TropicalFruitGirl26

I think Scrivens will have flashbacks of his Leaf days when he saw obscene amounts of shots and odd man rushes come his way....come to think of it, Leafs goalies are STILL seeing that nowadays.... After getting used to and comfortable behind the black n white wall known as the LA Kings defense, Scrivens is going to sink or swim in Edmonton once again. As for getting some help defensively, from the looks of things, that will have to come in the off season. The Oil have a few UFA / RFA contracts on the blue line and given how they've played, Edmonton may want to think about rebuilding almost that entire part of their team so that is more closely matches their stellar forward lines. Then again, Scrivens himself (along with Bryzgalov) will also be UFA's, so if Scrivens doesn't like the direction the team is headed defensively, he can always look elsewhere. Dubnyk in Nashville SHOULD do well. If he can put up with the team not scoring a bunch (we all know the Preds have never really been about scoring very many goals per game), at least he will know the defense will be there for him, and the actual job of stopping shots should be made easier. With his UFA status coming up, Dubnyk also has the option of seeking employment elsewhere if he thinks he can't continue to develop with the Preds....especially if Pekka Rinne comes back fully healthy and ready to go for 2014-15 this coming off season.

I know Dubnyk was maligned a bit by those who felt he should have been carrying the Oilers on his back, but to be fair, he had almost zero help defensively. Also, Dubnyk DID look like he was finally coming around and I even started making comparisons to him and guys like Ben Bishop in Tampa Bay and more recently, Darcy Kuemper in Minnesota: That is to say, really tall goaltenders that had taken awhile to finally get their NHL legs and consistency, but with enough patience, pay off for their teams. Apparently, Edmonton thought Dubnyk wouldn't be a Bishop or Kuemper....he may prove them wrong with Nashville, as they really CAN play defense with anyone in the league. As for picking up Scrivens...yikes...is all I have to say. Well, that may not be totally fair, but he played in Toronto where defense was NOT really a way of life, and he had his ups and downs (lots of downs), then goes to LA to play behind a stellar defense, and all of a sudden looks REAL good...he may soon find out what Dubnyk knew all along: Edmonton skaters say, "you are on your own goalie..just stop the puck" I dunno...maybe with this travels and experience now, Scrivens has learned a thing or two about positioning and anticipation at the NHL level, but still, I think this is a big gamble by the Oil. As for the Hendrick pickup, I actually like that one for the Oilers. IMO, Edmonton could really use another hard nosed grinder with a touch of offense, and I think Matt Hendricks fits that bill perfectly. Oilers show a lot of speed, skill, and innate talent up front, but they routinely get pushed around, outworked, and out-grinded...perhaps a guy like Hendricks can help lead the way in showing a few of these young players how to play WITHOUT the puck. Nashville is desperatly trying to salvage something out of this season. Pekka Rinne was their undisputed number one..but with his health issues (some sort of infection last I heard), even their tough defense was hard pressed to help keep pucks out of nets...they can only do so much. Ultimately, there needs to be a guy in net to actually stop shots: enter Devan Dubnyk. Whomever helped shape big, tall Pekka Rinne into an elite NHL goaltender will be asked to do the same with big, tall Devan Dubnyk. We will see...

I especially like the rules related ones.

Great, great stuff! Enjoyed this post.

I wonder if a team like Ottawa or Colorado with quite a bit of cap space would be willing to trade something to NY for Richards. With the nice collection of forwards both those teams have, Richards wouldn't have to be the go-to guy....and he could potentially benefit and revive himself playing with fast, offense oriented linemates and D-men. Current Ottawa GM, Bryan Murray has already stated his goal for his team is to win NOW rather than later. He doesn't view his team as an 'up n comer', but rather, as a team that should be winning this year or next. And I gotta say, I agree with him....Sens should be contending. Maybe Richards can find himself again and help push the Sens to that contender status at the same time? As for Colorado, well, we already know Patrick Roy likes 'name guys'....but fortunately for Avs fans, he has been smart about WHICH names are to be included on his very promising team. Same reasons as Ottawa, maybe Richards can help the Avs in the area of veteran centerman. Seems Ryan O'Reilly and the Avs still have some rifts dating back to the hold-out that aren't fully resolved. Perhaps the Avs look to move him to NY for Richards? Those are two possibilities IMO, if the Rangers do indeed decide the Richards era in NY is over. Besides...Richards isn't the type of rodent, snivelly, borderline a-hole player Alain Vigneault seems to like on his squads...

