So the Isles' streak of 14 losses has been snapped. Does that mean they're no longer on pace to be epically shitty? Perhaps. The NHL is more evenly competitive than it's ever been, and streaks just happen. However, we can always hope to see a new mark for futility.
Next, we examine a surprisingly less shitty team than I remember:
9. 2009-2010 Edmonton Oilers
Point Total: 62
Record: 27-47-8 (W-L-OTL)
Points Behind Next Worst: 12 (Maple Leafs)
Goal Differential: -70 (Worst in NHL)
The Season
The lone bright spot of these Oilers (besides the high first round draft pick, which is more than the Leafs can claim), was their shootout record of 8-6. With only 2 OT losses the entire year (excluding Shootout Losses), I think it's safe to say their points total was inflated.
They started out, as many poor teams do, pretty decently, going 6-2-1 in their first 9 games. Optimism was perhaps crushed when they dropped their next 6 out of 7, losing every game by at least 2 goals and finding their only win in a shootout. After an up-and-down rest of November, they hit the jets in December, winning 5 straight road games. Confident, they began a homestand of their own, expecting great things.
[Oops}
They were swept on their 4-game homestand, then scored a whopping 3 goals over their next 3 games. Still, 6-8-0 is not a terrible December record, if not an encouraging one. Of course, they didn't win a single game the next month, going 0-10-2. On Dec. 30, they had 36 points. 31 days later, they had 38. They traded streaks down the stretch for the most part, but the Oilers were completely unable to recover from their mid-season slump, and finished dead last in the NHL.
Good Signs
Dustin "Offer Sheet" Penner scored 32 goals (including the 100th of his career), a team high. Unfortunately, no one else scored over 17. Ales Hemsky, injured most of the season, was a point per game, netting 22 in 22 games, and an impressive +7. Ryan Whitney, acquired in a trade from Anaheim, led the team with +7 in 19 games. And while Khabibulin had a fairly shitty 3.03 GAA, his SP was .909, better than many goaltenders who made the playoffs. Oh, and then the draft.
Did They Make the Best of It?
Too soon to tell. Taylor Hall is a franchise player, sure. But it's uncertain what kind of franchise player he'll be. Currently he's 6th among rookies, not a position you want from a number one pick. 11 points in 22 games and a -6. Teammate Jordan Eberle has 14, and possibly the year's highlight reel goal (not involving an inept Mike Green). But in a relatively weak-looking draft, Edmonton grabbed one of the two notable players. That has to count for something, right?
Right?
- Matt
Monday, November 29, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Decade of Suck, part 1
The Islanders' recent 13-game slide has understandably epic. After all, in today's NHL, with a salary cap/floor and shootouts giving teams free wins, it's almost inconceivable that a team could go on such a slide. But one quarter of the way into the season, the Isles are improbably riding 12 points, putting them on roughly a 47 point pace. The Devils are there as well, but you have to figure they have more to play for once Brodeur is healthy.
Anyway, this got me thinking. Could this year's Isles be the worst team in modern hockey history? I did some digging, and while there were quite a few bad teams over the last decade or so, I settled on the worst team of each season. Starting with the Atlanta Thrashers of 1999-2000, and finishing up with last year's Oilers, I then ranked them from 10th worst to absolute worst. And trust me, the worst is very, very bad.
Since I'd like to milk an idea for all it's worth, I'm going to break these up into segments. My rankings totally depend on total points, and I'll admit it's flawed. Yes, the OT loss now counts for 1 point, rather than the zero it used to. But you have to figure some of those ties end in shootout victories, enough to cancel out the OT losses being worth nothing. So, let's bring out number 10:
10. 2007-2008 Tampa Bay Lightning
Point Total: 71
Record: 31-42-9 (W-L-OTL)
Points Behind Next Worst: 0 (tied with Kings, fewer wins)
Goal Differential: -44 (3rd worst)
The Season
So what makes this team so bad? Actually, not much. They're easily better than every other "worst team", including not even being the worst by much. In actuality, in the current tiebreaking system, Los Angeles would be the worst with their 5 shootout wins to Tampa's two.
The season started off OK, if Wikipedia is any indication. Won their first three, and had 8 points in 6 games. Certainly nothing to sneeze at. An OT loss to the Sabres put them on somewhat of a slide, losing their next 5 in regulation. They rebounded impressively by winning their next 5 games. They traded streaks once again after a second OT loss, and then the wheels fell off.
[December]
After a solid January and a great start to February, the Bolts once again found themselves on the wrong end of the scoresheet, losing a season-high 11 games in a row. Again they traded streaks, and ended up winless in April. They missed the playoffs for the first time in half a dozen years.
Good Signs
The season wasn't a total loss. Lecavalier scored 92 points, including 40 goals. Brad Richards played in his 500th NHL game, before he was traded to the Stars. Mike Smith, the current goalie, was acquired in a trade. They also got Jussi Jokinen but for some reason let him go to Carolina. And most importantly, after a brutal 2007 draft that included a guy named "Cunti", they got the number one overall pick in '08.
Did They Make the Best of It?
The next year they went crazy with money on free agents. This is because they picked up franchise player and current NHL scoring leader Steven Stamkos. Anticipating immediate returns, they splurged on "stars" like Ryan Malone. However, their new owners were responsible for not only Saw, but Two and a Half Men, which are war crimes in less civilized nations. They failed to make the playoffs the next two years as well, but at least they didn't suck out loud in '09-'10.
In the end, Stamkos is worth being the laughingstock of the league for a year or three. They're in great position to re-enter the second season, and depending on matchup, do some damage.
That said, they'll fail horribly and they should feel bad about themselves.
- Matt
Anyway, this got me thinking. Could this year's Isles be the worst team in modern hockey history? I did some digging, and while there were quite a few bad teams over the last decade or so, I settled on the worst team of each season. Starting with the Atlanta Thrashers of 1999-2000, and finishing up with last year's Oilers, I then ranked them from 10th worst to absolute worst. And trust me, the worst is very, very bad.
Since I'd like to milk an idea for all it's worth, I'm going to break these up into segments. My rankings totally depend on total points, and I'll admit it's flawed. Yes, the OT loss now counts for 1 point, rather than the zero it used to. But you have to figure some of those ties end in shootout victories, enough to cancel out the OT losses being worth nothing. So, let's bring out number 10:
10. 2007-2008 Tampa Bay Lightning
Point Total: 71
Record: 31-42-9 (W-L-OTL)
Points Behind Next Worst: 0 (tied with Kings, fewer wins)
Goal Differential: -44 (3rd worst)
The Season
So what makes this team so bad? Actually, not much. They're easily better than every other "worst team", including not even being the worst by much. In actuality, in the current tiebreaking system, Los Angeles would be the worst with their 5 shootout wins to Tampa's two.
The season started off OK, if Wikipedia is any indication. Won their first three, and had 8 points in 6 games. Certainly nothing to sneeze at. An OT loss to the Sabres put them on somewhat of a slide, losing their next 5 in regulation. They rebounded impressively by winning their next 5 games. They traded streaks once again after a second OT loss, and then the wheels fell off.
[December]
After a solid January and a great start to February, the Bolts once again found themselves on the wrong end of the scoresheet, losing a season-high 11 games in a row. Again they traded streaks, and ended up winless in April. They missed the playoffs for the first time in half a dozen years.
Good Signs
The season wasn't a total loss. Lecavalier scored 92 points, including 40 goals. Brad Richards played in his 500th NHL game, before he was traded to the Stars. Mike Smith, the current goalie, was acquired in a trade. They also got Jussi Jokinen but for some reason let him go to Carolina. And most importantly, after a brutal 2007 draft that included a guy named "Cunti", they got the number one overall pick in '08.
Did They Make the Best of It?
The next year they went crazy with money on free agents. This is because they picked up franchise player and current NHL scoring leader Steven Stamkos. Anticipating immediate returns, they splurged on "stars" like Ryan Malone. However, their new owners were responsible for not only Saw, but Two and a Half Men, which are war crimes in less civilized nations. They failed to make the playoffs the next two years as well, but at least they didn't suck out loud in '09-'10.
In the end, Stamkos is worth being the laughingstock of the league for a year or three. They're in great position to re-enter the second season, and depending on matchup, do some damage.
That said, they'll fail horribly and they should feel bad about themselves.
- Matt
Monday, October 25, 2010
Handicapping Championship Chances - NFL
Well, we're 7 weeks into the season, and it's time to start looking towards the playoffs. This will hopefully be a recurring feature every month or so, for both the NFL and NHL. Maybe the MLB later. NBA? Fuck yourself.
Methodology: I pull teams from the top standings on nfl.com and say why each one has a shot at winning the Super Bowl, or in the case of most teams, make fun of them and say why not. Or not say why not. Or not even make fun of them. I might just type random words because the team bores me. I'll also use the space to judge them and their fans. Because that's what makes football worth following.
Not even going to bother sorting them.
First of all, I log onto nfl.com to do my (ahem) research, and there's Breaking News about Favre's ankle. A special tab above everything else for King Cockshot himself. You know what? Fuck the NFL. Bastards will just not leave that perverted fossil attention-whore fudgepacker alone...
Sorry, on with the actual "analysis".
New England Patriots
Holy shit, these fuckers again? This has to be the worst 5-1 team since the last time Denver did that. Can't say I put them as a Super Bowl lock, or even a playoff lock. It has to get tougher for them at some point, right?
Verdict: If everyone else gets ravaged by injuries, sure
New York Jets
Just wait for the implosion. It's coming.
Verdict: Nope.
Pittsburgh Steelers
James Harrison is a piece of shit. I don't have an opinion on his hit. I'd rather see this team (minus Polamalu) drive off the edge of a cliff than see them win again. Still.
Verdict: The favorites.
Atlanta Falcons
As crazy as it sounds, the rest of the NFC is so bad these guys might be the best. Not much else to say, other than their unis suck.
Verdict: Probably not, but let's go with "enh".
Baltimore Ravens
Plus side: They're probably the best team in the league when they play to their potential. Minus side: They haven't yet played to their potential, why start now?
Verdict: Definitely in the realm of possibility.
Tennessee Titans
Had to look them up to see they were a "top" team. No dice.
Verdict: No.
Houston Texans
You've got to be shitting me.
Verdict: Miss playoffs.
Indianapolis Colts
Peyton Manning is too good to blah blah blah blah penis.
Verdict: I guess. What hockey games are on in January?
Kansas City Chiefs
Hahhhhh no.
Verdict: Hahhhhh no.
New York Giants
Well, after they lose tonight, not so great.
Verdict: Dark horse, because every time a column like this is written, it includes the phrase "dark horse".
That's it, boys and girls. There are better teams than the ones above, but I got bored.
- Matt
Methodology: I pull teams from the top standings on nfl.com and say why each one has a shot at winning the Super Bowl, or in the case of most teams, make fun of them and say why not. Or not say why not. Or not even make fun of them. I might just type random words because the team bores me. I'll also use the space to judge them and their fans. Because that's what makes football worth following.
Not even going to bother sorting them.
First of all, I log onto nfl.com to do my (ahem) research, and there's Breaking News about Favre's ankle. A special tab above everything else for King Cockshot himself. You know what? Fuck the NFL. Bastards will just not leave that perverted fossil attention-whore fudgepacker alone...
Sorry, on with the actual "analysis".
New England Patriots
Holy shit, these fuckers again? This has to be the worst 5-1 team since the last time Denver did that. Can't say I put them as a Super Bowl lock, or even a playoff lock. It has to get tougher for them at some point, right?
Verdict: If everyone else gets ravaged by injuries, sure
New York Jets
Just wait for the implosion. It's coming.
Verdict: Nope.
Pittsburgh Steelers
James Harrison is a piece of shit. I don't have an opinion on his hit. I'd rather see this team (minus Polamalu) drive off the edge of a cliff than see them win again. Still.
Verdict: The favorites.
Atlanta Falcons
As crazy as it sounds, the rest of the NFC is so bad these guys might be the best. Not much else to say, other than their unis suck.
Verdict: Probably not, but let's go with "enh".
Baltimore Ravens
Plus side: They're probably the best team in the league when they play to their potential. Minus side: They haven't yet played to their potential, why start now?
Verdict: Definitely in the realm of possibility.
Tennessee Titans
Had to look them up to see they were a "top" team. No dice.
Verdict: No.
Houston Texans
You've got to be shitting me.
Verdict: Miss playoffs.
Indianapolis Colts
Peyton Manning is too good to blah blah blah blah penis.
Verdict: I guess. What hockey games are on in January?
Kansas City Chiefs
Hahhhhh no.
Verdict: Hahhhhh no.
New York Giants
Well, after they lose tonight, not so great.
Verdict: Dark horse, because every time a column like this is written, it includes the phrase "dark horse".
That's it, boys and girls. There are better teams than the ones above, but I got bored.
- Matt
Monday, October 11, 2010
Monday Night Favresex
Brett Favre should get a restraining order against ESPN's announcers, at the rate they're blowing him.
Maybe they're just jealous he never sexted them. Wooooo.
Fire Norv.
- Matt
Maybe they're just jealous he never sexted them. Wooooo.
Fire Norv.
- Matt
Monday, October 4, 2010
Western Conference 2010-2011
I type this as Carolina somehow loses to a KHL team. Eesh.
Anaheim Ducks
Finish: 12th in West, 5th in Pacific
Why: Not to undermine the Ducks, but they are in a tough division. I can't see anyone sucking it up all year in this division, but I have to go with law of averages and assume this time it's Anaheim. They'll be in the hunt for a playoff spot all year, though.
Calgary Flames
Finish: 14th in West, 4th in Northwest
Why: They're counting on aging Kipruusoff and Iginla, and... Olli Jokinen again? Good thing the Oilers make them look good.
Chicago Blackhawks
Finish: 4th in West, 2nd in Central
Why: They sold their peripheral guys, mostly to Atlanta, but kept the core intact. Reminiscent of the Pens a few years ago, so I think they'll do just fine this season.
Colorado Avalanche
Finish: 6th in West, 2nd in Northwest
Why: Man, the Western Conference is so even in the middle seeds that I have no idea. Craig Anderson is awesome, Matt Duchesne is beast, and they have an all-around good squad. Don't see why they shouldn't make it into the postseason.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Finish: 13th in West, 5th in Central
Why: Too many games against very good teams. Unless Steve Mason repeats his rookie effort, he looks like the next Andrew Raycroft already.
Dallas Stars
Finish: 10th in West, 4th in Pacific
Why: No clue. Turco leaving is both good and bad. See Anaheim and Colorado.
Detroit Red Wings
Finish: 2nd in West, 1st in Central
Why: They're baaaaack. As long as Osgood plays as little as possible, Wings should win the dogfight with the Hawks for the division title. Basically, I'm banking on fewer injuries this season.
Edmonton Oilers
Finish: 15th in West, 5th in Northwest
Why: Vomit.
Los Angeles Kings
Finish: 9th in West, 3rd in Pacific
Why: Because despite being this year's chic pick for a Cup contender, they've done nothing to convince me they can become Western Conference elite. Young teams struggling with the weight of added expectations is a story known in every sport, and while I don't expect the Kings to roll over and die, I'm almost positive they miss the playoffs on the last day.
Minnesota Wild
Finish: 11th in West, 3rd in Northwest
Why: I think they're better than 4 other teams, and worse than 10. Not enough evidence to support this claim, other than they don't feel like a playoff team to me.
Nashville Predators
Finish: 7th in West, 3rd in Central
Why: I tried writing them off this season, but Shea Weber destroyed my car with a slapshot. Now I need a ride home.
Phoenix Coyotes
Finish: 5th in West, 2nd in Pacific
Why: I may have them too high here, because of Michalek's departure, but it's their system that really gives them strength. This is the one "middle mob" team I fully expect to reach the postseason, and will be very surprised if they don't. Add this to the list of things I thought I'd never say.
San Jose Sharks
Finish: 1st in West, 1st in Pacific, President's Trophy
Why: Come on. It's the Sharks. This is what they do. Loss of Blake will hurt, but we're talking regular season.
St. Louis Blues
Finish: 8th in West, 4th in Central
Why: Halak is definitely an upgrade in net, and the squad is essentially returning the same squad that finished strong last season. Should be an interesting fight with LA, Anaheim, and Dallas for that final spot.
Vancouver Canucks
Finish: 3rd in West, 1st in Northwest
Why: Like I said for the Sharks, this is the regular season. They'll have plenty of time to disappoint their fans in the postseason.
Unlike with the East, I'm almost convinced I'm way off base with these predictions. So please don't reference this in April (or December) and laugh.
- Matt
Anaheim Ducks
Finish: 12th in West, 5th in Pacific
Why: Not to undermine the Ducks, but they are in a tough division. I can't see anyone sucking it up all year in this division, but I have to go with law of averages and assume this time it's Anaheim. They'll be in the hunt for a playoff spot all year, though.
Calgary Flames
Finish: 14th in West, 4th in Northwest
Why: They're counting on aging Kipruusoff and Iginla, and... Olli Jokinen again? Good thing the Oilers make them look good.
Chicago Blackhawks
Finish: 4th in West, 2nd in Central
Why: They sold their peripheral guys, mostly to Atlanta, but kept the core intact. Reminiscent of the Pens a few years ago, so I think they'll do just fine this season.
Colorado Avalanche
Finish: 6th in West, 2nd in Northwest
Why: Man, the Western Conference is so even in the middle seeds that I have no idea. Craig Anderson is awesome, Matt Duchesne is beast, and they have an all-around good squad. Don't see why they shouldn't make it into the postseason.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Finish: 13th in West, 5th in Central
Why: Too many games against very good teams. Unless Steve Mason repeats his rookie effort, he looks like the next Andrew Raycroft already.
Dallas Stars
Finish: 10th in West, 4th in Pacific
Why: No clue. Turco leaving is both good and bad. See Anaheim and Colorado.
Detroit Red Wings
Finish: 2nd in West, 1st in Central
Why: They're baaaaack. As long as Osgood plays as little as possible, Wings should win the dogfight with the Hawks for the division title. Basically, I'm banking on fewer injuries this season.
Edmonton Oilers
Finish: 15th in West, 5th in Northwest
Why: Vomit.
Los Angeles Kings
Finish: 9th in West, 3rd in Pacific
Why: Because despite being this year's chic pick for a Cup contender, they've done nothing to convince me they can become Western Conference elite. Young teams struggling with the weight of added expectations is a story known in every sport, and while I don't expect the Kings to roll over and die, I'm almost positive they miss the playoffs on the last day.
Minnesota Wild
Finish: 11th in West, 3rd in Northwest
Why: I think they're better than 4 other teams, and worse than 10. Not enough evidence to support this claim, other than they don't feel like a playoff team to me.
Nashville Predators
Finish: 7th in West, 3rd in Central
Why: I tried writing them off this season, but Shea Weber destroyed my car with a slapshot. Now I need a ride home.
Phoenix Coyotes
Finish: 5th in West, 2nd in Pacific
Why: I may have them too high here, because of Michalek's departure, but it's their system that really gives them strength. This is the one "middle mob" team I fully expect to reach the postseason, and will be very surprised if they don't. Add this to the list of things I thought I'd never say.
