Sunday evening saw Washington Capitals retake the eighth position in the Eastern conference with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Minnesota Wild. Led by captain Alex Ovechkin's continued goal scoring streak, they jumped over idle Buffalo Sabres. This race is now looking to be between these two teams. Florida Panthers seem to have locked the Southeast crown by collecting enough points by reaching at least overtime. They now have a game in hand and three point lead. Meanwhile, the final push of newcomers Winnipeg Jets, doesn't seem to carry quite the distance. They sit six points behind the playoff spot and are simply running out of games.
The race may be decided on Tuesday evening when Capitals host the Sabres in Washington. A regulation win for either team may be the final blow. Expecting playoff hockey already.
In the West, the tension builds up for Phoenix Coyotes and their suspended captain Shane Doan. A reckless elbow, followed by couple of losses now put Coyotes in the scoreboard watching mode for a three day break they're facing. They're still seventh in the West, but have played two more games than Pacific rivals Dallas, LA and San Jose who are tied or one point behind in the standings. After games are even, Phoenix is likely out of the playoff bracket and needs extremely strong finish to climb back in. The pivotal point will be a match up against San Jose Sharks on Thursday, when the Sharks have played the two games they're due and head for the third game in four nights. The Coyotes need to be able to take advantage of fresher legs to have a chance.
Showing posts with label Doan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Doan. Show all posts
2012/03/22
Playoff race - Mar 22 - Raging Buffalo
There was only a few exciting games last night in regards of making the playoffs this season. Biggest impact was another solid win by Buffalo Sabres, this time over weak Montreal Canadiens. Another shutout for Ryan Miller and the team climbed to a tie for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. Washington Capitals have a game in hand, but haven't been playing with much consistency or confidence lately. Buffalo has earned points in eight of last ten and with six victories and is on a trajectory to overtake the Capitals before the end of the regular season. Winnipeg Jets seem like one loss away from falling out, and the battle for the final playoff berth looks to be between Sabres and Capitals.
In the West the battle was between sure playoff contenders Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks. These two have a histrory of not liking each others and of epic playoff matchups. Last night's biggest impact may have been another nasty incident, a vicious elbow to the head of Vancouver's star winger Daniel Sedin. It was served and delivered by Chicago's star defenseman Duncan Keith. It'll be a suspension for sure, but with Keith's status, we're only talking about 2-3 games. Shane Doan from Phoenix got three games for similar, but a bit less obvious elbow on Tuesday night. For a lesser player than Keith, this could easily be judged extremely deliberate and punished to the maximum. Another reality check here for Brendan Shanahan.
The real question is how will Sedin take this, and if he's going down with a concussion, how long will it take to recover. Haven't seen much justice in the past when comparing the suspension and the time lost by the victim.
In the West the battle was between sure playoff contenders Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks. These two have a histrory of not liking each others and of epic playoff matchups. Last night's biggest impact may have been another nasty incident, a vicious elbow to the head of Vancouver's star winger Daniel Sedin. It was served and delivered by Chicago's star defenseman Duncan Keith. It'll be a suspension for sure, but with Keith's status, we're only talking about 2-3 games. Shane Doan from Phoenix got three games for similar, but a bit less obvious elbow on Tuesday night. For a lesser player than Keith, this could easily be judged extremely deliberate and punished to the maximum. Another reality check here for Brendan Shanahan.
The real question is how will Sedin take this, and if he's going down with a concussion, how long will it take to recover. Haven't seen much justice in the past when comparing the suspension and the time lost by the victim.
2012/03/21
Playoff race - Mar 21 - All the action in the West
Well, some might say that Pittsburgh's thrashing of Winnipeg Jets in the East was action. Malkin collected 5 points, Crosby and Neal 4 each. Total score of 8-4 would point to action-packed game.
What I'm talking about is the action on the playoff bubble. Jets had their chance - if playing the hottest team in the league can be considered as a chance - to catch up Capitals and Sabres a bit, but fell short.
