in May. Food for thought.
---------
Remember to listen into Face Off Hockey Show live tonight at 9 PM ET. If you can't catch it live, make sure you check out the FOHS Podcast to catch all you lost and to log into the FOHS Message Board to talk about the show and to just shoot the bull.
With the Leafs doing so well, it's probably the worse case scenario to have Sundin out for a long period of time. We'll see the true resolve of the team to see if they can bounce back from this news or not.
---------
Speaking of injuries, doesn't it seem like there are more injuries than last season?? Maybe it's me, but it seems everyday there's a new crop of injury news coming around. Yet, it's not the normal "day-to-day" groin pull that happened last season; but it's a lot of serious stuff. There's plenty of ankle injuries this year with Martin Havlat, Chris Higgins, and Jeff Carter. Of course, plenty of back issues has been out there and some "upper-body" stuff, but it just seems like there plenty of them.
I'm sure I'm crazy; but still.
---------
The Vancouver Canucks announced that Luc Bourdon has been sent back to the QMJHL's Moncton Wildcats. Bourdon had no points in his nine games with the Canucks and would have had his contract kick in if he played one more game.
Bourdon is a good defenseman is a hulking presence, but he's not ready for the NHL just yet. He'll have his time to grow and we'll probably see him in the AHL at the end of his junior season. In this instance, I really applaud the AHL for making a 20-year-old age limit for incoming players. It allows more players to get time in juniors and mature before making the big jump.
---------
The NHL GMs concluded their meetings yesterday. The one thing many thought would be possibly changed, the schedule, wasn't changed or thought of during the meeting. I'm sure that the conflict won't go away, but it won't be resolved any time soon. You see, the Western Conference teams want to have more games against the Eastern Conference for the young guns to be seen once a year. The Eastern teams want to keep travel cost downs.
The East, of course, is all up and down the Atlantic seaboard, which had all 15 teams in close quarters. The West is spread out from part of the Eastern Time Zone to the Pacific Time Zone, so travel isn't a big deal for them. So, like always, I'll have to come up with a solution:
-One game, home and away, against other conference teams (30 total)
-Five games each against Divisional teams (20 total)
-Three games against each team outside your division, but in your conference (30 total)
That's 80 games for the year. Though it takes away a home game for each team, it always takes away a travel date. Plus, fewer games aren't the worst thing and could actually make the Finals end in May. Food for thought.
---------
Remember to listen into Face Off Hockey Show live tonight at 9 PM ET. If you can't catch it live, make sure you check out the FOHS Podcast to catch all you lost and to log into the FOHS Message Board to talk about the show and to just shoot the bull.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Around the Rink 11.06.06
The news is getting worse for the Phoenix Coyotes. After a come-from-behind victory on Saturday night over the LA Kings; it was announced today that leading scorer Mike Comrie will be out for a month with a broken foot. The injury occured on Friday night after Comrie took a shot to the foot. Comrie lead the team with 11 points.
I mean-- it's bad enough that the Coyotes are struggling out of the gate, but to have your leading scorer injured in the process is a slap in the face. They better hope that Shane Doan's back problems are behind him so he can try and pick up the slack.
---------
I've ranted about this on the show, but I think I'll take it hear were I can elaborate more. I don't like the "Three Stars" awards in place of the Offensive/Defensive award. I understand what the NHL is trying to do and it's cute. However, my fear is that one of these weeks; there will be three forwards and no defensive representation. I know that the NHL would find some way to get a defenseman or goalie in; but that's just a fear I have.
It seems like it's always an offensive and defensive as #1 and #2 for the week and the third was picked out of a hat containing five or six names just to fill out the void left. As much as the NHL wants to change; don't change it for the sake of change. The Offensive/Defensive was a better option because it was a tougher pick amongst a pool where as thee Three Stars could be luck of the draw.
---------
Now, Oilers fan; please just breeze past this because I'm going to talk about Friday night's game. If you don't want to deal with the heartache; just move along.
If you haven't seen what happened at the end of the Oilers/Stars game on Friday night; here's video courtesy of YouTube. As you can see, the Oilers scored....but only after Mick McGeough had whistled the play down on what he thought was a hand pass. For the defense of McGeough; with Horcoff's bottom-hand all the way down the stick; it's easy to assume that could have happened. However, for the Oiler's defense; he was on the other side of the ice and was blocked by everyone else on the ice. That would have tied the game, but it ended in a loss for Edmonton.
