Search
Posts Tagged ‘Jimmy Howard’
First off I’d like to thank Dobber from DobberHockey.com for taking the time to do this.
A: My Calder pick is Jordan Eberle, followed by Taylor Hall, and P.K. Subban. Also, watch for Tyler Ennis, Jamie McBain, and John Carlson
Q: Which sophomore should we watch out for this year?
A: I did this year’s THN column for their Ultimate Fantasy Guide on the sophomore slump. I found that since the lockout, rookies 21 and older were three times as likely to suffer from the slump as 18 to 20-year-olds. I don’t have the exact numbers in front of me, but it was something like 30 percent vs. 10 percent. That puts the likes of Niklas Bergfors, Brandon Yip, etc. as a little riskier. In the safe group—Matt Duchene. And that’s who you should watch.
Q: In your opinion, who is a player who you think will under-achieve based on people’s general fantasy expectations?
A: Kovalchuk in New Jersey—80 to 85 points. People expect miracles.
Q: Who is this years diamond in the rough?
A: Jiri Hudler. I unabashedly say 70 points easy. Related: look for a big year from Filppula as well.
Q: Name five players who fantasy owners should watch out for this season.
A: In a good way? Peter Mueller, Tyler Bozak, and I mentioned Ennis, Subban, and McBain. In a bad way—Prospal.
Q: What can fans expect from Simon Gagne this year?
A: His best points per game average in three or four years. It’s the games played that fans should be more worried about. Will it be 10, or 75? Pencil him in for 65 to 70 games.
Q: Ovechkin or Crosby?
A: Points: Crosby. Multi-categories: Ovechkin
Q: J. Toews or M. Richards?
A: In my Fantasy Guide I have Toews for 73 and Richards for 79 points. I agree with that, giving it a second look.
Q: Jimmy Howard or Tuukka Rask?
A: Rask is a far superior goalie and I would take him in a keeper league by a mile. But for this year, due to the backup situation, you have to go with Howard, who should flirt with 40 wins. Tim Thomas will hold Rask to the low 30s.
Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com
- Read More
- Comments Off
With fantasy hockey opening up soon, I figured I would help you out in your draft rankings. Over the next week or so I am going to have a four-part series ranking the best fantasy goaltenders 1-20, so stay tuned.
1. Martin Brodeur (NJD)
Last year’s stats: Wins: 45 / GAA: 2.24 / SV%: .916
The Devils may have lost Paul Martin, but they added two very solid defensemen in Anton Volchenkov and Henrik Tallinder. They also added more scoring punch up front in Jason Arnott, which should provide Brodeur with more goals to work with.
In my opinion he could hit 50 wins, but with the addition of Johan Hedberg he won’t get 75 starts.
2. Ryan Miller (BUF)
Last year’s stats: Wins: 41 / GAA: 2.22 / SV%: .929
The Sabres lost two very good defensemen in Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman, but they added Jordan Leopold and bolstered their PK with Rob Niedermayer. All in all, they have a very similar team to last season.
With a healthy Thomas Vanek, the Sabres should score more goals and Ryan Miller should be able to do what he did last season (or close to it).
3. Jimmy Howard (DET)
Last year’s stats: Wins: 37 / GAA: 2.26 / SV%: .924
The Red Wings have almost the same team they had last season, but with Howard getting an increase in starts (probably around 70) he should be able to win some more games.
4. Marc-Andre Fleury (PIT)
Last year’s stats: Wins: 37 / GAA: 2.65 / SV%: .905
Fleury really struggled last season, but with a better group of defensemen (added Martin and Michalek) and a better offense (Crosby, Malkin, etc.), Fleury should be able to regain form and pick up 40+ wins.
5. Henrik Lundqvist (NYR)
Last year’s stats: Wins: 35 / GAA: 2.38 / SV%: .921
In my opinion Lundqvist is the most talented goalie in the league (this coming from a Devils fan), but has always been stuck with an average team in front of him. With the new talent of the Rangers’ young defensemen and the addition of Alexander Frolov, the Rangers should be able to score more goals, which will lead Hank to his first 40-win campaign.
I hope you enjoyed the first edition of ranking the top 20 fantasy goaltenders. Part two should be up in the next few days.
Please feel free to comment (and agree or disagree) with my rankings.
This article and more can be found at MTRMedia.com
For the latest news and rumors follow me on twitter @ToddNHL
Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com
- Read More
- Comments Off
Aaron Musick: Calder trophy debate
23, Jun 2010Tonight, the NHL’s stars will descend on the Sin City that Never Sleeps, hoping to bring home some hardware. One of those, the Avalanche’s own Matt Duchene, is hoping to take home the Calder but what are his chances?
First, a look at all the finalists.
Matt Duchene- 81 games played, 24 goals, 31 assists, 55 points
What he has going for him:
Duchene was a rookie who started slow but…
- Read More
- Comments Off
In a way, most individual NHL awards are more evidence of prevailing opinion than objective excellence.
Are Pavel Datsyuk, Ryan Kesler, and Jordan Staal all outstanding defensive forwards?
Yes.
What makes one more deserving of the award than the other? Well, that’s a matter of opinion.
Are Drew Doughty, Mike Green, and Duncan Keith all first-class players on the blue line?
Of course they are.
But even though the award is given to the defender with the “greatest all-around ability in the position,” the notion of what constitutes “all-around ability” varies from person to person.
