My NHL Mantourage

So for those of you not aware of the term Mantourage, here is the official definition: A group comprised of five dudes you would want to hang out with from any given category (characters, athletes, actors, etc.)  Derived from the show Entourage, they must be a cohesive unit covering all de facto things in your daily life if you didn’t have to work. (ie characters: Cartman from South Park, Barf from Space Balls, Stiles from Teen Wolf, Bear Grylls from Man vs. Wild, and the Ultimate Warrior from the WWF).  Here is my NHL Mantourage…

Sean Avery - Led the NHL in penalty minutes in 2003.  After a stalemate with Jack Bauer in hand to hand combat for the right to date his daughter Kim (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Bauer so hot!!), Sean set up Jack for multiple DUI’s to win her outright.  Sean is notorious for dating models and actresses and you need a Playboy that will someday end up with his own True Hollywood Story.  Our Playboy just happens to have the grit of a lumberjack.

Alex Ovechkin - The jokester in the group, Alex is always willing to partake in self-depravating humor to keep the group entertained.  It never gets old when he pops out his front teeth and does his Theo Fleury imitation (drops to his knees and pretends to blow coke off a hooker’s back).  Oh and he just signed the first $100mm+ contract in NHL history which is quite useful since I like to sleep on $100 bills.

Ray Emery - Known for his lackluster attitude, road rage, and locker room controversy, Ray is the legitimate psycho/degenerate of the group.  Its pretty sweet that he put Mike Tyson on his mask.  This is the guy you don’t fully trust, puts his balls on your shoulder when you’re not looking, drinks a little too much sometimes, and is going over the top to make you laugh.  So what if you end up in the occasional shady situation, you need one of these guys.  Just don’t leave him with your girlfriend.

Jarome Iginla - First off he rocks the afro, enough to make the Mantourage right off the back.  Other than the Stanley Cup (stupid Lightning), he has also won pretty much every hockey tournament known to man.   He’s the all-around good dude, probably your best friend, that you know would step in and throw down if you need him to. 

Sidney Crosby - Sid the Kid is the leader of the pack and has been since childhood by virtue.  He has always been slightly more skilled at everything, and despite that pressure, is always a cool cat.  That doesn’t mean he’s a nerd, as he loves messing around and getting banged up, he just never gets caught so his image is always intact.  I also heard he’s going to give Wilt Chamberlain a run for his money in terms of groupies.  I didn’t know there were 10,000 female hockey fans.

 Tell me you wouldn’t want to hang out with this group all the time.  Let me know who else you’d want to hang out with in the NHL…

Hockey Around The Horn Part One

FIRST WORD

Okay folks….introduce yourselves….no War and Peace novels though please!!
I’m John Fischer of In Lou We Trust.  I’m a Devils fan until I die and I’m proud to say I am now successful at figuring out CNAME registries.

I’m Derek from Hitting Back, Battle of New York, Hard Hits, and so much more…diehard Ranger fan.

Doug Stolhand Co-Host Puck Podcast….Hello hockey fans from beautiful Southern California – current residence of Lord Stanley’s Cup!

Hey all, Matt Bodenschatz from Faceoff-Factor.com, here.  Thanks for inviting me to be a part of this celebration!

What’s up fellow K-Mart shoppers, Tony Ferrante here, from MVN’s Penguins blog, The Confluence of the Three Rivers.  Not much to say, I have to admit I got a late start really getting into hockey.  I’m a retired Navy Chief, served from ‘83 to ‘03, ten of those years overseas, so as a Pens fan I missed just about all of Mario in his heydey.  So in all honestly, it wasn’t until Mario’s return in ‘00, at which time I was finished with my overseas duties for good, that I just fell in love with hockey.  Or maybe it was the Pirates sucking again, not really sure.  I feel so fortunate not only myself being able to watch Lemieux before he hung up his skates, but having my two sons watch him also.  Living in Virginia Beach makes it tough to watch games in person, basically 200 miles either to D.C. or Raleigh, but I make about three trips a year.  In terms of my blogging (I also write for MVN’s Steelers blog, The Steel Tradition), I don’t do it for notoriety, nor because I want press passes.  I do it simply to get on my soapbox and vent about my favorite teams.  I used to do it for MVN’s Pirates page, but I couldn’t take it anymore, I’d be bald from pulling my hair out.

News of the Week

1. The All-Star selections and reserves and all that good stuff came out this week and there were some very noticeable snubs…who was the biggest slight and why?

