The Elsinore All-Stars

In Defense of Paul Martin

2012-02-21T12:30:00.003-05:00

Paul Martin has been one of the biggest targets of criticism for many Penguins fans this season. Rock Strongo, friend of the Elsinore All-Stars, has had enough of it. Armed with advanced statistics (for which he gives a huge thank you to Behind the Net), Rock makes his case for why Paul Martin is more valuable than many seem to think. So give it a read (especially fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins and/or advanced stats geeks) and let us all know what you think.

“All lies and jest/Still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest” - Paul Simon, “The Boxer”

A quote attributed frequently to Mark Twain, though he never actually uttered the words (Thanks Jeopardy!) states that the three principle kinds of untruths one will encounter in the world are lies, damned lies, and statistics. Although an amusing bon mot, I find it mostly employed by those who have run up against statistical evidence that disproves a cherished belief or argument.

But this isn’t about Mark Twain, of course. It’s about Paul Martin. Except not really. It’s ultimately about the Penguins fanbase and the power of groupthink. Post-lockout, there has always been one defenseman that has seemed to rile a large segment of Penguins fandom into a santorum-like frothy mix of rage, irrationality and poop. Sergei Gonchar (2005-2006), Ryan Whitney (2006-2009), Alex Goligoski (2009-2011), and now Paul Martin (2011-?) have all been the designated whipping boy and readily available scapegoat for any bad loss or deficient blueline performance.

Why has this been so? I cannot speak for any of the others, but I believe I know why Martin has been singled out this season. There is no denying he had a rough stretch of play to start the season. That’s a bad time for any player to go through a tough patch because expectations are highest and the maximum amount of people (pre-playoff) are tuned in and watching. What contributed to the terminal velocity the Martin hate train has reached, however, is most probably the explosion of Twitter and fan blogs.

The things you used to shout at your TV set or grumble to the guy beside you are now shared with hundreds or even thousands of people instantly. Fleeting impressions of the moment that formerly faded with the next beer now become amplified within an echo chamber and rapidly harden into conventional wisdom as the same ideas are repeated endlessly and people join up with the prevailing sentiment. Now, less than two full seasons after fans greeted Martin’s signing with joy, there are calls from many of those same people to trade him for a slightly used pair of underwear and to do it now.

If you couldn’t have guessed by now, I disagree. I don’t deny Martin has had his ups and downs—I can think of four or six games when he’s been truly terrible—but enough is enough. Every player has horrendous games. Overall, Paul Martin is an extremely valuable contributor to the Penguins’ defensive corps whose absence would leave a hole that’s difficult to fill. It’s time to take a close look at the stats and see just who is the damned liar: myself or pretty much everyone else.

Evaluating a player’s even strength performance is always a good place to start since that is the game situation in which a player will see the vast majority of his minutes. For the purposes of this and all following analysis, I have only looked at players who have played at least 25 games this season. This allows us to get a good look at the unquestioned top 7 of the Pittsburgh Penguins: Deryk Engelland, Kris Letang, Ben Lovejoy, Paul Martin, Zbynek Michalek, Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik. Let’s lay out the numbers first and then analyze what it all means.

Games Played
Matt Niskanen — 58
Deryk Engelland — 53
Paul Martin — 52
Brooks Orpik — 51
Zbynek Michalek — 39
Kris Letang — 36
Ben Lovejoy — 26

Time On Ice Per 60 Minutes (pretty simple here; the average number of 5 on 5 minutes a player sees per game)
Brooks Orpik – 18.24 minutes
Kris Letang – 18.06 minutes
Paul Martin – 17.65 minutes
Zbynek Michalek — 16.90 minutes
Deryk Engelland — 14.94 minutes
Matt Niskanen — 14.71 minutes
Ben Lovejoy — 12.53 minutes

Quality of Competition or QCOMP (a statistic that rates the average strength of opposition a player is put up against. The greater the number, the better quality opponents a player is facing when on the ice.)
Paul Martin - .063
Zbynek Michalek - .055
Kris Letang - .038
Brooks Orpik - .014
Deryk Engelland - -.006
Matt Niskanen - -.039
Ben Lovejoy - -.081

Quality of Teammates or QTEAM (a stat that rates the average quality of teammates a player is with. The higher the number, the higher the quality of teammates a player is skating with)
Brooks Orpik - .188
Matt Niskanen - .035
Deryk Engelland - .002
Ben Lovejoy - -.009
Kris Letang - -.033
Paul Martin - -.088
Zbynek Michalek - -.161

Offensive Zone Start % (Measures the percentage of shifts a player starts when his team is in the offensive zone. Since it’s easier to be on offense than defense, the lower the number means a defenseman is starting in the defensive zone more often and thus has a more difficult job)
Ben Lovejoy — 60.9%
Zbynek Michalek — 56%
Matt Niskanen — 55.6%
Deryk Engelland — 53.9%
Brooks Orpik — 53.4%
Paul Martin — 52.9%
Kris Letang — 50%

Let’s take a quick look at times spent on special teams too, shall we?

Powerplay Minutes Per Game
Kris Letang — 4.18
Matt Niskanen — 2.29
Paul Martin — 2.20
Zbynek Michalek — 0.24
Brooks Orpik — 0.08
Ben Lovejoy — 0.05
Deryk Engelland — 0.01

Penalty Killing Minutes Per Game
Zbynek Michalek — 3.54
Brooks Orpik — 3.27
Paul Martin — 2.70
Kris Letang — 1.69
Deryk Engelland — 1.14
Matt Niskanen — 0.62
Ben Lovejoy — 0.50

Finally, let’s list some of the more basic stats that have value (this would not be +/-, by the by, though more on that later)

Hits
Brooks Orpik — 188; 3.69 per game
Deryk Engelland — 117; 2.21 per game
Matt Niskanen — 75; 1.29 per game
Kris Letang — 56; 1.56 per game
Zbynek Michalek — 31; .79 per game
Ben Lovejoy — 23; .88 per game
Paul Martin — 14; .27 per game

Blocked Shots
Zbynek Michalek — 93; 2.38 per game
Brooks Orpik — 90; 1.76 per game
Paul Martin — 86; 1.65 per game
Kris Letang — 62; 1.72 per game
Matt Niskanen — 60; 1.03 per game
Deryk Engelland — 55; 1.04 per game
Ben Lovejoy — 27; 1.17 per game

Giveaways
Kris Letang — 30; .83 per game
Paul Martin — 26; .5 per game
Zbynek Michalek — 23; .59 per game
Brooks Orpik — 16; .31 per game
Deryk Engelland — 15; .28 per game
Matt Niskanen — 15; .26 per game
Ben Lovejoy — 7; .27 per game

Takeaways
Paul Martin — 23; .44 per game
Kris Letang — 21; .58 per game
Matt Niskanen — 9; .16 per game
Brooks Orpik — 9; .18 per game
Deryk Engelland — 7; .13 per game
Zbynek Michalek — 6; .15 per game
Ben Lovejoy — 0; 0 per game

Whew. Damn, that’s a lot of info. I’ll sit back for a minute and let you process it all. Read it twice if need be. I know it’s a lot to digest. Take a Tums and I’ll be here

…

Ready? Okay, then. If nothing else, you can glean two pearls of insight from those numbers. 1) Kris Letang is the Pens’ #1 defenseman. 2) Paul Martin is their #2.

Martin’s Strengths:

1) Durability. Out of a possible 148 games (including the playoffs) as a Penguin, Martin has dressed for 136 of them or 91.8%

2) Minutes. Martin is second on the team in total ice time, skating a total average of over 23 minutes a game, trailing only Letang and leading Orpik at #3 by a full minute.

3) Versatility. Martin plays in all three situations.

4) He plays against the toughest competition. His QCOMP is easily the highest on the team, meaning Martin is routinely sent out against the best the opposing team has to offer.

5) He backs up the lower lines. Only Michalek has a lower QTEAM rating, meaning when the lower lines are out there and the coaches need someone they can trust to protect them from mistakes, Martin often gets the call.

6) He’s a thief. Martin is second only to Letang in average takeaways per game and third place isn’t even close.

7) He blocks shots. Though Martin is only 4th in average blocks per game, his numbers compare favorably with Letang and Orpik, clustered closely at 2 and 3. It’s no surprise everyone trails Michalek by a heavy margin; he was signed as a shot blocking machine.

I’m not arguing Paul is flawless, though. He does have some notable weaknesses…

1) Lack of physicality. Martin has always been a guy who’s gotten by via sound positioning and fundamentals rather than brute force. Still, 14 hits over the course of 52 games is pretty inexcusable for anyone. You’ve got to get out there and throw the body around at some point.

2) Occasional mental lapses. A turnover every other game isn’t what you want, particularly since many of them have the tendency to end up in the back of your net. Still, it’s instructive to note that Kris Letang, mentioned as a future Norris winner, turns the puck over almost once a game, and yet nary a word gets said about it. I also wonder how much of it is a function of Letang and Martin being the two guys most often called upon to lug the puck through the neutral zone.

So, if I’m right about all this, why does Martin have the bull’s eye on his back for fan venom? I believe there are three main reasons.

1) As mentioned earlier, his rough start to the season and the toxic chemistry of the Internet has lead to every subsequent mistake being magnified by a factor of 20,000 or so.

2) His contract. Hang out on Twitter during a Pens game. (On second thought, don’t). Inevitably you’ll see a person or fifty making a disparaging reference regarding Martin’s $5MM per year salary. Hate to tell you, kids, but it’s not Paul Martin’s fault he gets paid that much. Know who to blame for that? Ray Shero.

Of course the entire point of this little exercise to argue that Martin is a top tier defenseman for the Pens who earns his money, but even accepting for a moment the lesson here is the critical importance of drafting and developing talent from within. The nature of the free agent market in all pro sports tends to inflate the dollar amount of contracts given out. That’s why a defenseman of Martin’s caliber costs $5MM annually while the Pens can sign Kris Letang for $3.5MM per year. So keep that in mind every July 1st as you pine for the latest shiny toy available for purchase.

3) His plus/minus rating. Folks, if you never listen to a thing I say ever again, please understand that other than pitcher wins in baseball, plus/minus rating is the single most useless, uninformative statistic yet devised in sports. It means nothing; I don’t care if a guy is +100 or -100. There are just too many other factors at play in a hockey game for it to mean a damn thing at all. All fans see is that Martin is a -11. Boo! That must mean he sucks, right? No. No, it doesn’t.

It’s interesting to contrast Martin with his fellow big-money free agent acquisition of July 2010, Zbynek Michalek. Martin is a -11 through 52 games this season. Michalek is a -10 through 39 so presumably he’s much, much worse. His cap hit is only $1MM less than Martin’s. And yet no one is ready to run him out of town on a rail. I do fear, however, that if Martin is traded before the end of his contract and Zbynek stays, the focus will turn to him. Z fans, if/when it happens, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Might want to sharpen your keyboards and develop your arguments now.

I don’t know what the future holds for Paul Martin or any of the other Penguins. The trade deadline is approaching and four months after that is draft day. If I had to take a guess, though, I would say that Martin finishes out this season with the Penguins but is traded away either on draft day or at some point during July. Given the recent $5MM per year extension given to James Neal, cap space will be at quite a premium, especially given the uncertain CBA situation. Martin has a partial NTC, but I have to wonder if he wouldn’t waive it to go most anywhere to get out of a situation where he is regarded as a sort of Typhoid Mary of the blueline. Ryan Whitney has never seemed more relaxed than in Edmonton, after all.

If I’m right and Martin is traded this off-season or at any point before the expiry of his contract, do not let anyone tell you he was a bust signing and a worthless bum. Those damned lying statistics prove otherwise. Then hit the Simon & Garfunkel and walk away.

Whole Lotta Love

2012-01-26T07:30:00.009-05:00

"I'm gonna give you my love." - Led Zeppelin (& Willie Dixon)

The Elsinore All-Stars can bring the hate clearly based on two posts we had in October, but this time we look at the flip side of our fandom and bring the love. There are quite a few players that we praise and laud more than others for making the game we love as enjoyable as it can get through hard work and dedication, dealing punishing hits, having vision on the ice, and leaving it all on the ice. Reg and Doug have assembled their own all-star rosters of favorites from all-time NHL players. Along with Reg and Doug's usual shenanigans, Anthrax Jones from Bad Altitude Hockey returns to produce his own selection of all-time favorites. And here we go one more time ...

All-Time Favorites Squads:

Reg Dunlop
Mario Lemieux (F): How in the world can I look at myself in the mirror again and not be disgusted if I don't pick Mario Lemieux to be on my all-time favorite squad? That man was and still is everything to Pittsburgh hockey. He was the one who got my parents into the sport. He inspired so many people. He saved the team I grew up loving so many times. He's brilliant, he's wonderful for the community of Pittsburgh, and he's a part of the Burgh now. With everything he has gone through, I'm a proud fan of Mario Lemieux. His career more than speaks for itself. Le Magnifique eternally, boys and girls.

Alexei Kovalev (F): My brother and I had 1 adult hockey stick and 1 blue Playskool brand hockey stick that my dad duct-taped a handle of an axe to make it longer. We fought over who would be the forward (aka the kid who got the legitimate hockey stick) and who would be forced in goal (aka the kid who didn't have padding while tennis balls were shot at his or her body and head.) While my brother mostly won the coveted forward position, we both would pretend to be Kovalev skating up into the offensive zone, dangling the puck, and rifling it as hard as we could at the corners we picked. Sure, we lacked the ability to aim, and I had bruises all over my legs, but for once, we put aside our constant bickering and united in a love affair with Kovalev. The man gets a lot of hate for quitting on plays, and maybe he does deserve some of it, but he had more natural talent than most could ever dream about and when he was on, he was on fire. His tenure with the Penguins proved to be the best in his NHL career (before he returned again), and I will always admire his offensive style. Kovalev holds a special place in my heart for a lot of quality childhood memories.

Rick Rypien (F): This choice was a sad selection to make, but it had to be done. I wish I could have put him on my currents list, but life happens, I suppose. It was after the lockout when I began to branch out and watch other NHL teams besides the Pens, and I became a fan of a lot of enforcers like Aaron Boogaard and Colton Orr. There was something about Rick Rypien that drew me to him immediately. When I watched Rick Rypien for the 1st time, I knew I had a favorite. He was someone that beat the odds in some ways: he was short, no one drafted him, and he was forced to make his name as an enforcer. I loved watching him fight, which is something I know as hockey fans is sort of a faux pas because we are there to watch the game, but he just brought it in fisticuffs. I excitedly would point him out whenever he took a shift to my mom while I forced her to watch games with me, and I was excessively proud of the 9 goals he scored in his NHL career. He had some trouble with injuries when he initially tried to make the jump from Manitoba Moose into Vancouver Canuck, but he was dedicated and patient despite it all. When he signed in the offseason with the Jets, I was sad to see him leave Vancouver, but I was glad that maybe he'd be given a chance to grow a bit more. Little did I know that he would play his last hockey game in Pittsburgh on November 17th and I would never get to cheer on the Ripper again. I think about him a lot when I think about the Vancouver Canucks, I fondly remember his 1st goal, how furiously he forechecked, how he never backed down from a fight, how often he fought out of his weight class, and every game he laced up, I always got excited hoping that he would surprise everyone with a goal. RIP Ripper, you'll always be my favorite badass.

Darius Kasparaitis (D): Darius Kasparaitis is the ultimate player forever and for always. Most Pens fans will tell you either Sidney Crosby or Mario Lemieux got them into hockey, but Kaspar was the reason I loved hockey. I adored him growing up. It was to the point that I destroyed my knees imitating his GWG over Buffalo on my stone driveway and had my mom buy my brothers and me Kasparaitis sherseys (Sidenote: I still have mine.) He was irresistibly cool and remains so. Looking back on his time with the Islanders, he would purposely hit teammates to make sure they were paying attention and every visiting bench hated his guts. One night the entire Devils bench was aiming for a fight with the rookie pest, but he laughed it off and kept on skating. He had numerous problems with spending his money on nice things, figuring out what non-parking zones were, and long distance calls back home, but on the ice, he was a menace to society. Lemieux and Jagr had the unfortunate displeasure in the 1993 Playoffs meeting his heavy checking. When he became a Penguin, foes became friends and he actually found Lemieux his back doctor, and Jagr became one of his closest friends. He also became pretty huge in the Burgh for being made of pure awesomeness. He was the last guy pretty much any player wanted to see coming at him. He kissed Josef Melichar on the helmet when they got on the Kiss Cam in Toronto. He almost got arrested/kicked out of Canada for jaywalking in Calgary after he first told the officer that he didn't trust cops and then proceeded to joke that Brad Werenka was from Mexico. I'll leave you with a few choice quotes from and about the best pest who perfected the hip check to art form:

"It means I don't have to play against him anymore ... You always have to be aware of where he is one the ice. You can never feel too comfortable when he's out there." - Mario Lemieux on Kaspar

"I own Dominik Hasek."

"She come in my locker room and cry! I say, 'Mom, you do this again and you go home.' Can't cry. This is hockey. It's my game." - talking about his mom going to the locker room during a game

"Keep your heads up!" - to the Pittsburgh Penguins & their fans after he was traded

"I don't understand why people mean here 'Big Star, can't touch.' Guys can't touch these persons? Lemieux, Mark Messier, Steve Yzerman. I like touch sometimes."

"When I come in NHL, I must sell my name: 'Kasparaitis, this guy is no easy player. This is hard player.' Be ready for me. Hockey is man game."

Drake Berehowsky (D): You might be asking yourself as you read this list "Who exactly is Drake Berehowsky?", and I would respond usually with "Ask Google, you clearly have the Internet," but today, I will humor your hypothetical question asking. Drake Berehowsky currently is an assistant coach for the Peoria Rivermen, but he was an NHL player who hit everything on the ice and that's what got my attention. Admittedly, his style meant mostly that he was more concerned with playing the body than the puck, but I didn't care. He bounced from team to team, but I always liked Berehowsky despite any logic telling me otherwise.

Jim Craig (G): I didn't pay attention to goalies a lot as a child, so this was quite difficult. If anything, I remember shaking my fist at Hasek a lot, but Johan Hedberg was about as big as it got for me. Since Hedberg hasn't retired yet (keep on pushing, Moose!), I'm going to talk about my love affair with Jim Craig despite only seeing him play in games on cassette tapes and Youtube. First and foremost, AMERICA! Now that I got that out of the way, he played about 30 games in the NHL, so clearly basing this love on his performance in 1980 at Lake Placid. Consistency-wise, Craig was never very stable throughout his college days, but man, did he show up big for Team USA. He faced 163 shots in the Olympics, had 2.14 GAA, and you know, helped topple the nearly unbreakable Soviets to later go on and takeover Finland for Gold. His NHL career was pretty much nonexistent, but winning Gold for your country is something special even 32 years later.

Michel Therrien, Coach: His rantings, his half-comprehensible post-game interviews, his gesticulations, his random sighing throughout interviews, and when he unpredicatably lost his cool made Therrien a joy for me to watch. I enjoyed how much of a loose canon whenever the game involved a rival. Also, I can recite his 1st rant word for word, which clearly means I "not impress" a lot of people. I can't help that I'm soff.

Doug McKenzie
Mario Lemieux (F): I watched Mario a lot growing up. Not only was he a generational talent, he's the best ever (in my opinion anyway). There's no doubt in my mind that he would hold all the offensive records in the NHL had he been healthier throughout his career. Chronic back & hip problems as well as Hodgkin's Lymphoma limited him to only 915 career NHL games before an atrial fibrillation ended his career for good. I've never seen a person with as much ability to take over a game and determine the outcome single-handed. Mario Lemieux was immediately inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame upon retiring (the first time) in 1997, and became one of only 3 inductees to play in the NHL after being inducted (Gordie Howe & Guy Lafleur are the others). Mario Lemieux's toughness was probably his most underrated quality - he'd play games even when his back was in so much pain he had to have other people tie his skates. He also played a game against the Philadelphia Flyers the same day as his final radiation treatment - and received a standing ovation before the game ... from Philadelphia Flyers fans ... no joke. Anybody who can command that sort of respect from notoriously hostile fans of an arch rival is undoubtedly a special player.

Gary Roberts (F): "Scary" Gary was a favorite of mine going back to his days with the Calgary Flames. Known for being a gym rat, I remember hearing his dedication to fitness came after being cut from his first camp with the Flames when then head coach Terry Crisp cited Roberts' fitness (or lack thereof) as a big contributing factor for why Roberts didn't make the club. According to the story, from then on he was a fitness freak. Roberts was always a tough, intimidating player, and that's why he was always one of my favorites. With 909 points and 2560 PIMs in 1224 career NHL games, Roberts had a mix of skill and grit that made him a fan favorite with every NHL team he was ever with. My favorite Gary Roberts moment was when, at 41, Roberts fought Ben Eager (a player I can't stand), then of the Philadelphia Flyers (a team I hate with a burning passion), and thrashed him. Eager was promptly dumped by the Flyers soon after that game.

Darren Turcotte (F): I can't even explain this one. He wasn't a great player, he wasn't a very rugged player, and he only had brief stints with any teams I particularly cared for (66 games with the Hartford Whalers & 59 with the original Winnipeg Jets). There is no rational explanation I can give for why Darren Turcotte is one of my all-time favorite players, so here we are.

Dave Babych (D): Dave Babych was drafted #2 overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 1980 and was considered by some to be a potential franchise player. Babych turned in many outstanding seasons early in his career and quickly became a fan favorite in Winnipeg. While he bounced around a bit - especially later in his career - he always stood out in my mind for one reason: that mustache. The man looked like a walrus out there and I could never bring myself to not root for him because of it.

Darius Kasparaitis (D): David Volek is remembered as "the guy who beat the Penguins" in the 2nd round of the 1992-93 playoffs, but Darius Kasparaitis is the guy who made it all happen with the work he put in limiting guys like Lemieux and Jagr. Known as a solid defender, big hitter, superb agitator, and a guy who sometimes crossed the line, Kaspar was one of the best/worst pests to ever lace 'em up. He was the quintessential guy you loved to see playing for your team but hated to see playing against it. When asked for his thoughts on finishing second in the NHL in hits behind Florida's Robert Svehla (back in 1997-98, I believe), Kasparaitis replied with "it's because they also count the hits that don't hurt."

Patrick Roy (G): The epitome of a very confident - maybe even arrogant - hockey player, Patrick Roy is the best money goalie of all time with 151 career playoff wins, 23 playoff shutouts, and 4 Stanley Cup rings (which he once graciously offered to loan to Jeremy Roenick). I always loved watching Roy in net, not just because he was/is the best goalie ever (forget Martin Brodeur), but because he made everything he did look so easy...and he had swagger. Winking at opponents after making saves, openly telling everyone he was the best - it got to a point where his ego was so big you just had to say "hats off to you, sir," and just appreciate it. When I was a kid, I always wanted to be one of two players: Mario Lemieux or Patrick Roy. Unfortunately, I lacked the talent and ego.

Scotty Bowman, Coach: In an industry all about winning, there was never any coach who was better at it than Scotty Bowman.

Anthrax Jones
Joe Sakic (F): There really isn't too much I can type here to do Super Joe justice. He's my favorite player, a humble and classy guy who had maybe the longest peak of any elite player in the post-expansion era. Sakic was a force the moment he stepped into the league, and his final full season in the league saw him score 100 points, at age 37, playing on a desperately mediocre team. Again, words fail me, so here are a couple numbers I value: 8 game-winning overtime goals in Stanley Cup playoff action, and two Stanley Cup rings. Memories of Sakic breaking out in the 1996 playoffs with 18 goals on the way to claiming the Conn Smythe trophy and the Stanley Cup, including a backbreaking hat trick in game 5 of a hairy first round series against the Canucks, memories of Sakic completely owning and embarrassing Scott Stevens for 7 games in the 2001 Finals...all the other records, the gold medal in 2002 (along with being named the Olympic MVP), they all tell the story of a clutch athlete who did things the right way. I've turned down several offers and opportunities to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, because I didn't want to see a Hall of Fame that didn't have Joe Sakic in it yet. I'll be making my first visit this November.

Ron Francis (F): The erstwhile "Ronnie Franchise" became famous for being overrated-by-virtue-of-being-underrated; that is, it was said so often that he was underrated, he became overrated. To that, I offer a hearty "bullllllllllllllshit". Francis is best-known for his years in Pittsburgh playing alongside occasional absentee-captain Mario Lemieux and mulleted ballerina Jaromir Jagr, which means that people look at him as a guy whose prime years were spent as the second or third best player on his own team. Ignore for a moment that Lemieux and Jagr weren't just superstars, but generational talents; fact is, Ron Francis is the best player on 97% of the teams in the NHL during his prime. He was an average skater with superior hockey sense and exceptional hand-eye coordination, both of which made up for his lack of foot speed. Francis was a hero to every "thinking man's" player, and his acumen in big games speaks for itself. When the defending champion Penguins lost Lemieux to an Adam Graves slash during the 2nd round of the 1992 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Rangers, it was Ron Francis who carried his team to a 6 game triumph, outduelling a prime Mark Messier on his way to one of the best single-player playoff series performances I've ever seen. Pittsburgh doesn't win the Stanley Cup in 1991 without Francis, and they don't repeat without him in 1992.

Dale Hunter (F): Growing up in Pittsburgh, my exposure to my favorite team in Quebec (chosen due to their sweet jerseys) was limited to highly detailed blurbs in the newspaper the day after games. Example: SABRES 4 NORDIQUES 1 "Danny Gare scored 2 goals and Bob Sauve made 24 saves as the Sabres beat the struggling Nordiques." On the occasions the Nords blurb showed up detailing a win, one of the names I'd see most often associated with it was Dale Hunter. In 1985, I couldn't pick Dale Hunter out of a police lineup; I'd be lucky to see a Nords game on TV twice a year, and it wasn't exactly in HD. All my friends had a favorite player (inevitably, Mario Lemieux), so I had to pick one too. I picked the one with the cool, "tough-guy" sounding name: Dale Hunter. THAT was a hockey player name. When I read in the paper that the Nords had traded Dale Hunter to Washington for a couple guys I had never heard of and a draft pick, I cried. I followed Hunter in Washington and became much more familiar with him through his various exploits over the years, and while I doubt he would have been my favorite player had I started watching him as a Cap, I never forgot the tough-guy name and playoff heroics I read about in the Daily News.

By the way: the draft pick the Nords obtained from the Caps in exchange for Dale Hunter in the trade that made me cry? That draft pick was the 15th pick in the 1987 draft, and the Nords used that pick to take a skinny kid from Burnaby, BC. Some kid named Sakic.

