NHL FanHouse http://nhl.fanhouse.com NHL FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif NHL FanHouse http://nhl.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/'Sleepy' Ovechkin Wakes Up to Bury Wings, Senshttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/01/sleepy-ovechkin-wakes-up-to-bury-wings-sens/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/01/sleepy-ovechkin-wakes-up-to-bury-wings-sens/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/01/sleepy-ovechkin-wakes-up-to-bury-wings-sens/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

A word of warning to the Devils, Kings and Panthers, the teams next up on the Caps' schedule: Alex Ovechkin is heating up again.

The Caps star had been relatively quiet before the weekend (well, at least in non-exhibition games), scoring just four goals in the Caps' last nine games, losing the lead in the Richard Trophy race to Philadelphia's Jeff Carter.

Well, his slump is now officially over, as he had a weekend to remember, scoring five goals in just three periods against Detroit and Ottawa to surge to a four-goal edge over Carter in the NHL's scoring race - even after he admitted he was "sleepy" with the rare back-to-back afternoon home games.

Ovechkin told reporters he was "usually sleeping" at 12:30 in the afternoon, when both games got underway this weekend at Verizon Center, which started early due to some football game being televised on Sunday, but that he felt better the second day around.

"I go to bed a little bit early, like 8, and wake up again 6:30 and go back again to sleep, so I kind of feel pretty good today," he told reporters afterwards.

It certainly showed Sunday, as Ovechkin earned the first star as the Caps completed a four-point weekend with a 7-4 thrashing of the Senators. It wasn't quite as dramatic as Saturday's two-goal show he put on in the third period to beat the Wings, but Ovechkin's second career hat trick against the Senators fueled a successful weekend for Washington. The Caps now hold a 13-point lead in the Southeast Division over Carolina, and passed the Atlantic Division-leading Devils - who they play Tuesday night - for second seed in the Eastern Conference.

Ovechkin notched his 34th in the first period with a quick power play strike off a feed from Mike Green just four seconds into a power play. His 35th goal of the year chased starting netminder Brian Elliott just 2:15 into the second period, but then he burned his replacement for the hat trick and his league-leading 36th tally with a shot that blew by a defender and through the five-hole of replacement Alex Auld.

Throughout his career, Ovechkin has been a streaky scorer, as when he's on the top of his game, there's no player better and putting the puck in the net right now. And after a relatively quiet stretch, it appears he's starting to regain his scoring touch again, and is now on pace to be within striking distance of his second straight 60-goal campaign.

And, that's not good news for the Devils, who the got burned by a pair of goals (including one in the final second) from the star the last time the Caps paid a visit to Newark.

'Sleepy' Ovechkin Wakes Up to Bury Wings, Sens originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ted StarkeySun, 01 Feb 2009 19:00:00 EST Rating the NHL's Best Voiceshttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/27/rating-the-nhls-best-voices/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/27/rating-the-nhls-best-voices/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/27/rating-the-nhls-best-voices/#commentsFiled under: ,

As the NHL All-Star Break continues, keep up with FanHouse's coverage of hockey's unofficial midway point.

One of my favorite hockey-related shows on NHL Network is Voices. As a hockey broadcaster myself, it is neat to watch how the best in the business prepare to go on the air, and how they interact with the best athletes on the planet.

Watching Voices made me start wondering who the best really were. With that in mind, I took advantage of a Center Ice subscription and an active remote, watching every team's local broadcast as many times as I could stomach.

I came to a few conclusions.

Mike Emrick is so good he deserves his own category. I feel bad excluding him from this list, but I do it because he's that much better than everyone. He is to hockey broadcasting what Vin Scully is to baseball broadcasting, and anyone who watches a lot of baseball knows it's pointless to try to compare any baseball voice to Scully. Kind of like how you'd never try to seriously compare an upcoming draft pick to Wayne Gretzky.

The toughest part about calling the same team's games for an entire season is telling enough stories and having enough stuff on your team to keep people interested. You can only tell the audience about Zach Parise's hockey family so many times before they just get sick of hearing it. Emrick gets it, and he also gets that the audience doesn't mind knowing things about the backgrounds of players on the opposing team.

Just don't tell them too much about Scott Gomez anymore.

I found myself getting sucked in by networks doing lots of games in high definition. Watch three or four games in HD, and then try to flip to the Center Ice feed of a Calgary game on Rogers SportsNet. It's ridiculous. Why would you want to watch the standard definition game?

The only exception to this is when they give us a Montreal game from RDS. I can't understand a word anyone says unless they're calling a player by name, but I can't turn the channel.

I tried to discount the quality of the visual presentation when rating the broadcasters, but I apologize in advance for the possibility that I became biased in favor of local broadcasters who presented a majority of their games in HD.

Canadian is better. Outside of the fact that Center Ice never gives us games from Canadian providers in HD, their broadcasts are generally so much better. CBC and TSN kick the living crap out of Versus, and I think the various Rogers SportsNet crews do very good work.

On to my rankings. Keep in mind that this top ten was compiled unscientifically, and it was based on a number of factors.

I think accuracy of the play call, enthusiasm, limited homerism (I don't mind bias, but I don't need to be told that every call against your team is terrible, either), and a good grasp of the game are good and necessary traits for an announcing crew. Those who rely too much on pre-determined storylines or suck up to Sidney Crosby too much (especially in games not involving Pittsburgh) were docked. You have to be able to call what you see, not what you expected to see.

Honorable Mention

Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin (Washington). Beninati is almost unwatchable at times on Versus, but he's very good with the Capitals. I love his enthusiasm, and one of my favorite calls of last year's playoffs was his very simple but strangely accurate "Boom!" on an Alexander Ovechkin one-timer in Game 6 against Philadelphia. Laughlin plays a bit of a straight-man, providing thoughtful analysis without going overboard.

Howie Rose and Billy Jaffe (N.Y. Islanders). These guys do very good work covering a very bad team. When the franchise player is almost perpetually injured, it can be easy to get caught up talking about how the injuries affect everyone, but Rose and Jaffe forge ahead and do a good job making the game the story.

Joe Bowen and Greg Millen (Toronto). I'm watching the Leafs get blown out one night, and it strikes me that Bowen calls the game the same way when it's 5-0 or whatever as he does when it's tied in the final minute of regulation. I tend to think this is a good quality in a broadcaster, though it can get old when your team is always getting blown out. Millen is a good analyst. I'd suggest he not try to get into front-office work using his last name.

Paul Steigerwald and Bob Errey (Pittsburgh). Possibly the toughest TV job in the NHL is the one where you follow Crosby around. Oddly enough, the national media types are more concerned with talking about Crosby than Pittsburgh's guys are. Steigerwald and Errey sure do say nice things about the Penguins' captain, but they rarely go overboard. NBC should try that tact.

Andy Brickley (Boston). First off, he's a really good analyst. Secondly, he puts up with Jack Edwards. He should get an award.

The Top Ten

10. Ralph Strangis and Daryl Reaugh (Dallas). Strangis calls a great, accurate game, just like I'd expect a radio guy to. Reaugh can go overboard showing off the vocabulary sometimes, but he's a fun listen and it's clear he knows the game.

9. Steve Goldstein and Denis Potvin (Florida). Since no one watches Panther games in Florida, I take it upon myself to watch from Minnesota. These guys are rock-solid, with good chemistry and a very good understanding of the game. I have no complaints.

8. John Kelly and Bernie Federko (St. Louis). I love Kelly's "Thank you! Thank you!" line after a big Blues goal. His enthusiasm for the game is obvious whenever you listen to him, but never more than when the good guys win. It's the definition of what a homer announcer is supposed to be, and Kelly never goes overboard, like a certain Boston Bruins television announcer many of you may know.

7. Ken Daniels and Mickey Redmond (Detroit). Daniels famously filled in for an ill Ken Kal in the Wings' Cup-clinching win over Pittsburgh last season. It's not hard to bring it as a broadcaster when you're calling games for a team this good, but give Daniels and Redmond credit, because they are just as consistently solid as the team on the ice is.

6. Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda (San Jose). I don't get to watch a ton of Sharks games because of the West Coast start times, but the times I have stayed up late enough, Hahn and Remenda don't disappoint. I'm not aware of any national gigs for Remenda at this point (he worked for CBC in the past), but he should have one if he wants one. He's probably the best analyst among the local broadcasters who doesn't have a national gig "on the side".

5. John Shorthouse and John Garrett (Vancouver). I couldn't wait for my first chance to catch the Canucks on Rogers SportsNet this season. It was the first time since I got Center Ice that Jim Hughson wasn't their regular play-by-play guy. Shorthouse stepped into the shoes of the second-best play-by-play guy on the planet (Hughson is with CBC as the main Hockey Night in Canada guy now) and has done a great job. Hughson isn't old enough to be called a legend, but Shorthouse's work "replacing" him has been outstanding. Most guys in his shoes would have fallen flat on their face.

4. Rick Jeanneret and Harry Neale (Buffalo). Jeanneret is a legend in Buffalo, and rightfully so. I've talked to Sabres fans who want the team to win a Cup for him. He's an acquired taste, no question, but he's also leads this group in overall enthusiasm. Neale is a good compliment, as he still knows the game, even though he isn't as sharp as he used to be.

3. Sam Rosen and Joe Michelletti (N.Y. Rangers). This is a great pair. They get "it" and they always will. There's a certain comfort you get when you turn on the Rangers feed and see these guys. They're rock-solid, never put themselves above the game, and even though both have national profiles, they're not afraid to show a little bias. Rosen calls a great game. He has good genes, too. I heard his son, Matt, call a college game between Michigan and Minnesota over Thanksgiving weekend. I came away very impressed with his work.

2. Dave Strader and Darren Pang (Phoenix). When I call games and the analyst jumps my call of a play, it better be something special. If it's something special, I have no problem with it, but it becomes annoying when they do it just to get their voice on the air. I've always thought Pang towed the line very well. Since he's been working with Strader on Coyotes games, I know he's towed it well. If he ever crossed that line and became annoying, Strader wouldn't let him get away with it. This is a case of two old pros who know the game and know how to present a game on television. Coyotes fans - all 42 of them - should consider themselves lucky to have Strader and Pang around.

1. Pat Foley and Eddie Olczyk (Chicago). When I heard that the Blackhawks were bringing back Pat Foley to do television, I almost wanted to throw a party. If there is a hockey voice working today who has even a chance of someday being close to what Emrick is, it's Foley. Not only does he call a great game, but he still has a childlike love for hockey. Olczyk is much better with the Blackhawks games, as he doesn't have to put up with NBC's way of putting the game on the teevee, and he also doesn't have to deal with the dude inside the glass calling him "Edzo" every 15 seconds.

Rating the NHL's Best Voices originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>mike emrickMikeEmricknhl all-star breaknhl all-star gameNhlAll-starBreakNhlAll-starGamezach pariseZachPariseBruce CiskieTue, 27 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST NHL's Suspensions of Datsyuk, Lidstrom Are Justifiedhttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/27/nhls-suspensions-of-datsyuk-lidstrom-are-justified/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/27/nhls-suspensions-of-datsyuk-lidstrom-are-justified/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/27/nhls-suspensions-of-datsyuk-lidstrom-are-justified/#commentsFiled under: ,

Amazingly, one of the biggest stories that came out of the All-Star Game was about the players who weren't there. Everything else was over-shadowed by the one-game suspensions of Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom. Neither player will participate in their team's game tonight against Columbus, leaving them with only 17 skaters on the roster.

I can't remember the last time that a one-game ban created this much of a ruckus. All over the hockey world people are weighing in and, at least out of Detroit, anger is the general feeling. Those notions are simply ludicrous and false.

Sidney Crosby was also skipping the All-Star Game due to "injury" but, when he got wind of the suspensions, high-tailed it to Montreal. Of course, it's unfortunate that given the same opportunity Datsyuk and Lidstrom were not able to catch a last minute flight themselves and escape Gary Bettman's wrath.

Let's take a deep breath and look at a couple of the facts.

The league has made it clear that it does not like All-Star starters skipping out on the festivities, even if they still stay out of the game. It's like skipping a regular game but attending the post-game interviews or a scheduled post-game autograph signing. Should this really be treated any differently than if Lidstrom and Datsyuk had skipped out on their own team? Of course, in this case their team was OK with it. But in this case, their team is not the final word nor the ones conducting the event.

Another odd policy of the league -- that they also like to keep under wraps -- is that every team has to be represented at the All-Star Game. It's not stated publicly but by looking at the rosters each year the league's intentions are clear. Once Datsyuk and Lidstrom declared themselves out, there's no doubt in my mind that there were other Red Wings asked to participate, but none chose to. Whether it was the players or the organization behind that is unclear. However, expecting the league to go along with one of it's signature events without any players from a team that is A) the defending Stanley Cup Champions and B) currently third in the league standings is absurd.

Sometimes, you get what you give. And when the Wings did no favors for a league still trying to distance itself from the lockout, the league decided to not do the Wings any favors.

NHL's Suspensions of Datsyuk, Lidstrom Are Justified originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>gary bettmanGaryBettmannicklas lidstromNicklasLidstrompavel datsyukPavelDatsyukKevin SchultzTue, 27 Jan 2009 11:29:00 EST Alex Ovechkin Checks Out the Ladies at the All-Star Gamehttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/27/one-last-look-at-ovechkin-at-the-nhl-all-star-game/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/27/one-last-look-at-ovechkin-at-the-nhl-all-star-game/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/27/one-last-look-at-ovechkin-at-the-nhl-all-star-game/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Here's one last video we didn't manage to get to yesterday. It's a clip of Washington's Alex Ovechkin sneaking a peak at a pair of young ladies dancing in the stands at the Bell Centre on Sunday, until, of course, the young Russian realizes that the camera had shifted its focus to him. As is his wont, he played along and laughed it off.

Alex Ovechkin Checks Out the Ladies at the All-Star Game originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>alex ovechkinAlexOvechkinEric McErlainTue, 27 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST The Ice Sheet: All-Star Weekend Belongs to Ovechkinhttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/26/the-ice-sheet-all-star-weekend-belongs-to-ovechkin/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/26/the-ice-sheet-all-star-weekend-belongs-to-ovechkin/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/26/the-ice-sheet-all-star-weekend-belongs-to-ovechkin/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Every Monday morning The Ice Sheet will take a close look at everything that's happened in the NHL since Friday night at 5:00 PM -- or if need be, anything else the author wants to bleat about. To read them all, click here.

When all was said and done following the Eastern Conference's 12-11 overtime victory in the 47th NHL All-Star Game, it was Montreal's Alex Kovalev -- a player who probably didn't deserve to be on the ice given his play this season -- who walked away with a brand new Honda and the game's award for the Most Valuable Player. But in the aftermath of the weekend's festivities, there was little doubt that Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin was the biggest winner.


In future years if and when anyone looks back at this weekend's events, few will recall the mind-numbing play in regulation, the highlight reel save that Boston goalie Tim Thomas made in the overtime period to preserve the victory for the East or Kovalev's MVP award. What folks will remember, however, are Ovechkin's very public peacemaking with fellow Russian Evgeni Malkin, his antics on Saturday night during the SuperSkills competiton (how many of us forgot to notice that Ovechkin scored that goal while shooting left-handed) and the final goal he scored in the shootout against Vancouver's Roberto Luongo to seal the victory.

Put simply, when the lights were brightest and the game's fans were looking for something special during an All-Star weekend that seems to have run out of gas and has some fans calling for its abolition, Ovechkin seized the moment and delivered in a way no other player in the game has in many years. We all know the standard knock against hockey players: that they're the nicest guys in the world and the easiest to deal with off the ice, but that far too many of them seem to wilt in the spotlight thanks to years of being told that there is no "I" in team.

There's a lot of truth to that hoary cliche, but Ovechkin has seemed to do it one better. While he might be one of the game's most transcendent talents, there's no doubt in the Washington locker room that there's no harder worker on the entire squad, and hence not an iota of resentment of his success or the intense spotlight that it attracts. And as for that spotlight, don't doubt for a moment that Ovechkin craves it as much as he craves the satisfaction and joy he feels when he puts the puck in the back of the net.

