Random thoughts following a tough loss to the lowly Blue Jackets.
You just knew when Steve Mason was announced as the starter earlier in the week that this could be one of those games tailor-made for a disappointing loss. Sure, the Canucks took the first period off, but rarely do they ever compete in them, and they looked great from then on out. On the bright side we gained a point in the division race as Winnipeg shut down the Wild in a chippy affair, and, Roberto Luongo had a terrific game.
On the topic of Lou's game, and he did play great, was my growing concern at the Canucks apparent lack of crease-clearing. How many times was there a man alone in front of Lou last night? It's not just the lack of ability to clear the man in front, but too often bad reads or poor positional play as both D-men will chase. This has got to be from a combination of the lack of consistency in both the defense pairings, althought the top four are usually consistent, and the abundance of centres which has lead to a lack of familiarity in this position as well. The Canucks claim to play a first forward back picks up the defensive responsibility system, well, it ain't workin'. Too often when the centre is trapped and the winger fills in it causes a chain reaction of confusion that leads to wingers, centres and defenseman out of position. We need some consistency and a return to the traditional defensive responisbilities of centremen.
But I digress, I was on the topic of Lou. He should never ever, ever EVER be left in for a shootout again, it's not his forte and that's just the way it is. We've seen goalies swap after OT before and the Canucks need to realize now that it will cost them a very valuable point about 80 - 90% of the time they leave Lou in for the skills contest.
And back on the topic of the lack of consistency the defenseman on the wing is a flop. If you're not going to risk the loss of a veteran depth player to the waiver-wire then the Canucks can simply dress seven defenseman and let them all play defense and rotate double shifting some of the many forwards they have that need more ice time. So the seventh d-man will play five minutes, big deal, it's a nice luxury to have when one of your top PK blueliners happens to be in the box or injured. Some teams run this line-up on a semi-consistent basis. The fact remains that poor Andrew Alberts and Aaron Rome are lost as forwards and shouldn't be thrust in to the fire like that. Why not give extra ice to CoHo, Higgins, Hansen or Raymond - the team will be better for it.
On the topic of Cody Hodgson, I appreciate the fact he was playing his first game back after getting wumped by Nick Foligno, but, eight minutes of ice is not an uncommon occurence for him. This kid has put up amazing numbers considering his ice time. As the season progresses he needs to be given more minutes. He is showing top-six skill and producing incredibly well. Lets examine the numbers comparatively.
Hodgson averages just under 13:00 minutes per game with 2:00 PPTOI/G : 6-9-15 2PIM +4 in 30GP
D. Sedin averages just over 19:00 minutes per game with 4:00 PPTOI/G : 12-22-34 22PIM +9 in 30GP
Hodgson has 6 points on the power play, so, given the fact he has half of Daniels ice time it's relatively fair to assume you could double those points totals, leaving CoHo with 12; Daniel has 16. That means Daniel plays about 25% more even strength time which would boost CoHo's points ES to 12 as well, for a total of 24, good for third on the team...not bad.
Would like to see him get some more ice.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Random Hockey Thoughts
Two teams in the South East Division made coaching changes today - the fourth change already in this young NHL season: Are teams more prone to making drastic moves in today's NHL with the level of parity and the great equalize, the loser point? I'm really not sure that I would gas Bruce Boudreau just to replace him with a junior coach. Some guys are better suited to developing young talent: Brian Kilrea, Perry Pearn, the Sutters, etc... and while I'm not writing Dale Hunter off but this isn't a team trying to make the playoffs, it's a team trying to become the champion they should already be. Hunter is an alumni and his personality might lend itself ot managing the massive compilation of egos in the Caps room. I wish him the best.
Paul Maurice also lost his job with Carolina...again. When you ice a team as weak as the Caps can you really place blame on the coaching staff? Is it his fault Eric Staal has been innexplicably damaged after jeopardizing the career of his own baby brother? Carolina has a solid goalie, and should have two superstar calibre players, but one is in a cloud, the other is finally hitting the sophomore slump and the supporting cast just isn't that good. Maybe the Sutter boys, Drayson Bowman and Zach Dalpe will develop over time, but it seems unfair Maurice wasn't given the same opportunity. It's not like Paul Maurice is responsible for signing Tomas Kaberle.
The next coach to go has got to be Randy Carlye in Anaheim. Hockey pundits are mystified as to the Ducks' inneptitude this season, clammering about the great collection of talent they have and how it should be performing better. True, the Ducks have some high-end power on their team in all departments, just not enough decent players. Visnovksy and Fowler can run a power play, and Sbisa is looking like a solid shut-down D-man, but Beauchemin is horribly overrated and cost them a great prospect and one of the league's leading scorers. If you're even considering dressing Sheldon Brookbank you've got a problem. Up front they have a great line plus one well aged Finn (not Koivu), and that's about it. Andrew Colgiano is the sixth highest scorer on the team...that about sums it up.
What gets me about the Anaheim situation is the Bobby Ryan for Jeff Carter and a prospect rumors...are you serious? Carter and a prospect for Bobby Ryan??? If Columbus gave up Couturier and Voracek for Carter and then gave away another prospect and Carter for Bobby Ryan it'd be a worse move than Gardiner and Lupul for Beauchemin. Neither of these two teams should give up on their current players. That would be an amazing trade for Anaheim to add another premiere centre, which they need, but the Ryan, Getzlaf, Perry chemistry is too good to write-off.
Lastly I just wanted to comment on my level of amazement with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Calder is his. Yes, I know Craig Smith and Matt Read and a number of other previously unheralded players are making their cases, but barring injury he's got it wrapped up and may just play his way in to serious competition for other hardware.
Paul Maurice also lost his job with Carolina...again. When you ice a team as weak as the Caps can you really place blame on the coaching staff? Is it his fault Eric Staal has been innexplicably damaged after jeopardizing the career of his own baby brother? Carolina has a solid goalie, and should have two superstar calibre players, but one is in a cloud, the other is finally hitting the sophomore slump and the supporting cast just isn't that good. Maybe the Sutter boys, Drayson Bowman and Zach Dalpe will develop over time, but it seems unfair Maurice wasn't given the same opportunity. It's not like Paul Maurice is responsible for signing Tomas Kaberle.
The next coach to go has got to be Randy Carlye in Anaheim. Hockey pundits are mystified as to the Ducks' inneptitude this season, clammering about the great collection of talent they have and how it should be performing better. True, the Ducks have some high-end power on their team in all departments, just not enough decent players. Visnovksy and Fowler can run a power play, and Sbisa is looking like a solid shut-down D-man, but Beauchemin is horribly overrated and cost them a great prospect and one of the league's leading scorers. If you're even considering dressing Sheldon Brookbank you've got a problem. Up front they have a great line plus one well aged Finn (not Koivu), and that's about it. Andrew Colgiano is the sixth highest scorer on the team...that about sums it up.
What gets me about the Anaheim situation is the Bobby Ryan for Jeff Carter and a prospect rumors...are you serious? Carter and a prospect for Bobby Ryan??? If Columbus gave up Couturier and Voracek for Carter and then gave away another prospect and Carter for Bobby Ryan it'd be a worse move than Gardiner and Lupul for Beauchemin. Neither of these two teams should give up on their current players. That would be an amazing trade for Anaheim to add another premiere centre, which they need, but the Ryan, Getzlaf, Perry chemistry is too good to write-off.
Lastly I just wanted to comment on my level of amazement with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Calder is his. Yes, I know Craig Smith and Matt Read and a number of other previously unheralded players are making their cases, but barring injury he's got it wrapped up and may just play his way in to serious competition for other hardware.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Canucks Trade Thoughts
The obsession with trades amongst NHL fans is almost innexplicable. NHL Trade Deadline day is far more anticipated than the All Star Game, Awards Ceremony, and to a growing dynamic of fans even more adored than the Cup finals since less than 10% of NHL fans have a horse in the race.
Here I sit dreaming up trades, playing GM of my favourite team, when I've got about 100 better things to be doing, and there's nothing I'd rather be occupying myself with. It makes no sense.
That said, wouldn't it be great if the Canucks could find an affordable player to provide the kind of playmaking on the second line they so desperately need?
Cue the Blue Jackets.
Columbus's season is already done, it's time for the Blue Jackets's brass to start figuring out what they need and what assets they can move to get it. In their case they need a healthy dosage of just about everything and they have some very interesting assets.
First and foremost is Vaclav Prospal, the aging Czech winger is one of the biggest suitcases in the league; a suitcase full of championships that is. We all remember his role on Tampa's cup winning team. Looked like he had a home in New York as one of the key cogs to that over-achieving team but at his age and pay-grade he became one of the sacrificial lambs that ushered in the Brad Richards era. So, for the low low price of just 1.75 + bonuses the Jackets made a smart move and brought in a guy who at 36 and without a home in the Rangers's putrid offense is now their leading scorer.
Columbus has strung together a couple wins lately, unfortunately that constitutes 40% of their W's this season. Jeff Carter is back, healthy and apparently is not demanding a trade (sure....), but the Jackets have finally given up on Kris Russel, shipping the young puck-mover to St.Louis for rugged Ruskie Nikita Nikitin. I'm thinking Prospal is next as his value, at 18 points through the first 20 games, won't get any higher. The Jackets need help on D still, even with the additions of Nikitin and Wisniewski, they are still one of the weakest groups in the league.
So, Jackets's GM Scott Howson can play the NHL version of Billy Beane and take an undervalued asset and move it to a team in need of said asset for a King's Ransom.
The Canucks have a lot of solid young defense prospects, and they added more this past offseason via draft and free-agency, so I'm thinking they realize that they'll have to move one or two at some point during the season. Chris Tanev, currently hurt and in the minors, was showcased nicely during the latter half of 2010-11 and through the Stanley Cup Finals. Kevin Connauton has five goals in 15 games in the AHL this season and has an underrated defensive game. Adam Polasek and Yann Sauve are rugged young defenders and both have shown the ability to produce points while in the QMJHL. So, Scotty, take your pick.
Without removing a player from the current roster the Canucks can add a guy who would instantly be their third highest scorer - not a bad option I'd say. And, he's only signed through this year so you're not bound to a long term deal.
On a side note Howson's move for Nikitin (four points in his first five games in Columbus and a team high plus-2 rating), and the addition of Mark Letestu (two goals in his first six games) were great moves. His draft selections, Ryan Johansen and John Moore are up with the big club and looking very impressive, and his trade with Carter will be considered a land-mark move in the history of this franchise. He's also shown skill in the UFA market adding 51 point powerplay quarterback James Wisniewski for just 5 Million per season. So from a guy playing GM when he should be working, to a real NHL GM, 'Great Job!'
Here I sit dreaming up trades, playing GM of my favourite team, when I've got about 100 better things to be doing, and there's nothing I'd rather be occupying myself with. It makes no sense.
That said, wouldn't it be great if the Canucks could find an affordable player to provide the kind of playmaking on the second line they so desperately need?
Cue the Blue Jackets.
Columbus's season is already done, it's time for the Blue Jackets's brass to start figuring out what they need and what assets they can move to get it. In their case they need a healthy dosage of just about everything and they have some very interesting assets.
First and foremost is Vaclav Prospal, the aging Czech winger is one of the biggest suitcases in the league; a suitcase full of championships that is. We all remember his role on Tampa's cup winning team. Looked like he had a home in New York as one of the key cogs to that over-achieving team but at his age and pay-grade he became one of the sacrificial lambs that ushered in the Brad Richards era. So, for the low low price of just 1.75 + bonuses the Jackets made a smart move and brought in a guy who at 36 and without a home in the Rangers's putrid offense is now their leading scorer.
