Hockey/NHL

NHL 2007-2008 Predictions

mike — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 13:19:16 GMT

This is going to be brief (versus an in-depth analysis of teams, rosters, etc), and if anything it's mainly for fun when I look back next April at what I predicted.

I don't think much will change in the Western Conference this year. In the Northwest, the Wild, Calgary, and Vancouver will make the playoffs. Detroit, Anaheim, San Jose, Nashville, and Dallas will fill in the rest of the West for the playoffs. I'll say that Detroit and Anaheim will face each other in the finals, and Anaheim will advance.

In the East, who knows. I barely pay attention to the East. I'd bet on Ottawa being on the top, with New Jersey and New York Rangers close behind. Buffalo has lost Drury to the Rangers, which I think will be significant. I'm eager to see if Atlanta will be able to build on their talented, youthful roster that carried them to the first round of the playoffs last season. Ottawa and the Rangers will square off in the conference finals, and the Rangers will advance. Yes, New York finally has their act together.

Anaheim wins the Cup finals by default because they'll just beat up whichever team they face.

See you in April.

Opening night: Wild 1, Blackhawks 0

mike — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 13:11:46 GMT

Wild 1, Blackhawks 0

The Wild opened their season last night with a shutout at home against Chicago. Nikki and I went to the game and it was a good time. It felt like the crowd's energy from the end of last year at the playoffs didn't fade away at all over the off-season.

The Wild looked good and bad. They looked like they were playing with more confidence and offensive calmness than ever before. The powerplays clicked and they took shots more eagerly instead of timidly passing the puck too much when a scoring chance presented itself. They gave up some pretty bad chances in front of their own net though at times and Backstrom saved the team from losing the lead a number of times.

Gaborik and Demitra were exciting to watch, as usual. They have a tough time getting good scoring chances though because I think opponents scout them pretty intensely and defend against them with extra effort.

I told Nikki before the game was starting that this is the first year before the season begins that I think the Wild have a good chance at going deep in the playoffs. You look at their roster now and they've kept almost all of the team from last year. They've added Eric Belanger, who was perhaps the most dangerous player the Wild had on the ice last night.

Looking forward to a new season, Wild!

Flickr Tags: minnesota wild hockey nhl sports

New Minnesota Wild Jerseys

mike — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 16:16:31 GMT

Wild Unveils New RBK Edge Uniforms

All 30 of the NHL teams are unveiling new uniforms this year with the introduction of the RBK Edge Uniform System. The new jerseys and even some new team logos for the upcoming season can be viewed at rbkedgejersey.com, among other various sites.

I've seen very little positive reaction to the new look. I can't say I've researched fan reaction to the new jerseys extensively, but in general the die-hard, traditional NHL fans dislike them. They think the tighter, sleeker look makes the NHL look too much like the European leagues.

I've always maintained that the NHL and its die-hard fans are old-fashioned and stubborn. Fans don't want the game to be changed, but yet they think the game is too "defensive" and teams play too conservatively. League officials have talked, talked, talked, and talked for years about making rule changes but have implemented very few. While the NFL's rules and officiating are borderline out of control (in my opinion), the NFL liberally makes changes to keep pace with the modern athlete and modern fan. The NHL should follow suit.

The new jerseys are another small step in the right direction by the NHL, as they supposedly permit more movement, faster skating, and more comfort (e.g. ventilation) for players. From an ideal perspective, the best NHL athletes will benefit from these changes and will gain an advantage on the ice - and possibly create more score and a more exciting game.

I'm personally glad the Wild changed their home sweater to the old "third jersey" style. It's unique and looks better than the old green ones. It makes me wonder what the Wild will come up with for a new 3rd-jersey next season (NHL teams cannot use a 3rd-jersey in the inaugural season of the RBK Edge uniforms). I also like the subtle changes that were made to the two new jerseys. However, I dislike the fact that I'll need to open up my wallet to get an updated uniform :)

Flickr Tags: jersey nhl rbk edge hockey

NHL 2006-2007 Season End

mike — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 20:00:24 GMT

It's June 7th - that can only mean one thing: that an NHL champion has been crowned. The Ducks beat the Senators in five games. Too bad - I wanted Ottawa to win, but Anaheim definitely deserved it. Their defensive style is impossible to beat. Sorry Lemieux, but that's still how the game is played.

