Hockey Habit

Matt Cooke dirty elbow #2341

J.D. — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 20:18:21 +0000

Penguins pest Matt Cooke helped the Rangers grab two important points today with this latest ploy to make Mario Lemieux look like a fool.

That sound you hear is one big, sarcastic gasp from the hockey world.

The ruling on supplemental discipline will have to come quickly, as the Penguins play Monday night in Detroit. Based on Cooke’s history and in light of recent elbow rulings, I expect Colin Campbell to sit Cooke for 10 games — a nice even number that equals the rest of Pittsburgh’s regular season. Even then, folks will surely cry foul that the NHL is not getting the message across. And perhaps rightly so.

The timing makes this an especially important decision for the NHL, coming on the heels of GM meetings where hits to the head, concussions, and player safety were the centerpieces. The NHL can’t afford to tread lightly on an issue that they supposedly just spent a week in Florida discussing.

League image aside, this also re-opens the public trial of Penguins owner Mario Lemieux, who was recently lambasted by the media and fans alike for speaking out against hockey violence after extending Matt Cooke’s contract in the Summer. Has Cooke bought himself a ticket out of Pittsburgh? How much longer can Lemieux tolerate a player whose actions on the ice continue to defy his ideals of the game?

Brent Johnson fights Rick DiPietro, everyone wins

J.D. — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 03:27:40 +0000

In the closing moments of a 3-0 game in Pittsburgh, things got a bit chippy between the injury-riddled Penguins and the generally hopeless New York Islanders. As Matt Cooke pursued the puck into the corner boards of the Islanders’ zone, goaltender Rick DiPietro moved out of his crease to give him a tap with his blocker. Both players took a spill, a brawl ensued, and Penguins backup goaltender Brent Johnson began to feel left out.

What’s more embarrassing than getting blanked by a team full of AHL call-ups and a backup goalie?

That is. And with DiPietro’s luck, that one punch will have somehow dislocated his jaw completely around the back of his head like Daffy Duck’s bill.

State of the Eastern Conference, All-Star break edition

J.D. — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 03:38:57 +0000

The All-Star break is upon us, and with 50-ish games in the books we’re starting to get a clearer look at how the Eastern Conference stacks up.

Starting at the top, the Flyers’ depth has proved scary in spite of the loss of Simon Gagne in the off-season and the loss of Chris Pronger to injury for the first half of the year. It doesn’t hurt that Philly’s typical goaltending instability has actually turned out for the better with the arrival of young Russian Sergei Bobrovski.

While the Flyers’ success isn’t surprising following their Stanley Cup run this past Spring, the other perennial powers in the East are much more in doubt. Washington has sputtered out of the gate, with all-world winger Alex Ovechkin failing to find his shot. There has been much debate over the cause, but the reality is that Boudreau’s squad is heading into the home stretch in its worst form since Ovechkin’s emergence in the capital. Meanwhile, resurgent Tampa Bay has jumped to the head of the Southeast Division, powered by the guidance of new GM Steve Yzerman and the scoring touch of Steve Stamkos.

In Pittsburgh and Boston, the uncertainty stems from injuries to star players. After starting the season at a historic pace, Sidney Crosby sat most of January with concussion symptoms, and Evgeni Malkin has missed time due to a sinus infection and lingering knee problems. Boston has also absorbed the loss of their first line center after Marc Savard suffered his second concussion in less than a year’s time, likely ending his season. Both the Penguins and Bruins have survived on steady goaltending, defense, and contributions from their youth, including rookies Mark Letestu and Chris Conner (PIT) and second-year forward Brad Marchand (BOS).

Rounding out the top eight are the New York Rangers, who have outworked opponents to account for deficiencies in high-end talent; the Atlanta Thrashers, who are now looking at their impressive early season play in the rear-view; and the Montreal Canadiens, who seem to grab more headlines for P.K. Subban antics than their playoff chase. The Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres, in 9th and 10th places respectively, face similar challenges on the playoff bubble. Both teams have dependable goaltending, but struggle with the type of scoring depth needed to extend a season past April.

From there, the Eastern Conference drops off sharply, starting with the unremarkable Maple Leafs and Panthers and bottoming out with a number of teams in legit crisis. Ottawa’s struggles are due largely to a disastrous goaltending situation and are compounded by a lame duck GM and coach, who seemed to have lost the room well before the holidays. Few tradable assets have the Senators locked in a sort of limbo until until the off-season when front office changes are inevitable. New Jersey has suffered from well-publicized personnel issues as well; first the Kovalchuk contract that handicapped any further roster moves, then the eventual firing of John MacLean. Lastly, the Islanders are still struggling with a young, inexperienced team and the uphill battle to make the Island a desirable destination for free agents.

Once again the East has shaped up as the more top heavy conference, and the gap between the real contenders and works in progress widens by the week.

Alex Burrows thinks there are too many Staals

J.D. — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:55:27 +0000

And unfortunately for oldest brother Marc, Burrows sees himself as the solution:

They felt that one in Thunder Bay. And Pittsburgh. And Raleigh.

To add insult to injury, Staal was whistled for tripping while Burrows got away with this spear to the nether regions unblemished. Another bullet point on Burrows’ already lengthy resume of scummy play. Compounded by the missed P.K. Subban slew-foot on Brandon Dubinksky on Tuesday, Rangers fan complaints about officiating are reaching a fever pitch. And for once it might be justified.

In the end, however, the call proved inconsequential. The Rangers held tight for a 1-0 victory on a goal by the newly acquired Wojtek Wolski, snapping the Canucks’ point streak at 17 games. A hard fought win against the NHL’s point leader may have been therapy enough for Tortorella, the team, and the fans who took issue with the officiating, but I’m sure Marc Staal favored ice and a soft chair.

Capitals claim soggy Winter Classic

J.D. — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 18:21:00 +0000

Despite the NHL’s best effort to avoid rain–a 7-hour delay that moved puck drop from 1:00 p.m. EST to 8:00 p.m.–about two-thirds of Saturday’s Winter Classic was contested under a nasty drizzle. For their part, the Heinz Field crowd of over 68,000 kept the energy level high while huddled under ponchos. On the ice, the rain puddled and visibly affected the skaters. Some more than others.

Ovechkin wasn’t the only one to struggle, however, as Sidney Crosby was also victimized by standing water later on in the evening. For a game that was billed as the latest battle between the game’s two biggest names, neither captain made much of a mark. In the end, Crosby and Ovechkin combined for 11 shots, no points, and a -2 rating.

Rather, the difference-makers were Washinton winger Eric Fehr, who netted 2 goals including the game winner, and goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who stopped 32 of 33. Varlamov’s only concession was an Evgeni Malkin breakaway early in the 2nd period.

The broadcast was what we’ve come to expect from NBC–experimental camera angles with varying success, plenty of Doc Emrick-isms, and cringe-worthy banter between Pierre McGuire and Mike Milbury.

To add to the weirdness, going into the 2nd intermission Sidney Crosby was shaken by an inadvertent shot to the helmet from Washington’s David Steckel. Although Crosby didn’t miss any ice time, the Capitals and the elements proved too much for the Penguins to overcome in the 3rd. The Capitals sloshed to a 3-1 win in an event that will be most remembered for everything but the game itself.

Kings bury alley-oop goal

J.D. — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 16:14:08 +0000

The San Jose Sharks were probably expecting a loss by the time the visiting Los Angeles Kings had notched a 3-0 lead late in the 3rd period. What they probably weren’t expecting was Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown to channel their inner Globetrotters:

In a perfect world, “Sweet Georgia Brown” would have starting playing over the speakers at HP Pavilion. If only. The Sharks’ broadcasters were understandably awestruck, even complimentary. Not the typical response when the visiting team makes it 4-0. Nor was it the typical garbage time goal.

For the Sharks, it was another loss in a season that seems to be missing that spark we’ve come to expect from such a talented team. For those of us in the east, it justified staying up till 12:30 a.m. to watch hockey.