Yep...Dany Heatley is coming off the books...and he is about a 7 mil hit. Word in Minnesota is, if the Wild want to add a Vanek or a Moulson (and of course, one of them wanted to play there) basically it would be a swap. One of those guys with their salary for Heatley's. Mike Rupp's 1.5 M is another salary likely coming off the books as well...with maybe some lower pairing defensemen as well. Richards could fit into that structure as well, unfortunately, as I mentioned in my previous post, Richards seems a shell of his former self, and I can't see the Wild giving up picks or one of their good young players to take the chance on him.

Boy would I LOVE this guy to end up back with Tampa Bay...but that is the very definition of "pipe dream". Bolts just got rid of a large, very long contract (VLC), I don't believe they'd be looking to replace it with another...even if it is Brad Richards. Besides, once Stamkos returns, the Bolts will be quite deep at center: Stamkos, Filppula, the impressive and up n coming Tyler Johnson, the always dependable and grinding Nate Thompson, and guys like Alex Killorn and Tom Pyatt who can play center as well. Ahh, well, I can dream what a Brad Richards return to TB would be like, eh? Or better yet, as much as I love the guy (and I DO love him...literally... ), perhaps the memories of Richards as a Bolt would serve me better than the reality of what he is now. He may or may not ever return to anything close to the form that made him a highly sought after commodity...but one thing is for sure, as things stand now, he is merely a shell of what he once was. If the Rangers do manage to move him, will he benefit from a better fit on another team? Or is what we are seeing is what he is now? Would be interesting to see how things play out. Richards as a Wild? Nice...but won't happen. Wild are almost tapped out on the salary cap, have many young players they'd like to secure long term, probably need a long term goalie if Darcy Kuemper's recent success is an illusion, and probably have other targets on their radars (Moulson, Vanek perhaps) come the off season.

From NHL.com http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=700673&navid=nhl:topheads 695 goals. Just amazing. 700 will be the big milestone and he most likely will get that before this season ends and he even may have an outside shot at catching Mike Gartner and sole possession of 6th all time at 708 career goals...he certainly will do so if he plays next season in the NHL. He just passed Mark Messier for 7th all time. The most incredible thing about his career is that he spent large chunks of it OUTSIDE the NHL. Imagine what his numbers would look like had he played the whole time with the league. Some could argue however, that due to the more physical nature of the NHL compared to other leagues that he may not have been able to do much more than he has now (due to tighter defenses, time off for injury, etc), but that is all speculation. No matter how you slice it, the man has carved himself out a complete HOCKEY career..yes, hockey..not just NHL career. Thing is, Jagr is still in tremendous physical shape. One forgets he is a soon-to-be 42 yr old playing with the most talented guys in their hockey primes! I think he keeps playing as long as he still has that desire to compete and can still will himself to go through the preparations and rigors on a full NHL season. If he has that desire, hey, Phil Esposito with his 717 career goals could be in danger of being bumped down a notch! The National Hockey League will surely be calling Mr. Jagr for the HOF the first chance he'd be eligible once he does call it a career. Congratulations to a great player and competitor...once the 2nd to Mario Lemieux, he has long established his own aura as one of the NHL's all time best.

Even though he ended his career with the Blues, I remember him equal parts NJ Devil and Dallas Star. Never overly spectacular in anything he did, he nonetheless defined the meaning of solid NHL player. He had spikes of very good offense throughout his career, but I seem to recall his numbers were average to above average...though he always seemed to come up with big goals when either the Devils or Stars needed them the most. Had a great track record of a leader on the ice and the locker room and the combination of decent offense, clutch performance, and leadership, always seemed to make him the topic of talk with other GM's for trade whenever either the Devils or Stars struggled on any given year. Unfortunately for me, being a Lightning and Wild fan, I always found myself rooting AGAINST the guy (esp when the Bolts were trying to establish themselves in the early/mid 2000's as a perennial contender and Langenbrunner and his blasted NJ Devils ALWAYS seemed to be in the way!), but I always knew he was a very key piece to any winning team and secretly wished he played for my teams! Very good NHL career he carved for himself and GL to him and his family in his retirement. Can he reappear at some point as an NHL coach? Wouldn't surprise me. I can see his leadership skillset easily transfer to a job behind the bench in some capacity.

