In the last two days, Avalanche GM Greg Sherman has made two trades. Yesterday Sherman took defenseman Matt Hunwick off Boston’s cap-strapped hands, while today he acquired forward Tomas Fleischmann. Neither are house-hold names, but both will help improve the depth of an injury-depleted lineup.
Here is the second look of the 2010/11 season at the standings if there was a different points system. The most popular solution is to dish out three points per game (and the one I’m in favor of the most) like they do in the Olympics. A regulation win would be worth three points apiece, whereas an overtime/shootout victory will get you just two. The loser in extra time would still get a single point.
The tiebreaker at the end of the year would be total wins, followed by regulation wins. I’m a big fan of this system (which was used at this year’s Olympics), and did some ‘research’ as to what the standings would look like if this was indeed how we handed out the points.
In case you missed it earlier this month, here are the end-of-year results for every season since the lockout…
Key: Pts… (Reg. W – OT/SO W – OTL) EASTERN CONFERENCE
1. Philadelphia Flyers, 48… (14-1-4)
2. Washington Capitals, 47… (11-6-2)
3. Montreal Canadiens, 45… (14-1-1)
4. Pittsburgh Penguins, 46… (12-4-2)
5. Tampa Bay Lightning, 41… (12-1-3)
6. New York Rangers, 40… (11-3-1)
7. Boston Bruins, 38… (12-0-2)
8. Atlanta Thrashers, 36… (9-3-3)
9. Ottawa Senators, 34… (3-2-2)
10. Carolina Hurricanes, 31… (8-2-3)
11. Florida Panthers, 29… (9-1-0)
12. Toronto Maple Leafs, 26… (7-1-3)
13. Buffalo Sabres, 26… (5-4-3)
14. New Jersey Devils, 22… (4-4-2)
15. New York Islanders, 18… (3-2-5)
We’re over a quarter of the way through the season, and some teams’ point totals are deceiving despite what the overall standings look like. Before Tuesday’s action, here’s how many points each team was on pace to accumulate this season. (Decimals were rounded up).
Atlantic Division
Philadelphia Flyers (34 pts in 25 gms)… On pace: 112 points
Pittsburgh Penguins (34 pts in 26 gms)… On pace: 108 points
New York Rangers (29 pts in 26 gms)… On pace: 92 points
New Jersey Devils (18 pts in 24 gms)… On pace: 62 points
New York Islanders (15 pts in 22 gms)… On pace: 56 points
You can listen to today's show HERE at 1 PM ET / Noon CT!
12:00 CT - Show Introduction - Welcome in co-host Buddy Oakes, Preds On The Glass - Roundtable Discussion - Predators chatter
12:05 CT (roughly) - Welcome in guest Justin Bourne, USA Today and Puck Daddy - Hockey background - Shootouts - Pet peeves for coaches - Islanders woes - Past experiences in organization - Stamkos in Big Three? - Other various topics
12:25 CT (roughly) - Roundtable Discussion - Atlanta Thrashers
12:30 CT (roughly) - Welcome in guest Will DePaoli, Inside Pittsburgh Sports - Pens winners of 7 straight - Marc-Andre Fleury - Staal returning? - Crosby for Hart? - Kris Letang
12:40/45 CT (roughly) - Welcome in guest Adam Jahns, Chicago Sun-Times - ‘Hawks road trip - Cup hangover? - Byfuglien’s success - Turco and Crawford - Where do they fit in West?
12:55 CT (roughly) - Roundtable Discussion - Other various topics
My 3 stars of the night: 1. Jonas Hiller, ANA (27 Saves, Shutout)… Hiller made some big saves as he helped the Ducks preserve a one-goal lead most of the night. 2. Miikka Kiprusoff, CGY (32 Saves, Shutout) 3. James Neal, DAL (2 Goals)
---
Tonight’s Slate:
Lightning @ Maple Leafs, 7:00 ET
Coyotes @ Predators, 8:00
Blues @ Blackhawks, 8:00
Thrashers @ Avalanche, 10:00
Red Wings @ Sharks, 10:30
Game of the Night: Detroit Red Wings @ San Jose Sharks
10:30 ET… TV: NHL Network, Local Networks
This week’s rankings were tougher to carve out than usual. Nos. 6-18 could have essentially been stirred up in a blender and you couldn’t have gone wrong with any other order.
1. Detroit Red Wings… LW: 2
It’s safe to say Detroit sent a statement to Columbus, huh? Every time one of their divisional mates gets close to them in the standings, the Wings are there to steal their thunder. 2. Washington Capitals… LW: 3
Alexander Semin is on pace for 59 goals and 98 points; both would be new career-highs, in a contract year no less. 3. Philadelphia Flyers… LW: 1
The Flyers drop from No. 1, but have a great chance to rack up points over the next couple weeks. 4. Pittsburgh Penguins… LW: 7
I think this is the Penguins team we all expected to see at the beginning of the year. Sidney Crosby is dominating, while Marc-Andre Fleury is finally in a groove. 5. Montreal Canadiens… LW: 5
Jacques Martin’s crew has been inconsistent over the last week or two, but still find themselves on top of the Northeast Division.
Welcome to another installment of "The Week Ahead" here at RLD where I tell you puckheads which players to keep an eye on, which teams to watch and what games to follow throughout the week.
As we head into the month of December, you'll see games heating up, players step up their games and teams come together or fall apart before heading into another grueling month in January.
Players to Keep An Eye On
This week, it's time to admire a few of the league's top scorers this season, particularly Penguins forward Sidney Crosby, Lightning sniper Steven Stamkos and Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin.
- Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
What is their left to say about the 2005 No. 1 overall pick in the NHL? Since joining the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise, Crosby has been the team's most consistent scorer and that is no different this season.
The Morning After: Yesterday’s scores:
Capitals 3, Hurricanes 2 (SO)
Thrashers 4, Bruins 1
Red Wings 4, Blue Jackets 2 Predictions record: 2-1
My 3 stars of the night: 1. Dustin Byfuglien, ATL (1 Goal, 3 Assists)… It was one of Byfuglien’s best performances of the year as he tallied four points. 2. Ondrej Pavelec, ATL (40 Saves, 1 GA) 3. Eric Staal, CAR (1 Goal, 1 Assist)
---
If the playoffs started today…
Eastern Conference:
1) WSH vs. 8) BOS
2) PHI vs. 7) ATL
3) MTL vs. 6) NYR
4) PIT vs. 5) TB
Western Conference:
1) DET vs. 8) COL
2) VAN vs. 7) STL
3) DAL vs. 6) PHX
4) CBJ vs. 5) CHI
---
Players to watch: PIT- Kris Letang
‘Tanger has been a steady offensive force on the blueline for the Pens this year. NYR- Ryan Callahan
Callahan burned the Pens in their last meeting, scoring the OT winger.
Injury Report: PIT- Jordan Staal (hand, out), Mike Comrie (undisclosed, questionable) NYR- Marian Gaborik (flu, questionable), Derek Boogaard (shoulder, doubtful), Chris Drury (finger, out), Vinny Prospal (knee, out)
Game Thoughts:
These Atlantic Division rivals renew acquaintances tonight in New York in what promises to be a great contest. The Pens are red-hot, having won seven of eight and six straight. Meanwhile, the Rangers are coming off a pair of wins on the road where Lundqvist was unbeatable. It will be a close one, but I think Crosby and company get the job done at MSG. Prediction: Penguins 3, Rangers 2 (OT)
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Stars over Hurricanes
Senators over Oilers
Flames over Wild
Kings over Ducks
--- Morning Links: - CBC… Elliotte Friedman’s 30 Thoughts blog from last week; a great read as always. - Spector’s Hockey… Are the Kings interested in Brad Richards? - Preds On The Glass… Is Jordin Tootoo a hero for fighting Avery? - View From My Seats… Matt ponders how the NHL can step back into sports’ ‘Big Four’ status. - From The Point… Amber wonders whether Stamkos should be mentioned in the same sentence as Crosby and Ovechkin.
--- Video of the Day:
*You can follow us on Twitter @RLDhockey!
*Don’t forget about our radio show at 1:00 ET tomorrow!
I caught up with Rangers rookie Derek Stepan on Saturday to get his thoughts on his first season in the NHL, among other things…
RLD: You got a hat trick in your first game, went cold for a little bit, but have picked up a lot of points lately… do you feel like you’re settling in now? Derek Stepan: Yeah, for sure. I’m getting more and more comfortable. I think it took me three or four games after the hat trick game to kind of find it, but I’m getting more comfortable and it’s been going well for me.
When Atlanta acquired a handful of Cup Champion Blackhawks this summer, I don’t think they knew that those players would be this effective this quickly.
Rick Dudley picked up Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Brent Sopel and Ben Eager via trade over the off-season, part of the quick re-tooling done by the new general manager for the Thrashers.
All four – most notably Byfuglien and Ladd – have been stellar through the first couple months of the season.
My 3 stars of the night: 1. Bobby Ryan, ANA (3 Goals)… Ryan’s hat trick lifted the Ducks past Phoenix for a crucial victory. 2. Sidney Crosby, PIT (3 Goals) 3. Greg Mauldin, COL (2 Goals, 2 Assists) Close but no cigar: B. Gionta, MTL; K. Lehtonen, DAL; D. Heatley, SJ; M. Fisher, A. Kovalev and B. Elliott, OTT; J. Hedberg, NJ; H. Lundqvist, NYR; R. Getzlaf and C. Perry, ANA; K. Shattenkirk, COL; P. Kane, CHI
---
Tonight’s Slate:
Hurricanes @ Capitals, 5:00 ET
Bruins @ Thrashers, 5:00
Blue Jackets @ Red Wings, 5:00
Games of the Night: Boston Bruins @ Atlanta Thrashers
5:00 ET… TV: Local Networks
One quarter into the season, it seems like we already have the Hart Trophy race narrowed down to two: Steven Stamkos and Sidney Crosby. They have easily been the two best players in the league thus far. Mike and I debate which one would deserve the Hart if it was handed out today…
Seen Stamkos? By Michael Smith
Eyes were opened after his Rocket Richard-winning campaign of a year ago. And they're open even wider with the way he's assaulting the back of the net early in this season, with a league-best 21 goals and 38 points in 23 games.
