SB Nation - Chris Chelios

From Chris to Oskars: Meet Your Philadelphia Flyers 2010 Olympic Hopefuls

Travis Hughes — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:40:04 -0000

Chris Pronger skates for Team Canada at the Salt Lake City games in 2002.

If you ever poke around at the new SBNation.com (and if you don't, then what are you doing with your life?), you've no doubt noticed SBN Hockey's running feature over the last week or so. Each site on the network has taken a look at their respective team, noting which players are locks to make their national teams and which players have outside chances at traveling to Vancouver next month.

While most of the Flyers are Canadian -- seriously, it's absurd the number of Canadians on this roster -- and will have trouble cracking a stacked roster, there are some who will make it. Of course, there are also other players who will make the squad in other countries, and you might be surprised at who has a shot.

After the jump, we'll break down the Flyers roster and see who has a chance at representing their country in Vancouver this February.

Team Canada

The pressure is on for the host country. After a disappointing showing in 2006 at Turin that saw Canada come home without a medal, anything less than the gold will be unacceptable north of the border.

Chris Pronger: There's absolutely no doubt that Pronger will be representing Canada in Vancouver. He's an experienced Olympian, winning the gold with Canada at Salt Lake City in 2002. He also played for his country in the 2006 Turin games and the 1998 Nagano games, as well as in the 1997 World Championships and the 1993 World Junior Championships. Pronger, along with former Anaheim teammate Scott Niedermayer, will be expected to lead the Canadian blueline. Packing His Bags.
Mike Richards: It's hard to see how Canada could keep Richards off the roster. The captain of the Canadian team that won the World Junior Championship in 2005, Richards has played internationally on three different occasions. Packing His Bags.
Jeff Carter: While not as strong a lock as Richards, Carter still has a very strong shot at making the team this year. He's versatile, obviously proven in the NHL, and he's got international experience, winning the WJC gold with Richards in '05. A Solid Bet.
Simon Gagne: It appears that Gagne will be held out by injury. He was probably about as likely to make the team as Carter prior to sustaining his injury during the Flyers season, but considering he won't be playing hockey when Team Canada announces their roster this month, it's hard to imagine Gagne will get another chance to represent his country. It's a shame, too, considering he played for Canada in the 2006 and 2002 Games. Staying Home.
Also staying home: Arron Asham, Blair Betts, Danny Briere, Dan Carcillo, Riley Cote, Claude Giroux, Ray Emery, Scott Hartnell, Ian Laperriere, Jon Kalinski, Darroll Powe, Braydon Coburn, Ryan Parent

Team USA

USA is expected to ice a much younger team than they have in recent Olympic games. Only six players over the age of 30 were invited to their summer camp, and there's no guarantee that all of those players will make the team. Guys like Chris Chelios, Keith Tkachuk, and Brian Rolston were left out of camp as general manager Brian Burke tries to create a younger team that can bring USA Hockey back to the summit.

There are only three Americans on the Flyers roster. They'll announce the roster on NBC during the Winter Classic.

James van Riemsdyk: JVR wasn't invited to USA's summer camp and he wasn't even expected to make the Flyers this season. But to say the 19-year-old has been impressive in the early stages of his pro career is an understatement, and there's no doubt he's at least opened some eyes with the USA brass. Will that get him a roster spot, though? It's tough to say. It's true that the youth movement on the team is here to stay, but it might be a little too early for JVR. He's got a lot of other players to beat out, but he deserves consideration and he'll likely get it. 50/50.
Matt Carle: He wasn't invited to the summer orientation camp either, but when you lead NHL defenseman in plus/minus, you'll open some eyes as well. He'd be a dark horse candidate for sure, and he could be dismissed as a player padded by playing with Chris Pronger. But when you look at some of the other players that attended the summer camp -- Tom Gilbert, Ron Hainsey, Mike Komisarek, Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik, -- you could see Carle getting a spot over some of those guys. A Possibility.
Staying home: Brian Boucher

Team Finland

Led by goaltender Antero Niittymaki, Finland won the silver medal at Turin in 2006, beating Canada in the process. They aren't favorites to medal in Vancouver, but to say they couldn't surprise would be severely underestimating the Fins.

Kimmo Timonen: Kimmo is an absolute lock for Team Finland. He's their best defenseman, no doubt. There's really not much else to say. He's to Finland as he is to the Flyers -- a solid rock of a defenseman that can be counted on to play huge minutes. Packing His Bags.
Mika Pyorala: He made the preliminary roster over the summer, and making the Flyers certainly helps his chances to make the Olympic roster. He's not a lock at this point, but general manager Jari Kurri has been to Philadelphia to watch Pyorala play and has said good things about his play -- "he's a smart player at both ends of the ice," "you know what you are getting with him." Solid endorsements. Wouldn't Be Surprised.
Former Flyers To Watch: Antero Niittymaki, Joni Pitkanen, Ossi Vaananen, Sami Kapanen

Team Latvia

Probably the weakest team in the Olympics, NHL.com didn't even bother to preview them in their series over the summer. It's understandable, though. They have very little NHL talent on their roster, but one of those players does play for Philadelphia.

