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 9^th time in the franchises 10 NHL seasons.

Winter Classic? – The NHL had their annual winter classic on New Years Day. Certainly the most marketable game, besides the Finals, and it also draws the most ratings for a regular season by a huge margin. I remember the first winter classic between the Sabres and Penguins. I thought the snow flurries added a nice touch. It look cool watching it on TV but it wasn’t snowing hard enough to ruin the performance of the game. I also thought the game was rigged. It seemed too fishy to have the game to go into a shootout and have it be won by Sidney Crosby. I mean that NHL gets to showcase one of the more exciting aspects of the game, the 1 on 1 shootout, and they get to have their most marketable star, Crosby, win the game. But I guess that’s just what happened.

I didn’t get to watch last years’ game because I thought the game was on at 1pm. Which it was but I live on the west coast so when I turned it on about five minutes before 1pm it had about five minutes left in the game. I can’t remember being more annoyed. This year’s game between the Bruins and Flyers featured almost 40 minutes worth of pre game activities. Some of them added a nice touch I thought like talking to Bobby Orr and Bobby Clarke and showing classic footage of each. But overall I thought it dragged and I just wanted the game to start already.

The game was kind of flat. I didn’t find most of it to be all that exciting, except for the end. Philadelphia truly dominated all but the last 5 minutes of the game and overtime. Even though Boston had one more shot on goal in certainly didn’t feel that way. Philadelphia had the better scoring chances and it always seemed to have an odd man rush in their favor every five minutes. Whether it was a breakaway or a 2 on 1, Tim Thomas kept the Bruins in the game. He played like a monster in front of the monster (I couldn’t resist) with well timed saves and occasionally losing his gear during them. I was stunned to see the Bruins tie it up with about three minutes to go in the game. I wasn’t surprised they won it in overtime though; you could tell the momentum had shifted after that. Michael Leighton played really well for the Flyers which I wasn’t expecting, since he didn’t exactly tear it up for Carolina. But he has played well since coming to Philadelphia. Leighton has played on four different teams in his career and is in his second stint with the Flyers. Hopefully he has found a home this time. If he continues to play well I suspect he has and he may even push Emery out the door when he gets back. I was hoping for rain or snow during the game but that didn’t happen. I look forward to next year’s game, wherever that may be.

Goalie Spotlight

Roberto Luongo – Vancouver Canucks

Named to the Canadian team this past week I figured I do a write-up on him. Loyal readers know that I already did spotlights on all of the goalies on team USA.

Robert Luongo is the first goalie to be named captain of his team since Bill Durnan in the 1947-48 season. Luongo is a native of Montreal, Quebec like so many other great goalies that come from Quebec. He has a rink named after him where he used to play the 2^nd goalie with that honor, the first being Martin Brodeur. He started skating at age 8 and wanted to play goalie then, but his parents wanted him to focusing on his skating. At age 11, after playing forward for a few years, his team’s regular goalie didn’t show. After begging his mom he was allowed to play goal. She said on that day, “It made me sad because he loved hockey and couldn’t skate.”[1] As fate would have it Luongo posted a shutout on that day and it was clear he was meant to be a goalie. At age 15 Luongo joined Montreal-Bourassa a midget team that Martin Brodeur and Felix Potvin (who Luongo is linked to in many ways) played for before they were stars. Luongo then moved on Val-d’Or Foreurs (a junior ice hockey team) where he received rave reviews. Luongo was drafted with the 4^th pick by the New York Islanders in 1997. He was the highest drafted goalie ever until the Islanders, again, picked Rick DiPietro 1^st overall three years later.

In the 1999-2000 season, a few months after signing his contract, Luongo split time with the AHL (Lowell Lock Monsters) and the Islanders. Luongo played so well that he surpassed Felix Potvin as the starting goalie so Potvin was traded to Vancouver. Despite being considered their future goalie the Islanders traded Luongo and Olli Jokinen to the Panthers for Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha. This paved the way for the Islanders to take DiPietro.

Luongo started his career with the Panthers splitting time with Trevor Kidd but he soon emerged as the clear cut number one. It was hard to record wins playing for the struggling Panthers but he continually posted great GAA and SV%. An ankle injury sidelined him for a third of the 01-02 season. He received his first Vezina Trophy nomination in 03-04, setting the NHL record for most shots faced and saved in a single season and he led the league with a .931 SV%. The previous record holder was Felix Potvin. Luongo was second in the Vezina balloting losing only to Martin Brodeur. After the lockout season Luongo signed a one year deal with the Panthers. He posted what was then a career high of eight shutouts that year. Before the start of the 06-07 season he was wrangling for a new contract with the Panthers. He had a list of demands he wanted met in the contract but GM Mike Keenan and Luongo didn’t have the best relationship. In a surprise move Keenan elected to trade Luongo to the Canucks for Todd Bertuzzi, Alex Auld and Bryan Allen. Luongo brought instant stability to the Cancuks net that had been searching for a goalie for some time since Kirk Mclean left.

