NHL returns
The NHL gets back to business tonight. Some decent games, including Detroit at San Jose. The Red Wings are going to be missing some key players tonight because some of their players were in Stockholm in celebrating the gold medal.
The Stars four Finns get back this afternoon. With three games in four days starting Thursday and then a Western Canada road trip, I would expect some of those guys to get a breather if they feel they need it. I think should. There is no point pushing them hard right now. But I guess we'll see.
A few extra media types out at today's practice. I'm guessing it is because Mike Modano was back at the rink this morning. It must be big. Even Tim Colishaw of the Dallas Morning News showed up.
To be honest, I am tired of hearing about Modano's comments at the Olympics. But perhaps we'll have deal with another round of rehashing it. I am ready to get back to the stretch drive. I am sure Modano is as well. He looked good in practice this morning. He had some good jump out there.
28 February '06 - - default| - § ¶
Olympics end
I for one enjoyed the Olympic tournament. I thought it was highly entertaining. There were some great games, including this morning's final between the Finns and Swedes.
I thought the Swedes were the better team on this day and, in the end, deserved the gold medal. It was a great run by the Finns. I didn't expect them to go this far and come this close to winning the gold. But they were superb.
The Stars players on Finland played extremely well throughout the tournament. Jere Lehtinen was Jere Lehtinen. The guy is just a machine. Jussi Jokinen had a good tournament as well and fit really well on that line with Olli Jokinen and Ville Peltonen.
The two guys I was really glad to see do well were Niko Kapanen and Niklas Hagman. I thought Hagman was one of Finland's better players in Sunday's gold medal game. He had some good chances and was all over the ice.
Kapanen had a couple of goals and did some good penalty kill work.
The line of Kapanen, Hagman and Ville Nieminen was very effective. Hopefully Kapanen and Hagman can build on their performances in Torino as they head back to the Stars. It should give them both a boost of confidence.
There were a lot of guys I really grew to appreciate during the past couple weeks. There were a few who really stood out. Teemu Selanne was great. He played great for the Finns and showed a lot of leadership. Antero Niittymaki was another. He was great in goal for the Finns. I enjoyed watching Evgeni Malkin and Alexander Ovechkin play for the Russians. Malkin, whom I got to watch during the World Juniors as well, is a great young player.
I give NBC a lot of credit for making almost all of it available on television. They had to pick and choose between games at times, but they would go back and show extended parts of the game they cut away from. They gave the game a lot of exposure.
Is it going to do the NHL any good as far as expanding the fan base? I doubt it. But that doesn't both me. I enjoyed it.
26 February '06 - - default| - § ¶
More Modano
The Dallas Morning News got a hold of Mike Modano last night for his side of the missing the team meeting story.
I had to chuckle when I read this:
Modano, when reached by phone in Texas late Thursday evening, said he was unaware of the team meeting and was later told by a teammate that it was only a gathering to receive travel information.
I just found it a little humorous that someone who had a complaint about travel issues was the only player unaware of a meeting about travel information.
Anyway, Modano was apologetic for the timing and tone of his comments after the 4-3 loss to Finland Wedensday.
“I think the timing was bad,” Modano said. “I was upset at the outcome and mad at what happened to me [being benched in the third period] and you walk right off the ice into the [media] mix zone, and I just let my emotions start talking.”
And then he went on to say he is thinking this could be his last hurrah on the international stage.
“We’re probably not going to have a World Cup [in 2008] and who knows about [the Winter Olympics in] 2010, so I pretty much knew at the time this could be it,” he said. “It’s not at all how I would want to go out, and that probably affected me as much as anything. It’s tough to look back and think it might be over.”
He was frustrated at losing and getting benched and then lashed out. That is no surprise. It all stems from the frustration of losing. And the bottom line is that Team USA lost.
I'm glad he regrets the timing of the comments. But it doesn't change much. He is still going to be stuck with that perception of the spoiled pro athlete because of the travel and accommodations comments. David Letterman made fun of him last night and more stuff keeps coming from the media.
