Who thinks this stuff up? Mark Madden spent part of his Tuesday afternoon radio show on ESPNRadio 1250 here in Pittsburgh discussing a rumor that was making the rounds on some of the internet hockey sites. Believed to have originated on Spector's Hockey (www.spectorshockey.net), the rumor stated that the Penguins and Vancouver Canucks have both contacted the Columbus Blue Jackets about disgruntled-but-talented scoring winger Nikolai Zherdev. Madden reported the rumor to suggest that the Penguins would package wingers Ryan Malone and Colby Armstrong with their first round pick (20th overall) in the upcoming Entry Draft to the Blue Jackets. In exchange, the Penguins would receive Zherdev and 25-year old defenseman Rostislav Klesla.
Madden didn't originate the rumor; he just reported it. I'm surprised he didn't dismiss it right away, though, because it makes little sense on a few ends.
First of all, you'd think Klesla and Zherdev (both early first-rounders) would bring more than an underachieving forward rapidly approaching his prime, a consummate energy player and a mid-late first round pick. Klesla is perhaps the best young blueliner in the Columbus organization. At 25 years old, he still hasn't peaked and he's just beginning to polish his game. Columbus needs another player or two like him, so they shouldn't be contemplating the notion of trading him. Dumb.
Zherdev is an incredibly skilled winger who once projected to be the top overall pick leading up to the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. That top honor eventually went to current Pens' goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, and Zherdev fell to fourth overall after Carolina took Eric Staal second overall and then Florida took Nathan Horton third. Zherdev nevertheless made his NHL debut in the 2003-04 season, putting up a respectable 34 points (13G, 21A) in 57 games for a crappy Columbus team. After spending the lockout season back in Russia, he had a breakout season in 2005-06 with 54 points (27G, 27A) in 73 games. During the 05-06 season though, he broke a nail or something and began to develop a reputation as a petulant prima donna and coach killer after fueding with then-coach Gerard Gallant. A contract dispute after the 05-06 season turned very ugly and Zherdev threatened to play in Russia for the 2006-07 season, a threat he made good on for a brief eight-game stretch. Zherdev returned to the NHL and not long afterwards, Gallant was relieved of his coaching duties. Zherdev also did not reportedly get along well with Ken Hitchcock after the notoriously-tough coach was brought in to replace Gallant. Zherdev's numbers suffered badly, posting only 32 points in 71 games (10G, 22A). She's a bitch, that Karma.
The Pens have had success with projects before. In November of 1998, the Pens acquired Alexei Kovalev from the New York Rangers in a multi-player deal. Kovalev at the time was regarded as one of the league's most enigmatic players, having never scored more than 24 goals and 58 points in a season despite his incredible talent. Kovalev became a force after establishing chemistry with Martin Straka and Robert Lang. Kovelev's three full seasons (1999-00 to 2001-02) with the Pens produced the three most productive seasons of his career.
Kovalev was considered an enigmatic underachiever when he arrived in Pittsburgh, but a coach killer and poor teammate he was not (at least not here). Zherdev seems to be cut from a different cloth...almost the same kind of disruptive force that Pavel Bure came to be in Vancouver (and us Canucks fans remember Pavel's descent from league-wide badass to whiny little bitch).
There is little room for that kind of attitude on a team trying to compete for a Stanley Cup. In no other sport are chemistry, leadership and selflessness more important to success in the playoff grind than they are in the NHL. Just ask the Atlanta Thrashers. But that alone is one reason why it would be senseless for the Pens to give up a player like Armstrong in a deal like this. Armstrong will never, ever have Zherdev's natural talent with the puck, but Zherdev on his best day will never, ever have anywhere near the stones or the guts, or the sense of team and leadership that Army does. In fact, I'm not even sure Zherdev knows what "leadership" or "team" means.
It just doesn't make much sense. Columbus needs scoring help, and they aren't going to get it from Malone and Army. Pittsburgh needs a winger, but not at the risk of bringing a known pain in the ass into the locker room. I'd rather see them keep Army, keep Malone (I can't believe I just said that), and sign Paul Kariya. Kariya would cost some bucks, to be sure. But he's an established veteran, a proven star, and he's a good guy to boot.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Friday, April 27, 2007
Melichar Love & Why the NHL on ESPN Makes No Sense
What is it about Josef Melichar that causes some Pens fans to be so in love with him? Is it the mysterious, European looks (truth be told, he looks more like he could be Tom Cruise's big goofy brother)? Is it the way he handles the puck like it was a land mine, or the way he does a dead-on impression of a turnstile when trying to guard an opponent from making a pass from behind the Penguins' net? Or that he's botched so many two-on-one coverages, I wouldn't be surprised to see Marc-Andre Fleury throw up his stick, yell "f*** this," and skate to the corner the next time he realizes Melichar is the one man back covering an opponent's odd-man rush? Melichar is an unrestricted free agent this summer and when Ray Shero sits down this offseason to do some housecleaning, one of the first names that will invariably come up with be Melichar's. Yet merely suggesting that the Pens sever ties with Melichar sends some fans into such a hissyfit, you'd think we'd be giving up on the next Nik Lidstrom.
Truth be told, the playoffs exposed the need the Penguins have for a complete blueline corps with mobile d-men capable of handling and moving the puck quickly and effectively. The closest Melichar comes to anything mobile is his cell phone. He handles the puck like he's afraid of it. The first thing I think when watching him skate with the puck is the kid you stick in right field on your Little League team - the one who keeps praying that no one hits a fly ball to him. I'd love to tap into his brain when he carries the puck; I'm sure you'd hear a constant stream of "ohmygod!ohmygod!ohmygod!ohmygod!ohmygod!ohmygod," as he hurries the puck along. He's a decent defenseman in his own zone until the puck gets behind the net, at which point Melichar looks more confused than a college freshman trying to find what building his next class is in. Not to be critical.
He's just not that good, and this team is going to have a hard time taking the next step if he's still seeing regular time on the blueline. We can do better, and probably for not much more than it would cost to bring Melichar back. I'm sure he's a nice guy...he seems like he is. But there are too many instances where you could drape a #2 jersey over a pylon in the defensive zone, and you probably wouldn't be able to tell that it wasn't really Melichar. This is a change that needs to be made next year. Just say "NO" to Melichar.
--------
When are hockey fans are going to realize the NHL might be better off on Versus for the time being? I hear frustrated fans bemoan the NHL's TV deal with Versus all the time. Most of the complaints center around the availability (or lack thereof) of the Versus network on some cable/dish packages. Other complaints focus on the quality of the production, which is up significantly from last year but still not without its issues.
Almost all of us call for the NHL to try to go back to ESPN. Many of us - myself included - long for the good old days when ESPN covered hockey. Back in the mid-1990s, when all we knew was ESPN and ESPN2, the NHL was on like four nights a week, including a doubleheader once a week. And they had NHL2Night every night, an NHL-centric studio show that was like crack for any hockey fan with cable access back then. NHL2Night was so good, former host John Buccigross still prints emails from fans asking ESPN to at least renew the show. It was all quality stuff.
And therein, they say, lies the rub. The stuff ESPN did ten years ago was quality stuff because ESPN actually used to give a damn about nice, clean honest gamecasts, solid analysis, and studio hosts who weren't just ripping off Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann. If that's the ESPN the NHL could return to, I'd be all for it. But that ESPN is long gone. ESPN now is nothing more than an overproduced "Entertainment Tonight" that happens to deal with sports.
The NHL's interests are twofold when it comes to their TV deal. They want to use their TV deal to expand their fanbase, so they would prefer to be on a visible network as much as possible (hence, the call to return to ESPN). But they also want to be on a network that is going to devote the time and energy to turn out a good product for them. In other words, they need to be on a network that wants them. Right now, that's not ESPN. So for the NHL, it makes no sense for them to go to ESPN unless they can be on the two most visible ESPN networks - ESPN and ESPN2 - with some regularity. We're talking three broadcasts a week and a broadcast every gamenight for the playoffs. We're talking a studio show on every night...just like the good old days.
The problem is during hockey season, ESPN has already devoted its prime-time air to other more lucrative enterprises. In the fall, they have Monday Night Football and Major League Baseball. College football is now a five-nights-a-week sport thanks to ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN-U. College hoops and the NBA are just getting into gear, and ESPN is showing both of those as well. In the winter, baseball goes away as does college football after the Bowl Week(s), but the others remain through February, often with escalated coverage. In the spring, ESPN keeps the focus on hoops with the college tournaments and then the last half of the NBA seasons. Baseball is back, and ESPN also has to hype its new baby, Arena Football.
