Vancouver - Defense and goaltending are a total wash in the hypercompetitive Northwest, where seven points separate first and last place. If Markus Naslund has been purposely holding out until the run for the playoffs, he better start weaving some magic because there's no consolation for losing games 2-1 and 3-2 and hoping Roberto Luongo has some 40-save nights to keep the Canucks in the postseason picture. I knew losing Todd Bertuzzi would be a huge blow to their offensive flow and goals-per-game, but who knew how much Anson Carter contributed last year would be missed so much, too? Unless the Sedin family has a cloning device, the Canucks will be on shaky ground. Robert Luongo has been everything advertised (28-16-2, 2.36, 3 ShO) and it's not likely he'll fold up down the stretch. If anything, the fusillade of shots he faced all th ose years with the Islanders and Panthers will steel his resolve now that he's backstopping a contender. Right now, they're a 3-seed, but only four points out of the last playoff spot. At the very least, if Vancouver plays as they have been they won't miss the postseason, but they'd be advised to step it up in all aspects of the game to ensure a spot.
Calgary - 151 goals in 49 games, fifth most in the Western Conference. Maybe Duane Sutter and Jim Playfair got the message after all these years? You have to question how the Flames will hold up the longer Jarome Iginla is out of the lineup., though. He's been the team's catalyst for the last six seasons. Like Vancouver, the Flames are hanging by a thread with little margin for error - currently one point behind the Canucks in the Northwest, but all the way down at a seven-seed. They'll need to win a ton of tough division games just to stay afloat, and I'm not sure they won't be edged out by Colorado and Edmonton, despite Miikka Kiprusoff's acrobatics in net. Eastern Conference teams beware - if a scheduling change ever goes into effect where there's more interconference play, you'll come face-to-face with the chaos and mayhem that is Dion Phaneuf. He's an explosive presence on defense, and every bit a catalyst that Iginla is on both ends of the rink. How he handles his duties under the pressure of a playoff race is every bit as important as Iginla or Kiprusoff's roles. The Flames will have some very interesting games over their last 33.
Minnesota - Will be fighting tooth and nail (pun intended) with the rest of the division. The fact that they are in third right now with 51 points is attributable to the extra games they have played, and that will hurt them a bit in the division and playoff races. Miraculously, Minnesota has scored 140 goals, but it still seems like they're the old, boring trap team because they've played an inordinate amount of overtime and shootout rounds. A 19th-ranked power play does not help much, and is all that much more confusing given the amount of firepower the club has even when certain players are out of the lineup. The Wild are a team that must come to grips with the fact that playoff games don't go to shootouts, and that you better learn how to play 65 minutes of hockey first - something Dallas didn't understand last year before they were bounced in the first round. The broken record will be played again - unless Minnesota can score, there's only so far they can reach.
Colorado - OK, so it's not about contending anymore. Still, the Avalanche play so cohesively one game, then play like they're chasing an unwoven ball of string the next that it's maddening to watch. However, it won't take long for the kids to grow comfortable in their roles. Currently ninth-seed in the West, again, it will come down to the young players' maturity whether or not Colorado can sneak into a playoff spot. It sure won't be because of the goaltending situation, because Jose Theodore is proving how much of a fluke 2002 and 2004 was, while Peter Budaj is locked into the role of being a revelation when the pressure's off, but being nothing more than a solid backup otherwise. It's always murky when you start talking trades, but I can't imagine that Colorado would be either buyers or sellers, because they've invested so much in putting the younger players up front into big roles that altering the chemistry for the sake of one or two rent-a-players might be damaging to their collective psyche. Still, there's always a chance as long as Quiet Joe remains the consummate leader both on and off the ice.
Edmonton - There's a lot of hand-wringing and false expectations over Edmonton's struggles this year, but it's all nonsense, especially when you lose one of the most dominating defensive forces in the game. Remember, the Oilers were an eight-seed when they made the finals, just the luckiest of all the clubs vying for that last playoff spot. This year, they play in THE most competitive division in hockey, and, well...someone's gotta be left out. Ten, 20 years ago you might say that their championship pedigree would kick in and raise them from last place, but who can really tell? Their whole season hinges on some key breakdowns - they wouldn't have gotten a point if it weren't for Patrik Stefan's empty-net gaffe, and both Roloson and Markkanen came up small in a recent 7-6 home loss to Colorado. These things can't continue to happen if the Oilers expect to make the postseason, but 2006-2007 will not be a horrid failure if they don't. However, certain rumors paint St. Louis in sell mode, and the hot topic of discussion is Doug Weight's return to the prairie. Even hypothetically speaking, he alone could make a huge difference in Edmonton's chances. At this stage, I equate the Oilers to the 1997-98 Flyers, whose year after their Finals appearance was torn apart by the Chris Gratton deal which cost them two solid players. They are the most-likely team to be odd-man-out come late March and April.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Central Division
Nashville - They've been the steady rollin' train of the league thus far. As Buffalo has hit a rough patch, the Preds have kept chugging through their opponents, to the tune of seven shutouts, a defense which has given up the fourth-least goals in the conference (they would be second only to the Devils in the East), and an offense which boasts eight goal scorers already in double-digits. All this, and they have suffered through the same disruptive injuries as other top clubs (missing Tomas Vokoun and Jason Arnott for significant stretches) and still rose above Anaheim and Buffalo for the Presidents' Trophy lead. Detroit may have the white-hot Hasek, the Ducks may have an explosive offense, the Sharks may have the best transition and passing games, and the Flames may sneak up on you with a combination of all three, but Nashville can turn on the tap when they need for all of the above at different spots to win games, and do it with expert consistency. Last year was a learning experience. This year, even if they don't keep the Number 1 seed, potential playoff opponents must beware. Who cares if "no one" is watching or going to games? Even if nobody except for the truly dedicated inside and outside Music City are interested, winning, and winning big and winning important games always puts rear ends in the seats. They are a legitimate Cup contender, but I'm still not totally convinced they can fend off a challenge from an underdog and make a deep run to the Finals.
Detroit - I am absolutely shocked at how cohesive the team is despite the loss of the second best leader in the game, as well as his bruising, skilled counterpart. However, the Wings need to score more consistently because they'll need a couple 5 and 6 goal nights when Hasek inevitably succumbs to his over-40 body or his frequent mental vacations. Although Detroit is a 4-seed now, and San Jose is only one point behind, I give the edge in that race to the Sharks because of their younger legs, and a more-mentally-focused goaltending corps. That said, would I be surprised if they make a run this season? No. Yzerman, Shanahan present or not, this franchise is a proud one, too proud to let last year's flameout cause a letdown this time around. Remember, the Wings won 62 games in 1995-96 and didn't even make the Finals, while the following year's club won only 38, and upset Colorado and Philly to win the Cup. It ain't broke, so there's no need to fix it.
St. Louis - Once again, third place in the division is home to the first of the second-division clubs in the conference. For all the hoopla of new ownership and better management, the Blues failed to learn from the mistakes of last season's Penguins team, which faced similar circumstances of trying to breathe new life into a sagging franchise by throwing money at established talent. They have enjoyed a good run under new head coach Andy Murray to jump from absymal to just plain bad. The Blues, like the Flyers, Panthers, Lightning, Coyotes, Blue Jackets and Kings, are a franchise that are in dire need of a total dismantling and rebuild - yet the prevailing idea is that people won't come even if the front office is honest about tearing the whole thing down. Instead, Checketts and Davidson decided to go for broke right away, and they'll be picking through the rubble to find what parts to save, and it will needlessly set the plan back a while. It'll be a long two years in the Gateway City until the new bosses stop thinking like the old bosses and engineer a complete turnaround. It's sad to see so many venerable pros unable to shake the team out of the doldrums. Murray, at the very least, will keep the Blues a step and a half above Columbus and Chicago, but it's a pale shelter for a team that had higher expectations for this season.
Columbus - Ken Hitchcock is no fool. He's perfectly willing to sacrifice the remainder of this season to mold next year's model closer to his image -which means there will be a lot of screwdrivers applied to nameplates above lockers in Nationwide Arena come early April. In that way, the Blue Jackets are light years closer to improving themselves than the Blues or Blackhawks are. And this time, there's an exponentially better chance that the 2007-2008 season will produce better results than this failed season has - provided the front office recognizes that it is time to chuck the likes of David Vyborny, Sergei Fedorov, Nikolai Zherdev, Manny Malhotra, Gilbert Brule, send Adam Foote out to pasture, as well as all three of their goaltenders. Start building around Rick Nash, Freddie Modin, Anson Carter, Ron Hainsey, Rusty Klesla, and go after some good free agents. This season is a total wash, but they will be engaging in taut little wars with St. Louis and Chicago to avoid another last-place finish. There's no chance the Jackets can even be considered in the role of spoiler for Western teams on the playoff bubble for the rest of the season - those teams will feast on a Columbus team that may already be a bit tired of Hitch's autocratic manner.
Chicago - What else can you say? This year, devastating injuries at the worst possible time to their two top free agent signings put this team in the psychological doghouse almost from the start. However, since Martin Havlat came back, he has lived up to expectations, but even his skill and smarts and scoring are no panacea for a perpetually damaged franchise. Nikolai Khabibulin's tribulations in net since he came to Chicago is damning to his reputation, in that even he can't come up with enough good performances to save the Hawks when the defense falters. Signing Peter Bondra midseason was a nice gesture, but does nothing to improve their offensive troubles. Martin Lapointe is treading the line between disappointing and total bust (10 goals, minus-11, lost without the ability to wreak havoc on every shift), and the legions of kids that slip in and out of the lineup don't appear to be learning anything. And what is to become of Eric Daze, lost in the netherworld between chronic injury rehab and refusal to retire at such a young age? At least Denis Savard has the Hawks moving slightly in the right direction, although the shine from the coaching change has all but worn off. They should, at least, be something to watch, alternately scoring and giving up 6-7 goals on some nights. Pride, at least, has returned to Madison, but pride alone isn't anything close to hang your hat on, or to produce enough wins.
Detroit - I am absolutely shocked at how cohesive the team is despite the loss of the second best leader in the game, as well as his bruising, skilled counterpart. However, the Wings need to score more consistently because they'll need a couple 5 and 6 goal nights when Hasek inevitably succumbs to his over-40 body or his frequent mental vacations. Although Detroit is a 4-seed now, and San Jose is only one point behind, I give the edge in that race to the Sharks because of their younger legs, and a more-mentally-focused goaltending corps. That said, would I be surprised if they make a run this season? No. Yzerman, Shanahan present or not, this franchise is a proud one, too proud to let last year's flameout cause a letdown this time around. Remember, the Wings won 62 games in 1995-96 and didn't even make the Finals, while the following year's club won only 38, and upset Colorado and Philly to win the Cup. It ain't broke, so there's no need to fix it.
St. Louis - Once again, third place in the division is home to the first of the second-division clubs in the conference. For all the hoopla of new ownership and better management, the Blues failed to learn from the mistakes of last season's Penguins team, which faced similar circumstances of trying to breathe new life into a sagging franchise by throwing money at established talent. They have enjoyed a good run under new head coach Andy Murray to jump from absymal to just plain bad. The Blues, like the Flyers, Panthers, Lightning, Coyotes, Blue Jackets and Kings, are a franchise that are in dire need of a total dismantling and rebuild - yet the prevailing idea is that people won't come even if the front office is honest about tearing the whole thing down. Instead, Checketts and Davidson decided to go for broke right away, and they'll be picking through the rubble to find what parts to save, and it will needlessly set the plan back a while. It'll be a long two years in the Gateway City until the new bosses stop thinking like the old bosses and engineer a complete turnaround. It's sad to see so many venerable pros unable to shake the team out of the doldrums. Murray, at the very least, will keep the Blues a step and a half above Columbus and Chicago, but it's a pale shelter for a team that had higher expectations for this season.
