Ponds and Pucks

During last night’s game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Calgary Flames, Ryan Smyth went for the puck along the boards behind the net. Seeing a red jersey rapidly heading his way, he turned to protect the puck, and took a brutal hit into the glass, cutting his nose.

We could debate the legality of the hit for pages (”It was a hit from behind” “He turned toward the glass as he saw the skater coming”), but Smyth fell to the ice, knew he’d likely hurt his nose, got up, skated to the bench and went to the locker room for repairs.

No rolling around on the ice, no crying to the ref for a penalty, no accusations of dirty play. Even the announcers treated it as a typical play that Smyth would be involved in: No analysis of how he purposely turned away from the hit, no debate of poor play. This was simply Ryan Smyth playing his brand of hockey.

Smyth returned just a few minutes later, with a repair done to the bridge of his nose, some cotton in one of his nostrils and a decidedly crooked looking schnooze.

God, I love this guy. (more…)

Time for my weekly look and the wonderful and wacky world of NHL standings.

Standings fun:

• Ottawa continues to own the east with nine wins. Detroit has the same in the west.
• At the other end of the spectrum, Atlanta has surged to win three games, tying them with follow bottom feeder Phoenix. And it only took Atlanta 11 games to do it!
• Every team in the Northeast Division is .500 or better, with only the Sabres sitting right on the .500 mark.
• Islanders, Lightning, Coyotes and Blues have all played only 9 games, while Anaheim leads the league at 13 games played.
• Washington and Florida are ahead of New Jersey and the NY Rangers. Who says parity is dead? There’s no such phenomenon in the west… everyone is well ahead of Phoenix and Nashville, surprising no one.

Elsewhere in the NHL:

• To most it’s just a Sunday night matchup between two struggling teams, but to the Ducks and the Oilers it’s another chapter in the feud between their respective GMs. Give this round to the Oilers. Of course, the focus was on Dustin Penner. His comments and attitude in the story are actually pretty classy. The bonus was that GM Brian Burke presented Penner with his Stanley Cup ring in the GM’s office after the game. Wouldn’t you love to be a fly on the wall for that little scene?



• Bruins fans are a hardy folk, how else could they get through so many seasons of misery with barely a whimper? The latest in their string of misfortunes, the injury of Patrice Bergeron — one of the few bright lights in the Bruins organization — might be less serious than previously thought as Bergeron was released from the hospital Sunday. Tests showed no injury to Bergeron’s head and neck.

Plus a big congrats to the Boston Red Sox on their World Series win!

Dustin Penner, Brian Burke, Patrice Bergeron

Colorado Avalanche at Edmonton Oilers - Colorado is 4-4-0, Edmonton is 3-5-0, but the real story is Ryan Smyth’s return to Edmonton. Sentiments are expressed much better at Covered In Oil, and the news side is covered much better at KuklasKorner. Battle Of Alberta also chimes in. Don’t underestimate what Smyth meant to Oiler fans.

Nashville Predators at Los Angeles Kings - Nashville is 2-5-0 and LA is 3-6-0. Both teams have gotten to a slow start this season, especially former contender Nashville, now stuck in a 5 game losing streak. LA is turning it around slowly, stopping their own five game skid with a convincing win against Vancouver. No word on if the game will be affected by the fires in the area. Even though they’re likely not close to the arena, there are enough roads closed and confusion in the area. Prayers to anyone in So. Cal right now.

***

Here we go again: The Peter Forsberg rumor mill is alive and well. We’re back to Ottawa, since Petey will only play for a contender. Oh, and he wants a 3-year deal worth $5 million a season.

Disclaimer: I’ve never been much of a Forsberg fan, but that might a result of having to play the Avs 8 times a season when they seemed to own all the talent in the division. Or maybe it was the way he would crumple to the ice if someone looked at him wrong and the refs would buy it every time…. but I digress. Ottawa seems to be churning along fine without Peter The Great, and may not have the cap room to make a 3 year commitment. Colorado (Forsberg’s other choice), may not want him enough to give in either. So then what?

***

The Leafs woes continue as they’ve now lost Darcy Tucker to a knee injury. Tucker will be wearing a brace, and will be out indefinitely.

That really sucks for Toronto. Tucker is annoying as all get-out, but he’s clearly a key member of the Toronto club. Losing him indefinitely isn’t going to help the Leafs ship right itself.

Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Ryan Smyth, Peter Forsberg, Darcy Tucker

Don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying the sparring match between Anaheim Ducks GM Brian Burke and pretty much anyone connected with the Edmonton Oilers (GM Kevin Lowe and Head Coach Craig MacTavish in particular), but some of it seems forced, and some is just silly. I mean, “blowhard”?

If you’ve been living under a rock, Burke and Lowe continue to use the media (particularly Sportsnet.ca. I’m not saying that means anything, but….) to discuss their off-season battle for Dustin Penner, a player who 90 per cent of hockey fans had never heard of before the Oilers decided to sign him to an offer sheet and make him a trivia question subject for life. Don’t we have something better to talk about?

With the season finally under way, and a clean slate for nearly every team in the NHL (sorry Columbus), do we really need a couple of childish managers hogging the airwaves and front pages of hockey web sites? I’m all for airing of dirty laundry and public spats, but we’re in the exciting hockey days here.

Vincent Lecavalier is looking amazing. Mike Keenan is already starting to twitch. Daniel Briere is settling in nicely with his new team. Daniel Alfredsson continues to frustrate the Leafs, and that’s just good clean fun for everyone.We need to save the back-biting until at least November — you know, usually about the point you realize your favorite team’s off-season changes have amounted to zilch, while their biggest rival is being heralded for signing the second coming of Gretzky for half a million dollars.

If not then, we’ll still need some good fodder for that hockey news wasteland between the All-Star game and the trade deadline.

By that point, Penner’s true worth should be revealed and at least one of the combatants will get to add a layer of smugness to their shots. Then we can really sit back and enjoy the show.

Brian Burke, Kevin Lowe, Craig MacTavish, Dustin Penner, Columbus, Vincent Lecavalier, Mike Keenan, Daniel Briere, Daniel Alfredsson

Alfredsson doesn’t care which Leafs’ goalie he scores on.

It was somewhat surprising to see Raycroft between the pipes when the puck dropped last night for the Senators/Leafs game. It was almost as surprising to see Toskala in net for the Leafs tonight in their second tilt against Ottawa.

What’s not surprising is that it didn’t seem to make one iota of difference.

I don’t blame the Leafs for not starting Toskala at home — the pressure there is ridiculous. I know players don’t go to Toronto to remain anonymous, but how much attention and pressure would Toskala be under if the Leafs hadn’t been forced to take the problem child Mark Bell as well?

If you’re the Leafs, who do you start in net next?

***

I haven’t checked yet, but I believe the Steve Downie suspension expires right before the Flyers play Ottawa again. Excellent. If you’re keeping track, tonight’s game against Calgary is Game #1 of the suspension.

Philly looked good tonight against Calgary. It’s only one game, but I swear the countdown on Mike Keenan’s first eruption is already well underway. A tale of two teams: Flyer’s star player Daniel Briere steps up and scores a goal in the latter half of the 3rd period, bringing the team to a 3-2 lead. Calgary star Jarome Iginla responds by stepping up and taking a hooking penalty. It was a lousy call, but still….

***

Up the highway, the Oilers eked out a strong win against the Sharks. Still processing that one… that and Nashville beating the crap out of Colorado. All this is telling me is that I’ll need to wait a few more weeks before buying SportsSelect tickets…

***

Shutout count: Backstrom - 1, Mason - 1.

***

Regular, less stream-of-consciousness content will return tomorrow. I promise. (Guilty confession: The NHL is my first love. Always has been. But after this weekend, part of me is still caught up in the NFL and ex-CFLer Jeff Garcia’s performance in Tampa).

Edmonton Oilers

Notable moves and changes: Signed D Sheldon Souray (was with Montreal), acquired F Dustin Penner, after the Ducks declined to match the Oilers’ offer. Signed F Geoff Sanderson.
Starting goalie:Dwayne Roloson
Summary of last year: This was a team that lost its heart and soul when Ryan Smyth was traded at the deadline. Any poor performances or setbacks up to that point were recoverable, but the trade of Smyth sent the team into a freefall. Some would argue that freefall is still happening.
Prediction for this year: It would be too easy to discount this season as a write off, but as most Flames fans know, one can never underestimate the Edmonton Oilers. However, their off-season has been tumultuous at best, with controversial offers to the Sabres’ Thomas Vanek (Buffalo matched) and the Ducks’ Dustin Penner (the Ducks didn’t). Adding Souray, Sanderson, and Penner to the mix doesn’t look like it comes close to closing the gap left by Smyth, especially when you factor in the loss of Petr Sykora in the off-season. Shawn Horcoff, Ales Hemsky, Jarrett Stoll and Raffi Torres represent the remaining 30+ point players from last season and will need to step up.

Sheldon Souray, Joni Pitkanen, Jason Smith, Joffrey Lupul, Dustin Penner, Geoff Sanderson, Dwayne Roloson, Ryan Smyth, Thomas Vanek

Notable moves and changes: Signed free agent Daniel Briere (was with the Buffalo Sabres), picked up F Joffrey Lupul[/tags] and D [tag]Jason Smith from the Edmonton Oilers for D Joni Pitkanen and F Geoff Sanderson, and acquired F Scott Hartnell and D Kimmo Timonen from the Nashville Predators.

Starting goalies: Martin Biron, though Antero Niittymaki could challenge with a great camp.

Summary of last year: The Flyers were last in the league with a sobering 22-48-12 record, and were out of playoff contention well before the All-Star break. This team has nowhere to go but up.

Prediction for this year: If the off-season signings and trades are any indication, Flyers’ GM Paul Holmgren is serious about righting the ship and doing it quickly. Even at the trade deadline, the Flyers were making moves to strengthen the team, picking up most notably Martin Biron. There isn’t a position on the team that hasn’t been improved, defense shored up with Smith and Timonen, the signing of Briere and the acquisition of Biron. Will they go from last in the league to making the playoffs? There’s a good chance.

Daniel Briere, Buffalo Sabres, Joffrey Lupul[/tags] and D [tag]Jason Smith, Edmonton Oilers, Joni Pitkanen, Geoff Sanderson, Scott Hartnell, Kimmo Timonen, Nashville Predators, Antero Niittymaki, Paul Holmgren

• Cost to buy the Tampa Bay Lightning: $206 million. Listening to John Tortorella slam the team’s previous owner? Priceless. (Fan590 audio link is here).
• Edmonton Oilers resign Brodziak and Roy. Craig Simpson’s out, Brodziak and Roy are in. Somehow I think they’re going to need a little more to get back into the playoffs.
• By the way, Simpson is now saying he’s leaving coaching because he realized he’d never be the next Scotty Bowman. There’s so many snarky comments I can make there I’m not even sure where to start…
• Staal brothers offered deal. And why not? Young men busted for drinking too much at a campground during a stag…. I know a lot of guys who call that “Saturday”.
• Hawks extend Savard’s stay. Good on ‘em. One of the best things to happen to the Hawks in years.
• Bruins sign their first round draft pick, Zach Hamill. The Bruins need this kid, both for their team and to keep their fans’ hopes alive.
• Hawks sign James Wisniewski. The Hawks on the other hand destroyed their fans’ hopes years ago…
• Coyotes ink Joel Perrault. Coyotes continue to be a mystery team… how will they do this year?
• CHL Schedule released. Colorado Eagles will begin their defense of the CHL championship title.
• Karel Pilar signs with Thrashers. Pilar’s been out of the NHL for nearly two years battling a heart condition.
• Chris Chelios testifies in murder trial. Nothing funny here. A former Cheli’s restaurant employee murdered two of his former co-workers, one right after Chelios spoke with her.
• Ducks’ Joe DiPenta thrills sick kids with Stanley Cup. Feel-good Cup story of the week.

Tampa Bay Lightning, John Tortorella, Edmonton Oilers, Zach Hamill, James Wisniewski, Coyotes, Joel Perrault, Colorado Eagles, Karel Pilar, Thrashers, Chris Chelios

Craig Simpson has left the Oilers to join the CBC broadcast team, reports the Globe and Mail, and Sportsnet.ca, among others.

I know the Oilers aren’t exactly looking, ahem, stable, right now, but I can’t remember the last time someone voluntarily left an NHL job to join a broadcaster.

This comes about a week after the Sharkspage blog reported Drew Remenda was rejoining the SJ Sharks broadcast team. It’s good for the Sharks fans, but I really liked Remenda. I got to catch him on Fox broadcasts on Centre Ice and he seemed like one of the few Fox announcers who not only knew what was going on, but was fair in his commentary.

The good news is, it looks like Simpson will be working the west coast broadcasts with Jim Hughson, which means no more Greg Millen in the west (Millen will join Bob Cole and Harry Neale). That might be the best news of the summer.

Oiler fans at Oilfans.com don’t seem too broken up about the loss of Simpson… the comments range from “Now we’ll make the playoffs” to “most excellent news.”

I guess Oiler fans need *something* to be happy about.

Craig Simpson, CBC, Drew Remenda