Bleacher Report - Articles by Matthew Hogan

Five Questions Facing The Buffalo Sabres

Matthew Hogan — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:55:46 -0400

After winning the President’s Trophy as the league’s best team during the 2006-07 season, the Sabres have not enjoyed the past two seasons—missing the playoffs by a narrow margin in both of them.

An offseason of few departures and some interesting acquisitions leaves Buffalo with an unknown future. However, there are five main questions that are looming over the Sabres before the start of the regular season.

1). How many games will Ryan Miller start this season?

The reports coming out of camp are that Miller is finally at 100%. If the Sabres want to make the playoffs then Miller needs to be the best player on the team. Last season Buffalo was 7-14-3 when Miller wasn’t between the pipes.

Backup goaltender Patrick Lalime proved that he could not carry the load in Miller’s absence and may have single-handedly cost the Sabres a shot at the post season by letting in a few “soft” goals late in the season. If Miller’s ankle gives him any problems, the Sabres will be in some serious trouble.

2) Which Thomas Vanek will show up this season?

Vanek looked much better last season compared with the previous season where his numbers dropped significantly. Nobody expects the +47 Vanek of 2006-07, but his defensive efforts were noticed by many last season.

He also more than likely would have eclipsed his career-high in goals scored had it not been for the broken jaw which sidelined him for one month. If Vanek’s game continues to improve as it did last season, he will certainly make up for a lack of scoring from the third and fourth lines.

3) Who is going to step up on defense?

The Buffalo defense scored a measly 23 goals last season, 8 of which were scored by Jaroslav Spacek who jumped over the border to Montreal.

Chris Butler, Craig Rivet, Toni Lydman, and Andrej Sekera are being reported as the only definite starting defenders at this point. The final two defensive spots are up for grabs between four players.

Many fans feel the organization overpaid veteran defenseman Henrik Tallinder, and they may be right after his abysmal 12-point campaign in 2008-09. Competing for the final three spots alongside Tallinder are newcomer Steve Montador, 6-foot-8 prospect Tyler Myers, and third-year defenseman Mike Weber.

Weber battled a number of injuries last season and only suited up for seven games. However, he was +12 while playing just 16 games two season ago. His attitude also seems right for the moment.

“This is my year,” Weber told the Buffalo News.

The key in Buffalo is not finding the right combinations on defense, it is finding the right combinations very quickly, or it might be too late.

4) Who’s on third? Wait, no, who’s on fourth? Wait, I’m confused.

The Sabres coaching staff, namely Lindy Ruff, needs to figure out who will be playing on the third and fourth lines together. Currently, Buffalo is looking for someone to jump onto the third line with Paul Gaustad and returnee Mike Grier, and need two-fourth liners to accompany the hard-hitting Patrick Kaleta.

Clarke MacArthur, Daniel Paille, Tim Kennedy, and Nathan Gerbe are all going to make their cases for that last third line spot. MacArthur seems to be the most logical choice of the four players, especially after putting up career high numbers last year.

Paille still hasn’t turned into the player Buffalo was hoping for when he was drafted in the first round back in 2002 and the Sabres are growing tired of waiting.

Kennedy and Gerbe have a great chance of rounding out that fourth line; especially after both were selected to the AHL all-rookie team last season.

5) How long will the Sabres take to get everything in order?

This is the biggest question facing the Sabres. Buffalo has a much easier schedule to start the season than they do to finish the season. If they can’t get their defensive pairings together, or their third and fourth lines don’t click, then it’s going to be a long season in Buffalo.

But if the Sabres find a way to get everything together quickly—if leaders like Vanek, Derek Roy, and Jason Pominville have the season they’re expected to – then they have a great chance at getting into the playoffs and maybe even making a little run once they get in.

Prediction: After two seasons of waiting, the Sabres will find a way to sneak into the playoffs as the eight seed.

NHL Award Predictions

Matthew Hogan — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:46:31 -0400

The NHL announced its nominees for this year’s award ceremony. The ceremony will be held June 18 in Las Vegas, but for those of you who cannot wait, here are some predictions about who will be taking home the hardware.

Calder Trophy (rookie of the year) – The nominees for the Calder Trophy are Columbus’ Steve Mason, Anaheim’s Bobby Ryan, and Chicago's Kris Versteeg.

Mason’s numbers as a goalie were off the charts and also snagged him a nomination for the Vezina Trophy. He led the NHL in shutouts with 10 and also led Columbus to its first playoff appearance in franchise history.

Ryan led all rookies with 31 goals and 57 points. He finished with seven goals in the final seven games of the season and was a large reason why Anaheim sneaked into the playoffs.

Versteeg led all rookies with 31 assists and finished second to Ryan with 53 points. He also finished third in shorthanded scoring, making him as dangerous on the penalty-kill as on the power play.

Predicted Winner: Steve Mason

Norris Trophy (best defender) – The nominees for the Norris Trophy are Boston’s Zdeno Chara, Washington’s Mike Green, and Detroit’s Nicklas Lidstrom.

This is Chara’s second straight nomination for the award. He finished with 19 goals and a +23 rating and led the NHL’s best defense.

This is Green’s first nomination for the award. He led all defenseman with 31 goals and 73 points despite missing 14 games due to injury. He is also the first defenseman to score 30 goals since the 1992-93 season.

Lidstrom has won six of the last seven Norris Trophies and is looking to grab his seventh overall on his 10th nomination. Arguably the best defender of the last decade, Lidstrom finished third among defenseman with 59 points.

Predicted Winner: Mike Green

Vezina Trophy (best goalie) – The nominees for the Vezina Trophy are Minnesota’s Niklas Backstrom, Columbus’ Steve Mason, and Boston’s Tim Thomas; all three are first time nominees.

Backstrom finished third among goalies with eight shutouts. He was also third in goals-against average behind only Mason and Thomas. However, he leads all three goalies in games played by a margin of 10 games.

The fact that Mason is a rookie will play to his advantage. Again, the fact that he led the league in shutouts and got his team into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history is only going to help his case.

Thomas led the league in goals-against average and save percentage and was a big reason for Boston’s success this season. The only thing that might stop Thomas from collecting the Vezina is that he only played in 54 games.

Predicted Winner: Tim Thomas

Hart Trophy (MVP) – The nominees for the Hart Trophy are Detroit’s Pavel Datsyuk, Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin, and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin.

Datsyuk is considered the best two-way forward in the league and was recently nominated for his second straight Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward. He also finished fourth in scoring with 97 points.

Malkin proved who the best player in Pittsburgh was this year and he did it by leading the team when Crosby was out. He also led the league in points (113) and assists (78).

Despite being double-teamed and triple-teamed game in and game out, Ovechkin managed to score 56 goals, 10 more than any other player. He also led the league in shots with 528; to put that in perspective, the next closest player had 372.

Predicted Winner: Alex Ovechkin

2009 NHL Playoffs: Second Round Preview

Matthew Hogan — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 03:04:23 -0400

The first round wasn't bad, but the second round is sure to be better with some of these match-ups.

Look for a few more overtime games and hopefully a double-overtime game with a few of these teams.

Okay folks, with no further ado, here's the second round preview. Feel free to leave comments on what you think will happen.

Western Conference

(2) Detroit Red Wings vs. (8) Anaheim Ducks

A rematch of the 2006-07 Western Conference Finals, in which Anaheim defeated Detroit 4-2 and went on to win the Stanley Cup. Detroit blew past Columbus in the first round and rookie goalie Steve Mason was no match for veteran Chris Osgood.

As expected, Osgood brought his ‘A’ game to the playoffs again. He finished the first round with a .936 save percentage and a 1.75 goals-against average.

Meanwhile, Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen picked up right where they left off in last year’s playoffs, combining for 10 points against Columbus.

The Ducks have just come off eliminating the league’s “best” team in the San Jose Sharks in six games, and goalie Jonas Hiller is on fire. Hiller came out of the first round with a .957 save percentage, a 1.65 goals-against average, and two shutouts.

Ryan Getzlaf stepped up with eight points the first round. Calder Trophy-nominee Bobby Ryan also had a big first round with four goals—including one game-winner.

Regardless of how well any team might be doing, never underestimate the Red Wings in the playoffs.

Prediction: Detroit 4-2

(3) Vancouver Canucks Vs. (4) Chicago Blackhawks

Roberto Luongo stopped 126 of 131 shots in Vancouver’s first-round sweep of the St. Louis Blues. He will need to be equally as good in the second round if the Canucks want to defeat Chicago’s high-powered offense.

The problem with Vancouver is that they had 13 of their 30 points come from just three players, and they averaged under three goals per game as a team. If Chicago can shut down the Sedin twins, this might be a short series.

Chicago ran through a very tough and seasoned Calgary Flames team. Nikolai Khabibulin was good and got the job done in the first round. In the four wins, Khabibulin looked unstoppable—in the two losses, well, not so much. He peaked in the series-clinching game six where he stopped 43 of 44 shots.

The Canucks have just three players with at least four points, whereas the Blackhawks have nine. Forget that Chicago has played two more games—their offense appears to be unstoppable. Not too mention their leading scorer is rookie-of-the-year-nominee Kris Versteeg.

Overall, Chicago has way too many weapons to stop.

Prediction: Chicago 4-2

Eastern Conference

(1) Boston Bruins Vs. (8) Carolina Hurricanes

The Boston Bruins more or less haven’t played since the end of the regular season because they were barely tested in the first round. Vezina Trophy-nominee Tim Thomas was in great form stopping 105 of 111 shots.

But it was not Thomas who had everyone buzzing—it was Michael Ryder and the Boston offense, which torched Montreal for 17 goals in just four games. Ryder lit his former team up for four goals and seven points in total. Phil Kessel also continued his hot streak into the postseason, scoring four goals.

Many people felt that the Hurricanes should have lost in the first round, but it’s the final score that counts, even if that score is reached with 0.2 second left. Cam Ward stopped the most shots of any goalie in the first round with 227 saves, and out-dueled arguably the best goalie of all time in Martin Brodeur.

Devil-killer Jussi Jokinen burned the Devils in Game Four, scoring a goal with 0.2 seconds remaining for the win. Then in Game Seven, he scored with just over a minute left to tie the game at three, only to have the Hurricanes win it with 30 seconds left.

