Burke's Makin' Moves: Phaneuf Trade a Win-Win, Giguere Heading East

If history has told us anything, it's that Brian Burke is a man of action.

Not the kind of guy whose going to sit around and wait for things to turn around, the Leafs General Manager completed two trades this morning which will help bring along the franchise's rebuild process.

The Leafs/Flames trade - which will see Dion Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjostrom, and prospect Keith Aulie head to Toronto for Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers, and Ian White - can be termed a victory for both sides.

The Leafs shed four contracts, three of which are set to expire at the conclusion of this season, and gain a 24-year old defenseman with "stud" potential. While Phaneuf's play has regressed over the past two seasons, his potential is still sky-high. Not many 24-year old rearguards can say they've had seasons of 20 goals or 60 points, feats which Phaneuf may already lay claim.

Many reports have surfaced claiming that Phaneuf was a locker room cancer. This may be true, it may be false - we aren't in the locker room. While Phaneuf does seem to give off an aura of cockiness, from a hockey perspective he has all the tools to be a very good defenseman. With Phaneuf and Phil Kessel, Brian Burke has two huge building blocks in place.

For Darryl Sutter's club, the trade makes a lot of sense, as well. The Flames add a plethora of much needed offense in the form of Stajan and Hagman, while replacing Phaneuf with White, who has probably been the better of the two defensemen this season. As much as I like White - the guy gives it his all every night and is a very intelligent player - Burke probably sold high on him. His +/- has been horrendous of late, and his upside as an NHL defenseman is nowhere near that of Phaneuf.

With the Flames addition of three expiring contracts in replace of Phaneuf's long-term contract, Calgary now has plenty of cap room for the coming summer. There is little doubt in my mind that Sutter's club will be a big player in the upcoming free agency market (Ilya Kovalchuk, maybe?).

The Leafs acquired a young defenseman who will serve as an excellent addition to a rebuilding franchise. The Flames acquired some much needed scoring while freeing up some cap space going forward. A win-win in my books...

But Brian Burke's work wasn't limited to this one trade. He was also able to get rid of a vastly underachieving Jason Blake by packaging him with fellow underachiever Vesa Toskala in return for the ugly contract of Jean-Sebastian Giguere.

This contract also makes a lot of sense for both clubs.

The Leafs shed some salary for this season which will bring them some much needed cap relief (they were awfully tight after the Phaneuf trade), while also bringing in a goaltender with a history with Leafs Goaltending Coach, Francois Allaire, and who should serve as a quality mentor to young Swedish netminder Jonas Gustavsson.

The Ducks, who just inked Jonas Hiller to a four-year extension, lower their cap number for the '10-'11 season by two million dollars, and acquire a much needed scoring forward. While Blake may be a "poor" top-sixer, he is still better than what the injury-ravaged Ducks are currently working with. Toskala, who is a talented netminder, should perform much better with a change of scenery. He is a free agent after this season.

From a summarized cap perspective, this helps the Leafs in this season and in '11-'12 (Giguere's final year on his contract is next season), while helping the Ducks next season (Blake's $4 million in for Giguere's $6 million). A tad confusing, huh?

Hockey Day in Canada: Clouston's Sens Win Ninth Straight and a Look at Tonight's Matchups

Despite surrendering a 2-0 lead to the Montreal Canadiens, Mike Fisher's overtime marker was able to propel the Ottawa Senators to their ninth straight victory.

Fisher, enduring a career year, has continued with his excellent two-way play. Jason Spezza has goals in six straight games. Daniel Alfredsson has eleven points in eight games since returning (early, once again) from injury. Alexei Kovalev is playing inspired hockey, and has points in nine of his last ten contests. Brian Elliot has been nearly unbeatable in net, and has surrendered just eight goals over his last seven games.

In short, the Ottawa Senators are clicking on all cylinders.

Cory Clouston's squad has come a long way over the past couple of weeks. Their team defense is excellent, and they're finally beginning to get the goaltending any team needs to be successful at the NHL level.

Clouston's journey from successful AHL coach to winning NHL bench boss is something that is being mirrored all around the league. While several "old time" NHL coaches have seen their teams underachieve here in '09-'10 (Claude Julien in Boston, Brent Sutter in Calgary, Paul Maurice in Carolina, Ken Hitchcock in Columbus, Marc Crawford in Dallas, Pat Quinn in Edmonton, and Ron Wilson in Toronto), many others who have been promoted from within their own organization - like Clouston - have seen their squads make tremendous strides.

Bruce Boudreau's Capitals are the class of the Eastern Conference. Scott Gordon has a young Islander team fighting for a playoff spot. John Anderson has the Thrashers positioned well for the franchise's second playoff appearance. Joe Sacco may very well take home the Jack Adams Award if his Avs can stay within the top eight out west. And you might've heard of a guy by the name of Dan Bylsma, whose Penguins are the defending Stanley Cup Champions. All of these coaches had zero NHL coaching experience prior to their promotions.

By no means does an NHL coach need to be elevated from within their own organization to be successful, but the results have been overwhelmingly positive for these coaches. Such coaches have often already worked with many of their franchise's young players at the AHL level, and are well accustomed to working with youth on a day-to-day basis.

Clouston and has coaching staff needs to be given a lot of credit for the way they have brought along young defenseman Erik Karlsson. After struggling mightily in the early going of his first season in North America, the 19-year old defenseman has become an integral part of Ottawa's success. Karlsson registered two assists today - including a pass that sprung Fisher for the game-winning goal - and logged a team high 24:51 to go along with a +2 rating.

