Posts Tagged ‘Patrick Kane’

« Older Entries

What kind of hockey player are you?

August 27th, 2010

I’ve been talking about my rec hockey life a little bit lately. Today I’m going to do more of that so let’s have some fun with this. There are two rec hockey seasons: summer and winter. Winter runs from September to April and summer runs from May to September. As you’ve probably surmised, summer rec hockey is coming to an end.

That means I’m trying to figure out which teams I will play on for the winter season. In addition to that, I recently decided to add another team to my schedule. And so, the “interviews” begin. Every team leader asks a series of questions like “How good are you,” “What leagues have you played in” and of course, “What kind of player are you?”

I usually say something like “Uhh, I’m OK. I don’t suck.” I never know how to explain what kind of player I am. To help with this issue – and hopefully get some sort of resolution before all the winter teams cut me – I’ve created a list of player descriptions. I’ll start with the straight forward descriptions and move into the more specific examples after.

The Goal Scorer
Description: A strong forward who has the capability of scoring a goal every time he steps on the ice. A player who’s best single season goal total almost beats the Edmonton Oilers points total from last season.
NHL Comparables: Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, Matt Moulson.

The Playmaker
Description: A player who has great on-ice vision and knows how to control the pace of the game. A player who does everything Craig Conroy was supposed to do in Calgary. A player who can actually pull off no-look passes without fans screaming “Dammit Spezza!!”
NHL Comparables: Nicklas Backstrom, Patrick Kane, no current Toronto Maple Leafs player.

The Difference Maker
Description: A player who would no doubt would be subjected to benchside interviews from Pierre McGuire… if, you know, he had slightly less credibility.
NHL Comparables: Mike “Monster” Richards, Dion “Monster” Phaneuf… those are the only two comparables, ever.

The Really Good, Young Player
Description: A young and strong player the entire team loves… except the guy who makes decisions. Largely because he’s a poor evaluator of talent and doesn’t know what an offer sheet is… yet!
NHL Comparables: James Neal, Bobby Ryan, Marc Staal.

Those are all pretty simple descriptions. But sometimes team leaders want even more information about the kind of player you are and what you bring to their team. Here are some more in depth descriptions I’ve been using (with little success, of course).

The Mike Milbury
Description: An extremely special player that you could build a team around and expect years of success with. A player that no other GM would even think about trading (even for a great return).
NHL Comparables: Roberto Luongo, Jason Spezza, dozens more.

The Don Cherry
Description: A player no one really acknowledges for anything and yet, some crazy old man feverishly campaigns for Team Canada to pick him for the Olympics.
NHL Comparables: I dunno, I never noticed a player like this.

The Dave Andreychuk
Description: By far the oldest guy on the ice who is someday bound to win something (for the love of God!!!!).
NHL Comparables: Todd Bertuzzi, Daniel Alfredsson and uhh… Dave Andreychuk.

The Doug Maclean
Description: An overrated (read: not scouted well enough) forward picked from a very strong pool of players in which he was clearly the worst.
NHL Comparables: Gilbert “still a great pick” Brule.

The Don Waddell
Description: A player with so much talent and such a bright future who the Atlanta Thrashers would only screw up, trade or do nothing with 5/10 times.
NHL Comparables: Patrik Steffan, Alex Bourret, Braydon Coburn, Kari Lehtonen, Boris Valabik.

Hey readers: Have some fun with me – What kind of hockey player are you? Let me know in the comments below!

Stay classy, hockey players.

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 9.5/10 (6 votes cast)

14 comments »

Posted in NHL Commentary, NHL Humor

Tags:

Cannot support Stan

June 11th, 2010

Think back to a time in your life when someone or something offended you. Perhaps a time involving family or a particular incident. Or that time when Darryl Sutter said he knew what he was doing. Or maybe someone insinuating Stan Bowman was the primary architect of the Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup win a few days ago.

Moments after the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup (which was moments after we all figured Kane’s goal was actually a goal), a certain Canadian Broadcast Company (shall remain nameless) introduced Stan Bowman as the man who built the Chicago Blackhawks and credited him as the mastermind behind their prominent rise to glory in an interview lead in.

I was offended and got emotional – I was Jeremy Roenick without the tears. Maybe it was just a slip up in the broadcast. But the point is valid: “General Manager: Stan Bowman” will be engraved on the Stanley Cup some time this summer. Well, after someone’s kid poops in it. Dear God I hope Patrick Kane makes good on his word to “keep his shirt on!”

