Bleacher Report - Articles by Brent Kozuh

NHL: Players Who Have Exceeded Expectations

Brent Kozuh — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:14:50 -0500

Mike Ribeiro (C, Dallas)

With 22 goals, 27 assists for 49 points in 44 games, Ribeiro has seemingly finally reached his potential. Often dogged in Montreal for his inconsistent play, Ribeiro has found a home in Dallas. He is also a +10 which should nix any discussions about his apparent lack of defensive play. He has also been rewarded with a new 5 year, $25 million deal.

Mats Sundin (C, Toronto)

Don't blame Sundin for the Leafs problems. The captain has put up very impressive numbers (20G, 29A, 49P, +11) on a team which lacks any type of offensive scoring depth. Sundin has carried the load single-handedly while playing with subpar linemates such as Jason Blake and Alexei Ponikarovsky. We expect Sundin to put up solid numbers, but he has exceeded expectations this season.

Mike Richards (C, Philadelphia)

Richards was not expected to put up anywhere near the offensive numbers he has been putting up (20G, 28A, 48P in 43 games). Noted more for his ability to shut-down the other teams top offensive unit, Richards has become one of the dynamic two-way threats in the NHL. He can score, hit, kill penalties, and win faceoffs.

Brad Boyes (RW, Saint Louis)

Boyes has flourished this season with the Blues. He had his ups and downs in Boston but has appeared to find a permanent home in St. Louis. He has tallied 25 goals and 13 assists in 43 games for a Blues team that is in a playoff battle in the Western Conference. For the Blues to make the playoffs, they will need Boyes to keep this pace up.

Patrick Sharp (C, Chicago)

We expected Toews and Kane to make an impact, and yes they too have exceeded expectations, but did anyone expect Sharp to have the season he is having. He has an impressive 22 goals, 7 short handed, and 13 assists. He can do just about anything on the ice. Sharp should have made the all-star team, but playing on a line with Toews and Kane should warrant him more looks in the future.

Mike Green (D, Washington)

Have you ever seen this guy play? Of all the players on this list, Green is probably the biggest surprise. He possesses incredible speed, a rocket of a shot and a tremendous hockey IQ. His point production speaks for itself (12G, 14A in 44 GP). Green is flashy, as you will often see him attempting at least end-to-end rush a game. Another all-star snub.

Ty Conklin (G, Pittsburgh)

He was left for dead by the Oilers, Blue Jackets and Sabres. Conklin has taken the league by storm recently with his steady play. His 9-0-1 record, 1.79 GAA, and .945 SV%, can attest to that. Conklin has fueled the Penguins recent winning streak. Marc-Andre Fleury who?

Honorable Mention - Duncan Keith (D, Chicago) Tobias Enstrom (D, Atlanta) Evgeni Nabokov (G, San Jose) Ilya Bryzgalov (G, Phoenix) Chris Osgood (G, Detroit) Patrick Kane (RW, Chicago) Nikolai Antropov (C, Toronto) Andrei Kostitsyn (RW, Montreal) Mark Streit (D/F, Montreal) Tom Gilbert (D, Edmonton) Alexander Edler (D, Vancouver)

Duncan Keith: A Rising Star in the NHL

Brent Kozuh — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 15:51:11 -0500

While remaining a relative unknown to the average hockey fan, Duncan Keith is beginning to make his name with his solid two-way play—and the NHL has taken notice, placing Keith in his first NHL All-Star game.

Keith is only 24 years old and in his third NHL season. Although he isn't putting up blinding numbers (5G, 12A, in 44GP), he is beginning to log massive minutes for the Blackhawks and his point production is steadily improving.

He is an ultra-smooth, fast-paced skater capable of rushing the puck and still being back in time to maintain his defensive duties.

At only 6-feet and 187 lbs, Keith isn't your prototypical NHL defenseman. However, he is positionally sound and knows how to play the angles and use his body position to thwart larger players.

He also has a very active stick.

Keith has a seemingly tremendous hockey IQ—he is rarely out of position and is excellent at making the first pass out of his own zone.

Keith was very instrumental in the Blackhawks shootout victory over the Nashville Predators on Sunday night. The most notable play, was a Robert Lang turnover in overtime. David Legwand picked up the puck and appeared to be on a straight breakaway against Blackhawks netminder Patrick Lalime.

Out of nowhere came Keith, who started about 10 strides behind Legwand, came flying back at top speed, and nullified Legwand's breakaway with a perfectly timed diving poke check, leaving Legwand stunned.

It was a tremendous play and the Blackhawks ended up winning the game in a shootout thanks to another impressive newcomer, Patrick Sharp.

Keith is an emerging star. Expect him to only get better in future years.

Bolton Wanderers in Talks with Celtic over Balde

Brent Kozuh — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 06:48:10 -0500

Bolton Wanderers are hot on the trail of Celtic's Guinean defender Dianbobo Balde. Balde is said to be very keen on the proposed transfer.

Bolton are eager to acquire Balde before he leaves for African Nation's Cup duty with Guinea, which begins in 10 days.

Balde would be a welcome addition to Bolton's defense, as they have struggled mightily to keep clean sheets all year and find themselves dangerously close to the relegation zone.

Summer signing Gerald Cid has failed to impress, and Abdoulaye Meite has been inconsistent all season long. The lone bright spot on Bolton's defense has been the play of veteran Andrew O'Brien, who has won over the Bolton fans.

Other central defenders Lubomir Michalik and Jaroslaw Fojut still need time to develop before they can handle the rigorous tempo of the English game.

Balde, 32, has played for Celtic for six seasons, but has not featured as a regular under manager Gordon Strachan.

The Demise of the Toronto Maple Leafs

Brent Kozuh — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 03:13:55 -0500

It's safe to say that the Toronto Maple Leafs' season has become one of utter failure, and will result in the team missing the playoffs once again.

In taking a look at the Leafs' roster, it's quite obvious as to why they're having a lack of success.

There are only two pure talents in Toronto: Mats Sundin and Tomas Kaberle. Aside from that, the rest of the roster is filled with role players or guys who should be plying their trades in the AHL.

Sure, Nik Antropov had a tremendous start to the season, but he has since fizzled out, having not recorded a point in eight straight games. Jason Blake, GM John Ferguson's high-profile free-agent acquisition, has tallied only eight goals all season, and has failed to gel with Sundin.

Blake's lack of passing ability is also becoming increasingly noticeable.

Alexei Ponikarovsky, meanwhile, has shown brief flashes of brilliance, but has still failed to become a consistent NHL hockey player. Darcy Tucker has been a non-factor.

On the blueline, Pavel Kubina can look good one game and then look absolutely horrendous the next. Hal Gill is usually steady and reliable, but still turns the puck over too much for a guy who has no recovery speed whatsoever.

As for Andy Wozniewski—well, what really is there to say about this guy except that he is clearly not an NHL-caliber defenseman?

Why the Leafs' continue to play Wozniewski is beyond me. He leads the team in minor penalties (50 PIM's total) in very limited ice time, which only proves that he can not handle the pace of the NHL.

In the future, Toronto fans can only expect more of the same. The Leafs are up against the cap thanks to the hefty salaries of underperformers such as Kubina, Blake, Tucker, and Bell. Our future prospects are nonexistent...and we can't make any trades involving the aforementioned players thanks to their large salaries.

Personally, I'm sick of hearing about the rise of Matt Stajan and Alexander Steen. If they're to be the future of this club, don't expect positive results in the coming years.

Stajan lacks the speed and finesse to be an offensive player, while also lacking the strength and determination to become a defensive force, which many "experts" seem to think is his role on this team.

Steen shows more sings of becoming a complete player than Stajan does, but he's very inconsistent, and has a lot more work to do to become any type of presence in the NHL.

For proof of the above, watch how many battles these two lose in the corners. However, the media has created the illusion that Stajan and Steen are franchise players, and it appears that many people have bought it.

The numbers certainly don't back up that claim: 9G, 9A, +2 in 43 games for Stajan; 7G, 12A, -2 in 43 games for Steen.

The only bright spots this season have been the play of Sundin, the emergence of Antropov, and the play of goaltender Vesa Toskala (the only positive move Ferguson has made in his tenure).

Aside from that, it has been an abysmal year that will likely result in the trade of our beloved captain and another failure to reach the playoffs.

The talent and work ethic just isn't there. Changes need to be made, and they need to be made now—or Leaf fans are going to have endure even more hard times in years to come.