When it comes to the Calder Trophy, the NHL’s Rookie of the Year award, we find similar problems of subjectivity.
Well, we usually do, but not this year.
This year, the three finalists for the Calder represent all three positions in hockey: goalie, defenseman, and forward.
While I suppose almost anything could be debated, the fact that playing goal is more difficult than playing defense and playing defense is more difficult than playing forward is, well, a fact.
So, given that fact, anytime there is a three-position race for the Calder Trophy, one could safely bet that the goalie will win out over the defender and the forward, simply because it is harder for a young player to distinguish himself in that position.
Still, being a Calder-nominated goalie doesn’t, in and of itself, guarantee a victory.
However, being a Calder-nominated goalie and being the savior of your team’s season?
Yeah, that should pretty well wrap it up.
Jimmy Howard started the 2009-10 season with the knowledge that this was, essentially, his last shot with the Detroit Red Wings.
The two starts he got during the exhibition season revealed that he might yet be able to assume regular back-up duties to Chris Osgood , as he looked calm, comfortable, and confident in goal.
However, once the season began in earnest, panic set in quickly as, promising or not, Howard looked to be the only option in goal for Detroit.
Osgood struggled mightily yet again, and the Wings as a whole looked disorganized and disinterested, dropping to 0-2 to start the season, their worst start in 20 years.
Through November and into December, the Wings began racking up injuries to key players and more losses than wins. The team as a whole, was in a tailspin.
The one bright spot emerging for Detroit was in goal, and it wasn’t Osgood.
By early December, Howard was tightening his grip on the starter’s job in goal for the Red Wings.
He didn’t exactly look Vezina-bound, but he was winning and looking better and better while doing it, so much so that by January “Jimmy Howard” and “Calder Trophy” began appearing in the same sentence.
His 52-save performance against the Los Angeles Kings served as the young goaltender’s coming-out party.
Folks in Detroit had begun believing in Howard prior to this, but his absolutely dominant performance against a Kings team that played as close to perfect a game as possible made everyone in the NHL take notice of the Red Wings rookie.
By February, the Red Wings were still out of the playoffs and still struggling to succeed while waiting to become fully healthy and find their game.
The only reason they were still in the hunt was Howard.
Now, here is where some attention must be paid to the team that was playing in front of him.
For the past decade and a half, any success a goalie has had in Detroit has always been tempered with, “yeah, but look at the team in front of him, of course he’s going to look good.”
While there may have been some truth to that statement in years past, that could hardly be applied honestly to Howard.
The team in front of him had trouble scoring goals, trouble clearing the puck out of their zone and for the most part, lacked anything resembling defensive consistency game in and game out.
Yet, they were winning.
They were winning because, despite the team in front of him, Howard was playing to win night after night.
Eventually, the Wings got healthy, got organized, and went on a 16-3-2 tear to close the season.
Howard finished with 37 wins.
And for those that would again throw out their “yeah but” arguments, these aren’t 7-6 scoring fests we’re talking about.
No, Howard also emerged as one of the best goalies, rookie or otherwise, of the entire 2009-10 season, finishing in the top five in goals-against (2.26) and save percentage (.924) in 63 games played.
Had all of this been accomplished by Osgood, a 16-year veteran with three Stanley Cup rings, the story would still be compelling, albeit one more of redemption than coming of age.
Anytime a team’s salvation can be so squarely placed on a single player, a story of heroism is going to emerge.
However, the fact that a rookie goalie, facing his first and last shot to prove himself, single-handedly put a team on his back and righted a season destined for disappointment is worthy of more than just a good story.
Tyler Myers is a great young defenseman and Matt Duchene is a legitimate star, yet neither could be labeled as the sole reason Buffalo or Colorado made the playoffs.
Without Howard, the Red Wings would have missed the playoffs for the first time in 18 years.
For that reason alone, the question of who the best first-year player in the NHL was in 2009-10 has already been answered.
Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com
- In: Uncategorized
- Tags: Detroit Red Wings, Jimmy Howard, nhl, Opinion
- Read More
- Comments Off
Great Thornton Sighting
10, May 2010Brandon Augienello discusses this years playoff success of the San Jose Sharks.
- In: Uncategorized
- Tags: 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, Brandon, Brian Rafalski, Dany Heatley, Detroit Red Wings, Devin Setoguchi, Henrik Zetterberg, Jimmy Howard, Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Johan Franzen, Logan Couture, Manny Malhotra, nhl, NHL playoffs, Niklas Lidstrom, Patrick Marleau, Pavel Datsyuk, Ryane Clowe, San Jose Sharks, Scott Nichol
- Read More
- Comments Off
Great Thornton Sighting
10, May 2010Brandon Augienello discusses this years playoff success of the San Jose Sharks.
- In: Uncategorized
- Tags: 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, Brandon, Brian Rafalski, Dany Heatley, Detroit Red Wings, Devin Setoguchi, Henrik Zetterberg, Jimmy Howard, Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Johan Franzen, Logan Couture, Manny Malhotra, nhl, NHL playoffs, Niklas Lidstrom, Patrick Marleau, Pavel Datsyuk, Ryane Clowe, San Jose Sharks, Scott Nichol
- Read More
- Comments Off
And so the season ends.
With a 2-1 Game Five loss to San Jose in the Western Conference semifinals Saturday night, the Detroit Red Wings’ run for Lord Stanley’s Cup has come to an abrupt halt.
