Jason Chen

<img src="http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/ap/devils%20kovalchuk%20hockey--810173562_v2.rp350x350.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">Ilya Kovalchuk was all smiles and cracking jokes when he signed a record-breaking 17 year pact with the Devils for $102 million. Even with a declining Martin Brodeur and the future in net uncertain, by signing the Russian sniper the Devils look to remain playoff staples for the next decade. That all came to a crashing halt today. Kovalchuk is now stuck in limbo as the NHL rejected his new contract today citing that both sides are trying to circumvent the cap. The NHL believes that neither Kovalchuk nor the Devils believe that he will play out his contract in its entirety, at which point Kovalchuk will be 44 years old. It's quite obvious that the NHL is making a judgment call on Kovalchuk. The NHL is essentially saying that 1) Kovalchuk can't possibly want to play in the NHL at 44 years old, or 2) that he can't play at the NHL level at 44 years old due to declining skill. It seems as though Gary Bettman has forgotten that up until this year Chris Chelios, at 48 years old, was a NHLer. For comparison's sake, when Chelios was 44 years old in 2006, he suited up in 81 games for the Red Wings, posting 11 points with 102 penalty minutes and a healthy +22 rating. <img src="http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/blackhawks-confidential/gary-bettman1.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed">It also bothers me that Bettman is stepping in now. It's absolutely absurd. Where was he for the Marian Hossa contract? When Dale Tallon signed Hossa last summer, he was 30 years old and awarded with a 12-year contract, making him 42 years old when he retires. Johan Franzen and Henrik Zetterberg will be 41 when their contracts expire in 2021. You don't even have to look to far beyond our backyard for another example: Roberto Luongo's new contract, which kicks in this upcoming season, will take him to 2022, at which point he will be 43 years old. Luongo's combined salary for the last three years of his contract? $3.618 million. Kovalchuk's contract isn't the first of his kind. Lou Lamoriello didn't set any precedents. All of these contracts were designed to circumvent the cap by lowering each players' cap hit. If Bettman is calling Lamoriello a cheat then he is also calling out Tallon, Ken Holland, and Mike Gillis, some of the brightest minds in hockey today. All of these contracts were designed to circumvent the cap to a certain degree. I would be very, very surprised if the NHLPA doesn't file a grievance. I would understand Bettman's actions better had this been part of the new CBA, but this is still the one that was agreed on since the lockout. This CBA has proven to be a failure: traditional non-hockey market teams are still struggling, contracts are longer and more lucrative than ever, and there still hasn't been the parity Bettman has been talking about. And what of Kovalchuk? Is he still a free agent? Do the Kings wait for the league investigation to be over or do they move ahead to Plan B? What about the Devils? Does Kovalchuk, one of the league's premier players, head to the KHL for greener pastures now? What's Bettman's plan? Where is this going to go? Kovalchuk's contract may have sent ripples across the league but Bettman's actions and decisions will make waves. This is going to be interesting.

Willie Mitchell's career will have to be put on hold until he is absolutely 100% symptom free from his concussion. With our current lineup we don't have room. Hamhuis and Ballard are both upgrades, in my opinion. That Ehrhoff trade didn't work out for the Sharks as well as it did for us so hopefully that doesn't happen to us.

Atlanta definitely has cap room to spare but they already have four defenseman with $3 million plus cap hits (Hainsey, Enstrom, Oduya, Bogosian) and then Brent Sopel at $2.3 million. RFAs to sign include Ladd, Little, Pavelec, Eager, and Bergfors. Adding Bieksa helps and gives them a pretty expensive six-man group but it's my guess that Atlanta will be icing a very, very young team. I can't see Atlanta parting with picks or prospects as they begin their rebuild (again) without Waddell at the helm.

All things considered, Kevin Bieksa seems to be on the outside looking in. With the acquisitions of Dan Hamhuis and Keith Ballard the Canucks don't have enough room to keep everyone. Alex Edler and Christian Ehrhoff aren't going anywhere, so at $3.75 million Bieksa is a very expensive third pair defenseman. Salo, Hamhuis, and Ballard all have no-trade clauses. I imagine none of the three will be asked to waive those clauses and if asked would be unwilling. Ben Kuzma of The Province lists Anaheim, San Jose, Los Angeles, Columbus, and Dallas as potential suitors, but to me none of those teams make sense, especially when Mike Gillis wants to make "a hockey deal." <img src="http://canucksarmy.com/uploads/old/2009/04/kevin-bieksa_1.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">Now in mid-July, training camp is about two months away. It gives Gillis ample time to find a trade he likes, but as the saying goes, it takes two to tango. Considering how long this Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes has been going on, Gillis may end up having to jettison Bieksa in a hurry. It would be a little awkward for Bieksa to show up at camp when he knows he's going to be gone. If Gillis wants to make a hockey deal, I can't see him trading Bieksa to a Western Conference team, although it may end up having to happen. As many as ten teams reportedly asked about Bieksa at the trade deadline and perhaps around the same at the draft but obviously nobody offered anything concrete that Gillis liked. Here's a look at some ideal trading partners. Anaheim - The Ducks are swimming in shallow water with their current blueline. Ha. Ha. Ha. Even with the addition of Toni Lydman, the retirement of Scott Niedermayer automatically makes their blueline go from above average to mediocre. Bieksa would be a good fit in SoCal and had Brian Burke still been their boss it would've happened already. But Anaheim is a conference opponent and has bigger things to worry about (re-signing Bobby Ryan) before making any other decisions. Buffalo - It's close to Ontario so maybe Bieksa can find some solace in being traded to one of the most boring cities. Looking at the Sabres defense, I'm going to take a gander and guess that Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier are planning on Ryan Miller to steal at least 10-15 games. The Sabres do have some young players - Philip Gogulla, Paul Byron - worth taking a second look at. Carolina - Quick, name the 'Canes top four. If you guessed Joni Pitkanen, Joe Corvo, Anton Babchuk, and Tim Gleason, give yourself a pat on the back. It may not seem like much, but this group is underrated, starting from the puck-moving ability of Pitkanen to the consistent play of Gleason. Adding Bieksa gives them some toughness and it seems like 'Canes fans wouldn't mind seeing Bieksa there either (although I'd have to pop Wage's bubble and speak for Gillis: "No, thanks."). Digression: Guy to watch for last year was Brandon Sutter. This year it's not Zach Boychuk or Drayson Bowman. It's Jamie McBain. Bonus points for a cool name. Columbus - Of Kuzma's suggestions, this makes the most sense. If Bieksa heads to Ohio, he automatically becomes one of their go-to guys, although I don't think GM Scott Howson and the money-conscious Jackets would like a $1 million seventh guy (Marc Methot). I also believe that Howson would be reluctant to give up any picks or prospects, considering the somewhat promising future of the organization. Although rumours did indicate that Howson was dangling Nikita Filatov I can't see the Russian winger fitting into Gillis' smart hockey, team-first locker room culture. Dallas - Kuzma has already reported that the Stars are on a restricted payroll. That counts them out already even with the Marc Crawford connection. I can't see them adding more salary after re-signing their RFAs. <img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/189/441393950_df854bd0e5.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed">Florida - Trading with the Cats has always served us well so why not do it again? Bieksa slots in easily as a top four defenseman and that puts less pressure on Russian sensation Dmitri Kulikov and Keaton Ellerby to perform. It seems unlikely, however, that Dale Tallon would part with any picks or prospects as he begins to put his stamp on the team. A name of interest, since Gillis loves his BC boys, is Michal Repik, a Czech native who honed his hockey skills under Don Hay and the Giants. A key player to watch out for on the Panthers is Evgeni Dadonov. I got the chance to see him last year at the Panthers training camp in Port Hawkesbury in an exhibition game against my alma mater, St. Francis Xavier. The kid can fly. And snipe. Los Angeles - If the Kings land Kovalchuk, forget about it. The Kings have $16 million in cap space as of right now, and if Kovalchuk gets what he wants at least half of that will count towards the cap. Tack on Bieksa's salary and it looks workable, but even with Michal Handzus ($4 million) and Justin Williams' ($3 million) contracts expiring next year Lombardi needs to leave enough room to re-sign RFAs Wayne Simmonds, Jack Johnson, and Drew Doughty. In the long run it just doesn't make sense, especially if you consider the fact that the Kings and Canucks are developing a rivalry of sorts. NY Islanders - The Isles need to reach the cap floor. Adding Bieksa won't solve the problem but it helps in the number books and on the ice. With their years of futility it won't be hard to pry a decent prospect from GM Garth Snow although the former Canuck 'tender is quickly developing a reputation around the league as a tough negotiator. San Jose - The Sharks do have enough room to accommodate Bieksa and could use another body on defense but the best package Gillis may get offered by Doug Wilson is a late 1st rounder and a mid-level prospect. Not a bad haul, but again, the Sharks are a Western Conference team that will be playoff staples and their pipeline isn't exactly overflowing with quality prospects. EDIT: Tampa Bay - The Bolts have a good group of forwards and maybe now Vincent Lecavalier can stop whining about not having Vaclav Prospal as his winger with Simon Gagne in the fold. The defense needs work and with arguably their toughest defenseman gone they could use some grit on the back end. Philly fans are going to love Matt Walker. It seems as though Steve Yzerman has been given the green light so the normally cost-conscious Bolts won't be adverse to adding salary. Washington - I honestly thought the Caps would land Anton Volchenkov on July 1. It didn't happen so the Caps defense remains the same: offensively gifted but defensively clueless. Adding Bieksa puts some much needed sandpaper on their back end and as of right now Jeff Schultz is their shut-down man. Yikes. John Carlson and Karl Alzner are all but guaranteed spots for next year's lineup but the Caps' pipeline features plenty of intriguing players like Anton Gustafsson (the son of Team Sweden coach Bengt Gustafsson), Patrick McNeill, Francois Bouchard, Andrew Gordon, and Mathieu Perreault.

Robin, good to see you again! Jason from hockeyanalysis

This year's free agent class is probably one of the weakest ones in recent memory but that hasn't stopped teams from throwing their money around. The majority of the signings have been great but others not so much (I'm looking at you, Darryl Sutter). Last year I made a note that Craig Anderson was a great signing by the Avs, although I have to say I didn't see such MVP calibre performances coming from him. He was dirt cheap and more than capable - you can't get any better than that. As usual the first day featured a flurry of signings but after a week the signings are now slowly rolling in. The big fish that remains is Ilya Kovalchuk who has reportedly agreed to a 7 year, $60 million deal with the Devils. He is the one remaining domino that has to fall to set off another chain reaction of events. Expect another flurry of moves as Lou Lamoriello attempts to clear cap space but until then, let's break down what have been great and not so great signings. Buffalo - Jordan Leopold, 3 years, $3 million I've never quite understood teams' fascination with Leopold. A former standout at the University of Minnesota, injuries have really derailed his career after posting 33 points in 2004. Since then, Leopold has either been injured or a healthy scratch and made little impact with the Pens this year. $3 million is a lot to pay a guy who you might get 60 games from. The Buffalo blueline lacks sandpaper already and Leopold doesn't particularly help in that regard. Losing Lydman and Tallinder will really hurt the Sabres this year even if Tyler Myers does manage to build on his rookie campaign. Calgary - Olli Jokinen, 2 years, $3 million and Alex Tanguay, 1 year, $1.7 million Perhaps the most bizarre signings of the day. The argument against these two players is that it's been proven that Jokinen is clearly not the complimentary centre for Iginla while Tanguay's two-year stint in the red and yellow was riddled with more lows than highs despite putting up good numbers. The only part that works in the Flames' favour is that both contracts are short and for relatively little money. For two guys who can put up 70-80 points a season a $4.7 million investment per year is an absolute bargain. However, these moves reek of desperation. It tells us that there's nobody in the Calgary pipeline ready to make significant contributions and that the highly touted Mikael Backlund is not quite ready for full-time duty yet with Jokinen, Stajan, and Langkow down the middle. Colorado - Kyle Quincey, 2 years, $3.125 million The challenge for the Avs going into the future isn't icing a competitive team - with Joe Sacco behind the bench and Paul Stastny and Matt Duchene leading the offense the real challenge is keeping them together. The first step to that is signing their best defenseman last year, and that's Quincey. The Wings may be kicking themselves with this one for years to come (he was waived after failing to make the team) and Quincey was the key piece in the Ryan Smyth deal that sent Captain Canada to Hollywood. Not only did Quincey make significant contributions at both ends of the ice, I thought he really took some pressure off John-Michael Liles, whose -2 rating was 17 points better than what he posted the year before. Edmonton - Alexandre Giroux, 1 year, $500 000 Much like the recently signed Jeff Tambellini, Giroux has always excelled at the AHL level but never managed to translate his success to the NHL. With Washington's deep offense Giroux has had trouble cracking the lineup but he will definitely get his opportunity here. Giroux has put up 200 points in just 138 games in the AHL the past two years but just 5 in 21 NHL games. On a one-way contract Giroux will be motivated and will have a chance to star alongside Sam Gagner and Taylor Hall on the Oilers' offense. <img src="http://www2.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/Phoenix+Coyotes+v+Boston+Bruins+VB3csng__aGl.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed">Nashville - Matt Lombardi, 3 years, $3.5 million Despite seemingly found his niche in Phoenix after posting career highs in assists (34) and points (53), Don Maloney elected to let him walk and what a pick up by the Predators. The underachieving Lombardi will flourish under Barry Trotz, who has always found a way to make something out of nothing (we will have to see what he can do with Sergei Kostitsyn, however). Lombardi's speed will really compliment a blue-collar team like the Preds. Perhaps Lombardi will flourish once again in a non-hockey market as their number one center ahead of Legwand and the emerging Colin Wilson. New Jersey - Henrik Tallinder, 4 years, $3.375 million and Anton Volchenkov, 6 years, $4.25 million The Devils certainly got better defensively, which is a must now that Martin Brodeur is no longer one of the league's best. After losing Paul Martin to the Pens, Lamoriello shored up his blueline with two capable defenders including Volchenkov, one of this summer's most coveted. Neither comes with a hefty price tag and with Colin White the Devils defense seems impenetrable. It's a shame though that this defense will have trouble moving the puck up the ice to Zajac, Parise, and possibly Kovalchuk. Ottawa - Sergei Gonchar, 3 years, $5.5 million Reportedly talks between Gonchar and the Pens broke down because Ray Shero was not willing to commit three years to the 36-year old rearguard. Because Gonchar is over the 35 age limit, all three years will count against the Sens' cap whether he plays it out or not. There's obviously a risk to that because $5.5 million is a big chunk of the cap, but it seems as though Bryan Murray is willing to wait just a little while longer for Brian Lee, the surprising ninth overall pick in 2005 (one ahead of the late Luc Bourdon) who has yet to make a significant impact at the NHL level, to develop. Gonchar provides a big boost to the Sens' 21st ranked powerplay and will be a worthy mentor to emerging star Erik Karlsson. The real downside to this is that Murray now has 3 players over the age of 35 under contract that he will have to fulfill to the end - Gonchar, Alfredsson, and Kovalev - for a combined total of $15.375 million. A good signing, nonetheless. Pittsburgh - Zbynek Michalek, 5 years, $4 million and Paul Martin, 5 years, $5 million Being able to come to terms with one of the league's best shot blockers and most underrated puck movers is certainly quite the catch for the Pens and more than offsets the loss of Gonchar. While the search for scoring wingers continue, Shero has solidified the back end and with Kris Letang and Brooks Orpik the Pens may now boast one of the best top four in the East. <img src="http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xc/91385903.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF878921CC759DF4EBAC47D0818BF4C11B4AFFF0BA841DF76159BCC24592D19F824F1964E30A760B0D811297"class="imageFloatRightFramed">Tampa Bay - Martin St. Louis, 4 years, $5.625 million, Pavel Kubina, 2 years, $3.85 million, and Brett Clark, 2 years, $1.5 million Somehow, between drafting Brett Connolly and signing Pavel Kubina, St. Louis' four-year extension has been overlooked. The Bolts will be on the hook for all four years but it was an astute signing because asides from Steven Stamkos, St. Louis is Tampa's most valuable player. Stamkos, after all, does need someone to play with. Interesting to me that St. Louis signed a four-year pact, giving him ample opportunities to make another case for the Canadian squad in 2014 after being snubbed this year. No doubt Steve Yzerman will be playing a big role in putting that team together. When asked about Brett Clark, most people would probably say, "Brett who?" It's hard to pinpoint exactly what Clark excels at but watch closely next time and you'll notice that he's one of the best positional defenseman out there. At that price Clark may be one of the best signings this summer. <img src="http://www.kuklaskorner.com/images/uploads/hammer.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">Vancouver - Dan Hamhuis, 6 years, $4.5 million and Manny Malhotra, 3 years, $2.5 million The Canucks have never quite been big players on July 1 but I think it was a foregone conclusion that the BC native would return home. At $4.5 million, Hamhuis comes relatively cheap and while he doesn't excel at any particular aspect of the game, he will remind Canuck fans of another solid all-round defenseman who also wore #2. Overshadowed in Nashville by Shea Weber and Ryan Suter, Hamhuis will have plenty of opportunities to show what he can do. Don't be surprised if he sets career highs in assists and points with more quality ice-time, specifically on the powerplay. If there's anything I've ever noticed about Malhotra, it's that he's wicked fast. While the price may be a bit cheap for a guy who averages only around 30 points a season, Malhotra's a great third-line centre who will provide some needed footspeed into the Canucks lineup and pressure the opposing defense into making mistakes.

I have kept every single Canucks ticket stub that I went to. Never once have I ever, ever left early. Like I said in my post I watched the game in its entirety, from national anthem to post-game interviews. I've stuck with this team through the tough times with Mark Messier. I hate seeing people leave early at games. It bugs me. I am not one of those. The fact that you are accusing me as a "half donkey fan" kinda irks me. Did I mention I went to school in Nova Scotia? I watched at least 95% of the games. For home games I stay up until 2 AM to watch them. Despite hundreds of fans leaving before the conclusion of the game, there were also hundreds that stayed behind. Did you not see pictures of the fans sitting in GM Place long after the game was over? Those are the fans that the Canucks should be saluting. If 18,809 walked out before the game was over, the one fan remaining still deserves a salute.

Being pulled apart like that comes with the package when playing in a Canadian city. My blog post is tame compared to what's been written about the Canucks in local papers today. I don't expect Luongo to explain the universe or become the world's next Winston Churchill, but I expected something more than "I don't know." Further into the interview Luongo said that he felt the Canucks were a better team, but a "smarter team" may have beaten the Blackhawks. Now, oh captain, my captain, what exactly is that supposed to mean? I'm sure the Canucks appreciated the fan support, but did they show it? Absolutely not. There was zero passion and even worse, zero acknowledgment of the fans. To me, that was inexcusable. Fans won't walk away. We'll be back next year like a herd of sheep. But for all that we've provided (Canucks fans pay top dollar for tickets and essentially pay for the players' salaries) we didn't even get a little thank you. Luongo did bring the gold, but let's be honest, he wasn't Canada's best player. But where was that same focus and passion for the Canucks? It certainly didn't show. That's the most frustrating aspect.

For the second straight year, on the same exact day, in the same exact scenario, the Canucks fell flat on their faces. I think if you could point to one determining factor in the series, it was that the Canucks just couldn't match the Blackhawks' drive and talent. Despite Shane O'Brien and Kevin Bieksa stepping up their games, they still couldn't quite match the impact Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, and even former Canuck Brent Sopel had for their teams. Jonathan Toews' drive to win was unmatched, Patrick Kane couldn't be contained, and Antti Niemi was just good enough to beat the Canucks. In my previous post I said the number one to watch was Game 6. I kind of regret writing that now. I finished the game in its entirety, from the national anthem to the post-game interviews (more on that later) and I can't help but feel dissatisfied about the Canucks' effort. Asides from Kyle Wellwood, I don't think anybody brought their A-game. You could point out that several key players, including Sami Salo and Ryan Kesler, were playing with a considerable amount of pain, but both of them even said it's not an excuse. You play hurt in the playoffs. Yet, somehow, we dealt less mental and physical damage to the Hawks - if not, they certainly didn't show any weakness. Had we peppered Niemi with 50 shots I would've been a little more satisfied, but in an elimination game the Canucks only managed 30 and lacked the same intensity the Hawks showed all game. I don't like how the Canucks responded after a convincing win to force another game at GM Place. And that brings me to the post-game interviews. I was never one of those that particularly liked Mike Gillis and Alain Vigneault's decision to make Roberto Luongo captain. I certainly was skeptical and noted how it was perhaps a sign that no one in the dressing room was fit to wear the 'C'. A little concerning, to say the least. After Luongo backstopped Canada to a gold medal and Henrik Sedin elevated his game to set a new franchise record in points in a season, a lot of questions about the Canucks were erased. But after last night's performance, the same questions are raised again. Is Luongo a big-game player? Are the Sedins too soft? Is our team deep enough? Is Luongo the right choice as captain? For me, at least, I know the answer to the last question is a resounding "no." <img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100512/capt.d97d09ba4ee34ce2be0fddfb75f3c7e9-d97d09ba4ee34ce2be0fddfb75f3c7e9-0.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">Why do I say that? Asides from a logistical perspective, having a goalie as a captain really limits the role of a captain. Because goalies cannot cross the red line, communicating with referees and other players can be quite difficult. For the most part, ceremonial face-offs and communication with the referees have been assigned to a committee of leaders rather than one singular individual. But I think the most telling part of the Canucks' playoff run were the post-game interviews. When bombarded with a plethora of questions regarding the Canucks' play, Luongo's most common answer was, "I don't know." Kelly Hrudey on CBC was highly critical of Luongo at his (apparent) refusal to comment on how poor his game was but that's not the reason I'm more than a little annoyed. As a captain and face of the franchise, an "I don't know" answer tells me that this team obviously lacks any clues as to why and how they lost. I realize that it takes days, even months, to digest a loss as devastating as this one, but certainly "I don't know" is not an answer. 94% of voters on The Province website said Luongo will not be captain next year. The most interesting interview, I thought, was the guy who had the least to say, and that was Ryan Kesler. "Words can't describe how I feel right now." Playing with a nagging shoulder injury, Kesler sounded like he was the Canuck that took the loss the hardest (although I'm sure everyone took the loss hard). Kesler's passion shows on the ice and he certainly didn't make any excuses. To him, the Canucks just came up short. Really short. Vancouver fans are no stranger to disappointments. After 40 years of futility we've seen just about everything. But never have I ever seen any Canucks team fail to salute the fans after the end of the season. That perhaps was the most frustrating part of the game. Sure, most fans booed and with the way the Canucks showed up to this game I wouldn't want to stick around the rink any longer than I should, but there are fans who still cheer for them through the tough times and who still genuinely care. Vancouver's a passionate hockey town and for the team to ultimately disrespect their fans like that is discomforting. The majority of the fans left the rink with a sour taste in their mouths but that's no excuse to not acknowledge the support Vancouver fans have given the team all year. I want an apology. Not so much for the poor performance in Game 6 but rather how the Canucks showed their appreciation to their fans. I guess there's always next year.

30. That was Canucks hockey at its finest. Even at the Madhouse, the Blackhawks lacked that extra step all night. But that's what's most frustrating about the Canucks - they can't play their game on a more consistent basis. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2009/03/mar1909_ob3_b.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">29. I was never a fan of Shane O'Brien, especially in game four when he took two bone-headed cross-checking penalties. No one has ever questioned his toughness but you can't help but notice that his game has improved drastically. His skating and his hockey smarts are two things that have really jumped out at me this season. 28. Will the real Ryan Kesler please stand up? Much like Alex Burrows, Kesler has struggled to find his game in the second round after a fantastic regular season and an even better performance at the Olympics. It's not like Kesler's invisible - that's more Pavol Demitra than anyone - but he hasn't made a big impact in games like we all know he can. 27. Roberto Luongo was better, but not fantastic. He didn't exactly steal the game, although there were more Hawks chances than I'd like to see. It's not exactly like the Hawks are an easy team to play against either. 26. Special teams is vital, especially if it's not the regular season. The Hawks powerplay didn't look nearly as dangerous and Dustin Byfuglien wasn't as noticeable as he was in Game Four. The Canucks didn't allow a single PPG in four penalty kills. A rarity these days. 25. If there was a goat for the entire series, I'm not picking the less than spectacular Luongo. It's Daniel Sedin. Having accumulated only 28 PIM all season, the twin without the 'A' has 12 PIM in 11 games and just one powerplay goal. Daniel was clearly rattled by David Bolland in Game Four and a lot of the penalties he's been taken have just been plain dumb. There was a collective sigh of relief for Canucks Nation when the Canucks came out strong again in the second period after a late hooking call on Daniel. Perhaps this is the reason why Alain Vigneault gave Henrik rather than Daniel the 'A'. 24. Kyle Wellwood can be a blast to watch. He's perhaps one of the best stickhandlers in the league in close quarters, but ask him to do it while skating at full speed and, well, it's probably not going to happen. But either way, I think he was one of the best players out there last night (along with Kevin Bieksa and O'Brien), and I think most will agree. He may be only one of the few returning UFAs and he won't come much more expensive than his current salary ($1.2 million). 23. It's a foregone conclusion that Pavol Demitra is gone after this season. I didn't expect him to be back next year but his overall lack of effort just solidified my case even more. 22. Never mind Patrick Kane - he's a slick puckhandler with great vision and soft hands, but it doesn't seem like he'll be anything more than that. Perhaps it's because his development into a NHL star has paled in comparison to Duncan Keith and Jonathan Toews', but even after a couple of seasons in the league I don't think he's improved his defensive game any, if at all. I don't expect Kane to win the Selke, Kesler's going to do that this year, but I know some Hawks fans that cringe when they see 88 loitering around the defensive zone. 21. Kris Versteeg is one of those sneaky fast players that plays hard. If anything, his spirited tilt against Patrick Eaves was a testament to his heart and grit. 29 other teams would love to have him. Asides from Toews, for obvious patriotic reasons, he may be one of my favourite Hawks. Don't shoot me. 20. If the Canucks advance to the finals it won't be because Henrik, Luongo, Alex Edler, or even Christian Ehrhoff elevated their play. It's because of the return of Ryan Johnson, who returns to his regular fourth line spot. The underappreciated centre won 8 of 9 draws (he single-handedly raised the Canucks' FO% by 5%), blocked 2 shots, and dished out 1 hit in 11 minutes of ice-time. One thing that you can depend on Johnson for is quality minutes. Against San Jose defense will be huge, now with Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton (finally) hitting their stride. <img src="http://habsinsideout.com/files/hio/imagecache/littleimage/images/0subban_0.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed">19. How about that PK Subban? The kid oozes poise and confidence on the blueline and with Hal Gill questionable for an elimination game and Jaroslav Spacek's expected to return (although not necessarily at 100%), expect Subban to log 20 minutes. He's already averaging 18:41 and don't be surprised if Jacques Martin assigns Subban to Sidney Crosby. 18. It's funny how much ink Jaroslav Halak is getting, but once the playoffs are over expect the Halak vs. Carey Price debates to continue. Habs fans have fallen head over heels with Halak but I caution against jumping on the bandwagon too soon. One good season does not make for a good goalie. I'm not doubting Halak's ability, but I am a little appalled how fast people throw Price under the bus. But, I guess that's just Montreal for you. 17. The Flyers have always wanted that elite netminder, but ask any Philly fan and they'll say that Ron Hextall was the last good goaltender they had. But what's Hextall's career save percentage? A rather pedestrian .895. What Flyers fans miss is the toughness and pugnacity Hextall brought to the table but those goalies don't grow on trees. In fact, I think a case can be made to jettison Ray Emery (in all likelihood won't be re-signed, anyone else think he has a career in MMA?) and enter the 2010-11 season with Brian Boucher as the number one and Michael Leighton as the backup. Neither come with starting goalie pedigree (Boucher was a former 22nd overall pick), but the Flyers are a team built for the playoffs and all they need to do is to make it. They got lucky and drew the declining Martin Brodeur in the first round, but Boucher has always traditionally played better when it counts. His regular season numbers aren't exactly stellar (.900, 2.72 GAA career) but his playoff numbers are significantly better (.915, 2.17 GAA career). A Boucher/Leighton tandem will save them money and allow them to keep Simon Gagne. If anything, this would be a one season experiment. I've always felt some backups never get the chance to show what they can really do. 16. Everyone's been saying how easy it was to shut down Alex Ovechkin but how about Crosby? He's almost been a non-factor in the series but like Mike Babcock, Dan Bylsma will live or die with his best players on the ice. Evgeni Malkin, last year's Conn Smythe winner, has been invisible for stretches of the game. I actually think the best Penguin in this playoffs has been Kris Letang. So much for finding the right wingers - Ruslan Fedotenko has zero points and Alexei Ponikarovsky was a healthy scratch recently. 15. The new Bobby Orr statue that commemorates the 40th anniversary of his goal against St. Louis will be unveiled tonight. The Bruins are looking to eliminate the Flyers at home (they will) and advance to the Conference Finals where in all likelihood they will face Pittsburgh, which will no doubt be a spirited bout. After facing the 6'7" Gill, Crosby will yet again face another giant, this time the 6'9" Zdeno Chara. Expect more frustration and shattered sticks. Marc-Andre Fleury needs to outplay Tuukka Rask if the Pens want to advance. 14. If there were any doubts over Doug Wilson's job security in San Jose, the Sharks' first appearance in the Conference Finals in six years certainly wiped it all away. Joe Thornton, surprisingly, came up huge and he's been playing really well. But the big coming out party is for "Little Joe" Pavelski, who I thought along with Ryan Kesler, Ryan Miller, and Brian Rafalski was one of the best players for USA. 13. Just a little story on Pavelski. After playing two years at the University of Wisconsin, Pavelski signed an entry-level contract at $850,000 in the summer of 2006. Despite his spectacular college numbers (101 points in 84 games, James van Riemsdyk only collected 74 in comparison), Pavelski initially didn't expect to make the team. He was absolutely shocked when he walked into the locker room one day and saw his familiar #8 (his college number) waiting for him at his stall. He knew then that he had made it. Even his mother has often commented about how the entire family was surprised at how good he was at the game. It's this kind of modesty that really makes great players. The kind of modesty that makes you work hard at your game day-in and day-out. 12. That San Jose made the Conference Finals must be great news for Gary Bettman. After interest in hockey in California began to fade after the Ducks' struggles, the Sharks have finally found that playoff success and the Kings are becoming relevant again. If you were to argue for Bettman's side that hockey will work in non-traditional markets, California is a great example. Former Vancouver Giants standout Jon Blum is from California and a big reason he got into hockey was because of Wayne Gretzky. We could see a big boom in hockey interest in California very, very soon. <img src="http://media.scout.com/media/image/63/634544.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">11. Back to college hockey - if anyone gets a chance, watch the NCAA Frozen Four. I personally dislike watching basketball in general, especially the NBA, but March Madness is a different animal altogether. Just imagine the hype, the skill, the determination, and the hard work, but just on ice. It's a spectacular tournament that unfortunately really doesn't garner enough attention. The player that I've been watching all year and think could have a great NHL career? Former Wisconsin captain Blake Geoffrion (whose squad finished second this year to Boston College), the grandson of Hab legend Boom-Boom Geoffrion and wears #5 in his honour. If there was any family that knows how to shoot the puck, it's the Geoffrions. 10. It's about time the NHL made an award for executive of the year, although I wish they would name it. There is no question that this year's winner is Don Maloney, much like this year's Jack Adams should go to Dave Tippett. What they've done together in Phoenix has been incredible. Should the Coyotes move to Winnipeg, they will already have a solid management group in place, a key ingredient to a successful hockey franchise and ensure that the "new" Jets won't be stuck in expansion mediocrity in its infancy. 9. Next award to introduce? How about an award for most assists? There's a minor award for one of the useless stats in hockey with the +/- award, so why not one for helpers? This isn't some sort of ploy to get Henrik another trophy (he will win both the Hart and Pearson) but playmaking is an art form but is somehow less glamorous than goal-scoring. Let's change that. 8. There's little doubt in my mind that the new hardware being handed out this year is somehow tied to the fact that for the foreseeable future the NHL Awards will be held in glitzy Las Vegas. 7. I'm going to refrain from making any predictions about who will come out of the west for fear of jinxing our dearly beloved, but I am going to say that the East won't be winning the Cup this year. Although I'm sure Bettman is just absolutely jonesing for a Chicago-Pittsburgh tilt. Ratings would be through the roof. 6. My avid golfer dad and I enjoyed the brief absence of Tiger Woods from the PGA Tour. It's not that we don't like the way he golfs - his aggressiveness and competitiveness is second to none - but it's the way he carries himself on and off the course (no more needs to be said here). If you remember, it wasn't too long ago when Woods made a little comment about how "no one watches hockey," which prompted "Mad Mike" Milbury to dub him "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f9hfH_zGKE," I can't help but think how ignorant that comment is. USA Hockey is providing a new surge of talent and if the Olympics were any indication at all, it's going to become really relevant again. That Tiger Woods, the world's most marketable athlete behind LeBron James (the scandal actually did The Masters a favour), is turning a blind eye towards his own country's feats and accomplishments is downright ignorant and frustrating. This has gone on long enough. Now for a short top five things to watch for. 5. Steven Stamkos at the World Championships in Cologne, Germany. He will be Canada's #2 pivot for years to come behind Sidney Crosby. Stamkos is already better than Eric Staal, Vinny Lecavalier, or Ryan Getzlaf when they were his age. No surprises here, but Matt Duchene is also another player to watch and will end up having a more brilliant career than John Tavares. Which is why the Oilers should go with potential and smarts rather than raw skill by selecting Tyler Seguin over Taylor Hall. In fact, maybe Steve Tambellini can dupe Peter Chiarelli into thinking that the Oilers are going to take Hall and somehow swindle a low pick from them to guarantee them that they'll take Seguin first overall. <img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/aa/fullj.d76d2121d550e807b3205e740e4a4921/d76d2121d550e807b3205e740e4a4921-getty-98570716jj019_detroit_red_w.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">4. Nicklas Lidstrom may have played his last game as a Red Wing and it's a shame that it has to end on a low note, especially after falling to Crosby and the Pens last year. Had the Wings won the Cup Lidstrom's decision to retire would be much easier, but like most veteran players who are on the fence (Mike Modano included), there's always that question of "what could've been." Either way, congratulations are in order for both Modano and Lidstrom. 3. Mark Messier selected the squad for Canada at Cologne and no doubt the Canadians will achieve some form of success due to the abundance of talent. But managing a NHL team is a different. There's salary caps, trades, negotiations, and PR disasters (the Rangers still have Sean Avery). I certainly hope Messier's success at the international level doesn't somehow get translated into a lengthy NHL managing career. On second thought, that might not be a bad idea. 2. The Canucks somehow played better with 4.5 defensemen (sorry, Andrew Alberts). With Sami Salo expected to out with a potentially ruptured testicle (ouch... but follow it on twitter @salostesticle) this will be a test to how the Canucks respond. The home team has the losing record in this series but look for GM Place to be rowdy as ever. 1. The number one thing to watch? Game Six. Duh.

