Rink Rat
December 17, 2005
My oldest son is turning into a real rink rat. We sit close to the visitor locker room so we’ve been going down before periods start so he can get a few high fives. The hockey players are very cool about it, but last night Matt Keith was the first one out and he had some fun playing with Ethan.
Carl Corazzini was the last one out and gave Ethan a nice high five.
If you ever bring your young hockey fan to a game, I highly recommend bringing the down to either the home or visitor locker room for getting a few high fives. Some players are focused on the game and don’t pay attention to the kids, but many will put a glove or stick out. The nice thing about going to the visitor locker room is that there is no one there, at least at our arena. The home side is often to crowded for a 3 year old.
And if any Norfolk fans find this, you’re players were one of the best teams we’ve seen yet for interacting with the little fans on their way out from the locker room.
Mike Richter Update
December 16, 2005
Here’s a nice update on Mike Richter and his transition to returning student at Yale. I’m still hoping we see #35 in the broadcast booth sometime, he was always great in his interviews. When JD is ready to retire, MSG should give him a call.
The Billy Tibbets Show
December 15, 2005
The Chicago Wolves is another team that has struggled after a terrific season last year. Coach Anderson wasn’t getting the message across, the players didn’t care, and the captain was on ice, having broken his ankle in the first minute of the first game. A roster of terrific AAA goalies was devoured by Atlanta as its goalies went down to injury. If it wasn’t for the San Antonio Rampage, the worst team in the AHL, the Wolves would be in last place in their division. Psychologically, they were already there, DFL.
I think it came down to this, on December 3 the Wolves lost 4-6 against Omaha, having dropped four in a row. Not even a shoot-out loss, and three of the four games at home. Whatever was happening, had to stop. The Wolves made the amazing announcement on November 25th they had signed Bobbie Hull and that Atlanta had assigned Jani “the sieve” Hurme to Chicago. Okay, so Hull was coming aboard as a charity effort, so was Hurme. Hurme, it may be recalled, was a top goalie prospect for the Thrashers in the days before the CBA. If he came back then the Thrashers would be required to pay his contract, which would put them over the salary cap. Hurme, following a life-threatening bout with a post operative infection, hadn’t played in two years.
At first, the Wolves fans on the boards were ecstatic. Then they saw Hurme in the pipes. I have never left a game so disheartened as after watching Hurme in his first two starts. He couldn’t stop a pee-wee dribbler, let alone the Omaha Knights. And the Wolves were stuck with him for god only knows how long.
On December 8th the Rockford Ice Hogs announced they had loaned Billy Tibbets to the Wolves. Tibbets is to hockey, I suppose, as Dennis Rodman is to basketball. He is highly talented and very volatile. I cannot even begin to cover the problems, mainly criminal matters, that this guy has left behind on the teams he played with.
The low point came December 9th. For some reason, my wife was home that morning, and I was going into work late. She was on the telephone to the Wolves explaining how we are season ticket holders and who made the Tibbets decision? She said she worked with pregnant 12 year-olds and didn’t want to associate with a team that had a guy like Tibbets on it.
Being a bit of a smart ass, I asked her if Tibbets was joining the Wolves “Read to Succeed” program, where the players read to school age children in libraries. The “Look” was my reply, and if you’re married, you know the look.
The Wolves played Peoria that night at the Allstate. And the losing streak ended. How?
Peoria is undoubtedly hot, though I think that will be coming to an end soon. Tibbets was on the ice, scoring the first Wolves goal. Later, refusing to face Rivermen goon Rocky Thompson. In fact Tibbets has appeared in three games with the Wolves, and each time been challenged to fight, and each time has turned and skated away, leaving the goon with a penalty and the Wolves on the power play. He has scored, additionally, three points, including two goals in the three games he played in, being blanked by San Antonio last night.
In addition Hurme is finding his way to stop shots too. Enough for 25 saves and a win.
It could be a last chance for Tibbets in the sport. Is his presence turning the Wolves? He cares and is playing with heart, which is more than I could have said for many of the Wolves before he showed up. There appears to be a difference on the ice. There is hustle again. There is movement for a full 60 minutes.
For Tibbets, and the Wolves, it is time to show us what they’ve got. It is becoming exciting to be a fan again.
Patrick Boylan appears on many minor boards as “I Lov this game”. He blogs at ciachort.blogspot.com about the AHL and the West Division.
Tale of Two Teams
December 13, 2005
Has anyone noticed the vastly different starts by two organizations this year? I’m talking about the Senators and Penguins.
Ottawa has gotten off to a fantastic start and are first in the NHL while their AHL farm team has struggled and is last in their conference.
Pittsburgh has had an unexpectedly disappointing start and are last in their conference, while their AHL team set a new record and have started the season an amazing 21-1-3.
The comparison of these two teams shows two different philosophies. Ottawa currently has 9 players on their roster who played in Binghamton last season. They did not hit the free agent market, but chose to stick with guys in their system. The obvious result of this is the poor start to the depleted Binghamton team, but the benefit was a core of players who played together during the lockout and are hungry to earn a spot on an NHL roster.
Pittsburgh took the opposite approach. Despite a strong finish to end the season by their AHL club (and a huge upset victory over the heavily favored Binghamton Senators in the first round of the playoffs), the Penguins decided to go crazy with free agents. This was entirely due to winning the draft lottery and taking Sidney Crosby with the first pick. Suddenly people were clamoring for season tickets and there was hope in the Steel City again. They signed Leclair, Recchi, Palffy, Thibault and Gonchar, but left most of their prospects in Wilkes-Barre. What you are seeing in Pittsburgh is a lesson that is easily learned by anyone who has watched the Rangers in the previous seven seasons. Putting together a bunch of aging all stars does not equate to a winning hockey team. It does, however, lead to a winning AHL club just as Hartford flourished for the Rangers every season when their prospects were passed over for free agent signings.
These two organizations are great examples of what you should and should not do to build successful hockey teams. Not only is Ottawa good, but they’re young. As for Pittsburgh, what are they going to do when their high paid FAs leave? If they’re smart they’ll call up those successful kids from Wilkes-Barre, but now they’re a couple years behind everyone else.
The latest news is that Mario Lemiux is once again crying wolf and claiming the Penguins need a new arena or they’ll have to move. That might be true, but to me it seems the reason for lost revenue has less to do with an antiquated arena and more to do with the poor decisions by the team’s owners and GM.
Lalime Placed on Waivers
December 13, 2005
What a strange season this has been. Anyone following hockey (especially those of us with a fantasy team) have noticed how many veteran goaltenders have struggled. Patrick Lalime is one of them, posted 3.97 GAA and .866 save percentage for the last place Blues. Today he was placed on waivers. The final straw may have been when he almost became the first goalie in the NHL to score a hat trick…on himself. In Saturdays game against the Rangers he had not one, but TWO pucks go in the net off his back. It was one of the worst outings by an NHL goalie I’ve ever seen. Now we’ll have to wait and see what the Blues do if (when) no one picks up Lalimes $2.4 million contract.
I can’t help but wonder if goalies suffered more from the 1 year layoff than other players did. Although the lockout certainly didn’t hurt Dominik Hasek, but he has always been one to defy explanation.
By the way, the loud “I Told You So” you are hearing is the Ottawa fans. I’m not sure which is making them happier, the great start by the Senators or the floundering by Lalime and Jacques Martin.
Thats MISTER Zamboni to You
December 12, 2005
Fenton Ice Palace is looking good this year. Got it shoveled off and put the nets out, but ice started cracking before we could drop the puck. Going to need a couple more days to finish freezing.
Take Them Off, My Eyeballs are Hemorrhaging !
December 11, 2005
Maybe the poor showing by the B-Sens this weekend was due to the 1920’s Ottawa jerseys they wore. Normally I like retro jerseys, but they’re lucky these didn’t give anyone a seizure.
B-Sens Drop Two More
December 11, 2005
Dr Jekl and Mr Hyde. That sums up this seasons B-Sens. Fridays game was just plain miserable. Any momentum they tried to show was killed when Kelly Guard put the puck in his own net. Hershey just took control. The Sens didn’t give up, but their special teams play is so poor that there was no way they could complete a comeback. Allowing TWO shorthanded goals is unacceptable.
In Saturdays game the B-Sens came out flying and played one of their best periods of the season. They went into the first intermission with a tied game, but had a 5 on 3 waiting for them to start the second. They capitalized to take the lead, but after the Amerks scored a questionable tying goal (seems like the ref and myself were the only ones who thought it was in), the Senators once again folded. This time allowed FIVE unanswered goals on the way to a 6-2 drubbing. The Amerks finished with 5 power play goals and one shorthanded marker.
Words cannot express just how bad the Binghamton special teams have looked this weekend. So let me try to express it with a picture.
And to use one of Ruchty’s favorite expressions…”Horse Shit!”
It is one thing to have an ineffective powerplay, but I have never seen a PP unit give up so many breakaways! The Sens scored a respectable 4 PP goals for the weekend, but allowed THREE shorthanded markers. There would have been more if not for some big stops by Kelly Guard (who actually played well despite the 6 goals allowed Saturday night).
Binghamton had the honor of setting two franchise records. Five power play goals allowed in Saturdays game and 22 shots allowed during the second period of the same game. This was the period they began with a PP goal to take a 2-1 lead. They then were outshot 16-0 during a 10 minute span as they continued to take undisciplined penalties and allowed the Amerks to pressure free power plays to setup and fire away at Guard.
At the start of the season I preached patience for this years squad, but this weekend was a step in the wrong direction. I now believe that accountability is called for. It is time to send a few players down the ECHL and call up some kids who might be willing to block shots and show a little hustle inorder to earn their spot in the AHL. Binghamton may be forced to do just that after several players vented their frustration and earned game misconducts at the end of the game which will surely be review by the league.
Rookie of the Year
December 11, 2005
With a year off between seasons, the NHL is flooded with an outstanding class of rookies. Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, the number one draft picks from 2005 and 2004 are the standouts that everyone is watching, but there are a few others you should keep an eye on this season who might sneak up to steal the Calder Trophy. Here’s my run down of the best rookies so far this season:
Sidney Crosby - Hailed as the next great one, Crosby hasn’t disappointed since he was picked first overall in the 2005 entry draft. With 30 points (13 g/17 a) in 29 games he is off to a hot start in his freshman season. The Penguins built a team of all stars around the young center. He has been sharing a line with Mario Lemiuex, but with Super Mario out of the lineup with heart problems Crosby has been struggling. Perhaps in his greatest test of his young career, Sid the Kid got a chance to audition for a spot on the Canadian Olympic team with Wayne Gretzky in attendance during a recent game against the Minnesota Wild. Without Mario playing at his side, Crosby didn’t register a point and was a lowly -2 as his team was shutout 5-0.
Alexander Ovechkin - Down in DC, Ovechkin as been lighting the lamp playing for a team of unknowns. With 32 points (18 goals / 14 assists) in 28 games, Ovechkin is leading the rookie scoring race and doing it without the help of any future Hall of Famers. One can’t help but wonder how many goals Ovechkin would have if he were playing with the likes of Lemieux, Palffy, Leclair and Recchi.
Henrik Lundqvist - Leading a surprising Rangers team this season is their rookie netminder. Lundqvist is 3rd in the NHL with a 2.07 GAA and 4th with a .928 save percentage. His solid netminding has helped lead the Rangers to second overall in the NHL despite ‘expert’ predictions that they would come in dead last this season. If contribution to your teams record was a part of the Calder Trophy voting, Lundqvist would have to be the winner. Both Crosby and Ovechkin are scoring on last place teams, while Lundqvist’s Rangers have more wins than the Pens and Caps combined.
- Other Young Guns to Keep and Eye on
Marek Svatos - Young winger is trying to fill the void left by Peter Forsberg and is doing admirably with 14 goals and 14 assists in 29 games, only 2 behind Crosby and 6 more goals than Forsberg.
Brent Seabrook and Dion Phaneuf - Two defenseman off to strong starts with 16 (4/12) and 15 (6/9) points each. Phaneuf started strong with the Calgary Flames, but has faded while Seabrook remains strong with a much weaker Chicago Blackhawks team.
Andrej Meszaros - Surprised many people by winning a spot on the Ottawa blue line out of training camp. He may only have 12 points (1 goal/11 assists), but his +24 is leading the NHL.
Brandon Bochenski - After a strong season in the AHL, Bochenski earned a chance on Ottawa’s top line. He had a poor start and was demoted back to the AHL to regain his confidence. With Havlat out until the playoffs Bochenski got another shot and came through big with a hat trick. He may only have 11 points (5 g/ 6 a), but he’s played half as many games as other rookies. With teams focusing on the Sens top line, Bochenski has a chance to score a lot of points and get a chance on the struggling Ottawa power play.
Petr Prucha - After a slow start, Prucha has scored 10 goals in his last 11 games and is second on the Rangers with 13 goals (16 points total). Sharing the power play with Jagr will only help those numbers.
There are many good rookies this season and with over half the season left it is far from over. In my opinion, I will be surprised if Crosby can maintain his scoring pace now that Lemieux is down. If Ovechkin keeps playing the way he has, he’s a lock for the Calder, but don’t rule out Lundqvist for his contribution to the suprising NY Rangers, now the number one team in the NHL.
Groin Pull
December 11, 2005