There is only one person who actually qualifies as being “snubbed.”  Mike Ribeiro.  Yeah, Mike Ribeiro.  He’s the current leading scorer on Dallas and has 22 goals and 28 assists so far this season.  That’s just as many points as all-stars Mike Richards and Marian Gaborik.  He has more points than Marian Hossa, Rick Nash, Henrik Sedin, Paul Statsny, and Marc Savard.  Maybe things were a bit different at the time of selection, but Ribeiro is among the top 20 scorers in the league.  He is a victim of the “at least one player per team” rule, since Shawn Horcoff has to have a spot and not and so he’s sitting at home with his absolutely lethal 32.8% shooting percentage despite his strong season so far. — John

Tim Thomas is the biggest. Screw the whole getting every team a representative. This guy should be up for the Vezina. How in the world was he not selected? — Derek

By far the biggest snub was Henrik Lundqvist. Tomas Vokoun makes it but Lundqvist, who has more wins, a better GAA and twice as many shutouts, doesn’t? That’s a perfect example of why the rule that every team needs a representative needs to be changed. Lundqvist has been a Vezina trophy candidate in each of the last two years and his performance so far this season is worthy of being on the All-Star team. — Doug

How could it be anyone other than Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins?  He’s among the top forwards in the NHL and is one of the most exciting young players in the league playing for one of the most exciting young teams.  Plus, how can you not vote for a guy who wears capris and watches Transformers to learn English? — Matt

That’s an easy one, Geno Malkin.  The dude is simply among the top five playmakers in all of hockey.  The NHL All-Star Game is an opportunity for the NHL to showcase it’s stars.  You NEED your young superstars to be out on the ice putting on a show.  Even after snubbing him with the original reserve list, the NHL had another chance once Heatley went out with his injury, but they still didn’t put him on there, instead putting Marc Savard.  Last but not least, two hat tricks in the last six games. — Tony

2. The New York papers are all over this!  Are the New York Rangers really underachieving or are they on the precipice of breaking out similar to what the Pens did four weeks ago?

As a Devils fan, I am very pleased by the floundering of the Rangers.  Basically, the team is built on the base of one man: Henrik Lundqvist.  And if he can’t keep up his incredible play - and he hasn’t as his GAA ballooned up to 2.36; the Rangers are very vulnerable.  While they average 31.8 shots per game and only allow 25.7 shots per game on average - both good for top 5 in the league - the Rangers only have a .417 winning percentage when outshooting the other team.  Given their team averages, that happens a lot and it tells me that while the Rangers are putting pucks on net; they have trouble generating chances, finishing the ones they do get, and stopping the other team in setting up the open shots.  Pretty sad considering that they have about $24.6 million in cap space tied up by Gomez, Drury, Shanahan, and Jagr - who have only scored 50 goals combined this season.   If you can’t keep the pucks out of the net and can’t put them in, you’re not going to win many hockey games.  So yes, they are underachieving and I hope it continues. — John

The NY papers don’t even care about hockey because they’re too preoccupied with firing Isiah or digging more dirt on Roger Clemens or whether Johan Santana is coming here. The Rangers have underachieved and aren’t out of their slump until they prove otherwise. When they reel off four or five in a row, then we’ll talk. — Derek

The New York Rangers are underachieving and unless they make some good trades before the deadline I see no reason why they would go on a run the way the Penguins did. The Rangers flat out don’t have the toughness or the defense to win hockey games. If you are relying on Sean Avery to be your spark and your physical presence, you are a soft hockey team. The Rangers need to trade for grit and defense because they have plenty of offense and skill on special teams to get the job done. — Doug

Tough one, Chris.  The Rangers have all the tools to be a top team in the league, but the team lives and dies with Jaromir Jagr.   When he’s happy and playing well, the Rangers are unstoppable.  When he’s not, they’re a pushover.  Henrik Lundqvist is doing his job, now Jagr needs to step up and be the captain to lead this team.   Until that happens, the team will continue to underachieve. — Matt

Well, I think it’s pretty obvious, all winning streaks last as long as your goaltending holds up.  The Pens’ streak is due to no small part by Ty Conklin playing out of his skin, and quite surprisingly I might add.  The Rangers sure have the goalie to do it, Lundqvist is a stud.  And because half of the team is former Pens anyway (lol), they’ve got the firepower to ring up a bunch of wins in a row.  The only thing that always seems to bite them is injuries.  If they can keep healthy for a long stretch, they’re a very dangerous team. — Tony

3. The IIHF-NHL agreement has more or less failed.  Negotiations have reopened but it seems the new agreement that will be forged will be far less NHL friendly.  What does this mean for the NHL?