In spite of last night’s display, the Kings have no plans to change from purple and black to red and white pinstripes. And it’s probably for the best. Meadowlark Kopitar doesn’t flow off the tongue anyway.

Teddy trick: 23,000 bears hit Calgary ice

J.D. — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 01:18:03 +0000

More than 23,000 stuffed animals raining onto the ice at a Calgary Hitmen game is an interesting visual. But more than interesting, the Teddy bear toss is a winner of a charity drive that benefits children at Alberta hospitals.

The morning following the game, Calgary players personally delivered bears to the hospitals to the delight of the children, their families, and everyone else with a soul.

Rumor has it that the next promotion at the Saddledome will feature Flames coaches throwing back the Maple Leafs they acquired in the Phaneuf trade.

Bill Guerin hangs up the skates, ‘stache

J.D. — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 22:39:19 +0000

After an NHL tenure encompassing 18 years, 8 teams, and a disturbing mustache, Bill Guerin has officially closed the book on his on-ice career.

He may have changed sweaters often, but Guerin’s sense of humor remained a constant–publicly, through oft-quoted press soundbites, as well as behind closed doors, where his reputation as a joker was well-known even to those of us who have never sniffed an NHL locker room.

(And I’m told you don’t want your nose anywhere near an NHL locker room.)

Guerin’s career is book-ended by two Stanley Cups: the first in 1995 with the New Jersey Devils (where he was drafted in 1989) and the second with Pittsburgh in 2009 (his final destination as a player). And although he might be remembered first as a consummate teammate and leader, Guerin’s power forward game paid dividends on the ice. He remains the only player to notch 20+ goals in a season for 7 different teams and once tallied 41 goals during his stay in Boston. Add Guerin’s international career, which includes a silver medal at the 2002 Olympics, and he’s almost assuredly in line for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.

Pound it, bro.

It’s fitting that the announcement comes on a day when New Jersey visits Pittsburgh, and that the 40-year-old winger will be in attendance to officially retire as a Penguin. But if Guerin’s rumored interest in a front office job becomes reality, Pittsburgh fans won’t have to say goodbye just yet.

Halak scores on himself, goalies bucking trends

J.D. — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:37:59 +0000

After an impressive start in a harrowing division, the St. Louis Blues have hit a bit of a rough spot. In last night’s contest at Joe Louis Arena, Blues newcomer Jaroslav Halak surrendered 7 goals, and one was more embarassing than the rest:

Meanwhile, former teammate Carey Price is playing lights out in Montreal and the early kneejerk reactions to his shaky preseason have gone the way of Ryan Getzlaf’s hair.

To state the obvious for those who can’t figure out the context clues: goalies are streaky.

It’s far from a new phenomenon, though the cries of fans and the media through blogs, forums, and Twitter would have you believe otherwise. Case in point, Marc-Andre Fleury, Cup-winning Penguins goaltender turned pariah. After an atrocious start that led to Brent Johnson taking over the #1 spot in Pittsburgh, Fleury has righted the ship with a 3-1-0 stretch that includes last night’s 29-save win against the high-powered Vancouver Canucks. Another example is Boston’s Tim Thomas whose name was only mentioned this offseason when bemoaning inflated contracts. Fast forward a few short months and Thomas is the unquestioned starter with early numbers that rival his Vezina year

With most teams only one quarter of the way to 82, there’s still plenty of time for this year’s top goaltenders to falter and the mediocre ones to take a miraculous turn for the better. You hear that, Brian Elliot? There’s hope for you yet.

Kovalchuk shoot-out flub (video)

J.D. — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 21:25:31 +0000

The Devils’ early struggles have been discussed ad nauseam, but nothing encapsulates the mess in New Jersey quite like Ilya Kovalchuk’s shoot-out attempt Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres.

The 4th shooter for the Devils, Kovalchuk needed to beat Buffalo’s Jhonas Enroth to extend the game. Instead, well, the footage speaks for itself. Post-game comments from Kovalchuk indicated that the big ticket free agent understood why the Jersey crowd reacted the way they did. In a league where more than a few players don’t speak English, it’s good to know that “booooo” crosses language lines.