It's a sad day for yours truly. Not only were my Rangers knocked out of the playoffs with a heartwrenching 2-1 shootout loss to the hated Flyers, but my Blackhawks lost to the Red Wings 3-2 in overtime. That not only meant that the Hawks will finish second in the conference and have to play a much tougher Nashville team instead of the Colorado Avalanche, but it also pushed my Kings down from 5th to 6th. Of the four teams at the top of the West, the ONLY team I really wanted the Kings to avoid playing was Vancouver. We'll get into the whys of that in a second, but just about everything that could go wrong today did.
The meaningful games are almost over; we're waiting on the result of a Buffalo-New Jersey game that's in progress as I type this to decide who gets 2nd in the East. The West, however, has been decided, and finally we can break down all the match-ups heading into the playoff excitement. So in search of anything to distract me from the heartbreak, let's dive right into it and make some predictions!
(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (8) Colorado Avalanche
(Sharks won season series 2-1-1)
First of all, I'm not listing anyone's regular season records, because in my opinion you can throw that out the window once we get to the playoffs. How the teams did against each other back in that regular season is at least a little bit interesting, but I wouldn't read too much into that, either. As we all know, the playoffs are a whole different animal: more tight-checking and physical than regular season hockey could ever approach.
You can't talk about the San Jose Sharks without mentioning their playoff failures, most recently as the first seed against the eighth-seeded Anaheim Ducks. However, no one in San Jose should be too worried about history repeating itself this year. Colorado is almost an exact opposite of the Ducks team that knocked out the Sharks last year: the Ducks were a veteran team who got off to a poor start and then turned it on in a major way down the stretch to get again. They were a better team then their record showed, and they proved it by nearly eliminating the Red Wings in the second round. Colorado, on the other hand, is an incredibly young team who almost backed into the playoffs. They picked up a few big wins over the last week, including over the Sharks themselves, but the teams they beat were largely playing for nothing (or at least close to it). When the chips were down and the Avalanche had to beat the Calgary Flames to hold onto their spot last Friday, they lost. Only by getting some help from other teams did they hold off the Flames for the eighth and final playoff spot.
The Avs getting into the playoffs was clearly a great story. But I don't see how they can hold off a Sharks team that is hungry and out for blood (pardon the pun). There's simply no way this San Jose team will be anything but ready to play in the first round after what happened last year. I don't think the Sharks have what it takes to make it through the rest of the playoffs, but they shouldn't have much trouble here.
Prediciton: Sharks in four.
(2) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (7) Nashville Predators
(Blackhawks won season series 4-2-0)
The Hawks are an interesting team to talk about right now. They followed the exact same pattern as last year: awful in March, really good in April. Of course, that doesn't guarantee they will have a post-season like last year's, and most fans of the Hawks will tell you that simply a trip to the conference finals won't satisfy them this year. It's Cup or bust for these Hawks, but to get there they have to get through a very tough Nashville team. Nashville is a fantastic defensive team, and one of the big problems the Hawks have had all season long is getting through the neutral zone against teams who know how to play that 1-2-2 style well. Those problems are only increased when you consider the fact that the Hawks are missing their best puck-carrying defenseman, Brian Campbell, for what will likely be this entire first-round (and perhaps the second-round as well, should they get that far). There's also the question of how rookie goaltender Antti Niemi will hold up under the playoff pressure, a valid question to be sure.
With all that said, I don't think the Predators have enough firepower to hang in there with the Hawks in a seven-game series. I've told you a lot of reasons why the Hawks might not win, but now let me tell you even more reasons why they will win: Jonathan Toews. Patrick Kane. Marian Hossa. Patrick Sharp. John Madden. Kris Versteeg. And on and on and on. This is by far the deepest group of forwards in the Western conference, and only Washington can perhaps compete with them when it comes to being able to roll four lines and always have someone who can score on the ice. Nashville is a pretty great defensive team and Pekka Rinne has been stellar for them in net, but I don't see how they can shut down all four of the Hawks' lines for an entire series. The Hawks will have some problems, maybe even send the (suddenly very sizable) fanbase into a panic by losing game 1 at home, but in the end they'll pull it out.
Prediction: Blackhawks in six.
(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) Los Angeles Kings
(Vancouver won season series 3-1-0)
Like I already mentioned, of all the four opponents the Kings could have played in the opening round, this is the only one I really wanted them to avoid. With the sole exception of their recent 8-goal pummeling of the 'Nucks in LA, the Kings have almost always played horrible against Vancouver. They're probably the only team who have a line that's better on the cycle than the Kings (though their overall cycle game is still probably stronger), and considering it's largely on the strength of their cycle they got here in the first place, that would in fact be a problem. Vancouver had won a staggering seven games in a row against the Kings before LA finally snapped that streak.
Another problem for the Kings is the play of starting goalie Jonathan Quick, who has gone 0-3-3 in his last six games of the season. The Kings in general have played OK in front of him, sometimes better than others, but Quick has failed to lock it down even when the Kings were heavily outshooting their opponents. Quick's role as franchise goaltender of the future is suddenly in question with the rise of Jonathan Bernier, but unless Quick gets injured or really gets shellacked it will probably be his ball to run with (for this year, at least).
There's really not much else to say here. Vancouver will enter as overwhelming favorites with the best offense in the Western conference. Barring a meltdown from Luongo (who has been known to melt down in the playoffs before) and/or a complete drop-off in play from the Sedins, there's no reason to believe that the Canucks won't be able to handle the Kings with ease. Kings fans can take solace in the fact that their young team will likely be back, and the Vancouver team who will likely eliminate them is perhaps an early favorite to take the Western conference crown.
Prediction: Vancouver in five.
(4) Phoenix Coyotes vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings
(Detroit won the season series 2-0-2)
It's a shame for the Coyotes that it's come to this. Phoenix has had a fairytale season this year, turning from a team everyone had left for dead due to their off-season, off-ice woes into everyone's favorite underdog story. Their 107-point campaign was a new franchise record, including all those years in Winnipeg. But now their magical regular season, full of shootout wins and gutsy performances from guys having career years, must enter the playoffs and face reality. That reality is a Red Wings team that has lost only 1 game in regulation since the Olympic break, a Red Wings team that is healthy for the first time all year. And they are ready to pounce.
If Phoenix has any shot to win this series, they need to get out to a strong start and win both games in Phoenix. If they can really put some pressure on the Wings and their rookie goaltender Jimmy Howard, perhaps they can pull off the upset. We also don't know how this Detroit team will handle starting on the road in the playoffs for the first time in decades. But unless Phoenix has a lot more miracles left in them- and more late-period and overtime goals since there's no shootout to dominate in the playoffs- they will see their dream season come to a nightmare end. We all know how important special teams becomes in the playoffs, and Phoenix has one of the worst power plays in the NHL
Prediction: Detroit in five games.
Alright folks, that's it for the West. I'll be back later tonight breaking down all the matchups in the East, and don't forget we'll have a podcast talking it all over for you tomorrow night at 9 pm EST.
Showing posts with label blackhawks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blackhawks. Show all posts
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Today's Games to Watch 3/23
Welcome back to Center Ice Addict after a few days off, as now it's time for the real stretch run, and the NHL hits the ground running with a ton of really interesting games this week. Yeah, there's still plenty of teams who are out of it (although some of them are playing like no one's told them that- Anaheim and your 4-game winning streak, I'm looking at you) to drag down the schedule a little bit, but this week also has a ton of really interesting match-ups between playoff teams. It started last night, as the Red Wings man-handled the Penguins in a Stanley Cup Final re-match, and the Kings and the Avalanche had a really gritty, playoff-style game to begin a crucial home-and-home that could go a long way to deciding who gets 5th place locked down.
Tonight, it continues with two top teams going head-to-head for the second time in four days. So let's get right to it. As always, these are the awards we'll be handing out:
Marquee Match-Up: The biggest game of the night, the game you absolutely need to see, featuring the biggest stars and/or the best rivalries.
The Runner-Up: Basically the same criteria that applies to the Marquee, just not quite as big of a deal as the night's biggest game.
Under the Radar: This is a game that, for whatever reason, just wouldn't normally jump out at you if you're taking a quick glance at the day's schedule, but upon taking a closer look, this should probably be a great game.
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: With the Winter Olympics fresh on everyone's mind, I'm naming this dubious "award" after the Olympics' most craptastic event that NBC tried to push off on us all in lieu of actual figure skating. Please do yourself a favor, don't watch this game.
Once those four picks are done with, I'll go through The Rest and tell you which of those games just might be worth your time as well. Even if you don't have Center Ice, I'll make sure to note which (if any) of these games are available on national TV in the US & Canada.
Tuesday, March 23rd
Overall: A bunch of potential clunkers on tonight's schedule can't drag down a few big, big match-ups.
Marquee Match-Up: Phoenix Coyotes (46-22-5, 97 points, 1st in Pacific, 2nd in West) at Chicago Blackhawks (45-19-7, 97 points, 1st in Central, 1st in West)
8:30 pm EST/5:30 pm PST
It don't get much bigger than this, folks. The two top teams in the West, tied in points (Phoenix has one more win, but Chicago has two games in hand), going head-to-head for the second time in four days. In case you've been living under a rock for the past two weeks, the Desert Dogs are the hottest team in hockey, tying a franchise record with 9 wins in a row. Now, you can't talk about the 'Yotes and all their success without including the asterisk that 12 of their wins have come via the shootout (the most of any team), including their 5-4 victory over Chicago in Phoenix on Saturday night. But let's not take too much away from what this team has accomplished. They've overcome all those off-ice distractions in the off-season to rebound in a huge way, defying the pundits and grabbing partial hold of top spot in the West with just three weeks left in the regular season. That's insane, folks. As I told my best friend (who happens to be a huge 'Yotes fan), if they had shootouts in the playoffs, I honestly think the Coyotes would be the easy Stanley Cup favorites. We're still in the regular season, so you have to give a slight edge to the Coyotes here just because of how they've played of late and their incredible ability to come back late in games and take it to that extra frame to begin with. But the Blackhawks are playing much better hockey of late, and it looks like they are finally getting things going again. Either way, this should be another close, super-exciting game, one you won't want to miss.
Prediction: Coyotes 4-3 (SO)
Runner-Up: Anaheim Ducks (34-29-8, 76 points, 4th in Pacific, 11th in West) at Calgary Flames (36-27-9, 81 points, 3rd in Northwest, 9th in West)
9:00 pm EST/6:00 pm PST
It's worth noting that even though this award is called the "runner-up", tonight wasn't even close. But of all the other games on TV tonight, this is easily the second-most important. After staggering out of the Olympic break with an 0-4-1 record, the Ducks have finally found their legs and reeled off four straight wins. Probably too little, too late as far as making the playoffs, as they still sit 9 points back of 8th place Detroit (wh0 is also playing really, really well of late), but this is a game in hand they're making up on the Wings, so if they're going to make any kind of desperate last-minute push, these are 2 points they must have. Things are not quite as dire for the Flames, who sit 4 points back of the Wings, but you also have to keep in mind that the Flames have probably the hardest schedule of any of the teams down the stretch (while the Wings have one of the easiest). They've got a staggering 6 of their remaining 10 games against teams in playoff position, so while a loss against the Ducks wouldn't quite be season-ending, it would definitely throw make it that much harder for them down the stretch.
Prediction: Flames 3-2
Under the Radar: San Jose Sharks (43-19-10, 96 points, 2nd in Pacific, 4th in West) at Minnesota Wild (35-31-6, 76 points, 4th in Northwest, 12th in West)
8:00 pm EST/5:00 pm PST
National TV: Versus (US)
While this game probably wouldn't jump out at you on first glance, this game becomes a lot more interesting when you think of the Sharks' current slump as a car crash. That is to say, you just can't look away. These Sharks have looked absolutely awful in dropping 6 in a row for the first time since November of 2005, including losing 8-2 in Dallas and 5-1 in Edmonton. People can point to the fact that their six-game losing streak included a five straight on the road, but good teams should be able to find ways to win games on the road. Even with those five straight losses, the Sharks' road record is still 21-13-2, so it's not like they haven't been able to win road games all season long up until this point. The fact of the matter is, the Sharks are in a tailspin, three weeks earlier than their usual playoff meltdown, and they have got to find a way to get out of it. Heading into Minnesota to play yet another non-playoff team, it will be interesting to see if the Sharks play with any desperation at all, as this will be their first game since Phoenix finally passed them up in the Pacific division. They're one point back of the 'Yotes with a game in hand, so there's still plenty of opportunity here for the Sharks to reclaim the division lead, but they've got to start playing like they've got something resembling confidence, and stop standing around in their defensive zone and leaving Nabakov hanging out to dry. You've got a starting goalie who's never gotten it done in the playoffs, who's coming off a VERY disappointing Olympics for Russia, and you play like the Sharks have been playing in their own end? They're letting passes go right across the crease for tip-ins, they're poking at the puck instead of taking the body, and they're just playing like a team that couldn't give less of a damn right now. If they keep playing like that, this meltdown has the potential to get worse, not better.
Prediction: Wild 4-1
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: Columbus Blue Jackets (29-31-12, 70 points, 5th in Central, 14th in West) at New Jersey Devils (42-25-4, 88 points, 2nd in Atlantic, 4th in East)
7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST
Ah yes, it's that dreaded worst-of-all-worlds: a team that's out of it vs. a team that's a playoff lock, and in separate conferences so there's absolutely no rivalry here to speak of. Add that up to the fact that both teams aren't exactly going to win any "most exciting" awards in the NHL and you've got the potential for one hell of a dull game. One alarming trait the Devils have shown over the past few weeks is playing down to their opponents, as they'll come out and play great in getting two more wins over their Atlantic rival Penguins, then lay stinkers against teams like the Islanders & Maple Leafs. That's not what you want your team to be doing when they're still in a dogfight to win their division.
Prediction: Devils 2-1
The Rest
Panthers @ Maple Leafs, 7:00 pm EST: Telling you whether or not you should watch this game really depends on what you're looking for. Of course, this game could not possibly matter any less, being that it's two teams that are out of it. But it's also two teams who are playing like they're out of it, playing with reckless abandon, and they'll have no trouble trading offensive chances like nobody's business. So if you can get past the fact that it means absolutely nothing, this will probably be a pretty exciting game. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Bruins @ Thrashers, 7:00 pm EST: I almost put this up as one of my picks, but I feel like the East is just so less interesting than the West right now, and that's coming from someone who lives in the Eastern timezone. The battle for the last playoff spot in the West features teams who are very capable of upsets in the first round. Meanwhile, here you've got the 30th-out-of-30 in goals for/per game Bruins battling the Kovalchuk-less and also defense-less Thrashers for "who gets to be swept by the Capitals in the first round". There's only so much excitement that can really generate. Still, it'll probably be a real good, hard-fought game between two teams separated by 1 point in the standings. I just don't think it really matters which of these two teams get in, that's all. Verdict: Probably Worth Your Time
Flyers @ Senators, 7:30 pm EST: (National TV: RDS, Canada- French only) The Sens finally got things back on-track with a big road win against the streaking Canadiens last night, and now tonight they'll invite the walking wounded Flyers into their house to try and build some momentum up. Really their turnaround started with Spezza's hat trick in a losing effort to Dallas, and that's how it tends to go in hockey: you'll start playing yourself out of it before you see the end result, so you're still losing a game but you're back on the right track. Meanwhile, the Flyers dropped two straight to the Thrashers as new de facto #1 Brian Boucher did absolutely nothing to inspire any confidence from anyone. Seriously, if his own mother was asked how she felt about her son in goal heading into the playoffs, there's no way she'd be able to say anything positive with a straight face. Then, just because apparently the hockey gods decided they weren't done picking on Philly yet, Jeff Carter, man who leads this team in just about every offensive category (goals, points, game-winners.....the list goes on-and-on), fractured a bone in his foot and is gone for 3-4 weeks. So the Flyers will either come out tonight looking to make up for it, or they'll come out tonight feeling sorry for themselves and get pounded. You should know what verdict that gets you. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Hurricanes @ Lightning, 7:30 pm EST: Going 2-3-0 in their last 5 games has really hurt the Hurricanes' chances of completing what has been a miracle revival of their playoff hopes, as they now sit 8 points back of the Bruins and the B's still have a game in hand. Tonight's game against a Tampa team that's been playing like they're out of it for a while now will go a long way to determining whether or not the Canes still have hope. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Stars @ Predators, 8:00 pm EST: The Stars are playing some pretty decent hockey of late, which is pretty normal for teams once they're finally out of it. The Predators, meanwhile, have won 6 in a row and have gone a long way towards solidifying their return to the playoffs. It's been overshadowed a bit by the Avs and 'Yotes in the West, but the Preds are a great story, too: almost no one picked them to be back in the playoffs after narrowly missing last year, yet here they are, shoe-string budget and all. Anyway, one has to imagine they keep it rolling against Dallas. The Stars remain an awful, awful road team, meaning this one probably won't be watchable. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Canucks @ Oilers, 9:00 pm EST: With the decline of the Sharks coming a few weeks earlier than scheduled, many pundits are bumping Vancouver up from "dark horse" to "legitimate Cup favorite", right there with teams like Washington & Chicago. It's hard to believe, but the Canucks are still sitting there with the 2nd-best offense in the league. The Sedins have been even more Sedin-like than usual, Ryan Kesler is having another great year doing the kinds of things that Ryan Kesler does (and he was rewarded last week with a 6-year-extension), Alexander Burrows has turned into a goal-scoring machine at times, and Mikael Samuelsson has been an even better pick-up from the Wings than people thought he would be. The Oilers, meanwhile, picked up a few surprising home wins over the weekend against the Red Wings & Sharks, so they'll be looking to keep it rolling and keep catching some very good teams off-guard. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Alright folks, that'll do it for today. I'll be back soon looking at teams' playoff chances as we are getting closer and closer to the best time of the year: playoff hockey is almost here!
Tonight, it continues with two top teams going head-to-head for the second time in four days. So let's get right to it. As always, these are the awards we'll be handing out:
Marquee Match-Up: The biggest game of the night, the game you absolutely need to see, featuring the biggest stars and/or the best rivalries.
The Runner-Up: Basically the same criteria that applies to the Marquee, just not quite as big of a deal as the night's biggest game.
Under the Radar: This is a game that, for whatever reason, just wouldn't normally jump out at you if you're taking a quick glance at the day's schedule, but upon taking a closer look, this should probably be a great game.
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: With the Winter Olympics fresh on everyone's mind, I'm naming this dubious "award" after the Olympics' most craptastic event that NBC tried to push off on us all in lieu of actual figure skating. Please do yourself a favor, don't watch this game.
Once those four picks are done with, I'll go through The Rest and tell you which of those games just might be worth your time as well. Even if you don't have Center Ice, I'll make sure to note which (if any) of these games are available on national TV in the US & Canada.
Tuesday, March 23rd
Overall: A bunch of potential clunkers on tonight's schedule can't drag down a few big, big match-ups.
Marquee Match-Up: Phoenix Coyotes (46-22-5, 97 points, 1st in Pacific, 2nd in West) at Chicago Blackhawks (45-19-7, 97 points, 1st in Central, 1st in West)
8:30 pm EST/5:30 pm PST
It don't get much bigger than this, folks. The two top teams in the West, tied in points (Phoenix has one more win, but Chicago has two games in hand), going head-to-head for the second time in four days. In case you've been living under a rock for the past two weeks, the Desert Dogs are the hottest team in hockey, tying a franchise record with 9 wins in a row. Now, you can't talk about the 'Yotes and all their success without including the asterisk that 12 of their wins have come via the shootout (the most of any team), including their 5-4 victory over Chicago in Phoenix on Saturday night. But let's not take too much away from what this team has accomplished. They've overcome all those off-ice distractions in the off-season to rebound in a huge way, defying the pundits and grabbing partial hold of top spot in the West with just three weeks left in the regular season. That's insane, folks. As I told my best friend (who happens to be a huge 'Yotes fan), if they had shootouts in the playoffs, I honestly think the Coyotes would be the easy Stanley Cup favorites. We're still in the regular season, so you have to give a slight edge to the Coyotes here just because of how they've played of late and their incredible ability to come back late in games and take it to that extra frame to begin with. But the Blackhawks are playing much better hockey of late, and it looks like they are finally getting things going again. Either way, this should be another close, super-exciting game, one you won't want to miss.
Prediction: Coyotes 4-3 (SO)
Runner-Up: Anaheim Ducks (34-29-8, 76 points, 4th in Pacific, 11th in West) at Calgary Flames (36-27-9, 81 points, 3rd in Northwest, 9th in West)
9:00 pm EST/6:00 pm PST
It's worth noting that even though this award is called the "runner-up", tonight wasn't even close. But of all the other games on TV tonight, this is easily the second-most important. After staggering out of the Olympic break with an 0-4-1 record, the Ducks have finally found their legs and reeled off four straight wins. Probably too little, too late as far as making the playoffs, as they still sit 9 points back of 8th place Detroit (wh0 is also playing really, really well of late), but this is a game in hand they're making up on the Wings, so if they're going to make any kind of desperate last-minute push, these are 2 points they must have. Things are not quite as dire for the Flames, who sit 4 points back of the Wings, but you also have to keep in mind that the Flames have probably the hardest schedule of any of the teams down the stretch (while the Wings have one of the easiest). They've got a staggering 6 of their remaining 10 games against teams in playoff position, so while a loss against the Ducks wouldn't quite be season-ending, it would definitely throw make it that much harder for them down the stretch.
Prediction: Flames 3-2
Under the Radar: San Jose Sharks (43-19-10, 96 points, 2nd in Pacific, 4th in West) at Minnesota Wild (35-31-6, 76 points, 4th in Northwest, 12th in West)
8:00 pm EST/5:00 pm PST
National TV: Versus (US)
While this game probably wouldn't jump out at you on first glance, this game becomes a lot more interesting when you think of the Sharks' current slump as a car crash. That is to say, you just can't look away. These Sharks have looked absolutely awful in dropping 6 in a row for the first time since November of 2005, including losing 8-2 in Dallas and 5-1 in Edmonton. People can point to the fact that their six-game losing streak included a five straight on the road, but good teams should be able to find ways to win games on the road. Even with those five straight losses, the Sharks' road record is still 21-13-2, so it's not like they haven't been able to win road games all season long up until this point. The fact of the matter is, the Sharks are in a tailspin, three weeks earlier than their usual playoff meltdown, and they have got to find a way to get out of it. Heading into Minnesota to play yet another non-playoff team, it will be interesting to see if the Sharks play with any desperation at all, as this will be their first game since Phoenix finally passed them up in the Pacific division. They're one point back of the 'Yotes with a game in hand, so there's still plenty of opportunity here for the Sharks to reclaim the division lead, but they've got to start playing like they've got something resembling confidence, and stop standing around in their defensive zone and leaving Nabakov hanging out to dry. You've got a starting goalie who's never gotten it done in the playoffs, who's coming off a VERY disappointing Olympics for Russia, and you play like the Sharks have been playing in their own end? They're letting passes go right across the crease for tip-ins, they're poking at the puck instead of taking the body, and they're just playing like a team that couldn't give less of a damn right now. If they keep playing like that, this meltdown has the potential to get worse, not better.
Prediction: Wild 4-1
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: Columbus Blue Jackets (29-31-12, 70 points, 5th in Central, 14th in West) at New Jersey Devils (42-25-4, 88 points, 2nd in Atlantic, 4th in East)
7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST
Ah yes, it's that dreaded worst-of-all-worlds: a team that's out of it vs. a team that's a playoff lock, and in separate conferences so there's absolutely no rivalry here to speak of. Add that up to the fact that both teams aren't exactly going to win any "most exciting" awards in the NHL and you've got the potential for one hell of a dull game. One alarming trait the Devils have shown over the past few weeks is playing down to their opponents, as they'll come out and play great in getting two more wins over their Atlantic rival Penguins, then lay stinkers against teams like the Islanders & Maple Leafs. That's not what you want your team to be doing when they're still in a dogfight to win their division.
Prediction: Devils 2-1
The Rest
Panthers @ Maple Leafs, 7:00 pm EST: Telling you whether or not you should watch this game really depends on what you're looking for. Of course, this game could not possibly matter any less, being that it's two teams that are out of it. But it's also two teams who are playing like they're out of it, playing with reckless abandon, and they'll have no trouble trading offensive chances like nobody's business. So if you can get past the fact that it means absolutely nothing, this will probably be a pretty exciting game. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Bruins @ Thrashers, 7:00 pm EST: I almost put this up as one of my picks, but I feel like the East is just so less interesting than the West right now, and that's coming from someone who lives in the Eastern timezone. The battle for the last playoff spot in the West features teams who are very capable of upsets in the first round. Meanwhile, here you've got the 30th-out-of-30 in goals for/per game Bruins battling the Kovalchuk-less and also defense-less Thrashers for "who gets to be swept by the Capitals in the first round". There's only so much excitement that can really generate. Still, it'll probably be a real good, hard-fought game between two teams separated by 1 point in the standings. I just don't think it really matters which of these two teams get in, that's all. Verdict: Probably Worth Your Time
Flyers @ Senators, 7:30 pm EST: (National TV: RDS, Canada- French only) The Sens finally got things back on-track with a big road win against the streaking Canadiens last night, and now tonight they'll invite the walking wounded Flyers into their house to try and build some momentum up. Really their turnaround started with Spezza's hat trick in a losing effort to Dallas, and that's how it tends to go in hockey: you'll start playing yourself out of it before you see the end result, so you're still losing a game but you're back on the right track. Meanwhile, the Flyers dropped two straight to the Thrashers as new de facto #1 Brian Boucher did absolutely nothing to inspire any confidence from anyone. Seriously, if his own mother was asked how she felt about her son in goal heading into the playoffs, there's no way she'd be able to say anything positive with a straight face. Then, just because apparently the hockey gods decided they weren't done picking on Philly yet, Jeff Carter, man who leads this team in just about every offensive category (goals, points, game-winners.....the list goes on-and-on), fractured a bone in his foot and is gone for 3-4 weeks. So the Flyers will either come out tonight looking to make up for it, or they'll come out tonight feeling sorry for themselves and get pounded. You should know what verdict that gets you. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Hurricanes @ Lightning, 7:30 pm EST: Going 2-3-0 in their last 5 games has really hurt the Hurricanes' chances of completing what has been a miracle revival of their playoff hopes, as they now sit 8 points back of the Bruins and the B's still have a game in hand. Tonight's game against a Tampa team that's been playing like they're out of it for a while now will go a long way to determining whether or not the Canes still have hope. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Stars @ Predators, 8:00 pm EST: The Stars are playing some pretty decent hockey of late, which is pretty normal for teams once they're finally out of it. The Predators, meanwhile, have won 6 in a row and have gone a long way towards solidifying their return to the playoffs. It's been overshadowed a bit by the Avs and 'Yotes in the West, but the Preds are a great story, too: almost no one picked them to be back in the playoffs after narrowly missing last year, yet here they are, shoe-string budget and all. Anyway, one has to imagine they keep it rolling against Dallas. The Stars remain an awful, awful road team, meaning this one probably won't be watchable. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Canucks @ Oilers, 9:00 pm EST: With the decline of the Sharks coming a few weeks earlier than scheduled, many pundits are bumping Vancouver up from "dark horse" to "legitimate Cup favorite", right there with teams like Washington & Chicago. It's hard to believe, but the Canucks are still sitting there with the 2nd-best offense in the league. The Sedins have been even more Sedin-like than usual, Ryan Kesler is having another great year doing the kinds of things that Ryan Kesler does (and he was rewarded last week with a 6-year-extension), Alexander Burrows has turned into a goal-scoring machine at times, and Mikael Samuelsson has been an even better pick-up from the Wings than people thought he would be. The Oilers, meanwhile, picked up a few surprising home wins over the weekend against the Red Wings & Sharks, so they'll be looking to keep it rolling and keep catching some very good teams off-guard. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Alright folks, that'll do it for today. I'll be back soon looking at teams' playoff chances as we are getting closer and closer to the best time of the year: playoff hockey is almost here!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Today's Games to Watch 3/18
Welcome back, after a night off, to Today's Games to Watch here on Center Ice Addict. First of all, an explanation: last night's schedule consisted of three games at completely different times, so there really was not much of a point of me telling you which ones to watch since theoretically you could have watched them all. With that said, it was definitely an interesting night. The Devils completed a 6-0 sweep of the Penguins, the Flames went into Colorado and took a big 2 points away to stay right in the hunt in the West for the final playoff spot, and the Blackhawks' injury woes on their blueline continued as Brent Seabrook took a high (and dirty) hit and will probably be out at least a week.
