I, Igor

Blue Jackets lower boom on Arniel, rebuilding continues

2012-01-09T10:17:00.009-06:00

That boom you heard this morning? Another NHL coach was fired in a move that was seen coming for some time.

The league-worst Columbus Blue Jackets ended the Scott Arniel era by parting ways with him Monday morning. Todd Richards, former coach of the Minnesota Wild, takes over for the remainder of the season.

Arniel’s dismissal comes at the midpoint of the season, one that’s going to end without a playoff appearance for a third straight season for Columbus, currently sporting an 11-25-5 record.

"We have two wins in our last 11 games,'' general manager Scott Howson told ESPN.com. "I just wanted to move the team in a new direction with a different head coach. Scott tried everything and he was running out of answers. I didn't see much hope in moving forward with him. I just felt this needed to be done."

Arniel becomes the seventh coach to be let go by the Blue Jackets. Two of them – Ken Hitchcock and Claude Noel - have resurfaced this season with great success.

A Stanley Cup winner with the Dallas Stars, Hitchcock took over in St. Louis for the fired Davis Payne and has the Blues contending for the Central Division crown. Noel was given the honor of being the Jets’ first coach since their relocation from Atlanta, and he has Winnipeg contending for one of the final Eastern Conference playoff spots.

For now, Arniel joins the likes of Dave King, Gerard Gallant and Gary Agnew as those who tried – and ultimately failed – in a hockey market that’s questionable at best. Roddy Marciano, a poster on the Columbus Dispatch's website, summed up fans' frustrations succinctly:

"Like that's going to change a thing, columbus will always be the black hole of the NHL, give me a break. We couldn't be any more irrelevant when it comes to sports."

And from Ohiosucks:

"The whole team needs fired. This is a garbage product and always has been."

The powers that be in Ohio's capital city didn't expect this to happen. The Blue Jackets were active in the offseason, acquiring three-time 30-goal scorer Jeff Carter from Philadelphia and adding James Wisniewski - at $33 million for six years (???) - to bolster the blueline.

Instead, Carter missed 10 games with a broken foot and is out indefinitely with a separated left shoulder. Wisniewski was suspended for the first eight games of the season for an intentional elbow to the head and is not expected back before mid-February due to a broken ankle.

Add captain Rick Nash headed for one of the worst statistical seasons of his career and Steve Mason looking more like the second coming of Jim Carey, and it's another lost season in central Ohio.

Don’t be shocked if Howson is next to be shown the door.

No Anglos allowed? Really??

2011-12-19T15:30:00.006-06:00

So, let's see if I have this right. It's almost 2012, but in Montreal, si tu ne parle pas français as your primary language, then you should not be behind the bench of the vaunted "bleu, blanc et rouge."

Not even temporarily.

That's the position taken by Christine St-Pierre, the culture minister for the province of Quebec, after Montreal fired coach Jacques Martin and replaced him with longtime NHL grinder Randy Cunneyworth on an interim basis Saturday.

"The Montreal Canadiens are an institution and the coach must communicate in the language of the massive majority of its Quebec fans," she told The Canadian Press on Monday.

It should be noted that St-Pierre – a former journalist for more than three decades with the CBC – was referred to in September by fellow blogger Christopher di Armani as Quebec’s “self-proclaimed minister of propaganda.”

Di Armani may be on to something. He notes that St-Pierre is responsible for enforcing Bill 101. That’s the set of laws making it illegal to have a sign where English words are bigger than the French words.

Well, if that just doesn’t smack of censorship, but that’s another issue altogether.

Though they may bleed the fleur de lis, my message to St-Pierre and the remainder of the Bloc Quebecois is stay out of this issue.

Three – that’s right three – of the 26 players currently Montreal’s roster are from La Belle Province. I’m sure Cunneyworth, who has pledged to learn French, will be able to get his point across just fine en anglais pour maintenant.

Hard to have much of an uproar over a lack of French-first. The last time the Habs had a unilingual coach, Al MacNeil guided them to the Stanley Cup - oops! Coupe Stanley, sorry! - way back in 1971.

With 24 Stanley Cup banners hanging from the rafters of the Bell Centre – oops! Centre Bell, sorry! – the Canadiens will forever be NHL royalty, on a par in North American sports with the Boston Celtics or New York Yankees.

However, there have been no victory parades since 1993. In fact, Montreal has reached the conference finals once since then.

Under whose guidance? Laperriere and Tremblay. Vigneault and Therrien. Julien, Carbonneau around two brief stints by Gainey and, finally, Martin.

Maybe there is something to this English-first thing after all.

There’s no doubt Canadiens fans want the best of both worlds – a francophone to help bring the Cup to Montreal. Suppose Cunneyworth out of Etobicoke, Ontario, somehow, someway gets this bunch to win it all next summer. Not likely, but what if?

Then what?

A mea culpa from St-Pierre and her cronies?

An apology?

Not likely on either count.

Two minutes

2010-11-04T20:33:00.012-05:00

THE GOOD...

Mathieu Garon, Columbus Blue Jackets

Steve who? Former Calder Trophy what?

Garon recorded his second straight shutout - and matched his total from last season - by turning aside 25 shots in a 3-0 win over the Atlanta Thrashers.

The longtime journeyman has four career wins at Philips Arena, three by shutout.

"I don't know what it is about this building," Garon said. "There's always teams that for some reason - I'm not saying it's easier - you have more wins against."

If one-time rookie of the year Steve Mason isn't hearing footsteps, he should. Garon is 4-0-0 with a 0.89 goals-against average.

The win improved the Blue Jackets to 8-4-0, making the Central Division perhaps the best in the NHL this season. All five teams are separated by three points.

Speaking of the Central Division ...

Jaroslav Halak, St. Louis Blues

Three shutouts and a 0.73 GAA in his last four games. Not bad.

With a 2-0 win over the San Jose Sharks, Halak moved into a tie with Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins for the league lead in whitewashes.

"(Halak) plays into a lot of the things we talked about right from Day 1 in training camp - how we're going to show up and work every day, how we're going to prepare, how we're going to play and how we're not going to allow one day to affect the next," Blues coach Davis Payne told the NHL's official website. "We're just going to get back at it and he plays goal with that mindset.

"It's one play to the next and away we go. Very few highs and lows, just steady performances, and that's what we want out of our hockey team. We tailor things to opponents, but when we talk about our game we want it to be steady, consistent and at a high level and he plays right into that."

Now the test begins. Starting Friday night in Boston, the Blues will play seven games in 11 days with six away from St. Louis, where they're 6-0-0 in 2010-11.

Jason Spezza, Ottawa Senators

If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. Spezza proved that with a goal and three assists in Ottawa's 4-1 win over the New York Islanders.

The four points was one shy of his season total he had coming into the contest. Groin injuries have kept the high-scoring whipping boy out of the lineup.

"We don't watch the standings at this point in the season, but we do judge (ourselves) by how we're playing and you want to be playing good hockey. We're heading in the right direction and to get a few wins in a row here would be nice," Spezza told the team's official website earlier on Thursday.

THE BAD...

Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks

Jumbo Joe is probably looking at a suspension after laying out David Perron with an elbow to the head in a shutout loss to St. Louis.

Early in the second period, Thornton got a boarding minor for flattening T.J. Oshie. Seven seconds after coming out of the box, he ran Perron, but didn't think much of it.

"I felt like I established myself on the ice," Thornton said. "I just braced myself for the hit. He just ran into me, to be honest with you."

Perron would later score on a pretty backhand.

Three games sounds about right for Thornton to sit and feel shame - the same number of games given to Phoenix's Shane Doan and Philadelphia's Danny Briere for their respective head shots in recent weeks.

The New York Islanders

Has the Scott Gordon death watch begun yet?

If not, why?

With a loss to Ottawa, Team Fishsticks has been outscored 29-11 while losing six in a row.

"We didn't score," Gordon said. "I mean, we had two breakaways, we had a couple of point-blank chances in the slot that we didn't bury on and right now we're just going through a situation where it seems like every time we do make a mistake it's in the back of our net and we don't get the same kind of return on our chances."

It also doesn't get any easier immediately with a home game against Philadelphia before a three-game swing through California. Makes me wonder if Gordon will be returning from the West Coast with the rest of the team.

The Sharks ... provided they're not in San Jose.

It's been a while since the Sharks scored on the road. Like, a looooooong while.

To be precise, 185 minutes and 15 seconds since John McCarthy scored in the third period of a 6-1 rout of Edmonton on Oct. 23.

That was San Jose's third straight road win in which the Sharks found the back of the net 13 times. After that, there was a 4-0 loss in Calgary on Oct. 24 followed by a 1-0 defeat in Minnesota on Tuesday.

No team has been blanked in four straight road games since the Montreal Canadiens from Feb. 3-15, 1938.

"It's been kind of all or nothing," San Jose forward Joe Pavelski said. "We have to figure it out. We're offensively challenged right now."

AND THE QUOTABLE...

"That was a real playoff game. It was a real hard-fought battle. Nobody was going to give each other an inch, and there wasn't much out there for either team to get some offense. We're similar teams, in that we don't give much to the opponent. It was going to come down to who was going to make the mistake, and we made that little mistake and they capitalized on it. - Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher after the Lightning's 1-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings in a matchup involving surprise division leaders

Game of the night - Nov. 3 - Lightning look to continue dominance of Kings in LA

2010-11-03T08:06:00.015-05:00

Tampa Bay Lightning (7-2-2) at Los Angeles Kings (8-3-0), STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, Calif.

Yes, I am serious. Have you not looked at the standings recently?

Just about a month into the season, the Lightning and Kings are at the top of their respective conferences.

Hey, if the Saints and Giants can come out of nowhere to win the Super Bowl and World Series, who's to say one of these teams can't take the Stanley Cup?

For Tampa Bay – which is tied with high-scoring Washington first in the Southeast Division and has a game in hand - its hot start is the continuation of a quick turnaround from last-place finishes in 2008 and 2009.

Last season, the Bolts didn’t make the playoffs, but totaled 80 points to place third in the Southeast. Despite coming off a loss Wednesday, they're playing right now as if they could win it all.

The key to Tampa Bay’s success? Steven Stamkos - and it pains me to no end to have to admit that.

Picked first overall in 2008, I called Stamkos a bust after the then-18-year-old failed to make much of an initial impression with no points in his first seven games and struggled for much of the first half of his rookie season.

With a return to Sarnia long out of the question, things changed on Feb. 17, 2009, when Stamkos recorded all of Tampa Bay’s goals in a 5-3 home loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Since then, guess who leads the league with 77 goals scored including 34 on the power play? Hint: It's not Ovechkin. Or Crosby. Or Malkin, Semin, Toews, Kane or Gaborik.

So. consider this my mea culpa: Stamkos is the superstar few know about, and needs to be talked about in the same breath as Ovechkin and Crosby.

Now, fellow STATS puckhead Jon Palmieri can STFU.

For years, the face of the Lightning franchise was Vincent Lecavalier and, to a lesser extent, Martin St. Louis and Brad Richards, now with the Dallas Stars. The three of them were keys in leading the Lightning to their only Stanley Cup in 2004 before the lockout.

While Lecavalier is still the captain, and the diminutive St. Louis can still score in bunches, it's clear the Lightning's success rests with Stamkos.

After going from 23 goals as a rookie to tying for the NHL lead with 51 last season, first-year coach Guy Boucher told USA Today last month not to put so much stock into numbers because he wants Stamkos to be more of a two-way player.

"We have to watch out when we look at numbers," Boucher said. "Improving doesn't necessarily mean he has to get more than 50 goals. He might get 42 goals and be a better player."

Stamkos getting better than last season when he tied Crosby for the league lead with 51 goals? Doing more and scoring less? Scary, scary thought.

No. 91 scored - what else? - a power-play goal 21 seconds into the third period Wednesday to lift Tampa Bay in a 2-1 lead over the Anaheim Ducks, a game the Lightning went on to lose 3-2 in overtime.

Still, Stamkos' 10th goal of the season moved him into a tie with the Blackhawks' Patrick Sharp for the NHL lead.

"We expected a tough game," Stamkos said. "They've been struggling as of late and they were coming back home, so they wanted to come out strong - and I think they did that. It just took us too long to wake up."

Los Angeles will get a key player back in Norris Trophy finalist Drew Doughty after missing six games with a concussion.

"No question you miss your top defenseman, but the good thing is that we came through it in pretty good shape," coach Terry Murray told the Kings' official website. "It shows a lot of character on the team. Guys stepped up and played very well in the games that he was out.

Los Angeles allowed 16 goals while going 4-2-0 without Doughty. Still, there is no question the Kings missed what Doughty can bring.

Selected second in 2008 after Stamkos, Doughty emerged last season by finishing third among defensemen with 59 points. That put him ahead of more established names like Pronger, Gonchar, Lidstrom and Niedermayer.

Los Angeles has allowed six goals while winning its first four at home. Jonathan Quick stopped 39 shots, and improved to 7-1-0 with a 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

The pick? Since joining the NHL in 1992, the Lightning have simply owned the Kings in LA, going 10-1-0 with two ties. I don't see much changing this year.

LIGHTNING 5, KINGS 1

Game of the night - Nov. 1 - Blackhawks, Rangers in Original Six matchup

2010-10-31T04:33:00.013-05:00

Chicago Blackhawks (7-5-1) at New York Rangers (5-4-1), Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y.

“Some say that’s progress. Some say that’s cruel.” – Midnight Oil

I fly from Chicago to New York roughly once every four to six weeks. On my frequent flier statements, it’s the same 733 miles each way.

Not talking LA to Johannesburg here. Sometimes, I have gotten from O’Hare to La Guardia in around an hour and 45 minutes – less time than it used to take to get to high school in the Bronx from Queens.

So, when games like Monday’s tilt at MSG between the Blackhawks and Rangers are on the schedule, it makes me lament why there are not more of them.

The price of progress – or in this case, expansion.

Fifty years ago in the Original Six era, Chicago and New York faced off 14 times. In 1970-71, with the league more than doubled to 14, the Blackhawks and Rangers met just six times.

A decade later, there were four games between Chicago and New York as the league had 21 teams spread out over four divisions – including Calgary in the same one with Washington, Philadelphia, the Rangers and Islanders following the Flames’ relocation from Atlanta.

It’s 2,031 miles from New York to southern Alberta. The Rangers traveled there twice.

By 1990-91, Chicago and New York would meet only three times. Ten years ago, with the league comprised of 30 teams, the Rangers and ‘Hawks faced off twice.

That was cut to once each of the following five seasons, and none in 2007-08.

Why do I view this as a tragedy? Simple - because it’s a piece of history being erased.

No sport in North America reveres history as much as hockey. Think back to the reverence when the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup last spring, and the pomp and circumstance when a team raises a championship banner on opening night the following season.

The Blackhawks had members of the 1960-61 team hand off the banner to the remaining members of last season’s squad. A poignant gesture on a sports landscape dotted with ME! ME! ME! attitudes.

Do the Rangers have to play New Jersey or Pittsburgh six times a season? Does Chicago have to do the same against Nashville or Columbus? I think not.

As for this game, New York returns home following an impressive 2-0 win at Toronto on Saturday in the third of four meetings between the Original Six teams this year.

Henrik Lundqvist, who recorded his first shutout of the season, is 3-0-2 with a 1.76 goals-against average in his career versus Chicago, and has allowed only three goals in two home wins.

Despite losing two top players in Marian Gaborik and Chris Drury to injuries on Oct. 15, the Rangers have scored 18 goals while going 4-3-0. US Olympian Ryan Callahan has picked up the scoring slack with four goals, but five others have two goals each.

The biggest surprise in that bunch is Brian Boyle, a 6-foot-7 forward who has already matched a career-high with four goals in just 10 games.

Chicago will be without high-scoring Marian Hossa for a couple of weeks with an injury, but they still have Patrick Sharp, a steady performer over the past few seasons who is breaking out early in 2010-11.

Through 12 games, the 28-year-old has 10 goals, including four on the power play and three game-winners. However, he hasn’t scored in seven games against the Rangers since getting two in 2004 when he was with the Flyers.

Chicago, which defeated the Wild 3-1 in Minnesota on Saturday, has dropped three of its last four in MSG.

The pick? Sharp will score, but the Rangers will shut down Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews and come away with a narrow win.

RANGERS 3, BLACKHAWKS 2

The $73,000 scratch

2010-10-23T19:01:00.008-05:00

Seems $100 million doesn't mean much in the NHL these days. Results matter.

Still, Saturday's decision by first-year New Jersey Devils coach John MacLean to bench high-scoring - and high-priced - forward Ilya Kovalchuk is one of the most eyebrow-raising moves this season by any team.

Kovalchuk was a healthy scratch for Saturday's 6-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. For those with short memories, this is the same Kovalchuk and these are the same Devils who dragged out a contract saga for more much of this past summer.

First, it was a 17-year, $102 million deal in July that the NHL rejected because it circumvented the salary cap. After the union filed a grievance, a 15-year, $100 million agreement was hammered out and given blessing by the legal department on Avenue of the Americas.

Not without a heavy hand coming down. The league fined the Devils $3 million and took away two high draft picks over the next four years.

General manager Lou Lamoriello told the New York Times in September that things are just fine between New Jersey and Kovy.

“Certainly, the Devils are pleased that Ilya Kovalchuk will be an asset for the team for years to come," he said.

Or seven games into the new season, anyway.

Though Kovalchuk is tied for the team lead with five points, the Devils are in last place, and MacLean has said that all players are responsible for the slow start.

Commendable, sure, but look at the message being sent.

According to Yahoo! Sports' Greg Wyshynski, the decision to bench Kovalchuk was made by MacLean, arguably one of the best players in Devils franchise history.

"That's between him and I. It was my decision." MacLean said, and told The Associated Press that Kovalchuk knows the reason for being benched.

There is also a chance that Kovalchuk will be held out from Sunday's tilt against the New York Rangers. Based on his $6 million salary this season, Kovalchuk will lose $73,000 for each game he's held out.

So, what we have here, if I read this right, is an old-fashioned pissing match between a coach trying to exert his influence and a superstar player.

This scenario has been played out countless times.

Johnny Mac? Your intentions are good in wanting to show that you are the bench boss. Being the franchise's all-time goal-scoring leader also helps enhance your status some.

It will only go so far.

I don't know what Kovalchuk did that raised MacLean's hackles, but this is not some rookie from Moose Jaw. Kovalchuk was a No. 1 overall pick, and despite some perceptions of being soft, the Russian has scored at least 41 goals in six straight seasons.

Plus, you know, there is that contract and what it cost the Devils.

Advantage, Kovalchuk. Whether MacLean likes it or not.

Canucks' Rypien draws six-game suspension

2010-10-22T19:18:00.004-05:00

When I wake up, one of the first things I do is check what's going in the world - both in and out of sports.

I knew Rick Rypien of the Canucks was going to have a hearing with the NHL for a run-in with a fan that made its way onto YouTube before the end of Vancouver's 6-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.

So, when I walked into work and co-worker and fellow hockeyhead Jon Palmieri told me Rypien would sit for six games, I was underwhelmed: "That's all?"

Originally, I thought three to five games. Then 10. It's hard to gauge with this league.

In handing down the suspension, the NHL said Rypien - a fourth-liner/enforcer/energy-type player - "made contact with a fan." That's couched a little too lightly considering Rypien shoved 28-year-old James Engquist and appeared to grab his Minnesota jersey.

"We understand and respect the League's decision today regarding Rick Rypien. While this game is played with passion and intensity, the safety of all of our fans and players is of the utmost importance at all times," Canucks' general manger Mike Gillis in a statement.

"Throughout his career Rick has been well respected by his teammates, coaches, fellow players and our community. Rick is a valued member of our organization and we will continue to support him and all of his teammates to ensure incidents like this do not happen in the future."

Perhaps it was frustration over having his ass handed to him by the same combatant in two fights. Or that his team was already trailing by four. Or that he's struggled to produce on a team that has largely underachieved early on.

The bottom line is Rypien crossed one. The NHL had a chance to send a message to its players Friday, and as they always seem to do, came up a little short.

Two minutes

2010-10-21T19:37:00.023-05:00

THE GOOD...

Martin Biron, New York Rangers

Now, that's a Broadway-style debut! So what if it came in Toronto?

Biron made 24 saves, including a stop on a breakaway by Kris Versteeg on the power play midway through the third period of a 2-1 win over the Maple Leafs.

"As a team, I think this was the first time this year that we played a solid 60 minutes," Biron said. "We have to play up to that standard the rest of the season."

Biron came over as a free agent from the New York Islanders, giving the Blueshirts a better option as a backup to Henrik Lundqvist. Last season, Alex Auld, Chad Johnson, Stephen Valiquette and Matt Zaba combined to go 3-6-1 with a 2.84 goals-against average.

Kyle Brodziak, Minnesota Wild

Always a good feeling to stick it to your former team. It didn't take Brodziak long to do so.

The former Oiler scored twice in the opening 5:24 as Minnesota coasted to a 4-2 win over Edmonton.

"Both times, great passes from my linemates," the Alberta native said between periods. He played for Edmonton from 2005-09 before being dealt to Minnesota for draft picks.

Typical tactful response, careful not to rip his old team. You know he's amped on the inside, though.

Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins

Thomas may be the only player to allow a single tally - and see his goals-against average rise.

The US Olympian stopped 38 shots, and the Bruins won their home opener 4-1 over the Washington Capitals to complete the home-and-home sweep.

The 2009 Vezina Trophy winner was 3-0 with a 0.67 GAA coming into the contest. His GAA is now 0.75.

"I'm hoping this isn't just a hot streak; this is me now," said Thomas, who had offseason left hip surgery. "At times last year I felt like I was a one-legged goalie."

THE BAD...

The New Jersey Devils

Here is all you need to know about the Devils some two weeks into the 2010-11 season: Both their wins have been courtesy of shutouts by Martin Brodeur, including 3-0 over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

When he doesn't extend his NHL record for whitewashes, New Jersey is 0-4-1 and has been outscored 21-9.

Brodeur hasn't denied the club's slow start under new coach John MacLean.

"It looks like it so far but hopefully we'll get different kinds of wins eventually because it'll be tough to do that," he said. "It's been a rocky start but on the road the last few games with Buffalo and here in Montreal, it's nice to have shutouts but definitely wins is what we're looking for right now."

And you plan on doing this how?

The Calgary Flames

This is how bad things have gotten for Calgary: Rookie Mikael Backlund had his first two-goal game in a 4-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings.

He also moved into a tie for the team's goal-scoring lead.

Calgary has split its first six games, but has managed only Backlund's markers in the three losses, and 11 goals overall - one from franchise scoring leader Jarome Iginla, none from the reacquired Olli Jokinen.

It's time to clean the House of Sutter.

Phoenix Coyotes fans in Arizona

I took fans of the Blue Jackets to task earlier this week after the smallest crowd in Columbus' franchise history showed up.

That was an overflow gathering compared to the 6,706 that watched the Coyotes post a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings.