So where do they make room for the NHL? There are only so many prime-time hours on the two major ESPN networks, and they aren't dumping anything listed above for hockey. I guess they could make room for the NHL on ESPN Classic or something, but would that really make the NHL any more visible than they already are on Versus?
This is why it might be in their best interests to stick with Versus. There's no room at the inn over at ESPN, and Versus seems to actually give a damn about working on a quality production. Do they need to fine tune some stuff? Sure. They had to throw together their first season in an incredibly short amount of time, and it showed. But the quality of the broadcasts improved dramatically now that they've had a full year to iron out the kinks.
I'd love to see Versus go to three or four games a week during the entirety of the regular season, and they really need to consider starting a nightly recap show just like ESPN had with NHL2Night. Find a young studio host who can be to the Versus show was Bucci was to NHL2Night. Or just get Bucci. Bring some American viewpoints into it. Bring some European viewpoints into it. Start televising the higher-profile World Juniors tournament games. Do features on kids playing in the junior leagues and in colleges so fans have some idea who these names are that their teams are drafting each summer. Versus can corner a potentially-great market, and if the NHL ever becomes the popular sport it was about to become in the mid-1990s, they can reap the rewards from some smart investing.
People are quick to point out that ESPN doesn't need the NHL. The NHL doesn't need ESPN, either.
Truth be told, the playoffs exposed the need the Penguins have for a complete blueline corps with mobile d-men capable of handling and moving the puck quickly and effectively. The closest Melichar comes to anything mobile is his cell phone. He handles the puck like he's afraid of it. The first thing I think when watching him skate with the puck is the kid you stick in right field on your Little League team - the one who keeps praying that no one hits a fly ball to him. I'd love to tap into his brain when he carries the puck; I'm sure you'd hear a constant stream of "ohmygod!ohmygod!ohmygod!ohmygod!ohmygod!ohmygod," as he hurries the puck along. He's a decent defenseman in his own zone until the puck gets behind the net, at which point Melichar looks more confused than a college freshman trying to find what building his next class is in. Not to be critical.
He's just not that good, and this team is going to have a hard time taking the next step if he's still seeing regular time on the blueline. We can do better, and probably for not much more than it would cost to bring Melichar back. I'm sure he's a nice guy...he seems like he is. But there are too many instances where you could drape a #2 jersey over a pylon in the defensive zone, and you probably wouldn't be able to tell that it wasn't really Melichar. This is a change that needs to be made next year. Just say "NO" to Melichar.
--------
When are hockey fans are going to realize the NHL might be better off on Versus for the time being? I hear frustrated fans bemoan the NHL's TV deal with Versus all the time. Most of the complaints center around the availability (or lack thereof) of the Versus network on some cable/dish packages. Other complaints focus on the quality of the production, which is up significantly from last year but still not without its issues.
Almost all of us call for the NHL to try to go back to ESPN. Many of us - myself included - long for the good old days when ESPN covered hockey. Back in the mid-1990s, when all we knew was ESPN and ESPN2, the NHL was on like four nights a week, including a doubleheader once a week. And they had NHL2Night every night, an NHL-centric studio show that was like crack for any hockey fan with cable access back then. NHL2Night was so good, former host John Buccigross still prints emails from fans asking ESPN to at least renew the show. It was all quality stuff.
And therein, they say, lies the rub. The stuff ESPN did ten years ago was quality stuff because ESPN actually used to give a damn about nice, clean honest gamecasts, solid analysis, and studio hosts who weren't just ripping off Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann. If that's the ESPN the NHL could return to, I'd be all for it. But that ESPN is long gone. ESPN now is nothing more than an overproduced "Entertainment Tonight" that happens to deal with sports.
The NHL's interests are twofold when it comes to their TV deal. They want to use their TV deal to expand their fanbase, so they would prefer to be on a visible network as much as possible (hence, the call to return to ESPN). But they also want to be on a network that is going to devote the time and energy to turn out a good product for them. In other words, they need to be on a network that wants them. Right now, that's not ESPN. So for the NHL, it makes no sense for them to go to ESPN unless they can be on the two most visible ESPN networks - ESPN and ESPN2 - with some regularity. We're talking three broadcasts a week and a broadcast every gamenight for the playoffs. We're talking a studio show on every night...just like the good old days.
The problem is during hockey season, ESPN has already devoted its prime-time air to other more lucrative enterprises. In the fall, they have Monday Night Football and Major League Baseball. College football is now a five-nights-a-week sport thanks to ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN-U. College hoops and the NBA are just getting into gear, and ESPN is showing both of those as well. In the winter, baseball goes away as does college football after the Bowl Week(s), but the others remain through February, often with escalated coverage. In the spring, ESPN keeps the focus on hoops with the college tournaments and then the last half of the NBA seasons. Baseball is back, and ESPN also has to hype its new baby, Arena Football.
So where do they make room for the NHL? There are only so many prime-time hours on the two major ESPN networks, and they aren't dumping anything listed above for hockey. I guess they could make room for the NHL on ESPN Classic or something, but would that really make the NHL any more visible than they already are on Versus?
This is why it might be in their best interests to stick with Versus. There's no room at the inn over at ESPN, and Versus seems to actually give a damn about working on a quality production. Do they need to fine tune some stuff? Sure. They had to throw together their first season in an incredibly short amount of time, and it showed. But the quality of the broadcasts improved dramatically now that they've had a full year to iron out the kinks.
I'd love to see Versus go to three or four games a week during the entirety of the regular season, and they really need to consider starting a nightly recap show just like ESPN had with NHL2Night. Find a young studio host who can be to the Versus show was Bucci was to NHL2Night. Or just get Bucci. Bring some American viewpoints into it. Bring some European viewpoints into it. Start televising the higher-profile World Juniors tournament games. Do features on kids playing in the junior leagues and in colleges so fans have some idea who these names are that their teams are drafting each summer. Versus can corner a potentially-great market, and if the NHL ever becomes the popular sport it was about to become in the mid-1990s, they can reap the rewards from some smart investing.
People are quick to point out that ESPN doesn't need the NHL. The NHL doesn't need ESPN, either.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Thoughts from Castille de Stoosh...
- Other than their pretty nice "deer-in-headlights" impression in their Game One baptism by fire, Pittsburgh Penguins fans can't be too disappointed with their team's play in the playoffs. They've had lapses, but that's going to happen with the youth this Pens team has and also the holes the Penguins have in their lineup. One of the things about the Stanley Cup Playoffs is that holes in each team's lineup aren't just magnified; they tend to glow like the Las Vegas Strip at midnight.
- The Penguins had issues going into this series with depth on the wings and depth on defense and those have been exposed this series. The Pens had difficulty getting their wingers to match and cancel the speed and mobility of the Senators' defensemen. On top of that, the Penguins' lack of a top-notch winger or two hurt them in terms of getting the scoring they needed to get from their top two lines. The Penguins also didn't have the mobile, "shutdown" defensemen needed to counter the speed and balance of the Senators forwards. Joe Melichar and Rob Scuderi would likely not be starters for any other playoff qualifier. Brooks Orpik is decent in his own end, but still makes some mistakes that make you wish you could tether him to a goalpost with a 15-foot lead. Ryan Whitney is still relatively young and is still refining his game (he has yet to play 200 games as an NHL player), and Sergei Gonchar has never been a solid player in his own zone. Pens' GM Ray Shero has already made some thinly-veiled comments that this situation will be addressed in the offseason, so take heart, Pens fans. The Melichar nightmare is almost over.
- Hey, Christoph Schubert just left his feet again delivering a check.
- The Atlanta Thrashers organization might want to start putting copies of its 2006-07 team photo on milk cartons because its team was nowhere to be found, although local golf courses might be good places to start. The 3rd-seeded Thrashers were swept by the 6th-seeded Rangers, getting outscored in the process by a score of 17-6. Franchise goaltender Kari Lehtonen looked shakier than a high school freshman at his first homecoming dance (5.59 GAA and a .849 save percentage), eventually giving way to former Pittsburgh folk hero Johan Hedberg. I'd say Ilya Kovalchuk (1G, 1A in four games) and Marian Hossa (0G, 1A and a -6 in four games) were inept, but that would insult inept people.
And what about Thrashers' GM Don Waddell? The Thrashers made it to the playoffs, so that might have saved his job. But ownership can't be happy with the way the team played when they got to the postseason, especially given the price they paid to get to that point. Waddell gave up Atlanta's first and third-round picks in the 2007 draft, a second-round pick in the 2008 draft and bluechip defensive prospect Braydon Coburn (the 8th overall pick in 2003) for unrestricted free agent forward Keith Tkachuk and offensive defenseman Alexei Zhitnik at the deadline. What did he get? Well, they got no points and a -4 from Zhitnik. They also got a whopping three points (1G, 2A) in four playoff games from Tkachuk, who continued to do perfect his Harry Houdini impression in the playoffs. Tkachuk's stellar work brought his career postseason numbers to 28 goals and 30 assists in 88 playoff games.
