Rant of the Week: No Playoffs in Toronto This Spring

April 5, 2009

By The Statsman, Paul Bruno

For the fourth successive season, the Maple Leafs will miss the post-season in the NHL. Credit for this unprecedented low-water mark in club history rests primarily with the previous Leaf management which featured rookie GM John Ferguson Jr, who still bravely states that he “stands by his record.” I would rather run and hide. That record sucks! He left the cupboard pretty bare before the Leafs gave him his walking papers.

New management in Cliff Fletcher and soon after, Brian Burke acknowledged that this was a rebuilding season and as such, the goal was to slowly look to improve the team incrementally. The playoffs were not even a reasonable possibility when this season began.

Across the hall, the Raptors were expected to be among the Conference leaders in most preseason polls. The acquisition of veteran centre Jermaine O’Neal would allow the Raps to field an imposing and huge front court with returning stars, Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani. They were going to create mismatches with these three “bigs” in their lineup.

Well, less than twenty games into the season, a poor start led to a coaching change and the successor, Jay Triano took over. Despite the club’s record getting worse with each passing week, Triano was earning credit for being a great communicator and for his work with a couple of players in particular (Bargnani and Kapono).

It became a truly demoralizing decline for the Raps as they sunk to the bottom of the Conference. If anything, their current state is more disappointing that their hockey counterparts.

Brian Colangelo and Brian Burke are two of the most high-profile of all General Managers in the North American sports spectrum.

They both face daunting tasks in reversing the fortunes of their teams.

Their images would take a huge hit if they don’t deliver the goods in Toronto.

Clearly this off-season, they both have to perform better than the Raptors and Leafs did during their current regular seasons.

2 Comments | Hockey, MLB, NBA, NHL, Rant of the Week | Permalink
Posted by S L

Stud of the Week: NHL Backup Goalies – A Resurgence

April 5, 2009

By The Statsman, Paul Bruno

In the six-team NHL, goalies were accustomed to playing all their team’s games, just like all the regular skaters. Emergency backups were waiting in the wings should either team’s starters get hurt.

Expansion, begin in 1967, changed all that as teams felt the need to lean on a two goalie system to help deal with the increased travel demands.

In most of the last 15 years, a single dominant goalie was again the preference of most successful teams.

Poolies have had to adjust their thinking to match each of these trends.

This season we may be on the leading edge of yet another swing in this pendulum.

Last week, three different backup goalies each posted three wins to aid their teams’ push for the playoffs.

Florida’s Craig Anderson, Anaheim’s Jonas Hiller and St. Louis’ Chris Mason each began the season as the clear second stringers yet their value as integral parts of their respective teams has been driven home.

They are also far less well paid than their respective starters. Budgetary issues in a salary cap league have dictated this disparity.

They have all stepped forward to relieve injured or underperforming starters at the most critical juncture of the year.

When we look around at some of the lesser clubs, we can quickly cite the lack of a viable second goalie as a glaring deficiency.

With the success of these three “subs” we wonder if more teams will recognize the need to get two solid goalies rather than pin their hopes on one starter, if this is truly to be a new era for goalies in the NHL.

3 Comments | NHL, Stud of the Week | Permalink
Posted by S L

NHL Fantasy Hot List

April 1, 2009

marian-gaborik

Ryan Miller – Could there be any more pressure on this guy after missing a month with injury? His mission: win every game or your team likely doesn’t make the playoffs!

Marian Gaborik – Has taken the torch from Peter Forsberg for most oft-injured superstar. Has scored four goals in the five games since his return.

Patrick Sharp – One of a handful of offensive weapons on the Blackhawks. Sharp is on a hot streak lately with four points in his last four games.

Cam Barker – Chicago defenseman recently rode a nine game point scoring streak and along with Duncan Keith & Brian Campbell, has the Windy City in great shape on the back end.

Alexei Ponikarovsky – Has turned it on at a point in the season when the games are meaningless! Nonetheless, fantasy owners will be pleased as this has no bearing on them J

Alex Tanguay – A streaky player throughout his career, 10-points in his last five games further attest to that.

Nathan Horton – Should be a 40-goal scorer, so his 20-goals this season are a clear indication of underachievement. However, 5pts in his last 5gp are nice for fantasy owners.

Ryan Kesler – Third in Canucks scoring behind the Sedin twins, Kesler is one of three Vancouver 20-goal men.

Steve Stamkos – After a slow start, Stamkos has really flourished. He has 14-points in the month of March alone and has recorded a point in 12 of his last 16 games.

Jonas Hiller – His numbers this year make teammate Giguere look like the backup in Anaheim instead of the other way around.

Owen Nolan – For all the negatives that can be said about Nolan, no one can dispute that 23-goals in 53gp this season, at age 36 is pretty phenomenal.

Mikhail Grabovski – 13-points in his last 7-games, another Leaf who has turned it on at the wrong time of year. Nonetheless, fantasy owners will be all too pleased with his performance of late!

Jamie Lundmark – Former much-hyped junior prospect in the late 90’s, has suddenly turned it on with Calgary this season, to the tune of 15-points in 21-games.

Milan Michalek – Has quietly scored 22-goals & 55-points on a powerful San Jose team this season.

Daniel Briere – After missing majority of the season, Briere has been hot of late, contributing 7-points in his last six games.

Kris Letang – His ice time being cut back following Gonchar’s return was a given. But, Letang has five points in his last six games!

Alex Burrows – In the mold of a Sean Avery, but with more natural scoring touch. Burrows is a great compliment to any line!

Rod Brind’ Amour – Veteran Hurricanes captain has 16-points in his last 12-games.

Mark Recchi – An excellent deadline addition to an already powerful Bruins squad. Recchi provides veteran scoring depth. 7-goals in 11-games since joining Boston and he’s 40-years-old!

Written by: Scott Madore

Leave a Comment » | Fantasy, NHL | Permalink
Posted by S L

Stud of the Week: Mike Green of the Washington Capitals

March 27, 2009

By The Statsman, Paul Bruno

While his superstar teammate is gaining lots of publicity for his goal celebrations, defenseman Mike Green is about to put up scoring totals that we haven’t seen from a defenseman in quite some time.

He has scored 28 goals and with two more would register the first 30-goal season by a blueliner in the last 15 years.

A further look at the stats reveals that he is the only defenseman who is producing better than a point per game, among the league leaders. He has 65 points in only 61 games.

To further enhance his offensive dominance, he is seven points ahead of his nearest rival having played 12 fewer games.

It’s not a good idea to take penalties against the Caps either as he has tallied 16 power play goals.

Looking at all of these statistical reference points, he has established himself as a singular difference maker when it comes to hockey rotisserie pools. This guy can almost guarantee you good numbers in all your defensemen categories.

His plus/minus (+24) and 60 penalty minutes are also helpful numbers in other categories.

It looks like he’s ramping up for the post-season, too. He has five goals and two assists in his last five games.

Over the last season and a half, Green has burst onto the scene to give the Caps two marquee players who are the best at their positions, yet he is not garnering the notoriety of his more famous teammate.

Maybe he should consider the possibility of his own special celebration of his 30th goal, should he reach that lofty milestone.

Do you think a certain teammate might help with that choreography? We’ll be watching…

Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by S L

What’s all this nonsense about Ovechkin/Crosby and their Personalities?

March 27, 2009

By The Statsman, Paul Bruno

Alexander Ovechkin recently scored his 50th goal of the year and is clearly the top sniper in the league, with a 10 goal lead on his nearest rival, yet all anyone is hearing about this guy, is his unique celebration for the recent milestone.

For years, since the retirement of Wayne Gretzky perhaps, the league has been searching for a signature player.

His arch-rival, Sidney Crosby, was seemingly being groomed for this role and seemed to possess the required credentials—a big scorer who also seems made for television, a good-looking articulate Canadian boy.

So Ovechkin is getting raked over coals for being overjoyed and faces much criticism for brining a little colour to the game.

We applaud him because it always seems that the only way the NHL makes international news is for fighting. This time it’s different.

Remember the NFL and their crackdown on touchdown celebrations? Critics of that decision deride the league with the nickname of the NO FUN LEAGUE.

Is hockey going to restrict its players in a similar way? That could make the NHL the NO HAPPINESS LEAGUE.

We think this is the wrong message.

We wonder also, if there is a bit of an underlying European prejudice.

A generation ago, European players were characterized as a largely “faceless” group which fell short against Canadians because they lacked “heart” and emotion.

Clearly, Ovechkin is debunking that persona all by himself. All you have to do, to note his impact on his own team and their fans, is to watch a Washington home game. You will see that his enthusiasm is infectious. He celebrates every goal that his teammates might score, whenever he is on the ice. The crowd loves it and Ovechkin fires up he teammates along the way.

Crosby, for his part has been eclipsed in terms of his relative stoicism, despite the fact that they each have 96 points so far this year.

What’s worse is that the Pittsburgh star is being criticized for not delivering his share of hype.

Why don’t we just sit back and enjoy these two distinct, ultra-talented young guns?

Never mind altering their personalities.

Let’s enjoy them for who they are and not engage in tactics that will change or limit them.

That would be very wrong.

Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by S L

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »