Brush with Greatness

Wow! That is all.

Is anyone waiting for Tavares v. Griffin/Guida?

Courtesy of TSN.ca

Okay, enough with the bitching about how Detroit outplayed them and has been the better team the whole series. Did Detroit out play them in Game 5? Yes. But this game was a carbon copy of game one with the teams reversed as Anaheim should have handily walked away with victory in that game. Even the game that Detroit won 5-0, they were still out shot.

Are you fucking dense? My apologies for picking Minnesota to defeat Buffalo. If it appeases you I will change the prediction to Buffalo in 6. I very much think that a Buffalo v. Minnesota series would end up that way but (despite predicting a Buffalo v. Anaheim Cup final before the season) I wanted to avoid the cliched pick of the President's Trophy winner. Predicting a 7th place team to have success has nothing to do with recent "fluke" playoff series'. I should mention that since 1994 (the current seeding format), 7th seeds are 14-10 against 2nd seeds. Furthermore, I think it has been conceded by many that any team in the West is capable of advancing to the final. I'm not sure what "facts & knowledge" of hockey you are referencing (or have for that matter), but taking a close look at things means that they could easily be considered as much of a contender as anyone. First off, in the recent Hockey News Stanley Cup odds, Minnesota is considered the 5th favourite to win the Cup (behind Anaheim, Buffalo, New Jersey and San Jose - Detroit is 9th, Pittsburgh 10th). Taking a look at the standings, Minnesota had only two fewer wins than Detroit and actually had one more win then Pittsburgh (yet based on your "facts" shouldn't be uttered in the same breath as the Wings or Penguins!?). Now, keep in mind that Detroit plays in the Central Division which includes the awful Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, and up until Andy Murray's hiring, Blues. Meanwhile, the Northwest had five teams that were competing for the playoffs for the majority of the season (up until the Oilers fell apart). Detroit was 22-4-6 (.846) against their own division while going 28-15-7 (.651) against the rest of the league (are these the "facts" that you were referencing)? Now, add in the fact that Minnesota with Gaborik was 33-10-5 (.767) while they were 15-16-3 (.484) without him and it seems as if, as long as he is healthy, they are very effective. With all of this said, I think it is pretty easy to justify having Minnesota in the Cup final. Furthermore, I do believe that it is a possibility that they could also go out in the first round as Anaheim is just as good (if not better). But to write off the Minnesota prediction as a provocative prediction and sexy pick and as a team that shouldn't be uttered in the same breath as the Sabres, Red Wings and Penguins is asinine. Maybe you should heed your own advice and take a look at the "facts" to help you gain some "knowledge".

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (8) Calgary Flames I'm not sure that either of these teams are as good as some people will give them credit for. Detroit has a lot of question marks in Hasek, Bertuzzi, Datsyuk, and Zetterberg. If all are healthy and can elevate their game, then Detroit wins. Calgary has better special teams and is dominant on home ice. A split in Detroit would be huge.Flames in 6. (4) Nashville Predators vs. (5) San Jose Sharks Flip a coin. These are arguably the best two teams in the West and both are as capable of anyone of winning the Cup. This series could very well come down to special teams, specifically the Sharks PP against the Preds PK. If Sullivan is healthy, I believe the Preds have the slight edge.Predators in 7. (3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) Dallas Stars Potentially the two weakest teams in the West, both of these teams are lucky to draw each other in the opening round. This will be a very low scoring series that will come down to special teams. I'm going with the Canucks here, simply because they posted an equal record to the Stars while playing in the Northwest.Canucks in 6. (2) Anaheim Ducks vs. (7) Minnesota Wild The other two Western teams (along with Nashville and San Jose) that could play for the Cup and one is going home in the first round. An interesting stat that I haven't seen anywhere yet is the fact that Minnesota was 33-10-5 with Gaborik and 15-16-3 without him. Combine that with the fact that they play in a much tougher division, I feel that they are slightly a better team than San Jose.Wild in 7. (1) Buffalo Sabres vs. (8) New York Islanders DiPietro could help make this somewhat interesting. While I like the mix of the Islanders, the Sabres are just so deep and can throw four strong lines at you. Sabres in 5 (4) Ottawa Senators vs. (5) Pittsburgh Penguins This one could be a dandy. The Sens are basically in must win mode and anything else would be a disappointment after the struggles over the past few seasons. The Pens may just be happy to be there. While I really like the addition of Roberts, ultimately, I think the Sens are a bit deeper and more experienced and both of those factors will prove to be the deciding factor. Senators in 6. (3) Atlanta Thrashers vs. (6) New York Rangers I don't see either of these teams going very deep. Atlanta has awful special teams, although they addressed that somewhat with the additions of Zhitnik and Dupuis. They do have more depth than the Rangers though. Henrik is obviously the key, but Shanahan and Avery could be huge factors as well. If the Rangers steal one in Atlanta, then I think that Jagr will decide they have a chance and decide to play.Rangers in 7. (2) New Jersey Devils vs. (7) Tampa Bay Lightning This could have the makings of a very good series with high powered offence of the Lightning facing the stingy play of the Devils. The Lightning desperately need Brad Richards to start earning his money if they hope to win. Tampa's lack of a goalie and awful PK will be their downfall.Devils in 5. Conference Semi-Finals (3) Vancouver Canucks v. (8) Calgary Flames - Flames in 6 (4) Nashville Predators v. (7) Minnesota Wild - Wild in 7 (1) Buffalo Sabres v. (6) New York Rangers - Sabres in 6 (2) New Jersey Devils v. (4) Ottawa Senators - Devils in 7 Conference Finals (7) Minnesota Wild v. (8) Calgary Flames - Wild in 6 (1) Buffalo Sabres v. (2) New Jersey Devils - Sabres in 7 Stanley Cup Final (1) Buffalo Sabres v. (7) Minnesota Wild - Wild in 7