24 February '06 - - default| - § ¶
You guessed it -- Modano
Today's blog is brought to you by expedia.com and the Travelocity Gnome, pictured to the left.
The Gnome wasn't at the final Team USA meeting this morning in Italy and neither was Mike Modano. The Gnome's absence isn't news. Modano's absence is. He decided to skip it. He was apparently the only member of Team USA to do. I guess he was able to arrange travel out of Italy early.
There are times when I appreciate Mike Modano's candor. There are other times when I think he is better off keeping his mouth shut or, if he feels inclined to speak, simply tossing out some tired sports cliches. In the case of his post-game comments after Wednesday's loss to Finland, I wish he had chosen the latter.
Regardless of the situation surrounding the travel and accomodationgs arrangements for Team USA, he came off sounding like another spoiled millionaire athlete after yesterday's loss to Finland. There's no way around it. I think it was a petty, poorly timed gripe.
What does anyone expect when you complain about stuff like that after your team loses? Well, don't be shocked if you get hammered in the press.
I like Mike Modano. I think he is a great player. But I don't put him up on some kind of pedestal and I am not going to sit here and try to spin this in his favor. The complaints, which surely have some validity, rang hollow after the loss. I don't have any doubts that there were some logistical things that could have been done better by USA Hockey, but bringing them up after a loss just adds to the perception of a spoiled professional athlete.
Modano can be honest, but he is far from an eloquent speaker. He doesn't choose his words carefully at times and when you do that in the media spotlight, it can cause some grief. I am sorry to see him getting hammered in the media, which will get the blame from some of those wanting to defend him.
I don't get the sense Modano was misquoted or that his comments weren't taken out of context. He said what he said.
There was no evil journalist conspiracy to make him look bad. He said what he said in front of a bunch of people with recording devices, pens, pads and laptops. If this was one interview with one guy, I'd wonder.
But when dozens of writers hear him and then write dozens of different articles with the same theme, there is obviously something to it. All the reporters don't huddle together afterwards to make sure they are all on the same page as to how they are going to report these things. It doesn't work that way. They all heard the same thing and they went their separate ways to write their articles, columns or whatever.
Each of them had his or her own unique spin on it. Some of them are going to trash him for the comments. Some of them are going to use hyperbole to mock him and his complaints. Others, a minority to be sure, will be less harsh or may point out that his comments have an air of validity.
As in most cases, people's reaction to all this depends on whose ox is getting gored. If you think your guy or your opinion is getting the short side of the stick, the media suck. If it is your guy or your issue is getting the positive spin, the media, for once, seem to have finally unearthed a clue.
I have no problem with the media articles on Modano's comments. Nobody put words in Modano's mouth. He said it. The media reported it and commented on it. Whether you like it or not, Modano comes off looking like a whiner. Fair or not, that is the perception he is stuck with right now.
23 February '06 - - default| - § ¶
Quarterfinals set
So, the Olympic quarterfinals are set. It's down to one game to either move on or get knocked out. Anything can happen and it's hard to predict what will happen in one game.
There are some great matchups. I think Finland versus the USA should be a good game. Finland is playing at a high level. I don't see any flaws in the Finns' game right now. They play a great team game. They are disciplined. They are getting solid goaltending. Teemu Selanne is the best player in the tournament. They are going to be a tough nut to crack. I don't think the Americans have been particularly bad despite the 1-3-1 record. I like the way Rick DiPietro has been playing, so I believe he gives the Americans a shot in this one.
Canada and Russia should be a great game. There is some history between these two teams going back to those Summit Series days and the Canada Cup and all that. The Russians have had moments where they have looked great and some other moments were they have looked average. I thought Evgeni Malkin was superb today against the Americans. Alexander Ovechkin had some nice moves and had a great hit on Chris Chelios. Those two along with Pavel Datsyuk, Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexei Kovalev are fun to watch. Evgeni Nabokov has looked superb in net. I still haven't figured out the Canadians. They looked great in the first period against the Czechs and then they were just hanging on for the rest of the game. Martin Brodeur was great and was the difference maker for the Canadians in my opinion.
