Bleacher Report - Articles by Eric MacLachlan

In Defence of Brad Watson

Eric MacLachlan — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:18:27 -0400

Brad Watson screwed up, there is no disputing that.

He blew the whistle while the puck wasn't covered, and I'm sure that he will be the first to admit the whistle shouldn't have been blown. He did however make the right call in ruling it no goal.

NHL Officials are taught that if they blow the whistle because they believe the puck is covered, even if the puck is in before the whistle, they are to rule it no goal. That is what Watson did.

As a hockey official myself, I know that Watson was out of position to be making that call. He was too far in the corner, and he needed to be much closer to the net to make that call.

That being said, officials will get caught out of position, that is a given. The game is so fast and happens so quickly that most times the officials are just trying to stay out of the way of the play, and maintaining positioning becomes a second priority.

Officials are going to get caught out of position, Watson just managed to get caught and blow a call that cost Detroit tying the game.

I really feel for Watson. He really screwed up here, and myself being an on-ice official, in hockey I too have cost teams games, but not quite on the same scale of Watson.

If Detroit loses this series there will be people who will say its not because Anaheim's forwards were better, or because Hiller was the better goaltender, but because Watson screwed them in this game tonight.

No matter how much this one call means to this one game, there is no way you can blame a Detroit series loss on this one call.

Officiating in the NHL

Eric MacLachlan — Wed, 21 May 2008 13:32:22 -0400

In recent years, specifically right after the lockout the NHL instituted the new standard of enforcement, there has been plenty of criticism since this was instituted, more so then before the new standard.

Let’s be clear on this though. Although there were new rules put in place after the lockout, there are not many new rules, just a new standard.

Before the new standard, there was way too much in the way of clutching, grabbing, and interference. In other words, we needed the standard to be enforced to a stricter degree.

The problem is they went too far the other way.

If you put your stick on the guy, you sit for hooking. If your free hand touches an opponent, two minutes for holding, which has led to many complaints about weak penalties.

As a minor hockey official, we have also had the new standard implemented in Canada and the United States as well as many other places around the world. Our standard is much different then the NHL standard, however.

The way we are instructed to enforce the standard is that there must be a consequence to the action for it to be a penalty.

Consequence could mean anything from a loss of momentum, forcing a turnover by means of a hook, hold, or a loss of balance.

The NHL says it is a penalty whether or not there is a consequence but merely if the action happens. On the face, this doesn't sound like such a bad thing, but it leads to penalties that look very weak or are even none existent.

Another issue is that it seems like officials are afraid of the consequences of missing a penalty. Even with two refs calling penalties and two linesmen capable of calling major penalties, things will be missed, and infractions will go uncalled.

As long as the officials are human, human error will always be a factor. After all, they are all judgment calls. Some are just easier then others. There are many reasons not to call an infraction.

The player went down way too easy or out and out dove, which could lead to both guys sitting for two minutes. But back to this fear of officials to miss an infraction.

I have seen too many phantom calls this year because a player went down, and the official made a guess as to what happened. We see a replay, and there was no one near him as he went down.

This is simply unacceptable. I would rather have an official miss actual infractions then call one that never happened.

Kerry Fraser has always been my favorite NHL referee. He has been somewhat of a controversial official with a few interesting calls, but overall, I think he is the most consistent official.

He hasn't had great seasons in the last couple years since the new standard. He has the loosest standard of any NHL official, and he has been punished because of it.

His standard is more in line with the Hockey Canada standard then with the NHL standard, which is why he hasn't worked past the second round of the playoffs since the lockout.

And the most saddening thing is that with Kerry having to wear a helmet based on the new rules, we don't get to see his outstanding hair.

I have officiated both hockey and baseball and have played baseball, hockey, soccer, and basketball, the first three at fairly competitive levels.

To me, although never actually having officiated it, soccer seems to be the easiest of the four. In my area, it seems to be the most lacking in competent officiating.

Other then saying soccer is the easiest I am unable to say which of the other sports is easier or harder then any other. They all present their own unique challenges.

Positioning seems to be least crucial as an umpire in baseball, as more or less you can make all the calls from very similar positions, especially as the plate umpire.

I will readily admit I was a lousy umpire, which is why I stopped doing it. I struggled calling balls and strikes.

I think umpiring requires the least fitness ability but probably the best eye sight to determine whether that pitch caught the black on the outside corner or missed outside.

Basketball to me seems tough because going for a block or a steal, it can be very difficult to determine whether or not that was all ball, or he caught a piece of the players hand making it a foul.

