|
|
Bloggers 
My HockeyBuzz
 Hockeybuzz on Versus
Cap Central
Fantasy
Forums
Store
Chat
RSS
|
Season Ticket Login Free Registration! |
Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 |
 |
|
According to sources, expect an announcement today regarding the NHL Network..it has apparently already launched in several areas in the US.
If you want to win an HDTV, time is wasting to join or Hockey Buzz Super Fantasy League! You must join and get your lineup in by 7pm TONIGHT.
Every week, your players will go up against someone else's players and you can watch the scoring change in real-time with every shot, save, goal, penalty and plus minus. Just putting together your team each week is a blast as you try and field the best team you can that fits under the cap taking into account how many games each player is playing in, who the opponents are, etc. It is under ten bucks for a whole season of excitement...
Here's my line-up and my salaries for week #1...I came in just under 300,000 under the cap.
To get in the game, just click on the FANTASY tab and join the HBSL.
Centers
Spezza
Crosby
Statsny
Getzlaf
Right Wings
Heatley
Justin Williams
Michalek
Perry
Left Wings
Gagne
Blake
Semin
Ovechkin
Defense
Pronger
Boucher
Meszaros
Phaneuf
Schubert
Weber
Goalies
Giguere
Miller
Signing so far today...The NY Islanders have signed Mike Morrison (Not the WXPN guy) and the Wings have signed Aaron Downey (not suspended.)
This Friday I am taking the lovely Mrs Ek to see her favorite all time performer Bruce Springsteen at the Wachovia Center...A few years ago an album came out that was a tribute to what may be one of the best albums ever made, "Nebraska."
The CD is called "Badlands: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska." There is an incredible version of Bruce's song, "Reason To Believe " done by two phenomenal artists, Aimee Mann and Michael Penn. Download that song from somewhere. Listen to it on repeat. You won't be sorry for one second....On the cusp of a new season, today's theme is: A Reason to Believe.
Today's Talkcast/ Hockeybuzz Chatroom Dual 3 hour spectacular will feature guests from around the league, and each interview will start with the same simple question.
"Give me a reason to believe that this team can win a Stanley Cup."
In the spirit of what I have tried to build into a very positive hockey energy here on Hockeybuzz, let's sit back and realize that as of right now everyone is in it, everyone can make the playoffs, everyone can catch fire in a bottle, and everyone can dream.
We all know the realities that exist. We have all made the predictions. We all know that you can only win your last game if you are the best or you really stink. But today, it doesn't matter. So I ask you all, in your comments on this blog, to give me your reasons to believe....Here are 30 reasons to believe from where I sit.
30 REASONS TO BELIEVE.
NJ DEVILS: They say it is all about a coach and a goalie. If that is true look out for the team that everyone else would like to pretend is on a downslide...Two guys on a mission may have something else to say...The Goalie is a Hall of Famer, the Coach...could be someday I am told.
NY ISLANDERS: Garth has really built something here and has done so by sticking to the theme, "We are all Islanders." The team consists of guys that are all on a mission and all of one mindset. Guys who Garth quietly signed. Rusty, Billy, and Comrie held a presser together and haven't been apart since.
NY RANGERS: The best team the second half of last year got much, MUCH better by adding TWO #1 Centers. Drury simply does not allow his team to lose without taking a pound of flesh with him, and Gomez is one of the top playmakers in the game. Lundy is a top 5 goalie, and beware of one of my top 3 rookies this year...a bonafide top two d-man already...Mr. Staal.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS: Everything is new again. The most relaxed and composed goalie I have ever been around brought his childhood buddy down from up north and add to that Timonen, Hartnell, Upshall, Smith and Lupul...And don't forget Jeff Carter for one second. He will score 30+ this year.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: All you need to know is the hardesrt working player on the team wears #87. They are a pre-dynasty and you may be able to get rid of the "pre" real soon.