My 3 stars of the night: 1. Alexander Semin, WSH (1 Goal, 1 Assist)… Semin’s natural hat trick in the second period propelled the Caps past Tampa Bay. 2. Cam Ward, CAR (37 Saves, Shutout) 3. Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (40 Saves, Shutout) Close but no cigar: M. Fleury, PIT; R. DiPietro, NYI; O. Pavelec and R. Peverley, ATL; M. Havlat and M. Zidlicky, MIN; R. Miller, BUF; J. Howard, DET; J. Benn, DAL; M. Samuelsson, VAN; S. Varlamov, WSH; P. Sharp, CHI
---
On Wednesday I caught up with Blues defenseman Erik Johnson and got his thoughts on how the season is going... and which player likes turkey the most!
RLD: What have you seen from the team through the first quarter of the year? Erik Johnson: I think we’ve been, for the majority, pretty consistent. Obviously we went on a pretty good run with seven or eight wins, then lost three or four in a row. The first half of the season is pretty critical to get off to a good start and put yourself in a good situation when the second half comes. There’s some things we can work on. I think we’ve been pretty happy with our play, but obviously they’re not handing out any awards right now, so we have to make sure we keep this going.
Coming into the season, some considered Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne to be a Vezina Trophy contender. How could you not? His play at the end of the year was sparkling, while he was the official No. 1 with Dan Ellis departing.
The first couple months haven’t exactly gone to script for ‘Peks’, though. He sustained a knee injury in the opener against Anaheim and wasn’t consistent upon his return. However, if the last handful of games has told us anything, it’s that Rinne is getting back to normal – which is great news for the Preds.
My 3 stars of the night:
1. Taylor Hall, EDM (1 Goal, 1 Assist)… Hall picked up his first career game-winner with his snap-shot with 28 seconds remaining.
2. Martin Gerber, EDM (35 Saves, 2 GA)
3. Matt Duchene, COL (1 Goal, 1 Assist)
---
It’s that time of year again – Thanksgiving! Every year there are plays that make you say ‘What the ----’; or incidents that are incredibly embarrassing. Last year’s Turkey of the Year were the refs who blew the goal-call in Detroit. Who were the turkeys from 2010? Here’s our top five…
1. New York Islanders franchise
I think it’s pretty safe to say that the Islanders established themselves as the worst franchise in the NHL in this last year. Aside from the on-ice performance, the Isles have fired their coach, banned their best media member, and still have not gained any ground in the Lighthouse Project. Everyone from owner Charles Wang on down should be embarrassed with how this organization has been run recently.
My 3 stars of the night: 1. Marc-Andre Fleury, PIT (30 Saves, Shutout)… ‘Flower’ continued his hot streak with a clutch shutout in Buffalo. 2. Steven Stamkos, TB (1 Goal, 2 Assists) 3. Mark Recchi, BOS (2 Goals) Close but no cigar: N. Backstrom and A. Ovechkin, WSH; A. Niemi, SJ; Canucks top line; A. Ladd and O. Pavelec, ATL; R. Malone, TB; A. Kostitsyn, MTL; D. Briere, PHI; A. McDonald, STL
--- Wednesday GOW Recap: Blackhawks @ Sharks
The Sharks somewhat avenged last spring’s playoff defeat to Chicago with their 5-2 win last night at home. Antti Niemi was impressive against his former team with 30 saves on 32 shots. With the win, the Sharks snapped a less-than-stellar three-game skid.
A big emphasis I made yesterday was the top line returning to form. The trio of Thornton, Heatley and Marleau combined for five points. It was definitely a huge win for the Sharks, while the ‘Hawks are still sputtering; they are now outside of the West’s top eight.
---
San Jose has had this night circled on their calendar since last May when the ‘Hawks quickly disposed them in a four-game Western Conference Final sweep. So far this season, though, both teams have been far from the form they showed in last spring’s postseason.
Antti Niemi, who probably put together the best four-game stretch of his career in that series for Chicago, will get the start tonight for the Sharks. The 27-year-old Finn has started slowly with his new team, posting a 3.91 goals-against average and .878 save percentage in seven games.
Will he perform better tonight, facing the team that cut him loose in August? It wouldn’t surprise me if he had his best game of the year tonight.
After having such a terrific season last year, many wondered why the Phoenix Coyotes got off to such a sluggish start this season.
