Will Shane Doan Leave the Desert?

The title of this post is a straight forward question. Unfortuntly the answer to this question is not as straight forward. There are many factors which are contributing to Doan's decision. Will the Coyotes stay in Pheonix? Can the Coyotes win a Cup? Does he want to play in a bigger hockey market? Will the team have a legitimate owner? These are all questions he is pondering while trying to make his decision.

Doan is the biggest free agent left on the market. Right from July 1, he made it clear his decision would not come quickly. He originall said he'd wait till the 15th, then he said he'd wait till July 27th for the Coyotes to make up their mind. He's now starting to meet with other teams such as the Rangers, Canucks, Flyers and Predators. In total 16 teams are in on the "Doan sweepstakes".

One of the reasons he is still on the market is his asking price. Doan has said if he were to leave Phoenix he wants a 4 year deal worth $30 million. While he may be a top notch players, he's not likely to get a deal like that from many teams. First of all Doan is 35 and will be 36 by the start of the 2012-2013 season. In another 4 years Doan will be 40. Will he still be playing at age 40? Will he still be a dominate player? Will he be able to help his team? What team would give a 35 year old a 4 year deal worth $30 million? Doan would have a better chance getting a 2 year deal.

The Phoenix Coyotes have roughly $7.5 million in cap space left. Interesting how Doan has asked for 4 years at $30 million which works out to just over $7 million a year. Adding to the question, does Doan really want to leave the desert?

"I've made no bones about the fact that I want to go back to Phoenix if the situation works out" ~ Shane Doan

Doans first objective is to return to the Coyotes, the team he has spent his entire 16 year career with. He's been the captain for the last seven seasons and is the franchise player. If you ask someone to name a player from the Coyotes 9 time out of 10 its Shane Doan. Losing Doan would be a major setback for the Coyotes and would leave many a fan with a broken heart.

Doan averages around 20 goals and 50 points a season. But it's more than his ability to put points up on the board that makes him so valuable. He's a great leader both on and off the ice. Each and every night he comes to play, battle and stick up for his teammates. He has respect from around the league and won the Mark Messier Leadership award in 2012. He's the type of player you want on your team, if you can get him for the right price!

After the Coyotes made it to the Western Conference finals and came just a couple wins shy of a Stanley Cup Finals appearence, why would he want to leave? If winning a Stanley Cup is his main objective for leaving (and many believe it is) then why freely leave a team that got you within two wins of making it to the big show?

Back to the original question: Will Shane Doan leave the desert? I think it's highly unlikely. Despite him starting to meet and take other offers from teams his heart, his home and his family are all in Phoenix. If I was a betting man I'd place my money on him staying in the desert.

So why hasn't he signed on the dotted lines yet? Like every other hockey player Doan is human. Greed and self pride get in the way. He's been a part of the Coyotes franchise for a long time, he's been the captain and has lead the team. He's convinced himself he's worth all the money and attention. He's letting the Coyotes know, if a deal is to get done it will be done by his terms. While Doan wants to stay loyal to his team, he wants to squeze every last penny he can out of them. But I'd be ready to see him back in a Coyotes sweater next season.
Does he deserve it? You be the Judge..

2012 HHOF Inductees

Apart from winning the Stanley Cup one of the great honours for a hockey player is to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame after they retire from the great game. Forever having you name etched into the Hall of Fame for generations of people to see, being known as a legend and a hero to young hockey fans. For 4 players their dreams came true on Tuesday: Mats Sundin, Joe Sakic, Adam Oates and Pavel Bure were all elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Mats Sundin
Let's start with a guy I actually got to see play. Growing up in Toronto everything is about the Leafs so when I began watching hockey I fell in love with Sundin. I loved the way he played the game and to me as a little kid he was a fantastic captain, and a true captain. Perhaps an ever rarer feat is getting voted into the Hall as a first timer, Sundin was voted into the Hall in his first eligible year. He retired after the 2008-2009 season and becomes the first player to end his career as a Canuck and be inducted into the Hall. While Sundin failed to raise Lord Stanley he was a legendary Toronto Maple Leafs. He played 13 seasons with the buds and was the captain from 1997-2008. He still holds franchise records in goals (420), assists by a forward (567) and total points (987). Despite failing to win a Stanley Cup, Sundin was the face of the Leafs franchise and a beloved captain.

"I think you have to be part of the Toronto Maple Leafs to understand the importance of the team for the city of Toronto," Sundin said. "It took a little while to learn that and also to understand the pressure to be a Toronto Maple Leafs player and coach and management, to live with that. The whole city lives and breathes the Toronto Maple Leafs. The longer you're there, you appreciate it more and you understand it's bigger than just trying to be a player. It was certainly the best time of my life.

While his NHL career was not overly successful (not Stanley Cup) he made up for it with his International play. He played 14 tournaments for team Sweden and won a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Sundin was also the first European player to be drafted first overall in 1989 by Quebec and was the first Swedish player to record 1000 points.

He played 18 seasons in the NHL and tallied 564 goals, 785 assists and 1,349 points in 1,346 games. Sundin also had the pleasure of seeing his jersey #13 raised to the rafters of the ACC and honoured by the Toronto Maple Leafs. It will be a long while before the Leafs have another captain like Sundin. Sundin may go down as one of the best players to play that never won a Stanley Cup.

Joe Sakic

Perhaps one of the greatest players to ever lace up the skates. Sakic won just about every major awards a hockey player can, including 2 Stanley Cups (1996, 2001), the Hart Trophy, the Conn Smythe trophy, the Lady Byng trophy and an Olympic Gold medal in 2002. He played all 20 NHL seasons with the Quebec Nordics/Colorado Avalanche franchise and still holds the franchise records for: goals (625), Assists (1,016) and points (1,641).

Like Sundin, Sakic was also a first year eligible nominee, but was considered a shoo-in by many. In addition to his two Stanley Cup wins, Sakic won the World Junior Championships, the World Championships, the World Cup and an Olympic Gold Medal.

