Welcome back to Center Ice Addict! A few days ago we talked about all the non-playoff teams in the East, giving them all one last look before everyone completely forgets their existence (barring any GM or coach firings, of course). Many of the outlooks for the Eastern teams looked particularly grim; of the 5 teams we covered, only the Carolina Hurricanes were rated as having a High chance of returning to the post-season next year. Tampa Bay & Toronto came in with Moderate ratings, while Florida & the Islanders were rated Low. Today, as we look at the non-playoff teams in the West, we will once again see how the conference is so much better than the East. Consider this: the Dallas Stars, who are 12th in the West, would be tied for the final playoff spot in the East. The 9th place Calgary Flames would not just be in the playoffs, but would actually be in 6th! This of course speaks to the dominance of the West in intra-conference play this season. When you consider that the West has a staggering FIVE teams with at least 100 points and the East only has one, it makes it all the more impressive.
Of the teams who missed last year, almost all of them save maybe Edmonton will have a decent chance to make it back to the playoffs. That’s little consolation to the players, but they can be rest assured, next year they could be playing playoff hockey again instead of golf. Of course, you also have to wonder, of eight teams who are in this year, who is going to miss next year? The powerhouses (San Jose, Chicago, Vancouver, even Detroit who would have been higher without all the injuries) all have their franchise players locked-up for the foreseeable future. The rest of the teams are, for the most part, very young teams who are only going to get better. Of course, we all said the same things last year about St. Louis & Columbus and both of them managed to drop out, so anything can happen. Still, when you look at that top 8 and try to think who might miss next year, there’s really no one who jumps out at you, and that’s a problem for all of the teams we’ll be talking about today.
We’ll be looking at three areas for each team: first, before we can discuss their future prospects, we’ll take a look back at just went so terribly wrong this season. Then, we’ll look at what they SHOULD do to try and get things turned around in the off-season. Finally, we’ll rate their chances of making the playoffs next year as either High, Moderate, or Low.
Calgary Flames
(40-31-10, 90 points, 9th in East, 4th in Northwest, 29th in Offense, 4th in Defense)
What Went Wrong?: This team is by far the easiest when it comes to why they won’t be playing playoff hockey this year. Simply put, the Calgary Flames could not put the little, round black object into the big white net, and considering that’s the point of this sport of ours, that would in fact be a problem. Calgary’s GM Daryl Sutter made blunder after blunder, starting with trading away Matthew Lombardi and their first-round pick to Phoenix for Olli Jokinen at last year’s trade deadline. To justify his decision to trade for Jokinen and allow him to sign free-agent defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, Sutter then allowed Mike Cammalleri (he of the 39 goals) to walk right on over to Montreal for nothing in free agency. Of course, losing 39 goals is hard enough for any team to overcome, but Sutter probably assumed a full year of Jokinen and acquiring Bouwmeester (who hit the elusive 15-goal mark for a defenseman 3 times in Florida) would equal, if not surpass, Cammy’s totals. Guess what? He was wrong. Jokinen had just 12 goals before he was shipped off to the Rangers just before the Olympic break, in exchange for another forward who lost his scoring touch in Chris Higgins and the 3 million dollar-a-year-for-2-more-years Ales Kotalik. The deal was even more absurd when you realize that Kotalik had been a healthy scratch for almost 10 games in a row prior to the deal; Rangers fans rejoiced that 6 million dollars came off the books in exchange for a pending-UFA, while Flames fans groaned.
It was not the first time Flames fans had groaned that weekend, either. Dion Phaneuf, he of the NHL 09 cover and the Norris trophy nomination at just 20 years old, was traded to Toronto. In exchange for Luke Schenn, maybe? The rights to Nazem Kadri? No, that would imply Toronto gave up something they had an intention of keeping. Instead, Calgary received the proverbial bag of pucks. For a guy who, despite a couple of so-so seasons, still carries with him the potential to be a franchise defenseman, the Flames took third-line center Matt Stajan, woefully inconsistent scorer Niklas Hagman, aging 4th liner Jamal Meyers, and a decent but undersized defenseman who was admittedly having a career year in Ian White. Of course, Calgary was so impressed with this package of free agents Burke had no intention of resigning anyway that they threw in one of their best prospects and a very useful third-to-fourth liner too. The excuse given was they wanted to finally find a center to play with Jarome Iginla; in response to this explanation, Flames fans everywhere asked “So why in God’s name did you trade for MATT FRIGGIN’ STAJAN, dipshits?” Of course, Stajan didn’t come close to playing well with Iginla, and for this abject failure he was swiftly punished with a 14-million dollar contract, only about 13.5 million more than any sane person would give to Matt Stajan.
You’ll notice that we’ve yet to mention Jay Bouwmeester since we talked about his signing. That’s because the 15-goal man currently sits at just THREE goals in his first year with the Flames, going scoreless from November to March. Calgary’s defensive system choked all of the offense right after him, and suddenly the Flames found themselves, at 6.8 million, paying him almost 2.5 million per goal! Even poor Jarome Iginla finally cracked, coming up dry in 9 straight games down the stretch.
Add all this up and you have possibly one of the most disastrous years in the history of any franchise. Yeah, 9th place is certainly respectable in a conference where the 8th place team has 94 points, but now the damage has been done. The Flames are stuck with a team that can’t score, very little room under the cap to solve the problem, and a cupboard that isn’t just bare but has spider webs hanging inside. This is a team that has all the potential to be one of the worst teams in the NHL for a good half-decade. Only by the grace of Miika Kiprusoff (who might as well be God as far as the Flames fans are concerned) and his Vezina-like season did the Flames avoid finishing much, much worse.
What should they do now?: Well, now that I’ve finished writing a small book on Calgary’s horrific season, I suppose it’s time to discuss what they should do next. First of all, they must satisfy the Flames’ passionate fanbase and their thirst for blood. GM Daryl Sutter being shown the door should be a given, but there should be a good, long look taken at letting his brother Brent go as head coach as well. While it’s true he only had a single season to work with this team and they never seemed to buy 100% into his system, the fact remains that his system is a problem to begin with. We are currently in the middle of the most wide-open era in NHL hockey since the early ‘90s; defense-first just can’t get it done anymore. If you look at the top 10 defensive teams in the NHL as far as the GAA/per game goes, most of the top 10 are there not because they play a waiting, clog-up-the-neutral-zone kind of game. Rather, almost everyone has copied Detroit. Puck possession is preached above all else, with the idea being very simple: if you’re always in their end taking it to them offensively, how are they ever going to score? Of course the argument is always there that they don’t have the personnel to play that kind of game, and it’s true to a point. But I guarantee you that if Jay Bouwmeester was given the opportunity to join the rush and make plays the way he was in Florida, he would be right back at that 15-goal range. Considering it’s generally not a good idea to sign defensemen to 6.8 million dollar deals for three goals, getting him going again should be a huge priority.
Regardless of what happens to the coach, once Daryl Sutter is fired and someone else is brought in, patience must be stressed and chance must be made. This is a team that has spent the past 5 years living off the reputation of their magical 2004 run from 8th place to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. While they’ve made the playoffs every year since then, they have also been knocked out in the first round every single one of those years. Coaches have been changed more often than some people change underwear. The fact that they finally took the next step down and missed the playoffs entirely this year should really come as no surprise, even though many pundits picked them to do more. The Phaneuf trade was a partial admission that something about that locker room just wasn’t right, but it’s clearly not enough. Considering they will go into this year’s draft without picks in the first two rounds and next year’s draft without a first-rounder as well, it is time to tear this thing down and rebuild. Without their draft picks this will have to be another Toronto-style unconventional rebuild, and they are not in the same position as Toronto to be able to sign coveted undrafted free agents. Instead, it’s time to do what was previously unfathomable and trade Jarome Iginla. Not only would you give the 32-year-old a legitimate shot at winning a Stanley Cup (something it doesn’t look like he’ll have anytime soon in Calgary), but you’d hopefully recoup a first-round pick and/or a top offensive prospect, as well. With all that sad, I highly doubt anything like that will happen. The Flames will point to how close they were and stand pat, a mistake in the long-run.
Playoff Hopes for Next Year: Moderate. Like I said, I’m expecting them NOT to go down the rebuild road, even though that’s what they really need for the long-term health of the franchise. Assuming there’s no rebuild (yet), any team with Miika Kiprusoff will always have at least a decent shot at making the playoffs. But considering how many good young teams there are in the West, I wouldn’t place any bets on it.
St. Louis Blues
(40-32-9, 89 points, 10th in West, 4th in Central, 17th in Offense, 13th in Defense)
What Went Wrong?: Of all the teams who missed the playoffs this year, in both conferences, the Blues are perhaps the toughest ones to figure out. St. Louis rallied late in the season last year to make the playoffs as the single best team in the NHL in the second-half of the season, got swept by the Canucks in the first round, and promptly came out of the gate almost as slowly this year. The weirdest thing of all is they had one of the best road records in the NHL, and yet the single worst home record. It was this home record that got Andy Murray fired as head coach despite finishing as a runner-up for the Jack Adams award just one season earlier. After rookie coach Davis Payne came up from the minors, he turned the team around somewhat in the same way other young coaches have found success all over the NHL, but ultimately there just wasn’t another magical second-half run in this team. Too many of their rookies who were so great last year had the traditional Sophomore Jinx (which should probably have Colorado Avalanche fans scared considering they’re the team in the top 8 carried primarily by rookies this year), and not enough of their aging veterans played well enough to make up for it.
What should they do now?: Not a whole hell of a lot, actually. Their kids will get every chance to rekindle that rookie magic next year, and until they start having a weak third year it’s not time to panic and assume they won’t be able to do it. They have one of the best one-two punches in net in the entire league, a young defenseman who looks like a star in the making in Erik Johnson, and a prospect cupboard that is still stocked pretty well from all their years of being bad-to-awful. Keith Tkachuk has already confirmed his retirement following the season and a few others could follow, opening up more roster spots for those young players. Their best plan of action is to probably write this season off as an anomaly and give their young guys another shot to get it done before making any drastic changes. It’s not like they even missed by that much this year, anyway.
Playoff Hopes for Next Year: Moderate. It’s going to be really hard to get a High out of me for any team in the West, just because of how strong the conference is top-to-bottom, but of all the moderate-ranked teams the Blues are the closest to High. If they get the kind of goaltending they got this year plus a quick and painless shaking-off of the various sophomore jinxes, they will not only be back in the post-season next year, but they should be able to make a bit more noise this time, as well. Unlike another team who’s missing with the word “Blue” in their name, last year wasn’t a mirage. This is still a good, young team with a ton of upside.
Anaheim Ducks
(38-32-11, 87 points, 4th in Pacific, 11th in West, 12th in Offense, 22nd in Defense)
What Went Wrong?: Everyone knew the defense of Anaheim, legendary in its stinginess that largely carried them to bring the entire state of California its first Stanley Cup in ‘06-07, was going to take a huge hit with the trade of Chris Pronger. But can anyone honestly say they expected this team to drop all the way down to TWENTY-SECOND in the league defensively? That’s not just a drop, that’s a freefall. All year long this team failed to maintain leads and lost games they should have won at home, and ultimately it cost them a playoff spot. This year wasn’t a total bust, however. Giguere’s monstrous contract was taken off the books thanks to Toronto and when all three were healthy, the Ryan-Getzlaf-Perry line was one of the best in the NHL. This is a team that struggled to find secondary scoring all year long, but when Teemu Selanne & Saku Koivu were both actually in the lineup at the same time, they largely managed to rekindle their Finnish Olympic team chemistry after a slow start, giving them a second-line threat down the stretch to the point where Teemu managed to hit the 600-goal mark and surpass childhood idol Jari Kurri (which for Ducks fans used to being in the playoff hunt this time of year was a welcome distraction). By then it was too little, too late, but there’s still plenty of reasons to like this team’s chances going forward. That is, of course….
What should they do now?: …..if their veterans want to come back and play one more year. No indication has been given one way or another if the trio of Scott Neidermayer and the aforementioned Finnish Flash & his Finnish Friend will return. So really we have to give two answers here: if they come back, again this is a team I don’t do much to outside of the odd tinker here or there. With a full year of secondary scoring and trade deadline pick-up Lubomir Visnovsky (who played really well for them down the stretch), I would expect this team to make the playoffs. If the triumvirate of indecision decides not to come back (and I fully expect there to be a domino effect here where if one announces their retirement, the other two will quickly follow, and vice-versa), however, it’s probably best to unload some of their other veteran pieces and make a go at a real rebuild here. Considering they will have two picks in the first round of the next two drafts thanks to the Pronger trade, it doesn’t have to be a lengthy rebuild, either; especially if prospect Luca Sbisa, picked up from Philly in that same trade, is ready to go at the NHL level full-time within a season or two.
Playoff Hopes for Next Year: Look above at the same two-pronged answer: High if the aging trio comes back, Low if they don’t. I just don’t see how this team replaces the secondary scoring of Selanne & Koivu and the veteran presence of Neidermayer in one summer, and even with all three of them they narrowly missed this year. If they keep them and Selanne & Koivu have healthier campaigns, they will more than likely be a playoff team again. If they decide to walk away, because the prospect cupboards are relatively bare, it will probably be a long season for them. But again, with two picks in the first rounds of the next two drafts, they’d be in pretty good shape to start filling those cupboards up relatively quickly.
Dallas Stars
(36-31-14, 86 points, 5th in Pacific, 12th in West, 11th in Offense, 23rd in Defense)
What Went Wrong?: A lot of the same things that went wrong for Anaheim, actually. This is another former defensive powerhouse that suddenly found themselves in the bottom-third of the league in GAA/per game. Despite a good offense, they couldn’t overcome their problems defensively and their incredible inconsistency. Dallas was the only team in the entire NHL who failed to have at least a three-game winning streak at any point in the season. They were the definition of mediocrity; win two, lose two, win one, lose one. It went on like that for the entire season. The fanbase, once looked at as a shining example of the NHL’s success in the south, largely stopped caring, and both live attendance and TV ratings suffered greatly. The problem is, Dallas is a HUGE market with a ton of options for fans’ sport & entertainment dollar, so a hockey team that’s nearly 8 million dollars below the salary cap and clearly not doing all it can to win right now is going to turn many of them off. The problem is, owner Tom Hicks is having serious financial difficulty and suddenly finds himself unable to maintain his previous commitment to winning (and spending the money it takes to do so). In the end, Dallas had some good pieces, but they seem to have been stuck all season long in a limbo between a young and hungry team and a complacent veteran team. Not a good place to be, to be sure.
What should they do now?: Rebuild, and that’s exactly what it appears first-year GM Joe Nieuwendyk is doing as we speak. He traded for the injury-prone but still full of potential former 1st overall pick Kari Lehtonen from Atlanta, clearly indicating veteran backstopper Marty Turco won’t be back next season. Other veterans like Mike Modano (who had a very touching tribute shown on the screen during the Stars’ last home game Thursday, resulting in a nearly three-minute-long standing ovation from the 18,000 fans in attendance that brought him to tears) are strongly considering retirement. Now it’s time to trade away some of the guys with attitude problems (yeah, that’s you Mike Riberio) and some of the underachieving veterans, and really tank next year. It’s the right move and I fully expect it to happen. There just isn’t enough talent or youth on this team right now to compete in a Western conference that’s suddenly become about young talent over everything else.
Playoff Hopes for Next Year: Low. Like I said, it will likely be a rebuild year for these Stars, and that means not coming even this close to making the playoffs. Don’t let their point total fool you: they were almost never really in the race since December or January. The only thing they did was lessen their own draft position, and next year they will probably look to avoid that by stripping this team down and starting over.
Minnesota Wild
(38-36-7, 83 points, 4th in Northwest, 13th in West, 20th in Offense, 21st in Defense)
What went wrong?: Before we talk about the season that was in the State of Hockey, it’s important to get a few disclaimers out of the way first. This team was pretty much the exact opposite of Dallas: where Dallas’ record looked better than it actually was, Minnesota’s looked worse. They were battered by injuries down the stretch and lost more games than they probably would have if so many of their top guys weren’t out injured. Many will point to the way former coach Jacques Lemaire guided the Devils towards another Atlantic division title while Minnesota’s new offense-first approach failed to ignite it past 20th and crippled their former defensive prowess. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that the Devils won the Atlantic before Lemaire got there last year, too; the real test of his mettle in 2010 as a coach will come in the playoffs, where the Devils and their defense-first philosophy has struggled since the lock-out (two 2nd round exits followed by 2 1st round exits). Stressing offense and puck possession is clearly the right way to go long-term, but to do it successfully you need your best player to have a much better start than Martin Havlat did. Letting Marian Gaborik, injury-prone as he may be, walk for nothing to the Rangers certainly hurt them too; he set a new career-high in points (86) and matched a career-high in goals (42). Add those numbers to Minnesota’s offense, which was bolstered significantly by the renaissance of former Hab Guillaume Latendresse, and they’d be one goal ahead of the San Jose Sharks for 4th in the West in goals for/per game. Without Gaborik and with Havlat’s early-season struggles (he picked up his play in a big way in the second-half after coming back from an injury), they simply did not have the firepower to get it done in the Western conference.
What should they do now?: Look around and find some more offense in the off-season. Cam Barker was a great pick-up from the Blackhawks at the trade deadline- he’s a young, offensively gifted defenseman, just the kind of guy the Wild desperately needed on their blueline. He’s been injured for most of his stay with the Wild so far, but I think with a full year of him playing first- or second-pair minutes, you can count on him to chip in 10 to 15 goals. Add another top 6 forward through either trade, free agency, or their own (slowly restocking) system, and this becomes a team that’s at least knocking on the door of a playoff spot. Luckily for the Wild, goalie Nicklas Backstrom’s numbers didn’t drop off nearly as badly as some people thought they would without Lemaire’s trapping system in front of him, so at least they can be reasonably confident they’ll get the goaltending they need to make a run at it again next year.
Playoff Hopes for Next Year: Moderate. The biggest concern for the Wild will be finding that top 6 forward they need, as it’s a pretty weak free-agent class this year. Signing Ilya Kovalchuk is probably not financially feasible even if he wanted to come to Minnesota (and he doesn’t), and there’s simply not a lot of pure goal-scorers behind him. If they manage to get that top 6 forward, a full year of Barker, Latendresse doesn’t turn out to be a one-hit wonder, and Havlat gets off to a better start, they will likely be a playoff team. Problem is, those are way too many ifs to give them a High ranking, but I like their chances. Certainly the rabid hockey fans of Minnesota, who have kept the insane sellout streak at Xcel Energy Center alive even with back-to-back lost seasons, deserve it.
Columbus Blue Jackets
(32-35-15, 79 points, 5th in Central, 14th in West, 19th in Offense, 24th in Defense)
What Went Wrong?: After teasing this team as a mirage when talking about the Blues all the way back at 10th, now I can explain just why the Blue Jackets flamed out in far more spectacular fashion. Like their Central division counterparts from St. Louis, the Jackets also went from surprise playoff team last year to missing the post-season this year. However, the similarities between the two teams are far outweighed by the differences. To understand why the Blue Jackets missed the playoffs this year, one has to understand why they made the playoffs last year, and his name is Steve Mason. The NHL’s Calder trophy winner last season, Mason had an amazing rookie season. While Ken Hitchcock, coach of the team at the time, got a great deal of the credit for guiding the Jackets to their first playoff berth in their decade-long existence, in actuality we can see now that almost all of that credit belonged to Mason. The problem is, rookie goaltenders have a long history in the NHL of having incredible rookie seasons and then dropping off the face of the Earth for the rest of their careers. There’s a reason why no one in Washington remembers Jim Carey and the people of Toronto are still trying to forget Andrew Raycroft (who, to his credit, played probably his best season since his rookie campaign backing up Roberto Luongo in Vancouver, which probably has a great deal to do with the utter lack of pressure that position comes with). Both goalies had fantastic rookie seasons and immediately followed that up with horrible year after horrible year. When it comes to goaltenders, it can often be more than your typical sophomore jinx. Rather, for whatever reason, there’s a long pattern of goalies never getting close to the level they played at in those magical rookie seasons.
