Crosby's Goal Scoring Binge

Much has been made of late about Sidney Crosby's goal scoring prowess. Dating back to last year's playoffs, Crosby has scored 24 goals in 37 games. Pro-rate that over an 82-game season and you're looking at a 53 goal season.

So much for Sid not being an "elite" goal scorer.

It's also worth mentioning that the Pens' Captain is four-for-four in the shoot-out this year, helping Pittsburgh reach a 4-0 mark in their contests that have gone beyond the extra session.

I never quite understood why so many people thought Sid the Kid would never be one of the top goal scorers in the league. This is a 22-year old who garnered 120 goals in 121 regular season junior games, and notched 39 tallies in his rookie reason.

I remember reading this article by Ken Campbell of The Hockey News last December, which explained that Crosby isn't, nor would he ever be, a top-end goal scorer.

"The concern I have for Crosby is that he may never emerge as a truly elite goal-scorer in the NHL. In fact, instead of taking his goal-scoring up a notch as his career progresses, Crosby appears to be faltering more in that department as each season goes by. Through the early part of this season, the dip in scoring for Crosby has been as precipitous as it has been mysterious. His goal-drought to date has reached a career-high nine games."

Campbell also pointed out Crosby's then less than stellar faceoff abilities.

The guy was 21 at the time!

It is important to remember the age of some of these guys, especially Sidney Crosby. To think Crosby wouldn't improve his faceoff and goal-scoring abilities at that point in his career was downright foolish.

This year, Crosby finally made the switch over to a composite stick, and also gave the once nearly straight blade he used a little more curve. Has that made a difference? Certainly.

But the biggest reason Crosby's goal-scoring prowess has been on the rise is because of his mind-set, which took form during last year's playoffs.

Look at the situation logically. One, he's playing with Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz. Kunitz went well over thirty games without a goal on Crosby's line. That's mind-boggling. Two, he was using what amounted to be a mini hockey stick. Seriously, short stick, wood blade, straight curve. The fact that he was even able to shoot as well as he could is impressive.

And remember, he led the playoffs in goals last season with that very stick, so explaining his goal scoring for this season using his new stick as the sole reasoning is off base.

If you look at Crosby's maturation process, he went about almost everything the right way.

1. Rookie season - put up points and learn what it takes to play in the NHL. Check.
2. Sophmore season - carry team into the playoffs. Check.
3. Third season - work on defensive play, carry team deep into the playoffs. Check.
4. Fourth season - work on faceoffs, take next step in playoffs: Stanley Cup. Check.
5. Fifth season - work on shooting. Check. Stanley Cup? TBD.

Crosby's learned to do things that took many great players years. Did Steve Yzerman learn how to play a quality defensive game at the age of 21? Not even close. How are Ovechkin's defensive abilities compared to Crosby's? Clear edge to Sid. How about Malkin improving on his faceoffs? Laughable.

Crosby's a pro's pro who works very hard on crafting and improving each aspect of his game.

Sometimes it's important to take a step back and realize what Crosby has accomplished.

The Injury Bug and The Richards Hit

Turns out the Markov, Sedin, and Franzen injuries were just the tip of the iceberg, huh?

Add the likes of Ilya Kovalchuk, Marc Savard, Milan Lucic, Sergei Gonchar, Sheldon Souray, Jonathon Toews, Brent Seabrook, Jason Arnott, John-Michael Liles, Paul Martin, David Booth, Justin Williams, Kim Johnsson, and T.J. Oshie.

And that's only the most noticeable recent casualties.

The depth of many teams is really being put to the test early. Here's a few situations that will be worth monitoring:

Atlanta - Kovalchuk said he wants to see how the team is progressing before he re-ups with the Thrashers. Well, for the next month, or so, we will see how well Don Waddell's team can fare without it's best player.

Boston - If you want to talk about offensive depth, you want to talk about the Boston Bruins. With the Savard and Lucic injuries, a handful of B's players deserving of bigger roles will get the chance to let Claude Julien take a gander at the goods. Players like Vladimir Sobotka and Brad Marchand got the call up from the AHL, and will do their best to stay up with the big team. Much of the added weight will fall onto the shoulders of Patrice Bergeron and Blake Wheeler, who will step into bigger offensive roles in Savard and Lucic's absence.

Pittsburgh - Last year: 27-24-5 without Gonchar. 18-4-4 with Gonchar. Alex Goligoski and Kris Letang will really have to step it up on the blue-line. Without Gonchar Pittsburgh takes a gigantic hit in all three zones. Expect the power-play to take a big dip.