Oskars Bartulis: Even as an AHL player, Bartulis was one of the best Latvian players in North America. Now that he's in the NHL and playing solidly, it seems as though Bartulis will suit up for his country in February. He's played in pre-tournament games for Latvia, but didn't play in the World Championships. Things have changed now that he's made the jump to the NHL, and you can be sure that the Latvian brass won't let Bartulis go unnoticed. A Strong Bet.

Team Norway

They surprised by qualifying for Olympics, but could they stage an upset or two? There is only one Norwegian in the NHL. He plays in Philadelphia.

Ole-Kristian Tollefsen: Tollefsen has been injured for most of the season, but he is expected to be fine by February, so it would be an utter shock if he wasn't named to Team Norway. Packing His Bags.
Former Flyers To Watch: Patrick Thoresen

Team Sweden

Former Flyers To Watch: Peter Forsberg

Two Fake Award Winners in a Row?! It's like Christmas in...well, almost December.

mpetrella — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:00:26 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

In his infinite awesomeness, Darren Helm has learned how to control the puck using brainwaves. (Note: does not work on breakaways)

Browse more photos »

Well, they were on a bit of a run there for a while. Our boys in red have lost three of four. On the bright side, they've earned points in 13 of their last 17 games played, and Henrik Zetterberg has come alive.

The Red Wings have lost 76 man-games to injury this season. And it's only going to get worse for the next few months. Anyone want a piece of the man-games over/under? If Lilja, Kronwall, and Williams are all out until February, it'll be right around 200 at the Olympic break. Let's call it 200 on Valentine's Day.

A tale of two seasons:
Detroit is 6-3-1 in November. They were 8-2-2 last November.
On November 24, 2009, they are 11-7-4 for 26 points. On November 24, 2008, they were 14-2-4 for 32 points.
They had four losses in only one month last season: January (7-4-2). Reaaaally hoping they win out November...

Of the six players who have taken more than 30 faceoffs, only Justin Abdelkader (40.8) and Henrik Zetterberg (49.2) lose more than they win. The others: Pavel Datsyuk (58.3), Valtteri Filppula (54.5), Darren Helm (50.5), and Kris Draper (50)

Henrik Zetterberg has more than double the amount of points (15) at Joe Louis Arena than his closest competitor (Pavel Datsyuk - 7). He also has the same amount of goals (8) at home as the next three closest players combined.

Only two players have negative +/- ratings at home AND on the road. They are Brett Lebda and Todd Bertuzzi.

After the jump, some more statistical analysis and your Fake Award updates...

93.75% of Brad May's penalty minutes this season have come in the form of majors.

Coming on the heels of last week's dedication of the Patrick Eaves Goodfellas Award, we have a winner of a fake award for the second week in a row!

And the AARON DOWNEY AWARD WINNER is (drumroll, please......) Derek Meech. As a reminder, this honor is reserved for the final Red Wing to score a goal. The award is named for Aaron Downey, who scored his first and only goal as a Red Wing during his 60th and final game. The final three nominees for the 2009-10 version of the Downey Award were Drew Miller, Derek Meech, and Brad May. Drew Miller scored the lone goal against the Predators, and I don't care what LaRue says - Brad May scored, dammit. So, even though Derek Meech has only played six games (by the way, so has Miller), he's the lone guy without a goal.

CHRIS CHELIOS AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings defensemen with the fewest goals scored in the most games played. The player must have played in at least 3/4 of the team's games. The award is named for Chris Chelios, who scored 23 in his EXACTLY 600 games as a Red Wing (regular season and playoffs combined).*
1. Nicklas Lidstrom (1 goal in 22 games)
2. Brett Lebda (1 goal in 19 games)
3. Brad Stuart (2 goals in 22 games)
4. Brian Rafalski (2 goals in 21 games)
5. Jonathan Ericsson (3 goals in 20 games)
6. Niklas Kronwall (5 goals in 21 games)

DANNY CLEARY "SACRAFICE YOUR FACE" AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings forward with the most blocked shots. The award is named for Dan Cleary, who is used to becoming synonymous with "black eye" and/or "broken jaw."*
1. Darren Helm (11)
T2. Dan Cleary (10)
T2. Henrik Zetterberg (10)
4. Pavel Datsyuk (9)
T5. Justin Abdelkader (7)
T5. Ville Leino (7)

DEREK MEECH AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wing with the most games spent in the press box. The award is named for Derek Meech, who was a healthy scratch 35 times in 2008-09.*
1. Derek Meech (15)
T2. Patrick Eaves (6)
T2. Brad May (6)
4. Kirk Maltby (4)
5. Brett Lebda (3)

GREG STEFAN AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings goaltender that makes you question how they're in the NHL and you aren't. The award is named for Greg Stefan, who played nine seasons for the Red Wings, but only three that featured goals against averages under 4.*
1. James Tiberius Howard (5-3-1, 2.76, .898)
2. Christopher Robin Osgood (6-4-3, 2.73, .901)
3. Michael Superfly Petrella (0-0-0, 0.00, 1.000)

MIKAEL SAMUELSSON AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings forward with the most shots to miss the net. The award is named for Mikael Samuelsson, who literally must have been aiming for the 11th row.*
1. Henrik Zetterberg (42)
2. Ville Leino (23)
T3. Todd Bertuzzi (21)
T3. Tomas Holmstrom (21)
5. Pavel Datsyuk (16)

VLADIMIR KONSTANTINOV AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings player that leads the team in plus/minus. The award is named for the legendary Vladinator, who led the NHL in +/- in 1995-96 with +60, a mark that hasn't been met since.*
1. Nicklas Lidstrom (+7)
2. Patrick Eaves (+6)
T3. Kirk Maltby (+5)
T3. Tomas Holmstrom (+5)
5. Pavel Datsyuk (+4)

HONORARY CHRIS HOLLIS/MOTOWN WINGS AWARD
*This is a new one. Its reserved for a Red Wings related player, coach, or situation that - like Hollis's CSSI statistic - I only KINDA understand. It will be given out when deserved.*
November 24, 2009 :: The premiere Hollis Award goes to the Justin Abdelkader. When Brad May scored that obvious goal on Alex Auld, Abdelkader looked right at the puck for about a second or two before he raised his arms. A little quicker reaction, and things may have turned out different. But, its not all bad - he's the only one who actually knew that was a goal. So, like the CSSI, we was very right, but...wait, what?

The Greatest Goon Seasons in Hockey History

Hawerchuk — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:00:23 -0000

View full size photo »

Surprisingly, the true Golden Age of Goons was the 1991-92 season. The Stanley Cup Finals featured the Pittsburgh Penguins, who totaled a pedestrian 1907 penalty minutes during the regular season, against the Chicago Black Hawks, who didn't even lead the league with 2663. The Pens were lightweights, with power forwards Rick Tocchet and Kevin Stevens and legendary penalty-taker Ulf Samuelsson doing the bulk of the dirty work. They had just one pure goon, Jay Caufield, who didn't play enough to rack up gaudy penalty totals. The Hawks, on the other hand, assembled perhaps the biggest goon crew in history: Chris Chelios, Steve Smith, Bryan Marchment, Mike Peluso and Stu Grimson, all of whom dressed in the finals.

Those guys make the 1974-75 Johnstown Jets, who had all of 1594 PIMs and spawned the movie Slapshot, look like a skill-focused hockey team. The Jets' reputation for goonery is undeserved; the script writers took liberties with the truth: in real life, one of the Hanson brothers - Steve Carlson - never exceeded 100 penalty minutes in a single season. Our sepia-toned photographs of Terry O'Reilly breaking someone's teeth deceive us: the most penalty minutes any of Don Cherry's hard-ass Bruins teams had was 1229, which would have placed them dead last by more than 300 minutes in 1991-92.

Let's look at the single-season penalty minute leaders in the NHL:

Year	Player	GP	G	A	PIM
1974-75	Dave Schultz	76	9	17	472
1981-82	Paul Baxter	76	9	34	409
1991-92	Mike Peluso	63	6	3	408
1992-93	Marty McSorley	81	15	26	399
1987-88	Bob Probert	74	29	33	398
1977-78	Dave Schultz	66	9	25	378
1987-88	Basil McRae	80	5	11	378
1985-86	Joey Kocur	59	9	6	377
1988-89	Tim Hunter	75	3	9	375
1997-98	Donald Brashear	77	9	9	372

Notice that six of those top ten seasons were put together between 1985 and 1993, by six different players. Schultz's goonery, on the other hand, stood out in his era. Not for his fights, mind you - he had 27 in his record-setting season, the same as Jared Boll did two seasons ago - but for his sheer stupidity on the ice. Schultz took 16 misconduct penalties that season along with five game misconducts, leaving him with a very pedestrian 262 minutes on legitimate penalties (thanks to Flyers History for this data). You couldn't do that today - you can't keep dropping the bench down to 16 guys for half a period to serve penalties and expect to win consistently. If you got five game misconducts, you'd probably also merit a lengthy suspension.

Some of the truly impressive penalty performances actually come from the minor leagues:

Year	Leagues	Player	GP	G	A	P
1997-98	WCHL/IHL	Chad Wagner	56	5	5	649
1986-87	IHL	Kevin Evans	73	19	31	648
1993-94	CoHL/ECHL	Andy Bezeau	59	30	26	604
1995-96	IHL	Andy Bezeau	74	10	11	590
2002-03	UHL/AHL	Brad Wingfield	66	29	16	578
2001-02	UHL/AHL	Brad Wingfield	57	18	11	561
1978-79	IHL	Mark Toffolo	78	2	11	557
2004-05	AHL	Brian McGrattan	71	7	1	551
1998-99	WCHL/IHL	Chad Wagner	47	3	6	550
1985-86	IHL	Chris McSorley	75	27	28	545
1995-96	ECHL/AHL	Trevor Senn	59	18	31	529
1996-97	AHL	Dennis Bonvie	73	9	20	522
2001-02	WCHL	Ashlee Langdone	56	3	6	514
1995-96	ECHL	Rob McCaig	55	3	11	512
2007-08	Rus	Darcy Verot	43	2	1	511

What got me thinking about this question was watching some of Bezeau's fights from a decade ago. There are a huge number of videos of him on Youtube going completely nuts. The "code" about not wailing on a guy after you fall to the ice and the linesmen are separating you? Bezeau never heard of it. I'm surprised to see that he's not even the biggest penalty-getter ever: Wagner beats him out in a single-season and his two-year total is just slightly higher too.

Monday Links: Wins are overrated edition

averagejoe — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:00:45 -0000

Wins? Who needs them, not when you're getting those sweet, sweet charity points.

Blues news

In case you didn't know, the Blues blew it Sunday afternoon. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
Here's the Canadian Press writeup of the Blues game. [TSN]
John Davidson will be going into the Hall of Fame today as a broadcaster. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
Brett Hull will be joining JD in Toronto, but he'll be going as player. [Blues]
Some more notes on the Blues' Hall-of-Famers. [Belleville News-Democrat]

Hockey news

Here a your standings for Monday. [NHL.com]
Oilers and Thrashers both won last night. [Yahoo! Sports]
Just one game on the schedule Tuesday. Go Kings. [Yahoo! Sports]
Cam Ward is going to be out for a while. My prediction that he was going to have a breakout season looks ... less than promising. [newsobserver.com]
Alex Ovechkin speaks out about his injury. [Puck Daddy]
Chris Chelios must go to save the NHLPA. [CBCSports.ca]
Will Manny Legace resurface in Carolina? [Canes Country]
Some of the Calgary Flames got flu shots and now people are getting fired. [ESPN]
Ben Fanelli, the kid who was rocked and caused Michael Liambas to be suspended for the year. [ESPN]
Jonas Gustavsson is the key for the Leafs this season. [ESPN]
Agents are getting clients in trouble via Twitter. Welcome to 2009. [TSN]

Other links

This site is NSFW, but if you are a fan of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, you will want one of these. [DICK TOWEL]
This really isn't funny or anything, it's damn good journalism. [Denver Post]
Project Mayhem anyone?[ESTY]

Video

So this song might not be considered appropriate, but NatetheGreat. passed it along and its stuck in my head. Enjoy.

Gametimelinks(at)gmail.com

Making sense of the NHLPA mess

James Mirtle — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:00:23 -0000

More photos » by Adrian Wyld - AP

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Maybe the players don't care about the NHLPA, but the agents sure do. They are generally distrusting of one another to begin with, constantly worrying (and with good reason) about poaching of clients. But, five years after the lockout, there are still hard feelings about who sided with whom. A number of high-powered agents felt Goodenow was taking them off a cliff.

It was their feeling that ownership had changed. There were guys with more money, who didn't have hockey in their blood. They were willing to sacrifice a season to get rid of Goodenow and get cost-certainty. The big agents felt he didn't recognize that and didn't understand it wasn't the same as 1994.

– Elliotte Friedman, Hockey Night in Canada

I've been meaning to sit down and write something on this whole debacle for a while now, but the thing is, it's such a tangled mess that making sense of everything is no easy task. The players are widely indifferent, but those that are plugged in – often motivated by their agents – are extremely divided, taking one side or the other.

Elliotte noted on Twitter that it took him three weeks to piece together the article above, and I believe it. It is, in a nutshell, is an excellent recount of the hows and whys of where we are with this fractured group and some of the solutions those behind the scenes are proposing.

Friedman's got more (and better) sources than I do, but those I've been talking to about this story argue that the coverage out there to date has been very one-sided in support of Paul Kelly and against Ian Penny. In addition to the issues Friedman lists (with the reading of confidential minutes obviously the fatal error), some close to the situation say Kelly's continued pursuit of putting resources into marketing and working in a "partnership" with the league rubbed many the wrong way.

It's no coincidence, in other words, that marketing executive Kevin Lovitt was one of the first to go when Kelly was booted this summer.

So there were issues there. Whether they were legitimate enough to pull the "coup" at 3 a.m. in Chicago, it's hard to say (and probably depends which side you were on in the first place). I was told by one agent that much of the reason the issues surrounding Kelly's departure haven't been fully leaked is that his settlement has yet to be negotiated and that it's in the union's interest to keep quiet.

As for whether or not Kelly could at some point return to the PA, something that's been suggested by some in the media, a source said: "Not a chance."

The Chris Chelios-led review committee, meanwhile, has stirred up all kinds of renewed angst among players and agents. Chelios is a divisive figure at the best of times, and some of the committee's conduct (as alleged in this letter by Ian Penny) has outraged the membership.

A review is one thing, but directly meddling in the union's affairs is another.

"My players are wondering what the hell's going on," one agent said last week. "If Penny's letter is accurate, it raises all kinds of questions."

Everyone involved agrees on one thing, however, and that's that they need to begin a search for the next executive director as soon as possible and let him pick through the wreckage. Whoever that is going to be has a heckuva task on their hands trying to rebuild this thing, a job they'll only be able to complete if the PA's constitution is rewritten to give the ED much more power than Kelly had.

It won't be easy. It may not even be possible, at least in terms of regaining some of the power the union had back during the first labour stoppage 15 years ago. Because they are unlikely to be willing to submit to yet another stoppage, how then will players fend off whatever Gary Bettman and ownership wants to bring in?

As he argued throughout the last lockout, Tom Benjamin writes that the membership may be better off with no union at all given the way the next CBA negotiations are shaping up – an extreme viewpoint if there ever was one, but he has a point.

