How NHL Realignment Should Be Done

Ever since the Atlanta Thrashers became yet another one of commissioner Gary Bettman's failures a couple years ago and moved to Winnipeg, there's been a bit of a problem. The NHL never bothered to realign the conferences/divisions, and as a result, the Winnipeg Jets (located up in there Canada eh) have been playing in the Thrashers' old Southeast division with the likes of the Florida Panthers. Think for a moment about how idiotic that is. The Winnipeg Jets have been playing in the same division as the Florida Panthers for two seasons. In a league where the divisions are geographically organized, this makes no sense. Let me give you a list of all the NHL teams that are in closer proximity to the Jets than the Panthers are:

• All of them

"I got 99 problems, and misplaced teams are 30 of them."

It's pretty evident that the NHL needs to do something, and in fact, they are! Talks have begun over the last couple days, and the NHL anticipates having a realignment plan in place over the next few weeks. Yeah, they said that about the CBA too..

Actually, the NHL presented a realignment proposal a little over a year ago that was rejected by the Players Association on the basis that it made no sense. Since then, the topic hasn't been brought up again, until a few days ago. The problem with the old proposal was not the league's lack of good ideas, but the horrible execution of those ideas. See, the NHL had proposed a four-conference alignment with a whole new playoff format. The good ideas here are the time-zone friendly alignment, which has potential to embrace current rivalries and breed new ones. The bad execution of those ideas are a questionable playoff format, a poorly structured regular season schedule, and the fact that the two Florida teams play in the same division as the Bruins, Canadiens, Sabres, Maple Leafs, and Senators. I thought the point of realignment was to make the divisions more geographically sound, not screw them up even more. Below is the NHL's proposal.

Why in the world are Tampa and Florida in that division? Whenever the line connecting
divisional teams has to dodge other teams (Toronto to Tampa), there's clearly a problem.

Aside from the obvious geographic problem above, there remains problems with the regular season scheduling. Basically, since some conferences have 7 teams and some have 8, the only way to have a "fair" schedule (same amount of in-conference games for each team) is for every team to have to play 86 games rather than the standard 82. And it's a pain in the bum trying to do the math to figure how they came up with it. The day the ridiculous scheduling format is put into place is the day I take the time to actually explain it. But no matter how you slice it, there's no way to divide 30 teams up evenly amongst 4 conferences. Inevitably, the regular season schedule format is going to be confusing should the NHL choose to take the 4 conference route, which I'm actually in favor of. Another issue is the NHL proposes that the top 4 teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs, and the match-ups are 1v4 and 2v3 in all 4 conferences. Eventually, you have 4 conference champions who are then seeded and battle for the Stanley Cup. The problems with this are that all the conference rivalries will be done by the end of the second round, and conferences that have a lot of top teams one year will see some of the better teams in the league eliminated more quickly. 

Now, I like the four conference idea, however, I prefer them to be called divisions. I still think two of the divisions should be considered the "Eastern Conference" and two considered the "Western Conference", for playoff purposes. I'm going to present my alignment idea for the 30 team league we have today, and I'll likely do another post in the near future covering relocation of teams and expansion of the league, which will include a new realignment plan. But for now, here's the current 30 teams:

Basically, this is the most time-zone friendly and geographically sensible alignment.Yes, I realize the Pittsburgh Penguins are not in the same division as any of their rivals, and no, I don't care. The division they'd like to be in already has 8 teams, and the only solution is a drastic change in the alignment. Which, to be honest, is probably how the NHL arrived at their stupid "Florida in the Northeast" idea. I don't pander to the Penguins like the NHL does, and this is how the alignment should look. Besides, it's not like Pittsburgh will never play the Flyers and Capitals again. Plus, what's wrong with a Pittsburgh-Detroit rivalry? Didn't they play each other in the Stanley Cup finals two years in a row not too long ago? Or a Pittsburgh-Buffalo rivalry? Didn't they play each other in the first winter classic back when the NHL didn't make it a habit of cancelling their marquee events? So to everyone bitching that the Penguins aren't getting what they want, pipe down. Pittsburgh should have never been in the "Atlantic" division in the first place. 

Regular season: I offer a slightly simpler solution than the NHL, but still unavoidably confusing:

• 7 team divisions:
• 6 games against division teams (6 teams*6 games=36 games)
• 2 games against all non-division teams (23 teams*2 games=46 games)
• 36 games+46 games=82 games.
• 8 team divisions:
• 5 games against division teams (7 teams*5games=35 games)
• 2 games against all non-division teams (22 teams*2games=44 games)
• 35 games+44 games=79 games
• An extra game will be played against 3 division teams, rotating yearly, for a total of 82 games.

Playoffs:

• Top 4 teams in each division qualify (8 from East, 8 from West). Those 8 teams are then seeded 1-8, and the playoff structure as we know it commences. 
• This allows for a wider range of playoff match-ups, as well as the possibility of two rival teams playing for the chance to go to the Cup Finals (Devils-Rangers last season, which wouldn't be possible under the NHL's proposed playoff format). 

This is the unequivocally best way to go about the realignment process. It builds on the NHL's four conference/division idea, while actually executing it in a way that makes sense and doesn't damage the integrity of the game. There's going to be a lot of realignment news over the next couple weeks, because it seems they're really pushing it now. Expect whatever the league settles on to go into effect for the 13-14 season, because I can't imagine the Jets playing in the Southeast division for another season. It seems a bit complicated at first, and there's a lot of consideration to be put into realigning a national sports league, but I believe this is the most efficient way to go about it. 

Or, maybe they'll just keep 6 divisions and move Detroit to the Eastern Conference.

Who says realignment is complicated?

Photo credits: blogs.edmontonjournal.com, tomfulery.com, bleacherreport.com

2013 Power Rankings: Week 3

A crazy week in the NHL is done, and without any hesitation, here are the updated power rankings coming out of week number three.

1/2/1. Chicago Blackhawks . . . 10-0-2
Chicago remains undefeated in regulation after picking up 3 more wins last week. One of those wins was against the Sharks, who were last week's rankings leader. The red-hot Corey Crawford picked up his first shutout of the season on Sunday.

6/9/2. New Jersey Devils . . . 8-1-3
The Devils are riding a 5 game winning streak that's seen them beat a few division rivals, the offensive powerhouse Lightning, and the previously conference-leading Penguins in back-to-back games. David Clarkson is out to prove last year's 30 goals wasn't a fluke. Thomas Vanek is the only player who's lit the lamp more than him this season.

12/8/3. Anaheim Ducks . . . 8-2-1
With points in 7 of their last 8 games, the Ducks are showing that they can compete with any team in the league. Over that stretch, they've picked up 3 out of a possible 4 points against San Jose, as well as beaten St. Louis and the defending cup champs. Rookie goalie Viktor Fasth is a perfect 5-0 so far. Teemu Selanne doesn't age.

5/7/4. Boston Bruins . . . 8-1-1
Boston's been solid since their shaky game against Buffalo. Due to a cancelled game, they only played 2 games last week, but picked up wins in both. Their powerplay hasn't been very good at all, but their penalty kill, operating at 92.9%, is tied with Chicago for best in the league.

