Ling on the Wing: Why David Ling gives Ceebee Fans Something Special

  Ceebee Fans had a lot to be excited about leading up to this past weekend’s home opener; the raising of the 2013 Herder banner, their first chance to see a new, young, fast team and perhaps most notably the debut of David Ling. There was much buzz around the area about Ling, his “pro” status and what he might bring to the table for the Ceebees this year. I imagine for most, Saturday (or Friday) was their first opportunity to see Mr. Ling on the ice. However, some of us had seen him play some games before. I was lucky enough to see quite a few of Ling’s games with the St.John’s Maple Leafs back in 2004-05 at Mile One Centre. For this reason, I had a good idea of what to expect from him this weekend and as we all know now, he indeed delivered. The rumor around the rink is that Ling has quite the hockey resume! After seeing Ling back in 04-05, knowing some of his background, and doing some research; I figured I’d give Ceebee fans a little gist of the treat that the team has presented us with for this upcoming season!

  Ling began playing major junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League with the Kingston Frontenacs in 1992. Over his first two seasons with the team he averaged over a point per game and also over 250 penalty minutes per season. His combination of grit and skill saw him drafted by the Quebec Nordiques in 1993. In his final year in Kingston, Ling put up 61 goals and 135 points in just 62 games! That year he was named CHL player of the year; awarded to the player judged to be most outstanding in the entire Canadian Junior Hockey League! To put this into perspective; some other recipients of this award include: Mario Lemieux, Joe Sakic, Eric Lindros, Sidney Crosby, John Tavares, etc. (You get the picture!). Some notable teammates of Ling throughout those years include: Craig Rivet, Chris Gratton, Chad Kilger and Brett Lindros. Following a stellar CHL career, Ling had his number 17 honored by the Frontenacs.

  After a strong junior career, Ling moved onto to the AHL where he began his professional hockey career. He started out with the Saint John Flames after being dealt to Calgary by the Colorado Avalanche (after Quebec relocated). After a solid year in Saint John, he would again be traded, this time to the Montreal Canadiens. He would spend the majority of his time with the Fredericton Canadiens but would also suit up in his first two NHL games with the habs! During his time in Fredericton, Ling would clip along at better than a point per game pace and would also have a teammate by the name of Terry Ryan (Wouldn’t be the last time!).

  Over the next few years, Ling would continue to play pro hockey between the AHL and IHL before he found himself in a fulltime NHL gig with the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Between 02 and 04 he would play in over 80 NHL games and compile over 180 penalty minutes! While in Columbus, Ling played with players such as Rick Nash, Ray Whitney and Manny Malhotra. During this stint in the NHL, Ling dropped the mitts with players like Jordin Tootoo, Steve Ott and Jamal Mayers.

  After his stint in Columbus, Ling signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the summer of 2004. As I’m sure we all can recall; this was the year the entire NHL season was locked out. What a gain this turned out to be for our baby leafs! Ling would play 80 games in St.John’s that season and scored a team leading 88 points! Due to the lockout, many considered the AHL to be the top league that year and Ling certainly excelled in it! He actually finished 3^rd in overall scoring behind Jason Spezza and Mike Cammalleri. He also put up more points that season than the likes of Eric Staal, Jason Pominville, Thomas Vanek, Ryane Clowe, Thomas Plekanec, Patrice Bergeron and Zach Parise! For me, it was a privilege to watch Ling that year as he could hit, score, and fight. For years after, I would find myself signing him on the NHL video games just because of how he played in St. John’s (lol). He really helped make the baby leafs’ last season in St.John’s a good one, but sadly and ironically they would be put out of the playoffs in round one by the future Ice Caps (Manitoba Moose).

  Following his season in St. John’s, Ling decided to go overseas to play the game and would make a couple of stops in Russia along with stops in Switzerland, Finland, Italy and last year in England. During his time in Europe, Ling continued to be a scoring threat leading his team in scoring multiple times and finished up last year by leading the English league in scoring. Twice during those years, Ling also made two stops back in the AHL with the Marlies and Bruins; scoring 82 points in 127 games.

  In conclusion, what’s being said around the rink about Ling is FAR from a rumor as he does indeed have quite the impressive hockey resume! Though fans from other teams would argue; they’d be hard pressed to find a resume that can compare to Mr. Ling’s. Over the weekend we got a taste of what he can do with 6 points in two games but based on what I’ve seen in the past, he has another gear (if not two) that we haven’t seen yet! So, if a young, fast, hard working, Herder defending team isn’t enough to get you to the old barn; keep in mind this superstar import the team has brought in for us to see! A player of this caliber doesn’t come around very often, so get out to the SW Moores and enjoy “Linger” while you can!

GO CEEBEEES GO!!

Follow me on Twitter @poleary19

Are you Kidding me??? The Five Biggest Surprises Through One Month of the Hockey Season

  The first month of the season will draw to a close tonight and I’d say it’s been a pretty good season thus far; better than how things were going this time last year for sure! Some things have gone as expected and other things have been quite a surprise! Here are what I think have been the top 5 surprises so far this season:

#5 The struggles of Claude Giroux: Fantasy team GM’s everywhere must be rattled with the start of Giroux who was projected by most to be a top 10 scorer this year. Just like his Flyers; Giroux has started cold with just 6 assists in 11 games! That’s right; Giroux has yet to find the mesh so far this season! His minus-7 rating looks ugly and all of the above surely has him slipping from his position with Team Canada! If there is a bright spot for Flyer fans, it’s the fact that three of his six points have come in his last two games while playing with Vinny Lecavalier and maybe now he’s getting going.

#4 Dion Phaneuf’s strong play: Most fans; Leaf fans included always find a way to rip on Phaneuf. While a lot of the time he is deserving of the criticism, he is also deserving of credit where credit is due. The Leafs are off to a hot start and Phaneuf has to be a key reason why. He has a solid 2 goals and 5 assists through 14 games but his most impressive stat is his plus-10 rating! The last time Phaneuf was a plus player was the year he was traded to the Leafs, finishing a plus-1 over the entire season (time with the Flames included). He has been logging more than 23 minutes a game against the other team’s top lines, yet has a better plus/minus than the rest of the Leaf’s blueline combined. Buyer beware though, it is a contract year!

