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2010-11 Pucking Awesome NHL Preview: Pacific Division

Saturday, August 28th, 2010 Written by: Alex Mueller

Only three teams have ever won the Pacific Division since the three division per conference re-alignment for the 1997-1998 NHL season. They are the Sharks, Ducks and Stars. The Coyotes and Kings both had remarkable seasons last year and both teams hope to build upon that success and perhaps clinch their first Pacific crown. This division also boasts two Stanley Cup wins in the past 12 years, with the Stars winning the cup during the 1998-99 season and the Ducks winning it during the 2006-07 season. Discounting overtime losses, each team in the Pacific was ten games over .500 at home except for the Kings and Coyotes who were nine over.

1.) San Jose Sharks

Rear-view Mirror: The Sharks rolled their way to a second straight Western Conference title and advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2004. They then lost to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks.

The addition of Dany Heatley (39G-43A-82P) added to an already potent line consisting of Joe Thornton (20-69-89) and Patrick Marleau (44-39-83). On the backend Dan Boyle (15-43-58) paced the Sharks logging 26.12 of ice time per game, 4th in the league, and he was also 4th in the league for defensemen in scoring. The Sharks were the 4th highest scoring team in the league, they had the 4th best power play and the 5th best penalty kill at 85%.

Evgeni Nabokov recorded his best SV% (.922) of his ten year career and he also faced the most shots (2168) of his career. His GAA (2.43) was right around his career average but, along with backup Thomas Greiss , it was good enough as a team to finish 8th in the league.

In the playoffs the Sharks were led by Joe Pavelski (25-26-51) who had a breakout postseason with 17 points. A very welcome changed from a Sharks team that sometimes struggled to score in past postseasons. The Sharks pretty much owned the Avalanche peppering Craig Anderson with a barrage of shots. The series was only closer because of a few gaffes. The Sharks then almost swept the Red Wings pretty much demolishing them impressively. The Sharks run came to an end against the Blackhawks, where they seemingly couldn’t get much going. They were basically manhandled in the same way they manhandled their previous opponents.

Offseason Ins: Antero Niittymaki, Jamal Mayers

Offseason Outs: Evgeni Nabokov, Rob Blake (retired), Manny Malhotra

What Makes Them Tick: The Sharks are an experienced yet still somewhat youthful bunch. They have pretty much been through every scenario possible, except a Stanley Cup Final, while still being just below the average age for the league. They have two really talented scoring lines that rival any other teams. The Ryan Clowe (19-38-57), Pavelski and Devin Setaguchi (20-16-36) line is a great second option to the potent Thornton, Heatley and Marleau. Defensively Boyle will continue to log major minutes but expect Jason Demers to creep into more minutes. Demers just came off his 1st NHL season and along with Marc-Edouard Vlasic, both 23, they are the future of the Sharks defense. Vlasic led the Sharks in +/- with a +21. The Sharks were also the top faceoff team in the league, winning 55.6% of their faceoffs.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: The Sharks were looking to upgrade their goaltending, so the let Nabokov walk and signed experienced but somewhat unproven Antero Niittymaki. If he doesn’t perform well, there will be much second guessing in San Jose whether it was the right move to let Nabokov walk. They will also be under pressure for the move they didn’t make in not signing Antti Niemi. Niemi wasn’t available until after they signed Niittymaki but you have to believe that they wished they waited now, even though they would never admit that. More troubling for the Sharks is that Niittymaki only has two games worth of previous playoff experience. For a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, it is a lot of pressure to pin on an inexperienced playoff goalie. They also need to cut down on turnovers, as they were the 5th worst in the league with 810 giveaways.

Player to Watch: Joe Thornton is in the last year of his deal you have to assume the Sharks would like to retain him for at least three more years to anchor the Marleau and Heatley line. Depending on how he preforms in the regular season and playoffs, he might price himself out of the Sharks budget. But in order for any team to want him, including the Sharks, he will need to step-up his game in the playoffs. This postseason he lead all players with a -11, a dubious distinction no player would ever want.

Prediction: The Sharks hope to wrap up a 4th consecutive Pacific Division crown and a 5th consecutive 100+ point season. There really shouldn’t be any reason they won’t unless Niittymaki falters greatly. As always though, the Sharks season is measured but what they do or do not do in the playoffs. They didn’t really lose any significant pieces in the offseason other than Nabokov. It’s really up to how Nittymaki performs. Backup Thomas Greiss has played will in relief of Nabokov but obviously the Sharks do not have the confidence in him to be the number one goalie. But he may be given the chance to outshine Nittymaki similarly to what Antti Niemi did to Cristobal Huet. Similarly an extended injury to Dan Boyle would also be a huge blow to the Sharks.


2.) Los Angeles Kings

Rear-view Mirror: The Kings had their most successful season in awhile making the playoffs for the first time since 2002. They then lost to the Canucks in the 1st round in six games. During the regular season the Kings were one of only two teams, the Capitals were the other, that had eight players score 40 or more points each. The Kings were led by Anze Kopitar (34G-47A-81P) who set career highs in goals, assists, points, +/- and shots on goal. Kopitar also flirted with the league scoring title for a few weeks. Wayne Simmonds (16-24-40) in his 2nd season continued to develop into an all around player. While he was only 8th on the team in points, he almost doubled his point total from last season and he was 1st on the team in +/- with +22 and 2nd in PIM with 116.

On the defensive side Drew Doughty (16-43-59) emerged as one of the premier defensemen in the league and his hard work paid off with a Norris Trophy nomination in only his 2nd season. He was also second on the team in assists, +/- (+20) and points. Jonathan Quick became a workhorse goalie in his 2nd full season and played in 72 games, the 4th most of any goalie. None of Quick’s major stats (2.54 GAA, .907 SV%, 4 SO) were better than his previous season however.

Offseason Ins: Alexei Ponikarovsky, Willie Mitchell

Offseason Outs: Alexander Frolov, Sean O’Donnell, Randy Jones

What Makes Them Tick: The Kings boast an extremely talented and dynamic defensive group. Featuring young Olympians Doughty and Johnson paired with veterans Rob Scuderi and newly signed Willie Mitchell. With the young defensive stars having another year of NHL experience and the addition of another experienced veteran to learn off of, the Kings defense will only get better. Offensively the Kings have a very balanced attacked as alluded to above with eight players with 40+ points each. Kopitar almost had the breakout season everyone was expecting him too before he started to slump somewhat. He still had a great season but this year he should even top that. He should be a 100+ point player this season.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: The Kings will now have expectations for the first time in a long time. How they handle them mentally will determine how successful their season is. Kopitar will need to play more consistently as the Kings are 34-21 when he scores a point and 12-15 when he does not. Overworking Quick is also a potential problem discussed further below. The Kings could also work on turnovers, as they gave away the puck the 4th most with 815 giveaways.

Player to Watch: Jonathan Quick will be under a lot of pressure to preform this year, as the Kings have higher expectations. Quick faltered in the playoffs, where he had the 3rd worse (3.50) GAA and 3rd worse (.884) SV% of playoff goalies who stated at least four games. In order for the Kings to reach their full potential they must get good consistent goaltending from Quick. If Quick falters, the Kings do have a number of options. Erik Ersberg and Jonathan Bernier are two such options. Bernier was sensational in the limited action he saw last season. It’s no doubt that the Kings view Quick, the third goalie on Team USA, as the long term option. It might be wise to play him less games this season, as fatigue was probably a big factor in his playoff slump and the Kings possess more than capable backups.

Prediction: The 6th youngest team in the league, the Kings are poised to improve upon last years balanced success. Frolov and O’Donnell are somewhat significant losses but it shouldn’t have much of an impact on a pretty deep team. O’Donnell is essentially replaced with the Mitchell signing anyway. The Kings should pretty much be a lock to make the playoffs. If Quick can improve his game and Kopitar can take his game to the next level, it’s very possible the Kings could win the division. With the available cap space, I wouldn’t be surprised the Kings add one or two veterans to make a strong playoff run during the season.


3.) Anaheim Ducks

Rear-view Mirror: The Ducks missed the playoffs for the first time in five years. A huge disappointment for a team that was a game away from making the Western Conference Finals the year before. Jonas Hiller emerged as the number one goalkeeper when the Ducks traded away fan favorite and former Conn Smythe winner Jean-Sebastien Giguere to the Maple Leafs. Still he wasn’t as sharp as the year before and he had half as many shutouts (2) in 20 more games. In Scott Niedermayer’s swan song he showed that he still had it logging the 3rd most minutes per game in the league but he finished with his lowest +/- (-9) of his 18 year career.

Injuries also plagued the Ducks for most of the year. Ryan Getzlaf (19G-50A-69P) had various injuries at the beginning and end of the season and Teemu Selanne (27-21-48) broke his hand and then his jaw. Joffrey Lupul (10-4-14) started out the season playing in 23 games and fairly well until he had back problems that kept him out the rest of the season. Despite their injuries the Ducks managed to have the 5th best power play in the league, scoring on 21% of their chances.

Offseason Ins: Toni Lydman, Andy Sutton, Aaron Voros

Offseason Outs: James Wisniewski, Scott Niedermayer, Steve Eminger, Mike Brown

What Makes Them Tick: The re-signing of Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu (19-33-52) was a huge relief for the Ducks. Now if the Ducks can finally sign Bobby Ryan (35-29-64) and if Joffrey Lupul is healthy enough to play, the Ducks will be boast arguably the best top 6 forwards in the NHL. Even if Lupul can’t play the Ducks will still be loaded. The Getzlaf, Ryan and Corey Perry (27-49-76) line is one of the best in the league. There are also rumors of a reunion with former Duck and team captain Paul Kariya. But those rumors were squashed when Kariya announced he will need to sit out this season due to post-concussion syndrome. Hiller is still on of the top young goalies in the league. He had stretches where he just didn’t look that great last season. But as he has shown during the ouster of the Sharks in the 2009 playoffs and more recently with the Swiss Olympic team, Hiller is capable of raising his game to another level.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: Not signing Bobby Ryan would certainly be a huge blow but that’s unlikely to happen. Injuries and the defense were the downfall of the Ducks last season and it could very will be that way again. Keeping everyone healthy especially the 40 year old Selanne will be hard to do. GM Bob Murray decided to scrap the whole defense after Scott Niedermayer retired. It’s never easy for any team to lose a future hall of famer on defense two seasons in a row. The Ducks have now done that and are hoping the late season additions they made last year (Lubomir Visnovsky (15-30-45)) , coupled with the changes this offseason of Sutton and Lydman will yield them a competitive defense. The Ducks are always one of the most penalized teams in the league and last year was no exception. They racked up 16.1 PIM a game 3rd worst in the league. The Ducks faceoff winning percentage has been taking a tumble recently. They were 4th worst in the league at 48.1%.

Player to Watch: Ryan Getzlaf is an elite player who boasts a impressive resume. Among his accolades are All-Star appearances, Stanley Cup Champion, Olympic Gold medalist and World Juniors Gold medalist. However, he has yet to produce a 100 point season or more than 25 goals in a season. Now entering the prime of his career and his 6th full season, Getzlaf will be expected to step up his game and also his leadership role on the team. The team captaincy is currently vacant and Getzlaf, a current alternate captain, is the front runner to receive it. Other options include the only other former Ducks captain on the roster Teemu Selanne and current alternate captain and long time Canadiens captain Saku Koivu. If he stays healthy, this could very well be Getzlaf’s elite breakout year.

Prediction: The Ducks can easily go from a mid seeded playoff team to not making the playoffs at all. They will probably get in as the 7th or 8th seed. The forwards, especially the big guns, need to stay healthy, if they do that they will develop chemistry and score a lot of goals. On the back end Hiller needs to play better than he did last season. How the defense clicks will ultimately determine the fate of this team. Luca Sbisa, acquired in the Chris Pronger trade, will really need to develop into a top four defenseman in his first full season in the NHL. He is also looking to score his first NHL goal. The addition of Sutton will give the Ducks a gritty defenseman who will hopefully rub off on the rest of the defenders. Sutton was 2nd in the league in blocked shots with 204 and 21st overall in hits with 197. Though the Ducks as a team are physical themselves, as they finished 7th in the league in hits with 2050. But they could certainly use the help with blocked shots, as they were the 2nd worst in the league with 943.