Now, with all that said, once Hitchcock was finally fired and all the pressure of having even a shot in hell at making the playoffs was off Mason’s shoulders, he did play a LOT more like the rookie sensation for the rest of this season. The problem now is no one knows whether or not he’ll be able to get back to that level when the games start again. What we all learned is a lesson we should have all known as hockey fans to begin with: goaltending is not just the most important position in hockey, but arguably the most important position in all of sports, and it can provide a mirage of an overall team game that’s a lot better than it actually is. True, the Jackets bought into Hitchcock’s defense-first system somewhat better than they did this year, but that kind of defense-first mentality is going to end up falling on deaf ears on your skilled players anyway. This is especially true when the aforementioned message is delivered ham-over-fist by one of the most legendarily hard-assed coaches hockey’s ever seen. For a team that has drafted pretty badly for most of the decade, it’s ill-advised to drive off your latest first-round pick, especially when they have as much raw offensive talent as a Nikita Filatov. But Hitchcock rode Filatov hard throughout the first-half of the NHL season for not playing well defensively, overlooking the dynamic offensive presence he could have (and arguably SHOULD have) brought to a hockey team that desperately needed it. Add that up to an even more significant sophomore jinx than usual for young center Derrick Brassard, who went from averaging more than a point-a-game in his injury-shortened rookie campaign to falling to around 30 points during a full season, and you’ve got all the ingredients for a disastrous year. The team in general played better once Claude Noel was brought up for the minors to replace Hitchcock on an interim basis, but going from a hard-ass coach like Hitch to a player’s coach like Noel is always going to result in an early jump. This is especially true for a team whose playoff hopes were already fantasy by then. No one’s fooling for the mirage this time.
What should they do now?: Honestly? I haven’t the slightest idea. The Jackets are one of the most poorly-run franchises not just in hockey but in all of major sports. Their drafting and talent-developing has been awful. You’d think that a full decade out of the playoffs other than last year (and it’s not like they were picking 29th overall when they were promptly swept out of the first round by the Red Wings, either) would have resulted in more than one franchise player, and unless Mason completely reverts back to his rookie form (which as we mentioned is, historically, highly unlikely), you’d be wrong. This is a team that is screaming out for a franchise blueliner, and yet none of their homegrown talent would crack one of the first two pairings on a good team. Barring a miraculous return to form for Mason & Brassard next year, they will probably have no choice in what they do next. They will continue to be a bad team, and they will try to get better mileage out of their high draft choices. The problem of that is, being in the West is going to hurt where they draft, since the West is always so much better than the East. Even though they are second-to-last in the Western conference, if the season ended today they would likely be drafting 6th overall. Luckily for them this year’s class is fairly deep in talent, but the top 5 is still the strongest we’ve seen in probably 5 years, and barring a draft lottery shocker, they would likely just miss out on it. Not a good thing for a team in desperate need of some young talent. The fans in Ohio want to support a good hockey team, but there’s no reason to believe this franchise won’t continue to leave them out in the cold.
Playoff Hopes for Next Year: Low. I just don’t see a way for this team to leapfrog all of the other teams above them who AREN’T in the playoffs this year, let alone any of the top 8. I suppose it’s possible if Mason & Brassard both rebound and they can get production from their backend (one of the most important parts of being a good team in today’s NHL, and the Jackets rank in the bottom 5 in the league), but it’s definitely far from likely. This is just a hockey team that’s not particularly good at anything, offense or defense, and that’s a recipe for disaster when you play in the same division as the powerhouse Blackhawks, the still-great Red Wings, the solid-as-a-rock Predators, and the young and hungry Blues. I can’t see this team making it back to the playoffs anytime soon.
Edmonton Oilers
(26-46-8, 60 points, 5th in Northwest, 15th in West, 27th in Offense, 30th in Defense)
What Went Wrong?: The real question when it comes to the 2009-2010 Oilers is, what DIDN’T go wrong? This was not a particularly great team to begin with- they had one Cinderella run in the 05-06 season coming out of the lockout, going in as the 8th seed and going all the way to Game 7 of the Cup finals (ironically the very same thing their southern Alberta rivals in Calgary did in 03-04 right BEFORE the lockout). Thinking this was a team he had to keep together so they could make another run at the Cup in the future, then-GM Kevin Lowe went utterly insane, signing everyone he could to bloated, ridiculous contracts. Now, there should be a disclaimer here: people really do not want to play in Edmonton, so the fact that they had to overpay to keep guys like Shawn Horcoff coming out of their Cup run should come as no surprise. The problem is, this core wasn’t worth keeping together to begin with, and without stud blueliner Chris Pronger (who reportedly forced the hand of management to deal him to a warmer climate in order to appease his wife, making her the most hated woman in Edmonton in the process; Pronger, of course, went on to immediately help the Anaheim Ducks win the Stanley Cup) this was just not a very good hockey team. They proceeded to miss the playoffs every year since, though it was usually by a narrow margin.
Now take that mediocre team and give half of them the swine flu, have their newly signed starting goaltender injure his back mere weeks into the season and miss the entire rest of the campaign, and have their star forward tear his ACL in November for good measure. Guess what that equals? If you said “the worst team in hockey and very nearly the worst team in franchise history”, you’re right! If you said “aforementioned goalie gets a DUI”, well, you’re right too. There isn’t much else to say about the Oilers. They were not a good team. About the only bright spot was Dustin Penner FINALLY scoring at the same pace he scored at for Anaheim when Lowe made the offer-sheet that would get him ridiculed by Brian Burke (then GM of the Ducks, of course) for years to come.
What should they do?: I’m sure you’re tired of hearing this answer by now, but it’s rebuild time in Edmonton. Luckily for Oiler fans, they already have a bit of a head start. Several of their prospects are already turning heads in the lower leagues and competitions. Jordan Eberle dazzled for the Canadian team in this year’s World Junior tournament, while last year’s first-round pick Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson is having a good rookie campaign in the Swedish Elite League playing with men. In addition, the Oilers will finish the season in 30th, so they will likely pick first and will definitely pick no lower than 2nd should another team win the lottery. That means no matter what happens, they will get a chance to draft a rookie sensation in Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin, two players who are expected to jump into an NHL lineup and immediately make them much, much better. They are being called possibly the best 1-2 to go in a draft since Ovechkin and Malkin in 2004, so obviously there’s a ton of potential there. Of course, if they draft first and have to choose between them, that’s a choice that will be second-guessed for years, especially if the one they don’t pick clearly outperforms his counterpart in the first few seasons. But this is still a team with a lot of good, young prospects, and more help is clearly coming.
Playoff Hopes for Next Year: Low. Of all the teams in both conferences, the only one I can look at and say “You will not make the playoffs next year.” is the Oilers. You can point at Colorado and Phoenix rising from 15th and 14th into playoff position this year all you want, but the fact of the matter is, neither of those two teams were tied down with utterly ludicrous contracts like this Oilers team. They are paying a bunch of third- and fourth-line guys first- and second-line money, and that’s a recipe for disaster in today’s salary cap world. The Oilers will be hard-pressed to move any of those contracts, and they don’t have the financial muscle of a Toronto team required to bury these contracts in the minors. Even if they had money to spend, last year’s Dany Heatley fiasco reminded everyone that almost no one ever chooses to play for the Oil, which also necessitates a slow, in-house rebuilding project. Next year may see some immediate improvement from adding Hall or Seguin, hopefully getting the Bulin Wall rebuilt, and getting Ales Hemsky back in their lineup. But asking this team to go all the way back to the playoffs for the first time in five seasons coming off this disastrous campaign is likely asking more than a little too much. Still, those contracts will start to come off the books in a few seasons, and once those awful deals and bad veterans have been flushed out of their system, this could be the next young team to build a contender through the draft in the same vain as the Penguins, Capitals, Blackhawks, and others who are on their way there already. Two to three years from now, the Oilers may finally become the Northwest division-winning team many had pegged them to be going into the 08-09 year.
Alright folks, it’s rejoicing time, because this incredibly long blogumn (that’s John Buccigross’ saying and I kinda love it) is finally over! I hope you’ve learned something about the 7 teams who are not going to be in the playoffs in the Western conference this season, because barring a major firing, they will likely never be spoken of again here until it’s time for next season’s preview.
The playoffs are almost here, and I’m sure you can all taste it. To help you gear up for the nonstop thrill ride that is playoff hockey, we’ll be back with a new blog as soon as the playoff match-ups are set (late Sunday). I’m also excited to announce the return of CIA Radio, a podcast I briefly headed up last season. We’ll be returning Monday night at 9 pm EST, and I’ll make sure to post the live Talkshoe link on here and on my Twitter & Facebook accounts so you can join us to talk all the playoff match-ups. You’ll hear not just my opinion on who’s going to the Cup final, as we’ll have a three-man (well, two men and one woman) booth to break it all down for you piece-by-piece. Until then, enjoy the last two days of regular season hockey!
Showing posts with label flames. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flames. Show all posts
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Today's Games to Watch 4/6
Welcome back to Center Ice Addict, as we really get ready to get rolling on towards the playoffs! Tonight, we've got a huge 11-game schedule to preview, so let's not waste anytime and get right into 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, April 6th
Overall: 11 games, headlined by the ever-popular battle of this sport's two biggest stars. But don't look past the rest of this schedule: there's some other big games mixed in with the usual clunkers.
Marquee Match-Up: Washington Capitals (52-15-12, 116 points, 1st in Southeast, 1st in East) at Pittsburgh Penguins (45-26-7, 97 points, 2nd in Atlantic, 4th in East)
7:30 pm EST/4:30 pm PST
National TV: Versus (US) & TSN (Canada)
Like I need to explain why this is the marquee game? It's Ovechkin vs. Crosby, people. It's the Pens and the Caps, by far the NHL's most exciting rivalry. The only thing you might argue that could take away from it is the fact that the Caps really don't need anymore points, having wrapped up the Eastern Conference lead AND the President's Trophy already, while the Pens are in the middle of a dogfight for top spot in the Atlantic with the suddenly hot New Jersey Devils. But if there's any game that Ovie & the Caps can still get up for, it has to be the Penguins, and putting a kibosh on the Pens' division winning hopes has to have them salivating. Of course there's still the Rocket Richard trophy sidestory, too, as Crosby is trying to hold onto a slim one-goal lead over the two-time defending champion Alex the Great. How many more storylines do you need, folks? Watch. This. Game.
