SBNation.com User Blog: ProfessorOak

Locking out the NHL: Trophic Cascades

ProfessorOak — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:53:45 -0000

In my attempt to lock out the NHL, we will be looking into an ecological concept that has fascinated me for years: The concept of Trophic Cascades. Initially I researched this topic in the 3rd year of Undergrad in an Ecology class and ever since I always love thinking about and researching them.

Let's start at the beginning with a standard, non-complex ecological system or cycle. Remember the circle of life from The Lion King? So turns out, there pretty much is a circle of life. The Sun is the ever lasting source of energy, and provides the energy that plants need to produce Glucose and grow. Herbivores then feed on this food, transferring the energy. Herbivores get fed up by predators, which get fed upon by bigger predators, etc. Then animals will excrete the waste, or die and decompose. These nutrients are then reabsorbed into the plants and you have yourself back at the beginning of the cycle.

Now let's set up a hypothetical ecological system. We will have our plant (grains), our herbivore (field mouse), our predator (feral cat) and an apex predator or the top predator (mountain lion). In a vertical representation it would look like this:

Mountain Lion
Feral Cat
Field Mouse
Grains

That is our simple, Trophic Cascade, but what does this mean? Essentially it is read from the top to the bottom. Because Mountain Lions are the apex predators, they really have nothing that suppresses their numbers. They eat the Feral Cats which suppresses the numbers of the Feral Cats. Because there are low numbers of Feral Cats, there are large numbers of Field Mice and because there are large numbers of Field Mice, then there are low numbers of Grains. It looks like this:

Mountain Lion - High
Feral Cat - Low
Field Mouse - High
Grains - Low

Typically, like many systems, when part of this system is removed, you see a domino effect. Let's introduce a new element into the system, humans. Turns out, Mountain Lions are now a hot commodity and Mountain Lions are being hunted. Now our system looks like this:

Human
Mountain Lion
Feral Cat
Field Mouse
Grains

With this introduction, now Humans are the apex predator, suppressing the Mountain Lion numbers. This allows the Feral Cat numbers to rise, which causes the Field Mice numbers to fall, and the Grain numbers to rise, looking like this:

Human - High
Mountain Lion - Low
Feral Cat - High
Field Mouse - Low
Grains - High

Just like that, the addition of one predator completely changes the entire ecological make up of a habitat. Factor in multiple predators, herbivores, omnivores, different types of fauna and microorganisms and you have yourself one complex Trophic Cascade.

I hope you have enjoyed your ride through one of my favorite ecological concepts. Feel free to ask any questions, and although I am not an expert, I will do my best to answer any questions you may have.

Mountain Lion
Feral Cat
Field Mouse
Grains

Mountain Lion - High
Feral Cat - Low
Field Mouse - High
Grains - Low

Human
Mountain Lion
Feral Cat
Field Mouse
Grains

Human - High
Mountain Lion - Low
Feral Cat - High
Field Mouse - Low
Grains - High

Concussion Analysis of Junior Hockey Players

ProfessorOak — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 14:21:12 -0000

Concussion Analysis of Junior Hockey Players

Moving Leafs' van Riemsdyk to centre means someone is expendable | Toronto Maple Leafs | Sports | Toronto Sun

ProfessorOak — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 01:55:57 -0000

Moving Leafs' van Riemsdyk to centre means someone is expendable | Toronto Maple Leafs | Sports | Toronto Sun

You ask why this is relevant? Well basically, this means that the Leafs shouldn't be inquiring about Stastny (like a certain untrustworthy anonymous blogger has suggested) until after the season starts and this experiment comes to fruition. So basically, that rumor should be squashed.

Why We Should Shoot for Semin

ProfessorOak — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 00:51:57 -0000

Why We Should Shoot for Semin

Lovely article written at PPP

2011-12 Season Montage

ProfessorOak — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 23:40:56 -0000

2011-12 Season Montage

Apparently this was played on the Jumbotron? Either way, really awesome montage. I can't help but love this team.