The NHL's push to destroy the PA has worked all too well. More than four years later, it's as big a mess as it ever was.

Thursday's news: Predators limp into Anaheim

Dirk Hoag — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:35:57 -0000

It's going to be a late night for Nashville Predators fans as they play on the West Coast tonight, but in the meantime, get your day started with a fresh batch of NHL news and notes.

Until then, you should also tune into the Thom Abraham Show on WNSR 560-AM today; I'll be on during the 12:00 hour to preview Nashville's big road trip.

After the jump, we have the latest updates from the Preds' injury ward, news that an NHL team is talking about signing Peter Forsberg, and another player on re-call waivers, meaning any team in the league can claim him for 50% off...

Predators News

Dumont injury sparks scramble again - Predators Insider
John Glennon takes a stab at how the forward lines will look now that Dumont, Erat and Wilson are out, but Arnott and Tootoo return. It's not a pretty sight.

Rookie joins heap of injured Predators | Nashville City Paper
David Boclair details the list of walking wounded among the team.

Predators pile up the points early - The Tennessean
Bryan Mullen points to some reasons for optimism as the Preds sit at the .500 mark. While he needs to get sharper on the facts, writing The Predators opened the season 0-for-29 on the power play when in fact they scored on their very first one, it's encouraging to see a second writer contributing on a regular basis over at the Tennessean.

Around the NHL

Rangers scouting legend in Sweden - NY Post
Larry Brooks brings word that the New York Rangers are openly talking about their interest in acquiring Peter Forsberg.

Do Players Really Understand? | Hockey Independent
Al Cimaglia wonders if the NHL will ever take a proactive stance towards player safety, rather than merely reacting to serious incidents with one-off policy shifts.

Severity of injury big factor in OHL ruling - CBC Sports
The Ontario Hockey League has suspended Michael Liambas for the rest of the regular season for a hit into the boards that put Ben Fanelli into the hospital. It's another sad example of a league tying the penalty for a big hit to the injury which results, rather than focusing on the action itself.

Cash-strapped Jackets focus of report - Business First of Columbus:
The Blue Jackets are sidling up to the public trough to try and staunch annual financial losses. I can't believe they're seriously proposing the use of federal stimulus money to adjust the arena financing, and think the first question they should answer is why they're spending $10 million over the salary cap floor for a middling team. (hat tip to Kukla)

Team Canada Depth Chart: Defence - Hockey Or Die!
Taking a look at the top contenders for Team Canada's blueline for the Winter Olympics. I don't know that I'd have Mike Green as high as he's listed here, but they'll be stacked regardless.

Chris Chelios makes his debut at the Bradley Center - Hockey Gal
The Ancient One suited up for the Chicago Wolves against the Milwaukee Admirals last night, and this post includes a nice pic of him battling Ryan Jones in front of the Wolves' net. Chelios earned two assists on the night and was 2nd Star of the game.

Postgame Avs-Coyotes – where were you tonight? | All Things Avs
Adrian Dater calls out Denver fans for a disappointing crowd last night against Phoenix. Here's an idea; we know it's going to be a rough year in many NHL markets due to the economy - why obsess over the obvious?

Toni Rajala Talks to The Copper & Blue - The Copper & Blue
SB Nation's Edmonton Oilers blog gets an interview with one of the team's prospects.

The looming transaction - Ryan Craig on re-call waivers - Raw Charge
When a player goes through re-call waivers, another NHL team can claim him, and only have to pay half his salary. Should the Preds look at perhaps bringing in a depth winger who can score the odd goal, at the bargain-basement price of $400,000?

Sportsnet record for Kessel’s debut | Truth & Rumours
Phil Kessel's first game for Toronto drew a tremendous TV audience, writes William Houston. I'm sure that the Preds would have liked the spectacle of having a flashy new player to show off to the fans, just as much as they would have liked his goal-scoring ability.

Rotten To The Corps? - Anaheim Calling
Pondering the problems on the Anaheim blueline. You just had to expect some trouble with Chris Pronger and Francois Beauchemain both gone.

Canes Now - Have Canes reached that 'point" yet?
With a 2-9-3 record after 14 games, the storm clouds are gathering over the Carolina Hurricanes (ooh, that was awful, wasn't it?).

Kovalev Return Recalls Lafleur's Forum Comeback

Robert L — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 08:36:14 -0000

There is little doubt - love him or loathe him - that Alex Kovalev has been one the most popular Montreal Canadiens over the past four seasons. This past summer, complicated negotiation breakdowns lead to Kovalev signing with the nearby rival Ottawa Senators club.

It was a moment in recent Canadiens history that left many Habs fans transfixed. The thought of Kovalev, a fan favorite, in any other uniform other than the bleu, blanc rouge was quite hard to imagine. Just days prior to signing with the Senators, a protest of sorts was held outside the Bell Centre, demanding that GM Bob Gainey make a last ditch effort to retain Kovalev in the Canadiens fold.

The show of love seemed to touch Kovalev, and he passed along a note of appreciation to fans in Montreal for the support he felt during his time with the team.