As the game's greatest stars scatter again to the four corners of North America, let there be no doubt: Ovechkin is hockey's singular talent and its ultimate showman. Yes, there are others who can and will make the argument for and against whether or not he is the game's best player. But that matters little at this point, because as of right now, there is no other player in the game anywhere who better communicates the sheer joy a great athlete feels when he plays a game he loves as much as life itself.

In hockey, no one even comes close to Ovechkin. And for that, the game -- and in particular the men who bend, fold, spindle and mutilate it -- ought to be grateful.

The Ice Sheet: All-Star Weekend Belongs to Ovechkin originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>alex kovalevalex ovechkinAlexKovalevAlexOvechkinevgeni malkinEvgeniMalkinthe ice sheetTheIceSheettim thomasTimThomasEric McErlainMon, 26 Jan 2009 07:00:00 EST NHL All-Star Game Live Chathttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/25/nhl-all-star-game-live-chat/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/25/nhl-all-star-game-live-chat/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/25/nhl-all-star-game-live-chat/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals put on a great show at the NHL SuperSkills Competition in Montreal Saturday. Can he repeat that during the All-Star Game itself?

Amid discussion and debate over whether we should even bother, the NHL All-Star Game is set for Sunday evening. No Datsyuk. No Lidstrom. No Crosby. Instead, we get a slew of really good hockey players who allegedly want to be there. If you're looking for a tight-checking, physical game, you may want to look elsewhere. Instead, the best players in the world will show off their skills.

Join us for a live chat at 6 PM EST!

NHL All-Star Game Live Chat originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Bruce CiskieSun, 25 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST Ovechkin Steals All-Star Show at Breakaway Challengehttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/25/ovechkin-steals-show-at-breakaway-challenge/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/25/ovechkin-steals-show-at-breakaway-challenge/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/25/ovechkin-steals-show-at-breakaway-challenge/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

A recent promo for NBC's NHL Game of the Week breathlessly proclaimed that Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby was the game's biggest star. While I've always disagreed with that notion -- after all, Crosby might not be the best player on his own team -- something tells me that few will dare call him that anymore after Alex Ovechkin's performance in the Breakaway Challenge at the NHL SuperSkills Competition Saturday night in Montreal.

Granted, there was nothing terribly breathtaking as player after player took shots at an anonymous goalie, but Ovechkin seemed to be the only participant who got what the event was really about when he donned a pair of sunglasses and a hat decorated with a Canadian flag before taking his last shot in the event.



Better still, he made sure he geared up with the help of fellow Russian Evgeni Malkin. Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post got the skinny from Ovechkin on how it all came together.
Q: Alex, where did you get the idea to do the hat and glasses?

A: Well, it was last night. I actually talked to [team PR guru] Nate Ewell about it, and I said it's going to be fun, and you have to try it.
There's more, including how Malkin got involved at the behest of Atlanta winger Ilya Kovalchuk. In the end, the fans loved it enough that they gave him the win in the event with better than 40 percent of the vote. For all the results from Saturday night, click here.

Ovechkin Steals All-Star Show at Breakaway Challenge originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 25 Jan 2009 00:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>alex ovechkinAlexOvechkinevgeni malkinEvgeniMalkinEric McErlainSun, 25 Jan 2009 00:12:00 EST Should We Even Bother Playing the All-Star Game Anymore?http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/24/has-the-nhl-all-star-game-already-become-irrelevant/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/24/has-the-nhl-all-star-game-already-become-irrelevant/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/24/has-the-nhl-all-star-game-already-become-irrelevant/#commentsFiled under: , ,

By now, you've had a chance to read Eric McErlain and Kevin Schultz looking for fixes regarding the NHL All-Star Game. One thing I think everyone agrees on is that the game has problems and should be fixed.

Except me. After all, it seems everyone the fans and others selected to take part in the game is backing out for whatever reason. If the players themselves don't care enough to show up, and the fans who aren't attending don't care enough to watch, why even bother? I say the league scraps the game altogether.

My buddy and cartooning colleague Earl Sleek disagrees.

Ciskie: I'll say it for the eighth time this week: Why are we even bothering to have an All-Star Game? Just add two games to the regular season schedule (or leave it the way it is and give teams more time off during the season) and stop stopping the season for an irrelevant exhibition that even diehards have to muster up the energy to fake caring about.

Sleek: I don't mind that the event exists, or that it's irrelevant, or that it's for a different audience than me -- whatever, it's still a nice break to the schedule. And as much hype as it gets, it's still completely ignorable.
I think it still beats having no midseason event, or having the season run perpetually without a break, but I do hear you on one front: it's tough to feign excitement for the least meaningful game of the calendar year.

Ciskie: I was talking about this with someone yesterday. The bottom line is that the event used to appeal to diehards and casual fans alike.

The thing was that even diehards didn't get to see the best players in the league all the time. If you were a diehard Penguins fan, you still didn't have a clue about this Getzlaf guy or this Campbell guy or this Toews guy. Same for Malkin, Crosby, and Ovechkin if you were a Wild fan.

But now, the diehards have Center Ice. And the NHL Network (On The Fly, specifically). And NHL.com GameCenter. So on and so forth.

Casual fans may not get Center Ice, but they probably watch games on the NHL Network and Versus (or CBC and TSN if they live in Canada).

My point is that the chance to see all these great players together is not what it once was. It's an everyday occurrence for NHL fans now. Why watch a defense-free, no-check exhibition?

Sleek: Good points. I actually think it's an insult to call it an "exhibition game" (well, an insult to exhibition games), because in preseason, I am very interested to see who's getting playing time for a team. Even though the games don't count, the preparation time (and exposure for kids) does matter, and it's useful to see how teammates get used to each other before things really do start counting.

Not so for the ASG. Which is why I keep referring to it as the "least meaningful game of the year" -- much less meaningful than actual exhibition games, IMO.

"My point is that the chance to see all these great players together is not what it once was."

That is very true not only for fans but for players as well, I think. Perhaps I'm over-imagining but, say fifteen years ago, Mario Lemieux had to bow out of the ASG because of an injury. I still think he would have gone to the event, even if he couldn't suit up. Now that may not really be true -- maybe the ASG has always been a joke, and maybe Mario's lazy -- but I do think there used to be a lot more of a legitimate honor to the thing. Ah, whatever.

On a side note, one skills competition that I would like to see some year, since it rarely shows itself during an actual ASG, is a power play conversion competition. You've got the best scorers from the continent together -- why not put two minutes on the clock and see how many 5-on-4 goals a set of players could score? I'd prefer seeing that to a lot of the mechanical man vs. clock drills we see today -- a chance for players to show off their vision/creativity/cooperation in a setting that resembles actual hockey? That's crazy talk -- probably why I don't get to make any of the league's decisions.

Ciskie: I think part of it is that players took seriously their spot because they were performing for fans who rarely got to watch them play. Even the most non-descript All-Stars on this year's rosters are recognizable faces for most NHL fans.

Once you've played in all those nationally-televised games, even the pageantry of an All-Star Game is going to lose its luster. The cameras and lights and broadcasters are all the same, after all.

Should We Even Bother Playing the All-Star Game Anymore? originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Bruce CiskieSat, 24 Jan 2009 21:00:00 EST NHL Suspends Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk, Nicklas Lidstromhttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/nhl-suspends-detroits-pavel-datsyuk-nicklas-lidstrom/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/nhl-suspends-detroits-pavel-datsyuk-nicklas-lidstrom/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/nhl-suspends-detroits-pavel-datsyuk-nicklas-lidstrom/#commentsFiled under: ,


Earlier on Friday, we brought you the absurd report that Gary Bettman, in his own ridiculous way, was attempting to save the NHL All-Star game by threatening to suspend players for declining to take part in the festivities. Apparently, Bettman means business as the league has decided to suspend Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom for the Red Wings game against Columbus on January 27.