4.) Phoenix Coyotes

Rear-view Mirror: The Coyotes had what you would call a magical season last year. They started the season unsure of whether they would stay in Phoenix and as such played to mostly empty arenas. But by the end of the season, they had flirted with the Western Conference’s best record, made the playoffs for the first time since 2002, recorded their first ever 100+ point season and played to packed “white out” crowds. Despite losing to the Red Wings in seven games in the 1st round of the playoffs, Phoenix accomplished a lot as a team and proved that hockey could make it in the desert.

Ilya Bryzgalov (2.29 GAA, .920 SV%) finally became a household name with his breakout season. He was 2nd in the league in shutouts (8), 3rd in wins (42) and he received a Vezina nomination. He helped the Coyotes to the 3rd best team GAA (2.39) in the NHL.

The Coyotes were an offensively challenged team, ranking near the bottom in goals scored. Shane Doan (18G-37A-55P) lead the Coyotes in points. Only the Bruins had a team leader with less points and the Maple Leafs leader (Phil Kessel) also had 55 points. Radim Vrbata (24-19-43) lead the team in goals, the only player on the Coyotes to crack the 20 goal plateau. On the backend Ed Jovanovski (10-24-34) and Zbynek Michalek (3-14-17) formed a formidable defensive one two punch.

Offseason Ins: Ray Whitney, Andrew Ebbett

Offseason Outs: Zbynek Michalek, Matthew Lombardi, Daniel Winnik, Lee Stempniak

What Makes Them Tick: Not really having a go to guy on the team means that opponents can’t really zero in on any one player to disrupt the flow of the team. Everyone chips in with their blue collar approach. The Coyotes do well in the shootout, where they had the most wins of any team at 14 and one of the higher winning percentages. They are a well disciplined team coming in with the 7th least PIM a game with 11.3. They also had the 2nd least amount of giveaways with 420. Wojtek Wolski (23-42-65) will now move to the center position and anchor the top line with Doan and Ray Whitney (21-37-58). Of course Ilya Bryzgalov is their biggest strength. Look for him to have another phenomenal season.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: The Coyotes didn’t really add enough players to make themselves a stronger contender in a very tough western conference. The offensive struggles of the Coyotes will more than likely continue which is not something you can realistically get away with two years in a row. Last season the Coyotes had the 3rd worst power play in the league but they did have the 6th best penalty kill. The addition of 18 year veteran Whitney will help, provided he can still prove his has some gas left in the tank. Michalek and his 9th best 156 blocked shots are also gone.

Player to Watch: Wojtek Wolski was the big acquisition last year by the Coyotes who gave up Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter. At the time it seemed like a steal, with Mueller struggling to fit in the with the Coyotes. However, Mueller flourished in the few games he played with the Avalanche and nobody is quite sure what the young Porter will develop into. The pressure is now on Wolski to have his break out season, especially on an offensively challenged team. Last season he set career highs in goals (23), assists (42) and points (65). Look for him to push towards a 30 goal 80 point season.

Prediction: It’s hard to imagine the Coyotes duplicating last years success. Teams will now take them as more of a threat. Key players like Doan and Jovanovski are now each a year older. The loss of Michalek will hurt the Coyotes without anyone really brought in to take his place. Still if any team can make it work and make a run for the playoffs the Coyotes could. Last year at this time things looked even bleaker for them. Kyle Turris the 3rd overall pick in the 2007 draft should see even more playing time this year. He is still low on the depth chart currently but could creep up fast. The Coyotes are also bullish on 8th overall pick of the 2008 draft Mikkel Boedker who only played in 14 games last season. How well these young guns can be integrated into the Coyotes, will determine their playoff fate.


5.) Dallas Stars:

Rear-view Mirror: After five consecutive seasons of making the playoffs, the Stars are currently on a two season streak of not making them. After an injury plagued year, Brad Richards (24G-67A-91P) played his first full season in a Stars jersey and lead them in assists and points. Defenseman Stephane Robidas (10-31-41) continued his exceptional level of play. He was 7th in the league in blocked shots (177) and 4th in the league in hits (269) but 1st overall for defensemen. Loui Eriksson (29-42-71) led the Stars in goals and was 2nd in points.

Marty Turco’s GAA (2.72) and SO (4) were pretty average but he had his best SV% (.913) since 2004. The Stars actually finished last in the Pacific Division for the first time since the NHL switched to the the three division format in the 1998-99 season.

Offseason Ins: Andrew Raycroft, Adam Burish, Brad Lukowich

Offseason Outs: Mike Modano, Marty Turco

What Makes Them Tick: The Stars are a very physical and great checking team. The lead the NHL in hits last season with 2338. Loui Eriksson is just coming into his prime and he should be able to produce another 30+ goal season. Paired with a healthy Brad Richards and gritty veteran and team captain Brenden Morrow (20-26-46) they make a formidable 1st line. The Stars have a lot of free cap space, so they should be in the market to make other improvements. Defenseman Mark Fistric (1-9-10) finished 4th in the league in +/- with a + 27.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: Kari Lehtonen is so far penciled in to be the starting goalie. Lehtonen is now entering his 7th season in the NHL and while he has played well, it’s nothing exceptional that you would want in your number one goalie in this day and age. So while he is not a bad option, he is probably only temporary anyway. The Stars have a few young goalie prospects that could come up this season or next. They include 2006 pick Richard Bachman, 2008 pick Tyler Beskorowany and the 11th pick overall in the 2010 draft Jack Campbell. Despite their physical nature of style, the Stars ended up with the 4th worst penalty kill. Like the Ducks, the Stars also struggle with faceoffs coming in at the 5th worst with 48.1%

Player to Watch: Jamie Benn was a relative unknown last season taken in the 5th round of the 2007 draft. However he was a standout player for the Kelowna Rockets in the WHL and was named to the all-star first team his last year there. He also helped Team Canada win a Gold at the 2009 World Junior Championships. Benn found a home on the 2nd line with the Stars in his first NHL season. He produced 22 goals and 19 assists for 41 points and 3 game winning goals tied for 3rd on the team. Look for more out of Benn in his 2nd season. He has the potential to be a consistent 30+ goal scorer.

Prediction: It’s a transition season for Dallas as the team shed two veterans (Turco, Modano) who most identified as the faces of the franchise. Playing in a fairly strong division it is not likely the Stars will make the playoffs and they seem destined for last place for the 2nd year in a row. However the Stars didn’t miss the last playoff spot by much, like a lot of teams out West. They still boast two impressive scoring lines and one of the top defenseman in the league in Robidas. The team certainly is not an easy win especially in Dallas. If Lehtonen or one of the young prospects can perform well in goal, anything is possible.

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2010-11 Pucking Awesome NHL Preview: Central Division

Friday, August 20th, 2010 Written by: Eric Sutter

Has there been a shift of power in the Central Division? The division that was dominated by the Red Wings the entire decade was finally won by someone other than the winged wheels. The defending Stanley Cup Champions, Chicago Blackhawks, ended this nine year streak and are poised to keep the crown this season.  The bottom of the division is ruled by young squads that all could push for playoff berths.

1.) CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Rear-view Mirror:

The Blackhawks went all-in during the last year of rookie contracts for cornerstones Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Duncan Keith.

The gamble paid off for Stan Bowman in the cities first Stanley Cup Championship in 49 years.  Led by the 21-year-old Kane (30G-58A-88P), and Toews (25-43-68), along with big free agent pickup Marian Hossa (57GP,24-27-51), the offense was the deepest in the NHL, finishing third in the league in goals per game (3.20) and first in shots per game (34.1).

Defensively they were led by Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Duncan Keith. The 26-year-old was second in defensive scoring (14G-55A-69P), led the entire league with 2,180:24 of ice time, and is a plus-84 over the last three seasons.

Goaltending was a hot topic throughout the season, as Cristobal Huet was unseated by first year netminder Antti Niemi. The 26-year-old Fin was third in the league in GAA (2.25) and won 26 of his 39 regular season starts.

A lot went right in the postseason for the Blackhawks. They survived a first round scare from the division opponent Predators, pushed aside the Canucks, and swept the Sharks to get to the Cup final.

They won the Cup on a Kane overtime goal in Philadelphia, as Toews was named the Conn Smythe winner with 29 points in 22 games played.


Offseason Ins:

G Marty Turco (DAL: 53GP, 22-20-11, 2.71 GAA, .913 save %), F Viktor Stalberg (TOR: 40 GP, 9G-5A-14P), D John Scott (MIN: 51 GP, 1G-1A-2P), LW Kyle Beach (WHL: 68 GP, 52G-34A-86P-186 PIM)


Offseason Outs: G Antii Niemi (26 W), C John Madden (23 Pts), RW Kris Versteeg (44 Pts), RW Dustin Byfuglien (17 G), LW Andrew Laad (38 Pts), D Brent Sopel (73 GP), LW Ben Eager (120 PIM), RW Adam Burish (27 GP), C Colin Fraser (70 GP)


What Makes Them Tick:

The Miami Heat thinks it has the “Big Three,” but the Blackhawks trio is one of the best in sports.

The organization has so much faith in those three players—Kane, Toews, and Keith—that they were willing to trade away their depth this offseason.

Kane has blossomed into one the league’s top snipers with 76 goals in his three seasons.  The 5’10″ forward has quieted critics about his size by being the model of durability, only missing two games in his NHL career.

Toews is the perfect ying to Kane’s yang. The lead-by-example, hard nosed player that steps up in big situations, Kane came up big in the cup run.

The last piece is the elder statesman, Keith. Nsot many players had the year Keith had last season with a Stanley Cup, Norris Trophy, and Olympic Gold Medal. The Blackhawks showed how important this former second round pick was by signing him to a 13-year deal.

With these three players on the Blackhawks roster, they expect to contend each year.

Forward depth playerss like Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa round out the deep group.  Sharp has 116 goals in four-plus seasons with Chicago and Hossa, in his first year with the Hawks, had 51 points in 57 games and finally ended the Cup curse that had followed him through Pittsburgh and Detroit.

What Could Make Them Go Boom:

The Stanley Cup hangover is hard enough to shake, and now because of cap reasons the team has to deal with a whole roster shakeup.

Team chemistry is the difference between a good team and a great team. The Blackhawks lost nine players who suited up for them during their run to Lord Stanley Cup, including the goalie that led them.

This high turnover could be a positive, as a new batch of young players are hungry to win a cup. Or it could be the downfall, as the team could struggle to find that offensive depth that fueled them last season.

The decision to walk away from the contract rewarded to Stanley Cup winning goaltender Antti Niemi, and the consequential signing of 35-year-old Marty Turco to a one-year, low salary deal, will be key to the team’s success.

Turco is coming off a season with the Stars that saw him hit career lows in both wins and games played since he became a full-time starter in 2002-03. The three-time All-Star will now try to accomplish a feat he could not in Dallas—get past the second round of the postseason.

Turco’s 21-26 postseason record and the idea that he can’t win the big one will be tested this season, and ultimately decide how the Blackhawks season will end.


Player to Watch:

With all the departures, there will be openings in the top nine forwards for the Blackhawks this season. In step three, capable young guns in Kyle Beach, Jack Skille and Jake Dowell, to take those spots.

All three will have an opportunity to make the squad out of training camp, and all of them have the pedigree to contribute right away, as Beach and Skille are both former first round picks and Dowell a former fifth round pick.

Skille, the seventh overall pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, has suited up in 30 career NHL games with eight points, and had 23 goals and 49 points for AHL Rockford last season. The 25-year-old Dowell, has 23 games of NHL experience and added 23 points in 78 games in Rockford last season.


Beach, the No. 11 pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, comes to Chicago with the biggest upside of them all. The 20-year-old finished his junior career with the WHL Spokane Chiefs last season with 52 goals, 86 points and 186 penalty minutes. Beach finished the season with Rockford with three goals in four playoff games in their playoff run.

