NHL Season Preview - Eastern Conference

Was it just me or was that a quick summer?

It seems like two weeks ago that the Penguins were skating off the ice at Joe Louis Arena with their third Stanley Cup in tow, while Kris Draper had a hissy-fit in the Detroit dressing room ("and you can print that, tell him I said it!").

So after enduring another season of pathetic Blue Jays baseball, thank goodness the NHL season is here.  It makes it much easier to forget the Vernon Wells pop outs and Scott Richmond losses.

While McCoy will work his magic breaking down the Western Conference, I'll lend my expertise to the more exciting Eastern Conference, where some interesting storylines are already taking place.

The Favourites

Pittsburgh Penguins:  Nobody should be surprised.  The Eastern Conference belongs to the Penguins until someone takes it from them.  While a third straight Stanley Cup Final appearance is certainly not out of the question, there are a few Eastern teams capable of uprooting the Champs from Steeltown.

The one thing the Pens have going against them is the fact they (along with Detroit) have played a lot of hockey over the last two seasons.  Will fatigue and two consecutive short summers take their toll on the Champs?  There is no doubt that it could be their biggest downfall heading into 2010.

On the other hand, they have Malkin and Crosby.  Crosby is coming off a "bad" year.  He had 100 + points in that bad year.  Malkin is coming off an Art Ross and Conn Smythe.  I don't need to tell you how good those guys are.

After his performance during the Stanley Cup run, Marc-Andre Fleury has solidified his status as an elite, world class goalie, and this year will be even more motivated.  Why?  He wants to go Vancouver in February and represent his country.

They lost Hal Gill, they lost Rob Scuderi, and sure that will hurt.  But let's not forget who the Pens lost after losing to Detroit in 2008.  Roberts, Malone, Hossa, Conklin, Hall, the list goes on.  It was supposed to be too much to rebound from.  Twelve months later, the Pens lifted Lord Stanley.

All this and I haven't even mentioned Gonchar, Guerin, Kunitz, Staal, and Letang.  The Penguins will be fine.

Boston Bruins: The Bruins didn't do much during the offseason, their biggest move was ridding themselves of Phil Kessel and stockpiling draft picks.


Besides Kessel's departure, much is the same with the Bruins, the reigning top Eastern seed.  They still have balance up front and it doesn't hurt that Marc Savard is entering the last year of his contract.  The Bruins will rely again on three young studs who broke through in a big way last year: Krecji, Lucic, and Wheeler.

Tim Thomas is coming off a Vezina win and I don't think he can repeat that this season.  If he struggles, Tuukka Rask is waiting in the wings, and is ready for prime time.

The Northeast Division was a cake-walk for Boston last year, and while I see them winning it again, it won't come as easily with the Leafs, Sens, and Habs all vastly improved.

Washington Capitals: The Caps certainly aren't far off.  However, their biggest offseason need was a big rugged blueliner, which they didn't get.  Chris Pronger would have been a perfect fit for this team, and really, just what they needed.  Instead, they went out and signed Mike Knuble and Brendan Morrison.  While not bad picks ups, those two guys are not going to get the Capitals to the next level.

The Capitals do have some scary talent though.  I don't need to tell you how good Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Semin are.  Mike Green puts up the sexy offensive numbers from the point, but couldn't defend me in his own zone.  He was exploited in the Pittsburgh series last season, as were the entire Washington defense corps.

This team will only go as far as a goalie will carry them.  Jose Theodore had a great year last year, but was dumped early in the playoffs for rookie Simeon Varlamov, who's Cinderalla slipper got crushed in a brutal game seven choke job against Pittsburgh.  Whoever gets the most starts this year, shoulders a huge amount of pressure.  The Caps will be in a lot of high scoring games.

Carolina Hurricanes: Was it any surprise that the Canes and Pens were the last two teams standing in the East last season?  They were, after all, the two hottest teams down the stretch.

The Hurricanes' big weakness is also on the blueline, and the Penguins definitely exposed that in the Conference Finals.  Nothing was done to improve that problem, but the Hurricanes are deep enough up front, and have a bonafide number one goalie in Cam Ward, something that sets them apart from Washington.

The Canes are aging, however.  Ray Whitney, Rod Brind'Amour, and Erik Cole are no spring chickens.  The team will be able to offset that problem however, with an influx of young blood like Brandon Sutter and Zach Boychuk.

And beware of Eric Staal.  Like a lot of players, he is on the bubble for an Olympic roster spot, so he should be nothing short of lights out this season.

Philadelphia Flyers: It seems like a lot of pundits are picking the Flyers to come out of the East.  I'm not 100% sure why.

I know they are good.  I know they signed Chris Pronger.  I know they are going to be tough to play against.  The Ian Laperriere signing was brilliant.  I just have one question:  Do people really believe in Ray Emery that much?

I don't.

That said, they will be a force to be reckoned with.  A full season from Briere and Gagne would be nice, but they got by without that last season.

As good as their forwards are, the Flyers' big strength is on the blueline.  Pronger, Timmonen, Coburn, and Parent make up the top four, and thats as  formidable a corps as exists in the NHL.  They will have to be good to stop snipers from getting at Ray Emery and Brian Boucher.

Another problem that has plagued the Flyers forever has been lack of discipline.  Stupid penalties do the team in year in and year out.  Playing a lot against powerplays like the Caps' and Pens' may spell trouble.

Contenders

New York Rangers:  As Henrik Lundqvist goes, so go the Rangers, a team that has had more trouble scoring than Steve at a high school dance.

But Glen Sather has taken steps to fix that this year.  Signing Marian Gaborik is a gamble, but if it pays off and he stays healthy, its a move that can put the Rangers in the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.

A lot of guys had off years for the Blueshirts in 08-09.  Chris Drury and Wade Redden need to be much better, both on the ice and in the room.  If they are half the players they can be, it would be a drastic improvement.

The Rangers expect big things from Chris Higgins, who came over from Montreal, and still has a lot of upside.  Three rookies will make an impact on Broadway this year as well.  You might have seen Artem Anisimov scoring highlight reel goals all preseason long.  Well, he has made the team and should help offset the loss of Nikolai Zherdev.  Defencemen Matt Gilroy and Michael Del Zotto have also made the team out of training camp and are expecting to get powerplay time on the point.

Playoff Contenders

Montreal Canadiens:  The city is abuzz over the new guys.  Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta are reunited, and Michael Cammalleri brings 39 goals to the wing in Montreal.  Gomez and Gionta looked 2005-esque in preseason, which is a good sign for the Habs' faithful.  Les Habitants should be able to score, but the big question mark up front is size.  Are the forwards big and strong enough to withstand the physicality teams like Toronto and Boston will bring?

It is no surprise that Carey Price is the big question mark on this team heading into the season.  The biggest thing he needed to do over the summer was grow the hell up.  Too many times last year he seemed like he didn't care, or was in a different universe.  If he has a decent head on his shoulders, he can be a top five goalie in the NHL.  If not, well then it will be more of the same for Montreal.

The loss of Mike Komisarek won't hurt as much as people expect.  Jaroslav Spacek brings a big, underrated shot from the blueline, and if Hal Gill is put in the right situation, then he should do just fine as well.

Ottawa Senators: Can the Sens make it back to the playoffs?  I think they can. If...

a) Pascal Leclaire is the goalie they are hoping he can be.  Can he stay healthy? 

b) Alex Kovalev does not take half the season off.

We all know that Dany Heatley is now an ex-Sen.  By all accounts, he was turning into a cancer anyway, and the return of Jonathan Cheecho and Milan Michalek from the Sharks will help people forget him soon enough.  Ottawa now has a top six of Spezza, Alfredsson, Kovalev, Michalek, Cheechoo, and Fisher.  Rookie Peter Regin is likely to bump Fisher out of that second line spot.

The Sens need big things from Chris Campoli.  He needs to be the powerplay quarterback they have been missing since Chara left.

Buffalo Sabres: This team was on its way to the postseason last year, but then Ryan Miller got injured, and that was that.  No player in the league might be more important to their team than the Sabres' star netminder.  Simply put, if he can stay healthy, the team has a good shot at seeing April hockey.  If not, then well expect the Sabres to miss the playoffs for the third straight season.

The Sabres are still young and lethal up front with the likes of Vanek, Roy, Pominville, and Stafford.

Their biggest downfall might be the division they play in.  Like I said, the Northeast will be no tea party this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs: The Leafs played the preseason like it was the Stanley Cup Finals.  Seriously, did they save anything for games that actually count?

There is no doubt the Leafs will be better.  They will challenge for a playoff spot.  By all accounts, they will be an abrasive, exciting team, one that is hard to play against.  The thing is, you can only get away with that for so long.  Discipline and fatigue will be problems for the Leafs.

While the acquisitions of Phil Kessel and Mike Komisarek are grabbing headlines, the best move the Leafs made was the signing of Francois Beauchemin.  He is a good, all around player.  An underrated powerplay performer who isn't a liability in his own end?  Any team in the league would take that any day.

And sorry, but I am nowhere close to being sold on Komisarek.  What do I see in him?  Bryan McCabe.

Between the pipes, the Leafs at least have options now.  The pressure is on Vesa Toskala to be better, and he will most certainly be on a short leash.  Leafs faithful is already anointing Jonas Gustavsson as the next coming of Christ himself.  Speaking of religion, God I hate this team.

New Jersey Devils:  They Devils' time has come.  To not be as good as they usually are.  More than ever, its Martin Brodeur versus the world.

The Devils are in desperate need of offensive help on the back-end.  Paul Martin and Johnny Oduya just are not going to cut it.

Up front, they have Parise, Zajac, and aging guys like Rolston, Elias, and Langenbrunner.  After that there is nothing.  The Devils just might find themselves on the outside looking in come April.  If the team makes the playoffs this year, Brodeur will deserve Hart Trophy consideration.

Bottom Feeders

Tampa Bay Lightning:  The Bolts could be a surprise this year, but it all depends on Mike Smith and his ability to stay healthy.

The Tampa defence is greatly improved with Victor Hedman, Mattias Ohlund, Matt Walker, and Kurtis Foster arriving.  Hedman is expected to log heavy minutes in his rookie season, and no doubt will be mentored by fellow Swede Ohlund.

Up front, they subtract career enigma Vinny Prospal, and replace him with a much more consistent Alex Tanguay.  The best news for Tampa Bay is that Vincent Lecavalier is still on the roster.

New York Islanders: Let the John Tavares show begin.  If anything, at least there is hope on the Island now.

Tavares is expected to jump and be successful right away, and he should be able to live up to expectations.  Beside Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey and Trent Hunter though, the Isles are pretty weak at the forward positions.

Actually, the Islanders are pretty weak all over. 

There is a logjam in goal, with new acquisitions Martin Biron and Dwayne Roloson signed for insurance because Rick DiPietro hurts himself every time he sneezes.

The Islanders have a long road back.

Florida Panthers: The Panthers came close to the playoffs last year.  They won't this year.  No Jay Bouwmeester, plain and simple.

While there is lots of young talent up front in the likes of Booth, Horton, Weiss, Olesz, and Frolik, in order to make a run, all of them need to have career years.

Tomas Vokoun also needs to be more consistent down the stretch for the Panthers to have any shot.

The bottom line is that with Bouwmeester gone, you're missing not only the backbone of the blueline, but also the biggest part to the transition game.  Now Florida has to rely on Brayn McCabe to fill the void.  Good luck with that.

Atlanta Thrashers: Like last year, the Thrashers will be able to score.  Kovalchuk in a contract year?  Yes, please.  But they also have unheralded Byan Little, Rich Peverley, and two new bodies in Nik Antropov and Maxim Afinogenov to bolster their attack.

The problem will once again be keeping pucks out of the net.  Will the real Kari Lethonen stand up this year?

The most intriguing thing happening in Atlanta this year (besides the Kovalchuk trade talk that will start in November), is first round pick Evander Kane making the team out of training camp.  If given enough playing time, he could be in the Calder sweepstakes.

How They'll Finish

1. Pittsburgh
2. Boston
3. Carolina
4. Washington
5. Philadelphia
6. New York Rangers
7. Montreal
8. Ottawa
-------------------------
9. Buffalo
10.New Jersey
11. Toronto
12. Tampa Bay
13. Florida
14. New York Islanders
15. Atlanta

Stanley Cup Finals


Pittsburgh vs. Anaheim

NHL Season Preview - Western Conference

It's been a while since I've sat here about to write a blog. Since then I've enjoyed my rainy summer as best I could while packing up and moving back to Ontario.

With the NHL's newest campaign about to start on Thursday, what better time to come back and spit venom on this keyboard then now?

After a quick discussion with Rose unlike those that have made our ears bleed in Glendale, AZ, we've decided to focus on the conference which hosts our favourite teams. Hence, read Rose's blog for the East and disagree with mine in the West (GO PHOENIX!!!).

Pacific Division

The Ducks biggest loss last year came not from the ice but upstairs as GM Brian Burke bolted, in the worst kept secret, to Toronto as their new GM. Salary Cap wise, Burke created somewhat of a mess however was extremely instrumental in creating the championship team back in 2007. On the ice the team struggled throughout most of the season and would've missed the playoffs if not for Swiss G Jonas Hiller winning 12 of his (and the teams) last 16 games. Along with Hiller, Anaheim still has a nice core of young talent with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry leading the way and sophomore Bobby Ryan looking to continue with scoring after a 30 goal rookie campaign. Looking to re-kindle past success in Anaheim is Joffrey Lupul who's return to Anaheim marks the second time in his short career he's been involved in a deal that's also included Chris Pronger, with Pronger going to Philly. Rounding out the new additions are D Nick Boynton, F Saku Koivu and D Luca Sbisa. D Francois Beauchemin left for a big ticket deal in Toronto joining Pronger, D Bret Hedican and F Rob Niedermayer as other departures.

A simple math lesson for new GM's: little/no cap room + no impact additions + skimping on dependable backup + perennial slow start by G Marty Turco = One bad season. That's exactly what happened with the Stars last season. One year after making one the biggest trade deadline splashes in recent memories, acquiring F Brad Richards, the Stars did exactly the opposite the following off-season. The "Dynamic Duo" GM's that were Brett Hull and Les Jackson were nothing of the sort after limping through last off-season deciding on only F Sean "Sloppy Second" Avery and Swede rookie Fabian Brunnstrom. After losing Captain F Brendan Morrow for the season and D Sergei Zubov for long-term, the team faltered and hit a low point when Avery spoke with the Calgary Media about some girl next door and was soon dealt to the Rangers. Enter new GM Joe Nieuwendyk who's first order of business was ushering out coach Dve Tippett and bringing in Marc Crawford. No impact players were brought in with G Alex Auld, D Karlis Skrastins and D Jeff Woywitka being the new names. Departures included F Brendan Morrisson, F Joel Lundqvist, F Mark Parrish, D Darryl Sydor and Zubov. Look for Dallas to join the likes of Colorado and Ottawa who've enjoyed past success but are entering a rough patch.

This rebuilding franchise finally received a ROI last year but not where they expected it. Most improvement didn't come from the forwards as expected, but rather the blue line and backstop. G Jonathan Quick, along with rookie Drew Doughty and Kyle Quindey all paid great dividends while former 1st round pick Jack Johnson missed half the season with shoulder problems. The main goal this year is to improve scoring while maintain the goals against (11th). New additions this year include F Ryan Smyth and D Rob Scuderi, who proved his worth after last years performance with the Penguins. By bringing in Smyth, the Kings lost the resurrected Quincey and D Tom Priessing who were joined by F Derek Armstrong, F Kyle Calder, D Denis Gauthier. Unless the team can see improved scoring from forwards, it can be another year chalked up to rebuilding.

The Phoenix Coyotes. If you follow the sport, even a little bit, then you know about the franchise and their current situation. I'm not going to get into the details, if your unaware and curious, go someplace else and do the research. As for the team in continuous rebuilding mode, it be another long year. Bringing in new coach Dave Tippett will provide a definite upgrade behind the bench however with the losses of F Olli Jokinen (CGY), Nigel Dawes (CGY) and Steve Reinprecht (FLA) the team will rely more heavily on youngsters F Kyle Turris, Peter Mueller, Scottie Upshall, Mikkel Boedker and Matthew Lombardi all who are still unproven. New faces to the team include D Adrian Aucoin who should be a welcome addition to QB the PP, D Jim Vandermeer and F Radim Vrbata. As we watched Ilya Bryzgalov play slip last year, the team brought in Jason LaBarbera to supply back up. At the end of the day fans of the game will be more interested in what happens off the ice than on and unfortunately it'll affect the team.

All roads lead to San Jose. Well, according to F Dany Heatley that couldn't be any closer to the truth. After a question riddled off-season the disgruntled forward finally got his wish in the first day of training camp by being sent to the Sharks with a pick for F Milan Michalek, Jonathan Cheechoo and 2 picks. As if this team needed any more firing power, they easily become a cup favourite if they weren't already. Even with the loss of Cheechoo and Michalek, the team has ample support for Heatley, Thornton and Marleau in the likes of sophomore F Devin Setaguchi and F Ryan Clowe. Even though this team is scary deep, one question mark in my mind is what happens if G Evgeni Nabakov goes down long term? That aside look for this team to continue the trend, if healthy, of 100+ point seasons. On a side note, former 67's D Derek Joslin, F Jamie McGinn and Logan Couture could get some action this year.

Central Division

A season to remember quickly became an off-season to forget for the Blackhawks. We all knew that with this much young talent, the franchise would eventually become a viable and competitive team. We just didn't see it coming that quickly, only three wins from reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. Then trouble hit the scene quickly after the post-season was over. Pivitol playoff performers G Nicholai Khabibulin and F Martin Havlet, Sammy Pahlsson all were no longer in the Windy City and franchise player and face of the team, Patrick Kane was involved in an assault charge in his home town of Buffalo. What was supposed to be an off-season with renewed interest and anticipation became that which has been familiar to the team, questions. One of the big free agent splashes this off-season was Marian "I picked the wrong team damnit" Hossa. his scoring capability should compensate the loss of Havlet, but with a post-season to forget, he'll need to improve heavily if the Hawks are to be back in the fold. Another question mark is G Christobal Huet. Brought in for a large sum, Huet now has his chance to prove the franchise right by signing him. All these questions aside, the team is still extremely promising with players like F Chris Versteeg, Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd and David Bolland to compliment Toews, Kane and Hossa.

After a long nine years, the Columbus Blue Jackets finally became a playoff team. Even if it was for a minute, the playoff birth provided growth for the franchise and continued young GM Scott Howsen goal of building a reputation for himself as a competent GM. The biggest surprise for the team last year was G Steve Mason. The 20 year came in once G Pascal Leclaire was limited to only 12 games because of a nasty ankle injury. We all the know the story behind Mason. World Junior Championship star, OHL star, 10 shutouts, Vezina candidate and Calder winner all before the age of 21. Another problem that Mason was able to help solve was scoring depth. Mason's rise ultimately allowed the team to trade Leclaire to Ottawa in exchange for F Antoine Vermette. This move was made to provide a shot of offence for a team that relied on F Rick Nash, RJ Umberger and Kristian Huselius. Not much tinkering was done during the off-season, G Mathieu Garon was brought in for relief duty and gritty F Sammy Pahlsson moved from division rival Chicago. Look for sophomore F Derick Brassard to be look to for scoring this year, but in a tough Western Conference, fans will have to remember last year's playoff appearance until the next one come in a few years.

The Red Wings have been the model of consistentcy for years. That trend may be in jeopardy as no other team took hits as a result of the salary cap than the Wings. Key players Marian Hossa, Mikael Samuelsson and Ty Conklin all left via free agency. The team still has plenty of depth with more minutes available for F Darren Helm, Valtteri Filppula, Dan Cleary and Patrick Eaves. The biggest concern for this team is the the potential for wear and tear on the back end. D Nicklas Lidstrom is now 39 and may feel the effects of two consecutive 25+ game post-seasons. Similar to that is G Chris Osgood, if Osgood even comes close to his performance last regular season G Jimmy Howard will get his shot. Detroit will be a favourite for the division, however their rivals from the Windy City might a thing or two to say about that.

Ahh Nashville. You were a contender and with the snap of a finger...SNAP, back to reality. After 6 years in the post-season, the Preds missed the playoffs and more importantly stood idol as several key players left the organization. No acquisitions were made save for the locking up of the oft-injured F Steve Sullivan. If you do look for that silver lining it's young D Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. These two have all star potential and Weber went gangbusters last year to finish with 23 goals. A healthy F Jason Arnott, even at 35 years of age, can beleivably put up 25+ goals this season. Add to that the possibility of a consistent season from G Pekka Rinne and the Preds may have an outside shot at the playoffs. Just don't hold your breath.

Losing F Andy McDonald, D Eric Brewer, Erik Johnson and G Chris Mason early in the season spelt certain doom for the team. By New Years, the Blues were in 15th place and without hope. Then suddenly they started playing. Mason returned to play 38 straight games posting a 24-8-6 record and the return of McDonald along with youngsters F David Backes, David Perron, T.J. Oshie and Patrik Berglund provided enough punch to clinch a playoff spot in the second to last game and finishing 6th overall. Although the team scored only 5 goals and lost in a sweep, the team shows promise. The two major departures for this team are defencemen Jay McKee (PIT) and Jeff Woywitka (Dal), however with hopes of Eric Brewer and Erik Johnson playing a healthy season, these losses should be compensated. In goal, the Blues brought in a reliable Ty Conklin who's posted 43 wins in the last two seasons as a backup. If health isn't an issue, 2nd most games lost to injury last year, the team should compete for the 6,7,8 spot.

Northwest Division

The "Iron Mike" era, after a season of high hopes ended with a fourth consecutive first round exit to the upstart Hawks, with GM Darryl Sutter's younger brother, and Red Deer native, Brent taking over. With several big ticket contracts for G Mikka Kiprusoff, F Jarome Iginla, D Dion Phanuef and Robyn Regher, the Flames tried to fiscally get some bang for their buck. This yielded mix results as F Rene Bourque exceded expectations while F Todd Bertuzzi couldn't recapture his old form, even if his contract only ate up 1.95M. With 39 goal scorer F Michael Cammalleri leaving for Montreal, the loss of those goals will be on F Olli Jokinen to fill the gap. To add to an already impressive blue line the Flames acquired D Jay Bouwmeester for a song at the draft and quicky locked him up for 5 years. The addition vaulted the Flames as a team with arguably the best defensive corps in the league. After a lack luster season by Phanuef, look for Brent Sutter (Phaneuf's Red Deer Rebel coach), to help bring his game back up. Kiprusoff will again carry the load in net and therein lies the biggest question mark. With a declining save pct. in each of the past 5 seasons, no reliable back-up and four early round exits, Kiprusoff needs to regain his form of old to help bring this team further in the playoffs.

The Oilers for a few years now have been that team "on the cusp", however they have yet to reach that cusp and last year was the straw that broke the camel's back for 9+ year coach Craig McTavish. Boasting one of the leagues worst PP's, sophomore slumps by F Sam Gagner and Andrew Cogliano, only two 20 goal scorers (one being D Sheldon Souray) and a single player over 65 points caused the nessecary changes. coach Pat Quinn replaced McTavish and is joined by Tom Renney to provide a fresh attitude. On defence, Sheldon Souray still leads the corps joined by Lubomir Visnovsky and one year more mature Tom Gilbert. Between the pipes two goalies playing into the well known "contract year" status received their contracts. G Dwayne Roloson left for the Isles and Nikolai Khabibulin signed a 4 year deal at the age of 36 leaving the Windy City. In order for the Oil to make the playoffs since being one game away from winning it all in 06' (sniff), more productivity needs to be put in by F Shawn Horcoff ($7 mil this year), Dustin Penner and Ales Hemsky. Without this, it'll be another long season in Oil Country.

After their worst season since moving to Denver the Avalanche lost an icon to the game, Joe Sakic, to retirement. With a core of young talent in F Paul Stasney, Wojtek Wolski, Marek Svatos and rookie Matt Duchene, the future looks bright but may be in for a rough patch. The team moved Ryan Smyth (LA) in exchange for Kyle Quincey and Tom Preissing to solidify the back end. In net however is the teams weakest point. G Peter Budaj never lived up to the hype and is now on a carousal of netminders who'll likey share duty throughout the season. One thing the team can look forward to this year is a chance to receive the first overall pick in next years entry draft as it won't be good this year, no matter how many times you shake the 8-ball.

After missing the playoffs this year certain expectations weren't met and changes needed to be made. From top to bottom, GM Doug Risebrough was given the door, coach Jacques Lemaire resigned after a long tenure and the departure of Marian Gaborik ended a love/hate relationship that ranked second only to the players continual injury problems. Apparently the team hasn't learned their lesson as they handed a large contract to F Martin Havlet who himself has battled injuries for most of his career. F Owen Nolan enjoyed a return to his former self however don't expect that to repeat itself. Even with the team remaining relatively stable defensively (G Niklas Backstrom being locked up long-term and the addition of D Greg Zanon) the team will still need to improve scoring in order to compete in a tough NW division. This team should make the playoffs but don't be surprised if they miss out.

The Canucks appeared poised to go deep in the playoffs. After ending the season strong and sweeping the Blues however G Roberto Luongo's second round meltdown resulted in a career worst 7 goals in game 6 and a series loss to the Hawks. These expectations carried into the off-season while GM Mike Gillis had some decisions to make. His decision ultimately meant re-signing the Sedin twins to matching 5 year/30.5 M contracts and bringing in former Stanley Cup winner F Mikael Samelsson. He wasn't done there though, to replace the departed D Mattius Ohlund, he traded for D Christian Erhoff and signed the captian of his team, franchise player, G Roberto Luongo to a massive 12-year contract extension. In order to meet these expectations, the Canucks will need a healthy and happy captain and some supportive scoring that has plagued the team for years. All said, the Canucks should compete for the division title.

McCoy's picks:

Division winners - San Jose, Chicago and Calgary

Cup finalists - San Jose and Pittsburgh

Cup winner - Pittsburgh

The Mets are 09's biggest disappointment

To a lesser extent, the New York Mets are ALMOST supposed to be mentioned in the same breath as the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox, by that they are a team one expects to contend year in and year out.

And by "contend", I mean "have a solid season until September, and then choke."

Well this season, the Mets got the sucking out of the way early.

Going into Sunday, The Mets were 57-66, good enough for 4th in the N.L. East, and a whopping 14.5 games back of division leader Philadelphia.  Forget the Wild Card too, Colorado is 12 games clear of the hapless Mets.

So what went wrong? 

Well, a lot of things.  First and foremost, they have been without Jose Reyes for most part of the season.  You don't replace a five-tool franchise player like that.  The same can be said about Carlos Beltran, who has played in only 62 games in 2009.  I'd throw Carlos Delgado in there as well, but at this stage of his career, I'm not sure what the Mets expected from him.

Then again, the elder statesman in the lineup, Gary Sheffield, leads the team in homeruns.  With ten.  Yes, thats right.  Ten homeruns leads a major league ball club at the end of August.

Where has David Wright been in all this?  Well, he's had a decent enough year, but below his expectations.  He gets on base enough (.325 AVG, .414 OBP), but his production numbers ( 8 HRs, 55 RBI), are merely pedestrian.  Having said that, his 55 RBI's lead the team.  Not a good sign on August 23.

Speaking of underachieving, it is safe to say that the organization expected a bit more from Francisco Rodriguez in his first season with the club.

He hasn't been awful, but he hasn't been the dominant closer the Mets had hoped he would be for them.  He has 27 saves and 5 blown saves, but many of his appearances have been jam-packed, literally.  The Mets expected K-Rod to be lights out, and he has been far from it this summer.

The rotation too, has been hobbled by injury.  John Maine, once thought to be a future ace, has pitched in only 11 games, and the team just got Oliver Perez, an enigma if nothinig else, back from the disabled list.  Ideally, Maine and Perez may fall in line behind Johan Santana and Mike Pelfrey, but the truth is that when healthy this year, you never know which of the latters would show up.

Its been a turbulent year both on and off the field for Omar Minaya and his ball club.  Even their new home, Citi Field has draw some ire from fans and critics alike. 

2010 can't start soon enough.

Dead man walking

I can smell it.

The end is near for J.P. Ricciardi, and not a moment too soon.

The Jays are at the lowest point of their woeful season, one that started with so much false hope. A hot start out of the gate is the only reason this team isn't 20 games below .500.

The Roy Halladay fiasco will ultimately be the blow that breaks J.P's nose. And not

because he didn't trade Doc. Whether he should have or not can be debated over a few beers for a couple years to come.

No, what was wrong with the whole Halladay ordeal was the way Ricciardi handled the situation. He put everything out in the open and couldn't keep his trap shut, something that has been an all too common occurence during his almost decade-long tenure as Blue Jays G.M.

Sure, it helps the media out, spilling the beans that you are willing to trade Halladay, if, and only if, you get bowled over by an offer.

Obviously that didn't happen. Actually, J.P's asking price seemed to be too high by all accounts, as six teams were apparently very interested.

Boston and the Yankees are in the A.L. East, and Ricciardi wanted more from them if there was a deal to take place.

He wanted J.A. Haap and/or Kyle Drabek from the Phillies, but they were not willing to part with either.

He wanted FOUR current roster players from the Angels. They laughed at him.

The Brewers were interested, but rumours swirled that Doc wouldn't accept a deal there.

The Dodgers were not willing to part with either Chad Billingsley or Clayton Kershaw.

So the bottom line is, Doc is still a Blue Jay, his trade value is now significantly lower than it should be, all because Ricciardi bunlged every aspect of this fiasco.

Think about how Halladay feels about how this all went down. He was basically thrown under the bus by his boss, left out to float in ace-pitcher purgatory. For his part, Roy could not have handled the situation any better or more classier. You would almost think he is a Canadian.

Now you have to wonder if there are feelings of resentment from Doc's side. How could there not be? Ricciardi basically said he wants to trade him, but if they don't, the team will have him back for the first half of 2010, and then he'll definitely be on the move when the team is out of contention before Father's Day. Its gotta make a guy feel appreciated.

Everything will work out fine for Halladay anyway. He will move on to a better organization (any other team in baseball, as long as its not called the Pirates), pitch in meaningful games in September, and maybe the Jays will get him back in the twilight of his career, so he can retire a Jay.

It is sad that J.P. has had it come to this with the best Blue Jay of all-time. Doc deserves better.

And I won't even get into the $126 million Vernon Wells contract. Or the mediocre, underachieving record (616-619 as of July 31) the Jays have racked up in his tenure.

J.P. should be packing his office. At most, he has until the end of the regular season, but something tells me, he will get his walking papers sooner rather than later.

Here's hoping.

Weekend/Monday Stuff: Stanley Cup Finals, Lebron's disappearing act, Habs new coach, and more

Monday, June 1, 2009

History repeats itself, Wings up 2-0

Because of the short lay off and back to back games to open the Stanley Cup Finals, the Detroit Red Wings were supposed to be at a terrible disadvantage.

Flash forward 48 hours, and they have a stranglehold on the series, going back to Pittsburgh.

From a Pens fan's perspective, I can't even begin to tell you how frustrating the first two games have been. Chris Osgood has been unreal. His right goal post has been even better.

The last thing I want to do is complain about the officiating. The Pens have had their chances, plenty of them in fact. For large stretches of both games, they were the better team. They haven't caught one bounce yet.

BUT...

Nobody should ever complain about an alleged "Penguins bias" agenda. The Detroit Red Wings get a way with A LOT. Even Pierre McGuire and Ed Olcyzk were smart enough to catch the "mild interference" the Wings run. I won't even mention the non call on Hossa or the Zetterberg covering the puck in the crease (twice) incident.

Stay the course, Pens. Series is a long way from over.

Jacques Martin to right the Hab's ship

The Montreal Canadiens introduced Jacques Martin as their new Head Coach today.

Martin now leaves the Jay Bouwmeester dilemma in Florida for someone else to worry about.

Smart move.

Is this really a good hire?

The guy really hasn't accomplished anything since leaving the Ottawa Senators, and even there, only had moderate success. By "moderate" I mean "regular season."

He's French though, and that seems to be all the media and fans in La Belle Province care about. Good luck with all that.

Lebron James' quick getaway

By now you all know that the Orlando Magic elminated the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 of the NBA's Eastern Conference Finals last week.

And you have all heard about the disappearing act done by Lebron James after the final buzzer sounded in Orlando.

James was off the court, showered, and out of the building in 21 seconds.

Thats not really the way an ambassador, and for all accounts, the face of the NBA, should conduct himself.

First of all, he should have shown a bit of class by congratulation the team that just triumphed over his, with handshakes on the court. They can be half-ass hand shakes... just should have happened one way or the other.

But his biggest mistake was not talking to the media. He will pay for that for a while, in a way that media makes people pay for such things.

Be a man. Face the music. You think you can get away with crap like that when you bolt for New York after next season?

Carlos Zambrano is still a tool

Exhibit # 351...

Roid Rage Central.

Stanley Cup Series Opening Montage by CBC

The guys at CBC are getting really really good at these things. This one is unreal, set to Coldplay's "The Scientist." Man, do I love a good montage.

Rematch City

It writes itself.

The best part about the Wings winning last night is that we don't have to wait 4 months for the Stanley Cup Final to start.

Game 1 is Saturday night. Game 2 is Sunday night. God help us all.

From the Pens perspective, the series can't start soon enough. Niklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk are major cogs in the Red Wing wheel. For those guys to take the last two games of the Conference Finals off, you know they are hurting.

The Pens, by all accounts are healthy heading into the Finals.

Everything that needs to be said has already been said (Does that make sense?).

The big storyline is Marian Hossa. Penguins fans are pissed at him. Call him a traitor. But look. Here are the Penguins back in the Finals, and they did it without him. Not to mention, if Hossa would have signed in Pittsburgh, the Pens salary cap situation would be a mess.

I'm not one of the bitter Penguins fans who hold a grudge against Hossa. Having said that, there would be nothing sweeter than watching him lose again.

I have a lot of good friends who root for Detroit. I wish Stevie Y and Mario were around to battle in this, and last year's series. That would make it even sweeter.

Everybody believes the Pens are a lot more prepared to face the Big Red Machine this year. The fact remains that the Big Red Machine is still a well-oiled powerhouse. This series is going to be great. No prediction from me. Yet. Just more photoshops. (If you have any pro-Wing shops, be sure the send them my way. Just to show i'm not prejudiced).

Wednesday Wrap; Roy spurns Avs, Caps and Nats have roid rage, big games tonight

Wendesday, May 27, 2009

Here are the stories that are making the rounds today...

Patrick Roy turns down the Avalanche coaching job

Roy turned down the job for "family reasons." Fair enough. He also said that the offer was "very interesting", meaning I'm sure that it was worth a boat load of dough.

The Avalanche, by the way, still employ a head coach. His name is Tony Granato. Maybe he doesn't read newspapers, surf the internet, or watch television. Colorado's organization is starting to become a joke.

So by all accounts, it looks like Roy will be back bullying and trying to throw his weight around in the QMJHL again. I'm telling you right now, the Avalanche are better off without him. Roy has the potential to be the Steve Downie of the coaching world.

And yes, that is Stephen Baldwin. The resemeblance is un-canny.

Capitals get linked to steroids

Actually, so did the Washington Nationals, but nobody cares about them, and for good reason.

Strange story coming out of Florida today. A suspected steroid pusher was arrested and then claimed two of his biggest clients were the Caps and Nats. The arrested didn't name any specific players though.

The Capitals public relations team is working overdrive to sweep this story under the rug.

"We have no reason to believe there is any merit to this story, but the National Hockey League and the Washington Capitals take all such allegations seriously," said Capitals president Dick Patrick in a team release. "Capitals players have fully participated in the NHL's random drug testing program, and at no point has a Capitals player tested positive. In addition our players have been tested at international events, such as World Championships and Olympics. We welcome and will fully cooperate with the NHL's investigation."

You had better hope there is no merit to this story, Dick. The entire hockey world would be brought down a peg or two if this turned out to be true.

As of right now, nobody believes that the steroid pusher has an ounce of credibility, and you can't really argue with that logic. But keep in mind, the same was said about Jose Canseco when he named names. Just sayin'.

There has been no evidence uncovered to support this joke's claims, but the investigation continues. Gary Bettman holds his breath. Ted Leonosis eats a cheeseburger.

The Caps must have forgot to take roids before Game 7 vs Pittsburgh two weeks ago.

Tyson's daughter passes away

Mentioned yesterday that Mike Tyson's daughter was on life support after an accidental self strangulation. Sadly, Exodus Tyson was taken off life support yesterday and passed away.

Four years old. Tragedy.

Hopefully Tyson has a solid support group around him, because lets face it, he isn't exactly mentally stable at the best of times, let alone when he's faced with something as tragic as the loss of his daughter.

Here is hoping he surrounds himself with the right people to help him get through this.

NBA and NHL Game 5's tonight

The Chicago Blackhawks need a win to stay alive tonight. One win for the Red Wings and its Stanley Cup Final rematch city.

Lets face it. The Hawks have no hope in the long run. They have to beat the best team in the league three straight times. I can't see how that possibily happens, with or without Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datysuk in the Wings' line up.

Hopefully the Wings can wrap it up tonight, meaning the Finals would start Saturday, instead of in NINE DAYS. Thanks Gary. Real nice piece of work there. You and NBC should get a room.

Over in the NBA, the Lakers and Nuggets take their show to the Staples Centre for Game 5 in the Western Conference Final, series tied at two apiece. I don't know anything about basketball, but figure I would throw that into the blog. That is all.

Pens back to the Stanley Cup Finals

On Valentine's Day, the Penguins were beaten 6-2 by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Times were not good. After that loss, they sat in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings. Things were bleak.

Enter Dan Bylsma.

Last night, the Penguins proved that reaching the Stanley Cup Finals last year was no fluke, with a convincing series sweep over the Carolina Hurricanes, a club that should have been a formidable opponent.

Paul Maurice is still trying to figure out what happened...

There is just something about this years Penguins team.

Regardless of who they play in the Finals, the team will be much better prepared this time around. They won't hand the other team the first two games like they did in Detroit last year. Hopefully Marc-Andre Fleury won't literally stumble out of the gates.

If the Wings finish the Hawks off tonight, the series starts Saturday. If the Hawks prolong the series, we have to wait 3 months for Game 1. I don't want to watch hockey in July.

I called a Finals rematch in February by the way. Just sayin'.

Tuesday Roundup: Oilers find their men, Zezel passes away, Caps lose another Russian

Tuesday, May 26 2009 All today's sports news and my (expert) opinion on it all.

Pat Quinn and/or Tom Renney is/are the new head coach/coachs in Oil Country

In all seriousness, Quinn is the Head Coach, and Renney is there to take the reigns when Quinn gets sick and has to retire. Both are signed to 3 year deals. Former Oiler Kelly Buchberger is the lone member of the old coaching staff to stay on. Charlie Huddy and whoever the other guy is won't be back.

Its an interesting move to say the least. The knock on Quinn in Toronto was that he didn't play the young players enough. Next thing you know he's winning gold medals coaching the World Juniors. Quite a transition, but you can't argue that he hasn't been successful. The young kids in Edmonton should learn a lot from him, and at the very least, be scared to death of him.

RIP Peter Zezel

It was reported out of Toronto early this morning that the former faceoff specialist was clinging to life in a Toronto hospital. Zezel died this afternoon at the age of 44.

He had long been battling a rare blood disorder known as hemolytic anemia, but the recent set back that eventually killed him stemmed from a complication from a surgical procedure late last week.

Zezel was an active memeber of the NHL Alumni Association and donated a great deal of time and money to several different charitable causes.

The Capitals are a little less "red" today

One day after reports that Sergei Fedorov was headed to Mother Russia to finish his career, the Caps are apparently down a second Russian.

Viktor Kozlov has reportedly inked a deal with a KHL team (I dont know which team, because I don't care. Its the KHL).

More and more Russias are going to be doing this, and I'm all for it. Fedorov's career has been over for about 4 seasons now. The KHL seems to be where dead horses go to be slaughtered.

Mike Tyson's daughter fighting for her life

Iron Mike's four year old daughter Exodus is on life support and in extremely critical condition after accidently wrapping a power cord around her neck.

Obviously very tragic... no matter what the outcome I hope Tyson has the mental stability to get through something like this.

Pens on the verge of clinching

Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals is literally about to get underway, with the Penguins one win away from booking a return ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals.

If theres any team that would come back from a 3-0 hole, it would be these Carolina Hurricanes. So far the Canes have been nothing more than a weak breeze, not putting up much of a fight against a rolling Pens team.

I don't see how the Canes get swept. Don't get me wrong, I hope they do, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Having said that... Go Pens!

And then there were four. Observations from NHL Playoffs

Oh hi. Nice to see you again. Its been too long. Just like that, we find ourselves in the Conference Finals in the NHL Playoffs. What an unreal first two rounds this year. Rivalries, storylines coming out of everywhere, and most notably, some GREAT hockey. What a time to be alive. Here are some things I noticed in the first two rounds. Some good, some bad. Annnnnnd begin... 1) Colin Campbell needs to go. The double standard that has existed in terms of suspensions since Campbell took over the disciplinarian job has been maddening. If you haven't been suspended before, you can do whatever you want, ONCE. Thats like saying, I haven't killed anybody yet, but if I wanted to, it'd be ok, because it would be my first offense. Flash back to the first round. Flyers' joke Dan Carcillo on Max Talbot... Ruling: One game suspension Now, the Flames' Mike Cammalleri on Martin Havlat.. Ruling: Nothing. Joke. Carcillo got suspended because of who he is, the same reason Cammalleri didn't. In a way, Cammalleri's punch was a bit more vicious. The league stated that Carcillo was suspended because it was late in a blowout game and he shouldn't have been out there. What difference does that make? Really, Colin? Really? Then he let Scott Walker off with a free pass for his sucker punch on Aaron Ward. Ward didn't defend himself. That doesn't make what Walker did any less brutal. 2. Chris Osgood does not suck. All the guy does is win. Does he have a great team in front of him? Yes. Does he make the team a little bit better? Yes. The guy is a proven winner when it comes to April-June hockey, is loved by his teammates, and the smart fans know he is an asset. Osgoods stats through two rounds: .921 save% 2.06 G.A.A. Bottom line: 8 wins I'd take Osgood on my team anyday. 3. Sidney Crosby does not suck. Neither does Alexander Ovechkin. Perhaps the most ridiculous debate in sports today. Crosby sucks? Are you kidding me? Rag on the guy all you want for being a whiner. But try to convince me or anybody who has inkling of knowledge of the game that he sucks or is overrated. Has he not proven enough already? I mean, really. The same can be said for Alex Ovechkin. He is by far the most exciting player in the game. That does not mean he's the best. He is the best pure goal scorer the game has seen since Brett Hull. He just needs to take that next step as a leader and a teammate. That will come with experience and maturity, something that Crosby has leaps and bounds more of right now. 4. Too much whining. From everyone. The Pens can't win a game without someone saying that Gary Bettman has a fix in. The Canucks fans blame their exit on Gary Bettman wanting the last Canadian team out of the playoffs. Bruce Boo-hoodreau cries after every game because the post-game buffet wasn't big enough. Or the officiating, one of the two. The Ducks were pissed after Game 7. The Wings were pissed after game 5. Shut up, accept that the reason you lost was because you didn't play well enough. Take a page from Stan Van Gundy's book and blame the players for every loss. Well, try and find a happy medium actually. Van Gundy's approach isn't working too well with the Orlando Magic right now. 5. Team Canada 2010 implications. Joe Thornton and Mike Green may have played their way off the team. The hockey world keeps waiting for Thornton to do something in the playoffs. He has been nothing buy abysmal in big games his entire career. The Caps are saying that Mike Green was playing injured during the playoffs. That may be true, but even healthy, Green is at best a marginal defensive player. His 31 goals is certainly sexy, but he may be the worst defensively sound Norris Trophy nominee ever. Cam Ward has most certainly played himself on to the Olympic Team. Since the all-star break, Ward has been the best goaltender in the game, and is the single biggest reason the Hurricanes are in the final four. The guy just has ice in his veins. Never gets rattled. 6. Remember... ... the St. Louis Blues? Calgary Flames? Columbus Blue Jackets? Me neither.

NHL Playoff Picks - Western Conference

Is this the year Joe Thornton and the Sharks finally get over the hump? Maybe Ron Wilson was the problem. Maybe not. The Ducks finished the season strong, but have goaltending issues. Its very likely that J.S. Giguere will at least start the playoffs on the bench. One thing that San Jose doesn't have... is goaltending issues. They do have the issue of big players becoming very very small when the tough gets going. The Ducks will pose a problem, but the Sharks will prevail. Dan Boyle is a beast. Sharks in 6. Columbus finally lands in the playoffs. Congratulations! Enjoy your four games. Red Wings in 4. I don't know if I'm sold on the Canucks. Especially given the Sedins playoff track record. You know that Luongo is going to be solid. If Chris Mason can match Luongo, then I like the Blues chances. A young, talented, hungry, skilled team. Upset blog. Blues in 7. Nobody seems to be giving the Flames a chance. You can't blame the naysayers, what with the way Calgary ended the season. If the Flames injured cavalry can heal quicker than expected, they will have a fighthing chance. For some reason Khabibulin owns the Flames. He's something like 120-1-0 against them in his career. The Hawks are young, and green to boot. The Flames are well seasoned. Coin flip. Blackhawks in 7.

NHL Playoff Picks - Eastern Conference

Complete reversal of last year's series. This time the Big Bad Bruins are the heavy favourites. The Habs over-acheieved last year, thats easy to see now. They were lucky to even get into the playoffs. Carey Price is a headcase. I could go on and on about how the Habs should lose. They'll win one at home.

Bruins in 5.

Everybody loves the Caps. I don't. Jose Theodore vs Henrik Lundqvist. As overrated as Lundqvist is, he's twice the goalie Theodore is. Washington has a long long history of folding in the playoffs. This year will be no different.

It will be a high scoring series, with Lundqvist making more big saves than his Washington counterpart.

Rangers in 7.

This could be one of the best series in a long time. Nobody wants to play the Canes. The Devils limped in. They still have the greatest goalie of all time. Then again, Carolina has the hottest. Theres no way this series goes less than 7 games. The Hurricanes are for real, but have a big whole on defence. For some reason, I'm still taking them. Call it a gut feeling. Hurricanes in 7. Call me a homer. Philly's only chance is if Martin Biron plays unreal and Artus Irbe-like. Crosby and Malkin own the Flyers. Special teams will play a big role. Philly is deadly on the PK, and the Pens better find a way to start scoring on the PP. Gonchar city. Pens in 6.

Podcast!

TEABAGS, GOOD FOR MORE THAN ONE CUP! Mike and Fish join us again as we break our lengthy podcast into two parts. In Part One, we focus on hockey. The upcoming playoffs, teams jockeying for position and more. After the hockey talk in Part One, we pick talking about such things as flamesgirls.com, sports fantasy stories, the Mike Tyson documentary, reality television, various movie talk and more. The podcast thats so good, it needs to be split into two different parts! AS360 Podcast Season 3 - Volume 16 pt. 1 AS360 Podcast Season 3 - Volume 16 pt. 2

Controversial "created" player helps Pens reach playoffs

It is no surprise that the Pittsburgh Penguins have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It is surprising however, that it wasn't Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin that lead the team to the postseason, but a virtual unknown, non-drafted, "created" player by the name of Mark Rose. Rose, no doubt on his way to the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie, put up 135 points this season, thanks in large part to playing on a top line with Crosby and Malkin, and taking valuable powerplay time away from veterans like Petr Sykora and Bill Guerin. "He's had a great year, but I don't think its exactly fair that he just shows up one day, unheard of, and gets to play wing with two of the best players in the world", said Rose's teammate Chris Kunitz, a player who's ice time was drastically reduced due to Rose joining the lineup. Kunitz isn't alone in offering some alarming verbatim towards the created superstar. "Honestly, when I saw him in camp, I thought he was a waterboy," stated Jordan Staal. "It says in his profile that he weighs 185 lbs, but to me, he looks about 160, soaking wet." Rose has caused a storm, both good and bad, in the organization from the day he was signed, thanks in large part to the jersey number he selected: Mario Lemieux's retired 66.

Rose and the Penguins line up for a faceoff against the Wings.

"Why does he get to do that?", Max Talbot quipped. "I show up for practice one day, and Mario's banner is down from the rafters, and this kid shows up wearing 66. I don't think its right. But for whatever reason, he's allowed to do whatever he wants. Its like (General Manager) Ray Shero has no control over him. Its almost like the kid is making every single decision from a wireless controller or something." Still, with the numbers the created Rose has put up, his teammates have begrudgingly accepted him. "Do I have a problem with losing minutes to this nobody?", asked Ruslan Fedotenko. "Of course. I'm on the 4th line now, or sometimes a healthy scratch. But we ran away with the East this year, so I guess I can't complain too much", he concluded. Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that during the offseason, Rose will be playing third base for the Pittsburgh Pirates. "I guess he can play baseball too, what a shock", said an obviously annoyed Matt Cooke. "I'm only allowed to golf in the offseason. Any other kind of physical exertion in the summer, and I void my contract. But once again I guess he's above the law here." Unlike the Penguins, the Pirates appear to welcoming Rose with open arms. "Obviously, we need all the help we can get," stated Adam LaRoche, the only current Pirate you've ever heard of.

Atlanta Thrashers PSA: Hockey Players and Bad Commercials

This video has been making the rounds the past couple of days. The Thrashers do a mock public service announcement and address a growing concern around the league... players appearing in commercials.

Meet the St. Louis Cardinals biggest fan

Outstanding.

Podcast! - 2009 MLB Preview

Due to technical difficulties, the National League preview has been lost forever. But we're here to lend you our expertise for the Junior Circuit. Fish is back to help us out, along with Mike (I don't know his last name). 2009 MLB Season Preview Podcast Post your predictions for the upcoming season in the comments or on our Facebook group, which can be found HERE.

Tuukka Rask loses his damn mind

Providence Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask doesn't take too kindly to getting beat on two controversial shootout goals in AHL action last night versus Albany. And by "doesn't take too kindly," I mean "goes berserk."

Podcast! (like a boss)

March Madness is front and center this week as we discuss the bracket, snubs, surprises, and all. Fish also gives some touching insight into his March Madness traditions. From there, its on to Brian Kilrea's career winding down, Jay Cutler's panties being in a bunch, and some unreal trivia. Not to mention... the return of Seyi. No big deal.

AroundSports360 Podcast - Volume 3 Episode 14b

Podcast!

We discuss the Crosby vs Ovechkin rivalry, the Canadiens coaching change, the mysterious World Baseball Classic, and some potpourri. Best part of all, is all-you-can-eat TRIVIA at the end. Fish is back again to help us out. Give us a listen and post your comments. Or else we will kill you. Podcast - Season 3, Episode 13

Podcast! - Trade Deadline Special

The return of Fish! He and Darryl Sutter stole the show... Winners, losers, and all the rest that the 2009 edition of the NHL Trade Deadline had offer. Probably the best podcast ever in the history of life! Count it. NHL Trade Deadline Podcast - Wednesday March 4/09