In the West then, there sure was lot up for grabs. And just as I predicted, quite a few three point totals were divided between the teams involved. Calgary and Phoenix got one each for reaching overtime and thus managed to stay somewhat close to the winners of Tuesday night. Colorado, Dallas and Los Angeles all picked up two points and now occupy all the playoff spots in the Western bubble. With seven or eight wins each in the last ten games, this sure looks like the trio that has the derermination needed to make it to the postseason. Dallas has the best of it, being a divisional leader and sitting on the third seed. For now, that is.
The only one in the mix who had nothing to take home from this was again San Jose Sharks. They have now used the quota of games in hand and sit on the tenth spot in the conference, out of the playoffs as of now. The Sharks' recent play has been terrible and if they can't come up with a gutsy finish in the likes of seven wins in the last nine, they might find themselves with an early summer vacation.
On the player front in these Western contenders there's a few names to point out. Dallas' top line of Ribeiro, Eriksson and Ryder have been absolutely on fire and contienue to carry their team towards the division crown. Kings' Anze Kopitar keeps on providing the offensive punch needed for the low scoring team, complementing season long stellar play of goalie Jonathan Quick. In the negatives, Calgary's Olli Jokinen has lost his production completely with no points in the last five games. Coincidentally, Flames' hot streak has ended with Olli's slump. Phoenix Coyotes' captain Shane Doan seems to have lost his composure. Known as a tough but fair opponent, he seems to have crossed the line to dirty. He was just recently fined for boarding and is likely looking at a suspension after reckless elbow to Dallas' Jamie Benn last night.
What I'm talking about is the action on the playoff bubble. Jets had their chance - if playing the hottest team in the league can be considered as a chance - to catch up Capitals and Sabres a bit, but fell short.
In the West then, there sure was lot up for grabs. And just as I predicted, quite a few three point totals were divided between the teams involved. Calgary and Phoenix got one each for reaching overtime and thus managed to stay somewhat close to the winners of Tuesday night. Colorado, Dallas and Los Angeles all picked up two points and now occupy all the playoff spots in the Western bubble. With seven or eight wins each in the last ten games, this sure looks like the trio that has the derermination needed to make it to the postseason. Dallas has the best of it, being a divisional leader and sitting on the third seed. For now, that is.
The only one in the mix who had nothing to take home from this was again San Jose Sharks. They have now used the quota of games in hand and sit on the tenth spot in the conference, out of the playoffs as of now. The Sharks' recent play has been terrible and if they can't come up with a gutsy finish in the likes of seven wins in the last nine, they might find themselves with an early summer vacation.
On the player front in these Western contenders there's a few names to point out. Dallas' top line of Ribeiro, Eriksson and Ryder have been absolutely on fire and contienue to carry their team towards the division crown. Kings' Anze Kopitar keeps on providing the offensive punch needed for the low scoring team, complementing season long stellar play of goalie Jonathan Quick. In the negatives, Calgary's Olli Jokinen has lost his production completely with no points in the last five games. Coincidentally, Flames' hot streak has ended with Olli's slump. Phoenix Coyotes' captain Shane Doan seems to have lost his composure. Known as a tough but fair opponent, he seems to have crossed the line to dirty. He was just recently fined for boarding and is likely looking at a suspension after reckless elbow to Dallas' Jamie Benn last night.
2012/02/16
Top of the trade buzz
We're getting close to the trade deadline of February 27th and the buzz around the potential trades is increasing. I'll rank the obvious big names here and throw in a list of guys who are rocketing towards big contracts after tremendous seasons.
Let's begin with the names that come up the most when talking about major moves. On offense, there's two names above others, Zach Parise and Rick Nash. Undeniably, both are superstars and still in their prime years. Nash is not a free agent yet, but since Columbus seems to be pulling the plug, they may go all the way and trade their franchise player. Good for Nash, though. Wherever he'll land (obviously the target is in a playoff bound team), he'll have a chance of proving everyone how good he really is. I've seen him play in international level with some high caliber Canadian linemates and he's on par with anyone out there. One of the best finishers in the game and a huge physical force. Get in line if you have cap room. I wouldn't be too surprised if Detroit would be the one to decide to build their future around Rick Nash.
Parise is another guy already up there in the talent ladder. He can be the first line winger in any team in the NHL. However, the team that goes after him should have that gap in the first line for a perfect fit. Since this season has been a major improvement for New Jersey Devils, Parise might actually be tempted to sign for a few more years setting up Kovalchuk's blasts or tapping in Elias' passes. They've been on a roll lately.
In defense, who hasn't heard the talks on the Nashville pair of Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. Both are free agents to be and will require a boatload of cash to sign. It's unlikely that Nashville will come up with 15 million to tie to these two. They'll flip a coin and try to sign one and just need to get the maximum value out of trading the other. My guess is that Weber stays and Suter goes. Takers are numerous. All the potential Cup contenders will need depth in the defense when playoff time comes and count of bruises increases. And if the guy boosts the solid defensive play with excellent offensive weapons, well, who wouldn't love that.
There's a couple of hometown legends entering free agency after this season in Shane Doan and Ryan Smyth. It's very likely that they'll sign a couple of more years in Phoenix and Edmonton, since they seem to be very much loyal to the teams. Doan's case might be a bit more difficult in the Coyotes are broke as always and can't match his salary requirements. Either of these two would be very valuable in the playoff run with the heart and experience they bring in. Maybe even as purely rental players for the Cup run. Shaky, but potential teams like Flyers and Blackhawks could definitely use some calm leadership. Even Washington might try for a final push to make the playoffs and possibly ignite the potential to go further.
Then there's Finland's favourite, Tuomo Ruutu. He's been healthy (until this week) and playing on top of his game the past two seasons. Ruutu is an absolute force on the ice, cheking, digging for the puck and driving to the net. Anyone who has seen him play can agree that this guy really gives it all out on the rink. The style he plays has demanded a lot on his body. Now it would be the moment for Ruutu to end up in a much better hockey club and really become a fan favorite and a clutch player for the playoff run. He would fit in well in hard working Rangers or Blues. Equally well he could bring in the much needed grit to some softer talent-driven teams like Red Wings or Sharks. I hope to see him land on another team for another gear in his career.
In the bracket of underpaid, highly successful players looking for big contracts we have a few interesting names. James Neal and Matt Duchene are already in the secondary level in their current contracts, but have proven to be worth even more.
The two guys that can expect the most upgrade in the league are both from New York. Islanders' PA Parenteau has been playing a point per game for one of the poorest teams in the league for one million. He seems to have potential up through the roof and all teams should have him on their radars. Rangers' Michael Del Zotto has become a dominant force in the defense and has been on the top of plus-minus charts all season. He's also playing for a million and a chance this year and can expect much more for a long term.
On the goalies department there are three distinct guys that have stellar numbers but will not have the ice time while sitting behind established franchise goaltenders. Boston's Tuukka Rask may want to wait out in Boston for Tim Thomas to retire. Vancouver's Cory Schneider will not wait for Roberto Luongo's retirement and the Canucks cannot keep such a good goalkeeper as a backup for peanuts. He'll be traded to try out for a number one goalie spot in a team like Tampa Bay or Chicago. Another potential starter is Minnesota's Josh Harding. He has challenged Niklas Bäckström this season, but might want to take the starting position for granted somewhere else. Also for Minnesota it might be better to rely on Bäckström and start raising a next generation keeper behind him.
I'll soon post another story on the potential but dangerous investments in the trade deadline. Going to go through fragile superstars, ageless veterans and absolute gambles. Until then, let's keep our eyes on the trade trackers.