Columbus - Ken Hitchcock is no fool. He's perfectly willing to sacrifice the remainder of this season to mold next year's model closer to his image -which means there will be a lot of screwdrivers applied to nameplates above lockers in Nationwide Arena come early April. In that way, the Blue Jackets are light years closer to improving themselves than the Blues or Blackhawks are. And this time, there's an exponentially better chance that the 2007-2008 season will produce better results than this failed season has - provided the front office recognizes that it is time to chuck the likes of David Vyborny, Sergei Fedorov, Nikolai Zherdev, Manny Malhotra, Gilbert Brule, send Adam Foote out to pasture, as well as all three of their goaltenders. Start building around Rick Nash, Freddie Modin, Anson Carter, Ron Hainsey, Rusty Klesla, and go after some good free agents. This season is a total wash, but they will be engaging in taut little wars with St. Louis and Chicago to avoid another last-place finish. There's no chance the Jackets can even be considered in the role of spoiler for Western teams on the playoff bubble for the rest of the season - those teams will feast on a Columbus team that may already be a bit tired of Hitch's autocratic manner.
Chicago - What else can you say? This year, devastating injuries at the worst possible time to their two top free agent signings put this team in the psychological doghouse almost from the start. However, since Martin Havlat came back, he has lived up to expectations, but even his skill and smarts and scoring are no panacea for a perpetually damaged franchise. Nikolai Khabibulin's tribulations in net since he came to Chicago is damning to his reputation, in that even he can't come up with enough good performances to save the Hawks when the defense falters. Signing Peter Bondra midseason was a nice gesture, but does nothing to improve their offensive troubles. Martin Lapointe is treading the line between disappointing and total bust (10 goals, minus-11, lost without the ability to wreak havoc on every shift), and the legions of kids that slip in and out of the lineup don't appear to be learning anything. And what is to become of Eric Daze, lost in the netherworld between chronic injury rehab and refusal to retire at such a young age? At least Denis Savard has the Hawks moving slightly in the right direction, although the shine from the coaching change has all but worn off. They should, at least, be something to watch, alternately scoring and giving up 6-7 goals on some nights. Pride, at least, has returned to Madison, but pride alone isn't anything close to hang your hat on, or to produce enough wins.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Southeast Division
Atlanta - The Thrashers are definitely the quietest and most unassuming division leaders in the entire NHL. After years of bucking the trend and endless predictions of their arrival in the league, this year's model has risen to the top of the standings like a thief in the night. Which is completely surprising, given that they possess two of the top five scorers in the NHL (Kovalchuk and Hossa), two old-school veteran leaders (Mellanby and Holik), finally a solid defense, and goaltending (Lehtonen and "Moose" Hedberg) which has thus far steered clear of the mystifying injuries and horrid play which characterized the team since its inception. However, all I see is fragility on this club. Who could pick up the slack if Ilya or Marian get hurt? Glen Metropolit? Jon Sim? Marc Savard signing with Boston left a huge hole up the middle. Mellanby, Holik, Rucchin, DeVries - all guys that will be leaned upon down the stretch - who could step up if they get hurt (again)? I'm not predicting doomsday, but a few key losses will mean the difference between a strong 2-or-3 seed and a dicey 5-or-6 without home ice. In the meantime, if you're worried about the club's prospects, try not to let the voices in your head get the better of you and just be amazed at the offensive talent flowing out of Philips Arena.
Carolina - If ever there was a time to rise to the challenge, the final 32 games are that time for the Hurricanes. Not to say they have been disappointing, but it's amazing that the defending Cup champions, with very few alterations, are not the well-oiled juggernaut of a year ago and find themselves six points behind Atlanta in the division, just a six-seed in the playoff picture. Up and down the stat sheet, the numbers look good, but swapping Gerber for Grahame in net is a slight minus, and the combined effects of Aaron Ward's departure for Broadway and that inexplicable early-season trade with Los Angeles has exposed how old Glen Wesley is and how green the rest of the defensive corps are. Having Cory Stillman back at full strength from surgery and with more jump than the rest of the roster because he missed so much time is a big X factor, because the Canes will have to fend off a fierce challenge from the suddenly resurgent and desperate Lightning.
Tampa Bay - The light at the end of the tunnel which is an oncoming train. That's John Tortorella's job status as of the All-Star break. Is he capable of whipping into shape his charges one more time? As someone who has lived and returned to New England many times in the last 11 years, I say yes. He's a stubborn loudmouthed Chowderhead who can get the most out of his players through sheer force of will and the shrillness of his voice. The real question is, can his boys take the verbal punishment and translate it to wins one more time? The lockout, the new rules and salary structure were a built-in excuse for the Bolts' less-than-stellar season last year. This year, you can point to goaltending, defense which is not as in-your-face, and the loss of Freddie Modin as the fourth pillar in a multi-faceted attack. In a way, Tampa's middle-of-the-pack standing comes because of the Panthers' failure, the Capitals being a year away from contenders, and Carolina's laying in the weeds. Change any of these factors, and the Lightning would be worse off than they are. They will be in a serious dogfight with the Rangers, Hurricanes and Maple Leafs for that last playoff spot in the East.
Washington - The Caps have surprised me in the first 50 games. They have a shoestring budget, no discernable veteran talent or leaders save for the ageless Olie Kolzig in net, but a hell of a lot of heart, grit, and youthful enthusiasm to carry them. Plus, it's been virtually the same group of kids meshing together since the fire sale in 2003 and 2004 - and, as the Oilers of the 80's, the Stars of the 90's and the Devils of the new millennium prove, you're on the right path if you give the right kids the chance to grow and mature together. Signing Donald Brashear to protect Alex Ovechkin was pure genius, making utter fools out of the Flyers in the process. Still, to take the next jump to respectability and playoff contention, they need someone other than Chris Clark to be the captain and leader. They need better goaltending than Kolzig and Johnson. However, since there is still over a third of the schedule to play and the Caps still have that magic of a team that doesn't know it's not supposed to be this good this fast, they can make trouble for their division rivals. We'll also have fun watching Number 8 battle Sid the Kid, Hossa, and Heatley for the scoring title.
Florida - Floating limp, like an 11-year old plastic rat down the canals of outer Broward County. The club has paid a huge price for trading Roberto Luongo for Todd Bertuzzi, Bertuzzi's seven games plus back surgery, the retirement of Joe Nieuwendyk and Gary Roberts now on injured reserve. The likely next moves for the Panthers will be to pour the bronzer over Martin Gelinas, have Jozef Stumpel condemned with Dutch Elm disease, and humanely put down Chris Gratton. Poor, poor Olli Jokinen. He's the best thing this crumbling franchise has going for it, and nobody knows who he is outside the "Insert Corporate Name Here Center," much less how to pronounce his name. As head coach and general manager, Jacques Martin must feel like Jacques Cousteau - constantly fighting under water, surrounded by sharks. And it was all so good after Game One, an 8-3 demolition of Boston. The best psychological ploy the organization can have in their pocket will be a look at the standings from now until April, showing the Flyers two steps below.
Carolina - If ever there was a time to rise to the challenge, the final 32 games are that time for the Hurricanes. Not to say they have been disappointing, but it's amazing that the defending Cup champions, with very few alterations, are not the well-oiled juggernaut of a year ago and find themselves six points behind Atlanta in the division, just a six-seed in the playoff picture. Up and down the stat sheet, the numbers look good, but swapping Gerber for Grahame in net is a slight minus, and the combined effects of Aaron Ward's departure for Broadway and that inexplicable early-season trade with Los Angeles has exposed how old Glen Wesley is and how green the rest of the defensive corps are. Having Cory Stillman back at full strength from surgery and with more jump than the rest of the roster because he missed so much time is a big X factor, because the Canes will have to fend off a fierce challenge from the suddenly resurgent and desperate Lightning.
Tampa Bay - The light at the end of the tunnel which is an oncoming train. That's John Tortorella's job status as of the All-Star break. Is he capable of whipping into shape his charges one more time? As someone who has lived and returned to New England many times in the last 11 years, I say yes. He's a stubborn loudmouthed Chowderhead who can get the most out of his players through sheer force of will and the shrillness of his voice. The real question is, can his boys take the verbal punishment and translate it to wins one more time? The lockout, the new rules and salary structure were a built-in excuse for the Bolts' less-than-stellar season last year. This year, you can point to goaltending, defense which is not as in-your-face, and the loss of Freddie Modin as the fourth pillar in a multi-faceted attack. In a way, Tampa's middle-of-the-pack standing comes because of the Panthers' failure, the Capitals being a year away from contenders, and Carolina's laying in the weeds. Change any of these factors, and the Lightning would be worse off than they are. They will be in a serious dogfight with the Rangers, Hurricanes and Maple Leafs for that last playoff spot in the East.
Washington - The Caps have surprised me in the first 50 games. They have a shoestring budget, no discernable veteran talent or leaders save for the ageless Olie Kolzig in net, but a hell of a lot of heart, grit, and youthful enthusiasm to carry them. Plus, it's been virtually the same group of kids meshing together since the fire sale in 2003 and 2004 - and, as the Oilers of the 80's, the Stars of the 90's and the Devils of the new millennium prove, you're on the right path if you give the right kids the chance to grow and mature together. Signing Donald Brashear to protect Alex Ovechkin was pure genius, making utter fools out of the Flyers in the process. Still, to take the next jump to respectability and playoff contention, they need someone other than Chris Clark to be the captain and leader. They need better goaltending than Kolzig and Johnson. However, since there is still over a third of the schedule to play and the Caps still have that magic of a team that doesn't know it's not supposed to be this good this fast, they can make trouble for their division rivals. We'll also have fun watching Number 8 battle Sid the Kid, Hossa, and Heatley for the scoring title.
Florida - Floating limp, like an 11-year old plastic rat down the canals of outer Broward County. The club has paid a huge price for trading Roberto Luongo for Todd Bertuzzi, Bertuzzi's seven games plus back surgery, the retirement of Joe Nieuwendyk and Gary Roberts now on injured reserve. The likely next moves for the Panthers will be to pour the bronzer over Martin Gelinas, have Jozef Stumpel condemned with Dutch Elm disease, and humanely put down Chris Gratton. Poor, poor Olli Jokinen. He's the best thing this crumbling franchise has going for it, and nobody knows who he is outside the "Insert Corporate Name Here Center," much less how to pronounce his name. As head coach and general manager, Jacques Martin must feel like Jacques Cousteau - constantly fighting under water, surrounded by sharks. And it was all so good after Game One, an 8-3 demolition of Boston. The best psychological ploy the organization can have in their pocket will be a look at the standings from now until April, showing the Flyers two steps below.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Northeast Division
Buffalo - At the break, all of a sudden there is so much talk and hand-wringing in columns about the struggles the Sabres have had in the last two weeks. As if the already cold, gray, low hanging Niagara Region sky would suddenly come crashing down through the HSBC Arena roof because Buffalo took until now to go through a rough patch. So Nashville overtook them for first overall - so what? This week of rest is exactly what Buffalo needs to get back on track. 33-12-4, a league-leading 185 goals for, second overall in the NHL, and a #1 playoff seed is nothing to worry about. However, a 2.82 team goals against average, a power play ranked in the bottom third of the league, and a pair of goaltenders who have been solid but unspectacular are things to cause some concern. Nonetheless, if Buffalo somehow plays .500 hockey from here on out, they'd still be looking at a 50-win season and first place in the Northeast, assured of either a #1 or #2 seed and two rounds with home-ice advantage. This is their time to seize the moment, with free agency ready to tear the fabric of the club apart come July 1st.
