SB Nation - Rob Scuderi

Deep Thoughts

RudyKelly — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:44:20 -0000

-The guys behind us were driving me pretty Goddamn crazy. It was like I had the fucking Jerky Boyz behind me all night, it was ridiculous. The worst part is that they weren't even Ducks fans; they were Kings fans! Ducks fans are annoying because they're kind of dumb and don't know anything about hockey, but I think Kings fans are honestly worse because they think they know about hockey when they really don't. They guys behind me had apparently played before so they thought they were Bob and Jimmy.

One thing you'll notice is that people who play hockey don't necessarily know anything about hockey, but most people don't call them on it because most people don't play hockey in Southern California. Most people who play hockey are dumb, just like most people in general, and playing hockey and knowing about hockey are different. Here's how you can tell if someone knows about hockey: if they say, "Oh great, more dump 'n chase," then they don't know shit about hockey. Oh, and if they say, "Du-ucks," over and over and over again because they think it's funny to do it in the voice of a mentally challenged person, then they don't know shit about hockey and they've made a powerful new enemy.

-I went to the game because it was my mom's birthday and I'm a terrible son that only gets gifts that somehow benefit me in some way. It was a pretty entertaining game but it was kind of hard to get a read on; the Ducks were dominant when Getzlaf, Perry and Ryan were out there and the Kings were dominant on every other shift. The Kings had to adjust early because Brandon Segal got injured during his first shift and had to leave the game. They adjusted by giving Brad Richardson and Dustin Brown more playing time and the two responded with some of their best games of the year; Richardson especially played very well, showing that he can do good things when he actually has real linemates.

The Kings were better over the course of the game, as the Ducks were only close because Jonathan Quick let in an awful goal to Todd Marchant. (Todd Marchant! That should count as two.) Overall the game was heartening from my perspective: the Kings are kind of at the low point of their season (missing Ryan Smyth and Rob Scuderi, losing Segal right at the start of the game) and the Ducks are kind of at the high point (winning 6 of their last 7 at home) and the Kings still looked better. I would be happier about beating the Ducks, but beating the Ducks is kind of like nailing Paris Hilton; it's probably fun but who cares if everyone has already done it?

-I went to a fast food Chinese place that's by my work last week and got some food. I was signing my name on the receipt while the guy was wrapping up my order and we finished about the same time. I went to say, "There ya go!" and hand him the receipt, but he said, "There ya go!" as he handed me my food first. I tried to change what I was saying to, "Thanks," but was too committed to my previous sentence and ended up saying, "Tharnks!" I felt like an idiot.

-The Ducks are a pretty hilarious team right now because they're still a team of giant dicks but now they suck so it comes off as just kind of sad and pathetic. It's like they're the high school bully that grew up to be a gas station attendant and the Kings are the lonely, pathetic nerd that grew up to be a fairly successful software engineer with a nice house and a lovely wife that may not be that attractive but is sweet and kind. Last night was the software engineer pulling into the gas station and going for a fill up and then the pump won't work, so he presses the little button to talk to the attendant, but the attendant calls him a fag so the software engineer just drives to another station and gets gas then goes home while the attendant is fired because that was the last fucking time he abused the little button, so then the gas station attendant goes home and gets drunk and posts angrily on a hockey blog under the name, "Spade-in-Victorhell."

But still, the Ducks are in good shape. In 3 years they'll have a core of Getzlaf, Perry, Lupul, Ryan, Hiller, Sbisa, whatever defenseman they sign with Niedermayer's money and whatever defenseman they draft this year. Then they'll lose someone (probably Perry) and they'll have another window as Ryan hits his prime and Getzlaf leaves his. Trading Pronger was a good idea because even with him the Ducks still wouldn't be in a position to win a Cup. It's better to suck and then be great, then tear it down and suck again and then be great. I like what Brian Burke and Bob Murray did with the Ducks and I have a feeling they'll be the 2nd best team in California in just a few short years.

-"Shit, I really gotta go to the bathroom. I gotta stop drinking beer during ga- oh shit, I wore button flies. Fuck! Alright, don't panic, just undo the buttons, but hurry the fuck up. Why the fuck did I buy these, why the fuck do they even make button flys anymore? They don't make TVs with knobs anymore. Jesus, I've already been here for like 30 seconds, do I just go over the top? No, I can't go over the top, I don't like the way the guy next to me is glancing over. Does he know I'm not pissing? Oh God, is he going to stare at my dick? Jesus, c'mon you fucking buttons, come on! Come on! Come- fuck this, I'm using a stall."

-Happy birthday, mom.

It is Time - Suspend the Uber Star

BReynolds — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:53:44 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

27 days ago: Buffalo Sabres right wing Patrick Kaleta (36) holds his nose on the bench after he was hit by Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin (not shown) during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009, in Washington. Ovechkin was charged with boarding and game misconduct. The Capitals won 2-0. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Alexander Ovechkin. The sheer mention of his name invokes awe, disdain, and sparks debate. I like Ovechkin. I own about a dozen hockey jerseys, the only one that has nothing to do with Minnesota is a #8 Washington Caps jersey. I like his game, I like his personality, and I like waht he does for the game.

What I don't like is his immunity to the rules.

Make the jump, and let's discuss another non-Wild related issue, shall we?

