Okay, okay so I didn’t get the number of games right (in fact I didn’t get any of them right), but the important part of making picks is picking the winner. Right? Well, at least that’s what I’m going to keep telling myself anyway. With that said; I guess I did pretty good going 6 – 2 (I’ll take that gladly as the 1st round is always the hardest). How did that stupid monkey do? I don’t even want to look. Stupid freakin’ monkey. And don’t get me started on that whole “Ekland’s Dog” thing. Sometimes I wonder why my biggest adversaries are pets and if there isn’t something crazy wrong with that considering I blog about hockey. You know, every year I try and come up with something to beat members of the animal kingdom (sometimes beating them at there own game) when it comes to making my picks. This year I’m just not sure I want to stoop to the level of throwing my poop at a spinning wheel to do it. I even shaved my playoff beard and changed my underwear (I know, I know but I’m not superstitious so I never followed the whole underwear thing anyway) so I figure this time I don’t really need to pull out any tricks in order to beat a stupid freakin’ monkey. Okay, enough of this it’s time for my 2nd round picks.
MONTREAL VS. PHILADELPHIA
Neither of these teams played the way I expected them to in the first round so I’m a bit tentative to declare an outright winner, but knowing that I have to I’ll look at a key areas. Goaltending for each team will be crucial, as each has looked shaky in short spurts but managed to regain form. The Habs have speed, strong transition and can light the lamp, but can they withstand another physical series? The Flyers are gritty and physical, will grind out a full 60 minutes and never quit, but if they have to rely on secondary scoring or can’t handle the speed they might be in trouble. The Habs will have to score early and often and hope for a short series avoiding overtime at all costs in order to win. The Flyers will have to slow the pace down and muck out a few ugly wins and hope for overtime games where they can wear down the Habs as well as keep Briere and company free to continue scoring in order to win. MONTREAL IN 6
PITTSBURGH VS. NEW YORK RANGERS
The Pens made short work of their opponent in the first round and have been waiting comfortably for round two. They will have to shake off the rust in Game 1, but I’m sure these horses are ready to run. I don’t see them having much trouble matching up with the Blueshirts and with all of their top players healthy they should exploit the defensive holes on the Rangers. The Rangers will try to play as solid defense as they did against the Devils and I can’t wait to see what that jackass Avery has in store for Fleury. I’m sure he’s already in the kid’s head even if only a tiny amount. The Pens will have to stay out of the penalty box and hope to draw a few calls their way to do real damage, so they will have to be careful not to get goaded into any extra bullshit Avery will create. The Rangers will have to continue to spread the scoring around and hope their top players come through at key moments. The Pens just need to keep up the confidence and keep the machine running on all cylinders and they should be fine. PITTSBURGH IN 6
DETROIT VS. COLORADO
Well this isn’t quite the same series match-up as it was years ago, but it should be entertaining none-the-less. The Wings will try and get an early lead so they can control the pace and the clock with strong puck possession play where as the Avs will try and keep coming in waves in the attacking zone and pepper the Wings with shots. The Wings should be weary of overtime and try to finish games early so as not to give the Avs any extra chances. Each team is loaded with vets with strong youngsters mixed in so this series will be fun to watch. I just don’t know if there will be enough gas left in the tank of some of the Avs’ elder statesmen to get through another round. DETROIT IN 6
SAN JOSE VS. DALLAS
It’s time for both of these teams to prove they belong in the conference final. The Stars have a ton of confidence after eliminating the ex-champs rather easily. Turco looks like his shaky playoff play is far behind him and if they can get their injured stars back in the lineup it will give them an extra boost so they don’t have to rely on a young defense (not that the kids didn’t play super in round one). The Sharks can’t afford to have any lapses in this series like they did against Calgary and will not only have to beat the Stars with physical play but also with speed. They should crash the net and get in Turco’s face every chance they get and keep the puck away from him if they have to play dump and chase. I didn’t think the Stars would be here and I’m hoping they don’t become this year’s version of Ottawa (who killed me last year), so I just can’t pick them in this one. SAN JOSE IN 6
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
ROUND 1 WRAP UP
Now that the dust has settled and the first round is complete, I want to take a moment and reflect on what was an interesting opening round of the NHL playoffs before jumping into my predications for round two (check in tomorrow for my 2nd round picks). There were some surprises, disappointments and downright head scratching moments that I have just got to share with you. (Oh, lucky you!)
Disappointments
The Ducks – I can’t figure out why a team built for the playoffs was not ready to play come playoff time. Okay, will you please stay retired this time Scotty and Teemu?
The Caps –I’m not disappointed with the run only the result and the vanishing 2nd round match-up with the Pens (that would have been fun).
Marion Gaborik – 1 assist? Enough said.
Surprises
The Bruins –Saved their best hockey of the year for the playoffs. Watched this team all year and never saw them play so sound as they did in games 2 through 6. Finding a “real” goal scorer to play with Savard should be the focus going forward.
The Preds – Here is a team that has been labeled generic by most, but I’d bet if you asked any of the Wings they’d tell you a different story.
Roenick and Nolan – The two oldest guys on the ice were the two best players on the ice in Game 7. A tip of the hat to the old farts, how about that?
The Head Scratching Moments
Sean Avery – What the hell was that all about? You have enough skill to where you don’t have to pull idiot stunts like that and yet you do. I don’t like the idea of the new rule being called the “Sean Avery Rule” that solidifies his name in the history of the sport forever for garbage play. Can’t we just call it the “Don’t Be A Fuckin’ Tool Rule” and try to erase it from our memories.
