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.
Showing posts with label Senators. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Senators. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 5, 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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)