End of February - 2/28 Results, 3/1 Picks, and Trades

* Pre-Skate *

 

Happy March! The NHL's trade deadline for the most part was a huge dud. Touted as a Christmas Day of sorts for hockey fans, this Christmas brought a flashy package filled with your standard coal. There was plenty of talk about guys like Tomas Vokoun and Brad Richards yet both remain on the team they began the day with. Brad Richards was highly regarded by many teams but the Dallas Stars just wanted too much at the end of the day. Vokoun would have looked nice in a Flyers uniform if not for his high salary as well as the issues the Flyers have with their salary cap. Quite a few teams would have liked to upgrade their goaltending for the playoffs. That said, trades were made nonetheless. A few players were also claimed off waivers. We now have a look at what teams will look like for the remainder of the season. So, let's see what the deadline brought us with comments (if any).

 

- St. Louis Blues trade Brad Boyes to the Buffalo Sabres for a second-round pick in 2011. Decent trade for both teams. Boyes is a decent enough player. I wouldn't be too thrilled with his $4 million cap hit though. It does help Buffalo bring in some offense for a fair price.

 

- Florida Panthers trade Radek Dvorak and a fifth-round pick (2011) to the Atlanta Thrashers for Niclas Bergfors (forward, originally in the trade that brought Ilya Kovalchuk to New Jersey) and forward Patrick Rissmiller. Dvorak is a decent enough player and should Atlanta for the most part. Nic Bergfors had a lot of promise but was ultimately an odd man out in Atlanta. Florida appears to have gotten the better trade in this one as Dvorak is in the back end of his career.

 

- Florida Panthers trade defenseman Dennis Wideman to the Washington Capitals for forward Jake Hauswirth and a third-round pick (2011). Washington grabs a fairly talented Dennis Wideman for pretty much nothing. They win the trade overall. Florida sheds salary, adds a pick to help rebuild, and gains a prospect from the ECHL. Many wonder if the trade is made to help in case Mike Green is hurt bad enough. Likely not, but just a thought floating around from fans.

 

- Phoenix Coyotes trade forward Scottie Upshall and defenseman Sami Lepisto to the Columbus Blue Jackets for defenseman Rostislav Klesla and forward Dane Byers. Columbus appears to get the better deal here. Upshall brings grit with a touch of scoring. Lepisto is a fair enough defenseman that should help replace the loss of Klesla. The Jackets had high hopes in Klesla who spent a lot of time injured and ultimately never lived up to their expectations. He's no slouch. He's a pretty big defenseman and Phoenix will use him to fill the injury of Ed Jovanovski. Byers is a minor-league toss in.

 

- Edmonton Oilers trade defenseman Shawn Belle to the Colorado Avalanche for defenseman Kevin Montgomery. No comment. Boring trade. Yawn.

 

- Chicago Blackhawks trade forward Ryan Potulny and a second-round pick (2011) to the Ottawa Senators for defenseman Chris Campoli and a conditional seventh-round pick (2012). Chicago adds a decent defenseman for their playoff push as Ottawa continues to sell. Potulny is a roaming, borderline minor-league addition. He was supposed to be pretty good when he was with Philadelphia but it doesn't appear he's more than a third or fourth line player. Ottawa grabs another pick and continues to clear out players. A rebuild is definitely in progress in Ottawa.

 

- Carolina Hurricanes trade forward Sergei Samsonov to the Florida Panthers for defenseman Bryan Allen. Gritty defenseman traded for so-so forward. Samsonov shows promise in doses. Carolina clearly felt Samsonov didn't offer enough to be on the team for the playoffs. They pick up some depth in Allen.

 

- Anaheim Ducks trade a third-round pick (2012) to St. Louis Blues for forward Brad Winchester.

Depth move that I think St. Louis wins. Winchester is a gritty third liner at best. Selling that for a third-rounder isn't so bad.

 

- LA Kings trade defenseman Colten Teubert, a first-round pick (2011), and a conditional third-round pick (2012) to the Edmonton Oilers for forward Dustin Penner. Fairly big deal here. LA pays a high price for Penner. Edmonton probably wins this trade in the long term. Penner will help the Kings make their playoff push and will most definitely help a talented team. The problem is this appears to be a desperation move by LA. Edmonton's third-round pick could become a second in 2012 if the Kings make the playoffs (this year or next year isn't mentioned).

 

- New York Rangers trade a seventh-round pick (2012) to the Toronto Maple Leafs for forward John Mitchell. Depth. Yawn. Next.

 

- Calgary Flames trade a seventh-round pick (2011) to the Atlanta Thrashers for forward Fredrik Modin. Not too bad. Good depth move for Calgary. Modin won a Stanley Cup with Tampa in 2004. Not a sexy move, but nice.

 

- Vancouver Canucks trade defenseman Evan Oberg and a third-round pick (2013) for forward Chris Higgins. Higgins is a pretty good addition to a very good Canucks club. He can slip into any line.

 

- Philadelphia Flyers trade forward Greg Moore and forward Michael Chaput to the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Tom Sestito. Very boring move for the Flyers. Most thought Philadelphia would add a depth forward. Sestito doesn't exactly fill that.

 

- Vancouver Canucks trade forward Joel Perrault and a third-round draft pick (2012) to the Anaheim Ducks for forward Maxim Lapierre and forward MacGregor Sharp. Canucks add a good gritty role player in Lapierre for their third or fourth line. Perrault and Sharp are both minor-league players. Canucks victory here.

 

- Washington Capitals trade forward David Steckel and a second-round pick (2012) to New Jersey for forward Jason Arnott. Steckel provides New Jersey with an all-around player. Nothing too special. Arnott gives the Caps a decent forward at the end of his career. Plenty of experience on his resume. The second-round pick the Devils get probably slides to New Jersey's side.

 

- Montreal Canadiens trade defenseman Brett Festerling to the Atlanta Thrashers for goalie Drew MacIntyre. Boring.

 

- Boston Bruins trade defenseman Jeff Penner and forward Mikko Lehtonen to the Minnesota Wild for goalie Anton Khudobin. Boring.

 

- Atlanta Thrashers claimed Rob Schremp off waivers from the New York Islanders.

 

- Ottawa Senators claim Curtis McElhinney off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning. This is McElhinney's third team in a week or two. He was traded by Anaheim shortly ago to Tampa Bay, waived by Tampa Bay, and now claimed by the Senators.

 

A few decent names were moved in Penner and Arnott but it was a fairly boring day. It was the least amount of trades made since 2000 on the deadline (from what I read). At least we can get back to hockey now. Time to see if any of the deals end up paying off.

 

 

* Shootout Continued *

 

Look for my Western Conference results in the next coming days for how the standings would change if we took away the shootout and implemented the "tie" system again. Been busy lately trying to keep up with the trades and life in general, but I'll be sure to finish.

 

* Results *

 

Just a couple of games tonight in the NHL. Thankfully I picked them all correct again. Not too hard to have a perfect night when there are only two games. Still, it's my second night to have them all right. I'll take it. Here are the results.

 

2/28/2011 - Monday

 

Blackhawks at Wild : Pick - Blackhawks : Result- 4-2 Blackhawks : Correct : 79-66

Red Wings at Kings : Pick - Red Wings : Result- 7-4 Red Wings : Correct : 80-66

 

=Dumbest Pick of the Night=

No one for this award tonight. Hard to consider any pick when none were wrong...or dumb.

 

=Hardest Pick of the Night=

Red Wings at Kings : Though the game was obviously a huge win for the Red Wings (7-4 Wings), the Kings aren't slackers. I could see the Kings winning. They actually beat Detroit in their other two meetings this season. 

 

=Easiest Pick of the Night=

Blackhawks at Wild : I'm only putting this game up because it was the easier out of the two. Both teams are in the same area statistically speaking. I think Chicago is a much better team in terms of players.

 

* Picks *

 

A lot of games for Tuesday. Time for everyone to get back to business following the trade deadline. Despite there being a lot of games, most of them were pretty easy to determine. The only thing I don't like is most of my picks (almost all) are just the better team. I know that sounds really stupid. The problem is good teams lose too and I could end up having a bad night by just making the easy pick rather than trying to find the upset. I still feel fairly confident regardless. Here's what I'm liking for Tuesday.

 

3/1/2011 - Tuesday

 

Panthers at Hurricanes ==> Hurricanes

Sabres at Rangers ==> Rangers

Islanders at Capitals ==> Capitals

Canadiens at Thrashers ==> Canadiens

Bruins at Senators ==> Bruins

Flames at Blues ==> Flames

Stars at Coyotes ==> Coyotes

Predators at Oilers ==> Predators

Blue Jackets at Canucks ==> Canucks

Avalanche at Sharks ==> Sharks

 

Night!

2/27 Results, Shootout Continued, Plus More

* Pre-Skate *
Thought I would take a quick second to announce what my blog is about again. It's probably stupid to do so as I'm really just talking to myself. I started the blog as primarily a place to record my picks and results for the daily NHL schedule. I'm a hockey fan (my team is the Philadelphia Flyers) with the NHL Center Ice package. I wanted an extra reason to watch other teams besides the Flyers (get the most bang for my buck since the package is costly). It's been really fun for me so far. I've added parts where I place awards for my daily picks (Hardest, Easiest, Dumbest Picks of the Night). On top, as I do enjoy writing, I've decided to write occasionally about the NHL and it's news. That said, I'm not a professional journalist. I do this for fun and for myself. Just a little note so that you take my blog for what it is (if anyone even reads this). Anyway, onto the news.

Only one move was made yesterday despite many rumors swirling. The Rangers added Bryan McCabe from the Florida Panthers for forward Tim Kennedy and a third-round pick in 2011. Plenty of rumors are out out there over players like Brad Richards, Chris Phillips, and Tomas Vokoun. As it is every year, don't be surprised if not one of these names are traded. Keep an eye out around 2 PM Central/3 pm Eastern on TSN.ca for all the coverage on trades. Some trades may not be announced until after the deadline in some cases.

