The first game in the NHL this season is in the books. It was the first time an NHL regular season game was played in Europe and while it was a while before the worked the kinks out, the game went off pretty much without a hitch. Here's some observations from the first game that I saw.
-It was a little surprising to see that Jonathan Bernier got the start for the Kings, but he put on a great show for the Kings in the 4-1 win. Jason LaBarbera seems to have been usurped again from the starting gig. There's going to be a lot of questions if Labarbera can't get his game in tack, like the mojo that he's only an AHL caliber goalie. As for Bernier, should he stay up the whole season and play like he did today-- I wouldn't be surprised to see him win the Calder.
-The Ducks are without Teemu Selanne, Scott Niedermayer, and Dustin Penner; but they looked very sluggish on the offensive side of things. They did outshoot the Kings 27-21, but they didn't seem to have too many quality chances. Randy Carlyle is going to have to change some things around with the lines and get the fire lit under guys like Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf; both of whom are supposed to pick up the slack and get something going in the absence of the big names.
-I think all fantasy owners and Kings fans can rest easy about Mike Cammalleri. I think many were wondering what would happen after he got his arbitration ruling of 2-years $6.7M. With two goals and an amazing game-- Cammalleri is showing he is worth the money.
-Look out for Anze Kopitar this season. I have my doubts that he'll have a sophomore slump, especially the power game he had today and the fact he won the MVP of that oddball Red Bull tournament in Austria; Kopitar is looking to turn some heads and get some pub about himself out there.
-A good turnout to the O2 arena, with plenty of jerseys in the crowd from all around. Thank goodness for London being a flight hub. It was definitely interesting to see the wide variety of NHL jerseys and European jerseys. I think CBC said that all but one team in the British Elite League was represented in the crowd. Considering all the other things going on in England (rugby and premier league) it was pretty nice to see those in the crowd.
-The ice was odd, wasn't it. The smaller neutral zone, the higher boards-- it was an interesting scene on TV and I'm sure just as odd on the ice. Just imagine someone like Andy McDonald trying to hope the boards and then looking like he was in pee-wee hockey struggling to get over the boards.
-The Ducks really need to get rid of the wordmark for the logo. Not only is it a piece of crap, but on the new jerseys, the logo looks incredible small on the jerseys. Why not just use the webbed-footed "D" like what's on the wordmark for the logo?? I know, it's too simple, but yikes.
That's it for game one, only 1,200+ to go.
Showing posts with label Anaheim Ducks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anaheim Ducks. Show all posts
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Around the Rink 05.29.07
The Stanley Cup Finals have started and if Game One is any indication, we're in for a fine display of hockey. Granted, there were some sluggish points to the game, most of that due to the week lay off, but the game was one that definitely would keep interest. As a Sens fan, it's something that is hard for me to watch because of the huge disappointment that could happen should they not make a series of it, but it's damn enjoyable.
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As we broke on the Show last Wednesday, the Nashville Predators have been tentatively sold to Jim Balsillie pending league approval. Balsillie, you may remember, backed out of a deal with the Penguins earlier in the season. While this move seems a little more in favor of Balsillie, there is still a chance that the Preds may not move after the '07-'08 season. The only way the Preds could move is if they average under 14,000 paid attendance, stressing paid. Despite low ticket prices and a damn fine arena, the Preds averaged 13,000+ last season.
The deal itself is worth $200M in the bank for outgoing owner Craig Leipold, which may bring an end to this chapter of his life, which included squabling with the City of Nashville, lack of local business support, and losses of $70M over nine seasons.
Personally, Nashville has been lingering to boom for some time. However, with the team in the playoffs for the past three seasons and still empty seats in the crowd-- this could be the last stand for the Predators in Nashville.
Oddly enough, Balsillie bought land just outside of Toronto for some unknown project. Could it be for a new arena?? Stay tuned.
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The Phoenix Coyotes seemingly have found their GM, former New York Rangers assistant GM Don Maloney. Maloney was previous the GM of the Islanders way back when and has drafted the likes of Todd Bertuzzi, Tommy Salo, Bryan McCabe, and Ziggy Palffy.
