It finally happened. After month of build-up, meeting after meeting with Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, and countless Lyle Cherry appearances, Peter Forsberg was dealt to the Nashville Predators for Scottie Upshall, Ryan Parent, and two picks. Forsberg is said to be suiting up for tonight's game against St. Louis.
Now, this deal can work one of two ways-- first, it can work out that the Preds get a healthy Forsberg which will help them get that much closer to the Cup. Or, it could mean that the Preds get an injured Forsberg after a couple of games, then lose him back to the Flyers due to the UFA deal he has going on.
There are plenty of people who think the Preds overpaid for a rent-a-wreck like Forsberg, and they could be right. However, Upshall really hasn't reached the potential that was build up for him and has been passed over numerous times during the camps. Secondly, the Preds are so deep in young defensemen, they needed to do something or else there would be a huge logjam that no team would want. They would have been traded off eventually, but to do it for someone who is considered to be the best player in the world when healthy-- you take the risk.
Even if Forsberg gets injured, what would it matter to how the Preds are doing now?? They are second in the entire league in points, they have forward depth coming out of everywhere (like a 3rd line center with 20 goals, right David Legwand??), and neither Parent nor Upshall really had much to do with their success. So, should this whole experience go flat, it's not really a loss in the grand scheme of things.
Another theory is that Forsberg's skate boot problems will magically disappear now that he's in Nashville. That's a decent one, but I don't think Forsberg was really holding out to play in Music City, USA-- he is legitimately hurt.
As it stands, the Predators are a better team now then they were 24 hours ago, on paper. The sad thing is-- Forsberg alone outscores the Predators roster in playoff points. If he can stay healthy throughout, the Preds could become the front-runners....more so.
Friday, February 16, 2007
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.
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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.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Around the Rink 02.06.07
Sean Avery is on the move again, this time to the New York Rangers. Along with Avery, the LA Kings sent John Seymour to New York for Jason Ward, Marc-Andre Cliche, and Jan Marek. Avery had 28 points and 116 PIMs on the year, while Ward has 10 points.
Another move for the Kings to rebuild their team. Added to it, Avery will get a chance to play on a real contender and either show what he's got or fail miserably on the world's biggest stage. Aside from depth, Avery was probably brought in to be the agitator for the Rangers and maybe spark the Rangers a bit. One thing is for sure, if Avery tries anything stupid on or off the ice, you can bet guys like Brendan Shanahan will be all over him.
Also, good to see a Cliche on the move.
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Obviously Sidney Crosby is going to be a target on the ice, to which he has been in the past month or so. With a spear from Jason Blake, a suspected butt-end from Maxim Lapierre, and an inadvertent high-stick from Francois Bouillon; Crosby has gotten attention both on a off the ice. Many feel that he goes down like a ton of bricks whenever he is touched. Granted, on the Blake and Lapierre happenings, they were in Mellon Arena; which could mean Jean-Claude Van-Damme is on the case.
However, a couple things need to be addressed in this situation: (1) The Pens need someone to protect Crosby before it's too late. One of these time, it won't be an embellishment and could destroy the Pens season. (2) If it's such an embellishment, why don't the refs call it or the NHL fine him?? I know Crosby is trying to get the calls with the Pens power-play being lethal; but still-- they shouldn't treat Crosby or Alex Ovechkin or Joe Thornton any differently than they treat Dominic Moore, Kris Beech, or Mike Grier.
Finally, for any reporters to read this (I doubt many, but still), stop giving him a free pass, like Bob McKenzie has. I don't care if he's 19 or 91, if you're going to play in this league, you should face the same amount of ridicule and scrutiny whether you're a rookie or in your final year. Sure, the maturing process will take longer, but the quicker you whip someone like Crosby into shape, the better player and person he'll become in the long run.
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The Flames will retire Mike Vernon's #30 tonight. Vernon lead the Flames to their only Stanley Cup in 1989, going 16-5 in that run to the Cup. Vernon won the Cup and Conn Smythe while in Detroit in 1997, then pretty much faded into oblivion.
Now, the question is-- will the Flames be like other teams and take what seems to be two hours to raise the jersey to the rafters?? We'll find out tonight.
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Brandon Bochenski is another player on the move again-- this time to Beantown. Bochenski was traded from Chicago for a conditional draft pick. Bochenski had 33 goals and 33 assists in the AHL this season. However, that's the knock on Bochenski; he does really well in the AHL, but when it comes time to perform in the show, he disappears. With the Bruins dealing with injuries, now is the time for Bochenski to make an impact.
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That's all for now, but make sure you check out Face Off Hockey Show, every Wednesday at 9 PM ET. If you miss out, check out the FOHS Podcast or the FOHS Message Boards to see what you may have missed.
Another move for the Kings to rebuild their team. Added to it, Avery will get a chance to play on a real contender and either show what he's got or fail miserably on the world's biggest stage. Aside from depth, Avery was probably brought in to be the agitator for the Rangers and maybe spark the Rangers a bit. One thing is for sure, if Avery tries anything stupid on or off the ice, you can bet guys like Brendan Shanahan will be all over him.
Also, good to see a Cliche on the move.
---------
Obviously Sidney Crosby is going to be a target on the ice, to which he has been in the past month or so. With a spear from Jason Blake, a suspected butt-end from Maxim Lapierre, and an inadvertent high-stick from Francois Bouillon; Crosby has gotten attention both on a off the ice. Many feel that he goes down like a ton of bricks whenever he is touched. Granted, on the Blake and Lapierre happenings, they were in Mellon Arena; which could mean Jean-Claude Van-Damme is on the case.
However, a couple things need to be addressed in this situation: (1) The Pens need someone to protect Crosby before it's too late. One of these time, it won't be an embellishment and could destroy the Pens season. (2) If it's such an embellishment, why don't the refs call it or the NHL fine him?? I know Crosby is trying to get the calls with the Pens power-play being lethal; but still-- they shouldn't treat Crosby or Alex Ovechkin or Joe Thornton any differently than they treat Dominic Moore, Kris Beech, or Mike Grier.
Finally, for any reporters to read this (I doubt many, but still), stop giving him a free pass, like Bob McKenzie has. I don't care if he's 19 or 91, if you're going to play in this league, you should face the same amount of ridicule and scrutiny whether you're a rookie or in your final year. Sure, the maturing process will take longer, but the quicker you whip someone like Crosby into shape, the better player and person he'll become in the long run.
--------
The Flames will retire Mike Vernon's #30 tonight. Vernon lead the Flames to their only Stanley Cup in 1989, going 16-5 in that run to the Cup. Vernon won the Cup and Conn Smythe while in Detroit in 1997, then pretty much faded into oblivion.
Now, the question is-- will the Flames be like other teams and take what seems to be two hours to raise the jersey to the rafters?? We'll find out tonight.
---------
Brandon Bochenski is another player on the move again-- this time to Beantown. Bochenski was traded from Chicago for a conditional draft pick. Bochenski had 33 goals and 33 assists in the AHL this season. However, that's the knock on Bochenski; he does really well in the AHL, but when it comes time to perform in the show, he disappears. With the Bruins dealing with injuries, now is the time for Bochenski to make an impact.
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That's all for now, but make sure you check out Face Off Hockey Show, every Wednesday at 9 PM ET. If you miss out, check out the FOHS Podcast or the FOHS Message Boards to see what you may have missed.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Around the Rink 01.30.07
To the surprise of no one, the US broadcast of the All-Star Game dropped 76% from 2004. Many people blame the network it was on (OLNVS), while others blame it being in the middle of the week, being a rather meaningless game, and pitting itself up against "American Idol", which anyone will watch to see a British man berating glorified Karaoke singers. Good news is that viewship in Canada was up 6%.
