The War Room

Universal Trouble

2008-01-28T18:57:00.000-08:00

Hockey in Canada has more Maple Leaf content then some would like, but I have to admit as a hockey fan there is always something to talk about when the topic is the Buds. As much as I just want to talk about the Leafs season on the ice, I'd be remised to not mention what's gone on this week off the ice with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. I'll keep it short and sweet. We all know that John Ferguson Jr. was fired. We know that Cliff Fletcher has been brought back and was named the interim GM. We are also not surprised. In fact I think most Leafs fans all said a collective thank God on January 22. My question is simple. Why interim? We are talking about the most profitable franchise in NHL hockey here. The most recognizable brand hockey has to offer and yet they can't find anyone of importance to be the GM full time? You would think the well known hockey types would be lined up for this job. Something smells here, and I can't help but think that the Puppet Master that is the Maple Leaf Board of Governors has it's fingers in the hockey side of things way to deep and it's scaring people off.

I wish I could change gears and have happy time now, but that's just not the case. When a GM gets fired it's normally not because everything is fine and dandy with the on-ice product. It's All-Star Weekend and the Leafs sit 6 points out of a playoff spot and some of the teams the Leafs will have to track down have two games in hand. When this season started the Leafs big moves in the off season where Jason Blake and Vesa Toskala. I remember getting into a conversation with a group of Leaf faithful, their names shall remain unknown, about just how much better Toskala would really be over Raycroft. I was of the opinion that the goalie wasn't the problem as much as the Leafs defense was and that Toskala wouldn't fair much better in net then Raycroft did. Through the first 10-15 games I looked like some sort of god, but alas I have to admit that either Toskala is a better goalie then Raycroft or the Leafs defense is better then I thought. To save some face, I'm going with Toskala being the better goalie. He has worked out for the team and will provide confidence from the Leafs own end out as this franchise tries to move forward from here. Jason Blake on the other hand ....... not so good. This guy scored 40 goals last season with the Islanders, he was the proverbial "Big Fish" that the Leafs managed to sign and he is on pace for a grand total of 14 goals this season. The only positive I can think of for now in regards to Blake? The next 4 years of his contract can't be this bad, look for him to rebound in 08-09.

So the only think left to touch on is the future. But what is the Leafs future? Sure Antropov had a great start this season, but has returned to earth and frankly isn't that young anymore. Do we call Ponikarovsky, Stajan, or Wellwood the next franchise player? I don't think so. Can you look at the Leafs farm team and see some great potential coming down the pipe? Not so much. The Leafs made the change at GM, now it's time for them to change their approach to their team make up. Take everything that's older and of value and unload it for prospects and picks. That starts with Mats Sundin. That guy would collect you a boatload of future if they played their cards right. No one wants to rebuild, but it's pretty clear to me anyway, that this is the only path left for the Leafs to go down.

Then again, this is just a damned opinion.

~ damned

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Black And White

2008-01-23T19:24:00.000-08:00

Is there anything more black and white then the Pittsburg Penguins this hockey season? Other then a penguin of course. I for one had very high hopes for the Pens coming into the 07-08 season. As we all know they have an incredible amount of young talent, I thought they did a good job adding some veteran wisdom, and their goalie(Fleury) was coming of a career season in 06-07 in which he won 40 games. How could they lose?

From September through November lose they did. Not only on the ice but off the ice as well. Fleury, just as he seemed to be putting a tuff start behind him, went down to injury. Part of the wisdom I mentioned in Mark Recchi didn't live up to expectations and was put on the wavier wire and picked up by the Thrashers. Jordan Staal hit the sophomore slump head first. The proverbial cloud was hanging over the Penguins as they headed into December.

They started that month with a 4-2 lose to the Leafs of all teams. But managed to win 4 in a row on a rare Western road trip. They hit the skids through the middle of December once again and then it happened. The force that has completely cleared the skies above the Penguins team.

Ty Freaking Conklin.

That's not a type o, trust me I'm an Oiler fan. I'm as shocked as you are. None the less, Ty Conklin as it stands right now is 10-0-1. He has 2 shootouts. His GAA is 1.72 and he has a SV% of .949. Now, hockey is a team game, and I give full credit to the other 22 players in being a part of the turn around that this team has gone trough, but Ty Conklin has provided the confidence for the them to go out and win.

So for now the Pens are back above the playoff line and are playing like they could turn heads come playoff time. The questions is can a Conklin continue to play at this level and even if he does what do they do when Fleury gets healthy?

Then again, this is just a damned opinion.

~ damned

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Oh Starry Night

2008-01-22T18:02:00.000-08:00

The New York Rangers are once again the hardest team to figure out in this world of NHL hockey. You look up and down this roster and it's like looking through a telescope on a clear summer night. All you can see are stars and more stars. And yet they struggle to stay in the playoff picture.

Currently on the outside looking in for a post season spot, the Rangers record shows they are only slightly better playing at home, where they have enjoyed 98 consecutive regular season sold out games, as they are on the road. This team hasn't had a lot to smile about after the games at center ice, having to face their paying fans with the old Czech Salute. With the loaded talents such as Scott Gomez, Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan, Chris Drury, Martin Straka, and Henrik Lundqvist, on the team, they should be fighting for the Presidents Cup.

The numbers are almost as confusing as to where they are in the standings. The Rangers shoot 31.2 shots per game (4th), but only score 2.36 goals per game (29th). They allow only 26 (3rd) shots a game but also let 2.54 (8th) goals in the net per game. Their special teams play isn't special, but it's pretty good. With a 17.4% (15th) power play and a 83.3% penalty kill (12th), they hang in the middle of the pack. Where they are having the most trouble is playing five-on-five, where they rank 26th with a goals for/goals against ratio of 0.87.

This leads to a look at the goaltending, where there really is only one man between the pipes. Lundqvist has played 38 games and Stephen Valiquette has played in only eight. Henrik the Great's numbers are not so great, but mediocre. He has a goals against average of 2.41 and a save percentage of .906, putting him in middle-of-the-road territory. Lundqvist is not carrying the team like he can.

And certainly, it is not all his fault. When you have gifted scorers who shoot as much as they do, and still can't find the back of the net, something is wrong. A short stretch late in the first period against the Flyers recently, is a brief synopsis of their season:

Brandon Dubinsky was penalized for holding at 18:20; Blair Betts was whistled for delay of the game when he shot the puck over the glass during the penalty kill at 19:36; and then Drury was called for a holding-the-stick penalty during the 3-on-5 disadvantage at 19:45.

"We just sort of came unraveled there, and it probably didn't help with my play in the first to put us down even more," said Drury. "It was really not a good night."

Unraveled indeed. And the New Year isn't proving to be any better as the Blue Shirts are off to a 0-4-1 start. But, looking at that roster, you know this state of mediocrity cannot last forever. Veterans such as Jagr, Shanahan and Straka will find a way to right this ship. New stars to the team like Gomez and Drury, may need the time to get used to their new mates, and build some chemistry. And Lundqvist is not an average goalie.

No, the clouds will part and the stars will soon shine again in the New York City area, and they may be bright enough to lead the Rangers into the playoffs and beyond.

Break out the telescopes, look to the stars, as they lead the New York Rangers in the War Room Roll Call!!

~ ogre1kanobe

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This Dog Has Bite

2008-01-13T12:47:00.001-08:00

If you had told me in September that the Phoenix Coyotes after 41 games played would be 4 games over .500, 2 points out of a playoff spot and on a 5 game winning streak, I would have laughed in your face and asked for the same drink you had. But that in fact is exactly the story as I plink away on my keyboard this evening. The question is what is driving this. Is it the goalie, Bryzgalov, who is 15-11-2 since being claimed of the wavier wire from the Ducks? Is it that the celebrity coach in Wayne Gretzky can really coach after all? Or maybe the fact that as it turns out the Coyotes kids will contribute now?

The answer is D, all of the above.

At the beginning of this year I was of the opinion that the Coyotes future was very bright. It still is and by the looks of things the Coyote faithful may not have to wait as long to see this team come to fruition. The team has two great veteran leaders in Shane Doan, who is already the team Captain, and Ed Jovanovski who isn't a bad guy to be showing the way for any young blue liner. A 26 year old, Radim Vrbata, is leading the team in goals and Peter Mueller at age 19 is putting together a season to be proud of. Don't forget Kyle Turris, the Coyotes first round pick of 07, still hasn't made his NHL debut. There is also the issue of cap room, which the Coyotes have a ton of. With a few smart UFA signings the youth movement could be veteran supported in a hurry.

That brings us to the coach. I was one of the guys that thought the man(Gretzky) should move on after the train wreck of last season, but part of me has always wanted to see him do well. Lets face it, the Jury is still out, but I think as the next 2-3 seasons roll on you will see Gretzky's team win more then they lose.

Then again, this is just a damned opinion.

~ damned

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Panthers Insider

2008-01-06T19:23:00.000-08:00

The Florida Panthers have been an average team this year at best. Take one look at their record, and vanilla screams at you. They are 19-19-3 overall, 9-9-2 at home, have a 10-10-1 away record, and are 5-4-1 in their last ten games. They are a very streaky team, with having won or lost three games in a row seven times this season. So what makes this team a..500 team?

The Panthers have a good power play, ranking 8th in the league at 19.4%, and a penalty kill rating of 81.6%, good for 17th. They also give up only 2.71 goals per game, which is 14th in the league. But, the power play sometimes seems to be the only time they score. Florida ranks 21st in scoring five-on-five goals, are 25th in goals scored at 2.46 goals per game, and don’t win many face-offs, wining 48%, 27th in the league.

“That’s been our issue all year,” said Olli Jokinen after the Panthers were shutout 1-0 Sunday by the Flyers. “We just have to find a way to put it in and score.”

When you consider how cold Nathan Horton, Richard Zednik and Jozef Stumpel have been, it’s incredible the Panthers have managed to hover around .500. Stumpel, who scored 23 goals last season, has two goals the past 21 games. Horton, who had 31 goals last season, has three goals the past 18 games and Zednik, who the Panthers were counting on to score around 25, has two in his last 19 games.

That’s the good news/bad news scenario for the Panthers. At the midway point they are in second place behind Carolina in the Southeast Division, only five points out. Four out of five of the bottom rungs on the Easter Conference ladder are the teams not leading this division. In a division where it seems only the winner is going to make the playoffs should this team begin to score more goals, they can put together a run for the lead and get themselves into the hunt, and anything can happen after that.

Another area of concern is the goalie Tomas Vokoun is facing on average more than 32 shots a game, second to last in the league. His .919 save percentage and 2.62 goals against average are pretty good, but seeing hard rubber disks flying at him at that rate, will give anyone nightmares. Imagine lowering the shots per game to about a 25 or less per game, and score a few more goals, and you’re looking at a team worthy of a chance to win Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Half way home and all is not lost for the Florida Panthers. In a weak division like the Southeast, if they can limit the losing streaks, score some goals, and play a tougher defense, you may very well be playing hockey in May in the Sunshine State.

So get the sun tan lotion, umbrella, sunglasses, and a bowl of vanilla ice cream; and root for your team in the Florida Panthers Roll Call!!!

~ ogre1kanobe

A Throne On The Horizon

2008-01-03T16:12:00.000-08:00

After last season, with the debut of rookie star Anze Kopitar, and continued success of players like Michael Cammalleri and Rob Blake, the Los Angeles Kings thought the 2007-2008 season would bring a better fate to this team. But forty-one games in and the Kings find themselves in the familiar and unwanted position of being in last place in the Pacific division and last overall in the NHL.

The facts are they play in a very tough division and with the inter-division heavy schedule they play for the last time this year; it is not very easy to make headway. With the Stanley Cup champion Ducks, Stars, Sharks, and the recent resurgence of the Coyotes, making their way into the playoffs will be hard work indeed for these young Kings.

And therein lies the other obstacle: youth. The Kings have had two rookie goalies, Jason LaBarbera and Jonathan Quick, spend time between the pipes. Quick, who was an emergency recall on Dec. 2, after LaBarbera’s rib injury vs. Colorado, appeared in three games, posting a 1-2-0 mark. LaBarbera has a 2.59 GAA, ranking him 21st and a save % of 0.917, good for 14th overall in the league. This could account for why the Kings are 28th in the NHL in goals allowed with 111 and are 27th with a penalty kill of 78.10%.

That reason may be cause for some concern this year, it is the same reason for optimism for the future. Starting with Kopitar, this team has youth and talent. After being in third among rookies last year in assists (41), points (61), power play points (29), average time-on-ice (20:32) and average power play time-on-ice (4:37), Kopitar leads the team this year with 38 points, followed closely by Dustin Brown with 34. Brown had a career-high nine-game point streak, and has many multiple point games. Cammalleri continues to show he’s an all-star left-winger and has moved into 6th place all-time scoring for Kings wingers passing Mike Donnelly.

These players have helped the Kings in a couple of offensive statistics also. They rank 9th on the power play with a conversion rate of 19.88% and the have scored 91 goals this year, ranking them 14th. The defensemen have scored more goals in the last few games as compared to scoring only six in the first 27 games this year. Tom Preissing has led the defensive, offensive resurgence, scoring three goals in the six games, with Blake, Jaroslav Modry and Brad Stuart each pitching in a goal as well over that span. "The statistical anomaly was that there was just six in the first 27, not the six in six," the first-year Kings rearguard Preissing said. "A big part of it is we have a defensive corps. that has that ability."

And of course injuries have played a factor in the Kings problems. Alexander Frolov recently returned to the lineup after missing 11 games with a groin injury and Ladislav Nagy has just started to skate with team as he rehabs from his hip flexor injury. "It's feeling better but it's tough to say when I will come back because, when I push a little hard, it still bothers me," Nagy told reporter. "I have to be patient and not push it hard. I’m going to skate and push it more and more every day.''

And that’s what is going to keep thin franchise moving in the right direction. Pushing it more and more every day, the skilled youth, getting experience, and the hardened veterans leading the way. It won’t be long before the Los Angeles Kings are near the top of the hockey world, sitting on their throne and playing in the playoffs again.

Wear your purple robes with honor and demand respect with a strong three cheers for your Kings in the War Room Roll Call!!

~ ogre1kanobe

Fishing On The Island

2007-12-27T19:12:00.000-08:00

Well it is indeed time.....for the Islanders to get their comeuppance. They have had a hard time this year no doubt about it. However, with Ted Nolan in command, this team does not quit ever. At 18-15-2, they are treading water in the tough Eastern Conference race. Goal scoring has always kind of been an issue but it has been even more this year so far. The Isles are pressing at times and sometimes even when the goals come...the defense forgets the memo.

Well the MVP of this team IS Rick Dipietro. No doubt they rise and fall on his shoulders. He has 16 wins...a 2.47 GAA and a .910 save percentage. His puck handling skills bail out what many consider to be an average to below average defense. With all those years to go on that 15 year contract, he needs to stay healthy as their backup Wade Dublewicz is well just a 5-10 start guy right now it appears. For the most part, DiPietro has kept his team in the games most nights. Also, he has a winning record against the Devils and Rangers...pretty important things considering all the divisional play so far.

The Isles have cooled off some since their quick 9-4 start....so has their offense led by Mike Comrie. Comrie had 12 points in 7 games...but only has 16 since. Yet he still owns the lead with 11 goals. Bill Guerin had a hat trick but then went on a 13 game pointless streak before connecting a few times recently. Ruslan Fedotenko leads the team with 4 PPG's along with Miro Satan, but his play really hasn't been that great according to Nolan. In fact, Nolan has felt his entire team has underachieved. Though I tend to disagree...I do think the Isles play their hearts out but they have been heavily hamstrung by their owner and his business-like approach.

