Are The Inmates Running The Asylym in DC?

He went out the same way he came in. Almost four years to the day after being hired to turn around a Capitals team that was struggling to meet expectations, Bruce Boudreau was fired from his coaching job because the Caps were once again struggling to meet expectations. Just four years ago Boudreau was the NHL coaching neophyte who was brought in to replace Glen Hanlon. At that time, Boudreau was a relative unknown outside the Caps organization, but he made a name for himself by quickly turning around that Capitals team and establishing them not only as a winning team, but as an entertaining team as well. They became a fixture on Versus and NBC not only because of Ovechkin's star power, but because they played an exciting, up-tempo brand of hockey that was fun to watch. They even looked like they were having fun. I always felt the Caps were a must-watch because they were the most entertaining team in the NHL. The fact that Boudreau and Ovechkin seemed to be like the NHL's version of "The Odd Couple" only increased their appeal.

While there was a constant debate among hockey fans about who was the better player, Ovechkin or Crosby, I always thought that Ovechkin was the most "exciting" player in the game. Even when there were lots of other great matchups to watch, I would stay focused on the Caps because I never knew when Ovechkin would deliver one of those plays that just makes you shake your head in appreciation of his unique combination of skill and determination. He was a player that literally brought fans to the edge of their seats every time he touched a puck. However, those jaw-dropping displays of hockey brilliance were becoming rarer and rarer. You could see how much the Caps struggles were wearing on both Ovechkin and Boudreau just by looking at their faces. The boiling point came when Boudreau benched Ovechkin during the final minute of a game with the Caps trailing by one goal. The Caps tied that game and eventually won it in overtime, but the real story was the video footage of a frustrated Ovechkin mouthing some choice words about his coach on the bench. Things were on a slow simmer ever since, and as the Caps struggles continued, the calls for Boudreau's head were becoming louder.

George McPhee, the Capitals GM, was in a difficult position. The team was playing well below expectations, and the star player and coach were no longer on the same page. McPhee kept saying all the right things in the paper. He was defending the coach for being tough on the star players and holding them accountable for their play. However, as is often the case when a coach and a superstar player start to butt heads, the coach lost out.

Firing Boudreau may have seemed like an easy decision for McPhee, but I am sure that it wasn't. Chief among his concerns has to be whether the inmates are now running the asylum in DC. Take this quote for instance, "For whatever reason, as a team we weren't really responding well enough or as good as we should have been," defenseman Karl Alzner said. "And it's kind of, 'Where do you go from there?' " That is a scary quote to hear from one of your best young players. For whatever reason? Where do you go from there? That sounds like a player who is lost. He doesn't have any answers, and the coach either isn't providing them or the players aren't listening to them. After hearing players say things like that, it left McPhee with few options. I think he saw that this ball was rolling downhill and that there was no way to stop it any more. He'd better hope that Dale Hunter can get these guys under control in a hurry, though, because right now, the inmates are running the asylum in DC, and if the star players on the Caps don't fall in line quickly, things could get even uglier.

The Lost Art Of The Two Pad Stack

Yesterday I saw someone tweet a link to this somewhat lengthy video on youtube containing NHL highlights from the 90s. I'm incredibly sentimental, and I love taking trips down memory lane, so, needless to say, I loved watching it. While I was soaking up all the amazing goals, cringing at the bonecrushing hits, and smiling in recognition at all the players I remember from that decade, I kept thinking to myself that the brilliant saves in there are the type of saves we just don't see in the NHL anymore. Was I just becoming an old, sentimental curmudgeon? Was this my version of "we used to walk ten miles to school.... uphill..... both ways?" Or was there some truth to my sentiment? In order to test if my feelings were rooted in truth or just in sentimentality, I started searching for goalie highlights of current NHL goalies. The more I watched, the more I felt that not only was my reaction correct, but the differences in goaltending from the 90's to today were even more stark than I imagined. Yes, the game is different. We all know that. Players are bigger, faster, stronger, and advances in stick technology results in shots that are harder and faster than ever. The biggest factor though, is the size of goaltending equipment.

Watch that 90's video and look at the size of the goalies. They are much smaller than they are today. Combine that with the increased speed of the game today and you have a much different style of goaltending. To compare, look at this video I found of Henrik Lundqvist highlights. Lundqvist is one of the best goalies in the league today, but his style is completely different than what you see in the 90's video. His pads are enormous and he relies on his size and positioning, rather than his reflexes or quickness, to stop the puck. Would Lundqvist have been a successful goalie in the 90's with the smaller gear? Would a goalie like Mike Richter be successful today with the larger gear? It's impossible to answer those questions, but it's an interesting debate nonetheless. The style of play is just so different. Going back the the 90's video, look at the save by Kirk Mclean against the Flames at the 7:05 mark. I still remember exactly where I was when I saw that save. I might even go as far as to say that it was the best save I have ever seen, an absolute textbook two pad stack. When was the last time you saw a save like that? Been a while, right? Goaltending is so much different now. Look at Lundqvist in the picture above. From his stance it's impossible to even move the way Mclean did in making that two pad stack save. His legs are so far apart and his skates are such sharp angles relative to the ice that it would require a total change in body position before even being able to push off and move horizontally. That is why you seen Lundqvist fall into a butterfly on almost every save. His stance leaves no real alternative. He's not the only one, either. That style of goaltending is extremely common today.

You look at the guys in the nets today and they are all huge. They take up so much space that there just isn't much to shoot at. It makes saves like that Mclean two pad stack a thing of the past. I remember just a few years ago when the size of goalie equipment was the topic du jour. Kay Whitmore's committee was running around measuring pads in an attempt to keep the size of equipment in check. With headshots, concussions and suspensions now dominating headlines and airwaves, monitoring the size of goalie equipment has been forgotten. I hope that at some point they revisit this issue. I don't want goalies becoming the size of sumo wrestlers, but when I see guys like Luongo, Rinne, Lundqvist, I fear that we are heading down that road. I guess I can always just go to youtube and take a trip down memory lane...

Ashes to Asham

Well, so much for honoring the memories of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team...

