29 Oct 2008 by Craig in National Hockey League
This is a current list of the top 10 teams in the National Hockey League. I made this list based on performance, talent, past success and predictions about the future, Throughout the year this list will change it will be up dated as we start to see who the true favorites are.
10 – Buffalo Sabres - I didn’t see this happening before the season started, but the Sabres are off to a great start. They have a very deep set of forwards with guys like Roy, Vanek, Kotalik, and Pominville off to good starts. Right now Thomas Vanek looks like a true all star and has become the leader up front for this team. Great goaltending by Ryan Miller has gotten this team off to a 6 – 1 – 2 and leading there division. Buffalo is a great team to watch they have a great mix of speed and aggressiveness and seem to beat there opponents in many different ways.
9 – Minnesota Wild - Well I really don’t understand this one and I would have to say I am not sold yet. There isn’t a whole lot of talent on this team especially with Gaborik being hurt, but you cannot over look the fact that they are winning hockey games. They win by playing a great defensive system, they are allowing a league low 2 goals a game. To this point they still haven’t lost a game in regulation and are the leaders in the Northwest division.
8 – Anaheim Ducks – The Ducks got off to a horrible start, but seem to be getting it together. The reason for there bad start was that the team just wasn’t gelling, there seemed to be no unity on the ice. Top forwards Perry, Getzlaf and Selanne seem to be breaking out of there funk and will start to lead this team to more consistent victories. This team has great goaltending and a solid defense, if they get some goals they will win more then there share of games in the Western Conference. Keep your eye on this team, I think they will start playing as they should.
7 – Calgary Flames – Another team that didn’t get off to a great start, but seem to be putting it all together. Before the season I thought Calgary was truly a cup contender and I am not ready to take them off this list yet. Iginla, Bertuzzi and Cammalleri are starting to get some chemistry and will lead this team throughout the season. For this team to stay on this list Miikka Kiprusoff is going to have to play like the all star he should be. To me the Flames look like a building team that will only get better as the year goes on.
6 – New Jersey Devils - The Devils are still good, because they still have Martin Brodeur. Brodeur is still the best goalie in the world and as long as New Jersey has him they will be a top 10 team. The goaltending is great, but they still need to find away to score more goals, they are only scoring 2.5 goals a game. If they manage to get some more goals and get healthy this team will be near the top of the Eastern Conference all season long. The Devils have some injury problems in the forward lines, but still need to take the pressure off the goaltending and defense by manufacturing some goals.
5 – Pittsburgh Penguins – You can’t over look the talent on this team, they are off to a bit of a slow start, but they will only get better as the year goes on. Recently they have been playing all world forwards Malkin and Crosby together and they have been scoring at a high pace. The injuries to there puck moving defense has really made it hard for this team in the early going. Fleury is also playing some great goal for the Penguins and gives them a shot to win every night. To win consistently the Pens will need secondary scoring from Staal, Satan and Fedotenko. In my opinion this team has no where to go, but up on this list.
4 – Montreal Canadiens – Still Stanley Cup favorites, and off to a great start. Not a lot of weaknesses on this squad, they are fast, balanced and get great goaltending every night. If they keep it up, they will be at the top of this list all season long.
3 – San Jose Sharks - The Sharks are proving they are still a great regular season team and will be near the top of the Western Conference all year. Highlighted by great goaltending and a solid group of forwards, there is no doubt the Sharks are one of the most talented teams in the league. If they continue to get secondary scoring they will have no problem being in the top three all year long.
2 – New York Rangers - They have slowed a bit from there great start, but still are right at the top of the NHL. Secondary scoring has really led this team with Dubinsky, Zherdev and Voros all off to great starts. They have gotten the great goaltending and defense that they expected, and if that continues I see them near the top of this list all season long. The Rangers are a great team in a great market and it is good for the league to have them playing this well.
1 – Detroit Red Wings – Defending Stanley Cup champions, and still the most talented team in the league. After a loss on opening night, they have played some great hockey and will only get better. A team full of stars like Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Hossa and Lidstrom, this franchise continues to be the best in the league. They are perfect on the road, and if they play any where near this good all year they will fight for the Presidents trophy. Detroit will be at the top of this list until another team proves they can play as consistently great as they do.
23 Oct 2008 by Craig in NHL News
The season is under way and some great story lines have developed. From teams over achieving, stars playing ordinary and a lot of teams with goalie problems. One thing I have noticed is that the next generation has truly taken over the league. We all know about Ovechkin and Crosby, but it seems like a lot of there peers are catching up and leading the league. There is a lot of players in the league who are under the age of 20, its up to you to figure out if that is a good thing or not. Wow some big market teams are off to bad starts and might be growing impatient. The National Hockey League seems strong, the play seems good and there seems to be a lot of fans enjoying the game.
Philadelphia Flyers – A lot of hockey people picked the Flyers to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and guess what they have zero wins.. There seems to be a lot of problems here, but the most prevalent is the goals they are allowing. Don’t blame it all on the goalies, the defense looks lost out there. This team might need to trade one of there forwards to get a good defenseman. I don’t know if there is a trade to be made, but I would be looking if I was the GM in Philadelphia. Its obvious that something has to change, the defense is soft and Biron isn’t good enough to over come these time of defensive problems. The Flyers don’t tend to be a patient franchise and if this continues they will make deals that they think will improve there club. I am not ready to give up on this team, its only six games and they are to talented.
The Anaheim Ducks have only scored 16 goals in 7 games, they will not win a lot of games in the West averaging just over two goals a game.
Back to Canada - I have heard a lot of talk this week about putting another team in Canada. I hope this is a relocation idea, not expansion, this league doesn’t need more teams. We need to face facts some southern teams are struggling and they could end all that by putting a team north of the border. A lot of the talk surrounds putting a team in southern Ontario and maybe even a second team in Toronto. Not a bad idea, I’m not sure whether another team right in Toronto will work, but there are a lot of fans and money in southern Ontario. Other possibilities have putting team back in Winnipeg or Quebec City or what about Halifax. First off I think if a team is going to move the likely candidate is Nashville, sorry Preds fans, but you have ownership problems and you just don’t have enough of a fanbase. Hockey people realize that it is easy money to put a team in Ontario and it will be harder and harder to keep the franchises away.
Jason Blake is going to be a healthy scratch from the Maple Leafs lineup when they take on Boston. This has to hurt for a guy who had 40 goals just 2 seasons ago. He has never produced in Toronto and it looks like he has fallen out of favor with the coaching staff.
Evgeni Malkin leads the league in points with 11 and Thomas Vanek leads with 7 goals. Big surprise Malkin leads the league in assists and Vanek looks like he might be that star Buffalo hoped he would be.
Goalie Problems – I am not surprised that some teams have some serious goaltending problems early in the year. I am not surprised about Martin Gerber in Ottawa, Jose Theodore in Washington or Peter Budaj in Colorado. If these teams want to compete this year, they will need to figure this out. Budaj and Gerber especially, how about making a trade, we all know Khabibulin is available. “The Bulin Wall” is off to a great start, and it might be time one of these teams make a move for him. Yes, he makes way to much money, but you have to do what you have to do if you want to win. All around goalies haven’t been very good guys like Turco, Osgood, Luongo and Bryzgalov are all not playing as we expect them to. It is early and there is no reason to panic for most team, but if I was an Ottawa or Colorado fan I might be a touch concerned about the future.
Martin Brodeur had his 98th career shutout. Brodeur is a future hall of famer and is getting close to the all time shutout and wins records. When it is all said and done Brodeur might be considered the best goalie of all time.
Sarah Palin will drop the puck at an NHL game again, this time in St. Louis. I am sure her and her supporters hope to get a better response then they did in Philly.
The Ottawa Senators continue to struggle at home and have started re arranging there lines. Spezza will try to play on the second line, while Fischer will play with Alfredsson and Heatley. This team is struggling and I think need to make a major shake up move, in my opinion trading Spezza might be something they should look into.
Don’t worry its not panic time yet for most teams, the season is still very young. Goaltending is a big issue all over the league, but that was predicted in the pre season. You cannot truly evaluate how a season is going until your team has played about 20 games, at that point you might see some teams scramble to make there clubs better. The NHL product has been great so far and I look forward to more great story lines as the year continues.
17 Oct 2008 by Craig in NHL 2008
The NHL season has just started, but we have a full schedule of games this weekend. Certain teams are off to bad starts and others are playing un-characteristically great. We will see a lot of rivalry games this weekend and it should be extremely fun to watch.