I'm liking the amount of Hawks fans Canucks.com has attracted. There have been a lot of non-calls on both sides. Calls that should've been made weren't made and calls that shouldn't have been made were made. It was a two-way street. The Canucks do deserve a lot of the blame, especially after game four. It's quite obvious (especially at this point) that this Canucks team lacks the overall skill and mental fortitude to win the series. If you could really point to one particular thing, it was just how the Canucks responded to the officiating and Byfuglien. Like I said, the Canucks just don't have an answer to anything the Hawks throw at them. Special teams has been woeful and I don't know if they can blame anybody but themselves. 15+ PPG allowed is simply unacceptable. I wrote he "pretty much flipped off the crowd." I didn't say he gave the fans the finger, but he might as well have. His little skate-by drew the ire of fans and a couple of beer cups and towels were thrown at him. Whether or not he flipped the finger is quite irrelevant - it would've drawn the same reaction. Even CBC commented that it was a "giant misstep." I don't like the way the Canucks have played all series. They responded poorly and carried themselves in a way that is quite foreign to them and the fans. Even if they lose the series (which I think they will) I would at least like to see a different type of effort put out there.

You're right, alldownhillaftertallon, the Canucks are probably one of the most mouthy teams in the league and their fans are just as passionate. Adam Burish calling the Canucks' O'Brien and Burrows "clowns" certainly isn't unwarranted, although his criticism of them going after their skill players could also be used on Bolland. Perhaps only this time and the Auger incident have I really been critical of the refs, but how any player can push a goalie into the net and then legally score is beyond me.

I was lucky enough to attend last night's game and after Shane O'Brien's weak holding penalty a fan sitting in front of me stood up and yelled, "where's Gary Bettman?" If that didn't sum up the game, I don't know what did. A disappointing 5-2 loss puts the Canucks behind 2-1 in the series, but perhaps more concerning was the way the Canucks handled themselves. Some believe the loss can be attributed to the Canucks' more physical play, but I don't think that was it. I don't think it was the Hawks that got under the Sedins' skin either. I think, quite simply, the Canucks just didn't have an answer to big Dustin Byfuglien (with a name like that it still baffles me how it's pronounced "BUFF-lin"). Credit to Byfuglien though, Vancouver's new public enemy number one, especially after he pretty much flipped off the crowd after scoring a goal, for realizing how hated he is in Vancouver and totally embracing the role. No player on Vancouver's roster could match Byfuglien's physicality and the fact that he played with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews certainly created some room for him. While he definitely was a huge factor for the Hawks' win, the referees certainly were THE factor. I have never ever seen or been to a game where officiating has been this bad. Let's call a spade a spade - had the game been called more fairly the game would've been closer, or even produced a different outcome. Alain Vigneault side-stepped questions about the officiating, and on one hand I understand that 1) he doesn't want to get fined, and 2) he's not going to make any excuses for his team. But it's times like these where I wish players and coaches were given more free reign to sound off. By fining and reprimanding players there's zero accountability with the league and its officials (the Stephane Auger incident was sort of swept under the rug) and I don't need to remind everyone that the discipline office is anything but. The league, refs, and Bettman sit nice and smug on their little high chair and when someone speaks up against them they're quick to punish them. <img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/c5/fullj.0d17be1458e00e6d3c1de2fd186c3cb2/0d17be1458e00e6d3c1de2fd186c3cb2-getty-98501666rl20_kings_canucks.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">The only player that I thought could have the same effect Byfuglien had on Roberto Luongo (who had a so-so night - he fought to control the rebounds all night and cost him the second goal) was Steve Bernier. After logging close to five minutes in the opening period with a couple of strong shifts with Kyle Wellwood, I thought he was going to score a goal for sure, after all, I was wearing his jersey that night. But alas, Big Steve found himself in Vigneault's dog house again, and had just one shift in the second and just another 2:18 in the final period for a grand total of 7:36 of ice-time that night. I am a little baffled, and I do know better than to question one of the league's best bench bosses and a former Jack Adams winner, but physicality and size was obviously something that was missing in the game and I felt Bernier could've really at least made the night a little harder to bear for Antti Niemi. Bernier's not known to be a good skater or good puck-handler and did have some trouble getting the puck out of his own zone, but I don't think he was alone that night in that department. Alex Burrows finally lit the lamp and a lot of people criticized him for his unnecessary penalties, especially the one on Brian Campbell. Burrows has been playing well and he's finally getting the bounces. Unfortunately, even though his goal could've provided a big momentum shift, it clearly wasn't the case as the Canucks came out flat in the third and Marian Hossa made them pay. Speaking of coming out flat, whatever happened to Pavol Demitra, the Slovakian Superman? Ask him to play for his country and he's suddenly one of the world's top players, but ask him to play in a pressure-packed situation at home against a rival and he decides not to show up. He was barely visible on the ice last night except for a lazy penalty in the first. It's a little concerning to watch the team squander a 2-0 lead and then take a 5-2 loss, and some wonder if the mental fortitude that escaped the Canucks last year is escaping them again this year. Daniel Sedin in particular was rattled by the mouthy Dave Bolland. Kudos for O'Brien and Burrows stepping in and I forgive them for the misconducts, because let's face it, the game was long lost at that point and those two seemed to be the only players that were doing something about the harassment the Sedins were getting. Game Four is at GM Place and expect the Canucks to come out flying. How the Canucks handle themselves in that game will really tell us what sort of team we have.

No team has really stepped up their play in the playoffs. Both 1 seeds are having trouble with their opponents (perhaps expected with San Jose) but any team that makes the semis will have a legitimate shot at the Cup. Philadelphia could definitely outmuscle and outhustle the Caps and the Bruins/Sabres could also upset the Pens with superior goaltending. The Canucks are deep up front and that might be too much for Niemi or even Huet to handle, even with Keith and Seabrook in front of him. Detroit doesn't look as poised as they've been in the past (perhaps because they've never really been at their current position) but they've got an easily rattled San Jose squad ahead of them. There has been no dominant team this year. It's absolutely wide-open.

What a wild playoffs. I've been so caught up with everything that I had neglected to add new entries. Apologies. As a gift, here's everything that's been on my mind for the past 2 weeks. <img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/89/fullj.7a91908a184526bbb821a5fc3389d855/7a91908a184526bbb821a5fc3389d855-getty-98063257.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed"> - Colorado just simply ran out of steam. Craig Anderson looked exhausted at times and the game time Peter Budaj saw I'm sure gave Anderson some much needed rest, however brief. Matt Duchene hit a wall and had an obvious difficulty adjusting to the more physical playoff hockey after an outstanding rookie season. Chris Stewart really had a coming out party and could become a legitimate 30-goal power forward. The Sharks almost became another punch line to a choking joke again and even though San Jose can breath a sigh of relief, they still won't make it past the second round. Even Dan Boyle was reluctant to talk about his Game 3 gaffe. If they do, it'd be totally on the shoulders of Boyle, Joe Pavelski, and Devin Setoguchi. The Sharks' vaunted Big Three have once again pulled their disappearing act. Joe Thornton has 3 assists in 6 games and is -4. Patrick Marleau has 3 points and is -2. Dany Heatley has 0 goals in 5 games. You really have to wonder how long Doug Wilson is willing to hold on to this core. And you also have to really wonder if Thornton can really be considered a franchise cornerstone anymore. - There's no secret that there's a double standard in the NHL and their failure to remain objective in all their disciplinary actions just makes the joke even worse. Zdeno Chara should've been suspended as per league rules but he wasn't, and you can expect the same with Marian Hossa for his hit on Dan Hamhuis. To make matters worse, Hossa was the Game 5 hero, giving the Blackhawks a 3-2 lead against a Nashville squad. I didn't think Chicago would have this much trouble against a team that pales in comparison in talent, but it just goes to show how far blue-collar hockey can get you. The Hawks will have no problem closing this out on the road or at the United Center. <img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/capress/d8/fullj.1ee1ab3e17070f7eef2792201806597f/capress-hkn_kings_canucks-232609823.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed"> - The Kings skated with such confidence that it totally disrupted with the Canucks' play and if not for Mikael Samuelsson's (he's been fantastic since the "Sweden Snub") shooting the Canucks wouldn't be in this position. Roberto Luongo still really hasn't found his game while the defense can be criticized, his .882 SV% and 3.11 GAA just won't cut it. The penalty kill has been awful, and for those who wonder how Ryan Johnson and his one-goal season can justify more than a million dollars per year, well, there's your answer. Meanwhile, the usual suspects continue to march on. Henrik and Daniel and Ryan Kesler have continued their great regular seasons. The return of Steve Bernier was big, and the always under-appreciated big forward has caused some havoc in front of the Kings net. I think the last 7-2 thrashing totally shot down whatever confidence the Kings had. Give credit to the Kings - they're a young squad that really exceeded expectations this year, and they're going to be Pacific Division heavyweights for a long time with Anze Kopitar up front and Norris-nominee Drew Doughty on the blueline. If the Canucks can't defend the Kings, they'll have headaches with the Blackhawks. Again. - I think in the Detroit-Phoenix series, experience has really tilt the scales in the Wings' favour. Admittedly I haven't been following this series as closely as the other, but each Red Wing win looks more and more convincing. After an ugly 7-4 win, the Wings have absolutely clamped down on Phoenix's offense, with two goals allowed in their last two games. Pavel Datsyuk's simply a magician on ice and he's led the Wings' attack. Nicklas Lidstrom has remained relatively quiet (as usual) but I somehow expected a little more out of him considering that this may be his last NHL playoffs amidst rumours of retiring or returning to Sweden. Usually, half the teams that make the playoffs one year don't make the playoffs the following year (Edmonton and Carolina being the most extreme examples, no Rangers, Blues, Flames, Ducks this year). I have a feeling Phoenix and Colorado will both fall victim to this because the biggest reason for their success has been their goaltending. Ilya Bryzgalov and Craig Anderson have had outstanding seasons but they'd have to do it again to prove to me they're not one-trick ponies. - There's no way the Habs can limit the Caps to one goal again. That simply won't happen. Bruce Boudreau was noticeably flustered with his team's lack of offense in Game 5, but they'll find their game soon. You can shut down Alex Ovechkin for one game, but not an entire series. I really think the wild card here isn't goaltending, but rather Mike Green. Green has just 2 assists and is the Caps' fourth highest scoring defenseman behind USA World Jr. hero John Carlson, Tom Poti, and deadline pick-up Joe Corvo. Alex Semin only has one assist and is driving everyone crazy - he earns $6 million next year on a one-year contract and if he doesn't perform then he will be trade bait. Much like LA's Alex Frolov, Semin's desire to compete has been questioned. I've been impressed with the Habs' effort despite being a much less skilled and smaller team, but I think for the most part they've responded well. Size wasn't an issue here but look for the Habs to address that need at this year's draft where there's plenty of big-bodied centres. - I called the upset, and it was Philadelphia. They were simply built for the playoffs and the Devils just couldn't overcome their aggressive play. The Scott Hartnells, Mike Richards, and even Dan Carcillos of the Flyers simply outworked the Devils. Ian Laperriere required 60-70 stitches to fix his face after taking a shot and it's the little instances like that that can tell you about what sort of personality the team has. They'll face Washington next round (if they win) and that's a tough match-up. All you need in the playoffs to go far is a hot goalie and the Flyers have just that with Brian Boucher. At the heels of the Devils' elimination, it should be no surprise that the rumour mill has started to turn again. With a third straight first round exit, I think it's a definite sign that Martin Brodeur can no longer be the man. His .881 SV% and 3.01 GAA was awful for his standards and it has sparked rumours that Lou Lamoriello may be going after Carey Price. - The Boston-Buffalo series was certainly one that caught me by surprise. I knew that neither team would score much, and I thought Buffalo could hold off Boston's physical attack before the fatigue would set in the second round, but I guess I was wrong. Both goalies have been incredible and I still can't really pick which team is going to win, but I'll have to stick with Buffalo and hope they can win two straight. If the Sabres do win, it'd make me 8 for 8 in my predictions. The winner of this series won't last past the second. After Lindy Ruff told the media that whether or not Thomas Vanek would play would depend solely on him, it's going to be very difficult for Vanek to say no, no matter how far away from being 100% he is. - The Sens played great despite missing some several key pieces and going against two of the most offensively talented players in the league and Selke nominee Jordan Staal. It's tough enough beating all three of them, but with a strong supporting cast (although not as strong as the Pens would like) they prevailed. The series does put the Sens in a bit of a curious position, as moving forward they'll have to decide if either Pascal Leclaire or Brian Elliott is their number one guy going forward, or if they're just going to split everything 50-50. - Very quickly, that sets up San Jose and Detroit, Vancouver and Chicago, Washington and Philadelphia, and then Pittsburgh-Buffalo/Boston. It's going to be a dandy, because I see Detroit and Chicago in the Conference Finals and another Pittsburgh-Washington showdown before Chicago claims the Cup. Bold? Maybe. - The obsession with getting the right match-ups has set a new record for too many men on the ice penalties. It's going to cost a team mightily in the Finals and it'll have to be pinned on the coach. Poor bench management leads to poor communication and it won't necessarily be the players' fault. - John Tavares didn't make the list of Calder nominees that includes Detroit's Jimmy Howard, Colorado's Matt Duchene, and Buffalo's Tyler Myers. It's not that Tavares didn't have a good season - he did, with 24 goals to tie for the lead with Duchene but it was Tavares' -15 that didn't do him any favours. If it were my pick it'd be Howard. Duchene was one of Colorado's top scorers and Myers was Buffalo's top defenseman, but both I think were real beneficiaries of having Anderson and Ryan Miller in net. In hockey the most important position (arguably) is in net and without Howard the Red Wings wouldn't have made the top 8. He's much older but he's the most worthy of the league's top rookie award. - The race for the Selke essentially comes down to two players: Pavel Datsyuk and Ryan Kesler. There's no contest for the third candidate, Jordan Staal. I was a little perplexed by Staal's nomination, but in part because Datsyuk and Kesler are in a class of their own. You could replace Staal with Jonathan Toews, who I felt should've gotten a vote, and it still wouldn't have been a contest. Kesler will be hard-pressed to beat Datsyuk for the award but I think considering Kesler's showing at the Olympics and his offensive breakout it's his time to claim the award. - The Lady Byng Trophy is usually the least respected major award and it's not totally fair to give it that label and but indeed it is less glamorous. Datsyuk gets his second nomination this year while Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis both enjoyed great seasons. However, I think Datsyuk will go empty-handed once again and St. Louis, who was snubbed by Canada, will take the award. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/blackhawks/images/upload/2009/01/chi_129_6.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed"> - The most interesting race will be for the Norris Trophy. This year's list of candidates features three first-timers with Duncan Keith, Mike Green, and Drew Doughty. I'm still a little uneasy over Green's nomination because his defensive game is nowhere near Keith's (glug glug) or Doughty's. Someone please make a Bobby Orr Award or something for best offensive defenseman. Anyway, back on topic, has anyone else noticed that none of those 3 players are feared for their hitting? It's clearly a changing of the guard not so much in terms of age, but definitely style of play. All three are incredible skaters. Chris Pronger was never an incredible skater. If it weren't for Green's nomination I think it would've went to Shea Weber. My pick is without a doubt Duncan Keith, no question. - Nashville can't even sell out their playoff games against a division rival. Once again, the futility of hockey in non-traditional American markets should give Gary Bettman an idea of what exactly is going on down there but of course he believes they are still viable markets. Bettman got absolutely lucky with the Coyotes' success this season. It also shows, however, how a successful team, no matter the location, can be with the proper management. It sounds like Tampa Bay is headed in that direction but apparently Martin St. Louis wants no part of it and has reportedly requested a trade. - The draft lottery didn't unveil any surprises, but the Oilers are still shrouded in mystery as to who they're going to pick. They've recently re-vamped their front office by firing assistant GM Kevin Prendergast and a number of trainers, but you have to wonder when Steve Tambellini's going to start touching that roster. If I were the Oilers, I'd draft Tyler Seguin and blow up that entire roster. If Tambellini had to pick one player to not trade regardless of the offer, it'd be Sam Gagner. The kid's a wizard with the puck and competes hard. - It's playoff hockey time and we've already seen our fair share of blood, bruises, and shattered teeth courtesy of Eric Belanger. The winner of this year's playoffs will be the team that has lost the most teeth and pints of blood combined. It's always been like that though. Here's to the Canucks and Kyle Wellwood losing all his teeth. Go Canucks Go!

You're right - I must've misread the 1-2-1 record. Second mistake in two posts. Yikes.

Hilarious!!

It's that time of year again... the best time of the year! And of course, like every year, I make my predictions. Usually I'm pretty good, but this year I think the West is completely wide open. I think there's a potential for upset in every single series. I'm cheating a little bit here because the first games have been played, but (swear to God!) I made these picks before the games. EAST Washington over Montreal in 6. - Really, there's no contest, no matter what Tomas Plekanec might think. Sure, the Habs have the advantage in goal, but it's marginal at best, because despite Jaroslav Halak's save percentage the Habs are still allowing more than two and half goals per game. Buffalo over Boston in 7. - Both Tuukka Rask and Ryan Miller can stop the biscuit as well as anyone in the league, but the difference maker here is that the Sabres can put the puck in the net. The Bruins are starved on offense and Peter Chiarelli's announcement that Marc Savard will be ready for round two will be all for naught because I can't see the Bruins making it out of this one, but they will put up a fight. The Bruins have a noticeable physical advantage over the Sabres but that fatigue probably won't show until the second round. <img src="http://www3.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/Philadelphia+Flyers+v+New+Jersey+Devils+EjNLLT7kBoIl.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed">Philadelphia over New Jersey in 6. - The Flyers did take game one, but my decision to take the Broad Street Bullies wasn't based on that. It's based on this telling fact: since the lockout, the Devils have been eliminated from the semifinals two years in a row and then from the quarterfinals two years in a row. See a trend? It doesn't matter if Martin Brodeur stops enough pucks (he boasted a .929 SV% last year), the Devils just can't seem to find the timely scoring. Also, let's not forget that Chris Pronger has made the finals in the first year of every new city he's played for. It'll be a close series but I see the Flyers taking it, even with Ilya Kovalchuk on the Devils and Brian Boucher in net. Pittsburgh over Ottawa in 6. - Ottawa took game one in a shocker, but the Pens will pull it together. There's no way Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will allow their team to get ousted in the opening round. The Sens are playing with less pressure, since most people are already counting them out, especially with the loss of Alexei Kovalev. WEST San Jose over Colorado in 6. - Like the Senators, the Avs have very little pressure on them. All eyes are on the Sharks, who are looking to at least reach the Conference Finals. Anything less would be a failure, despite yet another fantastic regular season. I think the Avs are still too green, although it would give the Denver hockey market a huge boost if they advance. Not since the days of Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg have I see so much optimism in the Mile High City. Chicago over Nashville in 5. - I've noted in previous blog posts that Barry Trotz has really gotten the short end of the stick with Nashville's constantly depleted roster. Trotz's squads have never won a playoff round and that's not necessarily his fault, and it won't be again this year. Against perhaps the most talented team in the league, even the blue-collar Preds won't be able to fend off Joel Quenneville's multi-faceted attack. Even if Pekka Rinne completely stands on his hand, the Preds don't have enough top-end talent to win. <img src="http://tapiaphoto.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/269091029002_canucks_at_kings_blog.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">Vancouver over Los Angeles in 6. - The Kings crushed the Canucks in a 8-3 win in their last regular season meeting, but the playoffs are a completely different animal and the Kings haven't tasted the postseason since 2002. Both Jonathan Quick and Roberto Luongo, the two key players in this series, have struggled down the stretch and it remains to be seen which man can find his game quicker. However, the Canucks are just too deep up front and with a vaunted powerplay LA's mediocre PK unit should be quivering. Vancouver's defense remains the team's Achilles' heel, but if Henrik and Daniel Sedin can pin the Kings in their own zone it won't be a problem at all. Henrik has especially embraced his new role with the Canucks as their primary go-to man and who knows what he and Daniel have in store for the playoffs. Could you imagine if they elevated their game even more? Detroit over Phoenix in 6. - Phoenix took game one and looked pretty good doing it. But I would never count out any team coached by Mike Babcock and captained by the steady Nicklas Lidstrom. The Coyotes, like the Avs and Sens, have zero pressure on them to perform - by all accounts they have had successful seasons considering the expectations that had been placed upon them, but like any young team the Coyotes are hungry. The Wings are ranked lower, but they're definitely not the underdog. Dave Tippett's teams have generally performed well in the playoffs but have had some terrible luck.

Oops, brain fart there. Thanks for the heads up.

Hopefully everyone had a good Easter weekend. I know I did. It's also been awhile since my last post, and my sincerest apologies to my readers... however few of you there are (ha!). Anyway, if any of you ever get a chance to visit Atlantic Canada (not exactly the most exotic place, I know) be sure to visit Baddeck and Cape Breton. It's beautiful. But back to hockey. There's only a handful of games to go in the season and things are really starting to shape up. The East has been dominated by Washington all season long, but their lacklustre showing in an elimination game against Pittsburgh last year (6-2 loss) questioned the overall mental toughness of the group. RJ Umberger wasn't afraid to express his opinion on the matter but despite Caps owner Ted Leonsis' great comeback, Umberger has a point. In the West, with the Sharks, Hawks, and Canucks (all 5-4-1 in past 10) stumbling to the finish line, the West might be as open as ever. Here are 30 storylines to watch/think/talk about (in no particular order): 30. Nikita Filatov and Kirill Kabanov's departures to Russia have been well-documented and once again it may really hurt the stock of other Russian hopefuls. Remember that because no one was quite sure of Alexei Cherepanov's status his stock fell dramatically. Just in case anyone hasn't noticed, the Olympic tournament showed that the era of European hockey dominance is over. Less and less Europeans are being taken and making the NHL. The best players in the league, asides from Alex Ovechkin, are either Canadian or American. There's an ebb and flow when it comes to young talent (just ask USA Hockey) and right now it's right in North America's backyard. The NHL has to capitalize on this and the playoffs are the best marketing opportunity. For more on European hockey, check out Elliotte Friedeman's blog. It's fantastic. 29. Central Scouting's final rankings for 2010 eligible players will be released tomorrow. There's talk that the Oilers will take Taylor Hall, due to his goal-scoring ability and has played with Jordan Eberle in the past. I agree that Hall is the sexy pick, but my belief is that Tyler Seguin may be a better fit. He's a smart hockey player that I think will be better than Hall in the long run. Hall didn't impress me much during the World Juniors, despite his statistics. He holds on to the puck for too long and isn't strong enough on the puck to do that (yet). <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/stars/images/upload//2008/06/modano_draft250.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">28. One of my favourite players growing up was Mike Modano, and now in his 19th NHL season and with diminishing ice-time, this may be his swan song. It seems as though retirement is likely - Modano, along with Brett Hull and Wayne Gretzky, have shown interest in buying the Stars from current owner Tom Hicks. #9 will be hanging from the rafters by October, guaranteed. Chris Chelios, of course, will still manage to find a place to play next year. 27. There are only five teams that are fighting for a playoff spot. The Bruins, Rangers, and Flyers in the East and the Avs and Flames in the West. The Habs haven't clinched but they will soon. For the Flames' sake I hope they miss it - and not because I'm a Vancouver fan, but because if they make the playoffs it gives less reason to overhaul that organization from the top down. The Avs have played over their heads all season long and deserve it. In the East, I hope the Rangers make it ahead of the Bruins, but only because I know at some point a John Tortorella outburst is coming. The guy is a sound bite gold mine. 26. The Caps bring a lot of offensive firepower, but once again their 224 GA is second-worst among playoff-bound teams (the worst is Ottawa, with 227). Jose Theodore is having a great season - he has 29 wins to just 7 losses all year, with a respectable 2.83 GAA and .910 SV%. He's the shoo-in for the Bill Masterton Trophy in my books. The annual award is given to the player who has shown the most perseverance and dedication to hockey, and no player may be more qualified than Theodore, who seemed to be on the verge of losing his job to Semyon Varlamov and also lost his 2-month old son over the summer. He's also qualified for the King Clancy Trophy for humanitarian contributions with his Saves for Kids campaign. 25. The Caps also lack a shut-down defenseman that so many of the past Cup-winning teams have featured. The breakout candidate here is Jeff Schultz, whose +39 leads all NHL defensemen. Of course, it really helps when Mike Green is your defensive partner. The Caps need Theodore to continue to play well. Should Theodore have a meltdown, the Caps will make a very early exit. Teams just don't allow you to score 5 goals in the playoffs. 24. The Devils have only won 4 of their last 10 games and Martin Brodeur, arguably the key to the Devils' success, hasn't been playing well. The addition of Ilya Kovalchuk helps things up front and Lou Lamoriello and Jacques Lemaire pull rabbits out of their hat on defense, but goaltending is something they don't have any control over. Despite finishing with 3 division titles in the last 4 seasons, the Devils have been eliminated in the semis twice and the quarters the past two years. The Devils aren't the favourites to advance, but you have to wonder if Brodeur's time really is up. 23. Ryan Miller is the Sabres' backbone and everyone knows it, so they'll go only as far as Miller takes them. Lindy Ruff will have a tough challenge in front of him. The Sabres' offense has been buoyed by Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, and the surprisingly healthy Tim Connolly. None of them, however, will finish the season with over 75 points. Tyler Myers has been excellent all season but let's face it, the puck's been bouncing for him all year long. When playoff hockey starts and the tempo is ratcheted up, we'll see how he responds. 22. The Penguins just can't seem to turn it on some nights. Even with Sidney Crosby's goal-scoring campaign, the Pens have seemed anemic on offense some nights. The Pens need Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to hit their stride as the playoffs hit. Dan Bylsma isn't worried and believes that the Pens will crank it up when the playoffs start, but I don't necessarily share his optimism. Sergei Gonchar has to stay healthy. 21. Jason Spezza has the ability to single-handedly take over a game and would be a top five centre in the league, but for some reason he just refuses to do it. Alex Kovalev has been an absolute waste of money and it's actually a wonder how Cory Clouston has coached this squad to fifth place. If the competition against him this year wasn't so tough, he'd be a Jack Adams favourite. They'll face the Pens or Devils in the first round and they won't make it past that. The Sens are still missing too many pieces, but what a player they have in Erik Karlsson. 20. Much like the Sabres, the Habs' playoff hopes hinge on Jaroslav Halak. He will no doubt by Jacques Martin's starter in the first round, but he has an excellent backup plan in Carey Price. Price has taken a lot of heat this year for his play, but take a look at his numbers - 2.77 GAA, .912 SV%. They're not bad at all, but Halak has been simply outstanding this year. I've been saying it all year though - Price should be the Habs' long-term option, not Halak. 19. Defense wins championships, but you can't win if you can't score. The Bruins' defense is among the league's best despite a subpar season from Tim Thomas, but they must miss Phil Kessel. With only 195 goals, the Bruins' offense is the league's worst, and they will be without Marc Savard. You'll be seeing a lot of one goal games here that could go either way but don't expect them in the Conference Finals. 18. There have been persistent rumours that the Flyers' locker room is a mess. First, there was Mike Richards' refusal to speak to the media after accusations of partying too hard. Now there's rumblings that Chris Pronger is not the most popular guy in the locker room (what else is new?) but if the Flyers aren't on the same page they have no chance. The big "but" here is that Pronger's been able to reach the finals in his first year in a new city every time. That trend will be snapped this year. Did I mention they're the Enron of cap management? 17. The Rangers are on the outside looking in, for now, and like the Bruins and Habs they don't have an easy time scoring goals. What they do have, however, is a healthy Marian Gaborik, one of the best goalscorers in the league (40 markers with minimal help), Henrik Lundqvist in net, and the fiery John Tortorella. Besides, more Rangers hockey = more rounds of Tortorella and Larry Brooks. Who would say "no" to that? Sorry, Atlanta, but I don't think you guys will cut it. 16. The Sharks are stumbling and are in danger of losing the West title to Chicago. Todd McLellan, like his predecessor Ron Wilson, continues to find regular season success in San Jose, but the playoffs are a completely different story. I don't envision a lot of first round upsets this year, but anything shy of a Conference Finals appearance is a disappointment. Joe Thornton needs to play big in big games but the Sharks need Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau to fire on all cylinders for them to advance. Joe Pavelski and Dan Boyle are two very important players as well. 15. The Blackhawks are my favourite to reach the finals. I don't think their goaltending is as bad as everyone portrays. Cristobal Huet isn't synonymous with more accomplished West goalies like Evgeni Nabokov or Roberto Luongo, but he's starting material in the NHL and Antti Niemi isn't a bad Plan B. Marian Hossa has reached the finals two years in a row and there's no reason why it can't be three. But maybe this time the third time's the charm. Expect big postseason performances from Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp. Just a gut feeling. 14. Dave Tippett is one of the most underrated coaches in the NHL (along with Barry Trotz) and Phoenix is the team of the year. Riding on the coattails of Ilya Bryzgalov, the Coyotes are a great dark horse pick. They're young, fast, talented, and hard-working, a formula for success at the NHL level. It's rather unfortunate that the Coyotes may end up facing Detroit in the first round, and if that's the case Phoenix won't advance. We'll have to see if Wojtek Wolski and Lee Stempniak can keep the wheels turning. <img src="http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/sports/photos/2008/04/22/trotz-barry080422.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed">13. You can't not like the Preds. They're the Hoosiers of hockey... except they've never won a playoff round. The Preds scored by committee but have only scored 2 more goals than they have allowed. The Preds can't afford to lose any of their offensive firepower because despite having Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, and Dan Hamhuis on the blueline, Pekka Rinne will have to stand on his head to keep them afloat. Another early exit is likely for Trotz and co. 12. No team is heading into the playoffs with more momentum than Detroit. 7-1-2 in their past ten games, the Wings are finally healthy and Jimmy Howard has emerged as a capable NHL goaltender. Both Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk's production declined this year but you never count out the Wings, especially with Mike Babcock behind the bench and Nicklas Lidstrom on the blueline. Detroit's everyone's favourite dark horse pick and it's not unjustified. Could you imagine how giddy Gary Bettman would be with a Detroit-Chicago Conference Finals match-up? 11. Ideally, the Kings want to face the Canucks in the first round and avoid the Hawks, especially the 8-3 drubbing they put on last week. The Kings seem to have flown under the radar this year with most storylines focusing on Phoenix, but the Kings do have a nice mix of veteran and young talent. It'll be the first time the Kings have made the playoffs since 2002, and it's a bit of a shame that they have generated relatively little buzz. For a man so worries about American ratings and fans, Bettman seems to have dropped the ball with this one. There's also the east coast bias here. 10. I'm personally rooting for the Avs to make the playoffs, but that's like choosing the lesser of two evils. You have to respect what Joe Sacco and his staff have done, especially many, including myself, wrote them off as the league's worst team. Matt Duchene has had an incredible rookie season and will be a Calder finalist and even with a first round exit, the Avs' future looks pretty bright. 9. Add Calgary to the list of dysfunctional teams that includes Edmonton, Tampa Bay, and Philadelphia. While the Flames are really making a push for the final spot, made easier by Colorado's recent play, I can't help but think that in the long run the Flames are better off not making the playoffs. By missing the postseason the management will really have to make some changes from the top, starting by relieving Darryl Sutter of his GM duties. Olli Jokinen was a mistake and it doesn't seem like he's learned his lesson with Jay Bouwmeester. The Flames have terribly mishandled the cap which resulted in Dion Phaneuf being shipped out. If the Flames make the playoffs, the Sutters will have an excuse for "one more year." Actually... forget what I'm saying. I hope the Flames waddle in mediocrity for the foreseeable future. Let's seem them get erased 4-0 in the first round. 8. Alright, enough league talk, let's focus on the Canucks. The first question that's been buzzing has been Luongo's recent play. Subpar would be a nice way of putting it, but no matter how much Luongo's struggling, he'll be Alain Vigneault's pick for game one. There's no way around it - Luongo has to play. The Canucks looked like real Cup contenders a couple of months ago but now seem like smoke and mirrors. In a recent poll done by NHLers for ESPN, Luongo was voted as one of the most overrated players in the league. 7. Will Henrik Sedin win the Art Ross? At this point it seems very likely but even if Sedin wins the scoring race don't be surprised if he's not in talks for the Hart Trophy as league MVP. He'll be running against the usual culprits like Crosby and Ovechkin. The goals race is tight as well, with Crosby (47) having a one goal edge over Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos (46 each). 6. That's how many 25+ goal scorers the Canucks will have. Daniel Sedin, Ryan Kesler, and Mason Raymond all sit at 24 at the moment, so I'm jumping the gun a little here, but it's very possible. The Canucks may boast one of the league's best offenses after Chicago and Washington. Scoring depth will be vital in the playoffs and the Canucks have that in bunches. Michael Grabner and Pavol Demitra have both been putting the puck in as of late. 5. Will the defense hold? If there's any question marks with the Canucks' chances with their current roster, it's on the blueline. Vigneault and the coaching staff will have to work on the defense, which hasn't been as effective as it was earlier this year. 4. Who's Eddie Lack? Asides from knowing that he's a Swedish netminder, I didn't know a heck of a lot about him either. But obviously Mike Gillis felt comfortable enough to sign the guy, who might start for Brynas next year when the Panthers bring Jacob Markstrom overseas. Either way, it's another goaltending prospect in the system that may eventually takeover for Luongo or just be some attractive trade bait. 3. It seems unlikely that the Canucks will move away from this position so they'll be hoping that it's not Detroit at 6. Whatever the case, it seems as though this year's playoffs won't feature many upsets in the first round. The top tier teams are just too good. It's the second division title in three years for Vancouver and perhaps many to become, considering the woes of Minnesota, Edmonton, and Calgary. Colorado is still a couple of years away. <img src="http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/gallery/000049/000305048.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">2. The Canucks' single season record for points is 110 (Pavel Bure, 60 goals, 50 assists), and Henrik is only 4 away with 3 games to go. Just one goal away from hitting 30, Hank has only fired 159 shots on goal this year. That's 50 less shots than 30-goal scorers Mikael Samuelsson and Alex Burrows. The Sedins have been efficient all year and are finally getting the recognition they deserve. It's unfortunate that Daniel went down with an injury early this season, otherwise the Canucks would have the league's highest-scoring duo, topping Washington's Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. 1. That's Kesler's +/- this season. Surprising, I know, considering the type of season he's had. He's having another Selke-worthy campaign but once again it'll probably be Datsyuk who takes the award. It just goes to show how misleading that stat can be. Kesler's 80 takeaways are only second to Datsyuk's 125, and also wins 55.5% of his face-offs.

I'm saying he didn't do it by accident. It was a set play but when Farhan Lalji asked him about the play on TSN Daniel said he was just "throwing it at the net." I find that very hard to believe. That's got to be one of the smartest set plays I've ever seen. It was so creative and original. Raycroft should've played at least ten games this year even if Luongo wasn't injured, but that's another discussion. That's more about Vigneault than anybody else. I don't think our backup goalie problems stem from them wanting to play too much. Hedberg hardly complained and none of those guys really did either. What made Vancouver such a goalie graveyard were the bad years they would have here. If you look at the save percentages of those backups, they were awful. It is true that Raycroft will get more and deserves more on the open market, but he if wants to win he'll have to play second fiddle to Luongo. I have a hard time believing other teams will sign him to be their starter. He's got too much competition with younger kids (Schneider, J. Bernier, etc.) on the market. I think Raycroft likes it here and he'd be willing to stay, even if that means only playing 10-15 games a year.

That is the original plan - whether that has changed or not no one other than the big brass knows. But, considering how few draft picks we have in this year's draft, I'm sure we could dangle Schneider for something. I just feel that Raycroft has played well enough and it seems like he likes Vancouver. He's relatively cheap, experienced, and (hopefully) won't mind playing 10-15 games a year.

Those chants were sweet to backup Andrew Raycroft as they were to me. The premium in the playoffs is goaltending because every game counts and a game stolen by Roberto Luongo could mean the difference between winning and losing a series. Since coming back from the Olympic break Luongo has been faltering, including an absolutely abysmal performance in Edmonton two nights ago, so it's nice to see that the Canucks have at least found confidence in their backup goaltending, ending a goaltending carousel that's featured Curtis Sanford, Johan Hedberg, Bob Essensa, Peter Skudra... the list goes on and on. Not that it should ever happen, but if Luongo falters in the playoffs at least Alain Vigneault will have some confidence in Raycroft to put him in net. A lot of people wondered why Vigneault didn't start Raycroft in Edmonton and then Luongo against a tougher Anaheim squad, but quite simply, I think it was because Vigneault planned to start Luongo every night until the end of the season, maybe save for the last game of the season if it was meaningless. I disagree with D13G0 DA SNIPUR here because I think the worst thing to do to a struggling goalie is staple him to the bench. Get Luongo more games, see more pucks, swallow the bitter pills, and hopes he finds his grove come playoff time. There's no point in giving Raycroft more ice-time if he's not going to start in the playoffs - at most he's an insurance policy the coaching staff can trust. All things considered the Canucks probably have the division title and home-ice advantage locked up in the first round. The Avalanche are five points away with nine games to play and aren't exactly on a roll, going just 5-4-1 in their last ten. The only difference the last game of the season may make is deciding which team the Canucks will have to play in the first round, and that could mean LA, Colorado, Nashville, or Detroit. Sorry Calgary fans, I don't think so. Just a side note, if the Flames miss the playoffs this year the Sutters will really have to look at themselves in the mirror. The Flames have been taken sideways steps at the most since their Cup run against the Lightning. That Olli Jokinen trade was a do-over (I didn't think he would mesh well with Jarome Iginla in the first place - they're too similar) and that Dion Phaneuf trade may end up hurting them too. <img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100325/capt.10b40c62d7e3432a89a8f77c2c25b681-10b40c62d7e3432a89a8f77c2c25b681-0.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">Raycroft, who earns $500,000, is set to be a UFA at the end of the season and don't be surprised if Mike Gillis ends the goaltending carousel now and gives Raycroft a brand-new multi-year deal worth roughly the same money next year. I think it's a foregone conclusion that Cory Schneider won't be sticking around because 1) he's a valuable trade chip and 2) he won't be starting here anytime soon. Several teams will still be in the market for a goalie and if anything Gillis will make his presence felt at the draft, where the Canucks don't have a second or third round pick. By signing Raycroft to a multi-year contract, Gillis and Vigneault will save themselves from the backup goaltender headache and really provide Luongo and the team with some stability. Goalies are developing such different styles and having Raycroft stick around for a little longer provides more familiarity between him and the five other guys on the ice. Congrats to Henrik Sedin hitting 71 assists, tying a career high, but also moving him to 99 points and the league lead. Given Henrik's current pace, he'll be finishing the year with 109.7 points, which rounded up to 110 will tie him with Pavel Bure (perhaps the best ever Russian scorer) for the franchise record. The Sedins do face an incredible array of goaltending talent in their upcoming games, with Evgeni Nabokov, Ilya Bryzgalov, Miikka Kiprusoff, Niklas Backstrom, and then Craig Anderson and Jonathan Quick. However, if they can pull off anything like Henrik's spin-o-rama backhand pass to Alex Burrows again (they will), the points will come. Props also to George Parros and Darcy Hordichuk for mixing it up on more than one occasion including a very spirited first bout. Michael Grabner was equally impressive with his speed, but as Chris Cuthbert pointed out he's been unwilling to go to the net. He reminds me a lot of a younger Mason Raymond - his wheels just turn too fast for him to think and react at the right time. Kyle Wellwood has really picked up his game lately and when Steve Bernier comes back this team will be really deep up front. (And I'm terribly sorry Daniel, but I don't believe you were just "throwing the puck at the net." That was a set play and Burrows was the fly-by screen. If Daniel was truly throwing it there for Burrows to fetch the puck should've been shot five feet lower. That puck went top corner blocker side. Take a look at Burrows' route and where his stick was. He wasn't even going to bother tipping it. All he wanted to do was tie up Niedermayer. Video here.) The Canucks weren't stellar last night even though the score does suggest we dominated. The Canucks had six giveaways last night and four of them came from our defensemen. As much as the Canucks were successful in pinning the Ducks in their own zone, the opposite was true as well and had it not been for Raycroft the score would've been much closer. On more than one occasion Raycroft stood on his head. The Ducks are an interesting story this year, as their offensive production has absolutely gone downhill. After scoring 245 goals last year the Ducks sit only at 205 this year. Everyone except for Jonas Hiller, Corey Perry, and Bobby Ryan (what a fantastic set of hands he has) seems to have taken a step backwards. The bad news is that Scott Niedermayer may retire at the end of the year, which would end his distinguished career on a low note. If the Ducks finish out of the playoffs it'd be the first time since 1996 Niedermayer has failed to reach the post-season and he's two points shy of 100 career playoff points. The good news is that should Niedermayer retire, the Ducks will have lots of money to play with and their young core is already in place. The Canucks visit the reeling Sharks Saturday night on CBC. EDIT: I didn't realize this until I saw this just now, but a fight broke up between a Ducks fan and a Canucks fan last night. I only saw the TSN feed and they didn't say anything about it. Anyway, Mozy did a bang-up job writing it up and I wholeheartedly agree with him.

The Broad Street Bullies emerged in a very different hockey era. It is true that era of hockey was about as brutal as any other, perhaps even the most brutal, but back in those days stars had to learn how to drop the gloves and fight for themselves. In some ways, there was a lot more respect for each other back then than there is today. Stars didn't take crap from agitators because they'd just pummel the agitators themselves and players weren't turtling after a cheap shot. Pavel Bure wasn't the cleanest player, but he was no cheap shot artist. What is killing the league isn't Ovechkin, it's the Cookes, Downies, and Otts. Instigator rules and respect come hand-in-hand. Cheap shot artists make cheap shots because they know they won't be able to be held accountable. They have zero respect for anybody out there on the ice because they know the refs are on his side and they won't have to respond with their fists when they get jumped. It's a clear lack of respect. How do you explain Cormier's elbow? Downie's post-fight punch to Jason Blake's eye? Pronger stepping on Kesler's leg? Cooke knew he was going to hurt Savard, and I'm sure Richards knew he was going to hurt Booth as well. Booth challenging Richards was a throwback to the old days when guys stood up for themselves.

When I tell people I live and breathe hockey, one of the most common answers I get is: "You like hockey? Really!? It's so barbaric! They fight all the time!" In a way, it is true. Grown men on skates in post-whistle scrums hacking, pushing, shoving, punching, trash-talking, fighting. What most people don't understand, and most often than not it's because they've had very little exposure to the sport either by watching or playing, is that there is a "hockey code" involved. I once tried to explain this to a friend of mine to justify all the "barbaric" things that happen on the ice but there were times where I really stumbled on my words to convey my message. It's not something easily understood. There's a certain honour when it comes to dropping the gloves and hitting someone, something that has clearly been lost as evidenced by this week's crazy sequence of events. It's hard to pinpoint exactly when hockey players lost respect for one another. Hits to the head, elbows, kneeing, slew foots have been just a few of the instances this year in which hockey players lost their ability to make good decisions. Mike Richards' hit was a poor decision. As was Matt Cooke's hit on Marc Savard, Patrice Cormier's elbow on Mikael Tam, and most recently James Wisniewski's hit on Brent Seabrook. It certainly doesn't help hockey's image when papers like the Boston Herald are actively calling for a punishment on Matt Cooke. This is head-hunting at its best. This all gives hockey a bad image. I'm a little shocked that Gary Bettman hasn't publicly said anything about the matter or the Herald's front page (... on second thought, I'm actually not). The last time an (alleged) head hunt was called ended in a nasty situation that involved a season-long suspension and fractured vertebrae. The NHL took huge five steps forward with the success of the Olympics with an all North American final but its image has once again suffered because the league has proved incapable and inefficient once again to really address the issues. In fact, I think the Pittsburgh-Boston game Thursday night was a great example of why the league really needs to get rid of the instigator rule. <img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20100319/i/r3602461247.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed">First, I thought the Bruins responded in a great way to the incredible amount of pressure on them to exact revenge on Matt Cooke. Cooke knew what was coming too and obliged when he was challenged by Shawn Thornton in a spirited tilt (kudos to both). Thornton was tossed from the game for throwing punches when Cooke was vulnerable on the ice, but I'm glad that it didn't get worse, because really, it could've. Never mind the Bruins lost, that was asides from the point. Had Cooke declined the offer to drop the gloves (and he does have a history of doing that) the pent up rage of the entire Bruins squad and Boston crowd could've escalated into something much worse. In regards to Wisniewski's hit on Seabrook, had there been no instigator rule, I don't think the hit would've happened. Instead, Wisniewski would've dropped the gloves whether Seabrook was willing or not. In some ways, a spirited tilt in which the play is dead and the referees and linesmen's focus is on the fight, and in which Seabrook doesn't necessarily have to be as aware of the surroundings around him, makes it a much safer option than skating 20 feet and slamming Seabrook into the boards when he isn't looking. At least in a fight Seabrook has a chance to defend himself. It was clear Wisniewski wanted to send a message. I find it hard to believe that retaliation wasn't something he had in mind when he skated from his own bench and flew into Seabrook like a RPG. Fighting needs to stay in the NHL. Blindside hits and the instigator rule have to go. Respect, for the players and sport alike, needs to be earned again.