#3 Alexander Steen the sniper: Whether it’s early or not, I’m willing to bet there isn’t anyone out there who said Alex Steen would be leading the NHL in goals after the first month! Steen has 11 goals and 16 points; playing with TJ Oshie and David Backes on what has to be considered one of the top lines in the game right now. Steen already has scored more goals in 10 games than he did in 40 last year! His career high in goals is 24 and it looks as though he is surely ready to surpass that. I don’t think Steen will keep up with this current pace (He’s not scoring 90 goals!) but I do believe he is on his way to setting new personal bests in all offensive categories.

#2 Western Conference Superiority: The first month of the season saw a lot of conference vs. conference games and the Western Conference appeared to be dominant. Perhaps coming into the season, the Western Conference did appear to be a little stronger than the East; winning the past two Cups, but with Boston, Toronto, Pittsburgh, New York and the addition of Detroit, things should have stacked up pretty good. Yet, here on October 31^st; the Eastern Conference has just 6 of it’s 16 teams over .500, while the Western Conference has 10 of it’s 14 over .500! That is almost unbelievable and like nothing I’ve seen recently. The Western Conference is really looking like a powerhouse through the first month of the season, bringing back memories of the late 90’s when the Wings, Stars and Avs were running the league.

#1 The Colorado Avalanche: Don’t you just love a good segue? Anyone who knows me likely knew this was coming but how could such a list not have them at number 1? Last year they finished second last in the league with 16 wins; this year they already have 10 wins! Most people were skeptical of Patrick Roy as coach and I don’t think anyone, not even the most bias of Avs fans, thought they would start this hot! Roy has quickly put his stamp on this team and is pretty much getting the best of every single player on the roster. The goaltending has been phenomenal, Duchene has been one of the best players in the league and the team has given a consistent effort at both ends of the ice! Surely, they won’t continue at this pace but they’ll be fun to watch the rest of the way! For more on my thoughts on the team’s hot start, check out my blog from yesterday (shameless plug).

Those are my top 5 biggest surprises so far! The fun part is seeing where things go from here! Happy Halloween!

Follow me on twitter @poleary19

Rocky Mountain High: My Five Reasons for Colorado’s HOT Start

  It’s been far too long since I dropped a blog but I have been pretending to be an adult the past couple of weeks! Meanwhile; during my short hiatus, my Colorado Avalanche have started the season with an astounding 10 and 1 record! There is no way I can let the team start 10 and 1(Yea, I said it again!) without writing about it! So, I’ve decided to give my 5 main reasons (in no particular order) for this incredible start and the rocky mountain high us Avs fans have been on!

Reasons for the hot start???

1)      Matt Duchene!! This seems like the year he becomes recognized as a superstar in this league! He has 9 goals and 13 points in 11 games; He only had 17 goals all of last year!!! Points aside; if you watch the games, he is probably playing even better than the stats show. Easily one of the most dynamic players in the league and his acceleration has been causing MAJOR problems for the defense he’s faced so far. His commitment to off-season training and his rejuvenation under Coach Roy has to be two major reasons for his early success. As the team’s top player, Duchene has clearly been a big reason for the team’s early success aswell.

2)      Goaltending: When a team starts 10 and 1, you have to assume they are getting solid goaltending. That is an understatement when it comes to the Avalanche so far! Varlamov is 7 and 1 with a .945 sv% and Giguere is 3 and 0 with a .981% and two shutouts! Whenever the young Avs have needed a save, both of these guys have made it! Especially early in games or at times when the team is on their heels a little, both tenders have found a way to shut the door. Giving up just 16 goals in 11 games is unreal and obviously is a large reason for the strong start.

3)      Team Defense: As good as the goaltending has been; a strong commitment to team defense has to get some credit for giving up less than two goals per game. The Avalanche do NOT have a single player in the minus through 11 games!! The defensemen have done a fantastic job of keeping it simple and getting the puck out of the zone while also minimizing second opportunities for the opposition. The forwards have been backchecking like dogs through the neutral zone right on back to the defensive end, forcing turnovers and breaking up plays. Having the leagues number one penalty kill also goes to show for a strong team defense and helps add to the win column.

4)      Balanced Offensive attack: While Duchene has been a stud; the Avs also have 7 other players with at least 7 points through 11 games. They’ve been getting a consistent, balanced attack from the first line down to the third line, giving them depth that opponents struggle to match. Even the fourth line has had some of the team’s top shifts during games and John Mitchell has to be the best 4^th line centre in the NHL. An 8^th ranked powerplay and a blueline that has already accounted for as many goals this year as they did all of last year have also been key contributions to the offense.

5)      Patrick Roy: Love him or hate him, the guy is a winner! He has taken the reigns of this team and turned them all the way around. He has brought back respectability to the franchise by reminding the players of the tradition and history that goes along with wearing the jersey. He doesn’t demand perfection but strives to get the most out of each player. There are no doghouses and no public bashings; things are handled behind closed doors and with each individual. He pays close attention to detail, is well prepared and has a plan in place for every team the Avs play. He has put a system in place that suits the players and appears to be able to make adjustments on the fly. His goal is to make the Avs a tough team to play night in and night out; knowing that if this is indeed the case, the team has a good chance of playing playoff hockey.

  In saying all that, I’m not planning the parade just yet. There are multiple reasons to suggest this may not last the full length of the season: We have yet to really get into our divisional games against the likes of Chicago, St.Louis and Minnesota, we have yet to see how the team responds to adversities, will we be hit by injuries yet again?, is it possible for the goaltending to stay this good through 82 games? Etc,etc. The fact is; there are 71 games to go and the Avs are a longggggg ways from the postseason! However, any way you shake it, it looks like it’s going to be a fun ride in Denver for the first time in awhile!

Follow me on Twitter! @poleary19

Fighting: Drop em or keep em on?