In his 20 seasons with the Avalanche organization Sakic captained the team for 16 seasons and his the 2nd longest serving captain in NHL history. Sakic had an amazing and historic run in the NHL, and is very worthy of his election into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Adam Oates
Being elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame is a huge honour for any player, so you have to think Oates was having  a pretty good day when he got the call from the Hall. But if you can imagine his day got even better as he was also named the head coach of the Washington Capitals. Not a bad day eh?

"Obviously it's a fantastic day," Oates said. "I don't know if that has ever happened before.  I gotta go out and play lotto."

Oates has never won a Stanley Cup, he came close mere months ago as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils but will now have the opportunity to do so with Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

Oates had a 19 year NHL career which saw him split time between the Red Wings, Bruins, Capitals, Flyers, Ducks and Oilers. He was known for his passing skills and credits his parents for teaching him to be an unselfish athlete so he was able to develop the willingness to pass. Oates finished his career 6th all time in the NHL with 1,079 assists in addition to his assists he added 341 goals for 1,420 points.

One of the things NHL scouts look for in a prospect is size, in Oates draft year he wasn't very big and was passed on in the NHL. Instead he went to the NCAA were he won a NCAA division 1 championship in 1985.

"I was kind of a late-bloomer," Oates said. "When the scouts look at the draft, they look at the big kids. I was a small kid, a late-bloomer that slipped through the cracks. It allowed me to go to college, and then came that second wave of guys that got signed. I got to play 19 years in this League, and I'm very fortunate."

Pavel Bure

After defecting with his family Bure joined the Vancouver Canucks and won the Calder trophy in 1992. He was limited to just 12 NHL seasons due to knee injuries but Bure made the most of his time in the NHL. Scoring 60 goals twice and scoring (59 and 58) in two other seasons in his 702 NHL games. He averaged 36.7 goals per season and was able to record 779 points.

One man who played a part in three of the inductees careers Pat Quinn was quite proud:

"It's just incredible, really," Quinn said. "Having been around Pavel and Mats, and then also Joe on the Canadian teams, it's been such a privilege for me as a coach and hockey person. I watched them perform at such high levels all the time. I watched Pavel grow as a 20-year-old and become one of the brightest starts in the game. Mats was truly one of the great captains. With Joe, he was just spectacular in 2002. He was such a privilege to be around. He was a key leader for us. We wouldn't have a gold medal but for his accomplishments. "I am proud today. It's a good day for me as well."

Congratulations to Mats Sundin, Joe Sakic, Adam Oates and Pavel Bure. These four men now have their names permanently engraved in history at the Hockey Hall of Fame. I look forward to seeing these legendary players in the Hall next time I'm there.

Kings vs. Devils Stanley Cup Preview

Show of hands how many of you picked the Stanley Cup final to be between the Los Angeles Kings and the New Jersey Devils? Now put your hands down and stop lying, no one saw these two teams making it to the Stanley Cup Finals. It wasn't until the Kings beat the Canucks that I knew they had a slight chance, and I never believed the Devils would make it all the way until they took the Rangers to game 7. Shoot, I was mildly surprised when they beat the Panthers.

Two teams that finished 8th and 6th are in the finals, just goes to show that once you make the playoffs anything can happen. So let's take a look back at each team's journey and then preview the match-up.

Los Angeles Kings
In their first series the 8th seeded Kings were up against the 1st seeded Canucks, not a place you want to be in to start off the playoffs. Many had the Canucks as the favorites to go all the way this year and prove they could win a cup. But the Kings had other plans and beat the favored Canucks in 5 games and possibly put an end to Roberto Loungo's tenure in Vancouver.

After upsetting the first seed team, they went on to face the #2 seeded St. Louis Blues. Once again the Kings were able to manhandle the Blues and knocked them off in 4 straight games. The coveted sweep made people start believing the Kings were the real deal.

Then in round three the Kings were up against Garry Bettman's team the Phoenix Coyotes. Despite some controversial overtime happenings in game 5, the Kings had little difficulty knocking off the desert dogs. They finished off the Coyotes in 5 games and won the series 4-1, and at this point you can't call it an upset anymore. The Kings have solidified themselves as the real deal.

Through the first 3 rounds of the playoffs the Kings have played in just 14 games, playing nearly flawless hockey.

New Jersey Devils
The Devils started their Stanley Cup run against the Florida Panthers, in a series that was mostly an afterthought Both teams play a rather boring style of game, making it painful to watch. None the less the Devils prevailed in 7 games, narrowly edging out the Panthers to win the series 4-3.

Next up for the Devils was the enormous task of the Philadalphia Flyers, who had come off a major win over the Penguins. Luckily for the Devils the Flyers left too much emotion in Pittsburgh and got overly happy with their first round win against their cross-state rivals, there wasn't much left for the Devils. To many people's surprise the Devils tore apart the Flyers fairly easily as they won the series in 5 games.

Next up was the first seeded team from the East, the New York Rangers. It was the battle of the goalies, Brodeur vs. Lundqvist, the old gaurd vs the new.Tthe 40 year old Brodeur surprised many a expert and played fantastic showing no signs of aging. In large part due to their goaltending the Devils were able to upset the Rangers in 6 games, winning the series 4-2.

Teeing up the series
These two teams met twice during the regular season with the Devils winning both games, so there is some familiarity between the two teams. But the Kings have changed a lot since last playing the Devils, a coaching change, acquiring Jeff Carter and having Jonathan Quick catch fire. It's likely to be a very close hard fought series that may very well go to 7 games (for the second final in a row).

Key factors


Goaltending:
This series, like many a finals before it, is likely to come down to goaltending. Arguably one of the best goalies in the league right now Jonathan Quick against a former best goaltender, an all-time great, the legend himself Martin Brodeur. This will likely be Brodeur's last playoff run/season in the league, while Quick is just beginning his career. Whichever goaltender performs better will end up winning the series for their team and perhaps skating away with the Conn Smythe trophy and well you know, the Stanley Cup. With the way these goalies play most games will likely be low scoring affairs, so expect some 2-1 games.
Edge Brodeur

A second chance:
Some players play hockey all their life, get drafted and play in the NHL but fail to reach the Stanley Cup finals, and even fewer make it back there for a second time. But for some former Flyers now on the Kings roster it's a second chance at glory. Mike Richards and Jeff Carter were part of the Flyers run to the Cup Finals in 2010. They lost. But now they're back for another crack at winning proffesional sports most prized possession, and they aren't the only former Flyers looking to win big. Kings assistant coach John Stevens is a former Flyers head coach, Kings forward Justin Williams is a former Flyer, Simon Gagne is also a former Flyer, King GM Dean Lombardi is a former scout for the Flyers and assistant GM Ron Hextall is one of the Flyers greatest goaltenders.
But the biggest ex-Flyers Richards and Carter have all eyes on them, how will they perform, will the trade end up biting Philly in the butt?

