We Were All Wrong

Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs kicked off last night with two absolute bangers. It started with Bob showing up and showing out but, ultimately, falling in overtime to a solid Bruins lineup that didn’t allow frustration dictate the day. That was followed by the first major Tara-saur sighting of the playoffs; two goals for the Rus-ky as Jordan Bennington continued to shut down the haters by beating Bishop, a Vezina finalists. While everyone continues to push forward, I’ve got to add my two-cents to the conversation of, “what the fuck happened?!”

The first round of the playoffs was Gary Bettman’s wet dream. All that man talks about is parody, parody, parody. I wouldn’t be the least bit shocked if it was tattooed on him somewhere. My guess is on his inner thigh, but I digress. With NONE of the 1-seeds making through from the Atlantic, Pacific, Central or Metro, we are faced with the reality of what the NHL has wanted all along; a meaningless regular season. Alright, maybe that’s not the intent, but it definitely should provoke some interesting conversations about the importance of the first 82 vs the race for the Cup. I’ve heard the argument from many, and I believe it to be true, that the regular season is mark of a great team and a Cup is the mark of a hot team. While the Venn diagram definitely has some overlap, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to be both. Though many have come before and many will after, the Tampa Bay Lightning are the most recent example.

By tying the ‘95-’96 Red Wings regular season win total, they cemented themselves in history. Then they proceeded to get dismantled by Columbus in a sweep, also adding to history. This shocking display just reinforces the point that no one knows shit. The NHL had to reopen their stupid Bracket Challenge and allow people to pick anew because of how little the regular season matters. I have yet to read back through my predictions, but I’m pretty sure I got every single series wrong other than the Islanders and Blues advancing. The only place that .250 is good is baseball, and that’s only true because now everyone just wants to hit dingers. I still am ride or die on Vegas and will argue ‘til I die from lack of oxygen that they got jobbed and would have won the Cup, but I was wrong. ‘HOLY SHIT, someone who writes about hockey admitted they were wrong!?!?!!’ Yes, I did. I think we all need to eat some humble pie on this year. I’m humbled to the point that I don’t even really want to pick any of the second round series.

Eh, fuck it. Here we go. In order of confidence:

Islanders over Hurricanes in 6

Blues over Stars in 6

Jackets over Bruins in 6

Sharks over Avalanche in 7

Despite knowing the results of game 1 in both two of the series already (CBJ v BOS and STL v DAL), I still feel like I don’t have any clearer an idea as to what the fuck is going to happen. I’ve officially jumped on to team chaos’ bandwagon. Fuck it, let’s have an Islanders-Av’s Cup Final. That’ll get people freaking out. Also, the hatred for Ottawa would be through the goddamn roof if the Colorado made the Final or won the Cup ON TOP OF drafting in the top 5. I wouldn’t be shocked if Eugne Melnyck and Pierre Dorian received ricin or anthrax in the mail if that happened. Regardless of all that’s happened and all that’s yet to come, we’ve been treated to some great hockey, per usual. When it all comes to an end, I’ll be nothing short of sad and 2019-2020 won’t come soon enough.

Lord (Stanley) Help Me!

Today is the NHL Draft Lottery and though many fans are anxious to find out the fate of their favorite franchises future (God helps us all if Edmonton wins), the rest of the hockey world is focused on the holiest of prizes; Lord Stanley’s Cup. Here with a few thoughts on each series we have me. Starting from the top:

TAMPA v COLUMBUS:

This is the series where my heart and my brain can’t come to an sort of compromise.

Brain: Tampa is the best team since our beloved ‘95-’96 Red Wings. There’s no way they can lose.

Heart: Yeah but Bob is kind of heating up. He could steal a series.

B: Come on now, the guy’s a .891 playoff goalie.

H: Sample size…? Plus, Seth Jones and Zach Werenski are really freakin’ good.

B: I see your Werenski-Jones pairing and raise you a Kucherov.

H: Call; Bread Man.

B: Hedman

H: Dubois

B: Point!

H: … Duchene

B: Stammers. Now can we be done with this pissing match?

H: Fine. Tampa in 6 it is

BOSTON v TORONTO:

This one is quite the match-up. On one hand, Boston hasn’t played at full strength almost all year. On the other, they nearly got beat by a Tavares-Muzzin-less Leafs team last year. Regardless of how you dissect this one, I think pretty much everyone agrees that this one is bound for 7 games of absolute excitement. One of the biggest questions I have is whether or not Charlie Coyle will be a factor. Since being traded to the B’s he’s only registered 6 points in 20 games. That’s not going to cut it if they expect to go goal-for-goal with Toronto. Luckily, Boston has the 3rd best goals allowed average (2.59) in the league to offset some of those bottom-six deficiencies.

For the Leafs, the name of the game, as it’s been all year, is score-score-score. If Freddy Anderson can be average or better I don’t see how Boston advances. Leafs in 7.

WASHINGTON v CAROLINA:

They’ve done it again. The Carolina Hurricanes have made the playoffs. It only took them 10 years but… Oh you were expecting me to say something about Washington and their Metro Division Championship weren’t you? Well there’s that too. This match-up is one of “been there, done that” vs “let’s show ‘em what we’re made of.”

Carolina has definitely turned some heads this year. Between their rough start and Sebastian Aho showing everyone that he is legit AF, this team has certainly got some buzz around them going into this series. Beyond Sea Bass, there aren’t that many gamebreakers to speak of on this roster. Their blue line is really solid and deep but leaves a bit to be desired. I don’t see a world where they’re able to contain Kuznetsov, Backstrom, Oshie and The Great 8 for an entire series.

Let’s not forget that Washington is trotting out Braden Holtby. Though the Hurricanes will be feisty and make a series of it, I have to take the tried and true Caps. Washington in 5.

NEW YORK (I) v PITTSBURGH:

I wrestled long and hard over this one. Everyone always says, “don’t bet against Sid and Gino come playoffs!” And while that may have been the case, there’s something about this years iteration of the Penguins that just seems a little off. I realize that they have struggled to stay healthy all year, but I get a ‘16-’17 ‘Hawks type vibe from this group. Like the magic is gone, or there’s no more tread left on the tire. Pick an analogy. Either way, my gut tells me that a tough Islanders team, playing in Barry Trotz system, backstopped by Robin Lehner will find a way to pot enough goals to move on. Islanders in 7.

CALGARY v COLORADO:

Too deep.

Too tough.

Too good.

That’s exactly why the Flames are the 1st overall seed in the Western Conference this year. Colorado’s first line is definitely going to get theirs but when it’s all said and done they’ll be lucky to muster a single victory away from the best team in Alberta. Flames in 5.

SAN JOSE v VEGAS:

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Knights. Bringing in Mark Stone put them so over the top that it’s tough to see how the can falter. Calm down Bay Area, your team is really good too. Doug Wilson has done a masterful job of assembling one of the greatest group of skaters in the NHL, though I’m not sure he knows that goalies are a thing. Martin Jones and Aaron Dell haven’t exactly inspired confidence this year and Wilson did little to address this at the deadline. Mostly because he gave away all his first-round picks for Erik Karlsson. Fingers crossed Flower reverts back to a sub .900 playoff guy otherwise, look out Sharks fans. This one could be rough. Vegas in 6.

NASHVILLE v DALLAS:

Let’s give it up for the Jim Lites everyone! Where would the Stars be without him. Probably on the golf course, sipping vodka-sodas I’d imagine.

Seriously though, what Dallas has been able to do this year is pretty fuckin’ awesome. Ben Bishop has returned to form following some recent injury issues over the last couple years and given them a huge shot in the arm. You combine that with a dynamic forward trio (Benn-Seguin-Radulov), a Norris-caliber D-man (Klingberg), and whatever the hell Jim Montgomery is doing and you’ve got a team that looks dangerous heading into this postseason. Though, their competition is no pushover.

Having won five of their last six, Nashville looks like their starting to put things together for the home stretch. Which is what makes this series one of the toughest to call. Of all the series, I see this one as having the highest range of possible outcomes. I’m happy to not be a degenerate gambler because I wouldn’t know where to put my money. But, alas, I have to go with the team that’s proven. Preds in 7.

WINNIPEG v ST LOUIS:

This match up, like the last one, is a total toss up to me. Despite being able to recover from a rocky start, the Blues still have questions surrounding their net-minders going into the playoffs, while Winnipeg just looks less than themselves. If Patrik Laine can get into a groove, it might spell doom for St. Louis, considering how the Jets have been able to get by this year with him posting a career-low in both goals and assists (30-20-50). The forward and defensive groups are a dead heat in my eyes so that means it has to go seven games, right? Flip a coin. Jets in 7.

There is a Season (Turn, Turn, Turn)

Spring is in full bloom and, for those of us here in the Frozen North, it couldn’t come soon enough. Not only is the weather nicer, but I don’t have to suffer through Minnesota Wild games on TV anymore. The same can be said, at times, for my beloved Red Wings. Typically, the entire focus of the hockey world shifts to the playoffs at this point, but there’s been some pretty juicy stories that deserve a little time in the sun.

Connor

As most have probably already heard and seen, Connor McDavid suffered, what appeared to be, a brutal injury while going to the net. News shortly after said that the x-ray’s were negative which is good because it was oddly reminiscent of Stammer’s fracture he suffered against Boston some years ago. He won’t travel to World’s, as is Oiler tradition following their regular season, due to the injury and he’s expected to make a full recovery. This applies to all athletes, but it would have been a fuckin’ shame if this injury had had long term ramifications on his career, a la Bobby Orr.

Q

Today it was announced that Joel Quenneville will be joining the Florida Panthers next year as the bench boss. This comes just one day after the Sunrise franchise released “The Boogieman.” Rumors were out there that Q was interested in the Cats but to see him go was still a bit surprising. I’d always imagined him ending up somewhere like St. Louis or elsewhere West so he could stick it to Chicago on a regular basis. His decision also thickens the “Bob and The Bread Man” plot. It should be fascinating to see whether those rumors come to fruition because, HOT DAMN would Florida be a trendy pick in Vegas if so.

Out of the Housley

Not a lot to say here. Phil Housley got canned. Jack Eichel is the shadow GM. We’ll see who he picks next to lead them to another lottery pick.

PLAYOFFS, BABY!!!

The table is set for what should be an interesting first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Tomorrow I’ll have a nice little primer on the match-ups. The one nugget I’ll leave here; NHL.com bracket challenge is dumb.

Red Wings Rant - 4/1/2019

Another day, another Red Wings victory.

I didn’t think I’d be using a phrase like that the remainder of the season, but here we are! 7-1 in their last 8 has Detroit flirting with the idea of, oh yeah that’s right, nothing. It’s hard because instinct says cheer but logic says “TANK IT UP!” Did I love seeing Dylan Larkin get to 70 points? Duh. The sense of joy seeing the captain, I mean future captain, of the proud Hockeytown franchise reach that milestone in points was amazing. After sitting a few games of the last couple weeks, it was in doubt whether or not Larkin would even play the rest of the season, let alone score 30 goals. This guy is the heart & soul of a franchise in desperate need of some sense of hope. Despite what some around the league may think, this guy is a bonafide, number-1 center. Think Patrice Bergeron. Larkin’s is not the only season that’s been impressive in this recent stretch.

Between Taro Hirose, Tyler Bertuzzi, Anthony Mantha and Andreas Athanasiou I’m not sure who’s sweater I’d rather have right now. Alright, the real answer is Tyler Bertuzzi. I’m going to say it right now, I love him. Probably more than I should, but the guy is freakin’ great. It may be an unpopular thing for a life long Red Wings fan to say this, but I really hope that he’s a direct clone of Brad Marchand. 93 points and counting, the guy has most certainly overachieved based on his 71st overall selection in 2006. Lil’ Bert has already banked 19 goals and 25 assists this year, his first full season in the NHL, and with a bit of help and hard work, he could be a 50+ point guy for years to come. And GOD does Detroit need anything good to cheer about after this season.

Which brings us back to the other face of my conflicted fandom coin; WHY THE FUCK ARE WE WINNING!? This little heater has thrust the club up the standings, which is not a good thing for bad teams to do down the stretch. Detroit has moved from 3rd to 5th in the odds to win the draft lottery to draft 1st overall. Despite the fact that odds are just that, odds, it still helps to have as good a chance as possible. There in lies the rub, as some might say. I want to see my team do well and lose simultaneously. It blows. Maybe some day there will be things in sports that make sense. Maybe. I’m gonna go back to flipping that fan emotion coin until then.

Changing Jackets

Tension is at an all time high in Columbus these days. With eight games remaining in the regular season, the Blue Jackets find themselves on the cusp of the Wild Card. With a 5-5-0 record in their last 10, the Montreal Canadiens find themselves ahead of the Ohio-based squad, 4-5-1 over that stretch, for the last wild card spot by one-point. Jarmo Kekalainen might be nervous, but the person who’s “shit their pants” is John Tortorella.

Pulling off the trades that Kekalainen did this year doesn’t just happen in a vacuum. I got to imagine that he has ownership’s backing. Which means, if this squad fails to qualify for the playoffs, blame will be placed squarely on the shoulders of Tort’s. Adding Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel and Adam McQuaid have netted the Jackets a 6-7-2 record. Not what you want to see of a team that only has a 3rd and 7th round pick this year and is “all in.”

Tort’s did allude to the fact that bringing in new players presents challenges with lineup decisions but that’s why you get paid the big bucks. He has to be able to assess his roster and make good decisions, quickly, so as to not squander this opportunity. These lineup issues are not limited to new players, though. Ryan Murray has been out almost the entire month of March with an upper-body injury. This has been a huge blow to a defensive core that is arguably the best in the Metropolitan Division. What has been Tort’s answer; keep throwing out Seth Jones and Zach Werenski.

Now don’t get me wrong, they’re a dynamite pairing. Probably top 10 in the league. But, when you’re down guys, some of that talent needs to be spread throughout the lineup a bit more. Getting beat by Edmonton 4-1 is a pretty good indication that you’re struggling on the back end. It would really behoove the team to look at splitting Jones and Werenski to cover up some of the flaws that injuries have presented. Then instead of playing them together for 25 minutes together each game, you can play them 20-25 minutes apart and maximize your assets.

Whether the Jackets make lineup changes or not, we as fans are in store for a flourish down the stretch here as the Wild Card race draws to an end.

Red Wings Rant - 3/11/2019

It is with heavy heart that I write to let you know that the Detroit Red Wings season is over… Oh you already knew that? Well with most things in this blog, I’m late to the party. More specifically: Filip Zadina’s first seven games in the NHL.

The course of this “rebuild-on-the-fly” has caused me to question a lot.

Does it work?

Are we ever going to be good again?

When does football start back?

None of those compares to, “why did Zadina slip and is he a bust?” The AHL is tough to get highlights of, therefore I’ve spent the entirety of this season relying on others for my updates on the kid. I hate that! I have an itch; to be able to watch someone and get a feel for what they can and can’t do.

That itch was scratched on February 24, and he is as advertised. Despite only having two points through his 7 games, Lil Z has been multifaceted. He’s silky, smart and hardworking. But the thing that’s impressed me the most is his ability to transition the puck. Typically with young players, they rely on pure, straight line speed to get the transition game going. With Zadina, there is an additional element, an understanding, which is astonishing. It’s eerily similar to Nikolaj Ehlers. I don’t know any zone entry stats to say whether this is true or not, but the kid has IT. I was scared for a while thinking he might not, but I’ve been proven wrong.

Filip Zadina is the best thing that happened to the Detroit Red Wings organization in 2018. Let’s hope this isn’t not the only year we can say that about him.

Alexander The Great 8

Ovi.

Singular in more ways than one, the Russian-Capital winger has been nothing short of himself this season. With 44 goals through 63 game. For those tracking at home, that’s six goals away from 50 with 19 games remaining. If you don’t think he’s hitting or exceeding that total you’re delusional at best.

29.

That’s the number of games Alex Ovechkin has missed in his career. You heard that correctly, his ENTIRE time playing for the Washington Capitals. That’s insane! One might say, singular…

At the age of 33, The Great 8 continues to remain the preeminent scorer in the league. His single stroke on the power play befuddles goalers despite them knowing what’s to come. It’s remarkable, transcendent.

I can’t wait to see him pass Gretzky.

Red Wings Rant - 1/30/2019

The holidays have come and gone, though the pounds remained. A great allegory for the gents with the Winged Wheel on their chest.

Finally, Detroit is exactly where everyone thought they’d be: the bottom. Alright, maybe there are a few teams below them, but in general they’ve sank to exactly where the roster projected to be. With only 7 games played since the All-Star break, the Red Wings are tied with Chicago and New Jersey for 3rd best odds in the 2019 Draft Lottery. They trail Los Angles (44 pts) and Ottawa, I mean Colorado, (43 pts).

Quick side note, FUCK THE SENS! Alright, now that I’ve got that out of my system…

With the “Jackin’ Off in the Corner for Jack” in full effect, everyone should keep this number in mind: 18.5. That’s the best possible odds for drafting number 1. Yes, it’s the best odds possible, but it’s certainly not a guarantee. That’s why this slightly pudgy Wings lover has shifted focus. Not from the games the red and white play, but to the guys not named Jack Hughes.

With every passing game each prospect plays, the question of who’s #2 gets more difficult to answer. Right now, most have Kaapo Kakko as that guy; hell some even argue he should go first. Though I would have to agree, I don’t know if that will continue to the end. The man, and I do emphasize MAN, who has stolen my heart is Kirby Dach.

I will admit, I’ve not seen a lot of Vasili Podkolzin or Dylan Cozens. That still doesn’t mean that Dach isn’t a beast. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted from a forward: big rig with soft hands. IQ that jumps off the charts and the give a fuck to pursue the puck when it’s not on his stick. Even though he towers over his peers the junior level, this shouldn’t detract from him as a prospect. On the contrary, he is exactly what the NHL is deficient in right now; big body bad boys.

Despite that terrible alliteration, the point still remains, market inefficiencies are opportunities. And skilled big men are the inefficiency, therefore I’d be ecstatic to see Kirby on the stage with Kenny in Vancouver.

The Mountain: The "Triangle Offense" Leading to Avs' Success

My GOD is Colorado’s first line AMAZING!

Alright, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about what has really behind the 3rd highest scoring team in the NHL: the “triangle offense.” Though the term originates from a basketball strategy made popular by Phil “Zen Master” Jackson, it really encapsulates what Colorado has been doing to generate such high danger scoring chances.

While watching one of their games, I became aware of the fact that, upon entering the offensive zone, the forwards are continuously trying to cycle the puck behind the net and set up. This isn’t a new strategy by any means (hell, that area is called Gretzky’s Office for a reason), but the way the other forward move to support the puck carrier is beautiful.

Setup 1 with skater movements

Despite my poor artistic representation, the above photo, hopefully, conveys their setup. Typically, they’ll try and to get the F1 to be the puck carrier, while F2 and F3 move into support positions, as shown. The F2 is the key here. If he can get near post position, the F3 will move to the half wall as a support option to facilitate a pass to the point or to F2. If nothing is available to F1, they will tend to flip around to the opposite side of the net (as my amazing red lines show). As he does so, F3 will skate to set for the one timer between the circles, becoming the primary target for the low puck carrier and using F2 as a screen.

Setup 2 with skater movements

The other look they give (diagrammed above) isn’t all that dissimilar. Once again, the MY MAN is F2 to key on. Should he get caught on the far post from where F1 sets up, F3 will set to support just below the face off dot. This gives F1 the following: hit F3 with a pass or go up the boards to the point. If nothing is available to F1 (again, follow the lines) he’ll roll to the opposite side. F2 will then push back to the high slot to receive the puck as F3 crashes the net looking to create chaos, whether that be shot, screen or rebounding.

I know that’s a lot of mumbo-jumbo to some folks, but hey, I’m a fuckin’ hockey nerd. I love it. At the end of the day, the Avs have a scary team that is really effective at scoring goals. Though they’ve been sliding of late, I still have faith that this team, with the right fine tuning from Joe Sakic, can be a real threat come playoffs.

Johnny Who? Mark What? Tkachuk That!

A lot of praise has been going Mr. Gaudreau’s way, and rightfully so. As of today, he is 7th in the NHL in scoring at 15 G, 30 A, 45 PTS with 35 games played. That’s insane! Then again, with the league is seeing a uptick in scoring not seen in years, it would stand to reason a silky cat of Johnny “Ham and Cheese”s ilk would be on pace for his first 100+ PT season in his career.

Captain Mark Giordano has been nothing short of stellar as well. Tied with John Carlson at 35 PTS (6 G, 29 A) and one point behind Morgan Riley and Thomas Chabot, El Capitan, also on pace for a career high in PTS, is finally starting to draw the recognition that he’s been deserving of for years and seems to be a front runner for the Norris Trophy this season.

Here comes the but…

But, in spite of Gaudreau and Giordano’s incredible point totals and play this year, the guy that’s been “stirring the drink” for Calgary has to be Matthew Tkachuk. His 40 PTS (15 G, 25 A) don’t tell the whole story. He is what Dave Dameshek refers to as a “Jenga Piece.” For those unfamiliar with the brilliant NFL.com writer, every year he goes through the entire NFL and determines one player whom, should they fall out of the line due to injury, suspension, etc., could collapse the entire season for each team.

In the case of the Calgary Flames, that is Tkachuk. The ‘17-’18 season bore this out as the Flames wen 4-9 with him out of the lineup. With this in mind, the Pacific Division leaders better keep their fingers crossed that their “Jenga piece” doesn’t get pulled out from underneath them for any extended period of time this season.