  On Tuesday night the puck finally dropped to kick start the first 82 game NHL season in two years! After so much anticipation and excitement, fans could finally get to see the latest version of their team take to the ice! Once the final buzzer of the evening was sound, all the talk was to be about the Leafs big win over the Habs, Grabovski’s four point debut with the Caps, or Jacob Trouba’s outstanding NHL debut. However, these all became secondary topics; as the primary talk was regarding fighting in hockey. In the third period in Montreal; as Colton Orr was falling to the ice during his second fight of the game against George Parros, he grabbed Parros’ sweater, pulling him forward and face first into the ice. The arena went quiet as Parros lay motionless on the ice while a concerned Orr waved his hands to get the medical staff on the scene quickly. In that instant, everything that had or was to take place that evening in the NHL, became overshadowed by the debate over fighting in the NHL. The debate of whether fighting should or shouldn’t be in the NHL often pops up, especially after events like this. Below you can read my somewhat long winded thoughts on this debate.

  When I thought about this, the first question I asked myself was “Would I still watch if there was no fighting?” The answer to this question is yes! I love this game and the fighting is not what drew me to it nor is it what has me tuning in game in and game out. Does this mean I don’t enjoy fighting? Certainly not! When a fight breaks out, I want to see it! This tends to be human nature; not a butt remains in a seat at an arena during a fight. I guess for the same reason that millions tune into the UFC on a Saturday night. The human nature is to enjoy violence in some way shape or form, I can’t explain it, I’m sure there are studies that prove it, and that’s that. It may very well be one of the biggest problems in society today, but I believe it to be true. Does this mean we enjoyed seeing what happened to George Parros on Tuesday night? Not at all, I doubt there is a person out there who wasn’t sick to their stomach after they witnessed Parros hit the ice and not move a muscle. Though, just seconds prior to that most people didn’t blink an eye as the two men squared off toe to toe. Therefore, in terms of entertainment value, fighting is not a necessity but it adds to the excitement.

  After that question was answered, my next question was what I thought about the injuries associated with fighting? Truth is, hockey is a physical sport, it’s a dangerous sport and injuries will happen. No matter how good the equipment is or improves over time; with the speed and size of the players on the ice, injury is unavoidable. This is the case in all sports; every athlete is aware of the risks associated with their chosen sport. Every race car driver is aware of the risk he or she is taking once they get behind the wheel; obviously it’s a risk they accept. These risks are present in most of the major sports leagues in one facet or another. Whether you have a 90 mile/hr fast ball coming at you or a 275 lb linebacker; the risks are clear and injury will happen, regardless of the measures taken. Professional sports leagues can and have done their best to create the safest possible environment for its players but injuries will still happen. As mentioned previously, these athletes are aware of the risks involved and hockey players are no exception. There are enforcers who regularly drop the gloves, gritty guys who occasionally drop the gloves and players who rarely if ever drop the gloves. Regardless of which of the three categories a player may fall into, fighting is 95% of the time, a choice. An enforcer maybe more prepared and willing to fight but at any given time in a game, a situation could arise leading any player into a scrap. It’s relatively simple; if a player is willing to fight, he’ll probably fight, if a player isn’t willing, he probably won’t. The choice is theirs.

   While obviously under the category of injury, concussions are so heavily discussed in hockey that they deserve to be brought up separately. Over the past 10 or so years, the topic of concussions has perhaps been the number 2 topic in sport after performance enhancing drugs. Concussions have been caused by everything from body checks to slides in baseball and everything in between. With the speed and physicality of hockey, the seriousness of concussions has been a very hot topic and always tends to pop up in the arguments against fighting as well. While, I do certainly acknowledge the seriousness of concussions in sport, I believe that there is a greater likelihood of a concussion occurring during play than during fights. There are multiple ways a player can suffer such a head injury over the course of the game including: an intentional collision, an unintentional collision, a puck or stick to the head, etc..  Also, i’m not certain I buy into the fact that concussions have only really come about over the past 10 or so years. I think it would be more correct to say that the past 10 years have been the coming out party for concussions. Sure, the game is much faster than it was 50 years ago but the protective equipment is miles and miles ahead of where it was back then (for what protective equipment even existed). Likewise, the rules of the game have changed to protect the players and player safety in 2013 is far beyond player safety in 1963. In my opinion, concussions happened 50 years just as they do today! The differences between the two could easily be contributed to the amazing growth in science and technology. In 1963, a headache and nausea after a game, was well, a headache and nausea. In 2013, a headache and nausea after a game is a concussion that may even be labeled more specifically based on other symptoms. Similarly, in 1963, a player injured in a fight may have had his picture on the sports page of the local newspaper the next morning. In 2013, a player injured in a fight is within seconds “trending” on twitter, brought up in facebook posts, and seen nationally on sports newscasts. Add to this the fact that 50 years ago there were probably 120 players in the league, yet today that number is closer to 600 and perhaps the player to concussion ratios would be similar. There may not be more concussions today, just more focus on them.