Prediction: Pens 5-4 (OT)
Runner-Up: San Jose Sharks (48-20-11, 107 points, 1st in Pacific, 1st in West) at Calgary Flames (40-30-9, 89 points, 3rd in Northwest, 9th in West)
9:30 pm EST/6:30 pm PST
National TV: TSN (Canada)
This is a big game for both of these teams, as the Sharks can clinch the Pacific division title with a win here, while the Flames MUST win this game to keep their already-slim playoff hopes alive. A loss by Calgary tonight in regulation and a win for Colorado in their game against Vancouver would offically eliminated Calgary from the playoff race. This is a game that, to be quite frank, they have to have. Unfortunately for Calgary, the team they're playing isn't exactly taking those 2 points lightly. Besides the Pacific clinching possibilities, the Sharks clearly want to finish first in the conference for the second year in a row, and they have just a 2-point lead over the Chicago Blackhawks (with the Hawks having a game in hand). This game will be a big test for both teams, and if Calgary can find a way to battle back into 8th place, it could very well be a playoff preview, as well.
Prediction: Flames 3-2
Under the Radar: Los Angeles Kings (44-27-7, 95 points, 3rd in Pacific, 7th in West) at Anaheim Ducks (38-31-9, 85 points, 4th in Pacific, 11th in West)
10:00 pm EST/7:00 pm PST
At first glance you might not expect much of this game, but there's a few things to keep in mind, other than the obvious SoCal/Freeway Face-Off rivalry between these two teams. First of all, the Kings were NOT at all happy with how they played at home against the Ducks on Saturday, ultimately losing 2-1 in overtime. They want to come out with a much better effort against their crosstown rivals to wrap up the season series tonight. Second of all, the Kings have the chance to officially eliminate the Ducks and end their admittedly beyond-slim playoff chances. Don't underestimate what that might mean to this team, especially those of them who have been around for a while and remember how the Ducks dominated the hockey scene in the wake of their 2007 Cup win (and all those years when, at the same time, the Kings were out of the playoffs). The Kings are still looking to move up in the Western conference standings despite having already clinched a playoff spot, as they're just 3 points back of 5th place Nashville with 2 games in hand. This should be a typically nasty game between these two rivals.
Prediction: Kings 4-2
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: Ottawa Senators (43-31-5, 91 points, 2nd in Northeast, 5th in East) at Florida Panthers (31-35-12, 74 points, 4th in Southeast, 13th in East)
7:30 pm EST/4:30 pm PST
Of the few games involving playoff teams vs. non-playoff teams, this game strikes me as by far the most skippable. It certainly doesn't help that it starts at the same time as the Caps and the Pens, while the Sens are probably the team playing for the least. While they aren't officially eliminated from the Northeast crown, it's really almost impossible for them to catch Buffalo at this point. At the same time, they're probably not going up or down in the standings, either; they're not catching 4th place Pittsburgh and 6th place Montreal isn't catching them. They know where they're going to finish. Of all the non-playoff teams, Florida has come out with the least passion on most nights, so add it all up and you've got the potential for two teams coming out flat. Or, on the other hand, maybe the Sens just feel like pounding the Panthers into submission like the Rangers did in the 3rd period last Saturday. Either way, not an entertaining game.
Prediction: Sens 2-1
The Rest
Rangers @ Sabres, 7:00 pm EST: The Rangers are of course still desperate for every point they can get as they try to chase down the Flyers and Bruins for one of the last two play9off spots, and they've gone 5-0-1 in their last 6 games. They'll try to keep that momentum going against a Buffalo team that's lost their last 2 in a row, and yet can still clinch the Northeast division with a win tonight. These two teams always have a tendency to play each other tough, and tonight should be no exception. Verdict: Probably Worth Your Time
Canadiens @ Islanders, 7:00 pm EST: (National TV: RDS, French only) The Habs can clinch a playoff spot with a win and a loss by either the Rangers or Flyers tonight. That should give them all the motivation they need to pound the Islanders, who were officially eliminated from the playoffs earlier in the week. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Flyers @ Maple Leafs, 7:00 pm EST: Obviously this is a huge game in that race for 8th in the East, and it's funny how things work out sometimes with the Leafs having a huge say in which one of these two teams will finish above the other (they head into MSG tomorrow night to take on the Rangers). A loss here for the Flyers would be devastating to their playoff chances, especially if the Rangers can get at least a point out of Buffalo. The Leafs continue to play fantastic hockey; now let's see how they do against a team far more desperate than they are.. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Devils @ Thrashers, 7:00 pm EST: The Devils are playing good hockey right now, bouncing back from giving up another last-minute goal against the Blackhawks in losing in a shootout on Friday by pounding the Hurricanes 3-0 in Carolina the very next night. They're neck-and-neck with the Penguins for the all-important Atlantic division crown, and a win here over the Thrashers would go a long way towards cementing that, since they have the tiebreaker. The Thrashers, meanwhile, are fading back a bit and watching the Rangers overtake them in the race for 8th. A loss here would all but end their playoff chances, so if they can come out playing desperate they might have a shot. Of course, it might be worth watching this game just to see Ilya Kovalchuck (who's suddenly playing really, really well for the first time in Jersey) back in Atlanta....in another uniform, for the first time ever. Verdict: Probably Worth Your Time
Hurricanes @ Lightning, 7:30 pm EST: Our only game of the night between two teams already eliminated from the playoffs, this game could be a fun one just because they'll both be playing super-loose and wiling to trade chances up-and-down the ice. However, the downside is of course that this game means virtually nothing. So your choice on whether or not that's worth watching, I guess. Probably not when it's up against the Caps and Pens head-to-head, but hey, that's your call. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Blackhawks @ Stars, 8:30 pm EST: Chicago needs these two points to catch the Sharks, and they've been playing much better hockey on their 3-game win streak. Dallas is officially eliminated and looked like a team that knew that in their last outing. Yeah, this one might not be pretty. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Avalanche @ Canucks, 10:00 pm EST: (National TV: Versus) The Avalanche are suddenly back in control of their own destiny, bouncing back from their loss to Calgary last Friday with a huge overtime win over the Sharks on Sunday, while those same Flames were losing to the Blackhawks for the eighth-straight game. A win by the Avs would give them a chance to clinch tonight should Calgary lose to the Sharks, and even if Calgary manages to pull that game out, a win here from Colorado would definitely put them in a great position to get the playoff spot locked-down by virtue of their tie-breaker (and having an additional game left doesn't hurt, either). The Canucks aren't playing for much and are playing like it, so if the Avs are going to take advantage, this is the time to do it. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
As always folks, enjoy the hockey as we gear up for the post-season! This is the time of year we all wait for!
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, April 6th
Overall: 11 games, headlined by the ever-popular battle of this sport's two biggest stars. But don't look past the rest of this schedule: there's some other big games mixed in with the usual clunkers.
Marquee Match-Up: Washington Capitals (52-15-12, 116 points, 1st in Southeast, 1st in East) at Pittsburgh Penguins (45-26-7, 97 points, 2nd in Atlantic, 4th in East)
7:30 pm EST/4:30 pm PST
National TV: Versus (US) & TSN (Canada)
Like I need to explain why this is the marquee game? It's Ovechkin vs. Crosby, people. It's the Pens and the Caps, by far the NHL's most exciting rivalry. The only thing you might argue that could take away from it is the fact that the Caps really don't need anymore points, having wrapped up the Eastern Conference lead AND the President's Trophy already, while the Pens are in the middle of a dogfight for top spot in the Atlantic with the suddenly hot New Jersey Devils. But if there's any game that Ovie & the Caps can still get up for, it has to be the Penguins, and putting a kibosh on the Pens' division winning hopes has to have them salivating. Of course there's still the Rocket Richard trophy sidestory, too, as Crosby is trying to hold onto a slim one-goal lead over the two-time defending champion Alex the Great. How many more storylines do you need, folks? Watch. This. Game.
Prediction: Pens 5-4 (OT)
Runner-Up: San Jose Sharks (48-20-11, 107 points, 1st in Pacific, 1st in West) at Calgary Flames (40-30-9, 89 points, 3rd in Northwest, 9th in West)
9:30 pm EST/6:30 pm PST
National TV: TSN (Canada)
This is a big game for both of these teams, as the Sharks can clinch the Pacific division title with a win here, while the Flames MUST win this game to keep their already-slim playoff hopes alive. A loss by Calgary tonight in regulation and a win for Colorado in their game against Vancouver would offically eliminated Calgary from the playoff race. This is a game that, to be quite frank, they have to have. Unfortunately for Calgary, the team they're playing isn't exactly taking those 2 points lightly. Besides the Pacific clinching possibilities, the Sharks clearly want to finish first in the conference for the second year in a row, and they have just a 2-point lead over the Chicago Blackhawks (with the Hawks having a game in hand). This game will be a big test for both teams, and if Calgary can find a way to battle back into 8th place, it could very well be a playoff preview, as well.
Prediction: Flames 3-2
Under the Radar: Los Angeles Kings (44-27-7, 95 points, 3rd in Pacific, 7th in West) at Anaheim Ducks (38-31-9, 85 points, 4th in Pacific, 11th in West)
10:00 pm EST/7:00 pm PST
At first glance you might not expect much of this game, but there's a few things to keep in mind, other than the obvious SoCal/Freeway Face-Off rivalry between these two teams. First of all, the Kings were NOT at all happy with how they played at home against the Ducks on Saturday, ultimately losing 2-1 in overtime. They want to come out with a much better effort against their crosstown rivals to wrap up the season series tonight. Second of all, the Kings have the chance to officially eliminate the Ducks and end their admittedly beyond-slim playoff chances. Don't underestimate what that might mean to this team, especially those of them who have been around for a while and remember how the Ducks dominated the hockey scene in the wake of their 2007 Cup win (and all those years when, at the same time, the Kings were out of the playoffs). The Kings are still looking to move up in the Western conference standings despite having already clinched a playoff spot, as they're just 3 points back of 5th place Nashville with 2 games in hand. This should be a typically nasty game between these two rivals.
