Taylor Hall took a moment this past weekend to remind hockey fans why he will more than likely go number one or number two overall at the NHL Entry Draft this June. The following dangle comes courtesy of Hall during Windsor’s dominating 9-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Memorial Cup Tournament. Hall finished the game with two goals and a plus-2 rating.
Archive for May, 2010
The Washington Capitals and center Nicklas Backstrom have agreed to a long term contract that will keep Backstrom with the Capitals for the next 10 years. His deal is worth $67 million over that time, marking a cap hit of $6.7 million per season. This is certainly a well deserved raise for the 22 year old who posted 101 points as Alexander Ovechkin’s center, in only his third season in the NHL.
While the Capitals have to be happy to have two thirds of their top line locked up long term, management certainly has some work to do. There are still quite a few roster spots to fill before next season, with a limited amount of cap space to work with. Beyond that, the team clearly has adjustments to make on defense if they plan to make a run in the playoffs. Their limited offensive focus might have proven effective in the regular season, as the Capitals became the Presidents’ Trophy Winners, but it will not cut it during the playoffs.
The biggest question mark that remains is the future of Alexander Semin, who was mostly absent during their first round playoff exit. Semin, who posted a career high 40 goals and 84 points this season, has one year remaining on his contract, and could be used as trade bait to bring in a top-tier defenseman at next seasons trade deadline. The future of the Capitals looks to be centered around Ovechkin and Backstrom, with no room left over for Semin.
Playoff Ramblings
May 17
Here are some thoughts on the playoffs over the past couple weeks:
My post praising Miroslav Satan’s performance during the playoffs must have been the ultimate jinx. He carried a six game point streak when I wrote about how excellent he had been. In the four games that followed, and an epic collapse by the Bruins, Satan posted zero points, was a minus one, and only had nine shots on goal. Good news for the Bruins though, they’re still going to land either Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin in the draft this summer.
Daniel Briere has been huge for the Flyers in the playoffs
The Philadelphia Flyers are the first ever seven seed to end up with home ice advantage in a playoff series. How did they pull this off? Well, I think its fair to say that they aren’t necessarily as bad as their seed and 88 point season may indicate. Remember this team has several young, but experienced, scorers. Mike Richards has been great, and Danny Briere has played his best playoff hockey picking up 17 points so far, with seven multi-point games. On top of that, the Flyers are picking up a lot of secondary scoring, especially in Claude Giroux who has six goals and seven assists in 13 playoff games. Ville Leino, a late season acquisition, has even made his presence felt with nine points in as many games. You certainly can’t forget about the defensive prowess this team has, lead by perennial all star Chris Pronger. He’s more than capable of shutting down the oppositions top scorers.
So perhaps the Philadelphia Flyers are finally molding into the team that many thought they were going to be. Maybe the leadership issues and problems in the locker room are a thing of the past. They have all the confidence and momentum in the world right now, and will be a tough team to handle.
The Chicago Blackhawks are outstanding. Young captain, Jonathan Toews has been very impressive so far with 21 post-season points. Goaltending has not been the huge issue everyone thought it would be. Antti Niemi has been solid, and has out-dueled two very good goaltenders in Pekka Rinne and Roberto Luongo.
Things seem to be clicking on all cylinders for the Blackhawks, minus the presence of two players. Marian Hossa had a very good first round against Nashville, posting six points in the series. But since them, he’s been very quiet, much like last year, with only three points in the seven games played since finishing off the Predators. Along with Hossa, Kris Versteeg has been less productive than I expected so far. His six points and minus two rating seem low for a young player with the talent level he has. Remember, Versteeg posted terrific numbers as a rookie last season, but is perhaps seeing a decrease in ice time with the top line being so effective.
The San Jose Sharks are still very much competitive in the west. It seemed like everyone wrote them off after being crushed by the Red Wings in game four of that series. Did everyone just forget that they still had a 3-1 series lead? Even if they were still the Sharks who choke in the playoffs, they could have surely taken one game and prevented the Wings from going on. But instead, they bounced back like a true contender and eliminated Detroit in five.