  Finally, I asked myself what affect a fighting ban would have on the game itself. I found myself agreeing with the argument used by hockey purists and old time hockey fans, the belief that fighting in the game keeps players honest. A game without fighting is also a game without having to answer the bell for breaking one of hockey’s many codes. Fighting in hockey is a way of players policing the game themselves; a policing that often cannot be fully accomplished by officials or league executives. As odd as it may sound, in the real world, sometimes authorities are not able to handle a situation and people must take it into their own hands. Often times in school, the teacher’s means of handling a situation does not deal with the problem and the students must take it into their own hands. Likewise, perhaps the method of police in a neighborhood doesn’t take care of an issue and the members of the community must find their own way to deal with it. Hockey is no different; whether it’s a missed call or a two minute penalty just not being enough, fighting helps prevent players from taking liberties. Every team has a player that may be considered dirty and cross the line from time to time. A two minute penalty is more than worth it if an opposing superstar is shaken up or even knocked out of a game by a questionable play. A questionable play that may not happen if the player committing the act knew he would have to answer the call of a tough guy for the act. Without fighting, you will see a noticeable increase in stick work and questionable hits simply because players are not afraid of two minutes in the sin bin, as opposed to actually having to fight to hone up for their actions. Perhaps, a great recent example of this would be from the 2013 World Hockey Championships. With Sweden playing Canada, Alex Edler recklessly stuck his knee out for a hit on Eric Staal. Edler, a player not known to be a fighter showed no respect for his opponent and made the dirty hit knowing there would be no on-ice consequences as there is no fighting in international hockey. It is highly unlikely that Edler would have pulled the same stunt during an NHL game because not only would he be penalized but he would also be challenged by some of Staal’s Hurricane teammates! In fact, Edler still may very well have to answer the bell for that hit when the two teams faceoff this season. Imagine this leaving the “faces” of the game such as Crosby and Ovechkin vulnerable to predatory plays that could put their careers in danger. Looking back, perhaps the longevity and healthy career of the greatest player of all time could be contributed to the fact he had Dave Semenko and Marty McSorely watching his back during a good portion of his career. In the NHL, millions of dollars are paid to players who are expected to win at all costs, winning is everything and players will do anything to win, fighting helps put a limit on that anything.

  In conclusion, it’s not hard to see where I stand in this debate. I can understand where the arguments against fighting come from, but one can also make a fairly strong case as to why fighting should stay in the game. At the end of the day, the only opinions that matter are those of the players themselves. It shouldn’t be the fans, Colin Campbell, Gary Bettman, or the general managers who decide, it should be the guys that actually play the game and face the risks. I believe, for all the reasons stated above and more besides; a high percentage of the players themselves would vote to keep fighting in hockey. I myself, would still watch hockey if fighting was no more, but I have an understanding and appreciation for the need of fighting in the game. One former NHLer may have best put it into words by saying “it’s not the fight that’s important, it’s the threat of the fight that keeps guys honest.”

Follow me on Twitter @poleary19

PS love feedback or discussion!

The Cup Contenders for 2013-2014

 

With the new season quickly approaching (just two more days!!!!!); here are my thoughts on the three teams most likely to reach the Cup Finals from each conference.

   Western Conference:

Chicago Blackhawks:

  Honestly, it’s difficult to count out the defending champions. They still have Toews, Kane, Sharp, Keith, Seabrook, Crawford, etc. and therefore are still a cup contender! They will miss guys like Bolland and Frolik but they have enough depth to overcome the losses. There was much less turnover this time around as opposed to their 2010 championship team; that should keep them among the league’s elite.

Los Angeles Kings:

  Much like the Blackhawks; the 2012 Stanley Cup Champions are a strong threat in the Western Conference. They are a team built with strong goaltending, great team defense and forwards that know what it takes to win in the playoffs. Not a great deal of change in La La land and for that reason they will be playing late in the spring! Their regular season may not be extraordinary, but Sutter and company save their best for the playoffs.

St.Louis Blues:

  Perhaps a surprise choice but I believe the St.Louis Blues are also a team likely to contend for the cup this season! Another team that is built for the post season, they have one of the best blueliners in the league and a strong goaltending duo (or even trio). Last year they gave the Kings all they could handle in the first round and a more fortuitous matchup could have resulted in a longer playoff run for the Blues. They’ll be a tough team to play in the spring of 2014.

 

  Eastern Conference:

Pittsburgh Penguins:

  Despite a couple of concerns, the Penguins still have to be considered a top contender. Obviously, goaltending is a question mark but last season it was a question mark and they were still top 2 in the east. It’s too hard to go against Crosby, Malkin, Letang and a strong list of support characters. Even if Fleury is unable to find his game, Vokoun should be able to give strong enough goaltending to make them a contender.

Detroit Red Wings:

   New to the east but not new to being a cup contender, the Detroit Red Wings will be tough to take down this year. A team that was one shot away from taking down the eventual cup champions in 2013, add a Daniel Alfredsson and Stephen Weiss to the fold. The Wings window of opportunity may slowly be closing as Datsyuk and Zetterberg get older but they have gone all in this year. With a great combination of talented and role playing forwards, solid team defense, reliable goaltending and a coaching genius, the wings will be a force to be reckoned with.

New York Rangers:

  Just like the Pens and Wings; the New York Rangers have a good chance at taking a trip to the Stanley Cup final in 2014. In my opinion, the Rangers have the best goaltender in the league, which is a large reason why they make the list. They also have a well rounded group of forwards and a new coach whose style may suit the players a little better (especially offensively). Vigneault may show a more balanced approach than Torts; giving players more of a chance to be creative and thus increase scoring which was a bit of an issue last year. That combined with a strong, healthy blueline should fold well for New York.

  If I had to choose today who would play for the Stanley cup, my choices would be Los Angeles and Detroit. The Kings are a team built for the postseason; proven by 6 series wins over the past 2 playoffs. Over a seven game series they have the ability to wear you down and have a goaltender who can make all the big saves. I choose Detroit because a) they have made two big additions to an already solid team and b) I honestly think the red wings style of play will be difficult for the eastern conference teams to adjust to. The wings come from a western conference where things were more of a grind and battle as opposed to the north-south eastern conference style. Mike Babcock will take advantage of this and with solid goaltending from Howard, the Wings will be very tough over the course of 7 games. I do believe it will be the Kings taking the Cup however, in 6 games!

More than Just a Game

 

  I began this blog thing late in the playoffs and for that reason; blogs have been few and far between over the past few months. Much to the excitement of hockey fans everywhere, training camps have opened and the preseason is under way! Through the course of this season I plan to blog on various topics a couple times a month, but I wanted to kick things off a little differently. For those who have read any of my previous posts (thanks for coming back!)you know that I usually make predications and assessments as the wannabe hockey insider I dream to be. Tonight however, I am going to talk about how hockey is more than just a game; not only to me but to all fans! It’s true to say there’s more to life than hockey, but it’s also true to say there’s more to hockey than the game. To fans of this great sport, hockey is a life parallel, a sense of who we are, and a captivating real-life storybook.

