Happy Post-Trade Deadline day for the NHL. I don't know about you guys but I'm glad it's over!!! Nothing too exciting happened except for the Ryan Smith deal. Depending on who you talk to the writing was on the wall for Smith to be dealt. He was demanding a huge long-term contract and Kevin Lowe wasn't going to give in. I believe that Oiler management knew well in advance that Smith wasn't going to give in to a 'hometown deal' so they could've had their ducks in a row long before the trade deadline. In other words, they should've known what the other 29 GM's would've given up for Ryan Smith. Surely, at the GM's meeting in Naples, Florida, Kevin Lowe would've had a good sense as to what team would've given him the best deal for Smith. This is why I have no idea why he traded Smith for 2 prospects and a pick!!! Kind of reminiscent of the Joe Thornton trade Boston made with San Jose...basically giving him away for a bag of pucks and a stick-boy!!! Just my two cents!!!
Anyway, from my stand-point, these are the winners and the losers...
Winners:
East
The Pittsburgh Penguins - They were able to get a gritty forward who loves play-off hockey in Gary Roberts. They also get George Laracque who's going to keep everyone honest when it comes to Crosby and Malkin. They just may be playing Ottawa in the 1st round and that would be bad news for Ottawa...unfortunately for Sens fans this would be another early play-off dismissal and I'm willing to bet that Roberts is going to have a big hand in that!!!!
West
The San Jose Sharks - In getting Bill Guerin they'll be able to spread out more scoring responsibilty. Thornton and Guerin played together in Boston so they wouldn't be strangers if paired up on the same line. Also, they picked up Craig Rivet from the Habs on Sunday. He's a solid defencman but suffering from pneumonia right now. Should be good to go soon.
Losers
East
Well the losers from the trade deadline in the east is a tough one to nail down. Ottawa wanted Roberts but got Oleg Saprykin. Not quite the same type of player.
Montreal needed goaltending so they claimed Michael Leighton off waivers from the Flyers. They could've had seasoned goalies such as Eddie Belfour or Curtis Joseph for next to nothing.
Toronto got Yanic Perrault...FOR THE THIRD TIME!!! This has got to be the biggest trade loser in the east. They get Perrault, who was a free agent looking for a team at the beginning of the season...nobody wanted him!!! Toronto trades Brendan Bell for him...Bell is a solid defenceman that is starting to mature and will only get better. I can only shake my head at the Big Smoke and laugh...if there's a more backward team in the NHL please point them out to me because I have no idea who they are.
West
And this is strictly from the trade deadline point of view. Detroit is the biggest loser by acquiring Todd Bertuzzi. This man has played 7 games all season and hasn't even been close to game shape...what are they thinking. The Panthers get Shawn Matthias and up to 2 conditional draft picks, depending on how the team and Bertuzzi do from here on in. Now I still think that Detroit will do well in the play-offs but I doubt that Bertuzzi will have any influence in any of their series!!
Well...that's my opinion on what went down yesterday. I'm sure everyone agrees with me so I won't be surprised if I don't get any comments.
Let's see how the last section of this season plays out...I'll be back next week to let you know who's in and who's out of the play-off's!!!
Till then...
Always shoot for the 5-hole...
CHEERS!!!
The Rokpig!!!
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Tainted Numbers...
Hey everybody!!! Just wanted to thank you for the comments that some of you have left me. Some have been humurous and others have been creative. There is one person who keeps asking for a some insight on some beach volleyball...I will email you that one separately. May not go over too well in this space. I would also like to encourage everyone to forward this blog-site to anyone else that may be of interest in something like this. The more the merrier and it would encourage even more feedback and comments...which is what this blogging stuff is all about!!!
Now...onto what bugs me!!!!
The records of goalies and coaches are being tainted by the shoot-out!!! To put it simply, any winning record that gets set by either a goalie or a coach should have an asterisk next to it. When a team wins in the shoot-out, both the coach and the goalie get credited for the win. The player that scores a goal in the shoot-out doesn't accumulate a point toward the scoring race. That means that all other coaches and goalies who have set records for wins could have had better numbers. Back when games could end in a tie, neither the coach nor the goalie would get the win (obviously). For example, if you look at the 1,244 wins that Scotty Bowman achieved, he amassed 314 ties over his illustrious career? It would be safe to say that if he had the shoot-out he may have gotten another 150 wins. How about Patrick Roy's numbers? He holds the record for most wins by a goalie at 551. He had 131 ties. It would also be safe to say that he could've gained another 65 wins out of those ties had it been for the shoot-out. Now Ottawa Senators coach, Bryan Murray has just been credited with his 600th career win. However, it was done in a shoot-out! These numbers are fudging the accomplishments of past record-setters who didn't have the luxury of shoot-outs. In order for the records to be broken and set by the present-day hockey personnel then the NHL has to rule out any accomplishments achieved from the results of a shoot-out. In other words, give the team the points in the standings for the win but the goalie and the coach should not get the credit for the win. If they are still tied at the end of overtime then their stats should show a tie. The NHL has to address this situation as soon as possible and correct the numbers before it gets out of hand. If they don't then the record books will be filled with a whole lot of asterisks...which will only cloud the achievements of the past!!
That's my beef for the week!!!!
I appreciate your time...comments are appreciated!!!
Go BRUINS Go...
The Rokpig...
Now...onto what bugs me!!!!
The records of goalies and coaches are being tainted by the shoot-out!!! To put it simply, any winning record that gets set by either a goalie or a coach should have an asterisk next to it. When a team wins in the shoot-out, both the coach and the goalie get credited for the win. The player that scores a goal in the shoot-out doesn't accumulate a point toward the scoring race. That means that all other coaches and goalies who have set records for wins could have had better numbers. Back when games could end in a tie, neither the coach nor the goalie would get the win (obviously). For example, if you look at the 1,244 wins that Scotty Bowman achieved, he amassed 314 ties over his illustrious career? It would be safe to say that if he had the shoot-out he may have gotten another 150 wins. How about Patrick Roy's numbers? He holds the record for most wins by a goalie at 551. He had 131 ties. It would also be safe to say that he could've gained another 65 wins out of those ties had it been for the shoot-out. Now Ottawa Senators coach, Bryan Murray has just been credited with his 600th career win. However, it was done in a shoot-out! These numbers are fudging the accomplishments of past record-setters who didn't have the luxury of shoot-outs. In order for the records to be broken and set by the present-day hockey personnel then the NHL has to rule out any accomplishments achieved from the results of a shoot-out. In other words, give the team the points in the standings for the win but the goalie and the coach should not get the credit for the win. If they are still tied at the end of overtime then their stats should show a tie. The NHL has to address this situation as soon as possible and correct the numbers before it gets out of hand. If they don't then the record books will be filled with a whole lot of asterisks...which will only cloud the achievements of the past!!
That's my beef for the week!!!!
I appreciate your time...comments are appreciated!!!
Go BRUINS Go...
The Rokpig...
Thursday, February 15, 2007
True Post-Game For The True Fans!!!!
Are you sick of hearing the same old post-game questions with the same old post-game answers? Reporters asking the safe questions and the athletes supplying the politically correct responses!!! It's getting boring and predictable!!! Fans want to know how the athletes feel after a win or a loss!!! I think people want to know what's going on in their heads!!! People I've spoken to have expressed the same feeling and are frustrated with the way reporters and athletes converse. There have been a few gems that are highlights in the mundane world of post-game conferences...I think Bobby Knight owns most of the spectacular post-game footage...most of the time the questions and answers are typical politically correct nonsense.
I've decided to put together my own version of a post-game news conference. Any similarities to real people or real situations are purely coincidental...and purely for entertainment purposes!!!
Enjoy!!!
Good evening everybody this is Lance P. Mannion with the post-game scoop. I normally cover figure-skating but we were short-staffed so I will attempt to get to the heart of this game. Now, The Philadelphia Flyers just upset one of the big teams in the NHL and I have the coach here to answer a few questions.
REPORTER: How did you feel about getting the win?
COACH: To be honest, I am kind a pissed off. I was hoping to get back home so I could watch "American Idol." Now I have to use my excellent coaching skills to build from this game.
REPORTER: Your team was very animated after the win. Can you talk about that?
COACH: They were just happy as hell that they didn't have to watch "American Idol" with me.
REPORTER: What was the key to the win?
COACH: We scored more points.
REPORTER: Did you do anything different to them for the win?
COACH: Well, I opted for the buffet rather than the continental breakfast.
REPORTER: Your next opponent will present a lot of problems for you. Do you think you have a chance?
COACH: Hell, you're right we've got no shot so we'll probably just skip the game and plan a night out at the local strip joint.
REPORTER: How big is this win for your team?
COACH: Well, it was nice, but not as big as the anticipation of Peter’s Swedish Bean Dip for the next team showing of “American Idol.”
REPORTER: Is this the biggest win of your career?
