For those who were unaware, Wayne Gretzky has a very attractive 22 year old daughter who bears much closer resemblance to her mother than her father. She is pursuing a career as an actress/singer/model and had been using Twitter to post sexy pictures of herself, which included many of her partying hard like Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan. The account was closed shortly after she reported sitting down to dinner with her father for a chat about social media, which has sparked rumours that the account was closed at his request. Regardless of how this came to pass, it left many disappointed, though many fathers would sympathize with him. Paulina Gretzky's acting career has gone nowhere despite her father's celebrity, so it is questionable whether her social media techniques have been helping or hurting that career.
When I first saw this story appear in the mainstream Canadian news, my first reaction was disappointment that the Great One's hot daughter had a Twitter account with sexy pictures and it was shut down before I even knew it existed. Oh well, one of the great things about the Internet is that it lasts forever.
Look Paulina, if you want to be a star in today's world, I have two words for you; sex tape. Even a low quality sex tape can launch a career. It is something you should strongly consider. Playboy also launches careers. Think about it...please...
A blog focusing mostly on fantasy hockey, player contracts, and NHL betting. My site has moved to Substack (click here to subscribe for free). I'll continue posting some stuff here, just to keep my old Slatekeeper site alive. This site was founded back in November 2010.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Bruce Boudreau Fired
How often does a coach with a 12-9 record get fired? It can't be too often, though tell that to Marty Schottenheimer. When Bruce Boudreau crossed super-duper star Alex Ovechkin by benching him in the critical moments of a game, his days were numbered. The coach never wins that battle, even if the team has been having a decent season. It is unlikely any insider would disagree that Bruce Boudreau probably has the lowest IQ in the NHL head coaching fraternity. That is not a statement of fact, but an educated guess. ESPN's Bill Simmons was talking about HBO's 24/7 series last year and said that he's convinced after watching it that a person could be functionally retarded and still coach a successful NHL team. He had a talent for inspirational dressing room speeches laced with F-bombs, but ultimately was not a good head coach. He'd make a great assistant coach.
Once Ovechkin turned on him, the writing was on the wall. What's ironic is that with Ovechkin on the bench in that critical moment, Washington scored the game trying goal and went on to win the game. The fact that they won didn't matter. For Boudreau it was an insurmountable loss. There is even a remote possibility that Ovechkin personally asked the owner to fire the coach. Just watch, Ovie is about to go on a tear.
Once Ovechkin turned on him, the writing was on the wall. What's ironic is that with Ovechkin on the bench in that critical moment, Washington scored the game trying goal and went on to win the game. The fact that they won didn't matter. For Boudreau it was an insurmountable loss. There is even a remote possibility that Ovechkin personally asked the owner to fire the coach. Just watch, Ovie is about to go on a tear.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Who Is The Oldest NFL Running Back To Run For 2000 Yards?
Question; who is the oldest running back to ever rush for 2000 yards in the NFL? The answer accomplished this feat at 29 years old, the next closest two were 26. So who was the old guy to surpass this milestone? None other than Barry Sanders, who ran for 2,053 yards at the age of 29 in 1997, one year before he retired less than 1,500 yards away from Walter Peyton's all-time record. Emmitt Smith chose to hang on and took the record after Barry retired. Smith has 3,083 more yards than Sanders, but Emmitt finished with 1,400 more carries.
Runners Up:
Terrell Davis, Denver Broncos, 2,008 yards at age 26
OJ Simpson, Buffalo Bills, 2,003 yards at age 26
Runners Up:
Terrell Davis, Denver Broncos, 2,008 yards at age 26
OJ Simpson, Buffalo Bills, 2,003 yards at age 26
Kevin Smith Gets Hurt, Again
In week 11 of the 2011 NFL season, Kevin Smith returned from obscurity to score 3 touchdowns and over 200 total yards in a win over Carolina (who has the worst run defense in the league). As the Detroit Lions are my favourite team, I'm well aware of Kevin Smith. Watching the start of the Lions-Packers I tweeted:
"Wow, Kevin Smith's ACLs look as good as new. This is not the same guy I used to know. Did they install titanium parts into his body?"
Then 20 minutes later I tweeted:
"Kevin Smith carted off with leg injury. Please disregard my last Tweet."
Oh what a cruel fate for a fan base so thirsty for success. Initial reports say high ankle sprain, which could keep him on the sidelines for significant time. Shame on any of us who saw that once in a lifetime performance and believed this guy would be any different from the man he used to be. Though I gotta say I'm a little bit shocked to see he's only 24. As a Detroit Lions fan, it feels to me like Kevin Smith is about 35 years old, but then again, that 0-16 year felt like 8 years.
"Wow, Kevin Smith's ACLs look as good as new. This is not the same guy I used to know. Did they install titanium parts into his body?"
Then 20 minutes later I tweeted:
"Kevin Smith carted off with leg injury. Please disregard my last Tweet."
Oh what a cruel fate for a fan base so thirsty for success. Initial reports say high ankle sprain, which could keep him on the sidelines for significant time. Shame on any of us who saw that once in a lifetime performance and believed this guy would be any different from the man he used to be. Though I gotta say I'm a little bit shocked to see he's only 24. As a Detroit Lions fan, it feels to me like Kevin Smith is about 35 years old, but then again, that 0-16 year felt like 8 years.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Is Wayne Gretzky Going To Buy The Toronto Maple Leafs?
Rumours have now attached the name of Wayne Gretzky to the sale of the Toronto Maple Leafs, which made some news headlines in Canada. A group looking to buy the Maple Leafs reportedly contacted Gretzky about joining their consortium, Wayne reportedly said no. It was then leaked to the media that Wayne Gretzky was involved in talks to buy the Toronto Maple Leafs. Technically it's true, but the headline is very easy for a Leaf fan to see and misconstrue. Is Wayne Gretzky going to buy the Toronto Maple Leafs? By golly I hope so, and I'm no Leafs fan. Marty McSorley could be brought in as head coach, and why not make his agent director of scouting? Oh the places you'll go!
It's highly unlikely that Wayne has the personal wealth to purchase a major share of the most valuable franchise in the NHL, so his involvement would be mostly ceremonial. He's also coming off a very negative ownership experience in Phoenix, so it's unlikely that he is eager to get back into the owner's box anytime soon. I'm sure that hasn't stopped some Leaf fans for dreaming dreams of the Great One blessing the blue and white...
It's highly unlikely that Wayne has the personal wealth to purchase a major share of the most valuable franchise in the NHL, so his involvement would be mostly ceremonial. He's also coming off a very negative ownership experience in Phoenix, so it's unlikely that he is eager to get back into the owner's box anytime soon. I'm sure that hasn't stopped some Leaf fans for dreaming dreams of the Great One blessing the blue and white...
Monday, November 21, 2011
Sidsational! Welcome Back Crosby
You don't need to be a Pittsburgh Penguins fan to be excited about Sidney Crosby's return from a concussion, and he was worth the wait with 4 points in his 1st game in over 10 months. The game of hockey is better with Sid on the ice and all hockey fans need to celebrate his return. By the way, I would support the NHL adding a rule that any player who injures Sidney Crosby faces a lifetime ban. David Steckel should be stocking grocery shelves right now, Victor Headman I'll cut some slack because Crosby arguably should not have been playing in that game. If they added a rule making it illegal to touch Crosby, I'd be cool with that too, and I'm a Red Wings fan.
Crosby's 4 pts in 1 game pretty much picks up where he left off. Many forget that when Crosby went down last year, he was scoring at a phenomenal rate. Perhaps the big question is where Sid will finish in scoring. He's 25 pts off the scoring lead with 60 games to play. If he can get 4 pts every game then he'd finish comfortably over 200 pts, but 80-90 pts is a much more reasonable expectation. He should at least be able to catch Ovechkin, which would be awesome.
