In the period leading up to Darryl Sutter being hired as the new Kings coach many were talking about his aggressive, heavy handed approach.  Yet, GM Dean Lombardi tried telling anybody who would listen at the team’s press conference last week, ‘He’s not a raving lunatic.’ In fact, to date, we haven’t seen much of the yelling and screaming that was so frequently advertised ahead of time.

One thing that has been noticeable though is his penchant for grabbing players on the bench. He practically yanked Jonathan Bernier right out of his skates following his first game behind the bench. Then, more recently, he’s been seen talking up Drew Doughty quite a bit.

So, what was he saying to the young defenseman during the game in Winnipeg?

“Just reinforcing what we’re trying to do,” said Sutter. “The skill set he has is pretty unique. So, getting him to maximize it. He was playing a lot of minutes. He played more last night than he did the night before. So we want to keep him mentally right there, every shift.”

When asked if he liked what he was seeing from Doughty vs. the Jets - compared to the four previous games - Sutter simply remarked, “He played 26 minutes.” Implying that if he had a problem with Doughty’s game, he wouldn’t have given him so much ice time.

Turning to Doughty now, here’s what he had to say about Sutter’s in-game chats on the bench…

“He’s always just trying to help. He’s never negative and if it is a negative thing that happened in the game, he’s telling you ‘If you do it right, you’re going to dominate that guy.’ So, it’s always a negative with a positive from him, which is a great thing. He really knows his game and he just wants you working hard. If you’re doing that, he’s not going to have any problems with you.”

Well, the talks certainly are working. Coming into the last game, Doughty had six points in the previous five – and the five game points streak was the longest of his career.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
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Life at the top is hard.

It doesn’t matter if you’re the CEO of a major corporation, a head coach in the NFL or the GM of the LA Kings.

The reason those people get paid big money is to make big decisions.

There’s a sign in Dean Lombardi’s office at the Kings training facility in El Segundo that reads ‘When bluffing, a pair of balls beats everything.’

In a press conference later today, Lombardi will officially appoint Darryl Sutter as the new head coach of the LA Kings. While that’s not a bluff of any sort, it took a brass set to make that decision. After all, Sutter has already been labled by some as a ‘retread,’ a ‘repeat of past mistakes’ and several other tired cliches.

Many have already stated other opinions about who Lombardi ‘should have’ hired. But, none of that matters now. So, let’s look at why Sutter is a good fit for the team.

First off, the familiarity. The Kings have 49 games left to play and if they’re shooting for the playoffs – which they are (and then some) – they need to start collecting points quickly. If this were the summer, perhaps the Kings could gamble on a young, unproven coach and play for the upside. However, Lombardi doesn’t have the luxury of playing with ‘house money’ right now. It’s nearly the middle of the season. Time’s a-wasting.

The new coach needs to hit the ground running and the GM doesn’t have time to get to know somebody new and understand their system and style as they move forward together. Time is of the essence. He needs to grab somebody, lock arms and jump in the foxhole. Thus, the devil you know is better than the one you don’t. Making Sutter one of the few guys to even get on the ‘short list.’

Second, winning. Ownership spent a lot of money this off-season and the time to win is now, right now – as in, this season. Younger, unproven names may be sexier to the average fan, but the resume of Darryl Sutter points out that he knows how to win in the NHL – not that he might be able to win. Sutter’s teams have won 40 or more games five times, he improved his record in San Jose four years running, he took the Flames to the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals and won his division with 103 points in his last year behind the bench (2005-06).

Finally, accountability. There is no denying that some – perhaps even the majority – of the Kings failings this year falls on the shoulders of the players. This team will live and die by the performance of 10 players – their top six forwards, plus Jarret Stoll, Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson and Jonathan Quick. Of that list, the only one you can immediately not fault is Quick. I would give Johnson a pass as well. His plus-minus rating has improved over past years, the goals are there too. The only thing he’s missing are the assists and we’ll say that’s more on the others for not scoring.

Which leaves guys like Doughty (two goals in 28 games), Anze Kopitar (two goals in his last 19 games), Dustin Penner (who seems to be heating up lately, but still), Justin Williams (two goals in his last 24 games), Simon Gagne (no goals in his last 14 games) and others with a heavy portion of the burden.

