2009 NHL Super Skills Competition live coverage

TV: CBC

The panel gets into all the Lecavalier to Montreal BS. It's the big topic lately. But the Lightning are only 8 points from the final playoff spot. They have won 6 of their last 8. I don't see him jumping ship anytime soon, unless Tampa tanks.

Great Ovechkin profile. Alex is saying that he, Backstrom and other Caps players will be sporting a freaky haircut during the playoffs this year but wouldn't elaborate.

Wow, there is a pipe organ being played at center ice right now. The singer has Britney Spears talent.

Luongo is the first All Star to skate onto the ice. A big thrill for him this experience is.

I think JS Giguere and even Sheldon Sourray have had the biggest ovations so far during the introductions. Mark Streit got a rousing ovation as well. But listen to that cheer for Lecavalier! Holy smokes. These guys read the papers too much. The ovation goes on for over 20 seconds.
Fans are loving Ovechkin.
Kaberle gets the boo's. He's the first to get that treatment.
The french love their own, huh? Martin St. Louis gets a great cheer.
Tim Thomas, Marc Savard and Zdeno Chara get boo'd, naturally.
Komisarek, Markov, Kovalev and Price get the home cheers.

On to the skills....

---

SPEED SKATING

Good to see Mason Raymond, who is a participating in the Young Stars game, get a chance to skate with the older players. This is the first time this has been able to happen.
1 lap around the ice.

Zach Parise: 14:59
Jeff Carter: 14.43
Brian Campbell: 14.50
Jay Boumeester: 14.59
Mason Raymond: he slipped...fail.
Andrew Cogliano: 14.31

BREAKAWAY CHALLENGE

This is the one we've been talking about. Let's see what kind of freaky shit these guys can pull off. Fans will do the voting on this one.
So the goalies are punks who are told to basically stay out of the way of the incoming forward. Fair enough. This is all about the forwards anyways.

Patrick Kane: Used the butt of his stick to try score. Players get multiple chances.
His last try was sweet.
My score: 6

Martin St. Louis: Oh wow. What a showing.
My score: 8.5

Ryan Getzlaf: Nice! He pulled off the lacrosse move! But mostly failed at the others.
My score: 7.5

Alex Kovalev: He just banked the puck off his head on the way in! He showed some original stuff indeed.
My score: 8

Steve Stamkos: More energy from Stamkos than the others. So much for the goalie getting out of the way....
My score: 8

Ovechkin: haha. Woa. Hahaha! Props! A fishing hat with sunglasses and a Canadian flag hanging out of it. Malkin wiped his glasses clean and squirted some Gatorade into his mouth before Ovie started. Then he uses 2 sticks at the same time. On the way in he threw one stick away and had to bang the puck past the no named goalie.

My score: 8.5 for style points.

So, between Ovechkin and St. Louis. I think St. Louis bagged 2 great plays....so I'll pick him as the winner.

That was a good time. There's a lot of pressure on these guys to complete their moves. Not many were pulled off successfully. But it was more fun to watch than last year's event.

Sophomore vs Rookies Game

Period 1

Carey Price and Pekka Rinne steal the show. Mason Raymond is everywhere as usual but has zero points to show for it. The players are playing at half-pace.
3-1 Rookies after 1.

Period 2

The pace is a little faster. Mason Raymond bagged one after a pretty 3-way passing play and then played for 2 extra consecutive minutes.
For the record: Blake Wheeler is sick. Just sick.
More goals in this period. 7-4 Rookies so far.


Period 3

Devon Setoguchi scores the goal of the game in this frame. What hands. I remember watching him play for the Prince George Cougars 2 years ago. There was no one on the ice that even came close to having his talent.
9-5 Rookies win.
Best players of the game: 1. Blake Wheeler (3 goals) and 2. Pekka Rinne.

-I would have watched the Crosby interviews before the next event but I was too busy watching paint dry.


Ovechkin won the breakaway challenge as voted by the fans. Popularity contest. Ovechkin voted for Stamkos.

ACCURACY SHOOTING

Prediction: Iginla

Jonathan Toews: 4 for 8
Evgeni Malkin: 4 for 4
Ilya Kovalchuk: 3 for 8
Dany Heatley: 4 for 4
Mike Modano: 4 for 5
Marc Savard: 3 for 7
Jarome Iginla: 4 for 7
Tomas Kaberle: 3 for 6 I think.

Tie Breaker

Malkin: 3 for 4. So close!
Heatley: 2 for 4


Malkin wins!

HARDEST SHOT

$15,000 on the line for charity here, thanks to a great idea by Zdeno Chara.

Souray likes a sticky shaft. That's what he said...

Mark Streit:
98.3 mph
96.0

Shea Weber
98.9
103.4! Whoa!

Mike Komisarek
95.6
98.5

Lecavalier
96.6
97.0

Sheldon Sourray
98.1
102.3

Zdeno Chara
103.3
105.4! Chara wins! That's a new record! Bye bye Iafrate.

ELIMINATION SHOOTOUT

If you score you stay if you miss you're gone!

Toews: off the post (Backstrom)
Doan: scores. snap shot just over the glove (Lundqvist)
Parise: off the post.
Dustin Brown: tries a one-hander and misses
Weber: almost but no.
Robidas: hit the post. adiose
Niedermayer: through the legs and sneaks in.
Markov: stopped by King Henrik
Sourray: snap shot goal over the blocker
Chara: scores.
Savard: nice move and a goal.
Tkachuk: save
Marleau: scores along the ice
Carter: save by Henrik
Heatley: glove save
Nash: shoots and misses high
Kovalchuk: stopped by Backstrom
Lecavalier: stopped. great save by Lundqvist
Vanek: scores on Giguere (goalie switch)
Eric Staal: stopped by Tim Thomas
Hejduk: oh wow, nice backhander. Best goal so far.
Streit: stopped by Thomas and then crashes into that thingy
Kaberle: stopped by Jiggy
Campbell: save by Thomas. Timmy is gold.
Boyle: stopped by Giguere
Boumeester: scores off the post and in.
Komisarek: save by Giguere
Modano: scores on Thomas with a snap shot
Thornton: missed the net
Getzlaf: nice goal on Thomas. made it look easy
Iginla: stopped by JSG
Malkin: stopped by a Hasek-like Thomas
St. Louis: tries to go 5-hole and is stopped
Ovechkin: stopped by Thomas. OV almost loast the puck there.
Kane: missed on the backhand
Kovalev: scores! What a shot.