Jaromir Jagr – I’m not as superstitious as some and yet I understand the whole playoff beard thing, but come on Jags, a Hitler mustache? Really? Is that necessary? I think it’s safe to say that look was forever ruined. Please try and fix your face for round two, okay?
Ovechkin – Let’s see….it’s Game 7….the series on the line….the game is tied….you are the leading goal scorer on your team….the leading goal scorer in the league….the puck is on your stick….in the high slot….the goalie is out of position….AND YOU PASS THE PUCK????….WHAT WERE YOU THINKING MAN????….SHOOT THE PUCK!!!!….YOU SCORE GOALS….THAT’S WHAT YOU DO FOR A LIVING….have a nice summer.
Disappointments
The Ducks – I can’t figure out why a team built for the playoffs was not ready to play come playoff time. Okay, will you please stay retired this time Scotty and Teemu?
The Caps –I’m not disappointed with the run only the result and the vanishing 2nd round match-up with the Pens (that would have been fun).
Marion Gaborik – 1 assist? Enough said.
Surprises
The Bruins –Saved their best hockey of the year for the playoffs. Watched this team all year and never saw them play so sound as they did in games 2 through 6. Finding a “real” goal scorer to play with Savard should be the focus going forward.
The Preds – Here is a team that has been labeled generic by most, but I’d bet if you asked any of the Wings they’d tell you a different story.
Roenick and Nolan – The two oldest guys on the ice were the two best players on the ice in Game 7. A tip of the hat to the old farts, how about that?
The Head Scratching Moments
Sean Avery – What the hell was that all about? You have enough skill to where you don’t have to pull idiot stunts like that and yet you do. I don’t like the idea of the new rule being called the “Sean Avery Rule” that solidifies his name in the history of the sport forever for garbage play. Can’t we just call it the “Don’t Be A Fuckin’ Tool Rule” and try to erase it from our memories.
Jaromir Jagr – I’m not as superstitious as some and yet I understand the whole playoff beard thing, but come on Jags, a Hitler mustache? Really? Is that necessary? I think it’s safe to say that look was forever ruined. Please try and fix your face for round two, okay?
Ovechkin – Let’s see….it’s Game 7….the series on the line….the game is tied….you are the leading goal scorer on your team….the leading goal scorer in the league….the puck is on your stick….in the high slot….the goalie is out of position….AND YOU PASS THE PUCK????….WHAT WERE YOU THINKING MAN????….SHOOT THE PUCK!!!!….YOU SCORE GOALS….THAT’S WHAT YOU DO FOR A LIVING….have a nice summer.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
GREGSKY'S PLAYOFF PICKS - PART 2 - WESTERN CONFERENCE
Here we go. It’s time to take on the Western Conference match-ups so welcome to Gregsky’s Playoff Picks. As I stated before, I have a new bag of tricks to guide me through the maze that is the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but for the first round I will trust in good old-fashioned know-how and a bit of luck (I’m sure to dip into the ol’ bag-o-tricks for the next round. Especially if that freakin’ monkey kicks my ass in the first round!). Remember, I’m shooting for one better than last year which means I will have to go no worse than 11 – 4 (yikes!).
DETROIT VS. NASHVILLE
At the start of the season I tried to tell people that the Preds would sneak into the playoffs despite the salary dumping and ownership issues and that they had a better team than most were willing to give them credit for (not surprisingly, I haven’t heard a peep out of some of the people who laughed at my notion). With that said, I want to extend a hearty Welcome To The Playoffs Preds! Your prize for your accomplishments is a first round date with the Wings. Well…. it was nice knowing you. This series will be merely a tune up for the next round for the Wings. They should roll right over the Preds in a puck possession, time management sort of way fine tuning the machine and making sure they are running on all cylinders. RED WINGS IN 5.
SAN JOSE VS. CALGARY
I can say that the stretch drive for the Sharks was extremely impressive, as they chewed up and spit out nearly every opponent to close out the season, but I wonder if it was a case of peaking too early. Jumbo Joe and the boys seem to be poised to take the Sharks to the promised land, but they still need to prove it. Calgary, on the other hand, limped into the post-season and has pretty much been mediocre all year. They did little in the off season to address the lack of secondary scoring and finding help to spell Kipper so he wouldn’t burn out come playoff time. Granted, bringing in Keenan and his whip cracking style of coaching hasn’t been as bad as I had first thought, but you can only get so much out of a roster that hasn’t been fixed in several years. Sorry Flames fans, but there just isn’t enough here to get excited about. SAN JOSE IN 6.
MINNESOTA VS. COLORADO
This series will be tough to pick. Gaborik is healthy and is out to prove he belongs in the playoffs and Forsberg is out to prove he still belongs in the NHL. The Wild are another year seasoned and most of the roster still feels the sting of last year, which should help them avoid another miserable end. The Avs have been up and down all year and have been bitten by the injury bug in stretches and yet they still managed to stay afloat and erase their own memories of last seasons miserable end. Backed by a resurgent Theodore (who has his own things to prove) the Avs are a veteran team with a few youngsters added in. The question is; are they too old to keep up the pace needed to go deep into the post-season? I’m not so sure they can make a long run, but they should get by the Wild. However, it won’t be easy and just might leave them with an empty tank going forward. COLORADO IN 6.
