The Front Nine (Sports Thoughts)

 

Before we begin, a video: The very second Tracy Porter makes the interception and runs it back for a touchdown, everyone knows the game is over.  Take a couple second gander at how this bar in New Orleans felt about that:

Um, they were excited.

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Alrighty – my TBAF (To Blog About Files) are stuffed full.  It’s time to play 18 holes – nine today, nine tomorrow.  Let’s tee off:

#1) 

Charging is defined as taking more than three strides (or maybe it’s two, whatever) before hitting a guy.  The problem with that definition is, IT’S HOCKEY.  You’re taking strides to get everywhere.  When a hit becomes available, you’ve been taking strides, so the question becomes… How long do you have to coast to nullify a charge?  If you’re hustling on the backcheck, and some guy starts to cut to the middle, how are you supposed to skate to legally be able to separate the man from the puck?  I think we need to make charging more about intent than about a physical description of the play.

#2) 

For the first time this season, I checked out some ECHL stats yesterday, and was pleasantly surprised.  Turns out my boy Ryan Kinasewich is leading the league in points, which is awesome.  It’s the guys sixth ECHL year, and he’s got a million ECHL points, but I guess AHL teams are like… Nope, he just scores too consistently, it’s really annoying.  He wasn’t drafted.  He doesn’t fit our mold of ”big and young.”  I just checked – he’s played 264 ECHL games over six seasons, with 362 points (156 goals, 32 so far this year).  He’s still only 26.

#3)

I haven’t gotten around to doing the research yet, but I think it’s a fair question to discuss:  I haven’t seen Ilya Kovalchuk play much (like the rest of you), but everyone loves to spout that he’s a defensive liability.  I’ve looked for it in the past few games, and haven’t seen it. 

He’s a career -84 or so, but has played on mostly bad Atlanta teams, playing the other teams top line or top shutdown line.  From personal experience, I can tell you the team and line you’re on makes all the difference in that category, and it’s only fair to judge a player’s +/- against those teammates.  What was Atlanta’s even strength goal differential while he was there, -400?  No way someone that big and talented can be as bad as I keep hearing on D.  I’m just not buying it.

#4)

No league does a championship trophy like the NHL.  Are you shitting me, Stanley Cup?  How perfect are you?  All tall like that, with a nice weighty feel (I’m told).  It’s a substantial prize worth hoisting over your head.  And with all the mystique around touching it, and the keeper of the cup in white gloves, it just makes a guy think: the NFL should be ashamed of itself.  This is America.  Bigger is better, right EntireCountry?  That’s your damn sport.  Now go build a better goddamn trophy and do the name Lombardi some justice!

#5)

Brooks Orpik (Pittsburgh) and Andrew Macdonald (New York Islanders) look so much alike it’s bizarre.  I will continue hammering this point home until I get an amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fine, maybe these pics don’t do it perfect justice, but just wait til A-Mac lets it get stubbly.  It’s boggling.  The only reason I’m not making “twin” claims is that A-Mac doesn’t do that prolonged, distant stare that Orpik favors.  Thankfully.

 #6)

For forwards, playing well without getting points sucks.  Your point total from a given game rarely tell the story of how you played, so it sucks when you make all the right decisions and don’t get rewarded.  Stastny finally got a couple points last night, but he’s been playing better than his production.

 #7)

A few nights back, I was watching a Red Wings game in which Bertuzzi snapped his head back to fake getting high-sticked (a move I didn’t think people actually did without some level of contact).  He successfully drew the penalty (even “checked” for blood!), putting the Wings dangerous powerplay unit on the ice.  A day later, I saw Alexander Semin to something similar. 

So my question is:  if we suspend players when they do something we don’t want in the game (cheap hits), why shouldn’t we suspend players for that play, in obvious circumstances?  They’re cheating, and we want that out of the game, right?  I’m not talking embellishments.  I mean, “dude, that stick never got above your logo”.  I’m talking about sitting beside Bertuzzi and watching the play with him and going, “Look – you intentionally tried to fuck over the refs and the legitimacy of the game there.  We don’t need 10 year olds in the NHL.  Go sit in the corner for a few nights and think about what you’ve done.”

#8)

Bob Gainey stepped down.  As DownGoesBrown tweeted “Gainey “voluntarily” stepped down the way I “voluntarily” leave the bar after the bouncer tells me he’s kicking me out”.  Thought that was the best analogy EVER.

#9)

I want a golfer to write a tell-all book. And nothing to do with Tiger.  I just imagine it’s such an interesting lifestyle.  Do some guys fly private planes, and some fly coach?  There must be such a discrepancy between the quality of life for the top and bottom golfers.  Who “makes it rain”, who’s a cheap prick (Ben Crane right?  Has to be Ben Crane), who are the A-holes (Phil?  Really?  FIGJAM!), who’s a drunk (Anthony Kim, eh?), all that stuff.  I need to know!

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So there you have it!  The front nine ended on a golf topic.  Chime in on what you know about, want to know about, or just type some words into the comment box.  We’re a big happy sports (okay, largely hockey) discussion site.  Dive in.

Two-On-One Rushes

 

As corny as attaching sports success with vindication and healing may be, there’s no denying the people of New Orleans deserved a little pick-me-up.  Hell, I cry for stupid sports moments (awww, baby Brees!), I can’t imagine how this felt for them.  Let’s observe how they felt about dere Saints:

I love me some horns.

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The Simple Art of the Two-On-One

by jb

 

One of the best moments in hockey is when you’ve just chipped the puck past a pinching defenseman, and have picked it up on the other side.

You’re on a two-on-one.

It’s better than the breakaway, which requires top speed, optimal effort, and a lot of thinking.

The two-on-one is just relaxing.  It’s a Corona commercial with a smile.  It’s a rare treat:

You spend the whole game unloading the puck the second you get it, so it feels so good to just have it for a sec.

If I’m on my off-side (stick to the middle), I like my odds of scoring better than a breakaway.  You’ve got a built in decoy.

Some simple rules to maximize your effectiveness:

1)      If you can pass the puck early, it’s a must.  As the rush begins, the goalie has his angles set on the puck carrier, coming out from the goal-line squarely.  He knows all too well where he is in the net.  Also, the defensemen usually gives room for an early pass (just inside the blue line), so take it, and make the goalie less sure of his angle.

2)      For quick evaluation: Is the ice bad?  Are you on a two-on-one with Rockhands McDump-n-Chase?  Is the goalie hot?  What hand is your linemate?

You’re not passing on bad ice.  You’re not passing to a plug (unless the goalie and d-man make you).  You have to make a hot goalie move with a pass.  And you need to know what hand your teammate is, so you know if you’re giving him a one-timer or a re-direct.

3)      Narrow the ice (bring the puck inside the dots, at least).  Taking it wide is a good idea on a three-on-two, but you have to get yourself in a good shooting angle to make the goalie take both skaters seriously as options.  Obviously that brings you closer to the d-man, but you’re good enough to dish if pressured, right?

Let’s say you chose to shoot.  Good call.  Your coach is happy with you.

That means you want the goalie to think pass, of course.  I (and many others) usually went with a simple three-step play when I chose to keep (three steps can be simple when they all involve doing very little physically).  Goalies at the higher levels respect the shooters, and the d-man is responsible for the pass.  That said, the goalie still has to make a Herculean effort to get across when a pass is made, so he’s on in his toes jussst in case.  My method:

1)      I liked to let the goalie think he was a step ahead of me.  I’d skate in looking directly at the net like I was going to shoot.  He’s very aware you might not.

2)      After a clumsy fake shot (which lets the goalie “read” the pass), I’d make a quick move over to pass, which is just a look at your teammate, and a stick-handle in his direction

3)      Now SHOOT!  The goalie has to react quick on pass plays, so if even so much as shifts his weight in the wrong direction he’s too frozen to do anything magnificent.  There’s your edge, now just hit your spot.