* Shootout Continued *
I'm not going to insert the large paragraphs from yesterday. I'll explain in brief what I was doing. I went through the records of the Atlantic Division to see where the old standings format (letting teams have ties, no shootouts) would place each team. I wanted to see if letting teams have a point for losing in overtime or shootout as well as an extra point for winning a shootout has made a difference (positive or negative) in the standings. Today, I'm continuing by looking at how the format would change the Eastern Conference standings. Will anyone lose their playoff spot? Will a different team win their division over one that currently holds the lead? I'm not trying to knock the current system nor am I trying to proof a specific point. It's just a small project that seemed fun to do. The format change may not even make a difference in the standings whatsoever. I'll have a look at the Western Conference in the next two days.

Eastern Conference - Current standings - Current Format (as of the morning of 2/27/2011)

 Team                                        GP           Points                     Record (W-L-OTL)
1. Philadelphia                            62             86                                40-16-6
2. Tampa Bay                            61             79                                36-18-7
3. Boston                                   61             77                                35-19-7
4. Pittsburgh                               64             80                                37-21-6
5. Washington                            63             76                                33-20-10
6. Montreal                                63             73                                33-23-7
7. NY Rangers                           63             70                                33-26-4
8. Carolina                                 63             67                                29-25-9
TOP EIGHT TEAMS MAKES PLAYOFFS
9. Buffalo                                   61             65                                29-25-7
10. Toronto                               62              62                               27-27-8

Eastern Conference - Current standings - Old Format (as of the morning of 2/27/2011)Team                                         GP           Points       Record (W-L-T)       Standings Change
1. Philadelphia                            62              82                 39-19-4                      EVEN
2. Boston                                   61              74                 34-21-6                         +1
3. Tampa Bay                            61              70                 31-21-9                          -1
4. Pittsburgh                               64              72                 32-24-8                      EVEN
5. Washington                            63              69                 31-25-7                      EVEN
6. Montreal                                63              67                 31-27-5                      EVEN
7. NY Rangers                           63              61                 26-28-9                      EVEN
8. Carolina                                 63              59                 25-29-9                      EVEN
TOP EIGHT OF EACH CONFERENCE MAKE PLAYOFFS 
9. Toronto                                 62              55                  23-30-9                         +1
10. Buffalo                                61               54                  24-31-6                          -1
Conclusion
For starters, the results only change two scenarios. To understand the results a bit, it should be known that teams that win their division are given one of the top three spots in their conference. The three divisional winners are then placed by most to least points. So, while Pittsburgh has more points than Tampa and Boston in the current standings, they can only get as high as fourth unless they overthrow Philadelphia (currently the Atlantic Division leaders). With that out of the way, under the format that let teams tie, the Boston Bruins jumped from third to second. Tampa Bay slipped a spot to third as a divisional leader hopped ahead. Both teams would see a change in who they would see in the playoffs (Boston vs NY Rangers and Tampa vs Montreal).

The other scenario change is the ninth and tenth spots. Although neither team sitting in those spots would win a playoff spot, they would flip positions. Toronto would lose only seven points which sends them to ninth place. Buffalo loses eleven points (lots of overtime losses) which sends them down to tenth place. Toronto would even had a fair chance of catching Carolina for the eight spot. Buffalo would prefer the current format as they're only trailing Carolina by two points. Under the older format they would be back five points.

Philadelphia would prefer the old format as they would have Tampa Bay off their tail even if Boston gains a point from the current format. Under the current format, Tampa Bay would be a threat of taking their number one spot. They would also be concerned that Pittsburgh could overtake them sending them from first to fourth. The older format sends all the threats from immediate striking distance.

The teams stuck in fifth through seventh didn't plummet too much surprisingly. The points they lost from the format change was in the same range as other teams. Though they didn't lose a spot, they didn't gain any ground either. The format change wouldn't be evident. Carolina in eighth suffered a bit. The older format helps rid them of the Buffalo Sabres. Unfortunately, it places the Maple Leafs in a formidable position. Much like any place that's on the brink of losing a spot in the playoffs, they would need to keep pace.

Overall, changing the format doesn't appear to change the results by much. Teams like Washington and the New York Rangers appear to benefit greatly from gaining a point in the losing in overtime or a shootout. Buffalo and Tampa Bay both gained extra points by winning shootouts more than any of the teams used in this example. At the end of the season, the results could be a lot closer. Having extra points from losing in overtime or gaining an extra point by winning in a shootout could be the ultimate difference. The Philadelphia Flyers used the extra point from winning in a shootout to make the playoffs on the last day of the season last year. Clearly the current format can make all the difference. Still, it's a matter of gaining every point possible and everyone has the same chance to gain those points. Whether the current system is fair, it's still a team's job to secure the most points so that one point doesn't determine their fate.


* Results *
Really great night for me. I finished 6-2. The two games I lost were close. The Leafs lost in OT to the Thrashers. The Blue Jackets and Predators had a close 3-2 game. Other than that, my picks landed very well. I've also positively separated my wins and losses by twelve. 78-66 overall. Liking that. Here's how I did.

2/27/2011 - Sunday

Lightning at Rangers : Pick - Lightning : Result- 2-1 Lightning : Correct : 73-64
Blue Jackets at Predators : Pick - Blue Jackets : Result- 3-2 Predators : Wrong : 73-65
Devils at Panthers : Pick - Devils : Result- 2-1 Devils : Correct : 74-65
Maple Leafs at Thrashers : Pick - Maple Leafs : Result- 3-2 Thrashers : Wrong (OT/L) : 74-66
Coyotes at Blackhawks : Pick - Blackhawks : Result- 3-2 Blackhawks : Correct (SO/W) : 75-66
Blues at Flames : Pick - Flames : Result- 1-0 Flames : Correct : 76-66
Bruins at Oilers : Pick - Bruins : Result- 3-2 Bruins : Correct : 77-66
Avalanche at Ducks : Pick - Ducks : Result- 3-2 Ducks : Correct : 78-66

-Results Format-
Game : Pick : Result : Pick Result (OT or SO W or L based on my pick) : My Season Record
OT/W or OT/L - My pick won or lost in OT.
SO/W or SO/L - My pick won or lost in a shootout.

=Dumbest Pick of the Night=
Can't hand this one out tonight. Solid performance. The games I lost weren't dumb in my eyes.

=Hardest Pick of the Night=
Blue Jackets at Predators : Both teams are playing very well lately. I went with the hotter team in the Blue Jackets. The Predators were up to the task against their divisional foe. The win kept the Predators ahead of the Jackets by two points. Very difficult game to pick.

=Easiest Pick of the Night=
Bruins at Oilers : FINALLY! I finally picked against the Oilers and won. The Bruins are a top notch team that's currently third in the Eastern Conference. The Oilers are the worst team in the NHL. Easy selection.

=Shoulda, Coulda, Didn't Pick of the Night=
None tonight. All games ended in my eyes as they should or featured two teams with legit chances of winning.

=Got Owned Pick of the Night=
No one got owned tonight. Every game was a one goal game on Sunday night.

=Most Impressive Pick of the Night=
Bruins at Oilers : More of a humor pick here. In general there's really nothing impressive about the pick whatsoever. But if you know my luck with the Oilers, you'll find it's no good. When I pick them, they lose. When I pick against them, they win. I was finally able to shed that reputation tonight. I'm impressed. Sadly, very easily.

* Picks *
Just two games on for Monday. Probably for the best with trades for players to get to their new team if a lot of trades are made. Potential for a perfect night here with so few games. Both contests, however, aren't that easy to choose from. Here's what I'm going with.

2/28/2011 - Monday

Blackhawks at Wild ==> Blackhawks
Red Wings at Kings ==> Red Wings

Night!

2/26 Results, Waivers, Shootouts, Picks...La​rgest Post Ever!

* Pre-Skate *

 

Before I hit my "investigation" of the "loser point" as far as the NHL standings go, I'm going to cover the moves that happened today. I'll try to hit most of them, but I wouldn't be surprised if I missed some. Plenty of activity going on today that is warming up the rumors for Monday. Teams are waiving players like crazy while others are snatching up the scraps. 

 

For starters, the Flyers ending up keeping Nik Zherdev (for now) after placing him on waivers. No one claimed him and his fate is up to the Flyers. I personally liked Zherdev as far as what he brought for a third line player. My own problem is that if we send him to the Adirondack Phantoms (the AHL affiliate of the Flyers), cap space opens up to allow the Flyers to make another move before Monday's trade deadline. With injuries currently nagging the Flyers, Zherdev might be safe if the Flyers determine he's worth keeping around.

 

The Flyers made their first depth move by claiming Nick Boynton who was waived by the Chicago Blackhawks. With Chris Pronger hurt (doesn't appear serious or for long, but he'll miss a game or two), Oskars Bartulis out for the season, and Sean O'Donnell battling a knee injury, the Flyers needed to get a defenseman badly. Matt Walker, who began the season as the seventh defenseman, is also hurt (again). This gives the Flyers another player from last year's Stanley Cup winning Chicago Blackhawks (the other is Kris Versteeg). Boynton is an excellent addition in terms of depth. If and when the Flyers get healthy, they'll be very deep and dangerous.

 

Craig Rivet was finally claimed after Buffalo placed him on waivers the other day. The Columbus Blue Jackets added Rivet through a waiver claim which will provide them with an experienced defenseman for their run. The Blue Jackets are surging pretty well at the moment and are only three points out of the eighth place playoff spot. Calgary current occupies that spot but that may change as the Blue Jackets have three games in hand over them. This addition will most certainly help.

 

Marco Sturm was also placed on waivers by the Los Angeles Kings. Sturm can be dangerous but seems to disappear at times. Still, when a player like Sturm is available, teams won't hesitate to grab them. The Washington Capitals added Sturm to jump start their offense. Washington is already fairly dangerous on the offensive side of the puck. Sturm adds more to that element.

 

Another player who was placed on waivers a couple of days is Marek Svatos. The Nashville Predators waived away and the Ottawa Senators grabbed Svatos. This was simply a move by Ottawa to get a forward to insert on one of their top two lines. After making several trades, Ottawa needed a body. Svatos won't bring one of the worst teams in the NHL out of the cellar, but he'll ease some of the pain the trades left.

 

Goalies are also being waived like crazy. The Blues waived Ty Conklin, the Senators waived Pascal Leclaire, and the Lightning waived newly acquired Curtis McElhinney (from Anaheim for Dan Ellis). Not sure if any of those guys will be grabbed, but if you need a back-up goaltender, there are options. On a smaller scale, there were a few other waives that haven't been signed. Florida waived Steve Bernier and Ales Kotalik passed through waivers without being claimed.

 

As I said, the NHL seems to be prepping for Monday with salary cap moves and small scale trades.

 

* The Shootout *

 

As I mentioned in my blog yesterday, I wanted to take a look at how the shootout has made a difference this season in the standings. We see teams that lost a lot in overtime or shootouts get into the playoffs over a team who had less points but more wins. If you aren't aware of the point system, here's my attempt at an explanation. Currently, the NHL awards a team two points if they in regulation (through a standard game of hockey), in overtime, or in a shootout. You do not receive any points if you lose in regulation. A team will receive one point if they lose in overtime or a shootout. Prior to this format, teams would receive two points for a win in regulation or overtime, no points for a loss in regulation or overtime, and one point if the game ended in a tie after five minutes of overtime.

 

The problem with the old format was that teams would take the one point and skate with little care in overtime. Why risk the one point you would receive for the tie? One accident and you lose the game in overtime and receive nothing. The NHL fixed that by guaranteeing both teams a point by just reaching overtime. Without the fear of losing your point, teams would now play the five minute overtime more aggressively. Overtime was also changed to have four skaters and a goalie on each side rather than five and a goalie. This allowed more room on the ice which allowed better scoring chances. On top, the NHL wanted some more excitement to their format. Fans were tired of leaving a game unfulfilled when, even after an aggressive overtime, the game remained tied. The NHL then introduced the shootout which was used in different leagues elsewhere. The shootout lets each team choose three skaters to take a penalty shot one on one with the opponent's goalie. Best out of three wins. If the teams remain tied after that, then they go to sudden death shots. First one to score and stop the other team's shot wins.

 *Note: In the playoffs, shootouts are not used and overtimes are twenty minute periods with both teams skating five players and a goalie. If the game remains tied after the overtime period, they continue to skate twenty minute periods until a winning team prevails.

 

The new format is definitely exciting. There's no doubting that hockey is better when both teams aren't playing it safe in overtime. There's also no doubting that shootouts are fun to watch. If a fan leaves fulfilled and happy then the NHL can safely assume it's product is entertaining and profitable. Unfortunately, not all are happy. Some people believe the format is a cheap form of entertainment. The shootout shouldn't be the staple of the hockey game. If it takes a shootout to solve a tie, why not just award the teams one point for a game that couldn't be determined? Others see the format as unfair as it provides teams with a "loser point". Why should a team who loses in overtime get one point for losing? Why should a team that can't win in regulation or overtime get an extra point for simply winning a "skills challenge" like a shootout? The problem is the shootout takes the team element out of hockey and makes it all about an individual. Should baseball games be determined by whether Albert Pujols can beat Ryan Howard in a home run derby?

 

My feel is that hockey should find a new format. I like the shootout for the novelty of it all. It is fun to see the moves and dekes. I'm neither for or against removing it from hockey. Just don't care. I don't believe that teams should be rewarded for losing. At the same time, the NHL does need to give teams incentive for playing overtime aggressively. There are various formats that are being talked about in hockey circles (won't blog about it, this is lengthy as it is). The NHL just needs to find a healthy balance. At the moment, the NHL did what they could. At the end of the season, teams who are tied have shootout victories deducted from their win total to figure who had the most victories without shootouts as the determining factor. This helps, but unless you are tied points wise, it doesn't help.

 

If I had to choose between both formats, I'd choose the older version. Two points for a win, zero for a loss, and one for a tie. This is what led me to start looking at the standings to see things would look like without a shootout. I'm going to start with the Atlantic Division (go figure) and we'll see where things would be if the old format was in place. I'll give you the current standings, the reformatted standings, and then some comments about the changes. Overtime wins were left in the win column and any overtime loss was moved to the loss column (no points awarded for losing in OT previously). All shootout outcomes, regardless if they were won or lost, are automatic ties. So here goes...

 

Atlantic Division - Current Format - As Of 2/26/2011 (games on 2/26/2011 not included)

 

1. Philadelphia Flyers

 

Wins     Losses     OT/L     Points    OTWs    OTLs    SOWs    SOLs

40         15             6          86            3           3          1            3

 

Old Format

 

Wins     Losses     Ties     Points

39          18            4          82

 

Comments: The Flyers would only lose four points and would remain first in the Atlantic Division (and probably the Eastern Conference). The Flyers replace their losses in overtime with ties that they earned from shootouts. The Flyers obviously aren't much for shootouts as they're 1-3 this year. The old format would actually give the Flyers marginal to greater leads against their divisional foes.

 

2. Pittsburgh Penguins

 

Wins     Losses     OT/L     Points    OTWs    OTLs    SOWs    SOLs

36          21             6          78           4            3         4            3 

 

Old Format

 

Wins     Losses     Ties     Points

32           24            7         71

 

Comments: The Penguins lose seven points in the standing and back away from the Flyers by three points. The seven points they earned by winning shootouts and by losing in overtime play in a fair amount. The problem is seven points could most definitely make a difference of where they are at the end of the season. It could even determine if they make the playoffs or not. In the end, they remain in second place in the Atlantic Division and gain two extra points on the Rangers below them with the reformat.

 

3. New York Rangers

 

Wins     Losses     OT/L     Points    OTWs    OTLs    SOWs    SOLs

33           26             4         70          2            2           7           2

 

Old Format

 

Wins     Losses     Ties     Points

26           28            9          61

 

Comments: No team in the Atlantic benefited more from the shootout than the New York Rangers. They earned nine extra points winning shootouts and losing in overtime. As a result of the new format, they fall behind the Flyers by 21 points and the Penguins by 10. The Devils also gain on them by four points as a result. The new format gave the Rangers seven extra victories. The seven extra points from that alone could be a huge factor of whether they make the playoffs.

 

4. New Jersey Devils

 

Wins     Losses     OT/L     Points    OTWs    OTLs    SOWs    SOLs

26           31             4          56          4           3           2           1

 

Old Format

 

Wins     Losses     Ties     Points

24           34            3         51

 

Comments: Though the Devils lose five points, they're able to make gains on the Penguins and Devils in the standings with the old format. Being this low in the standings, the Devils really don't prove much to whether the old format or current format is better. The Devils reached the shootout less than any other Atlantic team. Much like the Flyers, the Devils don't lose much in the standings.

 

5. New York Islanders

 

Wins     Losses     OT/L     Points    OTWs    OTLs    SOWs    SOLs

23          31             8         54           5            4          3            4

 

Old Format

 

Wins     Losses     Ties     Points

20           35            7         47

 

Comment: The Islanders are in last and go further into last as they lose seven points. The Islanders have lost the most games in overtime than any other Atlantic team. But, to their defense, they've also won the most games in overtime in the Atlantic Division. The seven points they received from shootouts won't matter in the standings when determining playoff teams.

 

Conclusion...

 

Obviously the format shows marginal differences, but these differences could sway results in multiple directions. With the small sample that I've taken, no team changes positions in this division. Tomorrow (maybe Monday or Tuesday depending on the current news) I'll take a look at where the teams would be that are contending for the playoffs. We'll see if places are changed and maybe if someone who is in contention ends up dropping out. It's those teams that my argument is for.

 

* Results *

 

2/26/2011 - Saturday

 

Another even showing for me. I started off the night in good shape but had a terrible finish.

 

Predators at Stars : Pick - Stars : Result- 3-2 Predators : Correct : 69-60

Avalanche at Kings : Pick - Kings : Result- 4-3 Kings : Correct : 70-60

Red Wings at Sabres : Pick - Red Wings : Result- 3-2 Red Wings : Correct (OT/W) : 71-60

Hurricanes at Canadiens : Pick - Hurricanes : Result- 4-3 Canadiens : Wrong : 71-61

Capitals at Islanders : Pick - Capitals : Result- 3-2 Capitals : Correct : 72-61

Senators at Flyers : Pick - Flyers : Result- 4-1 Senators : Wrong :72-62

Penguins at Maple Leafs : Pick - Maple Leafs : Result- 6-5 Penguins : Wrong (OT/L) : 72-63

Bruins at Canucks : Pick - Canucks : Result- 3-1 Bruins : Wrong : 72-64

 

=Dumbest Pick of the Night=

Bruins at Canucks : Another night where I didn't go with my gut instinct. Had the Bruins in and scratched them out for the Canucks. Bummer. I'd choose another game but there really wasn't an obvious game to place here.

 

=Hardest Pick of the Night=

Bruins at Canucks : Same as above. Despite my knocking of my pick, both teams are both divisional leaders for a reason. Both have very strong teams with great goaltending. It was a hard enough decision that I changed my mind.

 

=Easiest Pick of the Night=

Avalanche at Kings : Colorado hasn't been very good lately. The Kings are generally the better team of the two by far. Easy enough.

