As odd as it feels to write the above title, today is indeed the final day of IllegalCurve.com

The website began as a fun project between a few friends and morphed into quite a time-consuming, yet highly satisfying and fun endeavor  We needed just one look at the way IllegalCurve.com looked on September 4th, 2007–the first day of the site’s existence–to realize how far the site had come.  Hundreds of thousands of hits later, we have collectively decided that the site, while we love every minute of writing and analyzing and providing hockey information to our readers, is just too time consuming a task if it is not considered a full-time job.

The opportunities the site created for us were, and still are, endless.  Through IllegalCurve.com we have met and interviewed some of the most significant players in the hockey world.  Whether it be interviewing Mike Keenan and Vincent Lecavalier in person, or interviewing Eric Duhatschek and Scott Morrison on the radio show, we have been allowed to hear the latest and most in depth hockey information from the most informed members of the hockey world.  Further, we have been able to meet many of the other bloggers and website writers and have an enjoyable and respectful hockey dialogue with them.  Without IllegalCurve.com and your support none of that would have been possible.

While we have the utmost in gratitude for other writers, our guests and interviewees, we owe our biggest thank you to you–the readers.  Without your constant support in the way of website traffic, emails, tweets, phone calls we would not have felt worthy enough to take the chances and strides that we did.  Simply, IllegalCurve.com would not have lasted for thousands of posts and for over two years if not for your support.

While I am writing this post on behalf of the entire staff, I would be remiss if I did not thank the many writers who have contributed to the website along the way.  From the beginning writers on September 4th, 2007, such as Kyle Kosior and Ezra Ginsburg to co-creator Michael Remis, everyone contributed to IllegalCurve.com along the way.  If not for the writings of Ari-Baum Cohen, Drew Mindell, Neil Rockman, Adam Gutkin, Rusty Parra and last, but certainly not least, David Minuk, IllegalCurve.com would have merely been an idea.  A special thanks also goes out to some our new recent contributors Daniel Hogan and Eric Burton.

You see, IllegalCurve.com has been the consummate team effort over the past two years.  In reality, IllegalCurve.com has been the consummate hockey team.  We worked hard together and did it for little else than the love of the game.

Luckily for us, IllegalCurve.com will live on in some form.  The IllegalCurve.com Radio Show–now the Illegal Curve Radio Show–will continue to air every Wednesday night in Winnipeg on 92.9 KICK FM, and online, from the usual 7pm to 9pm Central time.  Additionally, we hope to have our show up in ITunes in the next little while.

With the closing of the website, I wanted to provide the contact information for all of the site’s writers should anybody out there be interested in asking any of our site’s great writers to write for their websites.  I cannot guarantee they will come on board, but I can guarantee that if they do, they will provide you with some great work.

Alas, that brings us to a close.  Again, thank you to all our readers for the tremendous support along the way.  If some readers out there do indeed miss us, I can assure you we will miss writing for you just as much.

For the IC Team.

Signing off,

Richard Pollock

The IllegalCurve.com Radio Show is on the Air!

We are on tonight from 5PM-8PM CST breaking down Team Canada’s Olympic Roster announcement.

Listen at 92.9 KICK FM in Winnipeg or by clicking the radio icon in the top right corner.

Call us at (204) 780-KICK(5425) or email drew@illegalcurve.com

Following a Tuesday that had plenty of rumours and action, Wednesday is slow. Spector has noted that the Red Wings don’t have interest in Mathieu Schneider for salary reasons, but past this tidbit, there is precious little else to talk about.

The Flyers are not going to acquire Minnesota backup Josh Harding, the Blues don’t want to trade their young guys and Tomas Kaberle MIGHT get moved this summer. In other words; same old, same old.

I keep hearing from the papers and other sources that it is just too hard to make trades these days. Despite the fact that trades do occur, it seems to me that the CBA has become both a hindrance and a convenient excuse for GM’s not to make a deal. In much the same way the that neutral-zone trap allowed coaches to control scoring and thus remain employed, is the CBA also giving GM’s a comfort zone from which they can safely collect a paycheque?

I don’t have any evidence that this is the case, but the fact that I keep hearing this same excuse over and over. Granted, I can imagine teams are reluctant to take on salary and most teams realize that trades are just an exchange of guys the other team can’t use any more. However, there is ample evidence to suggest that trades can and do help both teams and players. They can be a wakeup call to underachieving players, and the change in chemistry sometimes provides a much needed spark.

The old saying tells us “nothing ventured, nothing gained”. That may be true, but the new one should say “don’t make waves and maybe I will keep my job for one more season”. There have been some awful trades made in hockey history, and some GM’s deservedly lost their jobs. Mike Milbury alone has traded away a veritable all-star team’s worth of talent. Most of those trades couldn’t be made today, as the minor salary dumps and swapping of AHL’ers rarely catches anyone’s attention, and certainly doesn’t do much to attract the wrath of upper management.

The CBA’s cooling effect has created a crop of GM’s who are more secure in their positions than a French civil servant. As an owner, do you not want to employ someone bold enough to recognize team weaknesses and make moves to counter them? Scott Howson and George McPhee, citing the most recent example, saw an opportunity and seized it. It might turn out to be a bad move for one or both of them, but at least they tried. No one ever got ahead by sitting on their hands, and this column applauds them for making a move.

Let’s hear your thoughts about the no-trade zone in the comments.

Many people think the Flyers have, once again, chosen the wrong man to sit between the pipes this season.  Did Paul Holmgren make the right decision considering his alternatives?  Or, did Holmgren choose far more risk than reward?

Here is an excerpt of my piece (ESPN Insider Required):

Before recently undergoing surgery, Emery posted 11 wins, 8 losses, 1 overtime loss, a .901 save percentage and a 2.83 G.A.A. Emery’s save percentage places him a measly 39th out of 46 eligible goaltenders in that respect. It would be easy to frown on such a performance and write off 2009-10 as another season in which the Flyers had the wrong man in the crease. However, closer examination shows Emery may in fact be the right man for the job. And when he returns, the Flyers still have a shot at the playoffs.

Read the entire article here.

Tonight at 5pm Central Time is a special three-hour IllegalCurve.com Radio Show.  To listen live at 5pm, click here. If you want to read more about IC Radio click here. If you want to read more about IC Radio click here.  Remember, we will announce the Team Canada Roster Contest winners on tonight’s show.

Central Division

• “They were going in too easily. It was an easy call,” said Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville about pulling Cristobal Huet last night.  “We were sharp. We just weren’t as diligent defensively as we normally are,” said captain Jonathan Toews after last night’s tight loss.
• Story of the year, the Blue Jackets could not score in regulation last night and it cost them, writes Aaron Portzline.  Mike Commodore was a healthy scratch last night due to his poor play.
• Justin Abdelkader has been the Red Wings’ most physical player.  Danny Cleary hopes to return to the Wings lineup in the next ten days.
• It was a hard fought battle last night for the Predators; the good news was they won, the bad news was they lost Kevin Klein and Martin Erat to injury.  Barry Trotz was not happy about the play by Barrett Jackman that sent Martin Erat to the dressing room.  Some genius decided to steal NHL and NBA vouchers and got caught.
• This Blues team just cannot win at home and that continued last night.  Erik Johnson was a healthy scratch for the Blues last night due to poor play.

Northwest Division

• The Flames face the Kings tonight and here are some notes heading into tonight’s game.
• Even after people wrote him off, Adam Foote continues to be a force for the Avalanche, writes Adrian Dater.  Peter Budaj was quite thrilled to be named to the Slovakian Olympic team.
• Robert Tychkowski has been impressed by Dustin Penner’s plus/minus total.  Ron Wilson knows that Pat Quinn will be a little bit emotional coaching against his former team.  The fact is, the Oilers confidence is at a season low right now.  Some good news out of Edmonton, as Lubomir Visnovsky was named to the Slovakian Olympic team.
• “We didn’t match their desperation,” said Wild coach Todd Richards after his team lost at a desperate Anaheim club on Tuesday.  Eric Belanger likes Minnesota and wants to sign a long-term contract with the club.
• “We’re maybe not happy with the point, but coming from behind with these guys is pretty good,” said Henrik Sedin after his team’s shootout loss at Phoenix.  The Canucks have waived Mathieu Schneider but make no mistake, the defenseman still wants to play.  Speaking of defenseman, Kevin Bieksa got hurt last night when he was cut by a skate blade.  There are very few decisions left for Team Canada to make, writes Cory Wolfe.

Pacific Division

• With Ryan Getzlaf injured, Bobby Ryan took the bull by the horns last night for the Ducks, writes Eric Stephens.  Some really good news out of Anaheim, as Teemu Selanne could be back next week.  Meanwhile, the Ducks are bringing sexy back.
• “It’s huge. We beat one of the best clubs in the league, and I thought we were full value for it,” said Stars coach Marc Crawford after his team’s victory over Chicago.  Which Stars will make Team Canada?
• Jarret Stoll is still a couple days away from returning to the Kings lineup, reports Rich Hammond.
• People waiting for the Coyotes to collapse may want to stop waiting, as the desert dogs defeated the streaking Canucks last night in another impressive victory.  The Coyotes won last night without their team MVP Ilya Brygalov who was given the night off.
• They will be teammates in February but for now Evgeni Nabokov and Alexander Ovechkin are forced to go at each other for a minimum of 60 minutes.
  

If you are looking for a holiday gift and want to support IllegalCurve, take a look at our touques that can be purchased for only $9.99 plus shipping.  Also, if you want to add IllegalCurve on Twitter, click here.

Tonight at 5pm Central Time is a special three-hour IllegalCurve.com Radio Show.  To listen live at 5pm, click here. If you want to read more about IC Radio click here.  Remember, we will announce the Team Canada Roster Contest winners on tonight’s show.

Atlantic Division

• If there wasn’t a high opinion of the Devils to start the season, there definitely is a high opinion of the group now, writes Mark Everson.  Zach Parise broke out of his slump because of the improved play of Travis Zajac, says coach Jacques Lemaire.
• Dwayne Roloson was the difference last night for the Islanders and Rob Schremp used his shootout skills to win the game, as the Isles beat the struggling Jackets.  Jeff Tambellini was given a shot in the lineup last night.
• With Vinny Prospal injured, Chris Higgins will be given every opportunity to replace him on the top line.  Ryan Callahan is hoping to get a call from Team USA on Friday.
• The Flyers will only start focusing on the Winter Classic after tonight’s game against the rival Rangers.  Some worry that weather will be an issue on Friday.  Even though the Flyers haven’t really defeated a quality team lately, the team will take any wins it can get.
• The Penguins uncharacteristically blew a 3-0 lead to the Sabres and Dan Bylsma thinks his team lost the game in the first ten minutes of the third period.  “I honestly thought we deserved a better fate tonight,” said Sidney Crosby afterwards.  Today is the day that Jordan Staal will find out if he makes Team Canada.

Northeast Division

• Kevin Paul Dupont talks about how big of a thrill it would be for Tim Thomas to be named to the U.S. Olympic Team.  Claude Julien wants his players to improve their starts.  Tonight the Bruins face the Thrashers, then they can focus on the Winter Classic.
• Drew Stafford was benched the other night, but last night he proved why the team needs his services.  Here are some Sabres notes courtesy of Mike Harrington.
• The Habs are healthier and are starting to gain some confidence heading into the second half of the season, writes Pat Hickey.
• “I’m pretty excited, obviously. It would be a dream come true to be named,” said Mike Fisher about possibly being named to Team Canada today.  These Ottawa Sun writers think Fisher will be there.  In other Sens news, Nick Foligno is expected to return from injury today.
• Damien Cox of the Toronto Star doesn’t expect many surprises from Steve Yzerman this afternoon.  In Leafs news, Viktor Stalberg may return to the lineup tonight.  Tonight’s game against the Leafs is Pat Quinn’s first since being fired a few years ago.  “For lack of a better word, they are retarded. They are from the dark ages,” said Ron Wilson when asked about pre-game skates.