Look, it's an All-Star Game in the middle of the week. Let's not get all up in arms about it. It's a meaningless game that people probably didn't want to stay up to watch. I think the Show will also take credit for stealing some viewers.
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Ken Dryden had his number retired last night. I've mentioned this before about the ceremonies and with Ken Dryden being a long-in-the-tooth man, this thing seemed to drag on. However, I'll spare you that rant.
However, how many numbers will the Habs have when all is said and done?? CBC's cartoon The Instigator has it spot-on when it comes to what could happen in the future of the Habs jerseys. Word is Dryden didn't want a retirement, but an honoring; much like the Toronto Maple Leafs do. With all the greats the Habs have had; there's really very few you should RETIRE-retire. Maurice Richard is one of them, while others are up for debate.
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Craig Conroy is heading back to Calgary, after the Kings dealt him there for Jamie Lundmark and a pair of draft picks. Conroy has had a brutal season with only 16 points, but the hopes of magic between himself and Jarome Iginla has Flames fans all warm and tingly inside.
More off, Conroy brings a cool demeanor into the room; with the uncanny ability to relax people in the room without losing the intensity factor. That's what gave the Flames a great run in '04-- a nice balance. Leadership is what Conroy can bring to the table and should help the Flames out both on and off the ice.
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Some crazy happenings this weekend in all of hockey; here's a rundown:
-The Saginaw Spirit beat the Oshawa Generals. It may not seem like much, but because of it-- Stephen Colbert will have a "Stephen Colbert Day" in Oshawa. for the whole story, TSN really helps out a lot in explaining it all.
-Robbie Bina is in the running for "Goal of the Year." This past weekend, the North Dakota defenseman shot it from the bottom of the circle in his own end and beat Jeff Frazee for a short-handed goal and the first of five unanswered goals in a North Dakota win. Thanks YouTube-- you're the best.
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That's all for now, but for more-- check out Face Off Hockey Show Wednesday night at 9 PM ET or catch us on the Podcast or even Message Board.
Look, it's an All-Star Game in the middle of the week. Let's not get all up in arms about it. It's a meaningless game that people probably didn't want to stay up to watch. I think the Show will also take credit for stealing some viewers.
---------
Ken Dryden had his number retired last night. I've mentioned this before about the ceremonies and with Ken Dryden being a long-in-the-tooth man, this thing seemed to drag on. However, I'll spare you that rant.
However, how many numbers will the Habs have when all is said and done?? CBC's cartoon The Instigator has it spot-on when it comes to what could happen in the future of the Habs jerseys. Word is Dryden didn't want a retirement, but an honoring; much like the Toronto Maple Leafs do. With all the greats the Habs have had; there's really very few you should RETIRE-retire. Maurice Richard is one of them, while others are up for debate.
---------
Craig Conroy is heading back to Calgary, after the Kings dealt him there for Jamie Lundmark and a pair of draft picks. Conroy has had a brutal season with only 16 points, but the hopes of magic between himself and Jarome Iginla has Flames fans all warm and tingly inside.
More off, Conroy brings a cool demeanor into the room; with the uncanny ability to relax people in the room without losing the intensity factor. That's what gave the Flames a great run in '04-- a nice balance. Leadership is what Conroy can bring to the table and should help the Flames out both on and off the ice.
---------
Some crazy happenings this weekend in all of hockey; here's a rundown:
-The Saginaw Spirit beat the Oshawa Generals. It may not seem like much, but because of it-- Stephen Colbert will have a "Stephen Colbert Day" in Oshawa. for the whole story, TSN really helps out a lot in explaining it all.
-Robbie Bina is in the running for "Goal of the Year." This past weekend, the North Dakota defenseman shot it from the bottom of the circle in his own end and beat Jeff Frazee for a short-handed goal and the first of five unanswered goals in a North Dakota win. Thanks YouTube-- you're the best.
--------
That's all for now, but for more-- check out Face Off Hockey Show Wednesday night at 9 PM ET or catch us on the Podcast or even Message Board.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Around the Rink 01.25.07
After watching the new RBK Edge jerseys in game action, I have to say that not many will see the obvious if they are a causal fan. The jerseys looked to be great out on the ice and many of the players raved about the jerseys after the ASG, which was won by the West 12-9.
They definitely aren't as bad as they could have looked or as many perceived them to look. Right now, the verdict is still out on the look of the 30 teams; thought Uni Watch's Paul Lukas said on last night's show that the teams had the option to look the same as they do now and many will pick-up on that option.
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Though Lukas did say that six teams will make total overhauls. The Dallas Stars being one of them, with a description of the possible look being put out in the Dallas Morning News. Other teams that have been speculated in the overhaul have been the Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, and Boston Bruins.
There will be some changes next season, as the Minnesota Wild announced they would ditch their green uniforms for next season, while their expansion cousin Columbus Blue Jackets said they would use their current third jersey logo on all their jerseys next season.
The fun of waiting for the jerseys to come out now is to see who will have a new identity and what the "traditional" designs look like on the new template.
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Speaking of All-Star Games, Montreal was awarded their bid in the 2008-09 All-Star Game, which also helped them celebrate the 100th year of the franchise. Montreal was looking to get the All-Star Game, World Junior tournament, and NHL Draft to help the celebration, but they'll have to settle for the ASG for now, as the WJC went to Ottawa and the Draft is to be determined.
Next season, Atlanta will host the ASG, getting it after their original plans to have it in 2004-05 was dropped due to the lockout.
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Once again, the NHL Board of Governors have said they won't change the schedule for this season coming up. This was after they could not get a two-thirds majority over how the schedule should look. Many though that the BoG would approve something similiar to what the NHL had pre-lockout, but the debate will rage on.
Right now, I think it would be better to just go through with the three-year plan that they have now and then change it. It gives them the whole year to figure out what they want to do afterwords, and no team misses out on exclusive viewing rights to five teams this coming season. You can also bet that should the Penguins move west, then there could be a drastic flop of how the schedule is done.
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Speaking of the Penguins, the drama for your mama continues. First, Mario and the gang went to Houston to see what they had going on down there. All the while, officials in Pittsburgh were upset that Lemieux wouldn't take their "sweet" offer. Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell actually thought of talking to the NHL about blocking any deal that the Penguins could make in moving the team. That changed, as he is now more than optimisitc about a deal being done.
Now, I'm not the biggest fan of Mario and the Penguins, but to block the move is pretty bush league. You can't strong-arm someone into keeping a team in a place that isn't going to get the support. I said that about the Jim Balsillie deal and I'll continue saying it. It's not the best way to do business and it's not the way to go to attract prospective buyers. You can't force a market if there isn't one to be had.
--------
That's all for now, but check out the archive of Face Off Hockey Show if you missed anything from last night. Also, check out the message boards to keep up to date on all the randomness that could occur.
They definitely aren't as bad as they could have looked or as many perceived them to look. Right now, the verdict is still out on the look of the 30 teams; thought Uni Watch's Paul Lukas said on last night's show that the teams had the option to look the same as they do now and many will pick-up on that option.
---------
Though Lukas did say that six teams will make total overhauls. The Dallas Stars being one of them, with a description of the possible look being put out in the Dallas Morning News. Other teams that have been speculated in the overhaul have been the Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, and Boston Bruins.
There will be some changes next season, as the Minnesota Wild announced they would ditch their green uniforms for next season, while their expansion cousin Columbus Blue Jackets said they would use their current third jersey logo on all their jerseys next season.
The fun of waiting for the jerseys to come out now is to see who will have a new identity and what the "traditional" designs look like on the new template.
---------
Speaking of All-Star Games, Montreal was awarded their bid in the 2008-09 All-Star Game, which also helped them celebrate the 100th year of the franchise. Montreal was looking to get the All-Star Game, World Junior tournament, and NHL Draft to help the celebration, but they'll have to settle for the ASG for now, as the WJC went to Ottawa and the Draft is to be determined.
