everyotherdaycounts.com

Greg Wyshynski | December 4, 2009

Here are your Puck Headlines: A glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• It’s a known fact that the Carolina Hurricanes made same truly awful bobblehead dolls, like the Eric Staal porno face. Here’s their Erik Cole bobblehead; Puck Buddy Paul I proclaimed over email: "The Canes are so desperate they have signed George W Bush."

• Teemu Selanne(notes) could have stayed in bed watching "The Office" and "30 Rock" last night with flu-like symptoms. Instead, he played against the Dallas Stars, and suffered a broken hand that the Dallas Morning News said will shelve him for at least a month. [TSN]

• Great look from The 700 Level on the Philadelphia Flyers‘ struggles, and a reminder that for all the crowing about Ray Emery’s(notes) impressive return to form in October, the Flyers are basically facing a burgeoning goalie controversy like that have for, oh, the last 15 years. It must be comfort food by now. [The 700 Level]

• Look, no one wants to disrespect the Nashville Predators by overlooking their game against Chicago on Friday night. That being said (tm Curb), it’s Blackhawks vs. Penguins on Saturday night and that’s pretty damn cool right there. [Between The Circles]

• And not just because of Hossa. [Sun Times]

• Kevin Allen makes the case that the East is better than the West. Then he makes the case that the West is better than the East. Then he throws his hands in the air and says "parity!" [USA Today]

• The Pittsburgh Penguins place Chris Bourque(notes) on waivers. We’re going to take a positive view of the guy’s career and just say that the AHL needs players, too. [McKenzie]

• Ted Leonsis doesn’t lash out Sports Illustrated’s Jim Kelley for his piece that criticized Leonsis and the Washington Capitals for supporting Alex Ovechkin’s(notes) style of play. Instead, he pens a passively damning blog that’s an "invitation" for Kelley to "get out of the office" and actually speak to someone before forming his opinions. Ouch. [Ted's Take]

• Down Goes Brown presents a series of little-known teammate-on-teammate injuries. The Brendan Witt(notes) one is a coffee-spitter. [DGB]

• We didn’t necessarily read too much into the Carolina Hurricanes trading for Jiri Tlusty(notes), but Canes Country finds more than a bit of intrigue in the deal. [Canes Country]

• Cam Ward(notes) sees rubber. This is a good thing. [News & Observer]

• Hockey News editor Jason Kay asks for a wait-and-see approach on the shootout’s validity, before offering some alternatives: "My leading candidate, if we get to that point, is 4-on-4 for five minutes, followed by 3-on-3 for another five. Or if 10 OT minutes is too much for logistical purposes, make each situation three or four minutes. I’m also a proponent of the soccer points system – three for a regulation win, one for an OT or shootout win, none for a loss. The two schemes could work together." [THN]

• BREAKING: Nicklas Lidstrom(notes) is a great player, strong leader. [Snapshots]

• Trying to make sense of the Mike Duco(notes) penalty madness in the Panthers/Caps game. [OFB]

• Thanks to The 6th Sens boys for having me on their podcast. [6th Sens] 

• 2012 had the Mayans. 2112 has the Calgary Flames. Eerie. [Getty]

• The Montreal Canadiens‘ centennial is mocked because of recent follies: "This once magical franchise has lost its lustre. The likes of Howie Morenz, Rocket Richard, Jean Beliveau, Doug Harvey and Guy Lafleur have been replaced by Glen Metropolit(notes), Hal Gill(notes), Tomas Plekanec(notes), Sergei Kostitsyn(notes) and Josh Gorges(notes). Yikes!" Well, it may have something to do with the establishment of the draft and an inability to trick the California Golden Seals to hand over Lafleur, but the points is taken. [Sportsnet]

• Stanley Cup of Chowder presents 85 reasons to hate the Habs. [SCOC]

• In the spirit of equal time, Eyes on the Prize has a much more worshipful look at the birth of the Canadiens franchise. [EOTP]

• We were just talking to someone about this the other day: The Boston Bruins have a lot of contract tied up in the middle of their lineup after the Savard signing. [Puck Update]

• The St. Louis Blues‘ victory over the San Jose Sharks last night have made the Game Time crew a little giddy. [St. Louis Game Time]

• It’s official: The 2010 Draft is going to Los Angeles. [NHL]

Puck Daddy reader Jack asks for your support in getting Winter Classic tickets for a youth team. [Vote]

• Finally, this hockey fight is bound to go viral because it involves a girl battling a few guys. Puck Buddy Kelly explains:

So, there’s a few things to comment on in this video.  First, good for #07, the girl, to fight back.  Secondly, Brian Burke needs to sign some of these pugilists up.  Thirdly, I love the use of the horn to try to get the kids to stop, kind of like how my best friend’s mom used to flick the lights on and off when we got too loud when we were young.  Finally, all the classy comments from the cameraman and surrounding folks (NSFW).  Fun to watch.

Well, fun email, to say the least. The fight? It’s obviously a kick to see the girl stand up for herself, and then it just sort of becomes depressing when the festivities drag on and it appears there are injuries. Again, beware NSFW audio.

