Will the Rangers go “All the Way”? - Size Does Matter

In addition to staying True Blue to my tagline of “Shooting From Angles Not Covered By Any Other Blogs”, I am going to be just a little forward and fire my rubber load (so to speak) in the direction of a subject that I have yet to see mentioned on any Ranger blogs, websites, message boards, newspapers or magazines. And if this subject has been covered in any of the aforementioned forms of “social intercourse”, its coverage has been scanty.

While the main focus continues to be (and justifiably so) on the Rangers sizzling summer, double-dip splash into the UFA pool – A.K.A. Scott Gomez and Chris Drury – other ubiquitous Ranger topics include: 1) draft day’s Russian Heist (Alexei Cherapanov), 2) the relatively peaceful signings of Henrik Lundquist, Brendan Shanahan, Petr Prucha and Marcel Hossa, 3) the signing of Sean Avery after an ornery arbitration hearing (and its long-term consequences), 4) the trading of Matt Cullen and who his replacement will be, 5) the potential impact of Marc Staal and other highly touted prospects, 6) what will become of the current glut of defensemen and how the defense corps will ultimately pan out, 7) general opinions on the Rangers chances of winning the Stanley Cup, etc.

What never seems to be brought up is a very simple question: Are the Rangers physically equipped to be capable of winning the Stanley Cup? One of the reasons this potent poser should be a timely one is the urge that some of the league has had to enlarge since the events of last spring. Once the Anaheim Ducks consummated their season with hockey’s ultimate gratification, the Stanley Cup, some NHL teams have chosen to “go with the flow” and mimic the mighty Ducks. This was evident in the 2007 entry draft, where some teams refused to succumb to the temptation of raw talent, and instead decided to reload their pistols with brawnier ammunition. After all, in this copy-cat league the physically dominant Ducks have become the envy of all their gamey rivals in the hunt for next year’s big prize.

One might argue that the league’s rules favor fast, skilled teams - not necessarily big ones, and Anaheim’s championship was more an aberration as opposed to the beginning of a new trend. This argument would be supported by the fact that no Stanley Cup winner has repeated in 10 years, and that historically a size advantage in the playoffs doesn’t necessarily become the deciding factor. The Philadelphia Flyers, in their Bobby Clarke days, are the probably the best examples. On the other hand, had the Flyers actually added an elite goalie to the mix for many of these years, their physicality might have been the force that carried them over the top to lift Lord Stanley’s Cup.

The biggest difference between today’s hefty hockey teams and those of yesteryear is that some of the current NHL teams, namely Anaheim and San Jose, have a frightening combination of size, strength, speed and youth. Anyone, who was watching the Detroit-San Jose series, would have bet the family fish tank after game 3 that the Sharks were going to swim away with this one. But despite being seemingly over-aged, out-muscled, out-skated and out-matched for much of the first 3 games, Detroit proved in a stunning 3 game turnaround that a “strength of character” advantage can sometimes offset an entire host of physical deficiencies. Should the Sharks be able to overcome their character issues this year, their daunting endowment of assets might make them the favorites to sink their teeth into the Cup.

Anaheim is dealing with a number off-season issues often encountered by defending Stanley Cup champions, such as players contemplating retirement and an increase in their players’ perceived value (and salary demands). This often leads to the loss of some players, who are lured away by other teams willing to overpay for their services. So depending on how things shake out for Anaheim, they could be headed for a fall this spring. On the other hand, should Anaheim eventually be able to get their Ducks in a row without ruffling too many of their franchise feathers, they will be every bit as formidable as they were last year.

What about the Rangers? As much as I enjoyed their brilliant resurrection late last season, which climaxed with an improbable surge to the playoffs and a first round thumping of a throttled Thrasher team, I knew that they realistically had no chance of “going all the way”. Although the Rangers inevitable encounter with the Buffalo proved to be a much closer contest than I could have ever anticipated, ultimately they were destined to succumb to the Sabres wealth of weapons.

But even if the Rangers could have pulled off the humongous upset against Buffalo and had the stamina to outlast the Senators (in what would have been a tough and evenly matched series), their bubble would certainly have burst against a physically superior Western Conference foe.

In the playoffs, much of a team’s success depends upon which opponents they are pitted against and how well they match-up against them. The Rangers had plenty of skill and speed, but not nearly as much as Buffalo. The Rangers certainly had enough size and grit to physically stand up to any Eastern Conference team that made the tournament, but not nearly enough to withstand the perpetual pounding that they would have received at the hands of the Ducks or Sharks. Had the Rangers encountered either of these teams in the Finals, they would have been eaten alive – as Duck soup for Anaheim or as Shark bait for San Jose.

In fact, the Rangers were fortunate that Philadelphia and Toronto didn’t make the playoffs last year. In the regular season, even though the Rangers could compete with these teams, it was obvious that both the Flyers and Leafs were more broadly built than the Blueshirts. Had the Rangers faced either squad in the post season, they would have had trouble holding their own in hit-for-hit hockey. Of course, the more drawn-out a series becomes and the further into the playoffs the match-up occurs, the more difficult it is for a smaller team to cope with the carnage inflicted by their colossal counterparts. This means that the Rangers would have a better chance of surviving this kind of clash had it occurred in the first or second round, as opposed to the final two rounds.

Relatively also enters into this equation. Certainly a team can more easily overcome a disadvantage, if the disadvantage is a minor or moderate one. A real mismatch can arise when one team has substantial supremacy in size, speed, or skill.

As teams continue to assemble the off-season pieces to their respective puzzles, it’s hard to say for certain how much of a relative advantage/disadvantage each club will have next year in the desirable attributes of size, speed, and skill. We won’t know the answers until each team’s internal competitions have been decided in league-wide training camps and all their final transactions have been made.

Aside from particular line combinations and defensemen pairings, the Rangers really have only a few spots that remain in question. Assuming that Ryan Callahan and Daniel Girardi have completed their post graduation requirements from the Hartford Academy and will remain in New York, along with two year veteran, Hossa, that leaves only one center position, a couple of fourth line positions, and one or two defense positions remaining in limbo (assuming no further trades).

