Lightning is still Vinny's team

From Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune:

"This is Vinny's team; we know that. We are here to help him," Recchi said. "That will be something we'll talk to Vincent about, but we know he's the leader of this team. ... He's been a champion and he knows what it takes to win. I think it just strayed a little bit the past couple of years. But I think once you get that feeling back again, it's easy to grab again. When you are not winning it's easy to go the other way."

Read the entire article here.

Players like Gary Roberts and Mark Recchi were brought in as much for their ability to play on the team's 3rd/4th line as for their leadership. The truth is, the Bolts don't lack leadership with Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis having both led the team to a Stanley Cup championship.

Recchi heads to Tampa

From TSN:

The Tampa Bay Lightning continued to pile on veteran support on Monday, signing forward Mark Recchi to a one-year, $1.25 million contract that's worth $1.5 million with incentives.

Read the entire report here.

Yup, the Lightning certainly need more veteran forwards!!! Why on earth does the team continue to throw money at forwards??? Has anyone seen that defense?

Malone and Roberts traded to Lightning

From TSN:

The Tampa Bay Lightning's new ownership group vowed to be "staggeringly aggressive' in the NHL's free agent sweepstakes and they are trying to get a head start on that.

The Lightning have traded a fourth-round draft pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for the exclusive negotiating rights to forwards Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts, who are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

''We said earlier this week we would be aggressive in our pursuit of free agents in order to win and compete,'' Lightning owner Oren Koules said. ''This trade today doesn't guarantee anything, but we believe it gives us a leg up in our attempt to sign these two impact players.''

Read the entire story here.

Ladies and gentlemen, the NHL's version of Mark Cuban has arrived. The Bolts promised to spend money and, boy, they weren't lying. By acquiring the rights to Malone and Roberts, the Bolts have exclusive negotiating rights with the two through Tuesday. If they opted to give away a 4th round pick for that privilige, you have to think they will sign both players before that deadline arrives.

NHL Morning Papers: Stanley Cup Finals Edition (Sunday)

Here are the morning papers for the Stanley Cup Finals which resume Monday night...

Detroit Red Wings (1) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (2):

• Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press does not think the Finals will last past Monday. Chris Osgood was terrific last night, writes Helene St. James. Mitch Albom writes about how important the Red Wings' 5-on-3 penalty kill was in the third period last night. That 5-on-3 penalty kill would not have been possible without the unbelievable play of Henrik Zetterberg. Here is a the story of a sneaky Red Wings fan.
• Last night's loss was the Penguins' first home-loss of the playoffs, writes Dave Molinari. Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is wondering why Gary Roberts received more power play time last night than Petr Sykora and Jordan Staal combined? Max Talbot was visibly down after last night's tough defeat. Even though they are losing the series 3-1, it will be cool for the Penguins to be playing hockey in June.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

The CBC shuns Crosby

William Houston:

"The show's grudge against Crosby has gone well beyond ridiculous. Yes, host Ron MacLean interviewed him last Saturday, but the show's most influential commentator, Don Cherry, doesn't like him. And MacLean certainly defers to his elder."

Here is the full article courtesy of the Globe & Mail.

I have to be honest, I have not recognized any bias against Sidney Crosby by the CBC. Now, this may very well be the case, and Houston sure makes a compelling argument, but I just focus on the game itself and if some of the commentators believe Gary Roberts is playing an important role in the game, I am of the assumption that Sidney Crosby's importance is implied. Apparently Houston thinks otherwise.

NHL Morning Papers: Stanley Cup Finals Edition (Wednesday)

Here are the morning papers for the Stanley Cup Finals which continue tonight at 8pm EST:

Detroit Red Wings (1) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (2):

• In Detroit, it all starts with defense, writes John Niyo of the Detroit News. Did you know Pavel Datsyuk leads the Red Wings with 46 hits during the post-season. In contract news, Brad Stuart would like to stay in Detroit after this season and it sounds like the Red Wings would like to have him. Here are the five favorites for the Conn Smythe Trophy if the Red Wings continue their winning ways. Finally, the Wings' Cup run has been good for Detroit's struggling economy.
• Dave Molinari from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette lists his three keys to the game tonight. Penguins coach Michel Therien thinks the Wings get away with a little too much obstruction. When playing against the Red Wings, you always feel like you are chasing the puck, says Pens winger Gary Roberts. Here is a Q & A with Kris Letang. For Game 3 tonight, Mike Babcock says he won't be matching forward lines as closely as he did in Games 1 and 2.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