Looking back at my predictions, I didn't predict anything very accurately other than the first two rounds of the Eastern conference playoffs. I only picked one first round team correctly in the West, and that was Detroit. I had the East correct all the way except Ottawa beat Buffalo. I'm still a little surprised by that.

Looking way back at my 2006-2007 season predictions, let's see how I did:

The Wild will finish second in their division behind Calgary. I was actually close on this one. The only thing different is that the Wild finished second behind Vancouver.
The Wild will make the playoffs but won't get past the semis. Kinda close - they didn't make it past the quarters.
Nashville will win the Western Conference title. It's their time. They had a good chance for this but got lost in the late-season race for the best record. I think Detroit and Anaheim beat them in the end. Anaheim pretty much held the best record for most of the season.
Buffalo will win the East. Buffalo has built their team well around Drury with Vanek, Miller, and other solid players. Correct! I'm a winner.
Buffalo will win the cup. Nope.
This will be Modano's last season. No way to know on this one yet. Honestly, I'm not sure why I made this prediction.
The Penguins will finish last in their division again. Mario, fire your GM, or get out of Pittsburgh. I was dead wrong on this one. Mario's club was able to win with offense this year and make the playoffs. I guess they'll do ok. I'll still be a naysayer though - they can only go so far if they rely on Crosby and pure offense.

As for next year... well, I'll save any predictions until after the draft and after the free agent period. There are two main things I'm hoping for next season though, and they are 1) that the Wild will do better than this year and 2) that the league will make rule changes to further encourage scoring or restrict defensive play - and will also begin to clean up its image. Sometimes being an NHL fan feels a little embarassing because of the violent nature of the players. Not the violent nature of the game, but the players. They leave it all on the ice and it's not personal, but I think the amount of violence and injuries is getting silly in this day and age of sports.

del.icio.us tags: nhl hockey playoffs

Thanks for the Great Season MN Wild

mike — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:12:33 GMT

Farewell to the 2006-2007 season. It was a great season, Wild. See you next year.

tags: wild hockey nhl

The Code: The Unwritten Rules of Fighting and Retaliation in the NHL

mike — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 13:36:44 GMT

I just finished reading The Code: The Unwritten Rules of Fighting and Retaliation in the NHL by Ross Bernstein. The book discusses the history, role, and state of fighting in the NHL. Unless you've played at the NHL or Canadian Junior level, you'll probably learn something in this book about fighting in hockey. Throughout the book Bernstein claims that "The Code" exists to create space for skilled players and make players who play recklessly to be accountable for their actions. His claim is supported well by the large number of quotes and inserts he puts in his book by current and former NHL players, general managers, and owners.

By and large one of the biggest points in the book was that the NHL players police their own game. What I really wanted to learn in the book was exactly why the NHL has chosen to keep allowing this and doesn't step up the role of the game officials to keep order. The easy comparison to make are leagues like the NBA and NFL where there is no fighting and the officials keep everything in order. Bernstein makes the argument that there is too much subtle stick-work and aggressive play for the officials to catch in the NHL. He also argues that unlike the NFL, NHL players don't have full face shields. Because of this, players are kept in line because they must face a punch in the face if they get out of line. I'm not sure I buy in to all that. I'd like to think that the NHL officials could call a tighter game if they were ordered to by the league. The league has just chosen not to do so.

One thing I learned was how much of an impact the "Instigator" penalty has had on the game since 1992. Basically a player who initiates a fight with another player who does not want to fight is awarded the Instigator penalty - and causes their team to be short-handed. As a result, the only fights you typically see these days are between two enforcers and it's often pre-medidated. Before 1992, if a player made a cheap shot, they would need to be held accountable for their actions on the spot and may have to fight. That doesn't happen any more, and Bernstein argues that as a result players are able to be overly aggressive and dangerous without having to be held accountable for their actions. There is no longer any fear of retaliation in the NHL because of the Instigator penalty. Again, why not step up NHL officiating to address the scrappy play instead?

