Here We Go Again

So here we are, 12 hours from the third NHL lockout in my lifetime… Third.

There wasn’t a lockout in the previous 70 plus years in the league, but since the reign of terror know as the Gary Bettman era the NHL has set a record in futility of the collective bargaining agreement.

You would think the league would’ve learned after the last lockout which cost them the season and alienated an entire fan base. The sport had already been blasted out of the national spotlight and was passed in popularity temporarily by NASCAR.

It took the NHL a while to get their feet back under them but they did with the birth of the Winter Classic, and a young core of stars that has brought new fans to the game.

And here they are about to throw it all away… Again.

Seriously?

So no one cares about the fans here I guess. No thought is given to the fans in Columbus who’ll miss out on an all-star game, or the fans in L.A. waiting to raise a banner on a long sought after title.

The greed of the owners in this league is sickening.

Seven years ago yes the league needed a proper financial structure. Contracts were getting out of hand and the big guys were eating up the little ones. That lockout was worth it in a sense. The NHL in a better financial state than years prior even though most teams in the southern states continue to lose money.

Here’s a thought for the owners, stop giving out these ridiculous ten plus year deals and have normal contracts then you can save yourselves money. The contracts given to guys like Ilya Kovalchuk and Roberto Luongo don’t make a lick of sense and will eventually kill the owners pockets.

However, that’s not even the largest crime here, it’s the lack of urgency in the owners or Bettman to make anything happen.

Three days ago the Bettman ok’d an agreement to lockout the players if a greener wasn’t reached by tonight. Nothing has happened since. There has been little bargaining and little caring.

Why isn’t Bettman putting pressure on either side? Doesn’t he realize another lockout would possibly kill the sport for good? Losing the Winter Classic this year would be a huge blow especially since in Michigan where the Red Wings are king.

Bettman is the ultimate owners pawn. He has no backbone to tell them anything and offers no real solutions in any form other than sitting there and doing what they say.

He is once again the champion of the world as the worst sports commissioner, possibly of all-time. His constant bumbling is about cost the NHL more fans, more credibility and more money.

And we can’t do anything about it because the owners would be stupid to fire him.

So here we are hockey fans looking at another lockout shortened season.

No banner raising in L.A., no Rick Nash debut in New York, no excitement in Minnesota with the acquisitions of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise… Nothing.

For the third time commissioner Bettman and the owners will cost us hockey for an extended period of time and we have to sit here and take it.

If Gary Bettman doesn’t fix this and soon then he’ll be another fan short. As much as I love my Rangers I won’t go through this again, I’d rather take my jersey throw it away and never look back.

Yeah, I’m at that point with the NHL right now.

Nashville Has To Keep Weber

You lose Ryan Suter your second best defenseman and arguably one of the top 5 defenders in the league, you can get over that.

You lose Jordin Tootoo a resident tough guy and fan favorite, that’s ok he’s replaceable. You can get over that.

Losing Shea Weber, your heart and soul, your captain, the man that represents Nashville hockey and is quite possibly the best defenseman on the planet.

That’s another story.

Yet that is what the Nashville Predators are facing right now. The Philadelphia Flyers signed Weber to a 14/ $110 million dollar offer sheet in an effort to steal Weber away from the only team he’s ever played for.

The Predators have only five more days to match and the question that’s swirling in my head is why they haven’t already matched it?

You don’t let players like Weber walk away. This isn’t like the Knicks and Jeremy Lin. You can get another guard that does the same things as he does and plug him in easily.

Weber is a different story. He’s one of if not the best defensemen in the NHL. He’s a former Norris trophy winner who will win about three more before his career is done. He’s a natural born leader as captain and with Pekka Rinne leads possibly the best defensive team in the league.

To let him leave would mean to let everything that Nashville built go to waste. Yes they would receive four first round picks, but does that really add up to what you lose in Weber?

Coming into this offseason you knew that Nashville was going to lose either Weber or Suter to free agency due to money. They can survive without Suter, but losing both he and Weber would be too much to overcome.

For Nashville’s sake I hope that they match Weber’s deal no matter the cost.
Weber is the face and leader of their franchise. Losing him would mean missing the playoffs, falling into the lottery of the draft and starting over when you were considered a possible Stanley Cup contender.

Something’s you can get over, losing Weber is most definitely not one of them.

Bruins Fans Go Too Far

I am a black man. I love hockey. I hate the Bruins and the Capitals for different hockey reasons.

I hate the Bruins because I’m a New Yorker and hate anything Boston. I hate the Caps because they’ve bounced my Rangers in the last 2 years that they’ve played in the playoffs.

I don’t hate anyone person on each team. Sure I call Alex Ovechkin names, don’t like Tim Thomas for not seeing president Barack Obama and I think Caps fans are bums but that’s just me being a fan.

The reason for this politically correct explanation of my hockey allegiances is because after last nights racist twitter bashing of Capitals forward Joel Ward I feel like fans need to get a grip on reality.

In case you missed it Ward beat Boston with a rebound putback in overtime to lift the Caps to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Almost immeadiately after scoring his winning goal angry Bruins fans took to twitter to bash Ward and mainly used his skin color as a target.

The word nigger was spewed in more tweets than I would like to remember and once again put Boston’s race relations in a bad light.

Boston has long had a reputation of racism towards black athletes and last night Bruins fans did there best in bringing them back to life.

The tweets were a reminder of just how stupid something like racism is and how even more stupid it is in 2012 in Boston where it’s most notable athletes are Paul Pierce, David Ortiz and has hailed guys like Deion Branch and Pedro Martinez in the past, all of whom are dark skinned.

I understand the anger associated with watching your team lose in the playoffs. Last year I blasted any Caps fan I saw for not being real hockey fans and for the Caps being lucky.