COACH: Well, in the fourth grade the kids on my street beat the guys from the next block over.
REPORTER: Talk about the shot that went in off the skate of their defenceman.
COACH: That's part of our special teams training. Our guy was open in front of the net, but we wanted a high-percentage shot.
REPORTER: You keep referring to your 'four out - one in' special team. Can you elaborate? COACH: Yeah, we take four guys out of the game and just put one in. It's a good ploy.
REPORTER: You and Coach Doe are great friends. Do you feel bad for him?
COACH: Yeah, I do. As a matter of fact I feel so bad that I am going to tell him that he can play the next game instead of us.
REPORTER: What are you going to do to get ready for the next game?
COACH: We're going to hang out, have a few drinks, maybe get a few movies from Blockbuster or just order pay per view porn. Stuff like that.
REPORTER: What are the negatives about the win?
COACH: Well, my assistant coach is pissed because some woman winked at him during the game, but blew him off afterwards.
REPORTER: Your next opponent is an overwhelming favorite. How can you beat them? COACH: Well, we are going to breakdown film later so why don't you come on over and give us some of your tremendous insight.
Now, the Red Wings have just taken the worst loss of the season and the coach has taken a seat in the press room to answer questions from the media.
REPORTER: How do you feel about the loss?
COACH: I feel just freaking great about it. Now I can get back in time to see the finale of "American Idol."
REPORTER: With about three-minutes remaining you called the refs over. Was there a problem with the clock or were you confused about something else?
COACH: Actually my staff and I had no idea what to do with our final few minutes so I asked the ref if he could get a few members of the distinguished media to coach our team. You people seem to be just overflowing with hockey knowledge.
REPORTER: Their defense seemed to bother you. You couldn’t get any shots from in-close. Can you explain that?
COACH: Great observation, but we weren’t actually trying to hit the net. I told the lads to pick a spot somewhere on the glass and aim for it.
REPORTER: Are you disappointed in your team's effort?
COACH: They are a great group of guys and they worked so hard for me so I am glad that they got their asses kicked today.
REPORTER: What was the key to the loss?
COACH: The other team scored more points.
REPORTER: Your team didn't seem to be as focused tonight. I didn't see that same intensity. They looked like they didn't have their game faces on.
COACH: You're absolutely right. We had them, but we left them back at the hotel. My centreman had a skeleton face, my wingers were both sporting Zorro masks, my defencemen had Abbott & Costello faces and my goalie had a nice Batman mask. Hell, he even had an outstanding cape.
REPORTER: Can you talk about the great contribution from your goalie today?
COACH: He always plays better after a liquid lunch.
REPORTER: Why did you switch from the trap to fire wagon hockey?
COACH: Well, we played fire wagon for the entire game. Glad to see you were watching though.
REPORTER: When your number one centre left the game due to the major penalty, did that hurt your team?
COACH: No, it was great. He sat next to me on the bench and we talked about where we were going to eat after the game. Then he asked my assistant coach about the girl who winked at him. I think he is going to hook up with her.
REPORTER: I thought I heard your assistant coach yelling '4-1 offence' or something like that. Was that the offensive format you wanted?
COACH: No, he was trying to tell that woman that he was in room 41 at the hotel.
REPORTER: Your team didn't seem to have that same sense of urgency that they had in the last game.
COACH: Hell, you're right. I forgot to tell them that if we lose I get fired and they will be coached by you for the rest of the season.
REPORTER: When you were down one with two-seconds left in the game were you looking for an offensive miracle?
COACH: Actually I was looking for the hotdog guy and my assistant coach was looking for that woman.
REPORTER: During the final timeout before the last five minutes you looked angry. Could you talk about that sequence?
COACH: Well, we had turned the puck over on four straight possessions, which all resulted in goals for them so would you have preferred that I was ecstatic? Then you could have asked me why I was smiling. Great question.
REPORTER: What problems did they present for you?
COACH: Probably the fact that they scored more goals.
REPORTER: What were the positives that came out of the loss?
COACH: My assistant coach did hook up with that woman.
REPORTER: What did you say to the team after the game?
COACH: I told them that I was sorry, but that they had to go out and answer stupid questions from the media.
I've decided to put together my own version of a post-game news conference. Any similarities to real people or real situations are purely coincidental...and purely for entertainment purposes!!!
Enjoy!!!
Good evening everybody this is Lance P. Mannion with the post-game scoop. I normally cover figure-skating but we were short-staffed so I will attempt to get to the heart of this game. Now, The Philadelphia Flyers just upset one of the big teams in the NHL and I have the coach here to answer a few questions.
REPORTER: How did you feel about getting the win?
COACH: To be honest, I am kind a pissed off. I was hoping to get back home so I could watch "American Idol." Now I have to use my excellent coaching skills to build from this game.
REPORTER: Your team was very animated after the win. Can you talk about that?
COACH: They were just happy as hell that they didn't have to watch "American Idol" with me.
REPORTER: What was the key to the win?
COACH: We scored more points.
REPORTER: Did you do anything different to them for the win?
COACH: Well, I opted for the buffet rather than the continental breakfast.
REPORTER: Your next opponent will present a lot of problems for you. Do you think you have a chance?
COACH: Hell, you're right we've got no shot so we'll probably just skip the game and plan a night out at the local strip joint.
REPORTER: How big is this win for your team?
COACH: Well, it was nice, but not as big as the anticipation of Peter’s Swedish Bean Dip for the next team showing of “American Idol.”
REPORTER: Is this the biggest win of your career?
COACH: Well, in the fourth grade the kids on my street beat the guys from the next block over.
REPORTER: Talk about the shot that went in off the skate of their defenceman.
COACH: That's part of our special teams training. Our guy was open in front of the net, but we wanted a high-percentage shot.
REPORTER: You keep referring to your 'four out - one in' special team. Can you elaborate? COACH: Yeah, we take four guys out of the game and just put one in. It's a good ploy.
REPORTER: You and Coach Doe are great friends. Do you feel bad for him?
COACH: Yeah, I do. As a matter of fact I feel so bad that I am going to tell him that he can play the next game instead of us.
REPORTER: What are you going to do to get ready for the next game?
COACH: We're going to hang out, have a few drinks, maybe get a few movies from Blockbuster or just order pay per view porn. Stuff like that.
REPORTER: What are the negatives about the win?
COACH: Well, my assistant coach is pissed because some woman winked at him during the game, but blew him off afterwards.
REPORTER: Your next opponent is an overwhelming favorite. How can you beat them? COACH: Well, we are going to breakdown film later so why don't you come on over and give us some of your tremendous insight.
Now, the Red Wings have just taken the worst loss of the season and the coach has taken a seat in the press room to answer questions from the media.
REPORTER: How do you feel about the loss?
COACH: I feel just freaking great about it. Now I can get back in time to see the finale of "American Idol."
REPORTER: With about three-minutes remaining you called the refs over. Was there a problem with the clock or were you confused about something else?
COACH: Actually my staff and I had no idea what to do with our final few minutes so I asked the ref if he could get a few members of the distinguished media to coach our team. You people seem to be just overflowing with hockey knowledge.
REPORTER: Their defense seemed to bother you. You couldn’t get any shots from in-close. Can you explain that?
COACH: Great observation, but we weren’t actually trying to hit the net. I told the lads to pick a spot somewhere on the glass and aim for it.
REPORTER: Are you disappointed in your team's effort?
COACH: They are a great group of guys and they worked so hard for me so I am glad that they got their asses kicked today.
REPORTER: What was the key to the loss?
COACH: The other team scored more points.
REPORTER: Your team didn't seem to be as focused tonight. I didn't see that same intensity. They looked like they didn't have their game faces on.
COACH: You're absolutely right. We had them, but we left them back at the hotel. My centreman had a skeleton face, my wingers were both sporting Zorro masks, my defencemen had Abbott & Costello faces and my goalie had a nice Batman mask. Hell, he even had an outstanding cape.
REPORTER: Can you talk about the great contribution from your goalie today?
COACH: He always plays better after a liquid lunch.
REPORTER: Why did you switch from the trap to fire wagon hockey?
COACH: Well, we played fire wagon for the entire game. Glad to see you were watching though.
REPORTER: When your number one centre left the game due to the major penalty, did that hurt your team?
COACH: No, it was great. He sat next to me on the bench and we talked about where we were going to eat after the game. Then he asked my assistant coach about the girl who winked at him. I think he is going to hook up with her.
REPORTER: I thought I heard your assistant coach yelling '4-1 offence' or something like that. Was that the offensive format you wanted?
COACH: No, he was trying to tell that woman that he was in room 41 at the hotel.
REPORTER: Your team didn't seem to have that same sense of urgency that they had in the last game.
COACH: Hell, you're right. I forgot to tell them that if we lose I get fired and they will be coached by you for the rest of the season.
REPORTER: When you were down one with two-seconds left in the game were you looking for an offensive miracle?
