Today was a good day to be a Penguins fan. First, we got to laugh at the Philadelphia Flyers’ fans who decided it was a good idea to boo Sidney Crosby despite the fact he was appearing in an anti-cancer promotion on the Flyers’ jumbo-tron. Then, the actual good news started to pour in:
• At 10:30am, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reported that the Penguins have signed winger Chris Kunitz to a two-year contract extension that will keep him in a Pens sweater through the 2013-2014 season. The extension calls for an average salary of $3.725 million per season, about the going rate for a 25 goals per year guy. Kunitz has been an excellent addition since being acquired in the 2009 trade that sent defenseman Ryan Whitney to Anaheim and has done mostly good work as a two-way player alongside Sidney Crosby on the team’s top line. I, among many, am excited to see how the Crosby-Kunitz-Neal line performs when Crosby returns to action.
• Around 11am the news broke that captain Sidney Crosby has been cleared for contact in practice. This is the next-to-last step in Crosby’s return from post-concussion symptoms. It was reported that Crosby skated in the Penguins’ morning skate with a regular line and no alternate color helmet that players wear which designates them for no contact. It should not be long now before Crosby returns to game-action, barring no setbacks of course.
• Finally, it was reported that Evgeni Malkin participated fully in the Penguins morning skate and will be a game-time decision for tonight’s game against the Capitals. Even if Malkin is unable to play tonight, the fact that he was a full participant in the morning skate and is seriously considering playing tonight is a big relief for Pens fans who had to be somewhat holding their breath as the team would only classify Malkin’s injury as a “lower-body injury” and that he was “day-to-day”. For a guy who missed most of the previous season with a torn ACL, any lower body injury becomes a concern, especially when the team is reluctant to release further information.
With those three pieces of news coming out today and the season’s first match-up with Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals tonight, it is indeed a good day to be a Penguins fan.
Showing posts with label NHL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NHL. Show all posts
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
Ten Questions on the Pens Season
As I write this the Penguins are squaring off with the Vancouver Canucks on opening night of the 2011-2012 NHL Season. Here are ten questions on the upcoming season that I will be following now and as the season progresses.
1. When will Crosby return? Obviously this is question #1 for every Penguins fan but all signs point to Sid not missing a significant part of the season. If Sid misses the first month or less, I expect the Penguins to compete for the top seed in the Eastern Conference and maybe even the top point total in the NHL. If Crosby misses a significant portion of the season, I still expect the Pens to compete for a top four or five seed in the Eastern Conference but the season will start to take on a much different tone with continuing questions about their captain. More important, however, is question number two.
2. Will Crosby remain healthy? I think everyone believes that it is inevitable that Crosby will return at some point and now it is only a matter of when. Nobody, however, knows what will happen when he does return. It’s just my own observation but it seems that those who suffer a concussion either recover quickly and never really have problems with them again or there are those that suffer long-term and lingering effects that result in multiple concussions and careers that are never the same. Guys like Troy Aikman, Steve Young, Eric Lindros and a handful of others were never the same after experiencing lingering symptoms and multiple concussions. I sure hope Crosby returns with no lingering effects, suffers no further damage to his head and goes on to the career that we all expect him to have.
3. How will Evgeni Malkin bounce back from his own injury? Crosby won’t be the only one returning this year from a season ending injury. The Penguins, and maybe the NHL’s, second best player in Malkin returns after missing much of the Pens 2010-2011 season with a torn ACL. Malkin was playing possibly his worst hockey since entering the league before the knee injury ended his season last year. That being said, all indications are that Geno is in the best shape of his career, is more determined than ever before and is poised for a monster season. His preseason sure backed those sentiments and now he must carry that momentum into the regular season and playoffs. With the fantastic depth up and down the line-up that Ray Shero has assembled and with Fleury in net, a healthy Crosby and Malkin make the Penguins the team to beat from where I am sitting.
4. Will Marc-Andre Fleury become an elite goaltender? This question is a bit misleading as most, including myself, already consider Fleury an elite netminder. I’m not sure I would trade him straight up for any other goalie in the league once the playoffs begin. That being said…Fleury’s lackluster statistical regular seasons, both by regular and advanced metric measurements, keeps Fleury from being mentioned with the truly elite goaltenders in the league. I think this is mostly attributed to an absolutely terrible streak that he seems to have every season. Last year you might remember that he got off to an abysmal start. It’s time for Fleury, now 26 years-old, to put together that complete season and begin to get mentioned in that class.
5. Will the Penguins actually have a power play this year? Ha, well if the first period of tonight’s game is any indication they certainly will as James Neal and Matt Cooke converted on the Pens’ first two opportunities of the season. Last year, however, the Penguins finished 25th in converting power play opportunities and it was not just a matter of missing Malkin and Crosby as the Penguins power play struggled even with the two stars in the line-up. The problem was highlighted even further by the fact that the Penguins had the fifth most opportunities in the league. Converting on only a fraction more of their power play chances would make the Penguins a complete team and nearly impossible to compete with through the course of a season.
6. Will James Neal become the scoring winger the Penguins have been searching for? As I mentioned, Neal scored on the Pens’ first power play chance of the season five minutes into the game. That means it took him all of five minutes to match his goal total in 27 games wearing a Penguins sweater a year ago. I won’t harp too much on this one as it has been written about plenty in the local papers but the Penguins need the player we all thought they were getting when Shero traded for Neal at last year’s deadline.
7. Can Matt Cooke continue to be effective? Hopefully game one of eighty-two is a preview of things to come as the last three questions have been answered positively in an emphatic way (Cooke added to his power play goal with a sweet short-handed goal in the 2nd period). This, too, has been a heavily talked about subject in local news circles but I actually think it is being asked backwards. Cooke is a good two-way player, always has been, but the question isn’t whether he can continue to be without his former agitating ways but if he can truly avoid going over that imaginary line once again. Cooke’s history of questionable tactics and dirty hits will be punished severely by the league if another incident occurs and he could easily be on the first plane out of town if that happens as I suspect the Penguins have probably grown a bit tired of that old act.
8. What will Ray Shero do at the trade deadline? Shero has assembled a deep and talented roster that should be on the short list of Stanley Cup favorites if its stars can stay healthy. Shero has also proven that he isn’t afraid to tinker, or make a big splash, at the trade deadline. It will be interesting to see how Shero assesses this team as the season progresses and if he needs to bring in some complimentary pieces or if he needs to make that bigger move to try and recapture Lord Stanley’s Cup.
9. Can the team remain healthy? The biggest obstacle facing the Penguins franchise as they try to win another Cup is the health of its own players. Crosby has missed 76 games over the previous four seasons, Malkin has missed 54 and Chris Kunitz has missed 48 over the past two seasons, Jordan Staal missed 40 a season ago and even tough-man Brooks Orpik missed 19 games last year and 9 games the season before. Sure, hockey is a brutally tough game but the Pens have had some significantly bad luck when it comes to their stars getting injured. The biggest thing I will be watching and rooting for as the season goes along will be the health of the Penguins top players.
10. When do the playoffs start? Seriously, is there anything more meaningless in professional sports for an elite team than the NHL regular season? Maybe the NBA’s regular season but at least in hoops home court advantage is significant. As we saw last year with Tampa Bay beating the Pens in game seven in the first round and Boston winning the cup in game seven on Vancouver’s home ice, seeding and home ice advantage means very little in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The only thing to root for, outside of individual accomplishments and team and player records, is for the team to stay healthy. That hasn’t been the case for the Penguins the last few years and that’s why, especially considering Crosby’s concussion issues, health is the most important factor I will be watching for this year.
1. When will Crosby return? Obviously this is question #1 for every Penguins fan but all signs point to Sid not missing a significant part of the season. If Sid misses the first month or less, I expect the Penguins to compete for the top seed in the Eastern Conference and maybe even the top point total in the NHL. If Crosby misses a significant portion of the season, I still expect the Pens to compete for a top four or five seed in the Eastern Conference but the season will start to take on a much different tone with continuing questions about their captain. More important, however, is question number two.
2. Will Crosby remain healthy? I think everyone believes that it is inevitable that Crosby will return at some point and now it is only a matter of when. Nobody, however, knows what will happen when he does return. It’s just my own observation but it seems that those who suffer a concussion either recover quickly and never really have problems with them again or there are those that suffer long-term and lingering effects that result in multiple concussions and careers that are never the same. Guys like Troy Aikman, Steve Young, Eric Lindros and a handful of others were never the same after experiencing lingering symptoms and multiple concussions. I sure hope Crosby returns with no lingering effects, suffers no further damage to his head and goes on to the career that we all expect him to have.
3. How will Evgeni Malkin bounce back from his own injury? Crosby won’t be the only one returning this year from a season ending injury. The Penguins, and maybe the NHL’s, second best player in Malkin returns after missing much of the Pens 2010-2011 season with a torn ACL. Malkin was playing possibly his worst hockey since entering the league before the knee injury ended his season last year. That being said, all indications are that Geno is in the best shape of his career, is more determined than ever before and is poised for a monster season. His preseason sure backed those sentiments and now he must carry that momentum into the regular season and playoffs. With the fantastic depth up and down the line-up that Ray Shero has assembled and with Fleury in net, a healthy Crosby and Malkin make the Penguins the team to beat from where I am sitting.
4. Will Marc-Andre Fleury become an elite goaltender? This question is a bit misleading as most, including myself, already consider Fleury an elite netminder. I’m not sure I would trade him straight up for any other goalie in the league once the playoffs begin. That being said…Fleury’s lackluster statistical regular seasons, both by regular and advanced metric measurements, keeps Fleury from being mentioned with the truly elite goaltenders in the league. I think this is mostly attributed to an absolutely terrible streak that he seems to have every season. Last year you might remember that he got off to an abysmal start. It’s time for Fleury, now 26 years-old, to put together that complete season and begin to get mentioned in that class.
5. Will the Penguins actually have a power play this year? Ha, well if the first period of tonight’s game is any indication they certainly will as James Neal and Matt Cooke converted on the Pens’ first two opportunities of the season. Last year, however, the Penguins finished 25th in converting power play opportunities and it was not just a matter of missing Malkin and Crosby as the Penguins power play struggled even with the two stars in the line-up. The problem was highlighted even further by the fact that the Penguins had the fifth most opportunities in the league. Converting on only a fraction more of their power play chances would make the Penguins a complete team and nearly impossible to compete with through the course of a season.
6. Will James Neal become the scoring winger the Penguins have been searching for? As I mentioned, Neal scored on the Pens’ first power play chance of the season five minutes into the game. That means it took him all of five minutes to match his goal total in 27 games wearing a Penguins sweater a year ago. I won’t harp too much on this one as it has been written about plenty in the local papers but the Penguins need the player we all thought they were getting when Shero traded for Neal at last year’s deadline.
7. Can Matt Cooke continue to be effective? Hopefully game one of eighty-two is a preview of things to come as the last three questions have been answered positively in an emphatic way (Cooke added to his power play goal with a sweet short-handed goal in the 2nd period). This, too, has been a heavily talked about subject in local news circles but I actually think it is being asked backwards. Cooke is a good two-way player, always has been, but the question isn’t whether he can continue to be without his former agitating ways but if he can truly avoid going over that imaginary line once again. Cooke’s history of questionable tactics and dirty hits will be punished severely by the league if another incident occurs and he could easily be on the first plane out of town if that happens as I suspect the Penguins have probably grown a bit tired of that old act.
8. What will Ray Shero do at the trade deadline? Shero has assembled a deep and talented roster that should be on the short list of Stanley Cup favorites if its stars can stay healthy. Shero has also proven that he isn’t afraid to tinker, or make a big splash, at the trade deadline. It will be interesting to see how Shero assesses this team as the season progresses and if he needs to bring in some complimentary pieces or if he needs to make that bigger move to try and recapture Lord Stanley’s Cup.
9. Can the team remain healthy? The biggest obstacle facing the Penguins franchise as they try to win another Cup is the health of its own players. Crosby has missed 76 games over the previous four seasons, Malkin has missed 54 and Chris Kunitz has missed 48 over the past two seasons, Jordan Staal missed 40 a season ago and even tough-man Brooks Orpik missed 19 games last year and 9 games the season before. Sure, hockey is a brutally tough game but the Pens have had some significantly bad luck when it comes to their stars getting injured. The biggest thing I will be watching and rooting for as the season goes along will be the health of the Penguins top players.
10. When do the playoffs start? Seriously, is there anything more meaningless in professional sports for an elite team than the NHL regular season? Maybe the NBA’s regular season but at least in hoops home court advantage is significant. As we saw last year with Tampa Bay beating the Pens in game seven in the first round and Boston winning the cup in game seven on Vancouver’s home ice, seeding and home ice advantage means very little in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The only thing to root for, outside of individual accomplishments and team and player records, is for the team to stay healthy. That hasn’t been the case for the Penguins the last few years and that’s why, especially considering Crosby’s concussion issues, health is the most important factor I will be watching for this year.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Stanley Cup Playoffs Update
{Editor's Note: The site that runs this blog was down since Thursday night so this entry is going up much later than anticipated. With that occurrence, we will hold off until Monday with the MLB catch-up.}
I am writing this as they drop the puck for game seven of the Detroit-San Jose series, the only series in the second round that has given us any drama and if it wasn’t for the Red Wings rally from a 3-0 deficit this really would have been a boring round of Stanley Cup playoff action. If you are like me you were shocked to see the Lightning sweep the Caps. That’s four straight years Washington has failed to make it out of the Eastern Conference semifinals, twice losing in the first round, despite having Alex Ovechkin and a loaded roster. Despite being the coach of all four of those playoff failing teams, early rumors suggest that the Capitals are going to bring back coach Bruce Boudreau. That one certainly falls under the category of puzzling to me. Here are a few more NHL observations with the occasional update as I flip back and forth between the Sharks-Red Wings and Bulls-Hawks.