I was watching a hockey game when a wrestling match broke out! Last night, in theory, the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins were putting aside their intense rivalry for one night while helping to raise money for the families of those that perished in the tragic plane crash of September 7. This isn't what happened. A solid hockey game was overshadowed by a fight that resulted in a graphic injury and antics that belong in wrestling, not hockey. During the third period of last night's game Kris Letang crosschecked Jay Beagle of the Caps from behind during a battle for the puck against the boards. Beagle followed up by turning around and giving Letang a face wash with his glove. The refs, shockingly, missed both of Letang's crosschecks, and immediately signaled for a penalty only on Beagle for the facewash. I know, you're shocked that the refs call would favor the Pens, right? It doesn't end there, though. Aaron Asham then skates over to Beagle (since apparently Letang is too delicate to handle his own disputes against a guy who totaled a whopping 34 penalty minutes between the NHL and AHL last season) and instigates a fight. Asham proceeded to land two devastating blows to the jaw of Beagle, knocking him down to the ice. As Beagle was lying on the ice, injured and potentially unconscious, Asham must have thought for a moment that he was in the WWE as he decided it would be motivational to use his hands to make the boxing referee's signal for a knockout. That wasn't enough apparently. Literally adding insult to injury, Asham then brought both hands up to his cheek and put his head down to mockingly demonstrate sleeping. Well done, Mr. Asham, well done. On a night when a hockey game was being dedicated to showing respect and raising money for members of the hockey family, you managed to show no respect for a fellow opponent.

The first thing I'd like to address is the lack of an instigator call. I'll ignore the fact that Letang should have been called for the initial crosscheck. Why the refs missed that one, I do not know. Let's take a look at the NHL rulebook for the wording on instigating:

46.11 Instigator - An instigator of an altercation shall be a player who by his actions or demeanor demonstrates any/some of the following criteria: distance traveled; gloves off first; first punch thrown; menacing attitude or posture; verbal instigation or threats; conduct in retaliation to a prior game (or season) incident; obvious retribution for a previous incident in the game or season.

A player who is deemed to be the instigator of an altercation shall be assessed an instigating minor penalty, a major penalty for fighting and a ten-minute misconduct.

If the same player or goalkeeper is deemed to be the instigator of a second altercation in the same game, he shall be assessed an instigating minor penalty, a major penalty for fighting and a game misconduct.

When a player receives his third instigator penalty in one Regular season, he is automatically given a game misconduct following that third violation.

A player who is deemed to be both the instigator and aggressor of an altercation shall be assessed an instigating minor penalty, a major penalty for fighting, a ten-minute misconduct (instigator) and a game misconduct penalty (aggressor).

Asham's actions meet just about every one of the criteria laid out in the rule book so why was no instigator penalty called? Oh I know. The instigator is "bad" for hockey, and it's much better to have goons do the policing rather than the refs. Fighting is "entertaining" for the fans and helps get a team "motivated", right? Let me make a couple things perfectly clear. 1) If you are professional hockey player and need to see someone bloody and unconscious on the ice in order to get "motivated" to play, you have problems and you need help. 2) If you claim to be a hockey fan, and you run around on internet boards screaming about how "fighting is part of the game" and that you won't watch or follow the sport anymore if they eliminate fighting, then you aren't really a hockey fan. You are a fighting fan, and the sport doesn't need you. If you like fighting, blood, and watching people get injured, go watch the UFC. If the immature and classless antics displayed by Asham after the fight are more your speed, go watch the WWE.

The other thing I'd like to address is what Kevin Weekes had to say about the incident after the game on the Penguins, um, I mean the NHL Network:
"Aaron Asham... What I love about this, is again, having known him as a teammate, right away he came out and he said 'Hey it was classless on my part. I was trying to get my bench going. I was trying to get my teammates going.' I certainly know where he's coming from, and I have to think that a lot of the guys in the Washington locker room that have been in the league long enough know that Aaron Asham is an honest player and also they respect the fact that he was as accountable as he was. And again, this goes back... to me it reflects very well on Aaron Asham, but in the bigger scheme of things, in the bigger picture, it reflects very well on the Pittsburgh Penguins organization. I say it all the time. Mario Lemieux runs a class organization. Dan Bylsma, you heard his comments post-game. This is nothing but class in what could have been a very tough situation and still may be from an injury standpoint. From an accountability standpoint, you have to love this."

No, Mr. Weekes. No, I don't "have to love this." I don't think the Caps players "loved" it either as they were clearly displeased with both Asham and the classless behavior of the Penguins fans. It even inspired John Carlson to chime in via Twitter to one of the more particularly classless and disgusting Penguins fans. Perhaps you forgot that this Penguins organization that allegedly has all this "class" still employs Matt Cooke. Perhaps you forgot the unbelievable hypocrisy of Mario Lemieux, "the owner of the team that pays Matt Cooke to go out and take opponents’ heads off", when he came out with quotes like this beauty, "“If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to re-think whether I want to be a part of it.” I wonder how Mario's "re-thinking" is going. I'm anxiously awaiting what Mario had to say about Asham's antics last night. It's amazing to me how some of hockey's talking heads can take just about any incident and twist it around to somehow praise the Penguins. Incidentally, I actually heard Pierre McGuire on the radio this morning state that Beagle "took a run at Letang" Are you serious Pierre? That little facewash qualifies as a "run"? Perhaps you need to think a little more before you open your mouth. Or at least, you know, watch the game? I feel the same way about Pierre McGuire as Marty Turco does. Kudos to TSN analyst Aaron Ward for calling this what it was - "bush league." Oh, by the way, the Caps won 3-2 in OT.

Love For Lokomotiv

The NHL season is now underway, but the hockey world has not forgotten the tragedy that struck in Russia when a plane crash took the lives of 44 people, including the entire Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team, in one of the sports world’s worst aviation disasters. Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plays in the Kontinental Hockey League, which is the premier hockey league in Russia. They chose to cancel their participation in the 2011-2012 KHL season after all 37 members of the team (26 players, 8 coaches/staff) died in the plane crash. International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel called the crash “the darkest day in the history of our sport.”