He will bring an attitude to this club that the likes of Eager, Burish and Byfuglien brought, and at half the price.  The young kid was so excited to show off his brashness that he started three fights in the Blackhawks’ prospect camp.


Prediction:

There are a lot of reasons why the NHL has not seen back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions since the Red Wings in 1997 and 1998.

The Blackhawks are a great example of the turnover that could happen after achieving the ultimate prize. But they need look no further than their own division and senior adviser Scotty Bowman on the tools needed to create continued success.

The core of the team stayed intact; just the outer shell supporting that core will be drastically different. The Blackhawks can still win this tough division with the players they have, and if they get Marty Turco of a couple years ago this team will put up a good fight to defend the Stanley Cup.


2.) DETRIOT RED WINGS

Read View Mirror:

The Red Wings finally got some much needed rest after playing in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals. The defending Western Conference champs bowed out in the Western Conference semi-finals to the San Jose Sharks. Injuries took a toll on the team as Johan Franzen, Tomas Holmstrom, Niklas Kronwall, Valtteri Filppula, Dan Cleary and Henrik Zetterberg all missed time during the season.  Leading scorers Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk both had 70 points, well below the standards they have set.


The six-time Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom also had a down offensive year as he failed to score double digit goals (nine goals last season) for the first time in six seasons and wasn`t even invited to the award ceremony.  The Red Wings severely missed hard hitting Niklas Kronwall who was limited to only 48 games due to an MCL injury.

The biggest positive to come out of last season was the development of goaltending Jimmy Howard.  After four seasons in the AHL, the 25-year-old rookie finally got his chance to shine. Howard responded with a 37-15-10 record and a 2.26 GAA and .924 save percentage, good for a spot on the NHL All-Rookie first team.

Offseason Ins: LW/C Jiri Hudler (KHL: 54 GP, 19G-35A-54P), C Mike Modano (DAL: 59 GP, 14G-16A-30P), D Ruslan Salei (COL: 14GP, 1G-5A-6P)

Offseason Outs: D Brett Lebda (63 GP), C Jason Williams (15 Pts), LW Brad May (66 PIM), D Andreas Lilja (20 GP)

What Makes Them Tick:

Just like the team they are chasing above them the Red Wings field a very talented group of top-six forwards. The Red Wings are going to employ a top line that includes both Datyuk and Zetterberg with Holmstrom on the other wing, this is a combination, according to Frozen Pool, they used only 7.56 percent in even strength situations and 5.36 percent of the time on the power play.  Staking their two best offensive players has been successful in the past for the Red Wings and also shows a lot of faith in the second line to produce.

That is where the health of Franzen comes into play.  The “Mule” has 93 goals in his five NHL seasons but has only played in 319 of the possible 410 games during that span.  When he is healthy the second line of him, Filppula (35 pts in 55 games last season) and Todd Bertuzzi (18G-26A-44P last season) can be one of the most dangerous second units in the league.

What Could Make Them Go Boom:

The oldest team in the NHL (30.78) got older with the signing of 40-year-old Mike Modano and for a team that had 312 man games lost due to injury that is not a good omen.  The Red Wings have always prided themselves on being an organization with a lot of depth, but if they consistently are playing without their top guys it will ultimately catch up to them like it did last season versus the Sharks.



Howard’s play will also dictate the way the season plays out.  Howard is in the last year of his contract and is playing to show the organization that he is their goalie of the present and future.  Will he be a one-year wonder in the likes of Roger Crozier? Is he just there to hold the spot warm until Thomas McCollum develops? Is he worth a big contract if he succeeds two seasons in a row?  The Red Wings organization hopes to have the answer to all three questions by the end of this season.

Player to Watch:

Jiri Hudler was coming off a season in 2008-09 that saw him score a career high in both goals (23) and points (57).  The then 25-year-old was awarded $2.875 million a season for two years in a salary arbitration in which he walked away from to sign a $10 million two-year deal to play for the Dynamo in the KHL.  The Dynamo are now-defunct and the Czech center/winger is back in Motown.

Hudler, who only stands 5-10, should bring an immediate boost to the Red Wings power play that was ranked 9th in the NHL last season (19.2 percent).  Of his 127 career points 49 of them have come on the man advantage. How Hudler adjust to being back in the NHL will be a big key to the success and depth of this team.


Prediction:

The Red Wings will put up a fight to retain the crown that once was theirs for a decade.  This team, when healthy, can match any team skill, size and determination.  Ken Holland has always gotten creative to find ways to inject a spark in a team that has had so much success and bringing in Modano and bringing back Hudler should give this team the right chemistry to flourish.

With that being said, with former first round pick Thomas McCollum still being a couple of years away from the NHL, it is imperative to the organization that Howard not have a sophomore slump.  I see head coach Mike Babcock playing the veteran Chris Osgood more to cut his workload.  The Red Wings have a Stanley Cup team in place, they have shown that in two of the last three seasons it is just keeping that intact will be the biggest struggle throughout the season.


3.) ST. LOUIS BLUES

Rear View Mirror:

The St. Louis Blues could not provide an encore performance of their 2008-09 season; they fell behind early but came storming back.  They finished strong,  (23-15-4 under new coach, and best name for a head coach, Davis Payne) and finished only five points out of a playoff spot.

They were a very balanced team last season both scoring 2.66 goals per game (17th in the league) and giving up 2.66 goals per game (tied for 11th in the league).

Center Andy McDonald had a bounce back season leading the team in both goals (24) and points (57) after missing most of 2008-09 with a broken left ankle.

US silver medalist David Backes was second in scoring (48 points), continued to play his hard nose power forward style in having over 100+ penalty minutes for the second straight season (106 PIM).

Defensively, former first overall pick Erik Johnson did not fall into a sophomore slump.  The 6’4″ defender improved in all the main categories; points (+6), goals (+5) and plus minus (+10).

Injuries affected their defensive depth as they were missing captain Eric Brewer for 23 games due to a back injury and steady d-man, Barrett Jackman for 16 games due to various injuries.


Offseason Ins:G Jaroslav Halak (MTL: 26-13-5, 2.40 GAA, .924 save %), C Vladimir Sobotka (BOS: 64 GP, 4G-6A-10P),  D Alex Pietrangelo (OHL: 25 GP, 9G-20A-29P)

Offseason Outs:G Chris Mason (30 Wins), LW Paul Kariya (43 Pts), LW Keith Tkachuk (13 G), D Darryl Sydor (47 GP), LW Brad Winchester (108 PIM), C DJ King (33 PIM)


What Makes Them Tick:

The Blues made a big splash this offseason, acquiring goaltender Jaroslav Halak from the Montreal Canadiens and then signing him to a four-year deal worth $15 million.  The Blues are literally banking  that the 25-year-old Canadiens playoff hero is entering his prime.

Halak played in a career high 45 games sporting a 26-13-5 record and was fourth in the NHL in save percentage (.940); ninth in goals-against average (2.40); and tied for fifth with five shutouts.

The Czech net minder made his money with another nine wins in the postseason over the top-seeded Capitals and defending Cup champion Penguins.

How Halak handles being the man will determine the Blues playoff fate.

What Could Make Them Go Boom:

With a shiny new goalie, the players in front of him will be under more pressure.  The Blues defense does not have a defined top four like other teams ahead of them in the standings.  They have a blossoming player in Erik Johnson, but after him there are a lot of question marks.

The wild cards in the equation are 2008 fourth-overall pick Alex Pietrangelo, who played in nine games last season before being sent back to juniors, and 2007 first round pick Ian Cole, who got his feet wet in the AHL at the end of last season.

They will need the health of Eric Brewer, Barett Jackman, Carlo Colaiacovo and the continued development of Erik Johnson and Roman Polak this season to solidify the defense.  If none of this happens,  even the acquisition of Halak cannot help this young team make the playoffs.

Player to Watch:

David Backes was so important to the Blues organization that back on July 1, 2008 they matched a three year $7.5 million offer sheet that was put out by the Canucks.

Backes went on to score 31 goals and 54 points making it seem that he was worth every penny.

Last season, the 25 year old power forward saw drastic drops in both of those numbers (17 goals and 48 points).

The US Olympian is now entered the last year in that three year deal and will have to prove he is the 2008-09 version, not last season’s, to earn a big time pay check.

Prediction:

This team has some very good up and coming goal scorers. David Perron, with a freshly signed two year deal  has made incremental progress during his first three NHL seasons, scoring 13, 15 and 20 goals.

2005 first round pick, T.J. Oshie, had 15 power play points and was second on the team in points (48 points).

25 year old Alex Steen had a breakout season last year, and was tied for the team lead with 24 goals.

Playoffs are a real possibility as the young players have seemed to thrive under the 39-year-old Davis Payne.  Halak is the key and the defense is the lock to a postseason berth for the Blues next season.


4.) NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Rear-View Mirror

The Predators were 13.6 seconds from taking a 3-2 series lead on the eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.

They were 13.6 seconds away from possible pulling a huge upset and making it past the first round for the first time in franchise history.

That was not meant to be, as Patrick Kane scored the big goal and Marian Hossa sent the Chicago fans home happy and the Nashville fans wondering “What if?” all offseason.

The emergence of right wing Patric Hornqvist was one of the biggest positives last season. The 23-year-old Swedish sniper had a team-best 30 goals last season, 10 of them on the power play, and was greatly missed in the Blackhawks series.

Steve Sullivan’s scoring touch was also back, tying Hornqvist for the team lead in points (51).

Defensively, Shea Weber continued his climb towards becoming one of the best two-way defenders in the NHL. The 24-year-old continued to show off his cannon of a shot by scoring double-digit goals (16) for the third time in four years and having over 200 shots for the second consecutive season (222 shots).

The Predators always seem to have it figured out when it comes to goaltending. From Tomas Vokoun to Chris Mason to Dan Ellis to now Pekka Rinne, the man in the net has stood tall for Nashville. Rinne had career highs in starts (58), wins (32), and tied his career high with seven shutouts. The 27-year-old Finish goalie earned his recent two-year extension worth $6.8 million.


Offseason Ins

C Matthew Lombardi (PHX: 78 GP, 19G-34A-53P), D Ryan Parent (PHI: 48 GP, 1G-2A-3P, -14), RW Sergei Kostitsyn (MTL: 47 GP, 7G-11A-18P), LW Jonas Andersson (KHL: 30 GP, 7G-13A-20P), RW Matt Halischuk (NJD: 20 GP, 1G-1A-2P), LW Blake Geoffrion (NCAA: 40 GP, 28G-22A -50P)


Offseason Outs

C Jason Arnott (46P), D Dan Hamhuis (21:15 ATOI), G Dan Ellis (15W)


What Makes Them Tick

Since the Nashville Predators were announced as an expansion team in 1998, they have played the same way: hard-nosed hockey.

No matter the personnel changes every offseason, general manager David Poile and head coach Barry Trotz have expected the same intensity out of the new players taking on new roles.

They have always been an organization that has pride in its defensive depth to play in front of the good goaltending. Gone is talented, hard-hitting Dan Hamhuis, but waiting in the wings is 6’5″ Cody Franson, ready to take a bigger role this season. The 22-year-old had 6 goals and 21 points and was a +15 in 61 games last season.

This is now Shea Weber’s team after being named the fifth captain in franchise history and the first to be homegrown talent.

The B.C. beast exemplifies the hard-working mentality that all the defenders follow and he can score with the best of them from the backline. Weber’s 62 goals since the start of the 2006-07 season are the second-most goals at the position (Washington’s Mike Green has 70).


What Could Make Them Go Boom

The Predators have made the playoffs in two out of the last three seasons but have finished no higher than 12th in the league in goals per game, finishing 18th last season (2.65). If defense and goaltending are their strengths, offense is definitely their weakness.

The Predators this season hope an infusion of some youthful exuberance in the forwards should help that liability. 2008 seventh overall pick Colin Wilson got a taste of the action last season, appearing in 35 games and scoring 15 points.

