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Stamkos “Lightning” Up Tampa Bay

Feb 3

Posted by Eddie in Prospects | 1 Comment

Tampa Bay center Steven Stamkos leads the team in goals, second in points, and third in assists.

Tampa Bay center Steven Stamkos leads the team in goals, second in points, and third in assists.

As the first-overall pick of the 2008 NHL Draft, Tampa Bay center Steven Stamkos had lofty expectations from Lightning fans. And so far, he has lived up to them, and still  has nowhere to go but up.

In his rookie season, he scored 23 goals and 23 assists in 79 games and was a contender for the Calder Trophy, which went to Columbus goalie Steve Mason. This season, he has surpassed those numbers in fewer games. His statistical line has improved in all areas and the regular season isn’t even over. In 55 games, he has 29 goals, 28 assists, and 26 power play points. He has also improved by spending less time in the penalty box, and a better plus-minus rating despite it currently being -2. His 12 power play goals are tops in the league.

This season when the team visited the Red Wings, the 19-year-old Stamkos had to have a dinner escort as the team stayed at the MGM Casino and Hotel, where patrons must be 21 to enter the gaming floor. Seems that is the only thing holding back a young player who will turn 20 Super Bowl Sunday.

He joins Sydney Crosby and Ilya Kovalchuk as the only active players to score 100 points before their 20th birthday.

Stamkos is achieving his numbers because he is playing within himself. Usually, young star players are put on the top line and the team will have to rely on them for offense. But because he is playing on the second-line with Steve Downie and Ryan Malone, he can command as much attention and focus from opponents as the top line of Alex Tanguay, Martin St. Louis, and Vincent Lecavalier.

Stamkos had a humbling experience when he was benched midway through last season. “There are times where you feel like your shot doesn’t feel good, your hands don’t feel good, your skating ability … when things aren’t going well, you’re not playing a lot and you are not producing, it’s tough,” Stamkos said in a Tampa Tribune interview. “But you have to try to hide that when you come to the rink and not wear that on your heart, and looking back now it was hard, I was lacking confidence a bit.”

Stamkos lacking confidence or trying to find his shot isn’t much of a problem anymore. He and the Lightning are currently tied for 8th in the Eastern Conference with 27 games left. After the Olympic Break, the Lightning, as well as the Flyers, Canadiens, Panthers, Rangers, Islanders, Thrashers, and Bruins will be in a sprint for points as they all sit within five points of each other. Of the group of eight teams, only three will make the playoffs. This could mean Stamkos has the opportunity to catch fire late in the season to help his team reach the playoffs for the first time since 2006-07.

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College Hockey Preview: Part 2

Oct 6

Posted by Eddie in Prospects, Season Previews | 1 Comment

Editor’s Note: Part 1 of the College Hockey Preview can be found here.

Yesterday the “small” three conferences were previewed. Today, the “big” three conferences are previewed.

Hockey East: Terriers Hope to eat Competition Again

Boston University won the National Championship in one of the greatest hockey games you will ever see. With an extra-attacker on the ice and trailing Miami 3-1, the Terriers scored twice in the final minute and took the title 11:47 in the first OT period to win the title for the first time since 1995. In one of the toughest conferences in the nation, the Terriers received six of the 10 first-place votes in the coaches poll. In addition to the Terriers, look for UMass-Lowell and  Boston College attempt to dethrone Boston U with Vermont leading the rest of the teams in the conference.

CCHA: Both Coaches and Media Hail to the Victors in Michigan

Michigan forward Louie Caporusso hopes to lead the Wolverines to the Frozen Four at Ford Field in April.

Michigan forward Louie Caporusso hopes to lead the Wolverines to the Frozen Four at Ford Field in April.

For the first time in four years, both the coaches and media agree on the same team in the preseason poll. The Wolverines are always a favorite in the conference, as they have qualified for the NCAA Tournament 19 years in a row. That is quite an astonishing streak considering the amount of turnover due to graduations and players turning professional. Like Michigan State in basketball, Michigan hockey has the chance to play for a national title in its own backyard as it’s only 44 miles from Yost Ice Arena to Ford Field. Look for Miami and Notre Dame to challenge Michigan at the top of the standings, with Miami taking the tournament championship.

WCHA: Pioneers are Head of the Class

Denver finished last season with a bad taste in its mouth. One of the top teams in the nation, they lost to #5 seed Minnesota- Duluth in the WCHA Championship game. The following weekend they lost in the first round to eventual runners-up Miami. The Pioneers look to bounce back in what was a down year for the league as only three teams qualified for the tournament. A sharp contrast compared to 2005 when five teams qualified and all Frozen Four participants came from the WCHA. There’s several teams that can challenge the Pioneers, including Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. Look for the Badgers to take the conference title this season.

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College Hockey Preview: Part 1

Oct 5

Posted by Eddie in Prospects, Season Previews | 2 Comments

The NHL started its season last week. This week, the collegians begin the 2009-10 season as 58 teams will try to achieve the same goal: compete for a National Championship at the 2009 Men’s Frozen Four at Ford Field in Detroit. There are several teams that are always in contention for the title. Teams such as Minnesota, Michigan, Miami University, and defending champion Boston University almost always qualify for the 16-team NCAA Tournament like basketball counterparts Duke, Michigan State, UCLA, Kansas and North Carolina. Here’s a preview of what to expect in each of the three small conferences. Check back tomorrow for previews of the three big conferences: CCHA, WCHA, and Hockey East

ECAC: Bulldogs are Favored in Both Polls

Last season, Yale won both the regular-season and conference championships. They earned a #2 seed in the East Regional before losing in the first round to Vermont. Both the coaches and media are picking the Bulldogs to repeat. They return virtually all of their offense as each of their top-ten scorers return for this season. While Yale is the favorite, don’t sleep on contenders Cornell and Princeton.

Atlantic Hockey: Air Force Looks to Keep Flying High

Air Force has qualified for the NCAA Tournament each of the last three seasons. Last season, they tied for the regular-season championship with RIT, but it was the Falcons who not only won the Atlantic Hockey Tournament, but upset #4 seed Michigan in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Falcons are picked to win the conference again this season, but expect the Tigers and Mercyhurst Lakers to take a shot at knocking down the Falcons.

Bemidji State will have to go through Niagra if they want to achieve the same magic as last season.

Bemidji State will have to go through Niagra if they want to achieve the same magic as last season.

College Hockey America: Beavers and Purple Eagles Split Final CHA Preseason Poll

In the final season of College America, Bemidji State and Niagra are head of the class while Robert Morris and Alabama- Huntsville follow behind. With four teams in the conference, it feels like a band going out on tour one last time before disbanding. The Beavers are going to the WCHA next season, while Robert Morris and Niagra are moving to Atlantic Hockey. The Chargers are still looking for a conference after being denied by the CCHA over the summer. The Beavers were the Cinderella team last season, advancing to the Frozen Four in Washington D.C. as a #4 seed. Only one team will come out of this conference, will the Beavers qualify again? Will the Purple Eagles want some of the Cinderella magic the Beavers had this season? Expect Bemidji State to take the conference title again.

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Richard Panik Between the Legs Goal

Sep 17

Posted by Matt in Media, Prospects | No Comments

With a new hockey season on its way, we eagerly await the opportunity to post our favorite jaw dropping goals, hits, and saves. While the NHL season does not start until October, I have an early look for you at a great goal scored by Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Richard Panik.

Read the rest of this entry »

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NHL.com recap of 2009 Traverse City Prospect Tournament

Sep 14

Posted by Chris in Prospects | 1 Comment

Photo courtesy of TapetoTape.com

Photo courtesy of TapetoTape.com

This past Friday, NHL.com posted a great article recapping the 2009 Prospect Tournament, which was held September 6-10 in Traverse City, Mich. Now in it’s 12th year, the Prospect Tournament has become a great way for coaches and general managers to evaluate their future talent in comparison to their peers.

