The world's best hockey player is one step closer to returning to game action.
On Thursday, TSN reported that Sidney Crosby had finally been cleared for contact for the first time since his concussion suffered on Jan. 6.
Crosby's concussion has without a doubt been the most highly publicized injury in the NHL's recent memory. But for some, it got too much attention. On Tuesday night, the always outspoken Jeremy Roenick sounded off on the NHL network about the constant updates about basically nothing.
There is still no timetable for his return, but this is positive news for all fans of the sport. Before Crosby got injured, he was playing at a level much higher than any other player in the league.
Despite being out since early January, Crosby was still ranked at the top of the list in TSN's top 50 players in the NHL.
If there's any silver lining in all of this, Crosby's injury raised awareness to an issue that has dominated sports headlines recently. The awareness he raised led to action, and the NHL has implemented a serious crackdown on headshots since. In early September, Crosby spoke out against headshots in the league, and said he wanted them completely taken out. Clearly the league listened to what he had to say.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are still a very good team without Crosby and Evgeni Malkin (who is currently injured), but when these two are in the lineup they are the NHL's best team. The HockeyNews posted their preseason predictions, and had Pittsburgh right at the top.
The hockey community has long awaited the return of Sidney Crosby. And while there is no timetable, fans have to be patient. For someone who has already won a World Junior Championship, Olympic Gold Medal, and a Stanley Cup, the most important thing for Sid now is to stay healthy.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
2011/2012 Predictions
Western Conference Playoff Teams
1) Detroit
2) Vancouver
3) San Jose
4) Los Angeles
5) Chicago
6) Anaheim
7) Columbus
8) Colorado
Eastern Conference Playoff Teams
1) Washington
2) Pittsburgh
3) Buffalo
4) Philadelphia
5) Boston
6) Montreal
7) New York Rangers
8) Carolina
MVP: Alex Ovechkin
Vezina: Marc Andre Fleury
Norris: Drew Doughty
Stanley Cup Finals: Washington over San Jose
1) Detroit
2) Vancouver
3) San Jose
4) Los Angeles
5) Chicago
6) Anaheim
7) Columbus
8) Colorado
Eastern Conference Playoff Teams
1) Washington
2) Pittsburgh
3) Buffalo
4) Philadelphia
5) Boston
6) Montreal
7) New York Rangers
8) Carolina
MVP: Alex Ovechkin
Vezina: Marc Andre Fleury
Norris: Drew Doughty
Stanley Cup Finals: Washington over San Jose
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
torres walks
To be completely honest, when I saw the Raffi Torres I thought he would be done for the rest of the playoffs. But to everyone's surprise, Colin Campbell announced he would not be suspended and that the hit was within the rules of the league. People tend to forget that certain checks to the head are still legal in the NHL, and it is only the hits from the blindside that are now illegal. Over the past year, headshots have been the number one topic in the NHL and have everyone in the league ultra-sensitive about any hits to the head. But don't forget, 5 years ago this hit would have had the majority of hockey fans on their feet and supplemental discipline would not even be considered. If the current rules had been in place 20 years ago, Scott Stevens would have been suspended for half his games in the league. The responsibility should be on the players to keep their head up in dangerous areas, such as behind the net where you know forecheckers are coming in hard especially in the playoffs. Also, you have to be aware of who is on the ice. Raffi Torres isn't out there as an offensive threat: his job is to make big hits and separate guys from the puck.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Western Predictions
(1) Vancouver vs. (8) Chicago
This clearly wasn't the most ideal matchup for the Canucks in the first round, but they also have an opportunity to get revenge on the defending champs and build some momentum going into the second round. Last year, Chicago's depth proved to be too much for the Canucks and they bowed out in 6 games. This year, the roles are reversed. Gone from last year's Hawks are Byfuglien, Versteeg, Ladd, Eager, Burish, and Niemi. The Canucks have added depth on the blue line, and fans in VanCity can rest assured that Shane O'Brien will not be killing penalties in the playoffs this time around. For Chicago, the X factor in this series is Marian Hossa. If he can play the way he is capable of playing and provide the Hawks with some secondary scoring, Van could be in trouble. All eyes are on Roberto Luongo as he looks to rebound from the last 2 playoff series against the Hawks. I think he is going to have a big series, as he is rested, and currently at the top of his game. This going to be a tight, hard fought series, but in the end Vancouver's depth will prove too much for the Hawks.