Just goes to show, that this whole "Eastern teams can't touch Western teams" thing is so overblown. Not taking anything away from the Western Conference, as they for SURE feature some very good, legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, but to discount the Eastern teams as I've seen some do is just plain near sighted. We all know the trends. There was a time when ppl joked about the 'no touch, run n gun West that couldn't stand up to the grinding East powers'. Just all goes in cycles. If we were to match up team for team in both Conferences, I am sure at this point in time we could find more SC contenders out West than East...yet even given that, there is no reason to think the Stanley Cup winner couldn't come out of the East just as likely. Overall Eastern teams have squads that feature many still-developing, yet very talented, young players. So who knows...perhaps in about 4 or 5 years, ppl will once again talk about the East as the dominant Conference..and perhaps we will even hear a reference to the 'Beast or Beasts of the East' as was often heard back when the West wasn't viewed as so dominant. Right now, the Boston Bruins best fit that description, and as much as I don't care for the Bruins, one has to consider them the team to beat in the Conference, with arguably Pittsburgh close behind...some might say the Pens would be the tougher team. But that doesn't mean a team like Washington, Philly, the Rangers, Lightning, Canadiens or even the Maple Leafs can't cause havoc for any team in the Conference, and even vs. Western teams. And it's been mentioned here and on other sites: If the West truly is as bruising as everyone says, then there is merit to the idea that they will beat the &^%$# hell out of each other and come the Finals, they just might be ripe for the pickings by an Eastern team that "had it easy" en route.....

I don't follow the team as closely as the Flyer fans on here do, obviously, but to me, Philadelphia is an organization that will always be 'on the cusp' of being able to contend, not only for a playoff spot year in, year out, but a Stanley Cup, if they can manage to develop and maintain a consistent group together for any length of time. You Flyer fans are AWFULLY hard on your own team and its young players, which I can understand...but at the same time, it must be realized that those young players need stability in order to develop into the next Chris Pronger, John LeClair, or Ron Hextall types. If that means having them go through their ups and downs together, as they have this season, then so be it. That all said, I think the Flyers can be serious contenders as early as next season. Again, provided no one in the Philly organization hits the panic button and starts doing stupid things because the team isn't the number one ranked team in the league right now. I get that the Philly market has high expectations for the team every year. But so do alot of other markets. But the difference between the successful teams and those who seem to flounder and flop every year is that the successful ones get a gameplan, stick to it, and instill all the confidence in the world in the young players they deemed good enough to keep on the team. Do the Flyers have deficiencies that need to be addressed before this team can be taken seriously as a contender? Sure. What team doesn't. But Philly DOES have skill and does have players on the team even now (not really sure who is in their system that can help augment that without looking stuff up), that can suddenly surprise the fanbase at large due to them taking their lumps now, and the lumps they've taken the last couple seasons, and can just as easily come out like the proverbial house of fire next season. And hey, look...THIS season is far from over, the Metro division isn't as power packed as, say, the Pacific Division, the Pens are the top team in the Metro, but we all know the kinds of letdowns they are capable of in the post season (when they aren't winning a Cup that is... ), so all is not lost even for 2013-14. But it wouldn't surprise me at all if the Flyers were 'serious' contenders as early as next year. Ownership and management must tread carefully, make tweaks here and there where they need it, and continue on with the molding of their young players, particularly their D-men, and weeding out the ones (including vets) who won't be able to provide anymore than what they have moving forward. I've said it many times....this season has seen it's share of underperforming franchises. Out West, I look at teams like Winnipeg, Dallas, and Phoenix, and feel they should be higher up in the standings than they are given their talent and individual player abilities. In the East, Ottawa, Toronto, and yes, the Flyers are teams that should be contenders for the same reason....and of the three teams I believe that to be so in the East, lo and behold, the Flyers, despite their most recent bumpy road, are in the best position to grab a playoff spot.

You know, I've often wondered about Byfuglien and his ability to be a consistent defender. I mean, the guys DOES have all the physical tools you mentioned, and he has the kind of presence you would think a team could build around from the blue line out, but the bolded just seems to be an inescapable fact: he is NOT a particularly good defender. Very much reminds me of former Wild, now current Shark, Brent Burns: large, talented individual with many good qualities.....but playing a position (D-man), that he seemed less than competent (at least at the NHL level) playing. SJ converted Burns to a winger, and his bruising style along with his offensive instincts has made that work, and as a forward, the defensive deficiencies don't stand out as much. Probably the same solution, with similar results await Dustin Byfuglien. NOW the thing will be, will Paul Maurice see it that way, or will his experience as a multiple time NHL coach find a way to keep him as a D-man, give him a clearly defined role there (along with others on the team) and give the team an identity finally? That all remains to be seen. I was listening to some NHL Network analysts and almost all seemed to agree Claude Noel wasn't a 'bad' coach, but that there were clearly things he just failed to be able to address properly....and that it is easier to fire one coach than it is 23-25 players. With experienced Paul Maurice now in, players will more n likely have to be held more accountable (honestly, they should have been before as well), and some major roster shake ups could be in the works. Especially if the coach manages to get players to a logical point where they SHOULD succeed, but then simply don't execute. From what I have heard on TV from various NHL sources, one of Maurice's strengths as a coach is his ability to identify a problem, then come up with the fastest solution to that problem. Will it be the BEST solutions? That is what we will wait and see on. But back to Byfuglien, I think that switch to wing should be permanent. I think he and Burns have similar physical skill sets...and I've ALWAYS considered Burns a liability as a defenseman, as apparently, Byfuglien is as well. So why not. Turn that liability into a possible 10-15 goal a year, rugged type winger who could be a monster on a 3rd line with some skilled fellow bruisers, or if he shows a knack for playing his new wing position, possibly give him some 2nd line time, or some PP time.