Round 2

Doan: scores top shelf
Niedermayer: scores along the ice
Sourray: stopped.
Chara: gets fancy and is stopped by teammate Thomas
Savard: nice goal!
Marleau: scores. made Lundqvist go right
Vanek: stopped by Giguere
Hejduk: oh wow. scores
Boumeester: stopped
Modano: backhander and stopped
Getzlaf: scores along the ice on his buddy Giguere
Kovalev: what a damned save by Thomas as he does the splits

Round 3

Doan: nice back hand goal on Backstrom
Niedermayer: stoned by Lundqvist
Savard: 5-hole goal
Marleau: another insane save by Thomas. Thomas never quits!
Hejduk: scores.backhander genius
Getzlaf: finally stopped by Lundqvist who stayed with him

Round 4

Doan: saved by Jiggy
Savard: overplayed and missed
Hejduk: stopped by Backstrom

OT

Doan: nice save by Giguere
Savard: stopped by King Henrik
Hejduk: easy save by Backstrom, who didn't even go down

OT 2

Doan: 100 moves and scores along the ice
Savard: Scores on Thomas! Conspiracy!
Hejduk is stopped by Backstrom.

OT 3

Doan: 5 hole goal on Jiggy
Savard: poke check by Lundqvist!

Winner: Shane Doan.

That was cool.

This whole event was cool. That was a fun time.


Tech Tags: 2009+NHL+Skills+Competition live blog coverage Ovechkin+breakaway+challenge+props

All Star Game doesn't overly excite me, but the Skills pay the Bills

Well, if a player scores 4 or more goals that's alright. Some pretty plays would be fine. But I'll tell you what I most look forward to: the Skills Competition. In years past I enjoyed watching Mike Gartner glide around the rink to win the fastest skater competition, Al Iafrate and Al MacInnis dominating the hardest shot category in the early 90's with...wooden sticks, yes. I believe Iafrate's 105.2 mph slapper in 1993 is still the record. The breakaway event has kind of lost it's novelty to me, now that NHL games are decided by shootouts so often.
What I am really curious about in this year's skills competition is how creative players are going to be in the event that was started last year called the Breakaway Challenge. It was fun to watch, even though the players couldn't score after pulling off a few sick moves. In the end it was a showdown between Ryan Getzlaf and Alex Ovechkin, with AO stealing the show of course, getting the best scores from the panel of judges.
Earlier in the competition, the goalies would poke check the puck away from players while they were in the middle of their moves. People thought the keepers shouldn't have done that. Well, see for yourself. Below is the complete footage of that event.

PART 1

PART 2

**UPDATE**
Ah, it appears I was a little ahead of TSN on the breakaway challenge and it's issues, as you can see here. They may get goalie to avoid poke checks during the event. Patrick Kane called Ovechkin's spinaroonie baseball attempt the "YouTube goal" and that he wants to be that guy this year.
So as much as last year's attempt at that event was awkwardly successful, I think players are preparing more for it this year and it will be a must see tonight.
The TSN panel was talking about fans texting in scores for the event. That is cool.

Check out some All Star Skills events results/history from 1990-2007 at this site.
There are some intriguing numbers and facts from past All Star Games found at NHL.com.
How about some sick All Star Game records found at NHL.com? Worth a look.

I believe the Young Stars game starts at somewhere around 3 pm PST on Saturday. Not quite sure.
The Super Skills Competition will start at 4 pm PST on Saturday.
The All Star Game will start at 3 pm PST on Sunday.

Tech Tags: NHL+All+Star+Game records stats NHL+Skills+Competition 2009 history

Sound off: MacTavish on Penner and NHL on headshots

MacT pulled no punches with Dustin Penner today, saying

"He's not competitive enough or fit enough to help us, so why put him back in? He's never been fit enough to help us," Oilers head coach Craig MacTavish told the Sun. "We signed him to be a top-two line player and that's kind of where it ended. The difference was we thought the contract was a starting point, and he's viewed it as a finish line.

"It's been one thing after another. I can't watch it for - certainly not another two and-a-half years."

Wow. That was awesome! Penner did score over 20 goals as an Oiler last year but only has 3 goals and 1 assists in 16 games this season. His conditioning has always been a problem. In that case, the Canucks should sign him and put him on Wellwood diet. Problem solved.

---

I am growing very weary of the headshots issue in the NHL. You see the analysts over-analyzing a lot of shots that knock players out or hurt them. Some of these headshots are absolutely fine in my opinion. If a taller guy like Pronger decks a shorter guy like Richard Park and his elbow makes contact, well, that's not intentional. But the NHL released a memo to all teams today regarding intentional headshots.

"Recently, we have had two (2) supplemental discipline incidents involving direct elbow blows to the head. This is a play that we have been trying to remove from our game for a number of years. In one case there was no injury and in the other incident the elbowed Player received a concussion. Both Players delivering the elbows had never before been involved in supplemental discipline.

"We cannot and will not tolerate blows to the head that are deliberate, avoidable and illegal. Furthermore, both the history and status of the offender (first time versus repeat) and the nature of the injury caused (if any) will be taken into consideration as they have been in the past. The length of suspensions for illegal blows to the head will be increased if these incidents persist across the League. Taking steps to maintain the safest on-ice environment possible for the Players remains our most important priority."

Fair enough. Wait, explain the "avoidable" part. This is just going to create another decision for the refs and league officials to make when a head shot occurs. Some are more blatantly obvious than others (see Jarko Ruutu). Others can be circumstancial. I hope the NHL is fair in their assessments.
How would they judge Doug Weight's crunching head shot on Brian Sutter? I would hope that would be called legal and not "avoidable."
For more on this, including some whining by Simon "headcase" Gagne, check out TSN's article.

T Tags: NHL+headshots ruling memo Craig+MacTavish+calls+out+Dustin+Penner Oilers

Chelios calls out refereeing for what it is

From an interview at Snapshots (Tip to Paul Kukla):

Bob Wojnowski: Now Cheli, not to get you in trouble at all, but I've heard more and more talk from, like broadcasters and their players, that they're going to...When a team is behind in the NHL these days, they're automatically going to start getting power plays. Is that like, more than ever before, does it seem that way, kinda?

Chris Chelios: Well, it's like I said, it's the "New NHL," they want scoring, they're supervising these referees...And, I mean, just compare it to basketball; how many times do you see a team get in foul trouble, you know, once they get up a bit? It's almost like it's controlled to a certain extent by the referees, the officiating, and the supervisors, so...I mean, it's not like they're keeping it a secret--they're telling the referees to call penalties, so...You can all a penalty, or, you know, a foul in basketball pretty much every time they come down the court, football, same thing, any contact sport, it's open for criticism, you know, on the officiating, so they're doing what they're told, and I think, I look back to the Pittsburgh game, you know, even though we did blow it in the third period, they did give them that five-on-three and little momentum, and a nothing call to make it a five on three, which...