Crosby's 4 pts in 1 game pretty much picks up where he left off. Many forget that when Crosby went down last year, he was scoring at a phenomenal rate. Perhaps the big question is where Sid will finish in scoring. He's 25 pts off the scoring lead with 60 games to play. If he can get 4 pts every game then he'd finish comfortably over 200 pts, but 80-90 pts is a much more reasonable expectation. He should at least be able to catch Ovechkin, which would be awesome.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Vancouver Sportstalk Radio Has A Problem
TSN Radio cannot come fast enough to Vancouver. Despite having two radio stations dedicated to sports (run by the same company), I'm driving home from work on a Saturday night and both stations are 100% dedicated to NCAA football. This being the biggest night in the NHL, they don't have a hockey show when the Canucks don't play. Hockey is far more popular that American college football in this market, so not having a hockey show when it matters most exposes a structural problem in TEAM 1040 and 1410 programming. Since they don't have a non-Canuck hockey show, they both revert to ESPN programming which doesn't care for hockey and loves college football. There might be some college fans, but give them one station, not both.
Look, the Team 1040 has a giant hole in their roster without David Pratt, and they have done nothing to replace him. B-Mac and Taylor suck. They spend a lot of time laughing at each other, and I spend no time laughing with them. The fact that I can't get hockey talk from either of these stations at the end of the games on a f**king Saturday night is a serious problem. Even if the Canucks play, they'll spend more time debating the 7th defenseman than talking about the rest of the NHL.
Please TSN, come to Vancouver. I can't be the only one eagerly anticipating your arrival.
Look, the Team 1040 has a giant hole in their roster without David Pratt, and they have done nothing to replace him. B-Mac and Taylor suck. They spend a lot of time laughing at each other, and I spend no time laughing with them. The fact that I can't get hockey talk from either of these stations at the end of the games on a f**king Saturday night is a serious problem. Even if the Canucks play, they'll spend more time debating the 7th defenseman than talking about the rest of the NHL.
Please TSN, come to Vancouver. I can't be the only one eagerly anticipating your arrival.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Cory Schneider Lit Up By Chicago, Steve Montador On Fire
The Chicago Blackhawks have once again blown out the Vancouver Canucks, this time in a 5-1 romp against Cory Scheinder. The Luongo haters in Vancouver are not going to like this result, as Cory "the next one" did not play well at all. Scheinder has put up better numbers than Luongo so far this season, but this kind of meltdown is not going to help the argument that Luongo should be either benched or shipped out of town. For now Loo is injured, which may provide Cory more opportunities to start depending on its severity. Vancouver fans could get to see a preview of life without Loo, and this was not a good start.
Also, don't look now, but Hawks D-man Steve Montador is suddenly on fire with 4 goals in his last 4 games! I've been one of the few holding on to Stevie in fantasy hockey, and it is now paying off dividends in my 20 team league. If you can't trust Steve Montador, who can you trust? After a slow start, this hot streak has renewed my faith in the hockey Gods.
Also, don't look now, but Hawks D-man Steve Montador is suddenly on fire with 4 goals in his last 4 games! I've been one of the few holding on to Stevie in fantasy hockey, and it is now paying off dividends in my 20 team league. If you can't trust Steve Montador, who can you trust? After a slow start, this hot streak has renewed my faith in the hockey Gods.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Lucic Hit On Ryan Miller
By now most people have seen the replay of Boston Bruin power forward Milan Lucic bowling over Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller far outside the crease, which was not suspendible but set the hockey world a buzz. As a former goaltender, I believe that all goalies should be fair game if they want to leave the crease area to play the puck. That's a risk you choose to take skating out there to make the play. Stay in your net and you don't risk a collision, skate out to play the puck and you might get hit. It is completely fair. The hit shouldn't even have been a penalty. Where does it say in the rules that goalies can skate out to the face off dot to play the puck and can't be touched? Goalies are protected in the crease, not outside of it.
That being said, I have no objection to the Buffalo players responding to the hit with fisticuffs. They knocked down your goalie so the appropriate move is to show your displeasure with physical violence. This is hockey!
By the way, the announcers in this game completely over-reacted to the play as if it were some deadly sin that deserved a harsh punishment. "Attempt to injure"??? You could almost say that of any hit. Then what's funny is one of the announcers who was decrying how despicable this was and did not belong in hockey, then goes on to encourage retribution via Buffalo running Boston's goalie. Good call guy! This is a terrible act and needs to be purged from the game, so let's have the other team go do the exact same thing... Jesus Christ, what a f**king nightmare...
That being said, I have no objection to the Buffalo players responding to the hit with fisticuffs. They knocked down your goalie so the appropriate move is to show your displeasure with physical violence. This is hockey!
By the way, the announcers in this game completely over-reacted to the play as if it were some deadly sin that deserved a harsh punishment. "Attempt to injure"??? You could almost say that of any hit. Then what's funny is one of the announcers who was decrying how despicable this was and did not belong in hockey, then goes on to encourage retribution via Buffalo running Boston's goalie. Good call guy! This is a terrible act and needs to be purged from the game, so let's have the other team go do the exact same thing... Jesus Christ, what a f**king nightmare...
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Joe Paterno's Most Despicable Act
While it remains to be seen if Penn State coach Joe Paterno's role in the recent child molestation scandal was criminally liable; he at the very least allowed a man he knew to be a child predator to have a role in the program for nearly a decade. This was someone who had access to the facilities, the players, had an office across the street, and even played a role in recruiting teenage athletes to come to Penn State after the alleged molestation took place. When his former assistant Jerry Sandusky was caught molesting a 10 year boy in the team shower in 2002 (which was reported to Paterno), regardless of who he was obliged to tell, he should have permanently banished Sandusky from the program and especially campus. Instead he told the Athletic Director and the incident was covered up (allegedly).
Paterno himself went into the living rooms of high school players and asked families to send him their children knowing his team was harbouring an alleged pedophile predator across the street. We can let the courts decide if he was obligated to report the information to the police when the witness informed him of the incident, I just can't understand how Sandusky continues to play a role in the program after this happens. He had a long history of bringing young boys to the stadium while he was an assistant, and I'm wondering when people started to notice something was awry. There had to be suspicion prior to the 2002 incident, possibly even another exposed incident. He "retired" unexpectedly in 1999.
What I don't get is the adult who discovered Sandusky molesting a child in the team shower, and instead of stopping it or calling police, he went home and called his dad. His dad told him to talk to Paterno. This was eventually brought to campus police and the punishment was that Sandusky could not bring young boys to the campus with him anymore. Seriously??? How do you witness a young kid being raped and not do something to stop it? Choosing to flee should be a criminal act of depraved indifference. Talk about your bad samaritan.
This whole story is sickening. It sounds like the cover up (possibly multiple cover ups), was about protecting the program. They did not want to hurt recruiting. So instead of calling the real police they called campus police.
Paterno himself went into the living rooms of high school players and asked families to send him their children knowing his team was harbouring an alleged pedophile predator across the street. We can let the courts decide if he was obligated to report the information to the police when the witness informed him of the incident, I just can't understand how Sandusky continues to play a role in the program after this happens. He had a long history of bringing young boys to the stadium while he was an assistant, and I'm wondering when people started to notice something was awry. There had to be suspicion prior to the 2002 incident, possibly even another exposed incident. He "retired" unexpectedly in 1999.
What I don't get is the adult who discovered Sandusky molesting a child in the team shower, and instead of stopping it or calling police, he went home and called his dad. His dad told him to talk to Paterno. This was eventually brought to campus police and the punishment was that Sandusky could not bring young boys to the campus with him anymore. Seriously??? How do you witness a young kid being raped and not do something to stop it? Choosing to flee should be a criminal act of depraved indifference. Talk about your bad samaritan.
This whole story is sickening. It sounds like the cover up (possibly multiple cover ups), was about protecting the program. They did not want to hurt recruiting. So instead of calling the real police they called campus police.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
NHL Week 6 Power Rankings
A few weeks have passed since my last rankings, and there have been some big swings in performance. All of a sudden the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers are among the best teams in the NHL? Did anyone see this coming? Is Nikolai Khabibulin really running away with the Vezina? If he keeps up this ridiculous pace for another month, he can coast into the award like Thomas last year (who had a bad second half of the regular season). Without further adieu here are my power rankings.
1. Dallas (last rank #8): Brad Richards must have been holding this team back!
2. Washington (last rank #1): I like Ovechkin getting benched on an offensive zone faceoff down by a goal with under a minute remaining. Nick Backstrom scores to tie the game. That's telling of the Caps season thus far.
3. Edmonton (last rank #12): Eventually the clock will strike midnight, but as of right now this team is winning. I'm talking about real winning, not the Charlie Sheen variety.
4. Pittsburgh (last rank #4): Imagine when they get the best player in the world back?
5. Philadelphia (last rank #9): Seriously guys, try to flying V to bust the trap next time. You'll get better TV ratings.
6. NY Rangers (last rank #13): Don't look know but the Rangers have won 5 in a row.
7. Minnesota (last rank #17): This team got hot in a hurry and has also won 5 in a row.
8. Buffalo (last rank #6): Thomas Vanek is having a season.
9. San Jose (last rank #14): Joe Pavelski is lighting up the NHL. They could have used that in the playoffs.
10. Chicago (last rank #7): Lost 3 in a row, but this team is a lock for the playoffs.
11. Phoenix (last rank #22): Don't look now, but all of a sudden Phoenix is decent. Can it last with Mike Smith? That has never been done before.
12. Florida (last rank #11): Versteeg, Fleischman, Campbell driving the team's early success. They should have kept Markstrom up with the big team. He's their future.
13. Nashville (last rank #25): Pekka Rinne will prove he's worth every penny.
14. Detroit (last rank #3): Great start, then fell like a brick, now has won 2 in a row. Maintaining a positive goal differential.
15. Boston (last rank #23): Tyler Seguin is going to be a great player in this league for a long time.
16. Tampa Bay (last rank #20): Booo the 1-3-1 trap off the opening faceoff!!! BOOO! SHAME! Steve Yzerman better have a sit down with his coach.
17. Toronto (last rank #10): How long will Reimer be out? This could get ugly fast. Dropped 2 straight being outscored 12-1. Leaf fans can blame my friend who predicted Skrivens would win the Vezina the night before the losing started.
18. Los Angeles (last rank #2): They have dropped 16 spots in the rankings thanks to a 5 game losing streak. Kopitar is having a season.
19. New Jersey (last rank #19): No better or worse than a few weeks ago. Elias leads the team in scoring.
20. Vancouver (last rank #16): If this team misses the playoffs, the fans might very well burn the entire city to the ground...
21. St. Louis (last rank #21): The Ken Hitchcock era has begun. They are on a 1 game winning streak. Stay tuned!
22. Colorado (last rank #5): They are who we thought they were. They'll be good eventually, but it wasn't meant to be now. Lost 4 straight.
23. Calgary (last rank #26): Can Flames sustain this slow steady drive to mediocrity? Playoffs are a 50-50 proposition at best.
24. Montreal (last rank #29): Has this team gotten worse, or did they just overachieve last season?
25. Ottawa (last rank #27): They're bad, they're good, they're bad, now what? Spezza and Michalek have something going.
26. Carolina (last rank #24): Doubtful this team makes the playoffs.
27. Winnipeg (last rank #28): When Kyle Wellwood is your leading goal scorer midway through November, you've got serious problems.
28. NY Islanders (last rank #18): They are who we thought they were. They don't have the goaltending for extended success.
29. Anaheim (last rank #15): What the hell is going on here? The team is healthy, is loaded with talent, and have lost 6 straight. I blame the start in Europe, not my drafting of Perry and Getzlaf in my hockey pool.
30. Columbus (last rank #30): The 30 spot might have a permanent resident from start to finish.
1. Dallas (last rank #8): Brad Richards must have been holding this team back!
2. Washington (last rank #1): I like Ovechkin getting benched on an offensive zone faceoff down by a goal with under a minute remaining. Nick Backstrom scores to tie the game. That's telling of the Caps season thus far.
3. Edmonton (last rank #12): Eventually the clock will strike midnight, but as of right now this team is winning. I'm talking about real winning, not the Charlie Sheen variety.
4. Pittsburgh (last rank #4): Imagine when they get the best player in the world back?
5. Philadelphia (last rank #9): Seriously guys, try to flying V to bust the trap next time. You'll get better TV ratings.
6. NY Rangers (last rank #13): Don't look know but the Rangers have won 5 in a row.
7. Minnesota (last rank #17): This team got hot in a hurry and has also won 5 in a row.
8. Buffalo (last rank #6): Thomas Vanek is having a season.
9. San Jose (last rank #14): Joe Pavelski is lighting up the NHL. They could have used that in the playoffs.
10. Chicago (last rank #7): Lost 3 in a row, but this team is a lock for the playoffs.
11. Phoenix (last rank #22): Don't look now, but all of a sudden Phoenix is decent. Can it last with Mike Smith? That has never been done before.
12. Florida (last rank #11): Versteeg, Fleischman, Campbell driving the team's early success. They should have kept Markstrom up with the big team. He's their future.
13. Nashville (last rank #25): Pekka Rinne will prove he's worth every penny.
14. Detroit (last rank #3): Great start, then fell like a brick, now has won 2 in a row. Maintaining a positive goal differential.
15. Boston (last rank #23): Tyler Seguin is going to be a great player in this league for a long time.
16. Tampa Bay (last rank #20): Booo the 1-3-1 trap off the opening faceoff!!! BOOO! SHAME! Steve Yzerman better have a sit down with his coach.
17. Toronto (last rank #10): How long will Reimer be out? This could get ugly fast. Dropped 2 straight being outscored 12-1. Leaf fans can blame my friend who predicted Skrivens would win the Vezina the night before the losing started.
18. Los Angeles (last rank #2): They have dropped 16 spots in the rankings thanks to a 5 game losing streak. Kopitar is having a season.
19. New Jersey (last rank #19): No better or worse than a few weeks ago. Elias leads the team in scoring.
20. Vancouver (last rank #16): If this team misses the playoffs, the fans might very well burn the entire city to the ground...
21. St. Louis (last rank #21): The Ken Hitchcock era has begun. They are on a 1 game winning streak. Stay tuned!
22. Colorado (last rank #5): They are who we thought they were. They'll be good eventually, but it wasn't meant to be now. Lost 4 straight.
23. Calgary (last rank #26): Can Flames sustain this slow steady drive to mediocrity? Playoffs are a 50-50 proposition at best.
24. Montreal (last rank #29): Has this team gotten worse, or did they just overachieve last season?
25. Ottawa (last rank #27): They're bad, they're good, they're bad, now what? Spezza and Michalek have something going.
26. Carolina (last rank #24): Doubtful this team makes the playoffs.
27. Winnipeg (last rank #28): When Kyle Wellwood is your leading goal scorer midway through November, you've got serious problems.
28. NY Islanders (last rank #18): They are who we thought they were. They don't have the goaltending for extended success.
29. Anaheim (last rank #15): What the hell is going on here? The team is healthy, is loaded with talent, and have lost 6 straight. I blame the start in Europe, not my drafting of Perry and Getzlaf in my hockey pool.
30. Columbus (last rank #30): The 30 spot might have a permanent resident from start to finish.
Busting The Neutral Zone Trap With The Flying V
On Wednesday night the hockey world was set a buzz by the "trap busting" tactics of the Philadelphis Flyers who chose to just stand in a stationary position when Tampa dropped back into a 1-3-1 forecheck. This is both ridiculous and ineffective. If you want to bust the trap, standing still is not going to put the puck in the other team's end. To succeed, you need to get creative. The trap only works in the neutral zone and is "neutralized" once you get set up in the other team's end. What you need to do is hammer "the thin edge of the wedge" straight up the middle in the form of a modified flying V circa the Disney Mighty Ducks movies.
Am I being serious or sarcastic? Well maybe a little bit of both, but it would be funny to see. Of course the fatal flaw in the original flying V is that the other team knows the lead guy is going to get a pass through his legs before he reaches the blueline so as to avoid being offside. Hence why the flying V was never adopted by professional hockey teams (yes, I'm sure that's the only reason). But here's the catch, if a team like Tampa is just going to sit back at the red line and not forecheck, why not have your players assemble in a tight group formation and skate up the ice together as a singular cohesive unit? Then as they are coming over the red line the lead players can fan out while the puck carrier either makes a pass, fires it around the boards, or flips the puck up in the air so it lands in slot area at the same time as the wedge.