BOSTON BRUINS: Manny, Manny, Manny! The fiercest competive goalie to ever lace them up. When a guy gets pinned with a bad attitude for wanting to play and he can play like this guy can I'll take that guy. Kessel last year was just a preview of something huge to come.
BUFFALO SABRES: What was I saying about a goalie and a coach? Roy is for real folks. I wrote about last year in the Ottawa series when I saw, clear as day, that there were moments when he was the best player on the ice. Stafford will get 80 points, and Miller can steal a game (or ten) with the best in the NHL. TV will earn that raise. What he did last year was without PP time.
MONTREAL CANADIENS: The Price is right. What's the over under on this kid winning the starting job. Does anyone believe there is ANY value in keeping him up to be the backup? The Habs win a Cup every decade on the heals of a great young goalie. We have read this book before. The Habs are a top five transition team in the NHL and every bit as tough to keep up with as the Sabres were last year. Don't be fooled by the lack of a big name...
OTTAWA SENATORS: Since when does a Cup hangover mean you go undefeated in the pre-season? There is a score to settle. A wise man once said the best way to win a Cup is to get blown out in the finals in the previous year. look it up. Spezza and Heater are monsters in this league. This is the year they take it to an even higher level.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: Blake is a whole new element. Toskala is now, and has always been, a huge momentum save goalie. He is all about playing when it matters. Do we not remember two playoffs ago? The preseason will be a speck of dust in a matter of minutes once you see that level. He is the missing piece. This power play is downright frightening.
ATLANTA THRASHERS: LET EVERYONE SHOOT YOU DOWN. They don't have Kovy or Hossa (at least not the "great" Hossa) In Waddell you have a GM that showed you last year that he and everyone else in Georgia are serious about winning a Cup. When was the last time we saw a team from this Conference written off? Hmmmm.....
CAROLINA HURRICANES: From all I hear, Cam is Cam again. The hangover is over my friends and this team has had perhaps the most intense and serious camp around. Every player I speak to in Carolina tells me that they are flying right now. Sometimes teams win a little before it is their real time, and that's what I think we saw last year. The core is back and now has the maturity of the entire spectrum behind them.
FLORIDA PANTHERS: Jokinen will challenge for the scoring title. Deep down we all know that this guy may be the best player not named Crosby. He is simply every bit as good as Peter Forsberg in his prime. And his time has come. The only thing holding this team back over the past two years has been shaky goaltending early. Enter the Nashville Czech...
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: Is there a better scorer than #4? Is there a better combo than Marty and Vinny? The team with the most goals wins and that will be the Lightning on several nights. This new ownership group is all about winning. Make no mistake about it, they will fill the few holes and make life miserable for everyone else.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS: AO is pure spectacle. Semin is the most natural goal scorer to come out of Russia since Bure. Kolzig knew what he was doing sticking aroung the last few years. Backstrom is the equivalent of the once dominant Petr Nedved. Nylander has gotten a serious groove on in the past little bit. The Caps will sneak up on you once maybe.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: Can you say, "young and talented?" It really is that simple in Chi-Town. Toewes is perhaps the best combo of flash/skill/grit/and personality to enter the NHL and if you could hand pick a team for him to go to, you would be hard pressed to look past the Hawks. Kane is the American Pavel Bure. He is that fast and quick. Last year's injuries killed what would have been a contending team. In Khabibulin you have a guy who is either a top five goalie or invisble, but the one thing that he has always been is competitive if his team in front is.
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: As much as we'd love to pretend that a Ken Hitchcock team will just roll over and let the rest of the West slide on by, it ain't happening...No way, no how...This is Hitch's team from day one, so this team will be prepared every shift...There are players on this team that you may not know about, but you will. And Mr. Nash is just a sleeping monster. He reminds me a ton of Lindros, pre-LeClair. They need to create a TINY amount of space for him and he will go from star to superstar. We have seen it at every All-Star Game he has ever played in...When put with other stars, many fade into the background. Nash stands out.