Next season, Atlanta will host the ASG, getting it after their original plans to have it in 2004-05 was dropped due to the lockout.
---------
Once again, the NHL Board of Governors have said they won't change the schedule for this season coming up. This was after they could not get a two-thirds majority over how the schedule should look. Many though that the BoG would approve something similiar to what the NHL had pre-lockout, but the debate will rage on.
Right now, I think it would be better to just go through with the three-year plan that they have now and then change it. It gives them the whole year to figure out what they want to do afterwords, and no team misses out on exclusive viewing rights to five teams this coming season. You can also bet that should the Penguins move west, then there could be a drastic flop of how the schedule is done.
---------
Speaking of the Penguins, the drama for your mama continues. First, Mario and the gang went to Houston to see what they had going on down there. All the while, officials in Pittsburgh were upset that Lemieux wouldn't take their "sweet" offer. Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell actually thought of talking to the NHL about blocking any deal that the Penguins could make in moving the team. That changed, as he is now more than optimisitc about a deal being done.
Now, I'm not the biggest fan of Mario and the Penguins, but to block the move is pretty bush league. You can't strong-arm someone into keeping a team in a place that isn't going to get the support. I said that about the Jim Balsillie deal and I'll continue saying it. It's not the best way to do business and it's not the way to go to attract prospective buyers. You can't force a market if there isn't one to be had.
--------
That's all for now, but check out the archive of Face Off Hockey Show if you missed anything from last night. Also, check out the message boards to keep up to date on all the randomness that could occur.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Slipping at the Top
We're at the midway point of the NHL season and there could be cause for concern on both coast. First, the Anaheim Ducks, who were very dominate in the first quarter of the season, have fallen to the #2 team in the Western Conference, while losing seven of their last nine games. In the East, the Buffalo Sabres continue to be atop the conference, but haven't seem as dominate as they did at the beginning of the season.
The main question now is what is the problem with both sides??
With Anaheim, the easy excuse is injuries. Chris Pronger has been out for almost a month, J-S Giguere is still out with a groin injury, Francois Beauchemin's spleen issue, and Scott Niedermayer not at 100% with a stress fracture. However, the main issue is inconsistency. They haven't been scoring at the torrid pace they started with, which could be a cause for concern when your goaltending is suspect and your defense depleted. Veterans like Teemu Selanne and Andy McDonald need to lead by example to show the young kids like Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry how to fight off adversity.
The Sabres have an issue with some consistency as well, this time it's in goal. Ryan Miller has been a great goalie for the Sabres, yet there are some parts of his game that need help. He seems to let in very late goals and loses confidence into the next game. Martin Biron hasn't been much better as of late in net, though he can get wins. It also seems that the goal-scorers at the beginning of the season aren't producing that much heading into the break. Chris Drury and Thomas Vanek have slowed their pace, which I'm sure the Sabres would love to have back coming down the stretch.
It's much to early to tell if this trend will continue for the Sabres and Ducks. I know fans of both teams don't like to see the slumping happen, but in this game-- it's inevitable. I'm sure once the walking wounded are back and the consistency returns; these teams should become dominant again, hopefully sooner, rather than later.
The main question now is what is the problem with both sides??
With Anaheim, the easy excuse is injuries. Chris Pronger has been out for almost a month, J-S Giguere is still out with a groin injury, Francois Beauchemin's spleen issue, and Scott Niedermayer not at 100% with a stress fracture. However, the main issue is inconsistency. They haven't been scoring at the torrid pace they started with, which could be a cause for concern when your goaltending is suspect and your defense depleted. Veterans like Teemu Selanne and Andy McDonald need to lead by example to show the young kids like Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry how to fight off adversity.
The Sabres have an issue with some consistency as well, this time it's in goal. Ryan Miller has been a great goalie for the Sabres, yet there are some parts of his game that need help. He seems to let in very late goals and loses confidence into the next game. Martin Biron hasn't been much better as of late in net, though he can get wins. It also seems that the goal-scorers at the beginning of the season aren't producing that much heading into the break. Chris Drury and Thomas Vanek have slowed their pace, which I'm sure the Sabres would love to have back coming down the stretch.
It's much to early to tell if this trend will continue for the Sabres and Ducks. I know fans of both teams don't like to see the slumping happen, but in this game-- it's inevitable. I'm sure once the walking wounded are back and the consistency returns; these teams should become dominant again, hopefully sooner, rather than later.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
The New Uniform Debate
The NHL revealed the new uniforms, team-by-team, to a small portion of media folks yesterday. On Monday, they will put it all out to the public. USA Today, however, put up a nice piece about what the new uniform will do with aiding the players and making the game move. They also had a picture of Sidney Crosby in the Eastern Conference uniform, which is the take for the new uniforms to be rolled out. The picture is below.
There has been plenty said, because everyone is a critic. Now, SportsLogos.net Message Boards have been both the most critical and the place with the most converts. There have been other places more critical without giving it a chance.
Personally, I was skeptical, but gave it a chance. Looking at it, they don't seem too shabby for the All-Star Game. How that will translate with the team uniforms and what they look like will have to wait. Yet, it's not as bad as I thought it could be, much better than the first prototype that had the jerseys tucked into the pants.
The real test will be on Monday when all the teams are shown.
But, now it's your turn. What do you all think of the first look at the new uniforms?? Email comments@faceoffhockeyshow.com to voice your opinion; good, bad, indifferent. Keep it clean and keep it on topics. To quote an intelligent man, "Have a take. Don't suck." Just put the subject like something "New Uniforms" or something like that.
There has been plenty said, because everyone is a critic. Now, SportsLogos.net Message Boards have been both the most critical and the place with the most converts. There have been other places more critical without giving it a chance.
Personally, I was skeptical, but gave it a chance. Looking at it, they don't seem too shabby for the All-Star Game. How that will translate with the team uniforms and what they look like will have to wait. Yet, it's not as bad as I thought it could be, much better than the first prototype that had the jerseys tucked into the pants.
The real test will be on Monday when all the teams are shown.
But, now it's your turn. What do you all think of the first look at the new uniforms?? Email comments@faceoffhockeyshow.com to voice your opinion; good, bad, indifferent. Keep it clean and keep it on topics. To quote an intelligent man, "Have a take. Don't suck." Just put the subject like something "New Uniforms" or something like that.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Around the Rink 01.09.07
The Penguins are getting calls. After the Kansas City venture, the Penguins have received calls from other cities about moving to their city. Oklahoma City has called with interest and, as always, so has Houston and Portland. However, owner Mario Lemieux has said that meetings with the Pittsburgh government have gone well and is confident that they can hammer out a deal.
Of these cities, I think that Kansas City has a slight edge over Houston; but if Portland can get a new arena in place; they could in the hunt. Lemieux has to be loving this because he has all the leverage in the world right now to get something done in Pittsburgh, barring they actually want to keep the team there. Lemieux has all the cards right now and waiting for someone to call his bluff.
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Rory Fitzpatrick isn't going to be in the top-2 when All-Star Voting is revealed tonight, says the Vancouver Sun. Citing NHL sources, Fitzpatrick was on the outside of the top-2, probably Scott Niedermayer and Niklas Lidstrom. It avoids an awkward situation that Fitzpatrick may have had to endure.
Some people are too happy that Rory didn't get in. Listen up people-- The All-Star Game sucks. All-Star Voting is a joke; this showed how much of a joke it is and how powerful the intraweb is. Look, the ASG voting is all a popularity contest and really needs to be taken out of the hands of the fans. If the NHL wants to put the top guys in; hand the votes over to the GMs and a select number of players to pick who they want in. It's just that simple. For Rory and those who supported him-- rock, rock on; for those who has their panties in a bunch about this-- lighten the eff up.