Prediction: Canucks in 6
(2) San Jose vs. (7) Los Angeles
The Kings are banged up coming into this series, as they are missing leading scorer Anze Kopitar and second leading scorer Justin Williams. A team that is already offensively challenged, they will need a lot out of guys like Penner, Smyth, and Brown to have any chance in this series. No one wants to face the Sharks right now, as Heatley, Pavelski, Thornton, and Marleau are all capable of taking a game over. I dont think LA stands a chance, but I would like them to prove me wrong.
Prediction: Sharks in 5
(3) Detroit vs. (6) Phoenix
The Phoenix Coyotes never really seem to get the respect they deserve. In the ultra competitive Western Conference they are always in contention, yet they never have anyone in the top 30 of scoring and play in front of 5,000 fans a night. They took Detroit to 7 games in the first round last year, and I think this series will be a lot closer than some people expect. In the end, I think Detroit's playoff experience will be the deciding factor. More than any other team, the Wings know how to get it done in the playoffs. Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Kronwall, Franzen, etc. always raise their level of play in the postseason, and the Coyotes will have their hands full defensively trying to stop these guys. Bryzgalov will have to be huge for the Coyotes to have a chance, but Detroit is just too good.
Prediction: Red Wings in 6
(4) Anahiem vs. (5) Nashville
I think this will be one of the best series of the opening round. The higher seeds in the West are happy these two are playing each other, because both of these teams will be dangerous to face in the playoffs. Anahiem has arguably the best top line in the league right now, as Getzlaf, Perry, and Ryan have been lighting it up lately. Selanne has had a huge year at age 40, and is still very dangerous on the powerplay. The deciding factor for the Ducks will be their play in net. Jonas Hiller has been out since for the majority of the second half of the season, and if he remains out the Ducks will rotate between Dan Ellis and Ray Emery. In the other crease, Pekka Rinne has been one of the best goalies in the league this year. Nashville plays a very defensive style, and rely heavily on their Vezina candidate. On the blue line they also have a Norris favorite in Shea Weber, and he will see lots of ice time against the Ducks top line. This will be a very physical series, and I expect it to go the distance.
Prediction: Ducks in 7
This clearly wasn't the most ideal matchup for the Canucks in the first round, but they also have an opportunity to get revenge on the defending champs and build some momentum going into the second round. Last year, Chicago's depth proved to be too much for the Canucks and they bowed out in 6 games. This year, the roles are reversed. Gone from last year's Hawks are Byfuglien, Versteeg, Ladd, Eager, Burish, and Niemi. The Canucks have added depth on the blue line, and fans in VanCity can rest assured that Shane O'Brien will not be killing penalties in the playoffs this time around. For Chicago, the X factor in this series is Marian Hossa. If he can play the way he is capable of playing and provide the Hawks with some secondary scoring, Van could be in trouble. All eyes are on Roberto Luongo as he looks to rebound from the last 2 playoff series against the Hawks. I think he is going to have a big series, as he is rested, and currently at the top of his game. This going to be a tight, hard fought series, but in the end Vancouver's depth will prove too much for the Hawks.
Prediction: Canucks in 6
(2) San Jose vs. (7) Los Angeles
The Kings are banged up coming into this series, as they are missing leading scorer Anze Kopitar and second leading scorer Justin Williams. A team that is already offensively challenged, they will need a lot out of guys like Penner, Smyth, and Brown to have any chance in this series. No one wants to face the Sharks right now, as Heatley, Pavelski, Thornton, and Marleau are all capable of taking a game over. I dont think LA stands a chance, but I would like them to prove me wrong.
Prediction: Sharks in 5
(3) Detroit vs. (6) Phoenix
The Phoenix Coyotes never really seem to get the respect they deserve. In the ultra competitive Western Conference they are always in contention, yet they never have anyone in the top 30 of scoring and play in front of 5,000 fans a night. They took Detroit to 7 games in the first round last year, and I think this series will be a lot closer than some people expect. In the end, I think Detroit's playoff experience will be the deciding factor. More than any other team, the Wings know how to get it done in the playoffs. Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Kronwall, Franzen, etc. always raise their level of play in the postseason, and the Coyotes will have their hands full defensively trying to stop these guys. Bryzgalov will have to be huge for the Coyotes to have a chance, but Detroit is just too good.
Prediction: Red Wings in 6
(4) Anahiem vs. (5) Nashville
I think this will be one of the best series of the opening round. The higher seeds in the West are happy these two are playing each other, because both of these teams will be dangerous to face in the playoffs. Anahiem has arguably the best top line in the league right now, as Getzlaf, Perry, and Ryan have been lighting it up lately. Selanne has had a huge year at age 40, and is still very dangerous on the powerplay. The deciding factor for the Ducks will be their play in net. Jonas Hiller has been out since for the majority of the second half of the season, and if he remains out the Ducks will rotate between Dan Ellis and Ray Emery. In the other crease, Pekka Rinne has been one of the best goalies in the league this year. Nashville plays a very defensive style, and rely heavily on their Vezina candidate. On the blue line they also have a Norris favorite in Shea Weber, and he will see lots of ice time against the Ducks top line. This will be a very physical series, and I expect it to go the distance.
Prediction: Ducks in 7
Monday, April 11, 2011
Eastern Predictions
The playoff matchups are finally set, and today I will preview the Eastern Conference first round series...
(1) Washington vs. (8) New York
-This isn't the best possible matchup for the Capitals, as they have struggled against the Rangers this season. That being said, the Caps have been one of the hottest teams in the league of late and are a different squad than the one who lost 7-0 at MSG earlier in the season when Ovi dropped the gloves with Dubinsky. These teams went the distance in the first round two years ago, when the Caps came back from a 3-1 deficit to win in 7 games. New York definitely has the edge in goaltending, and Lundqvist will have to be at the top of his game if the Rangers are going to compete in this series. The pressure is all on Washington, as this team can't afford to lose to an eighth seed in the first round for the second year in a row.
Prediction: Washington in 6
(2) Philadelphia vs. (7) Buffalo
-The Flyers struggled down the stretch in the regular season, and eventually lost their number one seed to Washington. Up front, the Flyers may very well be the deepest team in the league. Their biggest question mark is in net, but don't read too much into this as they made it all the way to the finals last year with Michael Leighton between the pipes. On the other side, Ryan Miller has proven to be among the NHL's elite in net over the last couple of seasons. In my mind, he is the key to this series and I think he is going to have a big performance.
Prediction: Buffalo in 7
(3) Boston vs. (6) Montreal
-This is the series all hockey fans were hoping to see. It is no secret that these original 6 rivals do not like each other one bit. These two teams seriously went at it in the regular season, and played in some high scoring games filled with brawls. This could be one of the most entertaining series of the first round. As both teams play different styles, it will come down to who can impose their style on their opponent the most. For Boston to be successful, they need to play a physical game and use their size to their advantage. The line of Lucic, Horton, and Krejci will have to keep up their solid play for Boston to be successful. For Montreal, the key to winning this series will be playing a disciplined game and capitalizing on their powerplay. The Habs PP went 9/28 against the Bruins this season, and it is one of their greatest strengths. As Boston has the size advantage, Montreal has an advantage in skill and speed, and will try to use that to their advantage. Both goaltenders are key in this sries, and whoever outplays the other will go a long way in deciding this matchup. Though I would like to see Montreal advance, the big bad Bruins are designed to win in the postseason.
Prediction: Boston in 6
(4) Pittsburgh vs. (5) Tampa Bay
-The Penguins proved to everyone that they are a much deeper team than everyone thought, as they locked up the 4th seed with 106 points, tied with Philly for the division lead and only 1 point out of first place in the conference. And they did this without their two superstars, Crosby and Malkin. Though Malkin is done for the season, Crosby could return in this series but it still remains unclear. The Lightning are a streaky team, but if they can get Lecavalier going he would provide some much needed secondary scoring behind St. Louis and Stamkos. In my mind Marc Andre Fleury is one of the most underrated goaltenders in the league, and is the main reason they are sitting where they are today. Pittsburgh's edge in depth, playoff experience, and goaltending will be the deciding factors in this series.
Prediction: Pittsburgh in 5
Western Conference predictions tomorrow....
(1) Washington vs. (8) New York
-This isn't the best possible matchup for the Capitals, as they have struggled against the Rangers this season. That being said, the Caps have been one of the hottest teams in the league of late and are a different squad than the one who lost 7-0 at MSG earlier in the season when Ovi dropped the gloves with Dubinsky. These teams went the distance in the first round two years ago, when the Caps came back from a 3-1 deficit to win in 7 games. New York definitely has the edge in goaltending, and Lundqvist will have to be at the top of his game if the Rangers are going to compete in this series. The pressure is all on Washington, as this team can't afford to lose to an eighth seed in the first round for the second year in a row.
Prediction: Washington in 6
(2) Philadelphia vs. (7) Buffalo
-The Flyers struggled down the stretch in the regular season, and eventually lost their number one seed to Washington. Up front, the Flyers may very well be the deepest team in the league. Their biggest question mark is in net, but don't read too much into this as they made it all the way to the finals last year with Michael Leighton between the pipes. On the other side, Ryan Miller has proven to be among the NHL's elite in net over the last couple of seasons. In my mind, he is the key to this series and I think he is going to have a big performance.
Prediction: Buffalo in 7
(3) Boston vs. (6) Montreal
-This is the series all hockey fans were hoping to see. It is no secret that these original 6 rivals do not like each other one bit. These two teams seriously went at it in the regular season, and played in some high scoring games filled with brawls. This could be one of the most entertaining series of the first round. As both teams play different styles, it will come down to who can impose their style on their opponent the most. For Boston to be successful, they need to play a physical game and use their size to their advantage. The line of Lucic, Horton, and Krejci will have to keep up their solid play for Boston to be successful. For Montreal, the key to winning this series will be playing a disciplined game and capitalizing on their powerplay. The Habs PP went 9/28 against the Bruins this season, and it is one of their greatest strengths. As Boston has the size advantage, Montreal has an advantage in skill and speed, and will try to use that to their advantage. Both goaltenders are key in this sries, and whoever outplays the other will go a long way in deciding this matchup. Though I would like to see Montreal advance, the big bad Bruins are designed to win in the postseason.
Prediction: Boston in 6
(4) Pittsburgh vs. (5) Tampa Bay
-The Penguins proved to everyone that they are a much deeper team than everyone thought, as they locked up the 4th seed with 106 points, tied with Philly for the division lead and only 1 point out of first place in the conference. And they did this without their two superstars, Crosby and Malkin. Though Malkin is done for the season, Crosby could return in this series but it still remains unclear. The Lightning are a streaky team, but if they can get Lecavalier going he would provide some much needed secondary scoring behind St. Louis and Stamkos. In my mind Marc Andre Fleury is one of the most underrated goaltenders in the league, and is the main reason they are sitting where they are today. Pittsburgh's edge in depth, playoff experience, and goaltending will be the deciding factors in this series.
Prediction: Pittsburgh in 5
Western Conference predictions tomorrow....
Thursday, March 24, 2011
final playoff push
The NHL playoffs are right around the corner, and there are currently plenty of close races that are certain to end in a photo finish.
With their loss last night, the Calgary Flames all but ended their playoff hopes. All the teams ahead of them have games in hand, and the Flames have the fewest regulation wins amongst them which is the first tiebreaker. The team has cooled off after a post-christmas surge, and it seems they dug too big of a hole for themselves at the start of the season.
4 thru 9 in the Western Conference looks like this: Phoenix, Chicago, LA, Nashville, Anahiem, Dallas. Any of these teams could swap places over the next couple of weeks, and teams like Vancouver, Detroit and SJ will likely have to wait until the last day of the season until they know their first round matchup.
In the East, the Capitals have been absolutely on fire of late and find themselves only 1 point behind the Flyers for the conference lead. If they can get the goaltending, this team will be very tough to beat in the playoffs.
Big game tonight in Boston as with a win the Habs can move within one point of the division lead. This is the final meeting between the two teams and Boston has only beat Montreal once this season. Don't expect any retribution for the Chara hit, as that is not Montreal's game. The Habs have dominated the Bruins this season with their speed and skill, and Boston will have to come up with a better game plan other than trying to physically run their opponents out of the building.
