Sacco's Sports Blog

Blocked shots, lack of conditioning bring Habs to 2-5

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 22:23:19 -0400

Habs vs Sens, always a good rivalry, the team i love the most vs. the team that i dislike the most (I don’t have to be unbiased, yet). The Habs showed many things this game.

1. They showed that they could compete with the much improved Sens. This was proven in the first period when they exploded out of the gate and outshot Ottawa 13-3. Montreal would have had double that if 13 of their shots didn’t get blocked, including the 6 at least that were blocked on the 2 man advantage. Montreal dominated the first period, using their speed and grit to forecheck and draw penalties, but eventually falling to 1-0 on a snipe by Chris Neil, on only the Sens 3rd shot.

2. They showed that they have inferior conditioning and defence. No matter how tough you compete, or how talented you are, what really wins games is your conditioning. I don’t think that there is any point in questioning the heart that any of the Habs players have, they all want to win, it’s just tough when you can’t play consistently for 60 minutes because your conditioning is poor. The Habs played a solid 20 minute game. The effort was there, you could tell by watching them, but frustration and tired legs overwhelms effort every time no matter what you say. The Habs defence is slow, and lacking Markov, in need of a puck mover. They also need Hal Gill to start playing like an NHL player, or at least maybe an OHL player, enough of this peewee garbage.

3. Kovalev is a betrayer, a talented betrayer. Potting 1 goal and a beautiful assist on the Alfredsson goal, he proved what he can do and made every Habs fan green with envy.

4. The reffing was again inconsistent, although it was better than a few nights ago against Colorado, they didn’t show anything close to the leniency they did in that game, and that frustrates me as well. Call everything or call nothing, it’s pretty simple.

First post of the season...

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:40:26 -0400

My first post of the season comes after watching the Montreal Canadiens home opener against the Colorado Avalanche thursday night. I sat down to watch this game pretty content with the state of the habs and of the nhl, but after the game, when I sat down at my computer to write this post, I was full of questions, and I’ll admit, a lot of anger.

I ask my first question, not as a Habs fan, but as a hockey fan, and someone who wants to see this league do well. My question is: what is a penalty? Every hockey fan wants to see consistent reffing for every team, but that was not displayed tonight. It’s the third period, tied 2-2, Gomez goes for the puck in the corner and Cody McLeod comes out of nowhere and unleashes himself on Gomez’s head along the boards. Now, Gomez didn’t get hurt or anything. He wasn’t even dazed. But why should this mean anything?

Everyone always talks about hits to the head, and the impact they have on players and games. This one had a large impact, because Mcleod proceeded to pass the puck to a wide open Ryan O’Reilly in front of the net (left wide open because the person covering him was irate that there was no penalty called) and he proceeded to put one past Price, giving the Avs a 3-2 lead. At this point, there was still about 5 minutes left in the period, and on the next sequence, Pacioretty came racing down the wing, getting held up by an Avs player the whole time and getting forced offside. No call on the play. There is nothing legal about holding a player up through a whole zone, I don’t care what you say. People might see this as the ranting of a Habs fan who is mad to see their team lose, but it really isn’t. I like to see consistency with the refs, as I’m sure every hockey fan does.

The Avs went on to win this game, and I congratulate them on their 5-1-1 start, but the outcome could have been very different had the refs stuck to the rulebook.

Back to school blues nothing compared the NHL's summer blues

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:27:15 -0400

No, I’m not talking about St. Louis.

First it was the Phoenix Coyotes, then (and still) it was Dany Heatley, and now the firing of Paul Kelly. The summer for the National Hockey League has been mired in scandal and feuding between supposed “professionals”.

The Phoenix case could have easily been resolved 3 months ago if Gary Bettman and Bill Daly possessed the ability to see reason. I’m sure that there is something deeper to this whole thing that’s getting past this particular 15 year old, but much older, more educated people than I have seen the exact same things that I have. Bettman and Daly figure that an owner willing to keep the team in Phoenix for about 100$ million less that the proposed bid which would move the team to southern Ontario could be considered a franchise saviour. Then MLSE adds more fuel to the fire, saying that another team in southern ontario would be infringing on the Leafs fans territory, and Eugene Melnyk comes out at questions Jim Balsillie’s integrity, when all he is trying to do is save the NHL an extra 67$ million dollars. Really, this whole situation, franchise and league are in shambles. Let’s hope this gets resolved on the September 12th auction, please.

Now, onto Heater. I think mostly everyone knows about all this, seeing as Heatley was beloved in Ottawa by most Sens fans, but probably disliked everywhere else. Personally, I think Ottawa would be better off without him, with some more young talent coming back their way via trade, but this looks very optimistic going forward. So far this summer, nothing has happened on this front. Just an endless loop, with the frequent refrains of “we’re getting there” and “it’s a matter of time” then finally, “talks are almost dead.” I won’t be surprised to see Heatley back in a Sens uniform, but how will it go over in hockey country? A question I cannot wait to see answered.