Mueller on NHL Live

ProfessorOak — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 04:53:40 -0000

Mueller on NHL Live

Man, I'm really gonna miss him and I have a horrible feeling not qualifying him will bite the Avs in the ass. I think it was the right business decision, with the uncertainty and all, but ugh. I'm gonna miss ya Mules!

Is Colorado part of the midwest? If so, it could be good news.

ProfessorOak — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 17:47:57 -0000

Is Colorado part of the midwest? If so, it could be good news.

NHL13 Video Game Info

ProfessorOak — Mon, 28 May 2012 18:17:03 -0000

Hey all, I just watched an hour long webcast that EA put on about NHL 13 describing new features etc. I wanted to relay the information to anyone here who may be interest come it's release date, September 11.

One of the big features in this game is revamped skating. This includes taking momentum and real physics into consideration. You will not be able to turn on a dime anymore, rather your momentum will carry you and you will need to compensate for that. Because of this, gap control will be very important for players who play defense. Momentum will also carry you when missing a check, or trying to pinch in at the point, and anywhere else on the ice.

The accuracy of passes will change depending on your speed and whether you are skating or gliding.

Skaters can also lose their footing if they try and turn too sharply or if they are turning sharply and are bumped, nudged or checked. From what they showed us with the Alpha software, the skating is much more fluid.

Another big part of NHL13 will be the new work done on the AI. They spent more time on AI this year than they had in the past 3 years combined. Rather than the AIs only being aware of the puck, they are aware of their surroundings. They won't attack the puck carrier if it will give up an odd man rush, etc. Goalies AI is also changed. Rather than just being aware of the puck carrier, you will see them cheat in certain situations such as 2 on 1s. This opens up the possibility of short side goals or nice passes across the crease which the goalie may anticipate. There will be a large variety of desperation saves by goalie because they will not perform the same 10 save animations. Every animation will be varied depending on where the puck is shot.

They have added 5 times the amount of team systems (assuming this means forecheck and breakout aggression).

As in all games, there are glitches. What they are doing to prevent glitches (glitch goals) is that they are trying to make goalies as perfect as possible, being able to save anything at any time and really making the players work for their goals. It isn't fun when people exploit the game to score. When glitches are found, they will have tuners to adjust for these glitches. You will have many more opportunities to score legit 5 hole goals this year as well.

Leverage and body position will play huge roles in checking this year. Rather than players bouncing off checks when those checks should have knocked them at least off the puck, players will actually be knocked off the puck or will fall due to their lack of leverage.

The new online Be a GM will allow players to player against each other with different franchises, or with each other on the same franchise. You can have up to 29 other people be the GM of all the franchises, and then you could technically have 6 people player on your team. That is technically a possibility of 180 players playing in the same league, although I doubt this scenario will ever play out. You can also control the strategy you want your AI to play. How you want them to set up, whether you want them to play a hard grinding game, a possession game or a run and gun game.

They are testing incidental contact with teammates, but feel like it slows down the game.

They are also testing to get rid of the invisible force field in the crease but fear that players will exploit that for many goals if it is taken away.

There will be no new celebrations.

That's all I got from the webcast. It was a great opportunity to see some of the game play and has me really excited for NHL13 this year. Hopefully this little write up benefits the few of you that I know play this game.

Possible Tampering Charges Surrounding The Justin Schultz Situation

ProfessorOak — Mon, 28 May 2012 15:25:35 -0000

Possible Tampering Charges Surrounding The Justin Schultz Situation

Really interesting article over at Bucky's 5th Quarter about the Justin Schultz situation. Real good read.

Favorite non-Avs players

ProfessorOak — Sun, 20 May 2012 16:08:26 -0000

So this is really more out of curiosity than anything else and since there isn't too much going on in the Avalanche world, I figured why not have a thread about this? Most if not all people here are Avalanche fans, or fans of the franchise, and odds are, many of our favorite players are from there. I'm curious as to who your favorite players are outside of this franchise. For forward I'd have to go with either Pavel Bure or Maxim Afinogenov. For Goalie I gotta go with Hasek, just loved watching him play. For defense, I think I'd go with Brian Leech.

Bracket Challenge, half way there...