Southeast Division

• The Thrashers are in the midst of their longest losing streak of the season, as they face the Bruins tonight.
• Team Canada take notice, Eric Staal has looked good on right wing as of late, writes Chip Alexander.
• Pete DeBoer likes what he sees from young Panthers defenseman Jay Garrison.
• Tampa Bay is finally receiving the production the organization expected from Alex Tanguay.  Coincidentally, or probably not, Vincent Lecavalier has also picked it up as of late.
• Jason Chimera had to be pretty excited to start out in Washington on a line with Alex Semin and Nicklas Backstrom.  It sure beats playing with Sammy Pahlsson and Freddy Modin.

If you are looking for a holiday gift and want to support IllegalCurve, take a look at our touques that can be purchased for only $9.99 plus shipping.  Also, if you want to add IllegalCurve on Twitter, click here.

I would first like to welcome myself back from Christmas/illness. Please hold your applause. Getting back into NHL hockey is a little tough these days, as I am an Oiler fan and watching Canada thump the lesser lights at the WJC is much more fun that watching Oiler “hockey?”.

Anyways, there are definitely things to discuss. The Washington-Columbus deal (good for both teams, in my opinion). Dave Scatchard, Kyle Calder and Mathieu Schneider are all available on waivers.

Carey Price is now popping up in Canadiens rumours, a new call is out to blow up the Oilers and the Rangers are looking for big bodies. All this info can be found at Spectors and of course in our Morning Papers.

Looking very briefly at the Caps-BJ’s trade, we see a solid veteran and a mobile defender going to Columbus for a speedster with some skills. I like the deal from both sides in that Columbus gets some veteran leadership and a good young defender to shore up the blue line in Rusty Klesla’s absence. Washington gets a big body that can move and play a rough and tumble game. I think Chimera’s addition to the Caps signals their willingness to get their noses dirty come playoff time, and I am willing to bet Chimera pays dividends for them. Good for the GM’s, too, in pulling the trigger on moves to help their clubs.

Dave Scatchard is on the waiver wire today, as are Kyle Calder and now Mathieu Schneider. Scatchard has been around the block a few times and has certainly lost a step, but I think he could still help out a team that needs or wants some veteran insurance up front. He is only making $550k and I am sure most teams could afford him. That said, I would imagine he clears and gets sent to the minors, at least for a while. Should a team have interest, I would think Nashville would recall him so he could be claimed that way.

Anaheim has also placed former Regina Pat Kyle Calder on the waiver wire. Once a decent scorer, Calder has all but fallen off the map offensively. He is a  UFA this summer and has a paltry cap hit of $386K. I would imagine there is someone willing to roll the dice on him, as he is only 30 and may benefit from a change of scenery.

Mathieu Schneider appeared on the wire today, after being mysteriously absent from the Canucks for the past few days. While no one is saying much, it could be a bad fit between player and team, or he could be done. The 40 year old is making $1.55 but has a higher cap hit of $2.75. He can still produce in a limited sense, but I don’t imagine anyone takes the gamble here, unless they really need help on the back end.

On the trade front, an article out of Montreal suggests that Bob Gainey will have to decide if he wants to  keep Price or Jaroslav Halak. Both are RFA’s and make about the same money, but Halak has been better of late. Despite his uneven play this season, Price will still want a significant raise in the off-season, as will Halak. If the story is true, Gainey had better be comfortable with the guy he is going to pay, otherwise the Canadiens could be set back a number of years by a bad contract. My bet is that Halak goes, as the Habs seem to be more invested in Price.

In NYC, Glen Sather is thought to want to add some size to his lineup. With Marian Gaborik basically carrying the team on his back, I would thin that any help would be welcome. The problem for Sather is that the rest of the team is underperforming, and he has few tradable assets that would fetch a decent return. I believe he has learned his lesson about dealing future prospects and picks, so the team might have to be content with what they have until the deadline. I can’t see any other GM’s lining up to do Slats any favors.

Finally, Dan Barnes of the Edmonton Journal has echoed fan sentiment and called for the Oilers to be torn down, suggesting that the team keep its core and deal off veterans such as Ethan Moreau, Steve Staios and even Fernando Pisani. All three are being paid above what they can contribute, though Staios has been relatively steady against the onslaught.

Moreau has taken to throwing his team under the bus, so I can agree with him being moved. Staios should still have some value to a playoff bound team, but he has an extra year on his deal that pays him north of $2 million, which could limit the list of suitors. I doubt any team is that interested in Pisani. His history of illness isn’t likely to sit well with any team, and its likely best for the Oilers to allow him to retire in copper and blue.

For my money, I could get behind basically any trade. Even the youngsters. I think the fan base is getting a Maple Leaf-esque tendency to over value the players on the roster, and I don’t see any reason to keep most of the current bunch. What they have there clearly isn’t working, and an entirely new approach might be in order.

If I got to choose, I would keep Zach Stortini, Ryan Potunly, Ryan Stone, Ladislav Smid, Dustin Penner and Sam Gagner.  Brule can stay too if he signs cheaply. The rest I would entertain offers on. This group offers a good base for the bottom six and an emerging defender. They are priced right (or should be come the summer) and are all guys that will play hard.

However, since I don’t get to choose, let me at least say that while I am very in favour of the blowup, I do not anticipate any moves until the deadline. I would imagine GM Steve Tambellini is wise enough not to sell low.

With the Olympic roster announcement on the horizon, we at IllegalCurve.com have decided to hold a Team Canada Roster Pool.

Here are the details:

• Select the 13 forwards, 7 defencemen and 3 goalies who you think will be selected by Steve Yzerman and Company on December 30th, 2009.
• Each correct selection is worth one point–therefore, the maximum point total you can accumulate is 23.
  

• There will be prizes (which will be announced on Monday) for first, second, third, fourth and fifth place.

• Ties will be decided at random via lottery.

• Winners will be announced on the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show this upcoming Wednesday, December 30th, during our special 5pm-8pm Central time Olympic show.

Go to the Team Canada Roster Pool Page to the enter the pool.

In light of the impending Team Canada Olympic Roster Announcement, the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show will be on the air for the drive-home hours of 5pm to 8pm Central time tomorrow evening.

On the show, we will breakdown Team Canada, as well as the other already announced Olympic teams.

We are currently working on securing guests.

Hope you tune in.

Sincerely,

The IC Team

Wants to pick Team Canada?  Here is your chance to be Steve Yzerman.  Click here to enter the IJerseys.com Team Canada Roster Pool.  You select 13 forwards, 7 defensemen and 3 goaltenders for Team Canada, it is free to enter and the top five places in the standings will win various prizes.

Central Division

• Brian Campbell admits that he has never felt as comfortable in a Hawks jersey than he does right now.  “Defensively and offensively, he’s a factor shift in and shift out, and he’s really got a presence in the game and the way things are being played out,” said coach Joel Quenneville.
• Steve Mason played like it was last season and the Jackets got back into the win column last night against Detroit.  The win was nice but one win does not fix all the Jackets’ problems, writes Rob Oller.  Jason Chimera was admittedly caught off-guard by the trade that saw him end up in Washington on Monday.  What does Columbus get from this trade?
• Jimmy Howard was good enough to post a victory but the Wings couldn’t score, recaps George Sipple.  The Red Wings wanted to count on Ville Leino when all their injury issues came up but he was a healthy scratch last night.
• The Predators have been great at even strength but the team needs to improve its special teams play, writes John Glennon.  The Predators take on the Blues tonight.
• Same talk as usual in St. Louis, the Blues need to be better at home.

Northwest Division

• It wasn’t the Flames prettiest win but Rene Bourque tallied a natural hat trick to lead the Flames over the rival Oilers.  Looks like Brent Sutter’s line changes worked just fine.  Jarome Iginla was quite complimented by being named to the all-decade team.
• Avalanche forward Chris Durno is being compared to “Rudy” by Mike Chambers of the Denver Post.
• The Oilers need to clean house, writes Dan Barnes of the Edmonton Journal.  Here is the reaction from yet another loss last night.
• Eric Belanger brought his “A” game to his old digs last night, as the Wild went into Los Angeles and left with a 4-3 victory.  Chuck Kobasew will be out of the Wild lineup for at least 4-6 weeks but maybe more, reports Michael Russo.
• Canucks fans are given an update on how Taylor Pyatt has been doing in Phoenix and more importantly how he has been dealing with the tragic loss of his fiancee to a car accident in Jamaica.  In less important news, the Canucks are going for four wins in a row.

Pacific Division

• Ryan Getzlaf could play tonight but the Ducks are sure battling a lot of injuries.  With so many injuries, lots of players have been sprung into important scoring roles.
• Dallas coach Marc Crawford is changing up the lines to try and spark his club.
• The Kings aren’t doubting themselves after last night’s loss, says coach Terry Murray.  Helene Elliot wonders if this team is like every other Kings team?
• Jim Gintonio looks at the Coyotes’ surprisingly successful first half of the NHL season.  If you are going to give out credit for the Coyotes’ success, Don Maloney deserves a lot of it.
• The Sharks answered Todd McLellan’s challenge of more offense from non-first line players, writes David Pollak.  Speaking of the first line, Joe Thornton is quietly tearing it up again.

If you are looking for a holiday gift and want to support IllegalCurve, take a look at our touques that can be purchased for only $9.99 plus shipping.  Also, if you want to add IllegalCurve on Twitter, click here.

Wants to pick Team Canada?  Here is your chance to be Steve Yzerman.  Click here to enter the IJerseys.com Team Canada Roster Pool.  You select 13 forwards, 7 defensemen and 3 goaltenders for Team Canada, it is free to enter and the top five places in the standings will win various prizes.

Atlantic Diviision

• Zach Parise snapped his twelve-game goalless streak in style last night by scoring two goals, including the game-winner, to lead the Devils to a 3-2 victory over Atlanta.  More good news for the Devils, as David Clarkson finally returned to the team’s lineup on Monday.
• The Islanders are hoping to have Rick DiPietro play a game in the AHL this weekend, writes Katie Strang.  Kyle Okposo is holding his breath that he will be on Team USA for the upcoming Olympics.
• The Rangers have lost Vaclav Prospal for up to three weeks with a knee injury.
• Michael Leighton has played well enough in Philadelphia to warrant starting consideration when Brian Boucher returns from a finger injury.  So far, Leighton has a .932 save percentage.
• The Penguins aren’t overly concerned with the lack of offense lately from their three offensive defensemen, writes Shelly Anderson.  Looking ahead, the Penguins have a difficult road trip on their hands.  Will Bill Guerin make Team USA?

Northeast Division

• “We played one period,” said Marc Savard about the Bruins’ loss to Tampa Bay last night.  By the sounds of it, Milan Lucic may not be back for the Winter Classic.
• Both Derek Roy and Patrick Kaleta will miss tonight’s game for Buffalo against Pittsburgh.
• We all know history means something in Montreal, so historians will enjoy the fact that Mike Cammalleri scored the franchise’s 2000th goal.  So much for Montreal’s five-game winning streak, as the Senators ended that last night.
• Chris Neil is fresh off returning from injury and he was the key to the Senators’ win over Montreal last night.
• Could Ian White be the future Maple Leafs captain?  One thing is for certain, White has entrenched himself among the team’s top-four defensemen.

Southeast Division

• If only the Hurricanes played they did last night all season long.
• Peter DeBoer wants his team to focus on a balanced attack moving forward.  It will help to have Cory Stillman back helping his squad.
• The Lightning took care of business last night against the Bruins.
• Here are some details on the Capitals’ trade of Chris Clark and Milan Jurcina for Jason Chimera.  The Capitals followed that trade with just an awful first period, which ended up costing them the game against Carolina.

