Captain Blye and the Rabbi: Episodes 8 and 9

Sorry for the lack of updates on this space. We've been a little busy here at Unfinished Business with a trip to Las Vegas, Christmas and now New Year's Eve. But, The Rabbi and I were able to record two shows over the last couple weeks.

In Episode 8, we talked about three teams heading in different directions after their starts. The Leafs had improved, the Senators were odd and the Flyers were in a full tailspin. Ethan and I closed with a discussion of the almost sixth sense shared by identical twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin and how Daniel's return from injury prompted but Henrik and the Vancouver Canucks to recover the form that many had expected from them this season.

In Episode 9, we delved into my trip to Vegas - specifically the subject of hockey gambling. Where to play, where not to play and how you the Canadian Hockey fan can beat the house. In addition, we chatted on yesterday's Canadian Olympic roster announcement discussing who they got right, who Stevie Y got wrong and who might have been slighted. Finally, the two of us got into the Canadian phenomenon that is the World Junior Hockey Championship. Sure, we love it in Canada but why doesn't the rest of the world get into it like we do?

Check them both out.

Rock, Paper, Scissors

So let me get this straight:
The Leafs can go into the Bell Centre two nights before the Centennial and spank the Habs 3-0 (with Joey MacDonald in gaol for the final two periods). Then the Canadiens have the single biggest and most lavish ceremony I've ever seen at an NHL rink and with the legends of the team (and the game) watching, they destroy the Bruins 5-1. And finally, the Leafs go into Boston were Phil Kessel used to ply his trade and get rooked 7-2 to by the Bruins. Have I got it right? None of these teams seem to be able to win the Northeast division.

Meanwhile, the Centennial Celebration on Friday was nothing short of spectacular culminating with Gordie Howe introducing Jean Beliveau and the Canadiens paying homage to its two oldest living players (Elmer Lach and Emile Bouchard) by retiring their numbers 16 and 3 - although 16 had been retired for 34 years after they retired it for Henri Richard.

And of course the following texting session went on around 9:30 on Friday night

theactivestick: Oh guess where I am?
Unfinished Business: Bell Centre?
theactivestick: Yes!

Sufficed to say, theactivestick had a great time on Friday. I just enjoyed watching it for the pomp and circumstance. And Leafs Nation collectively puked in its mouth all weekend.

Captain Blye and the Rabbi: Episode 7

Welcome back to the show. Sorry about the layoff, but yours truly was off in Calgary last week for the Grey Cup. Full post on that still to come. But on to the show.

We went a little Habs crazy this week. In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Montreal Canadiens, this week's show looks back at the history of Les Glorieux. We highlight the triumphs and the tragedies over the past 100 years. The 24 Cups, the 42 Hall of Famers are covered but also in this show are the struggles of the first few seasons, the team's almost failure during the Depression and of course how the team has struggled since 1993.

Happy Birthday Les Canadiens.

Check it out.

Quick note this week on Capt Blye and the Rabbi

Good morning Loyal listeners. I regret to inform you that Captain Blye and the Rabbi will be postponed again this week. Ethan and I are extremely busy this week and I leave for the Grey Cup in Calgary on Thursday morning. However we will be back again next Wednesday (December 2) with special, extra long show (details to follow).

Captain Blye and The Rabbi - Episode 6

Sorry for the delay folks. Ethan was off in Owen Sound to see his brand new nephew. Good decision, I'd say. So after a week off we're back and better than ever with Episode 6.

This week, we continue our discussion on headshots and the league's move to limit them in blind situations. We then go on to discuss a few team that have put in a streak recently both winning and losing. Finally, we take my post on Doug Gilmour and debate whether he belongs in the Hall of Fame. In overtime, we did a quick hit on Theo Fleury's place in Hockey History and his Hall worthiness.

Enjoy.

Lest we forget...

In honour of Remembrance Day, here's a little piece I wrote about three years ago. I think that it still rings true today.

OFF THE BOARD: From failing hands

David Blye | Published: 11/14/06

Lest we forget: Three simple words that conjure up images of courage, bravery and heroism in the minds of Canadians. Three words that this past weekend blazed across media outlets and events, coupled with living, breathing reminders of this country's sacrifices and its triumphs. Words that every 11th of November allow us to look back and thank God for the men and women who chose to fight and die for this country. "Lest we forget" is supposed to mean just that; don't forget the sacrifices of our "Greatest Generation" (thanks, Tom Brokaw) so that we might not have to make the same choices as them.

However, somewhere along the way, many Canadians didn't get the memo. Or maybe they got the memo, but chose to ignore it. That must have been the case after the results of a recent quiz on basic Canadian military history: 42 per cent of Canadians were unable to pass a test that asked respondents to identify "Canada's most famous single victory in the First World War" which "consisted of the capture of a key ridge on the Western Front"-by the way, the answer is Vimy and I didn't have to look that up. Another question asked test-takers to determine which two of Douglas MacArthur, Sir Arthur Currie, Billy Bishop and Ulysses S. Grant were Canadian. Considering the fact that one of the four choices (Grant) went on to be President of the United States, the solution (Currie and Bishop) should be easy, making the study's result even more insulting.

In addition, others in this country feel that they can forget the importance of the poppy, opting to use one of the great symbols of Remembrance Day as a political tool. Since 1921, Canadians have worn red poppies-made famous in Canadian John McCrae's poem In Flanders' Fields-to show our respect to our veterans; the colour red commemorates the blood that was spilled in the fields of battle. However, this year, a number of anti-war protesters have sought to politicize the poppy-a symbol the Royal Canadian Legion calls a "symbol of sacrifice"-asking Canadians to wear white poppies because they signify peace, but forgetting the fact that the poppy itself wasn't introduced to remember peace; it was introduced to remember war and its hardships.

So where does this leave us? We seem to be a country that wants to honour its veterans, but not learn who some of the heroes were or the name of a great battle in which thousands of men around the age of the average McGill student fought. Meanwhile, others seem to feel that, because they disagree with a war being fought in 2006, we should change one our fundamental symbols of respect, which dates back to a war that ended in 1918.

While I'm not going to even attempt to place blame here, I am going to pose a challenge: Learn about our country's history. Learn who these people were, what our symbols mean and why it all means so much to millions of Canadians. Learn, because without this knowledge, we all risk losing track of this country's history. Learn, or those words seen all week might actually come true.

Lest we forget.

© Copyright 2009 The McGill Tribune

Does Doug Gilmour belong in the Hall of Fame?

Last night's Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony got me thinking about Doug Gilmour. Is he a Hall of Famer? No, he does compare to any of the players that got in last night. But there are players who weren't nearly as good as Yzerman, Hull, Robitaille and Brett Hull and they've been inducted. So here it goes: The definitive examination of Doug Gilmour's candidacy into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The Case for Doug Gilmour:

20 Seasons in the league
450 Career goals (54th overall)
964 Career assists (12th overall)
1414 Career points (17th overall)

60 Career playoff goals (T-27th overall)
128 Career playoff assists (5th overall)
13 Game winning playoff goals (T-13th overall)
0.703 assists per playoff game (T-17th overall)


Eight very good-to-great seasons: 1986-87 to 1993-94
During this period, Gilmour averaged 29 Gs, 68 As, +20 (+26.5 in years with Calgary and Toronto; no less than +20 during these six years). In his first 206 games in Toronto (January 1992 to April 1994), he posted 74 Gs, 213As, +70, 8 GWGs. His average over an 84 game season in Toronto would have been 30 Gs, 87 As, +29.