If you intend to pass:

1)      Way too many looks at your teammate early on.

2)      Immediately snap your head to the goalie and drop your shoulder.

3)      Stick-handle and dish – it’s actually alright to not rush it over immediately.  It has no chance of going in if you don’t make sure it hits the guy’s tape.

What’s great about the three-parter is, you start out looking where you’re finishing, so you get to soak in the information about what’s going on around you.

If you don’t have the puck, you’re whole job is to read speeds – the defenseman’s first, then your linemates.  It’s the guy without the puck who decides if the pass across is best going behind the d-man, under his stick, or high.

You’ll think what I’m about to say is ridiculous in the wake of my easy-finish two-on-one advice, but it’s an important tip: don’t over-think it.

And this is where professionals and amateurs differ – those guys practice or play six days a week.  You play six days a ….month?  They probably take 50-70 two-on-ones a week, starting at age 15.  By the time they’re in their mid-20’s, that odd-man rush isn’t a stressful event.  It’s on auto-pilot, baby.

It’s a corona with a smile.  What does yours taste like?

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Brendan Burke

 

I sincerely don’t know how to express the sorrow I feel for the Burke’s loss today.  I cannot begin to imagine the pain they must be feeling.

Brendan died last night after losing control of his Jeep on snowy roads in Indiana.

He first contacted me a few months back after a piece I wrote for USA Today struck a chord with him, and in turn, his story touched so many of us.  I’m proud I got to be a part of spreading his positive message.  I’m happy we got to have some laughs on the phone, and mostly, I’m just lucky to have got to know him the little bit I did.

My condolences go out to the Burkes – it’s a sad day for them, and the hockey community as a whole.  He will be missed.

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UPDATE: To read the thoughts of how the death of Brendan affected just one of the many people who looked up to him so quickly, check out Mikey’s blog, a seventeen year old hockey player from Minnesota – he goes by hockeykidmn, and endures the struggles of being gay in a difficult sports culture.

The Kovalchuk Trade, And A Must-See Gear Link

 

Man.  You guys loves you some gear talk.  The second part of this entry picks up where we left off, a bit.  However, there’s something a little bit more relevant to discuss today:

The Kovalchuk Trade

 The Devils?  The Devils.  Really?  The Devils.

I guess I was hoping for somewhere a little bit…. sexier.  I mean, no offense to you, Devils fans – you guys have every right to be stoked.  Not only are you now legitimate Cup contenders, but the rest of us (sorta) benefit from Kovy playing in more “important”, widely broadcast games. 

But when I think of the amount of exposure I get to NHL stars, Parise wasn’t too far behind Kovalchuk in the ”great players I never see play” department.

So whatever.  From the hockey fan aspect, I’m a little bummed about the deal.  But lets look at the deal beyond Justin’s self-interest, something we rarely do:

My first, and somewhat ridiculous thought, was “as an unrestricted free agent, you can sign anywhere you want, right?  Could Kovalchuk feasibly sign back with Atlanta?  Would that be looked at as the most evil thing ever, or is that legit?”

Only reason I thought that was because of the legitimate quality of the offers Kovalchuk reportedly received from Atlanta: $101 million over 12 years, or $70M over 7.  Does he think he’s going to get much more than that somewhere else?  Those deals would have made him higher paid than both Ovechkin and Crosby (in the early years of the deal).  Who turns down offers like that from a team you claim to want to play for?  No, I think I deserve MORE than half a million dollars a year over what that Ovechkin dud makes.  Nobody, that’s who.

{In the event he can’t sign with Atlanta as a UFA this summer for some reason I’m unaware of, then my bad.  That was just my initial reaction.}

So that was my brief conspiracy theory.  Maybe Ilya and the Thrashers just agreed that they don’t have “it” this year, and were conspiring to stock up for next, when he’ll then re-sign with them.