The wives of two Phoenix Coyotes players, Kodette LaBarbera and Katerina Jokinen, have started a fundraising effort to help the families of those who perished in the tragic plane crash on September 7. They have designed bracelets that will be sold by player wives and girlfriends from every NHL team at all 30 NHL arenas this season. Proceeds from the bracelets will go to the families of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team. “We were all affected by the incredible tragedy that took place in Russia a few weeks ago,” said Kodette LaBarbera. “We wanted to unite all the wives and girlfriends in the hockey world to show our support for the families of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. We are thrilled to have wives and girlfriends from every NHL team involved in this project and we hope that hockey fans in North America and all over the world will support this project by purchasing bracelets at games this season.” If you are attending an NHL game this winter, please make sure to purchase a bracelet. If you don’t think you’ll be able to attend a game in person, you can still buy a bracelet here.

Tomorrow night the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins will meet for the first time this season in a battle of fierce rivals that features two of the highest profile and most talented Russian players in the world, Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin. Both players were deeply affected by the tragedy as they were close with many of those who perished in the crash. The rivalry will take a back seat tomorrow night as the two clubs focus on raising money for the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl families. The players will be wearing commemorative patches on their jerseys in honor of those players, coaches, and staff of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl that died in the crash. After the game, the players will autograph their jerseys, and the jerseys will then be auctioned off at NHL.com. The auctions will run from October 13th to October 27th. One of these game worn jerseys makes a perfect gift for any sports memorabilia collector.

Cherry Strikes Early And Often

Answer: One day. Question: How long will it take Don Cherry to stir up controversy?

Well, that didn't take long. In case you missed it, last night on Coach's Corner Mr. Don Cherry jumped into the debate about the role of fighting in hockey in the wake of the recent deaths of Wade Belak, Rick Rypien, and Derek Boogaard. A number of former enforcers shared their thoughts on the difficulties faced by NHL enforcers, including Stu Grimson in this article. Needless to say, it ruffled some feathers when Don Cherry singled out Stu Grimson, Chris Nilan, and Jim Thomson and referred to them as "pukes", "turncoats", and "hypocrites". Chris Nilan was on NHL Home Ice today to respond to the comments made by Don Cherry. He also posted an official reply on his website.

After the hockey world lost the lives of three young men this offseason, it seemed inevitable that the role of fighting in hockey and the toll it took on those young men would at least be examined and discussed. During the offseason I wrote, "This is going to be a battle for which a compromise will be very elusive. The 'traditionalist' camp led by folks such as Don Cherry will argue that fighting is part of the fabric of hockey and that it helps players police themselves from cheap shots against the skilled players who can't defend themselves." However, it seems Don Cherry isn't even willing to even consider a healthy debate on the issue. It's a shame that someone as high profile as Mr. Cherry would be so dismissive of the comments made by former players who lived the lives of NHL enforcers. I understand that he wants to defend fighting, but his refusal to even engage in a discussion is disheartening since he is arguably the most influential hockey commentator in North America. At the very least, he is certainly in the most visible time slot due to the popularity of Hockey Night in Canada. If Don Cherry's goal was to stir up controversy, he accomplished that mission. However, in doing so, he angered a lot of people, including fans and former players. Was it worth it?

Cherry is frequently compared to the old, drunk uncle sitting in the La-z-boy and spouting nonsense. In fact, on the radio today, Stu Grimson said, "It's hard to get too jazzed about this because I think Don's mutterings are kind of akin to that of an old uncle that nobody takes seriously anymore. I'm not going ot get too fired up about it." The difference is that Don Cherry has a massive international audience that DOES listen to him. Grimson said he wouldn't get fired up about it, but guess what he did today? He started an account on Twitter. His first tweet: "don cherry: show me an article where i say (1) fighting should be banned or (2) the role of enforcer causes a life of addiction."

At some point, CBC is going to have to take a serious look at how long they can continue to air his antics. Keep in mind, that this is coming from a Don Cherry fan. I have purchased so many Rock'em Sock'em Hockey videos that I still have many on VHS. I still tune in on Saturday night to hear Cherry's comments, but I'm just not sure if he or his comments are good for the game anymore. However, unlike Cherry, I'm willing to discuss it.

A New NHL Season! (Now With Less Sandpaper!)

It's like Christmas morning! Well, for hockey fans, that is. This is my favorite time of year. Halloween is just around the corner, followed by Thanksgiving and the Christmas season, the baseball play-offs are in full swing, and the NFL season is starting to hit its stride. For the casual sports fan, tonight can get lost in the shuffle, but for serious hockey fans (and, let's be honest, is there any other kind?) tonight has been on the calendar and in the back of the mind for quite some time. It's the beginning of the NHL season!

This year, there is icing on the cake. The most hated player in the NHL, and quite possibly in the history of all sports, is no longer part of the league! Yes, everyone's most despised pest, Mr. Sean Avery, has left to accept a full-time gig with Vogue! Ok, maybe not, but Avery cleared waivers and it looks like his future with the NHL is, at least for the foreseeable future, quite dim. If even the Rangers can't tolerate him, you know it has gotten really bad. It didn't surprise me at all that he wasn't claimed. This is a man who was paid half his salary by the Dallas Stars just so they could get him as far away from their players as possible. Even his own coach had this ringing endorsement, ""I think we have better players than Sean Avery -- plain and simple. I can dodge it 10 different ways without trying to run Sean over. I thought he had a good camp." I love this blog post on Avery courtesy of Thinning the Herd. It's a good refresher for those of you who may have forgotten some of Avery's antics throughout the years. What's Sean Avery's legacy? Being one of the most hated players in the history of hockey and having the rules adjusted to accommodate behavior like this.

I think it just got to the point where enough was enough. He had become such a sideshow that he was detrimental to the team. Not even his antics as an on-ice antagonist, which sometimes could help his team by driving the opponent crazy, were enough for him to overcome all the off-ice baggage. His latest incident came when he accused Wayne Simmonds of using an anti-gay slur during a game. Now, if that happened I'm not going to defend the use of that term. However, I would imagine it's not the first time that word was used during a hockey game in the middle of a heated altercation, nor will it be the last. The fact that Avery immediately went and informed the media was akin to a little kid running to tell his mommy after a kid used a "bad word." However, we all know that Avery loves the media! Remember when he sought out a cameraman for this classy display? I'm sure Dion Phaneuf does, and I'm sure to some extent that NHL players around the league snickered at the decision by Avery to act like such a child. Many times players are interviewed after games and reporters press them for what was said during an altercation. Almost invariably, the player declines to reveal that and chooses to take the high road, responding that what is said on the ice should stay there. Not Avery. As with everything else during the course of his volatile career, he chose to make waves. Now it looks like he'll be riding those waves all the way to Europe. Bon voyage, Mr. Avery. Good riddance. You will not be missed.