But it’s a game. What do you get for taking your frustration out on a guy who was just doing his job and scored the biggest goal of his life?

Furthermore why is his race such a big deal?

What’s the satisfaction gained from sitting in front of your computer and calling Joel Ward the N bomb on twitter, Facebook or any other social network?

It’s degrading, despicable and gives hockey another unnecessary black eye.

Hockey has had the worst race relations due to its lack of ethnicity and much ballyhooed moments of ignorance (yeah I mean you the guy who threw a banana at Wayne Simmonds in London, Ontario back in October). I know hockey isn’t the only place where incidents involving race happens (go to a Utah Jazz game in the NBA and see for yourself) but because of its demographic and history it’s always magnified when things like this happens.

In the heat of the moment as fans we all lose our cool, but to degrade another man because of his skin and ethnicity is unacceptable and intolerable.

I hope that the people who wrote those things take a step back and realize how awful it was to put those things out to the public and do their best to not do it again.

Does it anger me as a black man? Yes it does. But it won’t deter me from watching a sport I love and follow immensely.

I’m a huge hockey fan and will continue to be one. Incidents like these are not reflective of the league. I know how great a sport it is for all cultures that participate in it and hope that people find different avenues to express their frustration.

I also hope that if the Caps play the Rangers again that we kick their tails up and down the ice and get revenge for our last two oustings.

It should be hatred of team in sports not hatred of race.

The NHL Playoffs Are Out Of Control

Playoff time in the NHL is the greatest time of year in any sport.

The action gets so jacked up and intense that you would think that games 1-7 are life or death. Year after year players leave everything on the ice whether you are an 8 seed or a 1 seed in the name of Lord Stanley.

Injuries don’t matter, hits are harder, everyone gets in the way of slap shots… it’s a daily spectacle that leaves you on the edge of seat and wincing at every bone-crushing check and unbelievable save.

You know this going into the playoffs and you adjust accordingly as a player and as a fan… However, this year’s playoffs?

Man, no one was ready for this.

Virtually every series except New Jersey vs. Florida has been hate-filled and angry.

St. Louis hates San Jose, Ottawa wants revenge against New York, Phoenix and Chicago have traded blows… Then there’s been the Philly and Pittsburgh series, where do we begin there?

These playoffs are on steroids, everyone’s angry at everyone, violence has been kicked up several notches and Brendad Shanahan hasn’t had much time to make a sandwich because he’s too busy looking over tape of reckless hits.

What the hell is going on?

In the first round of this year’s playoffs there have been more match penalties, more suspensions and more game misconducts than in years past… AND THE PLAYOFFS ARE ONLY A WEEK OLD!!

Look at these occurances and consequences:

Shea Weber fined $2500 for throwing Henrik Zetterberg’s head into the boards

Carl Hagelin suspended three games for elbowing Daniel Alfredsson in the head an giving him a concussion

Aaron Asham suspended four games for trying to decapitate Braydon Schenn

Nicklas Backstrom suspended one game for cross checking Rich Peverly in the head

Michael Shaw suspended three games for knocking goalie Mike Smith in the head

James Neal suspended one game for blindsiding Claude Giroux

Raffi Torres suspended indefinitely for concussing Marian Hossa…

And let me reiterate that the playoffs are only a week old.

I know that hockey is a violent sport and stuff like this happens, but not as frequent as this.

There has been more goonery than actually hockey it would seem to the casual hockey fan. In an interview Dan Boyle said that it seems like guys are just trying to start stuff on the ice. Jonathan Toews doesn’t know what to expect right now… Both guys aren’t alone in their feelings.

At first I was loving the hate being spread around the playoffs. It felt like old time hockey and was great for the game. Now it’s getting out of hand.

The Torres hit should be the last draw for Shanahan and the front offices in the league. They have to start hammering guys with longer suspensions to get their points across.

Shanahan has been criticized for being to lenient on more skilled players like Weber and Backstrom and hammering guys like Asham and Hagelin who are either too young or not as skilled.

He’s got to make things fair across the board. Like Colin Campbell did to Matt Cooke last year Shanahan has to start doing to these players.

Hockey is a self policing game, however when there needs to be stiffer policing from suits in the offices.

Shanahan has to suspend Torres for the rest of the playoffs and encourage referees to get tougher on the ice. Referees have to call these games tighter, which means more penalties and control these games before they continue to get out of hand.

Games like Sundays Flyers-Pens free for all are great once in a while but they’re happening every night in the playoffs. The league has to get this over excessive play under control before someone gets really injured out there.

The over aggressiveness has taken away from some great hockey as well. Jonathan Quick has been putting on a show in the Kings-Canucks series, the Predators-Red Wings matchup has been great with Pekka Rinne dominating the action and game 3 of the Rangers-Senators series was non stop up and down hockey with great goaltending from both teams.

The playoffs have been their normal unbeatable selves, however the action has to be placed back on the skillful play and not on the over excessive violence that has stolen the headlines.

I’m all for a few fights and scrums but this has been ridiculous.

Hopefully we can get back to the great hockey that’s been played so far and not have anymore Marian Hossa incidents.

Is Evgeni Malkin Pittsburgh’s Most Important Penguin?

For the second time in his career Evgeni Malkin has had to the man in Pittsburgh…

For the second time Malkin has made me ask myself this question, who really is the most important Penguin in Pittsburgh?

Three years ago during the Pens title run Sidney Crosby missed 28 games due to injury and the Pens didn’t miss a beat. It was mostly thanks to Malkin who did his best Crosby impersonation by racking up points and making life miserable for defenders.

Malkin finished second in the league in scoring to Alex Ovechkin and was a Hart trophy finalist also losing out to Ovechkin.