19/10/5. Vancouver Canucks . . . 7-2-2
The Canucks continue their rapid ascent back to the top. They're also riding a 5 game winning streak and have one of the top three goalie tandems in the league right now. If these guys can get their special teams going, they may be on their way to a third straight President's trophy.

2/1/6. San Jose Sharks . . . 7-2-2
After winning their first 7 games, the Sharks have lost their last 4, only collecting 2 points in that span. Marleau's once incredible offensive dominance has slowed to a halt. However, the defense and goaltending have been superb. This team still has the pieces to remain a top contender in the conference.

10/6/7. Pittsburgh Penguins . . . 8-5-0
Pittsburgh's huge 5 game winning streak came to an end over the weekend with 2 losses to New Jersey. Expect this talented group to get back on track with a much lighter schedule over the next couple weeks.

20/14/8. Detroit Red Wings . . . 7-4-1
Detroit is stabilizing themselves after a slow start. They won 3 of their 4 games last week. Their special teams have been awful, yet they've been sustained by their consistent 5 on 5 play. Zetterberg and Datsyuk have taken charge offensively, combining for 10 goals and each averaging more than a point per game.

3/4/9. St. Louis Blues . . . 6-4-1
Keeping the puck out of the net has quickly become a problem for St. Louis, and as a result, they've dropped 4 straight games, managing only 1 point. However, this is a balanced team that's been deadly on the powerplay. 36.6% this season.

24/18/10. Toronto Maple Leafs . . . 7-5-0
Toronto's won 5 of their last 7 games and are currently enjoying a 3 game win streak. Their last game was a huge 6-0 win over the division rival Canadiens. Phil Kessel looks to finally be getting going, and the goalies are doing a good job of holding down the fort.

17/12/11. New York Rangers . . . 6-5-0
The Rangers won 2 out of 3 last week, and are slowly beginning to look like the Eastern Conference finalists of last season. Depth contributions have been key, and Lundqvist is returning to form in net. The biggest problem for this team has been the powerplay. 29th in the league won't cut it for much longer.

4/3/12. Tampa Bay Lightning . . . 6-5-0
Four regulation losses has certainly slowed these guys down, yet they still lead their division. Their top forward lines have been producing goals at an alarming rate. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the lowest they're ranked all season.

9/11/13. Ottawa Senators . . . 6-4-2
In 3 games last week, Ottawa collected 3 points and remains near the top of the conference standings. They've only scored 7 goals in their last 5 games though. Exceptional goaltending and strong special teams are what's keeping this team afloat.

8/5/14. Montreal Canadiens . . . 6-4-1
Montreal lost all 3 of their games last week, all of them against division rivals. They've showed their flashes of brilliance this season, but are slipping from a good team to an average team. Perhaps upcoming games outside their division will turn things around for the Canadiens.

11/24/15. Dallas Stars . . . 6-5-1
The Stars' offense still hasn't gotten it going yet, but the team did win all 3 of their games last week. Jamie Benn's been a huge contributor since he re-signed with the team, and Jaromir Jagr leads the team in points at age 40.

14/21/16. Carolina Hurricanes . . . 5-4-1
5 out of a possible 6 points last week for the team that averages the most shots per game in the league. They've improved their special teams and are scoring goals at an acceptable rate. If the Hurricanes can improve defensively, they'll be in the playoff hunt right down to the end of the season.

29/19/17. Phoenix Coyotes . . . 5-5-2
The Coyotes have shut out San Jose and Dallas so far this month, and have been much better than the first week. As long as they have good balance and can keep the puck out of their net, expect this team to win a lot of low-scoring games.

21/20/18. Nashville Predators . . . 5-3-4
Nashville played well last week, but weren't able to crack the mighty Blackhawks. However, they did blow St. Louis out 6-1 and shutout the Kings. The Predators have been finding ways to get points, but with a league-worst 1.83 goals per game, that may not last unless they can bury the biscuit more frequently.

13/13/19. New York Islanders . . . 4-6-1
The Islanders started off strong but have since lost 4 in a row. They only have 1 win at home and the schedule doesn't get any easier there. The good news is they have a strong offensive group and the addition of Lubomir Visnovsky on defense should help at both ends of the ice.

18/17/20. Edmonton Oilers . . . 5-4-3
Edmonton snapped a 5 game losing streak with a win over Columbus on Sunday. They did pick up points in 3 of the 5 losses, but these guys need to start ending more games in regulation if they hope to make the playoffs. The biggest problem for the Oilers has been depth scoring which has been non-existent past their top 6 offensive contributors.

25/25/21. Philadelphia Flyers . . . 5-6-1
Philly's gotten points in 4 of their 5 games in February thus far, and have put together some good team efforts. Their offensive output has increased slightly, but still has a ways to go to match the kind of force it's been the past couple seasons.

16/16/22. Minnesota Wild . . . 5-5-1 
Minnesota ended a 3 game losing streak on Saturday with an overtime win against Nashville. The offense has  slowed down considerably for this team. They haven't played well 5 on 5, however, their penalty kill is among the best in the league.

7/22/23. Winnipeg Jets . . . 5-5-1
The Jets have been losing more than they've been winning lately, but they did manage to pick up 2 wins in 3 games last week. They still haven't figured out their penalty kill, and Tobias Enstrom is still the leading scorer for this team.

15/15/24. Colorado Avalanche . . . 4-6-0
Only 2 games on the schedule for the Avalanche last week, and they lost them both. Their powerplay has dropped to dead last in the league. Good news is they have one of the easier schedules for the remainder of the month of February.

26/28/25. Calgary Flames . . . 3-4-2
They looked good in their 2 wins last week but then got wiped by Vancouver 5-1. They have one of the best powerplays in the league and are 1 of only 2 teams that is undefeated when outshot. The other is Chicago.

22/23/26. Buffalo Sabres . . . 5-7-1
The Sabres won 2 out of 4 last week and continue to struggle defensively. If it weren't for Vanek's 11 goals in 12 games, Buffalo would be in terrible shape. There's a lot to fix, but I still believe this team can contend for a playoff spot.

27/30/27. Washington Capitals . . . 3-8-1
The offense hasn't been too bad for the Caps, and Ovechkin's gotten himself going a bit. Only 1 win last week, but it was a big one. The team finally exploded for 5 goals on Saturday, and Braden Holtby picked up his first shutout of the season.

23/27/28. Los Angeles Kings . . . 3-5-2
The defending cup champs only won 1 of their 3 games last week and Jonathan Quick continues to struggle in net. A number of under-achieving forwards are putting the Kings out of the playoff race early. They're only 1 goal above last place in terms of goal scoring.

30/29/29. Florida Panthers . . . 4-6-1
Florida was on a 4 game point streak up until a 5-0 loss to Washington on Saturday. Things were improving for Florida, but not much. After that loss to Washington, they're dead last in the league in goals against per game and are the worst team 5 on 5.