COACH: Actually I was looking for the hotdog guy and my assistant coach was looking for that woman.
REPORTER: During the final timeout before the last five minutes you looked angry. Could you talk about that sequence?
COACH: Well, we had turned the puck over on four straight possessions, which all resulted in goals for them so would you have preferred that I was ecstatic? Then you could have asked me why I was smiling. Great question.
REPORTER: What problems did they present for you?
COACH: Probably the fact that they scored more goals.
REPORTER: What were the positives that came out of the loss?
COACH: My assistant coach did hook up with that woman.
REPORTER: What did you say to the team after the game?
COACH: I told them that I was sorry, but that they had to go out and answer stupid questions from the media.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Got em...Got em...Need em...Need em...
Got em...got em...need em...what have you got??? What do you need???
Sounds like the good old days when trading hockey cards was a great way to get the card of your favourite player. You had to be pretty wise, a little sly, and extremely lucky to get the card you wanted without losing a lot in the process. Well guess what...some of those kids never stopped playing that game!!! They grew up and became General Managers of hockey teams and they do the same thing but with real players. Since the introduction of the salary cap blockbuster trades are a little tougher to come by but the potential is still there. I think there will be considerable movement before the trade deadline...Sean Avery has already been moved to the Rangers.
Now, with trading and salary caps the NHL players still hold the upper hand. This is somewhat of a thorn in my side!!!! The going rate for players is starting to creep back up to what it was before the lockout and the owners don't seem to care!!! Can you smell another lockout??? As far as I'm concerned the NFL does it right. If a player signs on to a team that contract is not really worth much. If that player tanks then the team can dump him and his contract. The team is only on the hook for the remainder of the season. If that same mentality applies to the NHL then the Ottawa Senators could dump Martin Gerber and keep Emery...opening up room to get a decent backup. The Montreal Canadiens could dump Sergei Samsonov and free up over $3 Million for next year. Colorado could dump Jose Theodore...the Islanders could dump Alexei Yashin...and the list goes on!!!! If you want true parity in the new NHL then a team shouldn't be forced to keep a high priced boat anchor on their team...they should be able to dump him if he's not performing!!! Then let another team take a chance on him or he just doesn't play!!!! Sounds fair right??? For the amount of money a fan pays to go to a game we should see the best possible product on the ice every game...that means every player should be giving 100% of their work every game in order for him to feel his job is safe. That would make for some very exciting hockey games in every NHL city...hey, US attendance might even go up!!!!
That's it for now...remember the trade deadline is February 27th...there just may be a blockbuster move by then so keep your eyes and ears open!!!
CHEERS!!!!
Bobby Orr's # 1 Fan...
The Rokpig
Sounds like the good old days when trading hockey cards was a great way to get the card of your favourite player. You had to be pretty wise, a little sly, and extremely lucky to get the card you wanted without losing a lot in the process. Well guess what...some of those kids never stopped playing that game!!! They grew up and became General Managers of hockey teams and they do the same thing but with real players. Since the introduction of the salary cap blockbuster trades are a little tougher to come by but the potential is still there. I think there will be considerable movement before the trade deadline...Sean Avery has already been moved to the Rangers.
Now, with trading and salary caps the NHL players still hold the upper hand. This is somewhat of a thorn in my side!!!! The going rate for players is starting to creep back up to what it was before the lockout and the owners don't seem to care!!! Can you smell another lockout??? As far as I'm concerned the NFL does it right. If a player signs on to a team that contract is not really worth much. If that player tanks then the team can dump him and his contract. The team is only on the hook for the remainder of the season. If that same mentality applies to the NHL then the Ottawa Senators could dump Martin Gerber and keep Emery...opening up room to get a decent backup. The Montreal Canadiens could dump Sergei Samsonov and free up over $3 Million for next year. Colorado could dump Jose Theodore...the Islanders could dump Alexei Yashin...and the list goes on!!!! If you want true parity in the new NHL then a team shouldn't be forced to keep a high priced boat anchor on their team...they should be able to dump him if he's not performing!!! Then let another team take a chance on him or he just doesn't play!!!! Sounds fair right??? For the amount of money a fan pays to go to a game we should see the best possible product on the ice every game...that means every player should be giving 100% of their work every game in order for him to feel his job is safe. That would make for some very exciting hockey games in every NHL city...hey, US attendance might even go up!!!!
That's it for now...remember the trade deadline is February 27th...there just may be a blockbuster move by then so keep your eyes and ears open!!!
CHEERS!!!!
Bobby Orr's # 1 Fan...
The Rokpig
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