Eric Desjardins (D): "Rico" is one of those players that for whatever reason, my eyes would gravitate to when he was on the ice. On TV or in person, I would watch him, just getting the sense that he knew what he was doing out there better than any of the other guys on the ice did. Desjardins was smooth, he was decisive, he was good. I'm not sure he ever got the credit that I felt he deserved as the best defenseman on a very good Flyers team in the late 90s.

Darius Kasparaitis (D): Here's another guy I had the privilege of watching in person over a span of years when he played for the Penguins. Kasparaitis was wildly popular with Penguins fans, and for good reason. Some guys had "killer instinct". That term doesn't do justice to Kasparaitis, who was a virtual Terminator on ice for the Islanders, Pens, and a brief stretch with the Avalanche down the stretch in 2002. Kasparaitis gained his notoriety for the job he did on Mario Lemieux during the Isles' colossal upset of the Pens in the 1993 playoffs, and later in his career, his hit that cracked Eric Lindros' facade of invincibility. During the Avs' playoff run in 2002, Kasparaitis proved he was more than just a hitman, as he was the team's best defensive defenseman through the run that mysteriously ended after a game 5 win in the conference finals over Detroit. "Kaspar" was a human wrecking ball with stringy long hair, and was as entertaining a player and character as has come through the league in the past 20 years.

Vincent Riendeau (G): Vincent Riendeau makes this list based on two factors, one which led to the other: I loved his name. I loved the way it sounded (so sophisticated!), so when I went through my "goalie phase", I wanted to emulate Vincent Riendeau. I had a Blues jersey, a Blues hat, and when I was in net, I WAS Vincent Riendeau. At the time, I imagined I was as good as he was. As it turned out, I pretty much WAS almost as good as he was, unfortunately enough for Vincent.

Paul Maurice, Coach: In a profession mostly dominated by ex-player meatheads, Paul Maurice always struck me as a calm, thoughtful, knowledgeable, funny man. He has had equal stretches of success and failure, and always seemed to handle both graciously. Due to the fact that he got his first NHL head coaching gig with the Hartford Whalers in 1995 at the preposterous age of 28, it seems like Maurice should be much older than he is, at 44. I'm looking forward to seeing him back in the NHL in some capacity, because this league could use more guys like him.

Feeling the Love

2012-01-19T19:25:00.004-05:00

The Elsinore All-Stars can bring the hate clearly based on two posts we had in October, but this time we look at the flip side of our fandom and bring the love. There are quite a few players that we praise and laud more than others for making the game we love as enjoyable as it can get through hard work and dedication, dealing punishing hits, having vision on the ice, and leaving it all on the ice. Reg and Doug have assembled their own all-star rosters of favorites from current NHL players. Along with Reg and Doug's usual shenanigans, Anthrax Jones from Bad Altitude Hockey has been recruited once more to produce his own selection. And here we go ...

Current Favorites Squads:

Reg Dunlop
Ryan Malone (F), Tampa Bay Lightning: Those who know me whether they want to or not know how much I adore Malone (and generally feel secondhand embarrassment for me.) The first Pittsburgh-born player to be drafted by a Pittsburgh team, he quickly became someone easy to root for. On the ice, Malone is plants himself in front of the net, plays rough in the corners and along the walls, forces turnovers, creates space on the top lines for Marty St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, and Vinny Lecavalier, and has pretty nice hands for a rough around the edges player. It took him a bit to fully develop into the power forward after being the scrawny kid who couldn't gain weight into a strong guy who is nearly impossible to move from the front of the net. Off the ice, his smile is infectious, he's always willing to talk to the media and fans, and he's loved by current and former teammates. The heavily-inked, curly-haired Malone will always hold a special place in my hockey heart despite having some ups and downs with injuries that was solidified by his performance in the 2007-2008 season in which he was awarded the Player's Player award and the 2008 Playoffs when he broke his nose twice (counting it as one and a half) and left everything on the ice.

Ryan Kesler (F), Vancouver Canucks: Kesler is the essential two-way American forward. He's aggressive, he plays well in all three zones, his hands are fantastic, and he is the heart of the Canucks. After being in the shadows of RJ Umberger at Ohio State, he had bumpy start to the beginning of his NHL career with Umberger talking down on him and refusing to sign for the same team along with him transitioning from playing college hockey to the pros. He bounced back from the struggles and learned from Trevor Linden, Markus Naslund, and his teammates. Over the past few years, he really has come into his own as a player, and it would a shame if he never hoisted the Cup over his head. Outside of his spectacular hockey performance, he isn't one to be too serious. He has provided a lot of fodder for Canucks fans and NHL fans alike with his Kesbombing last season, and he is often a partner in crime with Kevin Bieksa while Alex Burrows suffers. Also, anyone who trash talks David Backes, fight him, and live to tell the tale has to garner some points, right?

Tuomo Ruutu (F), Carolina Hurricanes: The Ruutu Family should be considered hockey royalty. If Jarkko wasn't in Jokerit, he would have easily made this list, but I am quite content with sticking with Tuomo. Tuomo has played in ten international tournaments for Finland from the World Juniors to the Olympics and has earned a medal in each one. His most recent was a gold medal at the World Championships as an alternate captain on the team. He's one of those players that I could watch the entire game. Like Jarkko, he hits hard and brings it every shift. Unlike his brother, he's less likely to get his team in trouble with hilarious antics. Despite this, he still has awesomely weird commercials in Finland.

Brooks Orpik (D), Pittsburgh Penguins: He's nasty without being dirty, talented without garnering attention, and smart but speaks his mind to the media and teammates. Orpik has come a long way since his rookie season of going for the hits instead of playing the puck. He has grown into the voice of reason for the Pens hockey team. He may not be the big name like his all-star teammates Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury, or Kris Letang, but he gets his business done well.

Ryan Suter (D), Nashville Predators: There is nothing that Ryan Suter can do wrong. He is absolutely fantastic and underrated due to Shea Weber and his massive beard, but he doesn't mind. He's a quiet but important piece to the Predators. While Weber was out, he performed at the top of his game (as always.) He's consistent and borderline perfect. I just adore him. He's one of the guys you fail to notice for all the right reasons.

Ryan Miller (G), Buffalo Sabres: How do I love Ryan Miller? Let me count the ways. This almost became a three-way tie between Miller, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Roberto Luongo, but the American won out in the end. Being basically the only Sabre that has done much of anything in the past few years, he has had a heavy burden to bear, but manages well for being under that kind of pressure. His Olympic performance that pushed a somewhat offensively muted USA team into the Gold medal game raised him up a bit. He is also a great guy off the ice with his many contributions to charities like Carly's Club. (Plus, I really want to try his ice cream and cereal.)

Guy Boucher, Coach, Tampa Bay Lightning: Guy Boucher is a French-Canadian after my heart. His accent paired with his bizarre facial expressions and gesturing pretty much is a highlight for me after every Lightning game. If you see him on the bench, keep an eye on him for a minute because without a doubt he will make the weirdest face. I actually made my screensaver a large collection of Boucher facial expressions. He also works as a James Bond villain in his free time. The mystery and allure of that scar has me at 3 theories on how he got it, and, yes, most involve him being in a knife fight (one is a lightsaber battle with Darth Vader but I digress.) Also, he's a good coach who has gotten Lecavalier to be better defensively and is quite intelligent, but mostly he's absolutely insane and fantastic.

Doug McKenzie
David Perron (F), St. Louis Blues: A young skilled forward from Quebec, he was starting to show the Blues what he was capable of at the NHL level when a concussion sustained by a hit from Joe Thornton put him out of action for roughly a year. After sitting out for 14 months, Perron finally returned to action on December 3, 2011 - getting back into the Blues lineup after missing 97 games. Perron even scored a goal in his first game back. That was a heart-warming moment for many hockey fans and likely a huge relief for Perron himself. David Perron will never be the biggest guy, the flashiest guy, or the most skilled guy on the ice, but he's a hard worker, an offensive threat, and - from everything I've ever heard or read - a good teammate and person.

Evgeni Malkin (F), Pittsburgh Penguins: Evgeni Malkin is an offensive dynamo, a talented player, and a genuinely likable guy. Known early in his career as a timid character with a poor grasp of the English language interviews (on camera and off), and letting his goofy, fun-loving personality show. On the ice, Malkin is one of the most dangerous players in the League - a big, strong player who often seems to have the puck tied to his stick. While he'll never be mistaken for John Madden in the defensive zone, Malkin is good at pressuring the puck and forcing turnovers. While I'm not a fan of the cheapshots he's been known to throw on occasion (Paul Mara slewfoot & Wayne Simmonds headshot being two examples), I like that he does have a bit of a mean streak in him as well as a hatred for losing.

Jarome Iginla (F), Calgary Flames: It's simple: if you don't like Jarome Iginla then I don't like you.

Shea Weber (D), Nashville Predators: If you know me, you know I'm a self-professed Shea Weber superfan. Simply put, he's arguably the best defenseman in the NHL (there's really no debate in my opinion though). He logs a ton of minutes, plays the powerplay and penalty kill, hits hard, and he has a howitzer for a shot (he put a puck through the net!). As if all that wasn't enough, Weber can go from clean-shaven to Jeremiah Johnson in approximately 5 minutes. Shea Weber is just too much man for this world. The only people who don't like Shea Weber are those left in his wake of carnage, but even they still possess a begrudging respect for him.

Brooks Orpik (D), Pittsburgh Penguins: I've always been a fan of rugged players, and Brooks Orpik definitely fits into that category. Orpik has earned a reputation as one of the fiercest hitters in the NHL and is always among the league leaders in hits. In addition to his physical presence on the ice, he's known as a leader in the locker room and is willing to speak his mind to the media - something that sets him apart from most cliche-spewing hockey players. He'll never be an all-star, and he isn't a franchise cornerstone, but Brooks Orpik is the type of player teams need to win championships.

Ilya Bryzgalov (G), Philadelphia Flyers: Anybody who plays goalie is likely to be a little odd, and Ilya Bryzgalov is no exception. While most hockey fans got their first glimpse into the mind of Bryz with his appearance in the HBO series 24/7, this behavior is nothing new. Bryz is another player who is open and forthcoming with the media, willing to discuss anything from his play to his thoughts on the American Constitution or even how he feels about the city of Winnipeg. Though many people will cite his 24/7 "humongous big" monologue as their top Bryzgalov moment, mine was when he began wearing a mask featuring paintings done by his children. What I like most about Bryzgalov is that he will be himself - odd and completely out there - but he doesn't think he's bigger or more important than the team. He takes his lumps and owns up to not playing well, and he credits his teammates when he notches a win.
Barry Trotz, Coach, Nashville Predators: As cliche as the term is, Barry Trotz has done more with less than probably any other coach in the NHL. His teams are never overloaded on talent (though that isn't to say they're completely without talent), but his Predators are a regular season force and a very tough playoff match up for teams with more skilled players. Barry Trotz has achieved more than probably any other man without a neck ever has.

Anthrax Jones
Matt Duchene (F), Colorado Avalanche: First up obviously has to be my favorite current player, young Matt Duchene. "Dutchy" looks to be the future face of the franchise he grew up cheering for, and he's off to quite a start. Duchene combines explosive skating with elite puckhandling at top speed that isn't seen very often, even at the NHL level. He's garnered many comparisons, but to me, he looks like another Denis Savard, the fine former Blackhawk and Canadien scorer. While he's prone to bouts of inconsistency, it's easy to forget that he only turned 21 just this week, even though he already has 200 career NHL games under his belt. He's a bright young kid whose enthusiasm and joy for the game makes him an eye-magnet when he's on the ice. Am I gushing? Along with fellow 2009 draftee Ryan O'Reilly (who would've also made this list if I wasn't trying to remain objective and spread the love around the league some), the Avs look to be in talented hands, which will keep me and my stomach lining happy in the years to come.

Scott Hartnell (F), Philadelphia Flyers: Or, should I say, Scott Fartsmell? Hartnell came into the league in 2000 as a rambunctious 18 year old with the Nashville Predators, playing a crash-and-bang style that pissed off opposing players and fans almost immediately. Naturally, I immediately liked him, enough to buy one of those mustard colored Preds alternate jerseys that everybody hated and I liked, with Hartnell's number 17 on the back. My fondness for the kid grew as I saw him particularly rankle Red Wings players repeatedly over the years, before finally being traded to Philadelphia prior to the 2007-08 season. Hartnell has proven himself not only to be one of the most rugged, agitating, and hard-working players in the league, he has also proven to be a good sport and all-around fun human being who doesn't seem to take himself too seriously. For that, #HartnellDown makes my list.

Ryan Getzlaf (F), Anaheim Ducks: Ryan Getzlaf makes my list solely based on his FYF; that is, his "Fuck You Factor". He has the perfect "fuck you" expression on his face at all times: his demeanor on the ice shrieks "fuck you" to opponents and officials, his refusal to shave a head of hair that is clearly at the "low tide" end of the spectrum is pure aesthetic "fuck you". Don't think he can run you over? Fuck you, he can, and he will, and he'll enjoy it. Don't think a guy that size can feather passes like a prime Adam Oates? Fuck you, he can do that too. Think he can't put a wrist shot through a bomb shelter, or dangle a puck in Kovalev-esque fashion? Fuck yeah, and fuck you. Ryan Getzlaf, I heartily extend two middle fingers to you, because I know you're one of a select few who would take it for the compliment it is.

PK Subban (D), Montreal Canadiens: Speaking of players that score highly on the FYF Scale, PK Subban brings it each and every night. The difference between the Habs young star and the surly Getzlaf is how he wields his FYF: less emphasis on the "fuck you" than the "who, me?" Subban plays with the innocent joy of a kid who on occasion will cross the line with an elbow, high stick, or creatively placed skate blade. He'll then follow that up with a wide, apologetic grin to the offended player: "Who, me?" Looking beyond his, ahem, youthful indiscretions, you'll see a player who plays with the confidence of a 10 year veteran, trying things on the ice with the puck that most players don't have the balls to even try in warmup. As Subban grows into what he can become, he's going to be one of the most fun and entertaining players in the league to watch on a nightly basis. Subban is already a villain in rival cities Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and with the good sports up in Boston, garnering boos every time he touches the puck. They wouldn't boo you if you sucked, PK.

Nicklas Lidstrom (D), Team: Wait...what?

No, seriously...WHAT???

Yes, Nick Lidstrom makes my list, and it's not a token lifetime achievement award like his 2011 Norris Trophy was. Yes, I am capable of recognizing the good in others, even if it's covered in red and white. Nick Lidstrom has set the standard for NHL defensemen of this era, and is in the discussion with Bobby Orr, Denis Potvin, Ray Bourque, and the handful of other generational-type defensemen in league history. That isn't why he makes my list, though. Nick Lidstrom makes my list because of the type of man he is. He's played on teams full of cheapshot artists, hacks, pricks, and cowards without once succumbing to the temptation to stoop to their level. Never once has he displayed the subtle malevolence that is a Detroit hallmark for the past 20 years. He didn't bow to the pressure exerted by Hall of Fame scumbag "Cheapshot Scott" Bowman to look for chances to injure opponents, nor did he cover up a knee-hunting mean streak with a thin veneer of cute nicknames and friendly press like former teammate "Stevie Y". Nick Lidstrom has been a classy, honorable player for the entirety of his career. He is the hockey equivalent of Andy Dufresne in Shawshank, never allowing himself to be touched by the criminal element surrounding him. Nick Lidstrom, who crawled through 20 years of shit and came out a legend on the other side.

Marc-Andre Fleury (G), Pittsburgh Penguins: If there's a common theme on my list so far, it's guys who play the game with visible joy. There's no better example of that than the Pens' toothy netminder. Wearing a perpetual smile, the talented goalie combines acrobatic flair with solid technique, frustrating opponents who manage to break through Pittsburgh's defense. I've been lucky enough to interact with Fleury several times, both professionally and socially, and each time he's been a down-to-earth, humble guy who is quick to laugh and treats everybody like a friend. That goes a long way, and makes him an easy guy to cheer for. He's always going to be an overlooked and underappreciated member of the Penguins' core, but without him, they don't win a Cup in 2009, and wouldn't be annual contenders.

Ron Wilson, Coach, Toronto Maple Leafs: Ron Wilson isn't the first, second, third, or even fourth choice for this spot. In fact, I doubt I even consider him at all, on any level. However, in the past 6 months, Wilson joined Twitter, and has shown himself to be alternately affable and gruff, chirping his own players, announcing his daughter's engagement, and trolling fat media idiots. The last part alone is enough to make Ron Wilson my favorite current head coach.

An Open Letter to Hockey Fans...Again

2011-12-29T12:30:00.002-05:00

The "Open Letter Series" is a series of letters to different people, groups of fans, or basically anything else the Elsinore All-Stars cannot stand because they make being a hockey fan practically unbearable. Some of you may remember back in March when I wrote an open letter to hockey fans. My intent with that letter was to be pleasant, not rip others, and keep the sarcasm to a minimum. Well, folks, not this time. Today's open letter is yet another to all the hockey fans of the world.

Hockey fans,

It has been a while. I may have discussed some of these things in previous open letters. I don't really care. If it upsets you so much, start your own blog. There are many topics to cover, so I'll hit them one by one.

The "Reduced Price Ticket" Whiners - This group really bothers me. Teams will offer a limited number of tickets at a reduced price for certain fans (for example: reduced price tickets to college students), but it is usually a very small number of tickets (at least in comparison to the overall seating capacity). Without fail, these tickets sell out quickly. Also without fail, the whining begins. Pissing and moaning about how the team doesn't release enough tickets at reduced rates, or that the system with which they dispense the tickets is inherently unfair, etc. echo throughout social media. Well let me take a moment to address these claims: The team doesn't have to sell a single ticket at a reduced rate. They do it as a goodwill gesture to fans even though they don't have to. So when you say that the team didn't release enough tickets at a reduced rate, you sound like a petulant little child because, again, THEY DON'T HAVE TO SELL ANY TICKETS AT A REDUCED RATE. You should be thankful that any team cares enough about fans that cannot afford to attend a game otherwise that they sell even 1 ticket at a reduced rate, let alone hundreds or thousands.

The "Jersey Foul" Enforcement Brigade - We're all keenly aware of this group. As we all know, there are people out there who have more money than sense and they get customized jerseys. Often times you'll see the number 69 or some "witty" name stitched across the back (and if you're lucky, you'll see both). And just as sure as you are to see at least a few of those at a game, you'll see people running around taking pictures, posting them on the internet, and mocking the jersey wearer. Comments like "I'd never spend my money on something like that" begin to circulate, sometimes one can even hear/read condemnations that the wearer of the "jersey foul" must not even be a real hockey fan. The problem I have with this line of thinking is: who cares how you do/don't or would/wouldn't spend your money? If the owner of the jersey saw fit to spend their money in such a manner, it is none of my business and none of yours either.

The "Boo-Bird" Enforcement Brigade - Every team has this group of people; the people who try to tell all the fans which players they are and are not allowed to boo. This isn't to be confused with people who say "I don't understand why fans boo (enter player name)" - something I've said many times over the years - because the fans that don't understand the booing aren't telling others not to boo. My problem with the fans dictating who can and cannot be booed is simple: if I pay for a ticket, I should be able to do whatever I want as long as I'm abiding the law and the rules and policies printed on the ticket. If you have a problem with the behavior of fans in the arena, buy your own ticket and behave the way you think everyone else should. But don't lecture and browbeat others for having a different opinion. The boo-bird police are made all the more ridiculous by the fact that most of them are the first to complain that their home team's arena is too quiet.

The "Leaving Early" Enforcement Brigade - This is a personal favorite of mine. Sometimes people people buy a ticket, attend the game, and, for whatever reason, leave early. There is nothing that sets the self-righteous into quite a frenzy as the people who leave early. As soon as any fans are seen leaving early, one has about 2 seconds before the righteous indignation hits the internet. From the comfort of their couch, people start tweeting about how "real fans" don't leave games early. If you have a problem with it, buy your own tickets and don't leave early. Or if you can't afford to buy tickets, watch from home. But the most important thing to take away from this is to STOP TELLING PEOPLE HOW TO SPEND THEIR MONEY. And while we're talking about what "real fans" should do, they should definitely focus more attention on the team they're supporting than any people in the stands. Think about it.

The bottom line is this: stop whining about everything. Be grateful that any professional sports franchises - you know, businesses operating in an industry widely condemned for its greed - think enough of fans to offer ANY tickets at a reduced rate. With regards to how others spend their money - be it on jerseys or tickets - it is none of your business, so stop trying to dictate how other people spend their money. Lastly, as long as people are behaving legally and following the policies outlined on the tickets, it is none of your business what they do, whether it be booing, leaving early, or just sitting there quietly. To paraphrase a friend of mine, hockey fans have made being a fan so damn baffling that some of you superfans should just write a manual to clear up any confusion.

I hope this clears things up,

Doug McKenzie

The 2012 World Junior Championship: Keepers, Sleepers, & Slouchers [Part 1]

2011-12-26T15:30:00.001-05:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year, again! The World Juniors have returned to us and once again expect some top talent to put it all on the line in the name of glory for their country. Part 1 of the series takes a look at the players of Canada, Finland, and Sweden.

Keepers:

This World Junior Championship is not short on its sensational players that are destined to make splashes in the tournament and eventually in the NHL. All ten teams have some fantastic players ready to suit up and show their caliber.

Canada: Jaden Schwartz, Left Wing (Colorado College, 2011 Draft Pick St. Louis Blues)

Dominating for Colorado College this year, Schwartz is going to have a big tournament no doubts about it. Last year was particularly difficult for Schwartz, who was injured during the tourney and unable to play while his team fell to Russia in the final on top of his sister's passing. This time around, Schwartz will be able to show off his immense puck handling skills, his hockey smarts, and incredible all-around play. Captain Schwartz deserves his title and, if he manages not to get injured, will be the biggest player for Canada (despite his size.)

Finland: Mikael Granlund, Center (HIFK Helsinki, 2010 Draft Pick Minnesota Wild)

If you have seen Granlund play, you know why he's hear. He is by far the Wild's best prospect. The World Championship launched his name into the hockey thanks to his hockey smarts and beautiful hands. His size and getting some more strength seem to be his only problems, but that is often found in young players. He's creative and an excellent passer. He's won gold before and will be going for more here.

Sweden: Mika Zibanejad, Center (Djurgardens IF, 2011 Draft pick Ottawa Senators)

The Senators drafted particularly well with this Swede. His time in Sweden's Swedish Elitserien has made him the mature two-way player that will be able to lead his team to victory. The 18 year old is poised to be a top power forward for Sweden and eventually the NHL. With top offensive skills pair with smooth skating, Zibanejad has been known to play one of the most complete games of the prospects in the World Juniors. His attitude and ability to take up his level of play make him an asset. He can read plays with the best of them along with playing the tough puck battling edge without being dirty. He's the kind of player and leader that you want on your team. It won't be too long until he is an NHLer.

Sleepers:

There are always players overlooked in these kinds of tournaments for their flashier, bigger named teammates and opponents. It's easy to find good players waiting for their own chances to step into the limelight.

Canada: Dougie Hamilton, Defenseman (Niagara IceDogs, 2011 Draft Pick Boston Bruins)

Half of the Hamilton Brother duo in Niagara, both have made Team Canada's roster. He's big, he's fast, he's one of the most capable defensemen you are going to find in the entire tournament. With how stacked Canada is, Dougie Hamilton will not be the 1st brought up, but he will become a more well-known name. There isn't much that Hamilton doesn't do well in all three zones, so expect big things from him.

Finland: Markus Granlund, Center (HIFK Helsinki, 2011 Draft Pick Calgary Flames)
The brother of my Keeper choice, the Granlund's have excellent hockey sense. This 18 year old has great vision that might just rival his brother's and playmaking skills to boot. He can run a powerplay with the best but his skating could improve. His defensive play is not strong, but his stickhandling skills are quite a site.

Sweden: Oscar Klefbom, Defenseman (Farjestad BK, 2011 Draft pick Edmonton Oilers)

Klefbom is far from being a sleeper in most places, but on a Sweden team that is particularly stacked on the offensive front, it's sometimes difficult to see the blue line talent. Klefbom's size does not hinder his fantastic skating skills. Good at reading plays, he's unsurprisingly great with contributing offensively. He has the raw talent that keeps him under the radar more than other prospects but his defensive game continues to improve despite being a little rough around the edges when it comes to details in the game. Expect a decent tournament from Klefbom this year.

Slouchers:

Like everyone in this tournament, these players had the talent to be recognized and given a roster spot. Unfortunately, the player's self-esteem, attitude, and sometimes inability to perform in big games makes them less than satisfactory for their nation to win big.

Canada: Mark Visentin, Goaltender (Niagara IceDogs, 2010 Draft Pick Phoenix Coyotes)

Visentin consistently plays well as an IceDog and has earned a spot on Team Canada for two years in a row now. He's athletic, has rebound control that could make his an NHLer, and works harder than most to become better. The problem is that Visentin isn't known as a performer in this tournament. Maybe he'll be able to improve, but he, along with the rest of the team, lost against Sweden in an exhibition game leaving his starting job up in the air.

Finland: Christopher Gibson, Goaltender (Chicoutimi Sagueneens, 2011 Draft pick Los Angeles Kings)

This selection is more of selection because he needs to gain experience, not because of his skills. This Finland team on the blue line and in net is quite green when it comes to this tournament. That could be an asset when they believe they can come back from games against tough opponents. Gibson will give them the ability to when with his positioning skills, but he has been known to be very aggressive in his crease, which could be costly.

Sweden: Victor Rask, Center (Calgary Hitmen, 2011 Draft pick Carolina Hurricanes)

The talent of Rask versus the ego of Rask might become an issue. Rask is far from being a locker room cancer, but he tends to float around on occasion. He's inconsistent with his willingness to play with an edge and often shies away from taking hits. With the talent he does possess, anyone can tell he's an excellent puckhandler but that often leads him to over-handle it and try to make plays that any defenseman would never let him attempt to finish. Rask has the potential to be huge for Sweden, but it's a matter of wrangling him in and making sure his attitude is right.

Hot and Cold Rankings, December 9th

2011-12-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

These are the latest Elsinore All-Stars Hot and Cold Rankings for the week ending December 9th, 2011.

Matt Moulson - New York Islanders

The New York Islanders have been heating up, recording points in the past 6 games with a 4-0-2 record. Matt Moulson, after a very slow start to the season, has already heated up with his own 6-game scoring streak. During his current scoring streak, Moulson has posted 11 points (8 goals, 3 assists). In the past week, Moulson notched 6 goals (1 a game-winner and 2 coming on the powerplay), 3 assists, a +4, and 24 shots on goal while helping the Islanders to a 2-0-1 record.

John Carlson - Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals have been struggling for a while now. Even under new head coach Dale Hunter, the Capitals have gone 2-3-0 (with both wins coming against the Ottawa Senators). Even though the team hasn't been seeing the results they'd like, some players on the team are adjusting to coach Hunter. One such player is John Carlson. For the week, Carlson tallied 1 goal, 6 assists, a +3, and added 15 shots on goal and 7 blocked shots while helping lead the Capitals to a 2-1-0 record.

Matt Hackett - Minnesota Wild

There are worse ways to debut in the NHL, I suppose. With Niklas Backstrom already out injured, Hackett was pressed into action after Josh Harding was injured early in a 2-1 win against the San Jose Sharks. Playing 59 minutes in that game, Hackett stopped all 34 shots he faced to win the game, helping the Wild maintain its hold on the top record in the NHL. For the week, Hackett went 2-0-0 with a 1.01 GAA and .974 SV% after stopping 76 of 78 shots.

Loui Eriksson - Dallas Stars

After starting out the year as one of the top teams in the NHL, the Dallas Stars slid after a rough November. Key injuries - especially to starting goalie Kari Lehtonen - have really taken a toll, but a lack of production from some of the top players has also really hurt the Stars. Loui Eriksson, one of the best young talents in the game, has points in only 1 of the previous 6 games. In the past week, Eriksson scored zero points, posted a -5, and recorded only 2 shots on goal while Dallas went 0-2-0.

Joe Piskula - Calgary Flames

Not much should be expected from a guy who has only played 9 career games in the NHL, so I suppose that means Joe Piskula has been playing to expectations. For the week, Piskula posted zero points and a -5 while the Flames went 3-1-0.

Andrew Raycroft - Dallas Stars

A big problem facing the Stars right now is that with Kari Lehtonen out injured, they have to rely on Andrew Raycroft - something that hasn't worked out well for any team in a long while. Raycroft's numbers this season have not been good, and the Stars are struggling because of it. In 2 games this week, Raycroft went 0-2-0 with a 6.08 GAA and .808 SV% after stopping 42 of 52 shots against.

Hot and Cold Rankings, December 2nd

2011-12-02T10:30:00.000-05:00

These are the latest Elsinore All-Stars Hot and Cold Rankings for the week ending December 2nd, 2011.

Brad Richards - New York Rangers

The New York Rangers signed Brad Richards this offseason in the hopes that he could boost the team's offense enough that they wouldn't have to be so reliant on Henrik Lundqvist to win games. The move is definitely paying off so far this season as the Rangers are sitting in 2nd place in the Atlantic Division just behind the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the past week, Richards has a 4-game scoring streak and posted 3 goals (one on the powerplay, and one a game-winning goal), 4 assists (three on the powerplay), and 8 shots on goal while leading the Rangers to 4 consecutive wins.

Kevin Bieksa - Vancouver Canucks

After a very slow start to the season, the Vancouver Canucks have been playing more in line with expectations. Kevin Bieksa's performance has improved quite a bit in recent weeks which has really helped the Canucks. In the past week, Bieksa helped the Canucks to a 3-1-0 record while posting a 4-game scoring streak with 5 assists (two on the powerplay), 9 shots on goal and 6 blocked shots.

Cory Schneider - Vancouver Canucks

Before last night's performance against the Nashville Predators, Cory Schneider had a good run going - so good, in fact, that he has (at least temporarily) taken the starting job from Roberto Luongo. Before last night's game, Schneider had won 5 consecutive games (including 2 by shutout). For the week, Schneider posted a 3-0-0 record with a 1.80 GAA, 1 shutout, and a .950 SV% after stopping 114 of 120 shots faced.

Jussi Jokinen - Carolina Hurricanes

It has been a rough season for the Carolina Hurricanes - which is telling considering not much was expected from them this season. Former head coach Paul Maurice was fired this week and replaced with Kirk Muller, captain Eric Staal is having a bad season so far, and many other players are underachieving. Jussi Jokinen (he of the new 3-year, $9MM contract) hasn't been awful all season, but his performance has nosedived recently. In the past week, Jokinen scored 0 points while posting a -4 and taking only 5 shots on goal while the Hurricanes went 0-4-0.

Dennis Wideman - Washington Capitals

Speaking of players on underachieving teams that got their coach fired, let's talk about Dennis Wideman. It's no secret that the Capitals have been a big disappointment this year - every single player seems to be playing below their ability. Wideman has stood out recently as one of the worst of a bad bunch. Known for being more of a puck-moving defenseman, he's posted only 1 point in his past 9 games. In 4 games this week, Wideman had zero points and was a -7 with only 3 shots on goal while the Caps went 0-4-0.

Martin Brodeur - New Jersey Devils

That sound you hear is Martin Brodeur's skill eroding right before our very eyes. Considered one of the best goaltenders in the history of hockey, he has looked downright pedestrian the past year or so. Brodeur has looked like a shell of his former self all season long. For the week, Brodeur went 0-2-0 with a 4.56 GAA and a .824 SV% after stopping only 42 of 51 shots faced.

The Coaching Carousel

2011-12-01T08:00:00.006-05:00

As of this writing, 4 NHL head coaches have been fired this season - Davis Payne (St. Louis Blues), Bruce Boudreau (Washington Capitals), Paul Maurice (Carolina Hurricanes), and Randy Carlyle (Anaheim Ducks). The list of fired coaches increases to 5 if you count the Montreal Canadiens' firing of assistant coach Perry Pearn in late October. In addition to the 4-5 coaches already let go, there is a long list of coaches in the proverbial hot seat, including Joe Sacco (Colorado Avalanche), Scott Arniel (Columbus Blue Jackets), and Jack Capuano (New York Islanders). What are some of the causes of the coaching carousel starting to spin so early in the season?

Looking at the names of the coaches rumored to be on the hot seat, it isn't difficult to see why their names are there. Carlyle is rumored to be in the hot seat due to the disappointing performance of the Anaheim Ducks - loaded with talent but currently 29th out of 30 NHL teams in overall standings. Arniel coaches a team currently sitting dead last in the NHL; a team that on paper should be performing much better. Sacco had the Avalanche off to a strong start, but they have cooled off substantially since late-October. As for Capuano, he has coached the Islanders to the worst record in the Eastern Conference. Even the firings of Paul Maurice and Randy Carlyle were not much of a surprise. The Carolina Hurricanes - while not expected to be a contender this season - are definitely performing far below expectations, and the Anaheim Ducks - a team loaded with talented players - are currently sitting 29th out of 30 teams in the NHL.

While most of the names on the list aren't surprising due to the performance of their teams, the firings of Davis Payne in St. Louis and Bruce Boudreau in Washington surprised me the most. In the case of Davis Payne, he was fired a mere 13 games into the season after a 6-7-0 start by the Blues. While that isn't a great start, it was hardly a deep hole from which the team was unable to dig itself out. That said, Payne had yet to coach the Blues to a better finish than 4th place in the Central Division or to get them to the playoffs. In a business that's all about winning, not coaching a team to the playoffs will have you looking for work quick. While firing Payne and replacing him with Ken Hitchcock was somewhat of a surprise, the results can't be disputed as the Blues are 8-1-2 under Hitchcock.

The most surprising part of this season's coaching carousel has to be the past 3 days of Bruce Boudreau's life. Fired at 630am on Monday, November 28th, he was hired late at night on Wednesday, November 30th in Anaheim to replace Randy Carlyle. With regards to Boudreau's dismissal from the Capitals, I'm torn. I've made it no secret here that I didn't think Boudreau was the right coach for the Caps. I've told people many times for a few years now that Boudreau would never lead the Capitals to a Stanley Cup. That said, I believe Bruce Boudreau was a victim of a culture in Washington enabled by the owner that allows the superstar to run the team. As a friend of mine says, "every coach has a shelf life" - and it was obvious Boudreau had reached his. The team had, by and large, quit on him, and it was easier for George McPhee to replace the coach than to move a bunch of high-paid players who don't show consistent effort. While it is too early to tell if hiring Dale Hunter was the right move for Washington, I believe the Capitals need a culture change more than a coaching change.

In my opinion, Dale Hunter (Washington) and Bruce Boudreau (Anaheim) have the toughest jobs in store for them. Both have teams loaded with talent and high expectations. Kirk Muller has some time in Carolina since not a lot was expected from them this season. It will be interesting to see how the teams that have gone through coaching changes adapt and respond to new coaches. Perhaps more interesting will be if other coaches on the hot seat will be able to preserve their own jobs with a quick turnaround in team performance in light of the recent coaching turnover.

Hot and Cold Rankings, November 18th

2011-11-18T14:30:00.000-05:00

These are the latest Elsinore All-Stars Hot and Cold Rankings for the week ending November 18th, 2011.

James Neal - Pittsburgh Penguins

James Neal is putting together the type of season Ray Shero had imagined when he acquired Neal in advance of last season's trade deadline. Scoring at a point per game pace and being one of the top goal scorers in the NHL, Neal has helped buffer the impact of Sidney Crosby's continued absence as well as the loss of Evgeni Malkin for a handful of games this season. For the week, James Neal posted 3 powerplay goals (one of them a game-winner) and 3 assists for 6 points to go along with 14 shots on goal in 4 games.

Shea Weber - Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators are winning games with timely scoring, fantastic goaltending, and solid defense. Shea Weber has been leading the charge from Nashville's blueline, proving yet again that he's one of the elite defenseman in the NHL. In helping Nashville grab 5 of 6 standings points this week, Weber notched 2 goals and 2 assists while riding a 3-game scoring streak. Most impressive was his astounding +8 in 3 games, meaning he was on the ice for every goal scored by the Predators this week and that he was not on the ice for a single even strength or short-handed goal against.

Niklas Backstrom - Minnesota Wild

It wasn't long ago that Josh Harding was the hot goalie in Minnesota. After coming in for relief of Harding early in the week, Niklas Backstrom has refused to relinquish the starting job. Leading the Wild to a 3-1-0 record this week, Backstrom posted a record of 3-0-0 with a 1.44 GAA, 1 shuout, and a .959 SV% after making 116 saves on 121 shots.

Clarke MacArthur - Toronto Maple Leafs

Not to kick the man while he's down, but Clarke MacArthur - currently day-to-day with an upper body injury - hasn't really lived up to some of the expectations set for him with an impressive 62-point performance last year. He has stumbled out of the gate with only 8 points in his first 15 games, and he's gone scoreless in 6 of his past 7 games. For the week, MacArthur posted zero points and a cumulative -4 with only 1 shot on goal in 2 games.

Ladislav Smid - Edmonton Oilers

After starting out the season on a tear, the Edmonton Oilers have cooled off recently. A big reason for the cold streak has been spotty defensive play - not surprising since the defensive corps was considered a weakness coming into the season. Ladislav Smid is a prime example of the struggling blueline in Edmonton. Hardly the only defender on the Oilers who had a bad week, Smid definitely had the worst week with zero points and a cumulative -5 and only 2 shots on goal. Smid has been a minus player for 5 of his past 6 games - Edmonton's lone win in the past 6 games was the only game in which Smid was a plus player.

Nikolai Khabibulin - Edmonton Oilers

With the recent struggles of the blueline in front of him, perhaps it isn't entirely fair that Nikolai Khabibulin finds himself on this list. Fair or not, he hasn't been good this week. Sporting a record of 7-3-2 on the season, all 3 regulation losses have been in his last 3 outings. For the week, Khabibulin went 0-3-0 with a 4.72 GAA and a .845 SV% after allowing 11 goals on 71 shots.

Hot and Cold Rankings, November 11th

2011-11-11T11:00:00.001-05:00

These are the latest Elsinore All-Stars Hot and Cold Rankings for the week ending November 11th, 2011.

Loui Eriksson - Dallas Stars

As of this writing, the Dallas Stars are the top team in the NHL with an 11-3-0 record - and Loui Eriksson has played no small part in that. Eriksson has scored points in 10 games this season and has been a minus player in only 3 games. Currently riding a 5-game scoring streak (during which the Stars are 4-1-0), Eriksson posted 2 goals (1 game-winning goal), 5 assists, a cumulative +7 with 13 shots on goal this week, during which the Stars went 3-0-0.

Drew Doughty - Los Angeles Kings

Like the Los Angeles Kings as a team, Drew Doughty has struggled so far this season. Some blame rust from an offseason holdout, others think Doughty is struggling to live up to the expectations of a new big contract. Whatever the reason for Doughty's struggles, it looks like he is finally finding his groove. In a week where the Kings went a disappointing 1-2-1, Doughty posted 2 goals (1 on the powerplay), 3 assists (2 on the powerplay), and a cumulative +2.

Dwayne Roloson - Tampa Bay Lightning

Dwayne Roloson has struggled this season and his overall numbers reflect that. Roloson (who looks like a crazy person) is carrying a GAA of over 3.00 for the season - something that will have to change soon for the Lightning. If the past week is any indication, Roloson may finally be warming up. For the week, Roloson posted a 3-0-0 record (in 2 starts), a 1.70 GAA, and a .934 SV% after saving 71 of 76 shots faced.

Jiri Tlusty - Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes have been pretty bad so far - anemic offense, leaky defense, just a mess in general - and the statistics of many Hurricanes players reflect that. Tlusty has had about as bad a week as possible - not only did he go without a point and post a -7 in 3 games, but his team went 0-3-0 for the week.

James Wisniewski - Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets signed James Wisniewski this offseason with the hope that he would be the puck-moving defenseman who could bolster their powerplay. Wisniewski hasn't really blown them away. In fact, he has downright sucked. Like the rest of the defensive corps in Columbus, Wisniewski is often seen getting smoked out there. For the week, Wisniewski posted zero points and a cumulative -7 while "helping" the Blue Jackets go 0-2-0.

Steve Mason - Columbus Blue Jackets

Remember when Steve Mason was awesome and considered one of the up-and-coming goalies in the NHL? Oh, the salad days of 2008-09. Since his phenomenal rookie campaign, Mason's performance has been about 3 notches below "awful." This season has left people wondering if Mason is struggling because of the team in front of him or if the team in front of Mason is struggling because of him. Mason went 0-2-0 with a 6.91 GAA and .797 SV% in two games this week.

Between Laraque And a Hard Place: The NHL & Steroids

2011-11-07T11:09:00.009-05:00

Recently, Georges Laraque has come under fire for comments made in his new book entitled "The Story of the Unlikeliest Tough Guy." He frankly discusses his childhood in Canada and what he has overcome to become the well-known enforcer we know today. His book also divulges into the ins-and-outs of his career, specifically detailing secrets of the locker room not privy to public consumption. He mentions Gretzky being "the worst coach I ever played for," which was quite obvious through his tenure in Phoenix. (That being said, Gretzky's days as a coach should not and will not muddle his legacy as a player.) On top of this mini-controversy, lies Laraque's accusations of steroid use, which has raised many eyebrows and tempers within the hockey community. Many have called to question Laraque's remarks on this topic, while he staunchly defends this stance. It is here that we take the step into analyzing both sides of the issue.

Laraque's reputation off the ice has always been much different than the one on the ice. He is seen as almost bubbly and infectious with warmth. He often won community outreach awards on the teams that he played for and was oft appreciated for his service. He proudly touts his lifestyle choice of veganism frequently in a great array of media forms. Overall, Laraque is the nice guy, teddy bear type that people find endearing in their fan love of lower line players. With releasing this book, which looks into his personality of being the gentle giant of sorts, he also puts his reputation on the line by commenting on steroids. This is a very serious matter he felt the need to write about, and many people who played in the NHL are enraged by his straightforward, almost loosely addressing of this issue. Laraque and his team of lawyers, publishers, and handlers had to have realized that these comments cannot be made without serious backlash. In one of quite a few responses to his followers on Twitter, he tells one fan "I actually did [speak up on steroid use] for many years as a player rep for the NHLPA." There seems to be a disconnect between Laraque and the rest of the NHL on this issue. It appears that Laraque pushed this issue in the book because he called it out and the League along with the players' association ignored him. From what his arguments in social media have been about, he greets fan hostility by telling them they really don't know what all happens in the locker room. Laraque is right at the very least in this point: we as fans do not truly know what is happening in the locker rooms of our favorite teams. There is always talk that this player is a locker room cancer or this player doesn't get along with another, but all we have to base it on is whatever these players and teams allow the media to view. In such a heavy topic like steroid use, no team would ever admit to using steroids on any player. Such a statement would land them in hot water to say the least and would destroy the players' reputations along with the team's. Laraque's book is controversial because it shines a spotlight on the otherwise dark shadows of the NHL. His intentions based on his personality seem sincere compared to those of say Jose Canseco.

On the reverse side of the argument is other former players weighing in on the steroid issue. Former players like Brett Hull and especially Darren Pang have tossed aside Laraque's comments as basically a way to sell his book. Others have suggested that with his eyes set on politics that this could be a way to help launch his career. While I cannot say one way or another Laraque's true intentions with bringing up this controversy, his comments allow us to speculate. For one, Laraque does not name any names. Either this is because his allegations aren't entirely true with everyone from goons to the big stars doping or it's because he would be slapped with a whole set of lawsuits. When you give hints as to how to look for usage by saying "First, you just have to notice how some talented players will experience an efficiency loss as well as a weight loss every four years, those years being the ones the Winter Olympics are held," you have to expect a heavy dose of backlash. With this statement, he's not just taking on the NHL. He's taking jabs at the Olympics testing programs along with the IIHF's policy on steroid use, and these jabs are at the top players of the game. In a career that begins in 1997 with the Edmonton Oilers, his teammates include guys like Jason Arnott, Kevin Lowe, Doug Weight, Ryan Smyth, Bill Guerin, Shane Doan, Ed Jovanovski, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Mark Recchi, Gary Roberts, Saku Koivu, Alexei Kovalev, and Andrei Markov. Those people along with nearly everyone else he played with falls into question. He points the finger at teams, without giving out any specific names because "not a single player, not even me, would ever think of raising his hand to break the silence and accuse a fellow player." That throws off a great deal of people hearing this story. You want to have this story out in the open to change things for the better, but you won't provide specifics to prove that this is true because overall this whistle blowing is against your code of ethics. Furthermore, why finally is he forcing the NHL to be looked at? When he saw top players or other enforcers who he would fight doping, why did he not pursue this further? It seems self-preservation would be the answer as an enforcer or an easy way to get publicity for his book.

My final consensus is that Laraque had to know that this would be a touchy subject and decided to publish it anyways. I know there has to be some steroid use in the NHL because it is statistically borderline impossible not to have at least a handful of users. I like the attempts that he makes to give light to the issue, but I also have a hard time believing that so many athletes, especially top-tier ones, were able to slip passed the detection of the NHL, IOC, and IIHF with Laraque as the only one making noise. Darren Pang called into question how much he really know commenting about how often he was the first off the ice and into his car. Ultimately, this needs further investigation to see what is truly happening.

Hot and Cold Rankings, November 4th

2011-11-04T12:30:00.002-04:00

These are the latest Elsinore All-Stars Hot and Cold Rankings for the week ending November 4th, 2011.

Claude Giroux - Philadelphia Flyers

Claude Giroux has been one of the better players in the NHL this season, recording points in 10 of his first 13 games this season. This week was a great one for him as he has maintained a 4-game point scoring streak and continued to build chemistry with new teammate Jaromir Jagr. For the week, Giroux helped the Flyers get 5 of a possible 6 points by netting 2 goals, 4 assists, a cumulative +6, and 12 shots on goal.

Alex Edler - Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks have exhibited quite the Stanley Cup Final hangover to start the season, playing very inconsistently from the start, but Alex Edler had quite the week for the up-and-down Canucks. In 3 games this week, Edler notched 3 goals, 3 assists, 3 points on the powerplay, a cumulative +1, and an impressive 11 shots on goal.

Josh Harding - Minnesota Wild

Some people wondered if Josh Harding would ever be the same again after blowing out his knee. After 4 games this season, he looks like he's bounced back pretty well, and this week was no exception. Harding started - and won - 3 consecutive games this week while posting a 0.66 GAA, .980 SV%, and 1 shutout, making 96 saves on 98 shots against.

Alex Semin - Washington Capitals

Lost in the hubbub surrounding the "rift" between Bruce Boudreau and Alex Ovechkin is the not-even-mediocre performance of Alex Semin. The "enigmatic" (hockey media code for "Russian") winger has posted only 1 multiple point game this season and has been held scoreless in 5 of 10 games played. While the Capitals have played well early, they'll need more from him as the season progresses. For the week, Semin scored zero points, posted a cumulative -3, and recorded only 5 shots on goal in 2 games.

Jack Johnson - Los Angeles Kings

The entire Los Angeles Kings squad had a pretty rough week but Jack Johnson had one of the worst weeks of all of the Kings. While the Kings went 0-2-1 for the week, Johnson posted zero points and a cumulative -5. Among the lowlights: he was on the ice for every goal against in a 3-2 OT loss to the Phoenix Coyotes.

Ryan Miller - Buffalo Sabres

Ryan Miller hasn't been bad this season, but he was pretty bad this past week. As the Sabres have floundered in the early going, the pressure has mounted on Ryan Miller to the point that some (stupid) Sabres fans are calling for him to be traded "while he still has value." A loser in 4 consecutive starts, Miller posted a record of 0-3-0 with a 5.51 GAA and .872 SV%, making 41 saves on 47 shots against. The low-point this week was easily getting pulled in a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers after allowing 3 goals in the first 6:30 of the game.

Hot and Cold Rankings, October 28th

2011-10-28T09:00:00.001-04:00

These are the latest Elsinore All-Stars Hot and Cold Rankings for the week ending October 28th, 2011.

Joe Pavelski - San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks are on a tear having won 3 straight games. While the Sharks have been winning, Pavelski has put together a nice little streak of his own - 3 consecutive multiple point games. For the week, Pavelski netted 4 goals (including 1 game-winning goal), 2 assists, 12 shots on goal, and an impressive +6. Not a bad week at the office.

Kimmo Timonen - Philadelphia Flyers

Having lost 4 of the past 5 games and a the captain/top 4 defenseman in the past week, at least there has been a silver lining for the Philadelphia Flyers: the play of Kimmo Timonen. He has been a steady contributor for the Flyers and put together a good week with 6 assists (2 on the powerplay), a +4 and 7 shots on goal. Most impressive to me was that he managed to be a +3 in a game against Winnipeg in which his team allowed 9 goals.

Marc-Andre Fleury - Pittsburgh Penguins

Despite all the injuries the Penguins have suffered throughout the lineup for a while now, Marc-Andre Fleury has stood tall and has been one of the main reasons the Penguins have started the season with an 8-2-2 record. The Penguins are 3rd in the NHL in goals against despite having been without Brooks Orpik, Zbynek Michalek, and Kris Letang for parts of the season, and that is a credit to Fleury. In the past week, Fleury has posted a record of 3-0-0, a 0.97 GAA, a .961 SV%, and 1 shutout after allowing only 3 goals on 76 shots.

Matt Moulson - New York Islanders

You've been a special kind of bad when you stand out for having had a bad week for the New York Islanders. Matt Moulson is one of the players the Islanders need production from if the team is going to do anything this season and he has yet to do much of anything this season. For the week, Moulson scored zero points, posted a cumulative -5, and took only 5 shots on goal while the Islanders went 0-2-1.

Kevin Bieksa - Vancouver Canucks

Perhaps the only thing worse than having a Stanley Cup hangover is having a Stanley Cup hangover when you didn't even win the Stanley Cup. That's what the Vancouver Canucks have been dealing with so far in this young season. The Canucks are currently sitting in 4th place in their division because the team is not getting enough from many of its most important players, and Bieksa is no exception. For the week, Bieksa posted zero points and was a cumulative -4 while the Canucks went 1-2-0.

Ilya Bryzgalov - Philadelphia Flyers

There was no way to predict how bad Ilya Bryzgalov would be early on for the Flyers. None whatsoever. (pssst...look here) It has been 3 weeks since Bryz allowed fewer than 3 goals in a game. It isn't good when the guy you have signed for another 8+ seasons is saying things like "I'm terrible" and "I'm lost in the woods right now," so don't be surprised if Sergei Bobrovsky sees a few starts in the near future while Bryzgalov gets himself sorted out. For the week, Bryzgalov (who is 0-4-1 in his last 5 games) went 0-3-0 with a 5.15 GAA and a .794 SV% after allowing 13 goals on 63 shots.

The Longest Pleasure

2011-10-24T11:00:00.002-04:00

"Now hatred is by far the longest pleasure" - Lord Byron, Don Juan

We here at the Elsinore All-Stars have a great love of hockey, but with that love comes a fair amount of hate. There's nothing we hate more than players or coaches who ruin the game for us - whether due to always vanquishing our favorite teams, performing poorly in clutch situations, or giving the game (and opponents) a black eye because of their on-ice antics - and we're calling them out. Both Reg and Doug have cobbled together our all-time "all-hate" rosters made up of players from throughout the history of the NHL. After having done such a phenomenal job in last week's current all-hate squads, we asked AnthraxJones from over at Bad Altitude Hockey to help us yet again. Without further ado, let's spew some hate for the ages.

All-Time Hate Squads

Reg Dunlop
Bobby Clarke (F): I wasn't alive during any part of his career, but as a lover of history, I have legitimate reasons for despising Clarke. Possibly the dirtiest player to play in the NHL, I cannot imagine how anyone has ever liked him. The Summit Series, yes, the Slash. When Clarke cannot beat someone based on talent, he takes it to the level of take their best player down so he won't be able to play well. Two hand chop on the late Kharlamov's left ankle. I bet that win felt so great considering he had to take out a top player for Russia to do anything. The team was better conditioned and more talented, so he used his usual measure and played dirty. He wasn't named the Captain of the Broad Street Bullies for no reason and was infamous for that behavior his entire career. When he finally retired, he came back to haunt us all. He also helped Canada get the coveted 4th place spot after not putting Messier of all players on to the team in favor of the almost talented Rob Zamuner. Plus, naming Lindros to be the captain was really a horrible move when you have Wayne Gretzky and Steve Yzerman on the roster. Ranked #1, that was one of the worst displays by Team Canada the world had ever seen, so a tip of the hat to Clarke on that. Another shining moment in his career was that whole "I-almost-killed-Eric-Lindros-and-hate-his-guts-oh-wait-now-I-like-him" deal. When Keith Jones can make better decisions than you, it's time to pack it up and move to another career.

