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USA Canada Top Moments

Saturday, February 27th, 2010 Written by: Matt Sitkoff

Before the big Gold Medal showdown between the Americans and Canadians let’s look back at some of the more memorable moments of the series.

1960 Squaw Valley Olympics

The “Forgotten Miracle” team wins 7 games in 10 days which includes a 2-1 win over Canada to capture first gold medal for US hockey, Canada got silver for 6-1 record

1996 World Cup of Hockey

USA def Canada in a best of three series, after going down 1-0 win last two games in Montreal. In 3rd and decisive game US down 2-1 score next 4 goals as Mike Ritcher named MVP of tournament.

2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics

Canada def USA 5-2 in Gold Medal Game clinches first Olympic gold medal in 50 years for the Canadian ice hockey team.

2004 U20 World Championship 

USA def Canada 4-3 in Gold Medal Games US team beats Canada team features current Olympians Sidney Crosby, Marc Andre Fleury, Dion Phaneuf, Ryan Getzlaf, Brent Seabrook and Mike Richards.

2007 U20 World Champions

Canada def USA 2-1 in Semifinals, game went to a 14 shooter shootout with current Olympian Jonathan Toews scoring the game winner.

2010 U20 World Championship

USA def Canada 6-5 in OT to win Gold Medal victory stops Canada six straight gold’s in U20 World Championships

2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics

 USA def Canada 5-3 to clinch top seed of tournament, Ryan Miller 42 saves

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The Olympic Experience: From Special Correspondent Laura Borden

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 Written by: Matt Sitkoff

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT LAURA BORDEN:   VANCOUVER, British Columbia

Is it possible to even compare Olympic hockey to NHL hockey? I don’t think so. I’ll start with the superficial differences before exploring the question of whether NHL players should be playing in the Olympics. This year, the Olympic committee decided not to change the size of the rink for Olympic play. It remains NHL size, rather than the bigger size, better suited for the more open and quick style of European hockey.

There is no trapezoid behind the goalie, so good stick handlers, such as Martin Brodeur, supposedly gain an advantage. Finally, icings are called automatically with no touch-ups. But those rules don’t even start to compare to biggest difference I have noticed – the fans.

Even before entering the arena, there were mobs of fans draped in their country’s flags. Every fan was representing their homeland. Every fan was fully engaged in the game. There were no groups of people in business suits, trying to impress clients instead of watching the game. No one went for a walk in the middle of a period to take a break. And everybody screamed, rang their cowbells, and sat on the edge of their seats for the whole game. Don’t even think about leaving early to avoid the crowd!

It was amazing to be in the middle of such a super-charged atmosphere. As a supreme lover of hockey, this is the best environment one can hope for. The preliminary games have had the excitement of NHL conference final games. I can’t imagine what the finals will be like. Each player and fan is fighting with all their energy for the honor of their countries.

What would this be like without the NHL players? My opinion is that it would not be as entertaining to the casual fan. There have been a few ugly hits and injuries, but this would happen in any game. Is it worth sacrificing the excitement of the games for the perceived safety of the NHL players? I definitely don’t think so. The fans root for their countries, but I think they also appreciate the games more when they recognize more of the players. The NHL is the center stage for professional hockey. Current rivalries have translated to the Olympic stage. The promotions for today’s Canada/Russia game all show Crosby against Ovechkin. In the United States, we are familiar with this same matchup watching Pittsburgh versus Washington.

I interviewed some of the Philadelphia Flyers going to the Olympics before they traveled to Vancouver. They were all excited about the trip and couldn’t imagine a better honor than playing for their country. When I asked Kimmo Timonen about the differences between playing for Finland and the Flyers, he said about his Olympic team, “They speak in Finnish.” Ok, I probably could have figured that out. But he was proud of his team and keeps his medals at his Mom’s house. Chris Pronger keeps his medals in a bank vault, but being a previous winner doesn’t make this trip any less special, as he plays for the host country.

There has been a lot of debate about allowing NHL-ers to play in the Olympics. But remember, hockey is not the only sport that allows its professional athletes to compete for country in the Olympics. In fact, hockey was one of the last sports to allow professionals to compete. Professional hockey players have been able to participate in the Olympics since 1988, but they did not stop the NHL schedule for the Olympics until 1998 in Nagano, Japan (insert Soviet Union definition of “professional” and “amateur” here). By allowing these players, I feel that the fans are getting the highest quality of play.

The competitors have been staying in the Olympic Village and are living the true Olympic experience. This may cause a disruption in NHL play, but every team gets a well needed mid-season break. The level of play has been incredible and I can’t imagine it being as exciting if I didn’t know the familiar names of the players I see every night at the NHL games.

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The Hat Trick: Breaking Down The Olympics

Monday, February 22nd, 2010 Written by: Matt Sitkoff

It was not quite the Miracle on Ice of the 1980’s but it was a big win for the Americans to defeat the Canadians in their home turf to secure the top seed of the Medal round, but before we can focus on the big dash toward gold comes the qualification round starting tomorrow.  So for this week’s Pucking Awesome Hat Trick we will break down the top eight teams and their chances at gold.

 

8.  Switzerland (1-1-1 in Group Play)

How They Got Here:

The Swiss team is led by a talented goalie in Anaheim Ducks Jonas Hiller and a dominant captain in New York Islanders Mark Streit.  Switzerland clinched the eight seed with a thriller 5-4 shootout win over Norway and can had a moral victory by taking mighty Canada to a shootout, but most likely will have to play the US team in the Medal Round. 

 Player to Watch:

Jonas Hiller got the big contract pre-Olympics and showing his worth by being the driving force for the Swiss team.  Hiller in the three group play games had a 3.20 GAA and .893 save percentage.  If they have a shot to upset any team in the medal round Hiller will have to be the main factor just like his predecessor Martin Gerber in the Swiss upset of Canada in 2006.

Chances to Medal:

Gold – 1 %

Silver – 5 %

Bronze – 7 %

 

 7.  Slovakia (2-1-0 in Group Play)

How They Got Here:

The Slovaks followed up an undefeated group play in 2006 with a inconsistent showing in group play.  They started the tournament with a tough 3-1 loss to the Czech but followed that a night later with an impressive shootout win over Russia.  Scoring winger Marian Gaborik, a question mark health wise heading into the Olympics, has been disappointing with only one goal.  Marian Hossa has paced the Slovaks with two goals and three points in the three games.  Jaroslav Halak has played all three games with an impressive 1.30 GAA and .915 save percentage.

Player to Watch:

Marian Gaborik injured himself in practice right before the Olympics, a thigh laceration that required stitches when he ran into teammate Henrik Lundqvist.  One could call it sabotage to try to decrease the medal chances for Slovakia, cause the talented scorer needs to be dominant if the Slovaks want to finish on the podium.

Chances to Medal:

Gold – 10%

Silver – 15%

Bronze – 20%

 

6.  Canada (2-1-0 in Group Play)

How They Got Here:

The Canadians already had pressure coming into an Olympics on their home turf and a team some experts called the most talented team ever, but now the pressure is 10 folds knowing the route they will have to go to get to the gold medal game.  The team survived a flashback scare by beating the Swiss in a shootout but could not hold back the young Americans in a 5-3 loss.  The sixth seed Canadians now will have to most likely play the Russia’s in the quarterfinals.  

Play To Watch:

Roberto Luongo would be the easiest choice since because of Brodeur’s  subpar numbers in group play caused coach Mike Babcock to make a switch of goaltenders for the medal round.  With that in mind I will go with Joe Thornton, the power forward who only has one point in three games.  What made this Canadian team scary to play against was the familiarity that many teams do not have as they took the entire Sharks first line, and throw Dan Boyle on the power play and they have four fifths of one of the top rated power plays.  The team is getting production from Thornton’s teammates Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau but need Big Joe to finally come through in a big game.

Chances to Medal:

Gold – 75%

Silver – 80%

Bronze – 85%

 

5.  Czech Republic (2-1-0 in Group Play)

How They Got Here:

The Czech team is a hard team to figure out as they have only a +3 goals differential, the closest by any of the top six teams.  They have spread out the scoring wealth and surprisingly are led in scoring by defensemen Marek Zidlicky (5 assists).  They had a huge win over the rival Slovaks but fell up short in their quest for a bye by losing a hard fought game against the Russians and I don’t think Jaromir Jagr has gotten up from the Alex Ovechkin hit yet.

