Friday, September 30, 2005

I Hate Bertuzzi


trophy count comparison.
-Alex 2005

He was an alright guy before the whole Moore incident. But after that, and how the league dealt with it, I just hate every ounce of him. I found this picture on a forum I frequently visit and I must admit that I laughed out loud when I saw it.

This upcoming year will definitely be an interesting one now that Bertuzzi is allowed back in the game. I think players from every team in the league will try to get under his skin and tempt him in any way they can so Mr. Bertuzzi will lose it.

I personally hope he loses it. What tough guy cries? I have never seen Scott Stevens shed a single tear for all his mountain rocking hits. But Mr.Bertuzzi, the little boy in a men's league, realizes he did something bad and cries. The league says they are keeping a close leash on him this year, so lets hope his leash isn't too tight, because I want to see a big tough guy cry on TV again.

I could go on, but I would only be kicking a dead horse. So enjoy the picture and hopefully Mr. Bertuzzi will entertain us with another fit of rage this upcoming season! Go Bert Go.....right out of this league!

Alex.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

And so it begins...

Yesterday, I took part in my first of many hockey pool drafts for the 05/06 season and besides having the last pick in a field of 11 people, I have to say I did a-okay. For this particular pool, there must be 7 forwards, 3 defencemen and 2 goaltenders on one team. Forwards and defencemen get 2 points per goal and 1 point per assist. Defencemen get an additional point for their +/- rating. Goaltenders get 2 points per win, 1 point per tie (shootout loss I'm guessing) and 5 points for a shutout (which may be a rarity in the upcoming offensive-minded season).

Here's my team:

Forwards
Todd Bertuzzi, VAN
Joe Sakic, COL
Jason Spezza, OTT
Peter Bondra, ATL
Alexei Kovalev, MON
Alexander Mogilny, NJ
Mike Modano, DAL

Defencemen
Rob Blake, COL
Tomas Kaberle, TOR
Marc-Andre Bergeron, EDM

Goaltenders
David Aebischer, COL
Jean-Sebastian Giguere, ANA

I went pretty hardcore and took stats from the last 3 years for about 200 players and ranked them based on the point scheme. The funny thing is I didn't pick from the list according to the ranking. Instead, I used a little bit of intuition to make my picks. I tried picking goalies from teams that will top the same conference. And I tried to pick d-men that were from the same conference (same team would be priority) since +/- will help. Then I tried picking forwards from the other conference (if they're from the same conference, I tried sticking to the same teams as the goalies/d-men). The reason being is that they won't affect the goalies/d-men from the other conference as much and hence a better chance at obtaining more points. That's what I figure. Hopefully, it works out.

How do you guys make your picks?

Flames Overview

Well, despite the fact that I openly believe that almost no one is reading this, I will continue to post my humble contributions... if for no other reason than to occupy my time. Today I am going to relate the concerns and issues I think the Calgary Flames will be facing heading into the coming season:

1.) Goaltending -

This first issue is more of a question mark (?) than an actual concern. While all indications are that Kiprusoff will be a highly capable number one goalie, it still remains to be seen that he can consistently shoulder the load of a full NHL season. Further, the Flames have relatively untested commodities in Sauve and Krahn, who are currently battling for the back-up position. Given that Suave is 25 and has some NHL experience (as well as one way contract) , it can be assumed that he will start the season as the Flame's #2. Especially since Krahn is only 23 and could use further development in AHL. The major concern this year in goal for Calgary, therefore, will be to see if Sauve can be capable enough to win some games when Kipprusoff is resting, or, god forbid, injured. Overall, however, with a strong defensive core and a healthy Kiprusoff, I think Calgary will again have one of the lower goals against totals in the league.

2.) Offense -

While there are numerous indications that Calgary will considerably improve in this category in the 05/06 campaign, there are still a number of unknowns and a history of relative goal-scoring impotence that plagues the Flames. While adding Amonte and Langkow looks good on paper, it remains to be seen whether they can develop chemistry with Calgary's established sniper and captain, Jerome Iginla. A failed experiment with Chris Drury several seasons back shows that added talent doesn't necessarily translate to added success. Although the Amonte, Langkow and Iginla line has shown some flair and promise in the preseason, the only real proof will come with regular season success.

In addition the Flames seem to have an improved secondary attack, with the potential emergence of young guns like Reinprecht, Kobasew and Lombardi. Reinprecht has been dogged by numerous injuries throughout his tenure with the Calgary club, while Kobasew has been relegated to 3rd and 4th line checking duty to aid his development. This year, Calgary fans and hockey pundits alike expect big things from Reinprecht, who has recovered fully from his various maladies due to the lock-out, as well as a break-out performance from Kobasew, who led the Lowell Lock Monsters of the AHL last year in goals and plus/minus. In addition, it is also conceivable that Lombardi will improve on the 16 goals he scored in his rookie year. Add in the potential for the likes of Donovan, Yelle and Nilson to contribute 10-15 goals each, and Calgary would appear to have shored up some of their offensive issues. Of course, should Reinprecht get injured, Kobasew disappoint and Lombardi experience the dreaded "sophomore jinx", Calgary will be top heavy and over-reliant on the ALI line to carry the team offensively.

Powerplay -
A related but seperate issue is the Flames uninspiring powerplay. This will be an especially pertinent issue in the "new NHL" while teams and players learn to play under the "no-obstruction" decree. Of course, any Flames fan that suffered through the last decade of squandered PP opportunities knows that this has been a bone of contention with this team for a long time. For me personally, it is in this area that I fully expect the Flames to improve in this season. The additions of Hamlik and Phaneuf mean the additions of 2 more booming shots from the point. Add Jordan Leopold, who has the vision and skill to quaterback a powerplay, plus Amonte, Langkow, Iginla and Reinprecht and Calgary SHOULD have a significantly dangerous PP attack. Heck, the Flames even have some capable big bodies like Simon and Weimer to plant in the crease and shovel in garbage goals. In addition, Calgary seems to be employing Regher in a more offensive manner on the man advantage during the preseason by moving him into the rush and in front of the net a la Jovonovski for the Canucks. It would be immensely beneficial to the powerplay - and the team in general - for Regher to develop some offensive upside...in particular, if he could release his slapshot (which is apparently very hard) with some kind of speed and accuracy, the Flames could finally have an array of intimidating weaponry on the point.

Of course, the potential for powerplay improvement also suffers from similar doubts that are heaped upon Calgary's offense this year - will the new players develop chemistry? Will Reinprecht actually stay healthy? Will Leopold continue to develop into the offensive d-man that everyone projects? Here's hoping that the answer is "yes" and this year Flames fans will be able to anticipate the man-advantage with delight rather than trepidation.

Anyways, those are some of the major concerns and issues I see facing the Flames going into the regular season. Overall, I am rather excited about the teams chances this year (like Sports Illustrated and many other analysts and experts) and hope that the promise and potential evident on paper translates to both season and playoff success.

Monday, September 26, 2005

Western Conference Predictions

I could fill this area with my own predictions about the upcoming season - which is admittedly difficult given the new landscape of the NHL - but I've decided to post a link to John Buccigross' recent article instead. I personally enjoy Buccigross. He's funny, knowledgable and passionate about hockey. I suggest you check out his stuff which appears regularly at www.espn.com.

Anywho, here's the article (oh...and just guess who he thinks is the favorite to win the west...) :

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=bucci...

Monday Morning, signing in...

Lots of NHL preseason action going on over the weekend. Not that it means much, but Calgary defeated Edmonton 3 - 0 and improved their pre-seaon record to .500. What was most significant about the contest for Flames supporters was the emergence of the "ALI" (Amonte, Langkow, Iginla) line, which is slated to be the #1 forward unit for Calgary this year. The line combined for 2 of the 3 goals (Langkow and Amonte) over the couse of the game and was apparently dangerous all night. Hopefully that line continues to click and build chemistry as the start of the new season looms ever larger...

- Also, the Toronto Maple Leafs contiued their pre-season losing habits, being crushed by the Senators yesterday, 7 - 4. I know, I know - it's preseason. It means little. But even Pat Quinn when interviewed after the game displayed concern and commented his players were going to have to learn how to "play like a team". Also of note, Ottawa rookie hopeful Brandon Bochenski scored 4 points, 3 goals and 1 assist in the victory. Here's a link:

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=137699&hubName=nhl

Congrats should be afforded to Bockenski, even if it was just a preseason game. Although, playing on a line with Spezza and Heatley never hurts...

- Speaking of rookie hopefuls, take a look at this goal Corey Perry of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks scored against the Canucks recently:

http://forum.calgaryflames.com/viewtopic.php?t=28293

Wow! Granted it was against a non-namer d-man in an exhibition game, but still very impressive. I'd be surprised if Perry didn't make the Ducks this year and have some kind of impact...

- Other news of note: Jeremy Roenick suffered his 11th(!) concussion over the weekend. He was hit by ex-flame Denis Gauthier, now of the Phoenix Coyotes. Here's a link to the story:

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=137712

Apparently, Roenick isn't too happy about being hit so hard in an exhibition game by another veteran. I would tend to agree that it's rather excessive on the part of Gauthier, although it does raise questions about Roenick's apparent fragility (as well as his future with the Kings and hockey in general). Hopefully for Roenick and for Los Angeles he is able to make a full recovery and play again.

(For Calgary fans, Saprykin scored twice in Coyotes 7 - 4 loss to the Kings. I personally liked Saprykin while he was here and hope he has a good year down in the desert...not TOO good. But good.)

-Anyways, that's it for now. Maybe the Calgary/Vancouver match will yield some interesting bits for tomorrow...

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Trade Rumour update

Yes, it seems that Kobasew rumour is still going. Now it seems a Toronto D-prospect has been added to the mix...here's the link:

http://hockey-leaks.blogspot.com/

The prospect is Brendan Bell, here's a link to his stats -

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/player_bio.asp?player_id=2563&hubName=TOR

They aren't too shabby, but really - Calgary has a bunch of defensive prospects already, plus I dont see Darryl trading up in salary either (Antropov makes just over $1mill/season). Again, interesting, but still just a silly rumour and nothing more if you ask me.

Mostly Flames Talk

Well, I didn't get to take in the Flames game last night...but I'm hearing a lot of good talk about one of the team's newest acquisitions, Byron Ritchie. Could this be another Sutter "Diamond in the rough" find? Besides his two goals in the flames 4-2 preseason victory over the Hawks on Wednesday, Ritchie was, by all accounts, a buzz-saw of activity all night. Media personalities that are close to the Flames, like Peter Mahr, also claim that Ritchie has been impressive the entire length of the Flames camp so far.

While it's a distinct possibility that Byron may usurp a fourth-line position from, say, a Jason Weimer, it's also not inconceivable that he will rapidly move up the depth charts to a third or second line position should a player such as Kobasew or Lombardi falter (or get injured). I mean, just look at his WHL and AHL stats: http://www.calgaryflames.com/cgi-bin/roster/roster.cgi?displayNode=82
His year with Seattle in 95/96 is comparable to, say, an Eric Fehr from the Wheat Kings last year, who lead the WHL in scoring and was a top draft pick. So clearly Ritchie has some offensive skills which have remained dormant or untapped in the NHL to this point. Hopefully Sutter and the Flames can help re-kindle his scoring touch...

On a more global note, the NHL released it's newest ad campaign apparently dubbed "My NHL". I've heard it was directed by a notable MTV music video director, and is much more "hollywood" than anything the league has done in the past. I believe there is a story at www.nhl.com if you want to know more about it...will this help to ingnite interest in hockey south of the border?? Time will tell I suppose.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Attention Contributors

I will put this at the top for the time being and will remove after a few days.

I just wanted to comment on posts. If and when it is possible please place links of your story that you are commenting about. This just makes it a little more credible. It doesn't matter if its a link to an actual news site or just another sports forum, any link related to the story at hand would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Alex.

The real BIG question!


Hey Koolaid!!!!!
-Alex 2005

How much does Keith Tkachuk actually weigh? I've heard as much as 260lbs!! Any guesses and/or info on the subject?

This is all I could find:
NHLPA files grievance over Tkachuk supsension
Weight defends Tkachuk as union files grievances

And in the blue corner...

... the five foot eight ultra light featherweight champion of Calgary: cantaloupehalves!! *crowd goes wild*

I guess it's about time I posted on here. A brief introduction is in order I guess. I've been a hockey fan probably since I learned the concept of team sports--so 17 years ago. At that time, I was living in northern Alberta and you can probably guess with which team my allegiances lie. And since I've moved down to Stampede city, there hasn't really been any competition as to which Alberta team to cheer for ... until now.

I don't consider myself a bandwagon jumper though as I've tried to support the local team through its lean years after moving here about ten years ago. The bottom line is, I fervently cheer for both teams except when they play each other. In these situations, I cheer for the Greasers, as many Flaming homers have come to address them by.

Which brings me to ask the following question: is it possible to be a fan of both the Oilers and the Flames?

Also, will the Leafs ever win the Cup? (Actually, we all know the answer to that ;)

Trade Rumor: Chuck for Nik?

Okay, here's a silly trade rumor - Chuck Kobasew for Nik Antropov...recently snatched by me from the boards. I don't think there is a shred of evidence to back it quite frankly, but I just want to put it out there so you may marvel at the absurdity. I mean really...why would Sutter trade for a slower, more lumbering and frequently inconsistent player like Antropov? Especially if he had to give up Kobasew? Given Chuck's potential and impressive AHL numbers last year (plus a stronger supporting cast at the NHL level this year), this looks to be his "break-out" season. So yeah...no go on this trade. But funny that it's floating around out there.

Western Hockey League

Thought I'd start out today by plugging the WHL's fantasy site, which is something Im involved with. Hey, what's this kind of spot for if not a little self-promotion? Anyways, I suggest everyone check it out...the link is http://fantasy.whl.ca - We've got free and pay games, salary-capped rosters and tons of prizes. The season starts September 23rd...I've already started to build my team (I picked the rookie D-man from the Red Deer Rebels who is 6 foot 8! I believe he was taken in the first round of the NHL draft this year as well...)

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Just some updates

Figured I'd post an update on all the major NHL goings on for today:

- Yes, Datsyuk is going back to Detroit. I've heard the deal is for about $3.8 mill. a season. Still too much if ask me (and anyone else who watched him disappear in the playoffs last year).

- Matt Cooke has re-signed with Vancouver (finally). Rumblings are it's a 3 year deal worth about $4.8 mill. Probably a good depth move for Vancouver considering the substantial difference between there top six and (potential) bottom six forwards...especially considering his performance for the last bit of the regular season and playoffs previously.

- Milan Hejduk will be sidelined for about 4 - 5 weeks by knee surgery. Colorado will be starting the season sans Foote, Forsberg and now Hejduk. Sucks to be an Avalanche fan right now. At least Hejduk will eventually be back though, unlike the other two.

- NY Islanders make Yashin their captain. Ummmmm...why?

- Tkachuk has filed a grievance against the Blues because they suspended him for failing the physical. Geez...make them feel even STUPIDER for retaining your bloated salary there Keith. As if it was the Blue Brass that made you suck back donuts and fried cheese during the lock-out.

- Everyone bitching about all the preseason penalities. If this is what it takes to get rid of arm-bar take-downs in the corners and water-skiing through the neutral zone, then so be it, I say.

Come & Play!!!

Hey all come and join the Fantasy Hockey League I created at http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/hockey/home.html . From there register a new account(if you don't have one), make up a team name and choose "join an existing league". From there enter the name of the league: crazy88s password is: 12345. Hope to see you there.

Deadline for teams to be picked is October 5th, 2005 (First day of the new NHL Season).

Good luck,

Alex.

**THIS IS ALL FREE, NO MONEY IS NEEDED TO PLAY, SIGN UP FOR THE FREE ACCOUNT**

Maiden Voyage

Let me begin this inaugural blog post by sharing some details about myself...I played hockey in my youth, I coached hockey in my more advanced youth, I vigorously partake in videogame hockey currently, and am involved with a sports at an intimate level at my job. So, yes, I troll NHL teams messageboards, buy hockey fantasy magazines and debate trivial stats with buddies. Oh! and I was definately one of those annoying guys at the local pub arguing vigorously over the economics of the game when it was so horribly arrested by the lock-out.

All these introductory facts lead to the following disclaimer: I view hockey as objectively as I can through the colored lenses of "flames fan"goggles. Yes, I cheer for the flames, but I will attempt to curtail any hometown biases as thoroughly as possible. No promises though. You've been warned.

So, let's list some pertinent issues in the hockey world today:

- The Datsyuk melodrama. Apparently, Detroit reached an agreement with Datsyuk's agent recently and he WILL be in the Detriot line-up come October 5th. It will be interesting to see if his ploy of using the Russian leagues as a bargaining chip, (as well as his outrageous original salary demands - $6 million/year!) will cause some sort of divisiveness in the dressing room down in ol' hockey town USA. How will Yzerman, the team's long-time captain and heart and soul of the franchise, react to all this seeming arrogance? Should be interesting...

- Toronto and the "Big E". While this may sound like a drug reference to those of ill-fame and partying past out there, Im actually refering to the risk the Maple Leafs will be taking this year...perhaps not just in Lindors either. With Sundin serving as the #1 center, the Leafs have a veritable treasue-trove down the middle with the additions of Lindros and Allison - should everyone say healthy and play up to their potential, that is. There is little doubt about Sundin, although he's no spring chicken at 34. However, Allison hasn't played much hockey in the last 3 years, and Lindros is a concussion away from retirement. At the very least, I think the Leaf Nation can expect some siginificant rust from Allison at the start of the season - and can only hope he stays in the line-up long enough to shake it off. Add all that to a less than impressive defensive line-up and a 40 year old starting goalie with an ailing back and, well...I think the stars will have to align and sacrifices made to the gods for the Leafs to taste the kind of regular season success to which they've become accustomed. Especially since the cap dissuades the "buy yourself out of jam" type solution.

-Calgary Flames stuff:

- Im looking forward to Kiprusoff playing the full year this season. While there are some question marks regarding his ability to be a consistent number one goalie, I think the Flames playoff run, Finlands world cup finals appearance, combined with his stats from the previous NHL season AND his work in Europe last year should be proof enough of his ability. The real quesiton mark for Calgary will be their back-up situation. Can Suave step-up and win some of the 20-odd games Kipper will be resting out this year? Only time will tell I suppose...

- I fully expect Dion Phaneuf to be the only rookie to make the Flames starting line-up this year. While some others may be on the cusp, Eric Nystrom for instance, Phaneuf is clearly ready for his NHL debut, as evidenced by his high point total from the WHL last year as well as his performance at the most recent World Junior Championships. Im looking forward to watching this kid play. If he lives up to even half of the hype surrounding him, he should be a pleasure to watch on the blueline this year. For an example, look up a clip of his hit on Raffi Torres from the Edmonton/Calgary pre-season tilt.

- Beyond Phaneuf, I do think some training camp standouts, such as Nystrom and Regher, will get their chance to crack the line-up due to injuries over the course of the season. Keep an eye on Mark Giordano too. He's stuck through a few rounds of cuts and scored 3 points against Chicago (even though he's a defensemen). He may be this year's "Lombardi"- type pleasant surprise.

Anyways, that's it for now. May have more to talk about after Calgary's pre-season game against the Hawks Wed. night (which is sold out!?)

I like the flames

I like the flames. Go refs!!! Avg of 19.18 penalties per game in the pre-season so far or something stupid like that.

Monday, September 19, 2005

Hello Hockey Fans!!!!

Okay so I have changed the focus of this blog from just it being on the Calgary Flames to one that is more broad and covers the world of hockey around us (mainly NHL). Now I did this because it provides us more material to write about and more opportunity for more reports, comments and opinons. What we as contributors to this hockey blog will try and keep up on a daily or weekly basis is News around the league, such as trades, injuries, team standings, suspensions, etc. And provide our thoughts and opinions on these topics. Hopefully they will be an enjoyable read and this blog will make it up to the higher rankings of hockey blogs and rss feeds! So sit back and let this upcoming hockey year provide us with lots to talk about. I hope to all those who come by for a visit enjoy what we do and keep on coming back.


Alex.

p.s. GO FLAMES GO!!!!!!!!!!

p.p.s. I'm still looking for a few more contributors to this hockey blog. I'm looking for someone who is up to date on a daily basis of league news and is willing to update on the ones they think is the most significant. I also would like a person who isn't scared to voice their opinion on any hockey topic, whether its current or past. Send me a comment to this specific thread and we'll work something out. Thanks!