Well start growing your hockey beards it’s that time of year. Let’s take a look at the match-ups and try and break it down. In the East, Washington and Pittsburgh are the same seeds they were last year and Philadelphia and Boston flipped their seeds but are still in the same seeding match-up. Also of note is that 5 of the 8 season series between the teams are tied.

If you are curious last year I predicted:

“As for Stanley Cup Final prediction I say Washington/Pittsburgh winner against Chicago. I’m not sure who I would pick and I know it’s a cop out not to pick a winner and not to pick between Pittsburgh and Washington but it really depends on how the goaltending for Washington and Chicago fair in order to pick. Part of me wants Chicago to lose in the finals so that Marion Hossa can be on the losing side three years in a row. The hilarity that would ensue for everyone but him, I know Schadenfreude, I’m a bad person.”

1 Washington Capitals vs. 8 New York Rangers

Season Series: 3-1 Rangers

Playoff Series History: 3-2 Capitals

Star to Watch: Alexander Semin, again, because he mustered up a whopping zero goals last year in seven games. If the Capitals hope to go anywhere, he needs to produce something. Marion Gaborik on the other hand has had a fairly disappointing season. He has sometimes been hot but he has also been cold. With Callahan gone, Gaborik will need to step it up.

X-Factor: Deja Vu? The Capitals never make things easy for themselves in the playoffs. In fact their last 4 playoffs series have gone 7 games each. Everyone remembers last season’s collapse. They also went the distance against the Rangers two years ago. How they prepare mentally for this series will determine how far they go.

Goalie Problem: The Capitals said they plan on rotating between Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth. Sound familiar? It should. Last season they planned on rotating between Jose Theodore and Semyon Varlamov. I think they really ought to go with Varlamov. He had slightly better numbers and he has more experience. As for the Rangers will it’s not a problem when you have Lundqvist and his league leading 11 shutouts.

Fun Fact: The Rangers actually scored more goals than the Capitals, if you can believe it, and they had a better goal differential.

Prediction: The Rangers are just lucky to be in the playoffs this year, of course last year they were just as unlucky to not make it; losing in the shootout in the final game of the season. Washington has tried a new defensive approach this season. While it didn’t seem to be working at certain stretches, the Capitals found themselves back as the top seed. I think the Capitals have found the right balance of what works. Capitals in five or six.

2 Philadelphia Flyers vs. 7 Buffalo Sabres

Season Series: tied 2-2

Playoff Series History: 5-3 Flyers

Star to Watch: Thomas Vanek because he is the Sabres most potent offensive threat. He is also a streaky player and is currently fairly hot. He will need to produce for the Sabres to have a chance. The postseason means it’s Danny Briere time. Watch for him to blow your mind a few times.

X-Factor: Can you say different directions? The Sabres went on a tear down the stretch to make the playoffs and where arguably the hottest team the last month. The Flyers went in the opposite direction… off a cliff and almost cost themselves the division crown. This series will truly dictate if momentum matters.

Goalie Problem: The Flyers goalie situation reminds of a lot of last years, very cloudy. A lot of options but no real good one. They will probably trot out their three headed monster clearly not what they had in mind and a stark contrast from earlier in the the year when Bobrovsky looked to be the guy. What the goaltending produces will determine the Flyers fate. I think it will be either Leighton or Boucher between the pipes. The Sabres counter with Ryan Miller. You might have heard of him. He should be 100% recovered for the series.

Fun Fact: Neither team had any player score over 80 points. They each had only one score over 70 points. Nothing new at all for the Sabres but kind of surprising for the Flyers.

Prediction: Despite the momentum being in the Sabres favor, I’m going to have to go with the Flyers. Though the Sabres clearly have the goaltending advantage, making me somewhat regret my decision. I think the Flyers overwhelming experience advantage will help. Flyers in seven.

3 Boston Bruins vs. 6 Montreal Canadiens

Season Series: Montreal 4-2

Playoff Series History: These teams have never met in the playoffs… jk . 24-8 Montreal. They last met two seasons ago when the Bruins swept them in the 1st round.

Star to Watch: Michael Cammalleri had a down season after an exceptional postseason. How will he do this year. Also the legend of P.K Subban was born last postseason. He has been brilliant at times this season and also played so poorly he was benched. How will he handle himself? He tends to let his emotions get the best of him.

X-Factor: I think these two teams might not like each other. The media in Montreal I’m sure will be at a fevered pitch. While the Canadiens took the season series, they came up flat in their “revenge” game. It should be interesting to see how each team controls their emotions.

Goalie Problem: The Bruins boast the best goalie duo and Tim Thomas should wrap up the Vezina this season. I see no reason why Thomas won’t continue his exceptional level of play. Although Thomas has actually posted some of his worst numbers against the Canadiens this year (3.22 GAA, .907 SV%). As for the Habs well lets just say that Carey Price has some big shoes to fill, as if he needed any additional pressure (See Halak circa last year). I seriously hope that if the Habs lose he plays well, so that he might be spared.

Fun Fact: This is actually the most played match-up between two teams in the NHL. The Bruins had 12 players score 10 goals or more, tops in the league. Both teams are tied for last in winning games after trailing in the 1st period.

Prediction: Really tough to say but I think it’s Boston’s turn to have the kind of run the Canadiens had last year. I think the Bruins just have a better all around team. Plus the Bruins have something to prove after being embarrassed in last year’s playoffs. Bruins in 7.

4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 5 Tampa Bay Lightning

Season Series: tied 2-2

Playoff History: Zilch

Star to Watch: I’m going to have to say Tyler Kennedy and Steven Stamkos. Stamkos is making his first playoff appearance. He was also pretty cold in the last month of the season. It will be interesting to see how performs. With no Malkin or Crosby, Kennedy has taken advantage of his opportunity and he had a breakout year. He will need to continue to carry the Pens offensive load with Jordan Staal. Those two will need to step up their game for the Pens to advance.

X-Factor: There’s a guy named Sidney Crosby that may or may not play. If he does play, advantage Pittsburgh. Of course there’s always the question of how will he play if he does come back? I think he probably won’t play until the 2nd round if the Pens advance. Strange how he lead the team in scoring when he only played half the season.

Goalie Problem: Mac-Andre Fleury proved me wrong and had a great season. He usually posts worse numbers in the playoffs but he finds a way to win tthe big games, except of course in Game 7 last year against the Canadiens. I’m really not sold on Dwayne Roloson being a playoff caliber goalie but apparently the Lightning are. He has only been to the postseason three previous times. The last time was five years ago with the Sabres.

Fun Fact: The Penguins have no wins when trailing after two periods, with a 0-19-1 record this season. The Penguins led the league in hits and the Lightning had the 2nd fewest.

Prediction: I have to give the edge to Pittsburgh in what should be a widely entertaining series. It could go either way really. But I can’t help but feel that the Penguins didn’t overcome all of those injuries and almost get 2nd place to lose in the 1st round. It just wouldn’t seem right. Penguins in seven.

1 Vancouver Canucks vs. 8 Chicago Blackhawks

Season Series: tied 2-2

Playoff Series History: 3-1 Blackhawks, including the last two seasons in which the Hawks bounced the Canucks in the 2nd round both times

Star to Watch: Toews and Kane had great long playoff runs last season. The question is what will they do for an encore? They find themselves in new territory in being the hunted as opposed to the hunter.

X-Factor: Dustin Byfuglien…. wait what? He isn’t on the Blackhawks anymore. That’s precisely the problem. The Blackhawks will find out exactly why they needed to keep him in this series. He was able to effectively get in Luongo’s head and knock him off his game. The Blackhawks don’t have anyone to do that anymore.

Goalie Problem: Both of these teams feature goalies that have something to prove. Luongo has to prove that he can actually deliver in the postseason. Having great regular seasons, he is coming off arguably his best season ever, is nice but it really only matters what you do in the playoffs. Crawford, while just a rookie, will be under some pressure to duplicate Niemi’s success who Chicago let go. The front office will probably get a lot of slack if the Hawks don’t do well in the playoffs and rightfully so.

Fun Fact: The Sedins are the first brother combo to win the Art Ross trophy back to back. They may also add the Hart trophy to that list. Speaking of back to backs, the Blackhawks hope to do what no other 8th seed has ever done, win the Stanley Cup.

Prediction: Truly one of the more compelling series because of the Hawks just making the playoffs and trying to defend their cup. Through in their recent history and the Sedins claiming more hardware and you have watch should be an awesome match-up. This is the year the Canucks revenge their past losses against the Blackhawks. It will be made all the more sweeter because they are knocking out the defending champions in the 1st round. Canucks in six. (Just to stick it to Chelsea Dagger)

2 San Jose Sharks vs. 7 Los Angeles Kings

Season Series: tied 3-3

Playoff Series History: Zilch

Star to Watch: Drew Doughty was simply sensational against the Canucks last postseason but he had a pretty average regular season. He will need to regain his form to help shut down the Sharks top line. Dustin Penner is also on the watch list for the sheer fact that he needs to do something.

X-Factor: The injury bug rears its ugly head. I can’t help but think that the Kings would be slightly higher if it wasn’t for all their injuries down the stretch. But such is life. Losing your top two scorers is never easy but the Penguins have been able to deal with it, so now it’s the Kings turn. Justin Williams should be coming back to play in the 1st round though. Getting by without Kopitar won’t be easy however.

Goalie Problem: Antti Niemi is back in the postseason just wearing a different jersey. He has turned out to be a great pickup and was red hot down the stretch. He will now use his experience to further propel the Sharks. On the flip-side Jonathan Quick will need to rebound from a fairly poor playoff performance last year. He should be more comfortable having a postseason under his belt.

Fun Fact: The Sharks are playing their 7th different team in as many series. In fact the Sharks have now played every team in the playoffs in the West except for the Wild, Canucks and Blue Jackets.

Prediction: The Sharks top line produced less that last year and in the postseason they don’t always produce at their best. The Sharks are a deep experienced team though, that has seven players with at least 20 goals. The Kings are still getting their feet acclimated to the post season and I don’t think they are mentally where they need to be. Still it should make for an interesting series. Sharks in six or seven.

3 Detroit Red Wings vs. 6 Phoenix Coyotes

Season Series: tied 2-2

Playoff Series History: 2-0 Detroit

Star to Watch: With Zetterberg out it will be Datsyuk’s job to carry the Wings scoring load. He will be matched up with Norris trophy candidate Keith Yandle.

X-Factor: Probably how the Coyotes as a group handle themselves mentally. Here’s a team that rarely makes the playoffs and now they find themselves in on back to back trips. They are also seeking revenge against the team that knocked them out of a hard fought series last postseason. They also might be moving, again.

Goalie Problem: Jimmy Howard now has a year of playoff experience under his belt and Ilya Bryzgalov now has three. Bryzgalov didn’t play all that well last year and he will need to play better for the Coyotes to have a chance. Howard had a down year this year and will need to pick up his game as well.

Fun Fact: Detroit has been to the playoffs the past twenty seasons and 56 times (not including their days as Cougers or Flacons) and Phoenix now seven times including two in a row. The Coyotes have never made it to the 2nd round. I think the Red Wings may have made it out… a few times.

Prediction: This is a match-up between two of the lower hitting teams in the league. I think we will have a repeat of last season, a close wild affair that goes the distance. The Red Wings are all a year older and that isn’t something working in their favor but I think they will prevail anyway. Red Wings in seven.

4 Anaheim Ducks vs. 5 Nashville Predators

Season Series: Nashville 3-1

Playoff Series History: Zilch

Star to Watch: Teemu Selanne has generally been lukewarm at best in the playoffs. This possibly being his last season, again, it will be interesting to see how he plays. The Ducks will need to have the 2nd line continuing to score and Selanne was hot down the stretch.

X-Factor: It will be interesting to watch Shea Weber battle against quick wingers in Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry. This battle will go a long way in determining who wins the series. The Ducks’ playoff experience also outweighs the Predators’ by a considerable margin.

Goalie Problem: Pekka Rinne was probably the best kept goalie secret of the season. If it wasn’t for Tim Thomas he would have gotten more recognition but since he played in Nashville probably not. He should get a Vezina nod for his production. On the other side Jonas Hiller was having one of his best seasons before he got vertigo and well that’s been pretty much it. The Ducks have relied on pickups of Dan Ellis and Ray Emery to backstop them this far. Ellis will probably get the bulk of the load with Emery still recovering from his injury. Ellis has only been in the playoffs one other time as a member of the Predators. He was on their team for a few other postseason appearances but he never played in any of those games.

Fun Fact: The Ducks have the 2nd best power play and the Predators have the 5th worst. The Ducks have the 5th most penalty minutes and the Predators have the 2nd fewest. Both of these teams are tied for 4th in wins when leading after the 1st.

Prediction: The Predators are 0-5 in getting out of the 1st round and I don’t see that changing. The Ducks are red hot and they are loaded with prime time players that excel in the playoffs. Still I think it’s likely all the home teams will win. Ducks in seven.

My Stanley Cup prediction is Washington over Vancouver. Washington will probably play Boston in the conference finals and assuming Vancouver can beat Chicago, I really only see San Jose and Anaheim as threats. It’s highly unlikely it will be 1 vs 1 but you never know.

The unofficial second half of hockey begins on Tuesday night with 13 games. First before we look ahead in this week’s Pucking Awesome Hat Trick, let’s look back at the first half and hand out some hardware. In the ever tight race for first half MVP it came down to three players in my opinion.The sharp shooting Steve Stamkos, all-around superstar Sidney Crosby and goaltender Tim Thomas.

First, I ruled out the Bruins goaltender, mostly because he is my pick for goalie of the first half, and wanted to spread out my awards.

Then I ruled out Stamkos only for the fact that his season can also be pointed to the fact that his line mate Martin St. Louis is also having a superb season thus taking some of my personal votes away for the player currently leading the league in both goals (38) and points (67). So my first half MVP is none other than Sidney Crosby. Let’s not forget that before Sid the Kid missed the last nine games due to a concussion he had a  25-game point streak, the longest in the NHL in 18 years. The center still sits second to Stamkos in both goals (32) and points (66) and his second in command Evgeni Malkin is having a down year statistically.

I have already named my goalie of the first half. Tim Thomas, the player responsible for the Bruins lead in the Northeast Division and current leader in both save percentage (.945) and goals against average (1.81), was an easy choice.

My defense-man of the first half was probable the hardest decision as not one candidate has been outstanding in every category that determines what makes a defense-man above the rest. I went with the former forward/defenseman/forward/back to defense-man in Dustin Byfuglien. Big Buff leads defenders in goals (16) and more importantly already has six game winning goals, as the Thrashers have put themselves into playoff contention.

Now that we took two steps back, let’s take one step forward and this week’s Pucking Awesome Hat Trick, or the top three story lines I am watching for in the second half.

Trade Deadline Sweapstakes

In none of the other four major sports does the trade deadline matter so much than in the NHL. We sit four weeks away from the day that can decide the fates of so many franchises. In those four weeks teams will have to decide what piece they are away from winning the Cup and how much they are willing to give up to get that piece.

The tightness of the race in the Western Conference has been well documented but do not be surprised if a good amount of those team’s show their real identity in the weeks to come. As we grow closer and closer to that date check those twitter feeds and TSN trade center as teams step up or punk out. Sometimes it is those deals that are not made in a panic mode at the deadline are what are best for the organizations. February 28^th will be an interesting day for hockey writers, fans and general managers.

I am Feeling Dizzy

As the games arguable best player had to sit out the leagues weekend to showcase their talents, the commissioner dropped the knowledge that concussions are up this season. This after an off-season that showed them implement rule 48 to eliminate blind side hits to the head. The commissioner also informed us that blind side hits are down this season and that more of the concussions are happening due to area of accidental or inadvertent situations. I will be watching to see if the number continues to grow and to whom it could cost a run at the Stanley Cup.

I am almost certain that hockey fans will be forced fed some more information pertaining concussions when all 30 GM meet in Boca Raton for their meetings March 14th through the 16th. Concussions are a hot topic among the sporting world as more and more cases are showing their ugly head of how it affects the athlete after their playing days are done. The tricky job of the GM’s will be how you protect the player while protecting the natural physical nature of the game.

Award Season

In the spirit of the movie industry having their award season and how I documented earlier, the race for some of the top awards in the NHL are up for grabs. It will be an intriguing fight for the Art Ross and Hart Trophies. Henrik Sedin put an emphatic stamp on his candidacy for the Hart last season with 32 points in the last 21 games last season. How will Sidney Crosby come back from the concussion? Can Tim Thomas really keep up the pace he is on right now? Will any goalie stop Steve Stamkos from scoring goals? What will the Sedin twins have to say when it is all over? Will anyone please step up and win the Norris?

Those are some of the questions that need to be answer and will have an impact on which player takes home the hardware and more importantly lead their team to a good position to win the hardware that matters the most.

During the Islanders heyday Bill Torrey was the GM. His last few bigger deals included Kelly Hrudey for Mark Fitzpatrick, Pat LaFontaine for Pierre Turgeon essentially and the acquisition of Darius Kasparaitis. While they were not that bad, they weren’t all that great either. Torrey left when the Islanders changed management.

Next up was Don Maloney whose deals included trading Pierre Turgeon for Kirk Muller and Ron Hextall for Tommy Soderstrom. Soderstrom never panned out as the Islanders would have liked and Hextall ended up leading the league in GAA. Kirk Muller ended up playing a whopping 27 games total in his two seasons with the Islanders before being traded in a big mess. Maloney was shortly fired.

Then came everyone’s favorite GM Mike Milbury. Milbury was able to help guide the Islanders to three straight playoff appearances between 2001-2004 the first time that happened since 1985-1988. On the down side all of the appearances was they were all 1^st round exits. The Islanders could have been even better if Milbury had an eye for talent. Milbury’s most notable blunders include trading Roberto Luongo and Olli Jokinen for Oleg Kvasha and Mark Parrish. He also acquired Alexei Yashin for Zedno Chara, Bill Muckalt and the 2^nd overall pick in the 2001 draft, which ended up being Jason Spezza. He also traded Bryan McCabe and Todd Bertuzzi for Trevor Linden. While Linden was a great player, he was definitely on the downside of his career while McCabe and Bertuzzi were just starting their careers. Personally I think a team of Chara and McCabe on defense, a line of Spezza, Bertuzzi and Jokinen, with Luongo in net wouldn’t be that bad. Even with Luongo’s and Jokinen’s problems.

Drafting wise the Islanders haven’t done any better. Bertuzzi and Brett Lindros were drafted under Maloney. Bertuzzi was of course traded before being developed and Lindros was a bust who had a career ending injury. Wade Redden was also a bust but regardless of that, he never even played for the Islanders in the first place.

Milbury didn’t draft much better. His first 1^st round pick of Jean-Pierre “J. P.” Dumont, ended in a contract dispute that saw Dumont get traded. He followed that up with drafting Luongo and Eric Brewer. Luongo played one season with the Islanders and wasn’t given time to develop and Brewer’s short two year run was a disaster. Michael Rupp was picked the next year in the draft and you can guess how that went. Between 1994 to 1998 the Islanders had six draft picks in the top ten spots. Three of them never even wore an Islanders sweater during a game and the other three all played two shortened seasons or less before being traded or they had their career ended by injury. In 1999 the Islanders had four 1^st round picks but rather than write about it, I’m going to let you guess how those panned out. Here’s a hint, they weren’t any better than the previous ones. Then there was the Rick DiPietro pick to start the century off. That actually wouldn’t have been a bad pick if not for DiPietro’s injury problems.

When Milbury finally left Neil Smith took over for a whopping 40 days and then was replaced with current GM Garth Snow. I actually like the last few Islanders’ draft picks of Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey and John Tavares. A good sign is that they are all still on the team. This years pick of Nino Niederreiter seems like he will develop into a great player, though still too early to tell. I also like the recent pick-ups of James Wisniewski and Michael Grabner.

The main thing the Islanders need is a GM with a good eye for talent. I think Garth Snow has that. The next step is to actually let the players develop. So while they aren’t winning now, results can’t be expected to happen overnight. I realize if you are an Islanders’ fan, it seems like you have been waiting forever but just give it a little more time.

Goalie Spotlight

Rick DiPietro – NY Islanders

Since we are on the subject of the Islanders, I figured I would spotlight Rick DiPietro. DiPietro was born in Winthrop, MA and played just one season for Boston University. But what a season it was. He was named to the All-Rookie Team, named to the Second Team All-Hockey East and was awarded the Hockey East’s Rookie of the Year. He also stopped 77 of 80 shots, just one save short of the record, in a quadruple overtime loss to St. Lawrence University during the NCAA regional final. He was also named MVP of the Beanpot tournament, which is a tournament participated in by the four major Boston area colleges. After his one stellar season the Islanders made him the 1^st overall pick of the 2000 draft. Milbury’s desire to draft DiPietro is what prompted him to trade Roberto Luongo.

He played in only 20 games is rookie year and manged just three wins and a .878 SV%. He was subsequently sent down to the Chicago Wolves of the IHL and then the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL. He didn’t fare any better with the Wolves but the next two seasons with the Sound Tigers he progressively improved. He also saw 10 games of action with the Islanders in 2002-03 in which he was slightly better than his last NHL go around. He was called up for good the next season and posted a 2.36 GAA with a .911 SV%.The next three seasons he played 60+ games. The 2006-07 season was his best season and he recorded a career high five shutouts. In March of 2007 DiPietro suffered a concussion which him caused him to miss a few games but he was able to play most of the playoff games that season.

In the summer of 2007 he underwent hip surgery to repair a torn labrum but the next season during the All-Star Game competition in 2008 he injured his hip again. He played most of the rest of the season with his injury. The next two seasons the played a combined total of 13 games mostly due to knee related injuries, swelling and surgeries. This season he is back and presumed to be 100%. He has so far split the goaltending duties with Dwayne Roloson. He has not played well this season. In fact he only played well during a win against Tampa Bay and a loss against the Thrashers. Otherwise he has been mediocre at best. His current numbers are a 3.93 GAA and .870 SV%. DiPietro is still only 29 and has a good chance to play a decade or so if he can stay healthy. It’s important for the Islanders organization that he bounces back this year after all that time and money has been invested in him.

Fights of the Week

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

Darcy Hordichuk vs. Shawn Thornton

Decent fight between these two, advantage Thornton.

Krys Barch vs. Colton Orr

A nice long fight that Orr clearly domaintes.

Kevin Westgarth vs. Chris Neil

Decent scrap despite Westgarth’s balancing issues.

Goats of the Week

Jaroslav Halak – St. Louis Blues

Even great goalies like Halak can make bad judgments from time to time, though if he wouldn’t have hit it accidentally for the 2^nd time it never would have went in. Mostly players are chosen as goats because their blunder cost their team the game. In this case, the Red Wings won by so much it didn’t really matter but I thought it deserved a mention anyway.

Corey Perry – Anaheim Ducks

Perry tries to center the puck in the closing seconds of the game with the goalie pulled but ends up scoring a goal… into his own net, a good 200 feet away.

Things I like

1.Loved the high scoring affair that was Tampa Bay vs. Philadelphia. I think we need to have games like that more often. It really showcases the awesomeness and excitement of the NHL. I’m not saying a defensive goalie duel isn’t exciting, it is, but this adds a different level of excitement. Too many games like that would be bad, as the fans would expect them too much.

2. Jerome Iginla has struggled mightily with the Flames so far this season. However since management has told him he wouldn’t have to wave his no trade clause, he has been on fire. I’m not sure why that would make a difference but I guess it has psychologically. Though if he and the Flames had started better, I don’t think the idea of trading him would have ever crossed their mind in the first place. Iginila has six goal in his last three games.

3. The 34 year old Milan Hejduk is on pace to have his best year since 2002-03. He is an integral part of the Avalanche’s offense and power play and brings much needed experience to the young Avalanche forwards.

4. Anytime you shutout the high scoring Capitals, except if your name is Jaroslav Halak, I think you deserve a special mention. So congratulations on making 30 saves goes to Johan Hedberg, a mostly career journeyman and the owner of a just below career .900 SV%.

Things I don’t

1. After the Blackhawks shed a few people off their roster, most notably Dustin Byfuglien, you would think the Canucks would have an easier time with the Hawks. But that is certainly not the case. After losing 2-1 in overtime to the Hawks earlier this year, Vancouver followed it up with an atrocious 7-1 loss at home. The Canucks were dominated in ever facet of the game except at the face-off circle. Not a good sign for the Canucks, especially if they have to meet the Blackhawks in the playoffs again.

2. Teams on the West Coast. The Canucks have lost their last four, the Kings have lost four of their last five, the Sharks have lost their last three and the Ducks have lost their last five. Maybe it’s something in the Pacific Ocean. I will admit the Kings received a couple of questionable calls against Ottawa.

3. After Ryan Smyth’s no goal because he was called for high sticking, I think it’s necessary the NHL invests in additional cameras so they can show more angles. I also think the NHL should grant each coach one challenge during the game. The idea was brought up during the GM meetings but was shot down. I think it’s time we had it. This challenge could be used for goals or penalty calls.

Stat Line of the Week

11/18/10 Tampa Bay 8 vs. Philadelphia 7

I suppose I could have picked a player form another game but I took the easy way out. Stamkos converted all three of his shots into goals for his 3^rd career hat trick. All of his goals were setup by nice passing by his Tampa Bay teammates. Stamkos is almost averaging a goal a game.

Did You Know?

In 1964-65, Red Wings’ Roger Crozier was the last goaltender to appear in all of his team’s games for an entire season. Crozier ended up playing in all but 33 minutes of the Red Wings 70 games that year. A feat that will surely never be done again in this day and age. Of course now they play 12 more games a season. Brodeur came pretty close a few years ago, having played in 78 games.

Numbers, Numbers

0 – Minus games for Toni Lydman thus far this season

0 – Regulation losses for the Blues at home

7.5 – The power play percentage of the Florida Panthers, dead last in the NHL

.945 – SV% of the Blues at Home, tied for 1^st in the NHL

.872 – SV% of the Blues on the Road, last in the NHL

4 – Shutouts by Cary Price in 20 games, the same number of shutouts he had the previous 3 seasons or 134 games

Quotes of the Week

“I don’t know what they were looking for.”

- LW Chris Kunitz, on word he received from officials on what the Toronto crew was looking for when they reviewed his goal in the third period Friday against Carolina.

“It always seems when I make a mistake, we pay for it somehow. I just can’t make those.”

- Sabres goalie Patrick Lalime on his costly turnover that led to Tampa Bay’s winning goal. “If we talk about that I’ll break down.”

Seeing as how you are the goalie, mistakes would be costly.

“I don’t want anyone feeling sorry for me. I’ve had a great life. I’ve been around a great sport. I didn’t want to be a celebrity, I just want to be myself.”

- Pat Burns, in the days before his death from terminal cancer.

You will be missed Pat Buns.

“What have you guys been doing for 10 years?”

- Blue Jackets coach Scott Arniel, when told by a staffer that Saturday’s win in San Jose was the franchise’s first regulation win in HP Pavilion.

This Week in Hockey History

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

November 18, 1979 Vancouver Canucks earned their first ever home victory over Montreal, 5-2. The win snapped a streak of 21 home games (0-15-6) without a win versus the Habs. Glen Hanlon stopped 34 of 36 shots for the win, the 4th straight for Vancouver.

November 19, 1998 Mike Keenan became just the sixth coach to record 500 career NHL victories, and Garth Snow recorded his 5th career shutout as Vancouver won 5-0 at Colorado, to end a 15-game winless streak against the Avalanche, (0-12-3 since December 1995).

November 20, 1988 Blackhawks retired the jerseys of goaltenders Glenn Hall (#1) and Tony Esposito (#35) in a pregame ceremony at Chicago Stadium. Hall had played 15 years in Chicago, and Esposito 10 years. Blackhawks lost 7-4 to the Canucks.

November 21, 1987 King Olav V of Norway watched from behind the Montreal bench, as the Canadiens beat the Devils 2-1 at the Forum. Bobby Smith and Chris Chelios each scored a goal and added an assist in the second period for Montreal.

November 22, 1983 Brian Sutter had five assists to set a new club record for assists in a game, as the Blues won 7-4 over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs, to end a 6 game winless streak (0-4-2).

November 23, 1974 Goaltenders Rogie Vachon and Gary Inness traded shutouts as the Kings and the Penguins played to a 0-0 scoreless tie, at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh. It was the 25th shutout of Vachon’s NHL career.

Rankings

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

Top 5

1. Detroit

2. Phoenix

3. Columbus

4. Philadelphia

5. Colorado

Bottom 5

30. N.Y Islanders

29. Edmonton

28. Calgary

27. Anaheim

26. Carolina

The NHL season will hit its quarter mark in the next couple of weeks.

Some teams have limped their way into the first stretch while others have sprinted towards that first pole marker.  Before I review the three hottest teams out of the gate and break down their staying power, let’s hand out some awards.

MVP is Lightning’s Steven Stamkos, who leads the league in both goals (15) and points (28).

Best goalie is the Bruins’ Tim Thomas who just suffered his first loss of the year in his 10^th start (8-1-0) and leads the league in save percentage (.957) and shutouts (3).

Rookie of the year we stay in the nets and give it to Flyers Sergei Bobrovsky who has 10 wins in his first 13 career starts and is near the top of the league in both save percentage (5^th) and goals against average (7^th).

Now let’s break some hot teams down Pucking Awesome Hat Trick style.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

The Flyers are starting to prove doubters of their amazing Stanley Cup run wrong early on this season.  My rookie of the year, Sergei Bobrovsky (22), is responsible for much of their fledgling success. But, they can also attest to the deep crop of forwards they can field each night.

Seven skaters already have double digit points, with more than half of them having 15+ points.

The team as a whole is second in the league in goals per game (3.41), and the once struggling power play has found its stride scoring at 21.9 %, good for seventh in the league.  Their penalty kill has not been too shabby either ranked sixth in the league (86.8%).  Only the Canucks and Lightning also have both their PP and PK ranked in the top ten like the Flyers.  Also, only the Canucks and Kings are ranked in the top ten in both goals for and goals against like the surging Flyers.

The emergence of Claude Giroux as a superstar in the league has also paced the Flyers.

The former first round draft pick has 18 points in 17 games with four power play goals, three shorthanded goals and three game winning goals so far this season. His development along with the continued hot play of the Briere-Leino-Hartnell line has created matchup problems for opposing defenses.

Speaking of defenses, no team in the NHL can match the Flyers top six defenseman as the +20 third pairing of Andrej Meszaros and Sean O’Donnell combined.

The depth of both the defense and offense is the reason why I believe the Flyers have staying power. Yes, they will need to figure out the “problem” of having three healthy goalies by the end of the month, but in my mind isn’t that a good “problem” to have.

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LOS ANGELES KINGS

The Kings have come out of the gate blazing leading the Western Conference with a 12-3-0 record and undefeated in the City of Angels (8-0-0).

This blossoming team has benefited from some solid goaltending as the Kings lead the league in goals against (1.87). Jonathan Quick is 10-1-0 and is third in the league in both GAA (1.52) and save percentage (.944) proving that his time in net is not winding down even with top prospect Jonathan Bernier on the roster. They always say your best penalty killer is your goalie and that is proven true as the Kings have the best penalty kill in the league (92.2%).

Offensively, they have benefited from having two lines that can score at anytime. The top line that features Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown and Scott Parse has 31 points combined. While, the second line of Jarret Stoll, Ryan Smyth and Justin Williams has 39 points between them all.  Justin Williams needs to stay healthy for this team to have staying power.  The 29-year-old has not played more than 50 games in a season since 2006-07 and in that year had 30 goals.  When healthy, the former first round pick of the Flyers is a dangerous goal scorer to have on your second line.

The team has been dealing with some injuries on defense, including losing superstar Drew Doughty for six games due to a concussion and lost veteran defenseman Willie Mitchell to a fractured left wrist. But, with their hot goalie play and the return of both Doughty and hard hitting Matt Greene they seem to be ok on the backline.  The Jonathan goalie tandem is the main reason I feel that the Kings have staying power.  The one thing you have to worry about is their offensive depth. As they are depending on frequently injured forwards like Williams and Smyth. They have already lost Alexei Ponikarovsky to injury.

MONTREAL CANADIENS

Like the Flyers, the Montreal Canadiens are trying to prove that their run to the Eastern Conference finals was not a fluke. So far, they are not disappointing and even more impressive is they are doing it without playoff hero Jaroslav Halak.

The trade of Halak to the Blues this off-season was a highly debated topic around the league as once again golden boy Carey Price was given back his starting job. Price was even booed in his first pre-season start in Montreal as fans and experts alike continued to question the move.

Price, the only goaltender in hockey history to be named CHL Goaltender of the Year, World Junior Championship’s tournament MVP and win the AHL Jack A. Butterfield Trophy, all in the same year, has responded.  The 23-year-old is 10-5-1 with a .923 save percentage and 2.18 GAA and has two shutouts already this season.  The former fifth overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft will be the key to this team having staying power for the entire season.

The usual dominant power play has been dormant while the usual dormant penalty kill has been dominant. The Canadiens rank second in the league on the PK (88.9%) but rank 20^th on the PP (14.5%). Much of the non-success of the power play has to be pointed toward the injury of Andrei Markov. The veteran has only played in seven games this season and injured his knee again. Not good to have the player that has 194 career power play points not in the lineup.

I think this team has limited staying power and like I said will depend a lot on Price, now even more so with the injury to Markov.  Another important key to them having staying power is to get more production out of their other playoff hero Michael Cammalleri, who only has four goals in the first 16 games.

Of course the biggest rise in the Central division is none other than the St. Louis Blues. The Blues rather quietly have the NHL’s best record. They have also allowed the fewest goals in the league. This can mostly be attributed to one thing, Jaroslav Halak. Halak was a relative steal, though who knows how how Ian Schultz or Lars Eller will tun out, for the Blues who were looking to upgrade over goalie Steve Mason. Halak already has three shutouts and is tied with Tim Thomas for the league lead. But Halak’s success isn’t really that much of a surprise, given his playoff heroics last season. The Blues have been stockpiling young talent over the past few seasons. The Blues are the 3^rd youngest team in the league and they only have four players with over five years of NHL experience. Former 1^st rounders T.J Oshie and David Perron are starting to break out and lead the Blues. Veteran guys such as Matt D’Agostini and Alex Steen are on pace for career years. Defensively former 1^st overall 2006 pick Erik Johnson and Barrett Jackman are a force to be reckon with. Before he was injured, Jackman was averaging three blocked shots a game. The Blues have been hovering around 90 points the past two seasons and the continued development of their younger players coupled with the acquisition of Halak have made them into legit contenders.

Goalie Spotlight

Mathieu Garon – Columbus Blue Jackets

Perusing the goalie statistical league leaders you will find such familiar names as Tim Thomas and Jaroslav Halak. You will also find somebody by the name of Mathieu Garon sandwiched between them. Not that well known of a player, I figured I’d try and find out a little about him.

In 1996 The Montreal Canadiens drafted Garon 44^th overall with a chance of maybe stepping in for the newly traded Patrick Roy. That never really came to pass as Garon didn’t even suit up for the Canadiens until the 2000-01 season. Before that season he spent the majority of his time playing in the AHL for the Fredericton Canadiens, Quebec Citadelles, Hamilton Bulldogs, and Manchester Monarchs. The Fredericton Canadiens and Quebec Citadelles are now defunct. He played in 43 games for the Canadiens over a four year period. His beast season was in 2002-03 but he only played in eight games. He was then traded to the Kings with a 3^rd round pick for Radek Bonk and Cristobal Huet. He actually became the starter in Los Angeles for the first time. He posted a 3.22 GAA, a .894 SV% and 4 shutouts. The next season he split time mostly with Sean Burke and Dan Cloutier.

Garon then left for the Edmonton Oilers as a free agent. He became the starter over Dwayne Roloson but then injured his ankle late in the 2007-08 season. He was however the top shutout goalie in the league with a perfect 10-0 record. The following season Garon did not play as much and his numbers slipped from the previous season. Garon was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in early 2009. Garon only played in four games for the Penguins and one playoff game, which was Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals when the Penguins were blown out 5-0 by the Red Wings. He then signed a two year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the summer of 2009. Last season he mostly backed up Steve Mason. This season with Mason struggling Garon has been able to see equal time. He is so far 4-1 with 2 shutouts and a 1.28 GAA and .952 SV%. He is second in the league in shutouts, GAA and SV%.

Garon is part of the reason why the Blue Jackets were off to their best start in franchise history. If Mason continues to struggle, Garon will be called upon more to try and help lead the Blue Jackets to only their second playoff berth ever. Who knows, maybe the soon to be free agent Garon may have finally found a home in Columbus.

Fights of the Week

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

Brandon Prust vs. Daniel Carcillo

This one starts off kind of slow but it gets better.

George Parros vs. Frazer McLaren

Somewhat decent fight. It’s the first fight from Parros since he shaved his mustache for charity. Though the mustache is about 1/3 of way back now.

Goat of the Week

Bobby Ryan – Anaheim Ducks

Ryan attempted to clear the Anaheim zone but instead passed it right to Patrick Hornqvist who threaded to Steve Sullivan for the 2^nd Predators goal. Ryan said afterward about the play “I was just trying to find a place to hide on the bench at that point.” That sounds about right Bobby.

Things I like

1. After producing only one assist in his first seven games, Mike Green has been on fire. He currently has a six game point streak and he had a four game goal streak. Better yet is that he only has a negative +/- in one of those games.

2. For a guy who is 40 years old and has been contemplating retiring for the last several seasons Teemu Selanne can just flat out play. He is currently tied for 4^th in the league in scoring and tied for 2^nd in power play goals with four. Selanne has showed that not only he can still produce at his age but he can still produce at an elite level. Here’s hoping he plays another year or two.

3. Speaking of streaks and older players, Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsuyk each have a nine game point streak currently. The Red Wings are also 7-2 in that span. Lidstrom the nineteen year veteran, who is in the 40 year old club with Selanne, has shown that he can also still perform at a high level. He is the top scoring defenseman in the league and tied for 2^nd overall in assists.

4. Steven Stamkos (I don’t need to write anything else)

Things I don’t

1. This week I had the chance to watch my first Pittsburgh Penguins game with their home announcers on FSN. All I can say is egad. Obviously announcers are bias when doing their home team telecasts but Paul Steigerwald and Bob Errey go above and beyond the normal bias. Also half the time it’s like they are watching a completely different game. I guess many people have disliked them for some time. I can’t say that I blame them.

2. The Toronto Maple Leafs started out on fire and off to one of their best starts in some time. Now they just seem lost and confused. Worse it seems like they couldn’t score a goal if their life depended on it. In the past six games the Leafs have been shut out three times. After producing seven goals in eight games, Phil Kessel has produced no points in the past six games. Coincidence? I think not.

3. When the Bruins faced the Blues this week, I was really hoping it would pit the two hottest goalies in the league of Tim Thomas and Jaroslav Halak against each other. Unfortunately it was not to be as Rask started. While I realize that Thomas was pulled against the Caps in the last game, it was the Caps after all. It was still a good game regardless but these two teams won’t face each other again this season unless it’s in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Stat Line of the Week

11/06/10 Chicago 5 vs. Atlanta 4

It’s been a strange year so far for the Blackhawks but on this night the dynamic duo of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane combined for all of the Blackhawks goals to lead the hawks to a win over a few of their former teammates. Toews also had one of the two shootout goals for the Hawks with a nifty little move.

Did You Know?

The most games a team has been consecutively been shutout is eight set by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1929. The Maple Leafs have quite a few games to go if they hope to reach that dubious distinction. That same Blackhawks team was also shutout the most for one season. They were shutout a total of 20 times in the 1928-29 season.

Numbers, Numbers

50 – Goals scored by the defending champion Blackhawks so far

51 – Goals scored against the Blackhawks so far

6 – Number of home wins for both the Blues and the Kings with no loses

0 – Home wins for New Jersey

7 – Conservative wins by the Blues

7 – Consecutive loses by the Islanders

700 – Career points for Saku Koivu

76 – Steven Stamkos current goal pace

Quotes of the Week

“I don’t dislike them, I think they’re entertaining. I just wish I was better at them.”

- Goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who is 1-3 in shootouts as a Leaf.

“We went into their building (in Philadelphia last Saturday), they beat us 6-1 and we got embarrassed. It’s been a downfall since then.”

- Isles defenseman James Wisniewski, before the Isles losing streak was extended to seven games with a 2-1 loss Saturday against the Flyers.

Though the Islanders downfall started before that game because they had already lost three games in a row prior to that Flyers loss.

Zenon Konopka had his own take own the Flyers rivalry.

“There’s no good blood between us, that’s for sure,” Konopka told Newsday. “There won’t be Christmas cards exchanged on that end of the hallway.”

This Week in Hockey History

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

November 04, 1956 Jacques Plante of the Canadiens completed a perfect weekend, with his second straight shutout over Chicago, a 1-0 win (following a 6-0 victory the day before). It was Plante’s 21st career shutout.

November 05, 2000 Doug Weight tied a career high with four assists as the Oilers picked up their 800 victory in franchise history, with a 4-2 win against the Blue Jackets at Columbus.

November 06, 1988 Wayne Gretzky became the third player in NHL history to score 1,700 points. He got two goals and an assist in career game #711 as the Kings won 5-3 over the Blackhawks at Chicago. Mark Fitzpatrick started and won his first NHL game.

November 07, 1968 St. Louis Blues Red Berenson scored six goals (for his first career hat trick) & an assist in an 8-0 win over the visiting Flyers. It was the NHL’s first six goal game since Detroit’s Syd Howe did it in 1944. Jacques Plante recorded the shutout.

November 08, 1989 Calgary’s Al MacInnis became the Flames all time leader in assists when he recorded #337 in a 5-4 win at Los Angeles. MacInnis replaced Guy Chouinard (336) and Paul Reinhart (335). MacInnis had three assists in the game.

November 09, 2000 Joe Sakic tied the Avalanche franchise mark for career assists, when he picked up his 668th with the team in a 3-3 tie against the St. Louis Blues. Sakic tied the record set by Peter Stastny (when the team was in Quebec City).

Rankings

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

Top 5

1. St. Louis

2. Los Angeles

3. Washington

4. Philadelphia

5. Boston

Bottom 5

30. N.Y Islanders

29. Toronto

28. Buffalo

27. Edmonton

26. New Jersey

“NHL teams losing money – First Phoenix and now Columbus. The Coyotes troubles are well documented and despite the NHL’s best efforts the Coyotes really should really leave Phoenix. However don’t tell that to Commissioner Gary Bettman he doesn’t want to hear it. Now it is being reported that the Columbus Blue Jackets are losing on average 12 million a year.

Phoenix is dead last in attendance this year and has lost about 30 million in some seasons. Of course with team ownership up in the air many fans don’t want to invest money into a team that may not be there. The Coyotes were also near the bottom in attendance last year.

Columbus is 22nd in attendance capacity this year and was 2nd to last two seasons ago. Columbus is the 32nd largest US metro area not the largest by any means and not that smallest either, but only three teams play in front of smaller markets. The Blue Jackets also have to pay 5 million a year to use the arena. So that really doesn’t help their financial situation.

I think the NHL and Bettman really need to think harder before they place teams and try to keep teams in markets. A successful team depends on two things a large market and a large hockey or sports fan market. Phoenix and Atlanta (another money loser) are two top 12 markets, however neither care about hockey. Atlanta in general isn’t much of a sports market. None of their professional team are in the top 50% of attendance and the Atlanta Hawks are usually at the bottom like the Thrashers. Columbus and Carolina are also small markets with skeptical hockey fan bases, though Carolina fares a little better then Columbus, and then there’s Nashville and Florida(Miami).

For the life of me I don’t know why Bettman thought it was a good choice to put teams in some of these locations. I don’t have a problem, unlike most fans, of Bettman moving the teams out of Winnipeg and Hartford. I just question where he decided to move them to and when he decides to keep them there, even when it is a no win situation. For the life of me I can’t comprehend why Seattle and/or Portland, OR does not have a hockey team. Seattle is the 15th largest market and Portland is the 23rd largest. They both have built-in hockey fan bases and Seattle could really create a nice rivalry with Vancouver. They both do fairly well with WHL attendance. I imagine the NHL would do even better.”

A year later not much has changed. Guess who is dead lost in attendance this season? The Atlanta Thrashers and who is a close second? The Phoenix Coyotes. People use the excuse of well they aren’t winning franchises. True, but how many cups have the Canucks or Capitals ever won? Not to mention weren’t Toronto and Edmonton the worst teams last year and they both sold out like every single game? I agree wining helps and having star players help too. Before Crosby and Malkin got to Pittsburgh things looked bleak. But you really need to have an owner committed to winning in a city that’s on the bubble. It doesn’t seem like any of these cities have owners that do. I also realize that not every season will you play to jam packed crowds. The Blues had some really bad years of turnout before they rebounded this year and last year with about 100% capacity (even thought they didn’t make the playoffs last season). Realistically you should be able to get 85% of the arena full on average. Since the economy is bad a more realistic 75% for this season would do. The Thrashers, Coyotes, Blue Jackets and Islanders are all under 75% capacity. The Coyotes hit rocked bottom the other day when a whopping 6000+ fans came to a home game. This is a team that made the playoffs last season. You also can’t use the ownership situation excuse as a reason because Bettman has stubbornly said they will not leave Phoenix. If fans won’t come out to consistently support their team, the NHL should think of moving the franchises to cities that will.

Goalie Spotlight

Pekka Rinne – Nashville Predators

Finnish born Rinne is one of the bigger goalies in the league at 6-5. He started out his career playing for Oulun Kärpät in the SM-liiga league, the top league in Finland. He started out in their junior system before being called up to serve as a backup to Niklas Bäckström. He was apart of the championships team with Kärpät in 2004 and 2005. Rinne was drafted in the 8^th round by the Predators, 258^th overall.

He was then sent to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. He secured the top goalie job with the admirals rather easily, he even played in two game for the Predators in the 2005-06 season. Strangely during that summer he was roughed up by unknown assailants which caused him to miss four months of the following season. His stellar play for the Admirals coupled with Dan Ellis’ fine 2007-08 season enabled the Predators to move starter Chris Mason. Although originally only meant to backup Ellis, Rinne quickly assumed the starting position. He was rookie of the month for February 2009 and he even sent a Predators franchise record with seven shutouts in a season. He ended up tying his own shutout record again the following season.

Rinne is off to a hot start this season currently 3^rd in GAA (1.58) and 2^nd in SV% (.955). Goaltending mate Anders Lindback, who is actually even an inch taller, is also off to a decent start and they have helped catapult the Predators to one of the best records in the league. The Predators hope it will continue, as they look to make it to the playoffs for the 2^nd straight season and hopefully advance past the 1^st round for the first time in their history.

Fights of the Week

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

Derek Boogaard vs. Shawn Thornton

More of a grappling match, Thornton handles the Boogie man well. He even lands a nice one right in Boggie’s face. The refs break it up to early though.

Deryk Engelland vs. Kevin Klein

I picked this fight mostly because it was funny watching Klein trying to goad Malkin into a fight, which of course didn’t happen.

Goat of the Week

Craig Anderson – Colorado Avalanche

The infamous goalie leaves his crease and bad things happen is back. Anderson leaves to try and beat Brad Richardson to the puck but stupidly clears it off the near boards right to Jarret Stoll who slings it to Richardson who puts it into the wide open goal for his 2nd of three that night. I wouldn’t have played the puck like Anderson did in the first place but I’m not really sure why it took Anderson so look to get back to the net or at least a lot closer then he was.

Steve Mason – Atlanta Thrashers

Mason leaves his crease, but not as far as Anderson did, and makes a bad pass behind his net that Alexander Semin capitalizes on. Semin’s other two goals follow in the clip.

Things I like

1. All those hat tricks. Alexander Semin, John Tavares, Brad Richardson, Steven Stamkos, Rene Bourque, Lee Stempniak and Daniel Alfredsson each had one this week. Though Stempniak and Alfredsson each got their last goal on an empty netter. Only Tavares’ hat trick was in a losing effort. Three hat tricks on Friday and three hat tricks on Saturday is always fun to watch. You might say the days had their own hat tricks.

2. Speaking of Steven Stamkos he has picked up right where he left off left season, lighting up arenas nationwide. As an added bonus, Stamkos gets to stick it to Steve Yzerman nightly who passed over him for a Canadian Olympic roster spot. Of course since Yzerman is now the Lightning GM, I’m pretty sure he’s smiling.

3. Only one team has yet to lose in regulation and that would be the umm… the Nashville Predators? Yes that’s right, the Nashville Predators who are also undefeated on the road. It’s good for hockey in that region if they can sustain it. The goaltending duo of Pekka Rinne and Anders Lindback, their 7^th round selection in ’08, (both mentioned above) are playing exceptionally well. Though I can’t really see the Predators taking the division crown over the Blackhawks and the Red Wings in the long run.

4. Who said the Bruins were Tuukka Rask’s team? Tim Thomas is currently the NHL leader in in SV% (.980) and GAA (0.75) through four games. A good reason why the Bruins were smart not to move him. Nathan Horton has also fit in better with the Bruins then they could have ever imagined. He is 1^st on the team in goals (5) and points (9). Though the Bruins are still one of the lower scoring teams in the league, I would hate to see where they would be without him.

Things I don’t

1. As the Devil turns. Well they say that Devils like it hot but nobody can like it as hot and as uncomfortable as it’s getting in New Jersey. First not winning and then Ilya Kovalchuk is a healthy scratch. Word is then apparently leaked that nobody wanted to sign Kovalchuk except Owner Jeff Vanderbeek. GM Lou Lamoriello denies that but what is he really going to say? Kovy is not a team player and he doesn’t play defense well. Basically he is not a good fit but let’s keep him in New Jersey for life anyway. Makes sense right?

2. The Edmonton Oilers have not won a game since they started 2-0. They’ve had four straight losses culminating in a bad loss to the Sharks 6-1, in which they made many mistakes in their own zone that led to most of the Sharks goals. The Oilers have also said they aren’t sending any of their rookies down to the minors before the nine game window. This will definitely be a learning experience for the rookies and hopefully it won’t do the Oilers in when it comes time to re-sign them all. On the plus side if they don’t end up doing well, Edmonton will get another high draft pick. The Oilers lost again last night but they showed some heart and determination battling back from a 4-1 deficit. They also at least picked up a point for their effort.

3. Colton Orr’s “goal” Tuesday night which basically consisted of him bowling over goalie Florida Panthers’ goalie Scott Clemmensen in the crease and having the puck redirect off of his skate. I can’t believe the refs allowed the goal, it’s not like he was pushed in. It’s a good thing the game was in Toronto because I hate to hear the chants coming from Florida. Orr’s goal was the game winning goal but luckily Phil Kessel scored a goal a few minutes later so if that goal wouldn’t have counted, the Panthers would have lost anyway.

Stat Line of the Week

10/23/10 Los Angeles 6 vs. Colorado 4

Brad Richardson scored equal or more goals in one game than he did in three previous seasons. Though the seasons weren’t full, ranging from 22, 31 and 44 games played, it’s still an impressive feat for a guy who doesn’t score that much especially in about 12 minutes of playing time.

Did You Know?

Wayne Gretzky has the most career NHL three goals or more games with 50. Mario Lemieux is 2^nd with 40. Wayne Gretzky also has the single season mark of 10, which he set twice in 1981-82 and in 1983-84.

Numbers, Numbers

1195 – NHL games for Teemu Selanne to get 610 goals

1063 – NHL games for Bobby Hull to get 610 goals

303 – Goals scored by Bobby Hull in the WHA, which he unfortunately doesn’t really get much credit for

36.5 – The Hurricanes face-off winning percentage, dead last in the league

14 – Years since the Coyotes last won a game in Montreal

Quote of the Week

“Actually, I have better games against better goalies. The way I look at it, I’m better than they are.” — RW Alex Kovalev, when asked if he was glad All-Star Ilya Bryzgalov didn’t start in goal for the Coyotes on Tuesday.

This Week in Hockey History

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

October 21, 2000 Nicklas Lidstrom had two assists for his 500th career point in the Red Wings 5-4 win in overtime against the visiting Buffalo Sabres. It came in the 5,000th game in Detroit’s franchise history.

October 22, 1999 Grant Fuhr became the 6th NHL goaltender to win 400 career NHL games and Derek Morris scored 20 seconds into overtime as Calgary won 3-2 at Florida.

October 23, 1971 Montreal’s Guy Lafleur scored his first career NHL goal. It came against Kings’ goalie Gary Edwards in the Canadiens’ 3-1 win at Los Angeles.

October 24, 1953 Maple Leafs’ Ted Kennedy scored a goal just :08 into a game between Toronto and Boston, to tie the NHL record for fastest goal from the start of a game (set by NY Americans’ Ron Martin in 1932). Leafs lost 3-2 to Bruins.

October 25, 1984 Guy Lafleur scored his 518th and final goal as a member of the Montreal Canadiens in a 3-2 win over Buffalo. His next NHL goal would come four years later with the New York Rangers.

October 26, 1984 Detroit Red Wings scored three empty net goals at the end of a 7-3 win over Buffalo, at Joe Louis Arena. Danny Gare scored two goals and two assists to lead the Red Wings’ scoring.

Rankings

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

Top 5

1. Nashville

2. Los Angeles

3. Detroit

4. Montreal

5. Tampa Bay

Bottom 5

30. New Jersey

29. Edmonton

28. Ottawa

27. Phoenix

26. Anaheim

1.) Washington Capitals

Rear-view Mirror: Once a long-time mediocre club, the Capitals have been on the rise since the arrival of phenom Alex Ovechkin and haven’t looked back since. They’ve made the playoffs the last three seasons as winners of their division, but haven’t been able to truly find their footing in the post-season and consequently have never taken their immensely talented club past the conference semifinals. Still, their struggles in the playoffs cannot take away from their incredible regular season accomplishments. The team finished with a 54-15-13 record and 121 points (good enough for the President’s Trophy), had the top-ranked offense in the NHL with an average of 3.82 goals per game, and had the best power play unit in the league at 25.2 percent. In addition to Washington’s accomplishments as a team, Ovechkin (50-59-109) surely would have taken the Rocket Richard Trophy away from both Sidney Crosby and Steven Stamkos had he not missed 10 games due a suspension and injuries.

Offseason Ins: Kyle Greentree, Brian Willsie, Dany Sabourin

Offseason Outs: Jose Theodore, Brendan Morrison, Eric Belanger, Joe Corvo, Scott Walker

What Makes Them Tick: The Capitals are arguably the best offensive team in the NHL. The top line of Ovechkin (50-59-109), Backstrom (33-68-101), and Semin (40-44-84) combined for 123 goals and 294 points; to put that into perspective, that’s three guys on one line combining for almost 2% of the total goals scored in the league this past season. No other line in the league comes close to touching that number, and all of the above players show zero signs of slowing down. Factor into that the offensive prowess of the NHL’s top-scoring defenseman Mike Green (19-57-76) and the help of veterans like Mike Knuble (29-24-53), and Washington’s offense appears to be more than ready to continue to make life miserable for defensemen and goaltenders around the league.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: If there was one major flaw to the Washington Capitals team of last season, it was the defense. Sure, when your team is scoring almost 4 goals each game and you’ve got the top power play in the NHL on your side, life as a defenseman can seem pretty easy. All of that offensive help can even make some of your defensemen appear to be better than they really are (Jeff Schultz’s plus-50 rating would be the perfect example of this). However, when push comes to shove, it’s hard to call the Capitals defense anything more than what it really is in comparison to every other aspect of the team: mediocre. With a 25^th ranked penalty kill last season attesting to a defense that needs work, Washington simply must improve this vital unit of their team if they hope to win a championship. If they don’t, their post-season luck (or lack thereof) will most likely continue as it has been.

Player to Watch: Who else but superstar Alexander Ovechkin could be deemed the player to watch on the Caps? Entering his second season as the official captain of the team, Ovie now has more to prove than ever. Though he doesn’t have much to prove as far as his play is concerned (except for maybe improving on some of the discipline issues that earned him a suspension last season), his leadership skills are still very much in question. Alex isn’t exactly known as the most mature player in the league, and many have wondered if he really is ready to handle the job of captain. This season, Ovechkin needs to prove that he’s just as worthy of a leader as he is a player and show everyone why the Washington Capitals is truly his team.

Prediction: It’s hard to imagine any Southeast team taking the division crown from the Capitals, despite multiple improvements made by many of the teams in an attempt to at least challenge Washington. With a superior offense and strong up-and-coming talent in goal, not only is it easy to imagine the Caps repeating as champions of their respective division, but also as Eastern Conference champions and as winners of the President’s Trophy for a 2^nd straight season. Washington will cruise through the regular season and clinch a playoff berth easily, but as many hockey fans know, the playoffs are where the team’s troubles usually begin. The Capitals will be out to prove they’re not the “one-and-done” club they’ve been labeled as over these past few seasons

2.) Tampa Bay Lightning

Rear-view Mirror: Another season of high expectations and an ultimately disappointing outcome has come and gone for the Lightning, missing the playoffs for the third straight season despite having a playoff-caliber team on their hands. Sophomore Steven Stamkos netted 51 goals (tying him with Sidney Crosby for most in the league), Marty St. Louis (29-65-94) fell just short of another 100-point season, and their supporting cast of Vincent Lecavalier (24-46-70), Ryan Malone (21-26-47), and Steve Downie (22-24-46) all factored into a team that looked simply stellar on paper coming into the season. However, all of that talent seemed to have trouble transferring onto the ice, and the Bolts ended the season with a 34-36-12 record (80 points) and finished 12^th in their conference. All that firepower also didn’t seem to come through for the team last season as they finished 23^rd in the league in offense with an average of only 2.60 goals per game. After the turmoil the franchise has suffered both on and off the ice these past few years, everyone is hoping a new, stable front office will lead to more stability on the ice as well.

Offseason Ins: Simon Gagne, Pavel Kubina, Dan Ellis, Dominic Moore, Randy Jones

Offseason Outs: Antero Niittymaki, Alex Tanguay, Andrej Meszaros, Kurtis Foster

What Makes Them Tick: If there is one team in the NHL that has the pure potential to challenge the Washington Capitals in the argument for best offensive team in the league, it’s the Lightning. Former MVP Marty St. Louis has helped young Steven Stamkos develop into a player that has the ability to take the league by storm, and both guys have the talent to be consistent 30 and 40 goal scorers each season. When you throw a healthy, motivated Vincent Lecavalier into that mix you get another 40 goals, and gritty guys like Ryan Malone and Steve Downie also contribute with 20-goal seasons themselves. Add the newly-acquired Simon Gagne (17-23-40 in 58 games) into that group of top 6 forwards, and you’ve got yourself two lines that are going to be an absolute nightmare for any defenseman that comes their way. With a power play unit that already ranked top 10 in the league last season despite other struggles, this offense now has the power to totally dominate any game they come into.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: In an off-season where talented free agent goaltenders were nothing short of abundant, the Lightning decided to go the frugal route and sign former Nashville Predators backup goaltender Dan Ellis. While Ellis is more of a “1b” goaltender than a true backup, it was an interesting route for the Lightning to take.  It wasn’t as if the team was afraid of taking on salary in general, which was shown in the trade with the Philadelphia Flyers for Simon Gagne despite his 5.25 million dollar salary for only one more season of play. That most likely would have been the asking price for a true #1 goaltender such as Evgeni Nabokov, who was forced to flee to the KHL due to the abundance of free agent goalies this off-season. But Tampa sought fit to set themselves up for a sort of goaltending duel between Ellis and Smith, hoping that friendly competition will arise from the fact that the two have found themselves in a “1a-1b tandem” situation before back with the Iowa Stars. However, not having a bona fide starting goalie is always a risky move, and while competition can be a positive thing within in a team, the risk may be greater than the reward in this case.

Player to Watch: As goes Vincent Lecavalier, so goes the Tampa Bay Lightning. Though he may not necessarily be the heart and soul of the team, he is no doubt the leader; if he struggles, so does the whole team. And while it may not seem fair to put the fate of the club on his shoulders, he has the honor of being both the most respected athlete in the city he calls home as well as the highest paid player in the league. However, his 10 million dollar paycheck certainly does not reflect his recent play on the ice, coming off two straight seasons without reaching the 30-goal mark. A player of his caliber should be scoring 40 goals each and every season, and while injuries certainly have plagued the talented center and should be taken into consideration when trying to figure out why he has struggled so much these past few seasons, one could easily question his motivation at this point. Lecavalier has to lead by example, and if he’s able to get his game back on track and return to playing the kind of hockey everyone knows he can, chances are the Lightning will follow suit.

Prediction: For the past two seasons, the Lightning has been considered the “dark horse” candidate by many people around the league; however, each of those seasons the team has managed to end up finishing at or near the bottom of the league. With new-found organizational stability which includes a revamped front office as well as a brand new coaching staff, the stars of the Bolts will finally be able to focus solely on playing the best hockey possible instead of worrying about whether or not they’ll be traded or let go if they have a misstep. Big seasons out of Stamkos, St. Louis, and Lecavalier will help the team stay in the thick of things and eventually propel them to a top-8 finish, marking a return to the playoffs for the first time in three years.

3.) Carolina Hurricanes

Rear-view Mirror: The Hurricanes experienced a fall from grace last season, going from making it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2008-2009 to finishing just 11th in the conference and 24th overall in 2009-2010. Injuries were much to blame for this slide, with star center Eric Staal (29-41-70) missing much of the beginning of the season and top goaltender Cam Ward eventually being sidelined as well. The team finished with a 35-37-10 record and 80 points, their worst finish since before the lockout, and struggled in almost every possible category (ranked 26th in defense, 20th in power play, 19th in penalty kill). With the departure of several key players this off-season, Carolina will have to figure out how to win despite missing players who have been considered leaders of the team for so long.

Offseason Ins: Joe Corvo, Jonathan Matsumoto, Riley Nash, Bobby Sanguinetti, Anton Babchuk

Offseason Outs: Rod Brind’Amour, Ray Whitney, Brian Pothier, Manny Legace

What Makes Them Tick: If there is one position on the team that is unquestionably solid, it’s goal. Despite some injuries that have caused problems in the past, Cam Ward (18-23-5, 2.69, .916) continues to establish himself as one of the top goaltenders in the league. He’s also still relatively young, which means that his best play is most likely still yet to come. In an off-season where the team lost key veterans in Brind’Amour, Whitney, and Pothier, the fact that Ward is signed through the 2015-2016 season no doubt induces a sigh of relief from all Hurricanes fans. The sky is truly the limit for a fundamentally sound goalie such as Cam Ward, and while great goaltending usually isn’t enough on its own to carry a team, if he can stay healthy he can easily help Carolina shake things up in the East.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: Losing three veteran players in Ray Whitney (21-37-58), Brian Pothier (5-10-15), and longtime captain Rod Brind’Amour (9-10-19) will not be an easy thing for the Hurricanes to overcome. Despite his scoring struggles this past season, Brind’Amour was invaluable on the ice for his leadership skills alone. The loss of defenseman Brian Pothier only further depletes the Carolina’s depth at that position, and fan favorite Whitney’s departure will cause the offense to take a serious blow as his 58 points for the season was third best on the team. If new captain Eric Staal doesn’t develop into the kind of leader that Brind’Amour was, that could leave the generally young and new team reeling by season’s end. The Hurricanes are in need of clear direction both on the ice and in the locker room if they are to succeed.

Player to Watch: Eric Staal is undoubtedly the best player on this Carolina Hurricanes hockey club. Despite some injuries and struggles early on in, Staal came roaring back in a big way by season’s end and not only finished best on his team in many statistical categories, but also came home with a gold medal after playing on Team Canada’s hockey team in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. The fact that Staal was even selected for Team Canada’s 2010 squad is quite a testament to his talent, considering his struggles during the season while fellow Canadians such as Steven Stamkos were playing stellar hockey elsewhere. Eric Staal is the definition of a well-rounded hockey player, from his pure offensive skill (consistent 30-goal scorer up until this season, where he missed the mark by one goal) to his stamina (he averaged the most ice time of any forward at almost 21 minutes each night). If he can round out his game by developing into a true leader, Staal could help the Hurricanes develop as a team quicker than most expect.