So, for all the talk about a ‘player’s coach’ or something similar, go back to what many of the players talked about before the season started – ‘This team has the talent to win the Western Conference.’ What they’ve shown is they need a coach to hold them accountable.

Lombardi went ‘all in’ this summer by making the trades and signings necessary to improve his roster. Now, he’s chosen to double-down with Sutter behind the bench.

Even if it’s not the decision you would have made, it’s a decision that’s easy to understand. And more importantly, probably gives them the best shot – or least as good as any other coach would – of saving the season.

Sutter’s first task as coach will be to lead today’s practice at 10:30am PST. Then, Bob Miller – the voice of the team for nearly 40 years – will host a press conference at 1pm PST, where Lombardi and Sutter will talk about what lies ahead for the Kings.

We’ll be on hand for all the festivities tomorrow, so be sure to follow along on twitter and/or facebook for live notes and quotes.

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

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The more the Calgary Flames continue to struggle the more team captain Jarome Iginla is popping up in the trade rumor mill.

Matt Hutter over at The Bleacher Report duly noted this as well as laying blame on Flames management for doing little in the off-season to improve the club before finishing by suggesting Iginla should demand a trade:

“Iginla wants to win a Stanley Cup, and given his age and the future of the franchise, he’s not going to win it in Calgary.

He’s suffered through Calgary’s shifts in power, leadership and personnel long enough.  What he needs to do is turn all this trade talk on its ear and walk into Daryl Sutter’s office with a list of teams he’d like to be traded to.”

Now we don’t know what’s going through Iginla’s mind at the present time but if we go by his off-season comments it’s unlikely he’s going to make any trade demands.

Last April Iginla poured cold water on the prospect of seeking a trade, telling the Calgary media his intention was to remain with the Flames and help them win a Stanley Cup.

He also said that when it came to waiving his “no-movement” clause the team would have to ask him to do so as he had no intention of making any trade requests or demands.

Of course it’s possible Iginla could change his mind. After all, he’s 33 and no longer the dominant power forward he once was, yet still has high trade value and if he were to land with a deep playoff contender like the LA Kings or perhaps playing with a superstar linemate like Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby (Iginla’s 2010 Winter Olympics linemate) his numbers would likely improve as he wouldn’t be relied upon to carry the entire offensive load as he presently is in Calgary.

But Iginla also has a reputation as a “stand-up” guy, and if he says he has no intention of waiving his movement clause unless the team asks him to, he means it.

One shouldn’t rule out the possibility – long though the odds still seem at this point – of the Flames trading Iginla, but such a move will have to come by their request, not his.

Lyle Richardson
Spector’s Hockey
www.spectorshockey.net

The Flames gave notice when they waived Kotalik that losing was no longer an option. But in a somewhat surprise move, they put Nigel Dawes on waivers. The Flames inform the media that his contract would be bought out if there was no claim. This move really confused me. Why waste someone with 14 goals? If he would have played full time, he would have scored 20 goals.

The Flames have been connected with all sorts of rumors, and these two moves had everyone talking and gossiping. People were throwing around Kovy’s, Spezza’s, and Carter’s names, to mention just a few. The Flames obviously need the top six forward, as they had no offensive game last season. I hear it’s hard to win without any goals. They are very disappointing in offensive goal production. I could go on with players’ names, but I would be here all day. The main problem was in the secondary scoring of the third and fourth lines.

So you think that maybe Iggy needs some help? Hagmen, Stajan, and Lankow have to improve. Those three forwards are not the only ones. Jbo was awful last season. He was simply terrible. The other problem was that the Flames have no center to go with Iggy. Their failure to fix this problem was their downfall, and they never recovered.

Welcome to bizarro world as you try to figure out exactly what went down on Canada Day.

