Winnipeg WILL Keep Their Team

Okay, so here's how it goes. Sell a team to an owner and the owner moves the team to another location. Seattle moved to Oklahoma City under new ownership. Get that? Well, it looks like another team will be moving to a completely different city. For Winnipeg, it's the return of hockey.

The Atlanta Thrashers' ownership completed a deal to relocate the struggling Thrashers to an owner in Winnipeg. So basically the Thrashers are done in Atlanta and Atlanta loses its second NHL team in history.

Here's how it should go for Atlanta: If you want the team in Atlanta, stop being the lowest attendance in the NHL and actually start rooting for your team. You play in the Southeast Division. It's not like the Central Division where the Blackhawks and Red Wings are willing to kill you each game. At least one thing's for certain: they're better at being Falcons fans than Thrasher fans.

I think this is good for Winnipeg, however, because honestly hockey is a Canadian team and there should be more teams in Canada, not six teams in all the major cities. Good start but how about move the Coyotes to Quebec or some other isolated Canadien city? Oh, never mind, I like going to Phoenix. That team will stay.

But here's the catch: The team in Winnipeg will stay. Why? Because of Canada. Hockey is essential in that small city. I think Winnipeg definitely will keep their team there because they lost it several years ago and this time around, they will make sure that the team doesn't leave again. I hope they're right, because I want to stop going to Atlanta and start going to Canadien cities for my hockey.



Sorry, Atlanta, it's not like the Thrashers wanted to live. Let's just say with Tampa Bay and Washington right in there, it probably wasn't meant to be. And if you got into the playoffs, which you haven't for at least five years, then there would be some chance you would stay there. Yet, it's not.

Bruins vs. Canucks: It's called a (North) North American Battle

It was all said and done after Game 7 between the Lightning and the Bruins, but the Bruins finally came out on top and are headed to their first-ever Stanley Cup Finals since 1994 to play another team.

You guessed it: The Vancouver Canucks. They are trying to accomplish something that no Canadian team has done for a long while, and that is winning the Stanley Cup. But the Bruins are not just going to hand them the trophy. They'll going to play physical and maybe they will end up with the cup and not Vancouver.

I play the cards like this: I think these two teams have the most prominent goaltenders in the league in Boston's Tim Thomas and Vancouver's Roberto Luongo. Out of all the teams in the league, I think these two teams got here because of the solid play of their two high-class goaltenders. Tim Thomas worked hard to win his team the games they needed to move on, while Roberto Luongo has kept his team in the games, thanks to strong efforts as well as a pretty hard-checking defense.

I wouldn't say the offenses are particularly good of these two teams, because of the emphasis they put on their defense and on their goaltenders. It might not be as strong as some people suggest, but their ways of working are something that will keep both of these teams in the game for as long as they need to pull off the W. Both coaches of these two teams know it and they'll have to stress that through some pretty-long periods.

Game 1 is on Wednesday and what do I think will happen? I think the Canucks will come out strong and send a message to the Bruins. They're at home. They got the fans behind them and the Green Men (if they're coming to all the games.) Roberto Luongo is the man of this team. He'll stop the Bruins with all the power he has and it'll open up opportunities for the Canucks to take advantage and score on Tim Thomas. So basically, the Canucks win Game 1, because Boston does not do well in opening games, except for the series against Philadelphia.



Game 1 should be exciting, puckheads. If you're looking for a high-class Stanley Cup Finals match, look for it no further than one between the Canucks and the Bruins. We'll see who has the advantage, but what do you think? Who will Game 1? Share your comments below and on Facebook. Just go to Reid's Hockey Insight on Facebook. I don't know my exact URL but type it in Google and you'll find it. See you on the ice, puckheads!

It's Over In Vancouver Tonight

For starters, it would have been the Sharks' series if they at least controlled the amount of penalties that they have taken. Unfortunately, those penalties and that's why they're caught in a 3-1 hole heading back to Vancouver for Game 5.

You might believe that the Sharks had the game in Game 4 and it would be 2-2 instead of a 3-1 deficit. But that's not the case after what I saw in Game 4. Is this really the San Jose team that everyone had of going to the Stanley Cup Finals?

You may recall that earlier this season, I had picked the LA Kings and the Tampa Bay Lightning going to the Stanley Cup Finals. Well, right now, I had one of those teams wrong and it looks like the other team might finish on the outs too.

But we'll talk about that later. What the Sharks did in this series disgusts me. Todd McLellan does not know how to control the amount of penalties that his team takes. Three goals on 5-on-3 powerplays is just an autrocity and I'm sure the coaches and the fans of the San Jose Sharks are feeling it.

I'm sure they'll take more penalties in Game 5 because it's Vancouver and they know how to score at home on penalties. That is why it's over tonight. The defense of the Sharks are dropped, Antti Niemi is getting no help from them, and it looks like their offense has seemingly disappeared. The Sedins are playing well. They have that offense and it looks like Roberto Luongo is keeping those pucks out of the net. Ryan Kesler is still Ryan Kesler. The defense of the Canucks is handling the rest of the Sharks' offense and things seem to be going Vancouver's way.