Therefore, we have a pretty good picture of how the Rangers breakdown in some of the key physical categories. They would appear to have good (but not excellent) team speed and plenty of skill that would probably allow them to stay competitive (in this sense) with just about any team in the playoffs – especially since the Sabres machine lost two of their main cogs in Briere and Drury. Although the Rangers parted with a very speedy center in Matt Cullen and a very skilled center in Michael Nylander, they picked up two very fast centers in Gomez and Drury – with Gomez possessing excellent playmaking skills and Drury bringing a host of intangible qualities (one of which bit the Blueshirts in the butt in game 5 of the Sabres series).

As far as size and strength goes, they’re simply not among the Rangers strong suits - notwithstanding a couple of players whose physical force could potentially wear down their playoff opponents, such as Jaromir Jagr and Hossa. This is not to say that the Blueshirts don’t have some gritty players, as well as some other players (aside from Jagr and Hossa) of impressive stature - at least 6’1” and over 210 lbs. It’s just that Shanahan, Marik Malik and Paul Mara don’t play a physical style that wears down the opposition, while Colton Orr and Jason Strudwick are fringe players who are often not dressed.

Brad Isbister, whose offensive capabilities could never be confused with Joe Thornton’s, did provide the Rangers with some well-needed bulk late last season and in the playoffs. His ability to work the boards, cycle the puck and compliment Jagr made him an effective player, and in that sense, he will be missed. I should also mention that if the question mark at center is answered by Brandon Dubinsky, then on top of the other talents he brings to the table, his ponderous proportions and feistiness would definitely be a welcomed addition to the team.

Overall, I would say that the Rangers could physically endure a playoff series against most teams, but would very likely get blown away by the power of some of the jumbo jets they could engage in battle.

The reason that I’ve barely touched upon the “joys of youth” is because a Stanley Cup championship team is generally composed of a nice blend of young bucks and wily vets. Next season, the Rangers will probably have the right mixture of those ingredients.

Perhaps the most important factor in determining whether the Rangers have a chance to “win it all” is chance itself. Who knows if the elements that GM, Glen Sather, compounds will result in good chemistry? Who knows how healthy the team will be, especially heading into the playoffs? Who knows if a topsy-turvy season will be topsy or turvy in late April? And finally, who knows in the pursuit of the ultimate conquest, what sequence of opponents will need to be conquered?

So with size being one of many uncertain variables, will Lady Luck scorn the Rangers for their physical shortcomings? Or will the Rangers have the goods to get the gold (silver in this case)? These answers will go a long way in determining how deeply they can penetrate into the big dance come next spring. The final score will either show the Rangers living large as Stanley Cup champions, or being pre-maturely humbled as inadequate also-rans.

Postscript: Should the Rangers surmount all the obstacles and defy all the odds this season to hoist hockey’s Holy Grail, then next summer they would be wise to beware of invaders from the Great White North (Edmonton). For if “Kevin the Poacher” aims his next Lowe blow at the Rangers family jewels, they must prepare themselves by defending their Cup.

Courtesy of The Hockey Humorist - http://hockeyhumorist.blogspot.com/

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Patrick Marleau

This would be a great deal for the Habs ONLY if certain things were to accompany such a trade.

First, you would have to sign Marleau to an extension immediately, as we have seen with players like Smyth and Briere, the closer they get to the end of the season the more tempting it is for them to test the UFA market; Marleau is still only 27 years old and proven, give him the 7 mill per year he is gonna want now and lock him up.

Trading away a 22 year old goalie like Halak to some is not a big deal, but he did play very well last season winning 10 of his 16 starts and posting a 2.89 g.a.a.

Why is that important?

Because Gainey has said Carey Price will not play this season for the Canadiens unless he is the starting goalie. So my question is, if Huet starts to crumble, which he did show signs of doing last season repeatedly before he got hurt, who comes in and plays for him?
Without Halak's performances last season the last game vs Toronto would have meant nothing anyway because the Habs would have been eliminated way before then.

Another problem facing the Habs if they do make that trade, is what do the lines become?
Are guys gonna gel as well once they are moved around? The Koivu Higgins Ryder line was the best line for the last 2 seasons by far when healthy.
Marleau is a center, as is Koivu, Plekanec, Smolinski, Chipchura. So somebody has to move to the wing, my guess is Plekanec. The best lines I could think of would be:

HIGGINS MARLEAU LATANDRESSE
PLEKANEC KOIVU KOVALEV
KOSTITSYN SMOLINSKI LAPIERRE
BEGIN CHIPCHURA LATHI

The fourth line could rotate with Murray and Kostopoulos...a lot of possibilities for Carbonneau..

Marleau would also be a great addition so in two years from now as we start to phase out Koivu and Kovalev.
Along with guys like Higgins, Latendresse, Chipchura, Lapierre and Plekanec, Marleau would be great to build around.

If Gainey could get this deal done and net a decent backup goalie for this season I am all for it but I think it might be a little late to do get that goalie now.
I would assume since Danis has no starting position with the Bulldogs he would have to be that guy.

I would also be curious to see if Ryder could score 30 again in SJ where he won't be saying Raycroft 8x per year.

Wilson deceives Sharks fans once more...

It'll take more than the annual "Shark for a day" fantasy camp to calm down angered Sharks fans this this time around.

Reader and Sharks fan Brian Smith has these comments on the Sharks' current disappointing offseason and Doug Wilson's promised "changes"

It's a funny thing here the Sharks are already in PR mode after failing to sign Sheldon Souray. Tonight on their website, the radio broadcaster talks about how things are going well this off season, with our draft choices and players working out. And excuse after excuse about why the Sharks haven't signed anyone in free agency. Funny they didn't mention anything about the Doug Wilson comment after we got beat in the playoffs again. At that time Doug Wilson said "Changes would be made." and that "he just won't sit around doing nothing till september."
Hmmm funny thing it looks like the Sharks have done NOTHING, which is typical year in and year out with them now.

It's kinda funny every year we get the same speech at the start of the Season the Sharks are committed to winning the cup this (put in any year) season. Yet every year they fail come free agency time they do nothing except talk their way around it, then they raise ticket prices to stay more competitive, lose 4 players sign no one, and then try and convince everyone they are better than they were last season.
It's kind of comical that people actually buy into that, because its the same song and dance every year.