ANAHEIM VS. DALLAS
Jeez, the Stars just can’t catch a break. For the second year in a row they flew under the radar all season and found themselves a comfortable spot in the post-season only to have to face a tough opponent in the first round. Last year I wanted to pick them as a sleeper until I saw they had to contend with Luongo right off the bat. This year they drew the short straw again having to face the defending champs. Anaheim is a team built for the playoffs and will most definitely flex its muscle and pound down on the Stars. With a slightly banged up roster already the Stars are about to face more punishment. Turco will have to match his effort from last year and Richards will have to light it up if the Stars are to get past the Ducks. Maybe their luck will change next year. ANAHEIM IN 6.
DETROIT VS. NASHVILLE
At the start of the season I tried to tell people that the Preds would sneak into the playoffs despite the salary dumping and ownership issues and that they had a better team than most were willing to give them credit for (not surprisingly, I haven’t heard a peep out of some of the people who laughed at my notion). With that said, I want to extend a hearty Welcome To The Playoffs Preds! Your prize for your accomplishments is a first round date with the Wings. Well…. it was nice knowing you. This series will be merely a tune up for the next round for the Wings. They should roll right over the Preds in a puck possession, time management sort of way fine tuning the machine and making sure they are running on all cylinders. RED WINGS IN 5.
SAN JOSE VS. CALGARY
I can say that the stretch drive for the Sharks was extremely impressive, as they chewed up and spit out nearly every opponent to close out the season, but I wonder if it was a case of peaking too early. Jumbo Joe and the boys seem to be poised to take the Sharks to the promised land, but they still need to prove it. Calgary, on the other hand, limped into the post-season and has pretty much been mediocre all year. They did little in the off season to address the lack of secondary scoring and finding help to spell Kipper so he wouldn’t burn out come playoff time. Granted, bringing in Keenan and his whip cracking style of coaching hasn’t been as bad as I had first thought, but you can only get so much out of a roster that hasn’t been fixed in several years. Sorry Flames fans, but there just isn’t enough here to get excited about. SAN JOSE IN 6.
MINNESOTA VS. COLORADO
This series will be tough to pick. Gaborik is healthy and is out to prove he belongs in the playoffs and Forsberg is out to prove he still belongs in the NHL. The Wild are another year seasoned and most of the roster still feels the sting of last year, which should help them avoid another miserable end. The Avs have been up and down all year and have been bitten by the injury bug in stretches and yet they still managed to stay afloat and erase their own memories of last seasons miserable end. Backed by a resurgent Theodore (who has his own things to prove) the Avs are a veteran team with a few youngsters added in. The question is; are they too old to keep up the pace needed to go deep into the post-season? I’m not so sure they can make a long run, but they should get by the Wild. However, it won’t be easy and just might leave them with an empty tank going forward. COLORADO IN 6.
ANAHEIM VS. DALLAS
Jeez, the Stars just can’t catch a break. For the second year in a row they flew under the radar all season and found themselves a comfortable spot in the post-season only to have to face a tough opponent in the first round. Last year I wanted to pick them as a sleeper until I saw they had to contend with Luongo right off the bat. This year they drew the short straw again having to face the defending champs. Anaheim is a team built for the playoffs and will most definitely flex its muscle and pound down on the Stars. With a slightly banged up roster already the Stars are about to face more punishment. Turco will have to match his effort from last year and Richards will have to light it up if the Stars are to get past the Ducks. Maybe their luck will change next year. ANAHEIM IN 6.
Monday, April 7, 2008
GREGSKY'S PLAYOFF PICKS - PART 1 - EASTERN CONFERENCE
Welcome to Gregsky’s annual Playoff Picks. Each year I role the dice, spin the wheel, throw darts at a board, jump up and down (like Maggie) and do whatever it takes to beat the mainstream experts and prognostic members of the animal kingdom. In the past, I have used gypsy magic, gut feelings, magic 8-balls, etc. to carry me through round by round. This year I have a new bag of tricks to help guide me through, so keep coming back to check and see how I do and what I do to arrive at my picks each and every round. For the first round this year, I’m not pulling any punches (or any tricks out of the bag), just plain old-fashioned know-how and hoping for some luck. Last year I went 10 – 5 which was slightly better than the 9 – 6 from the previous year, so this time out I’m shooting for no worse than 11 – 4 which leaves very little room for mistakes. I hope that damn monkey has her game on this year!
MONTREAL VS. BOSTON
Well, no tricks needed for this one. The Habs have outright owned the Bruins all year as this match-up just doesn’t match up. The Bruins work hard, but make too many mistakes in the neutral zone and have a hard time putting the puck in the net. The Canadiens on the other hand fly through the neutral zone and have no trouble with scoring. The B’s will try to play physical against the Habs in the hope to wear them down, but you can’t hit what you can’t catch. Oh yeah, then there is the goalie match-up, which is no contest. The Bruins best friend and best chance in this series is overtime. If there is to be a sweep in the first round this is it, but because of overtime I’ll give the B’s a game. MONTREAL IN 5.
PITTSBURGH VS. OTTAWA
Every year I pick the Sens to fold come playoff time, no offense Ottawa fans, it’s just in the genetic make-up of the team to do so. Last year though, picking against them accounted for 3 of my 5 losses so common sense should tell me to tread lightly. It should, but it’s not. This time out the Sens seemed to run out of gas at the end of the season and the goaltending has been just mediocre all year. I could go on and on about the strengths of the Pens, but see no need to do so this early. Playing in Ottawa is always tough, but the Pens should fast track through this one with the help of a shaky Gerber and the tendency to quit when they are pushed around by the star players. PITTSBURGH IN 6.