To be honest, I haven’t followed these proceedings and every time I try to understand them, I’m left even more confused.  I am going to assume that the new agreement will lead to larger transfer fees that the NHL or NHL teams will have to pay - as that would benefit European clubs more than they already are.  That all said, I don’t think you’re going to see an end to European players in the league. This last draft year was a down year in terms of high-end European prospects with only 3 in the first round; but there were 7 in prior draft’s first round, and you continue to see European players do well in the league.  I think it may have an impact on management, but the quality of play as far as I know shouldn’t suffer. — John

 It probably means more international players stay home for bigger bucks. In turn that translates to teams passing up on BAP from other countries because of the uncertainty whether they’ll sign and come over. — Derek

If the NHL cannot come to an agreement with the IIHF it would be disastrous for the league. Alexander Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, Mikka Kiprusoff, Evgeni Nabokov, Henrik Zetterberg, the Sedin Twins…all would not be here without the IIHF and NHL transfer agreement. The NHL has to find a way to fairly compensate these leagues for losing their players and to get it done as quickly as possible or the level of play in the NHL will drop dramatically. Imagine an NHL without European players. If you think the popularity of the sport is suffering now, if the league has to pay more to get players, so be it. These are billionaires that are making a lot of money every year off of these players so they can afford it. The NHL cannot afford not to come to an agreement and the IIHF knows it so they will finally get the better end of the deal after the NHL has had the upper hand for so long. — Doug

It means the game will become more physical and less skilled.   Most European players aren’t necessarily known for being the best leaders or the toughest players, but they provide a flashy dimension to the game of hockey that most North Americans don’t.  I don’t think this will affect the NHL overall, as players like Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, the Eric Staal and many others are showing that they too can play an exciting brand of hockey, while not neglecting the physical elements. — Matt

Frankly, it’s about time, in the International point of view.  The NHL has been robbing countries blind based on past agreements.  It’s just not fair to give a country a couple hundred thousand clams for a world-class hockey player.  And from what I’ve read, with the US dollar going down the tubes, that means less for those countries as well.  Also, they’ve said that they don’t want the NHL to sign European players and then just reassign them to the minors, they want them to be NHL-ready before they cross the pond. — Tony

4. The Corey Perry rumors have started already.  Now honestly it is pretty much a given the Ducks will resign him long term.  But who will they have to give up in order to sign him?

According to NHLsCap, the Ducks can make some space.  Doug Weight is an unrestricted free agent after this season. Should the Ducks not sign him, that’s $3.5 million right there.  Though some other RFAs may want a raise and maybe Perry will demand more; so the Ducks may need to make some more space.  First up is back-up goaltender Jonas Hiller. He’s a RFA after this season and he’s counting as $3.2 million against the cap.  I thnk the Ducks will look for a cheaper option behind J-S Giguere, who has found his form again.  Beyond Hiller, Todd Bertuzzi would be the next to fall.  Perry’s got 24 goals and 44 points and is the second highest scorer; whereas Bertuzzi has only potted in 11 and has 27 points.  27 points in 36 games is good; but at $4 million per year and with Perry’s emergence, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Ducks to drop his deal as well to make even more space.  So in order: Weight, Hiller, Bertuzzi.

Perry signs an 11-year 77 million deal. But hey. There’s nothing wrong with it. If this is what the NHL wanted by locking out the players, then they sure are getting it. — Derek

What will the Ducks have to give up? A lot of money and that’s it. They will get him signed with the money they save when Scott Niedermayer retires for good after this season. If Niedermayer decides to return the Ducks will trade away someone else to make room for Corey Perry, but they are going to get him re-signed. Perry likes it in Anaheim, the Ducks know how valuable he is and they will get a deal done. They just have to wait until after the season to do it. — Doug

Mathieu Schneider is the guy to go.  With Scott Niedermayer back in the mix, Schneider no longer is needed.   Look for him to be dealt at or around the trade deadline for a package of draft picks/prospects and a cheap, yet effective veteran.  The Ducks do everything right, and this will be no different.– Matt

Well, let’s not forget about Selanne, either.  His return is just a matter of time as well.  But from everything I’ve read, it’s going to have to be one of their defenseman that’ll have to go to get them under the salary cap, probably Mathieu Schneider if I’d have to guess. — Tony

Out of Bounds

With the NHL’s wisdom…..every team has to have one representative on the All-Star team….is this really out of bounds or is this the fair thing to do?

It’s not out of bounds, but it keeps guys like Mike Ribeiro who has 50 points, he’s a top 20 scorer right now, he leads his team in scoring; but he’s sitting because other teams have to have their best represent them like Rick Nash for Columbus or Shawn Horcoff for Edmonton, while they are having lesser seasons than Ribiero. And so it’s Sergei Zubov - who is deserving, don’t get me wrong - as Dallas’ sole representative.   As unfair as it is, the rule is implemented because the game is a showcase for the league, to show off all the team’s best players and give them some recognition.  If Ribeiro is in there but no one from Edmonton, the league is basically saying there is no one worthy on the Oilers to showcase.  Fine for the purists, but it means teams won’t be represented and that hurts the fact that this game is a showcase to the fans.  This especially hurts if the hosting city has a poor team; as no representation could cause local fans to stay away. Someone is always going to be left out and again, for the purposes of showing off the entire league, this rule makes more sense. — John

See answer above. It’s pointless to try to represent everyone. The best players belong there. Why should fans not get to see the best roster in a meaningless skills exhibition?
– Derek

I talked about this in my power play on January 12^th and you can hear it by going to  PuckPodcast.com. It’s time to get rid of that rule. The All-Star Game should be a collection of the best players in the game and not simply the best player from each team. Nobody is tuning in to see how Tomas Vokoun plays in this game nor are they interested in how Jason Arnott is going to do. Fans would rather see the Lightning’s top line and the Senators top line go against the Red Wings top line and the Flames top line. Let’s see how the Eastern stars do against a Western defense of Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Niklas Lidstrom, Dion Phaneuf, Ed Jovanovski and Sergei Zubov. That’s an All-Star defense. I realize that it would suck for the fans of teams that did not send any players, but that’s too bad. If you don’t have any players that are worthy, too bad. Enjoy the game anyway. This is an All-Star game, not Congress – not every team needs to be represented. — Doug

I see both sides of the coin on this one, but, in reality, the league should be putting the best players in the All Star game.   Putting a player in the game simply to represent a team dumbs down the game and makes it less effective.  Is it really an All Star game when the determining factor isn’t star power?– Matt

They have the same arguments in baseball, and us idiot Pirate fans hear it every year, “Why does Jack frickin’ Wilson make the All-Star team” ??  Obviously, the NHL wants as good ratings as they can get, and having players from every team will at least help with that to ensure the fans from all NHL cities will tune in.  But as I said before, the NHL desparately needs to put on a show during the All-Star game festivities to gain as much exposure as it can, so leaving off more deserving stars in lieu of having a rep from each team may bite them in the buttocks in the long run.
– Tony

Stay tuned for Part Two coming soon and to see who actually won.

Illness and Injury: A Nasty Double Whammy

So when your mom tells you to wash your hands a lot….did you listen?  The Carolina Hurricanes are finding out that all those little things they tell you really apply when a nasty flu outbreak hits your hockey team.  Several players have come down with this flu which Laviolette has said “is not your ordinary case of sniffles, cough, and fever.

Just ask Glen Wesley, he got the flu so bad that he actually had to be put on the IR for one day retroactive to January 5th.  That should tell you right there how bad this is.  The latest victim, Niclas Wallin has been sent home till he recovers.  The team trainer even said to keep washing your hands, drink lots of fluids, eat soup and crackers…just like mommy used to tell him I am sure.  They even went as far as to say stay out a week if you have to…rarely do you ever hear of hockey players getting that kind of advice over an illness.  They are as tough as they come so this must indeed be very bad.

Indeed it is.  According to numerous sources, including The Weather Channel, the flu is particularly bad in the Southeast where with the drought going on, flu cases are widespread and rising.  The severity of the flu is also unusually strong…the strongest in years.  It seems similar to what I am hearing out West about the so called “valley flu”….where unseasonable temps, dry weather, and breezy conditions are creating a very rare flu season.

Being a hockey player myself….I can understand what goes to being in that kind of shape and getting that sick. I know I have to be in great physical shape just to be able to play.  Now, when you do get sick, being an athlete helps but only so much.  If you come down with a full body flu like what is going on with the Hurricanes and you are in close quarters to many people, it is an easy bug to spread and spread quickly.  This is not your usual 48 or 72 hour virus….this is a week longer bender to the sick bay.

Now if that wasn’t enough…..there are the injuries.  With Cullen, Walker, and Hedican out with concussion, knee, and knee ailments respecitvely, the Canes have had to go down to the AHL farm to get players like Brandon Nolan who has to feel like he is in some kind of rotating door.  The Canes have sent up and down several players because with a flu outbreak…it is hard to put these players on IR…because it typically causes them to miss a week of time or less.

In the meantime, Carolina’s division lead has dwindled to two points over Atlanta and four points over Florida.  With their recent play, I wonder how many other players have gotten some form of the flu over the last two weeks.  Hopefully this team gets healthy and soon as they have a tough road ahead of them if they want to win the Southeast because right now thanks to this double whammy…it seems anyone can win it.

Color Me Not Red And Not Impressed.

With last night’s win…the Detroit Red Wings are now 33-8-3 and while this may turn into one of the best regular seasons in NHL history……I just have a hard time being impressed by this.  Now the funny part is this.  The Wings have only beaten Chicago once this year.  Remember when the argument was Detroit feasted off an easy divisional schedule?  Well now it seems more of a case, that Detroit is feasting on teams that just don’t either have the talent or depth or both.

Last night’s game was a prime example.  Facing a depleted Colorado team with a 6 million dollar goalie that no one really wants but Colorado…..Detroit managed only one goal.  I may be nitpicking here but Colorado had no business being in this game.  Granted, anything can happen with any given game….but no excuses here…Detroit at times lately is starting to show some chinks in the armor so to speak.  Losing to St. Louis the other night and to no other than Manny Legace had to hurt and I expected more fire out of the Wings….I didn’t really see it.