Eric Staal also scored five goals in the series to lead the NHL in goals through the first round.

Boston’s overwhelming two-way play will control the series.

Prediction: Boston 4-1

(2) Washington Capitals Vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins

The Caps overcame a 3-1 deficit to beat the Rangers in the first round, and their task will not get any easier from here on out. The biggest player for Washington in the series is going to have to be—drum roll, please—Simeon Varlamov. Shame on most of you for thinking Alex Ovechkin.

Varlamov stole the series for the Capitals in the first round, and will have to be on the top of his game against Malkin and co. The Caps’ big guns of Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Mike Green combined for 27 points against the Rangers, and will have to do even better against the Pens.

The Penguins looked as if they might blow their lead to the Flyers, but managed to rally in Game Six to win the series. Marc-Andre Fleury was good, but he could have been better. He was inconsistent and he was slower with his glove than normal. When he faltered, so did the Penguins.

Evgeni Malkin was more noticeable on the ice over Sidney Crosby, but both combined for 17 points. However, they only combined for five points in the final three games of the series.

If the Penguins want to beat Ovechkin and the Caps, they are going to have to be consistent throughout the entire series.

Washington looks like they may have worked out most of the kinks against New York.

Prediction: Washington 4-3

NHL Power Rankings: March 12

Matthew Hogan — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:05:21 -0400

The playoff picture is very messy and will only get messier in the closing weeks of the season. Martin Brodeur’s return in New Jersey has sparked the Devils’ play, while the return of Sean Avery has Rangers fans hoping for similar results. Let me know where you agree, or disagree, with the rankings.

1. New Jersey Devils (43-20-3) – Marty Brodeur’s return went much better than Tiger Woods’ did. The NHL’s best goalie is just three wins and four shutouts away from becoming the all-time leader in both categories.

2. Detroit Red Wings (44-15-8) – Despite losing to Nashville 8-0 and to Columbus 8-2, Detroit has lost just five times since the start of February.

3. San Jose Sharks (43-12-10) – If San Jose wants to do any damage in the playoffs, then Patrick Marleau is going to have to step his game up. He has just three points in his last 10 games and the Sharks are 5-4-1.

4. Boston Bruins (43-16-9) – Speaking of slumps, Marc Savard, once a potential MVP candidate, has not scored a goal in 14 games and the Bruins are 4-8-2 in that span.

5. Philadelphia Flyers (36-19-10) – There is a big debate about who will be starting in net for the Flyers in the playoffs; but Philly fans shouldn’t be worried regardless of the decision, because Danny Briere will be returning to the lineup very soon.

6. Washington Capitals (41-21-6) – Alex Ovechkin leads the NHL in goals with 47 and shots with 427; two strong reasons why he’ll be taking home his second consecutive MVP at the end of the season.

7. Calgary Flames (39-22-6)– What do you get when you add Olli Jokinen to Jarome Iginla and Michael Cammalleri? A line that has combined for 88 goals so far this season.

8. Chicago Blackhawks (37-19-9) – The Hawks are experiencing a little case of the injury bug, but all of the key components will be ready come playoff time.

9. Pittsburgh Penguins (36-26-6)– When a coach is fired it can be either a very good thing or a very bad thing. Since Michel Terrien was fired on February 15 the Pens have gone 9-1-1...you be the judge.

10. Vancouver Canucks (34-23-8) – The only way to tell the Sedin twins apart is by looking at their point totals; Daniel has the edge 64-60.

11. Montreal Canadiens (36-24-7) – The Canadiens’ playoff hopes may rest on the shoulders of Carey Price who has just four wins since January 21; Montreal should be a little concerned.

12. Carolina Hurricanes (36-27-6) – Carolina has stayed in the playoff hunt by taking the fewest penalty minutes of any team in the league.

13. Florida Panthers (34-24-9) – The Panthers’ goalies have the second best save percentage in the league, and that comes with facing the most shots per game (34.9).

14. Columbus Blue Jackets (34-27-6)– Steve Mason pretty much has the Calder Trophy wrapped up, but he’s got his sights set on the Vezina. Mason leads the league in shutouts with nine.

15. Buffalo Sabres (33-27-7) – If Ryan Miller doesn’t come back from that high ankle sprain sometime soon then the Sabres can kiss their playoff hopes goodbye.

16. New York Rangers (34-25-8) – The good news is if the Rangers don’t make the playoffs, Sean Avery can get back to Vogue Magazine for his summer internship quicker.

17. Nashville Predators (33-29-5)– Pekka Rinne is another rookie goalie who has pulled his team out of the gutter and into the playoff race. Rinne has countered Dan Ellis’ 11-18-4 record by going 22-11-1.

18. Edmonton Oilers (32-27-7) – Sheldon Souray’s hyper-extended knee might not bode well for the Oilers’ playoff chances.

19. Minnesota Wild (32-28-6) –Niklas Backstrom is getting some serious consideration for the Vezina Trophy; his .921 save percentage and 2.36 goals-against average only support that.

20. St. Louis Blues (30-28-8) – In the Blues’ last seven wins goalie Chris Mason has surrendered just 10 goals.

21. Anaheim Ducks (31-30--6) – The Ducks are 4-6-1 in their last 11; that might have a lot to do with the fact that they lead the NHL in penalty minutes with 1171.

22. Dallas Stars (31-28-8) – The Stars have gone just 3-7-1 since Brad Richards broke his wrist on Feb. 16.

23. Los Angeles Kings (29-28-9) – It was a sad week for the LA organization after the passing of Kings’ first general manager Larry Regan; the Kings have won three straight.

24. Ottawa Senators (27-29-10) – The Pizza Line is on pace for just 218 points after combining for 263 points last season.

25. Toronto Maple Leafs (27-28-13) – I’ll take atrocious things for $1000, Alex. OK, and the answer is: .885. Um, what is Toronto’s collective save percentage? Correct!

26. Phoenix Coyotes (28-33-6) – Phoenix traded its best goal-scorer away. Hopefully they can pick up a better scorer in the draft because the young Coyotes rank dead last in goals-scored (166).

27. New York Islanders (22-37-8)– Despite the Islanders being outscored by the largest margin the league, they are starting to win games and lose their chokehold on the first pick in the draft.

28. Atlanta Thrashers (26-35-6) – Even Ilya Kovalchuk, who has 28 points in his last 14 games, can’t help the Thrashers who have the leagues worst penalty-kill at 75.9 percent.

29. Colorado Avalanche (29-37-1) – The Avalanche continue to slide, winning just seven of their last 25 games.

30. Tampa Bay Lightning (21-32-14) – The Lightning love going to the extra period to settle things, they just aren’t any good at it.

The 2009 NHL All-Star Game: Sorting Through The Scrubs and Snubs

Matthew Hogan — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:08:28 -0500

If being an NHL All-Star is going to continue being an honor, then the NHL needs to make some changes to the way in which the teams are selected.

Let’s start with the fan-balloting; the fans should no longer be able to select the entire starting roster. The fans should be limited to one forward, one defenceman, and maybe even the starting goalie. I understand that the NHL wants its fans to be able to participate, and by allowing the fans to vote for their favorite players, the NHL will only gain more fans.

Let’s look at an example of the fan-balloting from this season. There has been a hockey revival in Chicago, so it is no surprise that a player like Jonathan Toews was voted in as a starter. But there are easily six or seven players that should be on the team instead of him, let alone starting, including two other players from the Blackhawks.

Another rule that needs to be changed is that each team is represented in the All-Star game. Not every team necessarily deserves to be represented in an event that is supposed to honor the best players. If the best players aren’t there, then what is the point? Again, I understand the NHL is looking to gain more fans in more cities, but true fans want to see the best players on each team.

A good example of this is St. Louis’ Keith Tkachuk and Dallas’ Mike Modano making this year’s roster. Both are crafty veterans, but neither deserved a spot on the team. They both made it because each teams needs to be represented.

I am more disappointed this year with the selections than I have been in previous years, just because of the amount of talent left out of the game. There are obviously a couple more players that should not be on the Eastern team this year because of the amount of votes going to Montreal players, Alexei Kovalev and Mike Komisarek come to mind

Among the players that I do not feel should be playing in the All-Star game are Tkachuk, Modano, Kovalev, Komisarek, Jay Bouwmeester (Florida), Dustin Brown (Los Angeles), Milan Hejduk (Colorado), Eric Staal (Carolina), Scott Niedermayer (Anaheim), Tomas Kaberle (Toronto), Jean-Sebastian Giguere (Anaheim), and Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers).

You may be asking right now, well if those 12 players don’t deserve to be at the All-Star game, then who does? So here is a list of players who should be playing instead:

Nicklas Backstrom (Washington), Daniel Sedin (Vancouver), Patrick Marleau (San Jose), Patrik Elias (New Jersey), Phil Kessel (Boston), Marian Hossa (Detroit), Simon Gagne (Philadelphia), Derek Roy (Buffalo), Alexander Semin (Washington), Mike Green (Washington), Dennis Wideman (Boston), Duncan Keith (Chicago), Jonas Hiller (Anaheim), Manny Fernandez (Boston), Ryan Miller (Buffalo), Scott Clemmensen (New Jersey), and Steve Mason (Columbus).

There are 17 players on the list of players who should be playing, so I understand that not every one of them would have been on the team anyway, but if fan were not allowed to vote and each team did not have to be represented, then most of those players would be spending All-Star weekend in Montreal.

The biggest snub in my eyes is Mike Green. He has 26 points in just 28 games and if he stays healthy, he will be taking home the Norris Trophy at the ends of the season as the league’s best defenceman.

If the All-Star game is going to continue to be considered an honor, then it’s time for the best players to be on each team. Hopefully sometime in the near future, the NHL will change its policy in regards the All-Star game.

NHL Team Power Rankings

Matthew Hogan — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:01:18 -0500

San Jose Sharks (16-3-1) – The Sharks are 10-0-1 at home so far this season. They didn’t get their 10th win at home until Jan. 22 last season. What’s more impressive is that they’ve been winning even without Evgeni Nabakov in net.
Detroit Red Wings (12-2-3) – It’s easy to achieve this kind of record when your power play is scoring at a ridiculous 32.4 percent.
Boston Bruins (12-3-4) – Tim Thomas leads the NHL in goals against (1.78) and save percentage (.944). Oh, and the Bruins backup goalie, Manny Fernandez, is 5-1-1.
Washington Capitals (11-4-3)– Alexander Semin and Alexander Ovechkin have combined for 49 points and a +35 rating in just 16 games.
Pittsburgh Penguins (11-4-3) – Evgeni Malkin leads the NHL in points with 30. This team is going to be scary when Sid “the Kid” picks his game up.
Minnesota Wild (11-4-1) – Minnesota has surrendered the least amount of goals in the NHL with 31 against; the next closest is 44 against (Phoenix).
New York Rangers (14-6-2) – Henrik Lundqvist is in fine form and leads the NHL with 12 wins.
Montreal Canadiens (10-5-2)– Andrei Markov is standing out as one of the NHL’s elite defensemen with 14 points in just 17 games.
Vancouver Canucks (11-6-2) – Roberto Luongo is destroying the competition with five shutouts already; that includes a Vancouver franchise-record shutout streak that lasted 242 minutes and 36 seconds.
Chicago Blackhawks (8-4-5) – The Blackhawks have had seven of their 17 games decided in extra time or a shootout, with the Hawks only winning two of them. Other than that, this young team is headed in the right direction.
Anaheim Ducks (10-8-2) – The Ducks had a rough 0-4 start, but rebounded nicely and had a great streak of games, collecting 17 of a possible 18 points in the process.
Buffalo Sabres (9-6-3)– Even though Thomas Vanek leads the NHL in goals (15), the Sabres have let up an abysmal 18 goals in the last three games, all losses.
Calgary Flames (10-8-1) – The Flames have been outscored 63-56 this season and are still over .500. But if this keeps up, expect the “flames” to go out in Calgary.
Carolina Hurricanes (10-7-2) – It’s just a matter of time before this team begins to slide down the standings. Eric Staal has just 10 points in 19 games, even after signing that seven-year, $57.75 million contract extension.
New Jersey Devils (8-7-2) – No Marty Brodeur, no playoffs. The Devils are just 2-5-0 without their star goalie, and he’s still out another three months.
Philadelphia Flyers (7-6-4) – After years of waiting it appears Simon Gagne has finally arrived in Philly. Gagne has 22 points in 16 games for the Flyers so far.
Nashville Predators (9-8-1) – After an injury-plagued 2007-'08 season, Shea Weber has exploded for 18 points in 18 games. There could be a Norris Trophy in his future.
Edmonton Oilers (9-8-2) – Another team that is over .500 even though they are being outscored 58-50; maybe the goal issue can be attributed to playing 14 of their first 19 games on the road.
Phoenix Coyotes (8-8-1) – A recent three-game skid has the Coyotes falling back in the extremely competitive Pacific division.
Columbus Blue Jackets (8-8-3) – The Blue Jackets are lucky to be at .500 right now, with the league’s worst power play, scoring at an awful 12.1 percent.
Toronto Maple Leafs (7-8-4) – The Leafs should be happy they are where they are with the league’s worst penalty-kill at a terrible 73.3 percent.
Colorado Avalanche (8-9-0) – The “avalanche” of goals has come to a halt for Colorado who has scored just 15 goals in its last nine games, going 3-6 in the process.
Los Angeles Kings (7-8-2)– While the Kings are struggling to score goals, they have found hope in new number one goalie Erik Ersberg.
Atlanta Thrashers (7-8-2) – Ilya Kovalchuk is on pace for just 29 goals after scoring 52 last season.
Dallas Stars (6-8-3) – Dallas is averaging the most goals-against in the NHL at close to 3.7 per game.
New York Islanders (7-9-2) – The Isles are slowly but surely moving up the Eastern Conference. They’ve won three straight and goalie Joey MacDonald as a .915 save percentage (probably better than Rick DiPietro would be doing at this point).
Florida Panthers (7-9-1) – The Panthers must be missing Olli Jokinen’s scoring ability, as they have only scored 41 goals in 17 games.
Tampa Bay Lightning (5-7-6)– At the beginning of the season, I said, “Barry Melrose is going to be back at ESPN pretty quickly” – well he sure isn’t coaching the Lightning anymore.
St. Louis Blues (6-8-2) – Without Paul Kariya in the lineup the Blues are 1-2-2, and with leading-scorer Andy McDonald out eight weeks with a broken leg, times will not get any easier in St. Louis.
Ottawa Senators (6-9-3) – See what happens when a team relies on three players to score all its points?

R.I.P. Reggie Dunlop

Matthew Hogan — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 07:37:24 -0400

On Friday, the hockey community lost a great coach and even better person.

Paul Newman, better known for his role as Charlestown Chiefs player-coach Reggie Dunlop in the film Slap Shot, died at the age of 83 after a long fight with cancer.

No one could have done a better job as the charismatic coach in the '70s film. From his inspiring pep talks to his interesting fighting tactics, the coaching community will never be the same.

We all remember the Hanrahan incident, you know, the comments that were made about his wife and the resulting goal—all thanks to Reg Dunlop.

The good thing about Reg was that he was a lover and a fighter—or I think he said, “Nah, I’m a lover.” Dunlop knew when to “play it straight.” He’d tell his boys to play “old-time hockey, like Eddie Shore,” and they would do it—in less-than spectacular form.

But let’s not forget, the Chiefs knew when to mix it up, and Dunlop was always the reason why. “I am personally placing a hundred-dollar bounty on the head of Tim McCracken. He’s the head coach and chief punk on that Syracuse team.” I’m not sure if Gary Bettman would let a “bounty” go in the NHL, but that was the thing about Reggie Dunlop—he was an innovator.

There is no doubt that if Reggie ever coached in the NHL, his team would be at the top in no time. Coaches in today’s NHL should take notes from the great Reggie Dunlop—a Stanley Cup is guaranteed.

In all sincerity, the hockey community is at a loss. Newman was a great man and donated millions of dollars to charity (that’s the “lover” side of him).

So to all hockey fans and players everywhere, I’ll leave with a quote from Newman as coach Reggie Dunlop: “Get out there on the ice and let ‘em know you’re there. Get that [exploitive deleted] stick in their side. Let ‘em know you’re there! Get that lumber in his teeth. Let ‘em know you’re there!”

Well said, Reg.

NHL Western Conference Preview

Matthew Hogan — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:09:29 -0400

The Western Conference will look very similar to the Eastern Conference towards the end of the season. There are a couple of teams that fell short of the playoffs last season that might make a run at the eighth seed again. The last few games of the season will be very interesting. So with no further ado, here is what the Western Conference will look like at the season’s completion.

1. Detroit Red Wings

How does a 115-point, Stanley-Cup-champion-powerhouse get even better? Add someone who helped the team they beat in the finals get there. Marian Hossa, although getting more money than this writer thinks he’s worth, will be a great fit on this amazingly-talented Detroit team.

Dominik Hasek’s retirement will not affect the Red Wings one bit. The addition of goalie Ty Conklin was a great choice by management, as he proved this past season that he is a more-than-reliable backup.

They also have the best defense in the NHL. Detroit’s biggest concern going into the new season is whether or not the post-Cup “hangover” will affect the team’s determination—doubtful.

2. Anaheim Ducks

There are no more questions or doubts within the Ducks’ organization. Uncertainties of whether or not players will return have been dealt with and the Ducks will respond this season.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere was overlooked by many last season, but “Jiggy” put up some great numbers. He finished the season with a .922 save percentage and a 2.12 goals against average in just 58 games.

Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer are the only defensive pairing in the NHL that will give Niklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski a run for their money. Assuming that Pronger does not have another “Chris Simon-like” urge, then the Ducks will be atop the extremely competitive Pacific Division.

3. Minnesota Wild

They might not be worthy of a three-seed, but no team in northwest is really worthy of a three-seed—the Wild just have the best team in the northwest. Minnesota lost two of their top four scorers in the offseason, not a great way to go into the next season.

There is also lots of confusion as to whether Marian Gaborik will be around after this season. But the Wild still have one of the best goalies in the NHL in Niklas Backstrom and a great young backup in Josh Harding.

The Wild’s defense is a great blend of youth and experience with tons of scoring power. Brent Burns had a great fourth year in the NHL finishing with 43 points while playing in all 82 games—look for the young defenseman to improve upon those numbers this season.

4. San Jose Sharks

They will certainly give Anaheim a run for their money in the Pacific division. The reason they might not win the division is due to a couple of factors. Evgeni Nabakov might not be as good this year—more than likely, he will not be. The same defense in not in front of him.

Losing Brian Campbell, even though he was only in San Jose for roughly 30 games, is a big loss. The Sharks were 16-2-2 in 20 regular season games with Campbell in the lineup. Dan Boyle is a good attempt at a replacement, but Campbell could play both offense and defense, whereas Boyle was -29 last year with Tampa Bay.

Also, Jonathan Cheechoo needs to “show up” this year if the Sharks want to win the Pacific.

5. Dallas Stars

Mike Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow showed their leadership in the playoffs and the Stars put up a valiant effort against the Red Wings in the Conference Finals—those two should put up monstrous numbers this year.

Dallas also boasts a very strong defense which has won many games for the team in the past couple of season. Stephane Robidas found his form in the playoffs, scoring 11 points in 18 games. Dallas is hoping that this will production will carry over into the regular season.

If Marty Turco improves upon his numbers from last season, and everyone stays healthy, Dallas could just as easily win the conference, let alone the Pacific Division.

6. Chicago Blackhawks

Hosting the second annual Winter Classic isn’t the only thing Blackhawks’ fans should be excited about. The line of Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane, and Jonathan Toews is not only one of the youngest lines in hockey, but one of the most-talented.

Adding Brian Campbell to a defense that already has a bright future—Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook—means that Chicago will have just a good an defense as they do an offense.

Oh, they also added All-Star goalie Cristobal Huet, and they still have Nikolai Khabibulin as a backup. Youthful scoring combined with experience in net will have the Blackhawks flying high come playoff time.

7. Vancouver Canucks

The seventh seed is where the fight for the last couple of playoffs spots begins. Several departures and several additions leave the Canucks in an interesting spot.