If you are looking for a holiday gift and want to support IllegalCurve, take a look at our touques that can be purchased for only $9.99 plus shipping.  Also, if you want to add IllegalCurve on Twitter, click here.

With the Olympic roster announcement on the horizon, we at IllegalCurve.com have decided to hold a Team Canada Roster Pool.

Here are the details:

• Select the 13 forwards, 7 defencemen and 3 goalies who you think will be selected by Steve Yzerman and Company on December 30th, 2009.
• Each correct selection is worth one point–therefore, the maximum point total you can accumulate is 23.
  

• There will be prizes (which will be announced on Monday) for first, second, third, fourth and fifth place.

• Ties will be decided at random via lottery.

• Winners will be announced on the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show this upcoming Wednesday, December 30th, during our special 5pm-8pm Central time Olympic show.

Go to the Team Canada Roster Pool Page to the enter the pool.

Wants to pick Team Canada?  Here is your chance to be Steve Yzerman.  Click here to enter the IJerseys.com Team Canada Roster Pool.  You select 13 forwards, 7 defensemen and 3 goaltenders for Team Canada, it is free to enter and the top five places in the standings will win various prizes.

Central Division

• The Blackhawks and Predators went at it as the top two teams in the Central Division last night and Chris Kuc has the recap.  “We played a perfect road game, did a lot of things right,” said coach Joel Quenneville.
• If you haven’t been paying attention, the Blue Jackets have lost nine consecutive games.  At the beginning of the season, the Blue Jackets kept blowing third period leads, now the team cannot even get a lead.
• Todd Bertuzzi is becoming the goal-winning goal stalwart in Detroit after another game-winner last night.  Valtteri Filppula and Brian Rafalski both returned to the lineup last night.  This is a brave group of players, writes Jerry Green.
• It was a big game in Nashville last night, and while the Predators didn’t necessarily respond, their fans did with a sell out.  The Predators really miss Jerred Smithson on the penalty kill.
• The Blues only posted 18 shots on net last night and that was one of the reasons they recorded a rare loss on the road.

Northwest Division

• Brent Sutter thinks the Flames may be too robotic on offense, writes Randy Sportak.  Craig Conroy has been promoted to the top line in Calgary.  Here is what some NHL analysts think of the three Flames blueliners’ chances of being named to Team Canada.
• Have fans in Colorado finally realized the Avalanche is for real?  As there was a sellout crowd last night to watch the Avs defeat the Stars.  Peter Budaj was terrific last night in place of Craig Anderson.
• Give Ryan Potulny credit for just making it to Vancouver last night, never mind scoring his team’s only goal.  The Oilers didn’t play a bad game, but they took a couple unnecessary penalties and it cost them.  In his weekly Hockey World, Jim Matheson has a great feature on Barry Trotz.   Here are more notes from around the league in More Hockey World.
• Here is the Wild’s all-decade team according to Michael Russo.  Last night’s win gave the Wild its ninth win in December–a franchise record.  Time away from the game is hard to come by, so the Wild players and coaches cherish it.
• The Canucks played the lowly Oilers and took care of business last night.  Again, last night’s win puts the team back into playoff position.

Pacific Division

• The Sharks continue to take it to the Ducks, as it appears revenge is always on San Jose’s mind.  The Pacific Division is really that tough this season.
• Brenden Morrow and Marty Turco missed last night’s game with the flu and the Stars lost at Colorado 4-1.  The Stars’ role players have not stepped up this season, writes Mike Heika.
• The Kings lost at Phoenix last night, but more importantly the team lost Justin Williams to a broken leg.  The Ryan Smyth-Anze-Kopitar-Justin Williams reunion only last two shifts.
• The Coyotes are at 50 points in the standings through 39 games, writes Jim Gintonio.  Adrian Aucoin claims he isn’t surprised by the Coyotes’ play this season.
• Patrick Marleau scored his 300th and 301st career goals last night.  Last night, Jed Ortmeyer was promoted to the Sharks’ second line.

If you are looking for a holiday gift and want to support IllegalCurve, take a look at our touques that can be purchased for only $9.99 plus shipping.  Also, if you want to add IllegalCurve on Twitter, click here.

Wants to pick Team Canada?  Here is your chance to be Steve Yzerman.  Click here to enter the IJerseys.com Team Canada Roster Pool.  You select 13 forwards, 7 defensemen and 3 goaltenders for Team Canada, it is free to enter and the top five places in the standings will win various prizes.

Atlantic Division

• Jacques Lemaire attributed last night’s loss to Washington to his team’s lack of practice.  On the injury front, it appears David Clarkson will return to the New Jersey lineup in the next game or two.
• The Islanders beat the Rangers on the back of Kyle Okposo’s first goal in 18 games, writes Katie Strang.  Arthur Staple of Newsday has some suggetsions for the Islanders and Rangers.
• The crowd at MSG was lively, especially with the play of Sean Avery, but the Rangers could only record one point after an overtime loss to the Islanders.  On the bright side, the Rangers got a late goal from Brandon Dubinsky or there wouldn’t have been one point at all.  Larry Brooks thinks the Rangers lack size and strength.  Meanwhile, Brooks gives out his decade awards.
• Last night’s win in Carolina marked the Flyers first back-to-back wins in five weeks, writes Sam Carchidi.  Ryan Parent sat out last night with back spasms.  If you look at the Flyers lines one through four, there is a lot of potential there.
• The Penguins are a successful bunch on the ice and they give back to the community off the ice too.  The most likable part of Marc-Andre Fleury is that he doesn’t let his success change him as a person.

Northeast Division

• Everyone wants to talk about the Winter Classic, but the Bruins know they have some work to do before January 1st.  Here is the NBC perspective on the Winter Classic.  Dan Shaughnessy tells us that Fenway Park has been host to other significant non-baseball events.
• The Sabres fans were giving it to them at the end of the first period alst night and they know they can blame their horrible first period for last night’s loss.  Lindy Ruff is not ecstatic that his team has to travel and then play tonight at St. Louis but acknowledges that the Blues have the same task in front of them.  In his Inside the NHL piece, Bucky Gleason talks about the NHL’s most overpaid players, among other things.
• With the way Jaroslav Halak is playing, maybe the Habs should consider keeping himself in the fold, as the Habs beat the Leafs 3-2 in overtime.
• Word broke on Saturday that Daniel Alfredsson will be out up to 4-6 weeks so the Senators players played as a group to make up for his absence and defeated the Sabres 3-2 in a shootout.  “We showed a lot of character. We showed a lot of mental toughness,” said Cory Clouston after last night’s victory.  Coach Clouston won’t let the Senators use injuries as an excuse.
• Sound familiar?  The Leafs got off to a bad start and lost in overtime, writes Paul Hunter of the Toronto Star.

Southeast Division

• The Thrashers are a great third period scoring team but that is good and bad, writes Chris Vivlamore.
• The Hurricanes lost last night but at least they had a spirited comeback which earned them a point in the standings, reports Chip Alexander.  Peter Laviolette wants his Flyers to play the type of game his Hurricanes teams played.  Not surprisingly, Paul Maurice is having similar issues to Peter Laviolette.
• Nobody expects Stephen Weiss to be on Canada’s Olympic Team but he is doing a good job of making Team Canada ’s brass take notice of him.
• The Lightning was very aggressive last night and it paid off.  Kurtis Foster said his season turned around when he was moved to forward.  Here is the latest on the Lightning’s injury situation.
• “I just beat the best goalie in the world. It’s amazing. I used to watch him on TV, so it’s something special,” said Captials rookie Michal Neuvirth.

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This was my pre-season top twenty and their current record. It would appear that Notre Dame, Minnesota, Boston University, Vermont are not as good as I originally thought they would be. Also, we can infer that college hockey is going to be wide open this season, there is a lot of parity. I believe that Miami and DU are the favorites right now but that doesn’t mean either of these two teams are going to win the whole thing. I hope I don’t upset my Canadian Friends from the Illegal Curve: Go Team USA and Merry Christmas.

1.) Denver University – 11-5-2
2.) Miami University – 13-2-5
3.) Notre Dame – 8-8-4
4.) University of North Dakota – 9-6-3
5.) Boston University – 4-9-3
6.) University of Michigan – 9-9-0
7.) Vermont University – 8-6-2
8.) University of Minnesota – 8-9-1
9.) University of Wisconsin – 11-5-2
10.) University of Mass Lowell – 10-6-1
11.) University of Minnesota Duluth – 11-6-1
12.) Boston College – 10-3-2
13.) Yale University – 7-3-2
14.) Princeton University – 4-8-1
15.) University of New Hampshire – 8-6-3
16.) Northeastern University – 6-8-1
17.) Saint Cloud State University – 8-7-3
18.) Northern Michigan University – 7-8-4
19.) Cornell University – 7-2-2
20.) U.S. Air Force Academy – 8-6-4
Check out more from Eric at twitter, and the Goon’s World Blog

In this weeks covers.com article I discuss the lack of practice time due to the NHL’s condensed schedule, how the tight Western Conference is already creating playoff atmospheres, and more.

Here is an excerpt:

We’re talking about practice

John Vogl of the Buffalo News observes that one of the effects of the condensed schedule is teams’ lack of practice time.

Vogl reports that Lindy Ruff would like to have spent Sunday working on Buffalo’s power play, currently on a 3 for 45 slump, but instead had to give the Sabres a day off.

“We haven’t really practiced in a week, and we won’t practice,” Ruff said. “You really can’t. You’ve just got to rest up and be ready to play again.

Buffalo leads the Northeast division with 47 points, but their power-play is 28th in the league at 16.1 percent. They are in the middle of a stretch of 12 games in 21 days.

Read the entire article here at covers.com.

As a bonus, here is a link to the Allen Iverson “Practice” Video

Central Division

• Shutting out the rival Red Wings is becoming a pattern for the Blackhawks, as they went into Joe Louis Arena and defeated Detroit 3-0.  Antti Niemi’s record after last night is 8-1-1 with an amazing four shutouts.  In Marian Hossa’s return to Detroit he was booed each time he touched the puck.
• Make it eight straight losses for Columbus after being defeated by Dallas on Wednesday.  So far the “win and you’re in” mantra for Blue Jackets netminders is not exactly working.
• It is odd to say, but the Red Wings lost last night because they lacked talent, writes Chris McCosky.  Here is some good news for Wings fans, Valtteri Filppula is expected to return from injury on Saturday.  Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press thinks the Wings will be fine when healthy.
• Predators forward Jerred Smithson will not play this weekend because of an “upper-body” injury.
• The Blues did something last night that the organization had never done before and that’s sweep their three-game Western Canadian road trip.  Eric Brewer returned to the St. Louis lineup last night.

Northwest Division

• The Flames cannot score and their recent struggles have moved the team onto the cusp of being out of a playoff spot.  Randy Sportak has the report card for last night’s loss to St. Louis.  The Flames didn’t lack effort last night, writes John Down.
• The Avalanche players believe their best chance at keeping late game leads is by staying aggressive.
• To say Niklas Backstorm has the Oilers’ number would be an understatement, writes Jim Matheson.  If the Oilers are going to get out from the bottom of the Conference, they will need Shawn Horcoff to return to old form.  Coach Pat Quinn thinks Dennis Grebeshkov is playing scared to make a mistake.
• With equipment problems and the flu bothering the team, the Wild was very happy to head into the Christmas break on a high note, writes Michael Russo.  So far during his time in Minnesota, Clayton Stoner has proved capable of handling the pressure–but can he keep it up?
• In Vancouver, Alain Vigneault has some high praise for Ryan Kesler.