  To some, hockey is a game where two teams chase a puck around the ice, one trying to outscore the other. To hockey fans, hockey is a parallel to the life they live. There are so many hockey fans that compare winning the Stanley cup to a significant life accomplishment.  It may be a university degree, getting a dream job or even marriage. Few things in this life come easy; it takes hard work, dedication and resilience to get where you want to go. Similarly, in hockey success is hard to come by and it takes years of learning what you have to do to win. Both in life and hockey there are ups and downs along the way, obstacles, challenges, pain, heartache, setbacks and disappointment. It’s the experiences that we have day in and day out that help us learn what it takes to get where we need to go. Likewise, in hockey it takes both wins and losses, good and bad to help players learn to be successful. Failure in life and hockey is not an endpoint, but an obstacle. While disappointing, failure is a lesson learned and the motivation to find success.  Also, in life it’s easy to get caught up in the big things, but it is the little things that lead to these big things. Be it putting in an extra effort with the books, taking time outside of work to try and perfect what it is you do, or catching a loved one off guard with flowers; the little things are what lead to the greatest rewards. In hockey, it’s the goals that get all the glory but it is the won faceoff, extra effort along the boards, or perfect breakout pass that made it all happen. It takes the little things to create the big things. With parallels such as these, it is easy to see how people can find away to relate a situation in life to hockey. Whenever I hear someone remark on how silly this sounds, I can’t help but recall a cancer patient who made the parallel between hockey and his chemo treatment. He took each treatment as one game in a 7 game series and every “game” he would proudly wear his jersey. By the way, the series went 7 and he pulled out the victory! There perhaps lies the greatest example of how important this game can be and how strong the parallel to life truly is.

  Just as hockey draws many parallels to life, it also gives us hockey fans a sense of who we are. For most hockey fans, hockey is a huge chunk of their lives. For whatever reason, at a young age we become drawn to a particular team. Perhaps it’s our dad’s favorite, our friend’s favorite or a particular player we like leads us to picking his team. From there we have our favorite team and as time goes on we become more and more enthralled in that team. When you become that big of a fan, you feel you become part of the team. There is a sense of belonging that maybe a person doesn’t get in other aspects of life. When you sit down to watch the game, you’re right there with the team throughout the game’s ups and downs. This goes on for years and though there might be a lot of times of disappoint, you still tune in to watch and never give up hope. The Toronto Maple Leafs carry the largest fan base in hockey and one of the biggest in sports, yet haven’t won a Stanley cup since 1967 (sorry to remind you guys). While many times have been tough, the true fans are still there and anxious to see if the squad is finally nearing triumph. Fans of teams come together to show their support, leading to lifelong friendships, bonds and a comradery that can rarely be matched. Not only does the team become part of who we are but it also helps shape who we are. When a team and group of players are followed so closely by someone, it begins to rub off on the person. It maybe the work ethic of a player that inspires a person to show similar effort at school or work, or perhaps it’s the never say die attitude of the team that inspires a person to not allow obstacles or setbacks to take them down.  Therefore, either through the sense of belonging we get from being “part of the team” or through the styles of favorite teams and players becoming styles of our own, hockey becomes part of who we are.

  Perhaps the greatest thing that hockey fans take from hockey is the sport’s ability to act as a captivating real life story book. In a time when some major sports are over shadowed with steroids and arrests, hockey just hits us with story after story fit to be made into a movie. In a sport that can be so physical and grueling at times, it can also deliver so many moments that really appeal to the heart. A novel could probably be written on all of these fantastic stories but I feel the need just to list a few that come to my mind from my time as a hockey fan. I think of the response in Montreal when Saku Koivu returned to the ice after winning his battle with cancer. Koivu didn’t even miss an entire season and continues to play some 11 years later, surely a motivator for so many cancer patients. Then there’s Mario Lemieux getting an assist on his first shift of his first game in four years, later followed by a goal. More recently is Josh Harding, who while dealing with MS continues to play stellar and started for the Minnesota Wild in the playoffs. Those are just a couple of examples of players overcoming odds and helping give others with similar issues the motivation to battle on. There are also a couple of stories that stick out for me; both being “third time’s a charm” circumstances. The first was in 2001 when Ray Bourque finally hoisted the Stanley cup after 22 years and two previous cup final losses! The second was more recent when Alex Burrows scored the game 7 overtime goal to propel the Canucks over the Blackhawks. I’m no Canucks fan but after being eliminated from the playoffs by the Blackhawks the previous two seasons, and then finally getting over the hill in 2010, it was quite the story. I’ll always remember Jim Hughson state “It’s a great day for an exorcism.” In both situations I can only imagine the feeling of relief when they finally got the job done and they give the message that being knocked down doesn’t mean you can’t get back up! Also, there are the historical events such as Gretzky scoring his 802^nd goal, Roy breaking Sawchuk’s wins record, Philly coming back from down 3-0 to the Bruins, etc. etc. The game itself is like a story book, every day a new page is written and fans are engulfed with fascination and amazement.

  In conclusion, there’s no debating that hockey is a game. However, it is a game which can have a major impact on a person, whether it is a 4 year old taking to the ice for the first time, a 20 year old going through the challenges associated with school or a 40 year old dealing with a serious illness. Indeed hockey is a game, but one that teaches, motivates, inspires, creates dreams and bonds, brings people together, shapes people and makes moments remembered for a life time. For all these reasons and so many more, hockey is more than just a game.

