Sunday 24 May 2009

Christy and Ellie do Ducks vs Wings

What happens when two fans who root for teams playing as rivals in the same playoff series? Well you just know it's going to go one of two ways! Christy (C) and I (E)were able to put our differences aside, agreed not really to speak of the Penguins/Capitals series and engage in confab about a different series. Fortunately in mine and Christy's case we were joined together by the common bond of Ducky-hate and some serious Wings adoration! What follows is the edited highlights of our self indulgent banter...you have been warned!!!

April 29
E :Put your war paint on!…hahaha! I’m kinda not looking forward to this, are you? I think the hype is going to be ridiculous! We are united, however, in our wanting to punch Pronger in the face!

April 30
C: Bring it on!!! hahaha yeah…. not so much. I agree, I’m really not looking forward to this either. The hype and fans pitting against each other is really going to be insane. I apologize in advance for anything incredibly homer-ific I might say. I tend to go really overboard when I hear stupid things said about the Caps. I imagine you’ll probably hear a lot of really stupid things said about the Pens too. That’s kind of the funny thing about our two favorite teams – the fan bases are very similar but don’t want to admit it. And yes, when things really test us we’ll just have to remember that we both at least want Pronger to go down in flames hahaha.

April 30
E: Be as Homer-ific as you like…I understand! That’s so right what you say about both groups of fans. That is the reasons that most of the conversations (arguments?)that are had almost never end….far too stubborn on both sides! I, unfortunately, didn’t get to see a whole lot of the Rags/Caps series so I’m not quite sure how they’re going to come at the Pens…should I be worried about Varlamov? From what I did see he looked incredibly composed which is pretty impressive in itself given the circumstances. How much pressure can he take I suppose is the question? Amazing how a lot of these young guys come in so confident and composed…I was reading something about a player here across the pond and he said when he was younger he was completely fearless and didn’t get nervous before games, yet now he was older he was a wreck immediately before he went on the ice!
{Note to self: Write new blog….101 Reasons to Stomp on Pronger OR Chris Pronger- Wow-what-a-Cretin(Part of the Weasels on Ice Series)}


May 1
C:Varlamov.I really don’t know what to say about him… he was great against the Rangers but they really don’t have much of an offense. Avery tried his best to get at him but it didn’t bother him at all so I’m not sure if crashing the net is going to be a problem for him. Seeing twice as many shots, and far more quality shots might change him though, so I’m really curious to see how he holds up against a much more offensive style.
In the Rangers series, he really was incredibly composed and mature. All the Russians I know/read say that he was incredible last year in the Russian league and that they wouldn’t really consider him a rookie given his extensive playoff experience back home. I guess we’re even though – I really didn’t see much of the Pens/Flyers series at all because they were on mostly at the same time as the Caps games. It’s certainly a different team than the Caps faced this regular season. How weird is that – the Rangers completely changed too since the Caps have played them in the regular season so they really didn’t know what to expect from them, and now from the Pens. Although from what little I saw the Pens look very similar to how they did last year.
I am liking your idea for new blogs… 101 reasons to stomp on Pronger sounds very promising. Reason number one: Get him before he gets you. Preemptive strike!


E: Definitely! Person I have been most concerned about was Huds…I’ve read far too much saying he’s going to take the payday and run! I’m keeping my fingers crossed on the Hossa thing…it’s going to be interesting to see how it all plays out.Speaking on Detroit/Anaheim…
Reason #2- Height is not an excuse for dirty elbows. (frickin’ Mike Brown’s been drinking whatever Pronger’s on tonight!)

May 2
C: Oh no, I haven’t heard anything about Hudler! I hope what you’re reading isn’t true. I guess if he did sign an offer sheet with another team and it was high enough, the Wings might let him walk. So true about Pronger and his size. That’s always his excuse “Not my fault I’m so big!” Yeah, I don’t see Chara swinging his elbows at everyone. Did you see Holmstrom “level” him tonight? Oh my god, that was probably one of the most pathetic dives I’ve seen in the playoffs in quite awhile. And then of course, that high hit by Brown. I’m telling you, Pronger has made it a Ducks thing. I’m keeping my eye on Kunitz tomorrow, he hasn’t been away from Anaheim long enough yet!

E: Holstrom, “level” him…lmfao!!! I saw said incident…brutal that Holstrom…just brutal! Hahaha! Have a read of these tidbits in the aftermath of Holstrom/Pronger incident and the hit on Hudler…

*“Oh and on a side note regarding the officiating, Holstrom must be a hell of a strong guy to merely nudge Pronger resulting in Pronger flying through the air like he got shot out of a cannon. Must be more of those “Pronger Physics” at play."

*“Pronger hungrily licking his lips at the sight of an elbow hit is awesome”

*“Suspend Pronger, He’ll do something stupid Sunday anyway. Go Wings!”

So I watched the 1st today and then decided to go out and grab some food…I’m such a bad fan! Maybe you can enlighten me as to what happened in the 2nd/3rd? My gut feeling was right it would seem. Penguins seemed to come out real fast and I’m presuming they then were sleepwalking to the finish line. From what I read it sounded like it wasn’t the best effort on either side. Well done anyway…one down!
It’s a totally a Ducks thing now, you’re right! Poor Ryan Whitney I need to write him a letter or something warning him of the impending doom if he continues to pair with the dirty boy! How was Kunitz in the rest of the game…did he pull out the “Ducks Guide to Mucky Hits”? He does seem to be getting the Duck out him slowly but surely I must admit….


May 3
C: Those comments are absolutely priceless. Pronger suffers from an abnormal gravitational force I think. Here’s what I think went through his head: “I can’t catch any of these little quick fuckers to deliver my patented defensive elbow, so guess I should try to draw a penalty or something”. That was pathetic, haha
And yeah, no kidding! I absolutely loved that they showed Pronger’s face after the elbow on Hudler. That was so funny, he just looked jealous that it wasn’t him. Suspend him anyway… hahaha yeah, he probably will take out Cleary next. Mark my words!


E: Hiller's Chastity Belt, huh? How exhausted was I after that…and slightly pissed off! Detroit did not look themselves at all tonight…clearly the absence of Rafalski and Draper (mysterious, no?) are taking their toll! They have to be so much better…but I think they know that! And…someone needs to put Chelios out of his misery…preferably sooner rather than later!
Interesting point made today in the news about Detroit…apparently the Wings don’t win home games in OT (with a few exceptions) historically they’re more likely to win in OT on the road…let’s hope that there are no more OT’s period. It’s time to lock the B team up and bring in the big guns….
OK, so I was watching last night and came up with not the 3 stars, but the…let’s call it…the 3 stools…
1. Hiller- If you’re going to shaft the Wings do it properly for goodness sake Jonas! Juicy rebounds my friend, juicy rebounds!
2. Pronger- His face…nuff said!
3. Hoss/Zetts- We’ll send the car…you just need to SHOW UP.

Choice quotes of the day
*“I forgot to mention I took a lip reading class a couple months ago. that ref was saying ‘I’m sorry, Henrik, but the NHL memo was very clear. You’re wearing the Red Wings logo so that’s not a penalty. Your head is fair game.’”

*“I know as fans we are prone to complain about the officiating, but for the most part I really like to believe it all evens out. But this game was one where they really were on their knees blowing both the game and Carlyle.”

*On Pang’s gang puckbunny style salivation over Getzlaf- “Poor Crosby is somewhere crying wondering why they’ve cheated on him.”

Worse than all this was the piece Larry Wigge did on Ericsson (front page nhl.com). Now I make no secret of my little obsession with Ericsson, my eyes follow him all over the ice, so I was understandably spitting feathers when Wigge dared to compare him to Pronger…er..excuse me! Pronger isn’t even worthy to lace Ericsson’s skates up let alone be mentioned in the same sentence (love the “patented defensive elbow” line btw! )
On a seperate note, what does Carlyle know that we don’t everytime the camera pans to him he’s smirking!
(What a pic of Varlamov by the way…he looks like a puppy, so happy…hahaha, with (what I’m assuming is)cream all over him!
Is this officially classed as a rant?…I’m so proud, hehehe!

May 5
C: That's pretty much what I thought too. My friend has been complaining about Rafalski being out since before Game 1, and he has very good reason to be upset, the power play is terrible without him. I don’t think Kronwall on it is the answer either. I’d really like to see Ericsson on the other point opposite Lidstrom because I think he has a better shot than Kronwall even though no one can compare to Rafalski. I guess the problem might be how many minutes Ericsson is already playing because they are pretty much playing with only 5 defensemen now. Chelios only played 7 minutes in Game 2, that is just pathetic. Babcock needs to sit his old ass and call up some youth or put in Meech.
Couldn’t agree with you more about your 3 stools hahaha. I won’t really comment on Hiller because I try not to talk about what the other team is doing wrong until the series is over, except I will say that Pronger is seriously one ugly guy (nearly as ugly as Carlyle with yes.. those trademark smirks). Not to mention his gigantic helmet. For someone who doles out headshots constantly, he seems very concerned about protecting his own head. And Zetterberg… I feel he’s on the verge of being able to have a great series, but he’s not quite there yet. Hossa on the other hand.. wtf? He just can’t seem to deal with the physicality of the Ducks whatsoever. Someone needs to teach that guy how to hit too, his attempts at bodychecking are worse than mine. I don’t really see much hope for his game either in this series so I think Babs needs to switch Zetterberg and Hossa, at least we know Datsyuk and Zetterberg are always great together, and that’s how it was when the beat the Ducks in the regular season.
HAHA I loved that Pang quote, that’s so funny.
I also skimmed that Ericsson article really quick while I was at work, I saw a choice quote from Babcock along the lines of “he’s big like Pronger but without the crosschecks”. HAHA tell it like it is Babcock!
And yes, congrats on your rant!! That was a really good one. Do you feel better now? Varly as we affectionately call him does indeed have cream all over his face. Semin got him with a sneak attack after Game 7. Oh jeez, that sounded so dirty… don’t get all hot and bothered now hahaha
Well I bet the media were shitting themselves over this Game 2 tonight. I don’t want to spoil it for you if you haven’t watched it yet though so I won’t say anything more than that.

May 6
E: I am so behind with hockey at the min! I didn’t even get chance to catch Pens/Caps game on repeat the other night…I have no idea what happened ! I also missed the Wings last night! One things is for sure…my weekend will surely be jam packed of replay and highlight watching. I read your rant by the way…lovely, A+ from me!!!
A very excellent point you make by the way on Prong….why is he sooo concerned with protecting those two brain cells he has??
Varly (though I love saying Vaaarlaaamooovvv!) with Semin creamed all over his face…I’m sure there’s a joke in their somewhere…hahahaha!!
I am worried for Detroit…are you?? I dunno maybe I’m being a little premature in my worrying…or maybe its the fact that you and any other woman could bodycheck Hossa through the boards….he needs to go back to the Brooks Orpik School of Bodychecks and finish ‘Bodychecks 101’!
Apologies for the rushed and incoherent nature of this!


