Quick Thoughts on Realignment; Other Tidbits

The NHL has drastically realigned their conferences as a result of the Atlanta Thrashers flying north to Winnipeg. It was a massive overhaul, approved for next season, and sees the conferences shake out as such:

CONFERENCE A:    
Anaheim Ducks
Calgary Flames
Colorado Avalanche
Edmonton Oilers
Los Angeles Kings
Phoenix Coyotes
San Jose Sharks
Vancouver Canucks

CONFERENCE B:
Chicago Blackhawks
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues
Winnipeg Jets

CONFERENCE C:
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Florida Panthers
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs

CONFERENCE D:
Carolina Hurricanes
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals

My initials thoughts are this: I like it overall. Travel is reduced for everyone but the Florida teams, but the financial impact will be great on the Panthers and the Lightning. Playing three home games a year against Ottawa, Buffalo, Boston, Montreal, and Toronto will help an attendance spike due to the high number of transplants down South. I'm also a huge backer of a balanced schedule, and now everyone will play a home-and-home with everyone. The top teams and stars will be in every building every year, something great for growing the game.

My only qualm: the single home-and-home games between teams like Philadelphia/Boston or Colorado/Detroit will help squelch some of the regional rivalries that have developed over time. But as a whole, realignment works well. No, Detroit, Columbus and Nashville didn't move east, but their travel will be greatly reduced by not having to make California trips on a weekly basis.

Otherwise, the Pacific time zone teams keep to themselves for the most part and the old Patrick Division is restored, with the addition of the Hurricanes. The NHL got this one right, withholding how they decided to do the final four after conference champions are decided. A re-seeding would be annoying in some senses; should Conference A & B be in a West region an Conferences C & D be in an Eastern region with the winner of the A vs. B semifinal and C vs. D semifinal play for the Cup? All that will be hammered out as this all takes shape, but as far as the actual realignment...I'm a fan.

OTHER HEADLINES...


-Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford is growing tired of Tomas Kaberle. From thefourthperiod.com: "He got off to a slow start," said Rutherford. "Now he has to figure out how to get out of it or he won't be playing for the Hurricanes for long." Yikes.

-Following up last night's blog, Jordin Tootoo received two games for running Ryan Miller this weekend. Sounds about right.

-Can we put to rest this whole "Alex Ovechkin is a steroidaholic" thing?

-For my Maine readers, Patrick O'Sullivan will be reporting to the Portland Pirates after clearing waivers. The Pirates are next home against the Manchester Monarchs on December 14th.

More to come tomorrow!

GOH

On Running Goaltenders...

After another incident with Ryan Miller, this time with Jordin Tootoo barreling through his crease, leaping and taking Miller out. The Sabres, under heavy scrutiny for not coming to Miller's defense last month when Milan Lucic ran him over and subsequently concussed him, the Sabres wasted no time in pouncing on a defenseless Tootoo.

The video:

Pretty nasty stuff. The point isn't whether or not Tootoo could have avoided the hit, but the more pressing issue at hand: how far is too far when it comes to crashing the crease and taking out goaltenders?

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff is hoping the NHL reacts with a heavy hand:

"I hope to see a strong message," Ruff said following practice. "Really, it’s just time. I just hope they do the right thing with it.

"I understand with a phone hearing the max you’re going to get is [a five-game suspension]. In my eyes, is that a big message? It’s OK. I look at the NFL and I look at the Detroit Lion [Ndamukong Suh] that got two games for a 6-inch kick. He got kicked out of the game, and then that amounted to one-eighth of our season. That’s a 10-game suspension. I think they do it right. The message there is we’re not putting up with this stuff. I think we need a strong message. Is five strong enough? I don’t know."

But what can be done? Goaltenders are in a unique position. It's an unwritten rule that goaltenders don't get touched, even when they vacate the crease. Because of this it puts them in a vulnerable position. It's one thing for a defenseman to get smoked in front of the net; they are expecting contact. But when a goaltender is focused on playing the puck and gets bowled over; well, that's another story.

What should the NHL do? Is it even a problem, or just an overreaction to a star goaltender getting smoked in consecutive starts (that were a month apart)? I don't believe major rule changes are in order, however there needs to be a clear understanding of what is acceptable and off-limits when it comes to playing a goaltender, especially where they are susceptible to injury.

In Tootoo's case, I don't think a huge suspension is warranted. But the NHL should send some sort of a message--a few games or so--to make it clear that it is not indeed open season on goaltenders. Goaltenders are such a valuable part of a team and to have one injured with a careless play would be unfortunate.

