If you are a real hockey fan, there should be very little to get in your way of some serious couch time these April nights. Because, there's some really good hockey being played right now.
To wit: we've already seen...
One of the most determined comebacks in NHL history, by the Chicago Blackhawks, as the Vancouver Canucks victory parade planning has been brought to a dead halt;
possibly the last NHL game to ever be played in Glendale, Arizona, as the Detroit Red Wings showed why they are still the REAL force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference, dismantling the Phoenix Coyotes in four straight games;
that hot goaltending still can rule a playoff series, as Jonathan Quick's stand-on-your-head efforts still have the Los Angeles Kings in the series against the San Jose Sharks;
that the Washington Capitals have indeed improved their defense, as they dispatched the New York Rangers in five games, the last two losses of which can directly be attributed to Marian Gaborik, who really has to ask himself what has happened since his move to Gotham;
that the best offense really is a GREAT defense. Just ask the Buffalo Sabres, who have the new 'America's Team', the Philadelphia Flyers, on the ropes going into today's nationally-televised game at Buffalo;
that the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens haven't beaten each other into a pulp yet, with all the hard hits, high-intensity up-and-down skating, and leftover hatred that you USUALLY have in a playoff series;
that the Pittsburgh Penguins have survived the series with the Tampa Bay Lightning, despite no Sid the Kid, no 'Geno' Malkin, and very little help (at least in Game 5) for their beleagured goaltending corps. Anytime you place a 'snowman' on the other team's scoreboard, you wonder what you did right, and want to just keep on doing it;
and, finally, one of the 'snooz-iest' series ever, that series between the Nashville Predators and the Anaheim Ducks, a series which although going into Game 6 today (late afternoon) at Nashville, has drawn very little attention, and next-to-no national TV/Cable coverage. Not that there hasn't been some good hockey played (Bobby Ryan's goal and Jordin Tootoo's sweet game 4 rebound of his own shot are two of this playoff season's best goals) and some vicious hitting (the Game 4 take-out of Nashville's Martin Erat shows that, indeed, the Ducks haven't changed their ways) but this series hasn't captured the imagination of the hockey world.
So, if you are a fan of any of the teams who didn't make the playoffs, you wonder to yourself: 'Would my team have played at this level during these last 10-12 days?', and in most cases you say 'No' and hope that the teams who didn't make the playoffs want to get better. Teams that don't make the playoffs sell hope, because that's all they have TO sell. The fact of the matter is that teams who don't make the post-season don't make money. Three of the five most financially-distressed teams in the NHL (Florida, Atlanta, Dallas) did not make the playoffs this past season. The most financially-distressed team (Phoenix) went out in four straight games in the first round. And how many other teams, teams we haven't heard about in this context, are in the hole as much as these teams are?
Does the NHL have two schedules ready? One with the Phoenix Coyotes in it, and one with that team in Winnipeg? And, when will they release that schedule? Where will the Coyotes franchise be when the puck drops in October?
A lot more questions right now in the NHL than there are answers. So for now, shove all that aside. Forget the financial battles, legal entanglements and who's ox is getting gored. Sit down on the couch, and enjoy some of the best hockey of the season. After all, that's why they play the games. To see who wins, and who loses. Who gets to raise Lord Stanley's hardware in six weeks' time. And who's hopes get dashed on the rocks of the playoffs.
That's why they play the games.
Happy Easter, everyone.
Showing posts with label Gaborik. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gaborik. Show all posts
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Deal ...or No Deal?
Wild not in mood for wheeling and dealing as trade deadline looms
Satisfied with the direction the Minnesota Wild are headed as February turns into the Stretch Drive month of March, GM Chuck Fletcher has downplayed any possible moves to further infuse talent in the club, according to published reports.
Fletcher told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that unless the player traded for can quickly mesh with the team's current high-level character, that player would not be added by Monday's 2:00 PM (CST) trade deadline.
"These players deserve a chance to stay together and see this thing through. This group deserves that chance; they want that chance, and it's hard to argue with them."
The Wild currently are in 6th place in the NHL's Western Conference with 72 points, two behind 5th place Los Angeles, and three behind 4th place Phoenix, who currently holds the last spot for first-round home ice advantage. The Wild have completed their season series with both clubs.
With Mikko Koivu out for two to three more weeks (broken index finger, left hand) the Wild could use another center. But until (and unless) the rest of the team could buy into a new face near them, Fletcher does not want to mess with the good chemistry in the dressing room. "...we like this team, we're competitive every night and we're winning more games than we're losing. We're content with our group."
Now...the next five games
The next five games (3 at Xcel Energy Center, 2 on the road) are vs. Chicago, two in New York (at the Islanders and Rangers, in that order), then home games against Buffalo and Colorado. Is it too much to expect to win four of those five? Yes, Chicago is a mess right now, and Stan Kroneke is trying to out-cheapen Charles Wang (if that's even possible?) with the Avs current dismantling, but the Wild are in a position to really put some distance between themselves, and the rest of the West contenders this coming week.
Monday's nationally-cablecast game (Versus, 7:00 PM) vs. the Chicago Blackhawks is the final meeting between the two teams this season, and with each game between the two teams having more meaning than the last one, this game should be a fun evening of puck. The Wild are 1-2 in their first three meetings; the Blackhawks winning October 30th at the 'X', and Feb. 16 in Chicago, both games by 3-1 scores; the Wild defeated the 'Hawks 4-2 at the United Center on January 25th, in the last game before the All-Star Break for both franchises. Chicago, although not the star-studded, fully-loaded Blackhawks of last season, are still capable of running up the score should they get going offensively. The Wild will indeed have their hands full Monday night, but so may the 'Hawks, especially if they make a trade deadline deal earlier on Monday.
Before getting back into the meat grinder of the stretch drive, the Wild get a few games which they should actually win. The New York Islanders are, well, the Islanders; all the 'goons' who tried to single-handedly drag the NHL back into the 'Slap Shot' era, will be returning to the Isles' roster in time for Wednesday night's 6:00 PM start. Even with the 'slugfest' against the Penguins two weeks ago, the Isles are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, better than the 4-6-0 record of the Rangers going into Sunday afternoon's game vs. Tampa Bay at Madison Square Garden.
The New York Rangers are almost as banged up as the Wild are, with five front-line Blueshirts (Marian Gaborik, Marc Staal, Alexander Frolov, Chris Drury, and Derek Boogaard) all out of the line-up. This is the game, I think, that may be a loss for the Wild. The Wild never play that well in Manhattan (1-4-0 all time at MSG), and the Wild will be on the second night of yet another back-to-back on the road.
What will be left of the Colorado Avalanche will make their last visit into St. Paul on March 8th, a team which is a shadow of what they were at this time last season, when they out-lasted the Calgary Flames to qualify for last season's playoffs. This is not last season's Avs by any stretch, as the team has gone on an economy kick, and is trying desperately to shed payroll, by any means possible.
So, is 4-1 in the next five games realistic? Is it the time for the Wild to show that they really ARE a team worthy of the Stanley Cup Playoffs?
Guess we'll just have to see for ourselves, huh?
Satisfied with the direction the Minnesota Wild are headed as February turns into the Stretch Drive month of March, GM Chuck Fletcher has downplayed any possible moves to further infuse talent in the club, according to published reports.
Fletcher told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that unless the player traded for can quickly mesh with the team's current high-level character, that player would not be added by Monday's 2:00 PM (CST) trade deadline.
"These players deserve a chance to stay together and see this thing through. This group deserves that chance; they want that chance, and it's hard to argue with them."
The Wild currently are in 6th place in the NHL's Western Conference with 72 points, two behind 5th place Los Angeles, and three behind 4th place Phoenix, who currently holds the last spot for first-round home ice advantage. The Wild have completed their season series with both clubs.
With Mikko Koivu out for two to three more weeks (broken index finger, left hand) the Wild could use another center. But until (and unless) the rest of the team could buy into a new face near them, Fletcher does not want to mess with the good chemistry in the dressing room. "...we like this team, we're competitive every night and we're winning more games than we're losing. We're content with our group."
Now...the next five games
The next five games (3 at Xcel Energy Center, 2 on the road) are vs. Chicago, two in New York (at the Islanders and Rangers, in that order), then home games against Buffalo and Colorado. Is it too much to expect to win four of those five? Yes, Chicago is a mess right now, and Stan Kroneke is trying to out-cheapen Charles Wang (if that's even possible?) with the Avs current dismantling, but the Wild are in a position to really put some distance between themselves, and the rest of the West contenders this coming week.
Monday's nationally-cablecast game (Versus, 7:00 PM) vs. the Chicago Blackhawks is the final meeting between the two teams this season, and with each game between the two teams having more meaning than the last one, this game should be a fun evening of puck. The Wild are 1-2 in their first three meetings; the Blackhawks winning October 30th at the 'X', and Feb. 16 in Chicago, both games by 3-1 scores; the Wild defeated the 'Hawks 4-2 at the United Center on January 25th, in the last game before the All-Star Break for both franchises. Chicago, although not the star-studded, fully-loaded Blackhawks of last season, are still capable of running up the score should they get going offensively. The Wild will indeed have their hands full Monday night, but so may the 'Hawks, especially if they make a trade deadline deal earlier on Monday.
Before getting back into the meat grinder of the stretch drive, the Wild get a few games which they should actually win. The New York Islanders are, well, the Islanders; all the 'goons' who tried to single-handedly drag the NHL back into the 'Slap Shot' era, will be returning to the Isles' roster in time for Wednesday night's 6:00 PM start. Even with the 'slugfest' against the Penguins two weeks ago, the Isles are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, better than the 4-6-0 record of the Rangers going into Sunday afternoon's game vs. Tampa Bay at Madison Square Garden.
The New York Rangers are almost as banged up as the Wild are, with five front-line Blueshirts (Marian Gaborik, Marc Staal, Alexander Frolov, Chris Drury, and Derek Boogaard) all out of the line-up. This is the game, I think, that may be a loss for the Wild. The Wild never play that well in Manhattan (1-4-0 all time at MSG), and the Wild will be on the second night of yet another back-to-back on the road.
After three days off (and the state high school wrestling tournament at the 'X'), the Wild will face a Buffalo Sabres' team which is very much hot and cold. On the cusp of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Sabres will roll into St. Paul on the second game of a back-to-back of their own, and their 4th road game in six nights, the middle game of a 7-game, two-week road trip where, after which, the Sabres play only two more games away from HSBC Arena the rest of March.
What will be left of the Colorado Avalanche will make their last visit into St. Paul on March 8th, a team which is a shadow of what they were at this time last season, when they out-lasted the Calgary Flames to qualify for last season's playoffs. This is not last season's Avs by any stretch, as the team has gone on an economy kick, and is trying desperately to shed payroll, by any means possible.
So, is 4-1 in the next five games realistic? Is it the time for the Wild to show that they really ARE a team worthy of the Stanley Cup Playoffs?
Guess we'll just have to see for ourselves, huh?
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Consistenly Inconsistent
Minnesota Wild lean on unleanable Havlat, Cullen as up-and-down week ends
By Wild Road Tripper
Hallowe'en is upon us. An evening of little ghosts and goblins and kids dressed up as scary creatures showing up at your door (starting about 5 o'clock, or about the time they carry Brett Favre off in a cart) looking to get paid in candy.
Unfortunately, the Minnesota Wild thought trick-or-treat started a day early. Like, Saturday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. As they Wild went down 3-1 to the defending Stanley Cup champions, the fact that the Wild were so desperate for offense that they leaned on Martin Havlat and Matt Cullen in a version of the Washington Capitals' "all Ovie" offense, whereby Cullen (and Alex Ovechkin on Thursday) stayed out on the ice, pulling double-and-triple shifts while the clock wound down at the end of the game, giving two points was the treat at the end of a trick gone horribly wrong.
The Wild need someone -- anyone -- to come in, kick this team in the collective heine and scream, 'why don't you want to play for 60 minutes?'
The game versus Washington is an example of what can happen when everything is executed properly. You score, you play defense, you win hockey games. The game versus Chicago on Saturday, on the other hand, is an example of what happens when there is no execution. Players stand around, don't chase after loose pucks, allow opponents to get open for wrap-around chances, and so on. Players skate around at half-speed, don't check, don't make plays, until it is too late to do anything, which will affect the outcome of the contest.
And, it's been this way the entire season. That the Wild players have not seen this by now, is the failure of each individual player to face up to the fact that right now, this team just isn't playing all that well. That some players need to look in the mirror, and blame that person for not playing better.
And I'll be honest with you: Martin Havlat is quickly becoming the next version of another player from the Wild past who also had troubles with consistency, who also had troubles with the puck, who also didn't do his job.
Martin Havlat, meet Martin Skoula. Skoula, now relegated to the KHL in Russia, is the all-time poster child for the Wild franchise when it comes to ineptitude. Havlat is starting to turn down this dark, lonely, pothole-filled road as well, with his lack of speed on the rush, his poor shooting, his 'softness' when it comes to puck battles, his amount of puck turnovers (especially in the last week). He may be hiding an injury, although he will never admit it publically.
It's time for the Wild to sit Havlat out, especially if he continues to play like he did on Saturday, when his turnover in the Chicago zone, in the last minute of the game, directly led to Chicago's empty-net goal with 35 seconds left in the contest. Havlat is skating like a man who is nursing a glass groin, kind of like another ex-Wild from that central part of Europe, Marian Gaborik, so I think most Wild fans have seen enough of that to know better. Even though Havlat's agent, Allan Walsh (who also represents several other Wild players) uses Twitter as his personal soapbox, in order to lobby Wild management for more time for Havlat, the fact of the matter is that after last night, Havlat doesn't deserve more playing time. Based on his efforts the last few games, he actually deserves less. A lot less.
It worked for Skoula. It might work again, you never know:
Time to get Martin Havlat qualified to operate the Martin Skoula Memorial Press Box Popcorn Machine.
By Wild Road Tripper
Hallowe'en is upon us. An evening of little ghosts and goblins and kids dressed up as scary creatures showing up at your door (starting about 5 o'clock, or about the time they carry Brett Favre off in a cart) looking to get paid in candy.
Unfortunately, the Minnesota Wild thought trick-or-treat started a day early. Like, Saturday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. As they Wild went down 3-1 to the defending Stanley Cup champions, the fact that the Wild were so desperate for offense that they leaned on Martin Havlat and Matt Cullen in a version of the Washington Capitals' "all Ovie" offense, whereby Cullen (and Alex Ovechkin on Thursday) stayed out on the ice, pulling double-and-triple shifts while the clock wound down at the end of the game, giving two points was the treat at the end of a trick gone horribly wrong.
The Wild need someone -- anyone -- to come in, kick this team in the collective heine and scream, 'why don't you want to play for 60 minutes?'
The game versus Washington is an example of what can happen when everything is executed properly. You score, you play defense, you win hockey games. The game versus Chicago on Saturday, on the other hand, is an example of what happens when there is no execution. Players stand around, don't chase after loose pucks, allow opponents to get open for wrap-around chances, and so on. Players skate around at half-speed, don't check, don't make plays, until it is too late to do anything, which will affect the outcome of the contest.
And, it's been this way the entire season. That the Wild players have not seen this by now, is the failure of each individual player to face up to the fact that right now, this team just isn't playing all that well. That some players need to look in the mirror, and blame that person for not playing better.
And I'll be honest with you: Martin Havlat is quickly becoming the next version of another player from the Wild past who also had troubles with consistency, who also had troubles with the puck, who also didn't do his job.
Martin Havlat, meet Martin Skoula. Skoula, now relegated to the KHL in Russia, is the all-time poster child for the Wild franchise when it comes to ineptitude. Havlat is starting to turn down this dark, lonely, pothole-filled road as well, with his lack of speed on the rush, his poor shooting, his 'softness' when it comes to puck battles, his amount of puck turnovers (especially in the last week). He may be hiding an injury, although he will never admit it publically.
It's time for the Wild to sit Havlat out, especially if he continues to play like he did on Saturday, when his turnover in the Chicago zone, in the last minute of the game, directly led to Chicago's empty-net goal with 35 seconds left in the contest. Havlat is skating like a man who is nursing a glass groin, kind of like another ex-Wild from that central part of Europe, Marian Gaborik, so I think most Wild fans have seen enough of that to know better. Even though Havlat's agent, Allan Walsh (who also represents several other Wild players) uses Twitter as his personal soapbox, in order to lobby Wild management for more time for Havlat, the fact of the matter is that after last night, Havlat doesn't deserve more playing time. Based on his efforts the last few games, he actually deserves less. A lot less.
It worked for Skoula. It might work again, you never know:
Time to get Martin Havlat qualified to operate the Martin Skoula Memorial Press Box Popcorn Machine.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Kobasew launches hat sale as Wild beat back Avs, 5-3
Three goals by ex-Bruin turn 'Dog day Afternoon' into 'Thank God it's Friday' as Wild go .500 for November
By Wild Road Tripper
Chuck Kobasew made sure his teammates had a good day Friday, as the Minnesota Wild rode Kobasew's hat trick, the first 3-bagger for the Wild in 23 months, to a 5-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche Friday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center, as an announced 18,365 enjoyed what was, at least in the opinion of this blogger, the Wild's best team effort, start-to-finish, in nearly three weeks.
Kobasew led the charge as seven different Wild players tallied points against the Northwest Division-leading Avs, as the Wild beat the Avs for the second time this season. Kobasew's hat trick was the second of his career; the first was also against Colorado, on Jan. 24, 2006, when he was with the Calgary Flames.
The hat trick set off a 'hat trick hat sale' at the team's Hockey Lodge team stores for the rest of the day, as is custom when a Wild player scores three goals in the same game. The last time a Wild player scored three goals in the same game, was Marian Gaborik's five-goal bonanza against Henrik Lundquist and the New York Rangers on December 20, 2007.
Owen Nolan, the NHL's oldest active player, rang up another goal, his 7th, at 9:28 of the first period, moving away from a surprised Avs defense in doing so as well. Derek Boogaard's pass in front, bounced off the goal and into Kobasew's wheelhouse, where he buried it behind Avs goalie Craig Anderson early in the second period, to give the Wild a brief 2-1 lead. Kobasew struck again just over 3 minutes later when, on the power play, Kobasew took a pass again directly in front of Anderson from Andrew Brunette, and gave the Wild a 3-2 lead.
In the third, with the score tied at 3-3, it was Brunette's turn to score after Mikko Koivu received a pass from Marek Zidlicky, that was a result of the Avs not being able to stay away from the sin-bin, as Darcy Tucker was off on a slashing penalty at the time. Kobasew finished off the afternoon's scoring, as he took a pass from Koivu in front of an empty net after Colorado had pulled Anderson for the extra attacker, and calmly slid it into the empty net with 18 seconds left in the contest.
The Wild move to 6 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie (2002, vs. Colorado) all-time on the day after Thanksgiving, as they get their 4th Western Conference win of 2009-10. The home record of the Wild now goes to 7-3-1 for the season (4-2 against the West), as the scene now shifts to Denver's Pepsi Center for 'Beanie Night', and the rematch tomorrow evening, 8:00 PM Central (7:00 PM Mountain) Time (Wild TV: FSNorth; Colorado TV: Altitude; both feeds in HD; XM Radio, Ch. 241).
By Wild Road Tripper
Chuck Kobasew made sure his teammates had a good day Friday, as the Minnesota Wild rode Kobasew's hat trick, the first 3-bagger for the Wild in 23 months, to a 5-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche Friday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center, as an announced 18,365 enjoyed what was, at least in the opinion of this blogger, the Wild's best team effort, start-to-finish, in nearly three weeks.
Kobasew led the charge as seven different Wild players tallied points against the Northwest Division-leading Avs, as the Wild beat the Avs for the second time this season. Kobasew's hat trick was the second of his career; the first was also against Colorado, on Jan. 24, 2006, when he was with the Calgary Flames.
The hat trick set off a 'hat trick hat sale' at the team's Hockey Lodge team stores for the rest of the day, as is custom when a Wild player scores three goals in the same game. The last time a Wild player scored three goals in the same game, was Marian Gaborik's five-goal bonanza against Henrik Lundquist and the New York Rangers on December 20, 2007.
Owen Nolan, the NHL's oldest active player, rang up another goal, his 7th, at 9:28 of the first period, moving away from a surprised Avs defense in doing so as well. Derek Boogaard's pass in front, bounced off the goal and into Kobasew's wheelhouse, where he buried it behind Avs goalie Craig Anderson early in the second period, to give the Wild a brief 2-1 lead. Kobasew struck again just over 3 minutes later when, on the power play, Kobasew took a pass again directly in front of Anderson from Andrew Brunette, and gave the Wild a 3-2 lead.
In the third, with the score tied at 3-3, it was Brunette's turn to score after Mikko Koivu received a pass from Marek Zidlicky, that was a result of the Avs not being able to stay away from the sin-bin, as Darcy Tucker was off on a slashing penalty at the time. Kobasew finished off the afternoon's scoring, as he took a pass from Koivu in front of an empty net after Colorado had pulled Anderson for the extra attacker, and calmly slid it into the empty net with 18 seconds left in the contest.
The Wild move to 6 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie (2002, vs. Colorado) all-time on the day after Thanksgiving, as they get their 4th Western Conference win of 2009-10. The home record of the Wild now goes to 7-3-1 for the season (4-2 against the West), as the scene now shifts to Denver's Pepsi Center for 'Beanie Night', and the rematch tomorrow evening, 8:00 PM Central (7:00 PM Mountain) Time (Wild TV: FSNorth; Colorado TV: Altitude; both feeds in HD; XM Radio, Ch. 241).
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