By Alexander Monaghan
President

Photo Credit: Cheryl Lemanski

Every year the formula changes.

After last season, general managers around the League believed they could cut costs with their netminder since rookie Antti Niemi and journeyman Michael Leighton backstopped their respective teams into the Finals. The season before that, we thought every championship team needed two elite centers (still valid) and the year before that the League emphasized skill and puck possession.

The winning formula changes every season whether it be a high-tempo offense with a blue line full of puck movers (Carolina Hurricanes) or a gritty team from the back end out full of high-end skill (Anaheim Ducks).

Once again, the formula will change.

Take this year’s combatants — the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks.  Both teams have strong depth up front and on D. Each team also has an elite-level goaltender in Roberto Luongo and Tim Thomas. However, the Canucks and Bruins play a completely different style as Head Coach Alain Vigneault features highly skilled offensive players who are defensively responsible and Claude Julien is more comfortable keeping the games tight and relying on his Vezina Trophy winner and a couple of All-Star defensemen and elite two-way forwards.

Of the two, only the Canucks really compare to the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks when you consider their sheer top-to-bottom depth. Considering after their salary cap purge the current Blackhawks team almost defeated the heavily favored Canucks, they could be the most dominant team to win a Cup in the post-lockout era.

But how do the two compare?

How they got there:

The Canucks almost blew a 3-0 series lead, allowing the Blackhawks to force a Game 7, and then force an overtime within the game. Less dramatically, they would defeat the Nashville Predators in six games (but could have clinched in five) and made short work of the San Jose Sharks in five. Now, against the Bruins they hold a 1-0 lead in the series with hopes of going back to Boston with a two-game lead.

By comparison, the Blackhawks took the Predators in six, Canucks in six, swept the Sharks and then took the Cup in six games against the Philadelphia Flyers. While the Predators and Canucks both proved to be worthy adversaries, they never pushed the team to the brink of elimination — something the ‘Nucks came face-to-face with in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. They seemed to be the most dominant team in the playoffs, which is something both this year’s tournament lacked as the Bruins faced Game 7 twice as well.

In terms of ease, the Blackhawks take this round.

Photo Credit: Matt Boulton from Vancouver, Canada

Head Coach:

Prior to last season, Joel Quenneville never won a Stanley Cup. After successful campaigns with the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche, the grizzled Head Coach made his way to Chicago in order to push them over the top. His success in the postseason gave him appeal to a young, up-and-coming team as he captured the game’s greatest trophy after only two seasons with the Blackhawks organization. His lowest winning percentage for any full season he coached was over 53 percent, making him a highly regarded bench boss.

Vigneault now enters his fifth season in charge of the Canucks and has won the Northwest Division four out of those five years. Unlike Quenneville, four of his nine years he missed the playoffs and he came to Vancouver after four relatively poor seasons in Montreal (missed playoffs three of four seasons). He was nominated for the Jack Adams Trophy while with the Canadiens but was fired the season after since the team once again missed the tournament.

Considering both coaches never won the Cup prior to their current teams, neither typically has an advantage. However, Quenneville held more past success which gives him the slight nod here again.

Photo Credit: Iwona Erskine-Kellie from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Forwards:

Depth, depth and more depth. Not the kind traded for at the deadline like stopgaps Maxim Lapierre or Christopher Higgins.  This Blackhawks team had the high-end talent in Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews and the complementary players in Kris Versteeg, Dustin Byfuglien, Troy Brouwer, Dave Bolland and Andrew Ladd. Couple them with gritty defensive forwards like John Madden, Tomas Kopecky, Adam Burish and Ben Eager and we can determine that this could be one of the strongest groups of forwards assembled in the post-lockout era. Even with an implosion which severed ties with Versteeg, Byfuglien, Ladd, Madden, Burish and Eager the Blackhawks still clawed their way back into the playoffs which emphasizes just how good this team was last year.

Similarly, the Canucks have elite talent in The Sedin Twins and Ryan Kesler. Alex Burrows might even be able to force his way into that equation considering just how affective he has been in this year’s show. They also boast some tough defensive forwards like Jannik Hansen, Raffi Torres, Tanner Glass and Lapierre. Their calvary has been adequate in Higgins, the now-injured Mikael Samuelsson and regular season whipping boy Mason Raymond but the bottom end is one of uncertainty and inconsistency. Vigneault has rotated Victor Oreskovich, Jeff Tambellini, Alex Bolduc and Cody Hodgson in an attempt to find a perfect medium. Perhaps the return of Manny Malhotra could alleviate this issue.

Regardless, the Blackhawks take this by a mile as the top-end talent is there but the depth is simply not comparable.

Defensemen:

Photo Credit: CANUCKS HOCKEY BLOG

Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith set the tempo as a perfect combination of ying and yang last season. Both mobile defenders, Seabrook’s intelligence allowed Keith to pick his spots in the offensive zone. Their stability allowed the second pairing of Niklas Hjalmarsson and Brian Campbell to flourish and make up for the third pairing of Nick Boynton, Brent Sopel and Jordan Hendry. When all of these guys were on their game, they had Keith at over 28 minutes, Seabrook 24 and Hjalmarsson 21 with no other blue liner surpassing 20 minutes.

This may be where the Canucks first hold an advantage as they boast six quality defenders and three others capable of playing decent minutes. Their top pairing of Christian Ehrhoff and Alexander Edler fits very well with the Sedins while Dan Hamhuis and Kevin Bieksa have formed a formidable shutdown pairing. The bottom set features some combination of Sami Salo and either Keith Ballard or Aaron Rome with mean d-man Andrew Alberts waiting to get into games. If Vigneault opts for a more mobile substitute, rookie Chris Tanev seemed up for the challenge in his limited playing time.

While the Blackhawks arguably have a higher end, the Canucks feature a more well rounded attack with the option of choosing mobility or snarl. Nobody has a more established top six in the League at this moment which gives the Canucks their first edge in the comparison.

Starting Goalies:

Niemi won the backup job from now-current starter Corey Crawford and then overtook Cristobal Huet for the starting gig in late March. As a veritable unknown, the Finnish rookie managed to get the job done despite what was considered a sub-par performance in the Finals. His success was questioned after winning as his arbitration reward earned him a ticket out of Chicago and into San Jose, where he would once again flourish. Due to his rookie status, the Blackhawks were able to win with a very tight budget which spawned the “don’t pay for goalies theory.” With two Vezina Trophy finalists vying for a championship, that theory has been debunked.

Luongo happens to be one of those finalists as he attempts to prove he can be the best goalie in the world. After toiling on the awful New York Islanders and Florida Panthers, Luongo was expected to win quickly and often in Vancouver. So far he somewhat disappointed fans after losing consistently to the Blackhawks in the playoffs but his ability to step up in big games like Game 7 of this year’s first round and in the Olympics last year has given him the confidence to try and take Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Elite netminder vs. raw rookie? Luongo and the Canucks take this one.

Photo Credit: Matt Boulton from Vancouver, Canada

Special Teams:

The Blackhawks got the job done with a 22.5 percent success rate on the powerplay and a 83.3 percent penalty kill. Their PP ranked fifth in the League but only second in the Western Conference while the PK ranked fourth but first amongst their Conference peers. While not necessarily dominating, the special teams was not a problem on either end which allowed them to continue their winning ways.

On the other hand, the Canucks PP has been a strength as they rank third in the League with a 25.8 percent success rate. The powerplay has been able to adapt from the hard-working Predators to the shot-blocking Sharks with ease making it a force to be reckoned with. Their penalty kill, however, has been a bit worse, succeeding at a 82.3 rate. Considering they lack actual shutdown forwards, players like Kesler and Burrows are forced to take on even more minutes.

The Canucks hold a better PP but the Blackhawks could shut them down better. Push.

The Bottom Line:

As both Jeff Quirin and Dave Strehle predicted, the Canucks should wrap up this series. Of course, we likely counted the Bruins out of the playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens, the Flyers and the Tampa Bay Lightning so anything can happen. As far as comparability to last year’s formula, the ‘Nucks are the closest thing to last year’s Blackhawks but the latter takes the small edge due to depth up front, more experience behind the bench and ease in getting to where they need to go.

Feel free to post in the comments your thoughts on the matter as this article is merely the tip of the iceberg, not a definitive conclusion.

If the preseason was any indication as to what the Canadiens were going to get out of Carey Price, it seemed as if the trading of Jaroslav Halak was a gamble that Pierre Gauthier, Bob Gainey and company would need a hotline to dial in to in order to make up for the problem.

After an extremely dismal start to the pre-season, Price seems to have smoothed into his role of starter in Montreal. In his first three games with the Habs, he seems to be getting more and more comfortable in front of the net, playing his best game of the (4 game) season on October 13th, a loss to Tampa Bay that no one can peg on Price. Although his play isn’t yet the play of star goaltender’s play, he seems to be demonstrating a lot more desire to play, play hard, and win than he did last season. His demeanor on the ice, off the ice, and during post-game interviews all seem to indicate that Price has learned a lot from being pushed back to second goalie for the Habs last season. Yet, because Montrealers have such a short memory when it comes to remembering good things about goalies, but have an excellent long-term memory when remembering things that a goalie has done wrong, Price still has a ways to go before conquering the heart of Habs fans completely.

How about we go back and take a look at the events that have punctuated Carey Price‘s short NHL career, and try to see what the future may hold for the aspiring goaltender.

June 2005: Le Canadien de Montréal draft, then, 18 year old Carey Price in the first round, 5th overall. A shock to some but for Bob Gainey, this was the kid he wanted hoping one day to shine in the glory of netminders past. Scouting reports had this on him

Price, a hybrid-style goaltender, relies primarily on lightning quick reflexes to guard the upper portion of the net and a 6’2 frame that tends to cover much of the lower half of the goal. While he is superb at delivering rebounds to the corners, he is prone to occasionally throwing them back into the slot. Price will need to improve his mental composition as well, as he is as guilty as any goaltender in the league in regards to lapses in concentration.

Price’s great size covers a lot of the net, giving little for shooters to look for. While he is sometimes out of position, a good goaltender coach could teach him a lot here. Very good at reading plays, Price moves laterally well both on his feet and in the butterfly, though at time overcommits on plays. His glove hand is tremendous, and his puckhandling is a strong point.

- Jay Thompson, WHL 2005 Prospects, featured article on www.hockeysfuture.com, http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/7211/whl2005_prospects/. Visited October 26, 2010 (thanks so much to my fellow writer Mike Stelcner for the source).

2006-2007: Price remains in Tri-City and posts a 30-13-1 record, winning the title of CHL goaltender of the year. Following his team’s early playoff exit, the Habs sign him, and he quickly joins the Canadien’s AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs just in time for their playoff run. Price went on to show fans why he was drafted 5th overall, leading his team to a Calder cup championship, putting up sparkling numbers in the process. But the highlight of his 2006-2007 season was his gold medal during the junior world championship, where he was named tournament MVP and “Top Goaltender.”