Category: Uncategorized | Comments Off
Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Boston Bruins, Brian Burke, Calgary Flames, Cam Ward, cameraman, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Chris Bourque, comfort food, Dallas Morning News, Dallas Stars, Doug Harvey, editor, George W Bush, Glen Metropolit, goalie, great player, Guy Lafleur, Hal Gill, hand, hockey, Hockey News, Hockey News editor, Howie Morenz, Jason Kay, Jean Beliveau, Jim Kelley, Jiri Tlusty, Josh Gorges, Kevin Allen, leading candidate, Los Angeles, mainstream hockey media, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, News & Observer, nhl, Nicklas Lidstrom, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ray Emery, Rocket Richard, rubber, San Jose Sharks, Sergei Kostitsyn, soccer, Sports Illustrated, St. Louis, St. Louis Blues, Stanley Cup, strong leader, teammate-on-teammate injuries, Ted Leonsis, the Dallas Morning News, The Office, Tomas Plekanec, USA Today, Washington Capitals

Greg Wyshynski | November 13, 2009

Here are your Puck Headlines: A glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• Thanks to everyone who helped carry over the "Unpublished NHL Books" jokes from the Puck Daddy Rumors Chat to Twitter yesterday afternoon with hilarious results. Check out Jeff Marek of Hockey Night in Canada Radio and Jibblescribbits for some of the comedy gold. "Thinking Inside the Box" by Dale Hunter and "If I Did It" by Todd Bertuzzi(notes) are two of the best. 

• If Randy Carlyle needed a vote of confidence as the Anaheim Ducks struggle, GM Bob Murray emphatically gave him one: "There’s going to be a lot of players going through the turnstiles going out the door before coaches go out the door here. And our players better get that through their thick skulls." [LA Times, halfway down]

• Peter Forsberg(notes) may skip the NHL and stay with Modo. [All Things Avs]

• That said, the Vancouver Canucks are happy to wait for the Return of Foppa. [Province]

• What’s happened to Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Steve Mason(notes)? It would appear the  defense in front of him (or lack thereof) is as much to blame as any sophomore slump. [FanHouse]

• Jarome Iginla(notes) doesn’t exactly back down from a brawl, which is one of the reasons he’s Jarome Iginla. So it’s interesting to see the Calgary Flames captain deny "the red-hot rumour making the rounds on the Internet, and amongst the Montreal media" that he challenged the Canadiens’ bench to a fight. [Sun Media]

• If the NHL decides to end participation in the Winter Olympics, it’ll be because of powerful voices like that of Lou Lamoriello: "Those are prime dates. The United States is coming off football (following the Super Bowl). We have an opportunity to keep the fans. That’s when teams are really starting to go up or go down." [Fire & Ice]

• The Hockey News names Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger(notes) as the "nastiest and most intimidating" D-man in the League. More importantly: "He will be featured in an upcoming Pepsi Max advertisement with Mike Richards(notes) in Maxim magazine." Otherwise known as "the issue of Maxim Pierre McGuire has already pre-ordered." [Philly.com]

• Japers’ Michael Nylander(notes) timeline shows two things: That this story has dragged on for what feels like a century and that the Washington Capitals will never sign another free agent to a contract like this again on George McPhee’s watch. [Japers Rink]

• As if the Carolina Hurricanes didn’t have enough problems this season, Bob from Canes Country writes that they’re financially handcuffed thanks to the money being spent on management and players: "Looking at the grand scheme of things and the results so far this season, this might be one of the most over-paid, under-performing group of players in the league since the inception of the salary cap." [Canes Country]

• Your guide to picking at the Hurricanes’ carcass this season. [Silver Sevens]

• THN editor Jason Kay sings the praises of Martin Brodeur(notes), and when you compare his consistency with that of other NHL peers it’s difficult not to. [Hockey News]

• Gary Bettman and Bill Daly will meet with City of Glendale officials on Monday as the slow process of altering the Phoenix Coyotes‘ lease and finding a buyer gains steam. [CP]

• "No, seriously, what’s it like? Does the air smell differently? Can you, like, see over mountains and stuff?" [Getty]

• It would appear that Semyon Varlamov(notes) will get the start for the Washington Capitals against the Minnesota Wild tonight, after winning in relief of Jose Theodore(notes) earlier in the week. Alex Ovechkin(notes), however, appears out again. [Capitals Insider]

• The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without Brooks Orpik(notes) for about two weeks. [TSN]

• BREAKING: The Toronto Maple Leafs don’t get recognized in Chicago. [Cox]

• Do the constant line-change mind games on home ice wear down players, making it easier to play in the road instead? [Puck Update]

• How do you spell Vezina Trophy?  Josh spells it V-o-k-o-u-n. [Josh Q. Public]

• Totally agree with this: It’s damn impressive Ilya Kovalchuk(notes) bounced back from injury that quickly. It’s what leaders do. [Sports Climax]

• Part Two of OGA’s "Maurice Richard and the Myth of 50 in 50," for you stat-heads. [OGA]