Canucks coach Alain Vigneault chimed in on the issue  in The Province, echoing those sentiments:

"You want your players to go to those areas and be a good net presence and it's a hard league to score goals in," the Vancouver Canucks coach said Sunday. "But obviously, you want your goaltenders to be protected - I want all 30 to be protected. It's a position that's important, but it's a fine line there and some obviously cross the line and that makes it very challenging for referees and everybody else in the game."

The timing in Tootoo's hit is poor and hopefully that doesn't weigh into the decision making on a suspension. Whether or not the play is clean, plays like it need to be avoided in the future to keep goalies on the ice and out of the press box.

GOH

Mailbag: 12/3/11

A few tidbits of stuff to get to from this weeks mailbag. Thanks for all your submissions. I had a tough time narrowing down the best questions, so here goes nothing:

Despite Kyle Turris' lack of NHL success, which NHL teams do you think could benefit from his addition?


Mike
Newton, Massachusetts


Kyle Turris is still a bit of a project with the Coyotes and despite GM Don Maloney's public statements it's feasible to see him traded after a lengthy holdout that was just resolved last week. He does have some scoring touch and saw raw potential and you wonder if he could be an asset despite the off-ice issues. I would say a team like Columbus would take a flyer on him, given they have some pieces that could be moved. If Turris did get moved, I could see it being out east to the Islanders or to the Dallas Stars, even though they're in Phoenix's division. Dallas has built itself a great season with other reclamation projects like Turris.

How do you  feel about Roberto Luongo's slow start and subsequent benching? Do you see Cory Schneider taking on a bigger role?


Kevin
Stratham, New Hampshire


I definitely see Schneider taking on more of a platoon role in the Vancouver pipes; at least for now. Luongo is coming back from injury and is being eased in, and with fantastic play from Schneider there's no need to over-saturate him. However, in almost equal playing time Schneider has amassed a save percentage 40 points higher (.930 to Luongos .890) and a GAA of 2.12 to Luongos 3.05. Be it injury or confidence, Luongo is struggling out of the gates and while he's doing to Cory Schneider is a fantastic back-up plan.

Do you think Tomas Kaberle will play out his full contract (3 y/$12.75 million) in Carolina?


Keith
Augusta, Maine


Keith, it's hard to see Kaberle playing out too much of that contract. He's been ineffective in Carolina, totaling no goals and 5 assists in his first 26 games, including being a healthy scratch for Paul Maurice's last game as coach. He's -13, has a total of 3 power play points, and has looked lost on both sides of the puck. All that said, he's built an incredible career and at 33 somebody will take a flyer on him. If GM Jim Rutherford can flip him for a top-6 forward I'd consider it done, but the Canes will have to unload picks or prospects to make it happen in a salary dump kind of move. So the short of it: no, I don't think he'll play out the entire thing, or much more of it.

What NHL coaches could you see being fired next?


Kyle
Washington, New Jersey


Well, after the carousel of this past week it leaves you wondering who could be next. My three guesses are Jacques Martin in Montreal, Brent Sutter in Calgary, and Scott Arneil in Columbus. Lindy Ruff may be out after the season if the Sabres fail to make some noise in the post-season after spending all the money in the off-season. But the reality is this: the Canadiens and Flames are both in big-time hockey markets and are struggling mightily. The Canadiens look flat and the Flames just need to go through and clean house, coaches and players included. Scott Arneil appears to have saved his job for now, but the reality is the Blue Jackets are 7-16-3 despite adding big pieces in the off-season. I could easily see Martin being replaced in the next two weeks, especially if the Canadiens struggle in their upcoming run of Western Conferences games against Los Angeles, Columbus, and Vancouver.

That's all for this week! Remember to submit your questions for next week's Mailbag!

GOH

Snapshots: 12/2/11

Lots to get to in the NHL today, so let's get it going:

-Bruce Boudreau will coach his first game with the Ducks tonight. According to Elias Sports Bureau, Boudreau's short unemployment was the shortest in NHL history at four days. Boudreau will coach against a team he's familiar with tonight as the Philadelphia Flyers head to Anaheim.

-With Boudreau hired, it appears Bobby Ryan will be off the trading block for now. The Rangers, Maple Leafs, and Hurricanes were all kicking the tires on Ryan and while he may be moved at some point, it appears a trade is no longer imminent.

-Cool story here from Yahoo!  about Erik Cole flying Louis Leblanc's parents out to his first NHL game.

