Vetter's Sports Rants

2006-11-21T23:43:00.000-07:00

Turnabout IS Fair play…

If a person simply got to hear the storyline of tonight’s game in Edmonton without using the names, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone that would pick the Oilers as the winners of the contest. Picture it: One team dominated the game tonight. They were all over the other team using their speed and depth of four lines and dominating the races to loose pucks. They generated at least more scoring chances and used their speed to garner 7 power plays to their opponents four. But the other team relied on one of the NHL’s top goaltenders to hold the fort and give his team a chance to win. Not only was he able to diffuse his attackers 5-5, he almost single-handedly stymied his opponent’s man advantage opportunities.

Wow… Talk about role reversal. So is this where the Flames fans start to hassle the Oilers fans about relying too much on goaltending, and the Oilers are just an over-rated team with a great goalie? They could, but it wouldn’t serve any purpose. The fact is, even though fans of both teams don’t want to admit it. These teams are a lot more similar in make-up than they’re given credit for. The Oilers went out at last year’s deadline to get a top notch goalie because they felt they needed one in order to take them to the next level… where Calgary was with Kipper. Even look at the make-up of the teams. Both teams have a local Alberta-born power forward as the face of their team, both rely on non-traditional #1 centers on their top lines. Both teams have a fairly solid young core of defenseman, and both currently have a lot of untapped potential in some of their younger talent (re. Kobasew, Pisani, Lombardi, Torres).

In a game that may have been exactly what one might have expected in a Flames road win if the scores were reversed, maybe what the game did do was show us all how similar these teams really are. It’s not a stretch to say that the Oilers would be on a losing streak if it wasn’t for the play of Rollie the last few games, and it’s no secret that many are convinced that the Flames would be fizzles if not for the play of Kipper. It’s an interesting hypothesis at the least; that perhaps these teams are more alike than their fans would like to admit. The last 2 teams to go to the Cup Finals… Both Lost in Seven… See a pattern???

But I digress… As much as Rollie helped steal the game, the Flames have to find a way to produce on the power play. Try something new. Flood one side… Send everyone to the front of the net and pray a shot gets through. No matter what they try, it will all come down to movement, and aside from the odd switch in the corner during the cycle, the Flames just don’t seem to be moving enough on their man advantages. Much like their play was 5 on 5 to start the season; it almost seems as if they just don’t want to take the chance on ending up out of position. That should give fans hope. Judging by their play in the last 3 weeks, their 5 on 5 has definitely picked up. Their PK has also looked a lot more aggressive over that span and it has shown in their improvement overall in that category. With guys like Iginla, Phaneuf, Hamrlik, Tanguay and others, you have to think it’s only a matter of time.

Kudos to the Oilers for winning one “Flames Style” :-P, the battle of Alberta is back!

Have a great day!

2006-11-20T20:04:00.000-07:00

In Hockey, or all sports for that matter; there is no event that captivates the fan like a game against a traditional rival. In a season where hope is gone and a sad fate has been cemented for your heroes, nothing can save a season like playing spoiler to a rival. Making sure that they don’t make it either somehow makes all the pain worth it to a fan.
Some rivals are transient and only seem to last a short while, some are forced upon fans, but never seem to truly take hold. The best sports rivalries, however, are those that are created outside of the sports arenas. In locals that seem to pit themselves against each other in any possible competition. Once this aggression is planted though, it needs both teams to be on the verge of something special for it to truly become the type of rivalry that legends are made of.

No hockey fan will ever forget the great battles of Quebec. That rivalry is sorely missing under the “new” NHL. The battle of Ontario has found some strength in recent years now that the Senators have become legitimate cup contenders, but it still seems to lack the true distaste for each other that other rivals do. The Oilers and Stars still don’t like each other, but it’s not a deep-seeded loathing that is drilled into your skull the moment you start cheering for your team. For this emotional attachment in the NHL, there is no better rivalry than the Battle of Alberta. I still remember Messier and Otto dropping the gloves right off the draw. The pain of watching Dave Brown cave in the cheekbone of the Highly touted Stu “the Grim Reaper Grimson” in one of his first pro fights. I recall the elation of watching an unfortunate Steve Smith pay for an untimely leisurely skate by his goaltender in 1986 (YES it WAS Fuhr’s fault… It was a set breakout play… What goalie in history goes for a skate when the puck is behind his own net…? But I digress);The Crushing tumble back to earth in 1988 when the Flames finally won the Smyth and the President’s trophy only to be swept by the hated Oilers in the Smyth final. The euphoria of finally getting a cup in 89, which if Flames fans are honest they will tell you would have been just a bit sweeter if they had defeated the Oilers to get there; And who could forget the dramatic comeback in 91 against the Oilers when an errant Messier pass was scooped up by a young Theo Fleury in what became one of the most exciting goals in Flames history… Until the next game where the Flames lost a demoralizing game 7 in OT.

It wasn’t the same for a long time after that. Sure there was nothing better than beating the Oilers, but we all knew that neither team really had a legitimate shot to win, and all fans kept hearing about was how there was no way their teams could survive. But that’s all changed. Sure it may just be to keep a hold of a play-off spot at this point, and a 7 game series is what we all pine for, but tomorrow night the best rivalry in hockey will renew itself, and as much as fans may not like the other teams, they have to admit that it’s sure a lot more fun when fans of both teams think that this IS THEIR YEAR. (And not in a Leafs fans way who think they can win EVERY SINGLE YEAR)

Have a great day.

2006-11-18T16:05:00.000-07:00

Yeah Baby!

In a game between the two hottest teams in the NHL coming in, one team looked on top of their game and one looked like they would have rather been somewhere else. In a streak where the Flames have seemed to finally start to find their game and renew their identity, it has never been more apparent over 60 minutes as it was last night. Not only did the Flames play the type of high-tempo physical style that they need to play in order to be successful, they also were able to produce some significant offensive chances against the stingiest D in the league… And for once it wasn’t just the Iginla line.

Last night the Flames again showed just how much different this team is from not just the start of the season, but the last few seasons overall. It’s still admittedly a work in progress, but right now they aren’t just leaning on one line to win them games. The Flames are finally looking like they can start to count on more than just sparse secondary scoring. Kristian Huselius looks like he may finally be blossoming into the player the Panthers were hoping they were getting after they drafted him in 97 and watched him make the NHL all-rookie team in 2002. He’s scored in three straight games and is showing a lot more confidence with the puck. Oddly, he’s really caught fire since he was dropped to the second line when the Flames moved Alex Tanguay back up to the first line.

Speaking of the first line: can we PLEASE have Flames fans look logically at Daymond Lankow as a #1 centre vs Craig Conroy. On the ice, at this point in their careers it should be a no-brainer. But Flames fans all have fuzzy/cozy memories of a VERY media friendly Mr. Conroy who rode the highs and lows of the 2004 play-off run right along with the fans. He called the local radio show after the games and developed a relationship with the fans of a city that most athletes will never know. But that was then. He was a fantastic ambassador for the Flames, and did a fantastic job of insulating Iggy, but when one looks honestly at what he is making, and what a team gets for that salary, it makes no sense to bring him back. Craig had 4 goals that year as a #1 Centre. If someone can convince me of the fact that 4 goals is sufficient production for a #1 centre, then please show yourself. Was it an off year? Of course! Did his play improve in the play-offs? It did, but he will never be the offensive force that some fans seem to reminisce that he was. He did have one fairly impressive season, but aside from that one Daymond Lankow’s stats from last year are comparable to any season Craig Conroy has had in his entire Career. When you look at how he’s playing right now with Iggy and Tanguay, they’ve become one of the hottest lines in hockey right now, and I just don’t think that Connie brings as much to the table. If I wanted a guy to speak to the media for my team, it would be Connie, but as a #1 centre, you have to take Lankow… Time will bear this fact out, but hopefully the play of the top line has at least put the Connie rumors and desires to rest. If we were talking about a guy like Sakic or Forsberg or any ultra #1 centre then it would make sense, but we aren’t. Having a soft spot for a guy is great, and Craig was great for the fans, but logically it doesn’t make sense to bring him back.

Next up for the Flames are their archrivals from Edmonton on Tuesday night. Don’t look now, but the Flames are now only 1 point behind the ‘Oil with a game in hand. Depending on the outcome of the Oilers game tonight the game Tuesday night could be for second place in the Northwest.

Have a great day.

2006-11-15T01:49:00.000-07:00

It wasn’t that long ago…

So now the Flames are one game over .500. A team that was left for dead by many only scant weeks ago; an interesting series of stats for the Flames would be that at the same time last season, after the same number of games going into tonight, they had the exact same record, had scored eight fewer goals, and had allowed one more goal last year than they had this year. Interesting at worst, intriguing at best… The Flames extended a four game winning streak to five by defeating a team that they need to beat. It sounds so simple. Beat the teams that you should beat and the rest will take care of itself. Ask the Canucks who arguably DIDN’T make the play-offs last season due to a 1-3 record against the very same Blues the Flames beat tonight. If you don’t win the games you should, you don’t get a chance to go for the cup.

They’re getting better every game. The confidence is coming back… And not just offensively; In a game where the shot totals were very similar (the Blues garnered one more shot) the Flames dominated in the scoring chance category, and to be honest, Mikka Kiprusoff may have enjoyed his easiest shout-out of his career in the process. It would be hard to argue that the Blues even garnered a decent scoring chance at all. In the Flames recent run, Mikka has certainly had to stand on his head so to speak to win some games, but tonight he was fortunate enough to play behind a team that was on top of its game at both ends of the ice.Another 3-0 win was the result of what may be the Flames best all around performance of the season.

They weren’t as flashy as they’ve been and it wasn’t a blow-out, but the Flames made strides in areas that they needed to. The Blues were 0-5 on the power-play tonight. In all honesty, the Flames would likely have a better record if their PK had been better than it as. It was better tonight. Not only did they stifle the Blues, they didn’t even give up a sniff of a good scoring chance and even managed to pot a shorty for good measure.In reality, this is the type of game that fans fear. A team on a roll, after winning games that they need to win, faces a team that they should by all rights beat. The team comes out flat. We’ve all seen it before. But the Flames didn’t. They did what they needed to do to extend their streak to five games. Last year it was eight that brought them back. Could they do it again? That’s why they play the games. In the last five games the Flames have turned what was looking like a disaster into a hope. Sprinkle some confidence onto that hope and you have a team with a shot. And what more can any fan ask for than a team with a shot.

Have a great day.

2006-11-12T04:09:00.000-07:00

Did you think .500 would feel this good?

If you asked a Flames Fan before the season if a .500 record a week into November would be acceptable you likely would have gotten a dumfounded look that questioned your sanity considering the fact that the Flames were to be a bona-fide Stanley Cup contender. However, had you submitted the same query for reaction a mere two weeks ago you may have gotten a laugh from those same fans considering the start and the unlikely prospect that they would be able to come out victorious in their last three games considering their opponents.

But they have. The Flames have taken a season that looked to be on the brink of disaster and are turning it into a season with promise again. The way it was expected they would at the beginning of the campaign. The most impressive part of their recent win streak isn’t even the fact that they seem to have turned it around, but rather it’s the competition they’ve faced and beaten in order to turn their season around.

In the last 3 games the Flames have beaten a red hot Dallas club, a previously undefeated in regulation time Anaheim club and last night a Vancouver club that jumped out to a two goal lead by the end of the first period. In the last four games overall, the Flames have managed to gain the type of confidence a contender needs by winning specific types of games over that stretch. The beat a team they should beat in St. Louis. They beat a team that plays a system they’ve struggled against historically in Dallas. They beat a team that stole their confidence in Anaheim, and then to top off their run they had to come from behind in order to notch a victory in the second game of back to back games in the schedule. The fact the Flames came back to win is more impressive than a simple win due to the fact that they had to fight back on the road to overcome an early first period deficit on a night where they could have been emotionally drained after their win over the Ducks the previous evening.

Oddly, the Flames had fro the most part what might be considered a decent first, garnering 10 shots and playing solid hockey throughout but giving up a couple of power-play goals halfway through the period and late in the period to put themselves in a compromising position to begin the second. That’s when logic left the building again. The Flames started getting less shots but scoring more goals: 0-10 in period 1, 1-5 in period 2 and 2-6 in period three. Another example of the Flames scoring goals with limited shots. Is it a problem? Well, you tell me. They’ve won 4 in a row. I’ll take that over their start in a heartbeat.

Iggy was the catalyst again scoring a goal on a feed from Alex Tanguay thet sent him in on a partial break, Iggy made a great move to his back-hand and was able to bury a quick shot to get the Flames on the board. The play seemed to spark the Flames and brought them out with what looked like a feeling that a comeback was possible on their faces which was a relief to all Flames fans that tend to fear the worst for their team as a general rule.

Even though Kipper game up 2 goals in the first, he was able to shut the door down on the ducks to ensure a Flames victory. In short, the old Kipper looks to be back.

After a very slow start to what looked like a promising season the Flames seem to have turned their fortune around in the last couple of weeks. A four game winning streak does not make an instant Stanley cup contender, but this was a team that was predicted to challenge for the cup in preseason but wasn’t able to play to their potential for the most part in the first month or so and it ended them up close to the basement after month one. Are they back in contender status? They should be. They beat teams in many different ways and situations and were able to string together the victories they need during a very tough point in the schedule. What does the future hold? We’ll find out as events warrant.

Have a great day

2006-11-11T01:15:00.000-07:00

Pop Quiz Time People…

So the Flames aren’t having a good year, they haven’t looked the same since they unceremoniously bowed out to the ‘then known as’ Mighty Ducks in the first round, Le premier parcours (apologies if this isn’t the correct translation) of last year’s Stanley cup play-offs. It’s only been in the last few games that the Flames have started to take baby steps towards looking like the team that was a Stanley Cup contender last year and was reported to be improved this season.

The last few games have done incredible things for the Flames. They have given them the confidence they lacked and allowed them to believe that they actually could be a contender in what will definitely be a dogfight for the NW. The difference in tonight’s game is the fact that it accomplished two things. It exacted a measure of revenge for a team whose psyche was destroyed last season in loosing at home and also allowed this year’s version of the team to realize that maybe it can be the contender that it was assumed to be during pre-season predictions.

So that means that everything is better in Calgary, right? It’s all back to normal and we have a team that SHOULD vie for the cup? Well… Yes and no… in a sense… It’s hard to say… The team has been playing much better, and looked like they were controlling the flow late in the first after getting into potential penalty trouble to open the game. A total of 18 shots, however, even in a win, does not exactly inspire confidence and comparisons to great teams of yore.

Bottom line is this: The Flames won the game doing what has worked for them in the past. They played well defensively and Kipper was huge. The difference is, they actually capitalized on an extremely low number of shots and chances. This team is different. It can actually score. When you score 2 of 3 on a team that’s #1 in the NHL and on a goaltender that shut you down cold in the previous play-offs, you have to consider that a small victory. Why small? Because for the amount of time they spent in the Ducks zone in period one, three shots on goal wasn’t something to be proud of. Aside from the power-plays, the Flames controlled the game in the first the rest of the game, Kipper and some great D kept them on top. It’s a great win, but not a great way to win. Giving up twice as many shots as you take is not typically on the agenda of any team that wants to win, and although it worked tonight rest assured it’s not big on the Flames priority list. A win is a win, but if you give up twice as many shots as you take, winning becomes incredibly difficult and as much as the Flames trust Kipper they don’t want to burn him out.

Are we watching the resurgence of Tony Amonte? He’s been great effort-wise since the Flames signed him as far as many are concerned, but he’s finally been able to produce offensively the way most had hoped the last two games. Imagine a Flames lineup where Tony Amonte gets 25 to 30 goals, and things look good for the Flames.

Anyone else notice that since the team has stopped leaning on Iggy they’ve been winning? Jarome was trying to carry this team on his back for so long, and it’s about time that others have chipped in. It’s just odd how the last couple of games they’ve been winning and Iggy hasn’t scored, but in previous games where they would loose Iggy would score most of their goals and they wouldn’t win. An anomaly guaranteed, but also a likely side-effect of the team not just relying on Iggy to take them to the promised land but taking responsibility for their own actions and putting forth a complete team effort instead on leaning on a superstar.

Pop Quiz is this: Name all the teams that have beaten the Ducks in regulation time. For an added bonus, name all the teams that have done this by shutting the Ducks out.

Winning breeds confidence. A confident team can do incredible things. The Flames are starting to gain the confidence that they lost late in last year’s Anaheim series. This win was a big step for this team. Look for them to build on it.

Oddities: Game 7 last year was the same 3-0 score.

Notes: Dion Phanuef had one of his biggest misses of his carreer when he tried to label Perry of the Ducks in the game, it was a complete whiff, which is very uncaharacteristic of Dion.

Brandon Prust fought at least a weight-class above his own when he tussled with Thornton early in the first. It was a gutsy move by the rookie who was oversized but not outmatched. His determination helped set the tone for a Flames win.

Have a great day.

2006-11-07T23:18:00.000-07:00

What The Doctor Ordered…

The Calgary Flames did 3 things they desperately needed to do on Tuesday night by: 1 – Winning more than one game in a row. 2 – Beating a play-off caliber team (note that when they beat the Sens, the Sens weren’t playing like a play-off team) and 3 – They put together a 60 minute effort at home.

Was it perfect? No, but it got the job done. In the end all that matters is that they got the two points. The good news? They finally held a team to less than thirty shots. The bad news? They couldn’t manufacture 20! But they got the all important two points by playing the style they need to in order to win. Oddly enough for a team that struggles to score, their low shot total resulted as much from them almost trying to be too perfect as it did from anything else. There were many moments in the game where a player had a chance to put a puck on the net but tried to make a play to a team-mate in order to get a perceived better chance. In most cases that might set off alarm bells, but oddly it almost seems like the Flames are finally getting some confidence with each other. They are starting to play as a team instead of as a collection of individuals and they’re starting to gel.

Tony Amonte had arguably his best game as a Flame. And if anyone was wondering why he was named to the first line to start the season, it was evident tonight. He was less than an inch away from a hat-trick when he wired a shot off the post during an early third period Dallas power-play. In addition to putting the Flames on the board and scoring the eventual winner, he was also able to play his inspired hockey throughout and was constantly in the faces of the Dallas players and playing the type of high pressure hockey the Flames thrive on.

In the nets, Kipper was back to his old self. The summer rust is gone. In a game against the man who will likely be his competitor in many of the statistical categories for goaltending, Mikka was simply brilliant. He started the season slowly for the second straight year, but after the last two games you’d have to say he’s back.

Alex Tanguay left the game with what appeared to be a shoulder injury. In an unfortunate play after Tanguay had been sat in favor of the Hot-Handed Amonte during a power-play, Alex game out guns-a-blazing and went after the first Star he saw. Hit him hard too… Then went to the dressing room. Hopefully he’ll be ok, as the line of Tanguay, Lombardi, and Kobasew has really been putting pressure on teams with their speed and looks like it could finally be the type of second line the Flames have been looking for.

Next up are the Ducks on Friday. As a fan, this should be a great game. The Ducks haven’t lost in regulation yet, the Flames were upset by the then Mighty Ducks in last year’s first round. This is a team they’d love to beat, and in doing so, it would likely cement the fact that the Flames are back on track. With the physical games these teams play, it should be a great one.

Have a Great Day

2006-11-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

What is left to say…

Last night the Flames played arguably their two best periods of the season. They were skating hard and winning battles and simply dominating the Columbus Blue Jackets. Problem was, it followed one of their worst period of the season in which they put themselves behind the 8-ball again in the first by giving up 3 power-play goals. It was almost as if a light switch went off before the start of the second, but that switch needs to go off to start the game not after they are down. Trade talks abound, apparently the Flames are involved in a few possibilities… I’d look for Sutter to make a move soon. The Flames came into this season with the idea that they are cup contenders, right now they are fighting for the right to draft 1st overall for the first time in franchise history. That doesn’t sit well with Sutter, or the owners who paid top dollars to put together a championship caliber team. A lot of unhappy people at the top means changes are likely. Sutter would likely rather stick with the personnel he has and ride it out, but with the expectations this team has it simply isn’t an option. The winds of change are coming, it’s just a matter of what and when.

The Flames play the final game of a three game trip tonight in St. Louis. The Blues are currently 3 points ahead of the Flames so they aren’t exactly tearing it up this year either. If the Flames can come out in the first like they did last night in the second they should win. If they come out like they have been, changes may come VERY soon.

Have a great day.

2006-11-02T09:23:00.000-07:00

Bad Things…

The Flames didn’t just loose last night. They played themselves out of any chance of a win. Fifteen shots isn’t good enough to win an NHL game, backing into your goalie to give up quality shots is unacceptable and Jarome Iginla didn’t even register a shot? Yikes. That’s about all you can say right now. The Flames look like a team with Zero confidence. It’s being said that the effort isn’t there, but I don’t buy that. These guys don’t look like they’re not trying, they look like they’re scared. Scared to make a mistake, scared to take a risk. When Brett Lebda came in on a one-on-four in the third period last night, the Flames backed themselves almost into their goaltender. Even on an even rush when you’re confident you step into the opposing player at the blueline because you know that the forwards are busting to get back so you’ll have back-up if he gets by.

I’ve heard reporters say that it looks like they aren’t trying. They’re pros, they got this far because they don’t just give up. They just don’t seem to have any confidence The Flames look like a fragile tentative team. The only thing that can change that it confidence, the only way to get confidence is to win. Win a face-off, then a battle on the boards, then a shift, then a period… It builds. Confidence goes hand in hand with Momentum you get some MO, the Confidence goes up. Starting your games in the hole after a few minutes pretty much kills both. On a related note, the Flames have been outscored 14-6 in first periods so far this season. Two of those six were against Phoenix. The Flames have started slow and played tentatively. That’s why they have three wins. They aren’t winning any little battles and consequently aren’t winning any big ones. The mood needs to change for things to change. It can all start with one shift, then one game, then one road trip or home stand.

Confidence is fickle, it can disappear in a heart-beat and can take forever to return. The Flames look like they lost theirs in the play-offs last season when they lost their last 2 games to bow out in round one. They need to start trusting each other and taking risks. A tentative team is a defeated team, and the Flames sure looked the part last night, a 3-2 score definitely flattered them.

Have a great day

2006-11-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

A little fun…

Imagine if you will a time in the past, the lockout has just ended and since there was no previous season the powers that be have decided that a draw will be held to see who will get the honor of picking up a young phenom named Sidney Crosby. Of course we all know how that played out, but let’s see what might have happened had things been different……

It’s July 30, 2005 and the final results of the lottery are being announced. Drafting first overall will be the Calgary Flames! This will likely give the Flames the #1 centre they have so desperately needed for Jerome Iginla and likely cements a trip back to the Finals for the Flames.

He would take over during preseason, Sid the Kid and Iggy would mesh like nobody’s business. Shades of Gretz and Kurri with extra toughness are dancing in everyone’s heads. With the newfound offense and the Flames already stellar D the Flames rip through the league on their way to a 130 point season. Iggy and Sid both net 50 goals, the Kid leads the league as a rookie with 140 points. With his help on the PP, Dion Phaneuf sets a rookie defenseman record by netting 35 goals, 28 of them power-play markers. It’s pandemonium in Calgary, the city is wild. The Flames finally have a team that they can compare to the Oilers of the mid 80’s. It’s enough to bring a tear to your eye.

But is that really how it would have happened? It’s funny that when people imagine the change of a moment or a decision, every subsequent moment or event works out exactly how they want it to. Who knows, maybe Sid comes to Calgary and feels Stifled by Sutter’s system and goes into a funk and ends up on the third line netting 50 points. Likely? Maybe not, but a whole lot of other talent has failed to score in Calgary. Many Flames fans pine for the return of Craig Conroy, even at his grossly inflated salary because they feel that he IS the answer, while at the same time ignoring the fact that although he was VERY fan friendly and an awesome guy, he was NEVER the #1 the Flames needed. In fact, when one looks at the performance of Daymond Lankow last season, there was only one season that Connie had in Calgary that was better… So he wouldn’t really be that big of a step up in reality, but the mind plays tricks. People remember the things they want to. Everyone remembers the magical run to the Finals with Connie calling the Fan at 1 am to chat with the fans… No one remembers his less than stellar regular season performance of that year when as a #1 centre he netted a whopping 4 goals. Playing with Iggy. Wow… There’s production you just can’t pay too much for.

The point is, we romanticize what might have been or could be, but we are ALWAYS actually in the NOW. Right NOW the Flames are not playing the type of hockey they need to in order to win. Is it the system? Is it the coach? I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure it’s not the talent. It looks more like trepidation and a fear of failure than anything else. When You see Jim Playfair on the bench you can almost imagine Darryl Sutter’s eyes boring holes into the back of his head. Jim looks like he’s afraid to loose instead of being confident he’ll win. The team is currently reflecting that body language on the Ice. Jim Playfair IS a good coach, you don’t get this far and gain the backing of one Mr. Sutter by being incompetent. I think Jim needs to remember that He’s a good coach in his own right. And take the reigns the way HE wants to. Don’t try to be like Darryl, don’t try to play Darryl’s system. Do what you do best. When he coached the Flames farm team they were an offensive team. The Flames have the speed and talent to attack, and the defense and goaltending to make it worth the risk. The Flames were picked to win the West by many experts because on paper they have the talent to be near the top of the league. They need the confidence to know that they are. And wish and dream all we want, this is the team that we have now. Let’s hope they can turn it around.

Tonight the Flames play in Detroit against the Red Wings. They have called up Brandon Prust and Dustin Boyd. Look for both to be inserted to provide some spark.
Have a great day

2006-10-31T08:27:00.000-07:00

So When IS it time to panic?

For about eight minutes last night the Calgary Flames took on their old identity, they were hitting and winning the little battles and playing with the kind of intensity that you need to be a championship team. Problem was, it was the last eight minutes of the game. For the first fifty-two minutes the Flames were out-hustled, out-hit, out-muscled, and simply out-desired by a Washington Capitals team that admits they’re likely a couple years away from contending. Getting beat by a better team is unavoidable, getting beat by a hot goaltender happens. But not being able to bring you’re a game to the show even once for sixty minutes ten games into the season is cause for serious concern.

The Flames are only one point out of last place in the NHL. This is a team that was supposed to challenge for the cup. It’s a team that has the personnel on paper to do it. On the ice it’s looked like a team that’s confused and playing more not to loose than playing to win. In today’s NHL, that just won’t work.

The Flames best line last night was the trio of Freisen, Amonte, and Nilson who were able to use hard work to get some quality chances and at least give the Flames some chances to score. The second line of Tanguay, Lombardi, and Kobasew was nearly invisible in a game against on opponent that they should be able to flourish against. The number one line still hasn’t been able to find the chemistry it needs to perform at a top level consistently, and right now the Flames don’t appear to be able to do anything about it.

The talent IS in the dressing room. The Flames do have the players that can do it, but they need to play the ferocious style that they were known for. Other teams didn’t like coming to Calgary last year because you didn’t just get beat, you beat up. After the second intermission last night the Flames collectively had nine hits. Didn’t Dion used to get nine hits on some shifts last year? In the last eight minutes of the third the Flames were playing desperation hockey and it was working. They need to be desperate from the drop of the puck.

Have a great day

2006-10-30T09:44:00.000-07:00

What you see is what you get

Yannick Perreault has signed with the Coyotes, Jason Allison is still available but according to all accounts his asking price is too high for the Flames and wouldn’t fit under the cap even if he wanted to go there and they wanted him which is all speculation at this point. So at least for the foreseeable future, what you and up with is the conclusion that the Calgary Flames are likely to look very close to what fans see today. The downside to that is the fact that this is currently a team that isn’t playing to its potential. The upside is that at least on paper, this is a team that should have all the elements it needs to win. Kipper is one of the best in the business, with Regehr, Phaneuf, Zyuzin, Hamrlik, Warrener, and Ference along with spot duty from Marc Giodano the Flames have one of the most talented defenseive corps in the NHL. Their forwards boast the like of perennial all-stars like Jerome Iginla and Alex Tanguay, as well as young up and comers like Matthew Lombardi and Chuck Kobasew. Add to that mix the veteran leadership of players like Tony Amonte, Jeff Freisen and Darren McCarty and one would think that this would be a team challenging for the president’s trophy. But they aren’t, they don’t play games on paper. In fact, at this point they’re much closer to getting the Calgary Flames first ever #1 overall draft pick than they are to even making the play-offs.

Of course it’s early, and of course there’s more than enough time to turn this season around, but the signs need to be there soon. In the new NHL with more league-wide parity and less chance of shaking up a line-up than there was in the pre-lockout era, for the most part a team is pretty much stuck with the lineup it begins with and the subsequent culture and identity it creates. It’s happening all over the NHL: In Philly they have a fragile team that even according to one of it’s up and coming stars Mike Richards folds their tents at the first sign of adversity. Even though the Phoenix Coyotes seemed to sign nearly every big free agent name over the summer, or maybe as a result of, they can’t seem to find any cohesion on the ice and are looking to miss the play-offs yet again. Sabres fans are lucky, their team looks like they think they’re the mid-eighties Oilers and honestly believe that they should win every night.

Teams are known by their identities. Right now the Flames identity isn’t the same as it has been since Daryl Sutter first came to Calgary to right the ship. It’s difficult to move players, and he’ll likely give this team some time to try to right the ship, but Mr. Sutter isn’t known for his tolerance of lackluster performances and that’s what the Flames seem to be producing right now. They are prone to early and late goals and have yet to play the all out style of physical hockey that’s been their identity in recent memory. For the Flames to have any chance at even making the play-offs that needs to change very soon, or Calgary Fans can look forward to having their spring evenings free.

2006-10-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

Tonight the Flames had a chance to make a statement. A game against a hot team that they have traditionally struggled against, coupled with the fact that the Flames seem to have lost their no holes barred reputation and you get a chance to make people sit up and take notice! And they did. The problem was that the statement they made was: “We’re not one of the upper echelon teams at this point.” The Flames on 06-07 were touted as a new version that would be just as physical and determined, but with some firepower to replace their previously pop-gun offense. What fans have been treated to so far has been a series of decidedly listless performances with only quick sporadic glimpses of the determination we’re used to seeing out of this club.

Is it time to give up on the season? Of course not. A lot of things can happen between now and the end of the season, but one fact remains. If the Flames continue down the path they’re on, their status as cup contenders will be the least of their loses they need to worry about since the type of play they’ve shown so far won’t even get them to the play-offs.

Have a great day.

http://vettersportsrants.blogspot.com/

2006-10-28T13:39:00.000-06:00

Image is EVERYTHING

On Tuesday night, the Calgary Flames looked very good in a game that although it is early in the season, they clearly needed to have a good game and were in as close to a must win situation as a team can get in the first month of the season. They did what they needed to do as an upper echelon team (although there is some dispute of that) and won convincingly against a struggling Coyotes team, but now they face a team that has given them fits in the past, and a team that is also considered a play-off contender at the very least. As much as last game was a way to set things moving in the right direction again, tonight's game could be a statement game; A game that shows the rest of the league that the Flames truly are back on track and ready to challenge for their division. The type of game that can get the team back to being known for relentless punishing hockey that it has been known for in recent seasons. If for no other reason that keeping that reputation, the Flames need to come out and punish the Preds tonight. Considering the history these teams have, they will both be up for the game, so this should be an inspired match to witness. If the Flames bring their A-game, they should regain some of the respect that has dwindled with their slow start. The Flames need teams to know that they're going to be punished when they play the sea of red. That's the image they need to project.