Right now there are NO free agents worth any value left on the market and Sharks management will most likely spin it by saying "Oh we tried, and had offers on the table."
But in the end losers try, winners succeed. 5 years at 27 Million for Souray is cheap, but the Sharks won't do contracts of over 3 years length, so I guess its no wonder they struck out once again come free agency time. But hey they raised our ticket prices, now they are putting out a new logo so we have to buy more merchandise, thank god management is so concerned about winning the cup. Their Actions speak a lot louder then there hollow words.

You're absolutely right, the Sharks were HEAVY free-agent favourites heading into the summer, but failed to pursue guys like Chris Drury, Daniel Briere and perhaps most "shockingly", Sheldon Souray to join the Sharks' ranks.
I think Wilson's comment was far too rash and blunt, he had no idea if changes were to be made and if Drury or Souray wanted to come to California, come on, he was basing his words on the rumours that were circulating around at the time, how could he have known first-hand that either one of them was interested in signing with the Sharks?
He couldn't, pure speculation on his part, and he made a terrible mistake with his fan base by promising them something (or rather someone) they haven't gotten so far (but hey, a trade could always be in the works)

That speech is basic "protocol", name me one team that's committed to losing and not winning the Cup.
No team heads into a new season with that approach, but this is exactly what separates the pretenders from the contenders, for example, the Capitals can walk into a new season and say "we are committed to winning the Cup" while Wilson can say the same to his media.
In this case, Wilson has a better team to back his claims up with while Caps GM George McPhee doesn't.

The Sharks have come up empty handed via free-agency, but look at their roster now, they've developped most of their core talent like Patrick Marleau, Jonathan Cheechoo, Matt Carle, Evgeni Nabokov to name a few and they made a HUGE splash acquiring Joe Thornton last season.
So maybe fans should look more to clever draft choices rather than big name free-agents to improve the team, based on what the Sharks have done with their young talent so far.

Anyone remember Brad Stuart? He's turned out to be fine defenceman...thanks to yours truly
.
They have Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Patrick Rissmiller and Joe Pavelski shaping up to become a quality pack of players in a few years, it's all from within, and that's the way Wilson should go, and stop mesmerizing his fans by foolish and vague claims that he'll make changes by making splashes in free-agency, since it obviously never happens.

You tell me if this is how the Sharks should go on improving their team, since I don't see it happening realistically any other way.

--BBR

Potential New Sharks Logo?

I know I'm usually the Senators blogger, but the Sharks are admittedly my Western Conference Team.

Via James Mirtle, could this potentially the new San Jose Sharks logo?



It's not that big of a change, but I can't say I'm a big fan of it. I suppose there's really no way you can have a Shark in your logo without it being slightly cartoony. Can't say this shark instills much fear in me though.

A flurry of deals...Vokoun, Toskala, Aucoin and Bell...

Just got home, and realized that some huge deals have been pulled off in the last few hours, especially in the goalie market.

For starters, the Nashville Predators traded goalie Tomas Vokoun to the Florida Panthers, about an hour and a half ago, in exchange for a first round pick and two second rounders.

Vokoun agreed to waive his no-trade clause to be dealt to the Panthers.

The Czech goaltender had a in-and-out 2005-2006 season.
He got injured for about 2 months early into the year but remained his usual solid self when he returned.
Chris Mason, however, proved to be too good to sit on the bench down the stretch and for the entire playoffs in GM David Poile's eyes.

As a result, Poile has chosen him as the team's number one goalie heading into next season.
Mason broke out of a backup role to post all-star like numbers.
I think a 2.38 GAA, 24 wins, a .925 save percentage and 5 shutouts in 40 games is pretty wicked.

Vokoun had a nearly identical season to Mason's, posting 27 wins, a .920 save percentage, a 2.40 GAA and 5 shutouts in 44 games.

But, in the end, Poile dealt Vokoun and showed the hockey world that money is still talking.

Vokoun will be paid an average of $5.5 million over the next 4 seasons, while the thrifty Mason will earn only $1.25 million over the 2 coming seasons, before being eligible to hit the open market at the end of 07/08.

That, faithful fanatics, explains the entire logic and reason behind this deal.

Vokoun is an established no. 1 goalie, something Florida hasn't had since Roberto Luongo, and certainly something they didn't get from the terrible Alex Auld and the party-wild Eddie Belfour last year.
Time will only tell how he adjusts to Eastern Conference teams and especially his new team, which is a huge downgrade from the dominating and powerful Predators he played for in the recent years.

It wasn't Manny Fernandez, or Tomas Vokoun but, hallelujah! The Toronto Maple Leafs have FINALLY gotten a respectable goalie.

And GM John Ferguson Jr. has just silenced his critics and some sour (aren't they all?) Leafs fans by getting top-notch 'tender Vesa Toskala from the cross-continent Sharks to go along with tough-hitting and scoring forward (see Blackhawks days) Mark Bell.

But it's worth mentioning Bell had a pathetic season on the scoresheet, scoring only 11 times and ending up in the coach's doghouse during the Sharks playoff run in favour of youngsters Ryane Clowe and Patrick Rissmiller.

I'm also feeling lazy today, and don't really want to write this up myself, but here are the complex details concerning the picks San Jose gets, courtesy of the Globe link above:

The deal, which includes forward Mark Bell going to Toronto, has cost the Leafs a conditional first-round selection, 2007 second-round choice and 2009 fourth-round picks. The Sharks can choose whether to take Toronto's first choice tonight (13th overall) or the 2008 first-round selection. If the Sharks choose the latter condition and the Leafs have a top-10 pick next June, the Sharks have to wait until 2009 for Toronto's first-rounder.

And where does this leave Andrew Raycroft, whom the Leafs gave top goalie prospect Tuukka Rask to the B's so he can go back to his Calder days, and be their solid number one goalie.
He did neither, and had a very streaky season in goal.

Toskala didn't quite repeat his terrific 2005-2006 year, he was good, but not better than the wall named Evgeni Nabokov, who re-claimed top-goalie status after losing it in the previous year.

Adrian Aucoin's miserable and injury-raddled days in Chicago are over.