- Ottawa Senators coach Bryan Murray was complaining to the officials after Game Four that Gary Roberts was being a little too overzealous with his checks along the boards, and that the refs were being a little bit too lax with the whistles.
First of all, let's ignore the fact that not one game passed in this series without Bryan Murray bitching about something. If it wasn't Pens players getting too rough, it was Ruutu running his mouth. If it wasn't Crosby dropping an f-bomb, it was Armstrong knocking Eaves back to Boston College (Eaves knows better than to come low around the net with his head down). Really, the way Murray bellyached through this series, I'm surprised Pepto-Bismol hasn't called him with an endorsement deal.
Where I come from, what Roberts was doing was called "finishing your check", and maybe the reason Murray's never done particularly well in the playoffs is that he's too worried about guys just playing normal hockey. He conveniently said nothing about the numerous times one of his players took it upon themselves to punch Sidney Crosby in the face or whack him in the back of the head with a cross-check when the whistle blew and Crosby was within five feet of the net. Wanna know why conspiracy theories of Canadian favoritism by the refs start? Because of coaches like Bryan Murray who might as well be lobbying officials after every game.
- If that's how it works in the NHL, then maybe next year come playoff time, the Pens need to start playing the same game in the media. And I wouldn't ask Sid or Therrien to do the talking. I'd let the Big Guy do it. Send Mario down to meet the media and let him start railing against the league again. Do it with the disclaimer that Lemieux knows he's going to be fined and that he's willing to accept it. And then turn him loose. Let him rip the officials, Stephen Walkom and the league for allowing one of it's marquee players to get abused every time he's near the puck or every time he's near the net when the whistle blows. Let him dust off the old "garage league" rant and taken it for a spin.
I'm serious, too. The NHL is never going to be on the radar the way it should be because it allows crap like this to happen. I'm not saying Sid should be getting a break all the time. But the way the refs are letting blatant things go, they make it look like they think Crosby has to earn these calls, and that's ridiculous. It diminishes the product. People pay to see the star players shine. The next person who pays for a ticket to watch Christoph Schubert tackle Sidney Crosby on his way to the net will be the first. As I said, I'm not saying give him a free ride and I don't want the physical stuff taken out of the game. I just don't want to see three opposing players hanging off him like they were trying to tackle Jerome Bettis every time Crosby touches the puck in the offensive zone.
I grew up an Knicks fan in the late 1980s and early-mid 1990s and I can remember how the NBA treated Jordan. Some of the stuff Crosby is getting on the ice would be the equivalent of Jordan getting blatantly hacked or having his legs taken out from under him every time he drove to the hoop. The NBA didn't stand for it. The NFL wouldn't let some mediocre defensive end routinely take head shots at people like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. The NHL is only league that allows its star players to be brought down by mediocre players as opposed to forcing mediocre players to keep up to its star players. It's got to stop.
- The Penguins had issues going into this series with depth on the wings and depth on defense and those have been exposed this series. The Pens had difficulty getting their wingers to match and cancel the speed and mobility of the Senators' defensemen. On top of that, the Penguins' lack of a top-notch winger or two hurt them in terms of getting the scoring they needed to get from their top two lines. The Penguins also didn't have the mobile, "shutdown" defensemen needed to counter the speed and balance of the Senators forwards. Joe Melichar and Rob Scuderi would likely not be starters for any other playoff qualifier. Brooks Orpik is decent in his own end, but still makes some mistakes that make you wish you could tether him to a goalpost with a 15-foot lead. Ryan Whitney is still relatively young and is still refining his game (he has yet to play 200 games as an NHL player), and Sergei Gonchar has never been a solid player in his own zone. Pens' GM Ray Shero has already made some thinly-veiled comments that this situation will be addressed in the offseason, so take heart, Pens fans. The Melichar nightmare is almost over.
- Hey, Christoph Schubert just left his feet again delivering a check.
- The Atlanta Thrashers organization might want to start putting copies of its 2006-07 team photo on milk cartons because its team was nowhere to be found, although local golf courses might be good places to start. The 3rd-seeded Thrashers were swept by the 6th-seeded Rangers, getting outscored in the process by a score of 17-6. Franchise goaltender Kari Lehtonen looked shakier than a high school freshman at his first homecoming dance (5.59 GAA and a .849 save percentage), eventually giving way to former Pittsburgh folk hero Johan Hedberg. I'd say Ilya Kovalchuk (1G, 1A in four games) and Marian Hossa (0G, 1A and a -6 in four games) were inept, but that would insult inept people.
And what about Thrashers' GM Don Waddell? The Thrashers made it to the playoffs, so that might have saved his job. But ownership can't be happy with the way the team played when they got to the postseason, especially given the price they paid to get to that point. Waddell gave up Atlanta's first and third-round picks in the 2007 draft, a second-round pick in the 2008 draft and bluechip defensive prospect Braydon Coburn (the 8th overall pick in 2003) for unrestricted free agent forward Keith Tkachuk and offensive defenseman Alexei Zhitnik at the deadline. What did he get? Well, they got no points and a -4 from Zhitnik. They also got a whopping three points (1G, 2A) in four playoff games from Tkachuk, who continued to do perfect his Harry Houdini impression in the playoffs. Tkachuk's stellar work brought his career postseason numbers to 28 goals and 30 assists in 88 playoff games.
- Ottawa Senators coach Bryan Murray was complaining to the officials after Game Four that Gary Roberts was being a little too overzealous with his checks along the boards, and that the refs were being a little bit too lax with the whistles.
First of all, let's ignore the fact that not one game passed in this series without Bryan Murray bitching about something. If it wasn't Pens players getting too rough, it was Ruutu running his mouth. If it wasn't Crosby dropping an f-bomb, it was Armstrong knocking Eaves back to Boston College (Eaves knows better than to come low around the net with his head down). Really, the way Murray bellyached through this series, I'm surprised Pepto-Bismol hasn't called him with an endorsement deal.
Where I come from, what Roberts was doing was called "finishing your check", and maybe the reason Murray's never done particularly well in the playoffs is that he's too worried about guys just playing normal hockey. He conveniently said nothing about the numerous times one of his players took it upon themselves to punch Sidney Crosby in the face or whack him in the back of the head with a cross-check when the whistle blew and Crosby was within five feet of the net. Wanna know why conspiracy theories of Canadian favoritism by the refs start? Because of coaches like Bryan Murray who might as well be lobbying officials after every game.
- If that's how it works in the NHL, then maybe next year come playoff time, the Pens need to start playing the same game in the media. And I wouldn't ask Sid or Therrien to do the talking. I'd let the Big Guy do it. Send Mario down to meet the media and let him start railing against the league again. Do it with the disclaimer that Lemieux knows he's going to be fined and that he's willing to accept it. And then turn him loose. Let him rip the officials, Stephen Walkom and the league for allowing one of it's marquee players to get abused every time he's near the puck or every time he's near the net when the whistle blows. Let him dust off the old "garage league" rant and taken it for a spin.
I'm serious, too. The NHL is never going to be on the radar the way it should be because it allows crap like this to happen. I'm not saying Sid should be getting a break all the time. But the way the refs are letting blatant things go, they make it look like they think Crosby has to earn these calls, and that's ridiculous. It diminishes the product. People pay to see the star players shine. The next person who pays for a ticket to watch Christoph Schubert tackle Sidney Crosby on his way to the net will be the first. As I said, I'm not saying give him a free ride and I don't want the physical stuff taken out of the game. I just don't want to see three opposing players hanging off him like they were trying to tackle Jerome Bettis every time Crosby touches the puck in the offensive zone.
I grew up an Knicks fan in the late 1980s and early-mid 1990s and I can remember how the NBA treated Jordan. Some of the stuff Crosby is getting on the ice would be the equivalent of Jordan getting blatantly hacked or having his legs taken out from under him every time he drove to the hoop. The NBA didn't stand for it. The NFL wouldn't let some mediocre defensive end routinely take head shots at people like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. The NHL is only league that allows its star players to be brought down by mediocre players as opposed to forcing mediocre players to keep up to its star players. It's got to stop.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Thoughts on a Season
I watched Saturday night's regular season Penguins finale in the company of my wife and a couple of our friends following a dinner at Red Robin that did absolutely nothing for my attempts to lose weight. It was a great time; the first time we've been able to get together with them for a game this season. There's nothing that beats watching a hockey game in the company of a bunch of people, especially when you're cheering for a team that is winning and heading to the playoffs.
