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.