The comments that took place after where Oiler's coach Craig MacTavish called the call "retarded" got him fined $10k. The NHL wants to be a fan-friendly industry, why fine someone for saying something everyone in Rexall Place and pretty much everywhere else (sans those who root for Dallas) was thinking and probably said when they saw the call. Look, it could be in bad taste; but when you grant the media access to a coach or player after something like that happened 5 minutes before the sworm, expect emotions to run over.
---------
Senators' rookie Alexei Kaigodorov was suspened by the team after he refused to go to the AHL. Kaigodorov had said that if the Senators sent him down, he would go back to Russia the play for Magnitogorsk. That seems like it's going to happen.
The odd thing about this is that Kaigodorov and the Senators were not dinged when it came to the Russian league accusing the NHL of stealing players. Did the Russian league not care about the Sens?? Did they not care about Kaigodorov?? It's possible, but the more likely scenario is probably what Kaigodorov did when he actually gave in his two-week notice; he stayed with the team for those two weeks. He didn't bolt the minute the Sens came calling; he gave his two-week notice, he stayed with the team while waiting for those two weeks, and then he went over to North America. I'm sure had the others done something like that; there wouldn't be a huge mess like there is right now.
---------
Now, I understand why Evgeni Malkin was named Rookie of the Month. He was a house of fire coming in and hasn't disappointed. However, the thing I'm concerned about is this becoming like the whole Sidney Crosby thing last year where he's given the Calder in October; but is blown out come June when the actual award happens.
Granted, the rookie class of this year hasn't had the pizzazz last year's had; but there's plenty of talent. Though, East Coast bias could play into it as guys like Matt Carle and Anze Kopitar are in California, where I think the law is that all hockey games must start at 7:30 local time to completely screw the East Coast papers.
All I'm saying is that Malkin would have won the Rookie of the Month sooner rather than later; why not award a rookie who played all the games and didn't just steal the scene like Malkin did. Plus, remember Sean-O's rookie theorem: There will be a rookie coming out of the blue in the second half to win the award.
---------
By the way, anyone who wants the Philadelphia Flyers' GM job; I think all you have to do is contact the Flyers' office and say you rocked in the dynasty mode in NHL07 and you should be given an offer. That's how it seems, since Ed Snider really wants someone other than Paul Holmgren in charge. They even went behind Holmgren's back to offer the job to Colin Campbell, though he rejected it.
I'm not a fan of the Flyers' by any means, but you would think that someone like Snider would have the decency to sit Holmgren down and tell him straight up that the job may be right for him, but he's not right for the job. It's that simple, and though Holmgren may not like it-- he'll respect the organization a lot more because of that.
---------
On a final note, it seems that the NHL Network could be heading south. While looking that Job Postings on NHL.com; I found this little job tidbit. It seems that Comcast (most likely since they are the primary rights holder) is gearing up to carry the NHL Network. It's been in Canada for a couple of years now and seems to be desired amongst the hockey faithful in the US.
Whether or not enough people will buy into it will be told in time, but those who want the NHL Network; contact your cable or satellite provider or the NHL.
For the time being, here's a look at the NHL Network in Canada and what they are offering and the always reliable Wikipedia entry about the NHL Network in the US.
---------
That's it for now. I promise, I'll take better care of updating. I know I've said it before; but this time, I kinda mean it....maybe. In any case, check out Face Off Hockey Show Wednesday Nights at 9 PM ET or always on at the FOHS Podcast site. If all else fails, check the FOHS Message Boards to gab about all there is to gab about.
I mean-- it's bad enough that the Coyotes are struggling out of the gate, but to have your leading scorer injured in the process is a slap in the face. They better hope that Shane Doan's back problems are behind him so he can try and pick up the slack.
---------
I've ranted about this on the show, but I think I'll take it hear were I can elaborate more. I don't like the "Three Stars" awards in place of the Offensive/Defensive award. I understand what the NHL is trying to do and it's cute. However, my fear is that one of these weeks; there will be three forwards and no defensive representation. I know that the NHL would find some way to get a defenseman or goalie in; but that's just a fear I have.