Fast forward to this season and here we are again. Same scenario just a different year. Crosby has missed the majority of the last two seasons thanks to a concussion suffered in last year’s Winter Classic. The Pens were supposed to falter, they were supposed to be a middle of the road team without the league’s biggest star…

So how in the hell are they 1 point back of the New York Rangers for the best record in the Eastern Conference with they’re second straight 100 point season and are the hottest team in the league?

Geno Malkin of course.

This year more than ever Malkin has proven himself to be considered a franchise alpha dog and even the best player in the league. He leads the league in points, is second in goals behind Steven Stamkos and has turned James Neal into a premier goal scorer on his line.

The Pens have done more than not lose a step without Crosby, in fact they have taken a giant step. With Malkin steering the ship Pittsburgh has maintained its elite status and looks just as invincible as if Crosby never left. Even if they don’t overtake the Rangers for the best record in the East you would still have to say that they are the favorites to represent the conference in the Stanley Cup Finals.

There’s no player hotter than Malkin in the league, Marc-Andre Fleury is finally playing at an elite level on a consistent basis, and Kris Letang, Neal, Pascal Dupuis and Jordan Staal have to be the most explosive role players in the league right now.

Adding Crosby to the mix now that his concussion has subsided makes them the scariest team on the ice right now.

However, down the road if you are Pittsburgh you have to ask yourself, is Crosby or Malkin your most valuable player?

Yes Crosby is a former MVP, gold medal winner, and captain of the Penguins, but is he their most important player?

Crosby has now missed big parts of the seasons due to injury. In all three seasons the Penguins have secured home ice for at least one round of the playoffs and Malkin has been the reason for two of those three occurrences.

Last year’s early playoff exit you can’t blame on Crosby’s injury or Malkin’s for that matter, but rather the lack of production from the wings. With the emergence of Neal and others the Penguins are cup contenders this year with Malkin leading the way and without Crosby on the ice.

If the roles were reversed could Crosby do the same?

Could Crosby make his teammates around him this good? Could he make the Pens a contender with Malkin? Could his goal scoring match his passing skills and get the Pens out of jams like Malkin?

Honestly I don’t think so.

I think this is Malkin’s ship and Crosby is along for the ride. If I’m Dan Bylsma I wouldn’t mess with the chemistry of his top line by inserting Crosby back in. Yes you aren’t supposed to lose your starting role do to injury but why mess with something that’s working so well?

Watching the Pens over the next few weeks will be interesting. They’re peaking right before the playoffs, their special teams are working and with Crosby back in the lineup it makes them even more lethal.

However, this is due to the play of Evgeni Malkin. Malkin has made them a contender, the most lethal offensive team in the league and has them staring at a second Stanley Cup in the last four years.

He is going to win the points title, he is the MVP of the NHL, and most importantly he’s the most valuable Pittsburgh Penguin on that roster.

They’ve proven that they can live without Sidney Crosby time and time again, if they were to lose Malkin I don’t think the results would be the same.

The Nash Ultimatum

As you recall I wrote a blog last year on why Rick Nash should pull a Carmelo Anthony and force a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets to a contender.

My reasoning is that Nash, who is one of the most physically skilled players in the NHL is wasting away in Columbus and deserves to play for a team that has a shot at a Stanley Cup every year.

In his now nine year career Nash has been to the playoffs once, a four game sweep at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings. He’s been through rebuilding project after rebuilding project. He’s gone from number one pick, to Maurice Richard trophy winner, to team captain, to possibly becoming just another good player on a crappy team.

This year the Jackets tried to put some pieces around him to make the team respectable. Their additions of Jeff Carter and Steve Wisniewski we’re supposed to add some fire power to their offense and make the Jackets a playoff contender… It’s been a disaster.

Wisniewski has been out for most of the year with either injuries or suspensions and Carter has been a shell of his former self. The Jackets are last in the NHL looking at another number one pick and another rebuilding process… and it looks like Nash wants no part of it.

What started as rumors is looking like a reality. Nash gave the Jackets a list of teams he would wave his no trade clause to play for if they were going to trade him. That’s the most polite trade demand ever.

He’s had enough, enough rebuilding, enough losing, enough mediocrity. He’ll be 28 in June and doesn’t want to spend the rest if his 8 year contract rebuilding again.

You can tell that this whole process is finally starting to take its toll on him. Nash is on pace for his worst statistical season in his career and at times has looked non-existent on the ice. He needs a fresh start and a chance to succeed and he needs it now.

Now comes the hard part especially for me. Nash’s short list for teams are the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings and… The New York Rangers.

As a fan I’m torn. I love Nash, I think he is one of the game’s best players, I would love to have him in our red, white and blue skating alongside Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards, however the Rangers don’t really need him.

Sure he could play one of John Torterella’s top two lines and make the Rangers the favorite in the Eastern Conference, but do you know what the Rangers would have to give up to get him?

Columbus would need a quality starter, a top prospect and a pick. If it’s the Rangers were talking about Brandon Dubinsky or Artem Anisimov, then a choice of either JT Miller, Tim Erixon or Chris Kreider and a draft pick. From what organization insiders are saying, those three prospects could become serious contributors and possible all-stars…. Now you see the concern.

Trading Dubinsky would be heart breaking, next to Ryan Callahan he personifies this team’s toughness and heart every time he steps on the ice. I’ve watched Dubinsky since the lockout when he first came up and have loved every second he’s been out on the ice whether it’s scoring goals or fighting Alex Ovechkin or Mike Richards. Letting him go would be like losing a brother to be honest.

The way the Rangers are right now works. They’re a tough defensive minded team that can score enough goals to win games with a goalie that only needs one or two to do so. If we trade for Nash then we lose a little bit of that identity for the sake of a few more goals.

So what’s it gonna be, break up the band for one of the game’s best forwards or stay the course and do what’s gotten you to this point?

Interesting indeed.

