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WingNut722

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Blog Entries posted by WingNut722

  2. WingNut722
    In the past, I’ve followed and commented on a number of threads on this site regarding bloggers’ thoughts on the All-Star Game and the weekend festivities. The sentiment I’m finding is that the event needs to be rescheduled, reworked, combined with the Winter Classic, or just plain cancelled entirely. It seems that the arguments bloggers have made for the change is the lack of entertainment value.
    I kept this in mind as I watched the festivities all weekend long and I have to disagree with every post. Everyone knows this is a low-intensity, slow-moving, high scoring game with little or no hits, shoves, toe saves, dangles, and dekes…in other words, it’s exactly the opposite of what we’ve come to love about this sport. However, while watching the Fantasy Draft, the Super Skills Competition, and the game itself, and lamenting on how silly and childish the whole affair was, did anyone happen to catch the smiles on the faces of every one of the players? Half of the players on the ice were recording the event with cameras and cell phones.
    These guys spend the whole season jawing at each other, gritting their teeth, fighting, slashing, elbowing, roughing, boarding, cross-checking, tripping, and for the most part hating each other all for the opportunity to win the Stanley Cup. The All-Star weekend gives them a chance to breathe a bit, settle down, and remember why they started playing this game in the first place.
    We’ve come to expect 110% performance during every single game, and we’re upset when we don’t see it. These guys are human too, and it’s fun to see the lighter side of their jobs. I welcome the capes and the sunglasses; the mini hockey sticks and the Tebow-ing goaltenders. I think they’re fantastic. Every last one of those guys was beaming ear to ear. In fact, when was the last time you saw an NHL goalie smiling through his mask after being scored on three times in one period? The All-Star game is the only chance these guys have to play the game the way it was originally intended…a congregation of friends, new and old, enjoying a few hours together.
    It’s been said the All-Star game is “for the fans.” It’s also “for the kids.” I’ve even heard that the All-Star game is “for the sponsors.” But I think a good portion of it is still for the players themselves. It’s a fresh change of pace to a light-hearted, whimsical weekend of fun and hockey bloopers. In fact, the only thing I would say is to lighten up the rules! Let the defense clear the puck by picking it up and throwing it over the blue line! Let Patrick Kane wear his cape through the whole game! Let the goalie turn the net around so it faces the back boards! Not only that, but I want to see goalies take some penalty shots with forwards guarding the net! Can you imagine Pavel Datsyuk dangling the puck around three skaters wearing one of those giant green foam cowboy hats? Of course you haven’t, but now that I’ve mentioned it, you’re thinking about it, and you kinda want to see it too. There should be some raucous laughter in those stands and on the benches. This game doesn’t count for anything but fun. True enough, in capitalist fashion, as long as people watch, money will be made, so I doubt the sponsors will care. Might as well have a few laughs.
    This is a game. And just occasionally, it must be treated as such.
  3. WingNut722
    Now it’s time to revisit my predictions for the Eastern Conference. Now that the standings have settled out after the Red Wings’ forfeit of last night’s game to the Habs. Same as the Western Conference, I singled out a couple teams for comment back in October.
    New York Rangers: After making several key moves in the offseason, I figured on the Blueshirts making a big splash in the standings. As long as Marc Staal could get back from injury, Gaborik would stay away from injury and Brad Richards fit in well, they would be pleasantly surprised with their results.
    Pittsburgh Penguins: Huge depth and top scoring would help the Pens stay strong, despite the absence of Sydney Crosby in the beginning of the season. With no word (at that time) on his return, I game them the benefit of the doubt and picked them to take the Atlantic Division, given an early return of #87.
    Philadelphia Flyers: The unprecedented Filly Flyers Fire Sale of last summer left only a small core group of players around whole lot of new faces. The biggest Achilles Heel they brought on was Phoenix goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. The Flyers have been trying to solidify their net presence and it was worth it to give Bryz a shot, which is to say they should not have signed him to that long, expensive contract. They would have to depend on younger faces like JvR and Giroux to carry the weight.
    Buffalo Sabres: The team to watch out for in the East. The Sabres went on a shopping spree, picking up Robyn Regehr, Christian Ehrhoff, and Ville Leino. Looking at Tyler Ennis for a breakout season, and Pominville and Roy would keep their scoring touch. The new look of the Sabres would surely find fans purchasing tickets for playoff games in May.
    Toronto Maple Leafs: They’ve been on the doorstep the past few years, and I figured it was their time. Guys like Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf would step up their game after being tired of just missing the postseason. This would be the year they squeak in.
    So here’s the comparison
    How I Predicted……………………………………………..Actual Standings
    Washington Capitals……………………………..…………New York Rangers
    Pittsburgh Penguins………………………….……………..Boston Bruins
    Boston Bruins………………………………………………….Washington Capitals
    Philadelphia Flyers ………………………………………….Philadelphia Flyers
    Tampa Bay Lightning……………………………………….Pittsburgh Penguins
    Buffalo Sabres………………………………..……………….Ottawa Senators
    New York Rangers………………………….……………….Florida Panthers
    Toronto Maple Leafs…………………….………………..New Jersey Devils
    Montreal Canadiens…………………..…………………..Toronto Maple Leafs
    Carolina Hurricanes……………………..………………….Winnipeg Jets
    New Jersey Devils……………………………………………Montreal Canadiens
    New York Islanders…………………………………………Tampa Bay Lightning
    Winnipeg Jets……………………………..………………….New York Islanders
    Ottawa Senators……………………….………….…………Buffalo Sabres
    Florida Panthers…………………………….……………….Carolina Hurricanes
    Well…maybe I should stick with the Western Conference… But who knew the Sabres and the Senators would effectively switch places in the standings? It’s been a huge, unfortunate flop for the Sabres thus far, but the Sens have broken free for a comfortable sixth place berth. Toronto came out strong from the gate as well, but have since come back to Earth a little. Still though, they can taste the postseason and I still think they’ll be in it.
    No Crosby, no problem for the Pens. Even dealing with half the team out on crutches, they’ve still managed to play strong. Kris Letang is back, and Evgeni Malkin has stepped up into the spotlight. Whenever it is that Crosby comes back, it’ll only make them more dangerous. The biggest surprise though, (after Buffalo) is the Rangers. Everything is clicking even more than anyone predicted. After dumping Sean Avery, Tortorella has been able to put another goal scorer on the ice. Backed by Vezina trophy contender Henrik Lundqvist who’s playing one his best seasons, the Blueshirts won’t be looking back.
    Come playoff time? Here’s what I think we’ll see.
    Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers
    New York Rangers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
    Washington Capitals vs. Ottawa Senators
    Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
    Note that I do not have the Jersey Devils in the playoffs. That’s another gaze into my used, semi-clouded, dollar-store crystal ball. While Ilya Kovalchuk is playing extremely well these days, it comes at the expense of Zach Parise, and all the rumors swirling around him wanting out. I’ve also felt for a long time that Marty Brodeur is on his last legs and just can’t hang with the young kids anymore. He makes a lot of huge highlight-reel saves, but will let in two soft goals in the very same game. It’s a dangerous place to hang your playoff hopes.
    I’ve put on my helmet now, and I’m ready to take the beatings. Fire away!
  4. WingNut722
    Back in October, I posted a prediction of how the Western Conference standings would look come Playoff time. I added some notes on a few teams in particular.
    Detroit Red Wings: The addition of Ian White from San Jose was to be a huge gift in replacing Brian Rafalski. The Wings success would also hinge upon Valtteri Filppula, Jiri Hudler, and Johan Franzen elevating their games. Ty Conklin was to be the ideal choice for backup goaltender. As long as everyone stays healthy, they’d do well.
    San Jose Sharks: Staying strong and finishing high in the West, although I thought the trading of Setoguchi and Heatley for Burns and Havlat was a lousy move.
    Los Angeles Kings: The team to watch out for. Adding Mike Richards gave a lot more scoring power to the team, and as long as Jonathan Quick played well, the Kings would find themselves in a very deep playoff run.
    Vancouver Canucks: Losing Christian Ehrhoff to Buffalo wouldn’t phase the ‘Nucks one bit…finishing at the top of the mountain again.
    Chicago Blackhawks: For my opinion, dumb move bringing on Carcillo; he doesn’t belong there. Sami Lepisto does. Hawks had a bunch of injuries last season, so as long as they stay healthy, they’d do well.
    St. Louis Blues: Impressed at all the star power they brought in, but thought it would take more than one season to “gel” into an elite team.
    Halfway through (thereabouts), here’s how I did.
    How I Predicted ...................................Actual Standings
    Vancouver Canucks ..............................Detroit Red Wings
    Los Angeles Kings .................................Vancouver Canucks
    Detroit Red Wings .................................San Jose Sharks
    San Jose Sharks ...................................St. Louis Blues
    Chicago Blackhawks............................. Nashville Predators
    Nashville Predators ...............................Chicago Blackhawks
    Phoenix Coyotes ...................................Los Angeles Kings
    Calgary Flames..................................... Minnesota Wild
    Dallas Stars ...........................................Colorado Avalanche
    Anaheim Ducks..................................... Dallas Stars
    Columbus Blue Jackets .........................Calgary Flames
    Minnesota Wild ......................................Phoenix Coyotes
    St. Louis Blues .......................................Anaheim Ducks
    Edmonton Oilers ....................................Edmonton Oilers
    Colorado Avalanche.............................. Columbus Blue Jackets
    I did get the better part of the Top 8 correct, just in the wrong order. There were a lot of surprises this season so far. Minnesota coming out to a huge start, but Columbus tanking the first half of the season. Chicago is still dealing with injuries and Patrick Kane is not playing well. The Red Wings have stayed healthy and are rolling with all their depth, which has propelled them to the top. The Sharks are seriously lurking with 3 games in hand on the rest of the Conference. That will be interesting. On St. Louis…okay, okay, I was wrong, and you were right…
    I was off, but not enough to stop me from predicting this year’s Playoff Matchups. I won’t talk about the winners, though. That will come later.
    Vancouver Canucks vs. Dallas Stars
    Detroit Red Wings vs. Los Angeles Kings
    St. Louis Blues vs. Nashville Predators
    San Jose Sharks vs. Chicago Blackhawks
    Tomorrow, I’ll look at the Eastern Conference.
  5. WingNut722

    Winter Classic 2013

    By WingNut722,

    www.freep.com/article/20120112/COL22/120112046/Michael-Rosenberg-How-about-Winter-Classic-Ann-Arbor-Detroit-
    This column appeared in the Detroit Free Press yesterday by one of their sports/opinion coumnists. Now Michael Rosenberg is pretty much one of the biggest idiots they have on staff there. However, he does raise a few interesting points.
    Hosting the Winter Classic in Detroit does present a number of options which the NHL can "experiment" with. In my opinion, The SPIRIT of the Winter Classic belongs at Comerica Park. However, the REVENUE of the Winter Classic makes it hard to pass up Ann Arbor. Here’s the kicker… There are many thousands of fans who would pay the money to see a Winter Classic. So much so, that they need a lottery to keep it fair. Now is that number 110,000? If not, then the prices have to drop in order to fill the place, which brings the ratio back to Comerica Park. An attendance record is meaningless if you don’t get the revenue to back it up. And they would be truly embarrased if Michigan Stadium wasn't filled to capacity for this.
    I don't think I'd want to split up the Winter Classic festivities between two cities that are an hour apart (without traffic). That also means there would have to be two ice rinks built, decorated, and sustained during that period. Obviously the NHL would only be responsible for one, but that said, if one rink is of less quality than the other one, why would anyone bother to play on it?
    I say forget the U of M stadium and the attendance record. Put the Winter Classic in Comerica Park in a very vibrant part of a legendary city which is doing its best to bring itself back from the hell it's been put through. I've spent a lot of time in Ann Arbor. There's nothing there. Particularly around the stadium Matter of fact, directly across the street from the stadium is.....a high school and a golf course..... Comerica Park is surrounded by bars, restaraunts, clubs, theaters...much more enticing to the fan looking for a Hockey Weekend in Hockeytown.
    If the NHL still has faith in what it touts as the class and tradition of the world's greatest game, then don't put it in Ann Arbor just to sell more tickets....
    Just sayin'
  6. WingNut722

    Early Vezina Talk

    By WingNut722,

    Originally, I was going to write an all-out campaign piece for Jimmy Howard’s place in the All-Star game as well as Vezina trophy consideration, but it’s a little ironic that he had one of his, well, less-favorable performances against the Dallas Stars last night. He came away with the “W,” but I’m sure he’s not all that proud of it.
    Everyone’s entitled to an “off” night and last night certainly seemed like Jimmy’s turn. Thankfully, the forward lines were all clicking, and Detroit never relinquished control of the game. It’s only fair. After all, Howard has bailed out his skaters more than once with some incredible goaltending, and his name still remains super-glued to the leaderboards in just about every category.
    I can appreciate that the All-Star ballot was arranged very early in the season, but Top Jimmy’s performance has warranted him a spot (and pretty close to it, with all the write-ins). I doubt very much they’ll pass him by again next year.
    But on to the more controversial topic… Should Jimmy Howard be considered for the Vezina Trophy?
    Defined by the NHL as the goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position”, it would seem that the Vezina Trophy winner would be the netminder with the highest save percentage and lowest Goals Against Average. This would determine the winner almost automatically, like the Rocket Richard Trophy, but the award is voted on by the thirty club GMs, so the visible, on-ice effort is also taken into consideration.
    The statistics are obviously a big part of the decision, but consider these other factors…
    -Can you elevate your game when your forwards aren’t scoring?
    -Can you sustain your mental stamina when taking upwards of 40 shots per night?
    -Can you remain strong after letting in a number of goals?
    -Can you regain your toughness after letting in goals and allowing your opponent to lead?
    -Do you still manage to be the winning goaltender when your team’s score is only 1 or 2?
    -Can you do all of the above within your opponents home arena?
    Vezina buzz of late is typically centered around Henrik Lundqvist and the perennial favorite, Tim Thomas. But I say that Jimmy Howard should also be in that conversation.
    As of right now, January 4, 2012, here are my Vezina Trophy finalists (in no particular order)
    Jimmy Howard
    Henrik Lundqvist
    Brian Elliot
    Why no Thomas? He’s a stellar goaltender and I love watching him play. But the Bruins have been a scoring machine lately, and he hasn’t necessarily HAD to be all those things I mentioned above. Plus, he has split the load a little more evenly with Tuuka Rassk. It’s a VERY close call to be sure, between Thomas and King Henrik, and their numbers are almost identical. However, I fully believe both Howard and Elliot should be on there, and that leaves only one spot. Overall, Lundqvist has shouldered the load that much better.
    The floor is now open. What say you?
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