The Blog lives on...

Finally, after 2 weeks of absence and rumors of the apparent death of the Blog, The Dwarf's Musings are back. A lot has happened in the world of sports in the last 2 weeks, but discussing it all would be too long. We'll keep the football talk for next week as part of my NFL Musings, which will appear a day early on Monday. Also next week, I will post a couple of CD reviews, something I haven't done in a long while. But for now, here are my Thursday NHL Thoughts for this week...

THURSDAY NHL THOUGHTS - 11/16/06 EDITION

There is an excellent article on espn.com by Toronto journalist Damien Cox on the current uproar against the setup of the schedule. You can read it on the NHL page of Espn.go.com. Check it out, it's worth it.

In the article, Cox discusses how the lack of current controversy in the league is opening the door to pity little debates like the one on the schedule. Reading that, I thought it would be a great idea for me to share with you my thoughts on the current state of the league.

Let's start with the on-ice product. Like any good hockey fan, I love it. The game flows a lot more, there is less clutch-and-grab and the excitement is just that much more palpable. I mean, 2 nights ago, the Devils lost a 2-0 lead in 1 min 30 sec. in the 3rd period of their game against the Rangers. A couple of years back, that was inimaginable. You have to love that. Still, the effect on the game of some rules are still being debated. Patrick Roy was quoted as saying that the rule preventing the goaltenders from playing the puck outside the trapezoid behind their net was facilitating the dump-and-chase tactic, thus perhaps motivating players not to try to enter the zone carrying the puck and making it easier on less talented players.

Roy might have a point. Then again, one of the reasons the trap worked so well for teams like New Jersey and Minnesota was that their goalies were so good at handling the puck. They could sit at their blue line and wait for the opposition because they knew that if the fowards dumped it in, Brodeur or Fernandez would have no problem getting there and handling the puck. Goalies can still stop the puck behind the net, but they don't have the same freedom they once did, so defensemen now have to back up a bit more and maybe the blue line to the opposition. So, in fact, it is now much easier to carry the puck in. Likewise, if the player chooses to dump it in, the defenseman has to go get it, and when he does, he knows he's gonna get hit hard. Defensemen getting pummeled into the glass by hard-charging fowards? You have to love that. The Dwarf's verdict: good rule.

Some believe that removing the red line for 2-zone passes has actually led to a greater number of lazy players not coming back and waiting at the opposition's blue line. I can imagine that for a coach, this is a nightmare. I can also imagine that for a defenseman, having a foward behind you is the worst feeling ever. But as fans, are we just always waiting for that long, Hail-Mary pass sending a guy in alone on the goalie? Plus, if the player is too lazy and doesn't come back, then you can have a 5-4 or 4-3 situation in the opposition's zone, which is good. And finally, if that long lead pass is intercepted, then you can have a turnover which leads to a scoring chance. The Dwarf's verdict: good rule.

Some will argue against the tag-up offside rule (where no offisde is called if a player exits the offensive after a puck was shot in) and the delay of game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass in the defensive zone, but I think that when you look at the overall spectacle the game offers now, it all amounts to nothing more than petty bickering.

Are there things that could be better? Sure. Diving is becoming a real problem now and the league needs to start taking the necessary measures to stop it. Also, some players have developed the habit of turning towards the boards before being checked, effectively attracting a boarding call. You will never change the fact that some players will use the rules to their advantage, but the league could do more to prevent these types of actions. But overall, the game is as good as it has been in years; and we, the fans, are the main beneficiaries of that. And, as Carlito would say: "That's cool".

Random thoughts fom around the league

• The Canadiens are looking really good right now. In the absence of Chris Higgins, Guillaume Latendresse has been elevated to the first line and he's responded well. Still, I don't really understand the whole frenzy around this kid. He's gonna be good someday, but he's no Malkin. And if the fans in Montreal don't let up with all the talk, in 3 years from now, when he scores 25-30 goals/year, they'll burn him at the stakes for not being a 50 goal scorer. So it needs to stop. On another note, it's good to see Huet has regained some of his previous form and that Souray has learned the art of the slap shot again.
  
• The Detroit Red Wings have as much character, if not more, than any other team in the league. Just when everybody was writing them off, they alter their game plan and suddnly no one seem to be able to beat them. Hasek is playing great again and Zetterberg is starting to fill the net. The question remains, though, as to whether they can avoid folding in the playoffs again.
• While the Rangers, like the Red Wings, have gotten into a groove, Pittsburgh is quickly falling from grace. As of my last post, they were 7-3-0. Today, they stand at 8-6-2, having gone 1-3-2 in their last 6 games. The kids are scoring, but it seems getting outshot badly in every game has finally caught up to them. I still feel they will battle for a playoff spot, but they are just a pretender for now, not a contender.
• Is there a more surprising team than Washington right now (8-5-5). It seems no one on that team except Ovechkin can score in the shootout, as evidenced by their 0-4 shootout record, but they have bought into a team concept, even though the team could be called the Washington Ovechkins. Still, they are letting their star player carrying the offense, and the rest of the team concentrates of playing good defense, being physical, and protecting their goalie. If they make the playoffs, it will be quite an achievement. Consider this: a team with far more talent, featuring the likes of Sergei Fedorov, David Vyborny, Rick Nash, Anson Carter and Adam Foote, the Columbus Blue Jackets just fired their coach.
• Will someone please kill all the rumors of Martin St.Louis and Vinny Lecavalier going to Montreal, or anywhere else for that matter? It's not going to happen.
• With Christmas approaching, big contracts are starting to be more easy to fit under the cap. Look for some more or less big trades to happen within the next month. Forsberg probably won't be a Flyer by the time the trade deadline arrives. Also look for the Oilers to add a #2 or #3 defenseman to quarterback the power play. Names going around are Brad Stuart (possible), Dan Boyle (not going to happen), Paul Mara of the Bruins (possible), Chris Phillips in Ottawa (not happening) and Lubomir Visnovsky of the Kings. If anything does happen, I think Visnovsky is the likeliest candidate.
• Look for Glen Murray to be moved out of Boston. It won't happen soon, but towards the trade deadline, he will be very good bait. He is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Well, I have fallen even deeper in the standings of the pool. Very simply, my players stink right now. Between Martin Gerber in nets, Wade Redden and Marc-Andre Bergeron on defense and Doug Weight, Patrick Elias and Joffrey Lupul on offense, my team boasts an all-star lineup of busts. I thus proclaim this group the all-star bad pick team of the week. By contrast, our pool leader, Sweet LP, can put an all-star cast of Great picks of the week on the ice by sending out Slava Kozlov at center flanked by Marian Hossa and Jaromir Jagr, with Bryan McCabe and Zdeno Chara on defense and Martin Brodeur in net. Pretty good... Pretty good... No wonder he's 61 points ahead of me. Meanwhile, The Dick, Huy and Veillotron are fighting to stay alive, and they're still in the game. Huy is still a contender despite losing Marian Gaborik and Todd Bertuzzi for extended periods of time. And while Evgeni Malkin has turned out to be a pretty good pick (although a high one), I have to tease him a bit for picking Jordan Staal, who came a hair away from playing 10 games and the rest of the season in Junior. And finally, a little tip of the hat to Veillotron for picking the coolest player in the league, Ovechkin. Coolness goes a long way when you're doomed to lose.

See you Monday!

Dwarf out