Like I said, is it a penalty? Yeah, sometimes it is, but so many times you see it's not called. To not beat around the bush and answer your question, I think it's controlled.

Wojo: It seems that way, it does!

Chelios: Well, it does, let's just call a spade a spade, right?. They watch scoring, and if it's good for the fans and good for the game, so be it, you know...Is it fair? What's fair anymore?

Finally a player calls bull shit on the current state of affairs with NHL refereeing. Chelios knows first hand, and ironically he's seen it happen mostly with the Penguins. If it had not been for the shady officiating in the previous Penguins-Wings game (which he alluded to), the Wings would have won. Even worse: Had the officiating not been so suspect in last year's Stanley Cup Finals, the Wings could have beaten the Penguins in 4 or 5 games. Hell, the Penguins almost pushed the series to 7 games after a late call in Game 6. Hossa shot the puck along the goal line and did not score, preserving a Wings' Cup win. Thank god the Penguins didn't win another.
I don't know who is telling the refs to do this horse shit but it is tarnishing the game, and it needs to stop. I'm willing to say that I'd rather see some (or most) of these obstruction calls taken out of the game in order to avoid this current joke.
Can you count how many obstruction calls you've seen this year that were bunk? These blown calls sway games intentionally or not. Players feel an opposing player's stick on their leg or waist and dive to create calls. If the hook doesn't impede the player's progress it shouldn't be called.
I know the NHL wants goal totals to go up, but there are better ways of going about it. Turning the game into soccer shouldn't be one of them. Making the nets bigger is not one of them. Decreasing goalie equipment is. And if that doesn't work..well...fuck it! Then there are less goals per game.
This not the pure NHL that I grew up watching. No, this is a joke. And it isn't going to stop until more people come forward. Bless Chelios' red and white heart for "calling a spade a spade" and damn those who oppose.

T Tags: NHL referees officiating penalties joke bullshit Chelios+speaks

Preseason scoring leaders through October 8

More stats at CBS.

T Tags: NHL+preseason+scoring+leaders October+08+2008

NHL Preseason scoring through October 1, 2008

For a complete list of stats, check out CBS Sports.
Nice to see Jannik Hansen crack the 5-point group.
Freaky to see how much points Andy McDonald and Brad Boyes are putting up still.

T Tags: NHL+preseason+scoring October+2008

KHL shouldn't solely be blackballed

Thank you Ken Campbell of The Hockey News for saying this:

When Alexander Semin returned to the NHL in 2006-07, he should have been forced to comply with the final year of his entry-level contract because he never fulfilled it and was suspended by the team for the two seasons he was in Russia. But somehow, that final season was ignored and the Capitals, knowing Semin wouldn’t have returned for entry-level money, managed to sign him to a new two-year deal despite the fact he had not fulfilled the terms of his first contract.

When you see things like that happening, can you blame Radulov – who was contractually in exactly the same boat as Semin – for bolting back home at the first opportunity? If the NHL isn’t going to respect its own contracts, how can it expect anyone else to do the same?

And this is the kind of attitude both the leaders of the NHL and IIHF find themselves up against these days. NHL owners talk a good game, but are happy to circumvent their own rules and try to do business on their own terms if it means they can get a star player. The KHL, meanwhile, seems to want to play by its own set of rules and has little regard for the IIHF. Other European federations see what’s happening and are starting to stand up for their own interests, as well.

This war has 2 sides. We have been stealing Russian players who were under contract with Russian teams for a while now. Our bullying tactics have finally caught up to us because the KHL is gaining power and putting the issue into the spotlight.
It's amazing how the KHL changed their tone last week regarding those several players who were signed by NHL teams that could have been under contract in Russia. That looks like a positive humble step in the right direction, perhaps. Now will the all so powerful NHL return the favor?
Tip of the hat to Paul Kukla for finding the story, of course.

T Tags: NHL+signing+players+under+contracts+in+Russia KHL

KHL does a 180

Remember when the IIHF suspended the NHL contracts of 6 players in July due to possible current contracts with Russian teams? Well a lot has happened since then. Radulov was one of those 6. So was Jason Krog, acquired by the Canucks. According to The Hockey News:

In a stunning turn of events, the Kontinental Hockey League and International Ice Hockey Federation appear to have extended an olive branch to the NHL, which may ultimately lead to a thaw in the frigid relations between the KHL and the NHL.
“We have gone with an open hand to the NHL,” KHL president Alexander Medvedev told thn.com in a telephone interview Saturday. “We are hoping to get a positive reaction from the NHL.”

The KHL has withdrawn its disputes with the aforementioned affected contracts of Krog, Tikhonov, Filatov, etc, and has agreed that the Radulov situation needs to be settled in court or through binding arbitration.
When a Russian holds out his hand you don't shake it. You cut it off! OK, I'm kidding. But is this the beginning of the end of the NHL-KHL cold war? I would have reservations about that. In fact, I really doubt it is because there is ongoing theft of players from both sides. If the KHL remains on the rise, the battle and bidding for players will continue. Check out the THN article for a more in-depth look.

2008-09 NHL schedule just released

I'm glad about the changes made to the upcoming schedule, yet it will require more travel time.
-Each team will play every team in it's division 6 times (instead of 8 times).
-Each team will play teams from other divisions within their conference 4 times each.
-Each team will play non-Conference teams 18 times.

The complete schedule can be found at NHL.com.

The Canucks' schedule can be found here.

Canucks games of note:

-Game 1, October 9: Bertuzzi and the Flames come to GM Place to do battle.
-October 13: The Canucks take a long road trip and play Ovechkin and the Capitals.
-November 15: The Leafs stroll into GM Place to have their asses handed to them.
-November 22: Canucks play Crosbaby and the Pens on the road.
-December 14: Luongo plays against his old team as the Panthers come to town.
-February 15: The Canucks and Habs lock horns at GM Place to a split crowd.
-February 21: The Canucks travel to the ACC to beat the snot out of the hapless Leafs. Imagine that, the Canucks play the Leafs twice in one year. Both games are on Saturday nights as well.

T Tags: NHL+2008-09+regular+season+schedule Canucks+2008-09+regular+season+schedule

Playoffs Round 2 Thoughts and Predictions

Rangers-Penguins.
This wasn't the 2nd round series I wanted to see. I was hoping to see a NYR-Habs and Caps-Penguins series. But alas, the Rangers, who I am picking to win the Cup, have a series challenge ahead in Pittsburgh. Already, I am not liking what Jaroir Jagr told the media today, saying:

"With all due respect for [Sidney] Crosby and [Evgeni] Malkin, I don't think they are Mario Lemieux," said Jagr.
"I say that with all due respect because the game has changed.
The gap between the best and worst players on a team [today] is very small. The gap between Mario and the rest of the guys when I was in Pittsburgh was so huge he was able to score 20 points in one series. I don't think those kids are able to do it. If I am wrong I am going to apologize and [say], 'Great job.'