There are only 7 days before the trade deadline. Rick Nash is available and could put any contender over the top for the right price.

His time in Columbus looks like its finally coming to its merciful end and he will finally have a chance to play meaningful hockey.

His wish list has been notified, prospects are in place and there is anticipation as to where he’ll end up if he actually gets traded.

One of those teams is my Rangers who are having their best season in years. Nash could either put them over the top or cost us our future. What will the Rangers do?

What’s Happened To The Montreal Canadiens?

In 1993 the Montreal Canadians sat atop the hockey world as NHL champions for the 24th time after the beat Wayne Gretzky and his Los Angeles Kings in five games.

At the time they were the most storied franchise in sports holding more titles than any other franchise and a history that is only comparable with The New York Yankees in terms of legendary.

19 years later the Habs have gone from powerful to a punch line.

They’ve watched the Yankees win five titles reaching 27 total, and when I mean watch they have literally been in the backseat or on the side of the road watching them pass by.

It started with the infamous Patrick Roy trade to the Colorado Avalanche, which birthed a mini dynasty in Denver, and has since morphed into a smorgasbord of futility that has been rarely viewed in French-Canadia.

They’ve missed the playoffs 6 times in the last 19 years, in the previous 80 years they had missed the playoffs 7 times…7!!

They’ve had one trip to the conference finals, one division title, eight different coaches and not a lick of consistency behind the bench or on the ice.

The city that was home to some of the games greatest goal scorers and game breakers like Maurice Richard and Guy Lafluer hasn’t had any punch in their lineup since the late 70′s or so it would seem. Their last scoring champ was Lafluer in 1978, the last winner of the Norris trophy was Chris Chelios in 1989, last MVP was Jose Theodore in 2001. More on goalies later.

They’ve gone from great names who came through in great situations to relying on Scott Gomez to do their heavy lifting (ask the Rangers about how that goes).

What happened? When did the Yankees of hockey become the New York Mets? The Habs have gone from kings to jesters. The team that was feared by feared by many in the league are very close to becoming a doormat.

They used to own the Boston Bruins, their primary rival, they’ve lost two straight playoff series to them including a 2-0 lead last year. The Maple Leafs, who were in the same position last year are battling for a playoff spot and could appear in next years Winter Classic. The Red Wings have overtaken them as the standard for excellence in the NHL. It doesn’t make any sense.

Lets go back to the Roy departure for a bit. Roy was the face of the Habs after his remarkable burst onto the scene as a 20 year-old wunderkind who lead the Habs to a win in the 1986 Stanley cup over the Calgary Flames. His Conn Smythe performance earned him a place in Canadiens lore and he carried it with him into the 90′s which included another masterful performance in the team’s last Stanley Cup win in 1993 over The Los Angeles Kings.

Then 2 years later during an 11-1 beatdown in Montreal at the hands of the Red Wings, Roy was pulled after giving up nine goals on 26 shots. Stormed off of the bench and as he walked by Habs president Pat Jablonski he said “It’s my last game in Montreal.”

Four days later he was in Denver to begin a great run with the Colorado Avalanche and the Habs haven’t recovered since.

Ever since Roy’s departure not only have the Habs struggles on the ice but in net as well.

The franchise that brought us legends like Jacques Plante, Ken Dryden and Roy hasn’t come close to producing another great in net since Roy’s departure.

The fans in Montreal have been treated to the likes of Mathieu Garon, Cristobal Huet, Stephane Fiset and Jocelyn Thibault.

And yes I know Jose Theodore did win a Hart Trophy and a Vezina but Theodore was more fizzle than sizzle, hence why he lost his job to Huet.

Recently Montreal has been trying to sell itself on Carey Price who has had more ups and downs than any young goalie should ever have. His career has mirrored the luck of the Canadiens as of late, some games he looks like a Vezina candidate, others he looks like a career backup.

You can’t solely place the blame on Price, especially this season. Without him in net Montreal has only won 2 of it’s 17 games. His offense boasts only 3 ten goal scorers and is ranked in the bottom half of the NHL.

It’s been an abysmal wreck and it’s led to Montreal’s last place standing in the Northeast division even after two straight playoff appearances where it looked like Montreal was on it’s way back to the top of the Eastern Conference.

Who’s to blame? The organization? The players? The high expectations of the fans?

Recently Mike Cammelleri lashed out at his Habs teammates for developing “a losing mentality”… he was rewarded by being traded to the Calgary Flames and was browbeaten in a French newspaper who’s headline read “One Less Loser.”

Yikes!

In Cammy’s defense what should he have said? He’s a leader, if you’re not playing well you deserve to be called out for it. What does it say about an organization when it trades a guy for giving an honest and truthful opinion about how his team is playing?

The Habs can’t be coddled like little boys, they are grown men that are wilting under the expectations the come with putting on that red, white and blue sweater. The organization can’t try to hide it or punish people for saying it, it’s right there for everyone to see.

Is this what it’s come to in Montreal? Greatness to mediocrity? The Canadiens are drowning in it and are in desperate need of a raft.

This team needs an identity, a face, a proper direction to be lead in because they’ve been going in circles for nearly 20 years.

The organization that at one time could say that they were on par with the New York Yankees is now lagging behind.

Can they recover? Can they ever find a coach that can withstand the pressure associated with the organization? What’s next for the Montreal Canadiens?

They better have some answers and soon. You can only wallow in mediocrity so long before everyone stops caring and then you become a team of losers.

Another Classic

You all know that out of all five of the NHL Winter Classic’s this one sparked my attention most of all.

I was so excited to watch my New York Rangers under the lights at Citizens Bank Park against the hated Philadelphia Flyers that I said to hell with any football being played on Monday.

I didn’t get out of bed until an hour before face-off. At this point Ohio State was down at the half to Florida, Penn State was getting creamed by Houston and the Big Ten was having another horrible New Years bowl day… So?

