Well, it’s that time again. Now that it’s officially the All-Star break, it’s time to revise my season predictions. I don’t remember how they went, but I’m sure they’re mostly wrong by now. So many things can change from preseason to All-Star break that the predictions you make in January hold far more value than those in September. So with that in mind, here are my division/conference breakdowns with a tiny explanation for each team.
Atlantic Division
1. New Jersey – (Bias aside, they’ve surprised even me so far.)
2. Philadelphia – (Truly dangerous this year, especially if they get healthy.)
3. NY Rangers – (If they get some offense at the deadline, perhaps they finish better.)
4. Pittsburgh – (Disappointing so far, but all is not lost just yet.)
5. NY Islanders – (Come on, do I really need to explain this one?)
Northeast Division
1. Boston – (I think it’s a safe bet no one is catching them.)
2. Montreal – (Fans have to be pleased with 100th season so far.)
3. Buffalo – (Management has left poor Ryan Miller with no help anymore.)
4. Toronto – (Good things seem to lie ahead for once.)
5. Ottawa – (The only GM who doesn’t realize that one line cannot do it all.)
Southeast Division
1. Washington – (Can’t wait to see Ovechkin in the playoffs again.)
2. Florida – (Even being in the playoff picture is a pleasant surprise.)
3. Carolina – (I honestly don’t know what to make of them.)
4. Tampa Bay – (A little patience goes a long way. Melrose was too good for you.)
5. Atlanta – (Please let Kovalchuk out of his sentence. He looks so disenchanted.)
Central Division
1. Detroit – (It’s been a while since a defending champion looked so good.)
2. Chicago – (What can I say except, “Here Come the Hawks!”)
3. Columbus – (For their own sake, I hope they finally make the playoffs.)
4. Nashville – (Hey it could be worse…Balsillie could be the owner.)
5. St. Louis – (At least there finally seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel.)
Northwest Division
1. Calgary – (If Kiprusoff could be a little less streaky, this team could go far.)
2. Minnesota – (They are better than they’ve been playing recently.)
3. Edmonton – (In any other division, they could end up better.)
4.Vancouver – (There’s still hope, but Sundin and Luongo need to get their game together.)
5. Colorado – (Finishing last won’t be the worst of their worries. What about Joe?)
Pacific Division
1. San Jose – (This team is so good, it’s not even fair. It’s like a video game.)
2. Phoenix – (I’m really happy for Gretz and his team. They could surprise someone in the playoffs.)
3. Anaheim – (Getzlaf aside, I’m not impressed.)
4. Los Angeles – (Another positive looking rebuild.)
5. Dallas – (I feel bad for Mike Modano.)
Eastern Conference
1. Boston
2. Washington
3. New Jersey
4. Montreal
5. Philadelphia
6. NY Rangers
7. Florida
8. Pittsburgh
9. Buffalo
10. Carolina
11. Toronto
12. Tampa Bay
13. Ottawa
14. Atlanta
15. NY Islanders
Western Conference
1. San Jose
2. Detroit
3. Calgary
4. Chicago
5. Phoenix
6. Minnesota
7. Columbus
8. Edmonton
9. Anaheim
10. Vancouver
11. Los Angeles
12. Nashville
13. Colorado
14. Dallas
15. St. Louis
I realize that some of the standings are exactly how teams stand now, and that’s purely by chance. I think the standings will do quite a bit of shuffling between now and April, but in the end that’s how I expect it to end up.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Midseason Awards
As is custom every season, it’s time to hand out the NHL awards as they stand around the All-Star break. Sometimes things will change by the time the awards are actually handed out, but more often than not the mid-season winner is at least a finalist come awards night.
The objective awards (most goals, most points) were not voted on because they are strictly based on stats.
Calder Trophy (Top Rookie)
Steve Mason (Columbus)
Doughty has had a great year, as has Versteeg and Wheeler, but no rookie has come on to the scene and lit it up the way Mason has. His rookie year reminds me of Brodeur’s breakout year in 1993-94, when oh by the way he won the Calder.
Vezina Trophy (Top Goaltender)
Tim Thomas (Boston)
Mason will get serious consideration for this award as well, however with his nearly identical numbers, Thomas has been shafted out of accolades long enough that he deserves to win. After all, it seems like there will be many Vezinas in Mason’s future.
Jack Adams Award (Top Coach)
Todd McLellan (San Jose)
Just like every yaer, there are about 15 deserving coaches for this award. McLellan gets the nod because he’s a rookie coach who has guided his team to an absolutely unreal record. The award is only based on the regular season, but should San Jose finally get over the playoff hump, we’ll look back and say he was definitely the right choice.
Hart Trophy (League MVP)
Alexander Ovechkin (Washington)
I love Crosby, Malkin, etc. as much as the next hockey fan, but Ovechkin is the best player in hockey. Period. And although his numbers may not reach last year’s totals, he still brings the complete package to his game.
Norris Trophy (Top Defenseman)
Zdeno Chara (Boston)
I’m sick of Lidstrom winning this award. He always deserves it, but it seems for once that someone else deserves it too. And for that, I’m going with the other guy. Whoever has to engrave Lidstrom’s name on that trophy every single year will thank me as well.
Selke Trophy (Top Defensive Forward)
Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit)
This is always a hard award to give out. My own bias wants me to give it to John Madden, but Datsyuk still has that perfect mixture of offensive prowess and defensive ability that gives him the nod. This is quickly becoming the new Norris because the same Red Wing deservedly wins it every year.
There you have it. I’d love to hear your feedback on it, as long as you keep it bias-free the way I tried my hardest to do. Coming soon, my mid-season predictions for how the final standings will shake out. Happy MLK day!
The objective awards (most goals, most points) were not voted on because they are strictly based on stats.
Calder Trophy (Top Rookie)
Steve Mason (Columbus)
Doughty has had a great year, as has Versteeg and Wheeler, but no rookie has come on to the scene and lit it up the way Mason has. His rookie year reminds me of Brodeur’s breakout year in 1993-94, when oh by the way he won the Calder.
Vezina Trophy (Top Goaltender)
Tim Thomas (Boston)
Mason will get serious consideration for this award as well, however with his nearly identical numbers, Thomas has been shafted out of accolades long enough that he deserves to win. After all, it seems like there will be many Vezinas in Mason’s future.
Jack Adams Award (Top Coach)
Todd McLellan (San Jose)
Just like every yaer, there are about 15 deserving coaches for this award. McLellan gets the nod because he’s a rookie coach who has guided his team to an absolutely unreal record. The award is only based on the regular season, but should San Jose finally get over the playoff hump, we’ll look back and say he was definitely the right choice.
Hart Trophy (League MVP)
Alexander Ovechkin (Washington)
I love Crosby, Malkin, etc. as much as the next hockey fan, but Ovechkin is the best player in hockey. Period. And although his numbers may not reach last year’s totals, he still brings the complete package to his game.
Norris Trophy (Top Defenseman)
Zdeno Chara (Boston)
I’m sick of Lidstrom winning this award. He always deserves it, but it seems for once that someone else deserves it too. And for that, I’m going with the other guy. Whoever has to engrave Lidstrom’s name on that trophy every single year will thank me as well.
Selke Trophy (Top Defensive Forward)
Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit)
This is always a hard award to give out. My own bias wants me to give it to John Madden, but Datsyuk still has that perfect mixture of offensive prowess and defensive ability that gives him the nod. This is quickly becoming the new Norris because the same Red Wing deservedly wins it every year.
There you have it. I’d love to hear your feedback on it, as long as you keep it bias-free the way I tried my hardest to do. Coming soon, my mid-season predictions for how the final standings will shake out. Happy MLK day!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Shanny's Home
The addition of Brendan Shanahan is going to cause one of the Devils’ forwards to have to sit. Thankfully the fans do not have a say in the matter, because if they did, players like John Madden, Jay Pandolfo, Mike Rupp and David Clarkson would be benched.
I can see where the arguments come from for those players, but the truth is, there’s only player who deserves to learn where the press box is, and that’s Dainius Zubrus. It seems that everyone on the Devils, with the exception of Zubrus, plays an important role on the team, or at least HAS a role.
Madden and Pandolfo are two of the best defensive forwards in the game. They may not score very often, but they’re not relied on to. They’re exceptional penalty killers, and sometimes are matched up against an opponent’s top line. Removing either of these two from your lineup is hockey suicide.
David Clarkson and Mike Rupp make up another integral part of a hockey team, the enforcers. Every team needs at least two enforcers for the simple reason that if they only had one, and he went off for fighting, a team could then take liberties without having to pay the consequence. Clarkson and Rupp also do not score, but they protect their teammates by any means necessary, and for that, they cannot be benched.
Bobby Holik may seem like a favorable choice, but he is also valuable. Holik is a veteran presence in the locker room who has seen it all. He gets under the opponent’s skin, while his shockingly honest personality allows him to help his teammates make improvements to their game. He’s not afraid to tell you what you’re doing wrong, and is probably easier to listen to than a screaming coach.
You certainly cannot remove any of your top scorers, so who is left? Zubrus.
Not only is Zubrus nursing a hand injury which has already cost him several scoring opportunities, he also seems rather lost on the ice recently. I’m not sure what his job is, but I can say from watching him that he isn’t doing it. I believe he was supposed to park himself in front of the net and use his size to screen the goalie, but I have rarely seen him in such a position. He can often be found mishandling the puck in the corners, or making errant passes that result in turnovers.
With that in mind, here are my propsed forward lines, which I will also explain:
1. Parise-Zajac-Langenbrunner
2. Elias-Rolston-Gionta
3. Pandolfo-Madden-Shanahan
4. Rupp-Holik-Clarkson
The reason I have Shanahan on the 3rd line is because I’ve seen first hand what fourth line minutes have done for Holik’s play. Shanahan would recieve significant time on the powerplay as one of the two point shots, so he would recieve plenty of ice time. But Rolston deserves a spot on a scoring line, and Madden’s line—who skates very well—would keep Shanahan in top form, and his offensive punch would nicely compliment their ability to generate turnovers.
I can see where the arguments come from for those players, but the truth is, there’s only player who deserves to learn where the press box is, and that’s Dainius Zubrus. It seems that everyone on the Devils, with the exception of Zubrus, plays an important role on the team, or at least HAS a role.
Madden and Pandolfo are two of the best defensive forwards in the game. They may not score very often, but they’re not relied on to. They’re exceptional penalty killers, and sometimes are matched up against an opponent’s top line. Removing either of these two from your lineup is hockey suicide.
David Clarkson and Mike Rupp make up another integral part of a hockey team, the enforcers. Every team needs at least two enforcers for the simple reason that if they only had one, and he went off for fighting, a team could then take liberties without having to pay the consequence. Clarkson and Rupp also do not score, but they protect their teammates by any means necessary, and for that, they cannot be benched.
Bobby Holik may seem like a favorable choice, but he is also valuable. Holik is a veteran presence in the locker room who has seen it all. He gets under the opponent’s skin, while his shockingly honest personality allows him to help his teammates make improvements to their game. He’s not afraid to tell you what you’re doing wrong, and is probably easier to listen to than a screaming coach.
You certainly cannot remove any of your top scorers, so who is left? Zubrus.
Not only is Zubrus nursing a hand injury which has already cost him several scoring opportunities, he also seems rather lost on the ice recently. I’m not sure what his job is, but I can say from watching him that he isn’t doing it. I believe he was supposed to park himself in front of the net and use his size to screen the goalie, but I have rarely seen him in such a position. He can often be found mishandling the puck in the corners, or making errant passes that result in turnovers.
With that in mind, here are my propsed forward lines, which I will also explain:
1. Parise-Zajac-Langenbrunner
2. Elias-Rolston-Gionta
3. Pandolfo-Madden-Shanahan
4. Rupp-Holik-Clarkson
The reason I have Shanahan on the 3rd line is because I’ve seen first hand what fourth line minutes have done for Holik’s play. Shanahan would recieve significant time on the powerplay as one of the two point shots, so he would recieve plenty of ice time. But Rolston deserves a spot on a scoring line, and Madden’s line—who skates very well—would keep Shanahan in top form, and his offensive punch would nicely compliment their ability to generate turnovers.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
What To Do...
When Martin Brodeur returns to action in early March, the Devils will be presented with a situation they have yet to face in their history. The tandem of Kevin Weekes and Scott Clemmensen have more than held down the fort while the greatest goaltender in NHL history has been on the shelf, but realistically, someone is going to have to go either upon Brodeur’s return or not long after. Clearly, it isn’t going to be Brodeur, so let’s examine the other two options.
Both Weekes and Clemmensen are unrestricted free agents at the end of the 2008-09 season, and both are currently playing with the knowledge that as early as March 4, they could be wearing a different uniform.
Weekes, brought in to backup Brodeur two summers ago, is currently making $700,000. Clemmensen, brought back into the Devils fold this past offseason to tutor Jeff Frazee in Lowell, suddenly found himself vying for the playing time he never had throughout his career. This season, he will collect $500,000.
Clemmensen’s numbers to date this season have been nothing short of impressive. Through 25 games, Clemmensen has posted a 2.31 Goals Against Average, and a .920 Save Percentage. His record of 15-8-1 is no mistake; much like the man who has been New Jersey’s backbone since 1994, Clemmensen has both held leads and kept his team in games. Clemmensen has no doubt turned heads with his play, and with the trade deadline looming on March 4, teams who need help in goal will be calling the office of one Lou Lamoriello, hoping to acquire the Des Moines, Iowa native.
Weekes, by comparison, has only appeared in 9 games this year, but has put together a respectable 2.79 GAA and .908 SV%; nothing flashy, but perfectly average. What Weekes has lacked in stats, he makes up for in experience and rapport. He has no doubt been the most supportive player and encouraging presence in the locker room since coming aboard in 2007. A career starter, Weekes has seen it all, and would perhaps provide a better option for teams looking to upgrade in goal. He doesn’t appear to be the hot hand at the moment, but he brings consistent play, and could probably be moved for less return.
Of course, the third option is to attempt to keep both, however Weekes is too far along in his career to either sit in the press box or report to the minors, and Clemmensen would most likely refuse both options given his recent on-ice success. So what is one to do? It would appear someone has to go, whether it be on deadline day, free agent day on July 1, or some point in between.
For now, Lou Lamoriello has time to sort it all out, but a decision is going to have to be made in the near future.
If it were up to me, I would probably lean toward trading Clemmensen. Based on his recent performance, he would no doubt command a significant raise in salary for next year, something the Devils traditionally will only budge on to a point. Plus, it would be a shame to have to part with such a positive teammate in Weekes. But even I’m torn on the matter. I guess that’s why they pay GMs what they do.
Both Weekes and Clemmensen are unrestricted free agents at the end of the 2008-09 season, and both are currently playing with the knowledge that as early as March 4, they could be wearing a different uniform.
Weekes, brought in to backup Brodeur two summers ago, is currently making $700,000. Clemmensen, brought back into the Devils fold this past offseason to tutor Jeff Frazee in Lowell, suddenly found himself vying for the playing time he never had throughout his career. This season, he will collect $500,000.
Clemmensen’s numbers to date this season have been nothing short of impressive. Through 25 games, Clemmensen has posted a 2.31 Goals Against Average, and a .920 Save Percentage. His record of 15-8-1 is no mistake; much like the man who has been New Jersey’s backbone since 1994, Clemmensen has both held leads and kept his team in games. Clemmensen has no doubt turned heads with his play, and with the trade deadline looming on March 4, teams who need help in goal will be calling the office of one Lou Lamoriello, hoping to acquire the Des Moines, Iowa native.
Weekes, by comparison, has only appeared in 9 games this year, but has put together a respectable 2.79 GAA and .908 SV%; nothing flashy, but perfectly average. What Weekes has lacked in stats, he makes up for in experience and rapport. He has no doubt been the most supportive player and encouraging presence in the locker room since coming aboard in 2007. A career starter, Weekes has seen it all, and would perhaps provide a better option for teams looking to upgrade in goal. He doesn’t appear to be the hot hand at the moment, but he brings consistent play, and could probably be moved for less return.
Of course, the third option is to attempt to keep both, however Weekes is too far along in his career to either sit in the press box or report to the minors, and Clemmensen would most likely refuse both options given his recent on-ice success. So what is one to do? It would appear someone has to go, whether it be on deadline day, free agent day on July 1, or some point in between.
For now, Lou Lamoriello has time to sort it all out, but a decision is going to have to be made in the near future.
If it were up to me, I would probably lean toward trading Clemmensen. Based on his recent performance, he would no doubt command a significant raise in salary for next year, something the Devils traditionally will only budge on to a point. Plus, it would be a shame to have to part with such a positive teammate in Weekes. But even I’m torn on the matter. I guess that’s why they pay GMs what they do.
Monday, December 29, 2008
We Will Overcome
You know, it’s about time the hockey world started giving the Devils the respect they deserve.
Consider, if you will, everything that has happened to this team since the season began in October. Four games into the season, down goes Brian Rolston. One game later, Bobby Holik. After that, Andy Greene, Paul Martin, Pierre-Luc Leblond, and the grand tamale himself, Martin Brodeur joined the parade to the IR. Add to that list the revolving door of day-to-day injuries to John Madden, Brian Gionta, Bryce Salvador, and Jamie Langenbrunner. Sprinkle in Mike Mottau earning himself a two-game suspension, and what you have is a team which at times very much resembled the Lowell Devils. Devils fans used to the molasses-like roster turnover were suddenly lining up to buy programs in order to make sense of a bewildering who’s who of “Who’s that?”
Kevin Weekes was called upon to fill the void until Brodeur’s return in early March, but early on it appeared even the ultimate teammate could not help this collection of entry level contracts. Then, out of the madness, there emerged a hero. He became our savior, our Keanu Reeves…he, the one they call Scott Clemmensen. With a grand total of 25 NHL games under his belt, the goalie who entered the season ranked 3rd on the depth chart, destined to play out the season in Lowell, found himself thrust into the starting role for New Jersey, and did not disappoint. His numbers, to this point, have been absolutely sparkling; 12-5-1, with a 2.15 Goals-Against and a .924 Save Percentage. And all-the-while, players such as Patrick Davis, Matt Halischuk, Petr Vrana, and Jay Leach have held the fort while one-by-one, the Walking Wounded have returned to the lineup.
Where we stand now, the only Devil left to return is Brodeur, and with his recovery progressing ahead of schedule, the Devils could be back in form by late Februrary. While the journey is by no means over, we’ve already learned an incredible amount about the tenacity and depth of the New Jersey Devils. Despite all the injuries, the team barely seemed to miss a beat. Clemmensen’s play as of late has been remarkably Brodeur-like, and he shows no signs of falling back to Earth anytime soon.
The Devils never have been the “sexy” pick to win the Stanley Cup, yet despite the way the team has been able to do more than just tread water, there remains only one member of the hockey media (some guy from Versus) to even mention the Devils as a possible Cup contender. Now, that’s not to take anything away from the remarkable seasons had so far by San Jose, Detroit, Chicago, Boston, etc. Every one of those teams deserves to be mentioned as contenders, but none have yet to be faced with the kind of sink-or-swim challenge that faced the Devils.
Despite the kind of solidarity that only losing half your roster can bring about, as well as the eventual return of a rested and repaired Martin Brodeur on the horizon, I am not at all attempting to guarantee a Devils Cup victory in 2009. While it would be nice if we got some attention as a championship contender, I highly doubt it will happen. Then again, it didn’t happen in 1995, 2000, or 2003 either.
Consider, if you will, everything that has happened to this team since the season began in October. Four games into the season, down goes Brian Rolston. One game later, Bobby Holik. After that, Andy Greene, Paul Martin, Pierre-Luc Leblond, and the grand tamale himself, Martin Brodeur joined the parade to the IR. Add to that list the revolving door of day-to-day injuries to John Madden, Brian Gionta, Bryce Salvador, and Jamie Langenbrunner. Sprinkle in Mike Mottau earning himself a two-game suspension, and what you have is a team which at times very much resembled the Lowell Devils. Devils fans used to the molasses-like roster turnover were suddenly lining up to buy programs in order to make sense of a bewildering who’s who of “Who’s that?”
Kevin Weekes was called upon to fill the void until Brodeur’s return in early March, but early on it appeared even the ultimate teammate could not help this collection of entry level contracts. Then, out of the madness, there emerged a hero. He became our savior, our Keanu Reeves…he, the one they call Scott Clemmensen. With a grand total of 25 NHL games under his belt, the goalie who entered the season ranked 3rd on the depth chart, destined to play out the season in Lowell, found himself thrust into the starting role for New Jersey, and did not disappoint. His numbers, to this point, have been absolutely sparkling; 12-5-1, with a 2.15 Goals-Against and a .924 Save Percentage. And all-the-while, players such as Patrick Davis, Matt Halischuk, Petr Vrana, and Jay Leach have held the fort while one-by-one, the Walking Wounded have returned to the lineup.
Where we stand now, the only Devil left to return is Brodeur, and with his recovery progressing ahead of schedule, the Devils could be back in form by late Februrary. While the journey is by no means over, we’ve already learned an incredible amount about the tenacity and depth of the New Jersey Devils. Despite all the injuries, the team barely seemed to miss a beat. Clemmensen’s play as of late has been remarkably Brodeur-like, and he shows no signs of falling back to Earth anytime soon.
The Devils never have been the “sexy” pick to win the Stanley Cup, yet despite the way the team has been able to do more than just tread water, there remains only one member of the hockey media (some guy from Versus) to even mention the Devils as a possible Cup contender. Now, that’s not to take anything away from the remarkable seasons had so far by San Jose, Detroit, Chicago, Boston, etc. Every one of those teams deserves to be mentioned as contenders, but none have yet to be faced with the kind of sink-or-swim challenge that faced the Devils.
Despite the kind of solidarity that only losing half your roster can bring about, as well as the eventual return of a rested and repaired Martin Brodeur on the horizon, I am not at all attempting to guarantee a Devils Cup victory in 2009. While it would be nice if we got some attention as a championship contender, I highly doubt it will happen. Then again, it didn’t happen in 1995, 2000, or 2003 either.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
The Rise & Fall of the Trapezoid
The trapezoid…no, it’s not the name of the monster composed primarily of Devils players from the 1990s. It’s that almost triangular box of hate behind the goal line which demands that goalies remain within its confines, for the tiniest portion of skate found outside this geometric talent-inhibitor smacks the poor goalie with a two-minute minor for delay of game.
Listen. The only thing that’s being delayed are all those extra goals the league wants so badly. The trapezoid has neither created goals nor prevented them, but it has come with an unfortunate side-effect. Players chasing the puck into the corner, an area which was once playable by the goalie, are now far more susceptible to head injury.
It is for this reason that the NHLPA is discussing removing the trapezoid, to prevent further career-threatening injuries. But there will be a very important secondary gain to removing the trapezoid. While it was once believed that offense would be stimulated by preventing the goalie from clearing the puck, the rule conveniently overlooks the truly great puck-handling goalies, who can actually create breakaways and 2-on-1s with their headman passes, and even score some goals themselves! Martin Brodeur has already done it, and other goalies like Rick DiPietro have concrete evidence on film proving they could as well if given the opportunity.
This is strange considering that those same goalies (read: Martin Brodeur) are the reason the trapezoid was put into place to begin with. I mean, the thing probably would have been called “The Martin Brodeur Memorial Trapezoid” if the league wasn’t trying so hard to pretend Marty’s sick puck-handling skills didn’t scare them to death.
I, for one, hope the trapezoid goes the way of the inflatable dartboard, the underwater screen door, the solar-powered flashlight, and yes…even the glow puck. Not just to help curb headshots and injuries, but also to show that there is just as much upside in allowing goalies to play the puck wherever they so choose as there is downside.
Listen. The only thing that’s being delayed are all those extra goals the league wants so badly. The trapezoid has neither created goals nor prevented them, but it has come with an unfortunate side-effect. Players chasing the puck into the corner, an area which was once playable by the goalie, are now far more susceptible to head injury.
It is for this reason that the NHLPA is discussing removing the trapezoid, to prevent further career-threatening injuries. But there will be a very important secondary gain to removing the trapezoid. While it was once believed that offense would be stimulated by preventing the goalie from clearing the puck, the rule conveniently overlooks the truly great puck-handling goalies, who can actually create breakaways and 2-on-1s with their headman passes, and even score some goals themselves! Martin Brodeur has already done it, and other goalies like Rick DiPietro have concrete evidence on film proving they could as well if given the opportunity.
This is strange considering that those same goalies (read: Martin Brodeur) are the reason the trapezoid was put into place to begin with. I mean, the thing probably would have been called “The Martin Brodeur Memorial Trapezoid” if the league wasn’t trying so hard to pretend Marty’s sick puck-handling skills didn’t scare them to death.
I, for one, hope the trapezoid goes the way of the inflatable dartboard, the underwater screen door, the solar-powered flashlight, and yes…even the glow puck. Not just to help curb headshots and injuries, but also to show that there is just as much upside in allowing goalies to play the puck wherever they so choose as there is downside.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Resolve
It’s time to see what this team is really made of.
Since assuming the full-time starting job for the Devils, Martin Brodeur has never played less than his 67 games in 1996-97. It’s fairly safe to say that since he usurped Chris Terreri as #1 goalie in 1994-95, he has unquestionably been the backbone of the New Jersey Devils. Never before in his career has Brodeur had an injury that will keep him out of commission for as long as his elbow surgery will require. Around 3-4 months on the shelf will ensure Brodeur a 100% recovery, but what’s a team to do without their franchise player?
While the unabashedly Devils-hating hockey media would kill to see New Jersey miss the playoffs for the first time since 1996, that will revolve not around backup goalie Kevin Weekes, but on the team in front of him.
It takes a special player to be a Devil; the job requires a level of character and discipline that most clubs could not ask of their players. And yet, despite the discipline, despite the character, recent history has shown an aura of laziness around Devils camp. Sure you have to work hard for your breaks, be strong on both sides of the puck, be responsible defensively…but if all else fails, chances are #30 will bail you out. This security blanket has come back to bite the team before, as there has been many a game where the team has relied too heavily on Marty and not enough on themselves.
But that is all about to change. The greatest player in franchise history is now out for half a season, and while Kevin Weekes has shown he is ready to take the reins, the question remains how the team will play in front of him.
Will the Devils roam the ice like lost puppies when they find themselves in a pinch and the old standby can’t help them, or will they take some responsibility for once and realize that they should have been the ones winning games all along, rallying in Brodeur’s absence?
That will be the deciding factor in whether this already injury-plagued season can be salvaged, or if we’ll be counting down the days to October.
Since assuming the full-time starting job for the Devils, Martin Brodeur has never played less than his 67 games in 1996-97. It’s fairly safe to say that since he usurped Chris Terreri as #1 goalie in 1994-95, he has unquestionably been the backbone of the New Jersey Devils. Never before in his career has Brodeur had an injury that will keep him out of commission for as long as his elbow surgery will require. Around 3-4 months on the shelf will ensure Brodeur a 100% recovery, but what’s a team to do without their franchise player?
While the unabashedly Devils-hating hockey media would kill to see New Jersey miss the playoffs for the first time since 1996, that will revolve not around backup goalie Kevin Weekes, but on the team in front of him.
It takes a special player to be a Devil; the job requires a level of character and discipline that most clubs could not ask of their players. And yet, despite the discipline, despite the character, recent history has shown an aura of laziness around Devils camp. Sure you have to work hard for your breaks, be strong on both sides of the puck, be responsible defensively…but if all else fails, chances are #30 will bail you out. This security blanket has come back to bite the team before, as there has been many a game where the team has relied too heavily on Marty and not enough on themselves.
But that is all about to change. The greatest player in franchise history is now out for half a season, and while Kevin Weekes has shown he is ready to take the reins, the question remains how the team will play in front of him.
Will the Devils roam the ice like lost puppies when they find themselves in a pinch and the old standby can’t help them, or will they take some responsibility for once and realize that they should have been the ones winning games all along, rallying in Brodeur’s absence?
That will be the deciding factor in whether this already injury-plagued season can be salvaged, or if we’ll be counting down the days to October.
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