As kind of an insult to injury, another issue with the brass of the league has arisen, with Paul Kelly being fired from the position of Executive Director of the NHLPA.

This has basically been a cataclysmic summer for the league, a summer of creating hype, then going nowhere. Let’s hope that the actual players performances during the games of the sport of hockey, which is what we’re supposed to be concentrating on, funny enough, make up for the lack of anything positive since the Penguins hoisted the cup all the way back in June. However, if the summer is just a sneak peak at the future of the NHL, then dark times are approaching.

Nick's predictions (western conference)

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:39:54 -0400

Same deal as the eastern conference basically.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1: Detroit Red Wings - 51-20-11 - 113 points

2: San Jose Sharks - 49-25-8 - 106 points

3: Calgary Flames - 45-30-7 - 97 points

4: Anaheim Ducks - 47-27-8 - 102 points

5: Chicago Blackhawks - 49-30-3 - 101 points

6: St. Louis Blues - 41-26-15 - 97 points

7: Vancouver Canucks - 41-29-12 - 94 points

8: Columbus Blue Jackets - 40-30-12- 92 points

A few things to notice:

The Wings are still dominant, no matter what people say, they will finish first and win 50 games. Anything less is disappointment for them. San Jose is going to fall off the pace a bit, but still a second place finish is good, hopefully they’ll make it out of the 1st round.

The West is the weaker conference now in my opinion. The exact same teams from last year will make the playoffs, look for St. Louis to make it past the 1st round.

Nick's predictions

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 21:57:00 -0400

What’s the fun of following an entire 82 game schedule in the NHL without at least making some predictions about how it will all unfold? Here’s my take on the standings for the upcoming season:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1: Philadelphia Flyers - 49-20-13 -111 points

2: Washington Capitals - 47-23-12 - 106 points

3: Boston Bruins - 44-25-13 - 101 points

4: New York Rangers - 44-29-9 - 97 points

5: Montreal Canadiens - 42-30-10 - 94 points

6: New Jersey Devils - 44-32-6 - 93 points

7: Pittsburgh Penguins - 43-34-5 - 91 points

8: Buffalo Sabres - 41-36-5 - 91 points

To summarize: this is basically my opinion on how it will all shake down. I will be astounded if the records are anywhere close to as i see it but hey, anything can happen. A few things to note that differ from last year and recent years:

No 50 game winners. The talent throughout the league is now more widely spread than it was in years past, which will lead to closer games and more overtimes, thus lowering the win totals for each team. I just think that it will be very tight.

Close bottom 4. It’s always close as you get farther down, towards 8th spot, but the point totals here are much more diminished then they were last year or the year before. Again, more evenly matched teams contribute to this phenomenon. It used to be that you needed at least 92 points to be able to make the playoffs in the east, but this will decrease.

So, you’ve seen my predictions, and hopefully you do not agree with them. I’m interested in knowing how others see it all going down.

What are your predictions for this year’s eastern conference?

Dany Heatley finally speaks out?

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:47:02 -0400

Dany Heatley says that he is finally going to speak out about his trade request. The one question is what will he say? Will it be anything pertinent or relevant? Or will it just be the meaningless dribble that has come out of everyone recently? I am not a Sens fan, but I am an avid sports fan, and because of this the Heatley situation is very irksome. I - and most likely every other hockey fan - am hoping that something of value comes out of this guys mouth for once.

30 teams in 30 days: Washington Capitals

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:24:48 -0400

Finished: 2nd eastern conference

Playoffs: Lost in 2nd round to Pittsburgh

Leading scorers: Alexander Ovechkin 110, Nicklas Backstrom 88, Alexander Semin 79, Mike Green 73

Who did they add?: Brendan Morrison, Mike Knuble

Who did they lose?: Donald Brashear, Brent Johnson

Overview: The Washington Capitals have enjoyed limited success in their time in the NHL, but some of that success has come these past couple of years. Since the arrival of Alex Ovechkin in Washington, there has been a new vigor around the Verizon Center, and every other arena around the league actually. The trick was to surround one of the most offensively gifted players in hockey with talent that he can complement and feed off and they have done pretty well in that respect. Skating alongside Alexander the Great are Nicklas Backstrom and new addition Mike Knuble, which is a great signing for the Caps because they were in need of a big body presence in front of the net. Alex Semin, yet another talented Russian player, adds depth to the offense and will post huge numbers if he is able to stay healthy for a whole season. Tomas Fleischmann, Brooks Laich and Brendan Morrison add points and grit to a very underrated offensive group. The defense is led by Mike Green, who led all NHL defensemen in scoring with 73 points and had 31 goals. There aren’t really any stand outs behind him, but all the guys on the Caps blue line know their roles and execute well. Following him are Shaone Morrisonn, Milan Jurcina, Tom Poti and Brian Pothier. Nick Schultz and John Erskine are there to fill in in case of injury and are both competent as well. The goaltending is the one thing about the Capitals that has really always been a question mark. Last season it was in good hands thanks to the surprising Brent Johnson, who carried the team through the regular season before suffering an injury late, and handing over the playoff reigns to Jose Theodore. This failed, so the reigns were passed off once again, this time to Simeon Varlamov. This was somewhat a success, but he is still young, and may not be ready for the starting job in Washington just yet. However, it will be up to him in Theodore falters, which is a high possibility. The Caps have a solid team, and will make the playoffs. Look for a dog fight at the top of the southeast division involving them and the Hurricanes, but Washington should win outright. They have the tools for a cup run, they just need stellar goaltending.