Columbus has strung together a couple wins lately, unfortunately that constitutes 40% of their W's this season. Jeff Carter is back, healthy and apparently is not demanding a trade (sure....), but the Jackets have finally given up on Kris Russel, shipping the young puck-mover to St.Louis for rugged Ruskie Nikita Nikitin. I'm thinking Prospal is next as his value, at 18 points through the first 20 games, won't get any higher. The Jackets need help on D still, even with the additions of Nikitin and Wisniewski, they are still one of the weakest groups in the league.
So, Jackets's GM Scott Howson can play the NHL version of Billy Beane and take an undervalued asset and move it to a team in need of said asset for a King's Ransom.
The Canucks have a lot of solid young defense prospects, and they added more this past offseason via draft and free-agency, so I'm thinking they realize that they'll have to move one or two at some point during the season. Chris Tanev, currently hurt and in the minors, was showcased nicely during the latter half of 2010-11 and through the Stanley Cup Finals. Kevin Connauton has five goals in 15 games in the AHL this season and has an underrated defensive game. Adam Polasek and Yann Sauve are rugged young defenders and both have shown the ability to produce points while in the QMJHL. So, Scotty, take your pick.
Without removing a player from the current roster the Canucks can add a guy who would instantly be their third highest scorer - not a bad option I'd say. And, he's only signed through this year so you're not bound to a long term deal.
On a side note Howson's move for Nikitin (four points in his first five games in Columbus and a team high plus-2 rating), and the addition of Mark Letestu (two goals in his first six games) were great moves. His draft selections, Ryan Johansen and John Moore are up with the big club and looking very impressive, and his trade with Carter will be considered a land-mark move in the history of this franchise. He's also shown skill in the UFA market adding 51 point powerplay quarterback James Wisniewski for just 5 Million per season. So from a guy playing GM when he should be working, to a real NHL GM, 'Great Job!'
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Sid and Ovi move Over
Remember how the NHL rose from the ashes of the lockout with a well-timed changing of the superstar guard? Thankfully the moniker of 'New NHL' has since disappeared, sadly, the young men that helped right the ship are taking a back-seat to a new breed of NHLer.
Sid and Ovi is probably the greatest NHL superstar rivalry of all time, and yet Sid the Kid has missed nearly a full season's worth of games. As for the Great 8, he's not even the best forward on his team let alone the league. It seems like so long ago that these two authored one of the greatest playoff classics of any major North American sport ever.
Caps' GM George McPhee was lauded for his offseason roster acquisitions and the hockey world seemed to agree that Washington was going to be the team to beat this year. They burst out of the gates like a cup contender, and now Bruce Boudreau's job is in jeopardy after the Caps recent 7-1 drubbing at the hands of the heavily injured Leafs. The Pens had a respectable playoff run last year without Crosby and are leading the Atlantic division so far this year.
Even the supporting cast of the Pens/Caps rivalry are fading in to obscurity. Remember Mike Green? The former 30 goal defenseman, Ovi's partner in crime, he's been injured most of this and last season, ditto for Gino Malkin, who has looked both great and awful at times this year.
So, in the words of George Jones: "Who's going to fill their shoes?"
In Chicago the duo of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane returned a once proud Original Six team to glory, and, they've got a catchy name, but neither has produced the type of individual points totals a league poster boy should.
The Sedin twins have the numbers, but no championships, and their stoic Swedish disposition doesn't scream 'Marketability'. Plus they play in the all too often forgotten West.
There was some hope that the tandem of Cory Perry and Ryan Getzlaf might carry the torch, they've got the numbers, the international success, the cup rings and individual accolades, but again, they're even more west than Vancouver and have stumbled out of the gates.
Steven Stamkos has unrivaled aliteration to his name, and he's a Richard Trophy winner, but he's trapped in a boring system in a watered down division on a forgotten team. Ditto for Jeff Skinner.
Mike Richards and Jeff Carter were seperated like talkative classmates, but now Carter, the former 48 goal man is struggling to stay in the line-up and Richards is loving life in La La Land.
It seems as if there is no logical replacement for the Sid/Ovi story line. No one can match the classic case of the wholesome Crosby and extravagent Ovechkin, rivals in the same Conference where each year only one can lead his team to the finals. No one seems to compare to the level of similarity in production but extreme polar opposite in style that Sid and Ovi represented. The debate as to who is better is yet to be answered and might just fade away.
If the NHL is going to look for a new class of league posterboys then they may just have to go back to the well again, literally, to the City of Champions.
Nestled in an already rabid hockey market the Edmonton Oilers have assembled a young core that is eerily reminiscent of the Gretzky/Messier days. In 2008 they had the steal of the first round when they used the 22nd pick to select Jordan Eberle from the Regina Pats of the WHL. Eberle would endear himself to Canadian hockey fans before ever gracing an NHL scoresheet with his timely play for Team Canada in the WJC. The next season they nabbed Magnus Paajarvi with the 10th overall pick. The Finnish power forward has had a difficult sophomore season but make no mistake, his speed, size and puck skill are second-to-none, and if the Oilers can't find him more ice they'll find someone who will. In 2011 they took back-to-back Memorial Cup MVP Taylor Hall with the first overall pick.
The trio of Paajarvi, Hall and Eberle performed well in their rookie season together, just well enough to land the Oilers the first overall pick in consecutive seasons which they used to select Ryan Nugent-Hopkins from Red Deer of the WHL. The skinny pivot had an impressive season with the Rebels, but many felt the Oil, with their plethora of young skilled forwards, should've taken Swedish defenseman Adam Larsson, who was thought to be more NHL ready because he had already played three seasons against men in the Elitserien.
