Bleacher Report - NHL History

The 10 Greatest Players in Boston Bruins History

Ryan Pickard — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:59:53 -0500

The Boston Bruins have one of the most storied traditions in the NHL. They were founded in 1924 and are one of the original six teams. They were also the very first American based team. The Bruins have had plenty of great players come through the doors and wear the spoked B proudly which made compiling this list so hard. There were some guys that were left off this list that were definatley great players but this is exactly the kind of problem a team wants where they had to leave some guys off because other players were just so good. So without wasting anymore time here are the 10 greatest players in Boston Bruins history.

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Rogie Vachon Speaks About Career, Hall Exclusion

Gann Matsuda — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:15:39 -0500

LOS ANGELES — Many hockey fans in the Los Angeles area have at least heard of Rogie Vachon. They may know that he was the best goaltender ever to wear the jersey of the Los Angeles Kings. But few know of his accomplishments with the Kings and with the Montreal Canadiens prior to his arrival in Southern California.

Even fewer know that Vachon’s accomplishments rank him among the greatest goaltenders to have ever played the game, yet he continues to be denied the honor of being inducted into the hallowed halls of the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF).

A close look at Vachon’s career statistics shows that he ranks ahead of a considerable number of goaltenders who were inducted into the HHOF years ago (for details, see Time To Right A Wrong: Hockey Hall of Fame Must Induct Rogie Vachon).

“If there was anyone who deserves to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame who is not—if you look at his numbers, a Vezina Trophy, three Stanley Cups, and the fact is, he wasn’t just the second fiddle on that [Montreal Canadiens] team,” said Brian Kennedy, who featured Vachon in his new book, Living The Hockey Dream. “He shared the goaltending duties with Gump Worsley in that Vezina season and they won the Cup that same season, let alone everything he did for the Kings in the mid-Seventies.”

“There is no way we can keep that guy out of the Hockey Hall of Fame,” added Kennedy.

Vachon got his start in the National Hockey League with the Canadiens in the 1966-67 season, back when the league still consisted of its Original Six teams.

“They called me up with nineteen games to go and, at that time, the coach never told you who’s going to play that night,” said Vachon. “The tradition was that the trainer would come in just before the warm-up and give the puck to the goalie who plays.”

“That night, the trainer gave me the puck, so that was a bit of a shock,” added Vachon. “Especially during the warm-up when I was trying to settle down. On top of that, my first shot in the National Hockey League was a breakaway from Gordie Howe from the blue line in.”

Facing the legendary Gordie Howe, at the time, the best player to have ever played the game, on a breakaway in his NHL debut? Talk about a rude welcome to the league!

“It was incredible,” Vachon noted. “The defenseman [Ted Harris] stood up [at the Detroit blue line] and the pass came across to Howe on the wing. From the blue line in, he was all by himself. That was a little scary.”

“I don’t know how, but I stopped him and that probably helped me with my career because I settled down,” Vachon added. “That night, I had about forty shots and beat Detroit, 3-2. Everything went really well at the start.”

Things continued to go well for Vachon, who went on to win three Stanley Cups with the Canadiens in four seasons.

He almost won another one with them as well.

“When I broke in, there were only six teams in the league,” said Vachon. “That was the last year Toronto won the Cup. We lost [to them] in the finals, so I came close to winning another Cup.”

Off To The New Frontier

Although Vachon won his third Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1970-71, it was Ken Dryden who backstopped the Canadiens in the playoffs, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs.

Vachon knew the Canadiens would anoint Dryden as their number one goaltender after that.

“It was pretty disappointing because I was just starting my career, too,” said Vachon. “But Kenny comes in, plays all the playoffs, wins the Cup and winds up the MVP of the playoffs.”

“I knew that management was going to go with him the [next] season,” added Vachon. “I was still young and I wanted to be the number one goalie somewhere, so I asked to be traded.”

The Habs honored his wishes, trading Vachon to the Kings on November 4, 1971, in exchange for Denis Dejordy, Dale Hoganson, Noel Price and Doug Robinson.

