Pencil the Kings In For Your Elite Teams

Merry Christmas, puckheads, and a very happy holidays to you! Okay, so I fluked out and forgot to post up the opinion post about the Los Angeles Kings, but honestly with all the Christmas shopping I had to do as well as taking care of my family and going to hockey games (obviously), it will be put up today. I said I would be talking about the Los Angeles Kings and you're right, I will be talking about the Kings.
Look at the Los Angeles Kings right now this season. So far, they've done a pretty darn job at climbing to the top of the Western Conference and holding a firm lead over the others. Ahh, but let's not forget somethig that you should all have on your ballots for elite teams.
I would recommend you pencil this team in to make it past the first round and make it past the second round. Wait, playoffs are too early. Right now, they should be penciled in as a elite team in the league right up with the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, Washington Capitals, and Chicago Blackhawks. Ahh, but there's more to it than just the fact that they are an elite team.
They are the deepest and most powerful offensive and defensive that I've seen it recent years. Heck, if the Kings were like this a few years ago, they would be at the top of the Pacific Division and could possibly have won it. But that's not the present. Right now, LA coach Terry Murray is righting this ship, having won his 100th game with the Kings yesterday on December 23rd. I admire what he's doing to this team, bringing in the right mix of young and veteran players to create a stable team, much like what the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS (my favorite MLS team obviously) do all the time.
They've paid off in games and it has given them big points when they need it. It looks like the Kings will continue to rise to the top. Teams like Anaheim, Phoenix, Nashville, and Columbus are coming and no doubt the Kings will look to beat on their enemies and climb up the ladder. Let's see how far will they go? Will they do well in the regular season and in the playoffs? Or is it going to sail downhill? We'll find out. Next Kings game is December 26th against MY Anaheim Ducks. The puck drops at 6:00pm and you don't want to miss out on another Freeway Face-Off matchup. This time it's Round 2. Later, puckheads! I'm off until January 3rd. Enjoy your break!!!

Wednesday Toss Up for December 22nd, 2010

Here it is, puckheads. Time for another edition of the Wednesday Toss-Up. Lot going on around the NHL these days and it looks like a lot of debating needs to be up. So why don't we cut out the chit-chat and get right to our topics. Let them loose:

24/7 Penguins-Capitals reality show. Smart or silly?
Well, it's related to the Winter Classic because both of these teams are actually in this year's Winter Classic. I like the fact that if you have a Winter Classic, there should be a show going up to the beginning. I think this is definitely smart because you need some background information on these two teams as well as what goes on behind the locker room before going out to the game. Shout-out to the director and producer of this show because this show rocks. Definitely smart.

Pavel Datsyuk's hand injury: Sink the Wings in the long run or help them overcome the injury?
Let me make this clear to everybody: Whoever goes out for the Red Wings, they can recover and get back quickly. The Red Wings know how to win with players on the sidelines injured in many places. Johan Franzen did it and they still kept up to get into the playoffs. The Red Wings should have nothing to worry about. They have many elite players on that team that can do Pavel Datsyuk's job for as long as he's out. This will help them, not hurt them.

How will the Ducks fare at this point in the season? Fall down or get up?
The Ducks have had a long stretch of road games where their record hasn't faired as well as they want it to. They lost to the Islanders, which is not good and it pretty much tells you're heading for a disappointing season. But the Ducks have already fallen. They seem to win against the good teams, but lose against the losing teams, like New Jersey and the NY Islanders, so I'm questioning if this team is going anywhere. I'm gonna lean more towards getting up, but it's pretty close.

How did you like Bruce Boudreau's rant? Crazy or awesome?
I love it when coaches rant because they have the least amount of patience with their teams, except for maybe general managers. They're fine now, with winning two straight, but I think Boudreau's rant helped this team get right back up and compete with the others. I think Boudreau is a genius and he ranted at the right time. Plus, he cursed like fifteen times. This reminds me of Derek Anderson's rant to a reporter after smiling on the sidelines at a Cardinals game. The Boudreau rant is downright awesome.

That's it for this week's edition of Wednesday Toss-Up. A blog post will be posted tomorrow about the Los Angeles Kings and then I'm off for the Christmas holiday and New Year's. I'll see you guys tomorrow for one more blog and after that, I'll be back blogging on Monday, January 3rd. Later, puckheads!

A Late Wednesday Toss-Up

Originally, I had said that the Wednesday Toss-Up was going to be Wednesday. Unfortunately, some of my friends needed me to help them out with studying for their finals so I was unavailable last night. So today, we're going to have the Wednesday Toss-Up. Let's get a look at our debates.

More pathetic? The Capitals losing seven in a row or Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin on The Price is Right?
The Capitals are suffering badly and they're having a hard time getting off the ground. But they're a great hockey club and every team goes through this. The Sharks went through it at one point, the Kings went through it at one point, even the Penguins. The Price is Right is such a lame show that only housewives are watching that show. If they'd been on the TV show 24 then I'd have a better thought. But the Price is Right is too lame. It's Sid and Ovy on The Price is Right.

Who are you more excited to see lose? The Sharks or the Devils?
I hate these kind of questions because it reacts so negatively to the poor offensive style of play, but both of these teams are pretty bad right now. The Devils are not going to get into the playoffs because they can't score and when they don't score, Brodeur's not going to have a good night. But I'm more excited to see the Sharks lose because they've been underachievers all this time and if they make it out of the playoffs for the first time ever, then they'll be nicknamed as "The Stooges". At least that's what I think. It's the Sharks. I hate seeing the Devils lose but I hope they get better.

Who is more worthy of the All-Star Game? Kris Letang or Carey Price?
The Canadiens were so stupid to let Halak go and decided to go with Carey Price. But Price is doing pretty well, but Letang's on a better team. A team that actually won twelve straight games at one point. I'd give my All-Star vote and not Price, because Price hasn't really showed me he can be an elite goaltender. Until he proves that he can stop teams like Boston and Pittsburgh, it's Letang who's got my vote.

Three questions today unfortunately, since I don't have a fourth one. But I hope you liked the picks I made in this week's Wednesday Toss-Up. Keep track of more posts coming and I'll see you later, puckheads.

Time to Get the Blog Back On-Track: Interesting Things Up Ahead

I would first like to say that I'm sorry I haven't been able to update since I did a Wednesday Toss-Up back on Thursday, December 2nd. But guess what? I had finals just these past two days and I'm feeling that rusty. I hope you get me.
So Reid's Hockey Insight will get back on track right away, but not all the blog posts will be about hockey for the next few weeks, as I'm busy sorting out my stuff and heading to Northern California, Southern California, and Arizona for those next few weeks. But here's one thing I promise to you: All opinions based on hockey facts, predictions for games, and analysis from games that depend on it coming from me.
So let me start off the return of Reid's Hockey Insight by giving my insight between what happened from December 2nd all the way on. We've seen the up-and-go roller coaster of the NHL take its toll. Teams are busy swaying around, but one team stands out is the Pittsburgh Penguins. They had a 12-game winning streak until it was snapped tonight in a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in Philadelphia. The Anaheim Ducks are slowly crawling back into the playoff race after getting shut out back-to-back games at home. The road gets tricky from them, however, as a long road trip awaits them with several games on the East Coast and in LA and Phoenix. The Los Angeles Kings are looking pretty tough and keeping up with the others in the Western Conference. The Washington Capitals have severely blown several tires as they have lost seven in a row, their recent one in a 7-0 drubbing from the New York Rangers at the Garden.
Things are looking quite interesting in the hockey realms, but over the next few days, we'll see if anything changes. And I tell you, there is something that's bound to change. Moving on, TRON: Legacy comes out this Friday, December 17 at 12:01 AM at all theaters everywhere. I'm already getting my ticket to see the movie at the AMC theater in Downtown Disney. I've been waiting for a long time for this movie to come out and boy am I psyched up. I got my wardrobe, my video games, my soundtrack, and my other accessories all set. It's like I'm tronned up for the movie (hey, I just invented a word). This movie is bound to be the greatest Disney achievement of all time. Okay, not of all time, but one of their many great achievements.
Christmas is around the corner, puckheads. I hope you know what's on your shopping list. Hey, how about that XBOX 360 you've always wanted or a brand new flat screen TV from Sony? Hey, there's always a new Dell laptop in store. I haven't had time to really get my Christmas going, but many gifts are coming this way for me. My video game collection will be stocking up by December 26th and plenty of new games will be in store for me to play. No new clothes this year, as TRON: Legacy has basically been taking all that up. So guess what? It's your Christmas and I would like to say to that: Happy Holidays and enjoy yourselves this holiday season! People on the West Coast, stay on the West Coast. It'll be warmer than over East this year. Ha ha!
That's it for the beginning of the return of the Reid's Hockey Insight blog. We got many pieces of news that needs to be analyzed up ahead. So keep checking back. Tomorrow is our weekly Wednesday Toss-Up so be sure to check tomorrow and see what debates are up for discussion and what my choice is. Later, puckheads!

Wednesday Toss-Up

So, puckheads, this might be a day late, but it's another edition of the Wednesday Toss-Up. For those of you that are new to this, there's a topic and I have to choose a side. It's fairly easy. Once you understand it, you'll know what I mean. Let's get our topics for the day.

