Posts Tagged ‘New Jersey Devils’

Between the Pipes – NHL Recap Week 20

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 Written by: Alex Mueller

This will be the last Between the Pipes until the Olympics are over. Russia is expected to dominate, so naturally they won’t win. That’s how it usually works in team sports, the favorite almost never wins.

Goal Controversy – The Washington Capitals franchise record streak came to an end against the Canadiens. They only lost in overtime but apparently the Capitals thought it should never have gone to overtime, as they had a goal that was disallowed. I don’t really care what the initial call was, if you’re going to plow the opposing team’s players into their own goalie, you’re going to score goals all the time. Of course you can’t do that, nor should you be allowed to. I have no idea what Ovechkin was thinking on that play or why anyone on the Capitals actually thought that goal should have counted.

Minor Trades – A few minor trades happened before the Olympic roster freeze. The best trade was the one the Blackhawks made with the Wild. The Blackhawks received Kim Johnsson and Nick Leddy and the Wild received Cam Barker. Advantage goes to the Blackhawks for sure in this deal. Barker has been a disappointment and Blackhawks want to clear space for next season. Johnsson has a higher salary but he is a free agent next year so the Blackhawks will definitely let him walk. They also get a prospect in Leddy, not to shabby. As for the Wild well they better hope Barker’s change of scenery improves his game, especially if Leddy becomes a decent talent.

Goalie Spotlight

Marc-Andre Fleury – Pittsburgh Penguins

Marc-Andre Fleury was selected first overall in the 2003 NHL entry draft. His nickname of flower is a derivative, fleuri, of his last name.  Fleuri means flower in French. He started his career playing for QMJHL for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in 2000. In 2003 he was named to the All-Star second team and he helped lead Canada to a Silver medal in the World Junior Championship. This was enough success for the Penguins to make him the first pick. Cape Breton later retired Fleury’s number. Fluery was the youngest NHL goaltender in the league in 2003 and he was named rookie of the month. Due to financial difficulties Pittsburgh did not want to pay Fluery his bonus. Since they didn’t want him getting the chance to earn it they let him play in the 2004 World Junior Championship. He led Canada to another Silver medal and then he was sent back to Cape Breton where he tore it up. After that he was sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL) where he only played in the playoffs. Since the 04-05 NHL season was canceled, Fluery stayed playing in the AHL.

Fleury got his chance to be the starter in the 05-06 season when Jocelyn Thibault was injured. He ended up beating out Thibault and Sebastien Caron to become the number one goalie. All was not well however, as the Penguins finished last in the conference and allowed a league worst 316 goals. Despite this the Penguins saw his talent and rewarded him with a two year extension. The 06-07 season featured a much improve Penguins team that made the playoffs. Fleury was able to post his first NHL SV% above .900 (.906) and his first GAA below 3.00 (2.83) behind a better team. He became the only other goalie besides Tom Barrasso to win 40 games for the franchise. The Penguins ended up losing to Stanley Cup Finalist Ottawa in the first round in five games.

Fleury sat out most of the 07-08 season with an ankle sprain allowing Ty Conlkin to start much of the year. When he came back from the injury he was 22-4-1 including the playoffs up until the Stanley Cup Final. Fleury’s career moment, up until this time, was probably his 55 save effort in triple overtime that forced a game 6. In game 6 he ended up sitting on the game winning goal and accidentally pushed it in, which was his lowest career point. He signed a seven year deal in the off-season. In the 08-09 season Fleury was able to stay healthy and start a majority of the games. His numbers dipped from the previous season but they were still an improvement over the 06-07 season. He picked up his game in the postseason and was instrumental in most series particularly the opening round series against the Flyers. The Penguins found themselves with a rematch against the Red Wings in the Finals. Fleury made many huge saves including a diving stop in the final seconds of game 7 to help the Penguins win the Stanley Cup.

So far the current season has not been one of Fleury’s strongest, though he did start out the year 8-0. He has yet to record a shutout this season, which would be a first for his NHL career if he doesn’t end up posting one. However, the Penguins are at the top of the standings and fighting the Devils for the division crown. Even if he hasn’t played his best hockey, Penguin fans know Fleury always saves his best for the postseason.

Fights of the Week

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

Colton Orr vs. Cam Janssen

These two fought briefly in the 1st period before being thwarted by the refs. They came back with a vengeance in the 2nd. Some decent shots in between the filler.

Nate Thompson vs. Matt Martin

A decent fight between two guys who don’t fight all that much. Martin gets the slight edge.

Aaron Rome vs. James Sheppard

Rome is a pretty good fighter when he can’t see. I’m surprised the refs didn’t break up the fight immediately because of that.

Goat of the Week

Steve Montador – Buffalo Sabres

Montador, a former Duck, loses an edge playing the puck behind the net and coughs it up in overtime. Brandon Sutter had a pretty pass to Sergei Samsonov who puts it behind a not ready Ryan Miller. You have to be more alert Miller even if it was Montador’s fault.

Things I like

1. Earlier in the year we thought we would get two or three teammates in the top 6 scoring at the end of the year. We still might but instead of it being a couple of Sharks it looks like it will be a couple of Capitals. Ovechkin is in 1st and Backstrom is in 3rd. Fellow teammate Semin isn’t too far behind in 12th place.

2. Jonathan Quick is leading the league in wins. I don’t think anyone could see that coming. He tied the Kings franchise record for wins in a season with 35. He should easily shatter that before the season is done. He also gets a trip to Vancouver. It’s unlikely he will play much being the 3rd goalie but he will pick-up some valuable experience. In four years he will probably be the number 2 guy behind Miller.

3. The Kings and Oilers ten round shootout. I’ve written about the shootout here before and I know many fans have their arguments of why they do and don’t like it. But watching a ten rounder is always fun and suspenseful.

4. The top eight players in +/- consists of five Washington Capitals and three Vancouver Canucks. I think that says a lot about top teams and lines in the league.

Things I don’t

1. The Devils are still slumping and Ilya hasn’t been the goal scoring machine the Devils had hoped, with only one goal in six games. He does have four assists though. The Devils struggles can also be attributed to Martin Brodeur struggling as of late. In the month of February his SV% was .871 which is lower than his career and regular season averages. He even got pulled in the regular finale before the Olympics against Carolina. Both Ilya and Brodeur are heading to Vancouver, so much needed rest is not what they will be receiving.

2. Giguere’s good fortune lasted only two games in Toronto. He lost his next two games, after his two game shutout streak, giving up a combined 7 goals. No more games until after the break so he should be able to get in plenty of practice with his favorite goalie coach.

3. No NHL hockey for two weeks. Sure there is Olympic hockey but it’s not the same.

Stat Line of the Week

02/14/10 Anaheim 7 vs. Edmonton 3

Skater

TOI

G

A

+/-

SOG

PIM

R. Getzlaf

19:28

2

2

+1

6

2

Getzlaf returned from his ankle injury and was the main catalyst for the Ducks big victory of the Oilers. Scoring two powerplay goals he helped reverse the trend of the Ducks struggling with their powerplay on the road. He also sent a strong message to Steve Yzerman of Team Canada to keep him on the Olympic squad.

Did You Know?

In honor of the Canadian women’s Olympic hockey team drubbing Slovakia 18-0, I give you the most lopsided NHL game. In 1944 the Detroit Red Wings beat the NY Rangers 15-0. Syd Howe would record a hat trick in the final six minutes of the game. The Rangers only won six games that season and will go down in history as one of the worst teams ever.

Numbers, Numbers

2.08 – GAA of Tuukka Rask the current league leader and currently a back-up goalie

43 – Alex Ovechkin’s +/- the current league leader

163 – PIM for Cam Janssen, number two in the league currently

0 – Points scored by Cam Janssen so far this season

This Week in Hockey History

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

February 11, 1988 Toronto’s Borje Salming became just the fifth defenseman in NHL history to get 600 career assists. The milestone came in a 4-3 Maple Leafs win over the visiting New York Islanders.

February 12, 1929 Montreal Canadiens’ goalie George Hainsworth recorded his 15th shutout of the season (and the 42nd of his career) in a 2-0 against over the Pirates at Pittsburgh.

February 13, 2002 Dominik Hasek recorded his 60th career shutout, and Scotty Bowman became just the 2nd coach to win 400 games with Detroit, in the Red Wings 2-0 win over the Wild at Minnesota.

February 14, 1994 Wayne Gretzky picked up two assists to record a 100-point season for the 14th time in his career (extending his NHL record) as the Kings lost 3-2 to the Bruins at the Forum.

February 15, 1989 Chicago’s Jeremy Roenick tied a club record for rookies, with four points (a goal and three assists) as the Blackhawks won 7-4 over the visiting Washington Capitals.