Pacific Division

• For all the momentum the Ducks looked to be gathering, last night’s performance at Phoenix unfortunately looked like a team that had taken a step back, writes Eric Stephens.  At least the Ducks’ penalty killing has improved.
• James Neal may have been a target last night–but he ended up hitting the target twice to lead the Stars to a 3-1 victory over Columbus.  Mike Heika thought the Stars looked calm, cool and collected last night.
• Jack Johnson, Brandon Segal, Wayne Simmonds and Ryan Smyth are all expected to return to the Kings lineup on the weekend.
• Ilya Brzgalov is playing well, so the Coyotes have kept it simple and, as a result, continue to win.  Martin Hanzal continues to prove why he is a complete player.

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The Morning Papers will be on a two-day break for the Christmas Holiday and will return on Sunday morning.

Atlantic Division

• Martin Brodeur has been chosen MVP of the decade by NHL.com.  The Devils hoped to have Paul Martin back in the lineup soon, but the Minnesota native had a setback and will now be sidelined for another month.
• Is there progress being made on keeping the Islanders on Long Island?  On the ice, the Islanders took care of business against the Maple Leafs on Wednesday before the Christmas break.
• The Rangers looked like a real team last night, one that could actually be a threat in the Eastern Conference, writes Larry Brooks.  After the Christmas roster freeze, the Rangers may look to add a seventh defenseman.
• Peter Laviollete is happy to see the Christmas break so he can go see his family in Florida.  When the Flyers saw Blair Betts return to the lineup, the team didn’t expect much offense but that’s exactly what Betts provided in the team’s important win at Tampa Bay last night.  Scott Hartnell and Jeff Carter both refute an internet rumor and confirm that they are the best of friends.
• Evgeni Malkin’s slump is all over, after the Russian center tallied a hat trick.  Prior to last night’s game, Penguins coach Dan Bylsma switched Crosby and Malkin’s linemates.  Mark Eaton missed last night’s game and is expected to be out of action for about one week.

Northeast Division

• Tim Thomas sent a message against Ilya Kovalchuk last night and allowed the Bruins to regain momentum and defeat Atlanta 6-4.  One thing is for certain, Bruins coach Claude Julien doesn’t question the effort or work ethic of his fourth line.  Last night’s game was an interesting study in contrasting styles.
• “We didn’t go to work. You play like that, you’ve got no chance of winning in this league,” said Sabres coach Lindy Ruff after last night’s loss to Washington.
• The Habs have given up at least 40 shots in their last three games but Jaroslav Halak has been a rock and the team is on a three-game winning streak.  Needless to say, Jaroslav Halak is looking forward to some holiday rest.
• The Senators got blown out by Pittsburgh and, more importantly, lost Daniel Alfredsson for “a few weeks” to a shoulder injury.  The score may say differently, but Pascal Leclaire actually wasn’t bad last night.
• “I’m not producing, I’m not playing well, I have to be better,” said Phil Kessel after the Leafs’ loss to the Islanders.  Yesterday was a dream come true for Mikhail Grabovski, as he was named to the Belarus Olympic team.  For all the momentum the Leafs have gathered, the team sits 14th in the Eastern Conference after last night’s tilt.

Southeast Division

• The Thrashers lost to the Bruins last night.  (Note: AP article)
• Eric Staal admits it will be hard to go home for the holidays and not wonder where it all went wrong for the Hurricanes this season.
• The Panthers had hoped to have Cory Stillman in the lineup in a couple days but now New Year’s Eve seems like his likely return date.  Without Stillman, the Panthers fell to the Rangers 4-1 last night, recaps Steve Gorten.
• Rookie James Wright was made a healthy scratch for the first time last night by coach Rick Tocchet.  Zenon Konopka went off last night and said his team is not passionate enough.
• This Nicklas Backstrom can not only pass, but he can score too, writes Corey Masisak.

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The Morning Papers will be on a two-day break for the Christmas Holiday and will return on Sunday morning.

• This one is a couple of days old, but check out the latest from Down Goes Brown.
• Goon’s World has a link to and comments on a story suggesting University of Minnesota coach Don Lucia might be done.
• For all you iphone users out there, The Score has an app just for you.
• Another article from the weekend, but you really should see this fantastic piece by The Hockey Writers on the 30th anniversary of the NHL-WHA merger.
• Interested in the Oilers-Wild game tonight, but can’t bear to watch? Check out the live tweet-cast at Oilers Jambalaya.

Tonight’s guest is:

Steve Kouleas of The Score.

To listen live, click here or if you are in Winnipeg, tune your radio to 92.9 KICK FM.

To reach us in studio, email drew@illegalcurve.com or call us at (204) 780-KICK (5425). Remember, best caller of the night wins an IllegalCurve touque.

If you want to read more about IllegalCurve radio, or to listen to past shows, click here .

We hope you enjoy.

First things first, remember to check out the Illegal Curve Radio Show tonight! Click the link in the upper right hand corner to listen live.

Another day, another Flyers’ rumour. With Philadelphia news all over the place (Spector, NHL Hotstove, The Morning Papers) its tough to avoid it these days. Instead of fighting it, I have decided to comment. Hold your applause, please.

The most significant rumour comes from Habs Inside Out, which suggests a Plekanec, Gill and Halak for Carter and Boucher deal. To me, this actually makes some sense. Despite the fact that I think Philadelphia should hold on to Carter, he may be the guy that has to fall on his sword in order to right the ship in the Keystone State.

The Flyers are also desperately searching for a backup. With Ray Emery still out for a while, the Broad Street Boys are back to the old days of a revolving door between the pipes. Coupled with the fact that they can’t score, the Flyers are in a world of trouble unless they solidify the situation. Losing Brian Boucher won’t hurt if they can Halak back, and the Flyers would go forward with a pretty decent tandem of Halak and Emery.

On the Montreal side of the ledger, Tomas Plekanec is leading the team in scoring and up for a big raise this summer. A reliable replacement center for the possibly departed Jeff Carter, Plekanec is a less physical player but is a great passer who would likely be able to help the Flyers power-play.

The Flyers would also get Hal Gill, who is a solid bottom pairing guy with size and a mean streak. He is familiar with the division and would make the Flyers tough to play against, and remove some of the burden on Chris Pronger in the physicality department.

Jaroslav Halak wants to be a starter and he would be thrust into that role in Philadelphia. He would be counted to be the guy for the Flyers, so he had better be ready for the pressure, and unless the Flyers find their scoring touch, he will have his work cut out for him. A RFA this summer, he would also be playing for a contract.

Money wise, the Philadelphia Flyers components look like this. Jeff Carter has a cap hit of $5 million and is signed til the end of 2010-11. Brian Boucher has the same term, but at a friendly $925 K. The Canadiens’ situation looks like this. Tomas Plekanec is a pending UFA and is currently making $2.75 million, which will likely climb into the $4 million range next year. Hal Gill is at $2.25 million and Halak is sitting at $800 K.

The numbers are basically a saw-off, but the Flyers would be left trying to sign Plekanec and Halak to new deals and both would need raises. Philly has some space available but also have to decide if they are going to sign Ray Emery and have a few RFA’s to sign. The good news is that Mike Rathje comes off the books, as does Randy Jones. If the cap is indeed going up slightly, they should be able to afford both players, if they want to keep them.

The Canadiens, in addition to getting some size, also get a little cost certainty. Carter and Boucher are both signed for an extra year beyond this one, and the team would not have to worry about the Plekanec deal or a new one for Halak. This would allow them to concentrate on signing their few RFA’s and decide on UFA’s like Marc-Andre Bergeron.

For my money, I can actually see this one happening. It fulfills a few needs for each team. Montreal gets size and skill (best player?), rids itself of a goalie controversy and frees up some time to work on deals for secondary players. Philadelphia shakes up the team without a serious downgrade up front, gets a dynamite passer, shores up the goaltending and adds a little size in the back. Hal Gill might be a little much for deal, but because Carter is likely the best player here and the Canadiens key part is a UFA, his inclusion is likely necessary.

Lets hear your thoughts in the comments.

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As any loyal reader of this humble column knows, my careers have run an interesting gamut. Prior to my illustrious return to the dry cleaning and laundry world (where I currently bide my time), I was a speech-writer (amongst other duties) for a Member of the Canadian Parliament. Now, after you get over the shock that someone actually paid me to put pen to paper, the point of my mentioning this (besides shameless self promotion) is that I spent a few years in Ottawa, and as such became fairly familiar with the Ottawa Senators. Needless to say, after my experiences in Canada’s capital, I am not surprised to read reports this week that the Senators are having some attendance difficulties (paid attendance down 4000 per game, average ticket revenue per game down $300 000, season ticket holders down 3000) and as such are slashing ticket prices (amongst other incentives).

Ottawa is a difficult city, sports wise. As I quickly learned, it’s rare to find someone who is actually a born and bred Ottawanian (Ottawatonian? I never really found a definitive answer what to call someone from Ottawa, which I suppose somewhat proves my above point.) When you have a city like Ottawa that is filled with transplants from another city, and who bring with them loyalties to another city/team it’s hard to build a passionate fan base that will stick with their newly adopted team through thick and thin. All of a sudden, at the first sign of a distinct struggle, the adopted team is of no priority and attending their games is far down the list of things that must be done.

The second problem that is undoubtedly afflicting the Senators’ attendance is the location of their arena. When the Senators are winning, and playing quality hockey, the Scotiabank Place, located in Kanata, Ontario, is a delightful place to watch a winning hockey team. When the Senators are a mediocre team, as they currently are, Scotiabank Place is still a nice facility to watch a hockey game but the fact it is upwards of 30-45 minutes away from downtown Ottawa becomes a real drawback. Oftentimes the alternative of watching the game in a downtown sports bar, and avoiding the hassle that is attending a Senators game is the better option. At it’s core, this is a serious problem the Senators have yet to solve; anytime the fan base thinks getting to the game is too much of a hassle and not worth it, you are going to have serious problems.

Continuing on with the locale difficulties surrounding Scotiabank Place is that, in my humble opinion, hockey fans want an atmosphere surrounding the arena/game. They want to feel a buzz in the local shops and businesses near the arena, adding to the hype and the excitement. This isn’t possible with Scotiabank Place as it’s in the middle of a former farmer’s field, with no businesses around it. There is no spin-off nightlife to the Senators game. You drive to the arena in bumper-to-bumper traffic, you park in the parking lot, and you walk into the game. There are no places to get a pre-game meal or a post game drink. You drive, you watch, you depart. Sure, downtown businesses get on the Sens bandwagon, but when there is a 45 minute drive to the actual game that buzz dissipates to a whimper of enthusiasm.

When I lived in Ottawa, the Senators were an upper-echelon NHL team, icing, at the time, one of the best lines in the NHL with Heatley, Spezza, and Alfredsson. They played an exciting brand of hockey, and as a result of their style of play and subsequent on ice success, the Scotiabank Place was THE place to be. Of course, as with all teams in professional sports, peaks quickly become valleys, and the Senators began a re-tooling faze. Still, on most nights the Senators are competitive, and a fringe playoff team. What is proven by their attendance struggles this year is that for the Senators to be a hot ticket they must be playing hockey in an upper echelon. As I documented, there are a number of different factors playing into this, but ultimately I think the biggest problem is the lack of born and bred Senators fans. Looking around to the other Canadian NHL clubs, they are experiencing struggles similar to and worse than those of the Senators, and yet they are still filling the building night in, night out. The Edmonton Oilers are still “God-like” in Edmonton, despite playing an atrocious excuse for hockey. I think that this can only be explained due to the intense loyalty of their fan base. Given the truths that Ottawa is very much a transient town, and with this unlikely to end anytime soon, I don’t see these problems dissipating. It’s good to see though that the Senators ownership are pro-active and aware of their trouble spots and are doing their part to try and attract more people back to Scotiabank Place. A “cognizant to the situation” ownership group is a must in trying to solve any problems.

For IllegalCurve.com, I am Drew Mindell.

Do you have any thoughts on what ails the Senators, attendance wise? Let’s hear from you in the comments.