More likely to win the Central? The Blackhawks or the Red Wings?
Okay, look, the Blackhawks are the defending Stanley Cup champions. The Red Wings, however, have more of an ability to clinch a division with ease. They have a very deep lineup much deeper than the Blackhawks, even though they are in great stretches right now. Overtime, I think the Blackhawks will eventually fall, and the Red Wings are just too tough this year. It's got to be the Red Wings.

Better buy for the Toronto Blue Jays owner? The Raptors or the Maple Leafs?
I got to think it's the Maple Leafs because they have a great history in their franchise and I believe with a new owner, they can become Stanley Cup champions. The Raptors are nothing right now because Chris Bosh left for South Beach, so I don't believe he's going to buy a team that lost one of its star players. I think the Maple Leafs are a better buy and I believe it's much better right now than the Raptors.

Better revenge game? The Capitals beating Halak or the Bruins shutting out the Flyers?
This is too easy: The Capitals may have lost to Halak in the playoffs, but the Canadiens didn't come from three games down in the series to beat them. The Bruins spanked the Flyers in this game which is a better revenge because they did blow a three-game lead in the series. I think the Flyers will need to find a way so that if they meet in the playoffs again, it's not a 3-0 hole. Right now, the better revenge is the Bruins blanking the Flyers.

Better relocation? The Edmonton Oilers moving to Quebec or the Phoenix Coyotes moving to Winnipeg?
Let's get something straight: If the Oilers go to Quebec, you're going to be facing a lot of protest in that city. The Oilers are the greatest franchise known to that city. For the Coyotes, they need to move because they're in a city where nobody cares about them and the only attendance they ever have is 6,000 people. Plus, if they move to Winnipeg, the city will embrace them and they'll get more playoff appearances thanks to that crowd. It's the Coyotes moving to Winnipeg because Edmonton's not going anywhere.

Well, that's going to do it for this week's Wednesday Toss-Up. As I have finals coming up at my college, I won't be blogging as much. Look for more blog posts coming after Wednesday, December 15. The Wednesday Toss-Up will continue every weekday but look for more posts after the 15th. Enjoy the hockey, puckheads!

Late Wednesday Toss-Up

I'm so sorry that I wasn't available to do the Wednesday Toss-Up, so I've decided to move the Toss-Up to the day after Thanksgiving.

If you want to know about my Thanksgiving, it was pretty cool. I spent the three days with my Dad in Indian Wells, a small town near Palm Desert. I had Thanksgiving dinner at the Indian Wells Country Club just right near our secondary home. I had a load to eat, especially four slices of glazed ham, two slices of turkey, two lemonades, and three plates of salad. Call that a great Thanksgiving. Today, my dad and I left Indian Wells to see the Blackhawks and the Ducks play at the Honda Center. The Blackhawks completely squashed them. After that, I saw two late basketball games as part of the 76 Classic at the Anaheim Convention Center. The first game saw UNLV bury Murray St. while the second game saw Tulsa completely overwhelm Stanford.

Yep, that was basically my Thanksgiving days for you. Don't worry. I still have a lot more. Blackhawks-Kings tomorrow at Staples. And then the completion of the 76 Classic with four games at the Anaheim Convention Center on Sunday. Man, what a weekend.

But enough about that. This toss-up ain't going to toss itself, so let's look at our debates and see what I think about.

Bigger surprise in the NHL so far? Justin Williams or Dustin Byfuglien?
I believe that Justin Williams in the bigger surprise in the NHL. Byfuglien is not really a surprise since he did so well in the playoffs with the Blackhawks and it seems to have translated with the Thrashers. Justin Williams was basically a non-factor last season, but he has brought his game up to lead the Kings with 9 goals, 13 assists, which gives a total of 22 points. This answer is most definitely Justin Williams because I know that Byfuglien is a great player.

More likely to win the Eastern Conference? Flyers or Capitals?
This shouldn't be up for discussion because both of these teams are the best in the NHL right now. Ovechkin is a beast on the ice. He can outplay the Flyers in any aspect he wants to. If he continues like this, the Capitals will win the Cup. I like the Flyers' rotation a lot and I think Jeff Carter is a great player, but the Capitals can neutralize them. I don't think the Flyers have a chance to beat the Capitals in the playoffs if they ever meet so I will go Capitals to win the Eastern Conference and possibly the Cup.

Better player in net for the Blackhawks? Marty Turco or Corey Crawford?
Let me explain this: Fans and players in the NHL never like Marty Turco because of his great save percentage, but fans in Chicago and Dallas seem to love him, so I don't get this. I believe that Turco is the right man right now in Chicago, but Crawford is building his way up. If he plays extremely well, he might take over Turco's job as the number one goaltender. That would mean Turco would get cut. This answer is Crawford because Turco is so past his prime and he gives up way too many goals in any one game, especially that disaster in Calgary where he gave Jarome Iginla a hat trick. Crawford is the better player in net; he'll lead the Blackhawks and not Turco.

More likely to fall down in the conference standings? The Canadiens or the Ducks?
The Ducks have fallen and they can't get back up. I believe the Ducks are going to finish last in the conference this year because Jonas Hiller can't keep the puck out of the net. If Randy Carlyle decides to move his number one goalie to Curtis McElhinney, I think I would pick the Canadiens to fall. Right now, the Ducks are falling. The Canadiens are still hanging in there, but the Ducks are falling unless the coach makes a change in the lineup.

Better movie this past week? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 or Tangled?
This isn't a hockey question but it sounds relevant to my weekend. The Harry Potter was not as great as the six movies before it because I wanted to see more action and there wasn't any. I like all the movies that Disney makes and I think Tangled was a great movie. It was too funny and it had a great storyline, though it was nothing like Rapunzel, where it was based off of, but it is still a great movie. I think Tangled wins this because Harry Potter is so old and out-of-date and the actors hate being characters on these movies anymore.

Well, that wraps up the make-up date for the Wednesday Toss-Up. Keep tuning in for blog posts about things going on around the NHL and keep tabs this coming Wednesday as I WILL be returning to the Wednesday Toss-Up. In the meantime, enjoy your turkey (and glazed ham), puckheads!

Wednesday Toss-Up for November 17, 2010

Well, it's Wednesday once again, and you know what that means?

That's right, puckheads. It's the second-ever edition of Wednesday Toss-Up. Just look at all the topics circling the NHL right now. Some of these provide a debate, so why not bring all the topics into view? Let's see what we have.

More impressive hat trick? Jonathan Toews or Eric Staal?
Jonathan Toews is known to score a lot of goals against teams. But he got that hat trick against the Oilers, who are a bad team at the moment and have virtually no goaltending. We don't get to see Eric Staal scoring all the time because guys like Chad LaRose and Tuomo Ruutu are the ones we see scoring. Plus, he got it against Ottawa, a much better team than Edmonton. Eric Staal's hat trick is more impressive.

Chris Stewart scoring 11 goals. MVP or not?
He's pretty good right now, but there are guys overlapping him at this very moment. I don't see why this kid is not a potential candidate. He's leading the Avalanche in goals right now, so why wouldn't you put this kid into the candidate? I don't think he'll win it though, so I'm gonna go with no MVP, although he is a good candidate for it.

Logan Couture of the Sharks. Impact player or normal player?
I haven't seen much of Logan Couture but he's got 3 game-winning goal for the Sharks. That is a good number. If he is a normal player, then he would be having 3 game-winning goal. Right now, he's that big of an impact and he's one of the reasons the Sharks are staying afloat.

Brett Sutter trade. Good for the Flames or good for the Hurricanes?
Okay, I've heard of his apology about getting into a fight in Arizona. If his uncle traded him because of this, then Darryl should be fired. Either way, it won't help the Flames out in any aspect. It can't help them anyway because Brett Sutter hasn't played much. He's been in their AHL affiliate. I think it helps more of the Hurricanes because they can use his scoring and he's paired with his brother Brandon. It helps the Hurricanes, doesn't really help the Flames.

Craig Anderson injury. Good or threatening for Colorado?
It's not threatening in any aspect because Craig Anderson is known to bounce back from injury. This is going to be fine and Peter Budaj is doing well in net right now. Once Anderson comes back, he'll lead this team to victory. So either way, it's all Colorado. Nothing threatening going on there.

Tony Parker and Eva Longoria divorce. Fair or foul?
Okay, if I believe this story that Eva found a bunch of text messages on Tony's phone between him and his teammate's wife, then this is definitely foul and it should've happened. This is dumb by Parker. He needs total rehab if he's ever going to stop cheating on people because he think he's found more beautiful women. Eva Longoria is more beautiful than these women. This just pisses me off. Foul. Definitely foul and he needs to get his life in order. I mean, right now.

So that's all of what we have for toss-up. Good questions, no? I know the last one isn't a hockey toss-up but it was some sort of news that needed a small debate. Anyway, check in next Wednesday when I have new toss-ups to choose. In the meantime, keep reading my posts, puckheads.

Can the Sabres come back with some more home wins?