Of course, this all stems from last night's ejection for Ovechkin after driving Patrick Kaleta into the boards from behind. Ovechkin was issued a major penalty, a misconduct penalty, and a game misconduct. Before we go to the video, let's discuss a bit. Ovechkin is not liked in several NHL cities. Pittsburgh and Philly topping that list. I have always taken their hated with a grain of salt, as Ovechkin plays for a rival team, and is one of the best players in the game. I will sell any one part of my body to have him in Iron Range Red.

But, the video evidence is there that Ovechkin is getting away with things that others are not.

Here is the hit from last night:

Alright? So, now we have seen that. Anyone ever seen anything comparable? I have. Several times. Almost everyone of them resulted in a suspension, too. This won't. I guarantee it. Why not you may ask? Well, let's just ask Down Goes Brown.

If you follow the flow chart, you land at a choice, "Has he ever been suspended before?" which leads to the box, "Yes he does it all the time, but since we never suspended him before, we just keep saying he has no prior record and hope no one notices."

And that's where we are at.

There is a knee-to-knee on Sergei Gonchar last season:

There is the cehcking from behind on Briere, from 2006:

There is evidence this season as well (This one looks awfully familiar.):

There is the slew foot on Rich Peverley earlier this season (for which he was fined the equivalent of about three seconds of pay):

I hate jumping on the suspend Ovechkin bandwagon. I really do. I like the Caps. I like Ovechkin. I like Caps fans, especially our friends over at Japer's Rink. All that said, it's time. It's time for an uber super star to be held to the same rules that Sean Avery, George Laraque, and Derek Boogaard are held to. It is time for players like Mike Richards Dion Phaneuf to be held to the same standard as Rob Scuderi and Steve Ott are held to.

Ovechkin is a marketing monster. He was recently signed by one of the biggest marketing groups in the world, the main reason being that he is marketable. He scores goals, he has a funny personality and goofy face. People who don't like hockey know who he is, and that makes him marketable. If the NHL suspends him, it hurts his marketability, and hurts their image.

Should that matter? Absolutely not. But we live in the real world, and it does matter. No one will ever admit it, but it does matter, and it does weigh in on whether or not a player like Ovechkin is suspended. If the NHL suspends Ovechkin, they are publicly admitting that their greatest player broke the rules to the point that he had to be removed from the game. They aren't going to do that. Not when there is not a huge line of people lined up waiting to give them money.

It's time. It's time for the NHL to grow up and suspend Ovechkin. He is not above the game, and he is certainly not above the law. If he is allowed to continue playing (and hitting) unabated, someone will be seriously hurt, despite intent.

Again, anyone who is coming into this debate today, please, I am begging you, do not call me an Ovechkin hater. I like the guy. I really do. He is one of my favorite players, and the Caps are one of my favorite teams. However, the hits are bad. They really are. And if you can look at them objectively, you would agree. I have defending Ovechkin several times, but the rap sheet is too long to ignore.

The NHL needs to change its image. This is the chance.

-Buddha.

The Neutral Zone: More on James Neal and Marc Crawford

Brandon Worley — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:23:41 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

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Before we get into some more official breakdowns from last night's game against the Blue Jackets, I wanted to share some of my thoughts that didn't make it into the game recap. I found that I had a lot to say, but was so frustrated and angry that I found I really couldn't put them together in a coherent manner. After a somewhat restless night of sleep, here are my further thoughts on the Dallas Stars and that debacle at American Airlines Center last night.

Sometime this morning we're going to get word on whether the NHL will punish James Neal for his hit on Derek Dorsett. Initially my thoughts were that he may just get fined since this is his first transgression of this nature. Yet I fear that Neal may have made this hit at the exact wrong time and will be punished because of it.

The NHL has had a number of issues the past month or so regarding head injuries and cheap hits; the inconsistent punishments and a lack of true reasoning why one hit is punished and not another has led to an outcry that league is directionless and does not care about the health of it's players. "The NHL needs to send a message that hits that lead to head injuries will be severely dealt with" seems to be the rallying cry among media members. Last night on TSN the panel discussed what would be a suitable punishment for Neal, and the consensus was between two and five games, to "send a message to other players".

Now just because the media calls for it does not mean the NHL will follow suit. However, you have to think that at some point the NHL will want to stem this tide of bad PR and show that they do indeed care about head injuries and cheap hits, and use James Neal as an example of their stance on the matter.

The unfortunate nature of this is that while this was a hit from behind that resulted in a head injury, in no way was this a maliciously dirty hit. It wasn't a violent, elbow up open ice hit that sends a player to the hospital. Nope, this was James Neal racing to make a play on the puck along the boards, playing just like he always does with a focused intensity and physicality, and in the process he threw his shoulder into the back of the shoulder of Dorsett. He didn't lay him out with a hit right between the numbers; it was just an unfortunate hit that led to Dorsett smacking his forehead on the glass.

The other aspect of this that will be against Neal is the way Dorsett reacted after the hit. I'm certain that he hit that glass hard, and took that hit directly on the temple. While that's not as dangerous as smacking your back of your head on the ice, it's certainly a good way to get a nasty concussion. The way the replays show Dorsett falling, attempting to stand up and then collapsing to the ice like that is sure to strike a nerve with fans and media alike. They won't see the cross checks the Stars players had been taking in the back all game, or how Dorsett took a run at Neal in the first period. They'll see a player taking five or six strides towards the boards and putting a shoulder into another player who was facing the glass, followed by the hit player losing all sense of himself and falling in a heap on the ice.

