NHL Regular Season Wrap-Up

April 12, 2009
New York, NY


This weekend marks the end of the NHL Regular Season, so it’s time for a look back at this year’s surprises and a post-season review Mr. Black’s Favorite NHL teams. Back in the fall, things weren’t looking good in Mr. Black’s World. The Avs and Rangers, my hometown teams, weren’t expected to be contending mainly because both were relatively young and untested. However, being the optimist that I am, I expected both to be playing postseason hockey.

Well, one out of two isn’t bad.


This Year’s Eastern Conference Surprises
#1. The Devils Playing Better Without Tubby
Before his injury, if I told you that the Devils of the Turnpike might be better without Martin Brodeur would you believe me? Probably not. In fact, you’d say, “Mr. Black, perhaps you might like to lie down and rest.”

With a six game winless streak at the end of the season and four of the last ten, something seems to be wrong over the river. Like a lot of teams, the Devils seem to relax a little with Brodeur in net, thinking Fatso (Sean Avery’s words, not mine) will bail them out.

Be careful, Devils. After the injury Brodeur is giving up goals in bunches and you can’t just turn effort on and off like a switch. You’ve lost three of four to your first round opponent, the Carolina Hurricanes. An early exit, perhaps?


#2. Pittsburgh and Tampa Underachieving Spectacularly
What happened to the Pens and Lightning?

Pittsburgh added some veterans to improve a young group that was a Stanley Cup finalist. What happens? They fall out of the playoff race by February, only the scramble back in after a coaching change.

I blame Sidney Crosby. First, I want to say that he’s an immensely talented player. I enjoy watching him in the same way I enjoy watching A-Rod. They are both thoroughbreds, blessed with immense physical gifts and ability. On the other hand, they both seem like terrible teammates since they attract so much attention that all sense of team is lost. And they never seem to deliver in the clutch.

They have no idea that they are constantly letting the team down, and never simply take over when needed. Nothing is more annoying to teammates than a talented player who doesn’t rise to the occasion, and attracts all the attention.

This is why I don’t want A-Rod back…can someone send some steroids to Tampa so he’ll get busted?

On to Tampa:

Loaded with young talent. Check.
Well known, high-profile coach. Check.
High expectations. Check.
Coach fired almost before the end of training camp, leading to shopping of aforementioned young talent? Check.

A bit of a surprise for the one-time Stanley Cup Champions to lay an egg like this. What they need is a strong coach that could properly motivate their young talent. Like say, John Tortarella. You remember him, right? He’s the guy who USED to be the coach.



#3. Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals
Is it possible to be the best team in the league without a stud goaltender?

Maybe not the best, but definitely the most entertaining. With the best player in the league, Alex Ovechkin, playing the game like a kid and lighting up the lamp, the Caps have been the most fun team to watch this year. Ovechkin is awesome, and slightly off center in an Eastern European way so look for some fun goal celebrations if he plays well in the playoffs. With Theodore in net, look for some 5-4 and 6-5 wins.

The Rangers will play the Capitals in the first round, and I’m none too happy. These guys are the most dangerous team in the league.



New York Rangers Regular Season Wrap Up
Which brings us to the Blueshirts. After an incredibly wild ride, the Rangers ended up exactly where most preseason polls put them, in the middle/lower level of playoff teams in the Eastern Conference.

Rewind back to the beginning of the season and you can understand some of the frustration of the Garden Faithful. After sprinting out of the gate with a 10-2-1-1 record in the first month, the Rangers were looking like the team to beat through November.

Young players like Nik Zherdev, Fredrik Sjostrom and Lauri Korpikoski all were playing lights out hockey, which really helped hide how much the veterans like Gomez, Drury and Redden were under performing. By the way, did anyone REALLY expect Redden to be the top defenseman on this team? Honestly, the guy has maxed out at “above par” in his career and the Rangers give him a massive contract.

YOUR NEW YORK RANGERS….spending themselves into mediocrity. Again. (Let's all take a deep breath and hope Redden's contract was an abberation.)

So after a quick start, the cracks started showing as the kids started to play inconsistently, and a poor powerplay contributed to a loss of momentum. By the holidays malaise had set in, and the Garden crowed was in open revolt. By the All-Star break everyone was screaming for Renney’s head, and the worst thing that could happen to a team with a conservative system happened…the team started playing tight.

The team eventually gave up on Coach Renney, John Tortarella came on the scene and immediately put his stamp on the team. With up tempo play, and a strong forecheck, and an oddly supportive attitude for some underperformers (I’m looking in your general direction, Wade Redden).

After key additions of Nik Antropov, Derek Morris and Sean Avery at the deadline, the Rangers were complete. Antropov supplied some size and soft hands around the net, Morris supplied some solid defensive depth and a cool head and Avery, well he does what a miscreant does. But he does it for us and we love him.

Hiring Tortarella was a brilliant move (one that at the time I was admittedly skeptical of), the new, nice Tortarella stroked those who needed a little ego stroking (Drury, Redden and Gomez) who all responded by stepping up their play. Also, he was hard on the lazier players (looking your way this time, Zherdev) which will hopefully pay dividends in the playoffs.

So, look for the real John Tortarella to come back on Wednesday. No more ego stroking, not coddling. Just an expectation of hard play every shift. With a few lucky bounces, they are equipped to make a long run…but they need a little bit of luck to get past Washington.


This Year’s Western Conference Surprises
#1. The Tanking of the Dallas Stars
Who would have thought that the Stars would lay this egg? Something had to be amiss in the Big D, since they turned it around after suspending Avery, but it was too little, too late and they’ll miss the playoffs. Shocking, since I expected them to be a fifth seed this year.


#2 The Re-Emergence of the Chicago Blackhawks
After spending about eight years as one of the most embarrassing franchises in hockey, the Blackhawks started to turn it around a few years ago. Smart drafting brought them Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews and a great trade for Martin Havlat made them respectable. The two-headed Christobal Huet/Nikolai Shishkebabiboolin monster in goal pushed them over the top, to a number four seed and get 102 points this year. I for one, am shocked, this happened about two years too early.

Still, the franchise gets the penalty box for dumbest giveaway in NHL history (video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPaFkdEneWY) and having cheerleaders. Yes, cheerleaders in hockey.


Colorado Avalanche Season Recap
This is painful to revisit.

I had the pleasure/pain experience of seeing the Avs come to The Garden play the Rangers a few months back. As I watched them get absolutely destroyed in a 6-1 shelling, I had two thoughts:

First, I haven’t seen a team look this bad since the New York Islanders from 1986 to today. Of course, they don’t really count because, well, they’re the Islanders.

Second, there is way too much talent on this team to be the second-worst team in the league. (Second, of course, to the New York Islanders – sorry, I can’t help it.)

Looking back, I shouldn’t have been surprised since the Avs weren’t expected to do much. Most preseason polls had them missing the playoffs, but going into the season, I optimistically thought they would be able to sneak in. After watching them knock off a few five game winning streaks early on I was feeling good.

But then the wheels came off. Capable of winning five in a row, they were also capable of losing eight straight just as easily. Over the course of the year extended losing streaks were the case all too often.

Too many injuries, too much inconsistent play from their youngsters and yet another season where perennial “goalie of the future” Peter Budaj added up to a horrible year I’d rather forget. So look for some changes this offseason, I’ve already called Kroneke:

#1. Fire Tony Granato
Coaches make great scapegoats (See Melrose, Barry), but in this case he’s a big part of the problem. For example:

"Hey, we've dealt with some things that nobody wants to deal with during the season" You also understand that it's part of the risk going into it, that you might have to face situations like this … At the start of the year, there was the excitement of Joe's return, and of building it as a year of maybe being Joe's last year. That was a tremendous way to come through training camp and the start of the season. With him going down first with the injury bug, or a long-term injury, kind of knocked us off course a bit.”

So basically, losing Joe Sakic took the wind out of your sails. Rather than challenge the young guys to pick up the slack so they are still in the race when your star gets back, you roll over? He failed the first time, and was an epic fail the second time. He’s a really nice guy, and was a hardworking hockey player, but lacks the fire and competitiveness that a young team needs.

Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out, Tony.

#2 The Return of Pierre Lacroix
In the heyday of the Nordiques/Avs, there were tons of things that Pierre Lacroix did which drove me insane. Trading away young talent, not re-signing Chris Drury, Stephane Yelle, Mike Ricci and Adam Foote and his French-Canadian haughtiness always upset me.

But during his reign, the Avs always had a stocked farm club with exciting players like Milan Hejduk constantly restocking the forward lines. Also, no one was more capable of making more one-sided deadline trades.

To a certain point, Lacroix is partially responsible for the problem by trading too much young talent, but he’s also the only guy that might be able to fix the team quickly. Time to come out of your semi-retirement and clean up your mess. Which starts with…

#3 Fix the Defense
There will be a strong temptation to draft Canadian forward John Tavares. Don’t. Milan Hejduk and Paul Statsny aren’t going anywhere, so draft Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman.

We have no goaltending, so do all you can to stop the offensive bleeding. In fact, don’t draft any offensive players for a few rounds, your defense is worse than the Broncos.

#4 Convince Sakic to Come Back
It was sad to see that Joe Sakic couldn’t get back for the last three games as planned. Whatever you do, do not let Joe retire this year. First, he's still one of the top 20 forwards in the game, and that's being conservative.

Second, he can’t end his career on the IR, because he’s the older, steadying influence this teams needs. Young guys like Statsny will learn more just being around him that most coaches will teach them, plus no one has worn the Avs sweater with more class and distinction, so bring him back and let him finish his career on the ice.

Finally we need him emotionally. Nothing encapsulates the Colorado season as much as this clip from last week: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsvy9lguQeY

We’ll need SOMETHING to cheer next year, I think it will be a long one. Bring on the Sakic Farewell Tour!

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