Follow @james_tanner123 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: This things almost over.
The end of the regular season is nigh. I shall never preside over such garbage again. The Maple Leafs, Coyotes and Oilers will all be so much better next year.
For the last three seasons I've been witness to approximately 4000 losses and zero meaningful games. This changes next year when the Oilers will be competitive, and the Leafs will have a legit shot at the Playoffs. The Coyotes? Well they need some defense and a new coach and GM, but a decent team is on the horizon with them too.
Should be fun.
PLUS: The Blue Jays start off the their World Series run today. Should be a blast.
PLUS: The Coyotes - or should I say Mike Smith - defeated the Capitals 3-0 last night in a game they were outplayed by a superior opponent. Though I think the Coyotes are better off giving ice time to Louis Domingue, there is no question that Mike Smith has played amazing since returning from a 40 games absence.
PLUS:The NHL's emails getting leaked. It may not be right, it definitely is a violation of privacy, but as a fan, it's a fascinating look into the league and how it's run.
I didn't read all of them, but here's my thoughts:
- Brendan Shanahan came off looking very progressive and intelligent.
-Colin Campbell was the exact opposite and should retire.
- The relationship with some media is weird and uncomfortably close. Perhaps explaining a lot.
This kid is going to be an NHL superstar. The amazing depth the Leafs have amassed in the time since they fired Carlyle and went down the path to rebuilding is nothing short of amazing.
MINUS: This Coyotes season was an absolute disaster on all fronts.
The Team began the year by making some of the absolute stupidest moves: They signed Downie, brought back Vermette and Michalek. They traded Gagner for Grossmann, they completely gave up on Gormley and then his replacement Stephen Elliott, both of whom are/were superior to defemseman they kept. They bungled the John Scott thing, and they employed a coach who constantly made moves for the present and not the future.
To top it off, they will finish in the worst possible position: Outside the top five draft picks and out of the Playoffs.
When the best move your GM makes all year is claiming a fourth liner off waivers - Sekera - it's not a good sign. If Maloney is not fired after this year then the team is a joke, that's all there really is to it. Only Vancouver's Jim Benning prevents him from being the worst GM in hockey and sweeping the Milbies. (Note: Named after worst GM of All-Time Mike Milbury, the Milbies are an awards show for the worst moves in hockey and they will take place sometime next week).
MINUS: The fact that Duncan Keith will play again this season is an absolute joke.
MINUS: How does Steve "I'm Voting for Drew Doughty for the Life-Time Achievement Norris" Simmons get to vote on the NHL awards and I do not?
When they tabulate the Norris Ballots this year, every single one that doesn't have Karlsson as the first place vote should have their membership revoked for stupidity. I am all for everyone being allowed their own opinion, but Karlsson is so far and ahead of every other defensemen that it's ridiculous.
How do you even get a vote for this thing? There can't be more than two or three people who write about the Coyotes and get more readers than me. Sign me up!!
For your edification:
Doughty has 16 5v5 points. Karlsson has 43.
Relative to their team, Karlsson is the superior possession player.
The only thing you could possibly say in Doughty's favor is that he has a much better goals against per 60 than Karlsson. However, you should also know that contextually, the Kings are one of, if not the very best overall teams in hockey and the Senators are one of the worst; that Doughty plays on a team with Kopitar and Muzzin; or that any goals based stat is essentially worthless for rating a player.
But the kicker: Karlsson's on ice save percentage is is 91% while Doughty's is 94%. As a player, you have zero control over how well your goalie plays, so of course more goals go in when Karlsson plays, his team and goalie are much worse.
All fair contextually relevant statistical comparisons show Karlsson as the best defenseman by a mile. But Doughty? He's not as good as a bunch of other players - Brodie and OEL just to name two. If you absolutely have to have a guy whose team made the Playoffs - why not vote for Anton Stralman?
My ballot would be 1 - Karlsson 2- Stralman 3- Brodie
PLUS: This one's for my shorties !
Coaches, Colleges, Networks, Bookies, Internet Gambling Sites, Media Outlets and probably some people I'm forgetting all make millions of this stuff. The players? Not a dime.
MINUS: I hear so many variations of "the rookie crop is so good that even Domi isn't being nominated" and yet Duclair had the superior rookie season and it isn't even close.
Credit Maloney with one thing: Trading Yandle for Duclair was a stroke of genius.
Have a good week! Thanks for reading