Montreal - Nobody's sleeper pick in the division, but I can take some pride in calling it right that the Canadiens would trump the new-look Leafs. Nearly everyone on the team has performed at or above expectations, but is that a function of a relatively healthy team, or the upturn the franchise took because of Bob Gainey and Guy Carbonneau at the controls, or a little of both? Whatever it is, it's working like a charm, and the Habs have taken good advantage of Buffalo's downturn, Toronto's injuries and Ottawa's struggles to earn 2nd place and a 4 seed. Their schedule is not division heavy down the stretch, with plenty of games with the ripe-for-the-plucking Senators and the inconsistent Bruins. Look for this team to continue it's ride on the crest of their icy wave and stay in the middle of the playoff pack.
Ottawa - Smoke and mirrors and a hell of a lot of goals at key times are the only things keeping the Senators afloat. They lost an incalculable amount of points when Martin Havlat departed for Chicago, and an invaluable punishing force in Zdeno Chara to Boston. You can't blame Wade Redden for not holding up his end of the bargain with injuries, because it could have happened the other way around if Chara had stayed and Redden gone to Boston or Philly. I'm not sure that Ottawa can hang tough and grit out some 3-2, 4-3 wins in the final 32 games to keep their five-seed standing. It's more likely the tap will be stuck on deluge for a precious few games and then plugged up for far too many. No blame should rest on Martin Gerber or Ray Emery, who are basically a pair of backups doing the best they can for doddering old man Muckler. If Mike Comrie is as much of a whiner as some people paint him to be, he may be the first card to crumble and bring the whole flimsy house down in Canada's capital. Ottawa will make the playoffs, but they may have to beat several teams off in the process.
Toronto - There's a curse going around the Hockey Capital of the Universe, in that a good Leafs team on paper is always felled by major injuries, infighting, incessant media pressure, and an overload of veterans acquired at the trading deadline, ad nauseam. The fact that Toronto is tied with the Rangers and Penguins for 8th spot in the East is a testament to how much good talent is on the ice when everyone is healthy. I really hate to say it, but Darcy Tucker's sudden offensive prowess and usual scowl are the Leafs' trump card in the fight for the postseason. If he can continue to intimidate with his checking and provide some clutch goals, the last month of the season will get very interesting in Hogtown. That is, if Andrew Raycroft can avoid a mental meltdown after admitting the boos cascading from the Air Canada Centre rafters get to him. Jean-Sebastien Aubin's achilles heel has always been that he can't carry a full load - he was (and is) always best used in a sparing save-the-day backup role. Their margin for error is razor thin, but Paul Maurice endured some tough years with Hartford/Carolina, and he will do everything he can to keep equilibrium no matter what happens. This team may be well adjusted for a long run next season, but this year is a crapshoot.
Boston - Well, physically, the B's sit in the Northeast Division basement - like a lot of people, including myself, pictured them. However, nobody knew just how competitive the division would be, with the myriad trades and injuries and unexpected performances pretty much levelling every other team except Buffalo. Are they playoff contenders? Nope. However, the fact that the Bruins are just two points from eighth place will fool a lot of people into thinking the club has a shot. Good thing the 3,000 or so fans disguised as empty seats each game in the New Garden aren't fooled. The Joe Thornton trade gutted this team and set them back three years, so expectations were already lowered coming into this season Chara signing notwithstanding, and the fact that the Bruins are in 11th place is nothing more than false dawn. The Bruins are eternally also-rans because of their goaltending situation - Tim Thomas and Hannu Toivonen have already hit the ceiling in terms of talent, but how much further can they go with hard work? A free agent signing is in order. All that said, Dave Lewis' club may be the linchpin to the Eastern playoff picture, because they can rip off a couple key wins just for pride and as the spoiler, even if their ultimate destiny is a last-place finish.
Montreal - Nobody's sleeper pick in the division, but I can take some pride in calling it right that the Canadiens would trump the new-look Leafs. Nearly everyone on the team has performed at or above expectations, but is that a function of a relatively healthy team, or the upturn the franchise took because of Bob Gainey and Guy Carbonneau at the controls, or a little of both? Whatever it is, it's working like a charm, and the Habs have taken good advantage of Buffalo's downturn, Toronto's injuries and Ottawa's struggles to earn 2nd place and a 4 seed. Their schedule is not division heavy down the stretch, with plenty of games with the ripe-for-the-plucking Senators and the inconsistent Bruins. Look for this team to continue it's ride on the crest of their icy wave and stay in the middle of the playoff pack.
Ottawa - Smoke and mirrors and a hell of a lot of goals at key times are the only things keeping the Senators afloat. They lost an incalculable amount of points when Martin Havlat departed for Chicago, and an invaluable punishing force in Zdeno Chara to Boston. You can't blame Wade Redden for not holding up his end of the bargain with injuries, because it could have happened the other way around if Chara had stayed and Redden gone to Boston or Philly. I'm not sure that Ottawa can hang tough and grit out some 3-2, 4-3 wins in the final 32 games to keep their five-seed standing. It's more likely the tap will be stuck on deluge for a precious few games and then plugged up for far too many. No blame should rest on Martin Gerber or Ray Emery, who are basically a pair of backups doing the best they can for doddering old man Muckler. If Mike Comrie is as much of a whiner as some people paint him to be, he may be the first card to crumble and bring the whole flimsy house down in Canada's capital. Ottawa will make the playoffs, but they may have to beat several teams off in the process.
Toronto - There's a curse going around the Hockey Capital of the Universe, in that a good Leafs team on paper is always felled by major injuries, infighting, incessant media pressure, and an overload of veterans acquired at the trading deadline, ad nauseam. The fact that Toronto is tied with the Rangers and Penguins for 8th spot in the East is a testament to how much good talent is on the ice when everyone is healthy. I really hate to say it, but Darcy Tucker's sudden offensive prowess and usual scowl are the Leafs' trump card in the fight for the postseason. If he can continue to intimidate with his checking and provide some clutch goals, the last month of the season will get very interesting in Hogtown. That is, if Andrew Raycroft can avoid a mental meltdown after admitting the boos cascading from the Air Canada Centre rafters get to him. Jean-Sebastien Aubin's achilles heel has always been that he can't carry a full load - he was (and is) always best used in a sparing save-the-day backup role. Their margin for error is razor thin, but Paul Maurice endured some tough years with Hartford/Carolina, and he will do everything he can to keep equilibrium no matter what happens. This team may be well adjusted for a long run next season, but this year is a crapshoot.
Boston - Well, physically, the B's sit in the Northeast Division basement - like a lot of people, including myself, pictured them. However, nobody knew just how competitive the division would be, with the myriad trades and injuries and unexpected performances pretty much levelling every other team except Buffalo. Are they playoff contenders? Nope. However, the fact that the Bruins are just two points from eighth place will fool a lot of people into thinking the club has a shot. Good thing the 3,000 or so fans disguised as empty seats each game in the New Garden aren't fooled. The Joe Thornton trade gutted this team and set them back three years, so expectations were already lowered coming into this season Chara signing notwithstanding, and the fact that the Bruins are in 11th place is nothing more than false dawn. The Bruins are eternally also-rans because of their goaltending situation - Tim Thomas and Hannu Toivonen have already hit the ceiling in terms of talent, but how much further can they go with hard work? A free agent signing is in order. All that said, Dave Lewis' club may be the linchpin to the Eastern playoff picture, because they can rip off a couple key wins just for pride and as the spoiler, even if their ultimate destiny is a last-place finish.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Mid-Season Review
For the first time since February, 2004, the NHL pauses for an All-Star Game. Also, for the first time since January, 1999, the game will be played in the first month of the new year, and for the first time since 1989, it will happen in the middle of the week rather than on a Saturday or Sunday. The Hockey Stop does not condone any of the above choices by the NHL, most notably its failure to give Atlanta the game this season after it was left in the cold due to the 2004-2005 lockout. NBC is still struggling to find an American audience, and putting the game on a weekday evening on an obscure cable channel instead of a weekend day for the network to celebrate the game like it should be is another in a long line of killer mistakes.
In any case, this is a perfect time to review where each of the 30 teams sit during this six-day break from game action. As in my preseason previews, the analysis will be limited to one division a day, this time starting with the Atlantic and progressing Westward.
New Jersey - As usual, they have clawed to the top of the division squeezing every mother-loving point from every game from the first of December until now. I know the team has no qualms about letting its success depend almost solely on Martin Brodeur's shoulders, but what does he really think? Does it ever occur to him to suggest, even for once, that the team use more of its speed and skill to win games by more than one or two goals? Furthermore, why hasn't any other team in the league figured out how to break the spell the Devils have cast over the league for 11 years? Whatever - as usual the formula is working, and proves that it's not how you start that matters, it's that you get hot at the right time and stay consistent for a long stretch to stay at the top. Jersey has an incredible 13 point lead over Pittsburgh and the Rangers right now, and hold the #2 playoff seed. Their goal differential (+15) and record (10 games above .500) don't mesh, but if Gionta, Elias, Gomez and Brodeur are firing on all cylinders, there's no reason not to think the Devils can't stay atop the division, especially since the Rangers, Penguins, and Islanders all have major weaknesses that can be exploited in a late-season push.
Pittsburgh - Let's not even talk about all the moving and arena rumors and whatnot. It's the kids who are going to make or break this team, and the fact that the Penguins are in a second-place tie at the break is more a testament to the skill of Crosby, Malkin, Staal and the rest than the relative weakness of the division. Nonetheless, even when you give the kids the keys to the kingdom, they still have a steep learning curve, and all the Recchis and Gonchars in the world can't stop the inevitable fall when playoff spots are on the line. Pittsburgh's rise in the last two years is analogous to Mario Lemieux's first two seasons in the NHL, where the Pens went from 51 points and a sixth place finish in 1984-85 to as high as fourth place and a playoff spot in February 1986 only to collapse down the stretch and finish fifth. Given the right circumstances, this team is still one year away from serious playoff contention, but they have so much to build on, plus they are just a flat out fun team to watch on TV or in person. I'm sure if Marc-Andre Fleury could play the Flyers 40 times he'd win 40 games a season, but he needs to find more consistency in order to become a success. He was barely tested in last night's 8-2 win against Toronto because the Leafs were done halfway into the game, and will have to win some harrowing 3-2 or 5-4 games on the road for anyone to take him seriously as a great goaltender.