WASHINGTON VS. PHILADELPHIA
For the last couple of seasons I have been saying that the Caps are quietly building something special and are worth keeping an eye on. This year, in August, I said they would surprise everyone and become a sleeper pick come playoff time. And here we are. Ovechkin flat tore up the regular season and is about to treat us to his playoff debut. It will be interesting to see how this one plays out because the Flyers work hard for 60 minutes and make you pay the price with their physical play, something the Caps struggled with all year until the last month of the season. Working in the Caps favor is finally getting the solid goaltending they have been lacking and mixing in seasoned vets to compliment their young guns. Neither team is a powerhouse yet, but should give us a damn good series to watch. WASHINGTON IN 6.
NEW JERSEY VS. NEW YORK RANGERS
This one has all the makings of going the distance. This one will get a ton of media hype. This one will give us multiple overtime games and in spurts will give us goaltending battles that will have us all on the edge of our seats. We just might see this series flip flopping back and forth all the way to double overtime in game 7. Marty will steal a game or two for the Devils, but the lack of scoring will lose just as many for them. The Rangers shaky defense will be exposed at points and they will pay for the mistakes, but their leadership and timely scoring will win them a few games to even it out. The second round will be waiting for this one to end. RANGERS IN 7.
MONTREAL VS. BOSTON
Well, no tricks needed for this one. The Habs have outright owned the Bruins all year as this match-up just doesn’t match up. The Bruins work hard, but make too many mistakes in the neutral zone and have a hard time putting the puck in the net. The Canadiens on the other hand fly through the neutral zone and have no trouble with scoring. The B’s will try to play physical against the Habs in the hope to wear them down, but you can’t hit what you can’t catch. Oh yeah, then there is the goalie match-up, which is no contest. The Bruins best friend and best chance in this series is overtime. If there is to be a sweep in the first round this is it, but because of overtime I’ll give the B’s a game. MONTREAL IN 5.
PITTSBURGH VS. OTTAWA
Every year I pick the Sens to fold come playoff time, no offense Ottawa fans, it’s just in the genetic make-up of the team to do so. Last year though, picking against them accounted for 3 of my 5 losses so common sense should tell me to tread lightly. It should, but it’s not. This time out the Sens seemed to run out of gas at the end of the season and the goaltending has been just mediocre all year. I could go on and on about the strengths of the Pens, but see no need to do so this early. Playing in Ottawa is always tough, but the Pens should fast track through this one with the help of a shaky Gerber and the tendency to quit when they are pushed around by the star players. PITTSBURGH IN 6.
WASHINGTON VS. PHILADELPHIA
For the last couple of seasons I have been saying that the Caps are quietly building something special and are worth keeping an eye on. This year, in August, I said they would surprise everyone and become a sleeper pick come playoff time. And here we are. Ovechkin flat tore up the regular season and is about to treat us to his playoff debut. It will be interesting to see how this one plays out because the Flyers work hard for 60 minutes and make you pay the price with their physical play, something the Caps struggled with all year until the last month of the season. Working in the Caps favor is finally getting the solid goaltending they have been lacking and mixing in seasoned vets to compliment their young guns. Neither team is a powerhouse yet, but should give us a damn good series to watch. WASHINGTON IN 6.
NEW JERSEY VS. NEW YORK RANGERS
This one has all the makings of going the distance. This one will get a ton of media hype. This one will give us multiple overtime games and in spurts will give us goaltending battles that will have us all on the edge of our seats. We just might see this series flip flopping back and forth all the way to double overtime in game 7. Marty will steal a game or two for the Devils, but the lack of scoring will lose just as many for them. The Rangers shaky defense will be exposed at points and they will pay for the mistakes, but their leadership and timely scoring will win them a few games to even it out. The second round will be waiting for this one to end. RANGERS IN 7.
Friday, March 14, 2008
GREGSKY'S EASTERN CONFERENCE NOTEBOOK: BUBBLE TEAMS - WHO'S HOT AND WHO'S NOT?
Ahh yes, you can feel it in the air. We are creeping up on playoff hockey time. A time when the upper echelons are fine-tuning their machines for the stretch run and division/conference titles while the bottom feeders are playing for pride, future paychecks and playing the spoiler role. But if you are a team in the middle, a bubble team, well, then this is a time where it comes down to do or die. For these teams the playoffs have already started. All of those close games that got away earlier in the season now come back to haunt you. It is time to put the pedal to the floor, leave everything on the ice from here on out only to be rewarded with a low playoff seed and have to face the tops in the conference. But that’s why you play the game. To earn a ticket to the dance where anything can happen and with any luck you can find yourself dancing with the prettiest girl.
For this installment of the Notebook, I will be looking at these bubble teams to try and determine which teams are poised to make it and which ones are running out of gas. From the looks of things, right now, there are 7 teams battling for 3 spots. With little to no chance of winning the division, each of these teams are solely focused on capturing one of those 3 spots. As of now, the Rangers, Bruins and Flyers are occupying the last three spots with the Sabres, Caps, Panthers and the Leafs on the outside looking in.
So, who’s Hot and who’s Not?
HOT : The Rangers are trying to take a foothold and claim the #6 spot. Going 8 – 0 – 2 in the last ten, they are a team clearly focused on making the playoffs. That #6 spot looks suitable for the Blueshirts as an opening round match up with the Canes would be a fine battle, but the way they have been playing lately could have them climbing up a few spots before it’s over.