The BU product will be a part of their top six forwards this season along with newly acquired center Matthew Lombardi.

After two seasons in the AHL, former second round pick Nick Spaling could also see some time in the top nine forwards, as well as KHL defector and another former second round pick Jonas Andersson.

These young players are going to have to add to the scoring of Sullivan, J.P. Dumont, and Martin Erat for the team to have success.


Player to Watch

No questioning the pedigree is there for Blake Geoffrion, the great-grandson of Montreal Canadiens legend and Hall of Famer Howie Morenz and the grandson of Hall of Famer Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion.

No questioning that the talent is there with 114 points in 146 NCAA games, a national championship, and being the first-ever Wisconsin Badger to win the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.

No questioning the great story line attached to this 22-year-old, as he is the first native of Tennessee to sign with the Predators.

Now the 6’2″, 56th overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft has to use all those attributes to prove himself at the NHL level.

Geoffrion got to dabble in life as a professional hockey player, signing an ATO and playing in three playoff games for the Milwaukee Admirals and scoring two goals in those games.

He might spend the beginning of the season in the AHL but most certainly will get a heavy look for the big club during training camp and preseason.


Prediction

Another season and another discussion on how the Predators will fill the holes of some key players lost in former captain Jason Arnott, Hamhuis, and Dan Ellis.

The team this season will experience more growing pains than before as they move toward a youth movement.

The Predators will need Hornqvist to prove that last year’s +28 in goals scored was not a fluke. They will need 25-year-olds Ryan Sutter and Kevin Klein to continue their development.

They will need Pekka Rinne to prove he’s worth the contract extension they normally do not give out to their goalies.

With a lot of those questions not seeming to be answered, this team should contend for a final playoff spot but might just miss out as the youth develops.


5.) COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

Rear View Mirror:

The Blue Jackets followed their franchise first playoff appearance with a disappointing 14th place finish in the Western Conference and last place in the Central Division. The limped out of the gate to a 22-27-9 record and lost 14 of 16 games in December that ultimately cost Ken Hitchcock his job.  The team did not fare better under interim coach Claude Noel as they finished the season 10-8-6.

Offensively they struggled as they finished tied for 20th in the league in goals (214).  It started at the top as Rick Nash saw his goals totals drop from 40 to 33 and points drop from 79 to 67.  Steve Mason had the definition of a sophomore slump as he went from Calder Trophy winner to backup at times last season.

Offseason Ins: LW Ethan Moreau (EDM: 76 GP, 9G-9A-18P), LW Nikita Filatov (KHL: 26 GP, 9G-13A-22P),

Offseason Outs: D Nathan Paetsch (10 GP)

What Makes Them Tick:

The Blue Jackets did not make many roster moves this offseason but the biggest move could be the hiring of Scott Arniel.  Arniel brings his AHL record of 181-106-16-17 to Columbus and a promise to play an up tempo style of play.

With that up tempo style the pressure falls on the forwards, and most of all with the first line of Captain Rick Nash, Antoine Vermette and Kristian Huselius.  Vermette had a career-high in both goals (27) and points (65) last season.  Those players along with R.J. Umberger, who had a career-high in points (55) last season, and former first round pick Jakub Voracek , who had 50 points in a successful sophomore season, should show signs of an improved offense.

What Could Make Them Go Boom:

Steve Mason had the ultimate fall from grace last season, if you looked up the definition of a sophomore slum Mason picture would have been right next to it last season.  Mason was ranked 44th out of 47 goalies in GAA (3.06) and 40th in save percentage (.901).  The 22-year-old won only four games combined in 18 starts between December and January and went zero for three in his April starts.

Needless to say Mason needs a bounce back season for the Blue Jackets to improve. He needs to play, well, like a rookie again.  If he returns to the goalie that won 33 games and had a 2.29 goals-against average they Blue Jackets have a fighting chance.  If he continues on a downward spiral expect to see more of Mathieu Garon, who did have a 12-9-6 record in his 35 games last season.


Player to Watch:

Nikita Filatov was the sixth overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry draft and the Blue Jackets were excited that he chose to come to play in the America in 2008-09 instead of his home land of Russia.  Flash forward to last November to when the talented player was frustrated with playing time and the organization agreed on a one-year loan agreement with CSKA Moscow of the KHL.  Well now the 6’0’’ left winger is back in the states and is actually already in Columbus, six weeks ahead of training camp.

Filatov will have to mend fences with the players he left cold in the beginning of last year, but he should also let his talent do the talking.  The Russian did score a goal in his first NHL game and six career goals in only 21 NHL games.  He will have to prove to the new coaching staff he is here to work and not get overly frustrated when things do not go his way, his development is key for this team not only this year but in years to com.

Prediction:

With not much roster turnover from last year’s disaster of a season, the team is hoping to chalk last year up to the wrong mix with the coaching staff.  Young players like former top-ten picks 20-year-old Jakub Voracek, 16 goals last season, and 22-year-old Derick Brassard, 36 point last season, will be ask to improve on those totals.  Young defenseman like 23-year-old Anton Stralman, who had 22 power play points, and 26-year-old Fedor Tyutin, 18 power play points, will be asked to play bigger roles this season.  There will be growing pains for both the new coaching staff and the young roster which will cause the Blue Jackets to miss the playoffs for the 9th time in the franchises 10 NHL seasons.

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Selanne, Kariya and the Ducks Defense

Monday, August 9th, 2010 Written by: Alex Mueller

Teemu Selanne has officially rejoined the Ducks for another season at an estimated 3.25 million a year. It’s not really surprising that Selanne, coming off one of his best seasons ever despite battling injuries, would return. What’s more surprising is that he hinted in a Finnish newspaper that he wouldn’t mind playing for another two seasons. A strange statement from a player who retired after the Ducks won the Cup in 2007 only to un-retire and play the reaming 26 games of the season. Selanne has pretty much pulled a Brett Favre ever since then with his constant waffling on whether he will return or not for the following season. He at least has stuck to his word and is less dramatic about it. Additionally, the Finnish Flash has also hinted many times about his desire to be reunited with Paul Kariya. Selanne and Kariya were teammates with the Ducks from 1995-96 to 2000-01. They were briefly reunited with the Colorado Avalanche during the 2003-04 season, before going their separate ways again.

Though Kariya and the Ducks last go around did not end well, I always believe time heals all wounds. The Ducks have plenty of cap space to sign Kariya. It would be interesting to see if they will though, mostly because the Ducks are currently looking at a log jam at the forward position. A Kariya addition would only further clog it. Still it looks likely the Ducks will sign the free agent Kariya, especially if Selanne pushes for it.

As for the defense, General Manger Bob Murray continues to try and make it over. At the end of the 2008-09 season, the Ducks had made strong moves to have a top four of Chris Pronger, Scott Niedermayer, Ryan Whitney and James Wisniewski. Three of the four went on to win Olympic medals. But now none remain. Pronger was dealt to Philadelphia because it was too expensive to keep him and Niedermayer and the Ducks were also looking to bolster their forwards, ironically something they now have too much of. Given that Niedermayer retired a few months ago, it might have been smarter to have kept Pronger and then either have traded Niedermayer (sacrilegious I know) or signed him to a really low offer, like they did with Selanne in the past. Whitney was traded for another Olympian in Lubomir Visnovsky who is a much better fit in the current Ducks system. The real head scratcher to all of this though is trading Wisniewski.

After the trade I was furious because I like the way Wisniewski plays. While still green in certain areas, he has a great upside and is only 26. Apparently after being rewarded more money in arbitration, the sticking point between Murray and Wisniewski was contract length. Murray said he offered Wiz a good four year deal that was not accepted. I can understand Murray not wanting to have to keep peddling out one and two year deals, so if Wiz doesn’t want to be here long term then you have to do what you have to do. My main problem is they traded him to the Islanders for basically next to nothing. A 3rd round pick in the next draft is hardly worth anything. More importantly it does nothing to help the Ducks currently as they give up one of their top defenseman for no defenseman in return. Murray says he has other things up his sleeve. He most certainly better, though it’s hard to imagine what that would be as most of the good defensemen are already gone.

The mostly likely scenario is that Murray raids the Canucks and their plethora of defensemen. The Canucks currently have nine D-men under contract, certainly way more than you need. At the top of Murray’s hit list is Kevin Bieksa who is signed only through the end of this year. The Ducks seem to be the front runner for Bieksa’s services but as more time drags on, one wonders if Murray will be able to put together a deal in order to acquire him. Currently the Ducks have three starters penciled in Visnovsky, Sheldon Brookbank and Toni Lydman. Andy Sutton, formerly of the Ottawa Senators, was also acquired but it’s not likely he will make the top six but you never know. Murray had said he was interested in leaving the last two spots open for the young talent. Other than Luca Sbisa, it’s highly unlikely any of the other young talent would be ready to step in. Here’s hoping that Murray is able to find another quality defenseman soon, also stayed tuned for any Kariya news.

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The Hat Trick – Free Agent Edition

Monday, July 5th, 2010 Written by: Eric Sutter

Happy 4th of July all of our Pucking Awesome readers, and now that we are all full of hot dogs, hamburgers and fireworks we will look back at the fireworks that occurred in the first three days of free agency in this weeks Pucking Awesome Hat Trick.

The riches contract was given out before July 1st as Tomas Plekanec got a 6-year, $30 million deal to stay in Montreal.   Patrick Marleau, also came off the market before July 1st signing the riches per year contract as he will be paid $6.9 million per year to continue to know the way to San Jose.   

As for the riches deal given out on the 1st was to the twice traded Dan Hamhuis, as he went home to the tune of $27 million for six years.  Sergei Gonchar left the friendly confines of Crosby land to sign the riches per year deal on July 1st, a $5.5 million per year to play in Ottawa. 

Atlantic Division Goes Defensive:

The division that has had four teams make the playoff’s three out of the last four years just got tougher to play against, literally.  With the Flyers trading for talented defenseman Andrej Meszaros, a year after trading for future hall-of-famer Chris Pronger, re-signing young stud Bryadon Coburn and adding veteran Sean O’Donnell.  That signaled the race was on in the Atlantic to put up the best defensive unit in the division. 

The Penguins, who lost top defender Sergei Gonchar, responded by signing the block shot machine Zbynek Michalek to a 5-year, $20 million deal.  Later in the day the purged the division rival Devils, by signing the smooth skating Paul Martin to a 5-year, $25 million deal.

Lou Lamoriello responded to the loss of Martin by signing the hard hitting, tough nose Anton Volcehnkov to a 6-year, $25.5 million deal.  He also added the sturdy Henrik Tallinder to a 4-year, $13.5 million deal.

We also can’t forget that the last place Islanders upgraded their defense by signing former Penguins Mark Eaton to a 2-year, $5 million deal and the hard hitting Milan Jurcina to a 1-year, $1 miilion deal. 

To be fair the Rangers are more focused right now on signing their own young talent as both Marc Staal and Dan Girardi are restricted free agents and they are in talks to sign talent prospect Ryan McDonough away from the NCAA champions Wisconsin.

With all that in mind, the Atlantic division now holds some of the best defensive corps in the NHL and the matchups between all these teams got more interesting with players jumping ship for greener pastures.

Back to the Past

The biggest head scratcher of the free agent frenzy that ensued on July 1st was the return of Olli Jokinen to the Calgary Flames.  Jokinen was exiled from the team just five months before and didn’t set off any fires while in New York, scoring only four goals and adding 15 points in 24 games with the Rangers. 

Why would Darryl Sutter bring back the fu man chu?  Well one answer is he got him back for a cheaper price as he signed a two-year, $6 million deal.  Another would be the crop of free agents at center were so thin that he felt maybe the former 30-goal scorer would relish his second chance to center Jarome Iginla.  But both players employ a shoot first mentality so Sutter’s other, under-the-radar move was to bring back the slick passing winger Alex Tanguay. 