New Years Day used to be about sitting in front of your TV and veging out to a smorgasbord of football games. It was awesome getting to watch about ten bowls in one day culminating with the Rose Bowl at five and the Fiesta, Orange and Sugar Bowls all at eight on three networks.

Well once the BCS came to fruition and spread out every bowl up until ten days after the New Year it rendered January 1st useless. Also with the SEC on top of all things football I’m not interested in watching the Big Ten get creamed in three games at one time.

Bowl season and January 1st used to mean something, instead the day turned into meaningless now that you can watch any one of 69 bowl games in a span of three weeks.

Then five years ago out of nowhere the NHL began a new tradition almost out of the blue. The inaugural Winter Classic was done without fanfare or much knowledge due to the NHL’s dwindling popularity after the NHL lockout.

I remember turning on my TV in the middle of the afternoon before work to see Pittsburgh take on Buffalo in a snow storm in front of a packed Ralph Wilson Stadium. I was shocked at first because I didn’t know that this game was supposed to be scheduled. If I would’ve known that Sidney Crosby was going to play in front of 73,000 people on New Years Day you best believe I would’ve cleared my schedule.

My eyes were fixated on the entire scene, the crowd was raucous throughout the entire game, the snow added an awesome prop to the game even though the snow caused a ton of ice problems, the classic jerseys were so cool I actually thought about buying a light blue Crosby jersey (then I came back to earth and realized I’m a Rangers fan). The game was a spectacle, and after Crosby scored the winning shootout goal I walked to work and couldn’t stop talking about the game.

The inaugural Winter Classic was something I had never seen before and as a huge hockey fan it had me wanting more. The NHL had discovered something, it had an event now that it could call it’s own and something that it could be known for. The question then became “what next?” Where could Gary Bettman take this game and make it bigger and bigger each time it was played? I think he figured it out and very well.

The next four classics have all been better than the previous one because Bettman has focused on keeping the games in hockey crazed cities and has featured his marquee players and teams.

The second classic featured the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings from Wrigley Field in a shootout that got to show the Blackhawks continue their resurgence to relevance oh and Patrick Kane’s silky game.

The third featured The Boston Bruins against the Flyers in a ultra physical matchup that ended with Milan Lucic scoring the overtime winner under the lights and led the NHL into an awesome Olympic tournament.

Last years Classic was a matchup of modern rivals and the leagues biggest star players Alex Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals and Crosby’s Penguins from Heinz Field. It was another physical matchup that featured the Classic’s first fight and unfortunately the beginning of Crosby’s concussion problems. It was also the highest rated Classic because honestly were people going to watch Ovie versus Crosby or Oklahoma against UCONN in the Fiesta Bowl?

Then came this year’s Winter Classic. Once it was announced that my Rangers were battling the Flyers I immediately looked for every leak I could find from jerseys to legends game possibilities. When you have a team involved in such an event it pushes your interest into psycho mode.

My original plan was to go to the actual game with my buddy Scully who’s a huge Flyers fan. That changed once I saw how much tickets were in stubhub. $500 bucks a pop sounds about right for this type of game but not out if my pockets.

Instead waking up at 2 p.m. and throwing on my Rangers jersey and Starter jacket (yeah I have one if those still) would have to do.

The scene was more electric than all other Winter Classics except Buffalo. Say what you want about Philadelphia fans but they bring energy to their team’s games. It also helped that the Rangers and Flyers hate each others guts so there was a little bit more behind those Let’s Go Flyers chants than at a normal game.

The jerseys were the most simplistic of all of the Winter Classic events with the Flyers going with a darker orange color with really cool captains tags. The Rangers took it back to the early 20th century with a skinnier version of their shield logo and cream colored sweaters. Once I find a wholesale site that sells those I’m all over a Callahan #24.

The game itself was the most competitive of the five Classic’s. Both team’s were playing at the highest level possible and no one was slowing up at all. Brandon Dubinsky hit everything that moved in the first period with Scott Hartnell and Claude Giroux countering for the Flyers.

The Flyers kept the puck in the Rangers zone for most of the first two periods but couldn’t break through on Henrik Lundqvist until rookie Braydon Schenn scored the first goal of the game off of the game. Minutes later Giroux found the back of the net on an odd-man rush to put the Flyers up by 2.

One minute later Mike Rupp cut the lead in half using a Flyers defenseman to shield Sergei Bobrovsky from seeing the puck as he ripped a wrist shot past him. He was booed lustily by Flyers fans not just for the goal but for imitating Jaromir Jagr’s goal salute after.

( Side note: I thought we were headed for a brawl at this point. There was so much aggression from both sides and the crowd was so into it that I thought someone was going to throw a punch a spark an on ice riot. The Rupp celebration almost did it. Rupp and Hartnell started barking at each other at the beginning of the third over the salute and it seemed like they were going to go. Unfortunately nothing came to fruition but that anticipation hungover for the remainder of the game.)

Once the third period began the Rangers began to make their move. They seemed to have fresher legs and got to every loose puck as the Flyers looked a little flat. The hard work paid off as Rupp scored again and tied the game at 2.

Flyers fans started getting nervous as the once raucous crowd grew silent and Rangers fans let their voices be heard amid the silence.

The Flyers play became erratic and they began to panic. Defenders overplayed the puck and it’s carrier and minutes after Rupp tied the game Brad Richards stood alone in the corner and was the only person near a rebound off of Callahan’s missed shot. Richards fired it into the net to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead and send the Rangers bench and yours truly into a frenzy.

As the Flyers tried to mount a comeback they were once again stalled by Lundqvist who was his normal brilliant self in this day. Lundqvist looked every bit like the gold medal winning goalie that he was at the 2006 Olympics as turned away the Flyers time and time again.

In the final minute with the Flyers clinging to their last life two calls drove me absolutely bonkers and looked like Gary Bettman made a personal call to the refs to make sure there was overtime.

The dive call on Callahan was dreadful as the replay showed he was clearly hooked from behind by Kimmo Timonen. It gave the Flyers another opportunity to have an extra attacker with it being 4 on 4 and Bobrovsky on the bench.

With the extra attacker the Flyers threw everything that they could at Lundqvist and with 20 seconds a shot almost squeaked through until Ryan McDonagh stopped the puck from crossing the line by sitting on it. By rule you can’t do that as a defender and the refs awarded Philadelphia a penalty shot. Imagine my face when this happened. I almost through my beer glass at the TV but harpoon is pretty pricey so I calmed down.

Of all of the Flyers to take the shot it had to be Daniel Briere. Briere has a knack for coming through when the Flyers need it most (case in point last years first round versus Buffalo) and with the game on the line who else could’ve taken it for them.

Briere skated in as the entire stadium, 47,000 people to be exact, rose to their feet. Briere tried to go five-hole but Lundqvist did what he did for most of the night, he turned the shot away and ended the Flyers last chance to extend the best game of 2012 in it’s early stages.

The Rangers 3-2 victory was easily the best of all 5 of the Winter Classic matchups. The game play was faster, more physical and had you on the edge of your seat up until the end.

So once again the question is, now what?

Who’s next to play in the NHL’s new spectacle? If it were up to me these five matches would make the most entertaining Winter Classic’s:

1. Detroit VS. Toronto from the Big House in Ann Arbor.

A great original six matchup in hockey hungry Michigan

2. Minnesota VS. Vancouver from Target Field.

Minnesota is a very competitive team and Minnesota has a great hockey history.

3. St. Louis VS. Chicago from Busch Stadium.

The city matchup says it all.

4. Washington VS. Tampa Bay from Nationals Stadium.

D.C. has grown into a good hockey town, plus Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos would light up the scoreboard.

5. Anaheim VS. San Jose from AT&T park.

A California Winter Classic? Hear me out on this. Start it at 8 pm when the temps hit 45 degrees. Northern Cali loves it Sharks and a matchup with Anaheim in a budding west coast rivalry would be a hit for the west coast market.

Whoever gets the opportunity next they have a lot to live up to. This year’s edition of the Classic pushed the game to a new height and left another great memory for those that got a chance to see it.

The Winter Classic has become the new way for sports fans to ring in the New Year and it looks like it’ll stay that way for awhile.

You can watch bowl games whenever you want. The Winter Classic is a treat that you look forward to once a year and continues to deliver.

Let’s hope Bettman doesn’t mess this up the way that college football did and add more outdoor games. Too much of a good thing isn’t always a good thing.

Thank God Hockey’s Back (NHL Preview)

It's been an offseason to forget in the NHL

If you thought the NBA offseason has been hell then you don’t have the slightest idea about rough. The NHL’s offseason has been a public relations nightmare. The summer was supposed to be about the celebration of the Boston Bruins winning the Stanley Cup after 40 years of futility. Instead every other day there was a tragedy on the ice.

Rick Rypien, Wade Belak and the KHL Lokomotiv franchise’s plane crash that killed all passengers aboard including former NHL-ers Ruslan Salei, Pavol Demitra and Brad McCrimmon to name a few cast a shadow of the sport and brought sadness to everyone over the sport.

Add that to the fact that Rangers bruiser Derek Boogaard died towards the end of last season and you understand the somber mood that the NHL might seem to be in.

When looking at ESPN fashion guru Paul Lukas’s annual uniform design review there were less designs for jerseys and more decals and patches for fallen players. It’s like the NHL has become a graveyard instead the coolest game on earth.

If any sport needs to start their season and get back to the brilliant play on the playing surface it’s this league. Ever since the lockout 0f 2004-05 the NHL has been on a roll. The talent on the ice is the highest that it’s been since the mid to late 90’s with the emergence of the Paul Kariya’s, Keith Tkachuk’s and Mike Modano’s of the world.

The NHL has so many great players playing at a high level that it’s becoming hard to keep up with all of them. At first it was the hype of Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Dion Phaneuf. Then came Steven Stamkos, Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan, Patrick Kane and Ryan Kesler. Now we have kids like Ryan Nugent- Hopkins, Taylor Hall, Tyler Myers and others who are crowding the ice and making noise.

The Bruins are ready to repeat.

It’s not like the NBA in terms of star power but it’s a beautiful thing to watch when the games are flowing. There are great players on every team in the league and most are under the age of 27.  Every night in every city there is a reason to watch a game just to catch one of these young studs whether it’s Drew Doughty in Los Angeles or Jeff Skinner in Carolina. Even with the sports brightest star status still in doubt (Sidney Crosby is still having post-concussion issues) the league is as strong as it’s ever been and is staring one of its most competitive season in decades in the face.

This year there is no real clear cut favorite. Gone are the days of Detroit being the front runner in the league every year, nowadays they’re not even the favorites in their own division. There are 10 to 14 teams that have a realistic chance at winning the Stanley Cup this year whether it is because of their goaltending, offensive prowess or just the fact they have all of the right pieces in place to make a run at the cup.

The right pieces meaning the right balance of youth and experience. In the modern NHL the young teams win championships as seen with the Penguins, Blackhawks and Bruins in the last three years. Yes I know Tim Thomas is old as dirt and Zdeno Chara is no spring chicken, but the work put in by guys like Milan Lucic, Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand helped this team win the Stanley Cup last year. Unlike in other sports where the older teams win the titles the young ones take the crown in the NHL.

