EA NHL 10 ratings: Chicago, NYI, Philly, Edmonton and Nashville
Written by James O'Brien   
Friday, 27 November 2009 18:41
blackhawks-logo
OFF: 84
DEF: 84
GOA: 88
zoolander
OFF: 87
DEF: 85
GOA: 88
genos_steak
OFF: 89
DEF: 84
GOA: 88
oilers
OFF: 86
DEF: 87
GOA: 90
predator
OFF: 86
DEF: 83
GOA: 88
 
Around the Central Division with Laura
Written by James O'Brien   
Monday, 23 November 2009 23:41

(Make sure to check out Laura's work with her blog (Wazzupwitchu) as well as SBN Blues blog St. Louis Game Time.)

Here's what I've found scrounging around the net, while trying to avoid the bitter reality that is the St. Louis Blues offense/Atlanta Thrashers inability to remember that games are 60 minutes long.

I do, of course, have to give credit to David Perron and *the goal*.  Pay no attention to the Blues' record... focus on the goal... focus... http://www.stlouisgametime.com/2009/11/21/1168534/david-perrons-goal-against-the

I go to Second City Hockey and what do I see on the main page?  STATS.  Yaaaaahhhh! http://www.secondcityhockey.com/2009/11/20/1166918/entropy-shot-differential-defense

So, who is the Preds' MVP?  It's up to you.  http://www.ontheforecheck.com/2009/11/23/1170550/its-time-to-vote-nashville

The View from 111 takes a look at the quarter season report card of the Preds.  Wait - it's at the quarter season mark already?  Jeebus!  http://theviewfrom111.blogspot.com/2009/11/predators-quarter-season-report-card.html

Kronwall's out 4-8 weeks.  Laraque is out 5 games.  Discuss.  http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2009/11/red_wings_will_lean_on_veteran.html

Is Cheli gonna switch Chicago teams and return to the Blackhawks?http://committedindians.com/could-dealing-barker-and-sopel-open-the-door-for-a-chelios-return/

Hm.  Paint it Blackhawks is doing a quarter season report card too.  I need to do one for the Blues.  Offense - score more.  C-.  There - problem solved.  http://paintitblackhawks.com/2009/11/22/pib-presents-the-blackhawks-first-quarter-report-card/

 
Pacific Division Links from the Couch Tarts
Written by James O'Brien   
Friday, 20 November 2009 17:12
Hey all, Gray here from Couchtarts, bringing you some of the links making the round this week in the Pacific Division. Not all fresh, not all new, but pretty damn interesting. Or at least that's what I'm supposed to tell you.

Here are a few interesting stories floating around the Pacific Division currently:

Mirtle at From the Rink and Fear the Fin both overed some of the very interesting (and surprising) comments that came from the mouth of ONE member of the Sharks ownership group.

Is YOUR team having a black Friday sale? Mine is!

Apparently something is going on with the Kings Jonathan Quick. You should ready this post by Rudy Kelly of BOC fame and find out what.
DUCKS SUCK! *CLAP CLAP* DUCKS SUCK *CLAP CLAP*

Dallas had Hull for dinner. I wonder what side goes best with a hall of fame player? (Editor's note: Adam Oates maybe? Hey-oh!)

A Pacific Division related SBN change.

And that's about it. See you all next time!
 
CLS Power Rankings: Frosted Mini-Wheats Edition
Written by James O'Brien   
Thursday, 19 November 2009 12:56

nerd

You may or may not have been following the CLS Power Rankings before, but the kind folks at bloguin invited the NHL people to submit their picks (and comments) for your general perusal.

Rather than going with my gut reactions (and projections), I decided to base my decisions on some number crunching instead. As a man who fears math and thinking, this is actually a fairly big step.

Even at the quarter point of the season, it's important to keep in mind that these numbers still provide a fairly small sample. Although many of these teams may come down to earth (or out of their unexpected hibernation), the numbers don't lie even if I occasionally would prefer that they did.

After the jump: my rankings, what the stats mean and other stuff to wrinkle your brains.

 
NHL 10 Ratings: Fake-le Leafs, Pho-nucks, Fake Flames, Imaginary Lightning and Stars!
Written by James O'Brien   
Tuesday, 17 November 2009 04:42
flames
Five Hole Fanatics' Fake Flames
Offense: 87
Defense: 84
Goaltending: 88

canucks_logo_nineties

Vancity Canucks' Pho-nucks
Offense: 86
Defense: 85
Goaltending: 86

toronto_maple_leafs2

The CLS/Sports and the City "Fake-le" Leafs
Offense: 87
Defense: 86
Goaltending: 87
lightninglogo

Raw Charge's Imaginary Lightning

Offense: 86
Defense: 84
Goaltending: 90

uterus

Defending Big D's Uterus abomination Stars ;)

Offense: 85
Defense: 86
Goaltending: 83

 
Is the NHL really just the NBA in the Early Eighties?
Written by James O'Brien   
Wednesday, 18 November 2009 16:43