Kris Beech (F): Surprise, Kris Beech finally made his way onto a list, but unfortunately for him, it's because of how much I wanted him to be exiled from America. It all began when Jaromir Jagr was suffering from a gambling addiction and put under the media's death glare while the Pens were suffering financially. The Penguins could not keep Jagr around, an icon in Pittsburgh sports whether or not Pens fans want to acknowledge it. Jagr agreed to a trade that brought the lackluster forward in Beech to the 'Burgh. "He's the next Ron Francis!" was the optimism that ran in Pittsburgh only to find out within a game that Beech was to Ron Francis as Shane Endicott was to Mario Lemieux. Disaster struck and there was no love lost once he was traded to the Predators. He eventually came back for a cup of coffee and apparently to make sure that my blood pressure could rise to violent levels. Hope he's doing well in Finland but not too well because I don't want him back in the NHL.

Chris Simon (F): What a winner, Chris Simon was, huh? He was suspended for 65 games total during his time in the NHL. He had that racist deal going with Grier dropping the n-word, Popovic got that elbow to the throat, Jarkko Ruutu got his leg stomped on, he struck Hollweg in the face with his stick, and I remember him having serious issues with Ruslan Fedotenko, too. Simon was just awful his entire career, and I'm happy he doesn't play internationally anymore.

Derian Hatcher (D): The first player I remember actively hating was Derian Hatcher. Screams at the television, shaking fists, screaming at the Igloo, just a lot of pent-up hostility towards Hatcher when I still had my youth. He was slow in the body and in the head on top of his dickish behavior on the ice. Once he pulled on the Flyers sweater, my hatred grew a hundredfold. He actually got me to like Jeremy Roenick when he broke JR's jaw. Every year it was something with him, and I will never like him.

Brendan Witt (D): While I admit getting hit by an SUV, cursing at the person, and then going to practice is kind of awesome, Brendan Witt was one of my least favorite guys in more recent history. Witt was a poor man's Matt Cooke during his time in the NHL. His elbows were up constantly, he refused to back down when he saw a guy's numbers, and he really didn't care if he took a shot at anyone's head. He concussed Petr Buzek of all people who would be on the bottom of every list to score or play well. He had been nothing but trouble since entering the League, and it has been slightly more peaceful since. I took a small evil pleasure in him being sent down to the AHL and then his buyout making him a free agent, but we all have our weaknesses, right?

John Vanbiesbrouck (G): I had a difficult time picking anyone for all-time hate for goaltending, so I just went with the guy who helped break my heart in 1996. Penguins vs. Panthers. Rat tricks and a comeback. Just a mess.

Eddie Olczyk, Coach: Ahh, memories, horrible and painful memories while he was coaching the Pens. He finds a way to tear skin off with the Bandaid every single time he plays commentator during a Penguins game, too. Yes, yes, an under-developed Marc-Andre Fleury really would have been the saving grace to his Pens coaching career. He was, and still remains, not capable in any capacity to control and direct a team of any sort. I wouldn't even let him coach a peewee team learning to skate. From the 2003-2004 season until 2005, Edzo plagued my favorite team that had many other issues. Oprah ranked higher on his list of cares than any player or their performance. It was a day to rejoice and dance in the streets once he got fired for Michel Therrien.

Doug McKenzie
Todd Bertuzzi (F): I don't care that he's still an active player. Todd Bertuzzi has no business being in the NHL at all. He served a 20-game suspension for his attack on Steve Moore, then he said he was sorry and shed a couple tears. Suddenly everyone thinks he's a nice guy and he paid an appropriate price. He had to say sorry and has made more than $20M since the attack and Steve Moore got to learn how to walk again. Yeah, fair trade. That Bertuzzi committed assault on a sheet of ice in Vancouver (while a member of the Vancouver Canucks) is the only thing that kept him from becoming a prison bride.

Mark Messier (F): Everyone extolls the leadership of Mark Messier, but that guy was nothing but a tornado of elbows and high sticks. Seriously, the guy did more stick work than Tim McCracken. The only good thing this hideous beast ever did in his career was contribute indirectly to one of the greatest laughs of all time. Mark Messier also makes Joseph Merrick look like a young Paul Newman.

Dale Hunter (F): People who think Matt Cooke or Cal Clutterbuck are dirty hitters should take a look at some of Dale Hunter's career highlights. The second most penalized player in the history of the NHL with 3,565 penalty minutes, Hunter is probably most famous for an ugly cheap shot on Pierre Turgeon (and the 21-game suspension that came with it). Since his retirement from playing, he's also seen his share of disciplinary issues having been suspended on multiple occasions for abuse of officials and for the conduct of his players. Some of my greatest childhood memories involved watching Dale Hunter get opened up in fights and bleed a lot.

Marty McSorley (D): McSorley's high stick to the head of Donald Brashear proved that the Vancouver police are concerned with enforcing the law as long as you don't play for the Canucks. And even though Marty McSorley is probably most well-known for effectively ending his career by throwing a cheap shot on a goon known for throwing cheap shots of his own, McSorley proved time and again throughout his career that he was the consummate dirtbag. The most surprising aspect of McSorley is that he actually wasn't a bad player - he was an intelligent player and put up decent offensive totals for a defenseman known for his physical presence. But maybe that was all due to illegal sticks.

Chris Chelios (D): Known also as the only man Ron Hextall has ever justifiably attacked, Chris Chelios has thrown his share of cheap shots both on the ice and in Nagano hotel rooms. He spent the latter stages of his career taking jobs from younger, more deserving players - be it with the Detroit Red Wings, the Chicago Wolves (AHL), or even with the Motor City Mechanics (UHL) during the lockout. Chelios is real life friends with Eddie Vedder, Kid Rock, and Billy Corgan, so he is also an avid supporter of horrible music.

Ron Hextall (G): Ron Hextall was nothing but a petulant manchild with goalie pads. Known for being a hot-head, opponents would often use that to their advantage to throw Hextall off his game. His career highlights include scoring goals (on empty nets) as a goaltender or chasing/fighting opposing players. I've always thought it odd that I've never seen clips of him actually stopping pucks amongst his career highlights. Many Flyers fans say that the team has been looking for a solution to the team's goaltending woes since the departure of Hextall. Yes, it sure has been tough finding somebody to backstop the team as effectively as Hextall after all those championship runs he took the Flyers on. Oh, wait...

Jacques Lemaire, Coach: This man has repeatedly done his damnedest to kill the sport of hockey. The inventor of the neutral zone trap, he's parlayed his proficiency for making hockey the most boring thing on the face of the planet into a few Stanley Cup championships. He also spent time killing the excitement of the return of professional hockey in Minnesota. Jacques Lemaire has the look of a man who is very familiar with the etiquette surrounding the paying and tipping of prostitutes.

Anthrax Jones
Brad May (F): Everybody remembers Todd Bertuzzi (who doesn't belong in the NHL, and doesn't even deserve the indignity of being included in this list) for his heinous attack on Steve Moore. Not as many people remember the role that career lowlife Brad May played in escalating the situation behind the scenes and in the media. "It's going to be fun when we get him." One of the more shameful personnel decisions made by any NHL team, much less my favorite team, was when the Avalanche signed May coming out of the lockout.

Kris Draper (F): Hockeytown's favorite little victim. Classlessly accused four-time Stanley Cup champion Claude Lemieux of cheapshot artistry to try to cover up his swan dive into the boards during the 1996 playoffs. Draper was so incensed at Lemieux that he fought him exactly zero times after the incident, cowardly allowing meathead teammates like Darren "8-ball" McCarty to handle his dirty work. Draper also famously spent weeks after Detroit's loss to Pittsburgh in the 2009 Stanley Cup Final crying about the fact that Penguins captain Sidney Crosby didn't shake his hand quickly enough. Crosby may have been fearful that "ginger creampuff mama's boy" was contagious. It's a borderline miracle that Draper's prosthetic face hasn't rusted over like a '79 Pontiac from the constant flood of tears.

2002 Playoff Zigmund Palffy (F): Unlike the other players on this list, I respect Ziggy Palffy. In fact, I like Ziggy Palffy. I'm not ashamed to say that Ziggy Palffy terrified me more over a 2 week span than any player over any two week span as long as I've been watching the game of hockey. It was spring of 2002, the Avs were the defending champs, and were cruising when they ran into the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs. Ziggy Palffy was made out of gasoline, lightning, steam engines, and grain alcohol. His numbers were good but not spectacular, 4-5-9 over the seven game series, but watching the Avs trying to control him was like watching a man trying to corner a horse in a large room using only a Twizzler. F off, 2002 Playoff Ziggy Palffy.

Chris Chelios (D): Like a bad wheat penny, Chris Chelios kept turning up as a primary villain in my hockey fan life. In my younger days as a Nordiques fan, he was one of rival Montreal's top defensemen. When the Nordiques moved to Denver, they battled Chelios' Blackhawks two consecutive playoff seasons in two contentious series. Then, after publicly declaring he'd never accept a trade to Chicago's sworn enemies in Detroit, he happily hopped aboard the Detroit bandwagon, thumbing his nose at his hometown team and fans in the process. If the scumbag bonafides of Chelios were ever in doubt, all that doubt was swept away during the 2004-05 lockout, during which he said that commissioner Gary Bettman (who is Jewish) deserved to"get the gas". No word if Chelios forces his employees at "Cheli's Chili" to wear pieces of flair.

Derian Hatcher (D): The Solomon Grundy of the NHL, Derian Hatcher's on and off-ice characteristics mirrored his comic book doppelganger: immobile and stupid. NHL record books credit Hatcher with a 15-year NHL career, but longtime observers of the league know that he only spent 10 years as an active player. For the remaining five years, his employers threw a #2 jersey on a hulking pile of mud boulders and hoped nobody would notice. Everybody noticed, and took turns skating merrily around the pile to victimize Hatcher's beleaguered goalies. Hatcher had a particularly embarrassing series in a 2004 playoff loss to Calgary during which he qualified for the world gangbang record, taking it repeatedly over the course of six games. Ricardo Montalban's toupees were made out of Derian Hatcher's pubic hair.

Stephane Fiset (G): Yes, the first goalie that ever set foot on the ice for the Avalanche in a real game. In October of 1995, I was convinced of two things: one, Jocelyn Thibault would take the Nordiques (then Avalanche) to Stanley Cup glory, and two, that Stephane Fiset absolutely sucked balls. The Nords had Ron Hextall in 1992-93, and he carried the young team to the playoffs. In the offseason, Hextall pouted his way to the Islanders, and Fiset promptly picked up the ball...and tried to fornicate with it. Fiset was a sieve in 1993-94, and at that point he was dead to me. Even thinking about him now makes me cringe.

Marc Crawford, Coach: It gives me great joy to be able to have Crawdaddy in the "alltime" category, rather than "current". While it was fun watching him drive three franchises in a row straight into the ground, I prefer not having to see his knowitall smirk behind an NHL bench. True, he coached the 1995-96 Avs to the Stanley Cup, but I suspect a lawn chair could have coached that team to a Stanley Cup too. After that, his toxic personality began to take a toll on his players in Colorado, and he was dumped at the end of the 1997-98 season after a second straight underachieving playoff finish. Subsequent stops in Vancouver (where he ordered Bertuzzi's hit on Steve Moore), Los Angeles, and Dallas were disasters as well, and Crawford currently finds himself staring blankly into a TV camera on TSN like the hair-gel slathered snake oil salesman he is.

Let the Hate Flow Through You

2011-10-21T12:00:00.001-04:00

We here at the Elsinore All-Stars have a great love of hockey, but with that love comes a fair amount of hate. There's nothing we hate more than players or coaches who ruin the game for us - whether due to always vanquishing our favorite teams, performing poorly in clutch situations, or giving the game (and opponents) a black eye because of their on-ice antics - and we're calling them out. Both Reg and Doug have cobbled together a first-team "all-hate" roster of current NHL players. In order to let sufficient amounts of hate flow, we've enlisted the help of AnthraxJones from over at Bad Altitude Hockey to contribute his thoughts too. Without further ado, let's get our hate on.

Current All-Hate Squads:

Reg Dunlop
Brandon Dubinsky (F), New York Rangers: When you watch Dubinsky on the ice, you really can't help but hate him. He's mouthy, he'll hit anyone when they aren't looking, and he can get dirty. Honestly, off the ice, I doubt he's anywhere near as horrible as I have imagined, but he's just one of those players I can always bring the hate for, whether that's to his credit for being such an annoying pest. For the past few years, whenever I looked at the schedule, I didn't think about what Avery would do or how Lundqvist would perform but how much I truly despise Dubinsky.

John Tavares (F), New York Islanders: This hate has been a long time brewing before the NHL. Being one of the softest players in the OHL does not win any favors, and complaining frequently about players taking the body on you makes me furious. Tavares did break a few records in the OHL, but he also was taken out of a few games by people playing more physical than he wanted. Another selling point to me hating him is that whole petitioning the NHL and AHL to break the rules for him. Yes, you have offensive talent, but there are Draft rules for a reason. You didn't need to be a 17 year old in the AHL or NHL for the sake of your ego. With Tavares there is always more to hate and his World Juniors career is the deciding factor. If there is anything I hate, it's when a player celebrates excessively in front of the other team's bench. Tavares, I will never forget you rubbing in a goal in front of USA's 2009 WJ team. That was a new low for you, and I don't see you rebounding from it since your teammates aren't known for their ability to control themselves.

Jonathan Toews (F), Chicago Blackhawks: First off, Toews is extremely talented. To deny that he has skill would be incredibly stupid and biased. That being said, Captain Serious does nothing but irritate me. Personality-wise, he's Captain Serious to everyone, something he's horribly ineffective at ending. It drives me up a wall to see his Twelvehead wrinkle all the time. I realize that Patrick Kane claimed the party animal persona on the team, but acting like you are nothing but vanilla is as dumb as girls faking stupidity to get with a guy. We all know about your history of dropping the f-bomb on national television and getting caught barhopping at the age of 18. I know you cannot be as uninteresting as you attempt to appear off the ice, so let go a bit or you'll start losing your hairline quicker than Dion Phaneuf. On the ice, I can't stand you either, but it might be the fact that you played for University of North Dakota. It became even easier to hate him after the Olympics and winning the Conn Smythe Trophy that I had pegged for the consistent and fantastic Duncan Keith.

Mike Komisarek (D), Toronto Maple Leafs: This was one of the easiest decisions I have ever made in selecting a player for a post. I know he's grown to be a whipping boy on the Maple Leafs, but he really does deserve it. His entire NHL career is built on the coattails of other players. The most specific example of this is his time with the Montreal Canadiens and Andrei Markov. Komisarek has not changed one bit since entering the League. Every time he's out there, you have to beg the hockey gods that he doesn't get burned again. He moves out of position constantly to take the hit instead of trying to play the puck. When he does have the puck, most of the time his vision is equivalent to Stevie Wonder's at midnight on a cloudy night with negative visibility. It drives me insane watching him play because it's hit or miss (primarily hit the player, miss the net) with his style.

Niklas Kronwall (D), Detroit Red Wings: Ahh, Niklas Kronwall, what a character. I want to point out that most of my favorite players are gritty versus finesse, but Kronwall is the scum between my toes. There is a fine line of decent hits and dirty ones, and Kronwall manages to dance on the border nearly every single night. Plus, his follow through jumps are ridiculous for someone of his size. I cannot stand him, his obvious moves to interfere with players, and his cross-ice planning to hit anyone he can. He is basically the Jan to Lidstrom's Marcia. Getting the attention from wherever he can by making hits that make everyone cringe. Questonable hits are his game, and there are few I want to elbow in the nose more than Kronwall.

Miikka Kiprusoff (G), Calgary Flames: For the most part, I love goaltenders. They are like my weird brethren that have similarly crazy mindsets to me. Kiprusoff, though, sure knew how to push my buttons during the most recent Olympics. I hate diva behavior in team sports, and his really pushed me over the edge. You had the honor, the privilege of being named to your country's team on the largest international stage in the world. So you decide to give the team an ultimatum between all or none of you? Really? You have the balls to demand from your country the top spot in a situation like that. As soon as you started that, I knew Finland wasn't taking Gold. As soon as players in a competition that's all about nationalism and putting one's country first start the "Start me or I won't show" talk, you know it's over for the team. You made Niklas Backstrom, who looked stronger in net despite having a weaker Wild team that he was carrying on his back for another season, sit on the bench and watch you take the team down with you. Obviously, your performance alone did not make Finland lose, but your performance against USA to determine who would go to the Gold medal round had to be extremely humbling for you. Some of the softest goals found their way to the net, and you gave in quicker than Olli Jokinen after he signs contracts with the Flames. It was embarrassing for you country but most importantly you. I cannot watch you play without remembering your comments surrounding the Olympics, and you deserve every Flames loss.

Brent Sutter, Coach, Calgary Flames: Not like he'll stay current for much longer, Brent Sutter really just does nothing but find ways to make his team horrible. Jarome Iginla never got along with Darryl, so I'm sure Brent isn't much of a difference. The Flames haven't done anything particularly well from a GM standpoint in years, but the coaching in Calgary is far from anything decent.

Doug McKenzie
Milan Lucic (F), Boston Bruins: If there's a cheap shot to be thrown, Lucic will throw it. If there's a smaller player on the ice to fight, Lucic will fight him. If there's a police officer at his door, Lucic will scream in the officer's face, asking if the officer knows who he is. This guy is just the worst kind of person. I'd love to see him bite off more than he can chew on the ice one day, but he'll never challenge anybody his size or bigger, so he may never get his comeuppance.

Maxim Lapierre (F), Vancouver Canucks: Lapierre is the ultimate pest; throwing cheap shots, getting in the faces of opponents, driving them to the point of rage only to turtle when challenged to a fight. He's great at his job - opponents are always trying to exact revenge on him which opens up the ice for his teammates - but that proficiency at his job makes him so easy to hate. When you stand out on a team full of dirtbags like Vancouver, you deserve every ounce of hate flung your way.

Steve Downie (F), Tampa Bay Lightning: I've said it many times before - Steve Downie is a psychopath. He's always had behavior issues and has found a great deal of difficulty being an upstanding citizen at every level of hockey he's played. Downie doesn't throw your garden variety cheap shots either; he attempts to end seasons and careers. His response to a clean hit by Brooks Orpik on teammate Steve Stamkos was to try to snap Sidney Crosby's leg. And let's not forget his attempted decapitation of Dean McAmmond. The NHL will be a safer place when Downie is finally gone.

Zdeno Chara (D), Boston Bruins: I've never been a fan of Zdeno Chara. To me, he has always been a guy who gets away with cheap shots and dirty plays because he's so big. People always make the "but he's so big, it's hard for him not to do that" excuse for him. Then there's also a shortage of guys willing to fight him due to his imposing size. Don't get me wrong, Chara is a skilled defenseman, but he gets away with murder out there - or at least breaking necks.

Niklas Kronwall (D), Detroit Red Wings: If there's a hit to be thrown, Kronwall will gladly leave his feet to throw it. While most hockey fans call it charging, Detroit fans like to say players have been "Kronwall'ed" when he leaves his feet to hurl his body into an opposing player's head or chest. His defense is average at best, so the only thing keeping this guy in the NHL is lax enforcement of charging rules. The only differences between Kronwall and Cal Clutterbuck are the crest on the front of the jersey and the amount public outcry.

Martin Brodeur (G), New Jersey Devils: Martin Brodeur is one of the all-time great goaltenders in the history of the NHL, but I'll always wonder if he'd rank among the best in the game if he didn't backstop the clutch-and-grab Devils at the height of the dead puck era, but instead was drafted by, say, the Ottawa Senators. Would he have been nothing more than a slightly better Peter Sidorkiewicz? I'll never like him due to the huge role he played for the trailblazers of the dead puck era.

Mike Babcock, Coach, Detroit Red Wings: This man is the embodiment of the smug sense of entitlement owned by the Red Wings fanbase. The man only has 2 facial expressions: "smug self-satisfaction" and "who died and/or soiled himself?" He frequently gives back-handed compliments in post-game press conferences. And if an official has the temerity to call a penalty on his team, he responds with something along the lines of "but we're the Detroit Red Wings - there's no possible way that's a penalty on US."

Anthrax Jones
Tomas Holmstrom (F), Detroit Red Wings: The next time you watch Detroit play, count the number of times you see a teammate pass the puck to this rat-faced monument of goaltender interference anywhere outside of a five-foot halo around the net. Hint: you'll need exactly zero fingers. Tomas Holmstrom has one "talent": a fat ass. This a-hole has been getting away with murder in and around the crease for 15 years now. Had he been on any team other than Detroit, for whom "interference" is considered a "pick", he would have spent the equivalent of 11 of those years preventing the bench in the penalty box from floating away. Holmstrom is a vile example for children everywhere.

Jason Arnott (F), St. Louis Blues: Remember when this guy was a snot-nosed kid in Edmonton, and everybody hated him? Now he's a snot-nosed man, and everyone still hates him. Million-dollar body, ten-cent head. Became the first man in NHL history to achieve actual, physical invisibility during playoff runs with three different organizations (Dallas, Nashville, Washington). Arnott always looks like he just walked into a fart cloud.

Patrick Kaleta (F), Buffalo Sabres: I always enjoyed watching Matthew Barnaby. "Barney" knew his role, and deeply enjoyed it. He knew he was there to be a sideshow, agitate, distract, poke, prod, and flash that terribly funny grin at frustrated opponents. Barnaby was Bozo, the beloved clown of the late-90's Sabres. Patrick Kaleta wears the same clown makeup (and the same number 36) in Buffalo, but he's the Pennywise to Barnaby's Bozo; that is, dangerous, mean, reckless, and not funny at all. We all float down here, Kaleta.

Dion Phaneuf (D), Toronto Maple Leafs: Arrogant, petulant glory hog. Achieved the lofty status of "biggest asshole in Calgary", which is akin to being "best Catholic in the Vatican". Likely knows what Sean Avery tastes like, by proxy. It makes me happy to know he is likely covered in bright red, itchy hives from dealing with the merciless Toronto media on a daily basis. There's a better than 95% chance that Phaneuf wears silky women's panties under his breezers during games.

Niklas Kronwall (D), Detroit Red Wings: He's a verb! Did you know that? Witty Detroit fans are quick to say that when Nicklas Kronwall throws one of his patented Macho Man Randy Savage flying elbows at an unsuspecting opponent, that the opponent just got "Kronwalled"! Isn't that adorable? "It's not dirty if one of OUR players did it here in Hockeytown. KRONWALLED!" Fans of other teams have a similar term: "Limotree'd".

Martin Brodeur (G), New Jersey Devils: Undoubtedly a popular guy at his family reunions, the most insecure man in hockey pushes forward toward another season full of stat-padding, regardless of the negative impact it has on his team. I'd bet a paycheck that he chokes himself, David Carradine-style, while staring at pictures of Patrick Roy. Brodeur hasn't seen his own feet since 2003.

Alain Vigneault, Coach, Vancouver Canucks: Looks exactly like you'd expect a guy named "Alain Vigneault" to look like. Smarmy expression permanently tattooed on his face, Vigneault alternately bellows encouragement to Vancouver's roster full of cheapshotting, grinning assclowns, and abuse toward any official that dares call a penalty on his innocent little sweethearts.

Hot and Cold Rankings, October 21st

2011-10-21T09:00:00.003-04:00

These are the latest Elsinore All-Stars Hot and Cold Rankings for the week ending October 21st, 2011.

Phil Kessel - Toronto Maple Leafs

You know it's early in the NHL season because Toronto Maple Leafs fans are still excited and are thinking about watching their team in the playoffs. Negativity aside, Leafs fans can certainly enjoy the hot start of Phil Kessel, the NHL's leader in points (12), co-leader in goals (7), as well as 2nd in +/- (+6). Unfortunately his 5-game scoring streak was snapped last week, but that doesn't diminish what he's done this past week - Kessel posted 4 goals (1 on the powerplay and 1 game-winner), 3 assists, a cumulative +2, and fired 16 shots on goal.

Marc-Andre Bergeron - Tampa Bay Lightning

Marc-Andre Bergeron isn't known for his ability to defend, but rather for his offensive prowess. He certainly put that offensive prowess on display this week, though it didn't seem to help the Lightning as they went 1-2-1 this week. For the week, Bergeron posted 2 goals (both goals coming in a 3-2 OTL to the Florida Panthers), 4 assists, a cumulative +1, and 8 shots on goal.

Jonathan Quick - Los Angeles Kings

While the addition of more offense has really helped the Kings, Jonathan Quick has played a huge role in the hot start in Los Angeles, having allowed only 5 goals all season while posting a 4-0-1 record. Quick is at (or near) the top of all statistical categories for goaltenders, and has completed a phenomenal week, posting a 3-0-0 record, a 0.66 GAA, .978 SV%, and 2 shutouts.

Matthew Lombardi - Toronto Maple Leafs

First of all, I want to express how glad I am to see that Matthew Lombardi has made a successful comeback from a bad concussion early last season. It is good to see him out on the ice again. That said, Lombardi has had a pretty bad week. While teammate Phil Kessel was able to maintain a hot start despite the 1 week gap between games 2 and 3 for the Leafs, Lombardi has gone stone cold. In 4 games since the week off, Lombardi has posted 0 points, a cumulative -4, and only 6 shots on goal.

Erik Gudbranson - Florida Panthers

Remember when people thought the Florida Panthers were going to be much improved because of the offseason spending spree? Erik Gudbranson was part of the infusion of *talent (*a mix of youth with mostly overpaid free agents signing so they'd be compliant with the salary floor). Sure, the 3-3-0 start isn't bad, but the Panthers should look competent as long as Winnipeg is in the same division. Gudbranson has had a pretty rough start this year, and the past week has been particularly tough with 0 points, a cumulative -4, and 24 PIMs.

Jaroslav Halak - St. Louis Blues

Granted it is early, but I thought the Blues would be better than this. Coming out of the gate 2-4, the only thing that can be said for them is at least they aren't the Blue Jackets. Jaroslav Halak has been a big reason the Blues have stumbled. He has yet to allow fewer than 2 goals in a game this season (and he's only allowed as few as 2 goals once). For the week, Halak went 0-2-0 with a 4.85 GAA and .805 SV%, making his season numbers worse - but not by much.

Hot and Cold Rankings, October 14th

2011-10-14T11:30:00.004-04:00

These are the latest Elsinore All-Stars Hot and Cold Rankings for the week ending October 14th, 2011.

David Legwand - Nashville Predators

David Legwand has started the season hot grabbing the NHL scoring lead early in the season with 7 points (2G, 5A). Given Nashville's typical inability to score, don't expect to hear the name of any Nashville Predators player and "NHL scoring leader" in the same sentence for much longer - or probably ever again.

