Vancouver 2010 Team USA, by Justin.
Coach: Peter Laviolette
Alternate Captains: Mike Komisarek, Dustin Brown
Captain: Chris Drury.
Drury isnt the first guy who leapt out at me. I could certainly make a damn good lineup without his name in it. But this is the right player. By 2010, one of two things is likely to have happened, and USA-wise, it's a win-win for his role as Captain. 2 years from now Perhaps Chris Drury has led the Rangers to a Cup Final, or even a Cup. He will be revered in New york and in hockey circles to the point of nausea. Vancouver will give him the chance to cement his status as Legend, and you have to believe he will be raring to go. Or, NYR will have been stuck in neutral and maybe he will have struggled as Captain with the rumblings that he isnt vocal enough, that he's overpaid, that he has largely failed as "the guy" in a tough market. The pressure will have gotten pretty high. Doubts creeping in. Here, he can forget that weight and focus entirely on the Olympics as a fresh slate. He gets a team with (like NYR) a good mix of young and old guys, some teammates he is already comfortable with, and he can really step up and take the team into a hostile environment. He doesn't have to be a big scorer. He doesn't have to be a shutdown
player. He doesn't even have to play center. He just has to be a calm leader who has been in these spots before and can get some of these guys fired up for the opportunity. This may be more thought than necessary for a 5 game tournament's Captain. But it shouldn't be an afterthought.
Goalies:
Ryan Miller, Rick DiPietro
- Miller starts. I along with all Isles fans hoped that by 2010 DP would have taken this mantle and run with it. It doesn't look good. So its Miller Time.
Defence:
This wasn't as hard as I thought. There isnt room for sorta-good offensively, nondescript defensively guys on here. If you're an elite offensive threat, great. If not, you need to be able to move and possibly scramble for a long shift in your own end; move the puck quick and well; and most importantly have the ability/desire to break an NHL teammate's wrist in the corners with no hesitation in the course of a gold.
Brian Rafalski - Mike Komisarek
- I'm not too concerned about 2 lefties. This is a no-brainer top pairing. Both are used to playing with a partner very similar to the one they have here- Komi knows how to cover for a guy who likes to rush and might get beat in the corners once in awhile. He's also a fucking beast. Rafalski can be really nondescript at times, but when part of a good team playing well, he becomes elite.
Keith Ballard - Jack Johnson
- Johnson is very suspect at this point. This is a lot of pressure to put on him. Well, all the better chance for him to step up and make party. There aren't many guys in the USA stable that I think would relish being public enemy #1 in a Canadian city at the olympics. JJ probably never saw or used a microscope at UM, but his play and his demeanor will be under a really fucking big one here. Do it. Ballard is steady as hell.
Erik Johnson - Ryan Suter
- If I'm being optimistic, I can hope that by 2010 this pair can rival almost any in the olympics. EJ missing '08 made him incredibly hard to put on here. But you have to be able to play rugged defence, and you have to be able to make a difference out there. Will he make more mistakes than Paul Martin might? Yeah, but he has 100x more upside too and is a potential game-breaker.
Forwards:
Now THIS was hard. But this is the lineup that would ideally play in every game. I copped out and named 2 extra F, but they are basically just token guys for the room. The 4 lines roll this way, no substitutions. COMPETE.
Dustin Brown - Paul Stastny - Patrick O'Sullivan
- I love this line. Awesome hockey smarts all around. Since the first 2 lines are definitley 1 and 1A, I didn't see any reason to split DB and POS. This puts a lot of faith in Stastny to be the guy to elevate this line to elite.
Zach Parise - Scott Gomez - Pat Kane
- Listen up Scotty: Every other line on this team has pretty good defensive players on it. It would have been easy to make sure you line up with some bruisers and backcheckers so you can focus on dishing. No. You were unknown in the purgatory of NJ, now you're a guy who chased the money and is happy being a good player on a good team. Enough- this is your time to be a superstar. You know Parise's game. He and PKane are not here to cover their wingers. Time to prove you can be a devastatingly effective setup guy and use your speed on the big rink to still cover them up defensively. Show it. Kane and Parise- light it up. No excuses. This must be a consistently effective offensive line or USA sinks.
Phil Kessel - Ryan Kesler - Jason Pominville
- Spend any time getting caught up with Kesler, or chasing Phil around while he flies all over, and Pominville will quietly blaze you, like he always does. This can be a really effective line in a lot of different ways. Speed, hands, grit, assholeness and all three of these guys should and will have a nice chip on their shoulders and be salivating to make their mark on a USA team in Vancouver.
Chris Drury - Peter Mueller - Brandon Dubinsky
- So much to work with here. Initally the 4th center spot had Dubinsky and David Booth penciled in with a speedy winger. But then there wasn't much that fit. There cant be a straight grinding line in this tournament. I'd rather a fast, responsible 4th line with wads of potential. Booth-Dubi-Pavelski sounds wonderful, but to be fair it would probably get fucking devoured.
Extras: Chris Higgins, Erik Cole. I'm sorry guys. 2 dependable, reliable scorers and workers passed over for playing time in favor of some shit-disturbers and young assassins. Enjoy the Salmon in B.C. though.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
The Curse of Palin
Did anyone notice how the economy burst right after Sarah Palin came onto the national scene? Or that the presidential race suddenly became a lot nastier when she was on board?
Well now two lucky teams get to deal with the Palin Curse: your very own Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues.
Let's look at the facts:
- After going to the conference finals last spring, the Flyers are STILL winless after six games played. Their goalies are letting anything in the net, as long as it's hard, black, and made of vulcanized rubber.
- To be fair, Philly has some major defensemen injuries. And they've played some tough teams: San Jose twice, the Penguins, the Rangers, and Montreal. But the big bad Flyers couldn't even get a win from Colorado, which, between the beaten-down Andrew Raycroft and the hapless Peter Budaj, is all but without a starting netminder. In fact, the Flyers got creamed that game, 5-2. Is this really the same team that completely shut down juggernaut Montreal in last year playoffs?
Needless to say, things are not looking good for the Flyers.
In the end, surely Sarah Palin brings some modicum of excitement to a game. Let's not forget, this is a hockey mom we're talking about here. But the real lesson is this: if I'm a team president or GM, and Palin's handlers call me asking if she can drop the puck, I'll tell her to scoot her butt to another rink. For all I care, she can go ask Oren Koules if Tampa is free. He's always up for a gimmick.
Well now two lucky teams get to deal with the Palin Curse: your very own Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues.
Let's look at the facts:
- After going to the conference finals last spring, the Flyers are STILL winless after six games played. Their goalies are letting anything in the net, as long as it's hard, black, and made of vulcanized rubber.
- To be fair, Philly has some major defensemen injuries. And they've played some tough teams: San Jose twice, the Penguins, the Rangers, and Montreal. But the big bad Flyers couldn't even get a win from Colorado, which, between the beaten-down Andrew Raycroft and the hapless Peter Budaj, is all but without a starting netminder. In fact, the Flyers got creamed that game, 5-2. Is this really the same team that completely shut down juggernaut Montreal in last year playoffs?
Needless to say, things are not looking good for the Flyers.
In the end, surely Sarah Palin brings some modicum of excitement to a game. Let's not forget, this is a hockey mom we're talking about here. But the real lesson is this: if I'm a team president or GM, and Palin's handlers call me asking if she can drop the puck, I'll tell her to scoot her butt to another rink. For all I care, she can go ask Oren Koules if Tampa is free. He's always up for a gimmick.
Why the Bubble Will Burst
A quick note on the Blues, who last night failed to come from behind against the Red Wings the way they had against the Leafs, Predators, and Blackhawks:
The bubble will burst. Oh yes it will. This team is good, especially on the power play, where they are first in the league. But here are some very telling statistics:
Paul Kariya, -1
Andy McDonald, -6
Brad Boyes, -5
Keith Tkachuk, -1
Eric Brewer, -4
That's only through six games - four of which the Blues won!
Once this power play stops functioning, which could happen anytime, the team is in trouble. Also, it's interesting to note that the team uses either four or five forwards on the power play, depending on whether forward Lee Stempniak is hurt. That's a good strategy, but teams will start picking up on it. I'd like to see them try that against the Penguins. My prediction: Jordan Staal will net two shorties.
For those of you looking for hope, it comes in the form of the youngsters, who look fantastic so far.
David Perron, 5 points in 6 games, +2
T.J. Oshie, 3 points in 6 games, +1
Patrick Berglund, 3 points in 5 games, +3
These kids are gonna be alright. And when they get Erik Johnson and Alex Pietrangelo back, they're gonna be more than alright. For now, though, don't expect the status quo to continue.
The bubble will burst. Oh yes it will. This team is good, especially on the power play, where they are first in the league. But here are some very telling statistics:
Paul Kariya, -1
Andy McDonald, -6
Brad Boyes, -5
Keith Tkachuk, -1
Eric Brewer, -4
That's only through six games - four of which the Blues won!
Once this power play stops functioning, which could happen anytime, the team is in trouble. Also, it's interesting to note that the team uses either four or five forwards on the power play, depending on whether forward Lee Stempniak is hurt. That's a good strategy, but teams will start picking up on it. I'd like to see them try that against the Penguins. My prediction: Jordan Staal will net two shorties.
For those of you looking for hope, it comes in the form of the youngsters, who look fantastic so far.
David Perron, 5 points in 6 games, +2
T.J. Oshie, 3 points in 6 games, +1
Patrick Berglund, 3 points in 5 games, +3
These kids are gonna be alright. And when they get Erik Johnson and Alex Pietrangelo back, they're gonna be more than alright. For now, though, don't expect the status quo to continue.
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Caps Have Arrived
The Caps look good tonight - VERY good. They're doing things I haven't seen them do before, even during last year's admittedly short-lived playoff run. Let's take a look at tonight's game versus Vancouver (currently 5-1 through two periods):
- Alex Semin looks for real. I've always said that he's one of the most talented players in the league, but that he lacked heart. Now it looks like he has a little of that, too.
- Mike Green has taken a clear step forward
- The Caps PP looks unstoppable.
- Remember, the Caps won the division and took the Flyers to seven games all without Nylander. And now he's back. He has a goal and two assists and is +2 so far tonight.
- Sergei Fedorov is playing defense!
- They chased Luongo - the goalie many picked to win the Vezina this year - after two periods. You're not MVP-worthy tonight, Robert.
- This has all happened with Ovechkin not making a mark on the score sheet.
The one question, obviously, is the goalie position. But if you can score 5 goals a game, maybe the tandem of JT60 and Brent Johnson won't be so bad after all.
To be sure, the Caps won't (can't) do this for 82 games. But damn if they don't look good. They're really firing on all cylinders. This could be a special season, folks.
- Alex Semin looks for real. I've always said that he's one of the most talented players in the league, but that he lacked heart. Now it looks like he has a little of that, too.
- Mike Green has taken a clear step forward
- The Caps PP looks unstoppable.
- Remember, the Caps won the division and took the Flyers to seven games all without Nylander. And now he's back. He has a goal and two assists and is +2 so far tonight.
- Sergei Fedorov is playing defense!
- They chased Luongo - the goalie many picked to win the Vezina this year - after two periods. You're not MVP-worthy tonight, Robert.
- This has all happened with Ovechkin not making a mark on the score sheet.
The one question, obviously, is the goalie position. But if you can score 5 goals a game, maybe the tandem of JT60 and Brent Johnson won't be so bad after all.
To be sure, the Caps won't (can't) do this for 82 games. But damn if they don't look good. They're really firing on all cylinders. This could be a special season, folks.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Saturday Scraps
First, I'll bite on these, we haven't tackled arena stuff in awhile.
This year's visits: all hopeful- Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota Wild.
The stadiums I'm most excited to visit: The Joe, GM Place, HP Pavillion, Xcel.
Most overrated stadium: Overrated is a pretty impossible term to use, but I'll assume we mean overrated by those outside our travel group. In this case- Atlanta, which is always mentioned as kick-ass by visiting announcers and media. It's the kind of place that seemed sweet when it was the 5th rink we'd been to, and now offers up very little.
Most underrated stadium: I'll echo the Sommet Center. h/m SBP in Ottawa, which only improves in my head the longer its been, which is rare.
Stadium that doubles as a death trap: Uh, yeah, Mellon. Stampede.
Honorable mention: NVMC bathroom line during NYI/NYR.
One thing I'm especially proud of: Defacing property in multiple cities with our current arena count.
Also: Combing the bowels of Phillips for Josh Childress replica cutouts.
Most nondescript arena: St. Pete TF. Blah.
Something I've done that you havent: Seen an NHL game in all 4 time zones.
How many stadiums have you been to at least twice? Wow, 9 as well. I've got : NVMC, MSG, Bell/Molson, Prudential, Continental, Verizon, Scottrade, AAC, Wachovia.
Finally: With about a dozen to go, PHI remains the consensus pick for best arena.
This year's visits: all hopeful- Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota Wild.
The stadiums I'm most excited to visit: The Joe, GM Place, HP Pavillion, Xcel.
Most overrated stadium: Overrated is a pretty impossible term to use, but I'll assume we mean overrated by those outside our travel group. In this case- Atlanta, which is always mentioned as kick-ass by visiting announcers and media. It's the kind of place that seemed sweet when it was the 5th rink we'd been to, and now offers up very little.
Most underrated stadium: I'll echo the Sommet Center. h/m SBP in Ottawa, which only improves in my head the longer its been, which is rare.
Stadium that doubles as a death trap: Uh, yeah, Mellon. Stampede.
Honorable mention: NVMC bathroom line during NYI/NYR.
One thing I'm especially proud of: Defacing property in multiple cities with our current arena count.
Also: Combing the bowels of Phillips for Josh Childress replica cutouts.
Most nondescript arena: St. Pete TF. Blah.
Something I've done that you havent: Seen an NHL game in all 4 time zones.
How many stadiums have you been to at least twice? Wow, 9 as well. I've got : NVMC, MSG, Bell/Molson, Prudential, Continental, Verizon, Scottrade, AAC, Wachovia.
Finally: With about a dozen to go, PHI remains the consensus pick for best arena.
Friday, October 10, 2008
One more thing
Of the stadiums I've been to, the ones I most want to re-visit are: San Jose, Boston, Pittsburgh, Columbus. In that order.
30-30
I've been to 21 hockey stadiums. 18 of these stadiums are currently still used for hockey. The stadiums I've been to, in order, are:
1. old Washington - Capital Centre/US Air Arena/US Airways Arena
2. old Philadelphia - The Spectrum
3. Washington - Verizon Center
4. Boston - TD Banknorth Garden (formerly Fleet Center)
5. NYI - Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
6. old NJ - Brendan Byrne Arena/Continental Airlines Arena
7. Philadelphia Wachovia Center (formerly the FU Center, best-named stadium in all of sports)
8. NYR - Madison Square Garden
9. San Jose - HP Pavilion
10. Pittsburgh - Mellon Arena
11. Columbus - Nationwide Arena
12. Buffalo - HSBC Arena
13. Atlanta - Phillips Arena
14. Carolina - RBC Center
15. St Louis - Scottrade Center (formerly Savvis Center, Kiel Center)
16. Tampa - St. Pete Times Forum
17. Florida - BankAtlantic Center
18. Chicago - United Center
19. Dallas - American Airlines Center
20. Nashville - Sommet Center (formerly Gaylord Arena, worst named stadium in pro sports)
21. New Jersey - Prudential Center
This year's visits: Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs. Maybe Minnesota Wild.
The four stadiums I'm most excited to visit: Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, The Forum in Montreal, XCel Energy Center in Minneapolis, Pepsi Center in Denver.
Most overrated stadium: Scottrade Center. I hate to say this, but it's true. Compared to other arenas, this one is absolute garbage. But it does have a statute of Bernie Federko, and it has kept me sane during law school. So I cant hate on it too much.
Most underrated stadium: Sommet Center in Nashville. This place is FOR REAL. Great game entertainment, too.
Honorable mention: United Center in Chicago
Stadium that doubles as a death trap: Mellon Arena, going away.
Honorable mention: Phillips Arena
One thing I'm especially proud of: Ish, JP, and I have been to 14 of 18 existing stadiums together - including all of the last 12 new ones I've been to.
Something I've done that you havent: Gone to at least 40 games in three different stadiums (Capital Centre, Verizon Center, Scottrade Center)
Also: I know all the secrets of the Verizon Center.
How many stadiums have you been to at least twice? Nine. (Capital Centre, Verizon Center, Scottrade Center, The Spectrum, Wachovia, TD BankNorth, American Airlines Center, Nassau, MSG)
Finally. I'm almost two-thirds done. This has been a fun ride.
1. old Washington - Capital Centre/US Air Arena/US Airways Arena
2. old Philadelphia - The Spectrum
3. Washington - Verizon Center
4. Boston - TD Banknorth Garden (formerly Fleet Center)
5. NYI - Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
6. old NJ - Brendan Byrne Arena/Continental Airlines Arena
7. Philadelphia Wachovia Center (formerly the FU Center, best-named stadium in all of sports)
8. NYR - Madison Square Garden
9. San Jose - HP Pavilion
10. Pittsburgh - Mellon Arena
11. Columbus - Nationwide Arena
12. Buffalo - HSBC Arena
13. Atlanta - Phillips Arena
14. Carolina - RBC Center
15. St Louis - Scottrade Center (formerly Savvis Center, Kiel Center)
16. Tampa - St. Pete Times Forum
17. Florida - BankAtlantic Center
18. Chicago - United Center
19. Dallas - American Airlines Center
20. Nashville - Sommet Center (formerly Gaylord Arena, worst named stadium in pro sports)
21. New Jersey - Prudential Center
This year's visits: Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs. Maybe Minnesota Wild.
The four stadiums I'm most excited to visit: Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, The Forum in Montreal, XCel Energy Center in Minneapolis, Pepsi Center in Denver.
Most overrated stadium: Scottrade Center. I hate to say this, but it's true. Compared to other arenas, this one is absolute garbage. But it does have a statute of Bernie Federko, and it has kept me sane during law school. So I cant hate on it too much.
Most underrated stadium: Sommet Center in Nashville. This place is FOR REAL. Great game entertainment, too.
Honorable mention: United Center in Chicago
Stadium that doubles as a death trap: Mellon Arena, going away.
Honorable mention: Phillips Arena
One thing I'm especially proud of: Ish, JP, and I have been to 14 of 18 existing stadiums together - including all of the last 12 new ones I've been to.
Something I've done that you havent: Gone to at least 40 games in three different stadiums (Capital Centre, Verizon Center, Scottrade Center)
Also: I know all the secrets of the Verizon Center.
How many stadiums have you been to at least twice? Nine. (Capital Centre, Verizon Center, Scottrade Center, The Spectrum, Wachovia, TD BankNorth, American Airlines Center, Nassau, MSG)
Finally. I'm almost two-thirds done. This has been a fun ride.
what what?
The Blues PP scores 4 goals, including two by Fat Keith?
The Isles start off the season with Joey MacDonald in net?
The supposedly "vaunted" Florida defense allows 6 goals?
Alex Ovechkin plays 23 minutes and registers no points?
Jose Theodore lets in 4 goals on the first 17 shots he faces as a Cap? (Who are we kidding, this was predictable)
This could be a long and unpredictable season. It will be fun (or scary) to look at the preseason picks in April.
The Isles start off the season with Joey MacDonald in net?
The supposedly "vaunted" Florida defense allows 6 goals?
Alex Ovechkin plays 23 minutes and registers no points?
Jose Theodore lets in 4 goals on the first 17 shots he faces as a Cap? (Who are we kidding, this was predictable)
This could be a long and unpredictable season. It will be fun (or scary) to look at the preseason picks in April.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Rookie Scoring Bet
This will never replace The Sheet, but why the hell not, let's document dumb wagers here as well. Maybe sending fewer enclosures back and forth will help close the Vortex.
Total points only. Prize is TEN DOLLARS. Oh yeah.
E
Kyle Turris
Jakub Voracek
Fabian Brunnstrom
Brandon Sutter
Mikkel Boedker
Drew Doughty
Alex Goligoski
Karl Alzner
J
Kyle Okposo
Derrick Brassard
Shawn Matthias
Teddy Purcell
Claude Giroux
Brian Lee
Anssi Salmela
Jonas Ahnelov
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