So Mr. Daryl Sutter decided to go retro by signing Alex Tanguay, though that wasn’t the real surprise. The real surprise was bringing back center Olli Jokinen. Exactly what was he thinking bringing the Joker back to Calgary? May I ask if Jordan Leopold comes back next? So tell me, is Mr. Sutter sentimental about the classics? Or does he really feel that the Joker can play in Calgary again? I really do not mind the Tanguay signing. Tanguay can actually work quite well with Olli and Iggy. But when you think about it, if Olli can return to his old form, the Flames might have gotten a steal. The Flames’ final two signings were Raitis Ivanis for a 2 year deal at $1.2 million and Tim Jackman with a 2 year deal at $1.1 million. These two deals were simple depth moves for the fourth line.

What can be done to improve this team? Can we continue with the free-agent route? The problem is that to go that route, we will have to trade some bodies to make room for another free-agent. So who do we trade? Which of our players do we see as expendable? Let’s be the General Manager.

The strength of this team is obviously in the back end and the only problem is that Regehr has a no movement clause, meaning he has to waive any trade involving him. JBO I really do not believe is an option. Even if he was one, he has a no trade clause. Even with their strengths, they have obstacles to overcome in order to trade their defense. The other option is trading their young talent, which I do not believe Daryl has any interest in doing They could always trade White, but I really think the Flames would rather keep him as a cornerstone of the defense.

They could trade Moss or Glenncross. I don’t think the Flames would entertain trading Stajan after signing him a five-year contract. Hagman could be an option, but I really think that the Flames need his offensive punch in the top six forwards.

I really get the sense that Sutter is not done. I think there is another trade coming. The Flames will have some salary. I just don’t know who goes and who stays. Why don’t you give me your thoughts on what Sutter could be up to?

Until next time, take care.

Randy

I did not read one rumor which forecasted Dion Phaneuf going to the Maple Leafs. 

Not one. 

After checking with someone who reads more trade gossip than I… He concurred, not one mention of Phaneuf to the Leafs. 

It was speculated Phaneuf could be available but Toronto wasn’t mentioned as a destination. Obviously the Flames were floundering and Phaneuf appeared expendable. 

Almost always that’s the way it is. Word of a trade comes out after it is already done, not before. 

Big trades seldom happen these days and it is extremely difficult to find relevant information before a trade goes down. This weekend was a perfect illustration. 

Unfortunately my summer trade scenario featuring Cristobal Huet going to the Leafs is kaput. 

Certainly many ardent Toronto fans would rather have J.S. Giguere in the blue and white than Huet. 

After all Giguere is a former Stanley Cup winner and had more wins last season and a better save percentage than Huet. Well, one out of three will have to do for Leaf fans. 

The Leafs stabilized an important position with the acquisition of Giguere. 

But if I were keeping score Bob Murray got the best of his former boss. After all Giguere was only a back-up in Anaheim and was too highly paid to sit the bench. 

The Ducks did have to swallow the hefty contract of Jason Blake until 2012, but he should relish a change of scenery. Plus the Ducks are in desperate need of another goal scorer. 

Blake could feel like someone who received a pardon from the governor. He could flourish alongside Bobby Ryan or Ryan Getzlaf. 

As far as the other Maple Leaf trade, the Flames may have gotten got the better of that deal if they can re-sign UFA’s Matt Stajan,Niklas Hagman and Ian White. I think White could be a solid dman for years to come. But the Leafs did get a well thought of prospect in Keith Aulie. 

Interesting the Flames would trade big Dion for many players not signed beyond this season. 

One has to wonder if another big fish is on Darryl Sutter’s radar screen because he will have available cap space this summer. 

Phaneuf was too costly to be the fourth best defender on the Flames. With the emergence of Mark Giordano and the acquisition of Jay Bouwmeester, Phaneuf was expendable. 

The Flames needed a jump start to make the playoffs and the Leafs want to desperately fast forward their rebuilding process. 

If Phaneuf can become an All Star blueliner in Toronto everyone may have gotten what they needed. Both teams were desperate to make improvements and they took action. 

The Blackhawks at this point are far from desperate to do anything. 

The Hawks don’t need to shed salary yet. Actually they might be able to acquire another defenseman without trading anyone off the current roster. 

Concerning the possibility of a Blackhawks trade happening soon… 

There is a chance something will happen before the Olympic break.  This will be so if the acquired player will not be representing his country in late February. 

Why would any general manager take the chance now of acquiring a player who could get injured during the Olympics? 

Right now the Leafs appear the only team to be in aggressive trade mode. 