NOT : The Bruins are currently taking up spot #7. This is a team that is fragile right now. Injuries have played a factor all year for this team and with little offence they have hung in there so far. But at this time of year hanging in there just isn’t good enough. When it should be time to surge, the B’s are stalling. Going 4 – 4 – 2 over the last ten games is putting them in a precarious position. They have dropped games against teams below them in the standings and if that wasn’t bad enough some of them were blowouts. Looking at the remaining schedule it won’t get any easier for the B’s and if they are not careful could very well be playing themselves out of the playoff picture.
HOT : The Flyers are residing in the 8th and final spot, picking up points in 7 of their last ten games and a chance to leap-frog the Bruins this weekend with a win. They are starting to turn it on at the right time and are playing hard-edged playoff style hockey. If you are going to beat this club you are going to have to pay the price because they refuse to give an inch. Look for them to claim one of the last 3 spots.
NOT : The Sabres are just on the other side of the line. So close, but yet so far away. Here we have a team within a sniff of making the playoffs and they go 2 –5 –3 in their last ten games. Worse yet, they gave points away to the Flyers and Rangers in that stretch. The Sabres, like the Bruins, are stalling at the wrong time. They sure could use Briere, Drury and Campbell now. This team looks like it is about to crash and burn because inconsistency won’t get the job done.
NOT : Speaking of inconsistency, the Caps are a tough team to figure out. Just when you think they are going to go on a roll, they let up on the gas. Just when you think they are done they turn it on. They are in a nice position right now and need to find that extra gear to push their way into the playoffs, but in order to do it they will have to battle for 60 minutes each game, something that has plagued them all year. Time however, is running short and there are a couple of teams breathing down their necks ready to climb over them if they continue to give away points. Look for Ovechkin to carry the load the rest of the way. He’s hungry, but is the rest of the team equally as hungry?
HOT: The Panthers have a bit of a new look since the trade deadline and collecting points in 8 of the last 10 shows that they still have hopes of making the dance. It won’t be easy by any means for the Panthers but the hope still lives and if they can continue the pace they just might climb over a few stumbling teams in front of them. They have had an up and down season, obviously the last 10 games have been an up, the trick is to avoid another down. Despite the current up swing; look for Jokinen to miss the playoffs again, but this time only by a fraction.
HOT : The Maple Leafs have been a team in turmoil all season, but just won’t go away. With all of the distractions and rumors and media pressures pounding them every step of the way, this team refuses to die. They are finding their playoff hopes still alive, but much like the Panthers have to find a way to sustain the current push. Going 7 – 2 – 1 over the last 10, the Leafs are coming together at the right time. The question remains if they have enough left in the tank to keep it going. With both the Bruins and Sabres starting to fold under the pressure there is a backdoor open, only I’m not sure they will go through it.
For this installment of the Notebook, I will be looking at these bubble teams to try and determine which teams are poised to make it and which ones are running out of gas. From the looks of things, right now, there are 7 teams battling for 3 spots. With little to no chance of winning the division, each of these teams are solely focused on capturing one of those 3 spots. As of now, the Rangers, Bruins and Flyers are occupying the last three spots with the Sabres, Caps, Panthers and the Leafs on the outside looking in.
So, who’s Hot and who’s Not?
HOT : The Rangers are trying to take a foothold and claim the #6 spot. Going 8 – 0 – 2 in the last ten, they are a team clearly focused on making the playoffs. That #6 spot looks suitable for the Blueshirts as an opening round match up with the Canes would be a fine battle, but the way they have been playing lately could have them climbing up a few spots before it’s over.
NOT : The Bruins are currently taking up spot #7. This is a team that is fragile right now. Injuries have played a factor all year for this team and with little offence they have hung in there so far. But at this time of year hanging in there just isn’t good enough. When it should be time to surge, the B’s are stalling. Going 4 – 4 – 2 over the last ten games is putting them in a precarious position. They have dropped games against teams below them in the standings and if that wasn’t bad enough some of them were blowouts. Looking at the remaining schedule it won’t get any easier for the B’s and if they are not careful could very well be playing themselves out of the playoff picture.
HOT : The Flyers are residing in the 8th and final spot, picking up points in 7 of their last ten games and a chance to leap-frog the Bruins this weekend with a win. They are starting to turn it on at the right time and are playing hard-edged playoff style hockey. If you are going to beat this club you are going to have to pay the price because they refuse to give an inch. Look for them to claim one of the last 3 spots.
NOT : The Sabres are just on the other side of the line. So close, but yet so far away. Here we have a team within a sniff of making the playoffs and they go 2 –5 –3 in their last ten games. Worse yet, they gave points away to the Flyers and Rangers in that stretch. The Sabres, like the Bruins, are stalling at the wrong time. They sure could use Briere, Drury and Campbell now. This team looks like it is about to crash and burn because inconsistency won’t get the job done.
NOT : Speaking of inconsistency, the Caps are a tough team to figure out. Just when you think they are going to go on a roll, they let up on the gas. Just when you think they are done they turn it on. They are in a nice position right now and need to find that extra gear to push their way into the playoffs, but in order to do it they will have to battle for 60 minutes each game, something that has plagued them all year. Time however, is running short and there are a couple of teams breathing down their necks ready to climb over them if they continue to give away points. Look for Ovechkin to carry the load the rest of the way. He’s hungry, but is the rest of the team equally as hungry?
HOT: The Panthers have a bit of a new look since the trade deadline and collecting points in 8 of the last 10 shows that they still have hopes of making the dance. It won’t be easy by any means for the Panthers but the hope still lives and if they can continue the pace they just might climb over a few stumbling teams in front of them. They have had an up and down season, obviously the last 10 games have been an up, the trick is to avoid another down. Despite the current up swing; look for Jokinen to miss the playoffs again, but this time only by a fraction.
HOT : The Maple Leafs have been a team in turmoil all season, but just won’t go away. With all of the distractions and rumors and media pressures pounding them every step of the way, this team refuses to die. They are finding their playoff hopes still alive, but much like the Panthers have to find a way to sustain the current push. Going 7 – 2 – 1 over the last 10, the Leafs are coming together at the right time. The question remains if they have enough left in the tank to keep it going. With both the Bruins and Sabres starting to fold under the pressure there is a backdoor open, only I’m not sure they will go through it.
Monday, March 10, 2008
MISER'S WESTERN ROUNDUP
The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs are looming ahead. In the Western Conference, a couple of big deadline day moves have brought two teams closer to the front running Detroit Red Wings; while some prepared for the future by obtaining draft picks. Two teams, Calgary and Edmonton, were silent as the deadline came and went. Who won? Who lost?
SHARKS, STARS MAKE BIG MOVES
In the Pacific Division, two of the top three teams made big trades to upgrade their rosters. In San Jose, the Sharks acquired D Brian Campbell and a 7th round draft pick for RW Steve Bernier and a 1st round pick in the 2008 draft. The trade is sound for both clubs. Both players have five points in their first five games with their new clubs. Campbell is great at running the power play and has eats up ice time (averaging just over 25 minutes a night). If the Sharks can sign Campbell to a new contract (he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1), Campbell will be a thorn in the side of his division rivals for years to come. If Campbell is nothing more than a rental, he still gives the Sharks a better shot at advancing in the playoffs. This move could be GM Doug Wilson’s master stroke, or his downfall if San Jose fails to advance.
Meanwhile, in Dallas, the GM duo of Les Jackson and Brett Hull engineered a deal to bring Conn Smythe winner Brad Richards in from Tampa Bay. The price was steep: for Richards and G Johan Holmqvist, the Stars let go of forwards, Jeff Halpern, Jussi Jokinen, G Mike Smith, and a 2009 draft pick. Richards, a Cup winner with Tampa, had been more noted lately for having the worst plus-minus rating over the past two seasons. That is not completely his fault, of course, but it did make some people wonder (including yours truly). Richards must have been happy about waiving his no-trade clause and moving to Texas… in his first game as a Star, Richards collected five assists in a 7-4 rout of Chicago. Personally, I hated to see Jokinen go – I think his career is on the rise (Note to Tampa: keep him at center instead of on a wing). The worst part, however, is letting go of Smith. Smitty has played so well in his first two seasons in the league, and provided Marty Turco with a solid safety net. Given Turco’s past playoff outings, it will be interesting to see if Turco can build upon last spring’s performance against Vancouver. Dallas lost the series in seven, with Turco winning three games by shutout. Should an injury befall Turco, Johan Holmqvist will man the net, which would probably mean yet another first-round ouster for Dallas. Yikes.
DEPTH DEALS
In Anaheim, the Ducks made deals with an eye on getting some insurance for injuries or underperformers. Anaheim obtained D-men Jay Leach (Tampa) and Marc-Andre Bergeron (NYI), as well as exchanging a 7th round pick with Los Angeles for G Jean-Sebastian Aubin. Leach and Bergeron will augment the blueline (with Bergeron providing insurance on the PP), while Aubin will probably backup J. F. Giguere come April. The offense took a hit last night, as Corey Perry went down after being cut by a skate in a 1-0 loss to Colorado. Perry, who was second on the team in scoring (29-25-54), will likely miss six weeks, meaning Anaheim will have to get through the first round, and perhaps part of the second, without him.
There is a reunion in Colorado. D Adam Foote was acquired from Columbus for conditional draft picks in 2008 and 2009. This, combined with the signing of Peter Forsberg, shows that Colorado wants to win now. The loss of draft picks could haunt them in the future, but that doesn’t seem to bother the Avalanche, who missed they playoffs last year by one point. Where are Deadmarsh, Ozolinsh, and Roy? Colorado also acquired D Ruslan Salei from Florida for Karlis Skrastins and a draft pick in a depth move.
Detroit gave two draft picks to Los Angeles for D Brad Stuart. Stuart will help a D-corps that has been a bit banged up. In another “homecoming” move, Darren McCarty was signed as free agent. Columbus traded Sergei Fedorov to Washington for a college defenseman (Ted Ruth of Notre Dame)…did the Wings even make a call to the Jackets? Vancouver traded a veteran grinder (Matt Cooke) for a younger, perhaps more offensively gifted, grinder (Matt Pettinger). Pettinger is physical, but has yet to show much more than fourth liner ability on offense.
STEAL OF A DEAL?
The Phoenix Coyotes and New York Rangers combined to deal five players. One of the Coyotes’ acquisitions was G Al Montoya, who they believe can be their tender of the future. Marcel Hossa (no, not THAT one) comes to the desert as well. In exchange, the Rangers got a draft pick and three guys (F Fredrik Sjostrom, LW Chris Gratton, and G David LeNeveu). Three or four years from now, this may be seen as the steal of the year. Or, we will never hear from these guys again.
ELSEWHERE
Minnesota got Chris Simon from the Isles for a 6th round pick… this will make Marian Gaborik feel better about his playoff chances?
St. Louis got a 4th line winger (Cam Janssen from New Jersey) and a 4th pick from the Rangers for two D-men (Bryce Salvador to NJD, Christian Backman to NYR).