Luckily the Oil took the best player available and didn't draft by positional need. The Nuge is leading the team in scoring with 19 points through the first 19 games of the season, and has found isntant chemistry with Hall and Eberle as the Oil currently sit eighth in the West.
This group has the potential to do what Pittsburgh and Chicago did before them. If Edmonton's management can find a way to keep them all together they could even surpass the Hawks and Pens in greatness and become the long awaited NHL dyansty that fans have longed for since the great Oiler teams of the 80s.
Speaking of those Oiler teams it's fitting that in the Eastern conference right now the Flyers have restocked the cupboards after a pair of blockbuster trades and are loaded with young talent like Sean Couturier, James Van Reimsdyk, Claude Giroux and Brayden Schenn. These two franchises can boast seven cup championships between them and clashed twice during the Gretzky days; could we see them rekindle the rivalry of yore? The Oil also famously met the Islanders and Bruins in the finals and both of those teams are at various states of their respective youth movements. Staying at home in the Northwest Division the Avalanche are lead by young superstars Erik Johnson, Paul Stastny, Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene, rival Canucks are coming off of a President's Trophy winning season and the Battle of Alberta is always entertaining, even if the Flames are among the most underachieving teams in the league.
The Oiler seemed destined to repeat history, especially if the league does itself a favour and scraps the salary cap during collective bargaining this off season, as many speculate they will. If they don't turn out to be the pitchman for Canada's great frozen game that Bettman and the boys running the league hope they will be, and Sid and Ovi don't return to prominence then the league has plenty of options to choose from.
We've yet to see the likes of Emerson Etem, the SoCal kid who is among a growing number of star players coming out of Cali, who is lighting up the Dub this year at over a goal per game pace. Brett Connolly is off to a solid start in Tampa, and they've also got budding power forward Carter Ashton set to join the big club any game now. Ryan Strome could put the Islanders over the top when he makes the jump to the pros. Jonathan Huberdeau could probably start for the Panthers right now, and they're looking like a force to be reckoned with. The list of high-calibre talent that enters the league each season is growing deeper and stronger each passing season, but can anybody really match the once great Sid and Ovi?
Sid and Ovi is probably the greatest NHL superstar rivalry of all time, and yet Sid the Kid has missed nearly a full season's worth of games. As for the Great 8, he's not even the best forward on his team let alone the league. It seems like so long ago that these two authored one of the greatest playoff classics of any major North American sport ever.
Caps' GM George McPhee was lauded for his offseason roster acquisitions and the hockey world seemed to agree that Washington was going to be the team to beat this year. They burst out of the gates like a cup contender, and now Bruce Boudreau's job is in jeopardy after the Caps recent 7-1 drubbing at the hands of the heavily injured Leafs. The Pens had a respectable playoff run last year without Crosby and are leading the Atlantic division so far this year.
Even the supporting cast of the Pens/Caps rivalry are fading in to obscurity. Remember Mike Green? The former 30 goal defenseman, Ovi's partner in crime, he's been injured most of this and last season, ditto for Gino Malkin, who has looked both great and awful at times this year.
So, in the words of George Jones: "Who's going to fill their shoes?"
In Chicago the duo of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane returned a once proud Original Six team to glory, and, they've got a catchy name, but neither has produced the type of individual points totals a league poster boy should.
The Sedin twins have the numbers, but no championships, and their stoic Swedish disposition doesn't scream 'Marketability'. Plus they play in the all too often forgotten West.
There was some hope that the tandem of Cory Perry and Ryan Getzlaf might carry the torch, they've got the numbers, the international success, the cup rings and individual accolades, but again, they're even more west than Vancouver and have stumbled out of the gates.
Steven Stamkos has unrivaled aliteration to his name, and he's a Richard Trophy winner, but he's trapped in a boring system in a watered down division on a forgotten team. Ditto for Jeff Skinner.
Mike Richards and Jeff Carter were seperated like talkative classmates, but now Carter, the former 48 goal man is struggling to stay in the line-up and Richards is loving life in La La Land.
It seems as if there is no logical replacement for the Sid/Ovi story line. No one can match the classic case of the wholesome Crosby and extravagent Ovechkin, rivals in the same Conference where each year only one can lead his team to the finals. No one seems to compare to the level of similarity in production but extreme polar opposite in style that Sid and Ovi represented. The debate as to who is better is yet to be answered and might just fade away.
If the NHL is going to look for a new class of league posterboys then they may just have to go back to the well again, literally, to the City of Champions.
Nestled in an already rabid hockey market the Edmonton Oilers have assembled a young core that is eerily reminiscent of the Gretzky/Messier days. In 2008 they had the steal of the first round when they used the 22nd pick to select Jordan Eberle from the Regina Pats of the WHL. Eberle would endear himself to Canadian hockey fans before ever gracing an NHL scoresheet with his timely play for Team Canada in the WJC. The next season they nabbed Magnus Paajarvi with the 10th overall pick. The Finnish power forward has had a difficult sophomore season but make no mistake, his speed, size and puck skill are second-to-none, and if the Oilers can't find him more ice they'll find someone who will. In 2011 they took back-to-back Memorial Cup MVP Taylor Hall with the first overall pick.
The trio of Paajarvi, Hall and Eberle performed well in their rookie season together, just well enough to land the Oilers the first overall pick in consecutive seasons which they used to select Ryan Nugent-Hopkins from Red Deer of the WHL. The skinny pivot had an impressive season with the Rebels, but many felt the Oil, with their plethora of young skilled forwards, should've taken Swedish defenseman Adam Larsson, who was thought to be more NHL ready because he had already played three seasons against men in the Elitserien.
Luckily the Oil took the best player available and didn't draft by positional need. The Nuge is leading the team in scoring with 19 points through the first 19 games of the season, and has found isntant chemistry with Hall and Eberle as the Oil currently sit eighth in the West.