The inability to sign a quality premier forward has hurt this team and although Comrie and Vasicek have been nice additions....it clearly hasn't been enough. The defense is not doing the greatest right now. It also hurts when your leading scorer is a -10. Chris Campoli has 16 points which is decent, but guys like Bergeron
and Berard should be producing as well. Both aren't. So that makes their defensive shortcomings that much more magnified? Bruno Gervais has probably been the most solid Isles D-man and he is only a +3 but has 9 assists. This team has to get more production from their defense. If they don't...it is going to be a very long season for Rick DiPietro.

DiPietro really has no margin for error at all. It almost seems if they don't get spectacular goaltending from DiPietro....they lose. Yet, they aren't too far off from the 8th spot...and hell they are only 7 points out of first in the division. So they are indeed still in it.....all it takes is a little scoring punch and another streak. Maybe GM Garth Snow can swing a move. One way or the other it hasn't been all bad for the Isles but they will need something more to contend in the tough Atlantic division and furthermore...the Eastern Conference.

So if you are a diehard Isles fan...let it be known what you think right here at our very own Islander Roll Call.

~ stevens8204

Stop It And They Will Win

2007-12-09T17:07:00.000-08:00

I wish I could sit here and tell you that the fact the Vancouver went 8-2-2 in November was because the team was a well balanced, efficient, playoff ready hockey team. But I can't. The Canucks went 5-7-0 in October for the exact same reason they are now winning.

Roberto Luongo.

When Luongo stops pucks the Canucks win, when he is average they lose. It doesn't get anymore complicated then that. Don't believe me? Well name me one other goalie, that in his last 12 games, has a GAA of 1.56 and a SV% of 0.940? There is none. There is only one goalie in the NHL today that can put up those numbers and he plays for the Canucks. Not to mention the 210 minutes and 24 seconds of shutout hockey Luongo played this month as well. As one writer this week already said, "With the way Roberto Luongo has been playing of late, it's little wonder that scoring is down again in the NHL."

Of course there has to be a token amount of offense from somewhere to still win a hockey game, and the Sedin twins and Markus Naslund are providing that on a consistent basis for the team. Frankly they are one of the most fun lines to watch in the NHL on most nights. The concern for the Canucks, in my mind, is the future. Like most Canadian teams, they haven't attracted big name Free Agents and I can't remember the last time I read about the team drafting a stud offensive player. The future of Naslund and Morrison with the hockey team is clouded at best and I don't think Peter Forsberg is the answer. Can the Canucks offense move backwards from here? If it does, I guess the real question is can Luongo be better?

Then again, this is just a damned opinion.

damned

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Walking Through A Hurricane

2007-12-02T19:45:00.000-08:00

How appropriate! The winds are howling up here well past tropical storm force. It kind of feels like a hurricane out there at times. So what better time to do a report on the Hurricanes...than NOW! The Canes are standing at 14-9-3....they did beat the Washington Capitals 4-3 last night behind 31 saves from Cam Ward. What can be said is the Canes are much improved from last year...though they have been .500 since their hot start. So what has gone right and what has gone wrong? Well away we go!!

The offensive MVP'S have to be Rod Brindamour and Cory Stillman. Both have 13 goals and 18 assists for a total of 31 points. Both have multiple game winning goals and Stillman's four leads the team. To think Stillman was kind of tossed out like yesterday's trash by the Lightning. He has probably been the Canes' best player so far. Even Eric Staal has contributed with 14 goals...and though he is not quite at a point per game, he is close enough leading many to think that last year's Sophomore slump is over. I think his stats will heat up as the season does. Hell Ray Whitney has 26 points in 26 games....it is like the ageless wonders of this team are keeping it upright offensively....quite amazing.

Defensively....this group is fairly steady. However, they do not produce much in the way of points. Bret Hedican leads the corps with just 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists). The unit itself hasn't even produced 1 single power play goal. The physicality really isn't where it needs to be at times either with this group...but they do play hard. Their cohesiveness helps them overcome their lack of physical play which is very apparent against bigger teams. Commodore and Gleason are close to physical presences but Commodore has been injured of late and Gleason well doesn't always play enough to make an impact. GM Jim Rutherford may have to go the trade route to get an enforcer and an offensive defenseman perhaps or something in the middle because the D as it stands now is not good enough.

Goaltending didn't seem like much of an issue early on....but kind of has become one. I mean, Cam Ward, could not keep up that hot start...but he slumped for a good bit since. The first 10 games...Ward had a GAA of 1.93...the last ten Ward has been well over a GAA of 3. That has dropped his save percentage down to .909. Just to think, Ward basically has little protection in front of the net and most of his forwards are aging...so he needs to be on top of his game every night. There is little margin for error. His backup, John Grahame tries hard but face it, is no Ward and it shows. His 3.17 GAA is a testament to that..and his .891 save percentage prove why he is not a very capable 2nd netminder but he is serviceable at least. So until something develops in the Carolina system...this is what Rutherford has chosen to ride...not too bad really.

So what do the Canes really need? They do need some younger offensive depth. Will the older forwards be able to keep up like this? Sure but for how long? Ward with his lighter weight can keep the Canes in it for much longer now. His style is similar to Martin Brodeur's but his consistency is just starting to show slowly. The Canes can do well with a stud like this in net...but they turned back the clock to the run of 2006. Sometimes turning back the clock can be bad but so far it has been pretty good. This team knows work needs to be done and they need to play better and I think they will...to me they look like the Southeast Division
champions this season.

Now what do you think....make your voices and opinions known if your a fan of Carolina or just a fan of the NHL right at The NHL Arena.

~ stevens8204

Inside The Sabres

2007-11-27T19:58:00.000-08:00

After a shorter-than-hoped-for walk down Stanley Cup Lane in the 2006-2007 season, The Buffalo Sabres had to endure an even worse experience. During the first few hours of the free agent frenzy, the team suffered through losing Chris Drury to the New York Rangers and Daniel Briere to the Philadelphia Flyers. Also, Dainius Zubrus went to the New Jersey Devils a few days later. A team that had visions of Stanley Cups dancing in their heads was suddenly a shell of itself.

One thing the Sabres still have going for them is the young and very good goaltender, Ryan Miller. Miller wanted to take over as the dressing room leader of the Buffalo Sabres. Though he’s still young at 27, he’s an established veteran. His teammates look to him for guidance on the ice and off it.

“I’m trying to focus more on my game,” Miller said. “Early in the season, I was probably too worried about what everybody else was trying to do, trying to be bigger than my role. I was trying to do too many things at once. I can’t be a captain-type leader and talk to guys at all times. I have to go out and just do my job.”

Helping Miller between the pipes is the "old man" Jocelyn Thibault, picked up during free agency. Only 32 years old, Thibault started playing at 18 with the Quebec Nordiques, and the 13-season veteran has years of experience. As the backup to Ryan Miller, Thibault doesn't see a lot of action, but together they average a 2.61 GAA and a .900 save percentage. Those are pretty good numbers that should keep the Sabres solid in net.

But, after twenty-one games, Buffalo is 10-10-1, ranked 13th in the conference and are fourth in their division behind the surging Bruins of Boston, Montreal, and last year’s Stanley Cup finalist, the Ottawa Senators. The Sabres average 2.90 goals per game while giving up 2.76 goals. They have a 20.2% rating on the power play, ranking them 10th, and they are in the seventh position with an 85% success rate on the penalty kill. All average numbers, and hence the .500 record.

Many players on this team are above average players and just may need some more time to gel. Derek Roy, Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Brian Campbell, and Tim Connolly lead the team in point production with modest totals ranging from 17 to 14 points. Pominville may be the Sabres most versatile forward and his abilities are allowing the team flexibility when it comes to its power play combinations. Recently, he moved from his position near the net to the blueline. He's made the switch before and is comfortable with the situation. But more importantly, the team is comfortable putting five forwards on the ice with an opposing player in the penalty box because of Pominville's defensive skills. He's the team's quarterback on a unit that features Maxim Afinogenov, Ales Kotalik, Roy and Vanek and he is the squad’s last line of defense against an odd-man rush.

Something else “odd” about the Sabres is their rotating captaincy. Jochen Hecht was captain for a while and now Toni Lydman is the man wearing the “C”. This creates a lot of leaders and some different competition in the locker room. Each player, it seems, will have an opportunity to be captain based on leadership and play.

The Buffalo Sabres are in a tough division, but with continued growth and leadership, more wins will come. It’s a shame they lost so much during free agency, but seem ready to start again and are headed in the right direction. With a strong core of players, it won’t be long until we here about them fighting for the Cup once again.

So, herd up your friends and draw your weapons! Support your team with a rousing War Room Roll call!

~ ogre1kanobe

Saturday Night Special: Let's Get Wild!

2007-11-24T18:56:00.000-08:00

Saturday Night Live was made famous by two wild and crazy guys. Well the Minnesota Wild just drive the state of hockey wild. The team started out 7-3-2...full of promise and looking good but injuries to Niklas Backstrom...and the personal absence/retirement of Wes Walz has seemingly put the brakes on the Wild season. The Wild stand now at 11-9-2...still only a point out of first place in the wacky Northwest Division. Now Backstrom was a main reason for the early success playing incredibly the first two weeks of the season....posting both of his shutouts in that time. Then the injury bug hit....and there wasn't as much rejoicing.

First Backstrom went down....then Gaborik and now Demitra....the Slovakia glass groin syndrome has taken full effect. This undoubtedly has hurt the Wild offense.

They have to rely more on the goaltending and lately even that has taken a hit. In a 3-2 loss to Calgary, Backstrom had to give up one of the most ugly goals I have ever seen....which lead to the Flames win. In yesterday's game, Backstrom had two goals he would most certainly like to have back and a defensive turnover so bad I could have thrown a clock through the television. Who does that in front of their goalie? Don't answer that Devils fans! The Wild had an awesome goal differential of +16 after 12 games....but now has slipped all the way back to a -1.

Now Gaborik and Parrish share the team lead in goals with 7 and Pierre Marc-Bouchard leads the team with assists with 14. A defensive player that has been playing pretty well is Brent Burns...his last two games have been not so great but his 11 points and a +4 are pretty solid for a player with such high expectations placed on him by management, teammates, and even himself. This is a little excerpt from Doug Risebrough's Managing Expectations....very interesting indeed. Burns recently was awarded a four year extension for his hard work...and players can go two ways.....

A couple players in the last couple years have discussed, in telling ways, the pressure of a long-term, high-paying deal. I won't name the players. But here is what they said.

Player A: "For the first time in my career, I came to the rink as an underachiever. It really ate me up."

Player B: "I got an opportunity early in my career to fly under the radar and live with my and my teammates' expectations. It's something I'm getting used to. It's more responsibility."

This really makes you think. Burns is going to be the anchor of this defense. Sean Hill is a nice veteran presence and a good mentor to have but the Wild's fortunes on the backend ride on the youngster. The defense and goaltending are a staple of any Jacques Lemaire coached team. It doesn't hurt that the forwards, as a group, are one of the best backchecking groups in the league. The Wild have strayed away a bit from that...and their 4-6 record in the last ten games indicates it more than the injuries. Injuries are just an excuse and the Wild have to fight through it. Also, Backstrom has to right the ship a bit on his own end.

It will take a team effort from the coach down to the players to get the Wild back on board but if any team can pull back the reins and rise back up the standings in the Western Conference...it is the Wild. They have the system in place....they just have to execute it. Do you believe the Wild will bounce back? Voice your opinion and GO WILD!

~ stevens8204

Motor City Set On Cruise Control

2007-11-21T19:16:00.000-08:00

Realistically, reviewing the Detroit Red Wings during the past 5-10years could be simple. You write a riveting piece about theirdomination of the Western Conference, and proclaim their ability tocontrol the game with their stymy defense, and then republish the samearticle year after year.

They have become one of the most consistent teams of the 21st century,and have been an utter surprise post lockout considering the dumpingof so much salary. They now boast one of the best and mostcomfortable teams, with plenty of cap room to spare. They have savvyveterans like Niklas Lidstrom and Chris Chelios to lead theirdefensive core, and one of the most prolific and obscure goaltendersof all time in Dominic Hasek, although he has struggled early tomaintain the necessary health to be a starting goalie.

No matter, as Chris Osgood has once again proved to the Wingsorganization to be a quality backup for as long as they need him, andwith the kind of defense the Red Wings play, he should really onlyhave to prepare himself for around 20 shots a game. Pending thehealth of Hasek, the Wings can segue into young prospect Howard to betheir next star in the crease. Another fantastic pick by the Detroitscouting, Howard will likely be the go to guy within three years.

Up front, the top three (Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Holmstrom) have comeout of the gate firing. Gaining the reputation of one of the NHLsmost potent offensive lines, they are probably only out classed byOttawa's ASH line. Zetterberg is well on his way to setting careerbests in basically all categories, and his offensive prowess has beenan incredible asset to the Wings, who have been outscoring andoutplaying every team thus far.

In terms of additional help, it was suggested that Detroit was seekingthe services of Peter Forsberg, pending he is capable of returningfrom a potential career ending surgery on his ankle. After quitting apractice with the Swedish National team, Forsberg has suggested thatthis latest embarrassment could in fact end his career pending adoctor's review, and this could change the plans in the Detroit frontoffice. There is no question a healthy Forsberg would produce an evenstronger offense, but with guys like Chelios, Hasek, and Lidstrom, whoare all playing close to or well over their career expectancies,Forsberg would only add to the fragile nature of the team.

The bottom line here is that Detroit doesn't need help with veterans.They boast one of the most knowledgeable defenses in the league, witha strong core of offensive threats. What they need to do is continueto build for the future of the franchise after the older playersretire or move on.

~ srotaneS

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If you happen to follow the Detroit Red Wings, be sure to announce yourself in our Red Wing Roll Call.

Canadiens Roll Call

2007-11-20T19:22:00.000-08:00

One, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 16, 18, 19, and 29.

Those numbers are very familiar to any Montreal Canadiens' fan. They all hang from the rafters at the Bell Centre where they play their home games. The Canadiens have a long and wonderful past to look back on. The names of great players, coaches and general managers are far too long to mention. It is this history that changes a player when they put on the sweater with those famous colors on it.

That is why when the 2006-2007 season ended and this team didn’t make the playoffs, it was like the world came to an end. Finishing seventh the previous year, hopes were for a longer playoff run, but the team finished tenth and sat at home watching instead of skating. Some players had off seasons as well. After scoring only 18 goals all season last year, the AK-27, Alex Kovalev, is back on track eager to forget last year.

With 10 goals already through 19 games this season, Kovalev has reached the mark faster than any Canadiens player in over a decade. Not since Martin Rucinsky scored his 10th goal in game No. 20 back in 1996-97, has a Habs player scored so many so fast. The Russian winger will crack the 40-goal mark for the second time in his 16-year NHL career, if he were to continue at this pace. The last time he did was in 2000-01 with the Penguins when he exploded for 44 goals on his way to his first All-Star Game appearance. He is sixth in the league with 6 power play goals on a team that is ranked number one with 30% power play efficiency. He, Saku Koivu, and Andrei Markov all have 17 points in this early season.

The team is also fourth in goals scored per game with 3.16 Goals/Game and only a small handful have a plus/minus ratings in the red zone. But it is not all about offense in Montreal. They rank ninth in goals allowed per game with a stingy 2.53 goals. This, in part, is due to their goaltending tandem of Cristobal Huet and rookie sensation Carey Price. Huet has a 6-4-2 record with a 2.23 GAA and a Sv% of .925, while his younger counterpart enjoys a 5-1-1 record with a 2.66 GAA and a .0914 Sv%. Price is making the departure of David Aebischer a faint memory.

The Canadiens lost a few big names over the summer, Sheldon Souray, Radek Bonk, and Janne Niinimaa to name a few. But they also picked up some with marquee talent; Roman Hamrlik, Bryan Smolinski and Patrice Brisebois for coach Guy Carbonneau to insert into his lineups. Carbonneau took over the coaching reins on May 5, 2006 after having played 13 seasons with the Canadiens, including five as the team’s captain, and was the winner of the Frank Selke Trophy three times.