28/26/30. Columbus Blue Jackets . . . 3-7-2
Only 1 point in 3 losing efforts for the Jackets last week. Goals have been extremely hard to come by for Columbus. At -15, Columbus has the worst goal differential in the league.


So that's it for week three. Disagree with my list? Think your team is ranked too low? Leave a comment and let me know why. Be sure to check back in next week and see the updated rankings.

2013 Power Rankings: Week 2

Another awesome week in the NHL is done. There were lots of surprises, turn-arounds, and significant jumps in the rankings. The first number (smaller one) indicated the team's previous ranking, while the bigger number is this week's ranking. Enjoy.

2/ 1. San Jose Sharks . . . 7-0-1
Still no regulation losses for a team that's just barely edging out the Blackhawks for first place. The difference here is San Jose's commanding +16 goal differential. Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau continue to lead the way on this team, with Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture not far behind.

1/ 2. Chicago Blackhawks . . . 7-0-2
With points in all nine of their games so far this season, Chicago is well deserving of the top spot, if not for San Jose's dominance thusfar. These two teams have a match-up this week which should help clarify who the number 1 position truly belongs to.

4/ 3. Tampa Bay Lightning . . . 6-2-0
If Tampa's offense doesn't scare the shit out of you, then the only explanation is you probably don't have any shit in you. 15 goals in 3 games this week for 39 on the year so far. The closest team to them is still 8 goals behind.

3/ 4. St. Louis Blues . . . 6-2-0
Rookie Vladimir Tarasenko continues to lead this unbelievably balanced team, whose only losses have come against Chicago and Detroit so far. Bonus points for Wade Redden having just as many goals as Ovechkin.

8/ 5. Montreal Canadiens . . . 6-2-0
This team's been a big surprise so far. After finishing last in the conference last season, Montreal's out to a terrific start. Only one loss since their defeat opening night. If you look up the word "solid" in the dictionary, it'll probably say "see Carey Price".

10/ 6. Pittsburgh Penguins . . 6-3-0
After a tough loss to the Islanders, the Pens picked up 3 convincing wins over rival teams. The new faces in Pittsburgh are fitting in well, and their contributions have been huge. Fleury's been good in net, but Vokoun has been even better.

5/ 7. Boston Bruins . . . 6-1-1
Boston's been almost unbeatable until a 7-4 breakdown against Buffalo and narrowly edging out Toronto on Saturday. Still, 6 wins in 8 games is pretty impressive. Overall, this team's been great, but there's a few that have been just a little better recently.

12/ 8. Anaheim Ducks . . . 5-1-1
Things are coming together in Anaheim. Their forwards are getting going and as a result, the Ducks have points in each of their last four games. The team's record speaks for itself.

6/ 9. New Jersey Devils . . . 4-1-3
Devils fans will say only 1 regulation loss in 8 games. Most anyone else would say only 4 wins in 8 games. Even though the team's been losing more than other top 10 teams, they've been picking up points in their losses. After giving up 10 goals in 2 games, New Jersey cleaned up with a 3-0 win Sunday.

19/ 10. Vancouver Canucks . . . 4-2-2
The scoring's been off to a slow start for Vancouver, but that's okay, because Luongo has re-emerged as Vancouver's number 1 goalie. His 1.46 GAA is second only to Craig Anderson. In their last game, Vancouver took down the mighty Chicago Blackhawks.

9/ 11. Ottawa Senators . . . 5-3-1
Lots of players have stepped up and played really well for Ottawa, especially Kyle Turris, whose racked up 8 points in 9 games. The story of this team though is Craig Anderson. He's only giving up about a goal per game and is rocking a mind-blowing .964 save percentage.

17/ 12. New York Rangers . . . 4-4-0
Gaborik, Richards and Nash lead the offense for the Blueshirts, who have 3 wins in their last 4 games. Their next game comes against the rival Devils, who beat them in the Eastern Conference final last season. This will be a huge test for a team that has something to prove after their slow start to the season.

13/ 13. New York Islanders . . . 4-3-1
The Islanders picked up two big wins over Pittsburgh and New Jersey last week. Evgeni Nabakov's proven he's still capable of being a reliable starter in the NHL, and John Tavares has been leading the way for one of the better offensive teams in the league so far.

20/ 14. Detroit Red Wings . . . 4-3-1
Detroit's picked up points in 4 of their last 5 games, which includes 3 wins, one of them being over St. Louis.  The absence of Lidstrom on the blue line still isn't doing the team any favors, however, they seem to be adjusting.

15/ 15. Colorado Avalanche . . . 4-4-0
The goalies have played well, and so have the top forwards. After 3 straight losses, this team's looked good with 2 big wins. However, Colorado needs more depth contributions.

16/ 16. Minnesota Wild . . . 4-3-1
Minnesota won 2 of their 3 games last week, including a win over Chicago. Zach Parise leads the team in points and Backstrom's been better in net. The Wild have a light schedule this week and should be able to improve their position among the top 16.

18/ 17. Edmonton Oilers . . . 4-3-1
Edmonton's been playing a lot of close games, and are picking up points more often than not. The top 6 forwards have been the primary reason this team is playing well. But like last week, they still need an all-around bigger team effort to tip more of the scales in their favor in all these close games.

24/ 18. Toronto Maple Leafs . . . 4-4-0
Toronto won 2 out of 3 this week, and played a close game against Boston. Reimer's played well in net. Their top offensive guys are off to a slow start though, especially Phil Kessel. No goals in the first 8 games isn't going to cut it.

29/ 19. Phoenix Coyotes . . . 3-4-2
Phoenix secured 2 wins and points in all 4 games last week. Both wins were shutouts courtesy of Chad Johnson and Mike Smith. The Coyotes seem to have sorted out their early defensive struggles, and the return of Mike Smith should really help with that. They're also getting offensive contributions from all over the line-up, and are averaging a strong 3 goals for per game.

21/ 20. Nashville Predators . . . 3-2-3
The team's played okay, and 8 games into the season, have already found themselves in 5 shootouts. The up-side is they're picking up enough points to remain in the playoff hunt. The down-side is they only have 1 win in regulation and got shutout by Phoenix.

14/ 21.Carolina Hurricanes . . . 3-4-0
Only one win last week for the Hurricanes who can't seem to get it going. The Staal brothers have been the best component for a talented team that's struggling early. Their special teams have been the thorn in their side this season. They're in the bottom 5 for both the powerplay and penalty kill.

7/ 22. Winnipeg Jets . . . 3-4-1
After such a promising start, the Jets have fallen on hard times. They've lost their last 3 straight games and have given up 18 goals in the process. The good news is that they're not having problems scoring themselves.  The bad news is, well, everything else. Penalty kill is operating at a league-worst 59.3%

22/ 23. Buffalo Sabres . . . 3-5-1
Since winning their first two games, Buffalo's only picked up 1 more win and 3 more points. Defensively, they've struggled. However, Thomas Vanek leads the league with 19 points in just 8 games. Pominville and Hodgson have also been playing very well.