So who has the best shot at winning the crown this year? Well in order…

NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Now I know what you’re thinking… who the hell will score goals for them? Their leader in goals had 23 and their points leader scored 50. The Predators are the NHL version of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2000’s, they can’t score to save their lives, but no one can score on them. The backline led by Shea Weber along with Vezina finalist Pekka RInne were in the top 5 in goals allowed per game and the teams tough defensive play gave teams fits. If they get two goals a game they could win another 44 games and find themselves fighting for the crown.

BUFFALO SABRES

They can score in bunches thanks to Thomas Vanek and Drew Stafford. Tyler Myers heads a steady backline and Ryan Miller is one the game’s best goalies. They failed to take care of the Flyers in the first round of the playoffs last year but if Miller stays on top of his game they can go very far.

MONTREAL CANADIENS

Team Teemu and the Ducks have a shot at the crown.

 

Once upon a time the Habs had more titles than the New York Yankees after raising their 24^th Cup in 1993. Ever since they’ve been one big roller coaster, which has included numerous changes in net and on the bench and they haven’t had a real identity for a long time. Now they seem settled on Carey Price who came through big for them last year shaking off an up and down 2009-20 season that had him on the bench in the playoffs. This team isn’t too loaded with playmakers but it gets the job done with guys like Tomas Plekanec and Mike Cammalleri as well as dark horse Norris candidate P.K. Subban patrolling the blue line. They can make a run as long as they can hold onto a lead unlike how they did last year against the Bruins.

SAN JOSE SHARKS

I don’t care what they do in the regular season anymore. I don’t care if they win the Pacific division, if Joe Thornton scores 200 points and Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture score 90 goals. This team should’ve won a Cup by now and their time is running out. If they don’t get it done this year then they never will.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

Is Ilya Bryzgalov finally the answer in net for the Flyers? He better be. The Flyers let go of fan favorites and team leaders Jeff Carter and Mike Richards to clear space for Bryzgalov. Sure they acquired L.A. Kings power forward Wayne Simmonds (who Flyer fans will love) and Brandon Schenn  (who from preseason reports looks like a beast) but you don’t replace Richards toughness and Carter’s skill overnight. I’m still not a fan of either trade but if the Flyers get back to the finals then it proves that maybe I really don’t know anything about hockey.

LOS ANGELES KINGS

I probably jumped the gun last year in making them Stanley Cup favorites, but they are close. Acquiring Richards from the Flyers gives them a much needed veteran presence in the locker room and they have Doughty, Jack Johnson and Anze Kopitar flying around and making things happen. The only question is will Jonathan Quick be their full time net minder or will it be Jonathan Bernier?

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

Without Crosby the Pens had 98 points last year and took the 4^th spot in the East (without Malkin also) so once Crosby comes back how do you think this team will fare?

(This Crosby injury by the way is really bad in both a game play and P.R. sense for the NHL. The league needs Crosby on the ice because he is the NHL. Crosby is the league’s most recognizable face and its best player. The league needs him on the ice as much as it needs Ovechkin. When Crosby is on the ice the game changes. He is the best passer and best scorer in the league and can change a game at the drop of a hat. If the Pens had him healthy in the playoffs they may have hoisted their second cup in three years. Once healthy the Pens once again become the league’s scariest team and might be the best team in the league… once he comes back.

His injury is the reason why Brendan Shanahan has been so harsh when it comes to physical play. This isn’t like the NFL where Roger Goodell is turning the game into flag

40 and still going strong.

football, the suspensions that “Shanaban” is handing out are necessary in order to change the culture of the game and protect the players. After the injuries to Crosby as well as Nathan Horton and Marc Savard it has become clear that the league needs to crack down on these types of hits. Hopefully it discourages this type of play and quick. Because if Steven Stamkos gets a Crosby type of injury then the game will really be in trouble.)

DETROIT RED WINGS

I mean when are they not a player for the Cup?

Also let’s pay homage to Nicklas Lidstrom. This is probably his last season in the league and it looks like he can play another five. At age 40 Lidstrom is still better than most of the defensemen in the league and is probably the front runner for his 8^th Norris trophy. What he did in replacing the irreplaceable Steve Yzerman as captain in Detroit and leading them to another title in addition to all that he’s done in his career has to put him in the top 10 players all-time right?

NEW YORK RANGERS

I probably just jinxed my team putting them in the top 7 and I’m probably overvaluing the acquisition of Brad Richards (which will help immensely) but after watching this team play together for two years I think that they will contend for a title this year. The Rangers youth movement has been a huge success with Ryan Callahan, Marc Staal and Brandon Dubinsky leading the way. The Rangers are a tough team that is defense driven but can score goals when needed. They just needed more consistent scoring and a veteran to get them over the hump. Enter Richards. Richards was a member of John Tortorella’s 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning championship team and is one of the game’s best scorers. His presence will help Marian Gaborik get back to scoring a ton of goals, should push Cally and Dubz to the 30 goal mark and should keep the Rangers ship steady in those late months. I’m saying they’ll win it all, but they will be a serious contender.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Hey Bruce Boudreau, you don’t get it done this year then you may want to update your resume.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

The thought of Daniel Sedin taking four shots to the face and Roberto Luongo falling flat on his face in key situations is still fresh. If they didn’t get tougher this offseason then they’ll be done in a hurry.

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

The trades after the title killed their chemistry for the first half of last year. Once they got it going they looked like a machine. The key is Corey Crawford in net. We know Kane, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp will score, but the reason they were able to turn things around was because of Crawford’s play in net. He is primed for a breakout year and the Blackhawks are looking at a return to the Cup.

BOSTON BRUINS

With Richards the Rangers can contend.

 

Okay, your city won its 7^th title in all four major sports in 10 years… now go away. That wasn’t really analysis more like I’m sick of Boston and its championship reign.