Player to Watch:

David Krejci has only one goal in these Olympics, but has looked like the best player on the ice for the Czech team.  Head coach Vladimir Ruzicka will have to think heavily about moving the speedy center to top line minutes, maybe with a Patrick Elias (2G-2A) and Jagr (2G-1A).

Chances to Medal:

Gold – 15%

Silver – 45%

Bronze – 50%

 

4.  Finland (2-1-0 in Group Play)

How They Got Here:

The Finnish team has quietly put up a good Olympic showing, maybe it is because most of their games were pass midnight east coast time.  Teemu Selanne became the most prolific scorer in Olympic history with his two assist, the Finnish Flash in his fifth Olympics has 37 career Olympic points.  Playing in an easier group they took care of business beating Belarus and Germany by the combined score of 10-1, but failed to capture the third seed by getting shutout by rivals Sweden.  

Player to Watch:

Top defensive pairing of Kimmo Timonen and Sami Salo have already played a combined 139.17 minutes, and 18 shots this tournament and that is against lesser of talent.  These two defenders will be relied on heavily as the competition get fiercer and now with news that Joni Pitkanen will be suspended for one game the pressure on these two intensifies as the Finnish team looks to medal in back-to-back Olympics.

Chances to Medal:

Gold – 20%

Silver – 40%

Bronze – 45%

 

3.  Russia (2-0-1 in Group Play)

How They Got Here:

The high flying Russians with 13 goals for were only outscored by the Canadians and Americans (each with 14 goals).  Alex Ovechkin has not only been a point machine (4 points) but has been handing out bone crunching game changing hits.  Evgeni Malkin, has also not disappointed by leading the Russians in both goals (3) and points (5).  The only thing keeping the Russians from the top seed was a surprising 2-1 shootout loss to the Slovaks that saw Alex Ovechkin take two of the four shots taken.

Player to Watch:

Alex Ovechkin has continued his dominant play from the NHL into the International stage and would be the obvious choice on the player to watch for Russia to not only beat Crosby and the Canadians but to win the gold, but I think it will come down to the play of goaltender Evgeni Nabokov.  The Kazakhstan native who petitioned to play for the Russia team was the reason they won the gold in the 2008 World Championships and will have to be the difference maker in their quest for gold.

Chances to Medal:

Gold – 70%

Silver – 75%

Bronze – 80%

 

2.  Sweden (3-0-0 in Group Play)  

How They Got Here:

I think people forget that the Sweden team is the defending Gold Medalist as they went through group play undefeated and loss out on the top seed by a tie breaker.  The main reason they won the gold in Turino is the same reason they went undefeated as goalie Henrik Lundqvist has yet to allow a goal in these Olympics in two starts including a big shutout of group rival Finland.

Player to Watch:

As much as I want to select Peter Forsberg since he was not able to help the Swedes win gold in 2006, or go with the goaltender who seems like a brick wall right now, but I will pass the pressure to Daniel Alfredsson.  The 37-year-old forward was the key offensive component in Turino with 5 goals and 5 assists in the 8 games.  Alfredsson will have to come up big again for the Swedes to repeat as champions.

Chances to Medal:

Gold – 80%

Silver – 85%

Bronze –  90%

 

1.   United States (3-0-0 in Group Play)    

How They Got Here:

The youngest team in the tournament has made some noise by capturing the top seed in group play.  They came out firing in this tournament with a dominant 3-1 win over the defensive Swiss and shocked the hockey world with a 5-3 win over Canada.  Ryan Miller has stopped 66 of the 71 shots he has faced and Brian Rafalski, of all people, has scored four goals in the three games, tying Dany Heatley for the Olympic lead in group play.

Player to Watch:

No one will deny that Ryan Miller is a main reason that the USA team defeated Canada and clinched the top seed, and Rafalski’s scoring magic is the other top reason, but the continuing aggressive play of Ryan Kesler, I think will be the difference maker as the tournament goes on.  Watching the US Canada game one would of thought it was game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals the way the teams were hitting each other.  In the end it came down to an empty net aggressive play by Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler.  For the Americans to match up against the quick forwards of Finland, Sweden and Russia they will need to rely on a physical presence to slow them down and the likes of Kesler, Dustin Brown, Ryan Malone and Brooks Orpik will become more important.

Chances to Medal:

Gold – 72%

Silver – 82%

Bronze – 87%    

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THE HAT TRICK WEEK 20: Olympic Preview

Sunday, February 14th, 2010 Written by: Matt Sitkoff

With the opening ceremonies done and the last NHL games being played, I must remind you that the Olympic break is not a break from hockey.

It doesn’t’ matter what your opinion is on the subject of the NHL taking a break during the season, the next couple of weeks will give the hockey fan some exciting action.  The Swedes are the defending champions winning the tournament in Torino after defeating the Finnish team in the gold medal game, while the Czech team won the bronze medal game over the Russians. Now let’s get to the Pucking Awesome Hat Trick or the top three story lines I will be watching in Vancouver.

Home Ice Advantage:

The pressure is always on Canada to win gold but none more apparent when the team is the host country. After a gold medal performance in the 2002 games in Salt Lake City, the Canadians fell to a dismal seventh place finish last year in Torino. Steve Yzerman is the executive director this season and has put together a formable 23-man team—not including taxi-squad.

Who will mind the nets will be the biggest question heading into the games.  Martin Brodeur is having a bounce-back year and has been the man in the previous two Olympics. While, home-town hero Roberto Luongo got to see two contests in last Olympics, many think it is his time to shine and lead Canada to the golden promise land.

This year’s squad is filled with past winners who know what it takes to go through a tournament like this as a champion. In fact only Duncan Keith on the current roster is the only Canadian player that has not won either a Stanley Cup or a gold medal at the Olympics, World Championships, World Juniors or World Cup of Hockey.  In other words, this team is loaded for a big run in front of the home crowd.

U.S. Youth Movement:

When Brian Burke, Team USA General Manager, was putting together his squad for this years Olympics, his thought had to be, give the young kids a chance.

The 2010 team is comprised of 17 players yet to reach their 30th birthday and 13 that are 25-or-younger. Although no word has come out if the NHL will compete at Sochi in 2014, it seems that Burke is planning for the future, having only three players with previous Olympic experience on the roster (Brian Rafalski, Chirs Drury and Jaime Langenbrunner). 

What if the future is now for the United States?  Can this team of upstarts and youth follow the path of the most famous US Olympic team? The 1980 team was of course amateurs, thus young guys trying to go up against the mighty Russians. This year’s team will not be favored to medal but does have a strength in the most important position needed in a short tournament, goaltending.

The rise of Ryan Miller to a top goaltender in the NHL has been steadily, and good news for Team USA. The East Lansing native was passed over in 2006 for the likes of Robert Esche and John Grahame on his way to the taxi-squad for that team.

Flash forward to four years and it is almost laughable that those two made it over Miller, who this season has been near the top of all NHL goaltending categories. The 29-year-old Miller will be the key to US success, although US and Sabres fans hope that fatigue does not set in. Miller has played in 52 of the Sabres 60 game so far this season.

The Other Teams:

We can’t forget that the Swedes won the tournament, the Slovaks went undefeated in Pool play last time, the Russians are stacked offensively, and we will have a Jaromir Jagr sighting for the Czech’s. So many storylines surround the ice of the Olympics.

The Swedish Olympic team has brought back 13 of 23 players from the gold medal team. That will include Olympic hero Peter Forsberg but not team leader Mats Sundin, who had eight points in the eight games played in 2006. They will be backstopped by Henrik Lundqvist again. Lundqvist posted five wins and a 2.33 goals-against average in Torino.  With the Sedin twins up front, with Henrik Zetterberg, Daniel Alfredsson—who had ten points in last Olympics—and break out star Nicklas Backstrom, the Swedes are primed to defend their Olympic gold.

Alex Ovechkin not only captured the Calder Trophy his rookie year but exploded on the Olympic scene with five goals in Russia’s fourth place finish. All Alex the Great has done since his rookie year is score 209 goals and dominant the sport of hockey.

Combine Ovechkin with the scoring likes of Iyla Kovalchuck—329 career goals in 600 GP), Evgeni Malkin (368 points in 296 GP), and Pavel Datsyuk (571 career points in 585 GP) and you will have a frightening offensive attack. Not to mention that Ovechkin’s teammate Alex Semin is having a breakout season with 30 goals and 65 points already. And don’t forget Sergei Federov is on the Russian roster. 