Without their two superstars, the Penguins have kept themselves in the thick of things in the Eastern conference and are still within striking distance of the Flyers for their division title. With Crosby back on skates and Fleury at the top of his game, no one wants to face this team in the playoffs either.
This is the best time of the year to be a hockey fan. With so much more on the line, games are much more intense and the quality of hockey is rapidly increasing. Teams are now resting banged up players in hopes they will be fresh for a long playoff run. So grab some beers, sit back, and enjoy.
With their loss last night, the Calgary Flames all but ended their playoff hopes. All the teams ahead of them have games in hand, and the Flames have the fewest regulation wins amongst them which is the first tiebreaker. The team has cooled off after a post-christmas surge, and it seems they dug too big of a hole for themselves at the start of the season.
4 thru 9 in the Western Conference looks like this: Phoenix, Chicago, LA, Nashville, Anahiem, Dallas. Any of these teams could swap places over the next couple of weeks, and teams like Vancouver, Detroit and SJ will likely have to wait until the last day of the season until they know their first round matchup.
In the East, the Capitals have been absolutely on fire of late and find themselves only 1 point behind the Flyers for the conference lead. If they can get the goaltending, this team will be very tough to beat in the playoffs.
Big game tonight in Boston as with a win the Habs can move within one point of the division lead. This is the final meeting between the two teams and Boston has only beat Montreal once this season. Don't expect any retribution for the Chara hit, as that is not Montreal's game. The Habs have dominated the Bruins this season with their speed and skill, and Boston will have to come up with a better game plan other than trying to physically run their opponents out of the building.
Without their two superstars, the Penguins have kept themselves in the thick of things in the Eastern conference and are still within striking distance of the Flyers for their division title. With Crosby back on skates and Fleury at the top of his game, no one wants to face this team in the playoffs either.
This is the best time of the year to be a hockey fan. With so much more on the line, games are much more intense and the quality of hockey is rapidly increasing. Teams are now resting banged up players in hopes they will be fresh for a long playoff run. So grab some beers, sit back, and enjoy.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
no suspension for chara
The Chara hit on Pacioretty has been a big topic for the last couple of days, and so it should be. Max Pacioretty is still in a Montreal hospital suffering with a severe concussion and a fractured vertebrae. Chara received a 5 minute major for interference and a game misconduct for the hit, but was given no supplemental discipline from the league. A report out of Quebec today stated that the Montreal police are investigating the incident, but to me this is a waste of time. Yes it was a brutal hit, which probably deserved a suspension, but in no way can anyone prove this was intentional. Only Zdeno Chara knows what was running through his mind at the time. In my mind there are a few flaws in the NHL's discipline system. Firstly, they base way too much of it on reputation. If that was Steve Downie making the hit, he would have received a minimum of 5 games. Also, the league stated that they didn't think there was malicious intent from Chara during the hit, the key word there being intent. How do you define intent? No one will ever know if Chara meant to do it or not, as there was a bit of a history between the two players as I have mentioned in a previous post, but for someone in the front office in the league to look at the play and write it off as an accident is just wrong. The bottom line is that Chara made a careless play at a very dangerous part of the ice, which resulted in a player being severely injured. How is this any different from the countless headshots and hits from behind we have seen this season? An open ice headshot is usually not the intended result of the player making the hit, but the game moves so fast now and a split second can turn a big hit into a devastating one. The league has made a point of it this year to make players accountable for their actions, and I think they really dropped the ball on the Chara incident. Enough of this intent garbage, if you make a careless play like that you should pay the price. Pacioretty could have been killed from that hit. Chara is an 11 year veteran of the league, has played countless games at the Bell Center playing with both Ottawa and Boston, so don't try to tell me he didn't know where he was on the ice. The league really needs to get some ground rules on hits like this, as the suspensions we have seen handed out this season have been all over the map. I mean honestly, if a little Trevor Gillies forearm to the head of Clutterbuck warrants a 10 game suspension and this gets nothing, shouldn't the league reconsider their discipline policy?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)