- The St. Louis Blues shut out Dallas Monday 1-0. With the win, the Blues moved into a three way tie for top spot in the overall NHL Standings. Since the hiring of Ken Hitchcock, the Blues have rolled to a 21-5-6 record. That is stunning. The team itself is pretty much the same as a year ago, minus the additions of Jason Arnott, Jamie Langenbrunner and Brian Elliott. Sure seems like they’ve bought into what Hitch is selling. Monday night was the 9th straight time the Blues kept their opponent off the scoreboard in the third period. Pretty good sign. Being able to lock things down in the third period is a trademark of elite level teams.
- Ryan Miller is having a nightmare season in Buffalo. On a few occasions this season, Miller has come out with scathing comments after a loss. Sometimes directed at the media, other times at his team mates. After the 5-0 hammer job they took against Detroit, Miller was at it again suggesting that a simple trade wasn’t going to rectify the issues plaguing them. Interestingly, Miller was pulled from the hockey game in the 2nd period after allowing five goals and was still steaming afterwards even though he was allowed to sit on the bench for the send half of the game and cool off. The Sabres are just two points up on Montreal in the East and the Habs are viewed by many as a complete mess.
- We’re past the half way point of the season and it seems difficult to see anyone than Ken Hitchcock, John Tortorella or Paul MacLean being nominated for the Jack Adams Award.
- The griping hasn’t even started and I’m already dreading the belly aching about the NHL All Star Game. If it bothers you so, don’t watch it. No guns to your head people.
- Could it be that Eli is the best QB in the Manning family?
- I find it hard to believe that Sean Avery is still sought after in the NHL. Last week, two teams had allegedly reached out to the New York Rangers and said they would have claimed him on re-entry waivers if they were to have called him up. If Avery is actually a good guy, no one has done more damage to their reputation and perception than he has. I’m not sure what he can actually bring anymore on the ice, but I don’t see how any team that is in the hunt for post season success and cares about dressing room chemistry would bother with this guy anymore.
- Not sure about Mike Cammalleri in #93.
- The way I see it, there’s one spot up for grabs in the Western Conference playoff picture. I think St. Louis, Vancouver, San Jose, Detroit, Chicago, Nashville, and Los Angeles will be somewhere in there. I’m not sold on Minnesota. I think it’s a five team race for one spot. I’m not sure what to think in the East. I find it hard to believe Pittsburgh or Washington wouldn’t make it. New Jersey could fall out and maybe even reality catches up to the Ottawa Senators. It’s awfully early to be looking at playoff races and chases, but the East is going to have some incredible drama down the stretch.
- Seems like Steve Yzerman has his work cut out for him in Tampa Bay after all. Yzerman took over the Lightning last season and pardon the play on words, but they in fact caught Lightning in a bottle. They went on an impressive playoff run and were one of the best stories of the season. This year has been a drastically different story. Outside of Steven Stamkos, who continues to score like no other, the Lightning have been a disappointment. In fairness, Martin St. Louis has been solid and Vincent Lecavalier has performed okay, but the goaltending hasn’t been great and their depth has been exposed. Not only will they not be playoff team, they could be in line for a lottery pick. Maybe it’s a one year dip and after selected a young stud high in the draft they will be back. Or, maybe Guy Boucher’s defensive trap style can’t win in the long run in the National Hockey League.
- Can you believe Darcy Tucker is still counting on Toronto’s salary cap? He played two years in Colorado after being bought out in Toronto and STILL has two years after this on the Leafs cap hit. Bad signing there.
- Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson has 44 points in 46 games to lead blueliners in scoring. Not bad for a guy who probably couldn’t be picked out of a police lineup in a majority of NHL cities.
- Time for a nap. 8:30 start in San Jose? Nice.