TSN is reporting that the Flames will acquire the former star defenceman from Chicago, along with a seventh round choice for defenceman Andrei Zyuzin and prospect Steve Marr.
Zyuzin was a quite "gets the job done" type player for Calgary last year, and was well-liked by the media and fans.

Aucoin, on the other hand, was not.

Constantly booed, injury and lost on the ice, Aucoin's tenure in Chicago has stained his successful career, and has erased all memory of his glorious Islanders days as a top scoring point man.

His hefty salary of $4 million over the next couple years is also a major cap hit in Darryl Sutter's books, and the Flames clever GM must be praying this pans out for him.

Aucoin may be a replacement for impending UFA's Roman Hamrlik or Brad Stuart, one of which is expected to pack his bags and play elswhere next year with the most likely being Stuart.

And that's all for now!

If anything else happens, you'll hear from me later or if I'm still lazy, tomorrow.

--BBR

Walker, Rivet and Horton off the market, Emery to have surgery...

The Florida Panthers have re-signed restricted free-agent forward Nathan Horton.

The deal will pay out a total of $24 million to the 22-year old over 6 seasons.

The signing, per TSN, officially ends all speculation that Horton will be dealt at tomorrow's NHL Entry Draft in Columbus.

Horton had a spectacular season at such a young age, ammasing 31 goals and putting up 31 assists while appearing in all 82 games.

A star on the rise, Horton's season was awesome on the scoresheet, but some off-ice rumours a few months before the deadline, which consisted of Horton's unhappiness in the Sunshine State and his desire to be dealt to a contender, prompted speculation he would be dealt at the trade deadline (didn't happen) or at the draft.

-Craig Rivet really like the weather in Western California, and he's going to be there for another 4 seasons.

The Sharks officially signed their hard-hitting defenceman to a 4-year $14 million contract, a potential UFA, Rivet fit in well with the Sharks and broke out in the playoffs as the team's leading defenceman.

Rivet was traded to San Jose on the eve of the trade deadline, in exchange for Josh Gorges and the Shark's 1st round draft choice (23rd overall)

-The Hurricanes also re-signed forward Scott Walker to a 3-year $7.5 million contract, yesterday.

That comes out to about $2.5 million per season.

The 33-year old was eligible for UFA status on July 1st; he had a decent season in Carolina, but nothing compared to his old Nashville days, scoring 21 goals and adding 31 helpers in 81 games.

"Keeping Scott in Carolina was one of our top priorities this off-season," Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford said in a statement. "He brings skill and grit to our forward lines and he has become one of our team's leaders on and off the ice."

"It was one of the best experiences that I had in renegotiating. I felt really wanted," Walker said. "I like my role, but I also like the way the team is set up for the future, and I think we have a chance to win."

-And to top this transaction segment off, goaltender Ray Emery will undergo surgery for his wrist, which he hurt in November and re-aggravated in the playoffs.

He is not expected to miss the beginning of the regular-season, TSN says he will be out 2-3 months.

Emery, a restricted free-agent, made 925K last year and will likely seek a substantial raise from new Sens GM Bryan Murray, Emery's agent was quoted on TSN's Off the Record with Michael Landsberg that his client might receive an offer sheet soon, and that many teams would be interested in doing so, especially 2-3 teams that he obviously didn't name.

--BBR

Why the Sharks Won't Win

There is a big no-no in NHL playoff hockey. You cannot blow two-goal leads. The Sharks have now broken that cardinal rule twice in the same playoff series.

For all the praise that has come about the Sharks for their play this post-season, they're in a dog fight with a team they should have already sent home. Looking at recent history, this should not be of any surprise under the current regime.

After losing 1-0 in Game 7 to Colorado in 2002, and missing the playoffs in 2003, the Sharks finally overcame the Avalanche hurdle. After being up 3-0 in the 2nd round, the Sharks put the Avs away in Game 6. They then lost to Calgary in the Western Conference Finals, after winning twice in Calgary to even the series. What really stung the Sharks now Flames Superstar goalie Miikka Kiprusoff, started the season with the Sharks.

Fast forward to last season, the Sharks, now with Joe Thornton, beat the Predators as a 5-seed and found themselves as the top seed remaining in the West. They drew the Edmonton Oilers, whom they beat in the first two games. The Oilers than took 4 in a row after winning Game 3 in Triple Overtime, and the Sharks fell apart.

Now it is happening again. After an impressive 2-0 shutout in Game 1, the Sharks had their foot on the collective throat of the Red Wings, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in Game 2. Instead of going to the jugular, the Red Wings get back into the game, and win with less than two minutes to play. In Game 3, the Sharks pulled one out, dominated the 2nd half of the game and won going away. Even as Tomas Holmstrom returned from injury in Game 4, the Sharks looked in control of the series witha 2-0 lead in Game 4. Holmstrom then scores with 4 seconds left in the 2nd, and Robert Lang, a perennial whipping boy for the Red Wings ties the game before Mathieu Schnieder wins the game in overtime.

Enter Game 5. The Sharks should have swept the Red Wings, but still have a great chance. It was Game 5 where the real color of the Sharks showed up. After scoring the first goal, the Sharks played like a team that simply cannot win the big games. They got whitewashed in the last two periods, even though Schnieder broke his wrist and lost 4-1. Nabokov gave up a bad goal to Pavel Datsyuk, and the Sharks couldn't kill penalties.

Some are very surprised the Red Wings are up in this series, going to game 6. I am not. As the Sharks have proven over the years, they're a team that knows how to lose. For all the talk this team gets of being a contender every year, I simply don't get it. The Sharks want to be a team that gets the respect that teams like the Avalanche did and especially the Red Wings do. Winning commands respect, and the Sharks simply cannot do that.

Unleashing the fury...a look at San Jose vs. Nashville

-I tried to watch Dallas-Vancouver after a not-so-hot crushing of Calgary by Detroit, and the crappy commentating didn't help, but I just couldn't...and ended up falling asleep in the second period and wake up when there were 10 minutes to go.

The game was low-scoring, and unless there's frantic end-to-end action or your favourite team is in it, they're usually boring to hell.

Marty Turco looks like a new goalie, the one that shook off his disgusting career playoff stats by posting 3 shutouts in the first round alone, I wonder if he's looking to make a run at the 9 shutout record set by Brodeur a few years back? That is, if the Stars make it that far.
For the first time in these playoffs...THERE WILL BE A GAME 7!