11/ 24. Dallas Stars . . . 3-5-1
The Dallas Stars have 1 win in their last 6 games. The goaltending's been good, but goal scoring has been a big problem. This team is the second worst in that department so far.

25/ 25. Philadelphia Flyers . . . 3-6-0
The Flyers broke a three game losing streak with a 5-3 win over Carolina. Bryzgalov's been good in net, and once this club finally gets it's offense going, they may be a force to be reckoned with again.

28/ 26. Columbus Blue Jackets . . . 3-5-1
Columbus picked up 2 wins last week and are playing better defensively. In fact, they're one of the best penalty killing teams in the league. However, they're only averaging 2 goals per game and will be stuck near the bottom of the standings again if they can't step it up and start to string a few wins together.

23/ 27. Los Angeles Kings . . . 2-3-2
This is not the start the Kings envisioned. They managed to collect 3 points this week, but were also lit up for 7 goals by the Ducks. Everything on this team has been average, except for their scoring. (Or lack there-of.) That's been below average.

26/ 28. Calgary Flames . . . 1-3-2
Calgary's been playing well at times, it just hasn't shown yet. They were only in action twice last week, and despite not being able to get a win, they did take the Blackhawks to a shootout. They've played well defensively but Mikka Kiprusoff's been weak in net. With only 1 win in 6 games, there's lots of room for improvement in Calgary.

30/ 29. Florida Panthers . . . 3-5-0
After an embarrassing 5 game losing streak, the Panthers picked up 2 wins and seem to have found a scoring touch. The problem is making it last. Their powerplay's improved, but there's still a number of problems in Sunrise.

27/ 30. Washington Capitals . . . 2-6-1
Braden Holtby is not the goalie he was last season, and with Ovechkin playing the way he is, the Caps don't look to be a contender this year. With just 2 wins in 9 games, the Capitals have dug themselves a deep hole early.


So that's it for week two. Disagree with my list? Think your team is ranked too low? Leave a comment and let me know why. Be sure to check back in next week and see the updated rankings.

Nail Yakupov Celebrations Rant

Alright, I'm growing a bit tired of all the criticism that Nail Yakupov is getting for his goal celebrations. The first-overall draft pick has 4 goals in 6 games this season, and two of them have been the center of controversy because of what's taken place after.

Yakupov's stick says warrior. His weapon
of choice in war? The nail gun.

The first one that got a bunch of people in a stir was his second NHL goal in the Oiler's game against the Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings. Let's briefly review the event of this game. Kings forward Jeff Carter scores a beauty to take a 1-0 lead over Edmonton in the second period. The Oilers battled back and tied the game with just over a minute to go, but the goal was waved off for goalie interference. Which was the correct call, by the way. The fans at Rexall place were outraged, and began to chant, shake the boards and litter the ice. After nearly ten minutes of the game being delayed, the puck was dropped again. Edmonton pulled their goalie. Down to the final ten seconds, and Jonathan Quick makes a blocker save. The rebound pops to Nail Yakupov who bats it out of the air and into the net to tie the game. The place went ape-shit, and so did he. He exploded down the ice with a burst of energy and slid on his knees through the neutral zone. Just two games into his NHL career, and he scored a huge goal that will be remembered for a long time by the fans. The Oilers went on to win the game in overtime.

Nail Yakupov: 1
Miserable fanless office workers: 0

Right away, his celebration was criticized by what I assume to be four main groups of people. Kings fans, baseball fans, basketball fans and dumbasses. Obviously the Kings fans that criticize Yakupov are just bitter because they got embarrassed, so they need to find something bitch about. Somewhat understandable. Baseball fans complain about the celebration because their sport and its players are so unbelievably boring that there's really never anything to get that excited about during the ridiculously long and stagnant regular season. Or they're just mad that you cannot slide nearly as far in dirt as you can ice. In basketball, each team scores about 40 seemingly insignificant baskets throughout the course of the game, so it's understandable that they can't grasp why someone would celebrate so extensively for one goal. Finally, the dumbasses all say the same thing, and it goes something like this: "Act like you've scored before. You're a professional, and scoring is your job." True, it is the job of a hockey forward to score goals. But the difference between their job and yours is that you don't have 18,000 people that jump up and scream your name every time you equate the balance sheet of a company no one's ever heard of.

Seriously people, show a little excitement in your life. If you had watched the full game, you would have understood how exciting that goal was at the time, given the events leading to it. "He put the spot light on himself, very selfish."  Give the kid a break; it's his second game in the league, and he scored the kind of goal that most players only dream of. He was having fun and showing his passion for the game. Then some bitter sports fans complain because he "acted childish". Would you rather all hockey players who score a game-tying goal in the waning moments of a game just skate to the bench and sit there like it didn't matter? No, you moron! You want your players to be just as excited as you are, because it shows they actually care. And if you're not excited, then I don't know what you're watching the sport for.

Derek Morris registering his only 'shot'
of the game. Nail Yakupov's unbelievably
over the top completely unnecessary excessive
celebrating, clearly and explicitly on display
in this picture, justifies the forth-coming
superman punch from Morris.

Fast forward to Nail's fourth NHL goal. (This comes after the empty-netter he scored, followed by no celebration at all, effectively debunking every claim that he excessively celebrates when it isn't necessary.) His fourth was an overtime game winner that bared striking resemblance to the game-tier against Los Angeles. This time, Nail whacked it in out of mid air as he was moving towards the net. He stopped behind the net after scoring and called his teammates to him to celebrate. Close to the celebration, Phoenix defenseman Derek Morris was complaining to the refs for a non-existent hand-pass, and on his way to the celebration, Edmonton defenseman Ryan Whitney said something to Morris, the two bumped each other, and Morris immediately began swinging hooks at Whitney. A scrum ensued but was quickly dispersed. Yakupov was blamed by the commentators for the whole thing, and by extension, the people who listen to the commentators, who clearly lacked a firm grasp of the obvious, as Doc Emrick would say.

The whole controversy surrounding Nail Yakupov's celebrations is nothing but buffoonery of the highest order. I hope that when he scores his next goal, he lights the end of his stick on fire and burns his name onto the boards right in front of the opposing teams bench, all while wearing sunglasses that he inconspicuously hid in his red-hot gloves which read "Get Nailed."

Photo credits: AP Photos/The Canadien Press, Jason Franson, blogs.plos.org, Jose Luis Pelaez, Inc./Corbis, AP Photos/Ross D. Franklin

2013 Power Rankings: Week 1

In a season that almost didn't happen, it's hard to believe we have a full week in the books. And wow, what a week it was. 72 games of highlight-reel moments and non-stop excitement. With only a few games under each team's belts, and the uncertainty with which many teams performances have been fluctuating, ranking all 30 teams from best to worst is a difficult task. I like difficult tasks.

1. Chicago Blackhawks . . . 6-0-0
In a tightly contested top three, the Blackhawks reign superior. They've played a grueling six games in a span of nine days, and won them all, beating a few division rivals along the way. Chicago's top forwards are off to an impressive start, but they wouldn't be here without their depth, defensive contributions and solid goaltending from Cory Crawford.

