Sunday, August 31, 2008

Jay McKee? or: How I Look Up Random Players



The Kings have been rumored for a lot of random defensemen this off-season and now it's Jay McKee's turn. When I first heard McKee's name I thought, "I wonder what it would taste like if I took a bite of a pizza roll and a corn dog at the same time." Then I thought, "Wait, who's Jay McKee again?" The name was familiar and I was pretty sure he was on the Blues, but I wasn't positive. If you're like me, you're horrible at scouting other players when they're playing the Kings because you're too busy yelling, "Goddammit, why is Ivanans playing with Kopitar?!?!?" In these situations, I have a quick and easy routine that I do to get an overview of a player. It's not meant to be comprehensive or definitive; it's just a quick look to see the player's value to his team. I'll share this with you, but you have to promise you'll pretend I have great abs every time you read my stuff.Lesbian abs.1) Wikipedia! I like Wikipedia as a starting point because it gives you a brief overview of a guy's career and if he's gotten a DUI or been arrested for beating his wife or anything like that. Plus, you can check out his career stats and check to see if the guy scores a lot, has been injured, takes a lot of penalties, etc.What I learned: McKee is a noted shot blocker in the league and he gets hurt all the time. He played for Buffalo for a while (now I remember!) and then he signed a 4 year deal at $4 million dollars a year with St. Louis. His first season he only played 22 games due to a knee injury, a broken finger, and 2 lower body injuries. (Jesus.) Last season he played 66 games. Given his contract and his injuries, I can probably assume that St. Louis isn't too happy with McKee and might be willing to move him for fairly cheap. He doesn't score a lot so I assume he plays a more defensive role.2) Youtube! I like going to Youtube because it gives me a chance to see the guy play, if only for a little bit. Is the guy a big hitter, does he have a particularly nice goal, etc.What I learned: McKee got lit the fuck up: Haha, Dustin Brown is awesome.(The best part about that hit is that Baby Arm had to turn sharply and only took one step before he hit McKee, and he still knocked him into the bench. Wait, no, the best part is that McKee tried to get back on the ice to get back at Brown but the guys on the bench were just like, "Dude, let it go, you got rocked." Yeah, that's the best part.)3) Time on Ice! I like looking at Time on Ice because it lets me see both how often a guy is playing and in what role. It lets you know which defensemen the coach counts on in what situations and how often the guy takes even-strength time. It's important to know that it doesn't tell you how good the guy is in his role, just what his role is.(Hey, is there anyway to find ToI broken down by period? I'd like to see who gets ice time in the last five minutes, stuff like that.)What I Learned: Jay McKee basically tied with Erik Johnson as the Blues' 3rd defenseman last year. McKee was 5th in total ice time amongst Blues' defensemen because he can't play on the power play, but he was 3rd in ice time at even strength and on the penalty kill. However, he was 3rd by a fairly healthy margin behind Eric Brewer and Barret Jackman.The ol' "Distract the shooter with a stupid face" techniqueSo, in 3 steps I've learned that McKee is basically Aaron Miller from a couple of years ago. If he were on the Kings, he'd play on a stopper line with either Jack Johnson or Matt Greene and play on the 1st penalty kill unit. The Blues weren't a good defensive team last year and were breaking in a lot of defensemen, so McKee probably got more time than he deserved just because he wasn't going to kill you with a mistake. This doesn't bother me too much, though, because the Kings were worse defensively and will be breaking in a lot of defensemen this year. McKee could play the exact same role on the Kings this season.I don't think the Kings have anything the Blues would want (although I think Andy Murray would trade Erik Johnson to get Derek Armstrong back), and if the Kings are going to trade for someone I'd rather it be Mathieu Schneider or someone else who's, you know, good. Still, this was worth it just to know a little bit more about McKee for the next time the Blues are in town. This took me 5 minutes and I know more about hockey. What else am I going to do, my job?Of course, Earl will tell you to just look at that one crazy stat he looks at and save your time, but I don't know how to use that and I'm stupid so I can't understand it. Besides, this is more fun.Source

