Before you fling your arms forward in a somewhat awkward way of agreeing with me (I’m not the only one who does this, right?), know that my cap frustration probably differs from yours a little. For the record, I actually like the NHL having a salary cap.

My beef has more to do with those in the media (and fans to a lesser extent) who blame the salary cap (and only the salary cap) for Chicago losing nearly a third of their roster this summer.

Like most of you, I shutter when TSN – a fine sports network – gives Dave Hodge an opportunity to voice a hockey opinion. I find Hodge’s stance on the salary cap half-baked to say the least. I’m paraphrasing here, but during TSN’s Free Agent Frenzy coverage on Thursday, Hodge basically gave his condolences to Hawks fans  saying “… the salary cap really screwed you, Hawks fans.”

Please.

That made me hit my boiling point on the matter. It’s not the cap’s fault several key RFAs – Kris Versteeg, Cam Barker, Ben Eager, Troy Brouwer and others – weren’t qualified on time last summer. Do you think Versteeg would have gotten $3 Million per season if qualified properly? It’s also not fair to blame the cap for Dale Tallon signing Dustin Byfuglien to a pretty rich $3 Million per year contract early on in his career. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge supporter of Tallon’s. But to blame the Hawks financial situation (and subsequent trades) on the cap isn’t entirely accurate.

The salary cap shouldn’t be the sole focus within the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Another important element in the CBA is the Entry Draft and lottery pick rules that were established some time ago. In 2007, Chicago were fortunate enough to move from the Draft’s 5th overall pick to 1st overall thanks to that lottery. I’m not sure but I think that 1st overall pick played a significant role in the Hawks Stanley Cup win last month.

For as much as the CBA/salary cap has hurt Chicago, it’s helped them too. I don’t see how Hodge and others can blame the salary cap for the Hawks “demise” (let’s face it, they’re still a strong team) without making so much as an acknowledgement of how and what has gotten Chicago out of the NHL’s basement. The same thing goes for Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Washington and others.

Unfortunately Hodge and many others in the media forget to mention this. Luckily most hockey fans are smarter than that. If you still blame the salary cap for some of Chicago’s transactions, you obviously haven’t been paying attention. I for one don’t blame the salary cap for some of the Hawks recent transactions.

Stay classy, NHL salary cap.


Amidst much speculation, star winger Nathan Horton was (finally) traded to the Boston Bruins. The return? Defenseman Dennis Wideman and the Bruins 15th overall pick at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. (Note: Gregory Campbell will accompany Horton to Boston and Florida also received a 3rd round pick for the 2011 Entry Draft).

Nathan Horton was traded to the Boston Bruins earlier today as part of the Panthers rebuilding process.

Jumping ahead for second… Friday’s 3rd overall pick in Los Angeles all but guarantees the Panthers adding a stud defenseman totheir organization (and perhaps to October’s opening night lineup). If I were a betting man, I’d bet Tallon and co select either Cam Fowler or Erik Gudbranson.

Now back to the Panthers… It seems clear Tallon’s priority is building a solid core of defensemen. I know Tallon was quoted as saying “[the Horton trade] didn’t matter if it was a forward or defenseman, it was whether we could make a good deal,” but I have to think Tallon is pretty happy with the Panthers defensemen right now, in addition to some of the up and coming defensive prospects in their system (namely Keaton Ellerby and maybe Jason Garrison). Take a look at their top defense pairings going into next season (assuming any future trades don’t affect this group):

Bryan McCabe     Dennis Wideman
Keith Ballard        Bryan Allen
Dmitry Kulikov   Ville Koistinen

Wideman’s presence should help a team who finished 19th in the NHL in goal against last season. It’s actually a pretty good group with a nice mix of offensive capabilities and experience. It’s worth pointing out four of these defensemen (Allen and Wideman are the exceptions) will require new contracts after next season. It’s also worth noting that the trade won’t immediately help the Panthers score more goals. As it stands right now, the trade hurts the Panther’s offense. But when looking ahead a few years, the potential impact of Fowler/Gudbranson, Kulikov’s development as an offensive defenseman and Ellerby’s skill, the future for Florida’s defense looks pretty good.

I like this trade for Florida. I’m impressed and a bit surprised Tallon was able to get as much for a player who never quite lived up to his potential. Wideman is a strong defenseman and will be missed by the Bruins. (Sidenote: this move makes me wonder what else Boston has planned this off-season. I doubt they’ll shy away drafting one of Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin, but their lack of depth in defensive players – both now and prospects – is of concern.) The 15th overall pick is a nice add-on too. Perhaps this is where Florida can begin to address some of their goal scoring needs.

Assuming players are drafted in similar order to the most recent ISS Top 30 2010 Prospect Rankings, the Panthers might have a shot at drafting a pretty skilled forward with this pick. Players like Brett Connolly (if still available – he might slide to a mid-round pick with concerns over his health), Alexander Burmistrov, Mikeal Granlund and Quinton Howden stand out as pretty good offensive mid-round picks. Connolly especially – that might be the steal of the first round like Tyler Myers was for the Buffalo Sabres a few years ago.

With five of the first 50 picks in this year’s draft, it goes without saying the 2010 Draft is a very important summer for the Florida Panthers. It will be interesting to see what else Tallon and the Panthers do between now and the start of the 2010-2011 season. I can’t remember ever thinking this about the Panthers in their relatively short existence in the NHL. Perhaps they aren’t in such bad shape after all? They still need to address goal scoring with a few different players, but they are on the right track. That’s a good thing.

Stay classy, Dale Tallon.

You can follow me on Twitter: @Stay_Classy

Those are the easy expectations to define. Everyone knows San Jose needs to go deep this year to shed the “chokers” label they so rightfully own. But how about defining reasonable expectations for a team like the recently bounced New Jersey Devils? Or perhaps the Vancouver Canucks? Sure, expectations stem from regular season results, recent Playoff performances (if possible), roster depth and any big trades made between the NHL Entry Draft and annual Trade Deadline.

Although each team is different, it’s unreasonable to expect every Playoff team to reach the Stanley Cup finals. I look at post-season expectations from 4 basic levels.

• Conference Quarter-Final loss (1st round) – Bare Minimum
• Conference Semi-Final loss (2nd round) – Average
• Conference Final loss (3rd round) – Very good
• Stanley Cup Final appearance (4th round) – Excellent

No matter what the results, every team fits in one of these categories. (DUH, I know).

From training camp and onwards, players will always quote cliche sound bites like “our goal is to win the Stanley Cup”. But let’s be honest, only 3-4 teams per year are actually serious when they say that. I understand players and teams can’t say “our goal is to qualify for the Playoffs in a shootout in game 82 of the regular season”, but most fans can differentiate a Stanley Cup contender versus a Playoff contender. To me, that’s probably how GM’s and team executives view their team when looking at trades, etc… At least that’s how I would do it if I were a GM.

Using the ‘Cup contender/Playoff contender’ notion, along with the 4 levels of Playoff expectations, where do this year’s 16 teams fit in? Remember, these aren’t predictions. It’s based on how far each team (reasonably) expects to go in the Playoffs, regardless of their 1st round opponent.  I’ll go first…

Bare Minimum: Montreal, Boston, Colorado

Average: Ottawa,  Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Nashville, Phoenix

Very Good: Detroit, Vancouver, New Jersey,  Buffalo

Excellent: San Jose, Pittsburgh,  Washington, Chicago

Do you agree? Let’s see your expectations!

Stay classy, NHL Playoff teams.

One thing I’ve grown tired of is how over the top everything about the Leafs has become. Whether its press conferences, ticket prices, Ron Wilson’s analogies, or how they find ways to lose hockey games, it’s always over the top – another reason the word spectacular works.

Each Leafs loss can usually be traced back to an incident that seems almost fictional (some nights more than others). I’m not talking about a bad on-ice decision that leads to a 2-on-1 either. No other team in the NHL comes remotely close to the ways Toronto has lost hockey games this year. While I can’t list every game or loss with a strange occurrence, here are a few examples. I’m sure there are loads more. By all means, add your own below.

Jan 21 – Lightning- 3, Leafs- 2 (OT)
The Leafs take a too many men penalty in overtime, surrendering a third 4-on-3 powerplay within the final 10 minutes of the hockey game. Of course, the first 4-on-3 lead to the game tying goal, while the third 4-on-3 resulted in the Lightning’s game winning goal.

Jan 9 – Penguins- 4, Leafs- 1
In a 1-1 game, the Leafs thought they had a penalty shot opportunity when  it turned out Sergei Gonchar’s point shot moments before was a goal. The Leafs penalty shot was revoked and Gonchar’s goal was the game winner.

Dec 18 – Sabres- 5, Leafs- 2
In a 2-2 game, Tony Lydman flipped a puck towards the net on a line change. Vesa Toskala failed to catch the puck and essentially dropped it in his own net. Lydman’s goal was the game winner.

Nov 14 – Blackhawks- 3, Leafs- 2
A controversial goal review was unable to conclusively prove the puck crossed the goal line, despite the puck being stuck in goalie Cristobal Huet’s glove (which was clearly behind the goal line). The Leafs lost this game by one goal.

Oct 13 – Avalanche- 4, Leafs- 1
Darcy Tucker made the score 3-1 when he basically kicked the puck over the goal line (the goal obviously counted after video replay) and John Michael Liles put the game away when a weak floater shot bounced off Mike Komisarek’s head and into the net.

Oct 6 – Senators- 2, Leafs- 1
Ottawa’s first goal was batted out of mid air and very close to being high sticking (for the record, I believe it should not have counted), however, was determined to be a good goal. The second goal came from a questionable penalty shot call that saw Daniel Alfredsson shoot for the injured Milan Michalek. Of course, Alfredsson’s goal was the game winner.

You almost have to feel for the Leafs at times. I said almost. But at some point, it stops becoming a coincidence. You can only fault karma so much before reaching the conclusion that it’s something the Leafs are doing (or not doing). Some might call it a conspiracy and some might call it not working hard enough, but whatever the explanation, some of these tough luck bounces are spectacular. Just like everything else the Leafs do.

Stay classy, Toronto Maple Leafs.

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Burgundy is the chief editor for Stayclassy.net. Follow him on Twitter (@Stay_Classy) or email him.

The number of individual injuries to star players this year seems higher than ever before. Stars like Alex Ovechkin, Roberto Luongo, Marian Hossa, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Zetterberg, Marc Savard, Daniel Alfredsson, Eric Staal, and many more have all missed games this season due to injury. It’s staggering.

Some teams have seen their rosters completely ravaged by serious injuries to critical players. And no, I’m not talking about when Mike Van Ryn went down earlier this year for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

I’m talking about teams like the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers, and Detroit Red Wings. These are the 4 teams that I believe have been hit hardest with injuries. Let’s take a closer look at the number of injuries each team has suffered and the significance some of the injured players represent.

*Note: I won’t include players who’ve missed less than 5 games. As well, these stats are all based on the number of games their team has played as of January13th.

Boston Bruins
Milan Lucic – 32 games missed
Marc Savard – 16 games missed
Mark Stuart – 10 games missed
Bryon Bitz – 6 games missed

The Boston Bruins played a good chunk of this season without their top line from last season. Both Marc Savard and Milan Lucic were injured and Phil Kessel was traded to the Leafs prior to the season starting. Regardless of depth, virtually every NHL team would note a significant drop in goals for with these players out of the line-up. It’s also worth nothing Tim Thomas did not have a good start to the season either. The Bruins have done an admirable job climbing back into the playoff picture despite the injuries they’ve suffered this season.

Ottawa Senators
Pascal Leclaire – 21 games missed
Jason Spezza – 17 games missed
Chris Neil – 14 games missed
Anton Volchenkov – 14 games missed
Daniel Alfredsson – 10 games missed
Filip Kuba – 10 games missed

This list doesn’t include Milan Michalek, who’s also injured. As a result, the Ottawa Senators have been playing without their top line for about a week now. It’s no wonder they’ve only scored 5 goals in their last 5 games. The Senators also average the 5th most goals against per game in the league and a lot of that has to do with Pascal Leclaire, Anton Volchenkov, and Filip Kuba missing significant time because of injuries.  The Senators are holding onto 8th place in the Eastern Conference by a thread, but have used all the slack they built for themselves earlier in the season. Luckily for the Sens, Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza are starting to practice again with Alfredsson expected to return as early as this weekend in Montreal.

Edmonton Oilers
Fernando Pisani – 36 games missed
Mike Comrie – 29 games missed
Nikolai Khabibulan – 26 games missed
Ales Hesmky – 23 games missed
Steve Staios – 12 games missed

The 2009-2010 Edmonton Oilers season has been one to forget… unless it results in selecting Taylor Hall at this summer’s Entry Draft. And if that happens, it’s a result of too many goals against and not enough scored. Obvious statement, but the Oilers have allowed the 4th most goals against and are in the bottom 10 in goals for in the NHL this season. Comrie and Hemsky, two of Edmonton’s better forwards, have missed more than half the season (in fact, Hemsky is out for the year) and the prized summer goalie acquisition – Nikolai Khabibulan – didn’t play well before getting injured. Khabibulan is expected to miss the balance of the season with surgery on a herniated disc. And Fernando Pisani is still made of glass. Needless to say, a big reason for Edmonton’s struggles this year can be associated with the injuries they’ve faced.

Detroit Red Wings
Johan Franzen – 42 games missed
Jason Williams – 30 games missed
Valtteri Filppula – 26 games missed
Niklas Kronwall – 24 games missed
Jonathan Ericsson – 14 games missed
Dan Cleary – 12 games missed
Henrik Zetterberg – 8 games missed

Clearly, the Detroit Red Wings have been hit hardest by the 2009-2010 injury bug. It’s absolutely amazing that this team is still challenging for a playoff spot (they are 9th in the Western Conference and 1 point back of the Kings for 8th) when you consider how difficult the Western Conference is, the UFA departures this past summer (Jiri Hudler, Marian Hossa, Mikael Samuelsson), and the star players who’ve been injured this season. While many may think the Red Wings are finally struggling or that their young depth players aren’t living up to expectations, I think it’s fair to say the non-injured depth players have performance pretty damn well for the Wings. With Franzen ahead of schedule and possibly back in the Wings line-up before the Olympic break, perhaps the Wings will be able to make a somewhat healthy push to make the playoffs. That in itself would have to be considered a successful season.

Regardless of what happens between now and the end of the year, injuries will be one of the main things I’ll remember when looking back at the 09-10 the NHL season. Here’s hoping for a healthy 2nd half of the season!

Stay classy, depleted NHL rosters.

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Kevin Burgundy is the chief writer for Stayclassy.net. Follow him on Twitter (@Stay_Classy) or email him.

I can’t tell you how many columns, articles, and blogs I’ve read suggesting the Philadelphia Flyers need goal scoring help to pull them out of this brutal slump. Yes, you read that correctly. A team with Jeff Carter, Daniel Briere, Mike Richards, Chris Pronger, Scott Hartnell, James vanRiemsdyk, Claude Giroux, and others need more goal scoring. Yeah… goalscoring is definitely the reason the Flyers have dropped 11 of their last 14 games.

I must disagree, respectfully. Simply put, the Flyers desperately need to address three things (none of which include goal scoring).

1. Goaltending
2. Discipline
3. Paying attention to their coach

Goaltending
Brian Boucher isn’t a solution. He’s not even a part-time solution – especially when the Flyers are already at rock bottom. The same can be said about Michael Leighton, who the Flyers just picked up off waivers from Carolina. Until Ray Emery gets back to full health, the Flyers need to do something. According to TSN, the Montreal Canadiens have reportedly offered Jaraslav Halak (no clue what they want back, although Bob Gainey hints a 2nd round pick is the standard for a back up goalie) – that might actually be a good solution for the team. The Flyers are 2-4 since Emery went down and have allowed 18 goals against in those 6 games. Halak might be the best solution for the team, even when Emery comes back from injury. Having and Emery/Halak tandem would be the strongest pair of the goalies the Flyers have had in years.

Discipline
The Philadelphia Flyers are the most penalized team in the NHL, averaging 17 minutes of penalties per game. This has to stop under not-so-new coach Peter Laviolette. It’s not just the short handed time that hurts the Flyers, its the negative momentum penalties cause, as well as the distractions/drama. Look no further than Scotty Hartnell’s senseless holding the stick penalty from last night’s Penguins/Flyers game. I think its time the Flyers stop trying to intimidate every other NHL team and worry about winning games by skating and working hard. It worked for the Toronto Maple Leafs… (and they have significantly less goal scorers!) and that’s certainly the way Laviolette wants his team to play.

Paying Attention to the Coach
John Stevens is gone and has been gone for a few weeks. Peter Laviolette is the coach and the Flyers players need to start playing attention to him. They need to stop doing these ‘we know its our fault’ interviews and play hard at each and every game for the rest of the season. I don’t buy this garbage of needing weeks worth of practices to learn Laviolette’s system. The Flyers need bare down, engage themselves, and commit to playing as a team for the remainder of the season. Right now, they look like a group of individuals. Should they continue this style of play, they will miss the playoffs and they will be blown up (trades, etc…).

Despite a dismal last stretch, the season is far from over for the Flyers. They are only 2 points out of a playoff spot (despite being tied with the Islanders and Rangers for last in the division) and can turn this ship around. The question is, do they want to. Amid rumours of team division, leadership issues, and more, none of that will matter if this team misses the playoffs. The three points above are a pretty good starting point for the Flyers to get back on track and none of it has to do with goal scorers..

Stay classy, Philadelphia Flyers. You don’t need any more goal scorers.

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Kevin Burgundy is the chief writer for Stayclassy.net. Follow him on Twitter (@Stay_Classy) or email him.

Play to your strengths

A note to the Toronto Maple Leafs: Brian Burke hockey usually doesn't include finesse hockey.

When it’s easily identified your team doesn’t have the talent to match your opponent, each game’s goal should be to keep things simple. The simplest thing to do is to play to your strengths – the lowest common denominator strategy imaginable. I admit it’s a pretty obvious comment, but everything the Leafs do is far more complicated than it needs to be. Here’s a few simple examples:

Breakouts
Forwards taking passes off their skates is a common occurrence in the Leafs breakouts. I have no idea why. Most passes in the neutral zone are good enough to hit sticks yet Leaf forwards insist on kicking/directing pucks from skates to sticks. Look no further than Saturday night in Boston. Why make this harder than it needs to be? (We already know how much trouble the Leafs have making clean and crisp passes). Keep it simple! Over the last few weeks, I’ve lost count how many turnovers this has created. This is the kind of finesse that’s completely unnecessary in the Leafs game. Quite frankly, the Leafs have (at maximum) two forwards skilled enough to do this on a regular basis.

Extra passes
Everyone marvels at how many shots Phil Kessel takes/attempts per game. I don’t see why every forward can’t do the same. Too many Leafs forwards give up good shooting chances for an extra pass and it doesn’t make sense. It’s too fancy. The Leafs should be shooting anything/everything at the net for rebounds, tips, bounces, and more. It’s not pretty, but it’s effective. The Leafs have more truculence than Tiger Woods has transgressions, yet they don’t drive to the net nearly enough to make the most of it. If anything, the Leafs were built for this. Again, keep it simple. The more they can get their big bodies towards/in front of the net with more shots coming through, the more scoring chances they’ll generate. Those extra passes forwards are making risk (and usually result in) turnover opportunities and less Leaf scoring chances.

The moral of the story? Play to your strengths – don’t play fancy when you lack finesse. Taking pucks off skates in the neutral zone isn’t a strength of the Leafs, nor is trying to make ‘Savard-ian’ or ‘Thornton-esque’ passes in shooting lanes. The Leafs lack finesse. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s a reality.

In order for the Leafs to be successful, I think they need to get a better understanding of the skill-set they have and play to it. That sounds like an awfully stupid thing to say after 28 games, but you can’t tell me the Leafs have played to their strengths in the majority of their games this season.

Ironically, I’m off to see the Leafs annual skills competition on Sunday afternoon. Maybe then they can show me how to properly execute these “skills”. I wish I was kidding, I can’t even make this stuff up…

Stay classy, skilled Toronto Maple Leafs.

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Kevin Burgundy is the chief writer for Stayclassy.net. Follow him on Twitter (@Stay_Classy) or email him.

I legitimately mean it. That’s not an easy thing to do for anyone, much less a young man who’s dad happens to be the Brian Burke. Brendan can’t be the only gay professional in hockey and it’s about time we as a society (and to a lesser degree the hockey community) accept it and move on.

Many have questioned whether this story is (hockey) newsworthy. I don’t really care either way. But thanks to Brendan Burke, we finally have a “controversial hockey story” that supersedes:

• Talking about headshots, why they happen, and what NHL GMs aren’t going to do about them.
• Injured NHL superstars like Malkin, Staal, Ovechkin, Toskala… OK, just kidding on that one.
• What Sean Avery may or may not have said to Bruce Boudreau according to his new book. (Since when do NHL coaches write books?)
• How many tickets the Coyotes, Thrashers, Hurricanes, Panthers and others haven’t sold.
• How many shots the Toronto Maple Leafs take per game.
• Who owns the Tampa Bay Lightning.
• How to make fighting safer. Even writing that feels stupid.
• Jim Balsillie, the Phoenix Coyotes, or anyone else even thinking of buying the franchise.

The positive reaction from the hockey world helps reinforce how great a sport this is. It also helps reduce the amount of times we talk about the same old debates. Thank you, Brendan!

Stay classy, Brendan Burke. In all seriousness, you’ve done a great thing. Good on you!

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Kevin Burgundy is the chief writer for Stayclassy.net. Follow him on Twitter (@Stay_Classy) or email him.

The ramification of goals being called back is huge. One goal could be the difference between a win and a loss. It could be the difference between making the playoffs and not. It could potentially mean hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue. I’m getting ahead of myself (especially when talking about a Leaf goal) but you get my drift.

So when NHL officials review questionable goals/non-goals, you have to wonder why they don’t make things easier for themselves. Or more conclusive. Or just do something!

Case in point: the Leafs-Blackhawks game on Friday night. Take a look at this…

A closer look at the Toronto Maple Leafs no goal

What the hell is this?

No wonder this wasn’t ruled a goal. Can you see anything through the white bar and that thick netting? I certainly can’t. Why can’t the NHL use a smaller inner-crossbar and thinner netting like the stuff around the glass to protect the crowd? (using a white version, obviously). And why can’t the NHL use logic when reviewing plays like this?

I understand the reasoning for conclusive proof. For the most part, I like that rule and avoiding the use of assumptions. However, what about logic? I think there’s a difference between assumptions and logic.

Let’s try using logic on this particular example. If Cristobal Huet’s trapper is well behind the goal line and the puck is deep in the palm of the trapper, isn’t it a goal? We know where the puck is, despite not being able to see it. We can pin-point the puck’s location down to somewhere between the edge of the post and inside the trapper. Translation: over the goal line.

For those keeping track: Logic- 1, NHL goal review committee-0.

Quick recap- let’s use thinner (white) netting, smaller inner-crossbars and a bit more logic in determining whether goals are, well, goals.

Stay classy, disallowed NHL goals.

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Burgundy is the chief editor for Stayclassy.net. Follow him on Twitter (@Stay_Classy) or email him.

Is it time for the NHL to review how penalties are called?

If you didn’t catch the Dallas Stars-Calgary Flames game last week, there was an overtime penalty called that ended up costing the Stars the game. Nicklas Grossman was called for a delay of game penalty after he shot a puck over the glass. It was a bad judgement call to say the least. Grossman shot the puck out of play from the neutral zone, two feet past his own blue line when it was thought he was behind the blue line. The result was a 4-on-3 powerplay for the Flames and Jarome Iginla scored shortly after the penalty was called.

Errors like this can happen. It’s unfortunate, but split second decisions are a tough thing to get right. But do these kinds of decisions need to be made in split seconds?

I don’t think so.

Why can’t referee’s use video replay to get the call right? The play is dead, a new puck is needed and there’s going to be a faceoff anyways. The time it would add to any given hockey game would be well worth it to ensure correct calls are made. Yes, it might push games over the 2 1/2 hour sweet spot the NHL has tried to maintain, but it’s important for teams and for the NHL’s general credibility.

Would it second guess referee’s on-ice judgement? It’s a glass half full/half empty debate. I look at it like reinforcing the right call – another weapon in the arsenal; the glass half full. Imagine the Dallas Stars miss the playoffs by one point this season. That could make or break the season and careers (players and management) as well as cost the organization hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue. All because we didn’t take 30-45 seconds to view a replay?

I’m not suggesting referee’s use video replay every time an infraction is thought to be made. Many penalties are called by the discretion of the NHL referee’s and I’m fine with that. But for black and white calls (such as this delay of game example), why not give ref’s the option of video replay?

The emphasis should be on making the right call. And had the referee’s used video replay last week, the Stars wouldn’t have lost that point – at least not on a sequence that wasn’t their fault.

All pro sports go through similar pains, but I feel like the NHL has seen more than it’s fair share of defining (and avoidable) blunders. In keeping with the Dallas theme and fresh off the heels of Brett Hull’s Hockey Hall of Fame induction, who can forget his Stanley Cup foot-in-the-crease-goal?

Stay classy, video replay needing referee’s.

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Burgundy is the chief editor for Stayclassy.net. Follow him on Twitter (@Stay_Classy) or email him.

Most predictions talked about the scoring depth of teams like San Jose, Chicago and Detroit while others talked about Calgary, Los Angeles and even Columbus. Rarely are Dallas ever mentioned, if at all.  I believe the Dallas Stars forwards are very underrated. Now it’s easy for me to say this, 12 games into their season, but I swear I’ve been meaning to write this blog for weeks now. Scouts honour.

As far as under the radar groups of top 6 forwards, you have to believe the Dallas Stars take the cake (or come pretty damn close). Take a look at their first two lines:

James Neal  -  Brad Richards  -  Loui Eriksson
Brenden Morrow  -  Mike Ribeiro  -  Jamie Benn

And that doesn’t include players like Fabien Brunnstrom (if he ever lives up to half the hype he brought over from Sweden), Steve Ott (who can score goals when not trying to get suspended), Mike Modano (when not injured), Jere Lehtinen (also when not injured) and Matt Niskanen (also when not injured, too).

To me, this group of forwards in Dallas is just as good as any in the Western Conference (except the San Jose Sharks). But despite being 6-2-4 after 12 games, it seems they still underrated and often overlooked. Both top lines feature grit, obvious skill, strong hockey sense and players who can score big goals.

It gets better, too. The majority of these Stars (the top 6) are relatively young and signed beyond next season (or longer) with exception of James Neal. Given the cap space the Stars have, resigning Neal shouldn’t be an issue. I like this group of forwards a lot and as the season continues, I think more people will begin to see how unheralded this group really is. Assuming they can remain healthy all season, the Dallas Stars could be this year’s sleeper team in the West.

A short blog for Friday. I’ll be back next week. Now go enjoy the weekend.

Stay classy, Dallas Stars.

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Burgundy is the chief editor for Stayclassy.net. Follow him on Twitter (@Stay_Classy) or email him.

Edmonton Oilers forward Dustin Penner has all the necessary tools to be an NHL star. Penner has size, skill, a great shot, strength and a knack for getting in the right places at the right time. He’s your proto-typical power forward. After 11 games this year, Penner seems to have finally put it all together.

Penner sits 4th in the NHL for goals and points. Oiler fans can’t stop cheering for him, teammates couldn’t be happier and even Penner is starting to smile. A resounding turnaround for the 27 year old left winger from Manitoba, Canada.

Yet, despite his improved play, I’m more frustrated with Dustin Penner than ever before.

Before I get into why, take a look at his career stats from Penner’s first four NHL seasons which were split between the Anaheim Ducks and the Edmonton Oilers.

05/06 – Ducks – 19 games played. 4 goals, 3 assists. 7 points.
06/07 – Ducks – 82 games played. 29 goals, 16 assists. 45 points.
07/08 – Oilers – 82 games played. 23 goals, 24 assists. 47 points.
08/09 – Oilers – 78 games played. 17 goals, 20 assists. 37 points.

- Stats taken from NHL.com

After two seasons with the Ducks, Penner was signed to a 5 year $21.25 Million offer sheet by Oilers GM Kevin Lowe. Maybe it’s an expectations thing, but with a cap hit of $4.25 Million, averaging approximately 43 points per year isn’t that bad. (There are worse contract than that… but that’s another topic in itself…)

I’m not defending Penner here. I’ve never been a fan of Penner. Former Oilers coach Craig MacTavish often told Penner to drive the offensive net. When he did, he would score (like this season) and when he didn’t, he would go games without registering a single point. I found his play lacked emotion and often appeared uninspired.

MacTavish publically ripped Penner on a number of occasions during his two years coaching the power forward. And while some will say it was unfair of MacTavish to do this, the reality is it started with Penner’s poor play. MacTavish (or any coach for that matter) wouldn’t call out Penner had he not been so frustrated and disappointed with his play and lack of production. It’s not a chicken before the egg thing. It was a reaction to continually poor play.

That brings me back to my frustration with Penner in the 2009-2010 season. He’s on pace to enjoy a career year in all major categories this season. I’m truly happy for him, too. But my issue is that instead of focusing on his solid start, improved physical play (the key to his success) and determination to win each shift he’s on the ice, he’s making excuses for previous seasons.

When asked the key to his success this season? Penner explains he’s more confident without MacTavish’s negative influence. It’s not that I don’t believe him, but why bring it up? He’s successful because he’s playing well and reportedly in the best shape of his career. He’s earned Pat Quinn’s trust; he’s driving the net, winning puck battles and getting himself in good positions to shoot. I’m frustrated that despite his success so far, it’s almost as if he hasn’t figured out why he’s playing better or how he’s done it.

And that tells me at any point, Penner’s impressive play could disappear again.

Stay classy, Dustin Penner.

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Burgundy is the chief editor for Stayclassy.net. Follow him on Twitter (@Stay_Classy) or email him.

I think every GM faces at least one Ron Burgundy moment in their time managing an NHL team. Of course, by Burgundy moment I mean a defining set of decisions that either helps or hurts one’s reputation. I think Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli is having his Burgundy moment now.

With expectations of duplicating last season’s success, Chiarelli is tasked with some difficult decisions ahead, starting with star center Marc Savard. Savard, who is in the final year of his four-year $20 Million contract with the Boston Bruins, has played a huge role in the team’s turnaround and is considered among the NHL’s elite playmakers. How will Chiarelli keep Savard a Bruin beyond this season? Or the better question, what do you think Marc Savard could get on the open market, come July 1, 2010? Will the Bruins match it or will Savard take less to say in Boston?

Another less talked about problem for Chiarelli will be Blake Wheeler who’s scheduled to be a restricted free agent next July as well as a few other less notable players. It goes without saying both Wheeler and Savard are due for raises.

We’ve already seen a few tough decisions hit Peter Chiarelli’s desk and the immediate impact has been felt. Phil Kessel (traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs) and Chuck Kobasew (traded to the Minnesota Wild) were both traded for draft picks and prospects – neither playing fetching immediate return. Obviously, the Bruins have lost some of the depth that helped them claim the Eastern Conference banner last year, but now the younger Bruins will have a chance to make an impact with the club. With Kessel and Kobasew, these are clear attempts from Chiarelli to clear salary cap space (likely for players like Savard and Wheeler).

Adding to these issues, the Bruins have had a rough start to the 2009-2010 NHL season, going 3-4-0. It also doesn’t help that Milan Lucic is reportedly out of the Bruins line up for 4-6 weeks after breaking his thumb over the weekend.

Things are about to get interesting in Boston. Can Chiarelli keep both Savard and Wheeler? And can the Bruins move forward with depth and young players without feeling the loss of production from the likes Kessel and Kobasew?

Make no mistake about it, this is Peter Chiarelli’s Ron Burgundy moment. It’ll be interesting to see what the Boston Bruins look like when the moment finishes. And even more interesting will be how Chiarelli is viewed years from now after we see the results of his decisions.

Stay classy, Peter Chiarelli.

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Burgundy is the chief editor for Stayclassy.net. Follow him on Twitter (@Stay_Classy) or email him.