Ponds and Pucks

San Jose 4 - Calgary 1 — so much for the battle of the goalies. Nabokov nearly posted his second shutout in as many games, and Kiprusoff experienced his first yanking at the hands of Mike Keenan this season. Kipper was far from the problem, however. The rest of the Flames didn’t seem ready for the game, with [tag]Eric Goddard/[tag] having the best night of them all. Goddard got into two fights and had a goal called back. Battle of Alberta has more.

Vancouver 1 - Carolina 3 — Vancouver saw their road unbeaten string end and Carolina just keeps rolling. The win brings Carolina to 5-1-3, enough to be one of the better teams in the league without bringing attention to how good they are. Well, Vancouver knows now. More Canucks analysis at Canucks Hockey Blog.

Boston 1 - Montreal 6 — Ouch. I really thought the Bruins were going to do it this time. It looked like all the stars were aligning for them. But instead Montreal had 6 different goal scorers and broke the Bruins four-game winning streak, and kept the strange curse the Habs hold over the Bruins intact. A Theory Of Ice.

So it looks like all the games last night that were supposed to be interesting matchups turned out to be one-sided blow outs. I actually was relieved to turn the TV over to CSI: Miami, where the episode suspiciously featured the death of a Florida athlete named “Doug McClain.” I know the Tampa Bay Lightning’s new owner is Doug MacLean and is best known for his (lack of) coaching abilities, but….

San Jose, Calgary, Nabokov, Kiprusoff, Mike Keenan, Vancouver, Carolina, Boston, Montreal, Bruins

FanNation has posted a “shortlist” for the next Atlanta Thrashers head coach.

It looks like pretty much every other list floating around the hockey rumor-sphere — it begins with and highlights Pat Quinn and the works its way to the oft-discussed choice of Brad McCrimmon. But there’s a couple of other names in there too.

My money’s on Quinn, not because he’s the best choice, but because he’s a name, and one players respect. I’d still love to see McCrimmon get it though.

***

While the rest of the city of Boston is celebrating the Red Sox and their trip to the World Series, some die-hard hockey fans are still rubbing their hands in glee at the Bruins/Habs game tonight.

The Bruins are going into the legendary match-up with the upper hand for the first time in….. well, a really long time. To Bruins fans a chance to beat their Montreal nemesis is the ultimate bonus to Boston’s strongest start in years.

Finally acquiring a number one goaltender in Manny Fernandez has likely been a huge reason for such a great start. Oh wait, Tim Thomas has been the one manning the pipes? Go figure…

***

Games tonight:

Vancouver at Carolina - Vancouver is 4-4-0, Carolina is 4-1-3. Ryan Kesler broke out against the Blue Jackets with 2 goals the other night, while Justin Williams is leading the ‘Canes with 11 points.

Boston at Montreal - Boston is on a 4 game winning streak, Montreal broke a 3 game losing streak on Saturday when they beat Buffalo. Boston’s D has been particularly strong, allowing only an average of 2.14 goals a game. Montreal’s defense got a boost from free agent signing Roman Hamrlik as he potted a goal and two assists on Saturday.

San Jose at Calgary - San Jose is 4-3-1 (4-1-1 when Roenick plays, 0-2-0 when he doesn’t), Calgary is 4-2-2. Nabokov is coming off a shutout Saturday and has two career shutouts against the Flames. Flames beat their provincial rivals the Oilers on Saturday and are riding Jarome Iginla’s 5 game point streak.

Atlanta Thrashers, Pat Quinn, Brad McCrimmon, Red Sox, World Series, Manny Fernandez, Tim Thomas, Ryan Kesler, Justin Williams, Roman Hamrlik, Nabokov, Jarome Iginla

Dave Keon top Toronto Maple Leaf of all time? Seems like a strange choice, but who am I to argue with the likes of Harry Neale, Frank Selke and Bill Watters?

Leafs fans will be curious about which player was ranked where (and likely debate it for the remainder of the season, since it’s not like the Leafs are going to be doing much worth talking about), but to me the most fascinating part of the article is that 102 year old sports writer Milt Dunnell was part of the voting panel.