Kris Letang - Pittsburgh Penguins

Kris Letang has helped the Pittsburgh Penguins start off the season with a 3-0-2 record and holds the NHL scoring lead among defensemen on the strength of 6 points (1G, 5A). He's played a vital role for the Penguins in the absence of Sidney Crosby (and part-time absence of Evgeni Malkin). If his play continues, the Norris Trophy talk might begin to drown out the sexy hair talk.

Kari Lehtonen - Dallas Stars

Kari Lehtonen is tied for the NHL lead in wins with 3 and has posted a 3-0-0 record to go with a 1.30 GAA and a .966 SV%. The biggest question is whether or not he can keep this up for the Stars as Dallas will need him to keep them in playoff contention this season. Lehtonen has the skills to be a top notch goaltender in the NHL, but his reputation is that he's just a wee bit more durable than Rick DiPietro.

Stephane Da Costa - Ottawa Senators

I understand that Stephane Da Costa has only 8 career NHL games under his belt and that he plays for an atrocious Ottawa Senators team, but the kid has been terrible. Sure he has a goal on the season, but that goal is his only point. He's been a minus in every single game to this point. Most shockingly, as bad as he's been, he managed to be a mere -1 in that 7-1 pasting the Senators suffered at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche.

Zbynek Michalek - Pittsburgh Penguins

As good as Kris Letang has been for the Penguins, Zbynek Michalek has been just as bad. It isn't that he has yet to record a point, nor is it that he's a cumulative -5 at this early point in the season. It's that Michalek plays more of a shutdown role for the Penguins but he's been on the ice for a lot of goals against - including every goal scored by both the Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers. With or without Crosby and/or Malkin in the lineup, the Penguins simply need better play from Michalek.

Craig Anderson - Ottawa Senators

Craig Anderson may have a bad team in front of him, but he has been dreadful. Anderson is 1-2-0 with a 5.07 GAA and .853 SV%. If I were on his team, I'd probably quit on him too. I seriously wonder how long it will take him to get his GAA below 4 - or if he can even do that. But take heart, Sens fans - he has that 1 win so far. I'm sure it'll be the first of at least 5 or 6 this season.

NHL Award Predictions for the 2011-2012 Season

2011-10-06T07:00:00.001-04:00

Doug McKenzie and Reg Dunlop try not to make fools of themselves this year with predictions of how it will end.

STANLEY CUP

Reg: Vancouver Canucks - Isn't this about time the Canucks finally get to put a banner up in the rafters and have their moment of glory? Look at all the talent returning for another season. Look at the heartbreak they suffered last year. I'm going w/my gut on this one. We shall see how the Canucks handle everything they have dealt with for the past few years. Last year, they put down the 500 pound gorilla known as the Chicago Blackhawks, I'm thinking they have the mental fortitude to take aim at the Cup.

Doug: Pittsburgh Penguins - I know I made this same pick last year and it didn't pan out, but the Pens were decimated with injuries to key players last season. This year they look deeper up front while remaining solid in goal and on defense. They cruised in the preseason (yeah, I know, it's the preseason) without Sidney Crosby in the lineup. Evgeni Malkin has looked dominant so far and they have legitimate scoring wings on the top 2 lines now. Even without Crosby in the lineup, this is a very complete team and they should be a force as long as the key pieces are healthy.

PRINCE OF WALES TROPHY

Reg: Montreal Canadiens - I feel like the Canadiens could be in it this year. Most of this, of course, is speculative, but I'm putting a lot of faith in Carey Price standing his ground. They have some solid defensemen, and of course, their forwards are not to be short changed. (I swear, I didn't pick them for that incredibly easy to make height joke.)

Doug: Pittsburgh Penguins - For all the same reasons I listed above.

CLARENCE S. CAMPBELL BOWL

Reg: Vancouver Canucks - Not revenge, just unfinished business. They put this team out there every year that is exciting on top of being cohesive and highly-skilled. They aren't ready to sit back and let another season go by without giving it all.

Doug: Los Angeles Kings - I know the Kings are a sexy pick and a lot of people don't expect them to pan out but I'm bullish on them this year. They have a good young tandem of goalies in Quick and Bernier, a very stout, deep defense, and the additions of Mike Richards and Simon Gagne give them a legitimate second line. The biggest question mark from the offseason - the Drew Doughty contract saga - has been answered. To me, the Kings look like they're ready to make a serious run in the West.

HART

Reg: Steven Stamkos - I believe I went with Malkin last year, which clearly turned out great. This time around I'm seeing Stamkos become a bigger deal in the NHL than he already is. He wasn't anywhere near happy with his decline in play after the All-Star break and has been ready to get back on the ice. Stamkos has the work ethic to compliment the strength and skills he has been improving. Stamkos paired with St. Louis is a force. Depending on how well either Downie or Brett Connolly plays, Stamkos has looked pretty comfortable with both. Stamkos has it all to take home the Hart.

Doug: Evgeni Malkin - Based on his preseason performance (again, I know, it's preseason blah blah blah *eyeroll*), Malkin looks hungry and mad. He's determined to prove what kind of player he is and to show the last couple seasons are not representative of the best he has to offer. He also has legitimately talented linemates (James Neal and Steve Sullivan) for the first time in a few seasons (when he regularly centered Ryan Malone and Petr Sykora), so that should help open up even more room for him. If his high level of play from the preseason carries over into the regular season, the Hart and Art Ross will go to Evgeni Malkin.

VEZINA

Reg: Ryan Miller - Consistently, Ryan Miller shows up and wins more than a few games that the Sabres deserve to lose. Hopefully with the addition of some more solid players, less weight will be on the shoulders of Miller. Also, Lindy Ruff could afford to let him play a few less games this season because his workload is borderline ridiculous. He's young, he's talented, he's motivated, why not?

Doug: Tim Thomas - Tim Thomas is coming off a playoff performance for the ages, is confident, skilled, and has a complete team in front of him. As if that wasn't enough, Claude Julien has already said he refuses to assign "starter" and "backup" labels to Thomas and Tuukka Rask, saying he'll go with the hot hand. So despite already being one of the game's best goalies, Thomas will have the added push of knowing Rask is right behind him ready to play. Being the competitor that Tim Thomas is, that alone will give him the drive to be the best goalie in the game this year.

NORRIS

Reg: Shea Weber - I'm going with the safe pick of Shea Weber. That man just knows how to perform (on top of growing the most beautiful and manliest beard I have ever seen), and he's everything you look for in a Norris candidate. I rate him as the top defenseman in the League currently considering Lidstrom's career is entering its twilight years.

Doug: Shea Weber - I admit that I'm a big Shea Weber fanboy. The guy is an incredible defenseman. He should have won the Norris last year (which was awarded to who Nicklas Lidstrom used to be but was unfortunately accepted by who Lidstrom currently is). Weber plays a ton of minutes in all game situations, doesn't pad his numbers with a lot of powerplay points (cough cough Lidstrom cough), and is a force on the blueline. He's the best defenseman in the NHL and should finally be recognized as such.

CALDER

Reg: Mark Scheifele - It's always difficult to pick a rookie candidate because what you have seen from them in their college or junior careers doesn't necessarily transfer to the professional level. That being said, what I have seen from Mark Scheifele tells me he'll be making a name for himself. Scheifele has shown himself to be a one in a million kind of player with everything you could want out a player being 6'3" and acting like it, having clear vision on the ice, the brains to utilize that vision, some great wheels, and smooth mitts to back up his work ethic. This is the guy the Winnipeg Jets are sorely in need of, and I see him answering the call.

Doug: Gabriel Landeskog - As Reg already wrote above, it's difficult picking a candidate for the Calder because international, college, junior, and minor league hockey are very different from hockey at the NHL level. I think Landeskog will take the Calder home because of his mix of size, skill, speed, and a bit of grit. He's a scorer with a quick release, and I think he'll give Colorado Avalanche fans (and NHL fans in general) a dynamic player to cheer for.

BYNG

Reg: Pavel Datsyuk - I see this being a Datsyuk/Marty battle once again. I'm agreeing w/ Doug and giving the edge to Datsyuk because his speeches are only a little bit funnier than St. Louis. Expert analysis right there.

Doug: Pavel Datsyuk - As long as they're active players, this award will be going to either Datsyuk or Martin St. Louis. I've got no other insight to offer than that.

SELKE

Reg: Ryan Kesler - Maybe I'm overconfident since he has been cleared for contact that he'll be playing much sooner, but I have hopes for Kesler to have back-to-back Selke wins. I think Datsyuk will be his toughest competition, but the way Kesler has been talking this entire offseason, he wants to show up bigger than last year. We'll have to wait and see how this one pans out, though.

Doug: Jonathan Toews - He was a finalist last year and that will be sure he's noticed more this year. Toews' plays significant minutes in each phase of the game, wins faceoffs, contributes significantly to the offense, blocks shots, kills penalties, and will throw some hits (not just on kids either). I see this being a three horse race between Toews, Pavel Datsyuk, and Jordan Staal, but I think Toews will edge them both out with a year-long steady performance.

ADAMS

Reg: Guy Boucher - Guy Boucher is the only reasonable choice in this category for me. I have a great deal of respect and admiration for a lot of coaches across the League, but Boucher is on another level. The way he presents himself to the media is smart and responsible. He knows and understands what is going on/being said in his locker room without acting like that weird parent who thinks he's cool and wants to be friends with his kid. He put in place a style that complimented the players Yzerman brought in as well as making the veterans and rookies feel comfortable with its implementation. Boucher is the coach who I would want behind my team's bench, barking off orders and keeping the players on their toes.

Doug: Barry Trotz - I thought Barry Trotz should have won it last year and I think he should get it this year. His teams are often far shorter on high-end talent than the other teams they compete against for playoff spots, yet his teams are routinely finishing with 90+ points. If the Predators can consistently win this season despite all the drama surrounding the futures of Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, and Pekka Rinne, the credit should go to Trotz for keeping his team focused.

LINDSAY

Reg: Evgeni Malkin - I'm going Team Ruski this time around for the Lindsay Trophy. Evgeni Malkin looks to be back in the shape and health he had when he won the Conn Smythe. With Sid out, this will give Evgeni Malkin the perfect opportunity to shine and let everyone know that he still deserves to be called one of the best players in the world.

Doug: Alex Ovechkin - Before Daniel Sedin won last season, Ovechkin won this 3 consecutive years (twice as the Lester B. Pearson Award before it was renamed for Ted Lindsay), and I think he'll reclaim it this year. Alex Ovechkin had a "bad" year last year yet still posted 32 goals and 85 points. He's playing a more team-focused game and seems sincere in his desire for team success over individual accolades. I expect that he'll keep pace with Evgeni Malkin (who I expect will win both the Hart and Art Ross) and take home the Ted Lindsay Award this year.

MESSIER LEADERSHIP

Reg: Henrik Lundqvist - I swear Messier just makes this stuff up anyways; I randomly thought of a goalie that Messier would like. He has picked Sid (a forward) and Chara (Dman) in the past, so he'll probably stay East due to NHL's marketing/advertising and go for a position he hasn't before. Honestly, I'm not sure if this or Jay Mohr hosting every year is worse. Bettman, I'm going to be forward with you using an analogy you will like and understand. Messier is not equivalent to Rufus in helping spark attention or a career for a Chaka Khan in the NHL. Tell him to clean Shanahan's pool if he's bored.

Doug: Sidney Crosby - Let's be honest, this award was created for the sole purpose of allowing Mark Messier to give a trophy to Sidney Crosby on a consistent basis. As long as Crosby plays 60+ games, he's getting the Messier Leadership award.

RICHARD

Reg: Daniel Sedin - As the saying goes, "Go West, young man." I'm going to the Western Conference with this one. Daniel, Henrik, and Burrows are not only one of my favorite lines to watch but one of the top producing lines in the NHL consistently. With Burrows giving the Sedins some space and Henrik making the plays, Daniel just has to be smart and pull the trigger. He wasn't too far off from reaching Corey Perry last year either.

Doug: Steven Stamkos - Stamkos had a great first half before he pulled that Houdini disappearing act in the second half. I think he'll be consistent this season from wire to wire and easily top the 50-goal mark. And unless teams learn to cover his one-timer from the left circle on powerplays, he'll top 60.

GM/EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

Reg: Ken Holland - Going with the guy who deserves to get nominated every year: Ken Holland. The man drafts well, he picks up pretty much the best fit players, and every single year that team is a contender for the Stanley Cup. Like the Red Wings or not, Holland is damn good at his job.

Doug: Doug Armstrong - I like what Armstrong has done with the St. Louis Blues, making them a much deeper team than last season. A slew of injuries and relative inexperience has hampered the Blues in recent years, but he's added a good mix of veterans and depth that can be recalled from the minors in the event of injuries. I think the St. Louis Blues will have a pretty good turnaround season this year and Doug Armstrong will be a good pick for Executive of the Year.

2011-12 Pacific Division Preview

2011-09-21T12:00:00.017-04:00

Training camps opened last week, preseason games are underway, and the 2011-12 season begins in almost two weeks. The Elsinore All-Stars are excited that hockey is starting back up and we're pretty sure you are too. To get back into the swing of things after a long (and tragic) summer for hockey, we'll be previewing each of the NHL's 6 divisions - predicted final standings, the big roster moves, and the biggest questions surrounding each team. So without further ado, here is our final division preview - the Pacific Division Preview:

1. Los Angeles Kings
Notable Additions: Mike Richards, Simon Gagne
Notable Subtractions: Ryan Smyth, Michal Handzus
Synopsis: The Kings were a sexy pick by some last year to win the West but it didn't pan out. Dean Lombardi put in work this offseason to add some weapons up front so Anze Kopitar doesn't have to carry the Kings on his own anymore. Mike Richards and Simon Gagne should give the 2nd line a huge boost and take some pressure (and defensive coverage) off of Kopitar's line. The only thing remaining is to get Drew Doughty under contract. Like last season, I believe this will be the most closely contested division in the NHL from top to bottom, but I think the Kings look like the team that will finish on top.

Biggest Question: If Mike Richards - rumored to be a huge party guy - was getting into trouble in Philadelphia, how awesome will the stories be coming out of Los Angeles?

2. San Jose Sharks
Notable Additions: Brent Burns, Martin Havlat
Notable Subtractions: Dany Heatley, Devin Setoguchi
Synopsis: Speaking of sexy picks to win the West, I think that has been the official status of the San Jose Sharks for at least the past decade. A common problem for the Sharks last season was that Dan Boyle was the only consistent scorer on the blueline, so Brent Burns was brought in to address that. Without Heatley and Setoguchi in town any longer, Logan Couture will be heavily relied upon to provide offense. The Sharks should be comfortably in the playoff picture this year, but they don't look like they're built to be one of the top regular season teams. Of course given the team's recent history, that probably isn't a bad thing.

Biggest Question: Can the Sharks finally make "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" by Burt Bacharach the team's official goal song?

3. Anaheim Ducks
Notable Additions: Andrew Cogliano, Kurtis Foster
Notable Subtractions: Andy Sutton, Jason Jaffray
Synopsis: One more year of Teemu Selanne will be good as I've always found him to be a joy to watch. Other than that, I don't see the Ducks as able to do much this year. Yes, this is a playoff team, and, yes, they may get beyond the 1st round. Other than that, I don't see much happening for the Ducks this season. The biggest thing for the Ducks this season and into the future is going to be how Jonas Hiller bounces back from the vertigo problems that plagued him last season.

Biggest Question: Were we supposed to be surprised that Teemu Selanne opted to return for one more year?

4. Dallas Stars
Notable Additions: Sheldon Souray, Michael Ryder
Notable Subtractions: Brad Richards, Jamie Langenbrunner
Synopsis: Since missing out on the playoffs with a loss on the final day of the season in 2010-11, the Dallas Stars have gotten significantly weaker. When Brad Richards walked away as a free agent, the Stars got nothing in return and lost the lynchpin of their offense. Joe Nieuwendyk will do the best he can with what he's got, but the Stars are just treading water until a stable owner is in place. Some reports say that could be by Christmas. If the Stars are going to do anything this season, that will need to happen.

Biggest Question: If Gary Bettman and the Board of Governors thought Jim Balsillie would've been an insufferable owner, do they realize the bullet they just dodged with Mark Cuban backing out of a bid to buy the Stars?

5. Phoenix Coyotes
Notable Additions: Daymond Langkow, Raffi Torres
Notable Subtractions: Ilya Bryzgalov, Ed Jovanovski
Synopsis: Just two years ago Don Maloney was up for executive of the year and Dave Tippett was the Jack Adams Award winner. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Maloney is obviously handcuffed by the (lack of) ownership situation in Phoenix and Tippett is having to coach an ever less-talented roster because of it. The longer this ownership debacle is drawn out in Phoenix, the worse and worse this team will get. I'd feel bad for the fans but a cursory look at the Jobing.com Arena during games shows me there aren't any left.

Biggest Question: Do you think Keith Yandle is regretting being the only Coyotes player who actually meant it when said he wanted to stay in Phoenix?

2011-12 Northwest Division Preview

2011-09-20T12:00:00.006-04:00

Training camps opened last week, preseason games are now underway, and the 2011-12 season begins in almost two weeks. The Elsinore All-Stars are excited that hockey is starting back up and we're pretty sure you are too. To get back into the swing of things after a long (and tragic) summer for hockey, we'll be previewing each of the NHL's 6 divisions - predicted final standings, the big roster moves, and the biggest questions surrounding each team. So without further ado, here is our Northwest Division Preview:

1. Vancouver Canucks
Notable Additions: Marco Sturm, Alexander Sulzer
Notable Subtractions: Christian Ehrhoff, Raffi Torres
Synopsis: The Vancouver Canucks are coming off an unsuccessful trip to the Stanley Cup Final. There wasn't a lot of turnover on the roster, but one big piece from last season's roster - Christian Ehrhoff - is now gone, and there is no heir apparent to fill his role. The Canucks have plenty of talent on the roster, but one has to wonder if some of the players still have faith in Roberto Luongo and the Sedin twins - players many claim folded under the pressure in the Stanley Cup Final, and how that will impact this team. Easily the best team in a horrible division, they will probably be the only playoff representative from the Northwest and, therefore, a top 3 seed in the West.

Biggest Question: Has there ever been a team who has needed to do less work to secure a top 3 seed in the NHL?

2. Minnesota Wild
Notable Additions: Dany Heatley, Devin Setoguchi
Notable Subtractions: Martin Havlat, Brent Burns
Synopsis: Perhaps sensing the patience with his performance wearing thin, Chuck Fletcher made a couple big moves by adding fading sniper Dany Heatley and up-and-coming scorer Devin Setoguchi while parting with injury-prone but very talented Martin Havlat and puck-moving defenseman Brent Burns. Fletcher also made a move behind the bench, promoting Mike Yeo from head coach of the AHL Houston Aeros to head coach of the Wild. It remains to be seen if these moves will pay off, but at least it shows Fletcher understands his team can't rely so heavily on Niklas Backstrom to win games. I see the Wild finishing somewhere in the 8-10 seed range.

Biggest Question: With Mike Yeo behind the bench for the Wild, will he still be blamed if the Pittsburgh Penguins' power play is a flop?

3. Calgary Flames
Notable Additions: Lee Stempniak, Scott Hannan
Notable Subtractions: Robyn Regehr, Ales Kotalik
Synopsis: Flames fans were used to Darryl Sutter making puzzling moves, so they weren't too worried when Jay Feaster started doing the same thing. Trading away Robyn Regehr smacked of equal parts salary dump and stupid move. Replacing him with Scott Hannan? Well that's just daft. Same goes for replacing Ales Kotalik with Lee Stempniak. Some folks look at Calgary as a fringe playoff team but I don't see how. Miikka Kiprusoff has burned out quickly the past couple seasons, and now he's going to have to carry an already non-playoff-caliber team that has been weakened? I hear April is a lovely time to golf.

Biggest Question: Will Jay Feaster get the same amount of time to keep the Flames below average that Darryl Sutter did?

4. Colorado Avalanche
Notable Additions: Semyon Varlamov, Jean-Sebastien Giguere
Notable Subtractions: Tomas Fleischmann, Peter Budaj
Synopsis: Based on the past 4 seasons for the Colorado Avalanche, this will be a bounce-back season in which they accumulate 95 points and win 43-44 games. Unfortunately for the Avalanche, I don't see this being a bounce-back year. That said, Greg Sherman has assembled some nice pieces and I think they're another year away from serious playoff contention. While I don't foresee them making a playoff push, they shouldn't be as hard to watch this year and could easily finish 2nd or 3rd in the division.

Biggest Question: Will Paul Stastny set the record for "centerpiece of the most ridiculous in-season trade rumors" since the lockout?

5. Edmonton Oilers
Notable Additions: Eric Belanger, Cam Barker
Notable Subtractions: Andrew Cogliano, Sheldon Souray
Synopsis: You know the story - a ragtag bunch of talented ragamuffins and misfits with a lot of potential who need the right coach to help them put it all together. The only problem for the Oilers is that there doesn't appear to be a Gordon Bombay or Morris Buttermaker behind the bench. The Oilers have too much young talent not to be a force in a few years, but for now, it won't be anything but another long winter in Edmonton.

Biggest Question: Edmonton is no longer the least desirable destination for NHL free agents thanks to True North, but is saying you're the 29th most desirable NHL market really a good recruiting ploy?

2011-12 Central Division Preview

2011-09-19T12:00:00.031-04:00

Training camps opened last week, the first preseason games are played tonight, and the 2011-12 season begins in almost two weeks. The Elsinore All-Stars are excited that hockey is starting back up and we're pretty sure you are too. To get back into the swing of things after a long (and tragic) summer for hockey, we'll be previewing each of the NHL's 6 divisions - predicted final standings, the big roster moves, and the biggest questions surrounding each team. So without further ado, here is our Central Division Preview:

1. Detroit Red Wings
Notable Additions: Ian White, Ty Conklin
Notable Subtractions: Brian Rafalski, Chris Osgood
Synopsis: Brian Rafalski, Chris Osgood, and Kris Draper are all gone and Nicklas Lidstrom is around for presumably only one more year. Ian White was brought in to replace Rafalski and Conklin is back for another tour as the backup in Detroit. The problem the Wings face is a window closing pretty fast. They've dealt with questions about age for years now, but the old guys continued to play and perform at a relatively high level. Detroit should have enough in the tank to win the Central this year, but it will get much tougher in the near future as so many contributors retire and they lack the young organizational depth to replace them.

Biggest Question: Will the somewhat adequate goaltending of Jimmy Howard be enough for Detroit like the barely average goaltending of Chris Osgood used to be?

2. Chicago Blackhawks
Notable Additions: Steve Montador, Andrew Brunette
Notable Subtractions: Brian Campbell, Tomas Kopecky
Synopsis: Some high-priced pieces were shipped out in order to bring in lower-but-still-over-priced pieces. The Blackhawks still have plenty of talent on the roster with Toews, Kane, Hossa, Seabrook, Keith, and more, but I don't see them as having enough to contend for another Stanley Cup title this season. As currently constituted, I see them being able to make the 2nd round of the playoffs but not more than that.

Biggest Question: Seemingly unable to beat Vancouver without a very big body in front of Roberto Luongo, will Joel Quenneville tell John Scott to start overeating soon?

3. St. Louis Blues
Notable Additions: Jason Arnott, Jamie Langenbrunner
Notable Subtractions: Ty Conklin, Cam Janssen
Synopsis: The Blues have been derailed in recent seasons by a lot of injuries and an over-reliance on inexperienced youth. Doug Armstrong addressed that by adding some veterans at the NHL level and a lot of organizational depth at all levels. The Blues look better positioned to deal with injuries this season and should push for a bottom 3 seed in the playoffs this year. I also really look forward to seeing David Backes as the new captain - a fierce competitor and hard worker, he's an ideal captain.

Biggest Question: Is there anybody who isn't absolutely stunned that Jonathan Cheechoo is getting another shot in the NHL?

4. Nashville Predators
Notable Additions: Niclas Bergfors, Tyler Sloan
Notable Subtractions: Matthew Lombardi, Cody Franson
Synopsis: David Poile appears to be figuratively looking down the barrel of a gun with Pekka Rinne and Ryan Suter both being pending unrestricted free agents and Shea Weber working with a 1-year contract awarded to him in arbitration. Nashville made a good run of things last season and were a bit of a Cinderella story in the playoffs, but I don't see a repeat of last season's performance - not with all the distractions surrounding the contract statuses of Weber, Suter, and Rinne. Poile is in a very unenviable position - he can't spend too much money and he must decide which one (at the least) of his team's three biggest stars must go. Personally, I'm thinking Anders Lindback is going to see a lot more ice time this year.

Biggest Question: With the goalie factory Mitch Korn runs in Nashville, do you think Pekka Rinne already realizes he's as good as gone?

5. Columbus Blue Jackets
Notable Additions: Jeff Carter, James Wisniewski
Notable Subtractions: Jan Hejda, Scottie Upshall
Synopsis: Scott Howson added some much-needed firepower to the Blue Jackets' roster with the acquisitions of Jeff Carter, James Wisniewski, Vaclav Prospal, and Radek Martinek, but the fortunes of Columbus rest on the shoulders of Steve Mason. The problem for Columbus is that they need the outstanding rookie year Mason of 2008-09 to show up this year, not the pedestrian Mason of the past 2 years. It may be asking a lot of a 23-year old, but he'll have to carry this team. One thing's for sure though, with the upgraded mobility on defense (replacing Mike Commodore and Jan Hejda with Wisniewski and Martinek) and the increased scoring up front, Columbus should offer a much more exciting brand of hockey that few people will pay to see.

Biggest Question: How demoralizing must it be for this organization that the only teams with worse attendance last year are 1 team that relocated (Atlanta) and 2 teams that may relocate soon (Phoenix and New York Islanders)?

2011-12 Southeast Division Preview

2011-09-16T12:00:00.050-04:00

The rookie tournaments have ended, training camps open around the NHL today, and the 2011-12 season begins in three weeks. The Elsinore All-Stars are excited that hockey is starting back up and we're pretty sure you are too. To get back into the swing of things after a long (and tragic) summer for hockey, we'll be previewing each of the NHL's 6 divisions - predicted final standings, the big roster moves, and the biggest questions surrounding each team. So without further ado, here is our Southeast Division Preview:

1. Washington Capitals
Notable Additions: Tomas Vokoun, Joel Ward
Notable Subtractions: Semyon Varlamov, Jason Arnott
Synopsis: Every year people pick the Capitals as preseason favorites to win the Stanley Cup, but every year they look completely lost in the playoffs. George McPhee addressed this adding players like Troy Brouwer and Joel Ward and re-signing Brooks Laich - the types of players a team needs come playoff time. Only time will tell if these moves will help the Caps get over the hump, but they definitely look like a stronger roster entering the season. One thing to keep an eye on: whether or not the addition of Tomas Vokoun has a negative impact on the development of Michal Neuvirth or Braden Holtby.

Biggest Question: If the Caps pull another post-season flame-out, does Bruce Boudreau finally get the axe?

2. Tampa Bay Lightning
Notable Additions: Matt Gilroy, Mathieu Garon
Notable Subtractions: Simon Gagne, Sean Bergenheim
Synopsis: After the Cinderella run to the Eastern Conference Final last season, I really wanted to say Tampa Bay can win the division this year, but then I started looking at the roster. Frankly, I don't think they have the goaltending to do it. Dwayne Roloson turned in a great performance last season but he'll be 42 shortly after the season begins. Additionally, I don't see Mathieu Garon as being able to share enough of the load to keep Roloson fresh. The Lightning still have a lot of fire power and a solid enough defense, but I believe goaltending - unless addressed in season by Steve Yzerman - will keep them just behind the Capitals.

Biggest Question: How is Steve Downie not included in the conversation of dirtiest players in the game?

3. Carolina Hurricanes
Notable Additions: Tomas Kaberle, Anthony Stewart
Notable Subtractions: Joe Corvo, Erik Cole
Synopsis: The most glaring weakness for the Hurricanes is their defense - it is extremely leaky. Jim Rutherford took a huge step to address this by trading away Joe Corvo (again), but undid that fine work when he signed Tomas Kaberle. The Hurricanes definitely need to tighten up defensively if they want to make a serious playoff push - Cam Ward is a great goalie but he isn't Superman. Perhaps I'm alone in this, but I expect a bit of a slump from Jeff Skinner this year.

Biggest Question: If Jeff Skinner gets as much press this year as last year, will everyone mistakenly think he's the best player in the league or just mistakenly think he's the best player on the Hurricanes?

4. Winnipeg Jets
Notable Additions: Eric Fehr, Kyle Wellwood
Notable Subtractions: Anthony Stewart, Radek Dvorak
Synopsis: Hockey is back in Winnipeg in the form of an (at best) average team that is still reeling from the damage wrought by Don Waddell. New city, new ownership, new management, new coaching staff, but mostly the same players. The Jets should have enough to hang around in the playoff race for a while, but I think they'll fade by March like last season. I expect the smallest arena in the NHL will be packed for most of the season and provide an electric atmosphere - a stark contrast to their days in Atlanta.

Biggest Question: How mad do you think Rick Dudley is that he was given only 1 season to undo 10+ years of Don Waddell's incompetence?

5. Florida Panthers
Notable Additions: Brian Campbell, Kris Versteeg
Notable Subtractions: Tomas Vokoun, Rostislav Olesz
Synopsis: Dale "Daddy Warbucks" Tallon had a lot of money to spend this offseason. With RFAs like Stamkos, Weber, Doughty, and Schenn on the market and plenty of money to burn, Tallon made huge splash after huge splash...on Matt Bradley, Jose Theodore, Sean Bergenheim, Kris Versteeg, Brian Campbell, and more. The Panthers are a serious contender for "worst team in the NHL" this season.

Biggest Question: Has a team ever gone on such a huge offseason spending spree knowing they'll still be boring and terrible?

2011-12 Northeast Division Preview

2011-09-15T12:00:00.003-04:00

The rookie tournaments have started, training camp is right around the corner, and the 2011-12 season begins in three weeks. The Elsinore All-Stars are excited that hockey is starting back up and we're pretty sure you are too. To get back into the swing of things after a long (and tragic) summer for hockey, we'll be previewing each of the NHL's 6 divisions - predicted final standings, the big roster moves, and the biggest questions surrounding each team. So without further ado, here is our Northeast Division Preview:

1. Boston Bruins
Notable Additions: Benoit Pouliot, Joe Corvo
Notable Subtractions: Michael Ryder, Tomas Kaberle
Synopsis: The defending Stanley Cup champions didn't have much roster turnover this summer and should remain a pretty cohesive and consistent team next season. As if that isn't bad enough for the rest of the NHL, the Bruins enter the season with over $5million in salary cap room, meaning there is plenty of space to address any problems as the season goes along. The Bruins should be a very dangerous team this season.

Biggest Question: Do you know who Milan Lucic is?!

2. Buffalo Sabres
Notable Additions: Christian Ehrhoff, Robyn Regehr
Notable Subtractions: Tim Connolly, Steve Montador
Synopsis: Terry Pegula has stated a commitment to building a championship-caliber team in Buffalo, and he set about trying to do that overnight by opening his checkbook in a major way. Adding Christian Ehrhoff and Robyn Regehr to share the defensive load with Tyler Myers, as well as signing Ville Leino and acquiring Ales Kotalik to help bolster the offense. Ryan Miller is used to carrying that team but it looks like things should be easier for him this season. Now Darcy Regier has to figure out how to shed roughly $3.6million to get cap compliant again.

Biggest Question: I'm glad to see the Sabres with an owner who isn't afraid to spend money, but does Terry Pegula understand how a salary cap works?

3. Montreal Canadiens
Notable Additions: Erik Cole, Peter Budaj
Notable Subtractions: Roman Hamrlik, Benoit Pouliot
Synopsis: The Montreal Canadiens have been known recently for a small amount of offensive output. While they gave the Bruins everything they could handle in the 1st round of the playoffs, they came up just short, losing in 7 games. The Habs tried to address offensive shortcomings by adding Erik Cole. Ultimately the season comes down to the health of their defense and the play of Carey Price. Price showed a lot last season, exhibiting that he's finally putting it all together at the NHL level. In short, even with a stout defense and Carey Price playing well, anything more than a short playoff run will be a tall order.

Biggest Question: I lost track; how many short jokes did I make?

4. Toronto Maple Leafs
Notable Additions: Tim Connolly, Cody Franson
Notable Subtractions: Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Christian Hanson
Synopsis: Good news, Leafs fans: the addition of Tim Connolly and Matthew Lombardi proves that Brian Burke understands a team can't win in the NHL with nothing but defensemen, but the acquisitions of Cody Franson and John-Michael Liles make it look like Burke isn't quite married to the idea yet. Seriously though, the Leafs aren't going to do much this year. They may stick with the playoff race for a while, but I don't see them getting in this year. Make no mistake though, Brian Burke is building a pretty good team. Just give them another couple years.

Biggest Question: Is Toronto known for its parades? I'm asking on behalf of Cody Franson.

5. Ottawa Senators
Notable Additions: Nikita Filatov, Zenon Konopka
Notable Subtractions: Ryan Potulny, Ryan Shannon
Synopsis: This team is going to be bad. Like laughably bad. The Senators are a prime example of what happens when a team undergoes a half-hearted rebuilding process. Eugene Melnyk has said that he won't sell the team or change how he does things as long as the fans remain interested. It looks to be another very long winter (and long summer) for Senators fans in 2011-12.

Biggest Question: The Sens could probably beat an AHL team in a best-of-seven series and that has to count for something, right?

2011-12 Atlantic Division Preview

2011-09-14T12:00:00.020-04:00

1. Pittsburgh Penguins

Notable Additions: Steve Sullivan, Jason Williams

Notable Subtractions: Mike Rupp, Max Talbot

Synopsis: A great deal of focus is on whether or not Sidney Crosby will be in the lineup when the season begins on October 6th in Vancouver, but this is a team that still has plenty of weapons not named Sidney Crosby. Evgeni Malkin will be back, healthy, hungry, and looking to prove that his past two seasons were an aberration. James Neal has spent the offseason training with Gary Roberts and is eager to play with Malkin or Crosby. The top 4 defenders are as good as any other top 4 in the NHL, and the tandem of Marc-Andre Fleury and Brent Johnson is a solid duo.

Biggest Question: How will hockey writers have anything to write about when Sidney Crosby makes his return from a concussion?

2. New York Rangers

Notable Additions: Brad Richards, Mike Rupp

Notable Subtractions: Chris Drury, Vinny Prospal

Synopsis: John Tortorella's teams are defensively responsible. The biggest problem he's had since landing the Rangers coaching gig is mostly minimal offensive output. Torts and Glen Sather hope that will change with the signing of Brad Richards this summer. The Rangers' fortunes still rest on how far Henrik Lundqvist can carry them, but Brad Richards should definitely help lighten his load - at least this season.

Biggest Question: Can John Tortorella and Larry Brooks just get it out in the open and acknowledge the sexual tension already?

3. Philadelphia Flyers

Notable Additions: Jaromir Jagr, Ilya Bryzgalov

Notable Subtractions: Mike Richards, Jeff Carter

Synopsis: The Flyers went through a lot of major roster changes this offseason. Paul Holmgren brought back a decent return for Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, but those trades still smell of "salary dump" to me (in order to get cap compliant after signing Bryzgalov). I like Peter Laviolette as a coach, but his system is a non-trapping, up-tempo attacking system and he's coaching a roster that has lost a lot of offensive talent over the past couple seasons being backstopped by a trap goalie. If you want an idea of how well Bryzgalov plays when his team is unable to play the trap in front of him, look at playoff footage of the Coyotes versus the Red Wings.

Biggest Question: Am I the only person who thinks Jaromir Jagr is going to quit on the Flyers in hilariously pouty fashion this season?

4. New Jersey Devils

Notable Additions: Eric Boulton, Cam Janssen

Notable Subtractions: Brian Rolston, Colin White

Synopsis: A beautiful (empty) arena, salary cap purgatory, reports of being near bankruptcy, and no safety net to replace an aged goalie in the twilight of his career are just a few of the problems that the Devils face. The coaching of Peter DeBoer is unlikely to rouse fans from their slumber or get them in the seats at the Rock. Perhaps Lou Lamoriello is channeling his inner Joe McGrath and is hoping to whip fans into a frenzy with the signings of Cam Janssen and Eric Boulton.

Biggest Question: Is Zach Parise serious about his stated commitment to the Devils or does he have 12pm on 7/1/2012 circled on his calendar?

5. New York Islanders

Notable Additions: Brian Rolston, Marty Reasoner

Notable Subtractions: Bruno Gervais, Radek Martinek

Synopsis: I've written a few things about the Islanders in the past 6 months or so. My biggest problem is that this organization is not focused on winning championships. Icing a goon squad, holding contract negotiations with Alexei Yashin, and forcing Evgeni Nabakov to play when he doesn't want to be there does nothing for the organization...except bring them even closer to moving off of Long Island. Imagine if this organization focused on its young talent and expressed a desire to be an elite franchise again.

Biggest Question: If the Islanders couldn't even get fans to show up at the ballot box to keep the team around, how will they get fans to show up for 41 home games?

Island Party

2011-08-19T13:15:00.002-04:00

As was widely reported this week, the New York Islanders had scheduled a viewing party for the infamous brawl/game with the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 11, 2011. After seeing the backlash from fans and in the media, the NHL announced they would be investigating the viewing party. As of yesterday, MSG Network opted not to show the brawl on ice, but rather the Islanders following game, a 7-6 OT win against the Buffalo Sabres. While it's good that MSG Network and the New York Islanders have backed down (whether due to pressure from the NHL or not), the fact that this was even seriously considered should be concerning for all hockey fans, not just Penguins fans still rankled by what many feel was a barbaric display of sucker punches and cheap shots.

I've written 1 or 2 posts expressing my opinions of the 2/11 brawl. This isn't yet another post about the actions on the ice that night, but rather the troubling mindset of the New York Islanders organization to make the decision to celebrate on-ice assault, and why everyone - including Islanders fans - should be worried about it. So why should people be worried about the fact that a celebration of a brawl almost came to fruition?

This is a huge disaster for the NHL on many levels. The brawl was yet another black eye for a league widely perceived (accurately or not) as being little more than bare knuckle boxing on ice. Additionally, this wasn't the only out-of-control brawl/game of the season; it was only the most publicized. This is on top of a rise in reported concussions (and all the new information about the long-lasting effects of concussions coming out almost daily), 2 incidents this past season that left players with fractured vertebrae (Max Pacioretty and Mason Raymond), and the death of 2 active players (Derek Boogaard and Rick Rypien). Now a member franchise wants to celebrate a game that featured cheap shots, brawls, serious injuries, and a laughable inability of on-ice officials to control the game. That certainly puts many NHL executives in an unenviable position before having to take the stand to testify in 6 months in Steve Moore's civil suit.

The idea of this viewing party celebration should be very concerning for every NHL franchise and all the fans as well. The Islanders - specific players and the organization as a whole - were severely punished for the team's role in the events of that brawl/game (it should also be noted former Penguin Eric Godard was also suspended 10 games for leaving the bench to fight). Yet despite the punishment, the Islanders planned to celebrate the actions of out-of-control players with a viewing party. If the organization is willing to thumb its nose at the NHL's rules and the punishment it received, all 29 other franchises must understand the very real possibility that the Islanders will do this again. If (or when) it happens again, who will the new victims be and what will be the extent of the carnage?

In the wake of the 2/11 brawl, many hockey talking heads, fans, and anti-Penguins partisans said that the Penguins somehow deserved what happened - whether because "Mario Lemieux employs Matt Cooke" (Cooke, it should be noted, did not play in that game as he was serving a suspension) or some other nonsensical justification for what unfolded. If you truly subscribe to that belief, then ask yourself what Cal Clutterbuck did to deserve the Trevor Gillies cheap shot he absorbed during Gillies' 4th shift back from a 9-game suspension. What will the justification be if the Islanders (or any other team for that matter) decide to start another on-ice melee with some other squad - one without Matt Cooke on the roster? This isn't meant as a defense of Matt Cooke or support of the Penguins (or absolution of their part in the brawl), but rather as a statement that these sorts of actions should be thought of as universally unacceptable in hockey.

Islanders fans should be especially upset about the idea of the team celebrating the 2/11 brawl - more upset than anybody else, in fact - for one reason: It proves that Islanders management and ownership has the wrong focus. The Islanders organization used to have a winning tradition, having 4 Stanley Cup championships to its name. This is also an organization with a lot of bright young talent who could help build the Islanders into a formidable team for years to come. Instead, the Islanders are known as an NHL doormat that dumped tons of legitimate NHL stars, signed Rick "Mr. Glass" DiPietro and Alexei Yashin to ridiculous contracts, and whose neighbors don't even care to keep them around. About the only positive for the Charles Wang ownership era is that he has yet to force his players to advertise crappy movie franchises on their equipment.

If the Islanders really wanted to stick it to the Penguins, they could've planned to view Games 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the 1975 NHL Quarterfinals or the David Volek game of 1993. If they wanted to show the organization's focus is on winning, the could've shown Stanley Cup clinching games from each of the 4 Stanley Cup victories as a statement that they've been there and are determined to return to being a championship caliber team. Instead they decided to celebrate bedlam. While the Islanders did win the 2/11 brawl, I cannot fathom how Islanders fans aren't outraged by an organization focused on winning fights and individual games, not on winning championships.

Now that the plans have changed, people will say the New York Islanders and MSG Plus opted to celebrate, view, and air a different game than the 2/11 brawl (likely with little mention of external pressures forcing the change). But in the end, everyone should be troubled by an organizational mindset that needed to face external pressure to dissuade them from celebrating serious injuries, chaos, incompetence of referees, and a complete lack of discipline.

Hit 'Em With Your Purse ... A Perspective on Puckbunnies

2011-07-20T07:05:00.002-04:00

Masculinity and hockey go hand in hand with the fast-pace of the game teamed together with aggressive checking and enforcer heavy-weight bouts. The social implications of watching this testosterone-heavy sport meets a crossroads when talk is based on gender as it is with nearly every other sport. Men are automatically accepted into the hockey fandom, while women are forced to prove to men that they belong in on the fun and not around to stare at their icons so to speak. In the first post of the series, Hit 'Em With Your Purse, a woman's perspective becomes the lens to discuss the negativity around and among women hockey fans with a special focus on puckbunnies.

The term "puckbunnies" has become a slur tossed around by mostly guys and some women to talk down on women sports fans in my experience. Say he is a nice guy off the ice and was willing to sign your gear, you must be a puckbunny. Mentioning something nice about a player, puckbunny. Your favorite player is considered conventionally attractive, puckbunny. Not every fan that is a woman is ready to jump the bones of their favorite player, and being a woman doesn't automatically constitute them as a puckbunny.

A puckbunny is a person who exclusively wants to sleep with players. Their knowledge on the sport is usually limited to knowing positions and who would look best in the next issue of Tiger Beat. To insult all women fans over a portion who get their kicks staring at guys in equipment is obnoxious. I have to hear every Summer Olympics about men "getting excited" for women's beach volleyball, but I shouldn't complain because it's natural and fine. No, you just want to look at the pretty girls in swimsuits who are actually extremely talented. During the Draft, every single year, I have to hear about how hot a sister or girlfriend of one of the prospects is. For some reason, these types of men somehow get to slip through the harassment that women have to deal with because hockey, like most industries, is a boys' club. I have come to accept rather begrudgingly that women fans will always get called sluts whenever they support a player or team, and men will either do one of 3 actions: they'll either pretend this talk never happens and refuse to notice its existence; they'll be the ones challenging women to trivia bouts and shouting them down because they think they have some given right to be sports fans over us; or they'll be smart enough to distinguish individuals, men and women, on what they say and how they behave.

A lot of the people I associate myself with are women who are knowledgeable hockey fans. Some of them are newer to hockey than others, but that also should not be mistaken for being a puckbunny. New fans are essential to the growth of the sport and keeping the sport we all love in some limelight. At some point in our lives, we were new to hockey, so if it was when you were 7 years old acting out plays with your siblings or when you were 26 and toasting a win with a brew, it doesn't matter. I see the talk of bandwagon fans often taking a turn toward sexist with commentary about how women fans got a start because a player is cute. Just stop. Instead of looking at these new fans and trying to determine why they are around, look inward and try to figure out why your superiority complex is cranked up to Nietzsche on the Narcissist Scale. Put the labeling stickers down, take a few breaths, and remember how fun it was to be a new fan. Do you remember how you picked your first favorite player? I picked Darius Kasparaitis because he hit everything that moved, was short, and had an awesome name. When you are new to the world of hockey, it isn't about picking the most obscure or hideous player because you are worried about people judging you. These new fans pick the player that catches their eyes, just like we did and do, but it might be hard to tell from your high horse.

I also need to address women fans because a lot of what I have mentioned has been directed towards men. It's difficult being a woman in the sports world, and I'm right there with you. Pointing fingers and making passive aggressive comments about other women in the hockey world does absolutely zero good. In fact, it is worse coming from you to be honest. I'm not saying you need to be buddy-buddy with all women fans or need to ignore clearly irritating behavior because the fan is a woman. I am saying that tearing down another person you don't like and claiming they are a puckbunny is the hockey equivalent of crying "witch" in Salem, Massachusetts. If another woman makes a comment about how professional a guy looks in a suit going to the rink, let it slide. Does it really hurt you? As long as she's not toting around a glittery sign asking someone on the ice to marry her, there is no harm. It happens, and it doesn't reflect negatively on you or women fans. There is a line of noticing men as a hetero, bi, pan, or whatever sexuality you are while being a hockey fan versus ogling players and covering it as being a fan.

To puckbunnies, why not follow the sport more? Looks fade, but the NHL will always be pumping in talent that is fun to watch. Instead of pretending you are a huge fan of the sport, become one. The hockey community always can use more fans, and some of the people I have met through hockey, men and women, are the best I know. Instead of anonymously commenting on weird websites about how you want to sleep with certain players, learn from those jerks who like to lump all the women fans together as crazies by turning sexual frustration into beefing up on stats and taking in as many games of any team you like. Also, if you decide to keep with this shtick, can you please tone down your "Marry Me" signs? You can't possibly believe those signs work, right?

Call me sanctimonious, stupid, or say I'm right on track, but there needs to be a change in the attitude towards female fans and the constant name calling. Sports teach us about unity, teamwork, supporting teammates while they are at their best and worst, perseverance, and dedication among so many other worthwhile traits. Make yourself an extension of what sports teach and be a fan with others regardless of sex or gender.

How to Fix the NHL's Salary Cap

2011-07-13T09:00:00.003-04:00

Escrow, buyouts, 35-and-older clauses, salary range - the NHL's Salary Cap is a complicated thing. So complex, in fact, that most (if not all) teams have a "capologist" on the payroll - usually with the title of Assistant General Manager - to analyze the impact every transaction has on the salary cap. I'm no capologist - my understanding of the salary cap is that of a novice - but in my mind, there are 3 big issues with the salary cap: the salary floor, escrow, and the contract loopholes. Taking these issues one at a time, this is how I'd fix the NHL's salary cap.

Before I get started, I understand the NHL's collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is an imperfect working document. That said, I believe it was somewhat hastily thrown together and agreed upon so that everyone could get back to making a lot of money (and when league minimum is $500,000, they are making a lot of money). It is because of this that all the loopholes and issues exist. Since this current CBA has been in effect, all sorts of charges of circumvention have been cast - some punished (Ilya Kovalchuk, anybody?) and some not punished (every other front-loaded contract not signed by Ilya Kovalchuk). In addition to the accusations of salary cap circumvention, hockey fans are bombarded with cries of how unfair the economic system is for the small market teams; that they can't keep up with the pace at which the salary cap (and player salaries) grows. The dissatisfaction of so many - myself included - is what prompted me to try my hand at fixing the mess that is the NHL's salary cap.

And now before I go about fixing the salary cap, let me explain what I know about the cap system and how it works. The NHL salary cap has done nothing but increase dramatically since it was instituted (from $39MM in 2005-06 to $64.3MM for the 2011-12 season). The salary cap is set as a percentage of all "hockey-related revenue" as defined by the CBA. The percentage that goes to players is typically in the mid-50s (an estimated 54% in 2005-06 up to an estimated 57% last season). A team's salary cap compliance is calculated daily and is deemed cap-compliant if its payroll does not exceed the cap limit and it could carry its roster for the entire season without exceeding the cap. A team's payroll is the sum of all players under contract at the NHL level (and those who've been bought out or are subject to the 35-and-over clause) and a player's cap hit is based on the average annual value (AAV) of his contract. Teams are not permitted to sign players to any sort of additional agreement in an effort to lower his cap hit (i.e. - ownership stake, a separate contract paying for team-sponsored event appearances, etc.). Any teams caught circumventing the salary cap with player contracts (like the Kovalchuk debacle) will be fined and must forfeit draft picks. If a team is caught circumventing the cap by incorrectly reporting and/or hiding revenues, they are fined $1MM plus the amount erroneously reported for a first offense. A second offense is punishable by a fine of $5MM plus double the erroneously reported revenue. There are other aspects of the salary cap that I have not summarized, but this is enough of a primer for the purposes of this post. Got it? Good.

Contract Loopholes:
There are many examples of front-loaded deals that many people (myself included) believe are a blatant attempt at circumventing the salary cap. Ilya Kovalchuk (NJD) and Maxime Talbot (PHI) had their respective contracts voided - with the Devils also paying a large fine and surrendering draft picks as punishment - but the contracts of Marian Hossa, Roberto Luongo, Henrik Zetterberg, Brad Richards, and a few others remain valid. After the Kovalchuk debacle, Gary Bettman promised this loophole will be closed in the next CBA. The problem I have with these sorts of deals is that they are quite obviously designed to circumvent the salary cap. I don't know how the NHL intends to "close the loophole" in the next CBA but here's how I'd fix it:

The lowest salaried year in a contract cannot be less than 90% of the highest salaried year. No more contracts that go from $12MM per year in the first 3 years down to $1MM per year in the last 4. Taking a real life example, if the Rangers want to pay Brad Richards $12MM per year at the beginning of his contract, more power to them, but they can pay him no less than $10.8MM per year for any other year he's under contract.
Contract buyouts count as a one-time cap hit of 100% of the remaining value of the contract. No more fractional payouts based on player age or lessened cap hits. If a team signs a player to a bad contract, they should be forced to deal with the consequences. The only exception to this rule would be if the player abandons the team (leaves for a different league, refuses to report, etc.). In the event that happens, the NHL can allow for the player's contract to be voided at no salary cap penalty to the team.
Any contract that is longer than 5 years in duration and extends beyond a player's 35th birthday counts 100% against the salary cap for the duration of the deal even if the player retires before the contract.

These may seem like harsh closures to the loopholes but they're necessary. The NHL lost a season - AN ENTIRE SEASON - in the name of "cost certainty" (or however else Gary Bettman phrased it). The league claimed the CBA was needed to save the helpless owners and GMs from the limitless greed of the players. But given a couple of years, these same owners and GMs proved they really needed saving from themselves. And these contract loophole closures are mutually beneficial - the players get 100% of the money they sign for while getting a steadier flow of income and the teams won't be burdened by the idiotic contracts many GMs can't seem to avoid offering to everyone.

Escrow:
A portion of every player's salary goes into escrow every year - originally 18% but a reduction to 17% was negotiated in 2010 - to ensure revenues are split equally after total revenues are declared and divvied up at the end of each season. I don't care how the NHL or the CBA try to word it, the escrow provision is simply a rebate to protect teams from accidentally over-paying the players. I believe that escrow should be completely eliminated from the CBA. Short of completely eliminating it, there is absolutely no reason escrow deductions should be higher than 5% of a player's salary. If the NHL cannot estimate revenues to within 5% of the actual mark, then they should take it as an expensive lesson to perform better revenue estimates and calculations. While I'm sure the players would love eliminating escrow, or even minimizing it to 5%, it is probably a non-starter for the NHL.

The Salary Floor:
The salary floor, like the salary cap, is determined based on total revenues. The NHL sets the floor by determining a percentage of the average revenue (last season's share for players was set at 57%). From that number, the league adds $8MM to set the cap and subtracts $8MM to set the floor. (For instance, 57% of the average team revenue for this past season was $56.3MM, ergo $64.3MM cap and $48.3MM floor). The problem I have with this system is that there are lower revenue teams out there who can't keep up with the stunning growth of the salary cap in the past 6 years. In a league where most teams aren't even acknowledged (the 10-team NHL is: Red Wings, Capitals, Penguins, Blackhawks, Bruins, Rangers, Flyers, Maple Leafs, Canucks, and Canadiens), there are a lot of teams struggling to keep pace with the growth of the NHL.

My proposed fix for this would be simple: set a baseline payroll of 55% of average team revenues, then set a cap of 65% and a floor of 45%. This percentage-based system would still force teams to spend money on players while still giving the lower-revenue teams a bit more relief than the current +/- $8MM formula provides and it enables the higher-revenue teams to spend more as their revenues increase, all while still keeping payrolls somewhat restrained to prevent the ridiculous disparity of Major League Baseball.

