SB Nation - Mike Komisarek

Can Habs' Markov Be Expected To Be The Team's Miracle Man ?

Robert L — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:42:37 -0000

Patience, if Habs' fans have any left, will be required, as Markov is returning to a lineup he is quite unfamiliar with. Discounting exhibition games this past autumn, Markov has played all of 40 minutes this season and there are seven or eight new elements on the team, as well as a new coach, that he has not had time to become accustomed to.

Markov's level of skill foresees that he should quickly become acquainted with Mike Cammalleri, who has essentially upgraded Alex Kovalev on the Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn duo. It is in that regard that a more immediate impact will be expected and felt.

On the power play, it wil be curious to see if he is employed with Marc - Andre Bergeron at his side, or whether he makes the latter's inclusion as a top 6 defenseman on the team somewhat redundant.

Bergeron could see action dressing as a seventh defenseman while getting PP time and work as a fourth line forward.

Coach Martin has stated that Markov could very well make his entrance with Ryan O' Byrne as a partner, a move that resembles his duties alongside the not so mobile Mike Komisarek. Time will dictate if that idea sticks but if such an experiment works, it allows the duo of Roman Hamrlik and Jaroslav Spacek to remain intact with reduced minutes and workload hopefully alleviating their burden. An unhappy sitter will be found in either of Hal Gill or Paul Mara as Josh Gorges remains a sure bet for the third pairing.

As is often the case with players returning from injury, adrenaline will play a part in what should be an exciting and interesting first few games for Markov. There will be setbacks and a slew of rough games, as he's jumping onto the train in mid season, at a time when scheduled games as brisk.

That Markov has his sights set on joining the Russian club for the 2010 Olympics as much as he is invigorated to rejoin the Habs can only be a good thing.

Let us hope that his return is not a moment too late.

It is often said of elite players that they make everyone on the ice with them better players. In the case of the Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov, returning tonight against the Islanders from a season long injury, is it too much to expect him to turn the Habs' season around?

A player of Markov's talent cannot help but have a certain impact, as his contribution in minutes spills from 5 on 5 play to the powerplay unit and to the penalty kill. Markov in top form plays upwards of 25 minutes per game, which alleviates a burden of responsibility from his defensive mates.

Once Markov returns to form, which should honestly taken a dozen games as the rest of the league is in mid season form, he should drastically improve the Canadiens' transition game as he has been known to do in the past.

It could be a case of too little too late, despite the fact that he is returning way ahead of schedule.

Will Any Maple Leafs Defencemen Be Heading To Vancouver?

David Danforth — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:30:13 -0000

More photos » by CHRIS YOUNG - AP

Sorry Beauch. Don't pack those bags yet...

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The other day we looked at Canada's defence to try to figure out who would be sporting the Maple Leaf in Vancouver. But what about the Leafs' defenders? Should any of them start booking their flights to the West Coast? The snap reaction will be to look at the Leafs' current 29th ranking in goals against per game (3.50 - yikes!) and call them all bums. However, some countries just don't have better players. I know, it's weird. Canada might be spoiled. Without further ado, check out after the jump to see if you agree and then share your thoughts in the comments.

Pack Your Bags

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Tomas Kaberle	32	2	29	31	-5	6	1	0	0	0	60	3.3

There's no doubt that Tomas Kaberle will be on the Czech team. He'll be reunited with Pavel Kubina and likely skipper the team despite having no leadership abilities. He is what he is at even strength but where he'll make a real difference for the Czech's entry is on the powerplay. Special teams can make the difference in the tight scoring games that you'll find in the medal rounds.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Mike Komisarek	24	0	1	1	-7	35	0	0	0	0	22	0.0

Brian Burke is the General Manager of the USA's Olympic team. Ron Wilson is the coach of the team. One signed him to a multi-year, multi-million dollar deal that made him the anchor of his NHL defence. The other leans heavily on him on the penalty kill especially. After a rough start, Komisarek has found the balance between physical play and discipline and is back to the game that made him one of Brian Burke's marquee signings this summer. I don't know that I would pick him for the American team but I do think that he'll get picked.