Sadly, the game isn't on National television or even PPV here in Calgary. The CBC is showing the Canucks and Caps for the late game so Calgary fans won't get to see their Flames in action without a ticket. That's sad, but makes an excellent segue into a point I make every year but feel doesn't get enough exposure:

WHY DON'T ALL TEAMS PLAY IN ALL ARENA'S EVERY YEAR?
Seriously? The reason's the NHL uses are lame. Rivalries/Cost/Insert Lame Excuse Here… Are telling me that The Minesota Wild and Calgary Flames is a bigger rivalry than the Flames and Habs? Cost? Please… travel costs are one thing the owners actually have a handle on expenditure-wise.. and if they were scheduled preoperly, the costs would only marginally increase over what they pay now… And look at the benefits! Oh no… we wouldn't want to have to expose our starts to our complete audience… That just doesn't make sense… Of course not… This from the same marketing department that tried to go all cerebral and Hollywood last year instead of just marketing the talent it already has! Every team should play in every building EVERY YEAR… How is that hard? I have an idea… I used a complex scheduling program called thinking for two minutes and came up with a simple solution… I've written it before so it may seem familiar:
8 games against own division = 32 games
2 games home/away against every other team 50 games
Total = 82

How can that be sooooo hard?

It's called marketing… Look into it.

/End rant

Have a great day

2006-10-25T09:16:00.000-06:00

Back on Track?

Admittedly it was against a struggling Coyotes team playing the final round of three games in four nights, but the Calgary Flames got exactly what they needed in a 6-1 victory last night at the ‘Dome. In a very early version of a “must-win” game this season the Flames showed the type of play that has vaulted them to the top tiers of the NHL in recent seasons.

Although there were a couple of tense moments at the ends of periods one and two, for the majority of this game the Flames were able to play the high-tempo, high-pressure style that has become their trademark. It began early with some inspired play and was punctuated by another highlight reel hit by Dion Phaneuf that helped the Flames take control of the game. The Flames special teams finally did what they had to do as well, as the power-play was moving the puck well and creating chances, and the penalty killers were playing high-pressure finally when they were down a man, even to the point of having a 2 on 0 break that led to Tony Amonte’s first goal and actually chased Phoenix starter Mike Morrison after only 3 goals. Admittedly, Morrison did look a little shaky on the goal. The Flames were 3-10 overall on the PP and added a shorthanded marker while shutting the Coyotes down in their nine opportunities.

Although the scoring was there and the result was extremely positive, the Flames do need to be a little concerned with two things: The number of penalties they took, and the fact that they seemed to lapse slightly at the end of the first two periods which nearly kept the Yotes in the game and likely would have been more costly against a less fragile team. Sum it up, however, and you get a complete team effort that has people in Calgary much more confident about their team than they were at the end of last week.

Three main points: Flames finally pressured the puck on the PK which resulted in a disjointed Coyotes PP and even a short-handed goal by Amonte. Kipper was finally able to make the kind of stops he’s been known for and shut down the Yotes when the Flames scrambled, not allowing them back into the game. Huselius finally didn’t fan on a great chance and scored his first goal of the season.

Have a great day

2006-10-20T10:27:00.000-06:00

A Disappointing end to a promising trip.

The Calgary Flames lost their third one-goal game in a row last night in falling to the Boston Bruins 3-2 in the Bruins home opener. Once again the Flames fell just short of a victory in a game that they were in until the buzzer sounded. The most frustrating part is that these 1 goal games are the type that Flames fans have become accustomed to seeing their team win. Kipper usually holds the fort and the Flames play a relentless style that frustrates and exasperates opponents.

Well... they used to... So far this year the Flames have not been able to bring the edgy physical play that has been their trademark in recent seasons for a full 60 minutes, or even 40 most nights. Again last night they outshot the Bruins in the first but came away with a two goal deficit. After getting 13 pucks to the net in the first frame, the Flames were only able to muster 15 in the final two periods, and that was while trying to get back into the game. The Flames need to play their edgy style in order to win games, and simply put: On this road trip they haven't. It's true that Kipper hasn't been as spectacular as usual and likely could have stolen them one or more of the last three games, but the team needs to help themselves by playing high-tempo physical hockey, and until that happens Flames fans had better get used to these types of results.

Alex Tanguay did score on a nice deke in the third to get the game close and has definitely looked much better since joininng the second line. The Flames first line hasn't looked good yet. Iggy is known for being a slow starter but this team needs him to get dominant soon.

Flames next take on Phoenix at the Dome on Tuesday.

Have a great day

2006-10-18T08:23:00.000-06:00

2 Games, 8 goals for, zero wins...

The Flames continued their road trip yesterday by engaging in a second consecutive high-scoring affair (for the Flames) against an original six team. Although the offensive outburst of the previous game continued, the Flames were unable to stay on top of their defensive game and fell to an identical 5-4 score as they did their previous game which has to be be considered disappointing since now even though they're scoring goals, they seem to be unable to keep them out. The reality isn't that simple, the Flames aren't destined to give up a lot of goals if they score a lot of goals, but it has seemed that way the past two games. A big reason for this is that the Flames were unable to really tighten-up when they had the upper hand in either game. When the Flames wrestled momentum in both games it was quickly relinquished, which is VERY uncharacteristic of recent Calgary clubs. In both games the Flames went down early but played very physical, high-pressure hockey that allowed them to not only come back, but take the lead in the second period. In both games, their physical play was a major catalyst to their combacks. Sadly in both games it seemed that their intensity waivered as soon as they took the lead and in both cases the opposing team was able to re-assert themselves and take over the game.

In the Canadians game it seemed that as soon as the Flames took the lead, they started to play right into the Canadians hand by basically eliminating the physical play that allowed them to get the lead. Halfway through the second period the hits that were coming in bunches became scarce, and so did the Flames chances. In order for the Flames to generate chances, they need to play with that high intensity for an entire 60 minutes, and they didn't get that last night.

The Flames gave up 3 power-play goals. Can someone please explain why a high-pressure team like the Flames seems content to just play an OVERLY passive box on the penalty kill? When you look at teams that are successful on the PK, it's always teams that pressure the puck and force a mistake, the Flames sit back and wait and simply try to block passing lanes, which doesn't seem to be working. If you pressure them, they may beat you, but it's better than sitting back and hoping they don't beat you.

On the positive side, Matthew Lombardi looked again like he might finally be able to transfer his offensive skills to the NHL game. The Flames second line of Lombardi, Kobasew and Tanguay was by far the best Flames line on this night and their speed and skill gave the Canadians 'D' no end of problems throughout the game. If nothing else, perhaps the Flames have found the second scoring line that they have been searching for. Of course, this also leaves them still on the lookout for someone to match-up with Iggy. Huselius has some great hands, but in all honesty, does anyone fan on the puck as much as he does? I swear that sometimes he's playing with a hole in his stick.

Hit of the night-> After the Flames went down early, Robyn Regehr caught Aaron Downey with his head down in the neutral zone. The hit was clean and punishing, but sadly Downey was completely unprepared and actually spent the night in hospital. With Regehr and Phanuef manning the blue-line, it is imperrative to keep ones head on a swivel against the Flames.

Have a great day

2006-10-17T12:41:00.000-06:00

Canadians Tonight.

Tonight the Flames will be playing the only team they've ever faced in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Flames have 3 of a possible 4 points so far on this Eastern trip and are looking to build on their first offensive outburst of the season in their 5-4 OT loss to Toronto on Saturday. Coach Jim Playfair has put the gears to newly aquired Alex Tanguay in the last couple days in hopes of pushing him to greater success then the modest 2 points he's accumulated thus far. Canadian's/Flames matchup's are usually great battles, so expect this one to be close.

2006-10-13T11:00:00.000-06:00

Flames Prove Nay-sayers wrong….

Not in the way most would hope, but the Flames did again disprove the new NHL opinion that you can’t just have a good defense and a great goalie and win low scoring games with the new wide-open game. So they’ve been told. So they continue to be told. Yet they continue to win.

Sure they’re only 2-2 to start the season, but when you consider the horrendous start they endured last season and still managed to win their division quite handily one has to at the very least be happier about this year’s first steps. Factor into the equation the fact that the teams they have faced are early favorites to go deep into the play-offs this year and a 2-2 start doesn’t look so bad.

In last night’s game the Senators and Flames both came in feeling that this could be a statement game. The kind of game that could perhaps jump-start the momentum of the victorious team and hopefully propel them into playing the type of hockey that was expected of the club when pre-season opinions were filed. Did it happen? Hard to say for sure but it didn’t really appear to. Kipper was great in net, the Flames played hard and created chances but couldn’t capitalize and even though the Sens got what could have been their best performance between the pipes this year by Ray Emery, they continued their offensive woes. Sum it up and you get a very retro-look 1-0 win by the Flames. As far as statements are concerned, the only one that was made was by sophomore Dion Phaneuf when he laid one of the nicest open-ice hits in recent memory by laying a shoulder… Note that was a clean Shoulder… into Denis Hamel in the second period that made all the highlight reels last night. If you haven’t seen it, check it out, It’s worth it!

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=180584&hubname= click on highlights and enjoy.

So what can the Flames take from last night’s game? They can boast that Kipper is still the best in the world when he’s healthy, that Dion IS a monster, and that they CAN win without any offense. They won’t be satisfied with that though. Look for the Flames to use this road trip to try several line combinations to see if they can find some chemistry that gels and creates some offense. Jim Playfair promised more offense from the Flames this year during preseason and he’s determined to get it, so look for more retooling in the near future.

Just as an aside, the pairing of Roman Hamrlik and Andrei Zyuzin that appeared to be a little shaky in pre-season has managed to come together quite nicely. Roman is playing like the defenseman the Flames were hoping they aquired last season, and Zyuzin looks to be rejuvenated as a Flame after falling into relative obscurity after being a first round pick of the Sharks that didn’t quite pan out.

Have a Great day.

2006-10-10T08:56:00.000-06:00

And in other news: The sky is still blue, water is still wet, and grass is still green……

This was the year that Flames fans had been waiting for. After a surprise run in 04, and a successful 05-06 with a disappointing first round loss, fans could now look forward to a team that had been upgraded offensively along with a new coach that promised he would give the players more room to be creative offensively.

Well, here we are 3 games in and the Calgary Flames have managed 4 goals. Time-out! Wasn’t this the issue that was addressed? Didn’t the organization make a point of signing players that could help the issue out and passing on what were current players that they didn’t feel could help them out offensively as much as they needed to? (Read players like Simon and Donovan)

Just asking, trying to keep up… But before everyone gets up in arms again complaining that the Flames don’t have enough scoring and Iggy is over-rated, maybe some more investigation needs to be done on the topic of: Why Don’t the Flames Score? It’s not a simple question with a nice TV talk show out of the box answer, or maybe it is… maybe it is.

Watching the first three games of the season there were a few truths that became evident, and in recognizing these truths, perhaps the pop-gun offence can at least be partially explained.
1 – The Calgary Flames are almost never caught out of position.
2 – The Calgary Flames almost always make a “safe” play with the puck
3 – The Calgary Flames don’t tent to take unnecessary risks that could potentially lead to the other team getting a quality scoring chance.

Not such bad news really. In fact, pretty good qualities for a team to have. The problem is: It usually takes at least some risk to produce great rewards. In assessing this, we’ll review the above points.
1 – If a player is always where he’s predicted to be, it makes him much easier to cover. I.E. even though it isn’t safe, sometimes overloading one side or having a d-man take a risk to lag the puck behind the net and hitting the open winger who ISN’T coving that d-man’s vacated spot pays off. When a team mixes it up and moves a lot, it makes them a lot harder to follow for the team defending them…
2 – Although they do usually make the high-percentage play, the risky play every once in a while can catch a team off guard and leave them defenseless. For example: How many people expected that Thornton was going to drop that puck to Ehrhoff last night? From the looks of it, pretty much no-one. The safe play would have been to just try to bury it himself whist not inadvertently putting himself out of position, he got creative… it paid off.
3 – I don’t know if this is more evident in any other aspect of the game as it is on the penalty-kill. The Flames play a passive box, and don’t pressure the puck. In the “new” NHL, when the defenders can’t just blanket the other players, there has to be puck pressure or all you’re doing is sitting back and hoping that the other team doesn’t find the open man to score or that Kipper can come up with a huge save. (which granted, he tends to do more often than not) As an example, again from the game last night, When the Flames had their PP late in the second, Patrick Marleau was all over the Flames defense and was able to cause a turn-over that lead to a break-away and eventually a goal. On a similar play with roles reversed, Friesen skated out to the Sharks D on a San Jose powerplay and actually cause the defender to loose the puck and could have had at least a decent scoring chance that may have garnered the Flames some momentum. But he had already stopped and started playing passive (Read Rule #1) by the time he realized what he had done, there wasn’t enough time to get the legs going again to be able to get a short-handed chance. Too bad… might have been a turning point.

The point is, and it has been argued before, that maybe it’s not entirely the player’s fault. Perhaps the system is a little too constricting? Maybe given some more freedom the players would produce more offensive opportunities and score more goals. Here’s where it gets complicated. That’s probably exactly what the Flames and new head coach Jim Playfair are trying to accomplish. When he says that he’s committed to giving the players more freedom and producing more chances, he’s sincere. But it takes time to change a mindset that’s been drilled into you for 4 years, especially when all the players know that Mr. Sutter is still watching what they do. Combine that with the fact that the new coach was clearly Sutter’s personal choice to follow him and you get habits that are hard to break.

Does this mean that the Flames are destined to be known as the team that has it all but can’t score yet again? Simply, No. Just like last year when the Flames stumbled out of the gate and panic reigned and doomsday was upon us, give it time. A new system isn’t as simple as: Hey, let’s play this way this shift. Habits need to be learned and body’s and brains need to be re-trained. The Flames will put up much better offensive numbers this year than last year. The adjustment period is just going to be longer than most fans had hoped.

2006-04-20T10:15:00.000-06:00

Game On

It’s been a LONG wait for hockey fans, but by the looks of the match-ups it should be worth it. This season’s Stanley Cup play-offs should be the most wide-open in recent memory due to the crackdown on obstruction as well as the very real possibility that it would appear that every team has at least a chance to win their opening series, and if you win one: anything is possible. Of course half the teams will loose in the first round so let’s take a look at the match-ups for the conference quarter finals.

Eastern Conference:

Ottawa vs. Tampa Bay – On the surface it looks like it should be an easy win for the Sens in this match-up between the reigning champs and the perennial should-have-beens. Consider the fact that play-off hockey is often the tighter game, however, and the Senators dismal record in matches where they fail to score at least for becomes a glaring fault in the Ottawa armor. Add to that the fact that #1 goaltender Dominic Hasek will be unavailable for the time being and you have a team that is primed to be upset. The Lightning for their part have goaltending issues of their own and have never seemed to regain the team concept that held them through their run in 2004. Given a hotter team to play the Senators could be in trouble, but barring Sean Burke regaining his 1987-88 form when he almost carried the upstart Devils to the cup finals it looks like the Lightning are destined to bow out this year.
Sens in 5

Carolina vs. Montreal - Bob Gainey has done it again. He took a team that appeared to be blowing up on itself midway through the season and led it to a resurgent second half in which they were one of the better teams in hockey. For reference, he did the same with the 1991 North Stars. Problem is, Carolina has been one of the hottest teams all year and looks hungry enough to not let any upstart team take them down. The Canes fans Stanley Cup run is still fresh in the minds of their fans and they are expecting another shot at the mug. The Canadians have been a great story, and they have a leader in Bob Gainey that expects to win and more importantly: knows how to win. This series will be much closer than Canes fans would like and may be helped out by some old Forum ghosts making a trip to the Molson Centre. The Canadians have a great chance, but there should be enough leadership from the Hurricanes last run to pull them through.
Canes in 7

New Jersey vs. NY Rangers – The Rangers are the surprise darlings of the league… At least that’s what the media monster in New York would like us to believe. They are also pushing very hard for Jagr as the Heart winner. Problem is: someone forgot to tell them the season was actually 82 games now instead of 70. It could be argued that they coasted through the final games which is bad enough, but it seems that maybe other teams have ascertained how to beat the Broadway Blue-shirts. When you factor in a revitalized Martin Broduer and a Devils team with home ice advantage, what you get is another in a LONG list of teams that had a great regular season that didn’t translate to the play-offs.
Devils in 5

Buffalo vs. Philadelphia – Definitely the most intriguing first round match-up in the East. Will the real Flyers please stand up? Are they the team that came out gang-busters in the fall, or are they the team that took a fall in the spring? It may not matter. The Sabres are a fast team that will create HUGE issues for what is predominantly a slow Flyers Defensive core. Lindy Ruff also made a great strategic move at the perfect time when he went off on Darcy Tucker. He created a monster for the team to band together against and was able to instill an even stronger team identity and steadfastness than would have been there before.
Sabres in 6

Western Conference:
Detroit vs. Edmonton – Throughout the regular season, the Wings have been the class of the league. They handled their cap issues as well as any team and brought in the coach they knew would fit their players and the system they wished to play. Shanahan has had a comeback season that is likely second only to Teemu and Manny Legacy has proven he could be the starter they were looking for. This team is tough to beat at home, and the best road team in hockey. The Oilers are one of only a few teams to have beaten the Wings twice, and that should give them confidence. The Oilers also play a style that translates very well in play-off hockey and are back in the play-offs after missing them in 2004. The Oilers are just happy not to be playing the Stars who have ousted them 5 times since 1998. The bad news is that the Oilers are in tough again. They will play hard and make the games excruciatingly close, but the Wings are just too strong.
Wings in 5

Dallas vs. Colorado – Burnaby Joe is back with a vengeance and Jose is back in the nets but the Stars play the team concept as well as anyone in the league. The Stars have more depth and adhere closer to their system. It could easily be argued at this point that Turco is head-and-shoulders above Jose between the pipes as well. Colorado has some seasoned veterans and won’t bow out gracefully and Turco has a reputation of being somewhat suspect at times in the play-offs but it won’t be enough.
Dallas in 6

Calgary vs. Anaheim – The Flames can’t score, they rely too much on Kipper, the Ducks are one of the hottest teams in hockey and no-one wants to play them… And yet the Flames just keep on winning. Sutter has created his own cult in Cow-Town and the players all believe vehemently that if they stay the course they WILL win. With a hot Kipper it’s a tough Dogma to argue. Brian Burke has done wonders in his first year guiding the ducks and Teemu Selanne has been fantastic in his first year back, but at this point it’s hard to argue the fact that at the end of the day, the Flames keep winning when they have to.
Flames in 5

Nashville vs. San Jose – This could have been such a classic battle but seems to have lost a little of its luster due to the Vokoun injury. The Preds are still a great team, but they now lack that rock-solid backstop that they once had. It’s tough to bail-out on a team when they only have one injury, but ask yourself where the Flames would be without Kipprusoff or the Canadians would be without Huet. A goalie makes that big of a difference. The first player to win the scoring title while being traded in mid-season and the scoring punch that the Marleau-Thornton towers at centre ice gives the Sharks is just not what you want to face when you need to rely on your back-up tender. The Sharks would likely be a difficult team to beat even if the Preds had Vokoun, without him, it’s likely impossible.
Sharks in 6

No matter what, it should be a great run to the Cup; ENJOY

2006-04-05T08:18:00.000-06:00

Another Random Thought Day...

Jays looked good in their home opener. Two new guys played great, and their rock for the last few seasons was as good as ever as Roy Haladay went 7 2/3'rd's for his first win of the season. In the start Roy only gave up 2 earned runs in a 6-3 win that gives Jays fans hope that maybe this year they finally do have a team that can compete with the Dark Overlords in Boston and New York. Only time will tell. Bengie Molina Hit a 2 run Homer in the fourth that gave the Jays a lead they would never relinquish after the Twins scored an unearned run in the first. BJ Ryan was dominant in the ninth as he struck out two batters to earn his first save as a Jay and in between the Jays were able to belt out 14 Hits and have almost their whole starting line-up get into the action which is impressive considering that most of the hits were garnered off of Twin's starter Johan Santana who is one of the premier pitchers in the majors. Hopefully the Jays can make a run this year, they got the start they wanted.

Are the Cubs allowed to have star pitchers under contract that are allowed to pitch on opening day? Given the last couple seasons you'd have to wonder...

Tucker gets nothing... In another episode of WTF is Colin (pronounce it like bum please) Campbell doing. The NHL powers that be again fail to protect their players as well as possibly failing to circumvent possible retribution in their league by simply ignoring what Darcy did against Jochen Hecht on the weekend. Some have called it Leaf's fovoritism, but beleive me: It has nothing to do with Tucker being a Leaf, it has everything to do with the fact that the NHL has absolutely no guidelines at all when it comes to punishment and Campbell just makes stuff up as he goes along. Even where there are CLEAR guidelines like in the instigator rule in the last 10 minutes... He still just does whatever he wants, which doesn't give the league a lot of credibility, which is sad. Now if the Sabres do send some people after Tucker in their game later this month, and god forbid ANYONE gets hurt... Then Colin would claim that he NEVER saw this coming, and it's a bshock to him... Seriously... how could a former NHL player be this blind... It's sad, and it undermines the credibility of the league.

Jose has started practising in Colorado... Two possibilities exist here: 1. he's revitalized and regains the form he had a few years ago and leads the Avs on a big run, or at the very least gives them a legitimate shot... Injuries to the Avs have curtailed their hopes a little... or 2. He's the goalie who played this year in Montreal and he can't get his stuff back to snuff and the Avs just gave up on a good tender to overpay someone that can't help them... I'd think Theo just needed a change of venue, but on the other hand... name one person who thought Patrick Lalime's career would fall so far.

Play-offs are coming and baseball is back... It's a good day:-)

Have a great day!

2006-04-03T08:15:00.000-06:00

Wild Wild West...

On a weekend where there was the potential to have a lot of changes, there are two major events that occurred this past weekend in the battle for the play-offs in the West. Firstly, the Calgary Flames appear to have finally established themselves as the team to beat in the Northwest division. In beating the Avalanche and the Oilers on back to back nights the Flames accomplished not only the difficult task of winning games on consecutive nights, the second one on the road, but also were able to put some distance between themselves and two of the three threats to their division title quest. The second and more ominous event that occurred was the inability of the San Jose Sharks to gain any ground at all in the race when they had back to back games against a team that is already out of play-off contention and must have been looked at as points in the bank by followers and leaders of the team.

The Flames did exactly what they needed to do, and for one of the few times this season did it in an unusual way for them. The Flames won with offense! Sure Kipper was great and the D was solid, but recently the Flames have started to score more than their customary 2 or 3 in a game. In scoring 6 goals on Friday and 4 on Saturday, the Flames posted 10 goals in 2 games for only the second time this season, and for the first time since December 29th and 31st when they beat the Wild 4-2 and the Oilers 6-5. The fact that this time it was in the middle of the pressure of a play-off race versus two of the teams that are chasing them makes it even more impressive. It's been said all year that Calgary doesn't have enough scoring and that they rely too much on Kiprusoff, but if they continue to gear up the way they have been and can get the timely goals they need, it might just be one more time in the last couple seasons that Daryl Sutter is right and everyone else is wrong.

The Sharks on the other hand did exactly the opposite of what they needed to do in dropping 2 games to the Coyotes which was surprising not only because these were games they needed and should have won, but the fact that they didn't come out gangbusters to start the second game when they had a two day break in between must simply bewilder Sharks fans who had been watching a team that had made huge strides in the last month and almost looked guaranteed to plow into the top 8 in the west with arguably the best 1-2 punch at centre in the NHL. Even though most will bemoan the play of the Sharks, the role of Phoenix can not be underestimated in this pitfall the Sharks have encountered. The Yotes are a team that for all intents and purposes is playing for nothing but pride and jobs for next year, which logic may tell you shouldn't match the intensity of a team racing for a chance at the ultimate prize. For 2 days last week, however, the Coyotes found enough drive and determination to perhaps start the beginning of the end of the season for the Sharks. You know that Wayne must have been grinning ear to ear all Sunday after his team stopped the Sharks from gaining any ground. Two weeks ago it looked like the Sharks were destined to knock a Canadian team out of the play-offs, and had things gone well on the Weekend, San Jose would be tied in 7th spot with the Canucks as well as holding 3 games in hand. Today they're staring up at the Canucks, 4 points in arrears, still holing the 3 games in hand, but as the old adage goes: "games in hand are only useful if you win them". Anyone would take 6 gained points over 6 possible points one-hundred-and-ten percent of the time.

Have a great day.

2006-03-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

Wow... Is this a great race or what? Flames come home and get a 2-1 victory, Canucks get a goal with 6 seconds left to win by the same score. Oilers were at home likely watching the results on pins and needles, likewise for the Sharks. This is the greatest play-off race in any sport that I can remember, and I know that fans are haing a blast watching it unfold.

The Canucks looked like they were sliding immediately after the trade deadline and looked to be in a free fall they might not be able to break out of. It was doom and gloom for many fans as they pondered what the reasoning behind keeping Big Bert around, and stubbornly playing the Morrison, Naslund, Bertuzzi line ahead of the Sedin line was. Apparently they had good reason to question the second point, as the Sedin line has gotten the Canucks back on their game and back into play-off contention. If their first line ever wakes up, this would be a VERY scary team to face in the post-season.

The Oilers haven't gotten the return they expected when they made Roloson their #1 goalie, it is debatable whose fault that is. Either Rolo has faultered, or perhaps the Oilers goaltending wasn't that bad to start with and maybe the team defense needed to be addressed. Likely Roloson just got a little jittery from the pressure of being the savior. If the Oilers don't end up making the play-offs I don't think the blame will fall on Roloson. It's hard to imagine the Oilers not making the post-season with the year they've had, but on that point, they're in the same boat as 7 other teams fighting for 5 spots. Six teams is more likely after the Oilers dispose of the Kings and eliminate them for all intents and purposes tonight.

The Avs looked like they were in serious injury trouble and would not have the depth they have enjoyed in past years to carry them to the top... No Tanguay no Svatos... No worries??? Most expected Colorado to fall by the wayside, but they've been able to ride a hot Joe Sakic and have gotten enough from a young goaltender in Budaj to keep them in the race for the Northwest division title. Of course, just like any other team mentioned here, a short losing streak could find them on the wrong side of the ledger.

The one team that seemed to turn the corner after the Olympics and make a statement was the Sharks. They've been very good since the break, it's too bad they dug themselves such a hole before the break but they've been coming on as of late. Notwithstanding the hiccup vs the Blue Jackets, the Sharks have been in determination mode for a long time as they've tried to make up ground in the last couple of months. With the 1-2 punch the Sharks have at centre, and the 1-2 they now appear to have between the pipes, this is just another team that people just can't see not making the post-season.

The Flames won the game they needed to last night to regain a tie with the Avs at the top of the division, and home ice advantage in at least 1 play-off series. The Flames appear to need the home-ice as they are one of the best teams in the league at home, but only average at best on the road. This is an interesting turn around from their play-off run when they were actually under .500 at home. All you hear about the Flames is that they don't score enough goals... Well they haven't been scoring enough goals all season and it's garnered them a share of their division lead. Ask The 93 Canadians or the 95 Devils if you can ride a hot goalie to a Cup win.

The Ducks have been one of the hottest teams in the league and have seemingly cemented themselves in a play-off role, but any little hiccup could bounce them as well.

Out of these teams, 1 will miss who will it be? No-one knows, but it will sure be fun to watch.

have a great day.

2006-03-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

So after I wrote my blog yesterday, I was on Ek's site and noticed a thread that was discussing the current points method and ways that it could be improved. There were many of us that voiced our opinions on the subject, and there were in fact five distinct methods that we had hashed out in order to change the current win/loss point values. The thread can be viewed at: http://boards.hockeybuzz.com/index.php?showtopic=3076

The interesting footnote to this ideas comes with the information that was obtained if we used this season's records and transfered the point values to each system we came up with. The changes aren't as significant as any of us may have envisioned. Oh yes, the sixth option was added because there was a member of the community that wanted us to devise a method that would garner his beloved Hawks a play-off spot.

The data was compiled and set up by Steve Bowles aka Frootmig, thank you very much Steve for putting this together.

The revised standings can be viewed at http://members.shaw.ca/svetter/Standings.html

Have a Great Day.

2006-03-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

Crunch time

The race to the post-season has never been this dramatic. There has never been this many teams still fighting for not only play-off spots, but also positioning this late in the season, aside from a select few teams at the top of each conference, and a couple at the bottom, nearly every team in the NHL has a chance to either make the play-offs, or be left outside even this late into the season. The NHL couldn’t ask for more. In the first season back from what could have been a devastating lock-out, they have managed to orchestrate, whether be design or by accident, arguably the best play-off race in the league’s history. In a league where historically 100 points could basically guarantee you at least a division title and at least a close race for the president’s trophy, it could potentially take nearly that to barely squeeze into the play-offs this year in the Western Conference.

To what can this phenomenon be attributed? More points are available of course. Any game that goes into OT is now worth a guaranteed three points split between two teams. This season that has resulted in a lot more points being given out throughout the season and in turn, that has resulted in more teams being in the race this late in the season. The NHL comes up smelling like roses on this one since fans in most cities are still excited about the possibility of play-off hockey. Factor in the Cinderella-esque runs of the past few play-offs and your result is an unprecedented number of fans who are ready to believe that this could be their year, and due to this fact, are spending money on the game, which must bring smiles to everyone involved with the sport. After watching the slow trickle method in which fans crawled back to baseball after the cancellation of the play-offs in 1994, the NHL would have been expected to fear the worst for the return of their fans, but thanks to a better game, and a fantastic race, the fans have been more supportive that they could have hoped, and that’s great for the league.

Is the system flawed? Many think so, and they have a valid point, why should a team that wins the game of chance be given the same reward as a team that wins in regulation? 4 on 4 and the shoot-out may be exciting, but they’re also arguably “gimmick” ways to decide hockey games. Three points for a regulation win has been brought up as a way to entice teams to push a little harder for the wins in regulation which would likely also benefit the fans, but purposefully or not, the race this year, has and will continue to be, one that any true hockey fan will enjoy for the next 3 weeks or so, and that’s a very good thing if you’re a fan.

2006-03-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

Stick a fork in them...

Wow... has it really been 9 days? Anyway, signs all point to the Leafs being done. In their most important game of the season, they managed to come out flat and get spanked by a team they we're right behind going into the game. Are they eliminated? Not officially, but when you consider that they have to pass 2 teams at this point to get a play-off spot, and they've apparently decided that even strength goals are for sissies, thing look bleak for T.O. In fact the Habs, even thought they were dominant last night, will have to keep up the same intensity they brought to the Leaf game if they want to get into the post-season. Differencce between the two teams is the Canadians have the talent level to be a play-off team, with the injuries in T.O. the Leafs don't.

The Blues were officially the first team eliminated from post-season play this year breaking a 25 year run of making the play-offs... A good run, but it's interesting... If you had the choice of your team making the play-offs every year in the last 25 or winning one cup, what would you choose? The Blues have been a consistant challenger for the ultimate prize, but it could conversely be argued that it's been 25 years of being just a little better than mediocre... Any thoughts out there? E-mail me and let me know.

Staying in St. Louis, the Flames were able to pot a season-high 7 goals last night which should be impressive. But it isn't. With Patrick Lalime doing his best impression of Hardy Astrom, and a team in front of him that just doesn't look the same as they did when Sanford was back-stopping them, 7 goals just isn't that impressive. It should give some guys a boost of confidence though, and that's something a lot of the Flames needed at this point. A convincing win tonight in Columbus would go a LONG way to cementing that confidence which would be huge for the play-off drive.

And just when it looked like the Canucks were on a downhill spiral to oblivion, they manage to grab the first two games of an odd three game set back-to-back-to-back with the Oilers. The Oilers could have done themselves a big favor by winning two of three, but are now desparate to get one. Reports of the Canucks demise was early perhaps, but they aren't out of the woods yet. With the way the teams they're fighting with in the west, aka San Jose and Anaheim, there's a good chance that only one of the Oil and Nucks gets in. If LA can recover, it gets even more tense, but this mini-series could be what one of these teams looks back on and says: That cost us the play-offs... Right now that team looks like the Oilers... Hard to beleive after K. Lowe looked to have made all the right moves at the deadline.