Slovakia and Czech Republic will be another great game. These two teams don't like each other. It's Czechoslovakia the breakup after the fall of the Soviet Empire and all that stuff. I thought Tomas Vokoun was awful against Canada. He let up two bad goals and got pulled after the first period. Coming in the Czechs had the best one-two punch in net and with Dominik Hasek gone, that advantage is gone. Vokoun has been shaky at times. Petr Budaj has been pretty good for the Slovaks. The kid is a good goalie. Both teams are loaded with skilled players. Slovakia's Marian Hossa is having a great tournament. Jaromir Jagr is Jaromir Jagr.
Switzerland and Sweden is probably the game that has the least interest for me. The Swiss haven't done much since the back-to-back upsets of Czech Republic and Canada. They play a good team game and their goaltending is very good, so I wouldn't underestimate them. The Swedes looked dismal against the Slovaks today and I haven't been overly impressed with them other than when they whipped up on Latvia and Kazakhstan. They still have a lot of talent and I like Henrik Lundqvist in goal.
21 February '06 - - default| - § ¶
Olympics
I'd say Teemu Selanne has to be the top player in the tournament so far. And not just because of the scoring. He just seems a notch above everyone else in his level of play. The line with Selanne, Jere Lehtinen and Saku Koivu has been superb.
The Finns look great. I liked the way they started against the Canadians on Sunday. They must have used all four lines in about the first 1:30 of the game. They were just throwing players over the boards and going after Canada.
Antero Niittymaki has been solid in goal. I haven't seen a lot of him this season, but he looks as if he is under control out there. Then again, he has allowed only two goals and both of them came on the power play.
The other guy I would say who is playing at a really high level level, and is close to Selanne on a consistent basis, is Marian Hossa of Slovakia. The line with Hossa, Pavol Demitra and Marian Gaborik has been outstanding as well.
The one thing that has surprised me about the Slovaks is that they are willing to play a patient, counter-attack style of game. They used it against the Russians and the United States.
Team USA has some real goal scoring issues. In my opinion Rick DiPietro has been very good in net for them. Goaltending hasn't been the problem. They need a power play quarterback.
I think Canada has been disappointing, but there is still time to right that ship. Not a lot of time though. The Canadians just look out of sync.
I think it has been a great tournament so far. There has been a lot of good games and some great performances. Martin Gerber's shutout of the Canadians on Saturday was a classic performance. I guess that was the biggest win in Swiss hockey history since Thursday's win over the Czechs.
20 February '06 - - default| - § ¶
Stevenson
It will be interesting to see where Jeremy Stevenson, claimed off waivers yesterday from Nashville, fits into the Stars lineup. This is a pretty minor move, but still.
What I found interesting is how this all went down.
It basically happened because Nashville dropped under the league mininum of 20 roster players due to some recent transactions. They sent a couple of couple of players to the minors during the break, which put them at 20 players. Then they waived defenseman Jamie Allison, who was claimed by Florida. That left Nashville with 19 players, meaning the Preds had to call up some one from the AHL to get their roster to 20 active players.
Stevenson, who had cleared waivers went he went down to the AHL recently, was called up by the Predators. Because he has a one-way contract, which means he makes a lot more more than $75,000 in the minors, he can be plucked off waivers for half-price when he gets called back up to the NHL. It's just one of those elements of the new CBA. It's designed to keep teams from stocking high priced players down in the minor leagues.
Stevenson was an odd-man out in Nashville anyway with the acquisition of Mike Sillinger and the team's decision to go with youngster Jordin Tootoo.
I don't know what this will mean for the Stars roster. Stevenson puts them at 23 active roster players because Mathias Tjarnqvist was sent down to Iowa during the break. I'd be really surprised if Tjarnqvist isn't back when the NHL resumes because he has been superb lately.
Nathan Perrott and Jaroslav Svoboda have been the odd men out recently. There's also the injury to Antti Miettinen, and I am not sure how serious that is.
16 February '06 - - default| - § ¶
Olympics start
The Olympics are underway. Didn't quite get up in time to watch Sweden, but I did watch Canada beat Italy 7-2. I was impressed with the Italians. They played a scrappy game and were actually tied with Canada until early in the second.