Had A Shot

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Carl Gunnarsson	8	0	4	4	4	4	0	0	0	0	12	0.0

Poor Carl Gunnarsson. He was on Sweden's pre-Olympic roster (although to be be fair, so was Jonas Frogren as well as almost every Swedish defender ever) and he had a strong showing at last Spring's Worlds. Then he started the year off on the Marlies because his waiver eligibility made him the easiest player to demote. Once he finally got a chance he was a revelation. Of course, he's currently out of the lineup with a hyperextended elbow so any chance he had of making the team has been consistently derailed at every turn.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Francois Beauchemin	32	3	11	14	-6	13	3	0	0	0	80	3.8

Francois Beauchemin might have been invited to the summer evaluation camp but then he joined the Maple Leafs. The instant loss of elite goaltending, Hall of Fame teammates, and the increased scrutiny all conspired to make Not Durno's transition to Toronto less than successful at first. Since the rocky start he's improved by leaps and bounds and really found a comfort zone but he needed to be absolutely lights out to even get a sniff.

No Dice

This section could also be re-named "Canadian defencemen" because none of the Canucks on the buds' blueline are going to Vancouver in any capacity other than a cheerleader.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Ian White	32	5	12	17	11	29	1	0	0	0	68	7.4

Ian White might be killing it for the Leafs but his stint at the World Juniors won't count for much. Not to mention that for all of his redeeming qualities "Moustachelence" is probably not high on Steve Yzerman's evaluation rubric.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Luke Schenn	31	0	4	4	0	33	0	0	0	0	35	0.0

Sigh. Not in 2010 and on this pace not in 2014 or 2018 or...He's regressed mightily after a first season which I think was far more impressive that we had any right to expect or most people like to remember. Luke Schenn outscored Tomas Kaberle at even strength last year while also putting up some good Behind The Net numbers(ie better than Drew Doughty).

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Garnet Exelby	17	0	1	1	-4	19	0	0	0	0	4	0.0

HAHAHAHAHA Yeah, I just put this for the sake of being thorough. Also, I wanted to make a request: can people stop pretending that the Kubina and Stapleton for Exelby and Stuart trade was made in isolation? It's the kind of disingenuous thing that we'd rip the MSM for doing.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Jeff Finger	16	2	6	8	-7	5	0	0	0	0	13	15.4

I can't say that I really understand Ron Wilson's handling of Jeff Finger this year. In my mind, you put Finger into the lineup over Garnet Exelby 100 times out of 50 but somehow it's only happened 50% of the time. He wasn't an invite to the orientation camp and he never did anything of note.

Which Thrashers Are Playing Well at Even Strength?

The Falconer — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:00:16 -0000

More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP

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The Thrashers have excelled at Even Strength so far this season. After the goaltenders, the biggest reason for improvement in ES situations are the two players acquired mid-summer. Nik Antropov has been the Thrashers best forward at ES and Pavel Kubina has been the best defenseman at ES. I've been critical of Don Waddell's free agent acquisitions in past summers but he hit a home run with these two guys. They were precisely what the team needed and as a consequence the Thrashers are much improved.

Forwards

The coaching staff might not like to use terms like "first line" or "third line" but the ES Time On Ice (TOI) paint a rather clear picture. The Russian speaking line of Kovalchuk-Antropov-Afinogenov is clearly #1 in ice time. The next two lines are pretty even Kozlov-White-Little and Kane-Peverley-Armstrong. The 4th line (Boulton-Slater-Thorburn) with Marty Reasoner going back and forth between the 3rd and 4th lines.

Who is facing the toughest opposition? According the Gabe Desjardin's Quality of Competition measure (opponent's Relative Goal Differential at Even Strength) Todd White, Bryan Little Slava Kozlov and Ilya Kovalchuk face the best players, while Boulton, Slater and Thorburn are sheltered.

Who is most effective? At even strength the name of the game is winning on the scoreboard. I have ranked all the players below according to their Goal Differential (GFA-GAA) per 60 minutes of ES TOI. Antropov is your clear leader. Why have the Thrashers gotten so much better this season? Well look at that list of players and you can see that 4 of the 5 most effective ES players were not on this roster one year ago today. Peverley was added in last January an Antropov via Free Agency, Kane at the NHL Draft and Afinogenov was a late NHL Camp tryout. Every single one of those moves has worked out very well!