2007-2008: Price brought up to backstop Cristobal Huet, but when Huet is traded on the trade deadline, Habs’ then-GM Bob Gainey sent a clear message to all Montrealers: Carey Price was the new #1. Price went on to play in 41 games, recording a 24-12-3 record and 3 shutouts. But it’s during the playoffs that Price won over the heart of Montrealers. Playing against the 8th seeded Boston Bruins, Price records a 1-0 shutout against his division rivals, becoming the franchise’s first goalie since Roy to register a shut-out in the playoffs. Le Canadien went on to win the first series 4-3, before losing in the second round to the Flyers.

Both the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 seasons started with heavy expectations on the young goaltender. Yet both seasons were highly disappointing for Price, and many started to heavily question Gainey’s decision to pick Price as a 1st rounder when he could have acquired players like Anze Kopitar (drafter 11th overall by the Kings), Gilbert Brule or Marc Staal.

The worst for Price was to come during the 2009-2010 season, during which he was eventually relinquished to the backseat following Jaroslav Halak’s very impressive play. Price played in only one full game during the playoffs, a loss. Halak was the new hero, and Montrealers had all but given up on getting “the Price is right” again.

Yet, here we are again, at the beginning of a new NHL season, and Price is once again the go-t0 man in front of the net. It seems that all goaltending-related events come as a great surprise to the Montreal faithful. From the Huet trade to the Habs letting Halak go, Montrealers have been through a very wide range of emotions lately, trying to figure out which goalie is actually here to stay.* But the message is clear now: Price is #1, and it’s going to be up to him to “Carey” the Habs for the years to come. So how is this shaping up for the Canadiens this season?

The answer is honestly still in the making. Price is still a young player (23 years old), and he has been through more ups and downs than most goalies in the league can boast. In just four short seasons in the league, he has already been named savior of the team (during the 2007 playoffs, his nickname was “jesus Price”), and he has already been jeered multiple times by the fans, one particular event resulting in a Patrick Roy-style reaction. If there is anything that can be said about the young man, it’s that his determination and mental strength are admirable.

Yet it isn’t determination and mental strength alone that will make a team win games. What about his play, you ask? Well here is what I think about his play and attitude up to now.

• Price is much more mature and accountable about his, and the team’s, play. His post-game interviews have become much more honest, open and critical. The old Price who just didn’t seem to care at all about what was going on seems to be gone, and he is replaced by a wiser, more critical goaltender who knows when to criticize and when to praise. He seems to have actually understood the responsibility he holds as the #1 goalie, and this is very important for any team who wants a chance at the cup.
• Although Price always seems to begin a season as the starter, I believe that it is only now that he has realized that his position can be taken away from him. The fact that Halak became the starter last season was probably a shock to Carey, who had, up to then, enjoyed a solid hold on the #1 spot. Now that he’s felt what it’s like to be pushed out of the spotlight, I think Carey is just that much more determined to stay in it. He has rediscovered that drive to win, one could say.
• On his performances up to date: Price is getting more and more solid every game. He certainly has had his share of fluky goals and shaky periods, but a .916 S% and 2.27 GAA don’t lie: Carey is putting up solid numbers. Although he has only played 7 games, his game seems to be getting more comfortable. I believe his worst game of the season was against the Devils on October 21st, a 3-0 shutout for Martin Brodeur where Price let in 2 very fluky, probably-should-have-been-saves goals. Yet he redeemed himself quickly with a shutout performance the the ensuing game versus the Senators.
• Yet the road is still long for Price. He is often caught out of position, and there are still goals that he is letting in that just shouldn’t. Fluky goals do happen occasionally, but Price has been letting too many in. He needs to work on keeping his eyes on the puck, and better communicating with his D-men.
• He also needs to watch out for his rebound control and puck handling. Excessive puck handling has sometimes bitten Price in the butt, so he has to make sure that he is well aware of his surroundings before trying to emulate Martin Brodeur.
• Finally, although Price seems to have developed significantly over the last year, he is still a young goalie, which means that he is still prone to making “rookie” mistakes. He may be an established goaltender in the league now, but, as Price learned last season, he still has to work to keep the job. There are extremely few chances that Alex Auld ever take over the #1 spot in Montreal as Halak did, so there isn’t an immense pressure from that side, but I do believe that being sidelined last year was one of the best things that could have happened to Price.

The future for the young goaltender is still undefined, but for now, it isn’t looking to bad. It’s like they say: when the going gets tough, it’s the tough who get going. Now that the pressure is on, and the going is tough, will Carey Price get going? Only time will tell!

Christopher Nardi
NHLHS Montreal Canadiens Correspondent
cnardi@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @dragonlancehuma

“Clearly Chicago was going to have cap problems and clearly he wasn’t even the No. 1 goalie,” Bartlett said. “And they walked away from their No. 1 goalie (in arbitration) for half the price. I don’t think it took a whole lot of introspection to figure out that we were headed on the fast track to nowhere as far as playing for Chicago this season.”

He of the signature red pads heading across the pond

If the regular season or the 2010 Winter Olympic games were not enough proof for you, then I truly hope you have been tuning in to these 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.

You are witnessing the evolution of a prime time netminder.

After a rough opening to each series heading into these Eastern Conference Finals for the Montreal Canadiens, one man has been there to bail his club out on a constant basis.

Jaroslav Halak was born on May 13, 1985 in Bratislava, Slovakia.

The Montreal Canadiens drafted Halak in the 9th round, 271st overall during the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He was drafted in similar fashion to San Jose Sharks netminder Evgeni Nabokov, who was also a ninth round selection.  Like Nabokov, Halak has made the most of his time as an NHL goaltender.

Currently he is the catalyst to the Habs fantastic, Cinderella story playoff run as they are trailing the Philadelphia Flyers two games to one in their best of seven Eastern Conference Finals series.