We watched as the seconds ticked down on this amazing regular season. The crowd stood for what seemed like the last two minutes of the game, cheering louder than ever...so much so that it sounded like Steigy was shouting over the crowd to call the game. When the clock expired, the Penguins mobbed Fleury and then skated some laps, waving to the crowd before heading back to the locker room. It must have been deafening in that arena during the last few minutes. We watched them come back out for the "Shirts of Our Backs" promotion and some of the guys started grabbing t-shirts, pucks, whatever else they could to throw into the crowd. We watched them intermingle with the fans when they were called up to hand over their respective jerseys. And that was when it hit me.
I'm really going to miss watching this team.
I know we still have the playoffs, but let's face it...no matter what happens in the playoffs, the season is pretty close to being over. And even though I certainly can't complain about this season, I'm going to miss watching this team every couple of nights.
Fans in this town will get behind any team that wins. Just ask the Steelers. They won four championships in a six-year span in the 1970s and have been the iconic, defining sports team of the city ever since. I've rooted for and cheered for teams that have been incredibly successful in the past, but this one was different. This team didn't just make a 47-point jump in the standings since last year. This team didn't just win more games this season that it had in its previous two seasons total. This team didn't just qualify for the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.
This team eclipsed the mere notion of being successful...being just another good team that bandwagon fans can get behind and then turn on the instant the team has a bit of trouble (as they did with our Super Steelers). This team transcended its sport like none other I've seen in this area. This Pens team may have captivated this city more than the Steelers Super Bowl XL team did, and I'm not joking when I say that. Here me out.
The Penguins always play second fiddle to the Steelers in the early part of the hockey season and that may never change. But as the Steelers faltered, more and more people started taking notice of the Penguins. It was kind of like watching the fans react to the Indians team in Major League. By the time Steelers season was over, the Pens were selling out games fairly regularly and you could almost hear the guys in the diner going, "You know, these guys ain't so *bleepin* bad!"
Over the last third of the year, you couldn't turn on a local radio station or walk down the street without hearing or seeing something cheering the Pens on, ESPECIALLY once the arena deal was done. Games were always sold out. It became tougher to get tickets. This team was converting diehards into fanatics, casual fans into diehards, and it was picking up new fans left and right. All you needed to do was take a look at the Student Rush line.
Talking to new fans was like talking to someone who just gained access into a secret club or something...like they'd heard about this neat new game called hockey and how much fun it was to see this Pens team in person. And when they actually got a chance to see it, it was a hundred times better than they expected it to be because the atmosphere at a hockey game is so much different (maybe this is what it was like watching those Steelers teams of the ealry 1970s).
The Steelers crowds are intense, but it's a different type of intensity...it's almost an angry atmosphere. A noticeable amount of fans are nothing but critical of the team...almost like they're waiting for a reason to boo the Steelers (not saying that the fans are all like this, but there are enough that it detracts from trying to enjoy the game). Pirates crowds, by contrast, are very relaxed and almost apathetic to what's happening on the field. Hey, a generation of losing will do that (ever wonder why you see more Clemente jerseys in the stands than you do Sanchez and Bay jerseys?).
Hockey games are intense but the fans in general here are nowhere near the angry, ultra-critical crowd that seems to permeate the Steeler games I've been to. The game itself isn't a distant third behind drinking and, well...drinking to Pens fans. By and large, Pens fans are there for the game...for the team, and they seem to enjoy being there.
I've said before there isn't a team in town that resonates more with the younger generations of sports fans in Pittsburgh than the Penguins. And that kind of phenomenon I put more on this incredible cast of players - a group of good character guys who genuinely seemed to enjoy playing on the same team together. The fans recognize that. Plain and simply, this team is so fun to watch because these guys are so easy to like.
What's more, though, is that this Pens team seemed to have a genuine connection with its fanbase. In our cynical sports society where players make infinitely more money and lead much different lifestyles than those watching them play, there are fewer and fewer players that seem to acknowledge and appreciate their fans. This Pens team seemed to be an exception. You could see it as the season wore on and the team worked its way into contention. You could see it when the players weighed in on the arena issue that hung over this season for so, so long. You could see it at the end of the season finale.
Maybe I'm romanticizing this too much. Maybe I should be more cynical because maybe deep down, most of these guys don't give as much a damn as I/we would like to think. But as I watched this regular season unfold, this team just had something different about it. There was something this team had that other teams I've watched didn't have, even those Pens teams in the late 1990s, or that last Pens playoff team of 2000-01. There was something different about this team, and I think that started with the chemistry these guys had as teammates and the connection they had with their fans.
And I know this core group is incredibly young and that things won't change much with these guys between this year and next year or even the year after that. I know better, even more successful days for this team are likely ahead (though not guaranteed...just ask Dan Marino), as we seem to be on the precipice of a new NHL dynasty.
But I heard ESPN Radio 1250 host Mark Madden make a great point a couple of weeks ago on his show. This team will never be as popular as it is now until they win a Stanley Cup. This team took so many of us by surprise and we've all been caught up in the euphoria produced by this successful season and this cast of characters. But the expectations from this season on will only increase from here, and we only need to look across the ice at our first-round opponent (Ottawa Senators) to see how this could all wind up a decade down the road. It's almost like some degree of innocence will be lost after this season...like an era is about to change a little.
So with the playoffs on our doorstep, let's enjoy this one. This has been a special year for many, many reasons, and teams like this do not come around very often.
We watched as the seconds ticked down on this amazing regular season. The crowd stood for what seemed like the last two minutes of the game, cheering louder than ever...so much so that it sounded like Steigy was shouting over the crowd to call the game. When the clock expired, the Penguins mobbed Fleury and then skated some laps, waving to the crowd before heading back to the locker room. It must have been deafening in that arena during the last few minutes. We watched them come back out for the "Shirts of Our Backs" promotion and some of the guys started grabbing t-shirts, pucks, whatever else they could to throw into the crowd. We watched them intermingle with the fans when they were called up to hand over their respective jerseys. And that was when it hit me.
I'm really going to miss watching this team.
I know we still have the playoffs, but let's face it...no matter what happens in the playoffs, the season is pretty close to being over. And even though I certainly can't complain about this season, I'm going to miss watching this team every couple of nights.
Fans in this town will get behind any team that wins. Just ask the Steelers. They won four championships in a six-year span in the 1970s and have been the iconic, defining sports team of the city ever since. I've rooted for and cheered for teams that have been incredibly successful in the past, but this one was different. This team didn't just make a 47-point jump in the standings since last year. This team didn't just win more games this season that it had in its previous two seasons total. This team didn't just qualify for the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.
This team eclipsed the mere notion of being successful...being just another good team that bandwagon fans can get behind and then turn on the instant the team has a bit of trouble (as they did with our Super Steelers). This team transcended its sport like none other I've seen in this area. This Pens team may have captivated this city more than the Steelers Super Bowl XL team did, and I'm not joking when I say that. Here me out.
The Penguins always play second fiddle to the Steelers in the early part of the hockey season and that may never change. But as the Steelers faltered, more and more people started taking notice of the Penguins. It was kind of like watching the fans react to the Indians team in Major League. By the time Steelers season was over, the Pens were selling out games fairly regularly and you could almost hear the guys in the diner going, "You know, these guys ain't so *bleepin* bad!"
Over the last third of the year, you couldn't turn on a local radio station or walk down the street without hearing or seeing something cheering the Pens on, ESPECIALLY once the arena deal was done. Games were always sold out. It became tougher to get tickets. This team was converting diehards into fanatics, casual fans into diehards, and it was picking up new fans left and right. All you needed to do was take a look at the Student Rush line.
Talking to new fans was like talking to someone who just gained access into a secret club or something...like they'd heard about this neat new game called hockey and how much fun it was to see this Pens team in person. And when they actually got a chance to see it, it was a hundred times better than they expected it to be because the atmosphere at a hockey game is so much different (maybe this is what it was like watching those Steelers teams of the ealry 1970s).
The Steelers crowds are intense, but it's a different type of intensity...it's almost an angry atmosphere. A noticeable amount of fans are nothing but critical of the team...almost like they're waiting for a reason to boo the Steelers (not saying that the fans are all like this, but there are enough that it detracts from trying to enjoy the game). Pirates crowds, by contrast, are very relaxed and almost apathetic to what's happening on the field. Hey, a generation of losing will do that (ever wonder why you see more Clemente jerseys in the stands than you do Sanchez and Bay jerseys?).