“It was a good game,” Red Wing coach Mike Babcock said in his post-game interview with Fox Sports Detroit.
“It’s what I expected the whole series to be.”
In a series clouded with questionable officiating, blown faceoffs and lack of power-play opportunities, the Wings couldn’t find a way to dispose of the high-flying Sharks offense.
San Jose’s Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton were without a doubt the series MVPs. Marleau and Thornton hooked up on what ended up being the knockout goal in the fifth and final game.
Don’t forget about Sharks net minder Evgeni Nabokov. “Nabby” kept pucks out of the net, and helped send the San Jose club to its second Western Conference final in its brief history.
Was Doug Murray’s headshot on Johan Franzen worthy of a trip to the penalty box?
Did Pavelski deserve a freebie?
Speculate if you must, but that’s water under the bridge.
The fact is that the Sharks played like the hungrier unit—that’s why the Winged Wheel didn’t emerge as victors—despite an impressive 7-1 Shark blowout in front of its home fans in Game Four at the Joe (Louis Arena) last Thursday.
Wings goalkeep Jimmy Howard gained valuable experience. He has been a whipping boy of sort within the Wings “fandom” because of inconsistent play at times, but he showed promised. Getting acclimated the way he did will surely be a boost to a grand future that lies ahead for the former Grand Rapids Griffin.
Franzen tied a club record of registering a point in 12 consecutive playoff games. He’s in esteemed company in regard to that achievement. The only other Red Wing who has done so was Mr. Hockey himself, Gordie Howe.
Any time a run is over, there are going to be questions.
Will 40-year-old captain Niklas Lidstrom return for his 18th season in Detroit?
Lidstrom said “I’ll have to talk to Kenny (Holland) about that once things settle down” when asked by FSD’s John Keating.
Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com
- Read More
- Comments Off
If the NHL postseason success is built around one thing, it’s solid, consistent goaltending.
Much like a pitcher in October, a net minder can dictate the flow of crucial games.
Well, it’s not October, and Jimmy Howard doesn’t pitch for the Detroit Tigers — he’s the man between the pipes for the Red Wings.
And Howard will have to buck up if he has designs of avenging Detroit’s 4-3 loss in Game One.
The Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) product has won 37 games this season and has shown flashes of brilliance.
There are always two sides to every coin, and Howard’s other side is blemished with inconsistency and mediocrity.
But he does have an upside—he showed maturity and grit the way he handled himself in Phoenix on Tuesday night in the Wings’ 6-1 Game Seven triumph over the Coyotes.
The Sharks aren’t the Coyotes.
Will he continue to be rattled by a high-flying Patrick Marleau-less Shark offense for the remainder of round two?
San Jose’s Joe Pavelski scored what would end up being the game-winning power play goal in the third period. Red Wings fans have to keep their fingers crossed that the young center doesn’t heat up.
He’s already scored seven goals in the postseason.
Don’t let him get primed. He is emerging in the absence of Marleau, heading the San Jose scoring attack with a full head of steam.
If anything can be taken from the series opener loss; it’s that old cliche that seems to stir about this time of year, every year: take it one game at a time.
That’s what Howard and the Wings will be forced to do.
That’s a given.
The Wings will not win with the sluggish play that they exhibited in the early goings of Thursday night’s game.
Nor will they win if Howard doesn’t tighten up his mental approach.
That term is used in the broad sense, but it boils down to playing smart.
Again, another cliche. But cliches are overused for a reason—they’re true.
One of Howard’s weaknesses has been giving up the long rebound. San Jose capitalized off of them. Too many of those, and it will be a (short) long series for the Hockeytown goalie.
Game Two will be Detroit’s chance to square up and come back next Tuesday tied at one game a piece. Once at the Joe, the series becomes a new story.
Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com
- Read More
- Comments Off
NHLHS writer Laura Astorian looks, in depth, at the pros and cons of the San Jose Sharks as they head into second round action against the Detroit Red Wings.
It’s a running joke – second round dropouts. The curse of Jumbo Joe Thornton.
Holy terrors and perennial Pacific Division Champions during the regular season, the San Jose [...]
- Read More
- Comments Off
With one round down, the Western Conference provided its fair share of thrills and chills en route to proving who truly is the best. Cinderella dreams were shattered as the league’s most consistent and best franchises stepped their games up to the next level. Now, familiar foes meet in an attempt to vanquish one another, continuing the quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup.
For the Hawks/Nucks series, click here .
Storyline: After shaking off the cobwebs in round one, the Sharks look as primed as ever to finally break through their own personal glass ceiling. But with every dawn comes a dark night, and this nightfall begins and ends with Hockeytown.
Offense: Head coach Todd McLellan boldly shuffled his lines when the Sharks were stifled on offense during the first round. Initially breaking up the Marleau-Thornton-Heatley connection was a major risk, but it paid off when San Jose’s offense kicked into a higher gear.
Benefiting most from the top line sputter was Joe Pavelski, who scored five goals throughout his first six games in the playoffs. On-again, off-again linemates Ryane Clowe and Devin Setoguchi were just as integral down the stretch.
And while Joe Thornton still hasn’t broken out of his career-long playoff funk, one has to believe that he’s due to escape that stigma sooner rather than later. Of course, skepticism on one end is a sure thing on the other.
