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?
Showing posts with label Blackhawks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blackhawks. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Weekend Wrap
With the first weekend of the NHL season wrapped up, lets take a look at some of the more interesting storylines coming out of it.
Goalie Gaffs:
It can't be a huge surprise that many goalies are not in mid-season form yet, especially those who haven't been playing, but a number of top tier goalies were lit up like a cheap cigar on the weekend. Henrik Lundqvist, Jonathan Quick, Jimmy Howard, Cory Schneider, Jaroslav Halak and Cam Ward were all pulled from games after less than stellar performances. The worst may be for Schneider as this only further complicates the situation in Vancouver. The season is early so they will bounce back but with the games meaning so much they'd better not take long or they will find themselves looking at the outside of the playoff picture.
Old Time Hockey:
The veteran guard was certainly present with both Teemu Selanne and Jaromir Jage racking up four point games in their season debuts. Alex Kovalev and three point is Florida's season opener and Ray Whitey all chipped in in Dallas showing that age really is just a number.
Slow Starts:
The Flyers and the Rangers both went 0-2 over the weekend. They each lost to the Penguins and the Flyers fell 5-2 to the Sabers and the Rangers lost to the Bruins. Sure they lost to good teams but this is not the start they were hoping for, nor was it expected from their fans. They will need to turn it around soon. Elsewhere Vancouver was shelled 7-3 in their home opener by Anaheim then blew a 2-0 lead to Edmonton on route to a shootout loss Sunday. The Canucks do have injury problems but need to end this skid quickly.
Running out of the Gate:
St. Louis, Chicago, Ottawa, Minnesota, Pittsburgh and Anaheim are all off to 2-0 starts after strong openers. In Ottawa Craig Anderson has been solid and Kyle Turris has added 3 goals in two games for the Sens. The Wild have had solid goaltending from Backstrom and Harding and look to stay hot tonight against Nashville. St. Louis and Chicago have been impressive, especially the Blackhawks, but something has to give as they face each other tonight. Malkin has lead the charge for the Penguins who have gotten solid goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury which he'll need to continue to prove this team is a true favourite.
Sloppy Play:
It has to be said that while there were some great highlights over the weekend, there was a lot of sloppy hockey, I mean did you see the Leafs Habs game Saturday? This is to be expected as teams are just starting the season and didn't have much of a training camp but the teams that are able to pull it together quickly and avoid the dreadful turnovers that lead to quality chances will obviously stand a better chance at making a playoff appearance.
Who or what stood out to you over the weekend?
Goalie Gaffs:
It can't be a huge surprise that many goalies are not in mid-season form yet, especially those who haven't been playing, but a number of top tier goalies were lit up like a cheap cigar on the weekend. Henrik Lundqvist, Jonathan Quick, Jimmy Howard, Cory Schneider, Jaroslav Halak and Cam Ward were all pulled from games after less than stellar performances. The worst may be for Schneider as this only further complicates the situation in Vancouver. The season is early so they will bounce back but with the games meaning so much they'd better not take long or they will find themselves looking at the outside of the playoff picture.
Old Time Hockey:
The veteran guard was certainly present with both Teemu Selanne and Jaromir Jage racking up four point games in their season debuts. Alex Kovalev and three point is Florida's season opener and Ray Whitey all chipped in in Dallas showing that age really is just a number.
Slow Starts:
The Flyers and the Rangers both went 0-2 over the weekend. They each lost to the Penguins and the Flyers fell 5-2 to the Sabers and the Rangers lost to the Bruins. Sure they lost to good teams but this is not the start they were hoping for, nor was it expected from their fans. They will need to turn it around soon. Elsewhere Vancouver was shelled 7-3 in their home opener by Anaheim then blew a 2-0 lead to Edmonton on route to a shootout loss Sunday. The Canucks do have injury problems but need to end this skid quickly.
Running out of the Gate:
St. Louis, Chicago, Ottawa, Minnesota, Pittsburgh and Anaheim are all off to 2-0 starts after strong openers. In Ottawa Craig Anderson has been solid and Kyle Turris has added 3 goals in two games for the Sens. The Wild have had solid goaltending from Backstrom and Harding and look to stay hot tonight against Nashville. St. Louis and Chicago have been impressive, especially the Blackhawks, but something has to give as they face each other tonight. Malkin has lead the charge for the Penguins who have gotten solid goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury which he'll need to continue to prove this team is a true favourite.