In his first season with the Canucks he was an All-Star, set the franchise record for most wins in a season with 47 and set a career high for wins and GAA. 2007 was the first year Luongo ever made the playoffs. In his first game he came within one save of tying Kelly Hrudey’s mark for most saves (73) in a playoff game. The Canucks lost to the Ducks in the 2^nd round. Luongo was nominated for three awards (Vezina, Pearson, Hart) that year and finished second in all of them losing to Brodeur again for the Vezina trophy. The next season he was named an All-Star again but he stumbled down the stretch and the Canucks missed the playoffs. Luongo led the Canucks to their second division crown in three seasons and into the 2^nd round of the playoffs again. They lost to the Blackhawks in six games where Luongo gave up seven goals. He was heavily criticized for his play and he acknowledged he let his team down. Before the season started he signed a hefty 12 year contract extension.

After struggling mightily this year with a horrible October, Luongo has rebounded nicely posting some stellar numbers in the month of December. He also holds five Panthers’ franchise records and six Canucks’ franchise records. The Canucks hope to repeat as division champs but have stiff competition this year in the Calgary Flames and the Colorado Avalanche. This three team race should go down to the wire, just like last year’s two team race between the Canucks and the Flames.

[1] http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=480116

Fights of the Week

Special thanks to hockeyfights.com for making this section a little easier to do.

Rick Rypien vs. Cam Janssen

If you like fast punches you’ll like this fight. The refs break it up to early though.

Cam Barker vs. Mike Weaver

The fight wasn’t anything, it was Weaver’s hit on Sharp that was awesome which led to this fight.

Cody McLeod vs. Jared Boll

If you like wild punches then this is the bout for you.

Jonathan Toews vs. David Backes

Here’s a fight between two guys who normally don’t fight, mildly entertaining.

Goat of the Week

Johan Hedberg – Atlanta Thrashers

Funny how about 75% of the goats of the week usually involve a Goalie leaving the crease. That’s why I say goalies should always stay between the pipes. Hedberg thought the puck was going to take a different bounce then it did and Derek Roy was the benefactor of that mistake, as he scored the game winner into a wide open net.

Things I like

1. Rene Bourque where has this guy come from? Never having more than 40 points in a season, he is practically already there after 36 games with 34 points. He also scored his 2^nd career hat trick on Dec. 28^th.

2. The Sharks top line is all bound for the Canadian Olympic team. If Canada was smart, they would just play that line as it is. They already have a half a seasons worth of chemistry.

3. Jamie Langenbrunner has been on a roll lately. He has a five game point streak going and had a three game goal streak during it, including a hat trick against the Wild. Earlier this month, he had a point streak of seven games.

4. The Sedin twins are getting even hotter. Henrik is now leading the NHL in points and Daniel is creeping up the leader board despite playing in only 25 games so far. Conversely the Canucks have also been creeping up the standings now residing in 6^th place.

Things I don’t

1. Consistent is something the Washington Capitals are not. After having strange losses earlier in December to Buffalo and Toronto the Capitals end the month by not showing up against the worst team in the league, Carolina, and then one of the best teams, San Jose. They fell behind 0-3 to the Hurricanes, last Monday, in a game you thought they would have won but they lost 2-5. Maybe they thought it would be a cakewalk and they didn’t really come to play. But the next night against the Sharks they did the same thing and fell behind 0-3 before losing 2-5. You think they would have been motivated to play the Sharks. The Caps snapped their three game losing streak with a win against Montreal.

2. The Pittsburgh Penguins have lost five in a row now. They seem to be getting worse though as each loss mounts. Evgeni Malkin has particularly struggled, producing no points in his past four games and a costly turnover against the Panthers. Things are so bad Mario Lemieux watched almost all of their practice. They were finally able to beat Atlanta 5-2 and Malkin had an assist which is a start.

3. Anze Kopitar was the leading scorer in the middle of November now he is tied for 15^th. Has anyone fallen this much this fast before? The Kings have also fallen from a brief, and I do mean brief, stint in 1^st place to all the way down to the 7^th slot. Of course I write that on Monday and then on Monday night the Kings crush the Sharks at the Shark Tank 6-2. Kopitar had a goal and an assist in the game.

4. Injuries to the Anaheim Ducks. When your injuries can produce a line of Ryan Getzlaf, Teemu Selanne, and Joffery Lupul you know you will have problems scoring. That’s just what has happened to the Ducks. A shame because the Ducks were able to string together a bunch of wins overcoming the Selanne and Lupul injuries. But losing Getzlaf is just too much in addition to them and now they are back on a losing streak.

Stat Line of the Week

01/03/10  Senators 7 vs. Flyers 4

Alexei Kovalev feels like he’s been around forever because he has. Now in his 17^th season, Kovalev had four goals on six shots not to shabby to go with his +5. The four goals was a career high.

Did You Know?

While Kovalev’s five point night was good the record for most points in one game is twice that mark. The record of 10 points is not held by Wayne Gretzky but rather Darryl Sittler. His six goals and four assists in 1976 as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, in a game against the Boston Bruins, still stands today. You have to like the chances of that record falling in the next few seasons though.

Numbers, Numbers

4 – Canadian teams that would make the playoffs if they started today out of 6.

-12 – +/- for Scott Niedermayer which looks to be receiving his third minus season in a row, after having only 1 in his previous 15 seasons before.

53 – Wins last year for the President Trophy winning Sharks, they are on pace for that again this year.

14 – Road wins for Colorado last year; they have 13 at the halfway point this year.

This Week in Hockey History

Special thanks to the Hockey Hall of Fame site for making this section a little easier to do.

December 31, 1910 Montreal Canadiens goalie Georges Vezina played the first of 367 consecutive regular season and playoff games, when Montreal lost their NHA season opener, 5-3 to the visiting Ottawa Senators. Vezina played every game for Montreal for 15 seasons.

January 01, 1999 Teemu Selanne scored his 15th career hat trick and added two assists, Steve Rucchin had two goals and two assists and Fredrik Olausson tied his career high with four assists in the Mighty Ducks’ 7-2 win at Buffalo.

January 02, 1990 Mario Lemieux tied team record he had set four years earlier, when a goal and an assist increased his point scoring streak to 28 straight games, 4th longest in NHL history, as the Penguins lost 5-2 to Boston.

January 03, 2002 Buffalo’s Rob Ray became the 7th player in NHL history to get 3,000 career penalty minutes (and the first ever to get 3,000 PIM with one team) when his minor, major, and two misconducts pushed him to 3,019 career PIM, in a 3-1 loss at Calgary.

January 04, 1997 Rangers’ Wayne Gretzky tied a club record with four assists in the second period as New York won 6-4 over the visiting Ottawa Senators. It was Mike Richter’s 11th straight win, and the Rangers’ 2,000th franchise victory.

January 05, 1957 CBS television became the first U.S. network to televise an NHL game as the host New York Rangers beat Chicago 4-1 in an afternoon game, at Madison Square Garden.

Rankings

The rankings are based on how the teams are currently playing.

Top 5

1. San Jose
2. New Jersey
3. Chicago
4. Colorado
5. Buffalo

Bottom 5

30. Edmonton
29. Columbus
28. Atlanta
27. Toronto
26. St. Louis

Anaheim Ducks Watch

Before I start this I’d like to say it’s incredibly annoying to listen to Brian Hayward announce Ducks games sometimes with his dumb “he’s living right” quote. He says it all the freakin time he must have said it like 10 times during the Blackhawks game, I think it was. Such a dumb quote who is living wrong by the way Hayward?

The Ducks lost Ryan Getzlaf to an injury against the Sharks so an already depleted team further depletes. That’s two years in a row a Duck has been injured by their own skate, first Selanne and now Getzlaf, strange. Bobby Ryan, of team USA, led the way against the Wild scoring two goals and providing an assist. While Anaheim didn’t give up the game in the 3^rd period, they only produced 2 measly shots in it. Still they picked up the win and that’s the important part.

They followed up that win with an awful performance against the Stars. I don’t know what it is but the Stars really have the Ducks number the last few years. This doesn’t sit well with me since I’m not a Stars fan to begin with. Though Hiller faced a lot of shots, he didn’t play well. You can tell it’s going to be a tough night when the first goal you give up in the game is a shorthanded one.

The Predators game was hard to stomach as the Ducks led 1-0 after the 1^st period then… well you know how it ends. Though the final score was 3-1 the buzzer beating empty net goal doesn’t count in my book. Hiller played better but there are just too many injuries to overcome and the lines are all out of whack. A really tough game to lose because the Ducks needed those 2 points and needed the Predators to not to get them.

Next up was the red hot Blackhawks and Anaheim got crushed 5-2. Now I know what you’re saying but it’s the Blackhawks true, however at the end of November the Ducks shutout the Blackhawks 3-0. Of course the Ducks were healthier then with Getzlaf and Selanne and Chicago didn’t have Hossa yet. My how things have changed, I turned it off at 4-0 so I could go watch the equally thrilling Jets vs. Bengals which was just as competitive, gag. I missed Petteri Nokelainen’s two garbage goals but good for him for scoring them.

Against Detroit Ryan Getzlaf came back and he was greatly needed. The Ducks halted their three game losing streak beating the Red Wings 4-1, with one goal being an empty netter. Getzlaf picked up an assist in his return and Hiller played well for a change making some great saves stopping 38 of 39 shots. Saku Koivu had a pretty shorthanded goal and Matt Beleskey had his first NHL goal. All in all one of the more well-rounded games the Ducks have played in some time.