2. San Jose Sharks . . . 5-0-0
Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton.

3. St. Louis Blues . . . 5-1-0
The Blues have come out of the gate strong, with every part of their team performing well. Rookie Vladimir Tarasenko hasn't wasted any time putting together his highlight reel. The reason this team is playing so well is their young energy, and unbelievable scoring balance, reminiscent of last year's Boston Bruins. The goalie tandem has been holding down the fort, but it's Jaroslav Halak that's been stealing the show early, sporting a 1.69 GAA.

4. Tampa Bay Lightning . . . 4-1-0
Marty St. Louis and Steven Stamkos are back to their usual antics, and things are clicking so far for a Tampa team that's averaging nearly 5 goals per game. Look for Garon to challenge Lindback for the starting position in net.

5. Boston Bruins . . . 3-0-1
Boston's been a tough team to play against, and they've given the Rangers some headaches in this early stretch of the season. Tuukka Rask looks promising in net and the offensive balance on this team is still mind-boggling. No player has more than 3 points for this team, and they've yet to lose a game in regulation. Impressive.

6. New Jersey Devils . . . 3-0-1
Last season's Stanley Cup finalists entered this season with a lot of doubts, especially with the loss of Zach Parise. This team refuses to fold over and quit though. A week into the season, they find themselves in comfortable position through good team efforts and consistent goaltending from the ageless Martin Brodeur.

7. Winnipeg Jets . . . 3-1-1
After dropping the first game of the season, the Jets gave Boston a run for their money, and have since been one of the best teams in the league. Two defensemen, Enstrom and Byfuglien, lead the team in points, but the top forwards aren't far behind. Goalie Ondrej Pavelec is off to a sharp start with a .932 save percentage.

8. Montreal Canadiens . . . 3-1-0
Montreal's teamwork and conscious defensive play have paid dividends early. They've picked up three impressive wins after losing a close one to Toronto on opening night. Carey Price and the boys are on a mission to prove last season was just a fluke, and they're getting off on the right foot.

9. Ottawa Senators . . . 3-1-1
This team got off to a snappy start, and Craig Anderson has been nothing short of brilliant between the pipes. However, two of their three wins came against the Panthers, they've dropped their last two decisions and they've yet to play a division rival. It's hard to tell if this team is the real deal yet.

10. Pittsburgh Penguins . . . 3-2-0
Although this team isn't turning any heads offensively, a couple division victories and getting on the winning side early puts this high-powered team in the top ten at the end of week 1.

11. Dallas Stars . . . 2-2-1
This team's played better than their record indicates. After picking up a couple wins, they've lost two very close games to two of the top three ranked teams. The goaltending's been solid, but the offensive production's been a bit slow. Now that Jamie Benn is back in the line-up, expect the offensive output to pick up.

12. Anaheim Ducks . . . 3-1-0
This group has three wins in four games, but they still have problems. Daniel Winnik's 5 goals have come in handy as the rest of the Duck's high-powered offense has been average. The goaltending doesn't look to be at a level that can sustain a playoff-worthy record for the duration of the season.

13. New York Islanders . . . 2-2-1
The Islanders have put up some good fights in their first week of games, and have been able to squeeze some points out of them. Their offense has been impressive, and this is one of the deepest Islander teams we've seen in a while. The goaltending needs to improve though. (Yeah, shocker right?)

14. Carolina Hurricanes . . . 2-2-0
After a shaky start, these guys seem to have found their game with two good wins over the Buffalo Sabres. A flurry of upcoming games in the Northeast should show more of what this team is made of.

15. Colorado Avalanche . . . 2-2-0
Although they were blanked in their last game against San Jose, a 4-0 win against the new-look Blue Jackets and a 3-1 win over the Stanley Cup champs lead me to believe this team may have the makings to make a strong push for the playoffs.

16. Minnesota Wild . . . 2-2-1
This team's big three forwards are off to a quick start, however top defenseman Ryan Suter is a -5 on the year so far, and the goaltending has been average at best. In their last 3 games, Minnesota's only picked up 1 point.

17. New York Rangers . . . 2-3-0
The Rangers have played a few dismal games in this young season and are surprisingly low after one week. However, the top line is connecting and the team's won two of their last three.

18. Edmonton Oilers . . . 2-2-0
These guys have picked up a couple of huge wins against Los Angeles and Vancouver thusfar, but haven't been able to string a couple wins together. The young guns are off to a good start for Edmonton, but the whole team is going to have to step up their game a bit if they want to contend for a playoff spot.

19. Vancouver Canucks . . . 2-2-1
Only two wins in five games for one of last season's top teams. They've lost by some pretty big margins already this season, and with injuries and goaltending questions, the Canucks don't look to be in great shape to repeat as President's Trophy winners.

20. Detroit Red Wings . . . 2-2-1
Detroit opened the season by losing to the Blues 6-0 and just narrowly beating Columbus. Since then, they've won 1 game out of their last 3, and don't appear to be the same team without Lidstrom on the back end.

21. Nashville Predators . . . 1-1-3
Sure, they've only picked up 1 win in 5 games, but they've also managed 5 points. These guys haven't been getting blown out, they just seem to like shootouts. Unfortunately  they aren't very good at them. What they are good at is defense, so if they can add just a bit more scoring, they'll start to win some more 60 minute games.

22. Buffalo Sabres . . . 2-3-0
They won their first two but have since lost three straight. On the bright side though, their top forwards are off to quick starts, and Ryan Miller's been playing excellent between the pipes.

23. Los Angeles Kings . . . 1-2-1
Goal scoring was a major problem for the Kings last season, and it continues to be this year. Goalie Jonathan Quick hasn't bee up to par with his Vezina-candidate performance last season either. However, the team has 3 points in their last 4 games.

24. Toronto Maple Leafs . . . 2-3-0
Phil Kessel's gotten off to an unusually slow start, and it's hurt his struggling team lately. After an impressive win against the Penguins, Toronto was lit up for 7 goals against the Islanders and 5 in a match-up with the Rangers.

25. Philadelphia Flyers . . . 2-4-0
Philly's been a busy team with six games played already. Despite a huge 7-1 win over Florida, they've only got two wins on the season. Surprisingly, the problem has been the offense, and not Ilya Bryzgalov, who's been solid in net.

26. Calgary Flames . . . 1-2-1
The Flames only have one win in their first four games, despite having a good amount of scoring. They struggled keeping the puck out of their net early, but have played better against division rivals in their last two games.

27. Washington Capitals . . . 1-3-1
A lot of things have been going wrong in Washington, not the least of which being playoff hero Braden Holtby's 5.04 GAA to start the season. Ovechkin's 2 points thusfar are not even close to good enough. Joel Ward has stepped up and been arguably the best player on a team that started 0-3, but has 3 points in their last 4 games.

28. Columbus Blue Jackets . . . 1-3-1
There hasn't been nearly enough scoring going on in Columbus, and Steve Mason continues to disappoint in net. After winning their first game, the Jackets have only managed 1 point in their last 4 games.

29. Phoenix Coyotes . . . 1-4-0
So far, this has been one of the strongest teams offensively. Unfortunately, they've been the worst at the other end of the ice, and the awful goaltending numbers show it. This team's only win so far came against the Blue Jackets.

30. Florida Panthers . . . 1-4-0
After a convincing win on opening night, everything that can go wrong seemingly has. The Panthers are 0-4 since then, and have been outscored 18-3 during that stretch.


So that's it for week one. Disagree with my list? Think your team is ranked too low? Leave a comment and let me know why. Be sure to check back in next week to see the updated rankings.

Gomez to the Sharks: Good or Bad?

This pretty much sums up Gomez's stint in Montreal.

After a week or so of speculation as to which team center Scott Gomez would select, it appears as if he'll be calling San Jose his home for a while. He was bought out by the Montreal Canadiens not too long ago, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent this season rather than next, as per a last minute adjustment to the compliance buyout guidelines. His time spent in Montreal can only be described as miserable compared to New York and New Jersey, but being bought out has released him from his bonds and given him the opportunity to prove he can still be a valuable contribution to a team. The Sharks are expected to sign a deal with him later today, which is likely to have a cap hit of around $1 per year.

San Jose was just one team among a list of many that had expressed interest in Scott Gomez. That list of at least six teams also included Phoenix, Carolina, Long Island, Anaheim, and New Jersey. Rumors that Chicago was in the mix also floated around for a bit. As time narrowed down, San Jose, Anaheim and New Jersey appeared to be among the most likely candidates. Some Devils fans were very excited at the prospect of getting their former all-star and Calder Memorial Trophy winner back, while others were less enthusiastic after seeing his breakdown of sorts in Montreal. Personally, I thought he would have been a great fit in New Jersey, a team that is somewhat lacking at the center position, especially with playoff hero Adam Henrique out for the first few weeks of the season. Gomez, however, was setting his sights on the Western Conference, eliminating New Jersey from the list too. It was reported that Gomez was spending much of his time with the Sharks organization, both in San Jose and travelling with the team. Once he began partaking in team practices too, it was all but official.

Scott Gomez reportedly scored two goals during his practice with
the Sharks, matching his total output in the 11-12 season with Montreal.

The Sharks will become Gomez's fourth team of his career, but how much does he really fit with them? Initially, I had the Sharks pretty low on the list of likely teams for Gomez to land himself on, particularly because of their depth at center. In my opinion, Gomez isn't worthy of being a first line center anymore, but I don't see why he can't be a reliable second/third line center. The Sharks, however, already have arguably the best top three centers in the league, being Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture. Past that, they still have Michal Handzus and Andrew Desjardins. So where does Gomez fit in? At first glance, the obvious choice might be to simply move Joe Pavelski to the wing, where he's played a bit before, and leave Thornton and Couture at center. But the way I see it, Pavelski has been one of the team's top centers for 5-plus seasons. He's been putting up stellar numbers inside the circle consistently, where Gomez's have been average at best over recent years. Last season, out of all players who had taken 300 faceoffs or more, Pavelski ranked sixth best league-wide in faceoff win percentage. 500 faceoffs or more, he was third best. He seems to be the perfect second line center behind Thornton, and if it were up to me, that's exactly where he would stay. I'm not keen on moving young players out of their known positions either, so Couture stays at center too. Unfortunately, it's not up to me.

Joe Pavelski's name begins to crumble under the threat of
Scott Gomez usurping his position. The guy under the 'V'
doesn't look too happy about it.

The way this is falling into place, it seems the acquisition of Gomez may see Pavelski's time spent as a centerman drop significantly, which I believe isn't helping the team. The Sharks were already a team that, for the first time in a while, a lot of people considered more of a bubble team than a lock for the the playoffs. It's difficult to say how the addition of Gomez will affect that. The pessimist may say he's been awful the past couple years, and he'll be taking time away from the team's top centermen. The optimist would argue that by moving Pavelski to the wing, it gives Couture an opportunity to log some more center minutes, while adding overall depth to the team's forward position. Both viewpoints are viable, and both are likely possibilities.

Once Gomez is added as a regular fixture on the team, here's the minor changes I expect to take place. Look for Pavelski to be moved to more of a utility forward role, spending some time as both a first and second line winger, and taking faceoffs when necessary. The teams primary go-to centers will likely be Thornton on the first line, Couture on the second, Gomez on the third and Handzus bringing up the rear on line four. How do you like this line-up for the Sharks? Will Scott Gomez be able to come out of the slump he entered in Montreal and return to his former.. uhh.. form?

Photo credits: Associated Press, Kevin Kurz/San Jose Sharks, Sharkspage.com

Bernier to New Jersey? A Trade That Satisfies Everyone

I entertained the thought of writing a post centered around the Scott Gomez buy-out situation, but in all honesty, I don't really care about it. There isn't much to be written on the topic, other than explaining what's going on. This would require me to educate myself on both the old and new process of buy-outs in the NHL, but with all the stuff going on that's actually interesting, I really couldn't be bothered.

Nothing better than two hot girls fighting over a big stick, eh?

So instead, I've decided to talk about two of the most intriguing teams in the league, and make another prediction of sorts. The Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils treated hockey fans to another exciting Stanley Cup final. What made it so great is that it was perhaps the most unexpected match-up in Stanley Cup history. The eighth seed Kings beat the sixth seed Devils, who once again found their way to the finals, despite most of the "experts" tabbing them as bottom-dwellers before the season started. Believe it or not, I had actually picked the Kings and Devils as my Stanley Cup match-up before the season started, but for some reason switched my East pick to the Penguins come playoff bracket time. Actually, I'm on a two year streak, as I had also picked Vancouver and Boston during the 10-11 preseason. I don't remember my 09-10 picks, but I know is they weren't even close. Buffalo and Vancouver, I think..

Brodeur challenges Hedberg following a dispute
over who is older.

I digress. The reason I write about New Jersey and Los Angeles today is because I see a potential trade brewing. As everyone worries about Luongo, I'm even more interested in Jonathan Bernier, the goalie drafted in the first round who has found himself playing back-up to Jonathan Quick for the better part of three seasons. It's clear that Los Angeles is not a good fit for Bernier, and he's already stated himself that he would be better suited elsewhere. On the other side of the country, the other Stanley Cup finalist has two aging goalies that will be a combined 81 years old come May. As happy as Lou Lamoriello must be with that tandem of Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg, he has to also recognize that within a few years, he's going to have a serious goaltending dilemma on his hands. Jonathan Bernier offers perhaps the best opportunity that Lamoriello will have to obtain a reliable goalie for the post-Brodeur era. The only problem here seems to be that both Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg are signed through the '13-14 season, and both have no trade clauses. So if Lamoriello is to set his sights on Bernier, he's stuck between a rock and a hard place in terms of whether he should risk waiting until either Brodeur or Hedberg decide to hang up their skates, or ask one of them to wave their no-trade clause. You may say, "Well what if he does neither? Then he doesn't have to worry about being between a rock and a hard place." True, but if he does neither, then in two years time, the rock will be the  14th seed Montreal Canadiens, and the hard place will be the line under the fifteenth row of the conference standings.

