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: Dave Tippett, bless his heart.
Yesterday, I wrote a scathing review of his personnel choices - specifically, his tendency to play Grossmann and Dahlbeck despite clear evidence that they are not good at NHL hockey.
Ol' Dave responded by icing a lineup featuring both recently acquired defensemen: Kevin Connauton and Jarred Tinordi in their place. Now, for those of you ready to tell me off, I know damn well Tippett didn't take my advice, so relax.
The point is that it's a good thing the Coyotes are open to not playing bad players if they don't have to. Now, this isn't to say the new guys had great games - the Coyotes were playing the Kings and a possession beatdown was in the cards no-matter-what. They were, however, no worse than the guys they replaced.
My guess? Tinordi's no better than Dahlbeck or Grossman, but Connauton is a real NHL dman.
Now if we could just do something about Brad Richardson, Boyd Gordon and Antoine Vermette.
PLUS: It's so unlikely to last as to barely be worth mentioning, but the Coyotes are back in the Playoffs after last night's surprise victory against the Kings.
PLUS: The X-Files are back. I know I shouldn't actually be excited about a TV show, but I am. Am I going to spend today watching the series finale and the last movie? I might.
The way the hockey world judges people is an embarrassment. As I pointed out in a recent article, everyone seems to want to take a moral position: "Drouin is a jerk with no integrity" is basically what it comes down to. Then these same people suggest that Yzerman do everything in his power to screw him out of playing in the NHL.
The response to my support of Drouin was exactly what you'd expect. Business experts and moral stalwarts were out in droves to tell me what an idiot I am. Ironic, obviously, since I was writing about the same thing.
The fact is, the hockey world is so conservative (and not in a political sense) and so harsh to anything it doesn't like (ask anyone who writes about advanced stats) that is like a 1950s TV sitcom dad in the way it treats anyone who dares think for themselves.
Drouin - whether or not you agree with his tactics - does have some very legitimate concerns. He may or may not be making the wrong move here, but the problem I have is the moral judgement against him. As was my point earlier, he's no worse than the owner or league he plays in. Morality and character shouldn't be the issue. And certainly it's a little sick for grown adult people to suggest in all seriousness that Yzerman respond with spite - like how do people not get that is worse than what Drouin is doing?
Anyways, it's pretty funny since like at least 4 or 5 or his teammates felt that they should publicly mention that the kid is actually a super nice guy, great teammate and fun to have around.
Like, screw him for having his dream and life goals in his grasp only to have it toyed with by people who do anything they want and justify it by saying "it's a business and those are the rules." Right?
If you need something to read, you could spend your money in a worse way. While you're at it, grab the book the actual Die Hard is based on Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorpe. You know how the book is always better than the movie? Imagine something better than Die Hard for Christ's sake. It's insane this book even exists - that's how awesome it is.
MINUS: In preparation for my job as punching bag for aggressive and bored failed jocks, I have to read a lot of hockey articles and listen to a lot of sports radio.
This week, I must have heard some version of "Well the advanced stats guys love him" while the hosts/writer went on to rip on a player, decision or idea. It's no wonder people in general are so hostile to new ideas when the guys whose media positions give them some authority, won't take the time to learn about what they make fun of.
Let's take Alex Semin for example. According to whoever I was listening to on the radio the other day, you could "tell he was done," just by looking.
And yet, in the 15 games he played before he was cut, he put up the sixth most points/60 on the Canadiens, and while he was on the ice, the Habs had the puck 55% of the time (an elite possession rating).
Oh, and since he left, they're 5-16.
Now here are the facts: When Semin played, they won games. When Semin was on the ice, they had the puck more than they didn't, and he scored at a rate that is acceptable for a top six forward.
Alex Semin put up roughly the same scoring and possession rates as Jonathan Toews is so far this year, and he's out of the league.
That's "best all round player in the world" Jonathan Toews. Now, don't confuse what I am saying: I know full well there are other aspects to the game and that Toews and Semin are not the same. But, the comparison is just. Semin was playing better than OK and did not deserve to be cut.
The fact is, the Canadiens made a mistake. I don't want to imply their downward spiral is because of cutting Semin, but it sure as hell didn't help. The idea that this "advanced stats" stuff is without merit is, at this point, laughable.
Like, what is the argument against Semin? He FACTUALLY scored enough to keep his job. He FACTUALLY played good enough defense to keep his job. And he lost it because people (NHL management included) are not critical thinkers and they make decisions based on reputation and, if given the choice, will always make the easiest decision.
Semin was an easy target and yet, he was cheaper and better than most players on the team that cut him. And yet, anyone who tries to mention this gets called an idiot or worse.
Yes people, I am backing my opinions up with facts just to troll you. Cause trolls always use fact based arguments, right?
P.S: 100% of the 8 players Semin played more than 40 minutes with have better possession numbers with him than without him.
But ingore that, because old guys who are afraid of change tell you to.
PLUS: The number of people who keep writing/talking about what an acquisition Roman Polak will be for some team that might subconsciously want to lose.
That's comedy gold right there.
Betcha the Habs trade for him.
Damien Cox, writer for Toronto Star and HNIC personality, recently wrote a Tweet in which he used the word "suicidal." Cox was referencing a recent fight where Brian McGrattan was knocked unconscious and suggested that continuing to fight was a very bad decision.
Cox said that it was "suicidal" for McGrattan to continue fighting. No doubt it was a poor choice of words considering what has happened to several ex-enforcers in recent years, but the intention of Cox could not have been more clear: Bare-fist fighting on ice is crazy-dangerous and not worth the risk.
If you read the full Tweets from Cox here you can see he wasn't being glib or making light of a serious thing. He was - in my opinion - legitimately trying to help a bad situation.
Given what we know about head injuries, as much as I love watching a good fight, it should obviously be outlawed and it's insane there can even be a debate about it. But, as obvious as it is, it's clearly a debate we need to have. What we don't need is people taking words out of context as an insult and then overreacting.
Damien Cox clearly had good intentions. He clearly wasn't trying to disparage anyone who has been affected by suicide. I just don't think we're helping our causes when we get outraged over unfortunate word choices. I think the people who are campaigning to have Cox fired are idiots.
I don't even agree with half the stuff Cox says, and he probably thinks I'm an idiot - but he's a guy who gets paid for his opinion, he isnt' a sensitivity trainer and I think people should get a grip.
Thanks for reading.