102 years! Just imagine the hockey he’s seen.

***

Old news, but thought I’d throw it out there: Rumor has it Mike Keenan is looking to swap Alex Tanguay for Alexei Kovalev. Putting aside the fact Keenan is the head coach and not the GM (Darryl Sutter must be thrilled to have this all over Sportsnet.ca), that just seems crazy. Granted, the jury is still out on Tanguay, but Kovalev? When Montreal fans jumped at the idea and Calgary fans stayed very quiet, that was enough to see who was getting the better player (or getting rid of the worst one).

***

An aside…. Sutter used to keep the Flames rumor mill locked tight. There was rarely a leak or rumor from the Calgary team. As soon as Keenan joined, Sportsnet.ca suddenly had scoop after scoop and rumor after rumor. Now they’re even getting trade rumors, even though Keenan has nothing to do with trades (officially anyway). Wonder where they’re suddenly getting all this info from….?

Dave Keon, Harry Neale, Frank Selke, Bill Watters, Milt Dunnell, Mike Keenan, Alex Tanguay, Alexei Kovalev, Darryl Sutter

Just this morning I made a joke about first coach of the season being fired and pools and Bob Hartley. I shouldn’t have joked. Bob Hartley was fired by the Atlanta Thrashers today.

The Thrashers started the season 0-6-0, but one could argue this stems from last year’s playoffs when the Thrashers traded away valuable picks to boost up for their first ever playoff run, then went out in 4 games against the New York Rangers.

That left the Thrashers with their best talent gone, few high-round picks, and a disappointing playoff run. However that’s not entirely a coaching problem, that’s an organizational problem.

Hartley may have simply been there too long. Hartley was head coach since the 2002-2003 season. Only a handful of current coaches have lasted as long as or longer:

• Lindy Ruff (Buffalo’s head coach since the 1997-1998 season)
• Barry Trotz (Nashville’s head coach since the 1998-1999 season)
• Craig MacTavish (Edmonton’s head coach since the 2000-2001 season)
• Jacques Lemaire (Minnesota’s head coach since the 2000-2001 season)
• John Tortorella (Tampa’s coach since the 2000-2001 season)
• Ron Wilson (San Jose’s coach since the 2002-2003 season)
• Dave Tippett (Dallas’ head coach since the 2002-2003 season)

Yeah, my betting money would have been on Barry Trotz. I just don’t think anyone expected Atlanta to get off to such a brutal start, despite the fact that on paper they certainly didn’t look like a team building on their success.

So now the replacement debate begins. Assistant coach Brad McCrimmon ran the practice, is it time to give him his first NHL shot? The fact the coaching staff wasn’t completely cleaned out makes one think the Thrashers might be leaning that way.

And, just for more debate, does this just prove the Hartley haters right, that his success in Colorado was due to the talent on the team, and not the coaching?

Bob Hartley, Atlanta Thrashers, New York Rangers, Lindy Ruff, Barry Trotz, Craig MacTavish, Jacques Lemaire, John Tortorella, Ron Wilson, Dave Tippett, Brad McCrimmon

The Canadiens allow a goal with 11 seconds remaining and go on to lose in a shoot-out to the Panthers.

The Flames rise to a 4-0 lead early in the second period and go on to lose in a shoot-out to the Avalanche.

Which team deserves the dunce cap more?

***

ESPN’s second power rankings of the season are up. No surprises here, though I think the Penguins-love is a little heavy. 5th overall for a .500 team? Ranked ahead of 3-1-0 teams like the Flyers and Lightning? I know all it takes is Sid the Kid to kick start his game and the Penguins are right back in the top 5, but it hasn’t happened yet.

***

A quick look at the NHL standings shows some interesting things:

• Minnesota remains the only team unbeaten in regulation.
• At the other end of the spectrum, at 0-6-0 Atlanta has yet to register a single point in the standings. Those of you with bets over the first coach fired should start looking at who has poor Bob Hartley.
• Philadelphia is the only Atlantic Division team over .500. Both the Northeast and Southeast divisions have 3 teams over .500.
• Los Angeles has allowed the most goals in the league (30). Toronto is a close second at 29.
• Toronto also has scored the most goals in the league (26)
• Anaheim has played twice as many games (8) as Pittsburgh, Tampa, St. Louis and Columbus.
• New Jersey and Boston have yet to play a home game. Every team in the league has played a road game.