ANAHEIM DUCKS

No one, and I mean no one will stop them from scoring goals especially of Ryan Getzlaf stays healthy all season long. The Perry-Getzlaf-Ryan line is the scariest line that the NHL has seen in a while. They can all go for 50 goals and 100 points and they make it easy. It helps when your 40 year-old second line winger can still get you 30 goals and 80 points to help back you up. I don’t know what fountain of youth Teemu Selanne has been drinking from but he needs to share it with others. However it always comes back to goaltending and Jonas Hiller decides whether I’m right about this team making the Cup finals or not. With him in net last year they would’ve won the pacific division. In that period in between before Ray Emery almost saved them the Ducks could’ve scored 10 goals a game and it wouldn’t have mattered because they still would’ve lost. Hiller’s health means so much to this team because they have no real second option behind him. It also doesn’t help that he is one of the top 6 goalies in the league. This team’s title hopes hinge on him, if he’s healthy then put them down for a June reservation. If not, then it’s another first round exit.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Yep, I just picked the Lightning to win the Stanley Cup. They have a 41 year-old goalie, I don’t know if their defense can stop the puck from going in the net and Vinny LeCavalier is still possible trade bait… and I don’t care. This team could’ve made the Stanley Cup Finals last year if not for a road game 7. This year I think Stamkos and company won’t fade late in the season like they did last year, which ultimately cost them home ice. They are settled in net and Roloson is a big game goalie who knows how to win also they can score with the best of them. Steve Yzerman put this team together in his image and if that’s the case then I have no doubts that they will be tough enough to get to and win the Stanley Cup.

The first puck is set to drop in a few hours and I’m more than excited. After a long offseason with so much tragedy and heartbreak it will be a welcome relief to see some of the best players in the world on the ice and making magic happen.

The league deserves some good news and good times after a few months of so many bad ones.

ATLANTIC- RANGERS

Stamkos is ready for a run at Lord Stanley.

NORTHEAST- BRUINS

SOUTHEAST- LIGHTNING

EC PLAYOFFS- CAPS, HABS, SABRES, FLYERS, PENS

ECF-  LIGHTNING- BRUINS

CENTRAL- BLACKHAWKS

NORTHWEST- CANUCKS

PACIFIC- DUCKS

WC PLAYOFFS- SHARKS, KINGS, PREDATORS, RED WINGS, BLUES

WCF- DUCKS- BLACKHAWKS

SCF- DUCKS- LIGHTNING

HART TROPHY- STEVEN STAMKOS

VEZINA- HENRIK LUNDQUIST

NORRIS- NICKLAS LIDSTROM

CALDER- RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS

SELKE- JONATHAN TOEWS

JACK ADAMS- JOHN TORTORELLA

SAVE THE ISLANDERS!

The people of Long Island voted no. Which means the Islanders days in New York could be numbered.

I hate the New York Islanders, I have since I was a kid and I always will.

I hate them more than I hate the Philadelphia Eagles and Boston Red Sox. I hated how their fans would get liquored up on the LIRR on the way into Madison Square Garden to face the Rangers on game nights. I hate that when those games are played that they have the audacity to try and be as loud as Rangers fans with their “Let’s Go Isles” chants.

I hate their stadium, their goal horn, their uniforms (I really hated the Gordon’s Fisherman ones in the late 90’s. Whose bright idea was that?) and everything else to do with them…

… What I will hate more than anything is if one of my favorite teams to hate has to leave New York.

That’s what the Isles are facing if they don’t get a deal for a new arena and get one fast. Owner Charles Wang’s recent attempt at getting a replacement for the decrepit Nassau Coliseum in Long Island was shot down this week and their chances of getting a new arena are slim.

Taxpayers don’t want to pay for a new arena when they already pay the highest property tax in the country (I can’t blame them for that actually). Even though Wang really wants to keep the team in Long Island he only has two real options;

One, pay for it out of pocket with the help of some investors (and you know that will never… EVER happen with any owner.) and two, move the Islanders.

The glory days of the now run down Coliseum are still on display for all to see.

Wang does have some time to figure this out, the Coliseum’s lease expires in 2015 and figuring out a solution shouldn’t be too hard. That is of course if the Coliseum doesn’t crumble to the asphalt before the lease is up.

To say that the Islanders need a new stadium is like saying Brian Wilson needs to shave. The place is a dump, even more so than the Oilers home The Rexall Center. There are always leaks, breakage, worn down seats, the locker rooms are trash, basically the homeless wouldn’t live there as a last resort yet the Islanders have to play their games there.

With all of the talent on that team and a renewed interest from their fans, a new arena would be a shot in the arm for the franchise. The Islanders care about putting a good product on the ice, now all they need is a good venue for fans to enjoy it.

If they can’t get a new arena where would they move to? Quebec City? Wisconsin? A second team in Toronto? There is a rumor that they could move to Brooklyn in 2015 and share a venue with the Nets. I would be opposed to this for one reason and one reason only… I’m from Brooklyn, but I’m a Rangers fan. That would be a conflict of interest to the 13^th power if my least favorite team in the league moved to my home town.

Thing is, I want them to stay in New York. I want to watch their liquored up fans start a ruckus and challenge our fans to a chant off. I want to hate John Tavares and Michael Grabner just for wearing a sweater that reads “New York Islanders” on it.

If the Islanders leave New York it would kill one of the league’s best longstanding rivalries and kill a legacy.

There would be no mentioning of the “Drive for Five” dynasty of the 80’s, no hanging banners that read “Smith 30” or “Bossy 22” or any of that. The team would be a ghost and that’s not what the franchise or its fans deserve.

Hopefully something can get worked out in the end. As much as I hate the Islanders and every move that they make on the ice, I would hate watching them leave and destroy some of my most times watching Rangers games.

I can still hate the Devils, Flyers and Penguins, but it wouldn’t be the same as the other team in New York.