Ode to the Sleepers and Stinkers

There’s nothing I love more than watching sports analysts be proven wrong. I don’t know why, and it’s strange considering I am a budding sports journalist who one day hopes to be one of these analysts. There’s just some weird, undiscovered pleasure to be found when a team proves one of these guys wrong.

Going into every NHL season, the so-called “experts” make their picks and predictions as to who will win each division, and who will qualify in a playoff spot, and so on and so forth. And every year there’s a few teams who just screw everything up, whether it’s by being a feel-good story taking everyone by surprise, or a team who just manages to stink it up. This week I salute those sleepers and call out the stinkers, and thank them for disrupting the experts since, well, as long as there’s been experts to disrupt.

Eastern Conference

Sleepers

Florida Panthers – who would have picked this group to be leading the Southeast division right now? For the past few years it’s almost been a gimme pick to have Washington atop the divisional standings as a pre-season prediction, but led offensively by Kris Versteeg and helped by Brian Campbell from the blueline, it seems as though Florida is set to take the division. It doesn’t hurt that Jose Theodore has managed to re-discover what it’s like to be an adequate goaltender, and he’s been in net for 19 of the Panthers’ 32 wins this season. A no-name group of players for sure, but one which is ready to de-throne Washington as perennial division champions.

New Jersey Devils – Every year the Devils are picked to be out of the playoff picture, and every year they make playoffs. This year will be no different, as once again the Devils give the metaphorical middle finger to all those doubters. They won’t win the Atlantic division (Rangers, Penguins and Flyers are all ahead of them in the standings), but they’ll still provide an interesting playoff matchup for whoever they play. Ilya Kovalchuk is maintaining his superstar status, while the ageless wonder Martin Brodeur is still, yes still backstopping Jersey to a respectable playoff position. In all likelihood, they’ll finish sixth, but there is a chance they could catch Philadelphia for fifth place in the East. Take that, doubters!

Ottawa Senators – Rank these kids right up there with Florida as surprise team of the year. Not many could have seen the Sens in any type of playoff position in September, with such a young team on the ice every night. However this group of kids has had the right type of veteran leadership provided by Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza, and Erik Karlsson could very well be the next great NHL superstar defenceman. Craig Anderson has been steady all season, and Robin Lehner and Ben Bishop have stepped up well in his relief recently. A balanced offensive outburst aided by players like Chris Neil and Zack Smith has allowed Ottawa to find themselves comfortably in sixth place in the East, where they will likely end up. And don’t even try and tell me Paul MacLean’s moustache has nothing to do with their success this year…

Winnipeg Jets – So I know right now the Jets are in tenth in the East, four points behind Washington; but did anyone predict they would be anywhere near this spot? None of the experts did, but I bet the city of Winnipeg saw this coming. Ok, maybe not even they saw it coming, but that’s beside the point, which is that Winnipeg is still realistically in the playoff race. Right in the middle of it. Andrew Ladd’s leadership and the fanbase of Winnipeg have spurred the Jets on all season long, and while they’ve stumbled recently it isn’t because of goaltending. Ondrej Pavelec has been outstanding recently, allowing the former Atlanta Thrashers, who had only made playoffs once in their franchise’s history, to find themselves with a shot. A team essentially ignored by the experts at the beginning of the season has proven they have what it takes to prove these experts wrong, so I salute you Winnipeg!

Stinkers

Washington Capitals – At times this season it seems like the Capitals can’t buy a goal. Which brings me to this thought, which is that they’re paying Alexander Semin way too much money. A coaching change mid-season hasn’t brought about a change in their success, although they do now find themselves in the eighth playoff spot. Still, in a division with teams like Florida and Tampa Bay, you’d think Alexander Ovechkin’s Caps would be able to run away with the division. You would think.

Tampa Bay Lightning – Again, a team making a late-season charge at a playoff spot, but it might be too little, too late for the Lightning, who seemed destined to be a playoff team after making it all the way to the Conference Final  a year ago. Dwayne Roloson hasn’t been the same goalie, and Steven Stamkos has only recently turned on the little goal light in his head that makes him score on a regular basis. Too bad really, they seemed like they were about to challenge for the Southeast division title…

Toronto Maple Leafs – As if you thought they were actually going to make playoffs. Shame on you if you did.

Western Conference

Sleepers

St Louis Blues – Can you believe that the Blues are first overall in the NHL? Can you believe that nobody would have thought that at the beginning of the year? If you answered yes to both of these questions, you’re definitely not alone. Incredible goaltending from Jaro Halak and Brian Elliott has boosted the Blues in the standings all season long, and now they find themselves on top. They don’t have a point-per-game player, but they do have eight players with double-digit goals, showing that any player can contribute offensively on any given night. They’re sure giving these experts the Blues now.

Dallas Stars – Yes, Dallas, the team of the NHL’s best players you’ve never heard of. In the media vacuum that is hockey in Texas, players like Jamie Benn and Loui Eriksson provide the offensive spark, while Michael Ryder has scored 30 goals for the first time in five years. Kari Lehtonen has been rock-solid in net for the Pacific-leading Stars, who only lead the division by two points, yet are 9-0-1 in their last ten. If they stay on this roll, playoff hockey will be coming to Texas once again. Not that anybody there really cares.

Phoenix Coyotes – it is truly amazing how this ragtag team of rejects does it year after year. They’re in seventh in the West right now, only two points back of the Pacific Division lead, and they’re doing it with players like Radim Vrbata and Ray Whitney leading the charge. Vrbata, who went through five teams in nine years before finding a home in the desert, Whitney, who had played for six different teams and is now 39 years old. Up and down the roster, you can find players who you remember scoring goals for some other team five years ago, and who you hadn’t heard from in a couple of seasons. Well, they’re emerging (sort of) now in Phoenix, and thriving under Dave Tippett’s coaching. When all is said and done, the team will likely make playoffs for the third year in a row, once again likely amidst rumours of relocation and ownership changes. Take that, experts!

Colorado Avalanche – Oh, those pesky Avalanche, always screwing things up in the Northwest division. Experts tend to take the sexier picks like Calgary, or even this year Edmonton (good one), but the Avs are showing they can never be counted out. Or maybe they should always be counted out, because that’s when they’ve thrived recently. Winners of seven of their last ten, and winners of seventeen games in 2012, the Avalanche are currently holding down eighth spot in the Western playoff picture, ahead of perennial playoff teams like San Jose and Anaheim. A playoff spot would look good on this group, led offensively by a young man named Ryan O’Reilly (sure he’s no Burnaby Joe, but the kid’s got talent).

Stinkers

Los Angeles Kings – I remember one of TSN’s “experts” prior to the season commenting how the Kings were going to have no problem finding offence this season, and the only question mark would be their goaltending. Well, the Kings can now laugh heartily in this “expert’s” egg-covered face, because you guessed it, the opposite has happened! LA has had no luck offensively this season, and goalie Jonathan Quick has single-handedly been what has kept them in the playoff race for so long. They’re not completely out of it (yet), but they desperately need to find that lost offence really soon if they want to have a chance. Nobody knows how to take an expert’s prediction to heart like the LA Kings, they really showed that guy!

San Jose Sharks – Again, a team not completely out of it, sitting only one game back of Colorado with three games in hand. But the Sharks, on paper, should be division leaders, no? Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, Logan Couture and Ryane Clowe, a Cup-winning goaltender in Antti Niemi. No? This doesn’t sound like a perennial division champion to you? Ok good, me either, I was just trying to appease the hungry Sharks. But they should definitely be a playoff team, and the fact they are in ninth is somewhat surprising. Maybe the only good news for the Sharks is that if they make the playoffs, it wouldn’t be very likely at all that they’d play their playoff-nemesis Nashville Predators until the third round at least.

Calgary Flames – Oh, those pesky Flames, always screwing things up in the Northwest division. Sound familiar? It seems like when the consensus is for the Flames to do well, they suck, and when the consensus is for the Flames to do poorly, they do well. This year I don’t think there really was a consensus either way, which explains why the Flames are now floundering in the middle of a tight group racing for the final two playoff spots in the West. Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff, as always, lead the Flames’ charge, which is starting to heat up a bit, as is Curtis Glencross. Still, the Flames should be doing better than tenth in the West, especially in the same division as perennial stinkers Colorado, Minnesota, and Edmonton.

Anaheim Ducks – While I do take great pleasure in watching the Ducks fail this season (they just haven’t been the same in my eyes since they ditched the “Mighty”), it is with some surprise. On paper they look like more than a sleeper team, but they’ve turned into a bit of a stinker this year. I guess that’s what can happen when a 41-year old leads your team in scoring, and the guy who’s supposedly the best power forward in hockey (hey Ryan Getzlaf, ever heard of Jarome Iginla?) only scores nine goals. Jonas Hiller has been missing in action as well, with a personal record far below .500. 

Top 15 moments from Mountie Hockey 2011-12

Top 15 moments from Mountie hockey 2011-12

2011-12 was a season which ended in disappointment for the Mount Allison Womens’ Hockey team as they fell 3-0 in the AUS championship game, but the record-setting season will not soon be forgotten.

Some incredible individual performances, combined with some amazing team efforts, helped put together the finest season in the ten-year history of the program.

As fifth-year defender Sara Diamond admitted after the championship game, it was tough to believe where they found themselves after the rough seasons they endured early in her career.

This week’s blog celebrates the top fifteen highlights from the season.

15. The outpouring of support preceding the championship game. It was absolutely incredible to see how many other Mountie athletes, students, and alumni were talking about the game. On Facebook, Twitter, and even over Webmail, the congratulations and well-wishes were flooding in to the Mounties. A fan bus was thrown together in about half an hour (very impressive for late on a Saturday night), and several Mount Allison administrators, professors, students, and alumni were spotted in the crowd for Sunday’s final, creating the best atmosphere that I have ever experienced at a Mountie hockey game.

14. The third line explodes against Dalhousie. February 11 at home, the line of Megan Entwistle and sisters Chelsea and Courtney King combined for four goals and nine points in a 7-4 victory over the Tigers. The offensive capitalization for this trio was a welcome sight to Head Coach Zach Ball, who had mentioned to me only the weekend before that sooner or later that line would soon start taking advantage of their opportunities in front of the net. They sure did that, with Entwistle recording a goal and two assists, Chelsea notching two goals, and Courtney adding a goal on a penalty shot to her three helpers. What was more a welcome sight to Ball was that he was able to get a big offensive game from this line, which epitomized the balanced offensive attack of the Mounties over the last half of the season.

13. Lauren Oickle’s goal while falling down vs Dalhousie. Oickle corralled the puck at her own blueline and sped through the neutral zone before blowing past the Dalhousie defender down the right wing. The left-handed shooter fired a hard shot into the near top corner of the net just as she lost her balance, spilling to the ice. It was the fourth goal in the 7-4 win mentioned above, and was the second of three goals in three minutes, showing the quick-strike potential of Oickle and the Mounties.

12. Outscoring Saint Mary’s 26-3 over four games. Looking back to two seasons ago when the Mounties only scored 37 goals in 24 games, it was nice to see the Mounties show their dominance over another team. Wins of 4-1, 8-1, 5-0 and 9-1 asserted the Mounties’ position over the Huskies, and it is worth noting that five different Mounties recorded multi-goal games against Saint Mary’s over the four game season series. Not only did Mt. A dominate on the scoreboard, but they controlled the faceoff circle against the Huskies, winning over 54% of the draws. Katelyn Morton led the Mounties offensively during the season series, while Lindsay James notched five points in four games against SMU.

11. After facing a nation-leading 879 shots in her sophomore season, Meghan Corley-Byrne had a much easier time this season, and helped by capable backup Jenelle Hulan, the goaltending duo combined to post the second-highest save percentage in the CIS, stopping 92.8% of the shots they faced. The team they were behind? The McGill Martlets, led by two-time Olympic gold-medal winning netminder Charline Labonte. Corley-Byrne finished fourth among individual save percentages (93.7%), and we’ll hear more about Hulan in a moment. A stingier defence, coupled with an easier workload and a stronger offensive attack no doubt contributed to the boosted save percentage, but ultimately the save percentage comes down to the talented netminders which the Mounties have been able to recruit over the past few seasons. The steady blueline was led by veteran Meg Davies, while Beth Deveaux stepped in admirably into a second-pairing role, joining the team at Christmas.

10. Jenelle Hulan continues to dominate Dalhousie. The third-year netminder didn’t get many opportunities this year, behind two-time first-team all-star Corley-Byrne, but she seems to enjoy playing against the Tigers. This season, she went 4-0-0 against Dalhousie, while facing over 30 shots three of the four times. In her career, she has gone 8-1-1 while facing the Tigers, so it hasn’t been a surprise over the past two seasons especially to see Corley-Byrne on the bench when the Mounties and Tigers face off. Hulan has always filled in very capably when called on, and will enter her fourth year in the fall, and will hope to log more minutes with the graduation of Corley-Byrne.

9. Six different Mounties scoring their first CIS goals. Rookies Emily van Diepen, Riki Krentz, Kristy Lanigan and Hailey Munroe all found the net in their first season, while sophomore defenders Meg Cameron and Carmanah Hunter scored their first goals as Mounties. Something that is always a thrill at any level of hockey is scoring the first goal, and Ball must have been ecstatic that so many players on the roster were able to get on the scoresheet, and again this truly exemplifies the balanced scoring attack which the Mounties possessed this season.

8. Snapping U de Moncton’s winning streak. Prior to their meeting on November 20 in Sackville, the U de Moncton Aigles Bleues were 8-0-0, but Kristen Cooze and the Mounties had something to say about that. With the game tied 2-2 in the third, Cooze carried the puck through the neutral zone, danced around both Moncton blueliners, and deposited a forehand shot past the Moncton goalie to give the Mounties a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. This was very much a statement game for the Mounties, showing the league they were ready to do more than just compete this season, and they backed up that statement following the game, only losing three more times in regulation the rest of the season.

7. Courtney King’s tying goal vs. STU in playoffs. It’s tough to overlook this goal’s importance to the Mounties’ season. When King jammed home a shot with 54 seconds left in the third period to tie the game 1-1 against the Tommies, it gave the Mounties a chance to win in overtime. While they did not do so, the overtime loss granted them one point in the playoff tournament standings. This allowed the Mounties to advance to the Championship game when they beat Moncton in regulation the following day. Without this goal with time running out, it’s hard to see a scenario where the Mounties would have qualified for the final game.

6. Katelyn Morton’s beauty vs U de M in playoffs. Down 2-1 in the second, Morton took the puck behind her own net, and gathered a head of steam up the right wing, skating all the way into the offensive zone. After crossing the blue line, Morton dangled around the Moncton defender before embarrassing the goaltender, backhanding a shot top shelf for a very important goal, her second of the game at that point. Morton would score again to complete the hat trick, but this goal has got to be considered as one of the goals of the playoffs, if not the entire season for the Mounties and AUS.