Ridiculous. Almost as ridiculous as Bud Selig's decision to use the Major League Baseball All-Star game to decide home field advantage in the World Series. It's an exhibition game, people.

Here's what Colin Campbell had to say in an updated version of the TSN report we posted earlier on Friday: ''We've all got obligations to the fans, the rights holders - this game is being televised around the world."

Please. The players have an obligation to the fans of the teams they play for. In the case of Datsyuk and Lidstrom, that would be the fans of the Detroit Red Wings, and that obligation is to make sure they're in the best possible position to help the Red Wings -- not the Western Conference All-Stars -- win regular season and playoff games. You know, games that actually mean something.

Sidney Crosby also backed out of the All-Star game due to injury, but will be in Montreal this weekend which means he will probably avoid punishment from the league. This doesn't make any sense, of course, seeing as how Datsyuk and Lidstrom are also currently plagued by injuries.

What an embarrassing display by the NHL. Of course, we should at least be grateful that nobody made a sex joke.

If the NHL is so concerned about the state of the All-Star game -- and its "obligation to fans" -- and is willing to suspend two of the most important players on the best team in the league for skipping out on it, perhaps the league should find a way to prevent players such as Alex Kovalev and Jean-Sebastien Giguere from becoming starters.

NHL Suspends Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk, Nicklas Lidstrom originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Alex KovalevAlexKovalevBud SeligBudSeligColin CampbellColinCampbellGary BettmanGaryBettmanJean-Sebastien GiguereJean-sebastienGiguereNicklas LidstromNicklasLidstromPavel DatsyukPavelDatsyukSidney CrosbySidneyCrosbyAdam GretzFri, 23 Jan 2009 18:45:00 EST Peace Breaks Out Between Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkinhttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/peace-breaks-out-between-ovechkin-and-malkin/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/peace-breaks-out-between-ovechkin-and-malkin/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/peace-breaks-out-between-ovechkin-and-malkin/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Could the "Cold War" between two of the top talents in the NHL be over? Part of me hopes not, but if the words and images coming out of Montreal are any indication, Washington's Alex Ovechkin and Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin are going out of their way to give every indication that they've buried the hatchet -- and not in each other's backs either.

The above image of the two players shaking hands at a media availability in Montreal earlier today was sent to us via Dmitry Chesnokov of Sovetsky Sport. He's been on the horn all day long with his Sovetsky colleague, Pavel Lysenkov. According to Lysenkov's reports that Chesnokov has passed along to me, Ovechkin and Malkin shared a polite and private handshake, one that they recreated for Lysenkov at his urging. The translation of their conversation is after the jump.

Pavel Lysenkov (PL): Yevgeni Malkin told me that you spoke before, shook each other's hands, what's happening now?

Alex Ovechkin (AO): "Yes, that's true."

PL: This is just stupid. You have to agree. It's been two years now.

AO: "We didn't really have a feud..."

PL: Well, then can you go and shake his hand now and take a picture?

AO: "Yes, of course I can. Evgeni! Come over here!"

Earlier today, a similar picture snapped by Slava Malamud from Russia's Sport-Express appeared over at Capitals Insider, but Chesnokov and Lysenkov assure me that their picture was snapped first.

In any case, as I wrote earlier, it seems like Ovechkin and Malkin have tired of their feud, which has to be considered a downer for hockey fans. Heck, it was a little more than a week ago that league observers were breaking out in sweats over the fact that there hadn't been a rift this big in the league between two star players since Gordie Howe and Maurice Richard let the hate out back in the 1950s. Now, thanks to the hand shake, things are a little less interesting. Well, until Ovechkin drills Malkin again.

Peace Breaks Out Between Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>alex ovechkinAlexOvechkinevgeni malkinEvgeniMalkinEric McErlainFri, 23 Jan 2009 18:37:00 EST Orca Terrorizing Children in Montrealhttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/orca-terrorizing-children-in-montreal/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/orca-terrorizing-children-in-montreal/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/orca-terrorizing-children-in-montreal/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Shocking news out of All-Star Weekend in Montreal today. Apparently, someone has made the grave mistake of letting the Vancouver Canucks' mascot, Fin the Orca, loose amongst humans.

As I have documented in the past through the most scientific of research, Fin's taste buds have an affinity for small humans, specifically children. The child pictured to your right is a Canadiens' fan, so he is a delicacy to Fin, who normally resides on the west coast.

At this hour, authorities are advising all children in and around the Montreal area to wear Canucks jerseys as a precaution. He usually identifies people in 'Nucks jerseys as friends, however you should still proceed with caution or at least carry fish with which to distract him. Fin is still on the loose and must be considered cuddly looking and possibly hungry.

Orca Terrorizing Children in Montreal originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Kevin SchultzFri, 23 Jan 2009 18:20:00 EST Buys and Sells: Your Obligatory All-Star Game Banterhttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/buys-and-sells-your-obligatory-all-star-game-banter/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/buys-and-sells-your-obligatory-all-star-game-banter/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/buys-and-sells-your-obligatory-all-star-game-banter/#commentsFiled under:

Each Friday throughout the season, I'll provide you with my predictions on whose stock is on the rise and whose is failing miserably like an American bank pretty much everything these days. It's a neat little segment entitled Buys and Sells. There are a few teams/players/issues to buy and a few to sell.



This weekend the NHL takes a break for its ritual of winter, the All-Star Game. Pointless? Maybe. TV ratings? Not so much. But hey, it's still a great chance to see good players who felt like attending the best players in the league. OK, maybe not exactly that either. Look. It's here and we're going to talk about it because it's not going away. At least not by Sunday. And apparently as much as everyone likes to complain about the game's problems, folks can't seem to stop talking about it. And don't worry -- we won't just rehash the same old arguments in here.

Buy: Conspiracy theories. It seems like every year about this time we hear about how irrelevant the All-Star Game is. Everyone and their dog decides to type up a column about how useless it is and why we need to re-work it or get rid of it completely -- heck, even I did. But isn't it amazing, despite the sagging TV ratings, how much talk the Game garners every year?

Every year, we endure the endless debate of who got snubbed from the rosters. That always seems to be the talk of the town. But why do so if most of us supposedly don't care? If everyone is so busy not being interested in the ASG, then why does everyone feel the need to vent about the starters and snubs? Wouldn't those same people just not care about that too? It's all a little too fishy. Too fishy for me.

Sell: Jeremy Roenick not being a part of this weekend's announcing crew. I went on and on about him last week, so I'll spare you, but I'll make one point and then let it be. Roenick has been out since December 11th with a shoulder injury and this would be a great time to give him a trial run in front of a microphone.

OK, and for the record, I can settle for Rick DiPietro instead.

Buy: Giving the shootout competition another shot. OK, so the goalies kind of took some pride in the thing and, you know, tended the goal. OK, so it was a little underwhelming outside of Ovechkin's attempt. It was the first year, let's at least give it one more chance. I think there was potential shown -- helmets off, some creativity -- and now that the NHL is going to put some random netminder out there, we might get some goals. I can only hope this year's competitors are going to try and be a bit more creative. Ovechkin-like, per se.

Sell: Replacing the All-Star Game with the World Cup, Olympics or other random event in February. Yesterday in the Toronto Star, Damien Cox reported that the NHLPA is considering having some sort of rotational feature event each February. That's a funny joke. So instead of players passing up the All-Star Game, they now will have a different event to pass up every year. Good stuff. I'm not sure the idea was thought all the way through either, since the NHL is planning to possibly break off it's Olympic commitments after 2010. Sounds more like the PA wants a winter recess than any actual event.

Buys and Sells: Your Obligatory All-Star Game Banter originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>buys and sellsBuysAndSellsjeremy roenickJeremyRoenickKevin SchultzFri, 23 Jan 2009 13:30:00 EST NHL Threatens to Suspend Players Who Don't Show at All-Star Gamehttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/nhl-threatens-to-suspend-players-for-not-showing-up-at-all-star/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/nhl-threatens-to-suspend-players-for-not-showing-up-at-all-star/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/nhl-threatens-to-suspend-players-for-not-showing-up-at-all-star/#commentsFiled under: ,

This might be one of the dumbest things I've read all day, but, according to Daren Dreger of TSN, the NHL is threatening to suspend players for skipping out on this weekend's All-Star festivities in Montreal. Seriously.