DETROIT RED WINGS: As great as the Ducks were last year, they were only slightly better than these same Wings. Except you can add Rafalski to that mix. Rafalski is a player I don't think many of you in the West get yet. You will. As good as Niedermayer was in NJ, it was Rafalski that helped Nieds excel. Just wait to see what he can do for Lidstrom. Zetter was simply the best player on the ice on so many nights and won so many "players of the week" honors, that it baffles me he wasn't considered more for MVP. We always count this team out. Funny actually, this year I haven't really seen anyone call them old or count them out at all.
NASHVILLE PREDATORS: Simply put there is a huge precedent for teams going through shaky times to come out and explode on the ice. Weber is a top ten d-man in the NHL RIGHT NOW. Suter may be top 20. That is why they could let Tims go. If there is any GM that can find amazing players in a budget world it is Poile. Mason was the ONLY reason the Preds of last year got it going. A GM last year compared Mason to Hasek when Hasek was in Chicago. A diamond in the rough. The Preds are fast and furious and have NEVER given up on a play until it works out. Amazing how the players and franchise are so blended that way. Once all is settled, this new ownership group will have, as current owner Craig Leipold recently stated, "so many trade deadline options to put them over the top it will be fun."
ST. LOUIS BLUES: A week ago, in the Islanders dressing room a tired Billy Guerin asked me how "Scoop" (Andy) Strickland was. I told him that I REALLY thought the Blues will battle for a playoff spot. He didn't pause for a second. "Oh they ABSOLUTELY will. They are so solid. Outstanding coaching and a defense that is stacked." This is the year that we will all get to know the Blues. From the second Murray took over the Blues were a playoff team LAST year.
CALGARY FLAMES: One theme to these Flames. "GO FOR IT" That is what you say when you bring in Mike Keenan. The message is clear, the key guys are signed up (Kipper will be in a matter of days). Kipper is the second best goalie in the world IMO, and can keep you in every game. Last year, during the Cup finals, I was at a party in Ottawa and Mike Brophy from The Hockey News (who by the way may be the funniest writer in all of hockey and is just a genuine guy) asked a topic to the circle of us sitting around. "Who is the one player you would pay to see? And I would like to start. Jarome Iginla. And there is not a second thought. He brings every aspect of what I love about the sport to the game."
COLORADO AVALANCHE: The last time Joe Sakic went on a mission to win a Cup for a friend, Ray Bourque, it sorta worked out. Enter Ryan Smyth. Watching these two play this year together will mean no sleep for Eklund. Add to the mix Hannan, the best UFA signing that no one talks about, and just realize that this may be the best team in ALL OF HOCKEY. Don't forget about Lombardi, who was hurt all year last year...and Hejduk...and Svatos...and a player that in 95% of all years would have won the Calder, Stastny....and Liles. The Avs haven't been this stacked for a long, long time, and they have a former MVP in net who I have heard is on a mission to prove the world wrong. They are my pick to win the Stanley Cup. (and no Jamie, it is not just because I want to go to the beautiful city of Denver)
EDMONTON OILERS: Vetter put it best this past week on the Talkcast, and this coming from a Flames fan (sorry Vets). The Oilers are scary and in Edmonton, "NO ONE is above the team. NO ONE" The Oilers are the Packers of the NHL. The town doesn't own them, but enough people do that almost everyone in Edmonton is no more than two steps from an owner. Everyone knows an owner. And Kevin Lowe talks to every owner about everything. This is a team that NO one wants to play or admit is a contender. But they are a huge factor in the West. When your defense has become so strong that Smid, one of the best young d-men in years, has to be sent down, you know how deep they are.
MINNESOTA WILD. Mike Russo now covers the Wild and he used to cover Pavel Bure in Florida (three Bure mentions in a blog--another one and you get some free Vodka) Mike swears up and down that Gaborik is the fastest player he has ever seen. This is the best coached team in the West. The team concept is EVERYTHING, and yet Demitra and Gaborik are the West's version of Vinny and Marty...People don't give Demitra nearly enough credit. The guy was the only reason the Blues kept that playoff streak alive.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS: Roberto Luongo will win runner-up to Sid this year and possibly the next four years for MVP. Were there no 87, Roberto could go on a streak. He is THE best goalie in the NHL, and the MVP of the west hands down. In a conference where every point matters to make the playoffs, Roberto will get you 20 extra points. He will win ten games for you that no other goalie could. The Twins never cease to amaze. There ought to be a rule that they are never allowed to play on separate teams...EVER. Right now, with the Ducks not having Nieds, the Canucks are the hardest team to score on in the NHL...in the world actually. And they are still looking to add that one scoring threat. They have the chips and they will get him and EVERYONE I talk to says they will.
ANAHEIM DUCKS: Don't look now but the Ducks are better than anyone believes. Of course they could use Nieds and Teemu...I believe they will get one and I also see them as a leading candidate for Foppa. Getzlaf and Perry are going to be ridiculous this year. They are the future, and we started to see it last May and June. With these rules, you simply can't stop them.
DALLAS STARS: EVERY year we count them out. EVERY year they battle for the top of the NHL. This is going to be a fun year in the Lone Star state. The Stars have a killer combo of youth and experience and Tippet is a ridiculously solid leader. Modano, from what I have been told, is another player on a mission. He is ageless, and probably the most talented player ever born in the United States.
LA KINGS: This will be the story of the first few months. Lombardi is a team builder and last year was a tough one, but a needed year to get to where you are right now. This team is stacked with talent and perfectly constructed for the long haul. Bernier is going to really be a problem for many teams and the Kings may just jump out to a HUGE start before people figure this kid out. It's good to be the King.
PHOENIX COYOTES: I know what you're thinking. The reason to believe here is simple. The team has faced the reality that they need to rebuild. They are going to go with youth who have no fear and all sorts of speed. There is ZERO pressure on this team this year, and that will make it a blast to watch how they give teams with older, more experienced teams fits. They have a solid D. They have all sorts of parts to deal from and no real rush to do so. They will get premiums for their players. The new NHL is a game for young legs. The Phoenix can rise from the ashes...
SAN JOSE SHARKS: It is your time. This is your window. That window that overlooks those beautiful golden mountains on either side of the 101 is all yours to walk through. And the Sharks know it. Perhaps the biggest signing of the off-season was the first one, and one that people have forgotten. Big Joe is going NOWHERE. This may be the loudest arena I have ever been in. This may be one of the best run, least pretentious organizations in the NHL. The Tank is ready for a party.
+++++
So tell me your thoughts. What are your reasons to believe? No need for weeknesses today. Every other day fine, but today this is where we sit...everyone even. (even the two teams that played already) If anyone thinks there is an easy game in the NHL they don't have a clue...
Listen to the show at 4pm. Call in and give us your reason, and get fired up.
Reason to Believe
Bruce Springsteen
Seen a man standin' over a dead dog lyin' by the highway in a ditch
He's lookin' down kinda puzzled pokin' that dog with a stick
Got his car door flung open he's standin' out on Highway 31
Like if he stood there long enough that dog'd get up and run
It struck me kinda funny, seemed kinda funny sir to me
Still at the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe
Now Mary Lou loved Johnny with a love mean and true
She said "Baby I'll work for you every day, bring my money home to you"
One day he up and left her and ever since that
She waits down at the end of that dirt road for young Johnny to come back
Struck me kinda funny, funny yeah to me*
How at the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe
Take a baby to the river, Kyle William they called him
Wash the baby in the water, take away little Kyle's sin
In a whitewash shotgun shack an old man passes away
Take his body to the graveyard, over him they pray
Lord won't you tell us, tell us what does it mean
At the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe
Congregation gathers down by the riverside
Preacher stands with a Bible, groom stands waitin' for his bride
Congregation gone and the sun sets behind a weepin' willow tree
Groom stands alone and watches the river rush on so effortlessly
Wonderin' where can his baby be
Still at the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe
If you want to win an HDTV, time is wasting to join or Hockey Buzz Super Fantasy League! You must join and get your lineup in by 7pm TONIGHT.
Every week, your players will go up against someone else's players and you can watch the scoring change in real-time with every shot, save, goal, penalty and plus minus. Just putting together your team each week is a blast as you try and field the best team you can that fits under the cap taking into account how many games each player is playing in, who the opponents are, etc. It is under ten bucks for a whole season of excitement...
Here's my line-up and my salaries for week #1...I came in just under 300,000 under the cap.
To get in the game, just click on the FANTASY tab and join the HBSL.
Centers
Spezza
Crosby
Statsny
Getzlaf
Right Wings
Heatley
Justin Williams
Michalek
Perry
Left Wings
Gagne
Blake
Semin
Ovechkin
Defense
Pronger
Boucher
Meszaros
Phaneuf
Schubert
Weber
Goalies
Giguere
Miller
Signing so far today...The NY Islanders have signed Mike Morrison (Not the WXPN guy) and the Wings have signed Aaron Downey (not suspended.)
This Friday I am taking the lovely Mrs Ek to see her favorite all time performer Bruce Springsteen at the Wachovia Center...A few years ago an album came out that was a tribute to what may be one of the best albums ever made, "Nebraska."
The CD is called "Badlands: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska." There is an incredible version of Bruce's song, "Reason To Believe " done by two phenomenal artists, Aimee Mann and Michael Penn. Download that song from somewhere. Listen to it on repeat. You won't be sorry for one second....On the cusp of a new season, today's theme is: A Reason to Believe.
Today's Talkcast/ Hockeybuzz Chatroom Dual 3 hour spectacular will feature guests from around the league, and each interview will start with the same simple question.
"Give me a reason to believe that this team can win a Stanley Cup."
In the spirit of what I have tried to build into a very positive hockey energy here on Hockeybuzz, let's sit back and realize that as of right now everyone is in it, everyone can make the playoffs, everyone can catch fire in a bottle, and everyone can dream.
We all know the realities that exist. We have all made the predictions. We all know that you can only win your last game if you are the best or you really stink. But today, it doesn't matter. So I ask you all, in your comments on this blog, to give me your reasons to believe....Here are 30 reasons to believe from where I sit.
30 REASONS TO BELIEVE.
NJ DEVILS: They say it is all about a coach and a goalie. If that is true look out for the team that everyone else would like to pretend is on a downslide...Two guys on a mission may have something else to say...The Goalie is a Hall of Famer, the Coach...could be someday I am told.
NY ISLANDERS: Garth has really built something here and has done so by sticking to the theme, "We are all Islanders." The team consists of guys that are all on a mission and all of one mindset. Guys who Garth quietly signed. Rusty, Billy, and Comrie held a presser together and haven't been apart since.
NY RANGERS: The best team the second half of last year got much, MUCH better by adding TWO #1 Centers. Drury simply does not allow his team to lose without taking a pound of flesh with him, and Gomez is one of the top playmakers in the game. Lundy is a top 5 goalie, and beware of one of my top 3 rookies this year...a bonafide top two d-man already...Mr. Staal.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS: Everything is new again. The most relaxed and composed goalie I have ever been around brought his childhood buddy down from up north and add to that Timonen, Hartnell, Upshall, Smith and Lupul...And don't forget Jeff Carter for one second. He will score 30+ this year.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: All you need to know is the hardesrt working player on the team wears #87. They are a pre-dynasty and you may be able to get rid of the "pre" real soon.
BOSTON BRUINS: Manny, Manny, Manny! The fiercest competive goalie to ever lace them up. When a guy gets pinned with a bad attitude for wanting to play and he can play like this guy can I'll take that guy. Kessel last year was just a preview of something huge to come.
BUFFALO SABRES: What was I saying about a goalie and a coach? Roy is for real folks. I wrote about last year in the Ottawa series when I saw, clear as day, that there were moments when he was the best player on the ice. Stafford will get 80 points, and Miller can steal a game (or ten) with the best in the NHL. TV will earn that raise. What he did last year was without PP time.
MONTREAL CANADIENS: The Price is right. What's the over under on this kid winning the starting job. Does anyone believe there is ANY value in keeping him up to be the backup? The Habs win a Cup every decade on the heals of a great young goalie. We have read this book before. The Habs are a top five transition team in the NHL and every bit as tough to keep up with as the Sabres were last year. Don't be fooled by the lack of a big name...
OTTAWA SENATORS: Since when does a Cup hangover mean you go undefeated in the pre-season? There is a score to settle. A wise man once said the best way to win a Cup is to get blown out in the finals in the previous year. look it up. Spezza and Heater are monsters in this league. This is the year they take it to an even higher level.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: Blake is a whole new element. Toskala is now, and has always been, a huge momentum save goalie. He is all about playing when it matters. Do we not remember two playoffs ago? The preseason will be a speck of dust in a matter of minutes once you see that level. He is the missing piece. This power play is downright frightening.
ATLANTA THRASHERS: LET EVERYONE SHOOT YOU DOWN. They don't have Kovy or Hossa (at least not the "great" Hossa) In Waddell you have a GM that showed you last year that he and everyone else in Georgia are serious about winning a Cup. When was the last time we saw a team from this Conference written off? Hmmmm.....
CAROLINA HURRICANES: From all I hear, Cam is Cam again. The hangover is over my friends and this team has had perhaps the most intense and serious camp around. Every player I speak to in Carolina tells me that they are flying right now. Sometimes teams win a little before it is their real time, and that's what I think we saw last year. The core is back and now has the maturity of the entire spectrum behind them.
FLORIDA PANTHERS: Jokinen will challenge for the scoring title. Deep down we all know that this guy may be the best player not named Crosby. He is simply every bit as good as Peter Forsberg in his prime. And his time has come. The only thing holding this team back over the past two years has been shaky goaltending early. Enter the Nashville Czech...
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: Is there a better scorer than #4? Is there a better combo than Marty and Vinny? The team with the most goals wins and that will be the Lightning on several nights. This new ownership group is all about winning. Make no mistake about it, they will fill the few holes and make life miserable for everyone else.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS: AO is pure spectacle. Semin is the most natural goal scorer to come out of Russia since Bure. Kolzig knew what he was doing sticking aroung the last few years. Backstrom is the equivalent of the once dominant Petr Nedved. Nylander has gotten a serious groove on in the past little bit. The Caps will sneak up on you once maybe.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: Can you say, "young and talented?" It really is that simple in Chi-Town. Toewes is perhaps the best combo of flash/skill/grit/and personality to enter the NHL and if you could hand pick a team for him to go to, you would be hard pressed to look past the Hawks. Kane is the American Pavel Bure. He is that fast and quick. Last year's injuries killed what would have been a contending team. In Khabibulin you have a guy who is either a top five goalie or invisble, but the one thing that he has always been is competitive if his team in front is.
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: As much as we'd love to pretend that a Ken Hitchcock team will just roll over and let the rest of the West slide on by, it ain't happening...No way, no how...This is Hitch's team from day one, so this team will be prepared every shift...There are players on this team that you may not know about, but you will. And Mr. Nash is just a sleeping monster. He reminds me a ton of Lindros, pre-LeClair. They need to create a TINY amount of space for him and he will go from star to superstar. We have seen it at every All-Star Game he has ever played in...When put with other stars, many fade into the background. Nash stands out.
DETROIT RED WINGS: As great as the Ducks were last year, they were only slightly better than these same Wings. Except you can add Rafalski to that mix. Rafalski is a player I don't think many of you in the West get yet. You will. As good as Niedermayer was in NJ, it was Rafalski that helped Nieds excel. Just wait to see what he can do for Lidstrom. Zetter was simply the best player on the ice on so many nights and won so many "players of the week" honors, that it baffles me he wasn't considered more for MVP. We always count this team out. Funny actually, this year I haven't really seen anyone call them old or count them out at all.
NASHVILLE PREDATORS: Simply put there is a huge precedent for teams going through shaky times to come out and explode on the ice. Weber is a top ten d-man in the NHL RIGHT NOW. Suter may be top 20. That is why they could let Tims go. If there is any GM that can find amazing players in a budget world it is Poile. Mason was the ONLY reason the Preds of last year got it going. A GM last year compared Mason to Hasek when Hasek was in Chicago. A diamond in the rough. The Preds are fast and furious and have NEVER given up on a play until it works out. Amazing how the players and franchise are so blended that way. Once all is settled, this new ownership group will have, as current owner Craig Leipold recently stated, "so many trade deadline options to put them over the top it will be fun."
ST. LOUIS BLUES: A week ago, in the Islanders dressing room a tired Billy Guerin asked me how "Scoop" (Andy) Strickland was. I told him that I REALLY thought the Blues will battle for a playoff spot. He didn't pause for a second. "Oh they ABSOLUTELY will. They are so solid. Outstanding coaching and a defense that is stacked." This is the year that we will all get to know the Blues. From the second Murray took over the Blues were a playoff team LAST year.
CALGARY FLAMES: One theme to these Flames. "GO FOR IT" That is what you say when you bring in Mike Keenan. The message is clear, the key guys are signed up (Kipper will be in a matter of days). Kipper is the second best goalie in the world IMO, and can keep you in every game. Last year, during the Cup finals, I was at a party in Ottawa and Mike Brophy from The Hockey News (who by the way may be the funniest writer in all of hockey and is just a genuine guy) asked a topic to the circle of us sitting around. "Who is the one player you would pay to see? And I would like to start. Jarome Iginla. And there is not a second thought. He brings every aspect of what I love about the sport to the game."
COLORADO AVALANCHE: The last time Joe Sakic went on a mission to win a Cup for a friend, Ray Bourque, it sorta worked out. Enter Ryan Smyth. Watching these two play this year together will mean no sleep for Eklund. Add to the mix Hannan, the best UFA signing that no one talks about, and just realize that this may be the best team in ALL OF HOCKEY. Don't forget about Lombardi, who was hurt all year last year...and Hejduk...and Svatos...and a player that in 95% of all years would have won the Calder, Stastny....and Liles. The Avs haven't been this stacked for a long, long time, and they have a former MVP in net who I have heard is on a mission to prove the world wrong. They are my pick to win the Stanley Cup. (and no Jamie, it is not just because I want to go to the beautiful city of Denver)
EDMONTON OILERS: Vetter put it best this past week on the Talkcast, and this coming from a Flames fan (sorry Vets). The Oilers are scary and in Edmonton, "NO ONE is above the team. NO ONE" The Oilers are the Packers of the NHL. The town doesn't own them, but enough people do that almost everyone in Edmonton is no more than two steps from an owner. Everyone knows an owner. And Kevin Lowe talks to every owner about everything. This is a team that NO one wants to play or admit is a contender. But they are a huge factor in the West. When your defense has become so strong that Smid, one of the best young d-men in years, has to be sent down, you know how deep they are.