Role Players:
Both teams have superstar players they are counting on to produce and help them win the Cup. Ilya Kovalchuck and Zach Parise must be huge for the Devils and Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar must come up huge for the Kings. But the Cup will be decided by secondary scoring from guys you don't expect a great deal of. For the Devils rookie Adam Henrique and veteran David Clarkson both have 3 goals in these playoffs, and are the type of players you win with. They play a hard 2 way game and aren't afraid to get physical.
For the Kings Dustin Penner is a guy who could really step his game up. He had a rough season, but it's time to put that behind him and help his team win the cup!
Edge Devils

Americans
For the first time since 1999 the Stanley Cup will be lifted by an American born captain, both Zach Parise and Dustin Brown are American.
Edge Kings

Parise's possible last games as a Devil
Devils Captain Zach Parise will become an un-restricted free agent at the end of the year (July 1) and he hasn't signed a new contract with the Devils. He is 6th in playoff scoring with 14 points in 18 games, and will be one of the, if not the, most sought after free agents. It's not every day a top-line talent like Parise becomes available. But if the Devils are able to win the Cup it may convince him to stick around.

The European streak
The past two Stanley Cup champions started their season in Europe. The 09-10 Blackhawks played their first games in Finland, while last season's Bruins started in the Czech Republic. The Kings started this season in Europe as well, and are prepared to see the streak continue.

While this series doesn't hold the glamour a New York Ranger vs. Los Angeles Kings would hold, it still looks to be a pretty solid series. The series may get a little boring at times, but we should be in for an exciting finals.
My prediction Kings in 6

Cup Favorites Early Exit

Sunday was a great day for a lot of hockey fans, particularly fans who don't like the Vancouver Canucks and or the Pittsburgh Penguins. Both the Penguins and Canucks were eliminated from Stanley Cup contention after losing their first round series'. It's not every day the 2 teams picked by so many to face off for hockey's ultimate prize get eliminated in the first round!

Flyers win the series 4-2 over the Penguins
It's really weird knowing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, arguably 2 of the 3 best players in the world are no longer in playoffs. I didn't think the Penguins would be able to beat the Flyers, but I thought they would be able to put up more of a fight, they really made the Flyers job pretty easy. Malkin decided to take the first round of the playoffs off and it cost his team. As soon as the opponents realize that Malkin wasn't doing anything they turned all their attention to Crosby, and 99% of the time not even Crosby can beat 5 opposing players. It was a rough series for the Penguins and they just couldn't bounce back after some shaky goaltending. Bottom line though is key players for the Flyers stepped up while key players for the Penguins did not!

3 reasons the Penguins lost


1. Goaltending: I don't know what happened to Fleury but he was not the goaltender he was all season or in past seasons, he let in suspect goals, goals at the worst times and he just looked shaky. The Pens  scored a few key goals to take the lead, but a couple minutes later the refs were fishing the puck out of the back of the Pens net. For whatever reason the Penguins didn't get the goaltending they needed to advance in the playoffs. The only thing that keeps the Pens in the series at all was, Ilya Bryzgalov didn't play that much better than Fleury.

2. Star Players: The Penguins star players really didn't step up and help the Pens. Malkin, Crosby and Neal were all pretty much absent during the series, the three combined for just 8 goals in 6 games, heck the Flyers Claude Giroux had 6 goals and 14 points in the 6 games! Giroux and Daniel Briere carried the Flyers offensively during the season and showed some great leadership. What everyone forgets is the Flyers are doing all this without their Captain Chris Pronger who has been out for the majority of the season!
People talk about Crosby being the best player in the world, but right now the best player in the league/world is Claude Giroux. He was a clutch player for the Flyers and contributed in every game.

3. Discipline: The Flyers were able to get under the Penguins skin and bait them into taking stupid penalties. It was most evident in game 3. The Pens lost their composure, and tried to out tough their opponents which was never going to happen! Philly was able to get into their heads and throw them off their game.

LA Kings win the series 4-1 over the Vancouver Canucks
Most of Canada rejoices with me as the Vancouver Canucks are eliminated from the playoffs and may have just wasted their last chance to dominate the league and win a Stanley Cup.
You have to believe with this loss there will be some major changes coming in Vancouver; first of all they need decide if they're keeping Loungo or shipping him out of town, right now all signs point to him leaving, especially after the Canucks virtually told him they have more faith in Schnieder (after game 4 and 5 starts), there are also rumblings of a coaching change in Vancouver, and who knows if the free agents will stay or go! This was probably the Canucks last chance to make it far with their current roster. Just goes to show that 2 presidents trophies don't mean anything, as the Canucks still have not won a cup. I saw an interesting tweet earlier: "Giving a team the Presidents Trophy, is like giving a student an award for having the highest mark in the class before the exam!" Seems like the Canucks can't seem to pass the biggest test!

3 reasons the Canucks lost

1. The absence of Daniel Sedin: One thing fans noticed is that 1 Sedin without the other is pretty much useless. Henrik did nothing during the first 3 games while his brother was injured. It was obvious he didn't have the good chemistry with his line mates! As soon as Daniel was back he started to score again, and compete harder. Without his brother Henrik looked lost out on the ice, seems like Daniel may be the anchor between the twins. Without Daniel and Henrik scoring the rest of the Canucks weren't able to pick up the slack and ultimately the Canucks got outplayed.

2. Didn't win at home: The Canucks lost all 3 games at the Rogers Centre in Vancouver, during last seasons playoff run the Canucks won every single game 1 at home which put them in a nice spot. But Vancouver was not able to win a single home game this series.