Would that work? Maybe, maybe not, but it would be more entertaining than having Braydon Coburn stand still for 30 seconds. The trap nearly killed hockey in the 90s. It is less objectionable when a team is protecting a lead late in the game, but at the start of the game? Shame on Tampa for starting a 0-0 hockey game in a trap. Should the NHL make the 1-3-1 an automatic 2 minute penalty? Absolutely not. Perhaps the best thing to do (aside from the flying V) is to have a rule where all icings and offsides are waived off if a team is employing a trap formation. It may not be as fun as the flying V, but it would make the trap less effective.
"the Duck is one of the most noble, agile and intelligent creatures in the animal kingdom...have you guys ever seen a flock of ducks flying in perfect formation? It's beautiful. Pretty awesome the way they all stick together. Ducks never say die."
-Gordon Bombay, Mighty Ducks 1
Am I being serious or sarcastic? Well maybe a little bit of both, but it would be funny to see. Of course the fatal flaw in the original flying V is that the other team knows the lead guy is going to get a pass through his legs before he reaches the blueline so as to avoid being offside. Hence why the flying V was never adopted by professional hockey teams (yes, I'm sure that's the only reason). But here's the catch, if a team like Tampa is just going to sit back at the red line and not forecheck, why not have your players assemble in a tight group formation and skate up the ice together as a singular cohesive unit? Then as they are coming over the red line the lead players can fan out while the puck carrier either makes a pass, fires it around the boards, or flips the puck up in the air so it lands in slot area at the same time as the wedge.
Would that work? Maybe, maybe not, but it would be more entertaining than having Braydon Coburn stand still for 30 seconds. The trap nearly killed hockey in the 90s. It is less objectionable when a team is protecting a lead late in the game, but at the start of the game? Shame on Tampa for starting a 0-0 hockey game in a trap. Should the NHL make the 1-3-1 an automatic 2 minute penalty? Absolutely not. Perhaps the best thing to do (aside from the flying V) is to have a rule where all icings and offsides are waived off if a team is employing a trap formation. It may not be as fun as the flying V, but it would make the trap less effective.
"the Duck is one of the most noble, agile and intelligent creatures in the animal kingdom...have you guys ever seen a flock of ducks flying in perfect formation? It's beautiful. Pretty awesome the way they all stick together. Ducks never say die."
-Gordon Bombay, Mighty Ducks 1
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
My First Time Driving A Zamboni
Yesterday I accomplished my one and only New Year's Resolution by driving a Zamboni for the first time in my life. I have joined the sacred Canadian fraternity of Zamboni drivers. It was a very exciting moment, even if my first assignment was only to drive the machine out back and dump the snow. Baby steps. Next week I'll be tasked with driving "the Zam" around the parking lot before getting the chance to take it out onto the ice and do my first "Zam flood" (I've already done simple hose floods). Last season I worked as a plain and simple curling ice maker and made the decision that my future in this business would be best served by branching off into hockey ice. Now I do both. Not exactly the career one would expect after graduating with a Mathematical Economics degree, but it's one that is spiritually rewarding and a lot of fun.
What were my observations from my first Zamboni driving experience? Not every machine is the same, but on ours the gas peddle is very sensitive and the steering wheel is not. It is quite different than driving a car. Barely touch the gas and it takes off, plus you have to really crank the steering wheel to make it turn. Basically you can have a million miles of driving experience and look like a novice the first time you sit on the big blue machine. However practice makes perfect, pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work, and we're gonna take it one day at a time...or some cliche like that...
What were my observations from my first Zamboni driving experience? Not every machine is the same, but on ours the gas peddle is very sensitive and the steering wheel is not. It is quite different than driving a car. Barely touch the gas and it takes off, plus you have to really crank the steering wheel to make it turn. Basically you can have a million miles of driving experience and look like a novice the first time you sit on the big blue machine. However practice makes perfect, pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work, and we're gonna take it one day at a time...or some cliche like that...
Monday, November 7, 2011
Team 1040 Sucks Without David Pratt
This won't be of interest to sports fans outside of Vancouver, but our #1 local sports talk radio station let the popular and polarizing David Pratt walk after his contract expired rather than renew his contract. Now the station sucks. I was never a fan of Pratt and he is an arrogant ass, but he served a purpose. There was entertainment value having him in the afternoon drive slot that was not adequately replaced. His departure left a giant hole in the Team 1040 roster that has not been filled, they merely shuffled their people around. I want to start a campaign to get Pratt back on the Team 1040. It starts here.
Either that, or bring on TSN radio as soon as possible! Please please please! I can no longer tolerate the Team. Will Pratt return to TSN? I hope so, and TSN would be smart to pick him up because he has a following in this market. TSN! TSN! TSN! He's a great radio host. I just don't read his writing because there's a chance he ripped it from someone else.
Either that, or bring on TSN radio as soon as possible! Please please please! I can no longer tolerate the Team. Will Pratt return to TSN? I hope so, and TSN would be smart to pick him up because he has a following in this market. TSN! TSN! TSN! He's a great radio host. I just don't read his writing because there's a chance he ripped it from someone else.
Tyler Seguin Lights Up The Toronto Maple Leafs
It was great to see Boston Bruin forward Tyler Seguin torch the Toronto Maple Leafs for 3 goals over the weekend, against the team who would have been drafting him if not for trading the pick for Phil Kessel. With Kessel's hot start to the season Leaf fans can sleep easy, but rest assured the Boston Bruins are very very happy they made that trade. Burke got what he wanted, but he paid a steep price to do it. In the meantime, since the trade, Boston won a Stanley Cup and the Leafs still have not made the playoffs. However, I do expect the Leafs to make the postseason in 2011/12 thanks in part to the chemistry between Lupul and Kessel.
You could argue that the trade was good for both teams. The kid Boston drafted with the second pick is what could tip the balance in the long term analysis. Also, we need to see how the Leafs do with Kessel in the playoffs before we can judge the strength of that aquisition.
As of the moment I'm writing this: Seguin has 14 PTS in 12 GP and Kessel has 21 PTS in 14 GP.
You could argue that the trade was good for both teams. The kid Boston drafted with the second pick is what could tip the balance in the long term analysis. Also, we need to see how the Leafs do with Kessel in the playoffs before we can judge the strength of that aquisition.
As of the moment I'm writing this: Seguin has 14 PTS in 12 GP and Kessel has 21 PTS in 14 GP.
DeMarco Murray "Explosive & Electric"
Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray is the real deal. He is averaging over 6 yards per carry and was described by the Seahawks postgame show as "explosive, electric, and the real deal". The Seahawks analysts were smitten with Murray, who put up a huge game without reaching the endzone. Murray got his chance with the Felix Jones high ankle sprain and has maximized his opportunity. The high ankle sprain can be devastating for a running back, but even if Jones gets healthy I don't see him getting the starting job back. DeMarco is the man. They have to give him the ball. If every fantasy league re-drafted today for the rest of this season, Murray has to be a top 20 pick. Congrats to anyone who scooped him up early. Any Felix Jones owner who did not pick up Murray after the Jones injury dropped the ball.
In one of my 16 team leagues, Murray was still available after his 250 yard game two weeks ago. We got him in the waiver draft and now it looks like we have finally replaced the fallen Jamaal Charles.
In one of my 16 team leagues, Murray was still available after his 250 yard game two weeks ago. We got him in the waiver draft and now it looks like we have finally replaced the fallen Jamaal Charles.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Pekka Rinne To Become Highest Paid NHL Goaltender
Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne has signed a 7 year $49 million contract extension that will make him the highest paid player at his position next season. This certainly can't be considered a bargain price, but it is a fair price because you can easily argue that he is the best young goaltender in the NHL. $7M per season only puts him slightly ahead of Henrik Lundqvist. Unlike Bryzgalov, this contract is not front loaded, with Ilya making $10M this season and $1.2M in the last year. Rinne will make $7M in the 7th year of this deal. The only potential downside of the deal is that it will eat up a significant portion of Nashville's limited budget, with Ryan Suter and Shea Weber still to be signed long-term. Suter and Weber make Rinne better. Brodeur was not as good without Stevens and Neidermayer.
Here's the top ten list of NHL goalie salary cap hits for the 2011/12 season according to capgeek.
Last year's ranking for goalie save percentage was:
Here's the top ten list of NHL goalie salary cap hits for the 2011/12 season according to capgeek.