If the NHL does do what Mike Keenan suggests and suspends Neal for four or five games, then I'm really not sure how I'll react. Somehow, I must have faith that the NHL keeps with the level of punishment they have already established and do not fall prey to the wishes of a few. If you want to send a message, then suspend Mike Richards for his hit. Suspend Rob Scuderi for his low hit. Fine James Neal and give him a stern warning for not using proper discretion on a bad hit along the boards.

More after the jump.

At what point does Marc Crawford start feeling the heat?

This team feels directionless at times, as if they don't understand their exact approach from game to game. Crawford has shown that he can get this team ready for a tough opponent with 3-4 days of preparation, but when the Stars have back to back games or three in four days, they have issues playing with a consistent approach to the game.

Last night the Stars looked like a team that was trying to be something they weren't. For some reason, they abandoned the methodical approach from the night before in the win against Detroit and decided to go for a physical game that does not play to their strengths as a team. What's ironic is that we've called for the Stars to be more physical and establish a strong forecheck and show some attitude for a change; but not in the way the showed it last night.

I understand that the Blue Jackets were making some questionable hits and the players wanted to stick up for each other. I completely respect that. But when you can't take advantage of the number of power plays you received in the process and in fact give up a backbreaking shorthanded goal in the final seconds of the period, all of that energy that was spent fighting and 'sending a message' was completely wasted.

Perhaps the Stars had a specific gameplan in mind, but the early goal by Columbus combined with the physical nature of the game sent the Stars away from what they wanted to do. Is that Marc Crawford's fault, or was last night just a matter of a game getting out of hand and the Stars never able to recover?

While the outcome of the game was incredibly disappointing, it's not as if the Stars played an overall bad game. In fact, I thought that the Stars played one of their more determined efforts at home and especially showed some good energy after playing the night before. If Steve Mason doesn't make some of the brilliant saves he did in the first and second periods, then we would be having a completely different conversation today. That's just the way the game of hockey works; you run into a goaltender who is completely in the zone and it feels impossible to get anything past him.

The Stars were working hard to get back in the game in the second period, but the James Neal major rattled the entire team. They lost their positional discipline, lost any momentum they might have had and allowed two extremely frustrating goals at the tail end of the second period. All of a sudden the Stars were scrambling, just like the penalty kill from the start of the season and the wheels completely came off and the game was essentially lost during that five-minute power play. Is that one Marc Crawford? Is the onus on the head coach to ensure his team does not lose their composure in the midst of a game like that? It's not like Neal went kamikaze into the boards and drew the penalty because of a viciously dirty hit. It was called a major, it was unfortunate but it's still the Stars' job to kill it off.

I don't believe that last night's loss was a result of bad coaching by Marc Crawford, at least not directly. There are games where a team loses their cool a bit and things go horribly wrong and before you know it you're down four goals. The Stars for the first time all season showed a desire to stick up for their teammates who were getting abused along the boards. They drew penalties and had the chance to make Columbus pay for getting as rough as they did. Unfortunately, the bad guys got the break and the game was lost.

Yet with the Stars in the midst of a season long battle for consistency from game to game, and showing what seems to be a Jekyll and Hyde approach from night to night, at some point Marc Crawford is going to have to shoulder the blame. The Stars have this potential to be a good team; they've beaten Chicago, Calgary, San Jose and Detroit. Yet they've lost to Florida, Nashville and Minnesota.

It's frustration and it's not something that Stars fans have ever had to deal with before.

Hockey in North Texas is fickle. If the Stars aren't winning and if they aren't competitive, then the team will not keep those fringe fans that are the staple of Dallas sports. You can sense it; these fans are just itching for a reason to get on their feet and go crazy at a hockey game but each time the Stars lay an egg at home that's less fans that decide to come back. There will always be the die hard Stars fans that are there every game, that watch the game each night on television. But for a team that is competing for attention with the Dallas Cowboys, winning is the only solution for keeping fans.

Kings Gameday: What Do You People Want From Me?

RudyKelly — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:53:26 -0000

Next Game

Los Angeles Kings
@ Florida Panthers

Monday, Nov 16, 2009, 4:30 PM PST
BankAtlantic Center

Complete Coverage >

Look, leave me alone. I've been moving and I haven't had TV or anything so I haven't really been able to watch the last 2 games. I listened to the Thrashers game (at least until 6-0 when I angrily turned it off)* and completely missed the Lightning game, which sucks because Wayne Simmonds introduced someone to the Meat Train and Rob Scuderi got hurt and a goal was called back in overtime and the Kings won in a shootout. But yeah, I was moving so I can't fill your head with tantalizing visions of Earl going down on a guy or vivid tales like the time I farted in the shower and water was running down my crack so I thought I had pooed for a second. Nothing to see here, folks.

*It sucks when you're listening to a game in your car and something goes wrong because you can't really get angry. You'll yell, "Fuck!" and then raise your hand to hit something but there's nothing you can really hit and so you'll just kind of freeze before you angrily twist the dial on your radio, but the knob is like an inch big and doesn't take much effort to turn so you end up using way too much force and slamming your hand against your window or something.

