'09-'10 World Juniors

The day after Christmas. Boxing Day. The 26th. It gives me goose bumps.

Ten teams compiled with various teenagers looking to gain some glory for their home countries, while also attempting to use the tournament as a launch pad for their hockey careers...it makes for some of the most entertaining hockey these eyes have ever seen.

The excitement of Pierre McGuire. The soothing tones of Gord Miller. Coming out parties. Upsets. Marc-Andre Fleury's own goal. The Punch-up in Piestany. Matt Halischuk. Jack Johnson's elbow. Jordan Eberle.

This year's tournament should be no different. With a multitude of World Junior eligible players playing in the NHL unavailable for Canada, this year's tournament seems to be a bit more wide open than in years past. While Canada is still arguably the favorite, Russia, Sweden, and the U.S. all present substantial road blocks for the Red and White.

As the tournament unfolds, I'll be writing about various prospects, teams, and individual games.

Happy Holidays, and don't forget to check in starting on the 26th!

Some Team Canada Thoughts, When Predators Attack, Score One for the Little Guy

As we march closer to decision time for Steve Yzerman and Hockey Canada, here are a few thoughts that are on my mind.

- Is Mike Richards playing himself off of the squad? I never thought in my wildest dreams that I'd be asking this question, but it's one that needs to be asked. Richards is pressing as the Flyers continue to struggle, and his play should be worrisome for Hockey Canada. He's forcing passes, is being scrutinized by the Philadelphia media, and there are rumors abroad about a possible schism in the Flyers' locker room. As the team captain, that doesn't project well for Richards. Guys like Brad Richards and Patrice Bergeron are playing excellently, and would fit into the role Richards would assume nicely. I still think going head-to-head against Alexander Ovechkin will help Richards get going, but it's always hard to tell...

- Speaking of Patrice Bergeron - this guy finally looks healthy again, and its really showing in his play. He leads the Bruins in scoring while also playing against the other team's top line, night in and night out. I don't think he has a very good shot at Team Canada, but it's great to see a healthy Bergeron thriving in Beantown.

- I originally had Duncan Keith as Team Canada's seventh defenseman on my original roster. Scratch that. Keith continues to get better, and has made great strides in the offensive zone this year, as well. His gap control is other worldly, and the overall fashion in which he is able to utilize his speed and quickness is something special. Smarts and speed, when combined...good for Chicago, bad for everyone else...

How 'bout them Predators?

Nashville is 11-3-1 in their last fifteen games, and have climbed to within three points of the Blackhawks in the Central Division.

Barry Trotz's uncanny ability to keep this team in the thick of things in the Western Conference is truly mind blowing when you compare the talent of the Predators to the other teams out West.

Martin Erat, a player I have always felt is underrated due in large part to playing for the Predators, as well as often playing with, for lack of a better phrase, a bunch of stiffs, has been on an absolute tear of late. Nine points in his last five games, including six goals, with at least one goal in each of his past four contests. The one year the Preds actually had some talent up front, Erat connected for 57 points in 68 games. Usually left with the daunting task of providing secondary support with linemates that could hardly be considered top-sixers in the NHL, Erat has played with Jason Arnott and Steve Sullivan over the past three games. I'd liken his game to that of his fellow countryman, Ales Hemsky...

Nathan Gerbe, the last forward cut out of Sabres' Camp, finally got his first call-up of the season on Wednesday.

He didn't disappoint.

Playing on a line with Derek Roy and Drew Stafford, Gerbe stepped right into the lineup and gave the Sabres the emotional spark Sabres' management had hoped for.

Gerbe helped set up the first Buffalo tally, knocking the puck into the corner, and then going to the front of the net and setting a screen, allowing Steve Montador's shot from the point to beat an unsuspecting Jose Theodore.