• Like I said, I was pretty shocked to see Tampa Bay roll the Capitals the way they did. I thought Washington’s deep and talented forward lines would overwhelm Lightning goalie Dwayne Roloson and make it a rather short series in the Capitals favor. Boy, I could not have been more wrong. It just goes to show how different the Stanley Cup playoffs can be. Get a hot goalie, have a few stars on your roster and start playing good hockey at the right time and you can make a deep run. (With the Bulls currently steamrolling the Hawks on ESPN I have turned my attention to the Sharks game where San Jose earns the first power play of the game 11 minutes in.)
• Penguins’ fans taking solace in the fact that the Lightning swept Washington should stop. Just because Tampa Bay looks like they might have gotten on a roll now doesn’t make losing three straight elimination games, two on your home ice, any more excusable. If anything, Pens fans should be wondering “what if” after the Caps suffered another postseason collapse. (Beautiful power-play goal scored by the Sharks’ Devin Setoguchi off a no-look pass from Joe Thornton! Sharks go up 1-0! You might recall that I picked the Sharks to hoist the Cup from the beginning of the playoffs so I am certainly pulling for them tonight if for no other reason than that pick….as far as you know anyways.)
• I patted myself on the back enough yesterday talking about my Heat selection (and I am sure I will get plenty of flack if Miami slips up along the way) but I did want to remind people that I predicted it would be tough sledding in the playoffs for the Penguins without their stars. I took a lot of grief from Penguins fans about Fleury, our defense, and our role players being able to get on a roll but the simple truth in sports is that stars win championships, not role players. With a healthy Crosby and Malkin back next year, the Penguins will be right back on the short list of Cup contenders.
• One other quick Penguins thought before we move on. I love the idea of bringing Jaromir Jagr back if he is willing to come aboard at a reasonable contract. When I say reasonable, I mean one that is not much above the veteran minimum. Jagr can still put the puck in the net, as evidenced by his play at the World Championships, and he would be an instant upgrade on the power play. If “Jags” looks old or isn’t fitting in personality wise, the Penguins could easily give him the boot. If Jagr truly wants to play one more season in the NHL and only for a team that has a chance to compete for the Cup, I really don’t see a better fit than the Penguins. For the team, it could mean a potential low-risk, high reward proposition.
• Although it didn't come as much of a suprise as the Capitals being swept, it was still pretty hard to believe that the Flyers would also lose four straight at the hands of their longtime rivals in Boston. That means the Eastern Conference’s top two teams were both swept in the conference semifinals…pretty hard to believe. Philly’s injuries combined with their ongoing goalie rotation made this sweep a little easier to understand.
• I don’t think many people had a Tampa Bay-Boston matchup in their Stanley Cup playoff bracket. It should be an interesting contrast of styles as well with the defensive-minded Bruins taking on the high-scoring stars of Tampa Bay. I just like the way Roloson is competing in goal right now and think the Lightning have too much fire power for Boston up front. I’m taking the Lightning in six. (Goal by the Sharks! Logan Couture stuffs one in with less than a minute remaining in the 1st period, 2-0 Sharks. Bulls still up big, looks like we’re getting the Heat-Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals.)
• Over in the Western Conference, Vancouver finally rid themselves of their own playoff demons and advanced to the conference finals with a 4-2 series win over the Nashville Predators. The Canucks won a hard fought series in which every game was decided by two goals or less but it never really felt like they were in danger of losing control of the series. The series win has to make goalie Roberto Luongo feel good. Luongo is often considered one of, if not the best goalie in the NHL and had failed to get his team past the 2nd round of the playoffs in his previous three attempts. Luongo was even benched during the Canucks’ first round series for poor play but back-up Cory Schneider was injured in his lone start and Luongo led his team to a game seven win in which he may have established some playoff mojo. If the Sharks are able to hold onto their lead tonight, it would become a battle of the playoff-cursed franchises in the Western Conference Finals.
• What an incredible game seven between the Sharks and Red Wings. Just another example of why nothing in sports beats a game seven and that is especially true in the Stanley Cup playoffs. I thought the Sharks were going to blow not only a 3-0 series lead but a 2-0 and then 3-1 game seven lead in front of their home crowd but somehow, someway the Sharks were able to hold on for a 3-2 win. The Sharks advance to what should be a wonderful Western Conference Final with the Canucks. Many will probably proclaim that this series will be the real Stanley Cup Finals as either team will be heavily favored in the Finals against Tampa Bay or Boston. As you probably guessed, I am sticking with my original pick and taking the Sharks in six over the Canucks.
I am writing this as they drop the puck for game seven of the Detroit-San Jose series, the only series in the second round that has given us any drama and if it wasn’t for the Red Wings rally from a 3-0 deficit this really would have been a boring round of Stanley Cup playoff action. If you are like me you were shocked to see the Lightning sweep the Caps. That’s four straight years Washington has failed to make it out of the Eastern Conference semifinals, twice losing in the first round, despite having Alex Ovechkin and a loaded roster. Despite being the coach of all four of those playoff failing teams, early rumors suggest that the Capitals are going to bring back coach Bruce Boudreau. That one certainly falls under the category of puzzling to me. Here are a few more NHL observations with the occasional update as I flip back and forth between the Sharks-Red Wings and Bulls-Hawks.
• Like I said, I was pretty shocked to see Tampa Bay roll the Capitals the way they did. I thought Washington’s deep and talented forward lines would overwhelm Lightning goalie Dwayne Roloson and make it a rather short series in the Capitals favor. Boy, I could not have been more wrong. It just goes to show how different the Stanley Cup playoffs can be. Get a hot goalie, have a few stars on your roster and start playing good hockey at the right time and you can make a deep run. (With the Bulls currently steamrolling the Hawks on ESPN I have turned my attention to the Sharks game where San Jose earns the first power play of the game 11 minutes in.)
• Penguins’ fans taking solace in the fact that the Lightning swept Washington should stop. Just because Tampa Bay looks like they might have gotten on a roll now doesn’t make losing three straight elimination games, two on your home ice, any more excusable. If anything, Pens fans should be wondering “what if” after the Caps suffered another postseason collapse. (Beautiful power-play goal scored by the Sharks’ Devin Setoguchi off a no-look pass from Joe Thornton! Sharks go up 1-0! You might recall that I picked the Sharks to hoist the Cup from the beginning of the playoffs so I am certainly pulling for them tonight if for no other reason than that pick….as far as you know anyways.)
• I patted myself on the back enough yesterday talking about my Heat selection (and I am sure I will get plenty of flack if Miami slips up along the way) but I did want to remind people that I predicted it would be tough sledding in the playoffs for the Penguins without their stars. I took a lot of grief from Penguins fans about Fleury, our defense, and our role players being able to get on a roll but the simple truth in sports is that stars win championships, not role players. With a healthy Crosby and Malkin back next year, the Penguins will be right back on the short list of Cup contenders.
• One other quick Penguins thought before we move on. I love the idea of bringing Jaromir Jagr back if he is willing to come aboard at a reasonable contract. When I say reasonable, I mean one that is not much above the veteran minimum. Jagr can still put the puck in the net, as evidenced by his play at the World Championships, and he would be an instant upgrade on the power play. If “Jags” looks old or isn’t fitting in personality wise, the Penguins could easily give him the boot. If Jagr truly wants to play one more season in the NHL and only for a team that has a chance to compete for the Cup, I really don’t see a better fit than the Penguins. For the team, it could mean a potential low-risk, high reward proposition.
• Although it didn't come as much of a suprise as the Capitals being swept, it was still pretty hard to believe that the Flyers would also lose four straight at the hands of their longtime rivals in Boston. That means the Eastern Conference’s top two teams were both swept in the conference semifinals…pretty hard to believe. Philly’s injuries combined with their ongoing goalie rotation made this sweep a little easier to understand.
• I don’t think many people had a Tampa Bay-Boston matchup in their Stanley Cup playoff bracket. It should be an interesting contrast of styles as well with the defensive-minded Bruins taking on the high-scoring stars of Tampa Bay. I just like the way Roloson is competing in goal right now and think the Lightning have too much fire power for Boston up front. I’m taking the Lightning in six. (Goal by the Sharks! Logan Couture stuffs one in with less than a minute remaining in the 1st period, 2-0 Sharks. Bulls still up big, looks like we’re getting the Heat-Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals.)
• Over in the Western Conference, Vancouver finally rid themselves of their own playoff demons and advanced to the conference finals with a 4-2 series win over the Nashville Predators. The Canucks won a hard fought series in which every game was decided by two goals or less but it never really felt like they were in danger of losing control of the series. The series win has to make goalie Roberto Luongo feel good. Luongo is often considered one of, if not the best goalie in the NHL and had failed to get his team past the 2nd round of the playoffs in his previous three attempts. Luongo was even benched during the Canucks’ first round series for poor play but back-up Cory Schneider was injured in his lone start and Luongo led his team to a game seven win in which he may have established some playoff mojo. If the Sharks are able to hold onto their lead tonight, it would become a battle of the playoff-cursed franchises in the Western Conference Finals.
• What an incredible game seven between the Sharks and Red Wings. Just another example of why nothing in sports beats a game seven and that is especially true in the Stanley Cup playoffs. I thought the Sharks were going to blow not only a 3-0 series lead but a 2-0 and then 3-1 game seven lead in front of their home crowd but somehow, someway the Sharks were able to hold on for a 3-2 win. The Sharks advance to what should be a wonderful Western Conference Final with the Canucks. Many will probably proclaim that this series will be the real Stanley Cup Finals as either team will be heavily favored in the Finals against Tampa Bay or Boston. As you probably guessed, I am sticking with my original pick and taking the Sharks in six over the Canucks.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Penguins Blow Opportunities, Series
There is nothing more unpredictable in sports than a game seven in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Last year we watched in shock as the Montreal Canadiens took it to the Penguins on their home ice in a series where most thought Pittsburgh had the superior team. Last night we had to sit there in horror as the Penguins dominated puck possession, scoring chances and physical play but couldn’t get a single puck in the back of the net on their way to a 1-0 shutout loss. With or without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, anything can happen in a game seven. That is why it was so disappointing to see the Penguins blow chances in games five and six with a chance to close out Tampa Bay. Ultimately the series was lost by the Penguins inability to score goals, something I have been cautioning about for weeks now, as they scored only 14 goals in seven games. Looking back, however, it was the Penguins failed opportunities in games five and six and their failed opportunities on all but one of their 30 something power plays during the series that cost the Penguins a chance to move forward even without number 87 on the ice.
I predicted before the series that the Penguins would win in six. I thought they could get past the first round based on the goaltending match-up and their superior defense. I cautioned, however, that if this series went to seven that the Pens could be in trouble without a star to rely on. This is almost exactly what happened last night. Despite dominating the puck for most of the game and getting a solid, if not great, performance from Marc-Andre Fleury, the Penguins couldn’t get a single shot behind Lightning goaltender Dwayne Roloson. This year, without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, it was imperative for the Penguins to avoid a game seven against a team full of superstars like Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos, among others. Sure it was none of the Lightning stars who scored the only goal in game seven, rather it was grinder Sean Bergenheim, but it was the failure of the Penguins to produce a goal whether at even strength or on any of their five power plays. Needless to say, the Penguins could have used a guy they could have relied upon for offense.
The good news is that unlike most playoff losses that begin the “what happened” discussions and “what needs to be done for next year” questions, this one is pretty easy to explain and the pieces are already in place to make the Penguins one of the top Cup favorites for next year. Crosby and Malkin will be back and probably hungrier than ever. Fleury, Staal, Orpik, Letang, Neal, Martin, Michalek, Kunitz and Kennedy are all signed through next year and in most cases a couple of years beyond. Sure, General Manager Ray Shero has some decisions to make on role players such as Max Talbot and if he should trade Matt Cooke, but based on his track record we can expect Shero to make the best of those decisions. The Penguins fatal flaw this year was their inability to score goals. That is something that is pretty easily remedied by plugging two of the world’s best players back in the line-up. It is a sad day for Penguins fans, mostly because of the blown opportunities that the Penguins had in the series, but there is a lot to look forward to next year and beyond.
I predicted before the series that the Penguins would win in six. I thought they could get past the first round based on the goaltending match-up and their superior defense. I cautioned, however, that if this series went to seven that the Pens could be in trouble without a star to rely on. This is almost exactly what happened last night. Despite dominating the puck for most of the game and getting a solid, if not great, performance from Marc-Andre Fleury, the Penguins couldn’t get a single shot behind Lightning goaltender Dwayne Roloson. This year, without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, it was imperative for the Penguins to avoid a game seven against a team full of superstars like Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos, among others. Sure it was none of the Lightning stars who scored the only goal in game seven, rather it was grinder Sean Bergenheim, but it was the failure of the Penguins to produce a goal whether at even strength or on any of their five power plays. Needless to say, the Penguins could have used a guy they could have relied upon for offense.
The good news is that unlike most playoff losses that begin the “what happened” discussions and “what needs to be done for next year” questions, this one is pretty easy to explain and the pieces are already in place to make the Penguins one of the top Cup favorites for next year. Crosby and Malkin will be back and probably hungrier than ever. Fleury, Staal, Orpik, Letang, Neal, Martin, Michalek, Kunitz and Kennedy are all signed through next year and in most cases a couple of years beyond. Sure, General Manager Ray Shero has some decisions to make on role players such as Max Talbot and if he should trade Matt Cooke, but based on his track record we can expect Shero to make the best of those decisions. The Penguins fatal flaw this year was their inability to score goals. That is something that is pretty easily remedied by plugging two of the world’s best players back in the line-up. It is a sad day for Penguins fans, mostly because of the blown opportunities that the Penguins had in the series, but there is a lot to look forward to next year and beyond.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Catching Up on the Playoffs
Both the NHL and NBA playoffs are in full gear now and while we can start to see who may prevail in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, I think the first round in the NBA is scheduled to end sometime around Memorial Day. In all seriousness, I know the NBA spreads its games out for national TV purposes but come on now…nearly three weeks for the first round to be played out is ridiculous. David Stern and his office need to come up with a better plan for this schedule. Why not use staggered start times like the NHL or NCAA tournament does so that TNT or whoever is covering that night’s games could air the fourth quarter of every game if it is close? There is no way that the Magic-Hawks game on NBATV last night was watched by many households outside of Orlando or Atlanta. Why in the world did they need three days between games one and two? I consider Stern the best commissioner in sports but he needs to shorten the amount of time this first round stretches to keep fans interested and to get to the more juicy match-ups in the later rounds.
Now that we got today’s rant out of the way, here are some other thoughts from around the NBA and NHL playoffs:
NHL
• The Penguins lead their series with the Lighting 2-1 heading into game four tonight despite having the worst special teams play amongst all playoff teams so far. The Pens are 0-15 on the power play and their penalty kill has given up 4 goals on 11 tries (63.7% kill rate), both good for last among the teams still playing. If the Penguins want to continue playing, they better find a way to even this disadvantage out in a hurry.
• There really have been no surprises so far in the NHL playoffs. The only higher seeded teams to trail in their series right now are Anaheim and Boston who are both down 2- 1. Being that these two series were looked at as the most even coming in neither comes as a big surprise and both favorites have plenty of opportunity to come back. The other perceived evenly matched series between Buffalo and Philadelphia has also been close and the difference in Philadelphia’s two games to one lead was inserting backup goalie Brian Boucher in net in the middle of game two. Boucher led the comeback in game two and was the starter in the Flyers’ game three win. All three of these series could easily come down to a game seven.
• Detroit and Vancouver look like the class of the Western Conference, ignoring the Canucks beating last night at the hands of the Blackhawks in what I saw as the defending champions’ last gasp. Detroit goes for the sweep tonight in Phoenix and the Canucks should close out Chicago on home ice tomorrow. If the two should meet in the conference finals it should be an unbelievable series. San Jose was my pick to come out of the Western Conference and the Sharks are up 2-1 on the Kings but they needed overtime in both of their victories and have not inspired a ton of confidence the way they have played against a depleted Los Angeles team.
• If we could skip ahead for a moment and assume the Penguins get past Tampa Bay, - I know, a big assumption right now and a terrible jinx on the Pens! - I think Pens’ fans should be pulling for Philadelphia and Montreal to win their respective series. That would set up the Penguins to play the Flyers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, a series the Penguins could win with or without the return of their captain. I would much rather see Philadelphia and their goaltending situation (not to mention a team that the Pens have owned in the playoffs) than go up against either the Canadiens or the Capitals in the next round. Let’s allow those two teams to beat up on each other for a couple of weeks and have the Penguins take on the winner in the Eastern Conference Finals.
NBA
• In stark contrast to the NHL playoffs, the NBA has been chalk full of surprises with three heavy underdogs taking game one on the road and the other five giving the higher seeded team everything they could handle. While all five home teams have won their game two so far, the Celtics, Mavericks, Bulls and Magic were all put to the test before ultimately pulling out home victories. Only the Heat have shown any semblance of being the vastly superior team in their series. Three more game twos take place tonight with, and this is weird to type, both the Spurs and Lakers trying to even up their respective series.
• The biggest shock among the game one upsets was the Lakers losing at Staples Center against a Hornets team that could more accurately be called “Chris Paul and a bunch of nobodies”. New Orleans’ second best player, David West, is out for the year with a torn ACL and the Hornets relied heavily on Aaron Gray in the post. Yes, that is the same Aaron Gray that some Pitt fans are still wondering if he can even dunk. Paul is an unbelievable player and hopefully those that so quickly wanted to anoint Derrick Rose the best point guard in basketball witnessed Paul’s 33 points - 14 assists- 7 rebounds - 4 steals effort on Sunday but there is really no excuse the Lakers could have for losing this game. An overwhelming favorite to come out of the West for a chance at another three-peat, the Lakers proved that they are more vulnerable than many of us may have thought. I think the loss also opened the eyes of the rest of the Western Conference that this thing really is up for grabs.
• The team that could really be licking their chops is the Oklahoma City Thunder. I know I mentioned them as a dark horse in my playoff preview but nobody else in the Western Conference has the personnel to match-up with either Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook. The Nuggets and their 10-deep rotation are going to give the Thunder everything they can handle in round one but ultimately I think we end up with a tremendous Western Conference Finals between Ok City and L.A.
• In the East we are still tracking for a fantastic final four of Chicago, Miami, Boston and Orlando. Although, as I said earlier, only the Heat have shown even a glimpse of their tremendous potential through the early parts of round one. It is just a shame that we have to wait another two weeks until the playoffs can really begin in the Eastern Conference in all likelihood.
Now that we got today’s rant out of the way, here are some other thoughts from around the NBA and NHL playoffs:
NHL
• The Penguins lead their series with the Lighting 2-1 heading into game four tonight despite having the worst special teams play amongst all playoff teams so far. The Pens are 0-15 on the power play and their penalty kill has given up 4 goals on 11 tries (63.7% kill rate), both good for last among the teams still playing. If the Penguins want to continue playing, they better find a way to even this disadvantage out in a hurry.
• There really have been no surprises so far in the NHL playoffs. The only higher seeded teams to trail in their series right now are Anaheim and Boston who are both down 2- 1. Being that these two series were looked at as the most even coming in neither comes as a big surprise and both favorites have plenty of opportunity to come back. The other perceived evenly matched series between Buffalo and Philadelphia has also been close and the difference in Philadelphia’s two games to one lead was inserting backup goalie Brian Boucher in net in the middle of game two. Boucher led the comeback in game two and was the starter in the Flyers’ game three win. All three of these series could easily come down to a game seven.
• Detroit and Vancouver look like the class of the Western Conference, ignoring the Canucks beating last night at the hands of the Blackhawks in what I saw as the defending champions’ last gasp. Detroit goes for the sweep tonight in Phoenix and the Canucks should close out Chicago on home ice tomorrow. If the two should meet in the conference finals it should be an unbelievable series. San Jose was my pick to come out of the Western Conference and the Sharks are up 2-1 on the Kings but they needed overtime in both of their victories and have not inspired a ton of confidence the way they have played against a depleted Los Angeles team.
• If we could skip ahead for a moment and assume the Penguins get past Tampa Bay, - I know, a big assumption right now and a terrible jinx on the Pens! - I think Pens’ fans should be pulling for Philadelphia and Montreal to win their respective series. That would set up the Penguins to play the Flyers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, a series the Penguins could win with or without the return of their captain. I would much rather see Philadelphia and their goaltending situation (not to mention a team that the Pens have owned in the playoffs) than go up against either the Canadiens or the Capitals in the next round. Let’s allow those two teams to beat up on each other for a couple of weeks and have the Penguins take on the winner in the Eastern Conference Finals.
NBA
• In stark contrast to the NHL playoffs, the NBA has been chalk full of surprises with three heavy underdogs taking game one on the road and the other five giving the higher seeded team everything they could handle. While all five home teams have won their game two so far, the Celtics, Mavericks, Bulls and Magic were all put to the test before ultimately pulling out home victories. Only the Heat have shown any semblance of being the vastly superior team in their series. Three more game twos take place tonight with, and this is weird to type, both the Spurs and Lakers trying to even up their respective series.
• The biggest shock among the game one upsets was the Lakers losing at Staples Center against a Hornets team that could more accurately be called “Chris Paul and a bunch of nobodies”. New Orleans’ second best player, David West, is out for the year with a torn ACL and the Hornets relied heavily on Aaron Gray in the post. Yes, that is the same Aaron Gray that some Pitt fans are still wondering if he can even dunk. Paul is an unbelievable player and hopefully those that so quickly wanted to anoint Derrick Rose the best point guard in basketball witnessed Paul’s 33 points - 14 assists- 7 rebounds - 4 steals effort on Sunday but there is really no excuse the Lakers could have for losing this game. An overwhelming favorite to come out of the West for a chance at another three-peat, the Lakers proved that they are more vulnerable than many of us may have thought. I think the loss also opened the eyes of the rest of the Western Conference that this thing really is up for grabs.
• The team that could really be licking their chops is the Oklahoma City Thunder. I know I mentioned them as a dark horse in my playoff preview but nobody else in the Western Conference has the personnel to match-up with either Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook. The Nuggets and their 10-deep rotation are going to give the Thunder everything they can handle in round one but ultimately I think we end up with a tremendous Western Conference Finals between Ok City and L.A.
• In the East we are still tracking for a fantastic final four of Chicago, Miami, Boston and Orlando. Although, as I said earlier, only the Heat have shown even a glimpse of their tremendous potential through the early parts of round one. It is just a shame that we have to wait another two weeks until the playoffs can really begin in the Eastern Conference in all likelihood.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Friday Smorgasbord!
No need for a preamble, let’s dive right in!
• The Penguins played what quite possibly was their best game of the season since Crosby’s injury in game one. It was hard to tell if the Penguins were able to raise their level of play that much or if the Lighting were a little shell-shocked by the intensity of the playoffs. Either way, if the Penguins continue to get that kind of play from Marc-Andre Fleury in net and the power play continues to show some life, the Pens are going to be a tough out for anyone even without Sid. With him, I think they just might become the favorite once again.
• Six of the eight teams I predicted to move on in round one won their opening game. I am not sure if that is good or if missing the two upsets everyone was calling for is bad. It is still early, however, and winning game one doesn’t mean a whole lot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Hopefully the Penguins remember that.
• So much for that great Pirates’ start. After losing five of their last six, the Buccos are now 5-7 and trail four other teams in the NL Central. Sure the standings, and even the records, are not very important this time of the year but it would have been nice if this team could have sustained some momentum from the strong early start.
• The good news is that the Pirates starting rotation has continued to perform pretty well. Outside of the opening day defeat the Pirates have been in every game thanks to their starting pitching. Hopefully the pitching doesn’t deteriorate when the bats decide to wake up.
• Fresh off seeing him in person here in Pittsburgh last week is it time to start calling Troy Tulowitzki the best player in baseball? Well let me be the first! You remember when the national outlets start talking about this guy as the best player in the game that you heard it here first. Going back to last September, “Tulo” has hit 22 home runs in his last 42 games while playing the best shortstop in the majors. Hopefully he can stay healthy so we can all enjoy a full season’s worth.
• The guy Tulowitzki reminds me of is a young Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez, by the way, is far from done himself. About the only player in baseball matching what the Rockies shortstop is doing is the former best player in the game. Tulowitzki is first and Rodriguez is second in the majors in OPS and nobody else is close through the early part of the season.
• How about that Masters finish on Sunday? That was quite possibly the best golf on television I have seen with so many guys hitting important shot after important shot. It very well might have been the return of Tiger Woods as well. For more on that, I know I can’t say it any better than the Sports Guy did, so I will just link to his column: Bill Simmons
• I was going to post my NBA playoff predictions as part of the Smorgasbord but I will hold off and have a separate post going up Saturday morning. Check back then to see who I like in the opening round and a little commentary on the foregone conclusion that Derrick Rose is the NBA MVP this year…
• The Penguins played what quite possibly was their best game of the season since Crosby’s injury in game one. It was hard to tell if the Penguins were able to raise their level of play that much or if the Lighting were a little shell-shocked by the intensity of the playoffs. Either way, if the Penguins continue to get that kind of play from Marc-Andre Fleury in net and the power play continues to show some life, the Pens are going to be a tough out for anyone even without Sid. With him, I think they just might become the favorite once again.
• Six of the eight teams I predicted to move on in round one won their opening game. I am not sure if that is good or if missing the two upsets everyone was calling for is bad. It is still early, however, and winning game one doesn’t mean a whole lot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Hopefully the Penguins remember that.
• So much for that great Pirates’ start. After losing five of their last six, the Buccos are now 5-7 and trail four other teams in the NL Central. Sure the standings, and even the records, are not very important this time of the year but it would have been nice if this team could have sustained some momentum from the strong early start.
• The good news is that the Pirates starting rotation has continued to perform pretty well. Outside of the opening day defeat the Pirates have been in every game thanks to their starting pitching. Hopefully the pitching doesn’t deteriorate when the bats decide to wake up.
• Fresh off seeing him in person here in Pittsburgh last week is it time to start calling Troy Tulowitzki the best player in baseball? Well let me be the first! You remember when the national outlets start talking about this guy as the best player in the game that you heard it here first. Going back to last September, “Tulo” has hit 22 home runs in his last 42 games while playing the best shortstop in the majors. Hopefully he can stay healthy so we can all enjoy a full season’s worth.
• The guy Tulowitzki reminds me of is a young Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez, by the way, is far from done himself. About the only player in baseball matching what the Rockies shortstop is doing is the former best player in the game. Tulowitzki is first and Rodriguez is second in the majors in OPS and nobody else is close through the early part of the season.
