However, something happened on the way to making the NHL more palatable to the masses. You might have noticed that your favorite player or players have been missing in action quite a bit this season.As of Thursday, 51 NHL players have been lost to concussions this season. On that list is the player many believe is the league’s best, Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Crosby has played in just eight NHL games since suffering a concussion on Jan. 5, 2011.

That list has become a gargantuan story this season, much to the alarm of the league and teams, who have in the past attempted to minimize what independent medical experts have been citing for years: hockey has a concussion epidemic on its hands.

< READ MORE ON CBS New York >

Other pieces on CBS by BD:

HOW PLAYERS, NOT THE ISLES COACH WILL WALK PLANK THIS SEASON

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE? TELL THAT TO NY ISLANDERS FANS! 

Yestereday on MayorsManor.com, we posted comments from Ethan Moreau regarding the penalty he took late in the game on Wednesday vs. the Dallas Stars.

Terry Murray was still a little hot under the under collar when asked about it yesterday, more than 36 hours later.

“He took a horseshit penalty, that’s ridiculous,” began the Kings coach. “You can’t take a slashing penalty with two minutes left in the game, a veteran player. Just come out and run over that guy. You don’t slash. I don’t like those penalties.”

He wasn’t done though. Murray was just getting warmed up.

“Ones in the crease, the scrums, where you’re grabbing a hold of a guy, giving him a facewash once and a while or cross checking a guy, whatever – I don’t mind those, we’ll kill those off. Those are hard penalties. It’s a part of the game and it’s a part of our team that we want to (continue with). But, penalties have to be timed, you have to have awareness, you have to know how the flow of the game is going. When you get into the latter part of the game, you have to move your feet and keep your sticks in – no slashing, no hooking. Don’t bring the referee into the game. Unfortunately, we’ve had some situations this year where we’ve brought the referee in a little bit too often.”

Moreau has played in all 22 of the Kings games this season. Will his ‘mistake’ cost him a spot in the line-up today vs. Chicago?

“No. He’s trying, he’s competing. There’s nothing – it’s not from a lack of caring and a lack of trying. It’s just one of those penalties that you have to have better awareness to. That’s his buddy (Stars defenseman Sheldon Souray), he didn’t want to run into him, I guess. I don’t know. But, again, you can’t put (things) into the hands of the referee and force him to make a call like that, at that time. It’s too critical. And that’s why I have him on that line – because he’s a veteran guy, he’s been through all these checking roles and that’s one of his strengths. He has to be better at it.”

If you missed Moreau’s comments on the penalty and on how he’s fitting in with the Kings, click here to read that article now.

Yesterday, several of the Kings stopped by MayorsManor to share which of their teammates they’re most thankful for this year. Click here to see what Drew Doughty, Jarret Stoll and several others had to say.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor 

RELATED ARTICLES:

Ethan Moreau on his friendship with Stars defenseman Sheldon Souray

Jack Johnson explains his hit on the Stars’ Mike Ribeiro

Audio from Terry Murray’s postgame presser following 3-2 loss to Dallas

MayorsManor podcast – LA Kings players talk best/worst dressed and other funny topics

What I’ve learned so far… by Matt Greene – a little comedy from the master

What I’ve learned so far… by Mike Richards – includes a warning for Dustin Penner

What I’ve learned so far… by Alec Martinez – he calls out Trevor Lewis

What I’ve learned so far… by Dustin Brown - responds to Westgarth’s allegations

GOON:

In our support of the lack of hockey movies, comes this info from the movie company to us.

“We have a great throwback hockey movie coming out and we would love to get your support. Its violent and insanely funny.”

Starring Seann William Scott, Jay Baruchel, Alison Pill and Liev Schreiber
Written by Jay Baruchel, Evan Goldberg (SUPERBAD and  PINEAPPLE EXPRESS)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Synopsis
Labelled an outcast by his brainy family, a bouncer overcomes long odds to lead a team of underperforming misfits to semi-pro hockey glory, beating the crap out of everything that stands in his way.

The film opens on VOD on 2/24 and In Theatres 3/30

Based from the book “Goon: The True Story of an Unlikely Journey into Minor League Hockey”

www.goonthemovie.com

Official Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/GoonFilm

Some more on the movie comes from Slash Film

As for the Canadiens, you will find below, my analysis of each player:
Alain Berger: big 20 year-old forward without much speed, bad positioning, may be ECHL bound or released
Michael Blunden: acquired from Columbus as a depth forward with grit, he had six hits, but we didn’t see him much on the ice, AHL-bound who might get called-up when injuries occur
Mike Cammalleri: Cammy was rusty yesterday and didn’t play very well, only one shot, didn’t carry the puck much, he’ll be fine just fine for the regular season
Erik Cole: the newcomer scored his 1st goal in a Habs uniform with a good wrister, worked well along the boards and clicked well with Plekanec in the offensive zone
Raphael Diaz: The Swiss rearguard had problems defensively all night, bad positioning, not enough physical, inconsistent 1st pass, but good shooter and good hockey sense; needs to adapt to the NHL smaller rinks
Andreas Engvist: good defensive player with no offensive talent whatsoever, won’t hurt you, but won’t produce, good frame, but doesn’t use it, 4th liner at best
Hal Gill: always a slow starter, Gill was slower than ever and made bad decisions with the puck, but he will eventually find his groove, especially along Subban
Andrei Kostitsyn: started slow, but played well in the 2nd, great wrister on his top-shelf goal, good puck control and skating, positive start for AK46, especially with AHLers like Palushaj and Blunden
Danny Massé: didn’t play much, weak on the puck, lost his battles along the boards, ECHL bound and will be cut soon
Aaron Palushaj: bad overall game, avoided contact all game, doesn’t have good hands, poor hockey sense, need more seasoning in the AHL, the next Ben Maxwell?
Tomas Plekanec: 6 for 20 on faceoffs, really needs to improve this aspect; clicked with Cole and Cammy, needs to find his jump and make better decisions with the puck
Ian Schultz: good bout against Francis Wathier, a heavy-weight; Schultz improved his skating since last year, a poor Ryan White who needs to work on his defensive game
Jarred Tinordi: he’s was slow, made bad decisions and was not very physical; needs to improve his decision-making and to stop trying getting out his role as a shut-down defenseman; still 2-3 years away from graduating
Brock Trotter: great wheels, shifty with the puck, learned from his year in the KHL, but needs to create more offense with the puck; has to drive the net and to avoid turning into a peripheral player
Yannick Weber: look stronger on his skates than last year, made good decisions with the puck, but needs to stop shooting on shin pads and to hit the net (his five shot attempts missed the net)
Brian Willsie: seasoned AHLer, poor skater, a sniper with 0 shot won’t cut it, only 2 for 9 on faceoffs; AHL bound
Jeff Woywitka: played a good game, great slapper on his goal, will be useful as a depth d-man like Picard last year, 251 games in the NHL, should start the season in Montreal as a 7th defenseman with an injured Markov
Alexei Yemelin: was nervous at the start of the game, handled the puck well and had a few nice shots from the point, big centre-ice hit, made quick and accurate outlet passes, will only get better
Carey Price: seemed disinterested, very weak on Pardy’s goal, bad positioning, but he’ll be just fine like last year
Nathan Lawson: bad stick position on Ribeiro’s goal, poor anticipation, bad puck handler, we are in trouble if we need to call him up

Below you will find the line-up for tonight’s game against the Sabres. The puck drops at 7:30PM.
Goaltenders: Peter Budaj, Robert Mayer
Forwards
Max Pacioretty – David Desharnais – Brian Gionta
Mathieu Darche – Gabriel Dumont – Alexander Avtsin
Travis Moen – Andreas Engqvist – Brendan Gallagher
Aaron Palushaj – Hunter Bishop – Philip DeSimone
Rearguards
Alex Henry – P.K. Subban
Nathan Beaulieu – Josh Gorges
Jaroslav Spacek – Frederic St. Denis

Buffalo Sabres’ line-up:
Goaltenders: Ryan Miller, Jhonas Enroth

Forwards:
Thomas Vanek – Derek Roy – Jason Pominville
Tyler Ennis – Ville Leino – Drew Stafford
Nathan Gerbe – Luke Adam – Brad Boyes
Marcus Foligno – Matt Ellis – Zack Kassian

Defensemen:
Tyler Myers – Marc-Andre Gragnani
Robyn Regehr – Dennis Persson
Drew Schiestel – Christian Ehrhoff

The Sabres will dress their top-two goaltenders, as well as their top-three blueliners and their top-six forwards, so this should make an interesting match-up to see. The Canadiens will dress the minimum of ten veterans required by the NHL for the contest, so it will be a good opportunity to see some young prospects show their talent or lack thereof.

For news and updates on the Canadiens and the NHL in general, follow me on Twitter.

HOCKEY LEGENDS PAT LAFONTAINE AND STEVE WEBB TO RIDE 550 MILES FOR W20
FOUNDATION AND COMPANIONS IN COURAGE FOUNDATION

NEW YORK (September 19, 2011) –NHL alumnus Steve Webb and Hockey Hall
of Fame inductee Pat LaFontaine began a 550-mile bike ride this morning
from the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto in route to the NHL Powered by
Reebok Store in New York City in support of their respective charitable
efforts, the W20 Foundation and the Companions in Courage Foundation. Both
are expected to complete their historic ride on Wednesday, September 21 at
12:00 p.m. ET with a special celebration at the NHL Powered by Reebok Store
in midtown Manhattan.

“The NHL is proud to support these two hockey legends as they embark
on this epic charitable ride. On behalf of the NHL family we proudly salute
Pat and Steve, and wish them the best of luck” said Ken Martin, Jr., NHL
Vice President of Community Affairs.

LaFontaine’s Companions in Courage Foundation is an official
philanthropic partner of the National Hockey League (NHL) and helps to
create “Lion’s Den/NHL Legacy Classrooms” featuring Cisco System’s online
conferencing system, WebEx, which allows young patients to connect to
family, friends, schools and teachers anywhere in the world during a
hospital stay.

The Foundation has now opened 12 Lion’s Den rooms throughout North
America, including two with the NHL in Boston, Calgary and Montreal. The
NHL unveiled the first fully functional “NHL Legacy Classroom” at North
Carolina Children’s Hospital to commemorate the 2011 NHL All-Star Weekend.
Plans for an “NHL Legacy Classroom” in Pittsburgh were unveiled during the
2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic to commemorate the outdoor game.

Webb’s W20 Foundation provides young student ice hockey players with
partial academic scholarships to continue the pursuit of their hockey
dreams. Now the organization also highlights athletes as influential agents
of change and creates opportunities for athletes to give back in their
communities. Webb will also commit a portion of the ride’s proceeds to fund
Alzheimer and dementia research in Ontario.

The riders will be joined by a support team that includes Graham
Fraser, founder of Centurion Cycling, host of North America’s premier
series of distance bicycling events.

For more information on how you can support this please visit
www.CiC16.org
or www.w20Foundation.org.  To follow the progress of the ride, fans are
encouraged to visit www.W20Foundation.blogspot.com. ]]> http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/bdgallof/38698/feed/ 0 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/slasher98/38347/ http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/slasher98/38347/#comments Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:49:39 +0000 Fred Poulin http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/?p=38347 Forty-three people have died in a Yakovlev Yak-42 passenger plane crash near the city of Yaroslavl in Central Russia. The majority of victims were members of the local ice hockey team Lokomotiv of the Kontinental Hockey League. The plane crashed on take-off after hitting an air traffic tower at the airport and witnesses are reporting that the plane was reduced to a pile of charred metal. It is also reported that the plane broke off in two and one half fell into water and another one on the ground. So far 31 bodies have been recovered from the river, local rescue services say.

Several of the victims were foreign players for the club. The squad includes players from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Sweden. Among the victims, former NHL players Pavol Demitra, Ruslan Salei, Karel Rachunek, Karlis Skrastins, and Josef Vasicek, as well as goaltender Stefan Liv who was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 2000. Former Red Wings assistant coach Brad McCrimmon is also among the victims.

Demitra played 847 games in the NHL with the Senators, Blues, Kings, Wild, and Canucks scoring 304 goals and 464 assists for 768 points. He reached the 60-point plateau six times. Demitra played in the KHL last season.

Rachunek played 371 games in the NHL with the Senators, Rangers and Devils notching 22 goals and 118 assists for 140 points. Rachunek has been playing in the KHL since the 2008-09 season.

Salei played 917 games in the NHL with the Ducks, Panthers, Avalanche and Red Wings notching 45 goals and 159 assists for 204 points. He reached the Stanley Cup finals with the Ducks in 2002-03. Salei played for the Red Wings last year.

Skrastins played 832 games in the NHL with the Predators, Avalanche, Panthers and Stars recording 32 goals and 104 assists for 136 points. He played for the Stars last season.

Vasicek played 460 games in the NHL with the Hurricanes, Predators and Islanders recording 77 goals and 106 assists for 183 points. He played for the Stars last season. He reached the Stanley Cup finals with the Hurricanes in 2001-02.

The Yaroslavl HC Lokomotiv were Russian Champions in 1997, 2002 and 2003. The squad was to play a match against Mink HC Dinamo on Thursday. Colorado Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov was rumored to join Lokomotiv this summer, but chose NHL instead. A very wise decision.

Condolences to the KHL, the friends and families of all involved.

Video of the crashed plane here.

Source: SovSports and Reuters

Follow me on Twitter for more information on this terrible plane crash as the information comes along.