The NBC coverage is great. Most of it is on NBC, although today's USA-Latvia game will be on the USA Network.
MSNBC showed the first two periods of Finland and Switzerland and is now showing the Czechs and Germany. There are no TV timeouts, so the games are moving along quickly. No complaints from me. And for all of you with access to HD, most of the games are on Universal HD.
The games have been pretty good so far as far as entertainment value.
Back to the Czech-Germany game, Dominik Hasek went out in the first period with some kind of injury and Tomas Vokoun has taken over in net.
Late last night I started sorting through the responses to the player grades survey on the main site. There were a lot more responses than I expected. I am going to include my grades along with the survey results. A lot of them are similar, but I have a different take on some of them.
I'll probably post the results in the Friday night update since there are no Olympic hockey games that day.
15 February '06 - - default| - § ¶
Odds & Ends
It was not a good weekend for the Stars, who stumbled into the break with losses to San Jose and Los Angeles. I thought the Sharks just had more energy to their game Friday night. I can't really explain what happened Sunday in LA. That was brutal. A total meltdown.
You have to give the Kings credit though. They could have rolled over and died after that second period, but they came out on fire in the third period. It was an impressive comeback and a big win for them.
I'm sure this isn't the taste the Stars wanted to have in their mouths heading into the break. Those were two ugly losses they are going to have to sit on the next two-and-a-half weeks.
If the season ended right now it would be the Stars and Kings in the first round. Wouldn't that be fun. I think you would have a lot of people picking the Kings to win that series. But you can't always pick a playoff series based on how two teams fared against each other in the regular season. The playoffs are entirely different matter. Everything starts new and game-to-game adjustments become important.
But you can't complain about where this team sits in the standings right now. You also have to be pleased that they came out of that grueling post-break stretch relatively healthy. Most of the players will get a chance to rest whatever injuries are bothering them. Philippe Boucher gets a chance to rest his knee and Janne Niinimaa's ankle gets a little time to get better as well.
The only significant injury right now is Antti Miettinen, who has withdrawn from the Olympics as a result of the upper body injury. Niklas Hagman was named as a replacement, but the Associated Press is reporting that Hagman has withdrawn too. I haven't seen any confirmation from either Finnish Hockey or the IIHF. So, as I write this, my understanding is Hagman is going. I'll have a section on the main site tracking the Stars players at the Olympics.
I just received this press release from the Texas Tornado concerning the Pros vs. Prospects II hockey game this week and they have asked that I post it. So, here it is:
EVERYONE IN ATTENDANCE RECEIVES A COMMEMORATIVE T-SHIRT
FINAL ROSTER ANNOUNCED FOR PROS vs. PROSPECTS II HOCKEY GAME
List includes former Dallas Stars players: Brett Hull, Guy Carbonneau, Neal Broten, Dave Gagner, and Kirk Muller
Frisco, Texas – The Back-to-Back National Champion Texas Tornado is pleased to announce the final roster for the Pros vs. Prospects II Tornado Charity Classic II on Wednesday, February 15th at 7:30pm at the Dr Pepper StarCenter in Frisco, matching the two-time defending Junior A National Champion Texas Tornado in a game against a team of former NHL Stars. Headlining the group of former NHL stars participating in the event includes former Dallas Stars players: Brett Hull, Guy Carbonneau, Dave Gagner, Kirk Muller, Craig Ludwig, Shayne Corson, Brent Severyn, Benoit Hogue, Shawn Chambers, Greg Adams, Mike Lalor, Gerald Diduck and Bill Huard. It has also been announced that former Dallas Stars forward and 1980 USA Olympic Hockey Gold Medal winner Neal Broten will serve as the Head Coach for the Pros team. Other former NHL stars that will be participating include Bernie Nicholls, who scored over 1,200 points during his 18-year NHL career, primarily with the Los Angeles Kings. The goaltender for the Pros team is Bill Ranford, who backstopped the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup in 1989-90, where he was also named as the Conn Smythe Trophy winner for being the Most Valuable Player during the NHL playoffs that season. Rick Zombo formerly of the St. Louis Blues, will also be participating on the Pros team.
Tickets for the Pros vs. Prospects II Tornado Charity Classic II are currently on sale. Ticket prices for the game start at only $15.00 and can be purchased at the Texas Tornado office at the Dr Pepper StarCenter in Frisco, or by calling the Tornado office at 972-335-9800, or can be purchased online at www.tornadohockey.com.
"This is going to be a wonderful event for all of the Dallas/Ft. Worth area," said Texas Tornado President and Owner Kirby Schlegel. “The collection of former NHL players that will be competing for charity against the Tornado will make for a very entertaining evening. We are also happy to announce that all proceeds from the Pros vs. Prospects Tornado Charity Classic will again be donated to the Texas Tornado and Mike Modano Foundations and the various charities of the former NHL stars participating in the event.” Following the game, there will be a live auction for the fans to bid on all of the game-worn jerseys worn by the Pros.
Last season, the Pros defeated the Tornado, 6-2 in the first annual Pros vs. Prospects Charity Classic, as Dallas Stars defenseman Sergei Zubov was named as the game’s MVP, playing along side Dallas Stars teammates Mike Modano, Marty Turco, Brenden Morrow, and Stu Barnes. Last year’s game sold out in less than four hours and raised money for the Texas Tornado and Mike Modano Foundations. Actor Chuck Norris and former Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul were among the celebrities who were in attendance. Following the game, there will be a live charity auction for the fans to bid on all of the game-worn jerseys worn by the Pros team.
13 February '06 - - default| - § ¶
Odds & Ends
Not much to say about last night's game. It was a solid effort under tough circumstances because of all the stuff surrounding the Phoenix Coyotes. I think the bottom line is two straight good efforts for the Stars and right now they look very, very good heading into the Olympic break. We'll see how it goes against the Sharks and Kings, but this team is going to be in excellent shape once that break begins.
It is starting to shape up as a battle between the Stars and Red Wings for the top spot in the West. Detroit's home-and-home sweep of Nashville really solidified its spot at the top of the Central. And nobody in the Pacific is anywhere near challenging the Stars right now. Chances are no one will get close unless the Stars fall apart.
That battle for the No. 1 seed in the West is going to be one thing to watch. The battle for the playoff spots will be the other, and that is going to be great. Right now the current pace for the playoffs is 92 points, which is what the eighth place Kings are on right now.
Minnesota, Anaheim and San Jose, who are all chasing the Kings, play tonight with a chance to pick up some ground.
Ducks win in Vancouver tonight they pull to within two points of the Kings with two games in hand.
Minnesota can pull within three points of L.A. with a win in Edmonton. The Wild will have played the same number of games as L.A.
The Sharks, who play the Stars, can pull to within five points with three games in hand with a win tonight.
I think all the playoff positioning is going to be fun the part of the second half.
Today's tidbit on the Rich Tocchet mess from the Newark Star-Ledger, which is leading the way on the reporting of this stuff.
Former hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky and his friend Rick Tocchet were overheard on state wiretaps discussing how authorities found out about Tocchet's multimillion-dollar gambling operation and ways the two could minimize the fallout for themselves and Gretzky's wife, according to a law enforcement source.
The conversation took place several weeks ago, the source said, long before authorities announced that Tocchet and a New Jersey State Police trooper were being charged with running a sports-betting ring whose customers included at least a dozen National Hockey League players.
There is no evidence Gretzky, co-owner and head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes, placed any bets, and no charges have been brought against him. But sources have said Gretzky's wife, Janet Jones, wagered hundreds of thousands of dollars through the ring and that investigators are probing whether Gretzky placed bets through Jones.
Pardon me if I don't get too excited over Jose Theodore getting caught taking a banned substance.
10 February '06 - - default| - § ¶
Gretzky knew?
Stars president Jim Lites told the Dallas Morning News he believes no Dallas Stars were involved in the illegal gambling ring that Rick Tocchet is accused of running. That's good news for the local guys.