Maybe being overseas hurt a little bit; maybe there was a bit of a hangover after being so successful last season; or maybe the players were trying to find what worked for them last year and implement it into their games this season.
Well, whatever they've been doing lately has certainly worked.
Every team around the league has either surpassed the 20-game mark already or will do so this week… which means it’s time to look at the first quarter of the season (which has just flown by)…
Eastern Conference Rundown Atlanta Thrashers Three Stars:
1. Dustin Byfuglien (7 Goals, 12 Assists, +0)
2. Andrew Ladd (7 Goals, 14 Assists, -1)
3. Tobias Enstrom (2 Goals, 14 Assists, -2) Boston Bruins:
1. Tim Thomas (10-1-1, 1.49 GAA, .950 SV%, 4 SO)
2. Milan Lucic (10 Goals, 7 Assists, +10)
3. Nathan Horton (8 Goals, 10 Assists, +10)
My 3 stars of the night: 1. Lee Stempniak, PHX (2 Goals, 1 Assist)… Stempniak’s three-point performance engineered the Coyotes to their seventh consecutive win. 2. Ilya Bryzgalov, PHX (23 Saves, Shutout) 3. Martin Hanzal, PHX (2 Goals) ---
You can listen to tonight's show HERE at 7 PM ET / 6 CT! It will only be a 30-minute show...
6:00 CT - Show Introduction - Welcome in co-host Buddy Oakes, Preds On The Glass - Welcome in guest Jeff Marek, CBC Sports - Montreal Canadiens - Calgary Flames - Toronto Maple Leafs - Contender/Pretender -- rapid fire - Hart Trophy discussion
6:20/25 CT (roughly) - Roundtable Discussion - Tim Rosenthal plug for Inside Hockey - Preds/Hurricanes road trip recap - Are the Preds a playoff team? - Turkeys of the year
As we reach the quarter pole here in the 2010/11 season, we take a look at some teams that have been surprises. Can those clubs keep it up all year? Are teams near the top of the standings Cup contenders?
Playoff Contender or Pretender? - Columbus Blue Jackets: Contender I don’t know of anyone who considered the Jackets a playoff team in the pre-season. Scott Arniel has done a masterful job in his first two months as bench boss. A healthy blueline has helped considerably, while the offense has under-the-radar talent. If Steve Mason and Mathieu Garon can keep playing solid in the crease, Columbus can keep up this success. Will the Jackets make the playoffs? I don’t know. But can they compete for a spot? The early signs point to yes.
My 3 stars of the night: 1. Alex Kovalev, OTT (1 Goal, 1 Assist)… Kovalev’s first period goal was the 1,000th point of his career. 2. Steve Mason, CBJ (27 Saves, Shutout) 3. Nikolai Kulemin, TOR (2 Goals) Close but no cigar: J. Arnott and J. Hedberg, NJ; M. Biron and D. Girardi, NYR; S. Crosby, PIT; M. Smith, TB; C. Price, MTL
Quick-hit observations: - Ilya Kovalchuk had zero points and one shot in the Devils’ 5-0 win over the Caps… their weird season continues. It appears they did not forget about their 7-2 loss in D.C. back in October. - Los Angeles may have gotten screwed on a goal review with three seconds left. Ryan Smyth’s deflection seemed to have tied the game, but the war room in Toronto didn’t overturn the no-goal call. Either way, the Kings haven’t played well lately. - The Blue Jackets’ win over Nashville was pretty impressive. It was their fourth shutout of the year (Mason’s first) as it was a great team effort. If they play like that every night, they’ll be in the playoff mix. - Philadelphia won 3-2 over budding rival Montreal, steadily coming back from a 2-0 deficit. However, Claude Giroux was shaken up at the end of the game; something to monitor. - Jonas Gustavsson has stoned 93 of the 97 shots that have come his way since taking over for J.S. Giguere (.959 save percentage). - Florida’s power play is 0-for-25 since Nov. 10 and now ranks 30th in the NHL. ---
Tonight’s Slate: Oilers @ Coyotes, 9:00 ET
Game of the Night: Edmonton Oilers @ Phoenix Coyotes 9:00 ET… TV: TSN, Local Networks
The New York Rangers have had a lot of great team captains in their history. The list ranges from Bill Cook, to Vic Hadfield, to Barry Beck, to Dave Maloney, to Mark Messier ("The Captain"), and to Brian Leetch.
Notice how Chris Drury's name isn't in there? While there is no doubting that he can block shots, kill penalties and score clutch goals here and there, there is a lot of debate in Rangerland whether the long-term contract he signed back in the summer of 2007 was really worth it for the Blueshirts.