Rank | Player | Team | Cap hit | |
1 | . | Lundqvist, Henrik | NYR | 6,875,000 |
2 | . | Ward, Cam | CAR | 6,300,000 |
3 | . | Miller, Ryan | BUF | 6,250,000 |
4 | . | Backstrom, Niklas | MIN | 6,000,000 |
5 | . | Kiprusoff, Miikka | CGY | 5,833,333 |
6 | . | Bryzgalov, Ilya | PHI | 5,666,667 |
7 | . | Huet, Cristobal | CHI | 5,625,000 |
8 | . | Luongo, Roberto | VAN | 5,333,333 |
9 | . | Brodeur, Martin | NJD | 5,200,000 |
10 | . | Thomas, Tim | BOS | 5,000,000 |
Last year's ranking for goalie save percentage was:
RK | PLAYER | TEAM | GP | SVPCT | GAA | |
1 | . | Tim Thomas | BOS | 57 | 0.938 | 2.00 |
2 | . | Pekka Rinne | NSH | 64 | 0.930 | 2.12 |
3 | . | Roberto Luongo | VAN | 60 | 0.928 | 2.11 |
4 | . | Jonas Hiller | ANA | 49 | 0.924 | 2.56 |
5 | . | Semyon Varlamov | WSH | 27 | 0.924 | 2.23 |
6 | . | Cam Ward | CAR | 74 | 0.923 | 2.56 |
6 | . | Carey Price | MTL | 72 | 0.923 | 2.35 |
7 | . | Henrik Lundqvist | NYR | 68 | 0.923 | 2.28 |
9 | . | Tomas Vokoun | FLA | 57 | 0.922 | 2.55 |
10 | . | Ilya Bryzgalov | PHX | 68 | 0.921 | 2.48 |
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
NHL October 2011 Player Rankings
Who were the best players in the NHL in the month of October on a per game basis? Using a rather simple metric that is mostly points per game but also includes +/- and shots on goal, I have ranked the top 500 NHL skaters this month. Phil Kessel was the best player in October. The only criteria for inclusion, you must have played at least 5 games and registered at least 1 point. Big surprises on the positive side are Jason Pominville, Tyler Seguin, Kris Versteeg, Milan Michalek, and Nugent Hopkins all cracking the top 30. The number on the far right margin is the calculated metric which is a modified Z-Score.
Rank | Player | Team | Score | |
1 | . | Phil Kessel | Tor | 5.36 |
2 | . | Thomas Vanek | Buf | 4.84 |
3 | . | Joe Pavelski | SJ | 4.22 |
4 | . | Jason Pominville | Buf | 3.98 |
5 | . | Claude Giroux | Phi | 3.71 |
6 | . | Nicklas Backstrom | Was | 3.50 |
7 | . | Anze Kopitar | LA | 3.33 |
8 | . | Marian Hossa | Chi | 3.30 |
9 | . | Daniel Sedin | Van | 3.26 |
10 | . | Tyler Seguin | Bos | 3.25 |
11 | . | Patrick Kane | Chi | 3.23 |
12 | . | John Tavares | NYI | 3.15 |
13 | . | Jason Spezza | Ott | 3.12 |
14 | . | Dion Phaneuf | Tor | 3.03 |
15 | . | Patrick Sharp | Chi | 3.03 |
16 | . | Henrik Sedin | Van | 2.86 |
17 | . | Joffrey Lupul | Tor | 2.85 |
18 | . | Steven Stamkos | TB | 2.78 |
19 | . | Jaromir Jagr | Phi | 2.74 |
20 | . | Kris Letang | Pit | 2.72 |
21 | . | Kris Versteeg | Fla | 2.71 |
22 | . | Alex Ovechkin | Was | 2.60 |
23 | . | Evgeni Malkin | Pit | 2.58 |
24 | . | Taylor Hall | Edm | 2.58 |
25 | . | Tomas Fleischmann | Fla | 2.47 |
26 | . | Milan Michalek | Ott | 2.42 |
27 | . | Ryan Nugent-Hopkins | Edm | 2.40 |
28 | . | Scott Hartnell | Phi | 2.37 |
29 | . | Joe Thornton | SJ | 2.35 |
30 | . | Danny Briere | Phi | 2.33 |
31 | . | Martin Hanzal | Pho | 2.33 |
32 | . | Erik Karlsson | Ott | 2.31 |
33 | . | Alex Steen | StL | 2.29 |
34 | . | Ray Whitney | Pho | 2.27 |
35 | . | Patrick Marleau | SJ | 2.27 |
36 | . | Jordan Eberle | Edm | 2.26 |
37 | . | Jamie Benn | Dal | 2.22 |
38 | . | Marian Gaborik | NYR | 2.21 |
39 | . | Max Pacioretty | Mon | 2.21 |
40 | . | Marc-Andre Bergeron | TB | 2.19 |
41 | . | Ryan Smyth | Edm | 2.15 |
42 | . | Sheldon Souray | Dal | 2.13 |
43 | . | Dennis Wideman | Was | 2.11 |
44 | . | Stephen Weiss | Fla | 2.08 |
45 | . | Patrik Elias | NJ | 2.07 |
46 | . | Alexander Edler | Van | 2.04 |
47 | . | Shane Doan | Pho | 2.04 |
48 | . | Sami Salo | Van | 1.98 |
49 | . | Loui Eriksson | Dal | 1.95 |
50 | . | Ryane Clowe | SJ | 1.92 |
51 | . | David Legwand | Nsh | 1.91 |
52 | . | Martin St. Louis | TB | 1.91 |
53 | . | Tomas Plekanec | Mon | 1.90 |
54 | . | Brad Richards | NYR | 1.89 |
55 | . | Radim Vrbata | Pho | 1.87 |
56 | . | Mike Green | Was | 1.86 |
57 | . | Teddy Purcell | TB | 1.84 |
58 | . | Teemu Selanne | Anh | 1.82 |
59 | . | James Neal | Pit | 1.76 |
60 | . | Gabriel Landeskog | Col | 1.76 |
61 | . | Chris Pronger | Phi | 1.76 |
62 | . | Simon Gagne | LA | 1.72 |
63 | . | Dustin Brown | LA | 1.69 |
64 | . | Jason Arnott | StL | 1.68 |
65 | . | P.A. Parenteau | NYI | 1.67 |
66 | . | Luke Adam | Buf | 1.67 |
67 | . | Vincent Lecavalier | TB | 1.66 |
68 | . | Vinny Prospal | Cls | 1.60 |
69 | . | Steve Ott | Dal | 1.57 |
70 | . | Mike Richards | LA | 1.55 |
71 | . | Craig Smith | Nsh | 1.55 |
72 | . | Martin Havlat | SJ | 1.55 |
73 | . | Matt D'Agostini | StL | 1.54 |
74 | . | Kimmo Timonen | Phi | 1.54 |
75 | . | Logan Couture | SJ | 1.53 |
76 | . | Valtteri Filppula | Det | 1.53 |
77 | . | Justin Williams | LA | 1.52 |
78 | . | Olli Jokinen | Cgy | 1.52 |
79 | . | Jonathan Toews | Chi | 1.51 |
80 | . | Jordan Staal | Pit | 1.50 |
81 | . | Alex Burmistrov | Wpg | 1.49 |
82 | . | Rick Nash | Cls | 1.48 |
83 | . | Marcus Johansson | Was | 1.47 |
84 | . | Jeff Carter | Cls | 1.45 |
85 | . | Brian Campbell | Fla | 1.45 |
86 | . | Kyle Quincey | Col | 1.45 |
87 | . | Pascal Dupuis | Pit | 1.44 |
88 | . | Johan Franzen | Det | 1.40 |
89 | . | Jeff Skinner | Car | 1.39 |
90 | . | Mikhail Grabovski | Tor | 1.38 |
91 | . | Pavel Datsyuk | Det | 1.34 |
92 | . | Mike Ribeiro | Dal | 1.32 |
93 | . | Nathan Gerbe | Buf | 1.32 |
94 | . | Nik Antropov | Wpg | 1.31 |
95 | . | Clarke MacArthur | Tor | 1.29 |
