NHL News

Lots going on in the shortened season. Here's a look at a few key headlines.

We don't need no Rules: Ryan Clowe was given a two game suspension for coming off the bench and starting a fight with Andrew Shaw of the Chicago Blackhawks the other night, with about 9 seconds left in the game. The only problem: The NHL rule book calls for a ten game suspension in such cases, an attempt to eliminate the old bench clearing brawls of the 70's &80's. Brendan Shannahan, perhaps coerced by the league, deemed it a legal line change and thus no punishment was coming. Really? With that much time left? In that situation? With Joel Pavelski one of their leading scorers getting hit? I think the league and sheriff Shanny got this wrong and that they need to start taking suspensions more seriously. I also think they realized that Shaw should have been tossed for the cheap shot hit on Pavelski which lead to this and that perhaps was taken into account because the refs screwed up.

Head Hunting: Charlie Croyle of the Minnesota Wild will likely, and should, face discipline for launching himself at Matt Stajan of the Calgary Flames the other night. He targeted the head and came in high, the exact kind of hit the league as repeatedly said it's trying to get rid of. Stajan was able to return which, one can only hope will not have much impact on discipline but we shall see.

Isn't it Ironic: For the better part of a decade at the beginning of the 2000's the Ottawa Senators were a legitimate Stanley Cup contender and had a continuous run of very strong teams. Their downfall was very often, their lack of goaltending. Now when the team is without a number of star players and the season was pretty much written off, it is their goaltending that has kept them in a playoff spot. whether this continues for the next 28 games remains to be seen but it is almost laughable anyway. What Bryan Murray and John Muckler and Jacques Martin wouldn't have given for this problem back in the day.

Big Problems in Big Apple? The New York Rangers continue to struggle out of the gate and their high priced talent is underachieving. Captain Ryan Callahan has been good but Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards, Mark Stall and others haven't really produced. Rick Nash has been average and is out along with Ryan Mcdonough with injury and Henrik Lundqvist hasn't played particularly well. There is a lot of talent on this team but in a shortened season they need to pull it together quickly.

Flightless Penguin: Evgeni Malkin is out with a concussion. Not surprisingly after seeing his head whip into the boards like a rag doll. The Penguins have dealt with concussions to a super star before and can take solace in knowing that they have the right information and appropriate medical people to deal with this situation. There is no time table at present nor should there be any rush to get him back. Pittsburgh has the talent to make a run no matter where they place going into the post season.

Blackhawks Still Streaking: 19 games and counting. To say the Chicago Blackhawks have had an impressive start is like saying the Beatles were a decent band. They have look impressive grinding out close wins and getting better goaltending than many, myself included, figured they would. They have a ton of skill both upfront and on the back end and will certainly be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time.

Just Ducky: The Anaheim Ducks, much like the Montreal Canadiens last year, had an off year. To say they were a sleeper coming into this season was largely based on the fact that they didn't play well last year but on look at their roster should tell you they should have and now are playing up to and probably above expectations. This is a well rounded team still getting huge contributions from wily veterans Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu and will be a threat in the playoffs as long as Jonas Hiller can carry the load in goal.

What caught your attention this week?

Ruff Times in Buffalo

The Buffalo Sabres parted ways with long time head coach Lindy Ruff today after struggling mightily out of the gate this year. Much was expected of the Sabres who are among the top ten in the league in payroll and new owner Terry Pegula spent a lot of money on players like Tomas Vanek, Tyler Myers, Jordan Leoplod, Christian Ehrhoff and Jason Pomminville with the expectations of being a contender. Thus far, while Vanek and Pomenville have played well, the rest of the team isn't. Star goaltender Ryan Miller has been inconsistent at best and called his team out after a 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh Sunday in which they coughed up the lead late in the third period only to have the team play a stinker of a game and lose 2-1 to Winnipeg at home last night. They were booed off the ice and that proved to be the last straw as Ruff was let go earlier today. The looks on the players face said it all. They knew it was there fault and they now have to prove that they are capable of being better. Many insiders felt GM Darcy Regier's fate would be tied to Ruff's as he is the one who gave him the players to work with, but it looks like he will have a bit more time to work with though one would imagine he is on a very short leash. This is a team that has a lot of talent, on paper, but clearly hasn't lived up to anyone's expectations and the usual questions were asked. Why is that? Did they stop listening to the coach? Is it chemistry or lack there of? The answer may be all of the above. The biggest concern for the Sabres is keeping the puck out of their own net. Their defensive core has been brutal and this may have not been more evident than last night when Bryan Little was left all alone in front Ryan Miller and buried a pass from behind the net while all five Sabres defenders were almost below the blue line. Pewee teams have more structure. Where they go from here is interesting as Ruff was a well liked guy in Buffalo over his 16 years and was known for getting a lot out of a little. The new bench boss will have to get more out of his team or they could again find themselves on the outside of the playoffs looking in.