i did think about that @jammer2 , (Sabres needing to get more), however, I think the sticking point for any potential trade partner would be that Miller WILL be a UFA, so basically it's a rental, unless said team thinks they can convince Miller to stay on. Right now, the Caps would be the perfect team for a Miller rental, IMO, because they were supposed to have "won" a long time ago and to date, obviously, haven't gotten that elusive Stanley Cup to Washington. They certainly have the offensive firepower, their defense is somewhat suspect, but that's where a goalie like Miller would come in. To bail the team out when they inevitably give up the dozens of scoring chances. As things stand now, Neuvirth, Holtby, or even Grubauer (though he impressed me in the Lightning game), DO NOT seem capable of being able to stand up to obscene amounts of shots against on a nightly basis...I think Miller can do that. Sure, getting Erat and one of either Holtby or Neuvirth as the other players may not be ideal for Buffalo, and I am with you 1000% Buffalo needs to go younger, but again, I just can't see a team willing to give up a bunch of young talent for a rental...even if that rental is a quality goalie like Ryan Miller. With all the picks and developing young talent Buffalo has now, they could probably afford to trade Miller for role playing vets like Erat or some others and still be fine in the future, provided they use their picks wisely AND their young players develop as expected.

Just taking a shot in the dark, but I am thinking if Miller is moved, that perhaps Washington makes sense. I am not really sure the Caps are sold on either Neuvirth or Holtby being their number one at this time, so Miller could step in and be their number one right away. Caps could ship Michael Neuvirth and the disgruntled Martin Erat, both of whom have years left on their contracts for Miller. Washington then would go with the combination of Miller backed up by Holtby for now, while Grubauer develops further in the AHL, while Buffalo could then add Neuvirth who could backup or compete with Jonas Enroth for the starting job in Buffalo. Washington is built to win now, so they may be able to convince Miller to sign on and stay during the off season. Sabres would gain the services of Erat, who could see more ice time in Buffalo and finally find his niche within the ranks of developing Buffalo forwards. Honestly, while Miller is a top flight goaltender, the fact that he is on the last year of his contract and his age vs. what he may be asking for after that contract ends, may curb many teams' interest in him. Nothing against his abilities, but rather what the cost will be not only in talent given up, but money in a contract. Thus, I think Buffalo can't really expect too big a return for him. At this point, a 'bidding war' would be wishful thinking on the part of Sabres fans. Just doesn't look realistic for things to shake out that way. Had Buffalo done something sooner to try to trade Miller, perhaps his potential return would have been much better, as things stand now, unless Buffalo is sure they can convince him to stay and re-sign him, they best get what they can for him. Over in Washington, Miller would STILL be expected to face many shots as the Caps aren't particularly strong defensively (something he is dong alot of already in Buffalo anyways), BUT, he will have the advantage of a very fast and offensive group of forwards and D-men who could possibly get him more goals than Buffalo forwards could, and thus, he doesn't have to worry about getting a shut out or keeping teams to just a single goal every night. Again, didn't hear anything official, just occurred to me that Washington maybe the dark horse to land Miller.

Not surprised Philly is doing well now. They were one of the Eastern teams I thought was under performing early on in the season (Ottawa was another) and both seem to be doing pretty well...especially the Flyers. Lots of hockey to be played yet, so all sorts of stuff can happen, but just given who and how Metro division teams are playing, I'd say the only real 'lock' for a playoff spot has to be Pittsburgh. So that means, should Philly continue doing what they have, they have just as good a shot, maybe better, at grabbing a guaranteed playoff slot than teams like the Rangers, Capitals, Hurricanes, or Devils. I know the Flyers always have high expectations each and every year, but when one looks at the big picture and sees the still-young stars the team has, it sorta wasn't surprising the team got off the slow start it did...after all, lots of these guys are still trying to find their NHL stride and the vets that were brought over needed some time to adjust to not only their new team, but the atmosphere in Philly and the fans....but as you can see, once any adjustments were made and guys started playing the way they are capable, the team wins

And if the Sabres are built up and run anything like the Sens and Wings organizations Tim was a part of, then they are indeed, in good hands.

Thanks for the compliment @jammer2 , always nice to have an audience and participation. I do try! As for your request on a Panik update, right now, he seems to be slowly re-earning Coach Jon Cooper's trust. Can't quite put my finger on what the situation was, but for awhile, Panik was a healthy scratch on many nights OR he saw very little ice time, after seeing regular time on a second or third line beginning with last season. Coach Cooper seems to know him best from his Syracuse/Norfolk coaching days, and it seems in the AHL, Panik was every bit the player you described. However, for whatever reason, he has had a bit of trouble translating that consistently to the NHL. In watching the guy myself, sometimes it seems he may be trying TOO hard. He either focuses so much on offense, that he forgets his defensive responsibilities and/or positioning. Or he focuses so much on trying to 'stir up the pot' and agitate a bit, that he takes ill advised penalties at the WORST possible time, or focuses so much on defense at times (hanging back, supporting puck carriers, etc), that he seems to forget that he DOES have an offensive game, and in particular, if he is playing on a line with say, a Valteri Filppula, he needs to be in the right place, at the right time, because Filppula is a master at dishing the puck and needs guys that anticipate in order to generate quality scoring chances and get those goals! According to his game logs, Panik has been getting around 7-9 minutes of ice time per night lately. That is up from the paltry 6 or less he was getting for a bit when he WASN'T scratched. And he is seeing that time now mostly on the 3rd line, occasionally on the 4th line, but this guy really, where he needs to be, is on one of the top two lines, and seeing more PP time as well. Perhaps since Coach Cooper knows him so well, he knows how much to push Panik....how much to frustrate him by taking away his ice time...and how much reward he should give back based on his performance and/or attitude on the ice. I think Panik does have the potential to be a pretty damned good NHL player with the Lightning, or anyone else for that matter. On another thread I even went so far as to compare him to Claude Lemieux in many aspects. Maybe that is a bit too big of a comparison, I don't know...I just know that I've seen him play in the AHL before he became a regular on the Lightning, and I saw many things in him that would suggest he could play a very good power game, score, agitate, and really be a chaotic type player for teams trying to figure out what he is going to do. He has yet to find that balance in the NHL. But hey, he is only 22, so if he keeps his head on straight, sky is still the limit for him and could very well carve himself out a very good NHL career yet. And thanks for Slater Koekkoek. Honestly, I didn't know about him. I did look up some info on him after you brought him to my attention..... 19 yr old defenseman. And D-men are notoriously slow developers as compared to forwards. If he is to be the real deal, we still may not hear much about him til he is around 22 or 23 and perhaps then ready to make a jump to either the AHL or NHL. I will keep an eye on him from now on then. I am hoping Tampa Bay begins a sort of defenseman development cycle that could carry the team for years. Seems they do well with developing forwards, but outside of a few select D-men (Radko Gudas has turned out and is continuing to come along pretty well), really haven't had that same success rate with the defensemen. If the Bolts can create a defenseman factory at their lower levels to go along with their pretty good forwards development, then look-out...the Bolts COULD be molding themselves like a Detroit Red Wings who seem to excel at that sort of thing in all player positions.