I mean, it's about time already, Ottawa took care of the Pens in 5, San Jose dumped Nasville in 5, the Sabres dumped the Isles in 5 too, heck, so did the Ducks when they beat the Wild in 5!
(Speaking of the Pens, check out what they're doing now)

The only series that can potentially have a Game 7 are...the Devils vs. Tampa series (3-2 Devils), duh, Vancouver vs. Dallas (3-3 tie), Calgary vs. Detroit (3-2 Detroit), and that's it!

-SAY WHAT?! Crosby played with a broken foot through mid-March?
And that's why he won't play for Team Canada at the WC?
Of course, now the media will make such a big buzz (and fans too), on how the Pens could've beat the Sens if Crosby were 100%.
And what makes this even better, is that Crosby believes he broke it while blocking a shot against...guess who? Montreal!
You can tell I don't like the guy.

-Sad news from Tampa, according to Ice Chips, 38-year old captain Tim Taylor has a degenerative hip condition and it might end his career.

-Tough guy Colton Orr (2-years $1.75 million), and dancer Ryan Hollweg (2 years $1.25 million) each got contract extensions from the Rangers.

With the Preds out, I guess it'd be nice if I bid them adieu...

San Jose Sharks

The Hero: Patrick Marleau
Marleau portrayed the same finesse he had in the regular season by potting 3 goals, 1 game winner and adding 3 assists.


The Zero: Marcel Goc
1 assist in 5 games in pathetic for Goc.
And Mark Bell's a healthy scratch? Pffft.

The Unsung Saviour: Craig Rivet
Acquired at the deadline from the Canadiens, Rivet's been a leader on defence for Ron Wilson's squad, and surprisingly, on offence as well.
The veteran defenceman had only career 1 playoff goal in 11 seasons heading into the series, he's doubled his career high with 2, and is second only to Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton with 5 points.
He's a strong presence in the dressing room, and I can't stop reading about how Sharks fans all love him.

The Sniper: Milan Michalek
Craig Rivet didn't know who Milan Michalek was, once he arrived in California.
He sure knows now.
The young forward is an offensive machine, and has scored 4 times already this series.


The X-Factor: Joe Thornton
Isn't it obvious?
The Sharks need Joe Thornton, if they expect to win the Stanley Cup.
Marleau and Cheechoo can't do it by themselves, they'll need last season's Hart winner to help them.
Thornton, who had for the second time in the past two seasons, more than 90 assists.
He has 6 so far in 6 games.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Evgeni Nabokov, Jonathan Cheechoo

The Comebacker: Craig Rivet
Well, I can't really find anyone else except him, he went from pneumonia in Montreal, to 2nd scorer in San Jose.

The Minute Men: Craig Rivet and Marc-Edouard Vlasic
How many times has Rivet's name come up? (I thinks it's going to be 5)
Anyhow, the young Vlasic (who has just come off a season in junior) is playing with an 11-year veteran, and it's turned out to be a good combination for San Jose.
Both are upwards of 23 minutes per game, with Rivet getting 26.

Interesting: Marc Bell and Joe Pavelski
Not enough room on the team for both, Pavelski's going in and Bell should get used to the press-box.

Nashville Predators

The Hero: J.P. Dumont
After a decent regular season, the former Sabre scored 4 times and added 2 assists for 6 points in a losing cause.
He also led the team in +/- with a +4 rating. Dumont also did not take a penalty.


The Zero: Paul Kariya
Dissapointed big-time.
Karyia had 2 assists and was a team worst -4.
He should've stepped his game up, instead, he stepped down.

The Unsung Saviour: Alexander Radulov
You could argue that the hit-from-behind on Steve Bernier in Game 2 was the turning point of the series, even if the Preds won, Radulov had 3 goals in the first 2 games and was looking like a God.
After a 1-game suspension, he came back and did nothing.

The Sniper: JP. Dumont
He scored 4 times on 8 shots, how better can you get?
Oh yeah? Score me 4 goals on 8 shots in the NHL and we'll talk.


The X-Factor: Peter Forsberg
Acquired from the Flyers, Forsberg's transition back to the Western Conference was slow and very frustrating.
He did not have a good stint with Nashville in the regular season, but, he was once the best player in the world, and the Preds believed he can do it again and help them in the playoffs.
He did have 4 points in the playoffs, which was acceptable for most Preds fans, but you could feel that the "ripped" arrow is beginning to point at David Poile after giving up Scottie Upshall, Ryan Parent and a 2nd rounder for him.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Tomas Vokoun, Steve Sullivan

The Comebacker: JP Dumont
It's the second time in two teams that a name has appeared 3 times, Craig Rivet for San Jose and now Dumont again for Nasvhille.
His regular season was good, but his playoff performance was even better.
4 goals, 2 assists, 6 points in 5 games and a +4 rating.

The Minute Men: Kimmo Timonen and Ryan Suter.
Another youngster playing with a veteran, they got nearly 24 minutes of ice-time and were solid game-in and game-out for Nashville.
And "solid" is not pushing it, the pair combined for an EVEN rating.

Interesting: Ramzi Abid, Darcy Hardichuk and Jerred Smithson
The trio (Abid and Hardichuk played in 2 games, Smithson in all 5.) combined for a total of 0 shots on goal in 15 minutes of total ice-time.
I mean, come on, you are enforcers, but not even 1 shot on goal?
If Tootoo can get 3, than so can you.

So long, farewell, the Islanders and Predators are gooonne!

So long! Farewell! Auf wierdesehen, goodbye!

From the classic "Sound of Music"

And that little line perfectly tells us fans what happened to two teams yesterday night, as the battle for Lord Stanley's Cup is getting narrowed down.

First off, those New York Islanders...tss, tss...the Islanders drop Game 5 last night in Buffalo, 4-3 and they have been eliminated from the playoffs.
It wasn't too unexpected, although, many thought this would be a sure sweep.

The Islanders played a good series and you can see the potential that this team has, the potential to be an even better team.
What I'm wondering is...how come they haven't become a better team?

