Flordia Panthers

Manic Monday….

The budget apparently didn’t allow for a picture this afternoon sadly or maybe that was the hangover. I can not confirm that for 100% certainty. However, it would not hurt to recycle a video….so here goes…….

This is basically a thanks to my co-host Rick who did a fantastic job!

For those who didn’t get to listen on in last night….you can either check out the player on the right side of the blog or go right to Blog Talk Radio. Last night we talked a considerable amount on overspending on free agents, Sundin and Sakic, and of course the brewing mess that is the Radulov saga. We also touched on the lighter side of being a hockey fan, ranted about the Brodeur-Nabokov debate and Rick even managed to set Tampa Bay on fire…well not literally.

In the end, we closed up with comments from our chatters, emails, and some phone calls. The show closed with a simple goodbye and a look ahead to next week’s two hour show. That and the ant marching band sent us off. Stupendous job by everyone that was involved and next time don’t be so shy.

Now are there are going to be any more arbitration hearings? For thse of you who didn’t hear just yet. Jay Bouwmeester got a 1 year deal from Florida today…so scratch his name off the list. Yes many thought, including me, that his case would go to arbitration for sure but of course when you assume….yes you know what happens. So the trade speculation maybe can start in January instead of right after the hearing. Isn’t that nice?

Next up is Vermette…that is IF it goes that far. I am wondering if he gets a deal from Ottawa now at the eleventh hour. At this point, it would not surprise me in the least. I am officially putting out this question for Danada so he can comment on it here….what will it ultimately take for Vermette to sign and why?

After these arbitration hearings, if there are any more…I haven’t heard the latest from Filppula and Koistinen but they may be signed soon enough too for all I know….I am sure everyone will turn their eyes back to the Sundin and Sakic sagas….and the Radulov issue again. Hockey, like many sports, is cyclical in nature and often the longer something lingers….the more it gets exposed and disected to the point where you just want to hack up the next reporter that brings it up. Scary? But that is how it can get at times.

With the dog days in full force, it is seemingly hard to find a story or something to write on but really in all honestly, it isn’t. Just dig a little deeper than the next person and you will be surprised what you find. Stay cool out there and enjoy the rest of your Monday!!

Capital Takeover!

I’m not a fan of the Washington Capitals…I will admit that. But the day they hired Bruce Boudreau and fired Glen Hanlon, I knew something was brewing in the beltway. They went from 24 points in December to 94 by the end of the season. That 70 points in that time span was good for #1 in the East. It is amazing to see from how they went to how they are now. How did they get there? Well here are a few reasons they won the division.

Boudreau installed a system of accountability that worked! Plain and simple, these guys believed as a cohesive unit that they could do this. Now that got them only so far and they were hovering just above .500 when the trade deadline hit. Now they did get Matt Cooke, Sergei Fedorov, and Cristobal Huet at the deadline and that was the key. The Caps now had a younger goalie and a #1 who could take over for the valiant yet at times overmatched Olaf Kolzig. They also gained a valuable vet who was Russian and that would prove to be important as far as mentoring Semin and Ovechkin as they made their push toward the playoffs.

MVP Perhaps? Yes!

This is a team that is hot at the right time….going 10-1 in their last 11 games to get in. Combine that with Carolina’s 5-5-1 finish over that span and that was enough for Washington to take the division by a scant two points. An oh by the way, Washington has only given up 37 goals in its last 20 games….that translates into playoff style goaltending and stout defense. Cristobal Huet has always been a very good goalie when healthy. Now he steps into the postseason in Washington with an MVP candidate and likely winner in Ovechkin. This team has talent though the injury to Jeff Schultz last night may be bad news…it likely won’t deter this team at all (it did not appear to be serious).

Does this fully vindicate Ted Leonsis and his cut everything scorched earth policy after the lockout? I would have to say yes and emphatically. It will be interesting to see how he keeps this emerging core together. I believe he will as this team is on a very fast rise and next year will be a division and maybe even conference favorite. The drafting of Ovechkin, getting the right coach in Boudreau and this trade deadline which surprised many, including myself, have put the Captails in a position to takeover not only the DC media but maybe much more.

My prognosis for the first round of the playoffs looks very good for the Capitals…I think they have what it takes to advance to Round 2. Yes they will beat the Ottawa Senators and the Philadelphia Flyers if they play them instead.

There will be blood…..

Throw the records straight out the window…the stakes are just too high.  The crescendo that is the NHL season is building toward the playoffs.  In less than three weeks, we will know the seedings….where will your team be?  That is the question evey fan asks me.  I can tell you emphatically that it really is too early to tell.  This has been a season full of parity…a year where two teams were thought to be untouchable and it turns out the teams gunning for them may have a better shot at that silver cup.  Now to add some chum into the tank and throw some more blood into the mix.  Here we go……

How demented would it be if the Edmonton Oilers made the playoffs?   Now imagine the look of Brian Burke if the Ducks faced the Oilers in the first round.  Horrified yet?  Oh no, that’s nothing.  That first round pick that Burke was drooling over is rapidly turning into a mid round pick that won’t nearly be as good as he was hoping for.  So gaining Penner via the restricted route maybe wasn’t as big a gamble for Lowe as people thought.  Praise also goes out to Craig MacTavish…who has to be quietly considered for the Jack Adams (Coach Of The Year).  Not many thought after all the injuries and already depleted talent pool…that Edmonton would be anywhere near where they are now.  Sure enough, they are…and he is the reason.  Though I feel sorry for him for all the grey hairs he received this season…..the coach has managed to get Cogliano and all these young guys along with a resurgence from Dwayne Rolosson within an earshot of the playoffs.  Many will say Sutter, Julien, and maybe even Wilson are more deserving but MacTavish is getting my vote if the season ended today.

Another team left for dead by many is the Florida Panthers.   The past few years this team starts out slower than a 1928 Roadster and comes in screaming like a 2008 Porsche but it is entertaining how they do it.  This year was no exception…hovering right near or below .500 for most of the season before finding the groove and reeling off seven straight wins.  Tomas Vokoun (a star of the week with 3 wins and a jawdropping GAA) is finally playing like he did in Nashville and Olli Jokinen is back to giving teams nightmares.  Maybe it did take them awhile after all to get over the Richard Zednik incident…but here they are…just two points out of a playoff spot.  The kicker is even though they only have 8 games left….they are just five points out of the division lead.  Further proof that indeed with the parity in the NHL, anything is possible….even for a coach like Jacques Martin to get lucky…..who knew?

Time to throw in a knuclepuck so to speak.  Tonight’s Leafs-Islanders matchup will also mean something not in the standings so much….but these are two teams that detest each other.   More importantly for Isles fans…Kyle Okposo will make his debut.  At 195 pounds, his size doesn’t seem that impressive.  But alot like Zach Parise…his tenacity around the corners is his calling card.  He is not afraid to play tough and his 24 points in 29 games at Bridgeport (AHL) is impressive.  He is only 19 and this is more or less a nine game audition with the big club but he will make an impact tonight…at the very least in the stands.  The University of Minnesota standout may just surprise some people, including the Maple Leafs as he can definitely hit.  So expect a physical game on Long Island tonight with maybe a twist.

Pittsburgh travels to MSG to play the Rangers tonight in what is a must win for the Rangers.  Their brain fart in Florida may have cost them a top seed in the Eastern Conference.  The loss to Tampa was probably worse than the one to Florida as well they got shutout by a Tampa team that couldn’t stop Winnie The Pooh from honey in sub-zero cold.  So it is time for Henrik Lundqvist to step up again and hope he gets some goal support from what has to be the most enigmatic offense in the NHL.  The Pens come in at 89 points…right behind New Jersey with Marc-Andre Fleury in net who the Rangers have had some success against.  No Sidney Crosby again tonight as he is still nursing a swollen ankle…he may be back by the weekend or sooner but no one seems to really know.  One thing is for sure…I am surprised this game is not on Versus…that would be their normal motus operandi wouldn’t it?  At any rate…I like the makeup of this game for some reason…I will definitely watch it.  Expect a surprisingly physical contest from these two.

Tomorrow is the real cap to the deal as the Rangers play the Devils for the 6th time this season.  Yes the Rangers have taken the first five but you have to feel the Devils gear up for this time of year and this type of schedule.  Like someone sevrely scorned, this will be INTENSE!  There will be much coverage on The NHL Arena, Battle of New York, 2 Man Advantage, and all the usual suspects.  Brodeur Vs. Lundqvist….Pandolfo Vs. Jagr….Gomez, Avery, and a cast of characters all will be at The Rock tomorrow night…don’t miss it!

Coming soon will be Hockey Around The Horn’s 6th episode…the banter of four people entering and only one emerging victorious.  It should be up and ready in the coming days at The NHL Arena.  So the blood will be shed this week and heading throughout the playoffs.  Now the intensity ramps up and it is for keeps!!  Good fight…..good night!!

Remembering 60…..

Alexander Ovechkin’s 50th goal got me wondering tonight a bit.  Well wait he just scored his 51st as I started typing some more.  Ovechkin just nearly got the hatter but Auld stopped him on an opportunity in close.  So now the drive for 60 commercials will pour on Versus like really cheap beer.  But hey remember when 60 was a little more common??  Yes I surely do.

So if Ovechkin doesn’t score any more tonight…he will need 9 goals in 15 games.  That is very doable for a guy who can score in bunches very much like the Caps do on Versus for whatever reason.  The last time we had a 60 goal scorer in the NHL was Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1995-1996 season with 69 tallies.  Sure some guys have ventured close like Pavel Bure (59) in 2000-01 and Jonathan Cheechoo (56) in 2005-06.  Even Vinny Lecavlier has scored moer than 50 but you think with his talent he would get to 60 but no so my friend!

Just an update folks…Ovechkin has scored the hat trick off a pretty feed and Ovechkin is wide open to tap it in from Semin and it is 5-0 Washington.  Ovechkin is 8 away from 60 now.

Ovechkin is the prototypical 60 goal scorer if there ever was one…a pure sniper who is big enough to be durable and skilled enough to put it in the net with solid frequency.  At 6 foot 2 and 215 pounds, I really can’t think of anyone else that can do it better at this point.  Now I have heard all the stories about free skating undersized snipers but I really think a guy like Ovechkin who can score at will can lead a new trend even with scoring on a downturn in the NHL.  Mario Lemieux was a big boy to say the least…why can’t Ovechkin?

Ovechkin now has players that can pass him the puck other than just one playmaker which has plagued most of the guys that were close to 60 in the last 10 years.  That is a huge key in netting 60.  Time to take a look back at some other 60 goal scorers not named Lemieux or Gretzky.

Mike Bossy — I still consider him probably the best scoring sniper ever…period!!  In just 10 seasons…he had 573 goals in just 752 games.  To top that off he produced 1.48 points per game….project that over 1200 or 1300 games and you get something downright sick.  But as far as putting the puck in the back of the net…he could see the twine like no other.  He was called La Machine in Quebec for a reason.  Bossy was at the right place at the right time all the time.  He never scored less than 50 goals any year in the NHL except his last.

Pavel Bure — The Russian Rocket had the moves and the skills of an assassin.  He not only topped 60 goals twice in his first two full seasons but he did it with reckless abandon.  The problem was that reckless speed could not always be harnessed right.  Combine that with his uncanny nature of bad injuries also derailed one of the greatest pure goal scorers of all time.  Many times I would go to a game just to see Bure play.  His two full seasons with Florida produced 58 and 59 goals respectively…which was something special in an era that was considered a dead era as far as snipers.  He was truly a guy to be feared by every goalie when he came rushing up the ice.

Brett Hull — The Golden Jet was fast…real fast on skates but you would never know it off the ice.  He scored 741 times in the NHL but from a period from about 1989 to 1994…you couldn’t stop this guy.  Hull had 339 goals in those five seasons.  Granted, the rest of his career wasn’t quite at that pace…but as far as pure shooters went…if Hull was in the slot and the one timer was open…a lot of times it would find its way in the net.  That three season of run of 70+ goals for me was one of the best achievements I have ever seen in hockey.

So the key to remembering back when 60 goal scorers were more common were great playmakers, skill, and durability.  Ovechkin is a guy that fits this mold….with a passer like Backstrom and good team chemistry…he may hit 60 several more times…although so may a guy in Pittsburgh named Malkin or a guy in Atlanta named Kovalchuk but for now Ovechkin is the one most primed to accomplish the feat.

For more regular season records…do check out Couch Potato Hockey.

Trade Deadline Fun!!!

The deed has been done…they day is now over…here is what happened.

TRADES AND SIGNINGS THAT HAPPENED TODAY!!

– Mike Comrie resigned 1 year…4 million with the Isles.
– Actual Trade: Bryce Salvador to New Jersey and Cam Janssen goes to St. Louis.
– Wade Belak goes to Florida for a 5th round 08 draft pick.
– Defenseman Brian Campbell to San Jose for Steve Bernier and a 2008 first round pick.
– Brad Richards goes to Dallas…also going with him will be goalie Johan Holmqvist…Tampa gets goalie Mike Smith, center Jeff Halpern and winger Jussi Jokinen and a 4th round pick.
– Goalie Cristobal Huet has been traded to Washington for a second round pick in the 09 draft.
– Andrew Ladd has been traded from the Canes to the Blackhawks for Tuomo Ruutu.
– The Colorado Avalanche have acquired Ruslan Salei from the Panthers for Karlis Skrastins and a third round pick.
– Chicago has moved Martin Lapointe to Ottawa….Chicago return a 6th round 2008 pick.
– Colorado acquires Adam Foote from Columbus…for a first round conditional pick and more.
– Sergei Fedorov has been traded to Washington…..for defenseman Ted Ruth.
– Rob Davison has been traded to the Isles from the Sharks for a 7th round pick in 08.
– Washington traded Matt Pettinger for Vancouver’s Matt Cooke.
– Toronto trades Hall Gill to the Pens….. for a 2nd rounder and 5th rounder in 09.
– Backman to the New York Rangers….Blues get a 4th rounder in return.
– WOW! The big one. Hossa and Pascal Dupuis to the Pens….for Erik Christensen, Colby Armstrong, Angelo Esposito, and a first round 2008 pick.
– Chris Simon to the Minnesota Wild for a 6th round pick.
– Brad Stuart has been traded to the Detroit Red Wings…Kings get back a 2nd and 4th rounder.
– Chad Kilger has been traded to Florida for a third round draft pick.
– Sjostrom, Leneveau and Josh Gratton going to the New York Rangers for Al Montoya and Marcel Hossa.
– Marc-Andre Bergeron has been traded to the Ducks for a 3rd round pick.
– JS Aubin has been traded for a 7th round draft pick to the Anaheim Ducks.
– Joe Motzko has been traded from the Thrashers to the Caps for Alexandre Giroux.
– Jan Hlavac was moved to Nashville for a 7th round pick.
– Brandon Bochenski traded to Nashville for future considerations.

ANALYSIS OF TRADES:

– Devils bolster their defensive depth with stay at home defenseman Salvador while Janssen goes home to St. Louis to add some grit to the Blues lineup.
– Florida finally gets a fighter that they need to add some physicality to the mix.
– Campbell does indeed get dealt and the San Jose blue line gets that much stronger with a QB on the Power Play. Buffalo gets a good forward with upside and a much coveted first rounder in this year’s draft.
– Dallas gets the center of attention they feel they need and a decent backup in Holmqvist…they do give up on Smith and Jokinen though. But you have to give to get something in the trade deadline.
– This is a precursor for bigger things in Montreal but you have to give major points for Washington in securing a #1 netminder with very good upside. And they only gave up a second rounder to boot.
– Carolina wanted more grit well they got it and Ladd provides Chicago with a little punch.
– The Avs get bigger on defense but they do get a little slower while the Panthers make a pretty smart trade in getting a vet like Skrastins.
– Ottawa gets a little stingier with Lapointe and for next to nothing…not bad.
– Colorado gets the old boys together as Foote helps them out on the defensive end….but pays for it with a conditional first rounder. An 08 if Avs make playoffs and an 09 if they don’t…plus Columbus gets another pick if Foote resigns with Avs…not as good of a move as it first looked to be.
– Fedorov provides a bit of veteran leadership to Washington as they try to win the Southeast…and trade not much for him.
– Isles needed defenseman help….and get a bit here. Just some depth to help the injuries mounting on the D side.
– Cooke provides the Caps with a little grit…it makes me wonder why the Canucks would do such a deal.
– The Pens get a big physical d-man but for a couple picks…a curious price to say the least but he will help in his own end.
– Rangers get a pretty good one with some upside….and the Blues get a decent pick.
– The Pens make 2 trades..the second one being an even bigger risk than the first one will be interesting one way or the other for Shero. Hossa will provide them with undeniable offensive punch…but trading away some of these character guys may hurt the Pens in the long run. A very curious move and if you are Montreal, why trade Huet now? But that is second guessing.
– Why Minnesota why? That is all I will say. I do not get it at all.
– Stuart gives the Wings some much needed defensive depth given all the injuries the Wings have sustained.
– A bit of a curious move for a third rounder but Florida does get a pretty good vet.
– Maloney had to give up a bit to get Montoya…hopefully he thinks it is worth it because I think Sjostrom could be pretty darn good.
– Isles did not like Bergeron of late but maybe the Ducks can turn him around…Bergeron will help some on the Power Play.
– I don’t get this one at all Burke….I just don’t.
– Another trade that seemed just a trade for trade’s sake.
– Hlavac will help the Preds just a little bit but the Preds seemed content to stay out of the fray on this trade deadline.
– I guess Bochenski was just interchangeable parts for Burke.