If Minnesota does make a trade, I hope they don't get too crazy and give up too many of their pieces in order for a short term quick fix now. I know the team is in serious injury trouble and is in real danger of missing the post season, but to give up large chunks of their future for an outside chance at the playoffs THIS year (or even a weak playoff run) simply isn't worth it. My gut reaction at first was to try to somehow get Ryan Miller from Buffalo....but unless the Sabres don't ask for too much for him (which I suspect they might), it doesn't make sense for the Wild to give up young players for a goaltender who will be a FA at year's end with NO guarantee he will want to even entertain the idea of staying in Minnesota after that. If Harding is going to be out for signficant time, Minnesota, crazy as it sounds, may be better off trying to get someone's backup goaltender on the cheap and take their chances with that guy and either Backstrom (also injury prone) or Kuemper and see how the season plays out. Certainly, with the kind of talent the Wild have and the payroll they have committed to certain players, the team is right to want the playoffs again ASAP, but in looking at the big picture (goaltending issues/injuries, no Parise, no Koivu, no Jared Spurgeon), really, there isn't a good fix for this team right now. Players on the team that ARE available (Coyle, Zucker, Granlund, Scandella, Suter, just to name a few) simply are going to have to either continue to play well or step up their games big time in the absense of key players. Just no way around that. Dany Heatley? Hey, whatever the Wild can get for him is fine. Even if they don't get an NHL ready player in return, at least it would free up a roster spot for some others on the team looking to try to make an impact. Heatley HAS been a good soldier (playing wherever he is asked...from scoring line to 4th line), but the bottom line is, he really hasn't been that effective this season, he will be a UFA at season's end, and there is no indication that he will ever sniff the kind of numbers he once put up years ago. Now perhaps on a deeper, more experienced team he may do better as an add on piece (hence a tiny bit of value as a trade piece for Minnesota), but it is clear he won't do any more than he is for the Wild themselves. And anyone who thought Minnesota was going to try to re-sign him at season's end simply has NOT been paying attention. Come the off season, there will be some other winger options for either about the same or less than what Heatley is making now (around 5-6 mil if I remember right). Vanek, Moulson, Olli Jokinen, and Mikail Grabovski without looking anything up come to mind right away. There are probably many other options as well. As for centers, I don't know. Granlund and Coyle obviously are young talented players and the Wild may very well just have to go with them as their numbers 1 and 2. Not the ideal situation, but again, given the current state of the season, and what can reasonably be expected from a 'patched together' Wild team should they even manage to squeak into the playoffs (not likely given the depth and strength of the Western teams), it is best I believe as opposed to giving up a lot for a minimal gain in any other 'big name' center that could possibly be had. Perhaps, just like the goalie situation, trying to grab a veteran center from another team that is willing to let one go for relatively cheap? Again, not sure what really is avaliable center-wise. Maybe move a defensive type center like Torrey Mitchell to a top line and see how he fares with offensive minded wingers....yea, not having Mikko Koivu available does bring all sorts of problems to setting up lines for Minnesota. But I still stand by that if Minnesota is going to miss the playoffs this year, they best do it while giving the playing time to guys they want to continue to develop anyways like Granlund, Coyle, Zucker, etc up front. And finally, Coach Yeo. My faith in him has diminished quite a bit. He may or may not finish out the season with Minnesota (not really sure if the Wild have a solid replacement for him even if they DID want to fire him at this time). Obviously, I don't know what Minnesota ownership or the GM is thinking, and I am not in the Wild locker room, but just seems to me like Coach Yeo has lost his team a bit. Either that, or his methods simply aren't meshing too well with the personnel he has available. Most of the time, one can see what a given coach is trying to accomplish with a team, and I can honestly say I have NO FRIGGIN clue as to what Yeo is trying to do out there, what kind of identity he is trying to carve for this team, and what solutions he has for dealing with the pervasive scoring problem this team seems to have had for years now. I normally am not one to jump all over a coach and demand his firing when a team doesn't do well (after all, can he really control injuries or players not executing?), but in his case, I am not entirely sure he is making the most out of who he has on the team...in addition to some questionable healthy scratches i see on a game to game basis. But again....does Minnesota have any other good options for a coach at this time? Probably not. Given the off season, maybe they can have a good hard look at other candidates, but in the meantime, just like the center issue, the Wild just may have to ride things out with the current coach....and hope he doesn't do a whole lot to further dismantle any positives the team may actually have from now till the off season. My 39 cents.

Ben Bishop. This from the Tampa Bay Tribune: http://tbo.com/sports/lightning/bolts-bishop-eyes-quick-return-20140106/ From the sounds of this article, Bishop may not be out as long as some had originally speculated. Nothing is set in stone...in fact, his exact injury is still being investigated...so the team and fans alike will just have to wait and see what will come of this. Already without Steven Stamkos, the loss of Ben Bishop for any significant amount of time would be huge. I dare say not having Bishop right now is WORSE than not having Stamkos. Other players can step up (and they have) in Stammer's absense, but it will take a herculean effort by Lindback or anyone else the Bolts put in net to come anywhere close to what Ben Bishop has done for the team as the backstop. As I mentioned in my previous post, 28 yr old minor league journeyman Cedrick Desjardins will be Lindback's backup while Bishop is out. A situation the Bolts definitely do NOT want to go on for any longer than it has to. Desjardins has not seen any time with the big club this year, but in down in Syracuse, he has posted a 2.75 GAA to go with a .903 Sv %, along with a 5-8-2 record. He does have two shut outs in 18 games played with the Crunch, but really, this guy is simply not someone you want to count on to shut down NHL level teams...and the Bolts still don't play airtight enough on defense to make him look better than he is either. In Syracuse, with 25 yr old Riku Helenius struggling (even got sent down to the ECHL's Florida Everblades!), and 21 yr old Kristers Gudlevskis still very green and developing, Desjardins, right now, is the Bolts best option for backing up Anders Lindback. Over in the KHL, the Lightning have a real good looking goalie prospect in Russian Andrei Vasilevski, however, he is still 19 yrs old and while doing well in Russia's top league and in the recent World Juniors, is not an option at this time for the Lightning in the NHL, as playing regularly in the KHL right now is better than riding a bench in either the AHL or NHL for Vasilevsky.