Winners or losers?: Winners, except it wouldn’t hurt to add a goalie. They’re also in need of a veteran tough guy because of the loss of Donald Brashear, but this isn’t priority.

30 teams in 30 days: Vancouver Canucks

Sun, 16 Aug 2009 20:51:54 -0400

Finished: 3rd western conference

Playoffs: Lost in 2nd round to Chicago

Leading scorers: Daniel Sedin 82, Henrik Sedin 82, Ryan Kesler 59, Pavol Demitra 53

Who did they add?: Mikael Samuelsson, Andrew Raycroft, Aaron Rome

Who did they lose?: Mattias Ohlund, Jason Labarbera

Overview: The hockey gods smiled on the Vancouver Canucks last season and rewarded them with Mats Sundin and a 3rd place finish in the west. The team didn’t look very promising coming into the season, with a lacking offense save for the Sedin twins and an injury prone defence. They put these observations to bed, however, and proceeded to finish 3rd place, winning the division and sweeping the Blues in the first round but eventually falling to the Hawks. The Canucks offense is led by the Sedin Twins, who are big threats and great complements to eachother. The trick is finding someone to play with them. They tried a bunch of different combos and eventually found success with Alex Burrows. If this combo doesn’t succeed this year, they have insurance in the form of Mikael Samuelsson, who they added for the purpose of joining the Sedins. The Canucks also have Pavol Demitra who is still quite able to produce on a quality second line, he just needs to step up. The defense in Vancouver is quite dependable and durable, with only Sami Salo missing a good chunk of time. It’s led by young guns Kevin Bieksa and Alex Edler, now that Mattias Ohlund is gone. Following him are Sami Salo, Willie Mitchell, Shane O’brien and Aaron Rome. This is a good defensive group, but I’m not using more inventive adjectives because good is probably the best that can be said. They need someone to round it out, make it just a little better and add some depth. Roberto Luongo, one of the best in the game, is between the pipes for Vancouver while former rookie of the year award winner Andrew Raycroft backs him up. This is a Canucks team that is capable of winning the division, although it will be tough in the always competitive northwest, and perhaps making a playoff run. They just need a few more pieces, and the pieces that they possess to produce.

Winners or losers?: Losers. Yes they found someone to HOPEFULLY play full seasons with twins for years to come, but they lose a vital piece to their blue line. The Canucks should be looking to replace that piece and add some forward depth.

30 teams in 30 days: Toronto Maple Leafs

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 22:27:19 -0400

Finished: 12th eastern conference

Leading scorers: Jason Blake 63, Alexei Ponikarovski 61, Matt Stajan 55, Mikhail Grabovski 48

Who did they add?: Colton Orr, Mike Komisarek, Francois Beauchemin, Wayne Primeau, Garnet Exelby, Jhonas Gustavsson, Joey MacDonald, Rickard Wallin, Colin Stuart

Who did they lose?: Pavel Kubina, Tim Stapleton

Overview: The Leafs have been stuck in a recent funk that has landed them consistently out of the playoffs, but not low enough to get very high draft pick. Because of this, and other inconsistent GMing, they brought in Brian Burke, to try and make some signings and trades to make the Leafs better. It was quiet when he first came in, only making a few moves leading up to deadline day, but when the offseason rolled around, you knew Burkie wouldn’t hold his silence for much longer. Burke signed and traded and completely retooled the Leafs blue line, but left the offense basically the same. Leading the charge is Jason Blake, who came in to Leaf nation with lots of pressure on him to produce, and he hasn’t really lived up to expectations yet. Behind him are Mikhail Grabovski, Alex Ponikarovski, Matt Stajan and a bunch of other young, talented players. The one drawback with the Leafs attack is that they don’t have one prolific scorer or playmaker. They need one big offensive threat to try and rejuvenate the offense and bring it back to what it was when guys like Mats Sundin still wore the blue and white. The retooled defense is much better than it was last year. The addition of Mike Komisarek gives them a legit shutdown pairing with him and Luke Schenn. Following them on the blue line are Garnet Exelby, Francois Beauchemin, Tomas Kaberle and Ian White. This defense is good, albeit big, but will produce and help the Leafs immensely. The one thing they have to keep an eye on is penalties, and will have to make a big effort to stay out of the box. The goaltending looks to be in good hands, with Vesa Toskala starting between the pipes and Swedish sensation Jhonas ”Monster” Gustavsson backing him up. With Joey MacDonald brought into the fold, it should be tough to get pucks into the Leafs net. Toronto has a young and talented team, but I don’t think they have enough offense to be able to make a playoff run. The northeast will be tight this season and the Leafs MIGHT be able to make the playoffs, but don’t be too hopeful.

Winners or losers?: Winners. Winning teams are built from the net out and Burke seems to know what he’s doing. They just need to upgrade their offense and they should be fine.

30 teams in 30 days: Tampa Bay Lightning

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:00:44 -0400

Finished: 14th eastern conference

Leading scorers: Martin St. Louis 80, Vincent Lecavalier 67, Steven Stamkos 46, Ryan Malone 45

Who did they add?: Mattias Ohlund, Matt Walker, Stephane Veilleux, Kurtis Foster, Antero Niittymaki

Who did they lose?: David Koci

Overview: Second last in the east, in front of only the Islanders, is definitely not what the Lightning had foreseen for the 2008-09 season. A stellar offseason, where Tampa restocked and retooled, and had Steven Stamkos coming up, things looked to be getting back to what they were when they won the Stanley Cup in 2004. The season began, and the Lightning came back down to earth, and realized that the signings were all mediocre players who didn’t produce and were all injury prone. This offseason, they did basically the same thing, only they signed younger guys and restocked their blue line. The forwards are led by Vincent Lecavalier, who had a down season last year only scoring 67 points, but look for him to improve on that thing season. Leading with him are Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos. This trio is basically the only source of offense for the Bolts, who are loaded with grinders and will need Ryan Malone and Jeff Halpern to step up and produce for Tampa. The defense is retooled and is looking very good. Mattias Ohlund was brought in to help a young and up and coming defense corps that included Andrej Meszaros, Victor Hedman, Kurtis Foster, Matt Walker and Paul Ranger. A defense that is young and stacked, in my opinion, can shut down opposition and put up points. The latter will be a necessity in Tampa this year, as they will be hard-pressed to find scoring. The goaltending is in better hands than last year, with Mike Smith starting and Antero Niittymaki coming in to backup replacing Olaf Kolzig, or maybe share starting duties with Mike Smith. Tampa’s defense is much improved this season, so look for the goaltending to feel some of the effects and improve as well. The Bolts still need time to improve, and to find some scoring, so they will miss the playoffs this year. If they can keep the core of the team intact for the next few years and add some snipers in support, then they should be set for the future.

Winners or losers?: Winner, in my opinion. Winning teams always start at the back end, and Tampa is heading in this direction. They’re far from being contenders, but it will come with time. They also need to add a veteran scorer.

30 teams in 30 days: St. Louis Blues

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 22:43:13 -0400

Finished: 6th western conference

Playoffs: Lost in 1st round to Vancouver

Leading scorers: Brad Boyes 72, David Backes 54, David Perron 50, Keith Tkachuk 49

Who did they add?: Ty Conklin

Who did they lose?: Jeff Woywitka, Jay Mckee

Overview: The 2008-09 season saw the Blues finally make the playoffs for the first time since 2003, when Al McInnis and Chris Pronger were leading the defense. The Blues have a slightly different look now, but it was still good enough to see them go on a second half surge, and quietly slip into 6th place in the west. An up and coming team that’s solid from back to front, the Blues have a lot to look forward to. The group of forwards are led by Paul Kariya, Andy MacDonald and big surprise Brad Boyes, who has put up 43 and 33 goals in each of the last 2 seasons. Kariya only played 11 games last year due to injury, but if he can play a full season, look for the Blues to have a lot of scoring punch. Keith Tkachuk, David Backes and sophomore Patrik Berglund follow up these 3 guys, making the Blues offense quite good. The defense is led by Eric Brewer and Erik Johnson, and this year should see young star Alex Pietrangelo make the move from junior for his first full season. If the top 6 unfolds how the Blues would like it to, then Carlo Colaiacovo, Roman Polak and Barrett Jackman should round it out, making it a solid group that can do it all. Last season, the defense was limited due to injuries, with only Barrett Jackman playing a full season. If the defense can stay healthy, then the Blues should be set at the back end. The goaltending is better this season, with Chris Mason and Ty Conklin battling it out for a spot between the Blues pipes. Chris Mason had a quiet but stellar season last year, leading the Blues to the playoffs after Manny Legace stopped performing at a high enough level. Last year, the Blues had a tough time finding consistency out of other goalies besides Mason, but it should improve with Conklin backing him up. The Blues have a good team that is playoff calibre, but they will have to win consistently during the season to have a chance of making it out of the central division, which is much improved.

Winners or losers?: The Blues are winners this season, moving some of their older pieces on defense making room for talented youth to step up. It remains to be seen if this will work out though. The Blues should also be looking for a young scorer, to help spread out the offense and perhaps play with Boyes and MacDonald. Zherdev, perhaps?

30 teams in 30 days: San Jose Sharks

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 23:47:00 -0400

Finished: 1st in the western conference

Playoffs: Lost in 1st round to Anaheim

Leading scorers: Joe Thornton 86, Patrick Marleau 71, Devin Setoguchi 65, Joe Pavelski 59

Who did they add?: Scott Nichol

Who did they lose?: Travis Moen, Brian Boucher, Jeremy Roenick

Overview: Playoff disappointment, two words heard very often when talk of the Sharks arises, was once again brought up last season. Cruising to a first overall finish in the west, the Sharks looked like a team that would cruise through the playoffs and finally capture that elusive conference finals (no, not a typo). Loaded with talent and with the luxury of a roster that could literally do it all, they clashed with the Ducks, and lost 4-2. When I say ‘do it all’, i wasn’t really referring to choke in the playoffs, but i guess that could be included in the description. With a forward group led by Joe Thornton, one of, if not the most dominant players in the league and followed up by the likes of Patrick Marleau, Jonathan Cheechoo, Milan Michalek and rising stars Devin Setoguchi and Joe Pavelski, the Sharks looked poised to score a lot and often during the playoffs as they did during the season, but that was not to happen. With the departures of Mike Grier and Jeremy Roenick, look for the Sharks offense to be filled with even more scoring youth, they should be formidable. The defense is led by Dan Boyle and Rob Blake. Blake surprised a lot of people by putting up 45 points last season, and was also solid in his own end. Following them up is Brad Lukowich, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Christian Ehrhoff and Douglas Murray. San Jose has one of the best, most well-rounded group of defensemen in the NHL and if they stay healthy, should be a tough group to score against, while also putting up numbers of their own. The goaltending is led by yet another star, Evgeni Nabokov, and is backed up by young tender Tomas Greiss. Last season, when Nabokov faltered, Brian Boucher was there to backstop the Sharks and put up stellar number. It is unclear if Greiss can back up Nabokov at the same level, and if Nabby isn’t stellar, the Sharks could be in trouble. The Sharks have been pegged as cup contenders for the past 3 years, but each of those years has ended in an early, disappointing and ultimately anti-climactic exit. I think i will go out on a limb and say that the Sharks can win the Cup this year. I hope I am not disappointed once more.

Winners or losers?: Losers. The Sharks have not yet added a proven playoff performer, who could possibly aid with their playoff woes, but will hopefully be on the hunt during the regular season. They are also in on the Heatley sweepstakes, which would be a good fit for the Sharks, but let’s hope he doesn’t dismantle a very tight locker room.

Bettman and Balsillie

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 18:19:05 -0400

As I mentioned a little in my 30 teams in 30 days: Phoenix Coyotes feature, the Coyotes have no owner, and Jim Balsillie, co CEO of RIM, is making a huge push to gain ownership. The NHL repeatedly shuts down his attempts saying that it is nothing personal, yet Balsillie is still trying to put in a bid. I might be a little biased on this because I am canadian, and Balsillie aims to bring the team to Hamilton, but i don’t understand how this isn’t personal, and why Gary Bettman and Bill Daly won’t open their eyes to the fact that hockey WILL NOT WORK in Arizona.

The Coyotes lost 60 million dollars last season. 60 million. That’s ridiculous. A mediocre team at best, playing in a market that has the Phoenix Suns in the NBA, the Arizona Diamondbacks in the MLB and the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL, and boasts year round temperatures of around 90 degrees. Hamilton has proved that they are a huge hockey market, plans are there for a new state of the art Arena and all the NHL’s demands have basically been met by Balsillie. So, the one remaining question is: how is this not personal?

Is it possible that maybe Gary Bettman and Jim Balsillie were ennemies in elementary school and Bettman is holding it against him? It just doesn’t make sense. Is it maybe because Balsillie is Canadian? This is a possibility, as Bettman is willing to accept a bid that’s at least 100 million dollars less to keep the team in Phoenix, an AMERICAN city. Bettman could be trying to get more fans on his side, as i think he has finally noticed that most fans boo him whenever they see him at one of the games.

Just open your eyes, Bettman. Turn your head and look up north, where there are at least 500,000 fans, many of which are already season ticket holders for the team that is undoubtedly supposed to be there (imagine that). Think of it this way: if you approve Balsillie’s bid, and stop paying the board of governors to reject it, and award the team to Hamilton, and you walk in the arena, you might finally hear the sounds of applause being directed at you, as opposed to the boos that you’ll experience from the 29 other arenas.

Oh and, cheers from a sold out crowd are always better than cheers from about 100 fans. Open your eyes.