Remember when it looked like all six Canadian teams would make the Play-offs? Good Times...

If Ottawa plays Atlanta in the first round, Hossa lights them up and ATL wins... you heard it here first:-)

Have a great day.

2006-03-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

Is It Really Just Sour Grapes? You'd have to wonder.

So Steve Larmer is still actively attempting to oust Mr. Saskin from his position as leader of the NHLPA. On the surface it may look like this whole PA fiasco is just a simple case of the 'old boys' being ticked about the fact that their main man who had brought them oodles of wealth had been blindsided by Ted Saskin when he allegedly went behind his former boss's back and negotiated a deal with the NHL before he again allegedly went against the PA constituion in order to install himself as leader. I know that for most fans, it must seem like petty school-yard bickering from some overpaid jocks who get to play a game for a living. I know I would like to believe that because it makes things a lot simpler for us to digest. If it's as black and white as Timmy got cheated so he's taking his ball and going home then it's simple, we let it blow over, and we move on.

Consider that it isn't that simple, however. NHL players are paid to play hockey, they do it very well, they are the best in the world, and it is their focus as it should be. Their job is to play hockey, it's other people's jobs to look out for their interests. These other people are well paid to look out for their interests, and should therefore be doing their best to ensure that these interests are protected. What if they aren't? As fans, we wouldn't know. And to be honest, most players likely wouldn't know... Remember that Alan Eagleson created quite a legacy for himself for a LONG time before it came out how badly he was giving it to the people he was supposed to be protecting.

Now I'm not saying that Mr. Saskin is a man that shouldn't be trusted, I think most fans would take him over Old Bob in a heart-beat. We all know Ted as the man who 'saved' hockey and got the NHL back on the ice. But the players need to know without any question that their leader can be trusted. I still believe as I did when this fiasco first started, if Saskin had merely stepped down and allowed the NHLPA constitution rules to run their course, which would have resulted in a vote that likely would have ended up exonerating Saskin and ending any future challenge immediately. But he didn't, and now it has come to this which could get a lot uglier before it works itself out. Ted likely should be the guy that leads the PA, but just like my last column when I grated the NHL for not sticking to rules I will repeat, rules are there for a reason, and should be abided by at ALL times. Ted didn't, and even though I hate to see any infighting that could cause damage to the game I love, I understand why some players feel the need to stand up and make their voices known. If Saskin was put into power against the rules then they have a case, I just wish it could have been handled without any outsiders knowing. Let's hope this can be handled without any interruption or issues with the game.

Have a great day!

2006-03-13T07:36:00.000-07:00

While many people were away at the Olympics, the players and reporters physically and the fans mentally, some recommendations for rule changes were put forth in a GM’s meeting on Feb 28, 2006. One of these recommendations involved checking players for illegal sticks prior to them participating in the shoot-out. This would insure that players were using legal equipment when deciding the outcome of the game. Prior to this date, players were able to use illegal sticks when participating in the shootout since there was no rule in place to prevent it. What a novel idea… play by the rules. Now that isn’t the main concern faced by the league. Recently, when some media-types have been discussing the issue, all members of the “panel” chose to pooh-pooh the idea of mandatory measurements when it came to the shootout. The claim is that it slowed the game down and was unfriendly to fans. Is that true? Do fans want players to be able to cheat? When goalies were using illegal equipment there wasn’t a large outcry from the media to leave them alone… Why now with the player’s sticks?

The shootout points have become VERY important. Now at least one team is guaranteed 2 points in every game. Over the course of a full season, that can amount to a lot. Ask the Dallas Stars, whose shoot-out record is phenomenal, and you’ll find that if their record in the post regulation games was reversed, they’re looking up at their division leaders instead of comfortably looking down on their competition. When you have the second leading goal scorer in the NHL mocking the stick rule publicly and claiming that half the players in the NHL are using illegal sticks then you have a problem.

Sadly it’s the same problem the NHL faces year after year. No consistency; and a wheel of justice that can land anywhere… No-one ever knows how an NHL rule will be implemented in a given situation, if at all. And that’s a problem. When you come out with a rule that states (taken from NHL.com):

a. (NEW for 2005-06) A player who is deemed to be the instigator of an altercation in the final five (5) minutes of regulation time or at any time in overtime, shall be assessed an instigator minor penalty, a major for fighting, a ten minute misconduct and an automatic one-game suspension. The length of suspension will double for each subsequent offense. In addition, the player's coach shall be fined $10,000 -- a fine that will double for each subsequent incident.
(NEW for 2005-06) (NOTE 1) No team appeals will be permitted either verbally or in writing regarding the assessment of this automatic suspension
AUTOMATIC… Now perhaps automatic doesn’t have the same meaning most just take for granted, but one would assume it means what it says. Instant, every time. That’s EVERY time. Not when Colin Campbell feels like he should get to make up his own rules as he sees fit. There’s no rhyme or reason to any of his suspensions. Even similar situations get treated completely differently.

Now it could easily be argued that the instigator rule is ridiculous and the automatic suspension is unnecessary, but the point is that the rule exists, and should be implemented as such. Recall the Dallas Stars scoring a Stanley Cup winning goal with Brett Hull’s skate clearly in the crease, when the rule stated that any goal that was scored while an offensive player had any part of their body in the crease, the goal would be automatically disallowed… Well apparently not in the finals… because… No one has any idea why… Was the rule a little overboard? History would show that it was since it was adapted for the next season. But if you have a rule and don’t enforce it, you tarnish the reputation and respectability of the league.

Apparently, the wishy-washy attitude of the NHL is breaching the head office and infecting the brains of the people who cover the league for a living. The league shouldn’t check sticks before the shootout? The extra fractions of an inch can’t make that much difference? Ask any player if it makes a difference… it’s the puck getting that touch of extra lift when trying to roof it, or that slight increase in velocity when you try to beat a goalie five-hole before he can squeeze the pads shut. Every little bit helps. Anyone who doesn’t believe that is just fooling themselves. Should the team be allowed to dress a backup goalie wearing 18” wide pads for the shoot-out since the rules shouldn’t apply after over-time? It’s crazy. Maybe the NHL should treat the players like they treat the goalies and measure their sticks throughout the season and ONLY allow them to use legal blades… Seriously… What’s the point of having rules if you’re not going to bother to enforce them? Maybe a goalie can come out in a Lacrosse chest protector for the shoot-out… Then you’d see the media scream bloody murder. What is it? The pads are obvious but the stick isn’t? Call the rules… Or don’t have them at all.

Any thoughts, send me an e-mail.

Have a great day.

2006-03-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

Offense? We don’t need no stinking offense?

Almost looking like they were proving a point about how to win play-off style hockey, the Calgary Flames scored early then played well defensively and relied on another great performance by Kipprusoff to defeat the Dallas Stars last night in Calgary. The Flames only managed 10 shots in the first two periods and a mere 24 overall compared to 39 for the Stars in skating to a 1-0 victory.

The Flames were a team that everyone thought would go out and get a puck moving centre to play with Jarome Iginla. Sutter declared 3 days ago that the prices were too high and that he wouldn’t be making any significant moves. Most thought he was playing possum and would make a move on deadline day, and he may have gotten close, but in the end the Flames look a lot like the team they brought into this week. They acquired another young centre and former first round pick in Jamie Lundmark. Lundmark was projected as a possible superstar when the Rangers drafted him 9th overall in 1999. He’s never lived up to that billing, but perhaps a chance to play close to home (he’s from Edmonton) will ignite him and get the offense that he has shown in junior and in the minors transferred to the NHL. The way Sutter jumbles his lines, you know that he’ll get an opportunity to play with everyone, so hopefully he can create some chemistry with someone.

When they made the trade for Lundmark the Flames had 1 too many centres for their liking… although still at least one less than most fans would like… And due to that, they let Jason Weimer move on. He was moved to the Devils where he should get more playing time. Was the trade and upgrade? Only time will tell, but Lundmark is younger and has more potential vs Weimer who has the experience.

It was a strange deadline all in all… The Oilers and Canucks really improved when you factor in the last few days. The Ducks got some scoring help in Freisen, the Canes scooped Recchi for the cup drive and the Avs potentially got their goalie of the future. The Canadians got a goalie that can play as well as freed up some cap space and the Sens got the second-line centre they were looking for as well as getting a back-up on waivers that at least has some NHL games under his belt. There were some teams, however, that were VERY conspicuous in doing nothing. The Bolts didn’t get the goalie they wanted, and were exposed in a big way last night by the Sabres. The flyers didn’t get the mobile type d-man (or men) they wanted, and that could definitely come back to haunt them. The Rangers didn’t get the power forward they were looking for, but that doesn’t hurt them as much as the lack of movement hurts some other teams. The most interesting team to do nothing in the trade front in essence was the Leafs. It was assumed that the Leafs could try to make a push, or blow up the team to get ready for next year. They did neither JFJ sat on his hands and let the team sit… Oh… I know they traded one 5 d-man and then traded for another d-man who’s likely a 6 or 7 at this point in his career, but this was a chance for the Leafs to set themselves up to be in good shape for the summer, and they didn’t take it. I was very surprised by that, but who knows… maybe Quinn proves everyone wrong and the buds sneak in… It’s just too bad they likely won’t face the Sens in the first round.

Have a great day!

2006-03-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

Beware the Monkey…

In two games in Alberta last night, both home teams lost very close matches to teams that in recent years have had their numbers. The Flames fell 3-2 to the Preds and the Oilers succumbed in a shoot-out to the Stars. Now although the Flames have been a quite hamstrung by Nashville in recent seasons and even more so this season, I don’t think there’s any two teams in the NHL where one team has had another’s number so much in recent seasons as the Stars have had the Oilers. During the regular season, and the play-offs over the last decade, the ‘Oil have had fits with the Stars… What are the stats? 90% of play-off games decided by 1 goal (it’s not exact, but I’m sure it’s close) faced each other five seasons in a row, and six out of seven overall, and even though the series were as close as a first shave, the Oilers bowed out in all six. Hopefully the Alberta teams can shake the monkeys before, or at least during, the play-offs this season. Last night showed promise. Both teams were down early but mounted comebacks and for the majority of the game held the advantage in play. The Flames fell one goal short in regulation, the Oilers fell in the shootout.

At this point I feel the need to question a certain Craig MacTavish for his decision to switch goalies for the shoot-out. Now you can say all you want about Conklin’s worse record in the shoot-out and the fact that Morrison has been fairly hot in the same. But don’t you think it’s just a little unfair to expect a goalie to come in completely cold and shut down what has been the best shoot-out team in the NHL? Not to mention the slap-in-the-face you just gave the starting goalie. I know the Oilers are shopping for a goalie, but if they don’t get one, or even if they do, do you really want the current guys to think that the coaching staff doesn’t trust them? Did Mac-T play for Keenan at some point? I know they’re professionals and they shouldn’t let this effect them, but as far as I see it, this was unfair for both tenders… And if the Oilers need to keep issues away from any portion of their team at this point, it’s in the crease.

The Leafs beat the Canadians in the test of fire! Raise the Alarm! Cancel the fire sale! Set the parade route! Ok… They won an important game, they still technically have a shot, but they’re fighting with two teams right beside them and 2 ahead of them to get 1 play-off spot, so don’t get too confident. I thought the Leafs would sneak in this year too for one last shot to kill the Sens cup aspirations, but with Lindros being out, and no help showing up on D… I’m afraid even I may have to give up hope. I will say this however: Get whatever you can for McCabe his value will NEVER be higher.

Have a great day.

2006-03-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

Buyers or Sellers? That is the question...

It's that time of year again, the deadline is a mere3 days away and if you're an NHL GM or fan, the question is: Are we buyers or sellers? This year is a little more difficult than most, due to the fact that so many teams still feel they have a legitimate shot at the play-offs. This is causing many teams to hold back, which may be driving prices up. Also don't put it past some GM's to be coy and act like they're not sellers to try to drive the prices up for those last minute deals. Along that train of thought though... I thought maybe a shopping list of what some teams may need at the deadline to make that final push would be in order. Mostly just for fun since I admitedly have no "inside connections", but these are things that I think each team could use in their play-off runs, or lack thereof:-)

Anaheim Mighty Ducks -- Still have a legitimate shot to get into the play-offs, I think Burke would LOVE to have Big Bert under his wing again, but I think he's more likely to perhaps trade Giggy for something the Ducks have NEVER had... a legitimate #1 Centre... and no I don't count fedorov since he was a bust.
Atlanta Thrashers -- A couple of years ago, this team looked like it could turn into the next major Dynasty... Now it's clinging by a thread to play-off hopes. This team still has the offense to play with anyone, so their concerns should be twofold: Do they have a #1 goalie, and do they have the depth on the D they need to make a serious run? Survey says they need both.
Boston Bruins -- The Bruins took a big risk in trading a big, gifted #1 centre, but it has paid off. They are playing better as a team, and still have a shot to be in the race for the cup. They need to decide whether or not they have a #1 goalie and if Thomas can be that guy, they need to let him carry them.
Buffalo Sabres -- This is a team that one could easily argue doesn't NEED anything... but they do have an overstock of goalies. Look for the sabres to get some veteran leadership for a run.
Calgary Flames -- Scoring... top of the league in GAA near the bottom in Goals For...
Carolina Hurricanes -- The loss of Cole could change the dynamic here... Do they need more scoring since he's out, or do they need some physical presence to ensure that other teams don't take such liberties?
Chicago Blackhawks -- Fast Forward to next year. How can ANY goalie be worth 7 million when Broduer makes 5? That could be a mistake that hurts them for years.
Colorado Avalanche -- The Avs are ALWAYS shopping, don't be surprised to see a new goalie, defensive depth, and more scoring... Or nothing... Although the Avs tend to make at least a couple moves every deadline.
Columbus Blue Jackets - Although they are technically a "seller" don't expect many moves as injuries have held them back and they may give this group a full chance next year.
Dallas Stars - Probably just some veteren depth. The Stars are already a solid team.
Detroit Red Wings - Chasing another Swede right now in Sundin, but is he worth sending away a younger star?
Edmonton Oilers - They look to be in dire need of goaltending... They're fast, and they work hard, but their Goalies have let them down in too many games that they've dominated this year.
Florida Panthers - The Sellers with the most to offer... They have a chance to be very good if they keep who they have, but if the market is inflated they may try to maximize their assets by trading for some solid help as well as some bright futures. They have the most to gain.
Los Angeles Kings - Someone to take JR off their hands... He could be a boost in a play-off run, but his cap value is just too high and too long... and this is the best time to try to dump him.
Minnesota Wild - Someone to take the pressure off of Gaborik... See Calgary Flames.
Montreal Canadiens - Do the Canadians think that Jose is just shaken, or that he's done in Montreal? If it's the latter, we may see a blockbuster yet... They missed out on Vinnie, but they might take a run at Richards.
Nashville Predators - A solid team that could yet look for some depth up front
New Jersey Devils - This team could use some defensive depth... Loosing Neidermeyer and Stevens in the same year has hurt them defensively and even though they've looked much better as of late, Lou is likely looking to add some help on D.
New York Islanders - It's Mad Mike... Who knows... The only thing that anyon knows for sure is that Yashin is stuck on the Island, although many teams are likely interested in Parrish.
New York Rangers - Apparently want some toughness to go with their abundance of talent.
Ottawa Senators - Need a goalie, Hasek is done... They WILL get another stopper it's just a matter of whom.
Philadelphia Flyers - Once thought to be a contender, now looking shaky... They have a new #1 Goalie, and they have an abundance of young centres. Their D has too many older slower guys that could be detremental if the NHL keeps up with the penalty calls throughout the play-offs, which they claim they will.
Phoenix Coyotes - Sellers. Simply a matter of what's for sale and how much they can get. look for quite a vew moves from the Yotes.
Pittsburgh Penguins - Sid and Fleury need help... Lots of help... but first they need a long rest, they'll get it in just over a month. Recchi would likely get them the most return, but he's a guy that Patrick doesn't want to trade... Maybe someone should trade Patrick, most Pens fans are ready to see him move on.
San Jose Sharks - Getting Joe has improved the team immensely, loosing Stuart lost them a very good puck moving d-man. They should try to replace him.
St. Louis Blues - A bunch of guys playing for jobs next year, the only questions are: Do Drake, Tkachuk, and/or Young, Weinrich fit into their future plans.
Tampa Bay Lightning - Apparently looking for a goalie, management must not be sold on Grahame.
Toronto Maple Leafs - Isn't it time to blow this team up and start over? We'll find out soon. Tucker and Sundin could be great bait, and McCabe could possibly fetch a ton... Will his value EVER be higher?
Vancouver Canucks - Bert is playing without passion and the top line is suffereing. Look for him to go. Most people feel they will trade for some tending help. A lot will liekly depend on the prjected return of Cloutier, since they likely don't want to be stuck with 3 NHL goalies in the summer and have to let one go for next to nothing unless the absolutely need to.
Washington Capitals - Ovechkin and CO should be exciting to watch for a long time, but they won't be doing much this deadline now that Ollie has signed on for the long haul.

Enjoy the next few days!

2006-03-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

Now that's more like it...

Playing with renewed desperation and an angry Iggy, the Flames regained sole posetion on top spot in the NW division last night. Big E's for effort go to Shean Donovan who had his best game in a while and used his speed to his advantage like he should, and Jarome Iginla who for the first time in a month was able to dominate every time he was on the ice. This bodes well for the Flames, as both are streaky players that score their goals in bunches historically, so the next couple weeks could mean a windfall of goals for the Flames if these two get hot.

Things about play-off teams that concern me:

Flames: They dominated last night, the first period was a clinic in how to own your opponent... In the end aside from a last second empty-netter, it was still a one game game in the end. I know that the Flames are used to such close games, but it would be nice to see them score a little more often than thr 40 year old virgin once in awhile.

Oilers: Chris Pronger has looked lost lately... He's injured though, and he's a Vet, so he should be fine come play-off time... Their goaltending on the other hand looks suspect at this point. The worst part about that for the current tandem is that it won't matter whether or not any failing of the team is their fault or not: They WILL take the blame.

Canucks: Canucks fans think they need a goalie... they don't! They need Big Bert to start playing hockey again, or have him replaced with someone who can contribute on that first line. The Nucks have one of the best second lines in hockey... Problem is: Their first line is no longer one of the top lines in hockey and the Canucks have almost inadvertantly turned into a 1 line team again... Naslund has been great, but he needs more help... He's got Jarome Iginla-itis :-P

Sens: Record in low scoring games... 4-17 I think when scoring 3 or less... That won't cut it in the play-offs... Rumors that they're going after CuJo... Great... He'll dominate in the first round, then he'll get outplayed by the opposition goalie, just like he does every other year.

Habs: Now that Huet has been established as the #1 guy, the Habs actually look really good. Now if they can get some return on Theodore, which is likely if they want to trade him since I imagine most people assume he just needs a change of scenery, they could get even better. Don't forget that Mr. Gainey has a habit of taking dark-horse teams with hot second halves deep into the play-offs... Remember the North-Stars magical run in 91? Good Times:-)

Leafs: They're brutal on d... That's it... Even their best defenseman, who's an offensive dynamo, is an over-rated player defensively. What McCabe needs is a guy like Charlie Huddy was for Paul Coffey... A rock who can make up for any deficiencies defensively that his partner has. McCabe is an uper-echelon player at his best, but he's still a little suspect defensively, although I think with the right partner who can always be there defensively, I think McCabe could improve defensively and be a dominant guy at both ends. Problem is, the Leafs don't have anyone anywhere near those requirements. Just like every other year, the Leafs can go as far as Eddie's back can take them.

Baseball is coming soon, and the Jays actually have a shot this year!

Have a great day:-)

2006-02-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

What Happened? What does it mean?

Short answer: We were beaten by a team that was able to come together and play as a team faster than we were, and in the end it means simply one less medal for our country; nothing more, nothing less.

That isn’t enough for most Canadians though. We as fans need to analyze where we went wrong, why certain players were taken/left at home, why we didn’t win again in the game we arrogantly assume we are head and shoulders better at than any other nation in the world. At one point, that was true. Canada used to send amateurs to the Olympics and was quite successful until the mid twentieth century. Sometimes one has to wonder if as the general public, we actually do think that the Canadian team should still be able to win every game by more than ten goals. Judging by the comments of most fans, that does seem to be the general consensus as crazy as it may seem.

Fact is: There are a lot of countries that are producing very good hockey players now. Not just a few upper echelon players as in years past, but enough to be able to match-up with any team in the world, including a batch of Canadian All-Stars. In the exuberance that most Canadians tend to support their hockey, this fact is at times overlooked or forgotten. As was shown at this Olympics, even the Swiss are now able to field a very competitive team which means, if this trend continues, soon there will be no “automatic” games for any teams at the Olympics.

There has been much questioning about the heart and effort of the Canadian players, which is extremely unfair. There isn’t a player or a coach involved with that team who wasn’t committed entirely to defending their Gold medal. No… effort and heart was not the problem. A steadfast refusal to admit that the Olympic game on the Olympic ice is a much different game than the NHL game was the biggest obstacle the Canadian team faced, and wasn’t able to overcome.

No names need to be mentioned, since the players should not be faulted in this case. The management and coaching style picked a team that would have been unstoppable in North America, but on the big ice, they just weren’t able to put it together. Was it coaching? Well… It didn’t help that the Canadian coaches steadfastly refused to admit that the red-line no longer exists and continued to preach a game in which they moved the puck assuming that the centre line was in play instead of trying to use the rules to their advantage and using the entire ice, like most of the teams that are currently having success at these games. Now, this tactic worked well at the last Olympics, but recall that if not for a blunder by Mr. Salo, and the home team Americans allowing Canada to play a North American Style game in the finals, we as Canadian fans may very well still be searching for our first Olympic gold since 1952 in Vancouver in 2010. It’s not that Canadians can’t win at the Olympics, at this style of game. Canadians need to admit to themselves that hockey on the big ice is a much different game than what we’re used to and needs to be played that way in order to excel at it.

In auto racing, to win the Indy 500 a team doesn’t pick the best F1 road race driver to pilot their car. Because it doesn’t make sense… It’s a different style of racing when you’re racing an oval as opposed to a road track. We don’t expect the best tennis player on grass to be the best on clay… Yet for some reason, even thought there are similar differences in the Olympic vs. the NHL style of play, the Canadian brain trust has refused to admit that these discrepancies exist. And therein lies the problem. Until Canadians can admit that the best large-surface players should be playing in the Olympics, then we may be forced to continue to be disappointed. Not disappointed in the players, because they give it their all… Disappointed in the systems and the selections that lead us to where we are. The big ice requires a different mind and skill set than the smaller NHL style game. Not to mention the fact that most North American players don’t even ever see the big ice until a world championships or an Olympics which completely justifies their collective unfamiliarity with that style of game? Canadians aren’t bad at Olympic hockey; they simple aren’t used to it. It showed in 1998 and 2006 and was also pretty obvious during the Salt Lake Olympics until a few well times bounces went our way. We have every right to be proud of the fact that we produce the best hockey players in the world, but to expect them to be able to adjust to a different game in a matter of days when they’ve been playing a certain style their whole lives is expecting a lot. Not that it can’t be done, because it can. But the powers that be have to admit that it’s a different game and that we need to play it as such, before we can properly move forward.

The arrogance that Canada should be able to win any style of hockey game simply because it’s still hockey is an attitude that fans should have, but team architects can’t afford, however loath they are to admit to it. Canada will not always win, but it should at least give itself a fighting chance by taking the players that best suit the style of play and the systems that should be played, instead of taking players that best suit a style that works in what basically amounts to a different game, as much as we Canadians don’t want to admit it.

Have a great day

2006-02-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

Wakey, Wakey... Time to Wake Up

Ok... We can no lobger sleep-walk through the weaker teams at the Olympics. That much has become VERY clear. It should have been clear after the Swede's fiasco at the last Olympics, and even more so after the Czechs issues mere hours ago, but now it's come home. If Canada doesn't fire on all cylanders from the start, we could loose. I know European and Olympic watchers might think that to be a little arrogant on the part of Canadian fans, but history backs that up. In the vast majority of competitions when we send our best in hockey, we win. It's as simple as that. We created the Canada Cup so that we'd be able to prove it since we couldn't send our best to the Olympics.

To be honest, we also never really cared for the Olympic rules either... I mean, you run into a hot goalie, or you're a little off one night and you're done. Hey, we even screwed ourselves in the Canada Cup one year when we went to a single elimination and we lost to the USSR... which of course led to Alan Eagleson not letting the Soviet team have the trophy since they didn't beat us in a series, just a single elimination. Just an amusing little foot-note:-)

And then when we finally did get NHL players in the OLympics in Nagano, we were ousted again in a single elimination game when the Czech team clearly played the entire game with the goal of getting to the shoot-out. That was a bitter pill for Canadian fans to swallow since along with the single elimination, the shoot-out has been a thorn in our side for years.

What's the point? Am I here to talk about how we've been wronged by the goal dis-allows against the Swiss? I think they speak for themselves, and they show that Canada needs to play smarter. I know that red flags are going up around the country and for the next 24 hours at least people will be asking: What's wrong with Canadian Hockey? Truth is, as hard as it may be to swallow... Nothing... Nothing is wrong, other countries are getting A LOT better. Teams play to slow Canada down, sometimes we don't adapt, sometimes we run into a hot goalie, sometimes we don't get up for games like every other team in the world gets up for us. Those are individual laspses or performances in individual games. It's not an issue with the system. Also don't forget that the Olympic ice is a lot different to play on... Anyone who has played on both sizes of ice will attest to that, yet we expect our players, who at best play on these dimentions a few times a year, or at worst once in a blue moon to automatically adapt since it's their job to be professional hockey players. It's not as simple as that, although most of our teams throughout history have adapted quite well.

The point is that, in the end, to the Swiss, this win was HUGE, but to Canadian hockey it's simply a wake-up call. It doesn't hurt their chances to medal since it's just the preliminary round. What it does do is remind the Canadian players that they can't take anything for granted and that even close negligable calls will be whistled down... Maybe someone should remind Big Bert that the ref doesn't care if he was BARELY touching the crease... He got called on that a few times. Maybe someone should tell Jarome that it's much easier to score if you hit the net, of course I know he's not missing on purpose, he's going for the perfect shot because he HAS that ability, sometimes when you don't have the hot hand, though, a rebound off the pads is prefereable to the puck carooming back into your own zone and may even lead to a better scoring chance.

In the end the Canadians looked a lot more like individuals who had just gotten together than a unified team, and although they do have the time to gel still before the elimination round starts, that time is quickly running out. I think they'll be fine, but a hot goalie and a lucky bounce or two can be the difference in this type of tournament, and that makes for two truisms... It's what makes these tournaments so unpredicatable and exciting and ,as Canadian fans, it's also why we sometimes hate them:-)

Have a great Day

2006-02-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

Surprises Abound in Turin!

Wow... it's been crazy in Olympic hockey so far. The US comes back to salvage a tie against Latvia, the Czechs loose to the Swiss, the Russians bow to the Slovaks. Finland has looked great, which is a bit of a surprise considering that the Fins were projected to have issues due to so many players having to back out. Canada didn't look as strong as they would have liked to start game 1 against the Italians, but they did have a strong second half of the game to garner the win. I think there's still a lot to be worked out as far as jet-lag and getting used to each other so I feel that it's difficult to judge any team based on any preliminary round results. Once the medal round starts we'll get a better idea of how the players have gelled and how they will perform together. These games are more inportant to get to know your linemates and your systems than they are to get results. That's what happens when you have a team just thrown together right before the tournament and then play immediately upon arrival. Not a knock against the system, just a fact. Don't base any opinion on what's happened so far. Remember how bad Canada looked against Sweeden in 2002? I was bartending at the time and I remember how crushed fans were, and how people started panicking immediately after the game. All I said to anyone who asked me what I thoght was that it didn't mean anything... It was a first game with guys that hadn't played together and they'd get better... The same goes for every team here. Of course... you need to show up at least a little in the prelims to get to the medal round, but as much as promoters and such don't want to admit it, the prelim round is a lot like pre-season for professional sports... You use it to find out what will work for you and you hope you come together fast enough to win them all, but having your team learn to play together is the most important part.

As far as the women are concerned it looks like we may have another US/Canada final... You on't say!:-P The Canadian team is taking a lot of flak. Not just from other teams and other fans of other countries, but from right here in Canada as well. Canadians are so funny... We want or teams/athletes to win... But win in a nice way... Don't embarass the other team... Winning isn't everything... Just go out and have fun... blah, blah, blah... Well I have news for these people: As long as we keep thinking that way, we WILL have trouble winning. Winning requires a blind focused determination on winning and nothing else. You can't let up... You can't show weakness. Now... It would be nice to be able to not let up, but to play your lesser-talented players more often in the blow-out games. But the IIHF rules dictate that the home team advantage in the finals will be judged using a tie-break system. This would be head to head record (They won't face each other until the finals) and failing that, goal differential. Therefore the only way to ensure that they get home ice advantage (which means last change which is VERY important to match lines) is to score as many goals as they can.

Personally I don't like the rule because it DOES lead to teams having to blow opponents out, especially in women's hockey where 2 countries are so much better than any others at this point. It's a growing pain that womens hockey will have to suffer through. Because let's face it... Most of the other teams don't stand a chance against the NA teams. Not much can be done about that, and it's sad for the teams that can't compete but it's the rules.

Have a great day.

2006-02-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

Oh... You mean we reported stuff without worrying about facts?

Sorry about no week-end posts... was very busy:-)

As a prelude, the first time I recall running into this syndrome was when I was in Edmonton and the 6 o'clock news opened with a BIG story: "A man with first degree burns was sent home from Emergency today due to the bed shortage!". Ok... So a dude with a sun-burn didn't get to take up a hospital bed... WTF???? He should be charged for wasting the doctors time and taxpayer's money (It's paid here in Canada:-) But first degree sounds bad, like first degree murder, so the media swings it that way to get ultimate shock value. I haven't watched the news since. I don't know much about what's going on in the world outside of sports:-P But now it's coming after me, and I don't like it.

So I'm on my way to work today, and there's BIG news in the Gretz connection with Tocchet in regards to the taped phone conversations. They were recorded AFTER Tocchet was indicted. You mean Rick Called one of his best friends, and his boss after he found out he was in legal trouble? How strange. Nice of the media to completely sensationlize the story and then have it come out later that it was all just a well scripted plan to give a boost to what could amount to some guys betting large (to us) money and football and not paying taxes on it.

So whose fault is this tragic miscarriage of the general public's trust in the media? Did the police purposely hide some information? Maybe. Did the Media jump the gun and not investigate properly in order to get the facts straight? Possibly. But in the end, the burden of this mistake has to fall on the public. This is all done because if the Headline isn't sensational, the public won't buy it, watch it, or read it. We've screwed ourselves into a corner will a mindless LUST to see heroes fail. Now this isn't the case for all fans of course. But let me just say that parasites like the paparazzi wouldn't exist if there weren't twisted fans that enjoy seeing celebs in comprimising situations... They should all be shot as far as I'm concerned, but there are a lot of magazines making money hand-over-fist thanks to the degenerates that read this trash.

Jerry Springer made a career out of shock value, Maury Povich... So many day-time talk show hosts that ignored truth, and reality in many cases, in order to give the public the ultimate in shock value. And when the public found out that most (if not all) of Springer's shows were scripted, and fake... People watched it anyway. And therin lies the problem.

The general public DOESN'T care about facts, or the truth, or what really happened. They want to be shocked, and outraged, so that they can sit on their high horse and symbolically look down on the people that have been more successful. Sadly the public always wants the night in shining armour to have a tarnished breastplate and a secret in the closet once they've saved the day. And to me, that's sad...

Sorry this post wasn't more sports related, but this stuff really pisses me off.

