PlayNow Sports Blog

NHL: Behind The Numbers – The Canucks’ Penalty Kill

PlayNowSports — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 21:08:38 +0000

A NUMBERS GAME: Can the Canucks’ Penalty Kill woes be blamed on Schneider and Luongo?

BY THOMAS DRANCE

Over the past several seasons the Canucks’ have relied on their polished, effective special teams units. Its been a key feature of this club’s DNA, and a critical reason they’ve managed to win back-to-back President’s Trophies. Just in terms of their conversion rates, they’ve been a top-ten power-play club for three seasons and a top-ten penalty killing club for the past two.

If you’ve been paying attention you already know that, through 19 games this season, Vancouver’s special teams effectiveness has atrophied in a major way. The Canucks are fifteenth in power-play percentage and nineteenth in penalty-killing percentage so far this season. Oddly enough, I’m significantly more worried about the power-play than the penalty-kill and figured I’d dive into the underlying data to explain why. This is a two part post, beginning with a look at the penalty kill.

Through 19 games, the Canucks are allowing opponents 51.9 shots per sixty minutes of power-play time. Only five other clubs are allowing shots against at a higher rate when short-handed, and most of those clubs are terrible at killing penalties. The major exception is the Ottawa Senators, who are third in the league in penalty-killing despite surrendering an astronomical 53 shots against per sixty minutes when short-handed. But they’re in the top-tier of penalty-killing clubs in the league mostly thanks to Craig Anderson’s ludicrous goaltending. It’s hard to imagine that their success is sustainable considering how permissive their penalty-killing units have been otherwise…

But let’s get back on track. Goaltenders are often called “the team’s most important penalty-killer” and that’s certainly true to a point. A dynamite goaltending performance can cover for a lot of sins, and that’s doubly true on the penalty-kill. But short-handed save percentage is not a repeatable skill, so a high save percentage on the penalty kill is mostly luck. As a general rule if your penalty-killers are giving up shots against and scoring chances against by the bucketfull, you’re going to get burned.

Maybe that’s what’s happening to the Canucks this season, though I’m not necessarily convinced. After all the Canucks penalty-kill has never been good at limiting shots against, even in seasons when the team had success in this area. For example, the club is allowing shots against at a lower rate this season than they did last year when they boasted an 86% kill-rate on penalties, and they’re only allowing roughly a shot more per sixty minutes than they did in 2010-11.

So the team’s struggles on the penalty-kill probably stem from something else, and it’s probably their goaltending. In both 2010-11 and 2011-12, Canucks goaltenders had a save percentage of .905 and .906 respectively while their team was down 4-on-5. This season that number is much less impressive, as Luongo and Schneider have combined to post an .850 save percentage with the Canucks down a man. That’s the big change here, and it’s the major reason why the Canucks are killing off fewer than eighty percent of the penalties they take through nineteen games.

Allow me to take a second to illustrate just how big an impact a .050% drop in short-handed save percentage will have on a penalty-kill’s conversion rate. If a team takes fifty shots on the power-play against the Canucks, but Vancouver’s goalies stop .905 of those shots: the Canucks’ variety of opponents would score five goals. If a team takes fifty shots on the power-play against the Canucks, but Vancouver’s goalies stop .850 of those shots against, that’s eight goals against.

So over a twenty game sample, that’s a five or six goal difference. In other words if Vancouver’s goalies had stopped .050% more of the shots they’ve faced short-handed: the penalty-kill would be chugging along at an 86.5% rate this season.

For the most part, Cory Schneider, has been fine short-handed this season. He’s posting a .873% save-percentage through ten starts this season, which is about league average and should be sustainable going forward. Roberto Luongo, however, is stopping only .826% of power-play shots faced.

These samples are only about fifty shots large, so they’re not predictive in any way and this isn’t to say that “Roberto Luongo is responsible for Vancouver’s porous penalty-killing,” which would be patently ridiculous. My point is that Vancouver’s goaltenders have both struggled short-handed this season and that it’s making the penalty-kill look somewhat worse than it is. Vancouver’s goalies are probably in for some positive regression going forward and that’ll help the team boost their penalty-kill conversion rate well north of 80% going forward.

That is, unless the club has been way too reliant on their netminders in short-handed situations over the past several years and it’s just now catching up to them. That’s definitely a possibility too, and a grim one at that.

NHL: Thursday Night Hockey

PlayNowSports — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 20:26:20 +0000

NO LONGER IN THE SHADOWS: Jordan Staal returns to Pittsburgh for the first time since being traded to Carolina in the summer and looks to take centre-stage.

BY JEFF ANGUS

A busy Thursday night of NHL action sees the puck dropped on 11 games across the league. The Maple Leafs will be getting goaltender James Reimer back from the injured reserve. Pittsburgh remains without star center Evgeni Malkin (concussion), but he is making progress towards a return.

The Detroit Red Wings dropped a 2-1 decision in Los Angeles last night, and they travelled north after the game to San Jose, where they will face the Sharks tonight. And in Big D, Kari Lehtonen returns to the Dallas lineup after missing a few weeks with a groin injury. The visiting Oilers will be in tough to put the puck past him, as he was playing lights out before going down with the injury.

Let’s take a closer look at four of the 11 matchups tonight.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS at NY ISLANDERS (-150, 5.5)
The Leafs will be getting their starting goaltender back for this one, and it couldn’t come soon enough after Ben Scrivens laid an egg in Montreal last night. To his credit, Scrivens has given Toronto rock solid goaltending in Reimer’s absence. The Islanders are a league-worst 2-8-0 on home ice this season, and they are barely drawing over 13,000 fans per game to the Coliseum (an old and decrepit building, but one that is apparently great for watching hockey).

Reimer isn’t the confirmed starter as of Thursday morning, but it is very likely that he makes his return tonight. Moulson and Tavares have both been very productive recently (and the rest of the season). Nazem Kadri has four assists in his last three games, and he leads Toronto in even strength assists on the season, too. He has been their most dangerous forward on many nights.

INTERESTING BETS
Leafs to WIN +110

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS at CAROLINA HURRICANES (+110, 5.5)
As mentioned above, the Penguins remain without Malkin for this one. This is also Jordan Staal’s first game against his former club. Without Malkin, the Penguins have bumped up former Hurricane Brandon Sutter to center the second scoring unit. Oh, and some guy named Sidney Crosby is leading the NHL in scoring with 20 points (12 of which have come on the power play).