5. Comeback win at U de M to keep winning streak intact. On February 22, the Mounties found themselves down 2-1 after two periods, putting their five-game winning streak in jeopardy. With just over one minute remaining in regulation, Jenica Bastarache’s shot bounced in to tie the game 2-2. Not long into overtime, Courtney King deflected Ashlyn Somers’ shot in to extend the winning streak to six games. This winning streak would close off the regular season at seven games, and this game maybe put a seed of doubt in Moncton’s brains while motivating the Mounties, who had beaten nationally-ranked Moncton twice at this point. And boy would this be important.

4. Lauren Oickle’s natural hat-trick in UPEI. Facing a 1-0 deficit after one period, the Mounties turned to their captain to put on a show in Charlottetown. Her first goal, six and a half minutes into the second, was a rebound opportunity from the slot. The second was an absolute cannon from the left wing which the UPEI goaltender never had a chance at seeing, and she scored her third goal in a row working a beautiful give-and-go with Meg Cameron on the powerplay. As much as the winning streak mentioned previously was about the Mounties’ team success, Oickle really came on strong during that February streak, scoring seven goals and four assists, while not taking a single penalty during the streak.

3. Katelyn Morton’s 4 goals in 1 period vs SMU. While some people were surprised to see Morton in the lineup (she had missed the previous two games due to injury), Morton wasted absolutely no time making her impact. Starting only 13 seconds into the game, the fourth-year winger scored all four goals in the first period, and added an assist on the first goal of the second while pacing the Mounties to a 9-1 win. It was her second of three hat-tricks on the season, helping Morton on her way to leading the Mounties in goals for the fourth year in a row. Her offensive production helped the emergence of linemates Ashlyn Somers and Lisa Riley, who both set career numbers in goals, assists and points.

2. Comeback win at St FX. I had this at number one until three days ago, but this is likely the biggest regular season win in Mounties history. Down 2-0 after one period, it may have looked to some like the perennially nationally-ranked X-Women were on their way to another easy win. The second period saw the momentum begin to shift, as goals by Oickle and Cooze knotted the game up 2-2 before an unusual goal put the Mounties ahead. In a rare 3-on-3 situation, Courtney King was able to knock Meg Cameron’s shot into the twine to give the Mounties yet another comeback victory on the season. As it would turn out, it was the second win of their long winning streak, and was also the first ever regulation win over St FX and first ever win at St FX for the Mounties.

1.       Comeback win against U de M in playoffs. Following Saturday’s emotional playoff win, this was a no-brainer for number one. Facing potential elimination from the playoffs with either a loss or any overtime, needing a regulation win to advance to their first ever AUS final, the Mounties put together one of the most thrilling and emotional playoff comebacks in AUS history. Down 2-0 during the first period, and 4-2 after two periods, the Mounties scored three unanswered goals in the third to complete the comeback over the Aigles Bleues. Katelyn Morton’s goal described at number six tied the game 2-2, but Moncton scored twice before the second period ended. Morton scored the first of the epic comeback goals early in the third, and Meg Davies scored a weird one soon after. After her point shot got deflected high in the air, the puck spiralled down, landing perfectly between the knees of U de M goalie Kathy Desjardins before rolling into the net, tying the game 4-4. With less than seven minutes to go, and the Mounties on the powerplay, Emily van Diepen’s shot was stopped, but Ashlyn Somers was all over the rebound, putting it top corner and blowing the roof off of the Dalhousie arena. The most important game and goal in Mountie history propelled them into the final game, where they would meet their disappointing end, but this is without a doubt many Mountie fans and AUS fans won’t be forgetting for a while.

Preparing for the NHL stretch run

With the NHL Trade Deadline behind us, it’s now time to buckle up for the stretch run to the playoffs, and many teams are thinking they are in a good position to make a big playoff push.

When looking at the NHL’s Conference standings right now though, it seems to me that there is a huge difference between the Eastern Conference teams and Western Conference teams who currently hold down playoff positions. And the more I think about it, the more I think that there are really not that many teams who I see making a long Cup run this spring.

Here’s an team-by-team analysis of how I think each team’s immediate future will play out, in order of the standings as of this morning (Tues. Feb. 28, 2012).

Eastern Conference

1.       New York Rangers (40-15-6, 86 pts) – The way I see it, the Rangers are the only team in the East that can end up in the Cup finals, and the only team who can challenge someone from the West. They have balanced scoring from Marian Gaborik to Artem Anisimov, and have arguably one of the deepest bluelines in the league with Dan Girardi logging the most minutes in the league per game. Then there’s the fact they have Henrik Lundqvist in goal; the veteran Swede is on top of his game lately, winning 11 of his last 14 starts, and leads the league in shutouts with 8. While I think the Western Conference has a better chance of winning it all, the Rangers are the team from the East that could disrupt that.

2.       Boston Bruins (37-20-3, 77 pts) – The defending champs haven’t changed too much since last season, and definitely deserve the second seed in the East. While it’s not worrying that Brad Marchand is the team leader in goals (22), it is worrying that Nathan Horton and Rich Peverly aren’t even in the top five in goals on the Bruins. Their success in the postseason last year was due to their bruising physical play, but I think teams have stocked up with answers to the Bruins’ physical play, and the Bruins have become the league’s second most penalized team. Tim Thomas isn’t the same goalie as a year ago, which could hurt the Bruins come April.

3.       Florida Panthers (29-20-12, 70 pts) – The surprise team of the year, no doubt, currently leading the Southeast division. However, with Winnipeg and Washington right on their heels, there’s no guarantee that the cats will even make the playoffs. The quietly good play of Jose Theodore and Scott Clemmensen has been nice to see, but there’s just something about a team whose leading scorers are Kris Versteeg and Thomas Fleischmann...should Florida make the postseason, they’re very young, and aren’t built up yet for a long playoff haul.

4.       Pittsburgh Penguins (36-21-5, 77 pts) – Evgeni Malkin is the best player in the NHL right now, which is scary for other teams to think about. The last time he went on a tear like he is now was the postseason in 2009 when the Pens won the Cup. James Neal has emerged as a legitimate superstar, and the discipline change in Matt Cooke has been phenomenal for the Penguins, who are also getting strong goaltending. If the Penguins are looking this good now, it’s going to be frightening if you-know-who returns for the postseason, and might even be able to give the Rangers a run for their money.

5.       Philadelphia Flyers (34-20-7, 75 pts) – This team is good, there’s no doubt about it. Claude Giroux has emerged as a superstar, Scott Hartnell is putting up career numbers, and the resurrection of Jaromir Jagr takes me back to my childhood, watching him make play after play. There’s just one problem in Philly: goaltending. Ilya Bryzgalov isn’t even close to living up to his massive salary, and Sergei Bobrovsky is struggling as well. Because of this, I don’t see the Flyers lasting too long in the playoffs.

6.       New Jersey Devils (35-23-4, 74 pts) – I swear every year I don’t hear anything about the Devils until about this point in the season, and they’re always in the playoff spot. Ilya Kovalchuk is their heart and soul, averaging the most ice time per game among NHL forwards. Could this be a mistake, though? Are the Devils overplaying him? Fans will have to wait it out and see, but one concern is production from their blueline, where there leading scorer has only 16 points. This has to change by the playoffs, otherwise the Devils are in big trouble.

7.       Ottawa Senators (33-23-8, 74 pts) – While I am pleased to see Ottawa in a comfortable playoff spot, and happy that they didn’t make any big moves at the deadline, I still don’t think they are quite set for another run at the Cup. Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson are the clear leaders on a team which could make some noise in the first and second round of the playoffs. A young, inexperienced group never amounts to much in their first postseason together, and while I do like the Sens as a group, GM Bryan Murray had better work on keeping them intact for next season and a legitimate Cup run. Oh, and Craig Anderson being out “indefinitely” doesn’t help their chances this season, either.

8.       Winnipeg Jets (30-27-8, 68 pts) – I know what you’re thinking: Winnipeg, a playoff team? Well, don’t speak too soon, as they do have the Capitals breathing down their neck. Another surprise team, the Jets have some good pieces in place, but again don’t expect this relatively young team to do much when the playoffs begin, if they’re in the playoffs. Two-time Cup champion Andrew Ladd and fellow champ from Chicago Dustin Byfuglien are the only true, tested playoff vets on the team.

9.       Washington Capitals (31-26-5, 67 pts) – In my opinion, Washington is the only Eastern team who doesn’t currently occupy a playoff spot that has a chance at taking one. They’ve begun to heat up lately, and with a healthy Mike Green back in the lineup, they will only get better. That being said, there’s still lots of hockey to be played between now and the end of the regular season, and coach Dale Hunter had better hope that Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin keep producing offensively, and that Michael Neuvirth and Tomas Vokoun keep providing him with a comfortable backstop in net.

10.   Toronto Maple Leafs (29-26-7, 65 pts) – Let me put this succinctly: the Leafs need a real goalie if they want to have any chance of making any playoffs for the next few years. Jonas Gustavsson and James Reimer may one day be that goalie, but I don’t see it happening overnight. Oh, and did I mention that the Leafs are the NHL’s worst team over the past month? Until they find that goalie, it will be another April on the golf course for Toronto.

11.   Tampa Bay Lightning (28-28-6, 62 pts) – Their chances are slim, but they’re still chances. Goals leader Steven Stamkos is starting to get secondary offensive contribution behind him, but just like the Leafs, the Lightning have a bit of a goaltending situation to figure out. Fortunately for them, they will have a long off-season to do so.

12.   Buffalo Sabres (27-27-8, 62 pts) – Their chances are slimmer than Tampas, simply because of a lack of offence. Huge spending in the past off-season has turned out to be a disaster, and really everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong for Buffalo this year.

13.   New York Islanders (26-28-8, 60 pts) – It is absolutely baffling to me that the Isles aren’t last in the East. Other than John Tavares and the emerging Matt Moulson, they don’t have any consistent offensive threat, and their blueline and goaltending is also an issue. While they are (somehow) only eight points out of a spot, their season’s as good as done.

14.   Carolina Hurricanes (23-26-13, 59 pts) – With all due respect to the Hurricanes, they are the epitome of what is a weak Eastern Conference this season. Remember back in November and December, when they were right down with Columbus in the basement of the league? Well now the Canes are only nine points out of a spot. Again, simply mind-boggling.

15.   Montreal Canadiens (24-29-10, 58 pts) – Remember when I said I didn’t know how the Islanders or Hurricanes were in last spot? I had forgotten how terrible Montreal has been playing this year. Not to beat a dead horse, but eight million dollars a year for Scott Gomez? Pretty much sums up the Habs right now.

Western Conference

1.       Vancouver Canucks (40-16-7, 87 pts) – We all know what happened to the Canucks last season; they made it to the Cup Finals, and then got the living daylights beaten out of them (literally) by the Big Bad Bruins. Their answer this year: Zack Kassian. Who, you might ask? Zack Kassian. All due respect to Kassian, but he’s no answer to a Milan Lucic or a Mike Rupp. While I do think the Canucks will make a deep push, there’s still the possibility that Roberto Luongo could fall into his annual playoff slump. But I guess that’s not as concerning when you have the best backup in all of hockey sitting on the bench. Of the four Western teams who I think have a shot, Vancouver is one of them.

2.       St Louis Blues (39-17-7, 85 pts) – Where did this come from? I’ll tell you where, Ken Hitchcock. Since he took over as head coach, St Lou has been playing unbelievably well. Their stellar one-two goalie punch of Jaro Halak and Brian Elliott has been superb, they’ve been getting awesome play from the blueline, and then there are the centremen. Let’s examine the size: David Backes, 6’3, 225 lbs. Patrick Berglund, 6’4, 219 lbs. Jason Arnott, 6’5, 220 lbs. This bodes very well for a matchup against, say Vancouver. I really do like the Blues’ chances, and they’re also in the four teams I think can make a Cup run from the West.

3.       Phoenix Coyotes (32-21-9, 73 pts) – Every time I look at the Pacific division standings, there’s someone new at the top of it. Now it’s Phoenix’s turn, but there’s just something about the team that I just can’t see them coming out of a series against someone like St Louis or Detroit. If the Coyotes can get lucky, and win out the division, then maybe the stronger teams will end up matched against each other, and wear each other down. Otherwise, and as much as I want to, I just don’t think Shane Doan and the desert dogs have quite what it takes yet.  That would make a sweet band name, though.

4.       Detroit Red Wings (41-19-3, 85 pts) – Every year I say this is the year that the Red Wings will start to stumble, and won’t make playoffs because they’re getting old. And every darn year they prove me wrong. The third team which I think can make a Cup run from this conference, the Wings seem to have everything going well at the moment. Their almost unbeatable at home, they have a shockingly balanced scoring attack, and Jimmy Howard might just be a candidate for the Vezina Trophy at season’s end. After proving me wrong the past few years, maybe they’ll prove me right this spring and play deep into the spring.

5.       Nashville Predators (37-19-9, 81 pts) – I am becoming a big fan of the Nashville Predators. The moves they made before the deadline will help them out a lot, and the Preds are already a really good team. It’s unfortunate they’re stuck in a division with Detroit and St Louis otherwise we might be seeing them in the top three of the conference. Mike Fisher is becoming the #1 centre they were hoping for, Ryan Suter and Shea Weber are staying put for a push, and Pekka Rinne might be the best goalie in the league after Lundqvist. Maybe, just maybe, this will be the year that Barry Trotz’s Predators can make it past the second round and make some noise late in May or even into June. I think this is the year they can do it.

6.       Chicago Blackhawks (33-24-7, 73 pts) – I don’t know what’s wrong with the Hawks. It seems like every time I hear about them, someone is being blasted for not playing well. First it was the defence corps, then their goaltending, now their forwards. Jonathan Toews is having a great year, but they need more production from guys like Patrick Kane and Viktor Stalberg. Also, while Corey Crawford is a good goaltender, he needs to get in a groove and find his consistency that won him the starting job over Marty Turco last season.

7.       San Jose Sharks (32-22-7, 71 pts) – Every year I say this is the year the Sharks will win the West and challenge for the Cup in the Finals. And every darn year they prove me wrong. Sound familiar? Well maybe this year they, too, will prove me right. Yes they have good offensive players like Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau, and Logan Couture. But, just like Phoenix, I have trouble seeing them being able to get past Detroit, or their playoff nemesis in Nashville.

8.       Dallas Stars (33-26-4, 70 pts) – The Stars are another one of those teams who, while I think is a very good team, doesn’t have either the scoring touch or the toughness to take down one of the higher-ranked teams in the West in a best-of-seven format. With multiple teams breathing down their neck, it’s conceivable that neither the Sharks nor the Stars could make the playoffs, which would not come as a big surprise to me.

9.       Colorado Avalanche (33-27-4, 70 pts) – One of the hottest teams in the league right now, the Avalanche are quietly making their way into the playoff picture. How are they doing so, you might ask? Honest answer: I have no idea. They have gotten relatively balanced scoring, and relatively steady goaltending, but could it be that they’re just catching teams on bad nights? Or just wearing them down? If the Avs do make the playoffs, it will be a short-lived post-season, but one can always hope, right?

10.   Los Angeles Kings (28-23-12, 68 pts) –Long gone are the days when Luc Robitaille and Wayne Gretzky ruled LA, and now it’s on the shoulders of Anze Kopitar and new acquisition Jeff Carter to find an offensive stride. One problem: both players are underachieving drastically this season. How the Kings are still in the playoff race with nobody on the roster who has 20 goals this season is beyond me, but it’s a strong testament to their defensive play and the skill of Jonathan Quick in goal. If they do manage to squeak in, they might make things interesting for a few games in the first series, but if they don’t find their offensive stride (which they won’t under Darryl Sutter), then it’ll be a first-round exit.

11.   Calgary Flames (28-24-11, 67 pts) – The Flames are so hot and cold that it doesn’t even make the lame pun funny. One night they’ll look unbelievably good against Detroit, and the next they’ll stink it up in Edmonton. This sort of consistency won’t see you go far in the playoffs. Miikka Kiprusoff has been their saving grace all year, but he struggled last night against St Louis, so he needs to rebound, and quickly.

12.   Minnesota Wild (28-25-9, 65 pts) – It seems like only a short month and a half ago that I remember seeing the Minnesota Wild atop the NHL overall standings. Oh wait, it was only a short month and a half ago that the Wild were atop the standings. They’ve fallen very far from grace since then, and now are very much in danger of not making the postseason. What’s missing: offence.

13.   Anaheim Ducks (27-26-10, 64 pts) – Yes, they’ve been one of the league’s hottest teams since Christmas, but I still don’t think they’ll get up past LA or Dallas in the standings before the end of the regular season. It’s been a weird year in Anaheim, but they should be back to their normal annoyingly good selves next season.

14.   Edmonton Oilers (25-31-6, 56 pts) – The Oilers have one of the best youngest teams in the league. Add in another early first-round pick this summer, and they might be able to make a push for a playoff spot next year. I think they’re still a good goalie and stud defenceman, along with three or four years away from being a top Cup contender though.

15.   Columbus Blue Jackets (18-37-7, 43 pts) – This team is a disaster. After a month of speculating whether the team would trade its only good player, Rick Nash, before the deadline, GM Scott Howson came out with the news yesterday that Nash asked to be traded in January. My question is, why didn’t Nash ask for out sooner? Some horrible off-season acquisitions, coupled with this Nash debacle, and I don’t see the Jackets coming out of the West basement anytime soon.

In conclusion, my current predictions, which are subject to change when the playoffs begin, will be that the Rangers will come out East champions, and will face either the Canucks, Blues, Red Wings or Predators in the Stanley Cup Finals. 

Grading the CFL teams on Free Agency

Last week I previewed the CFL Free Agency period, and made some predictions as to who could end up where. Now, almost a week into Free Agency, let’s take a look at what each team has done so far, grading each team’s splash, keeping in mind that I will only really be evaluating the moves made since free agency opened on February 15.

BC Lions

Key Additions: Byron Parker (DB), Stu Foord (RB)

Key Re-signings: Ryan Phillips (DB), Khalif Mitchell (DL)

Subtractions: Aaron Hunt (DL)

Evaluation: In keeping Phillips and Mitchell, the Lions are helping to maintain a solid defensive squad which helped win them the championship in 2011. Adding Parker means the Lions now (on paper) boast arguably one of the greatest secondaries ever; with Phillips, Lin-J Shell, Dante Marsh and Korey Banks, along with veterans Davis Sanchez and JR Larose and Canadian college standouts Cauchy Muamba and Hamid Mahmoudi, BC has some incredible depth in the secondary as well. Losing Hunt will hurt on the line, especially if Brent Johnson decides to retire before training camp opens in June. All in all, it seems the Lions are happy with their winning roster, and why shouldn’t they be?

Free Agency grade: B+

Calgary Stampeders

Key Additions: None

Key Re-signings: None

Subtractions: Burke Dales (P), Tim O’Neill (OL)

Evaluation: Upon first glance, it seems like the Stamps have been big losers in free agency. However, John Hufnagel seems to be willing to give it a shot with the current roster in 2012. The only concern for fans in Calgary might be that they haven’t yet picked up a veteran defensive lineman; as it stands the most seniority in that position group is five years of experience. Jermaine McElveen, a two-time Grey Cup winner, is still on the market, and would greatly improve a pass rush which struggled last season.
Free Agency grade: C

Edmonton Eskimos

Key Additions: Burke Dales (P), Cary Koch (WR), Donald Oramasionwu (DL), Greg Carr (WR)

Key Re-Signings: None

Subtractions: Greg Peach (DL), Rod Davis (LB), Mark Restelli (LB)

Evaluation: Their defence was hit the hardest in terms of subtractions, losing three perennial starters, but their line and receiving corps has improved through the additions of Oramasionwu and Carr. Koch will play a complementary role to a group which now includes Carr, Fred Stamps, and Adarius Bowman. Dales might be the best at punting in the CFL, and will improve Edmonton’s special teams game. The biggest question mark remains at backer, where they have a lot of youth and not a lot of proven experience. With no linebackers on the market, it looks like it will stay that way, so watch for the Esks to build there through the draft.

Free Agency grade: B

Saskatchewan Roughriders

Key Additions: Brendon Labatte (OL), Dominic Picard (OL), Paul Woldu (DB)

Key Re-Signings: Tristan Jackson (DB/Ret)

Subtractions: Andy Fantuz (WR), Stu Foord (RB), Cary Koch (WR)

Evaluation: Losing Fantuz hurts, we all know that. But they have strengthened their offensive line significantly, nabbing two of the most prized at the position off the market. Still, the Roughriders haven’t made huge strides through free agency to improve their roster, which could be a problem. Improvements at running back and linebacker still need to be made, while Woldu will try and help the secondary.

Free Agency grade: B-

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Key Additions: None

Key Re-Signings: Glenn January (OL)

Subtractions: Greg Carr (WR), Donald Oramasionwu (DL), Brendon Labatte (OL)

Evaluation: Most of their re-signing work was done prior to free agency opening, re-signing all three quarterbacks as well as lineman Steve Morley among others. The loss of Oramasionwu will be even more difficult if Doug Brown retires, leaving the Bombers without their starting defensive tackles from a year ago, and they are suddenly very thin at receiver. Arjei Franklin and Matt Carter are non-import receivers still available, and should be looked at by Bomber GM Joe Mack, who has had to deal with criticism from his players over Twitter for his lack of activity.

Free Agency grade: C-

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Key Additions: Andy Fantuz (WR), Kevin Eiben (LB), Greg Peach (DL), Tim O’Neill (OL)

Key Re-Signings: Isaac Brown (LB)

Subtractions: None

Evaluation: They got the biggest name out who was available (Fantuz). They added some veteran, Cup-winning leadership to their linebacking corps (Eiben). They strengthened their defensive line after losing Justin Hickman to the NFL (Peach). They added a veteran presence to an offensive line that is already pretty good (O’Neill). Not much to hate on here at all. However, they could still use some more depth in the defensive backfield, and Marc Estelle is still a free agent.

Free Agency grade: A

Toronto Argonauts

Key Additions: None

Key Re-Signings: Willie Pile (LB), Jason Pottinger (LB)

Subtractions: Kevin Eiben (LB), Byron Parker (DB), Dominic Picard (OL)

Evaluation: Like Calgary, glancing above makes it look like the Argos are free agent losers. Like Winnipeg, however, they did most of their movement before free agency, trading for Ricky Ray and signing the released Jason Barnes. I think most people are also overlooking how important the re-signings of Pile and Pottinger are. That being said, they’ve lost a lot of irreplaceable players to other teams, and still have some players who are free agents. They need to bulk up their O-Line, and fast, otherwise their prized acquisition Ray won’t last too long.

Free Agency grade: C+

Montreal Alouettes

Key Additions: Rod Davis (LB), Mark Restelli (LB), Aaron Hunt (DL)

Key Re-Signings: Scott Flory (OL)

Subtractions: Paul Woldu (DB)

Evaluation: No changes made to their offensive unit, but then again there doesn’t need to be any change there. Defensively, the Als have signed players who are going to fit in beautifully with new defensive coordinator Jeff Reinebold’s 3-4 scheme. After releasing a bunch of veteran defensive linemen, notably Anwar Stewart and Eric Wilson, Hunt will take the middle lineman spot in the 3-4, with Davis and Restelli adding to an already impressive linebacking corps featuring Shea Emry, Chip Cox and Ramon Guzman. There’s just one problem: the Alouettes’ secondary was the weak spot last year, and no upgrades have been made, although that could be because GM Jim Popp is banking on the secondary being healthy this year.

Free agency grade: A-

Looking at last week’s most prized Free Agents and where they are now:

1.       Andy Fantuz (WR) – I said: Hamilton. He’s in: Hamilton.

2.       Rob Murphy (OL) – I said: Winnipeg. He’s in: Still on the market

3.       Scott Flory (OL) – I said: Montreal. He’s in: Montreal.

4.       Avon Cobourne (RB) – I said: Edmonton or Saskatchewan. He’s in: Still on the market.

5.       Brendon Labatte (OL) – I said: Toronto. He’s in: Saskatchewan.

6.       Aaron Hunt (DL) – I said: BC. He’s in: Montreal.

7.       Byron Parker (DB) – I said: Hamilton. He’s in: BC.

8.       Greg Carr (WR) – I said: Toronto. He’s in: Edmonton.

9.       Philip Hunt (DL) – I said: Winnipeg. He’s in: Still on the market.

10.     Rod Davis (LB) – I said: Winnipeg. He’s in: Montreal

Best Free Agents still available:

1.       Rob Murphy (OL)

2.       Avon Cobourne (RB)

3.       Philip Hunt (DL)

4.       Wes Cates (RB)

5.       Arjei Franklin (WR)

6.       Marc Estelle (DB)

7.       Jason Shivers (DB)

8.       Joffrey Reynolds (RB)

9.       Jason Jimenez (OL)

10.   Eddie Johnson (P/K)