Let's begin with the names that come up the most when talking about major moves. On offense, there's two names above others, Zach Parise and Rick Nash. Undeniably, both are superstars and still in their prime years. Nash is not a free agent yet, but since Columbus seems to be pulling the plug, they may go all the way and trade their franchise player. Good for Nash, though. Wherever he'll land (obviously the target is in a playoff bound team), he'll have a chance of proving everyone how good he really is. I've seen him play in international level with some high caliber Canadian linemates and he's on par with anyone out there. One of the best finishers in the game and a huge physical force. Get in line if you have cap room. I wouldn't be too surprised if Detroit would be the one to decide to build their future around Rick Nash.
Parise is another guy already up there in the talent ladder. He can be the first line winger in any team in the NHL. However, the team that goes after him should have that gap in the first line for a perfect fit. Since this season has been a major improvement for New Jersey Devils, Parise might actually be tempted to sign for a few more years setting up Kovalchuk's blasts or tapping in Elias' passes. They've been on a roll lately.
In defense, who hasn't heard the talks on the Nashville pair of Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. Both are free agents to be and will require a boatload of cash to sign. It's unlikely that Nashville will come up with 15 million to tie to these two. They'll flip a coin and try to sign one and just need to get the maximum value out of trading the other. My guess is that Weber stays and Suter goes. Takers are numerous. All the potential Cup contenders will need depth in the defense when playoff time comes and count of bruises increases. And if the guy boosts the solid defensive play with excellent offensive weapons, well, who wouldn't love that.
There's a couple of hometown legends entering free agency after this season in Shane Doan and Ryan Smyth. It's very likely that they'll sign a couple of more years in Phoenix and Edmonton, since they seem to be very much loyal to the teams. Doan's case might be a bit more difficult in the Coyotes are broke as always and can't match his salary requirements. Either of these two would be very valuable in the playoff run with the heart and experience they bring in. Maybe even as purely rental players for the Cup run. Shaky, but potential teams like Flyers and Blackhawks could definitely use some calm leadership. Even Washington might try for a final push to make the playoffs and possibly ignite the potential to go further.
Then there's Finland's favourite, Tuomo Ruutu. He's been healthy (until this week) and playing on top of his game the past two seasons. Ruutu is an absolute force on the ice, cheking, digging for the puck and driving to the net. Anyone who has seen him play can agree that this guy really gives it all out on the rink. The style he plays has demanded a lot on his body. Now it would be the moment for Ruutu to end up in a much better hockey club and really become a fan favorite and a clutch player for the playoff run. He would fit in well in hard working Rangers or Blues. Equally well he could bring in the much needed grit to some softer talent-driven teams like Red Wings or Sharks. I hope to see him land on another team for another gear in his career.
In the bracket of underpaid, highly successful players looking for big contracts we have a few interesting names. James Neal and Matt Duchene are already in the secondary level in their current contracts, but have proven to be worth even more.
The two guys that can expect the most upgrade in the league are both from New York. Islanders' PA Parenteau has been playing a point per game for one of the poorest teams in the league for one million. He seems to have potential up through the roof and all teams should have him on their radars. Rangers' Michael Del Zotto has become a dominant force in the defense and has been on the top of plus-minus charts all season. He's also playing for a million and a chance this year and can expect much more for a long term.
On the goalies department there are three distinct guys that have stellar numbers but will not have the ice time while sitting behind established franchise goaltenders. Boston's Tuukka Rask may want to wait out in Boston for Tim Thomas to retire. Vancouver's Cory Schneider will not wait for Roberto Luongo's retirement and the Canucks cannot keep such a good goalkeeper as a backup for peanuts. He'll be traded to try out for a number one goalie spot in a team like Tampa Bay or Chicago. Another potential starter is Minnesota's Josh Harding. He has challenged Niklas Bäckström this season, but might want to take the starting position for granted somewhere else. Also for Minnesota it might be better to rely on Bäckström and start raising a next generation keeper behind him.
I'll soon post another story on the potential but dangerous investments in the trade deadline. Going to go through fragile superstars, ageless veterans and absolute gambles. Until then, let's keep our eyes on the trade trackers.
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