Eric Staal has only two points in his last five games, and the Hurricanes need their offensive star to get back on track. Before his recent slump, Staal had 17 points in 11 games (eight of them wins for Carolina).

Jordan Staal on facing his old club:
“It is going to be fun. Obviously I was there for a long time and have a lot of memories in that organization,” Staal said. “It is going to be a big matchup for our team as well, playing against a good team. It will be a lot of new challenges and a good challenge for myself.”

INTERESTING BETS
Total Goals Over (5.5) -138

EDMONTON OILERS at DALLAS STARS (-150, 5)
At one time, Edmonton and Dallas was one of the very best rivalries in hockey. The two teams waged war in the postseason on more than one occasion (I still vividly remember Curtis Joseph stoning the likes of Mike Modano and Joe Nieuwendyk).

Dallas is getting its best player, Kari Lehtonen, back tonight. Lehtonen was an early season MVP contender with his strong play for the Stars, and in his absence the team really struggled to keep the puck out of its own net (neither Cristopher Nilstorp nor Richard Bachman stepped up to deliver the kind of goaltending the Stars were hoping for).

Nugent-Hopkins has really struggled this season, and the above chart reflects his lack of offensive production. He started off in late January with some points, but his February has been a month to forget.

Taylor Hall will be back after serving a two game suspension for a hit on Minnesota’s Cal Clutterbuck, and the Oilers are a much better team with Hall in the lineup. The dynamic winger is tough to contain for opposing defensemen (especially at even strength), and he seems to bring out the best in his linemates (Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle) too.

Dallas will have their new acquisition, Erik Cole, skating on the third line with Cody Eakin and Reilly Smith. Cole will play on the right wing, and there isn’t any room in the top six for him right now, as Loui Eriksson and Jaromir Jagr are the other two right wingers. Dallas will be a tough team to contain with three scoring lines, and they have been generating offense better than most teams recently (28 goals scored in their last seven games).

Jamie Benn is a minus-6 in his last two games, despite being productive offensively. His line needs to shore up their defensive play as they will likely be out against Edmonton’s talented young trio.

INTERESTING BETS
Total Goals Under 5.0 (+120)

DETROIT RED WINGS at SAN JOSE SHARKS (-200, 5.5)
The Red Wings dropped a heartbreaker in Los Angeles last night, squandering a 1-0 lead late in the third period. They leaned heavily on the Nicklas Kronwall-Jonathan Ericsson pairing, and it will be interesting to see how the defensive minutes are managed tonight against the Sharks.

Kronwall has been on fire in his last little while (as you can see from above). Antti Niemi and Jimmy Howard are both playing great hockey right now, and the Sharks need to get some offensive production from their top guys if they want to get back on track. February has been a month to forget for the Sharks. They have won only two of 11 games in regulation, and have scored a measly 15 games in that span.

Ryane Clowe, who is returning from a two game suspension, has yet to find the back of the net this season for San Jose. The Red Wings have lost three straight road games, too. Something has to give tonight between two teams that are underperforming.

INTERESTING BETS
Red Wings to WIN (+150)
Detroit to win 3-1 (+1900)

NHL: 5 AHL Players To Watch Out For

PlayNowSports — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 20:42:29 +0000

RISING STAR: Matt Fraser is looking to make the leap from the AHL and make an impact for Dallas in the NHL

BY JEFF ANGUS

The American Hockey League is a fantastic developmental league. It is very rare that a top young prospect will play in the NHL without getting his feet wet professionally in the AHL (notable exceptions include Sidney Crosby and Steven Stamkos). Most young hockey players spend some time on an AHL team as a right of passage to the NHL.

And with the lockout of 2012, the AHL has been home to some fantastic hockey this season. Jordan Eberle, Justin Schultz, and the rest of the young Oilers were dominant when playing for Oklahoma City (Eberle and Schultz still rank third and sixth in league scoring, respectively). Several other top young NHLers suited up for their team’s AHL affiliates, including Cody Hodgson, Zack Kassian, Nazem Kadri, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

All of those top young prospects are now playing full-time in the NHL, but there are still some impressive young players competing for a regular spot on an NHL roster. Here are five young guys who’s names you will be hearing more and more.

TYLER TOFFOLI – MANCHESTER MONARCHS (LA KINGS)
Detroit Red Wings at Los Angeles Kings (-175, 5)
Drafted – 2^nd round (47^th overall) in 2010
Notable Number – 26 goals in 51 games

Toffoli is a natural goal scorer. He scored 109 goals during his final two OHL seasons, and he is currently second in goal scoring in the AHL. And with the Simon Gagne trade, he is likely next in line for a shot at a top nine wing spot with the Kings.

For now, the Kings are going to go with eight defensemen, as they have several young guys adjusting to life in the NHL. However, don’t be surprised to see Toffoli get the call up at some point over the next few weeks. His quick adjustment to the AHL (this is his first season of pro hockey) has been very impressive, and he is ready to prove himself against the best in the world. Not many reigning Stanley Cup champs have the luxury of being able to call up a sniper like Toffoli from the farm.

JASON ZUCKER – HOUSTON AEROS (MINNESOTA WILD)
Minnesota Wild at Phoenix Coyotes (-150, 5)
Drafted – 2^nd round (59^th overall) in 2010
Notable Number – 41 points in 47 games

Throughout Zucker’s college career at Denver, he was compared to current Minnesota teammate Zach Parise. Like Parise, Zucker isn’t very big (5-11 and 185 pounds). However, he competes hard and plays a tenacious and complete game, also like Parise. And now that the two players are in the same organization, look for Parise to take on a leadership/mentor role with Zucker and the other young Minnesota players.

Zucker was having a very strong rookie pro season down in Houston (19 goals so far in 2012-13) before the Wild called him up a few weeks ago. He is going to be a very good NHL player for a very long time – his versatility will enable him to play a variety of roles. Zucker is one of the better prospects in the Wild organization, and they have arguably the best collection of prospects in hockey (Florida is in the discussion too).