Chicago investor Matthew Hulsizer reached an agreement earlier this week on a new lease at Jobing.com Arena that should lead to him buying the club from the NHL.

He must really want this team bad. If there's any doubt, and having seen the sparse crowd on television, he should reconsider wanting a club in a region of the country not really suited for the sport, and whose fans are apathetic at best despite an unexpected playoff charge last spring.

I'll ask again. Kansas City with a new arena waiting for a tenant? Back to Winnipeg? Seattle? Milwaukee? Fold?

Anyone?

...AND THE QUOTABLE

"Everywhere I go, everybody asks me about Derian, and I'll put this one to rest right now. Derian, I respect you, and I'm jealous of you because of your Stanley Cup. But never, ever did I feel one bit of animosity for our competitive level and what we did on the ice."- Jeremy Roenick speaking at his induction to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame about fellow inductee Derian Hatcher, who broke Roenick's jaw in four places (impresssive!) late in the 1998-99 NHL season.

Two minutes

2010-10-20T21:37:00.010-05:00

It's a light night, so this may be cut down to 90 seconds.

THE GOOD...

Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Ducks

The old man can still bring it. The 40-year-old Finn scored his 609th career goal in a 3-1 loss to Columbus.

Selanne moved past Dino Ciccarelli into sole possession of 16th place all time. Next up - Bobby Hull with 610.

THE BAD...

Rick Rypien, Vancouver Canucks

Putting your hands on a fan? Not really the way you wanna go here, Ricky.

For those who didn't see what happened Tuesday in the Canucks' 6-1 loss to the Minnesota, Rypien was being led off the ice after a second fight with the Wild's Brad Staubitz. A fan was clapping as Rypien walked past - from what could be seen, clapping, not jeering, not being a knucklehead.

Rypien charged into that role with his blades up, grabbing a double-handful of the fan's jersey before order was quickly restored. The NHL on Wednesday suspended Rypien indefinitely pending a hearing.

Canucks general manager Mike Gillis tried defending Rypien.

"This was totally unexpected," he said Wednesday night during the Canucks' game in Chicago. "In our experience with Rick, we never expected anything like this to occur. He's been a solid guy on our team. He's a good teammate, good in the community. It was something completely unexpected.

"Sometimes things happen, and you have to deal with them. You don't anticipate any event like that from a player of Rick's stature. There were events that led up to it, and we're going to support him."

Support him all you like. Look at footage and all you'll see was a Minnesota fan clapping.

At first, I was thinking a three- to five-game suspension. I'm thinking more like 10 now.

Columbus Blue Jackets fans

Way to show up - all 9,802 of you.

The Blue Jackets defeated Anaheim in front of the smallest crowd to see a game at Nationwide Arena.

Columbus is celebrating its 10th season in the NHL, but I'm sure this was a disappontment to the franchise.

"Yeah, it was unfortunate we got embarrassed," team captain Rick Nash said, referring to a lethargic, lopsided 5-2 loss to Chicago on Friday night in the Jackets' home opener. "The only way we're going to win them back is by winning games."

Good seats are available for Friday night's tilt against the Calgary Flames.

...AND THE QUOTABLE

"I was just standing straight up applauding as he was getting kicked out. He was out of control. And then I said, 'Way to be professional,' and he obviously didn't care for that comment and decided to grab me and almost dragged me over the rail. If my brother wasn't grabbing me and the other player wasn't grabbing him, he probably would have dragged me over the edge." - James Engquist, a 28-year-old fan of the Minnesota Wild who had his jersey grabbed by Vancouver's Rick Rypien on Tuesday.

Game of the night - Oct. 20 - Canucks, Blackhawks renew battle

2010-10-19T06:11:00.021-05:00

Vancouver Canucks (2-3-1) at Chicago Blackhawks (4-2-1), United Center, Chicago, Ill.

There is a lot to like about Chicago - the skyline along the lake. Wrigley Field. Maxwell Street Polish.

There is also a lot to dislike - high taxes. Potholes you could hide Chilean miners in. Bitter, winter weather off that same beautiful lake. The Cubs.

For the Canucks, who will face the Blackhawks for the first time since again being ousted by the eventual Stanley Cup champions last spring, it's a song that makes them have disdain for the Windy City.

The 'Hawks play the Fratellis' "Chelsea Dagger" after every goal scored at home. With apologies to William Congreve, music hath not the charms to soothe the savage breast on this one

Kinda catchy. Kinda grating after a while - especially if your goalie keeps getting beat, and some 20,000 fans in the Midwest, and perhaps just as many back home, let you know it.

"Worst song in hockey. I don't even want to listen to it anymore. I was in the press box last game in Chicago, and I heard it six times, and I was cringing every time, so ... we all know about that song in this room, and we all hate it." - Vancouver defenseman Kevin Bieksa.

During the 2009-10 regular season, Vancouver and Chicago were about as evenly matched as you could. The teams split four games with the Canucks outscoring the Blackhawks 11-10. Vancouver was 2 for 13 with the man-advantage, slightly better than Chicago's 1 for 16.

Far different story in the postseason.

Chicago advanced to the Western Conference finals in six games, winning three including the clincher in British Columbia. The key was Game 4 at the former GM Place, where captain Jonathan Toews recorded a hat trick, notching three of the 'Hawks' four power-play tallies.

It was also helped close out a rematch of their 2009 semifinals matchup, taken by Chicago in six games.

"We wanted this opportunity," Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault said in May after the most recent series loss. "We wanted this challenge, and for the second year in a row we weren't able to get it done."

Who to blame? Bobby Lu.

Roberto Luongo certainly has the pedigree - and the 12-year, $64-million contract - to be considered among the best goaltenders in the NHL, but truth is he's melted down in the postseason, posting a 17-17 record in spite of a goals-against average just under 2 1/2.

Olympic gold medal winner? Sure. Undying love of your country. Yes. But until you hoist a Cup, it means nothing.

If there is one thing these teams can agree on is they enjoy fighting: In 20 games over the past two seasons, they've combined for more than 700 penalty minutes.

While both teams still have tough personnas, most of the fighting spirit may no longer be there. Chicago has parted ways with Dustin Byfuglien and agitators Ben Eager and Adam Burish. Shane O'Brien and Darcy Hordichuk are no longer with the Canucks, and Alexandre Burrows is still rehabbing from shoulder surgery.

I say most of the fighting spirit because the highlight of Vancouver's 6-2 blowout loss to the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night came in the second period. As the Canucks' Rick Rypien was ushered off to the dressing room following another fight with Brad Staubitz, he grabbed a double-handful of a jersey worn by a Wild fan who was clapping.

Three-game suspension? Five? Someone in the 604 may be getting a call tomorrow. (UPDATE: Suspended indefinitely pending a hearing with the NHL.)

Luongo was lifted after 40 minutes - the third straight time he's failed to play a full game in St. Paul, and he's surrendered 16 goals over that stretch.

Yeah, elite. Maybe Mike Milbury knew something many years ago when he shipped Luongo off the Island to Florida.

Luongo, who's expected to start at the UC, is 5-3-0 with a 2.50 GAA, .913 save percentage and two shutouts during the regular season at Chicago since joining the Canucks in 2006.

Chicago has won three in a row, and rallied for the second straight time Monday with a 3-2 overtime victory over the St. Louis Blues.

Maran Hossa - named the NHL's second star of the week earlier in the day - scored two late third-period goals, and Patrick Sharp notched the game-winner with 1:10 to play in extra time.

Hossa leads the NHL with seven goals and 11 points, and Sharp has netted five of his six goals over the last three contests.

“I feel really good so far,” Hossa said. “There’s still things I should be working on, but so far the puck is going in for me.”

He's not playing at his best? Scary thought.

The pick? Given their short turnaround from having played in Minnesota, the Canucks are going to be frustrated - and hearing "Chelsea Dagger" a lot.

BLACKHAWKS 7, CANUCKS 4

Game of the night - Oct. 19 - High-powered Caps play host to stingy Bruins

2010-10-18T13:43:00.012-05:00

Boston Bruins (2-1-0) at Washington Capitals (4-1-0), Verizon Center, Washington DC

Hammer, meet nail.

Over the last nine games against the Bruins, Washington has picked up 16 of a possible 18 points with losses in overtime and a shootout preventing a clean sweep.

Not shockingly, a well-known trio of Capitals have led the way. Nicklas Backstrom is the top scorer with 11 points, including eight assists, followed by Alex Ovechkin (five goals, five assists), and Alexander Semin (three goals, seven assists).

Washington’s top-scoring defenseman over that span was the notoriously fragile Tom Poti with just six assists. This season, John Carlson has emerged as the Caps’ top scoring threat from the blueline.

In five games, the 27th overall pick in 2008 has a goal and five assists – matching his total in 22 contests a season ago.

With Semyon Varlamov injured and Jose Theodore now a backup in Minnesota, goaltending chores have fallen to Michal Neuvirth – and given how well he's playing, it could be hard for Varlamov to get his starting job back.

After losing to the Atlanta Thrashers on opening night, the Czech-born Neuwirth is 4-0-0 with a 1.71 goals-against average and .945 save percentage. He stopped 37 shots Saturday in a 3-2 overtime win against the Nashville Predators.

Brooks Laich scored the game-winner, but credited Neuvirth's solid play as the reason why the Capitals extended their winning streak.

“Neuvy, for he second game in a row is the storyline,” Laich told the Caps' official website. “After he gives up the second goal, he shuts the door and doesn’t give up any more. Which is a great sign for a young goaltender, to be calm when he is under siege. I think they had 30 shots after two periods. That’s a lot of shots to give up."

If Boston was fatigued after splitting a season-opening series with the Phoenix Coyotes in the Czech Republic, it wasn’t evident Saturday in New Jersey. Rookie Jordan Caron’s first NHL marker ignited a four-goal outburst, lifting the Bruins to a 4-1 win.

Tim Thomas stopped 31 shots, and improved to 2-0-0 with a 0.50 GAA, .984 save percentage and one shutout.

The portly Thomas is playing more like the goalie that won the Vezina Trophy two seasons ago, not the one who finished below .500.

“It wasn’t like we were looking at beating New Jersey,” Thomas told The Associated Press. “We’ve had trouble with them in the past, but it was more that we wanted to be 2-1. Our goal coming in was to start working our way up the standings. We were hungry for the victory, no matter who it was against.”

These teams won’t have to wait long to meet again. They’ll complete the back end of a home-and-home set Thursday in Boston for the Bruins’ home opener.

The pick? With Thomas, Boston’s early-season goaltending has been solid, but Washington still has way too many weapons.

CAPITALS 5, BRUINS 2

Game of the night - Surprising Stars, Lightning square off

2010-10-17T18:55:00.008-05:00

Dallas Stars (4-0-0) at Tampa Bay Lightning (3-1-0), St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, Fla.

Earlier this decade, the Stars were a model of consistency : Good enough to get into the playoffs with aspirations of reaching the Stanley Cup finals, not good enough to get very far as lesser teams would take them down.

Postseason games are not won in October, but Dallas is laying the foundation needed to be a high seed in what's shaping up as a very competitive Western Conference.

Last season, the Stars failed to win three in row, and missed the playoffs for the second straight year. Now, Dallas is in position for its first five-game winning streak since Jan. 21-Feb. 3, 2009.

Why the huge change? Well, it's been nothing earth-shattering, but perhaps a change in the culture has helped.

Now that franchise icon Mike Modano is in Detroit after 20 years with the Stars, this team clearly belongs to Loui Eriksson, Brad Richards and Brenden Morrow - currently among the team's leading scorers.

And with former No. 2 overall pick Kari Lehtonen in goal, Dallas is allowing 2.50 goals per game, down from a shade under three last season.

He gave up two goals less than four minutes into the game Saturday against the St. Louis Blues, but Dallas rallied for 3-2 shootout win.

"It is great to see how when one part is not doing well, the other part picks up. We were in a little bit of trouble and I was able to make good saves. The next night it could be another way. That's the sign of a good team," Lehtonen told the Stars' official website.

Richards, who leads Dallas with seven assists and nine points, was a key member of the Lightning from 2000-08, helping win the franchise's only Stanley Cup in 2004. In his only visit to face his former club since being dealt to Dallas nearly three years ago, Richards had a power-play goal and assist in a 4-2 loss in February 2009.

For Tampa Bay and first-year head coach Guy Boucher, the question is how well the team responds to a bad game, and first loss of the new season.

The Lightning had outscored their opponents 12-8 heading into Saturday's contest with the rival Florida Panthers. Instead, Tampa Bay allowed four first-period goals on the way to a 6-0 drubbing.

“(The Panthers) were home and they need to please their fans at the opener,” Boucher said. “They had all the emotions they needed. For us, it was just the opposite. Our goaltenders have been great up until now but they were like the rest of the team tonight. They were just off.”

Dan Ellis stopped 12 of 15 shots in 15:13 before giving way to Mike Smith, who turned aside 20 of 23 shots.

Whoever Boucher comes back with has Dallas ties.

Ellis, who had spent the previous three seasons with the Nashville Predators, was picked 60th overall by the Stars in 2000, and won in his only appearance with them in February 2004. Smith, a key to the trade that sent Richards to Big D, was a fifth-round pick of the Stars in 2001, and was a backup to Marty Turco from 2006-08

High-scoring Steven Stamkos has six goals in a four-game streak at home dating back to last season. After scoring 51 goals last season to share the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy with Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Stamkos already has four in 2010-11.

Dallas is 19-6-0 with three ties all-time against the Lightning, with 11 wins in 15 games at Tampa. The Stars have scored two goals in each of their last four visits to Florida's Gulf coast, but that's going to change.

The pick? Dallas' winning ways continue.

STARS 3, LIGHTNING 1

Two minutes

2010-10-16T19:34:00.023-05:00

THE GOOD...

Florida Panthers

Beware. These cats may not be as bad as advertised.

Following a pair of one-goal losses and a shutout win on a season-opening three-game trip through western Canada, the Panthers scored four first-period goals, and handed the Tampa Bay Lightning their first loss of the season, 6-0.

Tomas Vokoun made 29 saves to record his second straight shutout, and 40th of his career.

"Sometimes it's tough coming back from a road trip and sometimes there's a letdown. We didn't let that happen tonight," said defenseman Bryan McCabe told The Associated Press.

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

This was only a matter of time.

Crosby scored two power-play goals in a 90-second span to help the Penguins to a 5-1 over the Flyers in Philadelphia, avenging a season-opening loss to their cross-state rivals last week in Pittsburgh.

"When we do get those chances, we have to make the most of them," Crosby said

Crosby had one goal in five games after tying Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos for the league lead with 51 in 2009-10.

In 17 regular-season games in Philadelphia, Crosby has 13 goals and 15 assists.

Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames

Couldn't have picked a better time for his first goal - or point - of the season.

The longtime Flames captain scored on the power play with 12:11 to play, and Calgary went on to a 5-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in the second chapter of the "Battle of Alberta" this season.

"I think Tangs (teammate Alex Tanguay) got sick of me missing those one-timers, so he decided to give me a 1-footer and I'll take it," Iginla said. "As it came right across the crease, my eyes got pretty big. I was pretty excited to see that one go in."

Iginla - the Flames' all-time scoring leader - had four assists in his past 14 games before Saturday.

THE BAD...

Marty Turco, Chicago Blackhawks

Before you start - yes, I know the Blackhawks beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. And I know there's been a lot of turnover in personnel, and yes, I am acutely aware that Chicago is missing one of its top defensemen in Brian Campbell.

However, there still seems to be a Stanley Cup hangover, and Turco has not been at his sharpest early on with his new team.

Given a 1-0 lead early in the contest. Turco gave up two goals 15 seconds apart, forcing Chicago to battle back. Patrick Sharp ended up scoring two goals for the second straight game to rescue his new netminder.

"There are no perfect games. We strive for them, but that was pretty far from it," Turco said."

Antti Niemi, San Jose Sharks

Stanley Cup hero? What have you done for me lately?

Niemi allowed the go-ahead goal to former Chicago teammate Dustin Byfuglien as San Jose fell 4-2 in its home opener to the Atlanta Thrashers.

"It's always fun to come back and play against a former teammate and have a good time," Byfuglien said of the goalie who ended a 49-year title drought in the Windy City. "At the same time we're here to do a job and we can't ease up on him. We wanted to put as many shots on him as we could.

"He's a pretty quiet guy, a good kid, and he has a bright future."

...AND THE QUOTABLE

"Btw I couldve made better ice for us to skate on tonight out of a 7/11 slurpee machine. Common ice crew, figure it out!" - Tweet by Phoenix forward Scottie Upshall about poor ice conditions at Jobing.com Arena during the Coyotes' 2-1 home-opening loss in overtime to the Detroit Red Wings.

Injury bug bites Gaborik, Drury and Prospal

2010-10-15T23:20:00.005-05:00

Ranger fans, despite living in Chicago, I feel your pain.

It's not a long stretch to say much of the team's success, and hopes of returning to the playoffs, will come as long as Marian Gaborik stays healthy this season.

Instead, it's a bumpy start for the black-and-Blueshirts in 2010-11.

Gaborik will miss up to three weeks with a shoulder injury suffered in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday.

When New York signed Gaborik for five years and $37.5 million in July 2009, the risk was understood.

Though he left as the Minnesota Wild's all-time scoring leader, Gaborik had never played a full 82-game season while with them from 2000-09, suiting up for fewer than 66 contests four times.

Reason? He's 28, but Gaborik has a surgically repaired hip that limited him to 17 games in 2008-09, and a groin that's hovering closer to age 78.

How big a loss is this for New York? Despite failing to make the postseason by the slimmest of margins last spring, Gaborik accounted for 42 of the team's 219 goals and 44 of 370 assists.

“It’s tough, obviously, but it just means that the other 22 guys are going to have to step up, pick up the slack, and make sure we just find some ways to get some wins," forward Brandon Dubinsky told the Rangers' official website.

Gaborik's injury wasn't the only bad news for the Rangers on Friday. Captain Chris Drury - making his season debut after a finger injury - broke the same digit in a different place, and will miss six weeks.

Sorry. Not a big loss to me. I was hoping they could put him on the same island with Wade Redden.

This, however, is a bigger loss: The Rangers also said Vinny Prospal will have knee surgery Tuesday, and be out indefinitely. He was tied with Dubinsky for second with 20 goals, and alone in second with 38 assists.

Game of the night - Angry Sabres, Blackhawks to meet again

2010-10-15T19:05:00.026-05:00

Buffalo Sabres (1-3-1) at Chicago Blackhawks (2-2-1), United Center, Chicago, Ill.

There may be some bad blood Saturday night on the West Side, and it will have nothing to do with gang activity.

That's where Buffalo and Chicago will meet for the second and final time this season - and a less than a week after the Blackhawks' Niklas Hjalmarsson laid out the Sabres' Jason Pominville with a hit that resulted in a suspension.

Pominville was checked from behind early in the first period of the Blackhawks' 4-3 win Monday, resulting in the usual extra-curricular activities and protestations well after the fact.

Pominville was Buffalo's third-leading goal-scorer with 24 last year, but was he the victim of a dirty hit? Depends.

It seems if your reputation is tarnished then every check is scrutinized. As far as I can tell, Hjalmarsson has never had a headhunter's mentality.

If anything, he's contrite.

"It was too hard of a hit, I guess," Hjalmarsson told the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday. "Maybe I should have considered him being in a vulnerable position and not hit him as hard. That's what (the NHL) said.

"If I could turn back time I probably would have acted differently. The bottom line is you have to have respect for the guys you play and maybe I hit him a little bit too hard."

Ryan Miller, though, didn't hide his anger toward Hjalmarsson or the NHL.

"You can't have a hit like that, it's dangerous," the Sabres' Vezina Trophy winner told The Associated Press. "I'm glad he admitted he didn't mean to do it. But you've got to change the culture some time, and I hope the league wakes up and sets a precedent for the year."

Miller said "something's got to be done" and encouraged reporters to quote him because he felt it's the only way to "hold the league accountable."

True, the NHL has put a well-placed spotlight on concussions in the wake of Boston's Marc Savard being waylaid by Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke last season, resulting in an immediate rules change involving lateral, back-pressure or blind-side hits to head.

Never mind that players are still allowed to drop the gloves for looking at each other the wrong way, but that's a story for another day.

Hjalmarsson received a five-minute major for boarding, a game misconduct - he played fewer than four minutes - and two-game suspension that ended with the Blackhawks' 5-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday.

Chicago should have Buffalo native Patrick Kane back in the lineup after missing Friday's game with an illness. Kane scored his first goal of the new season in Monday's win over the Sabres.

Also on Friday, Buffalo lost its fourth straight, 2-1 to the Montreal Canadiens. Each of the Sabres' last three losses have been one-goal decisions.

Buffalo has won four of its last six visits to the Windy City.

The pick? Chicago outmuscles Buffalo for much of the night and extend the Sabres' misery.

BLACKHAWKS 5, SABRES 3

And now ... two minutes.

THE GOOD ...

Brian Boyle, New York Rangers

At 6-foot-7, Boyle usually isn't sent out on the ice to score. On Friday night and with two stars lost to injury, though, the Rangers needed his touch.

With high-scoring Marian Gaborik and captain Chris Drury forced to leave early, Boyle got plenty of ice time and scored twice to force overtime, but the Rangers fell 4-3 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Phil Kessel's power-play goal.

Coming into the contest, Boyle had 12 goals in 109 career games, never scoring more than four in a season.

THE BAD ...

Steve Mason, Columbus

Mason had allowed five goals to the high-powered San Jose Sharks in his first two starts of 2010-11. It took little more than two periods to match that in Columbus' 5-2 loss to Chicago on Friday.

When Scott Arniel took the job to become the Jackets' head coach, I have to think part of the reason is because of Mason - the 2009 Calder Trophy winner as the league's top rookie, but hasn't really done much since and probably should be bumped to backup status.

Now, I'm wondering if he's rethinking that decision to leave Manitoba of the AHL for his first NHL gig. That's what he seemed to indicate to the Winnipeg Free Press earlier this week.

"I miss my wife and my daughter and the simple familiarity of having everything in place in Winnipeg," said Arniel. "I also miss (Moose GM Craig Heisinger) Zinger. Both our relationship as friends and how easy we worked together and how we had the same beliefs and ideas about hockey."

... AND THE QUOTABLE

"Watches? We threw those out a long time ago," - Phoenix forward Petr Prucha said about the Coyotes' opening the season with two games against the Boston Bruins in the Czech Republic.

Sick bay, calling Leclaire and Franzen

2010-10-14T22:05:00.010-05:00

Just some things you can always count on:

Tax Day each and every April 15, complete with news organizations rushing to interview late-night filers ...

Sun rising in the East ...

Sky being blue ...

And Pascal Leclaire and Johan Franzen being helped off the ice with injuries.

Leclaire, the starting goaltender for Ottawa, exited just 2:06 into the Senators' 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.

When alerted, Illinois-based Senators fan Christopher Altruda texted back if Leclaire was suffering from a bruised vagina. Yes, he's a classy boy, I know.