February 16, 1980 Boston’s Jean Ratelle picked an assist to give him 1,220 career points, passing Jean Beliveau and moving up to No. 7 on the NHL’s all-time scoring list. Bruins won 5-3 over the Rockies, at Colorado.

Rankings

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

Top 5

1. Los Angeles
2. Washington
3. Ottawa
4. Carolina
5. Phoenix

Bottom 5

30. Toronto
29. NY Islanders
28. Edmonton
27. Florida
26. Detroit

Anaheim Ducks Watch

The Ducks got the win at home against the Oilers in a much closer than it should have been game 3-2. This was the 11th straight win for the Ducks at home, a franchise record. Bobby Ryan had two goals and Marchant had the game winner.

If a goal is scored and no one notices does it still count? The answer is yes, as Toronto noticed that Tory Bodie tipped in Scott Niedermayer’s shot. The refs counted the goal and rewound the clock. Of course it didn’t really matter as the Flames basically dominated the rest of the game and scored three goals, led by Jerome Iginila, after that. Real nice of the Ducks to show up to a hugely important playoff type game.

The Ducks then played the Oilers again, this time at Edmonton. The Ducks erupted for seven goals in the 7-3 win. The powerplay was clicking scoring four goals. Ryan Getzlaf made his return to the lineup with authority, scoring two goals and two assists. The Ducks made a statement in this game and it’s a good thing, since they won’t be playing again for awhile. I’d like to think the Ducks have a good chance to make the playoffs. The problem is there are seven teams within seven points of each other, all vying for the last two playoff spots. Or five teams within four points. Even if the Ducks get hot, there is no guarantee two other teams won’t.

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Between the Pipes – NHL Recap Week 19

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 Written by: Alex Mueller

IIya found a home… for now – Well the IIya Kovalchuk watch can officially end, until this season is over. Of course this is old news by now, but it happened and I’m recapping the week so deal with it! A great pick-up by New Jersey they really didn’t give up much except for that number 1 pick. If they can re-sign Ilya they made out like gangbusters. If they can’t well even though they didn’t give up much, giving up something for nothing is never a good thing. Even if they win the cup this year and he leaves, I still think it’s a waste. They probably have a good chance of re-assigning him but they will have to pay. As of now the move hasn’t really paid off. The Devils are 1-2 since acquiring him and it could very well have been 0-3 if it wasn’t for their three goal 3rd period rally against Toronto. It will probably take awhile for Kovalchuk to adjust to his new linemates.

As for the Thrashers, well what can you say; this team bleeds talent like no other. I still can’t wait for them to leave Atlanta. I think that will solve most of their problems. But that’s a topic for another discussion. It’s great they will have two 1st round picks in this year’s draft. Let’s hope they get some quality talent they can actually keep in Atlanta, for once.

Goalie Spotlight

Tomas Vokoun – Florida Panthers

So who are the league leaders in shutouts? That would be Martin Brodeur and Tomas Vokoun each with seven so far. Vokoun is one of those unheralded guys in the league. He doesn’t get much fanfare but goes out and puts up some decent numbers.

The Czech born Vokoun was drafted in 1994 by the Montreal Canadiens, he played only one game for them and gave up four goals in one period. Between 1994 and 1994 he played in Czechoslovakia, for the ECHL and AHL. He was then chosen by the Predators in the 1998 expansion draft. He split time between the Predators and the IHL his first two seasons, though he mostly played for the Predators. It wasn’t until the 2002-03 season, after Mike Dunham was traded, that Vokoun became the starter.

After he became the starter he posted solid numbers on a regular basis and set many franchise records. Of course at this point the franchise was only about five years old. He holds the franchise record for wins in a season (36), all-time wins (134), all-time losses (147) and goaltender games played (340). During the lockout year he went to play for the Finnish league SM-liiga. He led HIFK Helsinki to an 11-4-4 record with a .940SV%. However in the playoffs he folded big time with an .846SV%, worst in the league.

From 2006 on Vokoun suffered health issues ranging from blood-clotting to thumb surgery. During this time back-up Chris Mason emerged as the starter. Subsequently Vokoun was traded to the Florida Panthers, for draft picks, right before the 2007 draft. He made the All-Star team his first year with the Panthers and 2nd time overall he was selected. Vokoun made headlines this season when he was hit in the head with his own teammates, Keith Ballard, stick. Vokoun is posting decent numbers again this season and he is hoping to backstop the Panthers into the playoffs this year, a feat he almost accomplished last season.

Fights of the Week

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

Rick Rypien vs. Chris Neil

I good high intensity battle one of the few fights Rypien hasn’t dominated that he was in.

Tanner Glass vs. Matt Carkner

Carkner makes Glass his punching bag.

Dominic Moore vs. Zach Bogosian

Bogosian gets in a sneaky upper cut and that was the end of that.

Jody Shelley vs. Colton Orr

Shelley knocks out Orr with his 2nd punch.

Goat of the Week

Patrick Lalime – Buffalo Sabres

Lalime doesn’t play much backing up Ryan Miller and that isn’t likely to change anytime soon after this play. The puck did take a funny bounce off the boards but you have to be prepared, Lalime wasn’t and it bounced off his skate into the net.

Things I like

1. Great game between the Penguins and Capitals before the Super Bowl. Alex Ovechkin had a hat trick and assisted on the game winner in overtime and Sidney Crosby had two goals. Despite NBC’s constant drooling over Crosby and Ovechkin, they managed to mention former Hart trophy winner Evgeni Malkin. Hey NBC doesn’t winning the Hart Trophy mean your some kind of skilled hockey player?

2. Speaking of Ovechkin he notched his 500th point this week in 373 games the fastest to 500 since Eric Lindros did it in 352 games. You remember Lindros right?

3. There are only two teams that have 7 players above 35 or more points each. One of them is the Washington Capitals which I’m sure most of you would guess but I bet you can’t guess the other one. I’ll give you the answer later in the column.

4. The Maple Leafs are getting Jiggy with it. After debuting in Toronto with a shutout, Jean-Sebastien Giguere decided to follow that up with another shutout. He made 30 saves again. His shutout streak came to an end against San Jose though, as he gave up three goals in a losing effort. If he had shutout the Sharks, I’m sure they would be celebrating in Toronto like they just won the super bowl, jk.

Things I don’t

1. NHL scheduling quirks, the Maple Leafs and Devils played each other in three of the last four games. Is that really necessary? How about a little more space in between games NHL?

2. NBC explaining why you fight in a hockey game during the Penguins vs. Capitals. Please stop NBC. Next NBC will explain why you try and score goals, ugh.

3. I’d like to give my condolences to Brian Burke who lost his son Brendan Burke. He died in a car accident driving on a snowy road. As a former Mid-Atlantic resident, I know how difficult it can be to drive on snow and ice. A person should never have to outlive their children.

Trivia: The answer to the other team besides the Capitals would be the Los Angeles Kings.

Stat Line of the Week

02/06/10 Toronto 5 vs. Ottawa 0

Skater

TOI

G

A

+/-

SOG

PIM

L. Schenn

21:40

2

1

+4

4

2

Well there were many fine performances this week but I chose to highlight Schenn’s performance. A 5th overall selection, by the Maple Leafs, in his second season he is starting to develop into what the Maple Leafs had hoped when they drafted him. He was on the ice for four of the Maple Leaf’s five goals and he scored two of them himself.

Did You Know?

Patrick Roy is the only net minder to give up an opponent’s 500th career goal more than once. The players who have scored their 500th on Roy are: Steve Yzerman in 1996, Joe Mullen in 1997 and Brendan Shanahan in 2002.

Numbers, Numbers – the streak edition

14 – The Washington Capital’s current winning streak.

11 – The winning streak by the Ottawa Senators which came to an end against Toronto.

10 – The losing streak by the Boston Bruins which came to an end against Montreal.

16 – Would be the games points streak by Alex Ovechkin if he scored against the Islanders on 1/26 but he didn’t so it’s now six games.

10 – The current winning streak for home wins for the Anaheim Ducks

This Week in Hockey History

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

February 04, 1987 Wayne Gretzky scored his 50th goal of the season, to lead the Oilers to a 6-5 win over the North Stars at Minnesota. It was Gretzky’s eighth straight 50 goal season.

February 05, 1996 Colorado’s Patrick Roy became the 4th goaltender in NHL history to win 10 or more games with two teams in one season, when the Avalanche had a 4-2 win over the visiting Canadiens. Roy had won 12 games with Montreal before being traded.

February 06, 1993 Mike Gartner scored four goals and an assist (including a first period hat trick) to lead the Wales Conference to a 16-6 win over the Campbells, at the All Star Game in Montreal. Pierre Turgeon had three goals & two assists in the game

February 07, 1987 Cam Neely scored his first career NHL hat trick as the Bruins won 8-5 over the Maple Leafs in Boston.

