Ranking The Division Leaders As Cup Contenders

With most teams nearing 40 games played, we're essentially halfway through the NHL season, and no clear-cut favorite has emerged. But we do have a few convincing-looking division leaders who figure to be in the mix. Here's a midseason ranking of the current division leaders as Stanley Cup contenders.

4. Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay has had an impressive season thus far and remains slightly ahead of Montreal and Detroit for the lead in the Atlantic Division. A look at NHL team stats shows that the Lightning are second only to Toronto in goals per game, and that offensive firepower has been good enough for 23 wins through Dec. 30. Yet, it's hard to consider Tampa Bay as a favorite against the other three teams on this list.

The oddsmakers agree, at this stage, with Betfair's page on Stanley Cup favorites showing Tampa with just 15/1 odds, as noted here. These are just the eighth-best odds overall, and they even place Tampa below division foe Montreal. This is all due to a somewhat-unreliable defense. Ben Bishop has had a very good but unspectacular season in net, and Tampa is a middle-of-the-road team in goals allowed. They'll be a playoff threat, but a Stanley Cup run looks unlikely.

3. Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks have the most points through Dec. 30 with 54, though they have also played more games than fellow division leaders Pittsburgh and Chicago. That performance to date has earned them 10/1 Stanley Cup odds at this point (tied for second best), but as to just how they're going to beat teams in the playoffs, it's really anyone's guess.

Simply put, the Ducks don't do anything to overwhelm you. There's no one area on the ice or on the stat sheet in which they dominate opponents and assert themselves as one of the best teams in the league. But here's an interesting thing to consider, pointed out at the Ducks' Fansided page: Anaheim leads the NHL in man games lost this season. This does raise the question of just how strong and consistent they may be if they get healthier.

2. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins will be in the Stanley Cup conversation once more, and as of now their 10/1 odds are even with Anaheim's for second best. They'll have to fend off a tough Islanders team if they want to keep their spot atop the Metropolitan Division, but ultimately Pittsburgh looks to be arguably the most complete team in the NHL. They're also a clear co-favorite to win a title.

Taking a look at the Penguins' team stats page at ESPN, it's incredibly impressive just how good this team is in all areas of the game. They rank fourth in both goals scored and goals allowed, sixth in power play percentage and third in kills. They're also one of only five teams with single-digit losses, despite a recent slide, and that sort of consistency matters come playoff time.

1. Chicago Blackhawks

What's better than Pittsburgh's claim of ranking fourth in both goals scored and goals allowed? How about Chicago's marks of third in goals per game and first in goals allowed. This Blackhawks team has developed an elite defensive standing without sacrificing offensive prowess, and they're the favorite to win the Stanley Cup as a result.

Specifically, the Blackhawks lead the way with 13/2 odds, which are quite strong given how many good teams there are in the league. But as of now, it's difficult to imagine anyone beating the Blackhawks in a playoff series.

Crushed...

Yes, the Rangers got crushed today.

It was a 6-0 loss; first time they were shutout this season; Sean Avery was the only one who really showed up; a division rival got 2 points on home ice; Chad Johnson let up his first goal on his first shot ever.

But it's funny how quickly people turn on the team. They go 4-0 and all of a sudden Marian Gaborik is the greatest player in the world, Henrik Lundqvist is the best goalie in the NHL, and this team is on the right track.

Then, they get shutout at home, and we need to fire John Tortorella, trade Brandon Dubinsky, and go with a youth movement.

Aren't teams allowed to win and lose games?

Yes, no one played particularly well. Chad Johnson - he who wasn't scheduled to start and was thrown in during an intermission - played decent. Avery played very well tonight. Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan played well, but as always, couldn't find the back of the net.

This is a team where 34% of the Salary Cap is occupied by 3 players who shouldn't be making a total of $3.4M. What did you expect?

A team with Michal Rozsival, Wade Redden, and Chris Drury will NEVER win a Stanley Cup, unless they are all making under $1M per year and the rest of the roster is filled with named like Kovalchuk, Gaborik, Lundqvist, Boyle, Heatley, and Niedermeyer.

This Rangers team isn't built for a Cup run. Yes, they have a few parts (Gaborik, Hank, Ryan Callahan, and 3 of 6 defensemen), but they'll get shutout 6-0 from time to time. Sometimes, they'll score 7 goals. Some games, they'll put up a fight in a 2-1 loss.

Get used to it.

But don't expect too much.

And don't complain when they don't show up for a game. After all, what did you expect out of Redden when he was signed? Passion? Commitment? Offensive skill?

Tom Renney...

The last two times that the Edmonton Oilers faced the Rangers, the Rangers lost in a shootout. Last time, they fired 42 shots on net and scored on only 2 - on a backup goaltender. Ah, the Tom Renney era...

Well, tomorrow, the Rangers meet Tom Renney again, and while not many current players were there for a lot of his reign (Henrik Lundqvist and Michal Rozsival were the only ones there from his first full season in 2005-06), it should be an emotional night for him. Imagine if the game were at Madison Square Garden?

While I rip on Renney a lot here, I do think he was a very good coach, and I'm sure he will be sometime soon. There are a few coaches who will "always be a Ranger," no matter where they wind up coaching or working. Mike Keenan, though he only had 1 season, is one of them. Renney is another.

No coach could have done what he did after the lockout. He took a team destined to fail -at least according to the experts - and brought them into the playoffs, one point away from winning the division. He got 123 points out of Jaromir Jagr - a man who would have refused to return to the NHL if he wasn't playing for Renney in New York, he once said. He turned a team of veterans - Rucchin, Jagr, Straka, Rucinsky, Kasparaitis, Nylander - and young no-names - Jay Ward, Ortmeyer, Dom Moore, Hollweg, Orr, Prucha, Betts - into a contender.

I still say that if not for the Olympics, the Rangers could have gone far that year. Jagr and Lundqvist came back injured - Jagr with hip and groin problems, Hank with headaches from grinding his teeth. And then there was Sandis Ozolinsh, who seemed like a good trade at first until he came apart in the Devils' series and cost the team 2 games.

Still, Renney was a huge part of the rebuilding process. While they rebuilt, he brought them into the playoffs. He just wasn't a good fit for the team last year and going forward. His style had stopped working, and he continued to play people based on their paychecks rather than skill (see: Wade Redden on the power play while Petr Prucha sat in street clothes).

For all the good he did, he will be remembered for 2 things: being fired when the team couldn't score and for Game 5 in Buffalo, where Fedor Tyutin and rookie Dan Girardi were on the ice with 30 seconds left with a 1-0 lead. When they iced the puck, Tyutin and Girardi had to stay on, they couldn't clear the puck, and Chris Drury scored.

Besides that being the one game that still upsets my stomach (and the only time I ever lost sleep over a sports event), you know that if they won that game and went up 3-2 in the series, they would not have lost Game 6 at MSG. I'm not saying they would have won the Stanley Cup - hell, they might not even have beaten Ottawa in the Conference Finals - but they would have beaten Buffalo. And maybe Chris Drury never would've been signed the following summer, and maybe everything would've been different.

But this is how it's played out, and I wish Tom Renney the best in Edmonton - no matter how often I make fun of his healthy scratches or his power play.

Rangers Lose...

The Rangers did something today they haven't done since before the lockout - they lost their season opener.