So looking at some numbers and these are downright weird.  Chris Osgood is 19-2-1 with a 1.68 GAA and a .932 save percentage.  Even Dominik Hasek (who was barely over .500 in November) is now 14-6-1 with a 2.11 GAA and a .900 save percentage.  The Wings may have one of the best defenses in regular season history but a grueling schedule seems to be their greatest enemy.  Every year that foe gets the best of them in the playoffs.  Is Chris Osgood a Vezina winner?  NO!  Is Dominik Hasek what he once was?  Not really.  How does this team keep winning then?  It is simple…two reasons…team chemistry and opposition that can’t play up to the level (st least until the Wings come down in the playoffs).

There is no denying this team has great team chemistry…they have for almost two decades really.  Yet for whatever myriad of reasons, they have not won a cup since 2002.  I really do believe the Wings play so good during the season that they may be playing too well when they head into the playoffs.  Teams often come gunning for them and when that intensity ramps up, they can’t answer the bell for whatever reason.  Now I am not saying the Red Wings should tank it a bit…but one has to admit, it is strange to see a team with such killer instinct in the regular season….lose it in the playoffs the way they do.

Right now, Detroit stands alone with 69 points…17 ahead of their nearest Western Conference foe.  They are in a league of their own.   Will this be the year Detroit can keep up their stamina and win the Stanley Cup?  Or will they fall victim once again due to the rigors of the NHL schedule?  One thing is for sure…their ride will be full of intrigue.

The Top 5 Hockey Movies of All-Time

#5)

Mystery Alaska- Okay, so the hockey scenes were comical at best. And maybe Russel Crowe was atrocious on skates and in the film. And maybe a bunch of drunks from a mysterious town in Alaska playing the New York Rangers is a little far-fetched, but you know what? I watched this film for the third time in the past month on cable. Surprisingly entertaining.

#4)
Miracle- Just well done all around by Disney. Great idea to hire some real players to go along with the actors as the hockey scenes were fantastic. By dubbing over the actual commentary from the game and getting the actual call by Al Michaels, Disney had my theater standing and chanting U-S-A. “Nine out of ten times, they’ll beat us. But not tonight!”

#3)
The Mighty Ducks- I know I know, how can I rank mighty ducks ahead of Miracle. I was born in 1981, that’s how. What was better than the flying V, Gordan Bombay finding hockey again, and a young Josh Jackson and his hot Mom. It was also the beginning of Shaun Weiss’ esteemed career. Goldberg went on to star in the sequels, Heavyweights, and most recently a fast food commercial for Sonic, just awesome!

#2)
Young Blood- Come on, too easy. Rob Lowe AND Patrick Swayze AND a young Keanu Reeves! Whoa! If the moral dilemma is not enough drama for you, just know there are some great hazing scenes and did I mention Keanu Reeves. True hockey fans know this belongs at #2.

#1)
Slapshot- The quintessential hockey movie. Not only does Paul Newman prove he’s a cool cat, but the movie gave us a plethora of sidekicks that are still talked about to this day. I just found out you can still see the Hansens http://www.hansonbrothers.net/ at minor league games and during the Winter Classic last week, NBC ran a story on the real life motivation for Oggie Oglethorpe. Now if you could only rent all four guys for a party. Just putting on the foil coach.

HEAD SHOTS ARE ALIVE AND WELL IN THE NHL

Nearly a year ago, I wrote a column for a popular
newspaper on how the knee is more revered than the
head. I wrote this article right after a rash of head
injuries led to concussions, sidelining some of the
best players in the sport. Nearly one year later, it
would appear there is still a premium on head hunting
bounties. When will the NHL resolve this problem? I
got an idea…Why not create wax, life-like heads of
former NHL greats who had to retire because of
concussions? You can put these heads up on the walls
the NHL Hall of Fame in Toronto.

I can’t understand how NHL players can play with such
recklessness and disregard for their peers. What’s
more disturbing is you see someone almost get killed
like Boston Bruin’s Patrice Bergeron by a member of
the Philadelphia Flyers and it happens again and
again. And by yet another Flyer to boot! In all, the
Flyers have already had 4 different players suspended
for these infractions and the season is not even a
quarter old. What gives?

Players and coaches need to start policing themselves.
The on ice officials can only do so much. The higher
ups in the NHL refuse to throw the book at players
committing these infractions. Furthermore, they allow
these cheap shots to the head to flourish. It’s funny,
but when a player gets a “knee on knee” injury, all
hell breaks loose! It’s like the end of the world
because a “knee injury” may actually mean the end of a
player’s career. This mentality came from the
injustice done to the great Bobby Orr’s shortened
career. You can see a knee injury but you can’t see a
concussion!

There is much talk lately about getting rid of the
instigator penalty rule for fighting. Former NHLer
Eric Lindros and his Players Association cronies are
doing a tour of all NHL teams to find out the best way
to cut down and get rid of hits to the head. So far
the general consensus is getting rid of the instigator
rule. By getting rid of this rule, whenever a player
cheap shots your player, you have the right to clobber
them and not get penalized for starting the fight.
Simple–let the players police themselves.