Follow me on Twitter

@poleary19

My 2014 Team Canada: Wish we had Joeeeeee Sakiccccccc (and Bob Cole)

   With it recently being made official that the best hockey players in the world will play at the Sochi Olympics, everyone is naming who they think will make Team Canada. If that doesn’t yell blog opportunity, I don’t know what does. Below is my 2014 Team Canada, based on who was named to the orientation camp, who I think the executive are more likely to choose, performance up to this point, and of course my personal opinion. If I was Steve Yzerman here is who I’d be flying to Sochi in February:

  In goal, Carey Price and Roberto Luongo will battle it out for the starting position. With Marc Andre Fleury nearly playing himself off of the Penguins depth chart; not to mention Team Canada, Mike Smith will be my third goaltender. Smith has been solid and consistent over the past couple of seasons, while also playing well for Canada at the most recent World Championships. Participation and performance at the pre-Olympic WHC is important to Team Canada’s brass and I believe that puts Smith above the others at this point. Cam Ward will be the wildcard who has a great chance to play his way onto this team even despite being left off the orientation camp roster. A great playoff for Cory Crawford isn’t enough to sell me on a roster spot in Sochi.

  On the blueline you have the obvious returnees Drew Doughty, Duncan Keith, Shea Weber and Brent Seabrook. After a Norris trophy winning season, P.K. Subban has made himself a lock for the team. Despite a rough playoff, Kris Letang is still good enough to make this team and will make his Olympic debut. My seventh defenseman is Alex Pietrangelo, who has continued to improve over recent years and is perhaps the key cog in the recent resurgence of the St. Louis Blues.  If there were to be an 8^th defenseman, it’d be Marc Staal, of course depending on the resolution of his recent health issues. 2010 Gold medalist Dan Boyle will be an odd man out in 2014, with too many good young players there to take his place.

  Despite the fact there are 25 superstar forwards being invited to the orientation camp, the decision making up front won’t be all that difficult. In my opinion the locks would have to be: returnees Sidney Crosby, Ryan Getzlaf, Rick Nash, Corey Perry, Eric Staal, and Jonathon Toews along with newcomers Claude Giroux, Steve Stamkos and John Tavares. This leaves about 4 forward openings. Based on consistent performance and chemistry with Stamkos, reigning Art Ross trophy winner Marty St.Louis makes the line-up. The big ice will favor St. Louis and the benefit of uniting two NHL club line-mates won’t be overlooked. Every team needs role players who can pretty much do whatever is asked of them and that’s why both Patrice Bergeron and Mike Richards will return to defend Team Canada’s gold medal from 2010. Mike Babcock likes his situational guys and these two along with Toews will likely be his most trusted. It’s no coincidence that all three have played in two Stanley Cup finals since the last Olympics. My last spot will go to Winnipeg Jet forward Andrew Ladd. The top 2 -3 lines have plenty of skill and scoring punch; the addition of a guy like Ladd brings a little more sand paper to the team. Ladd is a leader who can hit, score, skate, and be relied upon at both ends of the rink. Think Ryan Smyth in 2002. Some notable omissions: the 2010 Shark line of Heatley, Marleau and Thornton, Jarome Iginla, and Brenden Morrow, all of whom have watched their Olympic days pass them by. Patrick Sharp is a near miss on my line-up and would be next in line. Many people had Jamie Benn on their projected teams prior to him being left off Monday’s orientation camp roster but he would have been left off my team regardless.

  There you have my 2014 Team Canada! The repeat will be much harder to pull off, especially in Russia, but I believe Canada will assemble a very difficult team to beat! As is often the case, it may all come down to the goaltending!

Follow me on twitter @poleary19

FREE? Agency: My 2013 NHL Offseason Winners and Losers

 

Just over two weeks since the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs and teams have already done a great deal to prepare themselves for the 2013-2014 season. One positive that came from this shortened season; at least from a fans perspective, is the fact that the buy-out period, draft and start of free agency all happened within a very short period of time. This meant a flurry of activity and a TSN special that actually lived up to the hype! With the exception of some trades and a couple of marquee free agents, most of the excitement is over. This leaves us with the questions that no one can answer; who are the winners and losers so far this offseason? Though no one can truly answer such a question today, most people try and I figure I may as well take a shot too!

   And the Winners are ……(drum roll please)…..

  The Dallas Stars: It’s been so long since it happened that many people tend to forget the Stars acquired Sergei Gonchar from Ottawa and signed him for a respectable 5 million per season. That transaction is likely forgotten because of the HUGE splash made last week when the Stars acquired Tyler Seguin and Rich Peverley from the Bruins for Loui Eriksson and a couple of prospects. Eriksson has proved to be a very consistent, underrated player but he’s 27 and you pick up a 21 year old potential superstar! Boston dropped the ball here BIG TIME (textbook foreshadowing right there)! There has been a lot of talk about maturity issues in Boston for Seguin. Peter Chiarelli were you ever 21? Were you ever under thirty!? Anyone smell a scapegoat? I bet Jim Nill will gladly tweet for Tyler Seguin once he has a few 30 goal, 80 point seasons! AND, he’s locked up long term for under 6 million per! Meanwhile, Peverley adds depth to the bottom 6, is capable of doing all the little things and was a big time role player for Boston over the past few years. The Stars also went out and brought in former Oilers Captain Shawn Horcoff. He’ll be bringing in leadership, grit and the desire to prove he has a few years left in him. Dallas looks like a playoff team in 2014 to me!

  The Toronto Maple Leafs: I know! I can’t believe I think this either! First they brought in Jonathon Bernier and losing Frattin and Scrivens in return. Most leaf fans believe Reimer is the man; I do not! Yes, he looked good in the series against the Bruins but he doesn’t appear to be technically sound and I believe Bernier is. These two guys will push each other and that usually folds well for the team. My money is on Bernier but we’ll see what Reimer has to say. I hear there is some disappointment in Toronto regarding the loss of Frattin but often times Leaf fans get attached to players that are hardly known outside of Toronto (Google Jonas Hoglund). Next up, on draft day the Leafs traded a few draft picks for Dave Bolland. One word describes every aspect of that deal; smart! It’s a smart trade, smart hockey player, smart gm, etc. Not only will he be a fan favorite in Toronto, but he’ll actually be good! Then On Friday they managed to hold on to Tyler Bozak for 4.2 million per season. While I don’t think he’s a number one centre in this league; that’s a reasonable price and they say the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t. Then they went out and locked up the coveted David Clarkson. Again, they may have taken a risk and most fans (myself included) are not convinced he’ll be worth over 5 million bucks for 7 years, but many other teams were interested and offering even more money! Expectations will be hard to live up to but he’ll be effective for the Leafs. Another interesting year in Toronto!