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Ditch the enforcer



I've decided to take another shot at the proverbial goon since there seems to be a lot of them hanging around (and Darryl Sutter can't bear to go without one). Let me first state that I have been a hockey fan most of my life and enjoy the visceral thrill of one of *my* players beating up one of the *bad guys* as much as anyone else. This is not a call to ban fighting from a squeamish bleeding heart. However, as a fan who enjoys winning even more than fisticuffs, and as an amateur analyst, I feel compelled to question the validity of the pugilist. Certainly the number of lumbering heavyweights has been reduced since the lock-out, in response to such goonish impediments as draconian instigator rules, the salary cap and the obstruction crack-down. In 03/04, 8 of the top 10 PIM getters were guys I'd define as "enforcers" - players that are in the league primarily or solely because they can chuck knuckles (low point totals, small ice-time, triple digit PIMs) - with Sean Avery and Chris Neil (who is basically a relatively high functioning goon) the exceptions. In 07/08, perhaps 3 of the top 10 could be considered "enforcers" (Stortini, Parros and Burish), although only Parros averaged the typical goonish ice-time, with Storts and Burish inching closer to the functional 10 minutes/night crowd (meaning they can actually play some hockey too). It's four if you count 200 pound Jared Boll, whom I tend to classify as a "pest" more than "goon". Yes, the enforcer is a dying breed. And in my humble opinion, it's a breed that isn't dying fast enough. GM's still cling to the conventional wisdom that "every club needs its heavyweight" like jammy-fingered children to a security basket. Just glancing over the various rosters now, I count about 26 pure pugilists. Im not talking about guys that fight, or even fight a lot. Again, I mean the guys who do almost nothing but fight. The policemen, the nuclear the deterrents, the not-so-gentle giants. The guys whos penalty minutes match or exceed their total ice-time by the end of the year. There's still a bunch of them in the league. And I can't conceive of one good reason why that is.First off, another hat-tip to James Mirtle who thoroughly investigated this issue previously. His findings and conclusion bear repeating:The average enforcer in this study has played 16.5 games at 5.45 minutes per game for a total of about 90 minutes of ice time this season. In that time, against the worst opposition in the league, their teams have scored an average of 1.56 goals, allowed 2.66, and been out shot 38-30.At best, they're not a liability. At worst, they cripple their team, allowing somewhere in the neighbourhood of two goals per 60 minutes more than the rest of their team while generating almost zero offence or shots on goal.If I'm a coach or GM, isn't there a better option at the bottom of the roster?One would think so. However, let's proceed on the assumption that the contributions of the archetypal goon can't be captured with the advanced metrics Mirtle employed in his piece. Sabres heavyweight Andrew Peters offered these justifications when questioned about his own usefulness:"You take fighting out of hockey, you might as well take the triple salchow out of figure skating. I saw someone hurt their tailbone pretty badly and miss a skating competition not too long ago. That's something the International Olympic Committee should be looking at."But in all honesty, it's offensive to me. It almost takes away from what you mean to your team. I don't think we are (useless) and I think if you asked 25 guys in this locker room, they'd tell you the same thing. Take fighting out and you're looking at a whole different style of hitting. Now guys will take free rein because they don't have to pay the consequences. I think it would be stupid."There's a reason for it. It can change the momentum of a game, send a message that if you come after our players, we'll come after yours. It can be used in so many different strategies, more than just a goon way. And that's such a terrible word to use."1.) Im personally not arguing against fighting in hockey per se, so his lamentations to that effect are irrelevant. Players would still fight even if there wasn't a designated fighter on every team no doubt. Hell, let 'em. 2.) The "consequences" for malfeasance is a common refrain when I debate this issue with a goon supporter. The claim is that the opposition would suddenly start to hurt or injure the good guys (particularly the stars) without the presence of a heavyweight. This also falls in the "send a message" realm. I'll address this in more detail later.3.) The "momentum" trope is also a classic one. Despite the fact I think "momentum" is a dubious contributor to success, I find it hard to swallow that a perfunctory clash between two lugheads (since they only ever seem to fight each other) can be of much motivational or psychological value. Iginla scoring a couple goals and then beating on some twerp that's mouthing him off? Maybe. A 30 second bear-hug