During a charity golf tournament in Montreal this past summer held in his name, Kovalev, just days after becoming a Senator, seemed transfixed himself. For long stretches of an interview held on the links, he seemed caught up in his Montreal time, discussing the team and his departure at length. At one moment, he even went as far as stating how much it would appeal to him to finish his career in Montreal.

Everyone knew Kovalev could be candid, but this was quite a statement. Evidently, Kovalev was having as much trouble turning the page on Montreal as Canadiens fans were in letting go of Kovalev.

Kovalev, as a Senator, plays his first game in Montreal tonight.

What had always been special about Kovalev, was the manner in which his offensive artistry captured the imaginations of Habs' fans. An exclusive, and sometimes elusive talent, Kovalev kept fans on the edge of their seats. His allure was always a tease of promises - blink and you could miss that split-second highlight reel moment waiting to happen.

There were many great Kovalev moments during his time. Fans will forever recall his goal against the Rangers - the Canadiens fifth of the game - on February 19, 2008, that sent Montreal into overtime in a 6-5 game they eventually won.

It has been called the most dramatic come from behind win in Habs history, and the memory of it is captured in the vivid image of Kovalev, seconds after unleashing a patented wrister, sliding on his back, all fours kicking into the air in a joyous celebration.

Who can forget the passion Kovalev brought to game against the hated Leafs, and that viscious elbow he served to an unsuspecting Darcy Tucker.

One of my favorite plays involves Kovalev losing a glove, then the puck, behind the Bruins goal one night, before first retrieving the lost disc, then the glove, and spiraling back towards an embarrased Zdeno Chara to make a pass to a player in the Boston goal crease.

There were other great moments, and every fan has their favorite recollection.

Throughout his Montreal time, Kovalev has been electrifying, charismatic, enigmatic and candid. He has often reminded long time Hab supporters of Guy Lafleur, who in fact also fits the adjectives listed above to a T.

Like Kovalev, Lafleur was outspoken, dramatic, effervescent, and spectacular. He had left the game in 1984, and returned to NHL action in 1988, giving the Forum one of it's most memorable evenings in its history - in the uniform of an opponent.

The legendary Lafleur had abandonned the game in December of 1984 as a Canadien, unable to play in Habs' coach Jacques Lemaire's tight defensive system.

The saddest of times for Habs fans has little in common with the departure of Kovalev on the surface, but it is in the highly anticipated return that the two may share history.

On February 4, 1989, Lafleur played his first game in Montreal against his former mates and in front of legions of supporters thrilled at the promise of seeing him play one more time. Earlier in the season, on December 17, scalpers had done brisk business leading up to Lafleur's return date. Anticipation had driven up ticket prices for a moment that ultimately failed to materialize. Lafleur had been injured the game before, and history was postponed until the later February date.

All season long, the press filled the Montreal papers recounting Lafleur's each and every exploit in a Ranger uniform. GM Phil Esposito had brought him aboard, at the request and curiosity of coach Michel Bergeron. Many doubted, and few believed that Lafleur could make the team after four seasons away from the game. As hopes held up, fans in Lafleur's corner increased. At camp's end, he made the cut. He was to be united with a peer in center Marcel Dionne, while rejoining former teammates Chris Nilan as a Ranger.

A shadow of his former self, but still capable of squeezing out sparks, Lafleur was on his way to an 18 goal, 27 assist season, playing on a line with center Kelly Kisio for the better part of 67 games. The peak of his season by the time he had set foot in Montreal, was a three goal effort against the Washington Capitals.

Highlight reels testified that on certain nights, Lafleur still had the stuff!

When February 4 finally rolled around, fans inside the Forum were as lit up as Lafleur could have been, and the anticipation inside the building was like no other evening in Canadiens history.

Support was clearly in Lafleur's corner, and everyone knew it. The drama was thick as a brick, and the tension could be cut with a knife.

How would Guy play?

What would be the fan's reaction to him?

Would he score?

Could there be an ovation for Guy if he did?

All these questions remained unanswered at game time, but as the evening unravelled, the events of the game were testimony to both the fan's and player's passion for the sport.

Lafleur, as a hockey God in the city of Montreal, had reached and sealed status previously reserved for only the likes of Maurice "Rocket" Richard and Jean Beliveau, neither of whom had ever returned to Montreal in a different jersey.

The Rocket in Leafs' colours - God help us all!

Beliveau as a Bruin - unthinkable!

The night, should Lafleur live up, would be both momentous and revealing.

Come game time, there was the obvious higher than usual anticipation, in the sense that rarely did fans pack the Forum with all on eyes on an opponent.

The Rangers that season were merely a .500 hockey club, while the Canadiens - packed and loaded - for destined for a Stanley Cup final date they would achieve.

In the Habs lineup were a bevy of talents, including former Lafleur mates Gainey and Robinson, as well as stars such as Patrick Roy, Chris Chelios, Claude Lemieux, Stephane Richer and Shayne Corson, to name but a handfull.

The Canadiens at the time, had hit a bit of a rough patch, having tied games against lowly Minnesota and Washington recently among scattered wins. They were coming off a 6-4 loss to the Quebec Nordiques two nights earlier, and coach Pat Burns had been loudly grumbling about team effort.