Prediction: Kings 4-2
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: Ottawa Senators (43-31-5, 91 points, 2nd in Northeast, 5th in East) at Florida Panthers (31-35-12, 74 points, 4th in Southeast, 13th in East)
7:30 pm EST/4:30 pm PST
Of the few games involving playoff teams vs. non-playoff teams, this game strikes me as by far the most skippable. It certainly doesn't help that it starts at the same time as the Caps and the Pens, while the Sens are probably the team playing for the least. While they aren't officially eliminated from the Northeast crown, it's really almost impossible for them to catch Buffalo at this point. At the same time, they're probably not going up or down in the standings, either; they're not catching 4th place Pittsburgh and 6th place Montreal isn't catching them. They know where they're going to finish. Of all the non-playoff teams, Florida has come out with the least passion on most nights, so add it all up and you've got the potential for two teams coming out flat. Or, on the other hand, maybe the Sens just feel like pounding the Panthers into submission like the Rangers did in the 3rd period last Saturday. Either way, not an entertaining game.
Prediction: Sens 2-1
The Rest
Rangers @ Sabres, 7:00 pm EST: The Rangers are of course still desperate for every point they can get as they try to chase down the Flyers and Bruins for one of the last two play9off spots, and they've gone 5-0-1 in their last 6 games. They'll try to keep that momentum going against a Buffalo team that's lost their last 2 in a row, and yet can still clinch the Northeast division with a win tonight. These two teams always have a tendency to play each other tough, and tonight should be no exception. Verdict: Probably Worth Your Time
Canadiens @ Islanders, 7:00 pm EST: (National TV: RDS, French only) The Habs can clinch a playoff spot with a win and a loss by either the Rangers or Flyers tonight. That should give them all the motivation they need to pound the Islanders, who were officially eliminated from the playoffs earlier in the week. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Flyers @ Maple Leafs, 7:00 pm EST: Obviously this is a huge game in that race for 8th in the East, and it's funny how things work out sometimes with the Leafs having a huge say in which one of these two teams will finish above the other (they head into MSG tomorrow night to take on the Rangers). A loss here for the Flyers would be devastating to their playoff chances, especially if the Rangers can get at least a point out of Buffalo. The Leafs continue to play fantastic hockey; now let's see how they do against a team far more desperate than they are.. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Devils @ Thrashers, 7:00 pm EST: The Devils are playing good hockey right now, bouncing back from giving up another last-minute goal against the Blackhawks in losing in a shootout on Friday by pounding the Hurricanes 3-0 in Carolina the very next night. They're neck-and-neck with the Penguins for the all-important Atlantic division crown, and a win here over the Thrashers would go a long way towards cementing that, since they have the tiebreaker. The Thrashers, meanwhile, are fading back a bit and watching the Rangers overtake them in the race for 8th. A loss here would all but end their playoff chances, so if they can come out playing desperate they might have a shot. Of course, it might be worth watching this game just to see Ilya Kovalchuck (who's suddenly playing really, really well for the first time in Jersey) back in Atlanta....in another uniform, for the first time ever. Verdict: Probably Worth Your Time
Hurricanes @ Lightning, 7:30 pm EST: Our only game of the night between two teams already eliminated from the playoffs, this game could be a fun one just because they'll both be playing super-loose and wiling to trade chances up-and-down the ice. However, the downside is of course that this game means virtually nothing. So your choice on whether or not that's worth watching, I guess. Probably not when it's up against the Caps and Pens head-to-head, but hey, that's your call. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Blackhawks @ Stars, 8:30 pm EST: Chicago needs these two points to catch the Sharks, and they've been playing much better hockey on their 3-game win streak. Dallas is officially eliminated and looked like a team that knew that in their last outing. Yeah, this one might not be pretty. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Avalanche @ Canucks, 10:00 pm EST: (National TV: Versus) The Avalanche are suddenly back in control of their own destiny, bouncing back from their loss to Calgary last Friday with a huge overtime win over the Sharks on Sunday, while those same Flames were losing to the Blackhawks for the eighth-straight game. A win by the Avs would give them a chance to clinch tonight should Calgary lose to the Sharks, and even if Calgary manages to pull that game out, a win here from Colorado would definitely put them in a great position to get the playoff spot locked-down by virtue of their tie-breaker (and having an additional game left doesn't hurt, either). The Canucks aren't playing for much and are playing like it, so if the Avs are going to take advantage, this is the time to do it. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
As always folks, enjoy the hockey as we gear up for the post-season! This is the time of year we all wait for!
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 11, 2010
Today's Games to Watch 3/11
About Last Night...
Blackhawks 3-Kings 2 (OT)
(My Prediction: Hawks 5-Kings 4 (OT))
This marquee showdown between two Western Conference powers largely lived up to the hype, as the Hawks squeaked out a close overtime victory over Los Angeles in Chicago. Kopitar lead the way for the Kings with a goal and an assist while the Hawks' Patrick Sharp had 2 goals, one of which was the OT game-winner. The Hawks looked much better defensively in front of their goaltender than they did on Sunday against the Red Wings, and with Niemi still looking a little shaky in net, that's probably the way they're going to have to play from here on out. The Kings, meanwhile, had a good effort to earn a point in a tough building to play in, and remained right in the mix for the 4th spot in the West, now 2 points out but still with a game in hand on Phoenix.
Devils 6-Rangers 3
(My Prediction: Rangers 3-2)
If it isn't one thing with these New York Rangers, it's another: the anemic offense suddenly woke up, as the Prospal-Jokinen-Gaborik line looked dangerous just about everytime they were on the ice, while Erik Christensen continued his strong play since being a waiver-wire pick-up from Anaheim with a fantastic goal. However, it was the defense and goaltending that let them down last night, as Lundqvist just wasn't tracking the puck well in giving up 5 goals on 17 shots and the defense did him no help in front of him, clearly missing their coverage on many of the Devils' 6 goals. The Rangers remain 3 points back of 8th place Boston, and they've now spotted the Bruins 2 games in hand, as their playoff hopes are suddenly fading faster than ever. The Devils, meanwhile, did get the win at home, but Kovalchuck was held pointless and he still has yet to look integrated into the New Jersey line-up. He'll have to get going in a hurry down the stretch if the Devils want to have a shot at catching Pittsburgh and regaining the Atlantic division lead.
Coyotes 4-Canucks 3 (SO)
(My Prediction: Coyotes 3-1)
Another big win for Phoenix at home to continue to lead the Kings in the battle for 4th, as Phoenix managed to squeak out the shootout victory. Given the fact that this was Vancouver's final game of their epic 14-game road trip (they finished with an 8-5-1 record which has to be considered a monumental success), they had backup Andrew Raycroft in net, and it was the second night of a back-to-back for the Canucks, getting a point has to be considered a victory for them as well. The Canucks continue to get offense from up-and-down their line-up, and are looking more and more like they will be able to lock-up the Northwest division despite the strong play of the upstart Avalanche. Now that this road trip is over, the Canucks will finally return home on Saturday where they have one of the best records in the NHL (23-7-1), and their reward for making it through is a very home-heavy schedule down the stretch. It's looking like a great time to be a Canucks fan right now.
With last night in the books, let's get into tonight's 10-game schedule. As always, the awards I'm giving out are:
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 11th
Overall: Yet another example of quantity not always beating out quality, tonight's schedule has double the games of last night, but as far as marquee-quality games, there's really no contest. It's a pretty weak schedule overall (honestly, the competition for the Ice Dancing award was stronger than anything else), but hey, we gotta talk about it, so let's get into it.
Marquee Match-Up: Pittsburgh Penguins (40-22-4, 84 points, 1st in Atlantic, 2nd in East) at Carolina Hurricanes (27-31-8, 62 points, 5th in Southeast, 13th in East)
7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST
I know, looking at the records of these two teams doesn't exactly scream "marquee", but like I said, it's a pretty weak night for the NHL overall. The Marquee award goes to this game for a couple of reasons: first of all, it's a battle of two of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference. The Pens are 6-1-3 in their last 10 while the Canes have put up an even better mark at 8-1-1 as their improbable march towards playoff contention continues. Secondly, it's a re-match from last year's Eastern Conference Finals, where the Pens man-handled the Canes en route to a 4-game sweep (and of course, eventually the Stanley Cup). Nothing gets a rivalry going like a playoff series, and the Canes are of course going to be out for a little bit of payback in front of their home fans. Also of note is both these teams should be relatively desperate for points: the Canes are of course trying to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, while the Pens have a 3-point lead over the Devils in the Atlantic (with the Devils still holding a game in hand), and will in fact head into New Jersey tomorrow night for an Atlantic showdown. Given the fact that the Devils will spend today resting while the Pens are in action, getting points tonight should be considered a matter of great urgency for the Pens, as losses tonight & tomorrow will allow the Devils to retake the Atlantic lead.
Prediction: Pens 5-2
Runner-Up: Ottawa Senators (37-25-5, 79 points, 2nd in Northeast, 5th in East) at Calgary Flames (33-24-9, 75 points, 3rd in Northwest, 8th in West)
9:30 pm EST/6:30 pm PST
Eastern vs. Western Canada match-ups tend to be exciting games, and tonight's game between the Sens & Flames should (hopefully) be no exception. Going into this year, the Flames were a team expected to be challenging for the Northwest crown, but instead they're hanging on to a playoff spot by the skin of their teeth. A big reason for that? Their awful home record (16-15-3), something they will have to turn around in a hurry down the stretch if they expect to hold off the Red Wings and whoever else emerges from the 10th-13th logjam as a playoff contender. Meanwhile, the Sens have been average on the road (16-14-1), again something they will look to turn around down the stretch if they plan on catching the Buffalo Sabres for the Northeast crown. A bad home team vs. an average away team, something has to give here.
Prediction: Sens 3-2
Under the Radar: Minnesota Wild (31-28-6, 68 points, 4th in Northwest, 12th in West) at Detroit Red Wings (31-23-12, 74 points, 3rd in Central, 9th in West)
7:30 pm EST/4:30 pm PST
National TV: NHL Network (US Only)
This is a classic example of an under the radar game, as you just don't get anymore under that there radar than the Minnesota Wild. There was a poll last year the NHL conducted to find out which team has the least interest outside of their home market, and Minnesota shockingly "won" that poll. Yes, Virgina, that means there's more displaced Florida Panther fans out there than Minnesota Wild fan, that surprised the hell out of me, too. But then when I got to thinking about it, I'm exactly the type of person they were asking about on that poll (i.e. has the Center Ice package and watches a ton of hockey), and how many times have I watched a Minnesota Wild game this season? A couple times when they played the Kings or Hawks, and that's about it. So I guess I see their point. Anyway, with that bit of backstory out of the way, tonight's game involving the Wild might just be one to watch. I mentioned already of the 10th-13th logjam in the West, and the Wild are right there in it, 7 points back of 8th place Calgary with a game in hand. They've got a game in hand on 9th place Detroit as well, and if they can pull out a big win in regulation tonight in the Joe Louis Arena, that will put them just 4 points back of the Wings, still with that game in hand. A loss tonight, however, would all but erase the Wild's playoff hopes. This is the very definition of a four-point game.
Prediction: Red Wings 5-Wild 2
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: Tampa Bay Lightning (27-27-11, 65 points, 3rd in Southeast, 11th in East) at Toronto Maple Leafs (21-33-12, 54 points, 5th in Northeast, 15th in East)
7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST
Like I said before, the competition for this "award" was pretty brutal, with a lot of teams in playoff position vs. teams that couldn't be farther out of it. But this game is the first I can recall seeing of the hockey fan's greatest enemy down the stretch: the utterly and completely meaningless game. You'll see it plenty from now until the end of the season, battles between two teams with absolutely nothing to play for, and for the love of God don't you dare watch them, lest you be bored completely out of your skull. One could argue, I guess, that the Lightning are still technically "in" the playoff race in the East, which speaks to just how mediocre the Eastern Conference is this season when a team that's been as bad as Tampa Bay has been of late can still be in a playoff race. But, realistically, the Lightning don't have much of a shot. A win over the Maple Leafs would still put them 3 points back, and while that may not sound like a lot does anyone really think they can get it done down the stretch against teams that AREN'T from Toronto with the way they've been playing? The Lightning's playoff hopes realistically ended when they lost to the Habs on Tuesday, and until they're actually beating teams above them in the standings I'm officially considering them out of it. The Maple Leafs, of course, are really, really bad. To top it off, the Lightning always seem to play really well against Toronto, as in, major ass-kicking well. So yeah, don't watch this game.
Prediction: Lightning 5-Maple Leafs 1
The Rest
Oilers @ Habs, 7:00 pm EST: (National TV on RDS, French only) Should I really even bother putting any Oilers games in this listing from now until the end of the season? If you don't see the Oilers' name in the listing and immediately know what the verdict's going to be, well, congratulations, you're the immediate relative of one of the players on the roster. I say "immediate" because there's no way that, say, Mike Comrie's second- or third-cousin could want to watch this game. Welcome to the club. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Blues @ Islanders, 7:00 pm EST: Tonight's Ice Dancing competition was almost certainly stiffer than the actual Olympic event was this year, as you can see here. The Blues are okay, the Islanders are pretty bad. FEEL THE EXCITEMENT~! Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Bruins @ Flyers, 7:00 pm EST: See kids, a game doesn't have to feature non-playoff teams to be completely uninteresting! Yeah, okay, this is a Winter Classic re-match. Put their "thrilling" 2-1 game into the Garden instead of outside and I guarantee you not a single person would remember it today. Oh yeah, and thanks Matt Cooke for taking the only exciting offensive player out of the Boston line-up. They were boring as hell WITH Marc Savard. And now they don't have him. Woof. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Thrashers @ Blue Jackets, 7:00 pm EST: Okay, seriously, was tonight's NHL schedule some kind of giant prank on me? The THRASHERS at the BLUE JACKETS?! Really? Like you have to ask what this game gets. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Panthers @ Avalanche, 9:00 pm EST: You know, on just about any other night, a re-match of the 1996 Stanley Cup Final (that was swept by the Avs, by the way) would probably be an Ice Dancing contender, but not tonight. Compared to those last games I just listed, this game looks positively interesting. Of course, that's kind of like saying a knife wound sounds like a good time when compared to being infected with flesh-eating bacteria. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Predators @ Sharks, 10:30 pm EST: Oh my god! Is it a mirage? Can it be real? A game....involving two GOOD teams....that might actually be a little bit exciting?! The last time the Preds were in San Jose, it took a very late third-period goal to put the Sharks on top. And while the Preds can be a little boring and trap-happy at times, they also have a lot of young talent that's fun to watch (especially on the back-end). On another night, that might not be enough to be worth your time, but just compared to the rest of tonight's craptastic schedule, this game should be like a long gulp of fresh water from a spring in the middle of a desert. Verdict: Probably Worth Your Time
Yeah, okay, not exactly the greatest night of hockey I've ever seen. Might be a good night to go and visit your grandmother or something. But hey, if you get home in time, Preds-Sharks might be decent. Other than that, you're on your own folks. Good night, and good luck.
Blackhawks 3-Kings 2 (OT)
(My Prediction: Hawks 5-Kings 4 (OT))
This marquee showdown between two Western Conference powers largely lived up to the hype, as the Hawks squeaked out a close overtime victory over Los Angeles in Chicago. Kopitar lead the way for the Kings with a goal and an assist while the Hawks' Patrick Sharp had 2 goals, one of which was the OT game-winner. The Hawks looked much better defensively in front of their goaltender than they did on Sunday against the Red Wings, and with Niemi still looking a little shaky in net, that's probably the way they're going to have to play from here on out. The Kings, meanwhile, had a good effort to earn a point in a tough building to play in, and remained right in the mix for the 4th spot in the West, now 2 points out but still with a game in hand on Phoenix.
Devils 6-Rangers 3
(My Prediction: Rangers 3-2)
If it isn't one thing with these New York Rangers, it's another: the anemic offense suddenly woke up, as the Prospal-Jokinen-Gaborik line looked dangerous just about everytime they were on the ice, while Erik Christensen continued his strong play since being a waiver-wire pick-up from Anaheim with a fantastic goal. However, it was the defense and goaltending that let them down last night, as Lundqvist just wasn't tracking the puck well in giving up 5 goals on 17 shots and the defense did him no help in front of him, clearly missing their coverage on many of the Devils' 6 goals. The Rangers remain 3 points back of 8th place Boston, and they've now spotted the Bruins 2 games in hand, as their playoff hopes are suddenly fading faster than ever. The Devils, meanwhile, did get the win at home, but Kovalchuck was held pointless and he still has yet to look integrated into the New Jersey line-up. He'll have to get going in a hurry down the stretch if the Devils want to have a shot at catching Pittsburgh and regaining the Atlantic division lead.
Coyotes 4-Canucks 3 (SO)
(My Prediction: Coyotes 3-1)
Another big win for Phoenix at home to continue to lead the Kings in the battle for 4th, as Phoenix managed to squeak out the shootout victory. Given the fact that this was Vancouver's final game of their epic 14-game road trip (they finished with an 8-5-1 record which has to be considered a monumental success), they had backup Andrew Raycroft in net, and it was the second night of a back-to-back for the Canucks, getting a point has to be considered a victory for them as well. The Canucks continue to get offense from up-and-down their line-up, and are looking more and more like they will be able to lock-up the Northwest division despite the strong play of the upstart Avalanche. Now that this road trip is over, the Canucks will finally return home on Saturday where they have one of the best records in the NHL (23-7-1), and their reward for making it through is a very home-heavy schedule down the stretch. It's looking like a great time to be a Canucks fan right now.
With last night in the books, let's get into tonight's 10-game schedule. As always, the awards I'm giving out are:
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 11th
Overall: Yet another example of quantity not always beating out quality, tonight's schedule has double the games of last night, but as far as marquee-quality games, there's really no contest. It's a pretty weak schedule overall (honestly, the competition for the Ice Dancing award was stronger than anything else), but hey, we gotta talk about it, so let's get into it.
Marquee Match-Up: Pittsburgh Penguins (40-22-4, 84 points, 1st in Atlantic, 2nd in East) at Carolina Hurricanes (27-31-8, 62 points, 5th in Southeast, 13th in East)
7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST
I know, looking at the records of these two teams doesn't exactly scream "marquee", but like I said, it's a pretty weak night for the NHL overall. The Marquee award goes to this game for a couple of reasons: first of all, it's a battle of two of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference. The Pens are 6-1-3 in their last 10 while the Canes have put up an even better mark at 8-1-1 as their improbable march towards playoff contention continues. Secondly, it's a re-match from last year's Eastern Conference Finals, where the Pens man-handled the Canes en route to a 4-game sweep (and of course, eventually the Stanley Cup). Nothing gets a rivalry going like a playoff series, and the Canes are of course going to be out for a little bit of payback in front of their home fans. Also of note is both these teams should be relatively desperate for points: the Canes are of course trying to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, while the Pens have a 3-point lead over the Devils in the Atlantic (with the Devils still holding a game in hand), and will in fact head into New Jersey tomorrow night for an Atlantic showdown. Given the fact that the Devils will spend today resting while the Pens are in action, getting points tonight should be considered a matter of great urgency for the Pens, as losses tonight & tomorrow will allow the Devils to retake the Atlantic lead.
Prediction: Pens 5-2
Runner-Up: Ottawa Senators (37-25-5, 79 points, 2nd in Northeast, 5th in East) at Calgary Flames (33-24-9, 75 points, 3rd in Northwest, 8th in West)
9:30 pm EST/6:30 pm PST
Eastern vs. Western Canada match-ups tend to be exciting games, and tonight's game between the Sens & Flames should (hopefully) be no exception. Going into this year, the Flames were a team expected to be challenging for the Northwest crown, but instead they're hanging on to a playoff spot by the skin of their teeth. A big reason for that? Their awful home record (16-15-3), something they will have to turn around in a hurry down the stretch if they expect to hold off the Red Wings and whoever else emerges from the 10th-13th logjam as a playoff contender. Meanwhile, the Sens have been average on the road (16-14-1), again something they will look to turn around down the stretch if they plan on catching the Buffalo Sabres for the Northeast crown. A bad home team vs. an average away team, something has to give here.