 

=Shoulda, Coulda, Didn't Pick of the Night=

Flyers at Senators : The Flyers were a little short handed tonight having to move James van Riemsdyk to the Phantoms so that they would have enough defenseman. Still, there's no excuse to lose to one of the league's worst teams that's missing some of it's best players. The Flyers played well at first but looked awful by the end. Shoulda won, coulda won, but ultimately did not win.

 

=Most Impressive Pick of the Night=

This one is reserved for picks where I felt I went against the grain.

Predators at Stars : The Stars aren't great as of late. They've been in and out of ruts. I felt this was one game where they would get their act together and win. Typically I'd feel the Predators would win, but felt like the Stars had a victory in them.

 

* Picks *

 

2/27/2011 - Sunday

 

Another decent sized portion of games. Same as yesterday though. A few games I think I nailed and some others that I think could go either way. I'd go into detail, but I think I've exhausted my vocabulary at this point. Here is what I have.

 

Lightning at Rangers ==> Lightning

Blue Jackets at Predators ==> Blue Jackets

Devils at Panthers ==> Devils

Maple Leafs at Thrashers ==> Maple Leafs

Coyotes at Blackhawks ==> Blackhawks

Blues at Flames ==> Flames

Bruins at Oilers ==> Bruins

Avalanche at Ducks ==> Ducks

 

Night!

TGIF : 2/25 Results, 2/26 Picks, Thoughts on Shootouts!

* Pre-Skate *

Nothing major yet on the trade front. I think there was a minor move made today but nothing worth getting into. I don't have as much to say as I normally do. I'll give a little insight into something I'm going to get into in the next few days. I want to take a look at the results of shootouts. It's definitely something that is talked about a lot in hockey circles, but I'd like to see how it plays in when it comes to the standings. My initial thought was to try do the entire league at once, but that would be a bit much for a guy like myself. Instead, I think I'm going to introduce a division each day and see what happens if we take away the points if the league got rid of the shootout point.

I love the penalty shot from a fan perspective. It's fun watching someone come down for a one on one with the goalie. However, it's the rarity of the event that makes it more enjoyable. The introduction of the shootout as a way to determine an outcome of a game has kind of ruined the penalty shot. There's no doubting the shootout brings a lot of attention to a hockey game. Tension builds and everyone stands on their toes waiting to see if the puck crosses the line. You can't beat that. The local minor hockey teams in Fort Worth used to use it. I remember seeing the Fort Worth Fire and Fort Worth Brahmas head to shootouts. I also remember wondering why the NHL didn't use this at the time. But I'm starting to see why it isn't always preferred.

The main argument against the shootout is how it plays into the standings. Prior to the shootout, if no one won the game in regulation or overtime, both teams were simply awarded one point (you got two if you win, none if you lose in either format). Once the shootout was introduced, the format changed up a little bit. Regardless if you lose in overtime or a shootout, you earned one point just for making it to to extra time tied. Some have come to call the point "the loser point" only because you earn a point for nothing. It also forces a winner out of what could have been a mediocre game where neither team deserved an extra point if the game wasn't won in overtime. Now when it comes down to the end of the season, you'll see teams who get into the playoffs based on the games where that one point really did count or others where having an opportunity for two points by just beating a team in a measly shootout matters. A prime example is my Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers nearly missed the playoffs last year if it wasn't for their beating New York in a shootout. If there wasn't a shootout, the Flyers would have only earned one point and likely would have missed the playoffs. Instead, the Flyers got in and made it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

It's worthy of discussion and I think I'll take a look. I love the shootout for it's attraction, but I think it's starting to cool off a bit. It's not as fun as it used to be. Most importantly, it's allowing teams that don't necessarily deserve points they get to earn them anyway. A game that ends in a tie might not be fun or exciting, but sometimes a tie seems fitting in a game where two teams just didn't stand out from one another. More to come on this. Onto the results!

* Results *

2/25/2011 - Friday

Penguins at Hurricanes : Pick - Hurricanes : Result- 4-1 Hurricanes : Correct : 65-55
Rangers at Capitals : Pick - Capitals : Result- 6-0 Rangers : Wrong : 65-56
Coyotes at Blue Jackets : Pick - Coyotes : Result- 5-3 Blue Jackets : Wrong : 65-57
Senators at Sabres : Pick - Sabres : Result- 4-2 Sabres : Correct : 66-57
Devils at Lightning : Pick - Lightning : Result- 2-1 Lightning : Correct : 67-57
Panthers at Thrashers : Pick - Thashers : Result- 2-1 Panthers : Wrong (SO/L) : 67-58
Sharks at Flames : Pick - Sharks : Result- 4-3 Sharks : Correct (SO/W) : 68-58
Blues at Oilers : Pick - Oilers : Result- 5-0 Blues : Wrong : 68-59
Wild at Ducks : Pick - Ducks : Result- 3-2 Wild : Wrong (OT/L) : 68-60

-Results Format-
Game : Pick : Result : Pick Result (OT or SO W or L based on my pick) : My Season Record
OT/W or OT/L - My pick won or lost in OT.
SO/W or SO/L - My pick won or lost in a shootout.
=Dumbest Pick of the Night=
Blues at Oilers : I should know better now. I cannot pick the Oilers. Why am I doing this? Why do I have faith when I shouldn't? The people of Edmonton should hate me for picking their team. Nah, but really, St. Louis is a better team and my faith in Edmonton always seems to be misguided.

=Hardest Pick of the Night=
Sharks at Flames : It took a shootout (that word must be used a thousand times in this entry) to figure this one out (Sharks won). Either team has a reasonable point of why they should be picked. I went with the hot hand and it paid off. I was very close to picking the Flames.

Penguins at Hurricanes : This one also gets mention only because I scratched out the Penguins before posting and placed the Hurricanes as my pick.

=Easiest Pick of the Night=
Senators at Sabres : The Senators are basically like the dead carcass of the NHL currently. Other teams are poaching their players through trades so the morale can't be too good and neither can the chemistry. As bad as I'm knocking the Senators (I don't mean to knock them, usually a solid club), I seem to have a decent feel for them as well. They can be a very capable club. Luckily I seem to know when they'll be capable and when they won't be.

=Shoulda, Coulda, Didn't Pick of the Night=
New debut. I'm going to keep my three above, but I think I'm going to mix in some new ones that I'll rotate. These "awards" won't always be featured.

Rangers at Capitals : Capitals should have won. Could have won. Did not win. New York blew them to pieces. Capitals don't seem to be playing well unless they're facing the Penguins.

=Got Owned Game of the Night=
Same as above in terms of being used. This one will highlight a game in which someone was slaughtered on the scoreboard.

Rangers at Capitals : I don't mean to include the same game in two awards unless it deserves it. I feel this one does. The Rangers owned the Capitals tonight. 6-0 is a convincing enough victory to me. Sorry, Caps, you got owned.


* Picks *

Eight games on the agenda for Saturday. Unlike some of the other nights that have had a load of games on the menu, this one was nearly as daunting of a task. Seems to be a couple of games that appear to be "gimme" types. I feel less intimidated by the schedule. So I guess Saturday would be the perfect opportunity for me to go 0-8!
Here's what I show.

2/26/2011 - Saturday

Predators at Stars ==> Stars
Avalanche at Kings ==> Kings
Red Wings at Sabres ==> Red Wings
Hurricanes at Canadiens ==> Hurricanes
Capitals at Islanders ==> Capitals
Flyers at Senators ==> Flyers
Penguins at Maple Leafs ==> Maple Leafs
Bruins at Canucks ==> Canucks

Night!

More Trades, More Results (2/24), More Picks for 2/25

* Pre-Skate *

The NHL resumed the swapping of players again. Fairly busy day for trades. We'll start with Pittsburgh. The injury bug hit them again today as Brooks Orpik is out for four to six weeks with a broken finger. That has to narrow down the depth on defense after their trade of Goligoski. They're actually very exposed at this point on every position. On Thursday they added Alex Kovalev for a seventh-round draft pick in 2011. The pick has the potential to become a sixth-round draft pick if Kovalev plays in half of the Penguin's first round playoff games and Pittsburgh is able to make the second round. Regardless if it's 6th or 7th, it's a superb addition for the most part. Kovalev is older and a lot of people question his desire so it's not like Pittsburgh found someone to save their season. If Pittsburgh had Crosby and Malkin on the roster rather than injured then this move would make them extremely dangerous. They still could be, especially if Crosby can return, but Pittsburgh still has their work cut out for them.

Here are the other trades for Thursday (comments, if any, follow the trade info):
- Anaheim Ducks acquire Dan Ellis from the Tampa Bay Lightning for Curtis McElhinney. Just a simple goalie swap. Tampa Bay had to move one of their goalies after they traded for Dwayne Roloson. Mike Smith and McElhinney will back him up. McElhinney, unlike Ellis, would be more willing to accept that role. Dan Ellis will back up Jonas Hiller in Anaheim but won't have any immediate competition for that job. This gives the Ducks some goaltending depth.

- Carolina Hurricanes acquire Cory Stillman from the Florida Panthers for Ryan Carter and a fifth-round draft pick in 2011. The Hurricanes bring back a familiar face in Stillman who was around when Carolina won their Stanley Cup in 2006. Stillman isn't an enormous talent but brings veteran leadership as well as experience. He'll easily slide in with a team he's very familiar with. Florida is just moving some players and getting what they can in return.

- Montreal Canadiens acquire Brent Sopel and Nigel Dawes from the Atlanta Thrashers for Ben Maxwell (prospect) and a fourth-round draft pick (year not listed). Montreal adds a defenseman with Stanley Cup experience (with Chicago during last year's Cup winning season). Sopel brings a lot to the defensive side of the puck. He can block shots and kill penalties efficiently which is very valuable.

I'm sure there is plenty more to come. A lot of rumors flying around. We'll see what sticks.