New Jersey - Paul Martin is the best defenseman that nobody talks about. Can the Devils survive without their defensive leader? Expect Cory Murphy to get called up from Lowell, but I don't see him having a quality impact for Jacques Lemaire's club. Murphy is a poor-man's Marc-Andre Bergeron. His offensive exploits aren't on Bergeron's level, and they are both atrocious defensively...

Much has been made about the Mike Richards hit on David Booth, for which Richards received no suspension.

You know why?

Because it was a legal hit.

The onus on the "hitter" should be to use his shoulder, not leave his feet, not charge, and never hit a player from behind. The "hitter" should only hit a player while, or immediately after they move the puck.

Richards complied with all of these requirements.

It is the person being hit's responibility to protect himself from vulnerable positions, especially when crossing into the middle of the ice.

Look, if you want to debate the validity of a hit like this falling under the category of "legal hit," be my guest. There's plenty of people saying hits like this - to the head, from the blindside, a split second after the player releases the puck - should be taken out of the game.

Well, that's a "noble" goal, but it's not applicable. The NHL is a fast-paced, physical game. Nobody likes seeing players taken off on a stretcher after taking a good lick to the head, but it happens. So long as there is hitting in the game, injuries will occur. It's unfortunate, but it's a consummate truth.

During last year's playoffs, then NHLPA executive director Paul Kelly was campaigning for a new rule penalizing hits to the head. The NHL's general managers were vehemently against this. Yahoo's Greg Wyshynski combated Kelly's proposal perfectly, explaining:

"It's easy to get suckered into siding with the NHLPA in this situation, because selling 'we're trying to save lives, here' is easier than selling 'we're trying to keep things violent and protect our market share' for the NHL...Don't buy the players' line. It's a sport whose fundamental system and game-play leads to injury. This is an attempt to make the legal illegal, and it's preposterous to believe it won't affect the fundamentals of the Game at the NHL level."

Couldn't have put it better, myself.

Defense, Defense, Defense...

Those entertaining-hockey-hating-boring-stupid-defensive-minded NHL coaches! Whether you just enjoy watching a quality hockey game with great flow or manage a fantasy hockey team, odds are you hate these guys with a fiery passion.

Although the "New" NHL is suppose to be all about scoring, these coaches are still abroad. The left-wing locks and the neutral zone traps that were employed by many prior to the lockout may not be as prevalent in today's NHL, but these defensive masterminds have still found new ways to trap, stymie, and limit their opponents offensively.

What kind of success have these defensive coaches had? Let's start by looking at the Stanley Cup winning coaches starting with the first season after the lockout:

- Peter Laviolette - His 'Canes were 19th in goals against and 3rd in goals for. Laviolette employed a highly offensive system, and was willing to go chance-for-chance with his opponents.

- Randy Carlyle - His Ducks ranked 7th in goals against and were tied for 8th in goals for. Carlyle's system was fairly defensive, though not to the point where it was constricting. Carlyle relies heavily on match-ups. During the Ducks' dream season he allowed the offensive players to focus on offense and the defensive players to focus on defense.

- Mike Babcock - His Wings were 1st in goals against and were 3rd in goals for. Babcock has always taught strong defense (His Ducks' run to the cup final in '02-'03 featured one of the most boring styles of play - ever. They also didn't have nearly the talent of the Wings, so Babcock smartly coached to his teams' strength.). His Wings played a solid puck-control game, allowing their best defense to be a good offense.

- Dan Bylsma - The Pens of '08-'09 ranked 17th in goals against and 5th in goals for. Bylsma only coached the Pens for a quarter of the season, in which they took on a significant offensive persona.

Looking at these stats, we can come to these numbers and conclusions:

- All of these teams could score goals. The average 'goals for' finish of the four post-lockout champs was 4.75.
- How these teams faired defensively varied - significantly. The average finish for 'goals against' amongst these four teams is 11th, meaning slightly above average. The range is also quite wide, ranging all the way from 1st to 19th.

Now let's look at the average numbers from the previous four Cup champs prior to the lock-out:

'00-'01 Colorado Avalanche - 3rd in goals against, 4th in goals for.
'01-'02 Detroit Red Wings - 3rd in goals against, 2nd in goals for.
'02-'03 New Jersey Devils - 1st in goals against, 14th in goals for.
'03-'04 Tampa Bay Lightning - 10th in goals against, 3rd in goals for.

The average 'goals against' finish for these four Cup champs is 4.25, while the average 'goals for' finish was 5.75.

These numbers don't lie.

The four post-lockout winners have finished, on average, 6.75 spots lower in 'goals against,' but 1.00 spots higher in 'goals for.' While three of the four of the pre-lockout winners finished amongst the top three in 'goals against,' only one of the four post-lockout winners even finished in the top six.

The difference is black and white.

So, this begs the question - can a defensive-minded coach win in the "New" NHL?

I'd say, 'No.'

While a defensive-minded coach can make a poor team average - something Jacques Lemaire was able to do with the Wild, and that Barry Trotz has done forever in Nashville - to win in the new NHL you need to be able to consistently score goals, something these coaches constantly sacrifice for the sake of defense. The top-end teams find ways to play a viable defensive game while not sacrificing much on the offensive side of the puck.

One of the most currently talked about defensive-minded coaches in the NHL is Ken Hitchcock. The Jackets' Bench Boss has won a Stanley Cup in '98-'99 with the Stars, and has since made stops in Philadelphia and now Columbus.

Hitchcock has just two playoff victories since the lockout, and zero playoff series victories.

Like him or not, he should be commended for the way he has been able to transform the likes of Mike Modano, Brett Hull, and Rick Nash from offensive dynamos into excellent 200 feet players.

Hitchcock is the consummate defensive-minded coach. He refuses to play young players big minutes until he feels that they are able to cope 100% with their defense responsibilities. 'Hitch' also has no problem playing guys better suited for third and fourth line roles on his top two lines, believing their defensive capabilities can off-set some of the defensive liability that his offensive players may present.

Last season, Hitchcock's defensive system elevated the Jackets from the doldrums of the Western Conference and into the playoffs, where they were swept in four games by the Red Wings.

I hope the Jackets are content with just making the playoffs. Because under Hitchcock, that is all they can hope to accomplish.

For the Jackets to be successful in the long-run, they will need to allow their young players to mature, learn the finer points of being NHL players, and then prosper.

Jakub Voracek. Derick Brassard. Nikita Filatov. I'm all for these players learning how to play defense, but in Hitchcock's system their growth is being significantly stunted.

When Hitchcock was able to mold guys like Modano, Hull, and Nash into quality defensive players to go along with their offensive prowess, they had all already learned how to score at the NHL level, play in a prominent offensive role, and be go-to players for their teams offensively.

Voracek, Brassard, Filatov - these guys haven't learned that just yet. Brassard to some extent has, due in large part to a year of seasoning in the AHL, but on the whole, these kids have yet to learn what it is to log quality minutes and be go-to guys offensively.

Hitchcock, along with many other defensive coaches, such as Barry Trotz and Jacques Lemaire, need to accept that playing your talented youth is a vital part of the game as it is played today. Lemaire is probably just as bad as Hitchcock, if not worse. James Sheppard, Colton Gillies, Benoit Pouliot - the list goes on. He is largely to blame for the horrid development of these players. Trotz isn't quite as bad with training his youth, but still helped drive a very talented, sure-to-be star in Alexander Radulov away from the Preds and into the hands of the KHL.

NHL management needs to learn that a good defensive-minded coach can successfully keep a mediocre or poor team afloat, and in the playoff picture.

What they cannot do is build an NHL team into a true Stanley Cup contender.

Great Article from TSN's James Duthie

Excellent article from James Duthie of TSN on Matt Duchene and Cody Hodgson.

Check it out:

Boyhood pals Duchene and Hodgson now a world apart

Hockey in the States

Oh, to be a hockey fan in the States.

It seems like the only time ESPN gives hockey any air-time is when somebody either mutilates somebody else with a stick, gets hurt badly in a fight and they decide to talk about the validity of fighting, Sidney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin have a big game, or something "ridiculous" happens in the hockey world.

I've come to accept this, and don't really expect it to change. There are plenty of other places I can get my hockey fix (mostly from north of the border), and most of the time I could care less that ESPN ignores hockey.

But sometimes something happens that just irritates the heck of out of me. For instance, tonight a hockey story actually made one of the top headlines on ESPN.com's main page.

The article is entitled "Puck naked: Tampa Bay Lightning strip it off for team unity."

Really?

Earlier today on TSN.ca, I saw a clip of Marty St. Louis continually missing penalty shots and having to take off an article of clothing with each miss. It was pretty funny. It was just a little side story, and far from a top-headline for TSN.

ESPN continually ignores hockey and then pushes this article onto the front page of their website?

Nothing about the Pens going to 8-1 and possibly losing Sergei Gonchar to a broken wrist? Nothing about the Habs snapping their five game losing streak? Nothing about Mikko Koivu being named Wild Captain?