His first NHL goal was a thing of beauty:

NINO NIEDERREITER – BRIDGEPORT SOUND TIGERS (NY ISLANDERS)
Toronto Maple Leafs at NY Islanders (-150, 5.5)
Drafted – 1^st round (5^th overall) in 2010
Notable Number – 22 goals in 51 games

After a very disappointing rookie season on Long Island in 2011-12 (seriously – one goal and no assists in 55 games, to go along with a minus-29 rating), Niederreiter needed some time to find his game and get some confidence back. Mission accomplished. He should be in the NHL right now, but the Islanders are reluctant to have to pay him his rookie salary (he wasn’t even invited to training camp). Things became a bit uncomfortable in January when Niederreiter apparently asked the Islanders for a trade, but that issue appears to have died down – for now.

In the long run, spending the entire season in the AHL will benefit Niederreiter tremendously. He is very strong and powerful (think Marian Hossa) with the puck on his stick, and he makes it tough on opposing defensemen because of his size (6-2, 210 pounds) and puck protection abilities.

The Islanders have deservedly received some criticism for their handling of the former fifth overall draft pick. Many speculate they kept him around last year as a struggling rookie to use his inflated rookie salary (high first round picks have a lot of bonuses that count against the cap) to stay above the salary cap floor. And this season, now that they are above the floor (thanks Tim Thomas!), they have no need for Niederreiter (except, you know… to score goals and win games).

RYAN SPOONER – PROVIDENCE BRUINS (BOSTON BRUINS)
Ottawa Senators at Boston Bruins (-225, 5)
Drafted – 2^nd round (45^th overall) in 2010
Notable Number – Only eight PIM in 43 games

The rich get richer – Boston has a few talented young forwards in the system, but none are closer to making the NHL than Spooner. The former OHL star isn’t very big, but he is a really smart player. As a rookie pro this season, he has been Providence’s most dangerous forward on many nights. And his lack of size won’t be a huge issue on Boston, as the team has enough size to open up lots of ice for the smaller skilled guys (like Spooner).

The Bruins have most of their offensive forwards locked up for a few years. Nathan Horton is set to become a free agent this summer, but Milan Lucic, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Tyler Seguin, Rich Peverley, and Brad Marchand are all signed through at least 2014. Spooner will have to fight hard to earn a full-time spot on such a deep and talented team.

MATT FRASER – TEXAS STARS (DALLAS STARS)
Drafted – signed as a free agent out of the WHL
Notable Number: 24 goals in 51 games

The fact that Fraser was never drafted is pretty astounding. Sure, he wasn’t the best defensive forward during his WHL career, and he wasn’t the fastest skater, but he put the puck in the net better than most of his peers.

The 22-year-old winger has been a phenomenal scorer in pro hockey, too. Fraser had 37 goals last year in the AHL with Texas, and he had 24 goals in 51 games in 2012-13 before getting the call up to Dallas. He has looked good in the NHL, finding open ice to use his shot, and playing a big game and helping Dallas to establish the cycle game (their best weapon with so many big forwards).

Players like Fraser are great examples of how far hard work can carry a player. Getting passed over at multiple NHL drafts has to be a tough pill to swallow, especially for a player who had such a solid WHL career (Fraser’s best play came during Kootenay’s Memorial Cup run back in 2011 – he scored 17 goals in only 19 postseason games).

The first of many NHL goals – Fraser shows off his heavy shot:

NHL: The Return of Booth and Kesler to the Canucks’ Roster

PlayNowSports — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:31:54 +0000

EARLY RETURNS: David Booth has yet to score a goal in the four games since coming back from injury and that has hurt the Canucks

BY THOMAS DRANCE

At beginning of this 2013 lockout shortened NHL campaign, the Canucks were short-handed due to a couple of injuries to their best two-way forwards Ryan Kesler and David Booth.

Now Ryan Kesler is a Selke winner well known for his defensive prowess, but few observers tend to think of David Booth as a two-way ace. But he is. Booth doesn’t kill penalties generally speaking, and isn’t a guy who often appears to be doing the hard work in his own end. Largely that’s because he doesn’t have to: Booth dominates the puck and is excellent in puck battles along the boards. Sometimes the best defense, is a good offense and while David Booth’s finishing ability may be below average (and he’s pointless through four games) his ability to tilt the ice towards the opponent’s net makes that the case here.

In his four games this season, David Booth appears to be none the worse for wear as a result of the groin injury he suffered at the very first day of fitness training. Playing primarily alongside Jordan Schroeder and Mason Raymond, Booth is posting some completely ridiculous possession numbers and arguably that third line has been Vancouver’s best since Booth’s return. These numbers are inflated by the small sample of games that Booth has appeared in and are probably unsustainable, but the Canucks have controlled 70% of all on-ice events (goals, shots, missed shots and blocked shots) with Booth on the ice over the course of nearly fifty minutes.

The goals haven’t been there for Booth yet and that’s a concern, I suppose, mostly because the evidence is mounting that he’s a shooting percentage outlier. But it’s worth remembering that Booth’s 0.0% on-ice shooting percentage is, uh, completely unsustainable and he hasn’t had much of any power-play time to start the season. That’s especially baffling considering that Booth is Vancouver’s third most efficient power-play scorer over the past four seasons (behind only Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler). The goals will come for Booth – especially if Vancouver dominates their games with him on the ice, as they’ve done in his first four contests.

Ryan Kesler meanwhile is a more interesting case in that unlike Booth who has returned and been gangbusters right off of the bat – Kesler appears to still be labouring from his pair of offseason surgeries. He’s been reasonably productive through seven games, recording five points in those contests and reinvigorating the Canucks’ moribund power-play. But to the eyes, and by the numbers: Kesler hasn’t been himself in his seven games so far and that has to be a matter of some concern for the Canucks.

Playing primarily with Chris Higgins and Jannik Hansen, Ryan Kesler is under-water by the underlying data with his line “losing” more shifts than they’re winning. They’ve had some good moments – a stellar shift late in the first period in Detroit, a dominant shift in the second frame in Nashville, but those moments have been few and far between so far. Maybe we’re just spoiled and expect Kesler to kick his opponent’s teeth in regardless of his matchups or deployment (as he’s done since 2008 at least) and in fairness his line is facing more difficult competition and playing bigger minutes than the Schroeder-Booth-Raymond line. All qualifications aside, Kesler hasn’t looked or performed like Vancouver’s best even-strength forward so far.

In Kesler’s case it’s likely that his form will return as his strength and conditioning get back to normal levels. Until that happens, however, Vancouver will remain only a “very good team” and not an “elite” one.