Another good part of the book was the detailed analysis of the Bertuzzi incident. Bernstein explains the entire incident and goes beyond what we've all heard in the media. The chain of events leading up to the incident aren't known well.

It was a good read because I enjoyed getting the background and reasoning for why there is fighting in the NHL. I wish the book focused a little more on why the league lets the players keep policing their own game. I'm guessing it's because that's how it's always been done - the NHL has a lot of stubborn traditionalists running things. I'd recommend the book if you're a hockey fan, or anybody who wants a very good perspective on fighting in the NHL.

tags: hockey nhl fighting book reading

2007 NHL Playoff Predictions

mike — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 13:50:51 GMT

The NHL playoffs are finally here. Here are my 2007 NHL Playoff predictions:

Western Conference

Detroit (1) vs. Calgary (8). Detroit will win in 5 games. Calgary has a lot of heart but Detroit has so much damn skill it's scary. How can you lose with Zetterberg and Datsyuk? Plus their 75-year-old goaltender (Hasek) is still awesome.
Anaheim (2) vs. Minnesota (7). The Wild will win in 7 games. I'm picking the Wild only because I'm a fanboy, and these teams split their regular season series 50/50.
Vancouver (3) vs. Dallas (6). Dallas finished the season with more points than Vancouver even though Vancouver is seeded higher. Both teams have great goaltending. Vancouver will win in 7 games.
Nashville (4) vs. San Jose (5). I really liked Nashville until they traded for academy award-winning Peter Forsberg. It's time for both of these teams wo win the Cup. They've both been building and building for years and have great teams. I know the Wild can beat the Sharks, so I'll say Nashville in 6 games.

In the semis, we'll see Detroit beat the Wild in 5 games, and Nashville will beat Vancouver in 5 games. Nashville will go to the finals.

Eastern Conference

Buffalo (1) vs. NY Islanders (8). The Islanders just squeezed into the playoffs on the last day of the season. Buffalo is a juggernaut. Buffalo will sweep in 4 games.
New Jersey (2) vs. Tampa Bay (7). New Jersey still has a super-human goaltender and Tampa has a tiny point total. Tampa also has the highest goals-against total of all playoff teams. New Jersey in 5 games.
Atlanta (3) vs. NY Rangers (6). I'll give the edge to the Rangers because Atlanta will rely more on skill than heart and tough play. Rangers in 6 games.
Ottawa (4) vs. Pittsburgh (5). Pittsburgh has the 2nd-highest total of goals against of all playoff teams. Like Atlanta, their skill only take them so far. Ottawa in 6 games.

In the semis, Buffalo will beat the Rangers in 5 games, and New Jersey will beat Ottawa in 7. Buffalo will beat New Jersey to go to the finals because they have grit and an insane ability to score goals - as long as they can solve Martin Brodeur. Buffalo wins in 7 games.

In the finals we'll see Buffalo and Nashville. Buffalo will win in 5 games.

tags: nhl playoff predictions hockey

The Chris Simon Slash on Hollweg's Face

mike — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 17:06:15 GMT

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is driving his sport into the ground. Given the NHL's current status and the direction it's going, only the die-hard NHL fans will be left interested in watching games by the end of the decade. Does the league really want to scare away new viewers and fans? With scenes like this, that's what is going to happen:

Professional hockey is a violent sport. Hockey players are tougher than any other athlete in a team-based sport. Part of the reason is because every time they step onto the ice they take the risk of injuring their face. Players pay for standing in goal creases and getting physical with other players by taking legal and fair retaliatory hits from other players and thus smashing into boards or hitting the ice. But getting purposely knocked in the face with a stick is NOT a part of it.