With the Pride acquisition, I think I've come up with the ideal "Dream Match", with Ricardo Arona cutting down to 185 so that him and Koscheck could do battle. Crazy as it sounds, my money is on the fight going to a decision.

This is true and I'm kinda annoyed that at the end of the season most people will look at Jens as being the better coach because of this. So far BJ seems like a much cooler guy. From what I've heard from guys that have trained at MFS, Jens has a serious case of small man's syndrome. Who knows though, I think BJ has the better coaching staff with him, and while Jens isn't Ken Shamrock, I can see BJ's training helping his guys win the closer fights. Maybe BJ should have drafted better instead of just trying to be a dick and upstage Jens.

What the fuck was Malkin doing there? Trying to leapfrog over Leclair? Get low and brace yourself.

Something I've always wondered... On the season 1 box set, there are episodes (I believe on disc two) that are listed in a different episode order than the original air date. Anyone know what's up with that?

Just an update on ticket sales for the Coyotes v. Oilers EXHIBITION game in Winnipeg

Staal is a good prospect don't get me wrong, but he is not on Malkin's level nor he will he ever get to that level. Malkin is better offesively and defensively and on the PK and PP as well. Malkin is just a much much better prospect and overall player than Staal is. Once Staal gets to the big club, which I don't expect to be until next year at the earliest more than likely he is going to move to wing, as it would be foolish to waste him on the 3rd line. Umm, there is hockey outside of Pittsburgh, and I was actually referencing Jordan's older brother Eric, who himself seems to be a decent player.

Hm... I thought it was 60ish points. But isn't this same stat line for the league with only single assists? Just curious. Those are the 04/05 numbers compared to Ovechkin. In O5/06 he put up 46gp, 21g, 26a, 47pts plus 15pts in 10 playoff games, so in theory 62 points in 56 games.

How does Malkin compare to Primeau in any relevant way? As an aside, Malkin put up huge numbers in the Russian Elite League. Forty-seven points in the regular season, including 21 goals, in 46 games are great numbers, especially when you compare those numbers to some NHL'ers that were playing in the league last season (Datsyuk 47gp, 15g, 20a, 35pts) (Kovalchuk 53gp, 19g, 22a, 41pts). To top it off he put up 15 points in 10 playoff games. The best part though is that Malkin led the league with a +28. Granted, the league had more top end stars last year but I don't think the league as a whole was significantly better than in previous years. I don't think he will be as impressive to the casual fan as a Datsyuk, Kovalchuk, Ovechkin, or Crosby. However, he is definetly ready to play and will make an impact. Compare these numbers from the 04-05 Russian Elite League Alex Ovechkin 37gp, 13g, 13a, 26pts, +26 Evgeny Malkin 52 gp, 12g, 20a, 32pts, +21 Now, keep this in mind. While he looks to stack up relatively well numbers wise with Ovechkin (obviously Alex played fewer games), Malkin is a year younger than Ovechkin. And at 18, 19, 20, etc., those are very big developmental years. A better example would be taking Ovechkin's numbers from the year before (53gp, 13g, 11a, 24pts, +7) when he would have been Malkin's age and comparing them to Malkin's 04-05 season. Also keep in mind that those 03-04 numbers weren't against the NHL'ers that Malking competed against the next years in 04-05. For some more number fun, their WJC history: Ovechkin 18gp, 18g, 7a, 25pts Malkin 18gp, 8g, 17a, 25pts Malkin put up 6pts in the Olympics whereas Ovechkin put up 5 pts, and they each put up 9 in the World Championships (Malkin 5 goals, Ovechkin 11 goals between the two tourneys). Keep in mind that Malkin is a year younger. Just a whole bunch of numbers to have fun with. Malkin should be unlike most stars we are used to seeing come out of Russia (the Bure, Kovalchuk, Ovechkin) in that we will likely play the role more often of setup man. That's not say that he's not capable of scoring goals but he's shown a tendency to be a pass first shoot second type of player. When looking at comparison's, don't think of Keith Primeau. The closest comparison would probably be Eric Staal, with Malkin being more mature in the defensive zone (keep in mind that Staal and Malkin are only two years apart in age and Malkin's defensive maturity at such a young age is rare). There are others in that category such as Thornton, Spezza, and Lecalvier that share a lot of similar qualities as well.