NY Rangers - Apparently, Shanahan can't do it all. All he's done this season is score 24 goals (12 PP), 46 points, half a dozen fights, and try to give New York a sense of purpose and heart on the ice. And still, it's not enough. The Enigma himself would waste plenty of hours trying to parse this club. Jagr and Straka keep putting up their mounds of points, but there's something missing without the services of Martin Rucinsky (St. Louis) and Petr Prucha wandering around in a daze most nights. The defense, even with the addition of the gritty, multi-Cup winning Aaron Ward, is porous, and worse, lacks teeth. Darius Kasparaitis, formerly Public Enemy #1, is a shadow of his former self, and even the shadow is limping around with a groin problem. How this team is alternately able to skate stride for stride with Buffalo and Atlanta, then let the Islanders and Senators open up leads of 4-0 and 5-0 at the Garden is a total mystery. Henrik Ludqvist and Kevin Weekes haven't made many mistakes in goal, but their combined performances just don't cut it. Even though they are not at fault for New York's multiple defensive breakdowns and lack of backchecking, neither has made many key saves to erase those mistakes. Keep in mind, though, that even Pelle Lindbergh struggled through his second NHL season before a spectacular third. If all the Blueshirts do is perform no worse than they have thus far (9th seed, tied with Pittsburgh and Toronto) they will make the postseason and cause some problems as a low seed in the East because they have the veteran edge over the Pens and the health factor over the Leafs. If anything, Shanny was made for the postseason.
NY Islanders - Seriously, this team should be so much worse off than it is. They're the late 80's-early 90's version of the Hartford Whalers, forever propped up by the woeful Quebec Nordiques, given a false shot of confidence because they should be the worst team in the division. Not to totally dis Ted Nolan, who has done a good job behind the bench so far, but where would the Isles be if not for the Flyers (2 road wins) and Rangers (4-0, two wins at MSG) playing so awfully against them? As soon as the Devils and Rangers start beating on each other, the Islanders, and the rest of the East for postseason berths, the Isles will bear the brunt of it, despite a nice balance of young and old. Mike Sillinger, Chris Simon and Brendan Witt have all been pleasant surprises, but the top half of the scoring list (with the exception of Jason Blake) reads like a list of old soldiers on their last rest stop before retirement. Mike Dunham and Rick DiPietro haven't turned any miracles in goal, nor will they down the stretch. Maybe Garth Snow can use his old Hockey East connections to work a couple deals to bolster the roster for next season, because the remainder of this year will offer nothing but empty promises and curses over what could have been. Islanders fans should just enjoy the ride, and lust after a couple more wins over the Rangers.
Philadelphia - The only silver lining in this whole ordeal is that the entire organization will have to be rethought, top to bottom. Ed Snider and Paul Holmgren ave hinted very strongly that this offseason will be one where money will be leaving the Wachovia Center coffers like a blizzard. That's OK to build some fan confidence, but the act of simply spending money to get good is just as counterproductive as, oh...say...revamping your roster in the space of two seasons from an entirely veteran club to one almost exclusively young. That said, there are only five players on this current squad who have been consistent the whole season - Gagne, Forsberg, Knuble, Sanderson and Niittymaki. Unfortunately, three of the five have been hit by injury, leaving the other two to frantically hold up the proverbial tent after the air has been let out. You can also say, with the exception of the Buffalo game, two Pittsburgh games, one each with San Jose, Washington and Ottawa, that the Flyers had a shot to win every night. Even if, hypothetically, everyone returns to the lineup and no significant injuries occur the rest of the way, the team won't climb out of the Eastern Conference basement. They are 19 points behind second-to-last Florida with 35 games left. No shot. Just enjoy what little morsels of goodness that come along - a nice play, a surprise comeback win, or either goaltender stealing a game here and there, and hope the kids who have been forced up to the big club start thriving under a very steep learning curve.
In any case, this is a perfect time to review where each of the 30 teams sit during this six-day break from game action. As in my preseason previews, the analysis will be limited to one division a day, this time starting with the Atlantic and progressing Westward.
New Jersey - As usual, they have clawed to the top of the division squeezing every mother-loving point from every game from the first of December until now. I know the team has no qualms about letting its success depend almost solely on Martin Brodeur's shoulders, but what does he really think? Does it ever occur to him to suggest, even for once, that the team use more of its speed and skill to win games by more than one or two goals? Furthermore, why hasn't any other team in the league figured out how to break the spell the Devils have cast over the league for 11 years? Whatever - as usual the formula is working, and proves that it's not how you start that matters, it's that you get hot at the right time and stay consistent for a long stretch to stay at the top. Jersey has an incredible 13 point lead over Pittsburgh and the Rangers right now, and hold the #2 playoff seed. Their goal differential (+15) and record (10 games above .500) don't mesh, but if Gionta, Elias, Gomez and Brodeur are firing on all cylinders, there's no reason not to think the Devils can't stay atop the division, especially since the Rangers, Penguins, and Islanders all have major weaknesses that can be exploited in a late-season push.
Pittsburgh - Let's not even talk about all the moving and arena rumors and whatnot. It's the kids who are going to make or break this team, and the fact that the Penguins are in a second-place tie at the break is more a testament to the skill of Crosby, Malkin, Staal and the rest than the relative weakness of the division. Nonetheless, even when you give the kids the keys to the kingdom, they still have a steep learning curve, and all the Recchis and Gonchars in the world can't stop the inevitable fall when playoff spots are on the line. Pittsburgh's rise in the last two years is analogous to Mario Lemieux's first two seasons in the NHL, where the Pens went from 51 points and a sixth place finish in 1984-85 to as high as fourth place and a playoff spot in February 1986 only to collapse down the stretch and finish fifth. Given the right circumstances, this team is still one year away from serious playoff contention, but they have so much to build on, plus they are just a flat out fun team to watch on TV or in person. I'm sure if Marc-Andre Fleury could play the Flyers 40 times he'd win 40 games a season, but he needs to find more consistency in order to become a success. He was barely tested in last night's 8-2 win against Toronto because the Leafs were done halfway into the game, and will have to win some harrowing 3-2 or 5-4 games on the road for anyone to take him seriously as a great goaltender.
NY Rangers - Apparently, Shanahan can't do it all. All he's done this season is score 24 goals (12 PP), 46 points, half a dozen fights, and try to give New York a sense of purpose and heart on the ice. And still, it's not enough. The Enigma himself would waste plenty of hours trying to parse this club. Jagr and Straka keep putting up their mounds of points, but there's something missing without the services of Martin Rucinsky (St. Louis) and Petr Prucha wandering around in a daze most nights. The defense, even with the addition of the gritty, multi-Cup winning Aaron Ward, is porous, and worse, lacks teeth. Darius Kasparaitis, formerly Public Enemy #1, is a shadow of his former self, and even the shadow is limping around with a groin problem. How this team is alternately able to skate stride for stride with Buffalo and Atlanta, then let the Islanders and Senators open up leads of 4-0 and 5-0 at the Garden is a total mystery. Henrik Ludqvist and Kevin Weekes haven't made many mistakes in goal, but their combined performances just don't cut it. Even though they are not at fault for New York's multiple defensive breakdowns and lack of backchecking, neither has made many key saves to erase those mistakes. Keep in mind, though, that even Pelle Lindbergh struggled through his second NHL season before a spectacular third. If all the Blueshirts do is perform no worse than they have thus far (9th seed, tied with Pittsburgh and Toronto) they will make the postseason and cause some problems as a low seed in the East because they have the veteran edge over the Pens and the health factor over the Leafs. If anything, Shanny was made for the postseason.
NY Islanders - Seriously, this team should be so much worse off than it is. They're the late 80's-early 90's version of the Hartford Whalers, forever propped up by the woeful Quebec Nordiques, given a false shot of confidence because they should be the worst team in the division. Not to totally dis Ted Nolan, who has done a good job behind the bench so far, but where would the Isles be if not for the Flyers (2 road wins) and Rangers (4-0, two wins at MSG) playing so awfully against them? As soon as the Devils and Rangers start beating on each other, the Islanders, and the rest of the East for postseason berths, the Isles will bear the brunt of it, despite a nice balance of young and old. Mike Sillinger, Chris Simon and Brendan Witt have all been pleasant surprises, but the top half of the scoring list (with the exception of Jason Blake) reads like a list of old soldiers on their last rest stop before retirement. Mike Dunham and Rick DiPietro haven't turned any miracles in goal, nor will they down the stretch. Maybe Garth Snow can use his old Hockey East connections to work a couple deals to bolster the roster for next season, because the remainder of this year will offer nothing but empty promises and curses over what could have been. Islanders fans should just enjoy the ride, and lust after a couple more wins over the Rangers.
Philadelphia - The only silver lining in this whole ordeal is that the entire organization will have to be rethought, top to bottom. Ed Snider and Paul Holmgren ave hinted very strongly that this offseason will be one where money will be leaving the Wachovia Center coffers like a blizzard. That's OK to build some fan confidence, but the act of simply spending money to get good is just as counterproductive as, oh...say...revamping your roster in the space of two seasons from an entirely veteran club to one almost exclusively young. That said, there are only five players on this current squad who have been consistent the whole season - Gagne, Forsberg, Knuble, Sanderson and Niittymaki. Unfortunately, three of the five have been hit by injury, leaving the other two to frantically hold up the proverbial tent after the air has been let out. You can also say, with the exception of the Buffalo game, two Pittsburgh games, one each with San Jose, Washington and Ottawa, that the Flyers had a shot to win every night. Even if, hypothetically, everyone returns to the lineup and no significant injuries occur the rest of the way, the team won't climb out of the Eastern Conference basement. They are 19 points behind second-to-last Florida with 35 games left. No shot. Just enjoy what little morsels of goodness that come along - a nice play, a surprise comeback win, or either goaltender stealing a game here and there, and hope the kids who have been forced up to the big club start thriving under a very steep learning curve.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Consider The Possibilities
Imagine if you will, a couple scenarios that have made their way into the news in these hockey-mad parts recently:
#1: According to the man himself, Peter Forsberg is going nowhere once the February 27th trade deadline hits.
Rampant rumors, mostly churned out from the gossip-laden hockey center of Toronto, have Forsberg going to Montreal, simply because the Canadiens are flu-ridden, slumping, and are in need of that offensive spark which catapulted them to second place in the Northeast at the turn of the new year. The idea has raised a few eyebrows in my little corner of the universe, but I always end up asking him/her the same question: can you take a rumor seriously even one iota if there's no player(s) attached on the other end? Thus far, no Habs have been mentioned in the rumor, and it is completely unlikely a player of Forsberg's caliber (supposing he waives his no-trade in the first place) could be dealt without at least two bodies in exchange. One of those, unfortunately, will not be Saku Koivu, a man who can teach Forsberg and the rest of the Flyers a thing or three about leadership among hardship.
Despite his groin problems and this ongoing skate boot controversy, it's at least admirable that Forsberg has come out and said he doesn't want to go anywhere, that he really hasn't done what he's supposed to as a captain and as the best forward on the club, and intends to see this miserable season to the end in Philadelphia. But his two-year tenure here has become so pockmarked with roadblocks, potholes and false starts, you wonder just where his value lies - and it's about even at this moment - that's he's neither really impacting the team on ice converting his skill to goals and victories, nor is he valuable trade bait for two or more players which might add real depth to the club (not just in terms of how many Phantoms can be called up on any given night, which passes for "depth" this year).
Perhaps the best option for all involved is to wait until the offseason, then decide what Forsberg is worth, even though he's a free agent because his two-year deal would be complete. As horrid as the team is even with his presence on ice despite his points, it would be exponentially worse if he were traded. He exhibits a burning desire to prove himself in Philly, which is worth serious re-signing consideration. Even if that does occur, the Flyers have about $18 million to mess with to totally revamp the roster. Still, a burning heart and desire to prove what you're worth doesn't preclude a man from suffering the same type of injuries which have cut short an already stellar career.