But Gerbe's night got a whole lot better in the second period, when the little guy was able to bank a shot off of Theodore's skate and into the back of the net for his first career NHL goal. His ability to find ways to score (he was standing on the goal-line when he scored) has been what has propelled him into the NHL. Gerbe is generously listed at 5'6'', but he he is really closer to 5'4.5''

His passion and desire is visible to everyone - including his teammates. When Gerbe got his first call-up last season, the entire Sabres' team stopped skating and began to tap their sticks on the ice.

How can you not root for a guy that makes a 5'9'' Derek Roy look like Yao Ming?

Stevens out, Laviolette in; Rangers Floundering

Who would've guessed that on the first Saturday of December the New York Islanders would be in front of both the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers in the Atlantic division standings?

When a team as talented as the Flyers looses six of their last seven outings, getting shutout in their two most recent games, heads will, and should, roll.

Paul Holmgren's decision to axe John Stevens was a necessary move. Although Steven's did, what was in my estimation, a solid job of helping the organization begin to turn things around in his first full season with the Flyers in '07-'08, it was clear that the team needed a change. Stevens is a very young coach - the Flyers seem to be in need of somebody with experience; somebody who can set a firm tone for the team and in the locker room.

Rumors abroad have it that there is a schism amongst the players in the Flyers' locker room. Captain Mike Richards' relationship with the Philly media has progressively deteriorated. The team, as a whole, has looked flat for far too long a stretch of games. All of these problems necessitated a change. New Coach Peter Laviolette has experience, a Stanley Cup ring, and an up-tempo offensive system that could be greatly beneficial for a very talented Flyers lineup.

Coaching change or not, the Flyers will fail to reach their potential as a Stanley Cup contender if Mike Richards and Jeff Carter continue to play below their capabilities. Richards has been committing far too many turnovers and hasn't looked quite like himself since the latter part of last season, while Carter has been snakebitten in the goals department for the last few weeks, now.

If Peter Laviolette can get his newly acquired locker room in order and find a way to get his top two forwards to play top-notch hockey, the Flyers will be just fine...

Marian Gaborik is second in the league in points and first in the league in goals. So why have the Rangers amassed just 13 points over their last 19 games?

No secondary scoring. So-so to downright bad defensive play. Injuries to their top two centers. It's not exactly rocket science.

However, for Coach John Tortorella, finding answers to these problems may be close to it. Ales Kotalik is goal-less in his last nine contests (playing him five minutes a game and not on the power-play has a lot to do with it, doesn't it Mr. Tortorella?). Chris Drury, Ryan Callahan, and Christopher Higgins have combined for just eight (eight!) goals. Wade Redden's absence has resulted in the Rangers throwing out three rookies on defense, which means that five of their six defensemen in those games have been 25 years or younger. Going against Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin with a rookie defenseman on each of your three defensive pairs...yikes!

Not exactly the recipe for success.

While fixing all of these problems at once may seem to be a monumental task, there is one thing the Rangers forwards need to do that will alleviate many of the teams' problems - get to the net.

Going to net is a means for guys like Drury, Callahan, and Higgins to pick up some dirty goals. Going to net results in power-play opportunities for a team that needs to garner substantial time with the man advantage to generate offense. Going to the net will make this team harder to play against.

Ovechkin Banned, The Instigator Rule

Well, everyone knew this day would come eventually.

The NHL suspended Alex Ovechkin for two games for his vicious knee-on-knee hit on Tim Gleason. And about time, too.

Many around the hockey world, including me, had a major problem with the NHL not disciplining Ovechkin after his slewfoot of Atlanta's Rich Peverley, despite the fact that Anaheim's Evgeny Artyukhin was suspended for three games after committing an eerily similar slewfoot to that of Ovechkin's. Artyukhin was suspended on the same day that Ovechkin slewfooted Peverley.

Star treatment? Uh, duh.

Colin Campbell, the Senior VP and Director of Hockey Operations for the NHL, maintained that Artyukhin is a repeat offender while Ovechkin had a clean slate, which factored into his decisions.

Let's be real, here, Ovechkin did have a history. How about his knee-on-knee hit with Sergei Gonchar in last season's playoffs? His hit from behind on Jamie Heward? His hit to the back of an unsuspecting Danny Briere?

But today serves as a start. Props to Colin Campbell for (finally) making the right call. I have nothing against Ovechkin. He's one of my favorite players to watch, he's entertaining, and the fashion and rate at which he scores goals is other worldly. But the guy is wreck less. I'm a huge proponent of physical place, but you can't run around the ice continually throwing your body into other players without regard for the position they are in.

On the Gleason hit Ovechkin clearly leads with his knee - huge "no, no." Players who repeatedly break the "code" lose a tremendous amount of respect from their peers, and also make themselves targets in the process. Ovechkin may think he is, as he puts it, a "Big Russian Machine" who will never slow down or be injured - but he will, and he has so far this season - twice now (although this knee injury appears to be nothing serious).

Ovechkin would be wise to learn from this. Players around the league don't like these hits one iota. Nor does the league. Playing with a physical edge is part of what makes Ovechkin great. Playing with complete and utter wreck less abandon is what makes him a target - a target for suspension, a target for injury, and a target in the eyes of his opponent...

Speaking of the code, yet again I am reminded of why the instigator rule is, hands down, the stupidest rule in the game today.

In this past Saturday's contest featuring the Rangers versus the Penguins, Matt Cooke tattooed an unsuspecting Artem Anisimov in the head. Moving aside from whether the hit was clean or not, Donald Brashear, soon after, attempted to engage Matt Cooke in a fight, or at the very least, let Cooke know he was there.

Of course, the refs stepped in right away, and everyone in the building knew that Cooke would never actually fight Brashear, and that, because of the instigator rule, Cooke was completely protected. Cooke did answer the bell when challenged by Ryan Callahan - but that's not exactly a huge burden for Cooke to endure; Callahan is hardly what anyone would consider a fighter.

Do you think Cooke might think twice before ticking off the Rangers again after fighting Callahan? I don't. Do you think he might think twice before ticking off the Rangers if he had to tussle with Donald Brashear? He certainly would.

Rangers Coach John Tortorella had this to say after the game:

"Some of these guys that go about doing that and have no fear at all, as far as maybe a little retribution, it will continue. That's why our game is more violent right now. I think guys hide behind that rulebook...The linesman jumps in when someone is trying to take care of business. That should have been left alone. This is where our game is screwed up, as far as I'm concerned. There's just no respect in these types of situations. I think the rulebook has a little bit to do with that."

"Torts" is exactly right. All the instigator rule does is protect cheap shot agitators like Patrick Kaleta, Maxim Lapierre, and Jarkko Ruutu. They knew they can go out on the ice and act like complete idiots because they don't have to fight. That may seem barbaric to some, but it's one of the fundamental purposes of fighting in hockey (or at least it was).

"Alright, you want to take a run at our team's star player? That's fine, but be prepared to hear from our team's heavyweight."

That's how it should be. These agitators are completely protected.

As for the people who have a problem with fighting after clean hits - that's part of being a team! If you see one of your teammates, someone who puts it all on the line for you every night, get clobbered by a Dion Phaneuf open ice hit - clean or not - you're going to want retribution.

Of course, I doubt the league ever takes the instigator rule out of the game. They'll think no instigator rule equates with more fighting, and we all know the league doesn't want that. But it needs to be done. Put the game back in the players' hands; let them police themselves.

Unless more responsibility is given to the players, expect each and every agitator to continue serving their role as village idiot.

Which Division is Tops?

One point of contention I always enjoy debating concerns which division is the best in the NHL. The debate changes every season as each team, and by extension, division, endures some degree of changes and moves further along, or backward, in their maturation process.

Starting from the bottom, here's how I'd rank the six NHL divisions.

6. Southeast Division

- Commonly referred to as the "South-Least Division," this division has remained in the NHL cellar for a while now. Here's a quick breakdown of this division's recent playoff appearances:

2008-2009: 2
2007-2008: 1*
2006-2007: 2
2005-2006: 2

*Keep in mind the one team that actually made the playoffs from this division, the Washington Capitals, garnered only 94 points - the same amount as the eighth place Boston Bruins.

However, it is true that the Southeast Division could lay claim to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2004 (Tampa Bay Lightning) and the year after the lockout in 2006 (Carolina Hurricanes).

Although this division is certainly improved this season, they are still far removed from being what one could term a strong division. Of their three current playoff hopefuls - the Caps, Lightning, and the Atlanta Thrashers - expect no more than two of these teams to find themselves engaged in spring hockey.

5. Northeast Division

- The Northeast Division has found itself in the midst of a downward spiral. The Battle of Ontario has lost much of its luster, the Ottawa Senators window of opportunity to win a cup has closed, and the division's top returning team, the Boston Bruins, has started a bit slow out of the gate (though injuries have had much to do with it).

In fact, they are nearly neck-and-neck with the Southeast for the title of worst division in hockey.

Once considered one of the tougher divisions in hockey, the Northeast Division has struggled mightily here in the first quarter of the '09-'10 season.

4. Northwest Division

- Looking at the teams in the Northwest Division, it's hard to find a team that you can get really excited about.

The Calgary Flames possess an excellent defense and a top-end tender, but looking at their offense - does anyone really think these guys will be able to manufacture enough offense come playoff time? Same story for the Vancouver Canucks, although the playoffs are certainly not a given for this B.C. team. The Colorado Avalanche have been a nice story with their hot start, but they are very young and get out shot nearly every game. The Edmonton Oilers are very "eh," while the Minnesota Wild have less talent than nearly every team in the league.

Although this division is far from weak, their top teams have too many holes in their games. A Cup champ from this division in '09-'10 is very unlikely.

3. Pacific Division

- The Pacific Division possesses the top regular season team in the league (San Jose Sharks), three greatly improved teams compared to a season ago (Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars), and one floundering team that still boasts some of the top players in the league (Anaheim Ducks).

Simply put, no coach, player, or fan likes when their squad is playing against the teams in this division. The Sharks are simply better than you, the Kings and Coyotes employ super-tight defensive game plans than will stymie you, the Stars are far from a bunch of "nice guys," and nearly every game they play is a one or two goal game which will have you pulling out your hair, and the Ducks, well, no one enjoys playing against the Ducks' old school physical style of play (until they are on the power-play for half of the game) which will leave you black and blue.

2. Central Division

- The Central Division has a great blend of quality teams. You have the perennial Cup contending Detroit Red Wings, a soon-to-be perennial Cup contender in the Chicago Blackhawks, the up-and-coming Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues, and the always tough to be play Nashville Predators.

In '08-'09 the Central Division featured four playoff teams, five of the top ten teams in the Western Conference, and a Conference Final that featured two Central Division teams (the Wings and Hawks).

The Central Division had a great season in '08-'09. The future could be even brighter.

1. Atlantic Division

- Coming into this season, I would've probably given the slight edge to the Central over the Atlantic Division as the top division in hockey. But with the very impressive play of the Jacques Lemaire coached New Jersey Devils and the surpisingly solid start of the New York Islanders, it's clear that there is no better division than that of the Atlantic.

In each of the past three seasons the Atlantic Division has featured four teams in the playoffs. The division features elite goaltending (Martin Brodeur, Henrik Lundqvist, Marc-Andre Fleury, a resurgent Ray Emery, and a vastly underrated Dwayne Roloson) and a plethora of star power upfront, as well (Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Zach Parise, Marian Gaborik, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, and John Tavares).

Not to mention, they possess last year's Stanley Cup Champions (Pittsburgh Penguins), and for my money, this year's Cup favorite (Philadelphia Flyers).

The Atlantic Division is an all-around force.