* Results *

Another fairly mediocre showing for me as I come out even again. A few upsets and one expected loss. Dallas gave Detroit a run for the money and broke out of their funk. Philly just barely escapes with a win against the Islanders. The Kings beat the Wild as I have a feeling would come back to bite me. Let's take a look.

2/24/2011 - Thursday

Islanders at Flyers : Pick - Flyers : Result- 4-3 Flyers : Correct (OT/W) : 62-52
Stars at Red Wings : Pick - Red Wings : Result- 4-1 Stars : Wrong : 62-53
Maple Leafs at Canadiens : Pick - Canadiens : Result- 5-4 Maple Leafs : Wrong : 62-54
Blackhawks at Predators : Pick - Blackhawks : Result- 3-0 Blackhawks : Correct : 63-54
Blues at Canucks : Pick - Canucks : Result- 3-2 Canucks : Correct 64-54
Wild at Kings : Pick - Wild : Result- 4-2 Kings : Wrong : 64-55

=Dumbest Pick of the Night=
Maple Leafs at Canadiens : Just figured Montreal would show up. I would normally associate them as a pretty good team. They just haven't had it going for them lately. I chose them over the Maple Leafs thinking they would get things rolling against the Leafs. Looking at Toronto's record, I didn't realize their climb in the standings. Oh well, can't always be right.

=Hardest Pick of the Night=
Wild at Kings : As I suspected. Just wasn't sure who was going to show up. Psssst....it was the Kings.

=Easiest Pick of the Night=
Canucks at Blues : Canucks good. Blues bad. Easy explanation, easy pick.

* Picks *

When it comes to picking games, I always hate when there are tons to choose from. Friday offers plenty of matches. A lot of games have that Wild/Kings appeal for me. Just not sure which way to go on some. As always, I'm sure the Edmonton game will come back to haunt me. I picked them again which means they'll lose. Here's what I'm showing.

2/25/2011 - Friday

Penguins at Hurricanes ==> Hurricanes
Rangers at Capitals ==> Capitals
Coyotes at Blue Jackets ==> Coyotes
Senators at Sabres ==> Sabres
Devils at Lightning ==> Lightning
Panthers at Thrashers ==> Thrashers
Sharks at Flames ==> Sharks
Blues at Oilers ==> Oilers
Wild at Ducks ==> Ducks

Night!

2/23 Results, 2/24 Picks

* Pre-Skate *
Things are already stirring as a few players were waived yesterday (today for me since I'm still up). The Flyers finally waived goodbye (oh wow, look at me go) to Nik Zherdev due to his complete lack of effort and work ethic. The Sabres waived Craig Rivet who I could see getting picked up. I doubt the Flyers go there, but we need an addition after losing Oskars Bartulis for the season the other night against Phoenix. Also waived was Ales Kotalik (Flames). In addition, the Dallas Stars have made it known that they'll consider every option (meaning keeping or trading) when it comes to Brad Richards.

I'm excited to see what the Flyers do. Their main needs are a seventh defenseman and a depth role forward. A lot of people are mentioning Adam Foote to the Flyers, but much like Rivet, I'm not sure if they're interested completely. Paul Holmgren doesn't have a lot of cap space available (word is the Flyers have about $2.7 million available with waives and injuries). As always, I expect he'll make some trades work to get the Flyers in roster shape for the playoffs.

* Results *
Had an okay night tonight. Couple of games made me proud of my picks, others weren't so great. Came out even on the plus/minus scale which I guess is fine. I'd prefer to go out at least a game ahead at the worst. I was spot on when it came to the Coyotes. The Lightning beat the snot out of them 8-3. The Oilers continue to win when I pick against them and lose when I choose them. Go figure there. Most of the games that I couldn't feel out too well were made clearly evident with their results. Let's take a look.

2/23/2011 - Wednesday
Thrashers at Sabres : Pick - Thrashers : Result- 4-1 Sabres : Wrong : 58-50
Panthers at Senators : Pick - Senators : Result- 5-1 Senators : Correct : 59-50
Sharks at Penguins : Pick - Sharks : Result- 3-2 Sharks : Correct (OT/W) : 60-50
Coyotes at Lightning : Pick - Lightning : Result- 8-3 Lightning : Correct : 61-50
Oilers at Avalanche : Pick - Avalanche : Result- 5-1 Oilers : Wrong : 61-51
Kings at Ducks : Pick - Ducks : Result- 3-2 Kings : Wrong : 61-52

Results Format
Game : Pick : Result : Pick Result (OT or SO W or L based on my pick) : My Season Record
OT/W or OT/L - My pick won or lost in OT.
SO/W or SO/L - My pick won or lost in a shootout.

=Dumbest Pick of the Night=
Tie. Kings at Ducks and Oilers at Avalanche : I underestimated the Kings who have a superb team. I never know how to feel about the Ducks. They have an awesome team put together but they seem to lounge in the middle of the pack. When the Kings are on, they're the better team all-around. My bad on that one. The Oilers and Avalanche game continues my tough luck with Edmonton. Colorado has been going through a rut of playing well and then coming back and winning. I figured they'd come out flying against the Edmonton. I figured wrong. Very wrong. I immediately regret these picks.

=Hardest Pick of the Night=
Thrashers at Sabres : Which team was going to show up? I didn't know apparently.

=Easiest Pick of the Night=
Sharks at Penguins : Pittsburgh is dealing with injuries/new players while the Sharks have a potent offense in general and seem to be on fire lately. Easy pick based on that.


* Picks *

Easier night ahead it seems. I say that now and I'll probably pay for my over confidence. I think I made one pick that might be my consensus Hardest Pick of the Night already. The Wild and Kings game was a stab. Went with my gut on that so we'll see how that plays out. With the other five games, I lucked out that a much stronger team stuck out with each game.

Thursday 2/24/2011

Islanders at Flyers ==> Flyers
Stars at Red Wings ==> Red Wings
Maple Leafs at Canadiens ==> Canadiens
Blackhawks at Predators ==> Blackhawks
Blues at Canucks ==> Canucks
Wild at Kings ==> Wild

Night!

Mediocre Tuesday : Results For 2/22/2011 and Picks

* Pre-Skate *

I'm sure I'll be talking trades all week long. With that, let's hit the most recent trade. Pittsburgh traded Alex Goligoski to Dallas in return for Matt Niskanen and James Neal. Pittsburgh is easily the winner in this trade. I think Pittsburgh is the winner of the trade. Not much to discuss with Niskanen. He's been decent prior to this season, but he seemed to regress this year. Maybe a change of scenery will help that. Goligoski is definitely a decent addition. He'll immediately be a top four defenseman for the Stars. James Neal will help ease some of the pain Pittsburgh has and will be feeling with Crosby out with concussion issues and Malkin likely out for the season. He has 21 goals this season and plenty of upside. It's not that Dallas didn't get quality, but more that they didn't get enough in return. I would have at least tried to get a draft pick in this trade. Guys like Neal could have fetched a decent return as the trade deadline approaches and contending teams get desperate to add a player. Regardless of how I feel, the trade makes sense for both teams in terms of their needs. I might also be missing the fact that Dallas might have wanted to shed salary to make a serious attempt to sign Brad Richards.
* Results *

As expected, some of my picks were horrendous and others were brilliant. I came out of tonight with a beat up 4-6 record. Picking some of my nightly awards proved difficult. At the least, I was able to sense the Flyers loss tonight. Let's take a look.

2/22/2011 - Tuesday

Rangers at Hurricanes : Pick - Hurricanes : Result- 4-3 Rangers : Wrong (SO/L) : 54-44
Coyotes at Flyers : Pick - Coyotes : Result- 3-2 Coyotes : Correct (OT/W) : 55-44
Islanders at Maple Leafs : Pick - Islanders : Result- 2-1 Maple Leafs : Wrong : 55-45
Predators at Blue Jackets : Pick - Blue Jackets : Result- 4-0 Blue Jackets : Correct : 56-45
Sharks at Red Wings : Pick - Red Wings : Result- 4-3 Sharks : Wrong : 56-46
Avalanche at Blues : Pick - Blues : Result- 4-3 Avalanche : Wrong : 56-47
Oilers at Wild : Pick - Wild : Result- 4-1 Wild : Correct : 57-47
Devils at Stars : Pick - Devils : Result- 1-0 Devils : Correct : 58-47
Bruins at Flames : Pick - Flames : Result- 3-1 Bruins : Wrong : 58-48
Canadiens at Canucks : Pick - Canucks : Result- 3-2 Canadiens : Wrong : 58-49

Results Format
Game : Pick : Result : Pick Result (OT or SO W or L based on my pick) : My Season Record
OT/W or OT/L - My pick won or lost in OT.
SO/W or SO/L - My pick won or lost in a shootout.

=Dumbest Pick of the Night=
Bruins at Flames : I think I put too much stock in the Flames after their Heritage Classic victory. I underrated the Bruins when I made the pick. Just being honest. I could stand behind the Flames playing great lately and Bruins having a more rough time, but my pick wasn't made purely on that. The Bruins made some big additions and goaltender Tim Thomas is amazing most nights. This isn't to take away from Calgary, but I'm dumb for knocking down a team that could very well be Eastern Conference Champion contenders.

I could pick a couple of the other games I lost but I feel like they were too close and still held better rational sense than the Bruins/Flames game.

=Hardest Pick of the Night=
Sharks at Red Wings : This game featured two great teams facing off with one another. I could easily see both of these guys ending up in the Western Conference Finals. Picking between them was very difficult as both had legitimate reasons to be my pick.
=Easiest Pick of the Night=
Devils at Stars : Devils have been amazing lately and Dallas has been awful. Can't get much easier than that.

* Picks *

2/23/2011 - Wednesday

Couple of tough games to pick from here. Thrashers/Sabres game could go either way. I think the Lightning will be the team to hand the Coyotes their first loss in eight games as Phoenix is on an eight game winning streak. They almost lost tonight in Philly but were lucky that Philly hit the post and couldn't convert the power play. A rested Tampa Bay over a Phoenix team that skated tonight. I like the Avalanche over the Oilers based on recent play. Same with the Sens over the Panthers. Ditto for the Ducks over the Kings. I think Pittsburgh loses to the Sharks just based on what is on paper. As always, my picks are only for entertainment value.

Thrashers at Sabres ==> Thrashers
Panthers at Senators ==> Senators
Sharks at Penguins ==> Sharks
Coyotes at Lightning ==> Lightning
Oilers at Avalanche ==> Avalanche
Kings at Ducks ==> Ducks

Seeya tomorrow.

2/22/2011 - Last Night's Results, Tonight's Picks, Trade Deadline Approaching

* Pre-Skate *

Well, we're nearing the point of no return roster wise as the trade deadline expires next week. I remember back in the 1990's, the deadline was always so much more exciting for those of us who had teams in the big market cities. It was easy to make moves when money and the salary cap didn't bind teams from bulking up. In hindsight, the NHL is better off now than it was then. This is coming from a guy whose team had great benefit when the salary cap didn't exist. It's almost like how the NBA is these days. Skilled players were bunched together on a quarter or a third of the teams. Sure, those teams didn't always win, but it was hard for the little guy to win with monster teams in the picture. Thankfully the salary cap has made it possible for more teams to stay competitive. It's also made general managers be more responsible with their drafts, prospects, and roster.

There is still plenty to miss about that period. What I miss the most from those days were the huge trades that involved big names. That isn't knocking the trades made these days. They're usually made to fill roles, shortcomings, or injuries. That could make or break a Stanley Cup contender. These trades made now usually don't involved a huge name or talent for a few reasons. Most teams already have their franchise players in place. Others don't have enough cap room to add a talented player, most of which usually carry a large hit against a team's salary cap. A final reason could be that teams are less willing to send away their high draft picks that would be needed to land a talented player via trade. Previously, when acquisitions didn't work out, irresponsible moves didn't hurt teams as much as they do today. Again, I do think this is in the best interest of league in the grand scheme of things.

I don't expect too much to happen next week. Just some moves for contenders and fringe teams to bulk up the odds in their favor. Be ready to hear of all the "sexy" moves, but don't believe them all.

* Results *

Not many games on President's Day here in the States. I wasn't perfect like yesterday, but I'll most definitely take a two and one finish. Let's take a look at the results.

2/21/2011 - Monday

Panthers at Islanders : Pick - Islanders : Result- 5-1 Islanders : Correct : 53-42
Blackhawks at Blues : Pick - Blues : Result- 5-3 Blackhawks : Wrong : 53-43
Capitals at Penguins : Pick - Capitals : Result- 1-0 Capitals : Correct : 54-43

Results Format
Game : Pick : Result : Pick Result (OT or SO W or L based on my pick) : My Season Record
OT/W or OT/L - My pick won or lost in OT.
SO/W or SO/L - My pick won or lost in a shootout.

=Dumbest Pick of the Night=
Blackhawks at Blues - Seeing as it was my only loss, I'll go with the Blackhawks visiting the Blues. If I ever feel I was lucky enough to pick a winner, I'll try to find a dumb pick that may have been dumb luck. The Dumb Pick of the Night here was my putting confidence in the Blues after they slaughtered the Ducks the other day. I also felt that Chicago might come in a little flat after skating yesterday. Chicago has the more dynamic team and should have been the pick based on that. I try to make an under dog pick here and there when I feel it's possible. That's the case here. Case or not, it's the Dumbest Pick of the Night.

=Hardest Pick of the Night=
Panthers at Islanders - Both teams are playing pretty well as of late and it was difficult choosing which one would continue to do continue their success. I went with New York who just continues to play with the chip on their shoulders. Despite the final score, it was a tough choice on paper. The Capitals and Penguins was also a hard pick but also a lot easier knowing Malkin and Crosby weren't going to be playing.

=Easiest Pick of the Night=
Capitals at Penguins - I don't think any of the games tonight were necessarily easy. That said, I still feel that I can go with this game as my Easiest Pick of the Night. Knowing that the Penguins would be without their two best players against the team that has one of the best players in the game played heavily in my decision. The Penguins just aren't as dangerous without guys like Crosby and Malkin.

* Picks *

Tonight's picks are some of the hardest I've had to choose from. A lot of the games are fairly balanced and evenly matched. Others have a team that is statistically better but playing horribly as of late. Coyotes and Flyers is a prime example. Flyers are better, but they've been bad lately. I really want to pick my team, but they've been very lucky. A team like the Coyotes, firing on all cylinders, might be the team to hand them a loss. Same with the Devils and Stars game. I'm really expecting my Hardest Pick of the Day and Dumbest Pick of the Day to be filled with hard decisions to choose from. It's always nice to give a forewarning when the possibility to look like a moron exists.

2/22/2011 - Tuesday

Rangers at Hurricanes ==> Hurricanes
Coyotes at Flyers ==> Coyotes
Islanders at Maple Leafs ==> Islanders
Predators at Blue Jackets ==> Blue Jackets
Sharks at Red Wings ==> Red Wings
Avalanche at Blues ==> Blues
Oilers at Wild ==> Wild
Devils at Stars ==> Devils
Bruins at Flames ==> Flames
Canadiens at Canucks ==> Canucks



Night!

2/20/2011 - Day of Perfection?!?

* Pre-Skate *

Was able to watch some of the Flyers/Rangers match online. I'm guessing due to it airing on NBC, it wouldn't show on the NHL Center Ice package. Thankfully, NHL.com offered the games to watch for free. I saw most of the third period of what appeared to be a pretty tough match for the Flyers. They haven't looked too good the last few games. The last few games against the Panthers, Hurricanes, and Rangers haven't been convincing wins (aside from the loss in Carolina). As a fan of them, I'm a little concerned, but I feel they have the right GM and coach to get them out of this funk.

On another note, I finally made my purchase for the Philly/Dallas game on March 19th. Absolutely looking forward to seeing my team play as they only come once a year if I'm lucky. Found seats two rows from the glass for $90 a piece. As it's on a Saturday and both teams are having great to fairly good seasons, the choices were slim. I'm happy with the seats though.

Don't have as much to say as I did yesterday, so we'll get right to the results.
* Results *

For the first time since I began making picks, tonight was the first time I was perfect. I won all five games today. I was actually sure it would never happen, but hey, I'll take it. Most of the games were pretty easy to pick so I won't sit confidently. I could easily go 0-3 tomorrow. So...here are the results from today.

2/20/2011 - Sunday

Capitals at Sabres : Pick - Capitals : Result- 2-1 Capitals : Correct : 48-42
Flyers at Rangers : Pick - Flyers : Result- 4-2 Flyers : Correct : 49-42
Red Wings at Wild : Pick - Red Wings : Result- 2-1 Red Wings : Correct (OT/W) : 50-42
Penguins at Blackhawks : Pick - Blackhawks : Result- 3-2 Blackhawks : Correct (SO/W) : 51-42
Canadiens at Flames : Pick - Flames : Result- 4-0 Flames : Correct : 52-42

Dumbest Pick of the Night : Hard to hand this one out when none of the picks turned out to be dumb. I'll save beating myself up for another night. It'll surely come soon.

Hardest Pick of the Night : Toss up really if I'm being honest. It's easy to say it was the Penguins and Blackhawks, but the Canadiens and Flames game was just as challenging. Fortunately I had enough insight and statistics to choose the Flames over the Habs. I'll give the HPotN to the Penguins at the Blackhawks.

Easiest Pick of the Night : Also a tough choice.  I'm going with the Flyers over the Rangers. Though, if you watched the game, the score wasn't reflective of the play, the Flyers won regardless. New York has yet to beat Philly this year which is what I based my pick off of (and the whole me being a Flyer fan thing too).

* Picks *

2/21/2011 - Monday

Panthers at Islanders ==> Islanders
Blackhawks at Blues ==>  Blues
Capitals at Penguins ==> Capitals

Night!

2/20/2011 - Results, Picks, Trades, and News

* Pre-Skate *

Before I get into news and the picks/results of Saturday night, I'll hit my section (Dumbest Pick and Hardest Pick) that I forgot to add with today's earliest entry. I need to come up with a different format and add notes when I make the picks to designate the games that fit the section.

That aside, my dumbest pick for Friday (the 18th) wasn't very evident and thus hard to choose from. I'm going to go with the Flyers at Hurricanes based only that I seem to support my team in every contest. Obviously, unless that NHL commerical where the Flyers go 82-0 actually happens, the Flyers are destined to lose some. With that, I'm choosing that pick as my Dumbest Pick of the Night. The Hurricanes were at home and honoring former Philadelphia Flyer and Carolina Hurricane Rod Brind'Amour. Plenty of reason to believe the Canes could pull one off.

As for my Hardest Pick of the Night, I'll go with the Sabres at Blues. Two teams that aren't necessarily bad, but aren't necessarily dominate. Despite the 3-0 drubbing of the Sabres by St. Louis, I had a hard time deciding which team would come out ahead.

A newly added but similar section is the Easiest Pick of the Night. This, for the Friday, will go to the Detroit at Florida bout. Florida has been picking up their game considering their team. They gave Philadelphia and San Jose some tough hockey. Despite this, Detroit is simply Detroit. Strong team versus the weaker opponent will always earn the EPotN award. This game receives this pick.

* Looking For Trades *

Now onto some trade news. If you're a defenseman, you're apparently a wanted commodity. Teams went shopping pretty hard to add some defense as the trade deadline approaches. The Bruins struck one of the huge big name trades of February when they traded for Tomas Kaberle yesterday. The Leafs received Joe Colborne, a 2011 first-round pick, and a conditional 2012 second-round pick. This makes Boston hard to ignore them when talking about potential Eastern Conference winners. For Toronto, most importantly, they land a high pick to replenish and remove the sting of the Phil Kessel trade that saw them losing two first-round picks from Boston.

Saturday's huge trade occured between the Blues and the Avalanche, two teams likely to miss the playoffs this year. Despite this, two young talented defenseman were swapped in the process. The Blues sent Erik Johnson, forward Jay McClement, and a first-round pick to Colorado for Kevin Shattenkirk, forward Chris Stewart, and a second-round pick. Shattenkirk and Johnson are both immensely talented. We'll have to see how this trade plays out later. In my opinion, it's a little surprising seeing as it's just a swapping of two young guys who offer an upside.

Here's a list of other trades that weren't nearly as exciting, but essential nonetheless:
* Senators trade Brian Elliot (goalie) to Colorado Avalanche for Craig Anderson (goalie). (2/18/2011)
* Thrashers trade Rich Peverley (forward) and Boris Valabik (defenseman) for Blake Wheeler (forward) and Mark Stuart (defenseman). (2/18/2011)
* Sharks trade a 2012 second-round pick to Carolina Hurricanes for Ian White. (2/18/2011)
* Lightning trade 2011 third-round pick and rights to prospect Brock Beukeboom to the Blues for Eric Brewer (defenseman). (2/18/2011)
* Ducks trade 2012 fifth-round pick to the Senators for Jarkko Ruutu (forward). (2/17/2011)
* Canadiens trade 2012 fifth-round pick to the Ducks for Paul Mara (defenseman). (2/17/2011)
* Bruins trade a 2011 second-round pick to the Senators for Chris Kelly (forward). (2/15/2011)
* Maple Leafs trade conditional seventh-round pick to the Ducks for Aaron Voros (defenseman). (2/15/2011)

Clearly we can see that two Canadian teams are packing it up for the year. Both Toronto and Ottawa are selling at the deadline and adding some picks and youth for their respective futures. The Bruins are buyers as they prepare for a serious run for the playoffs. You can definitely see more depth than talent moving. Depth becomes more essential at this part of the year. The oddest trade was the Ottawa/Colorado goalie exchange. Craig Anderson was superb last year only to flunk out this year. Seems like a lateral move (or maybe a salary related move??). Things will certainly get heated as we close in on the deadline. Whether anything actually happens or not is another thing.

* Heritage Classic *

Sunday gives us the Montreal Canadiens visiting the Calgary Flames in the Heritage Classic. Much like the Winter Classic, played annually on January 1st, this game will be played outdoors. What's unfortunate is the difference in marketing. The Winter Classic gets buffed up marketing. 2011's classic between the Penguins and Capitals even received it's own reality show on HBO to build up towards the date. The Heritage Classic, though not getting the attention it deserves, should be a great match between two Canadian teams. It would have nice to put two divisional or conference opponents against one another, but this should at least yield a competitive outcome. Hope both cities are able to enjoy an awesome game.


* Results for 2/19/2011 *

Thrashers at Oilers : Pick - Oilers : Result- 5-3 Oilers : Correct : 43-38
Devils at Hurricanes : Pick - Hurricanes : Result- 4-1 Devils : Wrong : 43-39
Kings at Islanders : Pick - Kings : Result- 3-0 Islanders : Wrong : 43-40
Senators at Maple Leafs : Pick - Senators : Result- 1-0 Senators : Correct (SO/W) : 44-40
Panthers at Lightning : Pick - Lightning : Result- 3-2 Panthers : Wrong (SO/L) : 44-41
Ducks at Blues : Pick - Ducks : Result- 9-3 Blues : Wrong : 44-42
Coyotes at Predators : Pick - Coyotes : Result- 3-2 Coyotes : Correct : 45-42
Stars at Canucks : Pick - Canucks : Result- 5-2 Canucks : Correct : 46-42
Avalanche at Sharks : Pick - Sharks : Result- 4-0 Sharks : Correct : 47-42

I really started believing I was going to have a terrible night. My picks were 2-4 at one point. Thankfully the back of the night picked up for me with three straight wins.

Dumbest Pick of the Night : Devils at Hurricanes. Discussed in an open forum, it was decided that the Canes would take this game. Very wrong. When I look back at the pick, I would look at how the Devils are the playing the best hockey they've played all season. That's not to say the Hurricanes were a bad pick, the Devils were just the more obvious and better pick. The Blues at Ducks would be a sexy choice, but I didn't see a 9-3 drubbing coming by the Blues after they made some trades.

Hardest Pick of the Night : Coyotes at Predators. Two teams that are playing with contentions for the playoffs. It easily could have went either way (as the score reflected), but I went with the team I feel is stronger.

Easiest Pick of the Night : Avalanche at Sharks. With the amount of trades the Avalanche have made, I figured either morale would be low or players having to adjust to new teammates on the ice. The Sharks are a strongly built team (talent wise) and I saw them easily dominating the Avalanche.

* Picks for 2/20/2011 *

Capitals at Sabres ==> Capitals
Flyers at Rangers ==> Flyers
Red Wings at Wild ==> Red Wings
Penguins at Blackhawks ==> Blackhawks
Canadiens at Flames ==> Flames

2/18/2011 Results and 2/19/2011 Picks

Late night, early morning, and no time for anything but the results and picks.....so here we go...

2/18/2011 Results
Rangers at Devils : Pick - Devils : Result- 1-0 Devils : Correct : 40-34
Blues at Sabres : Pick - Sabres : Result- 3-0 Blues : Wrong : 40-35
Bruins at Senators : Pick - Bruins : Result- 4-2 Bruins : Correct : 41-35
Red Wings at Panthers : Pick - Red Wings : Result- 4-3 Red Wings : Correct : 42-35
Flyers at Hurricanes : Pick - Flyers : Result- 3-2 Hurricanes : Wrong : 42-36
Ducks at Wild : Pick - Ducks : Result- 5-1 Wild : Wrong : 42-37
Blue Jackets at Blackhawks : Pick - Blackhawks : Result- 4-3 Blue Jackets : 42-38

2/19/2011 Picks
Thrashers at Oilers ==> Oilers
Devils at Hurricanes ==> Hurricanes
Kings at Islanders ==> Kings
Senators at Maple Leafs ==> Senators
Panthers at Lightning ==> Lightning
Ducks at Blues ==> Ducks
Coyotes at Predators ==> Coyotes
Stars at Canucks ==> Canucks
Avalanche at Sharks ==> Sharks

Results for Thursday 2/17/2011, Picks for Friday

Well, another so-so night for my picks. I went out on a limb on several picks and paid for it. The most telling one was picking the Lightning to beat the Wings. Never a good decision. Altogether, it was a 3-4 night. I can't seem to get on the same page with the Oilers. When I pick them, they lose. When I pick against them, they win. I'll be sure to pick against them for the rest of the season for all the Edmonton fans. Anyway, let's take a look.

Results for 2/17/2011
Bruins at Islanders : Pick- Bruins : Result 6-3 Boston : Right : 37-30
Kings at Rangers : Pick- Kings : Result 4-3 Rangers : Wrong (SO/L) : 37-31
Red Wings at Lightning : Pick- Lightning : Result 6-2 Red Wings : Wrong : 37-32
Canucks at Predators : Pick- Canucks : Result 3-1 Predators : Wrong : 37-33
Canadiens at Oilers : Pick- Canadiens : Result 4-1 Oilers : Wrong : 37-34
Thrashers at Coyotes : Pick- Coyotes : Result 4-3 Coyotes : Right : 38-34
Capitals at Sharks : Pick-Sharks : Result 3-2 Sharks : Right : 39-34

So, I still remain five games ahead, but I'd like to pull ahead by a greater figure already. We'll see. As a new special area, I'll pick my Dumbest Pick of the Night award and Hardest Game To Pick award.
For 2/17/2011, these were my award winners:
Dumbest Pick : Red Wings to lose to the Lightning
You just can't pick against Detroit when they're playing the weak Southwest Division.
Hardest Pick : Coyotes over the Thrashers
When I made the pick, I originally scratched out the Coyotes and was going to go with Atlanta. I stayed with my original pick due to your initial intuition being your best. Glad I did that. Let's get to the picks for tonight.

Picks for 2/18/2011

Rangers at Devils ==> Devils
Blues at Sabres ==> Sabres
Bruins at Senators ==> Bruins
Red Wings at Panthers ==> Panthers
Flyers at Hurricanes ==> Flyers
Ducks at Wild ==> Ducks
Blue Jackets at Blackhawks ==> Blackhawks

Enjoy your day!

2/16/2011 - A Much Better Night! 2/17/2011 Picks

Well, I finally had my first decent night in awhile picks wise. I watched the Philly game tonight. It was all Philadelphia until the third period where the Panthers dominated. Technically, the game could have been tied 3-3 had there been a decent camera angle on a goal the Panthers, in all odds, put in. We'll take it though. Still haven't had a chance to see much of Kris Versteeg. Didn't notice him much in tonight's game, but I'm sure he's still trying to find his spot on the Flyers. Ville Leino didn't play due to an injury. Complete shame since Hartnell and Briere are so much better with him. Can't wait for Holmgren to lock up Philly to a new contract. Anyway, let's look at my picks.

Results for 2/16/2011

Maple Leafs at Sabres : Pick - Sabres : Result - 2-1 Leafs : Wrong : 30-29
Hurricanes at Devils : Pick - Devils : Result - 3-2 Devils : Right : 31-29
Kings at Blue Jackets : Pick - Kings : Result - 4-3 Kings : Right (SO/W) : 32-29
Flyers at Panthers : Pick - Flyers : Result - 4-2 Flyers : Right : 33-29
Wild at Blackhawks : Pick - Blackhawks : Result - 3-1 Blackhawks : Right : 34-29
Penguins at Avalanche : Pick - Avalanche : Result - 3-2 Penguins : Wrong (OT/L) : 34-30
Stars at Flames : Pick - Flames : Result - 4-2 Flames : Right : 35-30
Capitals at Ducks : Pick - Capitals : Result 7-6 Capitals : Right : 36-30

Started the night two up and finished up six. I'll definitely take it.

Picks for 2/17/2011

Bruins at Islanders ==> Bruins
Kings at Rangers ==> Kings
Red Wings at Lightning ==> Lightning
Canucks at Predators ==> Canucks
Canadiens at Oilers ==> Canadiens
Thrashers at Coyotes ==> Coyotes
Capitals at Sharks ==> Sharks

Hoping for a repeat performance! Night!

Results for 2/16/2011 and Wednesday's Picks

Late start on the day due to some drinking. Ugh. My picks reflect how I feel. Let's take a look.

Maple Leafs at Bruins : Pick - Bruins : Result - 4-3 Leafs : Wrong : 27-25
Sabres at Canadiens : Pick - Canadiens : Result - 3-2 Canadiens : Wrong (SO/L) : 27-26
Islanders at Senators : Pick - Senators : Result - 4-3 Islanders : Wrong (SO/L) : 27-27
Flyers at Lightning : Pick - Flyers : Result - 4-3 Flyers : Right (SO/W) : 28-27
Sharks at Predators : Pick - Sharks : Result - 2-1 Sharks : Right (OT/W) : 29-27
Canucks at Wild : Pick - Canucks : Result - 4-1 Canucks : Right : 30-27
Stars at Oilers : Pick - Stars : Result 4-1 Oilers : Wrong : 30-28

A lot of overtime and shootout results. Can't really complain as two worked for me and two worked against me. 3-4 for the night. Really need a good night, as my last few days of picks have been mediocre. Let's take a look at what I like tonight.

Picks for 2/16/2011

Maple Leafs at Sabres ==> Sabres
Hurricanes at Devils ==> Devils
Kings at Blue Jackets ==> Kings
Flyers at Panthers ==> Flyers
Wild at Blackhawks ==> Blackhawks
Penguins at Avalanche ==> Avalanche
Stars at Flames ==> Flames
Capitals at Ducks ==> Capitals

Went out on a limb on a few of my picks. Others I really could have chose either team. We'll see how it goes!

2/14/2011 Results and Picks For 2/15/2011, Versteeg Trade Thoughts

Well, my picks backfired on me once again tonight. I underestimated the Coyotes and I feel like I overestimate how well the Capitals will do. The Caps just aren't the team they were last year. The Canucks loss to the Blues was a bit of a surprise. I do think that St. Louis is a promising team, especially when they're healthy. The Flames obliterated the Avalanche.

Let's cover some news. Kris Versteeg is now Philadelphia Flyers property. I like this. He brings a great brand of hockey to a team that will benefit from it. The trade makes the Flyers easily one of the, if not the most, deepest team in the Eastern Conference. In return, the Toronto Maple Leafs received the Philadelphia Flyers 1st and 3rd round picks in this year's draft. Versteeg is definitely a fairly talented guy, but I don't like the Flyers tossing in a 1st for him. I would have felt a lot better with a 2nd and 3rd than a 1st and 3rd. This brings the Flyers to three straight seasons without a 1st round pick as they had traded away the previous two to Anaheim in the Chris Pronger trade. The trading away of all their picks is evident when you look at how depleted the Adirondack Phantoms are. But, I suppose the team sees this as their window to go for the Stanley Cup. You have several aging players in Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen who won't be able to provide productive seasons for much longer. You also have a lump of quality players that obviously won't be around aside from Carter, Richards, and Giroux due to cap constrictions. I surely hope it pays off. Both teams did well in the trade, so I won't complain.

The other big headline for the night was Peter Forsberg calling it quits...again. After two games with the Colorado Avalanche, he felt his foot problems were still persisting. Forsberg had been dealing with these issues for the last four years. It's ashame because Peter Forsberg was easily one of the most passionate skilled players the NHL has seen. He's a sure Hall of Famer when it comes time. Peter retired today after feeling like he couldn't contribute. Aside from the obvious fact that his career is finished, it's sad that the fans in Colorado never had a chance to even say hello as Peter joined the team for two road games. As a Flyers fan, I appreciated what Forsberg brought to our team for even the one and a half seasons he played for us. To think he could have been a Philadelphia Flyer all along....rather than Eric Lindros. Who knows how history would have played out there. Thanks, Peter, for all of the memories on the ice.

And.....onto the results for tonight:

Canucks at Blues : Pick - Canucks : Result - 3-2 Blues : Wrong : 26-23
Capitals at Coyotes : Pick - Capitals : Result - 3-2 Coyotes : Wrong : 26-24
Flames at Avalanche : Pick - Flames : Result - 9-1 Flames : Right : 27-24

Sigh, man, I need to get it together. I'd like to pull away in the win column. The loss column is catching up far too quick.

My picks for 2/15/2011:

Maple Leafs at Bruins ==> Bruins
Sabres at Canadiens ==> Canadiens
Islanders at Senators ==> Senators
Flyers at Lightning ==> Flyers
Sharks at Predators ==> Sharks
Canucks at Wild ==> Canucks
Stars at Oilers ==> Stars

I like the Bruins over the Leafs as Toronto is showing they give up this season by trading their skilled pieces. Boston has done pretty against teams not based in Detroit. I like the Canadiens riding high behind Carey Price over the Sabres. The Sabres blowing a huge lead against the Islanders the other night is a reason. With the Islanders and Sens, I'm going with the Senators because I've been shying away from them and then they seem to win. Plus, the Islanders have won a few in a row here and it's time to return to their typical form. Flyers at Lightning I'm going with the Flyers only because Philly is due in Tampa. If Versteeg shows up, I see that as a morale booster. Sharks over the Preds based on skill on paper differences. I like the Canucks to own the Oilers as they're due to win. Stars over the Oilers because they also need to get a win in after a loss the other night. Once again, I'll probably get these all wrong with my luck, but I'll keep my fingers crossed this time.

Night!

2/13/2011 Results, 2/14/2011 Picks

Happy Valentine's Day!

Well, speaking of love, if there is one thing I didn't love, it was my picks for Sunday. I ended the night 3-5. Let's take a look at the results.

Bruins at Red Wings : Pick - Red Wings : Result - 4-2 Wings : Right : 24-17
Blue Jackets at Stars : Pick - Stars : Result - 2-1 Blue Jackets : Wrong : 24-18
Islanders at Sabres : Pick - Sabres : Result - 7-6 Islanders : Wrong : 24-19
Penguins at Rangers : Pick - Rangers : Result - 5-3 Rangers : Right : 25-19
Kings at Flyers : Pick - Flyers : Result - 1-0 Kings : Wrong : 25-20
Hurricanes at Thrashers : Pick - Thrashers : Result - 3-2 Hurricanes : Wrong : 25-21
Sharks at Panthers : Pick - Sharks : Result - 3-2 Panthers : Wrong : 25-22
Ducks at Oilers : Pick - Ducks : Result - 4-0 Ducks : Right : 26-22

The Islanders/Sabres game looked like it was going to work out, but the Isles staged a huge comeback. Turns out they still had plenty of fight in them after all. I correctly identified that the Penguins would fall flat after the rough game against the Islanders the other night. The Flyers/Kings game was a result of some incredible goal tending by Jonathan Quick. Props to him for the big game. I'm sure my Flyers are frustrated. The Sharks/Panthers game caught me by surprise. Once again, the team I picked was up only to fall short in the end. So, at 3-5 for the night, I'm not too happy with my picks, but that's the way it goes sometimes.

News wise, I noticed Mario Lemieux was fairly heated about the Islanders/Penguins tussle from the other night. He felt the league failed in the punishments it handed out to the Islanders. The game had a total of 346 penalty minutes, 10 players ejected, with 15 fighting majors given out. Three players were suspended all in all by the NHL and the New York Islanders received a $100,000 fine for not controlling it's players. New York Islanders players Trevor Gillies will miss nine games and Matt Martin will miss four. Eric Godard of the Penguins was the only Pittsburgh player to receive a suspension. He landed a 10 game suspension which is automatically awarded to a player who leaves the bench to join a fight. Lemieux compared the game to a "sideshow".

Personally, I think the NHL did a fine job. Yes, the Islanders did deserve a team fine because they were a little off the wagon. Entertainment wise, it was brilliant. Contrary to what the NHL and guys like Lemieux think, it's always fun to watch pure mayhem ensue. It's a passionate game and these guys treat their teammates like brothers. Mess with one, you mess with all. Brawls don't happen like they used to. If we get one every now and then, so long as the team is willing to pay the fines and suspensions, I see no foul. Lemieux is a little off in my mind. What if some of us see a "sideshow" as what Pittsburgh's own Matt Cooke does? The guy has injured a numerous amount of players with hits that are cheap and typically classless. If your team skates with that sort of agenda, brawls like these will eventually happen.

I don't exactly like what Gillies did to Eric Tangradi. In a Todd Bertuzzi like manner, he sucker punched Tangradi and caused another long altercation. Nine games may be fair, but Tangradi suffered a concussion and there's no telling when he can return. Matt Martin received four games for jumping Maxime Talbot likely in a retaliatory effort for injuring Blake Comeau earlier in the game. I'm ok with the Martin suspension, but Gillies would be debatable. However, seeing as the Islanders are pretty much a lost cause this season, what's the difference in length of games (aside from pay)? Oh well. I still Mario needs to relax considering his team harbors Matt Cooke.

On with my picks for 2/14/2011:

Canucks at Blues ==> Canucks
Capitals at Coyotes ==> Capitals
Flames at Avalanche ==> Flames

Going with the away team in all three Monday matches. All three teams are better than their opponents on paper. Knowing my luck, we'll see three home team winners.

Night!