Virtually everyone on Earth knows Dale Tallon did the lionshare of work to build the newly crowned Stanley Cup Champions. But I don’t need to tell you what you already know. The only thing Stan Bowman did to alter Tallon’s 2010 blueprint was trade Cam Barker to Minnesota for Kim Johnsson and prospect Nick Leddy. If anything this salary cap related trade probably weakened the Hawks. Johnsson played only eight games with Chicago before suffering a concussion back in March.

My brother said it best after I calmed down from my tantrum on Wednesday, “Stan Bowman stick handled around some minor salary cap issues this year.” True but nothing will compare to this summer as Bowman tries to rebuild another Cup-caliber team for next season and beyond. The Blackhawks have at least nine key players to resign with less than $4 Million of cap space (approximately). [Figures based on info from CapGeek.com and NHLNumbers.com].

Not with me? How about an analogy to clear things up… Stan Bowman basically stick handled around a Philadelphia Flyers goalie. In dealing with the major cap issues this summer, it’s the equivalent to stick handling around … well, any other NHL goalie. Good luck! I’ll eat my words if Stan Bowman can get his team back to the Stanley Cup Finals next year. Making it back to the Finals next season would earn him that engraving he’ll get from this season’s win. Until then the Stanley Cup’s spelling of  Tallon — “B-O-W-M-A-N” — isn’t quite right.

Stay classy, Stan Bowman. You still get your name on the Stanley Cup.

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 7.5/10 (2 votes cast)

No comments »

Posted in Hockey Rants, NHL Commentary

Tags:

This is the weirdest Stanley Cup Finals. Ever.

June 9th, 2010

Does this not feel like the strangest Stanley Cup Finals ever? Each of the five games in this series have felt a little off and a little wrong. In fact it barely feels like the Stanley Cup Finals… provided you ignore the patches on the jerseys and CBC/Versus reminding us every few minutes of every broadcast.

And although many of us probably felt Chicago and/or Philadelphia would be playing for the Cup back in October, I think we all secretly assumed they’d be doing so with different goalies miraculously acquired during the season via trade or act of God or something.

Ha Ha! I’m laughing at the thought of this… can you imagine if Washington hadn’t shit the bed and gotten to the Finals to play Chicago??? We’d be seeing scores like 15-14 every game! NHL Marketing could call it the “Baseball Series” or something stupid like that. That would be in theme with the Winter Classic too (It’s also clever because both cities legitimately have baseball teams… Wait. You already knew that… crap!). I’m sure that would go over well with the average American sports fan who hates hockey!

(To all the great American hockey fans who read this, you are exempt from my mockings… for now).

Let’s talk about the Conn Smythe trophy for a second. Could there be a less unanimous Playoff MVP? It reminds me of 2007 when the Anaheim Ducks won the Cup and Scott Niedermayer was named MVP. That one totally felt like a “Ahh, whatever” pick. Allow me to explain with a relatively accurate depiction:

Dudes who pick the Conn Smythe winner: So who should we pick?

NHL: Well the Ducks did win so you should probably pick someone from Anaheim. Also, every Senator player sucked in the Finals so yeah, pick a Duck.

Dudes: How about Niedermayer? He’s old and probably worthy. In a Dave Anderchuk kind of way.

NHL: Sure. Sounds good.

Gary Bettman: Yeah sounds really good guys!!

Dudes/NHL: Shut up Gary!!

In all likeliness I suspect one of Jonathan Toews or Chris Pronger will win the Conn Smythe. Patrick Kane might have an outside shot but I think it all comes down to which team wins the Cup. Speaking of Pronger, what the hell kind of Cup Finals is this when Pronger is the good guy (sort of)?? CBC’s done a great job of selling that one (the experienced and savvy vet who’s enjoying the moment blah, blah, blah…). But what the hell? Aren’t we supposed to hate him? Wasn’t he supposed to get suspended at some point during the Flyers run to the Finals? I’m confused. I guess I’ll continue rooting for Toews.

Want to know why the NHL agrees with me that this year’s Finals are weird? They pulled all those current “What if…” commercials and replaced them with the “Speechless” ones that feature winners from years past (Bret Hull, Mark Messier, etc…). Ha ha, “What if the Stanley Cup Finals didn’t suck…”.