But I get Altruda's frustration. Since February 2006, the one-time eighth overall pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets has missed 139 games, seemingly with no body part unscathed.

Last season, a fractured cheekbone followed by a concussion kept him out for 25 games. Ankle woes in 2008-09 resulted in 51 games being missed. Couple of games with a thumb. Sit out seven with the cryptic "head injury." Knee woes cost Leclaire more than half a season a couple years back.

I mean, seriously, Pascal - SOMEONE IS TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING!

Go open a poutine shop or boulangerie in Repentigny. Anything. Just. Hang. It. Up.

(Besides, Altruda wants more Brian Elliott, and I'm kinda inclined to agree.)

Franzen left midway through the first period of the Detroit Red Wings' 4-1 loss on Thursday to the Dallas Stars with what the team initially called an undisclosed injury.

After the game, it was called a head injury, but coach Mike Babcock wouldn't use the "C"(oncussion) word.

"It's not too bad," Franzen told The Associated Press. "I feel OK right now."

Check your watches: If it's October, "Mule" is laid up.

In 2007, Franzen missed 10 games with a sprained knee. The following October, No. 93 was down for five games with sprained MCL. Last year, Franzen outdid himself, missing 55 contests after tearing an ACL.

With three goals in his first three games, a bounce-back season seemed possible. Even if Franzen didn't bruise his brain Thursday, it would make sense for the Red Wings to sit him out for a while and make sure all is good.

And now - Two minutes

THE GOOD ...

The Minnesota Wild.

OK, so the Minnesota Twins can't win a playoff game anywhere.

But Wild fans know this: If the Edmonton Oilers are in town, it's almost a sure-fire two points.

Minnesota won its 14th straight at the Xcel Energy Center over its Northwest Division rival, 4-2 on Thursday. Mikko Koivu scored twice for the Wild, who tallied all their goals with the man advantage.

After losing twice to the Hurricanes in Finland to open 2010-11, Minnesota clearly wanted to have a better showing in front of their home fans.

"You always have to be desperate to get wins," Koivu said. "I think we were tonight and it worked for us."

THE BAD ...

Mike Modano and the Red Wings

Way to come up big in that return to Big D!

Despite outshooting the Stars 26-15, the Red Wings didn't score until 8:25 remained.

Modano received a standing ovation during a first-period break in the action from Dallas fans, but the former face of the franchise and a link to their Stanley Cup win a decade ago and the old Minnesota North Stars didn't record a shot, and was even in 15:14 of ice time.

"There was just a world of emotions and memories," said Modano. "A lot of special things have gone on here. I was involved in the game from the ground floor, and helping to promote the game of hockey here in Texas. It was fun to play here."

Not so much over his last three games. The 40-year-old future Hall of Famer has averaged 13:06 of ice time, has one shot and no points.

I'm thinking one-and-done in Motown, and the end could come soon for the highest-scoring U.S.-born player of all time.

... AND THE QUOTABLE

"I wanted to cry. I had to stop watching (the video) a couple of times. A lot of emotion. Everything started here. They showed my first goal and all the big goals. It's still hard to think about. They're always going to be in my heart. That's something I'll always remember." - Tampa Bay forward Simon Gagne after seeing a video tribute during the Lightning's 3-2 win over Philadelphia in his first game against the Flyers.

Game of the night - Modano returns to Dallas

2010-10-13T18:58:00.010-05:00

Detroit Red Wings (2-0-1) at Dallas Stars (2-0-0), American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas

"I think the possibility to win is something that you're always chasing after when you're older. If there wasn't a chance to win, I probably would have retired." - Livonia, Mich. native Mike Modano after joining Detroit in August.

Looks weird, right?

For 20 years, all Mike Modano has ever worn for the most part was green, black and white. The only number he ever knew was 9.

So, when Dallas parted ways with the face of their franchise, and Modano signed with Derotit in the off-season, the thought of him wearing the Winged Wheel brought other images to mind ...

Johnny Unitas with a lightning bolt instead of a hoofprint ...

Joe Namath in Rams blue and gold instead of Jets green and white ...

Willie Mays swapping a San Francisco Giants uniform for the Mets and a brief return to New York ...

The old, broken-down athlete returning to the city where he starred and served for so many years.

So, what better way to get reacquainted with his old team than trying to spoil the Stars' home opener Thursday night, just months after an emotional farewell.

"It’s going to be fun," Modano, 40, told the Montreal Gazette. "It's going to be a mix of emotions I’m sure. Nonetheless, I’m looking forward to it and seeing a lot of familiar people."

As for the reception he'll get in Big D?

“You never know,” said Modano, the highest-scoring U.S.-born player in NHL history with 1,360 points. “It’ll probably be a little mixed. It’s obviously a little salt in the wound that I’m in Detroit, one of our (nemeses) for a while when we were in Dallas. I think for the most part it’ll be positive."

Modano had five shots on goal and scored in his Detroit debut, a 4-0 win over Anaheim on Oct. 8. In two games after that, he's totaled a single shot and no points.

Maybe the image of a re-energized Modano was a little premature.

Dallas opens its home schedule after impressive wins over New Jersey and the New York Islanders, and looking for a sixth straight win at the AAC over the Red Wings.

Having severed ties with Modano and Marty Turco - now with Chicago - the Stars have turned the page as they ultimately seek their first playoff berth since 2008.

“We’re a confident team, but we realize we have to be a team that can close games out too,” Brenden Morrow, the team's early leader with three goals, told the Stars' offical website. “As a whole, we feel like we are catching on, we are grasping our system. We are pretty confident with our start so far.”

The pick? Modano scores in overtime.

DETROIT 5, DALLAS 4

Game of the night - Oct. 13

2010-10-12T19:53:00.005-05:00

Toronto Maple Leafs (2-0-0) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (1-2-0), Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.

The last time the Maple Leafs started a season with three straight wins? Try 1999 when they were paced by names like Sundin and Thomas.

And Hoglund??

Regardless, Toronto is one of the pleasant surprises early this season behind solid goaltending from Jean-Sebastien Giguere (2-0-0, 1.51 goals-against average, .935 save percentage), and two goals each from Phil Kessel, Clarke MacArthur and Tim Brent.

But Giguere has never won in the Steel City, going 0-3-1 with a 3.24 GAA and .893 save percentage. That could mean the season debut of “The Monster” – a/k/a Jonas Gustavsson.

The 6-foot-3 Swede had a decent rookie season, going 16-15-9 with a 2.87 GAA and .902 save percentage for a team that finished last in the Northeast Division. He’s yet to play in Pittsburgh, and lost his only start at home to the Penguins.

Last season, Kessel was one of 11 players tied for the team lead in goals scored againt the Pens with one. Besides Kessel, the only others remaining are Tyler Bozak, Carl Gunnarsson, Colton Orr and Luke Schenn.

Toronto, which starts a two-game road trip with this contest, was 12-21-8 away from home last season, but closed that slate with a 3-1-1 mark.

The last time the Penguins dropped three in a row in Pittsburgh? Dec. 20, 2008 to Jan. 3, 2009 – a five-game stretch that started with a loss to Toronto.

A third straight setback is probably not how they envisioned christening their new $321 million arena.

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have long been considered the second coming of Lemieux and Jagr. Though they have combined for one goal and one assist so far in 2010-11, Sid and Geno could be in line for a breakout performance.

Crosby scored in all four games against Toronto last season, totaling six goals and an assist. Malkin has five goals and 13 assists in an eight-game points streak versus the Maple Leafs, and has points in 14 of 15 career games versus them.

Pittsburgh is off a 1-2-0 start after winning 3-1 at New Jersey on Monday. Crosby and Malkin getting off to slow starts is not the only reason for the Penguins’ woes.

The loss of Jordan Staal, out indefinitely with a foot injury, has been a big blow, and not choosing to bring back Bill Guerin appears to be a short-sighted decision. Staal and Guerin were tied for third on the team last season with 21 goals each.

So where is the scoring coming from? Try the blueline. Paul Martin – the club’s top free-agent pickup – leads the team with three assists and four points. Alex Goligoski has two goals so far after managing a career-high eight in 69 games last season.

Marc-Andre Fleury rode the bench against the Devils in favor of Brent Johnston, but should be back in goal despite some pretty mediocre numbers against the Leafs (4-4-1, 2.97 GAA, .899 save percentage).

The pick? I’d like to see Toronto move to 3-0-0, but Crosby and Malkin are due to break out sooner or later. I’m guessing Wednesday will be the night.

PITTSBURGH 4, TORONTO 2

Two minutes

2010-10-11T19:01:00.021-05:00

THE GOOD…

David Backes and Andy McDonald, St. Louis Blues

If you showed up late Monday, you missed a 42-year-old franchise record being broken. The forwards beat Anaheim goaltender Jonas Hiller a mere six seconds apart in the Blues’ 5-1 win over the struggling Ducks.

The old record of 7 seconds apart was set by Don McKenney and Frank St. Marseille on Jan. 24, 1968, against the Minnesota North Stars during both clubs’ inaugural seasons.

“To be rewarded that early, it really helps you to stick to your game plan and I thought we did a good job throughout the game to do that,” St. Louis defenseman Barret Jackman told The Associated Press.

Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks

A lesser rookie may have folded up after giving up two goals on the first two shifts in his first start of the season for the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Crawford, if nothing else, proved pretty unflappable after that

With Marty Turco getting the night off, Crawford allowed Drew Stafford’s goal 14 seconds into the game before Derek Roy found the back of the net at 2:43.

After that, Crawford didn’t allow anything in until early in the third period, and survived a short-handed situation in the closing minutes to lift Chicago to a 4-3 win, its first of 2010-11.

“A little panic sets into your head, but you have to try and brush that away,” Crawford said. “I just kept battling and stuck with it.”

THE BAD…

Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils

At 38 and now in his 17th NHL season, perhaps the all-time wins leader (602) is starting to show his age.

With a 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh on Monday, the four-time Vezina Trophy winner has allowed 11 goals in his first three games, going 0-2-1 – New Jersey’s worst start since 2001-02.

“It’s not the way we wanted to start,” said the Devils’ Patrik Elias. “We know what we’re doing wrong. We have to play 60 minutes, put it all together and get some consistency. We have to get back to doing what we do best.”

James Wisniewski, New York Islanders

In his first season on Lawn Guyland, Wisniewski has already written a new chapter in the hatred – um, rivalry - between the Islanders and the New York Rangers.

Wisniewski was caught on tape Monday making an obscene gesture toward Rangers agitator Sean Avery in the Isles’ 6-4 win.

An AP report called it a hand gesture, however Wisniewski mimicked a blowjob at Avery after the two were jawing during a stoppage in the opening period. Wisniewski said he didn’t remember doing so, but video of the incident was on YouTube before the game was over.

A suspension is almost assuredly coming. No pun intended.

While impressive, it’s nothing compared to Dan Cloutier calling out all of the Islanders after hammering away at Tommy Salo in 1998.

…AND THE QUOTABLE

"It's pretty obvious what the guy was doing, but I'm sure nothing will happen to him because nothing ever happens. It's interesting, he'd get a warning for something like that. Can you imagine if I did that? They sent me to rehab the last time I did something. It's crazy.” – New York Rangers forward Sean Avery after New York Islanders defenseman James Wisniewski mimicked a blowjob motion at him Monday.

An early look-in

2010-10-10T20:34:00.009-05:00

Here are some observations from the opening weekend of the new season …

The Ottawa Senators are in trouble.

Fans in the Canadian capital can live with Friday night’s 2-1 loss to Buffalo in the season opener – first-night jitters, whatever you want to call it.

A rout at the hands of their most-hated rival on Saturday has to be considered inexcusable.

Forget for a moment that Toronto has had three straight last-place finishes and hasn’t been to the playoffs since Paul Martin - not this one! – was prime minister.

Ottawa didn’t get on the board until there were less than 13 minutes to play in Saturday’s 5-1 drubbing by the Maple Leafs. Perhaps the most glaring issue was the shot differential – 38-18 after being outshot 36-26 by the Sabres.

"A tough start is a tough start," general manager Bryan Murray told the Senators’ official website. "It's tough to catch up and you do have to win a lot of games. We have been a streaky team (in the past) and we certainly talked to a couple of players and the coach (Sunday) about that.”

And it’s not going to get any easier Monday when Ottawa faces Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

Images of Pascal Leclaire doing a jig and crashing into the wall like this guy in the dressing room between periods are coming to mind.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are working their way toward relevancy again.

Stop me if you heard this before.

An Original Six team hasn’t won a championship in generations. Fans are disgusted by last-place finishes and no playoff games.

Changes at the top combined with some savvy personnel moves result in the team ultimately winning the Stanley Cup again, ending a decades-long drought.

It’s worked for the Chicago Blackhawks. It may be working for the Maple Leafs.

Much like the combination of Stan Bowman and John McDonough have done in the Windy City, Brian Burke appears to be doing the same in Toronto.

The Maple Leafs have scored eight goals in weekend wins over Montreal and Ottawa to move atop the Northeast Division – rarefied air considering they’ve finished at the bottom of the division each of the last three years.

What I like about the Leafs so far is they don’t have one true superstar. Three players are tied for the team lead with two goals each, and seven players have multiple points.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere is looking more like the goalie that helped Anaheim win the Cup in 2007. Since then, his win total had decreased from 35 to 19 to 10 last season with the Ducks and Leafs.

“If you get decent goaltending, then often you solve a lot of problems,” coach Ron Wilson told Yahoo! Sports.

Toronto hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since 1967, the longest current title-less streak by any NHL team. Odds are, the Cup will not be paraded there this spring, but it may not be much longer after that.

The Anaheim Ducks may be the worst team in the league.

I thought the Minnesota Wild would be the worst team of 2010-11, but Anaheim is staking an early claim to that title.

It’s one thing to be blanked on opening night by a Detroit team that seems to have all the pieces back together to make a championship run. It’s another also give up four goals to a Nashville club that has a whole lotta ‘meh.’

“It’s tough having to play from behind all the time, but it is only Game Two right now,” Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf told The Associated Press after Saturday’s loss to the Predators. “We’re a learning team right now, and we have to take things out of tonight and go forward with it.”

Getting some bodies in front of Jonas Hiller might help. The Swiss netminder has faced a league-high 92 shots so far – 15 more than Dallas’ Kari Lehtonen heading into play Sunday.

The loss of future Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Niedermayer to retirement has been a big blow, and Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu are another year older and closer to hanging it up.

Just two games, but two games could be telling.

The party's over

2010-10-09T23:12:00.004-05:00

The party is over in Chicago - for now, perhaps.

For the first time since 1961, the Blackhawks finally raised a Stanley Cup banner, ending a party that began with a Patrick Kane's overtime goal in Game 6 over Philadelphia in June, and continued for much of the summer.

There was the requisite raising of the banner to the rafters - names from the last championship team decades ago taking part in the ceremony.

Now, the introduction of the team that will defend the title? That was much different.

Thanks to the salary cap, no more Big Buff.

No more grit from Eager.

Or timely goals from Ladd and Versteeg.

Or more big stops from Niemi.

Maybe it was all the energy expended during the celebration as Chicago fell 4-3 to the rival Detroit Red Wings and dropped to 0-1-1.

Next up, in Kane's hometown of Buffalo on Monday, then Wednesday night back at the United Center against the Nashville Predators, who are expected to start 6-foot-6 rookie netminder Anders Lindback in place of the injured Pekka Rinne.

One other thing from Saturday night ...

The New York Rangers didn't want to rely solely on Marian Gaborik for scoring heading into 2010-11.

It's only one game, but Derek Stepan has stepped up.

The 20-year-old Wisconsin product became only the fourth player in NHL history to debut with a hat trick in a 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

"I was just kind of getting my feet wet in my first NHL game. And it was a fun process," Stepan told The Associated Press. "I guess for me, it's just one of those things where you kind of go, 'I guess I got lucky.'"

Gee. Ya think?

Stepan - who was in the lineup due to injuries to Chris Drury and Vinny Prospal - joins Alex Smart (Montreal, 1943), Real Cloutier (Quebec, 1979) and Fabian Brunnstrom (Dallas, 2008).

Stepan also became the second Ranger to score three times in a season opener, joining Ron Murphy (1955).

Thrashers' Pavelec collapses, later asks score

2010-10-09T01:22:00.006-05:00

To say the Atlanta Thrashers are snakebit would be an understatement.

One playoff appearance in 10 years. General apathy towards that club in the Peachtree City - two seasons ago, the Thrashers were 29th with 14,626 per game. Last season, they rose to 28th, but packed in an average of 13,607 at Philips Arena.

Marian Hossa? Gone. Ilya Kovalchuk? Ditto. Kari Lehtonen? Well, the few fans in Blueland need to be thankful for something.

After a winless preseason, you can imagine the pall that was cast some 2 1/2 minutes into Friday's regular-season opener when during a stoppage, new starting netminder Ondrej Pavelec appeared to point toward one of the benches before keeling over backwards.

The names and thoughts came fast - Jiri Fischer, and in the worst case scenario, Alexei Cherepanov.

Now, there is some positive news. Pavelec, 23, is in stable condition in an area hospital. He even asked the score, a 4-2 Atlanta win over Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

“You’re thinking about his family and everything. It’s awful,” backup Chris Mason told The Associated Press. “Honestly, it was really tough. When I first went in there, I could barely concentrate. I couldn’t even think about playing a game.”

Needless to say, Pavelec will miss Saturday's game versus the Tampa Bay Lightning.

RIP Bob Probert - 1965-2010

2010-07-05T19:24:00.003-05:00

It wasn’t that long ago when NHL teams had another position: Enforcer.

If you ever saw ‘Slap Shot,’ then you know the kind of players I mean. The Ogie Oglethropes and Tim ‘Dr. Hook’ McCrackens of the world. The ones who were itching to drop the gloves first, and shoot later.

That’s why when I heard while driving home from work today that Bob Probert collapsed on a boat in Canada and died one month after turning 45, I had to sigh a little.

Sure, he was a brawler first and foremost, but Probert was a lot more than that. He actually possessed skills.

He played from 1985-2002, first with Detroit and then Chicago – about as bitter two rivals can be. Probert’s best year came when he was an All-Star with the Red Wings in 1987-88, scoring 29 goals – 15 on the the power play and five game-winners – to go with 33 assists in 74 games.

Oh, yes, he also was a minor short of 400 minutes in the penalty box.

In fact, Probert reached double digits in goals six times over his career. But, he will be remembered more for being fifth all-time with 3,300 penalty minutes. That’s 55 games worth of punishment.

Maybe the years of cocaine use caught up with him. He was arrested at the US-Canada border in 1989 and ended up doing federal time. Five years later, he was involved in a motorcycle crash, and traces of cocaine were found in his system. That ended his career with the Red Wings, but started a new chapter with the Blackhawks.

In February, Probert was cheered on at the United Center as he dropped the ceremonial first puck on “Bob Probert Heritage Night.” Then, he didn’t look well – like someone who has lived a hard life.

Being an enforcer does that to you.

2010 NHL playoff predictions ...

2010-03-31T09:14:00.001-05:00

Will be coming soon ...

Goodbye to the 'Dome

2009-09-01T20:21:00.001-05:00

After 27 seasons, the Twins will leave the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome this fall.

Like when the New York Mets escaped antiquated Shea Stadium last year, I don’t think too many will be shedding tears.

I won’t.

On Monday night, I made my last trip to see the Twins in the ‘Dome, a 4-1 win over the hated White Sox in what turned out to be the last game for Jim Thome and Jose Contreras in a Chicago uniform.

But the game itself meant little to me.

The stadium at 5th and Chicago wasn’t a warm place – the age of retro ballparks was still about a decade off. With a turf that made baseballs bounce like Superballs and a right-field ‘fence’ better suited for wrapping sandwiches, it seemed more like something from a video game, bastardization for the purists.

My first trip to the ‘Dome was in the spring of 1986 when I helped move the contents of a dental office from Brooklyn, N.Y. to St. Paul - the start of a decade-long on-again, off-again love affair with the Cities.

Sitting in the upper deck of the outfield, I watched a stout fire hydrant of a center fielder somehow catch balls he had no business getting. I also remember the three drunk college kids from NoDak sitting behind us calling out repeatedly for ‘Fong’ – former Twins second baseman Rob Wilfong, then with the California Angels.

In 1987, following nine weeks of summer courses at Queens College to ***ahem*** make up for lost time (let’s go with that, OK?) I took a vacation by driving to take in a four-game set with Seattle.

Aug. 14 – Bert Blyleven scatters six hits over eight innings, Kent Hrbek and Tim Laudner homer in a 6-2 win.

Aug. 15 – Twins score eight in the first off Lee Guetterman and Mike Brown, take an 11-0 lead after two en route to a 14-4 rout.

Aug. 16 – Gary Gaetti has two hits and two RBIs for the third straight game to back Frank Viola’s five-hit effort over eight innings of a 5-1 win.

Aug. 17 – Gaetti adds two more hits, Minnesota scores three in the first off Mark Langston, and cruises to a 4-2 triumph.

I will say this for the ‘Dome: It’s loud, and after years of battering my ears with thrash, speed, cheese and just plain ol’ bad metal, loud is not necessarily bad.

But that’s about the only positive thing it had going on.

Now, that’s not to say it was the worst baseball stadium I have ever been in. As bad as Shea was, that wasn’t it either. That honor now, and for all times, will belong to ‘Stade Olympique’ en Montreal.

Monolith comes to mind. And that blue tarp covering the hole in the roof only added to the fishbowl effect.

The ‘Dome had its own peculiarities, though. When I first saw it from Interstate 94, the first image that went through my mind was fast food.

Wendy’s used to have a burger called the Big Classic, but instead of being served in a wrapper, it came in a Styrofoam-like box. Looked a helluva lot like the ballpark to me.

Outdoor aesthetics aside, there was the baggie in right field.

Outfield walls should be just that – a wall. Bricks. Mortar. Plywood, at least. This looked like Mr. Fantastic was put in place and told to do his thing.

And the havoc that baggie used to create. Was it a homer? No? WTF? Also, God help a rookie outfielder track down fly balls against that ceiling, worse if those hankies were being waved.

No feature was more reviled, though, than that turf.

Watching that series against the Mariners, I had a bird’s-eye view of bats swung like pinball flippers, and the ball – not sure if this is possible from a physics standpoint – actually appear to gain speed off that infield hop on the Astroturf, sometimes getting past outfielders to turn a single into a triple.

Prior to paying my last respects, I saw my last game in the ‘Dome in July 2006. Johan Santana against CC Sabathia, then the staff ace in Cleveland and now with the Mets and Yankees, respectively.

Sabathia pitched a 13-hitter – yep, went the distance – struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter. Santana, who also fanned seven and failed to issue a walk, but gave up five hits over seven in the 6-2 win.

Now, it’s all about the countdown and Target Field, starry nights and grass-stained uniforms.

Not to mention those early April home games at night when the temperature hovers around freezing.