The 30-year-old Tanguay had two successful years playing on a top line with Iginla, with 40 goals and 99 assists, before being shipped out for a first round pick to Montreal.  Sutter took a lot of heat in the media for bringing back both of these former Flames, but the joke might be on everyone, if they build instant chemistry and give the Flames a dominant top line to go with their already stellar defense and Miikka Kiprusoff, they just better hope that their playoff lives do not come down to a shootout.

 

The Best of the Rest

The second waves of signing are often the most overlooked signings in the offseason.  The names that still roam free are some heavy hitters that could round up most teams looking to win the Stanley Cup.  The question now turns to the players, if they are willing to take a short term contract to prove that they are who we thought they were.

Mike Modano has not announced his plans of if he will return for a 21st NHL season, if he does and signs with a contender he could be a great third line player, who kills penalties as he did score 14 goals last season and showed no signs that he has lost his legs.

Lee Stempniak is only 27-years old and scored 28 goals last season for the Maple Leafs and Coyotes.  Sure sounds like an attractive free agent to round out your second line?  The problem is he had 14 of those goals in his 18 games with the Coyotes and with only 96 career goals in 374 games it is hard to judge what Stempniak’s worth is on the open market.

 Willie Mitchell is one of the most underrated defenseman in the league.  The 33-year-old will hit anything and is solid in his own end.  His absence from the Canucks blue line this season was very noticeable as they failed to get past the second round.  Concussion issues are  scaring off potential new teams, as Mitchell has had two in his last three seasons, including being out of the lineup for most of last year.  He could be a cheap fine for a contending team, if he can prove the concussion symptoms are behind him.

Some other players to keep an eye on are;  goalies Evgeni Nabokov, Marty Turco and Jose Theodore,  wingers Paul Kariya, Bill Guerin, Alex Frolov and Eric Belanger, and defenseman Andy Sutton, Joe Corvo and Kim Johnsson. 

 

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The Hat Trick: 2010 NHL Entry Draft Edition

Friday, June 25th, 2010 Written by: Eric Sutter

This is a big weekend for the NHL, as general managers all meet to select the future of their franchises or make moves to impact the current roster. How can you not be overwhelmed with joy upon hearing your GM call out the name of some 18 year-old kid that could be the next big thing, or in a couple of years be taking your order at the local Tim Hortons? So, now to my Hat Trick. This week I change it up to the three most underrated story lines surrounding this weekend’s draft.

Hurricane Season:

The Carolina Hurricanes hold eleven draft picks this weekend, including three second round picks, and we all saw at this year’s trade deadline what second round picks can get you.  This is a team that is a year removed from the Eastern Conference Finals and four years removed from their Stanley Cup victory.  Carolina after the New year last season was 25-14-3. With the Southeast division so wide open after the Washington Capitals and in the salary cap era, it’s possible to go from being a non-playoff team to a Stanley Cup contender overnight; therefore, this weekend could be start of something good for the Caniacs.  Keep an eye on this team this weekend, for they can either package their extra picks to move up in the draft, or pick up necessary veteran pieces to upgrade their defense who were 26th in the league in GAA (3.06).

 

Cap Tap Dancing:

Much has been printed about how the Stanley Cup Champions are in serious cap trouble, but there are other teams that are going to be interested in unloading salary for draft picks.  The Boston Bruins took on even more salary in the trade for Nathan Horton; now they will be asking some team to help them out by trading for backup goalie and former Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas, or even team leader Marc Savard.

Big changes were expected as the Calgary Flames failed to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2002-03 season.  Defensively they made the switch from Dion Phaneuf to Jay Bouwmeester, but now they have too much money tied up to their backline.  The team will try to move the likes of restricted free agent Ian White or veteran Cory Sarich, or they may try to get tough d-man Robyn Regehr to waive his no movement clause. But something will have to give as the Flames try to create some much-needed cap space.

 

Goalie Carousel:

With the news coming out that the Sharks are not retaining mainstay Evgeni Nabokov, the first domino has fallen in the great goalie debate.  Nabokov will now be the number one free agent goalie available with Marty Turco, Chris Mason, Dan Ellis and Michael Leighton falling in line after. 

Although we won’t know where these players will end up until July 1st, the groundwork for some of their landing spots could be laid this weekend.  The teams in need of a starting goalie are San Jose, Washington, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and Atlanta.  If those teams choose to trade for an available young goalie, then we know they are out of the running for the big free agent goalies available. 

 

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Hockey Hall Of Fame Class Of 2010: Who Gets In This Week?

Sunday, June 20th, 2010 Written by: Eric Sutter

The NHL offseason had officially kicked off as Montreal shipped off playoff hero and pending restricted free agent Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues for two prospects and the Nashville Predators traded their captain, Jason Arnott, back to a place he won a cup and pending free agent prize Dan Hamhuis to the Flyers.

Furious player movement in the summer has become the norm in the salary cap era and has given NHL fans across the board something to wake up and be excited about as teams attempt to win a paper championship.

This week is going to be a busy one around the NHL as schedules are announced on Tuesday June 22, and on the same day we will hear who will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010.

Wednesday June 23 we roll out the red carpet for the NHL Awards as the likes of Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Ryan Miller will rub elbows with Ducks fan Snoop Dog and the cast of The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil.

The week cumulates with the 2010 NHL Entry Draft with the first round on Friday June 25 and the rest of the draft Saturday June 26.

With all that in mind since each topic deserves its own Pucking Awesome Hat Trick this week (what a tease), so let’s first look at my picks for the four candidates that will make up the class of 2010, and could join the ranks of the immortal in Toronto.

 

Joe Nieuwendyk (20 NHL seasons, 1,257 GP-564 G-562A-1,126 PTS):

Joe Nieuwendyk is the only lock of the first time eligible players as the 20-year vet won three cups with the Flames, Stars and Devils capturing the Conn Smyth with 21 points in the Stars’ 1999 Cup run.

The Oshawa native broke onto the NHL scene in 1986-87, after three successful years at Cornell, scoring five goals in his first nine NHL games, and even chipped in with four points in six playoff games.

The next season, his rookie year, the 21-year-old scored a career-high 51 goals, including a league-leading 31 on the power play, and 91 points on his way to capturing the Calder Memorial Trophy.

The four-time NHL All-Star currently sits tied for 51st place with Hall of Famer Mike Bossy in career NHL points (1,126).

The current general manger of the Dallas Star also won a Gold Medal for Canada in the 2002 Olympics and most certainly will be able to add Hall of Fame to his signatures.

 

Doug Gilmour (20 NHL seasons, 1,474 GP-450G-964A-1,414 PTS):

Drafted 134th overall in the seventh round by St. Louis in 1982, Doug Gilmour has had to work hard to prove he belonged and the 20-year veteran continually showed his passion for the game.

The Kingston native has the most career points of the candidates (1,414), and currently sits 17th all-time in points.

Gilmour won the Stanley Cup in 1989 with the Flames and first-year eligible candidate Joe Nieuwendyk, scoring 22 points, including three game winners and team high +12. Gilmour was always dependable on both ends of the ice seen in his career +132 and was the Frank J. Selke Trophy winner in 1992-93.

From the beginning to the end Gilmour gave it his all in every game played and deserves the call to the Hall this year.

 

Adam Oates (19 NHL seasons, 1,337 GP-341G-1079A-1,420 PTS):

If Gilmour had to prove he belonged being drafted in seventh round, Adam Oates rise to one of the NHL all-time set up men is even more of a story as he went undrafted.

After Oates led Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to the 1985 NCAA Championship with an amazing 91 points in 38 games the Weston, Ontario native was given his NHL break with the Detroit Red Wings.

Nineteen NHL seasons later, Oates left the league sixth in all-time assists (1,079); the five players ranked above him are all in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Though Oates never won the Stanley Cup, twice losing in the Final (1998 with the Capitals and 2003 with the Mighty Ducks), he still finished with 156 career playoff points in 163 games.

Adam Oates was a magic man with the puck setting up Hall of Fame goal scorers, now should come his time to join those ranks.

 

 

Dave Andreychuk (23 NHL seasons, 1,639 GP-640G-698A-1,338 PTS):

When Dave Andreychuk raised the cup in 2004 as captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning most thought that sealed the 23-year vets place as a Hall of Famer.

Up against a stud class last season Andreychuck missed out in his first year of eligibility, this year should be different for the former first round pick of the Buffalo Sabres.

One of only 18 players to have scored 600 career NHL goals (640) the Hamilton native sits at 13th all-time in career NHL goals.

The two-time all-star also is the league’s all-time leader in power-play goals with 274 and ranks 27th in both career NHL points (1,338) and career game winning goals (77).

In November 2008 Andreychuck was inducted in the Buffalo Hall of Fame (played parts of 11 seasons with Sabres) and after Tuesday should be able to add Hockey Hall of Famer to his resume.

 

THE OTHERS:

Those are my picks for the four players that will get the call on Tuesday, below are some other candidates to keep an eye on including one of my all-time favorite players.

 

Eric Lindros (13 NHL seasons, 760 GP-372G-493A-865 PTS):

“Big E” changed the game with his aggressive power forward style.

Won Hart Trophy in the lockout shorten 1994-95 season and appeared in the 1997 Stanley Cup Final.

Injuries and contract disputes derailed Lindros’ career but his 1.138 points per game ranks 18th all-time and should give him serious consideration.


Alex Mogilny (16 NHL seasons, 990 GP-473G-559A-1,032 PTS):

The original “Alex the Great” is mostly known for his 1992-93 season where he scored 76 goals to tie Teemu Selanne for the league lead.

That season Mogilny scored his 50th goal in his 46th game but it will not go down in the record books as 50 in 50 for it was his team’s 53rd game.

The Russian won a Stanley Cup in 2000 as a role player for the New Jersey Devils and a Gold Medal in the 1988 Olympics.

 

Pavel Bure (12 NHL seasons, 702 GP-437G-342A-779 PTS):

The Russian Rocket was a three-time goal scoring champion, and a two-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner, twice scoring 60 goals and three-times scoring 50, including seasons of 59 and 58. The five-time all-star also won the Calder Memorial Trophy, gold medals at the World Championships and World Junior Championships and an Olympic bronze.


Dino Ciccarelli (19 NHL seasons, 1,232 GP-608G-592A-1,200 PTS):

Like Andreychuck, Dino Ciccarelli is one of only 18 players to score 600 goals in a career (608).

Ciccarelli’s inaugural playoff run was a memorable one as he scored 21 points in 19 games leading the North Stars to an improbably run to the Stanley Cup Final.

The four-time all-star had two 100 point seasons combined with his 1,425 career penalty minutes as Dino was one of the hardest players to play against.

 

Pierre Turgeon (19 NHL seasons, 1,294 GP-515G-812A-1,327 PTS):

With the most career points (1,327) of the first-year eligible players, the former first overall selection of the Sabres in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft has a chance to get the call on Tuesday.

Turgeon’s career defining season was 1992-93 with the New York Islanders, a season which he registered 58 goals and 132 points and won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

Turgeon added 13 playoff points as the Islanders marched to the Wales Conference Finals a place he would not see again until the 2000-01 season with the St. Louis Blues

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A hockey lover’s guide to surviving the off-season

Monday, June 14th, 2010 Written by: Samantha

Well, it’s that time of the year again…the time when hockey action officially ends and the withdrawals officially begin. It hasn’t even been a week since Chicago lifted the Cup, and many of us are already counting the days until October 7th. Surviving the off-season is a challenge, but when one is prepared for the challenge they’re about to face they tend to get through it better than those who go about it blindly. So to help you prepare, here is a hockey lover’s guide to helping you get through the off-season (relatively) pain-free.

June 22nd marks our first taste of hockey during the off-season, with the ’10-’11 schedule set to be released on that day. You may have noticed that it’s being released about 3 weeks earlier than usual, and we have Mr. Gary Bettman to thank for that. I like to think it’s his way of saying “Here’s the schedule for next season, hockey addicts. Plan your lives accordingly.” In all honesty I’m not exactly sure why it’s being released so early, but you won’t hear me complaining.

