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.