I just began reading "Breaks of the Game" by the late, great David Halberstam. Tell me if this excerpt doesn't remind you of hockey's tenuous relationship with NBC (particularly a certain Sabres-Rangers playoff game that was booted to Versus for horse racing). In this case, Halberstam is discussing the fact that CBS cut away to a golf event immediately after the Portland Trail Blazers won an NBA championship:

" ... Many of them turned off. Many others called CBS to complain irately over the injustice. It was, they knew, a decision which would never had been made at the end of a baseball World Series or a football Super Bowl, where the fans' right to see their winners was inalienable. The decision of CBS to cut away was a reminder that for all of its artistic beauty and its high salaries, and the fact that it might employ the most truly brilliant and complete athletes than any other sport, professional basketball had not entered the national psyche or become part of the national myth. It remained, the grace and skill of its athletes notwithstanding, a sport of some isolated urban areas and some rural areas struggling for national acceptance."

- page 17, "The Breaks of the Game" by David Halberstam.

Hmmm ... sounds familiar, doesn't it?

 
Bettman Interview: the Deleted Scenes
Written by James O'Brien   
Tuesday, 17 November 2009 20:32

bettman

McLean's Hockey featured a delightfully catty interview with NHL commish/guy who never assumes anything Gary Bettman that's been the talk of the town today. It's certainly worth a read.

However, any time a corporate suit of Bettman's stature (metaphorically speaking ... he's quite short), completes an interview, it's necessary to "read between the lines." Don't worry about doing that yourself ... instead the crack staff at CLS will help illuminate some of the finer points of this interview.

Snark disclaimer: The remainder of this post includes unfair jokes and occasional ribbing. Proceed at your own amusement.

 
Links around the Central (NOV 17 edition)
Written by James O'Brien   
Tuesday, 17 November 2009 15:39

Note: this is a weekly feature by our pal Laura from Wazzupwitchu and St. Louis Gametime. You can also follow her on Twitter: @hildymac.

The Blues' most effective forward?  McDonald?  Kariya?  Boyes?  Nope, it's Perron, and Frenchie's all grown up: http://www.bnd.com/blues/story/1005365.html

I decide to take a stab at WTF is wrong with the Blues over at The Hockey Writers. Conclusion?  Goals per game.  http://thehockeywriters.com/the-blues-troubles-are-getting-attention/

Interesting take from Second City Hockey.  I thought these two had a life bond?  What gives?  Why Toews is the Worst Teammate Kane Could Have: http://www.secondcityhockey.com/2009/11/14/1157345/felix-and-oscar

Some fun from ESPN Chicago - Blackhawks players' superstitions: http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/columns/story?columnist=rogers_jesse&id=4648904

Winging it in Motown digs deep for a look at  Detroit's top prospects at the college level:http://www.wingingitinmotown.com/2009/11/13/1155943/friday-prospects-top-of-the-class

How Pretty are the Blue Jackets?  Aside from Nikita Filatov, not very.  Looks like they might want to get "Oh my God, it's Ron Hainsey!" back.  No.  Just kidding. He's fine where he is:http://thehockeywriters.com/the-blue-jackets-aint-that-pretty-at-all/

CSN Philly takes a look at The Evolution of Brett Hull - there's a photoshop in there somewhere.  Any takers?: http://www.csnphilly.com/pages/landing/?&blockID=87970&feedID=695

 
If keeping Toews, Kane and Keith were even THAT easy ...
Written by James O'Brien   
Tuesday, 17 November 2009 00:46

In early 2009, it dawned on me that the Chicago Blackhawks could suffer from some serious salary cap headaches this coming summer. With blogs such as Puck Daddy taking a look at the 'Hawks cap situation, I thought it would be a good idea to revisit some observations that will shed some light (or more accurately, accentuate the horror) on the brutal summer up ahead for the 'Hawks.

thn_kane_toews

In Wyshynski's piece, he mentions that Chicago is on pace to have about $13.5 million in cap space next year. The crux of the article focuses on the challenge of fitting two big names (Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews) along with arguably the Hawks' most stable and promising defenseman (Duncan Keith) into that tough little window.

The crazy thing, though, is that the situation for Chicago is potentially even worse than PD and others thought. Follow the (read more) link to find out why ...

 
Win or Go Home (Empty): taking a MANLY approach to hockey
Written by James O'Brien   
Monday, 16 November 2009 13:34

lumberjack

We haven't taken everyone's temperature on this, but the consensus from most genius hockey minds is that the shootout is a big pile of dung. Why reward a team for waiting through overtime to flip a coin in a glorified skills competition?

Then again, the NHL wasn't totally out of its mind when it introduced the SO in the first place. After all, going home with a tie (a.k.a. "kissing your sister") is a largely empty endeavor foreign to American sports.*

* - And even worse, quite common to the much hated soccer/futbol.

Perhaps most of us can agree that both options are pretty damn unsatisfying. Damned if you do and damned if you don't, right? Well, not necessarily ...

 
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