Bleacher Report - Articles by Joe Corson

Montreal Canadiens: Predictable Irony with Weber's Entry into Lineup

Joe Corson — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:41:52 -0500

I recently wrote about Guy Carbonneau's "Flex Lineup", and Yannick Weber's call-up warranting its return. RDS is reporting that tonight's lineup versus the Toronto Maple Leafs will feature 11 forwards and seven defencemen.

Yannick Weber will serve as the seventh blue-liner, while Steve Begin will handle game observation and analysis duties from up high, alongside Christopher Higgins and the rest of the walking wounded.

This move, while not necessarily a bad one, is a bit ironic. The power-play will receive its "slapshot injection" only hours after it capitalized and scored two goals against the league's top ranked penalty kill, while also showing some good pressure on a couple of power-plays during the game.

Irony aside, the move is well timed given tonight's opponent. Don't be surprised to see Weber step in for Patice Brisebois should the Habs take a lead of two goals or more.

The Leafs are not a huge threat to come back from behind, and such a situation is perfect for Yannick Weber to start gaining some NHL experience. It will also give the Breezer a much-needed breather.

That's our coach. Always keeping us on our toes.

NHL's Return to Integrity: Stop Skate-By Receiving Lines, Delay-of-Game Pleading

Joe Corson — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:36:48 -0500

I'd like to propose a couple of rule changes to the NHL. They won't necessarily improve on the quality of play, nor will they reduce injury. They will, however, return integrity to the game, at a time when it struggles with its identity and the NHL ponders whether it should be a more global (European) league.

Firstly, a modification to the recently introduced rule whereby a player receives a delay-of-game penalty upon shooting the puck over the glass from their defensive zone.

When such an incident occurs, regardless of intent, they are handed a two-minute minor. Perhaps in the future, referees will be allowed to use judgement and base their call on intent, but in the meantime, it's an automatic call, and every other play on the ice immediately reacts accordingly when it happens.

The proposed modification is based on exactly those reactions.

When the puck exits, any opposing team player who raises their hands to indicate "out of bounds," or anyone caught yelling "Ay, oh, ay, ay, oh, oh...", or similar, or skating to the nearest referee pointing at the puck's trajectory, or pleading and indicating where it deflected off a stick or edge of the glass—such a player will also receive a two-minute unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

The league recently cut out soccer-esque diving by imposing an unsportsmanlike penalty, let it now do the same again before gameplay resembles soccer, with its defenders, who upon sensing an offside, just stop playing and throw their hands up into the air looking for non-athletic mercy.

Secondly, the skate-by greeting line that forms at the bench after every goal must go. It has become automatic for the player who scored to lead a procession by the bench, receiving glove-pumps from each teammate. I don't recall this in the good ol' days of the NHL. European influence?

They do so after great goals scored off of a blistering slapshot, or after dekeing a defenceman out of his shorts and then roofing the puck to knock the water bottle.

They also do so after having a puck bounce in off their skate or derriere, and even after getting credit for a goal knocked in by the opponent while they are half way back to the bench at shift's end.

They do so with emotion on their faces, or sometimes with a blank look, as if it were a ritual forced upon them. Many veterans do so with a look of embarrassment and ridicule, but they still ride the line, perhaps because the new generation expects it from them.

Let's allow them to celebrate as they see fit, and not force any receiving lines or gifts and confetti upon anyone. A bench minor for inappropriate celebration might fit when the choreography gets too heavy.

Theories from the World Junior Hockey Championship and Spengler Cup

Joe Corson — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 01:22:46 -0500

The World Juniors and the Spengler Cup. Each holiday season, diehard hockey fans gather around the television to watch what is arguably the best and purest hockey played, and the clearest measure of top hockey nation in the world. And then there's the Spengler Cup.

Over the years, these are the top theories to emerge from these two polar opposite tournaments.

Those who push for NHL players at the Olympics should observe how the Juniors each year put on the best pure-hockey show without fail. They should then revisit tapes of the old Canada Cup held for the pros.
It is refreshing to see hard-hitting hockey where one can paste an opponent into the glass and not get jumped and mugged by one of his teammates seconds later.
The NHL, recognizing that their future stars are brought to the next level by the World Juniors, should provide experienced referees in place of the International hodgepodge that attempt to call the games at present. Then again, NHL refs at the World Juniors might lead to NHL play at the World Juniors.
The only spots on a Spengler player without any advertising taped on are their visors and cups... and we're only sure about the visor.
European ad agencies must be working on a one-way ad banner that can be pasted onto a visor without obstructing the player's vision.
When held on European rinks, watching the Juniors control a power play on the large ice surface makes one believe that larger ice is the way to increase hockey and reduce traffic in the NHL.
Replacing veteran journeyman fourth-liners and five-minute per game goons with more of these Junior players will also certainly help.
The real reason why so many Russians opt out of NHL contracts in order to play with less pressure in the Motherland, is in order to qualify for and win the Spengler.
The Spengler Cup, as well as the World Hockey Championship held in April/May each year, are deliberately held at a time when the best Canadian players are employed by NHL Playoff clubs.
The Spengler Cup champs will eventually take on the World Championship squad in a winner take all game televised by Versus. All checking, back-checking, and fore-checking will be banned.

Seinfeld, Yannick Weber, and Guy Carbonneau's "Flex Lineup" in Montreal

Joe Corson — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 14:15:54 -0500

Yannick Weber will allow Guy Carbonneau to turn back the clock. Not to the days of Sheldon Souray and a point shot that had even Gaston Gingras asking where the puck went (Gaston, a hint: most slapshots head toward the net), but to last season, where the traditional 12-forward plus six-defencemen lineup seemed to be nothing more than a suggested serving.

Enough has been said of the the Habs power play of late. To me, it brings the same sigh and groan as Seinfeld reruns. They used to be hilarious, and I’d occasionally even wet my pants, but now when I catch them on every other channel-surfed station, I hang around to watch—reluctantly and without much laughter.

I can't help it, I feel like I am forced to, like the Habs are forced to go on a man-advantage when the opposition takes a penalty. Although often of late, they seem to “decline” the penalty by taking on one of their own seconds in.

But like the Habs power play, there’s no longer any edge-of-chair enthusiasm or any sense of expectation and deliverance when watching these episodes for the umpteenth time. Instead, I watch them with a feeling of “let’s get this over with, get back to normal programming, and on to something that might actually be satisfying.”

There are a lot of explanations thrown around as to why the power play went from first to worst, and many suggestions that Yannick Weber is the new No. 44 or Mark Streit clone. There is also popular sentiment, perhaps only naively merited and based more on hearsay from a few jump-the-gun pundits, that Weber's weak defensive play has held him back.

If Carbo could dress 19 skaters and have one designated to the power play only, perfect. In lieu of that, though, don’t be surprised to see the coach go back to the flex-lineup he dressed much of last season.

Between Mark Streit, Mathieu Dandenault, Patrice Brisebois, and Francis Bouillon, he did a lot of hedging when filling out his lineup.

Whether due to a return from injury, or their effectiveness in only specific situations, Carbo often slated a defencemen, sometimes even two, on his forward lines. This allowed him to leverage a player’s strength and mitigate their weakness, either limiting their minutes in the third period or shifting them back to the blue line and shortening his bench when called for.

The time is once again ripe for that approach. The factors for this include:

the wave and depth of current injuries,
the hesitancy to bring up the entire farm too quickly,
the Ryan O’Byrne setback,
the emergence of Josh Georges and his ability to eat minutes, and
a 37-year old “No. 7 defenceman” who's already played more minutes than budgeted for all year.

As for Weber, his slapshot was certainly impressive during the quick glimpse we got of it in the preseason. The time has come for Carbo to let him dress, give him his 1:30 of each power play, and then get him off the ice and out of harm’s way. At least until he proves he can handle defensive responsibilities.

Don’t bank on him for much defence, and perhaps even have him penciled in on the fourth line that is suddenly without many stand-by passengers. Just prevent him from digging himself a hole like Mr. O’Byrne.

Shoot, there’s nothing to lose. Pardon the pun, but please do shoot. Have him get out there and shoot the puck over and over and add a new angle to the uninspiring rerun.

With the opposition no longer afraid to foul the Habs and have them head to the line repeatedly, he’d be able to take on a significant number of minutes on PP alone. The rest of the game, between Weber used sparingly on defence, Francis Bouillon at forward, Patrice Brisebois filling in, and Georges Laraque eating similar minutes to Andrei Markov and Mike Komisarek, Carbo should be able to put forth a proper defence without being short-staffed.

The power-play result may also give us what to watch in May and June in lieu of Jerry and friends.