But anyway, the Kings lost Rob Scuderi so Randy Jones is playing. There, now you can go back to forwarding cat videos or whatever the hell it is you people do when you're not pestering me for information. God, the pressure of this job sometimes. Man, I need a break.*

*Puts on worn VHS of 3 Ninjas, unzips pants

Prediction: Kings win, 2-1. Tomas Vokoun has 50 saves, Quick has 10.

Let's take a look at the Los Angeles Kings

FrankD — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:15:12 -0000

More photos » by Danny Moloshok - AP

Apparently this is how the Kings enter the ice. I get it.

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SBN Cali blog - Battle of California

Frozen Royalty

Game two of Pittsburgh's west coast road trip brings them to the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Kahleefawnya for yet another late game (for most of us at least).

The 9-4-2 Kings are off to a surprisingly good start - good enough to pin them at fourth in the West and just three points behind San Jose in the Pacific.

And hey, just one game after Sidney Crosby did his best Rob Scuderi impression the Pens now go up against the man, myth and legend himself. Of course, Scuds did find himself in an interesting situation a little over a week ago when he landed a textbook hipcheck on Columbus's Jason Chimera. If you look at the hit for yourself (video link), you'll see that it's not so much a dirty hit as it is just a perfect display of what has always been a hit style surrounded by controversy. Was it low? Did he take out the knees? It doesn't really matter at this point. We all know Scuderi from his years in Pittsburgh and no one would say the guy is a goon. Nonetheless, Chimera would be fine and Scuderi would be fined. No suspension.

Jonathan Quick is the guy you'll see in net for the Kings. He's been in net for all Kings games, except one loss, (quick math: making him 9-3-2) and is 3-0-2 in his last five. This might be worth keeping on file: In LA's two shootouts (SJ on 10/28, Van on 10/29) Quick has yet to come up with a W. Compare that to Fleury and Johnson, each 2-0 in the shootout this season.

Other names you want to keep an eye on: NHL point-leader Anze Kopitar (11g, 13a), Ryan Smith (8g, 9a), Dustin Brown (4g, 9a) and Drew Doughty (3g, 10a).

Last season the Pens beat the Kings 4-1 in the only regular season matchup between the two.

Puck and thread drop at 10:30. Be there.

Sidney Crosby's Rob Scuderi-like save

FrankD — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:18:02 -0000

All credit and thanks to Damian over at PensUniverse for sending this our way

By now Rob Scuderi's goaltending abilities are a part of Pittsburgh Penguins lore that will forever be hailed as the stuff legends are made of. Who can forget his incredible work that came at such an important time in Pittsburgh's Stanley Cup run?

That is why whenever a player in the black and gold drops down to block a shot near the crease you will forever hear whispers of "Rob Scuderi," whether watching or listening to the game.

Last night the Pens pulled out a sloppy win. It wasn't picture perfect but it all looks the same on the scoresheet. Slap another one in the 'W' column, and a timely one at that as the Pens try to keep their unbeaten record on the road intact.

At times last night Marc-Andre Fleury was caught out of position. Not his fault entirely, although it's pretty common around Pensburgh threads for readers to beg him to "stay in the net!" In one instance where MAF went to play the puck but was caught out of position on a redirect, Jordan Staal came up big on a defensive play that literally robbed Anaheim of what appeared to be a definite goal. Pic of that one is available up on Pens Universe as well (second one down).

And then, later in the game, Crosby steps up and makes that ridiculous pad-stacking save to keep the Pens in it long enough to simply hold off the Anaheim attack.

This is the sort of team the Pens have this year. An all or nothing, do or die attitude that has no doubt carried over from last year's run, on through the offseason and right up until this point. I don't see it stopping anytime soon, as it would appear this team is fully prepared and knows how to get it done even with big names like Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar on the shelf.

To other teams trying to get past the Pens - good luck beating three or more goaltenders.

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Deep In The Heart of Texas

PPP — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:15:42 -0000

NSFW - THAT Full Metal Jacket Clip

I didn't see that movie until OAC English. Dear God, what a crazy flick. The Dallas Stars actually have a weird third jersey with horns on it that would likely confuse the homophobic Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. Anyway, the Leafs take on the Dallas Stars tonight fresh off of their best win of the season. I exchanged a trio of questions with Brandon Worley of Defending Big D, SBN's enemy territory for the evening, in the build up to the game. Questions are after the jump.

Next Game

Toronto Maple Leafs
@ Dallas Stars

Wednesday, Oct 28, 2009, 8:00 PM EDT
American Airlines Center

Who Sits, and Who Skates?

posted by blurr1974 about 1 hour ago

23 comments | 0 recs

Leafs Still Undefeated Since Win

posted by blurr1974 about 7 hours ago

56 comments | 0 recs

Complete Coverage >

We haven't received many updates on Fabian Brunnstrom in Toronto which just means that he hasn't become a 50 goal scorer yet but how is last year's biggest Swedish signing progressing?

Brandon: To start the season it appeared he was seriously regressing. He didn't appear completely comfortable adjusting to the North American game until the final month of last season, when he started to play on the top two lines on the right wing. He show hunger for the puck and a pretty good affinity for putting the puck in the net.

Yet a coaching change and offensive philosophy change over the summer seems to have set Brunnstrom back a bit. In the offseason we wrote that he was deserving of top six minutes, based on his play last year. Yet he was woefully underwhelming in training camp and the preseason and didn't give the new coaching staff any reason to give him more minutes. He's started the season rotating between the third and fourth line.

His biggest issue is that he's seemingly lost confidence in himself and isn't strong on the puck. He's too easily muscled around on the boards, a big issue for a winger. Yet he's started to find his groove lately and is starting to create good scoring chances; he's showing a newfound tenacity for the puck and is starting to put shots on net again, although he still only has 13 shots so far this season. He's being overshadowed and outplayed right now by faster and hungrier players, such as James Neal and Jamie Benn.

Steve Ott - Dirty Player or Dirtiest Player?

Brandon: There's a misconception out there that Dallas Stars fans love Steve Ott no matter what and will defend anything he does on the ice. Not true. What frustrates fans is that we know he can a better player than just an agitator. He walks a fine line between annoying and dirty, and when he crosses it we go through what we've seen the past few days. He is offensively gifted and needs to use his physicality and attitude to create scoring chances, not try to take the head off the other team with a late hit. We like it when he uses big hits (clean ones) to get the team into the game, and it's obvious the Stars play with more of an edge when he's on the ice. But he needs to learn he's useless if he's suspended.

All of that being said, the NHL's version of punishment is a joke. I understand Ott is a 'repeat offender', but fining Rob Scuderi and suspending Ott for nearly identical hits is unfathomable, especially considering that Colin Campbell's reasoning was that Scuderi's hip check didn't result in injury (not true) and that hip checks are part of the game. Whatever.

I ask this as a Liverpool fan because I know that your team is also owned by Tom Hicks: are we both screwed? Is he going to destroy a storied franchise with a long history of success and championships as well as the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers?

Brandon: As the Dallas Stars owner, and that alone, he's done a pretty damn good job. He's allowed his general managers to build their teams and they've been successful. The Stars have only missed the playoffs twice since he's been the owner. What's more, is he personally took it upon himself to get things moving in a new direction after last year's disappointing season and brought in a new general manager, which no one saw coming. Until this season, the Stars have been one of the more freely spending teams in the NHL and are one of the top teams in the league as far as revenue goes.

But, the overall financial difficulty he's going through is affecting all three teams, and that's tough to deal with. He's adamant that the finances of the Texas Rangers and Liverpool have no affect on the Stars, yet here we sit $10 million below the cap in dire need of a #1 defensemen. Mattias Ohlund would have been nice.

Hopefully the sale of the Rangers solves these problems. As a Liverpool fan myself, it'd be nice not to see them be the running joke of the EPL any longer. The big win over ManU helped a bit.

Oh yeah, there was a pretty big game on Sunday wasn't there. In case you missed here, revel in its glory:

Liverpool v Manchester United

Stargazing: NHL Suspends Ott Two Games; Dallas Stars Up For Sale?

Brad G — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:30:36 -0000

More photos » by Bill Boyce - AP

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Stargazing is a daily assortment of Dallas Stars and Texas Stars news, and whatever other random ramblings are bouncing around inside our heads. Note: These posts are not intended to be in-depth analysis articles, but rather a gathering of news from around the internet on the Dallas Stars.

And we were wondering just exactly what we would talk about during the three day break between games. Enter Steve Ott into the equation and here we are, already tired of this.

The suspension is for the hip check on Carlo Colaiacovo, with nary a mention of the apparent knee-on-knee contact with former Star BJ Crombeen. Many of us here felt the latter would be the subject of any punishment as severe as a suspension. We felt the hip check might get him a fine.

You know, like Rob Scuderi's did?

We're not here to tell you that Steve Ott doesn't deserve a two game suspension. He was a little wound up on Saturday and he has a history. Fine, give him a two game suspension. He'll be back this Saturday for Nashville. What we are pondering is just how punishment in the NHL works.

Colin Campbell mentioned lack of injury while discussing why Scuderi received a fine for his low hip check. Puck Daddy wonders what that has to do with anything: ""He didn't injure the guy" is a ridiculous standard of enforcement because it excuses reckless behavior as long as there wasn't a deleterious result from the player's actions."

Mike Heika says: "The frustrating thing about the NHL's supplementary discipline is that it appeared to me that Ott's hit last March on Gregory Campbell was more worthy of a suspension than this one. He received no suspension for that hit."

So while we can't figure out just how the NHL will punish it's next miscreant, we do know that Steve Ott should effort to avoid the seemingly random roll of that dice. We need him in the lineup.

After the jump, believe it or not, we're going to talk about this some more. Also, some interesting back and forth in the media about the possibility of a sale of the Dallas Stars.

David Shoalts of the Globe And Mail had an article this morning about the possibility of the Dallas Stars going up for sale after the Texas Rangers are sold:

The official NHL position remains that once Hicks sells the Rangers, he can concentrate on the Stars. But sources in the banking community say Hicks's problems are severe enough that the Stars will be sold, too, once the Rangers sale is completed.