Prediction: Despite all the key losses and having to rebuild the club on a shoestring budget, the Hurricanes still have plenty of talent to allow them to be contenders this season. Staal is still one of the best forwards in the game, Cam Ward is arguably one of the best goaltenders in the game, and a supporting cast that includes Jussi Jokinen (30-25-65), Tuomo Ruutu (14-21-35), and Joni Pitkanen (6-40-46) is more than enough to keep Carolina in the mix throughout the season. The main thing that will hinder their playoff chances is the vast improvements made by their peers in the division while they themselves stayed content with what they had. Due to the improvements made by other teams and the unpredictability of the Eastern Conference, Carolina will just miss out on the playoffs and consequently stay home for the second year in-a-row.

4.) Atlanta Thrashers

Rear-view Mirror: After missing the playoffs for the ninth time in their 10 seasons of hockey in Atlanta, the Thrashers finally decided to make some major changes both on the ice and in the front office. These changes were made with just cause: despite placing 2nd in the division and finishing only 2 spots out of the final playoff seed, the Thrashers finished with just a 35-34-13 record and 83 points putting them at 23rd overall in the NHL. The loss of Ilya Kovalchuk (31-27-58 with Atlanta) prior to the trade deadline was the final blow to an already fragile team ego, and Atlanta finished with the 25th ranked defense with an average of 3.05 goals allowed per game and the 25th ranked power play at 16.1 percent. However, major acquisitions have been made this off-season to help improve on those statistics and in an attempt to fill the void left by Kovalchuk and other key players who left.

Offseason Ins: Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Ben Eager, Brent Sopel, Chris Mason

Offseason Outs: Colby Armstrong, Marty Reasoner, Johan Hedberg, Pavel Kubina

What Makes Them Tick: The Thrashers went out and made some big trades this off-season, most notably the one that brought Dustin Byfuglien (17-17-34), Andrew Ladd (17-21-38), Ben Eager (7-9-16), and Brent Sopel (1-7-8) to Atlanta from Chicago in exchange for some picks, prospects, and Marty Reasoner (4-13-17). The team was the main beneficiary of the cap crunch the Chicago Blackhawks felt immediately after winning the Cup, and they were able to obtain several great players in exchange for very little at all. With that comes a revamped offense, which is a positive and necessary thing in light of the departure of star center and offensive staple Ilya Kovalchuk. Some new weapons along with some old ones Thrashers fans already know and love could be enough to allow Atlanta to play spoiler for many teams in the East.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: In spite of all the positive things that come with the procurement of new, talented players, the subject of team chemistry is going to be a major question mark for the Thrashers coming into the season. While the fact that all four main acquisitions on offense and defense came from the same team is definitely a plus, there is no telling how those players are going to work with their new linemates. In addition, the team’s lack of depth on the third and fourth lines (where players such as Ladd and Eager will most likely be playing) could mean that the potential those players possess to be serious offensive threats could very well be wasted. If the players on Atlanta can’t find chemistry with one another quickly, they will most likely be left in the dust in a very talented and always challenging conference.

Player to Watch: Nik Antropov (24-43-67) is without the question the man to take over for Kovalchuk on the Thrashers. At the age of 30, Antropov has the perfect mix of both veteran experience and youthful play, and his ability to be a consistent 20-goal scorer will no doubt continue to keep him considered to be the main offensive weapon on an Atlanta team where goals will not come easily without Kovalchuk. He led the team last season in plus-minus last season at +13, finished 3^rdof the team’s forwards in ice time at an average of 18:13 each night, and led the team in both goals (24) and power play points (21). Though there is a vacancy in the position of captain on the Thrashers, Antropov seems the most poised to claim that title while leading a generally young team down the road of positive development for the future.

Prediction: The Thrashers followed a popular Southeast Division trend by starting almost from scratch this off-season and attempting to rebuild the team from the ground up. A decision like that may irk many Atlanta fans because they’ve suffered from so many losing seasons, and the knowledge that they’ll most likely have to continue to wait a bit longer until they taste playoff success is obviously not pleasing. However, when fans look at the big picture, they can rest assured that the team is moving in the right direction by rebuilding; the pain of losing now will soon be subdued when Atlanta becomes a consistent contender in the future. That future is still a few seasons off though, and the Thrashers will once again miss the post-season for the tenth time in their eleven year history.

5.) Florida Panthers

Rear-view Mirror: Remember when the Florida Panthers were a team playing for the Cup? Chances are that you don’t, considering it’s been almost 15 years since they fell to the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Finals. In fact, you might not even remember the last time the team even qualified for the playoffs considering it’s been exactly one decade now. While it may be harsh to say that the history of the Florida Panthers is humiliating, the team tends to make themselves a large target for criticism, and last season was no exception. Florida finished 14th in the Eastern Conference and 28th overall in the league with a record of 32-37-13, garnering a measly 77 points (3 more than the 74 points the Toronto Maple Leafs finished with) to wrap up a season which saw them finish with the 3rd worst offense in the league (2.46 GPG) and the 2nd worst power play in the league (14.2%). Coming into yet another off-season without having had the chance to compete for the Cup, the Panthers looked to rebuild in order to avoid what would be a record 10th straight season out of the playoffs.

Offseason Ins: Chris Higgins, Steve Bernier, Marty Reasoner, Dennis Wideman, Nathan Paetsch

Offseason Outs: Nathan Horton, Keith Ballard, Gregory Campbell, Kamil Kreps

What Makes Them Tick: The Panthers have had the luxury of great goaltending even in the worst of times as a team, and last season was no exception with Tomas Vokoun in net. Despite a lackluster offense that rarely gave him any goal support and a defense that didn’t provide much protection in front, Vokoun gave Florida a chance to win in each game he played in. In the 62 games that he started he went 23-28-11 with 2.55 GAA and .925 SV%, all impressive stats for a goalie that had the weight of a struggling team on his back throughout most of the season. Backup goaltender Scott Clemmensen (9-8-2, 2.91 GAA, .912 SV%) had a strong finish  and will provide some relief for Vokoun occasionally during the season. With a rock in net like Tomas, the Panthers will be given a chance to succeed despite other aspects of the team that need work.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: As it stands, the Panthers have not done much to address their offensive issues. The fact that they haven’t is a little more serious for a team like Florida, considering their extreme offensive woes last season that were discussed earlier. They traded top-line right winger Nathan Horton (20-37-57) to the Boston Bruins for Dennis Wideman (6-24-30), and while that is certainly a fair return considering Wideman’s defensive skills, the Panthers’ defense was certainly better than their offense last season and losing Horton’s consistent 20+ goals is certainly going to hurt. Considering the most the Cats have done to address the loss of Horton is acquire Chris Higgins (8-9-17), it could be another long season for Vokoun in net.

Player to Watch: As mentioned earlier, Tomas Vokoun is the main reason the Panthers will have a real chance to actually do something this season. His play last year was simply outstanding, and the great stats he put up were made that much more impressive by the simple fact that Florida was just an all-around underwhelming team. But there are more reasons besides his amazing play that make him the player to watch on this team. Vokoun is entering the last year of his four-year contract with the Panthers, and because Florida has been paving the way for up-and-coming prospect Jacob Markstrom (2.01 GAA, .927 SV% with Brynas of the SEL) to take over in net in the near future, chances are Tomas won’t be returning next season. Should the Panthers fail to stay in playoff contention next season despite Vokoun’s sure-to-be-incredible play, there’s a good possibility he could be traded to a team that could use some a steady goaltender in their net heading into the playoffs. Vokoun will either lead the Panthers to playoff glory or become their biggest asset at the trade deadline, and that is what makes him the player to watch on this team.

Prediction: While it’s almost difficult for any hockey fan regardless of affiliation to not wish that Florida makes the post-season, chances are that wish won’t be coming true anytime soon. Despite many different player acquisitions that appear to have helped improve the team, the Panthers suffer from having to compete in a division that seems to be dominated by one team while the others also continue to constantly improve, and a conference that is entirely unpredictable. While great goaltending by Vokoun may very well be enough to help Florida keep things interesting for awhile, that’s more than likely not going to be enough to actually power the Cats into the into the playoffs for the first time in a long time. Much like the Atlanta Thrashers, the Panthers will undoubtedly benefit from all the changes occurring within the organization in the future; however, as of right now, it’s going to be quite some time before Florida develops into a playoff-caliber team.

As you sit there in your favorite team jersey waiting for it to be October, let’s recap and vote on our favorite moments on the season that was. The 2009-10 NHL season was one of the most thrilling ever, featuring a Stanley Cup playoff race that was wide open. The 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs smashed many ratings records on the way to crowning the Chicago Blackhawks as Stanley Cup champions. Most, if not all, of the twitter tending topics that night were NHL related. Hockey is definitely on an upswing. Some of the points below I didn’t go into as much detail as I would like to have. However, I already wrote about most of it in previous columns, so sometimes it’s hard to re-write. There’s a lot to read and videos to watch, so I hope you enjoy it! (Trust me when I say it’s really long)

To break this article down, in the first part I recap the season of the Stanley Cup Champions, then I go into the biggest surprises, disappointments and awards of the season and other miscellaneous stuff. I end it with voting for the goat and the fight of the season, compiled from the best of those during the regular season from my weekly Between the Pipes column. Which I hope you all come back to read next season.

The 2009-10 Stanley Cup Champions

Chicago Blackhawks

What an unusual season it was for the Chicago Blackhawks. Their offseason certainly wasn’t boring. First you have Marian Hossa signing a huge contract worth 62.8 million dollars over 12 years. That alone brings up many questions like won’t he be 42 by the end of it? How do you even know how he will perform towards the end of the contract? Then the good/bad of the signing, Hossa wanted to play for a contending team and he viewed the Blackhawks as the team with the best chance to do so. Well that’s great but then you wonder, didn’t he think that with the Penguins and the Red Wings as well? How did that turn out? Next up you have Patrick Kane and his cousin assaulting a cab driver for 20 cents. Wait he what? There’s nothing like having one of your top players being involved in a ridiculous incident like that. Still the Blackhawks pressed on and opened the season a talented loaded team with one huge albatross around their neck, what about your goaltending?

Cristobal Huet was the number one goaltender by default, despite not being the number one last season, because the Blackhawks didn’t have enough money to sign Nikolai Khabibulin. As the starting goalie, Huet certainly didn’t make the regular season boring. First you had his 25.29 GAA average against the Flames in October, where he gave up three goals on five shots in seven minutes. Though to speak to the resiliency of the Blackhawks this season, Niemi actually came in and gave up two more goals in the 1^st period to put the Blackhawks in a 0-5 hole at intermission. But the Blackhawks ended up scoring six unanswered goals to win the game in overtime. Then there was the game against the Stars in which Huet gave up four goals on ten shots. Finally he gave up 14 goals over a span of three games, when the Blackhawks finally said the hell with this and made Antti Niemi the starting goalie. He did have some high points, putting together a seven game win streak and posting four shutouts. But he will mostly be remembered for plays like this:

Despite their goaltending issues, Chicago came within one point of the best record in the West. They boasted a balanced scoring attack with six players each having 20+ goal seasons. They also boasted one of the top defensive pairs in the league in Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. Antti Niemi started to develop into a number one netminder, hopefully vanquishing the albatross in the process.

The Blackhawks opened the 1^st round of the playoffs against the perennial stepping stone Nashville Predators. The Blackhawks lost the 1^st game at home and then the 3^rd game on the road to find themselves in a 1-2 hole. They seemed disinterested in the series and they weren’t getting the basics right. They managed to win Game 4 but then Game 5 happened. Game 5 was the kind of game that everything just went right, even when things looked bleak. It was the turning point of the series and the Blackhawks season. It was the game in which the Blackhawks got their swagger back. Let’s set the stage. Down in the important Game 5, 4-3, in the final minutes the Blackhawks try a final push only to have Marian Hossa get called for boarding. It appeared that Hossa was already working his curse magic. Instead it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as the inexperienced Predators played aggressive on the power play, looking for the kill goal. The Blackhawks were able to get a lucky bounce on the rebound and storm the other way and then pull their goalie to make it five on five. Then in some eerie foreshadowing, Patrick Kane scored the game tying goal off of a rebound in what would be his second most important goal of the playoffs.

After opening the overtime period shorthanded the Blackhawks ended up in the Predators zone and Hossa jumps out of the box and sets up right where Patrick Kane scored the previous goal. The puck once again took a fortuitous bounce and Hossa capped off the impromptu comeback.

In the decisive Game 6 you could tell it would be the Blackhawks year after Brent Seabrook gets an unexpected goal against Pekka Rinne.

From there it was the highly anticipated rematch with the Vancouver Canucks. Personally I found the series to be disappointing, as most of the games were pretty one sided. It had some comical moments though, like when the Canucks self destructed in Game 5 and committed four penalties in the span of four minutes and 40 seconds. There was also Roberto Luongo being himself hot, a 1.00 GAA in the two Canucks wins and cold, 5.25 GAA in the four losses. The soon to be Conn Smythe winner, Jonathan Toews was simply sensational against the Canucks. He was also in the midst of a 13 game point streak in which he amassed 25 of his 29 points.

Next was the highly anticipated match-up between the number one seeded Sharks. The win total of the two teams far surpassed any of the other match-ups in the 2010 playoffs. Oddly enough, it was also the only sweep of the playoffs. I’ll write more about it below in the disappointing section.

Then it was onward to the Blackhawks first Stanley Cup appearance in 49 years to face the Philadelphia Flyers and their 35 year drought. The series was very good and each game had a point in the 3^rd period, except for Game 5, where there was only a one goal differential. I don’t know about you but that’s hockey I want to see. Nobody on the Blackhawks had a truly remarkable series. They won as a team as it should be in hockey, the ultimate team sport. Some players did have remarkable games though, as Dustin Byfuglien did in Game 5 and Patrick Kane did in Game 6. The thing I love most about hockey is watching each player on the team hoist the Stanley Cup and skate around with it. You don’t see anything else like that in any other sport, period. Just the player, the Stanley Cup and the moment. It’s something every player in the NHL hopes to achieve but very few get too. An experience so awesome that it brings tears to those that didn’t get to achieve it, like Jeremy Roenick the great Blackhawk for eight seasons and 20 NHL seasons overall.

You shouldn’t be surprised that the Blackhawks won the series, as we still haven’t had a team with a regular season goal differential of less than a +25 win the cup in the past 20 years, maybe longer (This is my favorite hockey stat). The Flyers had no chance with their +11. It also wasn’t all bad for Huet. As many of you know, Niemi was the first Finnish goalie to win the Cup. Despite not really playing, Huet was also the first Frenchman to win the Cup. Here are some of the Blackhawks celebrating with Jay Leno, gag.

Finally for shits and giggles here are some of the best user comments on Yahoo by fans after the Blackhawks were down 1-2 to the Predators after their Game 3 loss.

A Yahoo! User Thu Apr 22, 2010 03:02 pm PDT

“I can’t wait next year for the Hawks 50 year anniversary since the last cup we won! We’re not gonna win it this year cause we won’t get out of the 1st round but when they bring those guys from the 1961 cup team come out on their rascals i will stand up and salute them. I hope they make snow tires for rascals. Maybe the Caps will let us borrow the cup next year for the ceremony. We probably won’t make the playoffs next year with a new coach and we play in a division with the Red Wings, Preds, (who are embarassing us) and the Blues and Jackets will be better next year so we might be last in the central. I also can’t wait to hang that central division banner next year. The Caps can have the cup we have the central division! That’s most important.” (This guy feels really stupid right now)

tom c Wed Apr 21, 2010 10:40 am PDT

“I don’t care who wins the cup if Detroit doesnt all I do know is it won’t be CHICAGO….1961…hahaha. Get used to it and the Wings will win another cup or two before you do if ever again…Love hossa now don’t ya…”

Biggest Surprises/Best of the Year

Teams

Phoenix Coyotes – How many of you had the Coyotes getting home ice in the 1^st round and then coming within a game of knocking off the perennial contending Red Wings? Nope nobody did and if you said you did, you’re lying. Apparently Wayne Gretzky was holding them back. Kidding aside this plucky group gave it their all. They even did it with the possibility of being sold at any moment during the season and having to possibly relocate at the end of the season. Ilya Bryzgalov, who had a few previous outstanding seasons, finally became a somewhat household name. He was 2^nd in the league with eight shutouts and he was nominated for the Vezina Trophy. The rest of the squad collectively overachieved. Shane Doan was the leading scorer with a whopping 55 points and only one other player had over 50 points (Matthew Lombardi). Radim Vrbata was the only Coyote to have over 20 goals during the season with 24. Despite losing in the 1^st round, the season was definitely something to build on. More importantly it may have finally sold hockey in the Phoenix desert.

Montreal Canadiens – The Canadiens magic season can be summed up with two words, Jaroslav Halak. If it wasn’t for his emergence the Canadiens would have had just another 1^st round exit. But he did emerge out of the shadow of Carey Price. I’ll admit Carey Price doesn’t cast a very large shadow but Halak had mostly been his backup until this year when they evenly split time in the regular season. Come the playoffs Halak was named the starter but he really didn’t flourish until after he was benched for Game 4 and then he came back with a vengeance. He even faced 134 shots over a three game span against the Capitals, not an easy task. It wasn’t all Halak though, Michael Cammalleri, Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez and Tomas Plekanec led the Canadiens offensively in the regular season and postseason. Though Gionta and Cammalleri combined for almost half of the 46 postseason goal total with 22 goals. There was also the emergence of P.K Subban who stepped in for the injured Andrei Markov and perhaps even surpassed his level of play. Subban was loved in Montreal for his hustle, determination and skill and hated everywhere else for his big mouth. The 2009-10 Canadiens returned the storied franchise to the Conference Finals for the first time since 1993. Even a 1^st round series win is celebrated like they just won the Stanley Cup in Montreal. I’ll leave with two videos, one the crazy but tame celebration and one not so tame.

Best Game 7

Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens

I can’t think of a game that had me at the edge of the seat like this one, in quite some time. Despite the Canadiens winning the previous two games, I didn’t really give them much of a chance. First you had the Canadiens taking the early 1-0 lead on the power play, just 30 seconds into the game. But it was still early and the Capitals had plenty of time to come back. Only after the second intermission it was still 1-0 and then you start to wonder, maybe the Canadiens can pull it off. When Montreal scored with about four minutes left in the game to take a 2-0 lead, you realized you were watching history in the making. About a minute and a half later the Capitals finally score to cut it to 2-1 and then you think maybe they can come back. All you know is the final two minutes would be the most intense you’ve ever seen in your life. Then Montreal gets called for a penalty to make 5 on 4. The Capitals pull their goalie to make it a 6 on 4 and you think surely the number 1 offensive team can score a goal with a two man advantage to save their season. But no Halak comes up huge the time runs out and see Alex Ovechkin slumped over to end another season. Relive the final two minutes here.

Best Series

This one was really hard for me to pick so I decided I’ll name four and you can vote. I didn’t include the Stanley Cup Finals because well it’s the Stanley Cup Finals so it would be memorable even if it sucked, which in this case it did not.

Vancouver Canucks vs. Los Angeles Kings

This was an awesome series that we were sadly deprived of a Game 7. It featured lots of open ice action, some high scoring and sometimes some great saves. Watching Doughty shut down the Sedin twins was also great to watch.

Detroit Red Wings vs. Phoenix Coyotes

This series was also great. The enthusiasm in the Jobing.com Arena (dumb name) was awesome and Detroit matched it. There was a ton of open ice as well in this series and high scoring. Game 7 took a little bit of the luster off of the series. Favorite moment is the Shane Doan face after his Game 2 goal, who could ever forget that.

Boston Bruins vs. Philadelphia Flyers

Game 1 was truly spectacular and featured a lot of pretty goals and an overtime win. Game 4 featured the same 5-4 score as Game 1 and another overtime. This series will mostly be remembered for the Flyers and their great series comeback and never give up attitude.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Hard to pick this series over the Canadiens vs. Capitals series but I did because you didn’t really know what you were witnessing at that point, plus I missed a lot of the games because there were so many other series going on. Other than Game 7 (more on that below) I thought this series was pretty evenly matched with great intensity and an always great Montreal crowd. Just love that atmosphere in the Bell Centre.

Biggest Disappointments/Worst of the Year

Teams

Anaheim Ducks – After coming within a game of the Western Conference Finals last season, Anaheim made the off season trade of sending Chris Pronger to the Flyers for Joffrey Lupul and Luca Sbisa. They had hoped to bolster their offense while securing another blueliner of the future for Pronger. They felt the addition of Lupul coupled with the signing of Saku Koivu would give them the offense they needed in order to make another run at the cup. Unfortunately while that looked great on paper, absolutely nothing worked out for the Ducks. Sbisa, while he will probably be on the Ducks blueline for the next decade, at only 19 was not ready for the big leagues especially with the crowded Ducks defenseman corp; he wouldn’t have cracked the top two pairs. Coach Carlyle felt it was important Sbisa received playing time, so down to the minors to dominate he went. Lupul was reunited with the team that drafted him but a happy reunion it was not meant to be. He ended up playing in only 23 games and was out the rest of the year with back spasms and a subsequent herniated disk surgery. While in the long run the trade might look kindly on the Ducks, they essentially traded Pronger and received nothing in return.

Koivu and Teemu Selanne, Team Finland linemates, never really developed the chemistry the team was hoping for when they acquired Koivu. Selanne also suffered two of his worst injuries in his career almost in succession, further dampening the Ducks hopes of a potent second line. Towards the last few weeks of the season, the duo finally blossomed and showed their potential but it was to late. But give credit where it’s due, Koivu was the Ducks MVP for the last two weeks racking up 11 points in the final five games. On the back-end the defensive core seemed to be okay with the trade of Pronger because the Ducks had acquired James Wisniewski and Ryan Whitney last season. Wisniewski played adequately but found himself suspended a few times, causing the group to not be at full strength. Ryan Whitney did not fit in well, especially at the power play point where the Ducks had hoped he would fill Pronger’s skates. He did not and the Oilers and Ducks swapped Olympians with the Ducks receiving Lubomir Visnovsky (further giving me another beyond complicated name to type when I recap the past weeks Anaheim Ducks games). Lack of chemistry and injuries really were the downfall of the Ducks. Next year looks promising though if they can bring back all of the key players next season.

Washington Capitals – There’s an old adage that goes “defense wins championships”. Apparently the Capitals have never heard of it. Coasting through the regular season playing in the weakest division and racking up goals like nobody’s business, these Capitals seemed destined for great things. They were the Goliath of the NHL. But unfortunately for the Capitals, there was also a David lurking named the Montreal Canadiens and their mighty stone Jaroslav Halak. Now don’t get me wrong the Capitals had a 3-1 series lead at one point, so it’s not like they played horribly throughout. It’s just when you play four series in three seasons and they all go to even games and you only win one of them, people start to wonder many things. I don’t blame the Capitals for only getting three goals by Halak in games five, six and seven, because lets face it, the line of Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Brett Hull in their primes probably wouldn’t have scored any more goals either. I more concerned with their lack of heart and their willingness to do whatever it takes to win. I’m also concerned with their defense. Mike Green is probably the premier offensive defenseman in the league but he’s nowhere near the top of defensive defenseman in the league. That’s really where the Capitals need him to be. He just completed his fourth season though, so barring something drastic on his part I really don’t think he will improve. The NHL really needs to do him a favor and stop nominating him for Norris Trophies he doesn’t deserve. The Capitals need to acquire better defensive talent and they need to become a more dynamic offensive team. I will give props to Semyon Varlamov who had a pretty good postseason. Unfortunately not many noticed it. Who knows though, the Sharks had a 1^st round exit last year and made it to the Conference Finals this year. The same could happen to the Capitals.

Worst Game 7

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Montreal Canadiens

This Game 7 was somewhat reminiscent of last years 2^nd round game between the Penguins and Capitals in which the Penguins destroyed the Capitals 6-2 in the 2^nd round in a hugely disappointing game as well. This time the Penguins were on the losing end. I’m still not really sure how the defending Champions would show up so flat footed at home, but they did. They lost the game 5-2 and were even down in the 2^nd at one point 0-4, yikes. As awesome as this series was, and it was one of the best of the playoffs, this game couldn’t have been anymore anticlimactic. It also showcased none of the things that made the series great, other than Halak playing well again. Marc-Andre Fleury was awful, the Penguins defense was awful, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin had no points and the game wasn’t close.

Worst Series

Chicago Blackhawks vs. San Jose Sharks

I alluded to it in the Blackhawks season recap but this certainly was the most disappointing series in some time. Normally you don’t get the 1 vs. 2 match-up very often and considering what we got in the East, I expected so much more from this series. The Sharks had just come off a dismantling of the Detroit Red Wings and the Blackhawks looked strong coming off their Canucks series win. Now none of the final scores had more than a two goal win but you just got the vibe the whole series that the Sharks didn’t have much of a chance, especially after they dropped the first two games at home. The score in those games were a lot closer than the game actually was. Nobody on the Sharks came to play except Patrick Marleau and they never scored more than two goals in a game. You can’t expect to win the series when you average 1.75 goals a game in the series. The Sharks also took a bunch of dumb penalties in Game 4 when it was tied 2-2, basically handing the game to the Blackhawks on a silver platter. Evgeni Nabokov didn’t play well and now I hear the Sharks want to resign him, yikes. He’s a regular season goalie, not a playoffs goalie.

Miscellaneous

Can only happen in hockey

Duncan Keith loses seven teeth – Duncan Keith, or how he’s referred to on the internet Duncan Teeth, showed the world just how tough hockey players are. While trying to keep the puck in the offensive zone on the power play, Keith took a puck to his face from a clearing attempt by Patrick Marleau. Marleau ended up scoring a breakaway goal because Keith was taken out of the play. But showing the true hockey player that he is, Keith returned to the game minutes later. Here’s a nice video on the play and what happened afterwards.

You’ve got to be kidding me

The Philadelphia Flyers come back from an 0-3 series deficit – This feet was made all the more impressive by the fact that they only got into the playoffs on a shootout win in the final game of the season against the New York Rangers. But the Flyers became only the third team in NHL history to comeback, joining the 1975 New York Islanders and the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs. Not only did they come back down from 0-3 in the series, they also came back down 0-3 in Game 7. Not to mention they had to switch stating goalies in the middle of the series due to injury and they lost their 2^nd leading scorer, Jeff Carter, for a month due to injury. I can’t think of a team that had to battle so much to get so far. Many thought this might be a team of destiny but their destiny ran out in the Stanley Cup Finals. Special acknowledgment goes to Danny Briere for leading the whole NHL in postseason scoring and for having some pretty goals along the way.

Iron Man Award

Craig Anderson – Now here’s a guy that had never been a starter in the league before or played in more than 31 games. He played in 71 games this season for the Colorado Avalanche, almost the same amount of games he played combined in his first five years in the league. He didn’t stop there, as he faced the most shots of any goalie during the regular season with 2233. He was one of the primary reasons the Avalanche rebounded so quickly. In the playoffs he faced the highest shot total of any goalie to play six games and sometimes he faced more than those with a few more games played than him. He finished the playoffs with the highest SV% at .933. Here’s hoping he can keep up the pace next year.

Team on the Rise

Los Angeles Kings – Something is brewing in Los Angeles and it isn’t the latest motion picture. It’s the first legit team the Kings have put together since Wayne Gretzky left town. They’re a young and deep talented team. Anze Kopitar at only 22 has seemingly blossomed into an elite player leading the league in scoring for a good chunk of the time. He did severely cool off towards the end of the season. However, I think this season was just a little preview of what’s to come. The Kings have a great pair of young defenseman in Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson. Doughty is something truly special and his skilled were acknowledged with the Norris Trophy nomination. While I don’t think he will win it this year, my vote is on Duncan Keith, I think Doughty might dominate the award in the future like Bobby Orr, Raymond Bourque and Nicklas Lidstrom have in the past. Doughty was simply sensational in the Canucks series. How quickly the Kings can ascend, falls mostly on the shoulders of Jonathan Quick. Quick was a workhorse this season and will probably need to be again next season. He will need to continue to hone his skill in his 3^rd full season if the Kings hope to advance further in the playoffs.

The comeback that never was

Ray Emery – Nobody wanted to take a chance on Ray Emery because of his previous bad behavior but the Flyers desperate for goalie help decided it would be worth the risk. Emery started all of 29 games before suffering a torn muscle. He was later diagnosed with avascular necrosis and was out for the rest of the year. In his absence Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton led the Flyers all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. With the Flyers recently signing Johan Backlund and already having Brian Boucher under contract, its unlikely free agent Emery will return. I don’t think any other NHL team will give him a chance either and I’m not even sure if he is fully recovered to play.

Breakout of the year

Steven Stamkos – I gave it to Stamkos because he had struggled so much the previous year. It’s not easy to come into the league as the 1^st overall pick in the draft. Expectations are high and you are expected to perform. Stamkos rose to the challenge in his second year. Playing along side Martin St. Louis certainly helps but Stamkos is a special talent in his own right. Leading the league in goals in your second season is also an impressive feat. Stamkos will only continue to get better. John Tavares was another number 1 pick this year that put up almost identical numbers to what Stamkos did in his first season. I suspect his second season will end up being his breakout year as well. Craig Anderson would have gotten this nod for the regular season but I gave him another award. Jaroslav Halak would defiantly have gotten this award for the postseason but I already wrote about him.

Rookie of the Year (Calder Trohpy)

Tyler Myers – Besides goalie I think defenseman is the hardest position to learn. It’s not easy to try and stop the speed and skill of the top wingers in the NHL on a nightly basis. Myers was also the only defenseman on the Sabres in the top 80 in defenseman scoring. It’s very rare that there aren’t at least two defenseman from each team in the top 60. Leading all players on your team in ice time is always an honor for any rookie. Myers should compliment Ryan Miller for years to come.

Goalie of the Year (Vezina Trophy)

Ryan Miller – Goaltending has only gotten better over the years and there were a lot of strong contenders. Tuukka Rask came in a strong second but he played in 24 fewer games so I’d like to see what he can do with a full season under his belt. Miller had the 2^nd best GAA at 2.22 and the 2^nd best SV% at .931. Both were behind Rask. He faced the 4^th most shots and had the 4^th most wins. So while he wasn’t first in any major statistical category, he was 1^st in taking over a game. He isn’t perfect though as he did make a few of my Goat of the Week awards this season. But as the entire World witnessed in the Olympics, he can put on quite a good show. This past January I saw Miller play live against the Ducks. He didn’t start the game, Patrick Lalime did. But the Ducks chased Lalime after the first 10 minutes after he gave up four goals. Though the Ducks did manage to score one goal on Miller, the whole entire feel of the game seemed different when he came into it. It was if he told the Ducks this isn’t going to be easy anymore. It wasn’t. I hope that Miller doesn’t suffer the same fate Dominik Hasek did in Buffalo. That is to go cupless.

Player of the Year (Hart Trophy)

Sidney Crosby – Now before we start this, I am not a diehard Sidney Crosby fan. I think he is a great player but I do not worship the ground he walks on. Furthermore, I honestly don’t think he is the most talented player on his team. I think Evgeni Malkin is. Two years ago Malkin would have easily won my player of the year award (I know my award isn’t that prestigious). So why does Crosby get it when Alex Ovechkin and Henrik Sedin had just as good or even better seasons? Well first off, Malkin didn’t have the same year he had in the previous two seasons and a lot of that was due to injuries. So basically Crosby had to carry the Penguins on his back. The other important thing to remember is Crosby doesn’t really have anyone else on his line. Sure Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin are good players but they aren’t great. Sedin has his brother Daniel Sedin on the same line and Ovechkin has Nicklas Backstrom and sometimes Alexander Semin. Crosby is the line all by himself. He also scored 51 goals which was not only tied for 1^st in the league but his own personal best. He had never even reached 40 goals in any of his previous seasons. He was also red hot in the 1^st round of the playoffs before coming back down to earth against Halak. I don’t think he has reached his full potential yet but I felt he was the best player on the ice this season.

Vote for the best of the season

Some were hard cuts particularly in the Goat category, so many goats this season. But I narrowed it down to three fights and five goats. There is no playoff goats so no Dan Boyle own goal or Halak stupidly playing the puck way beyond his net.

Fight of the Season

Cam Janssen vs. Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond

David Koci vs. Brian McGrattan

Rick Rypien vs. Cam Janssen

Goat of the Season

Nikolai Khabibulin misplays the puck in the final minute of the game against the Flames to give them the win.

Tim Thomas mishandles the puck allowing the Penguins to get the win in overtime.

Keith Ballard taking out his own unsuspecting goalie

Ivan Vishnevskiy loses the puck off his stick and into his own empty net

Antoine Vermette comes sweeping in and knocks it in his own goal.

1 Washington Capitals vs. 8 Montreal Canadiens

Season Series: split 2-2

Playoff History: They have never played each other, well there’s a first time for everything.

Star to Watch: Alexander Semin because he needs to step his game up to the next level in the playoffs for the Capitals to have a chance at the Stanley Cup.

X-Factor: With Saku Koivu and Alexei Kovalev gone Tomas Plekanec is the man in Montreal. He produced a goose egg in three games in last years playoff. He will need to play well for Montreal to have any chance.

Goalie Problem: Both teams have problems and they both might go with a two headed monster in net. But I think in Montreal’s case they stick with Jaroslav Halak. He’s certainly played better down the stretch and earned it. As for the Capitals they said the plan on rotating between Jose Theodore and Semyon Varlamov. I say go for it because if there is any round which you can afford to experiment it would be this one. Have them play every other game and go with the hotter one.

Fun Fact: Washington has scored 101 more goals this year than Montreal.

Prediction: The Washington Capitals should sweep the Canadiens unless Varlamov/Theodore truly suck it up.

2 New Jersey Devils vs. 7 Philadelphia Flyers

Season Series: 5-1 Flyers

Playoff History: 2-1 in favor of the Devils, last meeting was in 2004 which the Flyers won in the 1^st round.

Star to Watch: Ilya Kovalchuk because the spotlight is on him. He was acquired for the playoffs and now it’s his time to shine. He has only played in four games in the postseason before but he’s surrounded by a group that’s been there before. I expect the Devils to continue to jumble their top two lines to find a good fit for everyone including Ilya.

X-Factor: Can Chris Pronger stay out of the penalty box? He sure had a problem doing so in Anaheim at key moments. However, last year was the first year he averaged under one PIM a game in his postseason career.

Goalie Problem: The Flyers employed a three headed monster in goal this season and lost two of its heads to injury and were left with just Boucher. This is his second stop in Philly and he was last in the playoffs with them in 2002 where he only played in two games. He played well in the must win against the Rangers.

Fun Fact: Philadelphia had the 2^nd highest PIM this season while New Jersey had the 3^rd lowest. I smell fights though.

Prediction: Well despite the advantage of the Flyers in the regular season, the Flyers have played poorly down the stretch and are lucky to have made the playoffs. The Devils are still mad about being bounced in the 1^st round the past two seasons. I think they and Brodeur have something to prove, Devils in six or seven.

3 Buffalo Sabres vs. 6 Boston Bruins

Season Series: Boston 4-2

Playoff History: 5-2 Boston, though Buffalo has won the last two meetings the last one being in 1999 in the 2^nd round.

Star to Watch: Well slim pickings in the star category but I’d have to say Michael Ryder. Marc Savard is injured, Phil Kessel is gone and it’s up to Ryder to lead them in playoff scoring like he did last year.

X-Factor: How will Calder candidate Tyler Myers hold up? Myers was phenomenal playing for the Kelowna Rockets in the playoffs last year and he will need to deliver again.

Goalie Problem: Neither of these teams have one, unless you consider choosing between Tuukka Rask and Tim Thomas a problem. Personally I call that a luxury.

Fun Fact: If Tuukka Rask plays most/all of the round, this match-up will feature the top two goalies in GAA and SV% this season.

Prediction: Buffalo in five games because the Bruins just don’t score enough and goals will not be plentiful on Ryan Miller.

4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 5 Ottawa Senators

Season Series: split 2-2

Playoff History: Bad blood between these two. They didn’t meet last year as Ottawa didn’t make the playoffs but they met the previous two years in the 1^st round and here they are again. The first time the Senators beat the baby faced Penguins who vowed revenged next year. They got their revenge with a sweep and supposedly tanked on purpose to draw the Senators in the first round.

Star to Watch: Evgeni Malkin because he hasn’t been healthy lately but when he has been in the lineup he’s still been effective. The key to the series (but mostly other series) might be how often he can play.

X-Factor: Can Kris Letang (3) and Brooks Orpik (2) both score more goals in the postseason than they did in the regular season? Probably.

Goalie Problem: Mac-Andre Fleury hasn’t played all that well the last month except for three games. But playoff off time is generally when Fleury shines so he should rebound nicely. If not we might see some of Brent Johnson. Brian Elliot gets some much needed experience for Ottawa.

Fun Fact: The winner in each of the two previous playoff meetings went on to lose in the Stanley Cup Finals first to the Ducks and then to the Red Wings, will that happen again?

Prediction: Pittsburgh should win this probably in five games but possibly a sweep. The Senators are probably one of the weakest five seeded teams in some time.

1 San Jose Sharks vs. 8 Colorado Avalanche

Season Series: split 2-2

Playoff History: They have met three times in the playoffs before, the Avalanche hold the series lead 2-1. They haven’t met since the 2004 playoffs when San Jose bounced them in the 2^nd round.

Star to Watch: Patrick Marleau, people rag on Joe Thornton a lot, but where the hell does Marleau disappear to in the playoffs? He has 11 points in 19 games and a -2 the past two seasons. With the addition of Danny Heatley he does have a little less pressure but now he has no more excuses.

X-Factor: With all that Colorado youth I’m sure they’ll have no pressure and continue to play as normal. That might be a probably if San Jose ratchets up the intensity but Adam Foote, Milan Hejduk and Stephane Yelle have sure been here before.

Goalie Problem: Craig Anderson has been overworked this year and it’s by far the most amount of games he as ever played in the NHL in one season. Subsequently he started to wear out at the end. He was stupidly not rested in a meaningless game against the Kings. Way to go management. Evgeni Nabokov will need to put last year’s playoff debacle against the Ducks behind him and play better.

Fun Fact: San Jose has only been past the 2^nd round once. Colorado has been past the 2^nd round six times. San Jose has been around four more years as a franchise.

Prediction: Honestly this is probably the hardest series to predict. I can actually see the Avalanche beating the Sharks. Whatever happens, it’s going seven games but I’ll just say Colorado for the hell of it. Prove me wrong San Jose.

2 Chicago Blackhawks vs. 7 Nashville Predators

Season Series: Chicago 4-2

Playoff History: None, then again the Predators haven’t been around that much.

Star to Watch: Jonathan Toews because he really needs to have a breakout campaign in the playoffs for Chicago to reach where they want to go. Anchoring Hossa, Kane and/or Sharp should help him reach his potential.

X-Factor: The Predators have never been out of the 1^st round and they sure would like too. I’m sure the fans in Nashville really don’t care.

Goalie Problem: Antti Niemi has played really well down the stretch with a .927 SV%, except for the game against St. Louis. If he keeps it up we won’t see Huet. Nashville is a good first round opponent for Niemi as they aren’t exactly an offensive powerhouse. He only faced Nashville once this year and wasn’t stellar with an 800 SV% and a 4.00 GAA.

Fun Fact: Chicago has been to the playoffs 54 times and Nashville four times, not including this year.

Prediction: Chicago in five. I expect big things from Chicago this year; then again they made it all the way to the conference finals last year. Chicago just has way more talent than Nashville. I’m amazed Nashville finished as high as they did.

3 Vancouver Canucks vs. 6 Los Angeles Kings

Season Series: Vancouver 3-1

Playoff History: 2-1 Los Angeles and not since the 2^nd round in 1993 when the Kings made it to the Stanley Cup finals.

Star to Watch: Way too many to mention here. I’ll have to say Anze Kopitar vs. Henrik Sedin in the head to head center match-up, fun times indeed. Henrik obviously has the experience advantage and his new Art Ross hardware.

X-Factor: We have the inexperienced defense of the Kings, minus Scuderi and O’Donnell of course, vs. the banged up Canucks defense. I think we will be seeing some high scoring games.

Goalie Problem: What has happened to Roberto Luongo? If Luongo can regain his form the Canucks may go for, if not they could get bounced in the 1^st round.

Fun Fact: The only win this year that Los Angeles had over Vancouver, the Kings scored eight goals on Luongo.

Prediction: Well this will probably be the most fun of all the first round series and another hard one to predict. It should go seven but I guess I’ll take the Canucks.

4 Phoenix Coyotes vs. 5 Detroit Red Wings

Season Series: split 2-2

Playoff History: Only met one other time in 1998, Detroit won in the 1^st round.

Star to Watch: Shane Doan returns to the playoffs with the Coyotes for the first time since 2002. He’s the only one left from that team as well. Doan will need to step it up for the Coyotes to have any chance at all.

X-Factor: How much do the Red Wings care? I mean they’ve been there done that a few times before. Phoenix on the other hand has not accomplished anywhere near as much. Between their ownership problems, their surprising season and not making the playoffs in eight years it should make for an interesting dynamic. At least fans finally came out to support the Coyotes. I’m looking forward to the WhiteOut.

Goalie Problem: Jimmy Howard doesn’t have a lot of playoff experience and neither does Ilya Bryzgalov. While Howard has none, Bryzgalov did play a few games for the Mighty Ducks including three consecutive shutouts.

Fun Fact: Detroit has been to the playoffs 55 times (not including their days as Cougers or Flacons) and Phoenix five times, not including this year.

Prediction: Try as I might, I can’t see any scenario that the Coyotes beat the Wings. Then again I couldn’t have seen any scenario in which the Coyotes would obtain over 100 points. Lightning can strike twice but in this case I think the Wings experience wins out, so Detroit in six.

As for Stanley Cup Final prediction I say the Washington/Pittsburgh winner against Chicago. I’m not sure who I would pick and I know it’s a cop out not to pick a winner and to also not pick between Pittsburgh and Washington but it really depends on how the goaltending for Washington and Chicago fair in order to pick. Part of me wants Chicago to lose in the finals so that Marion Hossa can be on the losing side three years in a row. The hilarity that would ensue for everyone but him, I know Schadenfreude, I’m a bad person.

Fights of the Week

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

Matt Cooke vs. Evander Kane

Well we had a few KOs this season but this one might take the cake. I’m guessing Matt Cooke will want a rematch next year.

Trevor Gillies vs. Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond

A decent back and forth fight with a weird start.

Micheal Haley vs. Rod Pelley

A decent back and forth fight with some good punches.

Goat of the Week

Marc Staal – New York Rangers

Marc Staal’s bad pass attempt to another Ranger, I can’t identify, who wasn’t even looking for the pass sets up Mike Richards breakaway goal.

Things I like

1. Ten years of over 100 points for the Red Wings. That is consistency and it’s really tough to do in this day in age of the game.

2.  The Boston Bruins scored three shorthanded goals all during the same penalty. To think that Boston had problems scoring all year, they just needed to be shorthanded. Although they were the 29^th shorthanded scoring team so maybe it was just an anomaly.

3. Seven teams in the Western Conference had 100 points or more. Wow. Yet many people wonder why I and many others think the West is the superior conference. Of course you get a point now for an overtime loss but you used to get a point for a tie which a lot of these games could have ended if there wasn’t a shootout.

4. Standing Ovations for Mike Modano (maybe retiring), Keith Tkachuk (retiring) and Teemu Selanne (maybe retiring) during their final home games. Of course two of those three players made up a phenomenal line on the Winnipeg Jets. Tkachuk and Selanne teamed with Alexi Zhamnov in the early to mid 90’s. I didn’t see them play because who televised Winnipeg Jets games (and I was like 12 haha) but I did have their hockey cards. Scott Niedermayer also might have played his last game but he’s a defenseman so no one cares. I’m just kidding but my gut tells me Selanne and Niedermayer will both be back.

Things I don’t

1. NBC did one of those patented NBC moves. Only one game had a game that meant something to both teams, the New York Rangers vs. the Philadelphia Flyers. You can argue that Detroit and Chicago meant something but only whether they would move up a spot or not, which is not a big a deal as winner gets into the playoffs. So NBC shows the Capitals vs. the Bruins, ugh. And people wonder why the NHL can’t get a bigger following in the states, bonehead moves like that is why. Now I know that the Caps game was at 12ET and the Rangers vs. Flyers game was at 3ET but I’m pretty sure they could have moved the game up if they wanted to show it.

2. When NBC was going over the standings and possible playoff matches they had the Flyers vs. the Capitals and then they said of course the Rangers could win and get in instead. Of course they failed to mention that if the Flyers won they wouldn’t play the Capitals because they would leapfrog the Montreal Canadiens and the Canadiens would then play the Capitals. I guess that would have required too much research on their part. Between NBC’s sheer stupidity and no one carrying versus I can’t think of a time the NHL had worse broadcasting partners. Unless of course you count that FOX glow puck debacle.

3. Four teams in the West that didn’t make the playoffs finished at or above the 88 points the 7^th and 8^th seed Flyers and Candiens had in the East. Hmm… doesn’t seem fair. Of course Detroit shouldn’t even be in the West seeing how they’re even more East than Atlanta is.

4. Ranges in the shootout, I mean Gaborik wasn’t even one of the first three shooters and Lundqvist picked a bad time to suck in the shootout after playing an awesome game.

Stat Line of the Week

04/11/10 Pittsburgh 6 vs. NY Islanders 5

Crosby made a run for the records he could get and while he came up short on the points record, he did end up tying Ovechkin for 2^nd. He also ended up tying Stamkos for the goal lead at 51.

Did You Know?

The playoff beard tradition was started by the New York Islanders in the early 1980’s. It seemed to work as they won four cups in a row in the 80’s.

This Week in Hockey History

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

April 08, 1937 Referee Clarence Campbell officiated his first Stanley Cup match in Game Two of Finals, a 4-2 win for Detroit over the Rangers. Campbell, who became third league president in NHL history in 1946, gave out three penalties.

April 09, 1980 Bob Sauve recorded first shutout in Sabres playoff history, 6-0 over Vancouver in Game Two of the Stanley Cup Preliminary Round. Gil Perreault scored a goal and added two assists.

April 10, 1982 L.A. Kings staged their famous “Miracle on Manchester”, scoring 5 goals in the third period to tie the Oilers, then winning 6-5 on an overtime goal by Daryl Evans. The win gave the Kings a 2-1 lead in the best of 5 series vs Edmonton.

April 11, 1994 Tom Barrasso stopped 32 shots for his 21st career shutout as Pittsburgh clinched the Northeast Division title with a 4-0 win at Ottawa. Jaromir Jagr led the scoring with three assists.

April 12, 1960 Montreal’s Maurice “Rocket” Richard scored his 82nd (and final) NHL playoff goal in Game 3 of the Finals against Toronto. Canadiens beat the Leafs 5-2, and won again two nights later for the 1960 Stanley Cup Chamionship.

April 13, 1997 Mario Lemieux picked up two assists in his final career regular season game (until his comeback in 2000-01) as the Penguins lost 7-3 at Boston. The two assists gave Lemieux 122 points, and his 6th NHL scoring championship, in his 12th season.

Rankings

Based on the likelihood of winning the Stanley Cup

Top 5

1. Washington
2. Chicago
3. Pittsburgh
4. New Jersey
5. Detroit

Bottom 5

16. Montreal
15. Nashville
14. Ottawa
13. Philadelphia
12. Phoenix

East (Least)

1.        z-Washington             80        118     +83

2.        x-New Jersey             79        99        +25

3.        y-Buffalo                     79        98        +28

4.        x-Pittsburgh                79        97        +16

5.        x-Ottawa                     80        93        -9

6.        Montreal                     80        87        -2

7.        Philadelphia               80        86        +11

8.        Boston                        79        85        +1

West (Beast)

1.        y-San Jose                 80        109     +46

2.        y-Chicago                  79        107     +59

3.        y-Vancouver               80        101     +48

4.        x-Phoenix                   79        102     +20

5.        x-Nashville                  80        98        +2

6.        x-Los Angeles           79        97        +23

7.        x-Detroit                     79        96        +10

8.        x-Colorado                 79        93        +16

I won’t do match-ups this week since we still have a week to go but some things jump out at me.

Not that GA/GF is the, be all end all of everything but I think it’s an important stat. In the West you can pretty much see who the weakest link is, Nashville. I can’t imagine them getting past the 1^st round, everybody else will be tough and it’s totally up for grabs. If you go by the +25 cut off point, if you don’t know what I’m talking about read last weeks column, it’s still just San Jose, Chicago, and Vancouver. Los Angeles has a shot to make the cut-off point mostly thanks to the +5 they had on Bobby Lu (more on him below) and the Canucks. If you would have told me that Phoenix would make the playoffs at the start of the season I wouldn’t have believed you. If you would have told me they would get over 100 points, I would have laughed in your face for 30 minutes. But here we are. Colorado ended up around where I thought they would. I thought Los Angeles was a year away from making the playoffs but here they are anyway.

