Ritter's Rant: NHL News from Maple Leafs and Flyers, To Jaromir Jagr

Written By: mark "The Hard Hitter" Ritter

Things are never as they seem. This idiom extends to the NHL as well, and there is no better example than the Toronto Maple Leafs' 4-0 shutout victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Flyers are 7-2-1 in their past 10 games, which means despite last night's loss, the Flyers are one of the NHL’s hottest teams. On the other hand, the Leafs have a 3-6-2 record in their past 10 games, are ranked 29th overall, 29th in goals against and 30th on the penalty kill.

Add it all up and what you realize is, despite their 4-0 win, the Leafs are a horrible team.

Speaking of horrible teams, the Edmonton Oilers are a paltry 1-8-1 in their past 10 games, putting them within two points of the lowly Carolina Hurricanes for the “coveted” 30th overall position.

Sure, finishing with the NHL’s worst record would ensure a great shot at the No. 1 overall pick at this years NHL entry draft, but it doesn’t do anything for your fans at present.

Sorry Oilers fans, it looks like it’s going to get worse before it gets better in Oil Country. Look for the Oilers to consider trades for just about any player on the current roster, with the likes of Sheldon Souray, Patrick Sullivan, Ales Hemsky, Steve Staios and Andrew Cogliano getting the most interest from opposing teams.

My two cents on the Vancouver Canucks forward Alex Burrows/NHL referee Stephane Auger battle: Burrows was wrong for voicing his concerns through the media. That said, the evidence is there to support what Burrows was complaining about, so the NHL needs to step up and punish Auger unmercifully.

The NHL cannot have referees compromising games. The fact that the NHL is seemingly letting Auger off the hook is both concerning for players and fans. This is dangerous for a game that wants nothing to do with the horrific publicity it will get if the public believes NHL games are somehow being compromised and/or fixed through biased refereeing.

Don’t look now, but the Pittsburgh Penguins' power play is smoking hot, climbing all the way up from 30th overall to 29th overall in the NHL standings. I am joking of course—at least about the smoking hot part.

Speaking of special teams, the Washington Capitals own the 24th-ranked penalty kill. You have to think, if the Capitals have any chance of winning the Stanley Cup, they will have to address this part of their game. They can do that either through a trade for a stay-at-home defenseman or better effort from the existing roster.

With the 19th overall offense, should the Calgary Flames take a more pro-active approach in trying to acquire Atlanta Thrashers goal-scoring machine, Ilya Kovalchuk? It says here the Flames are yet again a first-round casualty if they do not address their lack of goal scoring.

Despite all of their injuries, is there anyone out there who thought the Detroit Red Wings would own the 28th-ranked offense in the NHL? Averaging just 2.50 goals per game, the Red Wings find themselves in exactly that position.

To their credit, the Red Wings still occupy the 13th overall position, sporting a record of 24-16-6. The difference between the Red Wings and other struggling teams? Coaching and heart.

Another NHL team may emerge, but for now, it’s going to be fun to watch the Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks and New Jersey Devils fight it out for the Presidents' Trophy.

Inexplicably, the Los Angeles Kings own a record of 12-8-2 at home and a record of 14-10-1 on the road. Seems this team is no better at home than it is on the road, which is the wrong kind of “consistency” for an NHL team.

Anyone else get the feeling that former NHL super star Jaromir Jagr is going to have a big tournament at the 2010 Olympics? For Jagr, the Olympics look to be his last kick at the can. Don’t be surprised if he is a difference maker.

Just a thought here—will the Steve Moore “situation” ever be reconciled? The fact that the NHL has not done more to speed the process along, and those involved in the incident have not been investigated with more vigor and due diligence is alarming.

Until next time,

Peace!