between Ivanans and Stortini? I doubt it. 4.) As for enforcers "being used in so many different strategies"...well, Im afraid Im a skeptic. Peters names maybe two distinct "strategies" above (message sending and momentum changing) and neither of them are terribly compelling. As to "message sending", the modern goon is so utterly impotent in the face of "new.nhl obstacles that his ability to right perceived wrongs and deter pests is next to nil. Here's a brief guide on how to neutralize an enforcer:a.) Just say "no". With the strict instigator rules that include penalties, suspensions and fines, not to mention the existing codes of etiquette and conduct regarding beating on an unwilling partner, the ability of a goon "to do his job" is directly moderated by the oppositions willingness to engage him in fisticuffs. An obvious example that springs to mind is Eric Godard: from Dec.13 to Feb.2*, a 19 game sample, Godard didn't get a single penalty minute, let alone a fighting major. Godard explained in an interviewed during the dry spell that he was "frustrated" because he simply couldn't find anyone to fight him. He'd skate around for five minutes a night, looking for trouble, finding none. He was rendered completely toothless.(*Notably, Godard's dry-spell ended in Edmonton on Feb.04. His 27 PIM came thanks to a crease scrum in which Godard clumsily attacked anyone and everyone around him (the Flames were being embarrassed at the time). Godard ended up getting thrown out of the contest and the Oilers ended up scoring on the ensuing powerplay(s). Take THAT Oiler scum!) b.) Have an effective 4th line. Goons only play about 5 minutes a night because they tend to be gross liabilities. They get scored on easily and can't score themselves. They also take a lot of penalties. As such, goons only tend to see the ice when the outcome of the game is no longer in question (blow-outs, in either direction) or against similarly bad players. Therefore, a relatively decent bottom end of the roster would probably convince the opposing coach to bench his big man pretty quickly**.**(That is, at least, until his team was being blown-out. Then the goon could be sent out to fight and be subsequently penalized, suspended and potentially fined...thereby further feeding the blow-out).c.) Dont have a goon on the roster. An extension of the point above, but also plays into the "goons only fight each other" thing. How often do you hear "we have to play X heavyweight because they have Y heavyweight?" Well, maybe *they* wouldn't play Y if you didn't have X, capice?Just say "no", have a half-way decent bottom 6 and don't bother dressing a goon. Voila: you have now effectively castrated the other guy's enforcer. Feel free to "run their stars", if it fits your fancy (because that's what everyone does when there's no goon, right!?), because there ain't a damn thing he can do about it.--------------------------------------------------------------------- In his interview, Peters hints at a potential psychological calming effect a goon might have on the rest of the roster..."just ask 25 guys in the locker room, they'll tell you the same." Perhaps the enforcer is the gun under-the-pillow for the rest of the team? The insurance of civility, the last resort, the bruiser the guys can turn to if things get out of hand?Perhaps. And if so, does that have some measurable effect on performance, ie; on winning? If it does, I would wager that the effect is more than neutralized by the fact that goons, as shown over and over again, are bad hockey players and have very real and very observable consequences when it comes to things that most obviously do have effect on winning (goals for, goals against, penalties for).Just in case, I did a quick correlation-analysis between fighting and other team metrics from last year (wins, losses, points, GF, GA and GD):Note - tallying fighting majors may be a pale proxy for the "goon effect", since it includes tussles by every team member. Still, teams with lots of fights can be reasonably assumed to have a "fight ready roster", including a goon, and not be susceptible to intimidation (ie: the supposed benefit of employing an enforcer). As you can see, fighting doesn't really have a strong correlation to any of the other performance measures. wins, points and GD share a positive relationship with total scraps, but nothing even approaching significance. The strongest inverse relationship seems to be between goals against and fighting, oddly, but even that could be a product of chance. ---------------------------------------------------------------Perhaps there are some good reasons for keeping a goon around. Afterall, it should be safe to assume that each.nhl GM isn't just following the ass of the guy in front of him when it comes to these signings, right? RIGHT?If there's a good argument in favor of enforcers, though, I haven't heard it. I'd welcome a worthwhile explanation because, as far as I can tell, the heavyweight is an anachronism in this league and carrying one doesn't do anything more than further an outmoded convention.Source

