Stars on The Rock: What you Need to Know for the Calder Cup Final

 

  Tonight; for just the second time in history, a team from St. John’s, Newfoundland will play for the Calder Cup! It was way back in 1992 when the Baby Leafs; in their inaugural season, went all the way to the finals before bowing out at the hands of the Adirondack Red Wings in 7 games. I wasn’t quite 3 at the time and needless to say had no idea that this was taking place but I hope those hockey fans that did, took the time to appreciate the moment. If not, over the past 22 years they’ve learned the hard way that a trip back to the dance doesn’t happen every year! Since that last trip to the Calder Cup finals, in St. John’s there have been poor seasons, heart breaking losses, teams moved out and teams moved in. As is the case in most professional sports, you never know if you’ll ever get the chance again. St. John’s finally gets a second chance as this year’s IceCaps have made it to the championship series to take on the Texas Stars in what should be a hard fought, long series. With the series kicking off later tonight and moving back to the Rock for Game Three on Wednesday; here are a few things you need to know:

  *Texas finished the regular season with the most points in the AHL at 106, thus explaining their home ice advantage throughout the playoffs. The IceCaps finished with 99 points which was the 3rd highest total in the Eastern Conference.

  *With 274 goals in the regular season, it should come as no surprise to anyone that the Stars know how to find the back of the net. The IceCaps scored 258 and showed similar scoring depth to the Stars. During the playoffs the Stars continue to slightly edge the IceCaps in goals for but unlike the regular season, the IceCaps and Michael Hutchinson are allowing fewer goals against.

  *Special teams of course are always an important part of playoff hockey and will likely play a huge role in the outcome of this series. Both powerplays have been converting at a very similar rate but it should be noted that after a fairly dismal powerplay earlier on in the postseason, the IceCaps have executed much better over the past 4 games and the results speak to that success. The Stars penalty kill was the third best in the league in the regular season but has taken a couple steps back in these playoffs while the IceCaps have the top penalty kill of the playoffs and didn’t allow a single powerplay goal against Wilkes Barre.

  *Key Players for Texas: 2014 AHL MVP Travis Morin has no trouble creating offence and has continued to produce another 15 points so far these playoffs. Tied with Morin for the team lead in points is Mike Hedden who has been a scoring threat throughout the year and should continue to be in this series. IceCap fans should be familiar with Stars Defenseman Derek Meech who was a large part of our strong playoff two years ago. He’s doing the same for Texas this year; bringing offense, defense and huge amounts of leadership and experience. In goal for the Stars for will be the undrafted Chris Nilstorp of Sweden who has been stellar all season and playoff long.

  *Key players for St. John’s: Personally I think THE key player for the IceCaps in this series is Michael Hutchinson who has been a top MVP candidate thus far! The Stars will get a lot of pucks to the net and he will need to continue his strong play. Maybe number two after “Hutch” is Andrew Gordon who leads the Caps in playoff scoring and has been huge in these playoffs. He was signed in the offseason for his ability to be a big game player and he is living up to that contract. Another summer acquisition who the IceCaps had similar hopes for was Jerome Samson. Samson scored 27 goals in the regular season but has struggled a little in the playoffs and even found himself as a healthy scratch. However, he looked good in game 6 of the East Final and may very well prove to be an impact player before this is all said and done. On the blue line; Ben Chiarot, Zach Redmond and Will O’Neill will be heavily relied upon to shut down the Stars’ snipers while also helping kick start their own team’s offence.

  All in All, the possibility of the Calder Cup coming to St. John’s is a distinct possibility! However, for this to happen the Caps must continue to get rock solid goaltending from Hutchinson, scoring from every line (17 IceCap skaters have scored at least one goal in these playoffs; 14 have scored for the Stars), success on the special teams and winning the majority of the puck battles. Also, they’ll need to slow down League MVP Morin and the rest of the Stars forwards, keep the pressure on the Stars defense with hopes of wearing them down and get pucks out of their own end quick and simply. Expect John Albert to breakout of a little scoring drought in this series and also expect good things from Josh Morrissey who has been getting better and gaining confidence as this spring has rolled on.

Any way you shake it, this is the first time the Calder Cup has been in St. John’s in 22 years and it should be an amazing ride! Take it all in, enjoy, be loud, wear your white shirt, wave your towel and remember you never know when this will come around again!

 

@poleary19

#BecauseItsTheCUP Finals Preview

Ok, so my predictions for round three did not go so well. I took the Habs and Hawks and obviously neither of those teams are playing anymore this season. My excuses are a) I was banking on Montreal having a healthy Carey Price and b) The Hawks/Kings series could have gone either way! With that said, I’ll attempt to finish on a strong note with my Cup Final prediction!

All year long, pretty much everyone; including myself, have felt the Western Conference was the stronger of the two conferences. Both the Kings and Rangers have overcome some very stiff competition this postseason but coming out of the West in my opinion was the tougher task.

Up front I give the Kings a pretty big edge because they have such a balanced attack from almost line one through four and on any given night either line can come through for them. However, they will need Anze Kopitar to step it up offensively after going the entire series against Chicago without a goal. No doubt, he brings more to the ice than offence but his name on the score sheet will surely help increase the Kings chances of winning the Cup. The depth the Kings have at center should be the major difference in this series with Kopitar, Carter, Stoll and Richards all down the middle. Watch for Stoll to be one of the key players in this series with his great faceoff prowess, defensive smarts and ability to chip in offensively. The Rangers will rely heavily on Brad Richards, Marty St.Louis and Rick Nash to produce for them and if all three of these guys can’t provide this offense for the Rangers it won’t fold well. A key player for the Rangers will be Dominic Moore, similar to Stoll he is relied upon in multiple key situations.

On the backend, again the Kings have to get the edge. Over the past three years the Kings have been one of the top defensive teams in the NHL. It has more to do with team defense than individuals but one must acknowledge Drew Doughty who in my opinion may be the best blue liner in the NHL. He logs huge minutes shutting down the opponents top players and still finds a way to chip in with huge plays on the offense. The bigger the game the better the Doughty! The rest of the defense core is made up of warriors like Willie Mitchell, Matt Greene, and a soon to be returning Robyn Regehr. Amazingly, the Kings do not have one regular defenseman with a minus rating after three rounds of playoff hockey! On the other side, the Rangers have a great big three in McDonagh, Staal and Girardi but I feel that over the course of this series the Kings forwards will wear the Rangers 6 defenseman down and expose them. The Kings forwards will hit the Rangers backend with a physicality that they haven’t seen to this point in the playoffs and it will lead to New York turnovers.

Not much to say about the Goalies, both are great! Quick can be better and will need to be better. Lundqvist has been great and he will need to be great in order for the Rangers to have a chance here. The King will have to live up to his name to be crowned with hockey’s Holy Grail.