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Central Division

• The Blackhawks knew the Sharks would be looking for revenge, and they sure were, as San Jose came into Chicago and recorded a 3-2 road victory.  The score was deceiving though, as the Hawks outshot the Sharks 47-14.  Ben Eager missed last night’s game but claims the injury has nothing to do with his previous concussion problems this season.
• “I guarantee there are a lot of guys in our (locker) room, whether they say it or not, who are tired of James Neal,” said Jackets forward Derek Dorsett.  Apparently a few Blue Jackets players got to see the non-coaching side of Ken Hitchcock and a team meeting yesterday.  Here are the Blue Jackets’ probable lines for tonight’s tilt.
• The Red Wings’ power play has been awful as of late.  The Red Wings have called up Mattias Ritola from Grand Rapids of the AHL.
• The Predators lost 4-1 at the Canucks last night.  (Note: AP article)
• The Blues are starting to gain confidence and a win tonight would mean the team’s first Western Canadian sweep in the organization’s history.

Northwest Division

• All Craig Conroy wants for Christmas is one goal, as the veteran center hasn’t scored a goal in 33 games.  Miikka Kiprusoff is admittedly impressed with the records that Martin Brodeur has been breaking.  Calgary players know they get a break after tonight’s game and they have had some time off before tonight’s game, so there are no excuses for poor play.
• Last night’s loss was probably the Avalanche’s most disappointing loss of the season, writes Adrian Dater.  Matt Duchene was happy to have some family at yesterday’s game, even if his uncle was on the opposing team’s coaching staff.
• Ryan Potulny has been promoted to the Oilers’ first line with Dustin Penner and Gilbert Brule.  The Oilers players are excited to get back on the road where they had all of their recent success.
• The Wild had the equipment issues in Ottawa but the team has been affected even more so by the flu.
• The Canucks were tremendous last night, as they handled the hottest team in hockey, writes Jason Botchford.  Last night’s win actually moved the Canucks into playoff position for the first time this season.  Nobody is sure where Mathieu Schneider is.

Pacific Division

• Ryan Getzlaf’s late goal against Colorado was huge for the Ducks’ improbable comeback against the Avalanche.  Ryan Whitney has been a different player lately–one that has been far more effective.
• The results may not be coming for the Stars but they are doing many things the right way, writes Mike Heika.
• Martin Hanzal is a team player, if you don’t believe that, then just ask his linemates.
• The Sharks know they got lucky last night against the Blackhawks, writes David Pollak.  There is a built in schedule break for teams over Christmas, but coaches Sharks may not take that time off.

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Atlantic Division

• Everybody was focusing on Martin Brodeur’s shutout record, and rightfully so, but the Devils were also very excited to have defated the Penguins for the third time this season–all at the Mellon Arena.
• Newsday has an update on Rick DiPietro’s injury status.
• Rangers veteran defenseman Michal Rozsival has improved his game as of late, writes Arthur Staple.  Another Rangers player has also slowly improved his game, and that’s Brandon Dubinsky.  Looks like John Tortorella has changed his system to become something closer to what the Rangers played under Tom Renney.
• The Flyers coaches and players are thinking a road trip may be just what the team needs to come together.  Mike Richards is hoping that Monday’s players-only meeting will affect the way the team plays.
• Evgeni Malkin has been struggling this season, but he wants people to know that his lack of production is not injury-related.  One Penguins player is injured, as Mark Eaton is expected to be out for a week.  The Penguins hate losing and generally show that by bouncing back after bad losses.

Northeast Division

• As reported yesterday, Milan Lucic wants to return by January 1st, but he will make sure he is 100%.  Marc Savard has been in a scoring slump lately and he thinks one of the reasons why is his lack of skating.
• Tim Connolly has stayed healthy this season, which is why his scoring slump is so unexpected.  Tyler Myers is okay, although he was given a maintenance day by the Sabres coaching staff on Tuesday.
• Marc-Andre Bergeron expects to play tonight for the Habs in what will be Benoit Pouliot’s Montreal debut.  Don’t tell the Habs, but the team hasn’t won a game on December 23rd since 1945.
• Both Pascal Leclaire and Chris Neil return to the Senators lineup tonight.  Bryan Murray was not happy about NHL officiating.
• Tomas Kaberle is one pace to be the first Leafs defenseman to ever lead the team in scoring.  With Viktor Stalberg injured, Rickard Wallin checks back in for the Leafs tonight.  Ron Wilson has an idea why the Leafs haven’t played well in overtime.

Southeast Division

• Tobias Enstrom is quiet by nature, but the young defenseman sits fourth in NHL defensemen scoring and has already set a Thrashers franchise mark on his career.
• With the Hurricanes season basically lost, the team is starting to work in its young players, writes Chip Alexander.
• The Panthers power play and penalty kill hasn’t been that good over the course of the season, but lately it has been one of the driving forces behind the team’s success.  An even bigger factor in the team’s success has been the play of Nathan Horton and Stephen Weiss.
• Lightning coach Rick Tocchet says it is more tiring to coach than it was to play.  GM Brian Lawton gives Tocchet all the control of his roster that he needs.
• The Capitals are doing some nice things for children in the community this holiday season, writes Corey Masisak.  Here is an interesting article on the NHL’s injury disclosure policy.

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Tonight is the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show from 7pm to 9pm Central time.

This week’s show will feature our Olympic roster previews, with discussion about all the top contenders for the Gold Medal in Vancouver.  As well, we will talk about the usual hot NHL topics from the past week–including the talk about Ilya Kovalchuk’s future in Atlanta, the return of Andrei Markov and much more.

Tonight’s guest is Steve Kouleas of The Score. To send in a question for Steve, drop it in our mailbag and we’ll do our best to get to it.

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Sincerely,

The IC Team

Despite the Christmas trade freeze being in effect, the rumour mill has not stopped churning. Here are several items that we are tracking:

First, the Blues are not believed to be in the bidding for Ilya Kovalchuk (still think he stays), but could consider Eric Staal (Also think he stays) and perhaps Ray Whitney (Is there a point?). The article suggests to get any big name, they would have to part with one of their talented youngsters, like a TJ Oshie or David Perron.

This seems like a bad move for the Blues at this point in the season. I realize that the team is underperforming, but dealing young talent for someone like Ray Whitney is foolish. Eric Staal would certainly help, but the price-tag is likely so high that it would end up being a sideways move. The best bet is for the Blues to consider moving the veterans, like the article says, and accumulate draft picks or young talent. The Blues are a team on the rise, no need to interrupt the climb.

This same article also suggested that the Flyers, Rangers, Thrashers, Kings and Hurricanes all want to make moves to improve their clubs. We have been over the Flyers and Rangers quite a bit, and have had discussions about the Kings and ‘ Canes too. The Thrashers are a new entry here (other than Kovalchuk talk), so lets look at what they might do.

The Thrashers have a decent core in place but do need to do some contract work to keep everyone around. Kovalchuk is the biggest piece, obviously. Said to have asked for as much as $11.5 million per, Kovalchuk would certainly be a wealthy guy, but would effectively kill his chances at winning a Stanley Cup.

His supporting cast in Atlanta conists of Evander Kane (signed), Slava Kozlov (un-signed), Nik Antropov (signed), Colby Armstrong (un-signed), Rich Peverley (signed) and the re-born Maxim Afinogenov (un-signed). Pavel Kubina (un-signed), Ron Hainsey and Tobias Enstrom (signed) anchor the defence.

The Thrashers have nearly $9 million in available cap space and will have several big tickets come off the books this summer, including Kubina’s $5 million hit. I have been saying that they will likley do what they can to keep Kovalchuk, as he is a fan favourite and reason enough for people to come to the rink. I don’t, however, see him getting a huge raise over his current deal. Other big names have taken lower salaries to help build a winner, and Kovalchuk will have to decide what to do.

Looking at the other guys, the team has to make decisions on 6 UFA’s and one RFA (Bryan Little). This will be a tough summer for Waddell and Co., as they have yet to deliver a winner in Atlanta and are likely constrained by an internal cap. Assuming they get Kovalchuk signed, they should likely focus next on Max Afinogenov. Reborn in Atlanta, the speedy winger is toiling for $800 k and will expect a raise. Hopefully he realizes that Atlanta has helped to save his career, and will sign for a reasonable amount in the $2 to $3 million range.

Slava Kozlov is 37 but still producing, so he is likely available at a slight discount from his current cap hit of $3.667 million. If he shows signs of wanting to play for a winner, he could be a prime target to be moved. He provides consistent offense and is good on the power play.

Colby Armstrong is another UFA who could attract attention if Atlanta wants to move him. A gritty two-way player who still has upside at 26, Armstrong makes $2.4 million and could be looking at a small raise. He is widely coveted throughout the league (Edmonton and Pittsburgh are often thought to have interest) and could fetch a good return. If Atlanta is worried about money going forward, he could be sent out for a package of younger and cheaper players.

Jim Slater, an important cog on the team, also need a contract. His current deal is for just over $800k and I would assume he stays in Atlanta, but he could also fetch a price as he is a very reliable forward.

The biggest RFA is Bryan Little. At 21 years of age, he is guy that is able to contribute offensively and should be seen as part of the future in Georgia. I would expect that he gets a deal that banks on his potential, so Atlanta will have to shell out to keep him.

On the blueline, Pavel Kubina is the big ticket UFA. He may be slightly overpaid on his current deal, but offensive defenders come with a price tag, so I don’t think he will take a lot less to stay. That’s why I envision him being the prime candidate to get moved. Atlanta has some good defenders to fill out the ranks, and could pick up a veteran this summer at a more reasonable price. That would free up some cash for Kovalchuk while keeping internal costs in check.

What team beat writers are saying this afternoon:

• Kari Lehtonen was on the ice for the Thrashers, reports Chris Vivlamore.  Goaltending hasn’t been the problem in Atlanta, so if Lehtonen does return in the next month or so, I’d expect him to be available in a trade.
• Milan Lucic hopes to be back for the Winter Classic.  As hard working as Steve Begin is, I’m sure Bruins fans will be happy to see Lucic back on the top line.
• Tyler Myers and Patrick Kaleta both missed practice today.  Both players are extremely valuable to the Sabres’ cause.
• Shockingly the Hurricanes have not called this season “lost.” What else do they expect Maurice to say?  In reality though, a turnaround for next year is certainly feasible and that top five pick should pay dividends down the road.
• The Hawks know the Sharks will be looking for revenge tonight when they visit the United Center.  After I hyped up the last match between these two teams on the IC Radio Show, I’ll hold judgment until tomorrow morning.
• Craig Anderson starts tonight for the Avalanche.  The Avs fans need to take notice of this team because it doesn’t appear to be going away.
• Did you know Tomas Plekanec is sixth in the entire NHL in points?  When Brian Gionta returns, we will be able to see what this team is capable of.  Also, expect the trade of Halak to bring in another forward.
• If the Predators continue at their current pace, they will not qualify for revenue sharing this season.  That doesn’t mean they get nothing, it just means they get 75% of revenue sharing money.  Also, the team is playing tremendous hockey, so later games should garner more interest due to playoff implications.
• Brian Boyle and Brandon Dubinsky got into a tussle at practice today.  Probably something the Rangers need.  I bet Tortorella doesn’t mind this at all.
• Rick Carpiniello thinks Wade Redden played okay last night in his return to the lineup.  Obviously okay isn’t good enough at that salary.
• Pavol Demitra skated for the Canucks today.  He’s always injured so you almost forget him if you aren’t a Canucks fan.  That said, a late January return would be hugely beneficial for this club’s secondary scoring.
• Semyon Varlamov is slated to return next week.  His Calder Trophy aspirations fall off a bit with this injury, but he has time to make that up.