As fair as Jagr was trying to be in his statement, why the hell give Crosby and Malkin any further motivation? Check out the rest of Jagr's statements in the NY Post.
Tough series to predict. Who's the better goalie? Lundqvist. Who has the better offence? Pittsburgh..barely. I like the Rangers' experience up front a lot more. Better defence? On paper the Pens, but structurally and considering efficency, it's the Rangers.
The breaker: Pittsburgh is the higher seed and will enjoy home ice advantage. The Rangers won 5 of the 8 games these 2 teams played this season. They won all 4 games at MSG.
Probably no Gary Roberts in game 1. That's good if you are a Rangers fan.

Prediction: Rangers in 6. Should be a treat.

Canadiens vs Flyers.
The breaker: Montreal won all 4 games against Philly this season and outscored them 15-6 in the process. The top seeded Habs had their hands full with the Bruins in round 1, and I think Philly is a better team than Boston, hands down.
No Mike Knuble until later in the series. That is unfortunate.

Prediction: Canadiens in 7. This series is going to be awesome.

Red Wings vs Avalanche.
The breaker: The Wings won all 4 games against the Avs this season. But that doesn't matter. If Forsberg and Foote can stay healthy I think the Avs will take this series. Jose Theodore is at the top of his game now, where the Wings are having goalie issues. It looks like Chris Osgood, not Dom Hasek will start this series.
The Wings already had a few problems with the lesser Predators in the first round, and the Avs are better than the Preds.

Prediction: Should be a goal-fest on some nights and tight defence-low-scoring on others. Colorado should hold the physical edge. They will need to bang around Detroits' d-men and use their speed to control the play. We all know that Detroit is a puck possession team. Imagine how much of a difference powerplays are going to make in this series compared to the other 3. Well, I'd imagine the Pens-Rangers series will be a lot of the same.
I say Avs take this series in 6.

Sharks vs Stars
It is very tough to bet against the Stars right now, as they are on a mission. I thought the Sharks bumbled their way through the Calgary series and were terribly inconsistent. That won't fly against a Stars team that doesn't let up.
When will Brian Campbell break out? Michalek? Can we see consistency out of Thornton?
These 2 teams are a lot alike and the games will probably be decided by one goal almost every time. It would be cool to see at least 3 OT games here.
The season series was split in half, with each team winning 4 games. the biggest difference now is that the Stars have pushed it into 4th gear, even without Zubov and Boucher, while the Sharks have not done that yet. San Jose will learn early to do so.

Prediction: I'm not impressed with the Sharks because of their inconsistency and cannot predict them to go any further, even though I'd rather see them advance than Dallas.
Stars in 5. How's that for bold?

My predictions so far: 6 correct, 2 wrong. Fuck Bob McKenzie. He can cry about predictions all he wants. I just find it fun.
Here's how I line up with the famed TSN staff's predictions:

















Anyone else wanna throw predictions out there?

T Tags: NHL Playoffs 2008 Predictions Zanstorm TSN

Which team can come back in their series?

With one series being over and six others being on the brink of being over, let's go through the six and analyze which team has a chance at making a comeback.

Canadiens-Bruins (Habs lead series 3-2).
We finally saw the human side of Carey Price last night. He let in 2 very soft goals in the 3rd period last night in a 5-1 loss and appeared to have lost his focus. Is this the end of Price's run? How will the youngster handle the pressure after a poor performance like that? I don't know him well enough to answer that, but he did say that he doesn't have very many bad back-to-back games and vows for a better performance in game 6. But this series just got a hell of a lot more close than it should have last night. Game 6 is going to be great in all of its importance. Jeez, the Bruins are explosive sometimes, and Tim Thomas is ......well, a god actually. I can't predict the outcome of this one, but the Bruins have the momentum now. If they win game 6, they may have a lock on game 7.

Flyers-Capitals (Flyers lead series 3-1).
I think you can almost bank on this series being over. The Capitals were so red hot going into these playoffs, that I wondered if the young team would cool off if they finally lost a game. That is what has happened. Ovechkin has been silenced and is on the verge of losing it. Sergei Fedorov can't hit an open net. Yeah, this series is ending up the way it should have, I suppose. The Flyers are rolling along just fine.
I haven't seen so many giveaways in a series in quite a while though. Sloppy hockey, but very entertaining hockey.

Avalanche-Wild (Avalanche lead series 3-2).
The Avs have won 2 games in a row and have outscored the Wild 8-3 in that span. The comeback player of the year, Jose Theodore is playing so damned well right now. A guy named Gaborik, whom the Wild are relying on in order to have any chance, is pulling a whodini act and is pointless in the Wild's 5 games so far (19 shots though).
I would consider this series to be all but over in 6. Next game is in Denver.

Rangers-Devils (Rangers lead series 3-1).I think the Rangers remind me of the Hurricanes when Carolina won the Cup a couple years back. Their defence rarely offensively contributes in goals but is sharp in their own end. The depth in forwards is killer. Lundqvist is playing like Cam Ward did. Is anyone going to stop the Rangers? The Penguins might in round 2, but the Devils won't in round 1.

Stars-Ducks (Stars lead series 3-1).
The Stars have barely let up on these Ducks the whole series, and are about to finish off the defending champs. Dallas' hustle is pretty much second-to-none in these playoffs, and if anyone is still questioning Turco's ability in the playoffs, they need a bullet wound.
Hey it's never over until the fat lady quacks right? Somewhere in the world I can see Oprah Winfrey standing in front of a mirror, ready to start making Duck noises.
Oh, and thanks for comin' Bertuzzi! (not) Nothing makes me happier than seeing Bert and the Fowl teeing off early.

Sharks-Flames (Sharks lead series 3-2)
Never count out a team from Alberta. As well as the Sharks are playing right now, it's not great enough to convince me that the Flames can't come back in this series. No lead is ever safe in this series, and that is one big reason why it's so fun to watch.
Look out for Cheechoo though. He seems ready to heat up.
Joe Thornton to me, is a cross between the Sedins and Bertuzzi. He has the speed and skill for a big guy, but he doesn't always use it to his advantage. Errant passes get intercepted. He doesn't always shoot when he should. Brilliant at times. Ass at other times. Not a clutc guy as much as he could be.
The real dudes on this team are Patrick Marleau and Ryan Clowe. By the way, the Canucks NEED to acquire Marleau this summer. Wouldn't he be a great fit?
Out of all the nearly-finalized series' left, I'd say the Flames have the best chance to come back. Next game is in Calgary.