1. Philadelphia Flyers… LW: 4 They didn’t have the most successful week, wins and losses wise; but if I had to pick a Cup winner as of Nov. 22, it’d be Philadelphia. 2. Detroit Red Wings… LW: 3 Are Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski the best defensive duo right now in the NHL? They are both averaging more than a point per game this season. 3. Washington Capitals… LW: 2 Bruce Boudreau’s crew has a chance to pad their Southeast lead even more with upcoming games against the Hurricanes and Lightning. 4. Los Angeles Kings… LW: 1 The Kings got a taste of reality away from home last week, but was able to get a win in Boston. They’ll have to improve their success on the road. 5. Montreal Canadiens… LW: 6 Carey Price has been rock-solid in November, compiling a 6-3 record with a 1.56 GAA and three shutouts. 6. Boston Bruins… LW: 9 Milan Lucic is showing a lot of consistency this season. He has not gone more than three games without a goal, scoring 10 goals in 18 games. 7. Pittsburgh Penguins… LW: 8 Pittsburgh seems to finally be hitting their stride, going 4-0-1 in their last five games. 8. St. Louis Blues… LW: 7 They stopped the bleeding over the weekend at home, but will need to play better away from Scottrade Center. Five of their next seven are on the road. 9. Colorado Avalanche… LW: 13 Colorado is quietly one of the better teams in the Western Conference. In their last eight wins, they’ve scored 40 goals. 10. Columbus Blue Jackets… LW: 14 Rick Nash scored six goals on the Jackets’ Pacific Coast sweep, and currently has an eight-game point streak.
Here we are folks. Another week of NHL action on tap and given everything that happened last week, one should expect another interesting week in the National Hockey League.
Before beginning this installement of "The Week Ahead", I wanted to let you know that instead of doing a "Players to Keep An Eye on" section, I am instead going to focus on coaches. I hope you enjoy it!
Coaches to Keep An Eye on The theme for this week is NHL coaches. I figured this was timely given Scott Gordon's firing last week by the New York Islanders.
The three coaches below are all in different situations with their respective clubs. One could be on the firing line, the other is adjusting to coaching a team that has not won in their last 12 games and the last one is trying to figure out how to establish some consistency.
- John MacLean, New Jersey Devils When it comes to struggling hockey clubs, the New Jersey Devils are one of the first teams that come to mind considering how much success they have had in recent seasons. Unfortunately for the Oilers, that excitement hasn't led to victories as the team currently finds itself in last place in the Western Conference with a record of 5-10-4 (14 points).
Head coach Tom Renney knew that this was going to be a difficult road for a young, rebuilding club but I do not think he expected the team to have the record they do now. This week, the Oilers have games against the Coyotes, Avalanche and Sharks.
My 3 stars of the night: 1. Nicklas Lidstrom, DET (1 Goal, 2 Assists)… Captain Nash netted a hat trick to help Columbus get their first win in San Jose since 2004. 2. Taylor Pyatt, PHX (2 Goals) 3. Dustin Byfuglien, ATL (1 Goal, 1 Assist) ---
If the playoffs started today… Eastern Conference: 1) WSH vs. 8) ATL 2) PHI vs. 7) NYR 3) MTL vs. 6) PIT 4) BOS vs. 5) TB Western Conference: 1) DET vs. 8) VAN 2) LA vs. 7) CHI 3) COL vs. 6) CBJ 4) STL vs. 5) PHX ---
This is a question that New York Islander fans probably do not want to know the answer to.
With their overtime loss to the Atlanta Thrashers tonight, the team is winless in their last 13 games with a record of 0-11-2. Tonight, Islanders beat writer for Newsday Katie Strang said the following about the team picking up a point:
Understandable consensus in the room tonight: no consolation in earning a point. Hard to find comfort in that with 13 straight losses.
This would be the understatement of the century. The team has trouble scoring goals, keeping the puck out of the net, playing tough defense and every other facet of hockey that is needed to win hockey games.
In 1966-67, a year before expansion would take it from six teams to twelve, the National Hockey League was a colorful place. And while that adjective could just as easily apply to the language used in post-whistle skirmishes, it is also true in the most literal sense.
The uniforms of every team in the league that year included a brightly-colored sweater. The Blackhawks, Red Wings and Canadiens, of course, had their red jerseys, the Rangers and Leafs their blues, and even the Bruins, who are so often associated with black, wore yellow then.
No piece of equipment was black except for hockey pants and the puck -- the way it should be.
Slowly, though, over the years, that way was lost.
When it comes to the Western Conference, there are a few teams that get talked about a lot in hockey circles whether it's the Red Wings, Blackhawks or Sharks.
One team that isn't getting the attention it deserves is the Minnesota Wild. The Wild, although currently tied for eighth place in the Conference, are 10-7-2 and are only four points out of first place in the conference.