The sources say a line of buyers for the Stars is already queuing up in front of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. And word is one interested party is Calgary oil-and-gas tycoon Bill Gallacher, chairman of Athabasca Oil Sands Corp. and managing director of Avenir Capital Corp., a private equity firm. He also owns the WHL's Portland Winter Hawks.

[snip]

The Stars would attract a lot of looks if they go on the market because they were among the league's leaders in attendance when the team was a Stanley Cup contender and they come with a half-interest in an arena that makes a lot of money. One source expects the Stars package price to be more than $200-million and perhaps closer to $300-million.

There is a lot of talk that the sale of the Rangers will not fix all of Tom Hicks' financial difficulties, so a sale of the Stars is not completely out of left field. Yet Hicks shot down the notion that his hockey team is up for sale this afternoon:

"That's not going to happen," Hicks said. "The Rangers process, however that comes out, will take care of HSG's needs. The Stars are not part of that. They are not for sale." [ESPN Dallas]

``Hicks Sports Group is working through the default issue with its lenders, and is in the process of getting things resolved,'' said Hicks, who has the Rangers up for sale. ``I believe that will be resolved in a positive manner and we'll move forward from there. But I have no interest in selling the Stars. [DMN Stars Blog]

Hicks is adamant that the finances of the Texas Rangers have not affected the Dallas Stars and that this years low payroll is just a reflection of what he believes the Stars should be operating at. Yet the more this story grows about how the Hicks Sports Group continues to face financial difficulty (the Texas Rangers had to get help from the MLB this summer), the more there will be stories written about how the Stars might be next on the block.

Richard Durrett was on the scene in Frisco this morning when word about Ott's suspension was got around:

Stars forward Steve Ott didn't want to comment on his two-game suspension for a hip check on Blues defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo on Saturday.

The NHL's official release called it a "low hit" and noted that Ott was a repeat offender in terms of suspensions. He forfeits $35,585.36 of salary.

When asked if Ott will change his game at all, he was quick to respond.

"Not one bit," Ott said. "The only thing I can do is continue to throw textbook hits and that's it."

Yeah, well...just stick to the textbook ones. By the way, I'd like a copy of that textbook.

Shameless plug: Don't forget Defending Big D's coverage of the suspension:

We've covered Steve Ott extensively this week on Defending Big D and I'm not going to rehash everything I've been saying for the past two days. But here's the bottom line:

Steve Ott toes the line between agitation and insanity. Stars fans love the edge he brings to the team, but at the same time he needs to find ways to hold himself back. He's much more valuable to this team when he's on the ice and not when he's suspended or hurt. Ott is now a three-time offender in the eyes of the NHL; any more questionable or dirty hits and he could be looking at a very lengthy suspension.

That being said, the fact that Ott was suspended for just the hip check is ridiculous and proves just how inconsistent the NHL is when doling out punishments. Rob Scuderi lays out a much more devastating type of hit and only receives a fine; perhaps the suspension has more to do with Ott's past and reputation.

Brenden Morrow gives his thoughts on the suspension:

I actually haven't seen the hit. I am going to defend my teammate just because I am loyal to him. From what I saw, in my opinion, this last week that didn't get suspensions, I was surprised that Steve was the one. I know there are issues with repeat offenders and I haven't seen what their reasoning for it was, if was a low hit. A few of us were talking and we thought the hit on [B.J.] Crombeen may have been the worse of the two. Seeing the [Rob] Scuderi hit and replays of the [Mike] Richards hit and all those things that kind of got passed by, to see Steve get the worst of it is disappointing for me as a teammate. ... We feel for Steve. He shows up and plays hard for us. He's ended up on the worse side of a few of these calls in the past.

Mark Stepneski has the update from Tuesday's practice:

As for the practice, Brad Richards was back on the ice today after a day off to rest his sore groin. Matt Niskanen practiced again and is ready to go. Mike Modano practiced and looked good, but he’s still needs to some time before he can play. Jere Lehtinen skated before practice and is scheduled to skate again tomorrow.

Here were the practice lines today:

Neal-Richards-Eriksson
Morrow-Ribeiro-Benn
Sutherby-Wandell-Petersen
Barch-Modano-Brunnstrom

With Ott out, we thought we might see Fistric slide back up to forward. Not so fast, says Marc Crawford:

With Ott out, the question arose whether Mark Fistric might be used as a forward again. Coach Marc Crawford said he does not expect Fistric to be used as a forward, and from the tone of his voice, I would say Fistric will probably be in the lineup with Niskanen. That means the Stars will call up a forward. They have not said who it will be yet. We'll see. [DMN]

Which Texas Stars forward would you like to see brought back? From the look of those lines, someone who can win a face off. Gagnon?

While not Stars related, I enjoyed watching it so much last night I just can't leave it out:

The Anaheim Ducks couldn't stay out of the box on Monday. By the end of the night, all those penalty minutes had equated into the Toronto Maple Leafs' first win of the season.

Niklas Hagman scored three of the Leafs' five power-play goals and Tomas Kaberle tallied a goal and four assists with the extra man in a 6-3 victory at the Honda Center. Jonas Gustavsson returned from a groin injury to make 25 saves as Toronto ended an 0-7-1 skid that represented the worst start in franchise history.