Look, I can deal without these stories because I know most people in the States could care less. Nearly all of my friends, outside of those I've played hockey with, know very little about what's going on in the hockey world. If they see a game on TV, they're game to watch. They'll even admit nothing beats an NHL playoff game.

But, they just can't get as into it as they do for basketball, baseball, and football. I've fully accepted that. The bottom line is the game will never have the same roots in this country as a whole as it does in other places, namely Canada. Don't get me wrong, there are many U.S. cities where hockey thrives. But, there are nearly just as many cities undeserving of an NHL franchise.

I want to get across two points here:

For starters, ESPN, either report the game as it should be or don't at all. You made a quality play recently with the addition of Pierre Lebrun, and I thought you were on the right track. I understand that the only way hockey will ever make your front page headlines is if you're network is broadcasting the games. Until that point comes (maybe I should say, if it ever comes), please stop only featuring stupid, solely attention-grabbing headlines. It just makes our game look like a joke.

And lastly, NHL, cut the dead weight. There are plenty of Canadian cities who would love to get their hands on an NHL franchise. Phoenix, Atlanta, and Florida should definitely be moved, and there's plenty more that are candidates. Why try to build up a non-existent fan-base when there are plenty of cities north of the border that will unconditionally love an NHL franchise (ain't that right Toronto fans!). Not every city is going to be blessed with a Crosby, an Ovechkin, a Toews and a Kane, or a John Tavares. Fans in Canada will support their team even if their best active forward right now is Alexei Ponikarovsky (once again, sorry Toronto fans).

So ESPN, have some class. NHL (or should I say Gary Bettman), use some logic.

Quick Hits

- All good things must come to an end, and the Sharks made that mighty clear tonight versus the Rangers at the Garden. It was an ugly 7-3 loss for the Blueshirts that saw San Jose notch six straight goals. It's hard to call out John Tortorella, whose called all the right shots thus far, but starting Steve Valiquette when the Rangers haven't played since Saturday and not again until Thursday is definitely a questionable move. To put Lundqvist in to start the third period in a 5-2 game that you didn't deem important enough to start him in the first place (it being an out of conference game) is an even more questionable move. Valiquette failed to supply the Rangers with the big saves that could've changed the outcome of the game. Hopefully the Rangers just mark this one down as a stinker and keep playing like they have over their first eight games.

- Dany Heatley was playing on the "second" power-play unit. Expect a trade request shortly - his role on the team has clearly been diminished!

- Michael Del Zotto scored again. Four goals, five assists, and nine points in nine games - it goes without saying, very impressive.

- Tonight's game was easily Marian Gaborik's least effective as a Ranger. He was a non-factor, and saw his point streak to start the season snapped at eight games. It happens. Expect a big game against the Devils on Thursday from the Rangers' game-breaker.

- Dustin Penner has started the season strong with five goals and nine points in the Oiler's first seven games. How do you feel about that MacT?

- Ilya Kovalchuk has quietly put up seven goals to lead the Thrashers to a 4-1-0 start. I still don't think the Thrashers make the playoffs, but if you're a Thrasher fan (correction, if there is a Thrasher fan) you need to be encouraged with what you're seeing.

- Can Brian Burke do all us Yankees a favor and fire Ron Wilson...as Team USA's coach?

- Eric Staal - two goals, two points in seven games. Ryan Getzlaf - three assists, three points in seven games. Staal is a bubble player to make Team Canada, and you have to think Getzlaf was down as a "probable." Could both play their way off the team? It's only a handful of games, but with an ultra-competitive field of Canadian players in contention, every game is important.

- The Canadiens have lost five straight. What a shocker...

- While on the subject of the Northeast Division, how about the Sens? Despite a poor start by Jason Spezza, the Sens are sitting pretty at 5-2-0. Daniel Alfredsson has played well, and has seemed to have jump-started Alexei Kovalev. Milan Michalek regrouped from a slow start to register a hat trick on the 15th versus Tampa Bay. Playoffs? It's very possible. I said at the start of the season the Northeast would be very interesting - nearly everyone had the teams slotting in for fairly different finishes. The one team everyone expected to be a certainy was Boston, and they've looked nothing like their squad of last season. Now they'll have to deal with no Milan Lucic for 4-6 weeks - but, hey, he was pretty invisible for the their first seven tilts of the season, anyway.

- Every once in a while don't you just stop and question, "Imagine if Crosby and Malkin actually had legitimate wingers?" In the salary-cap era, it may never happen.

Early Season Power Rankings

We might be less than two weeks into the season, but it can't hurt to take a peak at where the teams are starting to stack up.

Here we go...

1. Pittsburgh Penguins - The formula of Crosby + Malkin + Staal + Gonchar + Fleury is still working wonders in Steel Town. I'm beginning to think it's not even necessary to add ( - Wingers) to the end of the equation.

2. New York Rangers - So long as Gaborik stays healthy and the defense holds up, the Rangers could present a very interesting story-line. Henrik Lundqvist looks to be in mid-season form.

3. Los Angeles Kings - The addition of Ryan Smyth is looking great. Just ask Anze Kopitar. Drew Doughty has rebounded from his opening night game (one LA writer described it as his worst game as a pro) to play some spectacular hockey.

4. Columbus Blue Jackets - Rick Nash can and should be a top ten player in this league. If the first two weeks of the season are any indication, this could be the year that comes to fruition.

5. Philadelphia Flyers - Matt Carle seems to be in store for a break-out season. Heck, if I got to play with Chris Pronger I might be in store for a break-out season.

6. Chicago Blackhawks - Not many teams in the NHL can come back from 5-0 deficits. Not many teams in the NHL have as poor a starting goaltender as Cristobal Huet.

7. Colorado Avalanche - Craig Anderson has been nothing short of amazing - but what I love about the Avs is the play of Matt Duchene. His play has been opening eyes all over the league.

8. Calgary Flames - 4-2-1 and Jarome Iginla isn't even going yet? If I was a Flames fan, I'd take it.

9. San Jose Sharks - The record's not great. Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley's numbers are. Good luck defending those two.

1o. Buffalo Sabres - The Sabres have only played four games, but are 3-0-1. Anybody who thinks Ryan Miller isn't a top flight goalie should tune into a Sabres game. It's looking like Thomas Vanek may not be out for too long, after all.

11. Edmonton Oilers - I still want to see Ales Hemsky take the next step. I'd also like to see him playing with someone besides J-F Jacques.

12. Atlanta Thrashers - They've looked surprisingly good. Ilya Kovalchuk is going to have a monster year.

13. Washington Capitals - The record's not great, but AO, Backstrom, and Semin have been. Better goaltending and a better Mike Green might help.

14. New Jersey Devils - Zach Parise is a beast. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

15. St. Louis Blues - Did they leave their game overseas? The youngsters (Oshie, Berglund, Backes) need to step it up.

16. Dallas Stars - Win a freakin' shootout, already. Am I the only one thinks Alex Auld could steal the starting gig from Marty Turco? I feel like every shot is going to find twine on this guy.

17. Phoenix Coyotes - Surprisingly not bad. Dave Tippet plays a safe, secure system. The young 'Yotes seemed to have bought in.

18. Tampa Bay Lightning - Marty St. Louis is a man on a mission. You want to bet against him? I don't. Victor Hedman is going to be an absolute stud on the back-line.

19. Boston Bruins - Where is that spark that was so evident last year? David Krejci, returning from an injury, looks like a ghost, and Milan Lucic's play has been less than inspiring.

20. Ottawa Senators - Paging Jason Spezza. Are you there Jason? Can you hear me?

21. Detroit Red Wings - Look, their goaltending blows, they're defense isn't exactly young, and they've lost their top returning goal-scorer for four months. All that said - if the Wings are ever this low in my power-rankings again, I'll eat my hat.

22. Carolina Hurricanes - They got off to a crappy start, but haven't looked so bad of late. It's time for Eric Staal to take charge.

23. Anaheim Ducks - I haven't liked what I've seen. Ryan Getzlaf doesn't look 100% coming back from his injury, and that defense is very weak after the loss of James Wisniewski. That being said, Teemu Selanne showed he still has some jump in Philly.

24. Nashville Predators - The Preds have to be the most vanilla team in the league. Barring a break-out from their secondary scoring, they just don't have the fire-power to be a playoff team - but Barry Trotz will always field a very competitive team.

25. Vancouver Canucks - The secondary scoring will really be tested with Daniel Sedin out for 4-6 weeks. Kind of early for the Sami Salo injury this season, no?

26. Montreal Canadiens - No Markov. No defense. No playoffs.

27. Minnesota Wild - The come-back opening night win was nice. But they've stunk since. Martin Havlat, Mikko Koivu, and Brent Burns are each a -4. Ouch.

28. Florida Panthers - Does the "Quebec Panthers" have a nice ring to it? How about the "Winnipeg Panthers?"

29. New York Islanders - They haven't played too badly despite being 0-1-3. But, good teams find ways to win games, bad teams find ways to lose games.