What are your thoughts? Do you disagree with me on any of these points? It's ok, you can tell me if I'm full of shit.

T Tags: NHL Playoffs Round+one Carey+Price+meltdown Thornton+sucks Gaborik+sucks

Playoff Matchups and Predictions

In all of my infinite wisdom, I will now predict Round 1 of the playoffs. Keep in mind that I am calling a Rangers-Sharks Final, if you can believe that. And yes, I'm on the Sharks bandwagon.

WEST

1. Red Wings-Predators. The Preds are not to be underestimated as they proved themselves as a good team late in the season. I don't think the Wings will have a cakewalk here, but I do think they have better depth at all positions. I say Wings take this one in 7 games.

2. Sharks-Flames. No love for Calgary here. They are just way too inconsistent for my liking, where San Jose is a force to be reckoned with. Joe Thornton needs to prove himself in the playoffs, and I agree with PJ Stock, who today said that Thornton WILL. Sharks in 6.

3. Wild-Avalanche. Where is the Wild's secondary scoring? They have it in very inconsistent bunches. Cover Gaborik-Demitra-Rolston and that should be it. The Avs are rolling and are good as long as Forsberg holds up. Avalanche in 6.

4. Ducks-Stars. A big question going in to the Ducks' postseason is "are they still hungry after winning the Cup last year?" That will be the big question. Dallas is having injury problems with Sergei Zubov gone indefinitely and Brad Richards nursing an undisclosed injury or illness. Richards has not put up the points consistently either, and has been a non-factor offensively since his first game as a Star. I pick the Ducks to take this in 6.

These predictions would mean a Wings-Avalanche and Ducks-Sharks Conference Final. Who wouldn't want to see that?

EAST

1. Canadiens-Bruins. The banged up Bruins suprised everybody but me this season by making the playoffs. However, they should hit a brick wall against a hot and rolling Habs team. Savard is not 100% with his back...A Bruins win would be a huge upset. I say Habs in 5. Sorry JimBuff.

2. Penguins-Senators. There are far too many question marks surrounding this Ottawa team: Goaltending, injuries, chemistry..... The Pens are cooking right now and I say they steamroll the Sens in 4 straight to put Ottawa out of their misery, and to get revenge for last year, where the Sens swept the Pens (I called that one).

3. Capitals-Flyers. The Caps are the hottest team in the NHL going into the playoffs (9-1 in their last 10.) But the Flyers aren't that bad. They are 7-2-1 in their last 10. I think this series will be close, but Ovechkin and company should squeeze a series win in 7 games. This series is the toughest to predict, in my opinion, and I'm torn on it. If you can shut down Ovechkin, are Fedorov and Semin going to consistently pick up the slack? The Flyers have great scoring depth, but are hurting a bit with Briere and Jason Smith being doubtful for game 1. Check that, Briere may just be ready after all.
I think you can almost bank on Huet being better than Biron in this one.

4. Devils-Rangers. I continually underestimate the Devils, and will do so again this year to a point. They don't have the offensive firepower that the Rangers have, but they have the best damned goalie in the world and a stingy defensive system. But now with Jagr going again.....Rangers in 7.

I hope these predictions come true because in this case The Caps and Ovechkin would play the Penguins and Crosby in the next round.
On top of that, Two original 6 teams would play eachother in Montreal and the Rangers. Awesome! Hope this goes down.

What are your opinions? (No Matt, the Flames are going nowhere....simmer down :)
Think I'm full of shit? To brag a bit, I went 11 correct and 4 wrong when it came to predicting series outcomes last season, so you should trust my opinion! ha!

T Tags: NHL Playoffs Predictions 2008 Sharks+Rangers+Final

How my (and other) pre season predictions panned out

With the NHL regular season over, I figured I'd post the predictions for the 2007-08 season by The Hockey News, McKeen's and myself and compare who was closer. (Click spreadsheet to enlarge)

Mostly, I have to apologize to Caps owner Ted Leonosis, because I picked his team to falter, yet they made the playoffs. I also hacked him for his UFA signings last summer (Kozlov, Poti, Nylander). I more or less stand by that hacking, however his acquisitions of Cooke, Fedorov and especially Huet really paid off down the stretch. Way to go McPhee and Leonosis!

So who's a better predictor, the pro's or me? Let's crunch a few numbers shall we?

Predictions that were:
Bang on:
McKeen's: 4
The Hockey News: 3
Zanstorm: 3

Off by 1:
Zanstorm: 9
The Hockey News: 8
McKeen's: 8

Off by 2 or less:
The Hockey News: 13
McKeen's: 12
Zanstorm: 12

Off by 3 or less:
The Hockey News: 17
Zanstorm: 16
McKeen's: 14

Off by 5 or more:
Zanstorm: 11
The Hockey News: 10
McKeen's: 9

So yeah, I'm the Champ! haha. Next up will be playoff predictions!

T Tags: NHL+Predictions 2007-08 Western Eastern Conference The+Hockey+News McKeen's Zanstorm

Live blogging right up to the Trade Deadline

2:54 PM
The Predators have acquired the much-moved Brandon Bochenski from the Anaheim Ducks for future considerations.
This guy must be a poison in the locker room, or lack consistent effort because he can't stick with a team.

12:57
The Predators have acquired Jan Hlavac from the Lightning in exchange for a 7th round pick. Hlavac is a dud. Nice move, Nashville.

The Caps traded Joe Motzko to the Thrashers in exchange for Alexandre Giroux.

12:32 PM
The Kings trade JS Aubin to the Ducks for a 7th round pick.

12:19 PM-The Leafs have traded Chad Kilger to the Panthers in exchange for a 4th round pick. Don't like that. Kilger is a good 4th liner.
The Coyotes trade Freddy Sjostrom, David Leneveu, and Josh Gratton to the Rangers in exchange for Al Montoya and Marcel Hossa.
I don't see why the Ducks need anymore d-men, but they just acquired Marc-Andre Bergeron in exchange for a 3rd round pick.

12:15 PM
The Kings trade defenceman Brad Stuart to the Red Wings in exchange for a 2nd and 4th round pick. That's a fair bit to cough up for Stuart, who offence has dwindled in recent years.

12:11
The Wild have acquired Chris Simon from the Isles in exchange for a 6th round pick. TSN is joking that the Wild are looking like a football team: Boogaard, Fedoruk, Simon. No comment on this deal. I guess the Wild want to be bigger yet.

11:57
Waddell makes a massive deal minutes prior to the deadline, dealing Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis to the Penguins for Angelo Esposito, Erik Christensen and Colby Armstrong and a 1st round pick.
I know that Pittsburgh is going for it this season, but I really don't like this deal. I think Pittsburgh gave up too much for a jackass that may not even sign with them in the summer. How are they going to afford Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, and Gonchar, and now Hossa down the road? Not gonna happen. Is Hossa going to perform in the playoffs? We'll see in time. But I like Atlanta's choice in players plus the first round pick, as it adds depth. *NOTE* The addition of Pascal Dupuis to the deal to Pittsburgh almost makes this deal tolerable.


11:55 AMJust when I bag on Fletcher, he flogs Hal Gill to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2nd pick in 2008 and a 5th round pick in 2009. Nice move by Fletch. Finally, some picks coming Toronto's way.
The Rangers, who I'm sure wanted to get a bigger name, ended up getting Christian Backman from the Blues in exchange for a 4th round pick.

11:48 AM
Been a quiet hour. With 12 minutes left, the pressure is on Atlanta's Don Waddell to move Hossa or re-sign him. What about the Leafs, who are obvious sellers? It looks like Fletcher has his hands tied big time.
TSN panel is still talking about Nonis needing to acquire some scoring. I'm not sure they are aware of this, but I think Matt Pettinger is going to be our only acquisition. Like I said before: Nonis would get the equivalent of a Bryan Smolinski.....well, as far as offensive output goes. That is Pettinger.

10:57 AM
The Islanders have acquired Rob Davison from the Sharks in exchange for a 7th round pick

10:37
Aha! No more Cookie in Vancouver! It seems that Vancouver has traded Matt Cooke to the Capitals in exchange for Matt Pettinger.
Given Cooke's offensive futility this year and his inflated contract expiring in the summer, Nonis had to move him. Pettinger could be an upgrade here, if he stays healthy. Pettinger has a lot of hussle. Is this the only move that Nonis makes today? The thrift shopping by Nonis was expected. Pettinger makes $1 million per season through to the end of next year. Matt Cooke was making just over $1.5 million.
Pettinger can potentially score 20 or more goals. Cooke was supposed to score 20 or more goals.

"My greatest attribute is may skating," Pettinger told TSN on Tuesday. "I play a physical game. I don't know where I fit in there, hopefully on the top nine."

Of course you'll be in the top 9!! Welcome to Western BC, where you aren't buried behind an Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom, etc.

10:13
The Caps have added another Ruskie to their team, acquiring Sergei Fedorov from the Blue Jackets. How much does Sergei have in the tank? Playing with Ovechkin and Semin should increase his productivity. Wow, McPhee digs in his pockets a little. Well, Michael Nylander proved to be an injury-prone jackass anyway. The Jackets get defenceman Ted Ruth back in exchange. Ruth was drafted 46th overall by the Caps last year.

10:03
The Avalanche continue their retro tour by acquiring Adam Foote from the Jackets. Now I really hope the Avs miss the playoffs!!! Talk about an overhaul. The Jackets get a conditional 1st round pick and another conditional pick if Foote re-signs with the Avs in the summer.

9:57 AM
Remember when Martin Lapointe was a hot commodity and got a $6 million contract when he left Detroit (or was it more??) Well, today he was traded by the Hawks to Ottawa for a 6th round pick in 2008. Nice addition of a checking winger by the Sens. But Lapointe will have to accept a discount next season or he will go the Anson Carter route methinks. Overpaid, but a decent leader.

9:35 AM
The deals keep coming:
Florida trades Ruslan Salei to the Avalanche in exchange for Karlis Skrastins and a 3rd round pick. Huh...now is Rob Blake going to Colorado?
The Hurricanes have acquired Tuomo Ruutu from the Black Hawks in exchange for Andrew Ladd. That is a swap of former first round picks that have not materialized into what was expected. Can Ruutu find his touch in Carolina like Samsonov has?

8:50 AM
Word is that the Canadiens have traded Cristobal Huet to the Capitals in exchange for a 2nd round pick. This says so much about the great play of Carey Price. Was/is Olaf Kolzig's contract renewed or does he become a UFA this summer?

8:43 AM
It appears that the Stars and Lightning have agreed to a deal that sends Brad Richards to the Stars. The deal is: Brad Richards and goalie Johan Holmqvist to Dallas for goalie Mike Smith, Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern. Wow. Will Smith provide the goaltending that San Jose has lacked? I like this deal for both sides.
So the damned Stars have a Conn Smyth trophy winner added to their roster.


8:26 AM
Word is, Brian Campbell has been traded to the Sharks! Aha! Called that one! (Who didn't?) That is a solid addition by San Jose. They've been waiting to get that kind of a calibre of d-man. Campbell offers more than Rivet and Ozolinsh provide. This deal puts San Jose into the 'real deal' category. The deal was Brian Campbell in exchange for Steve Bernier and a 1st round pick. Let's see if Bernier can elevate his game in Buffalo. He has shown a lot of promise in the past.

8:00 AM Tuesday
Good morning! OK, what have I missed? Ah, a sweet load of piss. Leafs trade fan favorite Wade Belak to the Panthers in exchange for a 5th pick in 2008.
The Blues acquire Cam Janssens from the Devils in exchange for d-man Bryce Salvador. Janssens is a mean machine.
2 goon trades? That's all I missed? Not suprised.

10:57 PM Monday
You east coasters are lucky. You'll get a head start on the action. Tomorrow morning could see a flurry of deals, big or small.
It is now rumoured everywhere that the Dallas Stars are frontrunners in the Brad Richards race. We'll see in the morning. Good night.

7:50 PM MONDAY
According to ESPN, Rob Blake has agreed to waive his no trade clause. Apparently Colorado is his destination. Jeeziz, another Avalanche reunion? Bring Ray Bourque and Pat Roy out of retirement! I'd have to think that San Jose is really trying to land Blake though. Blake or Campbell, which one? Or both??
The Blues have re-signed Barret Jackman to a 4-year $14.4 million deal. Hey, isn't that the guy Bertuzzi took out in the playoffs once? Why yes it is! Wow.

7:29 PM Monday
The Flyers have acquired Vaclav Prospal from the Lightning in exchange for defenceman Alexandre Picard and a 2nd or 3rd round pick in 2009. Picard is a big defenceman who can put up points.
Prospal and his 29 goals this season so far eases the loss of Simon Gagne for the Flyers and may spark the team out of its slump, even the the Flyers came back and won in a shootout tonight. Hey, at least Prospal isn't as injury prone as glass boy Gagne. Go figure: Prospal was drafted by the Flyers in 1993.
And speaking of Tampa defence, the Lightning just signed Dan Boyle to a 6-year $40 million deal. According to TSN, the deal will pay Boyle $6.66 million per year for six years. Boyle is worth every penny. No suprise on this signing. There was no way in hell the Lightning would let Boyle go.