Tonight, we get back into the swing of things with an 11-game schedule. So let's get right to it. As always, here's the awards we'll be giving out:
Marquee Match-Up: The biggest game of the night, the game you absolutely need to see, featuring the biggest stars and/or the best rivalries.
The Runner-Up: Basically the same criteria that applies to the Marquee, just not quite as big of a deal as the night's biggest game.
Under the Radar: This is a game that, for whatever reason, just wouldn't normally jump out at you if you're taking a quick glance at the day's schedule, but upon taking a closer look, this should probably be a great game.
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: With the Winter Olympics fresh on everyone's mind, I'm naming this dubious "award" after the Olympics' most craptastic event that NBC tried to push off on us all in lieu of actual figure skating. Please do yourself a favor, don't watch this game.
Once those four picks are done with, I'll go through The Rest and tell you which of those games just might be worth your time as well. Even if you don't have Center Ice, I'll make sure to note which (if any) of these games are available on national TV in the US & Canada.
Thursday, March 18th
Overall: An 11-game schedule provides some real excitement, especially in the West where 4 of the top 6 teams will match-up with each other in what could be some playoff previews. If you're on the East coast, staying up late for some real top-notch hockey could be worth it tonight.
Marquee Match-Up: San Jose Sharks (43-16-10, 96 points, 1st in Pacific, 1st in West) at Vancouver Canucks (43-24-3, 89 points, 1st in Northwest, 3rd in West)
10:00 pm EST/7:00 pm PST
The Sharks are in the spin cycle right now: they've lost 2 in a row and if it hadn't been for a third-period explosion at home against the Predators, it would be 3. Theoretically they hit rock-bottom on Tuesday in Dallas, losing 8-2 and surpassing their previous worst efforts against Chicago & LA (7 goals allowed in each, twice against the Kings). Suddenly, teams they had thought were long forgotten in their rear-view mirror are right there staring at them: the Coyotes are only 5 points back for the division lead, and the Canucks are only 7 points back for 1st in the West. Granted, the Sharks do have a game in hand on both of those teams, but a game in hand is fairly worthless when you're playing as bad as San Jose is right now. So this game becomes far more important than it might have been months ago, when the Canucks were still double-digits behind San Jose: this is a 4-point game, as a win by the Sharks makes that gap 9, but a win by the Canucks shrinks that gap down to just 5 points. Will San Jose be this year's version of the Calgary Flames, a team that jumped out to a gigantic, double-digit gap in their division and then played so badly down the stretch they squandered it and were passed just before the playoffs? Obviously it goes without saying it would be an unmitigated disaster for this Sharks team that is built to win now.
Prediction: Canucks 3-2
Runner-Up: Chicago Blackhawks (44-19-6, 94 points, 1st in Central, 2nd in West) at Los Angeles Kings (40-23-5, 85 points, 3rd in Pacific, 6th in West)
10:30 pm EST/7:30 pm PST
This game is a battle between two teams who have hit a bit of a skid: the Kings are a middling 3-3-1 since the Olympic break, while the Blackhawks are bruised, battered, and dropping games left-and-right (sometimes in devastating fashion, like over the weekend to the Flyers & Capitals). Is there reason to worry? Not really. The Kings have, for the most part, played very well even in their defeats, most of which have been by 1 goal. Playing down the stretch has been a learning process for this young team, and despite falling to 6th they're only 1 point behind Colorado with two games in hand on them, and 6 points behind Phoenix, also with 2 games in hand. So they can make up that ground fairly easily, and they'll get a hell of a chance to do it tonight playing a Chicago team that took yet another big hit to their blueline last night in Anaheim. The Hawks, meanwhile, find themselves in the unfamiliar position of not having a hell of a lot to play for in March; they've got the Central all but wrapped up, as even with their recent struggles they still lead 2nd place Nashville by 11 points (with a game in hand). It's nothing we haven't seen year after year from Detroit when they've had these gigantic leads in the Central with only 13 or so games remaining. It's hard to get up for these games, especially when your primary concern is just getting healthy again in time for the playoffs. And I've been pleasantly surprised to see MOST of Chicago's fanbase recognize that. Look for them to drop another game here, but it's no time to panic.
Prediction: Kings 3-2 (OT)
Under the Radar: Pittsburgh Penguins (41-24-5, 87 points, 2nd in Atlantic, 4th in East) at Boston Bruins (31-26-12, 74 points, 4th in Northeast, 8th in East)
7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST
National TV: NHL Network (US only)
This game is really only "under the radar" if you haven't been paying attention and missed last week's Matt Cooke hit, so I guess today this award functions more like a third runner-up. There was just nothing else on the list that really striked me as a must-see game, but this one certainly is. You have the aforementioned Cooke-on-Savard hit, although those expecting retaliation should remember that teams tend not to come out and retaliate when you expect them to, especially when Colin Campbell will be in attendance and both teams are in desperate need of two points. The Penguins are coming off yet another loss to their Atlantic division rivals last night, and now must pick up points to keep pace with them, as the Devils have one more win and a game in hand on them. The Bruins are looking to continue to separate themselves from 9th place New York; they've still got a game in hand on them, and with a win here and some help from St. Louis they could open up a huge 5-point lead that would really start to put the nail in the coffin of the Blueshirts' playoff hopes.
Prediction: Penguins 4-1
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: Phoenix Coyotes (43-22-5, 91 points, 2nd in Pacific, 4th in West) at Florida Panthers (28-30-10, 66 points, 4th in Southeast, 13th in East)
7:30 PM EST/4:30 pm PST
The Coyotes have hit upon a winning formula in their 6-game winning streak: score a few early goals and then just hold on tight. It doesn't exactly make for much in the way of excitement, and there's few things less exciting than a Florida Panthers game in March anyway. With a ton of teams battling for playoff position on at the same time, there's really no good reason to watch this game.
Prediction: Coyotes 3-1
The Rest
Capitals @ Hurricanes, 7:00 pm EST: Carolina's miracle run back towards playoff contention has hit a bit of a snag of late, as they've dropped two in a row at the worst possible time. Their gap for 8th is back to double-digits, and their season is back to being on life support. A win at home over the Southeast division-leading Capitals is absolutely essential to keep their hopes alive, and you can say a lot of things about how they played against Boston in that loss but you can't say the effort wasn't there. Expect the effort to be there again tonight, and it should make for a pretty entertaining hockey game. The Ovechkin-less Capitals continue to show they're no longer a one-man team. Verdict: Probably Worth Your Time
Blues @ Rangers, 7:00 pm EST: Now, while Carolina came out with a lot of effort in their loss to Boston, the Rangers, a team who is FAR closer to it than the Canes, inexplicably came out flat against the Habs on Tuesday. King Henrik played great, but he couldn't do it single-handidly, and the fact that they had just 10 shots through two periods is honestly astounding. They need to bounce back quickly at home against a middling Blues squad who is also desperate for points to keep their own, far more slim playoff hopes alive. If they find the effort they had against the Flyers on Sunday again tonight, this one could be worth tuning in for, but if they play like they did on Tuesday, take a pass on the Rangers' latest "must-win game". Prediction: Might Be Worth Your Time
Senators @ Thrashers, 7:00 pm EST: (National TV on RDS, Canada & French only) The Sens continue to struggle, their latest loss in a 3-game losing streak coming on Tuesday to their southern Ontario rivals. It's not a good thing when the Toronto Marlies featuring special guest starts Phil Kessel & Dion Phaneuf are largely outplaying you en route to a 4-1 victory. They're heading into Atlanta to play another team that's been bad of late, and sometimes two bad teams produce a great game as both teams look at it as a perfect opportunity to turn things around. Other times, however, they both just kind of flail at each other. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Sabres @ Lightning, 7:30 pm EST: Tampa Bay has been playing better, which you wouldn't know since they've dropped 2 in a row at home, but they could have easily won those games against two very good teams in Pittsburgh and Phoenix. Unfortunately for the Lightning and their increasingly slim playoff hopes, tonight they invite another very good team, the Northeast-leading Buffalo Sabres, into the Forum. A win here would be a great way to turn things around, but a loss will shovel the last little bits of dirt onto their playoff hopes. Either way, with the desperation Tampa's been playing with of late, this should be a good game. Verdict: Probably Worth Your Time
Devils @ Maple Leafs, 7:30 pm EST: The young and hungry Leafs are actually playing some pretty fun hockey of late, as they are in that part of the schedule where they have no pressure and are playing like it. They've played the Devils very well this season, winning 2 out of 3 and it easily could have been 3 had their goalie not collapsed in the 3rd period just before the Olympic break. The Devils are coming off a huge win over Atlantic rivals Pittsburgh last night, and this has all the makings of a classic letdown game. I'm gonna go with a middling answer for the verdict, as this game's worthiness honestly depends on whether or not the Devils decide to show up and if they have enough left in the tank after yet another hard-fought win over the Pens 24 hours ago. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Wild @ Predators, 8:00 pm EST: Two teams that are riding 3-game winning streaks meet up in Nashville. The Predators are slowly inching away from playoff bubble status, now 3 points up on 8th place Detroit & 4 points on 9th place Calgary. The Wild are still 6 points back of Detroit, and need to keep piling up those wins if they're going to get back in it. Neither of these teams are what you would call exciting, but this has the potential to be a better-than-average game just because of how hot both teams are right now. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Flyers @ Stars, 8:30 pm EST: Philadelphia begins life without Michael Leighton in Dallas tonight, as the Stars are coming off that epic 8-2 win over San Jose. Not much else to say about this one: the Stars need to keep picking up wins to keep their very faint playoff hopes alive, while the Flyers will be looking to get a good first start out of Brian Boucher to try and inspire some confidence in him from his teammates while Leighton is out with his high ankle sprain (a very tricky injury, especially for goaltenders). Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Alright folks, that'll do it for another look at the night's NHL action. Enjoy the games.
Tonight, we get back into the swing of things with an 11-game schedule. So let's get right to it. As always, here's the awards we'll be giving out:
Marquee Match-Up: The biggest game of the night, the game you absolutely need to see, featuring the biggest stars and/or the best rivalries.
The Runner-Up: Basically the same criteria that applies to the Marquee, just not quite as big of a deal as the night's biggest game.
Under the Radar: This is a game that, for whatever reason, just wouldn't normally jump out at you if you're taking a quick glance at the day's schedule, but upon taking a closer look, this should probably be a great game.
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: With the Winter Olympics fresh on everyone's mind, I'm naming this dubious "award" after the Olympics' most craptastic event that NBC tried to push off on us all in lieu of actual figure skating. Please do yourself a favor, don't watch this game.
Once those four picks are done with, I'll go through The Rest and tell you which of those games just might be worth your time as well. Even if you don't have Center Ice, I'll make sure to note which (if any) of these games are available on national TV in the US & Canada.
Thursday, March 18th
Overall: An 11-game schedule provides some real excitement, especially in the West where 4 of the top 6 teams will match-up with each other in what could be some playoff previews. If you're on the East coast, staying up late for some real top-notch hockey could be worth it tonight.
Marquee Match-Up: San Jose Sharks (43-16-10, 96 points, 1st in Pacific, 1st in West) at Vancouver Canucks (43-24-3, 89 points, 1st in Northwest, 3rd in West)
10:00 pm EST/7:00 pm PST
The Sharks are in the spin cycle right now: they've lost 2 in a row and if it hadn't been for a third-period explosion at home against the Predators, it would be 3. Theoretically they hit rock-bottom on Tuesday in Dallas, losing 8-2 and surpassing their previous worst efforts against Chicago & LA (7 goals allowed in each, twice against the Kings). Suddenly, teams they had thought were long forgotten in their rear-view mirror are right there staring at them: the Coyotes are only 5 points back for the division lead, and the Canucks are only 7 points back for 1st in the West. Granted, the Sharks do have a game in hand on both of those teams, but a game in hand is fairly worthless when you're playing as bad as San Jose is right now. So this game becomes far more important than it might have been months ago, when the Canucks were still double-digits behind San Jose: this is a 4-point game, as a win by the Sharks makes that gap 9, but a win by the Canucks shrinks that gap down to just 5 points. Will San Jose be this year's version of the Calgary Flames, a team that jumped out to a gigantic, double-digit gap in their division and then played so badly down the stretch they squandered it and were passed just before the playoffs? Obviously it goes without saying it would be an unmitigated disaster for this Sharks team that is built to win now.
Prediction: Canucks 3-2
Runner-Up: Chicago Blackhawks (44-19-6, 94 points, 1st in Central, 2nd in West) at Los Angeles Kings (40-23-5, 85 points, 3rd in Pacific, 6th in West)
10:30 pm EST/7:30 pm PST
This game is a battle between two teams who have hit a bit of a skid: the Kings are a middling 3-3-1 since the Olympic break, while the Blackhawks are bruised, battered, and dropping games left-and-right (sometimes in devastating fashion, like over the weekend to the Flyers & Capitals). Is there reason to worry? Not really. The Kings have, for the most part, played very well even in their defeats, most of which have been by 1 goal. Playing down the stretch has been a learning process for this young team, and despite falling to 6th they're only 1 point behind Colorado with two games in hand on them, and 6 points behind Phoenix, also with 2 games in hand. So they can make up that ground fairly easily, and they'll get a hell of a chance to do it tonight playing a Chicago team that took yet another big hit to their blueline last night in Anaheim. The Hawks, meanwhile, find themselves in the unfamiliar position of not having a hell of a lot to play for in March; they've got the Central all but wrapped up, as even with their recent struggles they still lead 2nd place Nashville by 11 points (with a game in hand). It's nothing we haven't seen year after year from Detroit when they've had these gigantic leads in the Central with only 13 or so games remaining. It's hard to get up for these games, especially when your primary concern is just getting healthy again in time for the playoffs. And I've been pleasantly surprised to see MOST of Chicago's fanbase recognize that. Look for them to drop another game here, but it's no time to panic.
Prediction: Kings 3-2 (OT)
Under the Radar: Pittsburgh Penguins (41-24-5, 87 points, 2nd in Atlantic, 4th in East) at Boston Bruins (31-26-12, 74 points, 4th in Northeast, 8th in East)
7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST
National TV: NHL Network (US only)
This game is really only "under the radar" if you haven't been paying attention and missed last week's Matt Cooke hit, so I guess today this award functions more like a third runner-up. There was just nothing else on the list that really striked me as a must-see game, but this one certainly is. You have the aforementioned Cooke-on-Savard hit, although those expecting retaliation should remember that teams tend not to come out and retaliate when you expect them to, especially when Colin Campbell will be in attendance and both teams are in desperate need of two points. The Penguins are coming off yet another loss to their Atlantic division rivals last night, and now must pick up points to keep pace with them, as the Devils have one more win and a game in hand on them. The Bruins are looking to continue to separate themselves from 9th place New York; they've still got a game in hand on them, and with a win here and some help from St. Louis they could open up a huge 5-point lead that would really start to put the nail in the coffin of the Blueshirts' playoff hopes.
Prediction: Penguins 4-1
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: Phoenix Coyotes (43-22-5, 91 points, 2nd in Pacific, 4th in West) at Florida Panthers (28-30-10, 66 points, 4th in Southeast, 13th in East)
7:30 PM EST/4:30 pm PST
The Coyotes have hit upon a winning formula in their 6-game winning streak: score a few early goals and then just hold on tight. It doesn't exactly make for much in the way of excitement, and there's few things less exciting than a Florida Panthers game in March anyway. With a ton of teams battling for playoff position on at the same time, there's really no good reason to watch this game.
Prediction: Coyotes 3-1
The Rest
Capitals @ Hurricanes, 7:00 pm EST: Carolina's miracle run back towards playoff contention has hit a bit of a snag of late, as they've dropped two in a row at the worst possible time. Their gap for 8th is back to double-digits, and their season is back to being on life support. A win at home over the Southeast division-leading Capitals is absolutely essential to keep their hopes alive, and you can say a lot of things about how they played against Boston in that loss but you can't say the effort wasn't there. Expect the effort to be there again tonight, and it should make for a pretty entertaining hockey game. The Ovechkin-less Capitals continue to show they're no longer a one-man team. Verdict: Probably Worth Your Time
Blues @ Rangers, 7:00 pm EST: Now, while Carolina came out with a lot of effort in their loss to Boston, the Rangers, a team who is FAR closer to it than the Canes, inexplicably came out flat against the Habs on Tuesday. King Henrik played great, but he couldn't do it single-handidly, and the fact that they had just 10 shots through two periods is honestly astounding. They need to bounce back quickly at home against a middling Blues squad who is also desperate for points to keep their own, far more slim playoff hopes alive. If they find the effort they had against the Flyers on Sunday again tonight, this one could be worth tuning in for, but if they play like they did on Tuesday, take a pass on the Rangers' latest "must-win game". Prediction: Might Be Worth Your Time
Senators @ Thrashers, 7:00 pm EST: (National TV on RDS, Canada & French only) The Sens continue to struggle, their latest loss in a 3-game losing streak coming on Tuesday to their southern Ontario rivals. It's not a good thing when the Toronto Marlies featuring special guest starts Phil Kessel & Dion Phaneuf are largely outplaying you en route to a 4-1 victory. They're heading into Atlanta to play another team that's been bad of late, and sometimes two bad teams produce a great game as both teams look at it as a perfect opportunity to turn things around. Other times, however, they both just kind of flail at each other. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Sabres @ Lightning, 7:30 pm EST: Tampa Bay has been playing better, which you wouldn't know since they've dropped 2 in a row at home, but they could have easily won those games against two very good teams in Pittsburgh and Phoenix. Unfortunately for the Lightning and their increasingly slim playoff hopes, tonight they invite another very good team, the Northeast-leading Buffalo Sabres, into the Forum. A win here would be a great way to turn things around, but a loss will shovel the last little bits of dirt onto their playoff hopes. Either way, with the desperation Tampa's been playing with of late, this should be a good game. Verdict: Probably Worth Your Time
Devils @ Maple Leafs, 7:30 pm EST: The young and hungry Leafs are actually playing some pretty fun hockey of late, as they are in that part of the schedule where they have no pressure and are playing like it. They've played the Devils very well this season, winning 2 out of 3 and it easily could have been 3 had their goalie not collapsed in the 3rd period just before the Olympic break. The Devils are coming off a huge win over Atlantic rivals Pittsburgh last night, and this has all the makings of a classic letdown game. I'm gonna go with a middling answer for the verdict, as this game's worthiness honestly depends on whether or not the Devils decide to show up and if they have enough left in the tank after yet another hard-fought win over the Pens 24 hours ago. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Wild @ Predators, 8:00 pm EST: Two teams that are riding 3-game winning streaks meet up in Nashville. The Predators are slowly inching away from playoff bubble status, now 3 points up on 8th place Detroit & 4 points on 9th place Calgary. The Wild are still 6 points back of Detroit, and need to keep piling up those wins if they're going to get back in it. Neither of these teams are what you would call exciting, but this has the potential to be a better-than-average game just because of how hot both teams are right now. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Flyers @ Stars, 8:30 pm EST: Philadelphia begins life without Michael Leighton in Dallas tonight, as the Stars are coming off that epic 8-2 win over San Jose. Not much else to say about this one: the Stars need to keep picking up wins to keep their very faint playoff hopes alive, while the Flyers will be looking to get a good first start out of Brian Boucher to try and inspire some confidence in him from his teammates while Leighton is out with his high ankle sprain (a very tricky injury, especially for goaltenders). Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Alright folks, that'll do it for another look at the night's NHL action. Enjoy the games.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Today's Games to Watch 3/13
Yes, it's another supremely early edition of Today's Games to Watch, as yours truly will be making his way to the City of Brotherly Love to watch his Blackhawks takes on the Flyers, live and in-person. But don't worry, I always think of you guys, so before bed to make it up in time for a (relatively long) drive to Philly, let's talk...
About Last Night...
Devils 3-Penguins 1
(My Prediction: Devils 4-2)
Oh yeah, another really close one! Not that picking the Devils to beat the Penguins this season is really a tough pick....that's their fifth straight win over their Atlantic Division rivals, and they will play one more game next week, still in New Jersey. With the victory the Devils move within 2 points of the Penguins, still with 2 games in hand, so I'd be sweating a little bit if I was a Penguins fan. Especially now that Ilya Kovalchuk finally exploded for 3 points against the Pens- if that's a sign of things to come down the stretch for Kovy, the Devils should be looking at not just back-to-back Atlantic titles, but possibly doing some actual damage in the playoffs for the first time since the lockout (they've only been past the first-round once, and never past the second).
Predators 1-Ducks 0
(My Prediction: Ducks 4-1)
Well folks, that's officially the last time I'll make the mistake of expecting the Anaheim Ducks to show up for a hockey game. Just like they've been doing in EVERY GAME since the Olympic break ended, the Ducks showed up for about 10 minutes in the 3rd period, and it was too little, too late against a very, very good defensive-minded Nashville team. This is a Preds team that's very proud of their defense, and you could tell they came out looking to make a statement after being embarrassed giving up 6 goals to San Jose in the 3rd period the night before. The Ducks would have required someone in the rafters with an automatic rifle pointed at the Preds' defensemen in order to get anywhere near a rebound, and as a result their season is pretty much over.
Kings 2-Stars 1 (SO)
(My Prediction: Kings 4-1)
How's this for a random stat: AHL standout Jonathan Bernier (he of the 2.09 GAA and .939 save %) was 0-5 in shootouts this season. In his very first NHL start, he not only won a shootout, but was perfect in stopping all six Dallas shooters he faced before Jarrett Stoll finally finished for another LA win. And stop and look at who showed up in this game for the Kings: Bernier, AHL call-up replacing the Kings' record-setting starting netminder who went home in preparation for his wife giving birth. Stoll, second-line center who's played as low as third-line for this incredibly balanced team, wins it in the shootout. Freddy Modin, who scored his third goal in four games as King (after scoring just 2 in 24 games as a Blue Jacket). That goal was assisted by captain Dustin Brown and reinvigorated sniper Alexander Frolov. Guess who I didn't mention, at all? You guessed it, the ENTIRE TOP LINE, the reunited Smyth-Kopitar-Williams line who looked like they were still getting used to getting back to playing together again. How many NHL teams can win, consistently mind you (Williams & Smyth were injured throughout the season and Kopitar went through a LONG scoring drought), when their top line isn't producing? That's why this Kings team is so good and so exciting to watch: they are deep at almost every position, and poised to be a powerhouse for years to come. But I digress.
Wild 3-Sabres 2
(My Prediction: Sabres 3-0)
Hey, I'm happy to be wrong about a team I thought was left for dead, so good on the Wild to bounce back from their embarassment in Motown and pick up a huge win, on the road, over an Eastern Conference power. The more teams who manage to stay in it, even by the slimmest of margins, the more exciting that makes the stretch run. So I'm happy for the Wild and their fans.
Okay folks, you know the drill by now: here's the awards we'll be handing out for tonight's night (err...and day) of hockey action.
Marquee Match-Up: The biggest game of the night, the game you absolutely need to see, featuring the biggest stars and/or the best rivalries.
The Runner-Up: Basically the same criteria that applies to the Marquee, just not quite as big of a deal as the night's biggest game.
Under the Radar: This is a game that, for whatever reason, just wouldn't normally jump out at you if you're taking a quick glance at the day's schedule, but upon taking a closer look, this should probably be a great game.
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: With the Winter Olympics fresh on everyone's mind, I'm naming this dubious "award" after the Olympics' most craptastic event that NBC tried to push off on us all in lieu of actual figure skating. Please do yourself a favor, don't watch this game.
Saturday March 13th
Overall: Not much compared to a normal Saturday, just 9 games and not a ton of big-time match-ups either, but that's what you have to expect now that the NHL actually has games on Sunday, too.
Marquee Match-Up: Boston Bruins (30-24-12, 72 points, 4th in Northeast, 8th in East) at Montreal Canadiens (34-29-6, 74 points, 3rd in Northeast, 7th in East)
7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST
National TV: CBC (Canada) & NHL Network (US)
This has all the makings of marquee: first of all, it's the Bruins and the Habs, hockey's oldest and arguably greatest rivalry. Second of all, it's Hockey Night in Canada. Finally, it's a battle of two teams sitting in 7th and 8th and seperated by just two points. While the teams sitting below them will just be praying that this one doesn't go past regulation, you have to expect both these rivals to come out looking to put a wrench in each other's playoff hopes. Both teams are aware of how many games they've played- namely, the fact that the Bruins have THREE games in hand on the Habs. This is a huge chance for the Bruins to really make the Habs sweat and sit them right off on the edge of that playoff bubble, or it's a chance for the Habs to keep moving up in the standings. Either way, something big will happen in the East playoff race, you can be sure of that.
Prediction: Habs 3-1
Runner-Up: Chicago Blackhawks (44-17-5, 93 points, 1st in Central, 2nd in West) at Philadelphia Flyers (35-27-4, 74 points, 3rd in Atlantic, 6th in East)
1:00 pm EST/11:00 am PST
I'm not picking this one just because I'm going to it: this is a game between two teams who many, many people had picked to meet in the Stanley Cup Finals before this season started. Of course, the Flyers haven't quite played up to those lofty standards for the better part of the season, but they've still shown flashes of it at times. Meanwhile, both these teams have the common fear of their goaltending not quite being good enough to make it to a Cup final. Chicago will be looking to pick up points here on the first night of a back-to-back, with a much harder game coming tomorrow at 12:30 in Washington (probably the greatest pick for an NBC game of the week I've seen all year, but that's for tomorrow's blog). Philly, meanwhile, needs to bounce back from getting embarrass at home by the Bruins 5-1, and for the most part they've been a very resilient team this season. Look for this one to get physical and go down to the wire.
Prediction: Blackhawks 5-4 (SO)
Under the Radar: Ottawa Senators (37-26-5, 79 points, 2nd in Northeast, 5th in East) at Vancouver Canucks (41-23-3, 85 points, 1st in Northwest, 3rd in West)
10:00 pm EST/7:00 pm PST
National TV: CBC (Canada)
A meeting between the suddenly goal-starved Senators and the high-powered Canucks probably has the look and feel of a blowout at first glance, and it probably will be, but you should still watch this game. Why? Because it's the Canucks' triumphant return to Vancouver after putting up a very, very good 8-5-1 record throughout their 14-game road trip, the longest road trip in NHL history. This is a city that was already energized from the Olympics, and now they're welcoming back their Canucks as Northwest division-conquering heroes. The crowd reactions alone should be able to bring chills up and down your spine. The game, quite frankly, is secondary at best.
Prediction: Canucks 5-1
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: Florida Panthers (27-29-10, 64 points, 4th in Southeast, 13th in East) at San Jose Sharks (43-14-9, 95 points, 1st in Pacific, 1st in West)
4:00 pm EST/1:00 pm PST
Woof. There's quite a few clunkers on today's schedule, but this is by FAR the clunkiest of them all. What else can you say about the Panthers that hasn't been said already? They're the only team in the NHL whose ownership actually came out and told their fanbase that they're giving up on the season (seriously, and not even the Oilers did that). If you asked your buddy to name all 30 NHL teams, this is the team they're most likely to forget, even above such luminaries as the Ohio Something-Jackets, the Other New York Team, and That Team That Traded Kovalchuk to New Jersey. So yeah, those guys are IN SAN JOSE to face the Western Conference's best team. If you needed me to tell you this game will probably be worthless, I'm not sure how you found your way to a computer to read this blog to begin with.