The progress Karlsson has made over the last month, or so, has been unbelievable.

There's a lot to be said for the familiarity that comes with coaching young players everyday in the AHL. Joe Sacco has two players selected in the 2009 draft making due as his second and third line centers (Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly). Bruce Boudreau has helped make Mike Green a household name, while also springboarding the careers of Tomas Fleischmann and Eric Fehr.

Successful coaching is all about putting your players in positions in which they can succeed and reach their maximum potential - something that is very difficult with young players. But coaches such as Clouston are already well-versed in these types of situations.

Kudos to Clouston, and kudos to the entire Senators team. Ottawa features 20 guys giving it their all every night, and their nine-game winning streak is well deserved...

The other four Canadian teams will faceoff later tonight, with the Canucks paying a visit to former GM Brian Burke's Maple Leafs, and the Oilers heading to Calgary in the Battle of Alberta.

I'm expecting a big game out of the Sedins - it's hard to visualize the Leafs' defense slowing down the Canucks first line. If Toronto heads to the box, it should be interesting to see if the league's worst penalty kill can slow down Vancouver's power play...very doubtful.

The Battle of Alberta should be interesting, with Edmonton winless in twelve and the Flames winless in nine. You can bet both teams will be hungry for a "W." If the Flames don't right the sinking ship soon, the Battle of Alberta may come to be known as the "Battle for Taylor Hall." You have to think Calgary will be able to find a way into the post-season - despite the lack of scoring up front there is just so much talent on the blue line and in the crease for Brent Sutter's club...

Also - just heard that Ottawa's Nick Foligno suffered a broken leg and will be out for 6-8 weeks. Tough break for the kid, as he has fit in well on a line with Kovalev and Fisher.

It looks like Michael Cammalleri is going to have an MRI. His tumble into the boards after a big hit from Anton Volchenkov didn't look too good, and word is it's probably an MCL injury.

Breaking Down the Rangers: A Realist's Outlook

With things going from bad to worse as the New York Rangers move closer to both the Olympic break, as well as the NHL Trade Deadline, Rangers' fans and media, alike, are putting in their two cents about what needs to be done.

The Rangers are mired in a four game losing streak in which they've been outscored 17-3, and are an absolutely horrific 17-22-7 after their hot 7-1-0 start. The fact that the Rangers still "technically" sit in 8th place in the Eastern Conference (the five teams behind them all have either the same number of points or one less, and four of the five teams have less games played) is a testament to the lack of true contenders in the Eastern Conference, a group that the Rangers clearly belong.

So, what should be done?

Well, it's necessary to start with General Manager Glen Sather. While it's easy to say fire Sather A.S.A.P., the truth of the matter is that firing Sather right this second wouldn't be the best move, nor is it realistically something that the very loyal James Dolan, Chairman of Madison Square Garden, will decide to do.

Firing Sather before the season's conclusion would prove fruitless - this roster is his mess, and fixing it will take more than the month or so until the March 3rd trade deadline.

While most people think it's an easy and obvious decision to give Sather the axe, it is important to remember that the Rangers have made the playoffs in each of the four seasons since the NHL lockout. Most people seem to forget this, and you better believe Dolan takes this into consideration. But, not one of these four Rangers teams - five including this season - has been a realistic Stanley Cup Contender.

It is also important to remember that Mark Messier is most assuredly being trained by Sather to be his predecessor as Rangers General Manager. Is he ready at this point? I would hazard a guess at "no." Will he be the next Rangers G.M.? It's hard to say, but I'd guess he would.

Should Sather be shown the door? Absolutely. The Wade Redden, (re-signing) Michal Rozsival, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Ales Kotalik, and Donald Brashear signings have all been flops, by all accounts. His drafting has gone from abysmal (Hugh Jessiman, Al Montoya, Lauri Korpikoski) to "okay" (Marc Staal, Artem Anisimov, Michael Del Zotto) - with the improvement coming in large part because of the addition of Director of Player Personnel, Gordie Clark.. Bottom line - Sather's team is stuck in mediocrity, handcuffed by bad contracts, and currently being held together by two superstars (Marian Gaborik, Henrik Lundqvist).

The time to be rid of Sather is upon this season's completion. But, will that happen?

It's hard to say.

Dolan is loyal to nth degree, as illustrated by Sather's long tenure, as well as his decision to keep a woefully unsuccessful Isiah Thomas around with the New York Knicks much longer than his results warranted. If the Rangers are to make the playoffs this season - which is still very possible in a weak Eastern Conference, as Gaborik and Lundqvist may just be that good - I believe he may get yet another reprieve. If the Rangers do make the playoffs that would make it five straight years since the lockout. Regardless of whether they have been true contenders, they have been playoff worthy.

Know how many teams other than the Blueshirts have made the playoffs every year since the lockout?

Five, with just one other team in the East (New Jersey Devils).

Should they be buyers?

Now, that is the question.

The New York Post's Larry Brooks says they shouldn't:

"This is about the big picture. Management cannot afford to be shortsighted here. Making the playoffs for a fifth straight season is a nice little accomplishment, but ultimately means next to nothing if the achievement isn't a stepping stone to contention.

The value of draft-pick currency has increased exponentially under Gordie Clark's direction of the scouting department. The Rangers are drafting high-end talent. Clark and right-hand man Jeff Gorton have the universal respect of player personnel people around the league. The more responsibility they are given, the better it is for the organization."

While Brooks may tend to be a little over dramatic much of the time, this is certainly a fair train of thought.

But (lots of "buts" with this situation, huh?) will this happen? Is anybody going to honestly say that Sather - who has been absolute each year in his desire to make the playoffs if there is any fighting chance - will be a seller if the Rangers are right in the mix for a playoff spot?

The only way the Rangers become sellers is if their downward spiral continues, so much so that they are extraordinarily likely to miss the playoffs. Sather won't be thinking "Eh, we could re-tool for the playoffs - we aren't real contenders," but rather "with Gaborik and Lundqvist you never know, right?"

What would be best for the Rangers? To keep falling in the standings and become sellers. But NHL management doesn't think that way; nor should they. Playoffs = extra money for MSG and a pat on the back for Sather. Contender, or not, five straight years of playoffs is no small feat.

If the Rangers were to become sellers, who would they move? As Brooks notes, Vinny Prospal would fetch a decent return. Sather would certainly attempt to give Kotalik and Chris Higgins away. While the play of Dan Girardi has been fairly solid, he could probably bring in some nice assets if the Rangers did decide to shop him - the Rangers do have the defensive depth in the system to replace him.

But, there are other things the Rangers need to do, as I've maintained before, regardless of what's happening in the standings.

Redden needs to be sent down to Hartford, or possibly even bought out. Will it happen under Sather's watch? I highly doubt it. Telling James Dolan to send a guy making $6+ million to the minors wouldn't sit well, and I'm not sure Sather will make that suggestion anytime soon.

In a perfect world, the same would happen with Rozsival and Kotalik. Perhaps an unhappy Kotalik will flea to the KHL, as has been hinted elsewhere. Realistically speaking these two - especially Rozsival - are here to stay.

Drury won't be bought out - he's a good citizen, team captain, and very well-liked in the room. It pains me to see Drury, half the player he used to be, struggle so mightily. The guy I grew up loving long before his time with the Rangers has been addled and deteriorated by multiple concussions, and is merely a third-line caliber player now. A $7+ million cap hit for a current day Drury is an ugly thing.

Two players that are very intriguing are Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan. Both are solid players whose impact extends beyond the scoresheet, and both are part of the current and future leadership group in New York. But, they are also two of the players most coveted in trade talks. Could they be moved?

No - Sather and John Tortorella won't stand for that. Any time you hear or read of these two mentioned in trade talks, tune out the source.

Lately, much has been made of the lack of effort from the Rangers, and that this may be their problem. Balderdash. More often than not, the effort is there. Larry Brooks and other members of the media like to mention Girardi refusing to step in during Gaborik's beatdown at the hands of Daniel Carcillo, and other situations which seem to draw merit to the belief the Rangers don't have each others' backs, and aren't a true team.

I think that's garbage. Should Girardi have stepped in during this situation? Of course, but you need to consider the context. A split second decision in a 1-0 game with big points on the line - and Girardi was, by and far, the teams best defender that night. Jumping in would have ended his night. Plus, there were four fights in the game! It's not like the Rangers didn't engage in some retribution.

Need proof of the Rangers' heart? Look at the penalty kill, a facet of the game that boils down to sacrificing the body and winning 50-50 battles. The Rangers have had one of the best penalty kills in the league - due in some part to Lundqvist, obviously - but also because they have plenty of heart-and-soul players, like Dan Girardi, that aren't afraid to block shots and play in the dirty areas.

It all comes back to bad contracts for the Rangers. If they can, at the very least, demote Redden, $6+ million is cleared off the books, and the Rangers can (patiently and intelligently...hopefully) make some moves and re-tool. If the contracts of Rozsival or Kotalik can be shipped elsewhere (unlikely, especially for Rozsival), even better.

The problem for the Rangers isn't Tortorella, the systems, or heart - it's the roster.

Around the Rink: Questions for Torts, Canucks vs. HNIC, Tonight's Action

Called up by the Penguins yesterday morning, Chris Conner's second marker of the evening spelled doom for the lowly Rangers. Watching the Blueshirts right now is downright saddening. After last night's disappointing loss that saw the Rangers blow a third period one-goal lead 31 seconds after acquiring it, I have a few questions for Coach John Tortorella:

1. Why does Sean Avery only play 13:31 a night? Eight other Rangers forwards play more than the one guy that can bring life to MSG in the blink of an eye. Avery creates chances on offense, competes hard in every battle, and draws oodles of penalties. Yes, he takes some, as well, but more often than not he'll take somebody to the box with him. Plus, the New York penalty kill is money in the bank anyway.

2. No Ales Kotalik...still? Hey, I'm far from a Kotalik fan, but why hasn't he been plugged back into the lineup. I don't care if he's unhappy, pissy, or if Torts doesn't like him - he'll be much more affective than a Donald Brashear who barely fights anymore....

3. Why not give Brian Boyle a chance on the power play? The big guy's play has picked up tremendously of late, and he deserves a shot at some power play action. Boyle was a scorer in college, a scorer in the AHL, and a scorer during his first eight game stint in the Bigs with Los Angeles, the only opportunity he's ever received at the NHL level to play on a non-fourth line. What's to be lost by trying the 6'7'' Boyle (who actually has pretty solid hands - remember, he was a first round draft pick) in front of the net on the second unit?

As a side note from the game last night, it was good to see Michigan-native Chris Conner have a solid outing. He's already been sent down, but I've always liked what I've seen from the little guy dating back to his time with Dallas. He uses his speed very well and competes hard...