February 08, 2004 Joe Sakic scored a hat trick to lead the Western Conference to a 6-4 win over the East, in the NHL All Star game played in Minnesota. Daniel Alfredsson led the East with two goals and an assist.

February 09, 1971 Vancouver Canucks ended their team-record 11 game home winless streak (0-10-1) with a 6-3 win over the visiting Buffalo Sabres. Rosaire Paiement led the Canucks with a team-record four goals (his first career hat trick).

Rankings

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

Top 5

1. Washington
2. Ottawa
3. Los Angeles
4. San Jose
5. Vancouver

Bottom 5

30. Edmonton
29. Boston
28. NY Islanders
27. Buffalo
26. NY Rangers

Anaheim Ducks Watch

The Ducks seem to have the Red Wings number at home lately and Wednesday was no different. They Jumped out to a 3-0 lead and never looked back, prevailing 3-1. Hiller was sensational stopping 46 of 47 shots. The Ducks were firing on all cylinders with Bobby Ryan and Ryan Getzlaf leading the charge.

Next though they had to play the Kings in back to back games. They haven’t won the 2nd game in any of the back to backs this year and this time was no different. They quickly feel behind 4-1 only to crawl back and tie the game 4-4. Dustin Brown scored the game winner on a wide open net, a goal that was poorly defended by Anaheim. They gave up another goal after that and ended up losing 6-4. Memo to NHL book teams playing back to back games as little as possible. I’m pretty sure it can be done.

Next up was the Kings, wait didn’t I just type that, o wait that’s right the NHL doesn’t know how to schedule; either that or this is baseball. It was a great fast paced game with lots of chances. After the 1st which was tied 1-1 and saw Teemu Selanne net number 597, the Ducks dominated the 2nd period. Saku Koivu netted the game winner when he scored the puck and then himself. Surprisingly there was no scoring in the 3rd and the Ducks prevailed 4-2 and got those much needed two points. Unfortunately Ryan Getzlaf sprained his ankle and it didn’t look pretty. X-rays at this point are negative and I hope they stay that way.

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Between the Pipes – NHL Recap Week 11

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 Written by: Alex Mueller

The Devils Bedevil the Experts – With the third best record in the East, even spending some time in 1st, the Devils are surprising many except for me. New Jersey was picked by most experts to finish 3rd at best and in some cases in 4th place behind even the Rangers, why I have no idea.

The Devils will always be competitive with a healthy Martin Brodeur, that’s a given. Offensively Zach Parise is a budding star. Travis Zajac started to come into his own last year and he is continuing his progression this year. Jamie Langenbrunner, when healthy, provides a nice veteran presence. Former 1st round pick of the 2005 draft Niclas Bergfors has finally been given ample playing time this year and he is starting to deliver. Veteran Patrick Elias is always dangerous as a goal scorer when healthy.

The Devils defense is pretty blue collared these days. Gone are the days of the headline grabbing defenseman like Scott Stevens and Scott Neidermayer. The defense these days are led by guys like Johnny Oduya, Bryce Salvador, Colin White and Andy Greene. The Devils D is so blue collar only one defenseman on the Devils is on the Top 50 highest paid defenseman list. That one guy would be Paul Martin, he checks in at number 38, who is currently injured.

The Devils hope to avenge their surprising 1st round exit last year to Carolina. They should definitely make the playoffs again this year. If they do, it will be their 13th in a row. Only the Detroit Red Wings have a higher current streak at 18 seasons. They should also contend for the division title with Penguins, especially if the Flyers continue to struggle.

Goalie Spotlight

Jonathan Quick – Los Angeles Kings

Jonathan Quick is an emerging goalie for the emerging Los Angeles Kings. While not in the elite goalie class, in a few seasons Quick’s might be mentioned with the Brodeurs of the hockey world. Quick is also one of the taller goalies in the league measuring 6 foot 1.

The USA born Quick was a standout goalie at his high school prep school in Connecticut. After high school, Quick decided to play at the University of Massachusetts were he lead the team to its first ever NCAA hockey tournament appearance. The Minutemen beat Clarkson but then lost to Maine. Quick was drafted by the Kings in the 2005 draft as the 72nd pick overall.

In the 2007-08 season Quick played in the ECHL, AHL and NHL. He was most successful playing in the AHL for the Kings affiliate Manchester Monarchs. He only played 3 games in the NHL that year posting a 3.58 GAA and a .855 SV%, not sterling numbers by any means. In the following season Quick started out the year playing at Manchester, but was called up to play for the Kings in December and remained up for the rest of the year posting 21 wins to 18 losses, a 2.48 GAA and a .914 SV%. In certain stretches he played spectacularly prompting the Kings to name him the starting netminder for the 09-10 season.

So far Quick’s numbers this year are a little worse than last years (2.60 GAA and .904 SV%) and he has yet to post a shutout. The Kings other options for goalies include Jonathan Bernier and Erik Ersberg. However, both goalies have been somewhat disappointing, Ersberg more so. Quick should be the number one goalie for the foreseeable future. Considering this is only his 2nd season and he is only 23, he has tremendous upside. The Kings hope to make the playoffs with Quick for the first time since the 2001-02 season.

Fights of the Week

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

Boris Valabik vs. Rick Rypien

Everyone’s favorite fighter Rick Rypien is back. I really like the way he does the little things in a fight and systematically beats you.

Brian McGrattan vs. David Koci

The ninth billionth fight between these two, err wait the 7th time. The other 6 times were in the AHL.

Daniel Carcillo vs. Craig Adams

Three fights in the battle of Pennsylvania including 1 fight that literally lasted a minute with no punches. I liked this one for the intensity but Carcillo dominated.

Jean-Francois Jacques vs. B.J. Crombeen

Okay fight on the long side that had its moments. BTW I don’t think you can have a more French name than Jean-Francois Jacques.

Goat of the Week

None this week

Shot of the Week

Bobby Ryan – Anaheim Ducks

Ryan was able to maintain his handle on the puck and shoot it in after he had his leg hooked by Kris Russell.

Things I like

1. Newly called up Dan Sexton has a 3 game goal streak going and has the given the Ducks new scoring life. He’s is quite fast too. With him on one side and Bobby Ryan on the other, they make for one of the speediest wing tandems in the league.

2. Los Angeles has quietly crept up to tie for the top spot in the west. They are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games and even beat the Sharks in that stretch. They did all of this despite their top scorer Anze Kopitar not doing much.

3. Tuukka Rask doesn’t play much for Boston, but when he fills in for Tim Thomas he really delivers, with his 1.97GAA and .932 SV%.

Things I don’t

1. The Southeast Division’s bottom feeding teams. The Lightning, Hurricanes and Panthers have a combined 6 wins in their last 30 games yikes. If it wasn’t for the Thrashers we could probably already crown the Capitals.

2. Jonas Hiller has been pretty disappointing this year after his phenomenal campaign last year. If he continues to play as he is, it will create problems for the Ducks who will then more than likely let him walk and keep Jean-Sebastien Giguere and his heavy salary.

3. The Flyers losing Ray Emery for about 6 weeks. Not much has gone right for the Flyers this season and this doesn’t help. Emery started out playing well but in 4 of his last 5 starts his save percentage was below .840, not good.

4. Speaking of the Flyers, I discussed their struggles last week, they seem to be struggling even more. They made a lot of changes to specifically compete with the Penguins and in their latest measuring stick game against the Penguins they lost 6-1. That now makes two losses against the Pens this year, though the first loss was more competitive. They get another shot at the Penguins this Thursday at home.

Stat Line of the Week

12/11/09  Oilers 5 vs. Blues 3

Skater

TOI

G

A

+/-

SOG

PIM

D. Penner

19:54

1

3

+4

2

0

Dustin Penner was on the ice for 4 of the Oilers 5 goals and he had a hand in all 4 of those goals. He racked up a goal (unassisted) and 3 assists for the night.

Did You Know?

The first NHL entry draft was in 1963. The first 20 years 1963 to 1982, a Canadian was taken with the top pick. Brian Lawton from the USA was the first non-Canadian picked. Of the 47 drafts only five number 1 picks weren’t from North America. Russia has two of those five. The USA has had six players taken and Canada has had 36.

Numbers, Numbers

0 – Number of overtime losses for Vancouver, still.

6-10-2 – St. Louis’s home record

8-2-3 – St. Louis’s road record

29 – Goal differential of the Capitals, 1st in the East

4 – Goal differential of the Kings, tied for 1st in the West

This Week in Hockey History

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

December 10, 1992    Quebec’s Mats Sundin extended his team-record point scoring streak to 30 games in the Nordiques’ 5-4 win at Los Angeles. Sundin scored 21 goals, 25 assists for a total of 46 points during the 30 game streak.