Have a great day.

2006-02-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

Warning... Strong Opinion to Follow......

Ok... Operation Slap-Shot is taking people down. Even the Great One has been implicated in phone tapings if not in any wrong doing as of yet. His wife, however, has apparently been betting a few $$$ in her spare time. Now there is going to be a HUGE uproar about the many evils of betting and how bad it is, and how it's ruining sport. There are many factors that have gone into what is going on in the swamp, and I will attempt to give my skewed version of where I sit as a fan, and just as a disclaimer: My thoughts are my own, if you disagree, let me know... if you quote me, give me credit, thank-you.

Ok, first off... What we have is an illegal gambling ring with possible mafia ties and money laundering. Apparently there was approximately 1.7 million dollars bet in the last 40 days. We don't know by how many people, but we can assume it was more than 5. We can also assume that these were relatively well-off people when it comes to money judging by who is being implicated.

Now. People that watch sports bet. Not all fans bet, but most do. Remember: Entering a pool is a form of betting. I think it wouldn't take a big leap of faith for people to buy into the theory that betting on sports has increased the fans, and in turn, the financial gain of sports in general. Sports realize this. Business people realize this. If betting wasn't important to leagues, then why would injury reports exist? And why do they need to be updated daily? Well for betting purposes of course. Let us also remember that the single highest day for betting on sports, at least in North America, is Super Bowl Sunday. Which quickly follows the BCS Bowl series, which is also very popular in betting circles? I will then hypothesize that perhaps the 1.7 million dollars mentioned, wouldn't qualify as being the norm as far as betting would go for this group. In the end, it doesn't really matter, but I think this time was targeted specifically by Operation Slap Shot in order to garner the gaudiest financial figures and in turn, the most public outrage and publicity. Well done on their part.

Now, although I don't agree with what the parties involved did, I will do them the service of at least hypothesizing the circumstances that could lead them into such a mess. Not condoning mind you, but at least giving it some level headed thought instead of throwing big scare numbers, and mentioning organized crime in order to achieve the expected, and in the DA's case, likely necessary, offended response.

People bet all the time, everyday there's someone who has their favorite team at a buddy’s favorite team and they wager 5, 10, 50, and 100. That happens in every office in every city in North America. Now, 10 bucks is nothing to your average Joe as it is also nothing to any internal revenue agency. If you don't claim it. No-one's the wiser. Consider that to someone whose net worth is in excess of a few million dollars (VERY conservative estimate in regards to ANY of the people who've been mentioned). Then 10,000 all of the sudden isn't that much. Worth is relative. To me, $100 is more than half a day's work. For an NHL player, 10,000 would be around 5 shifts for an average player who makes 1.5 million and plays around 10 shifts a game. So... Not an exact analogy, but similar enough to use I would suggest. The point is that what seems to be a ton of money to a regular shmo on the street is just a slice of the disposable income our beloved heroes enjoy. It's the way life is. If you make more, you spend more. Simple economics, they have more disposable income, so they spend more.

Now, wouldn't it be convenient if there was just one person you could call to make a bet, and then that way you wouldn't have to find a supporter of the other team? Now here's where I must say even I disagree with what they (allegedly) did, since there are so many viable options as far as where to bet legally, and as has been mentioned it's not like they didn't have the means to find such options. But I digress. Now we need a book-keeper, a bank, so that anyone who wants to can place a bet. Maybe they just didn't trust any off-shore sites, or maybe they figured that if someone makes money doing this, and the government allows it to happen elsewhere, why should we give someone else money to process our bets when we can just do it ourselves? Makes sense... I can see how they would come to such a conclusion. Problem is: someone will make money, and with the amount of dollars being thrown around, it was to us a LOT of money. Now Uncle SAM doesn't like it when there's a lot of money being made and he doesn't get his cut. Which I believe is where we are now. Since you can't let Uncle Sam know you have money, since you acquired it through an illegal gambling ring, then you kind of have no choice but to try to hide the money, or launder it. Again, I don't condone the act, but I think that I can see how this all came about.

Some people like to make wagers. These people did. They figured out a way to not have to pay an offshore betting service, or a Vegas service, or blah, blah, blah... And when people found out, more people started betting, since it was (in their eyes) a nice alternative to what's out there. One thing we need to remember, and as I mentioned earlier this week, is that they NEVER bet on the sport they were involved in. I know that since they were betting at all, the media will try to ostracize these people and generally attempt to drag them through the mud and ruin their standing in the community... As I read on one post, there are already people demanding that Wayne be removed from the HHOF... Get off their backs you parasites. Quit trying to use their misfortune for your own gain. For the most part, most of them did what many sports fans do: They placed wagers on sporting events that had NOTHING to do with their own professions. It's good to know that EVERYONE else on earth ALWAYS claims every single penny of income they get in a year... Now that's kind of unfair, since in Canada, winning are tax free, but I would imagine that the guy on wall street that wins his weekly NFL pool from his buddies doesn't claim that as income. And maybe to these people, that's how they could justify it.

Again, I don't agree with everything that they are accused of doing, but I will say that for the most part, they just practiced what most sports fans do but on a larger scale... Because they have the means to do so. I think that they should be charged for what they did that is illegal, because the laws must be respected, but let's not pretend or promote the idea that these people were leaching on society, or trading kiddie-porn, or generally contributing to the decline of western civilization as we know it. In the end it was fans betting on sports that got greedy. We don't remove people from the HHOF for getting greedy now do we: Insert name of any owner before 1970 that basically exploited players for their own gain.

It may not be a popular opinion,
But have a nice day:-)

2006-02-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

Oh Baby! I Love Ponakarovish... Oh wait, I've messed it up again...

Thanx to Mike Richards (The Calgary radio guy, not the NHL player) for that inspiration.

The Leafs looked average again, but Eddie looked outstanding as the Buds were able to complete the season series sweep of the Thrashers with a 4-1 victory last night at the ACC. There were a few scary moments however as the Thrashers played very physical against the Leafs and had a couple of their superstars on the ice for extended periods of time. Brain McCabe went down 13:33 into the first and looked to be in extreme pain as he rolled on the Ice and looked like he had suffered another major injury, but was actually back before the end of the period which seemed to irk Bob Hartley in the post-game interviews since the hit garnered a five minute major to Serge Aubin and an ejection in a game where McCabe went on to play the rest of the game and even contributed a goal.

McCabe wasn't the only Leaf star to appear to be in trouble on this night either, as Mats Sundin got his bell rung in a big way when a Thrasher caught him in the head with a big open Ice hit on a Leafs rush, Mats went down in a heap and looked to be hurt as well but was also able to continue. Adding insult to injury was the fact that Mats also got cut with an errant stick later in the game.

The story this night, however, was the stellar play of Eddie Belfour who again was able to keep his team in the game until they could get ahead and then keep them in the lead once they did. Funny that just a scant couple of weeks ago there were many people calling for Belfour to be traded and Sundin to be moved and Quinn to be fired. Face it Leaf fans, this team will likely not change very much as injuries have essentially tied the organization's hands although I would really like to see them get some defensive help, but the fact remains with the Leafs as it has for years: This team will go as far as Eddie's wonky back can take them. If they get Lindros back and Mats can resemble himself at all, and assuming everyone can stay relatively healthy, the Leafs could have a decent run in the play-offs. Having some more help on 'D' would sure help matters however, and not just in keeping the chances down but keeping Eddie fresh during the play-off grind.

I know there is a lot of talk and rumor floating around regarding Operation Slap Shot in NJ. Now there is a lot going on and there are a lot of rumors floating around so it's not clear exactly what has happened or what is going to happen but there is good news for us hockey fans. According to reports from the NJ authorities no NHL players were betting on any NHL games which is a very good thing.

Have a great day!

2006-02-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

Midseason... No Olympic break... I mean... ahh whatever... it's a status report

So we’re almost at the Olympic break, and the play-off races are taking shape and heating up! It should be a wild race to the finish this year as you could legitimately argue that 25 of the teams still have a shot at making the post-season. This is great for fans as it gives teams a reason to fight and should provide us with some great hockey for the rest of the year. Since I haven’t given out any team by team reports this year, I thought I would just give a quick overview on how the Canadian teams are doing here just before the Olympic break.

The Leafs have turned positive the last week or so and the best (or most optimistic depending on your point of view) fans in the NHL are convinced that they’re contenders again. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… You have to love Leafs fans. There are very few other teams in professional sports that you can honestly say have always had the unconditional support of their fans. Now I don’t mean to say that the fans always like what the team does, but they’ve been able to fill the building even when they’re team was brutal and for that the fans should be congratulated. I’m not a Leafs fan myself, but I do have a soft spot for the team. They were just so bad in the eighties that I guess I felt sorry for the fans, because even though their team was run by a complete wing-nut they stilled showed up and supported the buds. As for this year, their goaltending has been good; problem is, their defense is suspect at best even with McCabe in the lineup (and he improves their d exponentially when he’s healthy) you’re still looking at a team with a #1 defenseman, one ¾ and a whole bunch of 5-7 guys… Now some guys are young and will improve like Coliacovo, who will be a 1-2 guy in the near future. Problem is: the Leafs need help right now. Injuries have hurt the front end it’s true, but the problem with the Leafs lies in their defense, and until they get some upgrades they’ll be susceptible to the lopsided loss. Of course, Belfour has been able to steal games for them in the past, so they could actually make the play-offs and surprise some people yet.

The Ottawa Senators were a pre-season favorite, and they cruised out of the gate like nobody’s business with the hottest line in hockey for the first quarter. The team that always seemed to stumble against big brother in the play-offs finally looked poised to end the curse and move on to creating a winning tradition for an Ontario team. Course, that was about 2 months ago and the wheels have become a little squeaky since then. The Hurricanes have caught the Sens for first place overall and don’t look now but the Sabres are closing the gap quickly for the division lead. Is Hasek the same shut-down goalie he was a few years ago and can he take this team to the next level? Interesting stat I saw last night. When the Sens score 4 or more, they’re 32-0, 3 or less 3-17… Seems like they have a hard time winning the tight checking, low scoring, and close games… So I’ll go out a limb and predict the same thing I have for the past five years… Sens will win their division, and find a way to loose to the Leafs who have no business winning but will inexplicably be able to handle the Sens again… Hey, go with what works.

Has there truly been a more Jeckle and Hyde team than the Habs this year? They were incredible to start the season and looked to be on their way to a play-off birth and then the wheels came off… The team had a few injuries, lost some confidence, and took a fast downhill turn that ended up costing their coach his job. In comes GM and former Canadians star Bob Gainey to right the ship. They looked good the first few games, looked to be turning the ship back around… Then Jose Theodore forgets how to stop the puck… So they’re finally done, right? No… Cristobal Huet has come in as the new savior posting 2 straight shut-outs and keeping the Habs in the play-off hunt. It’s just too bad that they won’t likely play the Bruins this year so they’re unlikely to get a first round win! In Gainey and Carbonneau’s hands, however, they look to be on the right track to rebuilding a winner in Montreal.

The Oilers made more impact signings in free agency this season than they’ve made since the early 80’s, and it’s made them a better team. Problem is: they’re in the best division in the NHL. Chris Pronger is having the best season an Oiler defenseman has ever had. What does he play? Like 56 minutes a game? They’re riding him pretty hard, and better hope he can keep it up through the play-offs because I think they’d be in a lot of trouble if they lost him. They did make some good moves to shore up their ‘d’ recently with the additions of Tarnstrom and Spacek that should take some pressure off of Pronger, but many feel that the Oilers have issues in net. I think just due to public pressure the Oilers may pick up a vet at the trade deadline for a play-off run, but by the same token, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Morrison be the guy playing the Oilers final game this year.

The Flames were listed by SI as the pre-season favorites to win the west, now they may win the conference finals again this year, but I don’t see how anyone looked at the North-West division and the weighted schedule before the season and actually could have predicted that anyone in this division could grab the #1 seed in the west going into the play-offs. The Flames started ugly and have cooled recently, but in between, they we’re among the hottest teams in the league from Oct. 1 to Jan 1. The Flames are one of the toughest teams to play against since they are so physical, but it also causes them issues as some games they just look bagged. It’s not easy to play Sutter hockey for 82 games in the regular season, but it’s also extremely hard to beat any team that truly buys into that system in a seven game series. Jarome Iginla has been very hot and cold, and he needs to put up better numbers, but he also needs some secondary help which Sutter has implied he will be addressing closer to the trade deadline. One of the biggest positives this year has been the play of rookie Dion Phaneuf. As far as I’m concerned, he should be the rookie of the year, I’ll get into that another day but it’s a valid argument. Trust me.

The Canucks are still looking to shed the label of a team that just can’t get to the next level. The loss of their number goalie could have left them in a shambles, but Alex Auld has filled in admirably and the Sedins have finally found a guy they can play with in Anson Carter. The Canucks have been a one line team for a long time so the maturing of the Sedins has finally given them the kind of scoring depth that every team dreams of. It’s just too bad that their number one line hasn’t been able to match the success of their number two. Big Bert was projected to have a big year with the new rule changes, but too often this year he has looked listless and disinterested. Hopefully the Olympic break will regenerate this line since when they’re firing on all cylinders they’re one of the most exciting lines in hockey to watch. That said: they are tied for first place in their division which isn’t too bad for a team that lost their top goaltender and is getting a sub-par performance out of their top line.

Three of the Canadian teams play in the same division: the Northwest. Now I’ve heard some people complain that the ‘New’ NHL isn’t exciting enough and they’re isn’t enough physical play, but let me tell you: Watch a NW division game, and you will change your mind. Any game between the Canucks/Oilers/Flames has been a war. It’s like getting a split up 8 game play-off series during the regular season. Now what could be more fun than that? Meeting in the play-offsJ

Have a great day.

2006-02-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

Super Bowl or Bust...

Today is the day! The biggest sporting event of the year by media standards, yet all too often a let-down for fans. Not that the Super-Bore nickname always applies, but there have been a lot more duds than desserts after the main course of the season throughout NFL history. For every game where there's a last second play that seals the deal like Super Bowl 34 between the Rams and Titans, there are too many either Blow-outs, or just plain old dull games. As as late, the games have started to live up to their hype a lot more often, though, as all of the New England victories have at least been close. Maybe not the most exciting games to see overall, but at least the drama was there til the end. And that's my wish for today. I know the sentimental vote will have people wanting to see the bus ride out at home with the Lombardi trophy, and the North-Western fans would like to see their Hawks win so they can FINALLY get some R-E-S-P-E-C-T, but in the end, I just want it to be a great game... The chilli is simmering and the wings are good to go. Regardless of whether it's a great game or not, you gotta have the snacks.

So the Leafs played great to start, Belfour stood on his head, and they held on to beat a very hot Devils team last night. I guess this means that the Leafs are cupm contenders again:-D

The Oilers garnered a huge win in badly outplaying the Canucks last night. I know the Canucks had just come off a HUGE win against the Flames, but it's not a good thing when a division rival who is chasing you is able to outshoot you 40-17. Man the NW division is gonna be a war of attrition to the bitter end. Good for the fans, because it's like play-off hockey every time any two teams from the NW get together.

Super Bowl pick...
The Bus makes one last stop to pick up the Lombardi trophy... he grabs the MVP for good measure.

Have a great day

2006-02-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

Bring on the break...

In a game where Calgary started fast, but ended up looking burnt out in the end the Flames relinquished top spot to the Vancouver Canucks last night. Great for the Canucks, as they win their third in a row after a tough start to this road trip, Bad for the Flames as they lost their third in a row which especially stung since this one was against a division rival.

The Canucks deserved the win. That's the simple explanation. Their first line didn't produce, but they got big games from the Sedin twins and Anson Carter, and a HUGE game from Ryan Kesler that sparked the Canucks and led to the victory. Kesler was a sparkplug on the ice all night and even went toe-to-toe with Iggy and proved that he has what it takes to be playing with the big boys.

The Flames need to find a way to produce some goals... They're playing well defensively but not getting the results they need. They looked to be tired last night, and I think that the Olympic break will help recharge their batteries but they need to get a couple wins in the next three games so they don't go into the break on a low.

Have a great day.

2006-02-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

I tink I don't tink so....

(note the h's are missing on purpose... I had a buddy that used to say that when he was drunk:-)

Yeah, yeah, Columbus looks stron in beating both Alberta teams by shootout on back to back nights, the Bruins look like they have a new starting goalie and the Pens are even worse without Sid the Kid and many other things happened last night in NHL play. But something is happening, correction, WILL happen soon if we don't watch out. And this thing that is happening will affect fans more than anything else. Which is why WE as fans need to stand up and take notice!

The issue is that the NHL and RBK are looking to change the jerseys that NHL teams wear. Now I don't know how many people got to see the prototype in the pre-season Olympic skates the Canadian team had. But They are VERY tight, form fitting jerseys that tuck into the pants. To be honest, it looked like a guy playing hockey in a downhill skiing outfit.

Now, the physics and the companies will tell us that these jerseys are more aerodynamic, keep equipment in place better and form better thus leading to better performance and safer conditions for players. Yeah... I routinely see guys show up at the outdoor rink in a unitard and the guy just dominates... But I digress... At some point, marketing needs to take a good look at these jerseys and say WTF? Explain to me how I'm supposed to get the general public, who... saty with me on this... Are COMPLETLY responsible for our league existing, to buy a skin tight jersey to support their team. Now, I'm not saying that there aren't people that would buy them and wear them, but lets face it... The general public as a whole aren't a bunch of 4% body fat, toned muscular athletes. Not tyo mention the fact that during the Olympic orientation they COULDN'T even get one on Big Bert. Now Todd Bertuzzi isn't the skinniest guy in the NHL, I'll admit that. But he's still in insanely good shape compared to your average Joe. So if he can't get one on where does that leave the rest of us? And if we can't get one on, we certainly won't be buying any.

Now If I remember correctly, Mr. Bettman has always insisted that everything he's done (including the lock-out) has been to benefit us, the fans. Now he has an opportunity to put his money where his mouth is. The fans don't care if with his new jersey Alexander Ovechkin can actually add 2 mph over a 100 meter track when skating at full speed... HAVE the RBK people EVER seen hockey? There are very few points in a game if ever where that would EVER matter. It's not important to fans, and I would imagine to players either... This would create a uniform look, and players like to have their own idiosyncracies... Imagine Wayne with no one side tucked in. Fans want to know that when they buy a jersey, they're wearing the same (basically) jersey that their favorite player is donning for that game. And for that reason alone, the NHL needs to tell RBK to go fly a kite.

The fans have spoken... Well, one has... Hopefully I'll get some support:-)

Have a great day!

2006-02-02T09:09:00.000-07:00

Blockscratcher???

The Flames unloaded Phillipe Sauve and Steve Reinprecht last night after their loss. Now I wasn't too disappointed in Sauve and I think he has potential, but he clearly fell out of favour with Sutter, and Sutter tends to not keep guys he doesn't like on his team. As far as Reinprecht goes on the other hand, I have to say I expected more out of him. He's been a scoring guy his entire life, a guy who's put up points everywhere he's played. He played for the Badgers(WIS) and then at the Olympics with Dany Heatly so he's used to having a big strong scoring winger flanking him. I guess I just thought that he could be the answer for Iggy. It looked to me like he just never gained the confidence to make the kind of plays I know he can make. He's the type of guy that when confident makes the types of passes no-one expects and turns nothing rushes into big plays. He could give Pheonix a good addition up front. Sauve gives them a (notwithstanding his dispute with Sutter) a goalie that should be able to back up Cujo for now and possibly be a starter in the Future.

As far as the Flames are concerned: we get Boucher, who should be a viable back-up for Kipper and has handled starting duties before so he could be relied upon for longer stretches if Kipper (god forbid) gets into injury trouble. As far as that goes, based on experience alone, this is an upgrade in net for the Flames. I don't really understand the reasoning behind Leclerc to be honest tho. Not that he's a bad player, I think he's a hard-working stand up, fundementals guy. But the Flames already have a lot of those guys and are short on offense. And as much as he may have been a little bit of a disappointment stats-wise, Rhino was potentially at least, a good offensive guy. Sutter hasn't been wrong in too many things... If at all thus far with the Flames, so I'll reserve judgement, but I wonder if the upgrade in the nets offsets the downgrade in talent. As with all trades, only time will tell.

As far as this trade maybe being a way to clear up salary, the Flames actually add around 100k to their payroll overall so that wasn't a motivating factor.

As far as the game went last night, the Flames have fallen into a fairly disturning trend as of late. Outplaying teams, out-chancing and out-shooting them, and all around dominating them for the most part, only to loose a close one or loose in a shoot-out. Speaking of the shoot-out, is there any other play-off team that has a worse shoot-out record? Kipper is now 1-5 in shoot-outs... I think Sauve won 2... I can't recall right now... But when you have your goal-scorer (Iggy) who can't seem to score during the shoot-out and a goalie that has issues stopping the puck during them, that's a lot of points to give away over the season. Of course, common sense would tell you that if the Flames could just bury some of their chances in regulation then the shoot-out wouldn't be able to haunt them.

Is it just me or is Ottawa starting to look very beatable in a 7 game series? Their first line is great, but I don't know if they can do it in a series. They're always my favorite team to pick against as an upset tho so I'm biased... Biased because they seem to make me look smart:-P

Have a great day!

2006-01-31T08:34:00.000-07:00

Can you believe this muther....

If you know Eddie Murphy, you know the rest...

So what d-men will Canada take to Turin? Decisions are expected in the next couple of days, but we know know for sure that Jovo-Cop is gone (does anyone call him that anymore?) and the jury on Niedermeyer and McCabe is still out. That means that Canada could potentially be in the market for three new blueliners. Good thing we're Canada and even with 3 d-men going down, we have the depth to counteract the effects of such losses. Interesting to note is that according to Bob McKenzie, there are four players most likely in the running to fill these potential spots. The players he names are: Scott Hannan, Jay Bouwmeester, Dion Phaneuf, and Dan Boyle. Of course I've said that Dion Phaneuf is the most impressive rookie I've seen in years, and I would LOVE to see him on this team, and especially considering the way he dominated the WJHC last year, and the way he's been able to fit into the Flames this year I think he'd do very well... Saying that, when you look at the makup of this team, he'd be one of the youngest members on it, not to mention the only rookie so I would say he's a long-shot at best, and probably only mentioned because he's exceeded what pretty much anyone thought he could do. Still, it's got to be an honor just to be mentioned along with these other stars and you know he'll be in Canada's plans for the forseeable future.

If you want to beat the Flames, start a goalie that no-one knows about...

Going back as far as the 94 play-offs when a stud named Wade Flaherty stoned the Flames in game 7 for San Jose, the Flames have had trouble with rookie or unproven goalies. It's like a curse. Munro shut them out last week, then Sanford shuts them down last night and any Flames fan knows that this has been the case for years. Make note coaches around the NHL... An unproven goalie is like Kryptonite to the Flames. And why is it that so many players in the NHL can't fake the shot properly to fool the goalie... Saw a great one by Wideman in St. Louis last night... Drop the shoulder people... It works... just flicking your wrists doesn't fool an NHL goalie...

Ottawa better hope Boston doesn't sneak into a first round series against them. The Bruins have dominated Ottawa (LOVE that PUN) this year and topped them again last night to the tune of 5-0. For every team, there always seems to be at least one team that has your number, now historically for Ottawa it's been their Ontario brethren, but this year it's been all Bruins so far. Now the Bruins have played more games then most of the teams they're chasing so it'd be a stretch, but that's why they play the games.

Speaking of Ottawa's Ontario kin, the Leafs were finally able to get their monkey off their back last night as they were able to top Florida 4-2 to stop the bleeding. With the win, the Leafs have regained the 8th spot in the East, but the Habs Bruins and Thrashers are only two points behind. And the Habs have 2 games at hand... The fight for the last play-off spot in the East should be great this year, and that's a good thing!

Have a great day!

2006-01-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

That's not how it's supposed to work...

In a game that most would have chalked up as one in which the Flames should have been able to garner two points, they literally got a taste of their own medicine when the Hawks beat them at their own game. The Flames did outshoot the Hawks, but the Hawks relied on some great goaltending and some timely bounces to douse the Flames 2-0. That's two losses in a row, and one to a bottom dweller... Should we panic??? No... They'll be fine, it's just a bump in the road. Teams have games where they can't score... A hot goalie is the ultimate equalizer, and when you start with a team that regularly struggles with offense as it is, a hot goalie can stop you in your tracks as Munro did last night. And he did stop them... It wasn't like the Ottawa/Montreal game where Hasek alluded that in a game like that he shouldn't be given credit for a shut-out because it was too easy... Munro made some big saves, especially in the third and gave his team a chance to win, and for persevering and getting a win while leaning on their goalie, I'd kind of be a hypocrite to not appreciate that, eh? :-P

The Leafs are in trouble... Now don't read this as Pat Quinn is in trouble, because he's not. The Leafs are! And if they don't start getting some players back they won't be able to upset Ottawa in the first round like they're destined too... So come on guys... get the hypervaric (sp?) chamber or whatever it takes and get back on the ice... And somebody go wake up Mats Sundin... Seriously... I know he's in the lineup, but he needs to start playing with some confidence... The old double entendre... You get confidence by playing well... you play well when you're confident...

Will Finland be dressing a goalie for the Olympics? Kari Lehtonen withdrew yesterday? Is their team that bad that no-one wants a little taste of Alan Bester in the 80's? Remember when Don Cherry said that he's seen more pucks than a dead skunk on the trans Canada highway?

Speaking of players missing the Olympics: Canadian defensemen are dropping at an alarming rate... Dion Phaneuf may just make team Canada yet...

Carolina is retiring Ron Francis's #10... Great move... he will be the 90's version of Marcel Dionne... one of the greatest of his era, in 10 years no-one will know who he is... Except us nutbar fans that will bitch about the fact that no-one remembers him!

Have a great day!

2006-01-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

Giguere... What are you doin????

That was pretty crazy last night, and I'm sure that this morning everyone will be talking about how he lost it and how he's a wing-nut and what the %^#$ was he thinking. Well I'm going to jump to Giggy's defense a little, since I know that all of the highlights will just focus on his break-down and freak-out. Fact is, Ryan Smyth did interfere with him and didn't get called. That's it. It led to a goal. Not much anyone can do after the fact if no call was made. I sympathize with Giguere because I saw the replay and I know that Smyth hit his stick. That being said however, he needs to let it go. Nothing he does will change anything, and in fact, it could be argued that what he did do ended up costing his team the game. You can't have a player on the ice be that selfish. And in the end, that's what it was. A selfish temper-tantrum that you'd expect from a 3 year old that isn't getting his way. Like I said: I know for a fact that Smyth interfered with him. But pouting about it and having a melt-down won't change it. How many teams will now take a page from the book of Ryan and do their best to get under Giggy's skin now? All told, you'd have to conclude that it was a smart play by a wily player that helped his team win. Was it cheap? Maybe a little, but it wasn't dirty. And as long as you're not trying to injure a guy, those little ploys will get appreciated by people like me.

I'd also like to say that I feel for Randy Carlisle, but calling out his goalie when he's in the middle of the melt-down in front of the entire team wasn't the right thing to do. Of couse Giggy was acting selfish, but if Carlisle wanted to make a point, or to be honest for the sake of his team he should have pulled him to let him cool off... Just sent the back-up in and said: I know he caught you, I saw the replay, I'm on your side... We just need you to calm down. We all know how goalies that get into battles with their coaches feel... Just ask Mario Tremblay how much he liked coaching the Patrick Roy-less Habs. Again, his goalie was blowing the game. But Giggy obviously was in no state to be reasoned with, so you don't try. It was pointless, and could potentially hurt their relationship. Now, for all we know Giggy apologized to his team-mates and coaches after the game, and everything is hunky-dory. I could see him doing it since he's been a leader there for a few years. I just don't think Carlisle handled it well.

Justv one Mario Memory to sneak in... I was rooting for the North Stars in 1991. They had Bobby Smith and Mike Modano and Chris Dalquist and characters like Marc Tinordi and Marc Bereau and were just a great group of guys that came together and geared it up for a HUGE play-off run. They even won the first game to get a split in Pittsburgh which had been the way they started their other 3 series. I was pumped, I was ready and I was happy... Then Mario took over. I only got to watch highlights of Bobby Orr since I was born just a few years before he was forced to retire, but I always thought that when Orr took over a game it must have looked like what Mario did against the Stars in 1991. He was incredible. He litterally took the team on his back and ensured that they would win. He was so smooth and so precise that it was like a man playing against a bunch of high-school kids. Jon Casey had a great second half that year, and was incredible in the play-off run, but against Mario he looked out of place. I know Wayne has the numbers, and I've always thought that Orr was the greatest all around player ever... But when Mario was on top of his game, I think he was the only player in history that was truly Unstoppable. And I think that's what I'll remember about Mario Lemieux.

Have a great day!

2006-01-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

Here We Go Again...

So I'm watching the conference finals, basking in the Flames latest victory... And I'm talking to a buddy who's a TO fan. Now, if you read me at all you know I have a soft spot for the leafs. Most people probably think that it's because I'm a closet Leafs fan, but that's not it. I think Leafs fans are funny. It's true! They amuse me. There is no other set of fans in hockey that are absolutly convinced that their team will win EVERY SINGLE YEAR even though there is no evidence to support it. In fact, the only thing in T.O. I can guarantee every year is that they will sell out every game. Hell, they sold out every game when Ballard was running them into the ground in the 80's and I would bet that there were still fans who thought they were going to pick it up in '88 and end the run of Alberta representation from the West in the cup finals.

Ok, so that's a bit of a rant. But here's the thing. I'm surfing my usual hockey sites this am, I read the stuff on Ek's site... Whether you think he's a fraud or not, he's got a great site with some great writers so check it out if you haven't yet (the link is on my sidebar). And I read Howard Berger's latest post, I must say I was a little surprised. Not that he doesn't know what he's talking about hockey-wise, because he does. But I think he forgets sometimes how so many Leafs fans put the blinders on when it comes to there team.

So there's the build-up, here's the gist... I have my buddy telling me that he figures Pat Quinn is gone this week. That he's been reading the message boards and forums and the Fans want him out. Bow seriously, as Howard Berger said in his blog: "Any non-delusional Leaf fan who chose to look at this year`s team at the start of the season would have understood the risks associated with the roster John Ferguson pieced together"... Thing is... As I stated above... It's hard to find a non-delusional Leafs fan. Now I'm not saying that Leafs fans don't know their hockey, and I WISH every team in the NHL could enjoy the kind of support the Leafs get. If we HAD 30 Torontos, we would have the strongest league in the world in all of sports. I love T.O. fans. Their unrelenting support and fanaticism towards the Leafs even in times of great peril is a beacon for all fans out there. When you're in Toronto and someone says: TO plays tonight. They don't mean the Rapotors or the Argos or the Blue Jays. If it's any other team or any other sport they use the team name. If it's the Leafs, you just say there's a game tonight and everyone knows. I wish every team could experience that kind of support. Course it also leads to rediculous pressure. Now I know that my buddy is convinced that Quinn is on the block, but he has done more than anyone could have hoped for since he arrived in T.O. It's a team with a #1 defenseman a number 3 guy and a bunch of 6's (at this point in their careers), a goalie who is on the downside (although Eddie can still steal games) and a forward brigade that has more people on IR than are playing. All clearly the coaches fault:-P

Point is that the Leafs fans are passionate, and they LOVE their team like no-one else... and That's not a bad thing.

Flames have a big battle of Alberta clash tonight in Edmonton. These games have been spectacular all year to put it lightly, so if you want to see a play-off game in January, check it out!

Have a great day!

2006-01-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

Iggy Is Back!

Let the rest of the league be on alert! It's the second half and Jarome Iginla is beginning his yearly late chase for the Richard Trophy. Remember he was way behind last year as well. I can't explain it, and I'm sure if he could fix it he could, but for some reason he just doesn't seem to have the confidence with the puck in the first half that he displays for the rest of the season. Last night in the 3-2 win over Montreal was a prime example of how domminating Iggy can be when he's on top of his game. For over a minute, and then again his next shift for about 30 seconds, the Flames kept the pressure on and the puck in the Canadians zone with under 3 minutes to play while protecting a 1 goal lead. In fact, the Habs didn't even get the extra attacker out until there was less than 30 seconds left. This is the high pressure forcheck the Flames had been lacking while giving up leads lately. And the man who makes it all possible with his poise and ability to lead by example is Iggy.

Shean Donovan was another highlight last night as he used his speed a few times to create chances. When he's in full flight, he's great fun to watch for the fans. It just boggles the mind how he seems to be invisible for long stretches.

The Flames opened last night giving up a PP goal early in the first. There were a lot of penalties called, but for the most part they were warranted, and at least they called it consistantly against both teams... I would only have issue with 1 call against the Canadians, I can't recall who it was, but it was a cross-check call, and he clearly didn't use his stick, and the call on Phaneuf where Dion clearly got the puck on what became a tripping call.

Speaking of Dion, he looked great again in using all of the ice on the PP. He just looks so smooth and confident back there that it's almost scary that he'll get even better.

The Canadians looked slow and tired to start the game (despite taking the lead) after they had looked great in their previous two contests since the coaching change. It's a rough way to start a 6 game road trip, but I'm sure that Gainey and Guy Carbonneau will have them straightened out by next game. Interesting coaching legacy that these two are a part of. Consider that Carbonneau played with, and later for Gainey, and that Gainey played for Bowman, and that Bowman was tutored in the Canadians organization under Toe Blake, and Blake played for Dick Irvin... Pretty impressive list. I think that the Canadians will do just fine with their new tandem... Just makes you wonder who they might be grooming as a coach of the future...

Looks like the Pens are likely to be out of Pitt. That's to bad for the Pens, and especially for the fans. I don't think they'll ever get a team back. This has just turned so sour after all of teh optimism that came along with Sid The Kid... who is now being referred to as Sid the Whiner by many. Well let me tell you: I feel badly for this kid. Thanx to his *cough* coach *cough*... He's a target that is an outcast from him team-mates, after already being a target for the rest of the league... I always wondered why Therrien was fired from the Habs after what was a pretty successful play-off run with the Habs... Now I know! He doesn't seem to know what he's doing. He's lost that entire team, and left Sid in an unwinnable situation. I'm cutting the kid some slack. He didn't ask to be put in that situation, and I don't think he deserved it. This kid competes hard, and he's getting frustrated because at this point it must truly seem like the entire world is against him. I just hope he's strong enough to get past it, because an organization in this much disarray will likely hamper his growth as a player and a man, if not ruin it. Keep your chin up Sid. There will one day be light at the end of the tunnel.

Have a great day!

2006-01-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

Let us score two early, and we'll give you the win...

I know that vastly trivializes things, but it's starting to become FAR to frequent of an occurance... The Flames come out skating and get two quick ones in the first, then for some unfathomable reason their legs seem to slow down. Looking at the team in the first compared to the team in the second, you wouldn't even recognize them. Dion Phaneuf was agian the best Flame on the ice throughout... But as much as I've been pumping this guy, a 20 year old defenseman in his first year, should not be your best player on most nights. Jarome made a beatiful deflection on a Phaneuf shot to score a power-play goal, but he knows he needs to do more.

I hate to question Daryl Sutter on anything, but there's one small thing I'd like to take issue with. I've always believed that having 'set' lines helps develop chemistry between players, but Sutter has been shuffling the deck on an almost shift by shift basis as of late. I know he's trying to spark the guys, but it seems like they're not playing together out there... And I don't think that playing them with different guys every other shift is helping to develop that chemistry. Think of most of the players that have big years/careers... It's usually in a 2 or 3 player set... Like: The Legion of Doom, The French Connection, the Gag Line, the Production Line, Hull and Oates, Gretzky and Kurri, Naslund Bertuzzi, sadly... Conroy and Iginla... The point is that guys need time together to develop chemistry and get to know where each other will be... I agree with getting all guys to play with all other guys at some times, but the main lines seem to play better when they're together most of the time... Course Daryl probably doesn't give a rat's *** what I think, but there it is:-)

So the Islanders think that because they want Brent Sutter, then he should go there. Pretty presumtuous if you ask me. I know that they want him... And I know that he was a big part of the Islanders, but as his brother mentioned in the press conference that he was more of an Arbour, Torre Islander guy. Remember that Sutter would only take on the World Junior team if his power was absolute and his say was final. I just don't think he wants to be anywhere near a situation where a guy like Mad Mike is watching over his shoulder. I predict that he stays away, unless he gets a guarantee that Mike is completely done with the Islanders... If he want's to remain as Wong's pet, that's fine, but I don't see Sutter going there without complete autonomy.

Besides... I'm Canadian and selfish and I'd REALLY like to see Sutter try to win 3 WJHC in a row... Especially considering that he should have quite a few returning guys since the team they had this year was so young... Man... i can't wait until Boxing day:-D

Have a great day!

2006-01-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

That's not a good sign...

It looks like the Flames are developing a new identity. Sadly, it's that they will consistantly blow 2 goal leads. I think the Flames have given up more leads in the last 3 weeks than they gave up all last year. It's not a good habit to get into, and they need to stop it ASAP. Hopefully they can get back on track tonight against the Islanders.

Speaking of the Islanders... How does Mikey keep his job? Has he done ANYTHING right since he's arrived? A buddy and I were going through the 2002 official guide and record book and we were amazed at who the Islanders have drafted then traded, or had and then traded... All to end up with not a whole lot in their organization at this point. Word just got released that Milbury is making a shift in the organization... Not being fired... being name president... Ok Mike... Where's the naked pictures???

TO is not available... He's such a great talent I wish that he could turn it around, but I don't think he can. Having Drew constantly kissing your ass and telling you it's Ice-cream doesn't help. His ego is too far gone and I feel sorry for anyone whose team picks this guy up. It's sad because I think if he got it together he could have been one of the best of all-time... He'll probably just be remembered as a cancer tho... Note to any team that thinks they can change him: Remember Jeff George??? All the talent in the world, not enough room in the world for his ego! He was tried on many teams, and I think may have the best first 4 games on a new team record in history. He always started great, but then things would always falter... Which was too bad, especially since none of it was EVER his fault. Then he blamed everyone else, then guys quit on him. You don't want your team going through that... stay away from TO.

I feel bad for Sid the Kid... He's a target, on a team that doesn't seem to be much of a team. He get's run by Kovalchuk last week... The meal ticket gets (arguably) cheap-shotted... Who's there to back him up? Send a message? Anyone??? Anyone???? Bueler??? You get my point. This kid needs help... making him a target by giving him an A, wasn't the answer. If the team lacked leadership, it should have found some. This may not hurt his development because he's a strong Kid... But it won't help... and they should be trying to help him. Right now the organization is obviously just hanging him out to dry... Playing with Mario doesn't look as good now as it did 6 months ago, hey? Mario is one of the greatest talents we'll ever see on the ice, but his work ethic has been questioned in the back-ground for much of his career. He's there when it counts, but playing on a lazy team that doesn't seem to be headed anywhere isn't where Mario shines... And that would be the only part of Mario that you wouldn't want to rub off on Sid, the way things are going, it may be the only part that does.

Have a great day

2006-01-09T13:02:00.000-07:00

The good, the Bad and the Ugly....

I'm back from vacation, and not a moment too soon as there's a lot going on in the sportsworld and I actually watched most of it I just wanted to take some time off of the comp since I spend so much time on it.

Team Canada was able to capture the Gold medal at the WJHC for the second consecutive year. This was the first time they've achieved that mark since their run of 5 in a row in the 90's. The fact that they went in as an underdog this year makes it all the more enjoyable. I said before the tournament that we should never underestimate a team coached by Brent Sutter, and he was nice enough to make me look good:-) I remember that last year he took a lot of WHL players and people complained out east, well... This year he took a more Eastern team and won agaon. He won the same way both times: He picked the team that would win. Both years he got all of the players to buy into his system and play it to perfection. He becomes the first Canadian coach to win back to back at the World Juniors, and he did it in amazingly convincing fashion. He has yet to loose a game at the helm of Canada. Does he come back to try a three-peat? Only time will tell, but consider that Canada took a young team this year which should translate into a lot of returnees and there is a chance that he may have family eligable... That could be a a motivating factor. They played as a team and Pogge stood on his head when he was called upon, and it was another great tournament to watch. It was nice the last couple years to not have to get up at 4 am to watch the games live... Oh well... I'll be doing it next year:D

I have to slip this in before I get to the Flames because I don't want to forget to say it; I think the Patriots are going to win again. I have this feeling that they'll do it. They have arguably the best coach in football who comes up with the best game-plans and makes the best adjustments, add that to a defense that seems to come up big whenever it needs to, and an unflappable QB that doesn't loose play-off games and you may have a pretty good formula for success... If it looks like a duck and it sounds like a duck... Also consider that the unfortunate situation that befell the Bengals only helps the Pats, as it allowed the Steelers to goto the dome and the Pats get to stay outside and go to Denver... Can you imagine if the Pats and Steelers both win? A home play-off game for the Pats... to get to another Super-Bowl.... It's all falling into place, isn't it!

Wow... it's been a good week for the Flames. I know, the calls in the Vancouver game were brutal at best, but it shouldn't take away from what was otherwise a great game between two great teams. I LOVE how every NW division game is just like a play-off game as far as the atmosphere goes. All I can say about the calls late in the game is that when you have Vancouver fans questioning the calls, you know they were brutal. I don't think the Refs gave the Canucks the game, they played very well. I would say more that the refs stole it from Calgary. Kipper has looked very good as of late, and apparently he's quite miffed that he doesn't lead the NHL in all of the goaltending categories as he feels he should... That can't be bad. The Flames have one of the best goalies in the game, yet he feels that his stats aren't as good as they could be and therefore feels he has something to prove. You have to like that! I don't think you'd find a Leaf that would agree he hasn't been playing well enough as he led the Flames to a 1-0 victory Friday to stop the Leafs 6 game winning streak, the Leafs then turned around and did the Flames a favour by beating the Oilers on Saturday in a game where Telqvist stood on his head to record the win. I have to tell you, with Telqvist, Rask, and Pogge, the Leafs future in goal looks fairly stable at this point. You sure couldn't have said that a few years ago.

Jarome looks like he's finally turning his season around again. He's playing angry and coming off the boards with some conviction and confidence, and that bodes well for the Flames.

It's funny that most of the talk of teams in the market for a goalie seems to centre around the Oilers, Canucks, and Avs... All play-off teams right now and all in the same division. You have to think that if one makes a move the others will soon follow. I'm still not convinced that the Oilers need to make a change, but we'll see what happens. I do know that Phillippe Sauve has looked really good since he left the Avs, but we may not want to rub that in.

Have a great day!

2006-01-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

New Years Bashing!

In another shining example of what the "new" NHL can be, the Flames eeked out a hard fought victory against the Oilers last night. The Flames were able to go ahead 6-5 with 1:15 left on a snooker shot that banked off of two d-men courtesy of Kristian Huselius. The shot was made possible when Jerome Iginla won a big offensive zone face-off and pushed the Flames into the Northwest division lead once again.

Against one of the best face-off teams in the league, the Flames were able to more than hold their own winning 52% of the games draws. Considering that the Oilers won over 60% in the first period, it's a very impressive stat. This is magnified by the fact that the Flames won the draws when they needed them most, such as on the Huselius marker.

For the third game in a row I'll have to refresh my statement that Shean Donovan has just played his best game of the season. Last night he was at his best, using his speed to it's full advantage and creating head-aches for the Oilers, Donovan manages 2 goals and an assist and now has a 3 game point streak going. Is there anyone more streaky than this guy? I'll tell you one thing: He sure is fun to watch when he's flying.

What's wrong with Iggy? Even though he was a major factor in the winning goal, he just doesn't seem to be playing with much confidence right now. He needs to get a garbage goal or two to get that belief back that he can, and even should, be able to score on every play. Iginla has historically been a second-half kind of guy, so hopefully he'll come around soon. The Flames are in first in their division now, but having Iginla fire on all cylanders would sure make it a lot tougher to beat them.

2005-12-30T07:56:00.000-07:00

Shock the Monkey!

A few Flames players had their Christmas wishes answered last night in a couple different ways at the Dome! Jason Wiemer was finally able to pot his first goal in his return to the Flames, Shean Donovan netted his first in 35 games Tony Amonte and Steve Reinprecht ended mini-slumps and Richie Regehr played in his first NHL game garnering a point on the winning goal.

The game started slowly in the first and the Wild held the advantage for most of the first two periods, and if not for a timely crossbar on a Brian Rolston penalty shot, the Flames would have been down 2-0 to the Wild and might have ended up with a different result in the end. But the Flames were able to finally break out of their lethargic start and led again by some great play by Shean Donovan, they were able to take the momentum over late in the second and through the third period. The Flames Powerplay was able to connect for the seventh straight game against the Wild, who possess the leagues top penalty killing up to this point of the season.

The win puts the Flames back on top of the Northwest divison in what looks like it will be the biggest battle of the league this year. With the win last night, the Flames now have 48 points, compared to 47 and 46 by Vancouver and Edmonton respectively. I know that some are comparing this race to the old Smyth division days of the 80's but come on... Vancouver was never that close to the Alberta teams in the 80's as far as I can recall. It is great to see all three teams doing well though, it's just too bad we don't have the Jets in the mix.

Team Canada was able to stretch their record to 3-0 with a 4-0 victory in a solid but penalty filled affair in Vancouver last night. Now, as anyone who has heard me on the subject knows: I like the crackdown. I don't think crosschecking a player constantly because you can't move him has a place in hockey any more than DB's should be allowed to hold onto any players that are faster than them in football. There are rules against it. People got lazy, the calls stopped being made and we ended up with the ugly game we had for the last few years because less talanted players were allowed to cheat in order to even the playing field. That said, I don't know what the refs are doing at the WJHC for the most part. I understand some of the calls, but some are so mysterious that I can't figure out what's going on... Let me get this straight... If you hit a player cleanly, but he falls down due to that clean hit, then it's charging? If you catch a guy with his head down, then it's roughing? Isn't that the point? The best time to hit a guy is when he has his head down. I'm all for taking the stickwork and obstruction out of the game, but this has been a little rediculous. And speaking of rediculous, can anyone explain to me why that Norweigan completely ran Justin Pogge with 10 seconds left? That was just odd, and dirty. That's one area where I will give the Russian ref credit. When all hell broke loose, he didn't fly off the handle and start handing out any penalties that would have cost either team in their next game.

This just in: The Leafs are great again... In a game where they were facing the hottest team in the NHL, the Leafs were able to pull out a shoot-out victory over the Sabres wich helps solidfy their hold on 6th place in the East at this point. Not bad for a team that was doomed three weeks ago... well, great five weeks ago... no, wait... doomed 8 weeks ago... You know what? I'm just going to stop reading the Toronto media. They have a bigger tendancy to panic than chicken little. Not the movie chicken little who actually did get hit by an object from space but the fable chicken little that screamed doom at every turn.

The Pens were finally able to secure Michel Therrien a win, which should help everyone in the organization breath a sigh of releif. The last thing the Pens needed was an extended loosing streak. Of course, they need to be able to build on this victory so we'll see if they can do that. They've looked to me lately like a team that has no identity. The players don't seem to have any systems that they're playing in, it's looked more like shinny at times with the way they play. That's usually a coaching issue, hopefully Therrien can resolve this.

Phoenix was able to get their second consecutive victory since Wayne came back. In OT no less, and against a very good LA team. I guess maybe Wayne has figured out a little about this coaching and can make a difference. Never underestimate Wayne.

Anyone notice that the Sharks have cooled off since they came out all gang-busters after the Thornton trade, it would be more fun if the Bruins were getting hot, but they just keep plodding along. Sturm has been effective and Stuart has the ability to be a top flight defenseman, but will the Bruins have any chance of getting back to the Cup as long as they continue to be run by people that consistantly make bad decisions? It sort of reminds me of when Harold Ballard was ruining oops running, the Leafs in the 80's. No matter what he did, it was almost invariably the wrong choice. Let's hope the Bruins get their act together sooner than the Leafs did... the 80's were just wrong if you were a Leafs fan.

Wow, no-one even told me it was random disjointed thoughts day...

Have a good one!

2005-12-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

'Tis the season...

Another Christmas come and gone, and did we get what we wanted? The Flames got what they wanted getting back to back (minus the turkey break) wins against the division-rival Canucks, giving the Flames 8-8 on points against the 'Nucks this year, then they practised the spirit of giving when they blew a 2-0 first period lead against the Preds on Tuesday. The Canucks returned the favor on Nashville coming back from a two-goal deficit last night which leaves the northwest division the biggest log-jam in hockey right now with 1 point separating the top 3 teams. Vancouver with 47, Calgary and Edmonton with 46. All told, the division currently has 4 teams in a play-off spot with the fifth team only 3 points back. I know a lot of prognosticators picked a NW division team to finish first in the West, but with the weighted schedule and the strength of opponent in this division, I just don't see it happening.

I thought that Shean Donovan had his best game of the season on Tuesday. He was using his speed to his advantage which is the way he needs to play to be most effective. He likely won't ever be a 30 goal+ guy, but he should be able to put up 20-25 and give the Flames some much needed secondary scoring.

Speaking of which, Kristian Huselius has proven to be another timely pick-up by Darryl Sutter. You have to admire a guy that seems to always make the right move to improve the club. The Flames look like they need a #1 centre for Iggy. I can't wait to see how that pans out. I won't let any pre-conceptions cloud my judgement of who Sutter decides to get either, since he's been able to show the "midas touch" up until this point.

So the Olympic team was named, and Crosby isn't on it. I like Sid the Kid as a player, and I think he'll be great but despite what some people might think about promoting the game and getting the casual fan, I will say this: It is about winning, and if the game is worth watching it will draw people. People know who Brett Farve is, but trust me when I say you wouldn't want to introduce a newbie to football to a Packers game this year! I know Sid will be good, but at the time of the selections he was ninth in scoring among Canadian centres. That's not good enough at this point. If the league was just supposed to send players to the Olympics because it may entice some fans to watch because of name recognition then consider this: At one point two of the most popular names to the casual fans were Domi and Probert... Domi most likely because he was a smaller guy fighting the big boys and he was playing in the biggest media centre on earth. But would you have EVER sent Tie Domi to the Olympics? Wayne Gretzky is still one of the most recognizable names in hockey. Should he dust off the blades so the casual fan can have a name they can relate to? In order for the game to flourish we need to have the best product, not the most recognized names. As far as the selection went, I would have rather seen Paul Karia over Shane Doan, because I like what Karia can do on the bigger ice. The fact that both of them have been there before should exclude the bias factor, but having Wayne as his coach likely has something to do with it. I think the same about Brian McCabe. He's a great offensive player, but he's been less than solid defensively. When you have 44 points but are only +1 and you're on a winning team, I don't think that's very good. Now maybe you use him as just a power-play specialist, but can you afford to take up a roster spot for someone who will only play on the power-play? Also remember that he has a +1 rating playing against the best players in the world, but in the Olympics he will be playing against the best of the best, and being suspect in your own zone can turn around a lot quicker than it can even in the NHL.

The World juniors are my favorite hockey tournament by a long shot. You have to love the way the game is played every year. You get to know the team in a short span and then they're gone. and even though they're the best of their age-group at the time, some of them will never be heard from again. It's raw emotion and a bunch of kids that truly lay it on the line and it's some of the best hockey you'll ever see. Having the US and Russian team be favored over the Canadians just makes it more exciting as far as I'm concerned. Just don't make the mistake of counting out a Brent Sutter team.

I hope that everyone had a great Christmas and I hope that you all have a happy new year!

2005-12-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

Never underestimate the power of the Dark Side...

Of course by power we mean money, and everyone knows that George is the current leader of the Sith when it comes to baseball. Now I don't like the Yankees as a team, but I think the current state of the Bo-Sox may have had a lot to do with this move. When there is uncertainty in an organization; and trust me, as much as they try to put on a good face, your GM just leaving his dream job can only be considered a bad thing, players tend to not want to stick around. Sure they'll stay if you're willing to pay them WAY more than anyone else for the most part, but most will also be looking for that out to a stable winning environment. My, my... what a difference a year makes. Question is: "Can Damon play without his hair?" Samson will be sheared, and it's too bad that one of the gutsiest guys in baseball will have to conform to the Empire, maybe the rest of the league will get lucky and it WILL effect his play.

After a hard fought play-off type game in Edmonton on Monday the Flames will host former captain Craig Conroy and the LA Kings tonight at the dome. On a side note the Kings will also be without non-Olympian JR for the next month. The Kings are a surprise this year challenging Dallas for top spot in the division. The Flames need to get Iggy going. I know that he's been streaky throughout his carreer and has been a second half guy for most of it, but they could really use him putting up the big numbers. Kipper wasn't at his best on Monday so there have been rumblings that Phillippe Sauve might get the start tonight.

Who makes team Canada? We find out today, and I will comment on the selections at some point. Speaking of team Canada: The jr. version skated to a close 2-1 victory in an exhibition match against the Czechs last night. The team looked good and worked hard, and I know that the Americans are favored, but I just wouldn't count out the Canadians. I remember last year when Sutter took a lot of heat from the Eastern media for taking a mostly WHL based team. Well, as I said last year, he took the best team. Arguably the best team ever. This year we don't have the 'Dub bias, because he again took "The Best Team" that he feels has a shot at gold. Now I may be skeptical of most things around me, but Brent Sutter has been putting winners in Red Deer for a while and he clearly made the right decisions last year, so I wouldn't give up our gold just yet!

Kudos to Kovalev... I gotta tell ya: I LOVE to see Hasek loose in a shoot-out... To anyone! I guess I'll always be bitter about Nagano... I hated watching the Czechs play to get to the shoot-out instead of trying to win... Yep... still bitter:-P

Have a great day

2005-12-19T08:51:00.000-07:00

Weekend Review

Before doing anything, I'd like to say that I hope everything works out for Wayne and his family. I'm sure Wayne wouldn't remember me, but when I was 13 I lent his father some tees at the Derrick club in Edmonton. They were in the group in front of us and I was awestruck when their group was called. (I had given the tees to someone else in the group and didn't realize that Wayne was there until their name was called) I made a faux-pas that day and accidentally hit a ball onto the green while they were still on it. Ok, it was like my best shot ever because I figured there was no way I could make it but I did. Now, they could have reported me to the Marshals and had me tossed of the course, but they just asked me to be careful and make sure that it didn't happen again. Now this isn't the greatest Wayne story there is, but what it does show is that he wasn't an aloof egotist like some pro athletes are. He was just a guy playing some golf and gave a kid the benifit of the doubt and didn't cause a secene because his space was invaded. It helps to see stars as real people instead of just rich icons. I think it's been well documented how much Wayne's family means to him so I hope all goes well and that Phyllis will be cheering on Wayne in his future endevours for years to come.

The Vikes blew it and the Bolts stunned the Chargers! The Vikings got sent a dose of reality yesterday as the Steelers came in and dominated them to stop their winning streak at 5. In another dominating defensive performance, the Chargers were able to shut down the Colts for most of the game and in all honesty, the only reason the game was anywhere near as close as it was can be attributed to consecutive Charger turnovers in their own zone when a Drew Brees interception was followed on the next series by a fumble when he was blindsided by Freeny and coughed up the ball. The Sunday night game was a dominating performance by the Bears defense and by Brian Urlacher in particular, but seriously: How often do I need to be told that Brian is the fastest player Chicago has? Every two or three minutes for three hours??? You'd have thought so watching that game.

The Flames turned a great opening 5 minutes into a shut-out win on Saturday against the struggling Bruins in Calgary. Do the Flames have a mental block against running up the score? I know it's not a good thing to play the number one powerplay all game to do it, but you'd think that every once in a while the team would be able to break out for 6 goals... Oh well... Trade rumors according to Ek that the Flames are interested in Jokinen. Is he the Centre that Iggy needs? Maybe we'll find out. I know Ek originally had heard that Regehr may be involved but I just can't see Sutter parting with him unless he got a #1 d-man back in return and I don't see the Flames doing that with Florida. Recently Reinprecht has been mentioned in the talks, and I'd be disappointed to see him go, but he's been very hot and cold and the Flames need their offensive guys to be more consistant.

Flames vs the Oilers tonight in chapter 4 of the battle of Alberta, Flames currently lead 2-1. This is a battle of two of the hottest teams in the west so it should be great.

Have a good Monday.

2005-12-14T08:28:00.000-07:00

Random Disjointed thoughts...

"Old-time hockey... Eddie Shore"
Now this was intense! I'm sure many Flyers/Sens fans will remember this one, it's just fun to watch. It's about a 26 meg download but it's worth it. I could still see this type of stuff happening, even though fights are down accross the league. You just never know what triggers stuff like this:)

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/a/j/ajt177/03-05-04-Flyers-Vs-Sens.wmv

Reports that the NHLPA meetings were pretty heated were abounding yesterday. This needs one of two things as far as I'm concerned: Either handle it internally, or maybe Ted Saskin needs to step down and maybe there even needs to be an entire shake-down so that none of the allegedly shady dealings will continue. Pick up the NHLPA constitution and start the process from scratch, that way there can be NO question whether or not it was done properly. I'm not taking sides on who is right and who is wrong, because I don't know. I don't know if anyone truly knows. Sometimes the best way to rebuild is to tear down what you have and start from scratch. Let's get the new partnership working by having trust on both sides and in both groups. I think that Ted Saskin was a major player in getting the NHL back on the ice, but the longer this stands over the players heads, the better chance there will be of more distrust and if the players don't trust their own association, they sure won't trust what the leader of that association is getting from the league as far as information and dealings go. The NHL can't afford that. Also remember that just because Saskin would step down, it wouldn't mean that he couldn't be voted back in according to the rules of the constitution. The way I look at it, if he steps down, and the entire membership votes him back, or votes in another leader, it ends any dissension because it will be done according to the constitution and there can be no argument. I don't like talking about this stuff because I think it puts a negative spin on what has been an extremely positive push so far this year for the NHL but I think the longer it lasts the worse it will get.

Bad news for the Canucks as they find out that Dan Cloutier is out for what will likely be the duration of the regular season. Now this may put the 'Nucks in a tough spot. I've heard a lot of people talk about how Auld has filled in admirably, but he's young. In fact it has been mentioned that he's too young to handle the pressure. I don't buy that. Now I know that some young players do have issues with the pressure, but some don't. You don't know what you have until you're thrown into the fire! Take Mike Vernon in 86, Patrick Roy the same year... Ok it was a pretty good year for young goalies. Point is that he may have what it takes. His own team-mates have said that he doesn't get rattled and he keeps at an even keel. Those are very good signs. I'm not saying that Auld is the answer, but I think he deserves a chance. And when you look at the current options such as a Patrick Lalime that has lost all confidence, or a Jocelyn Thibault in the same boat. You have to beleive that Auld is, if nothing else, the best option availible. I hope he runs with it. Just ask any Flames fan what it's like to ride a hot surprise starter. It generates excitement!

So Joe Thornton goes to San Jose and wins player of the week with eight points in three games. That's an impressive impact for big Joe on his new team. I would say that more impressive is the way he's rejuvinated most of his team-mates since coming over. The Sharks have not lost since he arrived, and he's not doing it all by himself. I think one of the players that he has helped the most is Patrick Marleau. Joe has removed a lot of the pressure that was on Marleau and allowed him to flourish. The addition of Thornton gave the Sharks not only a bonified superstar, but also one of the best one-two punches down the middle in the league. The Sharks may have just moved over the .500 mark, but they sure do seem to have their sights set on the Dallas Stars for first in the Pacific division. One of the oddest things is how it seems Thornton has had an effect of the goalies in San Jose. It's amazing what confidence can do for a team.

Am I the only person that can't stand Harry Neale as a color man??? Please, there must be others out there... I know he had some famous quotes when he was coaching the Canucks, but now I often question whether or not we're even watching the same game... I remember in the early 90's watching a game with some buddies and having a few pops and watching him go on and on, and on, and on... Literally for like 5 minutes about some percieved injury when the refs were over at the time-keepers box looking up! And the camera was flashing to a clock that had no lights! I was yelling at the TV, saying that the clock was out... I couldn't beleive it... Needless to say, when Neale finally realized what was going on he simply remarked "There's obviously something wrong with the clock..." Obvious to everybody but you Harry. Needless to say, that phrase has permiated the vernacular of my circle of friends and whenever someone looks like they're completely lost in a situation, you'll get to hear it again. My latest beef with Harry was his interpretation of a great pass made by Shean Donovan in the Flames/Sens game. Donovan spotted Amonte cross-crease and fed him perfectly... you could tell it was a pass because he looked right at Amonte and then after he scored you could see Amonte yell: "Nice Pass" well... there may have been more color in it but you get the point. Anyway, Harry's take on this play was that Donovan shot way wide and was lucky that Amonte was there to cover up his mistake. And this guy gets paid to do this???

Have a great day!

2005-12-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

Red Hot Flames???

Ok... I know it's been floating around, but if you haven't seen it yet, you have to see this. It makes the super-bowl shuffle look like a broadway show:-P

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6053863688509045791&q=calgary

Now that's just good stuff...

Flames played a very tight game and pulled out an OT win at home on Saturday night making them 10-1-1 in their last 12 at home. The Flames were able to shut down the Sens top line and keep the game close until a great pass by Shean Donovan was converted by Tony Amonte with 8 minutes left in the third to tie and then Daymond Lankow scored the winner in OT with 1:22 left to seal the victory and a second straight loss for the Sens on their short trip out west. I can't remember the energy being that electric for a regular season game in a long time. It was great to have that kind of intensity, I wonder though how much of it comes from the fans just missing it so much last year, and maybe in Calgary it's a little more intensified just because of the way the last season finished and the expectations, and play as of late, of the Flames this year. The Flames haven't switched their play that much from the system that got them to the finals in 2004. They skate hard, they pressure, and they don't allow many chances. They don't need to interfere and hold, because for the most part they outskate their opponents. The fact that they are regarded as one of the hardest hitting teams in the league and one of the toughest to play against is a well deserved reputation that I think will be very tough to overcome in a seven game series. Remember also that the Flames biggest downfall in their last cup run was an inability to win at home. At this point it would appear that such a situation shouldn't be an issue.

Mario has decided to step down from the Olympic team. This is a classy move by Mario, and the right decision at this point. However, don't jump to the conclusion that this makes sid the kid a guarantee just yet. After looking at Bob Mackenzie's roster mock-up, I can say that it will still be hard to give a spot to Crosby. I still think that I would take Stall over Doan and make Sid the 13th forward, but I can't see Wayne doing that to his own captain. I know Spezza is the leading Canadian centre is scoring, but I just don't see him usurping Sakic, Lecavellier, or Thornton and You know that Draper is likely a lock as the top 2 way guy. I don't think picking team Canada has ever been tougher than it will be this year, and I don't envy Wayne. Especially considering that it's Gold or nothing in Canada. No one cared that the Canadians lost the Bronze in 1998. Right or wrong, the Olympics were sadly over for most Canadians as soon as Hasek thwarted the Canucks in the semi-final game... That game still makes me hate shoot-outs... and Hasek:-P

The Sens went out west and lost consecutive games for the first time this year. Does that mean the West is far superior to the East? Does it mean the Sens have been figured out? I don't think either at this point. But I do think that the hardest division to come in and play at this point is the Northwest. Consider not just the two Ottawa loses, which were both INSANELY close and could have gone either way, but remember when the Red Wings were hot and they lost consecutive road games in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton? These teams all play well at home (at this point) and it is tough to come out west and play any of these teams consecutively, let alone on back to back nights. Add the fact that Colorado is in this division and mix in Minnesota who has always been tough to play and this has to be reguarded as the toughest division in hockey. I've said all along that I didn't think Vancouver or Calgary was going to be able to finish first in the west even when many prognosticators were selecting them. Not because I don't feel they're good enough, but because of the weighted schedule and all the games/teams they have to play in their own division. Course it also makes for a lot of VERY important games which is fun for the fans.