Carbonneau’s second season behind the bench figures to be a much better one than his first. You see he’s one of those great Montreal Canadiens players of the past. And he won’t let this team fail.

So, stand up and help Guy Carbonneau push this team to the playoffs and beyond. Be a proud member of the team and shout your support in the Montreal Canadiens' Roll Call!!

~ ogre1kanobe

Colorado; The Rocky Road

2007-11-19T17:10:00.000-08:00

I think it's safe to say that the one team most people expected a vast improvement from this season, would have to be the Colorado Avalanche. With their incredible playoff push late last season, which inevitably fell short, only the New York Rangers managed to put up a better 2nd half.

In the offseason, Colorado GM Francois Giguere managed to add two more pieces to his quickly rebuilding project in the likes of free agents Ryan Smyth and Scott Hannan. Further allowing his fans to come into the 07-08 season with much to anticipate. And now that we've nearly reached the quarter pole of the season, we can take a deeper look into the Avs now vs. then.

Today the Avalanche sit in 2nd spot in the Northwest Division, just 1 point behind the Wild. Although with 1 game in hand. Their 23 points in 19 games also puts them tied for 4th in their Conference. And again, with games in hand. An obvious improvement you say? But of course, "obvious" is not what I've come here to talk about.

Right now, the Avalanche are on pace for a 99 point season. A mere 2 wins better than the season that saw them on the outside looking in, on a very rare occasion. 2 more wins would have made all the difference in the world, allowing them to surpass the 8th seeded Flames. But it still wouldn't have been enough to earn home ice advantage no matter who they faced or how many rounds they survived.

Why do I bring up home ice advantage, you ask? Well for one, the Calgary Flames who barely backed their way into a playoff round, knew full well about home versus the road. They were known as the Jeckyll and Hyde. A term that has now made it's way to the Rockies. Let's try and put this into better perspective...

Had the Colorado Avalanche played just .500 on the road this season, their current overall record would be 13 - 5 - 1. Good enough for 27 points, second only to the Detroit Red Wings. And yes, you guessed it... with a game in hand. Prorating that into an 82 game season, the Avs would end up with 116 points. A feat nobody in the league could accomplish last season, earning them the hypothetical Presidents Trophy.

And before someone suggests that I am putting forth a 'perfect scenario' here, please keep in mind that I said merely a .500 record on the road. Hardly an earth shaking expectancy.

So in retrospect, yes the Avs are moderately improved as a team, which was to be expected. But they are far from the team they should be, right now.

~ LeaferSutherland

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I invite all Avalanche fans to drop by and put your own two cents worth on your team.

Strange Brew In Beantown

2007-11-18T12:57:00.000-08:00

The Bruins were a team many had picked near or at the bottom in most hockey circles. I had remembered The Hockey News actually picking them 29th or 30th. Well thanks to some stingy goaltending and semi reliable scoring....they are actually 9-6-2 with a little over 20% of the hockey season complete. Boston was thought to be a walkover for most of the Northeast Division but they are finding out very quickly that this team indeed has some talent. They always have really but the question has been and always will be...how long can they keep it together?

The season started off with a five game West Coast Trip...which the first game was a 4-1 disaster where nothing went right and it looked like Dallas was on a roll (funny how things change, right?). The B's then managed to come back and defeat Phoenix 3-1 the next night before losing 2-1 a few nights later to the defending champion Ducks. In what has become a bit of a curious pattern so far...the Bruins occasionally put up a crooked number after weeks of scoring so little. That was quite evident in their 8-6 survival of LA. Manny Fernandez was in net for this one too and eventually would go down with a knee injury...he still hasn't really since much if any ice time since. Phil Kessel's hat trick carried the way as the B's won again 2-1 against the Sharks completing the road trip at 3-2...not too shabby.

After wins against Tampa and the Rangers (Boston's lone shutout came via the shootout)....faceoffs or the lack of winning them came to a head again in an ugly 6-1 loss that many thought may spell doom for the Bruins. It definitely looked bad that 4 of the 6 goals given up came directly off defensive zone faceoffs....something that would make any coach unhappy, particularly Dave Lewis. Yet the turning point would come in a Saturday afternoon tilt against the Philly Flyers. In a 2-1 loss, Patrice Bergeron was going for a puck in his zone and Randy Jones came from behind and checked him into the boards. Bergeron was motionless on the ice for minutes as the crowd gasped in horror. Jones would later receive a 2 game suspension and Bergeron may not play again this season after suffering some fractures and a Grade 3 concussion. It seemed to give them a jump as they defeated Buffalo 4-3..but then the low scoring blues set in again.

For the next 2 weeks...it seemed Boston could find the net but not be able to put enough behind the goalie and into said net. Scoring 7 goals in a 5 game span is not going to get you many wins (1-2-2 in that span). This led to many questions if the Bruins were going to trade Glen Murray among others who had not really produced and so far the answer is a resounding no. I am sure that may change but right now it seems the Bruins are sailing the ship with what they got. Sure enough when Toronto came to town last night....the B's put another crooked number on the scoreboard.....winning 5-2 to raise their record to the current 9-6-2. Tim Thomas made 34 saves and Peter Schaefer had 2 goals and 1 assist (both goals coming in the third). The four days off and watching tons of video on Toronto proved to be the difference. Players knew where to be....everything clicked at least for one night.

Team MVP: Tim Thomas. No doubt many thought Fernandez would be the starter but Thomas just finds a way to well worm himself into the picture. In 13 games, he has produced a 1.68 GAA...a stellar .950 save percentage and more importantly 7 wins. He has kept the team in games most nights they should have no business being in. He is the reason Boston is above .500 but his durability may also become a concern later. Right now Boston is just trying to find ways to win games...to score just enough. Oddly enough, the goaltending and defense are there for the most part but the offense isn't....something you wouldn't normally associate with the Boston Bruins.

The Bruins are a team in flux right now....they spent their money and now they are stuck with it. The cap issues have hurt this team as far as being able to go out and get some scoring depth. Also, there aren't many takers for an aging scorer like Glen Murray who hasn't been the same since Joe Thornton was traded.....ahhh that T word. The Bruins as a franchise have been definitely hampered since that trade. Goaltending prospects haven't quite worked out...free agents haven't either and not being able to string some games together with some decent goal scoring output may come back to haunt this team later in the season but right now they are making due with what they got...and so far that is good enough.

So do you think Boston is just a mediocre team or are they a couple players away from making the playoffs and maybe winning a round...give us your thoughts and don't mince them...right on The NHL Arena.

~ stevens8204

Blue Streak

2007-11-17T05:23:00.000-08:00

Blue Streak can mean one of two things when one talks about the St. Louis Blues these days. It could reference the streaky play of the team itself or quite literally mean the "Blue Streak" coming out of Blue fans on some of the nights to come.

The Blues stormed out to a 4-1 record to start the season back in October and if I remember right they outscored their opponents very handily in doing so. Since that fast start the Blues have gone on to lose 6 of their last 9 and have had issues scoring during that time. The two wily vets leading the charge for the team are long time incumbent Keith Tkachuk and the new UFA from the off season Paul Karyia. They each have 15 and 16 points respectively, those stats lead the team in offense. The picture isn't all bleak by no means for the St. Louis Blues. Many Legace has been solid in net, posting a record of 7-5 with a SV% over .910% and GAA of 2.33. Maybe the most positive thing about the Blues is that they are young. Real young. With an average age of 27 they are only going to get better. 25 year old Brad Boyes is third in team scoring and first in team goals with 9. Lee Stempniak, age 24, is coming off a 27 goal, 52 point, season from last year and has a tone of upside and a bright future. The blue-chip stud on the blueline is Eric Johnson and he is a plus player in his first year so far in the NHL at age 19.

The short and the skinny is that the Blues have 8 wins and 7 loses so far in this NHL season based on little production from their youth movement. Their future is their kids and when the kids start to carry their weight the Blues will start winning hockey games and it should be real fun to watch.

Then again, this is just a damned opinion.

~ damned

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If you happen to be a fan of the St Louis Blues, we want to hear it!

Accepting The Capitals

2007-11-15T09:58:00.000-08:00

If it were not for one of the most prolific scorers of this era of the NHL, the Washington Capitals could easily slip through the cracks into the basement without so much as a sniff from the average fan. Having
been there for multiple years, the Capitals are starting to become a household name when it comes to teams you play your backup against.

After repeated years of poor play, the Capitals started this year with the beat of a different drum. 3-0-0 after their first three games, and beating teams like Carolina, Atlanta, and the Islanders, things were looking up in the United States Capital, but that would be rather short lived.

After finishing October with a record of 5-6, they proceeded to lose five of their next six games, tying them with Buffalo and Edmonton for the worst record in hockey. The basement never looked so bad for a team with an all-star talent like Ovechkin.

They are effectively porous at home and away, with very similar records, and considering that, it shows that the problem is not in the players heads. Probably the most disturbing statistic would be the 91
shots number 8 has taken on net, which has a 36 shot gap between him and second place. If Washington wants to be effective with the puck, they are going to have to rely less on their star player, and more on
their secondary scoring.

While Kolzig has had streaks of brilliance throughout the initial stages of the year, they will need to find a solution in goal if they want to compete for a stop in the top 8. With eight more goals against
than goals for, the Caps are going to need to make some serious adjustments to one of the aspects of their game so it can make up for their holes elsewhere.

So where should the Caps turn for support? Alexander Semin has been out for most of the season because of injury, and Kolzig is performing, but not to the standards of the new NHL. Should they start considering a player move, or should they look to the coach and GM for answers? I think it is a tough call because Washington did
such a huge overhaul with their roster during the last couple years. Last year I considered it a lack of respect and teamwork, but maybe it is time to start considering it a growth issue. Washington did in
fact put money into the system this year, and the results have been rather pedantic to say the least.

One thing is for sure. Washington is not getting the help they need to compete with the rest of the league. Whether it is a financial issue, or simply a player production issue, the Capitals need a serious
change in their system to have any hopes of making the playoffs this year. If I was the one running the show in Washington, I would be sitting down with Hanlon and letting him know that his days are
numbered if the basement is where he is directing this team. I would tell him to take the players off their pedestal and go right back to the basics until they can work as a unit. Develop the defensive game
with the forwards, and continue to rely on guys like Ovechkin to score the individual goals.

Are you willing to accept the Capitals for who they have become, or are you ready to fight for a chance to watch them play for the cup? The NHL Arena wants to hear what you think.

~ srotaneS

Oilers In Depth

2007-11-13T20:29:00.000-08:00

The Edmonton Oilers’ General Manager Kevin Lowe has his team in position for a playoff run. Maybe not this year but in the years to come. After making a “statement” offer to Dustin Penner of the Ducks and signing Dick Tarnstrom during free agent time, it seems obvious that he realizes this may not be the year for his team. Sitting Tarnstrom in favor of youngsters Tom Gilbert and Denis Grebeshkov, may make him trade bait when defencemen Sheldon Souray and Joni Pitkanen return from injury.

Injuries surely haven’t helped the Oilers this season. Currently the are last in many categories in the Western Conference. They are last in goals scored, goals allowed and power play goals which leaves them last in their division and in the conference. Only three players on the team have a plus/minus rating of zero or higher. In addition, the goalie tandem of Mathieu Garon and Dwayne Roloson have decent numbers, both having about a three goal allowed per game average and save percentages hovering around the .900 mark, but have only 7 wins between them.

And yet all the news is not bad for this team. Along with the youngsters Gilbert and Grebeshkov, the rookie line of Sam Gagner, Andrew Cogliano and Kyle Brodziak have looked good early on. There is also the play of Ales Hemsky and Shawn Horcoff that give optimism for any Edmonton fan. Horcoff leads the team in goals, points, assists and power play goals.

Optimism may not be only thing going for this Oilers club. Remember, they were in the Stanley Cup Finals in the 2005-06 season, and having a rich history, with GM Lowe and coach Craig MacTavish, this team may go far in the very near future. As Jarret Stoll said after a loss to a very good Colorado Avalanche team, "We came out and showed that we cared, showed that we have respect for the organization." he said. "We weren't happy with our last outing. We played really hard and battled in every area."

It won’t be long before they are battling in the playoffs again. So, stop in the Edmonton Oilers forum and sign you name to the roll call and state your faith in a great hockey organization and a team for the future.

~ ogre1kanobe

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If you happen to be a fan of the Edmonton Oilers, we want to hear it.

A Shame In Nashville

2007-11-12T16:21:00.000-08:00

I can't help but feel for the fans in Music City. Even if there aren't enough of them to fill an arena. The franchise, which was born in 1998, deserves so much better one decade later.

What started off with a lucrative deal with the city shelling out over 25 million put forth to pay for it's entry fee into the league, while taking a hit on the operating costs for the arena, it's rather ironic that this team's failings have occurred in the business sector rather than a lack of fan base in these uncharted waters. That said, the Nashville faithful have been a far cry from the Pittsburgh natives that felt their pain not so long ago.

It's a shame to see a franchise barely stay afloat amidst talks of a deal that just doesn't seem to get done. In a city that knows how to entertain like no one else. And with a team that patiently built itself of draft picks and the astute signings and trades from Poile, not to mention the tutelage of head coach Barry Trotz.

Currently hovering around a .500 season with a new Captain named despite never holding that title in all of junior, a backup thrown to the wolves, and possibly the two greatest remaining scraps on the IR, which may or may not be having more affect on the team than the many high caliber players it chose to auction off in the summer. How does the Nashville fan get through the day? Knowing full well that it is not he or she that is the root of the problem, no matter how many of us in the north would pass it off as being that.

In a perfect world, the Nashville Predators would have won the Stanley Cup a year ago. For those in California could have survived on the glitz and glam that continues to bring big named talent to their western shores. But instead we watched, as Paul Kariya who came to this team when no one else of his caliber would, turned and went again, off on his way.

You might still have a team today Nashville. Perhaps even for 3 more guaranteed years if they ever get that straightened away. But what good is a team if it cannot compete?

I say stand up to the commercial side of your hometown. And don't be pressured to pick up those tickets to prolong the lease on your Arena. Instead, stand in your storefronts and demand that you have your team of promise given back to you. Let it be known that the only hardware stores you will be willing to do business with, are the ones buying boxes at the Sommet Center. The only cars that you will buy will be ones that are the official sponsors of your Preds. The only insurance companies will be those assuring you that your team will not only survive be be restored.

Do you love your hockey? Are you satisfied with just a win for every loss? Will you just sit back and allow them to rip your team to shreds?

Go ahead. Click the following link and tell me that your just some dumb Southerner that just doesn't give a rats ass about the game of hockey...

I dare you!

~ LeaferSutherland

500 And More?

2007-11-10T14:22:00.000-08:00

Good morning from the High Desert! Hey...it is still morning here. That being said it is time to enjoy all that is Saturday Night Hockey. The rivals continue to face off against each other and better still...the Hall Of Fame Game is tonight between the Rangers and Maple Leafs. All that really means is that it is only two days till the induction of Scott Stevens as well some guys named Francis, Messier, and MacInnis. It is probably one of the, if not greatest induction classes ever to be seen. However, there is still some hockey to cover. Eleven games that will leave you screaming for more and some battles that could only be drawn up in a backyard playground.

A rare CBC tripleheader is scheduled for today. Gotta love those Canadian hockey folks just for that alone! Can Ottawa bounce back from their "hiccup" against the Habs? Well we will all find out at 3pm ET as that is today's matinee. Not for nothing but Montreal is off to a hot start (9-3-3)...so Ottawa (13-2) may have its work cut out for them....especially going up against the #1 Power Play in all the NHL. When you convert at nearly a 30% clip (even if its early)...that commands respect so Ottawa best stay out of the penalty box...something they have had problems doing the past few games. Ottawa is 6th in the league on the PK at 87% so this could shape up to be one hell of a game. The goaltending is right up there....so who knows...maybe 3-2 Montreal in an upset....sounds good to me.