Monday, August 25, 2008

Gretzky's big night in Buffalo



Bucky's post about Gretzky Week on the Network certainly jogged my memory about one of the greatest nights ever in the Aud -- and it was a game the Sabres lost. I was among the record crowd of 16,652 in the old barn on Feb. 24, 1982 when Gretzky broke Phil Esposito's record with his 77th goal of the season (and I know about 100,000 of you will say you saw me there too!) I remembered some of the basic facts that some of the commentors to Bucky's post have already mentioned: The Oilers won, 6-3, as Gretzky scored the game's final three goals to spoil Gilbert Perreault's hat trick. But I went back into some of my warped teen-age files and found more some more trivia on this one. ---Biggest celebrities in attendance: Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn, in town filming the forgettable "Best Friends." ---Sabres burned on Gretzky's historic goal: Steve Patrick (gave up puck), Richie Dunn (beaten wide), Don Edwards (beaten by the shot). ---Gretzky's goals came at 13:24, 18:16 and 19:43 of the third period, the latter into an empty net. He also assisted on two of Edmonton's three first-period goals, giving him season totals of 79 goals and 97 assists for 176 points. He went on to finish at 92-120-212. The Oilers' other goals were by Charlie Huddy, Pat Hughes and Jari Kurri. ---Perreault's goals were Nos. 24-25-26. The blast-from-the-past roll call of assists on them goes like this: Yvon Lambert, Mike Ramsey, Craig Ramsay, Dunn, Alan Haworth and Larry Playfair. ---Looking back on the schedule: The game was on an Wednesday night with one of those old 8:05 starts. And it was in the middle of a stretch of six games in 11 days -- where the other five teams no longer exist. It opened on Feb. 21 with a 6-2 win over the Colorado Rockies, continued on the road with a 4-4 tie against the Winnipeg Jets on Feb. 26 and a 5-5 draw with the Minnesota North Stars on Feb. 27 and was wrapped up by two more ties against the Hartford Whalers (3-3 in the Aud on March 3 and 2-2 in the Civic Center on March 6). ---Mike HarringtonSource

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Pour Me Another Drink!