Speaking of former NHL stars playing in the Olympics, these games will give us a chance to see Jaromir Jagr against NHL players.  he 37-year-old former NHL MVP left the league in 2008 to play for the KHL where he has 95 points in 104 games played for Omsk Avanguard. It will be interesting to see this talented player amongst NHL players again.

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5 for Friday – Olympic Edition

Friday, February 12th, 2010 Written by: Phil

Hello, fellow Hockey fans!

I am delighted to be the newest blogger to join Pucking Awesome, and I will be blogging every Friday with my “5 for Friday” column, where in addition to my musings about the sport, as well as a somewhat uncool play on the phrase “5 for Fighting”, I will have a “Top 5 of” whatever I choose to discuss each week.  The upcoming week signifies the beginning of the Winter Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey tournament, which promises to be ultra exciting.  Everybody is picking a Canada-Russia Gold Medal game, but will there be a surprise challenger in the midst of it all?  I’ll briefly break down the competing teams below, and then at the end of the column, give you the Top 5 Storylines of the Winter Olympic Ice Hockey tournament to watch out for.

 

GROUP A (OR GROUP EH?)

CANADA

Key Players: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins), Roberto Luongo (Vancouver Canucks), Dan Boyle (San Jose Sharks)

Outlook: Is there ever been more pressure on a Canadian team to win the Gold Medal than the current incarnation?  Home country, the best Canadian NHL players on the roster, and a stiff challenger ahead in the Russians; it’s almost mind boggling.  I could’ve listed every Canadian on the roster as a key player, but I settled for those three.  Roberto Luongo will be under the most pressure out of all the players, being the Captain of the Canucks, and being required to backstop his country to Gold Medal glory, which means that the Vancouver and the CANADIAN media will be all over him like white on rice.  I don’t envy being Mr. Luongo for the next couple of weeks, that’s for sure.  Not that Canada are too worried…should he slip up, Martin Brodeur is there to back him up, who’s pretty darn good, so I’ve heard. I like the balance in the Canadian team.  There are two solid scoring lines, and two good checking lines, with guys like Mike Richards and Brendan Morrow in the squad.  It shows you how deep the Canadian’s are that they can leave guys like Jeff Carter of the Flyers off the roster.

Prediction: Silver Medalists

 

UNITED STATES

Key Players: Zach Parise (New Jersey Devils), Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks), Phil Kessel (Toronto Maple Leafs), Ryan Miller (Buffalo Sabres)

Outlook: This is a scrappy American team who are looking for another, pardon the cliche, Miracle on Ice.  Only instead of Herb Brooks, we (I am American) have Ron Wilson and Brian Burke running the show.  The two men are also the brain trust of the floundering Toronto Maple Leafs, so it’s no surprise that Phil Kessel made the roster, as did Mike “Cement Skates” Komisarek before he went down to injury.  There are some holes on the team though, that will prevent the US from winning gold.  Outside of Kessel, Parise, and Kane, who will provide the secondary scoring for the Americans?  David Backes of the St. Louis Blues had 31 goals last season, but currently only has 13 in 57 games.  Ryan Callahan isn’t really a bonafide goal scorer, but can put in a solid shift, while his NY Ranger teammate Chris Drury has done little more than fade into a shadow of the player he once was.  And is Brooks Orpik really Olympic material?  The only way I can see the USA putting up a fight is with goaltending.  Tim Thomas is backing up Tukka Rask in Boston these days, so the onus is on Ryan Miller to stand on his head each night and single handedly win the US some games.  NHL Wins leader Jonathan Quick of the Kings is waiting in the wings.

Prediction: The USA put up a valiant fight, but do not medal.  I see a quarterfinal exit looming

 

SWITZERLAND

Key Players: Jonas Hiller (Anaheim Ducks), Mark Streit (NY Islanders)

Outlook: Switzerland enter the tournament with very few NHL players, but do not overlook them.  Jonas Hiller is a quality goalie, good enough to run former Stanley Cup winner Jean-Sebastien Giguere out of Anaheim.  Should Hiller get hurt, former Ottawa Senator Martin Gerber will back him up…YIKES!!!  Mark Streit is a solid defenseman with the NY Islanders, and isn’t intimidated by the challenges ahead.  On the scoring side, former Calgary Flame/Atlanta Thrasher Hnat Domenichelli is a point scoring star in the Swiss league, and he’ll be backed up by Andreas Ambuhl of the Hartford Wolf Pack.  Yes, their second leading scorer plays in the AHL.  My lip is quivering!

Prediction: They probably will win only one game, but don’t be shocked if Hiller steals a win off of the US for the Swiss.

 

NORWAY

Key Players: Patrick Thoresen (Salavat Yulaev – KHL), Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (Detroit Red Wings)

Outlook: Admittedly, I know nothing of the Norwegian team.  Tollefsen is a penalty minute magnet, while Thoresen was last seen in the NHL nearly getting his balls blown off by a Mike Green slapshot.  Nowadays, he’s averaging nearly a point-per-game in the KHL, so he should be the main scoring threat.  In goal, Ruben Smith seems to be the only goalie on the Norwegian roster to post a save percentage about .870 whenever he suits up for the Norwegian team!

Prediction: Ruffle some feathers, but exit early.

 

GROUP B:

RUSSIA

Key Players: Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals), Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings), Evgeni Malkin & Sergei Gonchar (Pittsburgh Penguins), Evgeni Nabokov (San Jose Sharks)

Outlook: Russia, just like Canada, posses a SCARY line up!  They contain the most dymanic player in the world (Ovechkin), as well as fantastic secondary scoring (Malkin, Datsyuk, Ilya Kovalchuk, Alexander Semin).  The roster is littered with lots of KHL players as well; those Penguin fans out there will remember Alexsey Morozov, who had one solid year with the Pens, returned to Russia after the NHL lockout, and is now averaging nearly 1.5 points-per-game in the KHL the last three seasons.  Gonchar and Andrei Markov of the Canadiens will make a solid first line defense paring, and I am really scared for any team that gives Russia a power play opportunity.  They’ve got solid goaltending, with Nabokov and Ilya Bryzgalov backing him up, who’s been lights out this season in Phoenix.  What’s stopping this team from winning the Gold Medal?  Perhaps the lack of depth, but we shall see.  Viktor Kozlov has one good game, and then takes 3 or 4 off (us Capital fans can attest to that), and Sergei Federov can put in a solid two-way shift and offer defensive help as well, even though he’s older than dirt!  Any Nashville Predator fans watching can get another chance to “cheer” on their favorite whipping boy, Alexander Radulov.

Prediction: I really wanted to pick Canada for the gold, but this is an Olympic tournament, not the NHL, so Chris Pronger will not be allowed to freely throw his elbows around.  Russia win the Gold Medal

 

CZECH REPUBLIC

Key Players: Patrik Elias (New Jersey Devils), Martin Havlat (Minnesota Wild), Jaromir Jagr (Avangard Omsk – KHL), Tomas Kaberle (Toronto Maple Leafs), Tomas Vokoun (Florida Panthers)

Outlook: The Czechs have plenty of NHL experience on their roster, including players on the team who used to play in the league (Jagr, Josef Vasicek, Petr Cajanek), and solid scoring with the forwards and some of the D-men.  Jagr returns to North America to showcase his limitless talents, especially when the Czech’s go on the power play, but the goaltending for me is a concern.  You’re not really going to win the Gold Medal with both your goalies coming from the NHL’s Southeast Division (Vokoun & Ondrej Pavelec), but don’t underestimate the Czechs.  They have the ability to beat any team on their day.

Prediction: I initially wanted to say Bronze medalists, but I’m not sold.  4th place at best, although Slovakia or Sweden will have something to say about that.

 

SLOVAKIA

Key Players: Marian Gaborik (New York Rangers), Zdeno Chara (Boston Bruins), Marian Hossa (Chicago Blackhawks), Jaroslav Halak (Montreal Canadiens)

Outlook: Man, are the Slovaks a solid bunch of players or what.  They can score bunches when Gaborik and Marian Hossa are on the ice, and they’ve got Chara and Lubo Visnovsky marshaling the blue line, while Halak has been a revelation in goal for the Canadiens this season thus far, so much that there have been rumors of Montreal supposedly looking to jettison Carey Price out of town.  There are loads of NHL experience on the roster, but from either average players (Marcel Hossa, Jozef Stumpel, Lubos Bartecko anyone?) or guys who used to be good goal scorers once upon a pre-lockout-time (Ziggy Palffy, I’m looking straight at you).  And seriously…Milan Jurcina???  Don’t even get me started

Prediction: They lose the Bronze Medal game to Sweden.