Fri, Jan 3, Lightning @ Flames Final: TB 2 , Cgy 0 Sun, Jan 5, Lightning @ Oilers Final: Edm 5 , TB 3 Two games in which the Bolts had lots of jump to their game but with obviously different results. Calgary, as expected, came out trying to play a physical game on the Bolts, but not only was Tampa Bay able to match that intensity, but were able to skate and generate plenty of scoring chances as well. In fact, the Bolts in this game seemed to pick up where they left off in the Vancouver game: lots of pressure from the forwards, outstanding goaltending by Ben Bishop (hence the shut out), and good defensive coverage by the D. Game could have probably been around 4-0 or so, had it not been for Calgary's Karri Ramo. And as hard as the Flames played, one could see during this game one of the main reasons they are near the bottom of the standings: WAY too many turnovers, not only in their attempts at transition offense, but at the own blue line as well. The Oiler game, well, I believe I owe Edmonton an apology. I said that during this road trip, Vancouver was possibly the most talented team the Bolts would face. The Oil proved me wrong on this. Their collection of highly talented forwards overwhelmed Lightning defenders on many occasions during this game. They skated, passed, set up plays, and pushed the puck up the ice quickly and efficiently in such ways, that it reminded me why this team is only a defensive piece or two (along with solid, consistent goaltending) away from being a regular contender. Their young players are that good. Vancouver may be the more complete overall team when measured up against Edmonton, but the Oilers certainly seem to have the offensive talent and team speed over the 'Nucks. And that showed big time as the Lightning played well in their own right offensively, but simply could not keep up playing run n gun with the blue n orange. As for goaltending in this game, Ben Bishop had to leave the game quite early in the 1st period with a hand/finger issue. That left Anders Lindback to come in completely cold and it wouldn't surprise me to learn that Edmonton used that as extra motivation to really push the play in the offensive zone seeing as how Lindback was coming in off the bench replacing what appears to be a Vezina candidate in Ben Bishop. Had Bishop been able to stay in, would the Oil have gotten the 5 goals they did? Tough to tell. Bishop, for sure, probably would have stopped 1 or 2 of the goals Lindback let in...then again, maybe not. Edmonton really was sharp on the offense and simply had a really good offensive gameplan going in: Overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm. In doing so, they did give up scoring chances to the Lightning the other way, but in this particular game, their offense was so good, that it didn't seem to matter how many chances the Lightning got. Ilya Bryzgalov, while not being particularly outstanding, did his job when he really needed to nonetheless and was a reason TB didn't get anymore than the 3 goals they did. Bolts finish the 4 game Western Canadian road trip tonight in Winnipeg against a team that is coming off an 0-3 road trip (losses in Ottawa, Boston, and Pittsburgh), where the Jets played really well for portions of those games, though obviously not enough to get them wins. Point being, with Ben Bishop still out, Anders Lindback and the Lightning defense will have to be particuarly wary of the Jets....as they will not only look to play a hard physical game, but may try taking a page out of Edmonton's book and overwhelm the Lightning defense and goal crease with shots, bodies, screens, you name it. Lightning's best chance is to play in Winnipeg's zone as much as possible, not deviate too much from what they had done the previous games on this road trip offensively, but also hope Lindback is up the challenge of keeping things manageable throughout the game. And if Lindback isn't up to par, it could mean trouble for Tampa Bay as journeyman minor league goaltender Cedrick Desjardins will be his backup tonight...yikes!

Got to listen in on the Isles' MSG guys...they are pretty good. For a while, I couldn't figure out whether they were broadcasting FOR the Isles or the opposition...they were that even keeled. Also, have to throw in the Colorado Altitude television announcers in the "dull" category. They don't really say or do anything bad per se...but much like the Vancouver guys, they just seem to put me to sleep....or at the very least, my attention span wanders when they are talking. And the Bruins NESN guys... lol.... I MUCH prefer the NESN Red Sox baseball guys to the guy who is incredibly UN-funny doing Bruins broadcast play by play...

Yep. The Prust non-resign was a blunder...among many by the Rangers since acquiring Rick Nash in fact... Don't have it on official authority, but it could have been the Rangers viewed Prust as simply an "enforcer", nothing more, and thus weren't willing to pay Prust the relatively paltry 2.5 million per the Habs are paying him. Ridiculous of course, but Prust did much more than just hit and fight...and thus worth more than Carcillo, Clowe, Asham, or anyone else they have tried to plug in there. Hell, Prust probably could have been a good checking/passing winger for Rick Freakin Nash for chrissakes.... Anyone wanna start a pool on how long it will take Dan Carcillo to do something incredibly stupid wearing a Rangers jersey to try to "impress" his new team...only to be lost via suspension for a good amount of games? Just...LOL..