Tragedy Strikes The Hockey World Again

Just as the hockey world was recovering from one tragedy, another strikes. Sadly, this seems to be the pattern for the summer of 2011. A plane carrying the KHL team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl crashed today in Russia, taking the lives of at least 43 people, among them many former members of the NHL community.

According to the International Ice Hockey Federation, 27 players were killed, along with two coaches and seven club officials. International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel called the crash "the darkest day in the history of our sport." Among those confirmed deceased are: Coach Brad McCrimmon, forward Pavol Demitra, defenseman Ruslan Salei, forward Josef Vasicek, defenseman Karel Rachunek, forward Jan Marek, forward Alexander Vasyunov, defenseman Karlis Skrastins and goalie Stefan Liv. "We have no team anymore," Vladimir N. Malkov, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl spokesman, said in a telephone interview with The New York Times. "All our starting players, and all the service people, they all burned in the crash."

Twitter was abuzz with reaction from throughout the NHL community. Fans, players, and writers all chimed in with thoughts and prayers for the victims and their families. Russian and Czech players were the most affected as many had close bonds with those on the plane. When Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks heard the news he said, "This is the worst summer ever for hockey." It's hard to disagree.

Today's crash is reminiscent of the crash last April which saw all 96 people on board perish, including Polish President Lech Kaczyński and his wife. A large contingent of the Polish government was on board that plane en route from Warsaw to Smolensk to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Katyn Massacre. In the days and weeks ahead, more will become known about exactly what happened and why the plane crashed. It's also highly likely there will be some controversy surrounding the investigation, as there was after the investigation of the crash last April. Russia and other former Soviet Republics have a reputation for poor air traffic safety and for flying antiquated aircraft. According to ESPN:

"The cause of Wednesday's crash was not immediately apparent, but Russian news agencies cited unnamed local officials as saying it may have been due to technical problems. The plane was built in 1993 and belonged to a small Moscow-based Yak Service company.

In recent years, Russia and the other former Soviet republics have had some of the world's worst air traffic safety records. Experts blame the poor safety record on the age of the aircraft, weak government controls, poor pilot training and a cost-cutting mentality."

The KHL came under fire in 2008 after the death of 19 year-old Alexei Cherepanov, who collapsed on the bench during a game and eventually died when Russian doctors were unable to save him. The tragic video of the incident shows how poorly prepared the team and arena were to deal with such a medical emergency. According to reports, the ambulance that is normally at all games had already departed and had to be called back; doctors arrived on the scene a full 15 minutes after Cherepanov collapsed, and the battery on the defibrillator used to attempt to shock Cherepanov's heart back to life was drained. It took approximately 20 minutes to get him to a hospital. To date, no criminal charges have been filed relating to the incident, but several doctors and team officials were suspended indefinitely from the KHL.

The KHL and NHL have had a tense and difficult relationship since the formation of the KHL in 2008. With no salary cap and no formal transfer agreement with the NHL, the KHL has often played fast and loose in trying to lure NHL players away from North America with varying degrees of success. Even with the lure of additional millions from the KHL, any player considering a move to Russia should pause to consider the league's spotty safety record.

It is not clear how the KHL will deal with the loss of an entire team as it does not have provisions in place for a tragedy of such massive proportions. One possibility is to have a draft which would restock the club with players from other teams in the KHL. It will surely be a sad and difficult season for the KHL after such a tragedy, but they will find a way to persevere. The hockey world has seen enough tragedy this summer to last for decades. We can only hope that a wonderful and exciting season awaits to brighten our days.

Recent Deaths Will Lead To Debate On Role Of Fighting

Today the NHL and NHLPA released joint statements regarding the recent deaths that have rocked the hockey community. Along with mentioning the obvious - that the entire hockey community is shocked and saddened by the sudden loss of three young men in the prime of their lives - they stated that they are "committed to examining, in detail, the factors that may have contributed to these events, and to determining whether concrete steps can be taken to enhance player welfare and minimize the likelihood of such events taking place." The statement goes on to say, "It is important to ensure that every reasonable step and precaution is taken to make NHL Players, and all members of the NHL family, aware of the vast resources available to them when they are in need of assistance. We want individuals to feel comfortable seeking help when they need help."

The recent news that Wade Belak's death was a suicide follows on the heels of the recent deaths of Rick Rypien and Derek Boogaard. The debate about fighting in hockey will now reach a fever pitch that hasn't been seen before. Regarding the link between fighting and issues such as substance abuse and depression, there are more questions than there are answers at this point, but that won't stop everyone from having an opinion on how much blame for these deaths should be placed on the fact that all three players were regarded as NHL enforcers. Does fighting belong in hockey? It's a question without an easy answer. If one answers quickly and without any reservations, then there probably wasn't much thought put into the answer. Some are already calling for an immediate end to the "designated fighter" in hockey. However, that is easier said than done. Reducing the size of the roster by one or two players means a loss of jobs. The NHLPA would fight tooth and nail against any proposal which reduces the number of jobs. I don't think a roster reduction is a feasible solution.

This is going to be a battle for which a compromise will be very elusive. The "traditionalist" camp led by folks such as Don Cherry will argue that fighting is part of the fabric of hockey and that it helps players police themselves from cheap shots against the skilled players who can't defend themselves. There is something to be said for that, but after this offseason, it will be more difficult than ever for that camp to counter someone who supports a complete ban on fighting. All that person needs to say is, "Boogaard, Rypien, and Belak, R.I.P." I think the road ahead is going to be very bumpy. The hockey community is heading into a new season with the tragic and preventable deaths of three young men fresh in our minds. Furthermore, there lingers the uncertain future of one of the NHL's premier stars, Sidney Crosby, whose recovery from a concussion is going much more slowly than anyone had anticipated. It just feels more and more as if this road is leading toward the inevitable elimination of fighting in hockey.