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Talk about a resurgence. Both the LA Kings and Phoenix Coyotes have woken up from the dead and are making themselves look pretty good as of late. The Kings can attribute that to the return of Mathieu Garon, who has played like a monster as of late. You can bet that Garon should get more starts than Cloutier from here on out.
The Coyotes finally told Curtis Joseph the season has started, which got him off his duff for three straight wins. Jeremy Roenick is playing like he wants to and Shane Doan continues to be the leader on and off the ice. Who knows, both these teams could sneak into the playoffs if the rest of the conference is not careful.
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If you are in Canada and you need something to do to prep yourself for Face Off Hockey Show (9 PM ET), then you need to check out OLN and a show called Road Hockey Rumble. The premise is that two captains, Mark McGuckin and Calum MacLeod, head for one side of Canada to another playing road hockey (street hockey for our American readers) to see whose team reigns supreme, like so much Iron Chef.
Looking at the trailer on their website, the show looks pretty damn funny, whether that's the intent or not, I don't know. However, if you have the chance, check it out. I don't know what to tell our droves of American readers; but bug the hell out of Versus and tell them to get this on the stations.
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That's all for now, check out Face Off Hockey Show this Wednesday at 9PM and as always you can check out the Message Board and our MySpace for other happenings.
Of these cities, I think that Kansas City has a slight edge over Houston; but if Portland can get a new arena in place; they could in the hunt. Lemieux has to be loving this because he has all the leverage in the world right now to get something done in Pittsburgh, barring they actually want to keep the team there. Lemieux has all the cards right now and waiting for someone to call his bluff.
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Rory Fitzpatrick isn't going to be in the top-2 when All-Star Voting is revealed tonight, says the Vancouver Sun. Citing NHL sources, Fitzpatrick was on the outside of the top-2, probably Scott Niedermayer and Niklas Lidstrom. It avoids an awkward situation that Fitzpatrick may have had to endure.
Some people are too happy that Rory didn't get in. Listen up people-- The All-Star Game sucks. All-Star Voting is a joke; this showed how much of a joke it is and how powerful the intraweb is. Look, the ASG voting is all a popularity contest and really needs to be taken out of the hands of the fans. If the NHL wants to put the top guys in; hand the votes over to the GMs and a select number of players to pick who they want in. It's just that simple. For Rory and those who supported him-- rock, rock on; for those who has their panties in a bunch about this-- lighten the eff up.
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Talk about a resurgence. Both the LA Kings and Phoenix Coyotes have woken up from the dead and are making themselves look pretty good as of late. The Kings can attribute that to the return of Mathieu Garon, who has played like a monster as of late. You can bet that Garon should get more starts than Cloutier from here on out.
The Coyotes finally told Curtis Joseph the season has started, which got him off his duff for three straight wins. Jeremy Roenick is playing like he wants to and Shane Doan continues to be the leader on and off the ice. Who knows, both these teams could sneak into the playoffs if the rest of the conference is not careful.
---------
If you are in Canada and you need something to do to prep yourself for Face Off Hockey Show (9 PM ET), then you need to check out OLN and a show called Road Hockey Rumble. The premise is that two captains, Mark McGuckin and Calum MacLeod, head for one side of Canada to another playing road hockey (street hockey for our American readers) to see whose team reigns supreme, like so much Iron Chef.
Looking at the trailer on their website, the show looks pretty damn funny, whether that's the intent or not, I don't know. However, if you have the chance, check it out. I don't know what to tell our droves of American readers; but bug the hell out of Versus and tell them to get this on the stations.
---------
That's all for now, check out Face Off Hockey Show this Wednesday at 9PM and as always you can check out the Message Board and our MySpace for other happenings.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Around the Rink 01.04.07
It appears that the Penguins could be Kansas City bound. Mario Lemieux has met with Kansas City officials over the past couple of days in order to "kick the tires", if you will, regarding the Sprint Center. Lemieux has also had some brief discussions regarding how they will be able to get an arena deal in Pittsburgh. To sweeten the pot, Kansas City has offered free rent for the Penguins, should they move to KC. Lemieux has told them that he would make his decision in 30 days.
We've heard 30 day a lot in this Penguins saga, like 30 days to get a deal done after a letter of intent. If KC does get the team, that will pretty much force a realignment situation, that we talked about last time. We'll see in a month's time if Lemieux was serious or just using this as leverage to get the City of Pittsburgh to get their act together.
As an aside, is it just me or does the Sprint Center look like a giant disco ball??
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Mike Comrie helped relieve some of the Ottawa Senators' center woes when he was acquired yesterday. He netted two assists, got plenty of power play time, and seemed like he wanted to play again. This has been a knock on Comrie since his run-in with the Oilers' front office. We'll see if Bryan Murray can keep Comrie movtivated or if he'll just fall by the wayside again.
Comrie is going to be key for the Senators this season. Not so much because of the injuries, but the Senators forwards are either finesse or grinders. There's really no inbetween. With Comrie, you get a little of both; which should make for some exciting games.
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Were you as amazed at the Petr Nedved word as I was?? Reports came out Monday that the Ottawa Senators were going to pick Nedved off re-entry waivers, but before they could get to it, Kevin Lowe and Edmonton Oilers snatched him up. That brings into question what's going to happen now with the Oilers?? It doesn't make sense for them to pick up another forward (who has a -20 rating and only a goal on the season) when they need defense.
So, now we play "Who's leaving Edmonton now??" We get to speculate which of the Oilers will be traded to get a defenseman for the team. You have some of the obvious thoughts like Shawn Horcoff and Petr Sykora; one for underachieving and one for overachieving. Yet, no one knows if this will mean anything at all, this could just lead to nothing. I'm sure the Oilers thought they could rangle someone away from the Sens for a Horcoff; but now with Comrie, the Oilers could be stuck.
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The man who was voted the "Best Hair" in Denver 1996, Mike Ricci, is considering retirement. Ricci has been a healthy scratch for seven straight games and suffered a serious neck injury in training camp. Ricci returned home to Phoenix to talk things over with his family about this future in the game.
Ricci has always been a pest, but is one of the guys who personifys what people like about hockey. He has some scoring prowess, but always will get on the physical side of things happening on the ice. Whatever happens, best of luck to Mike.
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That's it for now, check out the FOHS Website, FOHS Podcast, FOHS Message Boards, and FOHS MySpace for all the fun that's bound to happen.
We've heard 30 day a lot in this Penguins saga, like 30 days to get a deal done after a letter of intent. If KC does get the team, that will pretty much force a realignment situation, that we talked about last time. We'll see in a month's time if Lemieux was serious or just using this as leverage to get the City of Pittsburgh to get their act together.
As an aside, is it just me or does the Sprint Center look like a giant disco ball??
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Mike Comrie helped relieve some of the Ottawa Senators' center woes when he was acquired yesterday. He netted two assists, got plenty of power play time, and seemed like he wanted to play again. This has been a knock on Comrie since his run-in with the Oilers' front office. We'll see if Bryan Murray can keep Comrie movtivated or if he'll just fall by the wayside again.
Comrie is going to be key for the Senators this season. Not so much because of the injuries, but the Senators forwards are either finesse or grinders. There's really no inbetween. With Comrie, you get a little of both; which should make for some exciting games.
---------
Were you as amazed at the Petr Nedved word as I was?? Reports came out Monday that the Ottawa Senators were going to pick Nedved off re-entry waivers, but before they could get to it, Kevin Lowe and Edmonton Oilers snatched him up. That brings into question what's going to happen now with the Oilers?? It doesn't make sense for them to pick up another forward (who has a -20 rating and only a goal on the season) when they need defense.
