So, ideally, I would be sitting down right now getting ready to live blog the Detroit/San Jose game, but the NHL marketing department didn’t have the foresight to put that game on national TV, and I am not fortunate enough to have a Center Ice package. Tonight is one of those sad evenings in the tri-state area that none of the New York area teams are playing (I don’t get Philly coverage) and Versus doesn’t have a game on, and so I am hockey-less.
Your sympathy is appreciated.
I’ve been slacking a bit here recently — first work sucked then I realized that whole Christmas thing was happening and I couldn’t postpone it just by pretending it wasn’t, so I went into “panicked shopping mode” — suprisingly effective for once in my life — and then I slept. A lot. I don’t do enough of that, really. But in theory I can now dedicate a proper portion of my life to hockey-related things. And really, what fun is life if I can’t?
Moving on.
I’d be lying if I said I could give any sort of proper recap of goings on in the NHL recently - I’ve fallen a bit behind. So instead of a recap this week, I’m going to give you my “end of 2008″ power rankings. In parenthesis after each I’ve put my preseason rankings. Should be good for a laugh.
1. San Jose Sharks (2nd, West) - It went without saying that the Sharks would be good this year. I don’t think anyone expected the sheer dominance the Sharks have had over most opponents thus far this season. 25-3-3. 53 points. The numbers speak for themselves - this team is good.
2. Boston Bruins (7th, East) - Tim Thomas and the Bruins gave the NHL a taste of how good they could be in the stretch run last year but couldn’t complete their upset of the Canadiens. They’ve proven this year that they were for real, with some great additions, key players back from injuries, and Tim Thomas’ spectacular play between the pipes.
3. Detroit Red Wings (1st, West) - Coming into the season Detroit was the odds-on favorite to repeat as champs. They’ve hit some stumbling blocks early on, giving up more goals than we’re used to seeing from their strong defense, but they’re still only 9 points behind San Jose in the Western Conference. I’d take that kind of “struggling” any day.
4. Philadelphia Flyers (2nd, East) - Despite going winless in their first 6 games, the Flyers have powered their way to 2nd place in the Atlantic and 4th in the Conference, and haven’t lost in regulation since late November. Their defense is on the verge of getting healthy, which will make the team even more dangerous.
5. Washington Capitals (3rd, East) - The Caps have been hit hard by injuries, and still find themselves in 3rd place in the Eastern conference (hey, I got one right!). As Alexander Semin, Sergei Federov, Mike Green, and others battled back from injuries, the Caps contined to win games, backstopped by Brent Johnson, who has outplayed Jose Theodore for much of the season.
6. Pittsburgh Penguins (4th, East) - The Penguins were also hit by the injury bug, as top defenseman Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney have yet to play a game, and Marc-Andre Fleury missed a month of action with a groin injury. The stellar play of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin has continued to carry the team through most of the season.
7. New Jersey Devils (5th, East) - Martin Brodeur’s first long-term injury seemed to spell disaster for the Devils, but the team has found ways to win without the top goalie. Scott Clemmenson is making the most of his opportunity and the Devils, thanks to the fantastic play of Zach Parise and Patrik Elias, are putting the puck in the net on a consistent basis for the first time in two seasons.
8. Calgary Flames (3rd, West) - Iwillnotmakeasloppysecondsjoke. Iwillnotmakeasloppysecondsjoke. Calgary has a tendency to be streaky (much like its starting netminder), but still sits in third place in the conference (I got another one right!). Any team led by Jerome Iginla is going to do things right.
9. New York Rangers (6th, East) - The Rangers started off the season on quite a tear. Over the last several weeks, it’s all seemed to come unraveled for them. They can’t seem to put the puck in the net, they’ve only managed wins in OT and the shootout, their defense has been weak, and they’ve given up a league-high 10 shorthanded goals. The team was hoping to land Sundin, but lost out to the Canucks today. The Blueshirts still sit at the top of the conference as of today, but could quickly fall a few spots in the standings with a few losses and some Flyer/Bruin victories.
10. Montreal Canadiens (1st, East) - The popular pick for a Finals matchup this year was Detroit/Montreal. The Habs started strong but have struggled since November. Despite being a top vote-getter for the all-star game, Alexei Kovalev has been a non-presence for the Habs, and the team hasn’t been able to recapture the potency of their power play from last season.
11. Chicago Blackhawks (7th, West) - Kane, Toews, Versteeg, Sharp. There are so many talented kids on this team, it’s unreal. After a slow start and a coaching change, the ‘Hawks have been living up to the hype surrounding the season, playing their way to 4th place in the conference. I don’t know about you, but I’m really excited to check these kids out during the Winter Classic.
12. Anaheim Ducks (5th, West) - Anaheim got off to a sluggish start as well, but the Ducks now sit comfortably in 6th in the conference. This year’s Ducks look remarkably similar to last year’s version, despite the differences in personnel. They’ll be a contender.
13. Vancouver Canucks (13th, West) - Vancouver has a been a surprise (to me, at least). Pavol Demitra is enjoying his new-found offensive freedom playing with the Sedin twins and his production has been fantastic. The team suffered a huge blow when it lost Roberto Luongo to a bad groin injury, but Curtis Sanford has managed to keep the team competitive.
14. Buffalo Sabres (10th, East) - Possibily the biggest surprise at the beginning of the season with their quick start out of th gate, the Sabres continue to play solid hockey. They’ve fallen off a bit and struggled in November, but backed by the terrific play of NHL-leader Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller, I think the Sabres will make a bid to be back in the playoffs come springtime.
15. Nashville Predators (10th, West) - I think I know why this team is in constant fear of relocation - I never hear ANYTHING about them. They’re playing decent hockey, and currently sit in playoff position, and Shea Weber is having a Norris-worthy season. But will anyone outside of Nashville notice?
16. Florida Panthers (13th, West) - The Panthers have been playing some pretty good hockey lately, with backup goaltender Craig Anderson giving Tomas Vokoun a run for his money in the starting spot. Will the fact that the Panthers are playing competitive(ish) hockey be enough to convince Jay Bouwmeester to stick around?
17. Carolina Hurricanes (8th, East) - The ‘Canes recently fired head coach Peter Laviolette, bringing in former coach Paul Maurice. The team is just over .500, but for the first time in 2 seasons, relatively healthy. In a division that’s otherwise not very competitive (Capitals excluded), the ‘Canes could squeeze into the bottom seed.
18. Minnesota Wild (8th, West) - After starting the season strongly, the Wild have tapered off over the past few weeks and now sit in the last playoff spot in the West (score!). Jacques Lemaire’s troops are the same low-scoring, defense-first team they always have been, now with the added perk of Marian Gaborik trade rumors every other day. Expect the forward to be moved before the deadline.
19. Phoenix Coyotes (12th, West) - The Great One’s team has been the source of several “will they make it financially?” discussions this season, but that doesn’t take away from the young, increasingly successful team he’s building in the desert. The addition of Olie Jokinen has really sparked their offense.
20. Toronto Maple Leafs (12th, East) - No one expected Toronto to come out and beat the Red Wings the first night of the season. Everyone expected Brian Burke to take over, and what moves follow will surely be under a microscope. The team has performed better than expected, but still needs work, mainly between the pipes.
21. Ottawa Senators (9th, East) - Where to begin? This team has no secondary scoring beyond the top line of Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson. Their defense is so-so, and despite a remarkable effort from backup goaltender Alex Auld, they really don’t have any consistency to their roster. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a big trade involving the Sens before the season is out.
22. Colorado Avalanche (9th, West) - The Avs lost Joe Sakic early on, which was obviously a big blow to the team (watch out for those snowblowers). Peter Budaj has been surprisingly effective in goal, which was the big question coming into the season. Now the even bigger question — will we have a Peter Forsberg appearance in March again?
23. Columbus Blue Jackets (11th, West) - Beat San Jose last night! Ken Hitchcock’s team are hanging tight around the 8th playoff spot and will certainly make a push for the playoffs - Rick Nash is always a force to be reckoned with - but in such a competitive conference, can they really expect to make it?
24. Los Angeles Kings (14th, West) - Despite having “bad” and “less bad” to choose from in goal, the Kings and their relatively young core of players are scraping along pretty well. This is a team that had very low expectations and is clearly in a rebuilding year.
25. Edmonton Oilers (6th, West) - The Oil had high hopes for this season, and the kids on the team just haven’t lived up to their expectations. They’ve had a revolving door of goaltenders (none of which have been spectacular), and just haven’t quite gotten things figured out yet. They could still make a push for the playoffs if they go on a hot streak.
26. Dallas Stars (4th, West) - Avery, Turco, blah blah, let’s move on.
27. Atlanta Thrashers (15th, East) - The Thrashers are probably used to the basement by now. They’ve been playing streaky hockey this year, winning and losing over long stretches of time. A lot of rumors surrounding Kovulchuk, who still has another year on his contract. The season is pretty much a loss for the Thrash.
28. St. Louis Blues (15th, West) - Are there still guys playing for this team? Jay McKee, Erik Johnson, Andy McDonald, and Manny Legace are all on the IR right now. Tough break for the Blues, who could have at least been competitive this year and had a good rebuilding season. With each new injury the team seems to struggle a little more.
29. New York Islanders (14th, East)- All the credit in the world to Joey McDonald for coming in and playing as well as he has in place of the injured DiPietro, who is rumored to return this week. New head coach Scott Gordon has gotten a remarkable amount out of this team, but they’ve blown an unbelievable amount of third period leads, and unless they learn to buckle down in the third the team is going to keep slipping down the standings.
30. Tampa Bay Lightning (11th, East) - What can you even say about the Bolts? Melrose is out (probably a good move) Tocchet is in, but the team still can’t find a way to win. The defense is terrible, the forwards are nowhere near as good as they should be, and I sure haven’t Seen Stamkos. Sorry Len and Oren - better luck next year.
Not as bad as I thought it would be!