5:44 PM Monday
Here is what Dave Nonis said today about what he's planning on doing at the deadline. He almost contradicts himself as to whether or not he'll make a move. But he does add that having Brendan Morrison back in the lineup in 1-2 weeks is like adding another player. True that. I suspect Nonis is going to flog a goon-type on the current roster, like Cowan. But I wouldn't expect much more than a deal for a 3rd liner.

5:35 PM Monday
Our favorite rumor monger Eklund has the Flyers seeking Dan Boyle and Vinnie Prospal out of Tampa (e4). To me that seems unlikely. I think the Bolts will sign Dan Boyle and that is their intention. The world's biggest phoney also states the Flyers are seeking the Prince of Darkness, Miro Satan.
Hal Gill was a late scratch for the Leafs game tonight, leading to massive speculation that some idiot team is going to sign this oaf.


5:30 PM Monday
Alright, starting now, I will list and analyze any trades that happen between now and lunch time Pacific tomorrow. Should be a piece of cake, right? A bunch of minor moves and only a couple big ones.
It seems that there is no doubt that Marian Hossa will be moved tomorrow. But that may depend on his asking price. He seems to want to play in Montreal.

"I'm prepared for both options - either I'll go or I'll stay," Hossa told a crowd of media people Monday after skating with the Thrashers in their practice. "It's interesting that we're playing in Montreal, but we'll see what happens.
It's a hockey city. I've played in Canada and I know how the people are crazy about hockey, so it's an interesting place to play. But right now that's all I can say."

Does Montreal even need this guy? They are cruising along just fine.




T Tags: NHL+Trade+Deadline live+coverage
Prospal+to+Flyers Campbell+traded+to+Sharks Brad Richards+traded+toStars Matt+Cooke+traded+to+Capitals Fedorov+traded+to+Capitals

Zednik issues a statement / Neck Protectors?

Zednik issued this statement from the hospital in Buffalo today:

“I want to thank everyone for their tremendous support this week. All of the fans, my teammates, the Panthers and Sabres organizations and the people of Buffalo have been great. I especially want to thank the nursing and medical staff at Buffalo General Hospital – they have been by my side every step of the way. Jessica and I thank everyone for respecting our privacy and we both look forward to returning to Florida soon.”

Thank the good lord for the medical staff at the Sabres' rink.

Are neck protectors necessary? (Yes I am late commenting on this). To me, the answer is no. It has to come down to a personal choice of the players, much like visors. These guys sign up for the job knowing full-well of the dangers involved. They are adults who make adult decisions. As gory as the Zednik incident was, I'm not buying into the media sensationalism of it and knee-jerking an opinion on a new rule in safety.
Someday, these guys may be dressed up in full medieval gear to protect every inch of their body, but hopefully that will be the choice of the player, not a rule handed down from the powers that be. Let it go, people. Yeah, Aaron Ward got a stick in the neck from Gonchar and the knee-jerking continues. Edler got a puck in the neck last night and out jerks the knee. Fuck it. It's a part of the risk of the sport that is hockey.
Having said that, some people may want more protection for their necks regardless. So what can be done to accomodate that? High collars coming off the shoulder gear?
Just remember, extra protection can be a double-edged sword. The higher the protection, the more people take new liberties and be more careless with their sticks.

T Tags: Zednik Statement neck protection opinion

John Ferguson Jr added to the TSN Trade Center Panel / Trade Rumors-Predictions

JFJ's insight will be interesting no doubt at the deadline. It's better than having a schmuck like Eklund on there.
I am still loving the move by Ottawa to acquire Stillman and Commodore yesterday. Like Bryan Murray said, it's the Sens making a statement that they want to WIN NOW. No shit. If Ottawa's goaltending situation holds up (which now is the question mark), then they just became favorites overnight, if they weren't already.

---

The 4 player swap between the Canes and Sens is said to possibly spark a bunch of more trades to come before the deadline. That may not be the case. Last year, the biggest names moved weeks prior to the deadline were:
-Forsberg to the Preds (Feb. 15th)
-Tkachuk to the Thrashers (Feb. 25th)
-Gary Roberts to Pittsburgh (Feb. 26th)
The deadline was on the 27th. The rest of the moves were minor prior to the deadline (or nothing to write home about.) Check out the above link to see what I mean.
The biggest names moving on Deadline Day were:
-Bill Guerin to San Jose
-Martin Biron to Philly
-Ryan Smyth to the Islanders
There was no shortage of deals, but the amount of big names moved wasn't all that spectacular.

---

So what am I saying? I'm not counting on a barrage of big moves. But I will tell you the gossip floating around and my opinion of each potential deal.
-Forsberg to Philly or Colorado. Given Colorado's cap room and their success even minus Sakic and Smyth, I'd say Forsberg ends up in Colorado for a last hurrah. Screw the unfinished business in Philly bullshit.
-Brian Burke was wooing Rob Blake. Yeah right. He already has plenty of defensive depth. Makes no sense. I could see San Jose making a serious pitch for Blake though, as they have lost out in the Wade Redden scenario. Maybe even Brian Campbell could be an option for the Sharks, as he will no longer have talks about an extension with the Sabres until the summer. San Jose needs a go-to blue-liner and will stop at nothing to get it.
Blake could be an option to sign in Colorado if the still-not re-signed Liles and Avs can't reach a deal.
-Sundin to almost anywhere. OK, count Vancouver out. That is not going to happen. The Leafs have about 7 games left before the deadline. In my opinion, if they aren't even close to a playoff spot by then, Sundin may opt to be traded. But if they are close, he's not going anywhere.
-Detroit's long-term loss of Dan Cleary (6-8 weeks) with a broken jaw should cause them to be somewhat active at the deadline to replace him. How about Michael Ryder?
Alex Tanguay? If the Habs rid themselves of the unhappy Ryder, they could be in the Tanguay sweeps as well.
Who knows.
Nowadays, any team in the top 8-10th spot in each Conference has a chance to make the Finals. It's just that when teams like Ottawa pull off deals like yesterday, it puts pressure on GM's to improve their squad as well to keep up. I just wouldn't count on the middle-of-the-pack teams to squander away all their futures on a big name player to win the Cup. That's what the upper echelon teams do...right?
Remember, if you want expert advice on trade rumors and their validity, check Spector's site.

T Tags: John+Ferguson+Jr+TSN+Trade+Center NHL+Trades rumors

Peter Forsberg won't sign with Modo; wants to play in the NHL

Peter Forsberg's intention is to play in the NHL this season, as he has turned down signing with Modo. Forsberg has told his agent Don Baizley that he may negotiate with NHL teams.
Forsberg has said that he is feeling 100%, so the injury factor may not come into play with him this year. So at this point, any team with a talented Swede who is friends with Forsberg is the front-runner in the Forsberg sweepstakes. That includes Vancouver...where he could pass the puck to a bunch of guys can't hit the net....ha.
We'll see. But the rumors will now run rampant over the next few weeks.
My guess, is that he signs in Detroit. Detroit would be more appealing because of their high-scoring offence and potential for success. And no...I really don't think the Leafs are going to be in the running. Not when they are in 14th spot in the East. Forsberg is going to want to enter a winning environment.
The Canucks have a chance I think, but then again, we have had a hard time luring excellent free agents over the past several years. Must be all the rain in Vancouver.
I kid...maybe. But our chances are higher than Toronto's I'm sure.
Forsberg would be an excellent addition just in the fact that he'd kickstart Naslund's offence. What a great 1-2 punch we'd have.

---

So what about the Canucks' game against the Lightning today? Is the losing going to stop? Vigneault told the Province yesterday:

"I was thinking about this going home. It's sort of like I'm the parent and I have a son or daughter having trouble in school," Vigneault said. "You work with them to improve and you keep working with them. You get them a tutor. Then they go to write their exam and they are still an average student. Nothing changes. They get frustrated. This is where my frustration lies -- the kid is putting in a lot of effort but he's still average."

-The Nucks have lost 4 of their last 5.
-The Lightning have won 3 of their last 5.
-The last time we played Tampa was in March of 2006 where we won 5-1.
Tampa is almost as inconsistent as we are lately. But their biggest issue is definitely goaltending. Ours is a depleted blueline. We will get Luongo back between the pipes tonight, and that should help. Tampa's lack of decent goaltending could open up some scoring chances for a team that has scored 13 goals in it's last 5 games.
Will the Lightning snipers be contained tonight? Can the Canucks get back to playing consistent defence? How about Bourdon or Edler chip in offensively tonight? How will Jason Jaffray respond after being recalled from Manitoba? His last Canuck outing was short-lived.
I think we can beat these bums. I say we take it 5-4 in an entertaining affair.

Game Time: 4:30 PST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific

T Tags: Peter+Forsberg+to+sign+in+NHL Canucks

NHL commercial "Is This the Year?" Parody

I got a kick out of this. Check it out.



T Tags: NHL+commercial+parody video Is+this+the+year?

Western Conference Standings / Jaffray, Bourdon and Wilson called up

Like I said before, the tight race is both a blessing and a curse. It's fun to watch, but sweet mother of pearl it sucks to see your team go from Northwest Division lead to almost out of a playoff spot within a few weeks.
It's not panic time for the Canucks yet. But another 3 consecutive losses and we'll be looking at possibly 11th spot in the West. That's when the big red lights start flashing. That's when the most pessimistic Nucklehead screams "DOOOOOM!".
But I'm not worried. This team has to back to its roots and play tighter for a full 60 minutes. Last night Naslund could only chalk the loss up to a lack of focus and preparation." He's right.
Alain Vigneault is going to try shake things up again, as today he has called up Jason Jaffray, Luc Bourdon and Mike Wilson. Bourdon was recalled because apparently Sami "Glass" Salo tweaked his groin last night against Dallas. For fuck's sakes!! Injury bug is spreading.
Anyhow, check out the current standings and weep if you are a Canucks fan.





















This was the standings as of November 22, 2007. Tight race back then too.

















And just for comparison's sakes, below is last year's standings with only a few games left. Note the difference between the 8th and 9th place teams. What a difference from this year.






T Tags: Western+Conference+Standings+January+2008 Salo+groin+injury Canucks+recall+Jaffray+Bourdon+Wilson

I've never seen the standings this close

Not in my memory bank, anyway. Going into the All Star break there are teams all over the East and West standings that can:
- go on a 3-game losing skid and be out of a playoff spot
- be stuck in 14th spot (or 15th, like the Lightning), go on a 6-8 game winning streak and make the playoffs over the next 30 games
- can finish second in their division and miss the playoffs
- more specifically, a team can lose 1 game while a division rival wins a game and the 2 teams swap 3rd spot in the Conference with 10th, as is the case with Carolina and Washington right now.

It's fucking nuts is what it is, and I am loving every minute of it. It's good to see so many markets being competitive and the old monopoly's of Detroit, Colorado, Rangers and Toronto GONE. Everyone gets a chance now. Everyone can build a contending team in a short, perhaps 3-year span, and contending teams can fall apart over a summer, right Buffalo? But at least Buffalo is still in contention to make the playoffs still. They are not out of it. No one is, except the Kings it seems.
So much can and will happen over the next 30-plus games. It also makes me wonder how much player movement we'll see by the trade deadline, not only because of playoff contention, but also failure to sign an impending free agent.
God, I love hockey. This season is a treat to watch.

As far as my standings predictions from before the season started....... I am going to mock myself by posting them in corelation to the actual standings at this point.

1. Rangers (I say their FA spending madness pays off)
2. Pittsburgh (getting better and better every year)
3. Carolina (A return to form for the former champs)
4. Ottawa
5. Tampa Bay
6. Toronto
7. Devils
8. Bruins
_____________________
9. Atlanta
10. Buffalo
11. Flyers
12. Montreal
13. Florida (oh no..not picking these guys to make the playoffs again)
14. Islanders (may struggle with identity after so much player movement)
15. Washington (sorry, Ted)

Western Conference

1. Vancouver (not being biased either. Just need one more top 6 forward)
2. Detroit (a weak division)
3. Anaheim (Cup hangover? A returning Niedermayer and Selanne?)
4. San Jose
5. Minnesota
6. Calgary
7. Colorado (late season push in 06-07 plus addidtions of Hannan and Smyth help)
8. St. Louis (I really like the direction John Davidson is taking this team)
_______________________________
9. Dallas (ballsy call, huh?)
10. Los Angeles
11. Nashville (too gutted)
12. Columbus
13. Chicago
14. Edmonton (the decline continues)
15. Phoenix (Gretzky loses his job)

Geeziz. Putting Detroit ahead of the Canucks would have been the logical thing to do because of their division. Acquiring a goalie saved Gretzky's ass. Aside from that... well, there's still plenty of time left!

Check out the McKeen's and Hockey News predictions here.

T Tags: NHL +standings January 2008 Eastern+Western+Conference Predictions