{By the way, I really like the name “Ilya”.  It’s just badass to say.  I might name my dangly rec hockey alter ego “Ilya”.}

Back to life, back to reality….

I thought Atlanta made a pretty nice deal.  Bergfors and Oduya are above average additions to any team, plus Cormier and the first-round pick are packed full of positive maybe (or maybe Cormier will get charged with more elbow-related assaults), so who knows how this trade looks in five years.  It could look really good for ATL.

As for New Jersey, good on ya for taking a swing at this year.  I hate the half-commited thing the Flyers do every year – it’s what I keep bitching about with Washington.

Yes, we acknowledge we’re good enough to win the Cup.  Yes, we acknowledge our goaltender isn’t good enough to win a Cup.  No, we don’t intend to do anything about that.

So the Devils smell themselves as a three(ish) seed, see themselves winning round one, mayyyybe round two at best, but see that they’re going to have to beat Pittsburgh or Washington to have a shot at the Cup.  And, as it stood, they couldn’t go blow for blow in a game that ends in a football score.

Now they can.

You can only lean on Parise and Zajac so much – believe me when I say, this was a huge puzzle piece for them.

By the way, if you’re in the West, you’re going  YES.  Another team to make getting out of the East that much more miserable. 

The West feels that misery, like, every year.  San Jose, Detroit, Chicago and in the past, Anaheim and even Vancouver have all taken turns rallying on each other for extended series.  By the time the Western Conference champion shows up to the final, they’re a ragtag group of replacement players, while the winner in the East has generally had one,/one-and-a-half difficult series instead of at least two.  (How about San Jose getting a just-healthy Anaheim as an eight seed last year?  Or whoever gets Detroit this year?  It’s just a deeper conference.)

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Nice work, you comment machines.  Our stick-taping conversations grabbed us a link from Uniwatch - if you’re a sports gear fiend, this blog is amazing.  The sub-heading describes it best “The Obsessive Study of Athletics Aesthetics”.  The site is amazingly well written and thorough – definitely check it out.

Some hockey-tagged postings are here (including something you Wild fans will love – a behind the scences dressing room tour of their gear).  College hockey posts are here.

I used team-colored grip tape pretty much everywhere I went, because it’s fun to make your stick pretty, and I actually liked how the product feels.  Further links to pictures are provided on the site (like to certain players Olympic sticks), but for now, here’s a sampling, taken directly from Uniwatch’s trip to the Wild’s stick room:

 

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Holy crap, humans.  It’s Super Bowl weekend.  Should be a doozy, so tear it up!  Zima’s for everyone! (They still make those?)

 

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BREAKING FRIDAY NEWS UPDATE: My cat is cute:

 

 

More Tape Talk, Updated Thoughts on 8 vs. The Kid

 

Man – you see Eric Staal get a skate to the face?  Not long after getting a stick in the mouth?  Tough night.

So, there were a few questions that stemmed from yesterday’s blog about handle tape jobs.  Here’s my take on the blade:

Sticks today (composite blades specifically) are built to be taped.  If you’ve ever tried to handle a frozen puck with a tapeless blade, you might as well be using the other end of the stick.  It’s hopeless.

So, I don’t get the logic when I see some guys go for the few-strips look.  I don’t even understand it when their blade is wood.  Remember the Eric Lindros tape job?  I always wanted to ask him “Is it easier to handle the puck and shoot from the tape?  Yes?”

The follow with: ” Then tape your whole fucking blade.”

Guys today do so much work with the toe of their stick, from forehand/backhand toe pulls, deke’s, dangles, whatever, that they need tape on the entire blade.  So, there’s a half-dozen guys on every team that continues taping past the toe, pressing tape against tape, and then scissor-cutting around the end of the blade.