Montreal is having one of the most impressive playoff campaigns in recent years that I can remember. First, they squandered the top seeded Washington Capitals in seven games. This is a team that featured several of the world’s top players: Ovechkin, Backstrom, Semin, and Green. Then, they followed that performance with a seven game dismantling of the defending Stanley Cup champions. Surely a team that can take out two of the top NHL clubs is capable of making it to the finals, right?
Finally, here’s to hoping for an original six match-up in the finals.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are looking to rebuild. Again. But this time they might have to do so without long-time Lightning right-wing Martin St. Louis who has stated that he wants to play for a contender instead of going through the rebuilding process once again.
“I want to be on a winning team,” St. Louis told the St. Petersburg Times. “It’s three years of this and (we’re going) back to square one, so I want to be on a winning team. That’s the biggest thing. I’m not getting any younger. We’ll see how it all shakes out this summer.”
Immediately after the regular season ended, the new owner of the Lightning, Jeff Vinik, relieved general manager Brian Lawton and head coach Rick Tocchet of their duties.
“My vision of being world class here necessitated taking this action and really having a fresh start on the hockey side of things,” said Vinik of his decision to fire Tocchet and Lawton.
While replacements are yet to be named for the vacant positions, a list of roughly ten names are rumored to be possible replacements as the new GM for the Lightning. However, without a new GM or head coach in place, it’s difficult for players to assess the state of the team and where the team will be headed in the future. Certainly a new GM might come in and decide to clean house and rebuild from the ground up – something that St. Louis isn’t willing to take part in again.
Despite being a few months away from his 35th birthday, St. Louis still appears to be in the prime of his career. In fact, last season St. Louis was fifth in the league in assists with 65, and sixth in the league in total points with an impressive 94. St. Louis has accumulated 80 or more points in each of his last four seasons and twice scored over 90 points in that same span. His incredibly consistent play has made him one of the most valuable assets for the Lightning in recent years.
St. Louis is signed through next season for a cap hit of $5.25 million and has a no-trade clause on his current contract, which means that St. Louis would need to waive his clause in order to be traded. Depending on the direction that the new GM decides to take, it’s entirely possible that St. Louis delivers a list of acceptable destinations that he will waive his clause for – much like Dany Heatley did for the Ottawa Senators last summer before they shipped him to the San Jose Sharks. With his impressive numbers, St. Louis could certainly be a hot commodity for any contender.
Crosby Moves Out
May 14
Like a child finally moving out of his parent’s house, Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby is moving out of the home of part owner Mario Lemieux. The report in the Pittsbugh Post-Gazette reported that Crosby bought a home in Pittsburgh and according to reports isn’t far from Lemieux’s home. The 22-year-old captain has been living with the hall-of-famer since the 2005-06 season. Crosby won’t be the only one on the move this summer as the Penguins move across the street from Mellon Arena to Consol Energy Center.
Should Obama Hire Halak?
May 13
Maybe President Obama should hire Halak to stop the leak because you know, nothing get’s past Jaroslav Halak! Gooo Habs!
Peter Regin, of the Ottawa Senators, is playing for Denmark in the 2010 IIHF World Championships. Check out this beautiful goal he scored against Finland.
Part one can be found here, while part two can be found here.
Vezina Trophy: Best Goaltender
Finalists:
- Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
- Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres
- Ilya Bryzgalov, Phoenix Coyotes
Interesting how the three finalists for the most outstanding goaltender went one-and-done in the playoffs. All three goalies are outstanding in their own way. All three competed for their native countries in the Olympics, despite Brodeur getting benched after the first matchup against Miller and the United States. Brodeur was the workhorse of NHL goalies as he led all goaltenders in games played (77) , wins (45) , and shoutouts (9). Miller kept his hot streak going after the United States Olympic run as he posted a 9-2-1 record after the Vancouver games. He also posted a .929 save percentage while winning 41 games. Bryzgalov was the one of the trio who had more of a breakout season. He posted career-high’s in games played (69), wins (42), and shutouts (eight). His season also led to the Coyotes posting franchise best marks in wins and points in a season.