• The NHL Hotstove discusses the Marty Turco rumours as well as a new one suggesting Philadelphia as a destination for Ilya Kovalchuk. I don’t think Kovalchuk is going anywhere, can you imagine selling a rebuild to fans that barely notice your team anyways?
• I found this blog through Facebook. It features a ton of great hockey video clips, give it a look if you have time. Its also for sale, strangely enough.
• Hockey Independent offers its projected Team Canada lineup for the Olympics. I am not sold on sending Brad Richards. That team needs a little more grit, so I would favour Brendan Morrow over Richards, whose skills are duplicated on that roster.
• An interesting story on NHL.com features Nikita Kashirsky, a friend of Alex Ovechkin’s currently in the ECHL with the Carolina Stingrays.
• If you haven’t been over at Greatest Hockey Legends in a few days, go there right now. There are links to some cool old Canadiens and Leafs X-mas cards, stuff on Marty Brodeur and the Team Canada women’s selections. Just a plethora of good reading there today.
• Since its been a long time, here is a link to Views from the Booth, for all your Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League news.
• The weekly Hot List takes aim at Taylor Hall, widely thought to be the #1 overall pick in next spring’s Entry Draft. Lots of info about other WJC-bound players as well.

Last night I had the opportunity to appear on Blue Line Hockey Talk Radio.  The show’s host, Millian, asked me all about IllegalCurve.com how the website got started, details about the radio show and much more about IC.

Here is a little bit about Blue Line Hockey Talk Radio from their website:

The BlueLine: Hockey Talk Radio is the new generation of sports talk radio. The program centers its content exclusively on the love of NHL hockey, and the pulse of today’s modern game. Not mired in stats, scores and recaps, but living and breathing with the soul and spirit of the game itself. The show serves the most important piece to the hockey puzzle—the fans.

On this show, the fans matter the most. Subjects discussed include the state of the current game, the future of the sport, how the fans are affected, and in-depth thought on the current events that are shaping the league’s history. Loaded with light-hearted humor, driving sarcasm and honest thought, this program takes a weekly critical look at the people, places and events that make this game move forward.

You can listen to the interview here.

Here is a link to the Blue Line Hockey Talk Radio website where you can listen to a bunch of other interesting interviews.  As well, you can follow BLHTR on Twitter and Facebook.

Central Division

• Cristobal Huet has finally started to become a fan favorite in Chicago, writes Chris Kuc.  It really is amazing to compare the United Center crowd today to the one five years ago.
• Any way you slice it, the Blue Jackets are in a massive slump, writes Aaron Portzline.  “I’m not looking for excuses, but I definitely felt like an outsider, not being from the U.S. national development program or from a college program,” in some interesting comments from Blue Jackets prospect John Moore about being cut from the United States World Junior team.
• Valtteri Filppula is slated to return right after Christmas, in what can only be considered a Christmas present for the injury-riddled Red Wings.  In roster news, the Wings have demoted Kris Newbury to the AHL.
• The line of Jerred Smithson, David Legwand and Joel Ward has played tremendously well this season, explains John Glennon.
• “If I could figure David Backes out, I wouldn’t be a hockey coach, I’d be investing in the stock market because it is amazing it’s the same story with him every year. We can basically write off the first 25 games and then after that he gets it going,” said Blues coach Andy Murray about David Backes.  Ty Conklin is playing well, but the Blues coaches still have confidence in Chris Mason and that’s why he started last night in the team’s blowout win over Edmonton.

Northwest Division

• Miikka Kiprusoff and Olli Jokinen will be keeping an eye on tonight’s World Junior tilt between Canada and Finland.  Curiously enough, Kiprusoff says he is done talking about Team Finland and his chances at the Olympics.  Coach Brent Sutter wants his team to get back on track by practicing.
• The Avalanche just continues to win, as the team increased its division lead to four points with a  win over the Wild on Monday.  Amazingly, Craig Anderson has already set a career high for starts in a season.
• “I’m sure the last couple of goals looked like they might be stoppable, but boy, by that time, he was left out to hang by his teammates,” said Oilers coach Pat Quinn about Devan Dubnyk.  Dan Barnes tries to capture how bad the Oilers really were.  No typo here, as the Oilers are last in the Western Conference.
• The Wild generally play the Avalanche pretty well but not last night, writes Rachel Blount.  It finally appears that Petr Sykora is on the road back to recovery after a bad concussion.
• Shane O’Brien has really cut down on his minor penalties this season, writes Ben Kuzma.  Both Sami Salo and Ryan Johnson missed practice yesterday but both are expected to play tonight.

Pacific Division

• Randy Carlyle doesn’t want to overstate the importance of his team’s next few games but his players know how important they are.  Could Teemu Selanne return early?
• Dallas did not play poorly last night, in fact the team played quite well, but moral victories can only carry you so far.  Matt Niskanen was a healthy scratch for teh Stars last night and Mike Heika says it was probably well-deserved.
• Ryan Smyth admits that it has been tough to not play, especially with Team Canada picking its Olympic team so soon.  Anze Kopitar is happier than anybody that Ryan Smyth is back on the ice.
• The Coyotes wanted to jump on the Blue Jackets because Columbus is lacking confidence, and they did just that, reports Jim Gintonio.  Apparently Anders Eriksson is back in the NHL with Phoenix.
• Keeping Marleau-Heatley-Thornton apart can only work for so long, as the trio was reunited and the Sharks prevailed 4-2 over Dallas.

If you are looking for a holiday gift and want to support IllegalCurve, take a look at our touques that can be purchased for only $9.99 plus shipping.  Also, if you want to add IllegalCurve on Twitter, click here.

Atlantic Division

• What else is there to say?  Martin Brodeur is the shutout king of the NHL.  “I don’t get nervous, but tonight I was a little nervous,” said Brodeur after last night’s record setting contest.  Zach Parise hasn’t scored in eleven games, but he did tally three assists last night.
• The Islanders continued their struggles last night with a poor third period, explains Katie Strang.  Apparently Rick DiPietro felt good after yesterday’s practice.
• It helped that Brandon Dubinsky played last night without his hard cast, writes Michael Obernauer.
• It used to be intimidating to play in Philadelphia, but they certainly are not right now, writes Sam Carchidi.  When the Flyers fans weren’t booing yesterday, they were chanting for the Philadelphia Eagles.  The Flyers keep talking but nothing is changing.
• “He’s a legendary goalie, and he proves it every year,” said Sidney Crosby about Martin Brodeur.  Marc-Andre Fleury is no slouch either.  The New Jersey Devils have the Penguins’ number, writes Josh Yohe.  Now everyone of the starting six Penguins defensemen has missed time with injury, as Mark Eaton didn’t suit up last night.

Northeast Division

• Tim Thomas didn’t know he was that good against the Senators, but he doesn’t mind being told he has recorded ten wins in a row.  Who knew Shawn Thornton was so concerned about offense?  Speaking of offense, Marc Savard finally got on the board for the first time in six games.  Savard had a new linemate in Steve Begin for last night’s game.
• “We get geared up to play Toronto,” said Derek Roy after scoring the overtime winner against the Leafs at the ACC.  Thomas Vanek hates missing games but he missed second consecutive game last night with an abdominal injury.
• If Jaroslav Halak is being put on display for the rest of the league, then last night’s performance should fetch quite a return, writes Pat Hickey.
• Brian Elliot wasn’t the problem last night in probably his last game as Senators starter for a while, writes Bruce Garrioch.  Did you know that Daniel Alfredsson hasn’t scored a goal in a whopping twelve games?  Zdeno Chara doesn’t understand why fans in Ottawa boo him.
• “Those are pee wee mistakes. They can’t happen,” said Ron Wilson about the overtime winner by Derek Roy.  Viktor Stalberg is one of the Leafs’ only answers for Ryan Miller.  At least the Leafs were pretty good in their own zone, explains James Mirtle.  Dave Feschuk also noticed some positives.

Southeast Division

• “We did exactly what we wanted to do the entire game,” said Thrashers coach John Anderson after his team’s tough loss to the Habs.  Not good news for the Thrashers that contract negotiations with Ilya Kovalchuk have hit a snag.
• No news here, as the Hurricanes lost again last night, this time to the Rangers.
• Bryan McCabe took on Mike Richards and then the Panthers’ top line took care of the Flyers defeating the floundering team 4-1.  Peter DeBoer made sure he had a tough lineup last night.
• After it started so poorly, Tampa Bay ended its road trip on a good note, writes Damian Cristodero.  Rick Tocceht says last night’s game proves what the Bolts can do if his team sticks to the system.  Zenon Konopka is one tough cookie, but Rick Tocchet felt like he needed a break last night.
• Bruce Boudreau thinks the Capitals are being too fancy with the man-advantage.

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A bunch of rumours out there today, as is often the case after the weekend. Everything from a potential Jagr return, to the Avs dealing youngsters to the Flyers looking to unload some big deals.

Cherry-picking from the bunch, it seems that Tampa Bay will not recall Lukas Krajicek and will instead attempt to deal the defender. Krajicek, still only 26, has some upside left but has been a disappointment this year for the Lightning. At a cap hit of $1.475 million, he is very affordable, even for depth and is a UFA at season’s end.

I would envision a team looking for insurance inquiring about Krajicek. If you can slot him into the right situation, he is and could be a valuable player down the stretch. In terms of possible destinations, why not Dallas? The two teams have a history together, and Stars assistant coach Charlie Huddy has an excellent track record for turning raw defenders into contributing members of a roster. The Stars are thought to want a little more veteran presence on the back-end, so perhaps this is a good fit.

Despite the fact that a couple of these guys are basically dead-weight, the Flyers are stuck with Danny Briere, Mike Richards, Simon Gagne, Kimmo Timonen and Chris Pronger. That leaves the Flyers in a sticky situation, in that the rest of the roster are either very important cogs (Jeff Carter), young guys with upside (Claude Giroux, Ryan Parent) or older spare parts that are still necessary for a Cup run (Ian Laperierre).

That leaves the Flyers trading either prospects or picks, and that can be a dangerous situation in the cap world, where rebuilds are par for the course every few years. Compounding the situation is the immense pressure to put a winner on the ice now. I don’t envy the situation GM Paul Holmgren is in, but I suspect a deal will surface sooner rather than later, despite the pleas from Peter Laviolette for patience.

Jaromir Jagr, as noted in the Morning Papers, is still interested in playing in the NHL when his KHL deal expires. The Oilers are suggested as a possible destination because of Jagr’s ties to coaches Wayne Fleming and Tom Renney. If the Oilers can shed some salary in the off-season, this might happen. Owner Daryl Katz likes to try and acquire big-name talent, and Jagr and Hemsky are friends. It may not help much, but it could make the team a little easier to watch, if for nothing else than Pat Quinn’s press conferences if and when Jagr decides to take a night off. Keep your eye on this one over the summer.

• Igor Larionov’s daughters have released a Christmas song to benefit cancer, video and story are here. How do you say “meow” in Russian?
• Forbes has a list of the best and worst NHL fans. S0me spurious rationale here, but an interesting read all the same.
• My wife’s favourite gossip site offers its’ take on the Mike Fisher-Carrie Underwood engagement.
• Goon’s World has the complete Team USA roster for the World Juniors, plus video of coach Dean Blais explaining the final cuts. Looks like a good team on paper, but others (Sweden, Canada) have more depth.
• Psycho Lady Hockey was let loose in a junior arena, with predictable results.
• The World of Junior Hockey blog has the rosters for the Top Prospects Game.
• This one is a couple days old, but it is interesting in that it discusses the possibility of more AHL teams out West, and the potential for some ECHL teams to jump ship to the American League. This just makes so much sense. With several western NHL teams having farm clubs on the east coast, you would think its only a matter of time before they want these feeder teams in closer proximity.

Here we go again—another week of fantasy hockey news.  This week, I’m looking at which players are good pick-ups when it comes to raking in the power play points.  

Power play Experts

The power play—it can make or break any team in the NHL, and the same goes for any fantasy team (assuming your league tracks those stats).  While a real-life team can practice special teams on the ice, a fantasy GM doesn’t have that luxury, but he or she can draft, trade or pick-up players with the power play in mind. 