30 teams in 30 days: Pittsburgh Penguins

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 23:32:10 -0400

Finished: 4th eastern conference

Playoffs: Stanley Cup champions

Leading scorers: Evgeni Malkin 113, Sidney Crosby 103, Chris Kunitz 53, Jordan Staal 49

Who did they add?: Michael Rupp, Brent Johnson, Jay Mckee

Who did they lose?: Mathieu Garon, Rob Scuderi, Hal Gill

Overview: Last season, the Penguins proved that years of being absolutely horrible finally pays off in the end, as they captured their first Stanley Cup since 1992. It was a good story in particular because they beat the same team that vanquished them in the conference finals the year before in the Detroit Red Wings. On paper, the penguins don’t look like a team that can win the cup. They don’t have many big names outside of Crosby and Malkin, but their guys work hard day in and day out and all know their roles on the team. The forwards are led by Crosby and Malkin, 2 of the premier players in the NHL. These guys produce with whoever they play with, but they still need to find a true scoring winger that Crosby can find some chemistry with. They had a bit of success with Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz, but still need to find a guy who will put them over the top. If Malkin can also find chemistry with guys such as Ruslan Fedotenko or Tyler Kennedy, then the pens should be set for a long time. The defense is slightly less weaker than it was last season, with the departures of Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi, two very good stay-at-home, shutdown defensemen. They’re still solid though, with Sergei Gonchar and Chris Letang the top 2, with Brooks Orpik, Alex Goligoski, Mark Eaton and Jay Mckee rounding out the top 6. The defense in Pittsburgh isn’t loading with big stars but they can do it all, look for them to be really solid this year. Between the pipes is Marc-Andre Fleury, who, early in his career, had problems with consistency, rectified them and had a fantastic 08 campaign. Backing him up this year is new arrival Brent Johnson, who is a good fit and a veteran who led the Capitals to the playoffs last season. He should be able to make Fleury better with his leadership. The Penguins will make noise this season, but I don’t think they have what it takes to get to finals once again. All of the other teams in their division have taken steps to improve themselves, but Pittsburgh is looking basically the same. They can and whould make the playoffs, but look for an early exit.

Winners or losers?: Losers, so far. They still need a scoring winger to play with Crosby and/or Malkin to give them some support and spread out the offense more. A 50 point gap between 2nd and 3rd place scorers on the team isn’t what we like to see from a team who hopes to repeat.

30 teams in 30 days: Phoenix Coyotes

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:08:23 -0400

Finished: 13th western conference

Leading scorers: Shane Doan 73, Matthew Lombardi 46, Steven Reinprecht 41, Peter Mueller 36

Who did they add?: Vernon Fiddler, Brian McGrattan, Adrian Aucoin, Lauri Korpikoski

Who did they lose?: Nigel Dawes, Enver Lisin

Overview: The Coyotes entered the 2008-09 season with higher expectations than usual, as a rash of prime, young talent had the makings of leading the yotes to the playoffs. They started out nicely, but eventually falling off pace, and finishing 13th in the west. The Coyotes are mired in financial trouble, and don’t even have an owner right now (fans of the NHL will know all too well about this whole saga), so they couldn’t exactly spend big bucks on free agents. However, they used what little they had to make themselves tougher, and grittier. The additions of Vernon Fiddler and Brian McGrattan bring size and toughness to an offense that is small and speedy, other than Shane Doan, who is just a wrecking crew himself year in year out. Peter Mueller, Michael Boedker, Martin Hanzal and Kyle Turris, just to name a few, will all need to have stellar sophomore campaigns of the Coyotes are going to improve on a dismal 208 goals for, third worst in the league last season. The defense is anchored by Adrian Aucoin and Ed Jovanovski, both aging but are still good puck movers and shutdown guys. Aucoin is a good acquisition in particular, because he can also help boost the powerplay, something the Coyotes needed. Following these two guys are Zbynek Michalek, Kurt Sauer, James Vandermeer and Keith Yandle, who are all young, and will need to step up. In goal for the Coyotes is Ilya Bryzgalov, who has the potential to be a starter in this league and post good numbers. Although his .906 sv % and 2.98 GAA are pretty respectable numbers, he will need to improve on that if Phoenix wants to have any success next season. Things might be better, now that he has Jason Labarbera, a solid backup, behind him. If you look through all this fog about ownership and all that stuff, Phoenix has a solid team. It’s just hard to see them making any noise at all. Look for them once again to finish out of a playoff spot, and lose another 60 million dollars and not be able to improve whatsoever.

Winners or losers?: The Coyotes are losers this offseason, but honestly, how can you blame them? My opinion on this might be a little biased because I am a Canadian, but why won’t the NHL just approve Balsillie’s bid? It’s clear that Hamilton is a bigger hockey market than Phoenix will ever be.