In the East I think it’s telling how bad the conference is when the 9^th place Western team would be in 6^th place in the East and probably hold the advantage. Not to mention the 5^th place Senators have a -9. In the East it’s the same three teams over +25, Washington, Buffalo and New Jersey. Even though Pittsburgh will probably finish in 4^th like last year, New Jersey has the tiebreaker; I think it’s safe to say they lost their mojo. Of course Malkin has only played in two of the past ten games and he is a huge part of what makes that team go. The most interesting thing about the East is if there are no upsets, which doesn’t seem likely but isn’t there always at least one, and the top 4 stay as they are Pittsburgh would meet Washington in the 2^nd round, again, despite the NHL’s wishes. I’d have to admit I was hoping they would meet in the conference finals this year as well. Washington seems to have Pittsburgh’s number too. It would also setup a 2^nd round of Miller vs. Brodeur and won’t that be fun. This would be a rematch of the Team USA vs. Team Canada gold medal game goalies… o wait nevermind.

Fights of the Week

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

Darcy Hordichuk vs. George Parros

The 4^th fight this season and 10^th overall between these two. Short but lots of good punched and probably one of the better Parros fights.

Jason Strudwick vs. Brian Sutherby

Good rights by Strudwick and good lefts by Sutherby. It’s a shame it didn’t last longer.

Goat of the Week

Roberto Luongo – Vancouver Canucks

Roberto Luongo had what some may say a bad night at the office when he gave up eight goals against the Kings. Some were fairly bad but the eighth goal pretty much summed up his night. It probably had him longing for the day when he received his gold medal. Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault on why he didn’t pull Luongo, “I’ve got a plan, and I’m going to stick to the plan.” Translation: Luongo sucking wasn’t part of the plan.

And because we love Luongo so much, here’s another one from against the Avalanche. He tried to cover with his blocker hand, don’t you see the problem with that already, and butted it in with his stick. Not sure if it was over the line yet but while he was busy not covering the puck the Avalanche stormed and knocked it in.

Things I like

1. Jaroslav Halak started to heat up in March which included, among other things, a six game win streak. Now he has boiled over and recorded two straight shutouts in crucial games for Montreal’s playoffs chances. Perhaps this will finally put an end to the misery that is the Carey Price experiment in Montreal. Not to totally rag on Price but he’s had a rough go of it in Montreal. especially with the media. I think he’s someone who would benefit from a change in scenery.

2.  A home and home series of the Philadelphia Flyers vs. the New York Rangers in the final two games of the regular season. Talk about scheduling prowess but I like that the teams competing for a spot have to face each other. That’s the way it should be, although I realize it rarely happens. Of course since the Rangers just lost to Buffalo, it doesn’t really matter anymore. O well.

3. Since being inserted as the starting goalie since Huet melted down, Antti Niemi has played well enough to justify being a starter in his own right and not just simply the lesser of two evils option. In the past four games he has only allowed four goals.

4. I just love the points race between Henrik Sedin and Alex Ovechkin. Ditto the goals race between Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Steven Stamkos. I also loved Ovie’s empty net goal with about one second left in the game against the Penguins, just priceless.

Things I don’t

1. Hey buddy can I buy a goal? That’s what Boston Bruin players and fans must be saying. They have now dropped into the lowest scoring team in the NHL. Hard to imagine they were the 2^nd highest scoring team last year. I wonder if they regret trading Phil Kessel, no wait I know the answer to that. Amazingly they did score five on Calgary the other week and four on Atlanta. They have now mustered up five goals in their last four games.

2. The plucky Atlanta Thrashers had their luck finally run out. With the Rangers winning and the Thrashers only able to muster up three points in the last five games their run for the playoffs has come to an end. Hard to root against a team who seems to shed one superstar a season but then you realize they play in Atlanta and have the second lowest attendance on top of only Phoenix, who has their attendance problems well documented, so then you don’t feel too bad.

Stat Line of the Week

04/03/10 Vancouver 5 vs. Anaheim 4

In his first NHL season the former 1^st round pick Michael “Grabby” Grabner had his first career hat trick. Not to shabby in only twelve minutes of play. He should be one to watch next year in what will likely be an increased role.

Did You Know?

That the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks have never made the playoffs in the same season. Sadly that is the case this year as the Ducks won’t make the playoffs for the first time since 2003-04 or the lockout year if you want to be technical, though nobody made it then. They have both missed it in the same season though.

Numbers, Numbers

13 – Number of 25 goal seasons for Teemu Selanne

801 – Number of career assists for the 39 year old Mike Modano

4 – Number of goals in 54 games for Peter Mueller with the Phoenix Coyotes

9 – Number of goals in 15 games for Peter Mueller with the Colorado Avalanche

0 – Number of wins by the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins over the Washington capitals this season in four games

600 – Number of wins by Martin Brodeur, win 600 was a shutout fittingly

This Week in Hockey History

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

April 01, 1990 Luc Robitaille scored his 100th point of the season (for the second time in his career), as the Kings lost 8-4 to the Flames at Calgary.

April 02, 1927 New York Rangers’ Lorne Chabot became the first rookie goalie in NHL history to get a shutout in his first playoff game, when he and Bruins’ Hal Winkler traded shutouts in a scoreless tie, in Game One of the Stanley Cup Semi-Finals.

April 03, 1966 In the final game of the 1965-66 season, Chicago’s Bobby Hull picked up an assist (during a 4-2 loss at Boston) to give him 97 points, the most ever by a player in one season. Hull broke Dickie Moore’s NHL record of 96 points set in 1958-59.

April 04, 1976 Chicago’s Tony Esposito became the first goaltender in NHL history to record 30 (or more) wins for seven straight seasons, when the Blackhawks had a 7-2 win over the visiting St. Louis Blues.

April 05, 1995 Montreal Canadiens obtained Pierre Turgeon and Vladimir Malakhov from the New York Islanders, in exchange for Kirk Muller, Mathieu Schneider and Craig Darby.

April 06, 1974 Rookie Denis Potvin scored a goal and three assists in the final game of the season, to give him NHL records for most goals (17), assists (54), and points (71) by a rookie defenseman. Islanders won 4-2 over the Minnesota North Stars in New York.

Rankings

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

Top 5

1. Detroit
2. Nashville
3. Washington
4. Anaheim
5. Buffalo

Bottom 5

30. Tampa Bay
29. Florida
28. Colorado
27. Minnesota
26. Philadelphia

Anaheim Ducks Watch

In the last five games, up until the last kings game, the Ducks have garnered nine points, only one short of the maximum possible. Not to shabby especially when you consider they are doing it without Ryan Getzlaf and Jonas Hiller.

Anaheim played Colorado at Colorado in a game they must have otherwise they would pretty much be out of it. They delivered especially the Selanne, Blake, Koivu line. This was the first game the line played exceptionally well and the start of their current streak. In fact Selanne, Koivu with Niedermayer and Eminger all had +5 for the game. Blake had a +4. Selanne had a goal number 601 in which he tied his boyhood idol and fellow Fin Jari Kurri.

Next was Vancouver at home in a rematch of a game where the Ducks didn’t really show up in Vancouver the week before. Ever hear of Michael Grabner? Well I haven’t but the Canucks felt highly enough of him to draft him 14^th overall in the 2006 draft. He showed why as he recorded his 1^st career hat trick. This was a highly entertaining game. For the Ducks Selanne and Koivu each recorded two clutch goals a piece. Selanne’s goals came on the power-play as he officially passed Kurri on the goals list. Koivu’s second goal came on the power-play with the goalie pulled and tied the game in the final two minutes to force overtime. Overtime was just as exciting as the regular game but no one scored. In overtime and towards the end of the 3^rd period there were some questionable no calls on both sides. I like that they let them play though and they were somewhat consistent with the officiating. In the shootout Mr. Reliable Selanne was not reliable and even though Curtis McElhinney was great in the game he was not very good in the shootout. Canucks win in the shutout but the Ducks get that all important point.

Next were the Kings in a “road” game in Los Angeles. The Kings got a weird bounce goal to take a 1-0 lead at the end of the 1^st. Lots of chances the rest of the game in another entertaining game. This game also had some questionable no calls. Nobody scored gain to the end of the 3^rd until Koivu ties the game in the final two minutes with a power-play goal with the goalie pulled. Hmm… where have I seen that before? Koivu’s new nickname is Mr. Clutch. In the shootout McElhinney was much better than he was in the shootout against the Canucks. Nobody scored in the shootout except for, guess who, Saku Koivu.

Next was another game against Los Angeles this time at home. The Ducks tried to keep their playoff hopes alive and jumped out to a 4-1 lead. Selanne scored two goals and Bobby Ryan finally snapped his eight game goalless drought. Ryan did it off a Vancouver miscue into a wide open net. But alas the Kings stormed back and forced overtime. The Ducks needed to win the shootout to stay alive but since the Avalanche beat the Canucks in their own shootout right before it didn’t really matter. It’s just as well since Los Angeles ended up beating the Ducks in the shootout anyway.

Anaheim started to put it all together these last few weeks but it was too late in the end. I was most impressed with how hot Selanne and Koivu were these past few weeks. But of course that is what was envisioned when they were put together at the beginning of the year but it never materialized. That coupled with injuries (Getzlaf, Selanne, Wisniewski, Lupul), Hiller starting slow and Whitney not really fitting in doomed the Ducks. Visnovsky ended up fitting in really well after the trade but again something that didn’t happened until it was too late. If Niedermayer and Selanne come back next year I think this will be a dangerous team if they stay healthy, since most of the chemistry issues have been worked out.

The center pivots the entire offense and is a deep pool with many teams only having spot for three or four centers on a fantasy team. Having a center that creates for others is ideal but one that contributes on special teams both power play and shorthanded is one that should take precedent over just plan scorers.

As we saw in the NHL Fantasy Rankings for goalies and defensemen there were some surprises, which will make a huge fantasy impact down the stretch. That is the same feeling among the best centers in the league as time winds down on the NHL and Fantasy seasons

Here are the Olympic Break rankings for Centers:

1. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh: 42-36-78-12 Power Play Goals

2. Nicklas Backstrom, Washington: 26-50-76-+32- 29 Power Play Points

3. Henrik Sedin, Vancouver: 25-55-80-+27-20 Power Play Points

4. Patrick Marleau, San Jose: 38-26-64-19 Power Play Points-3 SHP

5. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay: 35-35-70-30 Power Play Points

6. Joe Thornton, San Jose: 16-59-75-25 Power Play Points

7. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh: 21-44-65-5 GW Goals

8. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles: 28-36-64-28 Power Play Points

9. Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim: 17-41-61-7 Power Play Goals

10. Mike Richards, Philadelphia: 24-22-46-13 Power Play Goals

11. Mikko Koivu, Minnesota: 16-40-56-24 Power Play Points

12. Eric Staal, Carolina: 20-30-50-20 Power Play Points

13. Jeff Carter, Philadelphia: 27-25-52-6 GW Goals

14. Jonathan Toews, Chicago: 19-30-49-7 Power Play Goals

15. Stephen Weiss, Florida: 21-27-48-8 Power Play Goals

16. Ryan Kesler, Vancouver: 16-38-54-58 PIM- 10 Power Play Goals

17. Mike Fisher, Ottawa: 20-24-44-7 Power Play Goals

18. Paul Stastny, Colorado: 12-42-54-15 Power Play Points

19. Travis Zajac, New Jersey: 19-32-51-+19-16 Power Play Points

20. Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit: 17-32-49-+13-7 Power Play Goals

21. Brad Richards, Dallas: 17-49-66-7 Power Play Goals

22. Matt Stajan, Calgary: 18-27-45-7 Power Play Goals

23. Brooks Laich, Washington: 20-26-46-8 Power Play Goals

24. Jason Spezza, Ottawa: 15-18-33-13 Power Play Points

25. Andy McDonald, St. Louis: 19-19-38-15 Power Play Points

Five out of eight games were decided in overtime or a shootout, we saw the goal of the year (CLICK FOR AMAZING GOAL), a player get knocked unconscious (CLICK FOR BIG HIT), and a slaughter in Calgary (Chicago Blackhawks 7, Flames 1).

In Carolina, the league’s two worst teams—the Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs—scored twice in the final 30 seconds including the tying goal with 2.9 ticks left on the clock to force extra time.

You want a good gauge on how great this night was?  The buzz on NHL action at ESPN around midnight was greater than the excitement over Dolphins running back Ricky Williams’ 3 touchdowns that probably won fantasy football players their week 11 games after just one night.

Now, with each team having played roughly 20 games we’ve reached the quarter pole of the season—exactly what did we know and what have we learned?

We know Alex Ovechkin is the league’s best goal scorer, but we didn’t know just how great he is.  In 15 games so far this season, he has 15 goals and despite missing over two weeks with a shoulder injury, he still leads the league in shots on goal with 87.  Assuming he stays healthy the rest of the way, there’s no reason to believe he can’t reach 70 goals and another Hart Trophy will be in Ovechkin’s hands.

I knew the L.A. Kings would be better this year, I never imagined they’d be this good or Anze Kopitar would rapidly become one of the game’s elite.  With 14 goals and 32 points, Kopitar would win the MVP for players not named Ovechkin.

We know the Blackhawks are one of the best teams in the league, but we didn’t know just how good they would be.  Star winger Marian Hossa hasn’t even touched the ice yet and the hawks are 13-5-2.  Personally, I thought they’d have to merely tread water until Hossa made his debut.  With his return imminent, it’s time for the league to be very afraid of the uprising in the windy city.

The Blackhawks already rank near the top of the league in goals per game, 2^nd in goals against per game (47 goals allowed in 20 games) and have the top penalty killing percentage in the league–all  while being hit hard by injuries thus far (Adam Burish, Ben Eager, Jonathan Toews, Dave Bolland and Brent Seabrook) have all missed multiple games.  Not only are they emerging as a legitimate cup contender but this might be the best coaching job of Joel Quenneville’s career.  He’s the early nominee for coach of the year.

On the flip side, we knew the Maple Leafs would be bad—3 wins in 20 games is another story.  However, we didn’t know the Carolina Hurricanes would be giving Toronto a run for their money in the battle for the top draft pick in 2011.  Last year’s eastern conference runners-up have 4 wins in 21 games and their best player (Eric Staal) and star goalie (Cam Ward) are both on IR.  It’s already time to focus on Duke and UNC hoops in Raleigh.

Sure, number 1 overall draft picks could go the way of Alexander Daigle or Patrik Stefan, so while it’s safe to say we knew Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos would be a star we didn’t know he’d be the main attraction in Florida.  With 14 goals already and the aforementioned goal of the year, Stamkos has quickly become a force.    

On the other hand, nobody knew about the rapid decline of teammate Vincent Lecavalier.  Coming off a poor season, the Lightning signed their veteran center to a multi-year extension, which was supposed to put his mind at ease by ending any and all trade talk.  Lecavalier has responded with 4 goals and just 18 points in 19 games and is no longer an All-Star caliber player.

Meanwhile, we knew Islanders rookie John Tavares—the No. 1 overall pick in 2010—would be good.  There were too many Sidney Crosby comparisons for him to disappoint.  Yet, he’s somehow exceeded expectations.  While his 9 goals and 10 assists are mighty impressive, we could not have known he’d be able to lift his lifeless franchise out of the cellar and into the hunt for a playoff spot.  Keep in mind, this is still without goalie Rick DiPietro, who still hasn’t played this season but is nearing a return.  Could there be playoff hockey on Long Island?  The fact that this question is even legitimate is completely shocking.    

Finally, we all know hockey is a physically grueling sport that can be dangerous at times but dirty hits and concussions have entered dark territory.  The NHL needs to find a way to better protect its players or we’ll soon be reading about permanent brain damage like NFL legends battle with.  We don’t know how the NHL can do this—maybe bigger helmets or stricter penalties and suspensions?  Whatever the solution, it better come quick.

We know there’s still plenty to learn with many months remaining, but early reviews on the first quarter are looking good—we know the 2009-10 season could be one for the ages.