December 19, 2011: Boston vs. Montreal
Pregame comments:
Santa is there!! And so is the Misses!
Boston needs a new singer for the national anthem, but they can keep his wardrobe. Nice bowtie.
Throwback jersey, very nice.
No Lucic
Period 1:
18:53 – Bergeron had a nice shot, just wide.
18:28 – First face-off, in Montreal zone. Bruins win it.
17:52 – Lamest attempt at shot on goal by Montreal. The puck probably went about a mile and a half an hour.
16:59 – Eller with a good steal in Montreal zone to kill Bruins strike.
15:58 – Pretty bitchin’ pass down the left side to give the Bruins a nice chance at a goal… that they missed.
14:24 – They waved off the icing… I hate this rule. It makes no sense.
First commercial break: There was a 2 on 2 going for the Bruins but a really nice breakup by the Montreal defense. It happened way too fast for me to be getting numbers and taking names.
Fun fact, tonight is the Bruins’ 103rd straight sellout. Boston sports fans are pretty awesome.
13:17 – Corvo with a good shot on goal, still no score yet though.
12:27 – Kaberle breaks up Seguin’s strong attempt. Welcome back to Boston, kiddo.
11:12 – Horton misses a pass in the Montreal zone... I hope it was because he was busy hearing a Who…
10:19 – Thomas makes the first save of the night. Good stick block and quick cover-up.
7:59 – Corner struggle for control of the puck in the Montreal zone. I wonder if they say no homo while they practically hump each other trying to get it…
7:47 – Bruins score!! Right off the face-off, Pouliot gets his 6th goal of the season to put the Bruins on top for the first goal of the night!
7:24 – Kelly has a great break away, looking at back to back goals, but gets hooked just before taking the shot. Too bad the penalty wasn’t actually called…
6:34 – Plekanec scored for Montreal. Right through the legs of Chara and Thomas. How unfortunate.
~6 – Boston is looking a little shaken up and out of sorts after the quick Montreal goal. Hopefully they can hold it together for another few minutes before they talk themselves back up during first intermission.
4:54 – Campbell with a good steal but it gets away from him as he enters the Montreal zone.
According to the announcers the Bruins have a lot of layers, and they keep getting in their own way with said layers…. They are just like onions and ogres.
3:11 – Marchand and Bergeron both in front of the net, so close to another goal, but tipped just outside.
1:58 – The puck is flying all over the place, neither team can really hold on to control for more than a few seconds.
1:16 – Bruins offside. My least favorite penalty. It can be so easily avoided, just pay attention! I mean you are professionals… it is kind of like your job…
And that’s the end of the first, all tied at 1. And according to one of the fans, real Canadians love The Bruins. I like it.
Period 2:
19:23 – Puck seems a little bouncier this period. A jumpy shot in the Montreal zone followed by a bouncer on the Bruins net.
18:14 – Bruins attempt at a pass gets knocked back down the ice to Thomas.
17:18 – Incredible tip into the goal for Krejci, with a beautiful set up by Seguin! And it’s under review for a potential kicking motion… And it counts! Bruins up 2-1
16:43 – Thomas made a nice save and then Ference made a great kick to get the puck out of a dangerous spot when Thomas got tangled up.
16:10 – First PowerPlay of the night goes to Montreal as Horton is called for hooking.
15:42 – Bruins have gotten two really strong shorthanded shots during this penalty kill.
14:09 – Bruins allowed zero shots on goal and killed the first PP of the night.
13:33 – Nice shot by Chara with a scrambled in front of the net, but Price manages to hold on.
12:22 – Nokelainen pings off the sidebar.
11:22 – Price makes a nice grab off Peverley’s shot.
10:51 – Horton potentially hit where there was no pad, but he is skating on like a champ.
8:36 – Boston gets their first stab at the PP as Seguin draws the penalty.
~7:30 – One of the Bruins pinged off the sidebar, but the computer froze so I forget the player or the actual time…. deal with it.
6:34 – Montreal killed the PP allowing just the one shot on goal.
5:23 – McQuaid overshot pass to Campbell and Price gathers the puck up for Montreal.
4:39 – Great save by Thomas! Apparently it allowed the Bruins to change up, which is why they are attacking the Montreal net right now.
3:37 – Boston gets their second PP. The announcer thinks the signal is high-sticking, but I don’t know enough to corroborate that. Oh and apparently it’s a double minor... goes to show you shouldn’t high stick. 4 minutes of Boston fun.
1:57 – Bruins ruled off-sides and haven’t done too much in the first couple of minutes of the PP
2-1 at the end of the second with just a few seconds left in the PP for the Bruins. They had a decent chance in the last minute, but Campbell didn’t get quite enough power behind his shot.
Period 3
~ 19:37 – PP is over, but the timer isn’t showing so I can’t help you too much. Probably about 23 seconds in though, if I can still do basic math that is… Bruins only getting 3 shots on goal.
~ 17:30 – Lots of fancy stick work in the Montreal zone as Bruins chance up man by man, close wrap around and then an icing call…. Still no clock but the announcer says 2.5 minutes gone as Montreal calls a timeout.
16:47 – Kaberle misses a pass across the ice in the Boston zone. and the timer is back, but the score is not 0-0, so here is hoping the clock part is close to accurate even if the score isn’t…
15:09 – Timer and score restored! I know… it’s that important.
14:16 – Cross-checking penalty against the Bruins, let’s see if Montreal can do something with the PP this time.
14:11 – Subban takes a hard shot upstairs on Thomas, just a little wide, but lots of power.
14:00 – Another hard shot that Thomas covers.
12:41 – Campbell lays out on the ice and swipes the puck into the neutral zone… And apparently has a broken foot. There is no athlete like a hockey player.
12:16 – Boston manages to kill the penalty, but Montreal put up a strong fight for the full 2 minutes.
11:40 – Lucic looks pissed. I feel bad for whoever the Bruins play next…
10:30 – Bruins had a 3 on 1 put cross ice pass was intercepted.
9:22 – Seguin just missed a nice 1 timer! So many close shots on goal by both teams in the last minute. This is going to be a rough period.
8:20 – Price robs the Bruins! I want to say it was Peverley with the setup to Campbell, but I could be totally wrong… Either way, a beautiful pass in front of the goal with a nice shot, Price was just a little bit too quick.
5:45 – Marchand scores!! and Seguin with a damnedie dangle? Whatever, the Bruins were so close to getting some great shots for the past couple of minutes and it finally pays off! Bruins lead 3-1
5:07 – Thomas with a nice slap away as Montreal tries to answer back.
3:59 – Thomas makes another great save! He is keeping this game alive for Boston as they cling to a 2 goal lead with only a few minutes left to fight.
2:04 – Faceoff in the Bruins end after Thomas makes another strong save. Montreal hasn’t given up yet.
1:14 – Montreal pulls their goalie, just in time for a puck to deflect into the Bruins net. 3-2 with just over a minute to go. Unnecessarily under review…
0:57 – Montreal has an empty net for the second time tonight.
0:13 – A lot of close shots for Montreal, but Boston manages to clear it for an icing.
0:09 – Bergeron clears it again, basically sealing the win for Boston.
0:01 – Seidenberg shoots at the empty net, clinging off the sidebar.
0:00 – Bruins win 3-2! A huge rivalry poses a strong game, but the Bruins manage to out maneuver Montreal to continue the strong climb back from an iffy opening season.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
The (slightly past the) Quarter Pole: Ten Things we have Learned this Season (in no particular order) at the Neutral Zone Turnover
Currently Drinking: Black and Tan (Guinness and Warsteiner respectively).
1) Coaches have been and always will be underappreciated scapegoats.
Four coaches have been fired as of the time I write this: Davis Payne in St. Louis, Bruce Boudreau in Washington, Paul Maurice in Carolina, and Randy Carlyle in Anaheim. While the changing of a coach does often work wonders (see: 2011 New Jersey Devils or even the Blues since replacing Payne with Hitchcock), they are very rarely at fault. At the end of the day, the onus to perform is still on the players; the ability to listen and apply the work of the head coach is their responsibility. Ben probably knows where I’m going with this. I’m going to use Boudreau as an example. He was hired mid-season to replace Glen Hanlon. He took the Capitals from 14th in the east at Thanksgiving (ironically, the quarter-pole) to a Southeast division title, and would go on to win 3 more before he was fired last week…never having finished below FIRST PLACE in his division. Apparently the players in Washington were no longer receptive to his message, and unfortunately, it is far easier to fire a coach than a player. That being said, I still think Washington had one more move they should have tried before firing Boudreau (The Anaheim Ducks seems to agree). It should be obvious to anyone who is familiar with the Washington Capitals, and I hope they play that card before Dale Hunter meets the same fate. I could go on, but in the interest of (relative) brevity, I will move on.
2) The trapezoid is still stupid.
Seriously, NHL, are we done with this stupid experiment yet?
3) The only thing that exceeds the malign for the infamous neutral zone trap is the misunderstanding of how it works.
Earlier this season, this happened. It sparked a firestorm regarding the infamous “Neutral Zone Trap,” with some outlets going so far as to suggest it should be banned. Not only is banning a strategy completely moronic and antithetical to everything team sports are about, but this is not actually a neutral zone trap. Rather than be your professor for the evening, I will simply provide you with Wikipedia’s wonderful article on the strategy (the moving diagram explains it perfectly). A trap is a 1-2-2 setup, and this is a 1-3-1. A more accurate term would be “The Fortress.” If this were a trap, the Lightning player would have gone aggressively after the puck carrier and forced him to the boards. Notice that the word “trap” is not actually uttered by the broadcast crew, much to their credit, despite the name of the video itself. Now, as far as which team was in the wrong on this incident? I say none. Why should the Lightning not play a strategy that works for them, and why should the Flyers not try to draw the Lightning out of position by sitting and waiting? The referees handled it properly. They gave it a chance to play out, verbally called for the players to move it, and then called a faceoff, explaining to both coaches what would happen if it continued (presumably penalties). The fans were also correct in booing the lack of action. Nobody was in the wrong; it was merely the evolution of hockey happening before our very eyes.
4) The folks here at the Turnover absolutely suck at keeping up with this blog.
This is what having jobs that aren’t related to hockey do. I started this article on Thanksgiving Day, which is often regarded as the quarter-pole of the NHL. Among this article being presented in its (likely VERY imperfect) finality late, is a Game of the Night from a couple weeks ago that I have yet to polish and post, and I probably won’t. I can, however, say that we will try harder soon.
5) Goaltenders continue to be undervalued in the current market.
This one has me scratching my head. Many respected hockey outlets have mentioned that a Stanley Cup team can win with average goaltending; that it is easy to simply pick up as a free agent, and that the need for that franchise goaltender is rapidly vanishing. Really? Are we sure about that one? In order: Ward, Giguere, Hasek/Osgood, Fleury, Niemi, and Thomas are the post lockout Stanely Cup goaltenders. They all not only had to be good, but they had to be great. Chicago gave Niemi up in free agency after winning, and while there are other factors, you can bet that losing Niemi certainly didn’t help in Chicago’s failed quest to return to the finals. A great team with an average goalie won’t win anything (see: Washington Capitals recent years). An average team with great goaltending is a force to be reckoned with (see: 2006 Edmonton Oilers). I rest my case.
6) The Atlantic division is still the toughest division in hockey.
You can try and argue this if you want, but what the 5 teams of the aTlantic benefit from in lack of travel, they more than make up for in grit. Philadelphia is a gritty team that has consistently been among league leaders in penalty minutes. The Rangers and Devils post lockout identities have both been characterized by a blue-collar team-before-individual attitude, embodied by guys like Ryan Callahan and David Clarkson that can both beat you on the scoreboard and on your medical bill. The Penguins are consistently among the league’s elite, and always tough to play against, even without their stars, and as mocked as the Islanders are, they still have one playoff appearance post lockout, and ask any of the four other Atlantic division teams how well the Islanders play late in the season after they are all but eliminated. Like every team in this division, they are young, and will only get better. The addition of the Capitals and Hurricanes next season will ensure that only 4 of these 7 teams will be in the playoffs in any given season. You can bet that the yet-to-be-named successor of the Atlantic Division will be the most exciting playoff races that the league has ever seen. Still want to argue this point?
Post-lockout playoff berths by division:
Atlantic – 21
Pacific – 18
Northeast – 17
Central – 16
Northwest – 14
Southeast – 10
Yeah, and for a good chunk of time, there were 8 games each against division opponents. I rest my case.
7) Apparently, some NHL teams read our posts.
Seriously, is there any other explanation for how good Florida has been this year? J
8) The NHL General Managers’ meetings continue to be annoyingly topical.
Everytime these meetings happen, it seems that something noteworthy happens right before, and the GMs spend a disproportionate amount of time discussing the hot topic. Most recently, it was goaltender safety in the wake of the Lucic hit on Ryan Miller. I don’t mind this being discussed, but I’m sure there was an existing agenda, and I’m sure it was somewhat brushed aside in favor of the goaltender issue. Wasn’t something about getting rid of the trapezoid supposed to be discussed…? This happened last year after the Chara/Pacioretty incident as well, and it was equally annoying then. Let Shanahan deal with it, it’s his job, and regardless of how 4/5ths of the Northeast division feel, he’s doing a good job (see below).
9) Realignment is apparently much easier in reality than in theory.
What amazes me is that it took literally under an hour (according to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman) to develop the new realignment plan, vote on it, and pass it. Any of the debate that has occurred since the Atlanta move to Winnipeg move was official seemed to indicate that it would be a messy process with no perfect solution that was fair to everyone. Western teams like Minnesota and Dallas wanted less travel; while Detroit, Columbus and Nashville made it clear that they wanted to make an Eastern move. On top of that, the financial concern of keeping rivalries together had to be addressed. Well, every armchair geographer/hockey fan came up with a solution, and none of them were as good as this. I think if anything, it is mildly unfair to the two Florida teams, but as the new scheduling matrix will encourage much more travel, this will likely level the playing field, since teams will do more traveling regardless of their new conference. The re-inclusion of every team seeing every team at least twice every season (guaranteeing one home and away versus every other team) should keep fans happy as well as create a more travel heavy (but not absurdly heavy) dynamic. Well done, NHL Board of Governors, well done indeed.
10) Brendan Shanahan has the absolute toughest job in hockey.
I don’t envy this man right now. With every decision Shanahan makes as the NHL’s new disciplinarian will most certainly anger at least one group of fans, if not 29. One may not agree with his strict policy and the amount of suspensions he has given, but with every one of his decisions comes a video in which he explains, point-by-point, how he arrived at his decision. What more can you ask? I don’t necessarily agree with the amount of suspensions he hands out, but he certainly backs up his decisions very clearly.
Until next time: Cheers, beers, sake and hockey.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Top Ten Centers-Chris and John Weigh In
So this is the start of a nifty new feature. I have decide that, since I don't know all that there is to know about Hockey I'd ask a question of the two more knowledgeable writers here and see what they say. This first entry is a pretty common one.
I asked Chris and John who they thought the top ten centers currently in the NHL are. The responses and their reasoning make for one interesting read.
Here we go, Starting with #10:
Chris- Eric Staal (Carolina Hurricanes) – Eric squeaks in to the list at #10 over Joe Thornton, and that was a VERY difficult decision to make, but I will explain my choice. Eric has a Stanley Cup to his name, and Joe does not. To amplify the significance of this, Eric has been the franchise player and very often carried the entire offensive burden of Carolina on his back. They had a great team in 2006 when they won, but their small market forces them to make tough decisions in regards to player salary, and in the years since the cup win, Staal has many times been forced to carry the offensive load of a mediocre team, and still come through with flying colors. I am not trying to disrespect Thornton; this was a tough call, but I think that Jumbo Joe has had much more of a support staff over the years in San Jose than Eric in Carolina.
John-Henrik Zetterberg (Detroit Red Wings)-Scoring more than a point per game since the lockout, Zetterberg has carried Detroit along with Datsyuk. With Datsyuk's presence, however, Zetterberg's defensive skills have gone relatively unnoticed, when they are definitely Selke Trophy-worthy. He is one of the illustrious members of the Triple Gold Club which proves just how good he is. Zetterberg is just past the "prime" years but at 31 years of age he still has plenty left for another Cup and maybe another Olympic gold.
9)
Chris-Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim Ducks) – I had a very hard time selecting #9 and 10. In fact, it took me two whole days. I decided on Getzlaf at number 9 for two reasons. First, he has a cup ring. Say what you want, but if your team wins the cup, and you were a part of it, you are a good player. No team wins the cup without significant contribution from EVERYONE involved. Secondly, I thoroughly believe that a great player will not only be amazing in his own right, but make everyone around him better as well. He plays on Anaheim’s first line between Bobby Ryan (Cherry Hill represent!!) and Corey Perry. Not to take anything away from either Ryan or Perry, but I do believe that Perry doesn’t win the MVP last year and score 50 goals without Getzlaf feeding him the puck, and I don’t believe Ryan makes as large of an impact as he has on the game so quickly without Getzlaf.
John-Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning)-His rookie season in 2008-09 was a strong showing for a newly drafted player, but his sophomore year was even more impressive as he completely ignored the "Sophomore Slump" and scored 51 goals and 95 points. At the beginning of the 2010-11 season Stamkos was scoring a goal per game and if he is able to maintain that consistency there will be goal scoring not seen since Lemieux and Gretzky in the late '80s and point totals that will blow Ovechkin and Crosby out of the water.
Until next time,
Keep the hockey on.
~Ben
(Contributions from Chris and John)
I asked Chris and John who they thought the top ten centers currently in the NHL are. The responses and their reasoning make for one interesting read.
Here we go, Starting with #10:
Chris- Eric Staal (Carolina Hurricanes) – Eric squeaks in to the list at #10 over Joe Thornton, and that was a VERY difficult decision to make, but I will explain my choice. Eric has a Stanley Cup to his name, and Joe does not. To amplify the significance of this, Eric has been the franchise player and very often carried the entire offensive burden of Carolina on his back. They had a great team in 2006 when they won, but their small market forces them to make tough decisions in regards to player salary, and in the years since the cup win, Staal has many times been forced to carry the offensive load of a mediocre team, and still come through with flying colors. I am not trying to disrespect Thornton; this was a tough call, but I think that Jumbo Joe has had much more of a support staff over the years in San Jose than Eric in Carolina.
Staal Scores against Washington 10/8/11
John-Henrik Zetterberg (Detroit Red Wings)-Scoring more than a point per game since the lockout, Zetterberg has carried Detroit along with Datsyuk. With Datsyuk's presence, however, Zetterberg's defensive skills have gone relatively unnoticed, when they are definitely Selke Trophy-worthy. He is one of the illustrious members of the Triple Gold Club which proves just how good he is. Zetterberg is just past the "prime" years but at 31 years of age he still has plenty left for another Cup and maybe another Olympic gold.
9)
Chris-Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim Ducks) – I had a very hard time selecting #9 and 10. In fact, it took me two whole days. I decided on Getzlaf at number 9 for two reasons. First, he has a cup ring. Say what you want, but if your team wins the cup, and you were a part of it, you are a good player. No team wins the cup without significant contribution from EVERYONE involved. Secondly, I thoroughly believe that a great player will not only be amazing in his own right, but make everyone around him better as well. He plays on Anaheim’s first line between Bobby Ryan (Cherry Hill represent!!) and Corey Perry. Not to take anything away from either Ryan or Perry, but I do believe that Perry doesn’t win the MVP last year and score 50 goals without Getzlaf feeding him the puck, and I don’t believe Ryan makes as large of an impact as he has on the game so quickly without Getzlaf.
John-Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning)-His rookie season in 2008-09 was a strong showing for a newly drafted player, but his sophomore year was even more impressive as he completely ignored the "Sophomore Slump" and scored 51 goals and 95 points. At the beginning of the 2010-11 season Stamkos was scoring a goal per game and if he is able to maintain that consistency there will be goal scoring not seen since Lemieux and Gretzky in the late '80s and point totals that will blow Ovechkin and Crosby out of the water.
Stamkos Scores twice againts Montreal 9/29/11
8)
John-Mike Richards (Los Angeles Kings)-Richards is a heavy-hitting forward who can score, and he does so regularly. While his points totals in the past two years were below what he is capable, he developed into a great team leader. Richards was traded to the west coast in the offseason and can flourish again on a young Kings team.
Chris-Nicklas Backstrom (Washington Capitals) – If anyone has trouble coming up with a nickname for Backstrom, may I suggest Robin, Sancho, Jughead, Kato, Watson, Tonto, Ed McMahon, or even Ron Weasley? Do you see what I’m getting at here? If Backstrom had come into the league at ANY other time with ANY other team, he would be known as more than “Ovechkin’s center.” Not that being Ovechkin’s setup man is a bad gig, but like many of the aforementioned sidekicks, Nicky is capable of doing just as much (and sometimes even more) than his much more recognized high-scoring comrade.
Backstrom ties it up and then wins it against Anaheim 11/1/11
7)
John-Eric Staal (Carolina Hurricanes)-A beast of a player, Staal is the best and most consistent threat on Carolina. With five seasons of 30 or more goals, and one season of 29 goals, he is a major scoring presence. Combined with his physical play, he is a force to be reckoned with. He also plays hard in every game, giving no leniency to anyone, even his own brothers.
Chris- Brad Richards (New York Rangers) – Richards went kind of unnoticed during his tenure in Dallas, but that was through no fault of his own. He was squeezed out of Tampa by the salary cap, but continued to put up huge numbers for a Dallas team that has been mediocre over the past few seasons. His notoriety spiked this summer when he hit the open market as the most sought after free agent, landing in the spotlight of Broadway. I have a hunch he may get a bit more attention wearing the Broadway blue, hopefully he can click with Marian Gaborik and finally give the Rangers that extra gear on offense that they have seemed to lack the past few seasons, and if that is the case, they will be a dangerous team come April.
Brad Richards scores his first goal with the New York Rangers 10/15/11
6)
Chris-Anze Kopitar (Los Angeles Kings) – Anze is the league’s best kept secret, and I don’t understand how. He is absolutely incredible to watch in ways that cannot be quantified; just watch a Los Angeles Kings game and see for yourself. All I can say is that he reminds me of watching Mats Sundin in his prime. But if you do want numbers, go ahead and check his out, then you can scratch your head with me and wonder how he isn’t a household name.
John-Ryan Kesler (Vancouver Canucks)-A player, who on any other team would be a star, was often forgotten on a stacked Vancouver team. He's really come into his own in the past four years, scoring 20 or more goals in each and jumping his points totals from 16 in 2006-07 to 75 and 73 in 2009-11. He also won the Selke Trophy in 2010-11, breaking Datsyuk's reign. Kesler will be one of the best defensive forwards for the next decade and expect a new Selke reign to begin.
Kesler "History Will Be Made" Commercial from 2011 Playoffs
5)
Chris- Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings) – He is probably the most debatable choice on this list (especially at number 5), but see the comment below about how Toews can play in any situation, and double that for Pavel. Not only is he a multiple time Selke Trophy winner as the best defensive forward, but he is also a multiple Lady Byng winner as the league’s most sportsmanlike player. Datsyuk is also the ONLY player in the NHL that consistently makes highlight-reel plays that are not either stupid or dangerous. The kicker? He was drafted in the 6th round at 171st overall back in 1998. I can think of a few teams who might want to do that draft over…almost 30 of them.
John-Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim Ducks)-Getzlaf is a consistently strong player. In good years for the Ducks, Getzlaf scores, helping the team. In bad years for the Ducks, Getzlaf scores, carrying the team. Outside of scoring, he is a hard-hitter and holds his own against the toughest players in the league.
Getzlaf with a Shorthanded goal during the Playoffs 4/13/2007
4)
John-Joe Thornton (San Jose Sharks)-He's often been criticized for his lack of production in the post-season, but 17 pts in 18 games in the 2011 playoffs shows he's coming around. At the age of 32, Thornton is past his prime, but is still a threat on the ice. Since the lockout, few players have scored more than he. Thornton also is extremely reliable during the regular season having missed only 6 games in the past 6 years.