30 teams in 30 days: Philadelphia Flyers

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:42:36 -0400

Finished: 5th eastern conference

Playoffs: Lost to Pittsburgh in 1st round

Leading scorers: Jeff Carter 84, Mike Richards 80, Simon Gagne 74, Scott Hartnell 60

Who did they add?: Chris Pronger, Brian Boucher, Ray Emery, Ian Laperierre, Ole-Kristian Tollefsen

Who did they lose?: Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa, Mike Knuble, Antero Niittymaki, Martin Biron, Andrew Alberts

Overview: One of the most well-rounded teams in hockey, the Philadelphia Flyers look poised for a Cup in the near future, only a few seasons removed from a horrible last place finish. They quickly put that season in the past, and proceeded to make the playoffs for 3 years running. Although all those berths have been followed up by quick exits, things are still looking quite nice for the Flyers. One of the deepest forward groups in the NHL is led by Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and the seemingly resurrected Simon Gagne, who came back from injury and surprised a lot of people by scoring 74 points last season. They aren’t exactly as tough as they were back in the Broad Street Bullies days, but they can still knock you around, as well as get pucks to back of the net. The defense is deep as well, with two 34 year olds, Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen at the helm. Both are proven winners, and can handle big minutes while moving the puck well and shutting down the opposition. Rounding out the top 6 are Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, Ryan Parent, Brayden Coburn and Matt Carle. The goaltending is the one thing that hasn’t really been consistent for Philly in recent years, so they went out and changed it completely. Taking over for Niittymaki and Biron (who both had stellar numbers last year, actually) are Brian Boucher and none other than Ray Emery. Boucher performed admirably as a backup to Evgeni Nabokov for the San Jose Sharks last season, and Emery beat up his trainer in the KHL, but yes, he can still play goalie. It remains to be seen if one of them can step up as the starter for the Flyers, who will need their goaltending to be really consistent if they are to make a big run. If the goaltending is consistent, then they should be able to make the playoffs and perhaps make a run at the cup, but it could take 1 or 2 years before their young guys develop fully and are able to add the already deep Flyers.

Winners or losers?: The Flyers are winners this season. Already a good team, they added Chris Pronger to their defense, making it more formidable.

30 teams in 30 days: Ottawa Senators

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:34:53 -0400

Finished: 11th eastern conference

Leading scorers: Daniel Alfredsson 74, Jason Spezza 73, Dany Heatley 72, Filip Kuba 40

Who did they add?: Alex Kovalev

Who did they lose?: Brendan Bell

Overview: Things looked so promising in hockey country after making it all the way to Stanley Cup Finals in 2007, but things took a turn for the worst after that. Starting off the next season on a blistering pace, the sens looked to be destined for a first place finish and another cup run, but the all-star break hit and the sens tumbled all the way down to 8th place and got swept in the first round by the Penguins. Last season, they never really found their grove until it was too late, and missed the playoffs for the first time since 95-96. But things look to be getting back on the right track for the Senators, all they need is production. The forward group is led by Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and new acquisition Alex Kovalev. Dany Heatley is currently in the mix, but his fate is unknown as talks continue to swirl about a trade involving him. Its hard to see Heatley coming back though, because of the selfishness he has portrayed. The Sens have solid secondary lines, with Mike Fisher, Nick Foligno, Chris Kelly and Ryan Shannon, among others. The blue line is solid, but didn’t live up to their potential last year, and was one of the sens’ achilles heals. Led by Filip Kuba and Chris Phillips, with Chris Campoli, Brian Lee, Anton Volchenkov and Jason Smith rounding out the gorup, the D look to be in good shape. They will need to do a better job staying at home in their own zone if Ottawa is to be successful. The goaltending is inn good, young hands. Pascale Leclaire and Brian Elliott are two solid, young net-minders who will share time keeping many pucks out of Ottawa’s net. The Sens are an improved team, and if they play the whole season like they did the last 20 games of last season, then they should be a shoe-in for the playoffs.

Winners or losers?: The Sens are winners this offseason. They went out and signed Alex Kovalev with the intention of replacing Dany Heatley, but what a mighty offense it will be if Heatley manages to stay, which is looking more and more likely every day.

30 teams in 30 days: New York Rangers

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:04:28 -0400

Finished: 7th eastern conference

Playoffs: Lost in 1st round to Washington

Leading scorers: Nik Antropov 59, Scott Gomez 58, Nikolai Zherdev 58, Chris Drury 56

Who did they add?: Marian Gaborik, Donald Brashear, Chris Higgins, Ales Kotalik, Enver Lisin

Who did they lose?: Colten Orr, Fredrik Sjostrom, Nik Antropov, Scott Gomez, Paul Mara, Derek Morris

Overview: Entering the 08-09 season, the Rangers were favorites to come out of the eastern conference and go on a cup run. Many of those predictors had big smiles on their faces throughout the first few weeks of the season, when the Rangers held first place firmly in their grasp. After a while, they started to fall off a bit, getting overtaken by the Bruins and Capitals, and eventually falling into 7th place. Although their 7th place finish last year is quite disappointing to many, the Rangers still have a great team and once again look poised for a stellar campaign. The forward group is solid, led by Chris Drury and new arrival Marian Gaborik. Brandon Dubinsky, Chris Higgins, Ales Kotalik and Nikolai Zherdev are also featured on the secondary lines. This is an offense that should be able to produce in waves, but this didn’t happen last season, perhaps one of the reason’s for the Rangers mediocrity. The defense is a solid group, even with the losses of Paul Mara and Derek Morris. Leading the blue line is Marc Staal, followed by Wade Redden, Michal Roszival and Dan Girardi. The blue shirts don’t have 6 NHL ready defenseman on their roster so they are looking for someone from inside the system to step up. The goaltending is in a familiar spot, not to mention a good one, with Henrik Lundqvist between the pipes. Backing him up is Stephen Valiquette, who proved that he too is NHL ready. The Rangers should be in good shape if they can produce up to their potential and stay healthy. Look for them to compete for a division title, but may fall short due the the level of competition in the very competitive atlantic division.

