You gotta love it. Hockey season is in full swing and as of this writing five of the six original teams have winning records. The only exception is the Chicago Blackhawks at 10-10, but we'll let that slide because they are the defending champs, so really all is good with the NHL...or is it?
Actually, the NHL has a really big problem that needs to be addressed post-haste. You will recollect my blog dated March 13, 2010 entitled Colin Campbell and Player Safety. In this entry I questioned Campbell's competence and pointed out he imperils player safety. I stated this for the following reasons, as it relates to his decision not to suspend Matt Cooke for his hit on Marc Savard:
1) You ignored Matt Cooke's track record - he is a repeat offender.
2) You are confused between incidental and intentional contact.
3) Two wrongs do not make it right. You got the Richards incident wrong and you got the Cooke incident wrong as well.
4) Rare player outrage. Credible players across the league such as Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Mark Recchi are surprised at your decision.
5) You are inconsistent in your rulings. Cooke suspensions were meted out when he checked Artem Anisimov and Scott Walker. In the case of Anisimov, the elbow was flagrant; less so with Savard, but the intent to injure was still there.
6) You are incapable of interpreting the rules. Rule 21.1 is applicable here. Either you do not understand the rule or, in the interest of self-preservation, you elected not to apply it.
Quite frankly, I was perplexed by this decision not to suspend Cooke. But I believe we now know why. Check out this email from Colin Campbell to NHL officiating director Stephen Walkom:
To Stephen Walkom/Tor/NHL@NHL
Subject Re: Delayed Penalties/High Sticks 02/#/2007 4:24 pm
A bend in the road is a dead end if you round the corner and Dean Warren is standing there. Your answer re: his high stick calls and the score of the game were horse [bleep]. The 3rd call on [player] was while they were down 5 on 4 and on a def zone face off vs that little fake artist [player] I had him in [city] biggest faker going. And Warren fell for it when he grabbed his face on a face off. Your supposed to see the act, not call the embellishing act. Dean Warren has to go with [referee] There must be a way to get rid of this guy. Is there a way we can tract (sic) and total minors called by referees this year. We could then get the minors they call per game. ... or with 2 [referees on the ice] it is impossible? Warren and [referee] out of [club's] games. Give them to [referees].
Really scary folks, according to the Puck Daddy blog, Campbell is referring to a game between the Bruins and Florida Panthers on February 24, 2007. Let's decode this email, Dean Warren was the referree, Gregory Campbell (Colin Campbell's son) got three minor penalties, and Marc Savard played for Campbell when he coached the New York Rangers. The fake artist being referred to here is Bruins' Marc Savard. So there you have it, you now know why there was no suspension for Matt Cooke's hit on Savard!
Actually, these emails from Campbell are a bit incendiary and cause me great concern about the integrity of the game. Noted Boston Globe Sports Columnist Kevin Paul Dupont wrote an excellent article in the Boston Globe earlier this week about the same subject, you can read it at:
http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/articles/2010/11/16/actions_by_top_nhl_enforcer_should_draw_a_major_penalty/?page=full
In this article Dupont suggests Campbell might be better served by keeping his opinions to himself instead of ranting in an email.
As long as Colin Campbell is in his current role, every NHL game I watch will now be viewed as just a little less than authentic. Colin Campbell must go!
Stay thirsty my friends....
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
A New Season Upon Us
First, apologies for the lack of blog entries since June, but I have a good excuse. I've been filming Dos Equis beer commercials over the summer...
Well a new season beckons, but first we talk about last year's Stanley Cup Champion, the Chicago Blackhawks. A tremendous hockey team for the most fanatic and arguably the best fans in hockey. The scary thing about this team is they will be formidable again this year. Any team with Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Patrick Kane, Jonathon Toews and Patrick Sharp is enough of a nucleus to make another run. Yes they have had some housecleaning and yes they have let go some great players (a legacy of Dale Talon snafu's) but the Hawks are still loaded; their leadership, Stan Bowman and Joel Quenneville, are tremendous judges of hockey talent.