• How about that Masters finish on Sunday? That was quite possibly the best golf on television I have seen with so many guys hitting important shot after important shot. It very well might have been the return of Tiger Woods as well. For more on that, I know I can’t say it any better than the Sports Guy did, so I will just link to his column: Bill Simmons
• I was going to post my NBA playoff predictions as part of the Smorgasbord but I will hold off and have a separate post going up Saturday morning. Check back then to see who I like in the opening round and a little commentary on the foregone conclusion that Derrick Rose is the NBA MVP this year…
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
NHL Playoffs Preview and Predictions
I have a range of topics I need to hit on including the opening couple of weeks of the baseball season, the NBA MVP and Tiger’s charge on Sunday but I will save those for a smorgasbord on Friday because today is the start of the most grueling postseason in sports, the Stanley Cup playoffs. Hockey’s postseason is two months of drag-it-out, knock-you-down, insanely intense hockey that I couldn’t do justice with words.
This year’s playoffs is as wide open as I can ever remember it being and that is saying something when just last year we had the number seven and eight seeds playing in the Eastern Conference Finals. For proof, just look at the top two seeds from each conference; Washington, Philadelphia, Vancouver and San Jose. When a team from Philadelphia (not named the Phillies) inspires the most postseason confidence you just know this thing is up for grabs. Let’s get into a little preview of each of the eight opening round series and my prediction for each. Let’s just say that I’m not exactly overflowing with confidence on these selections either.
In case you are wondering, I am going with the San Jose Sharks to hoist the Stanley Cup this year. In what has been a crazy year already, why not top it off with the Sharks finally getting over their postseason failures to claim their first Cup in the franchise’s history.
Eastern Conference
#4 Pittsburgh vs. #5 Tampa Bay
We will kick it right off with the prediction most of you are probably waiting for (and will probably quit reading afterwards) but I am going with the Penguins in six. My reason is quite simple: Marc-Andre Fleury. The Penguins have a distinct advantage in net this series and probably sport the league’s best defensive unit in front of their net minder. The Lighting have the prohibitive advantage on special teams, although the Penguins’ power play has shown some small glimmers of hope lately, which is an enormous factor in the postseason but the difference in this one will be Fleury in net for the Penguins against 41-year-old Dwayne Roloson. Roloson may be 41, but he has only 33 postseason games under his belt for a simple reason, he’s just not that good. The Penguins, who for now we have to go with the assumption that Crosby will not play, should be able to sneak enough pucks past Roloson to escape the first round and hope that Sid can return for the Eastern semis. I do fear a game seven in this series, however, as the Penguins simply cannot match the star power of Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos without Crosby in the line-up. That could spell disaster if the Penguins cannot jump out early on the Lightning and put this series away in five or six games. Again, Penguins in six.
#1 Washington vs. #8 New York
Pretty interesting match-up here when you think about the Capitals recent postseason struggles combined with the Rangers 3-1 series lead this year, including a 6-0 victory the last time these teams met. Still, you have to think Washington’s focus on their defensive play during the regular season will pay off somewhat in the playoffs. Even if it doesn’t, the Caps still have too much firepower for the Rangers with Ovechkin, Semin and the gang. Capitals in five.
#2 Philadelphia vs. #7 Buffalo
Buffalo seems to be the popular upset pick among many NHL experts but I have a hard time seeing the defending Eastern Conference champs go down without a fight. Chris Pronger is expected back to man the Philadelphia blue line after missing a month with a wrist injury and his playoff resume is well documented. It is not a coincidence that the Flyers escaped their own postseason demons last year after acquiring Pronger in the offseason. Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller has also missed time recently with an undisclosed upper body injury and playing the Flyers with their scoring and depth up front is no way to ease back in. I think the Flyers’ lackluster play over the last month of the season was a product of coasting towards the playoffs and they will come out strong now that they are here. Flyers in seven.
#3 Boston vs. #6 Montreal
Here is the upset I like. Montreal is a playoff tested team with depth and speed up front and a goaltender in Carey Price who I think is every bit as good as Boston’s Tim Thomas. Personally I think Thomas is a bit overrated because of the style in which the Bruins play and their physical defense. This series will probably come down to the Bruins ability to stay out of the penalty box. My guess is that they do not, and that Montreal’s tremendous power play takes advantage. Canadiens in six.
Western Conference
#1 Vancouver vs. #8 Chicago
When I talk about how wide open these playoffs are, this series is exactly what I am referring to. Here we have the defending Stanley Cup champs taking on what was by far the best team in the NHL during the regular season in the opening round of the playoffs. The question here is if Roberto Luongo, Vancouver’s fantastic goaltender, can shake off some of his past big game failures and carry this team past the second round of the playoffs. I think the Blackhawks and their young studs give the Canucks everything they can handle but the Sedin twins will be too much and the Canucks prevail. Canucks in seven.
#2 San Jose vs. #7 Los Angeles
If you read the opening paragraph you know who I am going with here. This is the perfect first round match-up to get the Sharks rolling as they take on a young Kings team who will be without their best player, center Anze Kopitar. Sharks in five.
#3 Detroit vs. #6 Phoenix Phoenix has the advantage in net and the Wings could be without Henrik Zetterberg for the beginning of the series or even more but I just can’t see the upstart Coyotes taking down the veteran Red Wings. It really wouldn’t surprise me one bit to see Phoenix pull this upset but I think Detroit’s power play will be too much and they find a way to win the series on home ice in game seven. Red Wings in seven.
#4 Anaheim vs. #5 Nashville
This should be a fantastic series pitting the Ducks’ fantastic forwards against the Predators strong defensive balance led by Shea Weber, Ryan Suter and goaltender Pekka Rinne. Nashville finished second in the NHL in goals against while Anaheim had three forwards in the top 11 and five in the top 26 in the NHL scoring leaders. Conversely, Anaheim will most likely be starting Ray Emery in net with top goalie Jonas Hiller on the shelf while Nashville has only outscored one other playoff team in either conference. The winner of this series will probably be whatever team can dictate the style and tempo. With such contrasting yet strong teams, I see this one going the distance where Anaheim will have home-ice advantage. Ducks in seven.
This year’s playoffs is as wide open as I can ever remember it being and that is saying something when just last year we had the number seven and eight seeds playing in the Eastern Conference Finals. For proof, just look at the top two seeds from each conference; Washington, Philadelphia, Vancouver and San Jose. When a team from Philadelphia (not named the Phillies) inspires the most postseason confidence you just know this thing is up for grabs. Let’s get into a little preview of each of the eight opening round series and my prediction for each. Let’s just say that I’m not exactly overflowing with confidence on these selections either.
In case you are wondering, I am going with the San Jose Sharks to hoist the Stanley Cup this year. In what has been a crazy year already, why not top it off with the Sharks finally getting over their postseason failures to claim their first Cup in the franchise’s history.
Eastern Conference
#4 Pittsburgh vs. #5 Tampa Bay
We will kick it right off with the prediction most of you are probably waiting for (and will probably quit reading afterwards) but I am going with the Penguins in six. My reason is quite simple: Marc-Andre Fleury. The Penguins have a distinct advantage in net this series and probably sport the league’s best defensive unit in front of their net minder. The Lighting have the prohibitive advantage on special teams, although the Penguins’ power play has shown some small glimmers of hope lately, which is an enormous factor in the postseason but the difference in this one will be Fleury in net for the Penguins against 41-year-old Dwayne Roloson. Roloson may be 41, but he has only 33 postseason games under his belt for a simple reason, he’s just not that good. The Penguins, who for now we have to go with the assumption that Crosby will not play, should be able to sneak enough pucks past Roloson to escape the first round and hope that Sid can return for the Eastern semis. I do fear a game seven in this series, however, as the Penguins simply cannot match the star power of Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos without Crosby in the line-up. That could spell disaster if the Penguins cannot jump out early on the Lightning and put this series away in five or six games. Again, Penguins in six.
#1 Washington vs. #8 New York
Pretty interesting match-up here when you think about the Capitals recent postseason struggles combined with the Rangers 3-1 series lead this year, including a 6-0 victory the last time these teams met. Still, you have to think Washington’s focus on their defensive play during the regular season will pay off somewhat in the playoffs. Even if it doesn’t, the Caps still have too much firepower for the Rangers with Ovechkin, Semin and the gang. Capitals in five.
#2 Philadelphia vs. #7 Buffalo
Buffalo seems to be the popular upset pick among many NHL experts but I have a hard time seeing the defending Eastern Conference champs go down without a fight. Chris Pronger is expected back to man the Philadelphia blue line after missing a month with a wrist injury and his playoff resume is well documented. It is not a coincidence that the Flyers escaped their own postseason demons last year after acquiring Pronger in the offseason. Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller has also missed time recently with an undisclosed upper body injury and playing the Flyers with their scoring and depth up front is no way to ease back in. I think the Flyers’ lackluster play over the last month of the season was a product of coasting towards the playoffs and they will come out strong now that they are here. Flyers in seven.
#3 Boston vs. #6 Montreal
Here is the upset I like. Montreal is a playoff tested team with depth and speed up front and a goaltender in Carey Price who I think is every bit as good as Boston’s Tim Thomas. Personally I think Thomas is a bit overrated because of the style in which the Bruins play and their physical defense. This series will probably come down to the Bruins ability to stay out of the penalty box. My guess is that they do not, and that Montreal’s tremendous power play takes advantage. Canadiens in six.
Western Conference
#1 Vancouver vs. #8 Chicago
When I talk about how wide open these playoffs are, this series is exactly what I am referring to. Here we have the defending Stanley Cup champs taking on what was by far the best team in the NHL during the regular season in the opening round of the playoffs. The question here is if Roberto Luongo, Vancouver’s fantastic goaltender, can shake off some of his past big game failures and carry this team past the second round of the playoffs. I think the Blackhawks and their young studs give the Canucks everything they can handle but the Sedin twins will be too much and the Canucks prevail. Canucks in seven.
#2 San Jose vs. #7 Los Angeles
If you read the opening paragraph you know who I am going with here. This is the perfect first round match-up to get the Sharks rolling as they take on a young Kings team who will be without their best player, center Anze Kopitar. Sharks in five.
#3 Detroit vs. #6 Phoenix Phoenix has the advantage in net and the Wings could be without Henrik Zetterberg for the beginning of the series or even more but I just can’t see the upstart Coyotes taking down the veteran Red Wings. It really wouldn’t surprise me one bit to see Phoenix pull this upset but I think Detroit’s power play will be too much and they find a way to win the series on home ice in game seven. Red Wings in seven.
#4 Anaheim vs. #5 Nashville
This should be a fantastic series pitting the Ducks’ fantastic forwards against the Predators strong defensive balance led by Shea Weber, Ryan Suter and goaltender Pekka Rinne. Nashville finished second in the NHL in goals against while Anaheim had three forwards in the top 11 and five in the top 26 in the NHL scoring leaders. Conversely, Anaheim will most likely be starting Ray Emery in net with top goalie Jonas Hiller on the shelf while Nashville has only outscored one other playoff team in either conference. The winner of this series will probably be whatever team can dictate the style and tempo. With such contrasting yet strong teams, I see this one going the distance where Anaheim will have home-ice advantage. Ducks in seven.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Shero Does It Again
It is becoming an annual event now that at or near the NHL trade deadline Penguins’ General Manager Ray Shero will make an aggressive trade that looks great on paper and gives Penguins fans an extra bit of anticipation towards a Stanley Cup run. In 2008, Shero acquired Marian Hossa, Pascal Dupuis and Hal Gill in two separate trades that helped propel the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Finals. In 2009, Shero acquired Chris Kunitz (along with Eric Tangradi), Bill Guerin and Craig Adams in a series of moves that helped put his team over the top and win their first Stanley Cup Trophy since 1992. Last year, Shero traded for defenseman Jordan Leopold and forward Alexi Ponikarovsky in the first of his deadline deals that did not work out. As the saying goes, two out of three ain’t bad…and this year Shero is at it again.
With the NHL trade deadline still a week away, the Penguins have traded defenseman Alex Goligoski to the Dallas Stars in return for winger James Neal and defenseman Matt Niskanen. Talk about a win-win trade for the Penguins. Not only do they beef up the current roster for a run at the Cup this year, assuming Sidney Crosby’s return of course, but the Penguins control the rights to both Niskanen and Neal beyond this year. In Neal’s case, the Penguins control the promising power forward’s rights until 2015 and he quickly becomes a part of the Penguins young core expected to compete for Stanley Cups for the foreseeable future. Despite only being 23-years-old, Neal scored 51 goals in his first two seasons in the NHL and has 21 goals already this year. Put Neal on Crosby’s or Malkin’s line and who knows what to expect. Neal, as he matures, could easily develop into a 30 or even 40 goal scorer.
Sure Goligoski possessed abilities that most defenseman do not have, especially in the offensive zone, but at this moment he was locked in as the Penguins’ fifth defenseman and was average in his own end at best. With the Penguins having the core of their defense in place with Kris Letang, Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik and Zbynek Michalek, they were dealing from a position of strength. Besides, you have to give something up to get something in return.
Niskanen, meanwhile, is a former first round pick, is six months younger than his trade counterpart and has already played in 100 more NHL games over his career than Goligoski. A change of scenery could do some good for the young defenseman who has struggled the past two years after a very promising start to his career. The Pens should be able to plug the newly acquired defenseman in on their third defensive pairing with Deryk Engelland or Ben Lovejoy and not miss a beat defensively. Niskanen does not have the offensive repertoire that Goligoski has, but all that will be expected from him is competent play in his own end.
At the end of the day, Ray Shero has done it again. The Penguins GM has managed to strengthen the core of this Penguins’ roster without disrupting the team’s long term goals. This time, however, Shero was able to upgrade the current roster while also improving the long-term outlook.
A Couple of Leftover Penguins Thoughts:
- I thought Shero would target a rent-a-player such as former Penguin Alex Kovalev to replace some of what the Penguins lost in the offensive end with Malkin’s injury. The best part of Monday’s trade for Neal and Niskanen is that Shero still has the flexibility to acquire such a player. If Shero can land Kovalev or a similar player for only a mid-round draft choice I would expect him to pull the trigger.