 

LATVIA

Key Players: Karlis Skrastins (Dallas Stars), Oskars Bartulis (Philadelphia Flyers)

Outlook: Again, similar to Norway, I know very very little of the Latvians.  Their so-called best forward plays for the Binghampton Senators (Kaspars Daugavins), and they have a defenseman (Arvids Rekis) plays for a team called GRIZZLY ADAMS WOLFSBURG!!  Yes, a German team that’s named after THAT Grizzly Adams.  I hope that gets brought up at some point during the coverage.

Prediction: Latvia make up the numbers, but come on, how can they beat anyone in this tournament?  They battle with the Germans for last place.

 

GROUP C:

SWEDEN

Key Players: The Sedin Twins (Vancouver Canucks), Henrik Zetterberg & Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit Red Wings), Nicklas Backstrom (Washington Capitals), Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers), Douglas Murray (San Jose Sharks)

Outlook:  The Swedes are solid from top to bottom, and realistically, they are the only nation that I can foresee preventing a Canada-Russia Gold Medal game.  Of course, part of that depends on Henrik Lundqvist.  When he’s on his game, the Rangers goalie can be arguably the best in the world.  Last season in the playoffs, he frustrated the free scoring Alexander Ovechkin enough to get inside of Ovechkin’s head, which I’ve never seen a goalie do before.  And speaking of shutting down Ovechkin, that responsibility will fall to Douglas Murray, should Sweden encounter Russia.  Ovechkin likes to hit, but doesn’t like to BE hit, and Murray seems to be the only player in the league that loves to hit Ovechkin all the time.  That should be a battle.  On the scoring side, The Sedins…everyone knows about them already, but the wild card here is Nick Backstrom.  The Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau got inside Backstrom’s head earlier this season and told him to SHOOT more, and the results have been devastating.  Backstrom already has a new career high in goals (26 at time of writing), and it’s not even the 2nd week of February.  He’s one of the top 5 passers in the NHL, and now you can almost add 30 goal scorer to that list.  He’s an excellent complimentary player to the roster.  And then there’s the ancient Peter Forsberg, who’s always dangerous with the puck.  But how well will he play in these Olympics?

Prediction: They win Bronze

 

FINLAND

Key Players: Teemu Selanne (Anaheim Ducks), Mikko Koivu (Minnesota Wild), Valtteri Filppula (Detroit Red Wings), Olli Jokinen (New York Rangers), Kimmo Timonen (Philadelphia Flyers), Miikka Kiprusoff (Calgary Flames)

Outlook: The Finns can be dangerous, but I’m worried about their depth in defense, which I fear could lead to them leaking goals.  Not a ton of goal scoring, although look for Koivu to lead the Finnish attack.  Olli Jokinen has been an enigma everywhere he’s played, and I don’t really trust him to consistently produce, but he could prove me wrong, although I don’t really count on it.  Kimmo Timonen is a terrific shutdown defenseman in front of the key man for the Fins, Miikka Kiprusoff.  The outstanding Flames goaltender is good, but players a lot better when you play solid D in front of him.  And I’m sorry, but guys like Lasse Kukkonen and Sami Lepisto don’t really scare me!

Prediction: If this was 2006, I’d say they challenge for Bronze.  But this isn’t, so I say maybe 5th place.

 

BELARUS

Key Players: Sergei and Andrei Kostitsyn (Montreal Canadiens), Ruslan Salei (Colorado Avalanche), Mikhail Grabovski (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Outlook: The surprise 2002 4th place finishers didn’t qualify for the 2006 games, but return to the Vancouver games looking to similarly shock the world yet again.  Will it happen?  Not likely, but they will not be a push over, that’s for sure.  Grabovski spearheads the attack on the back of a nice 20 goal season last year for the Leafs, although this year he is struggling with just 7 tallies to his name.  The Kostitsyn’s can be solid players when they’re not hanging around Montreal with European gangsters!

Prediction: Maybe they will beat Germany in the prelim’s, but that’s about it.

 

GERMANY

Key Players: Marco Sturm (Boston Bruins), Christian Ehrhoff (Vancouver Canucks), Dennis Seidenberg (Florida Panthers)

Outlook: Former NHLer Uwe Krupp will be head coach of Die Mannschaft in the Vancouver Games, with a limited amount of talent on the roster.  Marco Sturm, he who scored the winning goal in the 2010 NHL Winter Classic, will be required to lead the way in the goal scoring department.  And let’s be honest here, he’s not a GREAT goal scorer; he’ll get you about 20-25 a season, but not an ideal first line forward.  They will struggle on all 3 phases of the game.

Prediction: Maybe one tie at best for the Germans.

 

 

And now without further ado, the TOP 5 STORYLINES OF THE WINTER OLYMPIC ICE HOCKEY TOURNAMENT:

1.  How well will the Canadian team handle the pressure from the media and Canadian citizens?  No team at the Vancouver games will be under a bigger microscope than Canada.  And no athlete’s every move will be more scrutinized than Roberto Luongo, regardless of how hard the American media big up’s Lindsey Vonn.

2.  How infuriated will American hockey fans be at NBC’s coverage of the games?  Put it this way: NBC already bumped off the February 21 match between Canada and the USA off of regular NBC and put it on MSNBC to show figure skating.  Really?  It’s bad enough that they only market 4-5 NHL teams on their weekly games as it is.  Every game during the 2009-2010 NHL season on NBC has featured the Red Wings or Penguins.  I’m just saying…

3.  Forsberg and Jagr:  The former magicians of the NHL world return to the North American hockey spotlight after playing the last few seasons overseas in Sweden and Russia respectively.  They are older, but do they still have the talent to inspire their nations to glory.  Or an even better question, do they NEED to inspire their nations, or can they just sit back and contribute.

4.  Does Russia have the depth?  They first two lines are solid as can be, and their top defensive pairing of Gonchar and Markov, should they play together, will be unbeatable.  But what about the rest of the team?  Do they have the goaltending to win the Gold?  Can the KHL players hold their own against the world’s elite?  I predicted Gold for Russia, but will Canada (or even Sweden?) prove me wrong?

5.  Television ratings in the US.  If enough people watch the games here (you know Canada will already get the audience), will the prompt a rethink from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to allow NHL players to participate in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia?  Prominent Russian players like Evgeni Malkin and Alexander Ovechkin have already said that they’re risk long term NHL suspension to play for their country on home soil in 2014.  Do high TV ratings in the US for hockey help to better Ovechkin and Malkin’s case?  If you think the Canadian antipathy towards the Russians in these games will be bad, could you imagine 4 years from now when the script is flipped?

 

In the meantime, enjoy the Winter Olympics, and I’ll be back next Friday with another edition of 5 for Friday.

 

~Phil

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THE HAT TRICK: Finding Some Consistency In An Inconsistent NHL

Sunday, January 24th, 2010 Written by: Matt Sitkoff

The NHL has become a league of tremendous highs and tremendous lows one moment you are on a five-game winning streak the next you are on a 5-game losing streak.  Look up and down the standings and you notice only 8 points separate 5th place from 13th place in the East and 11 points from 5th place to 13th in the West. 

I honestly think this is good for the league the more parity that revolves around the NHL the more cities that have a shot at enjoying the best time of the year, Stanley Cup Playoffs!  So in this week’s Pucking Awesome Hat Trick I will look at the top three inconsistent teams in each conference and what will be their fate for the rest of the season.

Eastern Conference

Ottawa Senators:

The team that traded own of their biggest stars in the off season (Dany Heatly) and has played most of the year without Jason Spezza (23 games missed) and also saw Daniel Alfredsson (12 games missed) miss some time has been the model of inconsistency.  Other than those big injuries goaltending has been up and down for Ottawa so much that they have already fired their goaltending coach.  Last years big time pick up Pascal LeClairhas split time withBrian Elliott and both goalies have had string of 3-straight losses. LeClair has brought his injury prone nature to Ottawa heading to IR twice, for a broken jaw (16 games missed) and currently on IR for a concussion. 

Already in the month of January the Senators have had a 5-game winning streak and are currently on a 6-game winning streak.  I believe the Senators will be a surprise playoff team this year as they will get a boast from having Spezza, Alfredsson and Milan Michalek back in the lineup especially on the power play, which has been ranked near the bottom all year.  Goaltending would be the only drawback for this team but getting LeClair healthy and playing solid defense in front of Elliot will help this team try to play more consistent hockey.

 

Philadelphia Flyers:

The pre-season pick by the Hockey News to win the Stanley Cup has already fired their head coach went on a stretch where they won 12 of 16 then lost 14 of 17 and now currently have won 11 out of the last 15, talk about your roller coaster of a season. 

The team struggled with chemistry and injuries to depth players and their number one goalie.  They have seem to find their strength in playing good special teams and finally relying on their balanced scoring attack that made them so successful last season.  Everyone points to the goaltending situation in Philadelphia and for good reason as they have had a rotating door of goalies for playoff runs. 

The underrated stat behind this team is they are near the top of the league in shots against per game and blocked shots which go a long way to help out a goaltender.  This team has too much talent to not be involved in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and look for the crafty Paul Holmgren to make a move or two at the trade deadline.

 

New York Rangers:

Not much was expected of the Rangers this season as most people expected Marion Gaborik to already be injured as the team continues to struggle to score goals and rely heavily on Henrik Lundqvist.  Well, Gaborik has been as advertised scoring 29 goals and only missing two games due to injury and Lundqvist has been his normal spectacular self being in the top 10 of the league in all major goalie categories. 

The cause of inconsistency for this team has been the major dry spells the depth players behind Gaborik have endured.  Only three Rangers have double digit goals (Gaborik, U.S. Olympian Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky) and there is a 25 point gap between Gaborik and the next top point getter on the team.      

The Rangers have already been rumored to be after Vincent Lecavalier and of course will be mentioned in the Iyla Kovalchuck sweepstakes but unless Glen Sathergives up some of his young guns and picks to acquire those big name scorers I expect the Rangers fatal flaws, no scoring depth, to rear their ugly head and cause them to be reaching for a spot to the playoff party towards the end of the season.

 

Western Conference

Calgary Flames:

Another pre-season pick to be much higher than their current standing the Calgary Flames have been an enigma that is hard to figure out.  Are they a high scoring team or a defensive team?  That has been the toughest question to answer. The Flames opened up the season with 3.67 goals per game in October and followed that with an amazing 1.93 GAA in November. 

Lately they haven’t done either as they have been outscored 33 to15 in losing eight of their last nine.  The steady decline of Olli Jokinen has been the hot topic around Calgary as he has saw his goal total shrink as his age rises.  The emergence of Rene Bourque as a consistent scorer has been a pleasant surprise but the offensive struggle and plus minus rating of top defenseman Dion Phaneuf have rumors swirling of his departure for much needed scoring depth. 

General Manager Darryl Sutterhas been making a whirlwind tour of press boxes around the NHL to start the whispering that change is coming in Calgary.  The team just needs to find some sort of identity with new coach Brent Sutter.  I think trading Phaneuf will overall help this organization, they did add Bouwmeester so will still have a young defenseman to build around and can you imagine the return for this talented player.

 

Detroit Red Wings:

The normal organizational depth that has kept the Red Wings afloat for so long has now failed them.  Yes, their have been as many big injuries in Motown this season then in others but the difference is this use to be a team that no matter who was wearing the Red Wings jersey the team continued to win.  The Red Wings could field an all-star team from the players currently on IR (Holmstrom, Franzen, Jason Williams, Kronwall, and Lilja). 

Their offense has done one thing consistently this season, by being ranked near the bottom of the league for most of the first half.  Superstars Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom are all behind their normal points pace.  The one biggest surprise that has kept the team afloat is the development of net minder Jimmy Howard. The former second round pick has been spectacular being ranked near the top of the league in both save percentage and goals against.  The 25-year-old has lost back-to-back only once this season and has had two three-game winning streaks.

The Red Wings as always will be active at the trade deadline, that is the time Ken Holland shows why he is one of the best GM in the league, but also they will get a boast from injured players returning to the lineup.  This team got old very quickly, playing in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, but still post a threat to not only make the playoffs but make some noise.

 

Anaheim Ducks:

Another team that struggled out of the gate and has been struggling to find its way back and stay healthy, the Ducks will be a team to watch closely as we get closer to the trade deadline.  The Ducks have two big restricted free agents (Bobby Ryan and James Wisniewski and seven unrestricted free agents including current starting goalie Jonas Hiller.  They could be in dumping mode or they could be in adding mode as they are a team to struggle to find consistency.

The main problem has been that neither of the goalies has been spectacular.  Former Con Smyth and Stanley Cup Champion Jean-Sebastien Giguere is one of the most expensive backup goalies in the league while the 26-year-old Hiller has not impressed in his 1st season as the primary starter. 

Another big question the Ducks will face is whether to trade some of their veterans on the last years of contracts.  Scott Niedermayer, Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu could all bring back some returns for a team looking to add some much needed veteran’s presence in the playoffs.  The team’s core has shifted to Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan up front and Ryan Whitney, James Wisniewski on the back end but it will be up to GM Bob Murray on who will be minding the nets for this year and beyond and that will be the difference for an inconsistent team on the fringe of the playoff chase.

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THE HAT TRICK: A Look At The NHL All-Stars

Sunday, January 17th, 2010 Written by: Matt Sitkoff

This week’s Pucking Awesome Hat Trick is going to be a little different just like an Olympic NHL season.  Speaking of those upcoming Olympics next month, fans get treated to All-Star games of countries the NHL fan does not get to see when the Eastern Conference best square off against the Western Conference best.  So this week I am going to announce the Pucking Awesome NHL All-Star rosters.  Keep in mind all teams must be represented and sorry for not doing it World vs U.S.

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE ROSTER

 

Starters

G Martin Brodeur—You can officially call it a bounce back year

D Mike Green—Leads all defenseman in points, PP points and is a +20

D Chris Pronger—Has solidified Flyers back line and special teams

W Alex Ovechkin—Has 29 goals in only 39 GP, plus need to see him in skills competition

W Marian Gaborik—Has stayed healthy thus near the top in goals scored

C Sidney Crosby—Has proved he can score goals with the best of them

 

Reserves

G Ryan Miller—Would be Vezina favorite if it wasn’t for that Brodeur guy

G Henrik Lundqvist—Always gives his team a chance to win

D Tomas Kaberle—Rumors will swirl in second half as this guy continues to produce

D Mark Streit—Had to take an Islanders and Streit seems to be the pick until Tavares blossoms

D Tobias Enstrom—Having a career year in Atlanta

D Zdeno Chara—Have to take a Bruin and everyone wants to see him in hardest slap shot

F Tomas Plekanek—Already getting close to his career high in assists

F Martin St Louis—Still raking up points quietly in Tampa

F Eric Staal—Again, have to take a Hurricane, injuries and bad supporting cast have slowed his production a bit

F Stephen Weiss—Blossoming into a superstar while also stepping up for injured David Booth

F Mike Fisher—Snub off Canadian Olympic team for now, but makes the team as lone Senators

F Nicklas Backstrom—We knew he could pass, but who knew he could score?

F Iyla Kovalchuck—Biding his time in Atlanta by still showing the league he is a top sniper

F Evgeni Malkin—This was a star power pick, a lot of other players deserve this spot but an All-Star game is made to show off stars

F Steve Stamkos—Last roster spot goes to under the radar player with big numbers

 

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE ROSTER

 

Starters

G Miikka Kiprusoff—Toughest call on team, couldn’t go wrong on any of the G’s on team

D Duncan Keith—The best defenseman on the best team always makes it, plus he is really good 

D Dan Boyle—Why did the Lightning trade him again?

W Dany Heatley—Has fit well on the west coast

W Patrick Marleau—Quieted critics with monster first half

C Henrik Sedin—Only because Thornton starting here would be silly

 

Reserves

G Ilya Bryzgalov—Big reason why Phoenix is in the playoff hunt

G Jimmy Howard—Again tough call with Nabakov, Luongo and Huet all having good seasons, but where would Red Wings be without Howard?

D Drew Doughty—Going to be a superstar in this league

D Christian Ehrhoff—Why did the Sharks trade this guy?

D Stephane Robidas—Has become a force on the power play  

D Lubomir Visnovsky—Bright spot for dismal team, tough choice for Oiler between him and Penner

F Joe Thornton—What a dominant first line the Sharks have

F Patrick Kane—Scoring a torrid pace for hot Hawks

F Brad Richards—Finally proving worth in Dallas with more points this season than all of last

F Paul Stastny—Tough choice for Av with Stastny and Wolski

F Mikko Koivu—What can’t this guy do?