For those that argue that the elimination of fighting would be a knee-jerk overreaction, I offer the example of the nets that fans look through at every NHL arena in North America. Back in March of 2002, Brittanie Cecil was struck by a puck while watching the Blue Jackets and died 48 hours later. It was the first and, to my knowledge, only fan fatality in the history of the NHL. One fan death through 85 years fits my definition of a random tragedy. Yet, the NHL saw fit to change the way the game would be watched by fans forever in response. Now we have three deaths in a span of weeks, all raising issues of mental health, depression, and substance abuse. These were three young men who all fought a significant amount during their NHL careers.
I'm not arguing that the removal of fighting is the automatic conclusion to be drawn from these recent deaths. Fighting is wildly popular among the majority of hockey fans. There are even entire websites dedicated to watching hockey fights. I must admit that I have stood up and cheered during a fight; I almost never change the channel when a fight is on the television; and I'm even guilty of watching the occasional fight highlight clip on YouTube. However, I am saying that the possibility needs to at least be explored. The backlash against any potential restriction or elimination of fighting in the NHL would be very strong. It would mean a significant number of players in the NHL would no longer have jobs since their fighting prowess would no longer be needed. As a result, the league's enforcers would most likely speak out against it. "I think the league does a good job. They're trying to limit head shots," Tampa Bay Lightning center Nate Thompson said Monday. "I don't think they can (ban fighting entirely). That's part of the game. It's a physical sport and it always has been. If they take that out of the game that takes a part of the history out of the game."

If one good thing comes from these recent tragic events, it will be the increased attention to the mental health not just of hockey players but of everyone. It's clear that there are significant effects from blows to the head not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. Football and boxing have also seen similar tragedies which have sparked a demand for additional research about the relationship between head trauma and mental health. "In the past, we didn't make the connection between brain injuries and things like depression, but now we're much more aware of how they're related." said Dr. Alan Hoffer, assistant professor of neurological surgery and neurocritical care at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland. One of the scariest aspects of these recent deaths is that even close friends and family were unable to detect any warning signs. This just reinforces the need for more research. It breaks my heart that our tight knit hockey community has lost three members this offseason, but we should let their memories be a reminder of how important it is for us to give more attention to the mental health issues that our society neglects far too often. I just hope the NHL follows through on its promise.

Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien, and Wade Belak, may you rest in peace.

On Anniversary of Death, Herb Brooks Would Be Proud

Eight years ago today the hockey world was rocked by the news that Herb Brooks had been killed in a car accident in his home state of Minnesota. It was crushing news for the entire hockey community. Herb Brooks was a legendary coach who helped orchestrate the greatest sports moment of the twentieth century - the American victory over the Soviet Union in ice hockey at the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid.

His famous pre-game speech was memorialized in the movie Miracle. Although Coach Brooks is gone, his legacy lives on in The Herb Brooks Foundation. Coach Brooks believed firmly in a “back to basics” approach that was the opposite of what many youth hockey players were doing. Heavy schedules with lots of games and lots of pressure were the norm. Coach Brooks believed in four hours of practice for every game. He believed in focusing on fundamentals. He believed in making the game fun again for kids.

Today, organized sports have become a hotbed of parental over-involvement and pressure. Collegiate scholarships and the lure of millions of dollars for professional athletes are such strong motivators that parents push their children to extremes hoping to get the next Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan, or Tiger Woods. They lose sight of the fact that children should be playing for fun. Unfortunately, the result is that many kids don’t have fun, and they eventually quit or get burned out. Getting children involved in athletics and keeping them active is a cause shared by many great organizations.

The White House has also gotten involved with promoting active and healthy youth, Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!”, a campaign whose goal is “solving the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation so that children born today will reach adulthood at a healthy weight,” is teaming up with the NHL and USA Hockey to sponsor Try Hockey for Free Day on November 5th, 2011. This will be an excellent opportunity to introduce young people to the sport. The NHL also has an initiative called “Hockey Is For Everyone” that provides support and unique programming to non-profit youth hockey organizations across North America that are committed to offering children of all backgrounds opportunities to play hockey. These initiatives would have made Coach Brooks very proud.

“Maybe I’m sort of like the players - there’s still a lot of little boy in me.”
Herb Brooks - On August 11, 2003 we lost America’s coach but eight years later, his legacy lives on. RIP Coach Brooks.

Offseason Assessment: Philadelphia Flyers

It’s fair to say that so far no team has had a more tumultuous offseason than the Flyers. It began when when arguably their top two players were dealt within hours of each other. Richards off to LA and Carter to Columbus. Coming back – Wayne Simmonds, uber prospect Brayden Schenn, Jakub Voracek, Sean Couturier (from Columbus’ 8^th pick overall in the 2011 draft), and a couple of picks from LA. Once they were able to pick their jaws up off the floor, Flyer fans began debating the effect this would have on the team. I will say this about Holmgren: when the guy swings, he swings for the fences. A lot of fans talk about “blowing a team up.” Well that’s pretty much what Holmgren did. He took the two prized centers acquired during the absurdly deep 2003 draft (go look up that draft if you’ve forgotten how loaded it was) that the Flyers have been building around, and he shipped them both off in one day. Yes, the Flyers got younger, but it’s not as if Richards and Carter were old. They are either in their prime or entering it, depending on your perspective.

Everyone knew the Flyers were going to address their goaltending. It was so bad during the postseason that one wonders if it affected the way the team in front of them played. Having a lack of confidence in a goalie can really deflate a team and force them to change their game plan. Holmgren acquired the rights to Ilya Bryzgalov from Phoenix, but he had to create room to sign him. The common perception was that Carter would be the one to get dealt in order to make the cap room for a contract with Bryzgalov. It turned out to be both Carter and Richards. There was a lot of speculation about what was going on in the Flyers locker room. There were rumors that it was party central. There were rumors that there was a division between captain Mike Richards and veteran Chris Pronger. Perhaps there was truth to these rumors. In any case, Holmgren must have been scared at a Flyers future with both Richards and Carter at the helm while locked into long term contracts with no movement clauses that would have gone into effect next year. So he blew up a team one year removed from a Stanley Cup final and proceeded to begin rebuilding it. However, the interesting moves weren’t over….

Once free agency began, the remaking of the Flyers just kept on coming. The Flyers lost Ville Leino to the Sabres, Sean O’Donnell and Dan Carcillo to the Blackhawks, and Brian Boucher to the Carolina Hurricanes. They then raised a lot of eyebrows by swooping in to sign 39 year-old Jaromir Jagr and Maxime Talbot. These moves further divided Flyer fans. Jagr was hated in Philly during his entire NHL career prior to leaving for the KHL. Talbot was absolutely reviled as he was one of the lead agitators of the hated Pittsburgh Penguins. Now they were both coming to play in Philly? Bizarre. If Holmgren’s intention was to get younger while trying to rebuild, why sign Jagr? Why bring Talbot in on a 5 year contract to a city that had him near the top of its hit list? We will see how Holmgren’s plans pan out. One thing is for certain, the Flyers will have a completely new identity next season. There is an immense amount of pressure on Bruzgalov to bring stability to the goaltending position now. Many Flyers fans see his long-term contract as the reason for the team’s extreme makeover, and the loss of the (mostly) beloved Mike Richards. If Bryzgalov doesn’t deliver, he will be public enemy #1. In addition, if these moves blow up in Holmgren’s face, he won’t be GM of the Flyers for much longer.

Horton Hears a Boom

Colin Campbell is gone, but the idiocy continues. Rome shouldn’t have been suspended for his hit on Horton last night. If one thinks the Rome hit last night was dirty, then he must also think the Chara hit on Pacioretty earlier this season was dirty. There’s no way around that. Both hits were late (but we’re talking fractions of a second here), but neither was a blindside hit and neither targeted the head. According to those who analyze the replays, from release of the puck to contact, last night’s hit was 28 frames. 30 is a full second. It was delivered towards Horton’s chest leading with the shoulder (exactly the way every hockey player is taught to hit), and it was absolutely not a blindside hit so Rule 48 doesn’t apply. Was it a hard hit? Yes, absolutely. Was it malicious? Debateable. However, it wasn’t deserving of a suspension. Maybe it was worthy of a 2 minute minor for roughing or interference.

The NHL suspends now based on result rather than intent, and they even admitted it. That’s a dangerous precedent to set. They were scared not to issue a suspension for this hit since people were STILL talking about the alleged bite by Burrows. Here’s the quote from the NHL: "Two factors were considered in reaching this decision," NHL senior vice president of hockey operations Mike Murphy said in a statement Tuesday. "The hit by Rome was clearly beyond what is acceptable in terms of how late it was delivered after Horton had released the puck and it caused a significant injury." Now, you can see how inconsistent the NHL is. The key factors are lateness and the significance of the injury you say, Mr. Murphy? That noise you just heard are the protests of Montreal Canadiens fans wondering why Chara’s “late” hit on Pacioretty which caused “significant injury” was not worthy of a suspension as well since it meets both of the stated criteria. It’s hard to argue with them. The NHL’s dartboard system of justice is absurd. There are no standards, and from case to case it’s anybody’s guess what the NHL will decide. This is just the latest example. It seems every few weeks the NHL molds it’s “factors” to meet whatever punishment they wish to hand down. Last night’s hit reminded me a lot of some of the hits that Scott Stevens delivered during his career, concussing many players but not receiving any suspensions or even penalties. It’s amazing how much has changed.

Thoughts prior to Game 3...

I’ve felt throughout these playoffs that the Bruins are a team that is only as good as their opponent allows them to be. It’s not a team that will dazzle with offensive skill. They rely on solid, unspectacular defense and Thomas’ acrobatics in goal. This is a team whose power play for the most part has been designed around using arguably their best player (Chara) as a giant annoyance in front of the goalie. Their isn’t anything pretty about the Bruins style of play. If Thomas isn’t excellent, the Bruins have difficulty winning. Thus far in the Final, I feel as if the Bruins haven’t been particularly good or particularly bad. They’ve been only as good as the Canucks have allowed them to be. I still don’t think we have seen the Canucks best effort. For the most part, I thought they were fairly lifeless for most of Game 2. It was right off the face-off prior to their second goal that they suddenly came to life. Their power play hasn’t looked anything like it did against the Sharks, and their defensemen, particularly Bieksa, haven’t impressed me. I think we’ll see the Canucks best effort tonight in Game 3. For the Bruins to win, Thomas is going to have to steal this one.

Will the “biting” incident commentary ever cease? Milbury wouln’t shut up about it in Game 2. With Burrows scoring two goals, Lapierre taunting Bergeron with his glove, and Julien now jumping in to question the sportsmanship of the Canucks, it seems as if this is going to hang over the rest of the series. Personally, I cracked up when Laperierre offered Bergeron the chance to take a bite with a big smile on his face. One thing that has been on my mind recently is whether or not this disciplinary decision would have been different had Colin Campbell still been at the helm. I never like Campbell. I thought he did a terrible job establishing any sort of standard with his disciplinary decsisions, and I am thrilled that he is gone. The one good thing he did was step down before his son’s team started playing in the Final. In the past he recused himself when disciplinary decisions involved his son’s team. Big deal. To me, this is the equivalent of having a judge recuse himself from a criminal case involving his son and leaving his law clerk in charge. The people making the decision in Campbell’s office were still working for him! The appearance of impropriety was still there, and it never sat well with me. I think the league got this right. I’m just amazed people are giving Burrows such a hard time when it was Bergeron who shoved his fingers into Burrows’ mouth. Maybe someone will shove his fingers into Mike Milbury’ mouth so he’ll shut up about it already.

Game 3 should be great tonight. The Bruins will be desperate as they certainly want to avoid going down 0-3. We will see if they are capable of reaching another level. Thomas’ aggressiveness is still something to watch. He and his teammates are saying all the right things, but I wonder if he’s starting to question if he’s being too aggressive. I’m actually surprised that the Canucks haven’t been more vocal in their complaints. I thought for sure Thomas was going to get a penalty with approximately 11 minutes left in Game 2 when I watched him skate beyond the top of his crease, outside the blue paint, and directly into Daniel Sedin, sending him head over heels. If the refs are going to let Thomas get away with that, they’ll let him get away with anything. They need to be awfully careful about calling any goalie interference penalties on the Canucks as it appears that most of the interference is actually initiated by Thomas. I’ll take the Canucks to win 4-1 in their best offensive performance of the series.