Edmonton Oilers vs Calgary Flames Home and Home
These teams historically don’t like each other and they will play a home and home series this weekend. If you watch these games you can expect a high emotion level, as if were a playoff game. The crowds will be into the games, and cheering as if the games were life or death. Both these teams are good and expect to make the playoffs this season, and both are fun to watch. Edmonton is young, fast and creative on offense and might be the most entertaining team in the league. Players like Hemsky, Horcoff, Cole, Gagner and Cogliano will lead the Oilers attack . Calgary plays a tough physical and solid all around hockey game. The pressure will be on there defense to stop the high flying Oilers. If Calgary wants to win these games Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Reghir will have to play like the all stars they are. Up front Calgary have some talent of there own, Jerome Iginla is one of the best players in the league and Todd Bertuzzi and Mike Cammalleri will help out. The problem for Calgary to this point of the season has been goalie Miikka Kiprusoff, who has looked horrible. Kiprusoff will have to play like he used to because Calgary doesn’t really have a useable back up. If Edmonton wants to win these games they will need to match the physical intensity of Calgary and get some secondary scoring. I am going to watch these games, they should be highly entertaining. Calgary vs Edmonton is the best rivalry in hockey and I would expect these two games to be filled with emotion. Look for two close games that are fast and physical. I don’t like to pick hockey games, but I would expect these games to be split.
San Jose Sharks vs Anaheim Ducks
Friday night, we will be treated to a match up of favorites in Western conference. These two teams are off to completely different starts, San Jose has looked great and Anaheim has looked brutal. The Ducks have looked bad everywhere goaltending, goal scoring, defense and special teams. The Ducks need to stay out of the penalty box, if they don’t they will continue to lose hockey games. Anaheim desperately needs there stars to show up, guys like Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Teemu Selanne need to be productive. San Jose is off to a 4 -0 start and have looked like the best in the West. Goalie Nabokov has been excellent and the team has been producing in front of him. Patrik Marleau looks like the coaching change has allowed him to play like the player of old and Joe Thornton is still a star. These two teams are very familiar with one another and would expect a good game on Friday night. San Jose is playing a lot better then Anaheim right now, but playing an old rival in San Jose might be the boost that the Ducks need. Ducks win, I just think they will be up for this game. Close game it might even come down to a shootout.
New York Rangers vs Detroit Red Wings
An all original six match up, that should be fun to watch. Both teams are highly talented and have huge expectations for this season. The Rangers are coming off there first loss of the season and the Red Wings are yet to get it going. The Rangers have leaned a lot on there second line for production, but will need there stars like Drury, Gomez and Naslund to play well to beat the Wings. The Red Wings are full of Stars like Hossa, Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Lidstrom, and it is hard to find any weaknesses. These teams don’t get a chance to play that often and the fans of the two franchises should be excited to see what happens. This could be a measuring stick game for both team and I expect a close battle. Two of the best teams in the league, you can’t go wrong if you choose to watch this game.
Boston Bruins vs Ottawa Senators
Northeast battle, both teams are off to a 1-1-1 start. I think these teams will fight it out all year and battle for playoff spots. Senators captain Alfredsson may miss this game and leave the Sens looking for some help. Boston is a deep team with guys like Bergeron, Ryder, Savard and Chara. Both teams have the same question marks, goaltending is the key to both teams. Neither team is overly comfortable with starting goalies and which ever goalie plays the best will lead there team to victory this weekend. In the Sens want to win Spezza and Heatley will have to play great games and put some points up on the power play. Look for a fast physical game between these two, before the years out the Senators and Bruins will hate each other. I will pick the Bruins to win, because I really don’t like Gerber as the goalie in Ottawa.
Should be a great weekend of hockey and there are even more games to check out. Toronto vs New York and Vancouver vs Buffalo on Friday. Saturday has some great match ups Colorado vs Dallas, Phoenix vs Montreal and Philadelphia vs San Jose. With a full schedule, this seems like the official start of the National Hockey League season. Original six match ups, home and home series and divisional rivalries rule this weekend. Watch as many games as you can, enjoy the action and cheer on your team.
09 Oct 2008 by Craig in NHL 2008
Well, its finally here, the NHL season officially gets under way tonight. Yes, there was a couple games in Europe, but this feels like the real thing. I already went over the Red Wing vs Maple Leaf game for you, but there’s a few more tonight. At this point there is a hope for all teams, everyone feels they have a chance to win. An NHL season is long and grueling and in many ways on opening night most teams will have the healthiest roster they will have all year on the ice. It’s time for the rookies to prove they belong and for the veterans to prove they are still at the top of there game. There’s excitement in eight cities tonight, because hockey is back and there teams will be starting there chase for the Stanley Cup.
Boston Bruins vs Colorado Avalanche
I think these are to fringe teams in the NHL this season, both of which will be looking to get off to good starts. For Boston it is all about health, they do have there best player back in Patrice Bergeron. Bergeron missed most of last year with concussion problems, but he seems healthy now and is ready to lead the Bruins. Patrice will join an already deep front line with newly acquired Michael Ryder, Marc Savard and Phil Kessel. The biggest question the Avalanche have to answer early this season is whether or not Peter Budaj is a number one goalie. There whole season might hinge on whether or not he can take that next step and become a consistent all around NHL net minder. The same old characters will have to score some goals for Colorado this year, guys like Sakic, Hejduk, Svatos and Wolski. The Avalanche will play a gritty style game led by former Maple Leaf Darcy Tucker and a healthy Ryan Smyth. Both these teams have decent veteran defense cores Boston with Chara and Ward. Colorado will counter with Foote and Liles on defense. In my opinion this might be the most crucial game of the night, both teams need to get off to good starts this year. On paper these teams look very similar, and it looks as if they will play a close game. Colorado is at home and I think they will come out with a win 3 – 2 in a shootout.
Calgary Flames vs Vancouver Canucks
An all western Canada match up should be a treat to watch on opening night. Both teams have made some changes in the off season and have some big expectations for this season. Great goaltending for both teams will make it a low scoring game, Kiprusoff for Calgary and Luongo for Vancouver. Calgary and Vancouver are both defense first teams that boast solid units from the blueline. Phaneuf and Reghir lead Calgary from the back end while Ohlund and Salo are healthy and ready for the season in Vancouver. The biggest difference between these two teams is the depth in the forward lines. Calgary has great front end talent with Iginla and Cammalleri, with other guys like Bertuzzi, Langkow and Lombardi as solid offensive players. The Canucks went out and got Pavel Demitra to go along with the Sedins, but they will need contributions from guys like Bernier, Pyatt ane Wellwood. I look for this game to be fast and for both teams to play aggressive physical games. There should be some fights and remember these teams don’t like each other very much. The game is in Canada and the fans will be ready, loud and excited to get the season going. The atmosphere will be as if the game is truly important and players will all feed off that. This should be the best game of the night and I think Calgary will win 3 -1 with an empty net goal.
Anaheim Ducks vs San Jose Sharks
Two perennial power houses in the Western Conference will do battle on opening night. Both franchises have been competitive for a lot of years and will be looking to do much of the same this year. The Sharks will be playing a new system under a new coaching staff. New system same old players Joe Thornton will lead the way and need help from Marleau, Cheechoo and Mihalek. I am interested to see if the new puck possession style will work in San Jose or if they will be the same old team. Anaheim looks like the team that won a Stanley Cup a couple years back and Scott Niedermayer is the Captain again. They still have Pronger and Selanne, but the team is truly led now by young stars Getzlaf and Perry. Both teams have great goaltending, Nabokov in San Jose and Giguere in Anaheim. The Sharks went out and got the puck moving d – man they have always looked for in Dan Boyle and they hope that is enough to put them over the top. These are two of the top five teams in the West and this should be a good battle. I am torn, but I will pick San Jose wins 4 -3 in an exciting game worth watching.
Yes, it is just the first game of the season, but it is worth getting excited for. We haven’t seen good hockey in months and now it is time to see who is truly the best teams this season. Things to watch in these games are can Bertuzzi and Iginla play together in Calgary, can Peter Budaj be the number one goalie in Colorado and is San Jose playing a more Red Wing style game under the new coaching staff. It is the first night and these questions can’t be answered in one night, but the talk is over lets drop the puck. Enjoy the action and I hope your team gets off to the start they hope for.
01 Oct 2008 by Craig in NHL 2008
Anaheim Ducks - The Ducks ran into some cap issues this off season and had to make some tough decisions about there club. They bought out Todd Bertuzzi and traded Mathieu Schneider, so they could get under the cap. Anaheim is still very talented and will be looking to have a good season. Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger will lead the team from the back end and they still have all world goalie J.S. Giguere. Defense will not be the problem with the Ducks, they are going to need to manufacture ways to score goals. Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Teemu Selanne will have to have good years for Anaheim up front. The Ducks aren’t as good as they were when they won the Cup a couple years ago, but they are still contenders in the West. Look for them to play great defense and fight for there division title.
Atlanta Thrashers - There’s not much to say about this team, there is a better chance they finish in dead last place then make the playoffs. They still have Ilya Kovalchuk as by far there best player and only true goal scorer. They made a trade for Mathieu Schneider and have a couple decent players in Colby Armstrong. Slava Kozlov and Jason Williams. Well this team straight up, isn’t good at all, in fact they might be the worst team in the league. If you are a Thrashers fan, get ready for a long season and a good draft pick next year.
Boston Bruins – The Bruins look good, they look like a playoff team. Bruins fans should get excited, the team is heading in the right direction and making the right decisions. Every night the Bruins will put out a solid top 6 forwards that will include Marc Savard, Michael Ryder, Patrice Bergeron and youngster Phil Kessel. Zdeno Chara is the captain and one of the best defenseman in the NHL. Its yet to be seen who the starting goalie is, but a healthy Manny Fernandez and Tim Thomas will make a good one two punch in net. I see Boston as a playoff team, but they need to stay healthy. They are heading in the right direction, but I don’t think they are deep enough yet to withstand major injuries.
Buffalo Sabres – This team is a confusing one I can’t figure out if they are going to be very good, or miss the playoffs. They are fast up front with Maxim Afinogenov, Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek and should score some goals. They finally managed to keep a player by signing under rated forward Jason Pominville to a multi year deal. They have one of the best goalies in the NHL with Ryan Miller and a veteran defense core. The Sabres should fight for a playoff spot this year and be tough to play on a nightly basis. Miller is going to have to have a good season in the net, and Thomas Vanek will have to earn his money.
Calgary Flames – The Flames look good, they look like Western Conference favorites this season. Once again they will be led by super star Jerome Iginla, but Flames management went out and got him some help with Mike Cammalleri and Todd Bertuzzi. Secondary scoring will be key to Calgary having a great season. The defense is big and tough with Robyn Reghir and Dion Phaneuf. Miikka Kiprusoff will need to be back to his Vezina self because they don’t have much of a back up. The Calgary Flames will be an extremely tough team to play as they always are. They are big and physical and may intimidate some teams. Iginla is one of the best goal scorers in the NHL and if they get contributions by other players the flames will win. This team will hit, hard, fight and claw there way to a division title this year.
Carolina Hurricanes – I’m not to sure what to say about Carolina, they aren’t the worst team in the East, but they are far the best. They may be a team in limbo, they have some good pieces, but not a whole team yet. Eric Staal is the leader on the ice and they also have streaky forwards Tuomo Ruutu and Sergei Samsonov. Cam Ward is a good goalie and a healthy Frank Kaberle will lead the defense. The Hurricanes don’t look like a playoff team this year, but if they play hard they should have an alright record.
Chicago Blackhawks – This is the best young team in hockey, and I think this is the year they finally make the playoffs. Young super star forwards Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp will lead the offensive charge. The three of them will combine to be one of the best top lines in the NHL. In free agency the Hawks went out and got all star defenseman Brian Campbell and steady goalie Christabel Huet to improve there club. Campbell will lead the team on the power play and be the puck moving d – man they desperately needed last season. This team is offensively talented and I think they have a good chance of leading the league in power play goals. They are young and they will be the best team to watch in the league this season, like last years Washington. All offensive, all the time. Check out this team this year, if they stay healthy they will make the playoffs.
Colorado Avalanche – Goaltending is the big question mark with this team, Petr Budaj isn’t a proven starter and they don’t have a suitable back up. There are lots of good veterans on this team including team captain Joe Sakic, Adam Foote, Darcy Tucker and Ryan Smyth. This team will have to play tough games every night to make the playoffs. Budaj will have to surprise everyone and become a true number one goalie, and the young forwards will have to provide a lot of offense.