96 | . | Dany Heatley | Min | 1.28 |
97 | . | Ryan Callahan | NYR | 1.28 |
98 | . | Mathieu Perreault | Was | 1.26 |
99 | . | Sergei Kostitsyn | Nsh | 1.26 |
100 | . | Jussi Jokinen | Car | 1.25 |
101 | . | Matt Read | Phi | 1.25 |
102 | . | Patrice Bergeron | Bos | 1.23 |
103 | . | Dave Bolland | Chi | 1.22 |
104 | . | Corey Potter | Edm | 1.17 |
105 | . | Milan Lucic | Bos | 1.15 |
106 | . | David Jones | Col | 1.11 |
107 | . | Corey Perry | Anh | 1.10 |
108 | . | Brent Burns | SJ | 1.09 |
109 | . | Alex Tanguay | Cgy | 1.07 |
110 | . | Dan Boyle | SJ | 1.03 |
111 | . | David Schlemko | Pho | 1.00 |
112 | . | Jason Chimera | Was | 1.00 |
113 | . | Michael Cammalleri | Mon | 0.98 |
114 | . | Dmitry Kulikov | Fla | 0.97 |
115 | . | Ryan Kesler | Van | 0.97 |
116 | . | Alexandre Burrows | Van | 0.97 |
117 | . | Mike Knuble | Was | 0.96 |
118 | . | Daniel Alfredsson | Ott | 0.95 |
119 | . | Shea Weber | Nsh | 0.94 |
120 | . | Guillaume Latendresse | Min | 0.93 |
121 | . | Andrei Kostitsyn | Mon | 0.93 |
122 | . | Sergei Gonchar | Ott | 0.93 |
123 | . | Mark Streit | NYI | 0.93 |
124 | . | Ilya Kovalchuk | NJ | 0.91 |
125 | . | Evander Kane | Wpg | 0.91 |
126 | . | Kyle Wellwood | Wpg | 0.91 |
127 | . | Matt Cooke | Pit | 0.90 |
128 | . | Nicklas Lidstrom | Det | 0.90 |
129 | . | Nick Leddy | Chi | 0.89 |
130 | . | Duncan Keith | Chi | 0.86 |
131 | . | Slava Voynov | LA | 0.84 |
132 | . | James van Riemsdyk | Phi | 0.84 |
133 | . | Chris Kunitz | Pit | 0.81 |
134 | . | Paul Stastny | Col | 0.81 |
135 | . | Roman Horak | Cgy | 0.77 |
136 | . | Niklas Hagman | Cgy | 0.76 |
137 | . | Alexander Semin | Was | 0.76 |
138 | . | Chris Higgins | Van | 0.75 |
139 | . | Josh Gorges | Mon | 0.74 |
140 | . | Petr Sykora | NJ | 0.74 |
141 | . | Ryan Suter | Nsh | 0.73 |
142 | . | Ryan Getzlaf | Anh | 0.72 |
143 | . | Michael Frolik | Chi | 0.72 |
144 | . | Yannick Weber | Mon | 0.70 |
145 | . | Keith Yandle | Pho | 0.70 |
146 | . | Rene Bourque | Cgy | 0.69 |
147 | . | Peter Regin | Ott | 0.69 |
148 | . | Tyler Kennedy | Pit | 0.69 |
149 | . | Jason Garrison | Fla | 0.68 |
150 | . | Travis Moen | Mon | 0.66 |
151 | . | John-Michael Liles | Tor | 0.65 |
152 | . | Bobby Ryan | Anh | 0.62 |
153 | . | Zach Parise | NJ | 0.62 |
154 | . | Shawn Horcoff | Edm | 0.59 |
155 | . | Daymond Langkow | Pho | 0.58 |
156 | . | Ryan O'Reilly | Col | 0.58 |
157 | . | Brad Boyes | Buf | 0.55 |
158 | . | Milan Hejduk | Col | 0.53 |
159 | . | Kevin Shattenkirk | StL | 0.52 |
160 | . | Wayne Simmonds | Phi | 0.51 |
161 | . | Brian Gionta | Mon | 0.48 |
162 | . | Curtis Glencross | Cgy | 0.48 |
163 | . | Tomas Holmstrom | Det | 0.44 |
164 | . | Ryan Malone | TB | 0.44 |
165 | . | Dan Girardi | NYR | 0.43 |
166 | . | Mikko Koivu | Min | 0.43 |
167 | . | Chris Kelly | Bos | 0.42 |
168 | . | David Moss | Cgy | 0.42 |
169 | . | Jiri Tlusty | Car | 0.41 |
170 | . | Troy Brouwer | Was | 0.40 |
171 | . | Matt Carle | Phi | 0.40 |
172 | . | Ryan Wilson | Col | 0.40 |
173 | . | Colin Greening | Ott | 0.38 |
174 | . | Alex Pietrangelo | StL | 0.37 |
175 | . | Drew Stafford | Buf | 0.37 |
176 | . | Devin Setoguchi | Min | 0.37 |
177 | . | Matt Moulson | NYI | 0.33 |
178 | . | Aaron Johnson | Cls | 0.32 |
179 | . | Michael Del Zotto | NYR | 0.32 |
180 | . | Tobias Enstrom | Wpg | 0.31 |
181 | . | Richard Park | Pit | 0.31 |
182 | . | David Desharnais | Mon | 0.31 |
183 | . | Christian Ehrhoff | Buf | 0.29 |
184 | . | Lee Stempniak | Cgy | 0.29 |
185 | . | Fedor Tyutin | Cls | 0.28 |
186 | . | Ian White | Det | 0.28 |
187 | . | Matt Cullen | Min | 0.28 |
188 | . | Brenden Morrow | Dal | 0.28 |
189 | . | Matt Duchene | Col | 0.27 |
190 | . | Tyler Bozak | Tor | 0.26 |
191 | . | Chad LaRose | Car | 0.26 |
192 | . | Henrik Zetterberg | Det | 0.25 |
193 | . | Ryan McDonagh | NYR | 0.24 |
194 | . | Zdeno Chara | Bos | 0.24 |
195 | . | David Backes | StL | 0.22 |
196 | . | Viktor Stalberg | Chi | 0.22 |
197 | . | Jack Johnson | LA | 0.20 |
198 | . | Mikael Samuelsson | Fla | 0.20 |
199 | . | Kent Huskins | StL | 0.20 |
200 | . | Lauri Korpikoski | Pho | 0.20 |
201 | . | Marc-Edouard Vlasic | SJ | 0.20 |
202 | . | Andrew Ladd | Wpg | 0.19 |
203 | . | Sean Couturier | Phi | 0.18 |
204 | . | Michael Ryder | Dal | 0.17 |
205 | . | Filip Kuba | Ott | 0.17 |
206 | . | Brandon Dubinsky | NYR | 0.13 |
207 | . | Taylor Pyatt | Pho | 0.13 |
208 | . | John Carlson | Was | 0.12 |
209 | . | Andy Greene | NJ | 0.11 |
210 | . | R.J. Umberger | Cls | 0.09 |
211 | . | Brad Marchand | Bos | 0.09 |
212 | . | Blake Wheeler | Wpg | 0.08 |
213 | . | Brandon Sutter | Car | 0.07 |
214 | . | Karl Alzner | Was | 0.05 |
215 | . | Zack Smith | Ott | 0.05 |
216 | . | Ryan Johansen | Cls | 0.04 |
217 | . | Joel Ward | Was | 0.03 |
218 | . | Rostislav Klesla | Pho | 0.03 |
219 | . | Carlo Colaiacovo | StL | 0.03 |
220 | . | Matt Niskanen | Pit | -0.01 |
221 | . | Chris Neil | Ott | -0.02 |
222 | . | Brooks Laich | Was | -0.03 |
223 | . | Tim Gleason | Car | -0.05 |
224 | . | Mark Fayne | NJ | -0.06 |
225 | . | Maxim Lapierre | Van | -0.07 |
226 | . | Tanner Glass | Wpg | -0.07 |
227 | . | Matt Hendricks | Was | -0.08 |
228 | . | Tomas Kopecky | Fla | -0.08 |
229 | . | Jakub Voracek | Phi | -0.09 |
230 | . | Daniel Winnik | Col | -0.09 |
231 | . | Rich Peverley | Bos | -0.09 |
232 | . | Derek Roy | Buf | -0.10 |
