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 Rangers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rangers. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
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.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
On the Bubble
While there are many teams that we can safely assume, or so we'll think anyway, that will make the playoffs like Pittsburgh, the Rangers, Vancouver and others, there are many teams who will be on the proverbial bubble, fighting for those last few playoff spots. There are also a few like the Blue Jackets and the Islanders who, well, likely won't be, so why don't we take a look at some of those teams and what can put them over the edge and into the playoffs.
Eastern Conference:
Tampa Bay: The Lightning have retooled added Sami Salo and Matt Carle on the blue line as well as
Anders Lindback in net. The Lightning had a tough time keeping the puck out of their net last
year, so if they can step it up in their own end they already have the offense to get them there.
Ottawa: A surprise playoff appearance last year was great for Sens fans, but it may be hard to repeat. In
order to do so they will need more goals from their young players and stellar net minding from
Craig Anderson, Robin Lehner or Ben Bishop as well as to sort out their blue line issues.
Montreal: The Habs performed below everyone's expectations last year, including their own, which is why
there was a big shake up in management over the summer. With a healthy Andre Markov, Carey
Price in net and lots of young talent, the Habs should make a push for the post season.
Carolina: Much like Montreal the Hurricanes are coming off a sub-par year that wasn't necessarily reflective
of the talent they have. The have solid goaltending in Cam Ward and the additions of Jordan Stall
and his two way game as well as mercurial sniper Alex Smein may give Kirk Muller's boys the
edge they need.
Florida: The Panthers surprised many winning the south east last year, but will they be able to repeat? They
have a solid top line but will rely on a lot of young players after that. They lost Jason Garrison in the
off season and haven't added many new pieces so may drop off this year.
Buffalo: The Sabers made a push at the end of last season and fell just short. With a healthy Ryan Miller who
looks to have a bounce back year, they have a shot at making the post season.
New Jersey: The Devils made it all the way to the Stanley Cup finals last year, but have lost some pieces
from that team. Martin Brodeur while impressive in the playoffs, isn't getting any younger so it
will be interesting to see what happens in the swamp this year.
Winnipeg: The Jests added size up front to try and give them some more offensive presence but it will be on
Andre Pavelic to keep providing stellar goaltedning if the Jets want to make the post season.
Toronto: The Leafs started out great last year then fell like, well leaves. They need to shore up their defense if
they have any hope of making a serious run for the post season. Randy Carlisle has some young
talent to work with but they will have to step it up for it to work.
Western Conference:
Calgary: The Flames also fell short of a playoff birth last year and once again find themselves relying heavily
on Jerome Iginla and Miika Kipprusof if they have any hope of making the post season. They have
young talent coming along but lack a front line center that could put them over the top.
Dallas: GM Joe Nieuwendyk went out and added veterans Jaromir Jagr and Ray Whitney to help the Stars
return to the post season. He also brought in Derek Roy in a trade from Buffalo. If he can resign
Jamie Benn and they get solid goaltending from Kari Lehtonen the Stars have a shot.
Colorado: The Avalanche have really built up an impressive core of young players and have the youngest
captain in league history. They will need these young stars to take the next step if they are to make
the post season.
Minnesota: The Wild made the biggest splash in free agency, now it's time to see if it was worth it. They have
played a defensive style for years so they will rely on Zack Parise to help them up front. If they
can find a way to manage more goals they could very well make the playoffs.
Edmonton: The young Oilers will likely be one of the more exciting teams to watch this season. They have
an extremely impressive crop of young talent up front and Justin Shcultz on the back end but
they need to keep the puck out of their own net in order to have any chance. Mark Fistic was
signed to help shore up the back end but it will have to be done by committee.
Phoenix: I know they won the pacific last year, but the Coyotes are an enigma at the best of times. They
always seem to find a way to succeed, often because of stellar goaltending, so it will be interesting
to see how it plays out in the desert with new ownership seemingly solidified.
Detroit: For the first time in a long time the Red Wings will not be considered a lock to make the post
season. That's not to say they can't. They will however need stellar performances from Jimmy
Howard and they defense to step up if they want to compete in the west.
Anaheim: The Ducks had an off year last year but with stars Ryan Getzlaf and Cory Perry in contract years
you can bet the Ducks will step up and make a serious run. They have a solid goalie in Joans Hiller
and Teemu Selanne returns for another year.
Eastern Conference:
Tampa Bay: The Lightning have retooled added Sami Salo and Matt Carle on the blue line as well as
Anders Lindback in net. The Lightning had a tough time keeping the puck out of their net last
year, so if they can step it up in their own end they already have the offense to get them there.
Ottawa: A surprise playoff appearance last year was great for Sens fans, but it may be hard to repeat. In
order to do so they will need more goals from their young players and stellar net minding from
Craig Anderson, Robin Lehner or Ben Bishop as well as to sort out their blue line issues.
Montreal: The Habs performed below everyone's expectations last year, including their own, which is why
there was a big shake up in management over the summer. With a healthy Andre Markov, Carey
Price in net and lots of young talent, the Habs should make a push for the post season.
Carolina: Much like Montreal the Hurricanes are coming off a sub-par year that wasn't necessarily reflective
of the talent they have. The have solid goaltending in Cam Ward and the additions of Jordan Stall
and his two way game as well as mercurial sniper Alex Smein may give Kirk Muller's boys the
edge they need.
Florida: The Panthers surprised many winning the south east last year, but will they be able to repeat? They
have a solid top line but will rely on a lot of young players after that. They lost Jason Garrison in the
off season and haven't added many new pieces so may drop off this year.
Buffalo: The Sabers made a push at the end of last season and fell just short. With a healthy Ryan Miller who
looks to have a bounce back year, they have a shot at making the post season.
New Jersey: The Devils made it all the way to the Stanley Cup finals last year, but have lost some pieces
from that team. Martin Brodeur while impressive in the playoffs, isn't getting any younger so it
will be interesting to see what happens in the swamp this year.
Winnipeg: The Jests added size up front to try and give them some more offensive presence but it will be on
Andre Pavelic to keep providing stellar goaltedning if the Jets want to make the post season.
Toronto: The Leafs started out great last year then fell like, well leaves. They need to shore up their defense if
they have any hope of making a serious run for the post season. Randy Carlisle has some young
talent to work with but they will have to step it up for it to work.
Western Conference:
Calgary: The Flames also fell short of a playoff birth last year and once again find themselves relying heavily
on Jerome Iginla and Miika Kipprusof if they have any hope of making the post season. They have
young talent coming along but lack a front line center that could put them over the top.
Dallas: GM Joe Nieuwendyk went out and added veterans Jaromir Jagr and Ray Whitney to help the Stars
return to the post season. He also brought in Derek Roy in a trade from Buffalo. If he can resign
Jamie Benn and they get solid goaltending from Kari Lehtonen the Stars have a shot.
Colorado: The Avalanche have really built up an impressive core of young players and have the youngest
captain in league history. They will need these young stars to take the next step if they are to make
the post season.
Minnesota: The Wild made the biggest splash in free agency, now it's time to see if it was worth it. They have
played a defensive style for years so they will rely on Zack Parise to help them up front. If they
can find a way to manage more goals they could very well make the playoffs.
Edmonton: The young Oilers will likely be one of the more exciting teams to watch this season. They have
an extremely impressive crop of young talent up front and Justin Shcultz on the back end but
they need to keep the puck out of their own net in order to have any chance. Mark Fistic was
signed to help shore up the back end but it will have to be done by committee.
Phoenix: I know they won the pacific last year, but the Coyotes are an enigma at the best of times. They
always seem to find a way to succeed, often because of stellar goaltending, so it will be interesting
to see how it plays out in the desert with new ownership seemingly solidified.
Detroit: For the first time in a long time the Red Wings will not be considered a lock to make the post
season. That's not to say they can't. They will however need stellar performances from Jimmy
Howard and they defense to step up if they want to compete in the west.
Anaheim: The Ducks had an off year last year but with stars Ryan Getzlaf and Cory Perry in contract years
you can bet the Ducks will step up and make a serious run. They have a solid goalie in Joans Hiller
and Teemu Selanne returns for another year.
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