Now let’s end with goaltending. Somehow Hawks goalie Antti Niemi has won three games this round, yet has allowed four or more goals in all but one of those games. Ouch. What’s even more surprising is that he hasn’t been pulled in the series despite allowing 19 goals in five games. And then there’s Michael Leighton – perhaps the worst goalie to ever play in the Stanley Cup Finals. I know that sounds harsh. He legitimately seems like a great team guy (in all sincerity). But it’s like he’s pulled once per series. At least. It’s like that Anchorman line, “60% of the time, he works every time”. Fitting, I know.

Anyways, we’ll see how tonight’s game 6 in Philadelphia goes. Imagine the score is something ridiculous like 8-6 Chicago and we see both goalies pulled on a night where the Stanley Cup is awarded. That would be hilarious and amazing. Enjoy the game!

Stay classy, Stanley Cup Finals. Even if you are the weirdest one ever.

***

If you liked this post, you might like some of these:

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 9.0/10 (2 votes cast)

7 comments »

Posted in NHL Commentary, NHL Humor

Tags:

Saturday Chat Roulette Sessions (May 22 edition)

May 22nd, 2010

Sorry for the lack of updates over the last few days. Between seeing friends from out of town (which was awesome, AF), Playoff Tweet-ups and finding time to sleep, I haven’t had much time for Stayclassy. But I did manage to find time to continue the Saturday Chat Roulette series. Yes, I love you too.

This week’s Chat Roulette escapades feature Eugene Melnyk, Patrick Kane and Gary Bettman/the IIHF quotes from a few days ago. Enjoy.

Stay classy, NHL Chat Rouletters.

Follow me on Twitter or ‘Like’ Stayclassy.net on Facebook.

***

If you liked this post, you might like some of these:

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 8.2/10 (6 votes cast)

2 comments »

Posted in Fun With Photoshop, NHL Humor

Tags:

Other NHL haircuts

May 19th, 2010

It’s that time of year for beards, crazy hair and the occasional blowing of a 3-0 series lead. By now, everyone has seen Patrick Kane’s response to the Playoff beard (see right). That’s right, the mullet. As awesome as the mullet is, Kane has all but said he’s cutting it off as soon as the Playoffs end.

As disappointing as this might be to some, I’ve come to learn that many other NHL players sport interesting haircuts. So before we get teary-eyed about Kane soon chopping off the mullet, let’s take a closer look at other NHL haircuts:

  • The Scott Hartnell – This mess of a haircut is a wall of curls by nature. It’s like Carrot Top meets Hurley from Lost. I find it remarkable that Hartnell manages to stuff a helmet over that ‘do’ before every game. In saying that, I find it more remarkable that Alex Burrows hasn’t pulled Hartnell’s hair yet.
  • The Patrick Kane – What else can I say about Patrick Kane’s ‘Joe Dirt’ look? It’s tremendous that he’s kept the cut for more than a month now. I hope he doesn’t have a problem with change when cutting day comes.
  • The Jaromir Jagr – Similar to The Kane in style, but this haircut acts as more of a pheromone to some in the hockey world. At times, these pheromone’s draw out deadly Russian enemies (mostly in British Columbia), but such an occasion is rare. Most of the time Jagr’s scent attracts individuals desperate enough to think a 38 year old can save a hockey franchise from short term doom.
  • The Ilya Kovalchuk – Few know this, but Kovalchuk’s hair is a clever nod to the way he plays hockey. The parting in his hair represents himself on one side and whichever team he plays for (and their style) on the other. Yeah, I can’t see this haircut matching with red and green colored jerseys.
  • The Carey Price – Always immaculate, Carey Price’s hair is simply stunning. There’s never a hair out of place… largely because he rarely has to wear a helmet. I can hear it now, “Ha Ha ha Burgundy, that joke was a RIOT” – Habs fans everywhere.
  • The Thomas Vanek – This haircut features a ton of dazzle and flair at all times. However, the joints and body of hair in this ‘do’ are frequently damaged by as little as a small gust of wind. Due to the elusiveness of The Vanek haircut in action, I have no image to show for this ‘do’.
  • The Bruce Boudreau – The bald-cut requires a good sized scalp in order to be done correctly. The scalp needs to be adaptable to seasonal changes. In the winter, the scalp needs to be able to expand in accordance with one’s ego (generally between September and April). The scalp must act as  a defense mechanism by contracting and acting as a shield during the rough summer months when activity is low (generally between May and July).