December 11, 1977    Tom Bladon set an NHL record for most points in a game by a defenseman. His 8 points (4 goals & 4 assists) led Philadelphia to an 11-1 win over the Cleveland Barons. Bladon also set a record by going +10.

December 11, 2000    Pittsburgh Penguins owner Mario Lemieux officially announced that he was coming out of retirement to return to playing for the Penguins.

December 12, 1971    Chicago’s Bobby Hull became the fifth player in NHL history to score 1,000 career points. His milestone point was an assist in his 909th game, a 5-3 Black Hawks’ win over the Minnesota North Stars.

December 13, 1987    Calgary’s Joe Nieuwendyk became the first NHL rookie since Cully Wilson (Toronto 1919-20) to score four goals twice in his first season, in a 7-1 Flames in at Buffalo.

December 14, 2000    Rob Blake scored his first career hat trick and added two assists for his first five-point game in the Kings 5-5 tie against the visiting New York Rangers.

December 15, 1988    Mario Lemieux had a goal and four assists in Pittsburgh’s 8-2 win over the Islanders to become the Penguins’ all-time leader in career assists, breaking the old mark of 349 set by Syl Apps. It came in Lemieux’s 321st NHL game.

Rankings

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

Top 5

1. Los Angeles
2. New Jersey
3. Pittsburgh
4. Washington
5. Buffalo

Bottom 5

30. Carolina
29. Philadelphia
28. Columbus
27. Tampa Bay
26. Florida

Anaheim Ducks Watch

The Ducks have points in the last 5 games now. Unfortunately 3 of those were overtime losses in games they could have and should have won. So because they are only gaining 1 point, and since the teams they lose to are in the same conference, they really don’t gain much.

So tell me if you heard this before, the Ducks take a 2 goal lead into the 3rd period and manage to lose anyway. Of course you have and the Ducks manage to do it again to the Red Wings. It’s a shame because they really owned the first 2 periods of play. Of course when you take 10 penalties it’s hard to win games. Some of the calls were typical lame calls by the ref, like the Parros interference and some of the holding calls, but that’s life. Sexton scored again and with his emergence the Ducks now have three players (Perry, Ryan, Sexton) that look like they just graduated from high school. They are all shy and quiet in post game interviews too. The Red Wings won it in overtime.

The Ducks jumped out to a 2 goal lead against the Blue Jackets and this time changed it up a bit and instead of giving up a goal in the 3rd, they give it up in the last minute of the 2nd period. However, the Ducks actually gave up none in the 3rd and scored one themselves. Sexton scored again to up his goal streak to 3 games in a row. The Selanne injury seems like a blessing in disguise now. If he never would have went down, Sexton would never have been called up. Lupul is still injured too. I think when Selanne gets back he should go on the top line with Perry and Getzlaf. Ryan and Sexton should stay together with Koivu.

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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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THE HAT TRICK: WEEK 7

Sunday, November 15th, 2009 Written by: Matt Sitkoff

Nearing the quarter mark of the hockey season is a good time to pass out some early awards, while still keeping an eye on the biggest storylines in the sport.

So far, my MVP is Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar who, whose high marks in goals and points scored is leading his team to surprising, but early on season playoff talk.

Buffalo Sabres Ryan Miller is a big reason his team is leading the division. The best in the league in Goals Against Average (GAA) (1.77), save percentage (0.939) and tied for lead with 12 wins, Miller is a safe shot for best goalie.  

Best defenseman goes to the Philadelphia Flyers as-good-as-advertised Chris Pronger, who is fourth among defensemen scoring with 17 points and an amazing +13 while playing a league high 27:01 minutes a game. 

Awards aside, let’s get to the Hat Trick —or the three storylines I am following this week in the hockey world.


1) Win, Lose or Draw

From the highs of the New Jersey Devils, who have won eight games in a row, to the lows of the Carolina Hurricanes dropping 12 in a row, the rest of the season might not be much different for these two. Between the Zachs (Parise and Zajac) and rookie Niclas Bergfors, each player on the line has eight points in the last seven games, making the Devils as hot as their mascot suggests.

But a healthy Martin Brodeur and an improving Patrik Elias could makes things even scarier for their opponents. Brodeur has a 1.48 GAA and .942 save percentage in the last seven games, and it’s just a matter of time for Elias to get going, though he has yet to gain a point in the four games since returning from injury.

The woeful Hurricanes are a team devastated by injuries. With the losses of top flight goalie Cam Ward and top line center Eric Staal, Carolina is relying on the likes of Manny Legace in net. How has this team gone from Eastern Conference Finals appearance last season to the bottom of the NHL? 

Though the revolving door to the infirmary has not helped, every team is dealing with injuries. But their depth has to be called into question. Banking on Eric Cole (one goal), Chad Larose (0 goals) and Sergei Samsonov (two goals) to be top line scorers was a mistake. Having a defense based around offensive defensemen Joni Pitkanen (-12) and Joe Corvo (-9) was another one. Although the Hurricanes finally won on Sunday, I will be watching these two teams going in opposite directions


2) AHL Report:  

Here at Pucking Awesome, we also keep you up to date with what is happening on the farm teams. The two hottest teams in the AHL are the Rochester Americans (13-2-1) and the Texas Stars (11-2-2). The Florida Panthers-affiliate Americans are led by 22-year-old goalie Alexander Salak. The Czech rookie is 10-1-0, while being near the top in all goalie categories. 

The Dallas Stars-affiliates have given up only 31 goals in 17 games this season. The goalie tandems of Matt Climie and Brett Krahn have shut opponents down with a 1.85 and 1.38 GAA respectively.


3) Game of the Week: Bruins at Sabres, Friday

Northeast division rivals Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres will face off this week for the second time this season. The first matchup went to the defending division winners as the Bruins defeated Jhonas Enroth in his NHL debut, 4-2. This time around the goal-starved Bruins will most likely be facing Ryan Miller, and that is not a good combination for Boston who has been shut out three times this season.

Milan Lucic could return to the Bruins this week, but he has been told he can’t fight, making this division rivalry game a good measuring stick for him.

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THE HAT TRICK

Monday, November 9th, 2009 Written by: Matt Sitkoff

On this Veterans Day, I first want to send a thank you to all those serving to defend our country. There has been some major defending of nets this season, but not the usual suspects. The Top Three in GAA are Canucks Andrew Raycroft, Sabres Ryan Miller, and Lightning Antero Niittymaki, and we can’t forgot how good Craig Anderson has been for the Avalanche. Now let’s delve into the Pucking Awesome Hat Trick, or the Top Three things I am watching for this week.

1.)  Atlantic Division Dominance  

The Atlantic Division has had four playoff teams for three straight seasons, can they have five this postseason? The defending champion Penguins don’t look like they have a Stanley Cup hangover, and are performing well without Malkin, and Gonchar. The Flyers have finally found a scoring grove as they are near the top of the league in goals per game, and power play percentage. 

The Devils are playing Jaques Lemaire hockey, and get back top-scorer Patrik Elias. The Rangers look rejuvenated with Gaborik, Prospal, and the young defensemen, and by the way they still have, Henrik Lundqvist. Watch out for the Islanders also, after a tough start to the season the Youngblood line (Tavares, Okposo, and Moulson) have combined for 32 points in first 16 games. I will be watching this tough division all season, and predict at least four will be playing in the second season.

2.)  Hall Opens Up  

On Monday, the Hockey Hall of Fame opens the door to five more members. Brett Hull, Brian Leetch, Luc Robitaille, and Steve Yzerman are elected in the player category, and Lou Lamoriello elected in the builders category. A great class for sure, with two pillars of American hockey, all having over 1,000 points, three having over 600-goals, and of course the architect of a dynasty. 

Congrats to those players, and their families, and I am looking forward to the debate of the class of 2010, which will involve the controversial discussion of Eric Lindros, and his place in the Hall.

 3.)  Game of the Week

Roberto Luongo returns: Roberto Luongo is set to return this week from a rib injury, he was slated to come back versus the Blues in the Canucks first game this week Tuesday in St Louis, but the flu has disrupted that plan. Whenever the all-world goalie reappears, it will be a big day for Vancouver.  Andre Raycroft has done a solid job with a 4-1 record, a 1.71 GAA ,and 0.935 save percentage in the five games starting in place of Luongo, but the Stanley Cup chances hinge on Bobby Lou being healthy.

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The Hat Trick

Sunday, October 25th, 2009 Written by: Matt Sitkoff

Head shots have been in the hockey news as much as that hoax of a flying balloon, but unlike Falcon’s attempt to trick America, the NHL is not getting tricked on what is and is not a suspension. 

Let me start of my rant by saying that I do not condone intentionally hurting a person, but this sport is a violent one built on aggression and playing physical.  Scott Stevens made a living by hitting players coming across the middle with their head down, and this is why I agree that the NHL got it right this week.