My 3 stars of the night: 1. Rick Nash, CBJ (3 Goals)… Captain Nash netted a hat trick to help Columbus get their first win in San Jose since 2004. 2. Carey Price, MTL (30 Saves, Shutout) 3. Mike Santorelli, FLA (2 Goals) Close but no cigar: M. Garon, CBJ; J. Quick, LA; J. Halak, STL; P. Rinne, NSH; M. Hejduk, COL; M. Smith, TB; M. Richards, PHI ---
Tonight’s Slate: Islanders @ Thrashers, 5:00 ET Flames @ Red Wings, 5:00 Oilers @ Ducks, 8:00 Coyotes @ Canucks, 9:00
Game of the Night: Calgary Flames @ Detroit Red Wings 5:00 ET… TV: Local Networks
One player that has been tossed around in the rumor mill early on this season has been Calgary’s Jarome Iginla. Whether the team trades its captain is a different story as he still has two years remaining on his contract at $7 million per. However, Patrick and I debate if the Flames should trade their face of the franchise this season.
It’s time to pull the plug By Ryan Porth
The Calgary Flames are a shadow of what they once were. They are no longer a team that is feared by opponents. They are no longer a team that you can assume will make the playoffs. They are no longer a team that has an identity.
To get back to the stage where they were an annual playoff club in a rugged Western Conference, things are going to have to get worse before they get better.
My 3 stars of the night: 1. Sidney Crosby, PIT (1 Goal, 3 Assists, SO Goal)… Sid continued his stellar November with a four-point performance to tie Stamkos for the league lead in points. 2. Jarome Iginla, CGY (3 Goals) 3. Steve Mason, CBJ (47 Saves, 3 GA) Close but no cigar: J. Jokinen, CAR; C. Kunitz, PIT; R. Vrbata, PHX; M. Duchene, COL; O. Pavelec and N. Antropov, ATL; D. Moss, CGY; M. Commodore, CBJ; T. Connolly, BUF; B. Boyes, STL; J. Theodore, MIN ---
For the past three-plus years there has been no more authoritative voice on the New York Islanders than Chris Botta.
For the 20 years prior he served the same organization, including about half that time as Vice President of Communications, working day in and day out to promote the team on Long Island.
What happened these past few days hasn't exactly been a warm "thank you."
My 3 stars of the night: 1. Steven Stamkos, TB (3 Goals, 2 Assists)… Stamkos had one of the best performances of the year, increasing his points pace to 151 with five more in Philly. 2. Milan Lucic, BOS (3 Goals) 3. Martin St. Louis, TB (5 Assists) Close but no cigar: T. Rask, BOS; J. Neal and M. Ribeiro, DAL; P. Rinne and M. Goc, NSH; J. Gustavsson, TOR; N. Zherdev, PHI
Quick-hit observations: - Last night’s game in Philly was one of the crazier you’ll see! As TSN’s James Duthie put it: “Apparently the new All-Star game format is... Tampa vs Phili.” - Nashville’s shutout win in Montreal was a huge confidence boost after Tuesday’s debacle in Toronto. The PK was a lot better, while Rinne was a lot better than he’s been in recent weeks. - Another night, another tough loss for San Jose. For the second straight night, the Sharks let a two-goal lead slip away in the third, allowing division foe Dallas to get the win. - The Maple Leafs, sudden winners of two straight after dropping eight straight, are two points out from a playoff spot. - Panthers forward David Booth fired 14 shots at Rask last night, with no success. ---
One storyline that will heat up as July 1, 2011 inches closer is the restricted free agent status of 2008 draftees Steven Stamkos and Drew Doughty. The two are arguably the brightest young stars at their position and are set for big paydays. They are also friends and have the same agent (Don Meehan).
The latest negotiation update was provided by ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun last month, but today we look at what kind of deals we should expect for Stamkos and Doughty.
After getting off to an incredible 9-1-2 start, the St. Louis Blues have come back down to earth.
The team has dropped three straight games (five overall) in convincing fashion, losing to the Predators 3-2 in overtime, 5-3 to the Coyotes, 6-2 in Colorado, and most recently, the Red Wings by a score of 7-3. Prior to that, the Blues got thrashed by the Blue Jackets in an 8-1 meltdown.
My 3 stars of the night: 1. Eric Staal, CAR (3 Goals, 2 Assists)… Staal was at the center of another blowout win for Carolina. 2. Jonathan Toews, CHI (3 Goals) 3. Ilya Bryzgalov, PHX (39 Saves, 1 GA) Close but no cigar: C. LaRose, CAR; D. Cleary, DET; T. Thomas, BOS; M. Neuvirth, WSH; T. Vokoun, FLA; R. Nash, CBJ; M. St. Louis, TB; C. Stewart, COL; M. Talbot, PIT
Wednesday GOW Recap: Blues @ Red Wings The Wings definitely imposed their will on the Blues last night. With the game knotted at three midway through the third period, Detroit blew the game open with four goals in a span of 3:14. Dan Cleary stayed hot with two goals (including the game-winner), extending his point streak to eight games.
St. Louis held in there for 50 minutes, but couldn’t match the Wings’ effort and determination late in regulation. When it looked like at least a point was possible, they dropped their fifth straight as Jaroslav Halak surrendered seven goals. Back to the drawing board for the brusied and battered Blues.
Quick-hit observations: - Steven Stamkos continued his early-season success with two more points on Long Island. He is on pace for 136.7 points this season.
Central Division combatants face-off in Detroit For the first time this season, division rivals Detroit and St. Louis will meet up tonight in the Motor City. These two are also at the top of a very competitive Central Division, beginning the year with a lot of success.
The Red Wings are scorching-hot right now, winning six of seven and eight of ten. They are showing just how good they can be when everyone is healthy.
When the Montreal Canadiens drafted Carey Price in 2005, many Canadiens fans and pundits thought they were getting the next Patrick Roy or Ken Dryden.
After his great rookie season in 2007-08 however, things fell apart for Price. He began to allow soft goals, looked out of position, developed poor work habits, was effected by the heavy amount of pressure and ultimately, lost his job to now St. Louis Blues netminder Jaroslav Halak.
This season, however, the Price has been right for Montreal and Carey is proving to the organization and its fans that he is everything they wanted in a professional goaltender.
My 3 stars of the night: 1. Carey Price, MTL (41 Saves, Shutout)… Price had a Halak-like performance against the Flyers, continuing his early-season hot streak. 2. Kris Versteeg, TOR (2 Goals) 3. Brian Gionta, MTL (1 Goal, 2 Assists) ---
There have been plenty of one-two combos around the league over time or in a single season. Gretzky and Messier. Lemieux and Jagr. Richard and Beliveau. The list can go on and on! Here’s our top five since the lockout.
1. Henrik and Daniel Sedin You can’t make any list of duos in the NHL without mentioning the Sedin twins in Vancouver. Henrik and Daniel have been a model of consistency ever since the lockout and are just in the middle of their prime right now. The twins have even elevated their game in the last two years; with Henrik taking home the Hart and Art Ross trophies last summer in Las Vegas, while Daniel is tied for third in the league in goals this season with 12. They are both on pace to tally 111 points here in 2010/11.
You can listen to today's show HERE at 1 PM ET / Noon CT!
12:00 CT - Show Introduction - Welcome in co-host Buddy Oakes, Preds On The Glass - Welcome in guest Justin, The Goalie Guild - Breaking down goalies - Sergei Bobrovsky - Carey Price - Antti Niemi - Two-goalie system - Prospects - Top 5 goalies currently in NHL
12:30 CT (roughly) - Welcome in guest Dave Lozo, NHL.com - Scott Gordon firing - Sean Avery ‘sucker-punch’ - New York Rangers - New Jersey Devils - Washington Capitals
12:45/50 CT (roughly) - Roundtable Discussion - ASG changes - Other various topics
My 3 stars of the night: 1. Tim Thomas, BOS (28 Saves, Shutout)… Timmy bounced back with his fourth shutout of the season, tops in the NHL. 2. Mike Richards, PHI (2 Goals, 1 Assist) 3. Brandon Dubinsky, NYR (2 Assists) Close but no cigar: J. Liles, COL; The Sedins, VAN; C. Giroux, PHI; P. Marleau, SJ; H. Lundqvist, NYR; T. Myers, BUF ---
Tonight’s Slate: Predators @ Maple Leafs, 7:00 ET Flyers @ Canadiens, 7:00 Ducks @ Stars, 9:00
Game of the Night: Philadelphia Flyers @ Montreal Canadiens 7:00 ET… TV: VERSUS, Local Networks
Today marked the first time this season that a coach was fired in the NHL as the Isles relieved Scott Gordon of his duties. Jack Capuano will be the interim, while Gordon will stay on as an advisor to GM Garth Snow.
(The earliest firing last season was on Dec. 4 when Philadelphia’s John Stevens got the axe.)
In two-plus years on Long Island, Scott Gordon led the Islanders to an unimpressive 64-94-23 record. However, Gordon had no chance to succeed behind the Isles’ bench.