You know it’s a slow news day in the hockey world when many hockey news web sites are leading with tonight’s Toronto/Buffalo matchup (and some are more interested in talking about baseball). Or maybe it’s just me, already tired of Toronto and their goaltending troubles.

In any case, the Flyers’ decision to put Jesse Boulerice on waivers might spice things up. I have the feeling there will be few, if any, takers.

Since so many are looking at the Atlanta Thrashers and wondering when they might actually, you know, win a game or two (as the Flames breathe a sigh of relief and wipe their foreheads. Their wins against Dallas and Detroit took them from winless to .500 hockey), I took a surf over to some blogs for my favorite Eastern Conference division to see what the bloggers there had to say.

Southeast Shootout has a great look at which Thrashers players are actually shooting the puck, and while the players who are getting the shots may not surprise, the total lack of shots against the opposition is a little depressing.

Thrashers die-hard TheFalconcer waxes frustration in a discussion of Atlanta’s woes and breaks apart their most recent game against the New Jersey Devils. I love the “Naming Names” section. And TheFalconer nails the fact Ilya Kovalchuk is painfully underated thanks to the team’s lack of success. Not that it matters, but Vincent Lecavalier suffered the same fate in Tampa for many years.

It’s way too early in the season to panic, and there have been some (not many) playoff teams to slump in October before pulling their collective hockey shorts up for the rest of the season, but it’s tough. When you’re in the Southeast division, not playing well is certainly going to make life very difficult. You’ve got the surging Hurricanes, the always steady Lightning, the Capitals finding their feet, and….Florida. (sorry, couldn’t resist). Falling more than a few games behind now could prove very painful indeed.

Jesse Boulerice, Atlanta Thrashers, Ilya Kovalchuk, Vincent Lecavalier

The city of Philadelphia may be seeing the resurgance of the Broadstreet Bullies!

We’ll start with the obvious:

1. Jesse Boulerice cross-checks Vancouver’s Ryan Kesler

   The jury is still out on how many games Boulerice is going to get for this hit, but considering the trend started by teammate Steve Downie in the pre-season, I can’t imagine the NHL is going to be too lenient. This video also has an excellent collection of the sparring Boulerice and Kesler had been involved in prior to the hit.

2. Steve Downie hits Dean McAmmond

   Pre-season. What else is there to say? Downie got 20 games for this. Considering he left his feet, I’d say he’s lucky.

3. Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers set single game penalty minutes record

   Ok, I’m cheating a little here, but how can I not include the game/fight that set the NHL single game penalty minutes record? Bear in mind, this 7 minute YouTube video is only part 1 of 3 covering the mayhem that night.

4. Denis Gauthier’s late hit on Vincent Lecavalier

   Disclaimer: I love Denis Gauthier. I also love Vincent Lecavalier. But there is no love between these guys — and that goes back years. This isn’t a dirty hit as much as it’s a cheap shot, and a debatable one at that. One could argue Gauthier had Lecavalier lined up well before the puck went in and didn’t have time to stop. Either way, you’ve got to love any player who can score a pretty goal like that, then turn around and start pummeling the guy who hit him.

5. Ron Hextall

   
   

   Two for the price of one. There’s nothing else to say. The Chris Chelios attack was of course revenge for Chelios’s hit on Brian Propp earlier in the series (available on YouTube — but fairly gruesome).

Sadly, I was unable to include Dave Brown’s jaw-breaking cross check on Tomas Sandstrom. That hit netted Brown 15 games in November of 1987, still one of the longest suspensions in NHL history (though falling out of the Top 10 quickly).

For a fun list of Flyers’ misdeeds over the years, check out FlyersHistory.com. It’s been years since I’ve seen a suspension for “beating [another player] in the penalty box” (and 2 Flyers players were suspended for beating the same player!).