San Jose Sharks
Finish: 1st in West, 1st in Pacific, President's Trophy
Why: Come on. It's the Sharks. This is what they do. Loss of Blake will hurt, but we're talking regular season.
St. Louis Blues
Finish: 8th in West, 4th in Central
Why: Halak is definitely an upgrade in net, and the squad is essentially returning the same squad that finished strong last season. Should be an interesting fight with LA, Anaheim, and Dallas for that final spot.
Vancouver Canucks
Finish: 3rd in West, 1st in Northwest
Why: Like I said for the Sharks, this is the regular season. They'll have plenty of time to disappoint their fans in the postseason.
Unlike with the East, I'm almost convinced I'm way off base with these predictions. So please don't reference this in April (or December) and laugh.
- Matt
Friday, October 1, 2010
NHL Regular Season 10-11 Preview, East
Yup, my first real post in like 6 months. Given the asinine preseason power rankings by TSN.ca, I thought a similarly uninformed hockey fan could weigh in on the season as well. Here we go, alphabetically:
Atlanta Thrashhawks
Finish: 10th in East, 3rd in Southeast
Why: They have a mold of proven players that will separate them from the terrible, terrible bottom 5. They may contend for a playoff spot, but it all depends on G Chris Mason.
Boston Bruins
Finish: 3rd in East, 1st in Northeast
Why: Despite crazy injuries last season, still managed to come within a game (and epic collapse) away from the ECF. Between Rask and Thomas, they should be solid in goal. Their scoring is always problematic, but that won't hurt until the playoffs (again).
Buffalo Sabres
Finish: 6th in East, 2nd in Northeast
Why: Not sure what to make of this team, other than I'm reasonably sure there are 5 better teams in the Eastern Conference and 9 worse ones. If Ryan Miller has another stellar year, will probably be higher. I'm thinking playoffs for certain, division title less likely.
Also, huge props for getting rid of the Buffaslug. That alone should give them a game 1 win in a round of their choice.
Carolina Hurricanes
Finish: 12th in East, 4th in Southeast
Why: Because they're not a good team. Need I say more? I hate wasting space on Southeast teams.
Florida Panthers
Finish: 14th in East, 5th in Southeast
Why: Name 5 players on their roster. Can't do it, right? I got Vokoun and McCabe, and that's it. Why is there a hockey team in fucking Miami? If not for Streit's injury, these guys would be a shoo-in for the number 1 pick.
Montreal Canadiens
Finish: 11th in East, 4th in Northeast
Why: Carey Price is a significant downgrade from Jaroslav Halak. Can't see them squeaking into the playoff scene unless several other teams get decimated by injuries.
New Jersey Devils
Finish: 4th in East, 2nd in Atlantic
Why: Because every year you think "Brodeur is too old" or "they just don't have enough in the tank", they always exceed expectations and bring their BORING AS PAINT DRYING style of hockey into the playoffs, where they promptly lose in round 1 or 2. Fuck the Devils, man. I don't care how into them Patrick Warburton is.
New York Islanders
Finish: 15th in East, 5th in Atlantic
Why: They lost their two best players, including Streit for the year. They don't have a shot in hell of being competitive. They're like a bad version of last year's Tampa Bay, and Stamkos won the Rocket Richard trophy for fuck's sake. Tavares would have to put up a Crosby in 2006-esque performance to drag this team into the playoffs. Maybe even 14th place is out of the question.
New York Rangers
Finish: 9th in East, 4th in Atlantic
Why: Because Gaborik has yet to have a season-killing injury under the Rangers, and you know without him they're basically mud. Case in point: Ruslan Fedotenko looks like a good fit for them.
Ottawa Senators
Finish: 8th in East, 3rd in Northeast
Why: Despite shoddy goaltending, team still packs a punch in terms of grit and scoring. Gonchar will produce in his first year for them. This is a team that needs to win this year, or it likely never will (at least with the same core). The Caps might even beat them in the playoffs! Crazier things have happened.
Philadelphia Flyers
Finish: 5th in East, 3rd in Atlantic
Why: Because they have two injury-prone cardboard cutouts in net. Even with one of the best defensive corps in the league, that's still going to hurt them. And gambling on Zherdev is either a great payoff or a miserable failure in the works. Lastly, Simon Gagne will prove to be missed later in the season. His shorthanded threat is not to be underestimated.
Still, they're the reigning Eastern Conference champs, who I fully expect to see the Pens in the playoffs at some point.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Finish: 2nd in East, 1st in Atlantic
Why: Winger for Sid? Who cares, they finished 5th in scoring last season despite dressing Pascal Dupuis and a urinating dog as his two wingers for half the games. What Montreal exposed was a bad defense, containing slow players with poor positional play. So the Pens got Michalek, arguably the best defensive dman on the market, and Paul Martin, another strong dman. If Fleury returns to form this season, they are the clear playoff favorites in the East.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Finish: 7th in East, 2nd in Southeast
Why: Last season showed a lot of strong indications they were a year or two off from true competitiveness. Whether it's because Stamkos has matured greatly, or their d coming into its own (hopefully), Tampa Bay should be right in the mix for a playoff spot. They'll probably lock it up with 2-3 games left. Should be a fun team to watch this year.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Finish: 13th in East, 5th in Northeast
Why: Because it's the Leafs. They're paying Armstrong 3 mil a year. Giguere is their starting goalie. It just isn't happening.
Washington Capitals
Finish: 1st in East, 1st in Southeast
Why: Because despite losing a couple defensemen, this is the same team that won the President's Trophy last season. They have the skills to run away with the conference once again. The only potential downfall is the downgrade (yes Caps fans, downgrade) in net from Theodore to Varlamov/Neuvirth tandem. And if Alzner and the other dude (forgot his name for now) don't progress as quickly as DC hopes, Jurcina and Sloane will be missed. Overall though, I don't see anyone challenging them for the top spot in the East.
Western Conference preview when I feel like it. No playoff predictions now, that would just be stupid.
- Matt
Atlanta Thrashhawks
Finish: 10th in East, 3rd in Southeast
Why: They have a mold of proven players that will separate them from the terrible, terrible bottom 5. They may contend for a playoff spot, but it all depends on G Chris Mason.
Boston Bruins
Finish: 3rd in East, 1st in Northeast
Why: Despite crazy injuries last season, still managed to come within a game (and epic collapse) away from the ECF. Between Rask and Thomas, they should be solid in goal. Their scoring is always problematic, but that won't hurt until the playoffs (again).
Buffalo Sabres
Finish: 6th in East, 2nd in Northeast
Why: Not sure what to make of this team, other than I'm reasonably sure there are 5 better teams in the Eastern Conference and 9 worse ones. If Ryan Miller has another stellar year, will probably be higher. I'm thinking playoffs for certain, division title less likely.
Also, huge props for getting rid of the Buffaslug. That alone should give them a game 1 win in a round of their choice.
Carolina Hurricanes
Finish: 12th in East, 4th in Southeast
Why: Because they're not a good team. Need I say more? I hate wasting space on Southeast teams.
Florida Panthers
Finish: 14th in East, 5th in Southeast
Why: Name 5 players on their roster. Can't do it, right? I got Vokoun and McCabe, and that's it. Why is there a hockey team in fucking Miami? If not for Streit's injury, these guys would be a shoo-in for the number 1 pick.
Montreal Canadiens
Finish: 11th in East, 4th in Northeast
Why: Carey Price is a significant downgrade from Jaroslav Halak. Can't see them squeaking into the playoff scene unless several other teams get decimated by injuries.
New Jersey Devils
Finish: 4th in East, 2nd in Atlantic
Why: Because every year you think "Brodeur is too old" or "they just don't have enough in the tank", they always exceed expectations and bring their BORING AS PAINT DRYING style of hockey into the playoffs, where they promptly lose in round 1 or 2. Fuck the Devils, man. I don't care how into them Patrick Warburton is.
New York Islanders
Finish: 15th in East, 5th in Atlantic
Why: They lost their two best players, including Streit for the year. They don't have a shot in hell of being competitive. They're like a bad version of last year's Tampa Bay, and Stamkos won the Rocket Richard trophy for fuck's sake. Tavares would have to put up a Crosby in 2006-esque performance to drag this team into the playoffs. Maybe even 14th place is out of the question.
New York Rangers
Finish: 9th in East, 4th in Atlantic
Why: Because Gaborik has yet to have a season-killing injury under the Rangers, and you know without him they're basically mud. Case in point: Ruslan Fedotenko looks like a good fit for them.
Ottawa Senators
Finish: 8th in East, 3rd in Northeast
Why: Despite shoddy goaltending, team still packs a punch in terms of grit and scoring. Gonchar will produce in his first year for them. This is a team that needs to win this year, or it likely never will (at least with the same core). The Caps might even beat them in the playoffs! Crazier things have happened.
Philadelphia Flyers
Finish: 5th in East, 3rd in Atlantic
Why: Because they have two injury-prone cardboard cutouts in net. Even with one of the best defensive corps in the league, that's still going to hurt them. And gambling on Zherdev is either a great payoff or a miserable failure in the works. Lastly, Simon Gagne will prove to be missed later in the season. His shorthanded threat is not to be underestimated.
Still, they're the reigning Eastern Conference champs, who I fully expect to see the Pens in the playoffs at some point.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Finish: 2nd in East, 1st in Atlantic
Why: Winger for Sid? Who cares, they finished 5th in scoring last season despite dressing Pascal Dupuis and a urinating dog as his two wingers for half the games. What Montreal exposed was a bad defense, containing slow players with poor positional play. So the Pens got Michalek, arguably the best defensive dman on the market, and Paul Martin, another strong dman. If Fleury returns to form this season, they are the clear playoff favorites in the East.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Finish: 7th in East, 2nd in Southeast
Why: Last season showed a lot of strong indications they were a year or two off from true competitiveness. Whether it's because Stamkos has matured greatly, or their d coming into its own (hopefully), Tampa Bay should be right in the mix for a playoff spot. They'll probably lock it up with 2-3 games left. Should be a fun team to watch this year.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Finish: 13th in East, 5th in Northeast
Why: Because it's the Leafs. They're paying Armstrong 3 mil a year. Giguere is their starting goalie. It just isn't happening.
Washington Capitals
Finish: 1st in East, 1st in Southeast
Why: Because despite losing a couple defensemen, this is the same team that won the President's Trophy last season. They have the skills to run away with the conference once again. The only potential downfall is the downgrade (yes Caps fans, downgrade) in net from Theodore to Varlamov/Neuvirth tandem. And if Alzner and the other dude (forgot his name for now) don't progress as quickly as DC hopes, Jurcina and Sloane will be missed. Overall though, I don't see anyone challenging them for the top spot in the East.
Western Conference preview when I feel like it. No playoff predictions now, that would just be stupid.
- Matt
Friday, August 27, 2010
Worthy of a Post
I've been AWOL for a while on this site, but this was too good to pass up:
[holy shit]
If they don't play "YOU. SHALL NOT. PASS!" every time something good happens, I give up on humanity.
- Matt
[holy shit]
If they don't play "YOU. SHALL NOT. PASS!" every time something good happens, I give up on humanity.
- Matt
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Conference Semifinals
So.
As I always say, the better team always wins a 7-game series. I was not at all surprised by Detroit's crushing victory. The Canadiens' win, however, shocked me in a way that I've never experienced before. If I had been 24 in 1993 when David FUCKING Volek broke my heart, that'd be the only thing to beat last night's game. And yet it's still my first sports memory. Gay.
Now, onto the next round:
(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings
A matchup everyone but me saw coming. Not too much to say other than "who blows this series first - the Sharks because they're chokers, or the Wings because they're old?". And I know it was made fun of on Puck Daddy to bring this up, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus:
Anyway.
Prediction: Wings in 6. I'm being generous to the Sharks here.
(2) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (3) Vancouver Canucks
I wish I could get excited about this matchup. I really do. It's quickly developing into the Caps vs. Pens of the West. Maybe that's why I'm bored of it already.
No read on this one. Luongo won the gold, but he's still an NHL playoffs joke until proven otherwise. The Hawks could be lights out or implode faster than the Republican Party. I'm going to start with "goes to game 7" and pick from there. Flipping a coin, I get the Hawks. Why not.
Prediction: Blackhawks in 7
(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
Oh man. Who saw this coming? One of the reasons the Caps choked against the Habs is because they didn't choose their shots so much as fire everything they could on net. One of Penguins' fans biggest complaints about the team is that they don't shoot enough. In this series, that's going to be a good thing.
In hindsight, the Habs played much like the Sens did, only they had worse D and better goaltending. The Habs weren't hit much, either. One can only imagine how being annihilated by players like Adams and Kunitz (if healthy) will have on them over a 7 game series. At any rate, it'll be an interesting comparison of styles.
Prediction: Pens in 6. Habs have enough in them to steal a couple games.
(6) Boston Bruins vs. (7) Philadelphia Flyers
Meh. Both teams rock-solid at home. Based on that...
Prediction: Bruins in 7.
- Matt
As I always say, the better team always wins a 7-game series. I was not at all surprised by Detroit's crushing victory. The Canadiens' win, however, shocked me in a way that I've never experienced before. If I had been 24 in 1993 when David FUCKING Volek broke my heart, that'd be the only thing to beat last night's game. And yet it's still my first sports memory. Gay.
Now, onto the next round:
(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings
A matchup everyone but me saw coming. Not too much to say other than "who blows this series first - the Sharks because they're chokers, or the Wings because they're old?". And I know it was made fun of on Puck Daddy to bring this up, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus:
Anyway.
Prediction: Wings in 6. I'm being generous to the Sharks here.
(2) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (3) Vancouver Canucks
I wish I could get excited about this matchup. I really do. It's quickly developing into the Caps vs. Pens of the West. Maybe that's why I'm bored of it already.
No read on this one. Luongo won the gold, but he's still an NHL playoffs joke until proven otherwise. The Hawks could be lights out or implode faster than the Republican Party. I'm going to start with "goes to game 7" and pick from there. Flipping a coin, I get the Hawks. Why not.
Prediction: Blackhawks in 7
(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
Oh man. Who saw this coming? One of the reasons the Caps choked against the Habs is because they didn't choose their shots so much as fire everything they could on net. One of Penguins' fans biggest complaints about the team is that they don't shoot enough. In this series, that's going to be a good thing.
In hindsight, the Habs played much like the Sens did, only they had worse D and better goaltending. The Habs weren't hit much, either. One can only imagine how being annihilated by players like Adams and Kunitz (if healthy) will have on them over a 7 game series. At any rate, it'll be an interesting comparison of styles.
Prediction: Pens in 6. Habs have enough in them to steal a couple games.
(6) Boston Bruins vs. (7) Philadelphia Flyers
Meh. Both teams rock-solid at home. Based on that...
Prediction: Bruins in 7.
- Matt
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Game 7 on the Edge of Forever
I had believed two of the first round series would go seven games. Only I picked the Kings and Bruins to win their contests in 7. Obviously, this is not the case. I never imagined the Wings and Caps would have such difficulty beating inferior opponents. For the Wings, let's chalk it up to old age and having played more games than anyone else by a long shot the last 4 years. For the Caps, well, they seem to enjoy making their own playoff lives difficult. Fourth straight series going to game 7. 1-2 so far, despite having home ice all three times. You know the numbers by now.
Anyway, what can we expect tonight and tomorrow night?
Detroit @ Phoenix:
* Howard's "they got lucky" quote may come back to bite him, and his team, in the ass.
* If Shane Doan does return, make the Yotes a lock to win the game.
* Detroit cares not for home ice "advantage".
* The fate of Phoenix, as always, rests with Ilya Bryzgalov. Can he channel Jaroslav Halak for one evening?
Prediction: The feisty Coyotes have certainly made this matchup sporting, but in the end, the superior team always wins a seven game series.
Detroit 5, Phoenix 2
Montreal @ Washington
* The Caps got caught looking ahead, which is actually a first for them. Their last two opening rounds, they trailed 3-1 before losing the first time and winning the second.
* Montreal needs Jaroslav Halak to be as good as the last game. And the defense needs to not let the Caps get so many shots on net. There's only so much one man can do.
* Plenty of bulletin board given by the Caps to Montreal after last night's game. And through the series. Suddenly, cookie-cutter answers given to the media don't sound so bad after all...
* Montreal, if they get another early lead, can't rest on their heels again. The past two games, they were almost damned by it. Halak bailed them out big-time. Lightning can't strike thrice... the Habs need a complete game to take the series.
Prediction: Man, Montreal has given quite a fight up to this point. But this is where it ends. The Caps are simply too good to lose to a team like the Habs in a seven-game series. As I said before, the better team ALWAYS wins. The Caps will prove they are the better team, and DC will breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Capitals 5, Canadiens 1
- Matt
Anyway, what can we expect tonight and tomorrow night?
Detroit @ Phoenix:
* Howard's "they got lucky" quote may come back to bite him, and his team, in the ass.
* If Shane Doan does return, make the Yotes a lock to win the game.
* Detroit cares not for home ice "advantage".
* The fate of Phoenix, as always, rests with Ilya Bryzgalov. Can he channel Jaroslav Halak for one evening?
Prediction: The feisty Coyotes have certainly made this matchup sporting, but in the end, the superior team always wins a seven game series.
Detroit 5, Phoenix 2
Montreal @ Washington
* The Caps got caught looking ahead, which is actually a first for them. Their last two opening rounds, they trailed 3-1 before losing the first time and winning the second.
* Montreal needs Jaroslav Halak to be as good as the last game. And the defense needs to not let the Caps get so many shots on net. There's only so much one man can do.
* Plenty of bulletin board given by the Caps to Montreal after last night's game. And through the series. Suddenly, cookie-cutter answers given to the media don't sound so bad after all...
* Montreal, if they get another early lead, can't rest on their heels again. The past two games, they were almost damned by it. Halak bailed them out big-time. Lightning can't strike thrice... the Habs need a complete game to take the series.
Prediction: Man, Montreal has given quite a fight up to this point. But this is where it ends. The Caps are simply too good to lose to a team like the Habs in a seven-game series. As I said before, the better team ALWAYS wins. The Caps will prove they are the better team, and DC will breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Capitals 5, Canadiens 1
- Matt
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Your Apparently Weekly NHL Post
First off, great to see the Pens break some hearts in Ottawa. Another great comeback win, and now a bit of a rest before the next round. Of the remaining field, they can still face anyone but Washington, keeping Gary Bettman's wet dream of a Caps-Pens ECF still alive.
And how about the Flyers losing Carter and Gagne? Right as they deliver the knockout blow to the Devils, they lose their chance of beating anyone in the second round. If you don't think Washington was looking ahead to the Flyers in their last game, you don't know the Caps.
And of course, the Sharks won. Shouldn't be a surprise, but it is. My only regret is that Brandon Yip will not be in the later rounds.
Let's see where we stand:
(1) Washington @ (8) Montreal
Habs are screwed. Neither Canadian team in the East has managed to win a single home game. The Habs have been outscored 11-4 at home thus far. Still, they've played very well in DC. You could say that the fans of both teams have little tolerance for losing, so it puts the home team in the pressure spot. This is why the Caps won't let it come back home.
Prediction: Caps in 6, winning on Monday 5-2
(3) Buffalo @ (6) Boston
Amazing how everyone bashes the Pens for "taking game 5 off" when it still took triple overtime to beat them. Meanwhile, Boston completely shit the bed in their game 5, and then showed that the Sabres were in their head late. Boston hasn't exactly been lights out at home, but this series has been pretty unpredictable thus far. It's almost certain Pittsburgh plays the winner, so I hope they go 7. And I think they will.
Prediction: Bruins in 7, still
(2) Chicago @ (7) Nashville
Ah, Nashville. You've put up an excellent fight thus far. But Rinne is finally looking vulnerable. And we all know Hossa can only lose in the Stanley Cup Finals. It looks like the Preds won't get the chance to break their record of 2 wins in a single postseason. At least the various would-be owners of the team that are now in prison aren't missing much.
Prediction: Hawks win game 6 (still), 3-1
(3) Vancouver @ (6) Los Angeles
My faith in "Kings in 7" is still there, but much shakier. The Kings let their game get away from them the last two matchups. They need to show they can fight for their lives to be much of anything in this season, and if they lose tonight, they wouldn't have had enough to really compete anyway. Guess I'll stay the course.
Prediction: Kings in 7, still
(4) Phoenix @ (5) Detroit
Order has been restored. The Wings should walk all over the Yotes tonight in Joe Louis. The team has far too much experience to be caught sleeping like in game 3. I expect the Coyotes to at least make it a little difficult. And I would hope they can still prevail in 7. However, no.
Prediction: Wings win game 6 (still), 4-2
- Matt
And how about the Flyers losing Carter and Gagne? Right as they deliver the knockout blow to the Devils, they lose their chance of beating anyone in the second round. If you don't think Washington was looking ahead to the Flyers in their last game, you don't know the Caps.
And of course, the Sharks won. Shouldn't be a surprise, but it is. My only regret is that Brandon Yip will not be in the later rounds.
Let's see where we stand:
(1) Washington @ (8) Montreal
Habs are screwed. Neither Canadian team in the East has managed to win a single home game. The Habs have been outscored 11-4 at home thus far. Still, they've played very well in DC. You could say that the fans of both teams have little tolerance for losing, so it puts the home team in the pressure spot. This is why the Caps won't let it come back home.
Prediction: Caps in 6, winning on Monday 5-2
(3) Buffalo @ (6) Boston
Amazing how everyone bashes the Pens for "taking game 5 off" when it still took triple overtime to beat them. Meanwhile, Boston completely shit the bed in their game 5, and then showed that the Sabres were in their head late. Boston hasn't exactly been lights out at home, but this series has been pretty unpredictable thus far. It's almost certain Pittsburgh plays the winner, so I hope they go 7. And I think they will.
Prediction: Bruins in 7, still
(2) Chicago @ (7) Nashville
Ah, Nashville. You've put up an excellent fight thus far. But Rinne is finally looking vulnerable. And we all know Hossa can only lose in the Stanley Cup Finals. It looks like the Preds won't get the chance to break their record of 2 wins in a single postseason. At least the various would-be owners of the team that are now in prison aren't missing much.
Prediction: Hawks win game 6 (still), 3-1
(3) Vancouver @ (6) Los Angeles
My faith in "Kings in 7" is still there, but much shakier. The Kings let their game get away from them the last two matchups. They need to show they can fight for their lives to be much of anything in this season, and if they lose tonight, they wouldn't have had enough to really compete anyway. Guess I'll stay the course.
Prediction: Kings in 7, still
(4) Phoenix @ (5) Detroit
Order has been restored. The Wings should walk all over the Yotes tonight in Joe Louis. The team has far too much experience to be caught sleeping like in game 3. I expect the Coyotes to at least make it a little difficult. And I would hope they can still prevail in 7. However, no.
Prediction: Wings win game 6 (still), 4-2
- Matt
Sunday, April 18, 2010
NHL First Round, Game 3 Thoughts
After two games, every single lower seed now has home ice advantage. How did this happen? Let's check it out by matchup:
(1) Caps @ (8) Habs
The Canadiens deserve to be up 2-0... almost. They let their tight two-way game control the first 6 periods of this series. Then they got complacent. Forgot what the Caps can do when angry. Moreover, when the Caps came in force they were content to try and hold the lead. You can't do that with an offensive team. You have to make them worry about defense as much as they worry about scoring. The team that plays to not lose, always does.
Revised Prediction: Caps in 5
(2) Devils @ (7) Flyers
I think the Flyers have been hearing too much about their regular season success against New Jersey. Truth be told, the Devils are a good team. I'm less confident that the Devils will win now, and I think tonight's game at 6 should clear things up substantially.
Revised Prediction: Devils in 7
(3) Sabres @ (6) Bruins
At 2-0 Buffalo, I thought my read on this series was terribly wrong. But Boston came through with a gutsy effort to show what I expected to see all along. Now, it's headed back to Boston with a tied series and a rejuvenated B's team. I think the Sabs take a game on the road. but I still stand by my old prediction:
(Not) Revised Prediction: Bruins in 7
(4) Penguins @ (5) Senators
I'm conflicted. On the one hand, losing Leopold is huge. On the other, the Pens look out for blood right now. Their bad luck / bounces continued on Friday night, yet they still pulled out a huge 2-1 victory. This is very reminiscent of the series against the Caps last year, in that if the luck changes, it'll be a lot less close. A Game 3 win will basically determine who wins this series. Me, I think the Pens still take it.
(Not) Revised Prediction: Pens in 6
(1) Sharks @ (8) Avs
Game 2 saw the Sharks showing more heart than I've ever seen in the playoffs. Extra man goal and an OT winner, something I've never expected. Is there any player you fear less in the postseason than Thornton? Maybe Marleau. Anyway, the Avs have to play a better team game if they want to pull out this upset. But the Sharks may actually be a different team this year. Maybe it's all the other favorites choking around the league.
Revised Prediction: Sharks in 6
(2) Hawks @ (7) Preds
Can't say, they've only played one so far. I'll change my prediction all the same:
Revised Prediction: Hawks in 6
(3) Canucks @ (6) Kings
Considering how many people have picked the Canucks to emerge from the WC, I've been a little concerned for my Kings upset pick. Anze Kopitar put those fears to rest last night. By the way, how shitty are Nucks fans? I've become impossibly annoyed with them because of the Olympics, not only for their terrible arena noises (especially the "whoo whoo" one), but also the way they treat opposing teams' players. It's like Philly, but Canada. After Kopi scored the GWG last night, a noticeable "Anze Sucks!" chant could be heard on the CBC feed. Dear Vancouver - keep in mind how well that works when Philly does it to another team's best player.
(Not) Revised Prediction: Kings in 7
(4) Coyotes @ (5) Red Wings
I'll give Phoenix credit. They've shown a lot more guts than I thought they would so far. Detroit has really had to work to stay in this series. Phoenix looks like they could wear down the old Wings, making them vulnerable in round 2. Here's hoping.
Revised Prediction: Wings in 6
- Matt
(1) Caps @ (8) Habs
The Canadiens deserve to be up 2-0... almost. They let their tight two-way game control the first 6 periods of this series. Then they got complacent. Forgot what the Caps can do when angry. Moreover, when the Caps came in force they were content to try and hold the lead. You can't do that with an offensive team. You have to make them worry about defense as much as they worry about scoring. The team that plays to not lose, always does.
Revised Prediction: Caps in 5
(2) Devils @ (7) Flyers
I think the Flyers have been hearing too much about their regular season success against New Jersey. Truth be told, the Devils are a good team. I'm less confident that the Devils will win now, and I think tonight's game at 6 should clear things up substantially.
Revised Prediction: Devils in 7
(3) Sabres @ (6) Bruins
At 2-0 Buffalo, I thought my read on this series was terribly wrong. But Boston came through with a gutsy effort to show what I expected to see all along. Now, it's headed back to Boston with a tied series and a rejuvenated B's team. I think the Sabs take a game on the road. but I still stand by my old prediction:
(Not) Revised Prediction: Bruins in 7
(4) Penguins @ (5) Senators
I'm conflicted. On the one hand, losing Leopold is huge. On the other, the Pens look out for blood right now. Their bad luck / bounces continued on Friday night, yet they still pulled out a huge 2-1 victory. This is very reminiscent of the series against the Caps last year, in that if the luck changes, it'll be a lot less close. A Game 3 win will basically determine who wins this series. Me, I think the Pens still take it.
(Not) Revised Prediction: Pens in 6
(1) Sharks @ (8) Avs
Game 2 saw the Sharks showing more heart than I've ever seen in the playoffs. Extra man goal and an OT winner, something I've never expected. Is there any player you fear less in the postseason than Thornton? Maybe Marleau. Anyway, the Avs have to play a better team game if they want to pull out this upset. But the Sharks may actually be a different team this year. Maybe it's all the other favorites choking around the league.
Revised Prediction: Sharks in 6
(2) Hawks @ (7) Preds
Can't say, they've only played one so far. I'll change my prediction all the same:
Revised Prediction: Hawks in 6
(3) Canucks @ (6) Kings
Considering how many people have picked the Canucks to emerge from the WC, I've been a little concerned for my Kings upset pick. Anze Kopitar put those fears to rest last night. By the way, how shitty are Nucks fans? I've become impossibly annoyed with them because of the Olympics, not only for their terrible arena noises (especially the "whoo whoo" one), but also the way they treat opposing teams' players. It's like Philly, but Canada. After Kopi scored the GWG last night, a noticeable "Anze Sucks!" chant could be heard on the CBC feed. Dear Vancouver - keep in mind how well that works when Philly does it to another team's best player.
(Not) Revised Prediction: Kings in 7
(4) Coyotes @ (5) Red Wings
I'll give Phoenix credit. They've shown a lot more guts than I thought they would so far. Detroit has really had to work to stay in this series. Phoenix looks like they could wear down the old Wings, making them vulnerable in round 2. Here's hoping.
Revised Prediction: Wings in 6
- Matt
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
WCQ Preview
Part 2 of the one-part series.
(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (8) Colorado Avalanche
I'm through expecting anything of the Sharks. And yet, they always have so much talent that you can't just write them off in the first, or even second round, depending on matchup. And I like the Avs, but I just don't think they're riding into the playoffs on a good enough wave to beat the Sharks. And it can't get any worse than last year for them, so they'll be playing with nothing to lose.
Prediction: Sharks in 5
(2) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (7) Nashville Predators
Can't bother to see how the season series went. I'm surprised Nashville still exists. I'd say this closely resembles last year's WAS-NYR matchup, but that point's been made by smarter people I'm sure. And Ellis is no Lundqvist.
Prediction: Hawks in 5
(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) Los Angeles Kings
Hoo boy. This series is wide-open. I'm not surprised the two dark horses matched up in the first round. I thought St. Louis would at least win a game in last year's playoffs, but the Canucks sure stifled that prospect. I'm going to say it: I don't think the Canucks are very good. And LA beat them 8-3 recently. So my requisite upset for the WC lies here.
Prediction: Kings in 7
(4) Phoenix Coyotes vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings
Detroit looked an awwwwful lot like the Pens last year heading down the home stretch. Unfortunately for the Wings, youthful exuberance is not on their side. Phoenix is finally in a position to wreak havoc, but just their luck they got the hardest lower seed opponent in the NHL. This is going to be depressing for everyone but Wings fans and Wayne Gretzky, who might deserve whatever the Razzies equivalent to the Jack Adams is.
Prediction: Wings in 6
That's the previews. On Friday I should recap all the games and offer prospects for how the series should shape up from there. I feel like I'll have a much better grasp of the playoffs once these teams actually interact.
Fuck the Sens.
- Matt
(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (8) Colorado Avalanche
I'm through expecting anything of the Sharks. And yet, they always have so much talent that you can't just write them off in the first, or even second round, depending on matchup. And I like the Avs, but I just don't think they're riding into the playoffs on a good enough wave to beat the Sharks. And it can't get any worse than last year for them, so they'll be playing with nothing to lose.
Prediction: Sharks in 5
(2) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (7) Nashville Predators
Can't bother to see how the season series went. I'm surprised Nashville still exists. I'd say this closely resembles last year's WAS-NYR matchup, but that point's been made by smarter people I'm sure. And Ellis is no Lundqvist.
Prediction: Hawks in 5
(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) Los Angeles Kings
Hoo boy. This series is wide-open. I'm not surprised the two dark horses matched up in the first round. I thought St. Louis would at least win a game in last year's playoffs, but the Canucks sure stifled that prospect. I'm going to say it: I don't think the Canucks are very good. And LA beat them 8-3 recently. So my requisite upset for the WC lies here.
Prediction: Kings in 7
(4) Phoenix Coyotes vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings
Detroit looked an awwwwful lot like the Pens last year heading down the home stretch. Unfortunately for the Wings, youthful exuberance is not on their side. Phoenix is finally in a position to wreak havoc, but just their luck they got the hardest lower seed opponent in the NHL. This is going to be depressing for everyone but Wings fans and Wayne Gretzky, who might deserve whatever the Razzies equivalent to the Jack Adams is.
Prediction: Wings in 6
That's the previews. On Friday I should recap all the games and offer prospects for how the series should shape up from there. I feel like I'll have a much better grasp of the playoffs once these teams actually interact.
Fuck the Sens.
- Matt
ECQ Preview
That's Eastern Conference Quarterfinals to you.
(1) Washington Capitals vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
The season series wrapped up 2-2, which makes for probably the best record against the Caps in the regular season of anyone. Still, don't be fooled. To beat the Caps, you need to knock their skill players (Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom, Green) off the puck to render them ineffective. While the Habs aren't Verne Troyer-sized by any means, they are a very small team. Don't expect much of a series.
Prediction: Caps in 4
(2) New Jersey Devils vs. (7) Philadelphia Flyers
5-1, Flyers. Ouch. Pretty surprising, all things considered. Honestly, I don't know what to make of this series. I think the Flyers are fading fast, and I believe the Devils can get over the hump against the Flyers to move on in the playoffs. Nothing else to say.
Prediction: Devils in 6
(3) Buffalo Sabres vs. (6) Boston Bruins
The matchup to watch, for sure. I can see all types of results playing out for this one. Boston is really starting to gel, and could be this year's Carolina. However, Miller is a better goaltender than Rask, and only Boston's D has the advantage in this matchup. The playoff push may have gassed the Bruins, but I'm obligated to pick an upset in the EC. And I can't bet against the Pens yet.
Prediction: Bruins in 7
(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Ottawa Senators
So. 3rd time in 4 years. One series taken by either team. I think the quick strikes are over, and we should get ready for a marathon. No matter who survives this matchup, it's going to wear down the victor a considerable amount. Sens are out Kovalev and Kuba, but Phillips and Volchenkov have been instrumental in holding Sidney Crosby to his lowest point average against ANY Eastern team. But with Malkin and Staal playing as well as they are, it's hard to see the Senators definitively having an answer for the Pens. It's all on the Pittsburgh D to not leave Fleury out to hang.
Prediction: Penguins in 6
Western Conference preview later today. Maybe.
- Matt
(1) Washington Capitals vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
The season series wrapped up 2-2, which makes for probably the best record against the Caps in the regular season of anyone. Still, don't be fooled. To beat the Caps, you need to knock their skill players (Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom, Green) off the puck to render them ineffective. While the Habs aren't Verne Troyer-sized by any means, they are a very small team. Don't expect much of a series.
Prediction: Caps in 4
(2) New Jersey Devils vs. (7) Philadelphia Flyers
5-1, Flyers. Ouch. Pretty surprising, all things considered. Honestly, I don't know what to make of this series. I think the Flyers are fading fast, and I believe the Devils can get over the hump against the Flyers to move on in the playoffs. Nothing else to say.
Prediction: Devils in 6
(3) Buffalo Sabres vs. (6) Boston Bruins
The matchup to watch, for sure. I can see all types of results playing out for this one. Boston is really starting to gel, and could be this year's Carolina. However, Miller is a better goaltender than Rask, and only Boston's D has the advantage in this matchup. The playoff push may have gassed the Bruins, but I'm obligated to pick an upset in the EC. And I can't bet against the Pens yet.
Prediction: Bruins in 7
(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Ottawa Senators
So. 3rd time in 4 years. One series taken by either team. I think the quick strikes are over, and we should get ready for a marathon. No matter who survives this matchup, it's going to wear down the victor a considerable amount. Sens are out Kovalev and Kuba, but Phillips and Volchenkov have been instrumental in holding Sidney Crosby to his lowest point average against ANY Eastern team. But with Malkin and Staal playing as well as they are, it's hard to see the Senators definitively having an answer for the Pens. It's all on the Pittsburgh D to not leave Fleury out to hang.
Prediction: Penguins in 6
Western Conference preview later today. Maybe.
- Matt
Monday, April 5, 2010
Curse of the President's Trophy
Once Colorado beat San Jose in overtime last night, the President's Trophy was awarded to the Washington Capitals, who still have 4 games to play. It's the earliest the trophy's been awarded since 2006, when the Red Wings won it with 124 points. It is the first such trophy in Capitals history.
But the success rate of these winners is, shall we say, lacking. The trophy has been awarded 23 times before this year, yet only 7 of those teams have won the Stanley Cup in the same year. The last to do so were the Red Wings in 2008.
But even getting to the big game requires some luck. Only two additional teams, for a total of 9 out of 23, have even made it the Cup finals. Boston fell to the Oilers in 1990 and the Red Wings lost to Jersey before their back to back championships. 9/23 is less than 40%.
Yet more frustrating is the early round losses (first or second). 9 out of 23 times, including 4 in the very first round, have resulted in disappointment to the highest degree. So a President's Trophy winner is equally likely to lose in the first couple of rounds as it is to make it to the finals.
Most disturbing of all is the recent trends. I mentioned the Red Wings did win the Cup in 2008, but the other three teams since the lockout, which represents the most relevant metric for current success, fared very poorly. Of them, Buffalo did the best with 9 playoff wins. San Jose was brushed aside by Anaheim in the first round last season, and Detroit was felled by eventual runner-up (though 8th-seeded) Edmonton in 2006. So, since the lockout, there's an even smaller rate of success for the Cup than in previous years. Blame parity, I suppose.
Washington is only the seventh of 24 winners to be from the Eastern Conference. The success rate is even lower than the other numbers for the EC, at just one of six. At least no Trophy winner from the East has ever lost in the opening round. Still, that's not a precedent the Caps would like to set. The Rangers, who are putting together a small winning streak, almost ended the Caps' season prematurely last spring. Is anyone in DC enthused at the prospect of playing a good defensive team entering the postseason on a hot streak?
Still, as far as curses go, this ranks between the Philadelphia skyline curse and the Madden curse in terms of validity. As a Pens fan, I certainly hope it claims another victim this year.
- Matt
But the success rate of these winners is, shall we say, lacking. The trophy has been awarded 23 times before this year, yet only 7 of those teams have won the Stanley Cup in the same year. The last to do so were the Red Wings in 2008.