#2: According to the Flyers organ-eye-zation, the waiver acquisition of Michael Leighton as a third goaltender is a preventative move, since both Antero Niittymaki and Robert Esche could go down with hip/groin/hamstring issues at any time.
On the surface, I can see how legitimizing the move is. Back when Ron Hextall had his groin troubles between 1989-91, the Flyers carried Hextall, Ken Wregget and Pete Peeters on their roster. It should be noted, though, that those years were in the thick of the worst set of seasons in franchise history, and even three goalies with decades worth of ice time couldn't prevent a slip into fifth and sixth place.
Leighton barely qualifies though, having been passed through the Blackhawks, Ducks, and Predators organizations on his way here. He's more of the Bruce Hoffort/Neil Little backup ilk than a legitimate veteran third choice. However, the questions begin to fester with juicy unsubstantiated rumors that Robert Esche had been slowly clearing out his locker during the five-day break the team had between the Penguins and Islanders home games. Earlier this week, talk was bandied about at work and at home, about whether it could signal a move for one goaltender to another city - namely Los Angeles, whose top two netminders are in the MASH unit. Again, I applied the rumor rule to the situation - and since no player(s) were mentioned on the other end of any deal, there couldn't be much credence lent.
That was until yesterday, when the plot thickened considerably...
Due to the Kings' net loss, veteran Sean Burke, having been unceremoniously dumped by the Tampa Bay Lightning, was signed for at least the remainder of this season. Where's the beef, you might ask, in this morsel of information?
It's twofold: One, Burke and Esche struck up a personal friendship from a professional one when Esche came up with Phoenix seven years ago, and Esche was instrumental in convincing whoever filled the Flyers' GM chair in the spring of 2004 to pick up Burke as veteran insurance for that great playoff run. Two, Ron Hextall and Dean Lombardi, both former Flyer employees, hold high rank within the Kings front office these days. Hexy knows from goaltending, and how a good net gain can be the difference in so many ways. Lombardi, a super scout with previous GM experience that serves him well as LA's president and general manager, presides over a team with loads of good young talent.
In short, the Kings may be the Flyers best, and most beneficial trading partner. That depends, of course, on the internal opinions about the arc of success for one Mr. Esche.
True, wheeling and dealing on a team which is 11-31-4, sitting an uncomfortable 12 points out of second-worst in the NHL, is like putting a big red ribbon on a pile of bat guano. But it needs to be done since this franchise, if nothing else, has not lost its pride and its unwavering belief that image is everything.
Even if they're guided by the maxim of "the worst move to make is no move at all," do the Flyers have any power at all to turn these fleeting rumors into reality?
#1: According to the man himself, Peter Forsberg is going nowhere once the February 27th trade deadline hits.
Rampant rumors, mostly churned out from the gossip-laden hockey center of Toronto, have Forsberg going to Montreal, simply because the Canadiens are flu-ridden, slumping, and are in need of that offensive spark which catapulted them to second place in the Northeast at the turn of the new year. The idea has raised a few eyebrows in my little corner of the universe, but I always end up asking him/her the same question: can you take a rumor seriously even one iota if there's no player(s) attached on the other end? Thus far, no Habs have been mentioned in the rumor, and it is completely unlikely a player of Forsberg's caliber (supposing he waives his no-trade in the first place) could be dealt without at least two bodies in exchange. One of those, unfortunately, will not be Saku Koivu, a man who can teach Forsberg and the rest of the Flyers a thing or three about leadership among hardship.
Despite his groin problems and this ongoing skate boot controversy, it's at least admirable that Forsberg has come out and said he doesn't want to go anywhere, that he really hasn't done what he's supposed to as a captain and as the best forward on the club, and intends to see this miserable season to the end in Philadelphia. But his two-year tenure here has become so pockmarked with roadblocks, potholes and false starts, you wonder just where his value lies - and it's about even at this moment - that's he's neither really impacting the team on ice converting his skill to goals and victories, nor is he valuable trade bait for two or more players which might add real depth to the club (not just in terms of how many Phantoms can be called up on any given night, which passes for "depth" this year).
Perhaps the best option for all involved is to wait until the offseason, then decide what Forsberg is worth, even though he's a free agent because his two-year deal would be complete. As horrid as the team is even with his presence on ice despite his points, it would be exponentially worse if he were traded. He exhibits a burning desire to prove himself in Philly, which is worth serious re-signing consideration. Even if that does occur, the Flyers have about $18 million to mess with to totally revamp the roster. Still, a burning heart and desire to prove what you're worth doesn't preclude a man from suffering the same type of injuries which have cut short an already stellar career.
#2: According to the Flyers organ-eye-zation, the waiver acquisition of Michael Leighton as a third goaltender is a preventative move, since both Antero Niittymaki and Robert Esche could go down with hip/groin/hamstring issues at any time.
On the surface, I can see how legitimizing the move is. Back when Ron Hextall had his groin troubles between 1989-91, the Flyers carried Hextall, Ken Wregget and Pete Peeters on their roster. It should be noted, though, that those years were in the thick of the worst set of seasons in franchise history, and even three goalies with decades worth of ice time couldn't prevent a slip into fifth and sixth place.
Leighton barely qualifies though, having been passed through the Blackhawks, Ducks, and Predators organizations on his way here. He's more of the Bruce Hoffort/Neil Little backup ilk than a legitimate veteran third choice. However, the questions begin to fester with juicy unsubstantiated rumors that Robert Esche had been slowly clearing out his locker during the five-day break the team had between the Penguins and Islanders home games. Earlier this week, talk was bandied about at work and at home, about whether it could signal a move for one goaltender to another city - namely Los Angeles, whose top two netminders are in the MASH unit. Again, I applied the rumor rule to the situation - and since no player(s) were mentioned on the other end of any deal, there couldn't be much credence lent.
That was until yesterday, when the plot thickened considerably...
Due to the Kings' net loss, veteran Sean Burke, having been unceremoniously dumped by the Tampa Bay Lightning, was signed for at least the remainder of this season. Where's the beef, you might ask, in this morsel of information?
It's twofold: One, Burke and Esche struck up a personal friendship from a professional one when Esche came up with Phoenix seven years ago, and Esche was instrumental in convincing whoever filled the Flyers' GM chair in the spring of 2004 to pick up Burke as veteran insurance for that great playoff run. Two, Ron Hextall and Dean Lombardi, both former Flyer employees, hold high rank within the Kings front office these days. Hexy knows from goaltending, and how a good net gain can be the difference in so many ways. Lombardi, a super scout with previous GM experience that serves him well as LA's president and general manager, presides over a team with loads of good young talent.
In short, the Kings may be the Flyers best, and most beneficial trading partner. That depends, of course, on the internal opinions about the arc of success for one Mr. Esche.
True, wheeling and dealing on a team which is 11-31-4, sitting an uncomfortable 12 points out of second-worst in the NHL, is like putting a big red ribbon on a pile of bat guano. But it needs to be done since this franchise, if nothing else, has not lost its pride and its unwavering belief that image is everything.
Even if they're guided by the maxim of "the worst move to make is no move at all," do the Flyers have any power at all to turn these fleeting rumors into reality?
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Flyers Tidbits
According to Tim Panaccio's Sunday game recap in the Inquirer of the Flyers' 4-3 loss in Boston on Saturday, the Edmonton Oilers are hotly pursuing defenseman Joni Pitkanen for young forwards Joffrey Lupul and Raffi Torres.
This proposal should be in a red leather-bound binder stamped "Warning! Idiot Alert!" in bright yellow paint - it would be a rare feat in that it would end up being wrong for both sides.
Case in point#1: The Oilers gave up Chris Pronger for Lupul and Ladislav Smid this past offseason in a deal which simultaneously strengthened Anaheim and weakened the Oilers. Why they would go ahead and trade two young forwards with bright futures to the Flyers (who are positively stocked with young "talent") for a single defenseman? Defense and goaltending are pretty much a wash in the uber-competitive Northwest Division - the only thing separating first and last is the potential to score goals. And they want Pitkanen, who has lit the lamp a grand total of zero times this season? No doubt, the skilled and speedy Pitkanen is ready-made for the best ice surface in all of hockey, but he is certainly not worthy of a two-for-one. He, paired along with Jason Smith or whomever Craig MacTavish decides, would not constitute anything close to what Pronger and his partners on the back line produced last season.
Case in point #2: The Flyers, still unsure whether they need to acquire more talent for a hypothetical playoff run or to tank the season completely, would completely obliterate a defense already crumbling to its foundations if Pitkanen would go to the Oilers. As of today, the young Finn is fourth in scoring (21 points) and leads the team in assists (21). I don't understand how the front office expects him to "pick up his game" when the coach who brought out the best in him and allowed his offensive gifts to blossom is now at the helm in Columbus. And since when is it a crime not to score, especially on a team that is so abysmal, a player's defensive worth should be measured in goals prevented or lack of goals given away instead of actual goals scored? There are enough young forwards on the team now, whether they are tagged as future team leaders (Carter, Umberger, Eager, Richards) or of the deer-in-the-headlights ilk (Ruzicka, Picard, Jones, Calder) that a trade for two more would only necessitate the unfortunate tragedy of benchings, demotions, and more trades.
Also, does anyone notice a subtle pattern of impatience and misuse with European defensemen throughout the Flyers' history?? Thomas Eriksson (serious knee injury aside) had his career derailed because of Pat Quinn's indifference and Mike Keenan's refusal to play anyone other than Mark Howe, Brad McCrimmon, Brad Marsh and Doug Crossman. Jiri Latal? First scapegoat on a sinking ship during the 1991-92 season. Janne Niinimaa's crime was he learned from Paul Coffey and expressed himself too much offensively for Wayne Cashman and Roger Neilson's liking, so he was shipped to Edmonton for Dan McGillis. Dmitri Tertyshny? Well, bless his immortal soul, he passed on before that drama could play out.
OK, so we know it was a bit of a mistake that Bob Clarke traded Ruslan Fedotenko to Tampa for Joni's draft slot, but let's not think even for a second that two wrongs could possibly make a right in this case. The Flyers already have two Lupul and Torres-like players, and the likelihood of having two more at the expense of the Flyers best defenseman (relatively speaking) would not improve their fortunes in the last 39 games.
Tuesday night's 6-2 loss to Washington got the wheels turning inside the ol' noggin, and there are a few stats of note which result:
The Quebec native came to Philly in a February 1995 trade already a Cup winner and two-time Cup participant, and stayed until injuried cut short his career at the end of last season. He possessed equal parts finesse, grit, skill, patience and leadership which blended so seamlessly I'm not sure most fans can truly appreciate what he brought to the table - instead turning him into sports radio callers' second favorite whipping boy after Chris Therien when in fact "Rico" became a liability only because the collective toll his injuries suffered in the line of duty caught up to him all at once.
Finally...I'd gladly dress as a waiter and serve up the dishes of crow which everyone who thought that three-game winning streak last week was the turnaround point for this team should be eating about now. In fact, things have gotten collectively worse than at any point previous - being outscored 19-8 and facing continued accusations from coach and veterans alike that the team has quit. Let's hope they can at least squeeze a point out of a flu-ridden Canadiens club.