3. Started the wrong goalie: Now this isn't a criticism towards Roberto Loungo, as he surprisingly played really well, his team just couldn't score. But we've seen for the last little while that the Canucks are a different and arguably better team when Cory Schnieder is net, which is why I believe the Canucks will keep Schnieder. But neither goalie got any support from the team, so the goalies are not to fault for this early exit!

The Canucks are not the same team that went to the Stanley Cup playoffs last season, They seemed weaker and not as ready to battle this season, and got outplayed by the Kings.

It's a tough break for the two Stanley Cup favorites, but perhaps a lesson well learned for both teams. The regular season (Presidents trophy) means nothing come playoff time and reputation means even less. Teams must stick to their true identities and not change their game to play like their opponents, for some reason the Pens weren't confident playing with their own style and tried to play the Flyers type of hockey!

Now let's see how the Bruins do...

Penguins and Canucks in a hole

View this article on The Hockey Writers ----> Penguins and Canucks in a hole!

It's the best time of the year, or at least the best time of the NHL season, the playoffs! Sixteen teams battle it out for a chance to lift the Stanley Cup-- it's the NHL's second season. We're roughly 3 games into the playoffs and Stanley Cup favorites Pittsburgh and Vancouver find themselves in a rough spot, down 3 games to their opponents and on the verge of elimination. What the heck happened?

Pittsburgh vs Philadelphia: 3-0 series lead for the Flyers
This series has been by far the most physical series, anytime you get two teams who really don't like each other as much as these two you know stuff is going to happen. Even though it's a team effort during the playoffs, a lot of the blame for the Penguins mess falls squarely on the shoulders of Marc-Andre Fleury. In each of the first 3 games the Penguins came out and grabbed an early lead. In game 1 they were up 3-0, game 2 3-1, and game 3, 3-1 yet in each game they let the Flyers storm back and come out with the victory. The majority of the goals the Flyers have scored are not goals that should go in on a elite level goalie like Fleury, if the Penguins want to get back into this series they need their goalie to stop a puck and keep them in the game. Acquiring a lead but then losing it does no good, especially in the playoffs and against a team like the Flyers who never give up!
The other reasons the Pens find themselves in this hole is the Flyers have been dictating the play of this series. After seeing the WWE type of game Sunday it looked like the Penguins were trying to out tough the Flyers and that's not going to happen. What happened instead was the Penguins completely lost control and took far too many stupid penalties and shot themselves in the foot, the game yesterday quickly spiraled out of control and the game itself was lost.


Key players


Evgeni Malkin- Has anyone even noticed Malkin out there?
The Flyers have done an amazing job of shutting down the Penguins star player and have held him to just 4 assists in the 3 games. Malkin has yet to score and really get his game going in this series, he has not been benefiting the Pens, he's been hurting them and is a -4 through this series. He doesn't look like he wants to win.
If the Penguins want to claw their way back into the series and move on they need Malkin to score some goals and be a difference maker!
Claude Giroux and Daniel Briere- Talk about clutch, Briere has been putting the puck in the net and really breaking the back of the Penguins, he's proving that he is an amazing playoff player. Briere's scored 4 goals and lead or fuelled the Flyers comebacks.
Giroux has been another amazing player for the Flyers. Before the playoffs he said "I don't just want to be another player, I want to make a difference". Boy has he made a difference for the Flyers; hits, fights, and goals great leadership from such a young player! He's racked up 4 goals and 8 points and leads all players in points, goals and assists in the playoffs, the Flyers have a real gem in this kid.

If the Penguins want back in this series they will need Malkin to score a few goals and be more physical and get Fleury to stop some pucks and make key saves at the right time. But at the same time Flyers fans shouldn't just rest their hat on this series and with Bryzgalov, he too has not been anywhere near as good as the Flyers need him to be! Both these goalies have been off this series and really need to star playing like they should, the one that does make the key saves and steals a game for their team will be the winner.
For the Penguins sake I hope it's not too late!

Vancouver Canucks vs Los Angeles Kings: 3-0 series leads for the Kings

Oddly enough the problem with the Canucks has not been the goaltending, Luongo has actually been playing fairly well. It's the rest of the Canucks who haven't been playing well, it appears that not having Daniel Sedin in the lineup is taking a bigger effect on the Canucks than most expected. Henrik Sedin looks lost out there without his twin, there must have been a reason why they wanted to go to the same team! The rest of the Canucks forwards have not been able to pick up the play missing from their top player, because of the lack of production the Canucks are on the verge of elimination! Even putting Cody Schnieder in wasn't enough to spark the Canucks, he played extremely well in game 3 but his teammates didn't score a goal for him! The worst part for the Canucks is they aren't going to score a lot of goals on Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, this could be the beginning of the end for the Canucks. The proverbial window is closing!
If the Canucks are swept in 4 games, they will become the first team to win a President's trophy and then get swept in the first round of the playoffs.

Key Players


Henrik Sedin and Roberto Luongo- Even though Henrik is badly missing his brother out there, he needs to get over it and start producing for the Canucks. If he plays better his brother can get a chance to get back out there with him. If he doesn't start scoring he won't have the opportunity to win a cup or have his brother back with him. He's got some great line mates replacing his brother they are more than capable of scoring goals, it's about time to start scoring again!
Luongo had been great for the Canucks in the start of this series and is not the reason for them being behind the 8 ball. Luongo needs to keep playing like he is and the Canucks will have a chance to climb back into their series and make history.
Jonathan Quick- Quick is a major reason why the Kings have manhandled the Canucks in the first 3 games. He's a great goalie and has been shutting down the door, not allowing rebounds and limiting his opponents to just 2 goals. In the third game he faced 41 shots and stopped all of them earning his first career playoff shutout. If the Kings manage to eliminate the Canucks, the next team they face should be fearful of Quick and be able to score.

Bottom line is the Canucks and Penguins have been out played and out smarted by their opponents, the two teams most fans picked to come out of their respective conferences and face off for the Stanley Cup are on the verge of being eliminated after just 4 games. This proves that the playoffs are a different ball game whatever happened during the season is gone, no matter where teams ranked going into the playoffs it seriously no longer matters. It now comes down to what you do night in and night out. You can't get by on reputation alone!

End of the Regular Season

It's official the 2011-2012 NHL regular season has come to an end, and for teams like the Leafs, Sabres, Oilers, and Flames it's going to be a long offseason. But for 16 teams it's a chance to compete for hockey's holy grail the Stanley Cup!

Saturday marked game 82 for many teams, despite being the last day of the regular season some records were made, playoff battles were confirmed and fans had a chance to see some of their teams for the last time till October. Time to wrap the events from this weekend, and preview the playoff match ups.

Steven Stamkos reaches 60

For the Lightning's Steven Stamkos, it's a bitter-sweet ending to the season. He reached the 60 goal plateau for the first time in his career, becoming the first player to reach 60 since Alexander Ovechkin back in 2007-2008 and just the 20th player in NHL history to accomplish the feat. Stamkos will also be bringing home his second Maurice Richard trophy, awarded to the player who scored the most goals. He also set a career high with 60 goals and 97 points. But his Tampa Bay Lightning will not be making the journey back to the Stanley Cup playoffs. Stamkos said in his interview "He'd trade all those goals for an opportunity at the postseason" as the postseason is still what makes the players work as hard as they do.
But to reach 60 goals in the NHL is a special milestone, especially doing it in the new "era" where fewer goals are being scored; it takes a special hockey player to crack 60! Stamkos is a phenomenal, classy hockey player who plays the game the right way and is a great ambassador for the sport.

Evgeni Malkin reaches 50
Malkin made his dream a reality on Saturday night notching his 50th goal of the season. He also became the only player to score 50 goals while adding 50 assists and reaching over 100 points in a single season. For Malkin it's a triple victory; reaching 50, Art Ross trophy, and a trip to the postseason with one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the league. He will likely also bring home the MVP trophy for everything he did for the Penguins without their star Crosby.

Canucks win 2nd straight President's Trophy
The league's most despised team has captured their 2nd straight President's Trophy capturing the honor by beating out the Rangers and Blues for most points on the year! The Vancouver Canucks went 51-22-9 to finish on top of the league with 111 points. As a result the Canucks finish 1st in the West and will play the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs!

Why I hate the 3 point system in the NHL

The Buffalo Sabres finished the regular season in 9th place in the East, with 39 wins and 89 points. The Florida Panthers finished 3rd in the east with 38 wins and 94 points. Yes you read that correctly the Sabres won more games than the Panther yet missed the playoffs all because of the points earned for losing in overtime games. In any other sport, the losing team gets 0 points, doesn't matter how many innings or quarters the game goes the losing team doesn't get a point. But in the NHL the losing team gets 1 point, those extra points for (losing games) end up putting you in the playoffs instead of a team that actually won more games. Only in the NHL can a team play to a tie.

Phoenix Coyotes clinch the Pacific division
The division title is the Coyotes first ever division title dating back to when they were the Winnipeg Jets way back in 1979.

Playoff matches:

East
New York Rangers (1) vs. Ottawa Senators (8) Rangers in 5
Boston Bruins (2) vs. Washington Capitals (7) Bruins in 6
Florida Panthers (3) vs. New Jersey Devils (6) Devils in 6
Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs Philadelphia Flyers (5) Flyers in 7
My pic is for Boston to come out of the East again!

Round 2:
Rangers vs Penguins Rangers in 6
Bruins vs Devils Bruins in 5

Conference finals
Rangers vs Bruins Bruins in 7


West
Vancouver Canucks (1) vs. Las Angeles Kings (8) Canucks (barely, 4-3)
St. Louis Blues (2) vs. San Jose Sharks (7) St Louis Blues
Phoenix Coyotes (3) vs. Chicago Blackhawkes (6) Blackhawkes
Nashville Predators (4) vs Detroit Red Wings (5) Red Wings

Round 2:
Vancouver vs Detroit Detroit in 7
St. Louis vs Chicago St. Louis in 5

Conference finals:
St. Louis vs Detroit St. Louis in 6

Stanley Cup Final:

Boston Bruins vs. St. Louis Blues --- Well now, that's a blog by itself.. stay tuned and enjoy the playoffs!

Leave your picks below!

Playoff Chances

There are about 16 games left in the 2011-2012 NHL regular season, and for some teams their season will be finished after those games. But no fanbase likes to admit their teams are out of the postseason, so let's take a look at the teams currently sitting outside the playoffs and their chances of making the playoffs.

Washington Capitals currently have a 42.2% chance of making the playoffs.
The Capitals currently have the best odds of making the postseason, as they sit in 9th just 1 point out. To limp into the playoffs the Capitals only need to win 8 of their next 19 games going; 8-8-3 to have a little over 50% chance. Just for the fun of it let's go deeper; if the Capitals finish 10-5-4 they will have a whopping 99% chance of being in the playoffs. The Capitals are more than likely to make the playoffs, if I was a betting person I'd bet on them making the playoffs.

Toronto Maple Leafs currently have a 19.3% chance of making the playoffs.
The Leafs are just 3 points back in 12th and behind the Sabres. The Leafs still stand a better chance of making the postseason than the Sabres. They need to go 11-4-3 to have a 58% chance of making the playoffs, if the Leafs finish with that record they stand a 49% chance of finishing in 8th.

Tampa Bay Lightning currently have a 20.2% chance of making the playoffs.
Funny how all the teams near the Sabres in the standings have better chances of making the playoffs.
The Lightning are sitting in 10th 2 points back of 8th. They would have to finish 12-5-2 (Just like the Sabres) to have a 65% chance of making the playoffs.

Buffalo Sabres currently have a 14.1% chance of making the playoffs.
The Sabres need to finish the season 12-5-2 to have just over 50% chance of making the playoffs. Where as if they go 12-4-3 their chances go up to 70%.
It's a tall task but based on the way Ryan Miller and the Sabres have been playing it is possible. The Sabres are 5-0-1 in their last 6 games, including back to back shutouts by Miller, if this continues there should be no problems sneaking into the playoffs. Right now the Sabres are just 2 points back and sitting in 10th.

Carolina Hurricanes currently have a 1% chance of making the playoffs.
Now I'm all for optimism and what not but let's be real, the Canes are not going to make the make the playoffs this year. They would have to go 13-3-2 and still have less than 50% chance! The Hurricanes are sitting in 14th 8 points back of 8th.

Montreal Canadians currently have a 0.1% chance of making the playoffs.
There is something seriously wrong with the Canadians this season, they've lost their mojo or whatever they had! They are not the same Canadians they used to be! To have a 60% chance of making it the Canadians have to go 14-1-2 anything less and it drops to a 38%. Montreal Canadians are currently 15th in the East, 10 points out and 28th in the league.

New York Islanders currently have a 0.8% chance of making the playoffs.
The Islanders are by far out of the Playoffs and may even be able to lock up a lottery pick. Having to go 14-3-1 to finish with a 62% chance. Sadly for Islanders fans that is not going to happen! Currently 13th in the East 5 points out, and 26th in the league!
All stats from Sports Club Stats....... all numbers from Monday March 5th.


Just for fun, we'll see who has the best chance of winning the Stanley Cup;

Boston Bruins have a 21.1% of winning the Stanley Cup
There is a very Strong chance the Boston Bruins will repeat as Stanley Cup champions. Bruins are currently 2nd in East.

New York Rangers have a 20.1% chance of winning the Stanley Cup
For me personally the Rangers came out of no where and have dominated the East, I don't think there's been a point in the season where the Rangers were slumping! Rangers are currently 1st in the East and 2nd in the entire league!!! Their only weakness is goal scoring and with the players on their roster that could change in a hurry. Besides with King Henrick, who needs more than a couple of goals anyway?

Vancouver Canucks have 16.4% chance of Winning the Cup
Not going to lie here, never been a fan of the Canucks, so I'd prefer them not winning the cup. They are currently in 1st place in the entire league!

These are the Stats folks take them or leave them, but the numbers don't lie! Some of the records teams need to finish with are going to be some daunting tasks, but this might be one of the most exciting playoff races the East has seen in years!

Sabres Deadline Craze

Trade deadline 2012 has come and gone, and much to the joy of Sabres fans Darcy Regier ACTUALLY made a move. Shocking I know. Despite much talk leading up to the deadline, Roy, Stafford, Miller and Boyes all ended the day with the blue and gold and we weren't able to land Nash, Hemsky or Ryan. So what did Regier manage to do?

I ended up watching the trade deadline coverage from 8 right till 4, and I got a tell you, from 8-2 it was extremely boring, it was like watching a race between paint drying and grass growing! But at 2 stuff started getting interesting, twitter started blowing up as people wanted to catch the last hour of the deadline and with Darcy Regier having not done anything to that point, Sabres fans were panicking. The clock was ticking and it looked like no major trades would happen in Buffalo, and as the analysts pointed out, Regier's asking prices were way to high. We all Knew that no one liked Darcy's players as much as Darcy. Sabres fans were getting ready to burn down First Niagra Centre as nothing had been done, and as the 3 o'clock deadline hit there were still no definitive Sabres moves to report. But due to the crazyness of deadline day, things get backed up at the NHL offices so there was still hope that something (anything) had been done. Then TSN analyst Bob MaCkenzie tweeted saying that no deal had been made for Derek Roy before the deadline, which sent the fans into a further frenzy of anger towards Darcy. Six minutes after the deadline news broke that Paul Gaustad had been traded to Nashville, this deal although not shocking, brought some grief for fans as Gaustad was a huge crowd favorite Buffalo. What was shocking was that Darcy actually got a first round pick in this years draft for the big winger. Although the Sabres attached a forth rounder it was still  steal for the Sabres. I was okay with the Gaustad trade but I was hoping for something bigger, a blockbuster deal of sorts for the Sabres. I waited another half hour and was seconds from turning off the TV, when news broke that Zack Kassian had been traded to Vancouver. My heart skipped a beat as this deal really came out of no where. No one knew Kassian was on the market (truth be told he probably wasn't). But the best part of the Kassian deal, was TSN took forever to tell us who was coming back from Vancouver. They reported that Cody Hodgson had been traded, but everyone believed it was a separate deal. Then finally they put 2 and 2 together and announced that Zack Kassian and Marc-Andre Gragnani were traded for Cody Hodgson and Alexander Sulzer in two separate deals. Now this was the type of trade I was hoping would be made, as little or insignificant this deal seems it's actually a small blockbuster deal for the Sabres. It was also the biggest trade of the day.

What we got:
The Sabres got a 6-foot forward who was a first round draft pick (2008), and is tied for second in rookie scoring and 5th for rookie points. This fellow Sabres fans would be Cody Hodgson. A kid I am extremely excited to welcome to Buffalo. I have been following Hodgson since before he was drafted (I even played some shinny hockey and practiced with him). As soon as I heard how amazing he was I started following him, wanting to see where he would land. Hodgson is a natural talent, starting back from his days in minor AAA hockey were he racked up 99 points in just 59 games, he knows how to put the puck in the net and is a hard working kid. He played on both the World Junior and under 18 Canadian teams winning gold with both.  You may have heard of a couple of his teammates from those days, Tyler Myers and Tyler Ennis. A couple more feathers in his cap so to speak; CHL player of the year and OHL's most outstanding player. Hodgson is having a great first NHL season  in which he already has 33 points (16 goals and 17 assists) and was named rookie of the month in January. This acquisition was amazing and Regier deserves a pat on the back for this one. Hodgson will likely be the number one center of the future that we can build a team around, he has so much upside and potential it's crazy. Imagine if the at the end of the season the Sabres were to have the Calder winner on our team, that would be awesome! Without even playing a game for the blue and gold Hodgson is already 4th in team scoring! This isn't Brad Boyes or even Daniel Briere, this is a legitimate talent whose best days are in front of him.

Sulzer appears to be a big defenceman that can help our blueline. I see this move more as Regier not needing a player but more a complimentary deal in that Gragnani has much more upside than Sulzer. Since the Sabres were able to steal the Canucks prized Hodgson away, I think Regier evened it out with Sulzer. He was drafted back in 2003 in the third round by the Nashville Predators, he's played 74 games with 3 NHL teams (Predators, Panthers and Canucks). As much as I hate bagging on a player, there is really nothing about this guy that says anything more than career call-up, maybe change in scenery will give him a spark but there's no guarantee the Sabres will keep him in the bigs. An interesting note is that the Sabres now have easily the most German nationals in their organization.

In another amazing deal pulled off by Regier he managed to get a first round draft pick for Paul Gaustad!
We now have their first round pick in the upcoming 2012 draft, I'm not a huge fan of draft picks as they don't always work out, but a first-rounder for Gaustad I'll take it! This gives us 4 of the first 44 picks in the 2012 draft. Not too bad, not too bad at all.

What we lost:

Fan favorite Paul Gaustad. I never personally understood all the hype around Gaustad. When he first came up he was a tough gritty player but he has turned into a face off and penalty kill specialist that doesn't really contribute much on the scoreboard. In 7 seasons in Buffalo he's failed to score more than 12 goals or move up from the 3rd line. I'm okay seeing him go and was absolutely shocked we managed a first round pick for him.

Zach Kassian and Marc-Andre Gragnani, this deal hurts me a bit more as I really liked Kassian and I thought he would have a bright future in Buffalo. But he's an UNPROVEN winger where as Hodgson has been able to prove himself in the NHL. We may have lost grit with Kassian but frankly since his first couple of games he's really looked a bit lost on the ice. We also got smaller but more talented. However, with players like Luke Adam, Marcus Foligno and Brayden McNabb very close to being ready for the show, losing Kassian is worth the gamble. One thing that concerns me is this mostly proves that we're leaning toward a rebuild as we've almost eliminated ourselves from the playoffs this season.
I'm also ok with that because the goal is to win the Stanley Cup, not make the playoffs and as I've said before the current roster did not have what it takes to win it all.

What these trades mean:
These trades mean we're looking ahead to the future, let's face it although it's possible the chances of squeaking into the postseason are slim at best, which is why I believe they traded Gaustad. He would have been a great asset in the post season with his face-off skills and toughness. Right now this team is healthy (or healthier), Miller is playing like Miller again, lines are starting to gel (hands off Ruff!) and this team is playing the kind of hockey everyone expected them to play 62 games ago. We're 5-3-2 in our last 10 games and are battling hard each game, giving themselves a chance to skate away with the two points. I see the moves made at the deadline as a minor rebuild, getting rid of an unproven prospect and a gritty veteran in return for picks and a gem from Vancouver. With the addition of Cody Hodgson and a healthy team next season we are going to be better, and be right back in the playoff hunt and be closer to the cup. Not to overlook the fact we now have 2 first round picks and 2 second round picks for the 2012 draft, these picks can be used to draft prospects OR bundled to bring bigger fish to the Sabres. Imagine sending a couple of picks and a player to Anaheim for Bobby Ryan or Los Angeles for Dustin Brown! This summer could be another active one for Mr. Pegulia's wallet, hopefully Darcy will keep the contracts within reason. We have now filled the void at center and it's now looking like a pretty fantastic center lineup (Roy, Ennis, Hodgson). Darcy Regier pulled a rabbit out of somewhere on Monday with these deals, and likely saved his job until next season. We are building toward a cup, and to be honest I could see us winning one in the next few seasons!

2012 All Star Draft

Now before I dive into this blog post, you should know that I am not a fan of the All-Star game, nor this new way of drafting players. So there may or may not be some All-Star game/draft bashing included in this blog. So last night was the 2nd annual All-Star fantasy player draft, a new concept the NHL came up with to help keep the fans interest in the All-Star game.


Here's what we learned from the 2nd annual All-Star draft; many NHL players need a translator as their English is atrocious. The Toronto/Ottawa rivalry is alive as ever; as each time Toronto Maple Leafs forward and assistant captain for the All-Star Game Joffrey Lupul went to make his selection, he was welcomed with a chorus of boo's. Not to mention the "Leafs Suck" chants that broke out. The fact that a stupid and hopefully drunk fan yelled out "pick Wade Belak", really was disgusting and classless. Ottawa Senator Jason Spezza, literally never stops talking and should seriously consider a career in TV, you know if this whole "hockey player" thing doesn't work out for him. That A rivalriy can not be forgotten for even one night; Zdeno Chara did not pick a Vancouver Canuck, instead picking his two Bruin teammates; Tim Thomas and Tyler Seguin. While Daniel Alfredsson didn't pick any Leaf players, instead opting to pick his Senators teammates; Jason Spezza, Milan Michalek, and Eric Karlsson.


Surprises; The first major surprise came right off the bat, with the first overall pick; Chara won the puck flip and was awarded first pick, and instead of selecting teammate Tim Thomas, he choose the veteran Pavel Datsyuk. Now people are saying this shouldn't be a surprise for people, as Datsyuk is one of the most respected players in the league, noted for playing the game the right way. It was clear that both captains had Datsyuk in mind, as Alfredsson even commented on how worthy Datsyuk was to have gone first. But to me it came as a surprise, Datsyuk wasn't even on my radar for the number 1 pick; I thought Thomas or Malkin, or Stamkos would have been first. But Datsyuk as good and respected as he is, is one of those players that fly under the radar, when you think of the best players in the league you automatically say Ovechkin or Crosby (ironically neither were present at this years all-star festivities). But Datsyuk is always near the top in points, has won 2 Frank Selke trophies, 4 Lady Byng trophies, a Khalamov trophy and 2 Stanley Cups. So Props to Chara for thinking outside the box with his first overall pick and not wasting it, I couldn't think of a player who deserves the honour more.


Second surprise was Steven Stamkos didn't get picked in the top 10! I'm sorry But in what world do you let Steven Stamkos slid out of the top 10. The kid is natural goal scorer, a solid guy and a former 1st overall pick! Not to mention he's leading the league with 32 goals, I can see you skipping out on him 3 or 4 times but I literally didn't see this one coming. I understand the hometown and country biasis, but I'm dumbfounded by Stamkos going so low. I expect him to respond by having an amazing All-Star game; not that it matters!