• Finally, Jack Edwards has no idea how underwhelming this fight was. Because he’s Jack Edwards:

Category: Uncategorized | Comments Off
Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Bill Daly, Bob Murray, Brooks Orpik, Calgary Flames, Captain, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago, Chris Pronger, Columbus Blue Jackets goalie, Cox, Dale Hunter, editor, football, Gary Bettman, George McPhee, GLENDALE, hockey, Hockey Night in Canada, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jack Edwards, Japers Rink, Jarome Iginla, Jason Kay, Jeff Marek, Jose Theodore, LA Times, Lou Lamoriello, mainstream hockey media, Martin Brodeur, Maxim, Michael Nylander, Mike Richards, Minnesota Wild, Montreal, nhl, Pepsi, Peter Forsberg, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pierre McGuire, Pittsburgh Penguins, Randy Carlyle, Semyon Varlamov, Steve Mason, Super Bowl, The Hockey News, the Winter Olympics, THN, THN editor, Todd Bertuzzi, Toronto Maple Leafs, Twitter, United States, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals

Greg Wyshynski | October 30, 2009

The NHL’s retail relationship with female hockey fans hasn’t exactly been storybook over the last few years.

There was the flap over the League’s $325 bedazzled purse. There was outcry over the Alyssa Milano-designed hockey fashions that led one blogger to opine that the "R&D for this line [was done] in a brothel." Mention a pink jersey to a lady puckhead, and you’re going to get a strong reaction either positively or (mostly) negatively.

But in all of those cases, the NHL was making an effort to reach out to an increasingly large portion of its consumer fan base; which makes the utter neglect of that fan base in one of the League’s most profit-driven initiatives so baffling.

"I realize that the NHL is an ol’ boys club, but this blatant sexist marketing is utterly outrageous to me," wrote "walkinvisible" [name withheld upon request], a female hockey fan who blogs at www.hitthepost.ca.

Her outrage? It’s over the fact that many teams in the NHL’s third jersey program completely ignore female fans; and she’s fighting the system over it.

There are roughly 23 teams in the NHL today that have some form of alternate sweater, whether it’s a traditional "third jersey" worn on specific nights during the season or part of a "retro jersey" program, like the Calgary Flames‘ 30th anniversary frocks.

The fight for "walkinvisible" has been in Calgary, where she’s raised hell over a lack of female-cut jerseys before, with startling success. It’s something she mentioned in a letter to team president Ken King over the third-jersey flap, reprinted below:

"In the post-lockout era, the NHL and Reebok discontinued the CCM ladies-cut jersey and produced, instead, a PINK women’s jersey for all thirty NHL clubs, much to my displeasure (as seen below in my letter to the editor, printed in the hockey news on October 16, 2006):

"This issue was resolved not long after the printing of that edition, when the NHL and Reebok started producing home jerseys in ladies’ sizes league-wide, though I’ve recently discovered a new grievance.

"As I mention in The Hockey News letter above, I am a female hockey fan; I come from a long-time season ticket holding family, I like talking stats with my pals, I’m currently involved in four hockey pools, and I’m hugely interested in the history of the game, scouting, strategies and player pros and cons.  To be offered an "ICE FLIRT" and "BE LUV’D" fashion jersey (what I refer to as "the puck bunny fashion line") is beyond insulting.

"My questions to you are regarding this year’s retro-throwback ("vintage") Flames’ third jersey:

"Why would a team go through all of the pomp and circumstance to design, hold secret, announce and release a jersey of any sort if they’re subsequently only going to offer it to HALF of their fanbase?

"I find it hard to believe that it wouldn’t be cost-effective (if not PROFITABLE) for the NHL/RBK to manufacture teams’ alternate jerseys in a ladies’ cut, especially for large-market teams like the Flames?

"Will these EVER be available for purchase?

"I thank you kindly in advance for your time,

"Sincerely,

"[walkinvisible]"

As of Wednesday, she hadn’t heard from the NHL or the Flames about the complaint. She also did a bit of investigation on her own, via Hit The Post:

I thought I’d phone over to the Flames’ Fan Attic at Northhill Mall and had a REALLY nice chat with Blaine — MASSIVE shoutout to that guy — who says that they don’t really sell a lot of the pink jerseys for women, and most ladies that come in to buy a pink one will actually end up leaving with a red one. He also inquired up the proverbial food chain if the retro-throwback would ever be available in women sizes, and the answer was, quite simply: not likely… apparently the powers-that-be are "in talks" to "possibly" bring it in, based on the number of requests, but it definitely wouldn’t be until after x-mas…. tsk tsk tsk… what a waste of prime moneymaking weeks… for SHAME.

The good news: Some teams get it. The Pittsburgh Penguins have a women’s cut of their third jersey, as do the Philadelphia Flyers, the Buffalo Sabres, the San Jose Sharks and others.

But then there are the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Dallas Stars and many other teams that don’t offer them on the Shop NHL Web site. It’s baffling that a female Minnesota Wild fan can get this on the team’s Shop NHL site but not this in a women’s cut.

This might all seem like quite a mountainous molehill, but it speaks directly to the problems many female fans have had with the League’s marketing approach. Creating a female-cut version of a third jersey seems like such a fundamentally sound decision — the jerseys are usually more visually striking, in a fashion sense, than the usual gear — that it was rather stunning to discover that they aren’t available.

Is it possible that women’s cut jerseys are available off the Web, or that they’re on the way? Sure. But for now, it’s either a pitiful oversight or, worse, an intentional decision not to tailor these jerseys for female fans in the same way that traditional home jerseys are; either way, it needs to be rectified by the teams that aren’t currently offering them.

UPDATE: Ryan Stanzel, media relations for the Wild, checks in over email –

Just wanted to let you know the Wild has women’s cut Wild 3rd green jerseys available (in addition to red, and pink) at all our local Hockey Lodge locations in the Twin Cities, or by phone at 651-726-8250 or email at hockeylodge@wild.com

Like we said: It’s possible these jerseys are being made and are available locally (Flames excluded). So what’s the excuse for the NHL not having them available on its online shop?

Category: Uncategorized | Comments Off
Tags: 651-726-8250, Calgary, Calgary Flames, Calgary Flames ' 30th anniversary, Dallas Stars, editor, hockey, Hockey Lodge, Ken King, media relations, Minnesota Wild, nhl, Northhill Mall, online shop, player, President, printing, proverbial food chain, Reebok, Tampa Bay Lightning, The Hockey News, USD, www.hitthepost.ca

Greg Wyshynski | October 1, 2009

(Ed. Note: Our Evening Puck Headlines will return in a modified form next week. But tonight, we’re cracking open beverages and watching puck … until our Three Stars wrap-up appears on Puck Daddy after tonight’s games. Jersey Fouls on Friday, and thanks as always for reading.)

(The photo above was taken moments before the late Chris Farley knocked over the keepers of the Cup and began frantically trying to peel Stanley to find the chocolate inside …)

The season previews for all 30 teams by Y! Sports’ Ross McKeon and Puck Daddy (as well as Don Draper) have been published. The Eastern Conference and Western Conference have received thorough prognostication. It’s finally time for the big prize.

Who takes it? Whose cuisine reigns supreme? Well, there are five so-called experts; and there are four teams they predict to win the Stanley Cup.

Greg Wyshynski, editor, (Vancouver Canucks)

As I wrote in the Western Conference preview, I’m hoping that GM Mike Gillis does what’s necessary to a very good roster to elevate it to great. Like the smart personnel tweaks that a guy like Ray Shero made to bring the Cup to Pittsburgh.

This is also a pick made with the hope that Roberto Luongo(notes) will lift the Conn Smythe over his head, instead of hiding his face under a hat to obscure tears from the media after elimination. (It would also be nice if Marty Brodeur had the majority of the starts in the Olympics, too.)

The team Vancouver will defeat, the Philadelphia Flyers, makes the Cup final based on two very strong defensive pairings, heroic performances up front and goaltending that doesn’t lose them many games in the postseason. Plus, they’re in the Winter Classic; true to form, one of the outdoor teams will make the Cup finals. Just not the home team.

Sean Leahy, assistant editor (Boston Bruins)

As much as a Pittsburgh-Detroit trilogy would bring down Twitter as well as the entire Internet, both teams will have played a lot of games in the past two seasons as well as trips to Europe. No matter how young the Penguins are, that’s got to catch up to them at point, right?

Your 2010 Stanley Cup Final will be none other than the Boston Bruins and the Chicago Blackhawks, giving fans the first Original Six match-up in the championship since the Canadiens and Rangers squared off in 1979. The Cup will return to Beantown on the back of Tim Thomas(notes) and even more hate will be directed towards the New England-area

Ryan "The Two-Line Pass" Lambert, "What We Learned" columnist (Boston Bruins)

Boston and the Detroit Red Wings, and Boston wins in six.

Detroit, as always, has the legs to get to the finals, but the Bruins have superior defense and goaltending (especially goaltending) and learned a bit from Carolina about taking an inferior opponent lightly.

Dobber, Fantasy Hockey Columnist (Pittsburgh Penguins)

The Cup will go to Pittsburgh again as they top the San Jose Sharks. How many times can the Sharks get held back? They’re a great team and Heatley ices it. They’ll get to the Final. I wonder if Crosby and Malkin will ever lose. I haven’t predicted a back-to-back winner in a decade.

Dmitry Chesnokov, writer and interviewer extraordinaire (San Jose Sharks)

It will be San Jose vs. Philadelphia

And the winner is…. SAN JOSE. Why? Just because the curse has to end some day.