Then there is the Hall Of Fame game between the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs at 7pm PT. Something has to give here....the Leafs are abysmal at home and the Rangers are downright horrid on the road. Someone has to win as league mandates rule...but it makes you wonder sometimes. Toskala and Lundqvist will be in net tonight. So this may be just what the Rangers need...then again who knows...this could end up in a 0-0 tie heading into a shootout. I seriously doubt that however. There will be some goals scored tonight. Not only that...expect a Ranger road win for the first time this season....in a 4-2 victory.....I am pretty sure I am going out on a limb here. Then again, that is what makes hockey fun.

Finally there is the Battle Of Alberta tonight at 10pm ET. Ah the joys of watching the Flames and Oilers slug it out...Vernon and Lanny against Gretzky, Messier, Fuhr...etc...etc. Oh wait....tonight's battle! Oops! Really it is just Hemsky and Rolo versus Iginla, Kipper and company in a steel cage err ice rink. Both teams come in reeling off 4 game losing streaks. Since getting that fat extension, Kiprusoff has actually been playing worse if that is possible. At some point, he has to snap out of it one would think...right?? The Calgary PK is awful at 74.7% while the Oilers PP is a calamitous 7.8%. These are numbers you can't make up but I do believe the Flames may be the ones more apt to get out of this funk tonight and they will with a 4-1 victory over the Oil.

Now there are other games like the Battle Of Pennsylvania tonight as the Penguins play the Flyers in Philly. Philly dominated in a 3-1 fashion in their first meeting of the season, avenging last year's Pens sweep. Can Philly bounce back from that humbling 4-1 loss Thursday night? I believe so. In another Atlantic Division war, the New Jersey Devils try for the 500 mark in more ways than one in Long Island against the New York Islanders. The Islanders won the last matchup 4-3 in OT as Billy Guerin scored with just seconds left. Martin Brodeur has the opportunity to become only the second goalie ever to win 500 games (Roy - 551). I really don't know who is going to win this one...honest. One thing is for sure.....and that is this....it is going to be one hell of a night. So sit back...get your food and beer, and watch some hockey!!

~ stevens8204

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For more stevens8204 insight, register up at The NHL Arena.

Big "E"xpectations

2007-11-09T20:28:00.001-08:00

Unless you have been under a rock all week, you are aware of two things. It's Hall of Fame Week in the NHL and Eric Lindros has officially retired. These two things, to this point, have nothing to do with each other. But it's only a matter of time until Eric Lindros's name is on the ballet to be voted on for the Hall of Fame. The question of the week has been has been a simple one.

Does Eric Lindros belong in the NHL Hall of Fame?

My response immediately is yes. Lets just take a look at the numbers to start. 760 games played, 372 goals, 493 assists, good for 865 points. That breaks down to 1.13 points a game. Good numbers for any hockey player, but as we all know Lindros had a problem with his NHL career, he couldn't stay healthy. In 13 NHL season Eric Lindros only played 4 seasons that in which he didn't miss significant time. His last two season with the Leafs and Stars where nothing short of brutal. Yet, over his career, he averaged 1.13 points a game. He was one of the games best hitters, his only minus season in the +/- column came in his one year with the Leafs, he had 46 game winning goals, and in 50 games in the NHL Playoffs he scored 24 goals and had 57 points. Lindros could change the outcome of the any game he was in. He made other players better, for no other reason then they where playing on his line. In 13 shortened years in the NHL he is tied for 248th in goals, 420 in assists and 355th in points all time. Those rankings get even better if you just compare him to forwards overall in the NHL. Now the kicker.

What if he had stayed healthy?

Players can't change the fact they get injured and I for one give any player, not just Lindros, credit for what they might have accomplished if they where healthy. Lindros was one of hockey's best talents, an asshole, but he could play hockey. He should be in the Hall of Fame.

Then again, this is just a damned opinion.

~ damned
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For more "damned' opinions, register up at The NHL Arena

A Buzzing At The Door

2007-11-06T19:15:00.000-08:00

Count me in. Open the door to the bandwagon and let me hop on. Also, wake me, if it’s a dream but I think not. With the hockey season entering it’s second month, the Columbus Blue Jackets are a team with a purpose. And that purpose isn’t to sweep the cellar floors again this year.

After thirteen games, the Jackets have an 8-3-2 record and are in second place behind those pesky Red Wings of Detroit. They have done it with goaltending, Pascal Leclaire, who has led the NHL in goals-against average (1.12), save percentage (.957) and shutouts (five). And a defense, which is allowing fewer shots on goal. They have outscored their opponents, 37-23. Twenty-three goals (21, plus two shootout goals) in 13 games for a 1.77 GAA, and toss out the 5-1 and 4-1 losses and it’s much better than that. They have improved their penalty killing, which is at or near the top in the NHL.

And Rick Nash is, well, Rick Nash again. Nash has 10 goals, 2 game winning goals, 6 assists, and a 16.7 shooting percentage, placing him near the top of the list in a few categories. He seems to be enjoying himself and it is helping the team with some aggressive play.

Sergei Fedorov is riding a four-game point streak (1-3-4) and has points in five of his last six games (2-3-5) since enduring a six-game drought. Fredrik Norrena is quietly having an outstanding second NHL season as he has posted a 1-1-2 record with a 2.41 GAA and .919 SV% in four game. Manny Malhotra, Jason Chimera, and Nikolai Zherdev have contributed offensively as well and D Jan Hejda leads the club in plus/minus (+6) and hits (26).

Coach Ken Hitchcock defensive system and the overall Blue Jackets' aggressive play will keep them in the race for the Central Division title. But, all the teams in this division have improved over last year and this season promises to be no cakewalk. And then there are the Wings, who have owned the lease to the penthouse apartment for several years. They’re still not ready to pack up and move out just yet.

That being said, the state of hockey in the Buckeye State looks much better than in recent years. And they know the Red Winds can’t be on top forever.

Could they?

~ ogre1kanobe

Saturday Night Special; Atlantic Edition

2007-11-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

Well it is another Saturday Night but this one may be just a little more special as later tonight the clocks have to be set back. Oh no...we gain
an hour's sleep...wait that's a good thing.....more hockey!! Now I do admit being away this week really helped recharge things. I could relax..go where I wanted to...do what I wanted to do and all those things that sometimes every person takes for granted. It was nice to see things and explore but more importantly I learned a lot about the area that I am eventually moving to (sometime in July more than likely). San Diego is a very cool place and not too far from Anaheim and LA...so I can't complain there. That being said, onward to the hockey!

Tonight is a bit of a rivalry night in the Atlantic Division with Border War 2 between the Devils and Rangers..then the Isles do battle with the Penguins. The Flyers have the night off after their win at the Phone Booth against the Caps last night. The Isles and Pens are both above .500 but have what you could consider many interesting subplots in development. The Isles have all sorts of issues with consistency which is unlike a Ted Nolan coached team. The Pens are in near chaos with Fleury the unofficial #2 and Sabourin a very unsure #1. The Isles eventually head into a stretch where they start actually playing some games...after this weird 4 games in 20 days bit. The Pens need a clear choice for a #1 goalie and the lines are so blurred that the coaching staff may starting wondering aloud to the GM...are you looking for somebody? I expect the Islanders Army to have quite a bit on this game afterward and as always Faceoff Factor has a bang up preview.

In other Atlantic Division rival action...the second installment of the Border War takes place at MSG tonight between the Rangers and Devils....both teams are coming off wins...both teams are 5-6-1. Will the Devils learn to cover Nigel Dawes? Will the Rangers score some goals? Will the Devils PK ever show up this season? So many questions and as always Devil and Ranger fans alike will try to answer them. The folks at Battle of New York have this all covered and perhaps there will be a liveblog of the events tonight. For all the NHL Arena fans....go right on to the Ranger forum for the GDT. Honestly, I expect another low scoring battle...hopefully this time the Devils figure it out a little better than last time and get some shots on net. That being said, I expect a gritty matchup with the return of Sean Avery tonight. Cue in Vishnevski to the front of the net please. I can't wait!

Another saucy matchup takes place in the Southeast tonight...as the Canes do battle with the Panthers in Raleigh. Anyone who saw the last game on Halloween knows what happened...knows the history. Basically this has gotten ugly between Canes GM Jim Rutherford and Panthers coach Jacques Martin. The diving accusations aside....what was a dive, not a dive...etc. have made this not just another division game. The fine folks at Southeast Shootout have their insights on it....by all means go take a look. Tampa also finally comes home...only to face Atlanta in another SE division game. Think Tampa is glad to come home? They haven't won a road game yet this season...and the tri-state part of the trip was a total disaster getting outscored 13-2 in those 3 games. Atlanta started off 0-6 but has gone 4-3 in their last 7 with improved goaltending and scoring so this could get very interesting in Tampa tonight. Kovalchuk vs. The Tampa Big 3...it is a game I will definitely be watching.

Finally, I just wanted to announce that we have our next four panelists for Hockey Around The Horn...they are LS, Rick, Dan, and Pogo. The questions will be hermetically sealed and sent out sometime tomorrow...and the episode should air on The NHL Arena sometime next weekend. So judges...get ready...this one will be more difficult than the last. Hopefully everyone enjoys all eleven games tonight and don't spill the beer or burn the house down after your team scores. Good hockey...good fight....good night!

~ stevens8204

Hang Up The Skates

2007-10-31T20:31:00.000-07:00

Some people just don’t know when to quit. Athletes are extremely good at staying in the game too long. Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, Franco Harris, Joe Montana, and many others tried to continue to do what they did very well, sometimes years after their skill diminished. Others tried to move in different directions within the same sport without success. This is one of them.

It is no secret that Wayne Gretzky was hockey’s greatest player, so far. Passing, shooting, puck handling, you name it, and he did it well, great in many cases. He owns or shares 61 NHL records (40 for regular season, 15 for Stanley Cup playoffs and 6 for All-Star Game). He was ranked No. 5 among North American athletes by SportsCentury's distinguished 48-person panel. Only Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali and Jim Brown rated higher than Gretzky. Not many players can hope to achieve anything close to what he did. And yet he wanted more.

So he took the challenge of being Managing Partner in charge of all hockey operations, Alternate Governor & Head Coach of the Phoenix Coyotes on February 15, 2001. In his first full season, the 2001-2002 season, the Coyotes went 40-27-9-6, finished second in their division and made the playoffs. The next year they finished next to last in the division with a 31-35-11-5 record. They bottomed out in 03-04 with only 22 wins and started their three-year stay with Cinderella in the basement.

In the early stages of this season, Phoenix is 3-6 and doesn’t look like it’s going to turn it around anytime soon. What can be done to get into “Wayne’s World” and let him know he just doesn’t seem to have the skills required for coaching? Or management decisions for that matter? He was criticized for some of his choices of players in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. Wayne gave the nickname of “The Next One” to Sidney Crosby, stated that Sid would probably break a few of his own records, and then didn’t put him on the Canadian team. Why? Objecting to his own critique?

The sad part of this all is no one has the stones to tell him or fire him. Would you want to be the person to call Wayne Gretzky into your office and tell him he sucks? But, Wayne should know. He is a very smart person and we all are not great at everything we do. He should realize that what he’s done, what the organization has done, isn’t working.

It’s time for Wayne Gretzky to put away his ego, accept that he is human, and take this failure as something that happens to all of us.

It just took longer for it to happen to him.

~ ogre1kanobe

The New Boss

2007-10-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

The NHLPA hired a new leader this week in Paul Kelly. His appointment has come with mixed reviews of course coming from opposite sides. The players feel they have the right guy, which makes sense, or why would have they hired him? On the other side of the fence some members of the NHL have said the NHLPA has found another Bob Goodenow. The thought of the players causing another labor issue at the end of the 08-09 season has even been brought up on some of the mainstream media's web sites. The players union can opt out of the CBA two years early if they wish. For now though Kelly is saying all the right things. He wants to have a positive relationship with the league. He wants to focus on the game, bring back old fans and develop new ones. He wants hockey to get more coverage in the United States. He wants to have a open and forthright relationship with Gary Bettman. Again, all the right things to say when talking to the media on your first day on the job.

But what does this all mean for the NHL?

In reading some of the players comments about Kelly being hired, it sure sounds to me that there are still some sour grapes from the last labor fight. After all Saskin got punted for being to "chummy" with the NHL. What's really disturbing is that this new CBA has put more money in players pockets then ever before because with the salary cap, came a salary floor. The players where also given shorter paths to Free Agency, which of course if your any good at this game, means more money. Yet that subtle feeling that the NHLPA isn't happy still simmers in the background.

I'll say it right now, if the NHLPA decides to bring down the current CBA and play hardball with the league anytime soon, it will destroy the NHL. Lets hope this Paul Kelly fellow is telling the truth when he says he wants to work with the NHL to make hockey better and that he will be able to make the players agree that needs to be the plan. After all they are supposed to be working for the same company.

Then again, this is just a damned opinion.

~ damned

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Arena Hot Topics

Randy Jones Suspended

Officials Out For Boorgard?

Kipper Locked Up

The End Brings A New Beginning

2007-10-28T05:34:00.000-07:00

After nearly 25 years of play, the Devils move into a new place to dwell. Aptly named The Rock which symbolizes how the Devils have played during this long run of excellence...the new arena will opened last night amid a lot of fanfare and a little controversy. As always, have to have a little spice to go with the sugar. Now we'll throw the spice off a little to the side for now. Last night meant a ton to someone like me...someone who remembers the history of the franchise well.

There were the downtrodden times when the Devils couldn't buy a win....all those games when they were on a little tiny station (WWOR- Channel 9) out of Secaucus, New Jersey. However, even then, they were still our team...we stuck by them win or lose. I remember my father taking me to games and I was amazed at how fast it all was and yet I felt I could almost compartmentalize it. I understood the game and as my love for the game grew (it didn't hurt that I played hockey on some level for the better part of 20 years +), I learned to appreciate the finer subtleties and just to be thankful to be a fan. The Lloyd Lyndsay-Young hellos to all the Devil fans out there....when Gary Thorne took over the play by play from Peter McNab and called the Johnny Mac gamewinner that put us in the playoffs for the first time. When we moved to Sportschannel...we were usually relegated to the upstart NewSport or eventually FSNY2 for awhile but that wouldn't last all that long.

Then there was Lou Lamoriello who turned this franchise around...when he came aboard almost 20 years ago....the Devils were kind of a doormat if you will. Three Cups later, he is still widely considered one of the best GM's in sports. The marketing may be a bit of a sore spot but talk to any Devils fans and they will tell you how much they appreciate Lou....especially this one. Lou orchestrated the compensation when the Blues tampered to get Shanny and everyone knows who we got as that compensation...#4 Scott Stevens. The draft brought us Niedermayer and Brodeur and the rest is well forever ingrained in Devils lore. Madden, Pandolfo, Elias and a cast of characters came later. But without Lou and scouting director, David Conte, who knows if the Devils would still be in New Jersey. After years of playing hard ball with the state of New Jersey which for anyone who knows, can be a worse of a pain than divorce, child birth, or death....the Devils would finally get their new arena in Newark.

The arena has not been without its share of hiccups...there was the oringinal attempt after the near move in 95...and then after the 2nd cup in 2000...I got to the point where I started to wonder if there was ever going to be a new arena. Finally, ground was broken during the lockout and when they said The Rock would be open for the 2007-08 season...a smile came to my face almost as wide as when they won the first Stanley Cup over Detroit. Then when the schedule came out for this season...I saw the date October 27th and penned it in...I knew some way somehow (even 2900 miles away), I would see this game. So yes I am using the Tivo for it but it shall never be erased. Bon Jovi played to a packed out Rock the other night and the people that I have talked to that went said the music was great but the arena stole the show. Now it is the Devils turn to get the party started...red and black style.