I also half-rip the tape (into a thinner strip) to get more ridges, which I think made it easier to get more spin on the puck.  At the very least, it feels cooler rolling off your stick.  Plus, you get to anger the three-quarters of your hockey team that doesn’t half-rip the tape, who have to unravel the huge portion you just wasted to get to their preferred wide part again.

Oh, and tape it heel to toe, because you’re a hockey player, and thats just what we do.

As for the black vs. white argument, do whatever makes you happy.  Whoever thinks it matters is weird.  I used to go black to “hide the puck”.  Then I went white so I could see the puck on my blade quicker.  Then I stayed with white CAUSE IT LOOKS AWESOME.  

300+ words about tape.  “Bourne’s Blog: complicating the simple for over 13 months.”

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Those of you who wrote to disagree with my take on the Sens were right.  My b.

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In the on-going Sid vs. Ovi debate, I have to confess that I think Ovechkin is better.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m rooting for Sid over number eight every friggin’ time – I want him to end up with the better legacy, partially because he’s my fellow countrymen, and seemingly more humble than Alex. 

Crosby’s having a ridiculous year, even changing my opinion of just how good Sid is.  He’s got all the intangibles to go with the raw skills and personal drive.  But I mean… I don’t think he shoots it as hard as Ovi.  I don’t think he skates as fast.  And I know he doesn’t hit as hard.

He’s does have that Gretzky-like quality to see the game in slow motion while moving mach three, which must be nice.  And Ovi definitely has the advantage of playing on a line with Backstrom and Semin, but even with all that…. I can’t shake the feeling that Ovechkin is the best player in the league.  He’s just a constant, one-man hurricane.  He reminds me of when we’d “tornado” each other’s rooms in college, the way destruction and chaos follows him everywhere he goes.  Just gear all over the ice, hats from hattricks, guys trying to get up from hits, red lights spinning, fans yelling…. chaos. 

Plus there’s always this part of his game to love:

 

Nobody’s convincing anyone of anything here.  There’s no way to change someone’s mind in this never-ending debate.  Just pick your horse and ride it.  We’re lucky to get to watch them both.

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Did you see Chris Phillips run Miller over?  Ho-ly, lackluster response from the Sabres.  You could hear the running dialogue in the players heads “oh, we’re supposed to act angry now…?  Riiiight…. grrrr…. someone’s gonna fight him right…? nobody…? god don’t let it to be me…”  Weak sauce, Flubbalo.  Weak sauce.

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My big homie down in Houston plays a little goal for the Aeros, and has a bit of a following. His name is Barry Brust, check out the fan club tee’s:

IMAGE HAS BEEN REMOVED.  CAUSE, UM, Y’KNOW, IT WAS A CHEST-SHOT CLOSE-UP.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sick.

That’ll do for now.  We’re nearing the Superbowl.  I’m betting the Ottawa Roughriders by a try.

“Phaneuf” Sounds Onomatopoeic

 

Really, the title has nothing to do with anything.  Just an observation, reallly.  That’s the sound you make when you get hit by him, maybe.  “Ph-neuf!”

Because today is gonna be sooo fun, lets start with huge news from the hockey world:

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So yeah, good morning!

The Toronto Maple Leafs are the best team ever of all-time and they’re gonna win the Cup, right?  Big time.

I see no need for any further review.

Okay, just a little:  I thought it was awesome that Phaneuf fought in his first period.  If you’re Dion, you know it’s all eyez on you in that first period, so what better way to show you’re committed to being a Leaf than to have a go with Colin White?  Every time I ever fought it took a period-plus of self-convincing that I needed to do it (with the odd sticking-up-for-a-teammate skirmish, of course).  Phaneuf clearly needed less time.  He just seems like a Maple Leaf.

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Dion has gone from the Western Conference to the East, and I found myself thinking about how cool that would be.  Playing in new cities, cities like New York, Philadelphia, Boston, all those old-school east coast cities (Raleigh-Durham!).