Category: nhl | Comments Off
Tags: assistant editor, Beantown, Boston, Boston Bruins, Chris Farley, columnist, Detroit, Detroit Red Wings, Dmitry Chesnokov, Don Draper, editor, Europe, Fantasy Hockey Columnist, Greg Wyshynski, Marty Brodeur, Mike Gillis, Montreal Canadiens, New England, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Penguins, Puck Daddy, Ray Shero, Roberto Luongo, Ross McKeon, San Jose, San Jose Sharks, Sean Leahy, Stanley Cup, Stanley Cup Final, the Olympics, The Rangers, Tim Thomas, Twitter, Vancouver Canucks, writer

Greg Wyshynski | September 30, 2009

Oh, Western Conference … how you baffle us.

Can Dany Heatley(notes) turn the San Jose Sharks from chokers to champs? Will Roberto Luongo(notes) cry tears of joy rather than embarrassment at the end of his postseason run? Will teams like the St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets continue to improve, or is it time for a team like the Los Angeles Kings to become the flavor of the year?

Do the reigning conference champs, the Detroit Red Wings, have one more Cup run in them? Can conference runners-up the Chicago Blackhawks overcome the self-inflicted injuries to their own hockey karma to win it all?

So many questions. As we did this morning with the Eastern Conference predictions, the so-called experts — Wyshynski, Leahy, Two-Line, Dmitry and Dobber – are back to figure out a thing or two about the West. (Stanley Cup predictions will be up on Thursday.)

Who will win the Campbell?

Here are the standings:

Greg Wyshynski, editor

1. San Jose Sharks
2. Detroit Red Wings
3. Vancouver Canucks
4. Chicago Blackhawks
5. Anaheim Ducks
6. Calgary Flames
7. Columbus Blue Jackets
8. Dallas Stars

Conference Champion: Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver’s the pick in the West, despite the Tolkien-length road trip and the fact that many of their top players are going to log serious minutes during the Olympics. I love the scrappy mix up front. I believe Luongo’s finally going to put it together in the postseason. But I have a confession here: This pick is made with the hope that Mike Gillis adds that final, veteran forward (that isn’t an aged bald Swede) later in the season. The lineup needs its Trevor Linden(notes) type, and here’s hoping they find it.

It came down to the Canucks and the Blackhawks for me, and Vancouver’s the pick for two reasons: Goaltending and good karma. As in what the Canucks possess that the Blackhawks do not.

The San Jose Sharks don’t want to be on autopilot again for the conference regular-season title, but they will be; especially with the Dany Heatley/Joe Thornton(notes) combo putting up huge numbers. The Detroit Red Wings will once again be dogged with questions about their goaltending because they have few flaws otherwise.

The Ducks have strong goaltending and a couple of solid lines. I’m not in love with Calgary as much as other people, simply because of its offense — although Brent Sutter teams score more than anyone gives them credit for. The Blue Jackets will make the cut and lose in the first round again. The Dallas Stars have too much talent at forward not to rebound, although you’d like a little more on the blue line with Marty Turco(notes) back there.

If there’s a sleeper, it’s the Los Angeles Kings, but I trust their goaltending about as far as I can throw Drew Doughty(notes).

Sean Leahy, associate editor

1. San Jose Sharks
2. Detroit Red Wings
3. Vancouver Canucks
4. Chicago Blackhawks
5. Anaheim Ducks
6. Calgary Flames
7. Columbus Blue Jackets
8. Edmonton Oilers

Conference Champion: Chicago Blackhawks

San Jose is one of the best regular-season teams in recent memory. That’s why they’re an easy pick to finish atop the Western Conference, especially with the addition of Dany Heatley. That isn’t to say they’re going to do damage in the playoffs. Oh, no, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’ve been burned by the Sharks before and I’ve learned my lesson. Having Edmonton claim the final spot in the West also ensure the juicy, upset special of Oilers-Sharks, with Heatley enjoying a Bronx cheer every time he’s on the ice at Rexall Place.

Ryan "The Two-Line Pass" Lambert, "What We Learned" columnist

1. Chicago Blackhawks
2. San Jose Sharks
3. Calgary Flames
4. Detroit Red Wings (more points than Calgary, but you know how it goes.)
5. Vancouver Canucks
6. St. Louis Blues
7. Minnesota Wild
8. Phoenix Coyotes

Conference Champion: Detroit Red Wings

This is the year someone unseats the Red Wings, and the Sharks will take a step back because I really think Evgeni Nabokov’s(notes) a bit past it. Detroit will finish with more points than Calgary, which will edge Vancouver by the slimmest of margins to win the Northwest, to take the fourth and final home playoff spot. St. Louis made the playoffs last year despite having about 65 of their best players out for most of the season. I think coaching changes will energize both Minnesota and Phoenix into surprisingly strong seasons.

Dobber, Fantasy Hockey Columnist

1. San Jose Sharks
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. Calgary Flames
4. Detroit Red Wings
5. Vancouver Canucks
6. St. Louis Blues
7. Columbus Blue Jackets
8. Los Angeles Kings

Conference Champion: San Jose Sharks

The Kings are the next young team to have a surprise season. The Red Wings’ impenetrable armor is finally showing some cracks after nearly two decades — weak goaltending and an aging Lidstrom. They’re a season-ending Zetterberg injury away from missing the playoffs altogether. The teams of the future — Chicago, St. Louis, Columbus, Los Angles and Phoenix all make strides. Anaheim looks like they have a second line — but it’s an illusion.

Dmitry Chesnokov, writer and interviewer extraordinaire

1. San Jose Sharks
2. Detroit Red Wings
3. Vancouver Canucks
4. Chicago Blackhawks
5. Calgary Flames
6. Anaheim Ducks
7. Edmonton Oilers
8. Columbus Blue Jackets

Conference Champion: San Jose Sharks

Heatley will breathe better following his departure from the pressure that is Canada, and will lead the Sharks to the President Trophy. Nikita Filatov(notes) will have a Calder year and Columbus will make it. Detroit will still have more experience than the young Blackhawks. Luongo will have a Vezina year. Edmonton — the surprise of the season.

Category: nhl | Comments Off
Tags: Anaheim, associate editor, Brent Sutter, Calgary, Calgary Flames, Canada, Chicago, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus, Columbus Blue Jackets, columnist, Dallas Stars, Dany Heatley, Detroit, Detroit Red Wings, Dmitry Chesnokov, Drew Doughty, editor, Edmonton, Edmonton Oilers, Evgeni Nabokov, Fantasy Hockey Columnist, forward, Greg Wyshynski, hockey, Los Angeles Kings, Marty Turco, Mike Gillis, Minnesota, Minnesota Wild, Nikita Filatov, Phoenix, Phoenix Coyotes, President, Roberto Luongo, San Jose, San Jose Sharks, Sean Leahy, self-inflicted injuries, St. Louis, St. Louis Blues, Stanley Cup, the Olympics, Trophy, Vancouver, Vancouver Canucks, writer

Greg Wyshynski | September 30, 2009

Can Sidney Crosby(notes) and the Pittsburgh Penguins make the Cup final for the third straight season and join Mario’s Pens as the franchise’s back-to-back champs? Do the additions of Chris Pronger(notes) (Flyers) and Marian Gaborik(notes) (Rangers) change the game in the Atlantic? Will the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning go from laughingstocks to playoff teams?

Is the window still open for the Boston Bruins?

Is it Ovechkin’s turn now?

Thankfully, after an endless summer of off-the-ice frustrations and distractions, it’s time to start attempting to answer these questions in Puck Daddy’s 2009-10 Eastern Conference staff prognostications; featuring Wyshynski, Leahy, Two-Line, Dmitry and Dobber. Check back here this afternoon for the Western Conference predictions.

So who wins the Wales?

The standings, according to the so-called experts:

Greg Wyshynski, editor

1. Washington Capitals
2. Boston Bruins
3. Philadelphia Flyers
4. Pittsburgh Penguins 
5. Carolina Hurricanes
6. New Jersey Devils
7. Montreal Canadiens
8. Buffalo Sabres

Conference Champion: Philadelphia Flyers

The Capitals winning the conference regular season is more a function of the Bruins coming back to the pack; I just don’t see Boston posting 270 goals again. The Penguins edge the Flyers in a tight race, with the Devils Lemaire’ing their way into the postseason for the 19th time in 20 seasons. The Hurricanes are the clear No. 2 in the Southeast. The immature Habs of last season put on their big-boy pants and make the cut; a healthy Ryan Miller(notes), Olympics-willing, backstops a team held together by scotch tape and Lindy Ruff’s spit.

The Flyers pick is simple: That a team loaded up front that has at least two shutdown defensive pairings can overcome average goaltending. (See Red Wings, Detroit). 

About those on the outside: The Rangers could get in if Marian Gaborik plays 70 games and the kids are ahead of schedule. The Senators could get in if the players that were awful and underwhelming last year return to form. The Leafs … well, putting aside testosterone-filled fantasies of bludgeoning the conference into submission, it’s like this: The defense and Gustavsson (one assumes) could be good enough to make the cut. But it says here that Burke needs another summer and a few more pieces up front before they can.

Sean Leahy, associate editor

1. Washington Capitals
2. Boston Bruins
3. Pittsburgh Penguins
4. Philadelphia Flyers
5. New Jersey Devils
6. Buffalo Sabres
7. Carolina Hurricanes
8. Montreal Canadiens

Conference Champion: Boston Bruins

The Capitals could be the NHL’s equivalent of the New Orleans Saints, with Alex Ovechkin their Drew Brees. Points are going to be accumulated at an astounding rate between Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom(notes) and Alexander Semin(notes); and with Washington playing in the easiest division in the NHL, so too will the points in the standings.

As far as Buffalo and Montreal go, I think Ryan Miller can carry the Sabres back into the playoffs as he comes off a deep Olympic run by Team USA. With the Canadiens, the 100th year celebrations are coming to a close and once the Habs stop parading out their old legends every home game, the pressure will subside just a little bit on Carey Price(notes) to deliver (it is Montreal don’t forget).

Ryan "The Two-Line Pass" Lambert, "What We Learned" columnist

1. Pittsburgh Penguins
2. Boston Bruins
3. Washington Capitals
4. New Jersey Devils
5. Philadelphia Flyers
6. New York Rangers
7. Carolina Hurricanes
8. Toronto Maple Leafs

Conference Champion: Boston Bruins

The Penguins are my favorites to win the East considering they fired their coach late last season and still, y’know, won a Stanley Cup (plus Crosby and Malkin are really, really good!). Boston and Washington will be a close 2-3 but Boston’s got defense and the Caps really, really don’t. New Jersey finishes fourth because it seems like they always finish right around there if they don’t win the division, and certainly they’re better than the rest of the field.

After Philly, there’s a big, big dropoff and not much to choose between the Rangers, Flyers and Leafs, or any other team for that matter; any three of six teams could finish in this spot and I wouldn’t be terribly shocked.

Dobber, Fantasy Hockey Columnist

1. Pittsburgh Penguins
2. Washington Capitals
3. Boston Bruins
4. Philadelphia Flyers
5. Carolina Hurricanes
6. Montreal Canadiens
7. New Jersey Devils
8. New York Rangers

Conference Champion: Pittsburgh Penguins

Leafs, Rangers and Panthers will battle it out on the final weekend. Tortorella won’t let the Rangers miss the postseason. Price will flourish under Martin’s coaching and thrust the Habs into the playoffs. The Top 4 teams will be surprisingly tight.

Dmitry Chesnokov, writer and interviewer extraordinaire

1. Washington Capitals
2. Philadelphia Flyers
3. Boston Bruins
4. Pittsburgh Penguins
5. New York Rangers
6. New Jersey Devils
7. Montreal Canadiens
8. Toronto Maple Leafs

Conference Champion: Washington Capitals

Brian Burke’s magic will start showing this season already, but it won’t be enough to win in the first round. The Rangers will get the chemistry back with Anisimov and Gaborik leading the way. Philadelphia will be as intimidating as ever, and we will keep wondering how on earth the low-scoring Devils get so high in the standings. The Pens, following last year’s success, will apply the same method – start winning consistently close to the Olympic break. Caps win the East.

Category: nhl | Comments Off
Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, associate editor, Boston, Boston Bruins, Brian Burke, Buffalo, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Chris Pronger, coach, columnist, Dmitry Chesnokov, editor, Fantasy Hockey Columnist, Greg Wyshynski, Lindy Ruff, Marian Gaborik, Montreal, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey, New Jersey Devils, New Orleans Saints, New York Rangers, nhl, Nicklas Backstrom, Olympic, Olympics, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ryan Miller, Sean Leahy, Sidney Crosby, Stanley Cup, Tampa Bay Lightning, the Olympic, The Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Wales, Washington, Washington Capitals, writer

Greg Wyshynski | September 24, 2009

Here are your Puck Headlines: A glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• Plenty more on the Gretzky resignation later in the day. Dobber’s fantasy column is up next. (UPDATE: TSN’s Bob McKenzie tweets that Dave Tippett will be named new Phoenix Coyotes head coach later today.)

• ESPN’s four hockey guys (sans EJ Hradek) offer their plans for NHL realignment. Pierre LeBrun has offered a moral quandary: Get the Patrick Division back, but contract the Devils and Islanders. No truth to the rumor that Melrose wants to relocate the Pacific Division to the back of a pub. [ESPN]

• Please keep Ron Wilson’s clear, on the record criticism of fights after clean hits in mind as he coaches the truculent Toronto Maple Leafs this season. [Toronto Star]

• Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby(notes) is asked yet again about the handshake snub in the Stanley Cup finals against the Detroit Red Wings, and evokes both Serena Williams and Kanye West in defending his actions. "Yo, Lidstrom, I’m really happy for you, I’ma let you finish but …" [Snapshots (Ed. Note: Just realized the Sid quote at the heart of this is from last week, but the Wings/Pens handshake analysis is from today.)]

• Omsk is talking contract extension with Jaromir Jagr(notes), according to a report in Sport Express. [iDNES.cz with translation. Thanks to Puck Buddy Scott Brown]

• New York Islanders owner Charles Wang has set an Oct. 4 deadline on the Lighthouse Project’s approval and that he would entertain other options for the team if it’s ignored. Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray: "We don’t give Mr. Wang deadlines on bringing the Stanley Cup back to Long Island, and we don’t respond to developers’ timetables for zoning decisions." Is that why it’s been 26 years? There’s been no deadline set? [Newsday]

• The Vancouver Canucks extend coach Alain Vigneault through the 2012-2013 season. [Vancouver Sun]

• Former Columbus Blue Jackets center Manny Malholtra took a deep discount (one-year, $700,000) to sign with the San Jose Sharks. We said it on Twitter last night, and repeat it here: You have to love the small, character additions the Sharks are making at the bottom of their lineup. It’s been obscured by the Heatley headlines, but Manny, Scott Nichol(notes), Jed Ortmeyer(notes) …these are unsung players that bring a hunger to the team. [Fear The Fin]

• Who will wear the ‘C’ for the San Jose Sharks? Could be down to Rob Blake(notes) vs. Dan Boyle(notes). [Mercury News]