With their decision to suspend Toumo Ruutu for his late, from-behind hit on Darcy Tucker and for not suspending Mike Richards for his open ice hit on David Booth.   It is always a scary moment in sports to see the stretcher be brought onto the ice and have a player down and motionless, but folks this is their profession. 

With that I move to the Pucking Awesome Hat Trick, or the top three things I am watching for this week.


Kings Ransom:  

Can anyone name the leading scorer in the league?  Nope not that crazy Russian in our nation’s Capital, but the slick moving Slovenian playing in sunny Los Angeles, Anze Kopitar.  This former first-round pick has been lighting up the scoreboard for the upstart Kings. 

The first ever Slovenian to play in the NHL made an immediate impact scoring two goals in his first NHL game and now is showing critics he is worth the big time seven-year, $47.6-million contract extension he signed before last season. 

With two games this week against the Sharks and Canucks I will be watching this talented player face two of the league’s premier goalies.

Maple Leafs vs. The League:  

The good news is after a week with one game, the Toronto Maple Leafs are back in action with four chances to win their first game of the season.  Maybe even better news is that all these games are away from the rabid fans who are clamoring for that sweet taste of victory. 

So I am alerting all the Ducks, Starts, Sabres and Canadiens fans, because I will be watching for the Leafs to finally win one of these games.   

Game of The Week:  

Red Wings vs. Canucks—Two power house teams struggling to find an identity early square off Tuesday.  I still think both of these teams will be near the top of the standings when all is said and done, but injuries are starting to take a toll on both of these talented squads. 

They are both still shooting at a blistering pace with the Canucks ranked second with 34.4 shots per game and the Red Wings sixth with 32.3 shots per game, but both teams are giving up a good amount of goals five on five. 

In this game both teams will be looking to make a statement to the league that they are not panicking and everything will be fine for this pre-season favorite.  The loser of this game will still be searching for answers on how to solve the problem of playing without important players.

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Between the Pipes

Wednesday, October 7th, 2009 Written by: Alex Mueller

Welcome to the inaugural column of Between the Pipes, a weekly feature giving you quotes, top fights, who or what is hot and not, stats, goalie spotlight, and many other information from around the league. What an opening week it has been so far.

The number one thing I am looking forward to this season, just like any other season, is the biggest jumps, up or down by a team. For example when Boston was the 8th seed and Montreal the 1st seed in 2008 and they subsequently swapped places the next season in 2009. This year I figured Anaheim will jump up the most as they were the 8th seed last year. I peg them anywhere from 2st to 5th this year. Of course technically they were tied for 6th last year but they were still officially the 8th seed. The Avalanche have a possibility to nab the 8th seed which would be quite a jump up, don’t laugh it’s possible. For biggest tumble I can’t really see anyone dropping more than 3 spots, which I don’t think is enough of a drop to warrant a mention, but you know some team will.

You also have to wonder what the effects on the possible move/sale and the leaving of coach Gretzky will have on the Phoenix Coyotes, though it does look like they are staying in Phoenix for now. Granted Gretzky didn’t really seem to have an impact on the team but I can’t imagine the possibility of a move doesn’t have an affect on them. On the other hand it might motivate them to play better and it sure looked like it worked vs. the Kings.

The biggest surprises of the week were probably Colorado blanking Vancouver 3-0. I bet no one saw that coming, and the demolishing of Carolina by Boston 7-2. It’s not that Boston won the game it’s the score. I think Boston may still be bitter about last year’s playoff exit, just a little.


Goalie Spotlight

This feature will highlight a goalie every week. I will strive to do a few paragraphs on a different goalie every week, and I won’t base it on their past week’s performance. However, depending on how hot a goalie is during a given week, I may just discuss that.

Craig Anderson – Colorado Avalanche

Many “experts” predict Craig Anderson will be this year’s version of Tim Thomas, a longtime journeyman who becomes a superstar. Of course Thomas backstopped the Bruins to the best record in the Eastern Conference last year; I don’t think Anderson will be able to replicate that in the West. If Anderson sounds familiar it’s because he posted back-to-back shutouts last year, and in one shutout he set the NHL record for most saves (53). Despite his success last year, he was unable to wrestle away the top spot from Tomas Vokoun in Florida, despite having more of an upside based on being 5 years younger, and he became a free agent.

Anderson turned down offers from other teams to sign with the Avalanche, and relegate former starting goalie Peter Budaj to the bench. “It’s a dream come true,” Anderson said. “It was the place I wanted to be, a city I’ve always loved. I think it’s a great opportunity for me, and I want to be part of the solution bringing the team back.” [1] At 6 feet 2 inches Anderson is one of the taller goalies in the league and plays with a butterfly style made famous by his idol (and mine) Patrick Roy, who of course led the Avs to two Stanley Cups. The Avalanche believe they have found their goalie of the future and with Stastny, Wolski, and third overall pick Duchene are starting to form a nice nucleus to bring them back to respectability.


Fights of the Week

Everyone loves hockey fights! Some people watch only for the fights, sad because the rest of the game is even better. This feature will comb through all the past weeks fights to bring you the best.

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

Donald Brashear vs. Eric Godard

This fight was interesting because of the sheer amount of time they took sizing each other up before they engaged. Brasher started hot but I think Goddard won overall.


Craig Conroy vs. Sam Gagner

Right off the face-off with this fight, literally, I don’t even think they cared who won the face-off.  Both had some great punches, I give the win to Gagner though.


Andrew Alberts vs. Shawn Thornton

Like the Brasher vs. Goddard fight a lot of sizing up time, afterward Thornton basically makes Alberts his bitch. Bonus points to the announcer who really seemed to get into the fight. “Call off the fight, it’s a bloodletting!” Not sure where but alright!


Goat of the Week

Nikolai Khabibulin – Speaking of goalies, Khabibulin’s whiff of playing the puck in the final minute of a tied game, led to a gift goal and a win for the Flames. This was in the home opener no less, talk about silencing the home crowd. Further proof of why I always say goalies should stay between the pipes.

Tweet of the Week

According to Sportsin140 the NHL has the least amount of tweeters of the four major sports. Which should make it hard to find decent tweets for this section, but I figured it would still be fun. The NHL is, however, the first League to have all their teams tweeting.

So where’s the tweet you say? Unfortunately I couldn’t find a good one, if this keeps up, I’ll close this section. C’mon players tweet!


Things I like

1. Tavares in New York, assuming the Islanders stay there, was a great draft choice that joins the Islanders other great top picks like Ryan O’Marra, Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey…. okay maybe not. But Tavares has the skills to lead the Islanders back to respectability and maybe some of it will rub onto line-mate and 2006 7th overall pick Okposo.

2. Ovechkin picking up right where he left off and then some. Though he didn’t win the scoring title last year, I suspect he will win it this year. The real challenge is whether he can bring his shooting percentage back from respectability after his paltry .106 percentage last year. So far, 5 goals in 3 games not to shabby.

3. The St. Louis Blues for their collective effort of beating the Red Wings, not once but two nights in a row, all the way over in Sweden. Also good to see Paul Kariya back recovered from injury and in top form, I’m sure the Blues are glad too.

4. Ray Emery, although only 2 games in, has seemed like a worthwhile addition to the Flyers including a shutout of Carolina opening day. If he can stay out of trouble this may led to bigger and better things. I know the Flyers and their fans are hoping for that. Of course last night he gave up 5 goals to the Capitals, but then again it was the Capitals.


Things I don’t

1. Robert Luongo, who I always thought was a tad overrated, has apparently regressed. The last time we saw him he gave up 7 goals to the Blackhawks, I don’t think that sat well with him. Reminds me of Jake Delhomme’s meltdown with the Panthers in the NFL Playoffs and then his starts the following year, he said it didn’t bother him, but later admitted it did. Maybe Luongo has the same mental block. It’s not time to turn to Raycroft yet, but if he keeps this up the Canucks may not have a choice.

2. Martin Brodeur one of the true legends of the games may be slipping. Like Luongo he had a playoff meltdown as he let in some weak goalies against Carolina in last year’s playoff, including the two late goals in the game 7 stunner. He has now given up 8 goals in 2 games. It didn’t sit well with me that they let go of Clemmensen, you hope it doesn’t come back to haunt the Devils.


Rankings

The rankings are based on how the teams are currently playing, not who I think is better or how they will end the season.