Well, normally I would say the Rangers are falling further down the spiral (and they still could be), however, I also believe that Alain Vigneault has an affinity for a certain type of...ahem...donkey rear end player (i.e. Alex Burrows, Matt Cooke, Todd Bertuzzi as examples), and thus, I find myself not at all surprised to see Carcillo now picked up by the Rangers. Oh well. After having Sean Avery and Matthew Barnaby on the team in the past, I am sure NY Rangers fans will find Carcillo tame by comparison....

Not sure how much anyone else has thought about this, but it crossed my mind the other day on possible different ways the NHL can handle teams playing teams in the opposite Conference. With re-alignment and the focus on once again playing mostly games within your division, then in your own conference, while still seeing every team at least once, the NHL has made an attempt so that fans in any NHL city at least gets an opportunity to see teams they wouldn't normally see, while intensifying divisional rivalries. That said, there is no doubt that while the divisional rivalries will remain heated, especially when playoff spots are at stake, the games between teams in opposing conferences many times seem tepid at best. I know, I know...its been like that for quite awhile. Where Eastern Team 'A' may play differently against Eastern Team 'B' as opposed to Western Team 'C' because of the points involved in competing for Conference playoff spots. In fact, I've even heard some announcers and analysts say that a game, say, the Flyers playing the Jets, isn't as "big" as the Flyers playing, say, the Lightning, simply because should the Flyers drop points against the Jets, it wouldn't be the same penalty in regards to playoff points, as it would if the Flyers dropped the same game to the Lightning, whom they may be competing with for a Wild Card position. And obviously that would be magnified should the Flyers drop a game to a divisional foe like the Pens or Capitals. While I get the whole idea of conference games being more important, I still think the NHL should try to do a bit more to try to intensify cross conference games. I am not a fan of manufactured rivalries, far from it, but I think if teams saw each other a bit more cross conference, there could be more situations and incidents where teams begin to develop a genuine 'dislike' for the other, just from seeing them more often. Not the same as a conference or divisional rival mind you, but if they Flyers, Pens, or Lightning see the Canucks, Avalanche, and Sharks a bit more DURING the season for instance, the chances of the competitive juices boiling over would be much greater....thus, I believe, leading to more competitive and aggressive play when the teams meet again. So...with only 82 games in the schedule and the premium STILL being on divsion and conference games, how can the NHL put more fire into cross conference games? I'd like to hear some thoughts. Can it be done somehow? Does anyone really care about that? I certainly do. I'd hate to think that in the 82 game schedule, the 30 or so games against the other conference are mere 'throw away' or 'take it easier' type games. This is what I think could be done: Take a page out of the NFL book. Yes, I know, its crazy...taking ANYTHING from the NFL way of doing things can seem somewhat insane, but what I mean is, the NFL only has 16 games per season to work with and they too want to focus on divisional and conference games, while still allowing teams to see others from the other conference. Obviously, they do this by having teams from a given division rotate and play a certain other division from the other conference one year, play a different one the next, etc. NFC East ends up playing the AFC West one year, then the AFC Central the next, and so on. Could this work in the NHL? I think so. Especially now with only 4 divisions in the entire NHL. I will use the Atlantic Division as an example. Say the Atlantic next year plays the same amount of games within the division and conference as they have been doing, but the remaining 30'ish games, they play ONLY against the Central Division of the West next year. Meaning they will see teams like the Blues, Wild, Blackhawks, etc a bit more...with of course, NOT seeing any team from the Pacific (the Metro would be playing them that year)...but then next year, flipping, then the Atlantic plays the Pacific, while the Central plays the Metro. Teams in each conference will not see one of the divisions at all one year (barring the SC Finals), but see more of the other teams in the other cross conference division a lot more...possibly leading to more intense games between the teams...then they swap next year and do it all again. Thoughts or other ideas from the HF Boards crowd?

I wonder if Buffalo will use him strictly as a 4th liner, or give him some 3rd line time as well. As everyone knows, his faceoff skill are pretty good, and I can see him doing some good work late in games winning faceoffs in his own zone (or even the offensive zone) and playing a shut down type of role should Buffalo have a lead. It'd be a mistake to treat Konopka as strictly a John Scott or Cody McCormick, though he shares many enforcer traits with those two. The young Buffalo players (and Ryan Miller) should feel pretty safe with those three on the team now, though.