What got them there? Well honestly a resilient offense and timely goaltending from someone not named Martin Brodeur for most of the season is what got the Devils to this point. When Brodeur went down on November 1st…did anyone expect them to be in this position? No! Scott Clemmensen did an incredible job under the worst circumstances with 25 wins for Jersey. However he did tail off the last 10 days sort of like he did the first 10. Patrik Elias has 65 points for the team and Zach Parise has 73 points. The Devils, in all, have scored 186 goals in 61 games which is good for 3.05 goals per game. As an oh by the way Jamie Langenbrunner, the captain has chipped in with 52 points including 19 goals and 5 GWG’s….he is a clutch man when clutch is needed. Travis Zajac in his third year also has 52 points which has been a huge surprise for a team that did not expect quite that much from him.

Now what got them there to me is a simple philosophy that quite a few people forgot about. That started during last year’s playoff series in Game 3 where the Devils decided to play a little more of a run and gun style. They would go on to lose to the Rangers in five games but it set the stage for this season. Signing Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik helped play a big part in that. Now they have not produced in the way expected but they have been effective. Effective works as most know! Still this team does have some needs and that is a cold reality as team vie for the Stanley Cup come April.

What they need? It looks like the team needs a defenseman for starters. The goaltending is obviously covered. Never hurts to have an all-world netminder….ever! Ideally the Devils need a two way defenseman to create some more offense while being able to muscle guys out of Brodeur’s way. A guy like Jay-Bo wouldn’t hurt but the reality may dictate more a return of Scott Niedermayer or Jordan Leopold and even that might not be all that likely. After all, that is the whole point of a wish list. You wish for it but it does not mean you will get it. Sad commentary on life that your team cannot always get what they want.

This team could use another scoring forward especially if Brian Gionta really is as digruntled as people have said. That of course depends on who you read and who you ask. The Devils could bring up someone from Lowell if they really had to. It would not hurt to get a little younger as Gionta is having a nice season but should have just about a point a game with who he is playing. He did nearly score 50 once but that seems like eons ago! Rolson has also been a bit of a disappointment in that sense…people just expected more I guess. Maybe it will come next year but for chemistry’s sake a 2nd line scorer couldn’t hurt. Who could they get? Well Gabork is out…how about maybe a Tim Connolly perhaps. Time will tell.

What Will They Get? Not sure truthfully….there are so many wild rumors out there that usually the quiet ones are hard to gauge. This time of year really is like a “Christmas” of sorts for teams as they find out what they will have to work with as they go into battle for the Stanley Cup! Leopold might be the most practical and affordable but will the Devils have enough “goods” to aim higher? Brian Gionta and a pick or two, toss in a Pandolfo and the Devils might be able to address their needs. Then again the trade deadline is like high stakes poker….sometimes you have to go all in to get what you want.

Come Wednesday Evening we will see what the Devils wind up getting. Will it be enough? I do not know but surely we will be back with analysis of the Devils Trade Deadline as well as the NHL Trade Deadline. Enjoy the hockey till then!

The game was scattered with missed opportunities for both teams.  The Pens played well and looked sharp, but for the longest time could not find the net to save their lives.  The Netminders were very impressive, Yann Danis stopped 27 shots for the Islanders and Marc-Andre Fleury had 21 saves in his shutout performance.  It was Petr Sykora who snapped the scoreless tie with 2:28 remaining in the third period, lifting the Penguins to the 1-0 triumph over the Islanders.

The goal may have been Pittsburgh’s biggest score of the season because it keeps them right in the hunt. A loss or overtime loss to the Islanders would have been a crushing defeat.  To a team struggeling to find its identity this late in the season. 

The Penguins did climb a little higher in the standings with the win but there is no time to stop and rest. Now the Penguins will embark on an 11-day road trip through Chicago, Dallas, Tampay Bay, Florida and Washington. This will be a critical week in the Penguins season and the playoffs are on the line.

A Roadtrip like this is what will make or break the Pens this season.  Even though only 5 points seperate them from the 5th place Monreal Canadiens, they seem far removed from the Easten Conference Champions of last year.

Over the past 13 seasons, the New Jersey Devils have won three Stanley Cups, only the Detriot Red Wings have won more in that time. The Devils have made the playoffs 11 consecutive seasons and had 11 consecutive 40-plus win seasons, never finishing with less than 95 points and breaking the 100 point barrier in nine of those eleven seasons. So why would everyone doubt one of the most successful franchises in sports over the past 15 years? You gt me!