So, now we play "Who's leaving Edmonton now??" We get to speculate which of the Oilers will be traded to get a defenseman for the team. You have some of the obvious thoughts like Shawn Horcoff and Petr Sykora; one for underachieving and one for overachieving. Yet, no one knows if this will mean anything at all, this could just lead to nothing. I'm sure the Oilers thought they could rangle someone away from the Sens for a Horcoff; but now with Comrie, the Oilers could be stuck.
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The man who was voted the "Best Hair" in Denver 1996, Mike Ricci, is considering retirement. Ricci has been a healthy scratch for seven straight games and suffered a serious neck injury in training camp. Ricci returned home to Phoenix to talk things over with his family about this future in the game.
Ricci has always been a pest, but is one of the guys who personifys what people like about hockey. He has some scoring prowess, but always will get on the physical side of things happening on the ice. Whatever happens, best of luck to Mike.
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That's it for now, check out the FOHS Website, FOHS Podcast, FOHS Message Boards, and FOHS MySpace for all the fun that's bound to happen.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Realignment Assignment
As I mentioned the last "Around the Rink" post, the NHL is looking into realignment coming up. This will be brought to the attention of the board of governors, which will then be voted on and all that fun stuff. The inital thought is that instead of six divisions, there will only be four in each of the conferences.
Granted, there's 30 teams in the league, 15 in each conference-- you're going to have uneven division settings. This could (and probably will) stir the talk of expansion (or even contraction) in the NHL, but the short term effect this could have is getting rid of the ridiculous division match-ups that were a good idea in theory, but somewhat poor in execution. That, or you can have what the MLB has with 16 teams on one side and 14 in the other....which really, when thought about-- isn't too bad an idea.
Due to a lot of time on my hands, I have developed three possible scenarios, with surely many more to come. These scenarios are pretty much easy to follow, but I'll map them out anyway in order to no confuse the whole lot of you.
SCENARIO ONE: The first scenario is basic. It just divides up what the Conferences are now. In the East, the Southeast would be the same with the addition to Philadelphia and New Jersey, while the other divsion will mix the other teams in the current Atlantic with those in the Northeast. The West would get Dallas out of the Pacific and Minnesota out of the Northwest and put them with the Central. The rest of the Pacific and Northwest would join their own division.
SCENARIO TWO: This sees the Pittsburgh Penguins moving to Kansas City, which would move them out West. Columbus would tolley out to the East. That's just a flip-flop from scenario one. Now, if the Pens move to Houston or Winnipeg, this wouldn't effect it much. If the off-chance they move to Portland, Colorado would move to the more Eastern Western Division (see Scenario 2a).
SCENARIO THREE: This is a copy off the MLB situation where 14 teams are on one side (Eastern) and 16 teams are on the other (Western). This is used with the KC Penguins model and would be adjusted as they moved. Basically, the Blue Jackets would move back to the West and each Western Conference division would have eight teams in them. Now, this would probably bring about more divisional play, but what can you do.
Playoff wise, it should be like it was in the old days, where you actually had to play out of your division in order to get to the Conference Finals. If you want to increase the rivalry set, don't worry about making all these games in the regular season; put it to the test in the playoffs, because that's where true rivalries are born.
If you have your own take on what the divisons should look like, either leave a comment here or join the discussion on the FOHS Message Boards powered by FantasyHockey.com.
Granted, there's 30 teams in the league, 15 in each conference-- you're going to have uneven division settings. This could (and probably will) stir the talk of expansion (or even contraction) in the NHL, but the short term effect this could have is getting rid of the ridiculous division match-ups that were a good idea in theory, but somewhat poor in execution. That, or you can have what the MLB has with 16 teams on one side and 14 in the other....which really, when thought about-- isn't too bad an idea.
Due to a lot of time on my hands, I have developed three possible scenarios, with surely many more to come. These scenarios are pretty much easy to follow, but I'll map them out anyway in order to no confuse the whole lot of you.
SCENARIO ONE: The first scenario is basic. It just divides up what the Conferences are now. In the East, the Southeast would be the same with the addition to Philadelphia and New Jersey, while the other divsion will mix the other teams in the current Atlantic with those in the Northeast. The West would get Dallas out of the Pacific and Minnesota out of the Northwest and put them with the Central. The rest of the Pacific and Northwest would join their own division.
SCENARIO TWO: This sees the Pittsburgh Penguins moving to Kansas City, which would move them out West. Columbus would tolley out to the East. That's just a flip-flop from scenario one. Now, if the Pens move to Houston or Winnipeg, this wouldn't effect it much. If the off-chance they move to Portland, Colorado would move to the more Eastern Western Division (see Scenario 2a).
SCENARIO THREE: This is a copy off the MLB situation where 14 teams are on one side (Eastern) and 16 teams are on the other (Western). This is used with the KC Penguins model and would be adjusted as they moved. Basically, the Blue Jackets would move back to the West and each Western Conference division would have eight teams in them. Now, this would probably bring about more divisional play, but what can you do.
Playoff wise, it should be like it was in the old days, where you actually had to play out of your division in order to get to the Conference Finals. If you want to increase the rivalry set, don't worry about making all these games in the regular season; put it to the test in the playoffs, because that's where true rivalries are born.
If you have your own take on what the divisons should look like, either leave a comment here or join the discussion on the FOHS Message Boards powered by FantasyHockey.com.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Around the Rink 12.28.06
It looks like the Pittsburgh Penguins will hold their own destiny in the hands of Mario Lemieux. Lemieux took the team off the market last Thursday, which you would have known if you weren't living under a rock. The drama for the Penguins continue as Lemieux said he would explore other options, including relocation. However, Mario said that if the City of Pittsburgh would buy a new arena, the odds are better that the Pens will stay in Pittsburgh.
With some sightings of Mario in Kansas City and in Houston this past week, one has to wonder when the announcement of whether they are staying or going will come. You have to figure that if the City of Pittsburgh doesn't break ground soon on an arena project; then the Penguins will learn to fly, especially away from Pittsburgh.
In other news, Jim Balsillie is still interested, but I doubt that he's a player right now in this game.
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If you're an Ottawa Senator center; take cover because you're probably next. First, Jason Spezza sustains a knee injury that will keep him out 4-6 weeks, now Mike Fisher has a MCL injury that will keep him out for the time being. It's not what the Ottawa Senators needed to hear, especially with the season they have been having.
The big question now is whether or not the Sens will make a trade for an affordable center. Looking at the depth chart, they have Chris Kelly, Dean McAmmond, Antoine Vermette, and Josh Hennessy. Not the big names you would expect on a team like the Sens. Keep an eye on John Muckler and what he may do next.
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Does it strike anyone else as odd that Don Cherry and Kelly Hrudey are too upset that Rory Fitzpatrick could be starting the All-Star Game?? Especially for Cherry, who was in the running for "Greatest Canadian", when many though he shouldn't have been. Maybe they forgot to have a sense of humor about it, maybe they forgot it's a glorified shinny game. The issue is they are too obsessed with this whole thing that it's making them look foolish and bitter.
Memo to Mr. Cherry and Mr. Hrudey-- lighten up. If the All-Star Game was supposed to be a great big thing, if it was supposed to be who the NHL wanted in there-- then the NHL would pick the All-Star team. This is what you get with fan balloting; movements like this to get someone in. When it's left up to a popularity contest; then why would you even worry about something as meaningless as this. And to Kelly Hrudey-- get over yourself. Don Cherry worked very hard to get the respect he gets. You're just some jobber to mold Scott Oake into the next Ron MacLean minus the puns. You sit there, be the token goalie analysis, and stop acting like everyone cares about what you're saying.
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The NHL has talked about re-alignment, dropping the divisions from six to four; which would make the divisions uneven, which would spark the debate of expansion (or even contraction) coming into play to even them out.
I'll rant on this tomorrow when I get the nog out of my head, but it will include what I would re-align the divisions in every scenario (ie: Pens moving; Pens not moving).
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Hope everyone had a good holiday. If you missed anything on the show, check out the FOHS site, the FOHS Podcast, the FOHS Message Boards, and if you're bored, the FOHS MySpace.
With some sightings of Mario in Kansas City and in Houston this past week, one has to wonder when the announcement of whether they are staying or going will come. You have to figure that if the City of Pittsburgh doesn't break ground soon on an arena project; then the Penguins will learn to fly, especially away from Pittsburgh.
In other news, Jim Balsillie is still interested, but I doubt that he's a player right now in this game.
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If you're an Ottawa Senator center; take cover because you're probably next. First, Jason Spezza sustains a knee injury that will keep him out 4-6 weeks, now Mike Fisher has a MCL injury that will keep him out for the time being. It's not what the Ottawa Senators needed to hear, especially with the season they have been having.
The big question now is whether or not the Sens will make a trade for an affordable center. Looking at the depth chart, they have Chris Kelly, Dean McAmmond, Antoine Vermette, and Josh Hennessy. Not the big names you would expect on a team like the Sens. Keep an eye on John Muckler and what he may do next.
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Does it strike anyone else as odd that Don Cherry and Kelly Hrudey are too upset that Rory Fitzpatrick could be starting the All-Star Game?? Especially for Cherry, who was in the running for "Greatest Canadian", when many though he shouldn't have been. Maybe they forgot to have a sense of humor about it, maybe they forgot it's a glorified shinny game. The issue is they are too obsessed with this whole thing that it's making them look foolish and bitter.
Memo to Mr. Cherry and Mr. Hrudey-- lighten up. If the All-Star Game was supposed to be a great big thing, if it was supposed to be who the NHL wanted in there-- then the NHL would pick the All-Star team. This is what you get with fan balloting; movements like this to get someone in. When it's left up to a popularity contest; then why would you even worry about something as meaningless as this. And to Kelly Hrudey-- get over yourself. Don Cherry worked very hard to get the respect he gets. You're just some jobber to mold Scott Oake into the next Ron MacLean minus the puns. You sit there, be the token goalie analysis, and stop acting like everyone cares about what you're saying.
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The NHL has talked about re-alignment, dropping the divisions from six to four; which would make the divisions uneven, which would spark the debate of expansion (or even contraction) coming into play to even them out.
I'll rant on this tomorrow when I get the nog out of my head, but it will include what I would re-align the divisions in every scenario (ie: Pens moving; Pens not moving).
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Hope everyone had a good holiday. If you missed anything on the show, check out the FOHS site, the FOHS Podcast, the FOHS Message Boards, and if you're bored, the FOHS MySpace.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Penguins Crap Out
The future of the Penguins in Pittsburgh was dealt a severe blow, as the Isle of Capri lost its bid to gain the only slots license in Pittsburgh; thus giving the Penguins a new arena. The winning bidder, PITG Gaming, has said they would provide $7M a year for 30 years towards a new arena; but the city, county, taxpayers, and Penguins would have to contribute as well in order to make it work.
After the announcement was made, both the Penguins brass and NHL were very pessimistic about the Penguins future in Pittsburgh. Commissoner Gary Bettman said that they would support the Penguins in whatever they decide to do, while the Penguins stated that they'll exhaust every option. TSN's Bob McKenzie said that it could be another four to six weeks before the real decision comes down to really see what's happening.
So right now, it comes down to who will be the person to save the Penguins. Obviously, the names come out of the woodworks; like Mark Cuban, Frank D'Angelo, etc. The real question is whether or not the Penguins would be a viable option for Pittsburgh. If there's a more lucrative deal to be had somewhere else, why wouldn't an owner want to go where the money's at?? If somewhere like Kansas City, Winnipeg, Houston, or wherever will give a better deal-- then you know that someone would want to head out there.
We'll see how this all pans out, but right now-- it doesn't look good for Penguins fans.
After the announcement was made, both the Penguins brass and NHL were very pessimistic about the Penguins future in Pittsburgh. Commissoner Gary Bettman said that they would support the Penguins in whatever they decide to do, while the Penguins stated that they'll exhaust every option. TSN's Bob McKenzie said that it could be another four to six weeks before the real decision comes down to really see what's happening.
So right now, it comes down to who will be the person to save the Penguins. Obviously, the names come out of the woodworks; like Mark Cuban, Frank D'Angelo, etc. The real question is whether or not the Penguins would be a viable option for Pittsburgh. If there's a more lucrative deal to be had somewhere else, why wouldn't an owner want to go where the money's at?? If somewhere like Kansas City, Winnipeg, Houston, or wherever will give a better deal-- then you know that someone would want to head out there.
We'll see how this all pans out, but right now-- it doesn't look good for Penguins fans.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Around the Rink 12.18.06
The Pittsburgh Penguins are up for another bidding war. It seems that Frank D'Angelo, owner of Steelback Brewery, is looking to purchase the team and keep them in Pittsburgh. D'Angelo has said that if the Isle of Capri doesn't win the Wednesday bid, his group would build an arena with their own money and use the Steelback name for the arena name and sell Steelback beer in the arena. Our buddy James Mirtle doesn't seem too happy about it.
Also interested is Mark Cuban, who's bid failed two owners ago, and former prospective owner Jim Balsillie, who seems to be still in the running even though he pulled his bid this past weekend. However, Mario Lemieux said that Balsillie pulled out during a crucial time, which was a breach of contract with the Penguins; so he's keeping Balsillie's deposit and has said any deal with Balsillie is dead.
The vote will come down on Wednesday whether or not the Isle of Capri will get the slots license, which will bring a new arena to Pittsburgh. If the IoC can get the license, it'll probably ease a lot of minds of prospective owners. If not....we'll see what happens.
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Alexei Zhitnik is on the move, as he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers from the New York Islanders for Freddy Meyer IV. Neither defenseman have been doin that well for their respective teams, which mades this trade even odder.
However, you would think that the Flyers would want to keep their young prospects in check, rather than get older. Yet, it seems that they are going the opposite way. Of course, the reasoning is just due to all of the injuries and lack of production on the blue line; Zhitnik was a prime, yet expensive choice. We'll see if this pays off in the grand scheme of things, but I doubt it'll have any help at all.
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What has happened to the New York Rangers?? Within a span of two games, they have given up 15 goals. Henrik Lundqvist was left in for eight goals in Saturday's loss to Toronto and Kevin Weekes was in for the other seven. They only scored three goals in that span as well, which doesn't make sense considering who they have on their team.
Now, if the Rangers are going to revert back to their old form of not caring and letting teams walk all over them; I wouldn't be surprised to see some guys being moved before the end of the season hits. It has started already, with Sandis Ozolinsh being placed on waivers today. Though I have plenty of respect for Tom Renney and his crew; they need to do something quick before it's too late.
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The dream of having every NHL have an AHL affiliate seems to be one step closer to become a reality. This weekend, the Colorado Avalance announced that they will have their primary affiliate with the incoming Cleveland hockey team that starts in 2007-08 AHL season. A name for the team has yet to be announced.
With the deal as it is, there are only two teams without a primary affiliate, the Florida Panthers (two teams) and Edmonton Oilers (five teams). The Avalanche haven't had their own affiliate since 2004-05 when they were with the Hershey Bears. Some people discount how important it is to have a primary affiliate, especially when it comes to developing players. It's much easier to get a kid into the line-up who knows the system from the AHL team, as opposed to using someone else's primary affiliate, who may have a different system than what you're trying to impose.
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That's all for now, but make sure to check out the FOHS site, FOHS Podcast, the FOHS Message Boards powered by FantasyHockey.com, and the FOHS MySpace, if you're not already on it. And if you are-- tell all your friends.