While the Canadiens were seesawing, fan's expectations were hopeful of a Montreal win with a strong showing from Lafleur.

The contest began with a loud and lengthy ovation for Lafleur the moment he hit the ice for his first shift. In a unique way, it resounded and caught many off guard, including the game's participants.

The unhelmetted Lafleur, streaking mane on a balding head, could still captivate. After registering an assist on a linemate's goal, all eyes in the building were on him.

The announcement of Lafleur's helper generated an unexpected fan response, and the usual calm in the building after an opponent's go ahead goal was replaced by an amplified hum. Inspired by this, the Rangers were taking the play to the Canadiens, and they quickly took hold of the game and the lead.

The Habs were not having a good night. Commentators describing the game noted that Habs players tended to watch Lafleur's every move, in a peculiar sort of way. For a bit, the Canadiens became spectators within their own game. Guilty as they were of watching Lafleur, he soon proved as elusive and slippery as ever.

With this, momentum shifted, and in a distracted moment, Lafleur uncovered by defensemen Chelios and Ludwig, burst towards Roy's goal and popped a rebound past the future legend.

The Forum went beserk. It was a scene many might have imagined, but few could have impactfully felt. Lafleur clearly, still held his mass of fans captive.

Perhaps sensing as much, the Canadiens players let down some. With every Lafleur shift from then on, the Forum faithful, on the dge of their seats, held their collective breath.

Could Guy do it again?

What else did he have reserved for this special evening?

With the Habs playing on their heels, Lafleur was poised to make something happen. His instinctive intuition from past glories seemedly revived, Lafleur sprouted wings. Soon, he was all over. As the Rangers were up, and with Lafleur having threatened to increase the lead with a pair of chances, a moment in time seemed chosen for Lafleur to create some magic.

Accepting a pass at the Canadiens blueline, Lafleur was confronted by Petr Svobado and Rick Green to his left. Sprightly, Lafleur barely handled the feeding pass, instead tipping it past Svoboda, as he elected not to play the body. Lafleur skipped past him and broke loose, nothing but net in his sights.

The Canadiens defensemen gave chase. As Lafleur broke away, they came within a stride of him, when he decided to shoot. With space ahead of him, Lafleur caught Roy off guard with a 20 foot wrister bound for the top corner.

The Forum erupted with unpredictable decible vibration. Fans cheered the goal with as much added verve as one could imagine. It was a though the goal had placed the home team in the playoffs.

While the Lafleur comeback performance became the headline, the byline of the game told that the Habs came back from a 5-2 deficit to win the game 7-5. Burried in the historic night, was a Shayne Corson hat trick that spurred the comeback. Regardless, the Lafleur highlights were the game's most lasting and telling tale.

In the distinct 100 year history of the hockey club, no opponents' goal would ever be cheered as much.

It all had to do with a twisted sort of vindication.

Lafleur had left the Canadiens four seasons earlier, still feeling in his heart that he could play and help the team. Fans did not want him gone, knowing he could still contribute. They felt every shred in Lafleur's soul as the Canadiens decision ate at him. By the time of his comeback, there was hardly a hockey fan not behind him.

The February 4, 1989 game represented in sorts, a moment of truth for both Lafleur and his fans. This would in essense be the day that fans were assured that Lafleur could have belonged in a Canadiens uniform all along, and that he should never have been forced to retire.

The ovations afforded to Lafleur's performance that evening were a vindication of their beliefs.

It boiled down to Habs fans versus management, with Lafleur in the middle. Habs fans won.

In the days ahead, then GM Serge Savard uncomfortably tiptoed around past actions, kindly offering good wishes to Lafleur, perhaps admitting that the scenario four years prior were unsuitable to the star at that particular career stage.

All told, it was both a unique time in Habs fans' relationship with their team, and a frozen moment in a spectacular player's career. Those witnessing it, will never forget it.　

Now it should be understood that in all of this recounting, the Lafleur / Kovalev comparisons pale somewhat against one another. Times have changed of course, and with that the obvious should be noted. Yes, Kovalev's hardware cabinet as a Canadien is nowhere near as full as Lafleur's in terms of accomplishments. A listing of such would be futile.

Despite that note, it could be said that between 2005 and 2009, Kovalev meant as much to Habs fans as Lafleur meant in the heyday of the last Canadiens dynasty. The similarities between their persona's have been noted, as were the fans affection for both on those terms.

As Lafleur was in his time, Kovalev is the focal point gone missing presently in Habs fans' hearts.

Will Kovalev's return to the Bell Centre prove to be as captivating?

The possibility is definitely there.

That's why we will all be intently watching as Kovalev returns in those Godawfuls Sens duds.

Maybe you are just like I am, unable to wish that Kovalev plays poorly!

It should be an intereting evening.