Be Aggressive?

The goal to end Game 1 came as a result of a nifty pass, but it was Tim Thomas' aggressiveness that really caught the eye of the Canucks. In fact, the Canucks coach, Alain Vigneault, stated that the Canucks wanted clarification regarding Rule 69.4 and what is (and isn't) allowed with regard to contact with Thomas outside the goal crease after Burrows was called for a penalty in Game 1. In an AP article it was noted that:

As for Thomas's tendency to charge out of his net, the Canucks believe they can target it for goals. His challenge on Jannik Hansen left Torres with an empty net driving backdoor for the winning goal Wednesday.

"We can't take runs at him even though he's outside," Hansen said. "It's a matter of being careful. If he's out there, there should be room around him and behind him, so it's something we can take advantage of as well."

Only 11 seconds into OT Burrows took control of a nice chip off the boards and barreled in on Thomas. It was actually quite reminiscent of the rush on the goal he scored to end their series with the Blackhawks. However, this time instead of blasting a shot he faked one and had Thomas completely at his mercy. The scouting reports certainly paid off. Thomas was left flopping like a fish while Burrows went behind the net. Ironically the fact that Burrows lost control of the puck helped him. He was able to curl behind the net as the puck took a perfect bounce off the boards right back to him. Chara's size was a weakness here as he was unable to match Burrows speed and agility behind the net as Burrows regained control of the puck and deposited it into the empty net as Thomas tried in vain to scramble back to the net.

Thomas certainly won't change the way that he plays. He had a phenomenal season, and is probably the favorite to win his second Vezina trophy. Nevertheless, the Canucks seem to have found a way to use his strength against him, and at a stage when the difference between victory and defeat is extremely slim, every little edge helps. Two games now have been decided by 1 goal, and both of of those goals have come as a result of the Canucks using Thomas' aggressiveness against him.

Low Scoring Excitement

Canucks Take Game 1 On Late Torres Goal

It seemed like this was exactly what the Bruins envisioned. As last night's game went on I felt like it was inevitable the Bruins were going to score a late goal and win 1-0. This was going to be a replay of their Game 7 against the Lightning. However, to my surprise, it was the Canucks with the late goal to stun the Bruins and give the Canucks the 1-0 series lead in a very exciting Game 1.

I'm not going out on a limb in making the assertion the Canucks have much more offensive firepower than the Bruins. However, we have two Norris trophy finalists in the nets here, and they did not disappoint. I think many people who didn't watch last night's game and saw the score this morning would jump to the conclusion that it wasn't a very exciting game simply based on the fact that there wasn't a goal scored until 19 seconds were left in the game. I know I have been guilty of doing that occasionally, but there's a reason they say never to assume. This was an exciting first game to start the series. The Canucks had a great chance a mere 20 seconds in, but Thomas made the first of many great saves to prevent the Canucks from getting on an early roll. I think that those early saves by Thomas coupled with the double minor the Canucks were forced to kill off really tamed the Canucks. They came out flying, and it reminded me of Game 1 in their series against the Hawks. Had one of those early chances gone in, it might have been a very different game. The more saves Thomas made, the more cute the Canucks tried to be with their shots. The five-hole just simply wasn't there. I think the Canucks will stop trying to go five-hole as frequently. Thomas had that locked down in Game 1.

In his assessment today, Barry Melrose stated that the Bruins and their fans should be happy with the game. They did "everything but win." I respectfully disagree. This was exactly the game the Bruins needed to win. The Bruins won the series against Tampa because they were able to steal Game 2 thanks to atrocious defense and goaltending by the Lightning. It was inevitable that Thomas would steal a couple of 2-1 or 1-0 type games, and he did. However, the Lightning needed to take advantage of the high scoring games to get wins. When they scored 5 in Game 2 and still lost, I knew that would cost them, and it did. In this series, I think this was exactly the type of game the Bruins needed to win. The fact they played their type of hockey game and not only lost, but couldn't score a single goal, is not something to be excited about. That's 1 goal in the last 120 minutes of hockey for the Bruins. Their power play looked decent, but still couldn't put the puck in the net. I still think this has the potential to be a long series, but if the Canucks get an early goal in game 2, look out. For the Bruins to win Game 2, they'll need to at least equal their performance from last night. I don't think that was the Canucks best effort, and I have a hunch that Game 2 will be much more high scoring than Game 1, despite the Vezina trophy finalists in the nets.

Bitegate

Pierre McGuire loves to pick a topic during the game and pounce on it like a rabid dog. He speaks about it with such seriousness and conviciton that he sounds like he's leading troops into battle. It drives me nuts. He did it again last night when Burrows and Bergeron had their little altercation. Pierre instantly was calling for a suspension to Burrows. I can understand calling for a suspension when you see a blatant headshot or a stomp to the leg, but on a bite that wasn't even visible on camera? Come on, Pierre. Even on NHL Home Ice they were saying that biting "has no place in hockey" and that Burrows should get suspended. You know what else has no part in hockey? Shovign your disgusting fingers in someone else's mouth! That is exactly what Bergeron did. You got bit? Tough luck. If my arms were being held and someone shoved their fingers into my mouth, I would do whatever is necessary to get them removed as quickly as possible, and that includes biting. I've never been in that situation, but it might even be a natural response to bite when someone is forcing something into your mouth. I was glad to hear that Burrows would not be suspended. I watched the replay several times, and it's unclear that he bit Bergeron's finger. The only thing that is certain is that Bergeron shoved his fingers into Burrows' mouth. While we're discussing suspensions, why not at least discuss suspending Krejci for a blatant cross-check on a defenseless Hamhuis, who did not return afterwards.

Ratings

Last night's game received the highest rating for a Finals game since 1999. The real hockey fans are watching these games no matter what. However, this is an indication that maybe the sport is starting to see some fan growth as a result of the quality of the product. No Crosby, No Ovechkin, no massive market, and still a high rating.

With the Thrashers leaving Atlanta, it's easy to chalk that up to a failure of the strategy to grow hockey in non-traditional markets. It's more complicated than that. The Thrashers had decent attendence, but we'll never know how they would have done had they been more successful on the ice. Certianly the ownership group was very disliked by the Atlanta fans. I guess my worry will be that the NHL sees this rating and continues to just promote Crosby and Ovechkin to the detriment of the many other great players in the league and the quality of the game itself. Since the lockout ended, I think everyone would agree that the game is more exciting than ever. Let the game sell itself. People will realize how exciting it is when they are exposed to it. Just please don't continue to think that the only way to "grow" the game is by showing Crosby or Ovechkin (or both) every time that NBC has a game to air.

Through Two

Canucks lead Sharks 2-0

It never ceases to amaze me how hockey analysts still can overrate the effect a fight can have on a game. I'm sure that there are times when a fight can help to change the momentum and possibly the courst of a game. However, I think that is far more common in the regular season than in the playoffs. There isn't much fighting in the playoffs to begin with, and the stakes are so high at this point that if you really need to see a teammate fighting to get you motivated, then you probably weren't a big reason your team is in the Conference Finals. Last night, Jeremy Roenick was all over the fight between Marleau and Bieksa. He went so far as to label it the potential "turning point" in the series. I don't know how much of this was attributable to his earlier comments calling Marleau "gutless," but I have to think that JR was trying to make amends with his effusive praise for Marleau deciding to drop the gloves. Of course I think everyone got a good laugh when Keith Jones told Roenick that Marleau was merely pretending that "he was punching your (Roenick's) head." Needless to say, it was the sloppy defense and penalties that were the real reason for the Sharks falling into a 2-0 hole in the series. The Sedins finally starting looking like the world-clas players they are, and the Sharks simply had no answers in their own zone.

Once the game got out of hand, the most entertaining thing to watch was Ben Eager's meltdown. If it wasn't his moronic attempts to get Maxim Lapierre to fight, then it was his laughable attempt to smack talk Luongo after scoring to cut the Canucks lead to 7-3 with a few minutes left in the third period. I've never seen an NHL player so blatantly stand over a goaltender in the crease and try to talk smack. The fact that his team was getting blown out made it a cringe-worthy incident. Thankfully, the linesmen and referess handled it perfectly. One linesman bolted to the net and cleared it out of the wayso Luongo could extricate himself from the mess, and the rest of the officials managed to calm the situation. I give Luongo a lot of credit for not going berserk there. He even handled the post-game interview with class, refusing to divulge what Eager said to him. My personal favorite was when Luongo said, "It's good that he's on the ice. He keeps taking penalties."

Finally, in what was the worst uncalled crease violation since Brett Hull, Alex Burrows somehow managed to get away with having both of his skates firmly in the crease on the fourth Canuck goal. It's impossible to say if it would have made a difference since the Canucks looked so dominant, but it was a 3-2 game at the time. I noticed the violation instantly and was shocked that it wasn't called. Darren Pang pointed this out immediately on the Versus broadcast (leave it to the goalies....). He noted on the replay that it was clearly goalie interference. I hate to say it, but in this case it would have almost been necessary for Niemi to draw attention to the fact that he was interefered with. One of the aspect of Niemi's game that I think makes him so successful is how calm and focused he remains in spite of the chaos that is going on in and around the crease. In this situation it worked against him. Surprisingly, not a single Sharks player or coach seemed to lobby for a call.

Right now, the Canucks look dominant. That certainly doesn't mean this series can't change. We only have to look back to the Canucks' near collapse in the first round to see that dominance in one or two games doesn't guarantee it will continue.

Right place, right time

There are nights when you sit back on your couch after a game and pity those who aren’t hockey fans, those who weren’t counting down the minutes to the game, those who dismiss hockey as some sort of bizarre Canadian fascination that isn’t worth their time, those who don’t fiddle with the radio dial while driving in an attempt to find any station that is discussing the big hockey game instead of the relief pitcher who just blew his 3^rd save in a May baseball game or the latest NBA player to make a fool of himself. Last night was one of those nights. It was a night where the hockey Gods rewarded the hockey fans.

Yesterday afternoon, I was driving and listening to a national sports talk radio program when they took 2 minutes out of their 5 hour discussion of Lebron James in order to quickly discuss the upcoming Game 7 between the Wings and Sharks. “There’s no star power.” Yup, I actually heard someone say that. Shortly thereafter, someone else said that for the casual fan, star power in the NHL begins and ends with Crosby and Ovechkin. These are the people we hockey fans pity after a game like last night.

This series between the Red Wings and Sharks was one that reinforced my belief that traditional rivalries can often be overrated when measuring the entertainment factor of a playoff series. This didn’t have any historical rivalry to draw from – no video to trot out during breaks of fantastic finishes or legendary games from the 60’s. The Sharks haven’t even been around long enough. There was no hate factor here. If anything, this was more akin to two heavyweight fighters with a mutual respect going at it. There were no dirty hits, no fights, and no genuine animosity aside from the typical after-the-whistle nonsense that is typical of every play-off game that is played. It was a shame that either team had to lose.

Apparently, coming back after being down 0-3 is the new thing to do. Three times in the last two playoff seasons? Craziness. The fact that only the Flyers were able to finish the job underscores how difficult it is to complete the comeback and how much it takes out of the tank. The Wings gave everything they had, and Datsyuk had perhaps the most legendary performance by any player whose team didn’t live to see the third round. Even down 3-1, he almost singlehandedly got the Wings back into the game with a shot that I still can’t figure out how it went in. Thornton was almost as brilliant. We know Joe isn’t exactly the most colorful guy, but he certainly didn’t wilt under the pressure. He played the way a star center should, and I know hockey fans are eagerly anticipating watching him go head-to-head with Kesler in the next round. Despite their players succumbing to injury at an alarming rate, you kept seeing Datsyuk and Zetterberg buzzing around simply refusing to let the Wings season come to an end. However, the goal that ended the series was scored, appropriately, by Patrick Marleau. Called “gutless” just a few short days ago, Marleau played an outstanding hockey game. Even Jeremy Roenick gave him credit for stepping up. And let’s be honest, JR wasn’t really that far off base when he called Marleau “gutless” after Game 5. Perhaps that actually ignited the fire that drove Marleau to play better. Who knows? Regardless, Marleau was simply in the right place at the right time when he scored that game-winning goal - just like all the hockey fans who were sitting in front of their tvs for a very memorable Game 7 in a tremendous series. I pity those who missed it…