NHL Morning Papers: Stanley Cup Finals Edition (Tuesday)

Here are the morning papers for the Stanley Cup Finals which resume tomorrow night:

Detroit Red Wings (1) versus the Pittsburgh Penguins (2):

• The Red Wings are destroying the NHL's dream match up with their dominant play, opines Bob Wojnowski. Apparently Johan Franzen thinks he kind of deserved Gary Roberts' hit to the face. Meanwhile, Michel Therien thinks that Chris Osgood is a good diver. The Penguins' line up changes did not work, writes George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press. Here is Mike Babcock's post-game interview.
• It is not looking good for the Penguins right now, writes Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Gene Collier wonders where all the Pittsburgh superstars have been hiding? Meantime, Ron Cook of the Post-Gazette wonders if he can select the Wings to take the series in three games? Finally, Georges Laraque was not happy that he was healthy scratched for Game 2, however, the big winger was professional about it.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

NHL Morning Papers: Stanley Cup Finals Edition (Saturday)

Here are the morning papers for the Stanley Cup Finals which begin tonight at 8pm EST:

Detroit Red Wings (1) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (2):

• This series is the classic case of age versus experience. The Detroit Free Press profiles both team's head coaches Mike Babcock and Michel Therien. In injury news, Johan Franzen will not play in Game 1 tonight but is likely to return during the Finals. Here is a video roundtable of Ken Holland and a couple Detroit sportswriters. This series could be one for the ages, writes John Niyo.
• Dave Molinari wonders whether the Penguins can win one of the first two games on the road. Colby Armstrong is still a little bit upset that he was traded from the Penguins just minutes before the trade deadline. The city is going crazy over the Pens, writes Anya Sostek. Meanwhile, Gary Roberts may not crack the team's line-up for Game 1.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Thursday Edition)

Here the morning papers for the second round playoff teams:

Eastern Conference:

Montreal (1) versus Philadelphia (6):

• Carey Price had a little fun with the media on Wednesday, writes Pat Hickey. Meanwhile, Saku Koivu and Kimmo Timonen's friendship will be on hiatus until the Habs/Flyers series is complete.
• Here is a complete breakdown of both squads, courtesy of Ed Barkowitz. Barkowitz likes the Flyers in 7. The Flyers understand that playing the Habs is a lot different than the Capitals. Philadelphia is a different team now than the one that was dominated by the Canadiens during the season.

Pittsburgh (2) versus New York Rangers (5):

• The Penguins plan to ignore Rangers winger Sean Avery throughout their series. If the Pens want to score, they know they will have to create a lot of traffic in front of Henrik Lunqvist. On the injury front, Gary Roberts will be a game-time decision for the Penguins tomorrow night.
• John Dellapina of the NY Daily News breaks down all the aspects of the Rangers/Penguins series. With all the talk about the Penguins' youth, the Rangers think their young players are pretty good too. In an interesting article, Jaromir Jagr doesn't think Evgeni Malkin or Sidney Crosby are in Mario Lemieux's league. (Writer's note: I agree.) Well, that sure did not take long; as you can now say goodbye to the Sean Avery shirt.

Western Conference:

Detroit (1) versus Colorado (6):

• The Wings are very excited to rekindle their rivalry with the Avalance, writes Helene St. James. This series includes arguably the two best players in the NHL when it comes to playing in front of the opposition's net, writes George Sipple. It appears the Wings will play Game 1 without Kirk Maltby and Brad Stuart. Helene St. James likes the Wings in 7.
• Terry Frei has a nice article about the turnaround of Jose Theodore's fortunes. The Wings are concerned about the Avalanche's impressive power play. The Denver Post has a full analysis of the series.