The Devils will return from the All-Star break sitting atop the Atlantic Division with 61 points (29-15-3), one point ahead of the New York Rangers and two points ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers. The Devils have been able to achieved this, despite being without Martin Brodeur for 37 games and free agent signings Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik for 18 games a piece. So here is a look back at the first half and how the Devils have gotten to where they are?

MVP: Zach Parise / Patrick Elias
Zach Parise has become one of the best young NHL stars and Patrick Elias has once again become one of the NHL elite players. For the first time, maybe ever, their could be two Devils who finish the year in the top 10 in scoring in the league.

Parise, whose 28 goals ranks him 3rd behind Ovechkin and Carter, is currently 7th in the league with 55 points, while Elias ranks 9th with 54 points. The best part is they play on different lines, giving the other teams fits and the Devils two scoring lines.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Travis Zajac
Zajac’s 15 goals and 21 assists already surpass his numbers from last season and with 35 games remaining he should easily break his career high of 42 points. Of late, Zajac has been the hot stick for the Devils as he has 5 goals and 3 assists in the past 7 games. Best of all has been his improvement on defense playing at a plus-19 compared to last seasons minus-11 rating.

BIGGEST SUPRISE: Scott Clemmensen
When the season started Scott Clemmensen was barely on the Devils radar. He would be headed to Lowell and spend time there all season and be an insurance policy. Well the Devils cashed in that insurance policy and more than they expected.

Not only has Clemmensen come in and held down the fort, he has asserted his presence. The Devils goal, who may have been snubbed for a trip to the All-Star game, has put up Brodeurian numbers in the absence of the star goaltender. Clemmensen is 7th in the league in wins (19), 6th in Goal-Against-Average (2.29) and 8th in save percentage (.922).

Now the big questions are, can he keep it up and what will the Devils do once Marty comes back at the end of February? Who will go and who will stay? One thing is for certain, Clemmensen will see a nice pay day from some team next season.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Jay Pandolfo
The long time Devil signed a three year 7.5M dollar contract over the summer and now with the signing of Brendan Shanahan, Pandolfo is watching the games from the press box.

He and long time linemate, John Madden, have been separated for most of the season and when he has played of late he has only seen time of late on the fourth line. There has been speculation of trading Pandolfo, but he will be difficult to move in the salary cap era.

TRADE DEADLINE: To Trade or not to trade, that is the question?
The Devils added Brendan Shanahan and may be happy with the depth they now have at the forward position. The defense has been underrated all year, but their solid play has the Devils ranked 5th in the league on defense. But GM Lou Lamiriello has been known to always add a veteran to the mix at the trade deadline. Looking back Lamiriello has brought in defenseman like Bryce Salvador, Jason Weimer, Phil Housley, Shawn Chambers and Vladmir Malakhov at the dealine and I would expect him to do the same. Except for Malakhov, there is one thing that ties all these players together. Lou got them for cheap and without breaking up the current roster.

THE FUTURE: Five things to look out for in the second half
Here are a few things to look out for after the all-star break:
1) Can John Madden keep it going? The Devils center has struggled all year and has been rumored in trades for a few weeks. Since Shanahan has joined the team, Madden has 1 goal,6 assists and a plus-6 rating in the past five games. Now can he keep playing the way he has of late, or will the Devils look to move him at the trade deadline?
2) Will Parise be the first Devil to score 50 goals in a season and will he or Elias break the 100 point plateau? Parise is on pace for 95 points and 48 goals, just short of the two marks.
3) How much of a difference will Shanahan make? He scored in his first game, but his presence may be felt far more than just on the score sheet.
4) Will Lou stand still or make a move? As we already stated, will Lou add a veteran blueliner or will he look for a 3rd line centerman to play with his wingers Rolston, Shanahan and Clarkson.
5) How will Brodeur play when he returns? He has never been out of the line-up for this long in his career. Will the rest help him and have him fresh for the playoffs or will he come back not in top form and send the Devils into a funk.

WHAT IS UP NEXT: The homestretch begins.
The Devils will come back from the all-star break with two road games at Ottawa and Boston and then play seven of eight on home ice. Scott Clemmensen and the Devils will need to try and put some distance between them and the Rangers and Flyers, while they await the return of Brodeur between February 26th and March 7th.

With 35 games remaining the Devils have nine divisional games left, including three against the Islanders and two against the Flyers, Rangers and Penguins. The Devils will not be doing much traveling the remainder of the season, as their furthest trip is a game at Chicago on March 27th. Besides that game every game will be played in the eastern time zone.

With the recent losing streak the Pittsburgh Penguins have been on, it is no surprise that everyone is looking to GM Ray Shero to make some moves to help the team get out of the midseason slump they are in.

I believe that prior to the trade deadline, Shero will be under a bit of pressure to make all the necessary changes to get the team back on track, similar to what he did by bringing Marian Hossa on board last season.

Although I believe that the team has a wealth of talent to work with, a few changes need to be made for them to become the Stanley Cup contending team they once were that led them to within two games of winning the Cup last season.

With all the new players the Penguins acquired during the offseason, they failed to pick up a replacement to fill the skates of Ryan Malone. I believe this is definitely one area where the Penguins are lacking and it has had a big impact on their success as a whole.

Malone was a huge presence in front of the net which was one of the keys to the team’s achievements last season. They initially were looking to Jordan Staal to move into this role, however, he still needs time to develop such skills.

Another important role they neglected to fill was that of a veteran leader which was eliminated with the departure of Gary Roberts and more recently Daryll Sydor. The majority of this team is made up of younger players who obviously still need the experience of a veteran to guide them through the normal highs and lows of a season.

The coaching staff may be another area that the organization will be forced to look at. The media and a lot of the fans have been quick to point the finger at head coach Michel Therrien and special teams coach Mike Yeo. However, I believe if they choose to go this route it will be Yeo who takes the brunt of the blame.

After all, it is the Penguins’ power play that currently seems to be one of the biggest problems for this team.

Regardless of what changes are made, it is abundantly clear that they are necessary for the Penguins to climb their way back up the Eastern Conference standings in order to even make it to the playoffs.

Games:

10/27/08- Islanders 2, New York Rangers 4

10/30/08- Islanders 3, Philadelphia Flyers 4

11/01/08- Islanders 4, Montreal Canadiens 5

New and Notes:

- The Islanders suffered one of the worst meltdowns in franchise history against the Canadiens, allowing Montreal to score four goals in the third period in a comeback victory.

- Starting goalie Rick Dipietro underwent knee surgery to repair a meniscus tear and will be lost for an undetermined period of time.  In his stead, Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis will attempt to hold down the fort.

- C Frans Nielsen has shown signs of improvement as of late.  He has four points in ten games this season.

- D Mark Streit continue to be one of the few bright spots on the Island.  He has recorded points in each of the last five games.

- Hulking LW Mitch Fritz had an impressive scrap against one of the league’s most feared enforcers, Georges Laraque, Saturday night.  He may see more ice time as the Islanders attempt to infuse more toughness in their lineup. 

This Week’s Games:

11/3/08- vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

11/4/08- vs. New York Rangers

11/6/08- vs. Atlanta Thrashers

11/8/08 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Games:

10/23/08- Islanders 3, Dallas Stars 5

10/25/08- Islanders 3, Carolina Hurricanes 4

News and Notes:

- The Islanders set a club record for shots on goal in a game (60) against Carolina. 

- Starting goalie Rick Dipietro apparently injured himself again during the Carolina game.  His inability to stay healthy is proving a huge source of frustration to both him and fans of the team.  He’s scheduled to visit a doctor on Monday for his undisclosed injury and will miss the game against the rival New York Rangers at least.  Joey MacDonald, seeing more work than either he or anybody else ever thought he would, will get the start and be backed up by minor league goaltender Yann Danis.

- D Mark Streit has been red hot as of late.  He recorded four points in games this week.

- C Doug Weight has brought more than just scoring ability with him.  He absolutely crushed Carolina’s Brandon Sutter with a clean open ice check, knocking him out of the game on Saturday night.

- D Brendan Witt left the Dallas game with a leg injury.  His return date is uncertain and he leaves a gaping hole in the Islanders’ defensive corps.  The team hopes Andy Sutton will be able to return shortly from his preseason hand surgery to bolster the toughness factor on the blue line.

Next Week’s Games:

10/27/08- vs. New York Rangers

10/30/08- vs. Philadelphia Flyers

11/1/08- vs. Montreal Canadiens

Games:

10/10/08- Islanders, 1, New Jersey Devils 2

10/11/08- Islanders 5, St. Louis Blues 2

10/13/08- Islanders 1, Buffalo Sabres 7

10/16/08- Islanders 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 3

10/18/08- Islanders 0, Florida Panthers 2

New and Notes:

- The big story thus far has been the inactivity of franchise goalie Rick Dipietro. He finally received his first start of the year against Florida on Saturday night and let in a goal early on. However, he settled down afterwards and played reasonably well, keeping the Islanders in the game.