From Dreger:
The NHL says it will enforce an understanding that all players who decline to show after being named to the All-Star teams must miss at least one game before or one game after the All-Star weekend.
This announcement comes after Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, along with Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom, backed out of Sunday's exhibition game. While the absence of such players takes away from whatever shine an All-Star game is supposed to have, it's really not the end of the world. It is, after all, an exhibition game, and the game already loses plenty of shine when Mike Komisarek is a starter.

Now, what this report doesn't specify is whether or not the players have to actually play in the game. In the case of Crosby, for example, he's dealing with a knee injury. Risking further damage to it in a game that doesn't count -- when his real team is fighting for a playoff spot -- doesn't make much sense. Which is why he's decided to sit out the game.

I'm guessing Gary Bettman's iron fist is forcing the players to simply show up in Montreal and take part in the weekend's meet and greet with media, fans, etc. etc. etc.

Though, I'm sure that makes any more sense. Then again, when does the NHL ever make sense?

NHL Threatens to Suspend Players Who Don't Show at All-Star Game originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Gary BettmanGaryBettmanMike KomisarekMikeKomisarekNicklas LidstromNicklasLidstromPavel DatsyukPavelDatsyukSidney CrosbySidneyCrosbyAdam GretzFri, 23 Jan 2009 13:25:00 EST Power Rankings: All-Star Game Editionhttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/power-rankings-all-star-game-edition/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/power-rankings-all-star-game-edition/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/power-rankings-all-star-game-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

With the unofficial first half of the NHL in the books, and (most of) the NHL's biggest names heading to Montreal, it's time to see how the league stacks up at the All-Star break.

With some malaise creeping in at the break from some of the top teams in the standings, there's also a change atop FanHouse's latest power rankings as a pair of teams enter the weekend tied for the league's best record, while the other of the league's top team not going to have a single skater in the All-Star Game.

At least the league can avoid the whole All-Star charade next winter as the Vancouver Olympics will take the game's place in February, meaning no more controversies until at least 2011.

Rankings after the jump.
  • 1. Sharks (Last Week's Rank: 3)
    A pair of dramatic wins over the Red Wings and Canucks gives the Sharks a tiebreaker edge in the race for the President's Trophy at the break, and Patrick Marleau gets a chance to play in the All-Star Game after being snubbed in the initial process.
  • 2. Red Wings (Last Week: 1)
    The Red Wings stumble into the All-Star break on a two-game slide, and now with Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk opting out of the festivities, the defending Stanley Cup champs won't have a single skater in Sunday's event.
  • 3. Bruins (Last Week: 2)
    The Bruins right the ship after a pair of tough losses to Washington and St. Louis with a shootout win over the Maple Leafs. And, with six days off until play resumes Tuesday at home against the Capitals, the break comes at a good time for Boston.
  • 4. Capitals (Last Week: 6)
    Go figure, the Caps beat the top team in the East, then turn in a pair of sub-par efforts against the Islanders and Senators. Still, Washington has a comfortable lead in the Southeast Division and yet will have just one skater with Nicklas Backstrom opting out of the YoungStars Game.
  • 5. Blackhawks (Last Week: 5)
    The 'Hawks will be well represented at the All-Star festivities, with three skaters and two of the YoungStars getting a chance to skate in front of a national audience (well, at least Versus) this weekend in Montreal.
  • 6. Devils (Last Week: 8)
    New Jersey has won five straight games to leapfrog both the Rangers and Flyers into first place in the Atlantic, and all this with having their franchise netminder sidelined for most of the first half of the season.
  • 7. Canadiens (Last Week: 4)
    The Habs limp into the break with a pair of losses to Atlanta and New Jersey, but the good news for the Canadiens is Carey Price should be able to start in the All-Star Game after injury concerns had threatened a chance to start in front of the home crowd.
  • 8. Flyers (Last Week: 9)
    The Flyers enter in a tight fight for the Atlantic lead, but will be without Danny Briere around four more weeks as his injury continues to linger - although it makes the tough cap decisions the team faces when he returns a little bit easier.
  • 9. Flames (Last Week: 7)
    The Flames use a shootout win over the Blue Jackets to avoid a three-game slide heading into the All-Star break, but Calgary still has had quite a first half with a nine-point lead in the Northwest and a chance to sew up a top seed quickly with a strong second half.
  • 10. Sabres (Last Week: 10)
    The Sabres' three-game win streak comes to a halt in Tampa Bay, but they do have a three-point cushion in the chase for one of the final playoff spots in the East. At 20 points out of the division lead, however, Buffalo has to focus on trying to get as good a lower seed as they can.
  • 11. Rangers (Last Week: 12)
    The Rangers have won four of their last five games to put themselves in a sandwich of the three teams two points apart for the Atlantic lead, and Henrik Lundqvist finally gets a chance to play in the All-Star Game this weekend.
  • 12. Hurricanes (Last Week: 13)
    Carolina puts an end to a five-game losing streak thanks to a pair of solid efforts by Cam Ward, and puts the 'Canes in the final playoff spot in the East with the Penguins and Panthers just a point behind them.
  • 13. Canucks (Last Week: 11)
    Since Roberto Luongo has returned to the lineup, the Canucks have lost three straight (although two in overtime or the shootout), and has lost six overall to spend the break in a tenous tie for the final three playoff spots with a group of teams ready to take their spot.
  • 14. Penguins (Last Week: 16)
    The Pens show some signs of life with a pair of wins over the weekend, but they drop a 2-1 game to Carolina to allow the 'Canes to spend the break in a playoff spot. One day after saying he'd skate Sunday, Sidney Crosby backs out of the game, probably the wise move for the star.
  • 15. Coyotes (Last Week: 19)
    The 'Yotes work themselves into the fifth seed at the break with a win over Detroit, making a tremendous story in the desert despite the fact the team's future is very much in doubt with perilous ownership situation in Phoenix.
  • 16. Ducks (Last Week: 14)
    The Ducks lose three of four on their road trip, putting them in a tie for the final spot in the West, and All-Star starter Jean-Sebastien Giguere has looked anything but solid for the past month for Anaheim.
  • 17. Oilers (Last Week: 22)
    The Oil win three straight to vault themselves into a tie for the last playoff spot in the jam-packed Western chase, and after a tough start, Edmonton can put themselves in the playoffs with a strong second half to the season.
  • 18. Wild (Last Week: 15)
    The Wild lose three out of four, and now sit two points behind the playoff pack at the break, and without their bargaining chip in Marian Gaborik around, it might be a tough road for Minnesota to get back into the playoffs.
  • 19. Blue Jackets (Last Week: 18)
    Despite their recent stumbles, the fact the Jackets are just a win out of the playoff pack is a testament to the play of Steve Mason, although it's unfortunate he won't get a chance to play this weekend due to his back spasms.
  • 20. Stars (Last Week: 21)
    The Stars take two of three, but will need to pick up the pace in the second half if they want to make a return to the playoffs, as a loss to the Lightning won't help them in a Western race where points are at a premium.
  • 21. Panthers (Last Week: 20)
    The 'Cats stumble a bit with a chance to move into a playoff spot by losing three of their last four games, and a tough week looms ahead for Florida as they will look to try and claw themselves up the standings.
  • 22. Avalanche (Last Week: 17)
    Colorado drops three of four to fall four points out of a playoff spot, and the injuries might be catching up to an Avs team that has been able to keep pace despite injuries to two of their key players.
  • 23. Kings (Last Week: 25)
    After a four-game skid, the Kings win a pair of back-to-back games, and now could make a run at a playoff spot if they can avoid some of the inconsistency that has plagued the team in the first half.
  • 24. Senators (Last Week: 24)
    The Sens win three out of four, but with Ottawa still trailing the eighth-place Hurricanes by a dozen points, it's time for the team that won the Eastern Conference just two seasons ago to think about the future.
  • 25. Predators (Last Week: 23)
    A three-game slide puts the Predators eight points out of a playoff spot, and also has Barry Trotz's job in jeopardy, as Nashville enters the weekend with the second-worst point total in the West and three games below the .500 mark.
  • 26. Blues (Last Week: 27)
    St. Louis wins two in a row - including a dramatic victory at the Eastern Conference's best - but still enters the weekend as the worst team in the Western Conference and the Blues would need a major turnaround in the second half to entertain any playoff thoughts.
  • 27. Lightning (Last Week: 28)
    The 'Ning win two in a row, but are trailing the Hurricanes by nine points and will have to make up a lot of ground to try and live up to the offseason hype the team received and make a true charge towards a postseason berth.
  • 28. Maple Leafs (Last Week: 26)
    The Maple Leafs stumble into the break having lost eight of 10 games in January, and now have a much better chance of snagging a lottery chance to pick John Tavares than ending their three-year playoff drought.
  • 29. Thrashers (Last Week: 29)
    It appears that the Thrashers won't be the worst team in the NHL this year thanks to the Islanders' ineptitude, but they also are one of the few teams to have nearly no shot at landing a playoff spot.
  • 30. Islanders (Last Week: 30)
    If the Islanders didn't have any bad luck, they'd have no luck at all. They have one win the entire month of January, lose Rick DiPietro for the season, are finally hinting they might leave Long Island and even signing Wade Dubielewicz backfires when Columbus claims him.
Check out the last rankings here.