This group has the potential to do what Pittsburgh and Chicago did before them. If Edmonton's management can find a way to keep them all together they could even surpass the Hawks and Pens in greatness and become the long awaited NHL dyansty that fans have longed for since the great Oiler teams of the 80s.
Speaking of those Oiler teams it's fitting that in the Eastern conference right now the Flyers have restocked the cupboards after a pair of blockbuster trades and are loaded with young talent like Sean Couturier, James Van Reimsdyk, Claude Giroux and Brayden Schenn. These two franchises can boast seven cup championships between them and clashed twice during the Gretzky days; could we see them rekindle the rivalry of yore? The Oil also famously met the Islanders and Bruins in the finals and both of those teams are at various states of their respective youth movements. Staying at home in the Northwest Division the Avalanche are lead by young superstars Erik Johnson, Paul Stastny, Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene, rival Canucks are coming off of a President's Trophy winning season and the Battle of Alberta is always entertaining, even if the Flames are among the most underachieving teams in the league.
The Oiler seemed destined to repeat history, especially if the league does itself a favour and scraps the salary cap during collective bargaining this off season, as many speculate they will. If they don't turn out to be the pitchman for Canada's great frozen game that Bettman and the boys running the league hope they will be, and Sid and Ovi don't return to prominence then the league has plenty of options to choose from.
We've yet to see the likes of Emerson Etem, the SoCal kid who is among a growing number of star players coming out of Cali, who is lighting up the Dub this year at over a goal per game pace. Brett Connolly is off to a solid start in Tampa, and they've also got budding power forward Carter Ashton set to join the big club any game now. Ryan Strome could put the Islanders over the top when he makes the jump to the pros. Jonathan Huberdeau could probably start for the Panthers right now, and they're looking like a force to be reckoned with. The list of high-calibre talent that enters the league each season is growing deeper and stronger each passing season, but can anybody really match the once great Sid and Ovi?
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Minute Men
Ilya Kovalchuk is back in the line-up after missing a few games, and the cause, if you take a look at the stats, was probably exhaustion. Devils coach Peter DeBoer was running Kovalchuk ragged as he logged over 25 minutes per game of average ice time, over three minutes more than the next closes forward. Kovalchuk was doing it all, playing well over a minute shorthanded every game and over four minutes per game on the powerplay, leaving nearly 20 minutes of tiring even-strength play. In his first game back Kovalchuk was eased in to the line-up with just over 22 minutes.
I was thumbing through some box scores of that very same game between Buffalo and New Jersey and was pretty impressed to see Nathan Gerbe had notched his seventh assist of the year in a losing effort. I wanted to see how many points he had this season. 10 in 18 games is pretty impressive for the league’s shortest player, but then when I checked the far right column of the box score, Time On Ice, it became all the more astounding. Gerbe had plaid just 11:16 that game with no power-play time.
So, he inspired my search for others like him, who are producing points for their team without the big minutes and special-teams time.
5. Nathan Gerbe: Ten points in 18 games, his plus five rating is second on the Sabres, 14:13 TOI/G
4. Sean Couturier: Eight points in 18 games, tied for team lead in +/- as a rookie, 13:06 TOI/G
3. Victor Stalber: Ten points in 17 games, a plus-7 rating in just 12:59 TOI/G
2. Tanner Glass: Nine points in 19 games, second on team in plus/minus in just 11:29 TOI/G
1. Tim Stapleton: Who? Fair question. The undrafted and undersized native of Forest Park, Illinois enjoyed four productive years WCHA with Minnesota Duluth but went undrafted. He left college and joined Jokerit of the SM-Liiga for two seasons, then returned and torched the AHL with the Marlies but soon left Toronto’s system to join Atlanta, and while he bounced up and down from the minors to the NHL he has found a home this year as a powerplay specialist with seven points in 15 games all in just 9:19 TOI/G.
Honourable mention to Cody Hodgson for his nine points in 19 games, all with just 13:39 TOI/G
Jesse Newman of the Lions stops in to preview the West Final http://soundcloud.com/josh-statham/epi5complete and Canucks chat in the new podcast!
I was thumbing through some box scores of that very same game between Buffalo and New Jersey and was pretty impressed to see Nathan Gerbe had notched his seventh assist of the year in a losing effort. I wanted to see how many points he had this season. 10 in 18 games is pretty impressive for the league’s shortest player, but then when I checked the far right column of the box score, Time On Ice, it became all the more astounding. Gerbe had plaid just 11:16 that game with no power-play time.
So, he inspired my search for others like him, who are producing points for their team without the big minutes and special-teams time.
5. Nathan Gerbe: Ten points in 18 games, his plus five rating is second on the Sabres, 14:13 TOI/G
4. Sean Couturier: Eight points in 18 games, tied for team lead in +/- as a rookie, 13:06 TOI/G
3. Victor Stalber: Ten points in 17 games, a plus-7 rating in just 12:59 TOI/G
2. Tanner Glass: Nine points in 19 games, second on team in plus/minus in just 11:29 TOI/G
1. Tim Stapleton: Who? Fair question. The undrafted and undersized native of Forest Park, Illinois enjoyed four productive years WCHA with Minnesota Duluth but went undrafted. He left college and joined Jokerit of the SM-Liiga for two seasons, then returned and torched the AHL with the Marlies but soon left Toronto’s system to join Atlanta, and while he bounced up and down from the minors to the NHL he has found a home this year as a powerplay specialist with seven points in 15 games all in just 9:19 TOI/G.
Honourable mention to Cody Hodgson for his nine points in 19 games, all with just 13:39 TOI/G
Jesse Newman of the Lions stops in to preview the West Final http://soundcloud.com/josh-statham/epi5complete and Canucks chat in the new podcast!
Don't be Hating
“In 22 years they are the most arrogant team I played against, and the most hated team I’ve ever played against.” – Mark Recchi on a Boston radio program November 16, 2011.
So Mark Rechhi, one of BC’s own native sons, has helped resonate the sentiment that the Vancouver Canucks won’t be winning any popularity contests any time soon. Most Canuck fans are too tired of the topic of their team’s approval rating to care if one of their own is calling down their team. I think I speak for the majority of the Canuck fans when I say we’re right now more concerned about trying to win some games.
As the famed English Dramatist Douglas Adams once remarked:
“If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, we have at least to consider the possibility that we have a small aquatic bird of the family anatidae on our hands.”
By now most Canuck fans have resolved themselves to the idea that they’re team is hated, but Recchi’s comments stand out and should be paid special attention because he has at long last supported his disdain in stating: A) A reason, arrogance and B) Evidence to support his bold statement that in a long and storied career his experience in last year’s Stanley Cup Final was enough to call the 2010-11 Canucks “the most hated team I’ve ever played against.”
In all fairness, Roberto Luongo’s critique of Bruins’ Vezina Trophy winning goalie Tim Thomas epitomized arrogance. Canuck defenseman Kevin Bieksa can accredit great vision and ability to carry the zone to his upright skating posture, unfortunately, he also walks around off the ice with his head in the clouds. Ryan Kesler’s nude ESPN photo shoot was both arrogant and latently homo-erotic. Recchi might be on to something here…
As far as the diving goes, well, it’s almost indisputable that a team that features Kesler, Maxim Lapierre and Alex Burrows can be presumed guilty of any offense of embellishment.
Lucky for Recchi he’s just hopping on the bandwagon and the target of his distaste has grown so obviously revolted amongst their own brethren that even players they trade for that are buried in some other teams minor league system don’t want to come play with the Canucks.
While Recchi’s comments are accurate and fully supported by indisputable evidence the most overlooked aspect of the whole Canuck-bashing fad is the fact that the very team they lost to in the finals, Mark Recchi’s own Boston Bruins, could be considered the biggest collection of jerks in one single dressing room, so why are they getting a pass?
Ya, there was some diving by some Canucks, but we’re not talking Mike Ribiero here. And yes, they’re arrogant, but the only harm of arrogance is self-infliction.
So here’s my list of the top five hated teams in the history of the NHL starting with….
5) The 2010-11 Boston Bruins: In a game between two of the most heated rivals in sports Boston Bruins defenseman, the Captain of the Black and Gold, broke a guys neck and got away scott free. Watch the replay. Chara knew exactly what he was doing as he looked up at the blunt edge of plexi glass and rode Canadien’s forward Max Pacioretty’s head right in to it, breaking two of Pacioretty’s vertebrae and giving him a concussion; did I mention these two had a long-running feud? In game six of the Stanley Cup Finals Bruin defenseman Johnny Boychuck rode diminutive Canuck forward Mason Raymond in to the boards away from the puck and in an awkward position, and broke his back – is there an echo in here? Brad Marchand is probably among the top-five least respected people in the game. He’s now joined by power forward Milan Lucic who accidentally-on-purpose steam rolled and subsequently concussed Sabres’ star goalie Ryan Miller, who just happens to be the most important player on a key division opponent, as well as gives up about 75 pounds to Looch. Again, no suspension was warrented. Throw in a healthy dosage of nepotism as Bruin winger Gregory Campbell is former league disciplinarian Colin Campbell’s son – no favouritism here of course. Boston’s whole game plan that year was to play great team defense and beat the crap out of everybody else. They were a couple minor penalties away from having four players with over 100 PIM. They were the 8th most penalized team in the league that season, with the third most major penalties and game misconducts.
4) The 2008-09 Dallas Stars: An interesting case, but hated none-the-less. You could start at the top when Brett Hull, hated in Canada as a traitor and Buffalo as a cheater, was added to the management team. His first order of business? Go out and give a ridiculous contract to the games most hated player, Sean Avery, who would soon alienate his entire team and be exiled to the minors and then getting jettisoned to New York where he would go on to alter the NHL rule books and infamously call Hall of Fame goalie Martin Brodeur ‘Fatso’. Hull apparently felt it necessary to add the league’s most hated pest because the number two guy on that list, Steve Ott, wasn’t already doing a good enough job. Ott was recently selected the top agitator in the league after Avery’s most recent banishment to the minors. Add to the mix the Stars playmaking centre Mike Ribiero, who made his name while in Montreal, doing the funky-chicken during a playoff game which turned out to be a complete act to stop play. Team Captain Brenden Morrow racked up an astonishing 49 PIM in just 18 games that year. He didn’t do himself any favours getting caught-up in the middle of usurping the Captain’s ‘C’ from the franchises favourite player, Mike Modano. You can even go as far as adding Krys Barch name to the hated list, by whom you ask? Sportswriters, for having the most ridiculous alternate spelling to a normal name ever.
3) The Islander Dynasty: Let’s start with Bad Boy Billy. The Islander goalie was known as one of the greatest ‘Money Goalies’ for his clutch play, but his goaltending ability is overshadowed in his legacy by his stick work. This guy makes Ron Hextall look like Jean Ratelle. Just ask Curt Fraser. A youtube search of his name reveals a near vomit-inducing playlist of horrific on-ice acts. The Isles were anchored on defense by Denis Potvin, a man Don Cherry describes as, “One of the meanest hockey players who ever played.” Let’s not forget about Bryan Trottier. One of the greatest all around players to ever lace up the blades the digital era has shed new light on just how complete Trotts’ game was by exposing perhaps his most gifted area of expertise: trash talk. If you haven’t seen it already enjoy this fine example of his handiwork (not for the faint of heart) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MNA0_n32Hc . One of the biggest reasons this team was so hated was the fact that they almost won at will during their hay-days and the feeling of total helplessness in playing the Isles must have instilled an awful lot of hate.