May 7
C:Ahhhhh, I so wish you were up-to-date on all the hockey games. Or do you not care if I ruin the game for you? I guess I don’t really know how you could get on the internet and not see how the games ended up so maybe you do already know. I won’t mention anything though, just in case.
Haha I like that you loved my rant I was just so annoyed by it because I thought it was pretty vicious hit and nothing has become of it. It seems the NHL wants to take a stand sometimes, but then other times they don’t… and since they never have to explain things, then I just wonder if they see something I don’t about it, or if they really just want to screw with us. It’s really pretty frustrating, and everytime I think I’m used to it, I’m not.
Haha anything with Semin’s name in it is potentially a joke. Poor guy… haha. I have to admit, I am getting a little worried for the Wings. They are not playing their game at all, and they can’t seem to figure out a way to get around the Ducks strong forechecking and trapping. Hossa for sure has issues. Even Datsyuk is having problem dancing his way out of corners like he’s used to, and that scares me. And then on top of all of that, the few quality shots they get through, Hiller is on top of his game. It’s incredibly frustrating to watch and seems to be getting worse every game unfortunately. I couldn’t believe all the penalties getting called on the Wings in the last game. Lidstrom for a slash? behind the play??!!! Of course our crappy broadcast didn’t show any of the penalties being committed so I have a theory that most of them were total BS. And that goal that was waived off… holy crap. The camera angle they showed was right above the ref and you could see the puck the entire time as it went through Hiller’s pads and sat in the crease clear to his right all by its lonesome… and somehow the ref didn’t see it. Yet he could see the puck in the pile on top of Osgood back in the first that resulted in a goal somehow. If that ref calls any more playoff games, I’ll be really angry. Anyway, even if the Wings had scored that, who knows if they would have made it through OT alive. I know better than to dwell on it but I can’t help wondering “what if” considering the Wings track record with the Ducks.


May 10
E: My plan didn't quite work out....So I’ve not been at my house for most of the weekend so my plan to indulge in every single game of hockey I missed went out the window…I did watch some though

On the nitty gritty of the Wings…Jesus, what’s with all the injuries! Kopecky down now too…this team needs to stop fighting until they take a crash course or something. Looks like Abdelkader is in…whom I know nothing about. So I did a little research and he looks pretty good, dynamic player and Babs says “he will run the crap out of people”…..so that has to be a good sign!
Franzen is the one person who I will say is getting the job done and elevating himself to the level of his pay! That line is doing an awesome job. Hossa hopefully now has his groove back after two and Datsyuk…yes I agree with what you said…are we back to the old ‘Datsyuk doesn’t do playoff hockey’?? Oh, well…at least it looks like Hiller’s finally been cracked open….that I’m sure won’t last that long…he’ll start this afternoon for sure!
OK, finally fav quote as always….
What is it I find so amusing about this from Ozzie? I’m probably lowering the tone as usual here…

“Last game we were loose and more confident than we have been in any point in the series,” Osgood said. “We weren’t clutching our sticks tight, we were just letting it flow and playing.”

C: Ok, so Wings/Ducks!
I am so annoyed, the game isn’t going to be on national TV today so I have no way of watching it since I don’t live anywhere near Detroit or Anaheim. One of my friends has satellite TV so I’m hoping I can go to his place to watch the game, but I have something to do from 5-6:30 and then might have to take my mom out for mother’s day after… of course all the places I’m going during those times have TV but not satellite
Hahaha Babcock said Abdelkader will run the crap out of people? That’s awesome! I saw him play last year a couple times, he was very good. I figured they might play Leino. Any word on whether Kindl will play in Chelios’ place? That @% fossil has no business being out there!
Yep, the Franzen-Hossa-Filppula line is really getting going! I hope it carries over to the next game, and let’s hope the Eurotwins can get their @% together too, that would give the Wings two very potent scoring lines. I really think Babcock’s line changes had more to do with putting Zett and Dats back together but he got the nice surprise of the Filppula line gelling.
Yay Osgood! I hope the rest of the team is as confident as he is for the game today. Definitely need to come out early and tough against the Ducks tonight. It really does suck about all the injuries.. I really want to know what’s wrong with Rafalski that it’s so bad he can’t even try to play and that somehow 50-year-old Chelios is a better option.


May 11
E: Oh no that’s crappy that you were struggling to see it. I hope you at least caught some of it…I watched the first two periods so can only comment on that. I’ll talk as if you didn’t see any of it (just ignore this if you did). Good game for Detroit, Kindl wasn’t in…weren’t they still worried about his development somewhat…I don’t know maybe I heard wrong, he seems to be having a good season with the Griffs though!
Next, the news we all wanted…Chelios healthy scratch…WOOOOHOOOO! Can’t agree with you enough about that @% fogey…the guy’s going to be in incontinence nappies soon for goodness sake. Meech was in instead! Abdelkader (what a name, eh!) tore it up…9 hits in 6 mins. He didn’t play that many minutes but brought his game when needed!
Does Hossa see the players in front of him? The guy just seems right off with his bodychecks…he’s just bodychecking the boards, hahahah! Franzen on the other hand is still hot, hot, hot…he hit the post a couple of times but then he got the job done eventually! You could in fact have put the “Franzen’s” out there for 20 minutes and they would have out shot the Ducks..awesome skills! I feel bad for Dats though the guy can’t get it past Hiller for love nor money! He was awesome and it was hockey theatre out there for him last night…beautiful dekeing, and a sh*t hot move on the PP where he picked the puck from the back of the net, over the head of Hiller to the other side and still kept control…but didn’t score !!!!
Ericsson with his Crosby moustache was a little riled up, I get the feeling he want’s a good fight again. he needs to watch it, he injures that hand any more and we’re back to Chelios again…aaaggh! He’s been a big part of that team this year, his puck control was good to start with but it’s surely improving playing with the big boys…that long reach is really working to his advantage! I’ll be so pissed if he isn’t a permanent roster spot next season!
You have a good point on the nucks..yeah if Ducks win (which I will cry if they do) then they would probably have a harder time against the Nucks. I am sure, though, Pronger would bring out his dirtiest @% on the Sedin sisters! I have seen Chicago be a little flaky at times…get your point on Huet, of course you wouldn’t want him to go further than the Caps, that would just be a bit of a kick in the teeth!

May12
C: Getzlaf has swine flu??!! My prayers have been answered! let’s hope it spreads like wildfire through the rest of that locker room. We just can’t have any of the Wings getting sneezed on during the game tomorrow.
Haha I will believe you that the Wings are worried about Kindl’s development – they worry about every prospect’s development until they’re within about 5 years of retirement I think
I hear Rafalski may be almost ready to come back. Couldn’t come at a better time!!! Also, I heard McCarty was recalled at the end of the last game. Perhaps the Wings are preparing for what will probably be a very chippy Game 6. Hahaha so Hossa was missing his checks? As long as he doesn’t injure himself, I suppose… at least he tries.. And oh my god, I saw that Datsyuk replay of him popping the puck over the net. That’s why he’s my favorite player in the world, that was so amazing, no one else would dare attempt that in a game!!
I completely agree about Ericsson – he has been so great, I will be astonished if he doesn’t have a roster spot next season. I’m not really sure who will have to sit though is the problem… he may end up having to wait until Lidstrom retires which hopefully won’t be for a long time But maybe he can work on a rotating schedule with Lilja and Lebda as Chelios sort of did this year. If Cheli doesn’t retire after this season… aghhh


May 13
E: Anaheim Smirk Flu! You’re welcome for the shout out by the way! Thanks for the update from last night’s game! I swear to god I nearly wet myself laughing at lunchtime reading that last sentence of yours…“what a psycho!”…hahaha! I read today that they were playing with the passion of a sloth!? Niedermayer has obviously been infected with Pronger’s defensive elbow then…not that I’m surprised!! Also, what the hell is Getzlaf doing, that bag of @%! How dare he go after Mr Hossa, I don’t care if he wanted to hump…there are places you can go to pay for that you know Getz! Why the @% is he going after him after they won…what a weasel! Did perry go after Rafalski too, that is the worst if it’s true what I read, jeopardising his return…words escape me!!!! I hope they completely screw them over tomorrow, I will be hoping the diseased ducks will be brought down, waaaaay @% down! Oh, and when did Ericsson hurt his foot and have to be x-rayed? How did I miss that one, hand first, then foot, what next…! I see Chelios hobbling over the horizon with his walking frame!!!

Quote of the Day:
“I hope Anaheim is so caught of guard by the wings immense talent that they immediately srart rubbing the bald spot on top of Getzlaf’s head. They’re left with no options, it’s their only form of luck. It would be amazing if Detroit just dominates them from start to finish. And when it’s done I want Pronger looking up at the score board feeling his one brain cell finally giving out as he tries to add it all up and realise the Ducks lose! And better yet, would be for the wings to score so many goals that he’s simply incapable of adding that high and grabs Perry to use his toes to count.”

Guess who? Stolen Artwork…made my own improvements!!!
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Picture and Caption of the day….the results of my internet search over lunch!

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Alright Hudler, you’re what 5’8” with skates on…..exactly the kind of even match up I’m looking for. Didn’t you hear I’m a @% leader of this team and me and my manscaped love patch are going to show everyone what a badass I am by kicking your little ass. That damn Swede, Zetterberg didn’t back down as Carlyle promised, and I don’t see that @% jolly green giant Ericsson anywhere, so I’m coming for you Happy. Bring it @%, just watch my face, it’s my money maker…

Saturday 16 May 2009

A Coffee Break from the Playoffs

On NHL Connect I have been involved in a project called the "Cosmopolitan Trilogies" with a couple of the ladies. The aim was to spread the word on players with whom people may not be familiar. We set various different themes for a trilogy of blog posts and we posted them together, unfortunately due various personal commitments we are unable to finish them for the moment! We managed to get through two of the three themes, 'Rookies' and 'Favourite Players in Leagues Outside the NHL'....here are my two contributions to the collection!

Alex's Amazing Potential

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Let me take you back to September 2008, the beginning of the exhibition season, and a game against Tampa Bay. Sergei Gonchar took a hit from Lightning defenseman David Koci and before we knew it word around Pittsburgh was that Gonchar would be undergoing surgery and would likely be out for 4-6 months. This came as devastating news for the Penguins blueline, having already Ryan Whitney out after surgery to his foot and Rob Scuderi out for a short period with a minor injury to his ribs. This was not the ideal situation for the Penguins, coming off the back of the disappointing loss in the Stanley Cup Finals, and therefore high expectations for the 2008-09 season.
The Penguins were left with six defensemen at their disposal, veterans Hal Gill, Mark Eaton, Brooks Orpik and Darryl Sydor. They also had sophomore Kris Letang and rookie Alex Goligoski. The former group are well known for their defensive prowess, however, the loss of Gonchar and Whitney left a huge hole for the Penguins defensive core that if offensive production. This responsibility would fall on the youngest of the Penguins defensemen.

Alex Goligoski had only 3 games NHL experience coming into the current season. He was coming off an incredibly successful season playing for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The 2007-08 season had seen Goligoski be a key part of the Baby Penguins run to the Calder cup finals, setting an AHL record for defensemen in the process by getting 28 points in 23 games. Little could he have know what an impact and how crucial he would be in his rookie stretch.

After a good training camp, and the unfortunate position the Penguins had found themselves in as regards injuries, Goligoski’s development was to take a huge step as he found himself a full time roster member.

In the Penguins season openers in Stockholm against Ottawa, clearly determined to make an impact, Goligoski scored the lone goal in the second game. He showed great offensive flair and most Pens fans breathed a sigh of relief that we may have someone here, along with Letang who can carry the offensive side of the defense. Amidst all the talk I had heard of fans threatening to throw away their season tickets on the announcement of the considerable number of months Gonchar and Whitney would be out…somehow there seemed to b a glimmer of hope that the defense would survive and maybe more!

Goligoski continued to thrive in his position with the Penguins, taking Gonchar’s role by anchoring the powerplay, an honour indeed considering Gonchar is one of the most supreme quarterbacks in the NHL. He led Penguins and rookie defensemen with 6 goals and 14 assists and 20 points in 44 games. He was also named rookie for the first half of the season for the Atlantic division, high praise indeed for a rookie that was considered fast-tracked and barely ready to be a permanent fixture on the Penguins roster.

So, was it a right place, right time scenario that helped Goligoski flourish? Would his rookie season have been equally successful if he had been placed in a less pressured situation? I’m certain that had the Penguins not had the problems with injuries a very different picture could have played out. This is not to take anything away from the talented defenseman and his achievements this season. When Whitney returned Goligoski’s powerplay and overall ice time predictably dropped. When Gonchar came back into the line-up it was going to be the rookie who was sent down.

This season has been incredibly crucial to his progress and he has developed considerably over the season. There is no doubt that he has improved his defensive game, but there are still areas that require attention naturally. Alex is clearly endowed with natural skating ability, cracking passing style, intelligence and offensive skill. He does, however, still need to build some strength and size if he is to prosper long term in the NHL.

I, for one, am pleased that the inevitable decision was made to return him to Wilkes-Barre and I envisage that the strength he will garner from his steady progress will stand him in excellent stead for the rest of his NHL career. While I admit that during the Penguins worrying slump I was ready to send Gogo packing, along with Jordan Staal (purely on the basis of receding hairline and long legs!), in the never ending search for a b*tch…sorry winger…for Sid. With hindsight, this would have been a rather foolish move for Shero to undertake. In Goligoski, we are sure to have a future defensive star, whom I predict will be better than Whitney. To trade Whitney surely shows that the organisation has high hopes for him. His confidence and experience from his rookie season have proven that he is without doubt, one of the Penguins future standouts.

Rod Sarich-Sheffield's Superstar

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“I think there are times that you think, why is he here and not back in North America at the highest level this game is played at.”-Sheffield Steelers head coach David Matsos

If I mention the surname Sarich you’re sure to be saying , “Hey I know that name, Cory Sarich right!” True, but that is not who I want to talk about. I’m going to be focusing on the lesser known of the Sarich brothers, Rod Sarich. He remains a mostly unknown in North America, he has, however, had a simply outstanding season here in the UK playing for the Sheffield Steelers.

Rod joined the Steelers back in 2005 after a fairly strong junior career with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL. His junior career saw him not only be a part of the Memorial Cup final team in 1999 but also captain the team in his final season in 2001-02. During his junior career he was claimed by the Florida Panthers in the fourth round and 109th overall in the 1999 NHL draft.

Before I go any further, I feel a little comparative exercise is needed so you place this piece in perspective. The EIHL is composed to a fair degree of North American players, whom have seen a relatively small amount of success at professional level. This is, however, limited to 10 imported players per team and, therefore, you will often find a high turnover of players on a team. The level of play is equal to the top of the ECHL. The game is, therefore, quite similar in fashion to that of our North American counterparts, though notoriously physical up until the NHL post lockout era where the EIHL adopted a number of the changes made across the pond.

Back to Rod…

While I have spent much of the hockey season unsure about the Penguins and their potential, I have had no such concerns here in Sheffield. The current team have truly surpassed themselves this year. While I feared the Penguins would not become a playoff team this year, I have been kept alive by the Steelers’ domination of the EIHL. The Steelers have managed to nab themelves not only the league title, the most sought-after prize in the EIHL, but also the playoff title which they successfully retained after winning the same accolade last season.

Sarich’s part in this year’s team success is undeniable, an opinion shared by many around the league as he was named last week as the defenseman of the year. Having been accused of being consistently inconsistent through his time with the Steelers, his defensive partnership with Steve Munn has seen the duo wholeheartedly epitomise the “you’re only as good as your defensive partner” locution. While the Steelers have been accused of playing “boring” or “patient” style, Sarich and Munn have shown they know how to get the job done and thrive on picking apart the opposing team with speed and cunning.

But this isn’t where Sarich’s talents end….oh no…when Roddy goes forward the opposing team are always in trouble. While the defense in front of netminder Lehman this year has been solid, Sarich has also had the opportunity to show off some of his offensive flair. He has at times, in the absence of team forwards, had the opportunity to play the wing and his intelligence, strong skating ability along with his remarkable stick handling and just generally covering the ice very well means he causes absolute mayhem when playing up front. It’s fair to say that a lot of pressure is put on defensemen here in UK hockey, which was pointed out to me recently by a noted hockey savant, as the teams generally play fewer than six defensemen. In Sheffield they play five, though only four of these can be classed as supremely effective. This makes Sarich’s achievements this year even more worthy after showing his flexibility and mature approach to the game.

While he may not be playing with the big boys, he maintains an almost “superstar” status among the Sheffield audience, where he has become a firm fan favourite. It’s pretty amazing to think that Rod was selected higher in the 1999 draft than some well known names in the NHL today, Ryan Malone going 115th, Ryan Miller at 138th and even Mr Zetterberg himself at 210th overall. Sure, we all know about draft busts, but I truly believe that had he been chosen by a team willing to develop him, he could have been an asset to any franchise.

On a final note, I learnt this week that there is a good chance that Roddy and some of the other Steelers may be fleeing Sheffield this year. Naturally, a lot of other teams are interested in the leading team’s players this season. While I understand change and variation are a natural part of this game, I’ll not pretend that it wouldn’t break my heart to see Sarich, Lehman and various other key members depart Sheffield after such a fruitful year. I would, however, take some comfort from knowing that this team, after a magnificent run, got the title they greatly deserved.

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Stamkos' Continuing Development

The Continuation of the Development of Steven Stamkos

It’s been a while since I sat down and watched a full Tampa Bay match…mostly due to the completely bland performances I had seen this season thus far. There was something, however, that lured me to watch them play Florida on Saturday. That ‘something’ of course was the hope that somehow and some way Tampa could lay a severe beating on a Horton and McCabe-less team.

As with most Tampa Bay games I watched through my partially opened fingers…fearing mostly Ramo and his historically average performance between the pipes.

After watching the game enter overtime and a subsequent shootout I couldn’t help but think about Steven Stamkos. Only a few weeks ago I was denouncing him and stating he would never be a ‘face of franchise’ player. Something certainly changed my opinion on Saturday night.

Back in May 2004 I distinctly remember, following an out-of-character fight with Iginla, that this was merely the “continuation of the development of Vincent Lecavalier.” How true that statement was. It is one, I think, that Steven Stamkos will also receive for as long as Vinny did.

While Stamkos has always been upbeat and positive about his rookie year, the numbers don’t lie. Look back to All-Star break Stamkos had 6G and 12A, that is now 14G and 20A. He had been approaching dangerous territory and running the risk of been tarnished with the same draft-bust brush as current Tampa Bay GM Brian Lawton.

So where did the change come? What has made his development come on in leaps and bounds? Before we look forward, let’s look back a little.

You certainly can’t ignore Barry Melrose in affecting Stamkos’ start in a negative way. In his first seven games Stamkos played an average of 11.10 minutes of ice time and produced nil points! While he never let on that he had a problem with his ice time, it was clearly Melrose’s prerogative to play Stamkos as little as possible. He later said that the team had been guilty of subjecting Stamkos to the rigours of the NHL before he was ready. His belief being that Stamkos should have remained in Sarnia in the safety of the Juniors.

The promotion of Tocchet, after a 16 game stint as coach by Melrose, certainly played a meaningful role in a turn around. Stamkos said back in December that Tocchet had a lot of confidence in him, even when Melrose was running the show. The increase in ice time and the opportunity to get out on the point on the powerplay in an ‘actions speak louder than words’ decision by Tocchet must have inspired a great deal of confidence in Stamkos.

Similarly on hearing of Stamkos been a healthy scratch in January for the first time, you can’t help but think that this was also an attempt to inspirea bit of confidence in him. It was (sensibly) suggested that Stamkos needed to get stronger, particularly in his lower body so as to increase his speed and strength. Was this the way Tampa or Stamkos anticipated his rookie season going? Absolutely not! Is it a necessary element of his development? Absolutely! Tampa Bay has assured the he will be given games off sporadically through what is left of the season. A sensible move for his improving rookie season.

I suppose what I’m trying to say is this…Stamkos’ NHL career started off a rocky one. He was dealt a sore deal with the turmoil in Tampa Bay, what with the over-hyped PR campaign and the coaching change. I for one, rather shamefully, was ready to write Stamkos off as another draft bust far too prematurely. In light of his recent swift progress, he clearly just needed the right balance of elements.

Let us not forget a very young Lecavalier having an equally tumultuous pass into the NHL, along with the added pressure of the ‘C’ being slapped on him at 19 years of age and his early problems with Tortorella. Vinny was still being described as being in development at 24 years old, and he turned into a world class player. Development of rookies in the NHL, by it’s very nature, is marked by it’s unpredictability. We do not, therefore, need to worry about this rookies’ turbulent road to proficient NHL star.

26 Reasons Not to Take My Shirt Off

…figuratively speaking of course!

As I enter my 27th year of life tomorrow I’ve been reflecting on the last year…the last year of hockey anyway. I’ll be more specific and say I’ve been reflecting on the Penguins year.
With this is mind I decided to challenge myself to think of 26 reasons to still have faith in the Penguins…despite a perennially disappointing season thus far.
This was tougher than I thought and has taken me the best part of the day with a notebook shoved in bag…

1.Sid
Let’s get Sid out the way first (I know you would want him to be the top reason!) As everyday goes by I dislike Sidney more and more. Mostly due to the ‘I –have-a-software-full-of-perfectly-tempered-sound-bites’ attitude. I cannot however fault him greatly on the ice…he delivers even under the overinflated expectations.

2. Lange
There was a board here the other day about Mike Lange. What can I say, the guy keeps me going when I can’t catch a game. I may even start a ‘Down with Steigy’ campaign.

3.Recruits
I can’t abandon my recruits to the game. I’ve worked so hard to turn them all into Penguins and Devils fans!!

4.Nocturnal I am
British hockey fan=tired eyes, erratic sleeping patterns and poor concentration the next day. I’m just getting into a nice nocturnal routine I’m not about to throw it away…

5.Kris Letang
What can you say, he must have been disappointed to be a healthy scratch for those three games. He did, however, need and deserve it. Kris…you’re a defenseman in case you hadn’t noticed! By golly did it put the rocket up him though, the road trip has been amazing for him…4pts in 4 games!

6.MAF and Flower Power
After my comment the other week about him being a ‘funky yo-yo’ and messing with my head and my stomach (because of his inconsistency) I am now pleased to say I no longer feel the need to spew every time I watch. Since the All-Star break he’s improved to 12-4-2…the guy clearly works better under pressure!

7.I hate them!
There are no other teams that I hold a strong dislike for…that’s right…not even the Flyers. I think, therefore, I can feel comfortable with my choice. I don’t feel the need to dress up in another outfit.

8.Chocolate Penguins
Would I honestly ever lose faith in a team that has a chocolate biscuit of the same name…I don’t think so!

9.Guerin
I love him and I barely know him. I’m hoping that he can act as a mentor to all the younger players…but in particular #11. Cone on Staal, we know you got the size and the skill now step it up…let’s start on the powerplay!

10.Shoes
Like an old pair of shoes, they are comfortable, reliable and stared at by all! Ok…so the reliability factor still needs to be worked on…

11.Unsung heroes
They keep me going. I love talking about the guys no-one else does: Thomas; Zigomanis; Scuderi…the guys who do exactly what they say on the packet! Highlight for me this season…(no not another Malkin assist!)…Thomas almost getting a goal on a semi breakaway at against Anaheim back in January. Damn you Giguere!

12.Football, Rounders, Cricket??
How else would I spend my time?

13.Therrien vs Bylsma
Therrien almost tipped me over the edge..I’ll be honest! The guy was incredibly negative and his systems were far too rigid. While he played his part for sure…Bylsma is giving me hope. For the immediate future if nothing else!

14.Steel City connection
I was born in a steel town, my father works in the steel industry, my favourite EIHL team are the Steelers….what can I say I love me some metal!

15.Shero I love you! I hate you!
Ray Shero managed to partially redeem himself by the trade deadline for me. Am I the only one who thinks he came up trumps with the Kunitz, but more importantly Tangradi, deal for Whitney?! I said my goodbye’s to Ryan Whitney months ago. So it came as no great shock! I can feel it that Tangradi’s future will be a great one…and I will stick my neck out and say it will be the most valuable acquisition of the season. I now feel I can go back to using the line (until the offseason at least) ‘In Shero we trust!’

16.Ovie –From behind my sofa
It gives me an extra reason to continue my love hate relationship with that loveable rogue!

17.Malkin
Undeniably demure, momentarily outstanding! The other most beautiful sight for me of the season was Malkin flinging his stick across the ice in celebration after a 4-3 win in overtime against Tampa Bay. The award for most heartfelt celebrations goes to…Geno! Well that and the award for most improved linguist using a Berlitz phrase book.

18.Surprises
I like surprises (to an extent). This one came in the form of a box decorated with gold Bylsma ribbon, deadline tape, black Gonchar wrapping paper, a flutter of white injury free glitter. What was inside?? A 1.9 powerplay percentage increase. Woohoo!

19.Caputi-hope
If the guy gets stronger and works hard on that skating I’ll be excited to see what he does in the next year. I see another Kennedy scenario in the midst…

20.Teamwork and Chemistry
I’m attributing the improvement to a chain of events. Bylsma, Fitzgerald, Gonchar and the temporary absence of Crosby (and maybe now the acquisition of Guerin will propel this further).

21.Mario
Need I say more…..?

22.Hossa dreamin’
I still hold an unhealthy desire for Hossa. I have to watch Wings games otherwise I get Hossa-deficiency. Anyways I still have dreams that one day Hossa will roll up at Mellon Arena crying into his gloves and begging to come back to Pittsburgh. He’s gotta go somewhere. Hey Detroit…Franzen or Hossa…you’ve got to shed someone! Go on Kenny I dare ya!!

23.Antics
The awesome antics of Fleury and Talbot are all well and good but…if Kennedy keeps licking that stick and adding somewhat of a light-hearted approach to superstition my shirt stays firmly on!

24.Money
I’ve spent far too much money on my fandom to be removing my merchandise…plain and simple!

25.Bad Memories
The memories still hang heavy. A grim reminder of what it feels like to spend the summer wearing black…I really don’t want to be back in black again this summer it is rather dull!

26.It’s far too cold……

So there you go….If you got through all that…well done because I had to take a coffee break midway through!

Child's Perspective

A while ago I asked for ideas regarding classroom activities that I could possibly use at school. For those of you who haven’t read about the little angels you’ll find it HERE. Thanks so much to all of you that contributed. We have been able to incorporate a number of the ideas so far. These include: shapes on a hockey rink; using a fictional cap to pick a team of NHL players (and follow the players points for the rest of the season); biographies and report writing and finally this coming week we will be working on what it means to be part of a team.

One of the ideas that I got was to let the pupils do a bit of research on the British national hockey team and their potential for the 2010 Olympics. As you probably know GB did not qualify for 2010, so we subsequently abandoned this idea for the much more colourful world of the NHL.

I put them into pairs, they chose a team and eventually a topic which they would like to write about. I told them that I would put the winner here on my boards!

It would be fair to say that this has been a painful process, mostly due to poor skills in expressing themselves. However, they (well the majority) have tried their best and were so excited that they may have some of their own writing online. Special mention also has to go to my colleague Claire, who has worked tirelessly with the pupils on this…I’m at least a quarter of the way to persuading her to be a follower

Please don’t expect an awful lot from what you are about to read as they are very much “I did this…and I did that…and then I did this…” children. I have put the winning piece below first on this board. It was written by two absolute superstars who have put a lot of homework time in. I am also, for comedic value, adding another one at the bottom. This was my personal favourite and made me laugh so much I cried! It’s a very humorous account of Dan Boyle’s tough time with an incident involving an electrical fire…which was clearly worthy of virtually a full piece of work! No spelling was checked/corrected in the production of this particular piece of work, I left it in it’s original state.

Enjoy…

PIECE 1(Winner)

AGE BEFORE BEAUTY?

The reason we are writing our blog is because we took three quotes from the Guinness World Of Records as follows:-

Anaheim Ducks – Teemu Selanne

1 “Got the most goals scored by a rookie (76) in a season, and the most points by a rookie (132)”

2 “First Consecutive 40-goal season by a over 35 year old”

Detroit Vipers – Gordie Howe

3 “Gordie Howe born 31.3.28 played until he retired at 52 years old, came back to play one game at 70”

The question we are trying to answer is do you get better with age?

Teemu Selanne had 11 games with 12 points during his debut SM-liiga season. He ranked up 58 in 44 games. He continued his winning ways by being the NHL top goal scorer in 1998 and 1999. Selanne suffered a slight drop of performance during his time with the sharks, but he still managed to score 54 and 64 points during his two full seasons with the sharks.

Despite undergoing knee surgery in 2004/2005 and not playing any games he came back with a vengeance because he scored 40 gaols and 50 assists for 90 points in 80 games in August 05. Selanne recorded his 1000th NHL points on January 30th 2006, with his second goal against the Los Angeles Kings.

He has generally maintained an exceptional standard of playing and was rewarded the “Bill Masterto Memorial Trophy”, in obvious recognition for his perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Being consistant has also got its’ monetary
rewards as he signed a $3.75 million contract in 2006/08 and a $5.25milloin in 2008
This proves that at his age advances he can still demand the money! – So he must be good.

To conclude with the Anaheim Ducks he recorded 677 career points in 2008 when he was 38 years old.

Perhaps he will be asked to return to playing once retired like Gordie Howe, because I think he will be able to score!!!, as he has got better with age and experience like a

“A good bottle of Brodeur!” oops my mistake.

PIECE 2

DAN BOYLE


Dan Boyle is 32 years old which isn’t old and was Ottawa in Canada. He is 5feet 11 inches and he shoots with his right hand which id good. He is undrafted and plays defence. Now he plays for the San jose Sharks, he used to play for Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers.

His first team was Florida Panthers. He played his first two seasons in the Panthers American Hockey legue.

Then he came off a contract on July 4th 2008 and he got traded with brad Lukowich to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for players.
At a game in 2004 when it was Stanley Cup Finales with Tampa Bay Lightning aganst Calgary Flames, meanwhile a big electric fire broke out at Dan Boyles house in Florida causing over $300,000 of damige. Dan was very sad I think because electric fire is really dangerous and his sticks might have been in his house and they would burn. Dan might have not known about the fire and it would effect his playing. But they did win Tampa so the fire was ok. $300,000 is a lot of money and maybe it could be repared. I don’t think the electric fire would make him play bad.

Dan Boyle is a good player and has good history.

Saviours, Strategies and Superegos

And Brian Jennings sleeps easy in his bed at night….

“The emergence of young stars, such as the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby and the Washington Capitals’ Alexander Ovechkin, has informed the league’s strategy to attract a younger following. ‘We feel we’re well positioned as a brand and as a sport to appeal to a younger fan base,’ says Jennings.”

Never have I been so astonished, in my small number of years of following the NHL, at the bickering and whining that seems to have escalated here over the past week or so on the Ovechkin/Crosby saga. I have deliberately not commented on any of these, mostly for fear of repeating myself over and over again! I’m not going to get into the shortcomings of either player here!

For those of you who are thinking or writing about this topic let me just drag your thoughts back down to a rational level. Brian Jennings can rest well guys, he has achieved his main aim of the post-lockout NHL.

“Sidney Crosby will be counted on to address a lot of the NHL’s marketing challenges.”

Sidney Crosby was not merely an ice hockey player, he entered the NHL more than aware of this! He was told he WOULD be the saviour of the NHL, a role that he clearly was happy to take on.

All was going well in the top office with this plan until Ovechkin emerged…the NHL became increasingly confused. Crosby…Ovechkin…Crosby…Ovechkin…aaaaggh! Their plans were crumbling; this was never what was meant to happen. It was meant to be Malkin, he would be his future nemesis. A smooth Russian 360 at the All-Stars dissolved this idea even further…

“How can we turn this around? We can’t possibly have two saviours,” they must have wailed. In a moment of wisdom Mr Jennings bore a perfect beautiful rivalry! A rivalry that was beyond compare, everyone would have an opinion.
I hope you are all getting my point! Congratulations we have all been played in one of sports most sneakily sublime marketing strategies!

I’m not one for particularly irrational pauciloquent rants, we all have to exist in this hockey world together and respect is most certainly paramount. In light of that let us all take a step back and ask ourselves this question…..Whether we take the side of Crosby or Ovechkin, what is it that pushes our buttons about the other? Your answer is this….

The thing we like the most is the one we see in the mirror! The whole strategy rests on tapping into our superego.

(Consider this….a couple of weeks ago I put a short piece up about ‘Glorified and Overrated’ players. Only once in 60 or so responses did anyone mention Ovie or Crosby and then it was purely based on a +/-…speaks volumes I think. I believe we all harbour at least some respect for both players…)

Good Year to be a Bad Team 2008/09?

Let’s face it there are good years to be at the bottom of the pile and there are others which are just average. Let’s take last year for instance. Steven Stamkos, however much the Tampa Bay marketing machine crunched out their best work on ‘Seen Stamkos’ he wasn’t a viable ‘face of franchise’ type catch. Equally, 2006 was not a ‘face of franchise’ year with a number of players in the top 10 whom most teams would have been pleased to label their saviour!

I’m the first to admit that I suspect teams for absolutely collapsing in an attempt to get that top pick. I’m sure that Ray Shero was sat twiddling his thumbs and crying about Hossa back in November when he had a brain wave… ‘It’s not working out there people so we may as well completely stink with the chance of getting some gold!’ You’ve not even done a good job on that guys if that was you aim!

Ok, ok so maybe an exaggeration…

The teams we’re looking at now that are all about the losing and in contention for that draft pick are Leafs, Islanders, Thrashers, Bolts…things of course can change!

So is 2008/09 a good year to be a bad team?? I absolutely think so. In saying that though I don’t believe there would be a need for too much disappointment should you not pick up either Hedman or Tavares.


_91+61 = #1?_


I supposed media hype certainly has a lot to do with whether we can class a player as a ‘franchise messiah’. This year of course JT and Hedman have both been given that honour, and while the hype is surely valid due to their immense skill on the ice, when you look at the scouting many of these guys who fall within the top ten certainly deserve more credit. If you’ve done your homework the likes of Svensson-Pääjärvi (love this guy!), Kane, Duchene, Cowen I think you would admit that to get any of these players would certainly not be disappointing. They would not, though, bring to the table the package that JT and Hedman would.



_Svensson-Pääjärvi doing his thing at WJC_



The fact remains, however, that we would expect a team to make a sensible and balanced judgement considering the needs of the franchise. Or does it?

Which is more important, having a player on your team that will bring in the existing fans and new ones, a player that will undoubtedly bring you the coins? Or, on the other hand, a player that will make your team a much more well rounded contender? I fear that the lure of the highest touted would make you lose control of your rational plans!

I’m pretty sure myself that it’s a good year if things didn’t work out for you!