Another measure to compare players is Desjardins' "Rating" column which compares each players net Goal Differential when that player is on the ice to when that player is off the ice. For example, Ilya Kovalchuk averages a +.59 Goal Differential when he is on the ice, but his Rating is just .01 which means that the Atlanta Thrashers post a+.58 when Kovalchuk is off the ice at ES. On the other hand, the Thrashers do much better when Nik Antropov is on the ice than when he is off it. In fact, when Antropov is off the ice the Thrashers have been out-scored at ES this season--he is only forward for whom that is true.

NAME	GP	TOI/60	QUALCOMP	GF	GA	GFA	GAA	G Diff	RATING
NIK ANTROPOV	26	14.6	0.00	29	16	4.59	2.53	2.06	2.28
MARTY REASONER	26	9.2	0.00	14	7	3.52	1.76	1.76	1.57
EVANDER KANE	26	12.1	0.00	20	13	3.81	2.48	1.33	1.13
RICH PEVERLEY	26	12.9	-0.03	20	14	3.57	2.50	1.07	0.79
MAXIM AFINOGENOV	26	14.4	0.01	24	18	3.85	2.89	0.96	0.67
BRYAN LITTLE	24	12.6	0.09	16	12	3.17	2.38	0.79	0.64
ILYA KOVALCHUK	20	15.1	0.07	17	14	3.37	2.77	0.59	0.01
COLBY ARMSTRONG	25	11.6	-0.02	12	12	2.48	2.48	0.00	-0.49
VYACHESLAV KOZLOV	26	11.8	0.07	12	14	2.34	2.73	-0.39	-1.21
ERIC BOULTON	24	6.2	-0.09	4	6	1.62	2.43	-0.81	-1.31
CHRIS THORBURN	26	6.7	-0.06	4	6	1.38	2.07	-0.69	-1.40
TODD WHITE	26	12.0	0.13	10	15	1.93	2.89	-0.96	-1.99
JIM SLATER	11	8.4	-0.07	1	5	0.65	3.26	-2.61	-4.94

On defense Pavel Kubina has played like an All-Star minus big gaudy point totals.The Toronto Maple Leafs dumped Kubina's salary so they could sign Mike Komisarek, but I suspect that Kubina is having a better season than Komisarek is. When Kubina is on the ice in Even Skater situations the Thrashers have outscored the opposition by an astonishing 29-11 margin. Wow! When Pavel Kubina is off the ice at Even Strength the Thrashers have been outscored this season--Kubina is the only defenseman for which that statement is true. According to Desjardins Quality of Competition rating, Kubina is also facing the toughest opponents every night (with Ron Hainsey right behind him). Kubina makes some big coin ($5 million) and if he departs as a UFA this summer he will leave a giant hole.

Despite putting up some big goal totals this season Zach Bogosian has been exploited at times during even strength play. His 3.25 GAA is not very good. All three of the 3rd pairing defensemen appear to drag down the team's offense when they are on the ice (compare at their GFA to the top four guys).

NAME	GP	TOI/60	QUALCOMP	GF	GA	GFA	GAA	G Diff	RATING
PAVEL KUBINA	25	16.8	0.08	29	11	4.14	1.57	2.57	3.15
TOBIAS ENSTROM	26	16.3	0.02	26	17	3.69	2.41	1.28	1.20
ANSSI SALMELA	15	13.0	-0.04	7	6	2.15	1.85	0.31	-0.17
RON HAINSEY	24	15.6	0.07	19	18	3.04	2.88	0.16	-0.34
CHRISTOPH SCHUBERT	24	13.5	-0.04	11	13	2.04	2.41	-0.37	-1.14
ZACH BOGOSIAN	26	17.8	0.04	21	25	2.73	3.25	-0.52	-1.67
MARK POPOVIC	16	11.7	-0.09	7	10	2.25	3.22	-0.96	-2.31

Conclusion

The Thrashers are playing better because they are better. The new players that were added this summer (Kubina, Antropov, Afinogenov, Kane) all rank near the top at their respective positions.

Hard to Argue

BReynolds — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:48:23 -0000

More photos » by Andy King - AP

Seems Havlat has been so invisible this season that even the AP hasn't seen him. This was one of three returns for a search of Havlat (in a Wild jersey anyway).