See ya there in 2010.

Primanti's for everyone!

2009-06-12T22:14:00.005-05:00

¶ DETROIT (AP) - Pittsburgh Penguins win Stanley Cup.

A look at Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals

2009-05-31T04:37:00.003-05:00

Only because the NHL has scheduled back-to-back games in the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in 54 years!

Looking at the Stanley Cup finals

2009-05-29T18:57:00.008-05:00

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins (45-28-9, 2nd, Atlantic) vs. (2) Detroit Red Wings (51-21-10, 1st, Central)

2008-09 SERIES: Red Wings, 1-0-1

LEADERS: Pittsburgh – Jordan Staal (2 GP, 3G, 1A); Sidney Crosby (2 GP, 1G, 2A); Evgeni Malkin (2 GP, 1G, 1A); Max Talbot (2 GP, 1G, 1A); Marc-Andre Fleury (2 GP, 1-1-0, 4.39 GAA). Detroit – Pavel Datsyuk (2 GP, 3G); Marian Hossa (2 GP, 1G, 2A); Jiri Hudler (2 GP, 1G, 2A); Nicklas Lidstrom (2 GP, 3A); Ty Conklin (1 GP, 1-0-0, 0.00 GAA, 1 SO); Chris Osgood (1 GP, 0-0-1, 6.56 GAA).

"It was a really tough decision for me to make. When I compared the two teams, I felt like I would have a little better of a chance to win the Cup in Detroit." – Former Penguin Marian Hossa after joining the Red Wings on July 2, 2008.

Roughly a year ago, Marian Hossa’s debut as a Stanley Cup finalist ended in disappointment.

Just over three months after coming over from a franchise where moribund would be considered high praise, he could only watch as the Detroit Red Wings skated around Pittsburgh’s Mellon Arena after having won their fourth championship in 11 years.

Now, he gets the chance to extend the NHL’s current dynasty and win his first championship at the expense of the talented team he spurned – and disparaged – starting on Saturday night.

“It is ironic,” the Slovak said with a smile Wednesday following a 2-1 overtime win over Chicago to capture the Western Conference title. “And it is the situation. Back-to-back finals, same teams and I switch teams. But right now I’m with this team and I’m trying to help this
team win the Cup.”

When a deal was swung with Atlanta in late February 2008 to acquire Hossa, the Penguins thought they were getting the final piece to the puzzle that was going to bring the Stanley Cup back to the Steel City for the first time since the mulleted Lemieux-Jagr heydays of the early ‘90s.

Even though they had young stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury, the Pens still needed an experienced hand. At just 29, Hossa was a 10-year veteran on the verge of 300 career goals.

Come the postseason, Hossa shined despite his team losing. He scored a team-high 12 goals – three coming in the finals – was second with 26 points and tied for second with five game-winning goals.

Then the floodgates opened. Edmonton looked to make a splash behind new billionaire owner Darryl Katz, offering a reported $70 to $80 million. Pittsburgh was willing to part with $49 million for seven years.

But four weeks after seeing what could be, Hossa made his decision. One year. $7.45 million. Detroit.

Apparently, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. And to this day, Hossa unwaveringly stands by his choice.

“Being in the Finals is the motivation,” he said. “Another chance.”

That’s all Pittsburgh wants. Given the way they have gone through their competition, they’re making the most of it.

“To get this opportunity, you know what, I think a lot of guys in there whether they were part of the team last year or guys who are new, you know, we feel really fortunate to have this opportunity,” Crosby said after the Penguins closed out a sweep of Carolina in the Eastern Conference finals with a 4-1 win on Tuesday.

Detroit and Pittsburgh are Rust Belt towns, but while the Red Wings are banged-up, they're still a highly-polished unit. This year, the Penguins seem to be the hungrier club, more in touch with their blue-collar roots.

Cross-state rival Philadelphia gone in six. Down two games to Alex Ovechkin and Washington? Caps out in seven. Easily handling Carolina after it dispatched top seed Boston.

Having the top two scorers in the postseason helps.

Much like Lemieux and Jagr carried the Penguins nearly two decades ago, Crosby and Malkin are doing the same now. They each have 28 points - the captain with an NHL-best 14 goals, the Russian setting the pace with 16 assists.

Crosby appreciates the comparisons to the franchise's top two all-time greats, but there's one glaring difference: Lemieux and Jagr won championships.

“As far as me and Geno are concerned, it's when we do our best to contribute and help the team. As I said before, he and Jagr are guys who have proven it year after year, you know, being the one-two punch like that. They've won cups and, you know, we've yet to do that. … But it's a compliment, and we'll try to keep going the same way."

Last season, they combined for 49 points, with none coming in the first two games of the Cup finals. In fact, no one did - the Penguins were blanked in both contests.

Speaking in Detroit on Friday, Crosby was clear that wouldn't happen this time.

"We know our opponent,'' he said. "Last year that wasn't the case. There shouldn't be any anticipation, really. We know what to do. We've got to go out there and do it."

THE PICK: Detroit was the last team to win back-to-back Cups in 1997 and 1998, but in you believe in karma, Hossa will skate away disappointed … again. PENGUINS IN 7

Penguins headed back to Cup finals, Wings soon to follow

2009-05-26T21:38:00.002-05:00

Wow – did I whiff on that one.

Perhaps it’s just that I didn’t want to see another Pittsburgh-Detroit Stanley Cup final, but unless somehow Cristobal Huet morphs into Tony Esposito and lifts Chicago to three straight wins, that’s exactly what fans will see again.

So, the storyline won’t be how the Blackhawks’ Andrew Ladd and Carolina’s Tuomo Ruutu will seek revenge on their former clubs. Instead, expect it to be Marian Hossa’s return to Steel City in a Red Wings uniform, looking to make good on the reason why he joined them in the first place.

Looking at the Eastern Conference final

2009-05-18T17:13:00.005-05:00

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins (45-28-9, 2nd, Atlantic) vs. (6) Carolina Hurricanes (45-30-7, 2nd, Southeast)

2008-09 SERIES: Pittsburgh, 2-1-1

LEADERS: Pittsburgh – Ruslan Fedotenko (3 GP, 3G, 1A); Sidney Crosby (4 GP, 1G, 6A); Evgeni Malkin (4 GP, 2G, 3A); Marc-Andre Fleury (3 GP, 1-1-1, 2.00 GAA). Carolina – Eric Staal (4 GP, 2 G); Ray Whitney (4 GP, 1G, 3A); Cam Ward (2 GP, 2-0-0, 1.49 GAA); Michael Leighton (2 GP, 0-2-0, 4.03 GAA).

If you like offense, then this is the matchup you want.

Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby leads all playoff goal scorers with 12, three more than Carolina’s Eric Staal. Evgeni Malkin is also among the leaders with 13 assists and 19 points.

That’s why the matchup in goal will be so crucial. Cam Ward – 2.22 GAA and two shutouts - is a Conn Smythe winner, and has been playing over his head so far for the Hurricanes. I give him the nod over Marc-Andre Fleury and his 2.72 GAA.

THE PICK: Carolina in 7. Watch for Hurricanes’ Jussi Jokinen if it comes down to crunch time. A shootout specialist, he has three game-winning goals in the playoffs.

Looking at the Western Conference final

2009-05-17T04:16:00.009-05:00

(1) Detroit Red Wings (51-21-10, 1ST, Central) vs. (4) Chicago Blackhawks (46-24-12, 2nd, Central)

2008-09 SERIES: Detroit, 4-2-0

LEADERS: Detroit – Jiri Hudler (6 GP, 4G, 5A); Brian Rafalski (6 GP, 1G, 6A); Marian Hossa (4 GP, 2G, 4A); Henrik Zetterberg (6 GP, 2G, 4A); Johan Franzen (6 GP, 3G, 2A); Pavek Datsyuk (6 GP, 3G, 1A); Ty Conklin (5 GP, 4-1-0, 3.10 GAA); Chris Osgood (1 GP, 0-1-0, 3.00 GAA). Chicago – Martin Havlat (6 GP, 2G, 6A); Brian Campbell (6 GP, 7A); Andrew Ladd and Jonathan Toews (6 GP, 3G, 2A); Patrick Kane (6 GP, 1G, 3A); Kris Versteeg (5 GP, 2G, 2A); Nikolai Khabibulin (4 GP, 1-1-1, 2.69 GAA, 1 SO); Cristobal Huet (3 GP, 1-1-1, 4.29 GAA).

The last time the Chicago Blackhawks raised the Stanley Cup, it came at the expense of the Detroit Red Wings.

To take one more step toward ending the NHL’s longest title drought, the young Blackhawks must find a way to beat the defending champions.

When the teams take the ice Sunday afternoon at Joe Louis Arena to kick off the Western Conference finals, several storylines will be bandied about - Original Six rivals … two of the most storied franchises … re-embracing of hockey in the Windy City.

And, perhaps, the new guard ready to bypass the old one.

Say this much for the Blackhawks, for a franchise that hasn’t made it this far in postseason play since 1995, they’re not intimidated by facing a team that has won four Stanley Cups in 11 years.

“Certainly we liked the experience we gained in the first two rounds,” said coach Joel Quenneville, who will try to lead Chicago to its first Cup since 1961. “We didn't know how we were going to handle the playoffs for a first time for a lot of the guys. I thought we were on-the-job training every day, gaining experience, preparing in different situations in games, coming out of games, trying to find out how to close out a series. I thought both times we handled those assignments very well.

"But I just think as we go into games, the excitement and enthusiasm on our team has been real. … The guys are excited about this challenge and this opportunity. Should make for a great series.”

The Blackhawks hadn’t been to the postseason in seven years, but defeated Calgary, then did away with Vancouver – advancing to this round with a 7-5 in Game 6, spearheaded by Patrick Kane’s hat trick.

“Obviously Detroit has been there before plenty of times. But for us, I think it's exciting for the fans that have been here since then and since that point,” Kane said. “Just to be a part of it, just to be a part of kind of the resurgence of the franchise the past couple years, how fun it's been … It's been a helluva ride. It's been really enjoyable. I don't think you could have predicted it to be any better.”

Kane leads Chicago with eight postseason goals and is second with 12 points, one behind Martin Havlat. Captain Johnathan Toews and Calder Trophy-hopeful Kris Versteeg each have 10.

Balance, sure. But make no mistake that Red Wings coach Mike Babcock will have his team focus on Nos. 19 and 88.

“There's nothing similar about them at all,” Babcock said. “Toews to me, he's a will guy. He's the guy you need to have for your franchise because he's a guy that's going to play two ways. He's the guy that's going to will your team to success, he's the guy that's going to set the tone in practice.

“Kane is the guy who can channel in a phone booth … how can a guy that size go into traffic like he does, never get touched, be so strong on the puck, score as many goals as he does, yet always be open on the back door, shoot the puck, have the instincts he has, play in big games? To me he's an exciting, fantastic player. But they're very much different."

Detroit’s offense still remains one of the most dangerous in the game with the likes of Henrik Zetterberg, Marian Hossa and Johan Franzen. One player who’s struggled, though, has been Pavel Datsyuk – currently tied for ninth with five points.

He led the Wings in scoring each of the last four seasons, and was second with 23 during last year’s championship run. So, is there something physically wrong or … ?

“Pavel is a proud guy,” Babcock said. “He wants to be leading the team in scoring. He usually does. When he's not, he probably puts some pressure on himself. He's just got to make sure he's not thinking too much and just play the game.”

The matchup goal is an intriguing one. Detroit's Chris Osgood is one of those players you don't think much of in the regular season because he saves all for the postseason - he's second among active goaltenders with 67 playoff wins, and the most of the four that will starts in the conference finals.

Osgood expects to face an amped-up Chicago club this time, but doesn't expect many changes, if any.

"We expect the intensity level, the speed level and their type of play to be bumped up that much higher," said Osgood, a three-time Cup winner. "The games are totally different than the regular season. But individually we know what their tendencies are, but we're gonna have to be able to match that for the whole series."

Nikolai Khabibulin is fourth with 39 wins, and a Stanley Cup ring to his credit. That veteran leadership could be a boost to Kane and the remainder of the Blackhawks.

“You know, I think it's gonna be a great series, though. I think the fans obviously wanted a Wings/Hawks series. In Game 6, three or four minutes left, they were yelling, Detroit sucks, things like that. It's going to be great for the fans,” Kane said.

All things considered, this has the potential to be one of the best conference finals matchups in decades. Easily.

THE PICK: Chicago in 6. Though they hadn’t been to the postseason in seven years, the Blackhawks have been unfazed so far. Khabibulin has outplayed two of the league’s best netminders in Miikka Kiprusoff and Roberto Luongo, and I’ll take him over Osgood.

Dodgers' Ramirez added to drug-cheat list

2009-05-07T15:04:00.003-05:00

At this point, should we even be surprised anymore?

With the 50-game suspension handed down Thursday by Major League Baseball to Manny Ramirez for a positive drug test, add another name to an already impressive list of cheats.

Canseco. McGwire. Palmeiro. Sosa. A-Rod. Clemens. Bonds … yes, the jury is out on him – for now. Caminiti. And those who were long suspected, the Bagwells and Andersons, among others.

A slew of minor leaguers have been banned for 50 for violating the drug policy, but until Ramirez was suspended, Philadelphia’s J.C. Romero – a journeyman reliever who could only get into the Hall of Fame with a paid admission and has maintained his innocence, going so far as to file a lawsuit against the makers and distributors of nutritional supplements he claims are responsible for his positive test in August – was the biggest name.

Until now.

Ramirez – a 12-time All-Star with 533 career homers - tested positive for HCG, a women’s fertility drug that can also be taken to help restart testosterone production after coming off a steroid cycle.

He issued a statement, talking out of both sides of his mouth as only ManRam can do.

"Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me,” the statement said. “Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now.”

Of course, he couldn’t stop.

“I do want to say one other thing; I've taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons.”

Except for this one. He also waived his right to challenge the findings, a clear admission of "OK, you got me."

What’s curious to me is the belief that the doctor thought it was all right to give Ramirez this drug. You’re making $25 million a year – well, take away about $8 million of that now – and you and your people aren’t doing due diligence on this?

And how long will it be before Bud Selig issues his own statement? You know the one ... disappointed ... not baseball's fault ... how baseball has the best and strongest drug-testing policy ... and so on, and so on.

Union be damned, it’s time to test them all, and if continual monitoring is needed, then so be it. Test positive once, you're not eligible for the Hall of Fame. Simple as that.

You want to clean up the clubhouses? Make a real effort then.

Looking at the conference semifinals, 1st Ld-Writethru

2009-05-01T14:02:00.011-05:00

(2) Washington Capitals (50-24-8, 1st, Southeast) vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins (45-28-9, 2nd, Atlantic)

2008-09 SERIES: Washington, 3-0-1

LEADERS: Washington – Alexander Semin (4 GP, 4G, 3A); Nicklas Backstrom (4 GP, 6A); Brooks Laich (4 GP, 2G, 4A); Alex Ovechkin (4 GP, 4G, 2A); Jose Theodore (4 GP, 3-0-1, 2.70 GAA). Pittsburgh – Sidney Crosby (4 GP, 1G, 6A); Evgeni Malkin (4 GP, 2G, 3A); Bill Guerin (1 GP, 1G, 2A); Sergei Gonchar (2 GP, 2G); Marc-Andre Fleury (4 GP, 1-3-0, 4.72 GAA)

Plots, plots and subplots.

Will Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin continue their feud? Will Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin continue their on-again, off-again Cold War? Will Simeon Varlamov be the second coming of Ken Dryden?

The Crosby-Ovechkin ‘feud’ – whether it’s hype or otherwise – makes for good copy.

"What I can say about him? He is a good player, but he talks too much." -- Ovechkin on Crosby

"Like it or lump it, that's what he does. Some people like it, some people don't. Personally, I don't like it." -- Crosby on Ovechkin's goal celebrations

Each will be trying to outdo the other, and that will be entertaining to watch. Ovechkin had three goals and four assists in Washington’s opening-round win against the New York Rangers. Crosby had four and four as Pittsburgh eliminated Philadelphia in six.

As for Malkin – selected second overall after Ovechkin in the 2004 draft – his issues with Ovechkin emerged during the season.

"Ovechkin is a great player, but every time he hits me - I don't know why," Malkin said after the first meeting. AO responded by saying it’s all part of the game.

Malkin, a finalist for the Hart Trophy with reigning winner Ovechkin, led the Penguins with five assists and nine points in the series win over the Flyers.

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said none of these rivalries matter.

“The media attention for Ovechkin and Crosby and Evgeni Malkin is not going to be a new thing. They have dealt with it over and over and over again, and they know how to deal with it,” he said. “You know, maybe it's the rest of the room that can say enough of the talk away from the rink, let's play hockey.”

While former Hart and Vezina Trophy winner Jose Theodore started all four regular-season games against the Penguins, there is no doubt coach Bruce Boudreau will ride the hot hand and send out Varlamov, who has a 1.17 goals-against average in the postseason.

It’s often thought that a hot goaltender can carry a team all the way to the Stanley Cup. Varlamov is proving to be that so far. The 20-year-old Russian was the key to the Caps rallying from a 3-1 deficit to beat the New York Rangers in seven games.

“We'd only seen him play in six games, but we had a lot of faith in him,” Boudreau said. “The reason we did it is we didn't want - it was quite simply we thought we can always come back to Theodore. He's played very good if he's had a bad outing or not. If we waited till Game 3, if Theodore had had a bad outing in Game 2, it would have been too much pressure for him to start in New York down 2-0.

“We thought, we'll see him in Game 2, then we can make a decision after that. So even though we lost Game 2 1-0, (Varlamov) played really well. We had a lot of faith in him at that point.”

THE PICK: Washington in 7. The Capitals have the offensive firepower to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Crosby and Malkin. They advance with a triple-overtime win.

(2) Detroit Red Wings (51-21-10, 1st, Central) vs. (8) Anaheim Ducks (42-33-7, 2nd, Pacific)

2008-09 SERIES: Detroit, 3-0-1

LEADERS: Detroit – Pavel Dastyuk (4 GP, 3G, 4A); Henrik Zetterberg, (4 GP, 3G, 3A); Daniel Cleary (4 GP, 2G, 3A); Niklas Kronwall and Nicklas Lidstrom (4 GP, 4A); Chris Osgood (3 GP, 2-0-1, 2.97 GAA); Ty Conklin (1 GP, 1-0-0, 2.00 GAA). Anaheim – Ryan Getzlaf (4 GP, 2G, 7A); Teemu Selanne (3 GP, 3G, 3A); Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger (4 GP, 3A); Jean-Sebastien Giguere (4 GP, 1-2-0, 3.82 GAA); Jonas Hiller (1 GP, 0-1-0, 3.16 GAA)

The Red Wings probably knew they had all the pieces needed to make another run at the Stanley Cup. The Anaheim Ducks now know the same thing.

Despite being the eighth seed, Anaheim stunned Presidents’ Trophy-winning San Jose in six games. Ryan Getzlaf led the Ducks with six assists and eight points, and Calder Trophy finalist Bobby Ryan scored a team-high four goals.

The key, though, was another young netminder in Jonas Hiller. The 20-year-old Swiss native posted two shutouts, a 1.64 goals-against average, and has apparently made fans forget Cup-winning goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

“I think we are enjoying that we are still playing at all,” Hiller said. “And Detroit is a hockey city, so it should be a lot of fun.”

For Getzlaf, facing the Wings on this level is simply another challenge.

“We knew we were going to have to go through probably both San Jose and them to get to where we want to be,” he said.

What the Ducks will be facing is perhaps the most balanced team in the playoffs. Henrik Zetterberg had a club-best three goals with five others recording two.

After struggling for a good part of the regular season, Chris Osgood was sharp again when it mattered. He allowed just seven goals in a four-game sweep of playoff newbie Columbus, and is 18-4 with four shutouts in his last 22 postseason starts.

"Should be fun," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said.

THE PICK: Detroit in 7. The Red Wings will figure out a way to solve Hiller, but it won’t be easy.

Looking at the conference semifinals

2009-04-30T03:56:00.013-05:00

(3) Vancouver Canucks (45-27-10, 1st, Northwest) vs. (4) Chicago Blackhawks (46-24-12, 2nd, Central)

2008-09 SERIES: Split, 2-2-0

LEADERS: Vancouver – Daniel Sedin (4 GP, 4G, 2A); Henrik Sedin (4 GP, 2G, 4A); Ryan Kesler (4 GP, 3G, 2A); Alexander Edler (4 GP, 1G, 3A); Mats Sundin (2 GP, 1G, 3A); Roberto Luongo, 3 GP, 2-1-0, 2.36 GAA, 1 SO). Chicago – Kris Versteeg (4 GP, 1G, 4A); Patrick Kane (4 GP, 2G, 2A); Patrick Sharp (4 GP, 3G, 1A); Cristobal Huet (3 GP, 2-0-0, 2.57 GAA); Nikolai Khabibulin (2 GP, 0-2-0, 4.85 GAA).

Old-time hockey! Eddie Shore!!

This is gonna be good.

With both teams combining for an average of 50 penalty minutes per game, there’s little doubt that more of the same physical play will be on tap.

In a 4-0 Canucks win on March 29 in Chicago, a series of brawls broke out in the third period, punctuated by the Blackhawks’ Ben Eager slamming Kevin Bieksa to the ice.

"That brawl will be in the back of everybody’s minds, but it's a different game now," said Chicago’s Adam Burish, who received three roughing minors and a 10-minute misconduct.

Making their first playoff appearance in seven years, the Blackhawks didn’t show any jitters as they beat Calgary in six games, closing out the series with a 4-1 road win on Monday.

“We’re excited about the win, but you pay the price,” captain Jonathan Toews said after Chicago won its first playoff series in 13 years. “You take a lot of pressure and abuse.”

Balance was the key to Chicago’s success – six players scored at least six points with Calder Trophy finalist Kris Versteeg notching a team-high seven.

Vancouver will come into this series well-rested. The Canucks haven’t played since beating St. Louis 3-2 in overtime on April 21 to complete the first sweep in franchise history.

Roberto Luongo – a snub for the Vezina Trophy – posted a 1.15 goals-against average versus the Blues.

“Great players find a way to elevate their game, bring it to another level, and he’s done that,” Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault said. “We need him to bring it to another level because as it continues it’s going to get more challenging every game.”

THE PICK: Chicago in 7. Luongo notwithstanding, the Blackhawks will do anything to set up a conference finals matchup with the hated Red Wings.

(1) Boston Bruins (53-19-10, 1st, Northeast) vs. (6) Carolina Hurricanes (45-30-7, 2nd, Southeast)

2008-09 SERIES: Boston, 4-0-0

LEADERS: Boston – David Krejci (4 GP, 3G, 4A); Blake Wheeler (4 GP, 3G, 2A); Michael Ryder (3 GP, 3G); Tim Thomas (3 GP, 3-0-0, 1.33 GAA); Manny Fernandez (1 GP, 1-0-0, 2.00 GAA). Carolina – Ray Whitney (4 GP, 1G, 2A); Matt Cullen (4 GP, 2 G); Rod Brind’Amour and Frantisek Kaberle (4 GP, 2A); Cam Ward (4 GP, 0-4-0, 3.90 GAA)

The Bruins are rested, but the Hurricanes have momentum.