Hockey games are intense but the fans in general here are nowhere near the angry, ultra-critical crowd that seems to permeate the Steeler games I've been to. The game itself isn't a distant third behind drinking and, well...drinking to Pens fans. By and large, Pens fans are there for the game...for the team, and they seem to enjoy being there.
I've said before there isn't a team in town that resonates more with the younger generations of sports fans in Pittsburgh than the Penguins. And that kind of phenomenon I put more on this incredible cast of players - a group of good character guys who genuinely seemed to enjoy playing on the same team together. The fans recognize that. Plain and simply, this team is so fun to watch because these guys are so easy to like.
What's more, though, is that this Pens team seemed to have a genuine connection with its fanbase. In our cynical sports society where players make infinitely more money and lead much different lifestyles than those watching them play, there are fewer and fewer players that seem to acknowledge and appreciate their fans. This Pens team seemed to be an exception. You could see it as the season wore on and the team worked its way into contention. You could see it when the players weighed in on the arena issue that hung over this season for so, so long. You could see it at the end of the season finale.
Maybe I'm romanticizing this too much. Maybe I should be more cynical because maybe deep down, most of these guys don't give as much a damn as I/we would like to think. But as I watched this regular season unfold, this team just had something different about it. There was something this team had that other teams I've watched didn't have, even those Pens teams in the late 1990s, or that last Pens playoff team of 2000-01. There was something different about this team, and I think that started with the chemistry these guys had as teammates and the connection they had with their fans.
And I know this core group is incredibly young and that things won't change much with these guys between this year and next year or even the year after that. I know better, even more successful days for this team are likely ahead (though not guaranteed...just ask Dan Marino), as we seem to be on the precipice of a new NHL dynasty.
But I heard ESPN Radio 1250 host Mark Madden make a great point a couple of weeks ago on his show. This team will never be as popular as it is now until they win a Stanley Cup. This team took so many of us by surprise and we've all been caught up in the euphoria produced by this successful season and this cast of characters. But the expectations from this season on will only increase from here, and we only need to look across the ice at our first-round opponent (Ottawa Senators) to see how this could all wind up a decade down the road. It's almost like some degree of innocence will be lost after this season...like an era is about to change a little.
So with the playoffs on our doorstep, let's enjoy this one. This has been a special year for many, many reasons, and teams like this do not come around very often.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
I Want to Know...
...if the Pens are going to get some legitimate press as an Eastern Conference Cup contender as the playoffs approach. Right now, everyone seems to be talking about the Sabres and the Devils, and rightfully so. But this Pens team just played a brutal March schedule that saw them play 17 games in 31 days - a stretch that many believed would separate them from the field one way or another. There's answering the bell and then there's answering the bell. Of the 34 available points over that stretch, they took 26 of them (getting points in 14 of the 17 games). And thirteen of those games were played against teams that are currently in the playoff picture or within 4 points of the eighth seed. I can understand the age and experience concerns about this team and perhaps that's a reason why so many are hesitant to back this club in a playoff run. But their track record dating back to the holidays proves otherwise. This team has routinely beaten up on solid competition, yet they continue to fly under the radar. Perhaps that's the way they like it.
...when Penguins fans stop getting so damn worked up over what Barry Melrose says. Pens fans get all in a huff because Melrose has pretty much refused to get on the Sidney Crosby bandwagon. Melrose wouldn't call Crosby the best player in the NHL earlier in the year, despite mounting evidence to the contrary. And Melrose drew the ire of Penguins nation when he said he would rather see Martin Brodeur or Roberto Luongo win the Hart Trophy. Big deal. Here's all you need to know about Melrose. There's a reason he only coached in the NHL for three seasons and that the last time he did so, hockey fans were eagerly anticipating the release of NHL '95 (more on this later). Melrose's own colleagues thought he's a joke, as some former ESPN hockey personalities divulged after leaving the "Worldwide Leader" when ESPN lost its hockey coverage to OLN/Versus. Most of these guys said they knew Melrose was hired to be a TV personality who stirred the pot and nothing more.
...if Pens fans are going to be down on Kris Letang if he doesn't make the big club next year. Yes, I know I'm getting ahead of myself. But this kid has put up some absolutely fantastic numbers in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this year. After notching 52 points (14G, 38A) in 40 regular season games with the Val d'Or Foreurs, Letang had 13 points (6G, 7A) in Val d'Or's four-game sweep of Chicoutimi in the first round of the QMJHL playoffs. They start the second round this Saturday night against the 7th-seeded Baie-Comeau Drakkar (who upset 2nd-seeded Victoriaville in the first round), so it could very well be more of the same for Letang in Round Two. I only wonder about his prospects for making the NHL next year because it's so tough to make that jump straight from juniors to the NHL, especially for a defenseman. Then again, chances are that Letang would be picked in the top 10 or 15 if the 2005 Entry Draft was conducted again with the benefit of hindsight. This kid is tailor-made for the new NHL, so we'll see.
...if the Washington Capitals are really going back to the red, white and blues next year. Those current jerseys they wear were great in 1997. Not so much now.
...if a trade ever killed a team the way the Ryan Smyth deal absolutely obliterated the Edmonton Oilers this year. On deadline day (Feb. 27), the Oilers had 66 points. They've played sixteen games since, won only one and taken points in only two of them. Over that time, they've been outscored 58-20. Twenty goals scored in only 16 games. Was Smyth that much of an offensive presence on that team, or did these guys just quit?
...if the media looks at the standings before they make blanket statements about the strength of each conference. I heard Junker & Crow of ESPN Radio 1250 claim that the Pens' 101 points would only be good for 7th in the West if they played in the Pacific Division (Anaheim leads with 106 points and San Jose & Dallas each have 102 points). The Western Conference boasts six teams with at least 101 points, and Junker & Crow made the observation that the West was a significantly stronger conference because of this. That may be true, but only to a point. Why? Well, for one thing, the West was incredibly top-heavy. Five of the teams in the Western Conference have fewer than 75 points, as opposed to only two teams in the East. So while it's true that teams in the West have won more frequently, there's less balance and the good teams have more bad teams to beat up on. Worth mentioning.
...what Phil Kessel would've looked like on Crosby's line. I got a chance to see Kessel skate in person for the first time during that 5-0 pasting the Bruins took at the hands of the Pens a couple of weekends ago, and Kessel was one of the only B's who looked like he gave a damn. Then again, Kessel glides faster than most of the rest of the Bruins skate.
...what the hell the Bruins are doing. They threw all that money at Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard this past offseason. With Kessel making the team, they were able to put together two or three solid lines of forwards. They had a solid defensive corps even beyond Chara, with homegrown kids like Milan Jurcina and Andy Alberts starting to make a dent. They inexplicably traded Jurcina - who once figured to be one of their better defensive prospects - to Washington for nothing. And just as Brad Boyes was starting to click on a wing with old buddy Patrice Bergeron, they traded Boyes to St. Louis for a so-so power-play specialist/defenseman named Dennis Wideman - someone that they really didn't need. I don't get it. I'm a bit of a Bruins fan and I just don't get what the plan is up there.
...when Penguins fans stop getting so damn worked up over what Barry Melrose says. Pens fans get all in a huff because Melrose has pretty much refused to get on the Sidney Crosby bandwagon. Melrose wouldn't call Crosby the best player in the NHL earlier in the year, despite mounting evidence to the contrary. And Melrose drew the ire of Penguins nation when he said he would rather see Martin Brodeur or Roberto Luongo win the Hart Trophy. Big deal. Here's all you need to know about Melrose. There's a reason he only coached in the NHL for three seasons and that the last time he did so, hockey fans were eagerly anticipating the release of NHL '95 (more on this later). Melrose's own colleagues thought he's a joke, as some former ESPN hockey personalities divulged after leaving the "Worldwide Leader" when ESPN lost its hockey coverage to OLN/Versus. Most of these guys said they knew Melrose was hired to be a TV personality who stirred the pot and nothing more.
...if Pens fans are going to be down on Kris Letang if he doesn't make the big club next year. Yes, I know I'm getting ahead of myself. But this kid has put up some absolutely fantastic numbers in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this year. After notching 52 points (14G, 38A) in 40 regular season games with the Val d'Or Foreurs, Letang had 13 points (6G, 7A) in Val d'Or's four-game sweep of Chicoutimi in the first round of the QMJHL playoffs. They start the second round this Saturday night against the 7th-seeded Baie-Comeau Drakkar (who upset 2nd-seeded Victoriaville in the first round), so it could very well be more of the same for Letang in Round Two. I only wonder about his prospects for making the NHL next year because it's so tough to make that jump straight from juniors to the NHL, especially for a defenseman. Then again, chances are that Letang would be picked in the top 10 or 15 if the 2005 Entry Draft was conducted again with the benefit of hindsight. This kid is tailor-made for the new NHL, so we'll see.