30. Toronto Maple Leafs - Ugh. For further information visit, tsn.ca, espn.com, sportsnet.ca...

When The Levee Breaks...

"Cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good,
Now, cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good,
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to move."
- Led Zeppelin, When The Levee Breaks

Nothing can shake up a team's chemistry and aspirations like an injury to a star player. If that injury happens to hit a team in an area they are already weak, the consequences could be even more severe.

The first ten days of the season have already seen their fair share of black and blues. Perhaps the biggest three fatalities are those of Andrei Markov (torn ACL), Daniel Sedin (broken foot), and Johan Franzen (torn ACL).

These injuries could have dire ramifications for Montreal, Vancouver, and Detroit. Who will be able to perservere? Who will be unable to rebound?

The Resilient
Detroit Red Wings
- Detroit lost Marian Hossa, Jiri Hudler, and Mikael Samuelsson in the off-season. Add the '08-'09 goal totals of those three to Franzen's, who is out for somewhere around four months, and you're talking 116 goals. Yikes! While losing your top returning goal-scorer from the year prior in addition to the fire-power the Wings have already lost may seem insurmountable on the surface, the Wings should be able to stay strong. Guys like Ville Leino and Valtteri Filppula are deserving of the bigger offensive roles they will now assume. Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are perfectly capable of elevating their games. Last night's game against the Capitals was a reminder to the rest of the league that when Datsyuk and Zetterberg are on the same line, you're number one line is destined for an uneventful offensive night. Detroit has the leadership, and still has enough offensive depth to stay strong even in Franzen's absence.

The Downtrodden
Montreal Canadiens
- Andrei Markov has been the Habs' "Mr. Everything." Of their returning players, he's their leading scorer. He is their best defenseman. He runs the power-play. He's a team leader. Well, for the next four or so months, I'll have as many points for the Habs as he will. The Canadiens were already weak at defense before the loss of Markov. To compound matters even further, Ryan O'Byrne is also out due to injury. A defensive corps of Hal Gill, Paul Mara, Jaroslav Spacek, Josh Gorges, Roman Hamrlik, Marc-Andre Bergeron, and Yannick Weber is....ugh. If the Canadiens are going to overcome the Markov injury, they will need a handful of things to fall into place. For one, Carey Price will need to play like Patrick Roy. Second, they will need offensive production anywhere they can get it from the back-line - no one man can fill Markov's shoes, but as a group they have some offensive potential. To me, Markov's loss makes the Habs an after-thought in the East. If they can just manage to stay in the playoff picture until his return, that will be a victory in and of itself.

The Questionable
Vancouver Canucks
- As if starting 1-3-0 wasn't bad enough, the Canucks were just dealt another blow. Today the team annouced that leading goal-scorer Daniel Sedin will be out 4-6 weeks with a broken foot. The Canucks offensive group was already weak, and something I felt would prevent them from being a contender out west. Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows shouldn't be the third and fourth best forwards on an NHL team. Now they are the second and third best. The reason the Canucks aren't as bad off as the Canadiens is because A) Sedin is out 4-6 weeks, not four months like Markov, and B) if Roberto Luongo can get hot he can steal games like nobody else can. But, how will Henrik Sedin fare without Daniel? What will their power-play look like without one of the twins? The secondary scoring will need to find a way to chip in. Bottom line - if Luongo can elevate his game, the next 4-6 weeks might not seem so long in Vancouver.

The King Finds a Queen

Move over Hank, you have a new friend on Broadway.

Last night's 4-3 victory over the Washington Capitals was an encouraging display of role-reversal for Rangers fans. Usually Henrik Lundqvist bails out the Rangers.

Last night, it was the other way around.

The Rangers found themselves down 3-2 after two Nicklas Backstrom goals, the first of which was a dump-in from center ice that somehow went under Lundqvist's stick as he attempted to direct the puck into the corner.

The Rangers were able to overcome Lundqvist's rare lapse in focus via two quick Marian Gaborik tallies.

Gaborik proved his worth as a game-breaker last night. Despite an ineffective first two periods, he was able to elevate his game in the last session. The top players find ways to make a difference, even when they don't have their 'A' game - and "Gabby" did just that.

On his first goal he was able to convert a Vinny Prospal pass with a quick half-slapper that trickled through Jose Theodore's legs and into the back of the net.

The second came on the power-play. Gaborik was able to take an excellent break-out pass from Michael Del Zotto in stride, and then fire a quick snapper between Theodore's legs, once again, and into the back of the twine. The space the Caps' defenders gave the speedy Gaborik on the play showed just how scary Gaborik is for a defenseman when he is able bust through the neutral zone with speed.

But this game wasn't just about Gaborik - it was a quality team effort. Lundqvist rebounded well and made some key stops later in the third. Ryan Callahan, who was questionable for the game after sustaining a back injury in yesterday morning's practice, was his usual tenacious self, notching a key short-handed break-away goal. The third-line came through with an Ales Kotalik even-strength marker, which saw Artem Anisimov register his first NHL point. Matt Gilroy and Michael Del Zotto continue to be relevations on the back-line. And most importantly, the defense did a great job of keeping Alex Ovechkin in check - no small feat there.

But, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for the Rangers. Michal Rozsvial continues to be nothing short of horrendous, and was benched by John Tortorella for the final 60% of the game. The team took way too many penalties against a talented Capitals' power-play, including two offensive zone infractions from the Rangers' fourth line.

The bottom line is the Rangers have won three straight games in regulation, proving to the fans, and most importantly, to themselves, that they can be successful playing in John Tortorella's system.

That they had to overcome a rare blunder from their franchise player makes this win even sweeter.

Minnesota Goes Wild

Brett Farve had just led the Vikings over the arch-nemesis Packers on Monday Night Football, improving the Vikings record to 4-0. The Twins won a single-elimination playoff game over the Tigers, in walk-off fashion, to advance to the ALDS less than 24 hours later.

And just for good measure, the Wild overcame a 3-0 lead in the third period of their home opener to beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 in over-time.

Not a bad time to be a sports fan in the Twin Cities, huh?

Martin Havlat (3 assists) and Eric Belanger (goal, 2 assists) led the come-back brigade for the Wild, who were able to reel off three third period goals in a ten minute, 18 second stretch to bring the score back to even.

Andrew Brunette sealed the deal in the extra-session when he popped a rebound into the far upper corner of the twine from the side of the net.

From a Ducks' prespective - ouch. They seemed to rebound well from a pathetic outing on Saturday against the Sharks, only to throw it all away in the third.

One could argue that the turning point in the game came via a drop of the gloves, compliments of George Parros and John Scott. Scott absolutely tattooed Parros, knocking the Princeton alum to the ice and bringing the Wild faithful to their feet. Mikko Koivu scored less than four minutes later to begin the come-back.

I'm not going to pin the Ducks' loss wholly on Parros, which would be foolish. But, why he saw the need to drop the gloves while his team was up three goals on the road - on the other team's opening night, no less - is beyond me. He's a smarter vigilante than that - or atleast I thought he was.

Anybody who wants to argue that this fight had nothing to do with the Wild's comeback has either never played hockey or was not a very emotional player. A little thing like a timely fight, a big hit, or a prolific shot block can really motivate a team to raise the level of their game. It can also really get a crowd fired up, as well.

Props to the Wild and coach Todd Richards, who notched his first victory with Minnesota.

As for the Ducks - they need to get their act together. It's very early, but in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, you can't throw away what should be an easy two points like that, regardless if it's game two, or game eighty-two.

Sunday Round-Up

Some tid-bits from Saturday's games...

*Got to feel for Oilers fans - well, unless your a Flames fan. That Khabibulin turnover with 48.7 seconds left was a brutal ending to a well-played game.

*Matt Duchene has looked amazing in his first two NHL games. He's being utilized on the first power-play unit, on the penalty kill, and as the second line center. If you missed Coach's Corner last night, check out this montage of Duchene's first two games.

http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Sports/CBC%27s_Hockey_Night_in_Canada/Coach%27s_Corner/ID=1284059955

This kid looks to be something special.

*Speaking of Duchene, watch out for Craig Anderson. He's been great in the Avs' first two games, leading them to a hot start out of the gate. It may seem to be a bit of a stretch if you haven't seen this guy play much, but when Anderson is on his game, he can be one of the best in the business. He went on a few hot streaks like this last year with Florida.

*Props to Michael Del Zotto for notching his first NHL goal. Not only was it his first goal, but it was a big one, too, giving the Rangers a two goal cushion heading into the third period. The Rangers looked great last night, led by the Prospal-Dubinsky-Gaborik line, and of course, "King Henrik."

*If you're looking for an under-the-radar enjoyable team to watch this season, check out the Dallas Stars. I caught the third period and over-time of their season opener with the Preds - enjoyable stuff.

*You have to be impressed with the Blues coming back from Sweden with two regulation wins over Detroit. I'm not ready to say they are going to overtake the Wings in the Central, but it's certainly possible. Their tenacity and attention to detail, aided by coach Andy Murray, is excellent.

*Dustin Byfuglien looks great on a line with Patrick Kane. It will be interesting to see if that sticks.

*This Ranger fan dreads the addition of Chris Pronger to the Flyers. Man, does he improve their team. The power-play, penalty kill, and even-strength play of the Flyers all improve ten-fold with this guy.

*The Ducks should be embarrassed with their play last night - thorough and complete domination by the Sharks.

*Watch out for the Islanders' power-play. Tavares, Okposo, and most importantly, Mark Streit, make the Isles deadly when they have the man-advantage.

Pens Oust Rangers, Emery Starts Strong

Some things to chew on from the Pens/Rangers contest last night:

Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival tallied zero minutes on the power-play. Redden had a quality game defensively (how sad is it now that as long as he's okay defensively Rangers fans don't get too upset - we don't even expect any offense from him anymore), but Rozsival was brutal.

Matt Gilroy had a very strong game. Michael Del Zotto seemed to have an early case of the jitters, but picked up his game a bit in the second.

Marc Staal played well, leading all Rangers in ice-time. However, I can't help but wonder if Torts is trying to get some offensive out of Staal that might not be there. Time will tell, I guess.

I liked the effort from the Rangers top two lines. Gaborik, Dubinsky, Prospal, Callahan, Drury, and Higgins all played hard.

Marian Gaborik is a beast. I'm really going to enjoy watching him play this year, health permitting, of course (knock on wood).

Why did Chris Drury play under two minutes on the power-play?

The Rangers third and fourth lines were pretty bad.

Marc-Andre Fleury and Henrik Lundqvist both played well. Fleury made two game-changing saves. The first save came when Fleury was just able to get enough pad on a Marian Gaborik break away bid. It's worth noting he was sprung by a great Del Zotto break out pass. The second save came off a Vinny Prospal shot on a two-on-one - pretty sick glove save. Both saves happened when the score was 1-1 in the second period.

Crosby had a very strong game - he doesn't seem to have any problems with the groin.

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Ray Emery started off his season in style, shutting out Cam Ward's Hurricanes.

People seem to forget he went to a Stanley Cup Final as a 24 year-old. The Flyers have a strong leadership group, so I don't expect any shenanigans from "Razor."

Also, kudos to James van Riemsdyk for notching his first NHL point. It's still kind of surreal that I played against this guy atleast two times a year until he went away to the National Development Program.

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The Red Wings/Blues game yesterday was very entertaining - should be another good one today.

Morning Skate

Some morning news and notes...

Before getting into the details of the Canadiens/Leafs contest last night, the most important news of last night - Andrei Markov is out for 3-4 months with a severed tendon in his leg. The Habs playoff chances just took an enormous hit.

Can they stay afloat with Markov out? That's 64 points gone - and there best defenseman by a mile. A defensive corps of Josh Gorges, Hal Gill, Paul Mara, Jaroslav Spacek, Ryan O'Byrne, and presumably Yannick Weber is...bad.

Don't forget, he's also arguably Russia's best defenseman. With the Russians thinking gold-medal, this injury could have a big affect on the Vancouver games, as well. He should be back in time for the Olympics, but you never know.

A big hit for the Habs and possibly the Russians.

.........

The Habs pulled out the win in Toronto last night in a game that's play wasn't very indicative of the score. Here's some things I took away from the game:

Ron Wilson wasn't kidding - Tomas Kaberle is a lot quicker. It was noticeable in the pre-season and especially last night. He's Toronto's best player - make no doubt about it.

Carey Price looked great. His movements were in control, and his rebound control, although still not perfect, looked much better.

Will "The Monster" be in between the pipes for Toronto in their next outing? Toskala had a very vanilla outing.

Viktor Stalberg looked just as good last night as he did in the pre-season. This guy's a player.

Mike Komisarek needs to tone it down. Toronto can't have him taking five penalties for a total of 15 minutes.

Why are Hal Gill and Paul Mara on the same defensive pairing?

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Alex Ovechkin - two goals, one assist last night. Backstrom three assists. Yikes!

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Hats off to the Avs for bringing home a victory on Joe Sakic's big night. Sakic was a class act and one of my all-time favorites.

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Ryan Callahan was named the lone alternate captain for the Rangers today. A good choice by "Torts" - nobody on the team lays it all out on the line every night like Callahan does.

In other Rangers' news, apparently Alexei Semenov's contract with the Rangers has been vetoed - by his wife, who wants him to play in Russia.