Johan Franzen had a point in each of the seven games played against the upstart Coyotes, a feat only achieved twice before in Red Wings playoff history. And the stats don’t lie for Henrik Zetterberg or Pavel Datsyuk, as the Wings stand a much better chance of winning when those two are putting pucks in the back of the net. Both teams boast stellar premiere players as well as key depth starters.
It may indeed be those depth and role players that give one team the edge over the other. Detroit’s Justin Abdelkader has been described as a “heat-seeking missile” with his booming body checks, and San Jose’s Logan Couture has made his fair share of clutch plays despite seeing the ice less than his star teammates.
Top to bottom, both teams are compiled to win, but Detroit appears to be dialed-in on all fronts while certain Sharks have yet to hit their stride, a pivotal point that could determine a few games. Advantage: Detroit.
Defense: One thing is for sure: Dan Boyle’s pity party has ended. Boyle recovered from one of the most awkward and embarrassing endings to a playoff game with a big series both offensively and defensively. Boyle clocked nearly 27 minutes of ice time in the first round, most amongst players on either team. Boyle wasn’t the only Sharks defender pulling his weight in a series defined by tight, close-to-the-vest competition.
Douglas Murray is turning into a latter-day Hal Gill, and Rob Blake is officially the kind of player Darius Kasparitis was once, one who has a better game when he isn’t listed on the score sheet. Though they aren’t primarily known for putting the puck in the net, San Jose’s defense is solid as a rock and may be the most defensively inclined corps remaining in the playoffs.
The Red Wings, however, are the complete opposite. Each and every one of Detroit’s defensemen is willing to jump into the rush at any moment, as proven during Game Seven when Brad Stuart put the nail in the coffin of the Phoenix Coyotes. Nicklas Lidstrom may be rounding out the age of 40, but that doesn’t stop him from being the best in the business during crunch time.
If anything, Detroit’s Niklas Kronwall is becoming the weak link in the chain. Kronwall was once known for a powerhouse style that made him impassable, but now he’s a less visible presence in the lineup. With the kind of skaters San Jose will be sending into the offensive zone, Kronwall needs to redevelop his independence and become a game changer. Advantage: Push.
Goaltending: Coming into this year’s playoffs, goaltending for nearly all of the 16 playoff teams was far behind the NHL’s overall learning curve. Unproven athletes and shaky career performers found a platform to surprise more now than ever, and for Evgeni Nabokov and Jimmy Howard, they excelled to the best of their abilities.
Nabokov all but erased his Olympic woes in round one with strong performances against the Colorado Avalanche. But Nabokov skeptics remain numerous, as Evgeni made less saves than any other Western goalie in the first round and wasn’t exactly tested by a league of extraordinary scorers.
With a 1.76 goals against average and a .926 save percentage, everything reads well on paper for the Sharks’ keeper. That said, he’ll still have something to prove when bigger and better competition comes to the HP Pavilion.
Detroit’s Jimmy Howard is a Calder Trophy candidate, and likely winner for the regular season. In the playoffs, Howard made the saves he had to make when Phoenix peppered him with over 200 shots in seven games. Throughout the first round, Howard had as many flashes of brilliance as he did lapses in judgment, leading several pundits to believe that the Wings could stand to put in Chris Osgood instead.
With the Osgood factor still looming large over Howard, the rookie has as much to prove as Nabokov does in the long run. The 37 regular season wins and a clutch Game Seven performance are a great start, but Howard’s yet to face some of the trials and tribulations Nabokov has. Advantage: San Jose.
Key Players: Joe Thornton scored only 20 goals this season, his lowest total in over a decade. He also continued his trend of taking fewer shots this year than he had in past seasons, yet he put on his best scoring face after nailing three goals and one assist to the Detroit wall over four games in the regular season.
A legion of players underwhelmed for Detroit when they hooked up with San Jose in the regular season, yet Jimmy Howard’s two wins and 1.62 goals against average makes him the focal point of the series.
History: This is the fourth meeting in the playoffs between Detroit and San Jose. The Sharks have lost two of three. The Wings won three of four regular season outings between the two teams as well.
Outcome: Is it too much to ask for one prosperous year out of San Jose? Detroit is the hottest team in the NHL since the Olympics while San Jose boasts a roster full of Olympic stars competing for their franchise futures. In the end, San Jose finally pulls through. Sharks in seven.
Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com
- Read More
- Comments Off
Vancouver Canucks (3)—103 points vs. Chicago Blackhawks (2)—112 points.
Where to Watch the Series:
(All times EDT)
Saturday, May 1 at Chicago, 8:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS
Monday, May 3 at Chicago, 9:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS
Wednesday, May 5 at Vancouver, 9:30 p.m. CBC, VERSUS
Friday, May 7 at Vancouver, 9:30 p.m. CBC, VERSUS
*Sunday, May 9 at Chicago, 8:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS
*Tuesday, May 11 at Vancouver, 9:30 p.m. CBC, VERSUS
*Thursday, May 13 at Chicago, 8:00 p.m. CBC, VERSUS
* If necessary
Season Series: Tied 2-2
Oct. 21 – VAN 3 @ CHI 2
Nov. 22 – CHI 1 @ VAN 0
Jan. 23 – CHI 1 @ VAN 5
Mar. 05 – VAN 3 @ CHI 6
Regular Season Rankings:
Chicago Blackhawks:
Record: 52-22-8 (112 points)
Goals for per game: 3.20 (third overall)
Goals against per game: 2.48 (sixth overall)
Power play: 17.7 percent (16th overall)
Penalty Kill: 85.3 percent (fourth overall)
Playoff Rankings:
Record: 4-2
Goals For per game: 2.83 (10th overall)
Goals against per game: 2.50 (third overall)
Power Play: 17.4 percent (11th overall)
Penalty Kill: 96.3 percent (third overall)
Top Playoff Performers:
Player Goals Assists Points
Jonathan Toews 2 6 8
Marian Hossa 1 6 7
Patrick Sharp 3 4 7
Patrick Kane 4 3 7
Brent Seabrook 0 4 4
Last year’s playoff matchup between these two teams saw the Blackhawks prevail in their seven-game series by a 4-2 margin. The Hawks all but embarrassed the Canucks on the scoreboard by a finals score of 7-5 in Game Six to clinch the series.
Along with the series victory many suspected the Hawks crushed Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo’s confidence and spirit in the process—Luongo will be very motivated to erase these memories.
This year’s series sets up the revenge factor for the Canucks who would love to redeem themselves after last season’s less than stellar performance. These are two of the premier offensive teams in the entire NHL with both teams capable of end-to-end action for long spurts.
Needless to say this should be one of the most anticipated matchups of the 2010 playoffs and one of the most exciting ones at that.
The Hawks will have home ice advantage in the series—which may prove to be the deciding factor. Both of these teams are built to win today, both teams are capable of making a long run in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Keys To Victory For Chicago:
* Must continue to get solid goaltending from the streaky Antti Niemi who emerged from the Hawks series versus the offensively challenged Nashville Predators with a decent 2.15 goals against average and a .921 save percentage.
* Marian Hossa will need to be more effective, especially in the goal scoring department. This series has the potential to be high-scoring, the Hawks will need to be firing on all cylinders to be successful.
* Must get to Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo early. Luongo is starting to gain some confidence, you don’t want him getting into “the zone.”
* The Hawks will need to contain Mikael Samuelsson who had seven goals in the first round series versus the Los Angeles Kings.
* Nobody thinks for a second that the Hawks will keep the Sedin Twins off the scoreboard, limiting their chances (especially on the power play) will be paramount to their success.
* Dustin Byfuglien, Troy Brouwer and Kris Versteeg must have a better series. All three of these players were kept off the scoreboard in round one and they were victimized defensively, the Hawks can’t afford for them to have a repeat performance. Look for Byfuglien to get the call to clog up Luongo’s crease area, a job he did all too well in last season’s playoff series against the Canucks.
Vancouver Canucks:
Regular Season Rankings:
Record: 49-28-5 (103 points)
Goals for per game: 3.27 (second overall)
Goals against per game: 2.66 (12th overall)
Power play: 20.9 percent (sixth overall)
Penalty Kill: 81.9 percent (17th overall)
Playoff Rankings:
Record: 4-2
Goals For per game: 4.17 (first overall)
Goals against per game: 3.00 (tenth overall)
Power Play: 25.0 percent (sixth overall)
Penalty Kill: 61.5% (16th overall)
Top Playoff Performers:
Player Goals Assists Points
Mikael Samuelsson 7 4 11
Daniel Sedin 4 6 10
Henrik Sedin 1 7 8
Ryan Kesler 1 5 6
Pavol Demitra 2 3 5
As I have already stated, the Vancouver Canucks are out for revenge in the form of a Blackhawks ousting.
Roberto Luongo emerged victorious from his round one duel with the Los Angeles Kings, but he has hardly silenced his critics in the process. Luongo’s lofty 2.92 goals against average and sub-par .893 save percentage are a little alarming to say the least.
Should Louongo continue his spotty goaltending the Canucks will fall to the mighty Hawks offense with ease.
Fortunately for Luongo, the Canucks’ offense is red-hot, scoring an average of 4.17 goals per game in the playoffs (tops in the League).
Keys To Victory For Vancouver:
* Luongo has to be consistently good between the pipes. He doesn’t have to be excellent, just keep the Canucks in the games.
* Alexandre Burrows must find a way to produce more offense without the help of the Sedin Twins. His one goal showing (an empty netter) was ugly to say the least, simply put, he needs to be better.
* The Canucks must do a better job on the penalty kill. Their 16th-ranked PK is pathetic, the Hawks will eat you up on the power play if given the chance, thus the Canucks must stay out of the box.
* The Sedin Twins must continue their dominance and Samuelsson must continue to be a money player against the Hawks. It would also be nice if Kyle Wellwood stepped up his game, but don’t count on it.
* Stay away from the taunting and retaliatory penalties. Everyone remembers when Canucks forward Ryan Kesler called Blackhawks forward Andrew Ladd a “coward.” Ladd later beat the heck out of Kesler, leaving his face looking a bit like hamburger. Both of these teams have their fair share of trash talkers, which means there is the potential for fireworks here. In the end, this is not exactly the Canucks game—they would be wise to avoid the Physical elements.
Prediction:
Both teams are capable of winning this series. In the end, I like the fact the Hawks have home ice advantage and the Hawks are proving to be the better special teams team.
Overall the Hawks match up nicely against the Canucks and, for whatever reason, just seem destined for the Cup Final.
Chicago Blackhawks in six games.
San Jose Sharks (1)—113 points vs. Detroit Red Wings (5)—102 points.