Prediction: Sens 3-2
Under the Radar: Minnesota Wild (31-28-6, 68 points, 4th in Northwest, 12th in West) at Detroit Red Wings (31-23-12, 74 points, 3rd in Central, 9th in West)
7:30 pm EST/4:30 pm PST
National TV: NHL Network (US Only)
This is a classic example of an under the radar game, as you just don't get anymore under that there radar than the Minnesota Wild. There was a poll last year the NHL conducted to find out which team has the least interest outside of their home market, and Minnesota shockingly "won" that poll. Yes, Virgina, that means there's more displaced Florida Panther fans out there than Minnesota Wild fan, that surprised the hell out of me, too. But then when I got to thinking about it, I'm exactly the type of person they were asking about on that poll (i.e. has the Center Ice package and watches a ton of hockey), and how many times have I watched a Minnesota Wild game this season? A couple times when they played the Kings or Hawks, and that's about it. So I guess I see their point. Anyway, with that bit of backstory out of the way, tonight's game involving the Wild might just be one to watch. I mentioned already of the 10th-13th logjam in the West, and the Wild are right there in it, 7 points back of 8th place Calgary with a game in hand. They've got a game in hand on 9th place Detroit as well, and if they can pull out a big win in regulation tonight in the Joe Louis Arena, that will put them just 4 points back of the Wings, still with that game in hand. A loss tonight, however, would all but erase the Wild's playoff hopes. This is the very definition of a four-point game.
Prediction: Red Wings 5-Wild 2
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: Tampa Bay Lightning (27-27-11, 65 points, 3rd in Southeast, 11th in East) at Toronto Maple Leafs (21-33-12, 54 points, 5th in Northeast, 15th in East)
7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST
Like I said before, the competition for this "award" was pretty brutal, with a lot of teams in playoff position vs. teams that couldn't be farther out of it. But this game is the first I can recall seeing of the hockey fan's greatest enemy down the stretch: the utterly and completely meaningless game. You'll see it plenty from now until the end of the season, battles between two teams with absolutely nothing to play for, and for the love of God don't you dare watch them, lest you be bored completely out of your skull. One could argue, I guess, that the Lightning are still technically "in" the playoff race in the East, which speaks to just how mediocre the Eastern Conference is this season when a team that's been as bad as Tampa Bay has been of late can still be in a playoff race. But, realistically, the Lightning don't have much of a shot. A win over the Maple Leafs would still put them 3 points back, and while that may not sound like a lot does anyone really think they can get it done down the stretch against teams that AREN'T from Toronto with the way they've been playing? The Lightning's playoff hopes realistically ended when they lost to the Habs on Tuesday, and until they're actually beating teams above them in the standings I'm officially considering them out of it. The Maple Leafs, of course, are really, really bad. To top it off, the Lightning always seem to play really well against Toronto, as in, major ass-kicking well. So yeah, don't watch this game.
Prediction: Lightning 5-Maple Leafs 1
The Rest
Oilers @ Habs, 7:00 pm EST: (National TV on RDS, French only) Should I really even bother putting any Oilers games in this listing from now until the end of the season? If you don't see the Oilers' name in the listing and immediately know what the verdict's going to be, well, congratulations, you're the immediate relative of one of the players on the roster. I say "immediate" because there's no way that, say, Mike Comrie's second- or third-cousin could want to watch this game. Welcome to the club. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Blues @ Islanders, 7:00 pm EST: Tonight's Ice Dancing competition was almost certainly stiffer than the actual Olympic event was this year, as you can see here. The Blues are okay, the Islanders are pretty bad. FEEL THE EXCITEMENT~! Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Bruins @ Flyers, 7:00 pm EST: See kids, a game doesn't have to feature non-playoff teams to be completely uninteresting! Yeah, okay, this is a Winter Classic re-match. Put their "thrilling" 2-1 game into the Garden instead of outside and I guarantee you not a single person would remember it today. Oh yeah, and thanks Matt Cooke for taking the only exciting offensive player out of the Boston line-up. They were boring as hell WITH Marc Savard. And now they don't have him. Woof. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Thrashers @ Blue Jackets, 7:00 pm EST: Okay, seriously, was tonight's NHL schedule some kind of giant prank on me? The THRASHERS at the BLUE JACKETS?! Really? Like you have to ask what this game gets. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Panthers @ Avalanche, 9:00 pm EST: You know, on just about any other night, a re-match of the 1996 Stanley Cup Final (that was swept by the Avs, by the way) would probably be an Ice Dancing contender, but not tonight. Compared to those last games I just listed, this game looks positively interesting. Of course, that's kind of like saying a knife wound sounds like a good time when compared to being infected with flesh-eating bacteria. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Predators @ Sharks, 10:30 pm EST: Oh my god! Is it a mirage? Can it be real? A game....involving two GOOD teams....that might actually be a little bit exciting?! The last time the Preds were in San Jose, it took a very late third-period goal to put the Sharks on top. And while the Preds can be a little boring and trap-happy at times, they also have a lot of young talent that's fun to watch (especially on the back-end). On another night, that might not be enough to be worth your time, but just compared to the rest of tonight's craptastic schedule, this game should be like a long gulp of fresh water from a spring in the middle of a desert. Verdict: Probably Worth Your Time
Yeah, okay, not exactly the greatest night of hockey I've ever seen. Might be a good night to go and visit your grandmother or something. But hey, if you get home in time, Preds-Sharks might be decent. Other than that, you're on your own folks. Good night, and good luck.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Today's Games to Watch 3/9
Now that the NFL season is over and the NHL is able to really load up their Sundays from here on out, you'll probably have to get used to Monday nights like last night, which featured just two games (and only one of them was even remotely competitive). The NHL returns to a far more active schedule tonight, however, with a 9-game lineup, giving me plenty of games to shift through and tell you just which games are worth your time. So let's get to it.
In case you missed the inaugural edition, to recap I'm going to look at the schedule of the day and pick out four games. Those four games will be:
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.
I've also decided to try my hand at predictions as well. Nostradamus I'm not, so you're forewarned not to take any of these to your local bookie or anything.
Tuesday March 9th
Overall: Though there are nine games on tap for tonight, it's not a particuarly strong nine games. It took some real digging to come through with my Marquee games, and to be honest they were kind of a toss-up.
Marquee Match-Up: Vancouver Canucks (40-23-2, 82 points, 1st in Northwest, 3rd in West) at Colorado Avalanche (37-22-6, 80 points, 2nd in Northwest, 6th in West)
9:00 pm EST/6:00 pm PST
On a night that's not exactly strong with the marquee name value or rivalries, I'm leaning towards this battle for the Northwest division as my pick of the night. This is the game I'm most interested in watching, and I have no real strong feelings towards either team. But this is the only division in the Western Conference that is still really up for grabs, and just looking at both these teams and where they are in the standings should tell you just how important winning that division will be. Despite just two points difference, the Canucks sit in 3rd (with home ice) due to having the division lead, while the Avalanche sit in 6th, behind the Coyotes & Kings in the Western standings and just 7 points shy of 9th place Calgary (and more on them in a second). Furthermore, this could very easily be a first-round preview. Add it all up and you've got the recipe for a very important game tonight.
Prediction: Canucks 5-3
Runner-Up: Calgary Flames (32-24-9, 73 points, 3rd in Northwest, 9th in West) at Detroit Red Wings (31-22-12, 74 points, 3rd in Central, 8th in West)
7:30 pm EST/4:30 pm PST
Tonight's race for the Marquee really only came down to these two games, but I had a little bit of a hard time deciding just which one to rank above the other. In the end, I went with the divisional showdown, but that's not to take anything away from this battle. Calgary is exactly one point behind Detroit for the 8th and final playoff spot in the West, and neither team has games in hand on the other. This is one of those almighty four-point games, as Detroit has a chance to increase the gap with Calgary to 3, while Calgary has a chance to unseat Detroit and take that 8th playoff spot. Of course, no one would have predicted before the season began that the Flames & Red Wings would be battling it out for 8th in the Western Conference, which only makes this battle even more intriguing. After tonight's game, the two teams will meet one final time in Calgary next Monday, so you know the Flames would love to steal one on the road with a home date against the Wings still to come.
Prediction: Flames 5-4 in a Shootout
Under the Radar: Tampa Bay Lightning (27-26-11, 65 points, 3rd in Southeast, 11th in East) at Montreal Canadiens (32-29-6, 70 points, 3rd in Northeast, 7th in East)
7:30 pm EST/4:30 pm PST
National TV: RDS (Canada, French only)
There were a few games I considered for this one, but I'm giving the nod to the Lightning at the Habs, for a couple of reasons. First of all, there's the obvious playoff race. The Lightning are fading fast, now 5 points back of the Habs and 4 points back of the 8th place Bruins. A win here in regulation would be a big deal for the Lightning, especially considering they will still have 3 games in hand on the Habs at the end of the night. Secondly, the Lightning's two French-Canadian superstars, Vinny Lecavalier & Martin St. Louis both have a tendency to turn it way up whenever the Bolts play in Montreal. Add it all up and you have a game that will probably fly under the radar a bit (especially in the States) but could turn out to be a very good game.
Prediction: Habs 3-1
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: New York Islanders (26-31-8, 60 points, 5th in Atlantic, 14th in East) at Philadelphia Flyers (34-26-4, 72 points, 3rd in Atlantic, 6th in East)
7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST
National TV: Versus (US)
Ah yes, for the first time and I'm sure not the last, my worst game of the night also happens to be the only game picked up on national TV here in the good 'ol US of A! But Versus only has themselves to blame for this one: inexplicably this will be the second time the Flyers-Isles have aired on Versus this season, despite the fact that the Flyers are carrying an unbelievable FIFTEEN GAME winning streak over the Islanders into tonight's contest! The last time the Islanders were in Philly they looked lifeless, and that was at a time they were playing MUCH better hockey overall than they are right now. The Isles have faded from their surprising form earlier in the season, as many young teams tend to do, and are currently all but out of the playoff race. This should be yet another one-sided romp for the Flyers in this incredibly one-sided "rivalry", and you should almost definitely take a pass on watching it.
Prediction: Flyers 5-1
The Rest
Bruins @ Maple Leafs, 7:00 pm EST: Whoa, didn't these guys just play each other? Well, that game went to a shootout, so who knows, this one could provide some excitement too. But expecting the Leafs to get up for a game these days has proven to be a bit of a crapshoot: the same week they were taking the Bruins to a shootout in Beantown, they were also losing at home, 5-1, to the Carolina Hurricanes. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Predators @ Thrashers, 7:00 pm EST: Talk about two teams that desperately need points: the Thrashers are coming off their collapse against Vancouver and have seen their playoff cushion evaporate to just 2 points over 9th place Calgary, while the Thrashers decided the best way to celebrate being in the top 8 in the East was by losing two in a row, which now sees them in 10th and 3 points out again. Funny thing about desperation: it tends to bring out a hell of a hockey game. Verdict: Probably Worth Your Time
Panthers @ Wild, 8:00 pm EST: I literally have absolutely nothing to say about this game. I can tell you they're both hockey teams and they're both allegedly still in their playoff races. Yeah, that's about it. Okay, I know that's weak, but YOU try finding something to write about a game between the FLORIDA FRIGGIN' PANTHERS and the MINNESOTA FRIGGIN' WILD. Thought so. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Senators @ Oilers, 9:00 pm EST: Now are you starting to see why I said tonight's lineup was kind of weak? Boy, between that last game, this one, and one more still to come, there was more competition for the Ice Dancing "award" than anything else tonight. The Sens are very good, the Oilers are very bad, nothing to see here, move along please. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Blue Jackets @ Ducks, 10:00 pm EST: Ever watch Robot Chicken? Okay, ever see that skit they did parodying those Fox specials with "World's Most One-Sided Fist Fights"? Several of the "fights" from that skit, including a man reaching down into a stroller and repeatedly punching a baby, were more competitive than last night's Kings-Jackets game. After 40 minutes, the Kings had more goals (six) than the Jackets had SHOTS ON GOAL (five). When have you EVER heard of that happening? I guess my point is, tonight's game can go one of two ways: either the Jackets will come out pissed off and take it out on the Ducks, or they'll come out and get slaughtered again by an Anaheim team that really, really needs the 2 points to keep their playoff hopes alive. If it's the former, it might be a fun game to watch. But if it's the latter, well, it'll be fun if you're a Ducks fan, suicidally depressing if you're a Jackets fan, and utterly uninteresting for everyone else. Hey, at least the Jackets won't be able to use the usual built-in "we just played a game last night, we're tired" excuse if they lose tonight. Using that excuse actually requires PLAYING IN THE GAME THE NIGHT BEFORE. Which, you know, they didn't. Okay, I'm done. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
And that's it for tonight, ladies and gents. I'll be back, perhaps with some early rumblings from the first two days of the GM meetings. Enjoy the hockey.
In case you missed the inaugural edition, to recap I'm going to look at the schedule of the day and pick out four games. Those four games will be:
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.
I've also decided to try my hand at predictions as well. Nostradamus I'm not, so you're forewarned not to take any of these to your local bookie or anything.
Tuesday March 9th
Overall: Though there are nine games on tap for tonight, it's not a particuarly strong nine games. It took some real digging to come through with my Marquee games, and to be honest they were kind of a toss-up.
Marquee Match-Up: Vancouver Canucks (40-23-2, 82 points, 1st in Northwest, 3rd in West) at Colorado Avalanche (37-22-6, 80 points, 2nd in Northwest, 6th in West)
9:00 pm EST/6:00 pm PST
On a night that's not exactly strong with the marquee name value or rivalries, I'm leaning towards this battle for the Northwest division as my pick of the night. This is the game I'm most interested in watching, and I have no real strong feelings towards either team. But this is the only division in the Western Conference that is still really up for grabs, and just looking at both these teams and where they are in the standings should tell you just how important winning that division will be. Despite just two points difference, the Canucks sit in 3rd (with home ice) due to having the division lead, while the Avalanche sit in 6th, behind the Coyotes & Kings in the Western standings and just 7 points shy of 9th place Calgary (and more on them in a second). Furthermore, this could very easily be a first-round preview. Add it all up and you've got the recipe for a very important game tonight.
Prediction: Canucks 5-3
Runner-Up: Calgary Flames (32-24-9, 73 points, 3rd in Northwest, 9th in West) at Detroit Red Wings (31-22-12, 74 points, 3rd in Central, 8th in West)
7:30 pm EST/4:30 pm PST
Tonight's race for the Marquee really only came down to these two games, but I had a little bit of a hard time deciding just which one to rank above the other. In the end, I went with the divisional showdown, but that's not to take anything away from this battle. Calgary is exactly one point behind Detroit for the 8th and final playoff spot in the West, and neither team has games in hand on the other. This is one of those almighty four-point games, as Detroit has a chance to increase the gap with Calgary to 3, while Calgary has a chance to unseat Detroit and take that 8th playoff spot. Of course, no one would have predicted before the season began that the Flames & Red Wings would be battling it out for 8th in the Western Conference, which only makes this battle even more intriguing. After tonight's game, the two teams will meet one final time in Calgary next Monday, so you know the Flames would love to steal one on the road with a home date against the Wings still to come.
Prediction: Flames 5-4 in a Shootout
Under the Radar: Tampa Bay Lightning (27-26-11, 65 points, 3rd in Southeast, 11th in East) at Montreal Canadiens (32-29-6, 70 points, 3rd in Northeast, 7th in East)
7:30 pm EST/4:30 pm PST
National TV: RDS (Canada, French only)
There were a few games I considered for this one, but I'm giving the nod to the Lightning at the Habs, for a couple of reasons. First of all, there's the obvious playoff race. The Lightning are fading fast, now 5 points back of the Habs and 4 points back of the 8th place Bruins. A win here in regulation would be a big deal for the Lightning, especially considering they will still have 3 games in hand on the Habs at the end of the night. Secondly, the Lightning's two French-Canadian superstars, Vinny Lecavalier & Martin St. Louis both have a tendency to turn it way up whenever the Bolts play in Montreal. Add it all up and you have a game that will probably fly under the radar a bit (especially in the States) but could turn out to be a very good game.
Prediction: Habs 3-1
I'd Rather Watch Ice Dancing: New York Islanders (26-31-8, 60 points, 5th in Atlantic, 14th in East) at Philadelphia Flyers (34-26-4, 72 points, 3rd in Atlantic, 6th in East)
7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST
National TV: Versus (US)
Ah yes, for the first time and I'm sure not the last, my worst game of the night also happens to be the only game picked up on national TV here in the good 'ol US of A! But Versus only has themselves to blame for this one: inexplicably this will be the second time the Flyers-Isles have aired on Versus this season, despite the fact that the Flyers are carrying an unbelievable FIFTEEN GAME winning streak over the Islanders into tonight's contest! The last time the Islanders were in Philly they looked lifeless, and that was at a time they were playing MUCH better hockey overall than they are right now. The Isles have faded from their surprising form earlier in the season, as many young teams tend to do, and are currently all but out of the playoff race. This should be yet another one-sided romp for the Flyers in this incredibly one-sided "rivalry", and you should almost definitely take a pass on watching it.
Prediction: Flyers 5-1
The Rest
Bruins @ Maple Leafs, 7:00 pm EST: Whoa, didn't these guys just play each other? Well, that game went to a shootout, so who knows, this one could provide some excitement too. But expecting the Leafs to get up for a game these days has proven to be a bit of a crapshoot: the same week they were taking the Bruins to a shootout in Beantown, they were also losing at home, 5-1, to the Carolina Hurricanes. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
Predators @ Thrashers, 7:00 pm EST: Talk about two teams that desperately need points: the Thrashers are coming off their collapse against Vancouver and have seen their playoff cushion evaporate to just 2 points over 9th place Calgary, while the Thrashers decided the best way to celebrate being in the top 8 in the East was by losing two in a row, which now sees them in 10th and 3 points out again. Funny thing about desperation: it tends to bring out a hell of a hockey game. Verdict: Probably Worth Your Time
Panthers @ Wild, 8:00 pm EST: I literally have absolutely nothing to say about this game. I can tell you they're both hockey teams and they're both allegedly still in their playoff races. Yeah, that's about it. Okay, I know that's weak, but YOU try finding something to write about a game between the FLORIDA FRIGGIN' PANTHERS and the MINNESOTA FRIGGIN' WILD. Thought so. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Senators @ Oilers, 9:00 pm EST: Now are you starting to see why I said tonight's lineup was kind of weak? Boy, between that last game, this one, and one more still to come, there was more competition for the Ice Dancing "award" than anything else tonight. The Sens are very good, the Oilers are very bad, nothing to see here, move along please. Verdict: Not Worth Your Time
Blue Jackets @ Ducks, 10:00 pm EST: Ever watch Robot Chicken? Okay, ever see that skit they did parodying those Fox specials with "World's Most One-Sided Fist Fights"? Several of the "fights" from that skit, including a man reaching down into a stroller and repeatedly punching a baby, were more competitive than last night's Kings-Jackets game. After 40 minutes, the Kings had more goals (six) than the Jackets had SHOTS ON GOAL (five). When have you EVER heard of that happening? I guess my point is, tonight's game can go one of two ways: either the Jackets will come out pissed off and take it out on the Ducks, or they'll come out and get slaughtered again by an Anaheim team that really, really needs the 2 points to keep their playoff hopes alive. If it's the former, it might be a fun game to watch. But if it's the latter, well, it'll be fun if you're a Ducks fan, suicidally depressing if you're a Jackets fan, and utterly uninteresting for everyone else. Hey, at least the Jackets won't be able to use the usual built-in "we just played a game last night, we're tired" excuse if they lose tonight. Using that excuse actually requires PLAYING IN THE GAME THE NIGHT BEFORE. Which, you know, they didn't. Okay, I'm done. Verdict: Might Be Worth Your Time
And that's it for tonight, ladies and gents. I'll be back, perhaps with some early rumblings from the first two days of the GM meetings. Enjoy the hockey.
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