Out of Town Notebook: Eastern Conference Semifinals Playoff Preview
Tom Wakefield takes a look at the second round match-ups in the Eastern Conference, calling for a Capitals upset.
Tagged: Florida Panthers
Out of Town Notebook: Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Playoff Preview
Tom Wakefield breaks down each of the first round series in the NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
Out of Town Notebook: Patrick Roy vs. Ken Dryden and the Eastern Conference Playoff Race
The Globe and Mail report that Patrick Roy is waiting in the wings to take over the Montreal Canadiens after this season is not unexpected. Rumours for months have made it seem like a Quebec-centric bidding war has developed between the Habs and prospective Nordiques franchise over the services of Mr. Roy. Interestingly though, yesterday’s news turned my inbox into a debate over the merits of Patrick Roy. Not necessarily his merits behind the bench or in the executive suite, but on the ice. The question was – who was a better goalie, Ken Dryden or Patrick Roy? It’s the type...
Out of Town Notebook: The Real NHL Eastern Conference Standings Revisited
Yesterday we took at look at the “real” Western Conference standings after 40 games. Here now is a look at the East. Remember, to learn a bit more about an individual team’s strengths and weaknesses, each squad was ranked in six categories*: Goals for (GF) and shots-for (SHF) were chosen to evaluate a team’s offense; Shots-against (SHA) and goals against (GA) were chosen to evaluate a team’s defensive play; Five-on-five (5-on-5) was chosen to evaluate a team’s even-strength/system play; Save percentage (SVPCT) was chosen to evaluate the team’s goaltending performance. Teams were ranked and then put into groups of five,...
The Game According to Twitter: Canucks 1 Panthers 2
[View the story “Game 43: Canucks vs. Panthers” on Storify]
Canucks Review and Preview: January 9 to January 15, 2012
[Every week, Caylie King looks at the Canucks week that was and the Canucks week ahead. You can follow Caylie on Twitter (@cayking).] The Canucks started the week with a shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks and followed it up with a dominating 3-0 win over division rivals, the Minnesota Wild. Then came the most anticipated game of the season – a rematch against the defending Stanley Cup Champions, Boston Bruins. And it didn’t disappoint. Despite being hyped up all week long, it lived up to its expectations and more. It felt like we were right back in the...
Out of Town Notebook: Lost Seasons in Montreal, Los Angeles?
Next year is the 20th anniversary of the Montreal Canadiens-Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup Final. Don’t expect a repeat appearence from either team. Today, the Kings made it official, hiring Darryl Sutter as their new coach. We talked last week about how hiring Sutter might just be the least imaginative, worst-thought-out decision GM Dean Lombardi could make for his team. The Kings already defend well – it’s hard to see Sutter adding to this area. The Kings already had a coach who demanded accountability – and it’s doubtful Darryl Sutter will do this in a way that’s more innovative than...
Out of Town Notebook: Concussions, Kings and Darryl Sutter
Things that make one wonder on a Tuesday: The Kings are in Trouble Has Dean Lombardi lost his mind? According to reports, the Los Angeles Kings are looking at Darryl Sutter as their next coach. Because the Lombardi-Sutter connection won championships in San Jose, right? Look, it’s not like the problem with the Kings isn’t well-known. They aren’t scoring enough goals (last in the league). Their point-producers, outside of Anze Kopitar, are all under-performing. How Sutter – a notorious “defense-first, -second and –third” coach – could be seen as the right person to create scoring is a mystery. Not...
Out of Town Notebook: Boogaard, Fisticuffs and NHL Realignment
Some quick thoughts on two issues dominating NHL talk right now: Derek Boogaard and Fighting in the NHL For anyone who’s been living under a rock, here’s the original New York Times story about the study of Derek Boogaard’s brain. The results of the study shouldn’t surprise anyone. If you’re a fighter, and you get punched in the head a lot, it’s logical the impact of these blows will have an effect on your brain and brain function. The larger issue here is that, as scientists continue to show conclusive evidence that hockey fights endanger the health of those involved,...
Out of Town Notebook: The Real Eastern Conference Quarter Pole Standings
In part one we looked at the first quarter for teams in the Western Conference. Now let’s take a look at the East. Eastern Conference 1. New York Rangers – 27 Points Powerplay: 25 / Penalty Kill: 9 / Goals For: 15 / Goals Against: 2 What’s working: Henrik Lundquist for starters. He’s the biggest reason why the team is among the league leaders in goals against. In the absence of Marc Staal (concussion), Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi have capably stepped up on the blueline, while defenseman Michael Del Zotto has re-found his game. Marian Gaborik has gotten hot...