For Halak, the dream began at the age of 17 where he played for Bratislava of the Slovakian junior league. The very next season he made the jump to the Slovak Extraliga where he appeared in 12 games for HC Slovan Bratislava. He put up amazing numbers in his 12 games posting a 1.66 goals against average and a .942 save percentage.

It was time for Halak to make the jump to North America.

In 2004-05 Halak was part o the Lewiston Maineiacs of the QMJHL where he appeared in 47 games for the junior team. He posted a record of 24-17-4 with a 2.78 goals against average and a .913 save percentage.  Numbers that would reflect the start of a promising future for number 41.

Adapting to the North American style and ice surfaces, which are quite different when compared to European rinks and league style, did not take long for Halak.

From the QMJHL to the ECHL, Montreal was allowing Halak the proper time to develop as a player. His numbers improved from his QMJHL season, and before he knew it, Halak was part of the Hamilton Bulldogs, the Montreal Canadiens AHL affiliate.

The 2006-07 season with Hamilton would see Halak’s numbers improve even more. He appeared in 28 games for the Bulldogs with a record of 16-11.  However, Halak posted a spectacular 2.00 goals against average and an outstanding .932 save percentage.

On February 15, 2007, after an injury to goaltender Cristobal Huet, Halak was called up to the main roster.

Halak appeared in his first NHL game on February 18, 2007. He stopped 31 shots in a 3–2 road win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Prior to his call up that year, he had the lowest goals against average in the AHL with Hamilton.

On March 20, 2007, Halak had another thrilling thirty save performance helping the Montreal Canadiens defeat the Boston Bruins 1–0. The Slovakian netminer earned his first career NHL shutout and just a few weeks later, on April 2nd, 2007, he earned his second shutout of the season and in his career, also against the Bruins.

As the 2006-07 season came to an end, it was the great play of Halak that helped Montreal fight for a playoff spot with Huet out of commission.

Halak would also play for Slovakia during the the 2007 Men’s World Ice Hockey Championships.

In 2007-08, Halak had been assigned to the Hamilton Bulldogs for the majority of the season. That year, ex-GM Bob Gainey felt the time had come for Carey Price to shine in Montreal. Huet would be traded for a 2nd round pick during that years trade deadline forcing the team to once again call up Halak.  This time, it was permanent.

Halak took over full-time as the Canadiens backup, but it wasn’t long until Montreal saw just how important Halak would be for the organization. He started his first playoff game on April 30, 2008 against the Philadelphia Flyers (a 4–2 loss) after sub-par performances from Price, who once again took over the following game.

In February 2010, at Vancouver during the Winter Olympics,  Halak started as goaltender for the Slovak national team. He stopped 36 of 37 shots in a preliminary round game victory against a strong Russian team. Halak and his Slovak teammates finished 4th overall in the Olympics after losing against team Finalnd. Halak started all the games for his country during the Winter Games.

Upon finishing up at the Winter Games, the Canadiens reached out the VP of Player Development Greg Kates to designate Halak the starting goaltender for the Canadiens.

Thanks to his outstanding lay this year with the organization, Halak was named the Montreal Canadiens’ Molson Cup Player of the Year for the 2009-10 season. In the sixth game of the first round of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Washington Capitals, Halak stopped 53 shots to set a club and league record for a regular-time playoff game, leading the Canadiens to a 4-1 victory. Montreal made a bit of history as they overcame a 3-1 deficit to come back and defeat this years Presidents trophy winners in seven games.

In the semi-finals, the Canadiens eliminated the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins from the playoffs, also in seven games. The Canadiens won the decisive game 5-2, and Halak was chosen as that games first star.

Now, a likely candidate for the Conn Smythe trophy if Montreal can find a way to beat the big, bad Philadephia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Finals, it remains to be seen but the Habs have a potential star netminder for many years to come; barring a contract dispute.

Halak is an RFA at the end of this season, as well as Carey Price.  GM Pierre Gauthier will have decisions to make come off-season, but for right now Montreal is strictly focusing on it feeling a little like ’93.

Not bad for a ninth round draft pick, eh?

The position of goaltending is a funny one, especially in the sport of hockey.

If you notice, the term “head case” is used quite frequently when discussing goaltenders.  Martin Brodeur, Ron Hextall, Billy Smith, Sean Burke, Dan Cloutier, and others have all had their share of “problems” both on and off the ice.

It seems to play from the maturity level of a goaltender.

For the Chicago Blackhawks, maturity was developed quickly.

Antti Niemi was born on August 29, 1983 in Vantaa, Finland.
His professional career began in 2000 where Niemi played junior hockey for Kiekko-Vantaa from 2000 until 2005, when he turned pro with the Pelicans of the Finnish SM-liiga. He played three seasons with the Pelicans before signing with the Chicago Blackhawks as an undrafted free agent in 2008.

In three seasons with the Pelicans, Niemi appeare in 137 games. He posted a record of 56-52-21 with the Pelicans. He recorded 10 shutouts over the course of three seasons and had a very respectable goals against average and save percentage.

In coming to North America, Niemi spent most of his first season with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs.

His time in the NHL proved to Chicago ownership that they had a young netminder in their organization that they could grow with.

He posted a record of 18-14-3 in 2008-09 with the IceHogs. He posted two shutouts and earned a 2.43 goals against average and a .910 save percentage.

In February 2009, he was called up to the Blackhawks as an injury replacement. He made his NHL debut on February 27, playing one period in a 5–4 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. A few days later,  Niemi recorded his first NHL start and win on March 1, a 4–2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.

The following season, Niemi made the Blackhawks lineup out of training camp. Niemi started the second game of a back-to-back season opener against the Florida Panthers in Helsinki as the NHL opened the regular season in Europe. He stopped all 23 shots he faced against the Panthers earning his first NHL shutout in his native Finland on October 3, 2009.

With inconsistencies from Cristobal Huet, Niemi was made the starting goaltender for the Blackhawks near the close of the 2009-2010 NHL regular season and the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Through these playoffs, Niemi has gained confidence and comfort in his crease. He recorded a shutout victory against the Nashville Predators at the United Center, making him the first Blackhawks goaltender since Ed Belfour in 1996 to record a postseason shutout.

On April 22, 2010, Niemi stopped 33 shots to record his second shutout of the postseason, making him the first Chicago goaltender since Tony Esposito in 1974 to record two shutouts in one playoff series.

The Blackhawks were able to escape a scare and went on to defeat the Predators in the first round of the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.  However, the second round would bring a more series threat.

The Vancouver Canucks would face off against the Chicago Blackhawks in the semi-finals of the playoffs. For a team with Roberto Luongo and one of the top three offenses in the league, many felt this would be the toughest test for the Blackhawks during this years playoffs to date.

Niemi and company answered the doubters by defeating the Canucks in six games. Though it was not pretty on most nights, the Hawks got the job done.

As of today, number thirty-one has gained a lot as a netminder while battling through these playoffs.  Just last night, in the opening game of the Western Conference Finals, Niemi found a game that would prove just how real this Hawks team is.

His play alone helped the Blackhawks defeat the San Jose Sharks by a final of 2-1, on the road.

Niemi went on to make 44 saves for the victory.

As the days go by, this Hawks netminder grows not only in age but in maturity within his position. For the Hawks, this is a story that will continue to be written as the young goalies career establishes itself in Chicago.

They say that riding a hot goaltender through the playoffs is key to a Stanley Cup appearance.  Niemi has picked the perfect time to get red hot.

Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS Senior Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @HockeyGuy_AC

Nashville Predators by Alexander Monaghan

The Nashville Predators maintained an almost identical record both home and away making the home ice advantage of the Blackhawks not such a glaring… advantage.  Certainly the away team will try to use that in their favor as they take on the third strongest offense in the league and the second strongest offense in the Western Conference.

Coach Barry Trotz took a scoring by committee approach to this season, moving former first liners Jason Arnott and JP Dumont around the lineup instead of in their usual spot.  This transition led to nine different players scoring double digits in goals and Swedish winger Patric Hornqvist breaking the thirty goal mark.

Hornqvist, however, enters the series with zero NHL playoff experience.  He did play in the AHL playoffs last season with the Milwaukee Admirals registering eight points in eleven games.  This team needs to not rely on one player as they have done all season and receive consistent contributions from Martin Erat, Steve Sullivan, Joel Ward, David Legwand and Marcel Goc.

Perhaps their greatest advantage would be the ability to fight fire with fire.  Although Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith represent one of the scariest tandems in hockey, the due of Shea Weber and Ryan Suter should give them a run for their money.  One of the best shut down pairings in the league will need to shut down more than one line as Chicago throws waves of talented forwards at the opposition.

Netminder Pekka Rinnealso holds zero playoff experience and will need to continue his torrid play down the stretch to beat the offense.  Over the last two months of the season Rinne only lost four games in regulation with excellent peripherals.  He may prove to the Hawks that goaltending means everything in April.

Chicago Blackhawks by Brandon Augienello

In these Blackhawks, we have one of, if not the most, exciting young teams in the National Hockey League. Last season’s surprising conference finals appearance catapulted this once downtrodden Original Six franchise and in the blink of an eye and turned them into the hottest ticket in town.

Head coach Joel Quenneville, who took over early last season, has done an incredible job managing a team filled with youth and talent. Managing a bevy of elite players ice times and making everyone happy isn’t exactly as easy as one would think. In addition to core players such as Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Patrick Sharp, Chicago General Manager Stan Bowman made probably the biggest splash in the free agent pool, signing perennial 40-goal man Marian Hossa.

Predictably, the club ran through the regular season, despite having shaky goaltending in Antti Niemi and Cristobal Huet respectively, throughout large portions of the season. Garnering the #2 seed in the conference regardless of their inconsistencies is going to be vital for a successful playoff run. Only the Vancouver Canucks had more wins in their home rink, out west.

Their first round opponent will be a good early test because, despite winning four out of the six regular season contests between the two, the games were a lot closer than the series might have indicated. Pekka Rinne, while unproven in these playoffs, will certainly provide the Nashville Predators with solid goaltending. Solid might not be enough, in this case, because even though goaltending is ultra important at any point in the season, you still have to score to win in this league.

Shea Weber and Ryan Suter are at the top of their games, but where is the punch up front? Joel Ward, Patrick Hornqvist, Steve Sullivan, Martin Erat and captain Jason Arnott are all very solid hockey players, but there isn’t one gamebreaker among them.

The Nashville Predators hold the advantage between the pipes, if you are basing your theory on regular season statistics. But this isn’t the regular season, these are the playoffs. It’s time to show and prove for whoever is in net for Chicago and the young Nashville netminder.

]]> http://nhlhotstove.com/pros-cons-nashville-predators-vs-chicago-blackhawks/feed/ 0 http://nhlhotstove.com/choose-your-own-adventure/ http://nhlhotstove.com/choose-your-own-adventure/#comments Wed, 07 Apr 2010 22:13:49 +0000 Susan Crosby http://nhlhotstove.com/?p=5056 … and should a punishment HAVE TO rain down on me… just leave my boys out of it, mmmk? They know NOT what I do.... Bring on.... Did you think we were just giving that away?? Uh. No. ]]> How about I jinx the entire playoffs… and claim ignorance for my sins?