Nashville hoped to improve their offense by getting Jan Hlavac from Tampa and Brandon Bochenski from Anaheim.
Chicago sent Martin Lapointe to Ottawa for a draft pick, and sent forward Tuomo Ruutu to Carolina for forward Andrew Ladd in a deal that gives each player a fresh start in a new town – a chance to retool and elevate their careers.
OBSERVATIONS
Detroit is still the class of the conference, but Dallas and San Jose have gained ground.
Anaheim’s chances of repeating took a hit, but never count the champion out.
Dallas must hope that Marty Turco – and his teammates – can get that first-round monkey off of their backs. IF they can, the sky is the limit. The team is a great mix of young and old that has survived injuries to their top two defenseman (Sergei Zubov and Philippe Boucher). Can they keep it up?
San Jose must find a way to lock up Brian Campbell.
Colorado must get Ryan Smyth healthy and keep him that way.
As long as Vancouver has Roberto Luongo, they must be respected.
Phoenix just might be the mystery guest in the playoffs; Minnesota just might be left scratching their heads as to how they missed the postseason.
It’s one more month until the playoffs: THE best time of the year!!!
Peace.
SHARKS, STARS MAKE BIG MOVES
In the Pacific Division, two of the top three teams made big trades to upgrade their rosters. In San Jose, the Sharks acquired D Brian Campbell and a 7th round draft pick for RW Steve Bernier and a 1st round pick in the 2008 draft. The trade is sound for both clubs. Both players have five points in their first five games with their new clubs. Campbell is great at running the power play and has eats up ice time (averaging just over 25 minutes a night). If the Sharks can sign Campbell to a new contract (he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1), Campbell will be a thorn in the side of his division rivals for years to come. If Campbell is nothing more than a rental, he still gives the Sharks a better shot at advancing in the playoffs. This move could be GM Doug Wilson’s master stroke, or his downfall if San Jose fails to advance.
Meanwhile, in Dallas, the GM duo of Les Jackson and Brett Hull engineered a deal to bring Conn Smythe winner Brad Richards in from Tampa Bay. The price was steep: for Richards and G Johan Holmqvist, the Stars let go of forwards, Jeff Halpern, Jussi Jokinen, G Mike Smith, and a 2009 draft pick. Richards, a Cup winner with Tampa, had been more noted lately for having the worst plus-minus rating over the past two seasons. That is not completely his fault, of course, but it did make some people wonder (including yours truly). Richards must have been happy about waiving his no-trade clause and moving to Texas… in his first game as a Star, Richards collected five assists in a 7-4 rout of Chicago. Personally, I hated to see Jokinen go – I think his career is on the rise (Note to Tampa: keep him at center instead of on a wing). The worst part, however, is letting go of Smith. Smitty has played so well in his first two seasons in the league, and provided Marty Turco with a solid safety net. Given Turco’s past playoff outings, it will be interesting to see if Turco can build upon last spring’s performance against Vancouver. Dallas lost the series in seven, with Turco winning three games by shutout. Should an injury befall Turco, Johan Holmqvist will man the net, which would probably mean yet another first-round ouster for Dallas. Yikes.
DEPTH DEALS
In Anaheim, the Ducks made deals with an eye on getting some insurance for injuries or underperformers. Anaheim obtained D-men Jay Leach (Tampa) and Marc-Andre Bergeron (NYI), as well as exchanging a 7th round pick with Los Angeles for G Jean-Sebastian Aubin. Leach and Bergeron will augment the blueline (with Bergeron providing insurance on the PP), while Aubin will probably backup J. F. Giguere come April. The offense took a hit last night, as Corey Perry went down after being cut by a skate in a 1-0 loss to Colorado. Perry, who was second on the team in scoring (29-25-54), will likely miss six weeks, meaning Anaheim will have to get through the first round, and perhaps part of the second, without him.
There is a reunion in Colorado. D Adam Foote was acquired from Columbus for conditional draft picks in 2008 and 2009. This, combined with the signing of Peter Forsberg, shows that Colorado wants to win now. The loss of draft picks could haunt them in the future, but that doesn’t seem to bother the Avalanche, who missed they playoffs last year by one point. Where are Deadmarsh, Ozolinsh, and Roy? Colorado also acquired D Ruslan Salei from Florida for Karlis Skrastins and a draft pick in a depth move.
Detroit gave two draft picks to Los Angeles for D Brad Stuart. Stuart will help a D-corps that has been a bit banged up. In another “homecoming” move, Darren McCarty was signed as free agent. Columbus traded Sergei Fedorov to Washington for a college defenseman (Ted Ruth of Notre Dame)…did the Wings even make a call to the Jackets? Vancouver traded a veteran grinder (Matt Cooke) for a younger, perhaps more offensively gifted, grinder (Matt Pettinger). Pettinger is physical, but has yet to show much more than fourth liner ability on offense.
STEAL OF A DEAL?
The Phoenix Coyotes and New York Rangers combined to deal five players. One of the Coyotes’ acquisitions was G Al Montoya, who they believe can be their tender of the future. Marcel Hossa (no, not THAT one) comes to the desert as well. In exchange, the Rangers got a draft pick and three guys (F Fredrik Sjostrom, LW Chris Gratton, and G David LeNeveu). Three or four years from now, this may be seen as the steal of the year. Or, we will never hear from these guys again.
ELSEWHERE
Minnesota got Chris Simon from the Isles for a 6th round pick… this will make Marian Gaborik feel better about his playoff chances?