There is, however, bad news for the league. The Newark Star-Ledger reports that Wayne Gretzky knew about Tocchet's gambling enterprise. The Star-Ledger article this morning opens this way:
State wiretaps in the unfolding NHL betting scandal caught Wayne Gretzky discussing the multimillion-dollar gambling operation run by his friend Rick Tocchet before the ring was dismantled Monday, according to law enforcement sources.
There is no evidence Gretzky made any bets, the sources said, but the secretly recorded phone calls show the hockey hall-of-famer knew about the gambling ring, and investigators are looking into whether he placed any wagers through his wife, Janet Jones.
The Great One could be called to testify before a state grand jury.
As for Tocchet, he is on an indefinite leave of absence.
The Gretzky angle, if true, is huge. He's the game's icon. It's most recognizable name. This is getting uglier by the day.
09 February '06 - - default| - § ¶
Tocchet mess
This Rick Tocchet gambling ring issue does not sound good at all. The ties to organized crime make it sound even worse. This is big trouble for Tocchet, who is facing some serious charges. And this could be a major black eye for the league.
According to New Jersey authorities there are players and someone in team management who were placing bets. Several media outlets are reporting Jeremy Roenick placed bets. Travis Green was mentioned by the Newark Star-Ledger. The AP reported that Hollywood type involved was Wayne Gretzky's wife Janet Jones. According to the Star-Ledger she placed about $500,000 in bets over the past several weeks. Of course, those are just media reports. Nothing official from investigating authorities.
But keep in mind, this is the early stage of the investigation. This gambling operation has been running for five years and most of the evidence right now involves the past six weeks and lot of it comes from electronic surveillance.
Investigators are just now starting to collect evidence like bank records and any other kind of records related to the operation. That's why there is concern that more players and perhaps some management types will get nabbed for placing illegal bets with the ring.
The big question is how many in the league were involved and what did they do. Right now there appears to be no indication that they bet on hockey. But it goes beyond whether they bet on hockey. There is still the issue of whether they provided inside information to those who did bet on hockey. And most important issue is the criminal charges they face.
This could be a major blow to the league if prominent players and management types fall in this. The league really doesn't need this.
I'm not going to naive and act shocked that players bet on sporting events. They do. But do have an former player and current assistant coach accused of running an illegal gambling ring with ties to the mob is somewhat of a shock, even for a jaded ex-news guy like me.
Back to Travis Green. If you have a Hockey News 2005-06 Yearbook, there's an article on Green's poker playing prowess. The headline was:
In the Green
Q: What's the difference between NHL forward Travis Green and the NHL Players' Association?
A: Green wins when he gambles.
Obviously that was a story about legal gambling, but when I saw Green's name in the Star-Ledger report that is the first thing that popped into my mind.
08 February '06 - - default| - § ¶
Odds & Ends
Big problems for Phoenix assistant coach Rick Tocchet. He's facing charges in New Jersey for "promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy." According to New Jersey authorities, Tocchet financed a gambling ring and his partner was a Jersey state trooper.
“I got a summons the other day about (it),” Tocchet said in Phoenix today. “It’s not a hockey-related issue, it’s a football thing. And at this time I can’t comment any further.”
A half dozen NHL players, who were not identified, placed bets in the operation but none of them bet on hockey.
Here's the Arizona Republic article on the situation.
The NHL is in the spotlight, but this is not the attention Gary Bettman wanted.
I don't know what it is about the Stars and Predators, but when they meet the games turn into a special teams extravaganza. Last night's game was really bogged down with the penalties, but I thought the Stars played a good game and were the better team.
I don't know what Tomas Vokoun was thinking on that turnover that resulted in Janne Niinimaa's shorthanded goal. I thought it was a mentally lazy play. It was as if he wasn't even paying attention to what was going on around him. As big as the Bill Guerin goal was at the end of the second, I think that Vokoun gaffe sealed the Predators' fate.
Bob Sturm was ranting about all the penalties on The Ticket after the game. It does suck the life out of the contest and just turns it into a half-ice game. Out of the 60 minutes, 26:09 were played with one team or the other having a power play. Perhaps we are in a pre-break crackdown.
I'm not going to read too much into the calls in this one game. I think the game's have gotten better since the beginning of the season. I don't think you pick apart the officiating based on a few games here or there. I think you have to look at the season as a whole and I think it's been OK.
As Mike Modano told The Hockey News: "It's not consistent game to game, but I think it has been consistent for the season.
07 February '06 - - default| - § ¶
Shootouts in the playoffs? No thanks
In an article this weekend, David Sessions of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram made the case for using the shootout in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He makes some interesting points, but that would be too radical a change for me. He thinks it could be a big boost for the game's popularity because fans are loving it this season. Of course, he also says in the article that it's chances of becoming reality are basically zero right now.
Anyway, he writes:
Yes, playoff overtime hockey is exciting. For a period, maybe two, or until it becomes nothing more than a test of endurance for players, broadcasters and viewers alike.
And there was this:
...How would you rather see the Stanley Cup decided, by Jokinen beating a goaltender with his patented shootout move, or the puck bouncing off the skate of a fatigued defenseman in the third overtime period?
Winning the Stanley Cup is a test of endurance. It's playing through all the injuries and fatigue. It's having to win 16 hard-fought games. That's what makes it so tough to win. Winning will lose some of its luster if it comes down to a shootout, at least in my opinion. The fact that it is done in international play or soccer's World Cup doesn't really change my thoughts.
But here's my question. If the Stars weren't 8-0 in shootouts this season would Sessions even write this article? Let's say they were 4-4 or 3-5. Would he be that excited about it? I doubt it.
Don't get me wrong. I like the shootout. They are fun. But I still would like to see the Stanley Cup settled the way it has always been. If that means a goal off a skate in the third overtime, so be it.
Predators in town again tonight. I look forward to another good game. I would expect a better effort from the Stars than they had in St. Louis.
Had the Stars pulled that win out in overtime or the shootout Saturday, everybody probably would have been giddy about it. But to me it looked like a lot of recent games over the past month. The difference was the Stars lost in the extra session. But a lot of the same stuff that has been plaguing them the past month continues to crop up.
The power play continues struggle. The penalty kill has been up and down. The team seems to go into funks every now and then during games. Maybe it's just too much hockey lately and they are physically and mentally taxed.
I guess it is get to the break, get refreshed and then get going heading into the final month-and-a-half of the regular season.
06 February '06 - - default| - § ¶
Night of shootouts, Scott Stevens
Pretty good night of hockey last night in the Western Conference. There were five games and four of them were settled in shootouts and one was settled in overtime. It was a great night to have Center Ice.
The shootout in the Columbus-Edmonton game was great. A total of 16 shooters and Jason Chimera, the ex-Oiler, nails the winner. Columbus is playing extremely well now. The Blue Jackets have a franchise record five-game winning streak going and they have won ten of their last 13 games.
Sharks lost to Minnesota in a shootout last night. The first eight shooters were stopped or missed before Brian Rolston finally scored for the Wild. Manny Fernandez stopped Joe Thornton and the Sharks lost another point.
They are 1-6 in shootouts this season. If they were, say, 4-3 the Sharks would be in ninth place and four points out of eighth place with two games in hand on Edmonton. Instead they are in 11th place and six points out. It may not seem like much, but it could be huge when the season is over.
The shootouts may have no relevance in the playoffs, but they are something that could determine whether you make the playoffs. Edmonton is 5-4 and Anaheim, currently in ninth and five points behind the Oilers, is 2-5. Do the math.
Game of the night has to be New Jersey vs. Carolina. The Hurricanes are the hottest team in the league and the Devils has finally gotten on track. Plus, Devils retire Scott Stevens' No. 4.
An excerpt from today's Bergen Record:
Stevens would become the cornerstone of one of the league's best defenses and their unquestioned leader, taking over as captain in his second season in New Jersey. His open-ice hit on Detroit's Slava Kozlov in the 1995 Finals would become the signature moment of that series.
While Kozlov was still lying on the ice, Stevens glared at Dino Ciccarelli on the Red Wings' bench and promised, "You're next." The Devils went on to sweep the Red Wings in four games.