But even getting to the big game requires some luck. Only two additional teams, for a total of 9 out of 23, have even made it the Cup finals. Boston fell to the Oilers in 1990 and the Red Wings lost to Jersey before their back to back championships. 9/23 is less than 40%.
Yet more frustrating is the early round losses (first or second). 9 out of 23 times, including 4 in the very first round, have resulted in disappointment to the highest degree. So a President's Trophy winner is equally likely to lose in the first couple of rounds as it is to make it to the finals.
Most disturbing of all is the recent trends. I mentioned the Red Wings did win the Cup in 2008, but the other three teams since the lockout, which represents the most relevant metric for current success, fared very poorly. Of them, Buffalo did the best with 9 playoff wins. San Jose was brushed aside by Anaheim in the first round last season, and Detroit was felled by eventual runner-up (though 8th-seeded) Edmonton in 2006. So, since the lockout, there's an even smaller rate of success for the Cup than in previous years. Blame parity, I suppose.
Washington is only the seventh of 24 winners to be from the Eastern Conference. The success rate is even lower than the other numbers for the EC, at just one of six. At least no Trophy winner from the East has ever lost in the opening round. Still, that's not a precedent the Caps would like to set. The Rangers, who are putting together a small winning streak, almost ended the Caps' season prematurely last spring. Is anyone in DC enthused at the prospect of playing a good defensive team entering the postseason on a hot streak?
Still, as far as curses go, this ranks between the Philadelphia skyline curse and the Madden curse in terms of validity. As a Pens fan, I certainly hope it claims another victim this year.
- Matt
Monday, March 15, 2010
Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Let's recap what happened to my favorite teams yesterday:
* Crosby involved in nasty tie-up on first shift of game, then Malkin leaves and doesn't come back after getting hit on the back of the knee. Yikes.
* B-Rob leaves training camp to see a back specialist. Last I checked, I'm on the depth chart for second base.
* Tomlinson signs with the Jets. I can't root against him, but I hate the Jets so much.
* Rex Ryan gets surgery to kill his massive blubber. Now there will be 50% less fat jokes on this site.
To that last point, maybe this proves that fat retards would rather just get surgery than, you know, have a healthy lifestyle. I don't see Ryan eating Waldorf salads and running 5Ks anytime soon.
Go Monday.
- Matt
* Crosby involved in nasty tie-up on first shift of game, then Malkin leaves and doesn't come back after getting hit on the back of the knee. Yikes.
* B-Rob leaves training camp to see a back specialist. Last I checked, I'm on the depth chart for second base.
* Tomlinson signs with the Jets. I can't root against him, but I hate the Jets so much.
* Rex Ryan gets surgery to kill his massive blubber. Now there will be 50% less fat jokes on this site.
To that last point, maybe this proves that fat retards would rather just get surgery than, you know, have a healthy lifestyle. I don't see Ryan eating Waldorf salads and running 5Ks anytime soon.
Go Monday.
- Matt
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
No Suspension For Cooke
Are you kidding?
Are you fucking kidding?
This is the fallout from the asinine decision not to suspend Richards. Now it's officially headhunting open season. Thanks for nothing, NHL.
- Matt
Are you fucking kidding?
This is the fallout from the asinine decision not to suspend Richards. Now it's officially headhunting open season. Thanks for nothing, NHL.
- Matt
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Headshots and Starfuckers
Could be a pretty good album title.
This of course has to do with the Matt Cooke hit everyone is bitching about. I'll try to keep this as short and sweet as possible. Here's my thesis statement, dumbass:
The Matt Cooke hit will be good for the league.
OMG u r so bias!
1. People who talk like that have no rights as human beings, in my opinion.
2. Let me finish.
The Matt Cooke hit, like the Mike Richards hit before it, was a brutal, dirty hit. Why was it dirty? Because it gave a guy a friggin concussion. Sure, Savard was playing with his head down. Sure, Cooke tucked in his elbow so the hit was legal. Sure, he eased up slightly before his shoulder collided with Savard's head. If Savard gets right back up, is it still dirty? YEEEEESSSSSSS.
There's a reason the IIHF gives automatic two-game suspensions for headshots. Because they are, by definition, cheap shots that don't belong in sports. It's not like Cooke decided to show up on highlight reels around the country by lighting someone up. Richards didn't, either. Cooke followed through with the hit because it's a contract year, and he's paid to walk on the thin line between legal and illegal. If you were a contract employee that relied on finding loopholes to get paid, and right before your current contract expired, you found a big one, you'd take advantage of it. If you pretend you wouldn't, die.
So again, why is this good for the league? Because now Colin Campbell has to make a very tough decision. He's already set precedent with allowing this kind of hit to go unpunished, thanks to the starfucking double-standard set by the league offices, in which superstars only get suspended if they draw 2 major penalties for cheapshotting in 3 games. If Crosby hits Savard like that, I guarantee the league isn't even thinking suspension. But seeing as David Booth still can't watch TV without feeling dizzy, and Savard is probably (and should be) done for the season, hopefully the pressure is on to do something about headshots, regardless of who's doing the hitting.
In shortish, this has potential to bring about necessary change in a flawed system. I'm not pleased that it took someone's life being changed permanently to make it happen, but if there's any win in this whole situation, it's that the NHL may have had its hand forced on these matters.
And the Pens better resign Cooke. I don't want him on any other team in the league, much less an Eastern Conference one.
- Matt
This of course has to do with the Matt Cooke hit everyone is bitching about. I'll try to keep this as short and sweet as possible. Here's my thesis statement, dumbass:
The Matt Cooke hit will be good for the league.
OMG u r so bias!
1. People who talk like that have no rights as human beings, in my opinion.
2. Let me finish.
The Matt Cooke hit, like the Mike Richards hit before it, was a brutal, dirty hit. Why was it dirty? Because it gave a guy a friggin concussion. Sure, Savard was playing with his head down. Sure, Cooke tucked in his elbow so the hit was legal. Sure, he eased up slightly before his shoulder collided with Savard's head. If Savard gets right back up, is it still dirty? YEEEEESSSSSSS.
There's a reason the IIHF gives automatic two-game suspensions for headshots. Because they are, by definition, cheap shots that don't belong in sports. It's not like Cooke decided to show up on highlight reels around the country by lighting someone up. Richards didn't, either. Cooke followed through with the hit because it's a contract year, and he's paid to walk on the thin line between legal and illegal. If you were a contract employee that relied on finding loopholes to get paid, and right before your current contract expired, you found a big one, you'd take advantage of it. If you pretend you wouldn't, die.
So again, why is this good for the league? Because now Colin Campbell has to make a very tough decision. He's already set precedent with allowing this kind of hit to go unpunished, thanks to the starfucking double-standard set by the league offices, in which superstars only get suspended if they draw 2 major penalties for cheapshotting in 3 games. If Crosby hits Savard like that, I guarantee the league isn't even thinking suspension. But seeing as David Booth still can't watch TV without feeling dizzy, and Savard is probably (and should be) done for the season, hopefully the pressure is on to do something about headshots, regardless of who's doing the hitting.
In shortish, this has potential to bring about necessary change in a flawed system. I'm not pleased that it took someone's life being changed permanently to make it happen, but if there's any win in this whole situation, it's that the NHL may have had its hand forced on these matters.
And the Pens better resign Cooke. I don't want him on any other team in the league, much less an Eastern Conference one.
- Matt
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Penguin Trades. Not Feeling Creative Today.
Trade #1: 2nd round pick for Jordan Leopold
ANALysis: Classic Ray Shero. A late second rounder for a guy who plays against the top lines of other teams. The Pens' D was looking really shitty for the last month or so, and adding another d-man to the mix, especially a good one, is just super cool. Was this move made with the Caps in mind? Most likely, yes.
Trade #2: Martin Skoula and Luca Caputi for Alex Ponikarovsky
What the Leafs get: Trade bait and a prospect. As I write this, Skoula has been traded to the Devils. So basically the Leafs get a prospect and a pick. Or what they should have expected for Poni all along. This is hardly a steal for any side. Caputi will put up 4th line numbers this year for the Leafs, and maybe third line numbers next season. Eventually, he could be a top six forward. He could also drop off the face of the Earth. One thing's for sure: I'll miss his name more than his play.
What the Pens get: Ponikarovsky is the "winger for Geno" that fans were hoping for. He's a 20-goal scorer on other teams, and a career +56 on the friggin Leafs. He should get a medal for that. He's also childhood friends with Ruslan Fedotenko, so here's hoping the new Russian Connection line (Feds and Poni are Ukranian, but they speak Russian) has a base for some chemistry. I'd say Poni seems like a younger Sykora in production, but I've only seen him play against the Penguins. And I didn't pay attention then. In short, the Pens' offense gets better.
Overall: Penguins upgraded their defense and offense while sacrificing a pick, prospect, and 8th d-man. Tell me any team wouldn't do that, and I'll call you a liar.
- Matt
ANALysis: Classic Ray Shero. A late second rounder for a guy who plays against the top lines of other teams. The Pens' D was looking really shitty for the last month or so, and adding another d-man to the mix, especially a good one, is just super cool. Was this move made with the Caps in mind? Most likely, yes.
Trade #2: Martin Skoula and Luca Caputi for Alex Ponikarovsky
What the Leafs get: Trade bait and a prospect. As I write this, Skoula has been traded to the Devils. So basically the Leafs get a prospect and a pick. Or what they should have expected for Poni all along. This is hardly a steal for any side. Caputi will put up 4th line numbers this year for the Leafs, and maybe third line numbers next season. Eventually, he could be a top six forward. He could also drop off the face of the Earth. One thing's for sure: I'll miss his name more than his play.
What the Pens get: Ponikarovsky is the "winger for Geno" that fans were hoping for. He's a 20-goal scorer on other teams, and a career +56 on the friggin Leafs. He should get a medal for that. He's also childhood friends with Ruslan Fedotenko, so here's hoping the new Russian Connection line (Feds and Poni are Ukranian, but they speak Russian) has a base for some chemistry. I'd say Poni seems like a younger Sykora in production, but I've only seen him play against the Penguins. And I didn't pay attention then. In short, the Pens' offense gets better.
Overall: Penguins upgraded their defense and offense while sacrificing a pick, prospect, and 8th d-man. Tell me any team wouldn't do that, and I'll call you a liar.
- Matt
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Olympic Wrap
Well, loss aside, that was one of the best hockey games I've ever seen. Only question is, why 4 on 4 for 20 minutes in OT? Bizarre.
Now for some awards:
Overachiever Award: Team Slovakia. Who thought they'd even play for a medal, much less beat Sweden and Russia?
Runner-Up: Team USA. I always thought they'd medal.
Underachiever Award: Team Sweden. Defending champs couldn't get it done when it mattered.
Runner-Up: Team Russia. Only their offense underachieved.
MVP: Ryan Miller. What a beast.
Runners-Up: Sidney Crosby (game/Gold winner), Tore Vikingstad (best name ever)
Best Team: Team Canada. Gold medalists.
Runner-Up: Team USA. No surprises here.
Worst Team: Team Russia. Terrible chemistry, abysmal defense, and offensive superstars not even trying to backcheck.
Runner-Up: Team Germany. Never even made a game that close.
Lessons Learned: Miller is an elite goaltender... Crosby wins championships, no matter the pressure... The USA has made amazing strides and, developmentally, is the best hockey nation in the world... The 2014 Olympics in Sochi will kick ass. If Bettman allows NHL players to play... NHL players easily beat players of any other league. The two teams with 100% NHL players medaled gold and silver.
And it sucks to see Crosby beat your team. Now I know how Brett feels.
- Matt
Now for some awards:
Overachiever Award: Team Slovakia. Who thought they'd even play for a medal, much less beat Sweden and Russia?
Runner-Up: Team USA. I always thought they'd medal.
Underachiever Award: Team Sweden. Defending champs couldn't get it done when it mattered.
Runner-Up: Team Russia. Only their offense underachieved.
MVP: Ryan Miller. What a beast.
Runners-Up: Sidney Crosby (game/Gold winner), Tore Vikingstad (best name ever)
Best Team: Team Canada. Gold medalists.
Runner-Up: Team USA. No surprises here.
Worst Team: Team Russia. Terrible chemistry, abysmal defense, and offensive superstars not even trying to backcheck.
Runner-Up: Team Germany. Never even made a game that close.
Lessons Learned: Miller is an elite goaltender... Crosby wins championships, no matter the pressure... The USA has made amazing strides and, developmentally, is the best hockey nation in the world... The 2014 Olympics in Sochi will kick ass. If Bettman allows NHL players to play... NHL players easily beat players of any other league. The two teams with 100% NHL players medaled gold and silver.
And it sucks to see Crosby beat your team. Now I know how Brett feels.
- Matt
Monday, February 22, 2010
Olympics: Moving On
First of all, USA! USA!
Now, there are some preliminary matchups that could provide the upsets we crave. Let's look at each one:
Czech Republic (5) vs. Latvia (12)
Rematch of an earlier game, where the Czechs were scared straight when the Latvians made it closer than it should have been.
Upset Potential: Highly unlikely
Canada (6) vs. Germany (11)
Two teams whose talent level isn't living up to its potential. After a spat of hot goaltenders, Canada will be relieved to face struggling Greiss. Expect a blowout.
Upset Potential: Slim to none
Slovakia (7) vs. Norway (10)
Slovakia is heating up, and should blow the suddenly overachieving Norwegians out of the water. Not even Tore Vikingstad can stop the inevitable. Unless the Slovaks have trouble scoring again.
Upset Potential: Unlikely
Switzerland (8) vs. Belarus (9)
Jonas Hiller was finally lit up in the tourney... by the Norwegians, oddly. Could Belarus find the magic they summoned in the Germany game? The Swiss will probably win, but a Belarus upset is actually plausible.
Upset Potential: Surprisingly Possible
As for the Americans, they await the winner of SUI-BEL as the number one seed. 3 wins to go.
- Matt
Now, there are some preliminary matchups that could provide the upsets we crave. Let's look at each one:
Czech Republic (5) vs. Latvia (12)
Rematch of an earlier game, where the Czechs were scared straight when the Latvians made it closer than it should have been.
Upset Potential: Highly unlikely
Canada (6) vs. Germany (11)
Two teams whose talent level isn't living up to its potential. After a spat of hot goaltenders, Canada will be relieved to face struggling Greiss. Expect a blowout.
Upset Potential: Slim to none
Slovakia (7) vs. Norway (10)
Slovakia is heating up, and should blow the suddenly overachieving Norwegians out of the water. Not even Tore Vikingstad can stop the inevitable. Unless the Slovaks have trouble scoring again.
Upset Potential: Unlikely
Switzerland (8) vs. Belarus (9)
Jonas Hiller was finally lit up in the tourney... by the Norwegians, oddly. Could Belarus find the magic they summoned in the Germany game? The Swiss will probably win, but a Belarus upset is actually plausible.
Upset Potential: Surprisingly Possible
As for the Americans, they await the winner of SUI-BEL as the number one seed. 3 wins to go.
- Matt
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Updated Olympic Power Rankings
This post brought to you by the I Hate Henrik Zetterberg Foundation.
12. Norway (0-0-0-2)
11. Germany (0-0-0-2)
10. Latvia (0-0-0-2)
9. Belarus (0-0-0-2)
8. Switzerland (0-0-1-1)
7. Slovakia (0-1-0-1)
6. Czech Republic (2-0-0-0)
5. Russia (1-0-1-0)
4. Sweden (2-0-0-0)
3. United States (2-0-0-0)
2. Finland (2-0-0-0)
1. Canada (1-1-0-0)
In fact, I say the 1-2-3 is how this tournament finishes. Finland has looked very solid this tourney, and has outplayed neighbor Sweden in every area I've seen. I trust Kipper in net more than almost every other goalie in the games. And Backstrom as backup? Good lord.
Russia is ahead of its group because it took a hot goaltender standing on his head to stop the prolific offense. Which is why I think Finland/Sweden pose a huge threat to the Commies, and why it's likely the Russians may fail to medal. Just saying.
- Matt
12. Norway (0-0-0-2)
11. Germany (0-0-0-2)
10. Latvia (0-0-0-2)
9. Belarus (0-0-0-2)
8. Switzerland (0-0-1-1)
7. Slovakia (0-1-0-1)
6. Czech Republic (2-0-0-0)
5. Russia (1-0-1-0)
4. Sweden (2-0-0-0)
3. United States (2-0-0-0)
2. Finland (2-0-0-0)
1. Canada (1-1-0-0)
In fact, I say the 1-2-3 is how this tournament finishes. Finland has looked very solid this tourney, and has outplayed neighbor Sweden in every area I've seen. I trust Kipper in net more than almost every other goalie in the games. And Backstrom as backup? Good lord.
Russia is ahead of its group because it took a hot goaltender standing on his head to stop the prolific offense. Which is why I think Finland/Sweden pose a huge threat to the Commies, and why it's likely the Russians may fail to medal. Just saying.
- Matt
Friday, February 19, 2010
Olympic Power Rankings after Day 3
The two stunning games last night have forced me to rewrite my rankings:
12. Latvia (0-0-0-1)
11. Norway (0-0-0-2)
10. Belarus (0-0-0-1)
9. Germany (0-0-0-1)
8. Switzerland (0-0-1-1)
7. Slovakia (0-1-0-1)
6. Czech Republic (1-0-0-0)
5. Russia (1-0-1-0)
4. Finland (1-0-0-0)
3. Sweden (1-0-0-0)
2. United States (2-0-0-0)
1. Canada (1-1-0-0)
Now for some logic. Obviously, teams without a win (Switzerland through Latvia) couldn't be ranked higher than winning clubs. Of those teams, Switzerland and Germany gave the best fights.
Slovakia certainly deserves a move up for beating Russia (and holding them to one goal), but they still only have 2 points in the standings, and need to hope the Czechs can also beat Russia to get a good seeding for the play-in round.
The matchup between Czech Republic and Russia is now huge. The Czechs can clinch a bye to reach the quarterfinals with a win. Goal differential may be the key in this group.
Finland and Sweden were both impressive in their debuts, but I hold more stock in defense than offense. These two are expected top 4 finishers for me.
Canada gets the nod over the US for the top spot because they are still the favorites to win the head-to-head matchup on Sunday. Meanwhile, the US could probably clinch the number 1 spot for the rest of the tourney by beating Canada. Both have clinched top-8 finishes, and an overtime decision would probably give both teams a bye into the quarterfinals.
Also, post #200. woooooo.
- Matt
12. Latvia (0-0-0-1)
11. Norway (0-0-0-2)
10. Belarus (0-0-0-1)
9. Germany (0-0-0-1)
8. Switzerland (0-0-1-1)
7. Slovakia (0-1-0-1)
6. Czech Republic (1-0-0-0)
5. Russia (1-0-1-0)
4. Finland (1-0-0-0)
3. Sweden (1-0-0-0)
2. United States (2-0-0-0)
1. Canada (1-1-0-0)
Now for some logic. Obviously, teams without a win (Switzerland through Latvia) couldn't be ranked higher than winning clubs. Of those teams, Switzerland and Germany gave the best fights.
Slovakia certainly deserves a move up for beating Russia (and holding them to one goal), but they still only have 2 points in the standings, and need to hope the Czechs can also beat Russia to get a good seeding for the play-in round.
The matchup between Czech Republic and Russia is now huge. The Czechs can clinch a bye to reach the quarterfinals with a win. Goal differential may be the key in this group.
Finland and Sweden were both impressive in their debuts, but I hold more stock in defense than offense. These two are expected top 4 finishers for me.
Canada gets the nod over the US for the top spot because they are still the favorites to win the head-to-head matchup on Sunday. Meanwhile, the US could probably clinch the number 1 spot for the rest of the tourney by beating Canada. Both have clinched top-8 finishes, and an overtime decision would probably give both teams a bye into the quarterfinals.
Also, post #200. woooooo.
- Matt
Thursday, February 18, 2010
It's Still Thursday!
NHL/Olympic post of the week!
I don't know what else to talk about, so let's rank the Olympian teams:
12. Latvia
11. Norway
10. Belarus
9. Slovakia
8. Switzerland
7. Germany
6. Czech Republic
5. Finland
4. United States of America
3. Sweden
2. Russia
1. Canada
Note: I made this ranking before today's games. I would probably move Russia into the top spot, and the US into spot number 3 now. Canada may have shaken its nerves away, now that they've overcome the adversity of not blowing out a lesser opponent. I think Canada gets gold, Sweden gets silver, and the USA gets bronze, as I've maintained.
Now, since we're all Americans here, let's analyze their performances thus far:
vs SWI - The Americans took the body early, and shook off opening day jitters to really dominate play. They didn't let Hiller get too comfortable, and made the defense of the Swiss look like Swiss cheese (har har). It was a good win, and in light of Canada needing the shootout to beat the Swiss, it looks very good now.
vs NOR - Besides a complete misfire that led to a shorthanded goal, it was tough for the US to control this game any more. The result was never even close to in doubt. I'd say this proved the Americans are capable of competing with the Canadians and Russians. Let's hope they can build off this win and become gold medalists.
NHL Video Game Song of the Week:
I nominate Raccoon Eyes, by Priestess. From their Prior to the Fire album, which fucking rules.
From NHL10. But you probably already knew that.
- Matt
I don't know what else to talk about, so let's rank the Olympian teams:
12. Latvia
11. Norway
10. Belarus
9. Slovakia
8. Switzerland
7. Germany
6. Czech Republic
5. Finland
4. United States of America
3. Sweden
2. Russia
1. Canada
Note: I made this ranking before today's games. I would probably move Russia into the top spot, and the US into spot number 3 now. Canada may have shaken its nerves away, now that they've overcome the adversity of not blowing out a lesser opponent. I think Canada gets gold, Sweden gets silver, and the USA gets bronze, as I've maintained.
Now, since we're all Americans here, let's analyze their performances thus far:
vs SWI - The Americans took the body early, and shook off opening day jitters to really dominate play. They didn't let Hiller get too comfortable, and made the defense of the Swiss look like Swiss cheese (har har). It was a good win, and in light of Canada needing the shootout to beat the Swiss, it looks very good now.
vs NOR - Besides a complete misfire that led to a shorthanded goal, it was tough for the US to control this game any more. The result was never even close to in doubt. I'd say this proved the Americans are capable of competing with the Canadians and Russians. Let's hope they can build off this win and become gold medalists.
NHL Video Game Song of the Week:
I nominate Raccoon Eyes, by Priestess. From their Prior to the Fire album, which fucking rules.
From NHL10. But you probably already knew that.
- Matt
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Thursday (Night) Hockey
Oops, forgot to make a post.
Anyway, here's a hastily typed series of observations about the Olympics:
* I'm not convinced Russia is going to medal. Their D and goaltending are suspect (has Nabokov ever accomplished anything in a playoff?), and half the team is made of KHL players. The politics of representing Russia's league on Canadian soil could be this team's undoing. Prediction: 5th place.
* The NHL-sized rink could prove to be the Achilles' Heel for the finesse teams such as Sweden and Finland. Although the Swedish team has a lot of NHLers in its ranks, ones who've proven themselves in the playoffs. The reigning gold medalists should at least get bronze.
* While I think Canada comes up with Gold this year, I think the US is going to give every team a very good fight. Finland could be another surprise, as could Slovakia.
Game of the Night: Washington at Ottawa
WHY: Both teams, until recently, were riding franchise-best winning streaks.
WHY NOT: I hate them both.
Prediction: Capitals 6, Senators 3
Alternate Game: Boston at Tampa Bay. Potential playoff positioning?
NHL Video Game Music of the Week:
Pretty emo, but this fucker gets so stuck in my head every time I hear it. From NHL07.
- Matt
Anyway, here's a hastily typed series of observations about the Olympics:
* I'm not convinced Russia is going to medal. Their D and goaltending are suspect (has Nabokov ever accomplished anything in a playoff?), and half the team is made of KHL players. The politics of representing Russia's league on Canadian soil could be this team's undoing. Prediction: 5th place.
* The NHL-sized rink could prove to be the Achilles' Heel for the finesse teams such as Sweden and Finland. Although the Swedish team has a lot of NHLers in its ranks, ones who've proven themselves in the playoffs. The reigning gold medalists should at least get bronze.
* While I think Canada comes up with Gold this year, I think the US is going to give every team a very good fight. Finland could be another surprise, as could Slovakia.
Game of the Night: Washington at Ottawa
WHY: Both teams, until recently, were riding franchise-best winning streaks.
WHY NOT: I hate them both.
Prediction: Capitals 6, Senators 3
Alternate Game: Boston at Tampa Bay. Potential playoff positioning?
NHL Video Game Music of the Week:
Pretty emo, but this fucker gets so stuck in my head every time I hear it. From NHL07.
- Matt
Friday, February 5, 2010
Just Another Useless Hockey Opinion
17 = 666
A Devil...a DEVIL...clearly this was the "wild card team" that some reports had him going to. I read a great article this morning on TSN written by Bob McKenzie. (http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/?id=309019) He argues that Waddell did everything in his power to get the best return for Kovalchuk. He says people are crazy if they think he would've fetched Cam Barker, Patrick Sharp, or Kris Versteeg in a trade. He goes on to say that Waddell played his cards right. As soon as he had the Devils offer he went public saying he was open to trading Kovy, in order to flush out some last minute bids for him. He goes on to say Waddell received what he was asking for. He wanted a top 6 forward (Bergfors has the potential), a top 4 d-man (Oduya has the minutes to suggest he's a #4 d-man), a prospect (Patrice Cormier), and a 1st round pick. True.
I respect Bob McKenzie and most of the NHL writers at TSN...but I whole heartedly disagree. Let's breakdown this trade.
NJ Acquires: Ilya Kovalchuk (F), Anssi Salmela (D)
ATL Acquires: Niclas Bergfors (F), Johnny Oduya (D), Patrice Cormier (F), NJ 2010 1st Rd pick
*Also the two teams will swap 2nd round picks
Let's look at this deal from the side of Atlanta first.
Alright so obviously Waddell wasn't going to get everything he desired out of a rental player. I highly doubt Kovalchuk will re-sign with NJ. I just don't see it happening. I don't think Lou will offer him more than what Waddell did (101 million over 12 years). But what did Waddell bring in?
Bergfors...a solid young forward. He started the year out hot, but has tailed off. You can attribute that to the fact that he's a rookie and is still adjusting to the NHL. He has a scoring touch and could end the year with 20 goals (has 13 right now). That's a very solid rookie season. If Bergfors can follow it up the next two years with 25+ goal seasons, then it was a very solid pickup for the Thrashers.
Johnny Oduya is a middle of the road puck moving defenseman. I'll be honest I don't know that much about him...don't watch the Devils that much. Matt may have more insight on some of these Devil players than I do. But from what I read he's a "safe" return. He won't make mistakes, but by no means is a game changer. He's a #4 or #5 d-man.
Patrice Cormier. Many know him has the guy who threw one of the most heinous elbows is hockey history. He was recently suspended for the rest of the year in Juniors. Sadly this was the not the first time Cormier had been suspended for throwing an elbow. This kid is just a dirty player. IF he every makes it to the NHL he's not projected to be more than a 3rd or 4th line player. So as far as bringing in a good prospect...Waddell fails here. What a waste. He would've been better off asking for a 3rd round pick (or not swapping 2nds). Maybe the Devils asked him to take Cormier off their hands because of the embarrassment...who knows.
1st round pick. Ok so Waddell gets his 1st round pick, but here's the thing...it's going to be a very late 1st rounder. Essentially it's the same as having an extremely high 2nd. What makes it worse is that the two teams swapped their 2nd round picks. So let's say the Thrashers tank...and the Devils win the cup. The Devils essentially give up maybe...10-13 spots? That's not THAT huge.
Waddell didn't really receive much in return. This is the second time he's barely gotten anything for a superstar player. He traded Hossa to Pitt for depth players. Waddell needed to try and get the best value for Kovalchuk...maybe he did? This is where I think Waddell failed...he did not allow teams to talk to Kovalchuk's agent. In my opinion it was his thought process that if he didn't allow teams to talk to his agent it allowed Waddell to pick from more than just one team. It wouldn't handcuff him when he went to trade Kovy. However, it hurt him because it limited what he could bring back in return. If a team knows they're not just getting a rental player they'll be more willing to give up more in the trade. Waddell needed this trade to be a homerun because let's face it...he's getting rid of one of the most dynamic offensive players in the league...and he failed.
From the Devils Prospective
They're making a run at the Cup. Who knows how much longer Brodeur will be playing. After this year...another year...maybe 2? They know that with him playing as well as he is this year, they'd better make their run now. I respect that...and instantly they become the favourite in the East. They have the goalie and the defensive system to get them deep in the playoffs. Now they have the clutch player to score them that "big" goal when it counts. And what did they give up? It's not going to hurt them in the long run. A couple of mid-level players to bring in a superstar. Good for them.
Winners: The Devils
As a side note...the Thrashers a few years ago had a great young team. They were primed for offensive glory. The problem...the inability to re-sign their players. I say get that team out of Atlanta hockey has no business being. Re-locate to Winnepeg, Quebec, some CANADIAN city where hockey is beloved. You can see it just on the sports website. You log-onto tsn.ca and their front page is all about the Kovy trade. You log onto ESPN.com you're lucky to find even a headline about it.
-Brett
A Devil...a DEVIL...clearly this was the "wild card team" that some reports had him going to. I read a great article this morning on TSN written by Bob McKenzie. (http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/?id=309019) He argues that Waddell did everything in his power to get the best return for Kovalchuk. He says people are crazy if they think he would've fetched Cam Barker, Patrick Sharp, or Kris Versteeg in a trade. He goes on to say that Waddell played his cards right. As soon as he had the Devils offer he went public saying he was open to trading Kovy, in order to flush out some last minute bids for him. He goes on to say Waddell received what he was asking for. He wanted a top 6 forward (Bergfors has the potential), a top 4 d-man (Oduya has the minutes to suggest he's a #4 d-man), a prospect (Patrice Cormier), and a 1st round pick. True.
I respect Bob McKenzie and most of the NHL writers at TSN...but I whole heartedly disagree. Let's breakdown this trade.
NJ Acquires: Ilya Kovalchuk (F), Anssi Salmela (D)
ATL Acquires: Niclas Bergfors (F), Johnny Oduya (D), Patrice Cormier (F), NJ 2010 1st Rd pick
*Also the two teams will swap 2nd round picks
Let's look at this deal from the side of Atlanta first.
Alright so obviously Waddell wasn't going to get everything he desired out of a rental player. I highly doubt Kovalchuk will re-sign with NJ. I just don't see it happening. I don't think Lou will offer him more than what Waddell did (101 million over 12 years). But what did Waddell bring in?
Bergfors...a solid young forward. He started the year out hot, but has tailed off. You can attribute that to the fact that he's a rookie and is still adjusting to the NHL. He has a scoring touch and could end the year with 20 goals (has 13 right now). That's a very solid rookie season. If Bergfors can follow it up the next two years with 25+ goal seasons, then it was a very solid pickup for the Thrashers.
Johnny Oduya is a middle of the road puck moving defenseman. I'll be honest I don't know that much about him...don't watch the Devils that much. Matt may have more insight on some of these Devil players than I do. But from what I read he's a "safe" return. He won't make mistakes, but by no means is a game changer. He's a #4 or #5 d-man.
Patrice Cormier. Many know him has the guy who threw one of the most heinous elbows is hockey history. He was recently suspended for the rest of the year in Juniors. Sadly this was the not the first time Cormier had been suspended for throwing an elbow. This kid is just a dirty player. IF he every makes it to the NHL he's not projected to be more than a 3rd or 4th line player. So as far as bringing in a good prospect...Waddell fails here. What a waste. He would've been better off asking for a 3rd round pick (or not swapping 2nds). Maybe the Devils asked him to take Cormier off their hands because of the embarrassment...who knows.
1st round pick. Ok so Waddell gets his 1st round pick, but here's the thing...it's going to be a very late 1st rounder. Essentially it's the same as having an extremely high 2nd. What makes it worse is that the two teams swapped their 2nd round picks. So let's say the Thrashers tank...and the Devils win the cup. The Devils essentially give up maybe...10-13 spots? That's not THAT huge.
Waddell didn't really receive much in return. This is the second time he's barely gotten anything for a superstar player. He traded Hossa to Pitt for depth players. Waddell needed to try and get the best value for Kovalchuk...maybe he did? This is where I think Waddell failed...he did not allow teams to talk to Kovalchuk's agent. In my opinion it was his thought process that if he didn't allow teams to talk to his agent it allowed Waddell to pick from more than just one team. It wouldn't handcuff him when he went to trade Kovy. However, it hurt him because it limited what he could bring back in return. If a team knows they're not just getting a rental player they'll be more willing to give up more in the trade. Waddell needed this trade to be a homerun because let's face it...he's getting rid of one of the most dynamic offensive players in the league...and he failed.
From the Devils Prospective
They're making a run at the Cup. Who knows how much longer Brodeur will be playing. After this year...another year...maybe 2? They know that with him playing as well as he is this year, they'd better make their run now. I respect that...and instantly they become the favourite in the East. They have the goalie and the defensive system to get them deep in the playoffs. Now they have the clutch player to score them that "big" goal when it counts. And what did they give up? It's not going to hurt them in the long run. A couple of mid-level players to bring in a superstar. Good for them.
Winners: The Devils
As a side note...the Thrashers a few years ago had a great young team. They were primed for offensive glory. The problem...the inability to re-sign their players. I say get that team out of Atlanta hockey has no business being. Re-locate to Winnepeg, Quebec, some CANADIAN city where hockey is beloved. You can see it just on the sports website. You log-onto tsn.ca and their front page is all about the Kovy trade. You log onto ESPN.com you're lucky to find even a headline about it.
-Brett
Thursday, February 4, 2010
# 17
As some of you know I can talk hockey trade/trade rumors any day of the week and twice on Sundays (especially with football almost done). So that brings us to Kovalchuk...where does he go? The is the question 0.5% of the population of Atlanta (seriously...does anyone down there even pay attention to the Thrashers) and the rest of the hockey community want to know. Let's take a look at where I think he'll go.
Boston
They need a spark. Currently sitting at 12 only 2 points out of 8...they need an X factor to spring them ahead of the rest of the pack. Only 5 points separate the #6 and #13 spot in the East. That's ridiculous. Boston needs an edge and bringing in Kovalchuk for a Cup run would do just that. What will it take to get him? Well rumors are Waddell is looking for a top 6 forward, top 4 d-man, and a pick and/or prospect. Here's how I see it going down. (Now mind you I have no looked at cap figures or anything like that, so this might not work out exactly as I have laid out.)
Boston acquires: Kovalchuk
Atlanta acquires: David Krejci (F), Dennis Wideman (D), Boston's 1st round pick
Analysis: Boston would love to try and dump Ryder here, but it'll have to be in a separate deal. Atlanta receives a great young forward in Krejci who had 73 points last season. He's on pace for 44 this year. He's only 23 and has a ton of upside. Widemann has had an off year so far for the Bruins, but he is solid d-man entering his prime. Boston can afford to give up its 1st round pick because they have Toronto's pick (which looks like it'll be top 5) from the Kessel trade.
If this deal is proposed I think it offers Atlanta some good young players to start to build around. I would first still see what other deals are out there, but Atlanta could do a lot worse for a rental player.
Chicago
Stan Bowman has said he's not going after Kovalchuk. Let's look at the facts...the Hawks extended Kane and Towes, and Keith recently. They cannot afford all their players starting next season, so they'll be dumping some salary. This is their best chance at a Cup run. Why not unload some of those players to bring in Kovalchuk who will be an UFA. Conventional wisdom says they hold onto guys like Cam Barker and Patrick Sharp and load up on prospects and picks this summer instead. Nope...Chicago is going to make a run this year and why not?
Chicago acquires: Kovalchuk and a 3th or 4th round pick
Atlanta acquires: Cam Barker (D), Kris Versteeg (F), prospect (don't know enough about their system to say which one), and a 1st round pick
Analysis: If Chicago comes knocking with a trade such as this...Atlanta jumps on it. The other wild card here would be instead of Versteeg, Chicago substitutes Patrick Sharp. They're going to have to get rid of 2 out of 3 or all 3 of these players in order to make some cap room next year. My hope is that the Sabres make a play for any of these and offer up Gerbe and a 2nd. I digress...Chicago is loaded with good young talent. Atlanta would be wise to pluck up any of these. Barker will be a force on your defense for years to come and Sharp/Versteeg would be a nice 2nd line player (possibly 1st line).
Now my Wild Card team: Calgary Flames
The Flames have need some offensive help and I HIGHLY doubt that dealing away Phaneuf and Jokinen and bringing in Stajan (who is UFA), Haggman (a 20 goal scorer), Higgins (as bad as Jokinen), and Kotalik will solve all their offensive woes.
Calgary acquires: Kovalchuk and a 5th round pick
Atlanta acquires: Dustin Boyd (F), Mikael Backlund (F), Ian White (D), 1st round pick
Analysis: Calgary has a wealth of forwards now. They can afford to part with two. Backlund and Boyd are two young players with some offensive upside to them. Ian White is a great depth player and very inexpensive right now ($750k). He'll be a RFA in the offseason, but is a good puck moving defenseman. I feel as if Calgary may have to sweeten the pot if either Boston or Chicago offer their deals because this is the lesser of the three. I'm surprised Calgary didn't try and offer up Phaneuf to Atlanta to bring in Kovalchuk.
With that I feel he'll either land in Boston or Chicago. And just for the hell of it...if Buffalo trades for him what do we give up?
Buffalo acquires: Kovalchuk and a 4th round pick
Atlanta acquires: Clarke Macarthur (F), Mike Weber (D), Toni Lydman (D), 1st Round Pick
-Brett
Boston
They need a spark. Currently sitting at 12 only 2 points out of 8...they need an X factor to spring them ahead of the rest of the pack. Only 5 points separate the #6 and #13 spot in the East. That's ridiculous. Boston needs an edge and bringing in Kovalchuk for a Cup run would do just that. What will it take to get him? Well rumors are Waddell is looking for a top 6 forward, top 4 d-man, and a pick and/or prospect. Here's how I see it going down. (Now mind you I have no looked at cap figures or anything like that, so this might not work out exactly as I have laid out.)
Boston acquires: Kovalchuk
Atlanta acquires: David Krejci (F), Dennis Wideman (D), Boston's 1st round pick
Analysis: Boston would love to try and dump Ryder here, but it'll have to be in a separate deal. Atlanta receives a great young forward in Krejci who had 73 points last season. He's on pace for 44 this year. He's only 23 and has a ton of upside. Widemann has had an off year so far for the Bruins, but he is solid d-man entering his prime. Boston can afford to give up its 1st round pick because they have Toronto's pick (which looks like it'll be top 5) from the Kessel trade.
If this deal is proposed I think it offers Atlanta some good young players to start to build around. I would first still see what other deals are out there, but Atlanta could do a lot worse for a rental player.
Chicago
Stan Bowman has said he's not going after Kovalchuk. Let's look at the facts...the Hawks extended Kane and Towes, and Keith recently. They cannot afford all their players starting next season, so they'll be dumping some salary. This is their best chance at a Cup run. Why not unload some of those players to bring in Kovalchuk who will be an UFA. Conventional wisdom says they hold onto guys like Cam Barker and Patrick Sharp and load up on prospects and picks this summer instead. Nope...Chicago is going to make a run this year and why not?
Chicago acquires: Kovalchuk and a 3th or 4th round pick
Atlanta acquires: Cam Barker (D), Kris Versteeg (F), prospect (don't know enough about their system to say which one), and a 1st round pick
Analysis: If Chicago comes knocking with a trade such as this...Atlanta jumps on it. The other wild card here would be instead of Versteeg, Chicago substitutes Patrick Sharp. They're going to have to get rid of 2 out of 3 or all 3 of these players in order to make some cap room next year. My hope is that the Sabres make a play for any of these and offer up Gerbe and a 2nd. I digress...Chicago is loaded with good young talent. Atlanta would be wise to pluck up any of these. Barker will be a force on your defense for years to come and Sharp/Versteeg would be a nice 2nd line player (possibly 1st line).
Now my Wild Card team: Calgary Flames
The Flames have need some offensive help and I HIGHLY doubt that dealing away Phaneuf and Jokinen and bringing in Stajan (who is UFA), Haggman (a 20 goal scorer), Higgins (as bad as Jokinen), and Kotalik will solve all their offensive woes.
Calgary acquires: Kovalchuk and a 5th round pick
Atlanta acquires: Dustin Boyd (F), Mikael Backlund (F), Ian White (D), 1st round pick
Analysis: Calgary has a wealth of forwards now. They can afford to part with two. Backlund and Boyd are two young players with some offensive upside to them. Ian White is a great depth player and very inexpensive right now ($750k). He'll be a RFA in the offseason, but is a good puck moving defenseman. I feel as if Calgary may have to sweeten the pot if either Boston or Chicago offer their deals because this is the lesser of the three. I'm surprised Calgary didn't try and offer up Phaneuf to Atlanta to bring in Kovalchuk.
With that I feel he'll either land in Boston or Chicago. And just for the hell of it...if Buffalo trades for him what do we give up?
Buffalo acquires: Kovalchuk and a 4th round pick
Atlanta acquires: Clarke Macarthur (F), Mike Weber (D), Toni Lydman (D), 1st Round Pick
-Brett
Your Source for Terrible Trade Information
Here's your weekly hockey entry.
Of course, hockey talk has been dominated by Kovalchuk trade rumors since last night. So here's the most up-to-date speculation I could pull out of my ass:
* Pittsburgh: every "fan" knows that Staal for Kovalchuk straight-up is a completely even trade. Hell, the Pens should also get Colby Armstrong back, as well as some prospects, and maybe even Moose if they trade the "worthless" Fleury.
* Chicago: Atlanta is probably dying to take that awful Campbell contract off Chi-town's hands.
* Albany River Rats: Big money, big market, anything to lose here?
* The US junior championship team from Mighty Ducks 2: Someone needs to complement the knucklepuck.
* L.A.: They've just exited the rebuilding stage, now would be the PERFECT time to mortgage the future!
* Any Canadian team: One million tsn.ca commenters can't be wrong, can they?
* Washington: They've got a great atmposphere, passionate fans, a circle of Russians, and to remove salary cap concerns they could move one of their more costly vets down to the AHL via waivers, like the Penguins did last year with Miro Satan. He could rotate in so the Capitals have a "4 man top line" system going, depending on the situation. And the power play would click at roughly 80%. This is actually the black horse in the Kovalchuk race.
Nah, I'm just trying to get Caps supporters' hopes up.
- Matt
Of course, hockey talk has been dominated by Kovalchuk trade rumors since last night. So here's the most up-to-date speculation I could pull out of my ass:
* Pittsburgh: every "fan" knows that Staal for Kovalchuk straight-up is a completely even trade. Hell, the Pens should also get Colby Armstrong back, as well as some prospects, and maybe even Moose if they trade the "worthless" Fleury.
* Chicago: Atlanta is probably dying to take that awful Campbell contract off Chi-town's hands.
* Albany River Rats: Big money, big market, anything to lose here?
* The US junior championship team from Mighty Ducks 2: Someone needs to complement the knucklepuck.
* L.A.: They've just exited the rebuilding stage, now would be the PERFECT time to mortgage the future!
* Any Canadian team: One million tsn.ca commenters can't be wrong, can they?
* Washington: They've got a great atmposphere, passionate fans, a circle of Russians, and to remove salary cap concerns they could move one of their more costly vets down to the AHL via waivers, like the Penguins did last year with Miro Satan. He could rotate in so the Capitals have a "4 man top line" system going, depending on the situation. And the power play would click at roughly 80%. This is actually the black horse in the Kovalchuk race.
Nah, I'm just trying to get Caps supporters' hopes up.
- Matt
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
What, Cathy Wasn't Terrible Enough?
While browsing The 4 Letter Network's Page 2 section, you may have noticed a "comic" called "Girls & Sports". I use the term comic extremely loosely.
In the type of humor that even Garfield considers itself above, this strip teaches us that while boys are only interested in sports, women have basically zero interest. And this leads to cah-razy conflict! Or not. Every one has a needlessly boring ending and is thoroughly devoid of character. A few examples:
First Panel:
Girlfriend (or Wife): Bradley, don't forget we're having dinner with my parents on Sunday.
[Stop. Worst cliche' in the book there.]
Guy (who can only be described as playing the N64 with an upside-down controller): Absolutely not. It's the Super Bowl. End of discussion.
Second Panel:
Girl: Fine, we'll reschedule. You know, not everyone's life revolves around football.
[All right. Hope the punchline is good.]
Third Panel:
Guy: 93 million people watch the Super Bowl. And yet my girlfriend's parents aren't two of them.
[Yup, that's the joke. The only vaguely amusing thing about this strip is the guy's friend possibly dead-on starting at the dude's girlfriend's ass. But given the utter lack of thought put into the comic, I seriously doubt that's the case.]
Since I couldn't stand to do another breakdown, I'll paraphrase the other one I looked at for this entry.
* Guy talks about some commercials contest during the Super Bowl
* Friends leave, saying real fans focus on the football
* Girls come up, and they are teh hawtz, telling him they'd love to come
HA HA FUCKIN HA! DO YOU GET IT. Girls love the commercials of the Super Bowl, and not the game itself! Oh that is rich.
Look, I don't care about potential mysogyny. Let's be clear on that. But when something is so absurdly unfunny, I feel like I have to hit the creator over the head with a truncheon for ever having aborted it out of his mind's womb. The worst part? There are people out there who think it's funny. And there are people who think it's funny enough to FORWARD it to other people.
So an open letter to America: Guys. Our creativity is stifled enough. Can we please not let this kind of crap be rewarded with anything besides a fist to the face?
In the meantime, I'll resume skipping ESPN in things not labeled TMQ.
- Matt
In the type of humor that even Garfield considers itself above, this strip teaches us that while boys are only interested in sports, women have basically zero interest. And this leads to cah-razy conflict! Or not. Every one has a needlessly boring ending and is thoroughly devoid of character. A few examples:
First Panel:
Girlfriend (or Wife): Bradley, don't forget we're having dinner with my parents on Sunday.
[Stop. Worst cliche' in the book there.]
Guy (who can only be described as playing the N64 with an upside-down controller): Absolutely not. It's the Super Bowl. End of discussion.
Second Panel:
Girl: Fine, we'll reschedule. You know, not everyone's life revolves around football.
[All right. Hope the punchline is good.]
Third Panel:
Guy: 93 million people watch the Super Bowl. And yet my girlfriend's parents aren't two of them.
[Yup, that's the joke. The only vaguely amusing thing about this strip is the guy's friend possibly dead-on starting at the dude's girlfriend's ass. But given the utter lack of thought put into the comic, I seriously doubt that's the case.]
Since I couldn't stand to do another breakdown, I'll paraphrase the other one I looked at for this entry.
* Guy talks about some commercials contest during the Super Bowl
* Friends leave, saying real fans focus on the football
* Girls come up, and they are teh hawtz, telling him they'd love to come
HA HA FUCKIN HA! DO YOU GET IT. Girls love the commercials of the Super Bowl, and not the game itself! Oh that is rich.
Look, I don't care about potential mysogyny. Let's be clear on that. But when something is so absurdly unfunny, I feel like I have to hit the creator over the head with a truncheon for ever having aborted it out of his mind's womb. The worst part? There are people out there who think it's funny. And there are people who think it's funny enough to FORWARD it to other people.
So an open letter to America: Guys. Our creativity is stifled enough. Can we please not let this kind of crap be rewarded with anything besides a fist to the face?
In the meantime, I'll resume skipping ESPN in things not labeled TMQ.
- Matt
Monday, February 1, 2010
Hockey Weekend Trade Frenzy
Can you remember a time when there was so much activity this far BEFORE the NHL trade deadline?! I'm not going to lie...the NHL trade deadline is like christmas for me. I check TSN, NHL, and ESPN all day long giddy with anticipation of all the deals that may occur. After school/work I run home to turn on the TV and get my laptop up and running with all the "real time trade update" pop-ups you can click on from these websites. I'm not sure if I enjoy this or the NFL draft more...listen you put a gun to my head I wouldn't be able to come up with an answer.
Back to this weekend. I had an idea that we might see some activity though before the Olympic trade freeze (Feb. 12-March 1). The freeze ends on March 1st and the deadline is on the 3rd, doesn't give teams much time to wheel and deal. Anyways onto the analysis.
Trade 1:
Toronto receives: Dion Phaneuf (D), Fredrik Sjostrom (F), prospect Keith Aulie (D)
Calgary receives: Ian White (D), Matt Stajan (F), Niklas Hagman (F), Jamal Mayers (F)
Calgary needed to do something to inject some life into their lifeless offense. They did just that. By adding Stajan and Hagman they add Toronto's #2 and #3 scorers respectively. They also add some grit with Mayers and a solid defenseman. White has been a pleasant surprise for Toronto this year being one of their best defenseman. Since the Sabres are in the same division as Toronto (as well as the fact that they are our rivals), I see these players on a consistent basis. White has played very well this year and is a very inexpensive option for the Flames. The Flames do two things with this trade...bring in offense and take some salary off the books. They had a lot of money tied up in their defense with Bowmeester, Regier, and Phaneuf. Something had to give. Stajan will be an UFA this summer and White will be a RFA. Stajan will probably be paired up with Iginla and bring some much needed firepower to the top 6.
Brian Burke just added a potential franchise defenseman with this trade. He has coveted Phaneuf for some time now. Some people think Phaneuf is overrated, I disagree. By the end of his career he'll have a few Norris Trophies (award for best defenseman of the year) under his belt. He is a hard hitting, puck moving defenseman. It's not as solid in his own end as you'd like a $6.5 million a year player, but I'd be willing to take him. Toronto lost a lot of firepower, so you wonder how they will address that. My guess is they view this season as a lost cause and they want to evaluate some of their young talent. Maybe they'll address the offense in free agency. They also bring in a good 3rd line winger in Sjostrom. One thing about Brian Burke is he's not shy, I wouldn't expect this to be the last deal they make this year.
Winner: Toronto. Anytime you can add a potential franchise d-man, you do it. Stajan and Hagman are nothing better than second line players. Phaneuf is a #1 d-man. Putting it in perspective it's as if the Sabres traded Derek Roy, Drew Stafford, Henrik Tallinder, and Adam Mair...would I make that trade? In a heartbeat. Mind you that Stajan is an UFA (probably wouldn't re-sign with Toronto). For you Pens fans it would be like the Pens getting rid of Jordan Staal, Pascal Dupuis, Jay McKee, and Craig Adams. Would you make that trade? For Phanuef...I think I would.
Trade 2:
Toronto receives: Jean-Sebastien Giguere (G)
Anaheim receives: Jason Blake (F) and Vesa Toskala
This trade works for both teams. Giguere has never regained his once superstar status he had when he led the Ducks to the finals twice (once in 2003 when he won the Conn Smythe and 2007 when they won the Cup). Who was the GM of the Ducks then? Oh yeah...Brian Burke...what a small world. However if he can return to form and be a #1 goalie (as well as tutor Gustavsson) he will be the solid goaltending they've been searching for since Cujo. The biggest question mark is...can he do this? The biggest risk Toronto is taking on is his salary (which I believe is around $6 million). But it's a doable risk since they have significant cap room right now.
Anaheim adds a scoring winger and a solid #2 goalie. Giguere wanted out and they were able to oblige. Toskala has never lived up to the hype he received while he was with San Jose. Can he be a #1 goalie? I don't know...he definitely didn't prove that in Toronto. But he is a great #2 option, which Anaheim gets to back up recently extended Hiller.
Winner: At first Anaheim is the winner, but if Giguere turns out to be a solid #1 goalie, then it's a push. Anaheim now has a solid #2 goalie (which they had before in Giguere) as well as a scoring winger. That right there makes me believe they have the upper hand at first look with this trade. However, if Giguere can solidify the spot between the pipes, Toronto will never look back regretting this trade and may even come out on top by a slim margin.
Overall I think Toronto did a good job trying to create a core to their roster. In the beginning of the year they added Kessel and now they were able to add a #1 d-man in Phaneuf. They're taking a big of a gamble with Giguere, hoping he returns to form at the ripe old age of 32, but it's an acceptable gamble. They didn't give much up in return. I think they gave up more to bring in Kessel (a top 5, maybe even #1 overall, pick in this upcoming years draft). One thing about Brian Burke is he is not shy about trying to improve his team. You have to respect that. It's clear what he's trying to do. He's establishing a young solid core group of players in Toronto and is going to build around them. He has his sniper and his #1 d-man. I'd say he's off to a good start.
-Brett
Back to this weekend. I had an idea that we might see some activity though before the Olympic trade freeze (Feb. 12-March 1). The freeze ends on March 1st and the deadline is on the 3rd, doesn't give teams much time to wheel and deal. Anyways onto the analysis.
Trade 1:
Toronto receives: Dion Phaneuf (D), Fredrik Sjostrom (F), prospect Keith Aulie (D)
Calgary receives: Ian White (D), Matt Stajan (F), Niklas Hagman (F), Jamal Mayers (F)
Calgary needed to do something to inject some life into their lifeless offense. They did just that. By adding Stajan and Hagman they add Toronto's #2 and #3 scorers respectively. They also add some grit with Mayers and a solid defenseman. White has been a pleasant surprise for Toronto this year being one of their best defenseman. Since the Sabres are in the same division as Toronto (as well as the fact that they are our rivals), I see these players on a consistent basis. White has played very well this year and is a very inexpensive option for the Flames. The Flames do two things with this trade...bring in offense and take some salary off the books. They had a lot of money tied up in their defense with Bowmeester, Regier, and Phaneuf. Something had to give. Stajan will be an UFA this summer and White will be a RFA. Stajan will probably be paired up with Iginla and bring some much needed firepower to the top 6.
Brian Burke just added a potential franchise defenseman with this trade. He has coveted Phaneuf for some time now. Some people think Phaneuf is overrated, I disagree. By the end of his career he'll have a few Norris Trophies (award for best defenseman of the year) under his belt. He is a hard hitting, puck moving defenseman. It's not as solid in his own end as you'd like a $6.5 million a year player, but I'd be willing to take him. Toronto lost a lot of firepower, so you wonder how they will address that. My guess is they view this season as a lost cause and they want to evaluate some of their young talent. Maybe they'll address the offense in free agency. They also bring in a good 3rd line winger in Sjostrom. One thing about Brian Burke is he's not shy, I wouldn't expect this to be the last deal they make this year.
Winner: Toronto. Anytime you can add a potential franchise d-man, you do it. Stajan and Hagman are nothing better than second line players. Phaneuf is a #1 d-man. Putting it in perspective it's as if the Sabres traded Derek Roy, Drew Stafford, Henrik Tallinder, and Adam Mair...would I make that trade? In a heartbeat. Mind you that Stajan is an UFA (probably wouldn't re-sign with Toronto). For you Pens fans it would be like the Pens getting rid of Jordan Staal, Pascal Dupuis, Jay McKee, and Craig Adams. Would you make that trade? For Phanuef...I think I would.
Trade 2:
Toronto receives: Jean-Sebastien Giguere (G)
Anaheim receives: Jason Blake (F) and Vesa Toskala
This trade works for both teams. Giguere has never regained his once superstar status he had when he led the Ducks to the finals twice (once in 2003 when he won the Conn Smythe and 2007 when they won the Cup). Who was the GM of the Ducks then? Oh yeah...Brian Burke...what a small world. However if he can return to form and be a #1 goalie (as well as tutor Gustavsson) he will be the solid goaltending they've been searching for since Cujo. The biggest question mark is...can he do this? The biggest risk Toronto is taking on is his salary (which I believe is around $6 million). But it's a doable risk since they have significant cap room right now.
Anaheim adds a scoring winger and a solid #2 goalie. Giguere wanted out and they were able to oblige. Toskala has never lived up to the hype he received while he was with San Jose. Can he be a #1 goalie? I don't know...he definitely didn't prove that in Toronto. But he is a great #2 option, which Anaheim gets to back up recently extended Hiller.
Winner: At first Anaheim is the winner, but if Giguere turns out to be a solid #1 goalie, then it's a push. Anaheim now has a solid #2 goalie (which they had before in Giguere) as well as a scoring winger. That right there makes me believe they have the upper hand at first look with this trade. However, if Giguere can solidify the spot between the pipes, Toronto will never look back regretting this trade and may even come out on top by a slim margin.