Boston hasn’t played since April 22 after completing a four-game sweep of longtime Original Six rival Montreal. Vezina Trophy finalist Tim Thomas allowed stopped 105 of 111 shots in the series, and former Canadien Michael Ryder paced the offense with four goals and seven points.

For Ryder, the plan for facing Carolina – a team the Bruins swept in the regular season - is simple.

“We have been practicing hard the last week and we know we might be a little rusty but we just have to keep things simple early in the game,” Ryder said in a recent Internet chat session with fans. “We need to make sure we watch our turnovers against these guys and not try to force things.”

For the Hurricanes, the key will be building off perhaps the most exciting finish to any game in franchise history.

On Tuesday, Jussi Jokinen and Eric Staal scored in a 48-second span over the final 1:20 for a stunning 4-3 win over New Jersey in Game 7.

“Every five minutes or so … it’s like getting hit with a bus—but a good one,” Carolina coach Paul Maurice said of the comeback. “You realize just what happened.”

What happens now is Carolina looking to beat Boston for the first time this season. Improved play from Cam Ward and Staal would be a good start.

Ward lost all four matchups, posting a goals-against average of just under 4. Staal led the ‘Canes with 40 goals and was second with 75 points, but was scoreless against Boston.

“We hope [the Bruins are rusty], but I don’t think we can prepare that way to think that they’ll be anything but their best,” Maurice told the Hurricanes’ official Web site. “Sure, we’re hoping it’s not smooth or easy, but a team like that, even if they’re off a little, they’re not going to be off for seven games. They’ll warm up.”

THE PICK: Bruins in 6. After scoring five goals in the opening round, Staal will help Carolina put up a fight, but the Bruins will come away headed to the conference finals.

Quarterfinal observations - Game 1

2009-04-17T00:53:00.005-05:00

Now that the openers in for all eight first-round playoff games are in the books, some things to consider ...

* Was the Sharks' 32-5-4 home record this season a fluke? They looked awfully flat against Anaheim.

* Do the Ducks have a Cup run in them? They do if Jonas Hiller (35 saves in his playoff debut) keeps playing like this.

* What is it about contract years? Chicago's Martin Havlat (tying goal with 5:33 left in regulation, game-winner 12 seconds into overtime) and Nikolai Khabibulin (23 saves) may be setting themselves up for one more payday.

* Olli? Olli Jokinen? Hellllooooooo? The Flames' key trade-deadline acquisition was quiet. Again.

* Taking Wing. Don't make any mistakes against Detroit - they'll make you pay each and every time.

* Feeling Blue in Columbus. The Jackets' playoff debut was good, for a brief while. It remains to see how they bounce back.

* If Boston wins its first Stanley Cup in 37 years, they'll look to this series with Montreal as its toughest.

* Carey Price looks pretty beatable. The Canadiens' goalie looks easily rattled, and I am wondering if that ankle he injured mid-season is affecting his mind also.

* Where was the intensity the New York Rangers showed in Game 1 hiding all season?

* Does anyone really think Washington will win a Cup with Jose "Three-or-more" in goal?

* Martin Brodeur's late-season slump is a thing of the past. He came within 10:38 of his 23rd career playoff shutout.

* Cam Ward's late-season surge is a thing of the past.

* A 2-1 final in the Canucks-Blues series is going to seem like an offensive explosion.

* The Penguins are still the defending Eastern Conference champions. They methodically dismantle you.

* The Flyers are letting emotions dictate their play. No one wins when that happens.

Steak Bet 3.0 - And the winner is ...

2009-04-16T19:43:00.007-05:00

It’s been said that even a broken watch is right twice a day.

That in mind, I am proud to announce that on the third try, I finally have won Steak Bet, Version 3.0.

For each of the last two seasons, longtime co-worker and semi-noted, Gurnee, Ill.-based blog castigator Chris Altruda and I have put a friendly wager on the NHL season. Looking to avoid a third consecutive loss, we put together five categories, with me winning (finally).

Here’s the happy recap …

NUMBER OF GOALS BY WASHINGTON'S ALEXANDER OVECHKIN: I say 58, while Chris had 53.

In the final game of the season, Alex the Gr8 scored his 56th goal with 6:09 to play in a 7-4 loss to Florida.

NUMBER OF POINTS BY PITSBURGH'S SIDNEY CROSBY: I say 107, Chris goes with 112.

Sid the Kid finished with 103, and I should be thankful for this. From Feb. 16-April 1, no player was hotter than Crosby, who had nine goals and 18 assists in a 16-game points streak. Over the final five games – three goals and two assists.

And a propos of nothing … when is he going to have a 50-goal season? Crosby was hyped among some of the game’s greatest names – people were comparing him to owner Mario Lemieux in Steeltown. I know Crosby is only 22, but he’s looking more like Mats Sundin to me.

YOUR SIX DIVISION WINNERS: I have gone with Philadelphia, Montreal, Tampa Bay, Detroit, Vancouver, Dallas; Chris has chosen Pittsburgh, Montreal, Carolina, Detroit, San Jose, Calgary.

We both crapped out in the East as New Jersey, Boston and Washington led their divisions. In the West, it was Detroit, Vancouver and San Jose.

The Canucks took the Northwest despite having one fewer win than the Flames.

FIRST COACH OUT (FIRED OR RESIGNED): I have a hunch that Mike Keenan will wear out his welcome in Calgary. Chris thinks Wayne Gretzky won't last in Phoenix.

This was settled very quickly when Chicago axed Denis Savard four games into the season.

While Keenan led Calgary to a second-place finish in the Northwest, Phoenix was tied for last in the Pacific with 79 points.

WORST TEAM: This one should come down to the wire - I've chosen Los Angeles; Chris picks the New York Islanders.

The addition of Jonathan Quick (21-18-2, 2.48 goals-against average, 4 shutouts) in goal around midseason made sure I wouldn’t win this.

Chris nailed this. As he said back in October … I think this is the season this team finally bottoms out dysfunction-wise, and it’s going to be ugly. Like sub-65 point ugly. I also think the Atlantic Division is stronger than the Pacific (where you took the Kings) and will result in a lower point percentage.

And while it is universally accepted the Kings currently have no goaltending, I’m not counting on (goaltender Rick) DiPietro being healthy for a full season, which will cost them at least six wins.

DiPietro lasted five games. The Islanders finished with 61 points, their fewest since 2000-01.

Fogo de Chao, here I come!

Western Conference predictions

2009-04-15T12:22:00.021-05:00

(1) San Jose Sharks (53-18-11, 1st, Pacific) vs. (8) Anaheim Ducks (42-33-7, 2nd, Pacific)

2008-09 SERIES: San Jose, 4-2-0

LEADERS: San Jose – Dan Boyle (6 GP, 4 A); Jonathan Cheechoo (5 GP, 3G, 2GWG, 1A); Christian Ehrhoff (5 GP, 1G, 3A); Evgeni Nabokov (5 GP, 3-2-0, 2.00 GAA, 2 SO). Anaheim – Ryan Getzlaf (6 GP, 6 A); Rob Niedermayer (6 GP, 1G, 2A); Corey Perry (6 GP, 2G, 1A); Jonas Hiller (4 GP, 1-3-0, 2.04 GAA); Jean-Sebastien Giguere (2 GP, 1-1-0, 2.00 GAA).

THE PICK: San Jose in 5. Since 1994, a No. 8 seed has beaten a
No. 1 seed seven times. However, given the way the Sharks tore through
the regular season, this is one series I expect to end fairly quickly
despite a late surge that pushed the Ducks into the top eight.

San Jose set a franchise points record for the third consecutive
season, moving from 107 to 108 to 117. Each of the last three seasons,
though, the Sharks, then led by Ron Wilson, were ousted in the Western
Conference semifinals. That should change under first-year coach Todd
McLellan, a Stanley Cup winner last season as Mike Babcock’s assistant
in Detroit.

McLellan will likely win the Jack Adams award as the league’s top coach after becoming the fifth rookie bench boss since the 1967-68 expansion era got under way to lead his team to the Presidents’ Trophy for having the league’s best record.

The Sharks can look to the likes of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Devin Setoguchi for scoring, but they also can count points from their blue line. San Jose is just the fourth team in NHL history to have four defensemen with 30 assists – newcomers Dan Boyle (41) and Rob Blake (35), Christian Ehrhoff (34) and Marc-Edouard Vlasic (30).

Of course, the Sharks will go nowhere without Evgeni Nabokov at the top of his game. He led the league with 46 wins a year ago, and still posted 41 this season despite missing 14 games with flu and the ever-enigmatic “lower-body injury.”

Nabokov will have his hands full with the line of Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry. That trio combined for 17 goals and 21 assists over the final eight games. Ryan, selected second behind Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby in 2005, will almost certainly be a Calder Trophy finalist after finishing with 31 goals in 64 games.

The Ducks haven’t won a playoff series since lifting the Stanley Cup in 2007 against Ottawa, and what may ultimately doom them this season is goaltending. I am not sold on Jonas Hiller despite the fact that he tied a franchise record by winning seven straight starts from March 19-April 4. Cup winning goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere finished with only 19 wins, snapping a streak of three straight 30-win seasons.

Do the Ducks have a chance? Of course – at this time of the year, you cannot count anyone out. If Anaheim can continue its late-season mastery on the power play, then they certainly have a shot. The Ducks converted 41.7% of its chances with the man adavantage, going 20 for 48 over the final 13 games.

(2) Detroit Red Wings (51-20-10,
1st, Central) vs. (7) Columbus Blue
Jackets (41-31-10, 4th, Central)

2008-09 SERIES: Teams split, 3-3-0

LEADERS: Detroit – Pavel Datsyuk (5 GP, 1G, 7A); Henrik
Zetterberg (6 GP, 3G. 3A); Marian Hossa (5 GP, 5G, 2 GWG); Chris
Osgood (5 GP, 2-2-1, 3.37 GAA); Ty Conklin (2 GP, 1-0-0, 0.79 GAA).
Columbus – Rick Nash (6 GP, 6A); Fedor Tyutin (6 GP, 2G, 2A); R.J.
Umberger (6 GP, 2G, 2A); Jakub Voracek (6 GP, 1G, 3A); Steve Mason (5
GP, 3-2-0, 2.38 GAA).

THE PICK: Detroit in 7. The reigning Stanley Cup champion that
has won it all four times in the last 11 years versus the only NHL
team that has yet to appear in a playoff game.

Screams mistmach, right? Not so fast. Detroit will prevail, but it will not be easy, and perhaps unlike three years ago, they know it now.

“We're taking this seriously,'' Henrik Zetterberg said Tuesday. “The first round is tough.”

In 2006, the Red Wings entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed – and were dispatched in seven games by eighth-seeded Edmonton. This season, Detroit will lean on high-scoring Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk to make up for deficiencies by Chris Osgood and Ty Conklin in goal.

The wild card in all this will be Marian Hossa.

Playing with Pittsburgh last season, he finished third in playoff scoring with 26 points, but watched as the Red Wings won the Cup again. Spurning a more lucrative offer from the Penguins, Hossa inked a one-year deal with the Wings, saying he had a better chance of winning a championship with them – an odd statement considering who’s on that team.

A good start against the Blue Jackets will help. Hossa had five goals in five games against them including two game-winning tallies. The Red Wings are trying to become the first champions to repeat since, well, they did back in 1997 and ’98.

Columbus, meanwhile, is crashing the playoff party for the first time after setting franchise records with 41 wins, 92 points and 226 goals scored.

The key to their breakout season, though, has been goaltender Steve Mason, the likely Calder Trophy winner as rookie of the year. Mason finished with 33 wins, a league-best 10 shutouts and a 2.29 goals-against average that was good for second in the NHL.

On offense, the Blue Jackets will look to captain Rick Nash, who had 40 goals and a career-high 79 points. He had an unassisted hat trick Columbus’ 8-2 rout of the Red Wings in Detroit on March 7.

The addition of second-line center Antoine Vermette also has been a boost. In 17 games after being acquired at the trade deadline from Ottawa, Vermette had seven goals, six assists and was a plus-5. In 62 games with the Senators, he had nine goals, 19 assists and was minus-12.

Columbus also has a Stanley Cup winning coach in Ken Hitchcock, a decade removed from leading Dallas to its only title. But while the Blue Jackets have talent, they don’t have the overall body of experience.

The last team to make their postseason debut was Atlanta in the 2007 Eastern Conference quarterfinals, and they were outscored 17-6 while being swept by the New York Rangers.

(3) Vancouver Canucks (45-27-10,
1st, Northwest) vs. (6) St. Louis Blues
(41-31-10, 3rd, Central)

2008-09 SERIES: Teams split, 2-2-0

LEADERS: Vancouver – Daniel Sedin (4 GP, 1G, 4A); Henrik Sedin
(4 GP, 1G, 4A); Willie Mitchell (4 GP, 2G, 2A); Alex Burrows (4 GP,
3G); Roberto Luongo (3 GP, 2-1-0, 2.67 GAA, 1 SO); Jason LaBarbera (1
GP, 0-1-0, 6.00 GAA). St. Louis – Patrik Berglund (4 GP, 1G, 5A); T.J.
Oshie (4 GP, 2G, 3A); Carlo Coliacovo (4 GP, 4A); Keith Tkachuk (4 GP,
1G, 3A); Chris Mason (3 GP, 1-2-0, 3.43 GAA).

THE PICK: Vancouver in 7. Two of the hottest teams to close out the regular season will square off for the third time in postseason play.

The Canucks and Blues went seven games in the 1995 and 2003 Western Conference quarterfinals, with Vancouver winning each time. This series should be no less entertaining thanks to goaltenders Roberto Luongo and Chris Mason.

In his final 30 games, Luongo was 22-6-2 with a 2.20 goals-against average. He also comes in on a shutout streak of 185 minutes, 16 seconds. Though he missed two months earlier this season with a groin injury, Luongo still totaled 33 wins and was second in the league with nine shutouts.

Mason started his first season with St. Louis as a backup, but took over after Manny Legace was released on Feb. 7, and responded by going 20-7-4 with a 2.26 GAA, and also heads into the postseason off a shutout win, his third in that span.

With Luongo and Mason playing well, a low-scoring series could be on tap.

Twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin were tied for the team lead with 82 points, and they combined for 15 game-winning goals. Mats Sundin, who finished with nine goals and 19 assists in 41 games after joining the club in December, will be making his first playoff appearance since 2004 with Toronto.

That’s also when the Blues made their last postseason appearance, and they could be a little stunned to find themselves there. Defenseman Eric Brewer (back) and high-scoring Paul Kariya (hip) combined to play in only 39 games, and a severe knee injury kept highly touted blueliner Erik Johnson out for the season.

Brad Boyes finished with 33 goals, and David Backes added 31 including four in a late-season win over Detroit. Keith Tkachuk reached 25 goals for the 13th time in his career.

This shapes up at the best first-round matchup in the West

(4) Chicago Blackhawks
(45-24-12, 2nd, Central) vs. (5) Calgary
Flames (46-36-10, 2nd, Northwest)

2008-09 SERIES: Chicago, 4-0-0

LEADERS: Chicago – Martin Havlat (4 GP, 2G, 4A); Andrew Ladd (4
GP, 2G, 4A); Nikolai Khabibulin (3 GP, 3-0-0, 2.00 GAA); Cristobal
Huet (1 GP, 1-0-0, 1.00 GAA). Calgary – Todd Bertuzzi (4 GP, 2G, 1A);
Rene Bourque (4 GP, 1G, 2A); Jarome Iginla (4 GP, 3A); Miikka
Kiprusoff (4 GP, 0-3-1, 4.66 GAA).

THE PICK: Chicago in 6. The continued revival of the Blackhawks made them the feel-good story in the NHL this season.

With Joel Quenneville taking over for the fired Denis Savard four games into the season, Chicago is back in the playoffs for the first time in seven years – the longest drought by any team coming out of the Western Conference.

While youngsters Patrick Kane (70 points) and captain Jonathan Toews (34 goals including seven game-winners) are two driving forces, the Blackhawks have plenty of players with deep playoff experience, including Sammy Pahlsson, Nikolai Khabibulin, Martin Havlat and Brian Campbell.

Khabibulin will be the key. After largely underachieving during his first three seasons, he put it all together in the final year of his contract by going 25-8-7 with a 2.33 goals-against average and three shutouts. At the United Center, he allowed two goals or less 13 times.

At the other end of the ice is Miikka Kiprusoff, the league leader with 45 wins. Though he could be in line for the Vezina Trophy, Kiprusoff hasn’t posted back-to-back wins since March 3-5.

Kiprusoff and the Flames lost to Khabibulin, then with Tampa Bay, in the 2004 Stanley Cup final.

The Flames pulled off the biggest deal at the trade deadline by acquiring Olli Jokinen from Phoenix, but he’s never played a postseason game. He started off with eight goals and two assists in his first six games with his new team, but cooled off considerably after that – five assists in 13 contests.

Calgary, though, does have Jarome Iginla, who became the franchise’s scoring leader this season. A seven-time 35-goal scorer, the Flames’ captain comes into the playoffs averaging nearly a point per game.

Eastern Conference predictions

2009-04-13T15:04:00.025-05:00

After 6 1/2 months, the real season gets underway on Wednesday. First to 16 wins it all ...

(1) Boston Bruins (52-19-10, 1st, Northeast) vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens (41-30-11, 2nd, Northeast)

2008-09 SERIES: Boston, 5-0-1

LEADERS: Boston - Zdeno Chara (6 GP, 3G, 3A), Marc Savard, (6 GP, 3 G); Tim Thomas (5 GP, 4-0-1, 2.12 GAA), Manny Fernandez (1 GP, 1-0-0, 1.00 GAA). Montreal – Andrei Kostitsyn (6 GP, 2G, 2A); Andrei Markov (5 GP, 4A) Carey Price (5 GP, 1-2-2, 3.46 GAA), Jaroslav Halak (1 GP, 0-1-0, 3.05 GAA).

THE PICK: Boston in 5. Someone is going to go home disappointed, and it will be the Canadiens as their centennial season will ends without their 24th Stanley Cup.

Boston, meanwhile, will be looking for its first playoff series win since 1999 and Stanley Cup since 1972.

The 32nd playoff meeting between these Original Six clubs has been a one-sided affair with Boston taking 24 of the previous 31 series. Simply put, the Eastern Conference champion Bruins have way too much firepower for the Canadiens, and especially goaltender Carey Price, who’s been very shaky since returning from an ankle injury in January.

Boston had a season-high 20-goal scorers in 2008-09, and the addition of Mark Recchi cannot be understated enough. Recchi has 47 goals and 70 assists in the postseason. Without him, Boston’s current career playoff scoring leader is Stephane Yelle with 11 goals and 20 assists.

The Canadiens hope Alex Kovalev will be able to continue his playoff mastery – he’s scored 42 goals with 53 assists in 112 games. Kovalev, the MVP of the All-Star game played this season in Montreal, was the Habs’ leading scorer for the second straight season with 26 goals and 39 assists.

What was supposed to be a celebratory season has hardly resembled that for the Canadiens. Among the lowlights were the alleged involvement of the Bros. Kostitsyn with an organized crime outfit, injuries to Alex Tanguay and Robert Lang, and the late-season firing of coach Guy Carbonneau. General manager Bob Gainey was 6-6-4 behind the bench, but Montreal is a fragile team heading into the playoffs.

(2) Washington Capitals (50-24-8, 1st, Southeast) vs. (7) New York Rangers (42-30-9, 4th, Atlantic)

2008-09 SERIES: Washington, 3-0-1

LEADERS: Washington – Alex Ovechkin (4 GP, 3G, 2A); Mike Green (3 GP, 3G); Niklas Backstrom (4 GP, 5A); Jose Theodore (3 GP, 2-0-1, 3.05 GAA) New York - Ryan Callahan (4 GP, 3G, 1A); Chris Drury, Brandon Dubinsky, Scott Gomez (4 GP, 3A); Henrik Lundqvist (3 GP, 1-1-1, 3.57 GAA).

THE PICK: Washington in 6. While the Rangers have the advantage in goal – I’ll take Henrik Lundqvist and his career-high 38 wins on his worst day over the Jose Theodore and backups Simeon Varlmov and Michael Neuvirth – the Capitals simply have the offensive weapons that will help them to their first playoff series win since 1998.

Start with Alex Ovechkin, the repeat Maurice Richard Trophy-winner with 56 goals, and Mike Green, the leader among all defensemen with 31 tallies. Add Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin, and Washington has four players each averaging a point per game for the first time since the 1995-96 Pittsburgh Penguins (Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Ron Francis and Petr Nedved).

Though he’s now 39, don’t overlook Sergei Federov. In 169 playoff games, the 1993-94 Hart Trophy winner has 51 goals and 117 assists.

At some point years from now, New York will probably add Ovechkin and Green. For now, though, the Rangers head into the postseason without a 30-goal or 60-point scorer and will rely on Lundqvist and the NHL’s top penalty-killing unit.

Chris Drury and Scott Gomez have combined for 71 playoff goals in 231 games. Drury had 10 power-play goals and Gomez seven game-winners to lead the Rangers in those respective categories.

New York added Nik Antropov, Sean Avery and Derek Morris at the trade deadline, and they all seemed to thrive. Antropov had seven goals, Avery 12 points and Morris eight assists in helping the Rangers to an 11-6-1 mark.

The addition of Stanley Cup-winning coach John Tortorella on Feb. 23 to replace the fired Tom Renney resulted in the Rangers going 12-7-2 over the final quarter of the season. He’ll be staring daggers for much of this series.

(3) New Jersey Devils (51-27-4, 1st, Atlantic) vs. (6) Carolina Hurricanes (45-30-7, 2nd, Southeast)

2008-09 SERIES: Carolina, 3-1-0

LEADERS: New Jersey – Patrik Elias (4 GP, 2G, 2A); Brian Rolston (4 GP, 4A); Martin Brodeur (2 GP 1-1-0, 2.03 GAA); Scott Clemmensen (1 GP, 0-1-0, 3.21 GAA). Carolina – Rod Brind’Amour (4 GP, 6A); Anton Babchuk (4 GP, 4G, 1A); Sergei Samsonov (4 GP, 3G, 1A); Cam Ward (3 GP, 3-0-0, 1.67 GAA); Michael Leighton (1 GP, 1-0-0, 3.05 GAA).

THE PICK: Carolina in 7. Sure, Martin Brodeur’s story this season was a feel-good one: Returning after missing 50 games with the first major injury of his career to break Patrick Roy’s all-tiime wins record and move two shutouts of Terry Sawchuk’s career mark.