Where To Watch The Series:
Thursday, April 29 at San Jose, 9:00 p.m. TSN, VERSUS
Sunday, May 2 at San Jose, 8:00 p.m. TSN, VERSUS
Tuesday, May 4 at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. TSN, VERSUS
Thursday, May 6 at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. TSN, VERSUS
*Saturday, May 8 at San Jose, 10:30 p.m. TSN, VERSUS
*Monday, May 10 at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. TSN, VERSUS
*Wednesday, May 12 at San Jose, TBD TSN, VERSUS
* If Necessary
Season series:
San Jose: 1-2-1
Detroit: 3-0-1
Nov. 05 – SJS 1 @ 2 DET(SO)
Jan. 09 – DET 4 @ 1 SJS
Feb. 02 – DET 4 @ 2 SJS
Feb. 11 – SJS 3 @ 2 DET(SO)
San Jose Sharks:
Regular Season Rankings:
Goals for per game: 3.13 (fourth overall)
Goals against per game: 2.55 (eighth overall)
Power play: 21.0 percent (fourth overall)
Penalty Kill: 85 percent (fifth overall)
Playoff Rankings:
Record: 4-2
Goals For per game: 3.17 (fifth overall)
Goals against per game: 1.83 (second overall)
Power Play: 19.2 percent (ninth overall)
Penalty Kill: 86.7 percent (fifth overall)
Top Playoff Performers:
Player Goals Assists Points
Ryan Clowe 1 7 8
Joe Pavelski 5 3 8
Dan Boyle 2 4 6
Devin Setoguchi 3 3 6
Douglas Murray 1 4 5
Of note: Joe Thornton—no goals, three assists, -4 rating. Dany Heatley—no goals, four assists, -1 rating. Patrick Marleau— one goal, two assists, -2 rating.
With the round one scare over and done with the San Jose Sharks can breathe again, but not for long. Staring them in the face is arch-nemesis Detroit Red Wings, a team that looks poised to make yet another long run in the playoffs.
The trio of Dany Heatley, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton has, for the most part, been kept in check and off the scoreboard in this year’s playoffs. Once again Thornton is under immense pressure to perform in the playoffs and, thus far, has just been average (again).
Keys To Victory For San Jose:
* Evgeni Nabokov must continue his brilliance. The Red Wings will bring a much more veteran-laden, proven roster to the fold in this series, Nabby will have to be excellent if the Sharks are to have any chance of beating Detroit.
* Joe Thornton needs to be a pivotal player in this series. Not only does he need to continue to rack up assists, he must score and he must play a more physical game, avoiding just playing on the perimeter (which he often does).
* Joe Pavelski had a great first round. His goal scoring abilities will be needed, especially if the likes of Marleau and Heatley continue to struggle.
* The Sharks must get off to a fast start. A game one win would go a long way in giving the Sharks some measure of confidence against the Red Wings. If the Sharks find themselves down by two games at any point in the series one has to suspect they are done like dinner.
Detroit Red Wings:
Regular Season Rankings:
Goals for per game: 2.72 (14th overall)
Goals against per game: 2.52 (seventh overall)
Power play: 19.2 percent (ninth overall)
Penalty Kill: 83.9 percent (10th overall)
Playoff Rankings:
Record: 4-3
Goals For per game: 3.71 (third overall)
Goals against per game: 2.57 (fifth overall)
Power Play: 23.5 percent (seventh overall)
Penalty Kill: 81.8 percent (seventh overall)
Top Playoff Performers:
Player Goals Assists Points
Henrik Zetterberg 6 5 11
Pavol Datsyuk 5 3 8
Valtteri Filppula 3 4 7
Johan Franzen 1 6 7
Nik Lidstrom 3 3 6
Detroit has arguably been the best team in the NHL since the Olympic break. Coming into the series there were many questions to be answered about this team: were they too old? Would rookie goaltender Jimmy Howard be able to take the pressure? And, have the Red Wings played too much hockey over the past three seasons (back-to-back final appearances)?
Dany Heatley looks to be injured, if this continues to be the case the Red Wings will key in on him, making his life miserable.
Detroit’s overall roster is amongst the NHL’s best and let’s face it, this team knows how to win when the chips are down.
Keys To Victory For Detroit:
* Get in Nabokov’s crease, every goalie hates traffic, Nabokov has a temper and may draw a few penalties. Say hello to Mr. Holmstrom Nabby!
* Use their superior compete level and experience to frustrate and wear-down the Sharks fragile players and psyche.
* Jimmy Howard must continue to be good between the pipes. No matter how bad the Sharks have been in past playoffs you cannot dismiss their offense. As good as Howard has been, he is going to have to be better to get past the Sharks.
* Get to the Sharks early. Winning game one on the road would be a huge loss for the Sharks, if the Red Wings can do this they will be successful.
Prediction:
Detroit has been a fixture in the playoffs for eons. Its experience, depth and coaching is superior to that of the Sharks, which should give it a huge edge in this series.
Jimmy Howard, slowly, but surely, is starting to look like the real deal—poised, focused and getting it done when it counts.
San Jose has been a perpetual let-down in the playoffs. Thornton has still not emerged as a big playoff performer and with Heatley more than likely still on the mend, its one-two combination will be severely hampered.
Detroit Red Wings in six games.