For Vachon, exchanging the Canadiens sweater for a Kings jersey was a drastic change, to say the least.

“It was a culture shock, that’s for sure,” Vachon reminisced. “Coming from the best team in hockey to here where the team was lousy—we were terrible. That year, I popped my knee so I was out for the year and we were out of the playoffs by Christmas, that’s how bad we were.”

“It wasn’t only the weather outside, but also, we didn’t have a lot of fans coming in,” added Vachon. “Compared to Montreal where we had a sell-out for every game. So yeah, it was a big difference.”

Indeed, Vachon went from a dynasty team to a struggling, four-year-old expansion franchise.

“When I first [joined the Kings], it was pretty rough,” said Vachon. “We used to go on the road and sometimes, I would give up five goals and play an incredible game, but still lose 5-0.”

“In those days, we gave up a lot of scoring chances because we weren’t as good,” added Vachon. “Especially the top teams like Boston, Montreal and the New York Rangers—when they came into town, they just blew us away. They spent eighty percent of the game in our zone.”

Vachon toiled in the nets for a couple of awful Kings teams until they finally broke through and made the playoffs in the 1973-74 season.

“When Bob Pulford came in as coach [in the 1972-73 season], it really changed things around,” he said. “He installed a good defensive system and they brought in some decent defensemen and a couple of scorers. The franchise changed around quite a bit in 1974-75.”

That season, when the Kings set a franchise record that still stands today with 105 points, is the one that stands out for Vachon.

“It was a good time,” said Vachon. “When Pulford came in and we started to be respectable and a lot of fans started to come in, they made the trade for Marcel Dionne—all of a sudden, the franchise started to get a little better.”

But even though Vachon often won games all by himself on teams that were mediocre, at best, he was unable to get the Kings past the first round of the playoffs.

“Unfortunately, in those days, the first playoff round was a two-out-of three, which was ridiculous,” Vachon lamented. “You lose the first game, you had no chance to come back. We lost to Toronto and to [superstar goaltender] Tony [Esposito] and Chicago.”

Despite not being able to get the Kings out of the first round of the playoffs, Vachon was not just a superstar. He was also a leader, a part of his game that he brought with him from Montreal.

Indeed, one of Vachon’s most vivid memories about his time wearing the bleu, blanc et rouge (blue, black and red) jersey of the storied Canadiens is the attitude and pride that was present throughout the franchise.

“We had great defense and a lot of scoring,” Vachon explained. “There was so much tradition in those days. Everyone refused to lose. If we lost two games in a row, it was total panic in Montreal.”

“There was just so much pride in that jersey,” Vachon elaborated. “It meant so much for everybody, especially the players.”

Bob Berry, a pro scout for the Kings, played six seasons with Vachon here in Los Angeles.

“The fact that [Vachon] came from [the Montreal Canadiens] organization, which still has a mystical, mythical ring to it—but in those days, to come from Montreal, he was not just bringing Rogie Vachon,” said Berry. “He was bringing a little bit of one of the great championship organizations ever in any kind of sport. It was special.”

“He was a competitive guy who had a lot to do with teaching us how to win because of the way he played and the way he competed when he first came here from Montreal,” added Berry. “He came here with really high credentials.”

Berry said that Vachon’s competitiveness is what he remembers most.

“There would be times, especially when we were at home, when we were asleep in the first period and got outshot, 12-4, and only be down, 1-0,” Berry related. “Rogie would come [into the dressing room] and break his stick over the water cart and that really was all he did. He didn’t curse or swear or anything.”

“We realized that here was a guy who was a winner, he was competitive and he really worked hard, and I’m not making this up,” Berry elaborated. “This is the way it was. [We thought], ‘Jesus Christ. He’s really mad at us. We’d better get going,’ and we did.”

“It wasn’t usually verbal. We all knew what kind of competitor he was. It was just a tacit feeling throughout the room that Rogie was pissed off and that he’s bailed us out so many times we’d better get going, and I’m sure if you asked all the other guys who were there, they’d tell you the same thing.”

Vachon explained that all he was trying to do was light a fire under his teammates.

“It did happen a few times and it was all about motivation,” he said. “It started in Montreal, doing that kind of stuff. I hated to have anyone score on me, even in practice. When you get used to that mentality, when you go into the games, sometimes I would come in after the first period after giving up a goal, I’d say, ‘All right. You get me two goals and that’s it. We’re going to win the game because they’re not going to score another one.’”

Indeed, even with superstar center Marcel Dionne joining the team in the 1975-76 season, Vachon was the biggest reason the Kings teams Berry played on had any success at all.

“Part of us learning how to win as a team was to keep our goals against down and I think under coach Bob Pulford, we all thought we were doing things well defensively,” Berry explained. “He brought a lot to it. But that said, it was still Rogie who was the last line of defense, and on most nights, when we would win close games, 3-1 or 2-1, or whatever it happened to be in those days, it was usually him who bailed us out and made big stops.”

“He would keep the ship afloat and we’d finally understand that we’d better get going,” Berry stressed. “It didn’t happen every night, but it happened enough. He taught us how to win.”

Of course, the leadership Vachon provided would have meant nothing if he was a poor or even just an average goaltender. But he backed up his leadership with elite level skill.

“He was a goaltender, and there haven’t been many in Kings history, that when he was in goal, you knew you had a chance to win the game, or that he would keep you in the game,” said long-time “Voice of the Kings,” Bob Miller, who called the action for five of Vachon’s seasons with the Kings.

“He was so good, so good,” added Miller, the 2000 recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award, recognizing those members of the radio and television industry who made outstanding contributions to their profession and the game during their career in hockey broadcasting, making him a media honoree in the Hockey Hall of Fame. “I remember one story...we were in Chicago Stadium and Dennis Hull was playing for Chicago. He came down left wing and, to this day, it was the hardest shot I’ve ever seen. It got deflected up into the third balcony. I couldn’t even see it.”

“I saw Rogie later and I asked him, ‘tell me what you’re thinking when you see Dennis Hull ready to shoot.’ He said, ‘well, I know the only way I can stop it is if he hits me, so I hope he hits me.’ I said, ‘what?!’”

Miller, who is now in his 37th season of calling the action for the Kings, said that Vachon’s courage was one of the reasons he was a superstar.

“He was a courageous goaltender and a huge fan favorite here,” Miller explained. “I think he was probably the first real fan favorite here for the Kings and he had some outstanding games with teams that, early in his career and my career here, were defensive-minded teams under Bob Pulford.”

“Pully’s idea of a great game was 1-0 and the puck went in off of somebody’s rear end,” Miller added. “But [Vachon] fit that mold perfectly because he was so good.”

Miller marveled at Vachon’s superior skill.

“I remember how acrobatic he was in goal,” said Miller. “The other thing I remember is that he had such a good glove hand. He’d keep his glove down at his side and let he shooter think, ‘I’ve got that upper corner,’ and then, all of a sudden, he’d flash that glove up.”

“I remember some of the games against the Montreal Canadiens and games against some of the other teams that were really good at the time,” added Miller. “Players used to think, ‘I’ve got him’ and he’d make the save. He was really fun to watch, there was no doubt about that.”

Shame On The Hockey Hall of Fame

As stated earlier, Vachon’s career statistics and accomplishments make a rock solid case for him being more than worthy of induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

“He wasn’t a big guy, yet he played so well and really, the shame is that he’s not in the Hockey Hall of Fame when the numbers he has are better than some who are in the Hall of Fame, and he has those seasons and those numbers with very mediocre Kings teams,” said Miller.

“The nights he played for us, he certainly was in the [Hall of Fame] category,” said Berry.

Vachon’s stellar play in the 1976 Canada Cup tournament also adds to his credentials, as he led Canada to the tournament championship with a 1.39 goals-against average, a .963 save percentage and two shutouts in seven games. He was named as the best goalie of the tournament and the Most Valuable Player for Canada.

“That was pretty awesome, too,” Vachon beamed. “It’s totally different from winning the Stanley Cup because you’re playing for your country. We had such a great team and I was really hot in goal, but we still had to go into overtime to win the [championship]. That’s how good the other teams were.”

“I remember the last game we played against the Czechs,” Vachon added. I made one of the best glove saves of my career. A forward came in, about thirty feet away, I think it was [Ivan] Hlinka. He was the top star in those days for the Czech team. I just grabbed it and that was in overtime.”

The biggest reason Vachon has been overlooked by the Hockey Hall of Fame is because during his time in the NHL, cable and satellite television, the World Wide Web, YouTube, mobile phones and the like, did not exist. Moreover, the Kings only had about fifteen games on television each season at the time.

“There were very, very few games on TV,” Vachon explained. “There were probably 15-20 games broadcast locally and the all people back East would just read about it in the paper.”

To be sure, Vachon played in complete anonymity on most nights except to those in Southern California.

“It’s pretty strange,” said Vachon. “When you played in the West in those days, you didn’t get the recognition that guys like [Ed] Giacomin got in New York or some of the guys playing in Montreal. It hurt some of the guys here, including me.”

“If you compare my numbers with the guys who were inducted at that time, there’s no question that I should’ve been there,” added Vachon. “But what are you going to do?”

“If [Vachon] had [been the number one goaltender] in Montreal [for all those years], he would have been a first ballot Hall of Famer,” Miller emphasized. “But he did it here and they didn’t hear about it.”

Although Vachon does not seem to be bitter about being passed over for induction, he is disappointed.

“It’s disappointing,” he said, “Every hockey player dreams about being in the Hockey Hall of Fame. But certain things in life you can’t control and that’s one of them.”

Vachon came ever so close to induction in 1987, his first year of eligibility.

“The first time around, someone on the [selection] committee told me that I had missed by one vote,” he said.

“That’s missing from my resume,” he added. “Even though my jersey has been retired [by the Kings], that’s it. [Induction into the Hall of Fame is] the ultimate for an athlete, to be in the hall. All the people come in and see that you're there. It would mean a lot.”

But since 1987? Nothing. Nevertheless, hope remains.

“A few years ago, Dick Duff, [who played in Montreal, Toronto and briefly in Los Angeles] had to wait all those years but they finally put him in the Hall [in 2006],” said Vachon. “He was like me, waiting more than twenty or thirty years.”

Miller said that the Hockey Hall of Fame’s credibility is weakened by the fact that Vachon is still not an honored member.

“It really is a shame and the Hockey Hall of Fame should be ashamed of themselves that he wasn’t nominated earlier or not nominated at all,” said Miller. “If some of those guys who are on the Selection Committee played against him, I would think they would say yes, he deserves to be in there.”

“He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, there’s no doubt about it.”

Photo: Rogie Vachon. Courtesy Los Angeles Kings.

This story was originally published on Frozen Royalty, where you can find more in-depth coverage of the Los Angeles Kings and the NHL.

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Red Wing Ted Lindsay's Legend Endures

Warren Shaw — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:37:40 -0500

Recently the Detroit Red Wings played the Calgary Flames at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit and spotted sitting in the audience was a neatly dressed elderly man with a rough appearance and a crooked smile on his face. That man was NHL Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay now 84 years old .

Detroit is no longer a Stanley Cup contender and the city has had more than its share of economic problems, but unlike some Lindsay is still a strong supporter of the team and the city. Ted Lindsay has always been first and foremost a loyal Detroit Red Wing.

There is also no doubt that Theodore (Ted) Lindsay had a lasting impact while playing for the Wings. Although Lindsay played with Gordie Howe and Sid Abel on the legendary Production Line , he was never overshadowed.

Lindsay’s famed linemate Gordie Howe was one of the most talented and productive players ever to skate in the NHL. Despite Howe’s immense popularity Terrible Ted literally carved out a name for himself as the fierce and passionate captain and leader of the champion Detroit Red Wings.

In Ted’s era a hockey game was serious business and losing a game could not be easily reconciled by excuses such as an off night or the long season or even a nagging injury. Today it is not uncommon for opposing players to pal around together in the off season. Lindsay hated the players on other teams with a passion and for the most part they also hated him with good reason. “Lindsay would not give an inch, regardless of what size anyone was,” teammate Marcel Pronovost said.

At 5’8" and 160 pounds Lindsay was pound for pound one of the fiercest competitors ever to play the game. The NHL rules committee was forced to deal with infractions like elbowing and kneeing as result of Lindsay’s spirited play. Lindsay also had his share of brutal stick fights.

From 1947 till he ended his career in 1965 Ted averaged over 100 penalty minutes and finished his career with 1808 minutes in the box.

What made Lindsay special was not just his pugilistic ability. Lindsay could skate, make plays and score goals just as well as he could dish out a body check. He won the Art Ross trophy as the league’s top scorer and finished his career with 379 goals and 472 assists for 851 points. Eight times, he was picked to the NHL’s First All-Star Team. He captained Detroit to consecutive Stanley Cups in 1953-54 and 1954-55 and began a playoff tradition following that 1955 triumph, lifting the Cup over his head and leading a victory lap around the ice. “Everyone’s emotions were on high and I guess mine were a little higher,” Lindsay said. “It was an impulsive sort of thing.” Lindsay’s impulse started a tradition still celebrated today.

Maurice”The Rocket” Richard one of Ted’s most hated foes during their playing days gave Lindsay the ultimate compliment. “It was Ted Lindsay not Gordie Howe that caused us the most problem.”

Ted Lindsay arrived to the NHL wars in 1944 with a single-minded goal. “I had the idea that I should beat up every player I tangled with, and nothing ever convinced me it wasn't a good idea,” said Terrible Ted.

Today it would be difficult to explain the tensions between English Canadiens and French Canadiens but those tensions sold tickets. In the 1950’s Detroit and Montreal had a warlike rivalry that many times could have easily escalated into off the ice violence. The rivalry resulted in epic matchups and an electric atmosphere pitting the Wings Howe, Lindsay, Abel, Sawchuck and Kelly against Richard, Beliveau, Geoffrion, Harvey and Plante.

“I hated everyone on the Montreal Canadians” said Lindsay.

After leading his team to league dominance Lindsay was taken off guard by what he discovered as a player representative. He found that on many occasions the team owners would renege on their promises and leave retired players who gave their all to the franchise to fend for themselves. Players were not even allowed knowledge of how much money was in their own pension fund.

Lindsay and Montreal rival Doug Harvey joined forces to secretly form a players’ union to address issues benefiting the leagues players. When team owners found out about Lindsay and Harvey’s roles both players were traded. Lindsay was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks and Harvey to the New York Rangers, “I liked playing in Chicago, and I gave them everything I had, but I knew in my heart I was a Red Wing. My penalty for rocking the boat was being traded” said Lindsay.

Despite pressures by the owners Lindsay and Harvey were successful in forming the first NHLPA.” We filed a $3-million lawsuit against the league and its member clubs in an attempt to win increased pension benefits and a larger share of television revenues.

In the 1970’s when Detroit had gone from Stanley Cup playoff participants to cellar dwellers Lindsay was again called upon b y the Red Wings organization. Lindsay was appointed the General Manager of the Red Wings and successfully retooled the team. His motto was” Aggressive Hockey is Back in Town . Lindsay was awarded NHL Executive of the Year for his efforts in bringing the team out of obscurity.

He retired again and formed The Ted Lindsay Foundation . He established the foundation in 2001 with John Czarnecki, the father of a nine-year-old boy with autism. Funds are raised through golf outings and other events, as well as through sales of autographed sports memorabilia. Since its inception in 2001, the Ted Lindsay Foundation has raised over $1,500,000 for research into the cause and cure of autism.

Throughout his career Ted Lindsay has played hockey with his heart and has proven to be a Hall of Famer both on and off the ice.

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All-Time Colorado Avalanche: Top Five Goals in Franchise History

James Crider — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:18:01 -0500

Even though the Colorado Avalanche franchise is only 14 years old, choosing the top five goals ever scored is a challenge. There have been so many great moments since the team moved to Denver, so let's hope I do a good job with my selections.

5. Joe Sakic against Dwayne Roloson (Mar. 28, '08)

Game 79 of the season, with the team's playoff hopes hanging in the balance, the Avalanche were down 4-3 to Edmonton with six seconds left on the clock.

But old habits die hard.

Peter Forsberg fed Joe Sakic the puck from behind the net, and Mr. Clutch buried it. Colorado went on to win the game in a shootout and clinch a playoff spot.

Many people probably don't remember this goal, but I'll never forget it. It was the last time Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic were able to combine their talents to get the Avalanche into the playoffs, even though Sakic was coming off hernia surgery and Forsberg was playing with a machine on his leg that pumped blood to his foot.

This play was the closing chapter of two brilliant NHL careers.

4. Peter Forsberg against Chris Osgood (May 18, '99)

What kind of list would this be if there wasn't a goal against the Red Wings on it?

It wasn't the most important goal ever scored, but Peter Forsberg's undressing of the Red Wings defense sums up his career and the Avalanche's dominance all in one play.

Late in the third period at Joe Louis Arena, the Avalanche held a 4-0 lead and looked to be advancing to the Western Conference finals against Dallas.

But Detroit started to turn the game around, and quick goals by Nick Lidstrom and Todd Gill put the Wings back in the game.

That is, until Peter Forsberg got the puck again.

Forsberg intercepted an Igor Larionov dump in from the blue line, and with the hall of fame forward hooking him (for a delayed penalty), Forsberg deked out Osgood and ended the defending Stanley Cup champions' season as he and the puck went crashing into Detroit's net.

3. Joe Sakic against Ed Belfour (May 8, '96)

There may not have been any 1996 Colorado Avalanche Cup if it weren't for Joe Sakic's triple overtime goal against Chicago in the second round.

The Avalanche were down 2-1 in the series, playing in Chicago, and would have to win three straight if they were to lose.

But the Avalanche managed to get a power play in the third overtime, and Sakic redirected a nifty Alexei Gusarov pass from the blue line past Ed Belfour, who to that point was playing lights-out with 54 saves.

After that goal, the Avalanche didn't look back and went 12-2 the rest of the playoffs en route to their first Stanley Cup.

2. Joe Sakic against Roman Turek (May 12, '01)

Things were going great for Colorado until Peter Forsberg's spleen unexpectedly ruptured, making him unavailable for the remainder of the 2001 playoffs.

Forsberg was the Avalanche's leading playoff scorer at the time, and his loss had many people believing that the St. Louis Blues (fresh off sweeping the Dallas Stars, who had been the Stanley Cup finals in both of the previous years) would end Colorado's season.

That's when Joe Sakic became Super Joe, and showed the Avalanche weren't just going to roll over and die. Sakic had two goals and two assists, including scoring an iconic penalty shot goal against Roman Turek, and the Avalanche won game one 4-1.

The eventually won the series four games to one, and went on to win the Stanley Cup for the second time in franchise history.

1. Uwe Krupp against John Vanbiesbrouck (June 10, '96)

After three games of domination by Colorado, Florida made one last stand.

In one of the longest games in NHL history, Patrick Roy and John Vanbiesbrouck both had the performances of their careers; Roy turned away 63 shots while Vanbiesbrouck stopped 55.

Eventually, as it had been for the rest of the series, Colorado prevailed over Florida. Four minutes and 31 seconds in to the third overtime, Uwe Krupp (who had zero goals in the regular season) blasted a shot by Vanbiesbrouck, and the Avalanche were showered by plastic rats from the angry Florida crowd.

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Phoenix Coyotes Howling on Confidence

Derek Pivko — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:03:06 -0500

“Confidence is what it’s all about,” said Lauri Korporkski after the Coyotes dismantled the Dallas Stars, 5-2.

After losing a combined 1-6 over the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames in the last two games, the Coyotes returned to Phoenix with unfinished business. After being criticized for not scoring against the Oilers and the Flames the Coyotes had Marco Turco’s number on speed dial

The Coyotes couldn’t get enough of seeing Turco during the second period. They scored three straight goals on Turco, causing him to be pulled midway through the second period.

When healthy the Coyotes are a confident team that can put the puck in the net. Lauri Korpikoski, who the Coyotes acquired from the New York Rangers in exchange for Enver Lisin back in July, had a career game against the Stars. Korpokoski had his first career two-goal game and was credited with an assist after Zbynek Michaelek put the nail in the coffin against the Stars.

Despite giving up the next two goals, the Coyotes were on cruise control for the rest of the game despite losing Ed Jovanovski. They have unfortunately dealt with playing without their assistant captain. Jovanovski appeared to have sustained a lower body injury during the second period, the same injury which caused him to miss eight games this month.

Following the loss of Jovanovski, the Coyotes have turned to Keith Yandle, who has emerged as key offensive threat for the Coyotes. Yandle has four goals and seven assists on the season while Phoenix continues to put up a good fight in the Western Conference.

Perhaps former Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes is wrong when he said that the NHL could never succeed in Arizona. One thing we learned this week is that the Coyotes obviously can’t win in Canada after losing to both Edmonton and Calgary.

Instead, the Coyotes look to cement their status in Phoenix as they continue to push their way into the playoff hunt in a season which the Coyotes have howled their way through against all odds.

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How Free Agency and Trades Changed the Coyotes From Pretenders to Contenders

Derek Pivko — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:06:41 -0500

If the NHL was to conclude today, the Phoenix Coyotes would clinch a playoff spot, the first time since 2002. The seven year drought would looks to end with the revamped Coyotes. Coyotes Head Coach Dave Tippett has built up an early Coach of the Year resume under a new and improved Coyotes roster. After an off-season of uncertainty the Coyotes have changed the way of playing including the acquisition of several free agents as well as trades. I have broken down the top 11 moves the Coyotes made in the off-season to find out just who gives the most credit out of the new and improved Phoenix Coyotes? At the conclusion we will discover which Coyote could challenge Shane Doan for Team MVP at the end of the season.

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Is There Still a Place For "Goons" in the NHL Today?

Ryan Pickard — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:32:55 -0500

The NHL has changed greatly over the years. Back in the '70s and '80s, hockey was more of a grind it out game and much more physical. Over the years, though, it has changed, and today it is more of a speed game.

The change has been brought upon by the new players to the game. Recently, many new players are coming over from Europe; these players bring much more skill to the game and less of the physical play, which in my opinion was a better thing for the NHL today.

With this change brings the question, is there still room in today's NHL for "goons"? A goon is usually defined as a player who has little skill and plays on the fourth line. He is out there to protect the star player for his team and get under the skin of the opposing players and get them off their games.

Looking back, there was once a time when these types of players were needed. In the '70s you had a huge amount of so-called goons. The Big Bad Bruins and Broad Street Bullies are names that come to mind. These two teams also had great players, not to take anything away from them, but they did have their fair share of players who could duke it out every game.

They were needed during those times because of the way the game was played back then. The referees called less penalties and let much more go compared to the game today.

Since the lockout, though, the league has tried to cut down on this type of play, hoping to open the game more so there would be more scoring and a faster pace.

With this change there is less need for an enforcer. All he will end up doing is most likely hurting the team more then helping it. We have definitely seen a decrease in the amount of goons in the NHL today, since teams have come to the realization that it is now more of a speed game and if they want to keep up they have to dump some of the dead weight.

Other teams still employ some of these types of players. The Montreal Canadiens have Georges Laraque, who by every definition is a goon. Watching some of the Canadiens games, he looks lost out on the ice at times and is clearly hurting them more than he is helping the Habs.

Pretty much what I'm getting at here is that the game has changed dramatically and has left some of the old types of hockey players in the middle of nowhere. They either have to be able to change the way they play the game along with everyone else, or will just have to call it quits.

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