- Those that criticized Mario Lemieux for his comments on how the league handled the events on Long Island because he employs Matt Cooke are flat-out wrong. Every team in the league would employ Cooke at a reasonable price and many employ a similar player anyhow. Just because a team is trying to win within the rules of the game doesn’t mean they have to particularly agree with the rules. Besides, what Cooke does as a borderline dirty player is much different than the pre-meditated violence that took place in New York two weekends ago.
- Those that criticized Lemieux for his comments because he has failed to help facilitate change in the game are right on. Lemieux, as a former player and arguably the best or second best player of all-time, carries considerable weight around the league and could be a driving force among the owners to clean up the violence in the sport. Lemieux, however, has not capitalized on this considerable influence that he could possess. It is certainly within his rights to own and manage his team however he sees fit but I can’t argue with those who criticize Lemieux for only using words and not actions.
With the NHL trade deadline still a week away, the Penguins have traded defenseman Alex Goligoski to the Dallas Stars in return for winger James Neal and defenseman Matt Niskanen. Talk about a win-win trade for the Penguins. Not only do they beef up the current roster for a run at the Cup this year, assuming Sidney Crosby’s return of course, but the Penguins control the rights to both Niskanen and Neal beyond this year. In Neal’s case, the Penguins control the promising power forward’s rights until 2015 and he quickly becomes a part of the Penguins young core expected to compete for Stanley Cups for the foreseeable future. Despite only being 23-years-old, Neal scored 51 goals in his first two seasons in the NHL and has 21 goals already this year. Put Neal on Crosby’s or Malkin’s line and who knows what to expect. Neal, as he matures, could easily develop into a 30 or even 40 goal scorer.
Sure Goligoski possessed abilities that most defenseman do not have, especially in the offensive zone, but at this moment he was locked in as the Penguins’ fifth defenseman and was average in his own end at best. With the Penguins having the core of their defense in place with Kris Letang, Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik and Zbynek Michalek, they were dealing from a position of strength. Besides, you have to give something up to get something in return.
Niskanen, meanwhile, is a former first round pick, is six months younger than his trade counterpart and has already played in 100 more NHL games over his career than Goligoski. A change of scenery could do some good for the young defenseman who has struggled the past two years after a very promising start to his career. The Pens should be able to plug the newly acquired defenseman in on their third defensive pairing with Deryk Engelland or Ben Lovejoy and not miss a beat defensively. Niskanen does not have the offensive repertoire that Goligoski has, but all that will be expected from him is competent play in his own end.
At the end of the day, Ray Shero has done it again. The Penguins GM has managed to strengthen the core of this Penguins’ roster without disrupting the team’s long term goals. This time, however, Shero was able to upgrade the current roster while also improving the long-term outlook.
A Couple of Leftover Penguins Thoughts:
- I thought Shero would target a rent-a-player such as former Penguin Alex Kovalev to replace some of what the Penguins lost in the offensive end with Malkin’s injury. The best part of Monday’s trade for Neal and Niskanen is that Shero still has the flexibility to acquire such a player. If Shero can land Kovalev or a similar player for only a mid-round draft choice I would expect him to pull the trigger.
- Those that criticized Mario Lemieux for his comments on how the league handled the events on Long Island because he employs Matt Cooke are flat-out wrong. Every team in the league would employ Cooke at a reasonable price and many employ a similar player anyhow. Just because a team is trying to win within the rules of the game doesn’t mean they have to particularly agree with the rules. Besides, what Cooke does as a borderline dirty player is much different than the pre-meditated violence that took place in New York two weekends ago.
- Those that criticized Lemieux for his comments because he has failed to help facilitate change in the game are right on. Lemieux, as a former player and arguably the best or second best player of all-time, carries considerable weight around the league and could be a driving force among the owners to clean up the violence in the sport. Lemieux, however, has not capitalized on this considerable influence that he could possess. It is certainly within his rights to own and manage his team however he sees fit but I can’t argue with those who criticize Lemieux for only using words and not actions.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Weekend Update
As promised, I pretty much spent my entire weekend watching as many sporting events as humanly possible (along with a little Grammy action throw in to mix things up). There are too many opinions floating around in my head to include in just one post so today I am going to limit my thoughts mostly to college basketball. I will save some of my NBA thoughts for the end of the week as they approach their All-Star weekend and have some Penguins and NHL thoughts in-between. Before I get to hoops, however, I do want to touch upon the one big issue both in Pittsburgh and in hockey circles.
The Penguins-Islanders game on Friday night was an absolute disgrace to the sport of hockey. I am a fan of the game. I enjoy watching good hockey, not just the Penguins, and will often find myself watching two Western Conference teams playing when nothing else is on despite hockey coming in a distant fourth in my own sports preference list. I also do not have a problem with fighting and sort of understand its place and history in the game, not to mention enjoy a good fight…BUT what happened on Long Island was not hockey, it wasn’t sports, it wasn’t anything that should be allowed to happen in this country.
The NHL’s response to what happened was an even bigger joke and did nothing to deter similar events from happening in the future. Trying to sucker punch someone from behind, calling up goons for the sole purpose of getting in as many fights as possible and intentionally elbowing someone in the face and then continuing to attack him when injured were just some of the ridiculous antics that took place. These are things that would be illegal and insane at a sanctioned boxing or MMA fight, let alone a hockey game. If the NHL cannot properly handle, punish and stop these events from occurring, maybe it’s time to take fighting out of the game altogether. I will have a little more on this subject, including Mario’s statement, later this week.
Now, on to hoops…
· Pitt continued its Big East run with a second impressive road victory against Villanova on Saturday despite the absence of leading scorer Ashton Gibbs. Many people are beginning to believe that this team is better than the 2009 version featuring Sam Young, DeJuan Blair and Levance Fields. I don't think this team is as good as that team two years ago, but they are close. This version is definitely deeper and more well-rounded but that team had what should have been two first round NBA picks (maybe even two lottery picks based on current NBA production) while this team has zero draft picks at all right now. College basketball, however, isn't nearly as strong as it was two years ago so this Pitt team has a clear opportunity to achieve more than that team. Jamie Dixon’s squad is definitely one of the few favorites to advance to the Final Four in Houston.
· Speaking of the NBA, I had that exact conversation with my Dad heading to the Duquesne game on Sunday. I do not see why Brad Wannamaker and Gilbert Brown couldn't be decent 10th or 11th men in the NBA. They offer flexibility and the ability to defend two different positions well. It will probably come down to Wannamaker’s ability to play some point guard while it will be Brown’s shooting ability that will determine whether they can earn a jersey on the next level.
· Those that watched Kansas State beat up on Kansas last night in their first game as the #1 team saw what had me worried about this Jayhawks team a few weeks back. Despite its talent and depth, Kansas does not play tough enough underneath and has too many lapses on the defensive end. One game on the road in February means little, but for the team I think is the most talented in the nation they need to improve in those areas in a hurry if they want to accomplish a Final Four run.
· While Kansas’s loss showed some of its deficiencies, Ohio State’s loss was pretty meaningless to me. The Buckeyes looked like the best team in the nation for most of the game until Wisconsin got unbelievably hot in the second half. Those things happen in road games, especially to a good team like Wisconsin who is nearly unbeatable at home. Wisconsin did prove themselves as a team that none of the contenders want to see before the regional finals. Their ability to limit possessions, play solid defense and shoot the three-pointer are going to make them an awfully tough out come tournament time.
· The other two top teams I have yet to mention, Texas and Duke, kept plugging along. The Longhorns continue to win impressively and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they won the remainder of their games before the Big XII tournament. Duke, on the other hand, has looked less and less impressive as the season has moved on. Without star freshman point guard Kyle Irving, the Dukies have relied heavily on Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler to carry the load. Despite some decent performances from their secondary guys the past couple of games, it wouldn’t shock me to see Duke stumble in a game or two before the Big Dance.
· Another team that is coming on strong is Georgetown who, after a little mid-season swoon, has won eight straight games including five over would-be tournament teams. The Hoyas feature one of the best backcourts in America with Chris Wright, Austin Freeman and Jason Clark. Freeman turned his ankle in the Marquette game on Sunday but all indications are that he should be fine. The Hoyas are still lacking in the interior, as being the nation’s 223rd ranked team in rebounding will attest, but we all know that guard play wins come March and nobody has had better backcourt play than Georgetown over the past month.
· I mentioned that I attended the Duquesne Dukes game on Sunday and it was fun to attend a game that meant something for that program for the first time in decades. Sure the Dukes fell to Xavier (a strong sleeper team for your NCAA brackets in about a month if you want some advice) but Coach Ron Everhart has the program headed in the right direction. The game was played in front of a sell-out crowd of over 10,000 people and just goes to show how people in Pittsburgh will get behind a team that has perennially struggled. The game had me thinking: Can you imagine PNC Park in September if the Pirates are even sniffing that magical 81st win? The place would be a sell-out every night.
The Penguins-Islanders game on Friday night was an absolute disgrace to the sport of hockey. I am a fan of the game. I enjoy watching good hockey, not just the Penguins, and will often find myself watching two Western Conference teams playing when nothing else is on despite hockey coming in a distant fourth in my own sports preference list. I also do not have a problem with fighting and sort of understand its place and history in the game, not to mention enjoy a good fight…BUT what happened on Long Island was not hockey, it wasn’t sports, it wasn’t anything that should be allowed to happen in this country.
The NHL’s response to what happened was an even bigger joke and did nothing to deter similar events from happening in the future. Trying to sucker punch someone from behind, calling up goons for the sole purpose of getting in as many fights as possible and intentionally elbowing someone in the face and then continuing to attack him when injured were just some of the ridiculous antics that took place. These are things that would be illegal and insane at a sanctioned boxing or MMA fight, let alone a hockey game. If the NHL cannot properly handle, punish and stop these events from occurring, maybe it’s time to take fighting out of the game altogether. I will have a little more on this subject, including Mario’s statement, later this week.
Now, on to hoops…
· Pitt continued its Big East run with a second impressive road victory against Villanova on Saturday despite the absence of leading scorer Ashton Gibbs. Many people are beginning to believe that this team is better than the 2009 version featuring Sam Young, DeJuan Blair and Levance Fields. I don't think this team is as good as that team two years ago, but they are close. This version is definitely deeper and more well-rounded but that team had what should have been two first round NBA picks (maybe even two lottery picks based on current NBA production) while this team has zero draft picks at all right now. College basketball, however, isn't nearly as strong as it was two years ago so this Pitt team has a clear opportunity to achieve more than that team. Jamie Dixon’s squad is definitely one of the few favorites to advance to the Final Four in Houston.
· Speaking of the NBA, I had that exact conversation with my Dad heading to the Duquesne game on Sunday. I do not see why Brad Wannamaker and Gilbert Brown couldn't be decent 10th or 11th men in the NBA. They offer flexibility and the ability to defend two different positions well. It will probably come down to Wannamaker’s ability to play some point guard while it will be Brown’s shooting ability that will determine whether they can earn a jersey on the next level.
· Those that watched Kansas State beat up on Kansas last night in their first game as the #1 team saw what had me worried about this Jayhawks team a few weeks back. Despite its talent and depth, Kansas does not play tough enough underneath and has too many lapses on the defensive end. One game on the road in February means little, but for the team I think is the most talented in the nation they need to improve in those areas in a hurry if they want to accomplish a Final Four run.
· While Kansas’s loss showed some of its deficiencies, Ohio State’s loss was pretty meaningless to me. The Buckeyes looked like the best team in the nation for most of the game until Wisconsin got unbelievably hot in the second half. Those things happen in road games, especially to a good team like Wisconsin who is nearly unbeatable at home. Wisconsin did prove themselves as a team that none of the contenders want to see before the regional finals. Their ability to limit possessions, play solid defense and shoot the three-pointer are going to make them an awfully tough out come tournament time.
· The other two top teams I have yet to mention, Texas and Duke, kept plugging along. The Longhorns continue to win impressively and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they won the remainder of their games before the Big XII tournament. Duke, on the other hand, has looked less and less impressive as the season has moved on. Without star freshman point guard Kyle Irving, the Dukies have relied heavily on Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler to carry the load. Despite some decent performances from their secondary guys the past couple of games, it wouldn’t shock me to see Duke stumble in a game or two before the Big Dance.
· Another team that is coming on strong is Georgetown who, after a little mid-season swoon, has won eight straight games including five over would-be tournament teams. The Hoyas feature one of the best backcourts in America with Chris Wright, Austin Freeman and Jason Clark. Freeman turned his ankle in the Marquette game on Sunday but all indications are that he should be fine. The Hoyas are still lacking in the interior, as being the nation’s 223rd ranked team in rebounding will attest, but we all know that guard play wins come March and nobody has had better backcourt play than Georgetown over the past month.
· I mentioned that I attended the Duquesne Dukes game on Sunday and it was fun to attend a game that meant something for that program for the first time in decades. Sure the Dukes fell to Xavier (a strong sleeper team for your NCAA brackets in about a month if you want some advice) but Coach Ron Everhart has the program headed in the right direction. The game was played in front of a sell-out crowd of over 10,000 people and just goes to show how people in Pittsburgh will get behind a team that has perennially struggled. The game had me thinking: Can you imagine PNC Park in September if the Pirates are even sniffing that magical 81st win? The place would be a sell-out every night.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Pens Need More from Malkin
The Penguins have recovered from their ho-hum 1-3 start to win their last three games. Those three wins were highlighted by the goaltending of backup Brent Johnson, who now owns all four of the Penguins victories on the season while Marc-Andre Fleury is winless at 0-3. That, to me, is no big deal. Goaltenders will go through slumps through the course of a long season. Fleury just so happens to be going through one at the beginning of the season. He will snap out of it and return to form in what I am guessing is the very near future. Fleury has proven his worth as a Stanley Cup caliber goaltender. The Penguins can also feel comforted in the fact that Johnson has proven a reliable backup. Johnson’s play has probably allowed Dan Bylsma and his staff a chance to get some sleep at night.
Another guy not on the ice for the last three wins, or for any of the seven games so far, has been Jordan Staal. Staal, who is recovering from an infection in his foot resulting from offseason surgery, has returned to the ice and begun skating once again. Staal actually practiced with the Penguins for the first time yesterday. The timetable for his return is not known but it is now safe to assume that Staal will make it all the way back. Sometimes these infections can be trickier and more dangerous than they sound, as this one proved with the continual reoccurrence. It is good news to hear that Staal should be back in the not too distant future.
No, the Penguins early season worries are not the poor play of Fleury or the absence of Staal, it is the play of Evgeni Malkin. Malkin’s play, while good, has not reached the super-duper star level that so many of us thought he was headed for during his dominant streak back in 2007-2008. Malkin carried the Penguins during the ’07-’08 regular season when Sidney Crosby went down to an injury, earning a second place finish in the Hart Trophy voting for the NHL MVP. Malkin followed that season up with a fabulous 2008-‘09 by winning the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer. He continued that dominant streak in the playoffs where he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoffs MVP, helping the Pens hoist the Stanly Cup for the first time since 1992. It had pretty much become fact that the Penguins’ owned two of the league’s top three players in Crosby and Malkin and that the Penguins would have a leg up on the competition for the foreseeable future with such a talented 1-2 combination at center.
While Crosby has maintained his position in the argument for the league’s top player with Alex Ovechkin, rarely do you hear Evgeni Malkin’s name mentioned in that conversation anymore. Malkin suffered through an injury-filled 2009, one that saw him miss seven games in early November to a shoulder injury and 15 games in all. Malkin’s points per game average dropped to 1.15, down from 1.38 and 1.29 in ’07-’08 and ’08-’09, respectively. Malkin also saw his plus/minus number dip from +16 and +17 the previous two years to a pedestrian -6. Those are not the figures that a player of Malkin’s stature and ability should be very proud of. After a strong first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, Malkin was nearly invisible in the second round loss to the Canadiens, posting 3 points and a -2 in the seven games. It is very possible that Malkin was just never right last year from the assortment of injuries, or that his shoulder injury hindered him more than he let on, but whatever the reason was Malkin did not look like the same player we had become accustomed to the previous two seasons.
Malkin is off to a slow start again this year, posting just six points in the team’s first seven games and recording a plus/minus of +1. Granted, the season is just getting underway and the sample size is extremely small but I am seeing some of the same sluggish play that Malkin exhibited last year. Malkin is still a good player, a very good player, and is one of the primary reasons the Penguins are a Stanley Cup contender. He has the ability to be a truly great player, however, and the Penguins need “Geno” to get back to that level. The difference between the '08-’09 Malkin and the ’09-’10 Malkin is the difference between the Penguins being a Cup contender and a Cup favorite.
Another guy not on the ice for the last three wins, or for any of the seven games so far, has been Jordan Staal. Staal, who is recovering from an infection in his foot resulting from offseason surgery, has returned to the ice and begun skating once again. Staal actually practiced with the Penguins for the first time yesterday. The timetable for his return is not known but it is now safe to assume that Staal will make it all the way back. Sometimes these infections can be trickier and more dangerous than they sound, as this one proved with the continual reoccurrence. It is good news to hear that Staal should be back in the not too distant future.
No, the Penguins early season worries are not the poor play of Fleury or the absence of Staal, it is the play of Evgeni Malkin. Malkin’s play, while good, has not reached the super-duper star level that so many of us thought he was headed for during his dominant streak back in 2007-2008. Malkin carried the Penguins during the ’07-’08 regular season when Sidney Crosby went down to an injury, earning a second place finish in the Hart Trophy voting for the NHL MVP. Malkin followed that season up with a fabulous 2008-‘09 by winning the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer. He continued that dominant streak in the playoffs where he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoffs MVP, helping the Pens hoist the Stanly Cup for the first time since 1992. It had pretty much become fact that the Penguins’ owned two of the league’s top three players in Crosby and Malkin and that the Penguins would have a leg up on the competition for the foreseeable future with such a talented 1-2 combination at center.
While Crosby has maintained his position in the argument for the league’s top player with Alex Ovechkin, rarely do you hear Evgeni Malkin’s name mentioned in that conversation anymore. Malkin suffered through an injury-filled 2009, one that saw him miss seven games in early November to a shoulder injury and 15 games in all. Malkin’s points per game average dropped to 1.15, down from 1.38 and 1.29 in ’07-’08 and ’08-’09, respectively. Malkin also saw his plus/minus number dip from +16 and +17 the previous two years to a pedestrian -6. Those are not the figures that a player of Malkin’s stature and ability should be very proud of. After a strong first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, Malkin was nearly invisible in the second round loss to the Canadiens, posting 3 points and a -2 in the seven games. It is very possible that Malkin was just never right last year from the assortment of injuries, or that his shoulder injury hindered him more than he let on, but whatever the reason was Malkin did not look like the same player we had become accustomed to the previous two seasons.
Malkin is off to a slow start again this year, posting just six points in the team’s first seven games and recording a plus/minus of +1. Granted, the season is just getting underway and the sample size is extremely small but I am seeing some of the same sluggish play that Malkin exhibited last year. Malkin is still a good player, a very good player, and is one of the primary reasons the Penguins are a Stanley Cup contender. He has the ability to be a truly great player, however, and the Penguins need “Geno” to get back to that level. The difference between the '08-’09 Malkin and the ’09-’10 Malkin is the difference between the Penguins being a Cup contender and a Cup favorite.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Stanley Cup or Bust for Penguins
The Penguins open the new Consol Energy Center tonight for the start of their 2010-2011 season. The game will be the Penguins 167th straight sellout going back over three years ago to the soon to be demolished Mellon Arena. It’s no surprise that the team has attracted such great crowds with the players they have assembled and the winning they have done since Sidney Crosby’s arrival. The same reason that the team has done so well at the gates, however, is the reason I approach the regular season with a bit of a yawn.
We all know that the Penguins are going to make the playoffs, making these next 82 games pretty much a formality. It is not until then that the success of the Penguins’ season will be judged. When you have the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Brooks Orpik, Marc Andre-Fleury and more, anything less than another Stanley Cup championship has to be considered a disappointment.
Don’t get me wrong, I am excited for the start of the Penguins’ season. The NHL regular season, unlike that of the NBA (whose season is also pretty meaningless for the top teams), is still played with a ton of intensity and provides a good bit of entertainment. Games like tonight’s match-up against a heated rival such as the Flyers have a playoff-like feel. But no matter how great the Penguins play over the next several months, it won’t matter until the Stanley Cup playoffs begin.
There are a few things I will be keeping an eye on in the early part of the season. I want to see how the new additions fit in, especially Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek on the blue line. I want to see how the power play does with the departure of Segei Gonchar and how Kris Letang, Alex Goligoski and Malkin do running the point in his place. I am very interested to see how the new third line of Max Talbot, Matt Cooke and Arron Asham perform. I will be watching to see how Staal looks when he makes his way back on the ice, particularly if he is fully recovered from the infection resulting from his offseason foot surgery and more importantly how he does playing on the second line, presumably with Malkin. Lastly, I will be watching how Coach Dan Bylsma mixes and matches his lines to see what combinations give the Penguins their best chance for postseason success.
Really, though, I will be tuning in hoping that the Pens manage to stay healthy. After all, health is the only real reason I can see this team not making another run at the Cup. Anything less than that will be a disappointment.
We all know that the Penguins are going to make the playoffs, making these next 82 games pretty much a formality. It is not until then that the success of the Penguins’ season will be judged. When you have the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Brooks Orpik, Marc Andre-Fleury and more, anything less than another Stanley Cup championship has to be considered a disappointment.
Don’t get me wrong, I am excited for the start of the Penguins’ season. The NHL regular season, unlike that of the NBA (whose season is also pretty meaningless for the top teams), is still played with a ton of intensity and provides a good bit of entertainment. Games like tonight’s match-up against a heated rival such as the Flyers have a playoff-like feel. But no matter how great the Penguins play over the next several months, it won’t matter until the Stanley Cup playoffs begin.
There are a few things I will be keeping an eye on in the early part of the season. I want to see how the new additions fit in, especially Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek on the blue line. I want to see how the power play does with the departure of Segei Gonchar and how Kris Letang, Alex Goligoski and Malkin do running the point in his place. I am very interested to see how the new third line of Max Talbot, Matt Cooke and Arron Asham perform. I will be watching to see how Staal looks when he makes his way back on the ice, particularly if he is fully recovered from the infection resulting from his offseason foot surgery and more importantly how he does playing on the second line, presumably with Malkin. Lastly, I will be watching how Coach Dan Bylsma mixes and matches his lines to see what combinations give the Penguins their best chance for postseason success.
Really, though, I will be tuning in hoping that the Pens manage to stay healthy. After all, health is the only real reason I can see this team not making another run at the Cup. Anything less than that will be a disappointment.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Fast and Furious Start to NHL Free Agency
The NHL Free Agency period is off to a fast and furious start. This seems like it occurs every year with the NHL as the signings happen so fast that they become impossible to keep track of. Throw in the fact that there are about four million free agents in the market (actual number on the ESPN free agent tracker is well over 600 players), half of whom you see once a year at most, and it becomes almost entirely hopeless to grasp who has done what with their rosters. That being said, here are a few of the more notable signings that I have seen, and their potential impacts on the respective teams.
Anton Volchenkov (6 years, $25.5M) and Henrik Tallinder (4 years, $13.5M) to the Devils – The game of defensemen musical chairs continued on day one. The Penguins essentially traded Gonchar and Hamhuis for Martin and Michalek. The Devils did some retooling of their own on the blue line with the additions of Volchenkov, a very defensive minded guy, and Tallinder, a good puck moving defenseman. These signings should be helpful to the Devils but they do not address their primary concern which should be putting the puck in the other team’s net. I would also rather have the Penguins’ two additions, both of whom are younger and slightly more versatile.
Dan Hamhuis (6 years, $27M) to the Canucks – Speaking of Hamhuis and moving defenseman, Hamhuis’ rights were traded twice before free agency began with neither team, Penguins included, coming close to signing this solid two-way defender because of his desire to return home to the British Columbia. This is a nice signing, and it came gift-wrapped, for Vancouver who continue to upgrade their roster in front of Roberto Luongo. The addition of one or two scorers could make the Canucks a viable Stanley Cup contender next year.
Toni Lydman (3 years, $9M) to the Ducks – I am not so much thrilled with this move for the Ducks, although Lydman is a good skater and passer from the blue line and becomes a cheap replacement for the retired Scott Niedermayer, as I am wondering what the Buffalo Sabres are doing. Losing Lydman and Tallinder in front of goaltender Ryan Miller could prove to be a significant blow to a team who was built around winning games 1-0 and 2-1 last year.
Ray Whitney (2 years, $6M) to the Coyotes – I mention Whitney because he was on many people’s short list for the Penguins to acquire and shows the relative lack of scoring punch on the market. Despite being 38-years-old, I like the signing for Phoenix as the relative small dollar amount and short timeframe limit the risk associated with the winger’s age. For a team needing some scoring power, Whitney was one of the better alternatives out there.
Antero Niittymaki (2 years, $4M) to the Sharks – From the ”this does not make any sense” category, the Sharks decided to let Evgeni Nabokov leave to sign Antero Niittymaki, the same Niittymaki that was a career bum in Philadelphia and Tampa Bay. What? Say that again, please. I know that the Sharks have been extremely disappointing in the post season the past few years, but they let their world-class goaltender, the one who led them to the Western Conference Finals last year and the best record in hockey over the last three years, leave for a career underachiever with no Stanley Cup playoff credentials. I can honestly say that I do not understand that one. There is going to be a team that gets Nabokov at a discount in this free agency and turn out to be very happy that they did.
And finally, for all of the Penguins fans out there, Colby Armstrong signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs for three years and $9 million. I know Colby was a fan favorite here but I am glad that he signed on day one so that we would not have to hear his name continue to come up in these parts. Armstrong is a nice role player, but he is not worth the $3M per year that he received on the open market, a price that reflects the lack of forward depth available. Good for Colby and I hope to see him do well, just glad that he was never on Ray Shero’s radar.
Anton Volchenkov (6 years, $25.5M) and Henrik Tallinder (4 years, $13.5M) to the Devils – The game of defensemen musical chairs continued on day one. The Penguins essentially traded Gonchar and Hamhuis for Martin and Michalek. The Devils did some retooling of their own on the blue line with the additions of Volchenkov, a very defensive minded guy, and Tallinder, a good puck moving defenseman. These signings should be helpful to the Devils but they do not address their primary concern which should be putting the puck in the other team’s net. I would also rather have the Penguins’ two additions, both of whom are younger and slightly more versatile.
Dan Hamhuis (6 years, $27M) to the Canucks – Speaking of Hamhuis and moving defenseman, Hamhuis’ rights were traded twice before free agency began with neither team, Penguins included, coming close to signing this solid two-way defender because of his desire to return home to the British Columbia. This is a nice signing, and it came gift-wrapped, for Vancouver who continue to upgrade their roster in front of Roberto Luongo. The addition of one or two scorers could make the Canucks a viable Stanley Cup contender next year.