Doan (above) was booed mercilessly in his first game in
Winnipeg since playing for the Jets 15 years ago. (Getty)

-The Winnipeg Jets version 2.0 beat the Winnipeg Jets version 1.0 last night at the MTS Centre, with the Coyotes failing to register a goal in a 1-0 defeat. Jets fans welcomed back Shane Doan by booing him relentlessly, a pretty classless act towards a pretty classy guy.

-Allan Walsh, agent for players like Ilya Kovalchuk and Martin Havlat, has decided he's seen enough of his client, Derick Brassard's, coach in Columbus. For those too lazy to click the link, Walsh had this to say about Scott Arniel, who has scratched Brassard seven times in the last ten games:

"While I have tremendous respect for (general manager) Scott Howson and the rest of Columbus' management team, the situation regarding Derick Brassard has become untenable. The coach has a history of burying players and using them as scapegoats to mask his own lack of success on the ice. Derick has been singled out, almost from the very beginning of the season, to be the fall guy in case things don't go well. The Columbus organization cares about Derick and has been good to him, but at some point, one has to say, enough is enough."

Here's an idea, Allan: make sure your client knows he's on an 8-goal pace after posting 2 goals in 18 games this season.

-We touched on it last blog, but Derek Joslin was not suspended for his hit on Kris Versteeg in Tuesday's Panthers/Hurricanes game.

-Some great news out of St. Louis with David Perron set to come back  after missing 97 games with a concussion.

-What to do in the Vancouver crease? Cory Schneider gave up 3 goals on 5 shots last night against Nashville, and was relieved by Roberto Luongo who gave up 3 more on 15 shots, including the game-winner with 1:16 left. The Canucks, buoyed by Schneider, had won five in a row coming in, outscoring opponents 17-4.


Make sure you get your mailbag questions in for tomorrow's new blog!

GOH

Snapshots: 11/30/2011

It's been an interesting week in the NHL for sure. Two coaches fired, Bobby Ryan trade rumors, and a handful of other exciting goodies. To touch on them:

-Bobby Ryan says he "wouldn't be shocked by a trade". There have been a lot of rumblings about it, mostly in Toronto and with the New York Rangers. Toronto would be a logical fit as he is Brian Burke's draftee and the Rangers could use a 30-goal scorer. The package that the Ducks will want in return will be substantial; likely a first round pick, a young top-6 winger and a top prospect. Not sure if Toronto can conjure that up without denting their already depleted farm system, nor can they afford to move any more first rounders.

-There were scouts from the Leafs, Stars, Kings, Blackhawks, Canucks, and Avalanche at last night's Hurricanes/Panthers game. Not sure who they were looking at, but it's safe to say Tomas Kaberle may be on the block in Carolina. Kaberle has no goals and five assists in 25 games this season and is a -12, worst among Carolina defenseman and third worst among NHL defenseman. For a guy averaging 19:21 a game and getting paid over $4 million, those numbers don't cut it and I wouldn't be surprised to see someone take a flyer on him.

-Bruce Boudreau is taking the high road in his firing, saying that he never once considered stripping Alex Ovechkin of his captaincy and saying the two "got along famously". Not even sure what that means, but it makes you wonder how much, if anything, Boudreau is holding back.

-The NHL is looking at this Derek Joslin hit on Kris Versteeg. I'd say he sits two.

-In other exciting news, the Blue Jackets are almost out of the basement. It's tough to be a Ducks fan at the moment.

-Former Lewiston Maineiac Kevin Marshall was recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers this season. He's pointless in two NHL games and a -2 this season.

-Finally, I'll leave you with this thought provoking question: your team is going to trade for Bobby Ryan. What do you give up for him? Post your comments below.

GOH

Coaching Overhaul In Southeast Division

Two Southeast Division teams, both with evident expectations, have fired their head coaches within a few hours on Monday morning. Paul Maurice was let go by the Carolina Hurricanes and the HBO star Bruce Boudreau was terminated by the Washington Capitals. Two different coaches, two different histories, but one common underpinning: their teams were underachieving.

The Capitals sit in 8th in the Eastern Conference, 3 points out of first place in the Southeast Division. They are off to a 12-9-1 start that has been marred by a 3-6-1 record in their last ten games and are burdened by superstar Alex Ovechkin's sub-par play; he has just 17 points through 22 games. A perceived rift between Boudreau and Ovechkin may have sealed Boudreau's fate; it's much easier to get rid of the coach than your $121 million superstar.