My Pick: Bryzgalov
GM of the Year
Finalists:
- George McPhee, Washington Capitals
- Don Maloney, Phoenix Coyotes
- David Poile, Nashville Predators
The work of a general manager is like walking a fine line. If the team has a successful season, the GM is given credit for assembling a fantastic roster. If they start to lose games, the finger is pointed at them. The three finalists this season has either seen the fruits of their labor some to fruition or has kept their team competitive in the salary cap era of the NHL. McPhee and Poile didn’t have to tinker with their teams as much as Maloney had to, but they did enough to have their team keep improving over the course of the season. McPhee signed Mike Knuble to help Alex Ovechkin and Niklas Backstrom form one of the most powerful lines in the NHL. Poile was patient in Nashville, as the team was struggling early in the season. Instead of blowing it up right there, he let coach Barry Trotz work it out before making moves at the deadline to push Nashville into the seventh seed in the playoffs. Maloney had a tough situation last off season as he couldn’t make any moves due to the team being in bankruptcy court and not knowing his operating budget. He did what he could, and fielded a young, competitive team to make the playoffs and bring fans back to the arena.
My Pick: Maloney
Washington defenseman Mike Green is a finalist for the Norris Trophy. Last season he finished second behind Boston's Zdeno Chara.
Norris Trophy: Most Outstanding Defenseman
Finalists:
- Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
- Mike Green, Washington Capitals
- Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks
It’s weird to see a Norris Trophy finalist list without seeing Nicklas Lidstrom. Could it be the end of an era of one of the best defensemen in league history? The three finalists up for the award this season is part of the youth movement the league is going for. Mike Green has both the offensive and defensive capabilities that’s needed for a top notch blueliner. Green finished runner-up to Zdeno Chara last season, and lead all defensemen this season in goals, assists, points, and power play goals. Doughty would be the second-youngest winner, behind Bobby Orr. Keith posted career high’s in goals, assists and points while finishing second behind Green in assists and points.
My Pick: Green
Tomas Holmstrom is out of the crease, but is questionable for goalie interference.
Playoff hockey is here, fans either jubilated or angry as hopes and dreams of their favorite team winning the Stanley Cup were extinguished like a dying flame or still flickering brightly. One thing that is constant though is the hatred of the referring. Be it the belief of a botched call to a giant conspiracy theory, the referees are under great scrutiny for their jobs in this post season, like many other post seasons.
I too fall within the category of questioning some calls, especially goalie interference.
Being a fan of the Detroit Red Wings, I am no stranger to seeing many goals taken away by prominent figures such as Tomas Holmstrom pitching a tent in front of the net keeper. What aggravates me is not that the referees are making the calls, as they are making the appropriate call, but that the rule needs to be re-addressed for contact outside the goal crease.
Rule number 69 – Interference on the Goalkeeper gives light to the current dilemma. Rather lengthy, I will paraphrase:
69.1 Interference on the Goalkeeper: Goals should be disallowed only if: (1) an attacking player, either by his positioning or by contact, impairs the goalkeeper’s ability to move freely within his crease or defend his goal…Incidental contact with a goalkeeper will be permitted, and resulting goals allowed, when such contact is initiated outside of the goal crease, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact.
69.4 Contact outside the Goal Crease: If an attacking player initiates any contact with a goalkeeper, other than incidental contact, while the goalkeeper is outside his goal crease, and a goal is scored, the goal will be disallowed.
The gray area that comes from the rule is what really is “incidental contact” and “reasonable effort to avoid such contact”. Far too often a player is in front of the crease moving side to side to screen the goalie, the shot is fired and the goalie comes out to stop it and the two make contact. More times than not, the goal is disallowed, yet the majority of times the player did not even know the goalie was there because of his range of view. So, who has the right to the ice? The player trying to screen or the goalie moving out into the player? And more importantly, how can a player avoid such calls?
Right now the goalie has the right to the open ice as he has the right to move freely to defend his goal. As for the player to avoid the play altogether, he has to be completely aware of the goalie even in times where the goalie edges out of the net at the last second, otherwise be subject to interference. This however is frustrating as a fan and as a player, as it does not resolve the problem.
Perhaps make the crease larger giving the goalie more room to defend his goal, or allow the play to play out without a call when incidental contact is made between a goalie and a player fighting for the same ice. Either option would resolve the problem, but the question still remains if the league feels it is a problem. From a fans perspective, it would be nice to see that this be discussed in the off-season.