Stay classy, other NHL haircuts.

Follow me on Twitter or ‘Like’ Stayclassy.net on Facebook.

***

If you liked this post, you might like some of these:

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 9.8/10 (6 votes cast)

7 comments »

Posted in NHL Humor

Tags:

Burgundy’s 1st round NHL playoff predictions

April 14th, 2010

Stayclassy.net's NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs

Tonight marks the beginning of the NHL’s 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Like everyone else, I’d like to make my predictions for the 1st round. Before breaking down each series, I have two things to say. Firstly, I don’t hate any of the Canadian teams, however, I don’t like Vancouver, Montreal, or Ottawa’s chances. Secondly, I’m far more interested in the Western Conference series than the Eastern Conference series. This means two things. 1- I won’t be getting much sleep for the next few weeks. 2- I’ll be on Twitter a lot and look forward to talking Playoffs with all of you!

Washington Capitals (1) vs Montreal Canadiens (8)
I read about Tomas Plekanec’s quotes from the other day. I don’t understand why he’s playing these silly games, but whatever. He better bury a few goals on Washington or egg will be on his face, goatee and turtleneck. Sure, Montreal probably has the edge in goaltending, but Theordore’s play this year has been pretty good. Honestly, I don’t think Montreal has any chance in this series. Even if Jaroslav Halak plays like he did at the Olympics, Washington will be too much for Montreal’s slow defence. Alex Ovechkin has something to prove and Nickolas Backstrom is fresh off his best season in his young NHL career.
Verdict: Washington in 5 games.

New Jersey Devils (2) vs Philadelphia Flyers (7)
This series could go either way. On one hand, you have a legendary goalie in Marty Brodeur versus 3rd-stringer Brian Boucher (advantage Devils). On the other hand, you have Ilya Kovalchuk/Zach Parise versus Danny Briere/Jeff Carter/Mike Richards/Simon Gagne and more (advantage Flyers). I like Philadelphia’s defence a little more than New Jersey’s, too. And because Chris Pronger has a strong reputation for helping teams over the hump in Playoffs, I have to side with the Flyers as my upset team in the East.
Verdict: Philadelphia in 7 games.

Buffalo Sabres (3) vs Boston Bruins (6)
Boston’s well documented  scoring troubles and Buffalo’s all-star goalie Ryan Miller combine for a tough challenge for the Bruins. In addition, the Bruins announced the possibility of Marc Savard’s return to the team no earlier than in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Given the challenges Boston has faced this year (off years for certain players and injuries), making the Playoffs is a considerable feat. I don’t think they have any chance against the well oiled machine that is the Buffalo Sabres. On a slightly different note, it should be interesting to see which rookie proves most valuable to their respective teams between Tyler Myers and Tuukka Rask.
Verdict: Buffalo in 5 games.

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs Ottawa Senators (5)
This is a tough match-up for the Ottawa Senators when you consider a 6th place finish would have put them up against the Sabres, a team they’ve dominated for years. The obvious storyline for this series is goaltending: Brian Elliott versus Marc-Andre Fleury. As a fan of the Senators, I’m under no illusions, Pittsburgh will win this series, the question is how many games will it take. SensChirp (a blog I respect) believes Ottawa stacks up pretty closely with Pittsburgh. Some of the points are valid, but I’m not sure Ottawa’s defence is that much better than Pittsburgh’s, nor do I believe Ottawa can out-coach the defending Stanley Cup Champions.
Verdict: Pittsburgh in 6 games.

San Jose Sharks (1) vs Colorado Avalanche (8)
I really like the Colorado Avalanche and no, I didn’t think they’d come remotely close to making the playoffs prior to the 09-10 season starting. Having said that, I see the Sharks experience and grit over-powering the young Avalanche. The Avalanche strike me as a team very satisfied with their season whereas the Sharks have known all year that their Playoff results is what really matters. I like some of the role players San Jose has acquired between last season and now (guys like Jed Ortmeyer, Scott Nichol, Niclas Wallin, etc…). I believe these guys, along with Patrick Marleau, Dan Boyle and Rob Blake will be difference makers in this series. Also, I’m concerned for Colorado that star goalie Craig Anderson might be a bit burned out from his first regular season as a starting goalie.
Verdict: San Jose in 6 games.

