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.
MINUS: No offense to Sergei Fedorov, but how does he go to the Hall of Fame when Eric Lindros isn't already there? Fedorov was one of the great two-way players when I was growing up, but Lindros was the best player, and no one was even close.
In fact, Lidstrom and Pronger don't deserve to be there ahead of Eric Lindros. Phil Housley? It's not even fair to comment on that. Literally ten guys deserve to be there ahead of him - in the history of the league.
Lindros dominated the game in a way that very few players ever have. He is one of the only players you can reasonably compare - in terms of pure dominance - to Gretzky, Lemieux, Howe and Orr.
Even though he played about five seasons at the end of his career where he was more of a normal player than a dominating one, that was because of injury and not his fault. Fedorov played about five years where the name on his jersey should have been in quotations as well, so clearly this isn't the reason Lindros isn't in the Hall.
Last time I checked it wasn't called the "Hockey Hall of Fame (For nice politically correct role models who are among the best ever in both skill and behavior)."
Also, maybe he was "a handful" but what crime did Lindros ever commit? He didn't cheat, beat any women or children, wasn't convicted of a crime and (as far as I know) isn't suspected of any crimes.
He is an undebatable first ballot Hall of Fame player. He was - before injury - among the four or five best players to ever lace up the skates. Ever. And no one denies this.
So why isn't he in the Hall of Fame already? Because he is allegedly a jerk? That's (expletive deleted) pathetic. It makes the people who vote for the Hall of Fame look like a bunch of whiny, immature, axe grinding failures.
Eric Lindros not being in the Hall of Fame is the dumbest thing anyone ever heard of. It discredits the honour of being elected to those that already have it. What a joke.
PLUS: The Oilers and Coyotes game the other night.
I had a crazy busy Friday at work and then Saturday my internet was out, so I never got the chance to write about Thursday's game, but it was one of the best games I've seen so far this year. I mean, it wasn't that it was a great game or anything - I expected better of the Oilers - but Domi, Duclair, Hall and Draisaitl all in the same game was still fun to watch.
MINUS: The Coyotes are of the NHL's worst possession teams (.1 away from being the fourth worst in the NHL) but last night they dominated the Blue Jackets, possession the puck for about 2/3s of the game at 5v5, but they lost 5-2.
The fact is, this team - as fun as they are to watch b/c of Domi, Duclair and OEL - wins only in games when their goaltending is first rate. As a strategy, it's a losing one.
However, given the team's (unsustainable) success so far this year, I find it extremely frustrating that they haven't made any moves to improve the team. I saw Brayden Schenn was a healthy scratch, and compared to who the Coytoes run out at centre after Hanzel, he'd essentially be a #1 overall pick.
PLUS: I like the puck moving skills of the Stefan Elliott/ Connor Murphy pairing. Two right handed shots together is pretty rare, I'm not sure how unusual it is, but I'm guessing "very."
So far in four games they've been positive possession twice and negative twice. Encouraging though is that Murphy's CF% goes up 1.5% when on the ice with Elliott, where as it drops 2% when on the ice with Grossmann.
MINUS: People saying to "watch the games." One, don't use cliches. Two, please learn about empirical evidence. (Of which their is zero to support the idea that Corsi is some kind of joke stat that NHL teams are far beyond. Please.) If you can't prove it with a stat, it doesn't matter. Nick Grossmann is a bad player and it's not up for debate.
It's called science.
If it’s true and Matt Duchene is available, the Leafs should be all over the Avalanche in trying to make a deal. The Avs need defence badly. I’d move Dion Phaneuf and Kadri for Duchene in a heartbeat and even eat a little salary if need be. Would you do that? Would Joe Sakic?
Who apparently forgot quite quickly about a recent player he helped to run out of town who also scored a lot (way more than Duchene actually) and who didn't exactly play a stellar defense. Forget Dion, Kadri for Duchene is a bad move for the Leafs.
PLUS: As we approach the quarter mark of the NHL season, Kadri has 7 points in 17 games and yet wouldn't be a terrible nominee for the Hart Trophy, were it handed out today.
His team is over-achieving, he has a 54% CF (Top Ten among Top Line Centres) he is 5th among centres in scoring chance differential. Second among centres in total scoring chances. He is behind only Ovechkin and Seguin in total shots on goal.
He essentially gets more scoring chances, while limiting scoring chances against better than any player at his position in the NHL. He and JVR would be leading the league in scoring with just a little bit of luck.
Steve Burtch of Sportsnet - who you should follow on Twitter - did the math and showed that about three players per year go through a luck-based scoring slump like Kadri (and Voracek) currently find themselves in.
So the Leafs finally have a two-way #1 centre who is playing at superstar level, and he 7 points. If that isn't the most Leafs thing of all-time, I don't know what is. But come January somebody is getting a big fat contract extension.
MINUS: The Leafs "scorched earth" rebuild didn't probably account for having four of the best players in the NHL on the roster this year (Kadri, JVR, Gardiner, Rielly). Are they, plus Marner and Nylander enough to build around, or do you move JVR and and everyone else decent except for Kadri, Rielly and Gardiner and hope you fluke into Austen Matthews?
Because if the Leafs don't essentially punt this season, they will make the Playoffs. And if they're going to do that, they might as well bring up Nylander and make this team good.
MINUS: Kevin Pillar doesn't win the Gold Glove for centre-field? This leads to just one question: Are Stevie Wonder jokes off limits in the politically correct climate we currently reside in?
PLUS: Yesterday was movie day. It was cold and rainy, so we watched Star Wars and then E.T with the kids. (Best part: when E.T gets drunk and walks into walls, I forgot how hilarious that was). Then the wife and I watched Quantum of Solace (great movie, but who named it?) and Fast Times at Ridgemont High (how had I only seen that 15 years ago on TBS?) and finally, when my wife went to bed I watched the Panic Room (awesome).
A good day of movies, and I gained fifteen pounds and had to wake up early and publish this late so I could watch morning hockey, but it was still worth it.
PLUS: The best song ever written?