Off the Post - October 14th

Conico do Mayo Miracle — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:00:52 -0000

Plank debates the Western Conference Regular Season Champions banner, which has split the FTF community almost cleanly in two.
Anaheim Calling has officially entered the SBN universe, and Earl Sleek of Battle of California provides a little Q & A for Arthur and Daniel.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are still winless after losing to Colorado (that Darcy Tucker...), their teal-bred goaltender is injured (update - here's the "real story"), and some coach named Ron is under premature attack.
[UPDATE] - Behind the Net has a couple "Do the Leafs suck" articles - and this is a statistics oriented site, people!
The Buffalo Sabres do us all a favor by defeating (nay - pounding) the Detroit Red Wings for the first time since 2002; unfortunately, the win came at the loss of sniper Thomas Vanek, who will be out "weeks."
The Sharks plan for their "business trip" to the East Coast for 6 straight games.
Drew pesters Dan Boyle with 20 questions - worth the look.
The Sharks' next game is Thursday in D.C., and with that in mind, here are 3 problems with the Washington Capitals.
Chris Chelios won't rest until he's back in the NHL, even if all 30 teams have said "no."
Dany Heatley was named the NHL's first star last week - TSN users offer fine words of encouragement.
[UPDATE, 4:45pm] = Ask Manny Malhotra that burning question that troubles your soul.
[UPDATE, 4:55pm] = The New York Islanders / Charles Wang / Town of Hempstead / Gary Bettman (I dunno, just seems right to list him) have abandoned the Lighthouse Project. Kansas City, here we come...

[UPDATE] - Joining Daniel Sedin on the injured Canucks list is Sami Salo, who will similarly be out 4-6 weeks.

[UPDATE] - Mirtle gives the low down on the reality of the neo-Quebec Nordiques.

[UPDATE] - While Alex Ovechkin is at the top of the points race (12), Anze Kopitar has joined Backstrom, Thornton, and Heatley in the second place bottleneck.

[UPDATE] - Marleau, Moreau... Copper & Blue debates stripping Ethan of the captaincy.

[UPDATE] - Lighthouse Hockey approves of John Tavares after 10 days.

[TCY UPDATE] - If you haven't received your tickets for "FTF's Night at the Tank", well, that's because I haven't sent them yet (me=lazy ass). I'll be addressing them tonight and they will be on their way by Saturday at the latest.

[UPDATE] - I know standings mean little this early in the season, but if the Los Angeles Kings beat the New York Rangers tonight, they'll be number one in the Western Conference (spot currently held by the Colorado Avalanche).

(More to come soon)

Shirokov Solid in Moose Debut

Yankee Canuck — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:51:20 -0000

To help distract you from the distinct possibility that the Canucks could be without Daniel Sedin for a bit of time, let's focus on the Moose.

With a record of 1-1, the Moose hosted the Chicago Wolves last night (and later on today) and Sergei Shirokov made his AHL debut. The Moose won 4-1 but the bigger story is how did it go for our plucky Ruskie?

Demoted by Vancouver on Thursday, Shirokov was easily the best player on the ice last night, settling for a goal and an assist on a night where he should have had at least one more assist, and maybe more, if only his minor league teammates could have converted his major league passes.

By night's end, what was clear is that while Shirokov may have looked out of place the past 10 days in a Canucks uniform, he looks even more out of place in a Moose uniform.

Sure it's just the AHL, but seeing Shirokov produce immediately is a welcoming sign. Other notable demotions chimed in on the win as well: Michael Grabner (two goals), Michael Funk (one goal) and Cory Schneider (35 saves). Funk is actually tied with Marco Rosa for the team lead in points (4).

And speaking of demotions, I'd hate to not point out this part at the end of the article:

The rich are getting richer as the Wolves are set to add G Manny Legace and D Chris Chelios. The 47-year-old Chelios is hoping to catch on with another NHL team after the Detroit Red Wings decided to not bring him back this season, while Legace is also hoping to land NHL employment after going to training camp on a tryout basis with the Atlanta Thrashers.

See? Once you wiped your tears of laughter away, you already forgot Daniel is injured. You're welcome.

Friday links: Don't take the escalator after a loss edition

averagejoe — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:15:23 -0000

Well that sure was fun. Blues lose and the arena tries to kill the paying customers.

Blues news

Yeah, so that sucked. [Stltoday.com]
The AP write up can be found here. [AP]
Adding injury to insult, the escalator at Scottrade malfunctioned injuring at least 13 people. [Stltoday.com]
The new Al MacInnis statue is pretty cool looking. [Blues]
D.J. King is going to Peoria for rehab. [Belleville News-Democrat]

Hockey news

Results from a full slate of games last night. [Yahoo!]
It's Friday night let's play some hockey ... wait, just two games on the schedule? Huh. [Yahoo!]
The Leafs got absolutely nothing for tampering. [Canada]
Shooting distance vs shooting percentage. [Behind the Net]
Things got bitey in Philly last night. [ESPN]
Jonas Gustavsson, the Monster, played one game and is now on the injured list. [TSN]
Sergei Shirokov, a guy many (including me) thought might be a breakout player ... is going to the AHL. [TSN]
Chris Chelios won't quit. He's going to be playing for the Chicago Wolves on Monday. [TSN]
From Carnie comes a hockey blog that made her laugh her ass off. [Lil Cindy Lou's Silly Hockey Blog]

Other links

YouTube comments presented out of context. [Awesome YouTube Comments]
A bunch of dwarves have set up a village. [Metro]

Video

Roman Polanski gets busted by Chris Hansen. Enjoy.

Poor College Student has the links this weekend. Send him stuff.