Hello again, and welcome to Part II of my 4-Part NHL season preview.  In part I, I gave you all my Eastern Conference Predictions. In part 2, I will give you my predictions for the Western Conference.  I will approach these predictions a bit differently than I did those for the Eastern Conference. Today, I will give some strengths and weaknesses of each of the 8 playoff teams out west. I will be upfront here in saying that I do not usually follow the Western Conference as much as I do the East, over the course of the season, so many of you may have differing opinions here. Like always, feel free to chime in with your opinions below.

1) Vancouver Canucks

Strengths:

The defending conference champs return in 2011-12 as without a doubt one of the clear-cut contenders for a Stanley Cup. Arguably the deepest team, top to bottom in the entire NHL, the Canucks will once again be lead by former Hart trophy winners Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Ryan Kesler returning to full health will also be a welcome sight for Vancouver’s offense.  Perhaps the biggest strength of the Canucks, will be the retribution factor. The Canucks’ were so close to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup, they could taste it. They always say that a team must learn how to lose, before you can learn how to win;  and in 2010-11 , the Vancouver Canucks sure learned how to lose.

Weaknesses:

Truth be told, there isn’t much to put here. The loss of puck-moving defenseman Christian Ehrhoff will undoubtedly play a role in the Canucks’ success in 2011-12. However, a team that employed 9 NHL-quality defensemen in 2010-11, a replacement should not be hard to find. The only real question mark in Vancouver, is the ability of star goaltender Roberto Luongo to bounce back from a rough finish to the post-season of 2011. But even if Roberto is to falter, young Cory Schneider will be ready and willing to carry the load.

2) Los Angeles Kings

Strengths:

The popular favorite in the West, is without a doubt the LA Kings. After losing out on key free agents Ilya Kovalchuk and Brad Richards over the past two summers, GM Dean Lombardi opted to pull the trigger on a trade sending Wayne Simmonds and  uber-prospect Brayden Schenn to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for  former Flyer-captain Mike Richards. Richards should make an immediate impact on the LA roster, and provide perhaps the best 1-2 punch at center, along with all-star pivot Anze Kopitar.

Weaknesses:

While the addition of Mike Richards went a long way to solidifying the Kings 2nd line, the team’s lack of depth after the top 2 lines is perhaps the team’s biggest achilles heel. Beyond Richards, Kopitar, Williams and Stoll, the Kings lack much skill on the offensive end. In order to be successful in 2011-12, the Kings will need improved production from the likes of Kyle Clifford and Brad Richardson.

3) Chicago Blackhawks

Strengths:

The 2010 Stanley Cup Champions are perhaps the deepest team in the entire NHL. Led by stars, the likes of Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Pat Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Sharp, the Blackhawks will be back and looking for a return to the Cup Finals. Look for Chicago to once again be near the top in the Western Conference for most of 2011-12.

Weaknesses:

After making some solid depth acquisitions this offseason, the Blackhawks only true weakness entering 2011-12 is the play of young goaltender Corey Crawford. While Crawford did have an excellent rookie season, it is unclear whether or not he can continue his strong play, going forward. The sophmore slump can be a huge issue in hockey, and it will be critical to the Blackhawks success, that Crawford is able to battle through.

4) San Jose Sharks

Strengths:

Scoring. San Jose is one of few teams that can legitimately run 3 very productive offensive units. The addition of Brent Burns will also significantly help out on the back end, and go along way to replacing Rob Blake as an offensive force from the blueline, who retired last summer.

Weaknesses:

The swap of Dany Heatley for Martin Havlat will be sure to pay dividends for San Jose in the post-season , but it is unclear whether or not Havlat can produce at the same rate as Heatley can, during the regular season. However, on a team with Logan Couture, Joe Thornton, Patrick  Marleau and Ryan Clowe, I am sure goal scoring should not be an issue.

5) Detroit Red Wings

Strengths:

With Captain Nicklas Lidstrom returning for what looks to be like 1 final year in the league, 2011-12 looks like it’ll be Detroit’s last crack at the Cup for  a few years. Look to the Red Wings to rely on top end talent and a bevy of experience to lift them to the top of the Western Conference.

Weaknesses:

Perhaps the only weakness of the Red Wings, is age, and with age, comes a proneness to injuries. Star pivot Pavel Datsyuk missed most of 2010-11 with a wrist injury, but looks to be 100% entering training camp. However, if the Wings want to succeed in 2011-12, they must get key contributions from younger depth players.

6) Nashville Predators

Strengths:

The biggest strength, of a cash-strapped Nashville squad, is none other than the man standing behind the bench, Barry Trotz. Trotz, arguably the best coach in the game, always finds a way to get his Nashville team to over-achieve and get into the post-season.

Weaknesses:

Uncertainty over the futures of the big 3; Ryan Suter, Shea Weber, and Pekka Rinne, will surely cause a stir in Nashville, as the season draws on. It will be up to those 3 all-stars to put away thoughts of contracts and focus on hockey, if Nahville wants to once again be a playoff team, in 2011-12.

7)  Anaheim Ducks

Strengths:

The RPG line is unquestionably the most dynamic scoring line in hockey, and will once again be relied upon to provide most of the Ducks’ offense. The RPG line is perhaps the only line in hockey that can truly carry a team to the playoffs.

Weaknesses:

The biggest knock on the Ducks, is that they are a very top-heavy squad. Beyond the RPG line, there really aren’t many reliable offensive forwards on the Anaheim roster. Also, beyond Lubomir Visnovsky and budding superstar Cam Fowler, there isn’t a whole lot of depth on the Ducks’ blueline. Also, concerns over the health of goaltender Jonas Hiller will be huge in determining the Ducks’ success in 2011-12.

8) Columbus Blue Jackets

Strengths:

The Blue Jackets have finally found a true #1 center to play along side Rick Nash. It is my belief, that given the chance to play with a legit play-making pivot, Rick Nash can be one of the top-5 players in all of hockey. He is mean, nasty, big, strong, has a fantastic shot, and really knows how to finish. He has now been given that opportunity, thanks to GM Scott Howson’s acquisition of Jeff Carter.

Weaknesses:

The biggest issue for Columbus is their depth, or lack there of. There really aren’t many proven NHL defenders on this roster. The addition of James Wisniewski will do wonders for the Jackets’ Power-Play, however, beyond Wiz, I do not see much strength on that blueline.

9) St Louis Blues

10) Minnesota Wild

11) Calgary Flames

12) Edmonton Oilers

13) Phoenix Coyotes

14) Dallas Stars

15) Colorado Avalanche

Thanks For Reading!

Be Sure To Follow Me On Twitter at @BruinsHockey365

Participants: Fred Poulin, Cris Cohen, Lawrence Duchenski, John Scott Moore, Jeremy Scriven, Alexander Monaghan, Jamie Fraser, Andre Garabedian, WB Philp, Al Cimaglia, Adrian Fung, Gordon Fall, Kevin Vanstone, Su Ring

Round 1
LAWRENCE 1 Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are proud to select, from the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
We believe that Ryan will be an elite player in this league for years to come. He has both the vision and the passing ability to centre our first line and we are happy to bring him into the organization.

JOHN 2 Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are proud to select, from Skelleftea HC in Sweden, Adam Larsson. The Avs most pressing issue besides a net-minder is defense. Larsson is the big man on the blue line that this team needs to be competitive. With newly acquired Erik Johnson and veteran John-Michael Liles, Larsson will complete a core of defense that should last for years. Larsson’s highly rated skating for a 6-3, 200 pound blueliner is just what the team needs. Also noted is his poise and patience with the puck, a good quality to see this early.

JAMIE 3 Panthers
The Florida Panthers select Gabriel Landeskog of the OHL’s Kitchener Ranger. Gritty. Determined. Physical. Tough. Mean. These are characteristics not common to the average Swedish hockey player. Gabriel Landeskog is truly a made in Canada Swede. He’s physical mature player who’s the most NHL ready in the draft. Landeskog is pure leadership material, he’s a difference maker every time he’s on the ice. This past season he scored 66 points (36-30) in 53 games. Here’s Landeskog take on his style “I’m a powerful guy who likes to play rough and tough,” “But I do see myself as a skilled guy but it still comes down to hard work and being gritty and being in your face. That’s what I want to do.”

JAMIE 4 Devils
The New Jersey Devils select 4th overall Jonathan Huberdeau of the Saint John Sea Dogs. Huberdeau an excellent two-way forward recently won the Memorial Cup with Saint John. He draws comparisons to Jason Spezza but with a better defensive hockey mind. Huberdeau has assets that you can’t teach such as vision, his 6’1″ frame and his ability to play under pressure. Truly a great fit for a Devils trap system. Scoring 105 points(43-62) this season in the QMJHL he has the offensive abilities to command at 1st/2nd line duties in the future.

ANDRE 5 Islanders
With the 5th selection of the 2011 entry draft, the NY Islanders are proud to select, from the Drummondville Voltigeurs, Sean Couturier. This was a very tough choice. Hamilton, Couturier, Strome, Murphy are all gifted players who can help fill a need for the Islanders and were right there for us, but the feeling was that adding a player of Couturier’s skill set, combined with his size made him a sensible choice. Not only is he a top player, but he also fills a need for size on a relatively small Islander team. He is gifted offensively, but also has displayed a commitment to the defensive side of the ice making him a solid 2-way prospect. Much of his time was spent against opposing top lines — giving him the oppor tunity to dominate at both ends of the ice. He is size speed and skill — all of the tools the Islanders need.

The “knock” on Sean was that he was coasting this season, and does not have the “commit” level that he should. We feel Sean is committed to both ends of the ice, and we are sure he will be a proud part of the Islander family for many years to come. We feel Sean is an excellent player that adds to a dynamic core of players in our development system.

JAMIE 6 Senators
With the 6th pick overall in the NHL 2011 entry draft the Ottawa Senators select Ryan Strome. Ottawa needs help for that 2nd line centre position. Ryan Strome lacks the size of Sean Couturier, but this kid put up 106 points(33-73) with the OHL’s Niagara Ice Dogs. He draws similar skill sets to Patrick Kane. Strome is a player who is at his biggest part of his game with the puck on his stick and will often make opposing defenders look absolutely ridiculous in YouTube highlight reel moments. While many of his goals belong on highlight reels, Strome has a great shot and excellent hockey sense. Make sure to follow Ryan Strome on twitter @strome18

FRED 7 Thrashers (Winnipeg Jets)
The Winnipeg team is proud to select, from the Niagara Ice Dogs of the OHL, defenseman Dougie Hamiilton. His strong and smooth st aking abilities allow him to skate out of trouble in own zone. Can quarterback the power play thanks to great vision and accurate shot. The team also needs more size on defense to complement Dustin Byfuglien. Hamilton scored 12 goals and added 46 assists for 58 pts in 57 games this season. The 6’4” 195 lb rearguard could very well become a top-2 defenseman in a near future.

FRED 8 Flyers from the Blue Jackets
The Philadelphia Flyers are proud to select from Djurgarden of the Swedesih Elite League, centre Mika Zibanejad. After trading two quality centers in Mike Richards and Jeff Carter on Thursday, the Flyers need to restock their middle lane with top-end prospects. A very intelligent two-way player with a great shot, Zibanejad has an above-average sense of hockey and anticipation. He uses his 6’2”, 190 lb frame to his advantage and his strength to battle pucks along the boards. He is not afraid to play physically and likes to initiate contact. He has excellent faceoffs skills and great skating abilities. He draws some comparisons to Ryan Kesler and Mike Fisher.

FRED 9 Bruins from the Maple Leafs
The Boston bruins are proud to select from the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, defenseman Ryan Murphy. An exceeding talented puck-moving defenseman, the diminutive Murphy draws comparisons to Ryan Ellis and former NHLer Brian Rafalski. In 63 games last season, the offensive defenseman scored an impressive 26 goals and 53 assists for 79 points. A good fit for the Bruins as the team really needs a power play quarterback, Murphy is an outstanding skater and puck carrier a la PK Subban. He is very agile, possesses soft hands and boasts a hard and accurate slapshot. The 5’11, 175 lb will be a steady fixture on the Bruins’ blueline for years to come.

CRIS 10 Wild
The Minnesota Wild take, from the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL, Sven Bartschi. The Wild, after being a defense-first team under Jacques Lemaire their first 7 seasons and losing Marian Gaborik to Free agency in 2009, this team needs offense. Havlat with 22 goals was their leading scorer this past season and no other Wild hit the 20-goal plateau. Bartschi, and excellent skater possesses good passing and stickhandling skills and a good, quick shot. He will need to work on the defensive side of his game, though.
JOHN 11 Avalanche from the Blues
With the 11th pick the Colorado Avalanche are proud to pick Duncan Siemens of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. The 6’3″, 192 lbs defenseman is just too good for the Avs to pass up. Despite needs on offense, the big D-man will be an asset to the Avs in the future and possibly forming a formidible defensive core for years. Naming Scott Stevens as his favorite player, Siemens will lay a hit and even fight. But better yet he is a shutdown defenseman with mobility.

SUE 12 Hurricanes
With the 12th pick, the Carolina Hurricanes are proud to select Joseph Morrow of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks. We like Morrow for his strong skating, great speed and talented two-way game. He has the uncanny ability to see the entire ice and create smart plays and scoring chances.
He’s also very strong on both the power play and penalty kill and uses his size to every advantage on the ice. He played a key role in helping the Winterhawks clinch the WHL’s US Dvision and Western Conference titles during the regular season and helped propel the team to the WHL Championships, which they lost to the Kootenay Ice.

SUE 13 Flames
With the 13th pick, the Calgary Flames are pleased to select Mark McNeill from the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL. McNeill can play Center but he also has experience at Right Wing. He’s big, smart and an accurate shot, whether it comes to scoring or passing. His size also makes him strong defensively- this kid is not afraid to go after the puck. McNeill led the Raiders to their first playoff appearance since the 2006-2007 season.

ALEXANDER 14 Stars
With the 14th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, the Dallas Stars take Rocco Grimaldi, Center, USA Under-18-USHL. After losing a great player like Brad Richards, we felt our organization took the best player available and added a great deal of skill. If not for his size, Grimaldi likely could have gone in the top 10 as he displays an excellent amount of agility, top speed and overall skill. In addition, we find Rocco to be a hard-working, determined individual who can eventually play on our top line. Picking at number 14, we are quite pleased to select a player of his stature.

CRIS 15 Rangers
With the 15th pick the New York Rangers select from the USHL Tyler Biggs. He brings a size (6′ 2″, 210) that most of the forwards in the Rangers’ system do not possess. He’s willing to hit opponents and fight when necessary. While not overly impressive from an offensive standpoint (19G, 12 A in 55 games) and not speedy, his size and strength should provide more room for offensively skilled teammates he could be paired with to be free to do their thing.

The second part of the mock draft will be posted later today. Stay tuned!

Jakub Voracek, 1st round pick, and....3rd round pick...(Opens Envelope) Name 3 things traded for Jeff Carter!

This year, once again with the assistance of my good friend Andrew R (and some Bitches Brew…..both the beer and the music), I sat down to do my NHL Mock Draft.  As per usual, trades were considered, and by a phenomenal stroke of luck we called Carter to Columbus for Voracek and the 8th pick….so we’re ready to go.

This was fun and challenging, as always, but especially this year, because it’s such a fluid draft and people are seriously all over the place.  I’ve seen guys ranked top 10 in some drafts and out of the 1st round in others.  I’m sure some of these picks will sound stupid, but I’m sure I’ll be wrong a lot….but hey, nobody thought Dylan McIlrath would go before Cam Fowler last year.

Without further ado, here we go…

1. Edmonton Oilers: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C, Red Deer (WHL)

I think there are a few question marks about Nugent-Hopkins, specifically his size and willingness to go to the dirty areas, but despite this the Oilers think he’s too good to pass up at #1.  They hope he and Taylor Hall form a dynamic duo for years to come.

2. Colorado Avalanche: Gabriel Landeskog, W, Kitchener (OHL)

We agonized over this pick, but we thought at the end of the day the Avalanche would be seduced by the size, heart, grit, and NHL readiness of Landeskog.  He’s a Chris Stewart type – the kind of player you hold on to, and never trade, come hell or high water!  Wait….what?

3. Florida Panthers: Sean Couturier, C, Drummondville (QMJHL)

Dale Tallon is a well-known fan of big players, and he overlooks the “analysis paralysis” in the scouting community to jump on Sean Couturier.  Back-to-back 96-point seasons (despite having mono at the start of this year), experience at the WJC, winning the Mike Bossy Award, and his size (6’4) make him the right move for the Panthers.

4. New Jersey Devils: Adam Larsson, D, Skelleftea (SEL)

The Devils, by most accounts, should have lost their 1st round pick this year in the Kovalchuk chicanery.  Instead, they won the draft lottery, and Lou Lamoriello looks like the cat who ate the canary after Larsson falls to him at 4.  He had a sub-par year in the SEL by most standards, but Larsson’s talent and hockey sense will make him the best Devils blueline prospect since Scott Niedermayer.

5. New York Islanders: Ryan Strome, C, Niagara (OHL)

I can already hear the Dougie Hamilton fans sharpening their knives, but hear me out.  In addition to resembling Mr. Burns (according to Niagara fans), I believe Strome is the best long-term fit for the Islanders.  He projects as a top center with playmaking ability and creativity, and the Islanders justify this pick by citing his higher projection.  At the end of the day, when you pick 5th, you want the guy who will be the better player down the road, not the biggest positional need or the guy who will calm Josh Bailey’s nerves about being replaced.  I’ve had a hunch about Strome for a while, and I will not back off from it like I did last year with Nino Niederreiter.

Here’s a Strome highlight reel goal:

Highlight Reel Goal From Strome

6. Ottawa Senators: Jonathan Huberdeau, C, St. John’s (QMJHL)

Huberdeau slips to Ottawa despite his incredible playoff run with the Memorial Cup champions, and Bryan Murray is glad he did (especially since Brian Burke is nowhere to be seen and can’t take the pick out of spite).  Huberdeau projects as a flashy offensive player, and he’ll be a good one for Ottawa.

7. Winnipeg Not Yet Jets: Dougie Hamilton, D, Niagara (OHL)

Gary Bettman was much like the father in this famous Simpsons scene recently:

The NHL has indeed gone back to Winnipeg, and they bring this hulking (6’4) d-man with them.  Hamilton is a smart player who will be a good fit on this team.

8. Philadelphia Flyers (From Columbus): Duncan Siemens, D, Saskatoon (WHL)

I had this as a mock trade, and now it’s a real trade.  Siemens is big (6’3), mean, and a hard hitter….just the kind of kid the Flyers love.  They pick him over my other option here, Mika Zibanejad, and hope Chris Pronger’s influence helps him become a star.

9. Boston Bruins (From Toronto): Ryan Murphy, D, Kitchener (OHL)

Fresh off their Cup win, the Bruins add Ryan Murphy, whose suspect D is more than balanced out by skilled offense.  He could be a true difference-maker on the Bruins PP for years to come, and they could always hide him with a defensive d-man in even strength situations to mask his weakness.

10. Minnesota Wild: Nathan Beaulieu, D, St. John’s (QMJHL)

The Wild step up to grab mobile but raw D prospect Nathan Beaulieu, whom some scouts have ranked above Hamilton, continuing a run on defense in this part of the draft.  Beaulieu is a few years away but the Wild fans will cheer this one tomorrow night at the Xcel Energy Center.

11. Colorado Avalanche (From St. Louis): Jamieson Oleksiak, D, Northeastern University (NCAA)

The Avalanche have their forward and possible future captain in Landeskog.  Now, playing with house money, they feel like they can reach just a bit for the hulking (6’7) defender Oleksiak, and give him time to develop at his own pace that he might not have received if he were a team’s top pick.  He may leave Northeastern to play major junior next year; let’s keep an eye.

12. Carolina Hurricanes: Mika Zibanejad, President of Iran C/W, Djurgarden (SEL)

Zibanejad finds a home with the Carolina Hurricanes, who still need depth at every position and grab the best player available.  Some teams have him ranked top 5, but he slips due to being 2nd choice for a few of the teams above (Islanders, Winnipeg, Flyers, Avalanche).  The Canes are glad to have this tough, hard-nosed player, and their fans will be as well.

And I ran......I ran so far away....

13. Calgary Flames: Joel Armia, W, Assat Pori (FIN)

The Flames go for the home run by picking Armia, one of the more talented Finnish forward prospects in the last 10 years.  There are some questions about his work ethic, but the Flames love his talent too much to let him slip away.

14. Dallas Stars: Sven Bartschi, W, Portland (WHL)

The Stars jump on The Other Swiss Winterhawk, Sven Bartschi, who was a force of nature in this year’s Memorial Cup playoffs.  Some are surprised to see him slip so far, but he was again second choice for many teams, and the Stars practically pinch themselves on the way to the podium.

15. New York Rangers: Nicklas Jensen, RW, Oshawa (OHL)

The Islanders have a Dane, and now the Rangers have one too. Jensen’s hockey sense is off the charts, and the Rangers, after targeting D in the first round in previous years, think he’s the right move at 15 this year.

16. Buffalo Sabres: Oscar Klefbom, D, Farjestad (SEL)

The Sabres go for the BPA with Oscar Klefbom, a mobile, agile, and incredibly smart Swedish defenseman.  He has the potential to be the steal of the 1st round at this slot.

17. Montral Canadiens: Rocco Grimaldi, F, US NTDP

The Canadiens have trouble finding a forward taller than 5’3, and this does not get better with Grimaldi, who would be the shortest player in the NHL should he make it (yes, even smaller than Nathan Gerbe…who is a gnat).  However, he may be the most skilled player in the whole draft, and you can’t doubt his will to make it.  The Habs will look for size elsewhere….or not…

18. Chicago Blackhawks: Matt Puempel, W, Peterborough (OHL)

Puempel is a pure goal-scorer, and the Blackhawks go for the home run in continuing the rebuild of their farm system.  There are questions about his consistency, but Puempel is a great call here.

19. Edmonton Oilers: John Gibson, G, US NTDP

The Oilers have many goaltenders in the system, including Devan Dubnyk and Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers, but none project as a solid #1 goaltender.  Therefore, with Nugent-Hopkins in the fold, the Oilers jump up and take Gibson, hoping he will stabilize the crease for years to come.

20. Phoenix Coyotes: Mark McNeill, C, Prince Albert (WHL)

McNeill is strong in the corners, kills penalties well, and generally drives hard to the net.  The Coyotes have some danglers in the system, and McNeill projects as a strong, safe pick….they’re glad to have him.

21. Ottawa Senators (From Nashville): Brandon Saad, LW, Saginaw (OHL)

Ottawa is also playing with house money after nabbing Huberdeau at 6, and they can afford to take a flyer on Brandon Saad.  Saad will either be a home run power forward or a groundout, but with Huberdeau hogging all the attention as a top pick the Senators can let the Pennsylvania native find himself without a lot of pressure.

22. Anaheim Ducks: Joe Morrow, D, Portland (WHL)

Joe Morrow rocketed up the draft board due to his hockey sense, tenacity, and offensive potential.  The Ducks grab him and hope he’ll anchor the blueline for years alongside Fowler and Sbisa.

23. Pittsburgh Penguins: Tyler Biggs, RW, US NTDP

Even though the Penguins absolutely deplore violence in all its forms, they can’t resist another boom or bust type in Biggs.  He has size and a great net-front presence, and they hope he develops into his full potential.

24. Detroit Red Wings: Jonas Brodin, D, Farjestad (SEL)

This is almost too easy.  Smooth-skating, intelligent but raw d-man out of Sweden?  The Red Wings live for picks like this.  Brodin oozes talent and potential, and in Detroit he may have the best chance to harness them.

25. Toronto Maple Leafs (From Flyers): David Musil, D, Vancouver (WHL)

At a time, the hulking Musil was rated a potential top 5 pick in this draft.  His performance steadied, and he fell amid concerns his ceiling is not as high as originally thought.  He still plays a mean game and has offensive potential beyond that of his father, Frank, and he’s just truculent enough to fit Brian Burke’s bill.

26. Washington Capitals: Alexander Kochlachev, C, Windsor (OHL)

This is another almost no-brainer, as we know the Capitals LOVE their Russians.  Kochlachev oozes skill and pure offense, making him a potential home run pick this late in the draft.

27. San Jose Sharks: Mark Schiefele, C, Barrie (OHL)

The Sharks pick Schiefele as best player available, slightly ahead of J.T. Miller from the US NTDP.  Schiefele has discipline, playmaking ability, and  great net-front presence, making him a good complement to the current crop of prospects in the South Bay.

28. Tampa Bay Lightning: Connor Murphy, D, US NTDP

Murphy is a big, competitive 2-way winger who will do a little bit of everything for Steve Yzerman’s club in Tampa.  He’s best available for them.

29. Vancouver Canucks: Scott Mayfield, D, Youngstown (USHL)

He’s big, he’s smooth, he’s poised with the puck, and he’ll be a great fit in Vancouver.

30. Toronto Maple Leafs (From Boston): Zach Phillips, C/W, St. John’s (QMJHL)

Toronto closes out the pick by making it a trio from the Memorial Cup champions.  Phillips is a smart player with great puck skills and an ability to score.  Good fit for what they’re building in Toronto.

NHL clubs made 16 trades involving 35 players today prior to the 3 p.m., ET, trade deadline. Following is a list of the transactions:

• Anaheim traded C Maxim Lapierre and C MacGregor Sharp to Vancouver for C Joel Perrault and Vancouver’s 3rd-round pick in the 2012 Entry Draft.
• Atlanta traded RW Niclas Bergfors and LW Patrick Rissmiller to Florida for RW Radek Dvorak and Carolina’s 5th-round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft (previously acquired).
• Atlanta traded G Drew MacIntyre to Montreal for D Brett Festerling.
• Atlanta traded LW Fredrik Modin to Calgary for Calgary’s 7th-round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft.
• Boston traded D Jeff Penner and RW Mikko Lehtonen to Minnesota for G Anton Khudobin.
• Carolina traded LW Sergei Samsonov to Florida for D Bryan Allen.
• Chicago traded C Ryan Potulny and a 2nd-round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft to Ottawa for D Chris Campoli and a conditional 7th-round pick in 2012.
• Colorado traded D Kevin Montgomery to Edmonton for D Shawn Belle.
• Columbus traded D Rostislav Klesla and LW Dane Byers to Phoenix for LW Scottie Upshall and D Sami Lepisto.
• Columbus traded LW Tom Sestito to Philadelphia for C Michael Chaput and RW Greg Moore.
• Edmonton traded RW Dustin Penner to Los Angeles for D Colten Teubert, Los Angeles’ 1st-round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft and a conditional 3rd-round pick in 2012.
• Florida traded D Dennis Wideman to Washington for C Jake Hauswirth and Washington’s 3rd-round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft.
• Florida traded LW Chris Higgins to Vancouver for D Evan Oberg and Vancouver’s 3rd-round pick in the 2013 Entry Draft.
• New Jersey traded C Jason Arnott to Washington for C David Steckel and Washington’s 2nd-round pick in the 2012 Entry Draft.
• St. Louis traded LW Brad Winchester to Anaheim for Anaheim’s 3rd-round pick in the 2012 Entry Draft.
• Toronto traded C John Mitchell to NY Rangers for the Rangers’ 7th-round pick in the 2012 Entry Draft.

There also were three waiver claims today:

• Atlanta claimed C Rob Schremp from NY Islanders.
• Calgary claimed D Brett Carson from Carolina.
• Ottawa claimed G Curtis McElhinney from Tampa Bay.

Trade Deadline Activity Since 1979-80

Season Date Trades Players
1979-80 March 11, 1980 3 5
1980-81 March 10, 1981 12 22
1981-82 March 9, 1982 5 11
1982-83 March 8, 1983 1 1
1983-84 March 6, 1984 2 2
1984-85 March 12, 1985 4 7
1985-86 March 11, 1986 8 14
1986-87 March 10, 1987 5 9
1987-88 March 8, 1988 8 12
1988-89 March 7, 1989 9 21
1989-90 March 6, 1990 10 16
1990-91 March 5, 1991 14 33
1991-92 March 10, 1992 11 22
1992-93 March 22, 1993 9 14
1993-94 March 21, 1994 18 35
1994-95 April 7, 1995 19 32
1995-96 March 20, 1996 13 21
1996-97 March 18, 1997 18 35
1997-98 March 24, 1998 19 38
1998-99 March 23, 1999 21 30
1999-00 March 14, 2000 12 23
2000-01 March 13, 2001 17 31
2001-02 March 19, 2002 17 35
2002-03 March 11, 2003 24 46
2003-04 March 9, 2004 20 32
2005-06 March 9, 2006 25 40
2006-07 February 27, 2007 25 44
2007-08 February 26, 2008 25 45
2008-09 March 4, 2009 22 47
2009-10 March 3, 2010 31 55
2010-11 February 28, 2011 16 35

As the trade deadline approaches lots of rumors are flying around, some of which are just plain weird.

Brad Richards offering to sign a one-year contract extension to allow the Stars more time to sort out their ownership situation and they turned it down? I doubt Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk would’ve turned that down! If anything he would’ve pounced on that like a pit bull on a steak. Now if the suggestion had been Nieuwendyk made that offer and Richards spurned it, that would make much more sense.

Why are some folks still trying to tie Tomas Vokoun to the Philadelphia Flyers? They currently have (counting LTIR) just over $2 million in available caps pace, and Vokoun this season is earning a cap hit of $5.75 million, meaning it would take moving considerable salary to get it done.

Even if you take the cap conundrum out of the equation, Sergei Bobrovsky and Brian Boucher have played very well, plus the Flyers still have Michael Leighton, last year’s playoff hero, in the minors if they need to call him up during the playoffs. Their current tandem has given them no reason to seek a goaltending upgrade.

Ales Hemsky to Phoenix? According to reports the Coyotes can’t afford to take on much salary at the deadline since, of course, their ownership situation still hasn’t been fully sorted out.

Sure, they could offer up equal salary for Hemsky to the Oilers, but that would also mean moving perhaps two key players, which could have an adverse impact upon the Coyotes team chemistry.

All reports suggest if the Coyotes make any deadline deals it’ll be for affordable additions, which Hemsky wouldn’t be.

The Buffalo Sabres jumping into the bidding for Brad Richards or trying to acquire Paul Statsny? OK, I know they’ve got new ownership willing to spend, but what would be the point of trying to go after those two this late in the season, especially when Richards has a “no-movement” clause and probably won’t agree to go to Buffalo, even as a rental player.

Seems like the recent critical comments of the Avalanche’s management made by Statsny’s Hall of Fame father Peter for that recent four-player swap with St. Louis for Erik Johnson at the expense of Chris Stewart plus swapping goalies with the Senators is the root of the trade rumors swirling about Paul.

Sure, it’s possible the Avs could trade Paul Statsny, but his $6.6 million per season contract for three more years could be as good as a “no-trade” clause. Players carrying salaries over $5 million per season rarely get moved by the trade deadline.

Scott Gomez for RJ Umberger? OK, who in Montreal is gobbling acid for breakfast?

Thankfully, folks, the trade deadline is near, and these wild rumors will soon come to an end. After that, we’ll have a few months grace until June and the end of the playoffs, after which I’m sure we’ll hear lots more nonsense heading toward the June Entry Draft and the opening weeks of free agency.

Happy Deadline Day!

First, the Columbus Blue Jackets have claimed veteran defenseman Craig Rivet from the Buffalo Sabres on re-entry waivers. Rivet, an impending unrestricted free agent, will bring leadership and experience to an inexperienced Jackets team. The Sabres will be responsible for half of his $3,500,000 salary prorated on the remainder of the season.

Also, the Philaldephia Flyers claimed rearguard Nick Boynton from the Chicago Blackhawks. That move was necessary due to their lack of space and the loss of their 7th defenseman, Oskars Bartulis, for the remainder of the year due to a shoulder injury. That means Adam Foote, is not in the Flyers’ plans anymore. Strange move by the Hawks as Boynton his only earning $500,000 this year (the league minimum salary).

Then, in a strange move, the Los Angeles Kings put winger Marco Sturm on waivers to clear cap space in anticipation of the next 48 hours. Sturm was claimed by the Washington Capitals, who desperately needed scoring help on their second line. The Kings had acquired Sturm from the Boston Bruins earlier this season.

The following players were put on waivers today (most notables in bold):

Jason Jaffray (ANA), Tim Stapelton (ATL), Brett Carson (CAR), Nathan Lawson (NYI), Robbie Schremp (NYI), Pascal Leclaire (OTT), Ty Conklin (STL), Curtis McElhinney (TB), DJ King (WAS).

Schremp will likely get picked up by a team looking to add depth up front. As for the other ones, I highly doubt there is a market for them. Back-up goalies are not in high demand this season… Conklin lost his back-up job to giant Ben Bishop, who earned his first NHL shutout yesterday against the Oilers. Leclaire’s season has been riddled by injuries and inconsistent play. McElhinney (acquired in exchange from Dan Ellis from the Ducks) has been dreadful so far this year and with Mike Smith (who cleared re-entry waivers) and Dwayne Roloson in front of him, the Lightning doesn’t need his services.

The Atlanta Thrashers have extended forward Chris Thorburn. The deal is three years at an average salary of $867,000 (2.6M total). The rugged winger has 7 goals and 9 assists for 16 points in 62 games for the Thrashers. He was slated to become a restricted free agent at season’s end.

With Chris Pronger slated to miss tonight’s game, the Philadelphia Flyers were forced to recall rearguard Erik Gudbranson from the AHL to take his spot. As a result, they had to send a player down, and James Van Riemsdyk was reassigned temporarily to the AHL. He will miss tonight’s game in Ottawa, and with Blair Betts nursing an injury, Nikolay Zherdev will draw back into the line-up despite having gone unclaimed on waivers earlier this week.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have reportedly been offered a first and third round pick for forward Clarke MacArthur who’s a RFA after the season. Negotiations are ongoing, but GM Brian Burke is not willing to meet MacArthur’s salary expectations following a strong season. Burke is also seeking defensive help, and he’s willing to give a 3rd rounder in exchange for an offensive d-man. The Colorado Avalanche is asking a 2nd round pick in exchange for John-Michael Liles.

As told by Jamie Fraser, the Ottawa Senators are still negotiating with impending UFA Chris Phillips in an attempt to extend the veteran defenseman. If a deal is not reached before Monday’s deadline, expect the rearguard to be traded to a contender.

UPDATE: via Bob MacKenzie, the Florida Panthers have just traded Bryan McCabe to the New York Rangers for a 3rd round pick and Tim Kennedy.

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When the opportunity to acquire young, affordable talent so close to the deadline presents itself, wise GMs will look to push a deal closer to fruition, knowing that the closing of the window for getting such a player is just one moment of hesitation and a third team’s phone call away.  Shero and Dallas GM Joe Nieuwendyk thus got things done yesterday, rather than wait until the haggard moments that can surely come one week later which often lead to desperate, rushed and regrettable transactions.

This is not to say that there will be radio silence in Pittsburgh for the balance of the trading period.  Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that the club is interested in a pair of 37-year old forwards, both of whom have multiple 20-goal seasons on their resume: Cory Stillman of Florida and Alex Kovalev of Ottawa.  Stillman won the Stanley Cup in consecutive seasons with Tampa Bay and Carolina while Kovalev needs no introduction.  He played his best years as a Penguin, racking up 149 goals over five seasons in Pittsburgh.  Ottawa is in full rebuild mode and has already gathered four draft picks in four deals this month.

Click here to view the embedded video.

If the asking price is a lower-round or conditional pick, it wouldn’t hurt to add Kovalev, a player who, when healthy and motivated, is still a dangerous sniper.  After yesterday’s trade, the Penguins expunged Goligoski’s cap hit of $1.833-million for next year while taking on a combined $4.375-million for a net full-season increase of $2.542-million for 2011-12.  Presently however, taking into account the long-term injured reserve cap space afforded by the Penguins’ injured players, there is still $2.275-million available for this season, room enough to absorb the remnants of either the contract of Stillman (approximately $892,000) or Kovalev ($1.263-million).

As for Goligoski, Dallas acquires a 25-year old defenceman whose potential was not fully realized in Pittsburgh.  He made the 2008-09 team out of training camp, joining a defensive unit that was missing injured top blueliner Sergei Gonchar.  Goligoski acquitted himself well, scoring 6 goals (4 on the power play) and 20 points in just 45 games and was recalled from the AHL for 2 games against Washington when Gonchar suffered another injury during the Stanley Cup playoffs.  Last year, he put in another solid campaign, scoring 8 goals and 37 points in 69 games, adding 2 goals and 9 points while playing every playoff contest.  On defence, he was second only to Gonchar in regular-season and playoff scoring.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This season however, with the Pittsburgh defence significantly revamped, he became a surplus commodity.  It’s strange to say that for a player who played all 60 games of the schedule at the time of the trade and was on his way to setting new career-highs in every major statistical category.  In 2010-11, he already scored a career-best 9 goals (4 on the power play), his 17 power play points were third-best on the entire team and his +20 was tops on the Penguins.  Yet two factors ushered his departure out of Pittsburgh.  First, his defensive skills were inconsistent.  He often had problems cutting off forwards from sweeping to the outside, along the boards and to the net.  He was not a physically-imposing defender, generally incapable of using his body to compensate when beaten on an opposition rush towards the goal.

Second, when Gonchar signed with Ottawa in the off-season, it was assumed that one of Kris Letang or Goligoski would take over the #1 defenceman role.  Letang seized the opportunity spectacularly and became an All-Star and his all-around skills on offence, on the power play and defensively, accelerated much faster than Goligoski’s.  As noted, Goligoski was signed for one more season after this one for an affordable $1.833-million while the team’s “core four” defencemen, Letang, Brooks Orpik and free agent acquisitions Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek, all are signed for at least three more seasons.  Thus Goligoski’s relative youth, potential and contract made him an attractive chip in a trade.

With Dallas, Goligoski already slots in as an offensive quarterback.  He has more points than any other Dallas defenceman.  Like Niskanen, a change in scenery could benefit Goligoski, who played in the shadow of Gonchar last season and in the shadow of Letang this season on man-advantage situations.  He will have the chance to step out and be the key man on the power play as a Star and perhaps realize his potential to be a blue line star.

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At the trade deadline in 2008, Shero acquired Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis from Atlanta to bolster the Penguins’ offence.  Both players complemented Sidney Crosby effectively as Pittsburgh earned a berth in the Stanley Cup Final.  When Hossa left the Penguins in free agency to sign with Detroit that summer, the Pens have never since possessed a wing of his talent.  Not that it particularly mattered in 2009 – the Penguins did win the Cup – but with Crosby and fellow centres Evgeni Malkin, Mark Letestu and Dustin Jeffrey sidelined plus wingers Chris Kunitz, Arron Asham, Mike Comrie also out, Pittsburgh has been begging for goals recently.

In the first 47 games of the season, a period when either Crosby or Malkin was in the lineup, Pittsburgh scored 4+ goals in a game, excluding shootouts, 15 times.  Since then, the Pens have played 14 games and have not reached the 4 goal mark once.  They have also been shut out three times in those 14 most recent games after having been shut out twice in the first 47 games.

Shero wisely closed this deal well ahead of next Monday’s 3 pm deadline.  In Neal, he acquired a young power forward who will step in and immediately be counted on to be the primary finisher around the net.  Neal is in his third NHL season and has never failed to score 20 or more goals.  The knock on him in Dallas was his inconsistent play but at 23, there is no reason to believe that he cannot improve with time and repetition.  Many in the last 24 hours have concluded that at last, Crosby has his winger!  However, while that may be the long-term implication of this trade, that is not the short-term benefit.

Neither Shero, the team nor Crosby himself have a fixed timetable on when Crosby will return to play.  With each passing day, it becomes less likely that he will return in the regular season.  Maybe in the playoffs or next season, Crosby and Neal will gel and spark the Pittsburgh offence but right now, Neal will be the left wing on the top line with centre Jordan Staal and right wing Tyler Kennedy, according to head coach Dan Bylsma.  Bylsma three times mentioned at practice today that he would like to see the trio do “some damage”, a nod to Neal’s skill set – a hard shot and a good physical presence in the offensive zone – and he will see time on the top power play unit.

Neal scored 9 power play goals, recorded 66 takeaways and dished out 194 hits (2nd among all rookies in all three categories) in a solid 2008-09 debut.  This season, he played in all 59 of the Stars’ games and scored 21 goals (5 on the power play).  He is signed for one more year after this season with a cap hit of $2.875-million after which he will become a restricted free agent.  Thus in the immediate future and long-term plan, Neal’s shot, physical presence and ability to force turnovers, all project to make a solid contribution to the Penguins’ model of moving pucks “north” and generating shots by aggressively forechecking in the offensive zone.

Niskanen left many in Dallas scratching their heads.  He took a fast track to the NHL, playing 2 seasons at University of Minnesota-Duluth and just 13 AHL games before debuting as a 20-year old in 2007-08.  He posted 7 goals, 26 points and a +22 rating then 6 goals and 35 points the following season.  Niskanen then slumped to 3 goals and 15 points last year and bottomed out this season, with no goals and 6 assists at the time of the deal, a hard fall for a player billed as a future top offensive-minded blueliner.

According to ESPN, Dallas GM Joe Nieuwendyk said, “As far as Matt is concerned, it’s been a little bit of trying times for Matt the last couple years.  He hasn’t been able to regain the form he broke into the league with and this is a good opportunity for him to get a new look with another team and hopefully get his career going.”

Quite possibly, this is the classic “change of scenery” trade that might rejuvenate Niskanen.  Did he rely on or defer too much to veterans like Sergei Zubov, Mattias Norstrom, Darryl Sydor and Karlis Skrastins, his most common defence partners when he was in Dallas?  Assuming the Pens leave their top two defensive pairs untouched and Niskanen slots into the third defensive pair beside Deryk Engelland or Ben Lovejoy, how will he handle skating with either player, both of whom have less experience than he does?  Will he be able to rediscover his offensive skills in Pittsburgh?  Bylsma said that Niskanen will likely play on the top power play unit with Paul Martin unavailable tomorrow night when the Pens host San Jose thus answers will come soon enough.

Niskanen, like Neal, is signed through 2011-12 and also can become a restricted free agent.  His cap hit is $1.5-million.  If things don’t work out for Niskanen in Pittsburgh either, the monetary, term and hockey cost to the Penguins is minimal.  Also, blue line prospects like Simon Despres, Brian Strait and Robert Bortuzzo may all get chances to play in Pittsburgh in the coming years as well.  Currently, the Penguins’ organizational strength is defence and getting a player like Niskanen was a bonus in this trade.

The numbers in bold indicate the team’s best season attendance-wise.
NHL attendance since the lock-out (Downloadable Excel format)

Here you can find a link to all the current NHL arenas and their capacity

Below you will find the team ranking by division:
Northeast Division:
1. Canadiens
4. Maple Leafs
6. Senators
8. Sabres
19. Bruins

Atlantic Division:
3. Flyers
10. Rangers
16. Penguins
27. Devils
30. Islanders

Southeast Division:
11. Lightning
20. Capitals
21. Hurricanes
24. Panthers
28. Thrashers

Northwest Division:
5. Flames
7. Canucks
9. Wild
17. Oilers
22. Avalanche

Central Division:
2. Red Wings
12. Blackhawks
18. Blues
25. Blue Jackets
26. Predators

Pacific Division:
13. Sharks
14. Stars
15. Kings
23. Ducks
29. Coyotes

Conclusions: All Canadian cities fare very well, five of them ranking in the top-seven teams in attendance, with the exception of the Edmonton Oilers, mainly because Rexall Place has a seating capacity of only 16,839 fans (albeit each game has been sold-out since the lock-out). Rexall Place, built in 1974, is also the third oldest arena only behind the Madison Square Garden and the Nassau Veterans Coliseum. Thus, the need to build a new facility in Edmonton.

Among the Sunbelt cities, only the Tampa Bay Lightning, the San Jose Sharks, the Dallas Stars and the Los Angeles Kings rank in the top fifteen teams in attendance since the lock-out.

Unsurprisingly, the New York Islanders, the Phoenix Coyotes, the Atlanta Thrashers, the Nashville Predators and the Florida Panthers are among the worst in attendance. Each of these teams has had moderate success on the ice since the lock-out, having problems qualifying for the playoffs.

The only exception being the New Jersey Devils, ranked 27th in the league despite being perennial playoffs team since the lock-out thanks to Martin Brodeur, among others.

Eight NHL teams are having their best season so far at the gates, such as the Nashville Predators, whose attendance numbers have improved by more than a thousand so far this year. Teams with ownership uncertainty like the Dallas Stars, have experienced the biggest drop in attendance this year, a drop of almost 3,000 fans per game.

Finally, only three teams have had an average attendance below 80% of their arena’s capacity since the lock-out. Without much surprise, these teams are the Islanders, the Coyotes and the Thrashers, three of the most unstable NHL organizations these past recent years.

You can also follow me on Twitter for more information on the NHL.

About a month ago I posted a Q&A Panel with several bloggers covering various Western Conference teams providing their take on the 15 team bloodbath that the West has become. Susan Crosby was to be a part of said panel, but her answers went above and beyond the call of duty. So instead of drastically increasing the length of the first blog, she earned her own. Below are her responses to the questions the panel answered. Edited for time appropriate responses.

For those who don’t know Susan, her unique flavor of hockey analysis can be found all over Twitter. Either on @kittypets or @ThrowThePuck. She is also the lead writer for BleedinBlue.com. Her coverage and passion goes beyond the Blues, but to the LA Kings as well. She contributes her LA POV on RinkRoyalty.com.

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Are the Red Wings back as an elite force in the conference after a slight let down in 2009-10? Why or Why not?

I know I sound like a broken record but this question never ceases to amaze me. When did the Red Wings go anywhere. They had a very injury plagued season with major parts of the year being missed by Homstrom, Filppula, Rafalski, Cleary, Helm, Kronwall, Franzen, Williams and Maltby. Yet, as always their farm system and the best run organization in hockey filled in the gaps with players like Justin Abdelkader (who is now a force and a mainstay on the team) to finish with 102 points. Only 7 points behind the Coyotes, and one point behind the Canucks, who finished in third place.

They came second in their division to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions by 10 points, but only lost two more games than the Hawks. It was almost doubling them up on OT games that caused the point spread. They still were able to come back in the playoffs and get past the Phoenix Coyotes who were riding both an emotional high and electric atmosphere (not to mention being up in the series) and then only lost to the best team in the league, the San Jose Sharks. A Sharks team, mind you that were battling their own demons AND were now coached by someone extremely familiar to the Red Wings organization: former Assistant Coach (and power play guru) Todd McLellan.

So, I ask again. Where did the Red Wings go for them to come back? And yes, they are an elite force. Even with Datsyuk and Dan Cleary now out for a bit of time, the NHL will watch them fill the void and continue ticking. Not that it won’t hurt. When I originally started this answer, it was just Datsyuk and that was one hole. Cleary has become almost as, if not just as invaluable as Datsyuk. Losing both, simultaneously is going to make things tough.

Despite these key losses, they will, with just a couple hiccups here and there keep moving it on along like they always do. It is just what the Red Wings do. When you are waving players like Kopecky, you are just too stocked. It just isn’t fair. The Red Wings already sit atop the Western Conference by three points and they have the Blues and Blackhaws by 9, in their division.

Are the Dallas Stars the biggest surprise or biggest overachiever in the conference?

Not to ride the fence, but a little of both. I think their forwards are underrated but their defense will hold them back come the playoffs. It won’t stick out as much during the regular season. The joke I made the other night, when someone in the media asked: When do we take Dallas seriously? I said I believed that Toronto and Dallas were the last two undefeated teams in the NHL; who is waffling now? Heh.

It is becoming almost comical how no one wants to take them seriously but every team (real or fantasy) wants to make some insane trade for one of their players. Right now? Brad Richards and Jamie Benn. Why? Not just their production but their character and grit (and mind you Benn is sitting at the ripe old age of 21. Richards is just in his prime at 30).

Not even half way through the season Richards has 40 points. This includes 5 goals on the power play. Benn on the other hand, is your all too rare (now a-days) power forward but still has 20 points on the year to go nicely with his 30 penalty minutes. Two of his goals have come on the power play which shows faith from the coaching staff on his two way play. He may be a bruiser but besides some mistakes from his young age, he’s not irresponsible in his physical play.

Overall, the team has 4 players on the 30 point mark (2 at 29 points- but I’m taking rights to include them in) which gives them a balanced attack.

Defense? In 38 games they have given up 1198 goals, which lands them at 27th in the league and averages out to 31 shots against per game). However, their saving grace is Kari Lehtonen, who has played in 28 of those games and is sitting 11th in the league with 15 wins, 2.6 goals against and has a .915 save%. Can Lehtonen keep this up through the playoffs? Stamina is a huge question throughout the Western Conference. Dallas is not immune.

Which team is the biggest underachiever?

Rough question. Can you underachieve in the West? It is a bloodbath and tighter then my budget.. HA! Division leaders aside, you have 6 points separating 12th place to 4th place and straight-up? Eight points separate 1-9.

However if I’m going to choose one and if I’m being honest, the LA Kings are not where they should or let’s say could be.

What you say? But they are in 4th place. Actually they could be anywhere from 4th to 10th place on any given day, and that is where their problem lies. The LA Kings, with an attitude adjustment could easily have 6 more points and still be sitting on top of the Western Conference as they were in November. However here is just one excuse you will here:

1) Alexei Ponikarovsky and Willie Mitchell were and are again out. It was devastating. <– Exhibit A of excuses given.

Really? Last time I checked Drew Doughty was the golden boy and when he had a concussion the Kings were on a tear of wins. So exactly how is this a good excuse for the slump the Kings went on. A slump that sent them from 1st place in the Western Conference, to at one point about 13th place? They had just now started to recover by tying together 4 games and some of the best performances this year, then they played Phoenix on the 30th. Ouch. The team didn’t show up to play the game. They showed up to watch it.

2) That horrible mental trap that so many sports teams fall into: Play up for the great teams and underestimate the “bad teams,” get lazy and lose.

Considering how much the Kings have been disrespected and how teams still underestimate them, this is one trap I would never expect them to fall into. But they have, and badly. The Kings are going to Overtime or straight out losing games they have no business losing. If you beat Edmonton straight out, beat the St. Louis Blues when you have a lead most of the game and actually make sure your defense shows up to games in Phoenix then you win the points that are must-wins. Take those points and combine them the games where every player looks like they finally took the reigns and played their individual best, leading to the team at its best and the league thinks, finally the Los Angeles Kings are turning the corner. But then games like Phoenix happen. Jack Johnson and Dustin Brown played like doppelgangers were sent in their place. In the last 12 games the LA Kings Captain had 19 points in 12 games. Then there is Jack Johnson who is one of the best, and most frustrating defenseman in the league. By means are they the only players on the team, not by a long shot, that runs like a deer caught in headlights at times, but it is a perfect example. Even superstar, Drew Doughty has had stretches of games with only a point, defensive break downs and just an overall lack of presence.

Your consistent players that the LA Kings better start building on? Jonathan Quick, Anze Kopitar and Ryan Smyth. It’s not nearly enough. Last I checked Alexander Frolov was traded. While all teams hit bad times, this unexplainable lack of focus that comes and goes should be gone by now. The Kings have proven their ability to compete with the best in the conference. This was apparent after the last game against Detroit. The Kings shut them out on the road. However, without consistency, then you really can’t compete with the best. The best are consistent.

The top 8 in the East at times were dramatically outscoring the top 8 in the West. Is the style of game play out west more about defense and goaltending than before?

By default, I think it has had to become so. As a fan, the West has become nearly impossible (and a day-to-day nauseating experience) to keep up with when it comes to standings. One day a team is in 12th place and the next day it could be in 4th. When a conference is that tight, good teams are going to get left out of the playoffs. Points lost in January are going to come back and haunt you in April. Because of this, there has to be more attention paid to defense and keeping other teams off the board. There isn’t one team in the West that you can let-up against. Even the cellar dwellers are good enough to play spoiler and will come at teams hard. Having said that, at one point Calgary was in 14th place and only 7 points out of 8th place.

Additionally, the Western Conference is a far more physically demanding type of game. There is a combination of speed and physicality that you don’t see in the East but with certain teams. In the West, it is every team, every game. That kind of grind will tire teams out. The easiest way to buy yourself some breathing room is to play a defensively strong game and stick to a system that produces a productively sound Western Conference style, which should be fast, physical and defensively sound. Often teams finish top 4 in the West and get blown out of the playoffs. That is all about defense (most of the time).

Impressions of the kids out in Edmonton?

There is so much hype around these kids now that they don’t have any time to develop. Everyone wants instant impact and not every team is in a place where one or two players can make a huge difference. I think people were “disappointed” Taylor Hall didn’t walk into the NHL and dramatically throw Edmonton into a playoff caliber team. The same thing happened to Steve Stamkos. However, it is just that development comes in different stages and some players will be worth that #1 draft pick but you have to bring them up right and through the system. Not all first-round players are going to be those that change the position from the second they skate onto NHL ice.

Hall has been picking up more and more and everyone is acting like they’ve been holding their breath and praying to the Hockey Gods in Edmonton. As if his “silence” through December showed he was a bust of a first-round pick. It is his rookie year. You may not see his full potential until 3 years from now. Hopefully he’ll keep going at this pace and have an impact next season when other younger players start taking their next steps. However, all of the NHL need not have a panic attack because Hall isn’t producing on an 80 goal pace this season.

Which team in the league is the toughest to play when 100% healthy?

Detroit. See above. They are the most consistent team in the league and they aren’t healthy. They aren’t as banged up as other teams, but they have lost quite a bit in quality and quantity over last year and now this year. Still they keep going and pick up the points they need to stay on top of not just the Western Conference, but again-the league. The Red Wings are one point off the Penguins for the best record in the NHL (and again, the Penguins have two games in hand).

Put your biases down. The Red Wings are the best run organization in the NHL (and arguably sports) and it shows year after year. Players age out and they have young guys come in that are just as good as the ones before. And you think… but how and where do they come up with this. On top of that they have now, turned out what is, arguably, the next great General Manager in the NHL: Steve Yzerman (and I’m not even sure that can be objectively argued). He has resurrected the Tampa Bay Lightning and Steve Stamkos in less than a season.

When you are this good at developing both coaches (see San Jose), management (see Tampa Bay) and players (see… their whole roster for the past 10 years), you stay consistent. Players come to Detroit knowing what is expected of them. They understand and value the emblem that is worn and the history behind it. Injured, healthy or otherwise, the Red Wings were and still are the team to beat in the West, if not the NHL.

The top line in the conference is?

Dallas. As stated above… their forwards are their strong suit and the first line is where it starts. When mentioning trade bait I started with Richards and Benn, however it far from ends there. Richards’ line mates: Loui Eriksson and James Neal will make any General Manager and fan base drool. Not only are they individually talented, but they click together as a unit. Everyone knows Richards provides the playmaking ability when there is open ice created for him to do so. He is also the leader of this first line and has helped the wingers that join him grow dramatically. So let’s look at Neal and Eriksson.

Neal has a cannon of a shot and has grown into a well-rounded winger that sees the play develop rather than just the one-dimensional, throw the kitchen sink at the net till you score kind of player. Having said that, he has not lost the aggressive nature he always had and is able to protect the pucks, dig them out and get it to Richards often (helping to create the open ice that Richards flourishes in). Combine this with his increased awareness and involvement with the entire play and you see why his assists have come up quite a bit since the beginning of his career (this is his third season).

A week ago Eriksson scored the 100th goal of his career. To those that watch him consistently, this was not a shock. To those that don’t, you may not even know who he is. Sticking to the basics of the game is how Eriksson does his best work. He doesn’t get creative like the names everyone knows in the NHL but he is one of the more consistent players there is. Additionally, Eriksson is “steady as she goes” and brings a constant level of both intensity and effort to the ice every night. Lastly, the natural “can’t be taught” chemistry between Eriksson and Richards is just plain sick. The fact that Marc “if I put player A with Z on Monday, can A play with D on Tuesday” Crawford has stuck with this line outside one of two games, is a tribute to their production and ability.

As mentioned above as an overall team weakness; this line has to work on its defensive game. Catch them tired or frustrated and they’ll cough it up, fail to clear the zone at key times and take unecessary calls at bad times.

Which team currently on the playoff bubble has the best chance at making it back in?

I honestly don’t think any team other than Edmonton is currently out of it. And truthfully, I see this remaining a solid 12 team race throughout the year. I don’t believe it is necessarily a matter of what team but what circumstances cause teams to make it. Health and stamina are going to be two huge factors. This is going to be a dog fight, the wild-west come to life. A team that can’t stay healthy, focused and consistent won’t be able to sustain the efforts it is going to take every night to just get into the playoffs, let alone past the first round.

However having said that, the Columbus Blue Jackets are not staying down. They can be better than both Minnesota and Nashville. However, Minnesota has the distinct advantage of beating up on Calgary and Edmonton on a semi-regular basis. Do not be surprised if Columbus ruins someone spring plans and grabs the eighth spot. The Anaheim Ducks don’t have any real good reasons (unless circumstance comes into play) for them to not make the playoffs.

But then you have to think: who’s spot would Columbus or Anaheim take?

The Colorado Avalanche, in my opinion are way ahead of schedule in their development, and have a long run of success ahead of them. Right now, they are playing a bit over their heads. Anaheim can easily make a run that shoots the Avalanche from 5th place (or the 5th through 8th place tangled tie-up) and 43 points to being out of the playoffs.

Another team that could be thrown out by Columbus and/or Anaheim? If the St Louis Blues make it , they will become the NHL darlings of these playoffs and right now they are fighting with all they have. The problem with that, as endearing and respectable as it is, is that they’ve been doing it since Thanksgiving. If exhaustion (or heaven help the Arch, more injuries) set in then there is a big question mark. Can the Blues can maintain this ability to knock down the walls and leave it all on the ice every night with a completely depleted roster? That is a huge feat to ask any team, no matter the merits of the coaching, leadership or the player’s focus. If they don’t make it to the 8th spot, it isn’t for a lack of talent or trying but a freak set of those oh so tough circumstances that will keep deserving teams out of the playoffs in the west.

Just when you think everyone in the mainstream media finally had the good sense to realize the Dallas Stars won’t be trading star center Brad Richards this season up pops a pundit – who is either engaged in wishful thinking or really hasn’t paid much attention to Richards and the Stars – envisioning trade scenarios.

The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont recently suggested Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli should utilize the available salary cap flexibility now afforded him by Marc Savard’s season-ending concussion to make a major acquisition, naming Richards as the target Chiarelli should pursue.

Dupont acknowledged the Stars probably won’t trade Richards even at the risk of perhaps losing him to free agency for nothing this summer, but that didn’t prevent him for envisioning trade possibilities involving either the Bruins or the Maple Leafs first round pick, along with perhaps forward Blake Wheeler and defenseman Mark Stuart.

If the Stars were out of the playoff race by now and unable or unwilling to re-sign Richards Dupont’s scenario might be a good one.

But the Stars despite a recent slump currently remain third overall in the Western Conference and management wants to re-sign Richards and is hoping the team will have new ownership in place by season’s end to facilitate that possibility.

Despite the team’s ownership situation, the Stars simply won’t move their best forward who could be key to a lengthy post-season run.

It remains to be seen what moves Chiarelli will make with his new-found cap flexibility but he won’t pry Brad Richards out of Dallas at the trade deadline.

Just Say No to Brad Richards Trade Rumors.

Seriously. I’m not kidding.

Rumormongers, be they from the MSM or the blogosphere, simply must stop pushing the name of Dallas Stars center Brad Richards into the rumor mill.

He won’t be traded.

Yes, yes, I know, he’s an unrestricted free agent and the currently ownerless Stars, run by their creditors as they search for new ownership, might not be able to afford to re-sign Richards, who is on pace for his second-straight 90-plus point season, which could earn the 30-year-old another big contract worth over $7 million per season.

If the Stars were floundering so badly in the standings they didn’t have a hope in hell of making the playoffs, I would expect Richards’ name to be a daily fixture in the rumor mill.

But the Stars aren’t floundering; in fact, they’re surging, winning seven of their last ten games and currently battling with Vancouver and Detroit for top spot in the Western Conference.

A big reason for that, perhaps the biggest, is Richards, who’s very happy centering Loui Eriksson and James Neal on the Stars top line and believed willing to entertain the notion of remaining in Dallas after this season.

Maybe the Stars can’t or won’t re-sign Richards but they sure as hell won’t ship him out at this year’s trade deadline. Not when they’re trying to attract a new owner. Not when they’re trying to bolster their fan base. And certainly not when they’re currently flying high in the standings and expecting to make some serious noise in the 2011 post-season.

So when I hear or read any report now claiming the Stars might trade Richards to Toronto – or any other team – I’m embarrassed for whoever dreamed it up and published it.

Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News does a splendid job debunking a recent rumor which had Richards going to the Maple Leafs in a multi-player deal, but the fact he actually had to take the time to do so to soothe a few nervous Stars fans speaks as much about the power of the NHL rumor mill as it does about the gullibility of some hockey fans.

Hockey rumormongers can surely find better topics to attract readers than drumming up baseless speculation on Brad Richards. Hey, the Ottawa Senators are about to clean house, so how about speculating about Daniel Alfredsson or Jason Spezza? They probably won’t be traded either, but the possibility of them getting dealt this season is better than that of the Dallas Stars trading Richards, let alone him actually agreeing to be dealt to a non-playoff team like Toronto.

Please, just say no to Brad Richards trade rumors!

Lyle Richardson
Spector’s Hockey
www.spectorshockey.net

The Panel

Josh Sargent (@Josh_Sargent)- Minnesota Wild correspondent for NHLHotStove.com.

Andy Ajer (@FightNightAtJoe) – Detroit Red Wings blogger. Runs Fight Night At The Joe.

Mike Murgani (@Draft_Mike) – LA Kings correspondent for NHLHotStove.com.

Kevin Navarre (@Jabberwockkie) – Dallas Stars Correspondent for NHLHotStove.com.

Brian Haenchen (@Brian_Haenchen) – Covering the St. Louis Blues on HockeyIndependent.com and operates HanksSportsBlog (@HanksSportsBlog).

Christina Roberts (@franzenmuth) – Detroit Red Wings Correspondent for NHLHotStove.com.

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Are the Red Wings back as an elite force in the conference after a slight let down in 2009-10? Why or Why not?

JS: I don’t think they have changed, the only difference between this year and last is that the talent in their division is a little lower, all last year they had to try and keep up with Chicago and may have put too much pressure on themselves.

AA: Yes, the let down last year was mainly because of the 311 games lost to injury, but this year’s team is scarily deep and once they get over their inability to play a full 60 minutes they are going to be even better than they are now.

MM: The Red Wings really never went anywhere. No team in the league drafts as well or develops talent better then Ken Holland. With a team decimated by injuries the Wings still managed to finish 5th in a tough conference and won a playoff series. That just proves the depth the Wings have in the system.

KN: Yes. The Red Wings are healthy again (until Datsyuk went down to injury) and doing what they do best which is intimidate every opponent with that winged wheel.

BH: When healthy, the Detroit Red Wings have proved themselves to be a very good team in the Western Conference. Just based on their experience and skill, I’d say they are the team to beat in the Central Division. However, I think it’s too early to label them as an elite force in the conference.

First of all, the Western Conference standings are such a mess right now. The top 12 teams are all within striking distance of each other meaning that a team currently sitting outside of the playoffs all together could find itself atop the conference with any sort of significant win streak.

Also, I’m not completely sold on Jimmy Howard. I think the juggernaut Detroit has offensively makes up for any shortcomings Howard has. Don’t get me wrong, Howard’s a damn good goaltender, but I question his consistency and it will be interesting to see how he and the team as a whole respond to the recent injury to star forward Pavel Datsyuk.

CR: At the start of the season, I would have immediately said yes, the Wings are an elite force. But the stuttering for the past few weeks has me thinking that they may not be “elite.” But they’re still a force to reckon with. Despite the losses as of late, they’ve only lost eight games in regulation. And their blue line is deadly. As of last Monday, they were ranked second for the most offensive with eighteen goals, just behind Atlanta’s twenty goals. The 2009-2010 season had everyone wondering if age was finally catching up with the Red Wings (which is thrown around after pretty much every season now), but if you look at the team’s stats from after the Olympic break, they were back in that prime form, having all of their major injuries back in play. And the second-round loss to the San Jose Sharks gave them a few extra weeks of well-needed rest. Pavel Datsyuk’s injury will also be a test of how well the team can cope without him and whether Datsyuk can come back and perform to the same level he had before; it was a Hart Trophy season prior to the injury

Are the Dallas Stars the biggest surprise or biggest overachiever in the conference?

JS: They are the overachiever in the Pacific but what is helping them out the most is that San Jose, Los Angeles, and Phoenix are not playing up to their levels. I think second half of the season Dallas falls out of the top.

AA: Surprise for sure. But they are dependent on staying healthy and their top players performing cause they definitely aren’t the deepest team in the league.

MM: I feel the Stars are the most over rated team in the NHL we are almost 3 months into the season and the Stars have played the most home games in the league and have yet to go on more the a 3 game road trip and that trip had 5 days off between games. Also the Stars have only played 2 back to backs fewest in the league. The Stars have no more the a 3 game trip the rest of the season and a season high 9 game home stand in March and only 3 more back to backs.

KN: The Stars are definitely surprising and turning heads and I follow the team and feel that way.  The big “if” this year was defense and goaltending and they’re getting a good effort in the former and an A++ in the latter with the same offense they ha last year.  We all thought they could be as good as they are but a couple years down the road.

BH: I have been shocked with how well Dallas has been playing this year. Heading into this season, I definitely thought the Stars were a playoff team, but I did not see them battling for the top spot in the Western Conference at any point during the season.

Right now, they’re a team that seems to have everything going for them. Brad Richards is having a solid year offensively and their goaltenders in Andrew Raycroft and (now that he has returned) Kari Lehtonen have been good enough in tight games to help ensure the team manages to get at least a point each game.

I don’t think anyone could have predicted the 30-year-old Richards to be having the season he’s been having. Right now, he’s on pace to set a career high in goals scored and could come close to matching his career high point total from last season.

It will be interesting to see if the Stars are able to maintain this pace over the long haul. I think these next few games will be very telling as to if this team is a legitimate Conference Title contender or just a flash in the pan.

Right now, I see Dallas sustaining this high level of play and contending with Vancouver for the Western Conference title. Between the one-two punch in net with Raycroft and Lehtonen and the offensive production from Richards, the Stars should have no problem hanging in there with the other division leaders.

CR: I would say neither, though I would probably lean more toward the overachiever part of it. But thinking about it, the Stars made it to the Western Conference Finals three years ago and had to struggle with injuries these past few seasons. Finally getting healthy and consistent and picking up some solid players they needed (like Adam Burish and Andrew Raycroft) and although it’s hard to say, getting rid of Mike Modano certainly helped them align themselves much better. They seem to have found that groove they’ve been grasping for the past two seasons and if people were paying closer attention, maybe it wouldn’t be such a surprise to them.

Which team is the biggest underachiever to date?

JS: With the addition of Jaroslav Halak to the Blues along with a healthy Erik Johnson I thought they would be a lot better but can’t completely place blame on the team when they are missing key players on IR.

AA: The Kings and Coyotes are both better teams than their point totals indicate at the moment. I’d say the Kings, I think they should be good enough to challenge for the division title.

MM: I feel the St Louis Blues getting a starting goaltender would improve the club, but the Blues have struggled all season.

KN: I’d have to go with LA.  they started off hot and dangerous but have fallen down quite drastically.  on paper I don’t see many weaknesses but maybe they lack the confidence or the expectations this year are weighing them down.

BH: Calgary Flames. Jarome Iginla is heating up, but it’s not enough to make up for the lack of production from his teammates and the underwhelming performance thus far from Miikka Kiprusoff.

CR: Calgary. This team has struggled the past few seasons and hasn’t really found its groove just yet to get on a hot streak and parade up the rankings. But with star players like Jarome Iginla, Miikka Kiprusoff, Jay Bowmeester, and Alex Tanguay, wouldn’t you think this team should be doing better than they are? Right now, they’re sitting three points above fifteenth in the conference, but look at the flip side and they’re only seven points out of eighth. They do still have a chance to make something of this season; it hasn’t hit the halfway point quite yet.

Who has done the best coaching job as of the end of December?

JS: Colorado’s Joe Sacco, at the start of the season I thought that Vancouver was the clear winner in the Northwest but he has this Avalanche team believing they can win the division.

AA: Hate to say it, but Marc Crawford in Dallas and Joe Sacco in Colorado have both gotten very good stuff out of rosters that should have holes and that in Sacco’s case have seen a flurry of injuries.

MM: Barry Trotz. Losing 2 of your best forwards one of your best blue liners and your starting goaltender and sill in play off contention amazing.

KN: I would like to be a homer and say Marc Crawford but I’m not a fan. Probably go with Alain Vigneault as the Canucks are even more dangerous this year and flying under the radar.

BH: Davis Payne. The Blues have been decimated by injuries and are playing with a roster chalked full of AHL call-ups. Yet, Payne has kept his team motivated and, as a result, in a position to make a run at a spot in the top 8 of the Western Conference.

CR: My initial response is Mike Babcock, just with how much he’s been able to help his team rebound from last year’s injury-riddled season (not to mention how he still managed to get them to yet another 100+ point season) and remain at the top of the Western Conference so far this season. Dealing with Pavel Datsyuk’s injury will be a difficult task to see how the team can fare; the loss of Modano is something Babcock has had to work around as well. Thankfully this season, injuries haven’t been as serious and numerous as last year and Babcock has enough “healthy scratch” players to come up and fill in the gaps to the best of their abilities. I’d throw Joe Sacco into the mix as well. Colorado’s a team that shouldn’t be undermined for how well they’re doing. But his challenge will be to see if the team can stay afloat with the injuries so far this season.

Who is the conference MVP to date?

JS: Tossup between Cory Perry and Brad Richards due to the fact that I didn’t see either of their teams being viable playoff contenders but both players giving their teams hope and leading by example along with averaging over a point per game

AA: The best player has probably been Pavel Datsyuk, he is really on this season, but Brad Richards is the one that is most valuable to his team. Without him Dallas would be in trouble.

MM: Henrik Sedin

KN: No question but Brad Richards is an elite force this year and has done and is going to do some amazing things. I can’t imagine where the stars would be without their MVP.

BH: Brad Richards – Dallas

CR: Honestly, you can name at least a dozen players that deserve the MVP title for the conference so far. But I’ll settle for the guy who received the Conn Smythe trophy in 2002: Nicklas Lidstrom. Last season, his play was mediocre to his normal standards of beyond-human defense. His offensive side struggled, too, and this led everyone to wonder if age was finally catching up to “The Perfect Human.” But it seems that it was due to half of his teammates being injured that hurt Lidstrom’s output last season. Look at his statistics after the Olympic break and you’ll see that he definitely was back on track once the team was healthy.

Contrary to all of that, so far this season he’s looked like a twenty-five-year-old playing hockey. He’s nearly everyone’s favorite to win the Norris for the seventh time. And just last week, he managed his first career hat trick at the nice young age of forty and currently has 28 points in 34 games; it puts him on pace for 66 points this season, just below his output in his Cup-winning 2007-2008 season. That sounds like a pretty good MVP, right?

The top 8 in the East were dramatically outscoring the top 8 in the West. Is the style of game play out west more about defense and goaltending than before?

JS: I think that style of play between the 2 conferences are starting to become more alike. Colorado is the highest scoring team in the league while only 2 teams out east have outscored the #8 seed Chicago at the moment. The lower scoring teams such as Nashville, Dallas, and Anaheim have to play more defensive to stay competitive and in the playoff hunt.

AA: The West plays a much sounder game with more focus on a two-way game, while the East is more run and gun with more sloppy play and turnovers.

MM: Simple, the goaltending in the west is much better also there is a tighter style played in the west. Take a look at the top teams in the East and how many have goaltending issues. Tampa, Philly, Washington, cant decide on a starter New Jersey Buffalo injuries. Other then Carey Price and Tim Thomas tell me who is playing well in the East.

KN: I think the quality of the teams in the west is better and so with fewer high quality teams in the east, the upper echelon east teams can score more against the bottom feeders.  The stars finished 12th last year in the west and had the same number of points as the 7th & 8th place teams in east. Enough said.

BH: The West is definitely more about defense and goaltending than before. While the East has an advantage in terms of star goal scorers, the West is far superior between the pipes. Teams seem to be much more balanced in the Western Conference compared to the East. Teams in the East (i.e. Washington) seem to rely completely on their offense while in the West you could look at teams like Detroit, Vancouver, and Dallas who have been successful due to their balance of goal scoring and solid goaltending.

CR: I think it’s more about the defense and goaltending in the West than the East for sure. Games in the West seem to be much closer than in the East. In the East, you have the scoring demons on particular teams that jettison them over their opponents (Crosby and Malkin, Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Semin to name the well-known combos); in the West, you have those same combination (Getzlaf, Ryan, and Perry, Datsyuk and Zetterberg, Sedin and Sedin), but even if these lines are dominant in a game, that doesn’t mean they’re the only ones scoring or even blowing the opposition out of the water. But I think more of the factor is how the conference standings are much tighter in the West. The top eight teams in the east are so much better than the bottom seven in the east. If you look at the standings, in there’s a decent gap. In the East, it’s ten points separating first and eighth and twenty points separating eighth and fifteenth. But compared to the West, it’s so much tighter; ten points separate eighth and fifteenth while six points separate first and eighth. The tight play makes for a harder push on solid defense and goaltending.

First impression of the kids out in Edmonton?

JS: Very bright future in Edmonton and can’t wait to see what they will do to build around Hall, Eberle, and Paajarvi. 2-3 years and the Oilers could be the class of the conference.

AA: They have played pretty well and are exciting, but they’re not gonna turn the team around without some help and a few seasons of experience.

MM: What impression? The Oilers are the Kansas City Royals of hockey. They are a very good AHL team playing with the big boys. Taylor Hall is just a skater and the rest of them will not stay around in Edmonton to see it threw. First chance they get there gone.

KN: Talented but green.  Fun to watch though.

BH: I haven’t seen enough of Edmonton this season to answer this question, but I will say from what I’ve heard and the few games that I have seen, they’re a team that’s headed in the right direction.

CR: Taylor Hall has some great potential in him for sure. I was lucky enough to see him play when he was on the Windsor Spitfires (I saw him play against Tyler Seguin, no less) and he impressed me then, too, even though he didn’t score on the penalty shot he received. He will definitely be a player to watch in the upcoming years. First overall draft picks are usually like that.

Jordan Eberle seems like a solid player. I haven’t been able to see as much of him as I would like, but to me he seems like he could be one of those excellent players that sneaks under the radar a lot of the time. But maybe not – I mean, his first NHL goal coming on a penalty kill will definitely make people look at him twice.

And Linus Omark just now caught people’s attention with flashy shootout attempts? Did people not see the one when he was playing in Sweden, the one that Datsyuk replicated against Chicago last season? Omark will be a great player for sure, just as long as his flashiness doesn’t get the best of him.

Which team in the league is the toughest to play when 100% healthy?

JS: Detroit is a stacked team from top to bottom and full of players that know what it takes to play at the top level of hockey.

AA: Detroit should be. Their lines can match their equivalent on any other NHL team. Vancouver can be a tough team too. For both of those it is as much about being ON as it is about being healthy though.

MM: Simple, Detroit Red Wings

KN: Detroit

BH: Detroit. They may not be an elite force in the West, but they’re still sick.

CR: I’ll go off on what could be considered a crazy limb here and say Montreal. After the upsets in last year’s playoff run, with Jaroslav Halak playing like a brick wall, and then proceeding to trade Halak away from the team and relying on Carey Price, everyone’s kept an eye on this team. And honestly, they are delivering. I went to the Original Six matchup game at Joe Louis Arena when the Habs visited and after the game, it was decided unanimously between me and my hockey-crazed brothers that a Wings/Habs Finals matchup would be absolutely epic. The Habs can definitely give the Red Wings a run for their money. Their play is amazing to watch.

The top line in the conference is?

JS: The Sedin line in Vancouver, it doesn’t matter who you put with them they are an unstoppable force that racks up points. I can’t prove it but I am pretty sure that they have some kind of twin ESP thing going on.

AA: I’m a total homer here, but Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Holmström, or the Circus line as we call it is probably the best. It has two of the best players in the league on both ends of the ice and they tend to play real well together. It also works great when Cleary plays instead of Homer. But Babcock has switched it all up lately, so who knows when we will see this one again.

MM: Getzlaf,Perry,Ryan

KN: Richards-Eriksson-Neal

BH: When Datsyuk’s in there, Detroit’s top line.

CR: Getzlaf-Perry-Ryan is definitely one of the top lines out there. This is one of the most annoying lines to play against. I honestly believe they are on the ice for about 57 minutes of every game; they are that annoyingly good. They dominate the play when they are out on the ice together; right now, they have a combined 46 goals and 58 assists. Compare that to the Sedin-Burrows-Sedin line, which has 33 goals and 68 assists, or the Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom line, which has 33 goals and 61 assists. The Getzlaf line definitely can be ranked up there among the elites.

Which team currently out of the top 8 (as of the Hlidays) has the best chance at making it back in?

JS: I don’t think Anaheim can keep up with everyone in the West. They are the only team that is in the top 8 with a minus in GF/GA and think that LA will make the jump in the second half to take their spot.

AA: The LA Kings will make the playoffs. They are way too good to miss them. The Coyotes should also have a pretty good shot.

MM: Los Angeles Kings

KN: Since 9 points separate 1st through 12th (as of this questions answering) I’d say at least 4 different teams.  Of the 4 currently out, I say for sure LA makes it back in by seasons end.

BH: St. Louis. Alex Steen is heating up. Oshie could be back sooner than expected. Defense is improving which only benefits an already solid goaltending tandem in Halak & Conklin. Oh, don’t forget they’re only 7 points out of first place despite all these injuries.

CR: With how close the standings are in the West, it’s honestly hard to say because one day, they could be in and the next day, they could be out. The St. Louis Blues seem fairly consistent and have a great chance. And with their goaltenders – Jaroslav Halak and Ty Conklin – always seeming to play solid games, it gives them a fighting chance. And their goalies have to be solid when their top guys like T.J. Oshie and David Perron are sidelined with injuries. When those guys come back, I’d watch out, honestly. This team can be dangerous.

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Look for further Q&A discussion regarding the West with another blogger as well as an Eastern Conference panel coming soon.

Langenbrunner won a Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999 before being traded to New Jersey with Joe Nieuwendyk for Jason Arnott and Randy McKay in 2002. Nieuwendyk is now the Dallas Stars GM and a friend of Langenbrunner, which is the main reason why Langenbrunner lifted his no-movement clause to join him in Dallas.

In 31 games this season, he has 4 goals and 10 assists for 14 points to go along with a dismal -15 plus/minus rating. He has has 232 goals and 388 assists in 996 career NHL games since 1995. Langenbrunner has been to the playoffs in 13 consecutive NHL seasons, five with the Stars and eight with the Devils.

Langenbrunner, who will become, an UFA next summer, is in the last season of a 5-year, $14 million deal with a friendly $2.8 million cap hit for Dallas. It is still unknown if the Stars will re-sign at season’s end.

Look for Langenbrunner to play alongside Brendan Morrow and Mike Ribeiro on the Stars’ second line. Langenbrunner can also kill penalties and man the point on the power play. He will likely get 2nd PP unit duties as Brad Richards is already playing the point on Dallas’s first PP unit.

Langenbrunner is one of the rare NHL players who has a better PPG ratio in the playoffs than in the regular season. He will provide much needed depth and leadership to the Stars.

You can follow me on Twitter for more information on the NHL.

Hockeybuzz.com’s “Eklund” still believes the Dallas Stars will trade center Brad Richards because they won’t be able to afford to re-sign him.

“I continue to compare the situation to Kovalchuk last year. Brad wants to stay but Dallas simply can’t afford it. At some point there will be a last ditch effort to extend Richards and should that fail (which I believe it will) he will be dealt. I could see the Leafs or Sabres making a play for him as a rental with the hopes to sign him. And as we saw in NJ, once a player goes and plays somewhere they may fall in love with the organization and sign long-term. If he makes it to the summer, I would look to the NY Rangers or the LA Kings. My guess (this week) is Toronto.”

It’s true Richards would prefer to remain with the Stars. He likes the city of Dallas and has two quality linemates with Loui Eriksson and James Neal, which is why he’s on pace for a second consecutive 91 point season.

The Stars are still without an owner and it’s quite possible they might not be able to afford to re-sign him before his eligibility for unrestricted free agency on July 1 despite GM Joe Nieuwendyk’s wish to retain him.

Comparing Richards situation however to Ilya Kovalchuk’s last season with the Atlanta Thrashers however is comparing apples to oranges.

Richards is currently playing for a team jockeying for top spot overall in the Western Conference. Last season’s Thrashers were briefly playoff contenders before fading from the race by mid-season, which spurred Kovalchuk’s trade to New Jersey last February.

The Stars might not be able to afford to re-sign Richards this season but they’re not about to shop the one guy who is most responsible for their stunning performance so far. I’ve said this many times this season and I’ll continue to say it up to the trade deadline: as long as the Stars are in playoff contention, they won’t trade Brad Richards.

Let’s not forget Richards also has a “no-movement” clause and if he doesn’t want to leave Dallas this season there’s nothing Nieuwendyk could do about it. That clause also severely limits any potential trade destinations, and |Nieuwendyk isn’t about to just give him away if the offers aren’t what he’s seeking.

Even if the Stars don’t have Richards under contract by the February 28^th trade deadline it doesn’t mean it’s their last chance to move him for a healthy return. In the past we’ve seen potential unrestricted free agents dealt to teams in the two weeks leading up to July 1^st, and it wouldn’t be shocking if the Stars did the same with Richards at the June 2011 Entry Draft weekend if they cannot get him inked to a new contract.

It must also be remembered the Stars’ lenders are trying to find potential buyers for the club, and if Richards helps them remain amongst the top teams in the league this season that only improves their marketability. Trading away their best player and jeopardizing their playoff hopes would have the opposite effect.

The NHL’s annual trade deadline is still three months away (February 28^th, 2011) but the lack of significant player movement early in the season has more than a few pundits and bloggers musing over potential deals as the deadline nears.

Thomas Copain of The Bleacher Report recently looked at ten potential “Blockbuster deals that could go down before the deadline”.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/529455-nhl-trade-rumors-blockbuster-deals-that-could-happen-before-deadline/page/1

No surprise Dallas’ Brad Richards topped the list given his UFA status next summer and the Stars uncertain ownership.

Copain has Calgary’s Jarome Iginla on his list, acknowledging the Flames recent assurances Iginal won’t be dealt but suggesting the possibility that might change later this season.

Iginla’s the Flames franchise player and it is believed ownership is keen to retain him so it’s unlikely he’ll be moved.

New Jersey’s Patrik Elias makes the list but give his expensive contract, low production and iron-clad “no-movement” clause he’s not going anywhere.

Martin Brodeur is also on the list based on the NY Post’s Larry Brooks recent suggestion Devils management should try to move their longtime goalie but that’s just not going to happen.

A more likely possibility could be Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner, who’s a UFA next summer, but he’d have to agree to waive his “no-trade” clause.

Copain also added Toronto’s Tomas Kaberle but Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke has clearly stated more than once he’s not going to ask Kaberle to waive his “no-trade” clause this season, meaning the only way the blueliner is dealt is if he asks Burke to move him by the deadline.  So far there’s no indication Kaberle will do that.

The remainder of the list wouldn’t make any trade a “blockbuster” unless there were other notable players also included in any deals. It includes Vancouver’s Kevin Bieska, Boston’s Michael Ryder and Edmonton forward Andrew Cogliano and defenseman Ladislav Smid, all of whom stand a good chance of being dealt by February 28^th.

Lyle Richardson
Spector’s Hockey
www.spectorshockey.net

Mental Mistakes Bury Blues

Most of both games were marked by positive play by the Blues. However, their third period play was a 180 degree flip from where it has been from most of the season. At times the Blues looked plain tired. Unable to generate pressure and making mental mistakes.

Erik Johnson fell victim first. On Friday night, late on a power play after an extended shift he attempts a backwards drifting curl and drag around Jamie Benn. He smells blood in the water and attacks. Easily picking Johnson’s pocked and racing on a clear breakaway. A nifty back hand move tied that game at 2-2.

Jaroslav Halak would be next just a few minutes later. Instead of ringing the puck around the boards, he played the puck to a near by Eric Brewer. The pass in his skates is waiting to be turned over. With his back to on coming pressure he cannot defend himself. The result is Friday’s Game Winning Goal for Mike Riberio.  Halak would also create the third mistake by cheating towards the middle in the third period Saturday. Benn strikes once again. Finding the near side top corner to burn Halak for his second goal in as many nights.

When a team cannot score, it cannot make up for mistakes. The Blues were unable to make up for these three.

A Bland Attack

While lack of speed through the neutral zone hindered the Blues attack over the weekend, the loss of David Perron and TJ Oshie and what they bring in the offensive zone cannot go unmentioned. Injuries have cost the two most creative players. The lack of said talents and abilities has created an automated monster in the offensive zone.

It’s almost like coding… cycle > cycle > cycle > strong side point > weak side point and shoot or dump to corner for continued cycle. Andy  Strickland put fingers to keyboard on TrueHockey.com before this blogger could, but details the same sequence and raises a good point regarding the Blues taking chances. They aren’t being taken. Part of the problem is that those healthy are not risk takers. Backes, Steen and McDonald
are all generally overly responsible with the puck.

The skilled players not attempting to make plays doesn’t open the door for others to step up and contribute. The result continues to be too few goals due to far too much play outside the defensive box.

Quick Hits vs. Dallas

- Alex Pietrangelo Rising: Added an assist to his 1 goal and 12 points in 22 games played total. TOI for the pair of games was a team leading 46:59.

- Erik Johnson not stepping up his game enough offensively. He continues to struggle to get shots through from the point. Primary due to a compulsion to use a slap shot he cannot get off quick enough. He does earn a few kudos for getting a few shots through. It’s a start. Someone send him some tapes of Kris Letang, from this season mind you.

- Goal scoring issues aside, Halak stopping just 40 out of 45 shots (.888 save percentage) is not enough nor is it up to his standards.

Taking on the Blackhawks

Contests between the Blues and Blackhawks are always a powder keg waiting to go off. On the ice and in the stands (at least in St. Louis). Meeting for the third time this season cheapens the late season experience. The two teams could easily be fighting for playoff contention in the final 20 games, yet due to the front loaded schedule they will only meet twice from February to the end of the regular season. Kind of a buzz kill for a renewing rivalry.
 
So far the season series is split with a win a piece and luckily two exciting games. One a come from behind victory for the Hawks and the other a coming out party of sorts for Alex Pietrangelo.

After early season struggles the Hawks have won 5 of their last 7 games. The Blues are going the opposite way. After a strong opening they’ve lost 4 of their last 7. Which trend will reverse and which will continue?

Lineup

Forwards

Alex Steen – Andy McDonald – Brad Boyes
Vladimir Sobotka – Patrik Berglund – David Backes
Brad Winchester – Jay McClement – BJ Crombeen/Matt D’Agostini
Chris Porter – TJ Hensick/Matt D’Agostini – Cam Janssen

- Head Coach Davis Payne ran an intense practice Monday. Obviously trying to shake out the dust between the ears and get his crew back on track. The big change came with Steen moving up to the top line left wing, McDonald moving back to center and Backes shifting to right wing.

- D’Agostini was the “extra”. While his play hasn’t been what it was, it’s still well ahead of Hensick’s. Still waiting for the “other TJ” to earn his due on the fourth line like D’Ags did and forced his way in to shifts with skilled players.

 
- Is Jay McClement as effective a player when he is not a dedicated shut down center? His play hasn’t been up to his ususal level lately.

Defense

Eric Brewer – Erik Johnson
Barret Jackman – Alex Pietrangelo
Carlo Colaiacovo – Tyson Strachan/Nikita Niktin

- Nothing new on the blueline. One of Nikitin and Strachan will be scratched. Neither really did anything “wrong” in the last game played. Toss a coin for a starter and watcher.

Goaltender

Jaroslav Halak didn’t see a ton of work over the weekend. However, the Washington Capitals are in St. Louis Wednesday. Perhaps rekindling some of his playoff magic? Do not be surprised to see Ty Conklin starting in Chicago tonight.

(UPDATE 12:15pm: Per Darren Pang Ty Conklin is starting for the Blues. Per Jeremy Rutherford Strachan and Hensick appear to be the scratches.

Blues News & Notes

David Perron is progressing. Albeit slowly. [STLToday.com]

On an off day before the Thanksgiving holiday, Blues players Barret Jackman and Alex Steen visited abandoned homes in North St. Louis in an attempt to rescue dogs  from abuse, neglect, starvation and in one’s case, even near-death. [Blues.NHL.com]

Kudos to 2010 First Round draft selection Jaden Schwartz on being named to the Canadian U-20 World Junior Selection Camp roster. Alas, no Brett Ponich.  [HockeyCanada.ca]

The US preliminary roster will be announced December 7th. [USAHockey.com]

Down to 16th in the power rankings. [TSN] Down to 17th in another. [ESPN]

A nice write up on a Dallas Stars fan’s visit to Scottrade Center and St. Louis, MO. [Defending Big D]

Opponent Insight

 
Today’s insight on the Chicago Blackhawks once again comes from Ryan Hackett of NHLHotStove.com. Follow Ryan on Twitter
at @hawknut.

The Hawks Goals Against/Game is unusually high for their standards. Is this a defense issue or a goaltending issue?
 
Seems to me it’s a defensive issue. The goaltending has been good thus far, and Corey Crawford has been getting much more help than Marty Turco.  Coach Joel Quenneville has also been tinkering with the lineups and has recently reunited Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook as the top defensive pair, and it has paid immediate dividends.

At basically the quarter mark, how do you evaluate this season’s forward depth/role players compared to last season’s?
 
They have fit in surprisingly well.  Guys like Viktor Stalberg, Fernando Pisani, and even Jack Skille have contributed offensively as well as taking some ice time against some of the opponents’ top lines. It’s weird, but it’s some of the big names that need to contribute on a more regular basis that is more of a concern than the depth players.

How important is Marian Hossa to the team?

Ironic you should ask that the same day he limps off the practice ice with a “lower-body injury”. His importance cannot be overstated. Not only is he an offensive force that is next to impossible to separate from the puck, but his backchecking is invaluable.

Patrick Sharp has basically become the top goal scorer in the Western Conference. What about his game that is so dangerous right now. How can he be stopped?
 
Sharp is seeing the ice with incredible vision right now. He has been much more successful on breakaways as well. Through 25 games he’s equaled 40% of his total shots on goal from last season. Getting the puck to the net is never a bad idea.

The Blackhaws will win if…

They do just what they’ve done over the majority of the recent road trip. It’s important to continue the smart defensive play, and their effective puck-possession game. They do NOT want to get tangled in an overly physical battle with the Blues, that’s for sure.

According to Second City Hockey, here are the Hawks expected forward lines and defensive pairings. However, ESPN Chicago says Marian Hossa was injured when he collided with Nick Boynton during practice Monday. According to Ryan, Jermey Morin has been recalled from Rockford. Answers the question about Hossa.

Viktor Stalberg – Jonathan Toews – Patrick Kane
Tomas Kopecky – Patrick Sharp – Marian Hossa (Jeremy Morin?)
Bryan Bickell – Dave Bolland – Fernando Pisani
Troy Brouwer – Jake Dowell – Jack Skille

Duncan Keith – Nick Boynton
Brent Seabrook – Nicklas Hjalmarsson
Brian Campbell – Jassen Cullimore

Corey Crawford is the expected starter.

Fantasy Impacts

Avoid the goaltending matchup, at least from a Chicago point of view. Crawford doesn’t have a history against the Blues to go off of. If you’re compelled to start him, hope Chicago’s improved defensive play continues. Not sold on that given how the Blues typically repond to Payne.

Halak owners should keep an eye out and Conklin shouldn’t be starting for anyone in fantasy… Save for an incredibly deep keeper league where every starter is taken.

If you picked up D’Agostini when he was hot, drop him for someone trending up. Not a game he is likely to get hot again in.

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As always you’re welcome to follow me on Twitter, @618_STLBlues or @BlueNoteZone and on Facebook, Hockey Independent – Blues Fan Page.