My brother got tickets for the game during the week and bought an extra one for the one person that got us all started on this crazy fandom as my mother still calls it. Hockey was the one sport we all agreed upon as a family and it was my dad who guided us that way. So yes, my niece sat in that seat but in a way my father was there...call it a hunch. This is our day.....our Christmas!

A Devils Christmas That Is!

~ stevens8204

Money Can't Buy Me Cups

2007-10-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

Money. The root of all evil. The world revolves around it. Can’t live without it. Hard to live with a lot of it. Lottery winners, millions all at once, broke in two to three years. And what about sports teams? The “haves” spend a lot to get the best players; the “have-nots” struggle to get by with those they can afford.

The New York Yankees have not had great success spending billions over the last 15 years. Well, that’s what George thinks. Multiple playoff appearances and a couple of World Series rings isn’t enough when you have tons of money.

What about his hockey partner, the Rangers? Not nearly as “unsuccessful” as the Yankees, with only two Stanley Cup Championships since 1939-40, with their last one coming in the 1993-94 season. Having talent on your roster such as Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka, Brendan Shanahan, Petr Prucha and they young goalie Henrik Lundqvist wasn’t enough for this team. Feeling the need for offensive production, management went out on “Free Agent Frenzy Day” and acquired the likes of Chris Drury of the Sabres and Scott Gomez from the Devils for around $80 million dollars.

So how’s that working out for you?

They are in last place in the Atlantic division with a 2-4-1 overall record, and yes I know it’s early. But what is more disturbing is the other numbers. Although Lundqvist has kept them in many games with giving more than three goals only once, the pathetic offense has scored only 13 goals in those seven games. Using superior math skills, that works out to about 1.85 goals per game, and if memory serves me, that’s under two goals a game. Lundqvist would have to be a four-foot by six-foot load of blob to win more games.

The other sad stat, is they have scored only six power play goals. And most of those goals came recently. They went, 0 for 16 at last recollection, and this with “Mr. Feed-it-to-me-in-the-slot” Jagr on the power play. Jagr has only one goal but he has assisted on seven others, leading his team in points, that being eight.

And how are the new guys doing? Gomez “leads” the team with two goals and only one assist and Drury has one goal and five assists. Offensive fireworks for sure!! Will these Rangers turn it around? Odds are they will. Don’t bet all your money, though.

Money can but you a lot of things. Houses, yachts, fancy cars and yes, even love, for a little while. But money can’t buy me rings and cups. You have to earn those.

~ ogre1kanobe

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Arena Hot Topics

Kaberle For Hossa?

Lidstrom Close To Extension

Possible Drama Between Vigneault and Naslund?

That Extra Edge

2007-10-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

So Tory Weber, an Alberta resident, figures he has the next product that will revolutionize hockey. The man has created a heated hockey blade. The idea behind it being that the heated blade will provide a players skates with less friction between the blade and the ice surface. Of course this means the player should be able to skate faster and in the end also be less tired. They, being the creators, also suggest that the product might cause less injuries. The question I asked myself after reading about these heated blades was this.

Do we really have to revolutionize hockey?

Has it really come to that? Was Joe Malone, Gordie Howe, and Bobby Orr really that boring in hockey jerseys that weren't aero dynamic? Did Wayne Gretzky and Super Mario provide that bad of a show with wooden hockey sticks? Are Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin really at such a big disadvantage they need heated hockey skates? I think the answer is a simple no across the board. Players in the NHL are going to be the best in the world no matter what equipment we give them. Sometimes I wish we would keep things simpler so we could celebrate just how good these guys really are instead of being told "It must be the skates".

Then again, this is just a damned opinion.

~ damned

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Arena Hot Topics

On Ovechkin's Nerves

Will Volchenkov Be Suspended?

The Beauty Pageant Submission Thread

Lucky 13

2007-10-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

As the Arrogant Worms used to say..."Me Like Hockey". Tonight me really like hockey as there are 13 games including well for us left coasters...
a 1PM matinee with the Rangers @ Boston to face the Bruins. The Devils play the Islanders in the never ending road trip that now is just a few bus rides...and HNIC has Hawks-Leafs and Oilers-Flames tonight for its doubleheader....it should be glorious. Even Captain Caveman would have been proud.

So...what to watch? With so many choices....Carolina @ Philly is our Game Of The Week. I am not sure of Center Ice's blackout rules so I am more likely to get the Canes' Fox Sports South feed than Comcast. That being said expect a tight tussle between an angry Canes team who lost their composure for 3:00 last night and it cost them dearly...and a Philly team who is reversing last year's horrible showing in a big way with their consistent play. Biron Vs. Ward I am guessing and for the record Biron will not get a shutout tonight....too much forward talent in Carolina but you never do quite know what to expect. Both teams will come out
hungry but I do think the Flyers will pull this one out 4-2.

Onward to Long Island to see if Martin Brodeur can regain last year's form against the team he loves to play against...the New York Islanders. Didn't it feel
like Brodeur had at least 10 shutouts against the Isles last year? Well Isle fans certainly felt that way and I am sure Rick Dipietro felt the same considering in 5 of the Isles losses, he only allowed 11 goals....not too shabby. When will Sheldon Brookbank play? When will the Devils stop being the worst on the Penalty Kill? Where is the old Devils people are used to seeing? Better yet, are the Isles better than last year (post-Yashin)? Hopefully most of these questions will at least be answered and you can catch it all on FSNY.

Finally I do want to check out The Battle Of Alberta tonight in Calgary. As usual I am sure the bloggers with the same name will have some interesting insight
on the rivalry that is truly their own. Can Mikka Kiprusoff start playing like he did the last couple season? It just seems weird that a lot of big name goalies are off to very slow starts (Roberto Luongo included). Iginla and company and ready to take on Rolosson, Hemsky, Souray and all the Oil has to dish out. This has the makings of a nice little late night game to kick back, enjoy a 6 pack and salute some good Hockey Nite In Canada.

Now really really finally.....next Saturday's blog will be a little different...as I preview my upcoming road trip to San Diego in my quest to find hockey there and relax and all that good stuff....till then, enjoy and ME LIKE HOCKEY!!!!

~ stevens8204

Easy Come, Easy Go

2007-10-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard by now, Bob Hartley has been fired. After taking the Atlanta Thrashers to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, as well as clinching their first Southeast Division title, his thanks for a dry spell at the beginning of the season is a pink slip.

Granted, the Thrashers are 0-6. Their power play ranks 28th, and their penalty kill 29th. To add to their misery, they average a league worst 1.5 goals a game, and allow 4.5, also a league worst. It could be simply that the team isn't clicking as well as it should. It could be that they might have a playoff hangover, even though they went 4 and gone in the playoffs.

But for whatever reason, Bob Hartley is to blame for this travesty. It is easier to blame the coach, than the players or the GM. Don Waddell is a genius, so obviously it isn't his fault. Marian Hossa and Ilya Kovalchuk can divide by zero and stop the world from rotating by just thinking about it. Keri Lethonen is the final solution to cancer. There's nothing wrong with the team, and by all rights they should've been 6-0. Because Bob Hartley was behind the bench, they aren't.

The above paragraph sounds harsh, and it is. From the sounds of things, it's probably what some people are thinking.

Coaches have the worst job in the league. They aren't given the proper due when their teams are doing spectacular, and they're discarded when their team stinks up the joint. In the meanwhile, they're responsible for dealing with the possibility of locker room drama, making players happy with adequate ice time, and motivating their troops when they need it. The best thing that happens to them is a simple trophy that the media votes on called the Jack Adams trophy. Kinda makes you wonder why they're in it at all, doesn't it?

So this is an ode to whom I feel is still a good coach, Mr. Hartley. Good luck with your future endeavors, and I hope your next team treats you better than the last one. People soon forget you have banners in two cities, and rings from one.

That's something Mr. Waddell can't claim over you.

~ Atma

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Arena Hot Topics

Trade Feelings

Rangers Searching For Offense

Goal Of The Year!

Discipline

2007-10-18T19:44:00.000-07:00

The ’07-’08 hockey season has begun with a bang, lots of surprises and excitement for almost everyone. For some, such as Jesse Boulerice and Steve Downie, this year got off to a rocky start. The NHL has suspended both Philadelphia Flyers for illegal checks. The 29-year-old Boulerice was suspended 25 games by the NHL for cross-checking the Canucks' Ryan Kesler in the face, and earlier Downie, 20, was suspended for 20 games for his pre-season hit on Dean McAmmond.

Downie was demoted to the Flyers AHL affiliate where he was additionally suspended until November 3rd, from participating in any games there. Moreover, the demotion to the AHL cost him $63,101.60 US in salary. AND, if ever he is recalled, he will still have to sit the 20 games before he can begin play. Boulerice, on the other hand, was placed on waivers by the Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren who said the decision to waive Boulerice was “based on the team's need for more roster space while dealing with injuries.”

Both of these players face a long and maybe impossible trek’s back to the NHL. But, isn’t that what we want? Players who abuse the system, intentionally hurt other players and have no respect for each other don’t belong in the NHL. Has Holmgren found the solution to the growing problem of out-of-control players?

Not likely.

Not many general managers have the chutzpa to waive players because they know some other manager will pick them up. With thirty teams, the talent pool isn’t as deep as it used to be and few teams have the luxury to rid themselves of players once thought to be worthy of NHL status. Demoting players is a solution for some, but players have limits to the number of times they can be sent down and others have one-way contracts, not affecting them financially. This would work best for younger players, looking to make it to the big boys league and works almost like a “time-out” for hockey players. “Drink your milk and sit for awhile, daddy will let you go in thirty days.”

In reality, there is no “finite” solution for this problem. One-time offenders should be treated as such and repeaters need to learn the hard way it won’t be tolerated.

Cutting off their allowance? Time-outs? Grounding them?

Yeah, sounds like parenting a bunch of babies. Well, it’s close.

~ ogre1kanobe
The NHL Arena

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Arena Hot Topics

Bettman Recovering From Surgery

Lehtonen Forced To Leave Game

Kovalev Blames Media

Hurry Up And Wait

2007-10-17T14:58:00.000-07:00

The Ottawa Senators have once again rattled off an impressive start to their season, which is something they are beginning to make a habit of doing. (3 out of four years is not bad at all) Playing 7 games in the first 11 days of the season has taken its toll on the team, who are looking forward to a rest before continuing action Thursday. But wait. The schedule they see for the rest of the month only shows them playing a total of three more games in the month of October.

Forget about Martin Gerber's hot streak. Forget about the big three getting into a groove, and forget about Kelly and Vermette playing as though they have the same brain. Rewind a little bit to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Ducks. Sure, the talent on the Anaheim squad helped to quiet the team's hyper advancement towards the Cup, but that was not the only factor. After making short work of Buffalo in the conference finals, Ottawa sat around and waited, which I personally attribute heavily to their fast exit from the finals. Arguably the best in the East coming into their little break, Ottawa will have to reformulate their style to regain composure, and they will have to do it slowly.

This inevitably takes us to the structure of the NHL scheduling. Sure, I'm a little less than embarrassed that I sat in front of the television as though I was unable to move during the first week of the season, but this isn't baseball. Hockey teams will only wear down during these major periods of time where they are forced to play night after night, and they will get 'soggy' during the times that they are not playing enough. It is a delicate process, but I have a feeling someone will be able to get it right.

Players and coaches are not the only ones who suffer during these times. As a fan, it doesn't get much worse than a layoff of your favorite team. Sure, there is plenty to watch, but it doesn't have the same spine tingling excitement as compared to your 'home' team. Again this can go both ways. When the teams are playing every night, it makes it a lot harder to plan around so a fan can watch each game. Having that two or three days break between games really makes a difference.

They plan to work out the 'kinks' in the schedule and hopefully take away a couple of the divisional games in the next year or so. I propose that this is also something they consider. Don't wear teams down when it is not necessary. In the Senators case, I really don't think it is unheard of to remove one game from the first 11 days, and setting it inside the major layoff they are dealing with right now. At least that would add another game and get them placing twice a week.

~ srotaneS
The NHL Arena

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Arena Hot Topics

Kovalev For Tanguay?

Could Quinn Take Over?

Markov To The Bruins?

Saturday Nite Live

2007-10-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

From the home office in Yucca Valley.... it is time for another Saturday Nite full of hockey.

There are 13 games...yes 13 big ones. Once again, there is the dilemma of what to watch and why. Oh wait, I almost forgot..... there is The NHL Arena's Game Of The Week! Everyone should check it out...

This week the Ottawa Senators face the New York Rangers in what might just be an early season playoff preview. Making it even better... the game will be at the world's most obnoxious arena, MSG. Gomez, Drury, Jagr, Lundqvist, and company versus Alfredsson, Heatley, Spezza, and crew... what a better way to crown off a Saturday Nite full of the Coolest Game On Earth!

I will be taping the Devils game... I don't know why I am bothering....since we tend not to fare too well against Atlanta... but I am a glutton for punishment, so why not. Maybe tonight the team will get it going... but I really think the Devils won't get it together till next month. Too many players are pressing and ironically they need some home cooking and humble pie to get it back on the right track. Hopefully Parise and Zajac can carry this team till the rest figure out what monkey crawled on its back and shake that crap off!

Pittsburgh travels to Toronto tonight.... now that should be fun. Both teams aren't exactly setting the world on fire just yet, which makes for an exciting, defense
optional type of game. Fleury and Toskala are not playing their greatest right now... and Sidney Crosby and company are drooling at a chance to play Toronto especially after last year's thrilling 6-5 OT win in Toronto. Sundin and Stajan did farely well in that game as well.... so I am sure there will be tons of chances
and plenty of offensive fireworks to go around.... a game I am definitely looking forward to see.

Another strangely intriguing battle is the first meeting between the Isles and Flyers at Wachovia or whatever you want to call it now Center. The Flyers are a much improved team and the Isles are turning heads with their usual gritty, competitive play. Better yet for the Flyers and their fans... they are coming in once again like the most hated team in the NHL.... the Battle of Pennsylvania has their take on it. So the Isles better watch out... but something tells me that Ted
Nolan will have this team more than ready for anything the Flyers dish out. I do want to see Sutton go at it with anyone and everyone... always a priceless
thing to see... beer, sandwiches, and hockey fights all on a Saturday Nite.

Finally, replies are coming in for Hockey Around The Horn.... so look for the first episode to be posted late Monday or at the very latest early Tuesday... as always, the opinions will be brash but come straight from the gut.... just as everything that does from The NHL Arena.

Have a great weekend and enjoy all the hockey!!

~ stevens8204
The NHL Arena

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Tonights top links:

NHL Unfair?

Anyone Missing Julien Yet?

Ottawa Interested In Robitaille

The Real Lowe Down

2007-10-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

When Brian Burke took the soother out of his mouth and once again whined about Kevin Lowe and the Edmonton Oilers last week, the debate about salaries and who is responsible for them sky rocketing was once again a topic of discussion in many forms of media. No one can deny that the Lowe and the Oilers overpaid for Dustin Penner. But keep in mind that if they didn't overpay the kid then Burke would have just matched the offer and Penner would have still been a Duck. But the argument that Kevin Lowe is the sole reason for salaries inflating in the years to come holds no water.

With a few quick searches on a good search engine you can find some interesting results.

For instance, Scott Gomez (10 Million), Patrick Elias (7.5 Million), Ryan Smyth (7.5 Million), and Chris Drury (7.1 Million) are players that have career point averages of 60-70 at best. Yet all of them will make more money then Jarome Iginla, Joe Thornton, and Marian Hossa this season. Did you know that Bryan McCabe (7.15 Million), Ed Jovanovski (7.0 Million), and Kimmo Timonen (8.0 Million) will make more then Chris Pronger in the 07-08 season? Oddly enough,that contract that Brian Burke has Pronger locked up under, was tabled by that two headed, league wrecking, bastard Kevin Lowe. For further thought also consider that Jose Theodore (6.0 Million), Thomas Vokoun (5.3 Million), Nikolai Khabibulin (6.75 Million), and Olaf Kolzig (5.45 Million) will all make more then Martin Brodeur for the year.