This game was just loaded with stories that interest the Stars fan. Leafs fans across the net were praising Jonas Gustavsson, who got beat three times and had two ring off the post in the third period. We'll have more on him later. Then there's Hagman who tallied a hat-trick at the Honda Center in the win. And of course, the Ducks. I think we know the Ducks aren't really this bad, which is why it's nice to see them playing catch up. Because they will catch up.

Please check back tomorrow for full coverage of Stars/Maple Leafs.

If you care about such things, there's the ESPN Power Rankings to consider:

Stars #14. Snubbed by Team Canada at its Olympic orientation camp this past summer, Brad Richards has roared out of the gates with 13 points (3-10) and a plus-5 rating in nine games.

Please, Brad Richards, don't play for Team Canada. You're going to need the rest. Rest that groin.

Phoenix Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes has agreed to sell the bankrupt franchise to the NHL
Re-live the carnage in Anaheim with the comments in their Game Thread last night. Good stuff.
LeBrun hits on some Pacific Division stuff in his mail bag. [ESPN]
The Sharks and Kings meet up. Any chance they can both collect regulation losses here?

Colton Orr shoves a linesman on the next episode of Wheel Of Justice!

nathaneide — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:44:12 -0000

The Colin Campbell Wheel of Justice is spinning out of control lately. As our good friend HockeyJoe posted earlier:

What in the blue hell is it going to take for there to be any modicum of consistency out of Colin Campbell’s game show studio of an office when it comes to dangerous hits in the game? Mike Richards gets no suspension for his hit on David Booth. Tuomo Ruutu gets a three game suspension for his dirty play on noted scumbag Darcy Tucker. Rob Scuderi gets a fine for his low bridge action on Jason Chimera even in spite of Scuderi having a relatively clean record and now Steve Ott is going to see some sort of action taken against him. I’d like to assume it’s going to be a suspension but you just don’t know what the Wheel of Justice will turn out.

So, Steve Ott gets 2 games. I guess I can see that (Mike Richards on the other hand ...)

So, we know how random the wheel is when it's player on player violence. So, what happens when it's player on ref?

Look at the 1:01 mark for what should get Colton Orr absolutely no less than 3 games

What do you think folks? Vote early, vote often.

Poll

What should Colton Orr's punishment be?

Nothing. WTF was that linesman thinking getting in the way?

32 votes

A small fine, after all, he plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs. They can't do anything wrong, right?

13 votes

1 game

5 votes

2 games

6 votes

3 games

12 votes

4+ games

20 votes

He should be forced to play for the lowly Leafs for all eternity

25 votes

113 votes | Poll has closed

The Pittsburgh Penguins All-Decade team

Hooks Orpik — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:52:45 -0000

As 2009 winds down it's time to look back on the decade that was. Japers Rink had a great list of the Washington Capitals all-decade team, and Puck Daddy hoped that all the SB Nation teams would follow suit. So here's the Pittsburgh entry for the decade that was.

The Decade of the '00s saw the Pittsburgh Penguins experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. They had four 40+ loss seasons and four 40+ win seasons. They either had very bad years or very good years.

In the beginning of the decade Mario Lemieux thrillingly returned in December 2000, a brief peak before the economic climate of the "old NHL" forced Pittsburgh into the gutter. The Pens dealt away talents the likes of Jaromir Jagr, Alexei Kovalev, Martin Straka, Darius Kasparaitis and Robert Lang for pennies on the dollar of their hockey-worth and suffered with four straight non-playoff seasons. During that time, they reloaded through the draft with several high picks that would be the core of the ultimate redemption: the 2009 Stanley Cup. With a new CBA, a new arena almost open, and the two best offensive centers (and arguably players) in the game at age 23 and 22, the Penguins are poised to be competitive for the forseeable future.

It was a wild ride though, with six different head coaches (assuming Dan Bylsma is safe); starting out with the late, great Herb Brooks during the 2000 season. With 30 games to go in the calendar year, the decade record stands at 311 wins, 306 losses, 52 OT losses and 36 ties (remember them?)

After the jump, we highlight all the individual players now named to the Pittsburgh Penguins All-Decade team, which includes: 4 scoring titles in the 9 seasons played, 2 Lester B. Pearson winners, 1 Hart Trophy, 4 first-team NHL All-Stars.

Left Wing	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG
Mario Lemieux (2000-06)	170	77	152	229	-28	97	19	0	4	579

Returning to the sport at age 35, Lemieux was the league's leading points/game getter in 2000-01. Various injuries to hips and the ever-present bad back robbed Mario of many of his latter playing days and a revealed heart condition in 2006 put the spike in his career's coffin. Off the ice, owner Lemieux steered the Penguins through bankruptcy, danced with Pennsylvania politicians for a badly needed new arena and saved the franchise. That's worth a spot on this team any day of the decade. Hey, he owns it.

Center	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG
Sidney Crosby (2005-09)	301	138	270	408	+36	301	45	1	16	980

100 point scorer as an 18 year old, MVP and scoring champion at age 19. Youngest permanent captain at age 20, Stanley Cup winner at age 21. There's about literally nothing Crosby hasn't yet done in the early years of his career, which can only make one wonder what the future holds. Crosby already an industry with books, videos, museum exhibits and countless items of merchandise dedicated to him.

Right Wing	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG
Alexei Kovalev (2000-03)	246	115	152	267	+1	284	32	5	16	924

With spectacular skill and a couple years in his prime, Alexei Kovalev cracks the All-Decade team. He finished fourth in the league in scoring during the 2000-01 season and had a couple good years playing with Lemieux on the top line in the leaner years that followed. Unfortunately though the Pens would have to trade Kovalev (and salary dumps of Mike Wilson, Dan LaCouture and Janne Laukkanen) back to the Rangers for a not-so great return of Rico Fata, Michael Samuelsson, Joel Bouchard and the all important cash consideration.

Defense	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG
Sergei Gonchar (2005-09)	269	45	161	206	-1	168	32	1	8	648

Early in his Penguin career, Gonchar was seen as a UFA bust, but he transitioned his game from "offensive-defenseman" into "well-rounded-#1-defenseman" and is a linchpin of the Stanley Cup champion. A wizard on the power-play, Gonchar's among the league leading scorers from the blueline over the decade of the 2000's, and his contributions for the Pens were a large part of the reason they turned last season around and won the Stanley Cup.

Defense	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG
Brooks Orpik (2003-09)	387	6	50	56	-22	475	1	0	0	247

Perhaps as a mark of longevity, given Orpik was drafted into the organization in 2000, he's stuck around the longest (no one has pulled the sweater on more this decade). A guy like Michal Rozsival or Dick Tarnstrom certainly would have made this list if they stuck around longer, but they didn't. Orpik's improved every season, positionally he's solid and dishes out hits now wisely, not recklessly.

Goaltender	GP	MIN	W	L	T/OTL	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
Marc-Andre Fleury (2003-09)	244	13,915	119	86	26	660	2.85	7114	6454	.907	15

Amazingly, the still precocious 24 year old goalie is already staking his claim to the franchise's goalie records: Fleury's first in team history in GAA and save percentage, 2nd in wins, shutouts and total saves (all behind Tom Barrasso) and already 3rd in total games played for a goalie. MAF was the championship piece in winning the Stanley Cup and, with six more years on his contract, figures to continue and pile up the stats in the decade to come.

And to fill-out the team, here's the rest of the lineup:

Forwards:

Lemieux - Crosby - Kovalev

If all were healthy, this line would absolutely own the puck. Kovalev's skating and shooting ability, Crosby driving the net and controlling the puck down low, and Mario doing what Mario does, making plays. An absolutely sublime and unfair grouping of talent.

Martin Straka - Evgeni Malkin - Jaromir Jagr

Not many team's "2nd line" on a decade team would feature two scoring championships, but it speaks to the level of depth of skill the Penguins have treated their fans to over the years. Though Jagr was mercurial and a handful at times away from the ice, there's no doubt about his talent or dedication he showed to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Ryan Malone - Jordan Staal - Aleksey Morozov

A mix of grit and skil here, with the hometown boy Malone, the hulking power-forward in Jordan Staal and Aleksey Morozov, who's pre-lockout transformation into a solid NHL scorer has become over-looked by his return to Russia.

Jan Hrdina - Robert Lang - Mark Recchi

The smooth passing Honza Hrdina played wing-man to Jagr enough to earn a spot on this team, recording over 200 points in the 2000's for the Penguins. Robert Lang was an instrumental setup man for Kovalev and Straka in his Penguin and Mark Recchi chugged along beside Sid Crosby for a few years.

Honorable mentions: Maxime Talbot, Colby Armstrong, Petr Sykora

Defense:

Gonchar - Orpik

The #1 pairing of the Stanley Cup title winning team. It's got Gonchar's all-around ability paired with Orpik's positional play.

Dick Tarnstrom - Rob Scuderi

Tarnstrom will be the great answer to the trivia question: "who was the last Penguin not named Malkin or Crosby to lead the Penguins in scoring". Scuderi showed continual improvement year after year and became a defensive stalwart, the true picture of development and preserverance.

Ryan Whitney - Darius Kasparaitis

While much derided by some fans, Whitney put up 150 points in 253 games with the Penguins. He might not have been physical as fans like, so how about pairing him with the rambunctious Kasparaitis, at one time the most feared and devastating hitter in the game (apologies to Scott Stevens).

Honorable mention: Andrew Ference

Goaltenders:

Fleury

Endured some growing pains along with the team early in the decade, but blossomed into a Stanley Cup caliber one as we close it.

(Backup) Johan Hedberg

The "Moose" burst onto the scene and captured fans hearts back in 2001, leading the Pens to the EC Finals as a 27 year old NHL rookie. He'd stick around and get shelled for two more seasons before moving on, but his place in Pittsburgh folklore is established.

So there you have it, a roster of enormous skill. Between Jagr, Lemieux, Malkin and Crosby we capture the wonderful mix past and present super stars that any franchise would love to have one of, yet alone four in the course of this decade. To be that good and get the high picks we suffered -- who could forget the 0-17-1 stretch in 2003-04? But with the current economics of the sport, those days have past. The turbulence of the 2000's; with questions of relocation and shady suitors like "Boots" Del Biaggo and Jim Balsillie are gone, replaced by a sterling new venue and the promise of more trophies to come.

As wild as the 2000's were, all the focus can be on winning championships and keeping to core built this decade in tact for the next.