This proposal should be in a red leather-bound binder stamped "Warning! Idiot Alert!" in bright yellow paint - it would be a rare feat in that it would end up being wrong for both sides.
Case in point#1: The Oilers gave up Chris Pronger for Lupul and Ladislav Smid this past offseason in a deal which simultaneously strengthened Anaheim and weakened the Oilers. Why they would go ahead and trade two young forwards with bright futures to the Flyers (who are positively stocked with young "talent") for a single defenseman? Defense and goaltending are pretty much a wash in the uber-competitive Northwest Division - the only thing separating first and last is the potential to score goals. And they want Pitkanen, who has lit the lamp a grand total of zero times this season? No doubt, the skilled and speedy Pitkanen is ready-made for the best ice surface in all of hockey, but he is certainly not worthy of a two-for-one. He, paired along with Jason Smith or whomever Craig MacTavish decides, would not constitute anything close to what Pronger and his partners on the back line produced last season.
Case in point #2: The Flyers, still unsure whether they need to acquire more talent for a hypothetical playoff run or to tank the season completely, would completely obliterate a defense already crumbling to its foundations if Pitkanen would go to the Oilers. As of today, the young Finn is fourth in scoring (21 points) and leads the team in assists (21). I don't understand how the front office expects him to "pick up his game" when the coach who brought out the best in him and allowed his offensive gifts to blossom is now at the helm in Columbus. And since when is it a crime not to score, especially on a team that is so abysmal, a player's defensive worth should be measured in goals prevented or lack of goals given away instead of actual goals scored? There are enough young forwards on the team now, whether they are tagged as future team leaders (Carter, Umberger, Eager, Richards) or of the deer-in-the-headlights ilk (Ruzicka, Picard, Jones, Calder) that a trade for two more would only necessitate the unfortunate tragedy of benchings, demotions, and more trades.
Also, does anyone notice a subtle pattern of impatience and misuse with European defensemen throughout the Flyers' history?? Thomas Eriksson (serious knee injury aside) had his career derailed because of Pat Quinn's indifference and Mike Keenan's refusal to play anyone other than Mark Howe, Brad McCrimmon, Brad Marsh and Doug Crossman. Jiri Latal? First scapegoat on a sinking ship during the 1991-92 season. Janne Niinimaa's crime was he learned from Paul Coffey and expressed himself too much offensively for Wayne Cashman and Roger Neilson's liking, so he was shipped to Edmonton for Dan McGillis. Dmitri Tertyshny? Well, bless his immortal soul, he passed on before that drama could play out.
OK, so we know it was a bit of a mistake that Bob Clarke traded Ruslan Fedotenko to Tampa for Joni's draft slot, but let's not think even for a second that two wrongs could possibly make a right in this case. The Flyers already have two Lupul and Torres-like players, and the likelihood of having two more at the expense of the Flyers best defenseman (relatively speaking) would not improve their fortunes in the last 39 games.
Tuesday night's 6-2 loss to Washington got the wheels turning inside the ol' noggin, and there are a few stats of note which result:
- It was Washington's first-ever sweep of the Flyers since their 1974 inception.
- It was the first time since 1993-94 that the Capitals beat the Flyers four times in one regular season.
- It also the first time since that 93-94 campaign that the Capitals won twice in Philadelphia - that year Washington won three times at the Spectrum and once at a neutral site where the Flyers were the "home" team.
- It is the first time since 2000-2001 that the Capitals have won a season series over Philly.
- Washington scored 20 goals in the four games, the highest number since they scored 21 in a seven-game season series in 1992-93.
- The Flyers held the lead on only one occasion, scoring the first goal of the game at the Verizon Center in an eventual 4-1 loss.
- Alex Ovechkin scored 11 points (6G, 5A) in those four games.
- The record for goals and points in one season in the rivalry is Tim Kerr's 12 goals and 13 points in seven games during the 1984-85 season, where the Flyers went 5-1-1 against the Caps.
- It would really, really suck if the Penguins moved to Kansas City and the Central Division, forcing Nashville to move to the Southeast, and Washington to the Atlantic, so the Flyers would have to deal with Ovechkin et al. eight times instead of just four per season.
The Quebec native came to Philly in a February 1995 trade already a Cup winner and two-time Cup participant, and stayed until injuried cut short his career at the end of last season. He possessed equal parts finesse, grit, skill, patience and leadership which blended so seamlessly I'm not sure most fans can truly appreciate what he brought to the table - instead turning him into sports radio callers' second favorite whipping boy after Chris Therien when in fact "Rico" became a liability only because the collective toll his injuries suffered in the line of duty caught up to him all at once.
Finally...I'd gladly dress as a waiter and serve up the dishes of crow which everyone who thought that three-game winning streak last week was the turnaround point for this team should be eating about now. In fact, things have gotten collectively worse than at any point previous - being outscored 19-8 and facing continued accusations from coach and veterans alike that the team has quit. Let's hope they can at least squeeze a point out of a flu-ridden Canadiens club.
Video Review, Part 2
The review concludes with the Top Five:
It's also a damn shame that the organ-eye-zation chose to do a damnatio memoriae on the entire Lindros Era, whether the fans voted for it or not. I can think of four games in the 1995 playoffs alone that could have beat out Flyers-Maple Leafs in '04, not to mention a half-dozen other games (East Finals Game 3, 4, or 5 with the Rangers in 1997 or that Montreal game in 1997 where the Legion of Doom set a team record for points in a game from one line come to mind immediately) which could have or should have made the list.
Maybe the 2004 games were a bow to the younger fans, who I gather, pretty much view Eric Lindros as ancient history, and the times previous as nothing but primordial ooze, but 10 is a nice round number for a compact set to merchandise. But then again, so is 20. Three games in this millennium alone with a gap of 13 years in between is something any casual fan will sniff out as suspicious and unsatisfying. Nonetheless, there is something for everyone in the collectors' set, which ultimately is the goal of releasing the games in the first place. I just wish the Flyers would take a page from the music world, and have this initial set as the "A" side and games 11-20 which didn't make the original cut packaged as the "B" sides.
For most, I believe this will be a great trip down memory lane, as well as a teaching tool for the next generation of young fans who wear the colors but know nothing of history. For me, it will be an enjoyable, but bitter reminder that the philosophy which catapulted the Flyers to their greatest moments is now nothing but hollow words ringing in the ears of those who stand by powerless as the team slides into continual chaos.
- December 22, 1979 Flyers 5, Bruins 2 @ Boston Garden: Philly sets a new NHL record in their 29th game without a loss in one of their least-favorite places to play. It's amazing to see the leap backwards in the style of the game between 1985 and 1979, how slow everything develops, and how goofy some of the goals are. Also amazing that you'd recognize half the Flyers as the good ol' Broad Street Bullies, and the other half will leave you scratching your head or reaching for the keyboard to look up the names online. Flyers fans might get a thrill at seeing a rookie Brad McCrimmon in a Boston uniform and future teammate Brian Propp also in his rookie season, and hockey fans will see how young Ray Bourque looks in his first NHL campaign. Game Excitement: 5 - even though it was a league-record setter, the game itself was a surprisingly ordinary pre-Christmas matinee on Causeway Street. Six of the seven goals come in the first 25 minutes of the game, then you get to fast forward through until the celebration at the final buzzer. Emotional Content: 5 - It's not a playoff game, there are no divisional implications, the Flyers basically dominate except for a brief stretch early in the second period. What the Game Lacks: Local broadcast. Don't know if there actually was one, or if CBS picked it up as game of the week or what, but Gene Hart calling the game definitely would have added a bit more grandeur to the occasion. Only astute historians of the game would appreciate that the DVD broadcast was from Boston's WSBK, with Hall-of-Famer Fred Cusick on play-by-play.
- January 11, 1976 Flyers 4, Soviet Red Army 1: Part of the agreement between the NHL and USSR hockey, where the Soviets sent Moscow Dynamo and the Red Army squad to face NHL teams in various exhibitions throughout the middle part of the 1975-76 season. Up to that point, the Red Army had only failed to win against Montreal, a 3-3 New Year's Eve tie. The Flyers were called upon to defend the honor of the league, and put together one of their most inspired performances for a world audience. Game Excitement: 8 - lowered because it's not an NHL contest, but this was the Flyers at the height of their intimidation and offensive skill playing the unstoppable machine of the Soviet military. At certain points, they seemed to fly around the ice just as in sync as their well-practiced opponents. Emotional Content: 10 - Cold War, anyone? Picketers demonstrating their hatred for the Iron Curtain? Russians leaving the ice because they disagreed with the Flyers' rough style of play? The Flyers' first goal only seconds after the Soviets returned to the ice? Joe Watson shorthanded? A 45-13 shot advantage over a team that dominated International play? Until their Cup Finals loss to Montreal, the Flyers held the title of best hockey team on Planet Earth. What the Game Lacks: NBC's broadcast with two sports giants at the mic: Marv Albert and Gene Hart. The DVD features the CBC version with Dick Irvin - and while no one disputes Canada's claim to the game, once again, local flavor and good old fashioned American shock and outrage (Marv's incredulous call of the Soviets leaving the ice and going to the locker room) would have made this a sure-fire must-watch.
- May 27, 1975 - Flyers 2, Sabres 0 - 1975 Stanley Cup Finals Game 6: Cup #2 is won in another emotional, gut-wrenching clincher. Scoreless through two periods but with Buffalo knocking on the door through some tense moments, Philly comes up with two-third period goals (Bob Kelly and Bill Clement) and Bernie shuts the door on a potent Sabres offense. Game Excitement: 9 - scoreless tie through 40 minutes, but Bernie was called upon to make some spectacular stops. Orest Kindrachuk getting creamed as he passed the puck to Clement for the breakaway insurance goal is a quintessential Flyers moment. Emotional Content: 9 - For those who were alive, the second time around you were a little more comfortable, no? Plus, in those days, Earle got the play-by-play in the first and third periods, so his game-ending call wasn't chock full of drama and pathos. What the Game Lacks: Nothing, except it wasn't the first and sweetest win.
- May 9, 1974 - Flyers 3, Bruins 2 (OT) - 1974 Stanley Cup Finals Game 2: Staring down an 0-2 hole to the vastly more talented Bruins, Moose Dupont ties the game and Clarkie wins it with a joyous celebration matched only by the #1 moment. I tell you what - all that footage of Orr, Esposito and the like in stock films must have been sped up quite a bit, because they all seemed to be moving so slowly compared to what we know as the NHL today. The 1979 and 1974 games look and move just about the same, but that may have been a tribute to the checking job the Flyers had to do just to contain the league's best offense in 1973-74. Parent comes up huge again in a moment outshone by the game-winning goal: 2-on-1 break in the Flyers zone leading to Ken Hodge breaking in alone on Parent, but he closes up the pads just in time. Seconds later, Clarke puts his own rebound off the post an instant before Terry O'Reilly dives across, and the rest is history...