...if the Washington Capitals are really going back to the red, white and blues next year. Those current jerseys they wear were great in 1997. Not so much now.
...if a trade ever killed a team the way the Ryan Smyth deal absolutely obliterated the Edmonton Oilers this year. On deadline day (Feb. 27), the Oilers had 66 points. They've played sixteen games since, won only one and taken points in only two of them. Over that time, they've been outscored 58-20. Twenty goals scored in only 16 games. Was Smyth that much of an offensive presence on that team, or did these guys just quit?
...if the media looks at the standings before they make blanket statements about the strength of each conference. I heard Junker & Crow of ESPN Radio 1250 claim that the Pens' 101 points would only be good for 7th in the West if they played in the Pacific Division (Anaheim leads with 106 points and San Jose & Dallas each have 102 points). The Western Conference boasts six teams with at least 101 points, and Junker & Crow made the observation that the West was a significantly stronger conference because of this. That may be true, but only to a point. Why? Well, for one thing, the West was incredibly top-heavy. Five of the teams in the Western Conference have fewer than 75 points, as opposed to only two teams in the East. So while it's true that teams in the West have won more frequently, there's less balance and the good teams have more bad teams to beat up on. Worth mentioning.
...what Phil Kessel would've looked like on Crosby's line. I got a chance to see Kessel skate in person for the first time during that 5-0 pasting the Bruins took at the hands of the Pens a couple of weekends ago, and Kessel was one of the only B's who looked like he gave a damn. Then again, Kessel glides faster than most of the rest of the Bruins skate.
...what the hell the Bruins are doing. They threw all that money at Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard this past offseason. With Kessel making the team, they were able to put together two or three solid lines of forwards. They had a solid defensive corps even beyond Chara, with homegrown kids like Milan Jurcina and Andy Alberts starting to make a dent. They inexplicably traded Jurcina - who once figured to be one of their better defensive prospects - to Washington for nothing. And just as Brad Boyes was starting to click on a wing with old buddy Patrice Bergeron, they traded Boyes to St. Louis for a so-so power-play specialist/defenseman named Dennis Wideman - someone that they really didn't need. I don't get it. I'm a bit of a Bruins fan and I just don't get what the plan is up there.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Quick Thoughts from Castille de Stoosh...
I know I'm ripping off all sorts of sportswriters here, but who cares? Most of them hate bloggers (anyone following the Dan Shaughnessy-Curt Schilling back-and-forth?), and my guess is that's because 99.4% of all sports blogs and Internet sites are more fun to read anyway. So here are some thoughts and musings from Castille de Stoosh...
-- With their 4-3 victory over the Washington Capitals last night, the Pittsburgh Penguins clinched a playoff berth for the first time in six seasons. Pittsburgh is every bit as fired up for this as they were for the Steelers playoff run that ultimately ended in a Super Bowl XL win (can I type "Super Bowl" without an NFL attorney knocking on my door?). It's a long time coming for Pens fans. Consider this...the last time this team made the playoffs:
- the KLS Line (Kovy-Lang-Straka) was at its apex,
- Jaromir Jagr was still the most dominant force in the league and was screaming at Kip Miller to get him the puck,
- our defense was led by Darius Kasparaitis, Bob Boughner, Janne Laukannen, and Ian Moran,
- we were talking about this budding young defenseman named Hans Jonsson who was firing the puck from the blueline as a potential power-play QB,
- Michal Roszival, Aleksey Morozov and (gulp) Josef Melichar still had potential,
- MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE (Johan Hedberg),
- the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles were getting 35 games of work from this 16-year old kid named Marc-Andre Fleury,
- Sergei Gonchar of the Caps had yet to turn the puck over at the blueline in Game Six to Marty Straka,
- Ryan Malone was chasing tail as a St. Cloud State sophomore,
- the Rimouski Oceanic were being led in scoring by a fourth-year junior sensation named Michel Ouellet (for as much as they cheered Ouellet, Oceanic fans probably had no idea what was just a couple of years away...),
- Evgeni Malkin was a couple of months shy of his 15th birthday and Sidney Crosby was 13 going on 14,
- Jordan Staal was twelve years old and probably skipped school a few times so he could travel to Peterborough to see his 16-year old brother Eric play as a Petes rookie.
-- OK, I couldn't help but notice this last night when watching the Pens-Caps game (and frankly, I'm kind of creeped out by the fact that I DID notice this). Remember Marty, the hyperactive guy who worked in the office with Jeff Goldblum's character in Independence Day (played by Harvey Fierstein)? Are we sure that's not really Caps' owner Ted Leonsis?
Leonsis
Fierstein
-- Hey, Donald Brashear...
-- What the hell happened to Alexander Ovechkin? With 87 points (43 goals, 44 assists) in 77 games, he's on pace to finish the season with about 93 points. A great season by most standards, but that would be a 13-point decrease over his previous season, where he posted 106 points (52 goals, 54 assists) in 81 games. Even worse, dude went from a +2 as a rookie to a -18 this year, which is strange because Washington was a much better team this year than they were his rookie year. Ovechkin is always going to be a fantastic, elite-caliber player, and in no way am I suggesting that he's overrated or a flash in the pan or anything remotely close. He's one of the best five players in the game. But he's always going to be compared to Sidney Crosby. In looking at their entire bodies of work over two years now, anyone who tells me that Crosby is not the better of the two needs a visit from Georges Laraque.
-- The great website Mondesi's House brought up some great Crosby-Ovechkin numbers. In looking at their head-to-head matchup, the only thing Crosby owns more than Ovechkin right now is the Philadelphia Flyers.
-- And please, none of this "well, Crosby's playing with better players" crap. Bull. The best three forwards on the team are Crosby, Malkin and Staal. Crosby only played regularly with Malkin on the power play and seldom ever played on a line with Staal. Crosby's going to need to employ chiropractors all summer to work out the stresses of carrying Ryan Malone (and lately, Mark Recchi) on his back at even strength all season. Ovechkin has spent most of his first two years with Dainius Zubrus and either Chris Clark or Alexander Semin.
-- And I'd challenge you to find me an elite scoring center who backchecks and plays defense better than Crosby. If the Pens moved Crosby to defense, he'd probably be their second-best defenseman in the zone and I'm only half-joking when I say that.
-- Don't let NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman tell you that scoring isn't down this season. Last year, two teams topped 300 goals and a total of six scored at least 280 goals. This year, only one team - the Buffalo Sabres - are on pace to eclipse 300 goals. Only the Penguins, Ottawa Senators and Nashville Predators are in any real striking distance of the 280-goal mark.
-- Much debate has ensued over who Pens fans would rather see the team play in the first round of the playoffs. Some debate has suggested that the Pens may be better off finishing fourth or fifth so they'd have to play Ottawa. This argument is that winning the division would give them the #2 seed and force them to play the seventh seed, a spot where teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders may finish, and those are teams that present matchup problems for the Pens. There's some merit to that argument, but there's also a reason why those teams are still fighting for playoff spots. I say give me the division title, the #2 seed and let the chips fall where they may. A division title means a banner to raise in the home opener next year, no matter what happens in the playoffs, and that could be a very symbolic thing for this young team.
-- With their 4-3 victory over the Washington Capitals last night, the Pittsburgh Penguins clinched a playoff berth for the first time in six seasons. Pittsburgh is every bit as fired up for this as they were for the Steelers playoff run that ultimately ended in a Super Bowl XL win (can I type "Super Bowl" without an NFL attorney knocking on my door?). It's a long time coming for Pens fans. Consider this...the last time this team made the playoffs:
- the KLS Line (Kovy-Lang-Straka) was at its apex,
- Jaromir Jagr was still the most dominant force in the league and was screaming at Kip Miller to get him the puck,
- our defense was led by Darius Kasparaitis, Bob Boughner, Janne Laukannen, and Ian Moran,
- we were talking about this budding young defenseman named Hans Jonsson who was firing the puck from the blueline as a potential power-play QB,
- Michal Roszival, Aleksey Morozov and (gulp) Josef Melichar still had potential,
- MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE (Johan Hedberg),
- the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles were getting 35 games of work from this 16-year old kid named Marc-Andre Fleury,
- Sergei Gonchar of the Caps had yet to turn the puck over at the blueline in Game Six to Marty Straka,
- Ryan Malone was chasing tail as a St. Cloud State sophomore,
- the Rimouski Oceanic were being led in scoring by a fourth-year junior sensation named Michel Ouellet (for as much as they cheered Ouellet, Oceanic fans probably had no idea what was just a couple of years away...),
- Evgeni Malkin was a couple of months shy of his 15th birthday and Sidney Crosby was 13 going on 14,
- Jordan Staal was twelve years old and probably skipped school a few times so he could travel to Peterborough to see his 16-year old brother Eric play as a Petes rookie.