ProfessorOak — Sun, 13 May 2012 02:13:32 -0000

Alright, the first two rounds of the playoffs are done so it's time to give a leader board update. This round hindered some (Stachi and GoDevs) while it helped others soar in the rankings (Frosty and Greg). So let's take a look at the top ten after round two. If you've fallen behind, don't worry, the stakes are even higher in the Conference Finals, and increase even more in the Stanley Cup Finals.

FrostyBear21 160
GregDaybreak 158
smoky201 158
ProfessorOak 155
finn26 145
Jagrmesiter 142
faydout 140
AvsSqueek 139
Rapierwhitt 137
andidee15 137

Don't forget to make your picks for the Conference Finals, Coyotes anyone?

Avalanche Sign Their Trifecta…Now What?

ProfessorOak — Sat, 12 May 2012 19:16:08 -0000

Avalanche Sign Their Trifecta…Now What?

Great article written by Justin Goldman talking about the Avs goaltending situation.

MHH Bracket Challenge

ProfessorOak — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 19:02:26 -0000

I don't know about you, but I love some friendly competition. I created a private NHL Bracket Challenge for MHH. The link is here and the password is Avalanche (capital A). Best of luck to everyone! And of course, now I need some filler for 75 words. I figured this competition would be fun to have and will give one lucky member of this community some hardcore bragging rights. I still need five words. Fuck The Red Wings.

Update: Apparently you may need to be logged in to use that link, if it doesn't work, the private league is called MHH Bracket Challenge. (Thanks SteveHouse!).

Update: Bumped to the front page for 2nd round pick reminders (remember, a vote for Detroit is a wasted vote!

Marleau

ProfessorOak — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 05:30:39 -0000

So, I figured I'd start a thread about this. Earlier in the night, Dater posted a tweet that read

Here's what I think about the Avalanche's chances of getting Patrick Marleau: I think the Avs would be interested in seeing what the Sharks would want for him. I think they'd like to add a little bit of veteran depth up front, especially if David Jones leaves via free agency. I also don't think the Avs would give up a whole lot for him, given his age.

The question is, what are your thoughts? I see it this way, he is 32, $6.9 million cap hit for the next two years who has scored 71. 81. 73 pts in his last three seasons. He has playoff experience, and is a veteran let alone a player who can play center or lw. If he came at the right price, I wouldn't be able to say no. My trouble is finding out what the right price is.

So, I figured I'd start a thread about this. Earlier in the night, Dater posted a tweet that read

Here's what I think about the Avalanche's chances of getting Patrick Marleau: I think the Avs would be interested in seeing what the Sharks would want for him. I think they'd like to add a little bit of veteran depth up front, especially if David Jones leaves via free agency. I also don't think the Avs would give up a whole lot for him, given his age.

NHL's Fantasy Award Winners

ProfessorOak — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:19:34 -0000

NHL's Fantasy Award Winners

Notables include Landy winning Rookie Standout unanimously, Duchene being considered for bounce back player and Barrie being a sleeper pick for next year.

Clear Win Victories

ProfessorOak — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 22:18:10 -0000

Clear Win Victories

real interesting article over at C&B.

Marlins suspend manager Ozzie Guillen for 5 games - Yahoo! Sports

ProfessorOak — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:22:40 -0000

Marlins suspend manager Ozzie Guillen for 5 games - Yahoo! Sports

Just curious what are everyone's thoughts on this?

Duchene's spins

ProfessorOak — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:23:13 -0000

So earlier in the year, we saw Duchene get all dirty, and create space against the Sharks here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1aP2WBuqkU
Interestingly enough, looks a lot like this video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHnEq49O9P4&feature=related

Anyone else think Duchene has tried to model his game after Super Joe?
Apparently my fan post needs to be longer so I need to type some more words...
Fuck the Red Wings
Fuck the Red Wings
Fuck the Red Wings
Fuck the Red Wings
Fuck the Red Wings
Fuck the Red Wings
Fuck the Red Wings

I think that's enough. But for good measure...
Fuck the Red Wings

JR vs Milbury

ProfessorOak — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 05:02:24 -0000

JR vs Milbury

Comparison of the Avs' Structure to Another Team's...

ProfessorOak — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:07:29 -0000

We seem to have some forward depth now. The top 9 are full of people that can produce yet full of no one that is superstar caliber. Duchene might get there one day, maybe, and maybe Landy or Radar do (although I don't think they do) but we are full of real solid talent. We are tough on the back end full with once again, no bonafide #1 defensemen (although EJ may be one, one day), we may never have a norris candidate, but we have a solid defensive core. This team is overall, very defensively responsible essentially from the top down. Our 4th line center is actually a 3rd line center on a team with less center depth. We hit hard and often and show that even if the opponent beats us, they will be hurting after the game. We have two solid goaltenders, and although Varly has been streaky, he seems to be coming around as of late, and Jiggy has been real good all year. Does this type of setup remind you of another team? It does for me...

The Boston Bruins. The Bruins top lines are full of very good players, but really no super stars. Krajci, Lucic, Horton, Marchand, Bergeron and Seguin are good to very good players, but I wouldn't put them in the same conversation as Crosby, Malkin, OV, Toews, Kov, Parise, etc. The closest they have probably had on the top end to a superstar was Marc Savard, who in case anyone has forgotten, was a better than a point per game player with the Bruins. On the back end, they have their annual Norris candidate in Chara but beyond that, they are filled with defenders that are very solid, but nothing spectacular. Seidenberg, Ference, Boychuk, Corvo and McQuaid are all solid with varying skill sets but you won't usually find any of them at the all star game. Their playing style is a very west coast style, forecheck, possess and score while being defensively responsible. In net they have an annual all-star in Thomas and a back-up who is a starter on many other teams in this league.

That being said, remember, I'm not comparing the skill, or saying that our team is a cup contender, because they aren't... yet. What I am saying is that I think Sherman (who has been getting a lot of love around here as of late) is molding our team to have a similar structure as the Boston Bruins. Lost in the conference finals in seven games 2 years ago, won the cup last year and is well on their way to the playoffs this year. Sherman has shown that he is determined to get players that he WANTS. He went out and got EJ, got Silent Jay, got Downie, got McGinn, drafted Landy instead of taking "more skilled" players with "higher ceilings". He has done this with a plan and I believe the plan is to mold our personnel and our playing style much like that of the Boston Bruins.

Last Year's Team Statistics Compared to This Year

ProfessorOak — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 01:01:23 -0000

So beyond the amount of points, I wanted to look into how our team has improved in team-wide statistics that aren't total goals for/against, team points, etc. Comparisons after the break.

Now, first of all, let's keep in mind that these are the numbers for all of last year compared to the numbers of this year so far. There will be no projections, and to make the numbers comparable, I will be using ratios and percentages. What I am doing here is providing the statistics, and letting the rest of you draw the conclusions that you want to draw.

Power Play Percentage (PP%)

Last year the Avs were ranked 11th with an 18.5% success rate on the Power Play. This year the Avs are good enough to be ranked 8th with a 19.3% success rate for an increase of .8%.

Penalty Kill Percentage (PK%)

Last year the Avs were atrocious with a dead last finish and a success rate of 76.1%. This season, the Avs are ranked at number 17 with a success rate of 81.8% for an increase of 5.7%.

Shots per Game (S/G = actual shots, not attempted)

Last year, the Avs ranked 21st in S/G while averaging 29.2 shots. This year, the Avs are ranked 8th while averaging 31.3 shots which is an increase of 2.1 S/G.

Shots Against per Game (SA/G)

Last year, the Avs ranked 23rd while averaging 31.8 SA/G. This year they are ranked 10th while averaging 29.3 SA/G which is a decrease of 2.5 SA/G.

Faceoff %

Last year, the Avs came in at 14th while winning 50.6% of their faceoffs. This year, the Avs are 3rd in the league coming in at winning 52% of faceoffs, an increase of 1.4%.

Remember when I said I wasn't going to do any projections? Well, I lied, mainly because I am curious and since I'm looking up the information, I might as well share it with you.