Sharks Biting Problem

The San Jose Sharks have been an enigma wrapped inside a conundrum stuffed inside riddle for the better part of a decade now. This is a team laden with talent and yet they can't seem to find a way to get the job done come playoff time. Much like the Ottawa Senators teams of the early 2000's the Sharks have had a lot or regular season success only to be found dead in the water come playoff time. Ottawa was eventually able to at least get to the finals, losing to Anaheim in 2007, but the Sharks have never made it past the western conference finals and unless there is dramatic improvement this year, it's a long shot. Guys like Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski have all put up good number (and killed more than one of my playoff pools) in the regular season but haven't got the job done when it matters. Those of us who used to believe they had what it takes, have now abandoned the notion that this is a championship team, once bitten right? They still have the like of Martin Havlat, Ryan Clowe and Logan Couture to help out the big guns but the fact is there isn't a whole lot of depth in the organization beyond these guys. No real up and comers. Dan Boyle is a proven winner winning a cup with Tampa Bay and gold at the 2010 Olympics with Canada, along with Marleau and Thornton, but he's not getting any younger. In the playoffs it's been the like of Clowe with his hard-nosed game that has put up numbers while the others have been spotty at best. If this had one been a one or two year occurrence it wouldn't be as troublesome as it is because of the consistency of it. While it's true the Sharks made it to the western conference finals two years in a row, where they did lose to good teams in Chicago (who went on the win the Stanley Cup) and Vancouver, they were unceremoniously bounced by St. Louis in the first round last year and haven't exactly played consistent enough to think they'll make a long run in the very difficult western conference this year. Their torrid 7-0 start was followed by a 1-4-3 stretch that left many asking those same old questions. Their is no doubt they have talent but the window of opportunity may have closed on this group and decision have to be made moving forward as to who Doug Wilson will keep or trade. It may be time to rebuild and trading proven stars for assets may be the only way to go. Whatever the case the Sharks will either sink or swim based on the decisions made in the next few months.

Opportunity Knocks

Opportunity is a funny thing. You never know when or how it may come about and while watching a teammate go down with an injury is certainly not, ideal that is the situation the Ottawa Senators now find themselves in. The Sens managed to beat the New Jersey Devils in a shootout this afternoon, the teams roster looking more like their AHL affiliate's in Binghampton than their opening day lineup, but with the amount of significant injuries they have such is life. The Sens are now in a very interesting situation. No body would really blame them for giving up on the season and playing for a top draft pick with their two top players out for the year, but this is a proud group who won't just bow down. That said, the results may come that way regardless. They have struggled mightily to put the puck in the net and without a big trade to upgrade the offense that doesn't look like it's about to change anytime soon. While guys like Michalek and Latendresse should be back before too long, Ottawa has to find opportunity in this difficult situation. It's a chance to give young players significant playing time in important situations and see what the team is really made of. Going forward this is great for the franchise as a whole because they can play those like Ben Bishop and others who may be traded down the line and showcase them in order to get more back for them. It will also help the development of the younger players. Obviously this fast tracked approach may not be what the club wanted but again, this is the situation at hand. By letting them learn on the job the depth and development of the team can be more accurately gauged and in a way there in now a lot less pressure. The team and it's fans know that if they don't succeed this season that it's because of injury problems. With Spezza, Karlsson and Jared Cowan all due back next year the team can look to that and hopefully the draft this year to help build moving forward and trade those pieces that can help them moving forward. This isn't a blow it up situation or a rebuild, more like a shortened season to prepare for the next one. That's not to say they should pack it in and not try to make the playoffs and the millions of dollars that would bring in for the franchise, the point is they have bigger concerns moving forward and realize that they have an opportunity to take a step towards future success by not panicking and allowing the players to learn and progress this year.

Dogged in the Desert...Coyotes Saga Continues

The Phoenix Coyotes looked like they were about to have a new owner. They don't. Stop me when this sounds familiar. After yet another bid fell through last week to buy the struggling franchise it looks even more bleak for their future, if that's possible. Many feel that the move out of the city of Phoenix out to Glendale has hurt ticket sales but the fact remains this just isn't a solid hockey market. Sorry but it's true. If it were they wouldn't have these issues. This isn't to say there aren't some loyal fans, clearly they wouldn't have lasted this long otherwise, but the reality is this 'non-traditional' hockey market is drying up faster than the desert surrounding it and a change needs to be made. STAT.

I understand why the league is reluctant to pick up and move a franchise that's been there since the late 90's but this is really more a matter of Gary Bettman's pride and him not wanting to admit he's made a mistake rather then see the team relocate. While it's true Bettman has worked hard to keep small market franchises in locations in Canada as well as the US, none have suffered the tens of millions of dollars of losses, annually, that the Coyotes have. There is absolutely no reason to keep them there in a business sense.

Coyotes captain Shane Doan has advocated that the team stay and has voiced his concerns not only for the players but what it would mean for the people who work for the franchise as well if they pull the plug. They have families and roots and it would be very difficult. In this way he has shown the character and leadership that has made him such a great captain. But I'm sorry to say it Shane, it shouldn't matter, in a business sense. I agree that it's unfortunate for the fans and the families of those who would see the team leave but the fact is this is a business and for business reasons a change needs to be made. If someone owned a restaurant how long would you expect them to stick it out losing money? They wouldn't and they would move on. It's an unfortunate reality of today's economy and the league needs to do the same. They just fought for a new CBA to split up billions in revenue, think how much higher that would be if they moved or dare I say, contracted, several of these lame duck franchises? Gary was the one who helped push the league into America and America has clearly shown that, in parts, they don't really care about the game. This is not to say there aren't great hockey markets in the US, obviously, but Phoenix isn't one of them. In what world would the league be worse off if the team moved to Quebec City or southern Ontario? Imagine putting a team where people ACTUALLY want hockey!! Seriously. And think about what trimming a few teams would do for the overall talent in the league. So for the sake of the game and it's fans, put aside your pride Gary and do what's best for the league as you've all made it abundantly clear this is a business.

NHL Wrap

Another weekend in the NHL and the compacted season has already had its share of surprises.

Lightning Strikes - The Lightning continue to be one of the hotter teams in the league and are running away
                            with the South east division. They can score goals and Anders Lindback has been solid in
                             his starting role. The addition of Conacher has helped Lecavalier regain some of his old
                             form as well.

Sharks Swarming - The San Jose Sharks are having great regular season success (Stop me when this sounds
                              familiar) but the real test will be to translate this great start into playoff success.

Flyers Floundering - The Flyers find themselves near the East basement and need to turn it around quickly if
                                they have any hope of making the playoffs.

Mr. Anderson - The Senators are getting great goaltending from Craig Anderson and will need to start
                         scoring more goals to help him in the wake of Jason Spezza's injury.

Capital Collapse - What is going on in Washington? I certainly didn't think the Capitals were a juggernaut but
                            few people imagined them struggling like this. If Adam Oates doesn't find a way to get
                            them going there is no telling what moves may be made.

Kessel not Running - The Leafs need Phil Kessel to get going if they have any chance at making the playoffs.
                                It's not for lack of effort that he hasn't scored yet but the pressure is mounting and it
                                is not a positive sign of things for folks in TO.

Ole Ole Ole Ole - The Habs have gotten off to a great start largely due to Carey Price, and some suspect
                             referring the other day, but look poised to make a push for the post season. Young
                             stars like Galchenyuk and Gallagher are helping the cause as are the veterans like Cole
                             and Markov.

Windy City - The Blackhawks are on a tear and if Cory Crawford can continue to give them solid
                     golatending they have enough talent in front of him to make a serious run.

Flames Burning out - Calgary has been trying to patch holes for years but it may be time to officially rebuild
                                 like their Alberta rival. I can't see Iginla wanting to stick around for this.