Yeah I am ticked..The Arena Radio conglomerate expanded a bit last night with the debut of The Sutherland Show. An interesting first show to say the least complete with brownouts and much, much more. It never hurts to see someone taking their first foray into the podcast pond so to speak.Many times the shootout has been broken down, dissected, and otherwise dismembered. The shootout is sadly here to stay but it doesn't mean I can't bash it all to hell with a 2 x 4! Because I freely will pretty much until the day I die. The day this decision was made by the...I honestly cried in my beer. Teams now play for the shootout worse than the teams used to play for a tie. When you have guys like Viktor Kozlov and Jussi Jokinen on your team because essentially they specialize in a part of the game that is pure chance....it just pisses me off to no end and makes me wonder why in the hell Gary Bettman can't see this.Sure the shootout is exciting....there is no disputing that. But a point system that rewards a team for winning 15 of 20 shootouts in a season is just plain asinine. Going to a 3-2-1 system would probably just make matters much worse and just confuse the casual fan that much more. Remember when it was just 2 points for a win and 1 point for a tie (if the game ended in OT tied)? Yes I surely do. Frankly, I still do miss it. Damn those simpler days are not coming back but I wish they were. So I guess it doesn't matter.Am I done here? NO! How can some keep throwing rumors out there on a dartboard if they are not even worth the paper they are printed on. Too many times in the rush to get the story out...the homework never gets done! It is a lot like a person who goes to take a multiple choice test and thinks they passed it because they finished the test so fast. They later find out that they tanked it and wonder why.I get so sick of hearing the same BS, garbage rumors on a daily basis. Now I do understand it is late August and training camp is weeks away...but let's try to come up with something a little more original here. This isn't too difficult. Do a little research, think outside the box, and before you know it there is a nice neat post that goes up on your site. Just like that!Anyone else think a team like Anaheim got hosed by Versus? Maybe just a little. How can a team like Minnesota get on Versus 8 times to Anaheim's 1? Maybe the folks at the channel got out their space-time continuum matrix and figured out the best thing is to show Anaheim Vs. Buffalo so they can cover the Miller Brothers for 2 1/2 hours. Next time would it be so hard to ask for them to get an Anaheim-San Jose matchup? Come on Gary, next time....try harder! Cup winners should get a little love even if you hate their style...hell we know Detroit does. What makes this a little more of a gray issue is that Bettman has brought teams into markets that were considered a little off the beaten hockey paths and yet most of the same hockey markets are still catered to...go figure!So as I chug down yet another beer in this early part of a Saturday morn...I think to myself for as good as the game is....it sure could be improved some more. Maybe another drink will make it that much more clear for me and maybe it won't. One thing is for sure, the has come quite a ways since the lockout but it has an even tougher road ahead before it can compete with the other three professional sports. Now I will take that next drink...thanks!Source

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Versus Just Doing Stupid, Stupid Things



Listen folks, if you've read me before, you know I'm a big proponent of Versus. I really want it to work between league and network. I don't want to slip back to what would essentially be a meager 40-game package on ESPN, or something even worse that I can't possibly think about. Versus is as good as we're going to get it for a while everyone. Still, in the's just released television schedule, there are just some bafflingly stupid decisions to be found within.Let's take a look at October 20th in the, via.com's schedule:Mon Oct 20, 2008PenguinsBruins7:00 PM ETStarsRangers7:00 PM ETPanthersCanadiens7:30 PM ETAvalancheKings10:30 PM ETNow, I'm sure many of you have looked at that and, with hands raised, said "oooh oooh, easy call. Dallas-Rangers, Avery back at the Garden". Others are probably thinking a safer bet would be the collision of young talent that is Pittsburgh and Boston. Even further down the road, it's always good to check out some late night puck, so Avs-Kings in October won't be too unbearable. But what game, in it's infinite wisdom, did Versus decide to go with?The Florida Panthers vs. Montreal Canadiens. A likely barnburner, I know.Seriously, I know there are logistics to look at when deciding these schedules. But, with the omission of the LA Kings from the Versus schedule, it's become clear: Every American team doesn't have to be on the network. So, why do the Panthers? From what ratings sense does the Panthers-Canadiens matchup make against Dallas-NY or Pittsburgh-Boston. It's not like either of those cities have a natural rivalry that could equal Sunrise, FL and Montreal, QC!A little later on in the season. December 29th. Once again, via.com: Tue Dec 30, 2008CapitalsSabres7:00 PM ETThrashersMaple Leafs7:30 PM ETBruinsPenguins7:30 PM ETCanadiensLightning7:30 PM ETBlackhawksRed Wings7:30 PM ETDevilsBlues8:00 PM ETSenatorsOilers10:00 PM ETFlyersCanucks10:00 PM ETAgain, many of you look and see some obvious choices, Caps-Sabres, Bruins-Pens. Hey, wait a second, I see a Blackhawks-Red Wings game, two days prior to that whole, uh, outdoor thingy they're doing at Wrigley Field. Well, what a grand way to promote the event by getting everyone on board with the rivalry developing between Chicago and Detroit. You know, with the Hawks only on Versus 3 times and the Wings 7 times, there's room for both. But no. What did they pick?Devils-Blues.I'm as big a Devils fan as anyone, and I get it. You want to televise Marty Brodeur's record-breaking victory without forcing yourself to televise another game. But come on Versus, I think New Jersey and St. Louis will be able to live with the fact that this game just isn't good enough for national television.It goes on like this the rest of the way. The main point I'm trying to make here is that, someone needs to just walk into the Versus offices and show them to a logic test. These aren't errors made just for ratings grabs, in fact, they're the exact opposites: They're attempts to show teams that typically don't get national television exposure. But come on, I think the fan of the team isn't that invested in what channel the game's on (Unless they, ahem, don't get Versus) and the national fan is much more interested in a bigger market matchup.There are some things this network does that makes it hard to defend as the home for hockey. See you in two weeks.Source