Prediction: Sharks 5-0
The Rest
Sabres @ Red Wings, 7:00 pm EST: While it's nice that the Red Wings are healthy again, they haven't exactly been the model of consistency of late: they've only won 2 in a row once since the Olympics, as they've gone win-loss-win-loss otherwise. If they really want to not just catch the Flames & Predators, but perhaps put them in the rear-view mirror permanently and take hold of a playoff spot for themselves like everyone expects them to, they have to start beating the good teams consistently. Beating the Minnesota Wilds of the world is fine, but now if they can come out at home and beat a very good Buffalo team, it will send a message that they are finally back. Verdict: Probably Worth Your Time
Coyotes @ Hurricanes, 7:00 pm EST: The downsides to this game are that it's intra-conference and Phoenix can play a pretty boring style at times. But the upside is that both of these teams will be pretty desperate for points for entirely different reasons: the 'Yotes are expecting to win against the 14th-place Canes as they try to keep pace with Los Angeles in the (increasingly insane) race for 4th in the Western Conference. The Hurricanes, meanwhile, are coming off another huge win over the defending Cup champion Penguins and are looking to continue their magical run back towards the playoffs. If the Canes are gonna have a shot in hell, they can't afford to drop points on home ice. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Devils @ Islanders, 7:00 pm EST: Yeah, okay, I have nothing funny or witty to say about this game. You got me. It's the Devils and the Isles, it's a really good team against a really bad team, film at 11, just don't watch the game. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Oilers @ Maple Leafs, 7:00 pm EST: (National TV on CBC, Canada only) Normally a nice pointless battle between two teams that are out of it is automatic don't-watch material, but this game actually might be kind of interesting. I know, I'm going against pretty much everything I've ever said on this blog, but hear me out: since the trade-deadline moved out a few older bodies, both the Oilers & the Leafs have been playing pretty good hockey. It's normal this time of year for teams that are out of it to start playing better: they have nothing to play for, and with the trade deadline over they don't have to worry about who's getting moved and can just focus on showing up to the rink. So this game could either be a boring one between two teams that don't matter and play like it, or an exciting clash between two young teams who are loose as all hell. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Blues @ Blue Jackets, 7:00 pm EST: It's very bad when hockey games remind me of 2000 WCW wrestling angles, but the first thing I think of when I see this game is the "feud" between Booker T and the former Ahmed Johnson (now "Big T") with the winner getting the RIGHTS TO THE LETTER T~! Yes, this actually happened, and poor Booker T lost and was called just plain 'ol "Booker" for months as a result before it was mercifully forgotten. So here's my pitch: the winner of this game gets the RIGHT TO USE THE WORD BLUE for the rest of the season! Imagine, the Columbus Jackets entering battle without their prized color in their name! Are YOU ready for a world where the Jackets can no longer properly express the majesty and reverence of Columbus hockey, circa....uh....2000? Or, on the flipside, having no other word in their name to fall back on, the world is suddenly treated to the St. Louis Oranges, completely with half-peeled fruit for a logo. Okay, really dumb idea that I spent way too much time talking about, but it hopefully distracted you from the fact that I, like every single other person on the planet earth, have nothing to say about this game. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time...unless they take my idea, then MUST-SEE TV~!!!
And that's it folks. I'll be back as always, unless of course you hear about an unfortunate Blackhawks fan strangled with their own jersey and left for dead in the middle of Philly, in which case it was a pleasure to serve you all! See you around!
About Last Night...
Devils 3-Penguins 1
(My Prediction: Devils 4-2)
Oh yeah, another really close one! Not that picking the Devils to beat the Penguins this season is really a tough pick....that's their fifth straight win over their Atlantic Division rivals, and they will play one more game next week, still in New Jersey. With the victory the Devils move within 2 points of the Penguins, still with 2 games in hand, so I'd be sweating a little bit if I was a Penguins fan. Especially now that Ilya Kovalchuk finally exploded for 3 points against the Pens- if that's a sign of things to come down the stretch for Kovy, the Devils should be looking at not just back-to-back Atlantic titles, but possibly doing some actual damage in the playoffs for the first time since the lockout (they've only been past the first-round once, and never past the second).
Predators 1-Ducks 0
(My Prediction: Ducks 4-1)
Well folks, that's officially the last time I'll make the mistake of expecting the Anaheim Ducks to show up for a hockey game. Just like they've been doing in EVERY GAME since the Olympic break ended, the Ducks showed up for about 10 minutes in the 3rd period, and it was too little, too late against a very, very good defensive-minded Nashville team. This is a Preds team that's very proud of their defense, and you could tell they came out looking to make a statement after being embarrassed giving up 6 goals to San Jose in the 3rd period the night before. The Ducks would have required someone in the rafters with an automatic rifle pointed at the Preds' defensemen in order to get anywhere near a rebound, and as a result their season is pretty much over.
Kings 2-Stars 1 (SO)
(My Prediction: Kings 4-1)
How's this for a random stat: AHL standout Jonathan Bernier (he of the 2.09 GAA and .939 save %) was 0-5 in shootouts this season. In his very first NHL start, he not only won a shootout, but was perfect in stopping all six Dallas shooters he faced before Jarrett Stoll finally finished for another LA win. And stop and look at who showed up in this game for the Kings: Bernier, AHL call-up replacing the Kings' record-setting starting netminder who went home in preparation for his wife giving birth. Stoll, second-line center who's played as low as third-line for this incredibly balanced team, wins it in the shootout. Freddy Modin, who scored his third goal in four games as King (after scoring just 2 in 24 games as a Blue Jacket). That goal was assisted by captain Dustin Brown and reinvigorated sniper Alexander Frolov. Guess who I didn't mention, at all? You guessed it, the ENTIRE TOP LINE, the reunited Smyth-Kopitar-Williams line who looked like they were still getting used to getting back to playing together again. How many NHL teams can win, consistently mind you (Williams & Smyth were injured throughout the season and Kopitar went through a LONG scoring drought), when their top line isn't producing? That's why this Kings team is so good and so exciting to watch: they are deep at almost every position, and poised to be a powerhouse for years to come. But I digress.
Wild 3-Sabres 2
(My Prediction: Sabres 3-0)
Hey, I'm happy to be wrong about a team I thought was left for dead, so good on the Wild to bounce back from their embarassment in Motown and pick up a huge win, on the road, over an Eastern Conference power. The more teams who manage to stay in it, even by the slimmest of margins, the more exciting that makes the stretch run. So I'm happy for the Wild and their fans.
Okay folks, you know the drill by now: here's the awards we'll be handing out for tonight's night (err...and day) of hockey action.
Marquee Match-Up: The biggest game of the night, the game you absolutely need to see, featuring the biggest stars and/or the best rivalries.
The Runner-Up: Basically the same criteria that applies to the Marquee, just not quite as big of a deal as the night's biggest game.
Under the Radar: This is a game that, for whatever reason, just wouldn't normally jump out at you if you're taking a quick glance at the day's schedule, but upon taking a closer look, this should probably be a great game.
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: With the Winter Olympics fresh on everyone's mind, I'm naming this dubious "award" after the Olympics' most craptastic event that NBC tried to push off on us all in lieu of actual figure skating. Please do yourself a favor, don't watch this game.
Saturday March 13th
Overall: Not much compared to a normal Saturday, just 9 games and not a ton of big-time match-ups either, but that's what you have to expect now that the NHL actually has games on Sunday, too.
Marquee Match-Up: Boston Bruins (30-24-12, 72 points, 4th in Northeast, 8th in East) at Montreal Canadiens (34-29-6, 74 points, 3rd in Northeast, 7th in East)
7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST
National TV: CBC (Canada) & NHL Network (US)
This has all the makings of marquee: first of all, it's the Bruins and the Habs, hockey's oldest and arguably greatest rivalry. Second of all, it's Hockey Night in Canada. Finally, it's a battle of two teams sitting in 7th and 8th and seperated by just two points. While the teams sitting below them will just be praying that this one doesn't go past regulation, you have to expect both these rivals to come out looking to put a wrench in each other's playoff hopes. Both teams are aware of how many games they've played- namely, the fact that the Bruins have THREE games in hand on the Habs. This is a huge chance for the Bruins to really make the Habs sweat and sit them right off on the edge of that playoff bubble, or it's a chance for the Habs to keep moving up in the standings. Either way, something big will happen in the East playoff race, you can be sure of that.
Prediction: Habs 3-1
Runner-Up: Chicago Blackhawks (44-17-5, 93 points, 1st in Central, 2nd in West) at Philadelphia Flyers (35-27-4, 74 points, 3rd in Atlantic, 6th in East)
1:00 pm EST/11:00 am PST
I'm not picking this one just because I'm going to it: this is a game between two teams who many, many people had picked to meet in the Stanley Cup Finals before this season started. Of course, the Flyers haven't quite played up to those lofty standards for the better part of the season, but they've still shown flashes of it at times. Meanwhile, both these teams have the common fear of their goaltending not quite being good enough to make it to a Cup final. Chicago will be looking to pick up points here on the first night of a back-to-back, with a much harder game coming tomorrow at 12:30 in Washington (probably the greatest pick for an NBC game of the week I've seen all year, but that's for tomorrow's blog). Philly, meanwhile, needs to bounce back from getting embarrass at home by the Bruins 5-1, and for the most part they've been a very resilient team this season. Look for this one to get physical and go down to the wire.
Prediction: Blackhawks 5-4 (SO)
Under the Radar: Ottawa Senators (37-26-5, 79 points, 2nd in Northeast, 5th in East) at Vancouver Canucks (41-23-3, 85 points, 1st in Northwest, 3rd in West)
10:00 pm EST/7:00 pm PST
National TV: CBC (Canada)
A meeting between the suddenly goal-starved Senators and the high-powered Canucks probably has the look and feel of a blowout at first glance, and it probably will be, but you should still watch this game. Why? Because it's the Canucks' triumphant return to Vancouver after putting up a very, very good 8-5-1 record throughout their 14-game road trip, the longest road trip in NHL history. This is a city that was already energized from the Olympics, and now they're welcoming back their Canucks as Northwest division-conquering heroes. The crowd reactions alone should be able to bring chills up and down your spine. The game, quite frankly, is secondary at best.
Prediction: Canucks 5-1
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: Florida Panthers (27-29-10, 64 points, 4th in Southeast, 13th in East) at San Jose Sharks (43-14-9, 95 points, 1st in Pacific, 1st in West)
4:00 pm EST/1:00 pm PST
Woof. There's quite a few clunkers on today's schedule, but this is by FAR the clunkiest of them all. What else can you say about the Panthers that hasn't been said already? They're the only team in the NHL whose ownership actually came out and told their fanbase that they're giving up on the season (seriously, and not even the Oilers did that). If you asked your buddy to name all 30 NHL teams, this is the team they're most likely to forget, even above such luminaries as the Ohio Something-Jackets, the Other New York Team, and That Team That Traded Kovalchuk to New Jersey. So yeah, those guys are IN SAN JOSE to face the Western Conference's best team. If you needed me to tell you this game will probably be worthless, I'm not sure how you found your way to a computer to read this blog to begin with.
Prediction: Sharks 5-0
The Rest
Sabres @ Red Wings, 7:00 pm EST: While it's nice that the Red Wings are healthy again, they haven't exactly been the model of consistency of late: they've only won 2 in a row once since the Olympics, as they've gone win-loss-win-loss otherwise. If they really want to not just catch the Flames & Predators, but perhaps put them in the rear-view mirror permanently and take hold of a playoff spot for themselves like everyone expects them to, they have to start beating the good teams consistently. Beating the Minnesota Wilds of the world is fine, but now if they can come out at home and beat a very good Buffalo team, it will send a message that they are finally back. Verdict: Probably Worth Your Time
Coyotes @ Hurricanes, 7:00 pm EST: The downsides to this game are that it's intra-conference and Phoenix can play a pretty boring style at times. But the upside is that both of these teams will be pretty desperate for points for entirely different reasons: the 'Yotes are expecting to win against the 14th-place Canes as they try to keep pace with Los Angeles in the (increasingly insane) race for 4th in the Western Conference. The Hurricanes, meanwhile, are coming off another huge win over the defending Cup champion Penguins and are looking to continue their magical run back towards the playoffs. If the Canes are gonna have a shot in hell, they can't afford to drop points on home ice. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Devils @ Islanders, 7:00 pm EST: Yeah, okay, I have nothing funny or witty to say about this game. You got me. It's the Devils and the Isles, it's a really good team against a really bad team, film at 11, just don't watch the game. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Oilers @ Maple Leafs, 7:00 pm EST: (National TV on CBC, Canada only) Normally a nice pointless battle between two teams that are out of it is automatic don't-watch material, but this game actually might be kind of interesting. I know, I'm going against pretty much everything I've ever said on this blog, but hear me out: since the trade-deadline moved out a few older bodies, both the Oilers & the Leafs have been playing pretty good hockey. It's normal this time of year for teams that are out of it to start playing better: they have nothing to play for, and with the trade deadline over they don't have to worry about who's getting moved and can just focus on showing up to the rink. So this game could either be a boring one between two teams that don't matter and play like it, or an exciting clash between two young teams who are loose as all hell. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Blues @ Blue Jackets, 7:00 pm EST: It's very bad when hockey games remind me of 2000 WCW wrestling angles, but the first thing I think of when I see this game is the "feud" between Booker T and the former Ahmed Johnson (now "Big T") with the winner getting the RIGHTS TO THE LETTER T~! Yes, this actually happened, and poor Booker T lost and was called just plain 'ol "Booker" for months as a result before it was mercifully forgotten. So here's my pitch: the winner of this game gets the RIGHT TO USE THE WORD BLUE for the rest of the season! Imagine, the Columbus Jackets entering battle without their prized color in their name! Are YOU ready for a world where the Jackets can no longer properly express the majesty and reverence of Columbus hockey, circa....uh....2000? Or, on the flipside, having no other word in their name to fall back on, the world is suddenly treated to the St. Louis Oranges, completely with half-peeled fruit for a logo. Okay, really dumb idea that I spent way too much time talking about, but it hopefully distracted you from the fact that I, like every single other person on the planet earth, have nothing to say about this game. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time...unless they take my idea, then MUST-SEE TV~!!!
And that's it folks. I'll be back as always, unless of course you hear about an unfortunate Blackhawks fan strangled with their own jersey and left for dead in the middle of Philly, in which case it was a pleasure to serve you all! See you around!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Today's Games to Watch 3/10
Welcome back to another night of action in the National Hockey League. Before we get into tonight's games, however, let's talk About Last Night....
Canucks 6-Avalanche 4
(My Prediction: Canucks 5-3)
My marquee match-up looked at first like it was going to be a dud of a game last night, as Colorado jumped out to a very early 3-0 lead. But just like they've done all season long, Vancouver battled back for their NHL-leading 10th win when trailing after two periods, and are now sitting 2nd in offense in the NHL. Plenty of people expected the Canucks to be a good team this year, but it was their defense & goaltending that was supposed to carry them. If you had the Canucks in 2nd in offense, well, congratulations Nostradamus, because you're the only one. A big part of that has been their deft off-season signing of Mikael Samuelsson from the Red Wings, who had a hat trick in this game. A great win for Vancouver to keep the young Avalanche at bay in the battle for the Northwest crown, and the Canucks' record in their epic 14-game road trip is now 8-5-0 with only one more game (@ Phoenix) to go before it's finally over.
Flames 4-Red Wings 2
(My Prediction: Flames 5-4 in a shootout)
The Red Wings at times last night looked surprisingly flat at home battling a team that was just one point below them for the 8th and final playoff spot in the West, allowing the Flames to leapfrog over them. Everytime the Red Wings finally look like the Wings again this season (see: beating the Hawks in Chicago on Sunday), they seem to stumble like they did tonight. Not a good sign for a team that's life-and-death to make the playoffs for the first time in two decades.
Canadiens 5-Lightning 3
(My Prediction: Habs 3-1)
Unlike the Red Wings, the Habs got things done against a team just below them in the playoff race on home ice, and they're looking more and more like a playoff team with each game.
Flyers 3-Islanders 2
(My Prediction: Flyers 5-1)
I'll give the Isles some props here: they made this far closer than I ever thought it would be, and even had a 2-1 lead for a while as they were trying to snap the Flyers' epic 15-game winning streak against them. But it just wasn't to be, as the Flyers rallied in the third to pick up yet another win over their divisional rivals.
With last night out of the way, let's get into tonight. Just to recap on what these picks all mean:
Marquee Match-Up: The biggest game of the night, the game you absolutely need to see, featuring the biggest stars and/or the best rivalries.
The Runner-Up: Basically the same criteria that applies to the Marquee, just not quite as big of a deal as the night's biggest game.
Under the Radar: This is a game that, for whatever reason, just wouldn't normally jump out at you if you're taking a quick glance at the day's schedule, but upon taking a closer look, this should probably be a great game.
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: With the Winter Olympics fresh on everyone's mind, I'm naming this dubious "award" after the Olympics' most craptastic event that NBC tried to push off on us all in lieu of actual figure skating. Please do yourself a favor, don't watch this game.
Once those four picks are done with, I'll go through The Rest and tell you which of those games just might be worth your time as well. Even if you don't have Center Ice, I'll make sure to note which (if any) of these games are available on national TV in the US & Canada.
Wednesday March 10th
Overall: Even though there's four fewer games than last night, tonight's line-up is overall much more strong when it comes to the match-ups. So let's get right into it.
Marquee Match-Up: Los Angeles Kings (39-22-4, 82 points, 3rd in Pacific, 5th in West) at Chicago Blackhawks (43-17-5, 91 points, 1st in Central, 2nd in West)
8:30 pm EST/5:30 pm PST
Playing the Kings tonight should provide a little bit of deja vu for the Hawks, as the Kings are pretty much exactly where Chicago was last year. They're a team with a great young nucleus built the right way through the draft who went out and made some big off-season acquisitions to help them take the next step. And like Chicago, instead of battling it out for 8th or 7th, they've skipped right ahead to fighting for home ice advantage in the first round. The Hawks finished 4th in the West last year, and the Kings are in a great position to do the same thing this year, just 1 point behind the Coyotes with a game in hand. If you're going to miss the playoffs for almost a decade, might as well charge into the playoffs in style. The Hawks, of course, have taken another big step forward this year, with the Central division all but wrapped up. They're trying to chase down San Jose for 1st overall in the West, but they're also coming off a shaky game against their Central rivals on Sunday afternoon. Expect a big bounce-back game for the Hawks, and expect a young Kings team who wants to have a much better effort than they did the last time they were in Chicago (when they were largely beaten up by the Hawks). Add those two things together and you have the potential for one hell of a hockey game.
Prediction: Hawks 5-4 in OT
Runner-Up: New York Rangers (29-28-9, 67 points, 4th in Atlantic, 9th in East) at New Jersey Devils (38-23-3, 79 points, 2nd in Atlantic, 4th in East)
7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST
It's always a big deal when these two cross-river rivals meet up, especially in Newark when the crowd has a tendency to be split almost evenly. Despite being in completely different places in the standings, both these teams have been struggling. Kovalchuk has been just OK since the Devils picked him up from the Thrashers, and they've quietly watched the Penguins pass them up for 1st in the Atlantic by 5 points (though the Devils do have 2 games in hand). The Rangers, meanwhile, have struggled coming out of the Olympic break and now sit 3 points behind 8th place Boston, with the Bruins still having a game in hand to boot. If the Rangers can start putting some wins together, however, the Bruins are significantly weaker with the loss of Marc Savard, so all is not lost in Ranger-land just yet. Tonight would be a great place to start against their most hated rivals, and it's very rare for these two teams to come together and not produce a very entertaining game. However, I just couldn't bump it above the Hawks-Kings game just because both these teams have struggled of late. Definitely a game you want to check out too, though.
Prediction: Rangers 3-2
Under the Radar: Vancouver Canucks (41-23-2, 84 points, 1st in Northwest, 3rd in West) at Phoenix Coyotes (39-22-5, 83 points, 2nd in Pacific, 4th in West)
10:00 pm EST/7:00 pm PST
National TV: TSN (Canada)
As I mentioned before, tonight is Vancouver's final game in their NHL-record-setting 14-game road trip, and you have to wonder just what they have left in the tank coming into Phoenix tonight. I'm bumping this game slightly above the two others (both of which have the potential to be great games, as well) for the Under the Radar award just because I think it will be very interesting to see how the Canucks come out against the 'Yotes. Will they be looking to finish their road trip on a high note, or will exhaustion finally set in? Let's not take anything away from the Coyotes, either. Phoenix is a huge surprise in a year full of them in the NHL, and they've got a lot to play for tonight with the battle for 4th place and home-ice in the first round against the Kings really heating up as of late.
Prediction: Coyotes 3-1
No Ice Dancing award tonight, as there's really no stinkers on tonight's five-game schedule. So with that said, let's talk about....
The Rest
Stars @ Sabres, 7:00 pm EST: This is a hard game to judge the entertainment value of: the Stars tend to play an up-tempo brand of hockey and should have a lot to play for with their playoff hopes still very much alive (5 points separate them from 8th place Calgary, and they're playing their game in hand tonight). On the other hand, the Sabres tend to play a very stifling brand of hockey and the Stars have been the model of inconsistency this year (they STILL haven't won more than 2 games in a row this year, which for a real playoff-contending team is just mind-boggling). You can probably guess what verdict that adds up to. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Hurricanes @ Capitals, 7:00 pm EST: (National TV on the NHL Network, US only) I almost went with this game for my Under the Radar pick, but the Caps' are just too far ahead of the Canes right now for me to assume this will be competitive. Still, you've got a lot of intrigue here: the Caps' bouncing back off a rare home-ice loss to the Stars (albeit in a shootout), the Canes looking to continue their improbable march back towards playoff contention (9 points out still, but who really thought they'd even be in single digits a few months back?), and Joe Corvo & Scott Walker playing against their former team. Verdict: Probably Worth Your Time
Tonight's shaping up to be a great night of hockey, so enjoy it folks, and I'll be back with you again tomorrow.
Canucks 6-Avalanche 4
(My Prediction: Canucks 5-3)
My marquee match-up looked at first like it was going to be a dud of a game last night, as Colorado jumped out to a very early 3-0 lead. But just like they've done all season long, Vancouver battled back for their NHL-leading 10th win when trailing after two periods, and are now sitting 2nd in offense in the NHL. Plenty of people expected the Canucks to be a good team this year, but it was their defense & goaltending that was supposed to carry them. If you had the Canucks in 2nd in offense, well, congratulations Nostradamus, because you're the only one. A big part of that has been their deft off-season signing of Mikael Samuelsson from the Red Wings, who had a hat trick in this game. A great win for Vancouver to keep the young Avalanche at bay in the battle for the Northwest crown, and the Canucks' record in their epic 14-game road trip is now 8-5-0 with only one more game (@ Phoenix) to go before it's finally over.
Flames 4-Red Wings 2
(My Prediction: Flames 5-4 in a shootout)
The Red Wings at times last night looked surprisingly flat at home battling a team that was just one point below them for the 8th and final playoff spot in the West, allowing the Flames to leapfrog over them. Everytime the Red Wings finally look like the Wings again this season (see: beating the Hawks in Chicago on Sunday), they seem to stumble like they did tonight. Not a good sign for a team that's life-and-death to make the playoffs for the first time in two decades.
Canadiens 5-Lightning 3
(My Prediction: Habs 3-1)
Unlike the Red Wings, the Habs got things done against a team just below them in the playoff race on home ice, and they're looking more and more like a playoff team with each game.
Flyers 3-Islanders 2
(My Prediction: Flyers 5-1)
I'll give the Isles some props here: they made this far closer than I ever thought it would be, and even had a 2-1 lead for a while as they were trying to snap the Flyers' epic 15-game winning streak against them. But it just wasn't to be, as the Flyers rallied in the third to pick up yet another win over their divisional rivals.
With last night out of the way, let's get into tonight. Just to recap on what these picks all mean:
Marquee Match-Up: The biggest game of the night, the game you absolutely need to see, featuring the biggest stars and/or the best rivalries.
The Runner-Up: Basically the same criteria that applies to the Marquee, just not quite as big of a deal as the night's biggest game.
Under the Radar: This is a game that, for whatever reason, just wouldn't normally jump out at you if you're taking a quick glance at the day's schedule, but upon taking a closer look, this should probably be a great game.
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: With the Winter Olympics fresh on everyone's mind, I'm naming this dubious "award" after the Olympics' most craptastic event that NBC tried to push off on us all in lieu of actual figure skating. Please do yourself a favor, don't watch this game.
Once those four picks are done with, I'll go through The Rest and tell you which of those games just might be worth your time as well. Even if you don't have Center Ice, I'll make sure to note which (if any) of these games are available on national TV in the US & Canada.
Wednesday March 10th
Overall: Even though there's four fewer games than last night, tonight's line-up is overall much more strong when it comes to the match-ups. So let's get right into it.
Marquee Match-Up: Los Angeles Kings (39-22-4, 82 points, 3rd in Pacific, 5th in West) at Chicago Blackhawks (43-17-5, 91 points, 1st in Central, 2nd in West)
8:30 pm EST/5:30 pm PST
Playing the Kings tonight should provide a little bit of deja vu for the Hawks, as the Kings are pretty much exactly where Chicago was last year. They're a team with a great young nucleus built the right way through the draft who went out and made some big off-season acquisitions to help them take the next step. And like Chicago, instead of battling it out for 8th or 7th, they've skipped right ahead to fighting for home ice advantage in the first round. The Hawks finished 4th in the West last year, and the Kings are in a great position to do the same thing this year, just 1 point behind the Coyotes with a game in hand. If you're going to miss the playoffs for almost a decade, might as well charge into the playoffs in style. The Hawks, of course, have taken another big step forward this year, with the Central division all but wrapped up. They're trying to chase down San Jose for 1st overall in the West, but they're also coming off a shaky game against their Central rivals on Sunday afternoon. Expect a big bounce-back game for the Hawks, and expect a young Kings team who wants to have a much better effort than they did the last time they were in Chicago (when they were largely beaten up by the Hawks). Add those two things together and you have the potential for one hell of a hockey game.
Prediction: Hawks 5-4 in OT
Runner-Up: New York Rangers (29-28-9, 67 points, 4th in Atlantic, 9th in East) at New Jersey Devils (38-23-3, 79 points, 2nd in Atlantic, 4th in East)
7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST
It's always a big deal when these two cross-river rivals meet up, especially in Newark when the crowd has a tendency to be split almost evenly. Despite being in completely different places in the standings, both these teams have been struggling. Kovalchuk has been just OK since the Devils picked him up from the Thrashers, and they've quietly watched the Penguins pass them up for 1st in the Atlantic by 5 points (though the Devils do have 2 games in hand). The Rangers, meanwhile, have struggled coming out of the Olympic break and now sit 3 points behind 8th place Boston, with the Bruins still having a game in hand to boot. If the Rangers can start putting some wins together, however, the Bruins are significantly weaker with the loss of Marc Savard, so all is not lost in Ranger-land just yet. Tonight would be a great place to start against their most hated rivals, and it's very rare for these two teams to come together and not produce a very entertaining game. However, I just couldn't bump it above the Hawks-Kings game just because both these teams have struggled of late. Definitely a game you want to check out too, though.
Prediction: Rangers 3-2
Under the Radar: Vancouver Canucks (41-23-2, 84 points, 1st in Northwest, 3rd in West) at Phoenix Coyotes (39-22-5, 83 points, 2nd in Pacific, 4th in West)
10:00 pm EST/7:00 pm PST
National TV: TSN (Canada)
As I mentioned before, tonight is Vancouver's final game in their NHL-record-setting 14-game road trip, and you have to wonder just what they have left in the tank coming into Phoenix tonight. I'm bumping this game slightly above the two others (both of which have the potential to be great games, as well) for the Under the Radar award just because I think it will be very interesting to see how the Canucks come out against the 'Yotes. Will they be looking to finish their road trip on a high note, or will exhaustion finally set in? Let's not take anything away from the Coyotes, either. Phoenix is a huge surprise in a year full of them in the NHL, and they've got a lot to play for tonight with the battle for 4th place and home-ice in the first round against the Kings really heating up as of late.
Prediction: Coyotes 3-1
No Ice Dancing award tonight, as there's really no stinkers on tonight's five-game schedule. So with that said, let's talk about....
The Rest
Stars @ Sabres, 7:00 pm EST: This is a hard game to judge the entertainment value of: the Stars tend to play an up-tempo brand of hockey and should have a lot to play for with their playoff hopes still very much alive (5 points separate them from 8th place Calgary, and they're playing their game in hand tonight). On the other hand, the Sabres tend to play a very stifling brand of hockey and the Stars have been the model of inconsistency this year (they STILL haven't won more than 2 games in a row this year, which for a real playoff-contending team is just mind-boggling). You can probably guess what verdict that adds up to. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Hurricanes @ Capitals, 7:00 pm EST: (National TV on the NHL Network, US only) I almost went with this game for my Under the Radar pick, but the Caps' are just too far ahead of the Canes right now for me to assume this will be competitive. Still, you've got a lot of intrigue here: the Caps' bouncing back off a rare home-ice loss to the Stars (albeit in a shootout), the Canes looking to continue their improbable march back towards playoff contention (9 points out still, but who really thought they'd even be in single digits a few months back?), and Joe Corvo & Scott Walker playing against their former team. Verdict: Probably Worth Your Time
Tonight's shaping up to be a great night of hockey, so enjoy it folks, and I'll be back with you again tomorrow.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
The Moment of Truth; Today's Games to Watch 3/7
As I type this, we're just two hours away from the return of NBC's Game of the Week. The Western Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks will host their Original Six rivals, the Detroit Red Wings, in a Central division showdown. But although much will be made of the various stories on the ice, perhaps the biggest story is an off-ice one. A very important question will be answered: can the NHL carry over some momentum from last Sunday's gold medal match between the US and Canada? Today's game will perhaps be the biggest test: it features stars from both the US & Canadian teams, as well as Canada's gold-medal winning head coach, exactly one week to the day on the same network that hosted the record-setting game.
Last Sunday's game drew nearly 28 million viewers on the Peacock, beating out television heavyweights in sports (last year's World Series, featuring the defending champion Phillies against baseball's highest-drawing team, the New York Yankees, peaked at 22.8 million viewers for Game 4; it also beat out the Daytona 500, the NBA Finals, and more) and entertainment (the Grammys drew almost 2 million viewers less as well). During last week's game, which was up 61% from 2002's US-Canada gold medal showdown, NBC smartly bombarded viewers with a well-done ad for today's game. The advertisement pointed out that Chicago's two big stars, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, were playing on opposite sides of the gold medal showdown, but would be back under the Blackhawks banner together next Sunday.
Furthermore, there are few rivalries in the NHL with as much built-in drama and history as the Hawks and the Wings, so all in all it was an excellent choice to try and bring some of those viewers back for more hockey. The problem is, this week's ratings on VS and in local markets have not exactly shown any kind of momentum shift from the gold medal contest. Versus opened strong with 400,000 viewers for the Avs and the Wings on Monday night, but the rest of the week's ratings were closer to their around 250,000 season average. Local ratings here in NYC were not particularly strong either, with the Rangers-Pens doing a below-average .93 rating.
Of course, there are arguments to be made that those ratings have mitigating factors. The Versus network remains off the air on nearly 1/3 of American homes thanks to the ongoing conflict with DirecTV, and the Rangers aren't exactly having the type of banner season that will draw in fans en masse. Today's game, on the other hand, will have no such built-in excuses. Everyone gets NBC, and the Blackhawks are one of the NHL's best teams while the Red Wings are still holding onto the final playoff position. So now the question is, will all the Olympic momentum help NBC improve upon this year's highest number (a 1.1 for the last game before the Olympic break, a marquee showdown between the Pens and Caps)? My prediction is no, we will see it right around that 1.0-1.1 level, but I certainly hope I'm wrong. Anything at a 1.5 or higher would blow away NBC's usual non-Winter Classic regular season numbers, and would be considered a home run for the NHL. Let's hope it happens.
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So with the business side of hockey out of the way, let's get down to what we all really care about: the hockey. I'm going to debut what I hope will become a regular weekly feature as we hit the stretch-run: a look at Today's Games to Watch. Basically, I'm going to look at the schedule day-by-day, and make 4 picks per day (unless, of course, there aren't enough games to do that!). Hopefully this can become a daily feature, and if you're like me and you've got Center Ice you'll have a better idea which games are worth your time and which ones to avoid. Even if you don't have Center Ice, I'll be sure to mention which games you can see on national TV.
Marquee Match-Up: The biggest game of the night, the game you absolutely need to see, featuring the biggest stars and/or the best rivalries.
The Runner-Up: Basically the same criteria that applies to the Marquee, just not quite as big of a deal as the night's biggest game.
Under the Radar: This is a game that, for whatever reason, just wouldn't normally jump out at you if you're taking a quick glance at the day's schedule, but upon taking a closer look, this should probably be a great game.
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: With the Winter Olympics fresh on everyone's mind, I'm naming this dubious "award" after the Olympics' most craptastic event that NBC tried to push off on us all in lieu of actual figure skating. Please do yourself a favor, don't watch this game.
With all that out of the way, let's get to it!
Sunday, March 7th
Marquee Match-Up: Detroit Red Wings (30-22-12, 72 points, 3rd in Central, 8th in West) at Chicago Blackhawks (43-16-5, 91 points, 1st in Central, 2nd in West)
12:30 pm EST/9:30 am PST
National TV: NBC (US)
The easiest pick of them all, for all the reasons I already talked about and more. The last time these two teams met on the Peacock, it was one of the most exciting games of the regular season, ending in a shootout victory for the Red Wings. Since that time, however, the Blackhawks have just continued to make their Central division lead more and more insurmountable, while the Wings are in the most unusual (for them) position of trying to just hold on to a playoff spot. As a Hawks fan, I can't tell you how much fun it is to see the Hawks & Wings' longtime positions in the standings flip-flopped, and there's nothing we'd love more than to beat up on the Wings at home to really drive that point home. The Hawks have played well against the Wings this season, but the Wings are finally healthy for the first time all year. In short, this will be a showdown.
Runner-Up: Buffalo Sabres (34-20-9, 77 points, 1st in Northeast, 3rd in East) at New York Rangers (29-28-8, 66 points, 4th in Atlantic, 10th in East)
7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST
To be honest, there's slim pickings for the rest of today's schedule, as it's a lot of high-ranked teams playing low-ranked teams. So with that in mind, I'm at least going with one of those match-ups featuring upstate New York's team against Manhattan. While this isn't really a big deal to us Ranger fans, Sabre fans tend to resent the coverage the Rangers get (their network is named MSG, despite being a good 6 hours from there, and tends to focus too much on the Metro-area teams for their liking). Plus, both these teams are desperate for points for entirely different reasons. The Sabres are trying to hold on to a slim 1-point lead in the Northeast standings over the surging Ottawa Senators, while the Rangers have less games remaining than most of the teams around them and need every single point they can get if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive. This will be a battle, folks, worthy of marquee status on a weak day for marquee match-ups.
Under the Radar: Vancouver Canucks (39-23-2, 80 points, 1st in Northwest, 3rd in West) at Nashville Predators (35-24-5, 75 points, 2nd in Central, 7th in West)
3:00 pm EST/12:00 pm PST
Few people are going to see the Nashville Predators as a team that jumps off the page at them, but the Preds have a talented team this year, especially on the back-end, and can be fun to watch at times (they can also be very boring to watch at times, which is why recommending you watch a Preds game is a bit of a crapshoot, but like I said, it's a weak day). The Canucks have those cycle-loving Swedish twins, the Sedins, and Luongo looking to bounce back from giving up 5 goals in the first 20 minutes in Chicago. Of course, this is also game 12 of the Canucks' NHL-record 14-game road trip (and for those of you wondering why they still can't play at GM-slash-Canada Hockey Place, it's called the Paralympics, people), so one has to wonder how much the Canucks have left to give. Sure, the Olympics broke up that road trip, but you try living out of a suitcase for two weeks at a time and see how YOU like it, okay?! Either way, this is an interesting game.
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: New Jersey Devils (38-22-3, 79 points, 2nd in Atlantic, 4th in East) at Edmonton Oilers (20-38-6, 5th in Northwest, 15th in West)
8:00 pm EST/5:00 pm PST
Ugh ugh ugh. Welcome to the downside of increased intra-conference play, kids: it's a "battle" of one of the NHL's best vs. one of the NHL's worst and there's absolutely no rivalry here to make it even the least bit interesting. I'm sure Kevin Smith (of "Mallrats" fame....and yes, that's my favorite movie of his, so he'll always be "of Mallrats fame" to me, goddamnit) is just tickled pink at seeing his two favorite teams go at it, but for the rest of us? Yeah, don't bother. The Habs and the Ducks drop the puck at the same time, and that at least has two teams desperate for points to keep their (slim?) playoff hopes alive in their respective conferences. If you still are in the mood for hockey at 8 pm on a Sunday, just watch that instead.
The Rest
Bruins @ Pens, 3:00 pm EST: I really can't think of a single relevant thing to write about this game. Sidney Crosby of Team Canada vs. the USA's backup goalie, Tim Thomas? Unless Tuuka Rask starts? Yeah, that's all I got. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Flames @ Wild, 3:00 pm EST: A Northwest showdown with two teams currently sitting in 9th and 12th, respectively, but separated by just 4 points in the standings. Yes, the West race for 8th is incredibly tight. This is the definition of a four-point game. I can't go for a full-on recommendation though, just because the Flames tend to play that boring Sutter style of hockey. Should be chippy as all hell, though. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Hurricanes @ Thrashers, 5:00 pm EST: Carolina's stunning 7-game winning streak has them 9 points out of a playoff spot after they started the season buried deep beneath the earth with the Maple Leafs (who are all but mathematically eliminated already). To keep this Cinderella run alive, they need to beat their Southeast rivals, with the Kovalchuck-less Thrashers somehow only 2 points back of the Habs for 8th, with 3 games in hand. If the Canes lose this game, you can probably throw the last few clumps of dirt on their season. But if they win, they keep the dream alive. Verdict: Probably Worth Your Time
Maple Leafs @ Flyers, 7:00 pm EST: Speaking of the Leafs, they're in Philadelphia. Yeah. Raise your hand if you care? Really, Toronto? You care? How incredibly shocking. For those of us who DON'T continue to unequivocally support losers, yeah, take a pass on this one. Go read a book instead. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Canadiens @ Ducks, 8:00 pm EST (National TV on the NHL Network, Canada only): As I mentioned already before, these are two teams that really, really need points to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Ducks made some moves at the deadline that didn't help them out one bit in Phoenix, where they got shutout 4-0 in a listless affair. You'd think a team that's fighting for their playoff lives would, you know, at least SHOW UP against a division rival, but apparently you'd be wrong. They've played very well at home this year, however, and the Habs are coming off an energetic game against the Kings last night, so I'm predicting a blowout for the Ducks. If it's not, this could be a fun game, and you have the intrigue of Saku Koivu playing against the team he was Captain of for the first time. Still can't go a full-monty on the recommendation, just because of the blowout possibility, but jesus christ if you really want to watch hockey at 8 pm, this is damn sure a better bet than that Devils-Flames game. It will be on the NHL Network in Canada; of note, the NHL Network in the US will air Canadian junior hockey, WHL to be exact, featuring the Calgary Hitmen and the Saskatoon Blades. Personally I'll be checking that out instead, just for the "it's never on TV in the States" curiosity factor. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Hope you guys enjoyed that. I'll try to work more of the kinks out day-by-day, but hopefully this will provide you with a little bit of perspective on what to watch and what not to watch in the NHL. Thanks for reading, feel free to provide feedback! I'm all ears.
Last Sunday's game drew nearly 28 million viewers on the Peacock, beating out television heavyweights in sports (last year's World Series, featuring the defending champion Phillies against baseball's highest-drawing team, the New York Yankees, peaked at 22.8 million viewers for Game 4; it also beat out the Daytona 500, the NBA Finals, and more) and entertainment (the Grammys drew almost 2 million viewers less as well). During last week's game, which was up 61% from 2002's US-Canada gold medal showdown, NBC smartly bombarded viewers with a well-done ad for today's game. The advertisement pointed out that Chicago's two big stars, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, were playing on opposite sides of the gold medal showdown, but would be back under the Blackhawks banner together next Sunday.
Furthermore, there are few rivalries in the NHL with as much built-in drama and history as the Hawks and the Wings, so all in all it was an excellent choice to try and bring some of those viewers back for more hockey. The problem is, this week's ratings on VS and in local markets have not exactly shown any kind of momentum shift from the gold medal contest. Versus opened strong with 400,000 viewers for the Avs and the Wings on Monday night, but the rest of the week's ratings were closer to their around 250,000 season average. Local ratings here in NYC were not particularly strong either, with the Rangers-Pens doing a below-average .93 rating.
Of course, there are arguments to be made that those ratings have mitigating factors. The Versus network remains off the air on nearly 1/3 of American homes thanks to the ongoing conflict with DirecTV, and the Rangers aren't exactly having the type of banner season that will draw in fans en masse. Today's game, on the other hand, will have no such built-in excuses. Everyone gets NBC, and the Blackhawks are one of the NHL's best teams while the Red Wings are still holding onto the final playoff position. So now the question is, will all the Olympic momentum help NBC improve upon this year's highest number (a 1.1 for the last game before the Olympic break, a marquee showdown between the Pens and Caps)? My prediction is no, we will see it right around that 1.0-1.1 level, but I certainly hope I'm wrong. Anything at a 1.5 or higher would blow away NBC's usual non-Winter Classic regular season numbers, and would be considered a home run for the NHL. Let's hope it happens.