Winners or losers?: The Rangers are winners this offseason. They replenished most of the things that they lost, except for the defense, but Mara and Morris are aging and now it’s time for more young guys to step up on the blue shirts blue line.

30 teams in 30 days: New York Islanders

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:21:47 -0400

Finished: 15th eastern conference

Leading scorers: Mark Streit 56, Kyle Okposo 39, Doug Weight 38, Frans Neilsen 33

Who did they add?: Dwayne Roloson, Martin Biron

Who did they lose?: Yann Danis

Overview: John Tavares. I never knew that there could be two words that could save a franchise, but here they are. The Islanders, a team who has been consistently dreadful is years past look to finally be back on the right track. It all starts with drafting John Tavares. This gives them a prolific scorer, who is quite capable of putting up at least double the 30 points that their leading forward, Kyle Okposo, put up last year. Okposo should be playing alongside Tavares, along with Josh Bailey. Sean Bergenheim, Jeff Tambellini and Frans Neilsen are also capable of putting up points as the second line. The Islanders have an Ok shutdown crew, led by Doug Weight. The Long Island defense has some potential, but they are pretty old an immobile. The blue line leader is Mark Streit, who was the catalyst of the offense and the defense last season, finishing with 56 points, a team high, and +5, which was second on the Islanders to only Dean McAmmond (who played more than half the season in Ottawa). Behind him is Brendan Witt, Andy Sutton, Jack Hillen, Freddy Meyer and Bruno Gervais. This group has the ability to be solid, but have not yet shown this, but they will need to be if the Islanders are to have any success. If the defense should falter, there is always the Islanders three-headed goaltending monster: Dipironoson. Or, Rick Dipietro, Martin Biron and Dwayne Roloson. All are established starters in the NHL and if they can stay healthy, should be brick walls in between the pipes. The Islanders are on the right track, and i’m going to base my prediction on the Pittsburgh Penguins first season with Sidney Crosby. They were terrible, then got Malkin, then got good. The Islanders won’t be as bad this year, but they will still miss the playoffs. Wait a few years, and they will be elite.

Winners or losers?: Winners, but for one thing - another offensive threat. John Tavares might not be enough, for now.

30 teams in 30 days: New Jersey Devils

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:41:06 -0400

Finished: 3rd eastern conference

Playoffs: Lost in 1st round to Carolina

Leading scorers: Zach Parise 94, Patrik Elias 78, Jamie Langenbrunner 69, Travis Zajac 62

Who did they add?: Yann Danis, Cory Murphy, Rob Davison

Who did they lose?: Scott Clemmensen, Michael Rupp, Brian Gionta, John Madden

Overview: The Devils, one of the most consistent teams in the eastern conference in recent years, used to be a team that relied on defense and goaltending in the form on Martin Brodeur. When Brodeur when down to injury, and missed the better part of 3 months, the Devils proved that they could do it with offense. Stepping up were two young guns, Zach Parise and Travis Zajac, with help from wily vets Jamie Langenbrunner and Patrik Elias. The Devils have an offense that can score, defend well, shut down the oppositions top lines and be tough and gritty. David Clarkson can assure you of that. The defense isn’t as strong as it was in the days of Scott Stevens and Brian Rafalski, but they are still quite able to perform in the NHL. Paul Martin and Johnny Oduya head the group of 6, followed up by new addition Cory Murphy, Bryce Salvador, Mike Mottau and Colin White. This is a solid group built for the new NHL. They are all mobile and can move the puck while also staying at home in their own zone. The goaltending is, as always, led by Martin Brodeur, one of the best in the game. Backing him up are Yann Danis and Kevin Weekes. The Devils look to be in good shape for next year, with many solid, young players coming up from their farm system, but they also lost a lot in the offseason. The Devils will make the playoffs this season, but look for them to fall off a little bit in the now very competitive atlantic division.

Winners or losers?: The Devils would be big winners in my opinion if they resigned John Madden. He is one of the best defensive forwards in the game and he does it all. Their defensive game takes a big hit with this loss, and they will be hard-pressed to find a way to supplement it. They also lost their goaltending saviour, of sorts, in Scott Clemmensen. He held down the fort admirably while Brodeur was gone and if a such thing happens again, they will have to trust in Kevin Weekes and Yann Danis to put up similar numbers as Clemmensen did last season.