Chicago Blackhawks (2) vs Nashville Predators (7)
Most of us could make a living from underestimating the Nashville Predators. And although the Predators are a team built so well for the Playoffs, I simply cannot bet against the Chicago Blackhawks. People will question the Hawk’s goaltending and while it’s been suspect at times this season, I don’t think it’s as bad as everyone makes it out to be. It’s easily the weakest part of the Hawks roster, but that’s easy to say when you look at their forwards and defence depth. Chicago’s hurting with injuries to their defence, but I believe their talent up front will carry the load in this series. I look for Patrick Kane to lead the way in points and clutch plays.
Verdict: Chicago in 6 games.

Vancouver Canucks (3) vs Los Angeles Kings (6)
Alright Canucks fans, don’t hate me for saying this, but I think the Kings are going to beat the Canucks. Don’t get me wrong, this is the best team (by far) the Canucks have put together in years. But with all the pressure on them, their injuries at defence and Roberto Luongo’s inconsistencies, I don’t have a good feeling for the Canucks. I know the Canucks beat the Kings three times this year, but I think the Kings move pucks better and faster than Vancouver and have a quick transition game that will burn the slower Canucks defence. I know Jonathan Quick’s play recently hasn’t been good, but I don’t see that as a factor in this series. Simply put, the Kings are loose and Vancouver know they need a solid post-season run this year.
Verdict: Los Angeles in 7 games.

Phoenix Coyotes (4) vs Detroit Red Wings (5)
This might be the most intriguing 1st round match-up this year. Like I said with the Avalanche, I believe the Coyotes are satisfied with their season and won’t have the same drive the Red Wings will. Ilya Bryzgalov shed his reputation of burning out down the regular season stretch from previous years, but I can’t help but wonder if he’s at all fatigued from this season. He’s finally gotten used to playing 60-70 regular season games per year, but that’s without playoffs. I think Detroit are too strong and too experienced for the young up-tempo Coyotes. And with Jimmy Howard’s play over the second half of the season, he looks poised to have a great Playoff performance. I don’t like betting against this Phoenix team, but dislike betting against Detroit even more.
Verdict: Detroit in 6 games.

There you have it. These are my 1st round predictions. What are your predictions?

Stay classy, NHL Playoffs.

Follow me on Twitter or become a fan of Stayclassy.net on Facebook.

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 8.0/10 (2 votes cast)

24 comments »

Posted in NHL Commentary, Stanley Cup Playoffs

Tags:

The only Canada-USA preview you need to read!

February 27th, 2010

The hockey world is buzzing in anticipation for an epic Gold Medal showdown between Team Canada and Team USA following what can only be described as two crazy Olympic Semi-Final hockey games on Friday.

Crazy because Team USA scored six goals in less than a period to blowout Finland to get to the Gold Medal game.
Crazy because Team Canada came within inches of blowing a three goal lead in the final eight minutes against Slovakia to get to the Gold Medal game.

The results from two very different Semi-Final games only add to the layers of intrigue going into tomorrow’s Canada-USA rematch. Much has been made of Canada’s refocused play, following the 5-3 loss to Team USA last week. Canada has been significantly better, with much of the credit going to Mike Babcock’s line juggling and Canada’s aggressive forecheck. But let’s not forget about Team USA and how well they’ve played as a team in a short tournament like this.

Let’s talk about Team Canada
One thing that hasn’t been talked about very much is the preparation and tailored game plans Canada has created for Germany, Russia and Slovakia. Each game has offered a different look and feel from the Canadians. Credit should go to Kevin Lowe and Ken Hitchcock for designing solid game plans and terrific advanced scouting. To me, this is where the real story begins for the Gold Medal game. What will Canada’s game plan be and how will they react to the American’s game plan? The Americans are a physical team – by far the most physical team Canada has played in this tournament. Do the Canadians fight aggression with aggression? The pressure will be on goalie Roberto Luongo, too. I don’t think I can recall a game where I’d consider Luongo the underdog against the opposing goaltender. Luongo hasn’t been tested too much since relieving Martin Brodeur. The other big question I have for Team Canada is if their defensemen – namely Chris Pronger – can handle the strong forecheck of Team USA. This will be something to watch as the game goes on.

