Out of Town Notebook: Stanley Cup Finals Preview, Part 2
Tom Wakefield breaks down the Los Angeles Kings versus New Jersey Devils, predicting a Cup win for the Kings in six.
Tagged: Ilya Kovalchuk
Out of Town Notebook: Stanley Cup Finals Preview, Part 1
Tom Wakefield compares the 2006 and 2012 Stanley Cup Finals to explore the state of the NHL in the years since the lockout.
Out of Town Notebook: Eastern Conference Finals Playoff Preview
Tom Wakefield breaks down the Rangers-Devils NHL Eastern Conference Finals, picking New York in a grueling six games.
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: Leafs vs. Oilers – Which Rebuild is Better?
James Mirtle in the Globe and Mail asked an interesting question Monday – which rebuild is better, the Leafs approach or the Oilers approach? Ultimately, the answer to this question can only come years from now, when the young promise on each roster has been fulfilled (or not fulfilled, for that matter). However, as the continued success of the Detroit Red Wings (and continued failure of the Columbus Blue Jackets) suggests, there are franchise factors that can have a major impact on the development of a successful team. Good ownership is one of these factors. Every fan wishes their team...
Shinny: CHBWFHP Update – Christmas Edition
Season’s Greetings, CHB readers! In honour of the season, we got together and thought we’d give you a lump of coal …err, a festive edition of our Fantasy Hockey Pool update. How did our rankings shape up as of Wednesday morning? Read on: Goose is my Wingman (Chris) – 89.5 points (current rank: 1st) If there is one thing that I’ve learned during my meteoric climb to the top of the standings, it’s definitely humility. I’ve been called a drunken boater by Lizz, had my strategic draft process mocked by Ed, seen my definition of an A-list actor trashed by...
Out of Town Notebook: A Bad Week for the NHL
[Every weekend, Canucks Hockey Blog goes out of town as Tom Wakefield (@tomwakefield88) posts his thoughts on what’s happening around the NHL.] Photo credit: Barry Melrose Rocks Between the Zdeno Chara hit, the Phoenix Coyotes drama and the ongoing hits-to-the-head debate, it’s been a bad week for the NHL. Might as well pile on: Scoring is down from last year, to 5.6 goals per game. The first season after the lockout, the average goals per game was 6.17. This season will likely feature the fewest number of 100-point scorers, and fewest number of 50-goal scorers, since the lockout. Analyzing numbers...
Out of Town Notebook: The Gauntlet and How It Relates to Head Shots
[Every weekend, Canucks Hockey Blog goes out of town as Tom Wakefield (@tomwakefield88) posts his thoughts on what’s happening around the NHL.] They called it “the Gauntlet.” I had first heard about it in my final days of Atom hockey in Ontario. It was whispered about in hushed, nervous tones, like people standing in the room with Mike Tyson during the ’80s. Next year was the start of Peewee hockey (ages 11-12). To play Peewee hockey meant running the Gauntlet. What was the Gauntlet? Near the start of the season a team would line up, single file, from the blueline...
Out of Town Notebook: Blueline Blues, A Katy Perry Reference, and Are the Stars for Real?
[Every weekend, Canucks Hockey Blog goes out of town as Tom Wakefield (@tomwakefield88) posts his thoughts on what’s happening around the NHL.] In honour of Katy Perry’s recent “cleavage-gate” on Sesame Street, let’s play a game of “One of These Things Just Doesn’t Belong Here.” The Chicago Blackhawks. The New York Islanders. The Dallas Stars. The Pittsburgh Penguins. Behold the top four teams in NHL standings. Which one doesn’t belong? If you guessed the New York Islanders, you’d be wrong. Sure they’re probably not a playoff team, but their youngsters have taken a step forward and coach Scott Gordon has...
