Jason Chen

McFly, I totally agree there is more to talk about this year, especially considering the play of Henrik Sedin. It's been a week of distractions for the Canucks but based on their play against Pittsburgh it seems as though they've already put it behind them.

Just an update: Cormier's been suspended indefinitely. This is to be expected as Cormier will be meeting with Courteau and a decision will be made, I think, after Branch rules on Kassian. I suspect it will be a domino effect.

VanIsleNuckFan, that's a great point. The NHL isn't necessarily advocating biased reffing, but it certainly isn't really doing anything to address the issue. I don't think the NHL will ever move back to the one referee system but something needs to be done. I'm hopeful and believe that the Auger/Burrows fiasco is an isolated incident.

Thanks for the support, BedBeats. The Sedins definitely don't always rely on the dump and chase but most nights it's their most effective strategy. They're so great with their support in the forecheck and once they get the puck, it's game over, they're not going to give it up. They're very intelligent players to be sure, but I'm just wondering why they strayed from a winning formula. I don't think Raycroft's head was in that game either. He's been a good backup but he's not going to get many games in and for a lot of goalies that's tough, not seeing consistent game action. A lot of people ride backups for their play poor but what can you do? You can't possibly believe that a goalie can find his rhythm in an instant when he hasn't played in a month. The most successful backups, the Brian Bouchers, the Michael Leightons, the Antero Niittymakis, have all had stretches in which they've played at least a full week of games. They're not bad goalies, they just need an opportunity. But all's good, a 6-2 win over the Pens makes everything right again.

For those of you who haven't seen or heard about it yet, last night's game between the Quebec Remparts and Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, former World Junior captain Patrice Cormier was ejected in overtime after a vicious elbow headshot on Mikael Tam. Tam was convulsing on the ice and left the game on a stretcher. He is in stable condition but has suffered a concussion and possibly a broken jaw. Needless to say it could've been much worse. A word of warning - the video is quite graphic and horrifying. You can watch the video here or read TSN's account here. It's quite obvious that Cormier had shown intent at taking out Quebec City native Mikael Tam out of the game. Normally I'd be a little sympathetic - after all, hockey is a dangerous game. However, it is very disheartening to see this type of head-hunting in the CHL. These are all players that are trying to make it to the NHL and stuff like this has seemingly become more common in the QMJHL. The OHL had two similar incidents this year (more on that in a bit) but having lived on both coasts of the country and seen both enough of the WHL and QMJHL, it's my observation that a lot of physical play in the QMJHL is over the line. It's also tragic that there are players who still engage in this type of play and it makes hockey look really, really bad. It comes to no surprise to me that Patrick Roy has reached out to the Quebec Provincial Police, except this time he seems to be on the other end. Roy is no stranger to them - in early 2007, he had attempted to punch the co-owner of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, Pierre Cardinal. Assault charges were filed but later dropped and since then Roy has called Cardinal to personally apologize. In 2008, again versus Chicoutimi, Roy was suspended for five games and fined $4000 after urging his son Jonathan to engage in a fight against Bobby Nadeau. A police investigation was launched and Jonathan Roy was charged with assault. Later that same year, his younger son Frederick Roy was suspended for 15 games for a cross-check during a stoppage in play. There were no police investigations in the matter. <img src="http://viewfrommyseats.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Cormier.jpeg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">Cormier, a Devils prospect (54th overall in 2008) and recently traded at the QMJHL deadline from Rimouski to Rouyn-Noranda, is no stranger to discipline from the QMJHL either. The 6'1", 200 lbs. forward certainly plays with an edge in his game but it definitely hasn't served him well. This is not even the first incident about Cormier this year - in an exhibition game against Sweden at the World Juniors, Cormier escaped suspension from the IIHF after he elbowed the Canucks' own Anton Rodin in the face. He did the same thing against Finland a couple days later. A lot of people defended Cormier for the hit, saying that he was only trying to "set the tone." A lot of people have changed their tune since last night. If suspended by the QMJHL, it will actually be Cormier's first offense, having no previous suspensions. The outrage on Cormier's hit on Tam (just Google it) on hockey forums has been widespread, from labeling him as a "killer" to calls for suspending him from the league. I don't think the former is really fair despite his spotty history but I do agree with the ban, but then again, this league isn't run by David Branch and for the first time the QMJHL will have to lay down the hammer down on a marquee player. Exactly what sort of punishment the QMJHL will dish out remains to be seen, but I think anything short of a life-time ban and there will be public outcry. Earlier this year, Mike Liambas of the Erie Otters also dished out a vicious hit from behind on Kitchener Ranger Ben Fanelli. The gun-ho Branch suspended 20-year old Liambas (he turns 21 in February) for the rest of the season, effectively ending his junior career. Known as an enforcer, it was easy to toss Liambas from the league, even though I do honestly think he didn't try to hurt the guy and I do believe that the defenseman turned away at the last second. during a game and even I thought that was worse than Liambas' hit. Kassian has since then been suspended indefinitely (his third). To me, regardless of the extent of the injury, I think it's the action itself that determines the length of the suspension. Some people believed Liambas' suspension was too harsh, others believed it was just right. Based on that criteria, and the fact that Kassian jumped and went for the head warrants a season-long suspension as well. The jury's still out on Kassian, who is a more high profile player than Liambas. But where does QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau stand on this? He has declined to comment any further on the issue for now, but the heat is on. Branch has thus far shown that he's willing to lay down the hammer, but what about Courteau? Cormier was Canada's captain for the World Junior tournament and the first ever from New Brunswick and an all-star. Cap-Pele, Cormier's hometown, has just over 2000 residents and I don't think there's any denying that he's a popular figure. Will there be a double-standard? What of Cormier's suspension? Will the extent of Tam's injuries (Fanelli suffered facial lacerations and a cracked skull and still in the hospital) be a deciding factor on the length of the suspension? More importantly, why are kids showing less and less respect for each other on the ice? What happened? I say enough is enough - toss the guy from the league - but until then, we can only patiently await word from Courteau.

I think everyone's a little tired of the Stephane Auger-Alex Burrows incident. What had been said to Auger behind closed doors won't be revealed, but it'll probably be along the lines of, "well, you know, just keep your mouth shut before the game and watch who you talk to." The NHL was in a bit of a pickle here because they can't pick sides - whatever side they choose, it sends the message that the NHL acknowledges that they have refs who cannot stay impartial during a game but are really refusing to do anything substantial about it. That's not mentioning that the NHL Officials Association will be very unhappy if the NHL takes Burrows' side. I think by creating less of the situation the NHL really has avoided what could've been a big controversy - Burrows has a history and as does Auger. What really irks me though, is that some people are still willing to dig into Burrows. More specifically, Ron MacLean's telecast last night (part 1 and 2) against the Penguins. I agree with Alain Vigneault's post-game conference that MacLean (a referee by training but also ironically been one of the most critical observers of the lack of consistency in NHL-level refereeing in recent years) took some unfair potshots at Burrows. Colin Campbell joined MacLean in the telecast and a few of his answers also really shed light on the current situation in the NHL's discipline office. No one other than Burrows and Auger knew what happened on the ice in that January 11 game, but to me, I think MacLean delves into one assumption too many in his analysis (part 1, 1:50-2:15). He claims that Burrows embellished the hit (I think he did too) but stayed on the ice (or "played dead," in Ron's words) even when the Canucks trainers came onto the ice and stayed there long enough to ensure that Jerred Smithson got five and a game misconduct. The NHL made the right move and rescinded that game misconduct after Nashville GM David Poile filed a complaint, but here's where it gets confusing. Colin Campbell specifically says that it could've been a "two-minute penalty, no problem" (part 1, 3:05) and rescinded the misconduct also in part because that "two or three" (part 1, 2:38) could mean a future automatic one-game suspension. Okay, let me get this straight: Smithson's hit on Burrows could've been two minutes or fifteen minutes or one, two, maybe three-game suspensions? To me, while I don't think it is the most relevant factor, shows the inconsistent refereeing from top to bottom. The NHL doesn't really have a set standard for anything. Case in point, Campbell notes that Burrows was not suspended for his punch on Zack Stortini because he felt that it was unfair to Mike Gillis and the Canucks to not give them more warning (part 2, 0:27-0:45). Thanks for your sympathy Colin, but the NHL office would look more credible if they made sure there was a set standard for fines and suspensions. Forget about putting the opposition team in a pickle - it's their problem, not yours. I can hear Gary Bettman singing the same tune last year, "well, I just didn't think it'd be fair to the Flames to ice less than 18 skaters due to their own cap managing failures because I'm such a gosh-darn nice guy. By the way, can my forehead by any shinier?" MacLean doesn't help his own cause any further when he refuses to believe any part of Burrows' story: "I can't imagine he said, 'I'll get you.' I think we can all agree on that" (part 1, 4:40). No, Ron, I don't agree. At this point I think that whole "what he said" thing is circumstantial and there is a clear lack of hard evidence to prove either side's story. MacLean's a referee and I think even he would be hard-pressed to say that Burrows' interference penalty late in the third against the Predators was absolute junk. Burrows is an intelligent hockey player and he plays with a lot of emotion so I can't really see that something he said out of frustration and anger was completely false. Let's not delve into too much psychoanalysis, but to Burrows, it was more than just about "me vs. him." In his post-game he repeatedly said that it wasn't fair to the fans or the team. Taking a page from MacLean's Book of Poor Assumptions, I'm going to assume that Auger clearly saw this as a "me vs. him" incident. He was clearly upset that Burrows had make him look awful back in December - Auger even said so himself according to Campbell (part 1, 5:33). There haven't been any reports denying that. Auger refused to comment after the game and still hasn't said anything since. But never mind the whole incident, who was wrong or who was right, MacLean was more "upset that he [burrows] said it, that he implied that your referee, Auger, that night was out to get him and he actually might've influenced the outcome of the hockey game and the coach corroborates with the accusation" (part 2 3:11-3:23). From the get-go, it was clear that MacLean didn't have much respect for Burrows and is obviously engaging in some one-sided politics here. For me, the bigger issue is that a NHL player who has been in this league for some time is calling out a ref for some awful calls by insinuating that he was targeted but yet the league hasn't done anything but dish out a measly $2,500 fine and a good ol' talking to with Auger. I'm not MacLean-level outraged with the situation but I'm not particularly happy with it either. With the type of punishments being handed out these days, this is about as fair as they come. Auger won't be reffing another Canucks game for quite some time so the NHL seems to think they have little to worry about. In the end, I don't think MacLean's telecast with Campbell really solved anything. We only re-discovered what we knew already: that Burrows is a diver, Ron is not a fan, and that Burrows' criticism of the officials seems to be more important than the fact that the NHL may have a problem with biased referees. Sorry, Mr. Auger, but I couldn't help myself. <img src="http://www4.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/2007+NHL+Headshots+g3Ww7DZGk9xm.jpg"class="imageFloatRightFramed"><img src="http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00459/SNF2788I_280_459087a.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">

I had the same gripe about ESPN and sent it to Pierre and he answered. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4819132&name=lebrun_pierre It's about 3/4 down the page under "jchen16"

And so the Canucks' road woes continue after a third period collapse in which Antti Miettinen was the Wild's spark. The loss drops Vancouver to two games below .500 on the road and a chance to claim top spot in the division. I think it bears mentioning that the Canucks must finish above .500 on the road to make the playoffs. The face their biggest challenge in February and March and the Canucks have yet to play with any form of consistency. The recent 4-win surge was nice, but it has been followed up with 3 straight losses and another tough match-up Saturday night against Pittsburgh. The poor scheduling (@ Min, vs. Pit, @ Edm, vs. Dal) should not be an excuse - it is what it is. Same goes for the reffing. Like I said before, teams that finish with a sub-par road record rarely make the playoffs. Case in point, the 2005-06 Canucks squad, despite boasting two 30-goal scorers. The Canucks may boast as many as four of those this year (Henrik, Daniel, Alex Burrows, Mason Raymond) but it would be all for naught if they didn't qualify for the postseason. I don't think anybody was on their game last night. Willie Mitchell and Sami Salo, usually the two most dependable on our blueline, made some bad turnovers that resulted in some good Minnesota chances. Antti Miettinen was left wide-open in the slot for his first goal and I'm sure Roberto Luongo would've liked to have some of those back. He was pulled mid-way through the second and Andrew Raycroft stepped in, but the game was lost long before that. The Canucks lacked any sort of aggressiveness or bounce in their step that had served them well in their previous three games. Christian Ehrhoff missed the puck on an icing call but I think he was afraid to get hit. We've seen our share of bad hits by players racing for the puck but Ehrhoff has to make sure he touches it. <img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100114/capt.61415ef94a1347d0ac2b8f101e6e8681.canucks_wild_hockey_mnjm114.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed"> A big deal was made of Minnesota's coaching change after fans were tired of Jacques Lemaire's trap. Todd Richards, hired from San Jose, has promised a more up-tempo and aggressive forecheck that emphasizes offense. It was pretty clear to me that the Wild were the more aggressive team and repeatedly put the Canucks defense on their heels. Their use of speed and relentless forechecking caused problems throughout the night. However, an aggressive forecheck doesn't necessarily translate to success. The Wild's deficiencies are well-documented, allowing 2.89 goals per game compared to 2.40 last year, 2nd best in the league. However, their offense has only marginally improved, from 2.61 to 2.70. I think a huge reason for this is Marian Gaborik. Last year, the Wild were able to play defense and take care of their own zone first and really capitalize on opposition turnovers, and with a finisher like Gaborik they placed quality over quantity (the '09-'10 Wild average 1.2 shots more per game than last year). Martin Havlat, the Wild's big splash this year, has thus far been a disappointment. What sort of personnel you have should dictate what sort of style you play and I think in the Wild's case, Richards' system isn't really working, especially without the offense of Brent Burns from the back end. The trade-off with this more aggressive offensive strategy is a less stingy defense. I have never seen the Canucks be able to walk into the Minnesota zone so easily. The second period was the Canucks' best and they were routinely able to skate the puck in, something that almost never happened with Lemaire. The Sedins' usual dump-and-chase cycle game wasn't necessarily because they could hang onto the puck past the blue line but somehow they got away from that and started dumping it in again in the third. Kudos to Darcy Hordichuk and Alexandre Bolduc trying to spark the team with fights, but the Canucks still remained lethargic. I expect the Canucks to respond appropriately Saturday night against the Pens with a struggling Evgeni Malkin and up-and-down Marc-Andre Fleury.

And it really could've turned out that way. Perhaps the MOST understated part of that game was that it could've escalated into something much, much worse. By sitting Phaneuf in the box the refs are actually accomplishing two things: 1) calling a penalty that should be called regardless of the context of the current game, and 2) letting both teams know that unsportsmanlike and cheapshot behaviour won't be tolerated. Phaneuf in the box means a just Vancouver PP opportunity and keeping the game under control. People talk about hockey players "policing" themselves, well, sometimes that's not the best policy.

I think that is one of the biggest mistakes the NHL can make. The decisions they come up with should not be affected by the fans or media, but rather the players, general managers, and the league itself. Like I said, it's Auger's word against Burrows' word, and to side with Auger completely would mean that they do acknowledge that the refs in this league have very strong biases and cannot stay impartial during a game. To side with Burrows completely would mean that the NHL would fall out of favour with the NHLOA, and that could get messy. You hit the nail on the head BedBeats, it's a lot of circumstantial evidence and to make any decision based on that is, I think, a big mistake.

I don't think immediately suspending Auger is a good solution. At this point it's Auger's word against Burrows' word and we have to give them both the benefit of the doubt. Burrows will most likely be fined for his post-game comments but whether or not Auger gets suspended remains to be seen. I seem to recall hearing that due to the amount of games rookie officials have been working a lot of coaches are unhappy with the inconsistency of the calls - but talk about game-to-game consistency - first a no-calls game against Calgary and now a whistle-happy game against Nashville. Let''s hope for the sake of the NHL that it doesn't turn into a Tim Donaghy thing.

alldownhillaftertallon, I'll have to disagree on your second point, especially about Burrows and Kesler. Sure, they chirp a lot, but Burrows responds by scoring and Kesler gets a roughing against Phaneuf. It was pretty clear to me that neither player wanted to drop the gloves. It's not like Kesler's afraid of the guy - he didn't hesitate to drop them against the much stronger Iginla or Shea Weber. In a game like that you don't wanna sit yourself out for five minutes. Let Glass, Hordichuk, and Rypien do that for ya. And I don't think Phaneuf played an agitating game. He played a dumb game.

You're right, Nighthawk07, if the refs wanted to call penalties it should've gone both ways. Mugger34, I don't think Weekes is that bad, and Mark Lee is alright, but guys like Jim Hughson and Chris Cuthbert are in a class of their own. The east coast bias is obviously in play here, which is rather unfortunate, really - the Western Conference is clearly the better one.

I'm convinced that the Calgary Flames took a page from so I really wonder how much the Calgary Flames gave veteran referees Bill McCreary and Stephen Walkom before the game. The problem tonight with the NHL's inconsistent reffing wasn't the fact that there were a lot of phantom or soft calls, but rather that they didn't call anything. It's one thing to let the game play on without any sort of stoppages, especially a match-up as crucial as this one, but it's totally another to let the lack of calls dictate what kind of behaviour the players can engage in. Case in point, Dion Phaneuf. Just by my count, Phaneuf should've been called for penalties on at least four separate occasions, some of them committed right in front of McCreary, but no whistles. FOUR. Letting one go is something, but once Phaneuf realized that his after-the-whistle shot on Daniel Sedin wasn't going to called for a roughing or unsportsmanlike, he took advantage of it and did the same to Ryan Kesler. Had McCreary or Walkom remembered they had whistles on their hands, Phaneuf would've put his team in a giant hole against Vancouver's vaunted powerplay. His antics were dumb and pointless and one day it's going to come back and really hurt his team... and to think that a lot of people picked him for Canada. He's just not a very smart nor disciplined player. Speaking of penalties, where was the call for the slash on Christian Ehrhoff that snapped his stick in half in overtime? I seem to remember that a slashed stick that broke always resulted into a penalty. <img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100110/capt.dc63729580e341d28ff45831ce0a9801.flames_canucks_hockey__vcrd108.jpg" class="imageFloatLeftFramed">Kudos to Kesler for fighting back against Phaneuf because no one else seemed to want to do it. Someone needed to respond with either a big hit or fight to show that Phaneuf's antics won't be tolerated. Instead, we got two Rick Rypien-Brandon Prust scraps that, while entertaining, sent the right message to the wrong player. It should've been Phaneuf there, but I guess with the new "fighting code" in the NHL a fight would've only been warranted had there been a big, clean hit. I'm tired of players thinking it's their job to respond with a fight only after a good hit (see and ). I also have to disagree with Hordichuk's comments on HNIC as well, just because while I do agree that it's his job to spark the team, I think it's almost been ingrained in players' heads that after they make a clean hit someone will always come after them. Even if Hordichuk didn't want to fight, he would've had to because it was clear Krys Barch was looking to do something about it. If the NHL wants to do something about cracking down on these "unnecessary responses" throw in a 2-minute instigator for the guy who responds to a good, solid hit. The league should promote good, legal, physical play and letting the players police themselves in this way doesn't help. The league has refs to prevent escalation but tonight they could've failed miserably in that department. Phaneuf could've been hurt bad had the Canucks really lost their composure (like Tanner Glass in a brief hiccup in an up-and down third frame). The Sedins were up to their old tricks again with a beautiful feed from Alex Burrows to Henrik to Daniel, and once again the twins weren't afraid to mix it up in the scrums. The new-found swagger, I think, has given them confidence and propelled Henrik to the top of the Art Ross race. The Canucks played a confident game all night despite being heavily outshot (quality over quantity, I say) and it has translated over to the penalty box, where in a hilarious sequence the gatekeeper told Rene Bourque (I believe it was him, serving Mark Giordano's penalty, although I could be wrong) to scoot down the bench so he had some place to sit. Bourque proceeded him to give him a little stare while the gatekeeper continued to ignore him. Jarome Iginla was 1-1 against Henrik tonight in the circle and 1-2 overall, but it might as well be 0-2 because neither Shane Heyer nor Brian Murphy could agree on the proper way to drop the puck, something which has drawn the ire of many players and the league had set a standard for the proper technique before the season. Here's an idea: never mind if the player is ready or not - just drop the puck and if one player doesn't have his stick down, well, too bad. I understand that the linesmen are trying to make the face-off fair at a crucial moment in a crucial game, but c'mon, these are pros and if they don't pay attention then make them pay for it. Mikael Samuelsson had a chance to end the game in overtime but missed the net, something that Detroit fans knew all too well about. Other than that miss he had a great game and really showed some great stickhandling and passing. Willie Mitchell also had a big lane to fire his slapper through, but it wasn't a particularly good shot (it kinda fluttered) and it was one of the few instances in which his extra long stick has a drawback. You can bet that the Canucks missed having Sami Salo at the point. In the shootout Kesler's post was the ultimate decider of the game because both goalies were beat three times each. What a call by Brent Sutter though, to use Jamie Lundmark as his last shooter. He played a heck of a game and Roberto Luongo's unfamiliarity with him must've made an impact. It was a hard-fought and great game overall but it's tough to lose in a shootout like that. Until we meet again, Flamers (March 14).

We can acquire exactly $2,086,188 in salary according to capgeek.com

I have to admit that I was never quite convinced that the Sedins could carry this team. First, there were naysayers that their offensive success had come because opposing teams' top defensive pairings regularly drew the famed West Coast Express. After Todd Bertuzzi was shipped off to Florida, Brendan Morrison signed with Anaheim, and Markus Naslund left for Manhattan before retiring, there is no higher scoring duo than Dan and Henrik. Since the lockout, Henrik is ranked among the top five playmaking centres in the league while Daniel has become a legitimate 30-goal scoring threat. After establishing early in the season that the pair can be legitimate top-liners, with Henrik on pace for a 100+ point season and well on his way to establishing a new career high in goals, the new question that has emerged is whether or not they can carry the team to the promised land. While I don't think the Canucks are considered favourites to win the Cup, I think that the most important aspect about this coming-out party for the Sedins is their new-found swagger. Back when the WCE was at its peak, the Canucks stepped onto the ice knowing that they could score 4, 5, or even 6 goals against their opposition no matter who was in net. They were confident and cocky in their abilities. They took risks, they mouthed off, and they weren't backing down to anybody. When the line began to falter and Naslund no longer had his seeing-eye wrister, the Canucks lost that swagger and what followed was an bout of inconsistency, hesitancy, and lack of execution in key situations or games. Four seasons since the lockout, two division banners but also two playoff misses. <img src="http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/00297/Samuelson26_297301gm-a.jpg" class="imageFloatLeftFramed">In today's Winter Classic (a great game, by the way), Don Cherry made a point about the recent Calgary-Vancouver tilt in which Henrik was knocked down by Dion Phaneuf but proceeded to get back up and score in the same shift. Ignoring his celebrating teammates, Henrik proceeded to skate by Phaneuf and let him know that he's not going to take that kind of hit and not do anything about it. I noticed that while watching the game as well and had a good laugh. It's always nice to see that dumb look on Phaneuf's face. It was much of the same in St. Louis, except it was brother Daniel that wasn't afraid to run his mouth against Barret Jackman while Shane O'Brien, ever the consummate teammate, jumped to his defense. While I do agree that Dan Carcillo's post-fight celebration was a bush-league move, I personally like the cocky confidence the Sedins now exude. Scratch that - I friggin' love it. Five years ago, or even a year ago, I don't think we would've really seen the Sedins really stick up for themselves like that. Perhaps it was because we've always had a Jarkko Ruutu or Matt Cooke on our team. And remember the Wade Brookbank experiment as the third brother? Perhaps it's because the Sedins have now really embraced their roles as the leaders of the team, especially with the new 'A' on Henrik's sweater. Perhaps Mikael Samuelsson's rubbing off on them. Whatever the reason is, expect more great things from the Sedins. Why? Because this new found aggression has always served players well. Defensemen now know that you can't push the Sedins without getting a response. When's the last time anyone called them the sisters? The Sedins are smart players and they'll hit you where it hurts most: the scoreboard.

Toronto may finish in the bottom five overall. As of right now they're only five points out of a playoff spot. The East is wide open and I would not write of any team right now save the Hurricanes, despite their late charge. The Leafs team isn't exactly all bad. They've just had an incredible amount of underachieving players on their roster. Their 9 OTLs are second-most in the East and in shootouts it could go either way. Kessel's return from injury really gave them a spark. Komisarek has had a tough season and goaltending has always been an issue. What the Leafs really lack right now is a premier set-up man for Kessel. Whether the Kessel deal pans out or not remains to be seen. If the Bruins end up picking busts at the draft then the clear winner is Toronto. 40-goal scorers are hard to come by in this league and the Leafs got themselves one in Kessel. He's a dynamic player that can create offense all by himself. Look at the Bruins' offensive struggles this year.

I was three off: Bouwmeester/Doughty, Staal/St. Louis, and Bergeron/Fisher. I don't think Canada could've gone wrong with any of those six players. Doughty was my eighth pick right behind Bouwmeester and it did catch me a little off-guard how Yzerman went with a young star with zero playoff experience but I understand the logic behind it. Doughty is the future face of Canada's defense much like Ray Bourque, Scott Niedermayer, and Al MacInnis once were. Not a bad company. Eric Staal's recent surge brought him back onto Canada's radar and it would be my bet that he was the player that was being deliberated into the wee hours of the morning. After posting just 9 points in 17 games the first two months, Staal has already 17 points in 12 December games. I believe the thinking is that Staal will continue his strong play into February because he's finally back on his game. A little curious about where he will play because I doubt it will be at centre ice. Staal wins a mediocre 41% of his face-offs. Fisher was my pick as the utility forward but it is hard to fault Canada for going with Bergeron, who has had amazing chemistry with Crosby and performed well with the red and white. The Bruins forward has really came back stronger than ever since his concussion a couple years back. Along with Richards we will see a lot of him on the penalty kill.

From a friend from Massachusetts: the "woo!" thing originally came from the Garden.

I think a lot of the criticism on Luongo's "collapse" in big games has come from the game six drubbing from the Hawks. I don't think this particular criticism is unfounded, but keep in mind that Luongo had Canada playing in front of him. There's little doubt that Luongo will falter in the Olympics, but it's undeniable that he doesn't quite have the experience Brodeur or Fleury has, especially the last two years when the Pens reached the Finals twice.

As the date for Steve Yzerman to reveal his team fast approaches, and after a whole two months of countdowns, it is now time to reveal my picks. So without further ado, here it is: GOALIES Martin Brodeur Roberto Luongo Marc-Andre Fleury DEFENSEMEN Scott Niedermayer 'C' - Shea Weber Chris Pronger 'A' - Dan Boyle Duncan Keith - Brent Seabrook Jay Bouwmeester FORWARDS Rick Nash - Sidney Crosby - Jarome Iginla 'A' Patrick Marleau - Joe Thornton - Dany Heatley Martin St. Louis - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry Jonathan Toews - Mike Richards - Mike Fisher Brenden Morrow And that's your 23. There's no doubt about it - the league's best goaltender this year will be the starter and that's clearly Brodeur. Hanging up another gold medal along with breaking Terry Sawchuk's shutout record will be a year to remember. Luongo is the hometown favourite and will get the nod as the backup but Fleury has the big game experience. He was arguably Pittsburgh's MVP last year. The three goalies are heads and shoulders above any other Canadian goalie in the league. The name that will draw the most amount of debate will be Washington's Mike Green. The league's leading scoring defenseman with 36 points in 37 games is an offensively talented player that deserves a spot on any team - just not this one. Big question marks were raised about Green's defensive play, and while it has improved by a significant margin this year, his key contribution - offense - is almost nullified by the presence of Niedermayer, Weber, Boyle, and Keith. While you can't replace or replicate Green's offense, his defense is still considered a liability. Mike Babcock noted that on defense Canada has the ultimate edge over all the countries so I think he'll be looking for players that can really play both ends of the ice rather than specialize in one area. Two Flames, Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Regehr, have also been omitted because I don't feel either bring something indispensable to the table. Phaneuf is no doubt a talented player who loves the atmosphere and the big games but sometimes he gets a little carried away, resulting in dumb penalties that can really put his team in a hole. How well he responds to a loud Vancouver crowd is a big question mark. While Regehr has been a big-time shut-down player for the Flames, his offensive skill is limited and his skating ability is not in the same league as the top six, save maybe Pronger. Canada's ability to get up and down the ice quickly will be a deciding factor in the tournament. TSN made a big deal about having three right-handed shots and three-left handed shots in the top six. While that will be taken into consideration, I doubt that is a major deal breaker. Babcock has only one right-handed regular on his Detroit squad (Brian Rafalski) and they seem to do just fine. It'll make things easier to have more right-handed shots but I don't think it's a necessity. Either way, I have followed the same pattern but I daresay even though I have Keith as the third pairing it would not surprise me if he ended up moving up. Drew Doughty will be a favourite pick for those who want Canada's new batch of young stars to step in. At just 20 years old, he's the go-to guy for Terry Murray and the surging Kings. He logs big minutes and comparisons to Niedermayer aren't unfounded - he plays a more offensive style and uses his skating to cover a lot of ground. He's smart and poised with the puck. But there's just simply too many players to pick from and the pressure is going to be immense. I think the deciding factor will be that Doughty has only one full regular season under his belt and too little experience at the international level. The defending gold medalist Swedes went with experience, and so will Canada. <img src="http://www.canada.com/entertainment/health+will+play+role+canada+final+roster/1936967/1936982.bin?size=620x400" class="imageFloatLeftFramed">The first two forward lines were easy to pick. Crosby plays with Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz, two power forwards, so putting him between Nash and Iginla shouldn't be much of a problem. Canada's top line has enough hustle, skill, and strength to carry the team. This will be Crosby's first Olympics and what better way than to make his debut in his home country and as the tournament MVP? The second line was also easy because I've decided to take the San Jose trio. A lot of pundits who picked the trio have split them up and I don't see the logic behind it. It's clear that Marleau thrives with his two usual linemates, why not just keep them together? The chemistry is already built-in. There's no sense in taking Marleau if you're not going to play him in an offensive role. Getzlaf and Perry was another pair that was easy to pick, but what of the left winger? You could take a dark horse left winger like Mike Cammalleri or Dustin Penner, or even a lefty centre like Jordan Staal, Eric Staal, or Vincent Lecavalier. Since I don't think Cammalleri or Penner deserve spots, you can count them out. Lecavalier and Eric Staal are interesting choices because despite their disappointing seasons they're extremely talented players and maybe a selection to this team will rejuvenate their game. Jordan Staal will also be a popular pick but I don't think his offensive talents are suited for that line and he plays much better at centre than on the wing. If he is picked he'll be a fourth-line player, not a utility third line, which is why I went with the right-handed Martin St. Louis. The third highest scoring Canadian and a natural right winger will play the left side simply because he can. I think St. Louis is a very creative and smart player who is all heart. He's the engine that drives Tampa Bay. The fourth line will generate the most debate. Mike Richards was always my pick for the fourth line centre job and there he will stay. He's had his up and downs this season but he is still a very good two-way player that brings an edge to the game. He has always done a magnificent job for Canada so I don't see why he can't do the job again in February. Toews was also an obvious pick but will have to play on the left side because of Richards' lack of versatility. Another centre, will be rewarded for his strong play this year and that's Mike Fisher. He's another capable two-way player that has really flourished under Cory Clouston and his confidence is at an all-time high. Either way, all three players can take face-offs and Babcock can use them as he pleases. Brenden Morrow takes the last spot and even though he hasn't done much in terms of putting the puck in the net, he's one of Canada's most rugged and tough forwards. If Canada needs a little spark on their team expect him to draw in. Morrow lined up on Richards' wing during the original Red-White scrimmage in August. You can debate for hours on the exclusion of goal-scoring machine Jeff Carter and Canada vet Shane Doan, but I don't think either player has played well enough to warrant a spot. Don't write them off just yet though - injuries could happen between now and the start of the Games. Still keep your eyes on Lecavalier, the Staals, Patrice Bergeron, and Brad Richards as well.

Identical 4-1 wins over Nashville and Edmonton have suddenly vaulted the Canucks to eighth place, finally in the playoff picture at the turn of the new year. A win over Calgary means Vancouver would be second in the division and four points away from first place Colorado, who are 7-3-0 in their last ten and despite a young and somewhat less talented roster have managed to cling onto the division lead halfway through the season. I had the opportunity to take in both games (from the lower bowl!) and a couple of observations: Roberto Luongo played strong in both games and needless to say the captain played his best in the clutch. Although Patric Hornqvist and Ryan Potulny's were of the top-shelf variety, for the most part Luongo stayed on his head, making great stops after great stops. In both games the Canucks dominated for the majority of the game and pulled out with wins with strong efforts from Daniel (6 points in those 2 games) and Henrik Sedin (5 points) and strong performances from Ryan Kesler. The usual suspects have struck again. The Nashville game was a near flawless game and the Canucks completely dominated an uncharacteristically slow Nashville squad. Asides from Jason Arnott and David Legwand, neither J.P. Dumont nor Steve Sullivan generated any offense and for the most part were regulated to the sides of the offensive zone. The Canucks rarely gave away the slot and while the Preds put on a little more pressure in the third Luongo stood his ground but was visibly unhappy that he lost his 50th career shutout when Hornqvist roofed a shot on a semi-breakaway. Kesler and local BC native and Canada hopeful Shea Weber dropped the gloves in a rare fight between two key players and although Kesler landed a couple punches Weber was clearly the strong player and won the fight, but not before a sold out crowd at GM Place stood on their feet and applauded the effort. If anything, Kesler took out Nashville's top defender for five minutes of the game. Nevertheless Weber still logged over 23 minutes in ice-time while former Canuck Dave Scatchard and Jerred Smithson played a combined 4:05. <img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091227/capt.4c313d6b586c437cbc344be36112538c.oilers_canucks_hockey_vcrd109.jpg" class="imageFloatLeftFramed">A scary moment early in the Edmonton game when Kesler was hit and seemed to injure his leg but after a limping PK shift he was fine the rest of the game and seemed to wanted former Vancouver Giant Gilbert Brule's head. It was a physical affair but the Oilers never quite showed up, except for Lubomir Visnovsky, and their playmaker Sam Gagner and power forward Dustin Penner really didn't generate anything. The Oilers had a couple good shots but Luongo was a brick wall, including an incredible sliding, stacked pads stop on Potulny with seconds to go in the first. Other than Potulny's fluky goal that came after a spirited Rick Rypien-Zack Stortini bout that saw both players land plenty of punches, but in the end it was fan favourite Rypien that stood his ground against the much bigger Stortini (5'10", 181 vs. 6'3", 217). Darcy Hordichuk was dressed in place of Ryan Johnson who is out with a sore foot and despite his beef with Stortini and Brule didn't get an opportunity to drop his gloves although being up in the press box for three straight games put a little more jump in his step. It's not hard to see why the Canucks won both the games. The home team fired more shots, were perfect on the PK, and won a significant number of the face-offs. Nashville's Legwand finished the night going 3 for 12 and Arnott was 4 for 9. Kesler was an outstanding 11 for 16 and Wellwood was up to his usual tricks and finished 6 for 8. Shots were 36 to 21 for Vancouver. Against Edmonton, the numbers followed the same trend. Andrew Cogliano went 3 for 9, Gagner went 4 for 9 before being moved to the left wing, Shawn Horcoff was 8 for 17 and Potulny was an awful 4 for 14. On the other side Henrik was completely dominant going 15 for 23 and Wellwood was 8 for 11. For those naysayers who get fed up with Wellwood's lackluster efforts on some nights, one thing is clear - the guy's a wiz at the circle. The Flames are quickly falling, losing five of their last six and you can bet that coach Brent Sutter is not happy. The demanding coach will make sure his players are ready for tonight's game and Jarome Iginla always shows his stuff against Vancouver. The Flames have scored only 19 goals in December and only two from big #12. This is great news for the Canucks, who are only 6-10-0 on the road this year and have lost five of their last seven at the Saddledome. The last time the Canucks finished with a losing away record was in 2006 when they went 17-22-2 on the road and missed the playoffs.

Rick Nash is a lock. He was 10 last week but he moved up to 7 this week. He's a lock like Crosby and Iginla. His recent play, however, hasn't been great. These rankings are based on player performance, not so much the odds of each player making the team because I think Canada will be looking to take players playing their best at the moment. Scott Niedermayer is ranked 10th but I can assure you he's not lower than third on Yzerman's list.

Another week and the list continues to get shorter. This final week of scouting and evaluation will be absolutely vital for Olympic hopefuls, especially for bubble players like Drew Doughty, struggling veterans like Brenden Morrow and Shane Doan, and players who have clawed their way into consideration, like Patrice Bergeron. GOALTENDERS 1 (1) Martin Brodeur, NJ (.887 SV% isn't pretty, but chalk up two more wins for Canada's starter) 2 (3) Marc-Andre Fleury, Pit (3 straight wins over rivals with only 4 GA in that span) 3 (2) Roberto Luongo, Van (2.29 GAA and .920 SV%, but team can't find consistency) There's no denying that Brodeur's the starter. But who's the backup? Do you go with big game experience with Fleury or the big talent with Luongo? That's a question that Mike Babcock will have to decide. Either way, he's seen enough of Luongo in the West and Fleury in the Cup finals to make an informed decision. <img src="http://cache1.asset-cache.net/xc/81543922.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1934B869679A269F9CC97725D4CC68B1803B01E70F2B3269972" class="imageFloatLeftFramed">DEFENSEMEN 1 (2) Duncan Keith, Chi (there's really no stopping this guy - 2nd to Boyle in West scoring among d-men) 2 (3) Shea Weber, Nsh (the Preds are rolling and he's +7 in December) 3 (4) Brent Seabrook, Chi (will play shutdown role if selected, +13 is second to Toews on Hawks) 4 (1) Mike Green, Wsh (a really quiet week in which the Caps offense was shut down) 5 (5) Dan Boyle, SJ (how good is he against tough competition? Faces off against Keith tonight) 6 (7) Drew Doughty, LA (zero-point week is a minor blip, comparisons to Niedermayer aren't premature) 7 (8) Chris Pronger, Phi (he's a lock, but his recent play suggests otherwise) 8 (6) Jay Bouwmeester, Cgy (an ugly -4 week but still the front-runner from the Flames) 9 (12) Dion Phaneuf, Cgy (two PPG is nice, but Canada not short on offense) 10 (11) Scott Niedermayer, Ana (-7 in December. Selection or non-selection will both spark debate) 11 (13) Robyn Regehr, Cgy (his shut-down role already taken by Seabrook) Drew Doughty is the player to watch here because he might be a better pick than Jay Bouwmeester. There are four locks as of now: Niedermayer, Pronger, Weber, and Keith. That's your top four core right there and the next three will depend on what sort of team Steve Yzerman wants to ice. Boyle would be a lock if it weren't for Mike Green because both players dominate in the offensive zone but not so much in their own. I left Regehr on the list because I think he could be a surprise pick but I'm not totally convinced yet. FORWARDS 1 (1) Sidney Crosby, Pit (despite only 11 PP points he's still fourth in league scoring) 2 (2) Joe Thornton, SJ (just one game last week but had a hand in all 4 SJ goals) 3 (3) Jonathan Toews, Chi (slow starter was confident in abilities - 18 points in last 19 games) 4 (5) Martin St. Louis, TB (he's a bubble player but his 38 points are tied with Perry) 5 (7) Ryan Getzlaf, Ana (and the goals come rushing in - 3-game goal streak) 6 (11) Jarome Iginla, Cgy (his bounce back ability is amazing - 5 points this week) 7 (10) Rick Nash, Cbs (-11 isn't pretty but pair him with Crosby and it'll be magic) 8 (12) Patrick Marleau, SJ (if Canada takes Marleau, they should keep the SJ line together) 9 (4) Dany Heatley, SJ (a rare-0 goal week but still only 3 away from league lead) 10 (6) Corey Perry, Ana (just 1 assist and -3 but he's got the right mix) 11 (13) Mike Fisher, Ott (season's no fluke - scoring 5 goals in each month) 12 (16) Mike Richards, Phi (keeps fading - point totals last three months: 12, 11, 8) 13 (22) Steve Stamkos, TB (probably in line for a disappointing cut, but he's a lock for 2014) 14 (23) Jordan Staal, Pit (like brother Eric he's been surging but he's more versatile) 15 (24) Patrice Bergeron, Bos (TSN's favourite boy is picking it up but a depth player at best) 16 (15) Brad Richards, Dal (is he back? Offensively yes, but defense not quite) 17 (9) Mike Cammalleri, Mtl (30 points is great but only 5th among Canadian LWs) 18 (8) Dustin Penner, Edm (how, when, where do you play him? Tough questions for enigma) 19 (21) Brenden Morrow, Dal (not so hot outside of Dallas - 11 points in 19 away games) 20 (17) Jeff Carter, Phi (he'd be a good linemate for M. Richards... but that's about it) 21 (25) Shane Doan, Phx (he's a solid player but he's not producing) The two most notable omissions are Vincent Lecavalier and Eric Staal. Despite Staal's recent surge I don't think either player has shown enough to warrant a spot on this team. They've been disappointing all year and Canada has the luxury of depth, much to the two big centres' dismay. I've left Penner and Cammalleri on the list because I think they should be considered. Both are dark horses but have performed extremely well with little or zero help. They are the only two bright spots for what will seem like disappointing season for the Oilers and Habs. I've also kept Jeff Carter because most pundits still have him on their lists even though I don't think his play warrants any more consideration. There are other players out there that can put the puck in the net. Definitive locks are Nash, Crosby, Iginla. I would put Joe Thornton in that group but Hockey Canada has always seemed adverse to selecting him, God knows why. Getzlaf, Perry, and Heatley are three others that I would consider locks, but not in the same group as Crosby and co. As promised, my picks for Sweden, Czech Republic, and Russia: CZECH REPUBLIC G Ondrej Pavelec, Atl G Marek Schwarz, Mlada Boleslav (Extraliga) G Tomas Vokoun, Fla* D Roman Hamrlik, Mtl D Tomas Kaberle, Tor – A* D Filip Kuba, Ott* D Pavel Kubina, Atl* D Zbynek Michalek, Phx D Jaroslav Spacek, Mtl* D Marek Zidlicky, Min* C Jiri Hudler, Dynamo Moscow (KHL) C David Krejci, Bos C Tomas Plekanec, Mtl C Josef Vasicek, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL) LW Patrik Elias, NJ* LW Milan Michalek, Ott LW Vaclav Prospal, NYR* RW Radek Dvorak, Fla RW Martin Erat, Nsh* RW Tomas Fleischmann, Wsh RW Martin Havlat, Min RW Milan Hejduk, Col - A* RW Jaromir Jagr, Avangard Omsk (KHL) – C* RUSSIA G Ilya Bryzgalov, Phx* G Evgeni Nabokov, SJ* G Semyon Varlamov, Was D Sergei Gonchar, Pit – A* D Denis Grebeshkov, Edm D Dmitri Kalinin, Salavat Yulayev Ufa (KHL) D Fedor Tyutin, Cbs* D Vitaly Vishnevsky, Lokomotiv Yaroslav (KHL) D Anton Volchenkov, Ott* D Sergei Zubov, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL) C Pavel Datsyuk, Det* C Viktor Kozlov, Salavat Yulayev Ufa (KHL)* C Evgeni Malkin, Pit* LW Alexander Frolov, LA* LW Ilya Kovalchuk, Atl – C* LW Sergei Mozyakin, Atlant Mytishchi (KHL) LW Alexander Ovechkin, Was* RW Maxim Afinogenov, Atl* RW Evgeny Artyukhin, Ana RW Alexei Kovalev, Ott – A* RW Alexei Morozov, Ak Bars Kazan (KHL) RW Alexander Radulov, Salavat Yulayev Ufa (KHL) RW Alexander Semin, Was SWEDEN G Jacob Markstrom, Brynas IF (SEL) G Henrik Lundqvist, NYR G Mikael Tellqvist, Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)* D Alexander Edler, Van D Tobias Enstrom, Atl D Jonathan Ericsson, Det D Kim Johnsson, Min* D Nicklas Lidstrom, Det – C* D Johnny Oduya, NJ D Mattias Ohlund, TB* C Nicklas Backstrom, Was C Johan Davidsson, HV 71 (SEL) C Henrik Sedin, Van* C Samuel Pahlsson, Cbs* C Henrik Zetterberg, Det – A* LW Loui Eriksson, Dal LW Tomas Holmstrom, Det LW Fredrik Modin, Cbs* LW Marcus Nilson, Djurgardens IF (SEL) LW Daniel Sedin, Van* LW Fredrik Sjostrom, Cgy RW Daniel Alfredsson, Ott –A* RW Mikael Samuelsson, Van* * = 2006 Olympian

Was Alex Burrows' goal good or not? It really depends on which team you're rooting for really because even as a die hard fan I thought the call would've gone either way, but because Mike Leggo originally signaled a no-goal, his original call stands. In the NHL rulebook, Section 5, 39.4 (iv), it clearly states that: "Puck directed or batted into the net by a hand or foot or deliberately batted with any part of the attacking player's body. With the use of a foot/skate, was a distinct kicking motion evident? If so, the apparent goal must be disallowed. A DISTINCT KICKING MOTION is one which, with a pendulum motion, the player propels the puck with his skate into the net. If the Video Goal Judge determines that it was put into the net by an attacking player using a distinct kicking motion, it must be ruled NO GOAL. This would also be true even if the puck, after being kicked, deflects off any other player of either team and then into the net. This is still NO GOAL." First, the fact that after the puck hit Burrows' skate and then Barret Jackman's skate and in doesn't matter because it doesn't really change the call either way. If Leggo believed Burrows kicked it, it's a no goal. If Leggo believed Burrows didn't kick it, it's still good. The distinct kicking motion, however, is what had Alain Vigneault livid at the bench. I think it's pretty clear that Burrows didn't kick the puck. The motion that Leggo saw was merely the puck hitting his skate with some force because Henrik Sedin wired it pretty hard and fast. I'm not sure if Burrows did attempt to kick it - if you watch the replay he saw Henrik and he must have known a pass was coming - but because the game is so fast what was a kicking motion AFTER the impact was deemed a kicking motion DURING the impact. Leggo clearly saw the latter and he didn't see any conclusive evidence that Burrows didn't attempt to kick it. Furthermore, I'm not so sure Burrows was entirely convinced he didn't kick it because he didn't really put up an argument. In a game which could've vaulted the Canucks into the top eight, the fans seemed more livid than the players themselves. I was obviously rooting for a goal and was disappointed it was waved off, but let's give Leggo the benefit of the doubt here - he had little time to react and make the call. However, in his twelve years of reffing I don't think I've ever been as frustrated as I was with his calls last night. There was too much inconsistency with the whistles and Jackman's bare-handed punch on Burrows should've been at least a double minor. Burrows was clearly spewing blood on the bench and had to go in the locker room to get patched up. <img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091221/capt.84c3c878ce1a4addb9607302c50f5555.blues_canucks_hockey_vcrd105.jpg" class="imageFloatLeftFramed"> Congratulations are in order for Shane O'Brien, who scored his first regular season goal in 165 games. He got a little ahead of himself and really jumped up on offense a couple times but for the most part he was the lone bright spot in what really was an average game for the Canucks. It was a game in which none of the bounces went the Canucks' way, particularly Steve Bernier's two-on-one shot that hit the knob of Ty Conklin's stick. Let's be fair, though. The Blues came out with more energy and determination and the Canucks didn't really make Conklin's job any harder. For the most part their shots were relatively weak and the passes weren't as sharp or crisp, giving Conklin time to move laterally quickly enough to cover the net. The Sedins couldn't really get their cycle game going and once again it was Tanner Glass and Steve Bernier that had some really good shifts. Mason Raymond was his usual speedy self, opening up the ice and making good use of whatever room he had. With the loss the Canucks are now 4-2 in their 8-game homestand and I noted earlier that they must win at least 6 before heading onto the road. They host the red-hot Preds (just on regulation loss in December) who are very well-coached by Barry Trotz and then the Oilers Saturday night. Two very winnable games but as always it'll come down to how hard the Canucks are willing to work for those points. The Canucks are more talented, deeper, and have the far superior goalie in net. There's no reason why they can't take those two games.