If anyone remembers the pre 1980’s NHL, many players
didn’t wear any sort of head protection. You would
think there were be more concussions and head
injuries. There weren’t. Players respected one
another. Also, during that era, most teams had more
than one enforcer to police the ice and make sure harm
wasn’t done to their players. It would appear the NHL
might have to go retro to resolve this current
problem. The idea of taking helmets and shields away
from players might actually work and create respect
for one another’s health. The idea of removing helmets
is absurd. Removing the instigator rule however
doesn’t appear to be as absurd. In fact, it might
start cutting down on players who are hacks and head
hunters.

Hockey Around The Horn: The Duel

THE LAST 2007 HATH: The Duel!!!!

HOCKEY AROUND THE HORN

BEEP! BEEP!!

Welcome everyone…I am your host Chris Wassel…today we have a special Duel-like edition of Hockey Around The Horn with two of our favorite experts….Money and Oilers4Ever….expect the sparks to fly as well as a little of everything else.

Time to get right to it……

FIRST WORD

Let’s introduce these two shall we? Okay….we shall.

In THE BLUE CORNNNERRRRRRRRRR….first up!!!!

So a baby seal walks into a club… haha. Now that I got your attention, most of you know me as Oilers4ever - but you can call me O4E or Kevin, whatever tickles your fancy! I was the original GM of the Edmonton Oilers message board here on the NHL Arena and I’m glad to be a part of the community and this wonderful game show!

And in the red cornnnnerrrrrrrrr……..we have Money. Anyone got that Pink Floyd song on cue? NO? Damn!!

Well, I’m a former junior hockey player from Canada, now living in Buffalo. My family is pretty big into hockey (Dad coached junior, Uncle played pro). I was basically raised around the game. I’m a grad student studying sports administration with plans to get into the NHL.

Ok…ok…enough of this jibber jabber crap…time to muck into the ice and see some blood!!!!!

NEWS OF THE WEEK

1. Alright….it has been talked about at length, but what is the toughest division in the league right at this moment and why?

You guys don’t waste any time with all these hard questions eh? There’s no doubt in my mind that the Atlantic Division, this year, is by far the toughest division in the National Hockey League. And I’ll explain by process of elimination…

The Pacific Division, and Northwest Division can’t be considered. While competitive, there are a couple of weak teams that fail to make a dent in how the division will play out (Phoenix and LA in the Pacific, Edmonton and Calgary in the NW).

Over in the Central Division… the Detroit Red Wings are not even in the same class as the rest of the teams. Again, highly competitive division, but the Wings are just too good which really makes it a dog fight for second.

Washington is in the Southeast Division… that right there rules that division out.

As for the Northeast Division… it’s very close and very competitive. But in the long run, I just don’t think the Buffalo Sabres will have what it takes, to remain competitive enough to make some noise in this division.

Which brings me to the toughest division in the NHL… The Atlantic Division. Just five points separate first from last. All five teams are battling tooth and nail for a playoff spot, and at this point of the season, you can’t honestly determine how this division will play out. — Oil

Thats a tough question. In the Western conference, I’d have to say the Central division. They obviously have Detroit, the best team in the league, but the rest of the division is good too. Chicago and Columbus have developed faster than people anticipated, and St. Louis and Nashville are also tough. That is the one Western Conference that doesn’t have a weak team. In the East, there are two divisions like that: the Northeast and the Atlantic. The Atlantic has one of the best collection of goalies in the league (Lundquist, Brodeur, Dipietro) plus Crosby and the Pens; and the now tough again Flyers. The last place team in the Northeast was the regular season champs last year. If I have to name one division, I’d have to go with the Atlantic because of the goaltending. A tough goalie is difficult to overcome, and it can effect you mentally as well. Playing a guy like Brodeur is different than someone like Raycroft. One goal against feels like a lot more against Brodeur. — Money

2. Did anyone happen to catch the 9-5 win by the Avs on Sunday night? Will we see more of this as the season goes on?

Considering I have Milan Hejduk in one of my hockey pools, I sincerely hope we see more of this! But in all seriousness, this is a rarity in the NHL and we won’t see much more of that.

In today’s day and age, goaltenders are a lot better and teams have been able to play smart defensive hockey. What happened in that 9-5 game is that you had two teams who struggle in between the pipes, and a game where defence really went out the window. You just won’t see that very often.

Will we see more 5-4, 6-5 games… probably… but 9 goals… that’s a heck of a lot. I don’t see that happening very often.
– OIL

I didn’t catch the game but from checking out the box scores, it just looks like poor goaltending. Neither team cracked 30 shots on net, meaning it might have been fast-paced, but no more than normal. These type of games can occur when you have two guys like Theodore and Toivonen facing off. Both are talented guys who are prone to lapses where they play horribly. Anytime two goalies like that face off you have the chance for a barn burner. — Money

3. Now who is going to be that breakout player that comes charging out of the All-Star Break or will it be someone we know very very well?

This is a tough question to say the least. Jarome Iginla has a tendancy to come on strong late in the season, so that’s very much a possibility. On the other hand, I think after a slow start plus some injuries… Alexander Frolov may be ready to explode offensivly if he can remain healthy. Like anything else, this is very much a crapshoot… it’ll be interesting, none the less. — OIL

Thats tough to say right now. The biggest things I look for when trying to find a break out player is shots on goal and ice time. Players who have been getting opportunities but not cashing in on them are likely to begin scoring more of them later. A couple of guys that I would expect to see higher offensive output from would be Brendan Shanahan, Jason Blake, Chris Higgins, Patrick Elias and Chris Drury. These guys have been getting a lot of offensive opportunities but haven’t been cashing in on them.
– MONEY

4. As the Holiday Trade Freeze approaches….will anything happen before or after…or will it just get dull until the trade deadline?

Nothing will happen until it gets closer to the trade deadline. In today’s day and age, the Salary Cap will prevent teams from making trades until the last moment possible, that way they won’t have to pay as much salary to that player. Not to mention the fact that there’s still a lot of hockey left to be played, and unless you’re the Washington Capitals, you still have a realistic chance at making the playoffs. So General Managers will wait till February to break loose and have some fun. — OIL

Well now that Recchi has found a home, and the Weight-McDonald deal has gone down, I don’t see anything further. I think the big action will be coming later when the trade deadline hits. — MONEY

Now time for a quick commercial break……

HEY YOU! YES…YOU…in The NHL Arena….think you are some awesome predictor of games but just getting the team right isn’t enough for ya….why not check out The Bottom Line in the Arena Arcade section. The daily line is touted out right in front of you…all you have to do is get the spread right. So if you think you have the Arena Prediction Contest down…how hard could The Bottom Line be? Well why not find out today!!!!!

Ok…ok….time to get to the next round……..

OUT OF BOUNDS

Alright….here’s one with a twist…..your fantasy hockey team has clinched a playoff spot (You’re in a head to head league). To top it off…you are playing a team in 7th place needing a good showing to sneak into the top 6 to make the playoffs. Say you go and trounce the team you’re playing to make a statement heading into the playoffs. Are you out of bounds for doing that or is it part of the game?

Out of Bounds? hahahaha that’s laughable at best. If someone thinks that scenario is out of bounds, they may as well be holding Mommy’s hand and are better off playing Go Fish or something like that. I mean first of all, you can’t control how the players do anyway. Sure you can bench them… but what if your benched players go on a hot streak? That stuff is all out of your hands.

As for making a statement… hell yea! That’s what competition is all about… you’re going out to win at all times. In fact, if you were to take it easy on that team, you’re showing some major disrespect to them and in essence saying that they’re no competition. At the end of the day, in a hockey pool you’re out to do one thing and one thing only… WIN! — OIL

Its a part of the game. Well I can’t say I wouldn’t be upset if I was the team fighting for the playoff spot, but its the only way for everything to be fair. Basically, its unfair to the other teams fighting for the playoff spot. They all had to play the top teams at full strentgh, so it is only fair that everyone does. — MONEY

OVER OR UNDER

Alright….the over/under is 3 goalies will win 40 or more games…..over or under?????? And why?

Under. There are only four goalies capable of winning 40 or more games anyways… Brodeur, Luongo, Nabokov and Lundqvist… at the rate they’re going, it’s almost impossible that they’ll be able to pull out all those wins. Nabokov currently leads the NHL with 15 wins… the Sharks have played 28 Games. That means Nabokov will have to win 25 games in the next 54 games in order to get 40 wins. Take into consideration that it’s unlikely he’ll start in all 54 remaining games… and it’s hard to imagine getting the big 4-0. — OIL

I’d go with the under. Brodeur seems to be the only hands down forty game winner this season. I figure Nabokov will for sure, and possibly Kipper if both him and Calgary can pick up their play a bit. I’d say Luongo as well, but his injury scares me a bit, hopefully it doesn’t linger. Either way, there are too many good back up goalies in the league, and too many teams that have a hands down starter aren’t going to give their goalie enough chances to win. — Money

Cue up Metallica’s The Ectasy of Gold….because it is time forrrrrrrr……….

THE SHOWDOWN

Alright…these two have battled toe to toe all evening…now its time to settle the score and lock the cage down for the steel cage part of the showdown…two men enter…once one comes out unscathed!!!

1. Who is that one team that you expect to go to hell in a handbasket in the second half? How bad will they do?

Does Washington count? I mean, they’re already sinking faster than the Titanic… can it get much worse? I think so… they’re just a terrible team. Sure they’ve got Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin… and Kolzig is decent between the pipes. But aside from that… it’s a young, inexperienced squad that will struggle to string together some victorious as the season progresses. Unless they pull off some major deals at the deadline, I don’t see them getting any better… and if it’s possible, they may even get worse! — OIL

I think the teams with the biggest room to fall are the younger teams that have been playing well so far. I would say Columbus, Chicago and Boston will be teams that have been playing playoff calibre hockey that will fall out of the race. — Money

2. Who will ultimately be the starting goalies for this year’s All-Star Game…..now who should be?

I think this is a no brainer… Roberto Luongo in the West… Henrik Lundqvist in the East. Luongo is the real deal is arguably the greatest goaltender in the NHL at this very moment. Lundqvist has had a solid year and deserves the recognition. I’d give some heavy consideration to Evgeni Nabokov in the West… but in the end, I think Luongo is the better goaltender and deserves the nod… but make sure Nabokov is in the mix! As for the East…after Lundqvist… Brodeur and Ward should be considered. — OIL

I would say Brodeur and Luongo based on their reputations. They are thought of generally as the best two goalies in the league, and usually the all star game reflects the common thought. I would however put Lundqvist and Nabokov are the more deserving goaltenders. — Money

3. If there is one alcoholic drink you want more with you at a hockey game more than anything….what would it be??? Do elaborate without slurring.

I’ll have an ice cold beer any day… but to be honest, I just don’t wanna pay $5.75 for a glass of beer, that half the time is warm by the time you get it in ur hands. So I don’t drink while attending hockey games… but when I’m watchin it with the boys at the bar… let’s get some Alexander Keith’s flowing from the tap and I’m a happy guy. And when the Oilers score… let’s have a shot of Oilers… in other words, I look at the bartender and tell him to mix something blue and orange together and let’s do er up!

But please remember… if you do drink at a hockey game or a bar, do yourself and all of us a favor… don’t drive home.
– OIL

A beer. Just about any kind, preferably of Canadian make. You know how Canadian beer is like moonshine. However, at hockey games I like to get some shelled peanuts to go with my beer. Its a good combination. — Money

Well this one was tough but using some strange form of scoring known only to the judges…we came up with a winner for this special DUEL-like edition. Money bloodied Oil heavily in the late rounds but Oil just barely saved it in the showdown giving him just enough points to yank out the victory…..

And with a final score of 31-28…(football score maybe?)…Oil…..this is your face time….so USE IT!!!

I’d like to thank all the little people out there… without you, watching Little People, Big World, wouldn’t be as entertaining. In all seriousness, it’s an honour to win and I’m proud to be one more reason why the City of Edmonton is the City of Champions!

A man of many words…so choked up by winning…..he could only muster a couple sentences!!! Well that is how hard Hockey Around The Horn is…it is so draining yet satisfying. Now Oil….get some of those cuts looked at….it looked like a real war out there!!!!!

Stay tuned for the next Hockey Around The Horn….a special one year anniversary Bloggers Edition coming in January…till then I am Chris..your host…..good fight…..GOOD NIGHT!!!!

The Perfect Game

So I found myself sitting in a Florida airport yesterday with flight delays as a storm hit upstate New York.  Not only did I find the game in Buffalo on many of the tv’s, but people in an airport in Florida were watching a hockey game.  This was astounding not so much in just the locale, but that people were watching hockey period.  It was on the tv at the PGA store and people were standing around watching. And it was on at the bar I planted myself at (with the volume on the hockey over the college football bowl games nonetheless) and people were watching.  As the guy who sat down next to me in a Hawaiian shirt asked what’s going on with a hockey game outside, I realized how much more this was than just an ordinary hockey game.

I have to give whoever at the NHL put this together credit for the idea (I refuse to believe it was Bettman) , but there were bigger things at work here.  The hockey gods were firing on all cylinders yesterday.  The freezing temperatures, swirling winds, and inches of snow created a backdrop for something even die hard hockey fans have never seen in the NHL.  The 72,000+ crazed Buffalo residents who attended the game created a raucous environment of tailgating, weather bearing, and overall excitement not natural for a hockey game.  ESPN’s NHL analyst Scott Burnside even dubbed Buffalo the new “hockeytown” after being there yesterday (Sorry Detroit, you have the best team in the NHL and you still don’t sell out games anymore).  Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller threw a tuke(yes tuke, thats a winter hat for you Americans) on top of his mask creating quite the hockey fashion statement.  The ice had to be worked on and dry-cleaned by the zamboni multiple times throughout the game.  The snow picked up during OT and by the shoot out, the puck was getting lost in snow drifts.  And of course the game ends with a neat little deke by none other than Sid the Kid. 

There was so much to be excited about and as someone who grew up playing on an outdoor rink, I could have not asked for more out of this game.  Overall just a spectacular event for hockey fans as well as the casual Floridian passing through an airport.  For a minute I even thought this could propel hockey back into the mainstream sports scene, that is until four college kids came saddling up needing to see the last minutes of yet another college bowl game blowout named after a rental car company or a fruit or something.