In the end, I believe the Kings will simply be too much for the Rangers to handle over the course of a 7 game series. The Kings will lean on New York physically and the Rangers will not find a way to match the balanced attack. For the Rangers to have any chance of winning this series they will need to use their speed as much as possible, play almost error free hockey because the Kings are very opportunistic and as said before Lundqvist will have to be at his best!
 

  KINGS IN 6!!! Conn Smythe Drew Doughty

@poleary19

Eastern Conference Finals Breakdown: New York Rangers at Montreal Canadiens

 

In the words of broadcasting legend Robert Cole, ‘Ohh Babyyyy,’ what a playoffs these have been so far! We’ve pretty much seen it all through the first two rounds and we still have one game left before we move on to the Conference Finals. The quick turnaround from round one to round two prevented me from blogging my second round picks but here is an update on how I’ve done so far.
Round 1: 5 correct (Bruins, Habs, Rangers, Blackhawks, Ducks)
Round 2: 2 correct (Rangers, Blackhawks) *Have the Kings over the Ducks

Total: 7 right, 3 wrong, one to be determined and one no pick (AVS/WILD)

In a postseason this unpredictable, I’ll take that! Especially if the Kings can get the win at the pond tonight! That one should be a dandy! However, I’m going to jump ahead with a little breakdown of les Canadiens/Rangers series set to start Saturday at the Bell Centre! Lots of opinions out there on this one and here is mine:

First things first, aside from the fact the Canadiens have home ice, forget the regular season! It’s the Eastern Conference Finals and everything is on the table here. Make no mistake about it though, that home ice advantage is huge. The old saying goes ‘you’re not in trouble until you lose a game on home ice.’ If Montreal doesn’t lose on home ice in this series, they’ll be playing for the Stanley Cup. Home ice advantage means a little more to Montreal in the playoffs; maybe it’s the crowd, maybe it’s the amazing pregame festivities or maybe it’s the magical history of one of North America’s most storied franchises, there’s just something about playoff hockey in Montreal. No doubt Madison Square Garden is in a league of its own in terms of sporting venues but for hockey the Bell Centre reigns supreme. The Rangers will need to maintain their ability to win on the road and find a way to do it in a very hostile environment to have a chance here.

When you look at the two teams up front the biggest similarity thus far in these playoffs is a balanced attack. The Rangers have 11 forwards with at least one goal this postseason and the Canadiens have 10. On paper the Blue Shirts have more star power with St.Louis, Nash and Richards but each player has struggled with offensive consistency at times. In 7 games against oft criticized Penguins keeper Marc Andre Fleury the Rangers scored just 15 goals while the Canadiens scored 20 against Vezina candidate Tuuka Rask. Both teams are similarly gritty on the third and fourth lines and it will be interesting to see how each adjust coming out of series where they were the underdog. I suspect from top to bottom the compete level will be there for both teams but for either to win, certain players will need to shine through. For the Rangers, Marty St. Louis has become the inspirational leader and will need to continue to lead and contribute if the Rangers want to win. Also, the Rangers will not win this series if Rick Nash doesn’t find the net. He hasn’t showed up in the playoffs since entering the league and it is beginning to cast a shadow on his career. One good series here could leave the past in the past for Nash. For Montreal, Max Pacioretty will need to find a way to come up big as he did in games 6 and 7 of the Bruins series. The man who scored 39 goals in the regular season will need to find similar consistency in the playoffs for Montreal to take the next step. Likewise, the Habs will need Thomas Vanek to be more consistent in this series. He was brought in at the deadline to produce and while he has scored some big goals, the Habs would like to see it happen over a larger stretch. This series will be tight and if a player as offensively gifted as Vanek can produce consistently it may be the difference.

On the backend the Habs have the biggest game breaker in this series. PK Subban has been a force in these playoffs and is easily the most offensively gifted blue liner in the series. The Rangers will need to get in his head and minimize his time and space or he will make them pay. In their own end the Canadiens defense showed both toughness and durability against the Bruins and really didn’t wear down as the Bruins had hoped by the time it was all said and done. Guys like Josh Georges and Mike Weaver have been warriors and will lay it all on the line to come out on top. The Rangers have a great young top 3 in Staal, Mcdonagh, and Girardi. Though there have been some struggles for the latter two in these playoffs, they have eaten minutes against top tier players. Staal did a great job against Pittsburgh while Anton Stralman and Kevin Klein were both also logging near 20 minutes of quality hockey per game.

On the special teams the Habs seem to be at a distinct advantage! With Subban quarterbacking the PP the Habs are clicking at just over 26%. Beyond Subban, their power play has a good mixture of skill and grit which has been leading to power play goals at critical times. On the other side, the Rangers power play has not been good and one would have to assume Coach Vigneault will have spent time on that this week. Neither penalty kill has been great in these playoffs but based on Power play threat, the Habs should have the easier time here as well.

Between the pipes we have two world class goalies that will be very difficult to beat. Both will give their team the chance to win and will come up with big save after big save. It will be a series of garbage goals, whichever team works hardest to create traffic and get pucks through to the net will come out on top here. I give Price a slight, slight edge because he seems to be mentally zoned in right now and has that ‘championship swagger’.

When it comes to intangibles, there are a few they may impact the final result. You have to think about the St.Louis factor. His team has rallied around him since the sudden passing of his mother and sometimes that’s the sort of thing that can will a team to new heights. The emotion that this tragedy has captured in the New York dressing room may translate to more on ice success. You also have to wonder how Montreal will look coming off an emotional series with the Bruins. When the Habs and Bruins play it’s just different. Can the Habs channel that same emotion? That same hatred? That same demand for respect? It can be difficult to maintain that high following a win over a rival and the tempo hard to match. After taking down their biggest rivals they will need to focus on the task at hand, they must look at the Rangers the same way they looked at Boston and have that same chip on their shoulder. Another factor will of course be coaching. Which coach will be quickest to act and react? Both men have lost in game 7 of the Cup finals, both have since been fired and both have gained much experience. It’ll be interesting to see who makes the more appropriate adjustments. It is important to also factor in the Habs round one sweep of the Lightening because it gave them some extra time off. The Rangers have played in two series that went the distance so far and other than the couple of extra days before game one Saturday, they’ve had no down time since the regular season. Will that take a toll as this series drags on?

In the end, it’s a really tough series to call and I could see it going either way but I have to lean towards Montreal. Home ice is a huge factor here, as is the Hab’s far superior power play. There’s no room for offensive struggles in a series against Carey Price and I’m not convinced the Rangers will score enough goals to win. If the Canadiens can keep their compete level up against New York as they did against Boston, they’ll be heading to the Cup Finals.

Canadiens in 6!

 

@poleary19

2014 Stanley Cup Playoff Round One Picks:

 

 

It’s been a while since my last post but what better way to get back into it than with my first round picks? Under the new bracket style playoff format it will be perhaps even more difficult to win the Stanley Cup! However, the new format will surely provide some great entertainment for fans as evidenced by round one matchups involving Blackhawks/Blues, Sharks/Kings, Rangers/Flyers, etc. So without drawing this out any further, here are my expert (lol) predictions for round one:

 

Eastern Conference:

Detroit at Boston: Honestly, coming into this season I thought the Bruins were on the decline. I felt the trading of Seguin was a mistake (may still prove to be as time goes on) and the losses of Peverley, Horton and Ference would also hurt. They’ve really proved me wrong this season and I won’t bet against them in round one. Jarome Iginla is motivated, Patrice Bergeron is almost as good as it gets in the postseason, Tuuka Rask is a Vezina candidate (shouldn’t win though) and Big Z is still a monster. The Red Wings have gotten healthier but still not healthy enough in my book. Coach Babcock is good and if he can get strong goaltending he’ll push the Bruins to the limit, but similar to last year against Chicago, it won’t be enough. BRUINS IN 6  

Player to watch: Reilly Smith

 

Montreal at Tampa Bay: Very difficult series to call so I really had to break it down into components. I think the Habs get the edge in goaltending (esp. with Bishop out), special teams, total offense, and defense. I give the Lightening the edge in grit and having the bigger game breaker in Stamkos. Add in that playoff “magic” that Montreal teams tend to find each spring and I think they win this series. With that said, the Lightening have the tools to win especially if Bishop can return early on. It’ll be interesting to see which deadline acquisition plays the bigger part in this series, Callahan or Vanek? That may go a long way in determining who moves on. Also, it’s important to mention that Carey Price has one playoff series win in his career and it was in his rookie season. If he‘s going to be considered an elite goaltender in this league, he needs to win in the spring. I think he does here! HABS IN 6
Player to watch: Max Pacioretty

 

Columbus at Pittsburgh: The new playoff set up seems to shield teams from the old 2 vs. 7 upset special! How many times over the years has a number 7 seed taken out a number 2 seed? It has happened more often than you’d expect and though the setup is a little different in 2014, the Penguins are technically the number 2 seed in the east and I think they will fall! The Jackets play a team game and have a lot of players built for postseason hockey. If Bobrovsky is on top of his game, the Penguins could be in trouble. You can never be sure on the health of certain players or which Marc-Andre Fleury will be between the pipes! Don’t be surprised if this is Bylsma’s last time behind a Pittsburgh bench. JACKETS IN 7
Player to watch: Brandon Dubinsky

 

Philadelphia at New York: Another very difficult series to call which needs to be broken down into components. Rangers get the edge in goaltending and defense, Flyers get the edge in offense and having the bigger game breaker in Claude Giroux, while special teams and grit looks to be pretty even. That just shows this series should be a dandy! My money has to go on the team with the better defense and a King in net. I also believe that Marty St.Louis will make a statement in these playoffs and help the Rangers turn some heads as they make a deep run. RANGERS IN 6
Player to watch: Martin St. Louis

 

Western Conference:

Chicago at St.Louis: The Blues have fallen from a top Cup contender to a huge question mark in just two weeks. With a 6 game losing streaking, too many injuries to list and Kenny Hitchcock seemingly melting down; are the wheels off the Blues bus? The Blackhawks have to be feeling pretty good with their two top guns likely back in the lineup for game one and well rested for the stretch run at that. The couple days between the regular season and game one are crucial for the Blues to put it all behind them and reenergize. They’ll need to get great goaltending from Miller, play the ‘wear em down’ game and get some consistent offence in order to win this series. I don’t think they’ll be able to do it though. HAWKS IN 6
Player to watch: Patrick Sharp

 

Dallas at Anaheim: In 2001 the Colorado Avalanche eliminated the LA Kings in 7 games to advance to the Conference finals. Near the 2001 trade deadline the Kings shipped Rob Blake to those Avalanche and following the series that spring, many Kings players said they wished they played that series with Blake on their side. Fast forward to 2014, the Dallas Stars will play against Anaheim in round one, the team they traded defenseman Stephane Robidas to in March. When this series is over; like the Kings in ‘01, the Stars will wish they had Robidas on their side. I’m not sold on the Ducks as a team that will go all the way but I do believe they handle Dallas despite a solid effort from Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. Secondary scoring will be crucial for the Ducks as they move forward.  DUCKS IN 6
Player to watch: Andrew Cogliano

 

Los Angeles at San Jose: Over the years I’ve always expected the San Jose Sharks to choke! Like a coach named Torts, I’ve always felt Joe Thornton has never won anything in this league and I could say the same for Patty Marleau. In saying that, those guys are not the main focal points in San Jose anymore. Yes, those guys still produce but they also have some great young talent in Couture, Pavelski, Vlasic, Burns, Hertl, etc. On the other side, over the last few years I’ve had high expectations of the LA Kings. They are a team built for the playoffs with grit, timely scoring and world class goaltending. Based on the above, you’d think my pick here is obvious but actually I think the Sharks are going to make a splash (pun not intended). The Sharks’ energy and hunger (pun not intended) will be difficult for the Kings to match this time around and I think the Kings will need a refresh after having 6 guys play in Sochi and two long playoff runs in 2012 and 2013. SHARKS IN 6
Player to watch: Joe Pavelski

 

Minnesota at Colorado: As the Avs came from behind and stole the Central Division from the St. Louis Blues, I couldn’t help but think back to 2003 when they snuck up on the Vancouver Canucks and took the North West Division in the final week of the season. Winning the division back then resulted in a first round series with the Wild and a ‘mile high upset.’ Will history repeat itself in 2014? You never know! While the Avalanche did finish the season with the second best record in the West, they are still a very young team with little playoff experience and a couple of injuries. Despite an incredible season, I don’t think the Avs have earned much respect yet and most teams feel they can beat them in a 7 game series. The Wild have guys like Parise and Pominville who have taken long runs in the playoffs and stud blueliner Ryan Suter who will log some serious minutes. The big question mark will be Ilya Bryzgalov and whether he will be focused on the game or the universe. With a 7-0-3 record in his last 10 games he helped the Wild finish strong and if he can continue that play, the Wild will have a chance at the upset. Similarly, the Avalanche will need Varlamov to continue to be his Vezina self and get a balanced contribution from their forwards, especially with Duchene out. Fearing the risk of a jinx, no prediction on this one. GO AVS!

Player to watch: Ryan O’Reilly

 

@poleary19

The Canadian Way

   Just over two weeks ago, we sent 220 of our best athletes to Sochi, Russia to represent us on the world stage. Today, those athletes begin the long trip home after again doing us proud with 25 total medals, good enough for 4^th overall in the standings! Of course we all like to see our own succeed at each Olympics, but honestly for Canadians it’s less about showing the world how good we are at sport (and make no mistake, we are good) and more about showing our ‘Canadian way.’ Canadians will look back on these games in 10 to 15 years, forgetting how many total medals we won but with detailed memories of how our athletes did things the ‘Canadian way.’

  The image of two sisters standing together on the podium awaiting the presentation of their gold and silver medals is almost the stuff of a fictional story book but it was real life for the Dufour-Lapointe sisters of Montreal. What makes it even more amazing is the fact that Justine and Chloe’s other sister Maxime was also in the event! Of course the winning siblings were to put the spotlight on older sister Maxime who inspired them to start in the first place. All three sat side by side at the post medal presentation media session and despite only two winning medals, they all are winners back home for exemplifying the ‘Canadian way.’

  The sisters didn’t give us the only great Canadian sibling story at these Olympics! Many remember the story of Frederic Bilodeau from 2010 in Vancouver! Frederic was not an athlete at the Olympics but is the older brother of now repeat Gold medalist Alex Bilodeau. Frederic was diagnosed with Cerebral palsy at a young age and was told he would be unable to walk by age 12. Alex made it known in 2010 that Frederic was his inspiration and repeated those sentiments in Sochi, saying that it is Frederic who helps him through the ups and downs. Four years after an unforgettable embrace between the brothers in 2010, the brothers gave Canadians the goose bumps again with another one seen all over social media in 2014. Each brother seeing the other as a hero defines the ‘Canadian way’ as does the fact that at age 28, Frederic is still able to walk!

  Should we be surprised that Frederic wasn’t the only non-athlete Canadian hero in Sochi? Probably not! Perhaps the name Justin Wadsworth doesn’t ring a bell but when someone mentions a Canadian Cross-Country skiing coach who ran on the course to help a skier fix a broken ski, people know what you’re talking about. It wasn’t even a Canadian skier who Justin helped, it was a Russian skier! Why did he do it? “I wanted him to have dignity as he crossed the finish line,” said Wadsworth. That’s the ‘Canadian way.’

  How far can you go for a teammate? My guess is you can’t go much further than offering up YOUR chance to compete for a medal at the Olympics! That’s exactly what Gilmore Junio did for his teammate Denny Morrison. Junio had earned his place in the 1000m speed skating final but gave it up to Morrison (who had fallen during qualifiers and missed out on a spot in the race) because he felt Morrison had the better chance of winning Canada a medal. When you step back and think of the kind of person it takes to do something like that you can’t help but to shake your head! It’s mind blowing! After all the sacrifices he had made over the years to get himself in that spot, he made the greater sacrifice for his country and gave Morrison his spot! Wouldn’t you know, Morrison won silver in the race and Junio became known worldwide for a heart of gold!

  Over the course of the Olympics, some of our athletes fell short of their own personal expectations. Many of them responded to this by apologizing to the people of their country! The apology that stands out most is perhaps the one of Patrick Chan after he won a SILVER medal in figure skating! Obviously he thought he could have won gold; no doubt he could, but he was a winner in the hearts of everyone at home no matter the result! Just as it’s the ‘Canadian way’ for an athlete to have high expectations of themselves, it’s the ‘Canadian way’ to see that doing your best is the only expectation that matters!

  There may be just one exception to the above sentence and everyone knows what the exception is. Hockey is our game and it may not be right, but giving our best is not enough. If we go to a best on best hockey tournament and come home as anything but winners, we have a national emergency on our hands! As if the competition itself wasn’t difficult enough, they have to play with an incredible amount of weight on their shoulders. The men’s team could not have represented themselves better despite many challenges along the way. PK Subban, Roberto Luongo and Mike Smith were all good enough to play in every game but everyone couldn’t and they were the guys who were to watch from the sidelines. For superstar NHL’ers, this could be a problem but these three men accepted their roles and were the best teammates they could be. With media and fans breathing down their neck; Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews kept playing their game knowing that it would pay off in the end, it did. Chris Kunitz, who many (including myself) felt didn’t belong on the team, stuck it out, got better towards the end and scored the game’s final goal! Then there’s Coach Babcock who faced question after question about line-ups, scratches and other decisions but never once strayed from what he believed was a gold medal winning plan. The boys represented the country so well in so many ways and there are too many examples to list. In short, Captain Crosby’s greatest example of leadership may have come during today’s celebration with teammates when he was asked if he would step aside for a photo of just himself. Crosby politely declined and said it wasn’t just about him, it was about the team. Some love him, some hate him but he lives the ‘Canadian way.’

  Last but not least, we had the women’s hockey team facing similar pressure. Everyone knew that it would come down to Canada vs. the USA for the gold but perhaps few knew the adversity the ladies had gone through to get there. The Americans had gotten the better of them multiple times leading up to the games, they had a coaching change just two months before the Olympics and a new captain was also named. Having gone through all that, it was only fitting that they would face a 2-0 deficit late in the gold medal game, only to tie things up and force overtime. In overtime, the golden goal was scored by Marie-Phillip Poulin and they had officially overcome all adversity. What I’ll remember most about the finish is the reaction of both Poulin and Coach Kevin Dineen. Poulin will never score a bigger goal in her life but you would never say it based on the goal celebration. While you could see the pure emotion in her actions; as Grapes would say, she acted like she scored before. Likewise, on the bench Dineen didn’t even raise his arms in the air; he showed obvious relief and turned to shake hands with his assistants. These are further examples of the ‘Canadian way.’

  In conclusion, I could probably write a book on the moments that made us proud in Sochi but I’ll have hard enough time getting people to read these two pages. We remember while in school and playing on a team, in a band, group, etc. attending another school, our teachers would always say be on your best behavior because you are representing your entire school. Our 220 athletes went to Sochi under that same notion and from coast to coast (yes, CBC that extends to Newfoundland) we may have different moments that stand out but the one consistency is knowing we couldn’t have been represented any better. I’ll wake up tomorrow with a smile on my face, not because ‘We are winter’ but because ‘We are Canadian’ and live the ‘Canadian way.’

@poleary19

Men’s Hockey in Sochi: All you need to know

  With the not so Super Bowl a thing of the past, next on the agenda for sports fans around the world is the Olympic Winter Games from Sochi, Russia set to kick off on Friday.  Though many have a winter sport they like to keep tabs on over the two week showcase of world class athletes; I, like most Canadians will put 95% percent of my focus on defense of our 2010 Gold Medal in Men’s hockey! In reality, the other 5% is for the days leading up to the puck drop on Feb 12^th! Today I will give a quick breakdown of the tournament format, a listing of the groups, the most important players and player to watch on each team, and my predictions on how things will play out!

THE FORMAT:

  The format for this year’s Tournament is the same as that of 2010 in Vancouver. The group stage will consist of three groups containing four teams each. The winners of each group will automatically advance to the quarterfinals and a fourth bye will be given to the next best team in the group stage.  The point system will give 3 points for a win in regulation, 2 points for an overtime or shootout win, 1 point for an overtime or shootout loss and 0 points for a regulation loss. With the top 4 teams receiving a bye to the quarters, the additional quarterfinal spots will be determined by the remainder of the field who will be ranked 5 to 12 with the higher seeds facing the lower seeds in an elimination game. This will determine the quarterfinal matchups and following a number of single elimination games, a gold medalist will be crowned. (*Note* this set-up will be made more clear following my predictions below)

THE GROUPS:

GROUP A: Group of DEATH!

Russia:

Most Important player:  Alex Ovechkin: Leading the NHL in scoring by a long shot, Ovechkin is putting pucks in the net at a torrid pace again. Perhaps motivated over the last couple of years by the upcoming Games in his home country, Ovechkin will be leaned upon to be a leader for this team and if he doesn’t score it won’t fold well for the hosts!

Player to watch: Ilya Kovalchuk: He took his ball (or puck) and went home this summer! Already a seemingly forgotten name in North America, Kovalchuk knows we’ll be watching and he’ll want to remind us of what he can do. A motivated Kovalchuk playing in his home country on the big ice surface is a major concern for the 11 other nations.

Slovakia:

Most important player: Jaroslav Halak: With Slovakia sitting on the doorstep of the hockey power houses, it’ll take strong goaltending from Halak to help them pull off some one game winner take all upsets! He took the 2010 Canadiens to the Conference finals and led Slovakia to the Semi’s in that same year as well, so he can do it. For Slovakia to win a medal in 2014, he simply will have to!

Player to watch: Zdeno Chara: Big Z isn’t getting any younger and he will log HUGE (pun intended) minutes for this Slovakia blue line. As good as Chara is; his age, the bigger ice surface and of course the additional games may work against him. He slowed down in the Cup Finals last year against a team with great speed; will it happen in Sochi as well? If so, it won’t fold well for his team.

Slovenia:

Most important player:  Anze Kopitar: Not much to say here; the only current NHLer on the roster will have to carry the team. Kopitar is an elite talent but he can’t play 60 minutes, he’ll do his best to create as many goals as possible.

Player to watch: Anze Kopitar: Making the Olympics is an accomplishment for Slovenia and they’ll look to build off this experience and perhaps learn what it takes to be a star from Kopitar along the way. He’ll make some great plays in the tournament.

 

United States of America:

Most Important player:  Ryan Miller/Jonathon Quick: I have no idea which guy will start the big games but no matter who gets the role, they will have to be GREAT! The States blue line looks to be a little thin this year and considering some of the fire power in this tournament, if the Americans want to medal again, their goaltending will have to steal some games.

Player to watch: Phil Kessel: Leaf fans will love this but based on how hot he will be going into the tournament, it’s hard to not expect big things from him. Explosive speed on the big ice added to elite scoring ability makes Kessel the team’s top offensive threat. The pressure shouldn’t bother him either as its much less than what he faces in Toronto.

GROUP B

Austria:

Most important player:  Thomas Vanek: Similar to Kopitar, Vanek is a star from a country with little NHL talent. Vanek will lead a team with just two other current NHLers and the offense will be expected to come through him. If it doesn’t, it could be a short (or long) tournament for Austria.

Player to watch: Michael Grabner: Unlike Kopitar, Vanek does have some help and Grabner would be the guy to bring it. He has incredible speed that will be showcased on the larger ice surface and most certainly cause even the best defenders trouble. Look for Grabner to burn some blue liners and be one of just a couple bright spots for this nation.

Canada:

Most important player: Sidney Crosby: Many people will have something to say about that pick but he’s the best player in the world and we’ll need him to be to repeat. If Crosby fails to produce it instantly puts pressure on all the other forwards, some of whom it would be the most pressure they’ve ever faced. Add in the off-ice distraction of a slumping Crosby and it could be terrible news for Canada.

Player to watch: Matt Duchene: Again, people might play the bias card here but I’ve had the privilege of watching the majority of Duchene’s games this year and the kid is amazing. His breakaway speed and agility are nearly unmatched in the NHL; he is strong with the puck and plays with heart. A lot more Canadians will be aware of Matt Duchene after Sochi!

Finland:

Most important player: Tuuka Rask: Seemingly, Finland always has a great selection of talent between the pipes and 2014 is no exception. Rask is one of the NHL’s elite and he must be if Finland will medal again in 2014. Rask has the ability to steal games; Canada and other nations best prepare to make his life difficult or he could hurt their chances of winning the Tournament.

Player to watch: Olli Maata/Sami Vatanen: A little off the charts here but we have two good, young, fast puck moving defensemen. With the depth of the Finnish blue line, these two young men will likely see a fair bit of ice, especially on the power play and might cause the world to take notice of the two future stars.

Norway:

Most important player: Mats Zuccarello: Similar to Vanek and Kopitar; albeit to a lesser extent, Zuccarello will be the key cog for the Norwegian offense. In somewhat of a breakout season, the 26 year old leads the Rangers in scoring and will look to lead his country on the big stage.

Player to watch: Patrick Thoresen: The name may sound familiar as Thoresen did spend time in the NHL and AHL. Most recently the speedy winger has been putting up good numbers in the KHL and will ride shotgun with Zuccarello to give a speedy tandem.

 

GROUP C

Czech Republic:

Most important player: Ondrej Pavelec: In 1998 the Czechs won a gold medal off the back off Dominik Hasek who allowed just two goals over the final four games of the tournament. With Hasek in the rearview mirror and Tomas Vokoun unable to play due to injury, Pavelec’s performance will be the deciding factor in how far the Czech’s go. With an aging forward group and less than stellar blue line, Pavelec will need to be sharp!

Player to watch: Jaromir Jagr: Yes, the 41 year old is still playing and even though the Czech’s have a few up and coming young stars, Jagr is still the one to watch in Sochi! The top scoring Czech player in the NHL is still something special to watch and will look to bow out of the Olympics with all eyes on him.

Latvia:

Most important player: Ted Nolan: Yea, I stretched the category a little here but Nolan’s coaching will be the deciding factor in whether the Latvians are competitive or handled with ease. The accomplishment for Latvia was getting here; for Nolan and company, keeping scores close will be satisfactory.

Player to watch: Zemgus Girjensons: The speedy young forward will be leaned upon heavily in the offensive zone. With Nolan also being his coach in the NHL, he’ll know when and how to use him responsibly while stressing the importance of soaking up the experience.

Switzerland:

Most important player: Jonas Hiller: The Swiss are always a dangerous team in a single elimination tournament and it’s always because of great goaltending and an opportunistic game. In 2006 they shut out Team Canada and in 2010 took them to a shootout. Hiller is one of the top goalies in the world and with him the Swiss are confident they can beat anyone on any given night.

Player to watch: Martin Pluss: The name may sound familiar because he’s been there for Switzerland time after time. 36 years old now; he may not be as fast as he once was but he still has the ability to play in any situation and his name will likely follow any Swiss goals in the box score.

Sweden:

Most important player: Henrik Lundqvist: Perhaps the best goaltender in the world; a gold medalist in 2006, Lundqvist will look to get the job done for Sweden again. With a strong team in front of him he may not be relied upon as heavily as some of the other goalies mentioned above, but if Sweden is to win gold, the King will have to be the King.

Player to watch: Erik Karlsson: The smooth skating, rover type defensemen will be a treat to watch on the big ice. The skilled players around him will take his game to an even higher level and opposing teams better think of a way to slow him down or he may just pick them a part!

PREDICTIONS:

Here’s how I see things playing out in Sochi:

Rankings after the round robin:

1.       Sweden

2.       Canada

3.       Russia

4.       Finland

5.       United States

6.       Switzerland

7.       Slovakia

8.       Czech Republic

9.       Austria

10.   Slovenia

11.   Latvia

12.   Norway

Qualification playoffs:                                      

USA over Norway

Switzerland over Latvia                                                                 

Slovakia over Slovenia

Czech Republic over Austria

QuarterFinals:

Sweden over Czech Republic

USA over Finland                                             

Russia over Switzerland

Canada over Slovakia

  

     Semi Finals:

     Sweden over USA

     Canada over Russia

   

    Bronze Medal game:

    Russia over USA

    Gold Medal game:

   Canada over Sweden!

  Canada has the best team and the best team SHOULD win! Not always the case though and the team will need to click right away, get solid goaltending, and clutch scoring. Anything can happen in single elimination games so get ready to sit back and enjoy it! This could be the best caliber of hockey we’ll see for a long, long time.

Follow me on twitter: @poleary19

IceCap Fans: It’s Time to Rant and Roar like True Newfoundlanders

  Energy conservation has been the hot topic in this province over the past few weeks; many doing their part to help lessen the demand and minimize the problem. Even during hockey games at Mile One Centre; less lights were used, signs were turned off, and the “big screens” black in an effort to conserve. Saturday night, as I sat watching the game against the Toronto Marlies, I couldn’t help but think the energy conservation had been taken too far. I was watching a hockey game featuring our home team and the hometown darling Toronto Maple Leaf affiliate which consisted of 5 fights, 8 goals, numerous hits, great saves and a shootout. If I had made a checklist of things I wanted to see prior to going to the game, what I witnessed would have exceeded any expectations I could have even put on the list! It was everything anyone would want in a hockey game, right? Based on the amount of noise and enthusiasm in the building, wrong! It wasn’t just Saturday night though; despite having one of the top attendances in the American Hockey League and ultimately selling out every home game, you can hear a pin drop during the play, game in and game out. You will only hear noise for a goal, fight or when a video on the big screen asks for it. Even for goals, it’s far from deafening and if you look around few people bother getting out of their seat.

  As a fan, it is highly disappointing when such a strong fan base fails to utilize perhaps the most key component of the “home ice advantage.” Yes, the IceCaps get last change when they play at Mile One, but what would really help is if the fans made the stadium a tough one to play in for road teams. We are in a similar situation to our parent team in Winnipeg in that we have a small barn that is often filled to capacity. However, the difference between the two is that at the MTS Centre it is difficult to hear what the person sat next to you is saying; at Mile One you can hear what the players are saying to each other.

  Sport is energy driven and an athlete who plays 75 plus games in a season can only get themselves fired up so much over the course of a season. Feeding off the energy of a hometown crowd is what helps get players fired up to another level, a level that gives them an advantage over their opponent. For visiting teams, there is an intimidation factor that comes with playing in a hostile environment and seeing how it energizes the home team. Right across the board; from basketball to football to hockey, teams typically have better records at home than on the road. Players perform at their best when playing in front of people who are showing support for them. We need to get back to the environment seen at Mile One during the 2012 Calder Cup playoffs; where a boisterous hometown crowd helped push the team to the conference finals.

  I can only imagine how discouraging it is for a team to play in front of such quiet crowds as those that have been at Mile One as of late. Too few fans are doing what they can to give the hometown players something they can feed off. Yes, some kids chant, there is the rare vocal adult (who gets “looks”) and game crew that really tries to up the volume but there has to be more! The players effort on the ice has been about as good as it gets and it would only be fair for the effort off the ice to be just as good. As shown Saturday; this team skates hard, hits hard and works hard at both ends of the ice. Win or lose, all a fan can ask of their team is their best effort and the IceCaps have given us that over their 18 home games thus far this season. Of those 18 games, 10 have been wins and just two were losses by more than one goal. We are left to imagine how good that record could be if there was more energy in the building for players to build off.

  The IceCaps have a great fan base here which is proven by attendance over the past three years. However, it is important to remember; if the players weren’t putting the effort in, we would be the first ones to complain about it. It’s time we start giving back to our team what we expect from them and they deserve from us. This is a challenge from one fan to others:  IceCap fans, starting Friday night lets leave the energy conservation at home, clap our hands, stomp our feet, and lose our voices. It’s time for a power surge at Mile One Centre!

Going for Gold: My thoughts on Canada’s roster in Sochi

  Oh how quickly we Canadians forget! Just two days ago all of the talk was about the failings of our national program following a second straight World Junior Tournament without a medal. However, today the kids are off the hook as all eyes are on Steve Yzerman and the executive of the 2014 Canadian Olympic squad. As you may recall (I know I must have 3 or 4 regular readers!) I wrote a blog back in August giving my preseason Team Canada predictions. Now with the roster officially set, we’ll see how my roster stacks up to Mr. Yzerman’s. I’ll also make note of how my predictions compared to those of the ultimate insider Bob McKenzie; the measuring stick for all wannabe insiders. Keep in mind however; Bob has sources in most NHL cities while my main source is Adam Basha from the hockey hotbed of Western Bay, with other sources scattered in random locations such as Thunder Bay (Ont), St. Stephen (NB) and Small Point (NL). I must admit, they’re panning out pretty well though. To finish it off, I’m going to criticize two time goal medal winner Steve Yzerman for a couple of his selections.  (*Note* I will not list my projected team from August here, it can be found on my main page.) Let’s drop the puck……

  Glad to say I got off to a hot start between the pipes nailing all three goaltenders. I believe the executive got it right here and also believe that Luongo will be the “starter” for game one and will play himself into or out of the Number 1 spot from there. Price will “backup” and if Luongo falters, he’ll take the reins and run with them. Smith will be the third goaltender and will likely see one game on the bench during the preliminary round. Expert McKenzie also went 3 for 3 in goal, preventing me from getting a much needed leg up.

  On Defense things got a little rocky for me as I went 5 for 8. Ultimately, 4 of the 5 picks were locks with Subban being the other. No doubt the Canadian blue line is strong; however I would have taken Brent Seabrook and Dan Boyle over Dan Hamhuis and Jay Bouwmeester. I can see the upside to Hamhuis’ game but I’m not sure if he is among the top 8 in this country, nor do I think he can bring more to the table than Seabrook and Boyle on or off the ice. Bouwmeester was basically considered a lock on everyone’s team going into today; but for me he’s not a guy who can turn the tempo up when it needs to be turned up. No doubt he skates well and moves the puck well but he lacks that “drive” as was proven by a fairly poor tourney back in 2006. The argument can be made for the importance of left defense vs. right defense but top players are top players and I think such an argument may be exaggerated. Otherwise,  difficult to argue the remaining picks as Vlasic has been stellar for San Jose and Subban will be a Canadian Hero on the power play (yes, even you will cheer leaf fans!). The defense looks good but those are tweaks I would have made. By the way, for those of you keeping score, Bobby Mac went 8 for 8 on the backend and thus I fired Adam Basha!

  Similarly, I struggled up front hitting just 8 of my 13 predicted forwards. With that being said, the only forwards that made the team that I would argue shouldn’t be going to Sochi are Chris Kunitz, Jeff Carter and Patrick Marleau. I am not a big believer in taking Chris Kunitz simply because he works well with Sidney Crosby nor am I a believer that Kunitz would be on this team if he was playing on a different NHL team. There were better players out there who can make other players better rather than simply be better due to the presence of someone else. Claude Giroux sticks out to me because he has all the tools of a superstar and has been a top producer among Canadians over the past few years. Putting him on the big ice with better players would have been something to see. I didn’t hear much discussion on it today but he may be a paying the price for choosing to skip out on the summer camp. Another concern with Kunitz is if he gets taken off a line with Crosby, where does he fit then? He likely slides into the last forward spot and has a minimal impact in the tournament, thus wasting a roster spot. Honestly, I’ve never really been a fan of Patrick Marleau and cannot see how he brings more upside than his Sharks teammate Logan Couture. Couture in my opinion has a better all around game and easily has more of an edge. Perhaps with Marleau returning from the 2010 team one can argue he brings experience and leadership but to me he doesn’t come off as the kind of guy who is a great leader (Stripped of the C in San Jose).  The last player selection that I really question is Jeff Carter. I like Jeff Carter as a player and no doubt the executive are thinking of his speed and ability to finish, paying off on the big ice. My Concern is where do you play him? If he doesn’t fit into the top 6 (which will be tough); how does he do in a third or fourth line role? That’s where I would prefer guys like Mike Richards and Eric Staal. Both of whom have the ability to be clutch but also have that versatility where you can slide them up or down a line-up and still have them be key contributors to the team. I thought those guys were really good for Canada back in 2010 and they could still play on this team in 2014. The forward group is good, but may consist of too many players who want to be top 6 forwards and unable to be bottom 6 forwards. Again, for the scorekeepers; Bob went 11 for 14 up front and ultimately won the team prediction battle with ease.

  When all is said and done, I do agree with the vast majority of the players selected to represent our country in Sochi. Above you can see some of the changes I would have made but my three major concerns are the third/fourth lines, ability to play OUR game, and leadership. I question which of the 14 forwards selected will excel in a third or fourth line role? If you look at those 14 forwards, with the exceptions of Bergeron, Sharp and Toews (who really shouldn’t be), I don’t see anyone who can drop back to the bottom 6 and be the checking, defensive, versatile, role playing forward needed. This is where I really thought Staal and Richards would have been of value. Likewise, I’m not sure if this team has the identity of a truly Canadian group. As you look down the roster there are not many names that standout as the “in your face,” intense, swagger filled players who have the ability to intimidate European players. The team is filled with speed and skill which is important on the big ice but somewhat lacks players who play the “Canadian” way. Outside of Subban, Weber, Doughty and Perry, I don’t see guys who will crash, bang and really get under the skin of the opposition. It’s almost like this team was picked to suit the European style of game on the big ice but I believe we are at our best when we force opponents to play our game. Last but not least, there has to be some concern in terms of veteran leadership. Our oldest skaters are Kunitz and Marleau; one who is playing in his first Olympics and the other who has had his leadership questioned in the past. Returnees such as Crosby, Toews, Getzlaf and Weber will be leaned upon to be the leaders of this team but I really feel like a Dan Boyle could have been a great calming influence similar to Neidermayer in 2010.

  In closing, I’m not sure there is anyone in this country who agrees with every player picked to this team, even those who picked the team. No matter what there will be debate and everyone cannot be satisfied. We will head into the Olympics with a very good looking team and we are a top contender to win gold. Will we win? That’s a question for another day but no matter whom we have wearing our jersey in February, we’ll all be chanting “Go Canada Go!”

Follow me on Twitter: @poleary19

CANADA!!! We’re Going to be Just Fine!!

  Many families in Canada have their own unique Christmas traditions but one common tradition from coast to coast is gathering around the television to watch the World Junior Hockey Championships. The tournament generates a great deal of discussion at the kitchen table, the local store, facebook, etc. So far this year; despite a solid 2-0-1 record for Team Canada, most of the talk has been negative. Many fans seem to have doubts as to whether this team can pull it off and question whether we will be able to beat the Americans, Swedes or Russians. Below are 5 reasons for the country to sit back, have a drink and have faith.

  1# Brent Sutter: We have one of; if not the best, coach in World Junior history. The loss(shootout) to the Czech’s on Saturday was his first loss in three world junior tournaments! Sutter has a knack for getting his message through to young players, a great ability to motivate and is a strategist behind the bench. Perhaps his greatest asset is his calm demeanor on the bench, which is passed down to the players and helps maintain composure on the ice. We can trust Sutter to have the boys prepared when the puck drops and to have them improve every game.

  #2 The rest of the World is getting better: Too many of us are stuck in the past with the notion that we are Canadian and should destroy anyone besides the States, Swedes, and Russians. Even then, we expect victory! Reality is, the world around us is getting better! We are the best in the world at this game but other countries are closing the gap. However, this is not a negative! It just means that our game is growing around the world and better competition will only make us better. Continuous domination on the world stage would cause us to become complacent; when we are “threatened” by other nations it forces us to look at our program and see what we can do it improve it. Our expectation of 10-0 wins over certain countries is perhaps outdated and we should begin to respect the programs of our opponents.

  #3 We are Canada!: Somewhat an add on to thought #2, no team has any trouble “getting up” for a game against Canada. Just as we consider ourselves the top dog, other nations look at us as a measuring stick and want to see where they stand up against us. It’s a case of the hunter vs. the hunted and we are the hunted. Everyone circles the Canada game on their schedule; whether it’s Germany hoping to give us a tough game or the Americans hoping to send us home! There will be games where we may not be at our best but chances are our opponent always is.

  #4 It’s all about the Gold!: “We didn’t beat Germany badly enough!” “A loss to the Czechs???!!””By’s hardly beat Slovakia sure!” These are the comments we have been hearing game after game. It’s hard to satisfy the Canadian hockey fan, we are go big or go home when it comes to hockey. Fact is, at this stage of the tourney a win is a win and a point is a point. Going into tomorrow’s game we still have a chance to win the group despite our “struggles” and if we lose, we can still win the gold medal. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and this adversity will be an asset to the team moving forward. You may forget in the 2002 Olympics, when we had a national emergency after losing 5-2 to Sweden, squeaking by Germany and barely tying the Czechs but I’m certain you recall the Gold Medal win. It doesn’t matter how you get there as long as you get there.

  #5 Try not to forget they are kids: All year we watch NHL hockey and then for 10 days over Christmas we watch a bunch of teenagers. Being so used to the NHL, I think we expect the same sort of hockey from the junior team. It takes years in the NHL to become the responsible, mature player we are expecting an 18 year old to be. These kids; feeling the pressure of an entire nation, will take a bad penalty when they are frustrated,  will try to do too much by themselves when they are down, and they won’t give any technical masterpieces. These are things we still see in mature 30 year old hockey players; so of course we are going to see them in teenagers! Adding to this; the group is thrown together a week before the tournament, they are overseas away from their families during the holiday season for the first time, and the pressure of an entire country at home watching with “win or bust” expectations.  Think of yourself in your late teens and ask how would you do under those circumstances? For me, it would be quite the challenge.

  Take a deep breath Canada! We’re going to be alright; they’re the best we have and they are doing their best. Keep your schedule free Sunday; we’ll be playing for Gold!!!! The best is yet to come!

Happy New Years!

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Touch Pass: A few hot topics in the NHL

Been a little while between blogs, here are my thoughts on some of the hot topics of the NHL:

The NHL and Rogers join forces

  Last week the NHL and Rogers came to terms on a new 12 year television deal which will begin next season. I’ve heard many fans with questions and concerns regarding the deal over the past few days. To keep it short and sweet; if anything, it sounds like hockey fans will have more games to watch and more choice! How often over the years have Montreal fans complained about the Leafs game being the main game on HNIC? Well, according to an example given at the announcement last week, A Saturday night under this deal will involve a Leafs game on CBC, Canadiens game on Sportsnet and Senators game on CITY! Make sure you have batteries in that clicker!! There will also be NO MORE blackouts under this deal! What does this mean? If you have any of the Sportsnet regional channels, you’ll actually be able to watch the game even if you are from outside that particular region!

  We all love our Hockey Night in Canada and it will continue for at least 4 years under this deal. During this time, the Stanley Cup playoffs and Stanley Cup finals will be shown on CBC just as they have been for years. What does this mean for Grapes? I think Don Cherry will continue to entertain until he chooses to be done with it. He made it clear on Saturday night that if Rogers doesn’t mess with him, he’ll keep doing what he’s doing. This deal will probably result in Don getting even more TV time on some of Rogers’ other channels. I also think Ron Mclean sticks with Don until he’s ready to retire and then Ron should get some enticing offers, one of which will come from Rogers. It is highly likely that there would be even more change to HNIC if a different network won the deal. Rumor has it that CTV would have pushed to have Saturday game start times moved to 6 eastern so the late game could be shown on TSN in primetime. In other words, the damage could have been worse.

  All the concern that has poured in for the hockey personalities on TSN makes me proud to be Canadian. Only Canadians would develop such a connection with these TV personalities that would leave us worrying about their job security. I imagine McKenzie, Duthie and Miller will stick with TSN for the time being unless they get an offer they can’t refuse. All three have been with the network for years and a place should be there for them if they want to stay; however, everyone has a price. What about Darren Dreger? Some may remember that he was originally Sportsnet’s number 1 insider before he jumped ship to join TSN. Would he like to go back? Will Rogers be interested in taking him back? That should be an interesting development. Perhaps next summer we’ll see a Free Agent frenzy “analyst” edition. The people that we should really feel for here are those who we don’t see on our TV screen. It takes a large production crew to put off a live event and sadly it will be many of these folks who are without work.

  Many people are also disappointed about the fact the TSN panel won’t be delivering the games anymore. I too, greatly enjoy the guys on TSN but to be fair, the Hockey Central guys are also very good! Daren Millard, Nick Kypreos and Doug Maclean have incredible chemistry as a trio and provide a very entertaining program. I imagine they will only step up their game with an increased national spotlight, giving fans something to enjoy. If you’re looking for a preview of what’s to come from the Sportsnet panel, check out Hockey Central at noon (130 NL time) on Sportsnet, Monday to Friday.

A four team race

  One of four teams will win the Cup this year. It’ll be one of San Jose, St.Louis, Los Angeles or Chicago. St. Louis and San Jose are the front runners because by May, both the Kings and Blackhawks will have played a lot of hockey over the last year and a half which will have them worn down. You can also expect to see a lot of Kings and Blackhawks playing in Sochi which again, will add to the wear and tear on the body. I won’t guarantee it’ll be the Sharks or Blues but will Mark Messier Guarantee it’ll be one of those 4 taking home Lord Stanley.

I’m OK with PK

  PK Subban has to be on Team Canada in Sochi! This country is very deep at every position but not to the point that we are able to leave the reigning Norris trophy winner home. The guy is far too dynamic and explosive not to take, especially on the big ice of the Olympics. He faces a great deal of criticism because of where he plays and the microscope he plays under. Yes, his game has flaws, as do the games of any other guys being considered for the spot. If Subban was playing in Columbus, he’d be a no brainer for the team. Anyone who might be concerned about his play in his own end should have faith that Mike Babcock and the coaching staff will know how and when to use him. You must take the best players and Subban is one of the best at his position.

What’s wrong with the Leafs?

  I’ve only had the chance to catch bits and pieces of Toronto’s recent games but there seems to be a common trend. Either the players are not sticking to the game plan or Carlyle needs to change the game plan. A 6-0 loss to Columbus, the collapse in Pittsburgh, a loss to the lowly Sabres and then falling behind 4-0 in a rivalry game to the habs are all cause for concern. Hockey is a game of action and reaction; right now the Leafs are slow on the action and even slower on the reaction. Getting badly outshot game after game has finally caught up to them and they need to change something. Makes me wonder if Carlyle’s message is getting lost in translation? Or is Dave Bolland that valuable?

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