I'd like to the Islanders become kind of like the Rangers, in terms of progress, and make a run for the division next year.
The Rangers have been improving ever since their pre-lockout (sad...) laughstock and the Islanders should do the same.
Well, not this year, since New York didn't even finish 10 points above the Isles, but I'm also thinking about last season, when the Rangers were making a serious run to win the Atlantic.

Not saying the Isles are a laughstock, but, they're just...the same, the same as they were before the lockout.
Make the playoffs, as the 8th seed, lose to the Lightning or the Sabres in 5 games.
And it could be even tougher to win the Atlantic Division, with teams like New Jersey, Pittsburgh, their cross-town foes and possibly the reinstatement of the Flyers, might make the Atlantic Division the best in all of hockey.

It didn't help the Islanders that Sean Hill wasn't in the lineup, after he was awarded a 20-game suspension for taking "performance-enhancing drugs", or as the NHL likes to call it, "substance-abuse".

I'd also to commend Ted Nolan's fantastic work behind the bench, he has been by far better than his predecessors and he probably deserves the Jack Adams award, he's been that great...
His team played, in the final month of the season, as if all their games were Game 7, as if they all counted (they did) should they make the playoffs or not.

I also congratulate Rick DiPietro for doing his best in goal, even after his return from injury, and his backup Wade Dubielewicz, who has earned himself a roster spot next year and potentially 10-15 starts behind DiPietro.
Dubie also got them there down the stretch, but it was DiPietro who carried the team on his back for the most of the season before getting injured.

Garth Snow surprised everyone in his rookie year, and made some good moves, most notably getting Ryan Smyth.
Who says a backup goalie can't be a GM? He knows the players better than a GM, he's PLAYED against them!

The Sabres were just overmatching them in every category.

Even in goal, when Ryan Miller made a spectacular save in the dying seconds of Game 5 with his hand, and blindly!

"I panicked,"said Miller,"and luckily I got a hold of it!"

The Islanders haven't gotten past this round since 1993.
That's about 14 years!

And the Preds go down...again.

I know the Preds are still a "young" team in terms of longetivity in the NHL, but, I am beginning to wonder if the label "choke" should be associated with them?

03/04: Lost to Red Wings in quarter finals 2-4
05/06: Lost to Sharks in quarter finals 1-4
06/07: Lost to Sharks in quarter finals 1-4

It's also funny that it's been San Jose knocking them off, and the way things looked between the teams in this series, it could be the start of a nice new rivalry.

I just don't understand...yes, San Jose is a very good team, but the Predators are supposed to be better!

When, when will Nashville finally show they can play in the regular season, and advance in the playoffs?

They have the team, they got Forsberg for chrisssakes! They got Arnott, Kariya, Vokoun, quality d-men, a scary offense!
Their team has been constantly progressing, from 91 points, to 106 points, to 110 points, what's next? 120 points and getting swept from the first round?

The Sharks will most probably face the Red Wings in round 2, should the latter drop the series to Calgary.

Patrick Marleau scored with under 5 minutes remaining to put away a vastly improved Predators team.

"We kept putting our fingers on the stove, and we got burnt by it," said Nashville coach Barry Trotz."

And NHL.com says his job may be in jeopardy, since the team's dropped 3 straight quarterfinal series.

I say no, Trotz is a great coach and there's no way they can get rid of him, not after the way he's made his team better, but they haven't made themselves any better by losing again last night, 3-2 against San Jose.
Then again, if Julien gets fired on the verge of a hundred point season, so can Trotz.

sigh, this is really an enigma.

Or maybe it was that Tomas Vokoun wasn't as good as he should've been, or simply Evgeni Nabokov was better.

Or maybe it was just meant to be.

Happy golfing Preds!

-The Devils shut out Tampa 3-0 on home ice and take a 3-2 lead in the series. Martin Brodeur finally played a good game after allowing a few weaks goals in the previous games.

Predators played some real hockey last night...

Wow, just wow, if you tuned into TSN to watch the Preds and Sharks like I suggested, you'll have found that it was a great suggestion.

From the opening faceoff, you could feel the tension between Barry Trotz and Ron Wilson, both standing on opposite sides of their team's benches.

This is playoff hockey.

Bonecrushing hits, penalties, power plays and just great team chemistry.

From the start, Dan Marouelli and Kelly Sutherland went to warn Barry Trotz and Ron Wilson about the crap that was going on after the whistle was blown, shoving, basically the Sharks wanted to get the Predators off their game.

And he showed the coaches he wasn't bluffing, and sent off Bill Guerin and Vern Fiddler for "jousting" as Gord Miller called it at the faceoff circle.

Barry Trotz believed the Sharks were looking for payback after the Hartnell-Cheechoo collision.

"You could see from the opening whistle that was their intent," he said.

The San Jose Sharks had a 5 minute powerplay after Alexander Radulov went elbow-first into Steve Bernier along the boards.
Radulov, the young sensation who had scored yet another goal for the Predators earlier in the game and in Game 1(twice), was ejected and awarded a 5 minute major.

At that point, the score was 2-1 Nashville, and the Sharks had a golden opportunity to tie the game, I was almost certain that Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Scott Hannan, Ryane Clowe, Craig Rivet, the one-legged Jonathan Cheechoo and Bill Guerin would put up something with this huge man advantage.

It turns out they didn't.

Amazingly, the Sharks failed to capitalize on a 5 minute powerplay, although, they spent a lot of time in Nashville's zone but it seemed like they just couldn't complete any play, you have Barry Trotz's great coaching and the Preds' defencemen to thank for that.
They didn't leave Ron Wilson's squad any room to maneuver in the high slot and there were no good scoring chances or scrambles around Tomas Vokoun, who, after allowing Craig Rivet to score on his on rebound in the first period, rebounded and made a few fine saves.

And to add insult to injury, Ryan Suter (one of those many defensively-sound Nashvillians) went off for roughing, and the Sharks would have a 2-man advantage for a little under a minute, still enough to cause serious damage to an indisciplined Predators team.
Ron Wilson, realizing that his team wasn't producing anything on the powerplay, called a time out in hope of getting his guys back in the game and setting them up for a goal.
You could read the exasperated coache's lips: "MOVE THE PUCK." is exactly what he shouted to his team, and he was right, the Sharks weren't getting many great chances because they didn't have good control of the puck or where it was going, their passes were often intercepted and their plays seemed pathetic.