For more NHL news and notes check out my website at www.theslapshot.com
***Also, check out Louis Pisano (fellow BR writer) and I, Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter) THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, MAY 31ST at 6:00 PM through 7:00 PM EST as we throw down our hockey podcast “GET THE PUCK OUT” at www.morencysports.com
We’ll be throwing out our pick’s for next weeks games, talking about the playoffs and venting all the rage we have built up!!! Bring your comments, questions and insight. Give us a call (toll free) at 1-866-964-5710—let’s talk some puck!
Until next time,
Peace!
Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com
- In: Uncategorized
- Tags: Detroit Red Wings, Hockey, Jimmy Howard, nhl, Opinion, Stanley Cup
- Read More
- Comments Off
I am too accustomed to winning.
Detroit is famous for some first round let downs—i.e. vs Anaheim, vs Edmonton, vs LA Kings.
But the last three years, I have seen my team fall no shorter than round three and I am not prepared to see that this year. They have battled too much during the year with injuries and inconsistency.
Detroit better not lose Game 7 Tuesday night in Phoenix.
A few things come to mind as far as what the Wings will need to do to beat the never-say-never Coyotes.
And I will think of the three main things that Detroit will need to fix for Game 7 if they plan on seeing hockey past Tuesday.
3. Jimmy Howard HAS to put everything on the line
In Game’s 4 and 5, Howard looked unbeatable and he stood on his head.
He saved a combined 59 out 60 shots faced in the two games as the Wings went on to tie the series in Game 4 with Howard’s shutout, and take the lead in the series in Game 5 on Howard’s one allowed goal.
Howard, we need another performance like those.
You did great coming back from Game 3’s loss to post a shut out in Game 4.
Let’s see something of the same in Game 7. Jimmy, this is your time to shine.
2. Urgency
There has been a lack of urgency in every game Detroit has found themselves down in.
There can’t be a lack of urgency going into Game 7 because it’s win or go home.
I still find Phoenix is out hustling Detroit in most of every aspect of the game.
We need more hustle from line’s one to line’s four. Especially cause you know that Shane Doan will be back for Game 7.
1. Johan Franzen – Where the %$&* is he?
Okay, so six points in six games isn’t bad. But if you are known for scoring and more of a playoff performer, than ya its pretty sad.
Especially if it’s only one goal and five assists.
The Mule has to get going, and Game 7 is perfect time for that to happen.
We don’t know what Babcock has in store for us as far as line combos, but you Datsyuk and Franzen will be paired together, and that should be enough to get Franzen going.
Those are three factors I think Detroit has to improve on if they want to play come May.
But of course, all we can do is wait and find out which Detroit Red Wing team will we get. And which Jimmy Howard will we get.
Detroit has always been known to play their best hockey when their back is against the wall. Hopefully we will get that in Game 7.
We will just have to wait to find out.
Go Wings Go.
Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com
- Read More
- Comments Off
The Hockey Guys NHL Awards
21, Apr 2010The Hockey Guys take a look at who they feel will walk away with awards at the NHL awards show in June.
- In: Uncategorized
- Tags: Alexander Ovechkin, Anthony, Awards, Calder Memorial, Dave Tippett, Drew Doughty, Frank J. Selke, Hart, Hockey, Ilya Bryzgalov, James Norris, Jimmy Howard, Joe Sacco, jordan staal, Martin Brodeur, Matt Duchense, Mike Green, National Hockey League, National Hockey League Awards, nhl, NHL Awards, Pavel Datsyuk, Ryan Kesler, Ryan Miller, Sidney Crosby, The Hockey Guys, Tyler Myers, Vezina
- Read More
- Comments Off
It was, for my money, the gutsiest playoff decision I’d ever seen a coach make in Detroit. And I’ve been nosing around our teams since 1970.
Mike Babcock took conventional wisdom and the safe path and he chucked them into the Detroit River. For all I know he ripped out the pages of the coaching manual that says you don’t do it and he swallowed them whole.
“It” happened in 2008, almost two years ago to the day.
The Red Wings were in a dogfight of a first round soiree with the Nashville Predators. The Western Conference finalist Red Wings of the year previous had their hands completely full with Barry Trotz’s scrappy bunch from Tennessee.
The Red Wings had won the first two games in Detroit, but were swept in games three and four in Nashville, squaring the series at 2-2.
But Babcock had a pretty good idea why the Predators were able to tie the series.
“The puck is going into the net,” Babcock said. He didn’t add it, but he inferred it: Not only is it going in, it’s going in too frequently and too easily.
He didn’t have to name the culprit.
Dominik Hasek, Babcock’s Hall of Fame goaltender, was becoming far too gracious in the Red Wings net. The 43-year-old Hasek was waving and whiffing and his legs weren’t closing fast enough. Pucks were fluttering past him at an alarming rate. Even in the Red Wings’ wins in Detroit, there had been some goals allowed by Hasek that made people look cross-eyed at him.
The Red Wings came home to play the crucial Game Five.
Babcock had a surprise in store.
Hasek was out and Chris Osgood was in. Just like that—for the pivotal Game Five.
The manual says stick with the Hall of Famer, especially coming home. The safe path was alluring, too: Don’t make a decision that can’t, truly, be un-made.
Babcock looked at that stuff and raised his steely jaw at it with disdain.
The coach had seen enough of Hasek. Osgood was in.
Nothing much was riding on Babcock’s decision, just his team’s season, his reputation as a playoff-ready coach, and the potential for suicide of a city’s fanbase.
That’s all.
Babcock repeated his assertion when queried about the yanking of Hasek and the insertion of Osgood right smack dab in the middle of a first round series.