“For one week, you’ve got your staff and prospects together,” Detroit General Manager Ken Holland told NHL.com. “Let’s face it — once the NHL players show up, most of the energy is directed toward the real players and team at training camp. This is important because we can really focus on our kids and watch them perform.You always want to make your young players as comfortable as possible because they’ll play their best when they’re comfortable in their surroundings.”

Eight team were invited to this years tournament. The Carolina Hurricanes took first place in their first ever trip to the event with a 3-1-0 record. The Minnesota Wild came in 2nd with a 2-1-1 record, but Minnesota sported some of the quickest  games of the tournament as the team, and their AHL affiliate, try to transition to a quicker-paced, more aggressive and up-tempo hockey system.

Other team invited to this year’s tournament were the  New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, Atlanta Thrashers, and Dallas Stars.

Big name stars like Dany Heatley, Pavel Datsyuk, Ilya Kovalchuk and Henrik Zetterberg have all played in the Prospect Tournament in years past. Last season’s tournament featured players like Zach Bogosian, Jakub Voracek and T.J. Oshie, players who all had varying degrees of success with their respective NHL clubs last season.

Check out the article on NHL.com for a full recap of the tournament as well as standaings for each team and notes about prospects who shined at the tournament.

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Part 2: The 2009 All-Free Agent Team

Aug 19

Posted by Eddie in Fantasy, Prospects | No Comments

Yesterday’s post featured the best available unrestricted free agent players on the market. Today’s post will feature six players who also don’t have a team to report to when NHL franchises begin training camp next month.

Part 2 of a 2 part series. Part 1 can be found here

Note: Statistics are from the 2008-09 season with most recent team.

Second Team

Center:

Michael Peca

4-18-22 in 71 GP with Columbus

Former Selke Trophy winner Peca has fallen in recent years. His goal totals the last four seasons combined totaled the number of goals he scored the last time he scored over 20 goals in 2001-02. Another victim of the injury bug, Peca could latch onto a young team as a face-off specialist and fore-checker.

Left Wing:

CalderKyle Calder

8-19-27 in 74 GP with Los Angeles

As someone who should be in the prime of their career, Calder hasen’t scored more than 10 goals in a season since 2006. Also not working in his favor is that he has only finished on the good side of plus-minus twice in his career (One time being in 2007 when he was +6 in 19 games with Detroit after the 2007 trade deadline). He’s a player who has to take less money if he wants to stay in the NHL.

 

Right Wing:

Miroslav Satan

17-19-36 in 65 GP with Pittsburgh

Satan proved that playing on the same line as Crosby and Malkin doesn’t lead to increased stats. He had his worse season since 1995-96 with Edmonton. He scored more points in 2008 with the New York Islanders than last season with the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. But at least he got a ring out of the one-year deal, unlike Marian Hossa.

Defense:

Dennis Siedenberg

5-25-30 in 70 GP with Carolina

Unlike most players on this list who are on the downside of their careers, Siedenberg is only 28 years old. He has tremendous upside and can be a fourth to fifth defenseman on a good team. Last season was his first season in the league full-time and showed that he deserves to be  in the starting lineup every night. Watch for his name on the German Olympic team when the Olympics roll around this winter.

Darryl Sydor

3-12-15 in 73 GP with Dallas

Similiar to Chris Chelios and Mathieu Schneider, Sydor is a 37-year-old Stanley Cup champion who can become a second to third line defenseman. He wouldn’t be someone who you’d put on the first line, but his experience can be useful in special teams situations and can tutor younger defensemen.

Goalie:

Look for Kevin Weekes to land in the Western Conference this season.