But Brodeur has looked awfully mortal down the stretch. In seven losses since March 22, the three-time Stanley Cup winner has surrendered 26 goals for a 3.70 goals-against average. Despite all that, Brodeur is 95-74 with a 1.96 GAA and 22 shutouts in his postseason career, so you can’t discount him completely.

If Brodeur falters, Scott Clemmensen showed he’s more than up to the task. With Brodeur sidelined Clemmensen was 25-13-1 and became the only other goalie in franchise history with shutouts in consecutive games.

Zach Parise enjoyed a breakout season, leading New Jersey in almost every major category including 45 goals and 94 points. But he has only nine goals and nine assists in 25 playoff contests.

The Hurricanes also have a battle-ready goaltender in Cam Ward. The Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy winner himself, Ward was 17-4-2 with a 2.13 GAA since Feb. 19, and won a franchise-record nine straight starts over the last three weeks of 2008-09.

Carolina also has Eric Staal, a 40-goal scorer for the fifth straight season. How important was he to the ‘Canes’ furious drive to get into the playoffs for the first time since their championship season? He had 13 goals and 16 assists in the last 20 games, and Carolina was 22-3-2 when he scored a goal.

Something to keep in mind for overtime pools: Staal had eight game-winning goals.

The Devils and Hurricanes have meet three previous times in the playoffs, with the series winner appearing in the Eastern Conference final each time.

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins (45-28-9, 2nd, Atlantic) vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers (44-26-11, 3rd, Atlantic)

2008-09 SERIES: Pittsburgh, 4-0-2

LEADERS: Pittsburgh – Sidney Crosby (6 GP, 4G, 5A); Evgeni Malkin (6 GP, 3G, 4A); Marc-Andre Fleury (5 GP, 3-1-0, 2.96 GAA). Philadelphia – Jeff Carter (6 GP, 3G, 5A); Mike Richards (6 GP, 2G, 5A); Kimmo Timonen (6 GP, 7A); Martin Biron (5 GP, 2-2-1, 3.37 GAA); Antero Niittymaki (1 GP, 0-0-1, 2.77 GAA).

THE PICK: Pittsburgh in 7. A rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference finals, this easily could be the best quarterfinal series this year.

The Keystone State rivals couldn’t be more evenly matched. Each team scored 264 goals this season, the Penguins allowed 239 – one more than the Flyers. Pittsburgh had 25 wins at home - one more than Philadelphia – and each team posted 20 road victories.

In Pittsburgh, the Penguins are powered by Art Ross Trophy winner Evegni Malkin (113 points) and Sidney Crosby (103). Philadelphia answers with a league-high six 25-goal scorers, including 46 from Jeff Carter with a league-leading 12 game-winners.

Add seven short-handed goals from captain Mike Richards and another 30-goal season from a finally healthy Simon Gagne, and the Flyers have the offensive weapons needed to match the Penguins.

The key, as always in the postseason, will be in goal – and that’s where Pittsburgh has the advantage with Marc-Andre Fleury over Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki.

Fleury was 9-1-2 with a 1.87 goals-against average in March, and 12-4-1 with a 2.71 GAA from Feb. 3-March 10. When giving up at least three goals, Biron was 11-16-3, while Niittymaki was 4-8-4.

Don’t miss any of these games.

NEXT: The Western Conference.

Playoff predictions ....

2009-04-10T19:14:00.002-05:00

Coming soon!

Walt Poddubny dies at 49

2009-03-21T21:28:00.002-05:00

Maybe it’s just the morbidity that goes with it, but in years of watching the wire, there is something that happens when you see ^AP-XXX—Obit-- come across.

Generally, it’s calling out to Altruda, “So-and-so died.”

“Saw that,” the usual response.

On Saturday night, it was Walt Poddubny. And he was just 49.

Who was he? Poddubny was one of those players who toiled for several years in the NHL, was dealt and flourished for a few seasons before moving back into relative obscurity as his career flamed out.

One of those guys that you forget about until you see a story like this and then say, “Yeah, he was pretty good for a while…”

From 1981-86, Poddubny had 59 goals with the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs, and played more than 38 games just once in that time. Not a particularly special player, in fact the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Web site said “once he was established, criticisms began to surface that Poddubny was a floater, guilty of inconsistent play before the injury bug struck, forcing him to miss many games during the seasons that followed.”

Traded to the New York Rangers, he had a career-high 40 goals and led the Blueshirts with 87 points while missing only five games. The next season, he had 38 goals and a team-best 88 points in 77 games.

In 1988-89, he landed with Quebec, and continued to thrive. He led the Nordqiues with 38 goals and was second with 75 points in 72 contests. Over the next three seasons, though, he would play just 54 games with the New Jersey Devils, totaling nine goals.

Out of the game at 31, Poddubny later coached in Anchorage, Alaska of the West Coast Hockey League.

The AP story said he died after collapsing in Thunder Bay, Ontario at his sisters’ home, where he had been living. Sad end and too soon.

Congratulations, Martin Brodeur

2009-03-17T19:58:00.007-05:00

¶ NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Martin Brodeur has set the NHL record for career victories by a goalie.

More of the same from Barry Zito

2009-03-15T22:17:00.009-05:00

The 2009 baseball season doesn’t get under way for another three weeks, but it’s already threatening to be another long one for the San Francisco Giants’ Barry Zito.

Add this to his last name – owner of the most onerous contract in the game today.

In 2007, the former Oakland Athletics left-hander crossed the bay, signing a seven-year deal with the Giants for $126 million. With the New York Yankees having completed their deal with oft-injured Carl Pavano (four years, $39.95 million … and 26 starts in pinstripes), Zito - a former Cy Young Award winner - now gives you the least bang for the buck.

In two seasons and with a minimum of 300 innings pitched, Zito is tied for the major league-lead with teammate Matt Cain for the most losses with 30. Zito’s 185 walks allowed in that span lead the National League and is second to Daniel Cabrera, now with the Washington Nationals.

Only 12 pitchers have had an ERA higher than Zito’s 4.83.

If the Giants could pawn Zito off, I’m sure they would jump at the chance. But which club in their right mind would take in a 30-year-old, regardless of his being a southpaw, who’s still owed $90 million and getting worse each season?

So far this spring for Zito? It’s been more of the same, and all bad. On Sunday, he gave up six runs and 10 hits in five innings of a loss to the Kansas City Royals.

"Honestly, you want to produce results and you want to come out and make a statement, and that's something that didn't go on today," Zito said. "I learned last year to not put too much stock into what else goes on outside the clubhouse and just to stay with my routine."

In four spring starts, Zito has allowed 11 earned runs in 13 2-3 innings – an ERA of 7.24 for those keeping score at home.

Guess he’s staying with the routine.

551 down, 1 to go for Marty

2009-03-15T00:20:00.005-05:00

Is there any doubt that when Martin Brodeur next takes the ice, he’s going to become the all-time winningest goaltender in NHL history?

The stats seem to say no doubt whatsoever.

Brodeur’s first crack to pass Patrick Roy with career win No. 552 comes Tuesday night at the Prudential Center where the New Jersey Devils will meet the Chicago Blackhawks – a team the four-time Vezina Trophy winner has handled with ease for nearly a decade.

In eight career games versus the Blackhawks stretching back to December 1999, Brodeur is 7-0-0 with a tie, a shutout and 1.46 goals-against average.

That’s a stark turnaround from the start of his career when he couldn’t buy a ‘W’. In his first six games against the ‘Hawks, Brodeur was 0-2-0 with three ties and a 2.58 GAA.

He probably not yet looking ahead, instead being content with tying the wins mark in his hometown and against the team Roy broke in with and was a star for more than a decade.

"Feels pretty good," Brodeur said after a 22-save effort Saturday night in a 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. "When the puck dropped it was fine. Maybe I got butterflies late in the game, but when we scored the third goal I thought, 'OK, maybe this could be it.'

"The game was so tight for so long that I didn't start thinking outside the box. I really wanted to make sure I was on my game."

Roy helped Montreal to Stanley Cup wins in 1986 and 1993, when he won 10 straight overtime games en route to the second of his three Conn Smythe Trophies. Less than two years later, Roy would be dealt to the Colorado Avalanche within days of telling team president Ronald Corey that he was through with the Habs after being torched for nine goals in a 11-1 loss to Detroit.

Now a co-owner and coach of a junior team in Quebec City, Roy watched Brodeur match the record.

"I’m happy to be here tonight and see it happen," Roy said. "Nothing against Montreal—I know Montreal is in the middle of a big race—but I think it’s a great moment in the game and I’m sure Marty is very excited to see it happen in his hometown in front of his family."

And a very classy move by the Canadiens’ fans giving Brodeur, a three-time Stanley Cup winner, a standing ovation.

He can expect at least one more early next week.

Mount Tortorella blows off steam

2009-03-13T23:27:00.008-05:00

When the New York Rangers hired John Tortorella to replace the fired Tom Renney last month, two questions immediately crossed my mind.

1. Which European would be the first to be blistered by the notoriously hot-headed coach?

2. When would said blistering occur?

The answers: Nikolai Zherdev and Thursday night.

As a Rangers fan – yeah, I live in Chicago, and yeah, I’ve adopted the Blackhawks – I have been waiting for years for there to be some consequence for laziness and poor play.

General manager Glen Sather, when he’s not bailing his former boss out of jail, certainly wasn’t going to do it. Neither would Renney, who was like the kid trying to show his big brother that he was all grown up and could handle himself.

Except that the players seemed to tune him out, a time-tested way to get a coach axed.

A 5-0-0 start notwithstanding, the Rangers needed a kick in the ass. Well, they got one now. And if I’m one who fails to play hard, smart and with an edge, I surely don’t want to the skating back to the bench seeing that set line of his mouth and the steely glare of a man that commands – make that, demands – accountability.

For the first time since joining New York, Mount Tortorella blew in Music City.

With his team trailing 2-1 after one period in Nashville, Tortorella lit into his team causing at least one overpriced and undersized veteran to sit up and take notice.

“He wasn’t happy after the first period,” Scott Gomez said. “It has been a while since I’ve heard a speech like that. We were playing too timid. Nashville had the 2-1 lead and we thought it was over.

“He let us know what it is going to be like from now on. He lit into all of us. We were feeling sorry for ourselves and he spotted that right away. He called us out. I thought we responded well.”

New York went on to a 4-2 win without the services of Zherdev, who was benched for the remainder of the game after a turnover led to a Predators goal.

Zherdev, tied with Gomez for the team lead with 51 points, is soft. Part of the reason he was dealt from the Columbus Blue Jackets was his inability to get along with Ken Hitchcock, who like Tortorella holds players accountable.

Picked fourth overall in 2003, Zherdev has never lived up to that billing, averaging fewer than 20 goals in his first four seasons. After scoring five goals in first month of the season, he has just 19 so far and it will bear watching how he responds to this latest round of crticism.

I’m thinking turtle.

Definitely not the Tortorella way.

What goes on in Vegas ...

2009-03-13T20:26:00.003-05:00

See, this is just another reason why I hate Gary Bettman. This story crossed on the wire at work earlier tonight:

¶ NEW YORK (AP) - The NHL is moving its annual awards show from Toronto to Las Vegas.
¶ Part of a three-year deal with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority announced Friday, this year's show will be held June 18 at the Palms Hotel.
¶ “Las Vegas specializes in shining the spotlight on outstanding performers,'' NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. ``It's innate energy offers an exciting setting for our celebration of excellence.”

Two words. Bull. Shit.

So, again, you take this out of a traditional NHL market to a non-traditional one.

Like moving the Jets here. Or putting expansion teams here, here, and also here.

Nice going.

My condolences - again - to the people of Canada for taking another piece of what's precious to them.

Brodeur on the cusp of hockey immortality

2009-03-13T06:57:00.010-05:00

It’s almost too perfect. Kinda Hollywood, in fact.

What looked like a lost season for Martin Brodeur can still have a storybook ending.

The resume already is impressive: Four Vezina Trophies, three Stanley Cups, Olympic gold, World championships. And now he’s approaching the cusp of one of hockey’s most hallowed records for goaltenders, the first of two he will eventually own.

On Saturday night, Brodeur will try to tie Patrick Roy’s all-time record of 551 regular-season wins as the New Jersey Devils take on the Montreal Canadiens.

Oh, and Brodeur gets his first crack at that record in his hometown. And against the team Roy starred for over the first 11-plus seasons of his illustrious career.

“It just adds to the story. You can’t ask for a better script,” Brodeur said Thursday after making 26 saves in an easy 5-2 win over the Phoenix Coyotes. “Everything happens for a reason. I just want to be able to put this all behind me. It feels good to be back playing and to get a chance like this.”

Just that he’s reached this point is remarkable. On Nov. 1, the seven-time 40-game winner played fewer then 27 minutes in a victory over the Atlanta Thrashers before leaving with what looked like a harmless injury.

Of course it was harmless. From 1997 through 2008, Brodeur was a workhorse, averaging 73 games a season. Sure, there was the one game missed in 2000 due to a groin injury, and the six games he was sidelined in 2005 to a sprained right knee. But the closest thing to Superman was the guy with the red jersey and the No. 30 on his back.

So when it was revealed he had a torn biceps tendon – an injury requiring surgery and one that would keep him out 50 games – it was not only thought the Devils’ season was shot, Brodeur’s chase of Roy’s record would have to wait until early next season.

Perhaps Superman thought … or knew … better.

He returned on Feb. 26, and stopped all 24 shots to blank the Colorado Avalanche. After an easy win over the Florida Panthers, Brodeur made 27 saves for his 100th shutout, a 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.

“My expectations weren't that big. I just wanted to go out and feel good and be second nature again playing hockey,” the 36-year-old Brodeur said. “It's been for so long that I haven't played games, I was a little worried how I was going to feel in there.

“After the first game, that was pretty tough. Second and third game, I just felt natural in there. I felt that I belonged, you know, in the games and stuff.”

In seven starts since coming back, Brodeur is 6-1-0 with a 2.08 goals-against average, a figure inflated because he permitted six goals in a loss to the league-worst New York Islanders on Saturday.

Eclipsing the wins record will happen, but don’t put it past Brodeur to break a longer-standing record this season. With four more shutouts, Terry Sawchuk’s career record of 103 will fall by the wayside as well.

Roy and Sawchuk, whose career spanned four decades, are Hall of Famers. Brodeur isn’t quite ready to have his name uttered in the same breath yet.

“It's never comfortable to hear that. When people tell you stuff like that, you don't like to believe it,” Brodeur said. “I think I'm going to go and try to accomplish some pretty big milestones or establish some records. I mean, it's normal that people will talk about it.

“But I don't think as an athlete you can see yourself like that. I think if you do, it's not the right way to approach who you are, where you want to be. I think you really have to stay humble when these things are approaching.”

Brodeur is 34-15-0 with five ties, eight shutouts and a 1.80 GAA in his career against his hometown team. He’s also permitted 10 goals while dropping three straight against the Habs.

"It's definitely going to be a different atmosphere, but I expect that there," Brodeur said. "I'll try to be the same.”

'Canes and Wings ... oh, my

2009-03-08T01:20:00.007-06:00

Some observations from Saturday night …

If Eric Staal is starting to heat up, the Carolina Hurricanes could be hard to stop in the Eastern Confernce.

Staal tied franchise records with four goals and six points in the ‘Canes’ 9-3 rout of the Tampa Bay Lightning. That pushed the Hurricanes from 10th to seventh in the East.

Linemate Tuomo Ruutu had two goals and three assists for a career-high five points, and Erik Cole - back with Carolina after being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers last week in a three-team swap - had four assists.

With the win, Carolina put quite an exclamation point on the franchise’s first season series-sweep of Tampa Bay since the Hartford Whalers turned the trick 12 seasons ago.

Don’t look now, but things are turning sour for the defending Stanley Cup champions.

For the second straight Saturday, Detroit was lit up for eight goals. This week, they lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets 8-2 as Rick Nash posted his second hat trick of the season against the Red Wings.

From the ‘you might wanna get a body on him’ department: All three of Nash’s goals were unassisted.

On Feb. 28, the Red Wings were crushed 8-0 by the Nashville Predators as Jason Arnott had a three-goal game.

The goaltending in the Motor City has been a question all season in spite the Wings’ 43-15-8 record.

Yes, they’re going to win the Central Division for the eighth straight season. Yes, they’ll eclipse 100 points for the ninth consecutive campaign – though all that means is your team can dominate a regular-season slate.

Ty Conklin and Chris Osgood to get those last 16 wins before lifting another Cup? Don’t think so.

Haymaker, haymaker

2009-03-05T02:51:00.001-06:00

I don't normally advocate fighting in the NHL. To me, it's a by-product of the game.

This was one of the best in years ...

Wheeling and dealing

2009-03-04T19:35:00.022-06:00

The trade deadline for 2009 has gone, and there were some surprises – Florida keeping Jay Bouwmeester. Montreal and Vancouver standing pat – and some that weren’t, such as graybeards Bill Guerin and Mark Recchi being moved to teams making a playoff push.

I won’t analyze every deal, but here are some highlights:

CALGARY ACQUIRES OLLI JOKINEN AND A THIRD-ROUND PICK FROM PHOENIX FOR MATTHEW LOMBARDI, BRANDON PRUST AND A CONDITIONAL FIRST-ROUND DRAFT PICK

WHAT THE FLAMES GET: Unknown … kind of. Though he’s appeared in 780 career games, Jokinen – who played for Mike Keenan in Florida – has never been to the postseason. The Flames will continue rely on Jarome Iginla and Michael Cammalleri for much of the offense, and Jokinen is a nice complementary piece with Todd Bertuzzi and Rene Bourque. Make no mistake, though, the Flames’ playoff hopes will rest squarely on the shoulders of goalie Miikka Kiprusoff.

WHAT THE COYOTES GET: Cheaper and smaller. The Coyotes were in full salary dump mode. Lombardi doesn’t score a lot. Prust provides pestiness (79 penalty minutes in 25 games), but not much beyond that.

PHILADELPHIA ACQUIRES DANIEL CARCILLO FROM PHOENIX FOR SCOTTIE UPSHALL AND A SECOND-ROUND DRAFT PICK

WHAT THE FLYERS GET: Tougher. Carcillo leads the league with 174 penalty minutes this season, and also is the NHL’s leader in that category since breaking into the league in 2006 with 572. Had 13 goals in 57 games last season, but down to only three in '08-'09. Scoring will not be his primary focus.

WHAT THE COYOTES GET: Underachiever. Picked sixth overall in 2002, Upshall flamed out in Nashville and again in Philadelphia, who acquired him in a deal for Peter Forsberg. Upshall 38 goals and 55 assists in 211 games over six seasons, but is just 25, so perhaps he can find hope in Arizona.

OTTAWA ACQUIRES PASCAL LECLAIRE FROM COLUMBUS FOR ANTOINE VERMETTE

WHAT THE SENATORS GET: Some stability. Martin Gerber is gone (finally), Brian Elliott is young, and Alex Auld – while considered one of the nicer guys in the league – just plain sucks. Leclaire was Wally Pipp-ed out of Columbus due to injuries and the emergence of likely Calder Trophy winner Steve Mason, and currently is out after undergoing ankle surgery in January. Broke out with 24 wins, a 2.25 goals-against average and nine shutouts last season with the Blue Jackets. Possibly a No. 1 in Canada’s capital? For now, as this will give Elliott more time to develop.

WHAT THE BLUE JACKETS GET: Playmaker. His production has fallen off this season, as Ottawa has just been awful. Vermetter but could benefit from playing with scorers Rick Nash and Kristian Huselius. Signed through next season, Vermette has speed and can kill penalties.

NEW YORK RANGERS ACQUIRE NIK ANTROPOV FROM TORONTO FOR A SECOND-ROUND PICK

WHAT THE RANGERS GET: Offense? With 21 goals, Antropov now becomes the Rangers’ leading scorer. He needs 11 more points to eclipse his career
high of 56 set last season, but at 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, it seems like he should be more of a force on offense. Read: soft, like Nikolai Zherdev. Antropov will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, so this could be more of a tryout.

NEW YORK RANGERS ACQUIRE DEREK MORRIS FROM PHOENIX FOR PETR PRUCHA, NIGEL DAWES AND DMITRI KALININ

WHAT THE RANGERS GET: Rid of Kalinin, for one, who was a misfit in New York like overpaid defensemen Stephane Quintal and Sylvain Lefebvre before him. Morris, like Antropov, is a UFA on July 1, so if he can show some scoring touch and rock-solid defense, he'll be a welcome addition to the blue line.

WHAT THE COYOTES GET: More pieces for the future. Prucha had 30 goals as a rookie in 2005-06, but has totaled 33 in two-plus seasons since then. Dawes is 5-foot-8, and that’s a stretch, but has 10 goals. Kalinin is big (6-foot-3), injury-prone (averaged 60 games over the past three seasons) and little else.

As for the smaller deals, there were some interesting ones as well. With Ryan Miller (ankle) out for know, Buffalo shored up its goaltending situation by getting Mikael Tellqvist from Phoenix.

Though they’re going to miss the postseason for the fourth straight year, the Maple Leafs also addressed instability in net. With Vesa Toskala likely out for the season (hip and groin surgery), Curtis Joseph being ancient and Justin Pogge not yet ready, the Leafs picked up Gerber off waivers from Ottawa.

I can already hear Altruda calling out ‘Swiss Miss.’

In a separate deal with Tampa Bay, the Leafs picked up Olaf Kolzig, who’s also done for the season.

With all the trades the Coyotes made, and their finances in questions, they’ve quickly become a shell of a team that up until recently was a legitimate playoff contender.

Perhaps it’s time to for the NHL to step in, admit Desert Storm was a failure and look at moving this franchise to Kansas City.

Or, dare I say, back to the ‘Peg where they belong.

Kiprusoff ... Backstrom ... Rinne?

2009-02-28T22:21:00.009-06:00

Finland has sent its share of goaltending talent to the NHL in recent years.

Perhaps it’s time to add Pekka Rinne to that list.

He made 30 saves to earn his 20th win and sixth shutout of the season Saturday night as the Nashville Predators rolled to an 8-0 rout of the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings.

“It’s not going to happen every day that you have a game like that,” Rinne said. “We just executed really well. We were well prepared for this game. But after leading 5-0 in the first period we were wondering what was going on.”

Still, that may have helped the 6-foot-5 Rinne, an eighth-round pick taken 258th overall in 2004, cement rookie of the month honors. In February, he went 9-2-1 with a 1.72 goals-against average, and will enter March having recorded two whitewashes in his last four starts.

“When you have a chance to have a shutout you do everything you can to keep a zero on the scoreboard. At the end that was my personal motivation," Rinne said.

More important, Rinne appears to have moved ahead of Dan Ellis to become the starter for longtime coach Barry Trotz as the Predators make a push for a playoff spot in the crowded Western Conference - the one in which just 13 points separate fifth place from dead last.

At 26, Rinne is not a youngster, but he seems to be looking more like Miikka Kiprusoff or Niklas Backstrom than Vesa Toskala or Kari Lehtonen.

Joy and sorrow on both sides of the Hudson

2009-02-26T22:38:00.008-06:00

On one side of the Hudson River, there was joy Thursday night.

On the other side, there was that eerie calm before the hurricane – tornado, tsunami, pick your disaster – hits.

In Newark, Martin Brodeur made a triumphant retun from elbow surgery that sidelined him since early November by stopping 24 shots to lead the New Jersey Devils to a 4-0 win over the Colorado Avalanche.

Not only was it Brodeur’s third shutout in 11 games this season, it was also the 99th of his career, leaving him five short of breaking Terry Sawchuk’s NHL record. Brodeur, who missed 50 games after suffering the first major injury of his career, also posted his 545th regular-season victory, and needs seven more to break Patrick Roy’s all-time mark.

Like he never left, right?

"It was an exciting night to get out there and perform," Brodeur said. "I was really anxious all day, more nervous that I thought I was going to be. We pulled it off. It was nice to score early in the game. I didn't get much work. It was a nice game to play."

On Seventh Avenue, meanwhile, John Tortorella watched his team self-destruct … AGAIN.

Tortorella fell to 0-1-1 as coach of the New York Rangers after a 2-1 loss to the Florida Panthers at Madison Square Garden.

One night earlier in his debut behind the Rangers bench, Tortorella saw them fall 2-1 in overtime to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Following that loss, Tortorella – he of the legendary temper – said he was concerned about his club’s conditioning after they blew a one-goal lead in the third period.

He backtracked a little after seeing the Rangers allow two goals in a one-minute span late against the Panthers.

“I'm not upset with them ... we just are struggling to score a goal,” Tortorella said. “I'm looking forward to keep growing with the team, because I think they have picked up how we want to play very well. We just can't finish.”

You think? New York has dropped 12 of 14, and has been held to two goals or less in 12 of them – all losses.

Torts will try again for his first win on Saturday against Colorado. The Rangers have lost three straight at home to the Avalanche, all by one goal and two in overtime.

Toy run '09 ....

2009-02-24T18:42:00.004-06:00

It's time for another run ... and for those who have no idea what I'm talking about just click here

Question is how do I get over the border this time??

You're fired (no, not me)

2009-02-23T19:44:00.006-06:00

The start of this season saw the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins play in Sweden while the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning took the ice in the Czech Republic.

Today, the four coaches of those clubs are all out of work.

The underachieving Rangers on Monday fired Tom Renney with the team mired in a 2-7-3 skid. Earlier this season, the Lightning axed Barry Melrose after 16 games, the Sens pulled the plug on Craig Hartsburg after 48, and the Penguins let go of Michel Therrien less than a year after he guided them to the Stanley Cup finals.

After 12 seasons away from coaching, Melrose was a bad fit. The same can be said for Hartsburg in Canada’s capital. Therrien? You’d think that any team with players like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on the roster would translate to job security – instead the Penguins proved they desperately miss a veteran scorer like Marian Hossa.

For the Rangers, this was a move that needed to be made, but shouldn’t be the last either. General manager Glen Sather needs to be shown the door as well.

Chris Drury and Scott Gomez for more than $80 million? Wade Redden – six years, $39 million? That’s why.

Keep in mind the Blueshirts opened the post-Jaromir Jagr/Brendan Shanahan era with five straight regulation wins, and while an overall mark of 31-23-7 is not bad, they’re one of four teams without a 20-goal scorer, joining Minnesota, Edmonton and the New York Islanders.

In fact the Rangers have lost 11 in a row (0-8-3) when scoring two goals or less. Kind of brings into focus why they’re closer to being out of the playoff mix rather than contending for the Atlantic Division.

No three-hour practice is going to fix that.

Now that Stanley Cup-winner John Tortorella is behind the bench, the Club Med days on Seventh Avenue will end immediately. (Cue Altruda – “I’m tired of the whining…”)

Tortorella doesn’t expect respect – he commands it. But, there is no Vincent Lecavalier on this team, so it will be interesting to see how much patience Tortorella will have.

Rangers ax Renney ... now, why hasn't Sather joined him?

2009-02-23T12:41:00.002-06:00

From ESPN.com ... one down, one to go.

The New York Rangers have fired Tom Renney after five seasons at the helm of the suddenly struggling team.

The New York Rangers hired Tom Renney during the 2003-04 season.

The Rangers had dropped to 31-23-7 after a stretch in which they lost 10 of their past 12 games, slipping to sixth place in the East after starting the season winning 10 of 13.

Renney was 164-121-42 with the Rangers.

The top eight teams of each conference make the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The team had not announced Renney's replacemen.

The Rangers also fired assistant coach Perry Pearn. Assistant Mike Pelino and goalie coach Benoit Allaire remain with the team.

The Rangers lost 3-2 in overtime to the Toronto Maple Leafs in New York on Sunday.

"We played hard," Renney said Sunday night. "We outshot this team significantly, we made a couple of mistakes that are in our game right now that we're going to continue to try to rectify.

"We are going to keep playing hard and we're going to stay the course and go after wins."

The Rangers conclude a four-game season series with the Maple Leafs on Wednesday night in Toronto.

Last week, division rival Pittsburgh fired coach Michel Therrien.

Sundin couldn't script it better

2009-02-22T01:08:00.003-06:00

You have to wonder if Mats Sundin is mentally flipping off Cliff Fletcher.

What’s Swedish for “waive this”?

The revolving door in Philly

2009-02-20T00:52:00.009-06:00

I read a piece yesterday on TSN.ca that stated the Philadelphia Flyers are considering a deal for Atlanta Thrashers goaltender Kari Lehtonen.

The Flyers probably are entertaining this deal to end a revolving door in net that’s been spinning for more than 21 years. If general manager Paul Holmgren is smart, though, he won’t just stay away from this one - he’ll run and not look back.

Don Waddell on Line 1 from the 404? Click.

Indeed, the Flyers haven’t had a truly top-notch option in goal since 1987. That’s when Ron Hextall won the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP – even though Philadelphia lost in the Stanley Cup finals to the Wayne Gretzky-Jari Kurri-Mark Messier-led Edmonton Oilers.

Since then? Besides Hextall, breathe deep because this list is impressive…

Roman Cechmanek, Dominic Roussel, Robert Esche, Antero Niittymaki, Martin Biron, John Vanbiesbrouck (affectionately known as Johnny Vaneyebrow by former New York neighbor Jimmy Bienkowski), Brian Boucher, Ken Wregget, Garth Snow, Tommy Soderstrom (also known as Jon Palmieri’s boy), Sean Burke, Jeff Hackett, Mark LaForest, Pete Peeters, Bruce Hoffert (who??), Stephane Beauregard, Wendell Young, Michael Leighton, ECHL- and IHL-refugee Frederic Chabot, Marc D’Amour (who, part deux??), Martin “Don’t call me Rejean” Houle, Neil Little, Maxime Ouellet, and finally, Jean-Marc Pelletier.

…and exhale.

The Flyers have won 791 regular-season games starting in the fall of ’87, with Hextall recording 203. No other goalie has cracked 100, as Cechmanek – still playing in the Czech Republic at 37 - won 92 from 2000-03.

But Kari Lehtonen?

After wrapping up their third season in 2002, the Thrashers thought they’d laid down a cornerstone of their foundation by selecting the 6-foot-4 Lehtonen second overall.

And with good reason. Playing with Jokerit in his native Finland in 2001-02, Lehtonen had a 1.79 goals-against average and .941 save percentage in 23 games. He also took MVP honors in the postseason, and led his country to a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships, where he was named the tournament’s top netminder.

According to Lehtonen’s draft capsule from SI.com: Despite above-average height for a netminder, he has impressive quickness and excellent reflexes. Employs primarily a standup style but can go to the butterfly when needed. Possesses a calm and cool demeanor and plays with confidence. Anticipates and reads the play well.

Fast-forward six years, and you have a goalie that looks nothing like what was described.

True, he’s played on a team that would be the worst If not for the New York Islanders. But after making 37 saves through overtime in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday, Lehtonen fell to 11-17-3 with a 3.16 GAA and .908 save percentage in 32 games.

The career numbers aren’t a whole lot better: 86-78-17 with a 2.88 GAA and .912 save percentage in 190 games.

As for that ‘calm and cool demeanor,’ it’s yet to be seen in the postseason. He gave up 11 goals while losing both starts to the New York Rangers in the 2007 Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

The rumor is the Flyers would give up James vanRiemsdyk in the proposed deal, and If I’m Atlanta, I’m all over that. Selected second overall in last season’s draft behind eventual Calder Trophy-winner Patrick Kane, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound New Jersey native had six goals and four assists for the fifth-place US team at recently completed the World Juniors.

As for Lehtonen … playing in front of fans in a city that booed Santa Claus – hell, they’d boo an autopsy – they’d eat the Finn like he was one of their famous cheesesteaks.

And the Flyers would still be on the hunt.

It was six years ago today ....

2009-02-18T14:29:00.003-06:00

Sometimes, I will step away from writing about hockey. For the remainder of my life, Feb. 18 will be one of those days.

Six years ago today, I had surgery that ultimately changed my life. You can my look back at my past entries on it here, here, and
even here.

The true benchmark of bariatric surgery is how the patient is after five years. Given that even now I still wear shirts that go from medium to large rather than 2XL to 3XL, and pants with a waistline that doesn't start with a 5 – or even a 4, for that matter – I can say that it's been a success.

That's not to say that the last year has been difficult.

I rarely get sick from eating anymore, and can now have pretty much anything I want – something all the doctors told me would happen eventually. I don't throw up anymore, instead, there have been a couple of near-instances – spitting up and heaving some; what I call being in distress – but nothing more.

On my last visit to New York City earlier in the month, I went out to dinner on consecutive nights with two women – lucky me, right? – and found one thing still holds true: I continue to eat small.

At one Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side, I had about 75 percent of a chicken dish with mustard sauce, some broccoli, and a couple pieces of tube pasta. The second night in New Jersey, about a half order of a really good Bolognese dish. Thank goodness for doggie bags.

What I have continued to find is I still have a raging sweet tooth, a holdover from my old days. Cookies, cake, ice cream, candy – all these things in moderation, which means not buying a bag and going through it in one shot.

Case in point, the restaurant in New Jersey. Dessert was a chocolate soufflé with ice cream. Maybe half of it was gone. It's enough to taste and savor, but not so much to gorge on.

To this day, though, no soda with sugar in it, and I am trying to cut back on the diet stuff. More coffee. More flavored water.

So what to do going forward? I need to get back into the gym. One of the things I have neglected from year 5 to 6 has been the time taken for myself to exercise, to reflect, to concentrate. Each time I want to go back, I find it too easy to talk myself out of it.

For someone who's gone through all this, and the maintenance, you wouldn't think this is a problem. It is. The mind can play bad tricks, and there needs to be some strength there, a backbone.

I will go back. Soon. I need to, if for nothing else, to make sure I don't ever revert to the way I was. I had this done to make sure I wouldn't be dead by 44.

That's just over six months from now.

A look at the NHL's wild West

2009-02-14T21:07:00.007-06:00

Sure, the Eastern Conference has the league’s best team (Boston Bruins), its most exciting player (Alex Ovechkin) and some of the best rivalries around (Rangers-Devils, Penguins-Flyers, Canadiens-Maple Leafs and so on, and so on …)

But have you seen what’s going on out West?

Ten of the bottom 15 teams are separated by only 10 points. The difference between fifth and 10th places is just two points. While that’s odd enough to start with, and much can happen between now and the end of the season, consider some of these nuggets …

The St. Louis Blues – a last-place finisher in the Central each of the last two seasons - still have a chance to get into the playoffs for the first time in five years.

While there’s still hope in the Gateway City, that would be an even more remarkable feat after having lost highly touted defenseman Erik Johnson to a season-ending knee injury in September, sparkplug forward Andy McDonald for 36 games with a broken ankle, extended absences of Paul Kariya, Jay McKee and Eric Brewer and the release – finally - of starting goaltender Manny Legace.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are usually long out of the postseason chase by this time, but thanks to likely Calder Trophy winner Steve Mason in goal, they’re tied for sixth place as they seek the first playoff berth in the franchise’s eight-year history.

The Dallas Stars woke up after sleepwalking to a 7-11-4 start over the season’s first six weeks with Sean Avery in tow. Starting with their first back-to-back wins in late November, Dave Tippett’s club has gone 20-10-3 – and has allowed six goals in their last six home games.

Even also-rans like the Los Angeles Kings and Phoenix Coyotes are still in the hunt for their first playoff spots since 2002.

The Colorado Avalanche are last with 51 points, but are one hot streak away from being right back in it. All they need is an upgrade in goal over Peter Budaj and Andrew Raycroft – a latter-day Jim Carey.

With less than 30 games to play – and the trade deadline coming up - it’s going to be a fun sprint to the finish.

No butterflies this time for Sharks' Thornton

2009-02-08T01:06:00.006-06:00

Few feelings in the world are worse than being told you’re not wanted. Doesn’t matter who says it to you or the situation, it is the closing of one door in your life.

On the flip side, it’s also the opening of another.

In the NHL, few have made the most of a new beginning than Joe Thornton has with the San Jose Sharks.

He’ll lead the Western Conference’s top team into Boston on Tuesday night to face his former team, the Bruins. It’s been more than three years after the former top overall pick was shipped west, and where he’s enjoyed the success that was expected after lighting up scoreboards throughout the Ontario Hockey League.

More than a dozen years ago, Thornton filled up stat sheets in juniors. Playing for Sault Ste. Marie in 1996-97, the 6-foot-4 Thornton scored 122 points in just 59 games and also displayed a nasty edge by picking up 123 penalty minutes.

That was more than enough for the Bruins, who finished last in the Eastern Conference with 26 wins and 61 points, giving them the top overall pick for the first time since taking Gord Kluzak 15 years earlier.

The impact Thornton was expected to provide? That didn’t come so quickly. At just 18 years old - and 180 pounds – he spent a good portion of his first NHL season battling injuries. A broken forearm. Cellulitis in one ankle. A viral infection

His totals as a rookie: three goals and four assists in 55 games.

But as Thornton matured and hit the weight room, he started to blossom, leading the Bruins with 37 goals in 2001. In 2002-03, he had his first 100-point season and played in his second straight All-Star Game.

All that changed on Nov. 30, 2005. With the Bruins having lost nine of 10 and the Sharks stuck in an 0-7-3 slide, the teams pulled off a blockbuster trade.

Boston sent Thornton to San Jose for Brad Stuart, Marco Sturm and Wayne Primeau. For Thornton, the news was somewhat shocking.

“I never in juniors had gotten traded,” he said. “It was a little weird, a little emotional to be leaving. But really, after I got traded, from that night on, it was tough, and then the morning came and I flew and I met my new teammates with the Sharks.

“I think after really that first 24 hours, I think it wasn't hard, it was just back to business, I think. It wasn't too tough after that.”

He certainly made an immediate impact with his new club, scoring three goals with 11 assists in his first six games with the Sharks, all wins. Since the trade and through Saturday, Thornton leads the league with 359 points, including 276 assists.

That’s more than fellow No. 1 picks Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Ilya Kovalchuk and Vincent Lecavalier.

Though he split time between the east and west coasts in 2005-06, he finished with 125 points to win the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer, and Hart Trophy as its most valuable player.

“I think it's worked out well for me, obviously,” Thornton said. “But you know, I thought it was going good in Boston, as well, though. I don't think there was anything wrong there to be honest with you.

“I was young then and now I'm just maturing to be an adult now. So I think just maturity-wise you get to know the game a little bit better, you get more confidence, and you just know your body a little bit more. I think it just really is two parts of a hockey player that I was.”

Paired with Patrick Marelau and rookie Devin Setoguchi, Thornton again leads the Sharks with 45 assists and 57 points this season. Going back to Boston this time, however, he also will hope for a little more ice time than he got in January 2006.

That was when he returned to the TD Banknorth Garden. Just 5:13 into the contest, though, Thornton was given a major and a game misconduct for checking 6-foot-7, 250-pound defenseman Hal Gill from behind.

While conceding his return to Beantown was awkward, Thornton doesn’t expect to have any butterflies this time.

“There's not too many ex-teammates over there, and it's just really an important game in the schedule,” he said. “They're the best in the east, and we're the best in the west. So it's an important game that way rather than I'm playing against friends, I think.”

As for any extra motivation to beat his old team – either on Tuesday or, perhaps, in the playoffs – Thornton says there is none.

“You just play hockey, and that's what I do. I'm a hockey player,” he said.

Rangers consider bringing back Avery

2009-02-06T23:06:00.005-06:00

Just when you think the Sean Avery affair was dead and buried, published reports on Friday have the New York Rangers – Avery’s former club – exploring the possibility of bringing him back.

Who says you can’t go home again?

Avery has always been the kind of player who you adore when he’s on your team, but hate when he’s playing against you.

Here’s the rub … Avery is a prick. Plain and simple. And he’s an equal-opportunity prick, whether it’s drawing the ire of a black player (see: Laraque, Georges) or future Hall of Fame goaltender (Brodeur, Martin) or disparaging a former girlfriend with his now-infamous ‘sloppy seconds’ comment that ended his career with the Dallas Stars just 23 games into a four-year, $15.5 million deal.

Bad boy behavior aside, he also brings something with him. An edge, a fire, some passion, something the Rangers have been sorely lacking for much of this season.

Call it what you want – that lack of emotion was never more evident than on Friday night when the Rangers looked overmatched and, at times, disinterested in a 10-2 loss to Dallas.

The 10 goals were the most allowed by New York in one game since April 9, 1993 when Mario Lemieux scored five and Joe Mullen added three in a 10-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

New York hadn’t allowed 10 on the road since March 6, 1993 in a 10-2 defeat to the Quebec Nordqiues.

Coach Tom Renney was saying all the right things on Friday, not making any effort to hide his disgust.

“The message is loud and clear,” he said. “We have to get back to square one. You can’t be any more disappointed than what happened tonight. We want to be a playoff team.

“We all have to step up. Right now.”

After giving up six goals in the final 20 minutes, they cannot to take any more steps back. New York is in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, but have just a two-point lead over the Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres.

The Rangers acquired Avery from the Los Angeles Kings just over two years ago. His career with the Broadway Blueshirts lasted all of 86 games after they chose not to resign him.

New York’s record with Avery: 50-23-13.

But getting him back won’t guarantee anything – the Rangers also had Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan around to provide offense while Avery hasn’t scored more than 18 goals in a season.

Plus, there’s a maze that must be completed before Avery ever sets foot on an NHL rink.

Avery must complete NHL-NHLPA behavioral modification program: So now more referring to players as monkeys, or waving sticks in their faces, or spilling bedroom secrets.

Must be placed on waivers and clear them: This will likely happen. If there were another team other than the Rangers who were interested in Avery and could handle his salary, a deal almost certainly would have happened.

Must be assigned to an AHL affiliate: The Stars don’t have one since leaving Iowa prior to this season. Avery could end up anywhere from Hartford to Grand Rapids to Houston.

Loaned to another AHL affiliate, but remains property of the Stars: I’m waiting for him to be exiled to Manitoba. (Nothing against the fine folk in Winnipeg, mind you.)

If he’s claimed while in minors, new team and Dallas must each pay half his salary: Each club would be on the hook for roughly $1.9 million.

For the Rangers, this could be the equivalent of selling their souls. Given their recent play, they may need to do so in order to save their season.

Stars bring back Brunnstrom

2009-01-31T18:03:00.003-06:00

That was a quick stay in Manitoba!

¶ DALLAS (AP) - The Stars recalled left wing Fabian Brunnstrom on Saturday after a brief rehabilitation stint in the minor leagues.
¶ Brunnstrom, who leads NHL rookies with four game-winning goals, played one game for Manitoba in the American Hockey League.
¶ He will rejoin Dallas after missing his 14th game when the Stars play at Columbus on Saturday night. He's been out with a lower body injury since Dec. 27 against Anaheim.
¶ The 23-year-old Swede has 10 goals and four assists in 31 games with the Stars.

Islanders win away from home. Really!

2009-01-29T22:56:00.001-06:00

ITEM: New York Islanders end 14-game road losing streak

About freakin’ time. Of course, this could mean one less ping-pong ball for the John Tavares sweepstakes.

Of course, the Gorton’s Fishermen did this at the expense of the Atlanta Thrashers, so it really shouldn’t count, right?

And, in typical fashion, it wasn’t easy. New York led 4-0 at the end of one period, and saw Atlanta close to 4-3 with 11:24 to play before Kyle Okposo put the game out of reach.

The Isles hadn’t won on the road since Nov. 24, when they beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 in a shootout. New York won’t get a shot at back-to-back road wins until Feb. 5 against the Florida Panthers.

Souray's bad days

2009-01-27T23:59:00.006-06:00

Think Sheldon Souray has had a bad couple of days?

SportsTicker castigator Joe Rizzo noted this about the Edmonton Oilers’ offensive-minded defenseman.

Souray’s teams have allowed 21 goals in his last two games.

On Sunday, he was on the losing side of a 12-11 decision in a shootout at the 57th All-Star game at Montreal’s Bell Centre. Two goals, one assist, minus-1.

On Tuesday night, it didn’t get any better as Edmonton was hammered 10-2 by the Buffalo Sabres. Souray had an assist and a team high-tying seven shots on goal, but also was minus-3 as the Oilers suffered their worst home loss ever.

Souray also was minus-3 in Edmonton’s previous worst home loss, 9-2 to the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 16.

Brunnstrom era on hold in Dallas

2009-01-27T19:27:00.007-06:00

It seems like the biggest problem that is the Dallas Stars’ two-headed general manager/monster of Brett Hull and Les Jackson is they seem to throw darts and hope for the best.

First, there was Sean Avery. Endorsed heavily by former Detroit Red Wings teammate Hull, Avery’s career in Dallas flamed out after 23 games because of his big mouth.

Please refer to: Seconds, Sloppy. After that, please see: Cuthbert, Elisha and Phaneuf, Dion.

On Tuesday, the Stars assigned highly sought-after forward Fabian Brunnstrom to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.

One hand, Big ‘D’. Other hand, Winnipeg. I hope Brunnstrom enjoys the fine venues the ‘A’ offers in exotic locales like Grand Rapids, Peoria, Rockford and Des Moines.

Last spring, Brunnstrom was the being courted by a handful of NHL teams after two solid seasons in his native Sweden.

He’d just finished with Farjestads BK Karlstad in the Elite League, recording nine goals and 28 assists in 54 games. In 2006-07, he was with Boras HC in the second division, and had 37 goals and 36 assists with a plus-51 rating in 41 games.

Detroit looked into the 23-year-old Brunnstrom’s services, and with fellow countrymen Henrik Zetterberg and Nicklas Lidstrom on the Red Wings, would anyone have been surprised if he’d joined them?

The Montreal Canadiens also were considered a possible destination, as were the Toronto Maple Leafs – probably to replace another Swede in Mats Sundin.