Which leads to the question: which would be the better conference to play in?  They both have their warm cities (Phoenix & San Jose vs. Tampa Bay & “Sunrise” (Panthers), they both have their Canadian cities (Toronto, Ottawa & Montreal vs. Vancouver, Calgary & Edmonton), and they both win their share of Cups.  What’s your vote?

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You know what always surprises me?  How different players hold their stick with their top hand.  It’s something you just assume everyone does the same, but they totally don’t.  And, it makes a huge difference in the things you can do with a stick and puck.

I assume most new players just grab the stick and go,  and don’t give it another thought, which is how you should decide what you like.  But a good rule of thumb is, if you’re “choking up” on the stick with your top hand, you probably aren’t a great player.   Sorry.

Some guys jam the butt-end of their stick into their palm (I’m not even gonna try to make that sound more appropriate, you’re an adult.  Stop it), like, completely perpendicular to it.  I’m somewhere in the middle.  My palm wraps around the very top like a claw, but the rest of my fingers wrap around pretty normal.  You’ll find the real handsy guys have their palm and stick in that 90 degree-angle-claw hold (90 degrees is an exaggeration, they obviously have to have some fingers wrapped around, but the butt-end will be jammed into the palm), while guys with hard shots and simpler games just grab the damn thing like they’re holding on to a railing, and fire when ready.  Those guys (d-men, usually) have no idea what I’m talking about right now.

I’m guessing how you hold the top of your stick hasn’t crossed your mind all that often?  I probably just did the classic golf jinx to like, 400 people.  “Do you inhale or exhale when you swing?”

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 Happy Humpday folks.  I hope the Lost premier was as good as EVERY PERSON ON FACEBOOK EVER hoped it was.

The Flames: Quantity and Quality Moves?

 

Weeeeee, trades are fun! 

Burkes an idiot!  No, a genius!  The Flames are in chaos!  The Chames are in flaos!  LETS BLLLOOOGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!

Let me start the day by saying thanks to Craig B for the donation – I tried to write you personally, but I got “NoSoupForYou’ed” by your email address.  It means a lot to me, and every little bit helps buy me time before having to go real job hunting.  So yeah, thanks again, dog.

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Also, before hockey trade talk – I had an Anquan Boldin sighting here in Phoenix a few days ago.  Just a casual dinner with his wife and kid out at an Irish Pub - he was wearing the preferred outfit of football/basketball players everywhere: huge basketball shorts, huge white t-shirt, hat with the 50/50 sticker on it and a diamond earring.  Super low key, but also super “g”.  What a win-win. 

….Jokes aside, that man has my respect – had his sinuses collapsed with a helmet to the face, then played two weeks later after not taking any pain medication.  That’s some tough-stuff right there.

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Hahaha…. um…. I don’t even know.  Maybe the caption for these pics should be “Today, on Ellen…”

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So the trades.  The Flames just overturned about 40% of their forwards and 30% of their total team, going from:

 Oli Jokinen
Brandon Prust
Dion Phaneuf
Fredrik Sjostrom

TO

Matt Stajan
Nicklas Hagman
Jamal Myers
Alex Kotalik
Chris Higgins
Ian White

Mmmm, tastes like quantity over quality…. but really, they might be onto something.  During my assessment of the Western Conference, I discussed how a few teams are overachieving – which is, by being quick, young and deep with good goaltending (Buffalo, Phoenix, Colorado).  I usually push for stars over a bunch of “pretty good” players, but I think in picking up Stajan/Hagman/Kotalik/Higgins, they got players that have potential to be above “pretty good” status, especially together.  Not stars, but guys that, in the right situation, could be very valuable.

I’m a little worried for my boy Eric Nystom.  Not good when your team picks up a Costco-sized pack of forwards and your a guy who spends a fair chunk of time on the shelf.

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Dear major hockey networks: please stop showing Cammalerri’s buckling leg.  The boards won.  We KNOW.  Ugh.