1. Los Angeles Kings… LW: 1 The red-hot Kings will play six games in the next 10 days, including five on the road. Also, Justin Williams is on a nine-game point streak. 2. Washington Capitals… LW: 2 Bruce Boudreau’s club is 7-0-1 in their last eight games, scoring 4.88 goals per game in that span. 3. Detroit Red Wings… LW: 4 The Red Wings are looking like the Red Wings, winning six of seven and getting all-around contributions. 4. Philadelphia Flyers… LW: 5 Philly is 8-0-1 in the last nine games and the offense is hitting its stride. GM Paul Holmgren was able to lock up two pieces of the core last week. 5. Vancouver Canucks… LW: 7 Ryan Kesler has rebounded from a sluggish start by racking up 11 points in the last 10 games. 6. Montreal Canadiens… LW: 13 Even though Andrei Markov will reportedly miss three months, the Habs have grown accustomed to not having him in the lineup. 7. St. Louis Blues… LW: 3 St. Louis was handed a little dose of reality last week, going 0-2-1 and losing T.J. Oshie to a broken ankle. 8. Pittsburgh Penguins… LW: 8 This past weekend was just what the doctor ordered for two of their struggling stars – Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury. Have they (finally) turned the corner? 9. Boston Bruins… LW: 6 The B’s have dropped three consecutive home games, scoring just twice. Overall, they are 2-4-1 on home-ice. 10. San Jose Sharks… LW: 12 The Sharks are 3-0-1 on a home-stand that ends tonight against the Kings. 11. Anaheim Ducks… LW: 20 During Anaheim’s recent six-game win streak, the Finnish duo of Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne combined for 14 points. 12. Ottawa Senators… LW: 19 November has been much kinder to the Sens than October was. They are 5-1 this month, but will be tested on the road this week. 13. Colorado Avalanche… LW: 10 Craig Anderson can’t come back soon enough. Peter Budaj has not been bad, but the Avs have a lot of games in the upcoming stretch. 14. Columbus Blue Jackets… LW: 15 Last week has been the epitome of Steve Mason’s last year or so – a solid performance against the Blues, but struggled mightily two nights later. 15. Minnesota Wild… LW: 14 Interesting stat: 52.6% of Minnesota’s offense has come from the man advantage. 16. Chicago Blackhawks… LW: 16 Five of Chicago’s seven home losses have been lost the game in the final frame. In fact, they’ve surrendered the third-most third period goals. 17. Tampa Bay Lightning… LW: 9 Steven Stamkos and company have struggled on the road and will be without Vinny Lecavalier until December. They have to find a way to keep their heads above water. 18. Nashville Predators… LW: 21 The Preds stopped the bleeding after their five-game skid. After a pair of shootout wins, they are now 4-1 combined against division rivals St. Louis and Chicago. 19. New York Rangers… LW: 22 It must be great to have Marian Gaborik back in the lineup, who netted a hat trick in yesterday’s rout over the Oilers. 20. Phoenix Coyotes… LW: 24 Vern Fiddler and Ray Whitney both tallied hat tricks over the weekend. Where did this goal-scoring come from? 21. Dallas Stars… LW: 11 Somewhat surprisingly, the Stars are 1-for-25 with the man advantage on the road. 22. Carolina Hurricanes… LW: 17 In five of their last six games, the ‘Canes have been involved in a blowout where seven goals (or more) are scored by one team. They’ve been on the wrong side in the last two games. 23. Atlanta Thrashers… LW: 18 The effort is there for Atlanta, but the results aren’t – particularly in net. Chris Mason boasts a 3.90 GAA and has been pulled in his last two starts. 24. Buffalo Sabres… LW: 28 Is Thomas Vanek starting to turn it around? His overtime goal on Saturday (Nov. 13) gave the Sabres their first home win of the season. 25. Florida Panthers… LW: 26 If you take away his 3-point performance against Carolina on Nov. 5, Stephen Weiss would have just 4 points in 13 games. 26. Calgary Flames… LW: 23 Jarome Iginla and company have dropped six of their last seven. Their two home games are crucial this week before hitting the road again. 27. New Jersey Devils… LW: 29 After his weak-sauce shootout attempt vs. Buffalo, Ilya Kovalchuk redeemed himself with the overtime winner to beat Edmonton. It also gave the Devils their first home win. 28. Toronto Maple Leafs… LW: 25 One reason why the Leafs have failed to score goals with any sort of consistency is Phil Kessel’s struggles. Are they relying too much on him? 29. Edmonton Oilers… LW: 27 Tom Renney’s bunch was outscored 25-8 last week, including yesterday’s 8-2 shellacking in Manhattan. 30. New York Islanders… LW: 30 Scott Gordon was fired this morning. The Isles are winless in their last 10 games, gaining just one point in the process.
Good morning folks and welcome to another installment of "The Week Ahead", where I tell you which players, teams and games to keep an eye on throughout the week.
Players to Keep an Eye On The theme for this week when it comes to players to keep an eye on is comebacks. In one case, it's coming back from an injury and with the other two players, it's more about finding their game again.
- Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins
It is safe to say that Penguins netminder Marc-Andre Fleury has not been at his best for his hockey club this season.
Fleury is currently 3-6-0 with a 3.09 goals against average and a .872 save percentage. Fortunately, two of the three wins came this past weekend against the Lightning and Thrashers. He looked calm, confident, was in position for rebounds and made the saves he was supposed to make.
It'll be interesting to see which games he gets into this week as the Pens take on the Rangers, Canucks and Hurricanes.
Our podcast 'RLD Hockey Talk' is LIVE every Wednesday afternoon at 1:00 ET/Noon CT. Some of our notable guests in past episodes have been Dustin Brown, Doc Emrick, John Buccigross, Dave Strader, E.J. Hradek, Elliotte Friedman and Jay Grossman.
In 1966-67, a year before expansion would take it from six teams to twelve, the National Hockey League was a colorful place. And while that adjective could just as easily apply to the language used in post-whistle skirmishes, it is also true in the most literal sense.
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