“All of the other teams and clubs, like Montreal and Detroit, were good but I just felt that Dallas was a little bit better for me," Brunnstrom said. "I really enjoyed the town and the people around the Dallas organization. I got a chance to visit the practice facility and the American Airlines Center and I thought everything was great."

Doesn’t really say what he was able to bring to the team, does he?

Upon Brunnstrom signing a two-year deal, Jackson had this to say.

"We are very excited to get the caliber of player that Fabian is," he said. "He is a very good prospect and will definitely be a nice addition to our group of younger players."

Brunnstrom’s career stateside did get off to a historic start. On Oct. 15 in leading the Stars to a win over the Nashville Predators, he became the third player in NHL history to score a hat trick in his first game.

In 30 games after that, Brunnstrom had seven goals, four assists and was minus-8. He got less than 10 minutes of ice time in 10 of those contests.

Feeling wistful

2009-01-25T18:39:00.004-06:00

So, I am sitting here at home, watching “Les Matches des Etoiles” from le Centre Bell en Montreal when I felt an emotion that I haven’t experienced in quite a long time.

Wistfulness.

I never played hockey. Always wanted to, but being obese growing up prevented me from doing a lot of things I wanted to do. And that’s not to say it was entirely bad, since there is really nothing worse than embarrassing yourself.

My fat ass on skates? That would do it.

Admittedly, I haven’t put on a pair in about 20 years, and if I were to do so, the only direction would be forward – never learned to skate backwards – and the speed would be slow.

OK…mea culpa out of the way.

Sure, there are diversions in my life that I enjoy. I love to write. I love to cook. I love to read. I am thankful for friends, old and new, that are in my life, and for my family – dysfunctional as they are.

But the passion in my life rests on a pair of sharpened blades and a disc of black, vulcanized rubber. Now, it doesn’t mean I am going to paint my face or perform some other form of ass-hattery to show off. I’m a fan of the game, an ardent one, but also a quiet one.

I revere history. Been to the Bell Centre once, and got there early enough to be one the first in the arena before game time. It’s a little difficult to describe fully, but walking around and seeing the rows of Stanley Cup banners won by the Canadiens, the retired numbers ... the only word available to me would be haunting.

That’s why when I see an event, like what’s going on in Montreal, I may not be explaining it well, but it tugs at me some. The standing ovations the fans gave to the Habs’ storied past – thanking them for the years of great memories.

During the ASG, I saw three of the Canadiens’ greats, Maurice Richard and Serge Savard and Yvan Cournoyer, receive long, adoring standing ovations from the fans. It’s similar to what goes on here in Chicago when Mikita, The Golden Jet, Tony O or Savvy are introduced for an event.

It’s not going to happen this season. Sometime in 2009 or 2010, though, I think I am going to have to go back to Montreal. Not for the poutine, the beaver tails, and even the strip clubs – OK, maybe those – but to re-immerse myself among those who feel the same.

And it gives me a chance to use my French, long dormant, but enough to muddle through.

After that, I need to go back to Toronto. I have never been to a Maple Leafs game there, and it’s the home of the Hockey Hall of Fame. It’s easily been 15 years since my last visit, but when last there, the afternoon flew by.

It's not for a dramatic renewal of purpose. It’s just time.

Preview of the 57th NHL All-Star game

2009-01-24T03:52:00.001-06:00

Post No. 299: The NHL All-Star Game preview

Midseason awards time!

2009-01-22T23:12:00.016-06:00

With the NHL shutting down for the All-Star break, here’s my look at the unofficial first half of the season.

BIGGEST SURPRISE, TEAM DIVISION: Tie, Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils

With apologies to the San Jose Sharks and their 22-1-2 home record, and the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings, did anyone think the Bruins would be the most dominant team in their own conference?

There are no real stars in Boston – you won’t find a Sidney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin there – but some could be emerging after putting up some already-impressive numbers.

One is Phil Kessel, seemingly unstoppable in an 18-game points streak. Another is Michael Ryder, who has seven game-winning goals in his first season in the Hub after virtually being run out of Montreal following the worst season of his four-year career.

Stout goaltending from All-Star Tim Thomas and a finally-healthy Manny Fernandez have helped Boston open a 10-point lead in the Eastern Conference, and 13 over the Canadiens in the Northeast Division.

How many people – besides me - said the Devils were done after losing ironman goaltender Martin Brodeur on Nov. 1 to an arm injury that may keep him out for the rest of the regular season.

With the way Scott Clemmensen has filled in, the Devils may tell their future Hall of Famer to take his time coming back.

Clemmensen started a total of 19 games over the previous five seasons with the Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs. In his first 30 games filling in for Brodeur, the Iowa native is 19-9-1 with a 2.29 goals-against average.

Since Nov. 2, only the Calgary Flames’ Miikka Kiprusoff has more wins (21) than Clemmensen. That’s helped move to Devils to the top of the Atlantic Division, one point ahead of the New York Rangers and two in front of the Philadelphia Flyers.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT, TEAM DIVISION: Tie, Dallas Stars and Ottawa Senators

The addition of Sean Avery was supposed to make Dallas the kind of team that would rub you the wrong way. Instead, it took only 23 games for the Stars to realize they made a huge mistake.

The ‘sloppy seconds’ comment about former girlfriend Elisa Cuthbert was the final nail in the coffin for Avery, who was never seen by his Stars teammate as much of a team player. Mike Modano, who’s spent his entire career with the franchise, said recently that to the best of his knowledge no former teammates have reached out to Avery.

With Avery, the Stars went 8-11-4, and Marty Turco – definitely not an Avery fan – got off to 7-10-4 start with a 3.61 GAA. Cutting Avery seems to have helped, as the Stars are 12-7-3 since Dec. 1, and Turco is 12-6-5 with a 2.58 GAA.

Dallas is in 11th place in the Western Conference with 47 points.

Unless the Senators make a huge second-half push, their streak of 11 straight postseason appearances will end.

Thanks in large part to a horrific 1-6-1 road trip in which it was outscored 34-20, Ottawa will start the second half of the season with 39 points, tying the Atlanta Thrashers for the second-fewest in the East.

Dany Heatley, Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza have combined for 51 goals, but the remainder of the team has totaled just 56. Add ineffective goaltending by Alex Auld and the newly-waived Martin Gerber (Los Angeles? New York Islanders?), and a coach in Craig Hartsburg who’s seemingly clueless … there could be a revolt on Parliament Hill.

BIGGEST SURPRISE, PLAYER DIVISION: Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks

Maybe Ron Wilson was the problem all along.

The relationship between Marleau and his former coach was frosty at best. Especially when the Sharks captain was moved from center to left wing.

With a new coach, a new voice and fresh ideas, Marleau has bounced back in a big way from the worst season of his career.

Marleau told the San Jose Mercury News earlier this month that a conversation with new coach Todd McLellan shortly after he was hired to replace Wilson left quite an impression.

“Having that conversation about what was expected out of me, he set it out and made it pretty simple for me to know what he needed,” said Marleau, who’s had the game-winning goals in each of San Jose’s last two games.

He’s already got 25 goals this season, and needs 10 more to set a new career high. The 11-year veteran had 19 in 78 games last season.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT, PLAYER DIVISION: Steve Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning

I’ve written about the top overall pick in the 2008 draft. I’m sure there’s talent lurking somewhere, but I’ll sum his game up in three words.

He’s. Not. Ready.

He’s 18 and being scratched from time to help increase his physical strength. He’s also taking part in extra video sessions with the coaching staff.

So, not only does the 6-foot-1, 196-pound Stamkos seem to be physically unable to handle the rigors of an 82-game NHL season, he also seems to be having difficulties with the nuances of the pro game.

A recent spurt – two goals and two assists in a four-game streak – has padded his stats some. In 45 games, Stamkos has six goals and 12 assists.

Repeat after me: He’s. Not. Ready.

HART TROPHY WINNER, HALF SEASON: Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

A slow start made some think there was a MVP hangover, but Ovechkin has recently shown that he’s on track to win it again.

Last season, Ovechkin had 65 goals and 112 points en route to winning the Hart, and making hockey in REALLY relevant in the nation’s capital again. But through his first 11 games this season, he managed two goals and six assists. Turns out a family issue in Mother Russia was weighing on his mind.

“I feel great. I feel free right now, and I'm right now enjoying my time again,” he said in November

And how. After his slow start: 29 goals, 10 on the power play, six game-winners. The Capitals record in that time when he scored: 18-1-1.

By the way, the last player to win back-to-back Harts? Dominik Hasek of the Buffalo Sabres in 1997 and 1998.

VEZINA TROPHY WINNER, HALF SEASON: Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose Sharks

Yes, Kiprusoff leads the league in wins, but his former teammate has been the better netminder – especially at home.

In 21 starts at the Shark Tank, Nabokov is 19-1-1 with a 2.08 GAA and .920 save percentage. Overall, he’s won nearly 74 percent of his starts, posting a 25-5-4 record.

Not horrible for a ninth-round pick.

CALDER TROPHY WINNER, HALF SEASON: Steve Mason, Columbus Blue Jackets

Unless something goes wrong, Mason will have the Blue Jackets playing in the postseason for the first time after entering the league as an expansion franchise in 2000.

Picked 69th overall in 2006, Mason has made Columbus fans forget the likes of Fredrik Norrena and Pascal Leclaire. Three straight shutouts to close 2008 among his league-leading six this season will do that.

Though he struggled into the break, giving up 13 goals in a three-game stretch against western Canadian foes, Mason continues to lead the league with a 2.05 GAA.

JACK ADAMS TROPHY WINNER, HALF SEASON: Todd McLellan, San Jose Sharks

McLellan had the pedigree, winning a Stanley Cup last season as an assistant to Mike Babcock in Detroit.

This season, he could be raising the Cup at another parade – this time on the West Coast.

McLellan, a championship coach with the AHL’s Houston Aeros, guided the Sharks to 13 wins in their first 15 games.

“We've harnessed some of the early season energy, and we're able to get out of the gate quickly. Our confidence grew, and now it's about maintaining our game,” he said.

Establishing a dominant advantage at home has also helped. San Jose is 22-1-2 at home, and the regulation loss to Calgary last week was the Sharks’ first at the HP Pavilion since Valenetine’s Day.

Now, McLellan just needs to keep these guys grounded enough to get past the second round.

A different kind of vast right-wing conspiracy

2009-01-20T21:26:00.002-06:00

Fellow STATS hockey enthusiast and Islander apologist Jon Palmieri brought this to my attention.

The Washington Capitals and Ottawa Senators played on Tuesday night, hours after Barack Obama’s inauguration.

Washington and Ottawa also played on Nov. 4 – the night Obama defeated Republican challenger John McCain to become the 44th president of the United States, and the first African-American to do so.

For the geographically challenged, Ottawa is the capital of Canada.

The Senators also won both games.

The end of Rick DiPietro?

2009-01-20T20:08:00.006-06:00

The landmark contract Rick DiPietro signed less than 2½ years ago should have been the one he ended his career on.

Chronic injuries, though, will more than likely be the reason for an early retirement.

On Tuesday, the New York Islanders – last in the league with a 12-29-5 record – threw in the towel for 2008-09 when they decided to shut down oft-injured DiPietro for the season due to continued problems with his surgically repaired left knee.

DiPietro was in the third year of a 15-year, $67.5 million contract signed in September 2006. In 130 games since then, he’s 59-50-16 with a 2.73 goals-against average and eight shutouts.

Decent, yes, but elite, Vezina Trophy-level status? Hardly. This isn’t Martin Brodeur or Evgeni Nabokov or Miikka Kiprusoff.

Islanders general manager Garth Snow tried to put a positive spin on all this. I mean, seriously, what else could he do?

“After extensive consultation we feel this decision is in the best interest for Rick and the team,” Snow – a former goalie - said in a statement on Tuesday. “This will allow Rick ample time to make a full recovery for next year.”

Wait ‘til next year seems to be a familiar refrain from Uniondale.

The Islanders reached the conference finals in 1993-94 in their last season under four-time Stanley Cup winning coach Al Arbour, but have made the postseason only five times since then, and have been eliminated in the first round each time.

For DiPietro, there’s clearly disappointment in this latest setback to his career.

“This has been one of the most frustrating situations I have ever had to deal with, but this is the right decision for me and the team,” he said in a statement. “I am confident this will allow me to make a complete recovery, be ready in plenty of time for next season and compete to my highest ability for many years to come.”

At 27, DiPietro also is probably sick of surgeons. He’s had his left knee worked on twice in four months, and has lingering pain and swelling in it. In a seven-month span, he’s had three operations, including one on his hip. It was the second time DiPietro had hip surgery, once on each side in consecutive years. He also has a history with head injuries.

DiPietro’s final numbers for 2008-09: 1-3-0, 3.52 GAA, .892 save percentage.

“The most important thing is that at this point we give the knee some time to rest, free from on-ice activity, and see what the knee does,” said Dr. Elliott Hershman, an associate team orthopedist. “When we do that, we’ll have a better sense of where we’re headed. We’re hopeful that is all it takes.”

Hopeful? That’s the best prognosis?

With DiPietro gone, here’s who the Isles are left with in goal for now:

Joey MacDonald: Thrust into his first season as a starter, has simply been overmatched. He’s 0-11-1 with a 3.99 GAA since last winning on the road in late November. When allowing at least four goals in a game this season, he’s 0-14-1.

Not the answer? Neither are these two …

Yann Danis: Still looking for his first win in a New York uniform – he’s 0-5-1 with a 3.53 GAA in seven games.

Peter Mannino: One game. Just 13 minutes played. Eight shots faced. Three goals allowed. Thanks for playing.

They tried to bring folk hero Wade Dubielewicz back from Russia, but he was picked up on waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets. At this point, the Isles might want to consider signing 36-year-old goaltending coach Mike Dunham – 141 wins in a 10-year career – just to have a veteran body in place.

DiPietro was selected first overall in the 2000 draft, the first goalie to be picked that high. He was taken ahead of such stars as Dany Heatley and Marian Gaborik, and not to rub salt into an open wound, BUT … the Islanders could have had Henrik Lundqvist – a three-time Vezina Trophy finalist and headed to Sunday’s All-Star Game – who was taken 205th by the rival New York Rangers.

With the addition of DiPietro, the Islanders dealt Roberto Luongo and Olli Jokinen to the Florida Panthers for Oleg Kvasha and Mark Parrish.

Let’s just say then-general manager Mike Milbury got fleeced – bad – and leave it at that, shall we?

Playing with the Panthers and later with the Vancouver Canucks, Luongo has posted 201 wins, including 42 shutouts, and 2.56 GAA. Jokinen, now with the Phoenix Coyotes, appears headed to his fourth straight 30-goal season.

Kvasha? Last played in 2005-06 when he split time with the Isles and Coyotes. Never scored more than 15 goals or 51 points in a season.

Parrish was later dealt to the Los Angeles Kings, signed by the Minnesota Wild and eventually had his contract bought out by them. Picked up by Dallas in November, Parrish had a hat trick in his Stars debut, but just three goals and four assists in 29 games after that.

A scoring oddity in Colorado

2009-01-19T01:22:00.005-06:00

Something a little odd to ponder …

There have been 166 players in NHL history to score 300 career goals. Ryan Smyth and Milan Hejduk of the Colorado Avalanche were the latest to reach that milestone on Sunday night in a 6-2 win over the Calgary Flames.

Smyth’s short-handed goal with 7 minutes to play in the second period gave the Avs a 3-1 lead. Not to be outdone, Hejduk scored on the power play less than 5 minutes later.

“Pretty cool to get it on the same night,'' Avalanche coach Tony Granato said of the linemates. “It's a pretty incredible feat, both those guys should be very excited and proud to have done that together.''

In fact, it’s just the second time teammates reached the 300-goal mark in the same game.

On Feb. 26, 1983, Danny Gare and Ivan Boldirev of the Detroit Red Wings each recorded their 300th goal in a 5-3 win over the New York Islanders.

A two-time 50-goal scorer, Gare finished with 354 over 13 seasons while also playing with the Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers before retiring in 1987. Boldirev reached 20 goals 10 times while suiting up for six teams in a 15-year career that ended in 1985 with his 361st marker.

The last teammates to notch their 300th goals in the same season was Bobby Holik and Slava Kozlov with the Atlanta Thrashers in 2006-07.

Before this season ends, five more players could become 300-goal scorers: Pavol Demitra (294) of the Vancouver Canucks, Brian Rolston (294) of the New Jersey Devils, Ray Whitney (293) of the Carolina Hurricanes, Vincent Lecavalier (292) of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Petr Sykora (292) of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Oilers retire Glenn Anderson's No. 9

2009-01-18T19:40:00.006-06:00

Another member of those great Edmonton Oilers teams in the 1980s has received one of the best honors possible.

Glenn Anderson’s No. 9 was raised to the rafters of Rexall Place prior to Sunday’s game against the Phoenix Coyotes.

Anderson put up 498 goals and 1,099 points in 1,129 career regular season games. He was a five-time Stanley Cup winner with the Oilers and added one more with the New York Rangers in 1994.

He's fourth all-time among goal scorers in the playoffs with 93.

"It is so great to be back in this uniform again," Anderson said. "Putting this jersey on is like coming home. Home is where the heart is and that's where my heart is, right here. To be surrounded by this group of guys that I had the honor of going to battle with and bring Edmonton five Stanley Cups with is really special.

"We had so many unbelievable moments in this building and to be here with these people, what a remarkable journey it has been."

Anderson also represented Canada at the 1984 and 1987 Canada Cups, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November.

"Putting Glenn's number up with the other honoured players at Rexall Place is absolutely deserving and it's the right thing for our organization to do," said Kevin Lowe, Edmonton's president of hockey operations and a former teammate. "Glenn could bring fans out of their seats with his unbelievable goals and they always seemed to be such timely goals, especially in the playoffs."

Anderson is the seventh member of the Oilers to have his number retired joining Al Hamilton (3), Paul Coffey (7), Mark Messier (11), Jari Kurri (17), Grant Fuhr (31) and this fella ya may have heard of.

Is it too soon to call Stamkos a bust?

2009-01-17T21:32:00.012-06:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning held top overall draft pick Steven Stamkos out of the lineup for the second time in five games on Saturday night en route to a 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers.

Stamkos missed one game earlier this month, and the team says he’ll be held out from time to time as part an ongoing program to increase his physical strength. More curious, to me, is that Stamkos also is taking part in extra video sessions with the coaching staff.

So, not only does Stamkos - listed at 6-foot-1 and 196 pounds - appear physically unable to handle the rigors of an 82-game NHL season, but he also seems to be having difficulties grasping the nuts-and-bolts of being a pro player.

Stamkos totaled 100 goals and 97 assists over two junior seasons with the Sarnia Sting. In 43 NHL games so far, he has five goals and 12 assists.

In other words – well, one word, really – bust.

Now, the NHL game is certainly faster than that in juniors, and it may be unfair to call Stamkos a bust just halfway into his first season. Joe Thornton, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound center selected first overall by the Boston Bruins in 1997, had just three goals and four assists in 55 games as a rookie and didn’t evolve into a star until being traded to San Jose in November 2005.

If Stamkos indeed doesn’t pan out, I’d consider him just the fifth such player taken first overall to be tagged with the ‘B’ word.

The others? Glad you asked …

1974 – Greg Joly, Washington Capitals: From 1971-74, Joly was probably the best offensive defenseman in the West Coast Hockey League. The expansion Capitals made Joly the first overall pick in 1974 after he put up 21 goals and 71 assists in 64 games with the Regina Pats and a win in the Memorial Cup.

Among the names Wahsington passed up were Clark Gillies, Doug Risebrough and Pierre Larouche.

Joly lasted just 44 games his rookie season, finishing with a goal and seven assists. After one more inauspicious season in the nation’s capital, he was shipped to the Detroit Red Wings. He spent seven more seasons in the Motor City, but never came close to duplicating the numbers he had in juniors.

Joly’s final tally: 21 goals and 76 assists in 365 NHL games.

1982 – Gord Kluzak, Boston: A native of Climax, Saskatchewan – the best city name to come from the province since the fictional Mile 40 – Kluzak may have had a legitimate reason for being a bust.

At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Kluzak was the anchor of Canada’s defense as it won its first gold medal at the World Junior Championships in 1981-82. The Bruins saw Kluzak as a hard-hitting defenseman, and he didn’t fail in that regard, averaging almost 133 penalty minutes in his first four seasons.

A series of knee injuries that began when he was with the Billings Bighorns of the Western Hockey League forced him to miss two full NHL seasons and limited him to a total of 13 games from 1988-91 before retiring.

The Hockey Hall of Fame Web site noted Kluzak had undergone knee surgery 10 times by 1989. He turned 25 that year.

Boston could have had Brian Bellows, Scott Stevens, Phil Housley, Dave Andreychuk, Ken Daneyko, Ron Hextall (119th overall to Philadelphia) or Doug Gilmour (133rd overall to St. Louis).

Kluzak’s final tally: 25 goals and 98 assists in 299 NHL games.

1993 – Alexandre Daigle, Ottawa Senators: The best of this foursome, but still not good enough to justify the hype he brought with him.

Playing in 1991-92 for the Victoriaville Tigres of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the 16-year-old Daigle put up 35 goals and 75 assists in 66 assists. The next season, he played just 53 games, but he scored 45 goals and added 92 assists.

So, you can understand why Ottawa – nation’s capital, large French-Canadian population – was salivating when they got him first overall. His rookie season was … meh … 20 goals and 31 assists as Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils took home the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.

After four more unremarkable seasons with Ottawa, Daigle also played with Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh before closing his NHL career with Minnesota in 2005-06.

He never cracked 30 goals in a season. He clearly was not the next Mario Lemieux.

Some of the names the Sens could have had: Chris Pronger … Paul Kariya … Rob Niedermayer … Jason Arnott … Saku Koivu … Todd Bertuzzi .. and that was just in the first round. Ottawa, to its credit, did pick up Pavol Demitra with the 227th pick.

Daigle’s final tally: 129 goals and 198 assists in 616 NHL games.

1999 – Patrik Stefan, Atlanta Thrashers: Based just on statistics alone, I still don’t see the attraction here.

After 32 games in his native Czech Republic, Stefan played with the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the defunct International Hockey League from 1997-99, totaling 16 goals and 40 assists in 68 contests.

Somehow, this was enough for the 6-foot-2, 210-pound center to be picked first overall.

Some of the names Atlanta passed up were Daniel AND Henrik Sedin, taken No. 2 and 3 overall by the Vancouver Canucks; Martin Havlat by Ottawa, and Henrik Zetterberg, picked 209th overall by Detroit.

Stefan’s best season with Atlanta came in 2003-04, when he had 14 goals and 26 assists in a career-high 82 games. In June 2006, he was shipped to Dallas. Then there was this infamous moment with the Stars in Edmonton…

Stefan signed with a Swiss club in August 2007, and retired from the NHL less than two months later at 27.

Stefan’s final tally: 64 goals and 124 assists in 455 NHL games.