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So with the business side of hockey out of the way, let's get down to what we all really care about: the hockey. I'm going to debut what I hope will become a regular weekly feature as we hit the stretch-run: a look at Today's Games to Watch. Basically, I'm going to look at the schedule day-by-day, and make 4 picks per day (unless, of course, there aren't enough games to do that!). Hopefully this can become a daily feature, and if you're like me and you've got Center Ice you'll have a better idea which games are worth your time and which ones to avoid. Even if you don't have Center Ice, I'll be sure to mention which games you can see on national TV.
Marquee Match-Up: The biggest game of the night, the game you absolutely need to see, featuring the biggest stars and/or the best rivalries.
The Runner-Up: Basically the same criteria that applies to the Marquee, just not quite as big of a deal as the night's biggest game.
Under the Radar: This is a game that, for whatever reason, just wouldn't normally jump out at you if you're taking a quick glance at the day's schedule, but upon taking a closer look, this should probably be a great game.
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: With the Winter Olympics fresh on everyone's mind, I'm naming this dubious "award" after the Olympics' most craptastic event that NBC tried to push off on us all in lieu of actual figure skating. Please do yourself a favor, don't watch this game.
With all that out of the way, let's get to it!
Sunday, March 7th
Marquee Match-Up: Detroit Red Wings (30-22-12, 72 points, 3rd in Central, 8th in West) at Chicago Blackhawks (43-16-5, 91 points, 1st in Central, 2nd in West)
12:30 pm EST/9:30 am PST
National TV: NBC (US)
The easiest pick of them all, for all the reasons I already talked about and more. The last time these two teams met on the Peacock, it was one of the most exciting games of the regular season, ending in a shootout victory for the Red Wings. Since that time, however, the Blackhawks have just continued to make their Central division lead more and more insurmountable, while the Wings are in the most unusual (for them) position of trying to just hold on to a playoff spot. As a Hawks fan, I can't tell you how much fun it is to see the Hawks & Wings' longtime positions in the standings flip-flopped, and there's nothing we'd love more than to beat up on the Wings at home to really drive that point home. The Hawks have played well against the Wings this season, but the Wings are finally healthy for the first time all year. In short, this will be a showdown.
Runner-Up: Buffalo Sabres (34-20-9, 77 points, 1st in Northeast, 3rd in East) at New York Rangers (29-28-8, 66 points, 4th in Atlantic, 10th in East)
7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST
To be honest, there's slim pickings for the rest of today's schedule, as it's a lot of high-ranked teams playing low-ranked teams. So with that in mind, I'm at least going with one of those match-ups featuring upstate New York's team against Manhattan. While this isn't really a big deal to us Ranger fans, Sabre fans tend to resent the coverage the Rangers get (their network is named MSG, despite being a good 6 hours from there, and tends to focus too much on the Metro-area teams for their liking). Plus, both these teams are desperate for points for entirely different reasons. The Sabres are trying to hold on to a slim 1-point lead in the Northeast standings over the surging Ottawa Senators, while the Rangers have less games remaining than most of the teams around them and need every single point they can get if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive. This will be a battle, folks, worthy of marquee status on a weak day for marquee match-ups.
Under the Radar: Vancouver Canucks (39-23-2, 80 points, 1st in Northwest, 3rd in West) at Nashville Predators (35-24-5, 75 points, 2nd in Central, 7th in West)
3:00 pm EST/12:00 pm PST
Few people are going to see the Nashville Predators as a team that jumps off the page at them, but the Preds have a talented team this year, especially on the back-end, and can be fun to watch at times (they can also be very boring to watch at times, which is why recommending you watch a Preds game is a bit of a crapshoot, but like I said, it's a weak day). The Canucks have those cycle-loving Swedish twins, the Sedins, and Luongo looking to bounce back from giving up 5 goals in the first 20 minutes in Chicago. Of course, this is also game 12 of the Canucks' NHL-record 14-game road trip (and for those of you wondering why they still can't play at GM-slash-Canada Hockey Place, it's called the Paralympics, people), so one has to wonder how much the Canucks have left to give. Sure, the Olympics broke up that road trip, but you try living out of a suitcase for two weeks at a time and see how YOU like it, okay?! Either way, this is an interesting game.
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: New Jersey Devils (38-22-3, 79 points, 2nd in Atlantic, 4th in East) at Edmonton Oilers (20-38-6, 5th in Northwest, 15th in West)
8:00 pm EST/5:00 pm PST
Ugh ugh ugh. Welcome to the downside of increased intra-conference play, kids: it's a "battle" of one of the NHL's best vs. one of the NHL's worst and there's absolutely no rivalry here to make it even the least bit interesting. I'm sure Kevin Smith (of "Mallrats" fame....and yes, that's my favorite movie of his, so he'll always be "of Mallrats fame" to me, goddamnit) is just tickled pink at seeing his two favorite teams go at it, but for the rest of us? Yeah, don't bother. The Habs and the Ducks drop the puck at the same time, and that at least has two teams desperate for points to keep their (slim?) playoff hopes alive in their respective conferences. If you still are in the mood for hockey at 8 pm on a Sunday, just watch that instead.
The Rest
Bruins @ Pens, 3:00 pm EST: I really can't think of a single relevant thing to write about this game. Sidney Crosby of Team Canada vs. the USA's backup goalie, Tim Thomas? Unless Tuuka Rask starts? Yeah, that's all I got. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Flames @ Wild, 3:00 pm EST: A Northwest showdown with two teams currently sitting in 9th and 12th, respectively, but separated by just 4 points in the standings. Yes, the West race for 8th is incredibly tight. This is the definition of a four-point game. I can't go for a full-on recommendation though, just because the Flames tend to play that boring Sutter style of hockey. Should be chippy as all hell, though. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Hurricanes @ Thrashers, 5:00 pm EST: Carolina's stunning 7-game winning streak has them 9 points out of a playoff spot after they started the season buried deep beneath the earth with the Maple Leafs (who are all but mathematically eliminated already). To keep this Cinderella run alive, they need to beat their Southeast rivals, with the Kovalchuck-less Thrashers somehow only 2 points back of the Habs for 8th, with 3 games in hand. If the Canes lose this game, you can probably throw the last few clumps of dirt on their season. But if they win, they keep the dream alive. Verdict: Probably Worth Your Time
Maple Leafs @ Flyers, 7:00 pm EST: Speaking of the Leafs, they're in Philadelphia. Yeah. Raise your hand if you care? Really, Toronto? You care? How incredibly shocking. For those of us who DON'T continue to unequivocally support losers, yeah, take a pass on this one. Go read a book instead. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Canadiens @ Ducks, 8:00 pm EST (National TV on the NHL Network, Canada only): As I mentioned already before, these are two teams that really, really need points to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Ducks made some moves at the deadline that didn't help them out one bit in Phoenix, where they got shutout 4-0 in a listless affair. You'd think a team that's fighting for their playoff lives would, you know, at least SHOW UP against a division rival, but apparently you'd be wrong. They've played very well at home this year, however, and the Habs are coming off an energetic game against the Kings last night, so I'm predicting a blowout for the Ducks. If it's not, this could be a fun game, and you have the intrigue of Saku Koivu playing against the team he was Captain of for the first time. Still can't go a full-monty on the recommendation, just because of the blowout possibility, but jesus christ if you really want to watch hockey at 8 pm, this is damn sure a better bet than that Devils-Flames game. It will be on the NHL Network in Canada; of note, the NHL Network in the US will air Canadian junior hockey, WHL to be exact, featuring the Calgary Hitmen and the Saskatoon Blades. Personally I'll be checking that out instead, just for the "it's never on TV in the States" curiosity factor. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Hope you guys enjoyed that. I'll try to work more of the kinks out day-by-day, but hopefully this will provide you with a little bit of perspective on what to watch and what not to watch in the NHL. Thanks for reading, feel free to provide feedback! I'm all ears.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Welcome to my little corner of the web
I won't go into a great deal of detail, since I'm assuming you're more than capable of reading the About Me section, but I figured a little introduction was in order, so here goes.
I'm as devoted of a hockey lunatic as you'll find here on the wonderful world called the intrawebs. My love for hockey started as a small child, and can all be traced back to my grandfather. He was a noted insomniac (which passed down to me, hence why I'm writing this at 3:48 am EST) and, among other things, a huge fan of the New York Rangers. Hence why, at the tender age of 8, he snuck into my room after my mother had already put me to bed and woke me up just in time to see those aforementioned Rangers win the '94 Stanley Cup. And with that, a lifetime hockey fan was born.
Though the infamous Dead Puck Era of the late '90s-'early 00s drove my teenage interest away for a while, the rule changes in the post-lockout era brought me back fairly quickly. This year is my third straight season with the Center Ice Package, thus allowing me to watch more hockey than any human being should probably watch. I've made it my mission in life to turn as many people on to the world's greatest (and America's m0st under-appreciated) sport in the world, and view it as a badge of honor that my girlfriend has gone from barely knowing the sport existed to falling asleep to NHL on the Fly every night.
Briefly last year I had a podcast that shared the title of this blog, but increasingly insane work hours forced me to discontinue that. Thanks to the joys of unemployment, my free time is back (just in time for the stretch run, oh yeah baby!), and I figured it would be the perfect time to get a blog going again. The podcast may yet return as well, so if you're interested in that sort of thing let me know. And hell, if you're interested in being a co-host, definitely leave me a comment, because I could use one of those.
Anyway. Let's get down to a little bit of meat here. People often ask me "Hey, John, why in god's name do you have THREE favorite teams?". I know it is looked down upon in many sports circles to have more than one favorite, and I want to get into how I think I ended up like that before I get a million questions on the subject. So let's get to it:
Reason #1: There's no other sport out there I even like, let only love like hockey. Most people who are loyal to only one hockey team probably have a favorite baseball, football, basketball, or even soccer team they follow too. To be quite frank, I couldn't care less about any other sport. They all look slow, boring, and/or soft when put up next to my beloved hockey, and given the insane amount of it I watch (and podcasts I listen to, blogs and articles I read, and so on and so on) it leaves little time to follow anything else.
Reason #2: As I mentioned already, I watch a lot more hockey than most people. I find it a lot more fun to watch when I have a rooting interest, so the end result ends up with me rooting for more teams than the average person. Some people, like the Puck Podcast guys for interest, have noted that they enjoy games where they have no rooting interest. That's never been my thing.
Reason #3: It's easy to tell why I love the Rangers (geographical location + pre-programmed family love), so let me just get into why I love my Kings & Hawks. The Kings were the team that the Great One played for when I was a kid, which is why I took notice of them in the first place. My love for them just kind of stuck, and it's been so much fun over the past few seasons watching them rebuild through the draft, the way they're supposed to. All of that basically applies to the Blackhawks too; Ed Belfour was my favorite goalie, and everyone knows he started out as a Blackhawk. Patrick Kane is probably my favorite player nowadays, and I probably wear his jersey more than any sane human being should wear any piece of clothing. Plus, to get REALLY superficial, both teams have my favorite jerseys in the entire NHL.
Okay, we've got all that introduction crap out of the way now. My next post will be both more interesting and less self-centered, I promise. Welcome to the blog and thanks if you took time out to read it!
I'm as devoted of a hockey lunatic as you'll find here on the wonderful world called the intrawebs. My love for hockey started as a small child, and can all be traced back to my grandfather. He was a noted insomniac (which passed down to me, hence why I'm writing this at 3:48 am EST) and, among other things, a huge fan of the New York Rangers. Hence why, at the tender age of 8, he snuck into my room after my mother had already put me to bed and woke me up just in time to see those aforementioned Rangers win the '94 Stanley Cup. And with that, a lifetime hockey fan was born.
Though the infamous Dead Puck Era of the late '90s-'early 00s drove my teenage interest away for a while, the rule changes in the post-lockout era brought me back fairly quickly. This year is my third straight season with the Center Ice Package, thus allowing me to watch more hockey than any human being should probably watch. I've made it my mission in life to turn as many people on to the world's greatest (and America's m0st under-appreciated) sport in the world, and view it as a badge of honor that my girlfriend has gone from barely knowing the sport existed to falling asleep to NHL on the Fly every night.
Briefly last year I had a podcast that shared the title of this blog, but increasingly insane work hours forced me to discontinue that. Thanks to the joys of unemployment, my free time is back (just in time for the stretch run, oh yeah baby!), and I figured it would be the perfect time to get a blog going again. The podcast may yet return as well, so if you're interested in that sort of thing let me know. And hell, if you're interested in being a co-host, definitely leave me a comment, because I could use one of those.
Anyway. Let's get down to a little bit of meat here. People often ask me "Hey, John, why in god's name do you have THREE favorite teams?". I know it is looked down upon in many sports circles to have more than one favorite, and I want to get into how I think I ended up like that before I get a million questions on the subject. So let's get to it:
Reason #1: There's no other sport out there I even like, let only love like hockey. Most people who are loyal to only one hockey team probably have a favorite baseball, football, basketball, or even soccer team they follow too. To be quite frank, I couldn't care less about any other sport. They all look slow, boring, and/or soft when put up next to my beloved hockey, and given the insane amount of it I watch (and podcasts I listen to, blogs and articles I read, and so on and so on) it leaves little time to follow anything else.
Reason #2: As I mentioned already, I watch a lot more hockey than most people. I find it a lot more fun to watch when I have a rooting interest, so the end result ends up with me rooting for more teams than the average person. Some people, like the Puck Podcast guys for interest, have noted that they enjoy games where they have no rooting interest. That's never been my thing.
Reason #3: It's easy to tell why I love the Rangers (geographical location + pre-programmed family love), so let me just get into why I love my Kings & Hawks. The Kings were the team that the Great One played for when I was a kid, which is why I took notice of them in the first place. My love for them just kind of stuck, and it's been so much fun over the past few seasons watching them rebuild through the draft, the way they're supposed to. All of that basically applies to the Blackhawks too; Ed Belfour was my favorite goalie, and everyone knows he started out as a Blackhawk. Patrick Kane is probably my favorite player nowadays, and I probably wear his jersey more than any sane human being should wear any piece of clothing. Plus, to get REALLY superficial, both teams have my favorite jerseys in the entire NHL.
Okay, we've got all that introduction crap out of the way now. My next post will be both more interesting and less self-centered, I promise. Welcome to the blog and thanks if you took time out to read it!
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