The bottom line is the salary cap system needs to be adjusted. The NHL lost an entire season in the name of cost certainty but there are just as many teams struggling to keep pace with the economics of the league as there were before the lockout. The "cost certainty" the league fought so hard for has been almost anything but that. With the CBA due to expire soon, the next CBA ratified by the NHL and NHLPA should be a better system that helps all teams and all players, not just the higher-earning teams and players.

Rocco's Modern Strife: Getting Drafted

2011-06-24T19:13:00.000-04:00

This American grabbed the reigns of USA's U18 team and helped the team to Gold by tallying 18.7% of the team's total scoring and leading the team in every scoring category this past season. He's also noted for long training hours at the gym, his dedication to the sport, on and off-ice confidence, and leadership skills. The problem? The capable Rocco Grimaldi is only 5'6".

Smart, slippery, swift, Grimaldi is an asset in the offensive zone finding ways to evade the bigger defensemen. He's not the most physical player because of his size, but he'll take the hit for a chance to win. Playing as 5 year old against 9 year olds, Grimaldi learned fast how to play against guys bigger than him and how to transition into better play. After playing in a few leagues in California and Michigan, he transitioned to the USHL and showed off his gift.

While with the U17 team in the 2009-2010, he scored 40 points in only 36 games, which caught quite a few glances. The US NTDP sent him up to play with the U18 team as an underager, and he reached 23 points in 26 games, 18 coming from 14 international games. In 58 games on the U18 team, he had 39 goals (16 PPG) and 73 points. When he played in the U18 World Junior Championship, he had 10 points and a team high of 8 assists in their 7 games to claim the Gold.

Modeling his game after any player with offensive talent, he takes pieces from their games and crafts it into a style of his own. His biggest influence is Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby, who has the complete game and offensive knack that he models his game like. He also looks at Mike Richards and Ryan Kesler's defensive abilities, and Pavel Datsyuk's scoring style and locker room presence. He, in turn, wants to mold himself into a player competent enough to translate his success internationally and against other American players into NHL stardom.

Skill-wise, Grimaldi is great player in traffic, and his speed and intelligence on the ice are what creates most of his chances. When he's on the ice, he pushes play forward and any shift with him is a scoring possibility. With the U18 team, he is trusted in every situation even penalty kill, which is one of the underrated parts of his game with the agility and smarts he has one the ice.

While Rocco Grimaldi claims speed and smarts as his top assets to his future team, there is no mistaking the drive that he has. Being told he couldn't compete at top levels for most of his career has pushed him to train harder than most of the prospects available. His heart is always in the game, and you never see him slacking on the backcheck. He's focused on his dream, and his mental fortitude is equivalent to any NHLer worth his salt. Grimaldi knows teams will move pass him in favor of bigger players who will be able to throw their body around more, but proving them wrong is just another factor pushing him to what he feels he's destined to do.

The quick passionate University of North Dakota recruit has said, "I’ve been playing against bigger and stronger guys my whole life and I haven’t really changed. I know it’s not going to change, I’m going to have to keep doing it and keep proving people wrong. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of that so far. Everyone’s always thought that I’d fall at the next level or that I’m going to fall, so I just take that as motivation and move on from that and try to put their words back in their mouth." Refusing to let you down, Grimaldi's size is only an obstacle for those who can't see all the other he brings.

Dunlop's Top 3 Canadian Prospects: 2011 Draft Edition

2011-06-24T07:30:00.002-04:00

O Canada! the NHL Draft would be dismal without your top prospects venturing down to visit Minnesota for the NHL Draft. All the early morning, long practice hours, time in the gym, changes in diet, and selecting the best leagues to play in finally pays off when your name is announced and a jersey with your name is slipped over your head before a quick picture is taken with the organization's owners and general manager. In honor of such a happy occasion, Reg Dunlop of the Elsinore All-Stars has decided to narrow the Draft eligible list to her top 3 favorite Canadian prospects.

2 of these prospects are OHL products, one's a QMJHL player, but all three are guys to keep your eyes on this Draft year. One plays for the Niagara IceDogs, another for the Saint John Sea Dogs, and the last one for the Kitchener Rangers.

Ryan Strome, Center, Niagara IceDogs:

He's a player that you want to cheer for because he has worked hard to get as far as he gotten. His 2009-2010 season wasn't a good one by any stretch of the imagination with the combination of getting traded and scoring 27 points in 61 games played (only 8 were goals.) He looked at the season as a point to grow from instead of sulk on, and from that, we've seen his true colors. Voted "most improved," his goal scoring alone jumped to 33 goals. In 65 games played, he had 106 points, 73 assists, 82 PIMs, and his plus/minus reached +28. Strome averaged 1.63 points per game. In comparison, he had 27 points, 19 assists, 61 PIMs, and his plus/minus was -2 the previous season on both the IceDogs and Barrie Colts. In the 14 playoffs games the IceDogs played, he scored 6 goals and 6 assists. Once you watch him play, you'll notice his smooth skating and his playmaking style being big selling points. He's not much of a defensive player, but he's not a liability when it comes to it either. Good hands, willing to put his body on the line, and confident, you can put your faith in Strome to never quit on a play.

Jonathan Huberdeau, Center, Saint John Sea Dogs:

Huberdeau is the one you want on the ice when you're down by 1, pulled the goalie, and have called a timeout to give the guys on the ice rest and a plan. Essentially, he's one of the biggest game-changers available in the Draft this year. His rookie season of 61 games, he had 35 points from 15 goals and 20 assists, making him the leading scorer for 16 year olds in the Q. An added bonus was making all 6 shootout attempts. His 1st time in playoffs were successful with 11 goals, 18 points, and 22 PIMs in 21 games. In 67 games played this past season, he scored 43 goals and 62 assists, putting him at 105 points, setting a record for most single season points and assists. He also had 88 PIMs and was +59. In the playoff season, he fared well. In 19 games, he scored 16 goals and racked up 14 assists for an impressive 30 points. He also managed a +13 and 16 PIMs while he helped the Sea Dogs win the Canadian Hockey League Championship. At the end of the playoffs, Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the 2011 Memorial Cup MVP was in his possession. The hands on Huberdeau are dirty, and he's smart regardless of who has the puck. He hits hard, and he'll play the top of his game in any zone.

Ryan Murphy, Defenseman, Kitchener Rangers:

Overshadowed by teammate Gabriel Landeskog, Ryan Murphy is one of the few defensemen in the Draft I would want to pick early. Like the others, he needed time to transition into the team. His first season of 62 games led him to score 6 goals, 39 points, 22 PIMs, and his plus/minus was -2. He started to come into his own during the 20 playoffs games registering 5 goals and 17 points. From there, all he could go was up apparently. In 63 games, he had 28 goals, 79 points, 36 PIMs, and was +22. This season brought him some votes for the Smartest Player and Best Offensive Defenseman by the Western Conference coaches. On top of this, he also played for Canada in the 2011 U18 World Junior Championship. Canada might have finished 4th, but he led his team and all defensemen with 13 points in 7 games all while being named the tournament's top defenseman. Murphy's a great skater, mobile, and has great vision on the ice. He's also willing to take risks on the ice for a goal or make a play that will ultimately pay off for his team. His creativity, vision, and hockey sense all make him one top-notch player with a scoring touch to round out his style.

Ryan Strome, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Ryan Murphy might not be the 1st ones on the stage, but they will definitely be 1st round picks with the amount of drive and skills they offer. Any team will be lucky to snatch such great players and off-ice personalities. The True North has produced a large group of truly amazing prospects once again.

Realigning the NHL

2011-06-22T09:00:00.002-04:00

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it as you celebrate your 2011-12 Southeast Division Champion Winnipeg hockey team!" The funny thing is that this could really be heard this spring since the Atlanta Thrashers franchise was purchased by True North and moved to Winnipeg. Since preserving hockey in Phoenix (while doing nothing to keep hockey in Atlanta) is of the utmost importance to the NHL right now, realignment has been put off until after the 2011-12 season has concluded. Nobody is quite sure what realignment plans the NHL is contemplating so I'll take a moment to throw my ideas out there. Readers, this is how I'd realign the NHL.

As it stands now, the NHL divisions for the 2011-12 season are:

Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division - New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins
Northeast Division - Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs
Southeast Division - Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, the still nameless Winnipeg franchise

Western Conference
Central Division - Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues
Northwest Division - Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Vancouver Canucks
Pacific Division - Anaheim Ducks, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes, San Jose Sharks

The NHL's realignment will likely consist of 1 move - sending Winnipeg to the Western Conference with 1 of Columbus, Detroit, or Nashville moving to the Eastern Conference. My plan includes a few other moves that I believe make a bit more sense in terms of geography and potential rivalries. If I were to call the shots, I'd make the following moves:

Nashville Predators to the Southeast Division - Of the teams considered the best candidates for moving East (Columbus and Detroit being the other 2), Nashville is geographically the best fit for the Southeast Division. While I wouldn't make much fuss if Detroit moved East, it would be a shame if the rivalry they have with Original Six rival Chicago cooled due to a move.
Winnipeg No-Names to the Northwest Division - Having a division with 4 Canadian teams (Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Winnipeg) will create some really intense rivalry games.
Dallas Stars to the Central Division - I have always hated the idea of Dallas Stars in the Pacific Division, especially when 4 teams from the Northwest Division are much closer to the Pacific Ocean than Dallas is. The move will keep Dallas' divisional play much closer to home as well.
Colorado Avalanche to the Pacific Division - I like the idea of moving Colorado to the Pacific Division. The Avalanche are closer to every Pacific Division team than they are to Northwest Division teams with the exception of San Jose (Denver is 900 miles from Calgary and 925 miles from San Jose). This is a move that makes sense in terms of travel schedules.

If all these moves were to happen, the NHL divisions for the 2012-13 season would look like this:

Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division - New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins
Northeast Division - Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs
Southeast Division - Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Nashville, Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals

Western Conference
Central Division - Chicago Black Hawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues
Northwest Division - Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Creatures Too Horrible to be Named
Pacific Division - Anaheim Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes, San Jose Sharks

Will all of my realignment ideas happen? Probably not. Will any of it happen? Maybe. The only thing we can be certain of is that when the NHL finally does realign the divisions, most fans will think something is stupid and rage against it.

If you have any realignment ideas of your own, feel free to share them in the comments.

The Burgh's Building Up; The 2011 Draft Class

2011-06-20T07:05:00.000-04:00

Pittsburgh has transformed its image of being a Steel Town with a sky smeared orange from the pollution and rust to a center of technology and medicine while being one of the most liveable cities in the world. The City of Bridges has not only grown into an energetic sports town but is finally coming into its own by producing more hockey players. The 2011 Draft will have 5 eligible Pittsburgh natives looking for a chance to become an important pieces towards the future of the NHL.

Currently in the NHL, there are a decent amount of Pittsburgh-born players like George Parros (Anaheim Ducks), Matt Bartkowski (Boston Bruins), Christian Hanson (Toronto Maple Leafs), RJ Umberger (Columbus Blue Jackets), Dylan Reese (New York Islanders), Mike Weber (Buffalo Sabres), and Ryan Malone (Tampa Bay Lightning), but with the success the Penguins had in the early 1990's with back-to-back Stanley Cups, one expects more to start to make their way. What Mario Lemieux has done for the city of Pittsburgh in terms of repeatedly saving the team has been great, but he also helped build and establish youth hockey interest. Currently, it has been on the shoulders of the young Penguins Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, and Marc-Andre Fleury to further foster youth hockey numbers. From 1990-1991 until 2009-2010, hockey in the state of Pennsylvania has grown by 164.4% and has moved up to 5th in the nation in youth hockey membership. With this 2011 Draft Class, John Gibson, Barrett Kaib, J.T. Miller, Brandon Saad, and Vince Trocheck all hope to the another big step for Pittsburgh hockey.

Last year, the amazing talent USA Hockey-produced Jack Campbell was drafted 11th overall and the 1st goaltender to be selected. This Draft brings us the highest-rated goaltender in John Gibson. The two play different games with Gibson being a much more controlled and stable goalie compared to Campbell's often quick and energetic style, but both have received a lot of attention and both are cool under the pressure. Tall in the net, the 6'3" goalie has been an asset for the U-18 US World Junior team. As the #1 backstop, his 2.34 GAA and .926 save percentage factored into the USA winning 6 games and gold as well as him being named the Best Goaltender of the tournament. His run with the U-18 team has been impressive with a 2.54 GAA and a .918 save percentage in 32 games. His record in those games was 17-10-3 with 1 shutout (making 31 saves in the shutout win.) His USHL season record was 9-4-3 in 17 games. Previously, he played for the USHL's U-17 team, and his statistics there were just as nice. In the World Under-17 Challenge, he made a name for himself by making 38 saves on 39 shots in a gold medal game, named the player of the game, and had a 1.33 GAA with a .957 save percentage in the tournament. Altogether, Gibson's large frame does little to hinder his flexibility or his lateral movements. His poise in the net is a huge plus for any team, which got him the invite to USA's World Junior Evaluation camp this summer. Ranked first among all goalies, expect the Pittsburgh Kid who models his game after Ryan Miller to make a splash at the University of Michigan before making the jump to the NHL.

Upper St. Clair native has had to make waves in the NHL in a much different fashion than goaltender John Gibson. The 5'10" defenseman might not be ranked high on many lists being left off the NHL's final ranking list of Draft Prospects, but he brings a physical edge that is difficult to find, especially with someone his size. With that physicality, Kaib never shies away from dropping the gloves and has been known to fight with some frequency in the USHL. The defenseman was selected to be a part of U-18 World Junior along with Gibson and J.T. Miller, providing his aggressive game to help win the Gold as well as recording 2 assists and ending with a +7. Besides being a hard-hitter, Kaib has been an asset in the NTDP with clear vision on the ice. He's a great decision-maker with and without the puck, and ultimately his passing skills are enviable. His biggest problems lie in his size, which he quickly makes up with strength despite weighing 188 lbs., and his confidence. While most of the players being drafted have been skating since they were very young, Kaib started when he was 8 years old, but he has matured with ease into a hockey player. This Draft year, there is a lot of talk of the prospects not being as strong as past ones, especially with defensemen, but Kaib is a player that will take a few years to mature into his potential. He will not be an early pick, but he will be spending his college years at Rhode Island's Providence College, which will boost his value.

Another U-18 Gold medal winner, J.T. Miller acted as the team's biggest offensive producer. Finishing with 4 goals and 13 points, he tied for 3rd in the tournament for points. He also proved to be clutch against both the Canadian and Swedish teams to help claim victory. The tall center has been effective in the USHL with 11 goals and 37 points in 48 games this past season. Ranked 23rd by the NHL for North American skaters, his defensive play is a strong factor in him remaining in the Top 25. Like Kaib, he brings a physical edge and uses his 6'1" frame to his advantage to work for the puck and takes the puck to the net with him. Often noted for being a very smart player, he constantly forces turnovers with aggressive forechecking and backchecking. He could afford to add muscle and weight since he is only 193 pounds, and his offensive game is more of being a setup man instead of a producer. For the summer, he'll be training at the World Junior Evaluation Camp. He's had a strong year that has made him more appealing to scouts around the League, and making the roster of North Dakota Sioux is an impressive feat considering how deep their team is every year.

Brandon Saad and Vincent Trocheck have taken different routes than the past 3 Pittsburgh natives, but both have found their way on the US World Junior Evaluation Camp roster and ranked fairly high up the charts. Saad beats out Trocheck according to NHL Central Scouting Rankings at 19 to Trocheck's 41, but Saad's work ethic is more lacking than his OHL counterpart's. Saad and Trocheck play for the Saginaw Spirit and have become linemates because their off-ice relationship helped foster an understanding of each other on the ice. In 59 games, Saad scored 27 goals, 55 points, and registered 47 penalty minutes. The 6'1", 208 lb. left winger is a good skater and one of the fastest skaters on any given night paired with his great shot. He'll throw his body around, and his defensive game is strong. Trocheck's smarts on the ice are his biggest asset, but he is also very physical despite being 5'10". In 68 games, he scored 26 goals, 62 points, and collected 60 penalty minutes. From the past season he has grown a lot with his passing skills becoming even sharper. Together, they seem to easily find one another and work well as a tandem. The OHL will be a great way to continue their development.

Luckily, this is the beginning wave of players the NHL will see coming from the influence of Lemieux, Jagr, and the early 1990's team who first established Pittsburgh as a city welcoming to the world of hockey. These 5 prospects have a lot to offer in terms of performance and skill, and it will be great to see how they continue to develop and grow into future stars in the NHL. Pittsburgh may have 3 Stanley Cups, but in terms of producing and developing young talent, the Steel City is finally on track.

Congratulations to the Boston Bruins

2011-06-17T10:30:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to the 2010-11 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins. After a long, hard-fought 7-game series with the Vancouver Canucks, they closed things out on Wednesday night with a 4-0 victory in Vancouver - the first road victory in the series by either team. The Bruins became the 3rd consecutive team to win the Stanley Cup after opening their season in Europe. Here's a quick look back at the Bruins season.

Boston opened its season in Prague, Czech Republic against the Phoenix Coyotes, splitting a 2-game series with them before heading back stateside. Boston went on to compile 46 wins (8th in NHL), 103 points (8th in NHL), and win their division despite injuries to a key player and a controversy or two. Despite all that - and an early season debate over who should be the starting goalie in Boston - the Bruins entered the playoffs as the #3 seed in the East with an opening round against their bitter longtime rivals the Montreal Canadiens.

Boston was considered by most people to be favorites against the Montreal Canadiens. Taking the NHL's 5th-ranked offense and 2nd-ranked defense - not to mention roster full of bigger players - into the series, Montreal took them to 7 games. No game in this series was decided by more than 2 goals and Boston won 3 games in overtime. The Canadiens failed to avenge the hit that broke Max Pacioretty's neck - something that gave the Habs an emotional boost all series long - and the Bruins moved on to face the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Bruins didn't just lose to the Flyers in the second round of last season's playoffs...they lost in an epic manner. Not only did they hold a 3-0 series lead, they held a 3-0 lead in Game 7 of that series only to lose both the game and series in humiliating fashion. It was apparent from the beginning of the series this year that the Bruins would not let that happen again. Boston dominated Philadelphia, outscoring them 20-7 in a 4-game sweep (with 3 games being decided by a 4-goal margin).

The Bruins faced the Cinderella Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final. This was another hard-fought 7 game series for the Bruins. The Lightning quickly became a surprise contender during Steve Yzerman's first season as GM. While they were a feel good story, they didn't have enough to beat Boston as the Bruins eked out a 1-0 win in Game 7. With that win, Boston earned the chance to face the Vancouver Canucks for the Stanley Cup.

Vancouver was a regular season juggernaut, finishing at - or near - the top of the NHL in wins, points, offense, defense, powerplay efficiency, and penalty killing effectiveness. Quite a few people - myself included - figured this series would be just a little tougher for the Canucks than a leisurely walk or an ice cream social. I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong and boy was I wrong. I cannot remember a meaner, nastier, grittier, and dirtier Stanley Cup Final in all the time I've followed hockey (dating back to the 80's). This series saw some controversy of its own after Aaron Rome was suspended 4 games for his hit on Nathan Horton - a decision reportedly handed down after the NHL looked at Horton's medical reports. That made the NHL appear hypocritical (yet again) when Mason Raymond was injured by a bad hit from Johnny Boychuk, suffering a vertebrae compression fracture.

While things like extremely physical play, bad injuries, and riots became the focus of this series, one thing is for certain: the Boston Bruins dominated the Vancouver Canucks. The fact that this series went 7 games is somewhat misleading. The Bruins outscored the Canucks 23-8 in the series. The Canucks earned each of their 3 wins by 1 goal apiece while the Bruins' average margin of victory was 4.5 goals.

Once again, congratulations to the Boston Bruins on the Stanley Cup championship. Enjoy the summer and good luck in next season's title defense.

The Charlestown Chiefs Booster Club: Bruins & Canucks Edition

2011-06-10T19:27:00.004-04:00

The NHL has a great fanbase that shows strong loyalty to the team and the players on the team, but there is a line that separates being loyal to your team and being trashy jerks. Much like their teams, the Bruins and Canucks have some fans crossing that line thus hurting the NHL fanbase's image.

Obviously this post is not going to make blanket statements about entire teams' fanbases (I consider myself a part of one of them.) While most fans resort to angrily and passive aggressively tweeting and making Facebook statuses, some actions taken seem a bit extreme.

The back-and-forth accusations between both groups of fans over verbal and physical harassment has been going on since Game 1 ended, and I think it's safe to say that this has gone too far. Both teams and some of their crazed fandoms have pushed the limit on acceptable behavior, and this needs to be handled properly. I understand that tempers will flair, but when you are making threats to guys wearing green suits mimicking a television show character or throwing food at Milan Lucic's grandparents, you need to get your attitude and head checked. No, you are not just being passionate. Honestly, you're just jerks. There is absolutely nothing redeeming about attacking another group of fans, especially in such a hostile fashion. Beating up another fan or tossing food on someone really just makes you look like an irreconcilable clown, it does not make you look masculine or cool or anywhere near intelligent. While I don't think there should be much love shared during the Stanley Cup Final, respect between groups would be appreciated.

Act responsible at the games, and if you don't like what someone is wearing at the game, just leave it at a stink eye or gentle ribbing. Remember at the end of the day, we're all hockey fans.

Last Call: Stanley Cup Final Predictions

2011-06-01T10:00:00.001-04:00

The Stanley Cup has been called the hardest trophy to win in professional sports. Tonight, the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks begin a best-of-seven series to determine who gets to drink from the Cup and who goes home thirsty. The Bruins enter the Stanley Cup Final having gotten past Montreal, Philadelphia, and Tampa Bay. The Canucks have made it to the Final by eliminating Chicago, Nashville, and San Jose. Before the puck drops for Game 1 tonight, the Elsinore All-Stars give you their Stanley Cup Final predictions.

Reg's Call:

First off, hats off to both the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks for having great seasons and pushing this far into the playoffs. Both teams have shown that they belong in the Final and have the potential to fully deserve taking Lord Stanley home.

Looking at both teams, both the Canucks and Bruins have the best 1-2 goaltending tandems with Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask versus Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider. Ultimately the play of the starters, Thomas and Luongo, will decide the game. The expected Vezina Trophy winner this season, Tim Thomas, is confident in net despite rolling and flopping his arms around the crease. Roberto Luongo, still considered one of the top players in the League, has had his share of ups and downs, especially in this offseason, but he has gained confidence since defeating the Blackhawks and looks prepared for the Bruins.

With the defense, there is a lot of pressure for the Canucks defense to perform better in front of Luongo than Thomas right now. With the injuries suffered by Aaron Rome and Christian Ehrhoff, it's nice to see the physical Keith Ballard get his chance because he has proven capable of making space for Luongo and often for other teammates with his crushing hipchecks. Ehrhoff and Rome are both expected back, which will provide some defensive stability that they would not have with Andrew Alberts if he played. The way Sami Salo is playing right now is at the top of his game, and I haven't seen him perform like this due to injuries in a long time. I do not foresee a problem for Bieksa with continuing to lead his defenseman and chipping in offensively, but Alex Edler needs to contribute more offensively by holding down the point. Defensively, Chara is a part of the reason why Boston has gotten so far. Ference, Boychuk, and Seidenberg have been quiet since the Montreal series but have been a boost to their team as well. Kaberle has not always been on the top of his game, but he has been an asset. Allowing him to chip in offensively more like he did with the Maple Leafs might motivate his game more.

On the offense, there have been a select few Bruins that have truly impressed me this playoffs at the top of that list has been Patrice Bergeron. He might not always get a point in the game, but his faceoffs and defensive abilities make the Bruins a bigger threat. In Game 7 against the Bolts, his faceoff percentage was 65.2%, and he constantly applied strong pressure against Vinny Lecavalier during the series. Others like Tyler Seguin have finally been given their opportunity to shine after Coach Claude Julien sat him frequently during the season and even during the playoffs. He's only played 7 games and has 6 points, 3 being goals. Guys like Brad Marchand, Rich Peverley, David Krejci, and Milan Lucic provide physicality plus some offense, while Michael Ryder, Nathan Horton, and Mark Recchi have the best hands to put in the nice goals. In terms of their offense, those 3 need to be on the board somehow to help the team. With Vancouver, offense is probably their strongest suit. Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows, Mason Raymond, Jannik Hansen, Chris Higgins, Raffi Torres, Tanner Glass, and Maxim Lapierre have all been a part of the success the Canucks have had this season. That is so important having everyone chip in whether it be a Higgins and Lapierre teaming up on the ice to stifle play behind the opponent's net or Henrik threading a play through a goalie's legs to hit Burrows on the other side, the offense has the killer instinct a team needs to end a series. Manny Malhotra has the possibility of coming back some time in this series, which would alleviate some pressure from Kesler, but Kesler on his own has been quite a force.

In the end, I see the Vancouver Canucks taking the series over the Boston Bruins.

Canucks in 6

Doug's Call:

The Boston Bruins have had quite a run this playoff season. They kicked things off by going the distance with Montreal, winning 4 games to 3. They followed up a tough Montreal series by exorcising the demons of last year with a sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers. Finally, they went toe-to-toe and blow-for-blow with Tampa Bay in another 7-game series. Tim Thomas has had an excellent year and has been the difference in many games for the Bruins on this playoff run. On defense, the Bruins ice a stout defensive core that follows the lead of team captain Zdeno Chara. Offensively the Bruins have not exhibited the ability to run up the score on a regular basis, but they score timely goals and have a great mix of youth and savvy veterans with Tyler Seguin, Patrice Bergeron, Nathan Horton, David Krejci, Michael Ryder, and Mark Recchi. The Bruins possess a gritty roster that has shown resilience this playoff season and won't be an easy pass for the Canucks.

The Vancouver Canucks, like the Boston Bruins, exorcised some demons of their own this year by finally beating the Chicago Blackhawks, their recent playoff nemesis. After dispatching the Blackhawks, things just seemed to get easier for the Canucks as they trimmed 1 game off each subsequent series beating Chicago in 7 games, Nashville in 6, and San Jose in 5. This Canucks team is loaded with talent all over the ice. They have plenty of scoring with the Sedin twins while Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows, Chris Higgins, and many more provide the Canucks with plenty of grit and additional scoring up front. Defensively, the Canucks have one of the best units in the entire NHL - if not the best. There are still some questions about Roberto Luongo's penchant for folding in high-pressure situations, but beating Chicago went a long way toward silencing his harshest critics and his strong play against Nashville and San Jose has added an exclamation point to a strong regular season.

This series isn't a lock by any means, but I believe Vancouver is the clear favorite. They have dominant special teams, a ton of scoring punch, and solid defense. The only possible edge the Bruins hold is in net, but Luongo has been very strong in the past 2 series. Beating Chicago seemed to get the monkey off Luongo's back and appears to have helped the entire roster loosen up a bit. Previous editions of the Vancouver Canucks wilted under the pressure to win while this year's roster expects to win. That sea change in thinking is huge.

Canucks in 5

Just Some English Pig With No Brain At All, You Know: Horton & Tampa Fans

2011-05-26T17:41:00.000-04:00

Game 6 was an exciting battle between the desperate Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins, who were 1 game away from making it to the Final. Tampa scored early, only 36 seconds in, and once again let turnovers allow Boston take the lead in the 1st. The 2nd led to Tampa scoring on the powerplay and make the best of their chances. The 3rd became a duel with the eventual winners being Tampa forcing a Game 7, but what has become the headliners after this grueling game? People who cannot control themselves.

After the game was finished, Tampa Bay fans thought it was a good idea to celebrate and show displeasure at the scrum after the whistle by tossing their plastic giveaway clappers onto the ice. Nice! In the process, they hit at least both Bruin David Krejci, who an impressive game with a hat trick, and Tampa goaltender Mike Smith. This is unacceptable, fans. This is a disgusting way to act and throwing those could have hurt a player. You littered your home ice and were a disgrace to the hockey fandom. As a lover of hockey, this irritates me to a large extent. The immaturity by fans in this situation was horrible. You not only could have hurt a Bruin, which seemed to be the point for a few of you, but you could have also hurt a Lightning Bolt like Smith who was not wearing a helmet and has dealt with a lot of head injuries. Not to mention, throwing plastic clappers from the upper bowl could hit fans in the lower bowl. What could any of you been possibly thinking? How could throwing plastic objects on the ice ever be a good idea? All you are doing is making your fanbase like petty and stupid. Plus, you are justifying Horton's water bottle squirt and toss at a fan. You make an organization that prides itself on class with Steve Yzerman and Guy Boucher as examples by making fools of yourselves. So many of you threw the clappers that taught Tampa Bay to never give out objects that might make the games fun for younger fans because you cannot be responsible enough to either leave them on your seat or take them home. Overall, you make not only the Bolts fanbase look terrible, but you hurt the image of all NHL fans.

Now, Nathan Horton, tempers flare, especially in playoffs. You received the only roughing penalty at the end of Game 6 when Lucic and you decided to "send a message." Why is it that you both need to do so in a playoff game? The only message either of you sent was "we're sore losers and need to take it out on a team that beat us after the whistle." This isn't being addressed because you decided to channel your anger towards a fan. This is not acceptable ever. It wasn't acceptable when Rick Rypien grabbed a fan, it wasn't acceptable when Torts threw his water bottle, and you are no exception. Spraying off the fan who was booing you and then throwing the water bottle is wrong, and you should know better. This puts you on the same level of the fan who hit Krejci with the a clapper. I don't care if you feel your actions were justified or if you feel bad for taking your anger out because you should receive at bare minimum a fine.

Nathan Horton is a good player who lashed out at a fan, but I hear a lot of apologists saying Horton can't be suspended because it will detract from Game 7. I also hear quite a few people using the clapper throwings as an excuse as to why he should be allowed to play. Ultimately, the NHL has decided to take no action according to reports. Fantastic! As fans, we have lobbied for suspensions and fines for players who deserve it, but now, a lot of you are playing the same game the NHL does. The entire point of a suspension is to make sure that behavior doesn't happen from players, especially the culprit, again. Playoffs has become a large mess with all these players getting let off the hook because everyone wants to win the Cup. The NHL would not be "detracting" from the game, they would be stating matter-of-factly that going after a fan is not acceptable even in playoffs and even if he has the power to change a game like Horton. Horton decided to throw the bottle on top of squirting the fan, and he should deal with the consequences of his actions.

It is much harder to figure out which fans threw the clappers than to watch the plain as day evidence of Horton's stupidity. What can the NHL do? Fine the Tampa Bay organization. If you cannot single out fans since so many took action, the only acceptable thing to do is make the organization pay a decent sum of money, so there is some justice for the Bruins being hit by the rain of plastic clappers.

I'd like to make another note to the Bruins fans calling Tampa Bay's front office to complain about the clappers. You really need to get over the Bruins posters being taken down already. They weren't a big enough deal for Tampa fans to get angry about it, and as a whole, you need to re-evaluate the fact that you are still in a tizzy over the posters being taken down to call an organization at 11:30 at night to complain about clappers. Every organization has its mistakes, and I'm sure the Marketing department thought the idea would be a nice one, not for the fans to stupidly toss over the glass. All you are being is petty and ridiculous. Chicago had hardhats, the Penguins gave out pucks with medallions in them (Shout out to Stoosh from the Pensblog for bringing this to my attention), and other organizations failed to realize their fans would be ridiculous enough to toss certain objects on the ice.

Ultimately, Horton and the Tampa organization skip onto to Game 7 without so much as a fine for what happened. It has become increasingly irritating that everyone from Raffi Torres to Nathan Horton can get away with their behavior because it's the playoffs. Everyone in this situation needs to be held responsible, but once again, they won't be.

Underrated: The 2010 Olympic USA Edition

2011-05-23T09:33:00.001-04:00

In the new segment "Underrated," the Elsinore All-Stars will examine teams from National to the NHL ones and pick out a few of the players that get less attention while being important pieces. The first team to get a look is the USA Men's Olympic team.

This team managed to slip under the radar of most hockey analysts while the world expect Canada, Russia, and Sweden to dominate the competition. Although it was a disappointing loss in the Gold medal round, USA Hockey showed it was a force. On this team, there were quite a few guys who deserve to be recognized for their efforts in the NHL and their talent while being overshadowed by the likes of Ryan Miller, Zach Parise, Bobby Ryan, and Ryan Kesler.

Offense:

Phil Kessel, Toronto Maple Leafs:

Kessel has gotten a lot of flak around the League for a Burke trade, but many are undervaluing what he brings to a team. He does not always create his own offense, but that does not discount what he does bring to the ice. The 23 year-old right winger is often found playing beside Tyler Bozak and Joffrey Lupul now, but also while in Boston played with Marc Savard and helped him put up impressive numbers. This season, Kessel recorded 32 goals and 32 assists while keeping his PIMs at a surprisingly low 24 minutes. Of the 32 goals scored, 6 have been game winners. His rookie season was a particular struggle for Kessel due to being diagnosed with testicular cancer, but he persevered becoming cancer-free, making the All-Stars Young Stars team, and winning the the Masterton Trophy. His 2nd season was a slight improvement from the 1st, but the numbers were not what was expected. Finally, in his 3rd season and final one with the Bruins, Kessel began to make his way. In 2008-2009, he reached 36 goals, including his second career hat trick on the last game of the season and 6 game winners, and his points at 60; this also put his as the top goal scorer on the Bruins. Surprisingly, his plus/minus reached 23. While making it into the playoffs for the 2nd time with the Bruins, he played 11 games and had 11 points, 6 being goals. He was a big part of their success in playoffs before they lost to the Hurricanes. He then had shoulder surgery and was traded to the Maple Leafs in the offseason. Upon his return, he scored 30 goals (5 game winners) and reached 55 points. Kessel has all the talent to be at the top but is often trashed for the fact he was traded for such high picks. He is only 23 and continues to improve despite having had centers and wingers frequently moved around on both the Bruins and Maple Leafs. He has needs to hone his skills like he did in both playoff series he played in with the Bruins. I expect great things from him despite all the talk.

Ryan Callahan, New York Rangers:

Many were surprised at Callahan's current season success and before that his inclusion to the Olympic team. After seeing the left winger play for a few seasons, it is quite obvious why he is performing so well despite not being mentioned as a top American player. In this season that has been cut short due to a broken ankle, he has 23 goals, 10 on the PP and 5 game winners, and 25 assists. While these are not the most impressive stats in the League, he has made leaps and bounds while becoming the leader of the New York Rangers due to his passion and the effort he has put in his game. It wasn't very long ago when rookie Callahan put up only 13 points in 52 games back in 2007-2008. The next season he played 81 games amassing 22 goals and 18 assists. In 2009-2010, Callahan fell short tying his 40 point past season but playing in 4 less games still managed to get 19 goals and 18 assists. This was the same season that he made the US Olympic team when most considered him a long shot. Most of his stats do not tell the full story of his performance and the little things he does. Callahan is often the hardest forechecker and backchecker for the Rangers. Demanding strong physical play and responsible positioning, he has stepped up when the team needed him most. The ankle injury he sustained from blocking a Chara slapshot prevented him from helping his team aiding them on a playoff run. Acting as the heart of the team, an early bow was expected with him out of the lineup.

Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks:

Popular among Sharks fans, Pavelski should be getting a lot more attention for all he does on the ice. In 2006-2007, Pavelski played his first year in the League with the Sharks, and in 46 games played led to 14 goals (3 game winners), 14 assists, and only 18 PIMs. Overall, it was an okay start for the Wisconsin Badger, and his numbers the next year were a slight improvement. Playing all 82 games, he slowly moved up to 19 goals with 4 game-winning ones and 8 goals on the powerplay. While reaching 40 points, he also managed to reach 28 PIMs. In 2008-2009, Pavelski caught a lot of attention in 80 games. His game winning goals dropped to 3 but his shorthanded ones jumped to 3 putting his overall goal total at 25. With 34 assists, he managed to be +5 and racked up his career-high 46 PIMs. After having a great start to the 2009-2010 season, he became an obvious sleeper choice for Burke to put on the Olympic team despite missing a few weeks in the beginning of season with a lower body injury. In the 67 games he played, he had his 2nd consecutive season of 25 goals scored and upped his game winning goals to 5 despite playing 13 less games. His points total did drop by 8 points to 51, but he was a key part of the Sharks' playoff run. In the 2009-2010 playoff series, he scored 9 goals and collected 17 points in 15 games before bowing out against the eventual Stanley Cup winners, the Blackhawks. In this past season, he has put up his best numbers passing 60 points for the first time in his career ending up with 66 points in 74 games played. His goal total is down after having 2 consecutive seasons at 25 goals, but he managed to score 20 goals. Despite the slight drop, 5 of the 20 goals scored were game winners, 11 on the powerplay, and 1 shorthanded. His plus/minus at 10 is an NHL career high with his PIMs dropping to 24. Pavelski made it onto this list because he has the ability to be a Stanley Cup champion and the right mindset to go along with his physicality.

Defense:

Ryan Suter, Nashville Predators:

Being on the NHL's best defensive pairing should have Suter garnering more attention around the League, but the quick-thinking 7th overall pick in 2003 for the Nashville Predators has quietly made an impact on others. Acting as Shea Weber's right hand man, many forget to mention how much the captain relies on the Wisconsin native's calming effect on the defense. After missing a few games from 2 different on ice hits one from Cory Sarich and another from Shane Doan, he played 70 games while 39 points. These are decent numbers for a player more known for his responsible defensive style and being the man back when Weber decides to pinch. Out of his 4 goals, 1 was a game winner against the Florida Panthers, and another was a powerplay goal against the Detroit Red Wings. Being one of the most reliable guys on the ice, he kept a +20, but his physicality also led to 54 PIMs. In the current playoff season before the Canucks eliminated the Preds, he scored 6 points in 12 games. Looking at his past seasons all in Nashville dating back to the 2005-2006 season, he's consistently grown into a the player he was projected to be. He played 71 games in his rookie season, scored 1 goal and 15 assists. Known for collecting large PIMs in every league, he managed to take his fair share of emotional lashing outs with 66 minutes. In the next season, Suter played every game and excelled. With 24 points, 8 goals, +10, and 54 PIMS, the 22 year old's ice time grew with his confidence. Playing in his first playoff series, he recorded 1 assist in 5 games before the Predators early exit. The 2007-2008 season gave room for even more chemistry to develop between Suter and fellow 2003 Preds draft pick Shea Weber as his numbers climbed ever so slightly. In 76 games played, he recorded 1 less goal than his previous season at 7 but his assists reached his last season point total of 24. With the increase in points, also came an increase in PIMs at 71. Another playoff year for the young Nashville team and another early exit, but this time 6 games in which Suter managed to score his 1st career playoff goal and added an assist. A new season, new opportunities, a new ownership group, and Sullivan returned, Suter earned his highest point total to date with 7 goals (3 GWs & 3 PPGs) and 38 assists. His -16 season was a slight reflection of the team's instability, and the team failed to make playoffs. The 2009-2010 returned the Predators back to their winning ways, and Suter's physicality in front of his own net set him apart from opponents (and them away from mostly Pekka Rinne and occasionally Dan Ellis.) 37 points in 82 games, he returned his usually decent plus/minus to 4 and scored 4 goals as well. The Predators landed in playoffs once more, but in 6 games, he earned 0 points and the Preds fell once more. Luckily, this most recent playoff season gave the Preds some recognition when they finally earned their 1st playoff series win. Suter recorded 6 points in the 12 games and was a crucial part of the team's advances. Reaching this stage of his career, he has become the quintessential model of a great defenseman developed by the US National Team Developmental Program. Weber gets a lot of attention for good reason, but Ryan Suter should be receiving just as much. Their dynamic of tough defensive play with heavy shots and smooth offensive skills, it seems this duo has it all. With the Preds 1st playoff series advancement, Nashville will be receiving more accolades and so will alternate captain Suter.

Ryan Whitney, Edmonton Oilers:

Whitney's career from 5th overall pick to being traded to the Oilers has been an arduous one, but the Boston University Terrier still has a lot of fight in him. The 2010-2011 season seemed to finally be a chance for the 6'3" Whitney to show the NHL how gifted he was, but injuries struck again. In the 35 games he played before suffering a right ankle injury, he recorded 2 goals and 35 assists. The rookies, especially Jordan Eberle, relied on his vision on the ice and great passing skills to boost the team. Despite not playing after December 28th, he managed to finish 8th on the team in points and was one of 2 Oilers to finish in positive plus/minus at 13; this +13 was the best out of he and Hemsky (the other plus player.) If it wasn't for another unfortunate injury, Whitney might have been able to sustain the promising season that he began and put up totals close to those of other top-tier offensive defenseman. The season before this one that brought him a leadership role in alternate captaincy, he played only 19 games with the Oilers after a trade with the Anaheim Ducks. With the Oilers, he had 3 goals (1 game winner) and 11 assists with a +7 and 22 PIMs. On the Ducks, he played 62 games, scored 4 goals and 24 assists, and was -6 with 48 PIMs. The trade made sense for both parties. The Oilers wanted Whitney to become their top defenseman, while the Ducks who were expecting a different style received Visnovsky. Before this trade, Whitney was traded from the Pittsburgh Penguins who drafted him after 3 seasons to the Ducks for Chris Kunitz and prospect Eric Tangradi. With the Ducks, he played 20 games and grabbed 10 assists along with 12 PIMs and being +1. The 2008-2009 season was a very difficult one for Ryan Whitney on top of being traded from the eventual Stanley Cup champions. In the 2008 off-season, he finally revealed dealing with chronic pains in his feet since the 2006-2007 and underwent surgery to realign bones in his feet due to abnormally high arches. He returned on December 23, 2008; in 28 games, he scored 2 goals, 11 assists, and was -15. The team placed extra pressure on him with Sergei Gonchar also being out with an injury, and he was expected to immediately return to the performance he gave in the past playoff season despite not having been in play for 5 months. The Penguins ultimately felt they could deal him because of the defensive depth they had in their system, while wanting to obtain more offensive talents who could be physically imposing. With the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team who drafted him 5th overall, he played in 225 games from his rookie season of 2005-2006 until his last complete season in 2007-2008. He had 32 goals with 4 of them being game winners; 18 goals were while on the powerplay mostly coming from a signature move from Crosby to Whitney who would sneak backdoor and bury the pass without stopping it. He also recorded 105 assists with the team in those 3 seasons. Whitney received a lot of heat from Penguins fans for lacking physicality. He has immaculate vision and smooth skating skills to back up his decent hands, and his Anaheim was not wasted as he learned from Niedermayer. It remains true that Ryan Whitney is not the most physical defenseman in the League, but his playmaking skills are highly underrated and has since branched out from his shaky past.

Goaltending:

Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings:

On the Olympic team, Quick acted as the 3rd string goaltender to Miller and Thomas primarily there to catch the atmosphere of the international games, but in LA, Quick is anything but around for the scenery. The 25 year old has become the Kings ace in the hole in such a short amount of time. In 61 games this season, he was 9th in the League with 35 wins. His GAA was kept to 2.24, his save percentage was at .918, and he had 6 shutouts. Despite this spectacular numbers, Quick has managed to stay under the radar. In his 2nd visit to the playoffs, he won 2 out of the 6 games after facing 229 shots and stop 209 of them. His save percentage dropped to .913 and his GAA to 3.16 but he was once again one of the Kings best players. The first season Quick saw any ice time was in 2007-2008 when he played 3 games winning only 1 game, putting up a save percentage of .855, and allowing an average of 3.83 goals. In 2008-2009, his net time jumped to 44 games in which he won 21. With 4 shutouts in the 1st season he was given a real opportunity to showcase his skills, his save percentage was an outstanding .914 and his GAA 2.48. After tying Tampa Bay with the lowest points total, Quick was given the reins of the LA Kings after a season of LaBarbera. In 72 games, Quick won 32 and had 4 shutouts. Missing out on only 10 games, he maintained a .907 save percentage, 2.54 GAA, and led the Kings to the playoffs. In his 1st playoff series, he won only 2 of the 6 games against the Canucks before packing it in with a .884 save percentage and 3.50 GAA. Quick has the talent to become one of the best goalies in the NHL, and as long as the Kings rest him enough, he will and can take them far in playoffs. Quick has the ability to be a game changer and at such a young age, he shows a lot of promise on a team that is slowly developing into one that can alleviate some of the pressure Quick faces.

Concussed: Patrice Bergeron

2011-05-19T19:29:00.003-04:00

Tonight the Boston Bruins face-off against the Tampa Bay Lightning in a split series 1-1. The high-scoring game has garnered much attention from fans but has both Claude Julien and Guy Boucher, coaches of the Bruins and Bolts respectively, searching for ways to adjust into a less sloppy style. The Bruins have decided to play a key piece of their game, Patrice Bergeron, but at what cost?

(First off, I'd like to note that ultimately it is the doctors, Bergeron, and Julien's decision together if he is capable and ready to play. I pray that their judgment together was sound, and Bergeron is actually feeling well enough to play.)

Patrice Bergeron has been sidelined with a concussion for almost 2 weeks after being hit by Claude Grioux in Game 3 of the last playoff series against the Flyers. Tonight, he is putting on the foil and planning on doing what he does best in playing a complete game. This player has a series of concussions ranging back to the 2007-2008 NHL season after he took a nasty hit from Flyer Randy Jones that broke his nose, gave him a Grade-3 concussion, and ended his season in late October. The next season he ran into defenseman Dennis Seidenberg during a Hurricanes game and received another concussion.

On top of his long concussion history, the Bruins have dealt with post-concussion issues in the past, most notably with Marc Savard. He admitted to Boston media to playing with concussion symptoms in the playoffs to aid his team. Savard's history is slightly shorter than Bergeron's and his career is in question after the latest one that occurred within 10 months from the last one.

In the end, is what Bergeron adding to the Bruins worth the risk of him possibly having a similar problem that has faced his teammate? Less than 2 weeks and a concussed player is finding the ice? I understand the Bruins want to win and Bergeron wants to be a part of that, but can the Bruins deal with having another Savard situation on there hands?

The Western Conference Final Prediction

2011-05-14T21:15:00.000-04:00

Finally, we have reached the Conference Finals. The tough and tight Western Conference took some time to settle who deserved to move on with the Predators and Red Wings being difficult teams to beat. In the end, the Sharks and Canucks triumphed and plan on giving each other hell to get their chance to dance with Lord Stanley in the Final.

Here is the Elsinore All-Stars Western Conference Final Prediction:

#1 Vancouver Canucks vs. #2 San Jose Sharks:
This is the battle of those without a Stanley Cup. It'll be interesting to see how their lines match up with Ryan Kesler playing against Joe Thornton.

Why the Canucks Might Win:
At this point, the Canucks have finally met the adversity that they did not find in the regular season outside their usual October troubles. The Blackhawks and Predators were physical and smart teams with amazing goaltenders, but in the end, the Canucks persevered. Luongo had a shaky series against the Blackhawks, but he rebounded well and has a .917 save percentage.

Why the Sharks Might Win:
The Sharks beat the Red Wings after almost collapsing. They worked together, ignored the media attention, and Niemi played like a Stanley Cup champ. Stars making the plays is a necessity, and with Thornton and Marleau finding their games, there is few things that can stop the Sharks. With those 2 leading the offense, Pavelski, Couture, Clowe, and company can relax and do their usual work.

Who Will Win:
This series will be the tightest one in the East based on what we have seen in the past rounds, but ultimately, I think the Canucks will be the ones who will take it. There is something in the Canucks play this year that I rarely ever see from the Sharks, passion. Both teams want this more than anything, but Luongo is not some chump goalie, Kesler has been fantastic on every inch of the ice, the Canucks D is feisty.

Canucks in 7

Eastern Conference Finals Prediction

2011-05-14T16:30:00.001-04:00

Both the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals after sweeping opponents in the previous round (Boston beat Philadelphia and Tampa Bay beat Washington). Considering I picked neither the Bruins nor the Lightning to get to this round, perhaps I'm not the best person to make this prediction. That disclaimer said, here is my prediction for the Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning:

#3 Boston Bruins vs #5 Tampa Bay Lightning

Why the Bruins might win: The Bruins were taken to seven games in the first round and seemed to realize they aren't invincible. In response to that, they exorcised demons of last season by sweeping the Flyers. They are physical, have great goaltending, and they're getting scoring from all throughout the lineup. They quickly jumped all over the inadequate goaltending of the Flyers and will do the same in this series if Roloson falters.

Why the Lightning might win: The Lightning have won the special teams battle against both the Penguins and the Capitals and they seem comfortable playing the game at any pace. Tampa has scored plenty of goals early in contests and sat back in the much maligned 1-3-1 trap, frustrating opposing offenses. If the Lightning can turn this series into a special teams battle as they have with the first two series, they will hold a distinct advantage.

Who will win: I have picked against the Lightning in each of the first 2 rounds and they've made me look foolish. They've been scoring on the power play, have iced a stifling penalty kill, they're scoring a lot of goals, and Guy Boucher is a great game-planner who has out-coached both Dan Bylsma and Bruce Boudreau. Not only are the big names producing for Tampa Bay but even the lesser-known names are proving to be playoff heroes. (Sean Bergenheim, anyone?) By no means will the Bruins be an easy opponent, but Boston's power play - clicking at a robust 5.4% - was last seen on a milk carton. As I see it, Boston has only 2 ways to win: either Dwayne Roloson wears down or the Bruins stay out of the penalty box. Well Roloson just got a week of rest and I don't think the Bruins will stay out of the penalty box enough.

Lightning in 6

The Boogeyman Says "Good Night" - RIP Derek Boogaard

2011-05-14T12:54:00.000-04:00

Anaheim Duck Todd Fedoruk takes a few quick hooks on the 6'7" enforcer as they both skate into the corner as the whistle blows. Dropping the gloves, Fedoruk grabs a hold of his jersey before Boogaard quickly shakes his Minnesota Wild mitts to the ice. Their left hands hold a firm grip on each others' collars preparing to dance. Fedoruk slips in a quick jab from his dominate hand, and the 270 pound force sends two back. Visibly woozy, Fedoruk loses his grip on his opponent, who is winding up the haymaker. Fist meets face, and Fedoruk crumples to the ice with his hand immediately reaching for his right cheek. Boogaard then skates off to the penalty box with thunderous applause and a quick wave to the crowd.

Fan favorite Derek Boogaard may not have scored the big goals, but he had an big impact on and for his teammates. His surprising death has shaken the hockey community like his knockout punches and heavy hits. Only 28 years old and the gentle giant has left us.

Boogaard's passing was first brought to hockey community's attention by reporter and friend Michael Russo, in short, stating the enforcer was found in his apartment on May 13th by his brothers who he was excited to have around in Minneapolis. The circumstances surrounding his death have not been released, but there is no suspected foul play. He is survived by his parents, 2 brothers, and sister.

Well-known for his enforcer persona on the ice, Derek Boogaard realized that his influence off the ice could help those who truly needed it. He worked with several charitable organizations including the Garden of Dreams Foundation and Defending the Blue Line Foundation. In addition to these great foundations, he also created "Boogaard's Booguardians," which gave Rangers home game tickets to soldiers and their families. His popularity among the hockey community gave him many opportunities to help anyone from kids in hockey camps to creating awareness on the importance of a designated driver.

Often called a "teddy bear" off the ice, he pushed himself to reach his dreams of playing in the NHL. The left winger never had the smooth hands, but he found a way to get noticed because of his hands anyways. 4 seasons in the WHL, 1 in the ECHL, and 2 with the Houston Aeros in the AHL, it was a long uphill battle for him to get attention. At the age 23 years old, he finally debuted for the Wild in the 2005-2006 season. It took him 5 games to score his 1st goal and a game winner at that. An aggressive fighter, he became one of the most respected enforcers in the League and was voted as one of the most intimidating players by his peers. In his 277 career games, the 7th round 2001 Wild Draftee amassed 589 penalty minutes and 3 goals with both the Minnesota Wild and New York Rangers.

As a fan of Boogaard, the spectrum of feelings over the past 12 hours or so has been crazy. Shock, disbelief, nostaglia towards his rookie year, sadness conjured from an unsuspected passing in the hockey community. The Wild team was one of the first I got interested in after the 2004 Lockout that wasn't my home team. With a soft spot for pests and enforcers, he became a player I couldn't help but root for despite his obviously limited time on the ice. He had such a long and powerful reach. When he grabbed onto a jersey, he rarely let go until his opponent fell to the ice. Quick jabs from his left, huge bomb from his right, smart on his skates, he truly was a great fighter. Being fully aware that goal scoring was a bonus, he made the best of his time on the ice. From everything I've read and heard about the Boogeyman, he also made the best of his time here.

In honor of his passing, I compiled a few of favorite clips of Boogaard for this post. Keep in your thoughts the memory of this great man and NHL Fighter.

The previously mentioned destruction of Fedoruk's cheekbone:

A fun to watch bout with David Koci:

Making Trevor Gillies' knees turn into Jello:

Destroying the glass against the St. Louis Blues:

A humorous commercial for the Wild:

Breaking off a piece of Shelley's Helmet:

His Well Deserved 3rd Career Goal:

You'll be missed, Boogeyman. RIP.