One elite playoff run:
'93 Leafs (21 GPs, 10 Gs, 25As, +16, second in points, most among players who didn't make the final - Lost in Conference finals)


One semi-elite playoff run:
'94 Leafs (18 GPs, 8 Gs, 18 As, +3, Fourth in points, most among players who didn't make the final - Lost in Conference finals)

(More on both of these runs and seasons later.)


Two great playoff runs:
'86 Blues (19 GPs, 9 Gs, 12 As, +3, 2 GWGs, Lost in Conference finals);
'89 Flames (22 GPs, 11Gs, 11As, +12, 3 GWGs, Won Stanley Cup);

I'm not old enough to comment on quality of Gilmour's play in the '86 playoffs. All that I can do is look at the his numbers in the regular season (74 GPs, 25 Gs, 28 As, -3), see the massive jump in he took in that post-season (see above), observe his major improvement in the '87 campaign (80 GPs, 42 Gs, 63 As, -2) and extrapolate from the whole thing that Gilmour had made "The Leap."

As for '89 with Calgary, he was a key factor in a team that won the Stanley Cup; That in and of itself might cement a player's career.


Runner-up for the Hart Trophy in '93
Gilmour posted an impressive 32 Gs, 95 As, +32 season and finished (a distant) second to Mario Lemieux who finished the season with 69 Gs, 91 As for 160 pts in 60 games on a Presidents Trophy winning team. The 2.67 ppg is the best in history and he did this while being treated for Hodgkins Disease. He also led the league with a plus/minus of +55. Nobody but Super Mario was winning the MVP that year, wining 49 out of a possibly 50 first place vote. What's really strange is that anyone but Mario (Pat Lafontaine in this case) could receive even one first place vote.


Won the '93 Selke, runner up in '94
Gilmour was not only best player-maker on the '93 Leafs, but the best defensive forward on the team that surrendered the 2nd fewest goals in the league. The Black Hawks were first in that regard, but had Ed Belfour in goal (Belfour won the Vezina). The Leafs had Grant Fuhr (on his way over the hill and out of Toronto by mid-season) and rookie Felix Potvin. That's a big difference.

He lost in '94 to Sergei Fedorov, who led all forwards in plus/minus (granted plus/minus doesn't tell everything.) Fedorov also won the Hart and finished second in scoring.


Understood his role on a team and adjusted his talents accordingly
In the aforementioned '87 season, Gilmour scored 42 goals on a pretty bad Blues team (yes, it won the Norris division but they did so with a 32-33-15 record.) By "pretty bad" team, look at their line up. Is there anyone but Bernie Federko that you would want? Gilmour also scored 36 goals in the '88 season, finishing second on the team. Gilmour was sent to Calgary in a shotgun trade, largely done to get him out of the United States. Unfortunately, the '89 Flames already had goal scorers (Joe Mullen and Joe Nieuwendyk both scored 51 and Hakan Loob was coming off a 50 goal season) but was missing a true play-maker. Gilmour became that guy, tallying 59 assists in 72 games (tied with Mullen for the team lead and did so in seven fewer games) and only took 161 shots (sixth on the team). He went on to tally 155 assists in his remaining 194 games in Calgary. Gilmour continued this trend with the Maple Leafs, culminating in '94. That season he finished a distant third on the team in shots with 167 behind Andreychuk (333 and 53 goals) and Clark (275 and 46 goals). All three still had shooting percentages between 16.7 and 15.9 and Gilmour still scored 27 goals in the process. Finally he never lost his scoring touch as he still scored on 15% of his shots in Calgary and Toronto. Gilmour knew that when he had the personnel in place, he could play the role of the setup man.


Best Argument in his favour: Defined an era (January 1992 - May 1994) in Toronto.

Prior to the Gilmour trade, the 1991-92 Leafs were 10-25-5 (25 points). Quick side note: If the Leafs only have 25 points on New Year's Day this year, then panic. Going further back, in the 13 year period from 1978-79 to 1990-91 (the season after the Leafs were in the NHL semi-finals to the year before acquiring Gilmour) Toronto missed the playoffs five times (an almost impossible feat considering that during this period 16 out of 21 teams made the playoffs. You had to really suck to miss this many times), were eliminated in the first round six times and were knocked out in the second round in the remaining two seasons (what's impressive is both times that the Leafs did this, they finished fourth in the Norris and defeated the first place team.)

With Gilmour in the lineup, Toronto finished the season with an impressive 20-18-2 record (42 points). SEVENTEEN points better than without him. In fact, they were only three points back of the North Stars for the final playoff spot in the Norris division. If not for the idiotic players strike in April 1992, the team has a slim chance of catching Minnesota (the Leafs were 7-5-1 in March including two wins over the North Stars and a mini-streak - three wins - that included a win over the eventual Cup Winning Penguins; Minnesota went 6-8-0 which included a five game losing streak.) The Leafs would have needed to win all three games played after the strike had hope the North Stars gained no more than one point. In the end, Minnesota only earned one point, but the Leafs could only win one their final three games. Still, an impressive turn around.

1992-93 saw the Leafs finish 44-29-11 for 99 points and third place in the Norris division. Again, a THIRTY-TWO point improvement and a post-season birth. In the playoffs, the Leafs upset Detroit in the opening round (a series that included a famous game seven overtime win at Joe Louis Arena), knocked out the upstart St. Louis Blues in seven (a series that saw Curtis Joseph play his best hockey not in a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform until the 6-0 drubbing in game seven), and were finally eliminated in the conference championship by the Los Angeles Kings (and only after considerable controversy/shenanigans/bullshit/whatever you choose to call it in game six and Wayne Gretzky's self-defined greatest game of his career in game seven).

1993-94 saw the Leafs start the season a franchise best 10-0-0, finish 43-29-12 for 98 points and second place in the Norris (talk about consistency there). Dave Andreychuk (acquired at the deadline in '93) became the third (and last as of now) Leaf to notch 50 goals. Wendel Clark pocketed 46 goals in spite of the fact that he still missed 20 games. As for Gilmour he was, well, Gilmour (27 Gs, 84As, +25, ho-hum). The team defence was again strong, with Toronto finishing 6th overall in goals against despite having a mediocre year from Potvin (17th in GAA and 10th in Save percentage despite playing for the 6th stingiest defence in the league). The season culminated with playoff wins over Chicago and San Jose (which included another game seven win at the Gardens) before running into Pavel Bure, Trevor Linden and the Canucks. Vancouver was able to get a split at the Gardens before taking all three games on the West Coast.

And just like that, the window had closed. Clark was traded to Quebec in the off-season for Mats Sundin. Then the lockout happened and New Jersey proved you could win on goaltending and suffocating (border-line illegal) defence. Even though Clark returned in February '96, the Leafs didn't have the goaltending/defence to hang with anyone (they suffered back-to-back first round losses in '95 and '96 to Belfour's Black Hawks and MacInnis's Blues). Gilmour (and Clark) were never the same and on February 25, 1997, the Leafs wisely (and in spite of justifiable fan outrage) sent Doug Gilmour (as well as Dave Ellett and a third round pick) to New Jersey for Jason Smith, Steve Sullivan and rookie Alyn McCauley. The Gilmour era was over in Toronto.

Was all of this because of Gilmour? Certainly not. Clark had been there the entire time though he was never the player he could have been because the back injury that he suffered in the 1986-87 season (he begun his career with back-to-back 30 goals seasons before the injury. After that, he never played more than 66 games in a season while with the Leafs.) Gilmour at centre gave Clark the play-maker he always needed and he responded with 46 goals in 1993-94. In addition when Toronto acquired Andreychuk in February of 1993, he proceeded to score 25 goals in the remaining 31 games of the season and 12 more in the post-season (more than Gilmour and Clark). The three made up arguably the league's best line in 1993-94. (Don't believe me, go to Hockey Reference's 1993-94 season summary page. Click on as many teams as you want. I defy you to find a better one. If Pittsburgh had managed a full season of Mario-Jagr-Stevens, that line would have been better but Mario only played 28 games. Francis was wonderful as Mario's deputy, but he still wasn't Mario. And to continue this point, here another debate for the future: Who was the more tragic figure? Mario or Bobby. Where was I? Oh yeah, back to Gilmour and the Leafs.) So yes, there was more than just Gilmour to this team but he and the trade came to define the Post-Ballard, Early-Cliff Fletcher era.


The Case against Doug Gilmour:
Gilmour's career was a history of being great when it was necessary to be elite.

Stats
0.305 Goals per game (233rd overall)
0.959 Points per game (76th overall)


Never made an All-NHL team. Not once.
His best chances were in '93 and '94. In '93, Mario had the arguably the greatest single season of all-time (I mentioned it earlier) and Pat LaFontaine put up 53 Gs, 98 As, +11 and helped feed Alexander Mogilny to his 76 goals. The voters for the the All-NHL team weren't on Gilmour's side.

In '94, he was either the third or fourth best centre in the league after Sergei Fedorov (MVP; 57 Gs, 63 As, +48; First Team All-NHL; Led the Red Wings to a Central Division with Steve Yzerman out of the lineup for 26 games), Gretzky (Scoring leader; Led the league in assists; 38 Gs, 92 As, -25; 2nd Team All-NHL; Best player on offensive skilled but defensively atrocious team) and maybe Oates (Five more goals, four fewer assists than Gilmour; +10 to Gilmour's +25; Played on a Bruins team that lost Cam Neely for 35 games in Neely's 50 goals in 49 games season. Still finished 2nd in the Northeast division.) In a pinch, Gilmour's defence should give him the nod for third but again not first or second team.


Never was the dominate player on a team that made the Stanley Cup final.
At this point, Leafs fans will say "But he should have been in the Cup in '93 if not for Kerry Fraser." Here's my problem with this argument: The Leafs as a franchise had never lost a game seven at Maple Leaf Gardens. Never. The narrative after game six shouldn't have been about the high-stick; it should have been about Fortress Maple Leaf Gardens. Game seven should have been a guarantee. Instead, Gretzky embarrassed the Leafs on home ice with a three goal, one assist performance (he set up Tomas Sundtrom for the Kings second goal to put them ahead 2-0.) The Great One recorded the only hat-trick in game seven history which included the series winning goal - This one was the most embarrassing. With less about 3:30 to play and the Kings up 5-3, Gretzky skated behind the Leafs goal (right into "The Office"), saw Dave Ellett with his head turned the wrong way and banked the puck in off his skate to beat Potvin. All the while, Todd Gill is on him. Go to 3:20 on this clip.

Here's the weird thing (and this is becoming a trend), Gilmour still posted a great game. Three assists for one the game's top play-makers is about all one can ask for. (Go to 2:46 on the same clip for his Gretzkyian behind the net pass to a waiting Wendel Clark.) In fact, it should have been enough. It just wasn't. Gilmour's great game (and Clark's two goal performance as well for that matter) was topped by Gretzky's all-time elite game.

The Leafs '94 playoff simply can't compare to their run in '93. They were so dominated by the Canucks in Vancouver that it broke the hearts of both the team and the city of Toronto. There was no controversy in the loss to Vancouver, only sadness.

Finally, no one can honestly say he was either dominant or the best player on the'89 Flames. Was he very good? Yes. Was he better than MacInnis or Vernon? No. Was he better than Mullen or Loob? Probably not. Was he more important than Lanny MacDonald? Not a chance.


Best Agrument Against Him: Never emerged an Elite Centre
During Gilmour's career, the following players also played centre: Gretzky*, Lemieux*, Messier*, Yzerman*, Francis*, Denis Savard*, Hawerchuk*, LaFontaine*, Oates, Lindros, Sakic, Forsberg, Federov, Modano, etc (* represents Hall of Famers.) You get the point.

Doug Gilmour was a very good-to-great centre who played in era that featured great-to-elite centres (including the indisputable two greatest centres of all time.) Should he be punished that he wasn't a top-ten all time player? No. But does his career/prime of his career best any of the players that I've mentioned earlier? Maybe Hawerchuk and LaFontaine and probably Lindros and Oates (though I think that we forget how great of a player Lindros was until his first run of concussions.) Even if these men are excluded, that's 10 players who played during the same period that I would unquestionably prefer as my first line centre over Doug Gilmour.

Now if the Hall of Fame housed a number of very good-to-great centres, Gilmour would have been rubber stamped. The problem is that this isn't the case. The only centres that meet these criteria from an earlier era are Bernie Federko and maybe Norm Ullman (no Cups for Ullman but one 1st-team All-NHL and a 2nd-Team as well.) Given the precedent that the HHoF has set, without elite status it becomes difficult for any centre (including Gilmour) to overcome this barrier.


My final Thoughts
No one can or should fault Doug Gilmour for playing during this time period. We're all victims of history in some respect. And Gilmour played as well as he could given the teams that he played for. He's remembered fondly in at least two cities (again, I don't know much about his time in St. Louis. Only the babysitter incident.), was a top-five player on a team that won the Stanley Cup and the best player a team that made a pair of conference finals. He also was one of the better play-makers of his era and consistently stepped up his already impressive game in the post-season. Then again, he was never the best at his position over an entire season nor was he considered the second best (though '93 is as debatable as it gets.) Finally, he could never claim to be the best player on a team playing in the Stanley Cup final.

I'm going to leave this one up to one to what you (my readers) think qualifies as a Hall of Famer to evaluate Gilmour candidacy. Can you be consistently very good and occasionally touch greatness, or does that greatness have to be transcendent?

Captain Blye and the Rabbi Episode 5

Welcome to episode 5. This week Ethan and I evaluate The Hockey News' List of Top Ten Things that Changed the Game, get into the subject of good/bad hits and the need to limit concussions and close with a little talk on what makes a Hall of Famer.

In Sudden Death, we both picked a player that we feel that been slighted by his lack of election into the shrine at Yonge and Front.

Enjoy.

Hockey Hall of Fame Week

In commemoration of Hockey Hall of Fame induction week, tomorrow night's show will include an in depth discussion of what it takes for a player to be induced into the Hall plus a couple of players than Ethan and I think have been slighted over the years.

In addition, a week from Wednesday we're going to be debating the careers of a few recently retired players and whether or not they are Hall worthy.

I'm going to close the comments section on this post until after the show tomorrow night so no one can claim that we accidentally borrowed their selection. However, after the show I'm going to open up the comments so everyone can post their picks (please keep it to players who are Hall eligible - retired more than three season ago.)

One thing that no one can debate are the candidates that will be honoured on Monday Night. Steve Yzerman, Luc Robitaille, Brian Leetch and Brett Hull were all wonderful players and have earned their place in hockey history.


UPDATE

Comments are now open. Ethan supported Paul Henderson. I went with Pavel Bure.
Feel free to debate them and other ones potential HHoFers here.

Captain Blye and the Rabbi Episode 4

Another week, another show. In episode 4, The Rabbi and I review the first month of the season and who has surprised us so far (both good and bad). Next we chat about Stephen Harper and his belief that there should be more NHL teams in Canada and where they should be located. Finally, we discuss the tragic story of Theoren Fleury. Look for more on Theo in the future.

Check it out.

My favourite Northwest rival

Tonight the Avalanche take their league best 9-1-2 record into Calgary. I'm fairly certain it will be a great game and if you want a preview, just click the link to Mile High Hockey on the side of this page as this post isn't about tonight's game. It's about a dynamic shared between me and good friend Adam Smith, one of the biggest Flames fans I know.

Flames-Avalanche games don't quite have the same level of hatred that is owned by many of the other rivalries in the Northwest division. The Oilers and Flames destroy each other during Battle of Alberta. The Flames and Canucks have the showdown over the Rocky Mountains. The Avalanche have the Steve Moore grudge match with Vancouver. And the Canucks-Oilers game dates back to the days of Wayne Gretzky and the Smythe division. Games against Minnesota are tough but don't elicit the same level of passion as the real rivalries.

How does this relate to Adam and I? During my last year at McGill, Adam and I worked at the McGill Tribune together and watched a lot of hockey (usually Flames games though he would sometimes stay for an Avalanche game if the timing was right). The Flames were in the midst of the dreadful Jim Playfair year. The Avalanche were still saddled with Jose Theodore's awful contract/goaltending. Both teams were completely mediocre (to the point that two teams finished 8th and 9th in the West, with Calgary taking the final playoff spot by a point). Playfair's coaching was so bad that Adam penned this column in the Trib, which begun the "Fire Jim Playfair" bandwagon (Playfair was demoted back to assistant coach after the season). This was compounded by the Flames' dismal performance in the final two games of the season and into the playoffs. During Calgary's 81st game it was announced that Avalanche had lost to the Nashville Predators, clinching the Flames a spot in the post-season. The Flames went on to lose that game (against the terrible Oilers) and again a night later, this time against the Avalanche in Denver. They were quickly eliminated by the Detroit Red Wings in the opening round. But I digress.

We knew that our teams weren't going anywhere but neither one of us cared. We had a mutual hatred of the Oilers and Canucks. We both wanted to see our teams beat the Wild. And neither one of us had any time for the Maple Leafs. It became routine. A usual night consisted of Adam heading by just before the game started with a case of beer and bag of Doritos/Lays. We drank, watched, analyzed and usually complained. We'd go nuts if the Canuck/Oilers were the victims and were pissed off when those teams beat ours.

Avalanche-Flames games were different. With puck drop around 9:00, we made the trek (usually in the middle of a Montreal Winter) up St Laurent to Schwartz's for smoked meat. In ground zero for Habs fans, we dared to walk in the door wearing Calgary Red and Colorado Burgundy. When we finally rolled our-smoked meat filled-selves back down the hill to watch the game, we had already dissected everything that we thought our teams could give us that night and we didn't think much of either team's chances (Colorado took the season series 5-3-0). When the game finally began, we both took turns lauding and ripping our respective team. While we both wanted our boys to win, there wasn't a sense of hatred in the room even though every game mattered in the ultra-competitive Northwest.

It's this relationship that has led me to consider the Calgary Flames as an opponent, and not an enemy. I certainly want Colorado to beat Calgary tonight just as I'm sure that Adam would like his Flames to steamroll my Avs. But we only want this for hockey reasons. There isn't a hatred or envy. Just a mutual respect between two consistent and somewhat storied franchises.

Hope it's a classic tonight.

Eastern Conference Preview, Quick Version

A few weeks ago, I was asked if I had done an Eastern Conference Preview on time (and not been lazy) where I would have ranked the Toronto Maple Leafs (and everyone else for that matter). My answer (which I reiterated on yesterday's episode of Cpt. Blye and the Rabbi) was middle of the pack with 7th, 8th or 9th as likely landing spots. Today that would seem ridiculous. What I'm going to do is give predictions based on what I know today, with my preseason rankings beside them. You'll have to trust that I'm telling the truth about them.


15. New York Islanders (15)
This team sucks. Tavares and Hall would make a nice combination next year.

14. Toronto Maple Leafs (8)
Goaltending, goaltending, goaltending.

13. Florida Panthers (13)
Sorry Ethan. I know that you liked them early but this team has done nothing so far

12. Atlanta Thrashers (12)
I'm not buying the start.

11. Tampa Bay Lightning (11)
Very talented first line. Nothing else.

10. Ottawa Senators (14)
Okay, they're going to finish better than 2nd last but I refuse to believe this team can make the playoffs.

9. Buffalo Sabres (10)
Again, I don't believe that these are the real Buffalo Sabres. Call me in month.

8. Carolina Hurricanes (5)
Better than they've played so far. Fifth might have been a bit high.

7. Philadelphia Flyers (4)
I suppose they're underachieving, but this team shouldn't be losing to the Florida Panthers.

6. Montreal Canadiens (7)
I honestly believe that this team is too talented to miss the playoffs. Call it blind faith. I don't care.

5. New Jersey Devils (9)
Remind me to never doubt a team backstopped by Martin Brodeur.

4. New York Rangers (6)
Pleasantly surprising though they don't get to the play the Leafs twice in the same week all time. Let's see if this can last.

3. Boston Bruins (2)
Still should win the Northeast but I doubt they'll have a top three record.

2. Pittsburgh Penguins (3)
I expected the Atlantic division (specifically Philadelphia) to be better. The Pens should run away with the division crown. Would have ranked them first but...

1. Washington Capitals (1)
I picked Alexander the Great's squad to win the Cup at the beginning and take first overall in the East. I stand by this prediction.

Captain Blye and the Rabbi Epsiode 3

In this week's edition, Ethan and I talk about what wrong with the Leafs, what's right with the Coyotes and give present a crash course on the KHL in Russia.

A random walk through the Eaton Centre

On my way back from lunch today, I walked by a newsstand whose biggest draw is that it carries the same-day news from Montreal (including all three French papers). Naturally, the covers of La Presse and Le Journal had stories (or tease bars) about the bubbling goaltending controversy. Yep, one win in one game for Halak and the French press is stirring. Btw, Le Devoir is all about Gerald Tremblay and the Mob. Montreal municipal politics are high comedy.

Avs win 3-2 in Montreal

From an Avs fan:
Mile High Hockey sums it up quite well

From a Habs fans:
The Active Stick is quite fair in her assessment. No word yet on whether she's speaking with me.

My take:
Aside from everything else that's been written, it's impressive where Colorado's goals are coming from. One from the first line (Hedjuk), one from the third line (O'Reilly's first NHL marker) and one from a 4th/5th defenceman (Cumiskey). Not a lot on the scoresheet from Wolski, Statsny or Duchene - just one assist from SoS. But if this team can win when the best players are being shutout, it bodes well for when they put the puck in the net. Duchene will get his first goal soon. Maybe on Saturday in Detroit? Wouldn't that be sweet? And of course Craig Anderson is fucking incredible.

Preview for tonight's Avs-Habs game

Sorry I've been slow on the uptake this week. Things have been a little busy.

Avalanche-Canadiens

What have they done?
The Avs are in the midst of a seven game road trip (tonight is night five). They've opened the season 4-1-1 (tops in the West), with a respectable 2-1-1 record for the road trip.
The Habs finally head home after a five game road trip to start the season. Montreal own a 2-3-0 record over that span but closed the trip losing to all three Western Canadian clubs. Tonight is home opener at the Bell Centre.

How have done against each other?
Since the lockout the Avs own a 2-1-0 edge in the series, including a 4-2 win over the Habs last February. Colorado lead the all-time 10-4-3 since the franchise moved to Denver from Quebec.

Key players
For Colorado, goaltender Craig Anderson has been phenomenal. The former Florida backup has started every game for the Burgundy and Blue, producing a stunning .940 save percentage and 1.98 GAA. Rookie Matt Duchene is putting in an early case for the Calder Trophy based on his performance so far. All he needs is that elusive first career goal.

On the Habs side, Brian Gionta leads the team with three goals but after him it's the truculent Travis Moen with two. Mike Cammalleri needs to step up his production beyond his four assists. Finally which Carey Price shows up tonight? The man who kept them in the game against the Leafs and Flames or the kid that was shelled in Vancouver. Either way, bar owners on St.-Laurent should see an uptick in sales and sleazy girls tonight around 11:30.

Key Stats
Colorado power-play: 10 for 26 (2nd)
Montreal penalty kill: 7 for 19 (28th)

Goals for Colorado's second line (Svatos, Tucker, Duchene): 6
Goals for Montreal 's second line (Plekanec, Kostitsyn, D'Agostini): 2

Craig Anderson's career record against Montreal: 3GP 0-2-1, 3.86 GAA
Carey Price's career record against Colorado: 0GP 0-0-0; 0.00 GAA

Key Questions

Can Craig Anderson handle seven straight starts?
Will Matt Duchene/Mike Cammalleri get his first goal of the season?
Can the Avalanche keep up their spectacular power play?
Does Montreal's 63.6. % PK come back to bite them in the ass?
Will the Habs find any scoring beyond the first line?
If the Habs don't get it going early, how fast does an fired up Bell Centre crowd turn on them?
How many seconds will it take for the crowd to jeer Darcy Tucker?
How many Jägerbombs/beers/any other drink does Carey Price order tonight at Buona Notte/Globe?
Does The Active Stick ever talk to me again if the Avs win?

Captain Blye the Rabbi - Episode Two

And we're back for another week. Ethan and I talk about a possible return of hockey in Quebec City, debate the merits of Dany Heatley and his questionable demand for a trade and whether or not Don Cherry is past his prime. Check it out.

A Plea to my friend The Active Stick

This one is just for my friend at The Active Stick (btw, read her blog). I'm not below begging here at Unfinished Business so here goes:

IF YOU SOMEHOW CAN GAIN ACCESS TO TICKETS FOR THE HABS-AVS GAME TOMORROW NIGHT, I WILL BOW TO YOUR GREATEST AND FOREVER BE IN YOUR DEBT. I WILL MAKE THE TREK TO MONTREAL JUST FOR THIS GAME AND PAY YOU BACK TEN-FOLD.

New Team in Quebec City?

The Star is reporting that Bill Daly met with Marcel Aubut this week about a team returning to Quebec City. Marcel owned the Nordiques until 1995. More on this when I've got a minute or 60 to think about this.

Western Conference Preview, Part Two

Here we go with the best in the West (god, that's an awful cliche). Also, this preview and my essays on the East will be simplified. I'm getting a bit lazy.

8. Nashville Predators
What I like: Pekka Riine was solid in goal last year; Weber, Suter and Hamhuis are nice young defensive base; Barry Trotz is one of the best coaches in the NHL who consistently gets more out of his players than their abilities indicate; Steve Sullivan, Jason Arnott and J.P. Dumont is a decent first line; The penalty kill was top ten last year; The Predators didn't lose any quality players in the off-season.

What I don't like: Scoring lags after the front line; Power-play was bottom five in the league last year; Didn't add any particularly great players either; It's too bad this team isn't playing in Southern Ontario. They would be an interesting team to watch in Toronto/Hamilton.

7. St. Louis Blues
What I like: Full of ex-Leaf first round draft picks (Boyes, Colaiacovo); Top ten PP and PK last season (8th and 3rd); Good goaltending provided by Chris Mason; Solid coach in Andy Murray; A good scoring balance with a lot of potential on the first line. T.J. Oshie and David Backes could break out this year.

What I don't like: Full of ex-Leaf first round draft picks (Steen, Jackman); Not a lot of defence beyond the first pairing of Jackman and Erik Johnson (and Johnson cannot be allowed anywhere near a golf cart); St. Louis is relying on Keith Tkachuk and Paul Kariya for the scoring on the second line with Boyes. Both have had their best days behind them.

6. Columbus Blue Jackets
What I like: Rick Nash opted to stay with the team and sign an eight-year extension. I might not like this for the future but I love it for 09-10; Nash's linemate Derrick Brassard was poised for a breakout year in '09 (10 goals and 15 assists in 31 games) before going dislocating his shoulder in a fight. All the more reason I like this guy to explode in 2010. Ken Hitchcock a is proven winner and routinely makes the most of what little defence he's got; Steve Mason is coming off a great rookie year in goal.

What I don't like: The Jackets had worst power-play in the league last year; Hitchcock might be able to improve the play of mediocre defencemen in their own end but can't do much about the fact that this team is completely lacking a PP quarterback; Goaltenders coming off great rookie years have a slight tendency to drop off in their second season - reread the last sentence of What I Like.

5. Anaheim Ducks
What I like: Getzlaf, Perry and Ryan are arguably the best first line in the NHL; Saku and Teemu are pleased to be playing with each other; Scott Niedermayer remains one of the best leaders in the game and is still a pretty good defencemen; Artyukhin, Lupul and Marchant are one of the better third lines in the league; Randy Caryle is a quality coach who usually gets this team motivated to play; Jonas Hiller was great for the Ducks in last year's playoffs.

What I don't like: With Pronger and Beauchemin both gone, the defence is a thin beyond the first pairing (even though Beauchemin hasn't preformed yet in Toronto); The overall makeup seems to be a departure from the Brian Burke way. The tough guys aren't quite on the same level as in the years past. Savu Koivu and Ryan Whitney, though both talented, would not have played on a BB team; Ducks have to hope that Hiller can carry the load over a full season.

4. Chicago Blackhawks
What I like: The first line is awesome; The defence is great combination of stoppers and puck-movers; The third line has John Madden, one of the best defensive forwards in the league; I've always liked Joel Quinnville as a coach (possible Avs bias); Stan Bowman might be the titular GM but has never run a team before. But Bowman, that name sounds familiar no? That's right, Stan is Scotty's son. And wouldn't you know Dad is the Senior Adviser. I think Stan will be alright.

What I don't like: Havlat's gone and Hossa's out until November; Patrick Kane had an incident with a Buffalo cabbie; Huet has never been counted on to do the job on his own for an entire year; Everyone is taking the Hawks to win the Central and it seems too easy to join that bandwagon.


3. Detroit Red Wings
What I like: The Red Wings have been the model franchise in hockey for almost 15 years. They have one of the best owners, GMs, Coaches and Scouting teams in the NHL; Their line up is among the best in the league; Datysuk, Zetterberg, Fippula and Draper could be the league's best centre combination; Franzen is emerging as a top-six winger; Hossa was useless in the playoffs and he's gone; Lidstrom leads what's still one of the best defensive units in the league.

What I don't like: The Red Wings employ a certain cretin who wears the number 44; All Avs' bias aside, Osgood is a year older and he couldn't go for a full season last year. Backup Jimmy Howard has played exactly 10 games in four seasons; Hossa's gone (meaning that they lose his 40 regular season goals. Playoffs are another issue); Everyone is a year older and even the "Youngsters" such as Fippula and Abdelkader aren't that young (25 and 22). Lidstrom is 39, Draper is 38, Osgood, Holmstrom and Matlby are 37. At some point age will catch up to the Red Wings.

2. San Jose Sharks
What I like: The Sharks fleeced the Sens for Dany Heatley (not that it's too difficult). Cheecoo is a one-season wonder, Michalek will be always a year away and they didn't give up any defencemen or Patrick Marleau. Heatley, Thornton and whoever is the third winger will be one the best combinations in the league this year; Dan Boyle and Rob Blake provide a very solid base on defence; Evgeni Nabokov has been remarkably consistent in the post-lockout era. He's one of two goaltenders to have posted three straight seasons with a GAA under 2.50, a save percentage of .910 or better and at least 6 shutouts. The only other player to manage this feat: Martin Brodeur; Top five in both power-play and PK in '09.

What I don't like: Not a lot of depth beyond beyond first two lines; Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley have their respective reputations (poor playoff performer and prima donna). The Sharks will need both of these reps to be overcome; This team is dangerously close to the salary cap and will have to unload players next year.

1. Calgary Flames
What I like: Calgary has the single best defensive unit in the league. Dion, Bouwmeester and Regehr are downright scaring on the blue line. Expect Pierre Maguire to have a heart attack for all the monster plays these three will make; In goal, ole Kipper has looked decent so far, though three games do not a season make. Up front, Jerome Iginla continues to lead by example and finally has a centre of similar talent in Olli Jokenin. Craig Conroy and Damon Langkow can finally play on the second and third lines (likely interchangeably) while wingers Rene Bourque and David Moss are both coming off 20 goal seasons and have the potential to make the leap this year.

What I don't like: Losing Mike Cammalleri and his 39 goals will naturally be noticed as there was a large drop-off in goalscoring after the Italian/Jewish speedster; Kipper might be good so far but hasn't been great in the past couple seasons. While his defence is strong, there will likely be night that he needs to save the team while the offence meshes together; Gone with Cammalleri are 19 of the Flames' 61 power-play goals from last year. Not only will the Flames need to step up with the man advantage but Big Dion has to rediscover his booming slap shot from the point.

Captain Blye and the Rabbi Episode One

You've probably noticed that I link to a number of other blogs that I like/think are worth a read. Most of them are sports/hockey blogs. The one noticeable exception is one called Musings on Greenwood. This my friend Ethan Rabidoux's realm. Most of you know him and I don't need to describe him or his antics. For those that don't, check out the homepage for his mini-bio. He's one of the good guys.

Little more than a month ago, we spoke at Ryan and Sarah's wedding about doing a Hockey podcast. In less than six weeks time, that drunken idea has become a very sober and exciting reality. It is without further ado that I give you Episode One of Captain Blye and Rabbi. There's a full episode description on the linking page. We hope that it becomes a permanent part of your Wednesday nights/Thursday mornings.

PS For future listening, you can click on the iTunes feed link at the bottom of page. It will connect to the "WhatWouldRabidoux" feed where Ethan stores all of his podcasts. You can listen to the others if you want.

I think you need your groin to play goalie

Adrian Dater at the Denver Post is reporting that Craig Anderson has groin pull http://bit.ly/Xr3yz

Yep, one of the few bright spots on the team is hurt. And it so begins.

UPDATE:
Dater says that Anderson is starting tomorrow night against Nashville. http://bit.ly/rjTYU
Alright, I was a bit quick at the trigger

2009-10 Season Preview: Western Conference Part One

Working my way from the "outhouse to the penthouse" here are my predictions for Western Conference this year, starting with the West's members of the Taylor Hall sweepstakes.

15. Colorado Avalanche
Might as well get this out of the way now. Joe Sakic's number retirement ceremony is going to be the highlight of the season. It's all downhill from there. Colorado was statistically the worst offensive in the NHL last season. The Avs were also abysmal on special teams with the power-play and penalty kill ranked 25th and 21st respectively. And of course the team no longer employs Joe Sakic, Ryan Smyth or Ian Laparriere. On the slight plus side, the defence isn't terrible, Paul Stastny is fully healthy, Matt Duchene will give some glimpses of brilliance and Craig Anderson is an absolute bargain at $1.5m. But make no mistake; this is a young and inexperienced team. Colorado will struggle to score goals and will almost certainly finish last. Two wins to start the season not withstanding.

14. Phoenix Coyotes
The only team that might prevent the "Av-Nots" from finishing last are the Desert Dogs. I'm not even going to try writing about their off-ice struggles. But in case you were distracted by all the court room drama, let's not forget that the Coyotes are coming off a 13th place finish in the Western Conference and are drifting from day to day. Wayne Gretzky is out as Head Coach, replaced by former Dallas bench boss Dave Tippett. The move gets The Great One out of the spotlight in Phoenix but seems like it's a step sideways. Tippett was good but not great during his run in Big D and shouldn't make a difference (positively or negatively) to this team's fortunes. The big issue is that personnel-wise, this team is a disaster. The team gutted itself at the trade deadline last year. Goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov recorded a dismal 2.98 GAA last year. The defence is collection of has-beens (Ed Jovanoski), won't-be's (Sam Lepsito) and never-weres (Jim Vandermeer). Their one saving grace is captain Shane Doan. It could be on his sheer will that the 'Yotes don't finish last. But that's about all this warrior will be able to do.

13. Edmonton Oilers
There's a lot of excitement in Oil Country and I have no idea why. The hire of Pat Quinn might have been good if this team was laden with veterans, but it's instead one of the youngest teams in the league. Quinn immediately tried to put his stamp on this team by trading three youngsters for Dany Heatley. While Edmonton is fortunate that it didn't happen (mostly because it would have made Bryan Murray look good and I really don't like when that happens), I can say from first hand experience watching what he did in Toronto that it will happen again. Pat Quinn and his GM Steve Tambellini (read: the man that Quinn wanted to replace him as GM of the Leafs) are going to gut this team of their prospects and young talent - or at least try to. Oilers fans should also note how well Khabibulin played in his first "Battle of Alberta." Have fun with that 36 year-old Russian who's in year one of a four year guaranteed contract.

12. Los Angeles Kings
I actually like the Kings, in 2010-11. The forward unit is young and getting better. Adding Ryan Smyth should provide veteran leadership to this talented group. The defence is being built around a solid foundation of Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson, both of whom have the potential to play 30 minutes a night. But the youth up front plus the inexperience of goaltender Jon Quick mean I'm not quite ready to say this team makes the jump.

11. Minnesota Wild
Gone are the days of the Northwest division being the league's most competitive. Jacques Lemaire's departure from Minnesota should have allowed the Wild (don't call us the North Stars) to unleash the oft-injured Marian Gaborik's talent on the rest of the league. I've always felt that Gaborik was ill-suited to playing Lemaire's physical, puck-possession style of hockey and that his injuries were a result of him doing things that shouldn't have (read: hitting). Whether or not I was right, we'll never know since Gaborik took a big contract from the New York Rangers (more about that in the Eastern Conference preview). Minnesota replaced him with Martin Havlat - another talented but oft-injured forward. But in Havlat case, he was getting injured on team that had a rather offensive agenda to begin with (Ottawa post-Jacques Martin, Chicago). If Havlat stays healthy, they should have a good but not great first line with Saku's little brother and Pierre-Marc Bouchard but the Wild will struggle to score beyond this line. Finally, the defence and goaltending are largely unchanged from last season's team that missed the playoffs. The changes that were made on defence (Shane Hnidy and Greg Zanon) I'm not a big fan of. With Lemaire's system, the Wild still finished ninth in '09. Without it, count of something worse.

10. Dallas Stars
I really like Brad Richards. But it doesn't help when you're paying you're second line centre almost $3 million more than first line centre Mike Ribierio. With all that money invested in two players, there might be some problems and it's in the D. The Stars' defence is pegged together with sub-par talent. This might be less of a problem with a good goaltender, but Marty Turco hasn't proven he can do it without strong defence. With all of the criticisms, 11th might seem a little high for Dallas but I love the leadership brought by Brendan Morrow and Mike Modano. This team won't be terrible, it just won't be very good.

9. Vancouver Canucks
This might be a bit rash after the Canucks' 0-3 start, but I remain convinced that the Canucks will only go as far as Roberto Luongo takes them. Right now, Andrew Raycroft would be better. Oh that's right, he played last night after The Captain was pulled for surrendering four goals on just 12 shots. The defence hasn't impressed so far with the team allowing 13 goals in the the first games, with Willie Mitchell as the lone bright spot in an otherwise string of offensive minded rearguards. And of course the penalty kill has been atrocious, currently sitting at 58.3%. The weird thing is that forwards are good. They're averaging 40 shots a night. The powerplay is scoring at a reasonable rate of 20%. Alex Burrows has emerged into a decent winger with the Sedins. Ryan Kesler could become the second line centre that Mats Sundin was supposed to be last year. And the Sedins are good for their usual 82 points in 82 games. But this team needs Luongo and the defence to step up. Roberto might be capable of it but without real defence, the Canucks will be taking a huge step back this year.

"We interrupt this public affairs program in order to bring you a football game"

Quick diversion here at Unfinished Business to rant about the Green Bay Packers' inept play at both offensive and defensive line. I know that Vikings have a very good pass rush and very good o-line, but the Packers made them all look like Pro Bowlers last night. Minnesota sacked Aaron Rodgers EIGHT TIMES!!! He was hit NINE TIMES!!! How many sacks did the Packers defence get on a 40 year old, virtually immobile Brett Favre? NONE! How many hits? ONE. Of course he was going to torch the secondary. He had ten seconds to throw on virtually every down.
And worst part? Aaron Rodgers actually played well in spite of being sacked eight times. In a vacuum, I would love if my quarterback complete 70.3 per cent of his passes for 387 yards and 2 Touchdowns. I can even except the interception, the fumble and the safety. That how bad the offensive line played. But Good Lord, this team needs help on both sides of the line. It needs Chad Clifton back at left tackle tomorrow. It needs Daryn Colledge back at right tackle from left tackle, except he's injured. It needs for neither T.J. Lang or Allen Barbre to be on the field until next year. God I'm angry

Honour Sundin's #13 NOW!

Mats Sundin's retirement announcement doesn't come as much of a surprise. He showed last year that even as a part time player, he didn't have it any more. The Canucks will carry on without him (read: They'll be knocked out in the first couple rounds of the playoffs again.) But this post isn't about Sundin's failed attempt to be a role player in an attempted Stanley Cup run; it's about his legacy in Toronto, the place he played the bulk of his career and could never win over the fans despite being the greatest Leaf in forty years. The place that, if management has any sense, they would be honouring his #13 right now.

Sundin was acquired by the Maple Leafs from the Quebec Nordiques after the 1993-94 season in a trade that saw team captain (and fan favourite) Wendel Clark go the other way. Clark would find his way back to Toronto for two more stints. But it was Sundin who stuck around for the next 14 years (13 seasons). It was during that time that Sundin rewrote the entire Leafs' record book. At the end of his tenure in Toronto, Sundin was the team's all-time leader in points, goals, power-play goals, game winning goals, playoff game winning goals and over-time winning goals. The last of these he shares with Jaromir Jagr for most in NHL history. In addition, Sundin was the team's scoring leader in 12 of his 13 years and only once did he fail to score 30 goals over the span of a full season (explanation: Sundin had 23 goals in 47 games during the lockout shortened 1994-95 season).

Early on the team saw the potential for leadership in the Swede and in prior to the 1997-98, Sundin was named Captain becoming the first non-Canadian bestowed with this honour. Mats did not disappoint. Over the next few years, Sundin captained teams made the playoffs in final six seasons prior to the lockout. Twice in that span (1999 and 2002) Sundin's Leaf teams made the conference championships - a feat that equaled the 1978, 1993 and 94 editions of the Buds. Sundin's team were consistent and finished as well as ANY Leafs team after 1967. In the '99 post-season, Sundin played arguably his best hockey posting eight goals and eight assists, and two game winning goals before being stopped by the Dominick Hasek led Buffalo Sabres. In the second round series against Pittsburgh he posted three goals and four assists, and famously laid out Jaromir Jagr.

In 2002 Sundin was injured for most of the playoffs but returned for the the tail end of the Carolina series. While that playoff run was notable for the play of Alexander Mogilny and Gary Roberts, my greatest memory of that entire playoff was seeing Sundin score the equalizer in game six to force overtime and give the Leafs one more chance to extend the series. Seeing the game in person, I've never in my life heard a louder roar at the ACC.

But here's my big argument for this man and for why he deserves immediate honour. Who was on those "spectacular" teams? Steve Thomas, a player who enjoyed two very good years near the end of his career largely was never all-star; Jonas Hoglund, a career journey-man who was able to pull off 20 goals seasons playing on Sundin's wing; Sergei Berezin, a player who showed a lot of potential after scoring 37 goals in 1999 only to never reach these heights again; Gary Roberts, a former 50 goal scorer who never managed to score 30 goals as a Leaf, and I say this spite of his 2002 playoff performance. Roberts never before or never again had a similar performance. The only exception was Alexander Mogilny who, while oft-injured, was most talented winger Sundin ever played with in Toronto. He produced on Sudin's wing highlighted by his team leading 33 goal, 79 point 2002-03 season as well as a team leading eight goals in 2002 playoffs. Other "notable" Leafs from this era were Owen Nolan, Igor Korolev, Dmitri Khristich and Freddy Modin. And of course the one player that could have made a difference, Steve Sullivan, was insanely jettisoned for the aforementioned Khristich.

In all Sundin led the team in all categories during his tenure despite playing with medicore talent. Darryl Sittler had Lanny MacDonald; Doug Gilmour had Dave Andreychuk and Wendel Clark. Sundin had next no one yet still did so much. Do the right thing MLSE. Honour that number 13 sweater.

Please note that I've deliberately omitted Sundin's decision not to waive his no-trade clause at the end of the 2008 season. For all the rhetoric and bullshit on Sundin, it comes down to this: Don't give players no-trade clauses end then whine when, heaven forbid, they actually use them.

Sober Second Thought on the Kessel Deal

I spent the weekend, among other things, digesting the ins and outs of the Phil Kessel move by the Toronto Maple Leafs. My initial reaction was, "Holy shit, the Leafs got Kessel. They're a lock for the playoffs." Then I quickly changed to,"What the fuck? Two firsts and a second for Kessel? Really?" Now I'm somewhere in the middle.
Kessel is obviously Toronto's best player on offence (and could be their best player period.) He's young (21) and he's not making a ton for his skill set ($5.4m/season for five years). That being said, he played with Marc Savard who is easily a top ten play-maker. Toronto doesn't have anyone close to him at centre. Also, I really wish the NHL had an equivalent of the NBA's "Ted Stepien rule" (see below for details). I'm never a fan of teams giving up so many high draft picks nor do I support trading a first and second round pick in the same draft.
Then there's the sticky situation of trade vs. offer sheet. At an average salary of $5.4m, Boston's compensation would have been picks in the first, second and third round as opposed to the two firsts and a second. But GMs are reluctant to use this option as it fosters poor relations with their fellow GMs by "inflating" salaries.
However, I get the sense that Brian Burke isn't done shaping this team. He knows that other GMs covet Tomas Kaberle, especially at his price point. If Burke can get Kaberle to waive his no-trade clause, we'll probably see the Leafs back in the first round and maybe acquiring a top-six forward as well.
In all, I'm neutral on this trade. It makes the Leafs better in the short term and likely puts them into the playoffs this season. But the playoffs aren't Brian Burke's stated goal; the Stanley Cup is. Trading high draft picks on a team that has no chance of making the Cup Final is a step sideways. Ladies and Gentlemen, it's your 2000, sorry, 2010 Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Ted Stepien Rule
Ted Stepien owed the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1980s and had a tendency to trade his first round picks. In one case, he traded the Cavs' pick in 1982 draft to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Cavs would finish last in the Eastern Conference and the Lakers drafted James Worthy. The NBA went on to ban teams from trading away consecutive first round picks.

The Good, the Bad and the Obvious

The Good:

Pittsburgh-Washington: Guarantee of four great games. Three of the best players in the world. Strong defences. The likely matchup in the Eastern Conference final. One of the two are almost certain to play for the Cup. And I have a stupid man-crush on Ovechkin.

Calgary: Best defensive corps since the 2001 Avalanche. Best fans in the league. Best leader in the league. Best Canadian hope for a Stanley Cup.

San Jose: All offense, all the time. See previous post for my thoughts.

Chicago: Mix of youth and experience; strong run to the Western final last year; Huet is clearly number one in goal; Havlat gone, Hossa in - good upgrade.

Anaheim: Young team gelling at the right time. Smart move to jettison Pronger. Koivu and Teemu want a Cup together. Getzlaf, Ryan and Perry could be the best line in the league. Jonas Hiller is the real deal (see: the triple OT game in Detroit, which I saw first hand).

The Bad:

The situation waiting to happen in Edmonton: Pat Quinn wanted Dany Heatley, fine. Pat Quinn wanting to give up Cogliano et al for Heatley, not so fine. Quinn loves his vets (see: Toronto from 1998-2006), won't hesitate to grab a vet for prospects (see: Boyes-Nolan trade) and has Steve Tambellini (read: the guy he wanted to replace him in Toronto) running the team. This won't end well.

The Leafs' lack of scoring: Defense is good, offense not so great. Grabovski and Blake aren't going to win the Rocket Richard Trophy and they're the best the Leafs got. 1-0 and 2-1 will be a familiar score out of the ACC this year. And too many times, the Leafs will be on the wrong end of it.

Ottawa: Dysfunction reins supreme in Sens land. Still no defence beyond Volchenkov, goaltending remains a problem, Heatley's gone and is replaced by an overhyped second-liner and one season wonder. This will get ugly.

Phoenix: Nuff said

The Obvious:

The Habs are short: Fast? Yes. Talented? Yes. Tough? Maybe. Big? Not so much. Can they make the playoffs? Probably.

Rick Nash will regret that long term deal in Columbus: The shirt was ready for in Toronto. And bias aside, he is perfect for the Leafs. I see a Dany Heatley situation in the making.

Vancouver need more: Roberto and the Sedins got them to the second round. Roberto and the Sedins got big long term deals. Roberto and the Sedins didn't get noticeable help this off-season. Roberto and the Sedins need more if they want to go further.

The Red Wings will contend: But likely can't win their third straight Western Conference.

The Avalanche suck: My boys will be painful to watch this year. Really painful. Like, historically.

UPDATE:
The Leafs have mortgaged the future by grabbing scoring now. Phil Kessel will score goals. The Leafs have a better shot a making the playoffs. Two firsts and a second was a very steep for a 21 year-old. Good move in the short term. Maybe not so much in the long term.

Defending Dany Heatley

What would you do if you were a top-flight winger on a team going no where?
What would you do if you had signed a six-year contract with a no movement clause by one GM, only for him to be fired four days later?
What would you do if your were on a team that consistently had a problem with both its goaltender and its defensive corps and done nothing to improve it?
What would you do if your team has had four coaches in less than two years?
What would you do if you were on a team that had gone from the Stanley Cup final to missing the playoffs in less than two years?
And what would you do if, after 24 months of this garbage you went to the GM and in confidence asked for a trade, only for him publicly state it thus greatly diminishing your trade value?

You probably would have acted like Dany Heatley has for the past three months.

That Dany Heatley was going to be traded was never an issue. He remains one of the five best pure goal scorers in the NHL. He's still only 28 and has a contract that lasts until he's 33 -not exactly at the end of his career. But the Senators have no one to blame but themselves for the events that transpired. Or specifically, GM Bryan Murray. Murray's complete mishandling of the situation has resulted in the Senators losing their best goal scorer (arguably their best player).

Heatley was not going to waive his no-movement clause until the deal was right for him because he had earned it. He wasn't going to leave until he received the roster bonus. And when a trade finally occurred it was going to be to team that Heatley wanted to play for (read: not Edmonton). The end result shouldn't surprise anyone. Heatley got his money, his trade and his chance to win a Cup. It's now on him (and the rest of the San Jose Sharks).

Finally as a little sauce for the proverbial goose, the Sharks are now in a better position to compete for the Cup without having to give up that much to get there. All the Senators were able to acquire was San Jose's second round pick (which will likely be in the end of the round) and a pair of border-line top six forwards. While it's possible that Jonathan Cheechoo will rediscover his form of '06 and Milan Michalek finally lives up to his hype, I wouldn't count on it. Hockey-wise, everything in this deal favours Heatley.

Welcome to the blog

I finally did it. Two years after finishing with the Tribune and the brief stint with a soccer magazine, I'm back at it and putting my words on the page. I suppose it shouldn't have taken this long but that's how it is. So welcome to this site that I'll be updating on a frequent, but not consistent basis and oping on any thing that I feel like. This will be mostly a sports site though occasionally politics or some of my life observations will creep into these posts. Enjoy.