Boudreau went 201-88-40 in the regular season, leading the talent-laden Caps to four consecutive division titles in his four-plus seasons. He won the Jack Adams in 2007-2008 in his rookie season after taking over Glen Hanlon's Capitals and never looked back. But the players seemed to have tuned Boudreau out and his brash style may have run it's course in Washington. From an Associated Press excerpt, Capitals GM George McPhee weighed in on Boudreau's firing:

"This was simply a case of the players were no longer responding to Bruce. When you see that, as much as you don't want to make a change, you have to make a change," general manager George McPhee said.

"Bruce came in here and emptied the tank. He gave it everything he could and did a really good job, but the tank was empty," McPhee added. "When that happens, you get a new coach, where the tank is full and see if it makes a difference."

The Capitals are simply too loaded to be mired in another November swoon, similar to a stretch last season where the Caps dropped nine in a row in December. When your superstar has tuned you out, a change has to be made. Boudreau likely won't be unemployed for long. But in DC, the time to win is now, and Boudreau simply wasn't producing the results in a "what have you done for me lately?" league.

Dale Hunter will take over the reigns in the nation's capitol after coaching the London Knights from 2001-2002 on, winning the 2005 Memorial Cup. Hunter will demand accountability the way Boudreau failed to over the Caps listless stretch, something that was needed to shake up a stagnant locker room.

In Carolina, the situation is much different. The Caps were at least holding a playoff spot and they had a coach with a .611 winning percentage. Paul Maurice and his Hurricanes are stuck in dead last in the Southeast, four points ahead of the Islanders for last in the East and the Isles have played four fewer games. Realistically, the Canes have been the worst team in the Eastern Conference.

Maurice posted a .417 winning percentage in two stints
with the Carolina organization.

It was Maurice's second failed stint in Carolina, who went 384-391-99-46 overall in both his stints with Carolina, garnering just four playoff appearances in ten full seasons with a trip to the Finals in 2002. But, like in Washington, Maurice seemed to have lost his team with a rock-bottom effort in Montreal a week and a half ago. The Canes power play sits at 12.2%, good for 29th in the league. This came to the forefront yesterday in a 4-3 loss at Ottawa where the Canes went 1-for-8 on the power play. For a team that has been on the power play a league-best 115 times, the Canes simply weren't getting results under Maurice and a change was imminent.

The Canes bring in Kirk Muller, a long-respect assistant coach who had just two months of coaching the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL (10-6-1), was brought in to replace Maurice. Muller, who was nicknamed "Kirk is Work", will expect his players to work hard in all facets of the game will hold his team accountable. He is versatile, something that is essential for a team like Carolina who is in transition. From Muller in the Montreal Gazette:

 
“You have to be good defensively, you have to be good without the puck,” he added. “But since the lockout and no red line, you’ve got to be able to score and you’ve got to be able to score at the right time. So I really stress for the guys to be a very aggressive forechecking team, and I tell my forwards that if they want to play here they gotta work … they’ve got to be workers and do a lot of skating and tracking down and heavy forecheck.”

The time was right in both Carolina and Washington. Maurice and Boudreau arenot bad coaches but they had overstayed their welcomes in their respective cities. In a results-driven league, it's simply business that is pushing these two out the door. Hunter and Muller will face different challenges respectively, but the overhauls for both squads was essential if they want to right the ship for a playoff drive.

GOH

Mail Bag for 11/26/11

Hello all. Life got in the way of this blog and I haven't been able to write much in the last few months but I'm going to give this thing another crack. The first blog of the stint is going to be the mail bag, where I field questions through Twitter (@GlovesOffHockey) or e-mail at glovesoffhockey@gmail.com. Feel free to submit your questions for next Saturdays blog! Without further adieu, your questions:

Do you think coach Kevin Dineen and the Panthers can continue their play and make the playoffs or will the fizzle out come crunch time?


Matt
Westbrook, Maine

New additions Fleischmann, Versteeg and
Campbell have powered the upstart Panthers.

The Panthers have been off to a torrid start and there's no reason to think they'll slow down. While I think Washington may still be the eventual Southeast Division champion, the Panthers are still sitting pretty with a three point lead over the Caps just after Black Friday. The Panthers have been the benefactors of a big summer that saw the acquisitions of Tomas Fleischmann, Brian Campbell, and Kris Versteeg to name a few. The biggest improvement under Kevin Dineen (who I said would win the Jack Adams back in August) has been special teams. The power play (19.1%) is ninth, up from 13.1% last season which was good for last in the NHL. The penalty kill, 6th last year, is 15th this year but is still an efficient 82.3%. The next five games will give us a better picture of where the Cats really stand with match-ups against Tampa Bay tonight, followed by tilts with Carolina, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Washington. When the dust settles I think the Panthers will steal one of the bottom three playoff spots in the Eastern Conference and Dineen will win the Jack Adams.

Who is your pick for Vezina Trophy?


Blake
Limington, Maine


There's been some stellar goaltending play in the NHL this season and through two months my pick would have to be Niklas Backstrom of the Minnesota Wild. Backstrom is 7-4-2 with a 1.97 GAA and a .935 S%, backstopping the Wild to the top spot in a tightly contested Western Conference. Tim Thomas will likely be in the discussion at season's end as well, as the two-time Vezina Trophy winner is off to a white-hot start, posting a 10-4-0 record, a 1.85 GAA and a .936 S% to accompany his three shutouts. Nikolai Khabibulin is off to an impressive start in Edmonton as well, helping the the young Oilers to 6th in the West, just three points out of the top spot. Former second overall pick Kari Lehtenon has also shocked many, helping Dallas to 5th in the West with a 13-4-1 record, a 2.35 GAA and a .926 S%. My early pick, however, has to go to Backstrom, who is playing his best hockey since his rookie campaign in 2006-2007.

What's been the reason for the Bruins successful November?


Tom 
Portland, Maine


As I said in August, I expected the Bruins to start slow. But the Bruins have put up points in every game in November, their only blemish a shootout loss on Black Friday against Detroit. The Bruins success can be largely tied to Tim Thomas, who has gone 7-0 with a 1.55 GAA and a .943 S% in November. The emergence of Tyler Seguin has been monumental as well, with Seguin showing why he was a second overall pick in 2010. Seguin is on pace for 88 points after scoring just 22 in his rookie campaign. During the Bruins incredible November run, Seguin has notched 13 points (8 G, 5 A) in 11 games and has been carrying the team on his back. The biggest thing for the Bruins has been their commitment to what made them successful in their Cup-winning 2010-2011 season--playing a gritty, physical game. The Bruins, mostly void of pure goal scorers outside of Seguin and Nathan Horton, have simplified the game, gotten pucks to the net, and have had their power play clicking much more efficiently in November. When the Bruins stick to what makes them effective they are as dangerous as they come in the NHL.

Do you expect the Hurricanes will have any problems re-signing Jeff Skinner and other key pieces in a few seasons?


Mike
Brookline, Massachusetts

The Canes biggest priority in the next few seasons:
lock up Jeff Skinner long-term.

The Canes are a particularly frugal team in today's NHL under Peter Karmanos, but that doesn't mean they can't spend money. The top priority after Jeff Skinner's entry level deal expires after the 2012-2013 season will be locking the phenom up long-term. Skinner could likely fetch a Jonathan Toews-esque deal, somewhere in the 5 year/$30 million range. The Canes are well under the cap but do have some restraints. That said, Tuomo Ruutu's $3.8 million cap hit comes off the books after 2012 which will open up space for the Canes to sign Skinner and Pat Dwyer. Tomas Kaberle's $4.25 million cap hit comes off after 2014, but Kaberle will likely be moved by then and the Canes will have some extra spending money. Bryan Allen and Tim Gleason's contracts are up after the season and logic would indicate both won't be brought back to make way for young guns Justin Faulk and, in the wings, Boston College stud Brian Dumoulin on the back end. The Canes have a good, young core in place and I don't think they'll have any issues keeping it in tact.

Do you think the Canucks can make some noise again in the post-season?


Ethan
Litchfield, Maine


I do and I don't. The Canucks have proven lethal on the power play this season, clicking at an NHL-best 24.5%, which goes a long way come April. But the Canucks have been plagued by inconsistent play and are in the middle of their longest winning streak of the season--three games. But, as it has been for a while now, the Canucks success rests on one man's shoulders--Roberto Luongo. Luongo has been hampered a little by injuries this season and Cory Schneider has filled in admirably. But if this team is going to make another Cup run, Luongo will need to be the man in the pipes. Luongo has put up pedestrian numbers this season with a 2.97 GAA and a .896 S% and has many Vancouver fans calling for the relinquishing of his starting role. Schneider has been remarkable, posting a 2.02 GAA and a .927 S% to go with his two shutouts, both of which have come in the last two games while a healthy Roberto Luongo watched from the bench. The bottom line is this: despite all the offensive firepower and star-studded line-up, as Roberto Luongo goes, so go the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks will rally to make the playoffs, but I don't anticipate consecutive Finals appearances for the British Columbia boys.

That's all for this week. Hit me up with your questions and check back next week for another Mail Bag!

GOH