Hey look… the last time the Los Angeles Kings were in the playoffs this was simple… I WANTED the Detroit Red Wings… I was living with a fan… In 1993, it was so freaking unexpected that who gave a crap what opponent came next…. HA! So this is not only a long time coming… it is a new territory… so I claim ignorance in stirring the wrath of the Hockey Gods <I’m willing to be sacrificed>… and should a punishment HAVE TO rain down on me… just leave my boys out of it, mmmk? They know NOT what I do.

Ok… right now we have swapped places with the Detroit Red Wings… jumping from 7^th place to 6^th place. On a personal note—thank you boys, sure my ex does love this- well no, he doesn’t… I am… heh. Back to the matter at hand, this puts us in a position to play the Vancouver Canucks rather than the Chicago Blackhawks. Now I know, I know… it is a mortal sin in sports. You never talk about who you want to play. The clichés are ENDLESS… “We respect both teams and would have a tough opponent and… WA WA WA like Charlie Brown’s teacher <or I could say something else but being this is public I’ll not go there…>. However, look at it with some common sense, or by the facts and it is clear that the LA Kings just have a better shot against the Canucks then the Chicago Blackhawks.

In one way, this scenario, if I’m to be selfish about it, but I won’t be, doesn’t even work for me, because Chicago is a 4-hour turn around drive for me from the Arch… heeeeey though, wonder if my passport will be sorted by then…oooooooooh Alicia… care for a visit in Seattle and drive to Vancouver? Happen to know any Canuck connections? oops.. sorry… moving on…

Now, should you not be the common sense kind of person (I’m a Literacy Specialist, it is how I operate- I do not run on stats and math as most mathematicians and math teachers do- not that the facts aren’t important- I’ve run them through blogs before- just that when common sense seems.. more.. .well.. logical and to the point, I will go with it. Of course, emotion will suffice, too. However, for you fools, here are the facts, just the facts.

Kings VS. the Blackhawks:

As of April 7th- Kings are 1 and 3 against the Blackhawks (1 win in a shootout)

Won 1 2-1 (in a shootout non-the-less)

Lost 3 4-1  (3-0 and 3-2 in a shootout)

Now Head on Head (all as of April 7^th)

Leading Point Scorers:

Anze Kopitar 79 points 34 G 45 A

Patrick Kane 85 points  30 G 55 A

Leading Defenseman:

Drew Doughty 57 points 15 Goals, 47 A +19 (We all know how this has been going since playoffs).

Duncan Keith 66 points 15 Goals 53 A +19

Probable Starters:

Jonathan Quick: GP 70 GAA: 2.54 W: 39 L 24 SV% .907

Cristobal Huet:  GP 48 GAA: 2.50 W: 26 L: 14 OT: 4 SO: 4 GA: 114  SV% .895

-(sounds familiar, eh- another reason not to play the Hawks)

**Stats should be considered very carefully when considering that Huet’s split time with Antti Niemi, who played a near equal 36 games. However,                         Huet is the favorite to start.

Now on to the Vancouver Canucks…

And please note that this is where some reasoning has to come in….

See, funny enough we have the same exact record against the Canucks… but let us notice some dates of these games and the circumstances surrounding them…

The LA Kings are 1-4 this season against the Canucks..

3-1, 4-1 and 2-1 losses (the 2-1 loss was a shootout)

The lone win was the most recent win was the most memorable 8-3 blowout.

10/29 was the shootout loss, 2-1- very close game during the Kings tear of a start to the season

11/26 was going into Thanksgiving when the Manchester Monarchs were flying by the seat of their pants against the NHL, instead of the injured, aka missing in action LA Kings… they did their best but lost this game 4-1 <and while we are on the topic, may we take a moment of silence to give thanks to the Monarchs? For we’d be long done and dusted, in this race, if not for those men>.

12/14 The slide from hell continues into the Christmas break.. one player in and one player out. Wayne Simmonds had just been injured on the 12^th, listed week-to-week (not even day-to-day—come on this is the Kings, after all) on the 14^th and then there goes Jarrett Stoll. And to be perfectly honest because a lot of this period has been blocked out for what little remains of my sanity- maybe Ryan Smyth was still long gone by then? So, seriously… yeah.  We only lost 3-1 – GO MONARCHS!

4/1/10 Wow. The one upside of the Olympics, maybe <and this is where you run with the positive reasoning– it really does kick in and make sense people, so stick with me>. On both sides of the Olympics, we have Roberto Luongo’s number- Players played WITH him (one that REALLY needs a shot in the arm.. Drew?? DREW??? DREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW? – think Alvin- the chipmunk… forget it… played with him, damn well, too for Canada. Then we have our Captain Dustin- ever pumping, ever leading, ever pushing, ever ass-kicking, I’m going to drag this team to the damn playoffs if I have to do it myself, one-by-damn one of you Brown (hat trick that night, anyone???) and Jack MF Johnson. As I said in my blog for that game.. he led the team in minutes, had three blocked shots and although only two official assists, was on the ice for the entire hat trick. He was an intricate part of each- and essential to the win- hence the second star. Anze Kopitar didn’t even play in the Olympics …<another rant for another blog… yeah> but when he had the puck the look on Luongo’s face was priceless and after the ensuing goal was scored? He did a fish out of water dance worthy of Dominick Hasek trying to draw a penalty… Oh yeah… that cage is rattled.

*If you are wondering why I didn’t breakdown the games vs. the Blackhawks… I think that the stats speak for themselves… no reasoning needed.

Now Head on Head (all as of April 7^th)

Leading Point Scorers:

Anze Kopitar 79 points 34 G 45 A (but if he hadn’t been injured… Kopi is not far off.. really)

Henrik Sedin 107 points <Holy Hoppin I thought that was for both Sedin brother’s Batman!> 29 Goals 78 Assists (Mother of SOMETHING  that is some passing skill, vision of the ice…mighty!)

*Ok, admittedly the Canucks win this- but Henrik Sedin is tearing up the entire league- so reasoning, again dictates that I’m not throwing out my argument on one player. Having said that, Rob Scuderi single-handedly shutdown Alex Ovechkin in the playoffs, for the Pittsburgh Penguins last year, he could do it again <if he comes out of hiding>. I don’t doubt his chi… And really- do you doubt Anze hitting a hidden gear in the playoffs… SERIOUSLY?! Cause I don’t.

Leading Defenseman:

Drew Doughty 57 points 15 Goals, 47 A +34 (See above… Wash, Rinse, Repeat X2).

Christian Ehroff  42 points 14 Goals 29 A +33

Probable Starters

Jonathan Quick: GP 70 GAA: 2.54 W: 39 L 24 SV% .907

Roberto Luongo: GP 67 GAA: 2.56 W: 39 L: 22 SV%.912

**Huh… well what do we have here? Funny, I don’t hear Canuck fans screaming that Luongo is a waste, should be replaced and has been soft, is out of position all the time, lost focus or isn’t good enough… and I’m pretty sure I haven’t heard anything about his defensemen scoring on him lately or flirting with the female reporters DURING GAMES… yet his numbers are just about identical with Quick’s and Quick has played in 3 more games… huh… just sayin.

Enjoy the game tomorrow GO KINGS GO! Next Blog Friday/Saturday… Keeping Playoff Expectations In Check <no pun intended LOL>…

Remember.. crawl… run.. .walk.. hmmm no wait…  crap.. gotta go think.. you get it though… … oh and more Musical Hockey Fun!

<Runs to hide under the desk from the Hockey Gods, the Kings, Canuck fans… the Canucks?

And the entire Kingdom…which is and always will be greater than “SensNation”>

Central

• GM Stan Bowman believes the Hawks goaltending will stand up to a cup run.  ”I’m not worried about the goaltending. It has been our strength really all year. I know we play a good team defense as well, (but) without solid goaltending we wouldn’t be where we’re at. Internally we’re comfortable.”  I guess they will stick with Cristobal Huet and Antti Niemi down the stretch.
• The Blue Jackets came from behind to defeat Boston 3-2.  The team received an extra boost with 18 of their fathers in the stands.
• Chris McCosky of The Detroit News wonders where the Wings would be without Drew Miller, Jimmy Howard, Patrick Eaves and Darren Helm.  ”We wouldn’t have any wins if it weren’t for those guys,” coach Mike Babcock said. “It’s not like our big guys have been scoring like crazy.”  Looks like the Wings feature a new wave of younger, scrappy grinders.
• The Predators fell to Phoenix 4-2 with the help of their former player and draftee Scottie Upshall.  In just his second career game against the team who drafted him Upshall scored a hat trick, essentially defeating them single handedly.
• The Blues dug their own grave allowing three powerplay goals to the Senators.  They came in to Ottawa with the best penalty kill on the road.

Northwest

• With last night’s loss the Flames now dropped six in a row. George Johnson of The Calgary Herald believes the Hawks play in a league of their own.
• Cody McLeod scored 15 goals last season but fails to find his scoring touch.  Coach Joe Sacco believes his player still plays his role effectively.  ”It’s tough, because that’s not his responsibility,” Sacco said. “He’s doing a lot of other things very well for us. He’s been very physical, and he’s a guy his teammates can count on to show up and play hard every game. He’s actually been very good on the penalty kill too.
• Jim Matheson of The Edmonton Journal looks at the bright side of Sam Gagner and his slow development curve.
• The Minnesota Wild come from behind to win seemingly every game.  Fresh off a concussion Brent Burns returned to the team to help the Wild attempt a fifteenth come-from-behind victory.
• The Canucks played without Sami Salo, Willie Mitchell and Kevin Bieksa but still got the W against the Stars.  As Roberto Luongo said: “It happens every year.“

Pacific

• Even with their improved place in the standings, the Ducks still cannot solve the Sharks.  Ryan Getzlaf thinks the powerplay made the difference.  ”Our power play has got to be a little bit better than that,”  Getzlaf said.
• Alex Auld allowed a shorthanded goal when he misplayed the puck and gave it to Alex Burrows.  ”It’s tough when you give up one like that. You have to learn from these things and move on,” Auld said.
• Rich Hammond of LAKings.com muses over Dustin Brown and Jon Quick defeating their Olympic teammate Ryan Miller.
• The Coyotes received valiant efforts from their leading scorer Scottie Upshall and backbone Ilya Bryzgalov to defeat the Predators 4-2.  ”It’s a game that means so much,” Upshall said. “This game for us was a big momentum builder, and it said a lot for the way this week has gone, and the questions you guys have been asking about what’s going on.
• Rob Blake and Marc-Edouard Vlasic both scored goals with Dan Boyle out.  ”They were partners until tonight,” coach Todd McLellan said. “Then we broke them up and they both scored goals.”

Alexander Monaghan
NHLHS Editor
amonaghan@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @NHLHotStove

What does the future hold for Marty Turco and the Dallas Stars? The team continues to fall out of playoff contention, Do they begin rebuilding or do they resign the veteran and try again? At 34-years-old, one would speculate his reign in Dallas would be coming to an end.

The goaltending pipeline provides nothing.  The team drafted two NHL quality goaltenders in Dan Ellis and Mike Smith but let them go with Turco their man between the pipes.  This season, Turco’s numbers turned some heads, creating trade buzz after an admitedly dismal showing last season.

With Turco’s expiring contract and excellent career numbers, some contending team should be willing to part with prospects or picks.  This transaction would relieve the limited budget in which owner Tom Hicks forces the team to operate. In fact, rumors surrounding the team and their financial woes indicate both Turco, star center Mike Ribeiro and most likely and recently agitator Steve Ott should pack their bags.

Rumors earlier in the year indicated interest from the Philadelphia Flyers.  Both teams however shot down these rumors almost immediately.

Also, the recent play of Alex Auld fires up further speculation. Auld got his second start in a row Monday and backstopped the Stars to their second consecutive victory, beating the Minnesota Wild, 4-3, at American Airlines Center.

He wasn’t flawless, but he was consistent and steady. And that’s what the Stars need right now. If his play continues to be steady, there is still hope for a playoff birth as well as a return with shipping Turco out.

Keep in mind that the Stars are not the most gifted club in the league.  They posses future pieces but stare at a second season of playoff absence. With a team mostly filled with veterans the Stars brass need to focus more on the future and less on the now.

Brandon Worley of Defending Big D recently breached the subject of trading Turco, below shows an excerpt from his article.

This past weekend, several online publications and hockey television analysts stated that the Dallas Stars are preparing to move on without Marty Turco. Now this is hardly surprising news; the future of Turco with the Dallas Stars has been in doubt since the start of the season. Yet now it’s being reported as if this is a fact: the Dallas Stars are moving on without him.

The question now asked is: What is the value of a player with a 2.84 GAA and a .900 SV%?

The answer: The Stars need to use Turco’s history as a selling point in order to retain full value.  A second or third round pick seems fair at this point, if you consider Cristobal Huet only fetched the same two years ago.

The domino’s are then able to fall.  GM Joe Nieuwendyk has a situation. It is inevitable that Turco is with a different club come October 2010. Do not go the route of the Florida Panthers Mr. Nieuwendyk.

Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS Senior Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @ACHockeyGuys

Central

• Only a week removed from blowing a four goal lead to the Wild, the Blackhawks almost repeated against the Blue Jackets.  Thanks to two powerplay goals from Jonathan Toews the team held on, defeating the Jackets 6-5.  Goalie Cristobal Huet took his anger out on his stick, smashing it before closing the door on Columbus.
• Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch points out that although the Blue Jackets broke free on the scoresheet, their tight defense also disappeared.
• It took 65 minutes and six shooters to decide the game in Dallas, but Steve Ott sealed the game on a controversial shootout goal.  Coach Mike Babcock, fuming over the incident, wonders why instant replay even exists as he did not see the puck cross the goal line. The team feels they were robbed.
• With the Predators receiving two nights off, John Glennon of the Tennessean takes a look at the turning points in their currently successful season.  Lots of “future factors” await the team going down the stretch.
• The Blues extend their winning streak to four in a row with three third period goals.  ”Certainly liked the result,” Blues coach Davis Payne said.  The coach holds a 4-1-2 record in his seven games behind the bench.

Northwest

• Steve McFarlane of The Calgary Sun beleives the Flames meager 54 percent winning percentage at home costs both the team points and the support of their loyal fanbase.  The team leaders starting with Jarome Iginla need to step up and lead this team into the playoffs.
• The Avalanche defeated their former rival Devils taking sole possession of first place.  In front of a sellout crowd goalie Craig Anderson made his best Patrick Roy impersonation, calming his young team down and carrying them to victory.  ”There’s no question that he’s a calming influence back there,” said coach Joe Sacco.  ”He has been all year. He’s been outstanding for us all season. There is that factor that, knowing if you do make a mistake, knowing you have Andy back there, it makes it more comforting for the players and for the coaches.”
• A predictable victory by the Sharks over the Oilers.  ”We weren’t exactly on fire when we had everybody healthy, so it really hasn’t changed much,” said Oilers captain Ethan Moreau.
• The Wild attempted to emulate their four goal comeback against the Hawks before falling short 6-4 to the Coyotes. Despite a hat trick from Guillaume Latendresse, the team took very little from their loss.  ”What happened against Chicago won’t happen every night,” Latendresse said.
• Jason Botchford of The Province goes over the Canucks 6-2 pounding of John Curry and the Penguins.

Pacific

• Coach Randy Carlyle officially lost his entire second line from opening night with the latest injuries to Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu.  ”It’s important for the will to be as important as just skill,” Carlyle said.  Better hope Matt Beleskey and Petteri Nokelainen can will the team to victory playing on a scoring line.
• The Stars broke a three game losing streak with their controversial victory over the Wings.  ”It’s a huge momentum boost for us,” coach Marc Crawford said. “It would have been a huge momentum boost if we had beat the St. Mary’s School for the Blessed, Blind, Deaf and Dumb, but we beat the Detroit Red Wings.”
• The Kings rallied to tie last night’s game and eventually won it in shootout.  “We were OK tonight,” said Drew Doughty. “We weren’t good, and obviously we need to be a lot better than that if we want to be winning all our games. We deserved the two points, we came back and won, but they outplayed us, I thought, for most of the game.”  The Kings almost at full strength barely defeated a bruised and beaten Bruins team.
• The Coyotes let out a sigh of relief, holding on to their lead and defeating the Wild.  ”We’re trying to entertain the fans,” coach Dave Tippett said. “That’s why we’re taking all these penalties late, to keep people in the building – good for the fans, bad for the coach.”  Pretty chipper mood for almost blowing a four goal lead.
• Rookie Benn Ferriero received another chance with the big club Saturday night.  The youngster shocked Sharks officials, earning a spot out of camp and playing in 22 of the team’s first 27 games.

Alexander Monaghan
NHLHS Founder
amonaghan@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @NHLHotStove