233 | . | Antoine Vermette | Cls | -0.10 |
234 | . | Jarome Iginla | Cgy | -0.10 |
235 | . | Max Talbot | Phi | -0.10 |
236 | . | Ruslan Fedotenko | NYR | -0.13 |
237 | . | Ryan Shannon | TB | -0.13 |
238 | . | Patrik Berglund | StL | -0.13 |
239 | . | Erik Cole | Mon | -0.13 |
240 | . | Scott Parse | LA | -0.14 |
241 | . | Dustin Byfuglien | Wpg | -0.14 |
242 | . | Patric Hornqvist | Nsh | -0.16 |
243 | . | Lars Eller | Mon | -0.17 |
244 | . | Erik Johnson | Col | -0.17 |
245 | . | Douglas Murray | SJ | -0.17 |
246 | . | Nikolai Kulemin | Tor | -0.18 |
247 | . | Colin Wilson | Nsh | -0.19 |
248 | . | Nathan Horton | Bos | -0.19 |
249 | . | Mike Weaver | Fla | -0.20 |
250 | . | Mark Giordano | Cgy | -0.20 |
251 | . | Pierre-Marc Bouchard | Min | -0.20 |
252 | . | Jiri Hudler | Det | -0.21 |
253 | . | Torrey Mitchell | SJ | -0.21 |
254 | . | Andrej Meszaros | Phi | -0.22 |
255 | . | Brent Seabrook | Chi | -0.22 |
256 | . | Boyd Gordon | Pho | -0.24 |
257 | . | Joni Pitkanen | Car | -0.28 |
258 | . | Niclas Bergfors | Nsh | -0.28 |
259 | . | T.J. Oshie | StL | -0.29 |
260 | . | Brett MacLean | Pho | -0.29 |
261 | . | Bryan Bickell | Chi | -0.30 |
262 | . | Wojtek Wolski | NYR | -0.32 |
263 | . | Oliver Ekman-Larsson | Pho | -0.33 |
264 | . | Jamie Langenbrunner | StL | -0.33 |
265 | . | Chris Stewart | StL | -0.34 |
266 | . | Brett Connolly | TB | -0.35 |
267 | . | Tim Brent | Car | -0.38 |
268 | . | Carl Gunnarsson | Tor | -0.38 |
269 | . | Andrew Ference | Bos | -0.39 |
270 | . | P.K. Subban | Mon | -0.41 |
271 | . | Trevor Daley | Dal | -0.42 |
272 | . | Joakim Lindstrom | Col | -0.43 |
273 | . | Kyle Okposo | NYI | -0.43 |
274 | . | Tuomo Ruutu | Car | -0.43 |
275 | . | Dan Carcillo | Chi | -0.44 |
276 | . | Jamie McBain | Car | -0.44 |
277 | . | Derek MacKenzie | Cls | -0.45 |
278 | . | Jordin Tootoo | Nsh | -0.46 |
279 | . | Nick Johnson | Min | -0.47 |
280 | . | Andrew Brunette | Chi | -0.47 |
281 | . | Cody Hodgson | Van | -0.47 |
282 | . | Artem Anisimov | NYR | -0.47 |
283 | . | Jim Slater | Wpg | -0.49 |
284 | . | Jarret Stoll | LA | -0.50 |
285 | . | Todd Bertuzzi | Det | -0.51 |
286 | . | Andrej Sekera | Buf | -0.52 |
287 | . | Ryan Jones | Edm | -0.52 |
288 | . | Raffi Torres | Pho | -0.53 |
289 | . | Grant Clitsome | Cls | -0.53 |
290 | . | Matt Gilroy | TB | -0.55 |
291 | . | Darren Helm | Det | -0.55 |
292 | . | Dominic Moore | TB | -0.57 |
293 | . | Matt Halischuk | Nsh | -0.57 |
294 | . | Nate Thompson | TB | -0.57 |
295 | . | Alex Goligoski | Dal | -0.58 |
296 | . | Bryan Allen | Car | -0.58 |
297 | . | Kyle Brodziak | Min | -0.59 |
298 | . | Tyler Myers | Buf | -0.60 |
299 | . | Drew Miller | Det | -0.60 |
300 | . | Frans Nielsen | NYI | -0.60 |
301 | . | Jack Hillen | Nsh | -0.61 |
302 | . | Willie Mitchell | LA | -0.63 |
303 | . | Mark Stuart | Wpg | -0.64 |
304 | . | Johnny Boychuk | Bos | -0.64 |
305 | . | Jeff Halpern | Was | -0.65 |
306 | . | Derek Stepan | NYR | -0.66 |
307 | . | Mike Brown | Tor | -0.66 |
308 | . | Pat Dwyer | Car | -0.66 |
309 | . | Jay Harrison | Car | -0.68 |
310 | . | Brett Bulmer | Min | -0.68 |
311 | . | Jakub Kindl | Det | -0.68 |
312 | . | Marc-Andre Gragnani | Buf | -0.68 |
313 | . | Paul Gaustad | Buf | -0.69 |
314 | . | Victor Hedman | TB | -0.70 |
315 | . | Arron Asham | Pit | -0.70 |
316 | . | Mattias Tedenby | NJ | -0.70 |
317 | . | Alexei Ponikarovsky | Car | -0.71 |
318 | . | David Clarkson | NJ | -0.71 |
319 | . | Brandon Prust | NYR | -0.72 |
320 | . | Scott Hannan | Cgy | -0.72 |
321 | . | Adam Burish | Dal | -0.72 |
322 | . | Jay Bouwmeester | Cgy | -0.73 |
323 | . | Drew Doughty | LA | -0.73 |
324 | . | Adam McQuaid | Bos | -0.73 |
325 | . | Nick Palmieri | NJ | -0.73 |
326 | . | Jaroslav Spacek | Mon | -0.74 |
327 | . | Matthew Lombardi | Tor | -0.74 |
328 | . | Vernon Fiddler | Dal | -0.74 |
329 | . | Michael Grabner | NYI | -0.75 |
330 | . | Zach Bogosian | Wpg | -0.75 |
331 | . | Joe Corvo | Bos | -0.76 |
332 | . | Eric Staal | Car | -0.76 |
333 | . | Lubomir Visnovsky | Anh | -0.76 |
334 | . | David Savard | Cls | -0.76 |
335 | . | Brian Rolston | NYI | -0.77 |
336 | . | Shawn Matthias | Fla | -0.77 |
337 | . | Justin Abdelkader | Det | -0.79 |
338 | . | Brett Clark | TB | -0.81 |
339 | . | Cory Emmerton | Det | -0.81 |
340 | . | Danny Cleary | Det | -0.82 |
341 | . | Braydon Coburn | Phi | -0.83 |
342 | . | Sean O'Donnell | Chi | -0.87 |
343 | . | Luke Schenn | Tor | -0.87 |
344 | . | Vladimir Sobotka | StL | -0.88 |
345 | . | Jeff Schultz | Was | -0.89 |
346 | . | Sam Gagner | Edm | -0.89 |
347 | . | Patrick O'Sullivan | Pho | -0.89 |
348 | . | Dainius Zubrus | NJ | -0.89 |
349 | . | Dale Weise | Van | -0.91 |
350 | . | Andrew Cogliano | Anh | -0.91 |
351 | . | Radek Dvorak | Dal | -0.91 |
352 | . | Jake Gardiner | Tor | -0.92 |
353 | . | Eric Nystrom | Dal | -0.92 |
354 | . | Joe Vitale | Pit | -0.92 |
355 | . | Tim Stapleton | Wpg | -0.92 |
356 | . | Bryan Little | Wpg | -0.92 |
357 | . | Barret Jackman | StL | -0.94 |
358 | . | Scott Gomez | Mon | -0.95 |
359 | . | Raphael Diaz | Mon | -0.95 |
360 | . | Roman Polak | StL | -0.95 |
361 | . | Steve Sullivan | Pit | -0.95 |
362 | . | Kris Russell | Cls | -0.95 |
363 | . | Dan Hamhuis | Van | -0.95 |
364 | . | Nick Foligno | Ott | -0.97 |
365 | . | Matt Calvert | Cls | -0.97 |
366 | . | Michal Handzus | SJ | -0.97 |
367 | . | Luca Sbisa | Anh | -0.98 |