One thing that might be worth trying out, if only to give Kesler’s line a jump-start, could be to see how he performs with David Booth. While many observed that Kesler and Booth appeared to “lack chemistry” a season ago, in truth, they were actually one of Vancouver’s most reliable lines. Booth is crushing it from a puck possession standpoint early on in his return, while Kesler is struggling in this regard. I tend to think the Canucks would prefer Booth to offset the lack of size that Raymond and Schroeder possess – especially since Zack Kassian hasn’t performed like a top-9 forward since January. But with Kesler struggling to find his groove, perhaps it might be worth it to let Kesler ride Booth like a backpack for the time being.

Coming off of two straight uninspired losses at the hands of the Red Wings and the Coyotes, I think we can safely expect Alain Vigneault to juggle his lines a bit ahead of this weekend’s double header against the Kings and the Flames. Reuniting Booth and Kesler, and getting Booth some power-play minutes should be priority number one and two.

NHL: The Biggest Surprises of 2013 So Far

PlayNowSports — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:20:11 +0000

SURPRISE!: Not many expected the Anaheim Ducks to be the dominant force they have been this season

BY JEFF ANGUS

Many expected that the 2013 NHL season would bring about a lot of crazy and interesting news stories. Because the season is only 48 games long, the chances that luck or randomness factor in to the performance of a player or a team are a lot better than during a typical 82 game season.

Looking at the current scoring race, there aren’t really any surprise names at the top of the list. The top three scorers are arguably the top three players in hockey – Steven Stamkos, Sidney Crosby, and John Tavares. However, if you keep looking down the list, there are a few surprising names on there (as well as a few surprising names not on there).

Let’s take a look at five stories from the first month of hockey that have been quite a bit of a surprise.

5. CRAIG ANDERSON’S DOMINANCE IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL
Montreal Canadiens at Ottawa Senators (+110, 5)
Ottawa’s Craig Anderson has been phenomenal in 2013. And they will need him to continue his strong play when he returns from an ankle injury, as the club’s two best players (Erik Karlsson and Jason Spezza) are out for the 2013 season (there is a chance Spezza returns at the end of the season or in the playoffs if Ottawa makes it).

Anderson spent the lockout working with Francois Allaire, and his hard work has definitely paid off. He has had stretches of dominant play in his NHL career (he was very good last year in Ottawa, and he carried the Avalanche to the postseason a few years ago). Is it time to start considering Anderson as one of the best in the game? He has allowed only 22 goals on the 459 shots he has faced this season (good enough for a sizzling .952 save percentage).

4. THE STRUGGLES OF SHEA WEBER AND RYAN SUTER
Dallas Stars at Nashville Predators (-175, 5)
Calgary Flames at Minnesota Wild (-175, 5)
Some expected Weber and Suter to regress a bit without each other this season, but I don’t think anyone expected the two defensive studs to struggle as much as they have (especially offensively). The duo obviously benefitted tremendously from playing with each other – not only was there a level of comfort, but both of them are phenomenal puck movers. Without Weber, Suter has had to do more on his own (and he has been trying to force things a bit, likely feeling the pressure of his massive contract with Minnesota).

And without Suter, Weber’s offensive production had all but dried up before a recent scoring surge. Suter is starting to play better over the past few weeks, but he needs some help from Minnesota’s other defensemen. Weber hasn’t struggled as much as Suter has, but his production is still well below where you would expect. Suter is averaging close to 28 minutes of ice time per game – a full minute more per game than he played last season in Nashville. He has yet to score a goal through 17 games (although he does have nine helpers).

Weber has five points in his last five games after recording one measly assist in his first 13 games of the season. His ice time hasn’t changed at all from last season (26:09 per game compared to 26:10 per game in 2011-12), but he doesn’t have the swift-skating Suter at his side to help move the puck up the ice.

Expect both defensemen to rebound, but don’t count on them to repeat last season’s production at any point in the near future.

3. ONE-GOAL RYAN NUGENT HOPKINS
Edmonton Oilers at Chicago Blackhawks (-200, 5.5)
After dominating in the AHL during the lockout, the young Oilers were expected to do the same at the NHL level in 2013. That hasn’t been the case, and Nugent-Hopkins has been struggling most of all. He has been dealing with a chronic shoulder issue (not sure why this isn’t a bigger deal), and it is obviously affecting how he has been playing.

The shifty center has only one goal in 16 games this season after scoring 18 as a rookie last year. His linemate Jordan Eberle, who was leading the AHL in scoring when the lockout ended, has also struggled.

Last year, with Jordan Eberle on the ice, the Oilers scored on 12.8 percent of all shots they took 5-on-5. That is an extremely high figure – so high in fact, that only one player in the league (Steven Stamkos in Tampa Bay) bettered it. This year with Eberle on the ice, the Oilers have scored on just 4.8 percent of shots taken, which is at the other end of the scale – among the 368 forwards to play 40 or more games last season, 336 of them were more likely to see a shot turned into a goal while they were on the ice. The numbers are less drastic for Nugent-Hopkins (from 10.8 percent down to 6.7 percent), but the effect is the same. The drop in on-ice shooting percentage almost exactly matches the percentage drop in 5-on-5 scoring in both cases.

If Nugent-Hopkins doesn’t turn things around soon, do the Oilers think about finding a long-term fix for his shoulder (assuming one is warranted)?

2. INJURIES, INJURIES AND MORE INJURIES
With no preseason and a very short training camp, injuries were expected to be up this year. They are, but I don’t think many people predicted they would be as many injuries as there currently are across the league. And the rash of injuries isn’t related to rust or fitness – they aren’t all groin strains or other skating-related injuries.

The Senators, as mentioned above, have been hit hardest. However, the Red Wings, Oilers, Rangers, Flyers, and Capitals aren’t far behind. Injuries play a huge role in determining who emerges as Stanley Cup champ every year (it is usually the healthiest team as the playoffs drag on – look at Los Angeles last season and Boston in 2011), and this season they will also play a huge role in determining who simply qualifies for the postseason.

1. THE ANAHEIM DUCKS
Anaheim Ducks at LA Kings (-162, 5)
The Ducks are proving to be a lot more than a team off to a quick start. Anaheim is 8-2-1 in games where the other team scores first, and they have won six straight games. Viktor Fasth has been spectacular in goal, and the team rewarded his strong start with a two-year contract extension. Must be nice to earn a few million bucks off of a strong couple of weeks?

The Ducks are third in the NHL in goals for (3.3 per game), and their 26.9 percent efficiency on the power play is fourth best in the league.

Ryan Getzlaf is leading the charge offensively with six goals and 17 points in 16 games. After scoring only 11 goals in 82 games last season, Getzlaf had a lot to prove this season (and he’s looking for a nice new contract, too). After him, the offense has been spread out across a few lines. Teemu Selanne, Corey Perry, Saku Koivu, and Bobby Ryan have all been productive.

Depth forwards Andrew Cogliano, Nick Bonino, Kyle Palmieri, and Daniel Winnik have also been contributing. And the Ducks aren’t missing young defenseman and former prospect Justin Schultz (who opted not to sign with the team to become a free agent) on the back end. Francois Beauchemin has been one of the best defensemen in the NHL in 2013, and Sheldon Souray has been lethal on the power play.

The Ducks are very for real, and they could make a serious run this year if they decide to pick up a piece or two at the trade deadline.

NHL: How The Predators Are Overcoming Their Annual Roster Churn

PlayNowSports — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 20:45:40 +0000

NOT THE ONLY REASON: Pekka Rinne is an obvious candidate for why the Predators continue to succeed, but is he the only reason?

BY THOMAS DRANCE

Vancouver Canucks at Nashville Predators (-120, 5)

Like the Black Knight in Monty Python’s Holy Grail, the Predators keep on coming. For the small market franchise, for whatever reason, it doesn’t even seem to matter how horrific the damage inflicted on their roster by the annual offseason cleaving of talent.

Every summer, the Predators lose a high-profile player or two and are written off by hockey pundits and analysts. This summer the Predators suffered probably their biggest blow since they traded Tomas Vokoun, Scott Hartnell and Kimmo Timonen within a week of each other. Through free-agency or defection, the Predators went into this season down the likes of Alexander Radulov, Andrei Kostitsyn and Ryan Suter, three players whom they relied on a season ago. Losing those three (Radulov and Kostitsyn’s reputations aside, they’re quality top-six forwards in the NHL) is a big step up from losing out on useful defensive winger Joel Ward – the biggest loss following the 2010-11 season, and it was widely assumed that this was finally the year that the Predators would collapse under the force of multiple “flesh wounds.”

So far – surprise, surprise – that hasn’t been the case. Through seventeen games, the Predators are fifth in the Western Conference in point percentage and sit second in the Central division. behind only the record setting buzzsaw that is the Chicago Blackhawks. They’ve managed this despite being a terrible possession team that is currently sporting a weak goal differential, meaning they’ve probably out performed their true talent as a club in amassing an 8-4-5 record to begin the season. Yet, I wouldn’t confidently predict the Predators to regress.

The reason? Even if you take away Pekka Rinne, who is the third best goaltender in the NHL outside of Henrik Lundqvist and Roberto Luongo, the Predators are a super elite defensive club. Of course we shouldn’t take away Pekka Rinne, whose .946 even-strength save percentage is completely unsustainable but whose very likely to post an even-strength save percentage somewhere in the vicinity of .930% this season (which is ridiculous). Rinne has been consistently excellent for two seasons as a full-time starter, he’s probably the most athletic of the “elite” goaltenders and he does more to control the game with his puck-handling than any goaltender not named “Martin Broduer.”

As for the defense, they’ve weathered the absence of bonafide top-pairing guy Ryan Suter pretty impressively so far this season. Much was made about Shea Weber’s lack of production in the early going this season, but that was percentage based and to no ones surprise he’s turned it around.

But the offense is gravy from Nashville’s 1A right-side defenseman, what really matters is that Weber is playing some of the most difficult minutes in hockey – soaking up difficult matchups and starting the lowest percentage of shifts in the offensive-zone among all Predators defenseman while playing with a replacement level top-four guy on occasion (in Scott Hannan) – and the Predators are still outscoring their opponents with Weber on the ice.

Some of that is luck (the defensive percentages have been very kind to Weber at even-strength, though that’s the benefit of playing behind Pekka Rinne) but a fair portion of it is also that Shea Weber is ridiculously good at hockey. Consider that opponents are generating shots against the Predators at a clip of 24.2 per sixty minutes when Weber is on the ice. Only Ryan Ellis and Hal Gill – two defenseman who have their matchups manipulated very carefully by Barry Trotz – are surrendering shots against at a stingier clip than Weber so far this season.

I’d also argue that Weber’s possession data looks worse than it really is. When Weber has skated with slick young Swiss puck mover Roman Josi – who is a really exceptional talent, and very effective in a top-four role already – Weber’s more or less an even possession player and that’s the way the Predators will play tonight against the Canucks.

Beyond that top-pairing the Predators will ice two right-handed shots in Kevin Klein and former Vancouver Giant Jonathon Blum as their ostensible second pair, while bargain free-agent signing Scott Hannan babysits offensive dynamo (and pipsqueak) Ryan Ellis on the third pairing. In case you’re wondering how a small market team keeps afloat in a salary cap system despite massive budgetary restrictions: five of those defenseman were drafted by the Predators originally and the sixth signed a one year, one million dollar deal this summer.

Nashville’s six defenseman, three of whom I’d describe as “green around the gills,” have combined to make Nashville a top-five defensive club in terms of goals against at evens strength and in terms of shots against (only St. Louis, Los Angeles and New Jersey allow shots against at a lower rate). Rinne’s save percentage isn’t sustainable, but if the Predators can continue to slow down the pace of games he’ll still be the better goaltender more often than not. So far that style of play has allowed the Predators to manage their losses (they’re the recipient of a league leading five Bettman points) and in a shortened season where the difference between a playoff team and a non-playoff team is likely to be razor thin: that could make all the difference.

Offensively, the Predators are anemic. Their power-play – so potent a year ago thanks to an inflated shooting percentage – has predictably regressed this year, and the Preds have only managed 28 even-strength goals on the season. Obviously they’re going to need to score more than that – no matter how good they’re defensively – and with Patric Hornqvist back in the lineup I tend to think they’ll manage to do that. Hornqvist who returned this week after playing only the first three games of the season, has already recorded – and this isn’t a typo – sixteen shots on goal in two games this week. Think he might offer some critical help to an offensively challenged club?

Ho hum. The Predators are, once again, poised to outperform their “true talent” and it’s thanks to out of this world goaltender, the reliability of their homegrown blue-line talent and the complete dominance of Shea Weber.

NHL: Friday Five For 22 February

PlayNowSports — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 20:07:50 +0000

THE LAST TASTE OF THE NHL: With nine years remaining on his 15-year contract, Rick DiPietro has been put on waivers by the NY Islanders

BY JEFF ANGUS

In today’s instalment of the Friday Five, I take a look at Kevin Bieksa’s recent scoring exploits, why Lindy Ruff was a scapegoat in Buffalo, the best hockey movies of all time, and much more.

5. NEW SEASON, SAME RESULTS IN EDMONTON
Phoenix Coyotes at Edmonton Oilers (-120, 5)
2013 started with so much promise for the young Oilers. They were supposed to be one of the most exciting teams in the NHL. And things started really well – Nail Yakupov made an immediate impact with some huge early-season goals. But Edmonton didn’t win early on because of their offense; it was because of the rock solid play from goaltender Devan Dubnyk.

Dubnyk has struggled in February, and the offense has dried up. Yakupov has no goals in eight games, and only one point in his last six contests. Justin Schultz’s offense has disappeared too, and he is still a work-in-progress in the defensive zone. Taylor Hall is facing a suspension for a reckless hit on Minnesota forward Cal Clutterbuck. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has only one goal this season. After scoring 34 goals last season and 25 in 34 AHL games during the lockout, Jordan Eberle “only” has five in 16 games this season.

Edmonton will still very likely emerge as a force in the NHL at some point in the near future. However, their struggles in 2013 show once again the dangers of relying on young players on a consistent basis.

4. LINDY RUFF ERA OVER IN BUFFALO
New York Islanders at Buffalo Sabres (-138, 5.5)
What is Ruff supposed to do with a team that is awful at faceoffs? Buffalo simply can’t compete with most other Eastern Conference teams up the middle. Cody Hodgson is great offensively and on the PP, but he is a major defensive liability at even strength (especially against top six centers). Tyler Ennis isn’t strong enough defensively to play a regular top six role right now, either. Steve Ott is great on the draw, but he isn’t a top six forward.

The Sabres miss Paul Gaustad, who they traded to Nashville last year. They also miss Derek Roy, but I think both sides needed a fresh start from that relationship. Ruff’s defensive core has also really struggled – Tyler Myers has really regressed since a great rookie year, and he doesn’t even look like an NHL defenseman on many nights. Christian Ehrhoff is a great defenseman, but he isn’t a 27-28-minute-a-night defenseman who can shut down top opposing players (and that is the role he has to currently play for the Sabres).

It was probably time to get a fresh voice in the Buffalo locker room, but I’d place more of the blame upstairs than with Ruff. Poor player personnel decisions (Ville Leino, to name one), and a lack of a true team identity have crippled the Sabres. Buffalo used to have the speed/skill thing going for them, but they have tried to toughen up in recent years. That has led to a team without much of an identity, and as we have seen with Washington, a lack of an identity is an absolute killer for a hockey team.

3. THE ISLANDERS (FINALLY) PUT RICK DIPIETRO ON WAIVERS
New York Islanders at Buffalo Sabres (-138, 5.5)
If they choose to buy him out (assuming no other team wants to put a claim in on an injury-prone backup who is owed money for eternity), they will have to pay him until 2029. Think that’s bad? The New York Mets are paying former player Bobby Bonilla until 2035. And Bonilla retired in 2001. Now that is a nice retirement package. DiPietro has been brutal ever since getting his face caved in by Pittsburgh goaltender Brent Johnson a few years ago.

Over the last two seasons, DiPietro has finished one game with a save percentage above .900. One game. His days as an NHL goaltender are over. It has been an unfortunate and unlucky career for the guy brought in to save Long Island – former GM Mike Milbury moved a young Roberto Luongo to make room for DiPietro after drafting him 1^st overall back in 2000.

2. THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE KEVIN BIEKSA
Vancouver Canucks at Nashville Predators (-120, 5)
Kevin Bieksa has five goals in his last eight games. He scored a beauty on the rush against Dallas on Thursday night. Bieksa is an interesting and unique defenseman to analyze because he plays such a non-traditional game. I have always compared his game to Chris Chelios’. Both were/are undersized and tenacious defensemen who rely mostly on instincts and active sticks to make defensive plays. Both are also very aggressive offensively, and this leads to chances for (and sometimes chances against).

When Bieksa is playing well, he is making great reads, quick passes, and smart pinches up the ice. When he isn’t, he is sliding out of position, going out of his way to throw hits, and taking dumb penalties. Bieksa looks worse than most defensemen when he is struggling because he doesn’t play like most defensemen. But he has carved out a pretty nice career as a very good top pairing defenseman, and Canucks fans know that his slumps never last too long.

1. AND JUST BECAUSE IT IS THE WEEKEND: BEST HOCKEY MOVIE
What is your favourite hockey movie? Slapshot is an obvious classic, as is Youngblood. I really enjoyed Goon, and am looking forward to Goon 2. Miracle was also a great movie, as they did a tremendous job capturing the moment of the 1980 Miracle on Ice at Lake Placid.

My top five:

1. Slapshot (impossible to go against this classic – I mean, its Paul Newman!)

2. Miracle (great movie, great acting, great hockey scenes)

3. Goon (much better/funnier than anticipated, does a good job capturing the life of a depth/fringe player on a hockey team)

4. Mighty Ducks: D2 (the first one was great, the second one was a classic. Knuckle Puck time!)

5. Mighty Ducks (a classic that introduced us to Gordon Bombay, quite possibly the most revolutionary coach in hockey history).

NHL: Canucks at Stars Preview

PlayNowSports — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 18:01:18 +0000

CANUCKS SHOOTING FOR THE STARS: The Canucks are looking to get back on a winning streak against a recently mediocre Stars team.

BY JEFF ANGUS

Vancouver Canucks at Dallas Stars (+120, 5.5)

The Canucks head into Big D tonight looking for some revenge. The Stars, powered by a late third period tally from defenseman Brenden Dillon, surprised the Canucks for a 4-3 victory last Friday night at Rogers Arena. That game marked the first time in over three years (October 2009) that the Canucks lost a game in regulation at home after leading through two periods.

The Canucks are turning to Cory Schneider tonight, while the Stars will counter with Cristopher Nilstorp. Vancouver also shuffled up their defensive pairings a bit, moving Chris Tanev up with Alex Edler. The move allows Edler to return to the left side, where he is much more comfortable. Jason Garrison slides down to the third pairing with Keith Ballard, forming the “overpaid former Florida Panthers defensemen” pairing… for now, at least.

Read on for a few keys to the game for each team. And if you want to get a bit more insight on each team, I’d suggest reading the CanucksArmy for Canucks news and notes, and DefendingBigD for all things related to the Stars.

VANCOUVER WILL WIN IF…

CANUCKS CAPITALIZE ON THEIR CHANCES
During the loss to Dallas last week, they generated a lot offensively but were unable to come away with the victory. Scoring three goals is never a bad thing, especially with a goalie like Cory Schneider in between the pipes. However, the Canucks should have had five or six goals on Dallas backup Richard Bachman, who came in as a replacement for the injured Kari Lehtonen. They need to find a way to get a few past Nilstorp early.

Nilstorp is playing better hockey this season than Bachman – he was sensational in the AHL during the lockout, too. In his two NHL starts this season, Nilstorp is winless with a .918 save percentage and a 2.70 GAA.

Vancouver’s road powerplay is operating at 15% efficiency (compared to 22.2% on home ice). Having Kesler back should bump the PP back up to the top of the league. He has by far the most deadly one-timer on the team, and the fact that he shoots right opens up a lot more ice for the Sedins to work with.

CANUCKS USE THEIR SPEED
Vancouver is a much quicker team in transition than the Stars are. Even without suspended forward Jannik Hansen, the Canucks boast speed on every line, outside of Sedin-Sedin-Burrows. They need to find a way to get in behind the Dallas defense. If they do that consistently, they will be very successful tonight. On that note, look for Ryan Kesler to factor prominently into tonight’s contest.

SCHNEIDER STEPS UP
Schneider wasn’t great in the loss last Friday, allowing a few suspect goals. However, he was sensational in Chicago on Tuesday night, as he was the only reason the Canucks escaped with a point in a 4-3 shootout loss. Schneider stopped three breakaways in the first period alone, and on some pretty good shooters, too. Outside of opening night and the Dallas game, Schneider has been rock solid in goal for the Canucks in 2013.

DALLAS WILL WIN IF…

NILSTORP STANDS ON HIS HEAD
Vancouver is a more talented team than Dallas, and the Stars will need Nilstorp to steal this one tonight if they want to defeat the Canucks for a second straight game. As mentioned above, while his NHL career has been very short, Nilstorp has been a successful goalie at the AHL level and back in Sweden, as well. The Canucks have never faced him, and even with advances in video scouting, he represents a new challenge to their shooters, as they will have to learn his tendencies quite quickly.

STARS SLOW THE GAME DOWN
What Dallas lacks in foot speed they make up for in board play and strength on the puck. Jaromir Jagr and Jamie Benn are two of the strongest forwards in the NHL, and they have been successful this season with generating offense from the boards and behind the net (that is how the Dillon game winner started – Jagr won a puck battle behind the net against Alex Edler).

Dallas also loses some mobility on the back end with the absence of veteran defenseman Trevor Daley. Jordie Benn, the older brother of Jamie, draws in to the lineup. He played a few games for Dallas at the beginning of the season before getting sent down to the AHL.

The defense, outside of Dillon and Stephane Robidas, has been suspect, relying on Kari Lehtonen to bail them out on many occasions this season.

STARS WIN THE SPECIAL TEAMS BATTLE
If Dallas can have some success on the man advantage, their chances of winning this game increase significantly (seems obvious, I know). The Stars miss Ray “the Wizard” Whitney and his ability to run the power play, but they still have a number of highly-skilled players who can put the puck in the net.

Dallas is 5-for-20 on the powerplay at home – not a huge sample size, but very efficient nonetheless.

INTERESTING BETS
Alex Burrows to score the first goal (+750)
Burrows is back with the Sedin twins, and the line has really started to roll over the past few games. Look for Burrows to pot one tonight in Dallas.

Vancouver Canucks -1.5 (+188)
Schneider was great last game. Nilstorp has only two games of NHL experience, and the Stars are without Daley, arguably their best (or second best) defenseman. Their defensive group was already thin with Daley in the lineup.

Second Period Goals – Over 1.5 (-150)
The Canucks have allowed 16 second period goals this season. The Stars have allowed 20. The middle stanza has not been kind to either club.

NHL: Quick Hits – Do Not Panic About The Canucks’ Defensive Issues

PlayNowSports — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:01:10 +0000

BEND BUT NOT BREAK: The Canucks’ defense has looked porous and soft in recent games

BY THOMAS DRANCE

To say that Vancouver’s defensive play was “permissive” against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night is a massive under-statement. It was, quite easily, the worst defensive performance the club has put in during a single game over the past three years, and of course the mood in Canuckistan is grim as a direct result. But before you go making Jason Garrison – and his positive possession play against tough opposition – a healthy scratch in favour of Cam Barker, you should probably take a deep breath.

There’s a few factors at play here and an awful lot of less-panicky buttons that Alain Vigneault and Rick Bowness (who runs the defense), can push to fix Vancouver’s issues. That is if the issues even exist, and I’m not completely sure that they do.

For example, while the Canucks were a swiss cheese defensive unit last night, it’s not as if they’ve been building to this crescendo of sloppy coverage over the past few games. In fact, Vancouver’s defensive play during their recent homestand was pretty solid and they held two likely playoff teams in the Stars (Vancouver Canucks at Dallas Stars (+120, 5.5)) and the St. Louis Blues to fewer than ten scoring chances at even-strength in the games leading up to Tuesday night. It’s also not necessarily that the Canucks matchup poorly with the Blackhawks in particular – though arguably they do – as they were able to hold Chicago’s team to 12 even-strength chances in the previous meeting between the two clubs in January.

To me, it appears like last night’s game was a one off fire drill outing for Vancouver defensively, and I really don’t think it necessarily revealed any dire structural issues. Vancouver’s defenders were beaten one-on-one pretty consistently by a variety of Chicago forwards, but sometimes even a stellar blue-line group is going to have an awful game like Vancouver’s did. The key is not to over-react to the result of any one play.

For example, Jason Garrison looked completely lost on Marian Hossa’s second goal on Tuesday night. He basically stayed in no-man’s land, was late on any semblance of panic coverage and allowed Marian Hossa to walk untouched into the slot. That’s ugly, of course. But while he continues to underwhelm Canucks fans – partly because of a lack of offensive production, and the fact that he looked like a square hole in a round peg on Vancouver’s first power-play unit early in the season – the fact remains that Jason Garrison has been a huge upgrade over Sami Salo at even-strength so far this season. He’s playing the second toughest minutes on the team, and while he’s been fortunate with the bounces (his 106 PDO will regress significantly over the balance of the season) the Canucks have managed to control play and limit the goals against (generally speaking) with him on the ice.

Look, I’ve been consistent in saying that Vancouver’s blue-line probably isn’t quite the “strength” that other analysts though it was. But they’re certainly nowhere near as woeful as a group as they looked Tuesday night.

Vancouver Canucks at Dallas Stars (+120, 5.5)
Hockey Betting
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NHL: Five Teams That Fans Love To Hate

PlayNowSports — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:18:23 +0000

LOVE TO HATE: The Boston Bruins are among the top teams that fans love to hate including some of their players like Brad Marchand

BY JEFF ANGUS

There are a lot of reasons to dislike an NHL team – it could be because the team is a close rival of your favourite team. It could be that team is a very successful franchise and beats up on your team with consistency. That team’s roster may feature a player or two (or three) that you dislike. Whatever the reason, we all love to hate certain NHL franchises for a number of reasons. Here are five of the most hated teams in hockey (and in a few of the cases, hated could be a synonym for respected or feared).

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Buffalo Sabres at Toronto Maple Leafs (-150, 5.5)
Where else would we start? The Leafs are finally starting to taste success this season, thanks in large part to fantastic coaching from Randy Carlyle. Their roster boasts a lot of truculence (Colton Orr, Mark Fraser, and so on), but also a lot of skill. James Reimer has been great in goal for the Leafs, Dion Phaneuf has anchored an improved defensive group (addition by subtraction with the Luke Schenn trade), and the Leafs are receiving balanced scoring from a number of their forwards.

WHY THEY ARE HATED
Well, because it’s Toronto. The Centre of the Universe, as Toronto refers to itself, is a hotbed for hockey fanatics. And the more fans a team has, there will be a higher number of crazy and annoying fans. It also doesn’t help that people from coast to coast in Canada are inundated with Leafs news and notes on TSN, Sportsnet, and pretty much every other channel on TV. But this year, the Leafs are finally deserving of (some of) the attention.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS
Vancouver Canucks at Dallas Stars (+120, 5.5)
The Canucks have developed into one of the best teams in the league under GM Mike Gillis. They are skilled and tough, and came within one game of winning the Stanley Cup in 2011. They are led by funny-man Roberto Luongo in goal, and the consistently spectacular Sedin twins up front. How could anybody hate this team?

WHY THEY ARE HATED
Ryan Kesler. Alex Burrows. Max Lapierre. Kevin Bieksa. Need any more reasons? The Canucks are not short on self-confidence, and they have several players on their roster who love to walk the line between clean and dirty. Imagine if they had acquired Steve Ott at the trade deadline last year (the team was heavily interested in the agitator at the time)?

And the Canucks have made a habit of beating up on division/conference rivals over the past few years, and nothing makes fans angrier than playing – and losing – to a team with an edge.

A face only a mother could love:

BOSTON BRUINS
Boston Bruins to the Northeast Division -227
The Big, Bad B’s are able to win games in a variety of ways. They have one of the best goaltenders in the league in Tuukka Rask. Their defense is big and strong, and pretty talented, too. Up front, they are one of the deeper teams in the league, boasting an unmatched combination of size and skill.

WHY THEY ARE HATED
Like the Canucks, the Bruins have made it a habit of beating up on division/conference rivals in recent years. However, unlike the Canucks, they actually beat up said divisional rivals. Mike Komisarek still has Milan Lucic’s knuckles tattooed onto his forehead. From Shawn Thornton, Lucic, and Adam McQuaid using their fists, to Brad Marchand using whatever means necessary, the Bruins have found a way to intimidate opposing players unlike any other team in the league.

Marchand doing his best submarine impression:

Oh, and their former starting goaltender, once the darling of the NHL, revealed himself to be a lot more than just a pro athlete last year. Holding different political/religious beliefs are fine, but keep them to yourself (especially if you end up throwing your teammates under the bus because of it).

BUFFALO SABRES
Buffalo Sabres at Toronto Maple Leafs (-150, 5.5)
The Sabres may seem like an odd team to hate, but bear with me for a bit. They have really done a great job over the past year or so to really increase their ‘hate-ability.’

WHY THEY ARE HATED
We all hate it when teams try to build a winner through free agency (unless it is our favourite team, of course). The Sabres took a few home run swings during the summer of 2011, signing Christian Ehrhoff and Ville Leino to massive contracts. Ehrhoff has been a good addition to the team, but he is still signed for seven more years after this one (and his cap hit remains at $4 million throughout). Leino is contributing about as much this season as he has during his entire tenure with the Sabres (eight goals in 71 games last year, or over $500,000 per goal), and he hasn’t played a single game due to injury.

The Sabres also traded for Ott last summer, and he joined a roster featuring arguably the most hated player in the NHL – notorious agitator/cheapshot artist Patrick Kaleta. Ryan Miller has also made a habit of calling out opposing players and his teammates in the media. And we all know that players love being criticized by their own teammates under the public eye!

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins (-200, 5.5)
Who could hate the Penguins? Well many people from the state of Pennsylvania outside of Pittsburgh could give you a few reasons.

WHY THEY ARE HATED
Winning breeds jealousy/envy. People hated Wayne Gretzky and the Oilers because they were so good for so many years. Things are different in a salary cap league, but the Penguins have done a good job of maintaining their status as one of the best teams in the league. Sidney Crosby has had a lot of detractors over the years, mostly because of how good a hockey player he is. Crosby also plays the game with more of an edge than Gretzky ever did. He drops the gloves from time to time. He yaps to the refs and opposing players. He competes hard. And people aren’t used to seeing a “skill” player play this way.

Evgeni Malkin, like Crosby, is an all world talent. There isn’t much he can’t do on the ice. However, that also involves throwing elbows, slew foots, and dishing out dangerous hits. Malkin is generally a clean player, but if he gets angered, look out.

Oh, and then there is Matt Cooke, the achillies-tearing, elbow-throwing, career-ending ‘former’ cheapshot artist. Cooke may not have meant to stomp on Erik Karlsson last week, but he will never earn the benefit of the doubt for anything again.

Did I leave any teams out? Share your thoughts below.