Of course, the difference between this year and the past 4 years is the quality of the opponent they played. Since the lockout, they haven't played any teams that made the playoffs that season for their first game. They beat, in order, Philadelphia, Washington, Florida, and Tampa Bay. This year, not only did they have a team that will make the playoffs, they faced a team that won the Stanley Cup.

So, how have those teams who played the defending Stanley Cup Champions done when they got to see the banner raised?

Last year, defending champions Detroit played Toronto on the night they raised the banner, who missed the playoffs for the 4th straight year.

In 2007, defending champions Anaheim played Boston when they raised the banner (they played their first 2 games vs. LA in Europe, then went on a road trip, then played Boston in their home opener). Boston snuck into the playoffs but lost to Montreal in the first round.

In 2006, Carolina played Buffalo in their home opener when they celebrated winning the Stanley Cup. Buffalo had a fantastic start, a great year, and lost to Ottawa in Game 5 overtime to be eliminated from the playoffs in '07.

In 2005, Tampa Bay had a delayed celebration at home against Carolina. Carolina had a dream season and won the Stanley Cup.

In 2003, New Jersey played Toronto. Toronto wound up losing to Philadelphia in the 2nd round (the Flyers were very good in those playoffs, and the only reason they didn't go on to the Finals that year is because Keith Primeau couldn't play every shift and Brad Richards played the game of his life in Game 7).

In 2002, the Red Wings played Montreal, who missed the playoffs and ended up 5 games under .500.

Which will the Rangers be more like? Will they be #1 in the league like Buffalo and run out of steam in the Conference Finals? Will they miss the playoffs like last season's Toronto and Montreal of '02? Will they win the Cup like Carolina did in '06? Probably not any of those scenarios. They'll probably go hot, go cold, and then fight for a playoff spot in mid-March. They'll clinch in early-April, and then have a 2nd round exit like Toronto in '03.

Of course, I'm hoping it's different. But I'm also realistic.

I could be wrong. John Tortorella's system could be good. Marian Gaborik looked very good vs. Pittsburgh in Game #1, and he might score 45 goals. Brandon Dubinsky even looked good last night. Plus, the defensive pairings I wanted were put on the ice tonight (Staal/Girardi; Redden/Gilroy; Rozsival/Del Zotto).

I'm not going to dissect last night's game. You probably saw it. Sure, there's a lot I can talk about - poor officiating; an excessive amount of odd-man rushes on Henrik Lundqvist; Mike Del Zotto being in the right spot twice but not being able to get good wood on the puck; Wade Redden's $6.5M body check on Evgeni Malkin; Redden being near the net and playing physical until he sucked the last 6 minutes of the game; Marc-Andre Fleury's game-breaking save on Vinny Prospal. But it's a long season.

And with 5 more games against Pittsburgh, expect plenty of confusion about phantom penalties called in favor of the Penguins. (I say "in favor of the Penguins" instead of "against the Rangers" because for years, this site has been saying that the NHL doesn't have a bias against any one team, but they do have a bias for Pittsburgh.)

It was an exciting game. They had some good chances. Gaborik can be incredible. Ales Kotalik and Prospal played good. Sean Avery can help a lot and hopefully will soon. But there were way too many odd-man rushes against Hank is too many. He is a great goalie, but he shouldn't have to be the hero every game. And what are you going to do when he isn't playing that game?

I'm also disappointed Alexei Semenov didn't sign with the Rangers. Having a 7th d-man is a luxury they haven't had in a while. Jason Strudwick was good in the locker room a few years back, but he wasn't a great player. Last year, no d-man was help accountable because there was never a threat of benching one player. A veteran 7th man would mean a struggling player could take a seat, or a rookie with nerves could watch a game from up high one night to get his bearings back.

Anyway, it's a long season. It's been nice to start the season with 2 points every year, but there are 81 games left.

The NHL Is Absolutely SCREWED

There are a lot of people out there who write about hockey. Unfortunately, many of these people are awful at their jobs. Channeling the spirit of Fire Joe Morgan (but with a lot less snarkiness), here's our response to a recent article that was particularly loathsome.

A new season is dawning and life for the NHL can't get any worse ... or could it?

Yes, it could get worse. MUCH worse. Remember five years ago, when there WASN'T a new season dawning?

I'm talking about a league that in three months went from showcasing one of the greatest exhibitions of playoff hockey in decades -- the seven-game Stanley Cup Final between the Red Wings and Penguins -- to dismissing Wayne Gretzky as collateral damage in a bankruptcy case that even with a judicial decision remains unresolved. There was also the dispute between DirecTV and Versus that threatened to black out opening night games, rumors of fiscal distress in South Florida, Atlanta, Long Island and elsewhere, yet another owner (Boots Del Biaggio) doing the perp-walk for investor fraud, fallout from Dany Heatley's ugly forced trade, a hijacked players association, and a young star in handcuffs for allegedly pummeling a 62-year-old cab driver over 20 cents change.

OK, let's compare this to the NFL. This year, the NFL reinstated the recently jailed Michael Vick after a whopping two-game suspension. They have a top-10 draft pick who intends to sit out the season because he wants more money. An insane amount of retired players are either dead broke, horribly brain damaged, or both. One of their star players is in jail for shooting himself in a night club. NFL players are suspended on a weekly basis for drug abuse or off-field discipline problems. And the NHL is the league with a problem? Please.

BTW, that "great exhibition in playoff hockey" aired on a Friday night and wasn't even shown in New York bars because most New Yorkers thought a regular season game between the Mets and Yankees was more important. Great game (Wings-Pens, that is), but let's not pretend it was some seminal moment in sports history.

You want to say it can't possibly sink any lower. Not even the NHL can slide so far so fast, but there is cause to wonder: If all that was what the summer brought, what's on the horizon for fall, winter and spring? Thankfully, there is some good news:

The games are back.

Whew. I was really beginning to wonder what was on the horizon for fall, winter and spring. I forgot hockey players actually play games. Thanks for the reminder.

Joining Ovechkin at the top are the twin stars of Pittsburgh: Sidney Crosby (the Penguins' second coming of Lemieux, albeit in a much smaller package) and Evgeni Malkin, last season's scoring champ and playoff MVP. In Boston, Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Tim Thomas and Norris Trophy defenseman Zdeno Chara are the inspirational forces for a surging team. They are supported by the vastly underrated Marc Savard, who feeds slick passes to a player many Bruins fans consider the Next Cam Neely: winger Milan Lucic.

There is strength of size and number in Philadelphia where the complete game of Jeff Carter and heady play of Mike Richards have fans speaking in tones reserved for the days when Bobby Clarke and Bill Barber carried the Broad Street Bullies to glory. It doesn't hurt (unless you're the competition) that the Flyers brought over the much-feared Chris Pronger to anchor their improved defense. If Ray Emery competes to the level of his ability in goal, the Flyers should contend for a spot in the Cup final this spring and could well win it all.

In the West, the still-potent Red Wings will try to blend the usual mix of veteran stars and emerging talent and reach the Cup final for the third time in as many seasons. Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Nicklas Lidstrom anchor the group, but the supporting cast is hungry for a chance at redemption. That will happen only if the multi-talented Sharks can't find their game again in the postseason, or if the swift, determined Blackhawks of andJonathan Toews continue to grow.