Look for Kevin Weekes to land in the Western Conference this season.

Kevin Weekes

7-5-0 2.42 GAA in 16 GP for New Jersey

Martin Brodeur was injured most of the season with an elbow injury. This allowed Weekes and Scott Clemmensen to share goaltending duties for the Devils. While Clemmensen followed down the road of NFL quarterback Matt Cassel in becoming a backup-that-played-so-well-he-deserved-to-become-a-starter when he left to sign with Florida, Weekes was the odd man out. Weekes has started before in his career, and can show that he can become a #1 of a goalie falls to injury. He can come cheap and provides experience. He’s spent 11 of his 13 seasons in the league in the Eastern Conference, so expect him to play in the Western Conference.

 

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The 2009 All-Free Agent Team

Aug 18

Posted by Eddie in Fantasy, Prospects | 1 Comment

In about three weeks, NHL teams will enter training camp. Players will shake off the off-seson rust in the beginning of the pursuit of the Stanley Cup.

For some players tho, they will continue to skate at their hometown rink, workout at the local gym, and keep sharp in hopes of returning to the NHL. Some have been all-stars, some have won the Stanley Cup, and some have been in the league for years. Here’s the list of unrestricted free-agent players, who as of today, won’t be skating in a few weeks with the logo of a NHL franchise on their chest.

Part 1 of a 2 part series. Part 2 will arrive Wednesday, August 19.

Note: Statistics are from the 2008-09 season with most recent team.

First Team

Center:

Robert Lang is looking for a new team, any takers?

Robert Lang is looking for a new team, any takers?

Robert Lang

 18-21-39 in 50 GP with Montreal

I’m not sure how many teams will want Lang. Sure he did record 39 points last season, but he missed hearly half the season with an Achillies tendon injury. He turn’s 39 in December, but I’m pretty sure by then some third or fourth line player will have a season-ending injury which can favor Lang.

 

 

Left Wing:

Alex Tanguay

16-25-41 in 50 GP with Montreal

Chris wrote on July 23 that he was reportedly asking for $5 Million a season to his potential teams. Just like Lang, he was a victim of injury last season. His performance in recent season was as high as 81 points in 81 games two years ago with Calgary to 41 points in 50 games last season. For him to catch on with a team, he must take a short term deal that isn’t much of a cap hit.

Right Wing:

Petr Sykora

25-21-46 in 76 GP with Pittsburgh

One of the top free-agents remaining, Skyora contributed heavily in the regular season as he scored 20 or more goals for the 10th consecutive season. But championships aren’t awards in the regular season. He recorded only 1 assist in 7 playoff games.

Defense:

Marc-Andre Bergeron

14-18-32 in 72 GP with Minnesota

Only 28 years old, Bergeron is a very good offensive defenseman. He’s scored double-digit goals twice in his seven-year career, but the primary responsibilities of a defenseman is in his own zone and thats where he struggles. He hasen’t finished a regular season with a double-digit plus-minus rating since 2003-04, when he finished at +13 with Edmonton.

Mathieu Schneider

9-23-32 in 67 games with Montreal

A player that has spent no less than two seasons with any of the six teams in the first 21 years of his career, Schneider has become a journeyman in the twilight of his career. He spent the last two seasons with Anaheim, Atlanta, and Montreal. At 40, he can still be useful on the power play and provide veterean leadership in a way former teammate Chris Chelios did for Detroit.

Goalie:

Manny Fernandez is still on the free-agent market

Manny Fernandez is still on the free-agent market

Manny Fernandez

16-8-3 2.59 GAA in 28 GP with Boston

With Tim Thomas solidifying the starting position in Boston, Fernandez was the odd-man out. He is still a manageable, high value #1 goalie for a middle-to-bottom tier team. If he wants as much money as he desires, he must play more than 44 games in a season. The only time he’s played over 44 games was 2005-06 when he appeared in 58 games for Minnesota.

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