• The good news for Tampa Bay Lightning fans: a second line of Martin St. Louis(notes), Steven Stamkos(notes) and Ryan Malone(notes) that could be quite good. The bad news: This means a Marty-less, Prospal-less Vincent Lecavalier(notes) could be skating with Alex Tanguay(notes) and … Steve Downie(notes)? Is it too late to convert any of their 10,000 defensemen to right wing? [Lightning Strikes]

• Come to think of it, Ilya Kovalchuk(notes) could probably replace the offense that left with Phil Kessel(notes) for the Boston Bruins. You know, in theory. [WEEI]

• Memo to Boston Globe headline writers: Don’t you dare publish "Julien has split personality" and have the article be about an intra-squad practice instead of a schizophrenic condition that has a little girl named Martha coaching the Bruins half the time. [Boston Globe]

• Los Angeles Kings defenseman Sean O’Donnell(notes) becomes the latest player suspended in the preseason, with the punishment carrying over to the regular season. Not for nothing, but a "five-game suspension" that includes three glorified scrimmages is a two-game suspension. [Y! Sports]

• The preseason’s also a good time to work on your whining, as Patrick O’Sullivan(notes) of the Edmonton Oilers reminds us in a loss to the Calgary Flames: "Obviously the referees are trying to work through some stuff, too … I’m not going to question any calls, but we certainly got more than they did." [Sun Media]

• St. Louis Blues Coach Andy Murray and Patrik Berglund(notes) discuss opening the season in Sweden. [Blues]

• The Phoenix Coyotes lost $4,284,195 during a two-month period this summer. This article on the team’s operating losses doesn’t mention Jim Balsillie conspiring to bankrupt the team in order to purchase it. Huh. [National Post]

• Look, not to read too much into Balsillie’s recent tweaks to his bid to buy the Coyotes, but playing this kind of ball with Glendale and the NHL smacks of desperation, no? [Toronto Star]

• It’s always sunny in Philadelphia. And sometimes wet. [Getty]

• The Philadelphia Flyers trade Patrick Hersley to the Nashville Predators, and Broad Street Hockey sees this as a precursor for signing former New York Rangers winger Blair Betts(notes). As if the Flyers PK wasn’t already pretty damn good. [BSH]

• Randy Jones(notes) is giving someone a headache again, and this time it’s the Philadelphia Flyers’ salary cap. [Courier Post]

• The Vancouver Giants will wear pink laces and use pink tape next week in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure. Which is to say that they’re much less comfortable in their sexuality than these guys. [Canwest]

• Behind the scenes of the St. Louis Blues’ Jumbotron video, which appears to have been filmed on stage at an erotic men’s revue. [St. Louis Today, and St. Louis Game Time offers photo analysis]

• We’re almost out of season preview hell here, and thank the hockey gods for it. The fruits of both our labor and that of NHL editor Ross McKeon can be found on the Y! Sports 2009-10 season preview page. [Y! Sports]

• Rich Hammond, one of our favorite hockey journalists, is leaving Inside The Kings on the LA Daily News’s Web site to actually work for the Los Angeles Kings. We’ll have some thoughts from Rich either today or Friday on what is a pretty interesting moment for mainstream hockey writers. [Kings]

• Eighteen-year NHL veteran and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Patrice Brisebois(notes) will give it up tonight at Bell Centre. Not the puck, as usual, but his career for the comforts of retirement. [Habs Inside/Out]

• Finally, Evander Kane(notes) met his namesake, Evander Holyfield, at Atlanta Thrashers‘ camp. Loved the former champ talking a little about hockey fights.

Category: nhl | Comments Off
Tags: Alain Vigneault, Alex Tanguay, Atlanta Thrashers, Atlanta Thrashers ' camp, Bell Centre, Blair Betts, Blues Coach Andy Murray, Bob McKenzie, Boston Bruins, Boston Globe, Calgary Flames, Captain, Charles Wang, coach, Dan Boyle, Dave Tippett, Detroit Red Wings, editor, Edmonton Oilers, head coach, Hempstead Town Supervisor, hockey, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jed Ortmeyer, Jim Balsillie, Kanye West, Kate Murray, Los Angeles Kings, mainstream hockey media, Manny Malholtra, Martha, Mercury News, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, National Post, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Newsday, nhl, NHL editor, Omsk, owner, Pacific Division, Patrice Brisebois, Patrick Division, Patrick Hersley, Patrick O'Sullivan, Patrik Berglund, Phil Kessel, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pierre LeBrun, Pittsburgh Penguins, player, Randy Jones, Rob Blake, Ron Wilson, Ross McKeon, Ryan Malone, San Jose Sharks, Scott Brown, Scott Nichol, Sean O'Donnell, Serena Williams, Sidney Crosby, Sport Express, St. Louis Blues, St. Louis Game Time, Stanley Cup, Steve Downie, Steven Stamkos, Sweden, Tampa Bay Lightning, The Phoenix Coyotes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Star, Twitter, USD, Vancouver Canucks, Vancouver Sun, Vincent Lecavalier, winger