As we have been saying for a while, this is basically just a very glorified scouting position since the owner is behind the bench. Maloney will have a good amount of say in what way he wants to go, but as long as Wayne Gretzky is behind the bench-- Maloney probably won't win as much as he loses.
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Want loyalty?? Look no further than Teemu Selanne.
Before Selanne reached the NHL, he promised a group of his childhood friends that if he ever made the Stanley Cup Finals, he would fly them out to see the games. Promise kept, as a group of 16 Finns dressed in orange t-shirts with Teemu's name graced the Honda Center for Game One and more than likely will show up for the rest of the games as well.
This could seem like a sappy news story, and it is in some cases, but that's just damn cool that he would remember his buddies like that. Plus, it's better now with the cash he's making, he can afford it.
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That's all for now, but there will be a whole lot more on the Face Off Hockey Show this Wednesday available live at 9 PM ET or on the Podcast if you feel like watching Game Two. As always, check the message boards for all the fun happenings there.
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As we broke on the Show last Wednesday, the Nashville Predators have been tentatively sold to Jim Balsillie pending league approval. Balsillie, you may remember, backed out of a deal with the Penguins earlier in the season. While this move seems a little more in favor of Balsillie, there is still a chance that the Preds may not move after the '07-'08 season. The only way the Preds could move is if they average under 14,000 paid attendance, stressing paid. Despite low ticket prices and a damn fine arena, the Preds averaged 13,000+ last season.
The deal itself is worth $200M in the bank for outgoing owner Craig Leipold, which may bring an end to this chapter of his life, which included squabling with the City of Nashville, lack of local business support, and losses of $70M over nine seasons.
Personally, Nashville has been lingering to boom for some time. However, with the team in the playoffs for the past three seasons and still empty seats in the crowd-- this could be the last stand for the Predators in Nashville.
Oddly enough, Balsillie bought land just outside of Toronto for some unknown project. Could it be for a new arena?? Stay tuned.
---------
The Phoenix Coyotes seemingly have found their GM, former New York Rangers assistant GM Don Maloney. Maloney was previous the GM of the Islanders way back when and has drafted the likes of Todd Bertuzzi, Tommy Salo, Bryan McCabe, and Ziggy Palffy.
As we have been saying for a while, this is basically just a very glorified scouting position since the owner is behind the bench. Maloney will have a good amount of say in what way he wants to go, but as long as Wayne Gretzky is behind the bench-- Maloney probably won't win as much as he loses.
---------
Want loyalty?? Look no further than Teemu Selanne.
Before Selanne reached the NHL, he promised a group of his childhood friends that if he ever made the Stanley Cup Finals, he would fly them out to see the games. Promise kept, as a group of 16 Finns dressed in orange t-shirts with Teemu's name graced the Honda Center for Game One and more than likely will show up for the rest of the games as well.
This could seem like a sappy news story, and it is in some cases, but that's just damn cool that he would remember his buddies like that. Plus, it's better now with the cash he's making, he can afford it.
---------
That's all for now, but there will be a whole lot more on the Face Off Hockey Show this Wednesday available live at 9 PM ET or on the Podcast if you feel like watching Game Two. As always, check the message boards for all the fun happenings there.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Around the Rink 04.19.07
People in Columbus can rejoice, Doug MacLean's era of tyranny has ended. After the ownership group met last night, the Blue Jackets only GM and President was shown the door after a very unimpressive six-year stint in the organization.
The question is now who will fill the void. Names like Steve Tambellini, Neil Smith, Pat Quinn and Craig Button have been thrown out, but in my opinion, guys like Tambellini and Smith should have the inside edge when dealing with a salary cap formula. This will be a developing story for a while now, but at least there is some closure for some fans when it comes to MacLean.
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In other ownership news, Phoenix Coyotes CEO Jeff Shumway made it clear that the Coyotes won't have a "country club mentality" for next season. Meaning, those who want to play on the Coyotes will actually want to play hockey instead of soaking up the sun and hitting the links.
As we stated last night, the one thing they need to take care of is who's behind the bench. Gretzky can still be a part of the day-to-day operations of the team, but to be the coach where you're untouchable-- that's not a place any GM would want to be in. It's just not that feasible to have. However, it was good of Shumway to come out and make this known to everyone that they are serious about winning. Whether that translate into actual winning, we'll see.
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The 2006 #1 Overall Pick, Erik Johnson, will forego his last three season in the NCAA with the University of Minnesota to sign with the St. Louis Blues. Johnson had four goals and 19 assists in 39 games as a Gopher. Johnson was invited by Team USA to take part in the World Championships happening over in Moscow.
The big question is whether or not this is the right move for Johnson. Many feel that he's ready to make the jump to the pro, even after one year of college. The good thing about Johnson signing is that he'll have guys like Barret Jackman and Bryce Salvador to help him through the transitioning period he may endure.
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In a crazy story out of Russia, Alexander Semin was thrown off the Russian World Championship team because he arrived three hours late to the team's first meeting and practice. The finger pointing has begun with Semin's agent Mark Gandler and Russian GM Sergei Nemchinov.
The story itself is quite bizarre with so many twist and turns, but check out the TSN story in its entirety.
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The NHL came down on Brad May hard, handing him a deserved three-game suspension for hitting Wild defenseman Kim Johnsson from behind during a fracas at the end of Game Four. May will miss the last games of this series and maybe some of next series. Johnsson won't appear for Game Five.
Imagine Brad May getting caught for this?? The thing is that the Ducks are trying to bring in a hard-hitting expose in the playoffs, which is fine. The thing they have to worry about is getting too out of control and then losing focus at the task at hand. Sure, it's good to bring a little rough stuff into the playoffs to jazz it up a bit, but you have to wonder now if the refs are going to keep a closer eye on all the Ducks from here on out.
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That's all for now, but check out the Show live every Wednesday and always on the Podcast. For more hilarity, check out the Message Boards and get in on the discussion.
The question is now who will fill the void. Names like Steve Tambellini, Neil Smith, Pat Quinn and Craig Button have been thrown out, but in my opinion, guys like Tambellini and Smith should have the inside edge when dealing with a salary cap formula. This will be a developing story for a while now, but at least there is some closure for some fans when it comes to MacLean.
---------
In other ownership news, Phoenix Coyotes CEO Jeff Shumway made it clear that the Coyotes won't have a "country club mentality" for next season. Meaning, those who want to play on the Coyotes will actually want to play hockey instead of soaking up the sun and hitting the links.
As we stated last night, the one thing they need to take care of is who's behind the bench. Gretzky can still be a part of the day-to-day operations of the team, but to be the coach where you're untouchable-- that's not a place any GM would want to be in. It's just not that feasible to have. However, it was good of Shumway to come out and make this known to everyone that they are serious about winning. Whether that translate into actual winning, we'll see.
---------
The 2006 #1 Overall Pick, Erik Johnson, will forego his last three season in the NCAA with the University of Minnesota to sign with the St. Louis Blues. Johnson had four goals and 19 assists in 39 games as a Gopher. Johnson was invited by Team USA to take part in the World Championships happening over in Moscow.
The big question is whether or not this is the right move for Johnson. Many feel that he's ready to make the jump to the pro, even after one year of college. The good thing about Johnson signing is that he'll have guys like Barret Jackman and Bryce Salvador to help him through the transitioning period he may endure.
---------
In a crazy story out of Russia, Alexander Semin was thrown off the Russian World Championship team because he arrived three hours late to the team's first meeting and practice. The finger pointing has begun with Semin's agent Mark Gandler and Russian GM Sergei Nemchinov.
The story itself is quite bizarre with so many twist and turns, but check out the TSN story in its entirety.
---------
The NHL came down on Brad May hard, handing him a deserved three-game suspension for hitting Wild defenseman Kim Johnsson from behind during a fracas at the end of Game Four. May will miss the last games of this series and maybe some of next series. Johnsson won't appear for Game Five.
Imagine Brad May getting caught for this?? The thing is that the Ducks are trying to bring in a hard-hitting expose in the playoffs, which is fine. The thing they have to worry about is getting too out of control and then losing focus at the task at hand. Sure, it's good to bring a little rough stuff into the playoffs to jazz it up a bit, but you have to wonder now if the refs are going to keep a closer eye on all the Ducks from here on out.
---------
That's all for now, but check out the Show live every Wednesday and always on the Podcast. For more hilarity, check out the Message Boards and get in on the discussion.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Around the Rink 02.12.07
Oddly enough, the Calgary Flames are making the biggest splash, first with Craig Conroy; now they acquired Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau from the Boston Bruins for Andrew Ference and Chuck Kobasew. This came as a surprise as it seemed that the Edmonton Oilers were the front runners for the services of Stuart, but the team from down the QE2 ended up being the big winners.
However, personally, I have to wonder if they gave up too much. Granted, Kobasew can't stay healthy and Primeau is decent as a 3rd or 4th liner-- that's a push. The thing that gets me is why trade a defensively solid player like Ference for a guy who had the third lowest plus/minus in the league before being traded?? They already have some two-way defensemen in Dion Phaneuf, Roman Hamrlik, and more recently, Mark Giordano. We'll see if this move pays off, but if it doesn't-- there will be plenty of angry fans.
As for the Bruins, they are continuing to re-build; but if you're scoring at home-- the deal last December is now Joe Thornton for Marco Sturm....not something you want to see.
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Another move made is Ladislav Nagy being traded to the Dallas Stars for Mathias Tjarnqvist and a first-round pick. Nagy has eight goals and 41 points through 55 games and has been in Wayne Gretzky's doghouse for a good chunk of the season. Tjarnqvist had four points and averaged 10 minutes a game.
However, to trade away a first-round pick is what makes this deal a little bit crazy in my eyes. Nagy has all the tools to be a big star, but either rarely displays them or is injured most of the time. However, with the Stars "goals by committee", anything that seems like it could be an upgrade may help in the long run.
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Some sources are now saying that the NHL will be playing in London, England to start off the 2007-08 game, as it is rumored that the LA will make the trek across the pond to debut the O2 Arena, one that was developed and created by Anschutz Entertainment Group, the same group that owns the Kings. Their rumored opponent is the Anaheim Ducks, who back in 1998, played the Vancouver Canucks in Japan.
This is not the worst idea in the world, though you'll have people yelling and screaming about taking a home game away from both teams-- but if you want to expand the game; this is the way. As many of you know, we have plenty of fans in the UK and their dedication to the game deserves to be rewarded and this could be the thing to do it.
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The NHL is laying the wood to Ray Emery, who laid the wood to Maxim Lapierre. Emery was suspended three games by the NHL after a vicious slash to the head and face area of Lapierre. Lapierre was knocked into Emery, who took exception. When Lapierre and Emery were trying to get up, Emery took the heel of his stick and hit Lapierre at the top of his visor. Luckily, no serious injury occurred.
However, I say good on the NHL for this one. I'm a Sens fan and I still think that Emery deserved something. You can't condone these sort of head shots. I understand that some goalies are complaining about being protected, but once martial law occurs, something has to be done-- which is what happened in this case.
---------
There's a lot of people making a stink about what's going on with Gary Bettman after it was revealed that he's not looking to step down, despite rumors on the contrary. You know, I'm not the biggest fan of Bettman, but since his tenure-- he has given some relevance to the league in terms of expansion (maybe too much) and profit (373% raise since his coming in). However, people still hate Bettman, and some with good reason.
The problem I have with it is that no matter what happens-- it's all Bettman's fault. Penalties, no penalties, sky being blue-- all Bettman's fault. Hockey fans claim to be the most dedicated, which is true-- but they also seem to be the most fickle. No matter what happens, nothing is ever good enough. It's not just Bettman, but I'm sure whoever his successor is; he'll get the same scrutiny. Not even that, but people underestimate the power that the Board of Governors has over Bettman and the entire NHL, but that's for another day.