Power Play Opportunities (PPO)

Last year the Avs were tied with Boston for the 26/27 least amount of PPO with 265. This year the Avs are ranked 29 in PPO with 166 PPO in 57 games. That averages out to 2.9122807 etc. PPO/G, which projects to approximately 238 PPO. That is a decrease by 27 from last year.

Times Shorthanded (TS)

Last year, the Avs were tied with C-bus for the 26/27 spot by having a TS of 314. This year the Avs are currently ranked 21st with a TS of 203 in 57 games. That averages out to 3.5614035 etc. which projects to approximately 292 TS. This is a decrease by 22.

That's all for now, what do you think these stats/projections mean (if you think they mean anything at all)?

Peter Mueller Has Inspired Me

ProfessorOak — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:22:46 -0000

So none of you really know me personally so let's start with a little background. I am 22 and have been smoking since I was 14 and a halfish so let's say I have been smoking for 8 years give or take. Peter Mueller's performance on Wednesday night (I think) has got me thinking. He suffered through 18 months of a concussion. 18 months. This made me think, "well if he can do that, then I can definitely quit smoking". Sure, I have been addicted for years, and may get a headache for a few days, but Mueller has suffered through 18 months of headaches and he has persevered. He is back, and playing great hockey. He has inspired me to quit smoking, so consider this my contract to quit smoking. This is where I may need your help. I may need your support, positive or not, even if it's a "hey shot, how is quitting smoking going?" that'd be great. Whether it's a sarcastic comment or a comment of compassion or sympathy, anything will help. I also challenge all my fellow MHHers to tackle a challenge like I have, with the mindset of "if Mueller came back, then I can totally overcome this challenge". If you have taken the time to read this whole blurb, then thank you and thank you in advance for any support or enlightenment that will (inevitably) give me.

On a side note, for those having a hard time in the job market, may you find a better job and happiness. For those of you who have lost loved ones this past year, may the next year be a year of celebration of their lives and yours. For those of you going through tough times may you find peace. For those of you who need a significant change in their lives, may you find out how to do it and then accomplish it and for those of you serving in our military, whether or not we believe in why you may be over seas, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the sacrifices you have made to keep this country as great as it is.

Darwin bless America (because I do not believe in God or a god, but for those who do, replace Darwin with God or whichever god or supernatural being you may believe in),

Shot

p.s. Fuck the Red Wings and go Avs

Darwin bless America (because I do not believe in God or a god, but for those who do, replace Darwin with God or whichever god or supernatural being you may believe in),

Shot

p.s. Fuck the Red Wings and go Avs

25 More superstitions

ProfessorOak — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:32:31 -0000

25 More superstitions

Since Cheryl wrote a lovely article on superstitions, I figured I would share this article with everyone. Beware: Bleacher Report article, but some of the superstitions are really interesting.

Was this hit not just like the Marchand hit?

ProfessorOak — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:13:07 -0000

Was this hit not just like the Marchand hit?

44.1 Clipping - Clipping is the act of throwing the body, from any direction, across or below the knees of an opponent.

A player may not deliver a check in a "clipping" manner, nor lower his own body position to deliver a check on or below an opponent’s knees.

An illegal "low hit" is a check that is delivered by a player or goalkeeper who may or may not have both skates on the ice, with his sole intent to check the opponent in the area of his knees. A player may not lower his body position to deliver a check to an opponent’s knees.

Official "Who Should We Trade For Or Sign?" Thread

ProfessorOak — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:20:23 -0000

So in many different threads much has been discussed surrounding trades. Who is available, what would we have to give up for them, etc. This is simply a thread for everyone to discuss these at all.

It is obvious we need a winger, should we trade or wait for UFA. Who should we get if we trade or go the UFA route? What are fairly plausible trades (from as an objective viewpoint as we can get)? Is trading Stastny a plausible route right now? So many questions and more, so let's all discuss it!

"Tortorella fined $30,000 for his WC postgame rant on officiating."

ProfessorOak — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:00:21 -0000

"Tortorella fined $30,000 for his WC postgame rant on officiating."

Darren Dreger (darrendreger) on Twitter
So Torts can get as much as $30,000 and possibly more but Torres can only get fined a max of $2500. Uh, what?

Avalanche keeping its goaltenders busy with platoon system - The Denver Post

ProfessorOak — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:12:50 -0000

Avalanche keeping its goaltenders busy with platoon system - The Denver Post

"I play when Coach tells me to play," he said. "Otherwise, I sit and try to learn from Jiggy."
A very hunble statement from Varly. If he did seem entitled as the number 1 last year in Washington, then he has definitely matured a lot lately.

Shanahan Rules No Suspension Or Fine Regarding Kronwall Hit | Yardbarker.com

ProfessorOak — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 02:03:43 -0000

Shanahan Rules No Suspension Or Fine Regarding Kronwall Hit | Yardbarker.com

Well there it is, this is honestly getting a little ridiculous. It seriously seems like he is showing either some bias, or some horrible judgment. No fine, no nothing, wow.

My 10 Surprises so far this year

ProfessorOak — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 01:57:07 -0000

So this article is less (if any) Avalanche related and more hockey related. These are in no particular order, because ordering them would make this even hard.

1. The Florida Panthers. Whether it's the fact that they are leading their division, have a record above .500 or after just 29 games, have more than half the points (37) they amassed last year (72), they have completely surprised me. Theodore seems to have re-found himself as he has a .929 save % with a 2.17 GAA. Flash, Versteeg and Weiss are all average at least a point per game. Of those three players, I only thought that 1 of them (Weiss) had the skill to maintain that through 29 games. I thought with all the FA signings they were panicking and just throwing money around, and maybe they were, but it worked, so congrats to them.

2. The Anaheim Ducks. I'm not the only one wondering what the hell happened to these guys. These are the ducks that had 99 points last year, and could have had more had Hiller not had that weird vertigo. Currently they are one point ahead of C-bus, with a whopping 21. Speaking of Hiller, where has he been? He was an All-Star last year, and now he has a 3.12 GAA and a .901 save %. Teemu has been the only one on that team consistently showing up, and Ryan has practically fallen off the face of the planet Stastny style.

3. Jaromir Jagr. Jagr has 9 goals, 13 assists for a total of 22 pts in 23 games (he just scored tonight so make that 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 pts in 24 games). To me this is a surprise. I just didn't think he'd be playing at this level after being away from the NHL for so long. Then again, I have a feeling that it doesn't hurt when your most common linemates are Giroux and Hartnall (13.85%) and Giroux and JVR (4.55%). That being said, I will give credit when credit is due.

4. Jason Garrison. Ever hear of this guy? If so, many of you have only heard of him through fantasy hockey leagues. He plays D for Florida and currently has 9 goals and 5 assists along with a +12 rating (for those who feel that is relevant). His 9 goals, are tops for defensemen, the next closest are Weber, Lidstrom, Byfuglien, Salo and Kronwall with 6. Not only is the amount of his goals impressive, but his shooting % is 12.2% which is insanely high for a defenseman (maybe he should talk to some of our forwards, heh). There are others that are higher, but none that have even half the sample size of shots (74) that he has. For the record, last year he had 5 goals and 13 assists for 18 pts in 73 games.

5. The Adjectives. Now before I say this, brace yourself, but currently, if the season ended today, the Adjectives would take home the Presidents Trophy. That's right, they have the most points in the whole league. The Adjectives. Even typing that as many times as I did, it still doesn't seem right. They must be trapping the hell out of everyone right? Well, maybe. They are averaging 2.14 goals against per game. Any time you only let in 2 goals, with how the league is right now, you will win a lot of games. Backstrom and Harding are both pretty good goalies. The thing that surprises me is that they traded away arguably their best defender, for offense, and end up being one of the best defensive teams STILL. Their top defensive pair (at least minutes wise) is Marco Scandella (a rookie) and Jared Spurgeon (has 82 games between last year and this year). I am baffled.

6. Brian Elliott. .11-2 in 13 starts with a 944 save % (leads NHL) and a 1.56 GAA (leads NHL) and 3 shut outs is really all that I need to say. He is currently the front runner for the Vezina. I would never expect to ever say that.

7. Crosby. I can't stand him, or his attitude but I must give him props for returning right back to where he was before, and that is elite status. 4 points in his first game, I hope Ferris was taking notes for ~~when~~ if he comes back.

8. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. I, like MANY others, amateur and pro, was skeptical about his size. I thought some one would crush him and break him in half. I mean, he is listed as 6-1, 175 lbs. But he has hung in there, and dazzled everyone while proving almost everyone wrong. He has 13 goals and 19 assists in 32 games and he is lighting it up. Although he is fairly protected (taking more than 2/3 of his faceoffs in the Offensive zone(I'd have a number for you but I can't remember that more advanced statistics site, any help?)) he is still blowing everyone out of the water.

9. Claude Giroux. I hate the Flyers, almost as much as we hate the Dead Things, but Giroux is absolutely tearing it up this year. We saw a lot of what he could do last year in the playoffs, and more ice time as a direct product of shipping out Richards and Carter. With 16 goals and 21 assists, Giroux leads the league in points.

10. Tyler Seguin. Last year Seguin was seeing less ice time per game (12:12/game as opposed to 16:43/game), but the difference is by only a little more than 4 minutes. The thing is Seguin had 11 goals and 11 assists in 74 games last year (his rookie season) and this year he already has 12 goals and 13 assists in 26 games. He is really starting to show why he was the number 2 overall pick 2 years ago.

Overall, this year has been full of surprises, I'm sure there are others that didn't make it to this list, so what has really surprised everybody else here at MHH?

My observations at a Monsters Game

ProfessorOak — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 04:38:13 -0000

While ya'll were watching the Avs play, I was at the Bears and Monsters game, where I was hoping to watch Stefan Elliott (heh) but here is what I noticed. More after the jump...

1. Gaunce - He is really a nasty player. He hits ALOT and if there is a scrum, you can bet your life that he is in the middle of it, and if he isn't he is definitely making his way over. He has a decent shot, but nothing fantastic. What impressed me with his shot is that he can find the net pretty well (see antonym for Matt Hunwick). I maybe saw him out of position once, MAYBE. The one thing that worries me is that he was so nasty that it was almost borderline dirty. He took atleast one stupid roughing penalty, and I can see those hurting the team. Oh and btw, from how he looked last night, he is NHL ready in basically all aspects of his game.
2. Bordello - He is huge, just beyond big. As we expect, nothing special on offense but he must have laid at least 3 big hits, clean ones too. He rushed the point and landed a Bears player right on his ass. Love him, he is a real guy that can bring energy.
3. Malone - Didn't notice him all that much until he scored the GWG with 20 seconds left in the game. He just drove the net in a scrambling play that could have been whistled and put it in the twine. He is as advertised, a good grinder.
4. Cedrick was scratched (although looked real good in warm ups) so Cann - He is just bad... period. VERY weak blocker side, not very positionally sound and isn't very confident out there.
5. Luke Walker - this guy is fast, real fast. He plays a lot like Hishon in the way that he isn't big, but he throws his weight around. If there were one word to describe Walker, it would be a pest. He scored a good goal, picked up a juicy rebound and outwaited the goalie, then roofed it.

6. Mauldin - He seems to have lost a step but still has good speed. He is a pretty decent PKer.

7. Stoa - lol, he had a couple assists, but he really just didn't play all too well. He was fairly physical though, which is weird... then again the whole team is REAL physical (maybe it's Quinn).

8. Barrie - Barrie really impressed me. He had two assists on the night. He didn't tie up his man in front of the net for a redirection goal and his defensive play all game was probably average. He definitely shines in the offensive zone. His decision making was perfect, EVERY time he pinched, it was the right time to pinch, and he kept the puck. EVERY pass of his was crisp and tape to tape. He has a pretty good shot on top of that. One of his assists came off a shot wide which to me seemed like he aimed there as opposed to HS (Hunwick Syndrome). Overall, good game by him.

This game got REAL chippy towards the end, and it was a great game. Final Score, Monsters - 5 and Bears - 4

Total PIM - 76

If I missed anyone, then they either didn't play, or I didn't notice them all that much. Feel free to ask about any players that I have missed though. Hopefully this gives you some insight as to what we have in the minors (albeit just one game and a small sample size).