Hollweg's hit against Chris Simon was brutal and deliberate, but it's a part of the normal risk that Simon takes when he steps onto the ice. If Hollweg's hit was unnecessary or unfair, then Simon should have taught Hollweg a lesson by looking him in the eye, dropping his gloves and fought him. Hockey players police their own game, and fighting is the last stop for dealing with unfairness and retaliation. By cross-checking Hollweg in the face, Simon took a cheap shot in a way that Hollweg was not expecting. Simon's act did not fall within the "expected" range of conduct on the ice. More significantly, Hollweg could have been more seriously injured, or could have been killed, from Simon's actions.

When hockey players fight, they usually end up with broken fingers - and at worst a lost tooth or fractured orbital bone. When you get slashed above the shoulders, you could lose your ability to speak, see, breathe, or even live.

It's still a mystery to me as to why hockey players police their own game and why the officials don't take care of it (that's for a new topic in the near future...). But since that is how the NHL's game works, Simon should have acted within that code. He went beyond the unspoken rules that the players set up for themselves and hit Hollweg with an unnecessary and dirty cheap shot.

If Bettman wants the NHL to grow and be a successful business, then he needs to eliminate these incidents. Along with its skill and finesse, hockey is also kind of barbaric. I don't think that the new fans the NHL is trying to attract really want to see the barbaric part of the game. The NHL needs to grow up and clean up. The NHL is often known for its polite, humble, selfless, and honest athletes (when was the last time you heard a hockey player say "they need to give me the puck more often"). But it's events like this that make the NHL stoop down to the immature level that the NBA and NFL often exhibit, in my opinion.

tags: simon hollweg fighting hockey nhl retaliation video

Wild 2, Lightning 3

mike — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 12:52:00 GMT

We went to the Wild game last night and they lost 3-2. Tampa isn't a great team this year but the Wild just played poorly. The guys tried really hard but sometimes their skill just doesn't match their heart. Heh, arguably their skill NEVER matches their heart :)

Parrish is really starting to pick up his offensive game. He got a goal last night which was a redirection from an outside shot - exactly his style of goal :) Nice an garbage-y. His former Jefferson coach will probably buy him a steak...

The crowd was as loud as its ever been for a regular season game. The New Year's eve game was the same. Prior to new year's eve, the fans have seemed a bit quiet and bored for a while. I'm one of them. Honestly there just hasn't been much to cheer about until lately. They finally got a winning streak going, only to be broken last night.

Gaborik still isn't back. In my mind, he's turned out to be a bust for the Wild. He was their first ever draft choice, he has superstar skill, but he injures himself constantly. He's missed over 30 games, which is close to half the season. All because of a groin pull. Just like last year. And the year before. And other times... The Wild can't count on him to be healthy, and if we ever wanted to get rid of him, what other team would want him? I hope he proves me wrong and is forever healthy after he returns this season.

What's up with the Northwest division this year? All five teams have the same record (give or take a few points). We've all exchanged first place a few times, and fallen to last place a few times. And I think it's even happened within a few weeks. Yesterday we were first in the division, and today we're third. Yesterday we would have been seeded third in the playoffs, now we'd be seeded eighth. They have to keep winning games.

A new guy on our team at work played hockey with the Wild's Manny Fernandez while playing junior hockey in Montreal. It's awesome to have someone that loves hockey sitting by me - let alone someone who has played at the junior level and knows an NHL player. I'll probably learn a thing or two from him :)

tags: hockey nhl wild

Boogaard drops Fedoruk with a cheek fracture

mike — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 20:58:00 GMT

I think fighting in the NHL should be banned because it's stupid, but on the other hand, hockey fights can be fun to witness. The rumor is that Boogaard gave Fedoruk multiple cheek fractures with his right-hander to Fedoruk's face on Friday night:

Why oh why would you seek out a fight with Boogaard? If you've been watching the Wild this season, then you know that Boogaard is doing a great job of antagonizing the other team within the rules and getting opposing players pissed off. Other players want to get back at him, and most of the time he'll just smile and laugh while they throw a punch, and they get a penalty while he keeps his cool. But some nights if he's in the mood he'll throw punches back. This game was obviously one of those nights :)

tags: nhl hockey wild boogaard fedoruk fight