Stars and Flames Might End Up On the Outs

The playoff race is already starting to get a bit interesting. Teams are starting to solidify their positions and other teams are looking on the outside trying to get in.

For the Calgary Flames and the Dallas Stars, it looks like the miracle of trying to get into the playoffs might be diminishing slowly. Calgary lost an ugly 4-2 game to Anaheim and Dallas got shut out by the Sharks 6-0, bringing the idea that two great franchises at the beginning of the season might finally be losing out on their playoff spots.

It doesn't surprise me how good these teams were in the season, but I can guarantee one thing. Whatever you do at the beginning of the season doesn't necessarily translate into how well you do at the end of the season. Unfortunately for Dallas, that really didn't seem to help as it still looks like they'll be out of the playoff picture for the third year in a row.



The Calgary Flames are always a struggling team in my mind. They look like they're built for a playoff run, but in all honesty, they don't have the stacked lower-seeded team like Anaheim or Nashville to really make it far in the playoffs. And that is really sad that once a proud franchise in Canada that everyone rallied around has completely fallen off the charts. Now everyone turns to the Vancouver Canucks as Canada's team.

I guess some greatness doesn't last forever. For Calgary and Dallas, it looks like it's another season of laying on the couch and watching the postseason race of other teams. Once great franchises look like they can completely say they are not going to get in easily. Chicago, Anaheim, and Nashville will make it tough. Dallas has that chance but might not get it, and Calgary only has four games left. Need I say anymore about that?

Ducks, Stars, and Flames: Any Chance of Playoffs?

Two playoff contenders play each other tonight, in what could be considered a crucial game down the stretch? In fact, three teams fighting for playoff spots are all playing tonight and all need some points if they have a chance to get up the ranking.

The three teams I was referring to are the Ducks, Flames, or Stars. All three teams lie outside the playoff picture, hoping that a win or overtime/shootout losses could really help them propel into the picture. And trust me, with the tight race right now and only 9-10 games left for each team, getting in is no easy A.

The Ducks WILL tangle with the Stars tonight, but it looks like some edge has been going towards the Ducks, while the Stars are still searching for answers in their defensive game. Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen has had trouble against Anaheim and we'll probably see more of this flukes against this time, as they play one more time after this, Sunday, April 3rd in Anaheim.

Even though it looks like things are heating up in Anaheim and Dallas, Calgary is still plugging around after earning at least a point in their last two road games in Anaheim and LA. They'll be cruising up the coast and playing in San Jose and it looks like Calgary might have some dealings to work with.

Miikka Kiprusoff has not been the effective goaltender he was in previous games and it looks Henrik Karlsson is coming on as a solid goaltender. Yet, Flames coach Brent Sutter believes in Kiprusoff, hoping that his level of play can propel them into the playoffs.

But San Jose does play spoiler to teams trying to get in. They might play it as well to Anaheim and Dallas. Only Dallas has managed to fare well against them this season, while Anaheim has only won two games against them.

Looks like the light is blinking on and off for these three teams. Will they all get into the playoffs? Or will one's luck run short? We'll find out down the stretch. The Ducks, Stars, and Flames will get tested and it won't be long before we see who's in and who's out.

Matt Cooke Deserves a Suspension

What's worse than skating on the ice and completely knocking somebody out? Well, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke showed us a prime example of that on Sunday, by elbowing a New York Rangers player.
Matt Cooke is scheduled to face discipline hearing today and there's no doubt from players around the league that they think Cooke should get a suspension. How many games would you say? I would say around six to ten. Just look at other players in the league who are facing back-to-back suspensions, like New York Islanders forward Trevor Gillies who came back and gave another player a blindside hit. He was immediately ejected and given a ten-game suspension for being a repeat offender.
That should bother teams who are going down the stretch, like the Penguins, who are already suffering from the absences of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Even though Crosby did skate before Sunday's game, he still has no clue when he'll return.
But going back to the Cooke suspension. I believe the NHL is taking steps to improve the way in which players get hits. Blindside hits are a major factor in concussions and possbly career-enders. If players like Cooke don't learn a thing or two about blindside hits, then it is no longer a friendly league, but it'll be like the NFL, who are ridiculed about their paralysis hits on players.
What more can you say? Hopefully, it would be six to ten games. He is, however, a repeat offender so he could possibly get more. But look for the NHL to not only send a message to Cooke, but to send a message to all the players who could possibly be repeat-offenders.

Long Beach State Should Get a Bid

Perhaps not winning the Big West Tournament could've hurt Long Beach State entirely. But their fans have forgotten that this team is not entirely out of the NCAA tournament entirely.

UC Santa Barbera deserved the 64-56 win after gaining the floor in the second half of the championship game, leaving Long Beach State to wonder if they are ever going to get into the tournament. To answer it, it is still a reasonable possibility.

The standings show that Long Beach State finished with a 20-10 record and at the top of the Big West before the Big West Tournament. They were 14-2 in the conference, the only losses coming on the road at Cal State Fullerton (Titans!!!!) and at UC Irvine. Since then, they've had a remarkable winning streak up until the championship game.

But the 14-2 conference record, including two big wins against UC Santa Barbera, is really saying something interesting about the 49ers. That conference record should at least get them into the tournament. They've also lost eight other games, but that was against teams like Washington, North Carolina (they lost a tight game against them), and Arizona State, who were all much, much better than Long Beach State.

So there's no reason why they shouldn't be in the NCAA tournament. It can afford two Big West teams in the tournament. Long Beach State has played a remarkable season and it would help the school and the team really much if they would at least get their hands on a seed in the NCAA tournament.

My Advice to Jonas Hiller: Get 100 Percent Before Returning

We've all been through injuries. There are ones that are physical injuries, like feet, arm, and all that stuff. Then there are the mental injuries, like headaches, vertigo, and that sort.

Did I just say vertigo?! Yes, you did just hear me say vertigo, one of the most serious type of mental injuries anyone could ever have.

Unfortunately for Anaheim Ducks All-Star goalie Jonas Hiller, he is suffering through what we believe is vertigo. Now, while the symptoms don't seem to be serious, they are there and they seem to be causing Jonas some problem.

He has only played in two games since the All-Star break and it looks like we're not going to see him anytime soon. But that happens. Players get injured and they take a long time to recover.

I need to really give some advice to Jonas and to other players of the league, like Sidney Crosby, who is dealing with a concussion right now and no timetable has been scheduled. Please do not come back from injuries until you are pretty sure you are 100 percent. Us fans would love nothing more than to see you actually healing up on your injuries before deiciding to hit the ice again.

It's a tough place out there. You got guys hitting each other, players wanting to take a smack at you to try and get the puck in, and the unwanted necessity of fighting in your crease.

In the terms of Jonas Hiller's battle with vertigo, I don't know what to say. I hope he gets better and comes back but the truth is, vertigo is a mental illness that actually doesn't go away fully. It lingers for a few minutes, maybe hours, maybe days, and maybe even weeks and years. If that's the case, then I don't know if we'll ever see Hiller again, but I seriously doubt that.

For now, we should at least hope that Jonas Hiller is on the right track to coming back. Dan Ellis has already been a solid temporary replacement and we'll like it even more if he can actually help the Ducks win more games and keep pushing for the playoffs. We want to see Jonas Hiller but I want to say that he should take all the time he needs in order to come back from an illness that could possibly be career-threatening.