Top 5

1. Pittsburgh
2. Philadelphia
3. Washington
4. Calgary
5. Colorado

Bottom 5

30. Vancouver
29. New Jersey
28. Carolina
27. Tampa Bay
26. Toronto


Ducks Watch (My team)

The Ducks were embarrassed in their home opener against San Jose, and Hiller seems to have lost some of his mojo. They looked real good up 3-0 to the Wild after 2 periods. They then promptly lost that lead, giving up 3 goals in the 3rd, not playing awful but not playing great either. Then in overtime Wisniewski takes a beyond stupid penalty by sucker punching a Wild right in front of the ref, ugh. Gave me flashbacks to all those games that ended with Pronger sitting in the penalty box. Minnesota promptly scores on the power play. On the plus side Anaheim got a point and at least looked like they might get better as the season progresses and they continue to gel.


Well I hope you liked the column any suggestions, comments, and/or feedback are always welcomed.

[1] http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/ci_12737489

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Power Rankings

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 Written by: Matt Sitkoff

NHL power rankings

2009-10 NHL PUCKING AWESOME! POWER RANKINGS WEEK 20

  Current Prev. Team Comment
washington capitals 1 1 Capitals Player to Watch post Olympic break: Semyon Varlamov – The goalie looked shaky in his return to the ice will be crucial in playoff run
san jose sharks 2 2 Sharks Patrick Marleau – Entered break with five straight games without a goal, need his scoring touch to return.
chicago 3 3 Blackhawks Antti Niemi – Started, and won, the last four games before break, who will be #1 goalie will be biggest question
new jersey 4 4 Devils Ilya Kovalchuk – scored first goal with Devils, will be used a lot to help struggling power play
los angeles 5 6 Kings Ryan Smyth – This is the time he was acquired for, does have 38 pts in 46 GP
phoenix 6 5 Coyotes Robert Lang – Will play top line minutes needs to score for goal deficient team
vancouver canucks 7 7 Canucks Christian Ehrhoff - Has to continue ascension to top defensmen on team filled with defensive injuries
colorado 8 8 Avalanche Craig Anderson – Has played in 53 of 61 games this season, already a career-high, must keep up pace for surprise Avs to contend
ottawa 9 10 Senators Daniel Alfredsson - Leads team in points despite missing 11-games due to injury.  Must stay healthy for Sens to keep up pace
pittsburgh penguins 10 9 Penguins Sidney Crosby – Penguins live and die by this talented player, who already has a career-high in goals (42)
buffalo 11 11 Sabres Ryan Miller – Just look at last year, playoff team with him in the lineup and golfing with him injured
nashville 12 12 Predators Jason Arnott  – Preds need top line center to stay healthy
philadelphia flyers 13

13

 Flyers Chris Pronger - With uncertain goalie situation the former Stanley Cup winner will be relied on heavily
detroit red wings 14 13 Red wings Johan Franzen – Returns after missing four months with a torn knee ligament
calagry flames 15 15 Flames Jay Bouwmeester – Has to show organization why it was ok to trade Phaneuf
dallas 16 16 Stars Kari Lehtonen - If Turco gets traded will be up to former top pick to be the goalie of the present and future for Dallas
boston bruins 17 19 Bruins Patrice Bergeron – Teams leading scorer hit the break with no goals in his last 11 games, not going to cut it for a playoff team
anaheim ducks 18 18 Ducks Jonas Hiller – The main man now in Anaheim with trade of Gigure and new contract, now has to prove worthy of it all
minnesota 19 17 Wild Cam Barker – Will get a chance to prove he is a top line defensemen on team searching for one
st louis 20 24 Blues Brad Boyes – Not going to get his 30-goals like the past two seasons but needs to contribute more esp on PP where he had 27 goals the past two seasons
tampa bay 21 17 Lightning Steven Stamkos – tied a franchise record, picking up a point in his 13th consecutive game needs to keep up consistency for Ning to contend
montreal 22 20 Canadiens Andrei Markov – Top flight defender has only played in 26 games need to stay healthy for Canadiens to make playoffs
new york R 23 23 Rangers Marian Gaborik – Has paced team with 35 goals next best is 15, yeah he is important to the teams offense.
atlanta 24 22 Thrashers Ondrej Pavelec – Now the goalie of the present and future with the trade of Lehtonen, needs to prove himself worthy of it
columbus 25 25 Blue Jackets Steve Mason – 3 wins in last 4 starts and 2 shutouts, very important to shake off Sophomore slump
florida 26 26 Panthers David Booth – Important for him to finish strong and prove concussion problems are behind him
new york I 27 27 Islanders Rick DiPietro – Well they only have 11 more years to pay him off might as well get some playing time from him
 carolina 28 29 Hurricanes Joe Corvo – Back after missing 28 games, has to prove healthy as UFA at seasons end
toronto 29 28 Maple Leafs Dion Phaneuf – Has to improve on career low in points and be the franchise player that Maple Leafs traded for
edmonton 30 30 Oilers Andrew Cogliano – Two-time 18 goal scorer only has 5 this season and a restricted free agent at the end of the year

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Atlantic Division Preview

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009 Written by: Matt Sitkoff

The toughest division just got tougher. Not only does the Atlantic Division host the defending Stanley Cup champs but offseason moves saw future hall-of-famer Chris Pronger and superstar scoring Marian Gaborik join this already tough division. Oh yeah, and the best goaltender of all-time still roams the net in New Jersey. Two straight years have seen the Atlantic send 4 teams to the playoff and we will see that again this season.

1.) Pittsburgh Penguins
Rear View Mirror: The Pittsburgh Penguins used their resilience all the way to a Stanley Cup championship. To be five points out of a playoff spot with 25 games to play, to come back from 2-0 vs. both the Capitals and the Red Wings in the playoff series, and to win a tough Game 6 and Game 7 to capture the franchise first cup since 1992, is the epitome of resilience. The Penguins offensively were led by their two superstars, Sidney Crosby (77 GP, 33G-70A-103P) and Art Ross/Conn Smyth winner Evgeni Malkin (82 GP, 35G-78A-113P). They also picked up a much needed offensive boast with trade deadline acquisitions Bill Guerin (12 pts in 17 games) and Chris Kunitz (18 pts in 20 games). The champions were also led by rookie head coach Dan Bylsma, who replaced Michel Therrien, and with his aggressive style led the team to an 18-3-4 record down the stretch.
Offseason Ins: D Jay Mckee (STL: 69 GP, 185 BkS), G Brent Johnson (WSH: 12-6-2, 2.81 GAA, .908 save %), LW Mike Rupp (NJ: 72 GP, 136 PIM), RW Chris Conner (DAL: 38 GP, 3G-10A-13P)
Offseason Outs: D Rob Scuderi (164 BkS), D Hal Gill (78 Hits), RW Petr Sykora (25 G), RW Miroslav Satan 36 Pts), D Philippe Boucher (+10), C Mike Zigomanis (63.0 FO%), G Mathieu Garon (2 W)
What Makes Them Tick: When a team has two of the top three scorers in their lineup it’s hard not to point out the obvious: they are a team that is hard to match up against. Both Crosby and Malkin followed up their successful regular seasons with even better postseasons showing that these young stars were ready to take the next step in their development. Also having a bounce back year was third line center Jordan Staal, who followed his sophomore slump (12 goals, -5) with a productive year (22 goals, -5) as the shutdown center. While his numbers weren’t even good for the top twenty in goaltending stats, former first overall pick Marc-Andre Fleury just continues to win when it matters the most, with a 31-18 career playoff record. Defensively, the Penguins will get a boost now that Sergei Gonchar will be available to play from week 1. It is no coincidence that the Penguins were a better team and made their surge when Gonchar returned from shoulder surgery. A top line pairing for Gonchar and hit man Brooks Orpik, who was 2nd in the league with 309 hits, is top notch.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: With 204 games in the past two seasons and their top players not only being asked to shoulder the load of the team, but also their entire countries in an Olympic year, could have an effect on this team. We see it every year the team that makes the Stanley Cup struggles to find a groove early. Just ask the Penguins from last year and they will admit they needed time to find their swagger. Though this team has some youth on their side, it is bound to catch up to them at some point, especially with team leaders Crosby, Malkin and Gonchar having to play big parts in their respective country’s bid for a gold medal. Very rarely does a coach, with no prior head coaching experience, step in with 25 games to play and go onto win a Stanley Cup. In fact, it has only happened one other time when Al MacNeil in 1971 took over the Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup as a rookie midseason replacement. So how the 39-year-old Bylsma will fair in a full season worth of game planning, balancing his ice time, and dealing with the stress of being a coach will be a key to this team success or downfall.
Player to Watch: With the injury to Sergei Gonchar last season, Kristopher Letang was forced into playing top line minutes in only his second season in the league, and Letang flourished. The 22-year-old defenseman scored 10 goals and assisted on 23 others. His development allowed the Penguins to trade highly touted defenseman Ryan Whitney for much needed scoring. The sky is the limit for this mobile puck moving defenseman, who also went on to contribute 13 points in the playoffs. Letang will be a restricted free agent next season and is off to prove he can be a top line defenseman in this league.
Prediction: Back-to-back championships are hard to come by, and there is a reason why it has not happened in the NHL since the Red Wings of 1997-1998 and in sports in general since the Patriots did it back in 2003-2004. It is hard because every team now puts their best game against you, and even makes off-season moves just to match up better to the formula used to win that championship. The Penguins are the favorites to win this tough division because, let’s face it, when you are the Champs you are that on paper until the puck drops. I would not be surprised to see them start out slow like last year, and GM Fred Shero has twice shown us that he can get creative at the trade deadline (Marian Hossa and Kunitz/Guerin) to give them the necessary push for the playoffs.