-- OK, I couldn't help but notice this last night when watching the Pens-Caps game (and frankly, I'm kind of creeped out by the fact that I DID notice this). Remember Marty, the hyperactive guy who worked in the office with Jeff Goldblum's character in Independence Day (played by Harvey Fierstein)? Are we sure that's not really Caps' owner Ted Leonsis?
Leonsis
Fierstein
-- Hey, Donald Brashear...
-- What the hell happened to Alexander Ovechkin? With 87 points (43 goals, 44 assists) in 77 games, he's on pace to finish the season with about 93 points. A great season by most standards, but that would be a 13-point decrease over his previous season, where he posted 106 points (52 goals, 54 assists) in 81 games. Even worse, dude went from a +2 as a rookie to a -18 this year, which is strange because Washington was a much better team this year than they were his rookie year. Ovechkin is always going to be a fantastic, elite-caliber player, and in no way am I suggesting that he's overrated or a flash in the pan or anything remotely close. He's one of the best five players in the game. But he's always going to be compared to Sidney Crosby. In looking at their entire bodies of work over two years now, anyone who tells me that Crosby is not the better of the two needs a visit from Georges Laraque.
-- The great website Mondesi's House brought up some great Crosby-Ovechkin numbers. In looking at their head-to-head matchup, the only thing Crosby owns more than Ovechkin right now is the Philadelphia Flyers.
-- And please, none of this "well, Crosby's playing with better players" crap. Bull. The best three forwards on the team are Crosby, Malkin and Staal. Crosby only played regularly with Malkin on the power play and seldom ever played on a line with Staal. Crosby's going to need to employ chiropractors all summer to work out the stresses of carrying Ryan Malone (and lately, Mark Recchi) on his back at even strength all season. Ovechkin has spent most of his first two years with Dainius Zubrus and either Chris Clark or Alexander Semin.
-- And I'd challenge you to find me an elite scoring center who backchecks and plays defense better than Crosby. If the Pens moved Crosby to defense, he'd probably be their second-best defenseman in the zone and I'm only half-joking when I say that.
-- Don't let NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman tell you that scoring isn't down this season. Last year, two teams topped 300 goals and a total of six scored at least 280 goals. This year, only one team - the Buffalo Sabres - are on pace to eclipse 300 goals. Only the Penguins, Ottawa Senators and Nashville Predators are in any real striking distance of the 280-goal mark.
-- Much debate has ensued over who Pens fans would rather see the team play in the first round of the playoffs. Some debate has suggested that the Pens may be better off finishing fourth or fifth so they'd have to play Ottawa. This argument is that winning the division would give them the #2 seed and force them to play the seventh seed, a spot where teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders may finish, and those are teams that present matchup problems for the Pens. There's some merit to that argument, but there's also a reason why those teams are still fighting for playoff spots. I say give me the division title, the #2 seed and let the chips fall where they may. A division title means a banner to raise in the home opener next year, no matter what happens in the playoffs, and that could be a very symbolic thing for this young team.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
OHL Eastern Conference Playoff Primer
#1 Barrie Colts vs. #8 Brampton Battalion
The top-seeded Barrie Colts turned out to be the class of what turned out to be a fairly average Eastern Conference. The Colts are led by Bryan Little, a 5'10", 195 lb. center who was the first round pick (12th overall) of the Altanta Thrashers in the 2006 NHL Draft. Little notched 41 goals and 66 assists in 58 games this season. They also got solid production from winger Hunter Tremblay (35 goals, 89 points), Richard Clune (32 goals, 78 points) and Kris Sparre (29 goals). Only London goalie Chris Mason won more games this year (45 wins) than Barrie goaltender Andrew Perugini (40 wins).
In a testament to the mediocre Eastern Conference, Brampton qualified for the playoffs despite a very pedestrian 59-point season. When you consider overtime and shootout losses, the Battalion actually lost 14 more games than they won. Only Erie and Windsor scored fewer goals this season, and Erie had the lowest point total in the entire CHL (OHL, WHL and QMJHL). Center John Hughes took a break from directing another 1980's Brat Pack flick to lead the Battalion in scoring this year with 24 goals and 55 assists in 62 games. And yes, I probably dated myself with that pathetic attempt at humor. Hughes got help from Luke Lynes's 34 goals and 65 points, but not much else.
The verdict? Not even close. Bring your brooms because Bryan Little will clean house. Barrie in four.
#2 Belleville Bulls vs #7 Ottawa 67's
The Bulls have long been a favorite of mine for the sole reason that they've successfully resurrected the old red-and-gold color scheme that I used to love back in my days as a Vancouver Canucks fan (guess it's a little more reminiscent of the Calgary Flames colors, but humor me, will ya?). The Bulls even went the extra mile for Uncle Stoosh, bringing back the gold jersey with the black and red striping.
God love 'em.
Sweet jerseys aside, Belleville can play, too. They picked up overage winger Tyler Donati fresh off his initiation into the Evan Brophey "Crikey, This Guy Never Leaves" Club, and Donati rewarded the Bulls by finishing fourth in the scoring race with 129 points (54 goals, 75 assists). Third year player Shawn Matthias more than doubled his 2005-06 output with 38 goals and 73 points. Bryan Cameron added 33 goals as well.
Ottawa's fortunes begin with centerman Logan Couture. Couture was expected to contend for the top overall spot in the upcoming 2007 NHL Draft but a bout with mono and Patrick Kane conspired to ruin that. Couture still managed 78 points (26G, 52A) in 54 games, he's still likely going to be a top five pick and whoever gets him will be getting a bargain because the kid is a terrific talent. Learning the game under coach Brian Kilrea never hurts either. Winger Jamie McGinn (2nd round pick of San Jose in 2006) had a breakout year in Couture's absence with 46 goals and 43 assists.
The verdict? It's tough to count out a talent like Couture and a coach like Kilrea. But Belleville has a huge advantage here in terms of goaltending with Kevin Lalande, who placed seventh in the league with a 3.01 goals against and a save percentage of .919. Ottawa's goaltending can't touch those numbers. Belleville in five.
#3 North Bay Centennials...er...Mississauga Ice Dogs vs. #6 Sudbury Wolves
Imagine a team trying to prepare for the postseason with the possibility of relocation hanging over the team for the duration of the season. I mean, really...who here would know anything about that at all? Anyway, the possibility is looming that the Mississauga Ice Dogs (formerly owned by the iconic Don Cherry) are on their last legs in Mississauga and an announcement will be made pending the end of the Ice Dogs' season. It's expected that the team will move to either North Bay (who lost the Centennials a few years back when they bolted for Saginaw) or Niagara Falls (who lost the Thunder to Erie more than ten years ago), with North Bay the frontrunner (that'll be good, too...the Cents never should've left).
The Ice Dogs are going to lose the battle of star power in this series, but they're high-octane style of play will help keep things close. No team in the league scored more goals than the Dogs. They had ten players post better than 40-point seasons and nine players scored at least 15 goals for them. Five-year vet Michael Swift led the team in scoring with 93 points, but their top talent on offense is probably Chris Lawrence, Tampa's 3rd round pick in the 2005 NHL Draft. Lawrence was good for 47 goals and 88 points this year. They also acquired defenseman Matt Corrente from Saginaw at the deadline. Corrente was the first-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in the 2006 draft, and they know a thing or two about defensemen, so he's good.
Sudbury features three players who were either first or second-round picks in an NHL Draft, as well as top prospect Akim Aliu, who is expected to go in the first round of the upcoming 2007 Draft. Midseason acquisition Justin Donati scored more points (91), but the Wolves are led by forward Nick Foligno, the first-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in the 2006 Entry Draft. Foligno scored 31 goals and notched 57 assists on the year. They also have one of the best two defensemen in the league in top-notch defensive prospect Marc Staal (first-round pick of the New York Rangers in the 2005 draft) and Columbus second-rounder Adam McQuaid.
The verdict? Sudbury has the name players, particularly on defense. They also have slightly better goaltending. But the Wolves only scored 225 goals all year, 101 fewer than the Ice Dogs. Sudbury should be good enough to skate with the Ice Dogs, though. Wolves in seven.