It seems like the Sabres have found their strides...at home at least. Two good home wins by this club is seemingly putting this team on the right track. But for how long? They beat the dominant Capitals and the somewhat powerful Canucks, both of these games in overtime. So it seems like maybe their home dominance might have to wait until they actually get a home win.
The Sabres take their game on the road by visiting the nation's capital in a rematch with the Capitals. I don't expect that the Sabres will actually take this game because the Capitals are too good on the power play and especially in offensive production at home.
But that is the Sabres only game on the road until November 27. So it seems like the Sabres can actually come back, but their home schedule gets a little tough after the visit to Washington. The LA Kings come calling, then Tampa Bay, then Pittsburgh.
Those are some pretty elite clubs, especially the Kings, who have climbed to the top of the Western Conference. It'll be very hard for the Sabres to nail through the Kings' goaltender Jonathan Quick. Then Tampa Bay has the very experienced Steven Stamkos who can push the goal into the back of the net.
Ryan Miller's going to have to be good these next few games because they're going to have a big struggle these next few games. So far, the Sabres are on the right track. But can they dominate their next few games and ride to the top of the Northeast Conference? Stay tuned.

First Edition of Wednesday Toss-Up

Guess what, puckheads? I'm debuting something new that you might have seen on shows like ESPN's Pardon The Interruption. It's called the Wednesday Toss-Up and it'll have a new edition every single Wednesday. Here are the rules: there's a piece of news and you have to chose one opinion over another. Now, unlike PTI, this is all about hockey mainly from events over the past few weeks to stories that have come across the wire. There's a lot of hot topics circling the NHL each day. It's always nice to have a little game of toss up to even the odds. Let's get our first one.

Who is more likely to finish last in the Eastern Conference? Sabres or Devils?
This is tough because both of these teams are having trouble offensively and worse problems defensively. They are both in very tight divisions, only being separated by 7-10 points. I don't think the Devils can get hot any time soon because they are virtually unable to create enough offense to help them win games. Martin Brodeur is not getting any help from this team. It's the Devils.

McElhinney's first career shutout? Impressive or nothing?
I love Curtis McElhinney and I'm very glad that he got the shutout. But the Islanders lost seven straight games coming into Honda Center, even though they played very well tonight. I don't think McElhinney has faced enough good competition for his shutout to be considered impressive. I will go with nothing because I don't think the Islanders are particularly a good enough team for anything the other team does to be considered impressive.

The Toronto Maple Leafs losing seven in a row. Concerning or safe?
When I think of the Toronto Maple Leafs, I think that everything they do is concerning. When they got off to a strong start at the beginning of the year, I thought they were eventually going to tumble. And right now, they seem to be tumbling. It's never safe in Toronto anymore. People there are always worried about their team. This is definitely concerning.

More likely to make an impact for their team? Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin?
I haven't heard anything from Tyler Seguin for me to consider him an impact player for his team. Taylor Hall has already scored two goals but the Oilers are having trouble. The Bruins have enough players on that team that Tyler Seguin doesn't necessarily have to help them. I think that Taylor Hall will be more of an impact for his team because they're at the bottom of the Western Conference and they need help.

NHL players picking All-Star Game teams? Cool or a bad idea?
The All-Star Game should have been picked by the players instead of dividing them up into the East and the West. It just puts certain players at a disadvantage. What would be cool is if Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin were the captains. That way, the All-Star Game would be so fun to watch. This is cool, this is the perfect idea.

Well, that's all I got for this debut edition of Wednesday Toss-Up. Tune in next Wednesday for some new toss-ups. Until then, keep reading my blog posts and I'll see you around, puckheads.

Lightning vs. Kings; A Potential Finals Match, Perhaps?

The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Los Angeles Kings. Is this a potential Stanley Cup Finals match or not? Or me, it should be the Finals. Well, too bad it isn't...yet. But this preview game tonight might tell us that if it is a Finals match who is better matched in this game.
The Lightning are coming off an overtime loss to Anaheim last night where Steven Stamkos scored one of two goals for the Lightning, but he'll have to be better than that tonight if he's planning on beating the top team in the Western Conference right now, the Los Angeles Kings.
Oh, and I forgot. This is a match between the two top teams in their conferences. The Lightning are tied with the Capitals for the top of the Eastern Conference, while the Kings hold the top spot in the Western Conference with sixteen points.
The Kings have won all its home games so far with a 4-0-0 record. They'll look to make it 5-0-0 tonight against the Lightning, but they had better watch out, because the Lightning are also fighting and they got premier players on their team like Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis.
However, the Kings have not played since last Saturday and even though they got plenty of rest, the Lightning just played and they'll look to get back on track at STAPLES. After all, the Lightning are 5-0-0 with two ties in Los Angeles since November 6, 1997.
But Tampa Bay has to face an uphill battle. Drew Doughty and Scott Parse are expected back in the lineup tonight and that's what the Lightning will have to face tonight, as well as Anze Kopitar, Jonathan Quick, and the other stupendous members of LA's team this year.
Fortunately for me, I'll be on hand at STAPLES tonight to see this premiere teams go at it. It's a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see two premiere teams battle it out. What do I expect from these two teams? A lot of hitting. A lot of cross-checking and perhaps a lot of penalties to go with those cross-checkings. I think there's going to be a few goals, but I think the goaltending matchups are going to be dominant tonight.
Tonight's game should be one of the good games this year. These teams battling it out in front of a sellout crowd and it should be pleasing. Will the Lightning get back on track after a bad overtime loss in Anaheim? Will the Kings keep their home streak intact and move to 5-0-0 at home on the season? Watch this exciting matchup tonight at 7:30pm on Fox Sports West. See for yourself who has the advantage and maybe it will be a Finals match.

Will the Lightning Bolt to the Top?

We've seen many versions of the Tampa Bay Lightning before. They start weak then get strong. They start strong then get weak. They start weak and stay weak. And they start strong and stay strong.

Well so far this season, the Tampa Bay Lightning have hit the start strong and stay strong category. For the Lightning, they're not the most popular team on the ice, but if you want them long enough, you'll see how good they are.

Sitting at the top of the Southeast Division with 15 points, the Lightning seemed poised to make a good run to the playoffs, even though it's only October. Why are they doing so well? Guys like Steven Stamkos, perhaps? Of course, it has to be him. The top draft pick in 2008, Stamkos has been making the biggest impact of any player on the team this season. He's got 9 goals and 10 assists.

But that's not the only player the Lightning have got that has made an impact. Over the last few weeks or so, Martin St. Louis has certainly stepped up his game, earning great praise from many NHL commentators, bloggers, and other media personnel, and so have I. 5 goals and 7 assists for number 26 is certainly a good mark so far with only a month of play. But that's how hard you'll have to work if you want your team to be elite.

So far, the Lightning's schedule have favored them. They're in a middle of a four-game West Coast trip. They beat Phoenix on Saturday 3-0 with good production from their top lines, especially Steven Stamkos, who had a goal in this game. Now, they go on to Anaheim, Los Angeles, and San Jose to complete this trip. I expect about two wins from them on the rest of their road trip because Anaheim hasn't played well lately and San Jose played two poorly driven teams in their last two contests.

Don't count out the Lightning if you're one of the teams playing them in the next couple of weeks. Steven Stamkos is red-hot and the Lightning players have been able to back him with spectacular play, including their goaltenders like Dan Ellis, who earned the shutout in Phoenix. They're a fun team to watch. Look for them to make noise in the Eastern Conference.

Analyzing the Devils' Road Trip

Let us analyze the New Jersey Devils road trip so far and see if progress is being made.

So far, the Devils has visited 2 cities in their 5-game road trip. They are both San Jose and Anaheim. In the first game against San Jose, the Devils' offense and defense were both ineffective, only getting goals from David Clarkson and Andy Greene. The Sharks' top line made them pay with Joe Thornton getting a hat trick, while Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley each scored a goal en route to a 5-2 win over the Devils.

The Devils got a day off, then tonight, they faced off against the Anaheim Ducks. At first, the Devils' defense seemed to let Martin Brodeur down, resulting in an early second period goal by Jason Blake. However, the Devils' defense stood strong and the offense took over. Jamie Langenbrunner managed to slip one past Hiller a few minutes after the Blake goal at the other end for a 1-1 tie. Then in the 3rd period, Patrick Elias gave them the go-ahead goal. Brodeur and the defense held on for a 2-1 win over the Devils.

So far so good, right? Not quite. The Devils only managed to get one win against two easily defeatable teams. Unfortunately, they face stronger teams the last remaining part of their road trip. They face Los Angeles tomorrow at STAPLES Center, then they travel to Vancouver and then Chicago. It doesn't sound like the Devils' schedule is going to favor them much the rest of their road trip.

Los Angeles is coming off a good win in Dallas, so it sounds like Martin Brodeur is going to have to be tough in net again if he plans on getting a win against a good team like LA. The defense will have to be strong again too. The defense looked a little poor at times against Anaheim and Los Angeles knows how to capitalize on bad defensive plays.

Vancouver and Chicago play tough too, especially the defending champions. Blackhawks player Patrick Sharp is leading the NHL in goals and he'll plan to get more, even against the Devils. Vancouver is coming off a strong overtime win against Colorado, so they'll be ready for a showdown with the Devils.

If the Devils plan on getting back to the top of the Eastern Conference, they'll need to play smarter offense, play strong on defense that will help Brodeur make great saves, and look for the open shots when they are present. Right now, they're still at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Like hockey players would say: If you want to play with the big boys, you gotta beat the big boys. Right now, that's what the Devils need to do if they want to play at the top.