This thing reads like a NBC press release. A whole paragraph about the Flyers, who lost in the first round last year. Half a paragraph about the defending Stanley Cup champions. Half a paragraph about the Bruins, who have had exactly one good season since the lockout. Meanwhile, the Red Wings get two sentences and the Sharks and Blackhawks get to share one whopping sentence. Sounds about right.

After building on a startling jump in momentum coming out of the 2004-05 lockout and largely delivering on its promise for a better, faster, more exciting game, the league's momentum, at least regarding public perception, appears to have stalled. One might argue that it has actually crashed.

Public perception has "crashed", even though the league has better TV ratings than it did before the lockout. That the NHL has done this with ESPN going out of its way to avoid covering hockey, if not sabotage the league altogether, is huge. Furthermore, good luck finding even one hockey fan who gives a rat's ass about the "public perception" of the NHL.

A rising tide of anger doesn't bode well, especially when the league, which might have laid claim to the higher ground after the costly lockout brought the owners' much-wanted salary cap, is grieving almost every issue that comes before it, costing the players time and money and building an overriding sense of ill will. As a fan, you might argue that all this shouldn't matter, that these are professionals who are (highly) paid to play. But hockey players are people, too, and the issues that are rocking their usually secure world are taking a toll.

I have no idea what this paragraph means. That's especially true of the 80-word introductory sentence.

Most aren't likely to go away, not without another fight or three, but at least there is hockey on the ice now, hope in the hearts of fans, and a very good chance the game will produce a season every bit as memorable as the last. For those who truly love hockey, pretty much all we can do is hope...that we can see the games.

OOH! A shot at the NHL's TV contract! How original!

In what has become an eternal quest to find a TV provider other than ESPN, the league's current U.S. cable provider, Versus, is in a snit fight with satellite distributor DirecTV. The dispute has scuttled some 14 million viewers. It's a problem that may yet be resolved, but it smacks of the kind the league had with Madison Square Garden over internet rights, and it seems to open the door for MSG or some other regional network to cut a deal separate of league partners and concentrate on serving places where hockey draws an audience without trying to air games in areas where people simply refuse to watch.

These run-on sentences are making me nauseous.

Oh, and MSG can barely service New York and New Jersey. I'm sure the other 48 states will be no problem.

Of course, those people will be missing some good stuff on the ice. So, yes, let us hope for the best -- especially that things don't get worse.

YES. Things are SO awful now. Patrick Kane punching a cab driver is far, far worse than a lost season and the legitimate fear that the league would fold. Godspeed, NHL.

Bryan's 2009-10 NHL Predictions

Generally speaking, most hockey pundits follow the same formula when it comes to doing season previews. Usually, they give you a bunch of crap you don't really care about as the season nears, then release their picks for the playoffs, the Stanley Cup and the post-season awards on the day of the first game. Of course, they don't do this for your benefit. They do it because that's the day everyone else puts out their predictions.

See, the earlier someone releases his or her predictions, the more that person or publication gets scrutinized and bashed, and nobody really wants that. Because in the end, predictions are just more mindless blather from people who don't really know anything. They're entertainment at best, and the sooner you forget about them, the happier major publications are. When ESPN did its NFL predictions, 75 percent of their "experts" had the same exact playoff teams in the AFC, five of which made the playoffs last year, and that's in a sport where at least three teams from each conference come from out of nowhere to make the playoffs. So you can only imagine what they, and everyone else, have in store for us on October 1.

Personally, I'd love to blend in with the rest of the opining masses and put out my picks with everyone else. Unfortunately, I can't do that. My wife is due to give birth on October 10 and I sort of need to be ready for that, so I can't just submit my picks at the last minute. Besides, I genuinely enjoy making predictions, even if they're horribly wrong. Remember, I'm the same person who had Barry Melrose winning the Adams last year.

Last year, I stumbled onto what I thought was a winning formula. I took last year's standings and simply figured out who would be better or worse than they were a year ago. This year, I'm taking it one step further by giving point totals for how much better or worse I think each team will be. While these revised point totals are not meant to be taken very literally, they're a decent guide for how much teams have improved (or gotten worse) without worrying about playoff positioning.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
1) Boston (116): Same. The Bruins' loss to Carolina in Game 7 will end up being a blessing in disguise. The pain of defeat will help the Bruins to maintain their focus throughout this season.

2) Washington (108): +5. Not unlike the Bruins, the Capitals have plenty to prove. The Southeast division crown is a given, but the Caps should really be aiming for the President's Trophy.

3) New Jersey (106): Same. Every year, everyone writes the Devils off. Every year, the Devils make the playoffs. Until they falter, I have no reason to doubt they'll be great once again.

4) Pittsburgh (99): +6. The Penguins played like crap until it mattered last year, then proceeded to win the Cup. They might have a bit of a Cup hangover, but they should still hit 100 points.

5) Philadelphia (99): -4. Yes, the Flyers have Chris Pronger. No, they do not have a reliable goaltender for the playoffs. AGAIN.

6) Carolina (97): -10. Carolina went on an insane run to get into last year's playoffs and had a tremendous run once they got in. I can't see them doing it again, though.

7) NY Rangers (95): Same. Many are picking an off year for the Rangers, which can only mean that they will be very good. At any rate, it's hard to say this Rangers team is worse than it was a year ago. Even if they are, Henrik Lundqvist will keep them afloat.

8) Montreal (93): +4. Last year was a disaster. I blame the hoopla over the Habs' 100th anniversary. They should be improved, if only because there will be slightly less chaos surrounding the Canadiens.

9) Florida (93): -6. Last year was their chance. They just barely missed it. Now they have to work on getting Florida to care about hockey again, only they have to do it without Jay Bouwmeester. Good luck with that.

10) Buffalo (91): Same. It's hard to get excited about a team that considers giving Tim Connolly a lucrative extension a step in the right direction. They seem destined to be a bubble team for the forseeable future.

11) Ottawa (83): +10. The Senators will surely improve now that the Dany Heatley fiasco is over. Besides, they're not that bad. Lastly, for all Heatley did to villify Cory Clouston, the Sens managed 42 points in the 34 games Clouston coached. That's a 101-point pace.

12) Toronto (81): +5. This might come as a shock to Maple Leafs fans, but Mike Komisarek and his two goals in 2008-09 are not the answer. Nor is Colton Orr's 4-year contract or any of the other moves Brian Burke made in the name of toughness.

13) Atlanta (76): Same. The Thrashers will try to make something happen this year, if only because it's their only shot at getting Ilya Kovalchuk to re-sign. Look for him to be dumped at the trade deadline for about 70 cents on the dollar.

14) Tampa Bay (66): +9. It's hard to have a worse season than the Lightning did last year. They should be much improved this year now that Steven Stamkos knows the NHL. Matt Lashoff and Victor Hedman should significantly improve the Lightning's defense.

15) NY Islanders (61): +16. The Isles make the biggest jump for a number of reasons. They have actual NHL goalies, they can't possibly have as many injuries as they had last year, and their young players will improve.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1) San Jose (117): -5. Does San Jose finally understand that the regular season is merely a dress rehearsal for what's really important? Probably not. But 117 points is a lot of points. I don't see them getting quite that many.

2) Detroit (112): -14. Detroit takes a big step back in terms of points, but they'll still be a factor in the playoffs. They've got too tough of a division to put up 112 points again.

3) Vancouver (100): -4. Now that the Canucks have tied up their future in the Sedin twins, they have a long future ahead of being above-average, but never truly great. Did you know that their sweep of the Blues in April was their first sweep in franchise history? Wow.