“The puck was going into the net.”
End of discussion.
Babcock didn’t care how Hasek, whose feelings could sometimes be ultra-sensitive, would take the news. He didn’t worry about the mess he’d have on his hands if Osgood stunk up the joint in Game Five.
He made the decision, it was final, and it was absolutely brilliant. And fearless.
Babcock did what truly great coaches are paid, and are expected, to do.
Osgood played marvelously and, despite giving up a tying goal late in regulation, he emerged the victor, thanks to a Johan Franzen goal in overtime. Osgood was named one of the three stars, and he skated onto the JLA ice to a thunderous ovation, raising his goal stick to the crowd.
It gave me goose bumps.
The Red Wings closed out the series in Game Six in Nashville. Osgood was again terrific.
Babcock’s guts were underlined in the next series, when Colorado Avalanche coach Joel Quenneville brought his team home for Game Three down 0-2 to the Red Wings—thanks largely to the ineffectiveness of his goalie’s play in Detroit.
It was a situation crying for a change—some sort of big move to shake things up and perhaps energize the Avs.
A goaltending change would have accomplished that quite nicely.
But Quenneville stuck with Jose Theodore, who was again awful in Game Three. Quenneville had to yank him he was so bad. The Red Wings blasted the Avs out in four straight games.
Quenneville coaches the Blackhawks now. We’ll see how well they do this postseason, won’t we?
The Red Wings, with Chris Osgood planted in goal for the rest of the playoffs, won the 2008 Stanley Cup.
Tonight the Red Wings are in a precarious situation. They will skate against the Phoenix Coyotes fighting for their playoff lives. The only thing worse than being down 2-1 to the Coyotes would be to trail them 3-1. Conventional wisdom again.
It’s another opportunity for the wrong-headed and the mealy-mouthed to show their true colors.
The rookie Jimmy Howard isn’t ready for all this playoff stuff, put in Osgood!
No one said every hockey fan was intelligent.
For all Chris Osgood has accomplished, inserting him into Game Four when he’s played but two games since Jan. 27 would be an egregious error on Babcock’s part. And it would do absolutely nothing for the confidence of the rookie Howard.
So Babcock isn’t having any of it. Mike Babcock is a smart man.
The goalie tonight will be Jimmy Howard, as it should be. How else are we going to find out how he bounces back from less-than-stellar performances in the playoffs?
Babcock might be fearless, but he isn’t a fool.
He’ll leave that to the fans with cell phones on the freeway.
Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com
- In: Uncategorized
- Tags: Detroit Red Wings, Hockey, Jimmy Howard, nhl, Opinion, Stanley Cup
- Read More
- Comments Off
The Red Wings need to stick with the man who got them to the party.
There is talk around the Red Wings media and fan community that Chris Osgood should start game four on Tuesday night for the Red Wings. This is not the right move. Osgood is a cold goaltender who has not won a game since December 12. He has only started one game since January, a 4-3 loss at the Flyers in the last week of the season.
Osgood will not be the savior he was when he replaced Dominik Hasek in 2008. At least that season he played a great deal down the stretch to keep him loose. He won’t be the rock he was for all of the 2009 post season because he has been riding the bench for most of the last four months.
Why sit Jimmy Howard, a strong candidate for the Calder Trophy and one of the hottest goalies since the Olympics, just because of one bad game? He played solid in game three with the exception of the fourth goal. The first three Coyote tallies were the result of defensive breakdowns and the inability to clear the puck when in trouble.
Both of the Red Wings losses in the series have been a result of poor physical play and lazy defense. They have not shown authority when clearing the puck out of harm’s way. They have not stepped up and laid enough body into the Coyote enforcers.
Instead of switching goalies, the Red Wings need to focus on solidifying their defense and winning the physical battles for the puck deep in their own zone. It was turnovers, not poor goaltending, that kept them from winning game three on home ice.
Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com
- In: Uncategorized
- Tags: Detroit Red Wings, Hockey, Jimmy Howard, nhl, Opinion, Stanley Cup
- Read More
- Comments Off
The Red Wings need to stick with the man who got them to the party.
There is talk around the Red Wings media and fan community that Chris Osgood should start game four on Tuesday night for the Red Wings. This is not the right move. Osgood is a cold goaltender who has not won a game since December 12. He has only started one game since January, a 4-3 loss at the Flyers in the last week of the season.
Osgood will not be the savior he was when he replaced Dominik Hasek in 2008. At least that season he played a great deal down the stretch to keep him loose. He won’t be the rock he was for all of the 2009 post season because he has been riding the bench for most of the last four months.
Why sit Jimmy Howard, a strong candidate for the Calder Trophy and one of the hottest goalies since the Olympics, just because of one bad game? He played solid in game three with the exception of the fourth goal. The first three Coyote tallies were the result of defensive breakdowns and the inability to clear the puck when in trouble.
Both of the Red Wings losses in the series have been a result of poor physical play and lazy defense. They have not shown authority when clearing the puck out of harm’s way. They have not stepped up and laid enough body into the Coyote enforcers.
Instead of switching goalies, the Red Wings need to focus on solidifying their defense and winning the physical battles for the puck deep in their own zone. It was turnovers, not poor goaltending, that kept them from winning game three on home ice.
Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com
- In: Uncategorized
- Tags: Detroit Red Wings, Hockey, Jimmy Howard, nhl, Opinion, Stanley Cup
- Read More
- Comments Off