Sloppy Play:
It has to be said that while there were some great highlights over the weekend, there was a lot of sloppy hockey, I mean did you see the Leafs Habs game Saturday? This is to be expected as teams are just starting the season and didn't have much of a training camp but the teams that are able to pull it together quickly and avoid the dreadful turnovers that lead to quality chances will obviously stand a better chance at making a playoff appearance.
Who or what stood out to you over the weekend?
Friday, January 18, 2013
NHL Season Predictions
The puck (finally!) drops on the NHL season tomorrow afternoon, with the Kings raising the banner in LA against the Blackhawks, the battle of Pennsylvania in Philly and the Sens visiting the Jets in Winnipeg, so I figured why not take a look at the season ahead with some predictions for which teams should succeed as well as some individual players awards.
Eastern Conference:
The East seems to be top heavy this year in the sense that there are a few strong teams and then the rest. Pittsburgh, the NY Rangers, Boston and Philadelphia seem to be a cut above the rest and the road to the Stanley Cup will likely go through one of them. That said not many were picking New Jersey to make the run last year so what sleeper teams could jump up and surprise this year? Well I would hardly call Washington a sleeper per-say they are a team that could be a difficult out in the playoffs. Adam Oates now has to seemingly find a balance between the all out offense of Bruce Boudreau that continually ran out of gas in the playoffs and the defense first strategy of Dale Hunter that didn't seem to fully utilize the weapons he had. Oates is a sharp hockey mind so he may well be able to do so.
Other teams that may surprise could be Carolina, Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Ottawa. For this to happen they each need to get a lot of great goaltending. Cam Ward has proven he can carry a team and Carolina underpreformed in front of him last year. With the addition of Jordan Stall and Alex Semin they have more firepower but will miss Tuoomo Ruttuu until he returns from injury. In Tampa they already have the offense so it will be up to the revamped defense and new goalie Anders Lindback to prove he is worthy of being a starter. In Ottawa Craig Anderson will have to step to the plate again and the Sens will need contributions form everyone including youngsters like Jakob Silfverberg if they want to make the playoffs again. Buffalo made a run at the end of last season and much of their slow start had to do with Ryan Miller's injuries and poor play. Back and healthy he looks to regain top form and lead them into the post season.
Western Conference:
Out west the competitive balance is closer with teams like St. Louis, Chicago, Vancouver and Los Angeles poised to lead the pack. Others like San Jose, Detroit and Anaheim are looking to make a run while Phoenix and Nashville always seem to surprise. The question is, can they this year? They have the goaltending but will they be able to score enough goals to put them into the playoffs in the wild wild west?
Anaheim has two big name players, Getzlaf and Perry who will be free agents at seasons end and who both need a bounce back year so the Ducks look to improve upon last seasons disappointment. Detroit is a team that has lost several players and will need Jimmy Howard to step up big for them to get near the playoffs. You cannot replace Nick Lidstrom and it will be a challenge. Mike Babcock said after last year "A seond round loss, a second round loss and a first round loss, does that sound like a team going in the right direction?" He may well be on to something.
San Jose has been one of those teams with talent for a lot of years but has failed to do so. It may be time for the Sharks to sink or swim with this core before major changes are made.
In Edmonton the young Oilers look to surprise and their youth and chemistry may serve them well in a shortened season if they can get decent goaltending...sense a theme here...In Dallas and Minnesota big roster changes meant that the teams will be expected to make the playoffs this season and they well could if the moves pay off.
Heart Trophy/Art Ross: Sidney Crosby - Pittsburgh
The time off looks to have rejuvenated Sidney Crosby and the rest of the NHL will suffer for it. Crosby will be determined to prove injuries haven't slowed him down and will return to dominant form.
Rocket Richard: Steven Stamkos - Tampa Bay
The best sniper in the league right now, Stamkos will use his quick release to torment opposition goalies.
Vezina Trophy: Jonathan Quick - LA
He won the Conn Smyth as playoff MVP and easily could have won this last year. Now being more of a household name should help him as people appreciate just how good he is. LA wouldn't have made the playoffs without him last year.
Norris Trophy: Shea Weber - Nashville
Erik Karlsson had a year for the ages and this shortened season will mean a lot more minutes and a lot of teams focusing on him. Shea Weber may have lost his defense partner but play with Suter may have cost him votes in the past where now people will see how good he is.
Calder Trophy: Justin Schultz - Edmonton
The offensively talented rookie already has chemistry with many of his teammates from their time in Oklahoma City and will be given every opportunity on a young club to showcase his talents.
Let me know who you think makes the run this year.
Eastern Conference:
The East seems to be top heavy this year in the sense that there are a few strong teams and then the rest. Pittsburgh, the NY Rangers, Boston and Philadelphia seem to be a cut above the rest and the road to the Stanley Cup will likely go through one of them. That said not many were picking New Jersey to make the run last year so what sleeper teams could jump up and surprise this year? Well I would hardly call Washington a sleeper per-say they are a team that could be a difficult out in the playoffs. Adam Oates now has to seemingly find a balance between the all out offense of Bruce Boudreau that continually ran out of gas in the playoffs and the defense first strategy of Dale Hunter that didn't seem to fully utilize the weapons he had. Oates is a sharp hockey mind so he may well be able to do so.
Other teams that may surprise could be Carolina, Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Ottawa. For this to happen they each need to get a lot of great goaltending. Cam Ward has proven he can carry a team and Carolina underpreformed in front of him last year. With the addition of Jordan Stall and Alex Semin they have more firepower but will miss Tuoomo Ruttuu until he returns from injury. In Tampa they already have the offense so it will be up to the revamped defense and new goalie Anders Lindback to prove he is worthy of being a starter. In Ottawa Craig Anderson will have to step to the plate again and the Sens will need contributions form everyone including youngsters like Jakob Silfverberg if they want to make the playoffs again. Buffalo made a run at the end of last season and much of their slow start had to do with Ryan Miller's injuries and poor play. Back and healthy he looks to regain top form and lead them into the post season.
Western Conference:
Out west the competitive balance is closer with teams like St. Louis, Chicago, Vancouver and Los Angeles poised to lead the pack. Others like San Jose, Detroit and Anaheim are looking to make a run while Phoenix and Nashville always seem to surprise. The question is, can they this year? They have the goaltending but will they be able to score enough goals to put them into the playoffs in the wild wild west?
Anaheim has two big name players, Getzlaf and Perry who will be free agents at seasons end and who both need a bounce back year so the Ducks look to improve upon last seasons disappointment. Detroit is a team that has lost several players and will need Jimmy Howard to step up big for them to get near the playoffs. You cannot replace Nick Lidstrom and it will be a challenge. Mike Babcock said after last year "A seond round loss, a second round loss and a first round loss, does that sound like a team going in the right direction?" He may well be on to something.
San Jose has been one of those teams with talent for a lot of years but has failed to do so. It may be time for the Sharks to sink or swim with this core before major changes are made.
In Edmonton the young Oilers look to surprise and their youth and chemistry may serve them well in a shortened season if they can get decent goaltending...sense a theme here...In Dallas and Minnesota big roster changes meant that the teams will be expected to make the playoffs this season and they well could if the moves pay off.
Heart Trophy/Art Ross: Sidney Crosby - Pittsburgh
The time off looks to have rejuvenated Sidney Crosby and the rest of the NHL will suffer for it. Crosby will be determined to prove injuries haven't slowed him down and will return to dominant form.
Rocket Richard: Steven Stamkos - Tampa Bay
The best sniper in the league right now, Stamkos will use his quick release to torment opposition goalies.
Vezina Trophy: Jonathan Quick - LA
He won the Conn Smyth as playoff MVP and easily could have won this last year. Now being more of a household name should help him as people appreciate just how good he is. LA wouldn't have made the playoffs without him last year.
Norris Trophy: Shea Weber - Nashville
Erik Karlsson had a year for the ages and this shortened season will mean a lot more minutes and a lot of teams focusing on him. Shea Weber may have lost his defense partner but play with Suter may have cost him votes in the past where now people will see how good he is.
Calder Trophy: Justin Schultz - Edmonton
The offensively talented rookie already has chemistry with many of his teammates from their time in Oklahoma City and will be given every opportunity on a young club to showcase his talents.
Let me know who you think makes the run this year.
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