Bernier spots his girlfriend in the crowd wearing a Quick jersey.

Despite Bernier's desire to move on from Los Angeles and get out from underneath Jonathan Quick's shadow, general manager Dean Lombardi has said he's not in any rush to move Bernier yet, saying how valuable a back up goalie is, especially with a condensed schedule. This gives the Devils a bit of leeway. However, I think waiting until the offseason to pursue Bernier would be too risky, especially with all the other teams who will be after him. The best thing I think Lamoriello can do is ask Johan Hedberg to waive his no-trade clause as the April 3 trade deadline approaches. This sets up a potential deal that would appeal to both sides. The Devils offer up Johan Hedberg, Andy Greene, and a second round draft pick. The Devils have a bit more defensive depth than do the Kings, and the Kings have a pretty complete offense, so adding a proven defenseman and a reliable back-up for Quick may be just what Lombardi is looking for. Obviously, Hedberg isn't getting any younger on the Kings either, but the second round draft pick gives Lombardi the opportunity to pick up a goalie to replace Hedberg if none of their current minor league goalies are tickling his fancy. In exchange, he gives up Jonathan Bernier and defenseman Davis Drewiskie (to minimize the extra cap inherited with Hedberg and Tallinder). This gives the Devils exactly what they need, which is a young and promising goalie. Bernier, drafted 11th overall in 2006, and just 24 years old, is exactly that. Also, it gives them back a bit of their defensive depth lost by trading away Tallinder. On the Kings end, they only add about $2,533,000 to their team's overall cap hit.

Jonathan Bernier becomes the first goalie to perform
a pad-stack save since the practice was outlawed
following the 2005 CBA.

This deal works out great for Bernier, too. Even though he would find himself playing a mostly back up role for the next year or two, he can take solace in the fact that the number one job will be all his as soon as Marty calls it a career, which can't be too far away. Brodeur is only signed through this season and the next, but has said that if he still feels good by the time his contract expires, there's a possibility he may sign for another year. To me, playing NHL level hockey seems easier said than done at age 42; just ask Dwayne Roloson. But to be fair, comparing Brodeur to Roloson is like comparing Breaking Bad to Lost. Yeah, Lost was good and all, but if you had to to stick Jack Sheppard or freakin' Heisenberg in your net, who would you pick?

Even if Brodeur does stick around until age 43 or beyond, I would imagine Bernier would be logging the bulk of the minutes by that point, or at the very least, the two would split the time. Plus, while he awaits that day, he'll have the chance to be mentored by arguably the best goalie that's ever played the game. Bernier has even shown the occasional flash of the 90s hybrid style of play, so him and Brodeur could be a good fit. All in all, this is a deal that benefits everyone, and may become a very real possibility in the near future.

In other news, college football player Manti Te'o's girlfriend was spotted at a Coyotes games this week:

Photo credits: Miss Universe Organization, Bruce Bennett/Getty Images, Jeff Gross/Getty Images, David Sheehan/FrozenRoyalty.net, ciskie.blogspot.com

2013 Season Predictions

The time has come, ladies and gents. Hockey is upon us, and all across the United States and Canada, folks just like you and me are conjuring up their best projections for how they believe the season will play out. I'm particularly fond of predictions for three reasons:

1. I'm good at them.
2. After reading the "experts" make their awful predictions every year on NHL.com, it's impossible to not find myself compiling an over-extensive list of predictions that are actually realistic and don't pander to the majority.
3. There's always the incredibly miniscule possibility that I'll get every standing, score and stat correct one season, and in the process, not only become famous, but gain a following of worshipers who will look to me for hope and guidance, essentially making me a god. Aside from UNBELIEVABLY accurate predictions, I have a lot of other god-like qualities, such as the ability to count really high with my eyes closed, and the ability to continuously crack my jaw. But only on one side of my mouth.

My predictions for this shortened season are not as extensive as usual, because I had actually done my full predictions in August, just as the threat of a lockout was becoming serious. The hours I spent on my 1,000+ predictions and then the initiation of the lockout, negating my hard work, kind of turned me off from the whole thing. I adjusted many of my predictions, but most of them were just deleted. Now, without further ado, I present my official predictions for the 2013 National Hockey League season:

WARNING! SPOILER ALERT!

Standings:

1. Boston.............68       1. Los Angeles....65
2. New York........64       2. Vancouver......62
3. Washington.....59       3. Chicago...........61
4. Pittsburgh........62       4. St. Louis.........61
5. Buffalo.............56       5. Colorado.........58
6. Philadelphia....56        6. Dallas.............57
7. New Jersey.....55        7. Minnesota......54
8. Carolina..........54        8. Edmonton......53
9. Tampa Bay.....52        9. San Jose.........53
10. Ottawa..........50       10. Detroit...........51
11. Toronto.........48       11. Anaheim.......50
12. Long Island..48        12. Calgary.........47
13. Winnipeg......45        13. Nashville......44
14. Montreal.......41        14. Columbus.....42
15. Florida..........39        15. Phoenix........36

Point Leaders:

1. Claude Giroux.......62
2. Evgeni Malkin.......58
3. John Tavares..........55
4. Sidney Crosby......54
5. Steven Stamkos......52

GAA Leaders:

1. Jonathan Quick........1.94
2. Henrik Lundquist.....2.07
3. Tuukka Rask............2.10
4. Jaroslav Halak..........2.12
5. Semyon Varlomov...2.28

Wins:

1. Tuukka Rask...........27
2. Jonathan Quick.......25
3. Cory Crawford........25
4. Henrik Lundqvist....24
5. Kari Lehtonen.........23

Shutouts:

1. Henrik Lundqvist.....5
2. Jonathan Quick........5
3. Tuukka Rask............4
4. Jaroslav Halak..........4
5. Semyon Varlomov...4

Hart Trophy:

Claude Giroux
John Tavares
Steven Stamkos

Vezina Trophy:

Jonathan Quick
Tuukka Rask
Henrik Lundqvist

Calder Memorial Trophy:

Nail Yakapov
Chris Kreider
Justin Schultz

James Norris Trophy:

Zdeno Chara
Drew Daughty
Ryan McDonagh

Jack Adams Award:

John Tortorella
Darryl Sutter
Claude Julien

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy:

Jason Pominville
Matt Moulson
Jordan Eberle

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy:

Sidney Crosby
Josh Harding
Chris Pronger

GM of the Year:

Chuck Fletcher
Glen Sather
Jim Rutherford

NHL 14 Cover Athlete:
Henrik Lundqvist

Stanley Cup Match-Up:

St. Louis vs. New York

So that's pretty much how it's going to play out. Agree? Disagree? Want to know what led me to these particular picks? Leave a comment below!

Defending Kovalchuk and the KHL

"Nothing I can do. In Soviet Russia, contract signs you."