How about Jimmy Howard being the last goaltender picked! Howard is well on his way to having a career year with the Red Wings. If going  30-11-1 with a 92.4 save percentage is what get's you taken last of the 6 all-star goalies, I'd hate to see what stats you'd need to go first, maybe a goal? Oh yeah the guy who got credit for a goal wasn't invited! Howard was even selected behind the struggling Carey Price who is having a season to forget; 17-17-8 with a 91.4 save percentage. This was pretty much a slap in the face for Jimmy Howard. Hopefully much like Phil Kessel did, Howard can use this as motivation and continue dominating the league, win a Stanley cup, invite Price to the party and ask if he wants a picture with the cup, since he'll never actually win one himself.
Marian Gaborik another highly skilled forward fails to crack the top 10, heck Gaborik failed to crack the top 20! Gaborik went 31st overall, and his own teammate was an assistant captain for team Alferdsson, talk about a slap in the face! Even Lupul protested his boy Phil Kessel. Gaborik is 6th in the league in scoring with 25 goals and 39 points, pretty decent numbers, considering his own teammate Henrik Lundqvist wouldn't stand up for him, expect Gaborik to pot a few past his teammate during the game. Not to mention after being picked by team Chara, Gaborik went to the wrong team, he got his jersey and went to the Team Alfredsson side by mistake. He said he just wanted to keep things interesting.
It appeared that neither team really wanted to pick the Sedin twins, Chara basically made it clear that no Canuck players would be on his roster, so it was almost a done deal that Alfredsson would receive the last two Art Ross winners, but boy did the twins have to wait! Daniel Sedin was taken 18th overall by Alfredsson while brother Henrik had to wait till the 26th pick. As expected both Sedins ended up on Alfredsson's team; could we see a Sedin-Alfredsson-Sedin line come Sunday?
Selecting Seguin late was a bit of a surprise, but also a very stratigic logical move by Chara; despite letting his teammate wait until the final 4, it allowed Chara to take some of the players he wanted, knowing that Alfredsson wouldn't snatch up Seguin. Now all be it Seguin didn't exactly deserve his fate, with the amazing numbers he's put up; 43 points in 46 games and a +34. So it worked out perfectly for Chara, he played Alfredsson perfectly, snatching up some of the other players he wanted and still getting his teammate. The two even hugged it out at the end.

I was very happy to see that Alfredsson saved Jason Pominville from being one of the last picks. It was well documented that Pominville didn't have any friends with either captain or their assistants, so we new he was unlikely to get picked very high. And indeed Pominville was made to wait till the final 4, and ended up being the 3rd last pick in the draft, by Alfredsson. I was very impressed with the pre-pick speech given by Alfredsson, saying that "he had a lot of respect for Pominville". I had a feeling Pominville would be last or second last, not because he deserved it but rather because he had no rather neutural allias. But Alfredsson spared Pominville and the Sabres from once again being the laughingstock of the league.

San Jose Shark Forward Logan Couture had the honour of being the last pick, and winning a brand new car! (although the could have come up with a better car, than a soccer moms car). But Couture handled it with class. "I had fun with it, you can't take it personally" was Couture's response. Good on the kid, following Phil Kessel's model of not caring. It's a joke and something "fun" it sucks for the last player, but it's nothing serious and you really can't dwell on it. Couture will also get to donate $20,000 to a charity of his choice; "Being a young guy here for the first time, playing on the West Coast, it was something I knew was a possibility. I just wanted to have a good time with it, and I did." Good on Couture for not being upset, or having his ego bruised! It's more than a little ridicoulous the way the NHL has set it up, having 2 captains, that can and will pick teammates and their favorite players first, leaving one player the last man standing to be made a mockery and bunt of all jokes for the next year. I know it's something the fans suppossodely like and brings more interaction and interest, but I'm not a fan of it.


But the teams are set, we saw the first and last picks, now all thats left to determine is who will come out on top after Sunday's game. Will not having Ovechkin or Crosby at the game effect the ratings?
We can only watch and see! Good luck to both teams!

Here's a complete list of the rostors;
Team Alfredsson                                                                              

• Daniel Alfredsson (C), RW, Senators
• Henrik Lundqvist (A), G, Rangers
• 1. Erik Karlsson, D, Senators
• 2. Jason Spezza, C, Senators
• 3. Jonathan Quick, G, Kings
• 4. Claude Giroux, C, Flyers
• 5. Kris Letang, D, Penguins
• 6. Steven Stamkos, C, Lightning
• 7. Brian Elliott, G, Blues
• 8. Shea Weber, D, Predators
• 9. Daniel Sedin, LW, Canucks
• 10. Dan Girardi, D, Rangers
• 11. Keith Yandle, D, Coyotes
• 12. Milan Michalek, LW, Senators
• 13. Henrik Sedin, C, Canucks
• 14. James Neal, LW, Penguins
• 15. Alex Edler, D, Canucks
• 16. John Tavares, C, Islanders
• 17. Scott Hartnell, LW, Flyers
• 18. Jason Pominville, RW, Sabres
• 19. Logan Couture, C, Sharks

Team Chara

• Zdeno Chara (C), D, Bruins
• Joffrey Lupul (A), RW, Maple Leafs
• 1. Pavel Datsyuk, C, Red Wings
• 2. Tim Thomas, G, Bruins
• 3. Evgeni Malkin, C, Penguins
• 4. Marian Hossa, RW, Blackhawks
• 5. Kimmo Timonen, D, Flyers
• 6. Corey Perry, RW, Ducks
• 7. Carey Price, G, Canadiens
• 8. Phil Kessel, RW, Maple Leafs
• 9. Ryan Suter, D, Predators
• 10. Jimmy Howard, G, Red Wings
• 11. Brian Campbell, D, Panthers
• 12. Patrick Kane, RW, Blackhawks
• 13. Dion Phaneuf, D, Maple Leafs
• 14. Jarome Iginla, RW, Flames
• 15. Dennis Wideman, D, Capitals
• 16. Marian Gaborik, RW, Rangers
• 17. Jordan Eberle, RW, Oilers
• 18. Tyler Seguin, C, Bruins
• 19. Jamie Benn, LW, Stars