- May 19, 1974 - Flyers 1, Bruins 0 - 1974 Stanley Cup Finals Game 6: Everybody knows the deal by now, young and old alike. Desperately needing a win at home to end the series following a 5-1 drubbing in Boston two days before, and to avoid the grim spectre of a Game 7 in Boston, everybody pulls it together and Philadelphia's championship drought is broken. Of the ten games on the list, it is the only other game besides the Flyers-Oilers 1987 tilt that was so well-played by both teams as to be truly worthy of consideration. They basically transferred the old VHS copy of "Stanley Cup I" with the NBC call from Tim Ryan and Ted Lindsay over to DVD, the smartest decision made on all ten games. Game Excitement: 10+ Will the Bruins explode at any minute for a tying or go-ahead goal? Can Bernie hold them off? What happened to Bobby Orr? Can the seconds tick off any slower?? Emotional Content:
10+++ Kate Smith...McLeish's first-period goal...Parent's toe save...Orr impotently sitting in the penalty box with 2 minutes left... "The Call" 'Nuff said.
It's also a damn shame that the organ-eye-zation chose to do a damnatio memoriae on the entire Lindros Era, whether the fans voted for it or not. I can think of four games in the 1995 playoffs alone that could have beat out Flyers-Maple Leafs in '04, not to mention a half-dozen other games (East Finals Game 3, 4, or 5 with the Rangers in 1997 or that Montreal game in 1997 where the Legion of Doom set a team record for points in a game from one line come to mind immediately) which could have or should have made the list.
Maybe the 2004 games were a bow to the younger fans, who I gather, pretty much view Eric Lindros as ancient history, and the times previous as nothing but primordial ooze, but 10 is a nice round number for a compact set to merchandise. But then again, so is 20. Three games in this millennium alone with a gap of 13 years in between is something any casual fan will sniff out as suspicious and unsatisfying. Nonetheless, there is something for everyone in the collectors' set, which ultimately is the goal of releasing the games in the first place. I just wish the Flyers would take a page from the music world, and have this initial set as the "A" side and games 11-20 which didn't make the original cut packaged as the "B" sides.
For most, I believe this will be a great trip down memory lane, as well as a teaching tool for the next generation of young fans who wear the colors but know nothing of history. For me, it will be an enjoyable, but bitter reminder that the philosophy which catapulted the Flyers to their greatest moments is now nothing but hollow words ringing in the ears of those who stand by powerless as the team slides into continual chaos.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Video Review: Philadelphia Flyers 10 Greatest Games
Even at 28 years of age, there are certain gifts that can make you feel like a kid again, and this past Christmas, I received such a rare present: The full DVD set of the Flyers' "10 Greatest Games."
Two weeks later, I have finally finished perusing each of the individual discs, and bathed myself in the proud tradition of yesteryear, which sadly seems so much more distant now that the Flyers have continued their ineptitude into calendar year 2007. This collection purports itself to be the cream of the crop, selected by the fans themselves from an initial list of 20 games the organization picked and gave its faithful to vote on from the team's website this past Summer.
In case anybody's interested in picking up these gems, either to indulge in nostalgia or get the most-complete dose of team history up to this point*, I took the liberty of reviewing each game for its own merits, weighed against the selection criteria and also compared to other moments in Flyers history.
* - The Flyers are desperately trying to erase the memory of the 2006-2007 season by pumping out a bunch of merchandise linked to its distant, great past. The next collection will be the 40th anniversary DVD, coming out right about the time people won't be caring that the Flyers aren't in the playoffs this year.
Two weeks later, I have finally finished perusing each of the individual discs, and bathed myself in the proud tradition of yesteryear, which sadly seems so much more distant now that the Flyers have continued their ineptitude into calendar year 2007. This collection purports itself to be the cream of the crop, selected by the fans themselves from an initial list of 20 games the organization picked and gave its faithful to vote on from the team's website this past Summer.
In case anybody's interested in picking up these gems, either to indulge in nostalgia or get the most-complete dose of team history up to this point*, I took the liberty of reviewing each game for its own merits, weighed against the selection criteria and also compared to other moments in Flyers history.
- May 20, 2004 - Flyers 5, Lightning 4 (OT) Game 6, Eastern Conference Finals: This veteran club faced the end of its season on home ice to a bunch of skilled upstarts, and did not fail to create excitement and extend their season by one more game. I hadn't seen the game except for the third period, as on that same night, I worked across the street for MLB.com as the Phillies played the Dodgers. Turns out, except for the flurry of goals (seven in the first two periods), the tension of whether or not the Flyers would get the tying (then winning goal) is the only thing that kept my interest. You know what my eyes keyed on instead of the action? 20,000 home fans all dressed in orange T-shirts. Watching the last two goals, you realize just how close the Flyers came to not reaching overtime - how incredibly lucky it was that Primeau directed the puck across the crease with the top of his skate boot and also how close Gagne was to being the goat, basically chipping the puck into Khabibulin's armpit despite having a half-empty net at which to shoot. Game Excitement: 6 - it was a typical grinding game of the old era punctuated with goals. Emotional Content: 7 - the way things are going, it's the last memory this town will have of some postseason excitement. What the Game Lacks: Local broadcast. I didn't need to be reminded just how forced Gary Thorne sounds and how stunted the chemistry was between Thorne and Bill Clement. I would have loved to hear Tim Saunders' desperate, high-pitched emotional goal calls throughout.
- May 9, 2004 - Flyers 3, Maple Leafs 2 (OT) - Game 6, Eastern Conference Semifinals: Roenick's Revenge made this game sweet, as his overtime winner sent the Flyers into the Eastern Finals against Tampa. Aside from the Flyers opening up a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission, the game was boring as hell - waiting in a doctors' office boring - until the Leafs two goals in the last half of the third jolted the home crowd and the players to life. Even then, the final minutes saw the Flyers trying not to cough up that third goal until overtime offered them some refuge. The overtime, though, was a rare classic right up until JR's clincher. Game Excitement: 5 - why was this picked over some classic Lindros-era games? Emotional Content: 4 - You're better off fast-forwarding from the end of the first period right through until the last half of the third. What the Game Lacks: The cutaways we saw of Sami Kapanen trying to regain consciousness and gain his footing back to the bench after being absolutely destroyed on a hit by Darcy Tucker. It was all over ESPN and Comcast after the game, but
since Roenick's goal happened seconds after the check, the camera followed the action and there were no hit replays included in the game broadcast disc. - May 4-5, 2000 - Flyers 2, Penguins 1 (5OT) Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Two teams with so much offensive potential in a death-battle for two-plus games stretched over two days. Thousands will remember this because they had to make up some pretty good excuse to miss work on that Friday because they were up into the wee hours hoping the Flyers would win. Keith Primeau's first best moment in orange and black, an unexpected punctuation to a game I'm sure fan and broadcaster alike suspected would go on until daylight. After the Flyers lost the first two games at home, they rebounded with a pair of overtime wins to knot the series at 2-2 and seize momentum going back to Philly for Game 5. I missed most of this game because I was on a train coming home from Boston, but got to my house just in time to see John LeClair get credit for a goal where the puck deflected off his helmet. I saw every bit of overtime and was on the phone with friends trying to guess who would get the winning score. I lost, but every Flyers fan who persevered won. Game Excitement: 7.5 - if this game had gone one OT, it would have been dropped off the list entirely as the two regulation goals were the only exciting thing about the first 60 minutes. The razor-sharp tension and the deepening implications as the overtimes unfolded added the drama we recall. Emotional Content: 8.5 - seriously, this game could have ended at any time with the Flyers outshooting Pittsburgh in the first four OT's, only to have the script flipped in the fifth - and just when you're nodding off to sleep...finally...zzzz....SCORE! Total Euphoria. What the Game Lacks: A shot on goal by Keith Jones. Seriously, how could that happen?
- May 28, 1987 - Flyers 3, Oilers 2 1987 Stanley Cup Finals, Game 6: Staring down the barrel of an Edmonton Oilers club ready to blast them out of the Spectrum and skate home with their third Cup in four seasons, the Flyers respond on pure emotion to erase a two-goal deficit, win the game, and send the Finals to its first seventh game in 16 years. So many iconic moments during the night culminating with the immortal call from Gene Hart: "There's a pass trying to find Propp again...the Oilers to the point...Daigneault a shot...SCOOOORREE!!!!" Until Comcast put on their "Classics" series, I had never seen the broadcast. As a nine-year old in South Philly, staying with my grandparents that night, the buzz was beyond electric, trying to listen to Hart and Bobby Taylor's call of the game on radio as the collected ecstasy of the Broad Street corridor stretched all the way down to the Spectrum - making it impossible to hear the words as 17,222 fans in attendance drowned out the sound. When I finally did get around to matching the visuals with the aural memory I had of that night...well, let's just say it got very dusty in the room. With the full PRISM broadcast at my disposal on the DVD, I had a hard time putting it aside to move on to the other games I had to review. The last nine minutes of the game, as the Flyers pressed for the tying goal and then stood firm with a 3-2 lead stand as the finest display of the team's ethos, spirit and philosophy - more so than any point in the two Cup wins. Missing their leading scorer. Missing their captain for large chunks of time. Players so tired and so numb to injury that adrenaline was all that remained. For any Flyers fan under 35, this is the last shining moment, the real lone reminder of what the team is capable of doing when the occasion demands. Game Excitement: 10. Until the Flyers get to the Finals and stare down the greatest offense in NHL history again, there's no topping this. Emotional Content: 10+++ Until the Flyers get to the Finals and trail in every game of the series, and trail by at least two goals in four straight games, and keep winning despite facing elimination two straight nights, there's no topping this. Everybody also forgets that Ron Hextall almost cost the Flyers the game, when his clearing attempt with 11 seconds left found Mark Messier, who broke in alone on Hexy, and missed on two point-blank shots in the frantic final seconds. What the Game Lacks: Nothing, except maybe the chance that it could have been the Cup clinching win for Philly, if only they had finished off Game 2 or Game 4. That, and maybe Ronald Reagan and the Pope coming to Pattison Avenue and personally congratulating the Flyers for one of the best games in NHL playoff history.
- April 13, 1985 - Flyers 6, New York Rangers 5 Patrick Division Finals, Game 3: Tim Kerr basically beats New York with a four-goal last-half of the second period. 1980's hockey at its finest - 11 goals, Flyers-Rangers, who cares that there was a 51-point difference between the clubs? The Flyers hadn't advanced to the second round of the playoffs since 1981, and the Rangers could still put a scare into teams in the old 1-4; 2-3 division playoff format. The swings in the game were fantastic - New York leads 2-0, then 2-1 after one; lead 3-2 midway through the second until Kerr steps up and shreds the Rangers defense to give the Flyers a 6-3 lead after two periods; The desperate comeback by the Rangers, which included two goals in the first four minutes of the third, and the remaining 16 minutes where Keenan and the Boys try to milk the clock. Puckheads will be amazed at how small and fast the players are, and how much room there was on the ice back then. Flyers fans get to recall the greatness that was Kerr in his prime. Game Excitement: 8 - in 1985, every shift could have brought something special, and Kerr's second period proves it. That third period is classic, with the MSG crowd lustily chanting for the tying goal and continuation of Flyers playoff misery. Emotional Content: 7.5 - it was only a first-round series after all, but if you loved Pelle Lindbergh, this is your only chance among the 10 games to see him in action. This ranks a bit higher for me since 1984-85 was the first year I followed hockey, and the Flyers' success bonded me to them to this day. What the Game Lacks: The full 60 minutes of play. I swear the original replay of the game on Comcast's "Hungry for Hockey" in 2004 had the end of the third period on it, but this picks up 11 minutes into the first and ends with 30 seconds left in the game. Did Coatesy spill some beer on the reel-to-reel in drunken celebration? Who knows. Also, the graphics from Channel 29 would have been a great touch - with the mini team logos and each team color coded. I had a tape of this game years ago, and an intermission interview with Ilkka Sinisalo is priceless - a laconic Finn with minimal grasp of English staring blankly at Bobby Taylor who's trying to ask him easy basic English questions.