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Kurt Dusterberg has written a book called Journeymen: Bittersweet Tales of Short Major League Sports Careers, and sent me a copy to review.  I have not yet done so (though it looks like it’s got some really neat stories to tell), because I’m a busy dude, but if the premise interests you, you can buy a copy here.  Six of the 24 stories are hockey guys: Dallas Eakins, Scott Gruhl, Darren Jensen, Fred Knipsheer, Peter LeBoutilllier, and David Littman.  I’ll tell you more once I get to it!

Also, the Moshansky boys sent me “A to Z Guide To Hockey Terms” for review.  This great little book strikes me as something they should sell in the US, in the southern markets.  Actually, the teams that live in those markets should buy them in bulk and have a night where everybody gets a copy.  It’s a pretty handy compilation of the most common (and some not-so-common) terms, nicknames, penalties, etc. Great to help a new fan understand and enjoy the game all the more.

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Hey look: someone finally invented a formula PROVING Crosby is more valuable than Ovechkin.  I mean, right?  There doesn’t seem to be any flaws in a formula that finds an assist half as valuable as a goal (just ask the Sedins).  Also (as the creator points out), we can finally prove that Mike Fisher is having a better year than Joe Thornton.  Good-ness.

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Lets have your prediction:  Do the Flames make the playoffs?

Canadian Shake-ups, NHL Observations

 

Whether you love or hate Brian Burke, you have to, at the very least, admire how seriously he takes winning.  The man wants to win.  Like, right now.

There are simply too many players involved in the Toronto/Calgary deals to congratulate a winner.  But Burke knows one thing – players that are good-but-not-great are easy to come by.  You need the difference-makers to win, and Phaneuf is definitely one of those.

Toronto had nothing to build around when Burke got there, and the guy seems to be aware that nobody has ever won anything “by commitee” (the current codeword for “trying to win without talent”).  The Penguins win around Crosby/Malkin, the Red Wings win around Datsyuk/Zetterberg, so Burke is building around guys like Kessel/Phaneuf/Komisarek.  Not quite on the same level, but better than the cores of a few other teams (Havlat/….Kobasew?).

At least Toronto fans will have a few A- players (okay, B+) to cheer for while finishing out the year — for them, it’s been far too many winter months of cheering for a team of C+ guys without a Mats Sundin, Doug Gilmour or Wendell Clark.  (By the way, how insufferable will Toronto fans be if Burke manages to transform them into good…. which I suspect he will.  It’ll be like mixing crappy Flames fans with obnoxious Yankee fans.  Plus, about 55,000 people already have one foot on a bandwagon that would immediately collapse under the weight all the new “diehards”.)

By the way, worth mentioning – I think Matt Stajan is a really talented guy.  The Flames did well by themselves in picking up a quality depth scorer.  In fact, I think both teams made a smart move.

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I think DiPietro looks too bad on too many plays, too often right now.  I know he’s got rust to shake off; the guy hasn’t played goal in forever, but it looks worse than that.

I’m just really nervous about that big contract.  His numbers are fine, that’s not what stresses me.  I’m saying he just isn’t technically sound these days.  He doesn’t look balanced, his angles are suspect, he isn’t getting his pads flat post-to-post in the butterfly, and just doesn’t look like the old Ricky. 

Here’s to hopin’.

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Is Matt Duchene gonna be last years Steven Stamkos?  Just kill it the second half of the year and be a legit NHL stud by next year?  I say yes.

*****

If you’re the GM for Washington, don’t you go Brian Burke trying get a goalie for your team?  You can’t expect your guys to put up football numbers every night in playoffs, and those stupid, weak goals are just so disheartening.

Of all the stacked teams, San Jose really has the best total package right now (even though I like Chicago and Washington’s forwards better.  San Jose might have the best line in the NHL, but aren’t the best one through 12).  Nabokov is legit.

Happy February – it’s Superbowl week!  Your reward is an insider report on how TV news reports get made.

 

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