I'll be in LA tomorrow night for this game, so I'll be looking to see if they plan on capitalizing like they did in Anaheim. Jonathan Quick will be in net for the Kings so it'll be tough for the Devils to look for the good scoring chances, but right now, the Devils need to focus on one game at a time, as well as looking for ways to win games.

Don't Underestimate the Coyotes

If there's one thing all teams need to learn is that no team should be let down, even if their record doesn't show it.

The Phoenix Coyotes are one of those teams.

The Coyotes are 3-3-3 after a 4-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings, the team that they played in the playoffs last season and got all the way to Game 7 before the Wings finally beat them. But this season, it looks like the Coyotes could get the advantage against another team to make it to the second round.

New addition Eric Belanger is making the biggest impact on the team so far with two goals and four assists in the nine games that the Coyotes have played so far. Lee Stempniak is right up there with three goals and two assists, while Scottie Upshall is also right there with three goals and one assist.

Don't think that the Coyotes won't turn the table, but they've already beaten the Red Wings on their own turf and they plan to do some more damage to some big-name teams. Sure, they lost to Montreal and Ottawa before playing Detroit but they've struggled worse on the season than Phoenix.

Their next set of games should make it tough for the Coyotes, however. The Lightning and Predators come to town, then a date in Dallas. They could very easily be 3-5-3 by next Friday, but I'm guessing the Coyotes won't make it easy on their next few opponents.

We should look for a good up-and-coming team in the next few days. The Coyotes will not be a team that has its back against the wall. It will strike hard and fast to get the wins it desperately needs so they can have a shot at the Cup. Look out, NHL. The Coyotes are howling like mad!

Are the Flames a Resurging Team?

Well, it is almost a full month into the season. Teams have stumbled right out of the gate while others have been able to start off well.

You could say the Calgary Flames are one of those teams to start off on a decent track. After finishing horribly last season with no playoff appearance, it seems like the Flames came into this season with a goal: to get back into the playoffs and hopefully get back to the Stanley Cup.

Now I wouldn't say they're going to ultimately win the entire Stanley Cup but right now, they have a slight chance. But competition will play a factor down the stretch. Right now, let's look at the Flames and see how they got this far.

The Edmonton Oilers finished last in the entire NHL last year, so it was no big problem for the Flames. They are so far 2-1-0 against them, that one loss coming in a 4-0 drubbing in Edmonton. But they've won two at home including a shootout win tonight. They shut out the Sharks 4-0, beat Columbus in Columbus, made a decisive victory over the Kings, and got a win in overtime in Nashville. Pretty good, right?

Well, the Flames did have some bad losses maybe a few that came back to haunt them, but definitely didn't hurt them. As I said before, they lost their opening game 4-0 in Edmonton. They got shut out by the Panthers at home 3-0. Then they lost in Detroit 4-2.

That doesn't sound bad, though, except maybe for the Panthers. We wouldn't expect the Flames to win every game against Edmonton, and Detroit's always a strong team that manages to beat the Flames. But there's absolutely nothing bad about that.

Rene Bourque is a strong presence tallying six goals and two assists, Curtis Glencross is starting to have an impact, Jarome Iginla and Craig Conroy play like complete stars for this team, Alex Tanguay is a strong player in his return to Calgary after playing in Montreal and Tampa Bay, and Miikka Kiprusoff is doing superb in net.

The Flames are going to be a big threat to the Western Conference and maybe even will compete with the Canucks for the top spot in the Northwest Division. But maybe things are going to change. After all, the Washington Capitals visit on Saturday and then the Red Wings come to Pengrowth on that following Wednesday.

Is there a chance the Flames are going to resurge though? Only time will tell and how well they play against good teams from both the West and the East. Saturday's matchup between them and the Capitals will be a must-watch. We'll know by this time if they can be a serious threat to the powerhouses in the Western Conference.

Devils Are Not Devilish...At Least Not Now

One question I have to ask: How about them Devils? Hahahaha. Just kidding. But seriously, there is something that is going on with those New Jersey Devils. But what is it?

How about the fact that they are 2-6-1 and are coming off two back-to-back losses where they've only scored 2 goals combined in those games. Those goals were scored by Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk, basically two of few players on the team that are actually scoring goals and making some sort of production on the team.

But can a message be sent to them that they are falling behind in the Atlantic Division and need to get themselves back into shape? That message might take a long time to produce. After all, they are 2-6-1. I applaud them though because Brodeur got another shutout in a 3-0 win over Montreal in Montreal's dome. They seriously need to get some work done and fast.

Martin Brodeur has been playing well. However, it is the kind of defense and production that he is getting from the lines. They aren't producing like they're supposed to and it's starting to haunt them.

So are the Devils really going to have a shot at getting back to the top? That might take a while, since the its division foes are all really tough this year and making it hard for the Devils to compete in this division. But there's a good enough chance the Devils will start making some noise again and get back into the race for the top spot in the Atlantic.

But they're going to need a miracle. They go west starting Tuesday and play five games away from Prudential Center. Their schedule on road is San Jose, Anaheim, Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Chicago. It won't be an easy task to win all of these games, especially against Chicago, Vancouver, and Los Angeles. Devils need to work hard, play better hockey, and give Martin Brodeur some help.

I will be in attendance for the Devils' two games in Anaheim and Los Angeles. I will keep an eye on the players that play for the Devils. I will find out if they are playing better or if they are playing like the same team that's playing right now. Will Devils coach John MacLean make some big mistakes that cost them these early games? Or is this the time that he turns the ship?

We'll find out in this coming road trip if the Devils can make it back to the top of the division. So far, Devils fans should cross their fingers and hope that their team can get back into it.

Is Six Games Enough for Rick Rypien?

We would figure that Rick Rypien would either get a big punishment of about twenty games or a small punishment of around five games.
It seemed like the punishment pushed towards a small punishment rather than a big one. Yes, the NHL has decided to suspend Canucks center Rick Rypien for a maximum of six games, making him eligible to return Saturday, November 6 at home against the Detroit Red Wings. Meanwhile, it will look like the Canucks will have to contend without him as they prepare for a game tonight at home against Minnesota, the team that one of its fan was pushed by Rick Rypien.
Now, let's look closely at six games. Doesn't sound like a lot, right? Well, looking at the Canucks schedule, they have three home games and then two away games. They are playing at home against Minnesota, Colorado, and New Jersey and then on the road at Edmonton and at Colorado. They certainly seem to see many teams in their division as of late. I don't think the Canucks need to worry about the teams coming forward now that they don't have Rick Rypien in their lineup.
But let's look at Rick Rypien's suspension instead of what the Canucks are up against. Is six games a fair suspension by the NHL? There is a downside and a upside. He did get suspended for a lot of games but the NHL does fear that the players will come back and lash out at them. A six-game suspension certainly seems far but at what cost?
The fan was pushed by Rick Rypien. The fan applauded at him but made no push or physical emotion that would've provoked Rick Rypien to push him back. So this is entirely on Rick Rypien. A six-game suspension is fine, but I would've been more happy if it were a ten or fifteen game suspension. He instigated this entire thing physically and he deserves more than just six games.
This is one of the many times where the NHL acts like a complete idiot, in a way. If they don't find a way to suspend their players fairly, then they should be people in that office, and I mean new people, that can get the job done and give these players justice. Yeah, okay, Rick Rypien felt the justice but it wasn't enough justice.
For the future, the NHL needs to seriously consider how to properly suspend their players. If you give them a low suspension, why not fine them as well? We shouldn't let these players walk away with just a small suspension. A big suspension doesn't matter. But the NHL needs to crack down more on players that decide to attack fans. Players aren't supposed to physically hurt fans, and it cost Rick Rypien. Hopefully he learned something and hopefully the NHL will crack down more on players who lose their temper and decide to do this type of thing.

Is Rick Rypien At Fault for His Actions?

For many years, NHL players and coaches have been trying to avoid getting involved in fans that go against them or hate them. Unfortunately, last night's scuffle was one of them. In last night's Canucks-Wild game, Canucks center Rick Rypien was assessed a double minor for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct penalty. A Minnesota Wild fan was applauding just as Rick Rypien left the ice. Before heading into the tunnel, Rypien grabbed the Wild fan, shoved him, and then was grabbed by teammate Manny Malhotra before leaving into the tunnel.
Now that's been the first in a while since a player has had an altercation with a fan of some sort. Two seasons ago, New York Rangers coach John Torterella has an altercation with a Washington Capitals fan. He was suspended for one game and his team lost the game against the Rangers.
But this Rypien incident goes above what Coach John Tortorella did. He took the fan, shoved him, and disappeared into the tunnel. He has been suspended indefinitely and will get a hearing on Friday, where he will be heard from many NHL board members and commissioner Gary Bettman.
Is the NHL going to be a genius and fine this guy or suspend him? He has already been suspended for tonight's game against the Blackhawks but I have a gut feeling he's going to get more than just that game. He will get fined, he will get suspended, and he will get booed every time he returns to Minnesota. Okay, that last one, I'm just guessing that will happen.
The other big problem was the tunnel to the beaches. It's a tunnel on wheels and it wasn't completely moved out all the way to the benches. Arenas do this so that the fans can't get to the players. But at Xcel Energy Center, it wasn't completely moved out all the way. Instead, it stopped a few inches before the bench.
But Rick Rypien's attitude and temper towards this situation pisses me off. As an NHL player, you're not allowed to interact with fans or touch fans in an aggressive way. I hope he gets a suspension because it is unfair and illegal in the world of hockey. Hockey players try to play like nobody's in the stands but guess what, Rick Rypien didn't think that way in this game, didn't he?
So anyway he's out of tonight's game against the Blackhawks and I think 2-4 more games will be added to his suspension. It wasn't that violent but it's worth a good number of games. He'll probably have to think about what he did but guess what, in hockey, players get aggressive sometimes and for Rick Rypien it was clearly communicated in a negative way. Let's hope the league disciplines more players who decide to do this. Hopefully they all learned a lesson from this incident and hopefully Rick Rypien has as well.

So Much is Wrong with the Devils

Losing 4-1 against the Boston Bruins on Saturday just added to more of the New Jersey Devils and their problems this season. Not only bad goaltending from Martin Brodeur but not enough scoring from their front line.
Of course every NHL team is almost hoping that the New Jersey Devils actually finish outside of the playoffs, but that's no way to think about this NHL season. So let's start from the beginning: The Devils lost to the Stars, then lost to the Penguins, won in overtime against the Sabres, and now this 4-1 drubbing by the Boston Bruins. That's how far this season has gone for these particular Devils.
So is there any chance of a turnaround? Of course there is. The Devils' season isn't over yet; they still have 78 games left and there's still time to turn it around. But there's going to need to get more offensive production from their forward lines like Travis Zajac, Zach Parise, Patrik Elias, Jamie Langenbrunner and most especially Ilya Kovalchuk.
With the kind of deal that Kovalchuk got in the offseason, you would expect the Devils to do very well, if not do better than they did last year, but so far the offensive gain has not given him a single scoring opportunity that he has wanted in a while. He will get back on his game, but the question is: When does he and the Devils finally realize that the teams they beat before are getting better? Everyone's beating them now except maybe the Sabres and Islanders, but they need to find ways to win even if it is ugly.
The next matchup will prove to be an ugly one, especially when they are not favored to win. They will have to go up to Montreal and face the high-scoring Canadiens as well as their rowdy fans. I don't think in the type of shape they're in, they're going to be winning that game in Montreal. But who knows? I would expect them to win the next game against the Sabres in Prudential because the Sabres are having trouble scoring, plus they lost to Chicago. Will the Devils get back on course? Or is it a sinking ship? We'll find out in the coming week.

Penguins vs. Devils: Who is Worse?

It's unbelievable how it has come to this.

The Penguins and Devils are both having trouble right now. The Penguins are 0-2-0 while the Devils are 0-1-1. At least the Devils has one point and are ahead of the Penguins right now, but for how long?

Both of these teams face off tomorrow at the Prudential Center in Newark, and it looks like this will be the game that will determine who is having the worse start of all.

The Penguins are coming off back-to-back losses in their new home against the Flyers and the Canadiens. Hey, it would be nice if they had at least won the game against the Canadiens, but that's history at this point.

The Devils are coming off a shootout loss and a really bad loss against the Stars and the Capitals. Alex Ovechkin burned Martin Brodeur twice while the rest of the Caps team put together goals that compiled a 7-2 win against the Devils.

Looks like Monday's matchup might be a do-or-die situation for both of these teams. The Penguins have had lucky rebounds their way, while the Devils' Martin Brodeur has bailed out his team in incredible form.

Who I pick to win this game: It's tough to go against Martin Brodeur and the Devils, but I'm gonna stay safe and pick the Penguins to win this one. They may have started out 0-2, but they have a better chance of rebounding than the Devils would. Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Tyler Kennedy, Zbynek Michalek, and many other Penguins have a better chance of scoring against Martin Brodeur than the Devils would against Marc-Andre Fleury.

Tomorrow's game looks like a nail-bitter. Who will be sitting on the bottom of the rank while the other team saves itself? Only the game tomorrow will tell.

Capitals are Not the Cup Favorites

We've seen good teams go through this time and time again. First, it was the San Jose Sharks, who failed to even get to the Stanley Cup last year. Then, it was the Washington Capitals, who failed to even get past Montreal last season. There's a key there: Even the best teams are vulnerable to the most hyped-up part of the year: the playoffs.
Well, it's a new season. Players have gone and left, contracts were given out to players who wanted to return to the team, and like last year, the Capitals are starting off as the Cup favorites in everyone's mind. Except me.
I don't believe the Caps, the Sharks, or any good team up there should be considered the Cup favorites at this point. Why? It's too early in the season to tell who's in and who's not. Maybe after a few months, we'll have a better picture, but now's not the right time to make a good prediction.
We've all seen how bad good teams have performed in the playoffs. But let's not give any credit to the Capitals or any other good team out there yet. It is SO early in the season that you don't know what might happen. They may start out as great teams but then they'll falter and start losing more and more games. The Kings did this, the Canucks did this, heck even the Capitals and Sharks did this.
Does the impact of Alex Ovechkin help give the Caps more of a Cup favorite? That would seem like what everyone is going after and why they're picking the Caps. But hey, Ovechkin's may be the best player on their team, but he really doesn't know how to produce for his team in the playoffs. On the power play, it is like a faltering rock that won't budge.
This team is gonna be stuck for most of the season, but maybe they'll get hot. Just remember one thing: The playoffs are a very different area than the regular season. You may go through the regular season hot but by the time the playoffs roll around, you were dragging yourself in and about to get whomped by a lower-ranking team.
The season has just started, people. Let us all watch a few games and see who we really think the Cup favorites are. Maybe they're the Capitals or the Sharks or the Canucks or the Kings. Either way, we should be on the lookout for those up-and-coming teams. Maybe they'll surprise everyone and suddenly become the Cup favorites.

Hockey in Las Vegas? A Good Option

What comes to mind when you think of Las Vegas? Of course you would probably say entertainment, gambling, casinos, crazy people doing mime acts on the street, etc. But what if I told you that sports is already having a big impact on Vegas?

I mean, yes, they gamble for teams to win games so that it allows them to get more money. How about watching the game in person? Isn't that a little more exciting? Well guess what. On Saturday, October 2, fans of the Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings came to Las Vegas, as well as fans in Las Vegas, came to the preseason game between the Avalanche and the Kings.

This game might not mean much for the league, but in terms of Las Vegas, it is a huge deal. Fans of the Kings drove up the I-15 from LA to see their favorite team the Kings play the enemy Avalanche. That's what Las Vegas wants.

The two teamss played inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena and I must say, it is a great arena for basketball, concerts, hockey, etc. But hockey outlasts all the others. The chance to watch a team play in another city is a breath-taking experience for people who love enjoying sports as well as going to them in person.

This event was called Frozen Fury XIII. Why they called it that is way beyond my measures. I think it's been a tradition to have a preseason game in Las Vegas to drive in the money revenue, but that's not my area.

Now with all this hype about hockey preseason games in Las Vegas and so what, does it look like that Vegas will get something more than UNLV football and basketball games? Now don't get me wrong, I love UNLV. I may not have gone to college there, but I love them. But I feel like Vegas could use a little more. Maybe some more professional teams coming on. The Lakers are coming to play in the arena in a few weeks and that should bring in way more fans because almost everyone in Vegas is a fan of the Lakers.

Okay, I'm getting off-track. Back to my question. It looks evitable for Vegas to have a hockey team. After all, they host one preseason game every year and they love sports like hockey. So maybe it is a good idea for Vegas to have its own hockey team. Now, doing that is completely out of my control, but I'm sure the NHL will look into it and see about bringing the team in. Hey, the Coyotes are horrible in Phoenix in terms of money and ownership. Just move the team up to Las Vegas. We're done.

It's never that easy to bring ice hockey to Las Vegas. However, with the support of the citizens and the consent of the NHL, I'm sure Vegas will finally have a hockey team within the next ten years or so. Let's just hope people are still into ice hockey at that time like they are right now.

What Does Bobby Ryan Help the Ducks With?

Something of a contract is certainly worthy for one player. If it's for Bobby Ryan, then it had better be a large contract.

Yes, a few weeks ago before the preseason started, Bobby Ryan received a 5-year deal from the Anaheim Ducks, which he accepted with gracious honors. I'm sure he feels relieved he is finally coming back to his own team, and the Ducks are finally glad that he's staying on even though he was a restricted free agent.

So now that we've covered that let's take a look at what has happened during his preseason time? I can only cover a certain amount of action, like the Coyotes-Ducks game on September 21st and the Ducks-Kings game on September 28th.

He played very well in both games scoring the lone goal in the first game for the Ducks. He seems like a very reliable player with speed and agility to help him get past even the most supreme of defenses.

Okay, I'm just kidding. He is that great of a player. So what does he help the Ducks with? Many of those problem areas, I know. He is able to crack through tough defenses, look for the loose pucks, and jam them in the back of the net. Yes, that's exactly what the Ducks need in order to reclaim that postseason birth.

However, his role hasn't been that easy. He's had trouble last season even though he was very productive in getting goals and it looks like he'll have to do a lot better this season in order to get back into the playoffs.

So guess what? We've seen Bobby Ryan before and we'll see the good ol' scoring guy he really is. Keep watching out for him. He's dangerous, he's fast, and he can score before you even have a chance to react.

Writing a Lot of Essays

A blog post will be written about Bobby Ryan tomorrow. He recently got a 5-year deal from the Anaheim Ducks and I'll write a post on what I think about the new deal and the future for my Ducks.

In the meantime, let me write something that has gotten me feel a little tired and overwhelmed all the time: Writing essays. Yes, yes. Writing essays is not fun for anybody, but it's a requirement in middle school, high school, and college.

Well, see, I go to Whittier College. Now this college is a writing intensive school. You know what that means? More essays. Lots of essays. Essays that blow your brain up and leave you feeling flat.

Writing essays is not something anybody should be ashamed of. Sure we have problems with mechanics, writing, grammar skills, and so what. But the fact of the matter is we have no control over what essays we do and how we do them.

We're trained in very different areas of essay writing. I was taught that the thesis statement is the first thing you say in a paragraph. Now after listening to my peer mentors and my faculty advisor say that the thesis statement comes at the end of the sentence and a hook comes at the first, I was thinking "What the?"

Yes, I do have a different way of writing and Whittier College feels like it should change that so I live under a different level. It doesn't really make sense. We can write an essay however we want but now we have to learn a different way to write?

Heck I'm just saying: I may be a writer, but I'm not a pressure cooker. If I write under pressure or in a different system, you'll see me get an F faster than a bird can learn how to fly.

So yes essays are tough and things always seem to go downhill whenever somebody writes an essay. But lift your head high. We're not all losers at this time and sometimes we even learn a lesson from them. Take essays like an adventure. Write the first few words and let the pen and the mind take the rest.

We don't love essays and sometimes they do haunt us, but it's for our benefit to have success in the outside world. So take the essays seriously. They might be hard and they might be tough, but in the end, it'll all be worth it, both as a writer and anywhere in the future careers.

Three Things I'm Pissed Off About: My College, the Angels' closer problems, and Nikolai Khabibulin

There are many things in the world that piss us off. Of course, most of them are relationships, stress, evil teachers, etc. Are they all the source of one problem or many problems altogether? That's not the question I'm pondering about. I've decided to include some things that I'm very angry about these last few days and they all span some topic that I'm trying to cover in most of my daily life.
The first thing I'm pissed off about is my college. Now recently I have been accepted to Whittier College and went there, like I was supposed that. Unfortunately, everything I had expected didn't turn out quite the way I wanted it. You see, I'm part of the largest class size Whittier ever has, as a result of more and more people graduating. So it's hard to make friends in this kind of environment especially with a big number of people.
When you first go off to college, do you expect a fresh start in a new environment? Or is the drama that was high school starting to linger over you? Actually, to be honest, I am feeling like Whittier College has become a high school. Honestly. I can see some groups starting to click and form cliques. The relationships are blossoming within different people. Whether or not they meant it or not, that is what I picture. The teachers are a far more serious problems. On the first few days of school, it's like a living crap nightmare. They start handing out hard homework assignments like it's supposed to be a mass murder.
Now let me say something here: This is stupid and I am almost to the edge of the cliff and about to fall in. I have walked into a mess and have no idea how to get out of it. Will it pan out okay? Honestly, I doubt it and I always regret everything I do. I think it's stupid and insaneful that people are starting to form their own groups and avoid the unrealistic topic of what's at hand. I'm not used to college life and I don't think I want to be. In fact, I don't think I was ready for college at all. I think I'm just scared of new people and people in general. Maybe I'm just plain stupid, that's all. But here's the thing: When you enter a nightmare and a nightmare like this college, the memories last like glue and paste.
Okay, those are all what I think. Unless somebody comments or tells me otherwise, that is my perception. I'm not after anybody or anyone else. I'm just totally insecure in how I want to deal with my life. I want to make a name for myself in some way, but I want to be off campus a lot, which I am. I'm gone, I'm not involved in school-related activities, and honestly, I'd rather not get involved, unless, of course, you tell me a good reason that I should. I want to live a good life, and right now, some of you might not be giving that to me. I hope I'm wrong and I hope there is some way to correct this but for right now, I don't know where I'm going.
Okay, that's enough about my college hectics. The next thing I'm pissed off about is the Los Angeles Angels' closer problems. Unfortunately, the Angels decided to give Fernando Rodney a chance at the closer role by trading away Brian Fuentes to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for some players. I have only a few things to say about this.
Is this another dumb move the Angels are planning? Or is there a darker force behind this? I've seen Fernando Rodney pitch and he gives up more runs than any other Angels pitchers combined. So I don't know why they would trust Rodney with the closer role. They've seen him pitch as well. They know the same results as the ones I've seen. So why are they trying to do this to themselves? You're already out of the playoffs and all you're doing is sacking your players for the future. I'd rather jump off bridge than see Fernando Rodney pitch. It will always be the same, unless I watch otherwise. Rodney needs to pitch better if he is planning on having a future with the Angels. Then again, he did poorly with the Tigers and it's possible he won't return to the Angels.
Here's the last point I'll make. It's an NHL point so at least I went back to the topic for a past of this post. It's about Nikolai Khabibulin. Okay, some of us have heard the story. Others haven't. I actually happened to only hear about a part of this story so I had to do a little research on ESPN to find out the actual story. What I read was from September 1. According to that report, he was sentenced to 30 days in jail, which stemmed from a drunken-driving conviction in Arizona. Now he's trying to appeal it. And I have one thing to say for Nikolai: You shouldn't have been drinking and driving in the first place. Hey, Arizona already has the new immigration law. If by chance, they can arrest you on both accounts. Oh wait, sorry. You're legally allowed to be in this country. Well actually you play for Edmonton so you suck all the time now.
I don't want Khabibulin in goal for the Oilers this season. Let another player play his position in goal. I want Devan Dubnyk instead of this dope. Hey, he may not play all as well but he's a pretty good fire in net for those Oilers who need help to get back into the Western Conference this season. After all, the Oilers became a team of discontent or, in other words, sucky. So good luck Khabibulin, at least if you do get sentenced to 30 days, at least you don't have to be on a sucky team.
Well, that's the end of my day. Yeah, it's pretty long, isn't it? Well, there's a lot of say and there's plenty of time to say it. Unless you're writing at 1:29 in the morning in which case there's not a whole lot you could say. But I said a lot, didn't I? Those are my three things I'm most pissed off about right now. Comment on any way you choose. I'm just saying opinions. If you find something really harsh, I apologize but I didn't mean to target anybody or anything. Just remember that. Rememer to keep reading those hockey insights. The season's fast approaching so there'll be more and more coming. Later, bros and puckheads.

Why You Can Never Be Too Sure About the Coyotes

So what if you don't have all the money to stay in a place that doesn't promote hockey? What if fans are continuing to empty Jobing.com Arena overtime? If the Coyotes plan on trying to rebuild themselves in the Phoenix area, it might have been too little too late. Or are they staying? The money and the investors are not willing to come to a team that has had trouble selling out tickets in a place that doesn't promote hockey as much as football, basketball, or baseball.
So we can honestly say that the Coyotes will not be in Phoenix past this year. Wait a minute. Let's not just jump to conclusions. The fact of the matter is is that the Coyotes are a team that you can never be too sure about. I mean, think about it. If the news reports says that the Coyotes have found some new investors and then another source says that the investors never even knew the team, you've got yourself a problem there, right?
The team is rebuilding under head coach Dave Tippett, but the financial troubles are still taking big hits on this young and playoff bound team. It looks like the chances of staying in Phoenix are slim to none. For me, the better bet for this team is to try and rebuild somewhere else. You won't help yourself trying to get more money in Phoenix because this team can't sell out and its losing money overtime just staying there.
We don't expect to see the reports about the Coyotes getting bought yet. I mean, if you look at it, you can create a lot more money and better investors if the team plays in Canada. So, is it inevitable that the team move up to Canada? Unfortunately, yes. I'm so sorry for a team that couldn't help themselves in the desert, but a change of scenario might help them out of a increasingly high debt.

How Niemi Helps The Sharks

Apparently, the San Jose Sharks felt that bringing in Antero Niittymaki wasn't enough to provide a solid goaltender for their team. So who they go out and get in replacement?

The guy who knocked them out of the playoffs the following year.

Yes, the San Jose Sharks have inked a deal with the former Blackhawk goaltender Antti Niemi on a reported 1-year, $2 million deal. A 1-year deal? Wait a minute. So they don't expect him to be there longer?

Hey, the Blackhawks didn't want him because of the salary cap, so they bring in former Dallas goaltender Marty Turco. He is one of eight players that was gone from the Stanley-Cup winning team. Now he's part of the team just trying to win that cup after being scrutinized by reporters and the press alike.

Niemi helps the Sharks in their goaltending situation. I don't think Niittymaki can carry this team all the way into the playoffs. After all, he's only got 73 minutes of playoff experience. Antti Niemi has a longer span of playoff experience.

He helps a team that lost Nabokov to a Russian team this past offseason and a solid defense that could use a little more help in goal feeling Niittymaki might not be the right fit for them. He has an excellent stance in goal, a more butterfly-like one that's able to stop even the hardest of shots by the opposing team.

So do we think the Sharks have the potential to go far now that Niemi has landed in San Jose? Well, I wouldn't think too far. They aren't the Blackhawks, so there's a chance they could get upset by many minor teams. But we'll see. If Niemi is as good in San Jose as he was in Chicago, the Sharks should have no problem winning a Stanley Cup this year.

Jumping to Europe? Not a Good Idea

We've heard this talk before from the NHL. It was back then and it is now again coming up in reports and talks and so what. Europe seems to be getting some excitement but don't go that far if you're in the US.
Having the NHL going to Europe would not sit well for people in the US. First of all, if the NHL is expanded to Europe, there would be less and less games in the US. Second, a lot of players have already left the US to go back to Europe and play. Evgeni Nabokov is a prime example of that. He left the Sharks to go play for SKA St. Petersburg. Third, you would have less and less season ticket holder. If you take away a few or even many games, you run the risk of losing season ticket holders forever. Okay, probably not forever, but they won't be coming back to your team anytime soon.
I don't understand why the possibilities of an expansion to Europe keep talking. Sure, Europe supplies all the best players, so you would expand just because seventy percent of the players are from there? I think that's a dumb approach if you look at it.
So if you're the NHL or anybody that has the idea of expanding to Europe, forget it. The NHL will not expand to Europe even if it has the option. It won't sit well with the market in the US and for the people who paid millions of dollars to analyze, report, and observe the games played. And most certainly, you would lose that money just playing games in another country.

What the Blackhawks Will Gain This Season

No matter how far you go, you always know where to stop and where it becomes a realization that you're in for a tough season. Does it look that way for a team like the Chicago Blackhawks?

After the Stanley Cup was hoisted by the Blackhawks last season, they needed to clean house to avoid going over the salary cap for next season. How did they do it? By getting rid of eight players, including stellar goaltender Antti Niemi.

Not only Niemi but Kris Versteeg, Ben Eager, Brent Sopel, Andrew Ladd, Colin Fraser, and among others have either been traded or lost to free agency. Looks like the Blackhawks needed to clean house while they still had time.

With all these trades, it's going to be interesting to see if the Blackhawks are going to be able to repeat another Stanley Cup this season. The addition of Marty Turco from Dallas could certainly help but let's be realistic. He couldn't possibly be enough to help this team win again.

Then you have the likes of Nick Boynton, Viktor Stalberg, Jeff Taffe, and among others. These are guys who have either underproduced, still in their rookie years, or just not good enough to put enough goals in the back of the net. Certainly this seems like an emergency situation for me.

Will the Blackhawks falter this season with these new changes? I wouldn't think so, but I definitely wouldn't make any early judgements until I see this team in action on the ice and how well they play with each other. It seems like it could possibly work out, but then again, it could all break down and they could end up having a losing season after all.

Well, the season's only a few months away. Are any more trades in store for the Blackhawks and will they have a chance to repeat or let the season die altogether? We'll know in only a few months.

All-Star Game out of Arizona? No Chance

Since there's not much news coming out of the hockey realms, I felt this was a more important story heading forward.

According to the Associated Press, the game on Sunday between the Arizona D-Backs and the Washington Nationals was briefly delayed when a couple of fans ran onto the field, protesting and showing signs that they want the All-Star Game moved out of Phoenix because of Arizona's new immigration legislation.

Of course the new immigration law in Arizona is one of the biggest topics right now in the political world but I never figured it would get this far into the sports world. Now that the sports world is indulged into it, and primarily the D-Backs, Cardinals, and Coyotes, it seems like more of our sports fans are becoming the villains in this mess.

I wouldn't say I particularly agree with the new immigration law but I certainly don't agree with fans trying to move the game out of Arizona. The All-Star committee and MLB in general, have planned for years on where this All-Star Game was being held. They chose Arizona way before this whole law was enacted. So it's not their fault that the entire immigration law was enacted right after they chose it.

Will Bud Selig change the idea and move the All-Star Game somewhere else? I don't think there's a reasonable chance of that. But if it becomes a huge concern that it threatens the entire state of Arizona and baseball in general, then Bud Selig might have to take action and move it somewhere else safer.

This is just one incident that hopefully won't boil over into a huge conflict. I'd be more surprised if more protests like this end up at baseball fields around the country. Then this would be a whole mess that the MLB will have to deal with and they aren't prepared to take on big matters like this.

Selanne Giving the Ducks A Run to the Cup?

Me and fellow Ducks fan received some very good news a few days ago regarding a great franchise player for our young team.

Teemu Selanne is returning to the Ducks.

Thinking about it for months probably wasn't easy, but in the end, it seemed like a good choice going both ways. The Ducks need a guy who can help the rookies and incoming Ducks build up to the expectations coach Randy Carlyle has for his team.

Of course, who better to lead your team than Selanne? He earned his 600th goal last season but it didn't help the Ducks get to the playoffs. I'm sure you don't want to end your career with over 600 goals and no playoff appearance. Scott Niedermayer became the victim of retiring after the Ducks failed to get to the playoffs.

The Ducks better not make it a mistake for Selanne, who is hoping for another 20-30 goal season. Only around 30 goals would it be enough to help the Ducks into the postseason. Anything less than that could be a disappointment for them.

Will the Ducks make a run to the cup this year with the return of Selanne? Let's not just jump to conclusions. The team still has work ahead for them, plus they have to get by the Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks, the power-hitting Sharks, and the experienced Red Wings. Sounds like a tough road ahead in my opinion.

With Selanne back in another season, it should be better for the Ducks. But not all that better. Niedermayer retiring might hurt the Ducks a little, but it's better than having both players retiring after not failing to make the playoffs. Will they return to the cup? The season is only a few months away.

Mike Modano Only Makes the Red Wings Better

We've seen the Detroit Red Wings go out and get 40+ year old guys and integrate them into their system. Then again, anything is possible for the Detroit Red Wings.

What is possible is for them to sign Mike Modano away from the Dallas Stars. He was shown the door in Dallas but he still feels he has the urge to play.

Hmm! An interesting signing by the Detroit Red Wings just a few weeks ago. I didn't really find it as surprising, but I'll tell you this. The Red Wings are known to collect old-age guys and make it work on their team. Kirk Maltby, Nick Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, all those type of players. They seem to do well for the Wings, so why not add another guy who can be a physical and threatening presence on the ice?

Sounds like a good move to me. This signing will only make the Red Wings better and could potentially give them the ability to challenge the Blackhawks again in the Central Division. After all, the Blackhawks are starting to crumble like broken chocolate chip cookies, but maybe there's a point there.

Will the crumpling Blackhawks allow the Red Wings to retake the Central Division and challenge the Canucks and Sharks again? Hmm, another interesting view. But the signing of Mike Modano makes those predictions a bit more true. With that kind of talent on the ice, you can bet the Detroit Red Wings will become better and make it to the playoffs again.

How Will Antero Niittymaki Fare in San Jose?

So we look the San Jose Sharks over the past couple of seasons. Who is one of two guys who has stayed with the team the longest? Well, there's Patrick Marleau. And there's also Evgeni Nabokov. Now I ask you; which one left? You would obviously say Evgeni Nabokov who left for the Russia's SKA St. Petersburg. Who knew? But who did GM Doug Wilson decide to bring in as Nabokov's replacement?

Antero Niittymaki.

That's right, kids. So the former Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender will take over the duties vacated by Nabokov. Unfortunately for the Sharks, this is not a guy who has played much in the playoffs. In fact, he only had 73 minutes in the playoffs for his entire career. The rest of that was in the regular season.

So here's a question: Will Nittymakki fare well in San Jose? Well, let me tell Doug Wilson this; could you get any lower? Do you really trust a guy who hasn't even played at the playoff level? Do you think this guy is gonna get you over the hump.

I'm not sure Doug Wilson is pushing the right buttons in his goaltending cue, but I would say Flyers goaltender Brian Boucher and backup goaltender Thomas Greiss could get this team back into the playoffs and win some games in it better than Nittymakki could.

But let's be reasonable. Wilson won't bring Boucher back and Thomas Greiss is not good enough to be a starting goaltender for almost all of the games. So you turn to Antero Niittymaki to carry your load. Sounds like a better choice than both of them at this point, in Doug Wilson's eyes.

Well, I certainly don't think Nittymakki can take this team all the way, but I'm hoping Doug Wilson has made the right decision here. It all could change within a couple of days. Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Antti Niemi is on the market. Maybe another sign for Doug Wilson to bring some experience to San Jose? Possibly because Niemi would probably be a better goaltender than Niittymaki.

No Lecavalier Might Go to Trouble For Tampa Bay

So what if Tampa Bay Lightning player Vincent Lecavalier is not that good of a player? Well, for one thing, he wouldn't have led the Lightning to a 2004 Stanley Cup series win over the Calgary Flames. In fact, they probably wouldn't have gotten there at all without him.

But that was six years ago and things have changed. So has he.

Ever since he won them that Stanley Cup back in 2004, his production with them has dropped steadily and steadily. Unfortunately for this season, it might come to no surprise that he only scores 20 goals while the rest of the Lightning team handle the rest.

Does that come as trouble for them if Lecavalier's production does not increase again? After so many long years, the Lightning have been trying to win another Stanley Cup, let alone get into the playoffs.

However, with a new coach and a new feel for the team, they might have to wait another year to finally get a chance to get back into the postseason.

That is, unless Vincent Lecavalier can have another season where he goes stellar. I'm not going to be shocked if he can play as well as he can. Over and over again, he's proven he's a loyal skater and a man that can put the puck in back of the night. But guys like Steven Stamkos have begun to take over the workload that Lecavalier had held on to for most of his skating career.

I'm not sure he's considered done in the NHL. I'm sure the Tampa Bay Lightning have some use for him, but how long will he stay on Lightning ice? Will they trade him? I'm not sure there's a team out there that would want this guy. Maybe the LA Kings after the deal with Kovalchuk fell through. Or maybe the New York Rangers could have use for this guy. After all, they need help.

So let's see what happens to Lecavalier for the rest of the season and into the regular season. Will he be a big help for Tampa Bay? Or his career with them likely over? Only time will tell.

NHL Rejects Deal on Kovalchuk: What in the World?

Even when I look at this move, I think to myself, "That's gotta be the biggest deal in NHL history, maybe even bigger than the Joe Thornton deal San Jose gave him years ago when they traded for him. What I'm talking about, actually, is Ilya Kovalchuk's 17-year, $102 million deal with the New Jersey Devils. However, it was the NHL that stood in the way and rejected the deal, stating that the deal violated the collective bargaining agreement.

Now I'm not a guy who knows most of the finances in the NHL. I'm only built for analysis, but I can tell you that if the collective bargaining agreement is that tough, it will make it even tougher for Ilya Kovalchuk to stay with the Devils. After all, he wants two things. One: a lot of money in his pocket. And two: To play with a team that can go all the way.

Unfortunately, the New Jersey Devils, in my mind, satisfy one of those things. They have money and they can afford to pay Ilya Kovalchuk that kind of money for how good a player he is. The downside is the team that can make it all the way because the Devils have not made it past the first round the last three years. Ilya, are you listening?

The fact of the matter is that if Ilya wants to play with the Devils, he has to make sure that this team goes all the way to the Stanley Cup Final and if it doesn't, it will fail short of general manager Lou Lamorillo's (can't spell his last name) patience.

I don't think the Devils should be too discouraged by the rejection of the contract by the NHL. But is it possible that Ilya Kovalchuk might look again elsewhere? Maybe the Los Angeles Kings? If possible, the Devils failed on being able to hold on to him when they had a good deal in place.

Guess what, Devils? The NHL is hard-nosed and if you want Kovalchuk to play on your team, you're going to have to follow those rules. If not, then release him or do something to him. I'm sure you want him, but follow the rules. They come back to haunt you.

How is Mikko Koivu That Important to the Wild?

A seven-year, $47.25 million contract for one player? Doesn't sound like a lot of money, especially to players like Patrick Kane, Sidney Crosby, or Alex Ovechkin. But for Minnesota Wild forward Mikko Koivu, it certainly looks like it's enough for him to stay on the team. He had one more year left on his old contract between signing on again for an additional seven more years.
I like Mikko Koivu for two reasons. One: He's a very agile skater and he can rip the defense of other teams long enough to get a shot on goal. Second: He can be a very big presence on the ice. Signing him for those next seven years should be something the other teams will have to look for and observe when he's back on the ice skating for the Wild.
Koivu is just one of the many signings and re-signings that the Minnesota Wild has made during this particularly interesting off-season. They resigned backup goaltender Anton Khudobin to a two-way contract, the third goaltender in depth behind premier Wild goaltenders Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding.
But most certainly Mikko Koivu stands out among the players signed by the Wild this season. I'm not going to say all their contracts, as ESPN does not directly tell me who they signed and for how much, but for Koivu, it sounds like the biggest deal on the plate for them this offseason.
Will it impact the Minnesota Wild? Most definitely. He is a agile skater and he knows how to get the puck on net. Now, will it be enough to give the Wild a chance to go back to the playoffs after missing it the last two seasons? We'll have to wait and see if the Koivu is the strong force to get this Wild team back into the postseason. Certainly it would seem so for a tough skater like him.

Kings are Out of the Running, What's Next for Kovy?

The Los Angeles Kings gave Ilya Kovalchuk a team to think about over the long haul summer. Unfortunately, he won't be able to think about them any longer. That's right, the Kings have backed out from the Kovalchuk plans a second time after not agreeing to his terms of a long-year, multi-year contract. Actually, I don't know why they backed out. I only know they did back out for some reason. Now that Kovalchuk is out of luck with the Los Angeles Kings, does he return to the New Jersey Devils or is there some teams that are willing to take a chance on him? I don't think there is any other team willing to take that chance on him, so it looks like the New Jersey Devils are the best fit for them. After all, they are the favorites to sign them after trading for him from the Atlanta Thrashers. According to the New York Post, the Devils are on the verge of signing him to a six-year, $60 million deal. It has not come to fruition yet, but to my best guess it looks like he will take that contract. He played a spectacular second-half for the New Jersey Devils, even though they came up short in the playoffs. To my estimate, Kovy will have another remarkable season playing for a team that can go to the playoffs every year. A new coach might be tough but for Kovy, who's been through at least one season with a new coach at his reigns, he'll have no trouble at all scoring goals and making good plays on the ice. We'll see what happens with Kovy. Will he take the deal? Or is it off to the KHL?

Any Chance for Modano?

Mike Modano was already given the door by the Dallas Stars. So now he is a lonely man walking the streets of the NHL world just hoping to find a suitable team that can take his money and his experience. He assumably played his final game in the city where he began his career with the Minnesota North Stars, but it might also not be his final game of his career.
The way I look at it, Mike Modano could still be used in the NHL, but for how long and how much playing time can he get? Teams are already getting younger at all their positions and that's how the Dallas Stars went, which is why they did close the door on him.
I think there are some teams out there who might be willing to take a chance at him. Those teams might be the Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, and Carolina Hurricanes. Let's face it: these teams have all done poorly in some aspect last year and with a guy like Modano, there's a sure enough chance they can get back into the playoff picture.
The Minnesota Wild or the Edmonton Oilers might be the best fit, preferably Minnesota, where he started his career. He is getting old and having less and less playing time and goal production, but I still believe he has the smarts to become a mentor to these teams just trying to get back to the elite.
Hopefully, the door is not closing on Modano and these teams I mentioned will have a chance to take a look and see what Modano can do for them. We'll have to wait and see. Will he retire? Or there just enough skating legs left for him in the league?

Kris Versteeg Trade: Bad or Good for Blackhawks?

Stanley Cup champion teams like the Chicago Blackhawks would be expected to keep the players that they find for the good benefit of the team. Apparently, the Blackhawks thought that Kris Versteeg was not one of their good benefits. A multiplayer deal was finalized when the Blackhawks traded their young gun Versteeg to the Toronto Maple Leafs, along with several players. According to Stan Bowman, the GM of the Blackhawks, that was the game they were in today. With the free agent period coming up today at noon, it looked like he had to make several moves in order to free up salary cap space for new players. The trade of Dustin Byfuglien and Cam Barker to the Atlanta Thrashers was one of those trades to free up the space. Now, with all the Blackhawks have been doing, will it help their team or downgrade their team? I'm not sure it's going to downgrade their team. The Versteeg trade might hurt them in the long run but Patrick Kane, Antti Niemi, Jonathan Toews, and Marian Hossa will surely keep this team on its feet, heading into the free agency period and another season. So Stan Bowman might not shot himself in the foot a little bit for trading away a few great players, but I doubt he did anything to completely lose this team after winning the Stanley Cup.
I'm sure Kris Versteeg is surprised he's no longer on the Chicago Blackhawks. Months of watching him, you'd think he was on the Chicago Blackhawks for good, but no. The Maple Leafs acquired him and looking at him, he will help a Maple Leafs team that had a terrible start to the season and never recovered. The Maple Leafs are hoping he can bring something this season that will help them get back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Well, more and more moves could be coming for the Blackhawks. I don't believe it's the end of a wallop of trades for them. The free agency period comes up at noon ET and don't be surprised if the Blackhawks have to make a few more moves to get the players they want on their team.

San Jose Sharks Signing and Tradings

We've heard from a lot of teams that made big impact moves early in the off-season and coming into the NHL Entry Draft. One team that stands out is the San Jose Sharks. Boy, what a work of load they did, resigning a few players and letting a few go. Let me clarify who was let go. They told goaltender Evgeni Nabokov to not come back. They said they needed to work on their free agents like Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski. We'll get to those players in a second but do you think Nabokov should be surprised? Not really, because the Sharks don't have the kind of money to pay Nabokov for another lump of years, which they save on their other big free-agents. Plus, they felt that some of his problems in the faceoff might have told them not to bring him back after the contract expires.
So that wraps up the bad news. Now for the good news. The Sharks did indeed resign Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski to four-year deals, keeping them off the free agent market. These two players have been some of the many San Jose Sharks that have helped them to get to the conference finals. They also resigned pending free agents Scott Nichol and Niclas Wallin.
So to answer this question: Did Doug Wilson do enough to help the Sharks out this enough? Well, there are some problems. Since you said goodbye to Nabokov, you're going to need another goaltender to help mix the Sharks back into groove. You can think Thomas Greiss can handle that number one job, but I doubt he's ready to become one. Also, there might be a bit of a loose plug at defense. Plus, you guys traded Brad Staubitz to the Minnesota Wild, who was a big impact on the way this team operated. Getting those positions checked on will not be easy but for a long summer ahead, it shouldn't be that much of a problem.