2) The 1978-79 Boston Bruins: This team nearly took the top spot when you look at the shear depth of pugilism on its roster. Five players recorded over 100PIM for the Lunch Pale Crew that year, including Terry O’Reilly who actually topped the 200 PIM mark, John Wensink, Mike Milbury, Al Secord and Dennis O’Brien. Perhaps the biggest goon on the squad, Stan Jonathan, had 96 PIM in just 33 games on a goon-squad that also featured the rugged Wayne Cashman. Don Cherry, loved by his players and known as a true player’s coach, was the appropriate leader of this group of ruffians.
1) Who else could it be? The Broad Street Bullies of course. Probably the only team that can boast to be rougher and tougher than the ’79 Bruins. Lead offensively by Bobby Clarke who recorded three 100+ point seasons during the Bullies’ Salad Days. Clarke was known to warn opposing centremen that if they even made an effort to touch the puck during the face-off he’d take their eyes out. In those wild days of hockey you didn’t dare question him. Clarke was a saint compared to some of his Flyer teammates. The most notable of the pugilists was Dave “The Hammer” Schultz who topped the 300 PIM mark in seven seasons and in 1975 set the insurmountable single-season record for PIMs with 472. Gary Dornhoefer had five straight 100+ PIM seasons for the Broad Street Bullies. Andre “Moose” Dupont had three straight 200+ PIM seasons, four total for the Flyers, finishing with a career mark of nearly 2000. His son Danny lead the QMJHL in PIM in 1994-95 with 446. Ed Van Impe and Don Saleski rounded out the best of the Bullies as the Flyers fought their way to back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 1974 and 1975.
Catch my interview with JESSE NEWMAN of the BC Lions as we preview tomorrow's big match-up: http://soundcloud.com/josh-statham/epi5complete and of course Canucks chat!
So Mark Rechhi, one of BC’s own native sons, has helped resonate the sentiment that the Vancouver Canucks won’t be winning any popularity contests any time soon. Most Canuck fans are too tired of the topic of their team’s approval rating to care if one of their own is calling down their team. I think I speak for the majority of the Canuck fans when I say we’re right now more concerned about trying to win some games.
As the famed English Dramatist Douglas Adams once remarked:
“If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, we have at least to consider the possibility that we have a small aquatic bird of the family anatidae on our hands.”
By now most Canuck fans have resolved themselves to the idea that they’re team is hated, but Recchi’s comments stand out and should be paid special attention because he has at long last supported his disdain in stating: A) A reason, arrogance and B) Evidence to support his bold statement that in a long and storied career his experience in last year’s Stanley Cup Final was enough to call the 2010-11 Canucks “the most hated team I’ve ever played against.”
In all fairness, Roberto Luongo’s critique of Bruins’ Vezina Trophy winning goalie Tim Thomas epitomized arrogance. Canuck defenseman Kevin Bieksa can accredit great vision and ability to carry the zone to his upright skating posture, unfortunately, he also walks around off the ice with his head in the clouds. Ryan Kesler’s nude ESPN photo shoot was both arrogant and latently homo-erotic. Recchi might be on to something here…
As far as the diving goes, well, it’s almost indisputable that a team that features Kesler, Maxim Lapierre and Alex Burrows can be presumed guilty of any offense of embellishment.
Lucky for Recchi he’s just hopping on the bandwagon and the target of his distaste has grown so obviously revolted amongst their own brethren that even players they trade for that are buried in some other teams minor league system don’t want to come play with the Canucks.
While Recchi’s comments are accurate and fully supported by indisputable evidence the most overlooked aspect of the whole Canuck-bashing fad is the fact that the very team they lost to in the finals, Mark Recchi’s own Boston Bruins, could be considered the biggest collection of jerks in one single dressing room, so why are they getting a pass?
Ya, there was some diving by some Canucks, but we’re not talking Mike Ribiero here. And yes, they’re arrogant, but the only harm of arrogance is self-infliction.
So here’s my list of the top five hated teams in the history of the NHL starting with….
5) The 2010-11 Boston Bruins: In a game between two of the most heated rivals in sports Boston Bruins defenseman, the Captain of the Black and Gold, broke a guys neck and got away scott free. Watch the replay. Chara knew exactly what he was doing as he looked up at the blunt edge of plexi glass and rode Canadien’s forward Max Pacioretty’s head right in to it, breaking two of Pacioretty’s vertebrae and giving him a concussion; did I mention these two had a long-running feud? In game six of the Stanley Cup Finals Bruin defenseman Johnny Boychuck rode diminutive Canuck forward Mason Raymond in to the boards away from the puck and in an awkward position, and broke his back – is there an echo in here? Brad Marchand is probably among the top-five least respected people in the game. He’s now joined by power forward Milan Lucic who accidentally-on-purpose steam rolled and subsequently concussed Sabres’ star goalie Ryan Miller, who just happens to be the most important player on a key division opponent, as well as gives up about 75 pounds to Looch. Again, no suspension was warrented. Throw in a healthy dosage of nepotism as Bruin winger Gregory Campbell is former league disciplinarian Colin Campbell’s son – no favouritism here of course. Boston’s whole game plan that year was to play great team defense and beat the crap out of everybody else. They were a couple minor penalties away from having four players with over 100 PIM. They were the 8th most penalized team in the league that season, with the third most major penalties and game misconducts.
4) The 2008-09 Dallas Stars: An interesting case, but hated none-the-less. You could start at the top when Brett Hull, hated in Canada as a traitor and Buffalo as a cheater, was added to the management team. His first order of business? Go out and give a ridiculous contract to the games most hated player, Sean Avery, who would soon alienate his entire team and be exiled to the minors and then getting jettisoned to New York where he would go on to alter the NHL rule books and infamously call Hall of Fame goalie Martin Brodeur ‘Fatso’. Hull apparently felt it necessary to add the league’s most hated pest because the number two guy on that list, Steve Ott, wasn’t already doing a good enough job. Ott was recently selected the top agitator in the league after Avery’s most recent banishment to the minors. Add to the mix the Stars playmaking centre Mike Ribiero, who made his name while in Montreal, doing the funky-chicken during a playoff game which turned out to be a complete act to stop play. Team Captain Brenden Morrow racked up an astonishing 49 PIM in just 18 games that year. He didn’t do himself any favours getting caught-up in the middle of usurping the Captain’s ‘C’ from the franchises favourite player, Mike Modano. You can even go as far as adding Krys Barch name to the hated list, by whom you ask? Sportswriters, for having the most ridiculous alternate spelling to a normal name ever.
3) The Islander Dynasty: Let’s start with Bad Boy Billy. The Islander goalie was known as one of the greatest ‘Money Goalies’ for his clutch play, but his goaltending ability is overshadowed in his legacy by his stick work. This guy makes Ron Hextall look like Jean Ratelle. Just ask Curt Fraser. A youtube search of his name reveals a near vomit-inducing playlist of horrific on-ice acts. The Isles were anchored on defense by Denis Potvin, a man Don Cherry describes as, “One of the meanest hockey players who ever played.” Let’s not forget about Bryan Trottier. One of the greatest all around players to ever lace up the blades the digital era has shed new light on just how complete Trotts’ game was by exposing perhaps his most gifted area of expertise: trash talk. If you haven’t seen it already enjoy this fine example of his handiwork (not for the faint of heart) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MNA0_n32Hc . One of the biggest reasons this team was so hated was the fact that they almost won at will during their hay-days and the feeling of total helplessness in playing the Isles must have instilled an awful lot of hate.
2) The 1978-79 Boston Bruins: This team nearly took the top spot when you look at the shear depth of pugilism on its roster. Five players recorded over 100PIM for the Lunch Pale Crew that year, including Terry O’Reilly who actually topped the 200 PIM mark, John Wensink, Mike Milbury, Al Secord and Dennis O’Brien. Perhaps the biggest goon on the squad, Stan Jonathan, had 96 PIM in just 33 games on a goon-squad that also featured the rugged Wayne Cashman. Don Cherry, loved by his players and known as a true player’s coach, was the appropriate leader of this group of ruffians.
1) Who else could it be? The Broad Street Bullies of course. Probably the only team that can boast to be rougher and tougher than the ’79 Bruins. Lead offensively by Bobby Clarke who recorded three 100+ point seasons during the Bullies’ Salad Days. Clarke was known to warn opposing centremen that if they even made an effort to touch the puck during the face-off he’d take their eyes out. In those wild days of hockey you didn’t dare question him. Clarke was a saint compared to some of his Flyer teammates. The most notable of the pugilists was Dave “The Hammer” Schultz who topped the 300 PIM mark in seven seasons and in 1975 set the insurmountable single-season record for PIMs with 472. Gary Dornhoefer had five straight 100+ PIM seasons for the Broad Street Bullies. Andre “Moose” Dupont had three straight 200+ PIM seasons, four total for the Flyers, finishing with a career mark of nearly 2000. His son Danny lead the QMJHL in PIM in 1994-95 with 446. Ed Van Impe and Don Saleski rounded out the best of the Bullies as the Flyers fought their way to back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 1974 and 1975.
Catch my interview with JESSE NEWMAN of the BC Lions as we preview tomorrow's big match-up: http://soundcloud.com/josh-statham/epi5complete and of course Canucks chat!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Canucks Trivia with a Twist and Prizes
Back by popular demand here is the 'Guess that Canuck' trivia game. In this instalment I provide the Hipster name for five of our favourite current Canucks, as well as a brief description of that player, and the first person to answer correctly wins a Tim Horton's gift card. Send your answers to thecanucksblog@gmail.com
1. Kingston Theo: This Canuck was a 'king' of offense early in the season but has since cooled off, and brings the kind of speed and determination that another famous Theo was noted for. The Nux recently hosted and roasted his hometown NHL team.
2. Ray Frank: To be frank it's looking like the team the Canucks traded with to get this guy got fleeced.
3. Rufus Hugo: This guy has the propensity to be excellent on a nightly basis, but lately he's been accused of spending more time swimming on the ice than Roberto Luongo (hint, it's not Roberto Luongo).
4. Miles Ike: This young man has come miles from the player we first saw in camp, and is starting to show the type of skill that made him the tenth overall pick in his draft year.
5. Odin Holden: This ginger hipster has been Holden on to pucks in his last few starts hoping for a break in the action. The team has left him high and dry and scored only two goals total in his past three starts.
Ok, some easy, some not so easy - hit me up with your answers to thecanucksblog@gmail.com and we'll find out who gets to take home a Tim Horton's gift card.
1. Kingston Theo: This Canuck was a 'king' of offense early in the season but has since cooled off, and brings the kind of speed and determination that another famous Theo was noted for. The Nux recently hosted and roasted his hometown NHL team.
2. Ray Frank: To be frank it's looking like the team the Canucks traded with to get this guy got fleeced.
3. Rufus Hugo: This guy has the propensity to be excellent on a nightly basis, but lately he's been accused of spending more time swimming on the ice than Roberto Luongo (hint, it's not Roberto Luongo).
4. Miles Ike: This young man has come miles from the player we first saw in camp, and is starting to show the type of skill that made him the tenth overall pick in his draft year.
5. Odin Holden: This ginger hipster has been Holden on to pucks in his last few starts hoping for a break in the action. The team has left him high and dry and scored only two goals total in his past three starts.
Ok, some easy, some not so easy - hit me up with your answers to thecanucksblog@gmail.com and we'll find out who gets to take home a Tim Horton's gift card.
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