I love the divisional rivalries, but I hate the way we will only see each Eastern team here once every three years... Think about it... 8 games against every team in your divison, home at home against everyone else in the league = 82 games... That's how it would be in MY NHL:-)

Slow week for the Flames, try to have a good Monday!

2005-12-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

Sauve outshines idol!

In a game where the Flames were badly outshot, and pretty much dominated in the first period (Outshot 13-2) Phillipe Sauve kept the Flames in and backstopped them to a 4-1 win allowing the Flames to finish the road trip with 7 out of a possible 10 points to put them on top of the Northwest division this morning.

Wayne Gretzky attended the game, and the Flames olympic hopefulls did not disappoint although Martin Brodeur had one of the shakier outings of his illustrious career. At one point during the Sportsnet broadcast Pierre Maguire noted that he had been watching Brodeur play since he was in pee-wee and had never seen Martin give up 3 goals on 4 shots.

Jarome Iginla and Dion Phaneuf both scored after a drought, as Iginla Started the Flames off on the PP when the Flames were down 1-0 late in the first when he drove decisively to the net and snuck the puck under a sprawling Brodeur to salvage a first period tie after it looked for much of the period like the Flames might not be able to mount any offense at all. It should be noted that not long before the Flames captain scored he got into a short melee with Colin White of the Devils that seemed to spark Iggy. Reminded me of Mark Messier in the old days... If he wasn't playing well it was best to leave him alone because if you ticked him off he got that fire in his eyes and you knew the game was over. Jarome has that kind of fire when he's angry. He showed it in leading the Flames to the Cup finals in 2004 and he showed it again last night. He was on a very cold streak, and some might even say looked like he had hands of stone on his shoot-out attempt against the Flyers the previous night, but White woke him up to the detriment of the Devils but to the joy of Flames fans. I guess the old addage of letting sleeping dogs lie holds true in this case.

Dion Phaneuf continues to impress, and even withstood the loss of his partner last night as Hamrlik injured his knee in the first and didn't return. Andrew Ference, speaking of team Canada he's a former WJHC guy, filled in admirably on the PP as the Flames were able to go 3-4 on the powerplay for the night. A lot of the media keep comparing Phaneuf to Scott Stevens with a little more scoring touch. Well maybe this dates me but I think a more fitting match of a gut to compare him to at this age is Denis Potvin. He's the last guy I can remeber that made this big of a mark at such a young age, and who had the same all-around skills that Dion has. Maybe it's just an era issue as the media is looking for a more recent player to compare Dion with to be more fan friendly, but I'd say he resembles Potvin more than anyone and as he continues to get better I'm sure he'll develop into the kind of leader on and off the ice that Denis was.

I remember that Sauve had a bit of a rough ride in Colorado but he's sure looked good as a Flame, I'm not saying that Colorado wishes they had him back since he was playing a lot differently then, but they sure do look to be having goalie issues... Again I must ask my question of how they keep being rated as the #1 team in the northwest in all the power polls... I'll check on hockeybuzz after I post this and see if it still holds true.

I can't wait for Saturday's game against the Sens. There is so much about their team to like and they are the measuring stick at this point (although you must remember that they will loose to the Leafs in the play-offs due to the "conspiracy":-P) and the Flames are regarded as probably the most physically demanding team to play so I'm interested to see how it plays out. In the words of former Flames TV voice, and Calgary media Icon Ed Whalen, or Wailing Ed as I liked to call him: "It's gonna be a ring-a-ding-dong dandy!"

2005-12-07T07:32:00.000-07:00

Tough Shoot Out Loss to Philly

In a very physical game that saw the Flyers lose another player to injury in Eric Desjardins, the Flames eventually fell 1-0 via the shoot-out route to bring their shoot-out record to 1-3.

This was a VERY physical game with a lot of contact from both teams, and I think the Flames are bringing the idea that contact CAN exist in the new NHL to all of the teams in the east that they're playing on this cross-over. It's just too bad that the Flames haven't seemed to grasp the concept that scoring is also apparently an element of the new NHL. The Flames are having a tough time scoring goals; Plain and simple. Even Iggy has looked like his confidence is very low last night, espcially in his shoot-out attempt where he's been very good most of the year. Last night he got a weak shot off that didn't look like it had much chance of finding the twine. Now he may have fanned on the shot, but that's just another symptom of being snake-bit... When you're hot, stuff like that doesn't happen, or you fan on the shot entirely yet it manages to squek through.

Looks like teams have picked up on the Flames using Phaneuf's shot from the point. Even though I really don't like him as a player, I must admit that Hatcher made some excellent blocks last night, especially when the Flames had the OT powerplay. They weren't able to get their shots from the point through, and that was due in a large part to some excellent defensive play by the Flyers, and Hatcher in particular.

Kipper was back in his play-off form as he shut the door on 37 shots in regulation and OT only to loose the game in the shoot-out on a pretty move by Mike Richards. I know the Flyers have been reported to maybe be looking at including this kid in a trade, but it would be a mistake. This kid does it all.

Good to see that David Frost is no longer a player agent/ Bad to see that he resigned instead of the NHLPA turfing him.

Sad to see Stevie Y bow out, but it's the right move for one of the classiest guys in hockey. He truly understands what it takes to win, and wants to win more than anything and that's why he knows that Wayne should take someone else. He's playing on 1 leg and his skills have dimished, He'll be missed in the room and off-ice in general though, I hope that the team can accomidate for that missing leadership.

2005-12-02T13:33:00.000-07:00

Phaneuf named Rookie of the month

http://www.nhl.com/news/2005/12/245986.html

This makes me happy:)

2005-12-02T10:30:00.000-07:00

Flames aquire Huselius

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=145388&hubname=

Looks like the Flames are looking for some more secondary scoring. Makes you wonder if Donovan's days may be numbered.

2005-12-02T08:45:00.000-07:00

The Flames spotted the Wings a 2 goal lead before coming on with a dominating second period to tie the game and having a great break-away goal by Amonte in the third to seal the win. It should be noted that Shean Donovan missed a penalty shot at 18:49 of the third that could have put the game out of reach to continue his ice-cold streak. The Flames are now getting some secondary scoring, but they were really expecting more from the speed demon that terrorized opposing defenseman in the clutch-grab NHL but can't seem to get it going in the "new" NHL. Being snake-bit sucks, and sadly there's no quick fix for it. You just have to fight through it and hope things fall into place. Donovan has always been a streaky scorer, so hopefully he'll go on a big tear soon.

Jarome Iginla was held pointless again and that leaves him with only 2 points in his last 7 games. That's not 7 million dollar production, but I don't blame him for the issue as some do. I think he lacks a true set-up centre and I think he's trying to do too much all by himself. He's put a lot of pressure on himself to make sure that the trip to the finals wasn't just a one-shot-wonder, and I think he needs a centre he can play with. I'm still not convinced that Reinprecht can't be the guy, but Sutter hasn't used them together full-time yet even though the two of them playing with Kobasew seemed to fit well together. Shot wise the Flames have dominated the last two games but the scores haven't reflected it. Hopefully they can collectively start burying more of their chances.

Looks like someone at NHL.com has finally decided to notice Dion Phaneuf. Probably a result of the back-lash they likely recieved when they had a recend pool of the best rookie in the NHL, listed 7 players, and Phaneuf wasn't even on the list.

http://www.nhl.com/features/spotlight/phaneuf113005.html

Could someone please explain to me how Colorado continues to be ranked #1 in the NW division even though they're tied for third and were beaten by the Oilers last night so the Oilers could tie them for third spot in the division... and lets not even mention how the Wings are listed higher than all the teams in the NW division even though they can't seem to beat any of them... Just an observation...

Remember that I was the first one that picked the Leafs to goto the Cup in the East due to my clever conspiricy theory! Doesn't seem quite as far-fetched as it did a month ago wouldn't you agree???

After watching the Fifth Estate go over the Mike Danton case I can only say that David Frost needs to be removed from having any contact with.... Anyone... seriously... This guy needs help. Telling the inteviewer that is wasn't afraid of him and showing that hae has no class at all, let alone the travesty of what he did to Mike Jefferson... That's right... Jefferson... Hopefully one day Mike will be able to unravel what's been done to him and be able to have a decent life. No-one deserves what's been done to him.

Speaking of Frost, how is this guy an appoved NHLPA agent??? Oh yeah... all you guys that miss old Goodenow, just consider that this guy was expressed through on good 'ol Bobby's go ahead. Oh we checked him over and he met our stringent standards.... Sure... He's only been suspended from a few hockey operations... he's clearly a class act! But I digress... If the NHLPA needs to have Saskin step down and hold a REAL silent ballot vote to decide a leader then that's what they should do. I hate to say this because we've all heard about how hard he worked to get a deal done and he deserves a lot of the credit, but going forward, all of the players MUST be able to beleive in their union. Just like on the ice, the rule is there for a reason! You have to enforce the rules or you will end up with chaos. Make no mistake about it; The players don't need to like or even trust the guy at the top, but they HAVE to know that he aquired the power through the proper process and I think that's what this is about.

Bruins looked good in their first game post-Joe... And it wasn't like it was against a weak team. As in all trades, it takes a LONG time before you know who made the right move... I still think it's a tough one for a B's fan to swallow.

2005-12-01T08:25:00.000-07:00

Blockbuster in Bean-Town

Well that came as a surprise! Big Joe gets traded to the Sharks for what HAS to be considered less than market value. Not to take anything away from the new Bruins, but Stuart is the only one of the three who was ever considered as a top prospect, and even he may never be more spectacular than a solid number two or three D-man. So why would the Bruins make this trade? Is it panic mode, or just another strange decision in a long list of strange decisions over the past few years? Consider the moves the organization has made over the past decade and ponder with me if you will whether or not there is any commitment to winning on a team that used to be a perrenial contender. I must preface this with the fact that I leave the Borque trade out because I beleive it was a personal favor done for him to give him a shot at the cup, in other words, not a 'management' decision persay.

Just off the top of my head without doing any research, I can recall the allowing to leave of Jason Allison, Bill Guerin, Byron Dafoe among others, now for a minute, don't consider the state that Allison and Dafoe ended up, but the state they were at when the B's just let them leave. Especially when you recall who they replaced them with: Allison wasn't signed so that Lapoint could be grossly overpaid, Dafoe was let go with no contingency plan in net. Murray has developed into a solid winger but I'm sure the fans still miss Guerin. Add that to the fact that there were rumblings of descent when Kyle McLaren (I'm pretty sure it was him) stated that he no longer wanted to be a Bruin before the 02-03 season and it brings a person to the conclusion that something just isn't right in Boston. And that's just off the top of my head! I hope for the fans sake that things work out for them, but it doesn't seem to me like there's any direction there at this point.

Canucks got a big win last night to maintain their hold on the NW division beating the Avs, 5-2. I will again query those who make the power rankings as to how the Avs are the top ranked team in the NW division when at the time of the last posting they were fourth in the division? The Flames continue their road trip tonight in Detroit against a team they have split two games against thus far this season. The Flames come off a disappointing loss against the Preds whom they outshot by a wide margin but were unable to get the puck by Thomas Vokoun who was solid in shutting out the Flames. The Oilers host the Canucks tonight after loosing their last game 3-2 vs the Avs and having rookie goalie Mike Morrison Suffer his first loss. It will be interesting to see which goalie the Oilers use tonight.

2005-11-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

This and That

Is Stevie Y close to retirement? Bob MacKenzie thinks he might be: http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/bob_mckenzie.asp

It would be sad to see him go, he's been a great leader and a great player for a very long time. If it means the difference between being able to go for a walk with his grand-kids or not in 10 years due to his now chronic knee issues, it may be time. He's not the go-to guy on the wings anymore and in some circles (even though he's still a great leader in the room) he's been barely more than a fringe player this year. I get the feeling that he's one of the players that Ek was thinking about (discussing) earlier this year when he mentioned that maybe the game had passed some of the Older players by. At this rate, he may not be the last player either... At this rate, I'd hate to be on the HHOF selection comitee in three years! You have to beleive that they'll have some special rule that will allow all of the appropriate players who retire this year to be first ballot guys.

Can anyone stop the Colts? I don't know if I've EVER seen a team that is this dominting in all facets of the game. Not in football at least, and I don't know if there is a team in any other sport that would compare. Maybe the late 70's Canadians, but it's hard to say. I just don't see this team loosing focus and not getting up for any game, and since they were already nearly unbeatable at home before the season, you'd really have to like their chances. Speaking of the NFL. I was wondering whilst watching the game Sunday: Has any kicker in the nfl ever missed 3 consecutive game winning field goals in one game? Post a comment if you have any idea, but I certainly don't remember it. What are the chances Feely is watching his back for a replacement this week?

Ed Belfour ties Terry Sawchuk for career victories! On a team with as porus a D as the leafs have had the last few seasons, that's pretty impressive. Also don't forget about my conspiracy theory regarding the Leafs as they seem to be play-off bound at this point. Watch for them to fall to eighth place late in the season to get that much needed series against the Sens*wink*.

Speaking of the NHL, could someone please shut Avery up? Or at least have him not turtle like Jimmy Carson every time someone comes near him? I know he thinks he's playing a role, and doing what it takes for his team but here's a guy who has complained about players acting tough but not coming through in the crunch and then runs and hides any time any player tries to take him to task for his antics. He's a joke... He makes the Barnaby of old look like a truly classy player... and that's just sad. Get rid of the instigator penalty and let someone knock some sense into this guy. It's sad because he could be a decent player. His brain just keeps getting in the way.

Flames and Oilers both play tonight, Calgary in Nashville and Colorado in Edmonton. And would someone please explain to me how the Avs are still the highest rated team in the NW on the TSN power rankings when they're 4rth in the division? I know they have games at hand, but seriously, do you use the same system that Colin Campbell does when giving out suspensions?

Have a great day.

2005-11-24T07:31:00.000-07:00

Just another day at the Circus.

So the NHL quickly decides to suspend Fedoruk, which is good. Course he only gets 3 games, which is bad. Why is it bad you ask? Well my good friends, I will tell you why. I think the issue lies in his intent, and in what he admitted to doing. I would also like to point out that I think perhaps Colin Campbell has the strangest suspension methods I've ever seen in sports. They honestly don't make any sense. Everything is on a case by case basis? Seemingly history is mostly irrelevant, unless it helps? Might as well just say: "I make stuff up 'cause I can!" More on that later. As to why the Fedoruk suspension is too light the reason is simply this: He went out with the SOLE intention of hurting another player and then admitted it after the game. Can you imagine in a playoff series between say Toronto and Ottawa if Wade Belak (Just as an example, he's not known to be a dirty player but he is the enforcer type) decided to go out and attempt to knock Spezza or Heatly or Alfredsson out of the series because he felt that someone from the Sens hit Mats Sundin unfairly? And then only got three games? Sure I'll trade any 4rth player guy for one of their best at any time! That's Ludicrous! You can't have players attacking other players with the intention of putting them out. The NHL needs some sort of method of taking care of this type of action, maybe a concrete rule that must be enforced if a given set of circumstances meets the criteria. That would have to work,right?

Oh no my friends. Not if you're Mr. I can make stuff up as it suits me. Take the Shane Doan instigator penalty. Now, I personally hate any form of the instigator rule, and maybe I'll explain my reasoning someday but this is another matter. Fact is that Shane Doan took an instigator penalty in the last five minutes of the game. It is also a fact that according to the recently published NHL rulebook 05-06 this will result in a 1 game suspension for the player and a $10,000 fine for his coach. Simple, cut and dry, done. But wait! We forgot that the person that hands down these rulings can just make stuff up whenever he wants. No fine, no suspension? But how? I know people are calling it preferrential treatment of Wayne among other things but as far as I'm concerned it boils down to this: If you bother to have a rule, you must enforce it.

You can't pick and choose how rules are enforced, that's how you get chaos. Recall if you will the goal Brett Hull scored for the Dallas Stars to win the cup. Was he in the crease? Yes he was! What was the rule? That no player from the opposing team can be in the crease and have his team score. In such a case, the goal will be disallowed. I thought it was a bad rule, protect goalies yes, but this rule included even players that had nothing to do with the play. Got called all year in fact. Well... All year except for in overtime of game 6 of the finals in 1999 when the NHL conveniently decided to ignore their own rule. That's right... just put rules down that you can just ignore later at your discression. Was it a good rule? I didn't think so. But if you have the rule, you HAVE to call it. Kind of the point of rules I'd say. Do I think that Mr. Gretzky sent Doan out to start a fight? IT DOESN'T MATTER! Don't you see? It shouldn't matter what anyone "thinks" happened because it's a concrete rule. At least with the suspensions we can take it with a grain of salt as it were because there's no template for how suspensions should work for the most part. But in this case, the rule is plain as day. There can be no misinterpretation of the rule... Instigator penalty last 5 minutes, fine for coach, suspension for player, no appeal allowed. Don't need to appeal, just need to have 'ol Colin think you're a good guy because then you get special treatment. That reflects badly on the league if you ask me.

Enough about the NHL office and how they seem to be blowing things just as the sport is coming on strong. The Flames and Oilers were both able to secure wins last night on the strength of what can only be called questionable goals. Even though Robin Regehr's goal didn't end up being the game winner, it's definately a shot that Nabakov wishes he had back, and it gave the Flames the momentum to be able to score the eventual winning goal five minutes later. In Edmonton it was slightly more dramatic as Moreau scored the winner with fifty seconds left to give Rookie goalie Morrison his third victory in three starts. On the strength of these victories the Flames moved into a first place tie with Vancouver in the Northwest division and the Oilers were able to move two points ahead of the Avs respectively. Even with Colorado losing, the NW division now owns four of the eight Western conferance play-off spots at this point. It's going to be a tough year in this division, which will just make it exciting for the fans.

Happy Thanksgiving to any Americans who read this, and remember folks: In the NHL rules are more like loose guidelines that can be ignored or altered as the situation warrents... Oh wait! Isn't that how we ended up with the clutch and grab NHL? Now you see the problem with not enforcing rules?

2005-11-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

Interesting comments by the Duck's Fodoruk today as he apparently faces a possible suspension after a hit on Peter Nedved last night. What's interesting isn't the fact that people should be surprised that he can actually string more than a few monosylabic words together, but the fact that he admits that the hit was revenge for a hit made earlier by Denis Gauthier. Now Denis has always had a bit of a reputation for hitting guys at the time when they least expect it and are most unprotected. But he hasn't historically been dirty. Also, contrary to what Fedoruk suggested, Gauthier has always been more than willing to back up his physical play with a few fisticuffs as the situation demands... Not earlier this year when Avery opened his big mouth (obviously another player who speaks way to fast for him to be able to consider what he's saying) and Gauthier tried to fight him the next game and Avery turtled. Corect me if I'm wrong, but didn't Avery also run and hide when Iginla tried to take him to task in an Oct 23rd Flames game? For a guy who yaps about how there's chickens running around who won't back it up; I'm just just saying maybe a mirror is in order. Enough about Avery though, the culprit last night Was Fedoruk, whose whole reason for being on the ice at all is to take care of things like this. So who does he go after? The guy who injured his player (potentially) and may deserve a little "tuning-in"? No... he goes after one of the guys least likely to fight back in the NHL. Then proceeds to talk about how Gauthier plays dirty and isn't tough, and needs to be taken to task and blah, blah, blah... Hold on just one minute here... Isn't that YOUR job Mr. Fedoruk? And if Denis is taking so called cheap shots are your players shouldn't you be sending HIM a message? What was that I said earlier about mirrors. Maybe it should just be glass houses. Are people deathly afraid to fight Gauthier? You wouldn't think so. He will fight if challenged. He tried this year with Avery. It's a sad commentary when a goon goes after a legitimate player because for some reason he won't fight the guy whom he feels commited a wrong. I hate to bring it up, but at least when Moore hit Naslund the Canucks went after Moore. Can you imagine how bad things potentially would have been if big Bert decided that Moore wouldn't fight him, so he should run Sakic?

Kind of makes what Fedoruk did and said look about as pathetic and bush-league as it gets, don't you think?

Flames renew festivities tonight in Calgary against the Sharks. Flames are hot as of late and the Sharks are reeling a bit going 0-3-3 in their last six. Sharks won their first meeting in San Jose 3-2 in a shoot-out. Look for Kipper to be back in net for the Flames. I think Donavan will also draw in after being a healthy scratch for the Colorado game.

2005-11-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

The Kids are hot in net in Alberta.

Both Teams in Alberta started young goalies last night and had it pay off with each team gaining a shoot-out victory. The Flames started Phillippe Sauve against his old team and the Oilers started rookie Mike Morrison and the choice proved to be the right one for both teams.

The Oilers have been searching for a starting goalie since the beginning of the season, as Ty Conklin hasn't been the #1 guy they were counting on at the outset of the season after a shaky start in a handful of games and the fact that he's injured right now. Jussi Markkanen is coming off a great season in Russia but has been very hot and cold thus far this year. Even though Morrison has started 2-0, however, it's unlikely he would stay with the team after Conklin comes back as the Oilers will give him every opportunity to win the starting job outright upon his return.

The Flames have a starting goalie, and a little has been made of the fact that in the media coach Sutter just refered to him as: "the other guy" when he was questioned as to why Sauve was given the start, but that's just Sutter being Sutter. The Flames need to know they have a back-up they can count on and even though Sauve wouldn't say it, it must have been nice for him to get the start and beat his old team where he seemed to get a bit of a rough ride during his tenure there. Jordan Leopold finally looks to be rounding into form as well as he was able to set up two goals for only his second and third assists of the season. This for the guy that led the Flames 'D' in points in 03-04. Did anyone miss Regehr more than his partner Leopold? I don't think so. Leopold didn't have a very strong start to the year but he's looked much better as of late.

Last night was a scary one for any Detroit fans, and especially for the friends and family of Jiri Fischer. I'm sure everyone out there hopes that everything turns out alright and I'd just like to congratulate the NHL on doing the right thing by stopping the game. Not because I think it helped Jiri at all, but because it's not fair to expect two teams to just try to ignore something of that magnitude happening to a collegue and callously expecting them to just shrug it off and continue playing. This was a good move by a league that has been (rightly) accused of making some bonehead decisions in the past. Here's hoping that everything comes out great for Jiri.

Heard this just coming in: Mario is willing to give up his spot on the Olympic team if he feels he doesn't deserve it. Put me on record right now as saying that if he doesn't, the only way he won't make the team is if he opts out. Wayne is an extremely loyal man, and he respects few in hockey as much as he respects Mario. If Mario isn't injured, he's on Wayne's team unless he opts out. Mario has even gone as far as saying that he would step aside to let Sid the Kid have his spot. Now maybe I'm looking into it too much, but just maybe the Magnificent one remembers a really talented kid whom Mr. Gretzky took under his wing and helped to become a winner and is hoping that the Great One and the other Olympic team-mates could have the same effect on his young phenom. Either way, it would be the classy thing for Mario to step aside if he doesn't feel he's playing well enough. And in the end, he's the only one that can make that decision.

2005-11-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

Monday's suck:-P

It's all about having to be at work Monday morning... It's just not fun! Especially if you've been working around the house all weekend, and You're still nursing your team's loss From Friday night. Yes, the streak had to come to an end. The Flames definately made enough headway to get themselves back to contender status, although most power rankings don't reflect it yet... Course these same power ramkings have the Red Wings still at the top after they proceeded to gracefully step aside to let the NW division teams all gain points to help them out in their own divisional race since the Wings were so far ahead in theirs...

About the last few days. The Flames were expected to beat Chicago and continue the streak but truth be told, the Hawks deserve full marks for the way they've played the last week... I think they've won 5 of six and they beat Edmonton and Calgary on back to back nights, so that's fairly impressive. Another thing I would like to say is that the Hawks WON the game, the Flames didn't loose the game. Sementics? True, but semantics that matter. It used to bug me back in the day when I always heard about how the Oilers lost a game... No team EVER beat the Oil... They just gave the game away... It was a complete bathing in absolute Homer-ism, and to be honest drove me nuts! Sure the Flames were expected to win, but look at the facts. The Hawks had 8 straight penalties called against them in the first... They were the right calls, but there have been teams that have folded in the past or gotten on the refs or what have you for less, but they stepped up and killed them with a little luck and a lot of Khabby stoning the Flames, and even though they went in to the intermission, you have a sense that they beleived they could beat the Flames that night. The Hawks are playing with a lot more confidence lately and won't be hanging with St. Louis any longer in the west. The Flames had a chance to finish them in the first, but couldn't get the killing blow... The Hawks showed great resiliance and worked hard for the win. When you have a target every team gets up for you, and the Flames need to remember that since this year, no lead is safe and no game is an 'easy' win.

Oh yeah... I love watching the CFL and I wish that it would get more respect, but yesterday the people that laugh at it and consider it a joke league just got more fodder as Mobley from the Esks was allowed to interfere with Casey Printers target on the final play of the game giving the Lions no chance of completing the TD pass... Now... The Lions didn't deserve to win... But Interference should be called... especially when it's that obvious. I know that there was a call on the play before, but it was because it was interference as well... Can someone tell me when the rule came in that if you commit interference on one play then the next play you're protected against having it called again??? And that my friends is just one of the many reasons the CFL gets laughed at... It's sad, because it's a good game...

2005-11-18T08:29:00.000-07:00

The good times weren't always so good...

Ahhh yes, I LOVE being able to talk about hockey again. And I especially love being in intelligent discussions where people express opinions and actually back them up with facts! That's why I appreciate the fact that Eklund has kindly posted some of my blogs at www.hockeybuzz.com I also love the fact that I can go to that one place and get opinions from all over the league from fans as well as professionals (writers and players). Enough of the shameless plug though... In case anyone hasn't been following: Yesterday Tim Panaccio made a comment about Sid the Kid and whether or not he's getting preferntial treatment from the refs, I haven't seen enough Pens games to make a comment so I reserve judgement for now... Eklund responded by agreeing with this assesment... Again, I haven't seen too many Pens games, they have... so I trust their opinions. I do however have to point out what I feel is a little bit of romanticism that seems to seep through in Ek's response. Fact is I was in Edmonton in the Oilers heyday, and Gretz was a phenomenal offensive talent, but trust me when I say that as a kid... He WAS a whiner... Now he didn't complain all the time, but I distinctly remember Wayne getting the WHIIIIIINERRRRRR chant in many buildings throughout the early 80's because he had a tendency to complain when he didn't get a call he felt he deserved. It took a lot more time than people seem to remember for Wayne to "Grow-Up" the way people expect Crosby to. Wayne did complain at 18.... a lot! I remember that refs used to comment that he was the biggest complainer in the NHL. Trust me, I listened to many an Oiler game and watched them live and on TV and Wayne was a guy who complained.... and he was likely right most of the time, but the fact remains that he did. So we can say that Sid shouldn't complain as much, but let's not ignore the fact that Wayne was a whiny teen at one point too... The Oilers were an arrogant, young, spoiled team... And they were really talented and as fun to watch as any team in history... But they didn't grow up until the Islanders handed their hats to them in 1983 in the cup finals... That's when Wayne grew up, that was when he stopped complaining... That was when the Oilers became winners. They realized that what won the game was playing each shift like it could be your last, and that it wasn't always fun to have to give that extra effort when it hurts just to stand... The night that Kevin Lowe and Wayne Gretzky among others walked past a quiet Islanders dressing room where a team that had given their all were icing themselves down and reflecting quietly on a successful season instead of partying like crazy as the Oilers were expecting... That day they found out what it took to win the cup.

Just had to point that out:) I know that sometimes we like to only remember the good things about players... Like No-one in Calgary seemed to remember that Brett Hull was a punk kid who refused to play defense and that he was traded for depth that helped in their run to the Cup in 89... For some reason people seem to think that when he was traded he was already the guy who was a complete player and could score goals like crazy... Remember that at the time on RW the Flames boasted Hakan Loob/ Joe Mullen/ and Theo Fleury on Right wing ahead of Hull on the depth chart... Just a little analogy of how we romanticize at times.

Brian Metzer wrote a very good blog defending Sidney, and his opinion must also be taken into account, he admits that the kid whines at times... I'm here to chime in that even the Great One was a Great Whiner when he was a kid too... It's good to remember the great things about our heroes, but let's not forget that they also had their moments that weren't so great as well...

thanx for reading... vettersportsrants.blogspot.com

2005-11-17T07:57:00.000-07:00

Grinder takes on old team!

In a game that had to be tough emotionally, Darren McCarty had a huge game against his former mates last night at the Dome. In a 3-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings that may have truly solidified the fact that the Flames are back as contenders the lead singer of Grinder provided the heart, soul, and clutch scoring the Flames needed against the top team in the conference thus far. His efforts earned him the gold hard hat for the game, which is given out by the Flames players after every victory.

The Flames started slow in the first, as Brendan Shannahan neatly stripped Andrew Ference of the puck and fed a breakaway pass to Robert Lang who quickly made it 1-0 on the Wings initial shot. The first didn't get a whole lot better after that as the Flames were only able to muster 4 shots for the entire period, but they were able to keep the Wings at bay for the rest of the period.

In the second and third, the Flames showed again that when they skate and hit, there are few teams that can keep up with them... And McCarty was at his best tonight, at one point laying two big body-checks on his old team-mate Chris Chelios on the same shift! McCarty was flying around like a man possessed, and it does the Flames good to have a player who is known more for his physical play and fighting to be able to step up and take over a game and lead by example... Like I've said before: There's no player on this team that wouldn't do anything for a win.

Perhaps the best comment on the game though, was a quip from McCarty's old linemate Chris Draper who mused: "That's the last time I buy him dinner the night before a game".
The Flames won their 8th game in a row which they hadn't done since the 92-93 season and it looks like they've finally rounded into form, which is great for any fans on the Red Mile.

Strange stats I noticed yesterday: The Red Wings haven't won a game when they've been trailing going into the third, the Wings scored first in Vancouver and Calgary and lost both games so far on this road trip and in fact never scored again in either game. Tonight the Wings play the Oilers... maybe they should spot them a goal:-)

Next up for the Flames is Chicago on Friday... Can anyone figure out why Shean Donovan is so snake-bit this year? It's good to see a lot of the other guys (Reinprecht, Kobasew, Amonte, etc) come around but Donovan provided some big goals in 03-04 and a lift from him could really push this team over the top... I hope for his sake it's coming.

2005-11-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

"Oh captain, my captain..."

On a night where the Flames looked like they were sleepwalking through two periods a fire was light under them after the second intermission and, led by Jarome Iginla, the Flames were able to erase a two goal deficit and eek out a 3-2 win in a record setting third. The Flames fired 25 shots at the Wild in the third in a dominating period that allowed them to escape with the win. Iginla had an assist on the first two goals and then scoredn the winner himself, picking his team up the way few can, and leading them to victory.

It was like two different games tonight. The Flames looked bored for two periods, and even gave up a late goal in the second which was the type of goal that has been known to kill a team, but something happened in the intermission that saw a different team emerge in the third. The Flames played that period the way they played in the first period against Colorado, or for most of the second game against Vancouver. The 25 shots in a period was a team record, and it came against one of the better defensive teams in the NHL which is impressive. When the Flames all skate like they did in the third, they're a tough team to stop! And if you have a guy, with the tools that Iginla has, and EVERYONE on the team knows that he'll do whatever it takes to win it's just natural for the rest of the team to try to work as hard as their leader. Moreso than ever before, Jarome is emerging as an elite captain who can hoist the entire team up to increase the level of their play.

The Flames have now put together 7 wins in a row, which is their longest winning streak in 13 years, and kept pace with Vancouver in the Northwest division although the Canucks do have 2 games in hand.

Dion Phaneuf started the rally with another power-play goal and I have to rant a little at this point, and I know it was covered by the CBC commentators on Saturday but seriously: How does the NHL.com put up a Poll asking who the best rookie has been so far this year and Dion Phaneuf doesn't even make the list? So you have 7 guys that some genius at the league's site thinks have had a better start to their careers than Phaneuf? Now I know he won't put up the numbers of a Crosby or an Ovechkin, but we're talking about a player who has been one of the top defensemen in the Western conference period so far... not just a decent rookie... He's currently tied for 13th in scoring among defensemen, and averages almost 22 minutes a game... Sound like he should at least be in the running? I though so too... But what do I know? I know I LOVE the fact that he's a Flame, and I know that it won't be long before the entire league sits up and takes notice of how impresive this guy has been.

2005-11-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

The Flames take their show on the road!

Phillipe Sauve, who was very good in his first Flames start, was arguably not as sharp but came away with his first victory as a Flame last night. In a game that was dominated by the Flames, and kept close only due the the outstanding play of Cujo, the Flames were able to fight their way to a 4-3 victory over the Coyotes. The final score was 4-3, but it was a game that was dominated by the Flames who had by far their best road effort of the season. They finally look to be attacking the way they did during their play-off run as opposed to the tenative team we saw for much of the first month. All of this has translated into a current 5 game winning streak. Coach Sutter, probably a little concerned about the #1 line's slow start, separated Iginla from Amonte and Lankow for the entire game and put him with Reinprecht and Kobasew which turned out to be a great move that seemed to motivate all of the players equally. I think that Iggy and Amonte have troubles playing together since they both like to be the instigator as far as offensive control goes, and Amonte got a lot of chances last night. Conversely, Jerome was able to mesh very well with his new linemates as they were arguably the most dangerous line on the ice last night. Kobasew was playing with reckless abandon and looks like he could provide some of the secondary scoring the Flames are looking for. Steve Reinprecht also looked very comfortable playing along side Iggy which isn't surprising since he has been used to playing with a strong offensive juggernaut in his past, remember that this is the player who centered Dany Heatly in college as well as at the world chanpionships. He's a natural set-up man who should really start putting up points if the Flames keep these line combinations together. Although he is the set-up man normally, it was Iginla that made the nicest pass of the night setting up Reinprecht for an easy goal on a cross crease pass from the corner at Cujo's right all the way to the side of the left post that Reinprecht was able to fire home... And even tho that goal was on a mostly open net, it wasn't the easiest goal of the night as Derek Morris fired a puck into the Flames zone with just over 30 seconds left that took a true Home-Team bounce that left it in the slot with poor Sauve standing behind the net that Nagy easily slid in to make it a 4-3 game... That, and the magnificent play by Cujo were the only reasons that the score was even close as the Flames were all over the coyotes all night and out-shot them 43-23 in a great road performance. The game was also dominated physically by the Flames who seem to have learned how to include the physical play into the new rules. Darren McCarty leveled former Flame Oleg Saprykin and was forced to dance by O'Donnell who came to Saprykin's defence, as the Flames were hitting the Coyotes at every opportunity... On a side note, Iggy got into another fight with just over 3 minutes left in the third after he took exception to the way Phoenix rookie Keith Ballard took him into the end boards on a race for the puck.

This was a short road trip for the Flames. Next up is the Avs at home on Saturday as the Flames will try to push their winning streak to six.

2005-11-07T23:01:00.000-07:00

In the words of Peter Mahr: "You can put it in the win column!" In what looked like game two of the Western conference finals, the Flames were able to sqeak out a 4-3 victory over the rival Canucks. In a see-saw battle, the Flames were able to capitalize on a two man advantage to seal the deal in the back-end of a double-header that has provided some of the most exciting and intense hockey of the season.

Todd Bertuzzi looked much better this night than he did on Saturday and in fact, both teams looked even better than they did in what was in my opinion the best game played in the NHL to that point on Saturday. The Flames seemed to be in control after the first but the Canucks ,although they were outshot, seemed to control the majority of the play in the second scoring two to make it a two to one lead. Roman Hamrlik followed up a great defensive play by streaking to the Canucks line and taking a feed for a partial break-away to tie the game at two before Jerome Iginla got a break by having an attempted pass knocked in by a Canucks defenseman to take the lead. The Flames looked to be in control at that point but a nice powerplay goal by Naslund on a PP where the Canucks had the Flames running around tied the game at three.

Now here's where you'll see people have issues with what happened next, and to me that's the issue in the new NHL... when the Flames got tagged for interference that led to the Naslund goal it was the right call... Just like the call against Allen and the call against Linden that led to the Flames two man advantage goal for the winner... And to any who protest, I will offer an anology. Firstly, we should review the facts... Iginla pushed the puck into the corner... when he went to chase is, he was impeded by Allen... that's ok... Allen was in front of him to begin with, and a player should be entitled to hold his space. The issue comes when Allen repeatedly shoved Iginla who was not in possesion of the puck which brings back my old friend "ineterference". Which should ALWAYS be called just like it was against Phaneuf earlier in the period that led to the tying goal. As for the call that made it a two man advantage: Linden hit Iggy from behind... That's a penalty, and it should always be a penalty... Cross-Check was the wrong call, it should have been boarding, but the fact of the matter is it was the right call... Many people may think that this was a "cheap" call to make when the Canucks were already at a disadvantage... Now for the analogy... In football... if a team just suffered a sack, does the offensive line get to hold the next play because the team is already in the hole? Or do the defensive backs of the team that's behind get to hold the opponents receivers so the game doesn't get out of hand? Of course not... a penalty should ALWAYS be a penalty... and the idea of letting players get away with breaking the rules and masking it with : "We should let the players decide the outcome" is a crock... If it's in the rules, and you break them then it should be a penalty... The NHL has gotten away from it and maybe it was because the talent level wasn't there when they expanded or because some teams like the Oilers and Penguins were too good for the rest of the league, or whatever. Fact remains that there's no sense in having rules if you're not going to enforce them... If you want to let guys hook and hold and cross-check the truly talented players in the NHL just because they can't compete any other way, then you do a dis-service to the game and the history.

Point is that players will get used to it, and they are adapting... and It's not their fault! Most important is that it's not their fault! It was almost a loophole that coaches with less talented teams have been exploiting by claiming that the players should be able to decide the game... Breaking the rules doesn't let players decide the game... It lets cheaters decide the game... Can you imagine if on the final play of the super bowl with the team on offense down by 4, they throw a bomb down the sideline and the DB just tackles the reciever as soon as the ball was thrown and the leagues GM would stand by the official that didn't make the call because he "Let the players decide the game"??? Of course not... That would be crazy! That's why the interference rule is there... To protect the integrety of the game....

Really? Then why is the concept so foreign to the NHL???

The players will learn to play within the rules, just like they learned to take advantage of the non-calls... It's the coaches that need to be convinced that the rules enforcement is here to stay. To be honest, I think there are still some that remain convinced that this crack-down will peter away just like every other time... As a fan, I hope they're wrong in that belief.

Oh yeah... Flames won 4-3 to run their winning streak to 4. And Dion Phaneuf, whom everyone should watch play just to see the most dominant rookie defenseman I can remember was the first star enjoying a 3 point night.

2005-11-05T22:39:00.000-07:00

Wow! That sums it up pretty well... Anyone who claims that the 'New' NHL doesn't have enough of a physical element simply needs to get a copy of the Canucks Flames game from tonight to see what the game can be like. Both teams had great chances, the goaltending was outstanding on both sides, and even with that we still end up with a 1-0 game. That's the thing about the new rules; sure you'll get your games that are blow-outs, but you'll also get to teams playing hard with goalies playing well resulting in the close game. This game had an almost play-off atmosphere. It was the kind of game that brings teams together. We saw players coming to the defense of each other and to be honest, more fights than I've seen in a single game (without it just being a penalty fest) in a LONG time. These teams looked like they would do anything to beat each other, and that's the type of hockey that fans love to see.

Does anyone still think that Kiprusoff was a flash in the pan? I know that he started slow with a couple blow-outs on the road in rapid succession, but as of today he now sports a sub 1.00 GAA at home... And if you can do that, even with a team that won't score a lot of goals, you'll win a lot of games. Kipper appears to have regained the form that was an intregal part of the Flames run in 2004.

Regehr's return to the lineup couldn't have come at a better time either. He has definately helped to stablize the defense after their shakey start, and looks to have given the rest of the defense core the boost of confidence they seemed to lack in October. I mean, when the Canucks had a 5-3 advantage and controlled the puck for almost the entire 2 minutes in the Flames zone in the third I saw Roman Hamrlik have what I can only refer to as the best defensive shift I've ever seen him play. For a guy whose pretty much only noted for his offensive skills, he certainly held his own on what was arguably to this point the most important kill the Flames have had this year. Not to mention the fact that the 2 minutes of five on three was immediately followed by a one man advantage that the Flames were also able to kill.

Has there been a better hit this year than the one Rhett Warrener laid on Bertuzzi? That was legal and devastating, and seemed to even take some of the bite out of Big Bert for the remainder of the game. I know anyone who watches any highlights at all will see that hit, and I must admit then when I saw it I full speed I giggled to myself... and when I found out that it was Bertuzzi, my respect for Rhett went even higher... He's been laying some big hits lately and the rest of the league would do well to keep their heads up around him... The best part about Warriner is the fact that he not only hits hard, he hits clean.

The Flames have now won three in a row, which is important, but the fact that they were able to beat Vancouver was huge to the phyche of the team at this point. Beating Columbus to finally be able to record back-to-back wins for the first time this season was a big step. However, beating a team that has had a great start, and was projected as the Flames biggest competition for the West before the season started will do more for the teams confidence than pretty much any even I can think of. The fact that we could see a game like that in November just makes me giddy, and I'm so glad the NHL has made the changes they needed to to make the game the way it should be. Best part is: We get to see the same two teams battle it out in less than 48 hours... and it's not even play-offs... I LOVE this game!

2005-11-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

Finally! It's a full month into the season and the team Sports Illustrated picked to win the Stanley Cup has managed to win 2 games in a row for the first time this season. It wasn't the prettiest win, but it was much needed for the Flames. The fact they they managed to win without having to rely on Iggy to carry them was also a big step forward for this team. It was garbage goals at it's best last night at the 'Dome. Reinprecht made a nice play to kick the puck to his stick after a rebound, making it by far the nicest goal of the night, but it was just good hard work and going for rebounds that led to that goal as well. If the Flames are going to be successful, guys like Reinprecht and Nilson Need to add some significant secondary scoring. The Flames have not been able to supplement Iginla very often so far this year. Another somwhat distressing fact is that even in the new high octane, power-play laden NHL, they have yet to manage more than 3 goals in any game. Consider also that the Flames were barely able to squeek by a Blue-Jackets team that has one of the worst records in hockey and came into the game in second-last place in the west.

Good news was that Regehr is back, and played well and often... I believe he played over 20 shifts for close to twenty minutes. Kipper has looked like the man who led the Flames to the play-offs as of late and is whittling away at his GAA every game. The goal that did beat him last night was a fluke rebound that occurred when Phaneuf tried to stop a loping shot from the point and inadvertantly deflected it off the post leaving Kipper stranded and leading to an easy tap-in goal. In the end, the Flames did eaxctly what they needed to do to hopefully move along the progression to what should still be a Cup contending team. A win against the lowly Jackets is significant in that they needed to string some wins together and it's a great start. A win against Vancouver this Saturday would get them back to .500 and go a long way to help the Flames get back to the confidence level they enjoyed in 2004.

Can anyone stop the Ottawa Senators? Is Hasek back to his old form? Does it matter? To be honest, I think having him back there gives them confidence and even if he isn't back to his pre-2003 form, it doesn't really matter at this point because the Sens are SO strong. The trade for Heatly has looked as lopsided as the Can Neely trade so far (Loved watching Cam... congrats on the induction) and where are ALL the people that said the Sens were doing a bad job developing Spezza and that they weren't grooming him properly to take his rightful place as an NHL superstar. Now I know that Jacques Martin has taken a huge amount of the blame for this team not being able to make significant noise come play-off time, but I don't think it was his fault. As has been mentioned often so far this season, the Sens are playing with an edge and a toughness that they had never had. I don't think it was coaching that was the issue so much as it was the make-up of the team. Keeping that it mind... Did any team make more astute moves this offseason than the Sens? We won't know for sure until play-off time... And once that time comes, it WILL matter whether or not Hasek has regained his form.

2005-11-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

It's good to be home! The Flames opened up the month of November as well as their homestand with a victory last night. They put all of the elements together in a hard fought win against the Wild at the 'Dome. Hard fought? How else could you describe a game where Tony Amonte dropped the gloves? He's not known for that, but hem showed last night that he's willing to do whatever it takes to help this team. It's always good to see a player who's willing to put it all on the line for his team. That doesn't mean that all players should fight, or even that Amonte should ever fight again... He's not really a fighter, and we need his hands so I'd prefer if he wouldn't, but actions like that get noticed by your team-mates and help to unify the room.

Tony wasn't the only one making the extra effort last night though, as the Flames brought thier complete game to the table finally. Their Power-Play, which has been cruising along now at a 9-47 clip after starting the season 3-45 connected again last night and has looked much improved over the last several games. Jerome Iginla continued his current hot streak by scoring two goals an now has a 7 game point streak and four game goal streak going. Dion Phaneuf had another great game, and continues to impress. Kipper was solid in the nets and definately looks to be back in the saddle after a shakey start to the season.

The Flames looked good last night, but still need to get some secondary scoring going. Iggy shouldn't be the lone source of offense on a team that also has players like Reinprecht, Donavan, Amonte, and Langkow to name a few. Jordan Leopold is also off to a very slow start. He led the teams defenseman in points in 03-04 but has yet to record even a single point this season. a resurgence from him would boost the already improved power-play.

In my eyes, no player this year has impressed me more than the step Dion Phaneuf has taken this year. Especially considering the abscence of Robin Regehr. Dion has done what few big players have been able to accomplish in the NHL. He's been able to tranfer his skills and success in junior immediately to the NHL. Usually bigger players in general, but defenseman especially, have an 'adjustment' period as they get used to playing in the NHL as they get used to the speed and size of the NHL game. Look at players like Bertuzzi, or Neely, or Nolan, or Thornton that take a few years to adjust... and those are the successful guys. Especially on defense, when you look at guys like Pronger and Blake and Chara... These are guys that showed flashes in their rookie seasons, but they didn't grow into the game for a few years. Scorers have been able to have good rookie years throughout league history, look at Selanne, or Bossy, or Lemieux as examples, but big men, and in particular defensemen, have usually had a tough time initially. Phaneuf has been able to avoid the delay up to this point, and when you consider how young he is, and how much potential he has, that is so exciting for the future and the present in Calgary. As a rookie, he's tied for second on the team in ice time with just over 23 minutes a game. He's just going to get better, and that's a scary thought for the rest of the league.

The Flames look to be getting it together and they need to have a good month to make up for their slow start. They have been improving over the last few games and look to be putting it all together finally.Also remember that Robin Regehr should be back soon so the D in Calgary will get an Olympic team member back to boost them, which should help push this team to get back into a team that has lofty goals.

2005-10-31T11:09:00.000-07:00

This just in: The Titans have NO pass defense, the Packers have no offense, and as of last night, the Vikes are done for. Sadly for the NFL, the Pack and the Vikes still have legitimate shots at their division title. I'm not the only one who thinks it's rough watching Favre play this year, the worst part about it is the fact that it's not because his skills have declined this far... He just has nobody around him. To a lesser extent, the same can be said about Steve McNair. Those are two buddies that must just feel they're living a nightmare considering the injuries and lack of talent they're enduring this year. I can't say I was one of the people that wanted Bret to retire, but it hurts to see him enduring a season like this.

The Flames have an interesting new habit: Giving up late goals! I don't know... It seems to me that the Flames seem to have one glaring weakness every game that costs them. It's either the penalty kill, or the power-play, or giving up early/late goals. It seems that almost every game this year they have been sub-standard in one of the key elements of the game and it has led directly to their losses. They haven't (in my opinion) put a "complete" game together yet. I think the pressure is effecting them and they are playing very tight. They fix the problem from last game continuously only to expose a new problem since they have turned all of their attention to the previous issue. I think if they could just win a couple in a row and build some confidence they'll be fine. The question is: Can they gain their swagger in time? A little doubt, just like a little confidence, can go a LONG way. I don't think Sutter would allow it to creep into the room, but stranger things have happened.

Happy Halloween all!

2005-10-26T09:20:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Eklund asked a question on his site about the way the New NHL is coming, and whether or not people liked it as well as whether or not it should revert at all. He also stated that he thought the dividing line was age. His hypothesis that the old-school guys wanted the so called physical aspect re-introduced into the game scared me to be honest. Now I always considered myself to be old school. I loved the way hockey was played in the 70's and 80's. I grew up watching the powerhouse dynasties of the Canadians, Islanders, and Oilers. I remember the way the game was played then, and I still watch replays of those old games on espn classic and the nhl network. I have one simple question to the so called old-school proponents: When did allowing holding and stickwork and cross-checking become a part of old school hockey?

When I watch old Habs Bruins games, I see a lot of hitting. I see the "Big Bird" laying body checks on any player that steps accross the blue-line. I see defenders like Denis Potvin using leverage at just the right time to manuever a player out of the goalie's line of sight. I see hockey the way it was meant to be played... Old School if you will. You know what I don't see? I don't see Hatcher-esque cross-checks to every player's back every 2 seconds because it's the simple way to remove a guy if he lets you. I don't see the slow guys being allowed to hook the fast guys because there's simply no way that they'll ever catch up. I see the way the game progressed as a symptom of the NHL, and then by default the officials allowing players to get lazy and take the easy way out. Bob Gainey was a fast physical player who used to strip guys of the puck and defeat rushes by OUT-SKATING guys. By working harder... Not by being given loopholes in the rules that allowed him to cheat. Ray Bourque wasn't the most physical defenseman, but he had a great knack of lifting the stick right when a player though he was about to get a one-timer off. These are impressive plays of skill, which I beleive is more impressive than being able to chop another player down with your stick simply because you're allowed to.

The physical aspect will come back, open ice hits will come back. Players will re-learn how to play the game the way it was meant to be played, instead of reverting back to the bastardized UFC-clone we've been subjected to in the last few years where a couple big guys go into a corner and hug each other until someone blows a whistle. I write this as an open letter to the NHL, and encourage all fans out there that want to see real hockey to unite and let our voices be heard. I know the players will take a while to adjust, but it's coming. You can see it in every game you watch that players are slowly getting acclimated to the so called new NHL, that basically has just decided to finally start calling the old rules again. Interference has been on the books forever, call it Obstruction-whatever... it's still interference and it should be called... it's a rule... and OLD rule... and that's old school... letting guys cheat isn't old school, it's lazy and allows guys to get away with being less talented. This is the point where Gary Bettman can finally put his money where his mouth is and for the sake of the fans tell the people pressuring him that this IS the way it's going to be, and that the fans do like it better and the GM's and coaches and anyone else who doesn't like it can sit back in their $3000 leather office chairs and remember why they can afford them. Hockey is a game, the greatest game in the world as far as I'm concerned, and the NHL owes it to the fans to play the game the way it should be played. That alone will generate more interest than any million-dollar promotion the NHL could ever use.

[/end rant]

I'm Vetts, and that's what I think.

2005-10-25T08:58:00.000-06:00

You know... for a team that was supposed to be a lot worse off with the cap, a problem seemingly compounded with the temporary loss of their Captain almost immediately to start the season combined with a suspect D and no safety net behind Ed Belfour in net even us non Leaf lovers have to be pretty impressed with their start thus far. Eric Lindros has been everything he was perceived to be lacking in Philly. He has stepped up when they have needed him. He's provided leadership without ego, and he looks like he's having the most fun he's had playing the game since he played in the 1991 Canada/World cup. On a side note... Bring back the Canada cup trophy... That overgrown pop-bottle looking thing they use now is terrible... The Leafs are playing hard and playing as a team, something that could be argued they haven't been able to do for a while. Their oft-criticized defense hasn't been great, but it has given them a chance to win almost every game. Of course Ed Belfour deserves the bulk of the credit, but he can't stop what he can't see (well not all the time) and the D has been giving him a chance to see the puck consistantly and he's been able to bail them out when they've run into problems. A sign of the confidence that the Leafs have in their goalie was shown last night when he admittedly got "lost in no man's land" and the team was able to just fight through it because even tho he botched that play, there wasn't a player on the Leafs that thought oh well, we're in trouble now. They played through it and got the win, which is what good teams do. I know that Cloutier has taken a lot of heat for a bad goal he let in from Centre off of Lidstrom's stick, but a team has to rally around their goalie after a play like that... As the Leafs did last night. I know the circumstances aren't the same, but it does show that the Leafs are playing confidently and with their leaders being leaders, which can take a team a long way if they can continue to gel as a team. I think as long as Eric can keep his play up, even though he'll likely be made the second line centre, I think the Leafs actually have a chance to get into the play-offs this year. And of course once you're in, anything can happen. maybe they'll get lucky and play the Sens... they can't beat the Leafs, right?:-D

Even with the resurgence of the big E, and the great play that McCabe has shown and the way the rest of the D has seemingly exceeded expectations thus far, the fact remains that this team will only go as far as Eddie's back will take them. I gained a lot of respect for him a few years ago when he had to sit down as the third goalie on team Canada and didn't say a word, even though the current Leafs goalie at the time pouted so much he took his ball and went home... No mention of any names needed here. Eddie has proven himself to be a team-first guy, and I think he can carry the Leafs on his back to the play-offs and maybe surprise a few people... I just hope that his back can handle the weight because as much as I hate to admit it, having the Leafs in the play-offs probably increases the revenue the NHL will get from the Toronto market, which probably generates more revenue than any other market and that will benefit the NHL and the players... I guess this is where we insert the conspiracy theory about the players making sure that the Leafs win the cup so that they generate enough revenue to be able to recoup any escrow payments they may have made to the NHL... Yeah... That's a good one... Spread it around folks... Leafs are going to win the cup in the greatest sports conspiricy since the Black-Sox... The truly sad part is that you know there's people out there that would be convinced of this if it happened...

2005-10-24T09:17:00.000-06:00

Well, not a bad few games for the Flames. Their PK looks up to snuff finally, and a two goal effort last night by the PP means that the special teams are coming around. Now the Flames are not likely to have a top line power-play until they have one of two things happen: They aquire a puck mover quaternack type guy through a trade, or a player on their current roster proves that he can be the guy to consistantly move the puck effectively with the man advantage. I don't think that there is much chance of the first option occurring, so they need to see if they have a player able to do it on the roster right now. Jordan Leopold has long been touted as having the potential to be a powerplay quaterback type of guy but he hasn't shown it yet. Is it a matter of him not being ready yet, or maybe it's a perceived lack of confidence in him, or maybe he just lacks the confidence currently to do it at the NHL level. any one of these could be true, but it would be a huge boost to the PP if he could step up and be the player that controls the pace in the offensive zone on the powerplay. Another option would be to maybe put a forward on the point. I know most coaches loath the idea of having such a perceived liability on the point even during a powerplay, but maybe that's what it will take. Daryl Sutter seems even more reluctant than most, as I don't recall him using a forward very often if ever in any of his coaching stints in the NHL, at least not for any significant amount of time. And even if they could go that option, who do you use? I would suggest Reinprecht because of his puck handling ability, but Iggy would be a good option as well to maybe get him some more time with the puck and more shots on net.

I think that the Flames are set with their "big" shots from the point. That is guys that have the knack of getting the puck through on the powerplay in Phaneuf and Hamrlik, but they need a guy to set things up and put the wheels in motion if they want to be consistantly successful on the powerplay. I think that in order to be an elite team in this league the Flames need to find that powerplay spark, especially since special teams seem to be a huge factor in the outcome of games in the new NHL. Now, this parade to the penalty box should slow as players get acclimated to the way things are called, but there will still be many opportunities, since a 2 minute minor is always preferable to an easy goal against. And no coach will berate you for mugging a player that is about to slide a puck into an empty cage. Powerplays will be a big part of the NHL again, and the teams that learn to take advantage of them will be much better off for it.

One other thing I noticed was mouthy Steve Avery not wanting any part of Jerome Iginla after he blatently hit him from behind. Now, I'm all for playing tough, and I enjoy when a player is willing to speak his mind as long as he's willing to stand up for it. Take J.R. He may have a big mouth, but he's sincere, and he backs it up on the ice. Avery just continues to embarrass himself on the ice. Oh wait... maybe he just thought Iggy was French because he was wearing a visor and didn't expect to have to fight him. Put up or shut up Avery. There's nothing worse than a guy with a big mouth that always wants to hide when he gets called to task. Go find mommy and hide behind her apron son, or stand up and be a man.

2005-10-18T07:30:00.000-06:00

Ouch, that didn't hurt.

Yeah, a 2-0 loss to the lowly Coyotes seems a little difficult to swallow but consider where the Flames are right now in comparison to where there were a mere week ago. They have improved in all of the areas of major concern except one. The PK has been vastly improved over the last two games, they are attacking the puck and not simply trying to wait out the other team and hope for the best. Kipper seems to have rediscovered his form; The only shot that beat him was a rebound off the glass. So as far as he's concerned, in the last two games he's been neat by one lucky bounce. Phaneuf continues to impress. He plays physical but manages to stay in position which is a huge step for a d-man just out of junior. There aren't too many physical players that can make that transition so quickly.

Did Nash dive? I don't know but regardless of whether he did or not, McCarty's decision to throw his elbows up wasn't very smart in that situation. The Flames did almost put one in shorthanded when Reinprecht got a shot off low left side that Cujo seemed to loose, but that's a bad penalty to be taking when your team is down a goal. I know a lot of players would like to see Nash buried in a flurry of elbows, but late in the game with your team down a goal just hurts your team. and regardless of whether or not Nash dove, the elbow was definately up.

Overall, the Flames seemed to controll the majority of the game, they ran into a hot goalie and sometimes that just can't be helped. True, but there was one facet that the Flames were, and have been so far this season, very unproductive. Their PP is the last link in their ability to climb back out of this funk. The Flames will run into hot goalies and loose close games, that I won't dispute. However, their failure to connect on the PP so far this year is really starting to haunt them. It looks to me like the PP doesn't seem to have a true classic quaterback, a guy who sets it all up and makes it all happen. Hamrlik was brought in to be a PP guy, but he's more of a big shot from the point then a set-up guy, a spot that has also been filled to date by Phaneuf from the point. The Flames need to have someone back there, setting things up. Maybe put a forward back there to create some things. One of the powerplays that had the most pressure in the Oilers game was one where Iginla and Phaneuf were trading shots from the point and looking effective. Now... I'm not suggesting Iginla because he's a shooter as well. They need a passer on the point to set things up and feed guys the puck at the right time. It seems almost as if when the Flames have the PP for the most part they don't seem to have an extra man since they alwasy seem to be covered. Leopold was known as that type of player coming out of college, but he hasn't matured into the role as of yet... Maybe try a guy like Reinprecht who is a creative player just to see. It can't hurt! At 6.6% the Flames currently have the worst PP in the entire league; That won't get them back to the play-offs.

Things are improving, and the Flames are looking much better than they did to start the season, but the last thing in the world you want to see as a Flames fan is regret in April for points you missed out on in October against a team you should beat. Congrats to Gretz on his first road win, but you'll get no joy for it from me:-)

On a side note... Who gets to beat some sense into Havlat next time the Sens practice? I mean, of all the low things that you could possibly do to another player, kicking has to be one of the lowest. I know it's infrequent, but we have all seen accidental skate blade cuts that can be devstating (re: Clint Malarchuck), why would anyone kick someone on purpose with skates on? And then to watch the video and claim it's an accident??? Please... That kind of thing CAN'T exist in the NHL, and I'm sure that there will be a few of his own team-mates that will let him know that it's unacceptable and I hope for his sake he never tries it again.

Next up for the Flames is Edmonton back in the Dome this Thursday.

2005-10-15T23:21:00.000-06:00

Just What The Doctor Ordered.

I know, the Oilers played last night. They were also missing arguably their two best offensive forwards in Horcoff and Smyth, but tonight's game was eaxactly what the Flames needed.

The Flames were effective on getting powerplay chances, and for the first time this season, didn't give up a pp goal against. They seemed to challenge the Oilers tonight when the Oil had the puck more than they were in their previous 5 games. That, combined with a resurgence in the play of Mikka Kiprusoff allowed them to cruise to victory.

Why do I say cruise? Because although the Flames looked very good in the First period, and were able to capitalize at even strength and on the PP to go up 2-0, they didn't look good in the second when they were outshot by a wide margin and were saved only by some fantastic saves by Kipper. Most notably on the Oiler 5 on 3 where Hemsky had an incredible chance that Kipper made a phenominal desparation save on that could have changed the complexion of the entire game had in gone through. At the time, had Ales scored, the Oilers would have still had over a minute of powerplay time and anly been down one goal against a team whose PK has struggled. That's not how it played out though. Kipper made his best save of the season, and the Flames weathered the storm in the second and were able to pull out a 3-0 Victory in act I of the Battle of Alberta V05-06.

Was it a flawless victory? Not even close! But the Flames did show marked improvement in many areas that should leave the fans confident that this wasn't just a lucky victory to be quickly followed by some more disappointment. The PK was much better. The Flames were pressuring the puck much more than they have been, and in the new NHL, I think this is a neccessity... Ok, I ALWAYS thought it was, because I feel the passive box is just a way of saying: "we'll let you shoot, please don't score on us." Regardless though, the PK was much improved and the 5 on 3 kill could have been a turning point in the season. Secondly, Kipper is back! I for one am surprised that he had the start he's had. He's not like a Giguere... he's a reflex guy who actually makes saves instead of getting in the way. Difference tonight was the way he controlled his rebounds. How many goals have the Flames given up because a rebound went to an uncovered guy that slams it home? Didn't happen tonight, Kipper looked calm and controlled his rebounds and made a spectacular save at the one moment where it was most needed. This is the kind of play I think Flames fans can look forward to for the bulk of the season.

Just to add one more opinion: Dion Phaneuf has been the best Flame overall to start the season. I mean, the kid's been incredible. He hits, he fights, and he scores. Too bad he plays out west so he'll have no shot at the Calder, but this guy is the real deal. I know... Ovechkin is lighting it up and Sid the Kid is a huge talent... But I'm telling you... you HAVE to see this kid play! I don't remember a defenseman being this poised as a rookie since I've been watching hockey... I know he gets compared to Stevens... but I think he has an even bigger offensive upside... He reminds me of a young Denis Potvin... and that's VERY impressive. I said it tongue in cheek, because I beleive that if he can keep his play at a high level, he will be a Calder finalist and regardless of anything he'll be an anchor for the Flames for years to come.

A big 3-0 wijn against the provincial rivals is great anytime, but couldn't have come at a better time right now for the Flames.

2005-10-14T08:03:00.000-06:00

Opening night in Calgary. Nice of the NHL to give Calagary the last home opener, who makes these schedules? Doesn't matter... Now people can complain about how the NHL scheduleder is against the Flames and doing everything in his power to ensure that they can't make it back to the play-offs. No worries Mr. Scheduler, with a success rate on the PK of 58% the Flames will easily ensure that they won't be back.