Let’s look at who is getting the bulk of power play goals and assists so far this season.  I know a killer power play sniper is tops on my list to Santa this season. I’ve been good Santa, honest.  I learned my lesson after you left Patrik Stefan under my tree a few years ago. 

Power play goals 

This season (thru 12.19):

Gaborik (12), Heatley (10), Kovalchuk (8), Tavares (8), Crosby (7) 

Last season leaders:

Vanek (20), Ovechkin (19), Cammalleri (19), Green (18), Selanne (16) 

Gaborik continues his impressive first campaign with the Rangers with 12 power play goals in 33 games. Also, those 12 tallies count for half of his total goal count (24).  Not bad.  Oh, and he’s already tied his career high for power play goals in a season (he had 12 in 48 games back in ’06-’07). 

Heatley is doing fine himself and is benefiting from playing on the same line as Joe Thornton.  Something worth pointing out is that Heatley had 15 power play goals in 82 games last season, so he is putting the extra strength goals at a better pace since moving to the Shark Tank (10 power play goals in 35 games). 

Heatley’s former teammate on Atlanta, Ilya Kovalchuk is tied for third in the league with John Tavares.  Of  Tavares’ 15 goals this season, 8 are on the power play—which is pretty great for any first year player.  JT is keeping some pretty good company in the power play goal category.  

Power play assists 

This season (thru 12.19):

Thornton (16), Kaberle (16), St. Louis (15), Plekanec (14), Richards (14) 

Last season:

Crosby (33), Markov (32), S. Kozlov (31),  Getzlaf (28), Backstrom (28) 

Thornton and St. Louis aren’t really a surprise here, considering they are playing with some very capable snipers (Heatley and Stamkos respectively).  Nor is Kaberle, who has always been good on the power play (he had 45 power play helpers back in ’05-’06) and the addition of Phil Kessel to the Leafs can’t hurt any. 

Plekanec has already surpassed the handful of power play assists he had last season (6 in 80 games), and the return of a healthy Andrei Markov will only help him get more (Plekanec assisted on both of Markov’s power play goals in his first game back). 

So there we have it, the current best of the best when it comes to the extra man advantage.  Will the names above still be there at the end of the season?  Maybe.  If Gaborik and Thornton are still leading at the end of the season, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least.  

But, I think we’ll see some other names inch their way to the top by the season’s end, especially since there are eight players tied for fourth in power play goals (7) and eleven tied for fifth (6)—so don’t worry Cal Clutterbuck owners (0 power play goals in 28 games), there is still hope. 

Fantasy News Around the NHL 

The Good:

Simon Gagne (LW, Philadelphia) has returned and given the Flyer offense a much needed shot in the arm. Check your league’s waiver wire, he might have been dropped by an impatient owner early in the season.  Gagne had a power play assist and 2 PIMs in his first game back.  Andrei Kostitsyn (LW, Montreal) is on a two game point streak and has three multi-point games in December.  Nathan Horton (RW, Florida) has 13 points in December, including a hat trick and 4 multi-point games.  He has 35 points in 37 games—a vast improvement on his 45 points in 67 games last season. 

Jonas “I Don’t Need No Doctor” Gustavsson (G, Toronto) aka “The Monster” came back from surgery to fix his ticker and pitched his first NHL shutout over the Bruins.  Heck of a come back. 

The Bad: 

Teemu Selanne (RW, Anaheim) is out until early January with a fractured hand and teammate Joffrey Lupul (RW) is out for six to eight weeks after a bit of surgery to fix a herniated disc.  Jason Spezza (C, Ottawa) is out for six to eight weeks with a torn MCL.  Maybe it is karma coming back at him for this: 

Breakable goalie Rick DiPietro (NYI) appears to have suffered a bit of a set back in his conditioning.  He had some leg stiffness while playing with the Islander’s minor-league team.  DiPietro hasn’t played an NHL game since last January and has had multiple knee-surgeries in hopes of patching him up.  But, he still plans on practicing with the rest of the team today.   

The Ugly: 

Scoring defenseman Mike Green (D, Washington) was injured by a hit from behind by David Koci (LW, Colorado).

Jonathan Ericsson (D, Detroit) is out indefinitely after a knee to knee collision with Shane Doan of the Coyotes. 

And to make things even worse for the already depleted Red Wings, Henrik Zetterberg (C) is out for a few weeks after getting his bell rung by Mattias Ohlund (D) in Thursday’s game against the Lightning. 

Scary news this past week for the Minnesota Wild, as they had all of their equipment catch fire before their game against the Senators.  Even though the equipment crew did what the could to replace everything by game time, lots of players are very superstitious and/or picky when it comes to their gear.  The Wild lost the game 4-1.  Either Marian Gaborik put a gypsy curse on his old team, or someone is a big Talking Heads fan. 

The Showdown

Let’s see how some of the players mentioned last week did.

Big Bert and AO tie for most points in the past week.  Never thought I’d see the day.  Savard has been struggling as of late,  he’s on a 5 game pointless streak—which ain’t too good considering he just signed a 7 year contract extension.  

See ya next week, and for those who enjoy such things, here’s a bit of 1980s Christmas cheer.

In the Eastern Conference Morning Papers, there is some talk about the Flyers’ game tonight, as it is the first game versus the Florida Panthers since the David Booth incident. (Here is the video courtesy of HockeyWebCast on youtube.)

Okay, so you have almost assuredly seen the above hit and as linked in the Papers, there is still some ill-will over said hit.  Having said that, my question today is: Will this game actually serve to motivate the Flyers?

It seems odd that that is the question I am presenting, but stay with me.  The Panthers have actually been playing well lately.  As under the radar as the team is–even in its own home market–the Panthers have posted a record of 13-9-6 since the Mike Richards/David Booth incident.  That record is pretty darn good, especially considering the loss of Booth also marked the loss of arguably the team’s best player.  Moreover, the team has succeeded without veteran and locker room leader Cory Stillman.  So, the Panthers are quietly surprising the NHL–but that isn’t the topic for today.

What about the Flyers?

How many articles have been written recently in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News and Delaware Daily County Times about the team’s struggles?  About the need for a shake up or, on the other hand, a need to stay the course? Simply, the Flyers are a team in disarray.

The reasons for the team’s struggles are a plenty.  Ray Emery was playing hurt; some speculated about a locker room rift and others mentioned the lack of solid coaching.  Regardless of the reasons for the team’s struggles–and let’s be straight, emotion has certainly been a factor–may tonight’s game be the perfect tonic for the aimless club?

A coaching change certainly did not unite Philadelphia, in fact, it may have sent them in a further downward spiral.  So what is left for the Flyers to cling onto?  Many speculate a trade is in the offing but tonight may be the tell-tale sign for just that.

If we are looking for a sign that things may get messy tonight, look no further then the fact that the Panthers has recalled Steve MacIntyre and Mike Duco for tonight’s game–although it should be noted that tonight’s roster has not yet been announced.

Look, the Flyers are 10-15-1 since this incident.  That is bad.  We know that the Panthers are almost certainly going to come after Flyers captain Mike Richards.  Will the Flyers unite because of that?  Will they stick up for their captain and use this night as a motivational tool moving forward?

The Flyers clearly lack cohesiveness.  If you have watched a Flyers game that fact is easily noticeable.  Will a trade fix that?  Who knows?  But tonight, to me, is the sign of whether the Flyers will be the same group going forward, or if changes need to be made to the roster.

If the Flyers unite tonight, this may be the start of what most analysts expected–a run for the Cup.  If nothing changes tonight, don’t be surprised if something changes roster-wise once the Christmas roster freeze is over.

Central Division

• The Blackhawks kept the Red Wings to a measly 20 shots on net, as the Hawks recorded their third shutout in four games with a 3-0 defeat of their Central Division rivals.  The Hawks also won 64% of the face-offs last night.  Cam Barker was a late scratch for last night’s contest.
• With the Jackets struggling, here is an interesting Q & A with GM Scott Howson.  The Blue Jackets no longer have a number one netminder.  Here are the Jackets’ probable lines tonight.
• Todd Bertuzzi had his flaws in Calgary last season, but lately he has been a savior in Detroit.  The Wings were shutout by Chicago last night and the fact is, the team is having trouble scoring.  At least Marian Hossa didn’t do any damage against the Wings.
• John Glennon of the Tennessean writes about the surprise offensive play of off-season acquisition Marcel Goc.  The Predators are no longer playing on the perimeter, explains Barry Trotz.
• The Blues got off to a good start to their three-game road trip last night in Vancouver, recaps Josh Cooper.  Larry Pleau lit into the Blues after Friday night’s game.

Northwest Division

• Is Brent Sutter regretting his positive statements about his club about two weeks ago?  The Western Conference is so stacked that the playoffs basically start today.
• Some will hit the sun during the Olympic break but Avalance center Matt Hendricks will hit the ice–for ice fishing.
• The Blues are in town tonight, so the Oilers have to finally beat a team on the second leg of a back-to-back situation.  Pat Quinn is trying to figure out how he can make his team more consistent.
• Here is the injury situation for the Wild tonight versus Colorado.
• Ben Kuzma wonders why the Canucks were turning the puck over and playing defense so casually last night.  Some consider last night’s loss a significant set back after Friday’s win over Washington.  Glen Hanlon is back in town for the Canucks and is back working for the team.

Pacific Division

• Kyle Chipchura is finding a home in Anaheim, as the big center knows his role and has fit in well in Orange County.
• If the Stars are to make any noise this season, the team’s top line is going to be a big reason why.
• The Coyotes will be looking to make a push up the standings with six of their next seven games at home.
• Douglas Murray is a big boy and not only that, but he’s a big boy that likes to hit, writes David Pollak.

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Atlantic Division

• With Paul Martin due to return after New Year’s, Mark Fraser may be playing well enough to stay in the lineup.  Colin Stephenson writes about Brian Rolston’s comeback season in New Jersey.
• If the Rangers are going to succeed this season, coach John Tortorella says they need Henrik Lundqvist to be that good.  Larry Brooks seems convinced that Wade Redden is being put back into the Rangers’ lineup in order to prove himself and thus keep himself out of the AHL.
• Frank Seravalli knows who isn’t being traded from the Flyers roster.  Sam Carchidi documents the team’s awful scoring slump.
• Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette explains to readers why Brooks Orpik and Sergei Gonchar are such a good defense combination.  Jordan Staal admits tonight is a big game for the Penguins.

Northeast Division

• In Boston, Dennis Wideman is on the cusp of returning to the lineup.  Meantime, Derek Morris is questionable for tonight’s tilt.  Let’s be straight, the Bruins’ highly-paid forwards have not gotten the job done as of late.
• Lindy Ruff understands that one of the biggest problems with the Olympic schedule is the lack of practice time this season.
• The Habs spent an extra day in Long Island after the team’s plane decided not to take off due to the snow and high winds, writes Pat Hickey.  Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette wonders how good Andrei Markov can be when fully healthy.
• Mike Brodeur may be getting consideration for the start tonight in Ottawa–however, coach Cory Clouston never reveals his starting goaltender until the day of the game.  Erik Karlsson is starting to show progress for the Senators, writes Allen Panzeri.  Is Mike Fisher engaged?
• The Leafs unfortunately have to face Ryan Miller again tonight–the one player that has been a real thorn in their side.  Ron Wilson has taken notice of Miller’s performance, especially with this being an Olympic year.  Chris Zelkovich takes Mike Milbury to task for his Hockey Night in Canada comments.

Southeast Division

• The Thrashers can score, but they are last in the NHL in shots allowed per game, writes Chris Vivlamore.
• Eric Staal badly wants to play on the Canadian Olympic team this February in Vancouver.
• Tonight is the first time Mike Richards will face the Panthers since he injured David Booth on October 24th.
• “You hate to use the words do or die, but there are games that, as a player, you really look to dig deep,” said Rick Tocchet about tonight’s game at the Islanders.  Tocchet is hoping a six-goal outburst last game will open the floodgates.
• Quintin Lang is tough and his toughness makes him one of the fan favorites in DC.

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Central Division

• The Hawks may be looking dominant but the Wings are still the Wings and won’t be taken lightly, writes Chris Kuc.  Steve Yzerman had some very complimentary things to say about Jonathan Toews.
• The Blue Jackets lost again last night and that prompted a post-game closed-door meeting.  Michael Arace doesn’t believe anything radical needs to be done to the Blue Jackets in order to turn the team around.
• The Wings have played the Hawks once this season, but this will be the team’s first game against Marian Hossa since he left the Wings in the off-season.  “This was the first time in a long time I didn’t think we had everybody on deck,” said coach Babcock after yesterday’s loss to Dallas.  Check out the Red Wings’ current lines with all the team’s injuries.
• The Predators are hot and no one is stopping them, as the beat Calgary in Calgary yesterday.  (Note: AP article)
• There are still Blues players that believe in Andy Murray, writes Jeremy Rutherford.

Northwest Division

• The Flames are pressing right now, explains Jarome Iginla.  The statistics seem to be in the Flames’ favor, the results, however, are not.
• The Avalanche took it to the Blue Jackets last night, but under 12, 000 fans were there to watch the surprising Avs.  Terry Frei gives us the latest on Joe Sakic’s retirement.
• Bruce Boudreau motivated Alexander Ovechkin after the second period last night against Edmonton and it worked, explains Jim Matheson.  “We didn’t quit; we still played hard, but I think they played harder,” said Jeff Deslauriers.  Dan Barnes of the Edmonton Journal has a feature on Ovechkin and his free spirit.  Mike Comrie has mono and there is no set return date.  In this week’s Hockey World, Jim Matheson talks to Craig MacTavish–who is apparently doing his MBA while working at TSN.  In Short Shifts, Matheson explains that Grant Fuhr has an issue with today’s NHL goalies.  More Hockey World says that Jaromir Jagr may return to the NHL.
• Not only did the Minnesota Wild have to deal with equipment problems but the team had a number of players go down with the flu too, writes Michael Russo.  The Wild trainers are simply amazing.  The Wild didn’t get any sympathy from the Senators–and rightfully so.

Pacific Division

• The Ducks made it four wins in six games on Saturday with a nice win over the Coyotes.
• Has Karlis Skrastins become an offensive dynamo?  The way Brenden Morrow closed Saturday’s game makes you understand why he is on Team Canada’s radar.
• The Ducks took the Coyotes away from what they usually do yesterday. (Note: AP article)
• Jason Demers is back in the NHL and one of the reasons for that is the way he handled his demotion in the first palce.

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Atlantic Division

• It has been one of those years for New Jersey, as they stormed back after Martin Brodeur was pulled to hang the loss on Atlanta.  Looks like Jacques Lemaire’s line changes worked out quite well.
• Due to a storm in the New York area, the Islanders had under 8,000 fans at last night’s game and the Habs fans outnumbered the Islanders fans.  Martin Biron isn’t playing much anymore for the Islanders.  Meanwhile, Rick DiPietro is slated to practice on Monday.
• Henrik Lundqvist could probably use a benching but the Rangers’ best player was tremendous yesterday afternoon in leading the Blueshirts to a 2-1 win over the Flyers.  New York has sent Bobby Sanguinetti back to the AHL.  Also, the Rangers have recalled Matt Gilroy.  In his weekly Slap Shots column, Larry Brooks unveils his Team USA.
• Paul Holmgren says he will need to watch a few more games before deciding whether to make a big trade.  Chris Pronger critiques the Flyers’ overall performance.  Simon Gagne returned to the lineup yesterday and Peter Laviollete sure didn’t take it easy on him.
• Marc-Andre Fleury has been that good in the shootout this season.  It seems like the Penguins continue to face teams on the second half of back-to-back games.  Maxime Talbot was back in the lineup last night after being a healthy scratch.  This upcoming Olympics is going to be important for Russia, explains Sergei Gonchar.

Northeast Division

• “But I don’t think we tested him as much as we should have. That’s our fault,” said Claude Julien about his team’s offensive performance last night.  Johnny Boychuk is nice off the ice, but just ask Matt Stajan how he is off the ice.  In Kevin Paul Dupont’s weekly Hockey Notes, we get a taste of how good the Kings have been and he tells us that Marc Savard is still on Team Canada’s “watch list”.

• In his Inside the NHL column, Bucky Gleason talks head shots and John-Michael Liles’ availability.  The Sabres can blame their power play for last night’s loss.  Thomas Vanek didn’t play last night due to an abdominal injury.
• That Andrei Markov fellow is pretty important isn’t he, writes Pat Hickey.
• Mike Brodeur copied his relative Martin Brodeur, with a great NHL debut against the stiff Wild, writes Bruce Garrioch.  Garrioch has a ton of rumors in his weekly rumor column, including his report that the Flyers are trying to trade Jeff Carter and the Oilers are shopping Sheldon Souray, Lubomir Visnovsky and Shawn Horcoff.
• It is hard to keep track of the Leafs’ identity, but whatever they were doing last night worked.  Jonas Gustavsson was the story last night.

Southeast Division

• The Thrashers were outplayed by the Devils last night and the game wouldn’t have been close if not for Ondrej Pavelec.
• The Hurricanes actually pulled out a victory last night over the Panthers.
• Cory Stillman could return to the Panthers’ lineup on December 27, reports George Richards.  Florida lost last night because they brought no intensity for the first 30 minutes of last night’s contest.
• Damian Cristodero says the Lightning can learn from the Nashville Predators.  Alex Tanguay has the support of his family to turn it around.  With a storm in the Northeast, coordinating travel plans wasn’t easy for the Ligtning’s director of team services.
• Oilers fans came to see Alexander Ovechkin and didn’t go home disappointed, writes Corey Masisak.

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In my opinion this is the most exciting time of the year, with the Christmas holiday season right around the corner, that means many of our favorite college hockey teams are playing non-conference games or in holiday tourneys.

On December 29th – 30th, 2009

Florida College Hockey Classic

Maine vs. Princeton
Colorado College vs. Cornell

Great Lakes Invitational

Michigan Vs RPI
Michigan State vs. Michigan Tech

On January 2nd – 3rd, 2010

Badger Showdown

M.C. vs. Wisconsin
Yale vs. Ferris State

Denver Cup

UNO vs. SLU
B.C. vs. DU

Ledyard Bank Tournament

UML vs. Holy Cross
Northeastern vs. Dartmouth

Sheraton/TD Banknorth Catamount Cup

UAH vs. Vermont
UMD vs. Mercyhurst

Shillelagh Tournament

UND vs. Niagara
Colgate vs. Notre Dame

Dodge Holiday Classic

Clarkson vs. NMU
BGSU vs. UMN

World Juniors take Center Stage

With the holiday season comes this years World Junior Championship in Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan between December 26, 2009, and January 5, 2010, I have listed below the US college hockey players that are vying for a spot on the USA roster.  This years version of the Canadian WJC team is made up entirely of CHL talent and doesn’t have a single college hockey star on their roster.  Incidentally, there were a few Canadian collegians that were vying for spots on the Team Canada roster; Denver University Sophomore Patrick Wiercioch was cut because of a knee injury and Harvard University Freshman Louis Leblanc was one of the last players cut from team Canada. Some thought that Dylan Olsen from UMD and Joe Colborne from DU might have a chance to make the Canadian roster as well but they did not make the team.

Forwards

Name School, Year G-A-PTS
Chris Brown Michigan, Freshman 5-7-12
Jerry D’Amigo RPI, Freshman 5-9-14
Chris Kreider Boston Coll. Freshman 2-3-5
Danny Kristo North Dakota Freshman 6-10-16
Kyle Palmieri Notre Dame Freshman 5-2-7
Vinny Saponari Boston Univ. Sophomore 4-8-12
Jordan Schroeder Minnesota Sophomore 4-8-12
Derek Stepan Wisconsin Sophomore 5-17-22
Dave Wohlberg Michigan Sophomore 2-7-9

Defense

Matt Donovan Denver Freshman 2-7-9
Jake Gardiner Wisconsin Sophomore 1-2-3
Max Nicastro Boston Univ. Freshman 1-5-6
John Ramage Wisconsin Freshman 2-5-7
David Warfosky Boston Univ. Sophomore 4-4-8

Goaltenders

Name School,Year W-L-T/GAA/Save Pct.
Mike Lee St. Cloud Freshmen 4-5-3, 2.63, .926
[NHL.com]

Blais back in Grand Forks, ND

The USA WJC tryout has been at the Ralph Englestad Arena in Grand Forks, ND this past week and the Fighting Sioux will play the USA WJC team in an exhibition game tonight at 7:07pm.  I heard there are still tickets available if you want to attend the game. The USA team is coached by former Fighting Sioux head coach and current UNO Maverick head coach Dean Blais.

I was off from work yesterday and when I heard that coach Blais was speaking at the Sioux Booster’s luncheon I decided to attend my first ever Sioux Booster’s luncheon at the Alerus Center. It was fun listening to the former Fighting Sioux head coach speak.  Blais is always good for interesting quote or two. On playing in Canada Blais said, “We have to be prepared to be booed in every game we play — not just against Canada. We’re going to be booed when we play Latvia.” [Grand Forks Herald]

I have a lot of respect and admiration for the former coach and I think team USA is in good hands with Dean Blais. I expect the USA WJC team to be more disciplined this year than some of the teams from the past few years. Last season’s USA WJC team under Ron Rolston took a lot of undisciplined penalties and lost it’s composure against the Canadian team, I don’t expect that to happen under a veteran coach like Dean Blais.

My 2009 Christmas Wish List…

1.) I want more consistency out of the WCHA officials. Consistently calling the games in a poor manner is not consistency. The on ice official’s performance in the WCHA this year can best be described as brutal and unacceptable. No more officiating games by the score board. If it’s a penalty in the first period it’s still a penalty in the closing minutes of a game. Start calling the obstruction, picks and protect the puck carrier, like the NHL does. I believe that the NCAA Division 1 hockey officials should have to answer to USA hockey. If the on ice officials are not up to standard of USA hockey they are terminated and should not be allowed ref in any level of hockey. The officials on ice performance should be made available by a simple freedom of information act request. No more secrecy surrounding the on ice officials. (I am giving a lump of coal for the WCHA league office; your official’s performance during the first half of the season was brutal).

2.) I want to see the NCAA Division 1 hockey mirror the NHL in quality of officiating, video review, discipline of players, coaches and official, and use the rules the NHL has for deciding ties during the regular season. College Hockey is a great game and needs to step forward into the 21st century. I would like to see all the leagues go by the same rules.

3.) I want to see stiffer penalties for players that injure another player on the ice with an illegal check. A weak and non-punitive one game suspension for knocking out a fellow player with a dirty hit is unacceptable. Suspensions need teeth.

4.) I would like to see more college hockey on television. I would like to see a NCAA college hockey offer a package much like my NHL Center Ice. (Kudos to the NHL network and FCS).

5.) I would like to see the Pairwise Ranking go back to the old days were strength of schedule mattered. Teams that racking up wins against the weak sisters of the poor to make the NCAA tourney is unacceptable. I would like to see the KRACH factor into the selection process when picking the 16 NCAA tourney teams. (A lump of coal for the NCAA ice hockey committee).

6.) I would like to see all references and or discussion of the Big Ten Hockey Conference put to bed forever. It’s a pipe dream that some Big Ten administrator(s) with a college football background wants to push. They had a chance to put the Hockey Show Case games on the Big Ten Network and they games were unavailable for people to watch. (Lump of coal to the BTN).

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