As far as Blackhawk fans are concerned, those who are waiting for a blockbuster deal should take a deep breath. 

As of today the Hawks are near the head of the class in the Western Conference. Stan Bowman will be very cautious before making any trades. The Hawks could use a tweak or two, primarily depth on defense. 

If Dave Bolland is only a shadow of his former self when returning that could change Bowman’s intent. According to reports Bolland is pain free and is almost ready to return to action. 

For now, additional defensemen which would add some skill, muscle and insurance against injury will be on Bowman’s shopping list. 

For the most part very little is likely to happen around the NHL before the Olympic break because there are so many teams still in the payoff hunt. If the Hawks do make an acquisition soon it will likely be for a player not slated to attend the Olympics. 

Even though all the general mangers will have a lot of time to negotiate over the Olympic break, there my not be more deadline trades than last season. If the standings stay as congested through February teams will be reluctant to turn sellers. 

Certain franchises are in desperate need to keep ticket sales strong throughout the remainder of the season. If they appear to throw in the towel there will be more empty seats. It is a tricky call for many clubs. Teams like the Islanders, Thrashers and the Blues may stay on the cusp of the playoff picture and will choose to be buyers rather than sellers. 

If not for the Olympics factor, the Hawks may choose to trade sooner than later. 

The reason being supply and demand….there could be less sellers and teams which will be buyers will have to pay up. 

So if the Blackhawks make a deal before mid February, the likely trade partners will be those out of playoff picture. Today that short list includes Toronto, Carolina and possibly Edmonton. The Oilers are a Western Conference foe but the Hawks might trade with them as well. 

The short list of available UFA defensemen would include… 

Carolina….Joe Corvo (on IR since early December), Aaron Ward, Niclas Wallin (who has a no trade clause). 

Oilers….Jason Strudwick 

Toronto…Garnet Exelby 

Tomas Kaberle trade rumors have come and gone repeatedly.

As one hockey lifer who worked for Brian Burke told me awhile back…Burkie holds true to his word. 

That sentiment rang true when he dealt Ilya Bryzgalov to the Coyotes for almost nothing. Burke promised he would find a place for him to play as a starter if things didn’t work out in Anaheim. Burke got little in return but kept his promise to Bryzgalof. 

Kaberle is Burke’s last big trading chip to use in acquiring early round draft picks.

The Hawks have never had a real interest in Kaberle, from what I have heard. 

Kaberle has a no trade clause and Burke has repeatedly stated he won’t ask him to waive it. Unless Kaberle has the inclination to leave Toronto before March he will stay put. Most likely he isn’t leaving.

Kaberle has a better shot from the point than Brain Campbell and that is his only advantage. Although Kaberle is skillful he plays the game softer than any Hawk defenseman. 

That type of player isn’t needed in Chicago. 

In my opinion, the player most likely to come to the Blackhawks from my list above is Exelby. But not because of hearing any whispers. Exelby would fill a need and is available. 

The list of expendable Chicago players is really not very long. 

In my view the most likely being Cam Barker, Tomas Kopecky and to a lesser degree Brent Sopel. The player with the most trade value is Barker and his playing time has lessened. 

Barker could still be suffering from the effects of an injury as he hasn’t been used very often since his return. Against the Hurricanes, he barely saw ten minutes of ice time. 

Maybe Barker is still hurt….Or possibly he is being phased out. 

If Dave Bolland is healthy it may make more sense to deal Kopecky and just add to the defense. The only member of the fourth line Joel Quenneville would probably be ok with trading is Kopecky. 

Ben Eager fills a need with his size and speed. 

In some ways Colin Fraser is one of the most overlooked players on the club, but probably not to the head coach. He has made himself a much better player because he can now win faceoffs. 

Fraser has been used as a substitute for Patrick Kane in key moments. 

When Toews’ line is on for a big faceoff in the defensive zone Fraser can sub in. If Toews gets tossed from the faceoff, Frasor can then take the draw. He is also one of the better penalty killers on the team. 

That leads some to point a finger at Andrew Ladd as the one to be scratched or shipped out when Bolland returns. 