Bettman contract runs out at the end of the CBA term, which is after the 2010-11 season. As long as the money is rolling in-- Bettman will stay in power. Get used it and get over it.
---------
That's all for now, but make sure you check out FOHS Wednesday from 9 PM ET to 11 PM ET live. There's always the Podcast if you can't make it or the Message Board for good waste of time.
However, personally, I have to wonder if they gave up too much. Granted, Kobasew can't stay healthy and Primeau is decent as a 3rd or 4th liner-- that's a push. The thing that gets me is why trade a defensively solid player like Ference for a guy who had the third lowest plus/minus in the league before being traded?? They already have some two-way defensemen in Dion Phaneuf, Roman Hamrlik, and more recently, Mark Giordano. We'll see if this move pays off, but if it doesn't-- there will be plenty of angry fans.
As for the Bruins, they are continuing to re-build; but if you're scoring at home-- the deal last December is now Joe Thornton for Marco Sturm....not something you want to see.
---------
Another move made is Ladislav Nagy being traded to the Dallas Stars for Mathias Tjarnqvist and a first-round pick. Nagy has eight goals and 41 points through 55 games and has been in Wayne Gretzky's doghouse for a good chunk of the season. Tjarnqvist had four points and averaged 10 minutes a game.
However, to trade away a first-round pick is what makes this deal a little bit crazy in my eyes. Nagy has all the tools to be a big star, but either rarely displays them or is injured most of the time. However, with the Stars "goals by committee", anything that seems like it could be an upgrade may help in the long run.
---------
Some sources are now saying that the NHL will be playing in London, England to start off the 2007-08 game, as it is rumored that the LA will make the trek across the pond to debut the O2 Arena, one that was developed and created by Anschutz Entertainment Group, the same group that owns the Kings. Their rumored opponent is the Anaheim Ducks, who back in 1998, played the Vancouver Canucks in Japan.
This is not the worst idea in the world, though you'll have people yelling and screaming about taking a home game away from both teams-- but if you want to expand the game; this is the way. As many of you know, we have plenty of fans in the UK and their dedication to the game deserves to be rewarded and this could be the thing to do it.
---------
The NHL is laying the wood to Ray Emery, who laid the wood to Maxim Lapierre. Emery was suspended three games by the NHL after a vicious slash to the head and face area of Lapierre. Lapierre was knocked into Emery, who took exception. When Lapierre and Emery were trying to get up, Emery took the heel of his stick and hit Lapierre at the top of his visor. Luckily, no serious injury occurred.
However, I say good on the NHL for this one. I'm a Sens fan and I still think that Emery deserved something. You can't condone these sort of head shots. I understand that some goalies are complaining about being protected, but once martial law occurs, something has to be done-- which is what happened in this case.
---------
There's a lot of people making a stink about what's going on with Gary Bettman after it was revealed that he's not looking to step down, despite rumors on the contrary. You know, I'm not the biggest fan of Bettman, but since his tenure-- he has given some relevance to the league in terms of expansion (maybe too much) and profit (373% raise since his coming in). However, people still hate Bettman, and some with good reason.
The problem I have with it is that no matter what happens-- it's all Bettman's fault. Penalties, no penalties, sky being blue-- all Bettman's fault. Hockey fans claim to be the most dedicated, which is true-- but they also seem to be the most fickle. No matter what happens, nothing is ever good enough. It's not just Bettman, but I'm sure whoever his successor is; he'll get the same scrutiny. Not even that, but people underestimate the power that the Board of Governors has over Bettman and the entire NHL, but that's for another day.
Bettman contract runs out at the end of the CBA term, which is after the 2010-11 season. As long as the money is rolling in-- Bettman will stay in power. Get used it and get over it.
---------
That's all for now, but make sure you check out FOHS Wednesday from 9 PM ET to 11 PM ET live. There's always the Podcast if you can't make it or the Message Board for good waste of time.
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