Overall I think Toronto did a good job trying to create a core to their roster. In the beginning of the year they added Kessel and now they were able to add a #1 d-man in Phaneuf. They're taking a big of a gamble with Giguere, hoping he returns to form at the ripe old age of 32, but it's an acceptable gamble. They didn't give much up in return. I think they gave up more to bring in Kessel (a top 5, maybe even #1 overall, pick in this upcoming years draft). One thing about Brian Burke is he is not shy about trying to improve his team. You have to respect that. It's clear what he's trying to do. He's establishing a young solid core group of players in Toronto and is going to build around them. He has his sniper and his #1 d-man. I'd say he's off to a good start.
-Brett
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Playoffs 'n 'at
So, the Pens now have 69 points in 56 games, or a 1.23 points per game average. Projection of season average would indicate a finish at 101 points, probably good enough for Top 5 seeding in the Eastern Conference.
But there's been some great and not-so-great runs this season for the Penguins. Let's establish an upper-bound, lower-bound, and streak-free case.
If you're still laughing at 69 and "streak-free", your maturity level is perfect for this site.
Upper-Bound Scenario:
Remember that 5 game losing streak earlier in the season when the Pens mustered an absolutely pitiful amount of goals? Pretend it never happened. The Penguins play average at worst, and keep their amazing 11-2 start as part of their points.
69 points, 51 games. PPG = 1.35. Pens have 26 games left this season, so...
Projected finish: 104 points
Definitely good enough for Top 4, possibly even enough for the division.
Lower-Bound Scenario:
Switch the above scenario. Say the Pens keep that awful stretch and lose their best one. 11-2 means 22 points out of 26, in 13 games.
47 points, 43 games. PPG = 1.09
Projected finish: 97 points
I'd consider that good enough for at least a playoff spot. Typically the cutoff is 95 points or lower.
Streak-free (shut up) Scenario:
Let's eliminate both of the above situations. 11-7 in 18 games.
47 points, 38 games. PPG = 1.24
Projected finish: 101 points
It seems that taking away the streaks makes for a consistent metric of how the season has gone, even with the streaks. So the Penguins' current record is realistic with their overall performance this season.
Random other topic, the best coach in the West. I don't know how voters on nhl.com could pick anyone but Dave Tippett. With the "great" Wayne Gretzky coaching, the Yotes are a last place team. Tippett has made them into a bona fide contender behind solid D and a great team play strategy. People who want to anoint Quenneville for managing an appropriately highly-achieving club are fools.
Joe Sacco getting more votes than Tippett is more understandable, however. I still say Tippett has done most with the least.
- Matt
But there's been some great and not-so-great runs this season for the Penguins. Let's establish an upper-bound, lower-bound, and streak-free case.
If you're still laughing at 69 and "streak-free", your maturity level is perfect for this site.
Upper-Bound Scenario:
Remember that 5 game losing streak earlier in the season when the Pens mustered an absolutely pitiful amount of goals? Pretend it never happened. The Penguins play average at worst, and keep their amazing 11-2 start as part of their points.
69 points, 51 games. PPG = 1.35. Pens have 26 games left this season, so...
Projected finish: 104 points
Definitely good enough for Top 4, possibly even enough for the division.
Lower-Bound Scenario:
Switch the above scenario. Say the Pens keep that awful stretch and lose their best one. 11-2 means 22 points out of 26, in 13 games.
47 points, 43 games. PPG = 1.09
Projected finish: 97 points
I'd consider that good enough for at least a playoff spot. Typically the cutoff is 95 points or lower.
Streak-free (shut up) Scenario:
Let's eliminate both of the above situations. 11-7 in 18 games.
47 points, 38 games. PPG = 1.24
Projected finish: 101 points
It seems that taking away the streaks makes for a consistent metric of how the season has gone, even with the streaks. So the Penguins' current record is realistic with their overall performance this season.
Random other topic, the best coach in the West. I don't know how voters on nhl.com could pick anyone but Dave Tippett. With the "great" Wayne Gretzky coaching, the Yotes are a last place team. Tippett has made them into a bona fide contender behind solid D and a great team play strategy. People who want to anoint Quenneville for managing an appropriately highly-achieving club are fools.
Joe Sacco getting more votes than Tippett is more understandable, however. I still say Tippett has done most with the least.
- Matt
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Who Dat Say Dey Gonna Infringe on a Copyright?
Yeah, I'm later than Michael Jackson on this. Bear with me.
An interesting battle has heated up between the New Orleans Saints and some guys over printing and selling t shirts that have the Saints' infamous "Who Dat" slogan on them.
[The Four Letter Network]
Here's my question: how is this any different from "Let's Go X" cheers that nearly every other team uses? Can either party really copyright a phrase that's in the public domain for a certain amount of time? Nope.
The ability to patent something depends on multiple factors, and can be stopped if the item/slogan/etc in question is deemed to be in the "public domain", ie, common knowledge. You couldn't patent, say, the wheel. You could patent a specific TYPE of wheel, as long as whatever you're patenting hadn't already been around or conventional. I think there's a one year period to determine such things.
Point is, neither party can claim exclusive rights on "Who Dat" if the slogan has been proven to be around one year before it was first patented. Which I believe is the case. Will this keep the NFL from throwing money to prevent a small business from making even a cent at their expense? Absolutely not.
Bottom line, if you REALLY want a Who Dat shirt, make your own.
- Matt
An interesting battle has heated up between the New Orleans Saints and some guys over printing and selling t shirts that have the Saints' infamous "Who Dat" slogan on them.
[The Four Letter Network]
Here's my question: how is this any different from "Let's Go X" cheers that nearly every other team uses? Can either party really copyright a phrase that's in the public domain for a certain amount of time? Nope.
The ability to patent something depends on multiple factors, and can be stopped if the item/slogan/etc in question is deemed to be in the "public domain", ie, common knowledge. You couldn't patent, say, the wheel. You could patent a specific TYPE of wheel, as long as whatever you're patenting hadn't already been around or conventional. I think there's a one year period to determine such things.
Point is, neither party can claim exclusive rights on "Who Dat" if the slogan has been proven to be around one year before it was first patented. Which I believe is the case. Will this keep the NFL from throwing money to prevent a small business from making even a cent at their expense? Absolutely not.
Bottom line, if you REALLY want a Who Dat shirt, make your own.
- Matt
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Halftime Acts
I was going to criticize this article for sounding stupid, but then Scoop Jackson picked Outkast as his number one choice for a Super Bowl Halftime show. I'm so in favor of that you have no idea.
But I did get to thinking. What the hell is the deal with all the washed-up musical geniuses of yesteryear playing at the Super Bowl? Has the NFL given up on black audiences like McDonald's gave up on white people? And with the desire to expand into the Latino market, you'd expect music with some more flair to take center stage.
So here's an open question: who (or what kind of music) should play during Halftime? To me, this question is irrelevant, because I switch over to the Puppy Bowl for the duration.
- Matt
But I did get to thinking. What the hell is the deal with all the washed-up musical geniuses of yesteryear playing at the Super Bowl? Has the NFL given up on black audiences like McDonald's gave up on white people? And with the desire to expand into the Latino market, you'd expect music with some more flair to take center stage.
So here's an open question: who (or what kind of music) should play during Halftime? To me, this question is irrelevant, because I switch over to the Puppy Bowl for the duration.
- Matt
Gone Streakin'
Time for the weekly hockey post.
The theme of this week is streaks. Not the kind you found on your college girlfriend's underwear shortly before breaking up with her. Winning and losing streaks. It seems everybody in the league has some sort of streak going right now:
The winners
Washington: 8 games
Ottawa: 7 games
Vancouver: 6 games
Colorado: 6 games
San Jose: 5 games
Los Angeles: 3 games
Tampa Bay: 3 games
The losers (damn you new nhl.com format)
Calgary: 8 games
Boston: 5 games
New York Rangers: 4 games
New York Islanders: 4 games
Toronto: 4 games
Nashville: 4 games
Detroit: 3 games
Philadelphia: always losers in my book
and the Big Kahuna:
Edmonton: 11 game losing streak
So what's up with half the teams in the league having streaks of 3 games or more? Well, the shootout, for one. Call the end of overtime a tie and I think most of these streaks disappear. Second, the NHL is a streaky league. It just seems more pronounced when two teams lose 8 or more games in a row. Edmonton has had problems winning in regulation for years, but now I guess they just can't keep the score close enough to get a win in the skills competition.
That's really all I've got for this week. Tough to tie any deep meaning to late January games, even the playoff picture is still very muddled. Onto the game of the night:
Chicago Blackhawks @ San Jose Sharks
WHY TO WATCH: These are the number 1 and number 2 teams in the league right now, and they have enough talent to make Pierre McGuire forget about Mike Richards (almost). This might be as close to a heavyweight matchup in the regular season as we can get. Or the postseason, considering the Sharks' annual playoff failures and the Capitals' allergy to playing past the second round.
WHY NOT TO WATCH: You live on the East Coast and you have to be in bed before 1:30? Just a guess. Doesn't keep me from recommending this game, though. Center Ice that shit if you're unemployed.
PREDICTION: Sharks 6, Hawks 5 (OT). Dany Heatley gets 2 goals and doesn't kill anyone somehow, Marian Hossa leads Chi-town with 2 goals of his own. I was an empty net goal away from being exactly right last week, so you should listen to me.
Alternative Game: Ottawa @ Pittsburgh. This game has actual implications in the standings too! And Ottawa is a bunch of douches.
- Matt
The theme of this week is streaks. Not the kind you found on your college girlfriend's underwear shortly before breaking up with her. Winning and losing streaks. It seems everybody in the league has some sort of streak going right now:
The winners
Washington: 8 games
Ottawa: 7 games
Vancouver: 6 games
Colorado: 6 games
San Jose: 5 games
Los Angeles: 3 games
Tampa Bay: 3 games
The losers (damn you new nhl.com format)
Calgary: 8 games
Boston: 5 games
New York Rangers: 4 games
New York Islanders: 4 games
Toronto: 4 games
Nashville: 4 games
Detroit: 3 games
Philadelphia: always losers in my book
and the Big Kahuna:
Edmonton: 11 game losing streak
So what's up with half the teams in the league having streaks of 3 games or more? Well, the shootout, for one. Call the end of overtime a tie and I think most of these streaks disappear. Second, the NHL is a streaky league. It just seems more pronounced when two teams lose 8 or more games in a row. Edmonton has had problems winning in regulation for years, but now I guess they just can't keep the score close enough to get a win in the skills competition.
That's really all I've got for this week. Tough to tie any deep meaning to late January games, even the playoff picture is still very muddled. Onto the game of the night:
Chicago Blackhawks @ San Jose Sharks
WHY TO WATCH: These are the number 1 and number 2 teams in the league right now, and they have enough talent to make Pierre McGuire forget about Mike Richards (almost). This might be as close to a heavyweight matchup in the regular season as we can get. Or the postseason, considering the Sharks' annual playoff failures and the Capitals' allergy to playing past the second round.
WHY NOT TO WATCH: You live on the East Coast and you have to be in bed before 1:30? Just a guess. Doesn't keep me from recommending this game, though. Center Ice that shit if you're unemployed.
PREDICTION: Sharks 6, Hawks 5 (OT). Dany Heatley gets 2 goals and doesn't kill anyone somehow, Marian Hossa leads Chi-town with 2 goals of his own. I was an empty net goal away from being exactly right last week, so you should listen to me.
Alternative Game: Ottawa @ Pittsburgh. This game has actual implications in the standings too! And Ottawa is a bunch of douches.
- Matt
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Head Shots
By now most people in the hockey world have heard about or watched the devastating elbow delivered in Juniors. Patrice Cormier (property of the NJ Devils) threw an elbow in an open ice check on Mikael Tam, leaving Tam to start to convulse on the ice. Cormier was then given a 5 minute major and a game misconduct. The league then suspended Cormier indefinitely until a decision about his suspension is reached on Monday.
Where am I going with this? I think head shots in hockey (at any level) have ZERO place in the game. Recently Zack Kassian (property of the Buffalo Sabres) was suspended by the OHL 20 games for his headshot on Matt Kennedy. Looking at that replay...Kassian seemed to leave his feet as he hit Kennedy. The punishment, was severe but fair. I applaud the OHL for coming down hard on Kassian because respect for other players starts in the developmental leagues. You can even argue it starts in the pee wees. But I'm not going to go that far today. In the past decade we've witnessed brutal acts on ice in both the NHL and Juniors. The only way to fix these vicious crimes is to develop the mentality in college and juniors that it's wrong. Maybe the McSorley two handed chop to Brashear's head doesn't occur, or maybe Bertuzzi doesn't sucker punch Moore ending the later's career. What will make it stop? Someone actually suffering severe brain damage because of a vicious blow to the head? What happened to the respect players had for one another. Not too long ago no one even wore a helmet. I remember, even in my short lifetime, Craig MacTavish not wearing a helmet. I believe he was the last player to do so. It was not that long ago that players were "ok" with not wearing a helmet because there was a sense of respect.
What I find even more sickening is Cormier may be allowed to play in the AHL this year. Even if Cormier gets suspended by the CHL for the remainder of the season, he will still be eligible to play. Granted he would have to pass an AHL board review, but what makes you think they will uphold the suspension? You'd be going from the Juniors to professional hockey...they have no reason to honor the suspension of the CHL. Would they? I sure hope so.
So we've established I'm not a fan of headshots and I am a fan of heavy suspensions. But...I believe the powers that be can go too far. A criminal investigation is being conducted on Cormier on whether or not there should be legal action taken against him. I don't believe this is necessary. Hitting and aggression are part of the game. People get injured and players do stupid things. While I don't condone violent behavior in the game, there is no way to actually determine whether or not Cormier INTENTIONALLY elbowed Tam and meant to send him into a seizure. Let the discipline be handled in-house. If they decide to ban him from hockey, ok that's fine. But he should not face any legal action.
Again I reiterate, respect should be taught in the lower levels. This is the only way for the game to see progress in this area. Weed out the dirty players in Juniors and the college ranks. GMs should take heed on these matters and not reward players who have had multiple incidents in juniors/college by drafting them. It has to start somewhere...and it needs to start at the bottom.
-Brett
Where am I going with this? I think head shots in hockey (at any level) have ZERO place in the game. Recently Zack Kassian (property of the Buffalo Sabres) was suspended by the OHL 20 games for his headshot on Matt Kennedy. Looking at that replay...Kassian seemed to leave his feet as he hit Kennedy. The punishment, was severe but fair. I applaud the OHL for coming down hard on Kassian because respect for other players starts in the developmental leagues. You can even argue it starts in the pee wees. But I'm not going to go that far today. In the past decade we've witnessed brutal acts on ice in both the NHL and Juniors. The only way to fix these vicious crimes is to develop the mentality in college and juniors that it's wrong. Maybe the McSorley two handed chop to Brashear's head doesn't occur, or maybe Bertuzzi doesn't sucker punch Moore ending the later's career. What will make it stop? Someone actually suffering severe brain damage because of a vicious blow to the head? What happened to the respect players had for one another. Not too long ago no one even wore a helmet. I remember, even in my short lifetime, Craig MacTavish not wearing a helmet. I believe he was the last player to do so. It was not that long ago that players were "ok" with not wearing a helmet because there was a sense of respect.
What I find even more sickening is Cormier may be allowed to play in the AHL this year. Even if Cormier gets suspended by the CHL for the remainder of the season, he will still be eligible to play. Granted he would have to pass an AHL board review, but what makes you think they will uphold the suspension? You'd be going from the Juniors to professional hockey...they have no reason to honor the suspension of the CHL. Would they? I sure hope so.
So we've established I'm not a fan of headshots and I am a fan of heavy suspensions. But...I believe the powers that be can go too far. A criminal investigation is being conducted on Cormier on whether or not there should be legal action taken against him. I don't believe this is necessary. Hitting and aggression are part of the game. People get injured and players do stupid things. While I don't condone violent behavior in the game, there is no way to actually determine whether or not Cormier INTENTIONALLY elbowed Tam and meant to send him into a seizure. Let the discipline be handled in-house. If they decide to ban him from hockey, ok that's fine. But he should not face any legal action.
Again I reiterate, respect should be taught in the lower levels. This is the only way for the game to see progress in this area. Weed out the dirty players in Juniors and the college ranks. GMs should take heed on these matters and not reward players who have had multiple incidents in juniors/college by drafting them. It has to start somewhere...and it needs to start at the bottom.
-Brett
Friday, January 22, 2010
Your 22 Minutes of Action
At least, according to the WSJ, that's how much football you're actually getting this weekend.
By contrast, in 22 minutes you could watch this video 5 times because it's so fucking brutal:
[Blood and Thunder, by Mastodon]
But if you're not into metal (jerk), you could watch both games. I sure won't be doing that.
New York @ Indianapolis
Everyone's talking about the stellar Jets D, which features Darrelle Jesus at corner. I give him props solely on being able to withstand the 3 hour blowjob he got from Phil Simms. But Indianapolis goalie Peyton Brodeur has really shut the door on opposing teams, leading the league in shutouts this season. The Clots have done a great job forcing other teams to shoot from uncomfortable spots, keeping average field goal percentage very low. And while their own ERA hasn't been great, their big hitters seem to get the extra base hits when they count.
I'm sorry, I must have been incredibly bored writing about the Colts and Jets for more than a sentence.
Prediction: Colts 20, Jets 17
Minnesota @ New Orleans
I was ready to pick NO and ride the Superdome crowd to victory until I heard about last year's MIN vs NO game, when Brees had 5 turnovers, including multiple fumbles. After watching Minnesota totally dismantle the Cowboys, you have to think their D is running hot these days. And just like I can't bet against a hot goaltender, I can't say the hot offense beats the hot defense right now. As much as it pains me to say so... the Vikings will win this one.
Prediction: Vikings 38, Saints 27
- Matt
By contrast, in 22 minutes you could watch this video 5 times because it's so fucking brutal:
[Blood and Thunder, by Mastodon]
But if you're not into metal (jerk), you could watch both games. I sure won't be doing that.
New York @ Indianapolis
Everyone's talking about the stellar Jets D, which features Darrelle Jesus at corner. I give him props solely on being able to withstand the 3 hour blowjob he got from Phil Simms. But Indianapolis goalie Peyton Brodeur has really shut the door on opposing teams, leading the league in shutouts this season. The Clots have done a great job forcing other teams to shoot from uncomfortable spots, keeping average field goal percentage very low. And while their own ERA hasn't been great, their big hitters seem to get the extra base hits when they count.
I'm sorry, I must have been incredibly bored writing about the Colts and Jets for more than a sentence.
Prediction: Colts 20, Jets 17
Minnesota @ New Orleans
I was ready to pick NO and ride the Superdome crowd to victory until I heard about last year's MIN vs NO game, when Brees had 5 turnovers, including multiple fumbles. After watching Minnesota totally dismantle the Cowboys, you have to think their D is running hot these days. And just like I can't bet against a hot goaltender, I can't say the hot offense beats the hot defense right now. As much as it pains me to say so... the Vikings will win this one.
Prediction: Vikings 38, Saints 27
- Matt
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Divisonal Recap/Conference Predictions
Pretty happy I went 3-1 this week...better than last week's 1-3.