Oh, one more, Todd Bertuzzi is collecting 4 Million a season from the Ducks. A contract signed and delivered by none other then Brian Burke. Brutal.

Players will always be overpaid by GM's in the NHL so that player will come play for their respective team. Kevin Lowe just used a path less taken to do so. It's also possible to argue, and I have, that Lowe's move will bring down UFA salaries. Now that Lowe has opened "Pandora's Box" teams will have to pay their younger talent more, sooner or risk losing them by Offer Sheets. In a cap system, that means if more dollars are being paid to younger players there will be less dollars for the UFA market at the end of the day.

Then again, this is just a damned opinion.

~ damned
The NHL Arena

Time To Man Up

2007-10-12T04:05:00.000-07:00

Part-time players have been a part of some sports for a few years now. Roger Clemens makes it a habit to only play roughly half a season for whatever team that is dumb enough to treat him like someone special, someone who need not abide by the rules everyone else has to follow. In his defense, he told teams up front what he was going to do and let them make the decision.

This is not the case most recently in the hockey world. Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne of the Anaheim Ducks, after helping their team win the Stanley Cup, announced they were unsure of their intentions for the coming season. Niedermayer has thoughts of retiring from the game and Selanne may want to return home to Finland. And both are certainly entitled to do just that.

But what they are doing is holding their team and their fans hostage by delaying their decision well after the season has started. This is very selfish and puts the team in a bad position. Roster spots need filled, line combinations worked out, and an overall team system needs to be designed. What happens to those players who earned a place on the team only to learn Niedermayer and Selanne decide in December to come back? “Thanks for keeping our seats warm boys, goodbye!” Very Selfish.

Then there are the Rob Blake, Saku Koivu, and Mario Lemieux’s of the hockey world. Blake recently found out he has a rare form of leukemia, a slow-growing cancer of the white blood cells. This disease is highly treatable and presents no immediate danger. Notice that it is treatable, not curable. He plans on staying with the team and working towards a preset goal.

"My goal has not changed since I heard this news," Blake said. "And that's come to Toronto, bring another piece of the puzzle and hopefully win a Stanley Cup here."

Koivu, the captain of the Montreal Canadiens recovered from abdominal cancer, missing most of the 2001-02 season, but returned for the playoffs, and Lemieux’s Hodgkin's disease, a form of cancer that attacks the lymph nodes, caused him to miss a part of the 1993 season. Both received treatments and resumed the game they love.

My point is this: these players have had to face incredible obstacles in their life and hockey career, and yet they felt it best for their family, team and themselves to make a decision, theirs to continue to play through the hardships. They made an unselfish decision.

Quite unlike Scotty and Teemu who have no sickness or treatments to weaken them or slow them down.

Time to make a decision, time to man up.

~ ogre1kanobe
The NHL Arena

Want Your Voice Heard?

2007-10-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed over the last couple of weeks that I have a few new faces here at The War Room. A handpicked crew of some of my hard hitting members back at The NHL Arena to keep things interesting and a reason for you all to not be forced to listen to my 2 cents each and every day.

With ogre1kanobe, srotaneS, Atma, damned and Stevens8204, we basically have you covered on all the recent events and on going controversial opinions based around the NHL.

However, there are spots still open in which I am offering to all of you readers. Simply submit an article to me, and have a chance to voice your opinion to our thousands of readers.

Keep things hard hitting and creative. Think outside the box on current events and you just might see your name in NHL Arena lights.

Rattle the boards, people!

LS

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In other news...

Tonight marks the end of our Roll Call Cup Semi finals and when the clock strikes 12 PM EST, only two teams will move on to fight for the greatest NHL team according to MySpace.com

In the West, the Ducks will be hard-pressed to catch up to the dominant Sharks in a battle of California, but nothing is impossible. So get your votes in.

And in the East we have a real nail-biter going on. Will the resurging Flyers be able to squeak past the mighty Sabres and restore the pride of the fans? Only time will tell and only you can make the difference.

For the West,

So much hockey....only so many DVR's

2007-10-06T15:08:00.000-07:00

What happens when there are so many games on that you can't possibly watch them all? This is indeed an interesting dilemma....sorta like getting too much of a good thing. There are 14 games on tonight...so with the free Center Ice preview, there is absolutely no reason to catch some of the coolest game on Earth. Now what to do you do if you're the unfortunate schmuck that has to work on a Saturday....well you get the DVR and Tivo working some serious OT. My plan....since I can tape off two tv's is to tape 2 early games (including the Devs of course). Then I will look at the best two late games and tape those. By the time I get home....I will be able to sit there with cider and pizza in hand and watch the Reader's Digest version of four games and not feel like I missed a thing.

Now for those who don't have such backup plans in place but can just sit home. Enjoy all the games and relax! Center Ice this year offers on one channel the ability to surf four games at once. Its like a kid in a candy store. I had to admit it was a very nice touch to see...and am looking forward to it as the season goes on. They also still have the scoreboard on the package with recaps so no worries sport fans...that did not disappear. So with that in mind....these are the four games I am taping and a little blurb why.

Montreal @ Toronto (Just for the HNIC Pre-Show really)

Devils @ Panthers (This is self explanatory)

Canucks @ Flames (Luongo vs. Kiprusoff...a must see)

Blues @ Kings (I want to see what the Blues look like)

Obviously I'll watch the Devils game first....gotta see how the hometown boys are doing...then the Leafs game....maybe I'll get to hear Saku Koivu's name once. Listening to the RDS guys say his name actually makes a Finnish name sound French....weird but true. Then it will be onward to the Blues-Kings game for a quick thirty minute rewind and finally the Canucks-Flames tilt. I am sure I can hear Erin, Andrew, and Sharon going at it already and to think it is only Week 2 of the
hockey season and already they are in top form. Needless to say I will be up very late but for NHL Hockey, it is always worth it. Thank you Center Ice for making that
possible.

Finally, I wanted to thank everyone that is making Hockey Around The Horn a reality. On October 15th, it will be on The NHL Arena for all to see. The questions will be going out sometime next week. The judges will need to be ready....these folks know their hockey. Have a good night everyone...loosen the belt buckle a bit
and enjoy the show!!

~ Stevens8204
The NHL Arena

Breaking The Barrier

2007-10-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

Hockey in most parts of the United States has become more of a fouled joke than a cult following, but for some hockey fans, that is what drives them. Sure, Buffalo and New York are fan crazy for all sports teams. Sure, the Philly fan cheers just as negatively at the Mets fan as he does the Rangers fan, but where does that leave those in between?

Being a Cincinnati based hockey fan isn't as exciting as it sounds. Bengals fans are ever reminding me of their inability to grasp the English language (who dey), and Reds fans are beating a 'Rose' bush that never fully blossomed in my backyard. The pathetic attempt to embrace two or three sports has forced this city to cheer for College teams they have never seen in person. So why does the Ohio State fan in Cincinnati neglect the Blue Jackets? Why does the Michigan fan in Cincinnati fan neglect the Red Wings?

Coverage.

Time Warner, not unlike Cingular, have their market convinced they see and know everything about everything. Versus, who has yet to sign a contract with Time Warner out of Cincinnati, causes even the fans who purchase Center Ice to tear their hair out as the playoffs begin and Versus games are blacked out. At first I blamed the local youth programs, but then I realized hockey is really not dead at all in Cincinnati. The inline leagues and ice hockey leagues for youths around here are ever increasing. Hell, they are easily triple the size of the adult leagues. Could it be that parents are too set in their ways to realize how great the sport of hockey is? Of course, because when their kid is scoring the tying goal in the championship game Sunday afternoon at 2.37pm, dad is busy in the bar staring down yet another school OSU is planning to obliterate.

One thing is for sure. Hockey does have its place in every market. Around here, the Indiana Pacers can easily be ignored, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are only mildly more interesting than the Cleveland Browns, who are a perennial favourite among those who like to swear. There is an entire block of there year where professional sports are basically stagnant in this region. Here is the perfect chance to come in and steal interest.

The one thing Cincinnati needs for hockey to grow is success. They aren't going to drive five hours to Pittsburgh to watch Sid because they don't know who he is. They aren't going to drive 4 hours to the Joe, because they don't know WHAT that is. They will, however drive to Nationwide. Not only does this arena have a fantastic district, it is a young and growing franchise. FSN Ohio is indeed broadcasted here, and fans can be treated to plenty of games each year if they can turn on a television.

So where am I going with this? It's simple. Columbus needs to get better. Guys like Howson who are putting a personal cap on a team who can not breech the post season are a disease to this league. It doesn't cost that much for success. Cut ties with the cash cows like Foote and Federov, and throw another seven million into the pot for a decent squad and let the prospects fill in the spots. This isn't rocket science, it is hockey. Hockey people want to see.

~ srotaneS
The NHL Arena

Game On!!!

2007-10-03T15:26:00.000-07:00

As of this past weekend, the 2007-2008 hockey season began and gets into full swing today with games being played all around the NHL.

Expectations for the coming season and bitterness of what happened last year for some teams add fuel to a fire burning deep in the belly of hockey players, coaches and fans. The Senators want to take the last step in their long continuing journey to win the Stanley Cup, falling in the finals to a Ducks team that was not to be denied. Teams like the Red wings, Canucks, Sharks, and Devils want to make a return to the playoffs, again. Others, including the Penguins and Thrashers, want to erase the bitterness that was a very short run last year.

But last year is last year. A new year brings excitement and hope for a better result no matter how your team played or what transpired over the off season. The Flyers, Avalanche, Kings, and Bruins all made strides to improve their team and position in the standings. Stanley Cup finalists? Maybe. Who knows? That’s what is so special about the start of the season. All teams are equal as far as record goes, and all fans are equally excited.

The majority of the experts are picking the Red Wings, Sharks or Penguins to win it all this year. But it doesn’t matter what the “experts” think. It matters what the fans think. And we all think OUR team is the best.

So sit back tonight, get the friends and snacks together, and watch your Stanley Cup contending team play their first games of this new season.

GAME ON!!

~ ogre1kanobe
The NHL Arena

Dryden For Office

2007-10-01T18:49:00.000-07:00

As the NHLPA takes their sweet time finding just the right man to lead their union, I am throwing out a name here. Ken Dryden.

Now my nomination might be said tongue in cheek, as it has not been brought about due to his legal resume. But what better person than a guy who could possibly represent the one group most hit hard by the latest collective bargaining agreement.

The goaltender.

Two years in and we have begun to see many patterns that can be directly tied in with the salary cap and other rule changes. But perhaps no more than the effect on the philosophy dealing with the men that happen to play the most important position on the ice. Between the pipes.

Gone are the days of the goaltending tandem. With cost saving measures brought to the forefront, general managers around the league seem unwilling to spend upward to a million dollars for second stringer. And the only teams that do happen to have two recognizable names on their rosters, prove to be the unfortunate ones that have previously locked into deals that went bad. Really bad.

Two seasons ago you might remember the joke that was the Atlanta Thrasher's goaltending situation. Going into a season with all their eggs in one basket, only to have the rookie Kari Lehtonen fall to injury in the preseason with little to back him up with.

Last season, it was the Los Angeles Kings debacle with Dan Cloutier, and the unwillingness of putting Jason LaBarbera through the waiver wire for recall.

Others such as Theodore, Gerber, Denis, Khabibulin and Raycroft have also hamstrung their teams with cap space and contracts.

This past offseason, we saw the San Jose Sharks trade away Vesa Toskala due to a new contract on the horizon. And now they are passing off a Cup contending team with ole'"what's his name" behind Nabokov. A theme mirrored by the Flames.

... and if one of the big men go down...?

There seem to be no teams willing to give the Belfours, Josephs, and Esches the light of day, nowadays. And yet 18 and 19 year old rookies are given the red carpet treatment, just prior to being fed to the wolves. Which used to be the #1 rule of what not to do.

It will be very interesting to see what unfolds for this third 'new' NHL season. Whether or not Jonathan Bernier in LA can handle the load. Or if Carey Price in Montreal will be able to perform with suitable playing time, so as not to rust on the bench. If Ward will bounce back from a sophomore hangover, while Lehtonen and Fluery respond from post seasons that exposed them for exactly what they were. Kids. And now with Toskala, Mason, Biron, Aebischer and Backstrom all being handed the baton for a complete season, the pressure cooker has never been greater.

Goaltending has always been a tough position to play, but now it seems it has become a tough career choice as well.

~ LS
The NHL Arena

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just now we have triggered the RCC Conference finals match ups and with your help we can determine what two teams will make it to the big show.

Vote for the Eastern Champs!

Vote for the Western Champs!

They Always Catch The Retaliation

2007-09-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

This hot topic in the NHL this week wasn't about the fact the season starts this weekend. It was about an ugly hit by Steve Downie on Dean McAmmond. The topic has been debated into the ground since McAmmond's head bounced off the ice on Tuesday night. Was the hit late? Did Downie leave his feet? Did he hit him with the shoulder or was it an elbow? Being a hockey fan, I can't go without putting in my two cents either. The hit was a bit late, but not by very much. I don't think Downie left his feet as much as he leaned into the hit. I don't think it was an elbow. I also think that Downie didn't have to make a hit like that in pre-season hockey, which speaks volumes of his character that has always been in question as it is.

The kicker to this saga is that the entire ordeal could have been avoided.

This hit was 100% retaliation on Downie's part. Just 30 seconds before he hit McAmmond, Downie was hit, from behind and face first, into the boards by Chris Schubert. There should have been a call immediately at that point in this hockey game. A hit from behind is just as big of an issue as a hit to the head in today's NHL. Yet the refs turned a blind eye and Downie went head hunting. Downie got the match penalty, which is the right call, but Schubert got off scotch free. They always get the retaliation.

Then again this is just a damned opinion.

~ damned
The NHL Arena
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This damned opinion has been brought to you by, Premiere; London 07.

We invite you all to kick off the NHL festivities tomorrow afternoon as the Kings face the Ducks overseas at the 02 Arena.

Our first official Game day thread of the season was created by none other than DuckLoz herself. The British girl we banded together to raise tickets for, so that she could see her favorite Ducks in her first ever once in a lifetime live NHL game.

The Fans Don't Have To Hate Them

2007-09-27T19:58:00.000-07:00

The new jerseys are always worth a decent discussion regardless of where you go. Getting past the new 'edge' concept, you come to notice that yes, teams are looking to increase revenue, and yes, teams are trying to make the game 'look' faster. When it boils down to the nitty gritty, the jerseys really aren't that bad.

My initial reaction was heavily biased considering I prefer the same old game, and this is just another perfect chance to harp on the NHL for going in a direction that was not considering tradition. This year marks a serious change in the way we may perceive the game, and it may honestly make the games rule changes more apparent. This year, it will be quite obvious if you are able to grab onto another players jersey and pull him. No more flimsy jerseys that can make a call both ways. If you can get a hold of these jerseys, you are doing something you shouldn't be doing.

Then there were the seven templates available to teams. Don't get me wrong, they kept their colours, but did they keep their dignity?! Ottawa, Tampa Bay, and Pittsburgh all have the same template, with a different colour scheme. While this is not obvious, when you look at the two jerseys side by side, it is terribly apparent. So much for making these teams stand out!

There have also been complaints about the heat being caused by the jerseys. The most common trend here is how many veterans say their gloves and undergarments are soaked by the end of the game. I have a solution for you. Stop complaining! Drinking water and sweating are two natural things, and as long as you are doing both, you are perfectly fine.

Let's assume these guys are still getting their paychecks at the end of the year. Can anyone honestly tell me the last time they had a job that allowed them to complain about something as miniscule as sweat because of a jersey? The only acceptable argument I have heard is the durability of the jerseys, and whether that may cause harm.

Everything else is just another millionaire swimming upstream, trying to latch onto some media. Don't hate the jerseys. If someone can love the new Reebok 'O' stick, which is about as non-traditional as it gets, anyone should be able to love these jerseys. Remember folks, you aren't cheering for fashion, you are cheering for the team.

~ srotaneS
The NHL Arena

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Don't forget to get your votes in for our final 4 in each conference...

Vote for your RCC Eastern Conference finalists, as well as your RCC Western Conference finalists.

Error 406, Not Acceptable

2007-09-27T19:56:00.000-07:00

While I am mostly just a Sabres poster on the NHL Arena, there is a real man behind the moniker known as "Atma". Part of my time away from the Arena is spent working as a web developer for a start up ISP Reseller, as well as a free lancer. I've been doing web development since I was 17, which totals roughly 8 years of previous experience. I've hand written everything from blogs to commerce sites to classified ad programs, so I have some sort of idea of what I like.

Let me tell you this is not just a self promotion tool to try to get some business. There's something I've noticed as a web developer that bugs the ever living crap out of me, especially when it comes to hockey.

This is the NHL.com's implementation of their so called "media".

Sabres pre season games in this region are hard to come by unless you listen on the Internet. Luckily I live in an area where I get MSG and Versus, so I won't miss anything as far as the regular season. However, this pre season has been a nail biter, and not because the Sabres are 1-2. It's because certain aspects of the NHL.com interface when it comes to their score sheets, to their implementation of NHL.tv has been, IMO, sheer crap at best.

Lets start with the score sheets. I was home to listen to the Wild/Sabres game on WGR 550. Unfortunately, that's the only method I had to keep up. Steer away for a second and you missed out on who scored what goal. Why? Because something glitched on the NHL site and while the scoreboard was rolling on the score section, all the links weren't active. It was if the game wasn't even being played.

Bummer. I had to wait for RJ to tell me Rolston scored the second goal for the Wild.

Speaking of score sheets, during the two games I did get to see a score sheet during the pre season, I couldn't have honestly told you who was playing in net for either team. Last year they had this information readily available. This year, it's missing. I think it's vital to me to know that Thibault and the Sabres were choking on the PP during their pre season opener, but I couldn't have told you that without paying especially close attention to the radio broadcast.

To their credit, they've implemented some interesting stats, like shots taken 5 on 3, 4 on 3, so on and so forth. However, I'd like to know which goalie is playing in net. This is important to me being that until Vanek made his way onto the Sabres roster, I was a goalie man.

And where'd the auto refresh go? That was useful, fellas.

NHL.tv is another debacle all together.

I totally don't live in Ciecro, NY. However, that's where I had to say I lived just to successfully sign up for the service. NHL.tv checks your IP address against ARIN's records to figure out your "billing address". To summarize, your IP Address is a unique identifier on the Internet which permits information to be transferred to and from your computer. ARIN is in charge of registering these IP addresses to your Internet Service Provider, and the IP addresses need a physical address. Being that I live in PA, but the ISP I use is based out of NY, suddenly my billing address is somewhere in NY, roughly 200 miles away from where I'm physically located.

This also means that I'm blacked out from the Sabres/Leafs game that played 9/26/07 according to NHL.tv.

Also, for a while, I couldn't access the games that were currently playing on the day of the week we were on. I could access yesterday, even though the feeds weren't there, and tomorrow's games, which haven't been played yet, but today's games were a wash.

In my opinion, these glitches are totally unacceptable. To build your web presence and gain fans, you need to have a perfectly functioning system. I can accept the TV black out rules, but they shouldn't apply on the Internet. And when they do, I should be able to access an alternate feed anyway, preferably on the day of the week I'm currently on. I shouldn't need a time machine to watch a Sabres game on the Internet.

I figure at best they have a week to get this stuff fixed. This geek is highly unimpressed with their current system, and for all intents and purposes, maybe a time machine should be in my budget. At least I'd get to see the stats and games I'd want to see, opposed to the current bumbling that the NHL is providing me here and now.

~ Atma
The NHL Arena

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This message has been brought to you by The NHL Arena Prediction Game.

"Where the worst you can do, is lose!"

It's All About The PRE

2007-09-27T19:54:00.000-07:00

Preseason has only a few more days left and then the games that count towards the standings will begin in earnest. So, what have we learned about the teams in the NHL for the 2007-2008 season?

Well, in the Central division, the off-season disaster city of Nashville, once sold and moving, then just selling players, will win that division, with Detroit sliding in second place. Phoenix rises in the Pacific after being burned the last few years by the Great One, earning a playoff spot behind the Sharks of San Jose. Boston and Toronto will finish ahead of the Buffalo Sabres after a free signing period that just left the horned beast desperate for any players who even knew what a flat sheet of ice is. And the New York Islanders will win the Atlantic ahead of the Devils, Rangers, and the Penguins, who with their impotent offense will score the least amount of goals in the league.

And remember, you heard it here first.

Yeah, right.

This is PRE-season. Put the emphasis on the PRE. Some people put so much stock in a preseason result that they sell off their season tickets and dump the players on their fantasy team based on what happens for few games in early September. If any of these coaches sent their players on the ice for the sole purpose of a victory, they would be fired before people in NFL cities realize hockey season started.

It's all about the PRE. Getting PREpared, having PREsence, and PREventing injuries. Newbies are tested, veterans are rested, and good teams get bested. (Bested?) Relax if your team is in last place and you know they are better than that, and don't get too cocky if your team is in first place and deep in you hockey brain, not you hockey heart, you know they won't be there in April.

Enjoy the games with an open mind or may be eating crow with an open mouth.
~ Ogre1Kanobe
The NHL Arena

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Someday I'm A Saturday Nite.....

2007-09-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

Yes indeed, I have further expanded my horizons...and headed straight to The War Room. With trademark cider in hand,
I bring an East Coast view from the West Coast and all the way back again. So what do we have this week??? Simple,
the first week of preseason action is pretty much in the books. So what teams are looking good? I can tell you one
thing...it doesn't matter. Players are trying to get in shape. However, I noticed with the growing trend of strange injuries during this preseason....that some of the guys are inconspicuously absent so far.

One such player is Martin Brodeur. He has not played a minute this preseason. Now, don't worry Devil fans....Marty is not hurt. AS a matter of fact, he has been seen in numerous practices. According to Coach Sutter, Marty has been looking better and has trimmed off about 5 to 10 pounds from last year's frame. I didn't think he would be in better shape but hey, this is a good thing. Expect him to see some action Monday night....against the hated Flyers. If he doesn't, hell I might even start wondering what in the blue Hades is going on.

In other news....yes I am going to touch the schedule change anticipated for next season....with one simple point.....IT'S ABOUT TIME!!! This was a worse kept secret than Gomez signing with the Rangers...worse than Kevin Lowe using offer sheets this offseason. Now hopefully they come to a schedule that everyone can agree on. This is an awful lot to ask given everything but something along the lines of 6 meetings within the division...4 meetings within the conference...1 time thru the entire Western Conference and then 3 wildcard matchups...could be any team outside that team's division. Not a bad plan..alas I doubt the NHL will come up with that because it's too obvious.

Has everyone seen their team's new jerseys yet? I have to say I was pleasantly pleased by the Devils new uniform...it has the kept the same basic traditions that the old jersey had. Hell, I may even buy a replica when they come out in the hockey catalogs. Some jerseys have not gone over so well...like the Canucks and Stars jerseys. At least to me, the Canucks jersey just looks dreadful...I am not sure what they were thinking. The new Stars jerseys at least aren't as bad as the old bovine jerseys which may have been worse than the late 70's, early 80's Canuckistan jerseys. Scary to think how far this has come and yet how many ugly or nice direction hockey jerseys can go.

Finally, this is just the beginning. Next week, who knows what will be in store as it's just another Saturday way out west. Have a great weekend and next Saturday, there will be some regular season hockey to talk about and a Loren sighting perhaps at the Ducks-Kings game.

~ Stevens8204

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This message has been brought to you by...

The LSHL

"The official pool of The NHL Arena."

Good luck to our 23 contestants in this years pool who will be attending the big draft tomorrow.

LS

The Next Train

2007-09-21T18:35:00.000-07:00

The NHL Board of Governors had their first meeting of the year this past Tuesday. When they came out of the days meeting it was announced, that come November, the Board would be voting on the format that the NHL is scheduling it's games. It's expected that they will be changing back to the format that would see each team play each other at least once every season. The current format, one that is despised by most hockey fans, has East and West teams playing each other once every 3 seasons on a rotating bases. So it would seem that the NHL and Gary Bettman may have finally got something right. Fans, including myself, love that fact that some of our favorite players across the NHL will be seen on a more regular bases. Hockey forums are lit up with praise that the right call has been made and hockey fans are looking forward to the change. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

The problem is this, that light, is the next train wreck heading into Grand Central NHL.

The second topic of discussion by the Board of Governors was expansion. A topic brought up by none other then Gary Bettman, who has taken the NHL down this slippery slope once already. The NHL has 30 teams. Some of which can be argued do not belong as it is. So why are we thinking about, let alone talking about, adding more? Will teams in Las Vegas, Seattle, or Kansas City really make the NHL a better league? I think not. In fact I will argue that the NHL should contract and of course I will tell you why.

The NHL is a water downed product.

It simply does not have enough high end players to go around. Aside from the select few, the make up of most teams in the NHL is two or three "Star Power" names and then 3 lines of "Energy" players. Think about it, just take the time to run 10 teams through your head and tell me I am wrong. My Oilers have Hemsky and Souray. The Dallas Stars have Modano and Zubov. The Jackets have Rick Nash and ........ Rick Nash. The Canucks have the Sedins and whoever plays on their line. In most cases you will come up with 3-4 names on a team of 23-24 players that you could consider a star player. So what if we made the NHL a 20 team league instead of a 30 team league? The hockey would be better. Period. You would have line combinations on teams that you will NEVER see in the NHL today and with the cap system that is in place, the talent would be forced to be spread across the 20 NHL teams instead of just with the Rangers. A smaller NHL would but the best players on the ice in stronger doses and keep players, that just take up space in the 30 team league, in the AHL where they belong.

Then again, this is just a damned opinion.

~ damned

The War Room

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Vote for your favorite Eastern Conference finalist here.

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Leave It The !@#$ Alone!

2007-09-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

I think I'm the only person that I've seen right now that could defend this point of view. It ought to cause a mild drizzle, but not an uproar.

Leave it the !@#$ alone!

TSN.ca starts a new article by saying “Sid the Kid will play every team in the NHL next season.”

I immediately know what I'm going to read, without reading the remainder of the article.

The NHL plans on ridding themselves of what they consider an unbalanced schedule at the end of the year. A schedule mostly structured in the vein of the NFL, where conference and more importantly, division rivalry were to be emphasized in an attempt to develop some tension between fans of opposing teams. A schedule, which if given a better chance, might have had great success at doing just that. It would've been a schedule which drove up revenue all around the board for more than just the one game that Sidney Crosby shows up at.

But no, the NHL doesn't know well enough to leave it alone.

While NHL owners blow smoke up each others behinds and put Sidney on the pedestal of the money deity, I predict that in 5 years when we've had enough of Sid the Kid, everybody, owners and fans alike, will be whining for another schedule change. The excuse again will be there is no real rivalries in place, even though we only lose maybe 8 games a season, tops, within divisions.

I can pretend to hate a team for a year just to watch the next game, which by then I would've grown enough apathy to not give a damn about. At least the current system would've given me the opportunity to see the said rivalry between 2 to 3 more times, instead of the proposed 6 inter divisions and home-and-home series games we're probably going to get stuck with.

The only winners here are the Canadian teams whom already have enough hockey love to support such a change. You might sell out a building when Sid comes around in the US, but you're not going to really build any momentum with passion when you face 25 other teams twice a year.

Good luck Board of Governors. I'll be looking forward to your next proposed schedule change in a few years.

~ Atma

The War Room
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I Had It All Figured Out

2007-09-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

Michael Vick was coming by to watch the dogs. Mark Bell was going to drive me to Buffalo, and I was going to sit in the hopefully freezing Bills' Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., to watch the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres play an outdoor hockey game. Then I heard the bad news yesterday. Forty-two thousand tickets went on sale at 10 AM and all were gone in 40 minutes. It was bad news for me, but good news for hockey.

Along with the games across the pond in merry ol’ England, this preseason has got off to a pretty good start. This is the first time an NHL regular-season game has been played outdoors in the United States, and the first time the NHL has attempted to run this type of event. Host Edmonton ran the previous outdoor game, in 2003.

The speed at which the tickets were sold surprised many NHL officials who were worried they may be stuck with a glut of tickets and a white elephant event. Granted, a fair amount of those tickets sold have already found their way to the auction houses of the Internet, but even that shows how popular some people feel this sport has become again. If you think you are going to make a buck scalping these tickets, there must be a demand out there for it.

These steps and more are needed by the NHL to bring the sport back into its top four standing after suffering the “Year That Wasn't”. More people exposed to the sport will bring in the casual sports fan and bring back those upset at what happened a couple of years ago.

So, the '07-'08 season will begin soon and die-hard fans will be trying to convince their friends that this is a sport to be watched. And now it seems the NHL is finally trying to do that too. It’s about time.

Well, time to go a sit in my memorabilia room and wait to watch the “Ice Bowl” on television. O.J.’s coming over with some friends to see the stuff he gave me.

~ ogre1kanobe

...

A Dying Breed?

2007-09-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

A savvy veteran is a very important and heavily sought after player in the NHL nowadays. But what are you really getting for your buck? Some of the most influential players on each team are the confident and well known veterans, yet these are the same people who play as though they are walking on egg shells if they even hint on injury.

Bubble players are the worst. Scott Niedermayer can not decide whether to retire, or play for another season. Lucky for the Anaheim Ducks, Matthew Schneider, another bubble type veteran player was signed during the off-season, only to injure his fragile and aging body in the first pre-season game. Of course, that is not enough for the Ducks, who find themselves waiting on a rehabilitated Teemu Selanne, who had an incredible rebound season last year, and is now considering the same future dilemma that Scotty is pondering.

Now, having three guys with career numbers like that would draw saliva to any GMs mouth, but is it enough? Frankly, it is not. The new NHL has given birth to a couple new forms of player. The first, and most important is the hybrid player. This is the guy everyone looks to for the big goal or pass, and the big hit. He is fast, yet finds a way to be patient as well. This is the type of player that can easily replace the leadership that a veteran like Selanne can bring.

The second player form introduced after the pansy rules were implemented is the energy player. This is the guy that skates with more heart and intent than anyone else on the ice. This guy can hit, score, fight, pass, talk, and lead. This is the type of guy that replaces the grit and knowledge that a guy like Niedermayer will typically possess.

Why are they important? They do not break like fine china. Comparably, they are the plastic polymer of the nhl, and they last for more than one or two seasons.

This is where it gets simple. Teams who pay energy players and hybrids fair far better in the long run than those who blow their wads on veterans. If you want an example, go to Columbus and see how many times Sergei has iced his elbows in the past year, and compare his salary (6.08 cap hit) to someone who is actually a spark plug to his team. Columbus can not afford to be this absent minded.

~ srotaneS

The LS Top 50

2007-08-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

After reading The Hockey News' version of their top 50 projected players for the upcoming 07-08 season, along with The Puck Stops Here and Spectors take-offs, I felt obliged to create a list of my own. However, just cause I'm different, I've decided to divide the top 50 in 3 categories. The top 25 forwards, the top 15 defensemen and the top 10 goaltenders.

In retrospect, I've obviously chosen different criterea from the others, in order to formulate this list of the top 50 complete packages for the upcoming season.

You'll see what I mean.