Toni Lydman (3 years, $9M) to the Ducks – I am not so much thrilled with this move for the Ducks, although Lydman is a good skater and passer from the blue line and becomes a cheap replacement for the retired Scott Niedermayer, as I am wondering what the Buffalo Sabres are doing. Losing Lydman and Tallinder in front of goaltender Ryan Miller could prove to be a significant blow to a team who was built around winning games 1-0 and 2-1 last year.
Ray Whitney (2 years, $6M) to the Coyotes – I mention Whitney because he was on many people’s short list for the Penguins to acquire and shows the relative lack of scoring punch on the market. Despite being 38-years-old, I like the signing for Phoenix as the relative small dollar amount and short timeframe limit the risk associated with the winger’s age. For a team needing some scoring power, Whitney was one of the better alternatives out there.
Antero Niittymaki (2 years, $4M) to the Sharks – From the ”this does not make any sense” category, the Sharks decided to let Evgeni Nabokov leave to sign Antero Niittymaki, the same Niittymaki that was a career bum in Philadelphia and Tampa Bay. What? Say that again, please. I know that the Sharks have been extremely disappointing in the post season the past few years, but they let their world-class goaltender, the one who led them to the Western Conference Finals last year and the best record in hockey over the last three years, leave for a career underachiever with no Stanley Cup playoff credentials. I can honestly say that I do not understand that one. There is going to be a team that gets Nabokov at a discount in this free agency and turn out to be very happy that they did.
And finally, for all of the Penguins fans out there, Colby Armstrong signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs for three years and $9 million. I know Colby was a fan favorite here but I am glad that he signed on day one so that we would not have to hear his name continue to come up in these parts. Armstrong is a nice role player, but he is not worth the $3M per year that he received on the open market, a price that reflects the lack of forward depth available. Good for Colby and I hope to see him do well, just glad that he was never on Ray Shero’s radar.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Pens Sign Defensemen
It is now being reported that the Penguins have signed a defenseman to replace the departed Sergei Gonchar. Dave Molinari of the Post Gazette is reporting that the Penguins have signed Zbynek Michalek, formerly of the Phoenix Coyotes, to a four year deal worth around $20 million. Molinari writes of the new defenseman, who is only 27-years-old, “Michalek, 27, is an accomplished shot-blocker who plays big minutes and is extremely solid in the defensive zone.”
I have to be honest here as I have not seen much of Michalek so I cannot pass judgment on the player first-hand. As most of you know, the Coyotes do not get too much TV time in these parts. But if what Molinari writes is true, and there is no reason to doubt such an accomplished writer, this is the perfect replacement for Gonchar and another brilliant job by General Manager Ray Shero. The Penguins biggest problem in the playoffs last year was their defense corps inability to shut down their opponents. Adding a solid, defensive minded player to the blue line is exactly what the Penguins needed to add this offseason.
Michalek accumulated 17 points, 30 penalty minutes and a plus five in 72 regular season games last year for the overachieving Coyotes. The penalty minutes seem to be a bit on the low side for a defensive-minded blue-liner, but the rest of his attributes seem solid.
Molinari is also reporting that the Penguins have signed defenseman Paul Martin, formerly of the New Jersey Devils, to a 5 year deal worth $25 million. Martin, as some might recall, was hit with a slapshot in a game against the Penguins at Mellon Arena last year that effectively ended his season. Martin is another solid player in his own zone and was going to play for the United States in last year’s Olympics.
Shero is certainly acknowledging that the loss of his shutdown tandem of Rob Scuderi and Hal Gill last summer was a mistake. The Penguins have now signed two defensemen that are very solid in their own end but will not have the impact in the offensive zone that Gonchar or even Jordan Leopold had. I am a little surprised that the Penguins signed two of this type of defenseman, especially to four and five year contracts, respectively, but I must say that I like what the Penguins are doing so far.
I have to be honest here as I have not seen much of Michalek so I cannot pass judgment on the player first-hand. As most of you know, the Coyotes do not get too much TV time in these parts. But if what Molinari writes is true, and there is no reason to doubt such an accomplished writer, this is the perfect replacement for Gonchar and another brilliant job by General Manager Ray Shero. The Penguins biggest problem in the playoffs last year was their defense corps inability to shut down their opponents. Adding a solid, defensive minded player to the blue line is exactly what the Penguins needed to add this offseason.
Michalek accumulated 17 points, 30 penalty minutes and a plus five in 72 regular season games last year for the overachieving Coyotes. The penalty minutes seem to be a bit on the low side for a defensive-minded blue-liner, but the rest of his attributes seem solid.
Molinari is also reporting that the Penguins have signed defenseman Paul Martin, formerly of the New Jersey Devils, to a 5 year deal worth $25 million. Martin, as some might recall, was hit with a slapshot in a game against the Penguins at Mellon Arena last year that effectively ended his season. Martin is another solid player in his own zone and was going to play for the United States in last year’s Olympics.
Shero is certainly acknowledging that the loss of his shutdown tandem of Rob Scuderi and Hal Gill last summer was a mistake. The Penguins have now signed two defensemen that are very solid in their own end but will not have the impact in the offensive zone that Gonchar or even Jordan Leopold had. I am a little surprised that the Penguins signed two of this type of defenseman, especially to four and five year contracts, respectively, but I must say that I like what the Penguins are doing so far.
Gonchar Headed to Ottawa
News is being reported that Sergei Gonchar has signed a deal with Ottawa for 3 years at $5.5 million per year. If the sources are correct, I say "Bye, Bye Gonch!"
Gonchar is still a solid player at 36 years old, but he is nowhere near the player that helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup two seasons ago. He has lost a step in my opinion, and seemed to shy away from contact last year more than he had in the past, something that can be expected of a player that age.
The Penguins have two young offensive defensemen in Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski that can replace what Sergei does on the power play, a power play that severely underachieved last year I might add. Gonchar is a stable presence and good veteran in the locker room, but the Penguins have plenty of leadership in Sidney Crosby. If the Penguins are able to use the money they saved from not resigning Gonchar to bring in a younger, lockdown defender such as Anton Volchenkov, I think it will be a win in the long run for the Pens.
As for the Senators, it is a decent sign albeit one that may be a little too long, but it is not a cure for what ails them most. On the positive, Ottawa has lacked a puck moving defender on their blue line for some time now and Gonchar should work well with the Senators' good group of offensive forwards. The Senators problem, however, has been goaltending, and Gonchar surely does not solve that problem.
Gonchar is still a solid player at 36 years old, but he is nowhere near the player that helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup two seasons ago. He has lost a step in my opinion, and seemed to shy away from contact last year more than he had in the past, something that can be expected of a player that age.
The Penguins have two young offensive defensemen in Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski that can replace what Sergei does on the power play, a power play that severely underachieved last year I might add. Gonchar is a stable presence and good veteran in the locker room, but the Penguins have plenty of leadership in Sidney Crosby. If the Penguins are able to use the money they saved from not resigning Gonchar to bring in a younger, lockdown defender such as Anton Volchenkov, I think it will be a win in the long run for the Pens.
As for the Senators, it is a decent sign albeit one that may be a little too long, but it is not a cure for what ails them most. On the positive, Ottawa has lacked a puck moving defender on their blue line for some time now and Gonchar should work well with the Senators' good group of offensive forwards. The Senators problem, however, has been goaltending, and Gonchar surely does not solve that problem.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
NBA and NHL Free Agency Period Set to Begin
The NBA free agency period begins in about a half hour, 12:01am EST on July 1st. This NBA free agent class will probably go down as the greatest in the history of sport. The top prize, as everyone who has a pulse has heard whether they have wanted to or not thanks to ESPN, is LeBron James. James is not the only prized free agent out there, however, as future Hall of Famers on the market include Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitski, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Other All-Stars still in the prime of their career and could someday reach HOF status include A’mare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Joe Johnson and David Lee. Throw in a few restricted free agents such as Rudy Gay and J.J. Redick and what you have is a historic free agent class. The landscape of the NBA for the next 5-10 years will depend on the next few days or weeks and where each of these particular guys end up.
The NHL free agency period begins not long after that of the NBA’s with a twelve-noon EST starting time tomorrow. While the NHL free agency class lacks the marquee names that the NBA free agency list possesses, there are a number of valuable players and stars that could contribute to Stanley Cup contenders next year.
Check back on the blog as I analyze every major move as it happens and its potential impact on next season and beyond for the particular teams and players involved.
The NHL free agency period begins not long after that of the NBA’s with a twelve-noon EST starting time tomorrow. While the NHL free agency class lacks the marquee names that the NBA free agency list possesses, there are a number of valuable players and stars that could contribute to Stanley Cup contenders next year.
Check back on the blog as I analyze every major move as it happens and its potential impact on next season and beyond for the particular teams and players involved.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Memorial Day Smorgasbord
I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the men and women who have served and are serving our country. We cannot thank you enough for your service and dedication to the United States.
I have been traveling too much for my liking and have not been able to write nearly as much as I would like. Let’s cover a bunch of topics in short order:
· I will be the first to admit that I never saw this coming from the Boston Celtics. I never anticipated them beating Cleveland and did not give them much of a chance against the Magic either. My Dad contends that he does not understand why people DIDN’T see this coming and I quote, “They are the same team that won the championship in 2008 but now they have a great point guard as well.” He just may be right, and hindsight is always easier, but anyone who saw this team play during the regular season, hell anyone who just follows the scores and standings, will attest that this team looked old, slow and past their window of opportunity. Only Pierce and Rondo were competing at a high level and the Celtics were all but ready to give Ray Allen away at the deadline. For someone like my Dad who doesn’t follow the NBA until the playoffs start, the above quote makes sense and maybe it proves that the regular season matters much less than we want to give it credit for.
· Meanwhile, everyone expected the Lakers to be here. I picked the Jazz to upset the Lakers in the second round but that was before their own seven- footer was out for the series, which pretty much eliminated any chance they had. When the Lakers are playing right, and by right I mean pounding the ball down low to Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum and then allowing Kobe to take over in the fourth quarter, they are the best team in the league. Their problem is that they do not play “right” nearly enough. It should be interesting to see how the Lakers attack the Celtics in the Finals. I will have much more on my thoughts heading into Game One later this week.
· Before the series began I predicted the Blackhawks to hoist the Cup in seven and so far my prediction looks good. I did, however, struggle mightily with this one as I feel the Flyers have what it takes to knock off the ultra-talented Blackhawks. The Flyers went out last summer and acquired Chris Pronger to deal with the likes of Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby come Stanley Cup Playoff time. They knew that the move may cost them some wins in the regular season as they adapted styles and integrated Pronger, but their objective was to become a better playoff roster and the plan has worked to perfection. Despite avoiding Ovechkin and Crosby in the playoffs, it has been Pronger’s presence along the blue line that has pushed the Flyers over the top of the Eastern Conference and into the Finals. I expect a big game from Pronger tomorrow night and hope the Flyers extend this series as it has been some really entertaining hockey in the first two games.
· The Pirates stand at 20-31 right now after losing 9 of their last 11, but I believe the number is 19-22 when Charlie Morton is not the starter. Granted many teams could potentially throw out a figure like that, but it goes to show that; (1) how bad Morton really has been, and; (2) that the Pirates are competing hard every night. As I alluded to in an earlier post, the Pirates obviously are not the most talented team in the league but they do have guys like Andrew McCutchen, Ryan Doumit and Garrett Jones that are worth watching and a few more of those guys, namely Brad Lincoln, Pedro Alvarez and Jose Tabata, that should be here in the near future.
· Speaking of Morton, his former team and my National League Wild Card pick the Atlanta Braves have been surging in the NL East. Their recent surge has nothing to do with the play of Nate McLouth, however, who is batting .184 on the year with 3 HRs and 4 SBs. McLouth is in danger of finding himself in a platoon role or possibly even a full-time bench role if he doesn’t pick up his play. Despite Morton’s struggles, I would still take the package today that the Pirates received for McLouth from Atlanta in a heartbeat. For reminder’s sake, that package also included Jeff Locke and Gorkys Hernandez in addition to Charlie Morton.
· Finally, with Boston starting to play as we expected and Toronto playing great baseball the AL East looks like it could be an unbelievable race throughout the summer. I do think that the Blue Jays will eventually take a backseat to the Rays, Yankees and Red Sox, but the intensity and urgency of the top three as they battle for what most likely will be two playoff spots should be great theater. One of these teams very easily could miss the playoffs with 90+ wins.
I have been traveling too much for my liking and have not been able to write nearly as much as I would like. Let’s cover a bunch of topics in short order:
· I will be the first to admit that I never saw this coming from the Boston Celtics. I never anticipated them beating Cleveland and did not give them much of a chance against the Magic either. My Dad contends that he does not understand why people DIDN’T see this coming and I quote, “They are the same team that won the championship in 2008 but now they have a great point guard as well.” He just may be right, and hindsight is always easier, but anyone who saw this team play during the regular season, hell anyone who just follows the scores and standings, will attest that this team looked old, slow and past their window of opportunity. Only Pierce and Rondo were competing at a high level and the Celtics were all but ready to give Ray Allen away at the deadline. For someone like my Dad who doesn’t follow the NBA until the playoffs start, the above quote makes sense and maybe it proves that the regular season matters much less than we want to give it credit for.
· Meanwhile, everyone expected the Lakers to be here. I picked the Jazz to upset the Lakers in the second round but that was before their own seven- footer was out for the series, which pretty much eliminated any chance they had. When the Lakers are playing right, and by right I mean pounding the ball down low to Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum and then allowing Kobe to take over in the fourth quarter, they are the best team in the league. Their problem is that they do not play “right” nearly enough. It should be interesting to see how the Lakers attack the Celtics in the Finals. I will have much more on my thoughts heading into Game One later this week.
· Before the series began I predicted the Blackhawks to hoist the Cup in seven and so far my prediction looks good. I did, however, struggle mightily with this one as I feel the Flyers have what it takes to knock off the ultra-talented Blackhawks. The Flyers went out last summer and acquired Chris Pronger to deal with the likes of Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby come Stanley Cup Playoff time. They knew that the move may cost them some wins in the regular season as they adapted styles and integrated Pronger, but their objective was to become a better playoff roster and the plan has worked to perfection. Despite avoiding Ovechkin and Crosby in the playoffs, it has been Pronger’s presence along the blue line that has pushed the Flyers over the top of the Eastern Conference and into the Finals. I expect a big game from Pronger tomorrow night and hope the Flyers extend this series as it has been some really entertaining hockey in the first two games.
· The Pirates stand at 20-31 right now after losing 9 of their last 11, but I believe the number is 19-22 when Charlie Morton is not the starter. Granted many teams could potentially throw out a figure like that, but it goes to show that; (1) how bad Morton really has been, and; (2) that the Pirates are competing hard every night. As I alluded to in an earlier post, the Pirates obviously are not the most talented team in the league but they do have guys like Andrew McCutchen, Ryan Doumit and Garrett Jones that are worth watching and a few more of those guys, namely Brad Lincoln, Pedro Alvarez and Jose Tabata, that should be here in the near future.
· Speaking of Morton, his former team and my National League Wild Card pick the Atlanta Braves have been surging in the NL East. Their recent surge has nothing to do with the play of Nate McLouth, however, who is batting .184 on the year with 3 HRs and 4 SBs. McLouth is in danger of finding himself in a platoon role or possibly even a full-time bench role if he doesn’t pick up his play. Despite Morton’s struggles, I would still take the package today that the Pirates received for McLouth from Atlanta in a heartbeat. For reminder’s sake, that package also included Jeff Locke and Gorkys Hernandez in addition to Charlie Morton.
· Finally, with Boston starting to play as we expected and Toronto playing great baseball the AL East looks like it could be an unbelievable race throughout the summer. I do think that the Blue Jays will eventually take a backseat to the Rays, Yankees and Red Sox, but the intensity and urgency of the top three as they battle for what most likely will be two playoff spots should be great theater. One of these teams very easily could miss the playoffs with 90+ wins.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Stanley Cup Prediction
I have been on the road a ton lately and have not been able to write nearly as much as I would like. We will make up for that on Monday with a special edition Memorial Day Smorgasbord covering all of the things happening around the sports world. But with the Stanley Cup begining tonight, it is time to get an official prediction on record, with more of my reasoning coming as part of Monday's extended column.
Blackhawks in seven.
Blackhawks in seven.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Conference Finals Look
The NBA and NHL Conference Finals are under way with one game in the books in each. After watching each of the game ones, I have not wavered from any of the picks I would have made before the series, though Orlando definitely came out flat. Let’s take a quick look at each of the series and who I think will advance.
In hockey I have looked pretty smart so far except for the surprising run by the Canadiens who have upset both Washington and Pittsburgh, two teams I expected to play in the conference finals. That being said I have still hit on two-thirds of the series so far and have generally forecasted what transpired.
I do think the Canadiens run is over, however, and Philadelphia, much like Pittsburgh and Washington, has too much firepower for Montreal to handle. Philadelphia looked dominant in game one and I do not expect this series to go very deep. The clock always strikes midnight at some point on Cinderella. Flyers in five.
In the west, I pegged Chicago from the start to make the Stanley Cup so there is definitely no point in changing now, especially after they found a way to win game one in San Jose. I expect San Jose to bounce back strong in game two and this to become a very physical, difficult series for Chicago. In the end, however, I think the Blackhawks have one too many stars with Toews, Kane and Hossa. Blackhawks in six.
My original forecast in the NBA playoffs has not looked nearly as good as my NHL predictions as three of the four teams still standing were not in my original final four. Who would have thought a Boston team that looked tired and old all season long still had something in the tank and that the Suns would finally get over their nemesis, the Spurs. The Lakers on the other hand, were expected to reach this point by virtually every pundit out there besides me. I still contend that a healthy Jazz team with their seven-footer would have at least made their Lakers series very interesting, with three of the four games still being very competitive despite Okur’s absence. Well let’s rebound to get these remaining series correct…
In the Eastern Conference I am sticking with the Orlando Magic despite their game one setback to Boston. This is the best that the Celtics have played since the 2008 Finals, but Orlando’s defense, depth and shooting ability will eventually be enough to squeak by the old dogs. Magic in seven.
Out West, despite the Lakers and Kobe’s brilliant performance in game one, I expect the Suns to make this series very interesting. The Suns are going to make the Lakers big men run the floor and play defense, and Kobe will not play that well every game. In the end, however, Lamar Odom is a big mismatch for Phoenix and I still trust Kobe Bryant to get the job done if this series reaches a game seven over anyone that the Suns have. Lakers in seven.
In hockey I have looked pretty smart so far except for the surprising run by the Canadiens who have upset both Washington and Pittsburgh, two teams I expected to play in the conference finals. That being said I have still hit on two-thirds of the series so far and have generally forecasted what transpired.
I do think the Canadiens run is over, however, and Philadelphia, much like Pittsburgh and Washington, has too much firepower for Montreal to handle. Philadelphia looked dominant in game one and I do not expect this series to go very deep. The clock always strikes midnight at some point on Cinderella. Flyers in five.
In the west, I pegged Chicago from the start to make the Stanley Cup so there is definitely no point in changing now, especially after they found a way to win game one in San Jose. I expect San Jose to bounce back strong in game two and this to become a very physical, difficult series for Chicago. In the end, however, I think the Blackhawks have one too many stars with Toews, Kane and Hossa. Blackhawks in six.
My original forecast in the NBA playoffs has not looked nearly as good as my NHL predictions as three of the four teams still standing were not in my original final four. Who would have thought a Boston team that looked tired and old all season long still had something in the tank and that the Suns would finally get over their nemesis, the Spurs. The Lakers on the other hand, were expected to reach this point by virtually every pundit out there besides me. I still contend that a healthy Jazz team with their seven-footer would have at least made their Lakers series very interesting, with three of the four games still being very competitive despite Okur’s absence. Well let’s rebound to get these remaining series correct…
In the Eastern Conference I am sticking with the Orlando Magic despite their game one setback to Boston. This is the best that the Celtics have played since the 2008 Finals, but Orlando’s defense, depth and shooting ability will eventually be enough to squeak by the old dogs. Magic in seven.
Out West, despite the Lakers and Kobe’s brilliant performance in game one, I expect the Suns to make this series very interesting. The Suns are going to make the Lakers big men run the floor and play defense, and Kobe will not play that well every game. In the end, however, Lamar Odom is a big mismatch for Phoenix and I still trust Kobe Bryant to get the job done if this series reaches a game seven over anyone that the Suns have. Lakers in seven.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
NHL Playoffs Round-Up
The NHL Playoffs are in full gear and we are already seeing some injuries begin to mount from the remaining eight teams competing for the Cup. My predictions in the opening round looked like they were going to be pretty solid until Washington pulled one of the all-time choke jobs, becoming the first number one seed in history to blow a 3-1 series advantage over a number eight seed. Speaking of which…
· I do not want to jinx the Pens here, and I will save a longer version of my thoughts on Sidney Crosby until after the season and hopefully another Stanley Cup run, but as a Penguins fan could you ever imagine a Crosby-led team losing in a game seven when they are clearly the superior team. I have long withheld the notion that Crosby was a better all-around hockey player than Alexander Ovechkin, no matter how entertaining of a player “Ovie” is, and the Montreal upset of Ovechkin’s Capitals in the first round has cemented this notion for me.
· I alluded to the Penguins' defense being sub-par, at least compared with last year’s Cup team, after Ottawa’s game one upset in the Penguins opening round series. I have not seen much to dispel that thought since as the Penguins are allowing over three goals per game in their eight playoff games. If there is any reason why the Penguins will not repeat, barring injury, it will be their play in their own end of the ice that will be the culprit.
· I am a little shocked by the Boston Bruins’ ability to jump out to a 2-0 series lead against the Philadelphia Flyers. I liked the Flyers’ chances to slide by New Jersey in the first round and I really liked their chances to get by the Bruins in the Conference semifinals. The Flyers personnel department built this team for postseason success and the plan looked to be coming to fruition until the Flyers players decided to get outworked by the Bruins in the first two games of this series.
· The Bruins have scored the first and last goal in each of the two games and have yet to trail in a game in the series so far. If the Flyers do not come out with more intensity from the start of game three, this series could be all but in the bag for Boston. I do think, however, that the Philly crowd rejuvenates the Flyers and we end up getting a great series out of these historic rivals. I just don’t feel as confident about my Flyers pick as I did at the outset.
· In past years, the Western Conference had clearly been the superior conference top to bottom. I think the tide may have turned, however, judging by the speed and intensity in the Eastern Conference playoffs this year. I am sure that has had a lot to do with teams competing with and building their teams around playing against Crosby and Ovechkin.
· My Western Conference winner, the Chicago Blackhawks, have not played particularly well up to this point. The main problem has been goaltending. Take away Antti Niemi’s two shutouts and the goaltender has given up over 3.3 goals per game in Chicago’s other six games. Chicago did get a big win last night, however, to even up the series with Roberto Luongo and the Vancouver Canucks. I still feel as though the Blackhawks have too much talent with Toews, Kane and Hossa not to get out of the West, I just hope the goaltending does not cost them.
· Detroit trails San Jose, who I did pick to win this series, 2-0 in their Western Conference semifinal. Even down two games you get the feeling that Detroit will somehow get back into this series as they head back to Detroit for games three and four. The Red Wings have too much pride and too much talent still to bow out easily. Their problem, much like the Blackhawks, has been goaltending. This is their goaltender Jimmy Howard’s first action in a Stanley Cup playoff and the 26-year-old has given up 20 goals in Detroit’s five losses in the playoffs.
· I am sticking with my original prediction of the Penguins over the Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals. The key, for both teams, will be limiting their opponents’ opportunities as both hockey clubs possess more talent from their forwards than any of the other remaining playoff teams.
· I do not want to jinx the Pens here, and I will save a longer version of my thoughts on Sidney Crosby until after the season and hopefully another Stanley Cup run, but as a Penguins fan could you ever imagine a Crosby-led team losing in a game seven when they are clearly the superior team. I have long withheld the notion that Crosby was a better all-around hockey player than Alexander Ovechkin, no matter how entertaining of a player “Ovie” is, and the Montreal upset of Ovechkin’s Capitals in the first round has cemented this notion for me.
· I alluded to the Penguins' defense being sub-par, at least compared with last year’s Cup team, after Ottawa’s game one upset in the Penguins opening round series. I have not seen much to dispel that thought since as the Penguins are allowing over three goals per game in their eight playoff games. If there is any reason why the Penguins will not repeat, barring injury, it will be their play in their own end of the ice that will be the culprit.
· I am a little shocked by the Boston Bruins’ ability to jump out to a 2-0 series lead against the Philadelphia Flyers. I liked the Flyers’ chances to slide by New Jersey in the first round and I really liked their chances to get by the Bruins in the Conference semifinals. The Flyers personnel department built this team for postseason success and the plan looked to be coming to fruition until the Flyers players decided to get outworked by the Bruins in the first two games of this series.
· The Bruins have scored the first and last goal in each of the two games and have yet to trail in a game in the series so far. If the Flyers do not come out with more intensity from the start of game three, this series could be all but in the bag for Boston. I do think, however, that the Philly crowd rejuvenates the Flyers and we end up getting a great series out of these historic rivals. I just don’t feel as confident about my Flyers pick as I did at the outset.
· In past years, the Western Conference had clearly been the superior conference top to bottom. I think the tide may have turned, however, judging by the speed and intensity in the Eastern Conference playoffs this year. I am sure that has had a lot to do with teams competing with and building their teams around playing against Crosby and Ovechkin.
· My Western Conference winner, the Chicago Blackhawks, have not played particularly well up to this point. The main problem has been goaltending. Take away Antti Niemi’s two shutouts and the goaltender has given up over 3.3 goals per game in Chicago’s other six games. Chicago did get a big win last night, however, to even up the series with Roberto Luongo and the Vancouver Canucks. I still feel as though the Blackhawks have too much talent with Toews, Kane and Hossa not to get out of the West, I just hope the goaltending does not cost them.
· Detroit trails San Jose, who I did pick to win this series, 2-0 in their Western Conference semifinal. Even down two games you get the feeling that Detroit will somehow get back into this series as they head back to Detroit for games three and four. The Red Wings have too much pride and too much talent still to bow out easily. Their problem, much like the Blackhawks, has been goaltending. This is their goaltender Jimmy Howard’s first action in a Stanley Cup playoff and the 26-year-old has given up 20 goals in Detroit’s five losses in the playoffs.
· I am sticking with my original prediction of the Penguins over the Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals. The key, for both teams, will be limiting their opponents’ opportunities as both hockey clubs possess more talent from their forwards than any of the other remaining playoff teams.
Friday, April 30, 2010
NHL 2nd Round Predictions
I have a number of thoughts that I have been working on concerning the NHL and NBA playoffs that will be up within the next 24 hours. In the meantime, let's get our conference semifinal hockey predictions on paper:
Eastern Conference
Penguins over Canadiens in five.
Flyers over Bruins in six.
Western Conference
Sharks over Red Wings in six.
Blackhawks over Canucks in five.
Eastern Conference
Penguins over Canadiens in five.
Flyers over Bruins in six.
Western Conference
Sharks over Red Wings in six.
Blackhawks over Canucks in five.
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