MINNESOTA WILD. Mike Russo now covers the Wild and he used to cover Pavel Bure in Florida (three Bure mentions in a blog--another one and you get some free Vodka) Mike swears up and down that Gaborik is the fastest player he has ever seen. This is the best coached team in the West. The team concept is EVERYTHING, and yet Demitra and Gaborik are the West's version of Vinny and Marty...People don't give Demitra nearly enough credit. The guy was the only reason the Blues kept that playoff streak alive.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS: Roberto Luongo will win runner-up to Sid this year and possibly the next four years for MVP. Were there no 87, Roberto could go on a streak. He is THE best goalie in the NHL, and the MVP of the west hands down. In a conference where every point matters to make the playoffs, Roberto will get you 20 extra points. He will win ten games for you that no other goalie could. The Twins never cease to amaze. There ought to be a rule that they are never allowed to play on separate teams...EVER. Right now, with the Ducks not having Nieds, the Canucks are the hardest team to score on in the NHL...in the world actually. And they are still looking to add that one scoring threat. They have the chips and they will get him and EVERYONE I talk to says they will.
ANAHEIM DUCKS: Don't look now but the Ducks are better than anyone believes. Of course they could use Nieds and Teemu...I believe they will get one and I also see them as a leading candidate for Foppa. Getzlaf and Perry are going to be ridiculous this year. They are the future, and we started to see it last May and June. With these rules, you simply can't stop them.
DALLAS STARS: EVERY year we count them out. EVERY year they battle for the top of the NHL. This is going to be a fun year in the Lone Star state. The Stars have a killer combo of youth and experience and Tippet is a ridiculously solid leader. Modano, from what I have been told, is another player on a mission. He is ageless, and probably the most talented player ever born in the United States.
LA KINGS: This will be the story of the first few months. Lombardi is a team builder and last year was a tough one, but a needed year to get to where you are right now. This team is stacked with talent and perfectly constructed for the long haul. Bernier is going to really be a problem for many teams and the Kings may just jump out to a HUGE start before people figure this kid out. It's good to be the King.
PHOENIX COYOTES: I know what you're thinking. The reason to believe here is simple. The team has faced the reality that they need to rebuild. They are going to go with youth who have no fear and all sorts of speed. There is ZERO pressure on this team this year, and that will make it a blast to watch how they give teams with older, more experienced teams fits. They have a solid D. They have all sorts of parts to deal from and no real rush to do so. They will get premiums for their players. The new NHL is a game for young legs. The Phoenix can rise from the ashes...
SAN JOSE SHARKS: It is your time. This is your window. That window that overlooks those beautiful golden mountains on either side of the 101 is all yours to walk through. And the Sharks know it. Perhaps the biggest signing of the off-season was the first one, and one that people have forgotten. Big Joe is going NOWHERE. This may be the loudest arena I have ever been in. This may be one of the best run, least pretentious organizations in the NHL. The Tank is ready for a party.
+++++
So tell me your thoughts. What are your reasons to believe? No need for weeknesses today. Every other day fine, but today this is where we sit...everyone even. (even the two teams that played already) If anyone thinks there is an easy game in the NHL they don't have a clue...
Listen to the show at 4pm. Call in and give us your reason, and get fired up.
Reason to Believe
Bruce Springsteen
Seen a man standin' over a dead dog lyin' by the highway in a ditch
He's lookin' down kinda puzzled pokin' that dog with a stick
Got his car door flung open he's standin' out on Highway 31
Like if he stood there long enough that dog'd get up and run
It struck me kinda funny, seemed kinda funny sir to me
Still at the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe
Now Mary Lou loved Johnny with a love mean and true
She said "Baby I'll work for you every day, bring my money home to you"
One day he up and left her and ever since that
She waits down at the end of that dirt road for young Johnny to come back
Struck me kinda funny, funny yeah to me*
How at the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe
Take a baby to the river, Kyle William they called him
Wash the baby in the water, take away little Kyle's sin
In a whitewash shotgun shack an old man passes away
Take his body to the graveyard, over him they pray
Lord won't you tell us, tell us what does it mean
At the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe
Congregation gathers down by the riverside
Preacher stands with a Bible, groom stands waitin' for his bride
Congregation gone and the sun sets behind a weepin' willow tree
Groom stands alone and watches the river rush on so effortlessly
Wonderin' where can his baby be
Still at the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe
Join the Discussion:
More from Eklund
 |
 |