Seems like the Alexander Burrows/Stephane Auger confrontation isn't over just yet. After Hockey Night in Canada's Ron MacLean did a segment with NHL Senior Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell which was clearly on the side of Auger, the Canucks proceeded to boycott HNIC in last Saturday's game against the Hawks, refusing to talk or give any interviews with the CBC network.

You can watch the segment here: Part 1, Part 2.

I break the situation down as thus:

- Was MacLean's segment biased? Yes.
- Do I agree with what he said? Yes.
- Does Auger have faults, too (as I mentioned here)? Yes.
- Is the Canucks' reaction a little childish? Yes.
- Do I have a problem with their reaction? No.

MacLean is a member of the media and a former ref, who clearly has his own opinion, while the Canucks are standing up for their player. Everyone's acting in a fashion that should pretty much be expected...

Not too many big name games on the schedule tonight, but here's a few things to watch for:

- The Wings' Niklas Kronwall returns to action after suffering a sprained MCL on November 21. Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg will be reunited on the same line tonight, as well, as Detroit hosts Phoenix.

- It'll be interesting to see how the young Islanders fair as they continue to make a push for the playoffs. Tonight they will meet up with the Capitals on the Island. Center Josh Bailey is expected to be out of the lineup due to sickness.

- The Senators will put their six-game win streak on the line as Jacques Lemaire's Devils come to town. Ottawa is playing the consummate team game right now - they are committed to playing a sound defensive game and all 20 players are working their tails off night after night.

Whose Got "Hart?"

With just three weeks remaining until the Olympic break, the time is ripe to take a look at who would win the Hart Trophy for league MVP if the season were to end today.

Here are the candidates:

Sidney Crosby (PIT-C)
52 gp, 33-32-65, +11
- "Sid the Kid" has continued to mature into an elite two-way, well-rounded player, and has shown his ability to lead in the face of adversity this season in Pittsburgh. Evgeni Malkin, who surprisingly has just 17 goals this season, has seen his points per game drop down from 1.38 a season ago to 1.11 this season, Sergei Gonchar has missed 16 games this season due to injury, and Marc-Andre Fleury's play hasn't been up to his usual standards - yet, Crosby has improved his goal-scoring from years past, and is currently on a 50 goal pace even without first-line (or even second-line) caliber linemates. For my money Crosby is the most well-rounded player in the game today - scoring, defense, faceoffs, shootout goals, and leadership - the Pittsburgh Captain brings it all.

Marian Gaborik (NYR-RW)
50 gp, 39-32-61, +9
- Where would the Rangers be without Marian Gaborik? The slick Slovakian winger has more goals than all but one Ranger (Vinny Prospal) has points. Gaborik has used his elite speed, size, and vision to play a hand in over 45% of all of New York's goals, and has scored over 21% of them himself. The duo of Gaborik and Henrik Lundqvist is a big reason (the only reason?) why the Rangers currently find themselves on the right side of the 8-team cut-off line in the Eastern Conference.

Duncan Keith
52 gp, 11-35-46, +18
- The current favorite to take home the Norris Trophy as the league's top defender is having a season to remember. His offensive production catching up to his elite defensive play, Keith is now second amongst NHL defensemen in points, trailing only Washington's Mike Green. Keith is counted on by Hawks' Coach Joel Quenneville to shut down his opponents top players night in and night out, which he is able to achieve through his skating ability and smarts. Keith logs more minutes than every player in the league outside of Carolina's Joni Pitkanen, and has been, by and far, the MVP of a Chicago team that currently sits second in the NHL in points.

Ryan Miller (BUF-G)
43 gp, 27-10-5, 2.06 GAA, .934 SV%, 5 SO
- Buffalo's unexpected rise to the top of the Northeast Division can be placed squarely on the shoulders of the Sabre's Ryan Miller. Miller's play has been consistent from day one, and has allowed the Sabres to accumulate 67 points despite their lack of a top-25 point scorer or a top-69 goal scorer. While Calder-favorite Tyler Myers has done a phenomenal job on the back-end for the Sabres and Tim Connolly has been able to stay healthy and produce, it's Miller who has been the main reason for Buffalo's success.

Alexander Ovechkin (WSH-LW)
43 gp, 33-37-70, +30
- The league leader in points per game, as well as goals per game, the "Great8" has continued to perform at a Hart level for Washington. While ultra-talented sidekicks Mike Green, Nicklas Backstrom, and Alexander Semin have performed excellently, it's Ovechkin who runs the show in Capital City. Now Team Captain, Ovechkin has scored goals, racked up points, and thrown the body around in a way that only Alexander Ovechkin can. There's not much that can be said about Ovechkin that hasn't already. The guy is, to quote Pierre McGuire, a "monster." Surprisingly, the Capitals are 6-1-1 in the 8 games Ovechkin has missed.

Henrik Sedin (VAN-C)
51 gp, 23-51-74, +23
- Who would've thought Henrik Sedin would lead the NHL in points come late January? This feat becomes even more impressive when one considers that his twin brother Daniel Sedin was side-lined for 18 games earlier in the year. Henrik's a very weighty player with the puck, and once he gets down low he is downright dominant. Along with linemates Daniel and Alexander Burrows, the Canucks first line is able to play a half-court game that has been near unstoppable. Henrik has improved his goal scoring ability - he's already set a career high this season with 23 - and has helped turn Burrows into a sure-fire bet to hit 30 goals this season. Henrik is living up to his newly inked contract...and then some.