Tonight is the night where all things end for the Sharks. They had a chance to win the series but their increasing penalties but them in doom. Look for the Canucks to move on tonight, puckheads.

ESPN analyst Barry Melrose has the rest of the preview for tonight's here in the video shown below.

Sharks-Canucks Game 2

This will be a short article today, since I'm a little busy right now considering that I now have a summer job and I'm traveling between LA and the Bay Area a lot of time. I will be back in full production starting September when I start school again, so just keep that in mind.

Now on to the NHL. Last night, we saw the Tampa Bay Lightning almost come back to beat the Bruins last night, but the Bruins handed them a loss and leaving the series at 1-1. Tonight we see a series that could possibly go either way.

The Sharks and the Canucks will battle tonight in Game 2 of their series. The Canucks took Game 1 decisively by a score of 3-2, but it looks like the Sharks will have something to contend with tonight: The Sedin twins.

Yes, down to the wire, you might see the Sedin twins actually making the effort to get the Canucks to the Stanley Cup this year and leave the Sharks to wonder about their potential future. But the Sharks know better than this. They fell short in Game 1 but they have a mindset to fix the errors and win Game 2 by a decisive score.

I don't think the Sharks have the right frame of mind to beat the Canucks by a wild score, but I think they'll make it interesting. That defense will able to hold most of the Canucks' scoring chances and it looks like the offense of this team is being able to help them win games in the regular season and beat the Red Wings in 7.

However, the Red Wings are not the Canucks and the Sharks are going to have to do a lot more just to limit the scoring lines of Ryan Kesler and the Sedin twins. Antti Niemi will have to be good in net if he expects for the Sharks to steal one on the road. Todd McLellan is pressing his guys through the entire sixty minutes by providing offensive coaching and the defensive point that this team has been trying to get at.

But that's Game 2. And the HP Pavilion will hosts Games 3 & 4. The Sharks will have to be good to steal one on the road. If not, then the Canucks might just run away with this. My guess: I think the Sharks have a way to win this one. Antti Niemi will be better and the offense will find a way past Roberto Luongo. Game 2 tonight at 6 pm on Versus. Enjoy the game, puckheads!

Will We See Nick Lidstrom On The Ice Again?

Fans in Detroit are feeling down today after almost coming back from a 3-0 deficit to win the series. The Sharks bounced back in Game 7 to ultimately oust the Red Wings from the playoffs. Today, the waiting will continue on whether or not Nicklas Lidstrom will return next season for the Detroit Red Wings.

What do I think? I think Nicklas Lidstrom is a great player. If he comes back, then the Red Wings will make a run to the Stanley Cup Finals next season. If he doesn't come back, then this might be the closing window on a great franchise. Sure you got Zetterberg and you got Datsyuk, but the Red Wings are always centered around their captain, that being Nick Lidstrom.

I don't think we'll hear a peep out of him for a while. According to Sean Yuille of SB Nation, the captain will take some time to think about things. He told Yuille, "I'm going to take my time and make my decision in the next little while, not sure how long it'll take." Well, the Red Wings aren't certainly putting the pressure on Lidstrom to make a decision, like the Packers did to Brett Favre a few years ago and Favre came back with the Jets. The Red Wings have players that can be the difference makers for the team. Sure, Lidstrom might retire, but even if he doesn't, this team is still a solid team going forward.



It's going to be a very, very long summer for these Red Wings. But will Nick Lidstrom have a chance to make it one more year? Or is this it? My guess is he'll make it in June after the playoffs come to an end. All good thoughts, Nick. If you come back, the game will be happy to have you.

Read the story from Sean Yuille at:
http://detroit.sbnation.com/detroit-red-wings/2011/5/13/2169689/nicklas-lidstrom-retirement-detroit-red-wings"

For Barry Melrose and Scott Van Pelt's recap of Game 7 go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6HSIh_uMvY&feature=channel_video_title

Coyotes Avoid Relocation; Good News for the Desert

When you talk about the Phoenix Coyotes these days, all you hear is about the troubled relocation issues and the potential buyers this team has to get. Well, fortunately for Coyotes fans, the relocation issue will not happen for at least another season.

The Glendale City Council voted to pay the NHL $25 million to keep the troubled franchise in the desert for at least another season. This is the second time that the city of Glendale has given up $25 million since last year, and it looks like the City Council will continue to have to keep giving up this kind of money just to keep this troubled team in the desert.

I especially enjoy this kind of news. As a Ducks fan who enjoys driving over to Phoenix several times to watch the Coyotes play, this is just another reason for me to keep doing it next year. I'll never know when the Coyotes move, so the more games I go to in the desert, the more I believe the Coyotes are another one of my favorite teams (after the 1)Ducks and the 2)Lightning).

Fans of the Coyotes will even be more excited as GM Don Maloney announced that 80% of season ticket holders renewed their seats for next year, showing that the pride and support for the Coyotes is indeed growing once again. They just need to stop playing the Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the playoffs.



Well, for Coyotes fans, look forward to your team making another statement in the desert next year. For others, especially fans of teams in the Pacific Division, Phoenix is alive and well for next year, and look for them to make a statement to really stay in the desert for good.

To read the article on the canceled relocation of the Coyotes, go to: http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=6524858.

What Is Going Right for Detroit?

A 3-0 deficit just turned into something good for the Detroit Red Wings. After winning an intense Game 5 in the Shark Tank, they go back to the Joe for a chance to tie the series in Game 6.

By winning Game 5 with a 4-3 victory over the Sharks, the Red Wings are in better position than they were by the end of Game 3. Jimmy Howard made 39 saves and the offense of the Detroit Red Wings are certainly going the right way.

The big story was always Nick Lidstrom, but in Game 5, I believe the bigger story was Tomas Holmstrom, capping off a 3-1 comeback in the game to win it. What is going right for Detroit? What makes this Detroit team better than they were in the first three games?

Well, first and foremost, their level of playing has definitely increased. Mike Babcock does not want to lose to the Sharks in the second round again, so he definitely had a lot to bring to these deflated Red Wings. Second, the goaltending of Jimmy Howard has dramatically been better by holding on to a lot of those blocked and thru-traffic shots he got. Sure, Nick Lidstrom had a pretty good game, but you can tell he wanted to end his career with a Stanley Cup win. That's why he came out to play. The play of the Detroit Red Wings really tells the tale. When you look at all the starpower they got, you can tell they really wanted to put themselves back in the series and really send a message to the league that they weren't done yet.



Game 6 is tomorrow night in Detroit and it looks like the Red Wings will make the Sharks' lives miserable. I think Detroit will come out with the same intensity and the same focus they had in Games 4 & 5. The Sharks will need to find answers to this hot Detroit offense, but Detroit has a lot going their way, so I think this series will take a Game 7. Give me Detroit to win Game 6.

Does Detroit Have A Chance to Come Back?

The San Jose Sharks were so close to sweeping the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Semifinals. But they ran into a hot Nicklas Lidstrom.

The Red Wings stayed alive in the series by winning 4-3 in Game 4 thanks to two goals from Nicklas Lidstrom, showing that Lidstrom has what it takes to not go into retirement completely out of it.

But Game 4 was more than just a fight along the boards or a sudden shot on goal. The big story was of course Nicklas Lidstrom. Of course we've heard all the rumors and all the talk that he might retire, but you just had that feeling that maybe he does have a little bit left for another season. Like Teemu Selanne for the Ducks, Nick Lidstrom has been the soul and heart of that team.

Now with that in mind, do you think the Red Wings have a chance to come back in the series with the Sharks? In my mind, it is somewhat still a series because Detroit has all that offensive firepower and such, but the truth is that the Sharks know they can't afford to blow a three-game lead and lose the series to Detroit, so there's that chance that San Jose will make sure that the Red Wings are done in five games. I don't think the Red Wings have what it takes to really make a statement in the series anymore. They won Game 4 to stay alive, but it's going back to San Jose and you know what happens when you enter the Shark Tank or the Joe: not a lot of good things for the opposing team.

So it looks like the books are on this time. San Jose will hit the Western Conference Finals and even though Detroit won game 4, it looks like their time in the playoffs is over. Now we'll see if Nick Lidstrom retires or stays another year!

The recap of Game 4 from ESPN can be seen here at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMT0Z0fwIDw

The highlights of Game 4 from NHL.com can be seen right here:

Will Detroit Bounce Back in Game 3?

Games 1 & 2 didn't turn out necessarily that pretty for the Detroit Red Wings, as miscues and stupid penalties really put them in the 2-0 hole heading into Game 3 in Detroit.

Detroit lost Game 1 2-1 in overtime and lost Game 2 2-1 in regulation, meaning that another one of these flukes could really end it for the Detroit Red Wings in this series.

The San Jose Sharks battled well, but that wasn't really the big story. The bigger story was the Detroit Red Wings forward really not skating all that well on the ice and taking stupid penalties, which allowed San Jose to take advantage and really take a 2-0 series lead.

The series heads back to Detroit for Games 3 & 4. Will the Detroit Red Wings bounce back on their own home ice? I expect so. San Jose is one of the loudest places in the NHL, so it's hard for teams to really take advantage of that. Detroit will have to be better on their offensive line because somehow it is not seeming to get through that tough San Jose defense. They battled well but ultimately Antti Niemi made some pretty good saves. Detroit has to take advantage of more offensive pressure in Game 3. They have to limit the number of penalties and be aggressive at both ends. Let's face it, if the Red Wings leave themselves vulnerable, San Jose will take advantage. They took advantage of it last year and it could happen again.



Game 3 is tomorrow night in Detroit, and we'll look to see if Detroit is ready to come out and fight and really make a dent in the San Jose lead. Can Detroit show that tough offense? Or have the Sharks really found themselves going on to the Western Conference Finals? We'll see, puckheads!