Since +/- is the NHL's worst stat, I thought it would make sense to appropriate it and make it useful as we review the best and worst of the past week in the NHL.
PLUS: The remaining four teams - Pittsburgh, Tampa, San Jose and St.Louis are all teams I would be excited to see a Stanley Cup. One of the reasons for this is that three of the teams (not Tampa) are victims of the ridiculous NHL "analysis" whereby every good team that doesn't exceed expectations has some ridiculous fatal flaw that prevents them from winning.
This is a direct result of almost nobody willing to credit luck and injuries with their proper role in determining winners, and for years the Penguins were the dynasty that could't get off the ground, the Sharks and Blues just didn't have the coaching /leadership to get over the hump. Or maybe it was Joe Thornton just wasn't good enough....or whatever other B.S reason people attribute losing other than the fact that only one team can win at a time.
This year is also cool because I think everyone (almost everyone) has had enough LA, Chicago and Boston.
PLUS: Reason to be excited about the Leafs (Nylander, Matthews, Kadri) or Edmonton (RNH, Draisaitl, McDavid) #432: In two of the three years on which the Penguins had a healthy Crosby, Malkin and Staal down the middle in the Playoffs, they went to the Finals.
In the other year, they faced an insane Jaroslav Halak who played one of the best series of all time and were defeated. Having three top-line centres should be every team's priority since it allows for exploitative matchups that are usually impossible to get in the NHL.
We're seeing a variation of it again this year with Nick Bonino on Pittsburgh. He may not quite be on 1st line level (he might be though, he's pretty good) but when you combine him with Phil Kessel he sure is. "Top Six/Bottom Six" is dead. Give me a balanced lineup that is harder to contain.
MINUS: People saying the same stupid things about the Capitals that they were about the Blues or Sharks in previous years. Good teams lose. It's necessary when teams like the Capitals and Penguins play in the second round, or the Blackhawks and Blues in the first round.
The NHL media and fans are way too hard on teams that lose.
PLUS: Did I mention the Leafs are getting Auston Matthews?
MINUS: The way people are blowing an 18 year old's performance at a single international tournament way way way out of proportion reminds me of Justin Pogge.
Not to say that Patrik Laine won't be a good player, but anyone suggesting the Leafs take him needs to have their internet access revoked.
It is a ridiculous opinion/ idea.
There is a zero percent chance the Leafs draft anyone other than Matthews.
MINUS: One of the only players the Coyotes have who they should keep, Tobias Reider, just hurt his knee playing at the World Championships.
These tournaments are beyond stupid. You play 82 games over 9 months, plus training camp and travel. Why in the hell would you play a meaningless loser tournament and risk your health/career? No one cares who wins this tournament, international tournaments are stupid anyways and teams should not allow their players to participate. It's too much risk, zero reward.
MINUS: In at least two separate articles about the Coyotes this week, I read someone speak positively about the Coyotes defense because they have Stone and Murphy - two players I was once enamored with, but whose garbage play has forced me to reconsider.
Coyotes beat writer Sarah McLellen referred to Murphy as an "established" NHL player whose "future is promising" which, he I don't know if that's true. Yes, he's established himself as a regular, but it's unclear whether that is because he earned it or the team was so lacking in real players. The Penguins might scratch Ollie Matta and Derek Pouliot in their next game, both of whom are likely superior to Murphy. Meanwhile TSN's Scott Cullen, writing about a team he seems to have never seen, wrote this bizarre sentence which defies reason:
23-year-old Connor Murphy took a step forward in his development last season, playing nearly 22 minutes per game in the second half. He’s ticketed for a shutdown role as long as he continues to improve.
Step forward? No. Shut-down role? Not really. His minutes went up because his team also had Nick Grossmann, Zbynek Michalek and Klas Dahlbeck. Yes, somehow the Coyotes managed to dress three players worse than Connor Murphy for most of their games last year. Doesn't make the other guys any good.
And Cullen didn't end the insanity there. He called Antoine Vermette a "solid two-way centre" which he hasn't been for at least two, possible more, years. He called Michael Stone "a viable top-pairing defenseman" which is one of the worst, ABSOLUTE WORST, instances of player analysis I have ever heard.
As you can see from the Chart (From @MimecoHero from www.ownthepuck.blogspot.ca) Michael Stone is an OK second pairing defensemen. That means that he is a #4 on a bad team and likely should be a bottom pairing player.
Connor Murphy is not "established" as anything more than a Garbage Monster. As for becoming a "shutdown" defender, I think perhaps that someone has gone insane.
The Coyotes have a legit #1 in OEL. They have a decent #4 in Stone. That's all they have.
MINUS: The NHL's complete joke of a safety department.
In what world is Ryan Callahan's hit on Kris Letang not an example of a disgusting play with no place in the game? As I have said over and over again, until the NHL starts making over-the-top ridiculous suspensions for any dangerous hit, nothing will change.
To not even give the guy a hearing just sends a message to the players and fans that the NHL doesn't give one $%^& about player safety. It is a complete joke and if they do not get a handle on this, one day someone will be killed or paralyzed.
You want to make the game safer? Start throwing out 10-30 game suspensions for everything.
Then again, this a league where you can be one of the most influential analysts and ignore stats and basically invent opinions off the top of your head, and where a player can swing a stick at another player's face and be given a ridiculously light suspension, so expecting some kind of sensible approach to anything is likely too much to ask.
MINUS: Why do people continue to use the so-called word "impactful"? I mean, spell check highlights it red when you type it, so give me break here. We're talking Grade six level English.
PLUS: I've never really been a huge basketball fan, but the Raptors Playoff run has been fun as hell so far.
PLUS: Not being a huge basketball fan, I didn't know that Lebron James was as good as he is. First, I was shocked to learn that he's 32 - doesn't seem like he's been around for so long, but I guess he has. Second, the guy has been to the Finals 5 years in a row, and in 6 of 12 years of his career so far. That's crazy.
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