Let’s talk about USA
It’s no secret a big part of Team USA’s win over Canada last Sunday was a result of turning Martin Brodeur’s puck handling strength into a weakness. The Americans were rewarded with two goals in the first period because of this. Two goals they might not have expected. It will be a different story on Sunday as Roberto Luongo will likely avoid over-playing pucks. This begs the question, what will USA’s game plan be? Team USA are no longer the underdogs Brian Burke has made them out to be for months. They haven’t been since taking out Canada in the preliminary round. And looking at the way Ryan Miller has been playing for Team USA, some might suggest the Americans are the Gold Medal favourites. Friday’s Semi-Final win for Team USA was big for a few reasons. Not only did the score grab all of Team Canada’s complete and undivided attention, but Patrick Kane enjoyed his best game of the tournament. It’s perfect timing for a player who really needs to continue that kind of play if Team USA want to win Gold. Kane makes their second line run, so if he’s on his game, it’s two strong forward lines for Team USA. If he’s not playing well, Canada only needs to worry about Zach Parise’s line. Team USA are pretty well rested too. They coasted through the majority of Friday’s game after jumping out to a big lead very early in the first period. Unlike Canada who fought to the dying seconds of their game to win.

If you breakdown each position between the two teams, here’s where I see the advantages:
Goaltending: USA
Defense: Canada
Forwards: ?

The forwards of each team will decide this team. While Canada may have a stronger group of forwards, Team USA’s seem to better understand their roles. It’s going to make  for a pretty interesting chess match. While this game may not have the appeal a Canada-Russia final may have had, it definitely has more intrigue. It also has a bit more edge as Canada will either make up for their previous loss or cement USA as the undisputed Olympic Champions. There’s a lot on the line for both teams… may the best team win.

Stay classy, Olympic Hockey.

Follow us on Twitter or become a fan of Stayclassy.net on Facebook.

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)

13 comments »

Posted in NHL Commentary, NHL Humor

Tags:

A fifth open letter to Marian Hossa

February 4th, 2010

Dear Mr. Hossa,

Wow. Long time eh? Well, not so much for you. But it’s been awhile for me. I mean, you still haven’t responded to any of my four letters that I wrote to you. You know the ones. The first one when I introduced you to the hockey gods, the second one when I told you to sign with Ottawa, the third when I questioned your decision to sign with Chicago, and the fourth when I informed you that you had essentially cursed Chicago from winning the Stanley Cup.

Anyways, as I said, I feel like we’ve sort of lost touch. I mean, you were out of the lineup for awhile there after that whole surgery thing. And now, with you in the Western Conference for a second season (and 12 friggin more seasons), I really don’t have the patience to stay up and watch your games. But, from what Burgundy tells me, your team is doing pretty good.

The reason for this letter though is to talk to you a bit about the Olympics. From what I gather, you’re going to be playing again. And while this may seem like a bit of a backward request for a number of reasons, can you please keep an eye on Patrick Kane?

First of all, he’s heading to Vancouver, which, as you may or may not know, has some pretty loose morals when it comes to inhibition inhibitors. I’m not sure what kind of effect this might have on the American Hockey Team, but it can’t be good. Now I’m not saying that I want the U.S. Hockey Team to do well, but it would be at least entertaining to watch them play Canada in the Gold Medal Game again (Lord knows I don’t want to play Russia or Sweden). I thought that since Slovakia probably won’t make it that far, you could at least keep Kane out of trouble. I speak to this more as a fan of hockey than a fan of the U.S. team. You understand right?

That brings me to my second point. I really don’t think the Olympics needs any bad press in Vancouver. I’m really hopeful that this is going to be a great Games for Vancouver, and more importantly, for Canada. Have you heard of Cindy Klassen? Don’t worry. You will. Bottom line, I’d rather the news be focused on how great Canada is, rather than the crazy adventures of the American Hockey team.

Anyways, I really hope you have a chance to enjoy Vancouver. This is your second Olympic appearance if memory serves me correctly, so take your time out there and enjoy the experience.

If you need anything from me in the meantime, I’d be more than happy to sit down and talk.

Best regards and remember to stay classy out there,

Tambland

Follow Tambland on Twitter or be a Stayclassy.net fan on Facebook.

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 7.0/10 (1 vote cast)

1 comment »

Posted in NHL Commentary, NHL Humor

Tags:

Friday afternoon hockey thoughts

January 29th, 2010

It’s Friday. You are tired, slightly irritable, and probably thinking ahead to the weekend if you aren’t there already. I don’t want to make you think or inconvenience you. In fact, what I really want to do is help you slack or distract you from whatever it is you were doing before you came to our site. So I’ve compiled a few random Friday afternoon hockey thoughts that you might enjoy!

  • Remember a few years ago when everyone praised the Calgary Flames system and how they spent big money on one great goalie, one great defenceman, and one great forward? Guess that set up didn’t really work out too well in the end.
  • A few Patrick Kane thoughts. Firstly, Kane isn’t very good at this whole media thing. Secondly, there’s something about him and vehicles that don’t get along. I can’t put my finger on it.
  • When will the Edmonton Oilers win next? Seriously. We should create a pool on how long their losing streak will go. As of this afternoon, it’s sitting at 12 games.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes should have given Eric Staal the captaincy at the start of the year. Since being named the team captain, Staal has scored 8 goals-1 assist, the team has gone 4-1, and have outscored opposition 29-9 in those 5 games.
  • Back in November, what did you think was more unlikely: the Ottawa Senators winning 8 straight games or the Calgary Flames losing 9 straight games?
  • Where did ViewFromMySeats.com pull these Stayclassy.net quotes from?
  • I love how Carey Price drew a happy face on his stick for Thursday morning’s Montreal Canadiens practice (following a stupid attempt by Montreal media to create drama- note: that’s a shot at general media, not TheCheckingLine.com). Price’s drawing was followed up by a big bear hug on Andrei Markov. That’s great.

Any other points I’m missing or worth discussing? Let me help you slack! Happy weekend readers!

Stay classy, random hockey thoughts.

Follow Burgundy on Twitter or become a fan of Stayclassy.net on Facebook.

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)

3 comments »

Posted in NHL Commentary

Tags:

Olympic concern?

January 19th, 2010

In 2006, the top 4 Western Conference teams all lost in the first round of the playoffs. Of course, 2006 was the last time NHL players took 2 weeks off to play in the Winter Olympics in Turin. Also, 2006 was the last time the Edmonton Oilers made the playoffs… and went to the Stanley Cup finals as one of the biggest underdogs in recent memory.

With the 2010 Vancouver Olympics less than 2 months away, NHL GM’s might be wondering what kind of effects the games will have on their star players and their chances to compete for the Stanley Cup. The potential for burnouts, demotivation, and injuries is very real. And any of those scenarios could have a crippling effect on the top 4 Western teams (as well as other powerhouse Eastern Conference teams like the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins).

At the time of writing this article, the top 4 Western Conference teams are the Blackhawks, Sharks, Avalanche, and Predators. Here’s a closer look at the players each team have participating at the Olympics:

  • Chicago Blackhawks – Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Marian Hossa, Tomas Kopecky
  • San Jose Sharks – Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, Dan Boyle, Evgeni Nabokov, Doug Murray
  • Colorado Avalanche – Kyle Quincey, Paul Statsny, Jonas Holos, Ruslan Salei, Peter Budaj
  • Nashville Predators – Shea Weber, Ryan Suter,  Martin Erat, Patric Hornqvist, Marcel Goc, Alexander Sulzer

It makes you wonder if a Western Conference playoff team with less Olympic-bound players will squeak through each series like the Oilers did in 2006. Perhaps a team like the Calgary Flames (who only have 3 players going – Jarome Iginla, Olli Jokinen, and Miikka Kiprusoff), or even the Phoenix Coyotes (who also have 3 players going – Zbynek Michalek, Sami Lepisto, and Ilya Bryzgalov) could have a better odds in the 2010 Playoffs because of this…

I’m not saying this will or won’t happen. It’s purely speculation. And I’m not suggesting that was the only reason the 2006 Oilers got all the way to the Stanley Cup finals, but it could be a partial explanation why the top 4 Western teams were defeated by lower seeded teams that year. If anything, this probably blurs the line that much more between the top and lower seeds in the West.

With the Western Conference being as tight as it is, the same questions can be asked about Detroit, Los Angeles, and Vancouver. These teams are sending a number of players to the Olympics as well.

While fans can’t wait for the Olympics hockey to get started, I’m sure GM’s across the league are dreading it. Or perhaps they are dreading the impact following the games. At any rate, it will be fascinating to see the effects these Olympics will have on these legitimate Western Conference powerhouse teams. And for a team like Chicago who’s Cup window is small to start with, that’s just another hurdle to climb through in order to meet expectations.

Stay classy, Olympic Western Conference stars.

Follow Burgundy on Twitter or become a fan of Stayclassy.net on Facebook.

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)

4 comments »

Posted in International Hockey, NHL Commentary

Tags: