Oh Starry Night

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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Wonder what's behind the veil?



Find out at The Arena Beauty Pageant!

(P.S. ~ We're still taking in new entries throughout the remainder of January)

This Dog Has Bite

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

If you happen to be a fan of the Coyotes, please be sure to register at our official Coyote Meeting Point.

Panthers Insider

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

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

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

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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If you happen to be a fan of the Vancouver Canucks, drop in and give us your two cents.

Walking Through A Hurricane

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