Now of course the Flames PK won't struggle this badly all year, and they looked pretty good sans PK last night. So the question is: "what's the problem?" As far as I see it, the Flames look tenative. They don't seem to be showing the same fire they showed in the play-offs and it's probably due to a few factors that are starting to snowball and create a much bigger problem than it needs to be. This is good because it means the solution shouldn't be as difficult or as drastic as one might think. Look at it this way: so far this season, the Flames have scored 14 goals and allowed 23. They have scored 2 PPGs and allowed 13... they have also scored once short handed but not allowed any SH goals... so their 5-on-5 stats read like this: 11 Goals for 10 against. That should win you more than 1 of five games you'd think. And it would if their PK wasn't so dismal, alas it will get better, and the Flames will be better. The question is how?

Plain and simple, the Flames look tenative... almost as though they're afraid of taking penalties since they know in the back of their minds that the other team will likely score. That being said, it's on the PK that they become the most tenative. They aren't attacking and forcing the play like they did during their run. They are playing a very passive PK, and I believe that playing that way is the problem. Force the guy to make a play! You may get beat, but it's better than sitting back and hoping that he doesn't make the right play simply due to the fact that you can occupy one of his passing lanes. No matter what, with a passive penalty kill, there will be guys open and good passers will find them. At least if you force the play, you gain the advantage of perhaps causing the player to make a mistake... if you don't, guys like Mike Modano last night aren't likely to miss many wide open guys with a cross-ice pass. And keep in mind the fact that since you're short-handed... there is ALWAYS an open guy... Unless you're the Flames PP, but we'll cover that another day:-)

Bottom line is this: The Flames are having PK issues right now. Without them, they probably have 3 or 4 wins. They aren't as bad as their record shows and will be able to recover. After all, no team has ever finished the season with a 60% PK right? The Flames looked better last night, and they will improve, they just need to get rid of the jitters and get back to the attacking style that brought them to within 1 goal of the stanley cup.

2005-10-13T08:14:00.000-06:00

Wow... it's been a busy two weeks for me... Hence no Blogs... But it's been really crazy for sports. In order to keep it sane tho, I'll stick to current events only!

How about last night in the NLCS? Ok... I've seen the replay, and I could argue that the ball DID in fact graze the ground slightly, but you know what? It's irrelevant... If the home plate umpire was unsure of the ball, he shouldn't have rung the player up... I DEFINATELY saw that. Home plate umpire ringing AJ up after the third strike. You can't go back on that, it makes guys quit... It's like a whistle in most sports. Once a play has been whistled dead... it's dead... regardless of whether or not it was the right call... REGARDLESS... that's important. Take this example as an analogy:

Player looks like he may have fumbled the football, but the play was whistled dead before the ball came out due to lack of forward progress, or the ref thought his knee touched, or whatever... doesn't really matter why... point is: The play is whistled dead before the ball comes out... Play is over... Period! So if another player decides to grab the ball after the whistle and jog it uncontested into the end-zone... do we review and call it a touchdown? Of course not... Right or wrong, the play was over at the whistle, just as the Angles thought the play was over when the ump threw his fist in the air to indicate a strike-out... Now... there is no guarantee that the Angles would have won the game, and personally I think it's irrelevant as far as the argument goes. My point is simply this: If a play is signaled to be 'dead' it must be, since anything else only risks injury on the part of the players... Can you imagine if in a hockey game a player is whistled down as offside... decides he isn't and that replay would prove that he wasn't so he continues on and wires a shot at an unsuspecting goalie... That's just stupid... which is what last night was... just stupid...

On to hockey! So many folks are confused as to why the flames would have signed Brian Marchment ... I'll tell you what I think... He's insurance, plain and simple. He's the preverbial axe to hold over the heads of the other players, and he's a vet who has experience. If a guy isn't up to snuff, he's a guy that can be plugged-in to put a scare into the regular... he's a 7th d-man, and a dressing room leader... nothing more... he is here for a purpose and because he knows Sutter, and Sutter trusts him. I don't like him personally... I think he's a dirty cheap-shot artist... But he does put fear into the other team with his class-less style of play, and clear attempts to injure players... Just try to convince me he wasn't hunting knees against Dallas a few years ago... you don't accidentally take out the knees of the top two centres of an opposing team... but I digress... here to serve a purpose, and regardless of what you think of his play I will say one thing to all of the detractors that claim he's a bad pick-up and he takes stupid penalties... Not true... I watched this guy as an Oiler, a Hawk, and a Shark and he didn't take dumb penalties ever... He intentionally tried to hurt guys, and he threw guys off of their games... but he doesn't take dumb penalties... s harsh as it may seem... if you're in a game and player X is killing you, and someone takes him out and you get a two minute minor... How is that a dumb penalty? Dirty, probably... Classless, maybe... Does it work??? I don't know... as the 72 version of team Canada... It's Bobby Clarke hockey... and I don't have to like it, but it does work, and if nothing else... Marchment is a guy who is loyal and will do whatever it takes to win... and that's why the Flames need him right now... he's a guy for the young guys to look up to and to keep everyone aware that their jobs aren't safe... and a little fear is a good thing... But I still don't have to like him:-P

Speaking of the Flames: They will be raising their Western Conference champions banner tonight. Soon I predict, they will start playing like they still want the title. Give it time, new faces, new rules, and their anchor on d has been out... If we're out of a play-off spot in December, then we can panic... Until then, always remember that Sutter has NEVER missed the playoffs in an organization he started and ended the year with... And the ALI line is about to take off.

That's it for me... I need to be a little more consistant, but I'll be back:)

2005-09-30T07:45:00.000-06:00

You know what's funny? Last year when there was no hockey, I didn't feel like I missed it as much as I thought I would. Of course I followed ALL of the updates and gabbed about the lockout and wrote my opinions of what I felt, but it didn't seem to me like it left as big of a void as I thought it would. Especially considering the Flames run the previous spring. I even felt slightly disappointed during the World Cup, almost as if I was beginning to not care... That's when it happened: I realized that feeling a mouse must get when a tom-cat has it in its sights. That feeling of acceptance that can only come when all hope is lost. I had lost hope. I had already resigned myself to the fact that we weren't going to be seeing ANY NHL hockey in 04/05. I know that I said it needed to be done, that the economics didn't make sense, that in a gate driven league blah, blah, blah...

I knew we wouldn't have hockey, and in my head I accepted it. I had the mindset of a person doomed to their fate...

That was last year!!! It's amazing now, with the excitement building, how much I look forward to this season. Will Mario be truly back, will Sid the Kid stand out. How about other guys from what was arguably the best World Junior team ever assembled? Can Phaneuf be a shut-down guy? Can Richards and Carter make the adjustment to the NHL? Will older players be able to adapt to the new rules? How long until a reporter asks Daryl Sutter a stupid question and we get one of his classic deadpan responses? YES friends! Hockey is back.

We have one weekend of pre-season left, and then we're doing it for real! I feel so lucky to be in Calgary, because I feel that the NW Division is the best in hockey... The weighted sked gives the Flames Colorado, Edmonton, Minnesota and Vancouver 8x each... That's just crazy. I know that some people are picking the Flames to win the West, but as far as I can tell... Especially in the regular season, that task will prove to be difficult.
There are so many factors:
Can Kipper repeat his performance from their last run?
Yes he can... he was a reflex guy before, that didn't rely on his equipment then and he won't miss it now... recall that he was great in the world cup as well. One point of caution though, is the fact that he has had some injury issues in the past, and a Kipper-less Calgary team is a lot less scary to face.

Can the ALI line develop chemistry?
Sure they can... Show me anyone that hasn't been able to adapt to playing with Jerome... Add that to the fact that Amonte should be able to take advantage of the new rules and with less attention on him, should be good for 35-40 goals.

Do the Canucks have the goaltending to take them to the top?
Face it, Cloutier wasn't the issue last year, and I know he blew the Lidstrom shot but I'm not convinced that he couldn't take a team the distance. He's put up some pretty good numbers, and although I wouldn't put him in the upper echelon of goalies, I would have to say that he's better than average in the NHL.

How will the new rules affect the players?
Simply put: Slow guys will have problems. Big guys that were allowed to be manhandled in the past will have a field day. Which is how it should be. Big fast guys with hands should Dominate! Iggy and Bert should have herculean nights not that lesser players won't be allowed to hinder them constantly. Joe Sakic should look a lot more like he did in Quebec, I can't wait to see him be able to skate out from the corner and bury a wrist-shot far side again... That's right! Skate out of the corner... without fear of being mugged... That always bugged me...

So here I sit with baited breath. So excited that I'm on pins and needles waiting for the puck to drop. If the NHL can follow through on its commitment to cleaner hockey, we will again truly be witness to the greatest game the world has to offer. Wherever you are, be excited! This is a new era, and until we get a good idea of how these rules will play out. No-one truly knows how any team will perform... Of course it could be said that we never have:-)

In the words of the late Badger Bob: "It's a great day for Hockey"

2005-09-20T11:25:00.000-06:00

Ok... I heard something on the radio last night that bugged me, and it will continue to bug me as I know it won't go away. There was a reporter, who is established and has very good credentials who uttered a phrase that we're all sure to hear for the forseeable future as guys who played in the "juiced" (literally) era of baseball get their chances to be inducted into the Hall-Of-Fame.

Now I'd like to preface this by saying that I don't care whether you think that guys that are suspected or caught should or shouldn't be in the hall, but I do offended when I hear the reasoning that some people can come up with to justify it. I mean, I could understand a logical argument, but I think that some people are using a complete cop-out which is what I heard last night. That phrase was this: Baseball didn't make it illegal, so it doesn't matter. Really? But the substances ARE illegal for the rest of us... So the message is: "If you play baseball, and you're good (don't forget that) then you don't have to follow the rules that the rest of society does". Now whether or not athletes get special treatment is a huge issue on its own, but to just give them free reign to ignore the justice system, and then benifit and be revered for it seems a little digusting to me. The whole idea that if Barry Bonds is actually proven (like the testimony of people that sold it to him, watched him apply it, or helped wasn't enough) Then he should still be a first ballot HOF player because baseball didn't make steroids illegal soon enough.

Now I can argue for or against Barry being a Hall-Of-Fame guy... I think I should let it be known that I remember the young slim all around player that Barry was, when he was an easy 30-30 guy who was a great fielder instead of a wall that Mashes. I think he was a great player without needed to be enhanced, and I think he had Hall-Of-Fame talent. I think he should be there based on the fact that he was a great player in what I assume were clean years, I know he will likely break records and give himself HUGE numbers but I think that it takes away from the player he was... At least in my eyes. In saying that, I think he should be in the Hall. But not because baseball decided to ignore steriods, because he was going to be there anyway because he was one of the best in baseball. I think as a penalty for (allegedly) cheating, he shouldn't be a first-ballot guy, but that's just me. It's baseball's fault that we're in this mess, and the player's associations as well since they didn't want to be tested. As if that wasn't a HUGE sign saying, hell yes some of us cheat (the percentage is debatable). I think that if you get caught, you should be banned without pay for at least a year... I know, I know... We can't take away their ability to provide for their families... I mean can you imagine if a regular person got caught, say insider trading, also known as "cheating" in their job? I know what happens... They go to jail... It's not a person's right to get paid astronomical sums of money to play a game. So whydo we treat them like it is. If you get caught insider trading, you don't get a 2 week suspension and a pat on the head with a big fat cheque. If you cheat, you should be punished... That's the ONLY way to clean it up.

Funny... I never really know where I'm going with these until they're done:-)

2005-09-18T10:38:00.000-06:00

There's been a bit of a delay between posts, but that's only due to other commitments that couldn't be changed. I wanted to make sure I got my NFL picks in before the games though, so I'll do them right now. Just don't have time to give reasoning.

Firstly, however, I would just like to welcome hockey back as the first exhibition games were played this weekend. It's great to see, and I'm interested in all of the rule changes, but I still adhere tightly to the belief that if they would just call the penalties... ALL the penalties, then none of the other changes would NEED to be done. Not that they shouldn't, but taking out the red line won't create flow. Europeans don't have a red line, and they still have teams that play boring, hook/hold, defensive hockey. Not letting guys drag and slash other players creates flow. A player's stick should NEVER touch another player. It should be a penalty EVERY time. Ok, you should be able to use it for leverage to push guys... That's LEVERAGE to PUSH, not as a weapon to X-Check guys. It still ticks me off the defenseman are allowed to cross-check guys from behind in front of the net... That should also be a penalty EVERY time. I don't care if there are 30 penalties a game. The league must not cave. If the refs show that they'll continue to call everything, the players will adapt. They do it now for one simple reason: It works! If you got penalized for it every time, it would happen alot less frequently.

I heard an interesting question pertaining to this idea the other day. Doug Gilmour was asked why the crack-downs in the past were unsuccessful. I'll tell you what I think: The teams/players/GMs and coaches all knew that sooner or later the NHL would crack. A coach gets paid to win, a player keeps his job by doing what the coach wants. Picture this scenario:

Coach: I want you to drag on player X all game, don't ever leave him, grab him, hook him, make him fight for every inch.

Player: Ok coach, but they're cracking down... I may get a lot of penalties...

Coach: I don't care, they may be calling it now, but it won't be called after Christmas. I want this guy to know you'll ALWAYS e there... You may take some penalties in the fall, but we'll need those wins in the spring when we can manhandle players again.

Player: OK coach.

Now that's simplistic, but the basic attitude is there, the coach needs to win, he knows that if he can eliminate the speed/talent of his oponent, it will give his team a better chance. So he does it because every time in the past it has been tried, the NHL caves sooner or later. They MUST not cave. I would rather see a game that takes place 3-3 because of all the calls then EVER have to go through another snore-fest like the 03 play-offs. For crying out loud, the players looked like they were skating in quicksand. And the Trap isn't the problem, it's a scheme... just like zone defense... If you don't let teams playing the trap hinder the other team, then speed can beat the trap.

Ok... Football picks:

Pittsburgh over Houston
Tennessee over Balt
Buff over T-Bay
Philly over San Fran
Indy over Jax
Minny over Cinci
Det over Chicago
NE over Carolina
Atl over Seattle
Ariz over St. Louis
Miami over the Jets
Cleveland over GB
SD over Denver
Oak over KC on a hunch
NO over the Giants
Dallas over Wash

Ok the games are about to start, I apologize for the late picks, they will be in by Saturdat in the future

That's it for me.

2005-09-14T07:30:00.000-06:00

It's so close you can almost taste it. NHL hockey is almost upon us! The Flames play their first exhibition game against the Oilers this Friday. Now I know it's pre-season, and there will probably be a lot of guys who are just trying to make the roster getting the bulk of the ice-time, and I think we play the Oilers a total of 47 times this year:-p,but how can you not be excited? This is the first season in a LONG time where there are a lot of reporters/fans/teams feel they have a legitimate shot at the cup this year. Now I know that many different teams have been able to become the Cinderella story over the past few seasons, and make the play-offs out of no-where, and even make it to the finals in some cases. This was exciting for the teams as they made their run, but the excitement wasn't always there.

Take the Flames from last year. Yeah, I KNOW... we didn't play last year, but I've chosen to completely ignore that fact because I'm Canadian and hockey is life therefore I refuse to acknowledge that last year happened (at least until the end of this post:-). Point is: The Flames started the 03-04 Season with an underwhelming sense of hope from the fans. It built, and it flourished, but it didn't start out that way. Almost all of the reporters in this city were picking the Flames to miss the play-offs again. And when you look at the fact that the Flames have one of the top 5 players in the league, and they still weren't given a chance by many to challenge for a play-off spot, that's just sad. We had a new coach who had never missed the play-offs when he had coached a team the full season in Daryl Sutter, we had some emerging D-men and a new hard-working/never say die attitude. After a month though, it looked like the pundits would be right and the Flames were looking to miss the play-offs yet again. Then something spectacular started to happen. The trade for Mikka has to go down as the turning point of the season, and as one of the most shrewd trades I've ever seen. But I'm sick of hearing from detractors about how the Flames got lucky, or that Kipper is a flash-in-the-pan. News flash people: When Sutter traded for Kipper he got what he expected for the most part. When Sutter was the Sharks coach, Kipper was to be the starting goalie in (I think it was) 2001-02. He got injured in the pre-season. The job went to Evgeny Nabakov who went on a HUGE run. Kipper came back but looked a little shakey and the organization lost a little faith in him, and as we all know... Lost faith in Sutter the next season and let him go. Sutter always thought that Kipper could be a number one guy tho. Course he was stuck with Turek and his Large (yeah, that's right... it's not a nickname, it's a contract description.) Contract. So he kept the idea of Mikka is the back of his mind until he could act on it. Which he got the opening to when Turek went down after the first month. This was a shrewd decision by a good hockey guy, not a blind shot in the dark by someone who got lucky. Kipper is the real deal, the Flames will be hard pressed to make the play-offs, but so will every other team in the West because the teams are so evenly matched. I heard a good comment on the radio the other day about the fact that last year the Flames saw a lot of back-up goalies because they were considered to be a team that you could rest guys against. That won't happen this year. The weighted Sked and the parity in the league should create some HUGE rivalries and I for one can't wait to see the puck drop. Even for a preseason game. You never know. I for one can't wait to see the first Double-Dion of Phaneuf's pro career. Could happen Friday. Don't miss it!

2005-09-12T14:34:00.000-06:00

Wow... that was a rough Sunday for my football picks. Guess that's why most reporters only pick a few games a week. Oh well, you take the good with the bad, and I'm not shy about it. If you gave that sked to me 100 times and said are you sure, there's no way I would have EVER picked Green Bay to loose, or San Fran to Win. Green Bay looks like they could be in serious trouble now that Walker is out. It could be a tough season for Brett in what could be his last. That'd be a tough way to finish a Hall-Of-Fame carreer.

Speaking of Hall-Of-Fame carreers, looks like the Moose is hanging up his blades for good. Now I was a kid in Edmonton in the 80's and I got to see what was arguably the best team ever assembled (and did I EVER hate how good they were seeing as I was a Flames fan, but that's another story) and of all the players on that team that you wanted to just leave alone, it was Mess. He was a huge presence. It's funny how the term power-forward gets used these days to describe players, but was rarely used on him, because he was so good he transcended the term. He wasn't just a talented big guy. He was a HUGE talent. He scored with Gretz on his line, then he played without him with Anderson and they became one of the most feared offensive tandems in sports. He was big, he could skate like the wind, he hit like a truck, and most of all, he was a leader. If the Oilers were going through the motions in a game, all it took was one little spark to wake them up, and Mess could usually provide it. A big hit, or an individual effort to get a scoring chance, or even dropping the gloves... This guy always did whatever it took to win.

He proved what a great leader he was in Edmonton when against all odds, he led them to their 5th Cup after it looked like they had dismantled the chances to be a contender for the forseable future by the spring of 1990. He (along with some spectacular goaltending by Billy Ranford) took a team that could have easily missed the play-offs and made a great run to the Cup. And that was the easier one if you compare it to 1994 in New York... In the biggest media market in the world, he took that team on his back and got them by New Jersey after guaranteeing that they would beat them in a must win game by going out and getting a hat-trick to get it done, and then leading his team over the Canucks to win. He was arguably the greatest leader that hockey has ever seen, and his presence will be missed.

I hated the Oilers, but the battles they waged against the Flames were some of the best in hockey history, and Mess what at the centre of most of them butting heads with guys like Joel Otto.... You'll me missed Mess.

Have a great day.

2005-09-10T12:17:00.000-06:00

For anyone who loves the NFL, that usually means that you may place the odd wager here and there... Or be in every pool you can afford:-P Not that I condone such actions, but in keeping with my philosophy of having this be a true sports-fan's blog, I will submit to giving my predictions for all weekend NFL games. I know that it's likely just a great way to show how clueless I truly am, but let's face it; I'd be making them regardless of whether or not I posted them, this will just be proof for me to show that I've done it... Or pehaps fodder for those that like to rub my face in it. Either way it'll be fun. And I won't just be doing the NFL. When the NHL season starts up, I'll be doing at least the weekend games as time permits. I'm hoping to do an NHL preview in a couple weeks, as well as an MLB play-off preview. There's enough NFL previews out there, and I started too late to do a proper one, so no NFL hints:-P
Here are my picks for the Opening Weekend of the NFL Sked... Minus The Pats/Raiders game which couldn't have surprised anyone anyway!

Home Visitors Straight Up Spread
Minnesota(6) Tampa Bay Minnesota Minnesota
Minnesota has too much depth and too much to prove. I know it sounds crazy, but I honestly believe that the loss of Moss will actually help this team. You can give me all the stats you want about their record with and without Moss, I just think that not having him around will help the rest of the guys to loosen up, and step up. Saying that, I also think that he'll really help Oakland since I think it has somewhat refreshed his mind and has him working as hard as he ever has.

Miami Denver(4.5) Denver Miami
For some reason I think that Miami can keep this close... Their D hasn't been the issue in recent years, and although Denver has been a good team as of late, they haven't been able to put teams away like the used to for a while... Couple that with Miami being at home, and with some things to prove, I think they should be able to beat the spread. I just don't think they will win the game.

Pittsburgh(7) Tennessee Pittsburgh Tennessee
This pick stems mostly from two thing: Air McNair is back, and Bill Cowher doesn't run up the score. The Titans are my team, but I just don't think that their D will get them to the play-offs. They upgraded their running backs in the offseason tho, and their young recievers are talented so I think the offense will make games interesting.

Washington(6) Chicago Washington Washington
Chicago's just that bad... I wish the outlook was better, but it almost seems like they haven't moved in a positive direction for a long time. Washington has Clinton Portis, and he should be able to start the season with a big game.

Carolina(7) New Orleans Carolina Carolina
The Panthers have been a play-off contender the last couple seasons and should continue that trend. My heart goes out to the Saints and the city, and I would like nothing better than to see a Hollywood scripted season for this team and to raise spirits. Let's just hope that all the help the public is giving makes it to their city and helps those in need.

Jacksonville(3) Seattle Jacksonville Jacksonville
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Mike Holmgren looked like a genius when he didn't have total control over the personel. Now, not so much. Jack Del Rio on the other hand, has looked pretty smart since he took over. Note to Mike: The grass isn't always greener on the other side, and just because you can, doesn't necessarily mean that you should.

Buffalo(4.5) Houston Houston Houston
Houston has gotten better slowly ever season, and I think this is the Year that David Carr can really come into his own. I also just don't see Losman being able to take it to the next level just yet. Course we'll find out Sunday.

Cleveland Cincinati(3.5) Cincinati Cincinati
The Browns look like they may finally be on the right course, but Cinci is already there after they were suffering from a similar affliction of underacheiving just a few years ago. This should be the year that Carson Palmer takes the Bengals back to the play-offs

Kansas City(3) N.Y. Jets N.Y. Jets N.Y. Jets
Martin will have another good year, Pennington is another year older and is already a solid QB. I know that KC can score with the best of them, but I think the Jets are more solid overall at this point.

Detroit(3) Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay
Detroit is improving, but the Pack still have Brett... It's hard to not bet on Brett. Especially a Brett that just wants one last shot, and when he's playing a team that they should be able to beat.

San Diego(4.5) Dallas Dallas Dallas
The Chargers were the surprise of the league last year and deserved all of the accolades that went their way. The won't be able to sneak up on teams this year though, and although they will still be a force, I don't think that they'll have as good of a record as they did last year. The Cowboys could surprise. Drew can still throw. JJ can run. Tuna usually can be counted on to field a good defense. Can Drew have a consistant season like he used to have in NE when he was one of the brightest stars in the game? I'm betting he can.

San Fran St. Louis(5.5) St. Louis St. Louis
Only 5.5? If only the only issues that San Fran has were ON the field. Wow... I remember when they were the class of the NFL. Times have changed. St.Louis could make it to the post-season simply due to the fact that they're in the worst division in football.

N.Y. Giants(1.5) Arizona Arizona Arizona
Warner got jerked around in NY and although he's one of the least likely people on earth to ever hold a grudge, I think he'll have a big game. Having the talent that the Cards have for recievers could have swayed the opinion just slightly.

Baltimore Indianapolis(3) Indianapolis Indianapolis
I know Baltimore has improved, but Indy along with the Pats, are the class of the AFC. So unless the Colts are playing Belichick, who has their number, it's a no-brainer.

Atlanta Philadelphia(1.5) Philadelphia Philadelphia
Monday night in the lights. I'd LOVE for Atlanta to help create some more contreversy in Philly but McNabb is to classy of a guy to let ANYTHING get in between his team and a win. Philly wins, McNabb makes plays, and Owens has a big night and takes all the credit.

It should be s great first weekend to kick off a great season. So make sure you have Sunday ticket ordered and the fridge full of snacks and bevy's because in the immortal words of Hank Williams Jr.:
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?????

Have a great day!

Note that all opionions expressed on this page are mine and mine alone.

So don't try to take credit for them:-P

2005-09-09T08:24:00.000-06:00

NFL season has officially started, and that's good news! Why you ask? Well, not because I want to see a senior citizen in tight leather pants... Am I the only one that could have done without the so called season opening festivities? Seriously... I watch football... because I like... Football! Sounds crazy doesn't it? I would have rather watched a 2 hour breakdown of the status and outlook of eacj team going into the season instead of having the pregame hour being taken up by some larger than life rock star. Now make no mistake, this isn't a shot at the Stones or the show they put on. Point is this: If I go to see a rock concert, I don't expect the opening act to be a "friendly" between two professional sports teams... Oh well... It all comes down to selling commercial time, and I guess the sport itself doesn't generate enough interest. This does beg an interesting question though. If the NFL needs the Stones to garner some attention and revenue, then what will it take to get fans back to the NHL?

Here's a hint: How about an actual implemented marketing plan. Taboo talk maybe, but you have to think that the lock-out has pretty much lost them all the casual fans they had, and aside from the "NEW" logo, has the NHL done anything to re-invent itself? Am I missing something here? Don't they need to at least have a marketing strategy in place? Shouldn't it have been at least pre-launched by now to drum up some interest? Didn't Gary promise us a better, improved, new NHL? Now, as you can tell by my rant above, I would like the focus to be on the game. But shouldn't the NHL be running commercials on any networks it can find showing exciting highlights and a we're back theme? How about a mimic of Poltrageist where you have a little girl sitting in front of a TV that's glowing and says: They're Baaaaack... and then you flash to the TV and see highlights of past games... Hits, goals, saves, maybe Roenick mouthing off. At least something. Local teams are doing some things, but some can generate more excitement than others... I mean the "Go Flames Go" Clips along with the Peter Mar YEAH BABY's sure get the goosebumps up, but it's just not the same when you don't have that pool to build on and the NHL needs to do something Continent wide to generate some excitement in the game. Training camp is upon us... Any time now would be great!

Back to the NFL... Is there a better example of a team and a team concept in pro sports than the New England Patriots? I know, Tom Brady is boring and doesn't create headlines or put up gaudy stats but he sure knows how to win. The biggest part about the Pats that seems to separate them from most teams is what, outwardly at least, seems to be a complete check all egos at the door mentality. Note to T.O. Egos don't win games, Teams win games. And has there ever, currently or throughout history, been a coach who can impress on his players the importance of the team concept better, or make changes on the Fly better than Coach Bellichick? You look at a team that lost their heart and soul in Bruschi and also lost Washington, so they're weak at LB right? D is succeptable, right? Well... you get a couple quarters into the first game and say, yeah... we don't have the strength at LB we had last year, so let's just change from a 3-4 to a 4-3... I know, they practised it, and I know it wasn't just a seat of your pants thing, but It's impressive nonetheless... The fact that he had accounted for such a possibility speaks volumes about this man's preparation. And when it comes to buying into the team concept, how about convincing a decent wide-out that he could help you more as a db? Or changing a supposed malcontent in Dillon into a team guy. It also speaks of the Character he brings in and the leaders they have on that team. My hat is off to Belichick, a man who could go down asn the greatest coach ever, in a time where every team has (potentially) a shot at every player.

That's all for me...

2005-09-08T14:24:00.000-06:00

Well here it is... I've been threatening to do it and have finally taken the plunge; This is my blog. My spot to spew tirades about anything I want, which will usually involve sports. I tend to avoid real news like the plague so I make no promises about being up to date on current events, or even to have any idea what goes on outside of my tiny sports fishbowl, but hopefully I'll be at least remotely interesting.

In the words of the great Robert Asprin "I am not a fast writer, I am not a slow writer; I am a half-fast writer."

In going with the theme of my highly unheard-of and currently unsuccesful BLOG, and due to the fact that there is absolutely no one out there thay I need to worry about offending, I am able to spew my sports rants without impunity to anyone who has the misfortune of ending up here.

NHL is alsmost back. Most rookie camps are going on as we speak. This should be a great year, and not just because we finally get hockey back although that year off was most unfortunate. We must not be too elated, and should proceed with caution however, as there are some key factors that could decide whether or not the year off was worth it and whether or not the game will actually be better when it comes back. Here are a few quick thoughts:

1. Will they actually crack down on obstruction?
Let's face it... This is a requirement to getting the popularity of the game back up. No offense to either team, well maybe a little, but if there is ANYONE that didn't think that the Anaheim-Devils Cup final was the worst 7 game series in the history of sports they need to either have their head examined, or at least share with the rest of us a little of what they've been smoking. It was horible, slow, seemingly talentless, definately riskless hockey. That is not the game I grew up watching, and I hope to NEVER see it again. In order for that to happen, the players, the teams, and the league will have to create change. And the fans might have to deal with the fall-out. I don't know who these people are that bitch because their team that plays lazy or can't skate takes too many penalties, but I say count me in for a league that allows a superstar to make that last minute dash to the open win for the buzzer-beater without having him tackled and having no call because " the ref is letting them play".... He's not letting them play... he's letting them cheat! In football, you don't let the DB hold onto Randy Moss because he's too big and too fast for the defender to be able to handle, yet in the NHL it's ok for a guy to ride on a star's jersy since he's so big and strong that he can "play through it". Don't get me wrong, I like tough hockey, but it's been getting rediculous.

And would people PLEASE quit blaming the trap... You know who played the trap? The late 70's Canadians, and I don't remember anyone complaining about how boring it was to watch Guy Lafleur being dragged along by Gilbert Perrault with his Hair Flowing in the jet-stream. The trap isn't the problem... guys being hooked and held is the problem. Bob Gainey was one of the best defensive players in history... and he didn't get that reputation by holding guys... he outskated them... that's how you play proper defense... Interference has been a rule for years...we don't need new rules, or a clarification of rules... We need guys that don't have the puck to not have to suffer the unwanted attention that comes from an opponent wishing to slow-dance with you...

The players were involved in the decision this time, so hopefully that helps get the ball rolling, because if it does, hockey is about to get exciting again.

As a side note... The crap in front of the net HAS to go... I can understand placing your stick on a guy to forcibly manuver him out of your goalies line of sight... but since when did it become ok, to ruin a guy's career by cross-checking him in the neck, head, or face just because he's jockying for position. This is another aspect that HAS to go if you ask me.

2. The cap creates an even playing field, which should create a more exciting time for fans since every team gets an equal chance (potentially) to sign players. This is a great theory that is for all intents and purposes trying to model itself off the NFL. I love it, and it works for me... Of course the closest GM to me is Daryl Sutter. Fact is, not all GM's will make good decisions... We'll have to see how it plays out, but the NHL will probably still have its own versions of the Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints. Let's just hope that the product is good enough that people will come to whatever cities these end up being just to see the game that we love.

3. Will the players be happy with the deal once we're fully into it?
I think for the most part, players just want to play in the best league in the world and make a decent living. Which this cap does allow, but it has become clear that some players are more interested in money than in playing in the best league in the world. If you don't believe me, then look not further than the recent migrations to the Russian teams that are offering big salaries to guys that wouldn't garner the same money in the NHL. Maybe more will migrate over time, but I like to think that the NHL is it's own draw and as long as the league continues to grow in popularity, the players will benifit from any revenue that they can help generate. I think that there may be a slight worry from players now. And I know there's been rumblings about the Escrow payments, but if the league and players and truly work together to build this league I think that there will more than enough revenue to keep it as the best league in the world.