12 Nov 2008 by Craig in NHL 2009
Being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame is a great honor for any one involved in the game. Next year we are going to see an excellent class of players enter the Hall. There are at least 4 first ballot players who deserve there enshrinement in the Hall. What this means is some of those players who have been waiting for there turn at the podium will have to wait once again. Some great players who are eligible, but will have to wait a couple more years are Doug Gilmour, Adam Oates, Pavel Bure and Eric Lindros. All these players had great careers, but it is a numbers game. I would expect all 4 of these guys to make it in sometime, but I think there will be another 4 inducted in the class of 2009. Being a first ballot Hall of Famer is a tribute to an excellent career and might see four of them next November.
Steve Yzerman - No doubt here Yzerman will lead the class of 2009 into Hall. Steve played his entire career with the Detroit Red Wings and led them to three Stanley Cups. Yzerman won many major trophies as an NHL player including the Lester B. Pearson Award, Conn Smythe Trophy, Selke Trophy and Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. Steve sits sixth all time in league scoring and has a better point per game average then great like Gordie Howe, Ron Francis and Mark Messier. If you put all the accolades aside, one thing every one will remember about Yzerman was his heart. He loved the game and played through a lot of major injuries, and was one of the best leaders in all of sports. Steve’s best individual season was in 1988 – 1989 when he recorded 155 points with 65 goals, and was voted by the players as the leagues MVP. He also represented Canada on the international scene, highlighted by Olympic Gold in 2002, playing on a line along side Mario Lemieux. No doubt Yzerman will be inducted next year and deservingly so, he is a true Hall of Famer.
Brett Hull - Son of Hall of Famer, Bobby Hull, Brett will be inducted when he is eligible next year. Hull was a pure goal scorer, with a lethal and fast one timer. Hull made his living on the power play and quite possibly was the best sniper of his generation. Brett sits third on the all time goals list with 741 goals, playing for five franchises, Calgary, St Louis, Detroit, Dallas and Phoenix. The biggest goal he ever scored was a controversial one, that won the Stars the Cup in 1999. Later in his career he won another cup in 2002 with the Red Wings, along side two other players that will be on this list Luc Robitaille and Steve Yzerman. Hull holds a dual citizenship, but played internationally for the USA, highlighted by a World Cup title in 1996 and an Olympic Silver in 2002. Hull’s best season was in 1990 – 1991 when he scored an amazing 86 goals, he scored 50 plus goals 5 times in his career. Brett Hull will not be over looked next and will go into the Hall, on his first year on eligibility.
Brian Leech – Leech is quite possibly the best American born player of all time, and becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame next year. He was a tremendous offensive defenseman, who could make something out of nothing on the ice. He won the Norris Trophy as the leagues top defenseman twice and the Conn Smyth as playoff MVP in 1994. He also was the rookie of the year in 1989 and is only one of a handful of defenseman to score 100 points in a season. Leech will always be remembered as a New York Ranger, he played 17 seasons with the blue shirts, before finishing his career with Toronto and Boston. His best season was 1991 -1992 when he recorded more then 20 goals and 102 points on the season. He owns multiple Ranger records including most goals by a defenseman, most career assists and most points by a defenseman. Leech was an 11 time all star and retired with 1028 points which will easily get him into the Hall on his first try. Brain Leech might be the best player to ever play for the New York Rangers.
Luc Robitaille - “Lucky Luc”, is one of the most under rated players in NHL history. Luc is widely remember for his 14 seasons he played for the Los Angeles Kings, but he also played in Detroit, Pittsburgh and New York. He is the highest scoring left winger in the history of the National Hockey League. Robitaille won the Calder Trophy as the leagues top rookie in 1987 when he scored more then 40 goals in rookie campaign. Luc went on to score 40 plus goals 8 times in his career, highlighted by 63 goals in the 1992 – 1993 season. Four times Luc had more then 100 points in a season and retired with more then 1300 for his career. He was an 8 time all star and won a Stanley along side many great Hall of Fame players in Detroit in 2002. Luc Robitaille was a great NHL player, and although he probably didn’t get the recognition of Yzerman, Hull and Leech he deserves to go in the Hall along side them.
Being enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame is a tremendous honor that can cap off a terrific career. All four of these players have earned the right to be along greats like Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe and Maurice Richard in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Yzerman, Hull and Robitaille all celebrated a Stanley Cup together in 2002, and now it is time for them to celebrate together again.
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.
24 Oct 2008 by Craig in NHL 2008
On Saturday October 25th, there will 15 games in 15 cities in 1 night. Everyone is involved and there will be some great match ups. The 15 games will match rivalries, struggling teams and teams off to fast starts. For all you fantasy hockey players out there, this night will go along way to showing who has the best teams in your league. I love it when the National Hockey League has this many games in one night, there is something for every fan to watch. This will be a night to watch, the hockey will exciting and entertaining. I am going to tee up a few games you should watch this night.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Ottawa Senators
The first battle of an Ontario of this season, and both teams will be looking to have a good showing. The Maple Leafs have started off better then some expected and they would like nothing more then to beat the Sens on Hockey Night in Canada. Ottawa on the other hand is off to a tough start, and already seem to have a goalie controversy. Martin Gerber is off to a bad start and the Senators coaching staff is searching for ways to win. They have split up there big three, Heatley, Alfredsson and Spezza, trying to find the mix that will work. The Maple Leafs lineup has been different every night and you never know who will be in there. The Leafs don’t have near the talent of the Sens, but they work hard and play a good defensive system. These teams are kind of opposites Ottawa has no problems scoring while that is the Leafs biggest problem. Toskala is Toronto’s advantage in net, while Gerber just can’t figure it out in Ottawa. There might some new players and the teams might not be as good as they once were, but that doesn’t change the fact these franchises don’t like each other. If Ottawa gets decent goaltending and defense they should win, but you can’t count on that.
New Jersey Devils vs Philadelphia Flyers
Philly still hasn’t won a game this year and if they want to get that win on Saturday they will have to beat future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur. Brodeur is off to an amazing start and has proved that he is still the best goalie in the National Hockey League. Philadelphia is deep up front, but struggle playing defense and haven’t gotten very good goaltending thus far. The Flyers have to win eventually, they are to good to be playing this bad. They will be hard pressed to beat the Devils trap. These two franchises are in the same division and that usually makes for a high energy game. Every time the Devils play you have to expect a low scoring game, they will trap from the drop of the puck to the last buzzer. It’s the only afternoon game and probably won’t be the most exciting game you have ever seen. If the Flyers want to win there defense is going to have to play way better then they have and they will have to take advantage of any opportunity the Devils give them. The Flyers can score, but the question is can they score on the Devils.
Detroit Red Wings vs Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks are young and this game will be a measuring stick for them. In the past couple of years Chicago has played Detroit well and have had more success against them then any other franchise. Detroit is off to a fine start, but haven’t been as dominate to start the year as some predicted. Detroit is still the better team then Chicago, but the Hawks have some good young talent. The Blackhawks will be up for this game and look to continue there dominance of the Wings. Since Quenneville took over as the coach in Chicago, the team has played well and look like they might just be a playoff team this year. Both teams can score at will sometimes and to win this game the goalies will have to play well. If you like to watch stars this will be the game for you, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Hossa and Lidstrom vs. Kane, Toews, Havlat and Campbell. This should be a high energy, fast game that might be the most entertaining of the evening.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers
Two of the best teams in the East will do battle on Saturday night. Since Pittsburgh have started playing there super stars Malkin and Crosby together they have been on fire. New York has slowed a little bit, but still boast two very good scoring lines. The story early on has been the Rangers second line of Zherdev, Voros and Dubinsky who have played great hockey and produced for the blue shirts. Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist is off to a great start and the Penguins have a good goalie of there own in Marc Andre Fleury. This will be a premiere match up and I don’t think it will disappoint. Any time you get a chance to see great players and great teams go head to head it makes for great entertainment. There might even be some fights in this game, and I look for a tough physical affair. You can’t go wrong if this is the game you choose to watch, big stars, big game and on a big stage.
Other big games on this night will be Canucks vs Oilers, San Jose vs Tampa Bay and Anaheim vs Montreal. This should be a whole night of great National Hockey League action, and will make all hockey fans extremely happy. Whether you like offense, defense or physical play you will be able to find a game for you on Saturday October 25th. Enjoy the action and for all you fantasy players I hope you have a big night.
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.
10 Oct 2008 by Craig in NHL 2008
When the salary cap was instituted a few years back, it was meant to equalize the franchises. Since then the cap has soared and once again there seems to be a gap between the best and the worst. It seems like this year a lot of teams have spent right to the cap and not left themselves a lot of room under the cap. The cap has made a lot of teams make tough decisions on veteran players and have a lot of young guys on there NHL rosters. With teams being close to the cap, that might create a lot of player movement early in the season. Currently there are 10 teams within a million of the cap and 11 teams with more then $5 million in space. As people get healthy there will be teams looking to find space and other teams looking to take advantage.
Detroit Red Wings
The Wings have about $450 000 in cap space currently, but have a couple of players on injury reserve. Chris Chelios and Darren McCarty are hurt and if they are going to be on the roster, Detroit’s management will have to make a move. Detroit also likes to add veteran pieces at the deadline and that will tough with there current cap situation. Detroit was forced to put a couple of good young players in the minors and I think they will want them to be with the big club sooner rather then later. The Red Wings have a few moveable pieces, they could make a trade and get some room. Kyle Quincey is the 8th defenseman on the team and is out of options and might be traded for a pick when Chelios is ready to come back. Detroit is also deep in the forward lines and could trade pending free agents like Mikael Samuelsson or Thomas Kopecky to create room for younger players. The Wings are the best team on paper this year, but they aren’t immune to cap problems. If they stay healthy look for them to make a move relatively early in the year.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers are a great team, but they are flirting with the cap. They have less then $200 000 in room and have a lot of money committed to forwards. They have almost $30 million committed to there top six forwards and have some good young talent almost ready to come up. Top prospects like Claude Giroux could come up and contribute with the team. I think they will look to move one of there top six forwards and the easiest one to move will be Mike Knuble. Knuble is a free agent at years end and makes $2.8 million this season. The Flyers are also currently carrying three goaltenders and might look to move either Nittymaki or Aubin to a team that needs a solid NHL goalie.
New York Rangers
The Rangers might be in the worst shape overall, with 6 contracts that are more then $4 million annually. The thing about the Rangers is that they have a lot of players locked up long term and there is no obvious player they could trade to get some space. The Rangers have been rumored to want Mats Sundin and Brendan Shanahan and they won’t be able to get them without moving one of there big contracts. Beyond the big names this team isn’t overly deep and might find it hard to move money. They do have guys like Petr Prucha who is a restricted free agent next year and other teams would want him. The bottom end of there roster is filled with guys who will be restricted or unrestricted at years end. In the long run I think they will eventually have to trade some of there high price talent, but that will probably happen in the off season. For now they could move Paul Mara ($1.95 million) or Aaron Voros ($1 million). New York’s real problem will be next year when a lot of there players are free agents.
Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix is in great shape, with more then $9 million in room. Phoenix has a great young team and are looking to make the playoffs this season. In my opinion the Coyotes management will be ready to take advantage of some teams who will be looking for cap relief. Phoenix might be able to make some one sided deals to improve there team and help them make the playoffs and sell some tickets. They might be able to add some expiring contracts of good veterans to improve there team and help the young players progress in there careers. If great players like Sundin, Shanahan and Forsberg want to return, Phoenix might be able to take a real shot at them if they truly want to make a run this year.
Vancouver Canucks
Much like the Coyotes, the Canucks are in great shape cap wise and ready to take advantage. The Canucks have been looking for offense all off season and you can be guaranteed that if solid offensive players become available they will be involved. They have some guys who will be free agents at years end, so they won’t be looking to take on long term contracts. They have already made a pitch for Sundin and if they can get a guy like Prucha from the Rangers or Samuelsson for the Wings I am sure they will jump at the chance.
We have already seen some movement early this year, with the Schneider trade and players like McLaren, Schaefer and Khabibulin being put on waivers. If Forsberg, Sundin and Shanahan return some teams will be forced to scramble to find the cap room. I think we will see a lot of moment early this year and teams with cap room will be able to make excellent trades to improve there teams. Good teams like Vancouver, Phoenix, Columbus and Dallas could make moves and take the next steps with there franchises. It should be interesting to watch and I look forward to see which teams will be the most creative and improve there teams.
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.
08 Oct 2008 by Craig in NHL 2008
Thursday October 9th, the NHL season gets under way in North America. Hockey fans will be treated to an original six match up between Toronto and Detroit. There will be lots of festivities before the game including concerts and the Stanley Cup banner being raised at Joe Louis Arena. This is an old rivalry that we haven’t seen a lot recently with the two teams being in different conferences, and I am sure fans of both franchises are excited. This year on paper it looks like a major mis match with both teams moving in different directions. The Red Wings looking for another run at the Cup and the Maple Leafs well who knows what they are doing. Detroit beat Toronto in two pre season games, but we all know pre season doesn’t matter. Lets go over the key parts of the game and see who has the edge.
Top Six Forwards – This is where the mismatch is most prevalent. The Wings top six is among the best in the league with Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Hossa, Holmstrom, Franzen and Hudler. The Leafs top two lines are hard to define, but it looks like Antropov, Ponikarovski, Grabovski, Blake, Stajan and Steen. Both offensively and defensively Detroit has a big advantage here, and will look to exploit the lack of talent in Toronto’s top six. Whatever the line combinations are the Wings will have more flexibility and will be able to mix and match to find combinations that will work. Toronto’s top two lines are going to have to work extremely hard and hope Detroit isn’t on top of there game. The advantage goes to Detroit on the basis that they obviously have way more talent up front then the Leafs.
Defense - The Leafs D will be led by Kaberle and Kubina, with other defenseman like Schenn, Van Ryn, Colaiacovo and Stralman filling the roster out. This might be Toronto’s strength, but on this night they will have to be at the top of there game to slow down the Wings offense. Detroit has the best top four D in Hockey with Lidstrom, Rafalski, Kronwall and Stuart. They will put out a talented offensive pair and a physical pair to give Toronto different looks. The third pair in Detroit will be Lebda and Lilja, who both played during last springs Stanley Cup final. Detroit’s defense is definitely deeper then Toronto’s and has more skill. Schenn is a rookie and I wouldn’t look for him to play to much, Toronto will look to protect him against the talented Wings. I don’t mind the Leafs D, Kaberle is a good number one guy and Kubina and Van Ryn are solid NHL defenseman. The facts are that Detroit’s defense is better and they will have little or no trouble with Toronto’s forwards. Once again you have to give the advantage to the Red Wings because of talent and experience.
Goalies – The Maple Leafs best player is there starting goalie Vesa Toskala. Toskala is an excellent net minder, and he will have to play great to give Toronto an opportunity to win. There is no questioning Toskala’s talent, but he will see a lot of shots from great NHL goal scorers. Detroit will counter with NHL veteran Chris Osgood. Osgood isn’t the most talented guy in the world, but he is an experienced winner. The Wings allow the fewest shots in the league and all Chris has to do is make a few key stops throughout the game. Talent wise Toskala is better, but Osgood is more experienced. Basically Osgood will have an easier night playing for the Wings, but if Toskala could stand on his head and frustrate the Wings. The goalies are hard to compare, I call it a scratch, this game might just come down to which goalie makes the saves in key spots in the game.
Depth – The experience edge goes Detroit with vets like Draper, Maltby, Cleary and Filppula, but Toronto does have some solid depth guys. Mayers, Mitchell, Tlusty and Moore will fill out Toronto’s forward lines. The depth guys in Toronto are in a fight for there careers and will be looking to play hard and keep there roster spots. The Wings have a ton of experience with guys like Draper and Maltby having four Stanley Cup rings each. Maple Leafs forwards will be hard to play against, they might not be the most talented, but they will work hard. Depth wins hockey games, and both teams think they are ready for the challenge. The Detroit guys are already proven, while a lot of the Toronto guys will be looking to prove they are NHL players. As a depth player you need to solid defensive players and be tough to play against on a nightly basis. Red Wings depth guys are proven and have some offensive up side, that make them better then Toronto’s.
Obviously on paper this is major mis match, Detroit has more talent and experience. The games are played on the ice and not on paper. The Maple Leaf players will show up and work hard, the last thing they want is to be embarrassed in a national game on the opening game of the season. To win Vesa Toskala will have to be on top of his game for the leafs and they will need to find a line that can put pressure on the Wings D. The Wings players will have a lot going on Thursday night, they will receive there rings, there will be banner raising ceremony and lots of media. If the Wings players can stay focused through all the distractions they should win this hockey game and get off to the start they are looking for. Unlike most I don’t think this game will be a blow out, the Maple Leaf players will play hard and Vesa Toskala will have a great game. My prediction Detroit wins 4 – 2 having a great third period to come out with the win.
03 Oct 2008 by Craig in NHL 2008
Columbus Blue Jackets - This organization feels that it is time they earn themselves a playoff spot. They went out and got some help for Rick Nash by adding R.J. Umberger and Kristian Huselius to play with him. There defense core is unproven, but they have a great goalie in Pascal Leclaire. I am not sure they are good enough to make the playoffs in the Western Conference this year, but for the first time they may have a chance to fight for a spot. The fans in Columbus deserve to have a good team for the first time.
Dallas Stars - This is an interesting team and I think they may be one of the best in the league. Dallas is very deep up front with players like Mike Modano, Brendan Morrow, Brad Richards and Mike Ribeiro. They added super pest Sean Avery and highly touted Swedish forward Fabian Brunnstrom. With great goaltending by Marty Turco and a solid defense led by Sergei Zubov, the Stars look prepared to take a run in the West. Dallas will be disappointed if they don’t win there division and at least make in to the conference final.
Detroit Red Wings – Defending champs and perennial favorites, the Red Wings seemed poised to have another great season. They added Marian Hossa to play on the top two lines and will team up with Datsyuk and Zetterberg to score a lot of goals. They have a great defense headlined by Nik Lidstrom and solid goaltending from Osgood. If this team stays healthy, its hard to say that aren’t the Cup favorites this year, anything less then the Stanley Cup will be a disappointment.
Edmonton Oilers - Goals, goals and more goals, Edmonton is an offensive power house this year. They are deep and young up front with players like Ales Hemsky, Eric Cole, Shawn Horcoff and Sam Gagner. They also have a solid defense, and goaltending. The key is Mathieu Garon in net, if he is good the Oilers should be a playoff team.
Florida Panthers – This team has been selling potential for years and soon they will have to live up to that potential. They lost there best player in Jokinen in the off season, but made a trade for Brian McCabe who should fit in nicely with Boumeester. They have solid goaltending and some good young forwards, but I still don’t see them as a playoff team.
Los Angeles Kings – Sorry Kings fans, but they are horrible again. They have some good pieces up front with Kopitar, Dustin Brown and Frolov. Still have a lack a defense and no goaltending, the Kings look like they will finish last in the West.
Minnesota Wild - Hard team to explain this year, they have been close a few times, but didn’t do much to improve there team. They are solid and play a good defensive game, but may not score enough goals. They still have dynamic forward Marian Gaborik for at least this year, but they might trade him if they are not fighting for a playoff spot. I don’t think they are a playoff team this year.
Montreal Canadiens - The Canadiens are good and I think East favorites this year, Strong forward lines with players like Kovalev, Tanguay, Lang and Higgins. The key to there success will be whether or not young goalie Carey Price can be as good as they think he is. If Price is good and the defense holds up, look for Montreal to have a great year. Anything less then an appearance in the East final will be a failure.
Nashville Predators – The Preds are having a lot of financial problems, and continue to have low player salaries. They are not as good as they were last year, but still have some good players in Arnott, Erat, Dumont and Hamhuis. They might be a surprise team this year and fight for a playoff spot.
New Jersey Devils - One of the most consistent franchises in the NHL, the Devils will be much of the same this year. As long as Brodeur is with this team, they will be contenders. They are not great, but they are good enough to compete in the East with players like Elias, Gionta and Rolston. Solid defense will be the way they win, the same old boring Devils team.
New York Islanders – Well not much to say here, they are not good. Not much to talk about they have very little talent and won’t compete in the Eastern Conference. They have a good goalie in Dipietro, but ultimately that won’t be enough.
New York Rangers – The Rangers expect to compete in the East this year. Led by great goaltending by Henrik Lundqvist and a solid group of forwards with Drury, Gomez and Naslund. Defense is the way they are going to win hockey games, they will play a solid team game. They need good years out of guys like Prucha and Zherdev to add secondary scoring and balance to the line up. Look for the Rangers to be near the top of the Eastern Conference and compete for the East title.
Ottawa Senators – The Sens are looking for a bounce back season. Last year they started off looking like one of the best teams in the league, but faded and lost out in the first round of the playoffs. They still have great forwards in Spezza, Heatley and Alfredsson and they will score enough goals. The defense is a question mark, but the real problem is in net with Martin Gerber. Ottawa needs Gerber to play better then he has in his entire career and the defense may not be good enough to cover up mistakes. The dynamic forwards will help the Sens compete, but they will have to battle for one of the final spots in the Eastern Conference.
22 Sep 2008 by Craig in NHL 2008
Training camp is underway and every team in the NHL is preparing for the season. Its said that all teams have a shot at the Stanley Cup and most teams hope that they have built a contender over the summer. All teams have a shot, but obviously there are favored teams that may be ready for there cup run. Its tough to look at what teams may be Cup Contenders at this early point, but there are a few teams where there season will be a disappointment if they don’t lift Lord Stanley’s Cup at years end.
Detroit Red Wings – Defending champs and once again the Wings will be the Cup favorites heading into the ‘08 / ‘09 season. The Wings management didn’t rest on the fact that they pretty well had last seasons Cup winning team returning for this year, they made a big splash signing all star forward Marian Hossa to a one year contract. Hossa will join NHL stars Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg to create one of the most dynamic offensive teams in the league. The forwards are good, but this team is lead by the defense men and captain Nick Lidstrom. Detroit has the best top four defencemen in hockey with Brian Rafalski, Brad Stuart, Niklas Kronwall joining Lidstrom. Chris Osgood will come into the season as the starting goalie and they added Ty Conklin as the back up. The Red Wings have an excellent mix of veterans and youngsters, future hall of famer Chris Chelios isn’t the player he used to be, but will be a leader in the room. Valtteri Filppula and Jiri Hudler should rise up and become the players the Wings always thought they could be. The Wings might be the best offensive and defensive team in the league. No doubt this season will be a failure unless they repeat and win the Stanley Cup once again.
Montreal Canadiens - Montreal had a great year last year and some surprising young players stepped up and become NHL stars. This year those same players will be expected to improve and lead this team. The Canadiens will start a future Vezina winning goalie in Carey Price, and if he can play like he did last year it will go along way to help the team become Stanley Cup champions. Once again Montreal will be led by veteran forwards Saku Koivu , Alex Kovalev and young brothers Andrei Kostitsyn and Sergei Kostitsyn. The Canadiens added to there depth up front with former Calgary Flame Alex Tanguay and veteran Robert Lang. If Tanguay and Lang can regain past form and play like all stars the Canadiens will rival the Red Wings for best top six forwards in hockey. Montreal will look for youngsters Kyle Chipchura, Maxim Lapierre and Guillaume Latendresse to produce and add depth to the forward lines. If the Canadiens have a downfall it is on the back end, Andrei Markov, Roman Hamrlik and Mike Komisarek will lead the group throughout the year. If the defense holds up and Price is a star in net, then look for the Canadiens to win the East and make a run at the Cup.
Calgary Flames - The Flames have been good for a few years now, but there problem has always been depth up front. The front office thinks they have fixed that for this year adding streaky forward Mike Cammalleri and big veteran Todd Bertuzzi. If Bertuzzi can be the player of old, along side team leader Jerome Iginla the Flames may just have enough depth to compete in the playoffs. Iginla is a perennial MVP candidate and will need to be just that for the Flames to have a great year. The defense is big and physical led by Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Reghir. The key to Calgary’s success will no doubt be goalie Miikka Kiprusoff, if he has a Vezina like year Calgary will be near the top in the Western Conference. To win Calgary will need secondary scoring and will look at Daymond Langkow , Matthew Lombardi and Craig Conroy to provide it. If Kiprusoff and Iginla are great and if they have finally found that extra scoring they have always needed Calgary should win there division and go into the playoffs as one of the teams to beat.
New York Rangers - The Rangers made some changes in the off season, but one thing remains the same at that is great goaltending. Henrik Lundqvist will be returning and looking to lead the Rangers to the promise land. Chris Drury, Scott Gomez and newly acquired Markus Naslund will lead the offensive charge. The Rangers hope young stars like Nikolai Zherdev, Dan Fritsche and Petr Prucha will fill out the depth out front and provide much needed scoring. New York signed free agent Wade Redden to lead the defense and the future may be now for Marc Staal on the blue line. Lundqvist is the key, without him this team becomes ordinary, but if he is good the Rangers will be good. If Naslund and Redden turn around there careers in New York this team should be near the top of the Eastern Conference.
When the season starts, all teams will be optimistic that this year might be the year for them. You won’t find a lot people that will argue that the Red Wings are the favorites to win, but anything can happen over a 82 game schedule. To win a Stanley Cup you need to stay healthy, have some surprise contributions from players you may not expect it from and a lot of luck go your way. These are the favorites to win in my opinion, but the NHL is a balanced league and you never know what is going to happen. The East is starting to catch up with the West and I am personally looking forward to a great season. Hockey is back and I can’t wait to see what will happen this year.
19 Sep 2008 by Craig in NHL Trophies
The National Hockey League is known for embracing its history and showing all its fans the comparisons between the past, the future and the present. Annually the league hands out a slew of yearly awards for the years top players. Most of these awards are named after the greats in the game of hockey, and are great honors to win. The trophies are handed out in a lavish event following he Stanley Cup finals, the NHL holds a “Grammy Like” ceremony. A lot of the players are there along with hall of famers and NHL greats alike. For the people who are new to the league I am going to explain a few to you, and a little about the history of the awards.
The Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is awarded to the champion of the NHL, Lord Stanley’s Cup is obviously the most important award the National Hockey League hands out.
The Hart Trophy
The Hart is the NHL’s version of the Most Valuable Player in the league. A little different then most professional sports leagues the award is for the player who is most valuable to his team. The original trophy was donated to the league in 1923, and can be found in Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Wayne Gretzky won eight straight Hart’s between 1980 – 1987, Sydney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin won it the last two years respectively.
The Vezina Trophy
This is the goalie trophy, handed out to the net minder who has been the best that season. The trophy is a memorial to great Canadians goalie George Vezina and has been awarded annually since 1927. Martin Brodeur has won the award four of the last five seasons and the great Patrick Roy won the trophy three times.
The Calder Trophy
The NHL’s best rookie is awarded the Calder Trophy at years end. The trophy is named after Frank Calder, a former president of the National Hockey League. A lot of NHL greats have won this award and over history a lot of Hall of Famers win the Calder in there first season. NHL greats Terry Sawchuk, Bobby Orr, Mike Bossy, Mario Lemieux and Peter Forsberg have all won the trophy. Last year Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane won the Calder.
The Jack Adams Trophy
The coach judged to be the best that season wins the Jack Adams award. Jack Adams the man was a coach and manager in the Red Wings organization and the trophy was donated by NHL broadcasters. A lot of great coaches have won this award including Don Cherry, Scotty Bowman and Pat Burns. Last year there was a surprise winner when Washington Capitols head coach Bruce Boudreau took home the award.
The Norris Trophy
Named for the late owner and president of the Detroit Red Wings James Norris. The award is handed out annually to the leagues top defenceman. In recent history the award had been dominated by future Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom who has won the award an amazing six of the last seven years. Bobby Orr won the trophy a record eight times and Ray Bourque won it five times.
The Art Ross Trophy
This trophy is not voted on, it is given to the player who records the most points in the season. Art Ross a manger with the Boston Bruins donated the trophy in 1947. Guy Lafleur won the award three straight years in the 1970’s, Wayne Gretzky won the award an amazing ten times and Jaromir Jagr won it five times. Along with the Hart Alex Ovechkin won the Art Ross last season.
The Selke Trophy
The best defensive forward in the NHL is awarded the Selke Trophy. The award is in honor of Frank Selke who managed great NHL championship teams. The first four times the trophy was handed out it was won by Montreal Canadiens great Bob Gainey who was an excellent defensive forward. In recent years the award has been won by players like Steve Yzerman in 2000, Michael Peca in 2002 and Pavel Datsyuk last season.
Lester B. Pearson Trophy
The trophy is named after former Prime Minister of Canada Lester B. Pearson, and has awarded since 1971. This is a special award to a lot of players because it is voted by the players themselves. The players vote who they think the most valuable player of the league is. Last year it was won by Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby won in 2007. Dominik Hasek won the award in back to back years in 1997 – 1998 and Phil Esposito won the first award in 1971.
There are plenty more awards the NHL hands out, Maurice Richard Trophy (top goal scorer), Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP), Lady Byng Trophy (sportsmanship), Masterton Memorial Trophy (dedication to hockey) and the Jennings Trophy (fewest goals against average).
Teams can also receive awards like the Presidents’ Trophy (top regular season team), Clarence Campbell Bowl (western conference winners) and the Prince of Wales Trophy (eastern conference champions).
You can find all these trophies displayed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The National Hockey league does a great job honoring its players. The league celebrates its past and respects all the people who were involved in the game. These trophies are ingrained in the game and young players dream of winning some of these awards. Most of these awards have a lot of history some of which have been around since the 1920’s. To win an award and look at the engraved names and see NHL icons and your idols alike. The National Hockey League treats its players like true celebrities on award night which is truly unique to the league. To be a true hockey fan you need to respect the past, because without the greats of this game there would be no game. If you have a chance check out the Hockey Hall of Fame, you will find this game is full of great stories and emotions and you will not be disappointed.