St. Louis got a 4th line winger (Cam Janssen from New Jersey) and a 4th pick from the Rangers for two D-men (Bryce Salvador to NJD, Christian Backman to NYR).
Nashville hoped to improve their offense by getting Jan Hlavac from Tampa and Brandon Bochenski from Anaheim.
Chicago sent Martin Lapointe to Ottawa for a draft pick, and sent forward Tuomo Ruutu to Carolina for forward Andrew Ladd in a deal that gives each player a fresh start in a new town – a chance to retool and elevate their careers.
OBSERVATIONS
Detroit is still the class of the conference, but Dallas and San Jose have gained ground.
Anaheim’s chances of repeating took a hit, but never count the champion out.
Dallas must hope that Marty Turco – and his teammates – can get that first-round monkey off of their backs. IF they can, the sky is the limit. The team is a great mix of young and old that has survived injuries to their top two defenseman (Sergei Zubov and Philippe Boucher). Can they keep it up?
San Jose must find a way to lock up Brian Campbell.
Colorado must get Ryan Smyth healthy and keep him that way.
As long as Vancouver has Roberto Luongo, they must be respected.
Phoenix just might be the mystery guest in the playoffs; Minnesota just might be left scratching their heads as to how they missed the postseason.
It’s one more month until the playoffs: THE best time of the year!!!
Peace.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
YOU KNOW YOUR HAVING "ONE OF THOSE DAYS" WHEN....
Well folks, it seems to be one of those mornings. You know the kind I mean…where the coffee tastes like it was made using a hockey glove as a filter, but you just have to keep pouring it down your gullet because the dog woke you up hours too early doing the “pee-pee dance” at the door. The kind where you wake up your 10 year old daughter by crabbing at the dog while you let him out and she gives you a huge good morning hug and then tells you “Did Mom tell you? I have pink eye!” The kind of morning when you make a mad dash for the sink to sanitize your face after the deadly pink eye hug with Windex or Comet or whatever is closest, only to have the toxic coffee churning through your system pick right then to act like Ex-lax. Yes that kind, where you find yourself doing “the dance” outside the bathroom door because your 14 year old son is in there doing "God only knows what" for the next twenty minutes and you are left with nothing but time to kick yourself in the ass for not building that 2nd bathroom and wondering if the boy made the coffee. Yeah baby! It’s one of those mornings.
So forgive me if the rest of this post seems to carry a “tone”, but if you’ve ever had one of those mornings, I’m sure you’ll understand. Thank God there is hockey. Sometimes it seems to be the only shred of normalcy I get all day. My reward for going through the “Morning From Hell” is everyone leaves and it’s just myself and the Bruins vs. Caps game that was recorded last night. Ahhh….time to relax and enjoy. Right? Wrong! It seems that the timer on the DVR was set for 7:00am and is currently recording a fishing show. ARRRRRGH!! How could this day get any worse? Well then Spanky, I’ll tell you how. The game that didn’t get recorded only featured the Caps burning the B’s for 10 goals in which Ovechkin nets a first period hat trick to push him over 50, Backstrom passes Kane with a 4 point night and my 3 favorite former Hershey Bears Green, Schultz and Fehr had an awesome game. To top it off I also missed Brashear mixing it up with Chara and Thornton. “What the…..??” The cat just hacked up something unidentifiable on the carpet! Just great! Maybe at this point I should call in sick to work out of fear of getting my balls caught in a machine or something equally as horrific.
Well I guess I should look on the bright side. Things could be much worse. I mean at least I’m not Tim Thomas. So I’ve got that going for me. I wonder how his day is going. Anyway, I’m planning on bouncing back from my rocky start and I’m sure that Tim Thomas is planning the same thing only he’s hoping that Ference and Ward play better in front of him tonight. My biggest worry left in front of me for the day is making sure the timer on the DVR is set right to record tonight’s game and being extra vigilant not to get my balls caught in a machine at work. I guess when faced with days like this all you can do is laugh. Enjoy!
So forgive me if the rest of this post seems to carry a “tone”, but if you’ve ever had one of those mornings, I’m sure you’ll understand. Thank God there is hockey. Sometimes it seems to be the only shred of normalcy I get all day. My reward for going through the “Morning From Hell” is everyone leaves and it’s just myself and the Bruins vs. Caps game that was recorded last night. Ahhh….time to relax and enjoy. Right? Wrong! It seems that the timer on the DVR was set for 7:00am and is currently recording a fishing show. ARRRRRGH!! How could this day get any worse? Well then Spanky, I’ll tell you how. The game that didn’t get recorded only featured the Caps burning the B’s for 10 goals in which Ovechkin nets a first period hat trick to push him over 50, Backstrom passes Kane with a 4 point night and my 3 favorite former Hershey Bears Green, Schultz and Fehr had an awesome game. To top it off I also missed Brashear mixing it up with Chara and Thornton. “What the…..??” The cat just hacked up something unidentifiable on the carpet! Just great! Maybe at this point I should call in sick to work out of fear of getting my balls caught in a machine or something equally as horrific.
Well I guess I should look on the bright side. Things could be much worse. I mean at least I’m not Tim Thomas. So I’ve got that going for me. I wonder how his day is going. Anyway, I’m planning on bouncing back from my rocky start and I’m sure that Tim Thomas is planning the same thing only he’s hoping that Ference and Ward play better in front of him tonight. My biggest worry left in front of me for the day is making sure the timer on the DVR is set right to record tonight’s game and being extra vigilant not to get my balls caught in a machine at work. I guess when faced with days like this all you can do is laugh. Enjoy!
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