  The Detroit Red Wings: While the Red Wings struggled to make the playoffs, once they arrived they took the eventual Cup Champions to game 7 overtime! With aging stars and a blue line uncharacteristically filled with names you likely don’t know, the Wings proved that good coaching, strong work ethic, and great goaltending can get it done. There is no denying the fact the window is closing in Motown but the free agent signings of Daniel Alfredsson and Stephen Weiss certainly makes them Cup contenders in 2014. Alfredsson brings so much to the team both on and off the ice. He’ll also be the guy this team uses as additional motivation for hoisting the Cup next June (See Raymond Bourque).  Weiss will be a much needed number 2 centre in Detroit and will catch the eye of hockey followers similar to Nathan Horton when he left Florida for Boston. I also expect the Wings will re-up Dan Cleary somewhere down the road, adding more depth to a lineup already potent.

  Honorable mention: Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers and Columbus Blue Jackets

  And the Losers are…..(Booooooo)…….

  The Boston Bruins: Trading Seguin and Peverley, watching Horton, Jagr and Ference walk and signing Jarome Iginla. I feel like this time period will be one that is pointed to when Chiarelli loses his job in the next year or two. With Zdeno Chara getting older and the above moves, the Stanley Cup window in Boston has closed. Of course it’s all a 21 year old’s fault! Sorry Bruin fans but this team is on the way downhill. Sorry Iggy, no cup in 2014 (unless he’s dealt at the deadline AGAIN!).

  The Tampa Bay Lightening: This may seem like a strange choice but if you look at the Lightening roster, you’ll see that they didn’t really meet any of their needs. They bought out the long time face of the franchise (which made sense) but then went out and paid Valtteri Filppula 5 million dollars per season, for 5 years! Filppula is a good hockey player and I know he has connections with Yzerman but this contract will not fold well for the Bolts. This situation is almost identical to the Ville Leino signing in Buffalo! I know, who is Ville Leino?

  The St. Louis Blues: Another potentially strange choice but when you look at the Blues over the past couple of seasons, they have had good teams unable to take a good run at the cup. With teams like Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles shedding salary, it was a great chance for the Blues to add some talent and solidify themselves as Cup contenders. What did they do? Pick up Derek Roy, who made little impact during his stint in Vancouver. Then today, they traded David Perron for Magnus Paajarvi of the Oilers. A new start maybe just what Paajarvi needs but it seems like maybe he’s just not cut out for a top 6 role in the NHL and will have to learn how to be a checker or stay in the minors. Perron; at just 25 years old, has proven he can be a top 6 forward in this league and will bring some jam to the Oilers lineup. All in all, it just seems like this offseason was a missed opportunity for the Blues.

   Honorable Mention:  Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers

Remember though, free agent signings rarely have the impact anyone expects!

Follow me on Twitter @poleary19

The Final Series is set: 2013 Stanley Cup Final Preview

Go back to December and most of us are not even sure if this show will get off the ground; 6 months later and here we are painfully waiting for the puck to drop on the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. Surprisingly, this is the first Stanley Cup final meeting between the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins and the first original six match-up since 1979. In most hockey circles this is considered a heavyweight matchup with two evenly matched teams that know what it takes to win hockey’s greatest prize; the Blackhawks won it all back in 2010 and the Bruins claimed the championship in 2011. In a league with 30 teams, 82 regular season games (normally) and a grueling 4 round playoff, 2 trips to the dance in 4 years or less is not to be taken lightly. That being said; neither of these teams will be satisfied with just being here, they want to hoist the Cup. Below is a brief breakdown of different facets of this series, followed by a prediction of how I think things will go.

  A quick glance at the forwards on these two teams and you would likely give Chicago a significant edge. With the likes of Toews, Kane, Sharp and Hossa filling 4 of the top 6 forward positions for the Blackhawks, the assumption is offense will not be a problem. However, looking further into their stats you would see that Toews has just one goal in these Stanley Cup playoffs and prior to game 4 against the Kings, Patrick Kane had just 2 goals in his previous 15 games. In fact, so far through these playoffs the Blackhawks do not have a point per game player. One thing to concern the Bruins would be the fact Kane has 4 goals in his last two games and Toews might just be due for a breakout. A wildcard player for the Blackhawks could be Dave Bolland who has just 1 assist thus far in these playoffs. Bolland is a solid all around player but his greatest contribution in this series could be his ability to get under the skin of his opponent.  On the Bruins side, while there may not be as much star power, there is a balanced attack from lines 1 through 4. David Krejci has 21 points so far in these playoffs, tops in the league. Nathan Horton and Milan Lucic round out perhaps the top line in this postseason. Factor in the highly valuable Patrice Bergeron and the ultimate agitator Brad Marchand and the Bruins have a little bit of everything. Like Toews, Tyler Seguin has struggled with just one goal in these playoffs and will look to finally break through to give his team an edge. The Bruins have a 41 year old wildcard who has yet to rip the twine in these playoffs. Jaromir Jagr; playing in his first Cup final in 21 years, has just 7 assists in these playoffs but one would have to assume that he saved his best for the grandest stage. If I were to give an edge, it would be towards the Blackhawks strictly due to the potential speed. The Toronto Maple Leafs had the Bruins on the brink of elimination due to the fact the Bruins appeared to have trouble dealing with their speed, the Blackhawks have the chance to exploit them there as well.

  On the backend each team has their star power and depth blueliners which round out two solid defense corps. The Blackhawks are led by smooth skating Duncan Keith and physical Brent Seabrook. Beyond the top 2, they’ve received great play from Johnny Oduya and Nick Hjalmarsson and solid play from youngster Nick Leddy and veteran Michal Rozsival. A key component of the Blackhawks game is their transition and puck movement from the backend; this will have to be the case to be effective against the Bruins, especially in the face of a tough Bruin fore-check. The Bruins blueline; which is coming off a series where they surrendered just two goals in four games to the mighty Penguins, is anchored by 6’9 Zdeno Chara. Chara will log a lot of ice time and will likely be matched up against the Toews line. The biggest concern for the Bruins blueline would have to be inexperience in the 5^th and 6^th positions with Mcquaid and Krug; however both have looked pretty good so far. What may come as a surprise is the fact that the Bruins blueline has scored 15 goals in these playoffs, to the Blackhawks 6 goals. If the Blackhawks don’t pay attention to the point in this series, it may pose problems. Because of the monster factor, I give the edge on defense to Boston.

  Not much needs to be said about the goaltending between these two teams. Cory Crawford and Tuukka Rask have been phenomenal and give their teams a chance to win every night. Both are 1 and 2 in playoff GAA and Sv%. I believe that Rask is the better of the two but fully expect both will be solid and the difference between the two will not be large enough to be a deciding factor in the series.

  In every game or series, special teams is always a make or break component. Much like all other comparisons between the two, neither team gives up much to the other here either. While both Chicago and Boston had a great penalty kill (PK) in the regular season (ranking 3^rd and 4^th respectively), neither team’s power play (PP) was strong coming in at 19^th and 26^th respectively. In the playoffs, the Blackhawks PK has been even better, though the PP has been a little worse. The Bruins PK has been equal to that of the regular season while the PP has been just slightly better. Overall, I’ll give the special team edge to Chicago mainly due to their brilliant PK and the fact the Bruins will miss key penalty killer Greg Campbell.

  Some other factors that could affect this series include: Home ice, composure and coaching. In this series, the Blackhawks will have home ice advantage. They are a strong 9 and 1 at the United Center in these playoffs while the Bruins are an impressive 5 and 2 on the road. The series will shift to the TD North Garden for games 3 and 4 where the Bruins are 7 and 2 this postseason, while the Blackhawks are 3 and 4 on the road. A split after the first two games could really mean advantage Boston. Both of these teams can play with a confident swagger, have players that can really agitate and that can become quite frustrated. Whichever team is the first to show frustration in response to the other teams antics could find themselves in trouble in this series. Joel Quennville and Claude Julien are both fantastic coaches who have been here before and have faced tough circumstances in these playoffs only to find a way to succeed. I imagine both will be well prepared for each other and perhaps it will be the coach with the quickest reaction time who comes out on top.

  With all that said, I guess I’ll have to make a Stanley Cup prediction! I’ll take the Bruins in 6 for four main reasons: Zdeno Chara, the ability of the Bruins to take opponents off their game (see 2011 Vancouver Canucks and 2013 Pittsburgh Penguins), the Blackhawks susceptibility to fall for such tactics (see 2013 second round series vs. Detroit), and the supporting cast players like Kelly, Peverley and Thornton. Anyway you shake it, this is an evenly matched series which could go either way and arguments can be made in favor of either team in each of the above categories. The only thing for certain is that we are in for a good series so sit back and enjoy because there’s a long time between the end of this series and the beginning of the next one.

Penguin Problems: What went wrong in Pittsburgh?

  As Tuuka Rask caught the final point shot from Jarome Iginla, signaling the Boston Bruins sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference finals on Friday night; the hockey world immediately began to ask the question “What went wrong?” Fans, media, and experts have pointed to things such as lack of production from star players, goaltending instability, and coaching. While all three are possible, the underlying issue likely stems from decisions made in the first week of April.

  In the days leading up to the trade deadline; like most General Managers who’s teams are Cup contenders, Ray Shero wanted to improve his team. He brought in rugged blueliner Douglas Murray along with ringless veterans Jarome Iginla and Brendan Morrow. All three are guys that teams would like to add for the stretch drive but there is a price to pay that goes beyond the players, prospects and picks that were exchanged.

  One of the most underrated components of a Stanley Cup winning team is the bond between the guys on the roster. For the most part everyone comes together at the start of training camp with the common goal of hoisting hockey’s holy grail. Night in and night out for up to 9 months you go to battle with each other; going through the wins, losses, injuries, etc. as a group. While rental players are often used, they need to be used wisely. No matter who you bring in, with less than a month to go in the regular season they will replace someone who has been part of the battle from the start.

  In the case of the Penguins; they added three new players and thus subtracted three guys who were there since training camp. Iginla, Morrow and Murray are all valuable assets; however, the team dimension in Pittsburgh was shaken by the moves. Although the issue wasn’t quite as evident in round 1 or 2, mainly because the Penguins didn’t have to be at their best to beat Ottawa or New York, the Bruins were a different animal who showed their resiliency against the Maple Leafs and have yet to look back. To overcome a 4-1 deficit with 11 minutes to go in an elimination game, you have to be on the same page as a team and the Bruins have shown how together they truly are since that moment. In the conference finals, we saw a group playing together and a group playing as individuals. Even in game 3; Pittsburgh’s best of the series, most efforts from the star players were of the individual variety.

  Likewise, a lack of leadership seemed to surface as the conference finals went on and you would have to assume that this also stems from the deadline moves. Original leaders like Crosby, Adams and Orpik are capable and have been there before but they had to have a different feeling with Iginla and Morrow in the dressing room too. Meanwhile the latter; late additions to the team, didn’t want to step on any toes. The end result appeared to be a message lost in translation.

 Rental players are a big part of hockey but it is very important to satisfy specific needs. One player might be just what you need to get over the top; however, multiple changes to an already solid lineup may be more of a hindrance than an improvement. I believe the answer to the question “What went wrong?” has more to do with the deadline roster shake up than it does any other proposed theory and is even a contributor to some of those theories.

  So what do the Penguins do moving forward? I would suggest very little! If the deadline acquisitions want to comeback, bring them back for another shot. This time they’ll be there from the start and perhaps be rewarded with they’re desired finish. Let’s not forget that Ray Bourque and the Avalanche didn’t win the Cup the year he was acquired at the deadline. He resigned in the summer and the following year in training camp the team outlined their mission and at the end of that season, Mission 16W was accomplished.