Okay, all this talk about Ilya Kovalchuk is a little ridiculous. The big news lately is that Kovalchuk wanted to stay in the KHL for the remainder of the season. As most Russian NHL players were on their way back to the states, Ilya made it quite apparent that he was in no rush to return right away. He expressed his loyalty to his team, SKA St. Petersburg, and his desire to remain in Russia to play in their all-star game and hopefully the rest of the season. This, of course, sparked a huge amount of controversy and unwarranted over-reactions.

The Kovalchukian quote that seems to have everyone in a tizzy is this statement from a couple days ago: "I want to stay in St. Petersburg, but I have contractual obligations in the NHL, which will be hard to break." Here in North America, many fans, particularly Devils fans, take personal offense to this statement. People like to look at this quote and right away come to a final determination that Kovalchuk doesn't like playing for the NHL or the Devils, wants to stay in Russia for the rest of his life, and is unloyal. Slow down, Devils fans. And over-zealous Ranger fans. And bitter Thrashers fans. Perhaps you missed the part where he said he wants to finish the season with SKA, not his career. Besides, when Kovy expressed his desire to remain in the KHL this season, the NHL's CBA was still not actually finalized. The players union had still yet to ratify it, so why should Kovalchuk be in such a rush to return to a state of uncertainty? Besides, he seems to be having a pretty good time in the motherland.


"I GOALED!  I GOALED!  I GOAL AGAIN!"

I understand the initial feelings that this statement alone may stir, but let's try to remain objective here, rather than condemning Kovy to a state of eternal damnation. Imagine you played in a league with a commissioner who told you that you can't play until you give him more money. So, you take your all-star resume to Russia's league instead, where you quickly find yourself captain and top-scorer of one of the best and most storied teams in that league. You've become a fan favorite. Then, several months into the season, the NHL calls and lets you know that they've settled and are ready to begin a half-season. But with half of an unbelievably successful season already under your belt in the KHL, not to mention a first-place position in the standings and an all-star game just a few days away, would you not want to stick around for a little longer? Hell, I'd want to break my contractual obligations too. But by "breaking contractual obligations", Kovy meant, "find a way to finish out the season with SKA before returning to New Jersey to honor my contract for the rest of my career."

"37 goals? That's nothin. I'm tellin ya, Ron here could
do better. The Russian are NOTHIN!"

Don Cherry, who has made his opinion of Russian hockey players quite apparent over the last few years, had a lot to say about the Kovalchuk situation too. He tweeted, (yes, tweeted), about how offended Lou Lamoriello and Devils fans should be about Kovy wanting to stay in Russia. He went on to attack his contract, saying it's too big for a guy who "only" scores 37 goals. He finished up by saying "I'm sorry to say Lou, he'll be back." Yes, Don. I'm sure Lou Lamoriello is just devastated that the NHL's 5th leading scorer last season will be back to play for him again.

The point is, people continually say that Kovalchuk's desire to finish the season in Russia shows that he is not loyal. I think it does exactly the opposite. He has played in a league (the NHL) that has clearly shown that it isn't loyal to it's players or fans, so why should he be loyal to that league? The NHL pushed him to Russia this season, where he doesn't want to disappoint thousands of fans and a hockey club that depends on him night in and night out to be the driving force behind their first place team. As far as loyalty is concerned, SKA is the team that Ilya Kovalchuk is loyal to this season. The fact that he had the balls to stand up and defend himself and his team earns him a ton of respect points in my book. The people who say they don't want him back because he is not loyal or not worth his contract are idiots.

Photo credits: RIA Novosti/Alexey Filippov, Steve Dangle, Bruce Mason

Luongo, Burke and Nonis Repeating History?

Feels nice to get back to talking hockey, eh? The lockout is finally over, but through the past few days, there has been an explosion of headlines and controversies, most of which seeming to gravitate towards Toronto.

Above: Toronto almost making the playoffs.

Nearly as soon as the lockout ended, the Roberto Luongo saga picked up right where it left off. Now if you ask me, Toronto is the one team in the league that is in the biggest need for a solidified starting goalie other than Long Island, but that goes without saying. By no surprise, there have been countless rumors of a possible deal being worked out that would ship Roberto to Toronto. Now I can't confirm or deny the legitimacy of these ripples, however, I am fairly certain that Luongo won't be a Canuck for much longer. He has even said himself that he is ready to move on, stating that he doesn't want to get in the way of young goalie Cory Schneider's ability to help the team and develop into a star. 

Rumors have also surfaced that Philadelphia is interested in acquiring Roberto Luongo, but such rumors have since been shot down by General Manager Paul Holmgren. I guess he realizes, like I do, how incredibly stupid it would be to add another goalie to a team that already has a starter and a capable back-up. *cough*Tebow*cough*. Now, it's probably not too much of an argument that Ilya Bryzgalov is better at his job than Mark Sanchez is at his, but for some reason, people insist on making Bryzgalov out to be the source of everything wrong in Philly. Which, there's really not too much wrong in Philly. 

Brian Burke, likely pissing someone off, while
almost making the playoffs.

For those of you who don't know, the Toronto Maple Leafs fired their general manager, Brian Burke, just a few days ago, replacing him with Dave Nonis. There has been speculation that this Lunogo business is one of the several factors that led to Brian Burke's demise. Some say Burke didn't want to pursue Luongo while the rest of the team's ownership did, and some say it was actually the other way around. At first glance, this leads me to believe that both ideas are bullshit, because their contradictory nature effectively cancels them out in my mind. Other popular theories as to why he was dismissed include his conflicting views with ownership, his occasional unprofessional manner, and his frequent disputes with media. Oh, and Toronto hasn't made the playoffs since the lockout. The 04-05 one..

The big question here is "why now?" What in the world made Toronto ownership wait until ten days before the start of a season to kick Brian Burke to the curb? Actually, now that I think about it, maybe it does make sense that he was against the whole Luongo thing. I'm sure Toronto doesn't want to enter an abbreviated season with a talented but inexperienced starter in James Reimer, and a back-up minder, Ben Scrivens, who you've probably never even heard of. Maybe Burke's supposed opposition towards a trade for Luongo was the final straw for an ownership that was already growing tired of him. With things getting frantic before the start of the season, perhaps Toronto's ownership and management are really pushing for Luongo, and the only way to get him now was to dump Burke.. now. 

Maybe I'm fishing a bit, but I think it's possible that Luongo could have played a pretty big role in the firing of Brian Burke. It will be a very interesting story to watch develop over the next few days, particularly because of this little fun fact I'm about to sprinkle on you. You know how they say history repeats itself? Well back in 2004, after Brian Burke was let go as general manager of the Vancouver Canucks, he was replaced by Dave Nonis, the same guy that just replaced him again on Toronto. And what is Dave Nonis most remembered for doing in Vancouver? Making a trade to acquire star goalie Roberto Luongo.

Dave Nonis, hell bent on repeating history, in
preparation to almost make the playoffs.

Photo credits: Steve Russell, Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images, Reuters/Mark Blinch