As a fairly experienced hockey official, it would be easy for me to say hockey is the toughest because I can go on forever about the challenges hockey officials face. Being on skates presents one challenge right from the start.

I am, in most cases, officiating in the three official system, which means I am the only one calling penalties.

In soccer, it is the same, but in football and basketball, you have a few different guys watching the same play from vastly different angles, who both have the authority to make the call.

And being in Canada, people are the most nuts. You could say on the verge of psychotic about hockey. I have seen parents threaten to kill officials because of calls. Officials are physically and verbally abused over games they reffed.

Seldom but not as rare as it should be, officials needing a police escort out of a town after a Junior B game. And it may not always be the people you think.

Yes, it can be the gruff hockey dad, but I have been sworn at on more than one occasion by sisters, moms, and grandmothers (which actually make me laugh sometimes.)

Another problem is that size can be a real issue. These guys are getting bigger, even at 14 years old, faster and stronger.

Even though officials hoping to make it to junior hockey are under fitness testing, there simply are not enough officials for the officials to be in as good of shape as the players.

Where size is the biggest issue is breaking up scrums and fights. I am 5-foot-8 and 150lbs. I am routinely dealing with players who are over 6 feet tall and weigh quite a bit more then I do.

I am not saying hockey is the toughest sport to officiate, but these are some of the problems I see with the NHL and some the things I have experienced as an official.

Conn Smythe Trophy Candidates in '08 Race

Eric MacLachlan — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:59:08 -0400

At the start of the playoffs there was a Conn Smythe Prediction contest. I did the same thing with my buddies.

Joe Thornton was first off the board. Zetterberg was next followed by Crosby, Malkin, and Datsyuk. My pick was last. As I did here, I took Marc-Andre Fleury. They all laughed, which I found weird. I was told, even if the Pens win, their offence will cast a shadow over their goal-tending.

Well, lets examine my chances of winning the prize, if Pittsburgh were to win.

Sidney Crosby has 21 points, 17 of which are assists. Even with him being second in playoff scoring to the aforementioned Zetterberg—who is the clear-cut winner should Detroit knock the Penguins off—Crosby has been the focus of some criticism. He only has four goals, and although he has primarily been a playmaker since joining Pittsburgh, people expect him to score the big goals.

In the 2006-2007 season—in which Crosby won the Hart, Art Ross and Lester Pearson—he only scored 36 goals, along with 84 assists for 120 points. 84 assists is the number of a playmaker more then a goal scorer. Granted 36, goals is a very nice number for a playmaker—but he is a play-maker.

Crosby said he is comfortable being a playmaker as long as his team wins. He should get real comfortable, because he is the best in the game.

Malkin has 19 points in the playoffs, nine of which are goals, and three of which are game-winning goals. Malkin has not been the Malkin who dominated the regular season during Crosby's injury, but rather the Malkin who is playing second fiddle to Crosby and spearheading the most dangerous second line in the league.

Malkin is always dangerous when he is on the ice—and believe me when I say he is the sniper on this team. 47 goals this year back that statement up—but I still think, unless his play improves exponentially, he is still number two behind Crosby, among the forwards for the Conn Smythe.

Now for Marc-Andre Fleury, my pick. It is very rare a team wins the Stanley Cup with anything less then great goaltending. In fact, the last time I can think of that happening was the team Pittsburgh is playing, with the very same goaltender leading the charge.

Fleury has three shut outs, a 1.70 GAA, and a .938 save percentage. Opponents are averaging 28 shots per game against him. Fleury has had one or two easy nights, but for a guy who has taken so much flak as an NHLer, he has been great throughout the playoffs.

There have been very few weak goals, plus he has made big saves at key times in games, and has also made a few spectacular saves to preserve leads at big times. Everyone raves about Pittsburgh's offence, but their goaltending has been as good as or better then their offence.

If Pittsburgh wins, who gets the Conn Smythe? I won't guarentee Fleury because you can never tell before the announcement—but I will say Fleury is right in there.

San Jose Sharks: Troubles Start with Joe Thornton

Eric MacLachlan — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:35:53 -0400

The San Jose Sharks are down two games to one, to the Seventh place Calgary Flames. All you have to do is look at the leaders of each team to figure out why.

Jarome Iginla only finished with two more points then Joe Thornton during the regular season and only has two more points then Thornton in the series so why is he that much better then Thornton? Thornton has two assists both on goals by Ryan Clowe, but has been virtually invisible in the series. Obviously Clagary is focusing on Thornton but with his size and skill he should be able to win battles against any player in the league. He isn't using his size, and he has created very little in the series. He has two assists because Ryan Clowe is playing very well.