#4 Oshawa Generals vs. #5 Kingston Frontenacs
Could this series be more of a toss-up? Both teams play in the East Division, where one point separated them (advantage: Oshawa). Oshawa scored more goals (292 to 269), but also gave up more goals (320 to Kingston's 284). They split the season series, four games a piece.
Other than the London Knights, the Generals were the only team in the league to place three scorers in the league's Top 20. Talk of Oshawa begins with second-year sensation John Tavares, whose 72 goals broke the OHL record for goals scored by a 16-year old player. The record of 70 was previously held by Wayne Gretzky. Tavares is beginning to take on Sidney Crosby-like comparisons...a younger player who dominates in a league filled with players two or three years older than him. Tavares is bolstered in the Oshawa lineup by left winger Brett MacLean (47 goals, 100 points) and right winger Cal Clutterbuck (35 goals, 89 points). The Gens also had a 43-goal, 80-point campaign from winger Dale Mitchell.
Kingston will counter with a balanced lineup that includes seven 20-goal scorers, led primarily by fourth-year center Bobby Hughes (40 goals, 96 points) and third-year power forward Chris Stewart (36 goals, 82 points). Peder Skinner and Cory Emmerton added 29-goal seasons, the latter in only 40 games. Kingston will also have an advantage with the goaltending duo of Jason Guy (3.87 GAA and a .891 save percentage) and Daryl Borden (3.92, .882).
The verdict? This will be Tavares's first postseason action, but I don't think he'll have a problem stepping up. This kid is so much better than the majority of the league right now, it's sick. Oshawa will need something better than average out of goaltender Loic Lacasse who, to this point, has a goals-against of 3.92 and a save percentage of .891. They get absolutely nothing else from any other goaltenders on the roster. I don't get the impression that Kingston has enough to beat the Gens in a seven-game series. Oshawa in six.
The top-seeded Barrie Colts turned out to be the class of what turned out to be a fairly average Eastern Conference. The Colts are led by Bryan Little, a 5'10", 195 lb. center who was the first round pick (12th overall) of the Altanta Thrashers in the 2006 NHL Draft. Little notched 41 goals and 66 assists in 58 games this season. They also got solid production from winger Hunter Tremblay (35 goals, 89 points), Richard Clune (32 goals, 78 points) and Kris Sparre (29 goals). Only London goalie Chris Mason won more games this year (45 wins) than Barrie goaltender Andrew Perugini (40 wins).
In a testament to the mediocre Eastern Conference, Brampton qualified for the playoffs despite a very pedestrian 59-point season. When you consider overtime and shootout losses, the Battalion actually lost 14 more games than they won. Only Erie and Windsor scored fewer goals this season, and Erie had the lowest point total in the entire CHL (OHL, WHL and QMJHL). Center John Hughes took a break from directing another 1980's Brat Pack flick to lead the Battalion in scoring this year with 24 goals and 55 assists in 62 games. And yes, I probably dated myself with that pathetic attempt at humor. Hughes got help from Luke Lynes's 34 goals and 65 points, but not much else.
The verdict? Not even close. Bring your brooms because Bryan Little will clean house. Barrie in four.
#2 Belleville Bulls vs #7 Ottawa 67's
The Bulls have long been a favorite of mine for the sole reason that they've successfully resurrected the old red-and-gold color scheme that I used to love back in my days as a Vancouver Canucks fan (guess it's a little more reminiscent of the Calgary Flames colors, but humor me, will ya?). The Bulls even went the extra mile for Uncle Stoosh, bringing back the gold jersey with the black and red striping.
God love 'em.
Sweet jerseys aside, Belleville can play, too. They picked up overage winger Tyler Donati fresh off his initiation into the Evan Brophey "Crikey, This Guy Never Leaves" Club, and Donati rewarded the Bulls by finishing fourth in the scoring race with 129 points (54 goals, 75 assists). Third year player Shawn Matthias more than doubled his 2005-06 output with 38 goals and 73 points. Bryan Cameron added 33 goals as well.
Ottawa's fortunes begin with centerman Logan Couture. Couture was expected to contend for the top overall spot in the upcoming 2007 NHL Draft but a bout with mono and Patrick Kane conspired to ruin that. Couture still managed 78 points (26G, 52A) in 54 games, he's still likely going to be a top five pick and whoever gets him will be getting a bargain because the kid is a terrific talent. Learning the game under coach Brian Kilrea never hurts either. Winger Jamie McGinn (2nd round pick of San Jose in 2006) had a breakout year in Couture's absence with 46 goals and 43 assists.
The verdict? It's tough to count out a talent like Couture and a coach like Kilrea. But Belleville has a huge advantage here in terms of goaltending with Kevin Lalande, who placed seventh in the league with a 3.01 goals against and a save percentage of .919. Ottawa's goaltending can't touch those numbers. Belleville in five.
#3 North Bay Centennials...er...Mississauga Ice Dogs vs. #6 Sudbury Wolves
Imagine a team trying to prepare for the postseason with the possibility of relocation hanging over the team for the duration of the season. I mean, really...who here would know anything about that at all? Anyway, the possibility is looming that the Mississauga Ice Dogs (formerly owned by the iconic Don Cherry) are on their last legs in Mississauga and an announcement will be made pending the end of the Ice Dogs' season. It's expected that the team will move to either North Bay (who lost the Centennials a few years back when they bolted for Saginaw) or Niagara Falls (who lost the Thunder to Erie more than ten years ago), with North Bay the frontrunner (that'll be good, too...the Cents never should've left).
The Ice Dogs are going to lose the battle of star power in this series, but they're high-octane style of play will help keep things close. No team in the league scored more goals than the Dogs. They had ten players post better than 40-point seasons and nine players scored at least 15 goals for them. Five-year vet Michael Swift led the team in scoring with 93 points, but their top talent on offense is probably Chris Lawrence, Tampa's 3rd round pick in the 2005 NHL Draft. Lawrence was good for 47 goals and 88 points this year. They also acquired defenseman Matt Corrente from Saginaw at the deadline. Corrente was the first-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in the 2006 draft, and they know a thing or two about defensemen, so he's good.
Sudbury features three players who were either first or second-round picks in an NHL Draft, as well as top prospect Akim Aliu, who is expected to go in the first round of the upcoming 2007 Draft. Midseason acquisition Justin Donati scored more points (91), but the Wolves are led by forward Nick Foligno, the first-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in the 2006 Entry Draft. Foligno scored 31 goals and notched 57 assists on the year. They also have one of the best two defensemen in the league in top-notch defensive prospect Marc Staal (first-round pick of the New York Rangers in the 2005 draft) and Columbus second-rounder Adam McQuaid.
The verdict? Sudbury has the name players, particularly on defense. They also have slightly better goaltending. But the Wolves only scored 225 goals all year, 101 fewer than the Ice Dogs. Sudbury should be good enough to skate with the Ice Dogs, though. Wolves in seven.
#4 Oshawa Generals vs. #5 Kingston Frontenacs
Could this series be more of a toss-up? Both teams play in the East Division, where one point separated them (advantage: Oshawa). Oshawa scored more goals (292 to 269), but also gave up more goals (320 to Kingston's 284). They split the season series, four games a piece.
Other than the London Knights, the Generals were the only team in the league to place three scorers in the league's Top 20. Talk of Oshawa begins with second-year sensation John Tavares, whose 72 goals broke the OHL record for goals scored by a 16-year old player. The record of 70 was previously held by Wayne Gretzky. Tavares is beginning to take on Sidney Crosby-like comparisons...a younger player who dominates in a league filled with players two or three years older than him. Tavares is bolstered in the Oshawa lineup by left winger Brett MacLean (47 goals, 100 points) and right winger Cal Clutterbuck (35 goals, 89 points). The Gens also had a 43-goal, 80-point campaign from winger Dale Mitchell.
Kingston will counter with a balanced lineup that includes seven 20-goal scorers, led primarily by fourth-year center Bobby Hughes (40 goals, 96 points) and third-year power forward Chris Stewart (36 goals, 82 points). Peder Skinner and Cory Emmerton added 29-goal seasons, the latter in only 40 games. Kingston will also have an advantage with the goaltending duo of Jason Guy (3.87 GAA and a .891 save percentage) and Daryl Borden (3.92, .882).
The verdict? This will be Tavares's first postseason action, but I don't think he'll have a problem stepping up. This kid is so much better than the majority of the league right now, it's sick. Oshawa will need something better than average out of goaltender Loic Lacasse who, to this point, has a goals-against of 3.92 and a save percentage of .891. They get absolutely nothing else from any other goaltenders on the roster. I don't get the impression that Kingston has enough to beat the Gens in a seven-game series. Oshawa in six.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