Arizona at New Orleans
I'm sorry, but who actually thought the Cardinals had a chance here? *cough*will*cough* Some will blame it on the hit Warner suffered and he couldn't throw the ball more than 10 yards. The only thing that would've changed though would be the score...higher, but with the same result.
Baltimore at Indianapolis
There's always next year Baltimore. Will Reed and Mason retire after this year? Well the Ravens are going to need to address the WR position, and start getting younger on D. Hopefully they can convince those two to stick around another year longer. Give potential draft picks a year to learn before they're thrown into the fire.
Dallas at Minnesota
For the same reasons people hate Brett Favre, I love him. He's 40 years old and slinging the football around better than most QB's in the league. Don't care who you are, but that's impressive. Is he a prima donna? Definitely. Has he earned the right to do whatever he wants? Definitely. Did the Vikes run up the score? Possibly, but this is why girls and children don't play in the NFL. The only time I get upset when people run up the score is when it screws with my o/u which the Ravens did earlier in the year. Yes Will...I admit it...I only got upset because it screwed me with the o/u.
Oh...Yes I want Brett Favre to win another superbowl. It'll be a great middle finger to everyone out there who hates him.
New York at San Diego
I don't know if my judgement was clouded because I was at a bar in NYC or what, but Jet fans are the most annoying bunch of people in the world. They may actually be worse than Philly fans...wait...no...I take that back. But they're still pretty bad. It was tough to watch. Why do the Chargers seem to always choke in the playoffs? I honestly thought they would've beat the Colts had they won this game.
Onto this week's predictions...
New York at Indianapolis
Alright...so I've picked against the Jets TWICE...and they've won both. It makes me want to pick the Jets, so they lose. But I just can't...I really want to...I just...I can't.
NYJ 13 IND 24
Minnesota at New Orleans
Can't pick against my new favorite team. Do you guys remember when I said I was going to start rooting for the Vikings when the Bills started to go downhill? So that was week 2 I think? It'll be a great game, but Minnesota takes this one. I'm sorry New Orleans...if the Cowboys had won I'd be donning Black and Gold this weekend.
MIN 35 NO 31
-Brett
Arizona at New Orleans
I'm sorry, but who actually thought the Cardinals had a chance here? *cough*will*cough* Some will blame it on the hit Warner suffered and he couldn't throw the ball more than 10 yards. The only thing that would've changed though would be the score...higher, but with the same result.
Baltimore at Indianapolis
There's always next year Baltimore. Will Reed and Mason retire after this year? Well the Ravens are going to need to address the WR position, and start getting younger on D. Hopefully they can convince those two to stick around another year longer. Give potential draft picks a year to learn before they're thrown into the fire.
Dallas at Minnesota
For the same reasons people hate Brett Favre, I love him. He's 40 years old and slinging the football around better than most QB's in the league. Don't care who you are, but that's impressive. Is he a prima donna? Definitely. Has he earned the right to do whatever he wants? Definitely. Did the Vikes run up the score? Possibly, but this is why girls and children don't play in the NFL. The only time I get upset when people run up the score is when it screws with my o/u which the Ravens did earlier in the year. Yes Will...I admit it...I only got upset because it screwed me with the o/u.
Oh...Yes I want Brett Favre to win another superbowl. It'll be a great middle finger to everyone out there who hates him.
New York at San Diego
I don't know if my judgement was clouded because I was at a bar in NYC or what, but Jet fans are the most annoying bunch of people in the world. They may actually be worse than Philly fans...wait...no...I take that back. But they're still pretty bad. It was tough to watch. Why do the Chargers seem to always choke in the playoffs? I honestly thought they would've beat the Colts had they won this game.
Onto this week's predictions...
New York at Indianapolis
Alright...so I've picked against the Jets TWICE...and they've won both. It makes me want to pick the Jets, so they lose. But I just can't...I really want to...I just...I can't.
NYJ 13 IND 24
Minnesota at New Orleans
Can't pick against my new favorite team. Do you guys remember when I said I was going to start rooting for the Vikings when the Bills started to go downhill? So that was week 2 I think? It'll be a great game, but Minnesota takes this one. I'm sorry New Orleans...if the Cowboys had won I'd be donning Black and Gold this weekend.
MIN 35 NO 31
-Brett
Thursday Morning Hockey, part 1
I promised hockey articles, so here this is.
Normally I don't post about hockey because the Pens are my team, and the Pensblog and Empty Netters do way better jobs covering them than I could ever do, even if I were unemployed and did nothing but use the Internet all day.
Most of the amateurish posts on the Pens are from armchair GMs and other "geniuses" who know, just KNOW, how to solve the Pens' woes during a dreaded 2 game losing streak. These people suck. For future reference, during events of Penguin non-dominance, you may visit the following site:
[Arethepensgoingtobeok.com]
Meanwhile, the rest of the league. In the Eastern Conference, the Caps have basically clinched their division by now and are hoping they can clinch the number one spot in the East. If you're also trying to remember the last time a 1st seed in the East made the Stanley Cup Finals, much less won it all, you're not alone. The highest seeds to make it recently: 4th (Penguins and Senators), 2nd (Penguins, Hurricanes, and Lightning). The "race" for 3rd seed, meanwhile, is more meaningful in my book. The 6th seed in the playoffs is usually the hottest team. Both of the last two years, the 6th seed has lost to the Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Coincidence? Yes. But also, there's a lot to be said for finishing your season on a high note. If I were a betting man (OK, if I were a GOOD betting man), I'd put money on the Islanders to be that seed, since their play of late has been very solid. I wouldn't be surprised to see Philly there, either.
In the West, we have an orgy of talent at all levels. The Sharks lead, to no one's surprise, but we can all remember how well they've done each spring. I don't see their playoff push being a particularly long one this year, either. The Hawks are good, but in the same way the Sharks are. I see a lot of people picking them to win it all, but right now I don't see them winning the Cup. The two most bizarre things about the "other" conference right now are:
1. Nashville?!? PHOENIX?!?
2. Calgary plummeting in the standings.
Obviously, Calgary will be fine. They always make the playoffs, and they're also always a tough out. I hope that both the aforementioned unpopular teams make it, and then move to a city that cares. Nashville had great seasons a few years ago, and their attendance still sucked. These teams deserve better.
And can we briefly talk about Gretzky's legacy? The second he stops coaching the Yotes they go from punchline to powerhouse. Coincidence? NO!
Finally, your game of the night. This one should be obvious:
Capitals @ Penguins, 7:30
WHY: If you need to ask, you haven't been paying attention to hockey.
WHY NOT: You don't like either team?
CAPS WIN BECAUSE: Theodore is on a hot streak, and you always take the hot goalie. Revenge factor is in play (the Pens haven't thought too much about the Caps, whereas the Caps are obsessed). Caps on a winning streak against decent teams. Home ice seems to mean nothing to these teams. Ovechkin desperately wants to embarass the Pens at home.
PENS WIN BECAUSE: Brent Johnson may start, and goalie playing against former club is most of the time an extra edge. Crosby shows up huge against rivals, and right now he's the best goal scorer in the league. The Caps are better than last year, and the guys will be motivated to test themselves. Fuck the Caps.
PREDICTION: Capitals 5, Penguins 3. Injuries have given the Penguins unfamiliar line combos, and Washington will jump out to an early lead. Should progress slowly until it gets interesting at 4-3, then the Caps ice it with an empty netter. Ovechkin leads the game with 1 goal, 2 assists, and Crosby leads the Pens with a goal and assist.
If you don't want to watch that one, there's always... Rangers at Flyers or... Predators at the Coyotes? Hey, what do you know? I must be prescient.
- Matt
Normally I don't post about hockey because the Pens are my team, and the Pensblog and Empty Netters do way better jobs covering them than I could ever do, even if I were unemployed and did nothing but use the Internet all day.
Most of the amateurish posts on the Pens are from armchair GMs and other "geniuses" who know, just KNOW, how to solve the Pens' woes during a dreaded 2 game losing streak. These people suck. For future reference, during events of Penguin non-dominance, you may visit the following site:
[Arethepensgoingtobeok.com]
Meanwhile, the rest of the league. In the Eastern Conference, the Caps have basically clinched their division by now and are hoping they can clinch the number one spot in the East. If you're also trying to remember the last time a 1st seed in the East made the Stanley Cup Finals, much less won it all, you're not alone. The highest seeds to make it recently: 4th (Penguins and Senators), 2nd (Penguins, Hurricanes, and Lightning). The "race" for 3rd seed, meanwhile, is more meaningful in my book. The 6th seed in the playoffs is usually the hottest team. Both of the last two years, the 6th seed has lost to the Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Coincidence? Yes. But also, there's a lot to be said for finishing your season on a high note. If I were a betting man (OK, if I were a GOOD betting man), I'd put money on the Islanders to be that seed, since their play of late has been very solid. I wouldn't be surprised to see Philly there, either.
In the West, we have an orgy of talent at all levels. The Sharks lead, to no one's surprise, but we can all remember how well they've done each spring. I don't see their playoff push being a particularly long one this year, either. The Hawks are good, but in the same way the Sharks are. I see a lot of people picking them to win it all, but right now I don't see them winning the Cup. The two most bizarre things about the "other" conference right now are:
1. Nashville?!? PHOENIX?!?
2. Calgary plummeting in the standings.
Obviously, Calgary will be fine. They always make the playoffs, and they're also always a tough out. I hope that both the aforementioned unpopular teams make it, and then move to a city that cares. Nashville had great seasons a few years ago, and their attendance still sucked. These teams deserve better.
And can we briefly talk about Gretzky's legacy? The second he stops coaching the Yotes they go from punchline to powerhouse. Coincidence? NO!
Finally, your game of the night. This one should be obvious:
Capitals @ Penguins, 7:30
WHY: If you need to ask, you haven't been paying attention to hockey.
WHY NOT: You don't like either team?
CAPS WIN BECAUSE: Theodore is on a hot streak, and you always take the hot goalie. Revenge factor is in play (the Pens haven't thought too much about the Caps, whereas the Caps are obsessed). Caps on a winning streak against decent teams. Home ice seems to mean nothing to these teams. Ovechkin desperately wants to embarass the Pens at home.
PENS WIN BECAUSE: Brent Johnson may start, and goalie playing against former club is most of the time an extra edge. Crosby shows up huge against rivals, and right now he's the best goal scorer in the league. The Caps are better than last year, and the guys will be motivated to test themselves. Fuck the Caps.
PREDICTION: Capitals 5, Penguins 3. Injuries have given the Penguins unfamiliar line combos, and Washington will jump out to an early lead. Should progress slowly until it gets interesting at 4-3, then the Caps ice it with an empty netter. Ovechkin leads the game with 1 goal, 2 assists, and Crosby leads the Pens with a goal and assist.
If you don't want to watch that one, there's always... Rangers at Flyers or... Predators at the Coyotes? Hey, what do you know? I must be prescient.
- Matt
Monday, January 18, 2010
The Short Bus Is Missing One Passenger
From Indianapolis, the city that reads! (at a second grade level):
- Matt
- Matt
Thoughts on the Weekend
I'll avoid a rant.
ARI @ NO
You can't blame people for picking Arizona. Well, actually, you can. But the Saints showed what I think many knew all along: they're the best team in the league. They didn't even need to try during the second half. I will enjoy their rampage over the Vikings with relish.
BAL @ IND
I really feel bad for Ravens fans. Indy is that incomprehensible thorn in their side. You could do everything right and still lose to these guys, somehow. I think the biggest challenge in the AFC Championship will be for the commentators to suck off both Manning and the Jets, as they did for the entirety of the two AFC games.
DAL @ MIN
I love how there's an attempt at making a "running up the score" controversy. NO ONE CARES. If I get paid millions to tackle a guy holding a ball, and I fail, I can't complain about the final score. Maybe in college sportsmanship matters. In the NFL? When was the last time the league had an iota of class? Plus, now Favre may have angered the football gods. And I couldn't be happier.
NYJ @ SD
Playoff choke job aside, Phil Simms needs to be arrested for public pornography after his 3.5 hour blowjob of Darrelle Revis and Mark Sanchez. I had impartial friends tell me how bad he was. When the NY Post says he's doing a good job, you know he's bad. In summation, the Chargers need to get out of their own heads. Kaeding needs support from the fans, not to be shunned. Oh, and draft a goddamn RB.
I can safely say I won't watch either Championship game next week. But I will be rooting for New Orleans for all it's worth. If anyone in the world deserves to be a Super Bowl MVP, it's Drew Brees. Biased as always,
- Matt
ARI @ NO
You can't blame people for picking Arizona. Well, actually, you can. But the Saints showed what I think many knew all along: they're the best team in the league. They didn't even need to try during the second half. I will enjoy their rampage over the Vikings with relish.
BAL @ IND
I really feel bad for Ravens fans. Indy is that incomprehensible thorn in their side. You could do everything right and still lose to these guys, somehow. I think the biggest challenge in the AFC Championship will be for the commentators to suck off both Manning and the Jets, as they did for the entirety of the two AFC games.
DAL @ MIN
I love how there's an attempt at making a "running up the score" controversy. NO ONE CARES. If I get paid millions to tackle a guy holding a ball, and I fail, I can't complain about the final score. Maybe in college sportsmanship matters. In the NFL? When was the last time the league had an iota of class? Plus, now Favre may have angered the football gods. And I couldn't be happier.
NYJ @ SD
Playoff choke job aside, Phil Simms needs to be arrested for public pornography after his 3.5 hour blowjob of Darrelle Revis and Mark Sanchez. I had impartial friends tell me how bad he was. When the NY Post says he's doing a good job, you know he's bad. In summation, the Chargers need to get out of their own heads. Kaeding needs support from the fans, not to be shunned. Oh, and draft a goddamn RB.
I can safely say I won't watch either Championship game next week. But I will be rooting for New Orleans for all it's worth. If anyone in the world deserves to be a Super Bowl MVP, it's Drew Brees. Biased as always,
- Matt
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Random thoughts on a bus...
So I'm on a 4 hour bus ride to NYC and I figured what better way to pass the tim them blog about my random sports thoughts. It'll be like a mailbag but without anyone writing in.
Alex Burrows of the Vancouver Canucks was recently fined for his comments against referee Auger. He blamed Auger for purposefully calling penalties because of a personal grudge. It dates back to a hit Burrows had on a player which caused Auger some heat. I'm not familiar with this hit, so I can't speak to it. However, Burrows claims Auger approached him in the warmup skate and said he was going to be essentially gunning for him. Late in the game there were two penalties called on Burrows. One was a legit diving call and the other was a phantom interference call. I saw the game and believed they were both BS. But I guess there's a case to be made for the first penalty. My question is...what's the actual truth?
I tend to side with Burrows. The NHL has done a terrible job of being forthcoming with the facts. Burrows is not a whiney player who goes off whenever things don't go his way. If this were say Sean Avery...I would not even give it a second thought. But the way the NHL handled this I believe Burrows account. Why would Burrows just make something like this up knowing full well he would be fined and/or suspended? It makes no sense to me. We have still not heard Auger's account of the interaction which has been documented that they spoke during pre-game warm-ups. I don't think Burrows has handled it very well though. He called a ref out to the media which is always a no no. He shouldve mentioned something to the coach before the game if even as a joke. Then if the coach knew this could've been handled via back channels and Auger would be suspended or at least fined.
Honestly the NHL did what it had to do by fining Burrows. Still seems a bit odd to me...
Second thing I'll weigh in on. Lane Kiffin leaving Tennessee and bolting for USC. I've had mixed emotions. On one hand I think its a dick move to the university and its players. All the kids that believed Kiffin when he was recruiting them must feel betrayed. How effective will he be when he recruits for USC? Will anyone even believe him? Plus he left after 1 year...kind of a lot of broken promises he left on the table.
However USC was his dream job. And if Kiffin lost every game this past year who's to say he wouldn't be fired? And if it was his dream job can you blame him for taking it?
I think the bigger question is how far does loyalty go? Teams don't honor contracts so why should players/coaches have to always honor them too? Especially if the coach then owes the school money if he leaves early. After thinking about it I agree with Kiffin's choice if USC was truly his dream job. I can't say any of us wouldn't leave our current job if our dream job came knocking. Its a once in a lifetime opportunity and I support it. With that said...I think Lane Kiffin is an idiot and a terrible coach. But that has nothing to do with me condoning his actions.
I was going to blog on the affairs of the Bills and their head coaching search, but I felt I'll leave that for Monday's bus ride home. Have a safe weekend everyone! Oh and while I'm in NYC I'm going to be at the NYI/Sabres game 2 rows from the glass. I can't wait.
Go Sabres and Go Ravens!
-Brett
Alex Burrows of the Vancouver Canucks was recently fined for his comments against referee Auger. He blamed Auger for purposefully calling penalties because of a personal grudge. It dates back to a hit Burrows had on a player which caused Auger some heat. I'm not familiar with this hit, so I can't speak to it. However, Burrows claims Auger approached him in the warmup skate and said he was going to be essentially gunning for him. Late in the game there were two penalties called on Burrows. One was a legit diving call and the other was a phantom interference call. I saw the game and believed they were both BS. But I guess there's a case to be made for the first penalty. My question is...what's the actual truth?
I tend to side with Burrows. The NHL has done a terrible job of being forthcoming with the facts. Burrows is not a whiney player who goes off whenever things don't go his way. If this were say Sean Avery...I would not even give it a second thought. But the way the NHL handled this I believe Burrows account. Why would Burrows just make something like this up knowing full well he would be fined and/or suspended? It makes no sense to me. We have still not heard Auger's account of the interaction which has been documented that they spoke during pre-game warm-ups. I don't think Burrows has handled it very well though. He called a ref out to the media which is always a no no. He shouldve mentioned something to the coach before the game if even as a joke. Then if the coach knew this could've been handled via back channels and Auger would be suspended or at least fined.
Honestly the NHL did what it had to do by fining Burrows. Still seems a bit odd to me...
Second thing I'll weigh in on. Lane Kiffin leaving Tennessee and bolting for USC. I've had mixed emotions. On one hand I think its a dick move to the university and its players. All the kids that believed Kiffin when he was recruiting them must feel betrayed. How effective will he be when he recruits for USC? Will anyone even believe him? Plus he left after 1 year...kind of a lot of broken promises he left on the table.
However USC was his dream job. And if Kiffin lost every game this past year who's to say he wouldn't be fired? And if it was his dream job can you blame him for taking it?
I think the bigger question is how far does loyalty go? Teams don't honor contracts so why should players/coaches have to always honor them too? Especially if the coach then owes the school money if he leaves early. After thinking about it I agree with Kiffin's choice if USC was truly his dream job. I can't say any of us wouldn't leave our current job if our dream job came knocking. Its a once in a lifetime opportunity and I support it. With that said...I think Lane Kiffin is an idiot and a terrible coach. But that has nothing to do with me condoning his actions.
I was going to blog on the affairs of the Bills and their head coaching search, but I felt I'll leave that for Monday's bus ride home. Have a safe weekend everyone! Oh and while I'm in NYC I'm going to be at the NYI/Sabres game 2 rows from the glass. I can't wait.
Go Sabres and Go Ravens!
-Brett
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