The day after that we have the NHL Awards, which is always a fan favorite because while we love seeing the boys out on the ice, nothing quite compares to watching your favorite (or least favorite) hockey player awkwardly accept an award with a 15-second max. speech. Unless English isn’t the player’s first language, and then it’s more like 10 seconds and you can barely understand a word being said (I’m lookin’ at you, Datsyuk). But hey, no one ever said these guys were expert orators, and their awkwardness is just another reason to love them.  You can catch the awards that night on Versus at 7:30 ET.

Closing out the week will be the NHL Draft on the 25th and 26th, where we will finally find out the answer to the question, “Taylor or Tyler?” In addition to that we’ll be able to enjoy all the other things that seem to always accompany the draft: ridiculous rumors, blockbuster trades (let’s not forget that the Pronger trade was done at the draft last season), and of course the chance to watch your team draft the next superstar-in-the-making. You can catch the first round of the draft June 25th at 7:00 ET on Versus, but rounds two through seven which take place on the 26th will not be televised, so you’ll want to be constantly checking your team’s website to get updates on the players they’ve drafted.

The real challenge to a hockey addict’s sanity comes after the NHL Draft, because that’s when things slow down significantly. Free Agency begins July 1st, and for the first week there will be constant signings and trades and you’ll be refreshing the NHL.com home page 100 times a day to see who signed where. But after that we’ll enter a point where the highlight of your hockey week will be your team signing some minor league prospect that will probably never even play a game for your team…and that’s rough. The month of July is truly the dog days of the hockey off-season, and this will no doubt be the time where you’ll be so desperate for hockey that you’ll resort to watching games from last season 20 times, popping in that Stanley Cup DVD to relive the good ‘ole days, and maybe view Slap Shot a couple of times for good measure.

But fear not, for there are plenty of good resources for suppressing your craving for hockey during the off-season. First and foremost there is the NHL Network, which will supply you with a never-ending lineup of hockey action and the latest in hockey news. If you don’t have the NHL Network on your TV, you can watch it online here anytime for free. Now if you want to go back and watch specific games from last season, you can visit Hulu and there you’ll find past games (some full, some condensed) to watch for free as well.

Before you know it it’ll be September, where you begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Training camp starts in the first couple of weeks, and you’ll have your first real chance to hear (and possibly see depending on your proximity to your team) how your players are doing coming back from the break, who’s battling an injury, who came back from summer in less-than-stellar shape, and which prospects are fighting for a starting spot on the team among other things. Immediately after is pre-season, and while the games don’t count, I think we all can agree that hockey is hockey and after an off-season that seems like it lasts forever you’ll take what you can get.

I don’t think I need to say what comes next, hockey lovers. Because if you’re anything like me, you already have a countdown of your own going until that fateful day when real hockey returns. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I find that to be true about hockey.  As tough as it is, going for such a long period of time without hockey will only strengthen your love for the game, and we all know that in the end it’s worth the wait.

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NHL UPCOMING CALENDER

Thursday, June 10th, 2010 Written by: Eric Sutter

First of all congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks from Pucking Awesome but now comes the fun part of speculation , cash flowing and all around craziness.  Below is some key dates of NHL events to keep an eye on and keep checking Pucking Awesome as we cover these upcoming NHL events.

June 22: 2010-11 schedule announced

June 23: NHL Awards (Las Vegas)

June 25-26: NHL Entry Draft (Los Angeles)

July 1: Free agency begins for players with expiring contracts

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2010 Stanley Cup Final Pivotal Game 5

Sunday, June 6th, 2010 Written by: Alex Mueller

The 2010 Stanley Cup Final is now tied at two games apiece heading back to the Madhouse in Chicago tonight. This of course sets up the pivotal must win Game 5, or does it? In the last five Stanley Cup Finals only one team that won Game 5 actually won the series. That would be the Anaheim Ducks who clinched the series in Game 5 in 2007. Of course a few of those teams were up 3-1, so winning Game 5 wasn’t all that crucial. But this Game 5 is not as important as you might think. Both the 04 Lightning and 09 Penguins lost Game 5 after being tied 2-2 and ended up winning the the next two to take home the Stanley Cup. One thing we can be sure of is that Game 5 will be close. Every game has been at only a one goal deficit or tied at some point in the 3rd period. The Flyers have not lost a game 5, 6 or 7 this postseason. They are 5-0 so far. Let us take a look at the reminder of the series by first reviewing the last two games.

Antti Niemi has really been the anchor of the Blackhawks of late. Though the numbers don’t back it up, he really has been the only Blackhawk playing well in the past few games besides Marian Hossa. Almost all of the goals he has let in as of late, have not been his fault. The defense of the Blackhawks, one of their strengths throughout this season, has been bordering on atrocious as of late. Their inability to get the puck out of their own zone and their constant turnovers in their own zone, has contributed to three goals in the last two games. If you want you can chalk up the goal off of Versteeg’s back as the defense’s fault as well in Game 4, as well as the empty net goal that Duncan Keith didn’t play properly off the boards and a Claude Giroux goal with nobody on him. Well shoot that’s six of nine goals or 2/3 of the goals in the last two games chalked up to sheer defensive stupidity. The defense must play better.

I’m still not really sure why they blew the whistle in overtime of Game 3 after the goal that wasn’t. It wasn’t a goal but the rebound by Jeff Carter was a goal. The refs should have let the play continue and then at the next stoppage, which in this case was the Carter goal, reviewed the previous action like they did earlier in the game when the no goal was overturned. Of course they wouldn’t have needed to review the initial no goal because Carter’s goal would have nullified that. This pretty much sums up the inconsistency of the officiating in this series. On the eventually game winning goal, what were the Blackhawks’ defenders doing? Two Flyers right in front of the net with nobody on them, enabling Giroux to net the game winner on a deflection. Then came the debacle known as Game 4 for the Blackhawks.

The first two Flyers goals were caused by bad plays by Niklas Hjalmarsson in the Chicago zone, who Niemi won’t be sending any Christmas cards to anytime soon. The next Flyers goal can be attributed to awesome passing on the Flyers end or horrible defense, again, by the Blackhawks with nobody  anywhere near Giroux and Antti Niemi playing way to far out of his net. You can take your pick. Next was the goal off of Versteeg’s back to basically set-up a 1-4 deficit for the Blackhawks to try and overcome on the road. Certainly not impossible but not something you really want to have overcome.

From a Flyers point of view I say things are looking pretty good. While they lost the first two games, they only lost by one goal in each game. They went to overtime in Game 3 but they won and they basically crushed the Blackhawks in Game 4 except for a late rally by the Blackhawks in that game. The Flyers are just out hustling the Blackhawks on loose pucks and icings. It just seems like the Flyers want it more. Another thing the Flyers have done well is neutralizing the Blackhawks’ top line and Dustin Byfuglien. Byfuglien only has 1 assist so far in the series. He also has four PIM to Pronger’s only two (not including Pronger’s game misconduct). The four PIM for Byfuglien came all in Game 3 when the Flyers effectively got under his skin. Byfuglien’s main asset this postseason, especially in the series against the Canucks, was getting under the opponent’s skin and forcing them to take dumb penalties. He has not been able to do that this series, though I agree the refs have not been kind to the Blackhawks in regards to calling penalties. He also hasn’t been able to effectively get under Leighton’s skin and screen him. The majority of the Blackhawks’ goals this season has come from their net presence, which they have yet to establish in this series. In hindsight the 2-0 series advantage by the Blackhawks was probably more of an advantage for the Flyers. The Flyers seem to enjoy playing from behind and being the underdog. Where as the Blackhawks can get a bit cocky with a lead.

Keys for today and the rest of the series:

Blackhawks:

1. Continue to tinker with line changes to find the right combination. Coach Quenneville was successful in Game 4 as the 3rd period surge came as a result of the line changes in that game. Coach Q will continue to tinker in Game 5.

2. They must establish more of a net presence on all of their lines. Leighton needs to work harder and they need to be better positioned for rebounds.

3. The defense absolutely must play better. They need to not be so careless with the puck in their own zone. If they need to take icings to get the puck out of the net, then do so. It’s better than give it right to the Flyers.

Flyers:

1. Chris Pronger must continue to play as dominate as he has. He’s averaging major minutes and that likely won’t change.

2. Continue to get the balanced scoring from all lines. The Flyers have yet to have any player score more than one goal in a game. All lines and players are contributing.

3. Michael Leighton must continue to play better. His play and confidence has improved greatly since Game 1 but with Chicago’s line changes and with having two of the possible three games at Chicago, Leighton will be challenged more. He must rise to the challenge.

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The Hat Trick: 2010 Stanley Cup Final Edition

Monday, May 31st, 2010 Written by: Eric Sutter

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is not just a Clint Eastwood movie about an unlikely partnership, it is also a good way to breakdown the Chicago Blackhawks 6-5 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in game one of the Stanley Cup Final.

Since the NHL first went to best-of-seven in the Cup Final in 1939, teams winning both games one and two have won the Cup 41 of 45 times (91.1 percent). But not is all lost for the resilient Flyers as they can look to the Penguins last year, who were one of those four teams to come back from a 2-0 series deficit in the Stanley Cup Final.

With that in mind, in this week’s Pucking Awesome Hat Trick I will be looking at the Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo of each team as we move forward in this Stanley Cup Final.

Good

Chicago Blackhawks:

They did not get a point from captain Jonathan Toews for the first time in 13 games, so the good in that was they got scoring from pretty much everyone else.

Troy Brouwer (with two goals), Dave Bolland (shorthanded), Patrick Sharp, Kris Versteeg, and Tomas Kopecky all chipped in with goals.

The Blackhawks have been celebrated all season for their depth at forward and have gotten goals from 14 different players in this postseason and six players have five or more goals.

If this continues in this series then it could be another quick series for the deep Blackhawks

The Blackhawks also dominated the face-off circle winning 63 percent of draws.

Philadelphia Flyers:

So they were not as perfect as Roy Halladay was on Saturday, but they do have some positives to build on heading into the pivotal game two.

The biggest positive would be scoring five goals against Anti Niemi.

The line of Danny Briere, Scott Hartnell, and Ville Leino combined for nine points and all seemed to find a high chink in Niemi’s armor.

The Flyers heard all about the Blackhawks scoring depth in the four days leading to the Cup Final, but they also have had 14 different scorers this postseason and have nine players who have four or more goals, and in game one showed they can score with the big boys.

The highly penalized Flyers also went without a penalty in a game for the first time since 2000.

Bad

Chicago Blackhawks:

As the Flyers had no penalties, the Blackhawks had four penalties.

The strong PK continued as the Hawks only gave up one power play goal, but the bad was the type of penalties that they took. 

Chicago saw many borderline dangerous hits from their energy fourth liners, and if this trend continues, Coach Quenneville will be forced to play only his top three lines as the series goes on. This could put more strain on his top line players.

Philadelphia Flyers:

Chris Pronger played 32:21, 22:44 minutes played for Mike Richards, and 21:25 minutes played for the recently activated Jeff Carter.

These numbers should be troubling for the Philadelphia Flyers, for the same obvious reason why not playing the energy fourth line hurts the Hawks.

Even worse numbers for the Flyers’ top line of Richards, Carter, and Simon Gagne: they were a combined -7, and none of those goals came against the Blackhawks’ top line of Toews, Kane, and Byfuglien (who were a combined -9).

The Flyers feed off the emotions and energy of their top players and for them to upset the Blackhawks they will need their leaders to step up their play.


Ugly

Chicago Blackhawks:

Ugly is how to describe the type of win it was for the Blackhawks, but also the kind of play they will need to play in front of their own net to win game two.

The Flyers had most of their scoring chances in front of Niemi as the Blackhawks played a soft game in front of him.

The Blackhawks had 37 credited hits in the game, but 10 of them came from Byfuglien, with most coming in front of the Flyers net with Pronger, and only seven came from the Blackhawks backline.

In game two, the Flyers will continue to crash the nets and the Blackhawks defense, especially the top duo of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook (only five hits and three shots blocked combined), will need to step up their physicality.

Philadelphia Flyers:

For the Flyers to win game two, they will need goalie Michael Leighton to forget his ugly game one performance.