As it turns out, the timeout was wasted and the Sharks had just missed out on 6 consecutive minutes of powerplay.

Streaking out of the box was Jordin Tootoo, serving Radulov's penalty, he chipped the puck ahead to JP Dumont, who rushed in along the right wings boards with Tootoo placed perfectly in front of the net.
Craig Rivet did his best to block the pass but it was all for none, as the veteran defenceman fell for Dumont's fake and sniped the puck low glove side on a surprised Evgeni Nabokov, who didn't look like a happy camper after he allowed that 3rd marker.

What really pissed me off was the officials' plain stupidity, late in the second, Bill Guerin comes up behind Peter Forsberg in the neutral zone and pulls him down, Guerin goes off for interference and to Trotz' anger, Forsberg goes off for diving.

He didn't stop yelling for two full minutes, Marouelli told him to stop or he would end up with a penalty too, Forsberg couldn't believe the call and he grudgingly went to the penalty box.

I didn't like the Bill Guerin played, he played dirtily like most of the Sharks players played late last night, he limited his offensive production to zero and he ended up with a whole new rash of penalty minutes, giving the Preds powerplays that they converted once on eight chances.

JP Dumont made it 4-1 when he scored on a pretty passing play on the powerplay.

In the 3rd, especially near the end, things got dirty.

Ryane Clowe scored to make it 4-2 with about 8 minutes remaining and gave the Sharks a little hope of coming back.

And from there on out, the "street brawl" began.

Mike Grier, Ryane Clowe and Scott Hannan each received fighting majors and misconducts near the end of the game, while Smithson, Tootoo and Hartnell received the same.

Ryane Clowe said he wanted to fight Hartnell to "avenge" the hit on Cheechoo.

"I'm sure he knows what he did, obviously, just common sense that somebody is going to stand up for your teammate, and that's what I did," Clowe said. "We stuck together, and that's the main thing."

Barry Trotz thought otherwise and said he Clowe instigated Hartnell to fight.

Ron Wilson said he had no comment after the game, and I don't blame him, Barry Trotz had one nice comment to add.

"We came here to play hockey tonight," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "We knew it was an important game, and they turn it into a street brawl."

The series is tied 1-1 and who knows how much better this is going to get!

"I think Colin Campbell has a job, and his job is to review these plays," Joe Thornton said. "I'm sure if he wants us to play this way, we can play this way. It's in his hands, and we'll see what happens."

Nabokov key to Sharks' Stanley Cup hopes...

Rewind back to May of 2006 and Evegeni Nabokov's story is completely different from now.

After a few sensational starts in the first half of the season, Evgeni Nabokov's play began to physically deteriorate.
At the all-star break, he boasted mediocre numbers for a goalie of his calibre...his .892 SPCT% and 2.95 goals-against average were HUGE dissapointments.

Lucky for the Sharks, they had a guy named Vesa Toskala to save the season.

His pre all-star game numbers were even shakier than Nabokov's, his inconsistent play cost his dearly in the numbers category.
A glaring .883 SPCT% and 3.12 GAA kept him on the bench.

However, he turned it around in the second half, his strong play netted him the no. 1 job down the playoff stretch and heading into the 2006-2007 season.
He proved to be durable and reliable, starting the 19 of the team's 26 games down the stretch and posted awesome numbers.

Toskala won over fans' hearts, heck he won over mine too.

Evgeni Nabokov shouldn't have been happy, but he was after signing a five-year $25 million deal, just as Vesa Toskala stole the starting job from him.

Injuries and inconsistency led to the Russian-born goaltender's worst season ever, he finished off with a 16-19-7 record, hardly spectacular, to go along with a 3.10 GAA and .885 SPCT.

The Sharks ended up being eliminated by the fairy-tale Oilers in the Western Conference semi-finals but Toskala was not to blame.

Trade rumours dogged Nabokov entering the new campaign, a report here, a report there...there was even a rumour he was to be dealt to the Bruins in November.
Wilson was doing everything he could to get rid of the hefty salary that was dragging down his team's free cap space.

WAIT!

Vesa Toskala started well but not well enough to hold onto the no.1 job.
He was VERY streaky and never seemed to be able to post consistent numbers game-in-and game out like he did in the second stanza of the previous season.


Evgeni Nabokov meanwhile, waited patiently.

The wait paid off for Nabby, Toskala went down with an injury and in he came.
And when Toskala returned, he did not show the same spunk he had earlier in the season.

Ever since he's taken over the no. 1 job, Nabokov's put up a spectacular show for Sharks fans...

He's been consistent all year long, that was something that hurt him last season, and his 2.25 GAA and .914 SPCT clearly show it.

He also has 7 shutouts, 4 of which he posted in the second half.

I recently asked Sharks fans a question...who should start in the playoffs?

Sure Nabokov is looking like Brodeur now, but you can't forget about Toskala.
Despite the fact he went down with an injury, he's been able to keep up respectable numbers...

The answer was unanimous.

Sharks fans agree...Evgeni Nabokov is the number one guy, he's hot right now and you play him.
Ehh ehh! No buts!

Nabokov is playing awesome now and that's what your team would love to have, heading into the Stanley Cup playoffs, a hot, confident goalie.

And should Nabokov fail, Toskala's always there to help.

It would be sad, however, to see him fall like that after a great season...

The Cherry on the Puck Bag...

I hope you all enjoyed my 6 hour live online coverage, I sure had fun and I hope you enjoyed reading.

Now here's what I have to say about certain things:

Ryan Smyth an Islander: This hit me from Planet Mars, wow, boy was I surprised; Smyth is a great guy and in this situation, I disagree with Pierre McGuire, Lowe should have pushed harder to sign Smyth. They dealt Pronger at the beginning of the season and you'd think with the cap space they freed up that they'd be able to re-sign their key player. Guess not!
The Oilers got some nice young talent back in Nilsson and O'Marra to go along with a first-round pick, but none of that compensates for this costly loss of "the Oiler".
This is huge, it seemed like there would be no surprises this year and we got one 32 minutes after the 3 PM Trade Deadline.
It remains however to be seen if the Islanders can re-sign him and if this move is the end of Jason Blake in Garth Snow's camp?

Sharks look meaner with Guerin:
Bill Guerin's name was officially off the trade market
around noon today with the San Jose Sharks winning out on the jewel of this trade deadline, Bill Guerin.

He came cheaper to San Jose than Tkachuk to Atlanta, the Blues got a 1st round pick, checker Ville Niemienen and a minor-league prospect.

That's all! And Guerin has more points than Tkachuk. Tkachuk went for a 1st, 3rd, 2nd and a much better player in Glen Metropolit than Ville Niemienen.

The Sharks seem set for the playoffs now, they got Craig Rivet from the Canadiens, he should be a great pickup;

Billy Guerin will probably play with Patrick Marleau and with Vesa Toskala nursing a groing injury, the Sharks still have an excellent goalie in Evgeni Nabokov.

Bertuzzi looks to make impact in Detroit...for Panthers' sake:
Todd Bertuzzi played only 7 games as a Panther and was traded today to the Detroit Red Wings who beat out the Nashville Predators and the Anaheim Ducks for his services.
Holland acquires the controversial winger in hope he excels on a Cup hungry Red Wing team.
Bertuzzi says his back is not yet at 100 % but nonetheless, he should still end up playing for them.
It may take some time for him to adgust but, all and all, he'll probably make an impact down the stretch and during the playoffs.
Now, the Red Wings sent a conditional pick to Jacques Martins' Panthers; if Bertuzzi excels with his new team, the Panthers could get a second round pick; if he takes them to the Cup Final, Florida gets a 1st round pick.
Ingenious move by Kenny Holland, who structured this move perfectly, so his team doesn't suffer if Bertuzzi stumbles. And if he does, the Panthers, at best, will get a 4th or 3rd round pick.
And this is,

Bleu, Blanc et Rouge

The Bill Guerin Watch.

Paul, over at Kukla's Korner cited: "Bob McKenzie was just on NHL Live and mentioned Detroit, Atlanta, Ottawa along with the Sharks being in the running for Bill Guerin. He would not be surprised if a deal was done today"

Aww, the GM's have gotta stop trading away, or else, there will be nothing left for Trade Deadline Day!

Anyway, McKenzie was just on the Team 990 here in Montreal and he mentioned some of this. However, it is very interesting to see the Thrashers name be in that list of teams (there are probably more too).

First they acquire Tkachuk for a huge price (Metropolit, 1st round, 3rd round and 2008 2nd round). Since St. Louis is asking for a prospect and a bunch of picks (per RDS), I'm wondering what they have left to give up for Guerin? Next year's first rounder? 2009's first rounder? The Zamboni and the women's bathroom?

If Waddell swings a deal that will send more picks to Saint-Louis, he should damn well be fired.
If he does do what I suggested (next year's pick) -although that probably won't happen- he would be throwing the Thrashers future away just so he can get two players who are in their late 30's and on top of it, would attract a lot of attention on the free-agent market.

Guerin ain't going to Atlanta, I guarantee it.

The Red Wings could use Guerin since Dan Cleary's been kinda "cold" for the last, say 2 months?
The Sharks, well, we know about 'em, but, they gave up their first rounder to Montreal last night, and it could be difficult for them to land him without sacrificing young players such as Joe Pavelski, Matt Carle or Marc-Antoine Vlasic...

The Senators have been on the up since Christmas and now are in posession solidly of a playoff spot, but, as we know, the East is known to be kinda tight and thin on the edges this season. After all, only 3 points seperate the 10th and 6th spot. Guerin might be a good fit here and he would definitely give John Muckler the presence of a playoff experienced vet amongst some young Senators.
He brings experience, strength, leadership and scoring ability (see 2006-2007 season stats...) to the table along with a sharp defensive side.

RDS, the french sister of TSN of Quebec, recently said the Canadiens also could be involved in negotiations with the St. Louis Blues; although this is likely less reliable (no pun intended), Hockeybuzz.com recently mentioned Montreal being in the race for Guerin.

Take these last two with a grain of salt, as RDS only suggested the Canadiens are involved and Eklund is a Habs fan and his trade rumours are usually biased.

And to top this off and to add more spark to the fire...Jeff Gordon reported out of St. Louis on his blog, that the Blues may sign Guerin to a 2-year contract extension.

And this is for your latest hockey news...

Bleu, Blanc et Rouge.

Canadiens bid "adieu" to Rivet...

Well, Montreal Canadiens fans got their first taste of a trade, but it wasn't this one that they were exactly dying for, and no, it was nothing to do with Sheldon Souray.

About 15 minutes ago, the San Jose Sharks' official website reported the Montreal Canadiens traded long-time defenceman Craig Rivet to them, along with a 5th round draft pick in 2007 for Josh Gorges and a 2007 first round pick.

Rivet has been suffering from a severe case of pneumonia for all of February and was long rumoured to be dealt, especially after Habs' head coach Guy Carbonneau made him a healthy scratch. Rivet was quote "steaming" after he learned this and stormed out of the Bell Centre after a morning skate.

The Canadiens pick up 22-year old defenceman Josh Gorges in this deal. Gorges is a very good defenceman although, his offensive side has yet to show this season.

Gorges, in 47 games this season, has 4 points; 1 goal and 3 assists and is a -3 this season.

Rivet, him in 54 games, has 6 goals and 10 assists. Notably, he has struggled defensively and posts a mediocre -7 rating.
He will provide some much needed playoff experience on a Stanley Cup thirsty San Jose Sharks team.


A great pickup by GM Bob Gainey, really. He dumps an impending UFA who wore out his time here in Montreal for a young defenceman in Josh Gorges, whom will hopefully develop and mature into a fine defenseman for the years to come and become a force on the Canadiens' blue line.

BUT...with Montreal acquiring a first round draft choice from San Jose, is it too early to say it's likely they have agreed to trade their own to bring in a scoring player such as, say, Bill Guerin?

Is it really that far off? You never know with Bob Gainey.

And on a last note, as a Habs fan...thank you Craig, for what you have given us all these years with your leadership, strength and determination. Happy trails!


Bleu, Blanc et Rouge.