- G Joey MacDonald, the back up goaltender who was expected to play very little this season, has been holding down the fort for Dipietro. He was a surprising 2-2 over the four games he played and looked good in every contest except against Buffalo. Islander fans should breathe a little easier knowing that their second string netminder is not actually half bad.

- D Bruno Gervais leads all defensemen in scoring with three assists. He appears to be playing with more confidence, something New York desperately needs him to do.

- LW Trent Hunter has surprised many observers, notching four goals in the first five games. Hunter is expected to be an important part of the Islanders’ future and fans hope the fact that he seems to have rediscovered his scoring touch will continue.

- C Doug Weight has delivered upon the promise that he would improve the power play. He has three power play points already.

Next Week’s Games:

10/23/08- vs. Dallas Stars

10/25/08- vs. Carolina Hurricanes

Anyway, what I watched was a fiercely disputed game that showcased Toronto’s Vesa Toskala and New York’s Steve Valiquette.

There were plenty of chances at either end of the rink, including several posts by each team. The score could have been much more inflated had the two netminders not been razor-sharp.

Anyway, here’s some things I noticed, from both teams:

• Scott Gomez is ridiculously fast! Unless the Leafs are particularly slow, which they didn’t appear to be save for a few individuals, Gomez is simply lightning quick. I’m surprised he doesn’t score more goals, since he seems to be able to win individual footraces against the likes of Tomas Kaberle… Gomez should definitely be taught to shoot rather than pass…
• Vesa Toskala might blow the Leafs’ chances at landing Tavares or Hedman. Really! He’ll end up winning some of those tight games, and with a bit of improvement on his shootout play, the Leafs will wind up in about 6th from the bottom. Maybe they will go after Brayden Schenn???
• Toronto has no star power up front. This team was full of a bunch of over-hyped youngsters like Nikolai Kulemin and Michail Grabovski, and then you had the third and fourth line type players who filled out the roster. It’s very bad when your marquee forwards are Nik Antropov and uhm…
• Steve Valiquette is capable of starting more games than the Rangers give him. His sheer size is intimidating to shooters, and he covers a lot of the net. I think this is key, to keep Henrik Lundqvist fresh and healthy. It’s nice to see that Valiquette can win a tight game. The Leafs were very intent on winning last night, but Valiquette kept his composure, and was rarely forced to make any “lucky” saves.
• Toronto has a surprisingly good pickup in Johan Frogren. He didn’t figure much on the stats sheet, but he played a very solid defensive game, especially against some of the Rangers’ quicker guys, like Nikolai Zherdev. Frogren seemed to find good lines of attack in his coverage. I’m not sure he can be considered as good of a pickup as that Fabian Brunnstrom guy in Dallas, but it’s a nice move for a rebuilding team…

Anyway, as you can no doubt tell, I’m trying to view things as objectively as possible. The Rangers are having a great season, but last night was a far closer game than I expected. Clearly we still have plenty of room for improvement, mainly in terms of finishing scoring chances. Tonight’s game against Detroit should show if Lundqvist’s presence in goal gives the team more confidence in initiating rushes. I’m predicting the Rangers win 4-2.

Key Players: Lundqvist, Naslund, Rozsival

Reports suggest that he died of cardiac failure. At the arena, there are questions as to the condition of the defibrullator equipment that could possibly have re-started his heart, but so far, there is nothing concrete. Adding to the tragedy, it appears as though an ambulance, which is always present at hockey games, had already left the arena, and had to be re-called. It took a reported 17-20 minutes to get Alexei to the hospital. He was pronounced dead on arrival.

Cherepanov was a highly skilled player, who surpassed the rookie goal scoring record of 17, set by Pavel Bure. He was, by all accounts, playing amazing hockey this season, his last year under contract to Avangard Omsk. It was expected he would attempt to make the Rangers squad next season.

From his agent Jay Grossman, it seems as though Cherepanov and Jaromir Jagr had just finished a shift where they had a two-on-one attempt thwarted. Jagr had apparently been speaking to Cherepanov about how they should have scored on their opportunity, when Cherepanov collapsed. TV footage then shows absolute chaos on the Avangard Omsk bench, as players, coaches and medical staff attempted to revive Alexei. Tragically, they were unsuccessful.

My favourite memories of Alexei were from the World Junior Championships in Leksands, where he tallied 3 goals and 3 assists in 6 games en route to a silver medal. He simply oozed raw talent and skill, and looked to enjoy the game as much as Alexander Ovechkin does. I was thrilled when the Rangers saw him fall from a consensus top-5 draft pick to land in New York at 17th overall.

Perhaps most fitting is that Alexei had scored the first goal of the game on Monday. He went out doing what he loved.

REST IN PEACE AC! You will be missed!

Someone forgot to tell the Leafs who the night was supposed to belong to. Although the first period was pretty much a one sided affair, with Detroit gaining multiple scoring chances and almost scoring on multiple occasions on a shaky Vesa Toskala. Unfortunately, near the end of the period Detroit’s sloppy play in their own end finally backfired as Chris Osgood, who had played great up to that point, shoveled the puck blindly into the slot for ‘johnny-on-the-spot’ Pavel Kubina. That goal was the start of a huge momentum swing for the young Leafs, who went on to win the contest 3-2, with rookie Nikolai Kulemin scoring the game winning goal at 7:25 of the third period.

One thing that was refreshingly different for the Leafs was their aggressive play. This has not been a strong point the past few seasons, but it seems that rugged Ron Wilson’s system is starting to rub off in a good way. A pinching Pavel Kubina’s first period body check on Thomas Holmstrom, might have led to a great scoring chance by a streaking Marian Hossa, but it set the tone for more physical Leafs play to come. Jonas Frogren also displayed some grit as well.

There were two more aspects of this evening that were worth noting for Leafs: One was the play of their second and third forward lines.  The Line of Dominic Moore, Nikolai Kulemin and Alex Steen was by far the best Leaf line of the night; with Moore and Kulemin gaining multiple offensive chances. The line of Tlusty,Grabovsky and Hagman showed great excitement as well. The second bright spot was the play of heralded rookie defenseman Luke Schenn. He has a lot of hype to live up to, but he continues to do a great job of playing within himself; body checking and playing sound defense whenever possible.

The likelihood that the Maple Leafs will win a Eastern Conference playoff spot when the Regular season ends, is very slim, but this is just a small step in the right direction, for a franchise in desperate need of showing their loyal fans that the future is finally worth looking towards.

On the other hand, the Redwings will toss this opening loss aside and contend for the Cup yet again. The fact that they continue to outshoot the opponents and play that maddening puck-control game bodes well for them. One thing is for sure, they need to work on play in their own end, and breaking the puck out more smoothly. Marian Hossa was a bright spot in his first game as a Detroit Redwing, earning great scoring chances with hard work and amazing speed. The Viking look-alike, Thomas Holmstrom also got off to a great start, scoring both Detroit goals while again entrenching himself in and around Toskala’s crease.

Avery was signed to four-year contract on July 2nd, and brings with him a fierce attitude that will fit in nicely with the Stars already aggressive bunch. Avery comes from the New York Rangers where he finished last season with 15 goals and 18 assists in just 57 regular season games. He did have quite the playoffs, as he had 4 goals and 3 assists in eight games.

Dallas fans have to like the idea of Sean Avery teaming up with Brenden Morrow and Steve Ott. This will make for a nice balance of rough lines that teams will certainly have to be aware of when they take on the Stars.

Avery is not just a physical player, but also one who can attack the net and make those around him better because of the presence he brings. The Stars reported that he is exactly the type of player that will complement their style of play.

The Stars have been locking up players they feel will not only make an impact this year but for the next few seasons, and that is what they believe Avery will deliver. This kind of firepower has to have the Stars as a favorite to make tons of noise in the 2008-2009 season, and it will be exciting to watch this team perform especially with the addition of Sean Avery.

The fact the Fernandez is working out at the Bruins annual development camp shows what type of player he is and that leadership should not go unnoticed. With the 2008-2009 season being a contract year for Fernandez, he is out to prove why he was and still is an elite NHL goaltender.

The Bruins players are seeing just what Fernandez is to the team, as he is working hard to get back. That is a lost trait it seems like in the world of sports and while Fernandez understands he must be patient in his return, there is so much more he can provide Boston with in terms of leadership and guidance. Especially for the prospects, as having veteran leadership is something that we see all the time that makes teams as successful as they are.

Sure the young talent is the future, but experience goes a very long way especially in the NHL. So I think a lot of Bruins fans are anxious to see what the upcoming season will bring for Manny Fernandez because he is the type of guy you want around, and in the Bruins case back.

To be honest with you I consider Ryan Malone a good forward, while he may not enter in the elite category of the NHL he can still raise some eyebrows.

But don’t you think 7 million dollars a season is just too much for a guy that has not yet produced over 70 points?

In my opinion I believe Tampa bay will either sink or swim during the next season.

Either way it should be fun for everyone to see Steven Stamkos play along with Vinny Lecavalier, Ryan Malone, Dan Boyle and Martin St. Louis.

The Montreal Canadiens are heading into draft day so far without signing any of their RFA’s or UFA’s. With the top priority for the Habs being the Mark Streit situation, there has been no news since the end of the Habs post season campaign. One has to think that Gainey is up to something.

Mats Sundin–who the Canadiens tried to acquire at the trade deadline–has yet to make up his mind about his future, or has he?
David Shoalts of The Globe and Mail wrote an article called “Sundin Coy About Future”. In this article Mats Sundin was asked if he was going to retire or return to the Maple Leafs, Sundin replied,

“I do think I have a lot of different options I can explore. I think I still want to end my career as a Toronto Maple Leaf. Saying that though, the way the situation is right now, I don’t have everything in my control either.”

Sundin went on to say,

“There’s got to be a mutual agreement there. And as I said, I don’t have anything I can say about what’s going to happen next year yet. I don’t know. Obviously what’s going to happen in Toronto is very interesting, and it’s going to affect my decision in the future.”

When Sundin was asked when he thought his decision would be made, Sundin had this to say,

“In the next month or so, I guess.”

Wow. For someone who said in late February that he wanted to stay in Toronto he sure changed his mind quick.

If Sundin becomes a UFA come July 1, Montreal will surely knock on his door again. Sundin made $5.5 million last season and if one reads between the lines he will want more to play next year. Will the Habs clear some space to accommodate him? I believe so.

With Bob Gainey studying what’s happening around the league right now, is he also planning something? Gainey has a plethora of young players to sign and his pick in this year’s draft to go along with a potentially un-happy goalie in Jaroslav Halak to deal with. Will Gainey make something happen at the draft and worry about signing players after the draft to see what he has left?

There are rampant reports in Montreal that the Tampa Bay Lightning could be preparing a trade including Vincent Lecavalier and Evgeni Artyukhin. Could Gainey be secretly in on this deal? With the sale of the Bolts being imminent, I find it hard to believe that the new owners wouldn’t want Lecavalier’s star power on the team but they could also want to start their own team with Steve Stamkos expected to be their pick in this year’s draft.

Then there is the Marian Hossa sweepstakes which will commence on July 1, 2008. Hossa will be the most sough after UFA this summer. With most likely almost all the 30 teams in the NHL already talking to his agent, Hossa will have exactly what he wants. Gainey also went after Hossa at the trade deadline. Will he attempt to sign Sundin and Hossa? Is Gainey preparing something at the draft to enable him to do so?

The goalie situation is also interesting. With Carey Price being the franchise goalie it and the Habs needing an experienced goalie to help Price develop and provide some relief duties, will Gainey go after disgusted goalie Olaf Kolzig? Kolzig was basically replaced buy Christobal Huet when the Canadiens traded him there at the deadline. Kolzig has said that he will not be returning to the Washington Capitals.

TSN wrote an article on Kolzig, when asked about his feelings on how the turn of event affected him Kolzig replied,

“For me it was disappointing the way it ended. It’s unfortunate because they have a good team here now. It’s a fantastic team, fantastic group of guys. Not to be part of that is going to be tough, especially after 17 years and three years of what we went through post lock out.”

When Kolzig was asked about his future he had this to say,

“I haven’t completely made up my mind. For me it’s all about my family. The situation has to be good for my family. I still feel that I can be a dominant goalie in this league. If the offer is not out there…. I’ll just sit by the pool with a six-pack.”

It is too quiet in Montreal right now. Nothing is going on. Some are speculating that there is something going on. Gainey could be setting the table to do something at the draft to either set his team up to sign a couple of UFA’s (Sundin, Hossa) or acquire a player to entice one or both of those players to come to Montreal. Gainey has to make his team better than last year as all NHL eyes will be on the Habs considering all the celebrations planned for this year.

Colin Wilson – C-6′1, 215 lbs.-Shoots Left

There is much speculation about the future NHL career of Colin Wilson. Scouts seem to view him as either a solid, two-way forward with potential or a big time bust waiting to happen. There are certain aspects of Wilson that are indisputable, though: He does possess NHL-caliber size, is strong in protecting the puck and is reliable defensively. His scoring ability may be limited, but many draft observers like his power in driving to the net and the fact that eschews fancy moves in order to net the puck in an expedient fashion. However, concerns linger over whether he will ever be more than third line player for many teams.

How he’d help: The Islanders are one of the few NHL rosters that does not field a legitimate first line center. This dearth of talent makes almost any prospect who can play the position attractive. Nevertheless, Wilson’s upside seems too low to spend a top 5 pick for and New York will almost certainly look elsewhere to address it’s needs.

Lafleur said in his column that both Saku Koivu and Alex Kovalev will be unrestricted free agents after next season. He went on to say that the Habs should re-sign Kovalev and let Koivu go. Lafleur had a few comments to add,

“I have the conviction that Kovalev is more useful to the Canadiens than the captain, especially if Kovalev continues to play as he did this year.”

 

Lafleur also had this to add,

“Not that Koivu doesn’t have his place on the team or that he hasn’t given everything to the Habs during his career in Montreal. But business is business and the best possible team must be given to the fans. In this regard Koivu is an excellent (chip) who could bring interesting dividends (in return).”

Saku Koivu is slated to make $250,000 more than Kovalev this year at $4,750,000.

Perhaps some agree that this must happen. Maybe some do not agree.

Something to take note of in the case of Mr. Lafleur, these recent comments about the Habs are coming from the same person who commented earlier this past season that the Canadiens were a team with 4 fourth lines and wouldn’t accomplish much. I guess Lafleur ate his words at the end of the season.

Alex Kovalev has undoubtedly the most talent on the Habs roster. Saku Koivu is talented but also has the  most heart on the team. If the Canadiens were to re-sign the talent and not the heart, they would have to replace it. Sure there are some players on the Canadiens who have heart. Unfortunately most of those players don’t have the talent or sheer determination that Koivu has.

Some numbers of note for Guy Lafleur:

Drafted first overall in the 1971 amateur draft by the Habs.

3 Art Ross Trophies

2 Hart Memorial Trophies

1 Conn Smythe Trophy

3 Lester B. Pearson Trophies

5 Stanley Cups

These stats are impressive but do they make him an expert in today’s NHL? Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But like I said if the Habs do not tender a contract to Koivu they will have to replace his talent as well as his determination.

The top blue-line prospect for the Canucks had a promising future in the NHL. Unfortunately for us the fans, we will not get the chance to see Bourdon flourish in the NHL.

Prayers and best wishes go out to the Bourdon family as well as the Canucks organization and their minor league team the Manitoba Moose.

This is a sad day to say the least. I hope that the NHL will help the Bourdon family in whatever aspect it can.

First off, Habs gm Bob Gainey was selected as best gm this year by his peers. This according to RDS. This latest news for Gainey should be even more evidence for Habs fans as their own gm has been chosen amongst 29 other gm’s and by 29 other gm’s as the best among them. Bob Gainey is slowly but surely making the Canadiens an organization of the future. Perhaps it is not going fast enough for some fans but consider this, why would all the other general managers in the NHL vote Gainey as gm of the year? Gainey has accomplished almost all of what he wanted too, almost. Good for the rest of the league’s gm’s for noticing.

Secondly also according to RDS, Pierre Boivin President of the Montreal Canadiens, was not surprised to learn that his gm Bob Gainey was voted as the best gm of the year. When asked about the Habs Boivin had this to say,

“We have a direction and we are respecting it. Our goal is to have a competitive team for years to come.”

When Boivin was asked about what the chances of the Canadiens obtaining a free agent starting July 1, were he had this to say,

“The most important thing is that we are close. Before we were not even in the race.”

Pierre Boivin thinks that his team has a good chance to land a free agent or two because of the succes of his team in the regular season and told RDS this,

“When you finish third in the league, and first in your conference, you are one of the best teams. We can’t control the choice of individual players but we will be in the running for sure.”

RDS questioned Boivin about the fact that some Russians might go back and play in the new Russian league and that they could lose Andrei Kostitsyn and had this to say,

“We’ll do everything we can to keep our players. Our Russians had a good season. In that group we have leaders and players which are still developing so we will keep them with us.”

Another article by RDS states that impending Restricted free agent Andrei Kostitsyn wants to stay in Montreal. This is a good thing as Kostitsyn still has alot to offer the Habs and it would be a shame if they lost him.

The Cincinnati Cyclones–a Canadiens affiliate team in the ECHL–has made it to the final series, winning their first three series 4-0, 4-3 after being down in the series 3-2 and 4-1. During the regular season the Cyclones had a record of 55-12-1-4 giving them 115 points and the triple crown consisting of winning their division, conference and being the number one team in the league. The cyclones are in the final against the Las Vegas Wranglers and will try to bring home the Patrick J. Kelly trophy. Currently after two games the series is tied 1-1.

Even if the Cyclones don’t win the trophy, it is more proof that Bob Gainey is making the Habs an organization to be proud of and not just a team. Last year the minor team of the Habs the Hamilton Bulldogs won the Calder trophy, now the Cylcones have a chance to win their league’s respective trophy. Bob Gainey deserved to win the best gm in the league. Perhaps the Cyclones might not win but at least they made it to the final. The Habs now have to get past the second round next year, and with talent still in Hamilton and Cincinnati, the future looks bright.

Sure, it was a 19 game playoff run, but it didn’t do much for the development of the future Toronto Maple Leafs.

Jiri Tlusty, he of nude photography fame, scored a whopping two goals in 19 post-season games. Yikes. Even Andy Wozniewski managed to score four. Tlusty’s playoff disappearing act certainly doesn’t bode well for the future, although it’s not like he and the Leafs will be playing in playoff games anytime soon.

Speaking of two, that’s how many playoff games Justin Pogge, the franchise’s anointed goaltender of the future, the goaltending prospect the brains upstairs chose over Tuukka Rask, started out of 19. Yeah, that’s really going to help him develop into a top-flight NHL calibre goalie. Well done coach Greg Gilbert, well done.

Alex Foster, who I believe got into a few games with the big club a few months ago, also contributed a measly two goals.

So did Jay Harrison, but he added 10 assists and was one of the few bright spots for the Marlies. Where the was this guy this past season? How is it humanly possible that Andy Wozniewski made the Toronto Maple Leafs – Andy Wozniewski! – out of training camp, and Staffan Kronwall got the call when Carlo Colaiacovo went down with his annual season-ending injury, while Harrison was toiling in the minors? Ridiculous. Straight ridiculous.

If you’re wondering, John Mitchell led the Marlies in goal scoring with eight and David Ling led the team with 17 points. For the full scoring breakdown, check out the layout.

A serious lack of discipline devastated the Marlies against Chicago. The Wolves averaged more than eight power plays a game in the five game series and they made Toronto pay, scoring 10 power play goals on 41 opportunities. Last night they were 3-for-9 with the man advantage. In contrast, the Marlies scored two power play markers all series. It’s pretty obvious the Marlies are the farm team of the Leafs. Much like the big club the Marlies can’t score on the power play or kill penalties, either. Idiots.

In my honest and ever-important opinion, Greg Gilbert should be fired for choosing to play Scott Clemmensen ahead of Pogge. It was an absurd decision and one that could only be allowed to happen under this franchise. Someone – i.e. Cliff Fletcher – should have stepped in and made sure Pogge was between the pipes. What you have here is another, might I add shining, example of Toronto Maple Leafs player development. Textbook MLSE development. You know how we do.

The optimist in me wants to believe that Pogge won 50% of the games he started, and that Tlusty, who finished fifth on the team in playoff scoring with 10 points, is going to be one fine NHLer. But the realist in me knows that Tlusty went AWOL, that a great opportunity to see what Pogge could have done has been lost, and that this franchise is being run by some people who clearly don’t know what the they are doing.

I need a drink.

Mikkel Boedker-RW-5′11, 201 lbs.-Shoots Left

Mikkel Boedker is considered to be among the top offensive prospects available in the 2008 Draft behind Steve Stamkos and Nikita Filatov. A gifted playmaker, he also possesses top-notch quickness and a laser accurate shot. He recently posted 6 points in 6 games during the World Juniors Championships, proving he has the ability to perform on a big stage. Boedker is a hard worker who toils constantly to improve his game. However, two major detriments to him being drafted are his lack of elite defensive skills and an unwillingness/inability to play the gritty style so crucial for success in the NHL.

How he’d help: Boedker’s offensive skills certainly could land him a spot on an Islander team so desperate for scoring. Coach Ted Nolan would probably like his willingness to improve and would work with Boedker to adapt his technique so that he could flourish in the tough Atlantic division. Be that as it may, the 5th pick could be a bit high to select him as there will still be more well-rounded players on the board at that point.