Monday, August 18, 2008

Getting Back in the Blogging Groove



I intended to blog today but I woke up with allergies from hell and unless they miraculously dissipate as the day goes on (which sometimes happens) I have a feeling I'm just going to curl up on the couch and watch some baseball. But I will hit you with a couple of quick things:- Thank God the Michael Phelps show is over. Yes, he is amazing. Yes, he just accomplished a remarkable feat of endurance, strength and athletic ability. Yes, it's worth being celebrated. Unfortunately we've been celebrating it for the last week and a half to the point that now that Phelps has finally broken the record I really just want him to go away. Go away! Take your size 14 feet, your 6'7" wingspan, your freaky arm flap, your 20,000 calorie a day diet, your mic'd up mother and go away. (Seriously, do we need the replay of the race with Mrs. Phelps yelling, "Go, Jason! Go, Jason! Go, Jason!" She yells a lot and she wants her son/her son's team to win? Earth-shattering stuff.) I was annoyed when the NBC interview after the 4x100 relay skipped over Jason Lezak blowing through the anchor leg and focused on how MICHAEL PHELPS CAN STILL WIN 8 GOLDS! and WOW, ISN'T MICHAEL PHELPS A FANTASTIC CHEERLEADER! and I never quite recoverd.- Also glad Dara Torres is done. NBC, Torres is not the first woman to ever have a baby and she's not even the first woman to have a baby and then compete in the Olympics. I know she's old but come on, give it a rest already.- Over at Bfloblog Kevin posted his Sabres All-Time Team. I haven't been watching the team long enough to contribute but I've been reading and enjoying some of the debate in the comments section. I'm usually not a huge fan of people commenting while pretending to be someone else. I've noticed there's one particularly obnoxious guy who does that on Jerry Sullivan's blog and it drives me bonkers. It's no wonder Sullivan appears to hate blogging. But I have to give major props to the person responsible for this comment:bucky g. Says:August 17th, 2008 at 12:33 ambriere - drury - dumontgrier - drury - brieredumont - briere - drurydrury - drury - drurycampbell - mckeemckee - campbellcampbell - kalininbironbironThat's funny!- The Sabres just announced plans for Puck Drop 2008 which sounds pretty cool. Included at the link is this:When the Sabres hit the ice for their first full practice of the season, fans will get their first look at the team’s new third jersey that will make its debut during the 2008-09.nhl season. The jersey features a modernization of the team’s vintage design elements, while incorporating the latest in sports uniform technology.A modernization of the team's vintage? I'm scared. My guess is they're going to darken the blue so it matches the navy blue of the slug which is just a freakin' travesty. I'll hold out final judgment until I see the things but I am not optimistic.- And finally I leave you with this video of the Toronto Maple Leafs off-season training (even Derek Roy is embarrassed by that dive at the 1:23 or so mark):Source

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Seriously, When Does the Season Start? I'm Really Bored.



A few days ago Pookie sent me a link to USA Hockey Magazine's list of the best blogs on the internet. Yesterday Mirtle posted a link to the list and the accompanying article and since I'm bored and there's nothing else going on, I'm going to give you my take. Here's a link to just the blog list if you're not interested in the article. (Click on the image to enlarge it enough to read it.) I have a few immediate reactions:1. Hockeybuzz? Really? I can't think of another blog out there that would make me take a list less seriously than Hockeybuzz. Hockeybuzz has, in my opinion, probably done more damage to hockey bloggers than just about any other site. Are there some talented people writing over there? I don't know, maybe. All I can tell you for sure is that Garth, the Sabres blogger, can't punctuate, can't write a complete sentence, and clearly doesn't know how to use spell-check and Eklund is a douchebag who lets real journalists do all the work and then pretends he got the information from an inside source. At least when I steal an idea or tidbit from someone, I give them credit and a link. I know tons of people read Hockeybuzz but popular does not equal quality.2. I'm really disappointed at how many of the blogs on the list are written by professionals. I have nothing against professionals writing blogs - I read a few pretty regularly including, of course, Sabres Edge (Bucky seems to be in charge right now though so if you follow the link, don't say I didn't warn you) - but I don't know, when I think of sports blogs I think of passionate and yes, subjective fans. After reading the accompanying article I'm even more perplexed by the lack of fan written blogs because the article really focuses on how blogs have become the voice of the fan and are often written by amateurs. Although it does talk about how the popularity of blogs has forced traditional media to change its way of working so maybe I'm in the minority on still thinking of blogs as the home of the obsessed fan.3. Ted's Take is not a great blog. I think it's wonderful that Ted Leonsis is so enthusiastic about the Capitals and I think it's wonderful that he goes out of his way to interact with fans but his blog is basically links to articles with comments like, "I really like this one!" or "I'm not sure I agree with this one!" I certainly wouldn't call it "a rare and honest view from inside the front office." It's nice. It's fine. It's not great. If it were written by anyone else, no one would read it.4. I suppose you could come up with a more underwhelming list of blogs to recommend to blog newbies but I don't know. But don't mind me. I'm mostly just annoyed that I don't actually read most of the blogs on this list and don't enjoy some of the ones I have read. I'm sure it's all a matter of opinion. I'm a blogger, that's what we do. A better list? Terry Frei's ranking of/nhl coaches that puts Lindy Ruff in the elite category as one of the four best coaches in the league. That's what I'm talking about.Source

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Kevyn Adams Just Wants To Play



from Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News, If his career continues, it will be with a team that ignores statistics and values the impact he has on others. You want points? Find somebody else. He’s not a 60-goal scorer or a 140-point guy for his career. You want a selfless teammate, a tireless worker, a consummate professional, a leader by example? He’s waiting by the phone.Unfortunately, players like him aren’t in high demand in the NHL. The Blackhawks thought the world of his intangibles last year, but they’re over the salary cap after signing defenseman Brian Campbell. Don’t be surprised if they make some moves to get their salary structure in order and bring back Adams, who made $600,000 last year, for another season.The Blackhawks acquired him because they thought he could mentor rookies Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews while boosting the penalty kill. After all, he’s been a respected leader for years and helped Carolina win the Cup in 2006. The Hawks wound up treasuring him more for his work while he was injured than they did for his play on the ice.more

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Take that Detroit!..Miller signs with Buffalo



That sound you might have heard early this afternoon was the collective groan of fans of Red Wings Nation, which might have been expecting a native son to return home. But Ryan Miller has re-signed with the Buffalo Sabres...five years, $6.25 million per. Unless Jimmy Howard is really something, the Wings might be having goaltender issues in the not too distant future. As for the Sabres, they finally get to hold on to a potential free agent. It doesn't make up for the losses of Daniel Briere, or Chris Drury, or Brian Campbell...or maybe even Dainius Zubrus. But it's something for Sabres fans to breathe easier about.Source