Chris-Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks) – Watching Toews captain the Chicago Blackhawks makes me forget that he is only 23 years old. He has the poise of someone who has been in the game for at least a couple decades. His numbers may not be on par with that of his peers on this list (they’re still quite spectacular, make no mistake), but Toews’ ability to lead, as well as versatility (he can play in ANY situation) bump him up into the #4 spot on this list.
Toews scores to put the Hawks on the board 10/19/2007
3) Henrik Sedin (Vancouver Canucks)
John-A smooth passer, he led the league in 2010-11 with 75 assists, placing him fourth in the league in scoring. The previous year he won the Art Ross Trophy with 112 pts. Teamed up with his brother, Daniel, he is one of the most dangerous passers for one of the most dangerous scorers.
Chris – Like many hockey fans, I often wonder what Henrik was capable of without the support of his twin brother. Well, we found out two years ago, when Daniel went on long term injured reserve. Henrik led the league in scoring with 126 points (112 in the regular season) and won the Art Ross trophy as the league’s most valuable player. He was an integral piece of the Canucks run to the cup finals last year, and his lowest point total in the last six seasons is 75. Yup, only 75.
Henrik feeds to twin brother Daniel for a goal 11/1/11
2)
Chris- Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning) – Barely old enough to legally purchase the Landshark he needs to relax on some of the nearby keys (good lord, do I miss Siesta Key…), Stamkos is the epitome of a young franchise player, with the vast majority of his career ahead of him. To me, he is the most prolific center in the league that isn’t Sidney Crosby. He reportedly goes through some of the most rigorous off-ice workouts of any player in an attempt to constantly improve, even though he clearly doesn’t need it. But, that is the sign of a truly great player.
John-Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins-Crosby has great skill all-around. He has been in the top scorers in the league since his rookie season, averaging 1.39 pts/gm. His most impressive season to date was the most recent ('10-'11). In just 41 games he scored 32 goals and 66 points. Crosby will only get better in years to come.
Compilation of some of Crosby's best goals
1)
Chris-Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) – What else is there to say? “Sid the Kid” is the face of the NHL, the most recognizable name in hockey since Gretzky, and with good reason. At age 24, he has already won everything there is to win: a Stanley Cup, Hart Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, Olympic Gold Medal, World Junior gold medal, and the list could go on and on. Crosby’s status is currently in limbo due to post-concussion complications, but let’s consider one thing: had he played all 82 games last season, he was on pace for 64 goals and 68 assists. No one can single-handedly carry a team and steal a game the way that Crosby does on a consistent basis, and that is why Crosby is number one on my list.
John-Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings)-Probably the best mix of offense and defense, not just among centers, but in the entire league. He is a consistent scorer averaging 1.09 pts/gm since the lockout. He also won the Selke Trophy from 2008-10 as the best defensive forward. He began his career under the toutalage of Igor Larionov, Sergei Fedorov, and Steve Yzerman, some of the greatest in the game. With two Stanley Cups under his belt, he has the experience and leadership skills to easily win at least one more Cup before he calls it quits.
A compilation of some of Datsyuk's best goals
That's what these guys think. A lot of the same guys, just different rankings. I guess it comes down to how you see the sport.
Just some extra notes from Chris:
Hope you enjoyed it.Honorable Mentions: Joe Thornton (San Jose Sharks), John Tavares (New York Islanders), Jason Spezza (Ottawa Senators), Claude Giroux (Philadelphia Flyers), Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins), Jordan Staal (Pittsburgh Penguins).
See the Eric Staal post for my thoughts on Thornton. Tavares will crack this list in a couple years, potentially top five down the road. Spezza would have been on this list, and very high up just a couple seasons ago (see: “Pizza Line”), but has been very underwhelming as of late. Giroux is listed as a Center, but spends just as much if not more time playing the wing (though with Richards and Carter gone, he will see more time at center). Again, in a couple years, he will be on the upper level of this list. Malkin would simply be at #3 if he was not injured, and that is all there is to say about that, I also tried my best not to include multiple centers from one team, although maybe I should have, because I feel terrible about leaving Jordan Staal off of this list. He can literally do everything, and in the absence of both Malkin and Crosby, has certainly played the role of a top ten center. For anyone who wants to know, I used and will continue to use the positions listed on ESPN.com as the basis for this series of articles.Until next time,
Cheers, beers, sake and hockey.
Until next time,
Keep the hockey on.
~Ben
(Contributions from Chris and John)
Monday, October 24, 2011
From the Annals of Hockey History: 1996 - The Year of the Rat
Currently drinking: Moosehead Lager
I am often asked some form of the question: “Why do you love hockey so much?” as if there is one absolute answer. I find myself only able to answer with, “everything.” Given that most people are unsatisfied with such a horribly vague answer (even if it is the absolute truth), they tend to follow up with some form of, “Well, what first got you so interested?”
This one I can answer.
That’s not to say that this question does not have multiple answers; by all means, it does. Different things got me into playing than got me into watching, and different things got me interested in different levels of watching. But the most vivid memory that I have of something that got me truly interested in NHL hockey as a whole, and caused me to follow the sport with what many call an unhealthy obsession, was definitely one of hockey history’s strangest chapters, which can only be remembered as “The Year of the Rat.”
The name is appropriate. The phenomenon lasted only one season, and according to the Chinese Zodiac, 1996 was indeed the year of the rat. 1996 was also a very exciting season for the NHL as a whole. The previous season had been shortened due to a lockout, and fans were hungry for a historic season. They got one. The Detroit Redwings set records that year for most wins (62) and points (131) in a single season, which have yet to be broken, even now that ties no longer exist (a true indication of how incredible this feat actually is). For the first time ever, Wayne Gretzky had an impending free agency coming up in the summer. The league was beginning its southern expansion. The Quebec Nordiques were playing their first season in Colorado as the Avalanche. The old incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets would play their final season before moving to Phoenix in the summer. The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim were in their third year of play, and were as popular as ever, thanks to the release of the final movie in the legendary trilogy of the same name that very year. Both Florida franchises would taste their first playoff action ever that spring, and the Devils would gain the dubious honor of becoming the first team in modern NHL history to miss the playoffs as the reigning Stanley Cup champions. All of this stood as a testament to the developing parity in league competition and growth of the NHL. It was a very exciting time to be a hockey fan, especially a new one that was only seven years old.
Let’s focus on one of those Florida teams, the Panthers. The Panthers joined the league for the 1993-94 season along with Anaheim. In only their third year of existence, the Panthers made the playoffs as the 4th seed in a tremendously powerful Eastern Conference (seriously, the Devils had a better record as a ninth place team than the fourth seed in the West that year). I followed hockey very loosely during the regular season, and really began watching during the playoffs. My naïveté actually gave me an advantage over some of the TV analysts. I remember every single one of them writing off the Panthers because they were “outmatched” in a strong Eastern conference. I remember being very confused. The season was 82 games long, and they finished fourth place. That’s good enough for home ice. Why would a 5th place team be favored over a 4th place team? An 82 game season that spans 7 months doesn’t leave room for accidents.
Well, it wasn’t hard to pick my team. Everyone loves an underdog, especially when they are seven years old (even if that underdog has home ice advantage). And there it was, the professionals were counting on Boston to finish off Florida in either 4 or 5 games, and I had Florida winning, simply because they were a higher seed. Guess what? The seven year old was correct. I watched Florida come out on home ice against Boston in game one of that series, and then…this happened:
Florida scores 3 goals in less than 90 seconds
Now, 3 goals in under 90 seconds is always impressive. Being correct as a seven-year old was also quite satisfying. But what was with the rats? It had to be one of the most bizarre things I had ever seen. In fact, it still is. But why ask questions? All I needed to understand was that when Florida scored a goal on home ice, the rink would turn into a storm of plastic rats. I was hooked. I made sure not to miss any Florida playoff games that spring, especially not home games.
Sure enough, after watching multiple games, I eventually learned the back-story of the “rat attack.” Apparently at some point before their opener that season, a rat had gotten into the Panthers’ locker room. Scott Mellanby was having absolutely none of that, and reportedly picked up his stick and blasted the poor little rodent into the wall. He proceeded to score two goals in a Panthers' victory that night. Goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck quipped that it was a "rat-trick." This apparent non-story became a huge hit, and the “rat attack” was born. And wouldn’t you know it? The “underdog” Panthers easily disposed of the Bruins in five games, only to meet with the first seed Flyers in the second round.
Sure enough, no analyst gave Florida a chance. The East was supposed to be a three team duel between heavyweights Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and the New York Rangers. The Panthers were just that fourth team that was there because they needed a fourth team to fill the bracket. The Flyers were supposed to absolutely obliterate the young Panthers, and all the focus was on the New York/Pittsburgh series, supposedly for the right to play the Flyers. Well, that naïve seven-year old was too hypnotized by the rat attack to care, and so were the Panther faithful. More importantly, so was the team. The Panthers again stunned the hockey world, and toppled the East’s best team in a tough, but entertaining, six game series. Once again, the seven-year old was correct. This team of seemingly anonymous players was out-performing teams laden with superstar players. The Panthers’ blue-collar hockey (appropriately from the South) was being supported by the incredible play of John Vanbiesbrouck in goal (He also has one of the top 5 paintjobs on his mask of all time. It’s a classic.).
Next up was the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins had scored a total of 362 goals that season, which was by far the most of any team that season. Pittsburgh’s star duo of Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr had finished 1st and 2nd overall in scoring. Once again, guess who the people on the TV picked to win this series? Once again, guess who the seven-year old picked, and once again, guess who was right? This video pretty much sums up the rat-attack in a nutshell (apologies for the AWFUL audio):
Lowry scores and the fans throw...rats?
The Panthers went into the igloo for game 7 against that Pittsburgh team, one of the best teams the league ever saw take the ice. They allowed just one goal, winning the game 3-1, and winning the series.
I really wish I could be using this paragraph to tell you about how Florida once again defied the predictions, and defeated Colorado to win the Stanley Cup in just their 3rd season of existence. I wish I could say that the team was able to reward the loud, passionate, and still relatively naïve (but very tan) fans by bringing the Stanley Cup to Miami, but the truth of the story is that this team simply ran out of gas, and lost the finals in 4 straight games. That’s not to say that they didn’t go down without a fight. The 4th and final game was decided in triple overtime. It ended 1-0 in favor of Colorado. Yes, both teams had played almost six periods without scoring. I stayed up and watched this game. It is still, to date, the second best game I have ever seen, and I will gladly sit through all 5+ periods of scoreless hockey again with anyone who claims that low-scoring games aren’t exciting before I sit through a sloppy 6-5 game of roller hockey on ice. This may sound crazy, but ugly 6-5 games are all too common, while a triple overtime, cup-clinching playoff game in which Patrick Roy stops 63 of 63 shots, and John Vanbiesbrouck stops 55 of 56 shots will likely never happen again.
Looking back, I realize that the 1996 Florida Panthers were everything that I like to see in a hockey team. They were not flashy, but they worked harder than any team in the league, and that’s what drew me to them. They are a standing testament to the old hockey lesson that hard work can trump talent, and that year, the rat-attack proved it.
Uwe Krupp winning the cup.
After Uwe Krupp ended the miracle run of the young Panthers in that amazing game, the fans appropriately showered the ice with rats for the last time, as closure (see the above video). That offseason, the NHL very quickly added a rule to prevent fans from littering the ice (with the exception of the hat-trick, of course). At the time, I was sad, but if you have been watching the videos, you can clearly understand why the league didn’t want to be dealing with rats all of the time.
And so, one of hockey’s most short-lived, but memorable traditions was dead. Appropriately enough, the Panthers have not won a playoff series (in fact, they have only won one playoff game) since that 1996 run. They have not been in the playoffs since 2000. Some would say that maybe the rat attack shouldn’t have been exterminated. As much as I loved it, and as important as it was to me, I would still have to disagree. The fact that it was only for one season made it seem like magic to a seven-year old, and while after 11 years of playoff drought, the Panthers could use a little magic, I feel it just as important to let the 1996 Florida Panthers keep their identity as it is for the 2012 Panthers to find their own. A team that possessed that kind of passion and tradition among its fan base in only three years of existence deserves better than 11 years without seeing the playoffs. The fact that I know enough about hockey to write this article, I owe significantly to the 1996 Panthers.
I’m going to go ahead and predict that the Panthers will win the 2020 Stanley Cup. While 8 years may seem like a long time for a team that hasn’t even seen playoffs since 2000, anyone familiar with the Chinese zodiac will know that it would only be appropriate.
John's Musings-Concussions
As a follow-up to my piece on fighting I've decided to elaborate more on headshots and concussions in the game. I would like to first direct you to an article Ben showed me about the link between fighting and injuries to the fighters.
"New twist on Fighting, Concussions"
I'm sure we all actually clicked on the link. If you did, skip this paragraph. The point I want you to get from that article is fighting is not the at the heart of the problem. 1.12% chance for injury per player per fight is extremely low (data according to the study done in the article.) The best line, and the doctor's conclusion from the study: the risk of injury from a hockey fight is "pretty damn low." Trust him, he's a doctor. The article goes into details about power of punches, etc., but if you read it you would already know that.
We're all on the same page now. Fighting is not the issue at hand when it comes to concussions and head trauma. The NHL knows this and is focusing on the true issue: headshots and dangerous hits. A prime example of the dangers of headshots is the Matt Cooke hit on Marc Savard.
There is no quick fix for concussions or post-concussion symptoms. Players can be out for a month or a year with no timetable for return. Savard isn't the only player taken out of the game due to concussions. Currently superstar Sidney Crosby and Rangers' shut-down defencemen Marc Staal are both out while experiencing post-concussion symptoms. Crosby was hit during the Winter Classic against Washington (and then again a few days later) and Staal was hit by his own brother, Eric, during a game last season. Numerous other players, both stars and grinders have been forced out of the game due to injuries from headshots (concussions) and other dangerous plays.
Mike Richter
Geoff Courtnall
Keith Primeau
Scott Stevens
Adam Deadmarsh
Pat LaFontaine
Eric Lindros
Steve Moore (see below for incident)
Accidental and intentional headshots are equally dangerous and Brendan Shanahan has the duty of eliminating them from the game along with and other dangerous hits. While this will never happen we all hope he can greatly diminish the number of headshots each game and season. Currently, his official title is Vice President of Hockey and Business Operations, but he is in the spotlight for succeeding Colin Campbell as the NHL's chief player disciplinarian. Shanahan is probably best know for his time spent with the Detroit Red Wings, where he won the Stanley Cup three times. On that team, Shanahan witnessed first hand the dangers of the headshots and cheapshots he is preventing (see Lemieux-Draper). He never wants that type of situation to happen again.
Shanahan wasted no time in trying to set a standard which was previously lacking under Campbell. He's levied suspensions against players starting from the pre-season and continuing into the current season. He and his team are closely looking at each dangerous hit to determine every suspension and fine. During this process they must determine: if the hit was actually illegal and, if so, was it accidental or intentional; if the player being hit changed positions at the last moment causing a clean hit to become dangerous; if the player was injured during the hit; if the hitting player is a repeat offender. Shanahan will have no tolerance for dangerous plays and hopes to prevent another Marc Savard situation in the future. One of the most important things Shanahan is doing with the suspensions is releasing short video explanations of why the fine or suspension was or was not given. This not only gives the media and the players in question an explanation, but allows other players around the league to learn what is being shut down and perhaps the next time a player is going in for a hit he'll spark the memory of that video and keep an elbow down, thereby preventing an injury.
Some Examples:
"New twist on Fighting, Concussions"
I'm sure we all actually clicked on the link. If you did, skip this paragraph. The point I want you to get from that article is fighting is not the at the heart of the problem. 1.12% chance for injury per player per fight is extremely low (data according to the study done in the article.) The best line, and the doctor's conclusion from the study: the risk of injury from a hockey fight is "pretty damn low." Trust him, he's a doctor. The article goes into details about power of punches, etc., but if you read it you would already know that.
We're all on the same page now. Fighting is not the issue at hand when it comes to concussions and head trauma. The NHL knows this and is focusing on the true issue: headshots and dangerous hits. A prime example of the dangers of headshots is the Matt Cooke hit on Marc Savard.
Matt Cooke elbows Marc Savard
There is no quick fix for concussions or post-concussion symptoms. Players can be out for a month or a year with no timetable for return. Savard isn't the only player taken out of the game due to concussions. Currently superstar Sidney Crosby and Rangers' shut-down defencemen Marc Staal are both out while experiencing post-concussion symptoms. Crosby was hit during the Winter Classic against Washington (and then again a few days later) and Staal was hit by his own brother, Eric, during a game last season. Numerous other players, both stars and grinders have been forced out of the game due to injuries from headshots (concussions) and other dangerous plays.
Mike Richter
Geoff Courtnall
Keith Primeau
Scott Stevens
Adam Deadmarsh
Pat LaFontaine
Eric Lindros
Steve Moore (see below for incident)
Bertuzzi hits Moore, ends Moore's career
Accidental and intentional headshots are equally dangerous and Brendan Shanahan has the duty of eliminating them from the game along with and other dangerous hits. While this will never happen we all hope he can greatly diminish the number of headshots each game and season. Currently, his official title is Vice President of Hockey and Business Operations, but he is in the spotlight for succeeding Colin Campbell as the NHL's chief player disciplinarian. Shanahan is probably best know for his time spent with the Detroit Red Wings, where he won the Stanley Cup three times. On that team, Shanahan witnessed first hand the dangers of the headshots and cheapshots he is preventing (see Lemieux-Draper). He never wants that type of situation to happen again.
Shanahan wasted no time in trying to set a standard which was previously lacking under Campbell. He's levied suspensions against players starting from the pre-season and continuing into the current season. He and his team are closely looking at each dangerous hit to determine every suspension and fine. During this process they must determine: if the hit was actually illegal and, if so, was it accidental or intentional; if the player being hit changed positions at the last moment causing a clean hit to become dangerous; if the player was injured during the hit; if the hitting player is a repeat offender. Shanahan will have no tolerance for dangerous plays and hopes to prevent another Marc Savard situation in the future. One of the most important things Shanahan is doing with the suspensions is releasing short video explanations of why the fine or suspension was or was not given. This not only gives the media and the players in question an explanation, but allows other players around the league to learn what is being shut down and perhaps the next time a player is going in for a hit he'll spark the memory of that video and keep an elbow down, thereby preventing an injury.
Some Examples:
This occurred during the preseason, but is a great example of how Shanahan is looking at each and every factor in his evaluations.
Until next time!
~John
Sunday, October 23, 2011
A Naive Perspective: Ducks vs. Coyotes
Drinking Skim Milk and Eating Raisin Bran.
Following the popular trend, I am going to attempt following a game for this blog, Phoenix Coyotes vs. Anaheim Ducks. In my pre-game ramble, I am warning you all that I will be attempting this while watching a movie on ABCFamily and dealing with 6 animals vying for my attention. I am pretty good at multi-tasking, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to keep up with the fast action, especially since I am pretty easily distracted… and in my defense, GameCenter can be iffy at times, but thanks to Chris for letting me use what feed it decides to give me.
Also, fun thoughts. While most people are probably focusing on the line-ups for this came and actually care about the outcome, I’m left thinking about Emilio Estevez. Most of you might know that he was equally roasted along with his brother Charlie last month, something about how he’s disappeared off the face of the Earth. I don’t think they found him to get his word on the matter.. Anyway, I think it would be wicked funny (I’m from Boston) if at the beginning of a Duck’s game, if he was just chilling on the bench with that silly duck calling whistle. There is a reason I’m watching ABCFamily while I write this.
Now, to the lines for those of you who care:
In my attempts to search for the lineups online, I found out the Ducks had a pretty good win streak going until “a poor start their last time out,” and the Coyotes are apparently on a losing streak. Based on that, I predict the Ducks winning, even though in the real world, the Coyotes would eat the Ducks no problem. I also discovered that if GameCenter doesn’t show me the lineups at the beginning, you guys aren’t going to get them because I will not be able to follow that stuff. I can give you lots of information about the making of “Corpse Bride” if you’re interested though…
And the game and movie start…
According to Cam, it is huge if the Ducks win tonight because their next game starts a 7 game stretch on the road. They showed some lines for Phoenix, but there is no way I can figure out what those names are, or spell them that fast when going back and forth between the blog document and the GameCenter feed. Sorry for all you kids who were really looking forward to those lineups.
The Desert Dogs, Ducks, and Zebras meet at Center Ice… apparently we are living in a twisted jungle? The announcers also paint us a picture, just in case we can’t see. Coyotes are wearing white with red numbers and Ducks are black with white numbers. The puck drops.
19:09: “A fortuitous bounce” for Coyotes, too bad nothing came from it except now I know the announcers have pretty intelligent diction.
18:21: Gordon has a close shot, first real strike of the game.
17:53: Ducks counter with their first stable shot of the night. Heads up, you won’t be getting a lot of names throughout this, unless I caught the players’ numbers and looked up the name to go along with it.
Fun side note: The announcer sounds like the dude from the Mighty Duck movies, makes my desire for Emilio Estevez even more valid.
16:37: Ducks almost caught with too many men on the ice, but they got away with it because no one touched the puck. Rules are made to be avoided.
16:32: Announcers call an in-field fly…. Is it just me or is that the wrong sport?
More fun facts: This is Kurtis Foster’s first game back after surgery during training camp. Apparently he previously had wires put in his leg and one of them broke free and started poking through his leg muscles. Gross.
15:54: Ducks set up behind their own net… looks like the “Flying V”
Also, if the Ducks get 5 goals? You get 5 wings from Hoooters. Here we go Ducks!
15:19: Hanzal score for Phoenix! Didn’t see exactly how the goal was scored, too busy wondering if I should actually go there and make a Gretel joke.... The jury is still out.
15:10: Smith-Pelly almost comes right back to score for the Ducks. Just missed.
14:44: “Sticks and gloves swinging at the puck” as the Ducks scramble to get on the board. I never really understood the rules for when you can and when you can’t use your hands in hockey. In gym class, it was never allowed.
13:30: A number of solid hits going on, and a demonstration of why the trapezoid is stupid. Coyote goalie almost got knocked over getting the puck from behind the net because he had to wait for it to cross into the trap.
~13: exciting 2 on 3 for the Ducks went nowhere, still 1-0.
12:46: Off-sides. The puck barely crossed the blue line, but then again, keeping it on-sides is one of your major jobs, you shouldn’t let it slip out so easily.
And a commercial break just in time for my favorite part of the movie! The piano that plays you $5 bucks to whoever can name the movie…
12:45: What are the rules about face-off violence? There doesn’t seem to be enough bruiting about to get at that puck.
12:37: Coyote easily wins this face-off, no fight at all.
12:05: Ducks have another major chance to tie the game up, but the 2 on 1 opportunity is shot wide. They clearly just need to slow down for a second and get their heads back on straight. They have the chances, they just aren’t taking them.
11:39: Visnovsky scores! A shot from the blue line takes a lucky bounce off the pipes and into the net. All tied up at 1.
OH… he fell. And the Ducks almost took the lead. Another botched opportunity. And apparently someone wanted a whistle that just didn’t happen. The Duck player fell and the announcers commented that they Coyote’s didn’t get a penalty. I don’t get it… shouldn’t the guy on the ice be more inclined to stay in the game?
10:04: The Ducks miss too many easy passes, and this was one of them. They need to look at those old Disney movies and learn a thing or two from Emilio…
9:33: The puck goes over the glass for about the 5th time already, It has been bouncing all over the place all night long.
9:14: Hiller makes a very impressive stick save for the Ducks. Those always seem trickier than the snatch with the glove. Well done.
8:59: First penalty of the night and it’s against the Ducks. Up until this point, the Ducks PowerPlay kill is 22 for 23. The Coyotes put up a good fight, but the Ducks stayed true to their reputation.
5:58: Selanne has some fancy footwork but just can’t find the net. Luckily, he finds Getzlaf who tips it in for his first goal of the season. 2-1.
5:16: Coyotes answer right back, as Hanzal gets another one the bounces in off the goalie. Still debating about the Gretel joke. It’ll come about if he makes the hat trick. 2-2.
4:59: Ducks turn it over right behind their own net. Thank their lucky stars for an amazing save by Hiller.
Ryan’s broken stick breaks up the play he can’t. The little miracles.
2:27: Ryan knocks one wide, right off the side of the net. The ‘ping’ echoes like crazy through the entire stadium.
And now the first kitten starts looking for my attention, let’s see if the blog suffers…
1:29: The Ducks get a big steal, probably stopping a great scoring chance, but not making any profit of it for themselves.
1:15: Ducks get their first PowerPlay of the night for a delay of game.
1:12: A Coyote defenseman takes the brunt of that slap shout.. OUCH!
The first ends, tied 2-2 with 45 seconds left in the Duck’s PP.
The boringness of GameCenter not showing the intermission report is reflected in the snoring dog and 3 sleeping kittens. Lucky for me, I’ve got ABCFamily.
The Second starts with the second kitten looking for my attention.
20:00: Coyote’s win the face-off, but Ducks come back strong on the PP
18:59: Poor Perry. Don’t remember why I took this note, but it was probably a bad hit.
18:38: First icing call of the night. I still don’t get why this matters. People go out of their way to break this rule, and sometimes Refs look the other and ignore it, so what’s the point really?
15:35: I didn’t actually see it, but based on the crowd’s reaction, that was a great save Smith!
15:13: Coyotes score! I missed this one too, but I have a better defense than the Ducks, I at least had a cat’s tail in my eye… Goal goes to Gordon. 3-2 Phoenix.
“Two teams that came into this game struggling to score are having no trouble now.” I love when commentators tell you the obvious..
14:01: Off-sides happens way more than it should. You are professional hockey players, know where the puck is and know how to control it so it doesn’t go back over the big blue line.
13:32: Korp scores! I know I probably shouldn’t be using a nickname when I don’t even know his real name, but I’m too lazy to look it up right now. I’m sure you all know him anyway. He had some pretty fancy stick work, barely saw it happen. Another bad turnover for the Ducks that the Coyotes take advantage of. 4-2.
13:11: Hiller makes an amazing save, keeping the Coyotes lead at two.
12:04: Somehow Hiller is flat on the ice and the puck is in the net. Hiller wants an icing call but isn’t getting one, that’s why you play until the whistle blows. 5-2.
At this point, the game is becoming a chore to watch. It is very one-sided and I have my distractions…
10:09: More off-sides for the Ducks. This really shouldn’t be such a huge problem for them. Professional hockey, come on.
10:05: First brawl of the night! Torres vs. whoever #5 is. The puck is dropped for the face-off and then play stops as the two were apparently verbally abusing each other across the ice and decided to immediately make it physical. At least the Ducks can take pride in winning this match when they have to look at the scoreboard later.
Announcer states that the Coyotes are outscoring the Ducks 10-1, something Emilio would never stand for.
8:33: After Ducks miss a rebound shot, Coyotes take a hooking penalty and give the Ducks a chance to redeem themselves. After the Coyotes open up with an attempt at a shorthanded goal, the Ducks come back strong, but overall do nothing except take a lot of bad angle shots. Near the end of the PP, the Ducks call for a penalty shot for a defender covering the puck in the crease, but they plead to no avail.
6:28: While the Ducks couldn’t do anything with the PP, Foster scores immediately after the teams are back to even strength. With a nice slap shot from mid-ice, it’s now 5-3.
4:52: The Ducks have “more pep in their step” as Selanne almost scores again.
3:23: Macenauer of the Ducks takes a puck to the face. He goes out for stitches but comes back to play in the third. Only in hockey, the toughest of the tough.
Dan Ellis takes over goal from Hiller.
Announcers are talking about other teams around the league. Apparently no one with an English last name plays in this sport. The second period ends with the thought of “it’s not over yet.”
The third starts with a cat in lap and one crying at my feet. Here we go.
19:44: After getting stitched up, Macenauer gets called for cross-checking, apparently something that’s hard to do with only one hand on the stick, but the ref decided he accomplished such a feat.
18:03: Coyotes called for hooking, mini 4 on 4. Turns out to be nothing exciting.
16:59: The first real move of the period, Hanzal has a great break away but can’t turn it into a goal.
~16:30: Ducks really fire on goal during their PP. There are a ridiculous amount of loose sticks all over the ice tonight, and right now is not an exception. With sticks on the ice, #8 bats the puck out of midair, but Smith makes an amazing glove save. I love the baseball references in tonight’s game.
14:57: Ryan gets called for off-sides. It was definitely a questionable call, but nevertheless, there it was.
At this point, I acknowledge that my attention has waned the further I get into this game. I have kittens, movies, facebook chat, and texting going on. I’m easily distracted.
13:22: During the commercial break, I learned that for pre-season, the Ducks learned Finnish. Fun fact.
Lots of backs and forths in the neutral zone over the next couple of minutes.
~12: Either the refs are blind or the announcers are making things up. They expected a too many men on the ice call, but the refs didn’t blink an eye.
Fun Fact: The are three players currently on the Jets that played in their original franchise.
10:49: Smith makes an amazing save! This goal would’ve really given the Ducks the fuel they needed to get back in this game. By some miracle, it is still 5-3.
10:33: Nice tackle, Selanne, haha! Too bad it give the Coyotes another PP. Coyotes do a great job riding the blue line to keep this puck on sides, but Ellis made a great save, with a buck 16 left on the PowerPlay? First time I’ve heard money as a term to measure time..
McMillan of the Ducks makes a great break away, but it ends quickly as the Coyotes take control of the PP back, with many fake slap shots in attempts to set up a real shot. I don’t see the point in wasting the energy in preparing a fake shot, just shoot or pass without the theatrics.
8:32: Ellis makes some awesome saves to help kill the PP for the Ducks.
7:52: Shouldn’t be missing these easy passes, Ducks. Didn’t Emilio teach you anything?
~6: Cogliano of the Ducks loses his edge and goes down, but still maintains impressive control of the puck. Maybe you can’t count them out just yet…
4:42: Ducks just missed a GREAT goal opportunity. Belesky had the shot set up by a great assist from Perry, it just wouldn’t go in. That’s what she said?
Everyone is falling all over the ice tonight, on both teams. I can almost skate as good as some of them right now.
3:32: Ducks get a huge PP opportunity. Getzlaf shoots just wide with “a buck 38” left (still stupid saying). Coyotes give a half-hearted attempt at a shorthanded shot, and Hiller continues to make great saves when the Ducks bring it back. The announcers are debating if the Ducks have been using the same guys for too long. The fact that I now know some of their names would hint towards a yes…
2:07: Ducks call their timeout to give those same guys a little rest.
1:57: Anaheim has an empty net and the end of the PP becomes a 6 on 4
1:32: 6 on 5 as PP ends and Coyotes almost get a huge empty net goal.
1:08: Ducks score! Getzlaf comes out of nowhere and takes a miracle shot to the top corner of the net, getting the Ducks just one behind. 5-4 with almost no time left.
0:54: Anaheim with an empty net again. Last ditch effort.
0:20: Ducks have been fighting hard the past 30 seconds, making a lot of hard shots. As the play gets intense, the ref manages to get caught in the way. I have been waiting for this to happen all night. Those zebras always break something up during the game.
0:00 While the Ducks fought hard through the end of the third, the Coyotes hang on to a 5-4 win. With all the minor mistakes, missed passes, and wide shots, the Ducks may have given the game to the Coyotes tonight. Guess that big win before a long road trip just wasn’t in the cards for the Ducks tonight. And I’m also glad I don’t actually bet on games because I definitely would have just lost.
Following the popular trend, I am going to attempt following a game for this blog, Phoenix Coyotes vs. Anaheim Ducks. In my pre-game ramble, I am warning you all that I will be attempting this while watching a movie on ABCFamily and dealing with 6 animals vying for my attention. I am pretty good at multi-tasking, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to keep up with the fast action, especially since I am pretty easily distracted… and in my defense, GameCenter can be iffy at times, but thanks to Chris for letting me use what feed it decides to give me.
Also, fun thoughts. While most people are probably focusing on the line-ups for this came and actually care about the outcome, I’m left thinking about Emilio Estevez. Most of you might know that he was equally roasted along with his brother Charlie last month, something about how he’s disappeared off the face of the Earth. I don’t think they found him to get his word on the matter.. Anyway, I think it would be wicked funny (I’m from Boston) if at the beginning of a Duck’s game, if he was just chilling on the bench with that silly duck calling whistle. There is a reason I’m watching ABCFamily while I write this.
Now, to the lines for those of you who care:
In my attempts to search for the lineups online, I found out the Ducks had a pretty good win streak going until “a poor start their last time out,” and the Coyotes are apparently on a losing streak. Based on that, I predict the Ducks winning, even though in the real world, the Coyotes would eat the Ducks no problem. I also discovered that if GameCenter doesn’t show me the lineups at the beginning, you guys aren’t going to get them because I will not be able to follow that stuff. I can give you lots of information about the making of “Corpse Bride” if you’re interested though…
And the game and movie start…
According to Cam, it is huge if the Ducks win tonight because their next game starts a 7 game stretch on the road. They showed some lines for Phoenix, but there is no way I can figure out what those names are, or spell them that fast when going back and forth between the blog document and the GameCenter feed. Sorry for all you kids who were really looking forward to those lineups.
The Desert Dogs, Ducks, and Zebras meet at Center Ice… apparently we are living in a twisted jungle? The announcers also paint us a picture, just in case we can’t see. Coyotes are wearing white with red numbers and Ducks are black with white numbers. The puck drops.
19:09: “A fortuitous bounce” for Coyotes, too bad nothing came from it except now I know the announcers have pretty intelligent diction.
18:21: Gordon has a close shot, first real strike of the game.
17:53: Ducks counter with their first stable shot of the night. Heads up, you won’t be getting a lot of names throughout this, unless I caught the players’ numbers and looked up the name to go along with it.
Fun side note: The announcer sounds like the dude from the Mighty Duck movies, makes my desire for Emilio Estevez even more valid.
16:37: Ducks almost caught with too many men on the ice, but they got away with it because no one touched the puck. Rules are made to be avoided.
16:32: Announcers call an in-field fly…. Is it just me or is that the wrong sport?
More fun facts: This is Kurtis Foster’s first game back after surgery during training camp. Apparently he previously had wires put in his leg and one of them broke free and started poking through his leg muscles. Gross.
15:54: Ducks set up behind their own net… looks like the “Flying V”
Also, if the Ducks get 5 goals? You get 5 wings from Hoooters. Here we go Ducks!
15:19: Hanzal score for Phoenix! Didn’t see exactly how the goal was scored, too busy wondering if I should actually go there and make a Gretel joke.... The jury is still out.
15:10: Smith-Pelly almost comes right back to score for the Ducks. Just missed.
14:44: “Sticks and gloves swinging at the puck” as the Ducks scramble to get on the board. I never really understood the rules for when you can and when you can’t use your hands in hockey. In gym class, it was never allowed.
13:30: A number of solid hits going on, and a demonstration of why the trapezoid is stupid. Coyote goalie almost got knocked over getting the puck from behind the net because he had to wait for it to cross into the trap.
~13: exciting 2 on 3 for the Ducks went nowhere, still 1-0.
12:46: Off-sides. The puck barely crossed the blue line, but then again, keeping it on-sides is one of your major jobs, you shouldn’t let it slip out so easily.
And a commercial break just in time for my favorite part of the movie! The piano that plays you $5 bucks to whoever can name the movie…
12:45: What are the rules about face-off violence? There doesn’t seem to be enough bruiting about to get at that puck.
12:37: Coyote easily wins this face-off, no fight at all.