2.) Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers once again bowed out to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup playoffs, an interstate rivalry that is one of the best in the league. They Flyers also once again battled inconsistency and injuries all season. The orange and black were led by two young centers that seem ready to be added among the elite centers of the league. Jeff Carter finished 2nd in the league in goals (46) and first in the team in points (84) right behind him was captain Mike Richards whose two-way hard-nosed style reminded Flyers fans of the great Bobby Clarke. Among his 30 goals, seven of them were scored shorthanded including two 5-on-3. Speaking of shorthanded situations, they scored 16 total shorthanded goals, and it wasn’t until the last game of the season that the Flyers did not give up a shorthanded goal. Rounding out a balanced scoring attack, the Flyers were the only team with six 25-goal scorers, was Simon Gagne who had a relatively healthy season playing in 79 games and scoring 34 goals, and rugged winger Scott Hartnell who had career high in goals (30) and points (60). Injuries to the defensive core saw many players come in and out to round out the top 6, but the core was veteran Kimmo Timonen (43 pts) and youthful Bryadon Coburn (28 pts).
Offseason Ins: D Chris Pronger (ANH: 82 GP, 11G-37A-48P), G Ray Emery (KHL: 36 GP, 2.12 GAA), C Ian Laperriere (COL: 74 GP, 7G-12A-19, 163 PIM), Brian Boucher (SJ: 12-6-3, 2.18 GAA, .917 save%)
Offseason Outs: G Martin Biron (29 W), RW Mike Knuble (11 PPG), RW Joffrey Lupul (25 G), G Antero Niittymaki (.912 save%) , D Andrew Alberts (157 Hits), D Luca Sbisa (7 A)
What Makes Them Tick: On Draft day this year the Flyers went out and acquired Chris Pronger, the man many thought was born to wear the Orange and Black. That acquisition sent a message to the team that, even though knocked out by the one two punch of Crosby and Malkin the last two postseasons, they are ready for them this time. With the future hall-of-famer Pronger in the mix, the Flyers top 4 defensemen rank as one of the top in the Eastern Conference. Combine that with a talented and balanced scoring attack is why the Flyers are the sexy pick to represent the East in the Stanley Cup. As I mentioned earlier, special teams once again will be an asset to this team that not only scores shorthanded but ranked 6th in the league in both penalty kill (83%) and power play (22.5%).
What Could Make Them Go Boom: When we last saw Ray Emery playing in the NHL he was beating up teammates, banished to the AHL and then ultimately bought out of his new three year contract from the Ottawa Senators. Now Razor will be looked at as the biggest question mark surrounding a team with so much talent. People often forget that this is a goalie that has appeared in more Stanley Cup appearances (one with Ottawa in 2007) than the two castoffs (Biron and Niittymaki) combined, and the coach that was fired (John Paddock) because of his antics was on board for this move. The 26-year-old goalie with the images of boxers on his helmet will be the ultimate high risk high reward for this team, and most likely the key to which direction this season will head for the Flyers.
Player To Watch: Daniel Briere signed a huge eight-year contract and now, heading into his third year, it could be his biggest in the NHL. Last year the 31-year-old center played a career low 29 games because of injuries to his abdomen and groin. Although the sample size was small, Briere still had an impact on the power play with 10 of his 25 points coming on special teams. This former All-Star and five-time 25 or more goal scorer, has done everything he can to prove in the offseason that he is healthy and ready to contribute to this team. With the accelerated development of both Carter and Richards, Briere won’t be asked to be the go-to guy that he was thought of when brought here, but will still be asked to play major minutes on the top power play unit and fill in for the goals lost this offseason (Knuble 27G and Lupul 25G). The Quebec native had some end-of-the-season chemistry with talented center Claude Giroux. Coach John Stevens sees his lines as pairs and has already said that these two speedy players will be a pair. Daniel Briere needs to have a healthy productive season, if not it will be tough for the Flyers to fit a new piece in his place or even to try to unload his hefty salary cap hit.
Prediction: Ray Emery is spectacular, Chris Pronger lives up to the hype, and the team remains relatively healthy. If two of these three things happen, the Flyers will be a lock for a playoff spot and a team to beat in the playoffs. If two out of three do not happen, it could be a long season for the Orange and Black. Emery is the biggest question mark, but since he is only signed for one season, and a couple of proven goalies (Nabakov, Turco, Giguere) being on the market, don’t count the Flyers out to make a deadline push for a goalie. Chris Pronger should live up to the hype. He has shown no signs of slowing down and has led two teams to the Stanley Cup Finals in his first season on the squad. Health will be the biggest question mark for Gagne, considering he has already reported groin issues. Richard’s style of play leads to the chance of injury also, and Carter’s deadly wrist shot was not there in the playoffs due to an injury. The Flyers will contend for the division crown and will be a good pick to represent the East in the Stanley Cup Finals.

3.) New Jersey Devils
Rear View Mirror: The Devils played 51 games without all-world goalie Martin Brodeur, and still survived the storm to improbably win the Atlantic Division. The season for the Devils, though, ended in devastating fashion in an Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Game 7 loss to the Hurricanes. In a season that saw Martin Brodeur break the all-time NHL leader in regular season wins by a goaltender, it was really the spectacular play from backup goalie Scott Clemmensen, who went 25-13-1 in the 40 games he played with a 2.39 GAA and .917 save percentage. Offensively, Zach Parise flourished in the up tempo Brent Sutter style, the former first round pick ranked 5th in the league in scoring (94 pts) and was a legitimate Hart trophy candidate with his 45 goals and was still responsible in his own end (+30). Parise created some great chemistry with his top line mates Travis Zajac (82 GP, 20G-42A-62P) and Jaime Langenbruner (81 GP, 29G-40A-69P). The Devils always seem to find players that come out of nowhere to fit their defensive style of play and Johnny Oduya (82 GP, 7G-22A-29P, +21) and Paul Martin (73 GP, 5G-28A-33P, +21) seem to be the next crop of good defensive players to don the Red and Black.
Offseason Ins: G Yan Denis (NYI: 10-17-3, 2.86 GAA, .910 save%), D Cory Murphy (FLA/TB: 32 GP, 5G-11A-16P), C Rod Pelley (AHL: 75 GP, 15G-23A-38P), RW Nicklas Bergfors (AHL: 66 GP, 22G-29A-51P)
Offseason Outs: RW Brian Gionta (20 G), C John Madden (23 Pts), C Bobby Holik (62 GP), G Scott Clemmensen (25 Wins), RW Mike Rupp (136 PIM)
What Makes Them Tick: Martin Brodeur has been the face of the franchise for 16 NHL season, last year was the first, since a lockout shorten 1994-1995 season, he did not play at least 65 games (he had played 70 in 11 out of the last 12 seasons). One could ask if he is wearing down at the age of 37 considering how he allowed four or more goals in three of the last four games of the first round loss to Carolina. However, he still went on to record five shutouts in his 31 games played. Zach Parise is the new franchise player up front and will again be relied on for big time minutes along with his line mates Zajac and Lagenbruner. Lagenbruner, the 34-year-old captain of the team, had career highs in every offensive category including an amazing +25 and has to build or even match that kind of production for this team to be successful. Returning to the bench for the Devils is 1995; Stanley Cup Champion Jacques Lemaire’s defensive first attitude will help the Devils maintain their identity in a team that did finish 4th overall in team defense (2.52 GAA).
What Could Make Them Go Boom: I would normally say an injury to Martin Brodeur in this section but the organization showed me up, and brought in a capable backup again in former Islander Yann Danis. What could detract this talented offensive team is a clash between the old styles with the new. No one can argue that Brent Sutter’s up tempo more wide open style of play allowed Parise, Zajac, Langenbruner and even Patrik Elias have career statistical years. We all know these players have the talent but many times were asked to play defense first. This will be the case on a Lemaire coached team. It will also be tough to supplant the loss of both long time Devils Brian Gionta and John Madden. Gionta was not scoring at the same pace he was earlier in his career, but still notched 20 goals last season and same with Madden, who although some say lost a step (a career worst -7 last season), was still was a big part of the penalty kill and third line shutdown unit.
Player to Watch: It was a tough time deciding between free agent disappointment Brian Rolston and former captain Patrik Elias in this category because both guys have a lot to prove in different ways this year. I had to go with the Devils all-time leading scorer, who will be out 3-6 weeks to start the season. The 33-year-old Elias had his best goal scoring season since the 2004-05 lockout, notching 31 goals. He most dangerous on the power play with a career-best 12 goals and tying a career mark with 31 power play points. This season the team leader will be asked to play primarily at center on a team that is thin down the middle. Coming off hip/groin surgery it will be important to this team to have Elias healthy and contributing.
Prediction: The Devils want their young talent to step up, and not have to depend on the likes of Rolston, Shanahan and Pandolfo to score many goals. In comes a new crop of fast and capable players hoping to make the team this year (Rod Pelley, Nicklas Bergfors, and Ilkka Pikkarainen) and if they fulfill their potential, the Devils will be a tough team to defend. Martin Brodeur needs to prove that last season was a fluke and not a look at what to expect from the aging future Hall-of-Fame goalie. I believe Brodeur bounces back and Parise, once again, is a Hart trophy contender. The one thing holding them back from winning this tough division is depending on Rolston and Elias who both are big question marks heading into this season.