F Corey Perry—You want consistent, he had a 19-game point streak this season

F Andy McDonald—Finally makes first all-star team because we have to take a Blues player

F Rick Nash—Still scoring for struggling team

F Patric Hornqvist—Came out of nowhere to score some big goals for Predators

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THE HAT TRICK: Week 13 In The NHL

Monday, January 4th, 2010 Written by: Matt Sitkoff

The Winter Classic came and went as did Andy Murray with the St. Louis Blues this past week. The Thrashers keep losing as Iyla Kovalchuck keeps scoring, rumors keep swirling, and the Olympic teams took shape in what was a busy week in the NHL; now let’s look ahead to this week’s Pucking Awesome Hat Trick or the top three storylines I am looking for this week.  

Different End of the Spectrums: 

The Sharks have won eight games in a row while the Thrashers have not won a game in their last eight contests, so the big question is what will happen first? Sharks loss? Thrashers win? The Sharks will have more questions arise as the season goes on, especially since they will have more representatives in the Olympics than any other NHL team. Eight Sharks will be playing in Vancouver as the organization hopes that this does not slow them down from the ultimate goal. 

The Thrashers had a hot start to the season riding the young goaltending of Ondrej Pavelec and the hot stick of Iyla Kovalchuck, but have hit a wall lately. As the season inches closer to the trade deadline and the Thrashers inch both farther out of the playoffs and away from a contract extension from their Russian superstar this as well as the San Jose’s will be situation’s to keep your eye on.

Bruins Scoring:

The Bruins have signed Miroslav Satan off the free agent pool this week, signaling they are reaching for anything and everything to just score goals. They have one of the best goalie tandems in the league with Tim Thomas and surprising Tuuka Rask (1.85 and .935 save percentage). But the Bruins have been limited to one goal or less in 14 of their previous 40 games this season. 

Would the Bruins entertain trading one of the goalies, or say a defender for some scoring? It has been obvious all season that this talented team is just missing a elite scorer to put them in the same discussion as the Devils, Capitals and Penguins. 

Game Of The Week:  Flames at Canucks

The Canucks finished a four-game road trip with seven of the possible eight points and now embark on a four game home stand that includes an end of the week match up with the divisional rival Calgary Flames. The road warrior Flames already have compiled a 12-5-3 road record and have won four in a row. While the Avalanche sit on top of the Northwest Division for now, these two teams were expected to battle it out for the division crown.

One can only hope that the goaltending matchup is Roberto Luongo and Miikka Kiprusoff. The Finnish Olympian Kiprusoff has 3 wins in last 6 games with a 2.22 GAA and .916 save percentage, while the Canadian Olympian has 5 wins in his last 7 games with a 1.69 GAA and .935 save percentage. So far in the season series Calgary has won two of the three meetings, although the Canucks won the last meeting 5-1 in Calgary on December 29th.   

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THE HAT TRICK: WEEK 12

Sunday, December 27th, 2009 Written by: Matt Sitkoff

Hope everyone’s holidays were filled with food, family, and friends! 

Now that both hockey and myself are off the Christmas Break, big events are happening all around.  Martin Brodeur broke yet another record with his 104th shutout, surpassing that of Terry Sawchuck, and in Atlanta, negotiations for star winger Iyla Kovalchuck is again feeding the rumor mill. 

Well, let’s get down to business—the Holiday Pucking Awesome Hat Trick, or the top three storylines I will be watching this week.


Winter Wonderland

On Friday comes the spectacular that has become a fixture with ringing in the New Year: the Winter Classic.  Not that I have to break down the opponents, but it will match up the Philadelphia Flyers with the Boston Bruins and be played at the historic Fenway Park. 

I have already made my opinion known that I would prefer to have this television success in a bigger NFL/College Football venue, but I digress. 

So, as the 168th regular-season meeting between these franchises is upon us, and Gary Bettman smiles down upon Fenway Park, we have to applaud the NHL for this forward-thinking event so far it has been a television success. Last year’s 2.5 rating was the highest rated NHL regular-season game in 13 years. 

All hockey fans grew up playing outside, and it is a pleasure to see these professional athletes act like kids again.


U.S. Olympic Dreams

At the conclusion of the Winter Classic, the 23-man U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey team will be announced.  So as GM Don Waddell and Head Coach Rom Wilson stew over the final decisions, it will be interesting to see what direction they turn. 

Most experts are predicting a movement towards youth on this squad, but with the uncertainty of NHL players playing in the 2014 Winter Olympics, don’t be surprised to see some of the veterans collect some valuable spots.

I am not going to sit here and predict the full roster, but I will give my one surprise inclusion and my one surprise exclusion.  I predict that defenseman Andy Greene of the New Jersey Devils will make it. 

The 27-year old undrafted free agent at the Christmas Break tied at the top of American defenseman in scoring  (21 points).  What a story to beat out other first round picks for the spot.  I see Greene playing the type of puck movement and limited turnovers that Ron Wilson wants from his defensemen. 

The one surprising omission that I predict is Rangers forward Chris Drury.  The Trumbull, CT native, once a fixture as a leader of the American hockey players, has struggled since given a monster contract to play on Broadway, and has seen younger players leap frog him on the depth chart.


Game of the Week

The easy pick would be the most-watched game this week, but I already wrote enough about the Winter Classic in this Hat Trick, so I move my attention to arguably the best Western Conference team facing off against arguably the best Eastern Conference team: the Washington Capitals vs. the San Jose Sharks. 

Last time they faced off in October, the Capitals’ top line was too much for the Sharks, in a 4-1 victory.  Alex Ovechkin had two goals and Alexander Semin added another.  These two teams are near the top of the league in goals, and San Jose has been hard to beat in regulation at home (9-2-5), so expect some fireworks this game. 

This matchup also shows how the league made the right decision to allow more inter-conference games, to give both teams a measuring stick on how they look against the other conferences’ elite teams.

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Thursday, December 24th, 2009 Written by: Matt Sitkoff

Happy Holidays to all our readers from the staff of Pucking Awesome, make sure to check out the Pucking Awesome Power Rankings and the ever popular Between the Pipes to get you through the weekend. 

Coming up in the new year will be resolutions for all 32 NHL team’s and due to popular demand Fantasy Focus will be now expanded to two days a week!

Thank you for spending your time with Pucking Awesome this year and we look forward to covering the  Olympics, Playoff Push and Stanley Cup run for our readers in 2010. 

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THE HAT TRICK: WEEK 11

Monday, December 14th, 2009 Written by: Matt Sitkoff

As the weather turns colder and we enter the holiday season; Chanukah candles are being lit, Christmas trees are being put up, and hockey pucks are getting roasted on an open fire.  This being an Olympic year, the next couple of weeks will be the busiest time for teams trying to stuff as many games in before the winter break. 

December will make or break which way teams are headed in the parity filled NHL, so let’s look at three specific teams in this week’s Hat Trick.

Buffalo Sabres  

The surprising leaders of the Northeast Division have been riding one of the hottest goalies this season.  In December they have 15 games, and the good news is only two of them are on back-to-back nights.  They recently finished up a five-game home stand with a 3-2 record and had impressive back-to-back wins against the Blackhawks and Rangers. 

Coming down the stretch of this month are two contest at home against the Penguins, one on the road with the Capitals and four games against division rivals Ottawa and Toronto.  With Olympic selections for USA coming up, it will be interesting to see how Ryan Miller does with the heavy workload this month and how this team that depends on often-injured stars hold up with the treacherous schedule.

St. Louis Blues  

A team that got hot at the end of last season to make the playoffs have once again started slowly.  This month full of 15 games, including two tough back-to-back nights (home Flames, road Blackhawks and road Canucks, road Oilers) will make or break the season for the up and coming Blues. 

Good news for them is that eight of the games will be played away from the Scottrade Center, since they have a 8-2-3 road record this season.  Being one of the younger teams in the league (27.4 average age), they should be able to handle the long December stretch. If they falter, however, they do have two veterans on their last year of contracts (Kariya and Tkachuk) that could get some interest.

Philadelphia Flyers  

This one, an obvious pick for the preseason Stanley Cup favorite, is a Hurricane winning streak away from being the worst team in the East and their own winning streak away from being back in the playoff picture.  They also have 15 games in December, the problem is they have already started 1-5 in the month. 

The schedule does not look favorable either with a home and home series with the Penguins, and two games against division rival Rangers, but they do get a week of the Southeast Division (Panthers, Lightning and Hurricanes Oh MY!)  They have already fired their coach and lost their starting goalie to injury for the entire month, but should be getting reinforcements soon with the returns of Simon Gagne, Darrol Powe, and Blair Betts from injuries.  Needless to say if they continue the month they way they started you could see a major shakeup of players in Philadelphia.

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THE HAT TRICK WEEK 10

Sunday, December 6th, 2009 Written by: Matt Sitkoff

The season has officially started we had our first NHL coach firing; I will have more about that later, and the league also made Alex Ovechkin angry this week by handing out a two-game suspension for his knee-to-knee hit.  I was glad to see the NHL suspend the Russian for the hit, for all his talents Ovechkin plays with a sort of edge and good to see the league not give him the superstar treatment. 

His edge is what makes Ovechkin a special player and I also don’t see this suspension taking it away, should be fun to watch this week, now onto the Pucking Awesome Hat Trick and the top three story lines I am watching this week.

Flyers Fallout:  

A sexy preseason pick for the Cup have not looked anything like it and the recent slide caused John Stevens his job, as Peter Laviolette takes over the fading Flyers.  The once powerful power play has been nonexistent in the recent four game slide going an abysmal 0 for their last 17 man advantages.

The undisciplined play has also been catching up to them giving up six power play goals along this current losing streak. The Ray Emery experiment has taken a turn for the worse as Emery has a 5.36 goals-against average and .814 save percentage in his last five starts.

The Flyers now turn to the theory that changing a coach can change the culture of the team, but unlike the Stanley Cup Champions a year ago this team seems to be lacking the maturity of a team destined for greatness. I will be watching the fallout this week as Laviolette tries to turn this talented team around and ask them to grow up or the next thing to change will be the core roster.


DiPietro Recovery:  

I don’t know if it is a recovery from injury or the Islanders trying to recover some return on the tremendous investment on the often injured goalie.  When healthy there is no denying the pure talent of Rick DiPietro but with only five starts in the last two years the brass on Long Island were expecting more from the goalie they signed to a monster 15-year contract back in September 2006. 

Although he shares the birthday with a Pucking Awesome writer it seems that this contract has been a bust up to this point, though he has 12 years on the back end to make it up to the organization.  Now comes the good news for Islanders fans after practicing with the team for about a week and a half the former number one overall pick suited up for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Saturday. 

In all reports he looked like he had been off for the last 11 months giving up three goals on 13 shots.  In his post game interview DiPietro stated “It’s been a long time since I played in a meaningful game. Nerves, excitement.  These guys have been great. It was good to get back in there and shake the rust off. There’s still a lot of work to be done.”  I will be keeping my eye on the valiant return of Rick DiPietro not only for the sake of the Islanders organization but for the goalie trade wheels that will be circling this club that will have three NHL starting goalies.


Game Of The Week:   Wild at Coyotes

The week gets started off right this week as the two hottest teams facing off Monday night, oh yes the Phoenix Coyotes and Minnesota Wild face off at Jobing.com Arena. The Coyotes are one of the best stories of the early season. In their current four-game winning streak 10 different Coyotes have scored a goal and Ilya Bryzgalov has been outstanding with a 1.75 GAA and has been outstanding at home with a 10-3-0 record.

The Wild have turned their season around with a five-game winning streak and been riding a white hot top line of Center Mikko Koivu and linemates Andrew Brunette and Antti Miettinen. They have combined for 23 points during their current winning streak and that is with Miettinen missing three games due to the swine flu. 

The week gets kicked off in style as one of the hottest lines in hockey faces one of the hottest goalies in a surprise scary good match up, I will be watching how about you?

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BLACKHAWKS LOCK UP THEIR STARS, BUT PROBLEMS STILL EXIST

Friday, December 4th, 2009 Written by: Jeremy

Thursday was one of the greatest days in Chicago Blackhawks history—well, it was certainly the best day since April 16, 1961 when the Hawks defeated the Detroit Red Wings to win their last Stanley Cup.


Since math will be a theme here, that’s exactly 17,765 days ago.


So yes, while the “Windy City” can get windy the big gust of wind that could be felt across Lake Michigan was actually millions of loyal Hawks fans exhaling a giant sigh of relief.


With the announcement of long-term contract extensions for the core of the team—Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith—the nhl_g_blackhawks_celebrate_576organization assured fans that they’re not only trying to win the Cup right now, but they’re serious about attempting to turn it into a dynasty.


You’ve heard of Chicago’s “Magnificent Mile,” this is the “Magnificent Millions.” Money well spent.


Yet it was fitting that the Thursday’s press conference to officially announce the signings began with a video tribute set to the Smashing Pumpkins song “Today.”  The lyrics of the chorus, sung so eloquently by Blackhawks fan Billy Corgan are as follows:


Today is the greatest

Day I’ve ever known

Can’t live for tomorrow,

Tomorrow’s much too long….

 

By extending Toews and Kane for 5 years at an annual salary of $5.3 million and Keith for 13 years at an average of $5.38 million, the Hawks made a big splash today while acknowledging the potential for major problems in the future.


Get ready for that aforementioned math and bust out those calculators.


In addition to the Toews/Kane/Keith contracts the Hawks’ spending spree of the last two years leaves them with the hefty contracts of Marian Hossa ($5.275 million), Brian Campbell ($7.14 million) and Cristobal Huet ($5.625 million).


That’s roughly $34 million wrapped up in just six players, with the NHL’s salary cap expected to be around $50-52 million.


Now add in the $3-4 million annual contracts of Patrick Sharp, Kris Versteeg, Dave Bolland, Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Seabrook and Cam Barker and…. Well… UH-OH!


With a few other contracts added to the mix, the Hawks currently have 15 players under contract for the 2010-11 season and find themselves nearly $4 million over the current cap, which is expected to fall.  Of those 15, none can play backup goalie—you get the point.


It’s one thing to go on a spending spree.  A kid in a candy shop might pack a few too many sour patch kids into their bag or a movie enthusiast might pull a few too many DVD’s off the shelf, but they can put it back.  There’s no refund coming to general manager Stan Bowman on the current contracts.


Forget the fact that somewhere a former Blackhawks payroll specialist is currently looking for a new line of work—though I keep wondering if they followed Family Guy’s math philosophy (CLICK FOR FAMILY GUY JOKE).


Now it’s a matter of manipulating the cap not only to get under its final number but also leaving room to add players to the current roster either from the system or through small free agent signings.


As I see it, making a trade is the only way to make this happen but there’s no ideal solution.  If I were GM for a day, here’s what I am trying to do:


First and foremost, draft a league wide memo to every general manager informing them that Campbell is available for a draft pick or another bad contract totaling less than $6 million per season in return.  If the Hawks can move Campbell and gain any kind of salary cap relief it’s a good deal.


The problem is nobody wants such an expensive defenseman who plays very little defense.  Sure, Campbell is great for the power play and in transition but not for his current price tag.  To acquire Campbell would be to let the Hawks off the hook for their reckless spending and I don’t see many teams willing to help others in a time of need.


Another trade scenario would involve shipping out a second tier forward such as Sharp or Versteeg for a draft pick.  Sharp specifically has been the subject of many rumors involving nearly every team in the league over the last couple of weeks.


Yet, parting with Sharp or Versteeg puts a major dent in the fantastic scoring capabilities of the top lines.  Both Sharp and Versteeg could easily pair with a combination of Toews, Kane or Hossa on the first line while the others comprise the second line.  Any combination is extremely lethal and is the main reason why the Hawks are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.


The forward that could be shown the door is Byfuglien or “Big Buff.”    49784272Despite being second on the team with 8 goals, Buff primarily works the front of the net and stuffs in rebounds.  While that’s a critical element for a winning team, Hawks top prospect Kyle Beach does essentially the same thing and comes $2 million cheaper.


An ideal solution might be absurd but makes the most sense.  The Hawks need to simply buyout Campbell’s contract.  Pay him the remaining money ($7.1 million annually for the next 6 years=$42.6 million).


Yes, I’m suggesting the Hawks simply write Campbell a massive check to go away and sign elsewhere.


No, I have not smoked anything to impair my thinking.


Money is an issue here but not in the way it was for over a decade with the Blackhawks.  The cap is the problem, not the price tag.  The Wirtz family has plenty of money—and, unlike his greedy father Bill—current chairman Rocky Wirtz has no problem spending it.


Simply admitting the contract is bad and putting an end to it brings the Hawks back under the cap and gives them the flexibility needed to make the minor adjustments necessary for an extended run of greatness.


On the ice, the Hawks would be losing an offensive weapon along the blue line.  But Keith’s offensive game has hit a new level this season, Barker has always been a good point presence on the power play and 2008 3rd round pick–19-year-old Shawn Lalonde–may be the next great scoring d-man.  Lalonde currently has 7 goals and 15 assists (22 points) in 21 games for the OHL’s Belleville Bulls.

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In other words, Campbell won’t be missed for very long.


Look, it’s important to secure the core of the franchise but up until now it’s been done irresponsibly.  And just as important as locking up the core is finding the role players around them (hello, Maxime Talbot) to aid in the success.


The Blackhawks 2009-10 ad campaign is called “One Goal.”  Basically meaning to finally win the Stanley Cup.


Now, the front office has one goal: to make the bold, brash and prudent moves in order to ensure a full roster can fit under next year’s salary cap.


Unfortunately, this isn’t baseball or the Hawks could just be the New York Yankees.


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Sports Jobs On Versus

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 Written by: Matt Sitkoff

On the field, on the ice, in the cage or behind the wheel, professional athletes have to be tough. But what does it take to do the behind-the-scenes jobs in sports? All-Pro linebacker Junior Seau is about to find out. In VERSUS’ new original series, Sports Jobs with Junior Seau, the NFL legend trades in his helmet and pads and tries out the sometimes thankless, but extremely important, jobs across the entire sports world. The 10-episode weekly half-hour series will air on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. ET, beginning December 2, with two back-to-back episodes.

“This is the first show that gives fans a look at the people who make the games possible. These guys don’t get the fame and recognition but they are just as talented and compelling as the players and they have just as much pride in their work,” said Andy Meyer, Vice President of Original Programming for VERSUS. “We’re very excited to have Junior Seau, one of the greatest players the NFL has ever seen, on VERSUS’ team doing the every day jobs that make sports work.”

In the premiere episode at 10 p.m. ET on December 2, Seau will be working as part of the construction crew helping to build the new stadium for the New York Giants. In the second episode of the night, Seau will wear Dodger blue and serve as the batboy/equipment manager during a Dodgers home stand against the Milwaukee Brewers. Some of the other episodes will feature Seau working as the equipment manager for the Washington Capitals, as an IndyCar pit crew member, a college football writer for Sports Illustrated, a member of an arena conversion crew and as bullfighter at a Professional Bull Riders (PBR) event.

“Throughout my 19-year professional football career, I’ve had the great fortune to work with so many phenomenal people; from equipment managers to trainers to the field crew, it is because of these unsung heroes that I am able to be the best player I can be on the field,” said show host Junior Seau. “I’m very excited to be part of show that allows me to do the jobs that are essential to a sport and make an impact on the overall effectiveness of an athlete or team.”

A San Diego native, Seau began making a name for himself in football during his collegiate days at USC where he was an All-American player. In 1990, following his junior year college football season, he was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the draft as the fifth pick overall. A Charger until 2002, Seau went on to play for the Miami Dolphins from 2003 until 2005 and was signed by the New England Patriots in 2006. Seau took a short break from football prior to the start of the 2009 NFL season for production of Sports Jobs, but after seeing how difficult some of the jobs actually were—including getting tackled by a bull during his bullfighter job with the PBR—Junior decided he’d rather take his chances on the field and returned to the Patriots team roster in time to play in the sixth game of the 2009 season.

in addition to the opening night episodes, The rest of the on-air schedule follows (subject to change):

NHL EQUIPMENT MANAGER (December 9, 11:30 p.m. ET)
The Washington Capitals travel with thousands of pounds of skates, pads, jerseys, sticks and pucks and being their equipment manager for the 2009/10 NHL season-opening road game at Boston is no small task.
ARENA CONVERSION TEAM (December 16)
In this episode Junior joins up with Boston’s legendary “Bullgang” crew to convert the Boston Bruins ice into the Boston Celtics hardwood, and back again, in just 36 hours.
INDYCAR PIT CREW MEMBER (December 23)
The pressure is on as Junior learns how to jack up the car, fill it with gas, and change the tires – and do it all to have Scott Dixon’s car back on the track in seven seconds.

LPGA CADDY (December 30)
Junior learns to read greens and minds, as he works a loop with LPGA and reality TV superstar Natalie Gulbis.
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED REPORTER (January 6)
From trying to land an exclusive interview to racing between the press box and the locker room, Junior tries to cover a game and make his deadline.
UFC CORNERMAN (January 13)
Junior joins UFC star Forrest Griffin’s camp as he trains to take on Anderson Silva at UFC 101: Declaration in Philadelphia.
HORSE TRAINER (January 20)
He’ll feed, groom, shoe, clean and care for racehorses, and then do the dirtiest job he’s done yet – castrate a live horse.
PBR BULL FIGHTGER (January 27)
Junior finds out first hand that keeping the riders from getting trampled and gored by a massive bull is one of the most dangerous jobs in all of sports.

VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD) and is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the IndyCar® Series as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events and original programs, such as Sports Soup and Sports Jobs with Junior Seau that audiences can’t find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

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THE HAT TRICK WEEK 9

Sunday, November 29th, 2009 Written by: Matt Sitkoff

As the shoppers’ dust settles on another Black Friday, the dust is settling for injuries around the league.

We have already seen big names missing time, and it seems every day we check the headlines as another NHL player is out for an extended period of time. 

In this, an Olympic year, you start to wonder if people are starting to just coast to make it to their respective countries’ rosters and wait until after the Olympic break to really start playing. 

Now on to the Pucking Awesome Hat Trick or the top three stories I am watching this week.


Will The Real Steve Mason Show Up?

Talk about your sophomore slumps, as last year’s Calder Trophy winner Steve Mason has fallen off the map.  The 21-year-old Blue Jackets net minder is now ranked 44th in save percentage (.890) and 45th in goals against (3.46). 

The NHL goalie is a crazy character; very few stay relevant for an extended period; that is a reason to marvel at Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo right now. 

Mason’s coach, Ken Hitchcock, had the best quote about the second-year player this week, “Just because a guy’s a second-year player, it doesn’t mean he’s a better player yet.”

The Blue Jackets are still in the thick of things and a good team but will not make an impact without the services of their franchise goalie. 

We all have to remember that this kid is only 21 years young and made the rare move right from juniors to the NHL before we put him in the Jim Carey category.

With four games this week, I will be watching to see which Steve Mason will show up.


Kovalchuk Conundrum:  

The Thrashers keep winning, and Ilya Kovalchuk keeps scoring.  The trade deadline is far away right now, and first comes his Olympic run for the Russian squad, but I have to keep my eye on this situation. 

Similar to the Marian Hossa problem of not signing a contract extension, the Thrashers were forced to trade their franchise player in February 2008.  The Penguins were the benefactor of that move and went on to the Stanley Cup Finals. 

The problem this year is the Thrashers are a winning team and it’s evident they depend heavily on Kovalchuk’s offensive prowess. 

Atlanta this season is 10-4-3 with the winger in the lineup; his stats are a staggering 14 goals and 24 points in those 17 games.

I will be keeping my eye on this situation all of December, as in those 15 games ahead could be a deciding factor on not only the Thrashers’ playoff hopes but the Stanley Cup run of another team.   


Games Of The Week:  

With two big returns this week, I had to highlight both of them in the Games of the Week. The first day of December matches up Dany Heatley against the Senators. 

Although the game is in San Jose so he won’t feel the same wrath of Ottawa, it will be interesting to see how the team he refused to play for will treat the talented scoring winger. 

The move has seemed to work for both teams so far, as Heatley (18 goals) has teamed up with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau for a dominant line. 

Milan Michalek, the main piece coming back to the Senators, leads the team with 13 goals, while Jonathan Cheechoo has chipped in filling the checking line. 

The other return is Marian Hossa back to Pittsburgh on Saturday.  You don’t think the Penguins organization will have Hossa walk down a hallway of them hoisting the cup, maybe even a picture of him sitting watching it.

Before Hossa became the $62.8 million man, he jumped the Crosby ship and spurned the Penguins for a “greater” chance to win a cup with the team that beat them in the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals.

You heard the reaction he got throughout last year’s finals; expect the same on Saturday.

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