Power Rankings: All-Star Game Edition originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ted StarkeyFri, 23 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST How to Fix What's Wrong: The Great All-Star Game Debatehttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/to-be-or-not-to-be-the-great-all-star-game-debate/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/to-be-or-not-to-be-the-great-all-star-game-debate/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/to-be-or-not-to-be-the-great-all-star-game-debate/#commentsFiled under: ,


As the NHL All-Star Break continues, keep up with FanHouse's coverage of hockey's unofficial midway point.

Some say there's no point to even salvaging this disaster, and Bruce Ciskie and Earl Sleek will debate that point later. For now, my colleague Eric McErlain and I will assume that the game isn't going away, and discuss what's wrong and how to fix it.

Kevin Schultz: I'll start us off.

So let's get this straight. The NHL, until it stumbled upon the Winter Classic, hadn't had any great ideas public-relations-wise since before the invention of the glow puck. How could the league possibly think of doing away with the All-Star Game or, at the very least, fan voting?

It's for the fans and, in any sport, even one with a good reputation for treating its fans well, taking something away from them is just asking for it. Even if it's the right move, it will get killed in the media for sure. I'm all for tinkering with the voting process, but I don't think you can even considering taking it, or the All-Star Game, away.

Eric McErlain: There's really only one reason the ASG continues to exist, and it's not because of the fans, it's because of the sponsors. Sure, the fans decide which players get to go, but the real target audience for the game are the folks who pony up the sponsorship dollars that help keep the league in business. The ASG gives the league an opportunity to say thanks to those sponsors and let them rub elbows with the game's best players. If it weren't for that business objective, the game wouldn't exist any longer.

I've never had a problem with anyone who wants to make an honest buck, but in turn, we ought to be honest about what the ASG is really about. Like it or not, the fans are incidental, and truth be told, do they really even care anymore? I can't help but point straight at the television ratings for the game, which have been downright dreadful for longer than I care to remember.

KS: I'll give you one thing -- that the game is covertly about the sponsors. But that's sports. Ever since teams started adding as many luxury suites as possible to their arenas, every game has been about the sponsors. I don't think that it's really all that shocking to learn that the ASG is that way too. Or maybe they were just able to buy me off with all the free stuff I got in Atlanta last year.

As for the TV ratings, since when has the NHL in general gotten great ratings outside of the Classic? Last year's Finals got the highest ratings since 2002, but it was also probably the most intriguing matchup that we've had since at least 2002. But if you take a look at the ratings from 1995 through 2002, last year's ratings don't come close. People aren't watching whether it's the ASG, Finals or regular season. Apparently, they are watching on January 1st, though.

EM: Here's another thing -- when it comes to memories, the NHL ASG really hasn't been terribly good at creating too many. For me, I have very few:

1980: Gordie Howe returns to a thunderous ovation in Detroit.
1992: The Chicago Stadium crowd, caught up in a patriotic moment during the first Gulf War, gives a stirring rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.
1997: Owen Nolan beats Dominik Hasek on the called shot.
2008: Alex Ovechkin's glorious failure in the skills competition.


That's almost 30 years of NHL All Star Games, and I can only name four moments. If you talked to a baseball fan over the same time frame, something tells me there would be more than just four moments to cherish in the last 30 years. Heck, I can probably name more than a few myself.

As it turns out, I think there's a way to revamp the format and make the game relevant again in a manner the sponsors would love.

KS: You're right about one more thing -- baseball fans have had some memorable moments. The most memorable being the infamous tie at the beginning of the decade. Now that's what you call a public relations nightmare.

I can't wait until five years from now when the novelty of the Winter Classic wears off. It's going to be getting the same flak that the ASG is right now. The NHL isn't going to get a storybook ending (2008) or a great game (2009) every year. I remember a time when fans loved the idea of North America vs. the World in the ASG and look how fast that got old. You're not going to get a storybook moment every year no matter what you do and I think people tend to expect too much.

And after last year, maybe things are going in the right direction. There are a lot of energetic young kids and the NHL is playing around with how to make them more interesting. They gave Rick DiPietro a mic, which headed in the right direction, and the new shootout competition gave you a new moment with Alex Ovechkin. Ask the sellout crowd in Atlanta (At-freaking-lanta!!!) if they liked the game. They were excited the whole weekend from start to finish -- and I know we can't credit the Jonas Brothers for all of it.

EM: When you mention your trip to Atlanta last year, I think you hit on something, and it's the reason why both these games are going to keep going for the duration -- and that's the fact that they are absolutely huge events for the cities that they're held in.

There's been a lot of interesting thinking about the future of the NHL Winter Classic and how it might get stale after a while, just like the ASG. But once you're at the event itself, any and all objections you might have had about it are bound to disappear. I still understand the arguments against the NHL Winter Classic and in conversation and in print they absolutely stand up. But all you need to do is spend five minutes in a historic ballpark with over 40,000 hockey-mad fans and you'll change your mind awfully quick. As for it getting stale, something tells me that's going to take a while.

But back to the ASG. As it stands right now, the ASG absolutely struggles to garner any attention. I'll give the league some credit for scheduling the game on the Sunday between the NFL conference championships and the Super Bowl so it can break through all the noise. I still think you need to do something more.

KS: If there's one thing this league is good at, apparently it might be scheduling. Although as long as we are playing the Stanley Cup Finals while it's beach season in New York, I can't give them too much praise. But I digress.

It seems like the whole idea about the All-Star Game is that the idea of it might be antiquated. One of the main reasons I loved watching it as a kid was because I would be able to see players I rarely see. Growing up in New York in an era without digital cable, satellite and games live on the web, it was hard to see guys on the other side of the Mississippi like Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull or Jeremy Roenick. Ten years later and all it costs me is about $150 to see their modern equivalents any night I like.

Call me crazy, but I still like the idea of having them all in once place, even if I can see them infinitely more often. Honestly, how many times can we expect to see Ovechkin, Crosby and Malkin on the same bench, or if we're lucky, the same line? It's one of those matchups that real fans dream of, even if the game is a bit subdued. I don't think there's any reason to send this game the way of the dinosaur. If anything, it needs some fresh thinking, which the NHL seems to be attempting.

EM: A couple of years back over at Off Wing, I proposed that the league steal an idea from English soccer and move the ASG to the start of the season. In the EPL, the season is kicked off with something called the FA Community Shield, a charity game between the previous season's EPL champion and the winner of the FA Cup. It's a huge event, they play it at Wembley Stadium in London and it's the one event that marks the start of the new season to die hard and casual fans alike.

Besides moving the game to the start of the season, I'd also change the format so the game would be hosted by the previous season's Stanley Cup Champion, pitting them against an All-Star team composed of players from every other team in the league. If that sounds familiar, that's because it's the format that was used for the original hockey ASG that actually pre-dates the establishment of the NHL.

You could keep our skills competition and your Young Stars game too. Have the NHL All-Stars coached by the head coach who lost the Stanley Cup Finals the year before. You can keep fan voting if you like, or alternately, just use the roster from the league's first and second All-Star teams named at the end of the season by the Professional Hockey Writers Association and let the head coach fill out the rest of the roster however he likes.

Better yet, with only one team of All-Stars instead of two, that means only the best players and the game's biggest stars will find their way to the game. Something tells me sponsors would love it just as much as the current game and so would the city that hosted it. As for the press, they'll get an honest shot at talking to all of the game's biggest names before the season begins.

Of course, there's only one problem: Like it or not, the NHL has decided that the wave of the future is to start the season in Europe from now on. Two years ago it was two teams and two games. This year, it was four teams, four regular season games and a couple of exhibitions. Next year, it looks like it will be three teams six games. And with so many players starting the season with an arduous travel schedule, I don't think the timing works anymore.

KS: I like your ideas, but I'm not sure they would completely solve our problems. Another exhibition game on the schedule when we've got two at midseason and a whole bunch at the beginning is iffy (I say that because North America doesn't pay attention to those games in Europe). Over-saturation, being my point.

It's hard to really pinpoint a solution that satisfies everyone. For example, I am thoroughly convinced that no matter how you select All-Star teams people will complain. I think what needs to happen is to give the players a reason to want to be there. Put some money or something behind attending and take away the trepidation players and coaches have about playing it. Put $10,000 on the table for each player on the winning team, with an extra $10,000 going to charity. $5,000 for a goal scored. Anything.

In terms of scheduling, heck, let's move the All-Star Game itself to the beginning of the season and put the aforementioned incentives behind playing in it and scoring (or MVP, goalies for the amount of saves, whatever). Hold it a week before the season starts so that everyone is healthy and teams can't be afraid of their players getting hurt for the stretch run. If you're not one of the teams going to Europe, you'll have two weeks to rest up for the season and if you are, then you'll still have a week after you get back.

I don't know that we settled a whole lot here, other than that we should rework it -- somehow. Personally, I'll be watching this weekend but I can admit that it's not going to be the most exciting night of the year for me. I am interested in seeing the Super Skills, though. And if there's a way that we can actually trot out the players with the hardest shot, etc -- and not just folks already on the All-Star teams -- I feel like that would add some seriousness to that. But before I go on for days, I'm just going to end it. Any parting words, Eric?

EM: Just that there's got to be some way to improve this game and inject excitement into the process. Earlier this season, I wrote that the league ought to consider stealing an idea from the KHL, and have two superstar players select the All-Star teams. In Russia, it was Team Jagr vs. Team Yashin. Here, why not Team Crosby vs. Ovie Style? You could select the players just like you would in a fantasy draft, and come up with all sorts of gimmicks to create some tension in the player selection process. We have so many examples from reality television, you'd figure that there would be at least a few ideas they could steal from there?

The current format has just played itself out, at least when it comes to the NHL. Baseball will always have the game because of the great tradition. Basketball will because it's the one sport that seems to get more exciting when teams don't bother to play defense. Nobody cares about the Pro Bowl, but it's a luxury that the NFL can afford because it's such a tremendous financial success. Heck, even MLS figured out that the best thing to do at an All-Star Game is to play the league's best against an historic side from overseas, a format the NHL played with in the 1970s and 80s.

All I know is that the minds inside the NHL hit a home run with the Winter Classic, and now it's time to figure out something, anything, new to do with the ASG. If not, the game is simply going to keep creeping toward irrelevancy.

How to Fix What's Wrong: The Great All-Star Game Debate originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>alex ovechkinalexei yashinAlexeiYashinAlexOvechkinbrett hullBrettHulljaromir jagrJaromirJagrjeremy roenickJeremyRoenicksidney crosbySidneyCrosbywayne gretzkyWayneGretzkyKevin SchultzFri, 23 Jan 2009 11:45:00 EST Sidney Crosby Out of NHL All-Star Gamehttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/22/sidney-crosby-withdraws-from-all-star-game-martin-st-louis-rep/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/22/sidney-crosby-withdraws-from-all-star-game-martin-st-louis-rep/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/22/sidney-crosby-withdraws-from-all-star-game-martin-st-louis-rep/#commentsFiled under: , ,


The NHL All-Star game just became a little more unwatchable, as Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby has withdrawn himself from the weekend's festivities. He will be replaced by Tampa Bay Lightning forward Martin St. Louis.

Crosby, currently second in the league in scoring, has been bothered by a knee injury -- and he took a shot off his hand against Carolina on Tuesday night, just for good measure -- the past couple of weeks, and as recently as Wedneday was going to try and tough it out for the NHL's premier exhibition game. Sanity, it would seem, has prevailed, as Crosby will take full advantage of an extended break to rest his injuries. This should please the Penguins, even if it makes Gary Bettman gently sob into his pillow.

The absence of Crosby, combined with the fact no Detroit Red Wings -- the defending Stanley Cup champions! -- will play in the game leaves this as quite possibly the dullest All-Star game ever. Especially when you consider fan voting has given us the pleasure of witnessing Alex Kovalev (the captain of the Eastern Conference) and Mike Komisarek as starters in the East, and Jean-Sebastien Giguere as the starting netminder in the West. Good times.

As for St. Louis, he is currently leading Tampa Bay with 46 points (17 goals, 29 assists) which is good enough for 19th in the NHL. It will be his fifth All-Star game.

Sidney Crosby Out of NHL All-Star Game originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Alex KovalevAlexKovalevGary BettmanGaryBettmanJean-Sebastien GiguereJean-sebastienGiguereMartin St. LouisMartinSt.LouisMike KomisarekMikeKomisarekSidney CrosbySidneyCrosbyAdam GretzThu, 22 Jan 2009 16:55:00 EST PuckToons: Overheard Behind the Western All-Stars Benchhttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/22/pucktoons-overheard-behind-the-western-all-stars-bench/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/22/pucktoons-overheard-behind-the-western-all-stars-bench/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/22/pucktoons-overheard-behind-the-western-all-stars-bench/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Every Thursday, Earl Sleek will conspire with his pen and scanner to bring you another installment of PuckToons. Hopefully you will find these amusing, relevant, well-drawn, or you're a person who is tolerant towards mediocrity.

As a western conference cartoonist, it's about time I took a shot at drawing Todd McLellan and Mike Babcock, whose success as head coaches for the San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings will put them behind the western conference bench for this weekend's All Star Game in Montreal. As a disgruntled fan of the Anaheim Ducks, it's also about time I took a shot at the lackluster play of netminder J.S. Giguere, who will start for the Western All-Stars despite winning only one game over the previous five weeks.

It's not tough to peg when things went wrong for Giguere: through December 14, Giguere was 11-7-2 with a 2.86 GAA and a .913 save percentage. In that stretch, he had a .900+ save percentage in 13 of 22 appearances. Since December 23, however, Giguere has a miserable 1-5-2 record with a 3.68 GAA and a .876 save percentage, with a .900+ save percentage in only 1 of 9 appearances. In the cartoon I joke about pulling Giguere before the end of the first period, but it has recent precedent -- Giguere was lifted less than 15 minutes into Wednesday night's loss against the last-place Islanders after allowing 2 goals on only 7 shots.

A couple notable things have happened between December 14 and 23 that probably impacted Giguere's play -- his father tragically passed away, his longtime teammate Teemu Selanne injured himself on the ice, and through a rigged voting process, Giguere became the front-runner to become the starting goaltender for the All Star Game. Obviously the first explanation probably has the most legs, but whatever demon is plaguing Giguere, Ducks fans are certainly hopeful that an All-Star trip to Montreal can help him get out of his current funk. With Anaheim falling dangerously deep into the Western Conference's bubble mess, the Ducks will need solid netminding out of both Giguere and Jonas Hiller throughout the stretch run.

One last note about the cartoon: I didn't include a thought bubble, but I tried to draw Mike Babcock's facial expression as one of mental distraction. To me, he's asking himself, "Why the heck am I stuck at this All Star Game while my players get to excuse themselves from participating?" Sorry, Mike. It's the tough price of success.

PuckToons: Overheard Behind the Western All-Stars Bench originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>J.S. GiguereJ.s.GiguereMike BabcockMikeBabcockPuckToonsTodd McLellanToddMclellanEarl SleekThu, 22 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST Lidstrom, Datsyuk Drop Out of All Star Gamehttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/21/lidstrom-datsyuk-drop-out-of-all-star-game/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/21/lidstrom-datsyuk-drop-out-of-all-star-game/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/21/lidstrom-datsyuk-drop-out-of-all-star-game/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A morning NHL press release dropped something of a bomb on Detroit fans Wednesday. The release, picked up by Paul Kukla, included the official announcement of the injury replacements for Sunday's All Star Game in Montreal.

Stephane Robidas' inclusion was not a surprise to anyone who read Mike Heika's blog Sunday. Patrick Marleau's inclusion was less surprising, perhaps, given the year he's had. The real surprises, however, came with the news that both Detroit defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom and forward Pavel Datsyuk would sit the game out due to injury, leaving the Wings without ASG representation aside from Mike Babcock.

That Datsyuk was injured was not news after last night's loss to Phoenix. The assumption among frequentors of the Detroit hockey blogosphere was that he would not play in the Game, chosing to rest. The unspoken assumption, it seems, was that one of his teammates would be invited to go instead. Someone like Henrik Zetterberg or Marian Hossa, the thought went, should go over Marleau.

The reported injury to Lidstrom was a definite surprise. It did not seem likely that he had suffered an injury the night before, since he finished the game and looked good doing it, with two goals to his credit. I wrote on my blog that it must be the kind of small injury that players develop over the course of a long season, which is what it did turn out to be. Brian Rafalski seemed the logical replacement, as he has had a strong year playing as Lidstrom's partner. That Robidas was going over Rafalski was ludicrous.

Of course, the explanation for the apparent slight is that the League offered Hossa, Zetterberg, Rafalski, whoever, a spot but they declined, choosing instead to spend the weekends with their families. Ansar Khan confirmed this by emailing the League, since PR head John Hahn did not know himself.

As strange as it is that the ASG won't have any Red Wings on the ice, this Detroit fan is content in the knowledge that his whole team got nearly a week off after a tough road trip. I'm glad the League can't force anyone to go, even though this move doesn't do the NHL many favors on a marketing level.

Lidstrom, Datsyuk Drop Out of All Star Game originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>nicklas lidstrompavel datsyukPavelDatsyukMatt SalerWed, 21 Jan 2009 20:01:00 EST Crosby Ignores Injury, Will Play in All-Star Gamehttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/21/crosby-ignores-injury-will-play-in-all-star-game/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/21/crosby-ignores-injury-will-play-in-all-star-game/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/21/crosby-ignores-injury-will-play-in-all-star-game/#commentsFiled under: ,

Penguins center Sidney Crosby has been hobbled by a sore knee for a week ever since getting clobbered by Washington's Alex Ovechkin in Pittsburgh. But while his knee may still be sore, Crosby announced a couple of hours ago that won't stop him from partaking in all of the All-Star Game festivities this weekend in Montreal.

Besides starting, Crosby will also be taking part in the breakaway and shootout events in the skills competition. I guess this is the part of the blog post where I would mention that if Crosby hadn't been able to make the game, it would have represented a blow to the All-Star Game, but since hardly anyone watches or cares anymore anyway, I'm thinking Crosby could have taken the weekend off without disappointing most folks outside of the fans in attendance in Montreal.

As had already been announced, Crosby tallied more All-Star votes than any other player in the league, piling up more than 1.7 million votes -- and that includes any member of the Montreal Canadiens, many of whom were aided by the sort of electronic voter fraud that would surely have brought a smile to the face of the late Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley.

In addition to Crosby's announcement, the league also announced that San Jose center Patrick Marleau and Dallas Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas have been added to the Western Conference roster. Marleau will take the place of Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk, while Robidas will fill in for Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom.

Crosby Ignores Injury, Will Play in All-Star Game originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>alex ovechkinAlexOvechkinsidney crosbySidneyCrosbyEric McErlainWed, 21 Jan 2009 19:50:00 EST Mason Building All-Star Caliber Seasonhttp://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/09/mason-building-all-star-season/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/09/mason-building-all-star-season/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/01/09/mason-building-all-star-season/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

While Blue Jackets rookie goalie Steve Mason was overlooked as one of the reserve netminders for the Western Conference in this month's All-Star Game in Montreal when they were announced Wednesday, he was selected to participate in the league's YoungStars game on Friday.

However, that wasn't the foremost on his mind before facing the potent Capitals lineup tonight, as he was bothered by upper-body spasms and nearly missed his scheduled start against the Washington team he blanked at Nationwide Arena back in November.

No matter the ailment, though, as Mason indeed made his start and simply shut out the Caps for the second time this season, turning away 45 Washington shots for his league-leading sixth shutout of the season, meaning a quarter of the rookie's first 24 NHL starts have resulted in a perfect performance. He stopped all 18 Caps shots in the first when Columbus was outshot by a 14-shot margin, but got a lead thanks to R.J. Umberger.

While Mason afterwards was humble in talking about his performance, crediting his defensemen and saying the win was more important than the shutout, his teammates were a bit more blunt what they thought of their 20-year-old netminder.

"Forget the YoungStars. He's an All-Star!" yelled one teammate while reporters were interviewing the goalie.

"[Expletive] the YoungStars!"

It's understandable why his teammates feel so strongly about Mason's importance to the Jackets and his All-Star credentials. With his win, he lowered his goals-against average to an NHL-best 1.74, and lifting his save percentage to a league-best .938. But with Ducks goalie J.S. Giguere voted in by fans, and Niklas Backstrom and Roberto Luongo among the goaltenders vying for the two open spots, the NHL brass felt there wasn't room on the roster for him. But Mason certainly showed he was capable of stopping some of the league's best shooters on the league's hottest club.

He stopped 12 shots alone from Alexander Ovechkin, some in spectacular fashion as the reigning MVP fired shot after shot with no success, trying to generate chances with no success. Overall, he faced 71 Capitals shots this season, and turned them all away.

As for his success against the Caps this year, he simply said "we couldn't be intimidated by them."

He certainly showed he wasn't, being just the second goaltender to hand the Caps a regulation loss at Verizon Center this year, the first to record a shutout against the Caps at home, and his second straight shutout against Washington in this season. Columbus also becomes the first team to beat Washington twice in regulation this season, ending the Caps' 10-game win streak on home ice and seven-game streak overall, and ends their own season-high six-game road trip with a 4-2-0 record and lifting their record against the East to a very impressive 7-1-1 mark.

Mason's strength is his 6-foot-4 frame which takes up most of the cage, and when his size doesn't force an opponent to shoot wide or hit the post, as the Caps did on numerous occasions, but he also has the reflexes to give a shooter space and then quickly take it away. His quick reflexes left the Caps frustrated all night long, as they poured 18 shots on him in the third period to try and break the goalie's 100-minute-plus shutout streak against them, but they simply got more perplexed and upset as the period wore on.

Mason won the NHL's rookie of the month award in both November and December, and he's making a strong bid to take his third in a row with a 2.01 GAA in four games in January. He's also getting quite a lead in the race for this year's Calder Trophy.

WIth his success, Mason certainly showed why he's deserving of an All-Star spot, as he left one of the league's toughest offenses just shaking their heads. And, with reports coming out of Vancouver that Roberto Luongo may not be ready to play in the All-Star Game in two weeks, perhaps he may get a chance to show his skill in front of a national stage with the true All-Stars instead of simply being relegated to Saturday night's YoungStars appetizer.

Mason Building All-Star Caliber Season originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 23:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ted StarkeyFri, 09 Jan 2009 23:11:00 EST