12:05: Ducks have another major chance to tie the game up, but the 2 on 1 opportunity is shot wide. They clearly just need to slow down for a second and get their heads back on straight. They have the chances, they just aren’t taking them.
11:39: Visnovsky scores! A shot from the blue line takes a lucky bounce off the pipes and into the net. All tied up at 1.
OH… he fell. And the Ducks almost took the lead. Another botched opportunity. And apparently someone wanted a whistle that just didn’t happen. The Duck player fell and the announcers commented that they Coyote’s didn’t get a penalty. I don’t get it… shouldn’t the guy on the ice be more inclined to stay in the game?
10:04: The Ducks miss too many easy passes, and this was one of them. They need to look at those old Disney movies and learn a thing or two from Emilio…
9:33: The puck goes over the glass for about the 5th time already, It has been bouncing all over the place all night long.
9:14: Hiller makes a very impressive stick save for the Ducks. Those always seem trickier than the snatch with the glove. Well done.
8:59: First penalty of the night and it’s against the Ducks. Up until this point, the Ducks PowerPlay kill is 22 for 23. The Coyotes put up a good fight, but the Ducks stayed true to their reputation.
5:58: Selanne has some fancy footwork but just can’t find the net. Luckily, he finds Getzlaf who tips it in for his first goal of the season. 2-1.
5:16: Coyotes answer right back, as Hanzal gets another one the bounces in off the goalie. Still debating about the Gretel joke. It’ll come about if he makes the hat trick. 2-2.
4:59: Ducks turn it over right behind their own net. Thank their lucky stars for an amazing save by Hiller.
Ryan’s broken stick breaks up the play he can’t. The little miracles.
2:27: Ryan knocks one wide, right off the side of the net. The ‘ping’ echoes like crazy through the entire stadium.
And now the first kitten starts looking for my attention, let’s see if the blog suffers…
1:29: The Ducks get a big steal, probably stopping a great scoring chance, but not making any profit of it for themselves.
1:15: Ducks get their first PowerPlay of the night for a delay of game.
1:12: A Coyote defenseman takes the brunt of that slap shout.. OUCH!
The first ends, tied 2-2 with 45 seconds left in the Duck’s PP.
The boringness of GameCenter not showing the intermission report is reflected in the snoring dog and 3 sleeping kittens. Lucky for me, I’ve got ABCFamily.
The Second starts with the second kitten looking for my attention.
20:00: Coyote’s win the face-off, but Ducks come back strong on the PP
18:59: Poor Perry. Don’t remember why I took this note, but it was probably a bad hit.
18:38: First icing call of the night. I still don’t get why this matters. People go out of their way to break this rule, and sometimes Refs look the other and ignore it, so what’s the point really?
15:35: I didn’t actually see it, but based on the crowd’s reaction, that was a great save Smith!
15:13: Coyotes score! I missed this one too, but I have a better defense than the Ducks, I at least had a cat’s tail in my eye… Goal goes to Gordon. 3-2 Phoenix.
“Two teams that came into this game struggling to score are having no trouble now.” I love when commentators tell you the obvious..
14:01: Off-sides happens way more than it should. You are professional hockey players, know where the puck is and know how to control it so it doesn’t go back over the big blue line.
13:32: Korp scores! I know I probably shouldn’t be using a nickname when I don’t even know his real name, but I’m too lazy to look it up right now. I’m sure you all know him anyway. He had some pretty fancy stick work, barely saw it happen. Another bad turnover for the Ducks that the Coyotes take advantage of. 4-2.
13:11: Hiller makes an amazing save, keeping the Coyotes lead at two.
12:04: Somehow Hiller is flat on the ice and the puck is in the net. Hiller wants an icing call but isn’t getting one, that’s why you play until the whistle blows. 5-2.
At this point, the game is becoming a chore to watch. It is very one-sided and I have my distractions…
10:09: More off-sides for the Ducks. This really shouldn’t be such a huge problem for them. Professional hockey, come on.
10:05: First brawl of the night! Torres vs. whoever #5 is. The puck is dropped for the face-off and then play stops as the two were apparently verbally abusing each other across the ice and decided to immediately make it physical. At least the Ducks can take pride in winning this match when they have to look at the scoreboard later.
Announcer states that the Coyotes are outscoring the Ducks 10-1, something Emilio would never stand for.
8:33: After Ducks miss a rebound shot, Coyotes take a hooking penalty and give the Ducks a chance to redeem themselves. After the Coyotes open up with an attempt at a shorthanded goal, the Ducks come back strong, but overall do nothing except take a lot of bad angle shots. Near the end of the PP, the Ducks call for a penalty shot for a defender covering the puck in the crease, but they plead to no avail.
6:28: While the Ducks couldn’t do anything with the PP, Foster scores immediately after the teams are back to even strength. With a nice slap shot from mid-ice, it’s now 5-3.
4:52: The Ducks have “more pep in their step” as Selanne almost scores again.
3:23: Macenauer of the Ducks takes a puck to the face. He goes out for stitches but comes back to play in the third. Only in hockey, the toughest of the tough.
Dan Ellis takes over goal from Hiller.
Announcers are talking about other teams around the league. Apparently no one with an English last name plays in this sport. The second period ends with the thought of “it’s not over yet.”
The third starts with a cat in lap and one crying at my feet. Here we go.
19:44: After getting stitched up, Macenauer gets called for cross-checking, apparently something that’s hard to do with only one hand on the stick, but the ref decided he accomplished such a feat.
18:03: Coyotes called for hooking, mini 4 on 4. Turns out to be nothing exciting.
16:59: The first real move of the period, Hanzal has a great break away but can’t turn it into a goal.
~16:30: Ducks really fire on goal during their PP. There are a ridiculous amount of loose sticks all over the ice tonight, and right now is not an exception. With sticks on the ice, #8 bats the puck out of midair, but Smith makes an amazing glove save. I love the baseball references in tonight’s game.
14:57: Ryan gets called for off-sides. It was definitely a questionable call, but nevertheless, there it was.
At this point, I acknowledge that my attention has waned the further I get into this game. I have kittens, movies, facebook chat, and texting going on. I’m easily distracted.
13:22: During the commercial break, I learned that for pre-season, the Ducks learned Finnish. Fun fact.
Lots of backs and forths in the neutral zone over the next couple of minutes.
~12: Either the refs are blind or the announcers are making things up. They expected a too many men on the ice call, but the refs didn’t blink an eye.
Fun Fact: The are three players currently on the Jets that played in their original franchise.
10:49: Smith makes an amazing save! This goal would’ve really given the Ducks the fuel they needed to get back in this game. By some miracle, it is still 5-3.
10:33: Nice tackle, Selanne, haha! Too bad it give the Coyotes another PP. Coyotes do a great job riding the blue line to keep this puck on sides, but Ellis made a great save, with a buck 16 left on the PowerPlay? First time I’ve heard money as a term to measure time..
McMillan of the Ducks makes a great break away, but it ends quickly as the Coyotes take control of the PP back, with many fake slap shots in attempts to set up a real shot. I don’t see the point in wasting the energy in preparing a fake shot, just shoot or pass without the theatrics.
8:32: Ellis makes some awesome saves to help kill the PP for the Ducks.
7:52: Shouldn’t be missing these easy passes, Ducks. Didn’t Emilio teach you anything?
~6: Cogliano of the Ducks loses his edge and goes down, but still maintains impressive control of the puck. Maybe you can’t count them out just yet…
4:42: Ducks just missed a GREAT goal opportunity. Belesky had the shot set up by a great assist from Perry, it just wouldn’t go in. That’s what she said?
Everyone is falling all over the ice tonight, on both teams. I can almost skate as good as some of them right now.
3:32: Ducks get a huge PP opportunity. Getzlaf shoots just wide with “a buck 38” left (still stupid saying). Coyotes give a half-hearted attempt at a shorthanded shot, and Hiller continues to make great saves when the Ducks bring it back. The announcers are debating if the Ducks have been using the same guys for too long. The fact that I now know some of their names would hint towards a yes…
2:07: Ducks call their timeout to give those same guys a little rest.
1:57: Anaheim has an empty net and the end of the PP becomes a 6 on 4
1:32: 6 on 5 as PP ends and Coyotes almost get a huge empty net goal.
1:08: Ducks score! Getzlaf comes out of nowhere and takes a miracle shot to the top corner of the net, getting the Ducks just one behind. 5-4 with almost no time left.
0:54: Anaheim with an empty net again. Last ditch effort.
0:20: Ducks have been fighting hard the past 30 seconds, making a lot of hard shots. As the play gets intense, the ref manages to get caught in the way. I have been waiting for this to happen all night. Those zebras always break something up during the game.
0:00 While the Ducks fought hard through the end of the third, the Coyotes hang on to a 5-4 win. With all the minor mistakes, missed passes, and wide shots, the Ducks may have given the game to the Coyotes tonight. Guess that big win before a long road trip just wasn’t in the cards for the Ducks tonight. And I’m also glad I don’t actually bet on games because I definitely would have just lost.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Detroit @ Washington-The Undefeated Meet-Live Blog
This is it, after about two weeks of play there are only two teams left undefeated. Home team Washington (6-0-0) and visitors Detroit (5-0-0). The Red Wings are fresh off of a 5-2 defeat of the Blue Jackets at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit on Friday night while the Capitals had a day of practice after a thorough rout of the Flyers in Philadelphia. The Caps would love to extend their winning streak to a franchise record 7 games to open the season, especially by beating a team that is arguably one of the best franchises in the sport while Detroit would love to honor their captain's 1500th game with a win. The goal-tending is going to be the story of the night. After a dismal debut in what he referred to as his "worst game", Tomas Vokoun has been outstanding for Washington, stopping 137 of the last 142 shots that he has faced. Detroit is coming off of five great games where they have let in a total of four goals in a 5 on 5 situation.
Pregame Prediction: Washington wins 3-2 OT. Detroit is a powerhouse of a team, that is well matched with Washington. I think Washington has a slight edge simply because Detroit played last night, and the stats favor the home team in this one. Either way, I'm ready for one hell of a game.
In net tonight it looks like Washington will be sticking with Tomas Vokoun (5W, .939 SV%, 1.95GAA) with Sabourin backing up. Detroit will have Ty Conklin (1W, 1.000 SV%, 0 GAA). Conklin has played all of one game, but it was a shutout in Colorado. This will be the fifth backup netminder Washington has faced this season, the exceptions being Dwayne Roloson and Ilya Bryzgalaov.
Game-Time!
Lines for the evening:
Washington:
Ovi-Backstrom-Brouwer Hamrlik-Green Vokoun
Semin-Johansson-Knuble Alzner-Carlson
Chimera-Laich-Ward Schultz-Wideman
Hendricks-Perrault-Halpern
Detroit:
Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Cleary Lidstrom-White Conklin
Filppula-Franzen-Hudler Kronwall-Stuart
Abdelkader-Helm-Bertuzzi Ericsson-Kindl
Brunnstrom-Emmerton-Eaves
1st
20:00-Puck drop is taken back by washington, but washington fumbles it in the neutral zone.
19:49-White takes a shot that goes wide and the wings pick it up behind the net for another shot. Vokoun with a beautiful save.
19:06-Icing against Detroit
18:45-Caps are putting a good number of shots on goal, but they are all headed straight to Conklin, need better scoring chances if we hope to have any chance here.
18:10-An intense scrum, that looks like a good chance for Detroit, but it is covered by Vokoun and after some falling over the netminder play is whistled dead.
17:35-Semin knocks the puck away from the wings, but sort of stands there as it runs to the side of the net. Schultz moves in to take it, but I don't like the way he stood there. He's already come under fire for not "caring" enough. He is going to need to keep playing more like early season and less like this if he wants to re-sign.
16:00-Detroit has put several excellent shots on net. Washington needs to step up the pressure if they want to win this, especially on Defense.
15:00-Again, Caps have had some good chances, but Detroit is playing great defense. This game is looking good.
14:25-Datsyuk tries to deke out Vokoun, but Vokoun literally spins around to make an amazing save. So far, Vokoun is keeping the Caps in this game.
13:30-Knuble has a beautiful opportunity blocked by traffic in front of the net.
While we are on commercial here I just saw that the Canucks and Panthers made a trade. Canucks acquire David Booth, Steven Reinprecht and a 3rd rounder in 2013 from the Panthers for Samuelsson and Sturm.
12:20-Battle against the boards, brought away by the Wings. Skated in and a snapshot to Vokoun. he covers. Detroit is getting more opportunities off. Washington really needs to step it up here. That being said, the pace of this game is absolutely outstanding both teams are pushing quite hard, but Detroit really seems to have a much better defensive pressure.
11:29-Laich goes offsides. Faceoff is won by Washington and taken in by Chimera, who makes a weak pass to Ward that is intercepted.
10:42-Johansson skates in and makes a beautiful pass to Semin who shoots it wide. This pair is really clicking this year and it is great to see MJ90 score and score.
Carlson makes a great move to keep it in the zone, but the Wings knock it away and take it down to the Washington defensive end. Caps are having trouble both getting into the O-zone and staying there.
6:38-Offsides against Detroit
6:21-First penalty of the night. Bertuzzi takes a Contact after the icing penalty. Watching the replay I'm not sure he even heard the whistle. I think he thought it would be waved off. I guess that's a problem with playing in the loudest arena in the NHL.
6:00-Mike green makes a beautiful shot to the corner from the point! Washington scores! 0-1
5:45-Vokoun comes up big with a great save to keep Detroit from answering.
4:59-MJ90 has a beautiful close angle shot off a pass from Alexander Semin! Another Washington Goal! Score: 0-2
Caps are doing great getting multiple goals in short time periods.
Question from John-Was there a Screen on the goal?]
On the Mike Green goal, definitely. As for the Johansson goal, I really don't think Conklin expected Sasha to pass there. The Mike Green goal came off a beautiful backdoor pass from Backstrom and the MJ goal was a Knuble takeaway to Semin who tied everyone up as Marcus just came right in and dumped it in.
2:57-A dump in by Helm went high and took Green in the face. He is headed to the locker room.
2:01-Icing against Washington. Detroit is getting some beautiful chances here, but Vokoun is looking outstanding.
1:51-Wideman flattened by Hudler, a boarding call against Detroit.
38.3-Kronwall clears it after some beautiful chances by Washington.
9.5-Ty Conklin makes a beautiful diving save to cover up the puck. Passes it away.
2-Hamrlik fires wide and it rebounds of the backboards. Knuble picks up the rebound and takes a great shot that bounces off the post.
And that's the end of the first. After 20 minutes of play the score is 0-2 Washington. Detroit has dominated the play, but Washington has capitalized on several great chances.
While waiting for the second to start I wanted to look at the good and the bad so far.
The good-Washington is up 2-0 with some beautiful positioning. They are skating it in well, but just not quite getting the chances. Vokoun is looking stunning especially against datsyuk who has such a way with the puck.
The bad- Washington is being outshot 10-8, and the Red Wings seem to be out skating the younger Washington team. However, this game could still go either way.
We shall see.
On a related note, I still think that fact that Vokoun is making 1.5 mil this year was the biggest steal of the off-season. John also has no idea how Washington got him for so cheap.
Comment From John
I don't know how he went so cheaply. He was elite on a terrible Florida team. With a good team in front of him he has a great chance at the Vezina.
I actually think, based on his play so far (save for the Tampa game), that Vokoun has a great chance at the Vezina. It would be quite exciting if he got it as goal-tending has been a major problem for Washington in the past few years.
Comment From John
It'll be good for the younger goalies as well. Under his tutelage (spelling?) they could be full time starters in two years. I wouldn't be surprised to see Neuvy traded like Varly was, especially if they re-sign Vokoun. Holtby would make for a strong back up as he would take longer to develop.
I honestly don't know if that would happen. This fan base loves Neuvy. Though to be fair, they loved Varly and when they announced that he had earned a shutout while we were playing Tampa there were a lot of people booing in the stands.
Comment From John
It really all depends on the playoffs. Nuevy might get 30 games this season and Washington will do well no matter who is in goal. If Vokoun shines in the playoffs they'll want to win rather than keep fan favorites. But it's hard to hold onto goalies ready to be starters. Look at Vancouver... Schneider is clearly ready but he is stuck behind Luongo. With Washington having three goalies one will have to go.
And here we go! Second Period is under way!
18:35 Detroit is out-skating Washington, but I guess when it comes down to it the scoreboard is all that really matters. Schultz blows a beautiful one-timer. Datsyuk takes it and Vokoun makes another save on Datsyuk.
16:19 Dropback pass from Cleary to Datsyuk with a powerful wrister straight to the gut of Vokoun. You could hear the thwump on TV. And Beninati announced that Green is back on the bench looking good and ready to go.
15:51-High Sticking against Emmerton
15:01-Ovechkin has had several great opportunites this power play and he passes it to Green who puts it in top shelf! Washington Goal! Score: 0-3. Think Mike Green can get a hat trick? I mean he may need it to cover his new bruise from that puck.
13:00-Hamrlik with a great block.
12:35-The momentum of this game is so far in Washington's favor. Detroit is still playing great, but they need to pick it up again if they hope to come back.
12:00-Ovechkin vs Kronwall towards the goal. Ovi shoots wide.
Just a little factoid here, Wideman's assist on Green's second goal there ties his longest ever point streak. He has a point in every Washington game this season.
10:50-Hendricks takes a holding call and Detroit will go on their first power play of the night.
10:37-Less than 15 seconds into this PP and Vokoun has already come up huge twice.
10:00-Datsyuk pass was intercepted and cleared by Carlson. Much needed line changes for both teams.
9:21-31 Sec left in this power play and the net is knocked off the moorings. Hamrlik is called for delay of game. So we go to 31 seconds of 5-on-3 for Detroit.
8:55-Datsyuk to Kronwall, powers it right by Vokoun! Detroit Goal! Detroit is back on the Power Play. Score 1-3
8:15-Halpern with a breakaway chance. Caught glove side by Conklin.
7:18-Back to full strength, great work on the PK there by Washington.
6:45-Back to the power play for Detroit after Semin takes a dumb high-sticking penalty. Washington looks like they are getting sloppy.
6:40-5 Seconds into the power play and Ian White rips off a rocket. Vokoun makes the save.
5:58-Alzner makes a great clear to get the line change.
5:30-Capitals back to the 5-on-3. Not too sure on this one, MJ90 takes a tripping call.
After seeing the replay, it's a legit call, but still a sloppy play.
4:45-HUGE save by Vokoun! Followed up by another big save to end the 5-on-3. That was great work on the PK by Washington there
4:30-1 Min left on the power play and Detroit comes charging in. Halpern knocks it away and clears it out of the zone.
3:30-Another sizzler from the point and Vokoun knocks it away with a stick save. Caps kill another penalty. At commercial now, so I'll make a quick rant, The caps need to stop taking stupid penaltys, especially when on the penalty kill already. This Detroit squad is extremely powerful and the last thing they need is excuses to score.
2:20-Caps get tangled up and Wideman dives out to make a great block.
1:30-Zetterberg takes it the length and Vokoun makes a nice kick out save. Vokoun, with the way he is playing, should have a shutout. However, thanks to the penalties he will not be getting one.
Comment From john
If you need an example of how penalties hurt a team you can look at the Rangers. They lost their first four games mostly due to bad penalties.
0:37-Washington is just passing it around to kill some time.
7.6-Hendricks pumps one on net and Conklin closes his legs to block the 5-hole. It slides through and Perrault puts it in! Washington Goal! Score: 1-4
And that's the end of the Second. Detroit once again dominated the play, but the Caps keep finding the back of the net.
Some stats: Shots on Goal 26 v 14. Scoring Chances 16 v 11. Detroit is LEADING in both those Categories.
and we are underway here in the third
Ovechkin had a good pass attempt that was intercepted. He seems to have picked up some of his old speed. Good to see. Johansson tried to stuff it through the wraparound...again...conklin was beyond ready for it.
16:02-Scrum behind the detroit goal. recovered by detroit, knocked straight to carlson
15:52-Zetterberg spins and looks to stuff, goes right across the crease.
15:00-Ovechkin has a great shot blocked by Lidstrom and it goes out of play
13:00-Detroit skates it in and Zetterberg puts a weak wrister into Vokoun's glove
I would still love to see green get a hat trick tonight, but either way, Detroit is still playing a powerful game. Lidstrom lost his helment
11:43-Great intercept by laich, rushes in dekes conklin passes to Ward who dumps it in! Washington Goal! Score 1-5
11:20-White takes a tripping penalty should have been conflicting minors or, at the worst, a Washington pp. White was definitely tripped...
10:50-Washington, not really crusing in on the power play, but green passes to backstrom as ovi heads offsides...
8:41-Hendricks takes the draw, Perrault picks it up, takes a shot, and puts it pass Conklin for his second of the night! Washington Goal! Score 1-6
I think Detroit may be done, but stranger things have happened....
Every line of Washington has at least one point tonight. The only downside to going 7-0 is that only one team that has done that has ever won the cup....
3:00-Detroit has slowed the pace again, but they are still fighting hard. This is a great team that has just been floored by a great goaltender.
2:35-And a deflection from carlson goes right in the back of the net as backstrom pops it in! Washington goal! Score 1-7
Red wings total goals against in their 6 games has now been doubled. They had let in a total of 7 goals before this game. I still don't understand the "All Your Fault" cheer that washington does after a goal. Not to say I don't do it.
0:0-And that's all she wrote. Vokoun with an outstanding performance in net for a 7-1 win over a strong Detroit squad.
Postgame
Well my prediction was off...by just a little more than a bit. This game was decided by the end of the first. Of all the things, I never expected a blowout. Green was the first star of the night. with his personal record tying four points. I would have loved to have seen him get a hat trick, but oh well. There were enough scorers anyways. Second Star tonight was Vokoun. He faced 33 shots and had a .97 save percentage. This win makes the Caps the 10th team to win 7 straight to start the season. The record still stands as a tie between the 93-94 Maple Leafs and the 06-07 Sabres with 10 games a piece. The only team to win the cup after starting 7-0 was the 83-84 Oilers.
The Caps played well, finding the back of the net 7 times. They took some weak penalties, but they managed to pull out a great PK unit and recover. I felt that the defensive pressure was lacking at times, but the forecheck looked pretty good tonight. I still think that the shutdown grouping that is Washington's third line is going to be the big thing to help Washington win this season.
It's a testament to how deep Washington's lineup is this year when the ice time is so similar per line. This is also probably why every line and defensive pair recorded a point tonight. They play well together, and they are having a great run. Hopefully this carries over as we get into November and is still going well as we reach April.
The Caps now start hitting the road, playing four out of the next five games on the road. Starting with the game Thursday in Edmonton. followed by Saturday's game in Vancouver. The Caps have a great start to the season, but as Green said tonight, it's only October. April is a long way off.
Pregame Prediction: Washington wins 3-2 OT. Detroit is a powerhouse of a team, that is well matched with Washington. I think Washington has a slight edge simply because Detroit played last night, and the stats favor the home team in this one. Either way, I'm ready for one hell of a game.
In net tonight it looks like Washington will be sticking with Tomas Vokoun (5W, .939 SV%, 1.95GAA) with Sabourin backing up. Detroit will have Ty Conklin (1W, 1.000 SV%, 0 GAA). Conklin has played all of one game, but it was a shutout in Colorado. This will be the fifth backup netminder Washington has faced this season, the exceptions being Dwayne Roloson and Ilya Bryzgalaov.
Game-Time!
Lines for the evening:
Washington:
Ovi-Backstrom-Brouwer Hamrlik-Green Vokoun
Semin-Johansson-Knuble Alzner-Carlson
Chimera-Laich-Ward Schultz-Wideman
Hendricks-Perrault-Halpern
Detroit:
Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Cleary Lidstrom-White Conklin
Filppula-Franzen-Hudler Kronwall-Stuart
Abdelkader-Helm-Bertuzzi Ericsson-Kindl
Brunnstrom-Emmerton-Eaves
1st
20:00-Puck drop is taken back by washington, but washington fumbles it in the neutral zone.
19:49-White takes a shot that goes wide and the wings pick it up behind the net for another shot. Vokoun with a beautiful save.
19:06-Icing against Detroit
18:45-Caps are putting a good number of shots on goal, but they are all headed straight to Conklin, need better scoring chances if we hope to have any chance here.
18:10-An intense scrum, that looks like a good chance for Detroit, but it is covered by Vokoun and after some falling over the netminder play is whistled dead.
17:35-Semin knocks the puck away from the wings, but sort of stands there as it runs to the side of the net. Schultz moves in to take it, but I don't like the way he stood there. He's already come under fire for not "caring" enough. He is going to need to keep playing more like early season and less like this if he wants to re-sign.
16:00-Detroit has put several excellent shots on net. Washington needs to step up the pressure if they want to win this, especially on Defense.
15:00-Again, Caps have had some good chances, but Detroit is playing great defense. This game is looking good.
14:25-Datsyuk tries to deke out Vokoun, but Vokoun literally spins around to make an amazing save. So far, Vokoun is keeping the Caps in this game.
13:30-Knuble has a beautiful opportunity blocked by traffic in front of the net.
While we are on commercial here I just saw that the Canucks and Panthers made a trade. Canucks acquire David Booth, Steven Reinprecht and a 3rd rounder in 2013 from the Panthers for Samuelsson and Sturm.
12:20-Battle against the boards, brought away by the Wings. Skated in and a snapshot to Vokoun. he covers. Detroit is getting more opportunities off. Washington really needs to step it up here. That being said, the pace of this game is absolutely outstanding both teams are pushing quite hard, but Detroit really seems to have a much better defensive pressure.
11:29-Laich goes offsides. Faceoff is won by Washington and taken in by Chimera, who makes a weak pass to Ward that is intercepted.
10:42-Johansson skates in and makes a beautiful pass to Semin who shoots it wide. This pair is really clicking this year and it is great to see MJ90 score and score.
Carlson makes a great move to keep it in the zone, but the Wings knock it away and take it down to the Washington defensive end. Caps are having trouble both getting into the O-zone and staying there.
6:38-Offsides against Detroit
6:21-First penalty of the night. Bertuzzi takes a Contact after the icing penalty. Watching the replay I'm not sure he even heard the whistle. I think he thought it would be waved off. I guess that's a problem with playing in the loudest arena in the NHL.
6:00-Mike green makes a beautiful shot to the corner from the point! Washington scores! 0-1
5:45-Vokoun comes up big with a great save to keep Detroit from answering.
4:59-MJ90 has a beautiful close angle shot off a pass from Alexander Semin! Another Washington Goal! Score: 0-2
Caps are doing great getting multiple goals in short time periods.
Question from John-Was there a Screen on the goal?]
On the Mike Green goal, definitely. As for the Johansson goal, I really don't think Conklin expected Sasha to pass there. The Mike Green goal came off a beautiful backdoor pass from Backstrom and the MJ goal was a Knuble takeaway to Semin who tied everyone up as Marcus just came right in and dumped it in.
2:57-A dump in by Helm went high and took Green in the face. He is headed to the locker room.
2:01-Icing against Washington. Detroit is getting some beautiful chances here, but Vokoun is looking outstanding.
1:51-Wideman flattened by Hudler, a boarding call against Detroit.
38.3-Kronwall clears it after some beautiful chances by Washington.
9.5-Ty Conklin makes a beautiful diving save to cover up the puck. Passes it away.
2-Hamrlik fires wide and it rebounds of the backboards. Knuble picks up the rebound and takes a great shot that bounces off the post.
And that's the end of the first. After 20 minutes of play the score is 0-2 Washington. Detroit has dominated the play, but Washington has capitalized on several great chances.
While waiting for the second to start I wanted to look at the good and the bad so far.
The good-Washington is up 2-0 with some beautiful positioning. They are skating it in well, but just not quite getting the chances. Vokoun is looking stunning especially against datsyuk who has such a way with the puck.
The bad- Washington is being outshot 10-8, and the Red Wings seem to be out skating the younger Washington team. However, this game could still go either way.
We shall see.
On a related note, I still think that fact that Vokoun is making 1.5 mil this year was the biggest steal of the off-season. John also has no idea how Washington got him for so cheap.
Comment From John
I don't know how he went so cheaply. He was elite on a terrible Florida team. With a good team in front of him he has a great chance at the Vezina.
I actually think, based on his play so far (save for the Tampa game), that Vokoun has a great chance at the Vezina. It would be quite exciting if he got it as goal-tending has been a major problem for Washington in the past few years.
Comment From John
It'll be good for the younger goalies as well. Under his tutelage (spelling?) they could be full time starters in two years. I wouldn't be surprised to see Neuvy traded like Varly was, especially if they re-sign Vokoun. Holtby would make for a strong back up as he would take longer to develop.
I honestly don't know if that would happen. This fan base loves Neuvy. Though to be fair, they loved Varly and when they announced that he had earned a shutout while we were playing Tampa there were a lot of people booing in the stands.
Comment From John
It really all depends on the playoffs. Nuevy might get 30 games this season and Washington will do well no matter who is in goal. If Vokoun shines in the playoffs they'll want to win rather than keep fan favorites. But it's hard to hold onto goalies ready to be starters. Look at Vancouver... Schneider is clearly ready but he is stuck behind Luongo. With Washington having three goalies one will have to go.
And here we go! Second Period is under way!
18:35 Detroit is out-skating Washington, but I guess when it comes down to it the scoreboard is all that really matters. Schultz blows a beautiful one-timer. Datsyuk takes it and Vokoun makes another save on Datsyuk.
16:19 Dropback pass from Cleary to Datsyuk with a powerful wrister straight to the gut of Vokoun. You could hear the thwump on TV. And Beninati announced that Green is back on the bench looking good and ready to go.
15:51-High Sticking against Emmerton
15:01-Ovechkin has had several great opportunites this power play and he passes it to Green who puts it in top shelf! Washington Goal! Score: 0-3. Think Mike Green can get a hat trick? I mean he may need it to cover his new bruise from that puck.
13:00-Hamrlik with a great block.
12:35-The momentum of this game is so far in Washington's favor. Detroit is still playing great, but they need to pick it up again if they hope to come back.
12:00-Ovechkin vs Kronwall towards the goal. Ovi shoots wide.
Just a little factoid here, Wideman's assist on Green's second goal there ties his longest ever point streak. He has a point in every Washington game this season.
10:50-Hendricks takes a holding call and Detroit will go on their first power play of the night.
10:37-Less than 15 seconds into this PP and Vokoun has already come up huge twice.
10:00-Datsyuk pass was intercepted and cleared by Carlson. Much needed line changes for both teams.
9:21-31 Sec left in this power play and the net is knocked off the moorings. Hamrlik is called for delay of game. So we go to 31 seconds of 5-on-3 for Detroit.
8:55-Datsyuk to Kronwall, powers it right by Vokoun! Detroit Goal! Detroit is back on the Power Play. Score 1-3
8:15-Halpern with a breakaway chance. Caught glove side by Conklin.
7:18-Back to full strength, great work on the PK there by Washington.
6:45-Back to the power play for Detroit after Semin takes a dumb high-sticking penalty. Washington looks like they are getting sloppy.
6:40-5 Seconds into the power play and Ian White rips off a rocket. Vokoun makes the save.
5:58-Alzner makes a great clear to get the line change.
5:30-Capitals back to the 5-on-3. Not too sure on this one, MJ90 takes a tripping call.
After seeing the replay, it's a legit call, but still a sloppy play.
4:45-HUGE save by Vokoun! Followed up by another big save to end the 5-on-3. That was great work on the PK by Washington there
4:30-1 Min left on the power play and Detroit comes charging in. Halpern knocks it away and clears it out of the zone.
3:30-Another sizzler from the point and Vokoun knocks it away with a stick save. Caps kill another penalty. At commercial now, so I'll make a quick rant, The caps need to stop taking stupid penaltys, especially when on the penalty kill already. This Detroit squad is extremely powerful and the last thing they need is excuses to score.
2:20-Caps get tangled up and Wideman dives out to make a great block.
1:30-Zetterberg takes it the length and Vokoun makes a nice kick out save. Vokoun, with the way he is playing, should have a shutout. However, thanks to the penalties he will not be getting one.
Comment From john
If you need an example of how penalties hurt a team you can look at the Rangers. They lost their first four games mostly due to bad penalties.
0:37-Washington is just passing it around to kill some time.
7.6-Hendricks pumps one on net and Conklin closes his legs to block the 5-hole. It slides through and Perrault puts it in! Washington Goal! Score: 1-4
And that's the end of the Second. Detroit once again dominated the play, but the Caps keep finding the back of the net.
Some stats: Shots on Goal 26 v 14. Scoring Chances 16 v 11. Detroit is LEADING in both those Categories.
and we are underway here in the third
Ovechkin had a good pass attempt that was intercepted. He seems to have picked up some of his old speed. Good to see. Johansson tried to stuff it through the wraparound...again...conklin was beyond ready for it.
16:02-Scrum behind the detroit goal. recovered by detroit, knocked straight to carlson
15:52-Zetterberg spins and looks to stuff, goes right across the crease.
15:00-Ovechkin has a great shot blocked by Lidstrom and it goes out of play
13:00-Detroit skates it in and Zetterberg puts a weak wrister into Vokoun's glove
I would still love to see green get a hat trick tonight, but either way, Detroit is still playing a powerful game. Lidstrom lost his helment
11:43-Great intercept by laich, rushes in dekes conklin passes to Ward who dumps it in! Washington Goal! Score 1-5
11:20-White takes a tripping penalty should have been conflicting minors or, at the worst, a Washington pp. White was definitely tripped...
10:50-Washington, not really crusing in on the power play, but green passes to backstrom as ovi heads offsides...
8:41-Hendricks takes the draw, Perrault picks it up, takes a shot, and puts it pass Conklin for his second of the night! Washington Goal! Score 1-6
I think Detroit may be done, but stranger things have happened....
Every line of Washington has at least one point tonight. The only downside to going 7-0 is that only one team that has done that has ever won the cup....
3:00-Detroit has slowed the pace again, but they are still fighting hard. This is a great team that has just been floored by a great goaltender.
2:35-And a deflection from carlson goes right in the back of the net as backstrom pops it in! Washington goal! Score 1-7
Red wings total goals against in their 6 games has now been doubled. They had let in a total of 7 goals before this game. I still don't understand the "All Your Fault" cheer that washington does after a goal. Not to say I don't do it.
0:0-And that's all she wrote. Vokoun with an outstanding performance in net for a 7-1 win over a strong Detroit squad.
Postgame
Well my prediction was off...by just a little more than a bit. This game was decided by the end of the first. Of all the things, I never expected a blowout. Green was the first star of the night. with his personal record tying four points. I would have loved to have seen him get a hat trick, but oh well. There were enough scorers anyways. Second Star tonight was Vokoun. He faced 33 shots and had a .97 save percentage. This win makes the Caps the 10th team to win 7 straight to start the season. The record still stands as a tie between the 93-94 Maple Leafs and the 06-07 Sabres with 10 games a piece. The only team to win the cup after starting 7-0 was the 83-84 Oilers.
The Caps played well, finding the back of the net 7 times. They took some weak penalties, but they managed to pull out a great PK unit and recover. I felt that the defensive pressure was lacking at times, but the forecheck looked pretty good tonight. I still think that the shutdown grouping that is Washington's third line is going to be the big thing to help Washington win this season.
It's a testament to how deep Washington's lineup is this year when the ice time is so similar per line. This is also probably why every line and defensive pair recorded a point tonight. They play well together, and they are having a great run. Hopefully this carries over as we get into November and is still going well as we reach April.
The Caps now start hitting the road, playing four out of the next five games on the road. Starting with the game Thursday in Edmonton. followed by Saturday's game in Vancouver. The Caps have a great start to the season, but as Green said tonight, it's only October. April is a long way off.
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