Broadstreet Bullies, Jesse Boulerice, Ryan Kesler, Steve Downie, Dean McAmmond, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Denis Gauthier, Vincent Lecavalier, Ron Hextall, Chris Chelios, Brian Propp, Dave Brown, Tomas Sandstrom

• Drafted in 4th round, 90th overall in the 1995 NHL entry draft, by the SJ Sharks. Fellow Finn Miika Kiprusoff was taken the next round, also by the Sharks.
• Was not planning on a career in hockey at the time of his draft. Vesa Toskala was considering a return to school and leaving hockey entirely, unsure about the stability of a career in hockey. The Sharks convinced him to give North America a try.
• Scored 2 points (2 assists) against the Chicago Blackhawks on February 3, 2007, a Sharks club record.
• Earned the nickname “The Finnish Horse” from Sharks’ broadcaster Dan Rusanowsky.
• First NHL start was a total of ten minutes in relief of Evgeni Nabokov. Toskala faced and stopped two shots.
• Calls his goaltending style “bear style”.
• Credits playing soccer in Finland to his development as a goalie.
• Before Tuesday night’s debacle had never allowed 7 goals in a single game.

Miika Kiprusoff, Vesa Toskala, Evgeni Nabokov

Why does it take something like a cancer diagnoses to remember there are things more important in hockey than goals, points, ice time, hockey pools or bonuses? Once Jason Blake went public with his leukemia diagnoses, everything else just seemed like background noise.

The most amazing thing about the way this story has come out is the upbeat nature of everyone: the team, the doctors, and Blake himself. Leafs head coach Paul Maurice nailed it when he said “It’s an unusual sentence to hear — the first word is cancer, the next word is leukemia, and then everything should be all right. I’m not familiar with the condition so it was new that something like this would be as treatable and for such a positive sentence to come after such a negative sentence, it takes a little while to get your head around it.”

The Leafs are the subject of much derision and abuse from fans throughout the season (and that’s just in Toronto), but no one ever wishes anything serious to happen to these guys. As it shows in the article, Blake and his family have been through a lot already. Here’s hoping this is the end of it.

Ironically, this is also the 10th Anniversary of the NHL’s Hockey Fights Cancer campaign. Throughout the season all 30 teams will be involved in fund-raisers and public awareness of local cancer charities. There is also the annual online auction, where player goodies such as game worn jerseys and other memorabilia is available for bidding.

Jason Blake, Paul Maurice

Buffalo Sabres

Notable moves and changes:‹crickets›
Starting goalie: Ryan Miller
Summary of last year:Ah Buffalo, so much hope tied into one team. So many highs in one season (record setting road wins, numerous club records, full season of home sell outs), and it all died so quickly (beaten in 5 games in the Eastern Conference final). Normally this would just set a team up to win it all the following year, but…
Prediction for this year:… too much has changed in Buffalo. Daniel Briere, Chris Drury and Dainius Zubrus have all left the team, and it appears as though the Sabres didn’t even try to replace them (though their spending might have been curbed by having to match the Oilers offer sheet for Thomas Vanek). If a Cup could be won on enthusiasm and heart the Sabres would be shoo-ins. Here’s hoping it’s enough to push them deep into the playoffs.

Buffalo Sabres, Ryan Miller, Daniel Briere, Chris Drury, Dainius Zubrus, Thomas Vanek

New Jersey Devils

Notable moves and changes:Signed F Dainius Zubrus (was with Washington). Named Brent Sutter head coach.
Starting goalie: Martin Brodeur
Summary of last year: It’s usually more of a surprise when the Devils DON’T take 1st in the Atlantic Division, and last year was no different. As always, the consistent play of Brodeur was a key reason — it’s gotten to the point where fans just expect Brodeur to be nothing less than the best goalie in the league.
Prediction for this year: The Devils suffered some key losses in the off-season — notably Scott Gomez and Brian Rafalski. The core of the team remains strong and the addition of a Sutter in the coaching role is almost always a good thing. This will likely still be a year of adjustment for the Devils, though hopefully they’ll have at least a year to adjust. ‹insert joke about GM Lou Lamoriello’s tendency to fire coaches right before the playoffs here›.

New Jersey Devils, Dainius Zubrus, Brent Sutter, Martin Brodeur, Scott Gomez, Brian Rafalski, Lou Lamoriello’s

Ottawa Senators

Notable moves and changes: Fired GM John Muckler, replaced with head coach Brian Murray. Announced promotion of John Paddock to head coach.
Starting goalie: Ray Emery
Summary of last year: While they didn’t compare to other seasons in terms of standings, Ottawa focused on what they needed to do, made the playoffs and cruised to the Stanley Cup Final where they fell to the Ducks.
Prediction for this year: Getting to the Finals is no easy task, and Ottawa, while disappointed in the outcome, is smartly sticking with the same core team: Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson, and so on. As they should. The front office shuffle was enough summer activity for any team to endure. With all the politics out of the way, the path is clear for another run for the Cup.

Ottawa Senators, John Muckler, Brian Murray, John Paddock, Ray Emery, Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson

Pittsburgh Penguins

Notable moves and changes:Signed D Darryl Sydor and F Petr Sykora.
Starting goalie: Marc-Andre Fleury
Summary of last year: It seems incredible now, but at the mid-point of the season, the Pens were languishing in the bottom half of the standings. Once the young guns hit their stride, they were off to the races, and finished second in the Atlantic.
Prediction for this year: What else is there to say? Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Ray Whitney, Fleury, and Sidney Crosby are all only going to get better (heaven help us all). There’s a nice mix of veteran leadership here too, with Sergei Gonchar, Gary Roberts and now Sydor and Sykora. With that playoff experience and that young talent, expect to see the Pens at the top of the Eastern Conferenced for years to come.

Pittsburgh Penguins, Darryl Sydor, Petr Sykora, Marc-Andre Fleury, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Ray Whitney, Sidney Crosby, Sergei Gonchar, Gary Roberts

Atlanta Thrashers

Notable moves and changes:Signed F Scott White.
Starting goalie: Kari Lehtonen
Summary of last year: The Thrashers made the playoffs for the first time, and it appeared as though they spent so much energy making the post-season they had nothing left when they got there. Atlanta was swept in four games by the Rangers, and that’s putting it kindly.
Prediction for this year:Atlanta spent a lot of money acquiring the short-term talent to get to the playoffs only to see their playoff run aborted and their rent-a-players leave as soon as they could. The nucleus of the team is still there in Marian Hossa, Ilya Kovalchuk and Vyacheslav Kozlov, but there’s a sharp drop off in production after those three names. They’ve added some players to round out the roster, but nothing that’s going to make a large difference one way or the other. Atlanta spent a lot to get their playoff players last season — it’s not likely they have it in them to risk that much again.

Atlanta Thrashers, Scott White, Kari Lehtonen, Marian Hossa, Ilya Kovalchuk, Vyacheslav Kozlov

New York Rangers

Notable moves and changes: Signed F Chris Drury and F Scott Gomez.
Starting goalie: Henrik Lundqvist.
Summary of last year: Picking up the troubled Sean Avery from the Kings in February was by all accounts the turnaround moment for the Rangers. Avery lit a fire under the Rangers’ collective butts and sparked the team to jump from 11th in the Eastern Conference to making the playoffs and sweeping Atlanta in the first round. Who knew the problem child in LA would turn into a team motivator in New York? Another savvy Sather move.
Prediction for this year: The fact the New York Rangers went on a free agent signing over the summer is not news. The fact they may have actually improved their team is. Gomez and Drury more than make up for the loss of Michael Nylander and Brad Isbister. Yeah, the Rangers did well. Shanny’s back, Jagr’s still firing on all cylanders, Avery’s mucking it up (and helping out on the scoresheet), and Henrik Lundqvist is hopefully primed to continue his amazing streak from last year. Defensively they’re a little suspect, but with the improvements made this off-season, who will notice?

UPDATE: Looks like I spoke too soon. Sean Avery is already heavily rumored to be on his way out of New York according to ESPN. Seems Avery’s displeasure at the Ranger’s comments at his arbitration hearing has not faded and the Rangers fear the old distracting Avery might show up for camp. Stay tuned.

New York Rangers, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Sean Avery, Michael Nylander, Jagr, Henrik Lundqvist