Also interested is Mark Cuban, who's bid failed two owners ago, and former prospective owner Jim Balsillie, who seems to be still in the running even though he pulled his bid this past weekend. However, Mario Lemieux said that Balsillie pulled out during a crucial time, which was a breach of contract with the Penguins; so he's keeping Balsillie's deposit and has said any deal with Balsillie is dead.
The vote will come down on Wednesday whether or not the Isle of Capri will get the slots license, which will bring a new arena to Pittsburgh. If the IoC can get the license, it'll probably ease a lot of minds of prospective owners. If not....we'll see what happens.
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Alexei Zhitnik is on the move, as he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers from the New York Islanders for Freddy Meyer IV. Neither defenseman have been doin that well for their respective teams, which mades this trade even odder.
However, you would think that the Flyers would want to keep their young prospects in check, rather than get older. Yet, it seems that they are going the opposite way. Of course, the reasoning is just due to all of the injuries and lack of production on the blue line; Zhitnik was a prime, yet expensive choice. We'll see if this pays off in the grand scheme of things, but I doubt it'll have any help at all.
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What has happened to the New York Rangers?? Within a span of two games, they have given up 15 goals. Henrik Lundqvist was left in for eight goals in Saturday's loss to Toronto and Kevin Weekes was in for the other seven. They only scored three goals in that span as well, which doesn't make sense considering who they have on their team.
Now, if the Rangers are going to revert back to their old form of not caring and letting teams walk all over them; I wouldn't be surprised to see some guys being moved before the end of the season hits. It has started already, with Sandis Ozolinsh being placed on waivers today. Though I have plenty of respect for Tom Renney and his crew; they need to do something quick before it's too late.
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The dream of having every NHL have an AHL affiliate seems to be one step closer to become a reality. This weekend, the Colorado Avalance announced that they will have their primary affiliate with the incoming Cleveland hockey team that starts in 2007-08 AHL season. A name for the team has yet to be announced.
With the deal as it is, there are only two teams without a primary affiliate, the Florida Panthers (two teams) and Edmonton Oilers (five teams). The Avalanche haven't had their own affiliate since 2004-05 when they were with the Hershey Bears. Some people discount how important it is to have a primary affiliate, especially when it comes to developing players. It's much easier to get a kid into the line-up who knows the system from the AHL team, as opposed to using someone else's primary affiliate, who may have a different system than what you're trying to impose.
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That's all for now, but make sure to check out the FOHS site, FOHS Podcast, the FOHS Message Boards powered by FantasyHockey.com, and the FOHS MySpace, if you're not already on it. And if you are-- tell all your friends.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Another Sale Bites the Dust For the Pens
Just when it looked like things were turning around for the Pittsburgh Penguins and stability was within site....there's a swerve. The swerve this time is with potential owner Jim Balsillie, or should I say, former potential owner. According the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Balsillie has withdrew his bid to become the new owner of the Penguins; thus putting the team out on the market again. Apparently, Balsillie and the NHL couldn't reach a deal in the last minute of the consent process, thus leading Balsillie to withdraw his bid.
According to TSN's Sources, the NHL tabled the consent that Balsillie would have to keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh, regardless of the circumstances. Though it's not technically dead, Balsillie and the NHL are not talking. There have been ideas of trying to eliminate the wording so Balsillie is free to do what he wants; but everything right now is in limbo.
Obviously, this isn't going to sit well with Mario Lemieux's camp, who thought this was all sign, sealed, and delivered. However, the one stumbling block that would keep anyone for seriously pursuing the team is the whole deal with gaming licenses and the new arena. Gary Bettman, understandably, would want to keep the team where they are at, so he wouldn't be facing an outcry like Winnipeg and Quebec City had. Yet in terms of reality, you can't force a market if there isn't one to be had.
The Penguins are a talented team and are one or two signings away from being a big time contender, yet there seems to be no buyers out there due to the constraints that are put in place before the sale even happens. I'm sure Balsillie didn't think much of the plan when he tabled his purchase, nor did Sam Fingold who tabled a price beforehand. Sad to say, but it seems like the lame-duck ownership, as well as the City of Pittsburgh have the Penguins held hostage. Should someone not meet their demands; the team won't be sold. Pretty craptastic business management if you ask me.
So, we get back into the fun, fun speculation on what's going to happen next for the Penguins. Who's going to be the big guns to swoop in and save the team. Mario isn't going to do it, who knows what Mark Cuban could be thinking, and we never know-- maybe the NHL will have a change of heart and realize that if there's not a market in Pittsburgh, it's just best to let it go.
According to TSN's Sources, the NHL tabled the consent that Balsillie would have to keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh, regardless of the circumstances. Though it's not technically dead, Balsillie and the NHL are not talking. There have been ideas of trying to eliminate the wording so Balsillie is free to do what he wants; but everything right now is in limbo.
Obviously, this isn't going to sit well with Mario Lemieux's camp, who thought this was all sign, sealed, and delivered. However, the one stumbling block that would keep anyone for seriously pursuing the team is the whole deal with gaming licenses and the new arena. Gary Bettman, understandably, would want to keep the team where they are at, so he wouldn't be facing an outcry like Winnipeg and Quebec City had. Yet in terms of reality, you can't force a market if there isn't one to be had.
The Penguins are a talented team and are one or two signings away from being a big time contender, yet there seems to be no buyers out there due to the constraints that are put in place before the sale even happens. I'm sure Balsillie didn't think much of the plan when he tabled his purchase, nor did Sam Fingold who tabled a price beforehand. Sad to say, but it seems like the lame-duck ownership, as well as the City of Pittsburgh have the Penguins held hostage. Should someone not meet their demands; the team won't be sold. Pretty craptastic business management if you ask me.
So, we get back into the fun, fun speculation on what's going to happen next for the Penguins. Who's going to be the big guns to swoop in and save the team. Mario isn't going to do it, who knows what Mark Cuban could be thinking, and we never know-- maybe the NHL will have a change of heart and realize that if there's not a market in Pittsburgh, it's just best to let it go.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Around the Rink 12.08.06
Mark December 20th down on your calendar Pens fans. That's the day it will be decided whether or not Isle of Capri will win the slots license and saving the Penguins in one fell swoop. New prospective owner Jim Balsillie met with the Board of Governors to give an update, but a vote on the transfer of ownership of the Penguins will take place this next week.
The big issue, aside from transfet, is the Isle of Capri bid. If that wins, then they will build a new arena; thus saving the Penguins from moving. If they don't win, the question of whether the Penguins will stay in Pittsburgh is re-visited. During the meeting with Balsillie, the conversation was pretty much having to do with exhausting every resource out there before even thinking about moving the team. The saga continues.
Also, if Isle of Capri fails and the city's plan "B" falls through; look for Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario (Balsillie's home) to be a frontrunner in getting a new team.
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The Board of Governors couldn't come to an agreement on what the schedule and playoff format should be in the upcoming season. Of course, we all know that this problem won't go away just because a consensus isn't reached at this caucus. You can bet this will be brought up again and again and again until something is done about it to benefit all teams involved.
Also at the BoG meeting, it was revealed that the Salary Cap will be raised again, possibly up to $46-$47.5M for next season. Though attendance is down, ticket prices are up, new sponsors and deals are being made, and merchendising is up. All of that, along with linkage, boost the Cap number. The thing that I want to know is how much teams will scurry if the Cap takes a drastic turn the other way.
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My AHL rant wasn't real worth of it's own post or to be published...but here's the long and the short of it. I was looking at the Hockey News and flipping through the pages and I saw the San Jose Sharks uniform. When I looked at the article that containted the picture, it was an AHL article and it was the Worcester Sharks uniform-- an exact ripoff of the parent club's uniform.
I'm not a big fan of cloning minor league teams to fit the parent club. Teams like the Houston Aeros and Bridgeport Sound Tigers have recently changed their uniforms to fit their parent club, but had pretty decent uniforms to start off with. I don't see the need or reasoning to have these drastic changes when they are not needed. Luckily, there are teams out there like the Hershey Bears, Chicago Wolves, and Rochester Americans who have kept their own identity through all their years in the league.
Now, I'm all for having some kind of idenitifiable patch or something to let people know that they are affiliated with said teams. However, to completely redo a team's logo, jerseys, and identity is just not needed and more often than not, draws the ire of fans of the team.
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That's all for now, but make sure you check out the FOHS Message Board for all the fun stuff that goes on there, and if you missed a show, check out the FOHS Podcast to catch up on whatever you missed out on.
The big issue, aside from transfet, is the Isle of Capri bid. If that wins, then they will build a new arena; thus saving the Penguins from moving. If they don't win, the question of whether the Penguins will stay in Pittsburgh is re-visited. During the meeting with Balsillie, the conversation was pretty much having to do with exhausting every resource out there before even thinking about moving the team. The saga continues.
Also, if Isle of Capri fails and the city's plan "B" falls through; look for Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario (Balsillie's home) to be a frontrunner in getting a new team.
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The Board of Governors couldn't come to an agreement on what the schedule and playoff format should be in the upcoming season. Of course, we all know that this problem won't go away just because a consensus isn't reached at this caucus. You can bet this will be brought up again and again and again until something is done about it to benefit all teams involved.
Also at the BoG meeting, it was revealed that the Salary Cap will be raised again, possibly up to $46-$47.5M for next season. Though attendance is down, ticket prices are up, new sponsors and deals are being made, and merchendising is up. All of that, along with linkage, boost the Cap number. The thing that I want to know is how much teams will scurry if the Cap takes a drastic turn the other way.
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My AHL rant wasn't real worth of it's own post or to be published...but here's the long and the short of it. I was looking at the Hockey News and flipping through the pages and I saw the San Jose Sharks uniform. When I looked at the article that containted the picture, it was an AHL article and it was the Worcester Sharks uniform-- an exact ripoff of the parent club's uniform.
I'm not a big fan of cloning minor league teams to fit the parent club. Teams like the Houston Aeros and Bridgeport Sound Tigers have recently changed their uniforms to fit their parent club, but had pretty decent uniforms to start off with. I don't see the need or reasoning to have these drastic changes when they are not needed. Luckily, there are teams out there like the Hershey Bears, Chicago Wolves, and Rochester Americans who have kept their own identity through all their years in the league.
Now, I'm all for having some kind of idenitifiable patch or something to let people know that they are affiliated with said teams. However, to completely redo a team's logo, jerseys, and identity is just not needed and more often than not, draws the ire of fans of the team.
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That's all for now, but make sure you check out the FOHS Message Board for all the fun stuff that goes on there, and if you missed a show, check out the FOHS Podcast to catch up on whatever you missed out on.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Around the Rink 12.03.06
The question du jour is whether or not Alex Ovechkin deserves a suspension from his hit on Daniel Briere. For those who missed it, during the second period, Briere dumped the puck in and went for a chance. As he was turning to the bench, Ovechkin hit Briere in the lower back with an elbow and it sent Briere head first into the player's gate. That brought out a melee, which saw Ovechkin, Adam Muir, and Paul Gaustad all ejected. The NHL doesn't seem like they will suspend Ovechkin.
Now, while Briere returned to play the rest of the game; the NHL should have at least made it one or two games to send a message. There has been far too many incidents which is showing that the NHL is almost under martial law. Too many instances of dirty hits have gone on without any repremand. If the NHL want so to get some respect, then they need to do something to get more respect into the game.
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The Edmonton Oilers got bad news when it was learned that Ryan Smyth is out indefinitely with a fractured thumb. Smyth sustained the injury Saturday night when he bent his thumb back when trying to check Rostislav Klesla in a 4-0 Edmonton loss. The Oilers are already without Ales Hemsky, who is still about a week away from returning from his shoulder injury.
The injuries are taking it's toll and it seems the Oilers are playing tired. Dwayne Roloson hasn't finished his last two games and there has been little to no scoring for the Oilers. You almost have to wonder if the high from the magical run to the playoffs is wearing off.
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The NHL Board of Governors will be meeting this week. The one thing that will be up for debate, again, is the unbalanced schedule; something that couldn't be decided when the GM met a little while back. Also on the agenda is the playoff bracketing, which would see the NHL go to an NCAA-tournament ideal, where there is set bracketing regardless of upsets.
Now, the schedules; I've gone over that. However, I'm still kind of on the fence about the bracketing. Will it work?? Possibly. Will it create less confusion?? You bet. I really can't think of any con side, though if a team makes it to the second round, loses in the round, and wouldn't have had played that team in the old standard; there could be plenty of bitching and complaining about it. We'll see how it all pans out.
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Can the NHL just give Evgeni Malkin the Calder now, because it seems it's going that way anyway. Malkin was given the Rookie of the Month for a second straight month. While impressive, there's guys like Anze Kopitar and Paul Stasny who deserve a look at the award too.
Granted, this could be traced back to the fact that both Stasny and Kopitar play in the West and aren't seen as often; which is traced back to the schedule. Yet, if the NHL really wants to give Malkin the Rookie of the Year-- just do it now so the charade can be done with and we can all move on with our lives.
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That's all for now. I'm sure that I'll have that little AHL rant done sooner or later, but we'll see. Until then, check out the FOHS site, FOHS Podcast, and FOHS Message Board to hold you over until then.
Now, while Briere returned to play the rest of the game; the NHL should have at least made it one or two games to send a message. There has been far too many incidents which is showing that the NHL is almost under martial law. Too many instances of dirty hits have gone on without any repremand. If the NHL want so to get some respect, then they need to do something to get more respect into the game.
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The Edmonton Oilers got bad news when it was learned that Ryan Smyth is out indefinitely with a fractured thumb. Smyth sustained the injury Saturday night when he bent his thumb back when trying to check Rostislav Klesla in a 4-0 Edmonton loss. The Oilers are already without Ales Hemsky, who is still about a week away from returning from his shoulder injury.
The injuries are taking it's toll and it seems the Oilers are playing tired. Dwayne Roloson hasn't finished his last two games and there has been little to no scoring for the Oilers. You almost have to wonder if the high from the magical run to the playoffs is wearing off.
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The NHL Board of Governors will be meeting this week. The one thing that will be up for debate, again, is the unbalanced schedule; something that couldn't be decided when the GM met a little while back. Also on the agenda is the playoff bracketing, which would see the NHL go to an NCAA-tournament ideal, where there is set bracketing regardless of upsets.
Now, the schedules; I've gone over that. However, I'm still kind of on the fence about the bracketing. Will it work?? Possibly. Will it create less confusion?? You bet. I really can't think of any con side, though if a team makes it to the second round, loses in the round, and wouldn't have had played that team in the old standard; there could be plenty of bitching and complaining about it. We'll see how it all pans out.
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Can the NHL just give Evgeni Malkin the Calder now, because it seems it's going that way anyway. Malkin was given the Rookie of the Month for a second straight month. While impressive, there's guys like Anze Kopitar and Paul Stasny who deserve a look at the award too.
Granted, this could be traced back to the fact that both Stasny and Kopitar play in the West and aren't seen as often; which is traced back to the schedule. Yet, if the NHL really wants to give Malkin the Rookie of the Year-- just do it now so the charade can be done with and we can all move on with our lives.
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That's all for now. I'm sure that I'll have that little AHL rant done sooner or later, but we'll see. Until then, check out the FOHS site, FOHS Podcast, and FOHS Message Board to hold you over until then.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Around the Rink 11.30.06
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.
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.
---------
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.
---------
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.
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.
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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.
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.
---------
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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