* - The Flyers are desperately trying to erase the memory of the 2006-2007 season by pumping out a bunch of merchandise linked to its distant, great past. The next collection will be the 40th anniversary DVD, coming out right about the time people won't be caring that the Flyers aren't in the playoffs this year.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Y's Time
Tonight, another one of the NHL's greats and a link to its vibrant and skillful past gets his number retired:
Face of the Franchise
A few personal recollections on his career:
In his early years, it was clear he was head and shoulders above the Red Wings' "stars" of the time, John Ogrodnick, Ron Duguay and Reed Larson. How he was given the captaincy in the 1986-87 preseason, following a year in which the Wings finished an NHL-worst 17-56-7 and where Yzerman missed action from the end of January to the end of the season with a broken leg, is still a mystery to me. Whatever GM Jim Devellano saw in the 21-year-old obviously were the same qualities that bloomed and kept him captain and leader for the next 19 seasons.
From the late 1980's through 1994, every time he faced the Flyers he'd make at least two or three spectacular plays: Like the 1989 game at the Spectrum where he dipped through four Flyers in the offensive zone, held the puck for 20 seconds himself before scoring, or the February 1990 game in Detroit where he just terrorized Philly on every shift of a 9-6 win, or a 1992 7-3 tilt at the Joe where he made Jimmy Carson look like a Hall-of-Famer and the Flyers defense and goaltending look like a junior team.
Probably the most unexpected great moment of his career came in the opening shift of double overtime in Game 7 of the 1996 Western Conference Semifinals against the St. Louis Blues. In a scoreless deadlock between Blues goaltender Jon Casey and Wings netminder Chris Osgood, and about to leave the ice for a shift-change, Yzerman uncorked a blast from just outside the St. Louis blue line on a hard dump-in intended for the next shift to chase down. Instead of going high and over the net to bounce around the end-boards, the shot fooled Casey, dipping just before it nicked the crossbar and rippled the net. The captain, who had turned his attention away from the play to skate towards the bench, erupted in a display of emotion few had ever seen (until Detroit's subsequent Cup win the next season). It was an expression of utter shock, relief, and unbridled joy for a man who might have been on the wrong end of a second-round flameout for a team which won an NHL-record 62 games that season.
He earned bonus points in my book for steering clear of the madness that permeated the Detroit-Colorado rivalry during its 1996-2002 heyday. He and Avs captain Joe Sakic solidified their positions as elder statesmen-superstars by infusing those heated battles with the same respect, dignity, and savoir-faire as the lone Trojan and Greek did in their personal meeting amidst the murderous battle for Troy.
I'm not sure his most stunning gambit was as heroic as those connected to the game of hockey have made it out to be. Sometime in the dog days of the 2002 season, Yzerman suffered a pretty nasty leg injury, whose effects were obvious on his play. Still, he gamely suited up for Team Canada's Gold Medal winners in Salt Lake City, but traded that in for missing the rest of the Red Wings' season. Able to rehab enough for the playoffs to play without debilitating pain, Yzerman participated in every one of Detroit's 23 postseason contests - even while he brushed off suggestions that surgery to repair the damage be done before he returned to the ice. Every shift he took, Gary Thorne and Bill Clement painstakingly noticed, could bring a recurrence of the injury and the end of his career.
Still, he persisted - scoring 6 goals and posting 23 points as the Wings lifted their third Cup in five seasons. The resulting damage that did occur to the leg was such that offseason surgery, rest, and further rehab cost him all but 16 games the following season. Why did he put so little price on his future for one last shot at glory? He'd already won twice, and the 2002 Red Wings, winners of 51 games, had a star-studded lineup beyond their first two winners. All he had to do was suit up for one game and his name would be engraved on the Cup, and his winning shares were secure. Why couldn't he have been an effective locker room presence as non-playing captain? Even though the Avalanche presented the stiffest challenge (a brilliant 7-game Western Final), I'm certain his absence from those last two games would not have made a difference either in the room or on the ice. I know for sure that the Carolina Hurricanes would not have presented more of a challenge in the Cup Final without Number 19 prowling around. His days as an offensive force all but disappeared, it would have cost him nothing to play his part and preserve his body.
I found nothing heroic about his return, and the final two-and-a-stub years of his career presented nothing more than the building up of an Icon while that which got him to that point (his hands, skating ability and vision) declined considerably. I also found it very suspect that a man who played in all of 16 games in 2002-2003 won the Bill Masterton Trophy for dedication and perseverance. If I ever have a chance to meet him face-to-face, I would have no problem questioning him about his thought process and the implications of the whole deal. Detroit's first-round loss to Edmonton in last year's playoffs presented an Yzerman at his most impotent, a figurehead who became a defeated lightning-rod of controversy over something which he exerted little control.
Nonetheless, the first 19 years of his storied career far outshine the precipitous decline of his last seasons. In my lifetime, he was the third best skater (Mario Lemieux and Mike Gartner being the top two) I had ever seen, and behind Gretzky and Lemieux, the third-most purely overall-talented player. Unlike most superstars of the 80's and 90's, Yzerman survived by picking up nearly-unparalleled face-off skills and checking abilities in his later years.
Tonight's ceremony did him right - having most of the living Red Wing stars come back to honor him, as well as a pretty decent cross-section of his former teammates. The usual video montage showed his career highlights as well as some older random goals from deep inside the vaults - always good for the tearjerking quotient. Detroit's former GM spoke, as well as the team owner Mike Ilitch, but surprisingly, only Nik Lidstrom spoke on the players' behalf. When Yzerman finally got to the podium, it was 20 minutes which totally encapsulated both the player and the man. Quietly confident yet reserved, strong but emotional, classy with every beat of his heart. He'll be missed.
Still, one question dogged me throughout the whole proceedings: How did Darren Pang get to be Master of Ceremonies?
Face of the Franchise
A few personal recollections on his career:
In his early years, it was clear he was head and shoulders above the Red Wings' "stars" of the time, John Ogrodnick, Ron Duguay and Reed Larson. How he was given the captaincy in the 1986-87 preseason, following a year in which the Wings finished an NHL-worst 17-56-7 and where Yzerman missed action from the end of January to the end of the season with a broken leg, is still a mystery to me. Whatever GM Jim Devellano saw in the 21-year-old obviously were the same qualities that bloomed and kept him captain and leader for the next 19 seasons.
From the late 1980's through 1994, every time he faced the Flyers he'd make at least two or three spectacular plays: Like the 1989 game at the Spectrum where he dipped through four Flyers in the offensive zone, held the puck for 20 seconds himself before scoring, or the February 1990 game in Detroit where he just terrorized Philly on every shift of a 9-6 win, or a 1992 7-3 tilt at the Joe where he made Jimmy Carson look like a Hall-of-Famer and the Flyers defense and goaltending look like a junior team.
Probably the most unexpected great moment of his career came in the opening shift of double overtime in Game 7 of the 1996 Western Conference Semifinals against the St. Louis Blues. In a scoreless deadlock between Blues goaltender Jon Casey and Wings netminder Chris Osgood, and about to leave the ice for a shift-change, Yzerman uncorked a blast from just outside the St. Louis blue line on a hard dump-in intended for the next shift to chase down. Instead of going high and over the net to bounce around the end-boards, the shot fooled Casey, dipping just before it nicked the crossbar and rippled the net. The captain, who had turned his attention away from the play to skate towards the bench, erupted in a display of emotion few had ever seen (until Detroit's subsequent Cup win the next season). It was an expression of utter shock, relief, and unbridled joy for a man who might have been on the wrong end of a second-round flameout for a team which won an NHL-record 62 games that season.
He earned bonus points in my book for steering clear of the madness that permeated the Detroit-Colorado rivalry during its 1996-2002 heyday. He and Avs captain Joe Sakic solidified their positions as elder statesmen-superstars by infusing those heated battles with the same respect, dignity, and savoir-faire as the lone Trojan and Greek did in their personal meeting amidst the murderous battle for Troy.
I'm not sure his most stunning gambit was as heroic as those connected to the game of hockey have made it out to be. Sometime in the dog days of the 2002 season, Yzerman suffered a pretty nasty leg injury, whose effects were obvious on his play. Still, he gamely suited up for Team Canada's Gold Medal winners in Salt Lake City, but traded that in for missing the rest of the Red Wings' season. Able to rehab enough for the playoffs to play without debilitating pain, Yzerman participated in every one of Detroit's 23 postseason contests - even while he brushed off suggestions that surgery to repair the damage be done before he returned to the ice. Every shift he took, Gary Thorne and Bill Clement painstakingly noticed, could bring a recurrence of the injury and the end of his career.
Still, he persisted - scoring 6 goals and posting 23 points as the Wings lifted their third Cup in five seasons. The resulting damage that did occur to the leg was such that offseason surgery, rest, and further rehab cost him all but 16 games the following season. Why did he put so little price on his future for one last shot at glory? He'd already won twice, and the 2002 Red Wings, winners of 51 games, had a star-studded lineup beyond their first two winners. All he had to do was suit up for one game and his name would be engraved on the Cup, and his winning shares were secure. Why couldn't he have been an effective locker room presence as non-playing captain? Even though the Avalanche presented the stiffest challenge (a brilliant 7-game Western Final), I'm certain his absence from those last two games would not have made a difference either in the room or on the ice. I know for sure that the Carolina Hurricanes would not have presented more of a challenge in the Cup Final without Number 19 prowling around. His days as an offensive force all but disappeared, it would have cost him nothing to play his part and preserve his body.
I found nothing heroic about his return, and the final two-and-a-stub years of his career presented nothing more than the building up of an Icon while that which got him to that point (his hands, skating ability and vision) declined considerably. I also found it very suspect that a man who played in all of 16 games in 2002-2003 won the Bill Masterton Trophy for dedication and perseverance. If I ever have a chance to meet him face-to-face, I would have no problem questioning him about his thought process and the implications of the whole deal. Detroit's first-round loss to Edmonton in last year's playoffs presented an Yzerman at his most impotent, a figurehead who became a defeated lightning-rod of controversy over something which he exerted little control.
Nonetheless, the first 19 years of his storied career far outshine the precipitous decline of his last seasons. In my lifetime, he was the third best skater (Mario Lemieux and Mike Gartner being the top two) I had ever seen, and behind Gretzky and Lemieux, the third-most purely overall-talented player. Unlike most superstars of the 80's and 90's, Yzerman survived by picking up nearly-unparalleled face-off skills and checking abilities in his later years.
Tonight's ceremony did him right - having most of the living Red Wing stars come back to honor him, as well as a pretty decent cross-section of his former teammates. The usual video montage showed his career highlights as well as some older random goals from deep inside the vaults - always good for the tearjerking quotient. Detroit's former GM spoke, as well as the team owner Mike Ilitch, but surprisingly, only Nik Lidstrom spoke on the players' behalf. When Yzerman finally got to the podium, it was 20 minutes which totally encapsulated both the player and the man. Quietly confident yet reserved, strong but emotional, classy with every beat of his heart. He'll be missed.
Still, one question dogged me throughout the whole proceedings: How did Darren Pang get to be Master of Ceremonies?
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