Do you feel goalie interference should be tweaked? Why or why not? If so, what would your resolution be? Feel free to comment or email me at EB@hockeyworldblog.com to spark some discussion.
Two weeks ago I wrote about the first few finalists that were announced for various NHL Awards. Since then, some more finalists have been announced. The NHL Awards Show will be June 23 in Las Vegas. Here’s a preview of the award finalists as well as my picks for who could take home the hardwood. Part three will feature the Vezina, GM of the Year, and other awards.
Hart Trophy: Most Valuable Player (voted by Professional Hockey Writers Association)
Ted Lindsay Award: Most Outstanding Player (voted by NHL Players Association)
Finalists:
- Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
- Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
I get to hit two birds with one stone on this award because both the NHLPA and the PHWA agree on who the finalists for Most Valuable Player should be. All three players have cases for why they should win the award. Ovechkin and Crosby tied for second in points with 109 points. Crosby also led the league in shootout goals with 8, as well as posting a 80 percent success rate in shootouts. Sedin has already won hardware this season as he won the Art Ross Trophy with a league-leading 112 points. Crosby has one Hart Trophy has he won in 2007. Ovechkin has won it each of the last two seasons and is looking for his third in a row. Each of the last three seasons the same player has won both awards. Don’t expect that to happen this season.
My Heart Trophy Pick: Ovechkin
My Ted Lindsay Award Pick: Sedin
Jack Adams Award: Coach of the Year
Finalists:
- Joe Sacco, Colorado Avlanche
- Dave Tippett, Phoenix Coyotes
- Barry Trotz, Nashville Predators
With awards like this, it usually doesn’t go to a coach who wins the Stanley Cup or even the Presidents Trophy. The last Stanley Cup winning coach who won the Jack Adams Award in the same season was JohnTortorella in 2004. It’ll usually go to someone who overachieves or leads his team to the playoffs when they weren’t expected to at the beginning of the season. These coaches are deserving of the award in their own way. Tippett took over the team from Wayne Gretzky a week before the season began and took a team that finished 25th in the league last season to fourth place in the Western Conference this season before losing to Detroit in game seven of the first round. Trotz is the only bench boss Nashville has ever had and has led the Preds to the playoffs in five of the last six seasons. Not bad for a team who has to compete with conference powers Detroit and Chicago more than most other teams. Sacco was a rookie coach who came out on fire in October. His 10-1-2 start was the second-best 13 game start for a coach in NHL history. He also led the Av’s to a second place finish in the Northwest Division.
My Pick: Tippett
Washington goalie Jose Theodore is a finalist for the Bill Masterton Trophy.
Bill Masterton Trophy: Perseverance, Sportsmanship and Dedication to Hockey
Finalists:
- Kurtis Foster, Tampa Bay
- Jed Ortmeyer, San Jose
- Jose Theodore, Washington
This award is presented to someone who had to overcome some type of hardship, injury, or situation to perform at the level that is needed in the NHL. Each player has a unique story which made them a finalist. Foster overcame a severely broken leg suffered two seasons ago. After his surgery, he realized he was lucky to even walk again. He missed nearly a calendar-year of hockey before returning to practice in Febrary 2009. After rehab stints in the AHL he made his return in March 2009 when he was with Minnesota. Signed as a free-agent with Tampa over the summer, he recorded career-high’s of 34 assists and 42 points this season from the blue line. He also blocked 70 shots.
Ortmeyer’s situation is a little different. At some point each day, Ortmeyer must use a needle to inject a blood thinner directly into his stomach to combat a hereditary blood-clotting disorder that has threatened not only his hockey career, but also his life. The process is tricky and the timing must be precise. The blood thinner, Lovenox, needs to be in his system during the down time when he’s not on the ice and it needs to be out of his system when he plays or practices so that a hard check or a high stick does not cause fatal bleeding. He’s suffered blood-clotting twice in his career and almost walked away from the game. This season, he set career high’s in goals, assists and points. Theodore’s situation is more heart breaking. Losing his starting goal position is nothing compared to when he lost his son over the summer. His son, Chace, passed away two months after birth with respiratory complications related to his premature birth. He bounced back this season to have his best year since winning the Heart and Vezina Trophies in 2002 with a 30-7-7 record and a .911 save percentage.
My Pick: Theodore