The postseason leader in GAA and save percentage coming into the game showed signs of nervousness as he let five goals in only 20 shots and was pulled in the second period.

Peter Laviolette announced that he will be sticking with Leighton for game two and the 29-year-old will have the respond for the Flyers to have a chance in this series.

Some good news for Flyers fans is during the regular season; Leighton was 3-0-1 in games after being pulled as a Flyer.

Historically, since 2000, the goalies who allowed at least five goals in a Cup Final loss all bounced back to win the next game, except for current injured Flyer Ray Emery, who allowed five goals in the 2007 Cup clincher.

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2010 Stanley Cup Final Game 1 Analysis

Sunday, May 30th, 2010 Written by: Alex Mueller

Game 1 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs was nothing short of an awesome showcase for the excitement that is the NHL. It had everything you could possibly ask for. A rocking crowd, lead changes, lots of goals, a close game and little known players stepping into the spotlight. In fact no team ever had a lead greater than one goal, you really couldn’t ask for anything more. It also had some questionable things, such as a seemingly skewed refereeing job. The top story of the night however was goaltending.

I went back through the past 50 years of NHL history and unless I’m wrong, I could not find any other match-up where both (not one goalie, both) starting goalies had no playoff experience prior to their current playoff run. If that’s true you’re watching history in the making. It also explains why we had such a high scoring affair. Both Antti Niemi and Michael Leighton looked pretty shaky, especially early on. Some of the shots that went in, probably wouldn’t have been a goal in the earlier rounds. Niemi seemed to get better as the game progressed and made some critical saves later. To wit he allowed four goals in the 1st half of the game and only one goal in the 2nd half. I honestly couldn’t believe it when Niemi raced out of his net, almost to the top of the face-off circle, in the 2nd period with two Blackhawks and one Flyer chasing after the puck. It made me think of Halak’s huge blunder in Game 5 against the Flyers, which reversed the momentum in that game. Luckily for Niemi nothing bad happened but he really needs to not do that again.

The 1st goal of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final was a pretty lame goal to christen the series with. Niemi blocked the initial shot only to bat it off of Niklas Hjalmarsson’s head and into the net. I like that the Blackhawks didn’t let them phase them as they marched right back down to tie the game 1-1 on Troy Brouwer’s goal.

It wasn’t much of a surprise to me that the Blackhawks scored a shorthanded goal on only their 2nd shorthanded situation of the game. Chicago lead the league in shorthanded goals in the regular season and they currently do so in this postseason. They pretty much dominated this Flyers’ power play and I believe they had more scoring chances on it then the Flyers did. Dave Bolland got the short handed goal which Leighton probably should have stopped. The Flyers did get the equalizer on their next power play and knotted the game up at 2 a piece. Daniel Briere put the Flyers ahead in the closing seconds of the 1st period following up his own shot.

About a minute into the second Patrick Sharp led a breakaway down the ice but decided to keep it and scored on another shot that Leighton probably should have stopped. Sharp tied the game at 3-3. Then some guy named Blair Betts, seriously I’ve never head of him before, brought the Flyers back in front 4-3. This goal was on Niemi as he could have and should have played the puck behind the net better to give position to the Blackhawks. Instead a few seconds Betts had the goal off the post. Kris Versteeg tied the game at 4, by cleaning up in front of the Flyers’ net.

Hossa nets his second assist on the night, both on Brouwer goals, with a sick little pass from behind the net. Leighton then gets pulled for Brian Boucher after he hits that magic number five, the number most goalies seemed to get pulled at. The score was now 5-4. Danny Briere then emulates Hossa with his own little nifty pass to Arron Asham who ties the game 5-5 for our 5th tie of the night. Thomas Kopecky got the game winning goal after waiting out Boucher and with help from Brent Seabrook and Bolland keeping it in the offesnive zone.

Key Players: Briere broke his mini three game slump to have a huge game with a goal and three assists to pace the Flyers. Brouwer had two goals and an assist to lead the Blackhawks. Marion Hossa had two nice assists.

Not so Key Players: The Blackhawks top line of Jonathan Toews, Dustin Byfuglien and Patrick Kane produced no points and a -9 rating. Mike Richards, Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter were there own woeful -8 and also produced no points. I can’t even recall either captain, Richards and Toews, doing much of anything significant. Both will really need to step it up and get their lines out of their current funks.

Then there’s the referring. I like how there weren’t any calls in the 3rd period, just let them play. What I didn’t like is that the Blackhawks had four penalties and the Flyers had none in the game. Hard to believe the 2nd most penalized team in the league in the regular season did not commit a single penalty. I saw a few high sticks and holds that probably should have been called. The 20,000 or so “refs” in the stand sure saw some as well. I’m hoping we get better called games in the rest of the series.

As for the physicality of the game, I have to say I was expecting a little bit more. Early in the 1st period Byfuglien was mixing it up with Chris Pronger and Asham but they didn’t but heads as much later on. Part of it was it just being the 1st game, the other part was Chicago never really got their offense set, especially on the top line, for Byfuglien to do his thing and cause problems. Game 2 should be interesting to see how this dynamic progresses.

The goaltending is what really makes this series. Both of these teams are pretty even on all aspects of their game and they’re both really deep. If you want to see just how even these teams are, check out Game 1′s shots on goal. Both teams had 32 shots a piece. The team that ultimately wins Lord Stanley’s Cup is the team that gets the better goalie play between their two inexperienced netminders. Niemi got the better of the 1st game, but not by much. The Flyers have a slight advantage, as they believe they have two goaltenders that they can confidently insert into the game. The Blackhawks have to rely solely on Niemi, as I’m pretty sure they have no confidence in Cristobal Huet. The Flyers have a decision to make in who should start the next game. Personally I would go with Boucher as he played better and seemed more composed. It’s obviously not an easy decision for the Flyers to make. Game 2 is set for Memorial Day May 31st at 8pm ET.

This Day in Hockey History

May 29, 2002 Dominik Hasek recorded his 10th career playoff shutout in the Red Wings 2-0 win over the Avalanche at Colorado, in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals.

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Top 10 Storylines of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final

Friday, May 28th, 2010 Written by: Eric Sutter

The road to the Stanley Cup Finals is one paved with determination, resiliency, sacrifice, pain, heartache and jubilation.  The historic Philadelphia Flyers and resurgent Chicago Blackhawks know all about those attributes, as they will face off for the right to be called Stanley Cup Champions.   Now let’s look at the Pucking Awesome Top 10 Storylines of the Stanley Cup Finals.

 

1. Cup Drought Over

The Philadelphia Flyers have not won a cup since the Broad Street Bullies days in 1975.  It has been longer for the Chicago Blackhawks, as they last won with the great Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Glenn Hall in 1961.  So the top storyline to watch for is one of these long draughts for a great hockey city will end.

 

2. Third Times a Charm

First Marian Hossa lost in the Stanley Cup Finals as a Pittsburgh Penguin in 2008 to the Red Wings, then he would jump ship to the enemy and go on to lose the 2009 Cup to the Penguins as a member of the Red Wings.  Now Hossa goes for that elusive cup for the third straight season.  According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Hossa will become the first player in NHL history to play in three consecutive Stanley Cup finals for three different teams.  Hossa had an impressive finals appearance in ’08 with points in four of the six games (3G, 4A), but a disappointing Cup final last season with only three assist in the seven games.  Will the third time be the charm for the veteran forward, or will this be known as the Curse of Hossa?

 

3. Welcome Back Part 1

Michael Leighton was a 6th round pick (165th overall) of the Blackhawks in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.  The 29-year-old goalie played a career high 34 games in 2003-04, then the lockout came and injuries and he was shipped off to Buffalo in 2005. Four waiver wire claims later, Leighton ended up in Philadelphia who was desperate to find a backup with experience as injuries ravaged their net.  To put that in even more perspective, the Carolina Hurricanes chose to keep 37-year-old journeyman Manny Legace over Leighton as their backup to Cam Ward, and now Leighton is four wins away from etching his name on the Stanley Cup against the very team that drafted him. The Flyers goalie situation has been one of the best storylines in the NHL for a long time, but the Michael Leighton story has topped them all.

 

4. Welcome Back Part 2

Patrick Sharp was a 3rd round (95th overall pick) of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.  The Vermont product went on to have a very productive AHL career for the Philadelphia Phantoms, culminated with a 2005 Calder Cup Championship with the likes of Mike Richards and Jeff Carter during the lockout.  When Sharp returned from the lockout he was quickly put in the dog house of then Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock and shipped off to the Blackhawks Matt Ellison and a 3rd round selection, which will go down as one of the biggest coup.  All the 28-year-old has done is score 116 goals in the four plus season in Chicago.  Sharp, like Leighton, will be extra motivated to make that trade even more lopsided and hoist the Cup as his former team watches.

 

5. 2007 NHL Draft

The Philadelphia Flyers just finished their worst season in franchise history. The Flyers had a 25 percent chance to win the lottery and only four teams could leap frog them for that top pick and one of them was Chicago with an 8.6 percent chance. The rest is history as the Blackhawks won the lottery and the right to select right winger OHL rookie of the year Patrick Kane and the Flyers took left winger James Van Riemsdyk with the second overall pick. Now three years later, these former teammates on the U.S. development team face off for the Stanley Cup. Their journeys are much different as Kane came right to the NHL, won the Calder Trophy and has solidified himself as one of the top snipers in the NHL. While, JVR spent two seasons developing at New Hampshire and currently is in his rookie season. These two represent the first ever Americans to go first and second overall in an NHL Entry Draft and at the end of the series one of them will have bragging rights to own a Stanley Cup victory over the other.

 

6. Beginners Luck

Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy, Cam Ward and Antti Niemi, those could be the new answer to the trivia question, name the first year goalies that have led their team to a Stanley Cup Championship. The Finnish goalie has silenced many critics that said Chicago did not have the goaltending to win the cup with his 12-4 record, 2.33 GAA, .921 save percentage and two shutouts. The 26-year-old is too old to be considered a rookie and only had one season of North American play, the AHL Rockford IceHogs, before being called upon to be the goalie that brought this talented team to the promise land. His season started with a shutout in front of his family and friends in Helsinki and now he hopes to end it by skating around with the cup.

 

7. We Are Going Streaking

This storyline could end the first game. It is worthy to note that Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews comes into the Stanley Cup Finals on a 13-game point streak which is good for the franchise record, he also leads the postseason in points (26) through the first three rounds. The 22-year-old is trying to keep a trend going of young captain hoisting the Cup, as Toews could be the second-youngest captain to Sidney Crosby to hoist the Cup. Toews along with teammates Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook can also join the exclusive ranks of players who have won a gold medal and Stanley Cup in the same year; only three other players have accomplished that Ken Morrow (USA-New York Islanders in 1980), Steve Yzerman (Canada-Detroit Red Wings in 2002) and Brendan Shanahan (Canada-Detroit Red Wings in 2002).

 

8. Clark Reincarnated

On the other side, the Flyers are captained by the 25-year-old Mike Richards, often compared to the great Bobby Clarke, who was 24-years-old when he captured his first of back-to-back Stanley Cups. In fact the last time a Stanley Cup has feature captains so young was back in 1975 when Bobby Clarke (25) won his second Cup against the Sabres and Captain Jim Schoenfield (22-years-old). Richards is right behind Toews in points scored this postseason (21 points) and is coming off his most impressive game these playoffs with a highlight reel shorthanded goal and a will powered helper on the empty net goal that sealed the series. Toews teammate and sometimes linemate on the Canadian Olympic team also allows Richards to try to join the exclusive club of a gold medal and Cup in the same year (along with Flyers teammate Chris Pronger).

 

9. Killing Those Penalties

Both of these teams pride themselves on not only being great penalty killers but also being dangerous shorthanded. The Blackhawks led the league with 13 shorthanded goals and already have three this postseason. The Flyers had six this season after having 16 in 2008-09. Mike Richards has 23 career shorthanded goals and Marian Hossa has 21 career shorthanded goals. Special teams is always going to be a storyline in a playoff series, just ask the Washington Capitals, but in this series it might be the team that takes advantage of the other teams power play that will be the one lifting the cup.  

 

10. Lappy

Ian Laperriere is playing in his first Stanley Cup Finals; all it took was 16 seasons, 1,083 regular-season and 61 playoff games.  Numerous of blocked shots, broken bones and missing teeth.  For the veteran to be playing in this series is a story on itself, as Laperriere was hit in the face with a slap shot in Game 5 of the first round series against the Devils.  Lappy was diagnosed with a brain contusion and a fractured orbital bone; some called it a career threatening injury even the optimistic Laperriere said he would need a “small miracle” to play.  31 days after the injury he went on to play again as the Flyers finished off the Canadiens. He even had three blocked shots in those two games.  Only Montreal’s Roman Hamrlik (1,322 total games) and Minnesota’s Owen Nolan (1,265) have played more games without a championship and the Flyers are hoping they can cross their emotional leader Laperriere off that list.   

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2010 STANLEY CUP FINALS BREAKDOWN

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010 Written by: Eric Sutter

So we have our 2010 Stanley Cup Finals matchup as the second seed of the Western Conference Chicago Blackhawks face off against the surprising seventh seed of the Eastern Conference Philadelphia Flyers.  Regardless of the winner, a long Cup draught will end as Philadelphia has not won since the Broad Street Bullies days of 1975 and Chicago has not won since 1961 with Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Glenn Hall.  Let’s first break down how these teams got here and take a look at the offense, defense and goaltending of the two teams that will fight for Lord Stanley’s Cup.

 

Chicago Blackhawks

How They Got Here

The second seeded Blackhawks shook off an early scare by the seventh seeded Predators, who actually held a 2-1 series lead, to defeat Nashville in six games.  The crowning moment of that series for the Hawks was in the pivotal Game 5 when Patrick Kane tied the game with 13.6 seconds left with Marian Hossa in the box for a 5:00 major.  The Blackhawks would kill of the rest of the penalty in OT, and Hossa scored the overtime-game winner, killing the Predators spirit and taking over the series.  Toews led the team in points (8) and Kane led the team in goals (4) in the opening series.

In the Conference Semifinals, the Blackhawks faced a familiar opponent as they matched up against the third seeded Vancouver Canucks for the second consecutive season, and this one had similar results. 

Again the Blackhawks started the series slowly losing Game 1 and were down 2-0 in Game 2, but stormed back with three third period goals to win that game.  The Hawks went on to win the next two games on the road, which became a theme for this team, by a combined score of 12-6. Game 5 resulted in a home loss but again they took the series in 6 games by winning their third road game of the series.  Once again Toews led the team in points in the series (12) and was tied in goals in the series by Dustin Byfuglien (4).

The Western Conference Finals was not as big of a challenge as expected for the Hawks as they played the top seeded San Jose Sharks.  They outscored the Sharks 13-7 in a four game sweep that saw the emergence of rookie goalie Antti Niemi, who faced 136 shots in the four games, with a .949 save percentage.  Byfuglien also had a coming out party as he scored three go-ahead-goals in the series including an OT game winner in Game 3.  Once again Toews led the team in points (6) and Byfuglien led in goals (4) this series.

 

Offense

What can you say about Jonathan Toews this postseason?  The 22-year-old already has half of his name etched on the Conn Smyth trophy as he leads the league in points through three rounds with 26 in 16 games played.  The Blackhawks captain has come up huge in big spots with three game winning goals and has been a special team’s wiz as he leads the league in both power play points (13) and goals (5).  Top linemate Patrick Kane is second on the team with 20 points and rounding out the top unit is the budding superstar Byfuglien, who has a team high 8 goals.   

The wildcard on offense is the player that has been to three straight Stanley Cup Finals with three different teams.  Marian Hossa was brought in this offseason as the missing piece to this talented team, secondary scoring to go with the top-notch scorers Kane and Toews.  So far this postseason the 31-year-old winger has only two goals and 11 points. He had a disappointing three points in the seven game finals series last season, and will look to make that and his current playoff performance a memory.  Hossa did have three goals and seven points in six games in the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals with the Penguins. 

Lastly, on forward you have to make mention of the play of Dave Bolland.  The guy they call the “Rat” has played a great two way game as he was in charge of shutting down the Sedin’s and the big three of the Sharks.  The 6’0’’ center has also chipped in offensively five goals and five assists including the great pass to set up Byfuglien GW goal in Game 3.

 

Defense

The top unit of 26-year-old Norris Trophy finalist Duncan Keith and 25-year-old Brent Seabrook have been nothing but spectacular for this team.  They have been playing big time minutes as their 827:03 minutes combined have allowed Coach Quenneville to run mostly five defenseman most of the playoffs.  Combined the duo has 19 points, +8 and have 71 shots. 

Those two combined with veteran Brent Sopel and surprising Niklas Hjalmarsson have created a penalty kill juggernaut that has killed off 86.6% of the penalties, good for 2nd in the league.  The 22-year-old Hjalmarsson is third on the defensive unit in time on ice per game (21:12) and is an impressive +6 this postseason.  His emergence as a steady defenseman has allowed Coach Quenneville to rotate the Swedish defenseman with both Sopel and former all-star Brian Campbell. 

Speaking of the 30-year-old high paid defensemen, Campbell returned from a broken collarbone after a 17 game absence in Game 4 of the Predators series, and has not made an impact on the scoreboard with only three points in those 13 games.  “Soup” has played smart defense shown in his +6 rating, but that mostly has to do more with the offense than his defense.  For the Blackhawks to win the Stanley Cup they will need their 3-time NHL All-Star to stabilize this young but talented defensive core.

 

Goalie

Antti Niemi did not play the majority of games in the regular season but this first year player has played admirable as the top postseason net minder.  The 26-year-old, too old to be considered a rookie, has a 2.33 GAA, .921 and 2 shutouts in 16 playoff games.  The Finnish goalie earned his postseason strips in the Western Conference Finals that saw him save 129 of the 136 shots faced in that series. Including two 40 save performances, he has not faced more than 38 in the regular season proving he could steal a game.  The $5 million backup is Cristobal Huet who played 48 regular season games but most likely will continue his role of door holder for the finals.

 

Philadelphia Flyers

How They Got Here

The seventh seeded Flyers faced off against their division rivals the New Jersey Devils, a team they won five of six against in the regular season, and took an early split on the road in the series.  Tough guy Daniel Carcillo gave the Flyers the series lead with an OT game-winning goal that gave the Flyers an edge they never gave back. 

The Flyers outscored the Devils 7-1 in the last two games of the series as Brian Boucher had a minuscule 1.59 GAA and .940 save percentage total in the series.  Mike Richards led the team in points (8) and playoff performer Claude Giroux led the team in goals (4).  The biggest news was the injuries to Jeff Carter, Simon Gagne and Ian Laperriere as the team closed out the series.

The next round against the fifth seeded Boston Bruins will be a series that will be talked about forever.  The banged up Flyers playing without three regulars quickly went down 3-0, and their playoff lives seemed all but over considering only 1.2% of the 161 clubs have come back from a 3-0 deficit.  

Game 4 would go into OT when Mark Recchi scored with 28 seconds left and Simon Gagne, in his first game back from injury, would be the OT hero extending the series back to Boston.  Brian Boucher would leave in Game 5 with an injury in a 1-0 game.  Michael Leighton, activated right before the game after being off for 3 months, came in to combine for a shutout.   The Flyers played a perfect Game 6 at home as they would send this series to an improbable Game 7. 

The Bruins at home were determined not to become the third team in NHL history to blow a 3-0 series lead, and came out strong with the games first three goals.  Peter Laviolette would call a timeout to fire up his team and they responded getting a James Van Riemsdyk goal before the end of the period to make it 3-1 at the end of one. 

The second period, which has belonged to the Flyers all postseason, saw goals from Scott Hartnell and Danny Briere to tie the game at three. The Bruins would be called for the trendy penalty of the postseason, too many men on the ice, and the series hero Simon Gagne put home the game winning goal capping the historic comeback.  Briere led the team in points in this series (10) and goals (5).

The Eastern Conference Finals was another historic matchup as it was the lowest possible matchup you could have as the seventh seeded Flyers had home ice against the eighth seeded Cinderella Montreal Canadiens.  Flying high off their comeback the Flyers stormed out of the series scoring the first nine goals in two straight shutout victories by Michael Leighton.  The Canadiens woke up and had a dominant Game 3 5-1 victory.  The Flyers then played a perfect road game limiting the Canadiens to only one second period shot in another 3-0 shutout victory for Michael Leighton. 

The Flyers clinched their berth in the Stanley Cup Finals by winning on home ice as captain Mike Richards had an amazing shorthanded goal and Jeff Carter, who returned from a broken leg in Game 4, scored the game winning goal and added an empty netter.  Claude Giroux led the team in points (6) and was tied in goals with Simon Gagne (3).

 

Offense

The Flyers are getting healthy at the right time as the addition of both Jeff Carter and Ian Laperriere give Peter Laviolette four lines he can roll with in any situation.  The newly created top line of Mike Richards (team high 21 points), Simon Gagne, and regularly a center Jeff Carter on the wing, has shown some instant chemistry. 

The second line of Danny Briere, team high nine goals, at his natural position of center with hard nose winger Scott Hartnell and surprising first year player Ville Leino carried the Flyers for a big stretch shown in Briere’s team high four game winning goals.  The 26-year-old Finnish winger was inserted in the lineup when Carter and Gagne were injured and has not given up his roster spot as he has 12 points in 11 games, more than his 11 points in 55 regular season games with the Flyers and Red Wings.

But it has been the play of third line center Claude Giroux that has the Flyers where they are today.  The 22-year-old former first round pick is second in the team in goals (8) and third in points (17) but it is his two way play that has been even more impressive as he is second in the league with a +10.  The second year player has to continue his dominant playoff performances (22 career playoff points in 23 games) for the Flyers to have success in the Cup Finals.

 

Defense

The Flyers acquired Chris Pronger for this time of year, and he has done nothing but live up to expectations.  The 35-year-old is tied for the league in points for a defenseman (14), second in goals (4) and power play goals (3), third in the league in block shots (51) and has played a league high 28:48 per game. 

Right behind Pronger in minutes played is underrated defensemen Kimmo Timonen, who has averaged 26:35 per game.  The 35-year-old Finnish defender has one of the most active sticks in the league with 42 blocked shots and is a +6.  Having the option of having either Pronger or Timonen out there has given the Flyers an added edge this postseason against top scorers and will have to continue that way when matched up against the high scoring Blackhawks. 

What has also helped the Flyers is the emergence of young defenders Matt Carle and Bryadon Coburn.  The duel 25-year-old defensemen both had inconsistent regular seasons but both have had tremendous playoffs giving the Flyers arguably the best top four defenders in the playoffs.  The 6’0” Carle is fifth in the league in plus minus (+8), has 10 assists and has blocked 42 shots.  While the 6’5’’ Coburn has been playing a physical game with 36 hits, 27 blocked shots and is ninth in the league for defensemen with a plus minus (+7)

 

Goalie

The Flyers had a revolving door in net this season, we saw seven different goalies dress in the orange and black, and five different players mind the crease. All that shuffling put the Flyers 15th in the league in GAA (2.71) as it went from Ray Emery to Brian Boucher to Michael Leighton back to Emery back to Leighton and then finally back to Boucher for the end of the regular season.  Boucher had a spectacular start to the postseason as mentioned before but it wouldn’t be the Flyers goalie situation unless an injury occurred but Michael Leighton has answered the call. 

The waiver wire pick up from the Carolina Hurricanes is 6-1 this postseason and leads the league in GAA (1.45), save percentage (.948) and shutouts (3).  Those numbers are not bad for a 29-year-old journeyman who has played for nine different teams between the NHL and AHL, and whose season high of games was back in 2003-04 for the Chicago Blackhawks (34).  Yes, Leighton is a former sixth round pick of the Blackhawks, so you know he will have extra motivation in this series.

 

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