There a few other items on my mind. One troubling development is the high number of UFA's still looking for a place to work, you can view the current list at:
http://espn.go.com/nhl/freeagents/_/type/available
There are some big names on this list, particularly goaltenders. What is concerning here is a trend developing in the NHL to bring lesser quality players into the league sooner. These young players come in at entry level salaries in order to get a given team under the cap. This is a big sore spot with college coaches losing players to the NHL and the Canadian Junior leagues. Think about it, when a kid is lost mid-season, the scholarship is lost and it's real difficult to replace the player. I believe college hockey is at the crossroads if this does not get fixed. In fact, I am willing to bet this single issue will drive Boston University coach Jack Parker into retirement. The other collateral damage is the NHL-fan watches watered down talent who prematurely push more capable UFA's out of the league. No winners here, except possibly the KHL.
Well now that I am on my soapbox, why step off? Interesting article in today's Washington Post in the Free For All section. A disgruntled Tony Eckert writes-in that the area's premier sports franchise (Washington Capitals) warrants coverage commensurate with the team's performance. I agree with Tony, I've been saying this for years. My recommendation, if you really want to get a clue with what is going on in the NHL, is to check out the Boston Globe Sports Section at:
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/#globesports
other suggestions are the Toronto Globe and Mail or reading Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette, in fact here's a good article he wrote about Bobby Orr in today's Gazette:
http://www2.canada.com/montrealgazette/columnists/story.html?id=d4f013d5-e3d7-4c53-aa5c-25b78d0b95e2
These publications are not Caps-centric but are a more preferred alternative to the Post. Ahh, the Internet, we aren't stuck with Washington's hockey writing. Incidentally, Red Fisher states Bobby Orr was the best ever, he's right but Ovechkin is really, really getting close.
Well a new season beckons, but first we talk about last year's Stanley Cup Champion, the Chicago Blackhawks. A tremendous hockey team for the most fanatic and arguably the best fans in hockey. The scary thing about this team is they will be formidable again this year. Any team with Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Patrick Kane, Jonathon Toews and Patrick Sharp is enough of a nucleus to make another run. Yes they have had some housecleaning and yes they have let go some great players (a legacy of Dale Talon snafu's) but the Hawks are still loaded; their leadership, Stan Bowman and Joel Quenneville, are tremendous judges of hockey talent.
There a few other items on my mind. One troubling development is the high number of UFA's still looking for a place to work, you can view the current list at:
http://espn.go.com/nhl/freeagents/_/type/available
There are some big names on this list, particularly goaltenders. What is concerning here is a trend developing in the NHL to bring lesser quality players into the league sooner. These young players come in at entry level salaries in order to get a given team under the cap. This is a big sore spot with college coaches losing players to the NHL and the Canadian Junior leagues. Think about it, when a kid is lost mid-season, the scholarship is lost and it's real difficult to replace the player. I believe college hockey is at the crossroads if this does not get fixed. In fact, I am willing to bet this single issue will drive Boston University coach Jack Parker into retirement. The other collateral damage is the NHL-fan watches watered down talent who prematurely push more capable UFA's out of the league. No winners here, except possibly the KHL.
Well now that I am on my soapbox, why step off? Interesting article in today's Washington Post in the Free For All section. A disgruntled Tony Eckert writes-in that the area's premier sports franchise (Washington Capitals) warrants coverage commensurate with the team's performance. I agree with Tony, I've been saying this for years. My recommendation, if you really want to get a clue with what is going on in the NHL, is to check out the Boston Globe Sports Section at:
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/#globesports
other suggestions are the Toronto Globe and Mail or reading Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette, in fact here's a good article he wrote about Bobby Orr in today's Gazette:
http://www2.canada.com/montrealgazette/columnists/story.html?id=d4f013d5-e3d7-4c53-aa5c-25b78d0b95e2
These publications are not Caps-centric but are a more preferred alternative to the Post. Ahh, the Internet, we aren't stuck with Washington's hockey writing. Incidentally, Red Fisher states Bobby Orr was the best ever, he's right but Ovechkin is really, really getting close.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Hey Caps Fans
In today's Boston Globe there is an article by Fluto Shinzawa that Caps Fans should checkout. Shinzawa's article discusses last week's combine for lesser known teenage draft prospects. He mentions there were only three GM's spotted: Washington’s George McPhee, Columbus’s Scott Howson, and Phoenix’s Don Maloney. There was only one NHL coach in attendance, Bruce Boudreau from the Caps.
The article points out this combine is where the Caps uncovered John Carlson (from Natick, MA)and made him their 27th pick a couple of years ago. The same article points out it is unlikely the Caps will sign UFA's Joe Corvo, Shaone Morrisonn, and Milan Jurcina.
This article raised a couple of different questions in my mind:
1) Perhaps other GM's and coaches (maybe the Bruins) may want to attend these combines. There really is a correlation between judgment of hockey talent and fielding a winning team - I believe the Caps are the gold standard here. Just think if the B's could judge talent, they may have picked Carlson instead of Joe Colborne (16th pick in the same draft).
2) If the Washington area is a considered a hockey market, why doesn't the Washington Post and Times get a clue and start writing about it - this includes the off-season. Come on Tarik El Bashir wake up, the hockey world is really busy this time of year. Despite the Caps not playing, you have got to write about the upcoming draft, the UFA's and speculate on some off-season strategies across the league. I am going to help you in the interim and offer Caps fans access to the best hockey coverage in the US, its called the Boston Globe Sports Section:
http://www.boston.com/sports
As a bonus, I am going to throw in today's article I referenced:
http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/articles/2010/06/06/wings_havent_given_bruins_much_of_a_lift/?page=4
At some point we will get some real hockey coverage in the Washington newspapers, until then we will go the Globe.
The article points out this combine is where the Caps uncovered John Carlson (from Natick, MA)and made him their 27th pick a couple of years ago. The same article points out it is unlikely the Caps will sign UFA's Joe Corvo, Shaone Morrisonn, and Milan Jurcina.
This article raised a couple of different questions in my mind:
1) Perhaps other GM's and coaches (maybe the Bruins) may want to attend these combines. There really is a correlation between judgment of hockey talent and fielding a winning team - I believe the Caps are the gold standard here. Just think if the B's could judge talent, they may have picked Carlson instead of Joe Colborne (16th pick in the same draft).
2) If the Washington area is a considered a hockey market, why doesn't the Washington Post and Times get a clue and start writing about it - this includes the off-season. Come on Tarik El Bashir wake up, the hockey world is really busy this time of year. Despite the Caps not playing, you have got to write about the upcoming draft, the UFA's and speculate on some off-season strategies across the league. I am going to help you in the interim and offer Caps fans access to the best hockey coverage in the US, its called the Boston Globe Sports Section:
http://www.boston.com/sports
As a bonus, I am going to throw in today's article I referenced:
http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/articles/2010/06/06/wings_havent_given_bruins_much_of_a_lift/?page=4
At some point we will get some real hockey coverage in the Washington newspapers, until then we will go the Globe.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The Drought Is Over
How can anyone not be pulling for the Chicago Blackhawks to win the Stanley Cup? What a turnaround with this franchise. You really have to admire this fan base, I would put them up with anyone in the league; this includes Boston, Montreal, Washington, Detroit and Philadelphia - the Hawk fans (and the Hawks for that matter) are the real deal.
The Blackhawks have not won the Stanley Cup since 1961, they will be fixing that drought shortly. I remember going to the old Chicago Stadium in the late 80's to watch a regular season game between the St. Louis Blues and the Hawks. Both teams were having poor seasons and not going to make the playoffs, but that did not matter to the fans, they still went nuts and it was easily the loudest game I have ever attended.
Think about what the Hawks fan has been through. Under owner Bill Wirtz, he would not allow home games to be televised. He once commented the best season for him was when the Blackhawks went to the Stanley Cup finals and lost in seven (7) games - this way he maximized his gate receipts but did not have to pay his players a Stanley Cup bonus! True story. How could a franchise ever develop a winning tradition with an owner like this? It is no coincidence that once Bill Wirtz left the scene, to be replaced by his son Rocky, the demeanor of the Hawks changed immediately. The organization became fan friendly, they re-engaged former players, they drafted good players, eventually put them on long term contracts to keep them around and they allowed home games to be broadcast locally. Well deserved, well managed, Hawks in six (6) games.
The Blackhawks have not won the Stanley Cup since 1961, they will be fixing that drought shortly. I remember going to the old Chicago Stadium in the late 80's to watch a regular season game between the St. Louis Blues and the Hawks. Both teams were having poor seasons and not going to make the playoffs, but that did not matter to the fans, they still went nuts and it was easily the loudest game I have ever attended.
Think about what the Hawks fan has been through. Under owner Bill Wirtz, he would not allow home games to be televised. He once commented the best season for him was when the Blackhawks went to the Stanley Cup finals and lost in seven (7) games - this way he maximized his gate receipts but did not have to pay his players a Stanley Cup bonus! True story. How could a franchise ever develop a winning tradition with an owner like this? It is no coincidence that once Bill Wirtz left the scene, to be replaced by his son Rocky, the demeanor of the Hawks changed immediately. The organization became fan friendly, they re-engaged former players, they drafted good players, eventually put them on long term contracts to keep them around and they allowed home games to be broadcast locally. Well deserved, well managed, Hawks in six (6) games.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The Ship is On Its Way
I have just managed to pull my head out of the oven after last Friday's Bruins loss. What a mess and I don't know where to start, actually I do. Some of you students of history may recollect in 1630 the ship that carried John Winthrop to the Massachusetts Bay Colony also carried more than 10,000 gallons of wine and three times as much beer as water. Who was planning to drink all this? Not Bruins fans, they weren't around yet.
So what happened? A weak scoring team that loses its leading scorer, Marco Sturm, made it really difficult to overcome the momentum Philadelphia put together. The Bruins have good goal tending, good defense, but no scoring. One of only four teams to lose a best-of-seven series after taking a 3-0 lead. You have to be kidding me. I like the young defensemen Johnny Boychuk but I am scratching my head over his quote after the game “I wouldn’t say we choked. We had a chance to close it out . . . If you want to say we choked, I’m proud of the way we battled. I’m just in shock that we’re not playing anymore.’’ I'm shocked your not playing anymore Johnny and I'm shocked you choked! In fact we will memorialize this event by adding it to the "Crappy Feeling Index", I have placed it at Number 7 behind the 1978 - AL Playoff Red Sox loss to the Yankees. The list now is expanded to eleven events.
In the spirit of John Winthrop, I have commissioned a reenactment ship full of libations for Bruins fans, it's crossing the mid-Atlantic and working its way to Swift's Beach in Braintree, arrival is expected sometime this weekend. Help is on its way Bruins fans!
So what happened? A weak scoring team that loses its leading scorer, Marco Sturm, made it really difficult to overcome the momentum Philadelphia put together. The Bruins have good goal tending, good defense, but no scoring. One of only four teams to lose a best-of-seven series after taking a 3-0 lead. You have to be kidding me. I like the young defensemen Johnny Boychuk but I am scratching my head over his quote after the game “I wouldn’t say we choked. We had a chance to close it out . . . If you want to say we choked, I’m proud of the way we battled. I’m just in shock that we’re not playing anymore.’’ I'm shocked your not playing anymore Johnny and I'm shocked you choked! In fact we will memorialize this event by adding it to the "Crappy Feeling Index", I have placed it at Number 7 behind the 1978 - AL Playoff Red Sox loss to the Yankees. The list now is expanded to eleven events.
In the spirit of John Winthrop, I have commissioned a reenactment ship full of libations for Bruins fans, it's crossing the mid-Atlantic and working its way to Swift's Beach in Braintree, arrival is expected sometime this weekend. Help is on its way Bruins fans!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
The Caps, The Red Sox and The "Crappy Feeling Index"
Okay, here we go. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. Alright, we are now ready to discuss the Washington Capitals first round elimination by the storied Montreal Canadiens - one of the biggest upsets in the history of the National Hockey League.
Prior to diagnosis of the Caps, it is somewhat therapeutic to put this upset in context. By context I mean how this loss compares to other sports upsets I have witnessed over the years. To do this, I gauge how crappy I feel after the loss and how long the crappy feeling lingers with me. Below I have compiled my "Crappy Feeling Index". It's really straightforward, a 10 is really crappy, a 5 is somewhat crappy and a 1 is not crappy at all, perhaps diffident. So here we go:
Now that we are done rationalizing, what happened to the Caps? I hear all this blather that the power play was terrible and they could not penetrate the perimeter, perhaps true, but you should still win games when you have 53 and 41 shots respectively. The Caps problem is not offense. The Canadiens had a hot goalie who stood on his head for two games. Frankly, Team Canada would not have done any better job scoring against the Canadiens than the Caps did. Team Canada would have won, however, because they would have allowed fewer goals; therein lies the issue with the Caps - defensive talent.
They got beat by a mediocre Canadiens team that will not get by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the next round of the playoffs. The Caps need no overhaul though, instead they need a couple of defensemen. Here's the good news, they have John Carlson who will get even better next year and Karl Alzner who will be more than ready for the NHL. To complement them, they need to go out and get one really imposing defensive defenseman, someone like a Zdeno Chara, Chris Pronger (in his prime), Hal Gill or Tyler Myers type. More good news, to get this defensive stalwart they have some good players to offer in a trade: Mike Green, Shaone Morrisonn, John Erskine, Jose Theodore, Milan Jurcina and Brendan Morrison. It will be tricky from a salary cap perspective to bring in this big D-man because Nick Backstrom's contract is up and I expect him to sign for between $7 and $7.5m per year.
Don't mess with this Caps team, get some defensemen, not too much else needs to be done here.
Prior to diagnosis of the Caps, it is somewhat therapeutic to put this upset in context. By context I mean how this loss compares to other sports upsets I have witnessed over the years. To do this, I gauge how crappy I feel after the loss and how long the crappy feeling lingers with me. Below I have compiled my "Crappy Feeling Index". It's really straightforward, a 10 is really crappy, a 5 is somewhat crappy and a 1 is not crappy at all, perhaps diffident. So here we go:
- 1987 - Marvin Hagler split-decision loss to Sugar Ray Leonard (9.5)
- 1971 - Bruins playoff elimination to Canadiens, Ken Dryden in goal (9.0)
- 1974 - Bruins Stanley Cup Final loss to Flyers (8.5)
- 1986 - World Series Red Sox loss to Mets, Game 6 (8.5)
- 1986 - World Series Red Sox loss to Mets, Game 7 (8.5)
- 1978 - AL Playoff Red Sox loss to Yankees, Buck F&&%#ing Dent (8.0)
- 1975 - World Series Red Sox loss to Reds, Game 7 (8.0)
- 2010 - Capitals playoff elimination to Canadiens (7.5)
- 2008 - Super Bowl XLIV Patriots loss to Giants (7.0)
- 1976 - Mass State HS Hockey Championship Braintree loss to Winthrop (6.5)
Now that we are done rationalizing, what happened to the Caps? I hear all this blather that the power play was terrible and they could not penetrate the perimeter, perhaps true, but you should still win games when you have 53 and 41 shots respectively. The Caps problem is not offense. The Canadiens had a hot goalie who stood on his head for two games. Frankly, Team Canada would not have done any better job scoring against the Canadiens than the Caps did. Team Canada would have won, however, because they would have allowed fewer goals; therein lies the issue with the Caps - defensive talent.
They got beat by a mediocre Canadiens team that will not get by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the next round of the playoffs. The Caps need no overhaul though, instead they need a couple of defensemen. Here's the good news, they have John Carlson who will get even better next year and Karl Alzner who will be more than ready for the NHL. To complement them, they need to go out and get one really imposing defensive defenseman, someone like a Zdeno Chara, Chris Pronger (in his prime), Hal Gill or Tyler Myers type. More good news, to get this defensive stalwart they have some good players to offer in a trade: Mike Green, Shaone Morrisonn, John Erskine, Jose Theodore, Milan Jurcina and Brendan Morrison. It will be tricky from a salary cap perspective to bring in this big D-man because Nick Backstrom's contract is up and I expect him to sign for between $7 and $7.5m per year.
Don't mess with this Caps team, get some defensemen, not too much else needs to be done here.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Eastern Conference Playoffs
I believe the winner of the Eastern Conference should win the Stanley Cup. Not taking anything away from the Western Conference teams, I feel strongly the East team, rising above the others, will have to be playing really, really good hockey. In fact hockey so good it should propel them to a Stanley Cup Championship. So, lets take a look at the teams I like.
First, lets start with Washington. Pre-playoff favorite as evidenced by its #1 seed and President's Trophy. Make no mistake these guys have their hands full with Montreal. For game 6 on Monday, I believe the Caps will start Valarmov. Despite Bruce Boudreau's threats in today's Washington Post to mix up line combinations on Monday, I don't think you will see too many changes to start. As an aside, I wish Alex Ovechkin considered a lesser curve on his stick. Look closely, it looks like a banana - really difficult for him to control the puck (small surface area) on his backhand. These guys need to finish this series Monday night in 6 games.
Pittsburgh. As much as I dislike admitting it, the road to the Stanley Cup Finals goes through Pittsburgh. The Penguins disposed of a surging Ottawa team, Fluery looks solid, and they won the deciding game in a comeback fashion - all good signs for the Pittsburgh faithful. They now get a bit of rest in preparation for the next series.
Philadelphia. A very efficient 5 game playoff series win over New Jersey. Well needed considering the emotional rollcoaster they have been on just to get into the playoffs (last day of season in shootout with the Rangers). Flyers are a formidable playoff team. They are starting to get decent goaltending, have solid defensemen and their forwards are starting to score - even that goon Dan Carcillo. Given rest and preparation for their next opponent (winner of Washington Montreal series) they will be a worthy opponent.
Buffalo. Great goal tending and enough scoring to get by the Bruins. Yeah, I know the Bruins have a 3-2 lead in the series, a great goalie and a solid defensive corps but this will not be enough to win one of the next two games with the Sabres. NOT ENOUGH OFFENSE, only 1 player with over 22 goals! Bruins have as much chance winning this series as Gary Doak has at running a stick handling clinic this summer.
Miscellaneous
Did you see in today's Parade section the Vancouver Canucks of the late 80's are being given credit for first use of the word 'Couger'? They can't win Stanley Cups but they can help broaden our vocabulary.
First, lets start with Washington. Pre-playoff favorite as evidenced by its #1 seed and President's Trophy. Make no mistake these guys have their hands full with Montreal. For game 6 on Monday, I believe the Caps will start Valarmov. Despite Bruce Boudreau's threats in today's Washington Post to mix up line combinations on Monday, I don't think you will see too many changes to start. As an aside, I wish Alex Ovechkin considered a lesser curve on his stick. Look closely, it looks like a banana - really difficult for him to control the puck (small surface area) on his backhand. These guys need to finish this series Monday night in 6 games.
Pittsburgh. As much as I dislike admitting it, the road to the Stanley Cup Finals goes through Pittsburgh. The Penguins disposed of a surging Ottawa team, Fluery looks solid, and they won the deciding game in a comeback fashion - all good signs for the Pittsburgh faithful. They now get a bit of rest in preparation for the next series.
Philadelphia. A very efficient 5 game playoff series win over New Jersey. Well needed considering the emotional rollcoaster they have been on just to get into the playoffs (last day of season in shootout with the Rangers). Flyers are a formidable playoff team. They are starting to get decent goaltending, have solid defensemen and their forwards are starting to score - even that goon Dan Carcillo. Given rest and preparation for their next opponent (winner of Washington Montreal series) they will be a worthy opponent.
Buffalo. Great goal tending and enough scoring to get by the Bruins. Yeah, I know the Bruins have a 3-2 lead in the series, a great goalie and a solid defensive corps but this will not be enough to win one of the next two games with the Sabres. NOT ENOUGH OFFENSE, only 1 player with over 22 goals! Bruins have as much chance winning this series as Gary Doak has at running a stick handling clinic this summer.
Miscellaneous
Did you see in today's Parade section the Vancouver Canucks of the late 80's are being given credit for first use of the word 'Couger'? They can't win Stanley Cups but they can help broaden our vocabulary.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)