Jarome Iginla scored a fluky goal off his shin pad in game 3. He has three assists otherwise so how is it possible he has meant so much more to his team then Joe Thornton. Iginla has 15 shots compared to 5 from Thornton in the series. 15 shots in three games?! Iginla has skated well, played his physical game, and despite only having one goal has been the best player on either team. The rest of the Flames follow the lead of Jarome Iginla which was evident in game three as following the 3-0 lead, Iginla starts mixing it up followed by the biggest momentum shift of any playoff game, Cory Sarich laying out Patrick Marleau. This is all created because Calgary has a great leader in Jarome Iginla, who in my mind will Captain the 2010 version of Team Canada should Sakic retire before then.

Joe Thornton however has done nothing. He has set up Clowe twice but has only had 5 shots on goal. This is a guy who San Jose gave up very little to get because Boston gave up on him. They realized much earlier than most of the rest of the world that Thornton is not a prime-time performer. This is a guy who has put up 96, 114, 92 and 125 points in the last four years. His numbers are okay although not great. When the going gets tough Thornton disappears. He doesn't play as physical as he needs to, doesn't drive to the net, and he hasn't made anyone around him better. He needs to start scoring because you can't win bug without your big players and Thornton hasn't been that guy. I know Thornton isn't a big time goal scorer but if he's a set-up man he needs more than 2 assists through 3 games. This guy is not a big game player, and while he will be on Team Canada 2010, but if he is expected to be a top six forward, they better hope the third and fourth lines come up big. Thornton is a great regular season player, who with one international tournament as the exception, is a point a game player at best. The Sharks also have an extreme lack of leadership starting with Marleau but extending to Thornton.

The Sharks could lose to Calgary in the first round, and Wilson will shoulder much of the blame, but Thornton will also shoulder much of the blame, as he should, because to this point he simply has not been good enough.

Dave Nonis Sacked by Vancouver Canucks

Eric MacLachlan — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:50:07 -0400

The Vancouver Canucks fired General Manager Dave Nonis. Although many people talked about the move, very few actually thought he would be fired now.

Nonis has constantly been criticized for his lack of acquisitions this past summer and for failing to land Brad Richards at the trade deadline.

He came in after Brian Burke and was praised instantly for landing Roberto Luongo, but has failed to give Luongo any help in trying to win a Stanley Cup.

Nonis tried to ride Burke's team, only acquiring Luongo and changing the fourth line every year. He won a total of one round and missed the playoffs twice in his tenure. Nonis continued to ride Daniel, Henrik, and Markus despite their lack of production when games mattered.

Will Alain Vigneault be next? With a new GM coming in Alain will definitely be on the hot seat, and if Vancouver starts off slowly, do not expect the GM to continue with Alain.

No replacement has been named yet. Could Brian Burke come back? Burke has been rumored for the Toronto Maple Leafs job, but Vancouver could try to bring him back and let him finish what he started.

Love him or hate him he was unfairly fired and is the best General Manager in the NHL. Aquilini has no problem with Burke so it is realistic.

All I can say is, if he is available, BRING BACK BURKE!

Martin Brodeur's Blunder: Will Age and Fatigue Factor for NHL Goalies in the Playoffs?

Eric MacLachlan — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:30:28 -0400

Martin Brodeur's gaffe in game one of the Devils' series against the Rangers may have made him the goat in New Jersey for now. It is an uncharacteristic mistake by one of the best to ever play in the NHL.

Of course, everyone makes mistakes once in a while. But is this just one bad mistake by a legend, or is it Brodeur showing he may actually be human?

Is he a little less focused based on the fact that he's played 77 games, or is he just getting old?

While six goaltenders played 70 games this year, only two have really showed signs of fatigue.

Brodeur was amazing at points, but also had one of his most up and down seasons in recent memory. He was much better in the second half leading up to the playoffs, but still had some games where he was lit up.

While Brodeur is used to the workload, he isn't getting any younger. I don't think Brodeur will suffer, and he could in fact do what he has done best and steal a round or two for a New Jersey team not picked by many to go deep.

Dominik Hasek is another playoff question mark at 43 years old. He has a history of injuries since returning to the NHL, most notably with Ottawa during their playoff run a couple years ago.

Hasek is, simply, an aging goaltender on a team that, despite finishing first in the West, few people are giving much of a shot to win the Cup.

To me, Hasek is the biggest question mark among the top teams, and Detroit will not do anything unless he plays very well. I don't see him being good enough to steal a series after the first round.