I say no… 

Ladd is a Stanley Cup winner that can play effectively on lines two through four. He has been playing good, physical hockey. 

It may surprise some, but Ladd was one of  the top goal scorers on the last road trip. If Quenneville has a say, Ladd will probably be staying in Chicago for the next few months, if not longer. 

The list of potential trade partners for Chicago at the current time isn’t long. There could be some chance the Rangers or Canadiens could also be looking to shake things up. But really there are not many teams in sell mode today. 

Although Bowman doesn’t have many from his current roster he would be willing to give up, he does have some younger players.  He could trade someone like Jack Skille or maybe a couple of others in the system if the right deal presented itself. 

For those Blackhawks fans anxiously awaiting a blockbuster deal….chillax. 

The time to work into trade frenzy mode will be after the Stanley Cup finals and before the NHL draft. 

That will be a much more interesting time to discuss trade scenarios.  

Al’s Shots 

For the record my Blackhawk trade forecasting has run the gamut from very good to bad. 

A few years ago I wrote the Hawks would most likely find another home for Adrian Aucoin, Jassen Cullimore and Tony Salmelainen. 

Back then most thought there was little chance Dale Tallon could unload the trio. 

I never had the destination whispered to me, only that the Hawks were trying very hard to move them that summer.

That turned out to be correct. 

I was also tipped….That if Kyle Beach was available when the Hawks selected they would draft him. 

I wrote that just before the draft and it turned out to be correct. 

In connecting the dots over the years….speculating…. 

I have had Cam Barker traded a few times….all wrong. 

Last season at the trade deadline my thinking was the Hawks would grab Steve Montador and Dominic Moore. 

I had heard the Hawks were in on the Montador sweepstakes but it never happened and he went to Boston. 

Moore supposedly was almost signed and delivered to the Hawks but the trade fell through at the last minute…so the story goes. 

It’s fun to speculate. 

Just remember there is a difference between having a legitimate source and trade speculation. 

In the Phaneuf trade I didn’t read any speculation he was going to the Leafs. 

No rumors or speculation that the Leafs and Flames would dance. 

Giguere to the Leafs was discussed but never a front burner issue until right before the trade went down. There were many reasons to speculate that trade would happen. 

blackhawkswin@comcast.net

I asked HendricksHockey’s Hockey Insider for some rumors back last week. He gave me a blog 2 days ago, but it sat in my inbox because of a work deadline.

Lo and behold…his Phaneuf call came true. Calgary was desperate to move him.

So here it is…

Hey all, Hockey Insider here from HendricksHockey.com; Big thanks to Hockey Independant for the invite to write a piece for all you hockey nuts! Now for the rumors and speculation;

-Ray Whitney is on the trade block and im 90% sure he will be dealt this season. If the Kings cannot land Kovalchuk i feel very confident Whitney will land in L.A. this season. There are up to 4 teams not including the Kings that have interest.

-Dion Phanuef has been rumored to possibly be on his way out of Calgary, a unamed G.M. has also came out and said the Flames are “desperate to move him” but my sources feel Phanuef will stay put unless a deal blows them out of the water.

-Sheldon Souray is not a lock to be moved this season; Yes, the Oilers are exploring all options so it looks as though it is more likely he gets dealt, but the problem is the $5.5 million dollar contract that goes along with him. That being said, Im told the Bruins have and quote “been in the most consistent contact with the Oilers regarding him” so if he is moved the Bruins look to be the frontrunners at this time.

-It looks like Kovalchuk will not reamin a Thrasher, the Kings are the frontrunners, but they are up to 5 more teams that are “serious” about squiring the Russian sniper.

-Halak is not being shopped and will not be moved at this time, it is possible that closer to the trade deadline he gets moved but my sources say “not at this time”(I think he will not get moved period). Not to mention he has better stats than Price this season…

-There have been rumors that the Canucks have been scouting David Backes; This is for sure…the Blues do not plan to trade Backes and wont. My sources feel Paul Kariya and Jay McClement are two players the Canucks may be looking at.

-The Wild are trying to find Petr Sykora a new home, but there are no takers at this time.

-Dont be surprised if Peter Mueller is dealt by the deadline. No question that many teams will be interested.

Feel free to visit HendricksHockey.com and follow me on twitter; NHLSourcesSay

The Caps ended their second 6 game winning streak of the season against the Sabres on Wednesday and will be looking to begin a winning streak anew against divisional foes, the Carolina Hurricanes.

Washington, entering tonight’s game at the Verizon Center as the top ranked club in the NHL, have cruised through the first 30 games of the season without much difficulty despite enduring an endless run to the infirmary. In keeping with that trend, the Caps will welcome back Mike Knuble to the lineup tonight after a month long absence due to a broken finger. Knuble’s presence will further insulate what is already the most potent offense in the NHL and will give the Caps that big body presence in front of the opposition’s net since Knuble went down with his injury. Also returning to the lineup will be Mathieu Perreault, Milan Jurcina, and (likely) brand new papa, Matt Bradley.

The Hurricanes have also welcomed back a big part of their franchise as Cam Ward returned to the Carolina net against the Devils on Wednesday. Ward, who has basically missed the last five weeks with a laceration to his leg will finally provide the Canes with a stable presence on the back-end and, very likely, a renewed sense of confidence.

That said, the Canes are currently the worst team in the NHL, boasting a mere 19 points and are 8 points behind the 29th ranked team, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Washington will bring an astounding, and league-leading, 111 goals in 31 games to the ice tonight, while the Hurricanes arrive in DC with the second-worst goals for total with only 72 goals scored in 30 games. The Hurricanes have also allowed the second most goals against so far this year, having allowed 109 goals against. Cam Ward’s return should likely help stem the amount of goals the Carolina has let in, but with so many injuries(Cole, Samsanov, Corvo, Larose and Wallin), the ‘Canes will be hard-pressed against a fully loaded Capitals offense tonight.

Speaking of the fully-loaded offense, Washington now has 8 top six forwards in the lineup and Bruce Boudreau will be in tough to give everyone the ice-time they all want, but with so many dangerous weapons in the lineup, the Caps should have no problem throwing wave after wave of offense at the ‘Canes.

Brian Pothier is out of the lineup tonight with a rib injury so Milan Jurcina will skate in his place.

Mathieu Perreault will also return after sitting out due to food poisoning.

Semyon Varlamov is now on the IR and will not return until, most likely, the end of the Caps upcoming road trip. In the meantime, Jose Theodore will start tonight, so expect Michal Neuvirth to get another shot in nets tomorrow night when the Caps head off to Toronto to face the Leafs.

With a perfect record of 7-0-0 against the Southeast Division, Washington will want to keep up their perfect pace and make up for their weak performance against the Sabres. Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin have been on and off since their respective returns from injury, but with more diversions in the lineup, expect these two to start piling up the points.

Finally, one thing to keep an eye on tonight will be how Hurricanes defenseman Tim Gleason and Alex Ovechkin play against one another. The last time these two teams met, Ovechkin ended up with a 2 game suspension for kneeing Gleason and a media circus of focus then ensued as OV was bombarded with questions of whether he would change his style of play or not. Obviously Ovechkin isn’t switching up his style for anyone, so expect OV to leave everything on the ice tonight against Gleason and the Hurricanes. I wouldn’t count on there being any fireworks, but, for what it’s worth, it’s definitely something to keep an eye on.

Game Notes

Welcome back Mike – Forward Mike Knuble is expected to return to the Washington lineup tonight after missing the last 12 games with a broken finger. Knuble has five goals and 10 assists in 19 games this season and was in a groove before his injury. In his last four games before the injury he had two goals and four assists. If he plays tonight, Knuble will add a big body to an already potent offense. The Caps lead the NHL in goals (111) and power play (24.2%).

Southeastern breeze –The Capitals enter tonight’s game with a 7-0-0 record against the Southeast Division, the only team in the NHL with a perfect divisional record. Washington only plays two Southeast Division games between now and Jan. 9 – both at home against Carolina.
 

Odd man out –Wednesday night’s shutout loss to Buffalo, in Washington’s 31st game, was the first time the Capitals have been shut out this season and the first time they did not have a lead at some point in a game. It was just the third time they trailed after the first period and the first of those three games that they did not come back to win.

 Top of the world –The Capitals enter Friday’s game with an NHL-leading 44 points through 31 games, just the second time they have led the NHL standings this late in a season (also 1991-92). They posted their best record through 30 games in franchise history and lead the league in goals (108), power play (24.2%) and fewest regulation losses (6).

 Roll halted –Washington had a six-game winning streak snapped Wednesday night, its second such streak of the season. The Capitals are the only team in the NHL with two winning streaks of six games or more this season. The Capitals have had a seven-game winning streak in each of Bruce Boudreau’s first two seasons behind the bench.

 Kill joy –Washington ranks just 20th in the NHL on the penalty kill (79.2%) but the Capitals have been solid while shorthanded at home. They have the third-best home penalty kill (86.5%) and have killed off 16-of-18 shorthanded situations (88.9%) in the last six home games. In their last five games overall the Caps have killed off 17-of-19 shorthanded situations (89.5%).
Strangers in a strange land –Friday night marks Washington’s only home game in an eight-game, 19-day span. Washington is 9-2-3 at home, 10-4-3 on the road. Once the Capitals return from next week’s Western Conference road trip they will play 12 of their next 19 games at home.

 

For more on tonight’s matchup, including lineups, click here.

Enjoy the game! Puck drop is @ 7pm.

www.twitter.com/StevenHindle

stevenhindle@hotmail.com

Go Caps!!!!!

• The fourth line of Prust/Nystrom/Sjostrom was excellent all night long and they were used! Under Iron Mike, any time things went back for the Flames last year he’d throw whichever line had Iginla on it over the boards, even if it was that line at the root of the problems. B Sutter didn’t do that on Thursday and with the fourth line having the ability to play a solid ten minutes like they did against the Canucks, here’s hoping he doesn’t. Especially since Prust (a personal favourite before he was dealt to Phoenix) is willing to step up for any teammate and give—or more frequently, take—a beating if he feels there’s liberties being taken with teammates. That’s something the Flames missed last year after dealing him away and it’s good to see he’s returned to be part of an effective fourth line.
• While it fell apart towards the second half of the game, the Flames system is something I like already. As with the Devils in previous seasons, I suspect it will take the first month of the season for the Flames to get B Sutter’s system down to the point where they can respond without thinking. Also, using the umbrella on the powerplay and setting up Bouwmeester or Phaneuf up for a shot is going to make a huge difference to special team effectiveness. Keenan didn’t have a powerplay system and famously didn’t practice it. Moving away from that will probably help the Flames add some goals with the man-advantage and help the team scoring. Speaking of which…
• It’s amazing to read and listen things coming from outside Calgary, which think the Flames are going to have big troubles with secondary scoring. While I suspect they’re may be some drop-off the talk is way overblown and shows ignorance of the team. A full season of Olli Jokinen will make up for a lot goals of Mike Cammalleri. Add in Bouwmeester who can easily surpass Aucoin’s totals from last season and then things aren’t as desperate as people try to paint. Even the loss of Bertuzzi’s secondary scoring is overrated. For the 15 goals he scored as a Flame, his frustrating defensive play, tendency to take terrible penalties and slothfulness were a bigger issue. If Dustin Boyd, Curtis Glencross and Nigel Dawes have seasons close to or slightly better than their ok outputs of last season that more than makes up for any offensive deficiency that Calgary is suppose to have.  That’s without even mentioning the benefits of improved defense will have on the overall club.

Game 2: Flames @ Edmonton Oilers

Calgary heads up the QE2 highway tonight to help a slightly renovated Edmonton Oilers club open their season. It’s the Oilers’ home opener and the late game on Hockey Night In Canada so the crowd should be pretty lively. As if Flames and Oilers games needed more reason to be entertaining.

Better Know Your Enemy:

The Oilers have added a new coach and signed a 36 year old goaltender with back troubles for four seasons and added a couple of decent coaches, but the moldy core of last year’s team still remains. Their forwards remain undersized and they lack a player to play on the first line to compliment Ales Hemsky. Their defense can provide some offence, especially if Sheldon Souray is allowed to charge up his shot, but they’re prone to running around in front of their own net. Not the best trait in a corps that costs just $2.5 million less this season than the Flames much steadier defense.