4) Chicago (104): +4. Chicago finishes the job after a dream season last year. There's a chance the team has a bout of complacency during the season, but they should be able to win the Central.

5) Calgary (98): -6. Calgary over-achieved last year. Brent Sutter is an upgrade behind the bench over Mike Keenan, but that doesn't change the fact that Miikaa Kiprusoff is the most overrated player in the NHL.

6) St. Louis (92): Same. It was tempting to give the Blues a significant bump in points, but they won't sneak up on anyone this year. That said, they'll be even better than they were last year, so at worst these two factors will cancel each other out.

7) Columbus (92): +3. The Blue Jackets are for real. They held their own last year in a very tough division. They'll only improve with a full season from Derick Brassard.

8) Anaheim (91) +9: The Ducks proved how much the regular season means when they whooped San jose in the first round last year. This year, they should be a lot more focused. They won't be stuck with the eighth seed next April.

9) Minnesota (89): -5. Everyone's all excited that the Wild isn't going to be playing the trap anymore. However, the change from all-defense to all-offense isn't going to happen overnight. This looks to be a transitional year for the Wild.

10) Nashville (88): Same. I keep waiting for the year where Nashville puts it all together. Still waiting. Will still be waiting after this year. The Predators' big acquisition this off-season was Francis Bouillon. Poor Ryan Suter, Shea Weber and Pekka Rinne.

11) Edmonton (85): +10. Last year, I predicted an off year for Edmonton because they wouldn't pick up a ton of points in shootouts two years in a row. This year, though, the young players are ready to put it all together.

12) Dallas (83): +7. Dallas improved significantly last year after dumping Sean Avery. Problem is, a lot of other teams improved too. I'll take up-and-coming young teams like LA and Edmonton over this Dallas team.

13) Phoenix (79): +9. People forget that the Coyotes were as high as fifth in the West last January before totally crapping out in the second half. The drama with the team's move may actually serve to bring the team together. And you can't deny their young talent, which might be the best group of prospects in the NHL.

14) Los Angeles (79): +11. Speaking of enviable pools of talent, the Kings should be a team to watch now that they have a legitimate franchise goalie in Jonathan Quick. They might not be a playoff team, but they'll be close.

15) Colorado (69): Same. The rebuild begins in Colorado without Joe Sakic. It's not going to be pretty.

****

So, if we do the math, here's how my vision of the NHL shakes out for 2009-10...

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1) Boston (116)

2) Washington (111)

3) New Jersey (106)

4) Pittsburgh (105)

5) Montreal (97)

6) NY Rangers (95)

7) Philadelphia (95)

8) Ottawa (93)

9) Buffalo (91)

10) Carolina (87)

11) Florida (87)

12) Toronto (86)

13) NY Islanders (77)

14) Atlanta (76)

15) Tampa Bay (75)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1) San Jose (112)

2) Chicago (108)

3) Vancouver (96)

4) Anaheim (100)

5) Detroit (98)

6) Columbus (95)

7) Edmonton (95)

8) St. Louis (92)

9) Calgary (92)

10) Los Angeles (90)

11) Dallas (90)

12) Phoenix (88)

13) Nashville (88)

14) Minnesota (84)

15) Colorado (69)

PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Boston def. (8) Ottawa 4-2

(2) Washington def. (7) Philadelphia 4-0

(6) NY Rangers def. (3) New Jersey 4-3

(4) Pittsburgh def. (5) Montreal 4-1

(1) Boston def. (6) NY Rangers 4-2

(2) Washington def. (4) Pittsburgh 4-3

(2) Washington def. (1) Boston 4-1

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) San Jose def. (8) St. Louis 4-3

(2) Chicago def. (7) Edmonton 4-0

(6) Columbus def. (3) Vancouver 4-2

(5) Detroit def. (4) Anaheim 4-3

(1) San Jose def. (6) Columbus 4-3

(2) Chicago def. (5) Detroit 4-1

(2) Chicago def. (1) San Jose 4-2

STANLEY CUP FINAL

(2) Washington def. (2) Chicago 4-2

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Hart Trophy: Zach Parise, New Jersey

Art Ross Trophy: Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh

Richard Trophy: Alexander Ovechkin, Washington

Vezina Trophy: Henrik Lundqvist, NY Rangers

Norris Trophy: Dan Boyle, San Jose

Calder Trophy: Nikita Filatov, Columbus

Adams Trophy: Dave Tippett, Phoenix

Selke Trophy: Mike Richards, Philadelphia

Conn Smythe Trophy: Alexander Semin, Washington

I Was Right; I Was Wrong...

Of course, no Ranger games will be played at the Coliseum next season. Got to save those for weeknights since they'll close-to-sell-out anyway. No need to waste a Saturday where you'll sell 14,000 tickets anyway, no matter who the opponent. I was right about that.

I was wrong, however, when I predicted that 80% of their last 10 games would be division rivals. In fact, only half are, and we get to see that always exciting "Florida road trip" in April. Whoa, Schedule Makers, I'll make sure I take my heart medicine, because that's one to get the blood pumping!

And of course, what season would be complete without a home & home versus Philadelphia?

When the Penguins won the Cup, an avid and eager reader of this website, Dan, sent a string of angry text messages. One of them predicted that the Rangers would be the opponent when the Penguins raise the Stanley Cup banner to the rafters. Indeed, a short month later, his Nostradamus-like prediction is in fact a reality. I'm not mad. First of all, it's a crappy thing to get mad about. Second of all, maybe watching it will light an illusionary fire under the arses of certain Rangers players and get them going.

When the Rangers were awful in 2002-03, I wanted to send a mail to MSG. Specifically, I wanted to mail it to Gord Dwyer. I figured he never got any fan mail, so he would atleast open it, as opposed to sending it to Mark Messier or Tom Poti (it would have been lost in Poti's hatemail). I wanted to send him the video tape of "Oh Baby!" which was the highlights of the 1993-94 season, from playing in Europe to winning the Cup in Game 7. I figured it would start a fire under him, and he would show it to everyone and they would then be inspired to reach for glory.

Alas, I never sent it, the Rangers missed the playoffs, and I've blamed myself ever since. So maybe the banner-raising ceremony in Steeltown will be the "Oh Baby!" that is still sitting on my desk upstairs in my room.

A few notes...

In 2005-06, the Rangers played a very short February also, due to the Olympics. They played 6 games and won all of them, 5 in regulation and 1 in overtime on a Jaromir Jagr goal (from Martin Rucinsky and Michal Rozsival... ah, to be Czech in America). This year, that's do-able as well. Six games, 4 at home, including the Lightning and Predators.

With 24 games vs. the Atlantic, 40 vs. the rest of the East, and 15 against the West, that leaves them playing 3 Western teams twice this year. If I remember from last year, they played Chicago twice, Dallas twice, and the Ducks twice. This year's repeat offenders are St. Louis, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.

No "California Trip" this year, since their only game out there is against LA. That trip sees them in Phoenix, Colorado, then LA. The "Florida Trip" not only happens near the end of the season, but the Rangers also make the same trip during Thanksgiving week, as they do every year (Panthers on Thanksgiving Eve, Lightning on Black Friday).

They do have a Western Canada trip, though, as they play Calgary, Vancouver, and Edmonton in early November. Mark that down as a loss, as they normally do awful on that road trip. That will also be Tom Renney's first - and only - meeting with his old team. They also stop in Minnesota before hitting Canada.

Don't bank on any romantic Friday evenings at the Garden. The Rangers have 6 road games on a Friday (including the opener in Pittsburgh) but if you want to see them in the City on a Friday, you'll have to wait until the last home game of the year, 4/9/10 (looks weird to write!) against the Flyers.

Three home games that my girlfriend will kill me if I don't sell my tickets: 11/21 vs. Florida, her birthday; 2/14 vs. Tampa Bay, Valentine's Day; and 3/18 vs. St. Louis, our anniversary.

Possible road trips: October 24 & January 23, Montreal; December 9, Chicago; December 17, Philadelphia; January 9 & March 21, Boston; March 6, Washington; March 27, Toronto; December 21 & 31, Carolina. Sadly, no trip to Nashville is in the works, atleast not for a hockey game.

Penguins Win the Cup...

Very happy for Petr Sykora and I loved seeing him lift the Stanley Cup, although I'm pretty sure he cursed very loudly on TV last night. (Thought he said "F***in' right!" as he lifted it.)

People are villifying Marian Hossa, but for no reason. He did the noble thing, it just didn't work out for him. He could've taken somewhere around $80M from Edmonton to play there for a few years, but he took a cut to play in Detroit. Granted, $7.4M is still a nice chunk of coin, but at least he wants a Cup. What's next for him, back to the Penguins? Head over to San Jose? Stick with Detroit? I doubt that one, because they have a bunch of players to re-sign as well.

Besides Petr Sykora, the one guy on the Penguins I really love is Max Talbot. Not only does he rock awesome facial hair (he used to have a huge mustache), but he is the nicest guy. Of all the NHL players I've met/seen, him and Martin Biron are the most genuine and the nicest. He signs everything, he gives pucks to all the kids in the crowd. Good guy, always smiling. And now, he goes down in history as scoring 2 goals in a Game 7, much like his teammate Ruslan Fedotenko did in 2004 in a 2-1 win after trailing in the series 3-2. (One difference, Tampa Bay was at home, not in Calgary for that Game 7.)

No, I'm not ashamed to have rooted for the Penguins to win last night. I was much happier seeing them win than I would've been had the same team as last year won.

Saw this phrase written somewhere, and I found a picture of the two of them together, so, here it is.

Two Girls, One Cup

Pittsburgh Penguins, Stanley Cup Champions

Say what you want to about Sidney Crosby.

Call him a whiner. Call him a diver. Call him a wuss if it makes you feel better. But don't forget one important fact.

Sidney Crosby is a WINNER.

Congrats to the Pittsburgh Penguins, 2008-09 Stanley Cup Champions. Congrats to Crosby and Malkin. Congrats to former Islanders Bill Guerin, Miroslav Satan, Ruslan Fedotenko and Eric Godard. Congrats to former Rangers Pascal Dupuis and Petr Sykora. And for the sake of both New York teams, let's hope they break this team up before they become a dynasty.

Playoff Bet Update, Finals...

An update on the playoff bet: If the Penguins win tomorrow, I will have ended with 12 points, ahead of Bryan's 10. If Detroit wins, I will end with 10, and he with 8. (We both thought Pittsburgh would do it in 6 games.)

Regardless, I am crowned Playoff Prediction Champion. A glamorous title, indeed. However, unlike Miss California, I will not be fired and I will not tell you my views on gay marriage. I will tell you, however, that I thought a movie on gay marriage, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, was awful and predictable, and I wish it wasn't made.

Anyway, as per terms of the bet, Bryan owes $100. Originally, I wanted the money to be given to the Garden of Dreams, since this is a hockey site, after all.

I have since changed my mind. Let James Dolan donate to the Garden of Dreams.

Bryan, please make your echeck payable to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, a group out in Utah that houses 2,000 homeless dogs, cats, horses, pigs, burrows, rabbits, etc. They also work with animal shelters all across the country and they helped rescue stray dogs on the streets of New Orleans after Hurricanes Katrina and Gustav.

In the spirit of gamesmanship, I will be matching your gift with a donation to the Freeport Animal Shelter (in particular, my favorite dog there, Cinderella), in Freeport, Long Island, which just received 17 dogs from Hurricane Gustav that were going to be euthanised in shelters down south to make room for new lost dogs this hurricane season.

Ah, now only if Wade Redden could give away 90% of the $6.5M my season tickets go towards. I wouldn't feel so angry about him eating up that much Cap room if he gave the animals all of his money.

Enjoy your Game 7 tomorrow. For a while there, we had a string of Game 7's. There were 4 of 5 since 2001 until the past 2 years. Always exciting knowing the Stanley Cup will be awarded but not knowing to whom. (Am I grammatically correct there?)

Phoenix; Penguins; Sutter...

Three things on the docket today, a day when I'm off from work and it appears my softball game will be rained out. What is that old expression? June showers bring July flowers?

1) NHLPA head Paul Kelly agrees with me that Phoenix should no longer have an NHL team. He questions how much money a team should have to lose before people question that maybe they shouldn't have a team.

My point was that it should be marked as a failed experiment, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman should admit it, and the league should move on. Kelly's point is that he doesn't care who gets the team - Hamilton, Toronto, anyone - but that Phoenix should not have it.

I personally think Jim Balsillie should be allowed to have the team. He has a passion for the game, the desire to own a team, and certainly the deep pockets necessary to launch and nurture an expansion team.

Links: My post on it. TSN's article on Kelly's comments.

2) Is it wrong that I'm rooting for Pittsburgh tonight? And not just so we see a Game 7 (although they are always great, especially in the Finals), but to win the Stanley Cup.

I always like to see new teams win. I loved Anaheim and Ottawa in the Finals in '07, and I liked Carolina/Edmonton in '06. This year, not only is it a rematch of the last two teams in the Finals, but the same team is poised to win in the same exact amount of games. The only difference is that last year's Game 5 had Detroit up 3-1 and one probably the greatest non-Rangers game I have ever watched. Maxime Talbot scoring with 35 seconds left to send the game to overtime, then a triple OT, and Petr Sykora scoring to keep the series alive.

While I can't stand the Penguins, I'm rooting for them solely to see a new team win the Cup, and once again, maybe if they do win, the NHL can go back to refereeing their games fairly.

3) It's going to come out today that Brent Sutter has left the Devils. This was a move everyone saw coming last month when Darryl Sutter hinted it was going to happen. Darryl fired Mike Keenan in Calgary, then at his 20-minute long press conference, said the 3 best men for the job were currently under contract. Someone said, "Brent?" and he said he was under contract and couldn't talk about it.

Ah, Brent Sutter, once a scumbag, always a scumbag. The man who gave his word that he would never leave the Red Deer Rebels (which he owns and managed) and then up-and-left for New Jersey. Now, an opportunity to work with his brother comes knockin', and he is on the next plane back to Alberta.

Brent Sutter, we won't miss you. Maybe you can take your intent-to-injure son back with you also.

Worst Stat Ever Stated?...

Up until last night, the stupidest stat I had ever heard was a few years ago while watching my 4th repeat of ESPNews, a TV show I used to watch religiously until I got tired of seeing Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals highlights.

The stat: Someone had hit a home run, and it was his birthday. They then mentioned that he was the 4th player to ever hit a home run on his birthday when his age matched his jersey number. So, for example, he wore number 33, and he turned 33 that day and hit a homer, joining this exclusive club.

Yesterday was the stupidest hockey stat I might have ever heard.

The stat: Jordan Staal's shorthanded goal was the first for a Penguin in the Cup Finals since 1992! The first since Bob Errey scored in Game 2 against Chicago!

My Lord! Stop the presses!

Let's figure this out. They Penguins played 2 more games in the Finals that year, as they swept Chicago in four games. They then played 6 last year and 3 games this year in the Finals without scoring shorthanded.

It was the Penguins first goal in 11 Finals games that came shorthanded. Wow. What an accomplishment. It's not like the Penguins had played in the Finals 6 times since then '92. They had made it two times, and one time they didn't score a shorthanded goal.

Maybe it wasn't even the stat that was completely stupid, it was the way they had said it. They said it like it was some sort of amazing feat, similar to the Chicago Cubs making the World Series (or in hockey terms, the Toronto Maple Leafs winning the Cup or the Florida Panthers making the playoffs).

They were so astonished by this incredible 11-game shorthanded goal drought that they said it twice. They said it once, confusing me. Then, Christine Simpson did a between-period interview with Jordan Staal and said it to him, and then they flashed the stat on the screen.

Sleep easy Penguin fans. Your team has finally scored a shorthanded goal in the Finals after 11 tries. Now that the monkey is off your back, perhaps the team can get back to actually playing and forget about that. I heard that was hovering over them like a black cloud on a sunny day.

(For the record, the entire 2005-06 Rangers team only had 4 shorthanded goals in 82 games, less than 1 in 20. Imagine how crazy the Versus broadcast would've gone had they seen Jason Ward put one away while a man down!)

Bryan's (Late) Finals Prediction

I haven't posted to this blog in a while. It's the longest I've gone since posting since we started this thing some fifteen months ago. For this, you can thank the atrocious third round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I know it wasn't really as bad as it seemed; after all, the Red Wings-Blackhawks series featured three overtime games. Truth be told, we were spoiled by a tremendous second round of playoff hockey. Nothing could have possibly topped that and, thankfully, none of the four teams involved bothered to try. We're in luck, though; if last year's Stanley Cup Final was any indication, we're in for a treat with this series.

Real quick, a word on the start of the Cup Final before my prediction. The NHL is perhaps the most oft-criticized league in all of professional sports, and we saw more examples of this as the conference finals drew to a close. Faced with the potential of a nine-day gap between rounds, the NHL bumped up its schedule a week, creating a much more manageable two-day gap. Of course, this invited media pundits to trash the NHL for kowtowing to NBC's scheduling whims.

What a load of crap. Yeah, NBC has control over the schedule. That's because they're essentially doing the NHL a favor by airing these playoff games on weeknights in June, when all their shows are in re-runs. NBC isn't paying a dime to air the Stanley Cup Finals. Instead, they're showcasing the shows that they're paying millions of dollars to produce. It's part of the way the game is played. But it beats the alternative of a deciding game being played on Versus - you can only imagine what people would be saying in that scenario.

As a hockey fan, I'm outraged that NBC thinks Conan O'Brien's new show is more important than the league I worship. At the same time, I have to give both NBC and the NHL a hand, because no other league would even dream of doing this. The NFL? They had initially taken away the extra week of Super Bowl hype, instead opting to air the Super Bowl the week after the conference championship games. They brought back that hype week just to get extra publicity - at the expense of the players' routines and preparation. The NBA promotes the start date of its' NBA Finals from the start of the playoffs and would never change it, lest they be accused of misleading its audience. As if casual fans circle the date of Game 1 of the NBA Finals and don't watch a second of playoff basketball until that date. And we all know how Major League Baseball feels about TV revenue, electing to start playoff games at Fox at 8:30* and ensuring that kids nationwide can't stay up to see the end of the season's most important games. 

* - I know MLB/Fox is currently making a huge deal about how they're going to be starting games before 8 PM for the first time in forever. What they don't tell you, though, is that these games will begin at 7:58 PM. And with pre-game ceremonies and all the usual World Series hoopla, I'll believe it when I see it.

That leaves the NHL - the same league that aired two Game 7s virtually simultaneously in both the first and second round so as not to put out the fans who paid good money for their tickets. They were much criticized for this as well; of course, most of the people doing the bashing are the same people who complain about the NFL's flex schedule and the TV-mandated late starting times of World Series and NBA Finals games. People should give the NHL credit for putting its fans first and capitalizing on an opportunity to serve its fans (and teams) better, instead of kissing the asses of TV executives like every other league does.

Anyway.

We have Detroit and Pittsburgh meeting in the Finals for the second straight year. Detroit is already up 1-0. For the purposes of the bet between Zach and myself, the best I can possibly do is tie. To accomplish this, I'd have to pick Detroit and not only be correct in the Red Wings winning, but also nail the correct number of games. If I pick Pittsburgh, I can't win no matter what.

So, what do I do? Pick Pittsburgh anyway. Pittsburgh in 6.

As they stand right now, the Red Wings remind me of the Devils teams of the past few years - just when you write them off, they find a new way to win. They're currently battling some serious injuries. Nicklas Lidstrom missed time against Chicago. Pavel Datsyuk didn't play last night and is out again tonight. How do they keep winning? Honestly, I have no idea. Common sense would dictate that they'll find a way to prevail in this series.

However, think about it. Can you even imagine a team losing to the same team in the finals two years in a row? Yes, I know the Buffalo Bills lost the Super Bowl to the Dallas Cowboys in consecutive years. But those are the Buffalo Bills. The Penguins won't be denied twice. Even though they lost last night, they have more skill than the Red Wings. Both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have shown they can take over games when necessary, and they're getting great play from guys like Ruslan Fedotenko and Bill Guerin. Plus, as great as Chris Osgood has been over his career, right now I trust Marc-Andre Fleury a little bit more.

So, Penguins in six. That means I lose the bet. It also means the Pens have to win four games out of the next five to advance. I think they can do it. Honestly, I was going to pick them to win in seven. But that'd mean they would be winning the Cup on the road, and there's something that's just not right about winning it on the road. They need to be at home when they hoist the Cup. I hope it works out for them.

Where Are The Now: Vladimir Konstantinov

I normally don't post links here, or ask you to check something out, but you have to take a look at this ESPN video on Vladimir Konstantinov.

Konstantinov, for those who don't know, was a defenseman on the Red Wings team that won the Stanley Cup in 1997. Six days later, the limousine he was in was in an accident and he was horribly injured.

Sit through the 15-second commercial and you'll find a great video that lasts about 5 minutes. It's very sad. I wouldn't be posting it on this website if I didn't think it was worth watching.

Where Are The Now: Vladimir Konstantinov

How Good Are Predictions, Part II...

Each year, I write down a bunch of predictions from "industry experts," just to see how close they are. I also write down mine to compare. Last September, I posted the results on this page. I figured that we have some off-days now between playoff rounds, and since both local teams (and even the Devils) are out, why not do this post now as opposed to September.

Last year, for the record, ESPN, Newsday's Steve Zipay, and I all had 24 points. The big winner was Dwayne Kessel, aka "Eklund," from some Internet site that spouts "rumors," with 27 points.

This year, the combatants are once again Eklund, and myself. Joining the mix are Newsday's Mark Herrman, Sports Illustrated, and our Islanders' writer Bryan. Representing a once-anonymous ESPN will be E.J. Hradek.

(Scoring: 1 point for having a team correctly missing or making the playoffs; 2 points for predicting their exact position in the Conference.)

6th Place
I am sadly bringing up the rear on this campaign. A few gambles that I took (Tampa Bay winning the Southeast, Devils missing the playoffs, Colorado winning the Northwest, Edmonton and Phoenix making the playoffs) didn't exactly pan out. In fact, of 30 positions in the NHL, the only one I hit on the nose was Minnesota at 9th in the West. Sad, sad, sad predicting. I even had the Islanders coming in 14th in the East, ahead of Atlanta. I actually only predicted 1 division winner (Detroit, 1st in the West). It also appears my Dallas versus either Montreal or the Rangers in the Finals won't happen. In fact, I even said that Sean Avery would be sipping from the Stanley Cup this June.
19 points

5th Place
I shouldn't feel so bad, though. E.J. Hradek, who works for ESPN and hosts NHL Live on XM and the NHL Network, only beat me by 3 points. He only predicted 2 division winners (Red Wings and Capitals). The also picked the Devils to miss the playoffs, as well as Boston, both of whom won their division. He predicted Edmonton to win the Northwest. I still think my Colorado prediction was better! His bold prediction of Detroit over Pittsburgh in the Finals still can happen, though.
23 points

4th Place
Newcomer Mark Herrman, subbing for Zipay this year, ended in 4th. He nailed the Rangers in 7th, but that's about it. He picked 3 division winners, all in the wrong order (Washington, Detroit, San Jose). Dallas winning the Pacific instead of San Jose was his downfall. His Detroit prediction for the Cup Finals looks good, but Montreal will not be joining them. Better luck next year.
23 points

3rd Place
The bronze medal goes to an anonymous person at Sports Illustrated, who nailed 3 spots dead-on (Atlanta, 13th; Islanders, 15th; Nashville, 10th). They predicted 2 divison winners (Washington, Detroit), but 2 of their choices for the division didn't make the tournament (Minnesota, Dallas). SI did correctly choose 7 of 8 Eastern conference playoff teams, a feat only duplicated by Bryan. Their folly: Ottawa at 8th, Carolina at 9th.
26 points

2nd Place
Our own Bryan had a very strong showing, hitting 5 spots correctly (Capitals, 2nd; Philadelphia, 5th; Atlanta, 13th; his beloved Islanders, 15th; Edmonton, 11th in West). He had 4 division winners. His two misses: Penguins to win the Atlantic and Calgary to win the Northwest. His only East playoff team to miss was Tampa Bay, whom he predicted to come in 7th. They ended 14th, and his 14th team, Carolina, came in 6th. Not bad for a rookie, although his Finals prediction of San Jose hoisting the Cup at Madison Square Garden will not happen. Hey, much like his Islanders, there's always next year.
27 points!

1st Place
It pains me, but that Eklund guy from that website again won our competition. His Eastern conference wasn't that great: his only 2-point play was Washington in 2nd, and he picked the Devils and Carolina to miss the playoffs while putting Ottawa and Buffalo in. But he made up for it in the West, correctly guessing the final positions of San Jose, Detroit, Chicago, Calgary, and Nashville. He did pick Edmonton to win their division instead of Vancouver, but he was one of only two (with Hradek) to pick Vancouver in the playoffs. He also was the only person to think San Jose would win the West, as the other 5 of us picked Detroit 1st in the conference. However, his long-term thinking is off: Both the Habs and Sharks lost in the 1st round and will not meet up in June.
28 points

The 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs Drinking Game

Hockey fans and boozehounds, rejoice! Even if your team isn't in the playoffs, you can still enjoy the playoffs like they're meant to be enjoyed. So grab a case of Labatt Blue, turn on some puck, and have fun! Feel free to comment with any rules we may have missed.

IN-GAME OCCURRENCES
Drink after each of the following:
- A player looks to the sky after the goalie makes a great save on him
- A skirmish breaks out after the whistle. Chug if it's after a goal is scored.
- A fight breaks out. Chug if the announcers mention how there's rarely any fighting in the playoffs.
- A player checks for blood after being high-sticked
- A player "takes exception" to a cheap shot taken at a star player
- A team sends its goons out to start a fight at the end of a game they're losing. Chug if the announcers mention "sending a message".

STUPID CAMERA TRICKS
Drink any time the following items are shown on screen:
- Commissioner Gary Bettman in a press box
- A head coach
- The Stanley Cup
- One of those stupid pre-game/commercial bumpers where players stare at the camera
- Versus promotes one of its shows below the score bug
- A local paper with an incendiary quote from a player
- A montage of previous playoff battles between these two teams

CLICHE ALERT!
Drink anytime an announcer says the following:
- "This is what playoff hockey is all about."
- "(name of team) can only go as far as (name of superstar) can take them."
- "Lord Stanley's Cup"
- "Your goaltender has to be your best penalty killer."
- "Win the one-on-one battles"
- "See who blinks first"
- "A hot goalie can take you far in the playoffs."
- "(name of coach) is shortening his bench."
- "(name of team) isn't just happy to be here. They want to win!"
- "(name of team) has the last line change."
- "Upper/Lower Body Injury"
- "All you young kids out there..."
- Any discussion about playoff beards
- Any reference to the referees "swallowing their whistles" late in a game
- Any reference to the new penalties for fighting

INTERMISSION REPORTS
Drink any time any of the following events happen:
- A guest analyst is present at the Versus studio. Chug if it's not Rick DiPietro.
- A pundit declares that a team must start "doing the little things"
- An analyst looks at the wrong camera
- A Canadian journalist floats an unsubstantiated rumor. Chug if it involves the Toronto Maple Leafs.
- An interviewed player is wearing a Versus/CBC towel

MISCELLANEOUS
- Kill a beer during each overtime period. Chug each time the announcers mention how there are no TV timeouts during playoff overtime.
- Drink every time the announcers mention how Ken Hitchcock is a Civil War buff.
- Drink every time reference is made to the Rangers' record with/without Sean Avery.
- Chug if Jack Edwards laughs maniacally at a vicious hit.
- Chug every time the following words are used: Economy, Bailout, Stimulus, Obama.
- Drink if the condition of the ice is discussed. Chug if a new sheet of ice was put down because of a concert the night before.

Ranger Fan...

Listen, I might rail against half of the Rangers 75% of the time on this website. I might not care if Wade Redden plays another game or is banished to the AHL for the rest of his career and ruins their blueline. I might not even care if Scott Gomez is traded to Detroit for a 7th round pick at this year's NHL Draft. I think their GM is clueless and quite possibly never read the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and I think their owner is a ruthless, heartless idiot whose father gave him everything. He was voted worst owner in sports by ESPN, and I agree.

But one thing is for sure, I want this team to win tonight against Philadelphia. Win And In. And I want them to win.

I don't care about Redden, or Gomez, or even Michal Rozsival for that matter. I don't like that Markus Naslund and Chris Drury can never live up to their contracts (which isn't their fault).

But I will root for them.

I personally wish Redden will never get his name on the Stanley Cup, but as long as he is wearing a blue jersey at Madison Square Garden, I'm rooting for him to score the game-winning goal in Game 7 of the Finals.

For all of the bashing I've done here, most of it deservingly so, for all of the times I've said this team doesn't care (you can't honestly believe Redden wants this team to win), for all of the negatives I've written, there has been one common factor...

I want this team to win. I want them to succeed. I want them to make the playoffs, and I want them to make a strong run at playing hockey in June.

While some of the players anger me, namely the five I've mentioned in this post, there is nothing I want more than to see them taking a victory lap around Garden ice after the handshakes.

Much like that tired cliche, "Don't play for the name on the back; play for the logo on the front," I don't root against the name on the back, I root for the R A N G E R S going down the front of that RBK Edge jersey.

I don't want Redden to fail; he just happens to and I point it out. What I want is for him to have a booming slap shot, impeccable defensive skills, and a wicked passion for the game.

Tonight, all that goes out the window. I couldn't care less how they get it done. All I care about it them winning.

Oh, and being on the ice after the game to receive a game-worn jersey would be sweet to.

As long as I'm not second in line...

Voices: Howie Rose

For anybody who's even remotely interested in the business of broadcasting or even the lives of broadcasters, the NHL Network's Voices is a must-see. Each week, the show profiles a different broadcaster, including clips and interviews with that particular announcer. This week, Islanders broadcaster Howie Rose was on the show.

Overall, the show did a great job of showcasing the abilities of Howie Rose. Howie's a hard guy to dislike; Rangers fans still have reverence for his work with their team, while Islanders fans can claim him as one of their own. Stan Fischler, one of the other broadcasters interviewed, mentioned the difficulty Howie had being accepted by Islanders fans after leaving the Rangers. While the program didn't discuss this at all aside from Fischler's remarks, it remains a remarkable accomplishment that Howie has acclimated himself so well to Long Island.

Obviously, Howie Rose and Stephane Matteau will be forever linked, and Voices devoted an entire segment to the spring of 1994. Islanders fans probably don't want to watch this part, but it's an important part of Rose's career as well as hockey history. Howie discusses his admiration for Marv Albert and how proud he was to share the broadcast of Game 7 versus Vancouver with his idol. In the segment, Rose admits he grew up a Rangers fan and was horribly nervous throughout the third period, which Albert called. At the end, pictures are shown of Rose kissing the Stanley Cup - and after that Matteau call, he has every right to do so.

Unfortunately for Islanders fans, there isn't much devoted to any of Howie's great Islanders calls, probably because there haven't been all that many great moments in his tenure. They did show the Wade Dubielewicz pokecheck that put the Islanders in the playoffs in 2007 as well as some of his amateur calls, which were done on a hand-held tape recorder. Quotes from Rose's current partner Billy Jaffe, his former partner Joe Micheletti, and Rangers announcer Sam Rosen all paint Howie Rose in the best possible light. 

The Voices crew trailed Howie Rose the day of an Islanders-Rangers game on January 13 and gave fans the true experience of a broadcaster. Howie is a noted opponent of the morning skate, so when he showed up to the morning skate and asked Scott Gordon a question, Gordon quipped, "Who's the new guy?" We also got a look at how Howie prepares for the game (mostly game notes and interviews, in contrast to some other broadcasters who pen entire notebooks) as well as a trip inside the booth. Perhaps the most interesting part of the booth is the assistant next to Rose who writes pertinent facts on a Dry-Erase board so Rose and Jaffe can quickly state timely information.

All in all, Voices with Howie Rose was fun and informative, and to be quite honest, it was just nice to see the Islanders being treated like a real team instead of a punchline. Howie Rose's episode of Voices replays tomorrow (Friday) at 4 PM as well as Tuesday at 4 PM. It's definitely worth a look.

A Tale Of Two Teams

Is this how the rest of the season is going to be?

If you're an Islanders fan, tonight's game was hell. First off, you're playing Atlanta, one of the teams you're "competing" with for the first overall pick. Then, before you know it, you're up 4-0 in the first period. You're happy to see the team playing so well... but at the same time, you're hoping you're not setting yourself up to miss out on the first overall pick. The third period comes around, and you let up three quick goals. You immediately think about November and the string of blown leads that led to two months of perpetual failure. You hope for a win... but you wouldn't exactly mind a loss, either. Okposo scores to make it 5-3 and you can breathe again. Kovalchuk scores the goal you knew was coming to make it 5-4. You secretly wish for overtime so that even if you win, you're only "gaining" a point on Atlanta. Finally, the game ends, and the Islanders are on top.

Do you rejoice over the end of a 14-game road losing streak? Are you thrilled at the play of your young stars? Do you piss and moan about the diminshed chance of winning the John Tavares sweepstakes?

Tough questions to answer. But here's what I'm thinking - yes, absolutely, and only a little.

I've done a lot of thinking lately about the second half of the Islanders season and what we can expect to see. And the parallel I keep coming back to is the 2005-06 Penguins. Those Penguins were full of young guys, and when Mario Lemieux called it quits, the team was ill-equipped for anything besides a lengthy stay at the bottom of the league. As the season progressed, the young guys got all the experience they needed; by season's end, they were not only a dangerous team, but they were a trendy pick to really take off the following season. And that's exactly what happened.

Now, I'm not saying the Islanders are going to be a playoff team next year and reach the Stanley Cup Final in two years. But thinking about the way this season has gone so far, it's hard to imagine them being this lousy for the whole year. Besides, the Isles' young players have had plenty of game experience and have played in many critical moments this year. And we saw tonight how all of that has paid off. This a lead they would have totally blown in November. Tonight, they won. And it was the young players - Nielsen, Gervais, Bailey, Okposo - that played the big minutes and held down the fort. Just because it was a game against the Atlanta Thrashers shouldn't devalue this victory.

Time will tell how this season will play out. But here's one I'd wager money on (if I actually had any) - the Islanders will win three straight games at one point in the second half. They'll still get their plush draft pick, don't worry about that. But I think we'll also see some real progress, the kind that will get us very excited about next year - for the right reasons.

Islanders DVD - CONFIRMED!

Those of you who have followed this blog for a while know that we have been clamoring for an Islanders DVD set for some time. Or, at least, I have. In June, we each did a list of the ten games we'd like to see on DVD sets for the Islanders and Rangers, not thinking it'd actually lead to anything. Then, a month or so ago, I noticed a poll on the Islanders' official website asking fans to vote on which games they'd like to see on a DVD boxed set, if one were to be made. That got me a little curious.

Tonight, I decided to search the Web to see if anything ever happened with it. I figured that if the Oilers and Canadiens had just come out with boxed sets, the Islanders couldn't be far behind. Turns out I was right. Amazon has a listing for an Islanders boxed set, entitled The New York Islanders Ten Greatest Games Collector's Edition, to be released on March 3 and priced at $34.99. Further research shows this wasn't just a random listing, either. Warner Home Video, the company that does the NHL's DVDs, issued a press release last week breaking the news about the DVD. So it looks like the DVD is really going to happen.

We don't have a listing of what games will be included on the DVD set, but that's okay. The important thing is that Islanders fans will be able to purchase a definitive set of the glory years and relive all of the classic moments of the franchise. I, for one, have total faith in Warner Home Video to not screw this up. The DVD sets for the other teams have been full of well-chosen games, and I expect this Islanders set to be no different. Hey, even if it sucks, what would you rather watch - Islanders games from 25 years ago, or a potential Rangers Cup run?