It seems like it's always an offensive and defensive as #1 and #2 for the week and the third was picked out of a hat containing five or six names just to fill out the void left. As much as the NHL wants to change; don't change it for the sake of change. The Offensive/Defensive was a better option because it was a tougher pick amongst a pool where as thee Three Stars could be luck of the draw.
---------
Now, Oilers fan; please just breeze past this because I'm going to talk about Friday night's game. If you don't want to deal with the heartache; just move along.
If you haven't seen what happened at the end of the Oilers/Stars game on Friday night; here's video courtesy of YouTube. As you can see, the Oilers scored....but only after Mick McGeough had whistled the play down on what he thought was a hand pass. For the defense of McGeough; with Horcoff's bottom-hand all the way down the stick; it's easy to assume that could have happened. However, for the Oiler's defense; he was on the other side of the ice and was blocked by everyone else on the ice. That would have tied the game, but it ended in a loss for Edmonton.
The comments that took place after where Oiler's coach Craig MacTavish called the call "retarded" got him fined $10k. The NHL wants to be a fan-friendly industry, why fine someone for saying something everyone in Rexall Place and pretty much everywhere else (sans those who root for Dallas) was thinking and probably said when they saw the call. Look, it could be in bad taste; but when you grant the media access to a coach or player after something like that happened 5 minutes before the sworm, expect emotions to run over.
---------
Senators' rookie Alexei Kaigodorov was suspened by the team after he refused to go to the AHL. Kaigodorov had said that if the Senators sent him down, he would go back to Russia the play for Magnitogorsk. That seems like it's going to happen.
The odd thing about this is that Kaigodorov and the Senators were not dinged when it came to the Russian league accusing the NHL of stealing players. Did the Russian league not care about the Sens?? Did they not care about Kaigodorov?? It's possible, but the more likely scenario is probably what Kaigodorov did when he actually gave in his two-week notice; he stayed with the team for those two weeks. He didn't bolt the minute the Sens came calling; he gave his two-week notice, he stayed with the team while waiting for those two weeks, and then he went over to North America. I'm sure had the others done something like that; there wouldn't be a huge mess like there is right now.
---------
Now, I understand why Evgeni Malkin was named Rookie of the Month. He was a house of fire coming in and hasn't disappointed. However, the thing I'm concerned about is this becoming like the whole Sidney Crosby thing last year where he's given the Calder in October; but is blown out come June when the actual award happens.
Granted, the rookie class of this year hasn't had the pizzazz last year's had; but there's plenty of talent. Though, East Coast bias could play into it as guys like Matt Carle and Anze Kopitar are in California, where I think the law is that all hockey games must start at 7:30 local time to completely screw the East Coast papers.
All I'm saying is that Malkin would have won the Rookie of the Month sooner rather than later; why not award a rookie who played all the games and didn't just steal the scene like Malkin did. Plus, remember Sean-O's rookie theorem: There will be a rookie coming out of the blue in the second half to win the award.
---------
By the way, anyone who wants the Philadelphia Flyers' GM job; I think all you have to do is contact the Flyers' office and say you rocked in the dynasty mode in NHL07 and you should be given an offer. That's how it seems, since Ed Snider really wants someone other than Paul Holmgren in charge. They even went behind Holmgren's back to offer the job to Colin Campbell, though he rejected it.
I'm not a fan of the Flyers' by any means, but you would think that someone like Snider would have the decency to sit Holmgren down and tell him straight up that the job may be right for him, but he's not right for the job. It's that simple, and though Holmgren may not like it-- he'll respect the organization a lot more because of that.
---------
On a final note, it seems that the NHL Network could be heading south. While looking that Job Postings on NHL.com; I found this little job tidbit. It seems that Comcast (most likely since they are the primary rights holder) is gearing up to carry the NHL Network. It's been in Canada for a couple of years now and seems to be desired amongst the hockey faithful in the US.
Whether or not enough people will buy into it will be told in time, but those who want the NHL Network; contact your cable or satellite provider or the NHL.
For the time being, here's a look at the NHL Network in Canada and what they are offering and the always reliable Wikipedia entry about the NHL Network in the US.
---------
That's it for now. I promise, I'll take better care of updating. I know I've said it before; but this time, I kinda mean it....maybe. In any case, check out Face Off Hockey Show Wednesday Nights at 9 PM ET or always on at the FOHS Podcast site. If all else fails, check the FOHS Message Boards to gab about all there is to gab about.
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