Joe Thornton (SJS-C)
53 gp, 13-54-67, +17
- "Jumbo Joe" has enjoyed another widely successful regular season here in '09-'10. Currently on pace to record his third career 100-point season, Thornton has helped linemates Patrick Marleau (1st in NHL in goals) and Dany Heatley (tied 4th in NHL in goals) already eclipse the 30-goal plateau, and has seen his Sharks once again climb to the top of the league in points. Thornton's combination of size and deft passing skills is unrivaled. While Thornton will be largely judged on how his squad does come playoff time, there is no doubting his high level of play in the regular season.

And the Winner is...

As things currently stand now, the race for the Hart is unbelievably close. If I had to rank the top seven candidates, I would rank them as thus:

Winner: Sidney Crosby - In a very close call, I've got to give it to Crosby. Despite his poor linemates, Pittsburgh's anemic power play, and Penguin players' slumps and injuries, Crosby's two-way play, goal scoring, and leadership has kept the Penguins afloat all season long. Although his stats may be slightly below that of Sedin and Ovechkin, his all-around play and leadership give him the edge. Remember, while guys like Ovechkin and Thornton are surrounded by all-star talent offensively Crosby currently plays with Bill Guerin and Pascal Dupuis (gulp).

2. Ryan Miller
3. Henrik Sedin
4. Duncan Keith
5. Alexander Ovechkin
6. Marian Gaborik
7. Joe Thornton

BUT, if I were to give out the Lester Pearson Trophy for most outstanding (best, essentially) player in the NHL thus far this season, my top-five would look like this:

1. Sidney Crosby
2. Alexander Ovechkin
3. Henrik Sedin
4. Duncan Keith
5. Marian Gaborik

Flyers Win Battle on Broad Street, AO Takes Round One vs. Pens

Marian Gaborik dropping the mitts with tough guy Daniel Carcillo..?

Who saw that one coming?

Last night's 2-0 Flyers victory over the Rangers may have featured four fights, but the most glaring statistic was the goose egg that was dropped in the goals category by the Rangers.

The Rangers garnered just 24 shots, and failed to register any scoring chances of substance on Flyers' tender Ray Emery. New Jersey native and long-time Ranger fan James van Riemsdyk scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the second period, as he converted on his own rebound to make the score 1-0. One Mike Richards' power play marker later - off of defenseman Marc Staal's skate, with under three seconds left in the second, no less - and the Rangers' backs were broken.

It's goals like the one Richards scored last night that make him the player he is. Yes, on the surface it was a flukey goal. But, Richards knew exactly what the situation was. With little time left on the clock he made the smart play, throwing the puck in the direction of Staal and Danny Briere and hoping for the best.

Defensively, Richards - aided in large part by Chris Pronger - was able to shutdown Gaborik like few others this year have.

But back to the Carcillo vs. Gaborik fight for a second. It breaks down like this:

1. Carcillo clearly goes towards Gaborik during the scrum in front of the net.
2. Gaborik does drop his gloves first. I don't know if he knew that he was against Carcillo, or if he knew whether or not Carcillo had dropped his gloves already, but it is clear Gaborik dropped the mitts first.
3. Dan Girardi probably should have stepped in. I'm not going to be hard on him, because he doesn't deserve it. We are talking about a 1-0 game with big implications in the standings, and if he steps in he's done for the night. That being said, next time somebody needs to step in, ala Matt Bradley stepping for Alex Ovechkin when he was about to fight Steve Downie the other night.

I can understand John Tortorella's frustration. His best player fought arguably the top middle-weight fighter in the game today. As Torts said, there's no honor in that. But, at the same time, Gaborik did drop the mitts first.

All I know is the next Rangers/Flyers game is must-see-TV...

My first thought while watching the Capitals victory over the Penguins is that Pittsburgh needs to do something about their 29th ranked power play. Too much standing around, not enough net presence, and too much passing - it's not going to work, regardless of how much talent is out on the ice.

I thought Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, and Evgeni Malkin all played well, but you need to give the Great 8 the edge, as he scored a critical power play goal and was involved physically all night.

The Caps' power play is first in the league. The Pens is second to last. Ovechkin gets to play with Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Knuble. Crosby gets to play Tyler Kennedy and Bill Guerin (ugh.).

It will certainly be interesting to see what the Penguins do at the trade deadline. They need to add some scoring wingers for Crosby and Malkin, and wouldn't be amiss to add a depth player on the blue line.

Chalk round one up to AO and the boys from the Capital.

Around the Rink: 13 Games on the NHL Schedule Tonight, Round One for AO versus Sid the Kid, Team Cherry ousts Team Orr in CHL Top Prospects Game

With 26 teams in action, there's no shortage of drama in the hockey world tonight.

The Flyers will play host to the Rangers, who were embarrassed by the Broadstreet Bullies 6-0 in their first meeting of the season at the Garden. Expect a physical game in this one. I'd put the over/under at 6 penalty minutes for Avery...give me the over.

Brent Burns will return for the Wild tonight after missing 29 games with a concussion. They'll be visited by the Red Wings, who are currently sitting one point out of the eight spot in the West.

The Chicago/Calgary game should be feisty. With the Flames losing four straight and Hawks losing their last outing 4-1 to a short-handed Ottawa team, you can bet there will be a lot of players hot under the collar. Expect plenty of action and a few early bouts of fisticuffs.

The latest game on the schedule will see the Ducks pay a visit to San Jose. Whenever these two teams meets it's fun to watch. Expect Ryan Getzlaf to go up against Joe Thornton all night - playing "Jumbo Joe" always brings out the best in the Ducks' top go-to-guy.

But tonight's feature attraction features the first round of Caps versus Pens. Sidney Crosby vs. Alexander Ovechkin. Evgeni Malkin vs. Ovechkin. Crosby vs. Alexander Semin. Considered by many the league's current top rivalry, Capitals/Penguins games include the league's three top forwards and arguably the top two Cup contenders in the Eastern Conference.

But, why, WHY I ask, is round one of AO vs. Sid the same night as the NBA has Lebron tipping off against Kobe? C'mon.

Sid the Kid is fresh off of a six point outing against the Islanders, while Malkin is coming off of his second hat trick of the season. For the Caps, Jose Theodore played arguably his best game of the season two nights ago against the Red Wings, stopping 44 of 46 shots in a win over the Red Wings.

For those of you as nostalgic about the NHL's past as I am, here's a video from last year's playoff match-up between the Pens and Caps - Game Two. A 4-3 Caps win that saw both Crosby and Ovechkin notch hat tricks. Each player's third goal is absolutely sick - the kind of goals only Ovechkin and Crosby could score.



Last night's CHL Top Prospects Game saw Team Cherry beat Team Orr 4-2.

The game was very entertaining - physical, a good tempo, and a good chance to look at kids battling to better their draft stocks.

Here's a few thoughts on the game:

TSN's Bob McKenzie
NHL.com's Adam Kimelman

Will Kovalchuk be on the Move?

"See the stone set in your eyes,
See the thorn twist in your side,
I wait for you.
Sleight of hand and twist of fate,
On a bed of nails she makes me wait.
And I wait, without you.
With or without you.
With or without you."

- With or Without You, U2

Will he stay or will he go? That's the question that will follow Atlanta Thrashers General Manager Don Waddelll and Team Captain Ilya Kovalchuk until either a contract is signed or a trade is made.

If I'm Don Waddell, it boils down to this. If I can't sign Kovalchuk (and I won't get into specifics about money, term, etc. It's really impossible for an outsider to speculate on the role ownership is playing in this situation, the money and term Kovalchuk wants, etc.), but I am more than 50% sure my team will make the playoffs, I'm keeping him. For a lowly hockey market like Atlanta, making the playoffs is of the utmost importance.

But, if I think there is a better than 50% chance my team isn't going to the playoffs, I'm movin 'em. While more times than not moving a top-end star like Kovalchuk will fail to get a return that can equate with what Kovalchuk brings to the table (just ask Waddell about the Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito, and a 1st round pick (Daultan Leveille) for Marian Hossa trade...), the risk of losing a top-10 NHL caliber player for nothing is enormous, and certainly a risky road to take.

With teams like Chicago, Boston, and Los Angeles - teams loaded with young talent - interested, moving Kovalchuk could land the Thrashers a nice return. If Waddell is playing his cards right, he's peddaling Kovalchuk right now while also trying to work out a contract. The sooner he starts listening to offers, the higher a price he can work towards.

This much is clear - the Kovalchuk situation is unique. Obviously if a team like the Hawks or Bruins picked up Kovalchuk, the league's power structure would be altered. But there's also the question of what happens if he doesn't sign an NHL contract before July 1st.

How much would he get in free agency? Could he get upwards of $15-20 million a season in the KHL, as has been speculated?

The Kovalchuk situation could be a game-changer. Not just for the Thrashers and this year's contenders, but for the hockey world as a whole.

Another "Datsyukian" Deke...

Surprise, surprise, Pavel Datsyuk does it again.

The fact that Datsyuk has the cahoonas to pull off a move like this during an important NHL shootout at a time where the Wings badly need points just goes to show how confident he is in his hands. The guy is constantly working on bettering his hands and his overall game - and boy, does it show when he lands a move like this one.

Flashy Swedish forward Linus Omark pulled off the same move against Switzerland in an international exhibition game back in March.



I'm not a big fan of the shootout, but you cannot deny it's good entertainment.

All the King's Men Falter

If I were to tell you Henrik Lundqvist's stat-line for the last two Rangers' contests looked something like this...

- 0.48 Goals Against Average
- .987 Save Percentage
- 1 Shutout
- 3 of 4 Shootout Attempts Stopped

You'd probably think the Rangers would've come away with at least 3 of a possible 4 points. Well, unfortunately, outside of the crease the Rangers' stat-line looked like this:

- 0.00 Goals For Average
- 0.00 Shot Percentage
- 2 Shutouts...Against
- 0 for 4 in the Shootout

I could deal with the 1-0 shootout loss to the Devils. Yes, it was a hard fought loss at the hands of one of our top rivals, but it was a very entertaining game and we still came away with a point.

But last night's loss to a short-handed Senators team that was without its entire top-line, it's starting and back-up goalies, as well as one of their top defenseman was inexcusable. The New York offense was abysmal, failing to register enough scoring chances to beat a goaltender that was playing in just his second NHL game - a goaltender that spent the entirety of last season in the ECHL.

Figuring out why the Rangers have so much trouble scoring is far from rocket science. After Marian Gaborik the Rangers are void of any game-breakers or scoring threats that the opposition needs to worry about. Gaborik has scored 23.33% of the Rangers' goals this season, and has figured in on the scoring for a staggering 45% of their 120 team markers.

That's not the recipe for sustainable success.

The Rangers should make the playoffs - Lundqvist and Gaborik are that good - but they are destined for another first or, if lucky, second round playoff exit. This team cannot generate enough offense, their power play has cooled significantly since its quick start, and there is way too much pressure for Lundqvist and Gaborik to be near perfect every night.

I would never desire my favorite team to miss the playoffs. However, as things stand, the chances of the Rangers winning the Stanley Cup are slimmer than the chances of Tiger Woods winning Time's Man of the Year Award. The New York Post's Larry Brooks recently wrote that the Rangers should be looking to be sellers, not buyers, come trade deadline day, and one can't help but wonder if that might be the best course of action.

The biggest problem for the Rangers will continue to be bad contracts. Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival, Ales Kotalik, and Chris Drury are unmovable. The only players that rival GM's are inquiring about - Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, and Marc Staal - are assets that Rangers GM Glen Sather has no desire to move.

As much as I'd like to see Redden sent down to the minors, the only option left which would allow the Rangers to get his ugly contract off the books, I can't see it happening. If Sather were to tell Rangers Owner James Dolan that he needs to send a guy making $6+ million a year down to ride the buses in Hartford, there's a great chance Dolan would show Sather to the door.

The Rangers will continue to be stuck in mediocrity until significant changes are made. Until changes are made, we Blueshirt fans will just have to accept our position - never real contenders, but never looking towards the future.

The Burrows / Auger Debate

The NHL is abuzz with news and interpretations about the Alex Burrows vs. Stephane Auger confrontation.

Here's a few takes:

- Bob McKenzie
- Ray Ferraro
- Puck Daddy

It's certainly worth nothing that Auger has a shady history, which includes the recent no-goal call in Detroit that was simply asinine, along with the infamous Shane Doan 10-minute misconduct for allegedly throwing out a racial slur against French-Canadians - a slur Doan has repeatedly and vehemently denied saying.

This will be a sticky situation for the NHL. Burrows is a player who tends to rub a lot of people, players, and certainly officials the wrong way, while Auger's past isn't exactly endearing to those trying to formulate their own opinions about the situation.

There's a lot of "he said / she said" going around between two unique characters, and it should make for a very interesting story going forward...

U.S.A. Takes Home Gold - WJC Roundup

Another U.S.A./Canada WJC contest, another dandy of a game.

John Carlson's overtime marker broke Canada's streak of five straight gold medals, and handed the U.S.A. their second gold medal in seven years.

There were several heroes that emerged throughout the game: Carlson's OT winner, 17-year old Jack Campbell relieving Mike Lee and stopping 32 of 34 shots, Jordan Eberle once again accomplishing the miraculous by notching two goals with under three minutes left to tie the game for Canada...the list could go on.

It was a truly great game and a magnificent tournament.

Derek Stepan (USA-F)
7gp, 4g, 10a, 14pt, +9
- The American Captain was his team's top performer throughout the tournament, and if not for two late Jordan Eberle goals in the Gold Medal Game, would undoubtedly be taking home MVP honors. Stepan looked to be the complete passage from the tournament's start until the tournament's finish. He plays a great defensive game, is a very efficient playmaker, and seemed to bring the intangibles that every team needs. Glen Sather and Rangers' Management will be extraordinarily pleased with Stepan's WJC exploits.

Jordan Eberle (CAN-F)
6gp, 8g, 5a, 13pt, +3
- There's not much that can be said about Eberle that hasn't already been stated. The guy has already cemented himself as one of the most clutch performers in Canadian international play, ever. His two goals in last night's game show that he is not only unbelievably skilled, but also has that "it" factor - the guy just knows where to go on the ice.

Jerry D'Amigo (USA-F)
7gp, 6g, 6a, 12pt, +7
- Stepan's partner in crime, D'Amigo put forth an excellent effort throughout the tournament. He came up with huge goals in both the semi-final game against Sweden, as well as the final against Canada. D'Amigo played a solid, simple game, and showed the ability to bury big chances at big times.

Taylor Hall (CAN-F)
6gp, 6g, 6a, 12pt, +3
- Next's year potential number one pick had a very strong tournament. While he had some lapses in his play, and didn't have the strongest game in last night's final, I was still very impressed with his speed, skill, and willingness to go into traffic areas. After watching this tournament I'm not completely sold that he will be NHL-ready next season, but he still has a lot of room to grow and get strong before September of next year.

Alex Pietrangelo (CAN-D)
6gp, 3g, 9a, 12pt, +9
- Easily the top defenseman in the tournament, Pietrangelo had a coming out party of sorts during the WJC. After suffering an early injury during the '08-'09 season with the Blues, and being in and out of the Blues' lineup this season, it was important for Pietrangelo to re-establish himself and gain back some confidence and swagger. Pietrangelo has great size, hands, and moves the puck very well.

John Carlson (USA-D)
7gp, 4g, 3a, 7pt, +8
- Carlson's offensive prowess was on full display in last night's final. I thought Carlson looked like a man playing amongst boys in the American's first game, but also felt that his play regressed a bit until last night's final. Now, that's not to say he was "bad" in those games - far from it. But with his size, skill, and experience, I was perhaps unfairly expecting him to standout in every game like he did last night. This much is clear - John Carlson is a sure-fire NHL defenseman, and should be a damn good one, too.

Cam Fowler (USA-D)
7gp, 0g, 2a, 2pt, +8
- While the offense might not have been there for Fowler, the defensive play certainly was. As the tournament progressed, I became more and more impressed with Fowler - his mobility, his speed, his outlet passes, and his overall defensive play. Fowler should be a top-five pick in next year's draft, and his performance in this year's WJC solidified that.

Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi (SWE-F)
6gp, 3g, 7a, 10pt, +6
- In the games I got a chance to watch Sweden, I was fairly impressed with Svensson-Paajarvi's game. His speed is phenomenal, and his skills and smarts are clearly above average. I am completely sold that he is a sure-fire NHLer. However, I am still unsure if he will be a high point producer. Either way, he will be an impact player at the NHL, due in large part to his ability to play at both ends of the ice.

Nikita Filatov (RUS-F)
6gp, 1g, 5a, 6pt, +3
- Filatov's play in the WJC was far from what was expected of the talented Russian. As the tournament progressed, his frustration seemed to mount, and his shifts became longer. In Russia's final game, he was even stripped of the captaincy. It should be interesting to see what possible effect this tournament could have on Filatov's return (or not) to the NHL.

Kirill Petrov (RUS-F)
6gp, 4g, 6a, 10, +7
- Stealing some of Filatov's thunder was Kirill Petrov, who used this WJC as a coming out party. Petrov's skill level is uncanny, and his offensive ability definitely projects as NHL caliber. It will be interesting to see if and when the Islanders can get him over to North America.

Jordan Schroeder (USA-F)
7gp, 3g, 5a, 8pt, +6
- Schroeder had a decent tournament - far from bad, but far from great. His hockey IQ and offensive talent both project as NHL level, but I wonder if his play is going to pick up. I see little difference between the player that took part in this year's WJC and the player that took part in the last two WJC's. I still like Schroeder's game, but wonder if he will be able to elevate his play sometime in the near future.

Ryan Ellis (CAN-D)
6gp, 1g, 7a, 8pt, +2
- Ellis is hard to pinpoint in regards to his NHL future. His offensive game is phenomenal - he can run a power play better than anyone his age by a wide margin, and his passes are crisp and firm. However, in both games against the Americans, he looked a bit out of place too many times defensively, and I wonder how he'll be able to get by defensively at the NHL level. He has plenty of time to mature and develop, as Nashville is deep at defense, so it may be a long time before we see if he can play adequately in his own zone in the big leagues.

Nazem Kadri (CAN-F)
6gp, 3g, 5a, 8pt, +1
- I liked Kadri's effort throughout the tournament. His skill level will never be in question, but his desire to give 110% at all times will be. When Kadri's going, he's throwing the body, chirping opponents, and always keeping his legs moving. I saw a lot of that in this tournament.

Kyle Palmieri (USA-F)
7gp, 1g, 8a, 9pt, +8
- As I talked about before, the comparison of Palmieri to Chris Drury is a good one. His play at both ends of the ice is very solid, but also plays with a snarl that many players lack. He should fit in well with the rough and tumble Anaheim Ducks.

Jason Zucker (USA-F)
7gp, 2g, 0a, 2pt, +/-0
- While his stats may not seem special, I was very impressed by the effort and tenacity put forth by this draft eligible player. Zucker's play reminds me of Steve Ott's (without the fisticuffs...yet, anyway), as he goes all over the place on the forecheck, getting sticks in lanes and hitting anything that moves. He goes to the net, and plays a sound game along the boards.

Chris Kreider (USA-F)
7gp, 6g, 1a, 7pt, +6
- Kreider had a phenomenal tournament. He used his world-class speed to forecheck and backcheck, and displayed a nice scoring touch from game one to game seven. I still see a lot of Chris Higgins in Kreider, but hope that he will prove to be a more proficient scorer at the NHL level than Higgins, something he showed he could potentially accomplish based on this tournament.

Brandon McMillan (CAN -F/D)
6gp, 4g, 4a, 8pt, +6
- McMillan had a very impressive tournament. Not many players can turn around in a Gold Medal Game at this level and move from forward back to defense. He's a very savvy player who seems to be able to slot into almost any situation.

Luke Adam (CAN-F)
6gp, 4g, 4a, 8pt, +9
- Adam used his size and skill to piece together a very solid WJC. I didn't know much about Adam coming in, but was impressed with his size and board play.

Danny Kristo (USA-F)
7gp, 5g, 3a, 8pt, +5
- Kristo showed a high aptitude for two-way play, high energy forechecking, and above-average penalty killing. While many players of Kristo's age and speed level have yet to figure out how to utilize their speed, Kristo seems to have a good grasp of how to move around the ice efficiently.

Tyler Johnson (USA-F)
7gp, 3g, 2a, 5pt, +4
- Johnson was named one of the Americans' top three players by Coach Blaise with good reason. His penalty killing was magnificent, his points came at big times for his team, and his speed was an asset for the U.S.A. throughout the tournament.

Goin' for Gold

After Canada's handling of a short-handed Swiss team and the U.S.A.'s 5-2 victory over Sweden, the stage is set for an all North American final.

Canada's path has been an unusual one - they've played just one close game (a 5-4 victory versus the U.S. on New Year's Eve) and essentially got a free-pass to the gold medal game thanks to the Swiss' upset over Russia.

The U.S. has had a surprisingly good tournament. The combination of smarts, grit, and attention to detail has resulted in the States' first trip to the gold medal game since the infamous Marc-Andre Fleury own goal in '04. While star-power may be lacking compared to some more recent WJC U.S. rosters, this team has really come together and gotten the job done.

Following tonight's gold medal game, stay tuned for player and team analysis.

Enjoy the game - it should be a dandy.