By that your referencing the team that finished 9th in the West and missed the playoffs? Yes, but by a point. And that team in 8 was Vancouver, which won't happen by a longshot. The difference in net will more than make up that point., as well as Smyth and Horcoff becoming established. Better brush up on this standings. Vancouver was actually 3rd. Edmonton finished 9th, 2 points behind both Nashville and St. Louis. I'm not making the argument that Vancouver, Nashville and St. Louis will all make the playoffs or that Edmonton will miss them, but Edmonton wasn't all that strong in 2003-2004.

By that your referencing the team that finished 9th in the West and missed the playoffs?

Natural Born Killers? Great?

Umm, you do realize that there was a 2005 WJC with basically all of 2004's best performers back, a year older and that much better, while adding guys like Barker (sort of), Weber, Perry, Ladd and Bergeron, right? The 2004 team was good but was never great (a lot to do with the youthfulness and lack of quality '84's) while the 2005 team was in all likelihood the best under-20 team ever assembled. 2004 & 2005 Belle Coburn Phaneuf Seabrook Carter Colliton Crosby Dawes Dixon Getzlaf Richards Stewart 2004 Fleury Harding Gorges Klein Meech Brent Burns Paille Talbot Tambellini 2005 Beauchemin Glass Barker Syvret Weber Bergeron Fraser Ladd MacCarthur Perry

Throw me on the waitlist.

Alright, this has been bugging me for awhile and I can't remember exactly what movie or tv show it's from. I'm pretty sure it's a movie. Anyways, what happens in the movie is this... Some guys are involved with some sort of gang/mafia. They go to another individuals house. I'm not clear if they kill the individual there or what, but anyways, here's what I remember. They are in the basement of the house with the dead bodies (or maybe just body) and they are having to dispose of them somehow. Grinding them up or something. Hammers I think, maybe chainsaws. I think the power goes out or something potentially (not sure). I think there's also guys parked out front of the house (or a guy) waiting in the car for the guys inside to finish cleaning up. Anyone have any suggestions? I think I'll remember once I hear it.

Is it? I was thinking that. For some reason I never associate that scene with that movie. Boy, I haven't watched that in a while.

I bet it will fail to live up to the expectations of something like Front Office Football.

That's what I thought originally. But, they were also chanting if after Dvorak's dive/fall. I think what they were actually saying was "Ref you suck!" How much better would this series be if the Whale were, you know, still the Whale?

Whoa there Oilers fan! Easy on the great defense talk. There's not really any way to spin the fact that they give up 32 shots per game. Let's take a look at the following stats. Shots Against Per Game Detroit 22.8 Carolina 25.4 Dallas 25.6 Anaheim 25.6 Rangers 26.3 San Jose 27.1 Buffalo 27.9 Calgary 28.3 Ottawa 28.7 Jersey 29.3 Colorado 31.0 Tampa 31.2 Philly 31.8 OILERS 32.3 Montreal 33.0 Nashville 34.7 Now just how exactly do you justify this "great defense" allowing the third most shots against per game in the playoffs? It's tough to argue that it's the quality of the opponent because Buffalo played against Ottawa, Carolina, and Philly, and they only give up 28 per game. And let's not forget that was with a patchwork defense. Oh, I should also add that by per game, I mean, per 60 minutes. EDIT: I would be remiss if I did not mention that on offense, the vaunted attack averages 24.7 shots for per game.

You beat me to it, but I agree, show Dick some respect.