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From Puck Stops Here over at Kukla's Korner:

It is far enough into the season to begin to look at the free agent signings made this summer. One stands out as being a complete failure so far. Martin Havlat left the Chicago Blackhawks to sign with the Minnesota Wild. He signed a five year contract worth $30 million. He was intended as a replacement for NHL goal scoring leader Marian Gaborik, who had jumped to the New York Rangers, but it has not worked out that way.

They make their case with stats on the main post, so go read it. It's short, check it out. Just keep these two things in mind while reading. Martin Skoula has 3 Goals and 5 Assists in 21 games. Kurtis Foster has 3 Goals and 3 Assists in 18 games. Havlat has 2 Goals and 9 Assists in 22 games. So, Havlat is on par, production wise, with Skoula. And only slightly better than Foster.

That fact that Havlat is a candidate for worst signing would be a difficult point to argue. Havlat is clearly a disappointment here in Minnesota. Gaborik is ripping apart the East, as even the largest skeptic (me) would have predicted. Lats, Ebbett, and Kobasew have made a much larger impression on this team than Havlat has, and they have far less expectation.

Can anyone think of another free agent signing, across the entire league, that has been a bigger flop than this one thus far? For the sake of our own sanity... anyone? Please?

Mike Komisarek as KiPA suggested over at Hitting the Post (look at Montreal)? Khabibulin in Edmonton as KiPA suggests in another post? Those two are pretty bad. I don't think Brian Burke brought in Komisarek thinking he was going to save the team or be the team leader in points, as was expected for Havlat for the Wild.

Khabibulin is an interesting thought, as their entire season plan hinged on him, and he has now been hurt and completely unhelpful even when healthy. Goaltenders also take more than their fair share of the blame when a team struggles, though, so maybe the Oilers just aren't all that good (says the guy writing about the team in last place in the division).

So, anyone have any other suggestions? Worst free agent signing thus far?

-Buddha

85 Reasons to Hate the Canadiens

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:57:01 -0000

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

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The Bruins will be in Montreal tomorrow night to face-off against the Canadiens. The Habs will be celebrating their 100th anniversary tomorrow night, which is weird because they have been milking this 100th season thing for 2 years now. Instead of doing my typical game preview, I thought I would do something ~~completely unoriginal and hacky~~ different. TSN recently came up with a list of 100 reasons to love the Canadiens, so I decidedly to come up with a rebuttal. The following are 85 reasons to hate the Montreal Canadiens (in no particular order) to celebrate 85 years of Bruins hockey.

1. Almost all of their Stanley Cup wins were a direct result of an unfair player allocation system

2. 2008

3. 2004

4. 2002

5. 1989

6. 1987

7. 1986

8. 1985

9. 1984

10. 1979

11. 1978

12. 1977

13. 1971

14. 1969

15. 1968

16. 1958

17. 1957

18. 1955

19. 1954

20. 1953

21. 1952

22. 1947

23. 1946

24. 1931

25. 1930

26. Their lame fans that flood the streets of Boston

27. Their fans celebrated a first round win over an 8 seed by set their own city's police cars on fire

28. One of their greatest players ever has a nickname that sounds like a sex toy

29. One of their former "coaching masterminds" can't even read a children's book

30. Their fans are living in the past.

31. Ken Dryden F__ that guy!

32. Patrick Roy Just a poor man's Marty Brodeur

33. They are a bunch of purse snatchers

34. They have better diving form than Rodney Rangerfield in "Back to School"

35. Guy LaFleur His son is a creep and the old man isn't much better

36. Ole! Ole! Ole! Ah how cute. You got a little song you sing.

37. I feel guilty every time I order a Molson

38. Who calls for a stick measurement in the Stanley Cup Finals?

39. Their dumb fans that would rather have a team of French Canadians than a competitive team

40. Their jailbird throwback jerseys

41. I hate any team that has a Gionta on it

42. The Habs couldn't give the B's much of a series last year and I think it hurt the B's in Round 2

43. They love to play chippy, but rarely answer the bell

44. Maxim Lapierre's gutless late hit on #81 last year

45. Mike Komisarek's eye gouge on Matt Hunwick

46. George Laraque's idle threats

47. They are the NHL team of choice for Vermont's dirty hippies

48. Most of their forwards aren't tall enough to ride most of the rides at the amusement park

49. Their fans think it is classy to boo the American national anthem

50. They undeservedly got a bunch of their players in the All-Star Game last year.

51. To quote Bill Burr: "their silly little fans who act like they live in Paris even though you can see the place from Vermont"

52. Celine Dion almost bought the team and nobody in Montreal seemed to be embarrassed about this

53. Habs fans boo Chara every time he touches the puck and even the most die hard Habs fan couldn't tell you why.

54. I need to use a passport and my poor high school French to see them play in Montreal

55.

56. They used to employ Mike Ribiero (Timmy's pick)

57. They used to employ Shayne Corson (Timmy's pick)

58. Ryan O'Byrne's turtle move

59. Claude Lemieux gutless puke

60.

61. Guy Carbonneau looks like a movie villain

62. They won the majority of their Stanley Cups in the Original 6 era

63. They thought Hal Gill was a solid off-season pick-up

64. "Too Many Men on The Ice"

65. Red, White, and Blue used to respectable colors

66. The Habs 164 different retro jerseys they have used to commemorate

67. This has been the longest "year" ever

68. Youppi That thing is just flat out creepy

69. They are own by a Brewery, but they can't figure out how to control their team like Doug and Bob McKenzie in "Strange Brew"

70. They hate Michael Ryder

71. They are the only team to get Patrice Bergeron to drop the gloves

72. They cut Mr. Kathryn Tappen

73. Carey Price's haircut

74. Kovalev faking an injury in the 2004 playoffs

75.

76. 1 beer per person limits at The Garden for B's-Habs games

77.

78. The Habs went to a Christian retreat called "Teen Ranch" for team bonding

79. This Guy who took his wife's name and wears a personalized Habs jersey with his new last name on it.

80. Their confused fans

81. Tom Kostopoulos' flying elbow

82.

83. Glen Metropolit used to be a guy you could root for

84. No matter where the B's finish they always seem to draw the Habs

85. Because they are the Habs. You are supposed to hate them.

Game 28 Preview: The Rarely-Seen Buds Make the Trek to Ohio

Mike MacLean — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:32:58 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

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They're getting better! The most recent game against the Blackhawks looked more like Jackets hockey than any other game this season, had they played the way they did during the losing streak, the score would have been ugly-very ugly in favor of the 'Hawks.

For the first time in a few years Toronto comes to town. The Leafs are still in the midst of a "re-tooling" (because if I would have said "rebullding" Ole Ironsides Burke would find a way to get me booted off of the internet) and are without either of their top goaltenders. Vesa Toskala is out with an injury, and Gustavsson will be going under the knife for another heart operation. Speaking of Gustavsson, when will the meda give him a new nickname? The Monster? Come on. Worst nickname for a player in all of sport, especially for a rookie. Joey MacDonald, a fellow Bluenoser, will get the start tonight. Mase is in for the Jackets.

The CBJ will be icing the same lineup as the past few games, although Raffi may miss it because his wife is in the hospital prepping for the delivery of the couple's first child. The Leafs have a tough defensive unit, so it will be interesting how the Jackets forwards can cope with that. I also wonder if Kris Russell can continue his red-hot stretch of play tonight. Here's hoping. Look for a good physical battle tonight folks.

Fearless Prediction: CBJ score at least four goals.

Game Time: 7:00pm ET

Opponent's Blog: Pension Plan Puppets

Game Page: Maple Leafs vs Blue Jackets Coverage

TSN Preview: Maple Leafs vs Blue Jackets Preview

TV: FSN Ohio

Radio: WBNS-AM (1460); WWCD-FM (101.1)

More after the jump...

From the Columbus Dispatch:

Toronto has played in Columbus only three times, most recently Nov. 20, 2006, a 4-2 Leafs win. The Blue Jackets would be wise to ignore the standings. After a horrible start, the Maple Leafs are 4-1-2 in their past seven games, including a 3-0 rout of Montreal on Tuesday. It could be a big special- teams game. Although the Blue Jackets excel on the power play, both teams struggle in killing penalties.

Jackets Links:

Columbus Blue Jackets / Columbus Blue Jackets Schedule

Columbus Blue Jackets Roster / Columbus Blue Jackets Stats

Here are the lineups for tonight's tilt:

Columbus Blue Jackets

Kristian Huselius	Antoine Vermette	Rick Nash
R.J. Umberger	Derick Brassard	Jakub Voracek
Jason Chimera	Samuel Pahlsson	Michael Blunden
Raffi Torres	Derek MacKenzie	Jared Boll

Fedor Tyutin	Anton Stralman
Mike Commodore	Jan Hejda
Kris Russell	Mathieu Roy

Steve Mason

Mathieu Garon

EXTRA: Alexandre Picard

INJURED: Fredrik Modin, Andrew Murray, Derek Dorsett, Rostislav Klesla, Marc Methot

Toronto Maple Leafs

Alexei Ponikarovsky	Matt Stajan	Phil Kessel
Niklas Hagman	Mikhail Grabovski	Christian Hanson
Wayne Primeau	Nikolai Kulemin	Lee Stempniak
Jason Blake	Jamal Mayers	Colton Orr

Mike Komisarek	Tomas Kaberle
Luke Schenn	Ian White
Francois Beauchemin	Jeff Finger

Joey MacDonald

Jonas Gustavsson

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.

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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

Gomez Plays Like A Girl, Habs Outhustled By Leafs

Robert L — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:30:33 -0000

While the Habs were busy caughing up the furball that was a 3-0 loss to the lowly Leafs, I was thankfully watching my ten year old, her sixth time on skates, run through drills with her Atom teammates.

I'd catch the game later, the late show Express on RDS.

Thank goodness for small favors!

It's a treat to watch a kid innocently playing a game, taking great pleasure in finally conquering what it takes to stickhandle a puck on snowny ice from goal line to goal line without stumbling. Robyn is a late starter to the game, unlike her 14 year old sister Crystal, who took up the game at five.

So there's memories, and then there is forgettable games.

Nothing like seeing a wobbly skater on the slowest "paint could dry" breakaway ever, coast in towards a goalie and let a shot go that skitters through the pads, look around for Dad, and not have a clue how to react. She learned that it's hard to do a thumbs up with a hockey glove on!

Little did I know that while all this hockey learning was going on, that the Habs were once again getting schooled by a hard working Leafs team.

That's one of the nice things about catching the game on RDS' abridged Express version, one doesn't have to suffer through the drawn out two and a half hours of a suckish hockey the Habs offered up on this night.

Yup, this one stunk like the Vancouver, Pittsburgh and Nashville debacles earlier in the season, and the one good thing to say it that it is hoped they got the stinker out of their system before Friday night's 100th Anniversary game.

Here's how I look at this turd of a game...

I don't care, and never will care, where the Toronto Maple Leafs are in the standings when they play the Canadiens, especially when games are in Montreal. When the Leafs meet the Habs, they always, almost without fault, bring their A game...at the very least their A effort.

So apart from guys like Price, Lapierre, Plekanec, Hamrlik, the Kostitsyns, and Gorges, guys that were around a season or more ago, none of these new kids on the block and free agent signees are indoctrinated in what one must bring to a Leafs game.

Get ready for a team that rarely quits.

Be aware that the Leafs are so pumped for the game, they might as well be the '85 Oilers.

Prepare yourself for the notion that you are in a lion's den.

Take a minute off, a small lapse, and it's roadkill for the Tazmanian Devil.

From my couch, it sure looked like guys named Gomez, Moen, Spacek, Metropolit, Mara, Pacioretty and others were atuned to this reality.

How bad was the effort?

Leafs 'tender Jonas Gustavsson left the game after the first period with heart palpitations, a reccurring problem for the Swedish goalie. Had he suffered a heart attack and croaked in the crease, it would hardly have mattered. he could have layed there dead for 40 minutes, the final would still have been 3-0 Toronto.

When the house DJ spins the Stones "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" by the third period of a game in which the Habs have yet to score, it's gotten personal!

This Canadiens team had been better than this of late, but of the many traits it possesses, killer instinct ain't one of 'em.

It started off good, a Cammalleri chance close in, then a decent power play with a shot or two threatening to put the Habs up. But as is often the case, it was all rubber bullets from there on in.

Perimeter shots, feable attempts just hitting the net, players seemingly afraid to pay the price against a Leafs team that honours that credo.

While the Canadiens did seem to have some semblance of momentum for a mere eight minutes, it all went to hell on a rare as Popeshit goal from none other than reputable sniper Colton Orr.

Tell me why....why fuckin' what, is cement footed Kyle Chipchura doing covering the fleet as they come Phil Kessel on that goal when the Canadiens have the last change?

Another mystery, a riddle really, is why Habs fans waste so much spit getting on Mike Komisarek's case for the umpteenth time when they have Scott Gomez to bare the brunt of their pent up venom.

I mean, we Andrei "Big Tits", Sergei "Little Tits".....and now "Useless Tit".

No mincing, Gomez has to be the most chickenshit player I've seen round these parts since Jason Spezza.

I heard it said on the broadcast that he's not the same player without Brian Gionta.

Boo, f'ing Hoo!

It takes testicles that's it!

Kessel's got one and he uses it. What'll it take for Gomez to get his rolling.

Other than winning one puck battle behind the net, I failed to catch a proper glimpse of Gomez doing anything that took guts.

Yeah he skates all pretty and often untouched through the neutral zone, but then he gets inside the blue line and throws off lame 45 foot wristers that goalies can stop in their sleep.

Gomez takes the easy way out too often. He doesn't defy, challenge, bare down, get dirty, deke, outmuscle or bust through. He just wings it, hoping.

Unless there is a teammate bullying his way into the crease, that effort is useless.

Unless you're the reincarnation of Stephane Richer, why bother.

That's why Gomez is an overpaid 15 goal scorer, and by what I've seen the past five games, the Canadiens are a harder team to play against when he's not in the lineup.

Bottom line, and I love womens' hockey, but Gomez is playing like a girl.

No offense to mine.

Leafs Lose. Sun Rises. Water Wet.

blurr1974 — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:00:23 -0000

More photos » by CHRIS YOUNG - AP

Browse more photos »

Are the Leafs infected with Blake-itis (woeful shooting percentages are a symptom) or the victim of the "visiting goalie channels the ghost of Georges Vezina?" Or worse, is it some ghastly combination of the two!?!? Hungry Leafs Fan doesn't know for sure, so he suggest one way to be certain.
Jared explains the perils of high hopes and unrealistic expectations.
Another Leafs loss? LD knows what you need to turn that frown upside down!
Not the greatest ending to the month, but as Steve notes, it's still an improvement over October.
Kavel kaptions Mike Komisarek in a komik.
MLHS saw some good, and some bad, in the Leafs. You take them both and there you have the facts of...last nights game.
Maybe this will kill that wretched song...?

UPDATE

Proving what the power of positivity can do, eyebleaf took in the game from the press boxx last night and not once did he see Berger or Cox. I'd call that a win.
Straight outta SoCal comes your game recap, complete with booze!

Sabres at Leafs

Chemmy — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:05:06 -0000

Puck Drop: 7:00PM ET - Sportsnet Ontario / Versus

Tired of having Ontario born players tear up the team they grew up cheering for right in front of your very eyes? Had enough of ex-Leafs fans playing for other teams to our detriment? Well fear no more kids because with PPP Amalgamated Heavy Industries new consumer product Lee Stempniak we're turning the tides.

That's right, we have a hockey player who grew up in a city that wasn't Toronto and he's ready to beat up on his childhood ~~heroes~~ guys he watched on TV. For the low price of $3.5M in 2009-2010 you can get your very own Lee Stempniak today! Don't delay, his price might drop rapidly next summer and ~~you~~ we wouldn't want to miss out!

"(Monday night) is definitely a restart to the season, a fresh start, a clean slate, (a chance) to forget about what's happened and get back in the lineup and contribute."- Mike Komisarek in the Toronto Star

Mike Komisarek is off the IR which has led to Wallin, Finger and Exelby being healthy scratches. Our six d-men tonight are then Kaberle, Komisarek, Beauchemin, Gunnarsson, White and Schenn. Jonas Gustavsson gets the start against Ryan Miller who comes into tonight's game ranked 1st in the league in save percentage (.933) and first in the league in goals against average (1.93). Shit.

The Sabres are still enamored with their young defender Tyler Myers, who somehow was picked 12th in a four player draft yet seems to be a good player. On Myers and Kessel:

I asked Lindy Ruff if Tyler Myers would "square off" against Phil Kessel tonight, and he thought I meant "fight." - James Mirtle

Maybe Lindy Ruff doesn't know who Phil Kessel is. This could work to our advantage. Don't forget your SPG picks, check out Die By the Blade for SBN's Sabres coverage, and go Leafs go!