Forwards

1. J. Thornton, SJ
2. Alfredsson, Ott
3. Heatley, Ott
4. Crosby, Pgh
5. Vanek, Buf
6. Spezza, Ott
7. Datsyuk, Det
8. Iginla, Cal
9. Zetterberg, Det
10. Jagr, NYR
11. Hossa, Atl
12. Gaborik, Min
13. Afinogenov, Buf
14. Briere, Phi
15. Lecavalier, TB
16. St Louis, TB
17. Jokinen, Fla
19. Havlat, Chi
20. D. Sedin, Van
21. Sakic, Col
22. Nylander, Wsh
23. McDonald, Ana
24. Brind'Amour, Car
25. Marleau, SJ

Defense

1. Pronger, Ana
2. Lidstrom, Det
3. Schneider, Ana
4. Timonen, Phi
5. Campbell, Buf
6. Salo, Van
7. Visnovsky, LA
8. Whitney, Pgh
9. Kaberle, Tor
10. Hamrlik, Mtl
11. Bouwmeester, Fla
12. Phaneuf, Cal
13. Gonchar, Pgh
14. McCabe, Tor
15. Rafalski, Det

Goaltenders

1. Luongo, Van
2. Brodeur, NJ
3. Backstrom, Min
4. Mason, Nsh
5. Kiprusoff, Cal
6. Dipietro, NYI
7. Emery, Ott
8. Giguere, Ana
9. Lundqvist, NYR
10. Vokoun, Fla

I suspect there will be non-believers to this list, but when the smoek clears at the end of this season, I will re-hash these names to show you how accurate I may or may not be.

The LSHL Keeper Pool

2007-08-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

On September 23rd at 1 PM EST, The NHL Arena will be holding it's 1st LSHL Keeper Pool Draft.

Rules to this fantasy hockey game, can be found here

For $20 (Canadian), you can sign up for one of the greatest general manager simulation games known to man, where not only is building a Stanley Cup winning team your goal, but a dynasty.

For those of you that are interested, simply send me an email at nhlarena@hotmail.com for further details.

Let's see if you can beat LS at his own game!

A Toskala Of Measurement

2007-08-25T20:33:00.000-07:00

Inspired by a few debates circling around the Toronto Maple Leafs. The comparison between Vesa Toskala and Andrew Raycroft (albeit not much debate there), the over/underrated Leaf defense and the likelihood of a playoff birth due to a goaltending change. I decided to do a little number crunching...

Over the course of 4 seasons with the San Jose Sharks, Toskala has averaged a .914 SV%. Last season with the Leafs, Andrew Raycroft posted an .894 SV% for a difference of .020%. These numbers obviously make for a good measuring stick when comparing these two netminders head to head, but how do they relate to team success?

Should we grab Toskala's .914% and filter it into Raycroft's 1931 shots against, we can project 1765 saves over the course of the season. Which is 39 more saves than Raycroft managed last season. And of course that means 39 less goals.

If we factored in the 39 less goals against into last season's stats, the Leafs would have managed 258 goals for, versus 230 goals against. Giving them the 4th least goals against in the East.

The one team that had comparable numbers to these projections last season, were the Calgary Flames. The Flames managed 258 goals for, versus 226 goals against. It was good enough to earn them 96 points over the season. Had the Leafs managed 96 points (a mere 5 pts more than they did manage), they would have sat in the 6th seed in the East and paved a way to Atlanta for a playoff series.

And now I can hear the 'quality of shots' angle being thrown my way. What are the chances that Toskala can provide the Leafs with a .914 SV% considering their defense, as opposed to San Jose's? And when Marc Denis, Ed Belfour, Roberto Luongo, Manny Legace, Dan Cloutier and Andrew Raycroft collectively dropped .013 SV% last season while playing for their new respective clubs, this makes for a very valid argument. But really, this isn't about finding a foolproof way of predicting the Leafs chance of success next season. It's more to do with proving how much of a difference a measely .020 SV% can make on a team's success, and how it can instantly change the appearance of it's defense core.

While John Ferguson Jr., Paul Maurice and the Toronto media rave about Andrew Raycroft's 37 win season, or are ready to tar and feather the blueline, truer stats have been ignored.

A Good Cause For DuckLoz

2007-08-24T15:29:00.000-07:00

On a more serious note today as Commissioner of The NHL Arena, I would like to announce a good cause that we are partaking in to benefit one of our members.

DuckLoz (or Loren) happens to be a model member of our board. She is well liked in our community and consistently provides the type of respect for all fans, that we pride ourselves upon.

She also happens to be an 18 year old Anaheim Ducks fan from Sheffield England. And unfortunately it seems that she might miss a rare opportunity to catch her favorite team play their arch rivals; the Los Angeles Kings in a two game series starting on September 29th on British soil and at a decent time of night. And that is where we would like to step in.

We at The NHL Arena are starting a drive, asking for donations to allow Loren to catch her first ever live NHL game. And with the help of the greater online hockey community, we think we can make this dream come true.

True enough, this is not an attempt to cure cancer, or save baby seals, or a chance to give poor DuckLoz a transplanted kidney. Nonetheless, we do feel that this is a worthy cause and would like everyone the chance to be a part of this feel-good story. And if you wanted to take a second to find out a little more about our English friend, we think you'd agree.

Our plan is to scour the web looking for generous hockey fans who might have the luxury of catching a game more so than someone on the other side of the Atlantic would, and simply ask them for whatever they can contribute. All donations will be transferred into our paypal account in hopes of of acquiring a pair of tickets for one of the aforementioned games. Should we fall short of our goal, all donations will be refunded to the people that have made them, in good faith.

If you are interested 'A Good Cause For DuckLoz', please email us at nhlarena@hotmail.com . And if a donation is out of the question, you can still be a part of this by helping us spread the word around the world wide web.

Together, we can once again show the world why other pro-sports fans cannot hold a candle to those that love the NHL.

Can Crosby Design Our New Jerseys?

2007-08-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

Please???!!!

At the draft, having watched the unveiling of the Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals new uniforms, I have to say that I was rather impressed. Prior to that, all the talk of the new Reebok designs had me skeptical to say the least. And at the All Star game, I was even more nauseous than usual.

Sure, I am a bit of a traditionalist by nature and when I saw the rebirth of the retro red, white and blue donned by the Caps I was quite pleased. Same goes for the Bobby Orr-esque new (old) Bruins look. And when the Jackets gave up on the CN Rail meets Honest Ed designs, things were looking up.

Since then I have also been somewhat impressed with the Kings new apparel, although I don't know how the chic look will go down with our Bloods and Crips.

The Penguin jerseys were adequate I suppose, but there just didn't seem to be enough room on the back for the numbers.

When NHL 08 began leaking footage of NHL teams wearing the new designs, I thought the Canes showed a little too much in the striping department. But little did I know that their unofficial look would only be a precursor to the Isles god awful reincarnation. Please Captain Highliner, come back!

I suspected that the Preds would have to say goodbye to their chrome sleeves, yet the new design was bearable. And the Panthers would have been fine if it weren't for some oddly placed elbow pit striping.

I'm satisfied with the new San Jose Shark logos, even if the inclusion of burnt orange reminds me more of the Dolphins than it does Sharks.

The Red Wings new look remains pretty much the same, other than the fact that the traditional captain's 'C' and alternative captain's 'A' will have to be placed on the players right shoulder rather than the left. And I apologize if I am coming off as petty, but that just looks WAY wrong.

The New York Ranger design has the words crushed to the center of the sweater, while having some bib-like thing at the bottom of the waist. Apparently this was added to keep the Ranger players' saliva off their shorts, while spitting on opposing team's ice girls.

The Ottawa jersey which was unveiled last evening reminds me of some after school public service special. I'd like to call it 'Captain Cartoon Condom Man'.

It seems that the more unveilings made available, the worse this new space aged Reebok advance jersey creation appears to be. I mean, what can we possibly expect next?

Will the New Jersey new jerseys brand a new logo representing NJ squared? Will the Broad Street Bullies add new splotches of red to give the impression that blood will not completely repel in a second flat? Could the Buffaslug get any worse? Might the Montreal Canadiens try to implement 24 Stanley Cups on each shoulder patch while linking the numbers below with some cob web-like image? Will the Maple Leafs wear tie dye designs, knowing full well that their fans will buy them up no matter how bad they look? Will the Thrashers keep their powder blue or go with something that might show up better in the spring? Will Tampa Bay ever come up with something a little more thought provoking than a lightning bolt? Will the Hawks try a blacked out look for home games? Will the Flames go with blazing red for home games while returning to the cowardly yellow for the road? Will the Avs try out some funky Colorado Rockies retro look? Will the Oilers see a need in making female fitting uniforms? Is anyone else afraid of what Reeboks version of 'Wild' might be? Might the Canucks be interested in Borat banana thongs? Will we have to listen to Brian Burke whine about his new uniforms? Can the Dallas stars come up with anything that could draw our attention away from Mike Modano's teeth?

Phew. Let me catch my breath here...

Would anyone like to bet what the new design for the Coyotes will look like?

Heh.

Care To Wager On That?

2007-08-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

While the hockey world awaits the decision from the Commissioner on any future relationship between Phoenix Coyote assistant coach Rick Tocchet and the NHL, one has to wonder if Glen Sather was hired as a consultant to the case. It's saying something when the courts and a Mike Peca signing can come to a conclusion before the NHL can. Once the gavel does come down, I suspect it the Coyotes will be placing a job wanted ad. in their local newspaper.

Already I have heard Rick Tocchet compared to Pete Rose, Michael Vick, NBA officials, the entire White Sox organization and Tony Soprano. Osama Bin Laden won't be far behind. And while hockey fans worry about how the NHL will be perceived by Greater America, Americans are busy talking about dog fighting at the moment.

The truth is, that no matter what Bettman decides, this remains a non-story to almost everyone that is not already a fan of this league. In fact, the greater story is barely ever spoken and will inevitably be the deciding factor in Bettman's decision.

I suspect when the day comes, the Commish will speak of things such as ethics, and a hard-lined stance against sports betting in his NHL fraternity. He might also try to draw everyones attention to the 3 major leagues and the issues they are all currently dealing with.

The truth of the matter is that Rick Tocchet will be put on the proverbial walking plank merely because he is expendable and he will provide the easiest way for the NHL to sweep this whole mess under it's political rug. Had it merely been a question of Tocchet breaking the law, the NHL would also have to look at various others. Most of which have alcohol related rap sheets. And if it were indeed true that this was the NHL's way of separating themselves from the gambling world, why should it stop with Tocchet?

I know that the courts have decided to not press charges, or even release the names of the high profile players in Tocchet's gambling ring. But with names like Jeremy Roenick leaking out to the media, do you think this will keep him from becoming a well known TV sports analyst used to promote the league to those stubborn Yanks that have yet to jump on board? Highly doubtful. But even Roenick might be looked at as expendable, if need be, compared to the NHL's golden boy. Wayne Gretzky.

Now I know that it was implicated that Janet Jones Gretzky had ties to Tocchet's ring and not her husband. And plenty of theorists are quick to assume that all of this was done behind her wholesome husband's back. But really, what is the likelihood of her making substantial wagers linked to her partner's right hand man without his knowledge? And even if you could get your head around that one, do you really think if all this was done without Wayne's knowledge, that he would be campaigning to have Tocchet back?

There is no doubt in my mind that Gretzky shares the same gambling ethics his wife has been reported as having. And it shouldn't take too much digging on the NHL's part to find out for themselves. But of course, such a maneuver by the league would wake up the various TV stations and Sports Radio channels across the continent that are currently content talking about Michael Vick. And that is something Bettman does not want to do.

So farewell Rich Tocchet. Thanks for all those years, even if they were in a Flyer uniform. And thanks for showing us that bodychecks can happen in All Star games. Sorry you have to be the patsy here, but chances are, you'd never get another coaching job the day Phoenix let you walk anyways.

Belfour Goes Blonde

2007-08-20T22:42:00.001-07:00

One of the more surprising aspects to this latest rumor of Eddie the Eagle soaring off to Europe to continue his lengthy career, is that he has seemingly chosen Swedish meatballs over Russian Vodka.

A report out of the Stockholm Expressen has Eddie Belfour signing with Leksand; a 2nd tier club in the SEL, almost any day now.

Looking back at the illustrious career of Belfour, you have the 3rd most career wins in NHL history. And considering his single cup win in his 1000 seasons of NHL duty, a case can be made that he pulled off his statistical dominance while on clubs less supportive than those of Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur.

Along with his one Stanley Cup ring, Belfour has a Calder Trophy, two Vezinas and Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award in his portfolio. Thus being an obvious choice for an induction into the Hockey Hall Of Fame once he gives in to retirement.

Sadly, Ed Belfour is known for his legal troubles and his abrasive temperament, more so than his talents. And even at the ripe old age of 42, his decision making abilities continue to come under question to this day.

Ironically, in the same offseason while legendary players like Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne contemplate retirement at the top of their game, Belfour refuses to do so three seasons too late. And to the best of my knowledge, not one of the 28 current Hall of Fame inducted goaltenders could be found guilty of rounding out their careers in a lesser league. So does this make Belfour even more of a laughing stock?

I suppose a case could be made that Belfour's competitive edge is keeping him from giving in to those not willing to take a chance on him in the NHL. Or perhaps he wishes to revitalize the Swedish Elite league with his star power. Much like Beckham is seen as doing for the LA Galaxy and the MLS. However, the likelihood of the decision to cross the Atlantic for any reason other than to desperately find a way back into the NHL at the age of 43 or more, appears to be rather dubious.

One thing that is certain, is that we will not be listening to, "Eddie, Eddie, Eddie" chants in an NHL arena this season. Instead, we might be lucky to dig up some YouTube footage of, a "put ze cheeken in de oven, bork, bork, bork" chorus instead.

News This Weak

2007-08-19T14:29:00.000-07:00

Based out of the hockey mecca that is known as Toronto, there has been much talk about local newspaper; The Toronto Sun's cover stories this past week.

First we had the breaking news of an informal practice featuring a handful of Leafs and Marlies scrimmaging with one another at Lakeshore Lions Arena. That epic headline was then followed up the following day with the news that Mark Bell pleaded guilty to a DUI and hit and run charge which would lead him to some Hilton-like jail time next summer. And of course, for the 3rd day in a row another astonishing hockey related story featuring a picture of a Swedish girl walking her dog; allegedly on a romantic date with Mats Sundin.

Much has been said about the lack of interest these 3 inside scoops have given the average NHL fan, but I would like to point out that in all 3 cases, these tabloid-like articles all happen to have been true. Which is something that cannot be said about past 'newsworthy' stories such as Balsillie being the saviour of Hamilton Ontario, Sundin's career ending hip surgery and Scotty Bowman's life long dream of becoming John Ferguson Jr's official babysitter.

NHL fans might have the shortest offseason to wait through, but they have always been the least patient. And it is nothing new that non-stories become huge scandals just to wet the appetite of the NHL fan in withdrawal. And it would be safe to say that the city of Toronto leads in that charge.

We have all been guilty of pulling our hair out over Gary Bettman's decision on the future of an assistant coach's future, on quite possibly the worst franchise in the league. We've chewed our fingernails down to the bone over what team the Mike Peca camp can convince he has something left in him. We're ready to tar and feather a player that couldn't squeeze out a 20 point career season, for choosing to fly off to Russia rather than honor his contract in Columbus Ohio. All the while we conjure up new rumors of possible trades regarding players with no-trade contracts and add to our Ray Bourque and Evgeny Malkin shrines. And finally, we all piss and moan about what Commissioner Bettman has done to our league, while we froth at the mouth in anticipation over the next upcoming season.

So, while Sundin's love life might not be the most informative piece of journalism I have ever read, neither is the backlash of the Toronto Sun's decision to put a picture of an attractive young blonde on their front page. It's not as if this was the first time they've done so. And who knows? Perhaps this unveiling revelation of the Swedish paparazzi might just be the thing that makes the normally reserved Mats Sundin, decide to go into hiding. Now THAT would be a story!

Heh.