Pavol Demitra will take a good amount of pressure off of the Sedin twins, which will in turn allow them to produce more than they did last season. Demitra will also have to score a significant amount more than he did last season to make the difference that Vancouver needs. He is coming off his worst goal-scoring season in over ten years.

Let's not forget who is in net for the Canucks. Roberto Luongo still put up some great numbers last year—a .917 save percentage and a 2.38 goals against average—regardless of falling four points short of the playoffs.

8. Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers did not lose any major players, which is always a great start for any team. Adding left-winger Erik Cole to the mix should make for a solid first line.

The Oilers were also hit hard with the injury bug last season—they had four starters who missed more than 25 games, including defenseman Sheldon Souray. Sourary played a measly 26 games and never got into the groove he did back in the 2006-07 season.

Ales Hemsky is going to have to do some serious scoring this year to help Edmonton get into the playoffs. Look for him to become at least a 25-goal-scorer this season. Assuming the injury bug doesn’t visit Edmonton as much as it did last season, the Oilers should find themselves in the playoffs.

9. Calgary Flames

In Calgary, it will all come down to whether or not Miikka Kiprusoff has a better season. Kiprusoff put up the worst numbers in his four-year career with Calgary.

The main reason that the Flames may find themselves looking in on the playoffs is the amount of scoring they lost. Losing Krisitian Huselius and Alex Tanguay was huge. I am not sure if picking up Mike Cammalleri will make up the difference, especially since he’ll be playing on their top line with MVP candidate Jarome Iginla and Daymond Langkow.

The one thing on Calgary’s side is that they have their core of Dion Phaneuf, Kiprusoff, and Iginla—but will it be enough?

10. Nashville Predators

There are too many “what if's” for me to put Nashville in the playoffs. Martin Erat just got a lovely contract extension because Nashville believes his scoring will go up, but “what if” it doesn’t?

Dan Ellis put up the best numbers of his career last year—but he has only played one season, and “what if” the numbers go down a little?

Shea Weber is expected to bounce back after an injury-plagued season and lead the defense, but “what if” his injuries come back into play? The “what if” concept can be used for just about any team, but it fits right into Nashville’s lineup like another player. Hopefully “what if” will have a good season for the Preds.

11. Columbus Blue Jackets

The Jackets still don’t have the center that they want for Rick Nash, but R.J. Umberger may suffice, and adding Kristian Huselius will help take a little pressure off of Nash.

Pascal Leclaire is coming off an amazing season and will be the number one goalie to start the season. “Third string” goalie, Steve Mason, will be waiting in Syracuse for a potential call-up this season. Look for him to replace the ever-inconsistent Fredrik Norrena as the permanent backup. Mason put up great numbers in the OHL last season.

Columbus also strengthened its blue line tremendously, but it might not be enough for a late-season playoff push.

12. Phoenix Coyotes

There is no doubt that the Coyotes are headed in the right direction. Picking up Olli Jokinen was a great move for a team that certainly could use the scoring.

Ilya Bryzgalov certainly had a good year, but the defense in front of him didn’t do its job. Losing Keith Ballard on defense does not help this team who needs gritty defensemen like him in the lineup.

If Phoenix wants to make the playoffs this season, Ed Jovanovski will have to lend a helping hand defensively, as he did offensively last season. This team almost looks like they are ready for the playoffs, but almost isn’t enough. They have a great talent in the minors, so look forward to the future Coyotes’ fans, just not this season.

13. Colorado Avalanche

A possible return for Joe Sakic has been mentioned, but is unlikely—and that’s really all Colorado should be excited for.

The Avalanche’s first line of Ryan Smyth, Milan Hejduk, and Paul Statsny is an excellent first line, and they will produce. However, there is too much inconsistency in the rest of the lines to get this team into the playoffs.

John-Michael Liles is a solid defender, but he will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders to take his game to the next level. He produced 31 points last season in 81 games, but he will have to reach at least 45 points this season if Colorado wants to come close to the playoffs.

Andrew Raycroft is an awful backup goalie and hasn’t put up any close to decent numbers since his rookie campaign. Peter Budaj will not be able to handle the net by himself, which means Colorado is in for one long season.

14. St. Louis Blues

Brad Boyes had a great goal-scoring year last season, and will need to keep it up if the Blues want to make any kind of noise.

Even though he is coming off a bad season, picking up goalie Chris Mason was definitely a step in the right direction. He can play 50-55 games and give the rest to backup Manny Legace. If the goalie-combo puts up decent numbers, then St. Louis might be able to crawl up the conference standings.

In his first full season, Erik Johnson produced good numbers. If he improves at the expected rate, then the Blues will have a very bright future—but give it a couple more seasons.

15. Los Angeles Kings

The Kings are a very young team and still have much to learn. Jason LaBarbera was good last season, but was inconsistent at times and with a goals-against average of 3.00, gave away a lot of wins.

Anze Kopitar is becoming a lethal scorer, but has to learn how to play on both sides of the ice.

Teddy Purcell and Brian Boyle will both see more time in the NHL this season after playing last season with the Manchester Monarchs in the AHL. Purcell has a great shot and was named MVP at last year’s AHL All-Star game. The potential is definitely there, but it needs a few more seasons to develop.

NHL Eastern Conference Preview

Matthew Hogan — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:31:44 -0400

The Eastern Conference has me excited already, because there is tons of potential for several surprise teams to make the playoffs—and as if that were not enough, the conference “powerhouses” will be knocking each other around all season for the number-one seed.

Here is how I see the conference playing out by the season’s end. Feel free to comment and object.

1. Pittsburgh Penguins

Yes, the Penguins did lose Marian Hossa and Ryan Malone—but they also have two of the three greatest scorers in the game. I’m clearly talking about the dynamic duo of Miroslav Satan and Max Talbot.

But in all seriousness, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will have their work cut out for them this season in a tough Atlantic division. Marc-Andre Fleury will not have the likes of Ty Conklin to fall back on either in the upcoming season. Regardless, the Penguins have a more impressive roster than most of their Eastern conference opponents.

2. Montreal Canadiens

Is Carey Price the goalie of the future in Montreal? Absolutely. However, that’s the future and this is now (was that a little too much of Yogi Berra?).

The combination of Price and Jaroslav Halak in net is devastating for opponents. Alexei Kovalev revitalized his career last season, scoring the second-most points in a single season in his career (84)—but I don’t think he can duplicate that this season.

Also, losing Cristobal Huet and Mark Streit will put a little more pressure onto the shoulders of the of a defense that has to be good if their offense cannot produce like it did last season.

3. Washington Capitals

Olaf Kolzig only had a .892 save percentage last season. Jose Theodore had a .910 save percentage. Kolzig did not play in the playoffs. Theodore did well in Avs' the first-round win against Minnesota, and did his best against the unstoppable force that is the Detroit Red Wings.

I believe that Theodore is an upgrade from Kolzig, and this will only help the Capitals in the beginning of the season, where they faltered slightly last year. Oh, I almost forgot, the Caps have a guy named Alex Ovechkin—I think he finished with 112 points, 65 goals, and collected an MVP trophy. Not too shabby.

4. Philadelphia Flyers

How do you go from being ranked 30th in the NHL to almost winning the conference championship? Add Daniel Briere.

The odds of this team returning to the conference championship are good to very good. Briere, Mike Richards, Braydon Coburn, Marty Biron, and a “healthy” Simon Gagne—I really don’t see any reason why this team couldn’t make the Stanley Cup Finals. The Eastern Conference will be a mess, the Atlantic Division will be a mess, and the Flyers will more than likely be at the center of it.

5. New York Rangers

Definitely a weaker offense—losing Jaromir Jagr is big, both on and off the ice—but the Rangers certainly have their strongest defense in recent memory. Michal Rozsival and Wade Redden are possible All-Stars, and with Daniel Girardi and Marc Staal skating up the ranks, the Rangers have the potential to skate one of the best defenses in the entire league.

Let’s not forget that Henrik Lundqvist has been a Vezina finalist two years in a row. Could this year be the year? Probably not, but he’s still one of the better goalies in the league.

6. New Jersey Devils

Let’s start with the obvious reason why the Devils will make the playoffs—Martin Brodeur. He will probably play at least 73 games again this season, and will probably collect another Vezina trophy.

The Devils' offense is the most consistent in all of hockey. All four lines are equal and can do the same amount of damage as the others. Bobby Holik’s return will bring a solid veteran presence and Brian Rolston will bring necessary scoring power.

7. Tampa Bay Lightning

New additions: Steve Stamkos, Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts, Mark Recchi, Matt Carle, Radim Vrbata, Olaf Kolzig, and Barry Melrose. What do all of these players equal? This year’s Philadelphia Flyers.

I am the last person to believe in Barry Melrose, but I think he will have this team in tip-top shape for the upcoming season. There is a lot of newfound attention being paid to Tampa, and rightfully so. The Lightning may be headed back to the playoffs after taking a season off.

8. Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres fell off last season, and barely missed the playoffs after finishing with the best record in the NHL the previous season. However, this offseason has been much more productive than the last one.

Re-signing Ryan Miller has lowered tensions around the clubhouse, and re-signing Jason Pominville—which should happen soon—will only lower them more.

The Sabres did lose Dimitri Kalinin, who produced eight points this past season, to the Rangers, and replaced him with veteran Craig Rivet, who produced 35 points this past season.

The Sabres might sneak into the postseason and surprise a number of critics this season with their young and talented lineup.

9. Boston Bruins

It’s easy to underestimate this roster, as I did on my first look through. Adding winger Michael Ryder was a smart move for a team that needs a 50-60-point-scorer.

Another strength that this team has is its goalies. Tim Thomas had the best season of his career and looks to be headed in a positive direction, even after a tough first-round loss to the top-seeded Canadiens.

The third reason this team might be able to sneak into the eighth and final spot—Zdeno Chara. Chara learned to harness all of his on-ice abilities and truly became a top-five defenseman last season, as proven by his Norris Trophy nomination. If the Bruins do make the playoffs, Chara will be a large reason why.

10. Ottawa Senators

The Sens started last year 29-10-4. They finished last year at 43-31-8—meaning they went 14-25-4 over the course of their last 43 games—and were swept by the Penguins in the first round.

The trio of Dany Heatley, Daniel Alfredsson, and Jason Spezza is without a doubt the best line in hockey, but the rest of the team isn’t as spectacular.

Their defense is young with tons of potential. Brian Lee and Lawrence Nycholat showed a lot of promise last season with the Binghamton Senators, earning their first trip to the AHL All-Star game in the process.

Martin Gerber will be the starter in net at the season’s beginning, and having Alex Auld over Ray Emery should make the Sens feel a little more comfortable. At least Auld will show up to practice.

11. Carolina Hurricanes

Cam Ward was less than stunning last year. He’s still a kid with plenty of time to develop, but after two disappointing seasons in a row after winning the Cup, Carolina is starting to get tired of the whole “development” excuse.

Eric Staal had a good season last year, scoring 82 points (38 G), but he will have to do a little more damage this season, and someone else will need to help. A large part of why Staal did not receive much help is because the injury bug hit Carolina hard a little before midseason.

Another problem Carolina might have is its penalty-kill, which was ranked 26th in the NHL last season. Adding defender Joni Pitkanen might help slightly, but one man can only do so much.

12. Atlanta Thrashers

When you get down to number 12, it’s just a matter of who won’t finish last. The Thrashers don’t have a terrible roster, but they certainly don’t have a roster that will make the playoffs.

Adding right-winger Jason Williams should take a little pressure off of Ilya Kovalchuk, allowing him to put a few more pucks into the back of the net this season. But don’t hope for too much this season, Thrasher fans.

13. Florida Panthers

Olli Jokinen has moved on to smaller and lesser things, and the Panthers have done the same. I leave my sentiments with Thomas Vokoun, who will have to play a ton of games this year, and will more than likely have nothing to show for it.

14. Toronto Maple Leafs

Let’s begin with Tomas Kaberle. He’s been an amazing defenseman for years now and is just stuck on a team that looks to be headed nowhere.

The goalie tandem is not impressive by any means in Toronto either. Curtis Joseph is 41, and Vesa Toskala did not have the season the Leafs were looking for last year. The historic franchise will have to wait another year for the playoffs.

15. New York Islanders

Well, Ted Nolan left, so 50 percent of the problem is gone. Next to go, Garth Snow—if Charles Wang ever gets the “strength” to fire him.

Since his record-contract signing, Rick Dipietro has put up average numbers, but numbers that aren’t good enough for a franchise goalie. The only things the Islanders have going for them are young stars Kyle Okposo and Jeff Tambellini, and they’ll probably be traded by the season’s end.

Tiger Woods, Jason Giambi, David Beckham Moving on to Different Sports

Matthew Hogan — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:38:48 -0400

Jamal Crawford, Joba Chamberlain, Terrell Owens, and Sean Avery: all four athletes switched to another sport, and all four had minimal success. But now there is a second wave of athletes willing to take the same chance.

David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy to New Orleans Saints)

David Beckham has signed a contract with the New Orleans Saints for the 2008 NFL season.

The Saints made the least amount of field goals in the league this year with 15, and had the lowest field goal percentage at 68.2 percent.

Beckham’s transition to the MLS went well, and in his first full season with the L.A. Galaxy, he led his team to the league championship. Beckham’s Galaxy also led the MLS in goals scored. Coincidence? I think not.

But Beckham has grown tired of the MLS. In an interview with ESPN’s Chris Berman, Beckham said, “Football in the States just doesn’t have the appeal I was hoping for, even with a ‘God-like’ player such as myself out there. But this country goes nuts for football. I figured going from taking corner kicks in football to kicking field goals in football shouldn’t be that hard a transition.”

Berman was left a little confused by Beckham’s response. But who knew that just over seven months later, Beckham would break every single-season field goal record, and his New Orleans Saints would win the Super Bowl?

In his first game against Tampa Bay back, Beckham went 8-for-8, hitting four field goals from 50+ yards. One of those 50-yarders included a strike from 65 yards away, breaking the old NFL record of 63 yards.

The first field goal Beckham hit was from 52 yards away. He struck the ball roughly 15 feet wide right, and then suddenly, as if grabbed by some mythological wind, the ball bent 25 feet back in the other direction and went through the uprights. Beckham ran toward the sideline and slid on his chest in celebration.

The celebration was baffling to Beckham’s teammates at first, but it eventually caught on. After returning a kickoff for a touchdown in the third quarter, Reggie Bush ran to midfield and slid on his knees into the Saints’ symbol.

The Super Bowl matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals was left on the foot of Beckham with just two seconds left on the clock. The superstar nailed a 54-yard field goal, like it was a chip shot, to win the game 12-10.

Beckham joined Mark Moseley of the 1982 Washington Redskins to become only the second placekicker to win the NFL MVP award. When Beckham collected his award, he had this to say: “I now have a newfound respect for football in America. I never thought football could make it in the States, but now I see it has a chance.”

Jason Giambi (New York Yankees to Cincinnati Bengals)

Jason Giambi appeared to have resurrected his career in the 2008 MLB regular season. He finished with 32 home runs, 101 RBI, and most importantly, a .302 batting average.

Everything looked to be headed in the right direction for the 37-year-old Giambi, until shortly before the playoffs began when a steroid test came back positive. It appeared Giambi’s career was officially tarnished for good, until a new direction showed itself to the slugger in the form of the Cincinnati Bengals.

On October 21, 2008, the Bengals signed Giambi to a one-year contract, worth approximately $8.4 million. The contract makes Giambi the highest paid linebacker in the NFL.

Last season, the Bengals’ defense finished dead last in the NFL in sacks with 22. They hoped Giambi would add to those totals. As it turns out, the Bengals made a great choice.

When Cincinnati acquired Giambi, they were 3-4 and looked as if they would fall quite short of the playoffs. But the “Great Slambino,” as he is now being called, finished his 10 games with 19 sacks and his Bengals finished the season 11-5.

After a tough loss to David Beckham’s Saints in the Super Bowl, Giambi was not distraught, but rather optimistic about his possible future in this sport. ESPN’s John Clayton had a chance to sit down with Giambi after the season’s conclusion.

John Clayton (JC): Jason, it’s no secret, you had a great season with Bengals. What do you think about another season with the team?

Jason Giambi (JG): I understand I’m not that young, in terms of football, but this season proves that I can still compete. I felt that I had an extra edge over the competition. I was able to out-muscle a lot of big guys out there, and I just knew that quarterback was toast.

JC: There were many allegations at the season’s ending about further steroid use once you entered the NFL. What do you have to say to that?

JG: I’m sorry for what I did when I was in New York, and Oakland. But that’s all behind me now. Plus, steroids wouldn’t have allowed me to chase down someone like Ben Rothliswhatever. Steroids don’t affect speed; that was all me.

JC: When you talk about “what you did,” you mean steroids?

JG: Well, just for the stuff I did.

JC: All right. You’ve lost in the World Series before, but what was it like to lose in a single elimination game like the Super Bowl?

JG: It was tough. Beckham’s got a foot. When he first hit that winner, it looked like it was going to go wide by quite a bit—we had already started celebrating—but then it bent right through the posts. It was a tough loss. Next season will be different though. That Beckham is French toast (laughs).

JC: But he’s English.

JG: Well, then, I guess he’s a muffin.

Tiger Woods (PGA Tour to Pittsburgh Penguins)

“I don’t think anybody really watches hockey anymore.” Tiger Woods’ comments about the NHL have certainly come back to haunt him.

Tiger may think that no one watches hockey, but after the U.S. Open, it was obvious that hockey was watching him.

The hockey gods took a couple of holes off, namely No. 17 on the third day of the tournament, allowing Woods to squeak past Rocco Mediate to collect another Championship, but the championship celebration did not last long.

Just two days after his win at Torrey Pines, Woods announced that he would undergo season-ending knee surgery.

Just two days after the announcement of his knee surgery, Tiger realized that it may have been divine intervention from the hockey gods that caused the pain in his knee, not the cartilage damage that the doctors told him it was.

The realization caused Tiger to take more than a season off from the PGA tour. “I can come back and win a few events, and break some records along the way, but right now, my calling is hockey. I feel that I need to repay the hockey gods for the comments I made.

"They taught me a valuable lesson, and thankfully did not hurt my knee so that it could not be repaired. I plan to help the sport develop and bring a new level of interest with me.”

And so, after a successful surgery on his knee, Tiger took to the ice to bring a championship home to a team with tremendous potential: the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sidney Crosby embraced his new teammate with open arms: “I may not be the most recognizable face in the sport anymore, but I could care less if he helps us win the Cup.”

Due to his surgery, Tiger could not lace up the skates until mid-November, but the Penguins went 10-6-1 in his absence.

On Nov. 13, 2008, Tiger Woods took his first shift against the New York Rangers. Tiger played alongside Sergei Gonchar on defense, and it took him little time to make a difference.

Just over one minute into the game, Sid “the Kid” dropped a pass back to Gonchar, who slid it over to Woods, who ripped a one-timer past Henrik Lundqvist. The slap shot was clocked at 106.8 mph.

Tiger went on to record a hat trick in his first game, and also assisted on a goal. The assist came after one of his slap shots hit Lundqvist directly in the chest, knocking him back, leaving him short of breath, and leaving the puck on the stick of Crosby, who buried it into the open net.

After the game, Tiger was asked what kind of stick he was using. “It was a Nike, of course. But I’ll tell you, that ball sure felt like a Titleist.”

Six months later, the Penguins were the Stanley Cup Champions, beating the same Detroit Red Wings who had beaten them just one year earlier. Detroit goalie, Chris Osgood, had nothing but praise for Tiger.

“His drive, I mean, his shot, is just devastating. He always hits his spots. Even without a tee, he just drives, I mean, shoots the puck into the top of the net on command.”

Tiger finished the season with 89 goals, falling just three short of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record. He also collected 42 assists, a +96 rating, and an MVP trophy. The only disappointment for Tiger and the Penguins, is that he will not be back for another season.

“I think that the hockey gods and I are quite even. They said they wanted a cup in Pittsburgh, and I delivered. I gave them higher ratings than they ever could have imagined. Then they asked me if I could do away with Gary Bettman, but I told them I’m not a god; I’m simply Tiger Woods.”

Terrell Owens to Switch Sports, Other Athletes to Follow

Matthew Hogan — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 21:43:55 -0400

Recently, several athletes have decided to take their abilities to different sports. The trend has grown, but with very minimal success.

Jamal Crawford (New York Knicks to New York Yankees)

Crawford saw opportunity knocking when he looked at his career shooting percentage.

“Yeah, you know, I saw .401 and I thought, ‘where could I have a percentage like that and still be considered good?’”

The next day, after a lengthy conversation with Hank Steinbrenner, Crawford was signed to a 14-day contract. “Hank said the publicity would be great, and $2.8 million didn’t sound too bad either.”

When Steinbrenner was asked about the ridiculous sum of money, he responded, “Hey, we’re paying Kyle Farnsworth $5,916,667 this season to give up home run after home run. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Crawford’s first game with the Yanks was nothing short of a disappointment. He went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

The YES network asked Jamal about his performance after the game, and he sounded optimistic.

“You guys got to remember that with basketball, I had close to 30 attempts a game. I only had four at-bats today. I used to start games for the Knicks by going 0-for-10.”

The next 13 days were no different for Jamal and the Bronx Bombers, or as they are now being called, the “Knickerbombers.” After going 1-for-38 with 32 strikeouts, Crawford wasn’t as optimistic. “You know the ball’s a lot bigger in basketball.”

Crawford’s one hit was a lazy groundball to Mets’ first baseman Carlos Delgado, whom Crawford simply beat to the bag.

Although his team went 2-11 with Crawford on the team, Steinbrenner was not distraught over the experiment.

“We’ve made mistakes before. Hell, we’ve made worse mistakes than this. Did you know Carl Pavano is making $11 million this season?”

The only hope for the Yanks is that Joba Chamberlain’s stint in the NFL becomes a complete failure.

Joba Chamberlain (New York Yankees to Dallas Cowboys)

After Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode left the team for “personal reasons,” Joba Chamberlain seized the opportunity to rejuvenate his career in pro sports after his failed career with the New York Yankees.

Chamberlain was winless as a starter for the Yanks and felt that the league had “figured him out.”

Chamberlain bulked up for the Cowboys and showed tremendous potential, until he broke Tony Romo’s wrist with the first snap of the season. The radar guns clocked his snap at 98 mph.

After breaking backup quarterback Richard Bartel’s wrist as well, Chamberlain was then asked by coach, Wade Phillips, to try and work some magic at the QB position.

Terry Glenn’s attempt at catching Chamberlain’s first pass left Glenn in the same position as Romo and Bartel. Phillips asked if Chamberlain could perhaps, slow his arm motion. Joba complied, but then the receivers had trouble tracking the ball’s motion.

After the Cowboys’ embarrassing 45-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns, wide receiver Patrick Crayton was asked about the difficulty in catching Chamberlain’s passes.

“I don’t know what it was," he said. "It was kind of like a curveball. No, wait. More like a slider. I just didn’t know where the ball was gonna end up. And then he started mixing in that damn fastball and we would just let it go by.”

Chamberlain finished the day throwing an abysmal 1-for-21. However, he did manage to injure one linebacker and two defensive backs from the Browns.

Unfortunately for Chamberlain, he has been released by the team and has recently stated that his career in professional sports, although not over, has definitely come to a standstill.

“I’m hoping some other team will give me a chance," he said. "I heard the Jets were interested 'cause that guy Pennington can’t throw the ball more than ten yards at a time. Plus, the guys in the American League figured me out. In time, I’m sure my receivers can too.”

The Cowboys are hoping that Terrell Owens’ attempt at the NHL will also be short-lived.

Terrell Owens (Dallas Cowboys to Toronto Maple Leafs)

After hearing of Chamberlain’s supposed signing to the Cowboys, Terrell Owens felt that the team was getting a little too crowded with publicity that wasn’t focused on him, so he went to the one place where publicity is never found:the NHL.

ESPN’s Barry Melrose had the chance to sit down and ask T.O. about his choice to join one of the NHL’s most historic franchises.

Barry (BM): So, I guess the first question has to be: Why Toronto?

Terrell (TO): Well, you know they was one of the Original Eight clubs…

BM: Six.

TO: Yeah, six. Original Six clubs. And they haven’t had that, uh, that trophy here since like the 60s.

BM: The Stanley Cup.

TO: Yeah. They haven’t had that Cup here since the 60s, and Canada’s the only place where there’s hockey.

BM: You mean Canada’s the only place it gets respect?

TO: No, I mean you can’t find hockey in the States.

BM: What about the 24 teams located within the continental United States?

TO: Isn’t that a different league? If I had known that I would have stayed in Dallas.

But T.O’s knowledge, or lack thereof, of the sport, continued to haunt him. Toronto offered him a three-year deal worth $11 million. At first T.O. thought that meant $11 million per year, but then learned of the NHL’s salary cap.

“That salary cap is some bulls***. The Leafs are handing money to overpriced defensemen but that can’t give me at least $10 million a year? No wonder they never win Steven’s Cup. Maybe I can still bring the Cowboys out of that 0-6 hole.”

Sean Avery (New York Rangers to PGA Tour)

T.O. wasn’t the only one to recently leave the NHL in search of another sport. We all remember when the New York Rangers’ Sean Avery decided to take his mediocre slapshot to the golf course.

“After that spleen injury, I finally decided that it was time to put down the stick and pick up the driver. I got the British Open Championship coming up, and I’m real excited for it. I’m actually paired up with Tiger for the opening round, so it’ll be nice hitting the greens with him. Maybe he can teach me a few things.”

But Avery’s first experience on the greens didn’t go as well as he’d expected. After falling 11 strokes behind Tiger on the first four holes, Avery began to get aggravated with not only his play, but also the unbelievable talent of his opponent.

On the fifth hole, Avery began to trash-talk as Woods was in his backswing. Tiger played it off as a joke.

But on the 10th hole, as Tiger was putting for birdie, Avery started up again: “So Tiger, what’s this I hear about you saying that no one watches hockey? You think you can run your mouth because your commercials see more TV time than our playoff games? And those commercials aren’t even good. I’ve seen that one with you promoting that Buick Enclave. If you love it, so much then how come you’re never driving one?”

The antics came to a halt, until the final hole.

With Tiger ahead of Avery by an amazing 47 strokes, Avery took off his gloves and attempted to fight Tiger on the 18th green. As Tiger fell backwards into the sand trap, his caddy, Steve Williams, tackled Avery to the ground. The Royal Birkdale golf course security escorted Avery off of the course.

Within the hour, Avery was banned for life from the PGA tour. But he wasn’t as angry about being kicked off the tour as he was about not being able to fight Tiger.

“You know he’s a little baby with his big bad enforcer protecting him. Jesus, I felt like I was going after Sidney Crosby in the playoffs with big ole’ George Laraque guarding him. I don’t want to fight Steve Williams or George Laraque, give me the other two and I’ll show you a beatdown.”

The Rangers have decided to not ask him back, but they are currently negotiating with Tiger Woods to let them borrow Steve Williams for the upcoming season.

A Rant for the Ages: My Trip to the NHL Store

Matthew Hogan — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 20:43:59 -0400

I had the pleasure, or lack thereof, of visiting the NHL store in New York City today—which, up until one week ago, I didn't even know existed. It was just another sad disappointment by the NHL front office to market the league.

Let me preface this next part by saying that I do not like the NBA. I find the games, with the exception of some in the playoffs, boring and predictable. That having been said, the NBA store in New York City offers so much more than the NHL one does.

Before you can see what is in each store, you have to find them. A blind person couldn’t miss the front of the NBA store, with its gigantic front on Fifth Avenue.

However, this was not the case with the NHL one. Perhaps I was expecting something like the NBA store front and got what was the equivalent to a McDonalds.

The NBA store front screams, “Come on in! Buy something! Shoot around!” The NHL store front doesn't scream, but rather whispers, “If you want, you can come in, and if not, Gap is around the corner.”

The NBA store website says that the store has “35,000 square feet covering two retail floors, a 170-foot-long, arena-styled, circular ramp, an authentic half-court shooting area with regulation-size basketball hoop, and a range of multimedia-driven attractions including: video games, interactive player video wall, and an arena-sized Jumbotron video board (and other monitors throughout the Store) air exclusive NBA and WNBA footage, live game broadcasts and NBA TV.”

The NHL store was about half the size of the NBA mall, I mean store, if that much. Had there been other people in the store, I might have had little room to move.

The only electronics that the NHL store had to offer were a few flat-screens replaying old highlights and two small televisions where NHL 2008 could be played with controllers that didn’t even work – believe me, I tried.

Oh, but there’s more!

I’ve been in the NBA store before. They have authentic jerseys, replica jerseys, throwback jerseys, practice jerseys, limited-edition T-shirts, player figurines, and a whole load of other stuff I didn’t even know existed. If that weren’t enough to attract customers, you can even have your own birthday party there. Heck, I’m 21 and I am considering it as an option for my next birthday.

While the NHL did have a wide variety of collectibles to choose from, nothing was overly impressive, just overpriced. What’s worse is that they didn’t have enough. The NHL store in NYC is supposed to be the place to find anything and everything of NHL, but the store fell a couple hundred items short.

But, let’s forget about the prices and what the store didn’t have, let me talk about what the store did have.

For starters, half of the merchandise was either Detroit or Pittsburgh-related, in order to promote the Stanley Cup Finals. Alright, I guess that’s understandable.

I then realized that half of the Pittsburgh merchandise had Sidney Crosby and/or his number on it. They even had a Sidney Crosby action figure, which I have to admit, was kind of cool.

Since Detroit and Pittsburgh consumed 50 percent of the merchandise, the other 28 teams comprised the other 50 percent. However, certain teams were still favored more than others, namely Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Buffalo, Los Angeles, and Montreal.

I was slightly confused as to why a few of those teams were promoted so much throughout the store. And then, I realized that they were all cities that sent a good number of tourists to New York City every day (with the exception of Buffalo, which is just New York state pride)—thus, it would only make sense to have their merchandise available.

But still, teams, including the New York Islanders – even I forgot they were a team – were poorly represented throughout the store. Meanwhile, the NBA store has a different section for each team in their store, regardless if it is the Boston Celtics or the Memphis Grizzlies.

My point is that the NHL needs to start promoting other things. I understand that it is the Stanley Cup Finals and the league would like to make sure fans support the two teams that are currently the NHL’s best, but the sport will never expand if attention is never paid to teams like Tampa Bay or Phoenix.

Let’s forget about the stores for a second. I can always catch a commercial on ESPN or NBC with LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Kobe Bryant, or Shaquille O’Neal. The only NHL commercial I’ve seen, besides Crosby’s Gatorade (which was very well-done), is Ryan Miller’s Amp Energy Drink ad.

But Miller’s commercial was funny. I’ve heard people who don’t even like hockey say how good it was. So, why doesn’t the NHL do more of that? Take a future star of the league, someone besides Crosby, and get their face out there.

Maybe the store will expand. Maybe the NHL is working on better promotions. Maybe I need to be more patient. The NBA store is celebrating its 10-year anniversary, while the NHL store hasn’t even reached its 10-month anniversary. Only time will tell where the NHL store ends up.

The 2008 NHL All-Playoff Team

Matthew Hogan — Sun, 04 May 2008 21:16:46 -0400

Center: Johan Franzen (Detroit)

Franzen had a mediocre regular season, posting a total of 38 points (27 G, 11 A), but has exploded in the playoffs. He has scored a total of 14 points in 10 games so far. His 11 goals and four game-winning goals are both tops in the playoffs. Nine of his 11 goals have come in the last four games, including two hat tricks. He is currently producing a point for every 13 minutes of ice time. His plus nine rating and 47 shots are second and third in the playoffs, respectively.

Franzen also has four power play goals and two short-handed goals, making him a threat on the ice at all times. Most importantly, though, Detroit is 6-0 when Franzen scores a goal.

Notables: Daniel Briere (Philadelphia, 8 G, 6 A); Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh, 6 G, 8 A); Mike Ribeiro (Dallas, 3 G, 11A)

Left Wing: Henrik Zetterberg (Detroit)

Surprise, surprise, another Red Wing. I try not to double up, but Zetterberg has the best numbers of any left winger by far. So far this postseason, Zetterberg has 13 points (7 G, 6 A). He is also plus ten, has three short-handed points, and has registered 54 shots (5.4 shots per game), leading the league in each category in the process.

Detroit is 5-0 when Zetterberg scores a goal, and he had nine points in Detroit’s four-game sweep of the Colorado Avalanche in the second round.

Notable: Brendan Morrow (Dallas, 7 G, 4 A)

Right Wing: Jaromir Jagr (New York Rangers)

After having what many considered to be a subpar regular season, producing 71 points in 82 games, Jagr has come to life in the postseason. He has scored a total of 15 points (5 G, 10 A) in just ten games. No other right winger has even broken ten points so far this postseason.

It has been Jagr's most productive postseason since the 2000 playoffs, when he put up 16 points in 11 games. Unfortunately for Jagr, his efforts were not enough for the Rangers to advance.

Notable: Alexei Kovalev (Montreal, 5 G, 6 A)

Defense: Stephane Robidas (Dallas)

After having a tremendous first round with six points, Robidas has slowed down slightly, posting only two assists in the second round. One of these was the assist on the game-winner from Morrow in the quadruple-overtime game six.

Robidas’ defensive abilities have exceeded anyone in the NHL so far this postseason. He has thrown 59 hits this postseason, making his presence felt on the ice. Hitting will be a factor if Dallas ends up playing the Flyers in the finals (this probably won’t happen). But Robidas’ most important attribute is his shot-blocking ability. Robidas has blocked 23 shots through two rounds, including seven alone in the quadruple-overtime thriller that eliminated the Sharks.

Defense: Sergei Gonchar (Pittsburgh)

Five points (1 G, 4 A) in nine games is what Gonchar should be producing at this point in the season, in 25 minutes a game during the playoffs.

Four of his points have come on the power play—which is to be expected, given the efficiency of the Pittsburgh power play. But Gonchar’s best attribute so far has been his ability to get back on rushes and block shots. He has 22 blocked shots, most of which have come at some big points in each round.

Notables: Brian Campbell (San Jose, 1 G, 6 A); Niklas Kronwall (Detroit, 0 G, 8 A); Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit, 2 G, 5 A)

Goalie: Marc-Andre Fleury (Pittsburgh)

At the beginning of the playoffs, there was some uncertainty as to whether Fleury would be starting in net for the Penguins, but he has gone above and beyond the call of duty so far in the postseason.

He is currently tied with Detroit’s Chris Osgood with a .937 save percentage, and is second to Osgood with a goals against average of 1.76.

He also boasts an 8-1 playoff record, leading all goalies in shutouts with two. While Osgood is currently 6-0 with a better save percentage and goals against average, he also has a better defense in front of him than Fleury does.

Notables: Chris Osgood (Detroit, 6-0, .937, 1.52); Marty Turco (Dallas, 7-4, .916, 1.98)

2008 NHL Playoffs: Previews and Predictions for the Second Round

Matthew Hogan — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:31:06 -0400

Eastern Conference:

(1) Montreal Canadiens Vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers– The key phrase for this matchup is “power play.” A large part of the Flyers’ success comes from the power play. They were ranked second in the league on the power play during the regular season, posting a 21.8% success rate with the man advantage. During the playoffs they are ranked sixth with a 22.2% success rate. The only team which had a better power play percentage during the regular season was none other than the Montreal Canadiens (24.2%), but oh how the mighty have fallen. The Canadiens have a 9.4% success rate on the power play so far this postseason. Montreal has only scored three times on the power play whereas Daniel Briere alone has scored four times for the Flyers. Briere has been one of the best players in the postseason thus far, scoring a league-leading 11 points and six goals.

Montreal goalie Carey Price might be able to cool down Briere’s scoring onslaught. Price has been a key component to the Canadiens winning. So far Price has posted a .925 save percentage to go along with 2.09 goals against average; both good for fifth among goalies. However, Price has shown inconsistency. With the Canadiens leading their previous series 3-1, Price got sloppy, letting in five goals in consecutive games; and they weren’t good goals by any means. He had only let in a total of fives goals in four games up until that point. Price rebounded in game seven, shutting out the Boston Bruins and regaining his confidence in net in the process. Either Briere or Price will have to cool down this series, and the way they’ve been playing, it is tough to say which one will. Briere has tons of experience and the Flyers seem to be clicking right now, whereas the Canadiens had trouble with a team they dominated all season in the first round. However, Montreal won the season series against the Flyers in decisive fashion, 4-0. Series Prediction: Montreal 4-3

(2) Pittsburgh Penguins Vs. (5) New York Rangers– Let me start by saying that I, once again, underestimated the Rangers’ playoff abilities. They proved me wrong, and I now believe that they really do belong where they are. That having been said, they have a tall order ahead of them. Pittsburgh is currently the best team in the playoffs. They demolished the defending Eastern Conference Champion Ottawa Senators in the first round series 4-0, outscoring the Sens 16-5 in the process. Sidney Crosby performed well in his first playoff series victory. When Mario Lemieux won his first playoff series, he finished with three goals and two assists; Crosby certainly outdid the great Lemieux, posting eight points (two goals, six assists). Evgeni Malkin put up seven points (two goals, five assists), while Marian Hossa and Ryan Malone each put up five points. But offense is not what won the series for the Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury had quite a series for the Pens. Before the first round started, Pittsburgh was unsure as to who would start in net, Fleury who had just come off an injury, or Ty Conklin, who practically carried the team on his back during Fleury’s absence. Fleury got the nod to start the series and he did not disappoint; he posted a .955 save percentage and a 1.26 goals against average, both good for second among goaltenders.

The Rangers got some help in some expected, as well as unexpected, places to march past the Devils in the first round. Jaromir Jagr finally found his legs and put up a team-leading eight points (two goals, six assists) in the first round. Scott Gomez put up three goals and four assists as well. But the unexpected help came from rookie Brandon Dubinsky who scored three goals and dished out three assists as well. Dubinsky only had 40 points during his rookie campaign, but has come to life during the playoffs. New York was 5-3 against the Penguins during the regular season, while Pittsburgh was 3-3-2. If the Rangers were playing any other team in the league, I might pick them to win. But right now they are playing a team that looks like they could easily win the Cup. Sorry Rangers’ fans. Series Prediction: Pittsburgh 4-2

Western Conference:

(1) Detroit Red Wings Vs. (6) Colorado Avalanche– This matchup reminds of the late 90s’ battles between these two teams (remember the 1997 brawl between these two teams? Mike Vernon dropping the gloves against the great Patrick Roy? I sure do). Detroit and Colorado haven’t seen each other in the playoffs since the 2001-02 season in the Western Conference Finals, which Detroit won 4-3 on their way to becoming Stanley Cup Champs. Joe Sakic versus Nick Lidstrom, Peter Forsberg versus Chris Osgood, this is going to be a fun series to watch. Sakic reminded everyone why he is called “Captain Clutch” in the playoffs, posting six points (two goals, four assists) in the first round, including a game-winning goal in the first game just ten minutes into overtime. But Colorado goalie Jose Theodore stole the stage in the last three games of the series. With the Avalanche trailing 2-1 in the series against Minnesota, Theodore let in just four goals in the final three games on a total of 100 shots. The former MVP has regained his form and looks unstoppable in net, but if any team can take him down, it is the Red Wings.

After the Wings jumped out to a 2-0 series lead over the Nashville Predators, starting goalie Dominik Hasek fell apart, letting in seven goals on just 42 shots. He was pulled during the middle of game four and replaced by Osgood, who went on to single-handedly win the series against Nashville. Osgood finished the series by stopping 53 of 54 shots, leading Detroit into the second round. Henrik Zetterberg, who spent a majority of the season near the top of the scoring list, has fizzled in the playoffs, putting up just four points (two goals, two assists) in the first round. Probable Norris Trophy-winner Nick Lidstrom also slowed his production, putting up just two goals and one assist. However, Lidstrom is averaging an astounding 27:12 of ice time per game. Detroit won the season series against Colorado 4-0, outscoring them by a total score of 11-2. This series is going to come down to the goalies. Nothing would make me happier than to see Sakic and the Avalanche win this series, but Detroit has about thirty seasons of playoff experience in net. Series Prediction: Detroit 4-2

(2) San Jose Sharks Vs. (5) Dallas Stars– For a team that finished the regular season 18-2-2, the Sharks didn’t look all that impressive in their seven-game series win against Calgary. Meanwhile, the Stars ran through the defending Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks in six games. San Jose was led through the first round by…Ryane Clowe? Clowe scored just eight points in a measly 15 games during the regular season, and already he has four goals and four assists in seven playoff games. Joe Pavelski also surprised the Sharks by putting up seven points in their first round victory, after only posting 40 points during his sophomore campaign. Former MVP Joe Thornton also scored seven points for San Jose (two goals, five assists). Vezina trophy-nominee Evgeni Nabakov was less than stellar in net, posting a .895 save percentage, which is 15^th among the 17 first round goalies.

Mike Ribeiro continued to shine in Dallas (no pun intended), putting up eight points (two goals, six assists) in the first round. Ribeiro led the Stars during the regular season with 83 points. But the surprise “Star” in Dallas (pun intended that time) was Stephane Robidas. Robidas only put up 26 points in 82 regular games for Dallas. However, he has turned his game around in the postseason and has put up six points (one goal, five assists) in six games. In games where he has scored a point, the Stars are 3-0. Robidas’ defensive skills were also valuable to Dallas in the first round, as he blocked seven shots and threw 32 hits. San Jose went 4-4 in the season series, while Dallas went 4-2-2. There is a rivalry building between these two teams, one that will only grow larger during this series. This was by far the toughest series to predict a winner, but I think Nabakov will play better in the next round than he did in the first round. Series Prediction: San Jose 4-3

Norris Trophy: Picking the NHL's Best Defender

Matthew Hogan — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:49:51 -0400

With less than one week left in the NHL season, the Norris Trophy race for the NHL’s best defenseman has heated up, with several players aiming to win. Let’s look at those who are serious contenders.

There are several players who almost made the cut, but I feel do not posses all of the qualities of a Norris Trophy nominee. If Brian Campbell had been playing on San Jose the entire season, then perhaps he would have gotten stronger consideration. Since Campbell joined the Sharks at the end of February, they are 15-0-2. However, to be considered for the Norris Trophy, a player needs to have a serious impact on his team for the entire season, not just 17 games; that’s not to say Campbell’s time in Buffalo was a waste, but imagine the possibilities if he had played on San Jose the entire season: 75-0-7? Well, maybe not. But it would have been fun to watch.

Another player who came close to making the final cut was Mike Green (Washington). His 18 goals are good for first among defensemen and his 51 points are an improvement from the 12 he put up last season. But his defensive stats aren’t as impressive as the finalists.

The combination of Andrei Markov and Mark Streit has had the Canadiens saying, “Sheldon who?” Unfortunately it is tough to differentiate who has had more of an impact on the Canadiens. If I had to put one into the final grouping it would have to be Markov who has become an elite defenseman in the NHL. A statistic that works against Streit is his -9 +/- rating. Markov is a great defender, but the top four have become household names in terms of defense.

The four defensemen on my radar are Zdeno Chara (Boston), Sergei Gonchar (Pittsburgh), Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit), and Dion Phaneuf (Calgary).

Chara has picked up his game this year and is having the best season of his career. Chara currently has 49 points and 33 assists, both personal bests. He currently leads the Bruins in penalty minutes with 112, an important stat for a 6’9” captain; it shows he can protect his teammates, as well as lead them. Chara is third in the NHL in ice time at a whopping 26:51 per game. To top things off, Chara’s Bruins might make the playoffs for the first time since the lockout.

A lot of credit gets paid to Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in Pittsburgh, but Gonchar is having another incredible season at the blue line. While Gonchar is +15 on the season, he also leads the NHL in power play assists (36) and leads all defensemen with 43 power play points. Gonchar’s Penguins also sit atop the Eastern Conference. On a team with Crosby and Malkin it is easy to get overlooked, but offense alone can’t get you into the playoffs (ahem, Tampa).

Playing defense, for your Detroit Red Wings, five-time Norris Trophy winner, Nicklas Lidstrom! Lidstrom will go down as if not the best, one of the best, defenseman of all-time. He currently leads all defensemen in points (66) and is fourth in the NHL in ice-time (26:50). Before getting hurt in late February, Lidstrom was on pace for a +70 season. Unfortunately, he has fallen off to a mere +41 (that’s sarcasm), leading the NHL in that department along with teammate Pavel Datsyuk. Oh, and his Red Wings are perched on top of the NHL, where they’ve been all season.

Dion Phaneuf has matured even more this season, and if he continues on this pace, he will have some amazing numbers in seasons to come. Phaneuf has a career-best 58 points this season and is a +9. He leads NHL defensemen in a few categories: game-winning goals (4), shots (255), and penalty minutes (173). Shots are important because it is a defenseman’s job, especially on the power play, to get the puck to the net; and with 255 shots, Phaneuf is certainly doing his job. Penalty minutes, as the case was with Chara, are important with Phaneuf because it shows he can drop the gloves if somebody goes after him or one of his teammates. He also hits harder than anyone in the league.

This year’s race for the Norris Trophy is a great one; it is apparent that the average NHL defenseman has grown in leaps and bounds this season.

Now for the winner. Gonchar is having another amazing season, but a lot of the credit in Pittsburgh will not go to him, instead it will go to Crosby, Malkin, and even Ty Conklin. Phaneuf, although having the best season of his young career, is not at the Norris level…yet. That leaves the race down to Chara and Lidstrom. Chara has had a major impact on the Bruins and their winning ways this season. However, Lidstrom is consistent and always knows how to win the game. He is a captain in true form and his veteran leadership allows the Red Wings to win year-after-year. There is no doubt in my mind that Nicklas Lidstrom will win the Norris Trophy, again.

NHL MVP: Who's Got Hart?

Matthew Hogan — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:17:45 -0400

There’s only one week left in the NHL’s regular season and only one player who can take home the Hart Memorial Trophy for league MVP. While there have been many standouts and surprises this season, the MVP voting will come down to the following players: Jarome Iginla (Calgary), Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh), Alexander Ovechkin (Washington), and Joe Thornton (San Jose).

First off, the four players listed were chosen by not only the amount of points that they have, but also by how well their teams are doing up to this point in the season. For example, while Vincent Lecavalier is having a fantastic season in terms of points, Tampa Bay is tied for last in the NHL with 69 points; thus, he is eliminated from any type of MVP race in my book.

Another reason why certain players are not up there is the amount of support they have from surrounding players. For example, two of the best teams in the NHL, Detroit and Ottawa, do not have a player in my final four; this is because players like Pavel Datsyuk in Detroit and Jason Spezza in Ottawa have a beyond-stellar supporting cast. Datsyuk has teammates such as Henrik Zetterberg and Nicklas Lidstrom, just as Spezza has Daniel Alfredsson and Dany Heatley. Therefore, it is tough to determine who is more valuable on each of those teams.

Okay, now let’s get to the four finalists. First off on the list, Jarome Iginla, who is no stranger to the MVP race. Back in the 2001-02 season, Iginla was a finalist for the MVP award, losing out to Montreal goalie Jose Theodore. This season Iginla is on pace for 99 points which would be a career-high; his current career-high for points in a season was set back in the 2001-02 season when he finished with 96 points.

His Calgary Flames currently sit in sixth place in the Western Conference with 90 points and look to be headed to the playoffs for the fourth straight season. So far, Iginla is third in points (93), third in goals (49), and second in game-winning goals (9). Also, Iginla is +26 on this season, good for fourth in the league and first among my final MVP candidates. Iginla has been a force in the league for several seasons and this has been his best season yet, but is it enough?

At the beginning of the season, plenty of critics felt that one player from Pittsburgh would be in the running for the Hart Trophy, but unfortunately for those critics, they picked the wrong player.

With Sidney Crosby missing 28 of the Penguins’ last 31 games, someone needed to step up, and second-year superstar Evgeni Malkin did just that. In Crosby’s absence, the Penguins are 16-8-4 and Malkin has collected 47 points (20 G, 27 A) in that span. Malkin is currently second in the league in points (102), tied for fourth in assists (58), and alone in fourth in goals (44); all of those numbers are career highs. Oh, and his Penguins are currently first in the Eastern Conference with 97 points.

At the heart of the MVP race (no pun intended) is 22 year-old Alexander Ovechkin. The phenom is having the best year of his short NHL career by far this season. Ovechkin leads the league in points (107), goals (61), power play goals (21) and game-winning goals (10). A mind-boggling stat is also another category Ovechkin leads the league in: shots. This season Ovechkin has taken 421 shots; the next closest player is Zetterberg (Detroit) with 332.

The player who is covered more than any other player in the league has still managed to shoot the puck a total of 421 times! That statistic alone should be able to put Ovechkin’s talent level in perspective. The Capitals have not had a winning season or been to the playoffs since the 2002-03 season when they finished with 92 points and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. This year Ovechkin has his Caps just two points out of the last playoff spot with four games left; a heavy favorite for MVP.

Last, but certainly not least, is San Jose’s Joe Thornton. Thornton has finished in the top three in scoring three times in his career and won the Hart Trophy back in the 2005-06 season when he was first traded to San Jose. While Thornton is on pace for 97 points, which would be his lowest season total for points in three years, he is still putting up some monster number this season.

Thornton leads the league in assists with 65 and during his team’s current 17-game streak of collecting at least one point, he has 23 points; that streak has put Thornton’s Sharks at the top of the Pacific division and second in the NHL with 102 points. With the Sharks chewing their way to the top of the Western Conference, Thornton is a strong candidate for MVP.

Now for the decision. Something amazing about these four players is that not one of them has missed a single game this season; a great statistic for any MVP to have. Iginla’s numbers are consistent and very good, but not as good as Malkin’s or Ovechkin’s. Although his Sharks are almost at the top of the NHL, Thornton also has weaker numbers than Malkin and Ovechkin.

Therefore, out of this group, the two finalists will be Malkin and Ovechkin. Malkin has clearly gone above and beyond his expected duties this season and has the Penguins in prime form for the playoffs, while Ovechkin’s Capitals might fall short of the playoffs for a fourth straight season. However, Ovechkin’s numbers are mind-blowing and overpower even the fact that his team might not make the playoffs. That being said, Alexander Ovechkin, with his 60-plus goals, will take home this year’s Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP.