Wednesday Night Hockey Recap: The Blue Jacket Struggles

Out of all the Wednesday night hockey I've seen last night, there's nothing I can be more sad of than seeing the Columbus Blue Jackets, a team that had somewhat high expectations, fall completely flat on their first three games of the season.

Their first game was against the Predators. A team that went to the playoffs last year, Columbus was hungry to give Nashville a loss to start their season, but instead it was Nashville who came behind to win it. Next up, Minnesota Wild, who I though was a good team to start the season and Columbus allowed them to walk away with a 4-2 win, with goalie Steve Mason allowing goals by Devin Setoguchi and Dany Heatley. Next, it was Vancouver at home. It started out well, with rookie Cam Atkinson scoring his first NHL goal of his career. But there was nothing the Blue Jackets could've done to stop the mighty firepower of a Vancouver team and they walked out with a 3-2 loss. An 0-3 start? Well, it was a chance for a win against Colorado. It was a pretty good start. Even though Colorado got the first goal, the Blue Jackets answered in the 2nd and 3rd periods with goals from Rick Nash and Radek Martinek. But the Avalanche came back with a late-tying goal and an eventual shootout winner to continue the Blue Jackets' misery.

Now, you would think that with all the players they picked up in the offseason, such as Jeff Carter and James Wisniewski, the Blue Jackets would be top contenders in the Western Conference, right? Well, right now, it's a bit of a sore start to this team. Even their attendance has dropped. 8,986 attended the game and that's below 50% of the entire stadium. Yes, I realize it was a school night, but come on, at this rate, the Blue Jackets won't even have 40% of their entire arena filled.

The Blue Jackets have had the worst first week of any other team in the league. Surely, they only have a point, but their offense is really not picking this team up and Jeff Carter is certainly having a quiet start to the season. Rick Nash is being Rick Nash but the other members of that team are not helping out in any way.

They’re tied for the league lead in games played with four, yet they’ve managed only one point in those games. At least it puts them ahead of the Flames, who only played two games and the Winnipeg Jets (with only one game played), and it ties them with the Phoenix Coyotes (two games played).

The bright side to these games are that they are not getting blown out in those games, like Winnipeg did against Montreal. Three of their four losses were only by one goal and they got a point from the shootout. But certainly the offense and special teams needs to find a way to get that act together and get Columbus right back into the mix, because other teams are going to find a way to beat those sorry Jackets if those Jackets don't get their offense in shape.

78 games left for Columbus and probably 74 with Wisniewski. Right now, there should be no panic. But there should be some worry from GW Scott Howson, coach Scott Arniel, and Jackets fans if this teams' month turns into a lousy one. They have a home-and-home with Dallas and if they want to get some offense going, how about beating Kari Lehtonen in those games?

A rough start to Columbus, but can they rebound and can they get back into the mix as one of the favorable teams come playoff time? Only time will tell, puckheads. And we'll see if Columbus steps it up and really makes a statement that they can be one of the favorites when the playoffs roll around. Keep an eye on them!

Here is the recap and a little analysis from last night's Jackets game, courtesy of NBC Sports.

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The Bruins Are Being Thrown the Punch

It may only be three games in, but the Boston Bruins are certainly taking the beating from teams alike, and coach Claude Julien is not impressed with how things have been going so far for the Bruins.

That Monday afternoon affair with the Avalanche, with resulted in a 1-0 loss, is my best description of "flat play." Tuukka Rask made 35 saves on the day, but the offense gave no help to them in trying to get pucks past Simeon Varlamov.

That team's effort is certainly not fitting well with coach Claude Julien. "I don't think I can stand here and say I was. We got outworked by a team that was a lot more hungry than we were. Right from the get-go, as soon as they got that power play, it gave them some momentum and then they just never looked back. Throughout the game, I felt our team was second on the puck. We're losing the races, and whenever we got there and got into battle, they certainly were a lot hungrier than we were," he told reporters.

It is agreed that the Avs are an improving team, but the Bruins are a team that is already flying into the dumps after winning the Stanley Cup last season. The top line of Milan Lucic, David Krejci, and Nathan Horton has yet to make offensive dents in the opposition. And whether or not letting Michael Ryder go was a good idea, it is certainly not his leaving that is causing the Bruins' problems. Without the top line, the offense is pretty much nothing more than a cellar team. The Bruins need to get going, if they are to defend their Stanley Cup, and right now it's not looking that good.

"When your top line is supposed to be your top line, it should try and be that every night," Julien said. "And so far I don't think they're in sync, I don't think they're working hard enough as a group." They aren't working hard enough and it is showing. I mean sure, they managed to take one from Tampa Bay but Philadelphia and Colorado took bites out of this team. And the Bruins' group will need their leaders to put the bite back in the other teams.

The Bruins are in a bad position right now. They need their offense back and they need it back fast. If they don't, it'll look like a losing season and Bruins fans definitely don't want that. You know, at least on Sunday, they participated in the Stanley Cup ceremony at the Jets-Patriots game. But that ceremony is over. It's time to focus on a new season so now they have to find a way to jack up that offense or else it's bust.

The Regular Season Starts Tomorrow

Preseason is over, puckheads. Starting tomorrow, the real action gets going. Four teams are over in Europe, preparing to delight the fans of Finland, Sweden, and Germany. While at home, most eyes are on Sidney Crosby after his first skate with the Penguins met with success. Not only that, but fans are excited, tailgates are starting, and mascots are entertaining them with many tricks and games. They dance, they play, they sing (maybe not all) and most especially, they root for their team.

Ah, yes, that's nothing more entertaining than the return of hockey. Okay, maybe there's the playoffs, but that'll take many months to get to. Meanwhile, which teams are we to watch for? Well, I'll give you one. The Pittsburgh Penguins. Sidney Crosby is coming back his season, but he'll be out a little bit longer while the coaching staff makes sure he is tip-top shape before making his return to the ice. Another team to watch is the San Jose Sharks. Will they make it past the Conference Finals to the Stanley Cup Finals? Sure, unless they manage to get the Canucks or the Red Wings with them, in which case, it'll be a lot harder, considering the fact that Dany Heatley, even though he performed poorly in last year's playoffs, is gone to Minnesota. Also Devin Setoguchi is gone. He was a big player for the Sharks and without his presence, how will they do, especially down the stretch?

No more Sean Avery? That's right, the New York Rangers just waived his contract, meaning he could head to Europe soon. Right now, he just cleared waivers and is currently playing in the AHL. Should Sean Avery just go to Europe? It sounds like it's a better deal for him than playing in the AHL. The mouther is officially without a team...again! But the Rangers have more problems and one of their top players, Marc Staal, is on the IR with concussion symptoms. Will he be able to play soon? Or will this be another Sidney Crosby thing? I doubt it. This is not as bad as what Sidney Crosby went through, but anything is possible. There is a chance that he might not be back for a long, long time.

The Coyotes and the Stars? They have question marks concerning ownership. Can they stay in their respective cities? Or is it time to start packing? The Coyotes will be able to play in the desert one more year but after that, it looks like it's time to hit the road to Quebec City. The Stars are in a better position but not by much. Will Dallas keep its recent struggling franchise? Or is it goodbye and off to either Seattle or Thunder Bay, Ontario?

Well, puckheads, there's more. Below are the teams I believe are going to win each division respectively, the East, the West, and finally, the Stanley Cup. Below that are the players I think you should keep a close eye on.

Atlantic: Philadelphia Flyers
Northeast: Buffalo Sabres
Southeast: Washington Capitals
Central: Chicago Blackhawks
Northwest: Vancouver Canucks
Pacific: Los Angeles Kings
Eastern Conference: Washington Capitals
Western Conference: Vancouver Canucks
Stanley Cup: Vancouver Canucks

MVP: Alex Ovechkin
Vezina: Ryan Miller
Norris: Duncan Keith
Selke: Pavel Datsyuk
Rookie of the Year: Not sure yet.
Coach: Bruce Boudreau

As you may have remembered, I picked the Kings and the Lightning to go to Finals and certainly that didn't happen. This year, even though the Kings are slightly better, I'm not sure they can beat out the Canucks. The Capitals are going to have to go eventually and I think this is their year. Bruce Boudreau knows he's on the hot seat. If he doesn't perform well, he's out. So I think he knows what must be done to get this team to the Stanley Cup. For the player awards, I don't know who all the rookies are this season, but I'll know who my favorite is sometime later this season. Come back in December and I'll probably have the idea.

Regular season's on us, fans. We got a great cast of teams this season. The players are ready, the fans are ready. The question is: Are you ready? Three games to start it off tomorrow, then on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the big games overseas. Should be an interesting season, puckheads. Get that puck dropped!

Did Simmonds Use a Slur on Avery?

Rangers-Flyers. One of the most contested rivalries in sports and the ones that will be in the Winter Classic come January 2nd. But the heat between the two teams came to one of its boiling points on Monday night.

In the Rangers' 5-3 loss to the Flyers, Rangers winger Sean Avery confirmed that Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds called him a homophobic slur during the first period of a bitter preseason battle. Video replay confirmed it when it caught Simmonds hurling the slur toward Avery while he was skating on the ice towards the Flyers bench.

"I did not hear it, but I'm sure Sean Avery is not lying about it," Rangers coach John Tortorella said to the press.

Wayne Simmonds, some of us might remember, was on the other side of a racially offensive scene last week when a fan hurled a banana peel right into his path while he was skating during a preseason game against the Red Wings last Thursday in London, Ontario.

Flyers coach Peter Laviolette didn't comment on the verbal exchange. From his point of view, he saw "a couple of guys battling out there."

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has contacted the NHL and the Flyers about the incident.

"Hate speech and anti-gay slurs have no place on the ice rink," GLAAD acting president Mike Thompson said in a statement. "The word that Simmonds used is the same word that is hurled at LGBT youth on the playground and in our schools, creating a climate of intolerance and hostility. He should not only apologize for this anti-gay outburst, but the Philadelphia Flyers and the NHL have a responsibility to take action and educate their fans about why this word is unacceptable."

This is not the first time that somebody was fined for using an anti-gay slur. You may remember that Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 for his anti-gay slur toward the ref, which probably should've cost him more because of the slur and it hurts human beings in general, who are just out there living their life.

I'll say this about Avery and Simmonds: Get your acts together. You may be tough guys on the ice, but when it comes to fighting verbally, you have a choice to either play it fair or end up serving suspensions. For Avery, I don't see a suspension coming for him. I understand that he might have had something to do with his, but he's the one saying that Simmonds said this, and I think if what he said is true, then there's no suspension to him.

Avery has now been actively involved with the LGBT community, including in a public service announcement in May supporting the gay rights and marriage equality. And I like Avery for doing this. This country should all be about equality and I know it's not there. But people out there like Avery are doing something that creates equality. And with Simmonds saying comments like those slurs to him, they bring hints of the past that we don't want back into the present.

Simmonds is the bigger story here because when he was in LA, nothing like this happened. They found him a great player and he helped the Kings when they needed it. But now that he's with the Flyers, there might be something different. He has already been involved in two situations involving racism and one of it was instigated by a fan. I'm sorry, Simmonds, but if what Avery said is true, you deserve a suspension and maybe even indefinitely. We can't have this kind of act on our ice and Thompson is making a great point here. We don't say this kind of stuff to our kids or to other people we are talking to. There's a fine line to what we say and what we don't, and if we say something that we shouldn't say, there's going to be criticism and maybe even anger directed at you because of this. Think about your past. Would you want somebody to say this to you? Would you want to be brought down in something like this? I know I wouldn't. So I suggest, Simmonds, that you get your act together. You deserve a suspension and maybe even a long suspension. And many people like me don't like this, because we don't want bad parts of our past coming back to the present. We promote equality and people like you just make it harder for us to get there.

We'll see in a couple of days what the NHL will do about this issue. I want to see a suspension even if it's a long suspension, because guys like Simmonds need to learn and I mean learn fast. You say comments like this and you pay the price. In fact, I don't expect to see him back for a long time if these comments turn out to be true and the way this story is going down, they should be true. Puckheads, it's time to learn a lesson. We promote equality and everyone should treat everyone else fairly and with respect.

Information from The Associated Press and Katie Strang of ESPNNewYork.com was used in this report. For Strang's report, go to:
http://espn.go.com/new-york/nhl/story/_/id/7024659/new-york-rangers-sean-avery-says-wayne-simmonds-philadelphia-flyers-called-homophobic-slur

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Ownership Uncertainty for Stars and Coyotes

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Ownership Uncertainty For Stars and Coyotes

The Pacific Division could be seeing a major shakeup in the coming seasons, but for this season, all eyes and ears will focus on which big-time guys will step up and decide to take ownership of two poorly-driven franchise: Dallas Stars and Phoenix Coyotes.

Both of these teams are pretty much situated in a desert, which is definitely not the ideal place for hockey in my mind. It kind of begs the question about why the NHL would want to place them there in the first place, but that is not my problem.

Dallas GM Joe Nieuwendyk is sure that a new owner will be in place by the time Christmas comes around. Well, okay, but first you gotta find somebody who is willing to take a once-good team with no Brad Richards anymore and turn them back into a championship-winning team and that might take a while. I realize that the Stars have won a Stanley Cup and that might've helped their chances of staying in Texas a lot longer and it did. But right now, this is somewhat of a sinking team who is trying to get the players it needs in order to make a run. Right now, what they need to do is find a way to get some good wins against proud teams and hopefully drive owners to them. With all of the improved teams this season and the Stars somehow making more of a mess then they did a year ago by getting rid of Mike Modano (who was signed to a one-day contract by the Stars), it'll make it harder for the Stars to actually compete this year. I'm sorry, but if they want to compete, they gotta have more than guys than just Jamie Benn and newest addition Michael Ryder, and they can't afford to have Brad Richards back.

Now, let's move on to the other team in the division who has been dealing with ownership issues for almost three years now: the Phoenix Coyotes. Although it is owned by the NHL now, they'll eventually have to sell it off to an owner willing to have them, even if it means moving them to a different city, like Quebec City or Thunder Bay, Ontario. Gary Bettman will not be able to hold on to the Coyotes staying in Phoenix much longer if he can't find a suitable owner willing to take a chance on a team that has somewhat underachieved in the past few seasons. Matthew Hulsizer has already backed out, and if another owner tries to come in, he could also back out of the deal as well. There is almost NOBODY who wants to take a chance on a team that has made the playoffs their past two seasons, but can't seem to get past the first round. I will say this for Coyotes fans, it'll be hard to keep seeing them in Arizona any longer. One more season could do it for them, unless they find an owner who will turn this under performing team around.

Question marks will show up in Phoenix and Dallas in the coming months of the regular season. Whether or not they stay in their respective cities is completely up-in-the-air. It could be possible they both bolt for Canada, the Northwest, or maybe even Las Vegas. I don't know what's going to happen, puckheads, but fans are biting their nails in the desert cities.