4.) New York Rangers

RearView Mirror: The Rangers finished strong under the new direction of fiery head coach John Tortorella but were unable to hold a 3-1 lead against the Capitals in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals when they lost in unromantic fashion in Game 7. The backbone once again was Henrik Lundqvust, who for the third straight season played at least 70 games, and for the fourth straight won at least 30. The teams also seem to get their spark when they brought back prodigal son Sean Avery from the waiver heap. Dallas’s sloppy seconds was the Rangers gain as Avery collected 12 points in the 18 games with the Rangers.
Offseason Ins: RW Marian Gaborik (MIN: 17 GP, 13G-10A-23P), LW Chris Higgins (MTL: 57 GP, 12G-11A-23P), LW Ales Kotalik (BUF/EDM: 75 GP, 20G-23A-43P), LW Donald Brashear (WSH: 63 GP, 121 PIM), C Brian Boyle (LAK: 28 GP, 4G), RW Enver Lisin (PHX: 48 GP, 13G-8A-21P), D Matt Gilroy (HE: 45 GP, 8G-29A-37P), D Ryan McDonagh(WCHA: 36 GP, 5G-11A-16P), C Vaclav Prospal (TB: 82 GP, 19G-26A-45P), C Tyler Arnason (COL: 71 GP, 5G-17A-22P)
Offseason Outs: C Scott Gomez (58 Pts), D Paul Mara (76 GP), D Derek Morris (4 PPP), C Blair Betts (49.3 FO%), LW Markus Naslund (24 G), RW Nik Antropov (13 pts in 18 GP), LW Fredrik Sjostrom (3 SHP), RW Colton Orr (193 PIM), LW Lauri Korpikoski (14 Pts)
What Makes Them Tick: King Henrik has earned the nickname for his stellar play for the Rangers and pretty much being the only reason this team contends for a playoff spot instead of a lottery spot. The Olympic Gold medal winner will have a difficult task this season balancing the amount of games he plays for the blue shirts and the important piece he plays in his country’s defense of their Olympic Gold. The development of young players like RW Ryan Callahan (22 goals last season), C Brandon Dubinsky (Although holding out for a new contract), D Marc Staal (15 Pts), and D Dan Girardi (22 pts) are encouraging for a team that usually relies on free agent acquisitions. These are all players you can build a team around and have shown that, when asked, can step into a prominent role.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: Another offseason full of changes for a team trying to find their identity post Jagr. Out goes free agent disappointment Scott Gomez and in comes widely talented but often injured Marian Gaborik. Since the lockout, the 27-year-old two-time All-Star has averaged .59 goals per game which ranks second only to Alexander Ovechkin. The problem is that, in his 8 year career, he has averaged only 62.3 games played a season. So last year’s 17 games played brought his average down. It also will be interesting to see with so many new faces and a fairly new head coach with the knack of getting under his players skin mesh. Defensively they are still very thin, relying on defensive liabilities like Wade Redden (-5 last season) and Michal Rozsival (-7 last season), and the unproven abilities of Hobey Baker-winner Matt Gilroy, Bobby Sanguinetti and/or Ryan McDonagh.
Player to Watch: Mark Messier is back as special assistant to Glenn Sather. I would watch him to make a real impact on this club. Haha, not really but I had to throw that in there. Chris Higgins was not just a player brought in to save the team millions in cap hit, so they can go out and acquiring another front line scorer. Oh wait, yes he was, but he still is going to be key to this team’s offensive woes. The Rangers ranked 28th in offense last season (2.44 GPG) and addressed that need with the offensive acquisitions this offseason with Higgins leading the pack. The New York native has proven he can score in this league by the fact that he had three straight seasons of 20+ goals until last year’s injury plagued 12 goal campaigns. The former first round pick of the Canadians and All-American at Yale will be asked to show he is worth all those accolades for the Rangers only signed him to a one-year deal.
Prediction: This division will get four teams in the playoffs again with the Rangers being the fourth. Lundqvist is one of the top goaltenders in this league, but if the Rangers are smart they will give him more rest knowing the Olympics are looming for the Swede. Gaborik will be a treat for the east coast fans to watch and who did not get to see him play out West. Rangers’ fans remember him as he scored 5 goals against them in a game back in December of 2007. The health worries me like everyone else, but the team can’t score any less goals than they did last season. Overall, they will float around the 8-10 spot all season and then when the team starts to gel more towards the end they will secure that 8th and final playoff spot.

5.) New York Islanders
Rear View Mirror: So the only thing that went well for the New York Islanders last season is they won the NHL lottery, with an NHL-worst 61 points, and earned the right to select franchise player John Tavares. In a season that saw their starting goalie, Rick DiPietro play only five games with a knee injury, the Islanders shifted perennial minor leaguers Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis into the net. The team’s struggle to score goals (2.42 GAA) showed in the fact they were led in scoring by defenseman Mark Streit. The free agent signee was one of the lone bright spots of the team. The All-star’s 16 goals and 40 assists showed the league that he is not just a power play specialist but also, managing to be a +6 with 25 minutes of ice time a game, is a tribute to his steady two way play.
Offseason Ins: C John Tavares (OHL: 56 GP, 58 G-46A-104P) G Dwayne Roloson (EDM: 28-24-9, 2.77 GAA, .915 Save %), G Martin Biron (PHI: 29-19-5, 2.76 GAA, .915 Save %)
Offseason Outs: G Joey MacDonald (14 W), G Yann Danis (10 W), C Mike Sillinger (Class player), LW Andy Hilbert (11 G), LW Dean McAmmond (16 Pts)
What Makes Them Tick: Confetti fell to the floor of the Nassau Coliseum when the Islanders drafted John Tavares, thus shifting the franchise from often injured Rick DiPietro to the fresh faced 19-year-old scoring sensation. The résumé of the 6-0 center is long and full of awards, records, and prestige and he will be expected to be the savior both on and off the ice for this franchise that finished dead last in attendance. 38-year-old Doug Weight returns for the much needed veteran presence and did contribute 21 of his 38 points on the power play last year. Adding a duo of goaltenders (Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron) acquired this off-season will also stabilize the team’s back line.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: When the owner comes out and says he regrets buying the team and then threatens to move the team in your offseason because of problems updating an old and outdated stadium, you cannot consider this a booming franchise. Though it was nice to see 10,000 fans come out to watch the selection of Tavares, it is not a good sign the Wang is playing preseason games in Kansas City as the Lighthouse Project continues to battle on. I mention all the off-ice issues with this team because it affects the on ice talent. With the uncertainty and financial woes of this team, they are forced to play young and inexpensive players. Tavares should help the offense but, now with the injury to Kyle Okposo, there is not much depth behind him.
Player to Watch: I think I have talked enough about Tavres in this preview, so let’s turn our focus towards another first round pick that is going to play a prominent role on this team, Kyle Okposo. Okposo was selected 7th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and left school early to make an immediate scoring impact for the Islanders. The 21-year-old center/winger led the team with 18 goals last season and will be looked upon to improve on that number. His season did not start on a good note as he was carted off the ice on a stretcher after receiving a devastating open ice hit from Dion Phaneuf. He was diagnosed with a mild concussion and the Islanders organization hope there is no lingering effects on a player that they are counting on so heavily this season.
Prediction: Tavares will be “as advertised” for this team and, as long as Okposo’s injury does not linger, they will have to be better offensively. Both goalies feel they have something to prove to the league that has told them they are not good enough to start for a contending team. I could see the Islanders turning one or both goaltenders into draft picks at the trade deadline, but beyond hoarding more picks, and Tavares finally playing in the NHL, there is not much more to be excited about on Long Island.

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