When the Devils won their second Cup in 2000, Stevens' collection of scattered bodies from his big hits included Eric Lindros and Tie Domi and he captured the Conn Smythe as the MVP of the playoffs.
In the Final against Dallas in 2000 I remember him trying to line up Derian Hatcher after Hatcher has knocked New Jersey's Petr Sykora out of the game with a big hit.
Marty Turco was sporting his Team Canada Olympic mask at practice today. I didn't get a look at it, so I can't really describe it to you other than it matches Team Canada's colors and has the Olympic rings on the back.
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Odds & Ends
The Scott Nichol injury took some of the energy out of last night's game, at least for a while. That was an unfortunate play. Trevor Daley really didn't do much other than tie the guy up going for a puck, but Nichol got hurt. As a result, the major and game misconduct. That call had to be made.
I felt bad for Daley. I think the look on his face after Nichol slammed into the boards. He looked shocked that Nichol was down on the ice and out cold. It looks like Nichol is going to be OK and that's the important thing.
It was a good win for the Stars. Kind of a boring win, but those are good too. The played with a lead and didn't give Nashville many good opportunities. Nothing wrong with that.
When the Stars are on top of their defensive game, they can give teams very little. It's impressive at times. The committment to block shots is impressive as well. I remember those shot blocking drills in practice. It's little stuff like that that can really pay off big time.
The Stars are on NBC again this weekend. Last weekend's NHL coverage drew a 1.1 rating. So it's basically gone from a 1.5 the first week to a 1.3 the next week to a 1.1 this last week. That's discouraging.
The good news is that attendance remains up. Overall, the league had another good January. Average attendance was 16,795 per game was the capacity level was 91.3 percent.
Twenty-three of the 30 teams are even or ahead of 2003-04 as far as attendance.
The Stars are down from 2003-04, but they are above the league average in attendance and in capacity.
The last couple games -- San Jose and Nashville -- have been just a little more than 17,000. I'm sure that is disappointing to the Stars.
Even the impressive record, recent great run and shootout wins haven't given them much of a boost at the gate. I guess it is going to take a great playoff run. It may be different in years past because the Mavericks could be making a deep run too.
02 February '06 - - default| - § ¶
Sharks game, Ducks, Predators
I thought Monday night's win against the Sharks was another mirror image of the some of the other recent wins. Another strong finish for the Stars. They are on a roll in that department. How long they can keep it up is another question, but I agree with Dave Tippett is that it is a good sign that the team plays well and can compete in close games.
I also found Jason Arnott's comments (the ones I used in the January Review) about playing to the level of the opposition a keen observation as well. The Stars do seem to do that and then just get that little extra push at the end to draw even. I don't how long that can last either before it creates some problems.
But for right now they are getting the job done one way or another and that's what counts.
That was a tough loss for the Sharks, who are still stuck in neutral in the standings. It's really hard to make up ground these days because every night someone is going to get two points and at times someone is going to get two and the other guy is going to get one point. There are no more games where two teams may tie and each only gets one. That makes it that much harder to catch teams, especially when then are several teams you need to leap to get into playoff position.
Speaking of trying to catch teams: Anaheim is closer to the Kings in the standings than the Kings are to the Stars. I don't know how they do it, but the Mighty Ducks keep picking up wins and points. They are six behind the Kings and have four games in hand. The Ducks are only three points out of eighth and have a game in hand there right now. It is going to be a real dog fight after the Olympic break.
San Jose is at Anaheim Wednesday night. I'll be checking that one out on Center Ice after I'm updating the site on the Stars-Predators game.
It's been a while since the Stars and Predators have played, so I am looking forward to this one. I really like Nashville's team. They've slipped since the beginning of the season, but they are hard working team with a lot of speed and a great goaltender in Tomas Vokoun.
As things stand right now, I consider the Predators one of the four teams in the West that could end up winning the conference title in the playoffs. Dallas, Detroit and Calgary are the others. That could change next week depending on who does what and who gets hurt, but those are the big four in the West right now.
01 February '06 - - default| - § ¶