A third potential question mark is Roberto Luongo. He has played 75, 76, and 73 games in each of the past three seasons, respectively. Luongo is only 29, but this year he struggled immensely down the stretch.

While family distractions definitely played a part, he also just looked tired at times. He was slow, overplayed many shots, and let in some very weak goals. It looked like he was suffering from more than just the personal troubles; he looked worn out.

Evgeni Nabokov, Ryan Miller, Mikka Kiprusoff, and Henrik Lundqvist also played over 70 games this season.

Kiprusoff was constantly criticized, although that could be attributed more to Mike Keenan than Mikka. Although he struggled in games, he was not as bad as Keenan wanted people to think.

The Sabres are not in the playoffs, but this is no fault of Miller's, who will be in a tight battle for Team USA's starting, most likely against Rick DiPietro. In my mind, Miller should be the starter.

Nabokov and Lundqvist could both garner Vezina consideration of their own.

I think that these teams would be smart to keep a legitimate number two man, and try to limit their top 'tenders to around 70 games.

I know you want the best to play as often as possible, but when Luongo plays the way he did the last month of the year, does it seem as though this method really helps your team?

Toronto Blue Jays' Offense Starts Season in High Gear

Eric MacLachlan — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:10:38 -0400

The Toronto Blue Jays have started the year 4-3.

I realize it's early in the year, but already they are seeing the emergence of the offense that took most of last season off.

The pitching has looked decent, although A.J. Burnett took a pounding last night. The Jays had solid performances from everyone else until then.

Pitching will not be a problem for this team, but the offense was awful last year.

Vernon Wells and Frank Thomas already have three home runs apiece. For two guys who have struggled, to start this season with a bang is huge—as long as they can continue at this pace.

These two guys must lead the offense in order for this team to be successful.

Past Thomas and Wells, Aaron Hill is hitting .444 and is a guy who could potentially win the batting title. He is starting to show his power, is a great gap hitter, and is very good defensively.

The last guy to win a Gold Glove for Toronto at second was traded that winter to Arizona. Aaron is making it so most people forget about the trading away of Orlando Hudson.

Hill just signed a four-year deal and Jays fans have to be ecstatic that he will be with the team for the next four seasons.

The real Lyle Overbay looks to be back as he has started hitting at a .296 clip, which is exactly what the Jays expect from him.

The new guys are also chipping in right away. David Eckstein has six RBI and Marco Scutaro is only hitting .150 but has a .346 OBP, and has played sparkling defense at third in place of Scott Rolen.

Scutaro is making a case for stealing some playing time from Rolen after his return from the DL. Scutaro has three stolen bases, which is another thing that has jump started the offense.

This team is running. They have attempted 10 stolen bases, stealing seven of them. Rios and Scutaro have three each, while Hill has the last.

We have still yet to see Rolen in a Jays' uniform, but this offense is finally showing what it is capable of.

I know we're only seven games in, but if this is a preview of what we will get all season from the offense and if the pitching remains consistent, we could easily see a new team atop the AL East.

This could be the first time in a long time another team in this division has shown they have what it takes to compete with Boston and New York.

Especially after the sweep last week.

Avalanche-Canucks: Game Preview

Eric MacLachlan — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:44:04 -0500

The Canucks are healthy and the Avalanche are healthy. This has been rare for both teams all year, but as these divisional foes and bitter rivals go head to head they have their teams intact and ready for the playoff run after relatively quiet deadlines.

The Canucks are on a roll and finally have their top four d-men in the lineup at the same time. Bieksa is back and after their blockbuster deal, they will welcome Matt Pettinger to their lineup to cure all their scoring woes.

Okay, a little sarcasm there, but as I state in another article, I like that Nonis didn't pull the big deal off. The Avs top guys will get all they can handle from Bieksa and Mitchell. Although Bieksa is not yet at his 26 minutes a game, so they will see Mitchell and a variety of partners most likely limited to Bieksa, Ohlund, and Salo, although Edler could pull some shutdown duty as well.

They will also see Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows, and surprisingly Brad Isbister. Isbister, who has not been a regular most of the year, has found a nice job on the third line He's played pretty well in a shut-down role, which keeps fan-favorite Trevor Linden watching from the press box.

Matt Pettinger will likely figure in on the second line to start although expect Taylor Pyatt, who has played well lately despite playing on the fourth line, to see some time as well. The defensive pairings won't stay together but this is what Alain has started with, although Weaver sees very limited ice-time. Also good for the Canucks, the real Roberto Luongo has come to town just in time for the stretch run.

The only difference in this line-up is that Matt Cooke, who has been a staple in it for the past few years, is not a Washington Capital.

The Canucks will be going with:

Sedin-Sedin-Naslund

Raymond-Shannon-Pettinger

Isbister-Kesler-Burrows

Pyatt-Ritchie-Cowan

Mitchell-Bieksa

Ohlund-Edler

Salo-Weaver

Luongo

As for the Avalanche, they are welcoming back quite a few players from various sources, as well as one newcomer.

They gave up Karlis Skrastins and bolstered their defense, welcoming Ruslan Salei from the Panthers, and welcoming back Adam Foote from the Columbus Bluejackets. Joe Sakic has just returned from injury, as have Ryan Smyth and Paul Stasny.

Also adding to the mix is the signing of Peter Forsberg who is ready to play, but we'll see just how effective he is. Either way, the Avalanche have a very potent attack, and have now shored up a defense that although talented now, has a legitimate number one shut-down defenseman to go along with the likes of Scott Hannan, Jeff Finger, Kurt Sauer, Liles, and Leopold.

At this point, Colorado's biggest weakness is their goaltending, with two very second-tier goaltenders who have not gotten the job done. I don't know who will start against Vancouver. Colorado needs to keep the puck away from their net because with both these guys, although they can be good, can also be very, very bad.

This game should be a very entertaining game, and I've got Colorado taking it 4-3 in a shoot-out.

Memo to NHL Teams: Don't Use Your Stars in Shootouts

Eric MacLachlan — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 14:38:12 -0500

Stars can't do shootouts! Check out the stats. More and more, the best players in the NHL struggle in the shootout.

There are many reasons for their struggles. Some players might feel too much pressure to perform that they end up failing. Some try to get way too fancy and lose control or can't make up their mind of what to do.

Look at some of the best players in the NHL:

Ryan Getzlaf 1 for 8

Evgeni Malkin 0 for 5

Dany Heatley 0 for 4

Marian Hossa 1 for 6

Henrik Zetterburg 2 for 8

Markus Naslund 0 for 8 (dating back to last year)

There are a few stars who have done well:

Nikolai Zheredev 4 for 4

Corey Perry 3 for 6

Patrick Elias 2 for 2

Mats Sundin 2 for 4

Yet the proven formula seems to be the shoot-out artist or specialist:

Dallas was the first team to figure this out, with Jussi Jokinen and Antti Miettinen.

Some of the guys in the news for their shoot-outs:

Alex Edler 2 for 2, 2 straight winners

Trevor Linden 4 for 5

Kris Letang 4 for 5 (2 winners on western roadswing.)

Peter Mueller 3 for 4

More and more I think NHL teams will start keeping guys on their rosters specifically for the shootout. They would be smart to try different players in shootouts. Defencemen, 4th liners, and 3rd liners may not be the most skilled guys, but they seem to do a lot better then the stars, despite the pressure.

Talented Troublemaker: Sticking Up for Steve Downie

Eric MacLachlan — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 19:23:11 -0500

The Philadelphia Flyers recalled Steve Downie in early December, and I felt it was necessary to stand up for him.

I think Downie is and will be a truly sensational player.

Downie made quite the impression in his first NHL preseason, delivering a vicious blow to Ottawa's Dean McAmmond. No one disputes that the hit crossed the line, and everyone agrees Downie deserved a suspension.

I think his punishment was overly severe, but that's another issue altogether.

The fact is, I would want Steve Downie on my team. Sure, he has a checkered past, but he's not the first NHL player with a bad reputation, and he certainly won't be the last.

More to the point, he's a damned good hockey player.

Downie is quick and has good hands, and you know he's going to give you everything he's got when he's on the ice. He'll cross the line every now and again—but that's the risk you take with an exciting, aggressive player.

I'm a Vancouver fan—and if the Canucks had a chance to get Downie, I'd want them to do everything they could to make it happen.

I feel about Downie the same way I felt about Dustin Slade. Slade, for those of you who don't know, was an extremely talented goaltender known for instigating brawls, running his mouth, and suffering the occasional mental lapse.

For all his faults, though, Slade almost led the Quesnel Millionaires (Tier 2, BCHL) to a playoff win over the first-place Salmon Arm Silverbacks while averaging 46 saves a game—and despite only having one forward (Glibert Brule) with any offensive ability.

Unfortunately, Slade snapped too often and was overlooked by pretty much everyone who mattered. But I would take Slade on my team—just like I'd take Downie.

However you cut it, they're two amazing hockey players.