368 | . | Jesse Winchester | Ott | -0.98 |
369 | . | Jamal Mayers | Chi | -0.98 |
370 | . | Tom Gilbert | Edm | -0.99 |
371 | . | Matt Martin | NYI | -0.99 |
372 | . | Scottie Upshall | Fla | -0.99 |
373 | . | Mikkel Boedker | Pho | -1.00 |
374 | . | Cal Clutterbuck | Min | -1.01 |
375 | . | David Rundblad | Ott | -1.03 |
376 | . | Cam Barker | Edm | -1.03 |
377 | . | Erik Christensen | NYR | -1.06 |
378 | . | Jonathan Ericsson | Det | -1.06 |
379 | . | Zbynek Michalek | Pit | -1.09 |
380 | . | Andrew Desjardins | SJ | -1.09 |
381 | . | Jordan Leopold | Buf | -1.09 |
382 | . | Ed Jovanovski | Fla | -1.10 |
383 | . | Nick Spaling | Nsh | -1.10 |
384 | . | Dave Steckel | Tor | -1.10 |
385 | . | Adrian Aucoin | Pho | -1.11 |
386 | . | Pavel Kubina | TB | -1.12 |
387 | . | Trent Hunter | LA | -1.12 |
388 | . | Anthony Stewart | Car | -1.13 |
389 | . | Brooks Orpik | Pit | -1.13 |
390 | . | Jacob Josefson | NJ | -1.13 |
391 | . | Francois Beauchemin | Anh | -1.13 |
392 | . | Adam Henrique | NJ | -1.13 |
393 | . | Rob Scuderi | LA | -1.14 |
394 | . | Clayton Stoner | Min | -1.15 |
395 | . | Toni Lydman | Anh | -1.15 |
396 | . | Kevin Bieksa | Van | -1.15 |
397 | . | Erik Condra | Ott | -1.16 |
398 | . | Jared Spurgeon | Min | -1.17 |
399 | . | Paul Martin | Pit | -1.17 |
400 | . | Brad Richardson | LA | -1.20 |
401 | . | Niklas Kronwall | Det | -1.20 |
402 | . | Steve Montador | Chi | -1.22 |
403 | . | Adam Hall | TB | -1.23 |
404 | . | Saku Koivu | Anh | -1.23 |
405 | . | Mike Komisarek | Tor | -1.25 |
406 | . | Alexandre Giroux | Cls | -1.26 |
407 | . | Dennis Seidenberg | Bos | -1.26 |
408 | . | Brian Boyle | NYR | -1.26 |
409 | . | Marcus Kruger | Chi | -1.27 |
410 | . | Mathieu Darche | Mon | -1.27 |
411 | . | Zenon Konopka | Ott | -1.27 |
412 | . | John Moore | Cls | -1.28 |
413 | . | Deryk Engelland | Pit | -1.30 |
414 | . | David Booth | Van | -1.30 |
415 | . | Marcel Goc | Fla | -1.30 |
416 | . | Cody Bass | Cls | -1.30 |
417 | . | Greg Zanon | Min | -1.30 |
418 | . | Tom Pyatt | TB | -1.30 |
419 | . | Jack Skille | Fla | -1.31 |
420 | . | Maxime Macenauer | Anh | -1.32 |
421 | . | Marek Zidlicky | Min | -1.34 |
422 | . | Chris Butler | Cgy | -1.34 |
423 | . | Stephane Robidas | Dal | -1.36 |
424 | . | Matt Stajan | Cgy | -1.36 |
425 | . | Eric Brewer | TB | -1.37 |
426 | . | Matt Frattin | Tor | -1.37 |
427 | . | Cam Fowler | Anh | -1.38 |
428 | . | Tim Jackman | Cgy | -1.38 |
429 | . | Manny Malhotra | Van | -1.38 |
430 | . | Ryan O'Byrne | Col | -1.39 |
431 | . | Jamie McGinn | SJ | -1.39 |
432 | . | Ben Lovejoy | Pit | -1.39 |
433 | . | Roman Hamrlik | Was | -1.40 |
434 | . | Jason Demers | SJ | -1.40 |
435 | . | Steve Staios | NYI | -1.41 |
436 | . | Sheldon Brookbank | Anh | -1.41 |
437 | . | Chris Phillips | Ott | -1.41 |
438 | . | Kevin Westgarth | LA | -1.42 |
439 | . | Blair Jones | TB | -1.43 |
440 | . | Tom Kostopoulos | Cgy | -1.43 |
441 | . | Randy Jones | Wpg | -1.45 |
442 | . | Jannik Hansen | Van | -1.45 |
443 | . | Kevin Klein | Nsh | -1.46 |
444 | . | Mark Scheifele | Wpg | -1.47 |
445 | . | Shane O'Brien | Col | -1.47 |
446 | . | Kyle Clifford | LA | -1.47 |
447 | . | Tomas Kaberle | Car | -1.48 |
448 | . | Marty Reasoner | NYI | -1.49 |
449 | . | Andy Sutton | Edm | -1.51 |
450 | . | Mark Eaton | NYI | -1.51 |
451 | . | Chuck Kobasew | Col | -1.52 |
452 | . | Andreas Nodl | Phi | -1.52 |
453 | . | Radek Martinek | Cls | -1.52 |
454 | . | David Krejci | Bos | -1.52 |
455 | . | Jan Hejda | Col | -1.53 |
456 | . | Dustin Penner | LA | -1.53 |
457 | . | Brandon McMillan | Anh | -1.55 |
458 | . | George Parros | Anh | -1.55 |
459 | . | Henrik Tallinder | NJ | -1.56 |
460 | . | Jeff Woywitka | NYR | -1.57 |
461 | . | Cody McLeod | Col | -1.57 |
462 | . | Ethan Moreau | LA | -1.57 |
463 | . | Patrick Kaleta | Buf | -1.58 |
464 | . | Travis Hamonic | NYI | -1.58 |
465 | . | Brian McGrattan | Nsh | -1.59 |
466 | . | Tim Kennedy | Fla | -1.60 |
467 | . | Matt Greene | LA | -1.61 |
468 | . | Samuel Pahlsson | Cls | -1.63 |
469 | . | Anton Volchenkov | NJ | -1.65 |
470 | . | Derick Brassard | Cls | -1.66 |
471 | . | Mika Zibanejad | Ott | -1.66 |
472 | . | Cal O'Reilly | Pho | -1.68 |
473 | . | Michael Rupp | NYR | -1.68 |
474 | . | Cody McCormick | Buf | -1.68 |
475 | . | Matt Bradley | Fla | -1.68 |
476 | . | Stephane Da Costa | Ott | -1.69 |
477 | . | Marco Scandella | Min | -1.72 |
478 | . | Zac Rinaldo | Phi | -1.73 |
479 | . | Cory Sarich | Cgy | -1.76 |
480 | . | Lennart Petrell | Edm | -1.77 |
481 | . | Maksim Mayorov | Cls | -1.78 |
482 | . | Ville Leino | Buf | -1.78 |
483 | . | Andreas Lilja | Phi | -1.78 |
484 | . | Daniel Paille | Bos | -1.79 |
485 | . | Colton Gillies | Min | -1.80 |
486 | . | Blake Geoffrion | Nsh | -1.81 |
487 | . | Jonathon Blum | Nsh | -1.82 |
488 | . | Eric Belanger | Edm | -1.83 |
489 | . | T.J. Galiardi | Col | -1.83 |
490 | . | Craig Adams | Pit | -1.84 |
491 | . | Andrew MacDonald | NYI | -1.86 |
492 | . | Devante Smith-Pelly | Anh | -1.86 |
493 | . | Evgeny Grachev | StL | -1.87 |
494 | . | Petteri Nokelainen | Mon | -1.89 |
495 | . | Brad Winchester | SJ | -1.91 |
496 | . | Derek Dorsett | Cls | -1.92 |
497 | . | Jerred Smithson | Nsh | -1.93 |
498 | . | Mark Letestu | Pit | -1.94 |
499 | . | Steve Downie | TB | -1.97 |
500 | . | Hal Gill | Mon | -2.00 |
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