San Jose (2) versus Dallas (5):

• The Sharks and Stars are very closely matched, writes David Pollak. Here is the schedule of the series. Hockey is hot in the Bay Area as Tuesday's Game 7 was the region's highest rated hockey game since 2002.
• It looks like Sergei Zubov is close to returning to the Stars line-up. Many of the Stars feel like their final game of the regular season versus the Sharks really brought them together.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

Morning Musings: How far can Crosby carry Penguins?

After a 47 point improvement in the standings, the Pittsburgh Penguins will no longer be surprising any teams in the National Hockey League. With the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal the Pens can now be considered a legitimate Stanley Cup threat heading into the 2007/08 season. With that said, the young, up-and coming squad is not without its fair share of question marks.

Here are five questions hockey fans have about the Penguins heading into 07/08:

Will the Penguins’ off-season acquisitions make a difference?

While youth and enthusiasm could have been considered as strengths last season, the lack of veteran presence and experience really seemed to hurt the Penguins in round one versus the Senators. With that in mind, general manager Ray Shero went out this off-season and added veterans Petr Sykora and Darryl Sydor to the mix. The Pens now have Sykora, Sydor, Recchi and Roberts in their dressing room which will provide the team with plenty of veteran leadership; never mind the fact that all four of these key veterans have won the Stanley Cup during the course of their respective careers. Expect the veteran additions to pay dividends come playoff time.

Is the defense good enough?

Having puck-moving defensemen in today’s fast-moving game is the key to a strong breakout and transition game. Luckily for the Pens, they possess two of the best puck-moving defenseman in the game with Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney. Unfortunately, their defensive unit drops off significantly after Gonchar and Whitney leaving the team with question marks on the back end. If Brooks Orpik can continue to be a physical force and Sydor can provide more puck-moving ability, the team should be able to score enough goals to make up for the team’s lack of defensive talent.

Is Marc-Andre Fleury the answer in net?

The former number one selection overall in the NHL draft has been under immense pressure to live up to expectations since arriving in the league. Thus far, the goaltender has been so-so, with much room for improvement. Fleury is a very athletic goalie, but he often over-commits on the shooter . Additionally, the young netminder has had his fair share of confidence issues over the past couple of years. Nonetheless, Fleury is amongst the most talented netminders in the league and should comfortably lead the Pens to a 40+ win season.

Is Michelle Therien on the hot seat?

The answer to this question is most likely yes. The former Habs’ bench boss is blessed with one of the most talented rosters in the entire NHL and it will be up to him to coral the Pens’ young talent and channel it towards a long playoff run. Therien is a coach who lives on the edge and is known to have a violent temper, the key to this season may be for him to maintain an even keel and let his talent play out. The talent is there to sustain a long playoff run, and with talent comes expectations. Therien will be under immense pressure this season in the Steeltown.

Can the Penguins win the Cup?

Absolutely they can. This is a team that has the best player in the world in Sidney Crosby and one of the best young centers to come along in a while in Evgeni Malkin. Both of these players possess the ability to carry a team on their own without much difficulty. Factor in such veteran scorers as Roberts, Recchi and Sykora, never mind 19 year old phenom Jordan Staal, and you have arguably the best offense in the NHL today. While the defense and goaltending are lacking in certain respects, every team in today’s salary cap era has question marks. Expect the Pens to contend for the Cup this year. In fact, it says here that Crosby and company face off in the Stanley Cup Finals versus the Sharks.

On to the morning papers:

• The aformentioned Petr Sykora is ecstatic about the possibility of lining up on a line with Sid the Kid and, in fact, had that chance Monday night versus the Habs.
• Eric Duhatschek has an intersting piece on Wayne Gretzky and the value of coaching experience in this morning's Globe and Mail.
• When Peter Forsberg is ready to make a decision on his playing career, Daniel Alfredsson plans on selling the appeal of the Senators and the ability for Forsberg to come in and just be himself.
• There is competition, but no animosity, between the two young goaltenders looking to back up Evgeni Nabokov this season in San Jose; Mark Emmons of the San Jose Mercury News has the story.
• Youngster Patrick Berglund, the Blues' 2006 1st round pick, is being given every opportuntiy to crack the big club by coach Andy Murray.
• You can't blame Lightning prospect Mike Lundin for being a little star-struck at training camp, considering that just last year he was suiting up at the University of Maine and now he is skating on the same ice as Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis.
• As Tarik El-Bashir tells us, Viktor Kozlov will be lining up at center this season and most likely will be lining up with Alexander Ovechkin on his wing. (Writer's note: There is nothing like overvaluing off-season acquisitions. Under no circumstances should Viktor Kozlov be playing center on one of the top two scoring lines over Nicklas Backstrom. Moving Backstrom to the wing makes little sense considering his defensive game is far superior to that of Kozlov.)
• Canucks' coach Alain Vigneault doesn't believe Sami Salo's injury was a matter of fragility but rather was a result of his lackadaisical effort in the corner.
• Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province has the recap of last night's pre-season contest versus the Ducks. As Bothford notes, the Canucks are giving Ryan Shannon every opportunity to be a top-six forward.
• Pavel Kubina believes his off-season training will help to increase his foot speed in 2007/08 writes Paul Hunter of the Toronto Star.
• The line of Antropov/Sundin/Blake had a successful debut at the Leafs' Blue/White game on Monday.
• Alexander Steen is looking to bounce back from a subpar 2006/07 writes Tim Wharnsby of the Globe and Mail.
• Ryan Miller has become a veteran of outdoor games writes Kevin Allen of the USA Today.
• The people of North Bay, Ontario were overjoyed to be hosting an NHL exhibition game writes Craig Custance of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• Former Cane Ron Francis has been brought into camp to help Carolina improve its powerplay in 2007/08.
• As Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune tells us, Jonathan Toews is excited to finally suit up in an actual NHL exhibition game.
• Jordan Leopold is trying to forget his injury filled 2006/07 and is looking forward to being able to contribute to the Avalance this season; Adrian Dater of the Denver Post has the story.
• David Vyborny was lucky to escape serious injury after his knee hit awkwardly into the boards over the weekend. The Jackets only expect him to miss two or three days of camp.
• Stars begin the first half of their pre-season writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.
• Red Wings' youngster Derek Meech is fighting tooth and nail to crack the team's defense writes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.
• According to Fluto Shinwaza of the Boston Globe there is a heated battle at Bruins' camp for the fourth-line center position.
• Randy Sportak of the Calgary Sun has an interesting piece on Mike Keenan and the importance he places on his relationship with his team's captain and alternate captains.
• Rhett Warrener is nervous to suit up in his home province tonight as his team takes on Florida in an exhibition game.
• Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal profiles who will replace the departed Jason Smith as captain of the Oilers.
• Kyle Brodziak has been awfully impressive at Oilers' training camp thus far. The St. Paul native had 2 goals and 1 assist in last night's exhibition contest.
• The additions of Brett McLean and Radek Dvorak excite coach Jacques Martin who values their character and upbeat atmosphere.
• Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune explains what Eric Belanger can bring to the table this season for the Wild. (Writer's note: Isn't Eric Belanger just the perfect Wild player???)
• The Kings are going to use their early season travelling to get to know each other better writes Lonnie White of the L.A. Times.
• If Alexei Kovalev plays in 2007/08 like he did in last night's exhibition game agaisnt the Pens, the Habs' forward to be the talk of town.
• Expectations are high for Martin Erat heading into the season writes Jessica Hopp of the Tennessean.
• After a brush with the law in juniors last seaseon, Matthew Corrente is lucky that the Devils are giving him a second chance; Rich Chere of the Star Ledger has the story.
• It looks like Devils' enforcer Cam Janssen suffered a dislocated shoulder fighting in the team's exhibition game last night.
• Henrik Lundqvist is excited about the Rangers' new additions this off-season. (Writer's note: Shocking isn't it? I thought he would against adding Gomez and Drury...)
• John Dellapina of the New York Daily News details the positives from Rangers' camp thus far.
• With depth at center this season, RJ Umberger will be used as a type of utility forward writes Ed Moran in this morning's Philadelphia Inquirer.
• The decision to re-sign in Ottawa wasn't difficult for Mike Fisher considering his love for the city and organization.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock