THE AHL REPORT

The AHL Report is the newest section to be added to the family of Illegal Curve feature articles, appearing each and every Sunday at your favourite hockey blog. Although the report will explore a wide range of topics, a special emphasis will be placed on developing prospects and NHL call-ups.

The American Hockey League is often referred to as a second-tier professional hockey league, an inferior brand of bush-league bandy composed of NHL rejects who couldn't cut it in the best league in the world. This misguided public view couldn't be more fallacious as the AHL boasts a cornucopia of top prospects, talented veterans and world class goaltenders.

Upon recently attending a Manitoba Moose/Syracuse Crunch game on Friday at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, I counted at least six 1st round NHL picks from the past three entry drafts, many of whom will play huge roles in the NHL next year (Michael Grabner, Luc Bourdon, Cory Schneider, Gilbert Brule, Alexandre Picard and Derick Brassard). Juraj Simek, a 20-year-old winger from Slovakia, scored a picturesque dipsy-doodle goal that would give Rick Nash a run for his highlight reel money. Duvie Westcott, Zenon Konopka, Jason Jaffray and Mike Brown are all players who have contributed to their parent clubs this season. Aside from following your teams NHL call-ups, their are many AHL regulars who have excelled enough to capivate your attention. Unsung heroes like Brad Moran, Rick Rypien and Colby Genoway are all good players with exceptional hockey talent.

In a 3-1 Manitoba Moose victory which featured three fights, the arena was packed and engaged, and the on-ice action was intense and compelling. Given that many of these prospects will only spend one or two years "on the farm", it is evident why fans find it difficult to become too attached to players who won't be playing in the AHL for very long. However, this does not mean that the quality of hockey should be undervalued. Over the past three of four years, players such as Jason Spezza, Zach Parise, Travis Zajac, Brad Boyes, Patrick Sharp, Mike Cammalleri and Joe Pavelski have lit up the lamp in the 'A' along the way to the NHL.

The naysayers of the AHL like to point out that franchises relocate all the time, creating an unstable environment with dire consequences. This is simply the reality of a league which doesn't have the guaranteed revenue streams to save all of their clubs. Teams in towns like Adirondack and Utica are forced to fold when ticket and merchandise sales slide too much in relation to inflating player costs. To the AHL's credit, it still boasts 30 teams and manages to attract ownership interest whenever one of their franchises is on the brink of collapse. Had enough Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights? Enter Quad City or Rockford. Anyways, it isn't like the National Hockey League doesn't have ownership issues itself (Ahem! Nashville? Tampa Bay?).

The fact of the matter is people will always write-off the American Hockey League for vacuous reasons. Viewers of AHL Hockey, including this weekend's 2008 AHL All-Star Classic festivities, know better.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.

Cold Hard Rants--An All-Star Debacle

Coming to you live, once again, from the “Centre of the Universe”, Toronto Ontario, is another action-packed, exciting and dynamic, edition of Cold Hard Rants. Unfortunately, for the NHL those three words certainly could not be used in an honest manner to describe yesterday’s NHL Skills Competition as part of the NHL All-Star Weekend “extravaganza.”

Fresh off the un-mitigated disaster that was last year’s all-star weekend the NHL, to their credit, realized that the weekend needed a revamping. Unfortunately, as has become commonplace in Gary Bettman’s NHL, the purported cure was as bad as the disease, and the skills competition portion of the revamped weekend fell flatter than the terrain in Saskatchewan. (Note, I will not comment about the fact that the All-Star game was played in Atlanta, as I am not sure if the people at the event were knowledgeable enough about hockey to realize that what they were watching was in-fact a skills competition and not in actuality how all NHL games are played……hockey in the deep south, FEEL THE EXCITEMENT!)

A group of athletes who’s best selling features is their combination of size, and speed, were reduced to embarrassing themselves in ridiculous competitions like who could shoot a puck into a miniature net, and what goalie can shoot pucks the length of the ice into an empty net. The only thing the night was missing was a dog running through an obstacle course (which, by the way, I would have rather watched). As a viewer at home, the whole debacle was cringe worthy. I was half expecting the entire event to be sponsored by “Bad Idea Jeans.” (™ SNL).

Of course, just when I thought this had reached the pinnacle of debacle, the speed skating competition took the whole thing to a new level. On it’s face there is nothing wrong with a timed event to see who can skate the fastest from goal-line to blue-line, but when the freakin timers don’t work, what’s the point? The NHL couldn’t have asked to borrow a TIMEX from someone in the crowd? As I was watching at home, and saw Brian Campbell come out for the “finals” I was incredulous, as it was apparent to everyone that Campbell had LOST his heat. I don’t need a timer to tell me he lost, I saw it with my own eyes! To say that this was amateur hour is an insult to anyone who has ever been an amateur athlete. There aren’t enough adjectives in the English language for me to use to blast the NHL for how pathetic this was. Instead of it being a platform to highlight the tremendous athletes that play in the NHL, all it did was re-enforce how incompetent the Bettman era has been. Something the NHL has been all too skillful at showing the public time after time after time.

For Illegal Curve, I am Andrew M.

NHL SuperSkills Live Blog

Welcome to the 2008 NHL SuperSkills Live blog, This event will showcase the super skills of all the NHL All Stars, except for the ones who injured (Sidney Crosby, Henrik Zetterberg), or with their families (Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo). Illegal Curve was able to obtain some press credentials for this event and I am writing live from the press box at Phillips Arena my basement watching on CBC HD. I am looking forward to tonights festivities. If you are not aware of tonights events, and rules, they are available here.

In order: Obstacle Course Relay, Fastest Skater, Elimination Shootout, YoungStars Game, Accuracy Shooting, Hardest Shot, Breakaway Challenge.

I will be updating this throughout the competition, timestamped (Central time) with the most recent entry at the top.

8:22pm: The competition is over, it was a bit of a snoozer at times, but some players were able to showcase their talent. Ovechkin was the superstar of the night, receiving the biggest ovation. Tomorrow is the All-Star game, for all you fans of Frozen Assets, the over/under is 16. Out.

8:18pm: Alex Ovechkin tries to spin-o-rama and then baseball bat the puck into the net and gets a loud ovation. Somewhere Sidney Crosby is sitting at home crying.

8:09pm: The balding (who knew?) 22 year old Ryan Getzlaf shows two of the nicer moves so far. This event is showing so far to be a bit of a bust, with goalies making the saves and poke checking. I wouldn't mind seeing a shooter tutor or Mr. Sieve.

8:04pm: The moment everyone has been waiting for, the shootout challenge. Atlanta Hawk Dominique Wilkins, Scot Mellanby, Bill Clement and some guy from Friday Night Lights are judges.

7:42pm: Kaberle hits the target in sudden death, all the players celebrate. Greg Millen says "you don't think these guys compete". Settle down Greg.

7:14pm: Manny Legace makes a beauty breakaway pass to Patty Kane for a goal. Maybe I spoke too soon.

7:12pm: If the players don't really care, should I be interested?

7:01pm: The YoungStars were just introduced, what a bunch of babyfaces, several of them look like they just had their bar-mitzvahs.

6:53pm: Dion Phaneuf, who knew he could deke like this? He wins the elimination shootout.

6:45pm: CBC has chosen to put a person skating with a camera behind the shootout shooters, it's giving me a headache. Excuse me while I go throw up.

6:42pm: Jim Hughson explains that Brian Campbell's time was the only one that registered for the East, so he was put in the final. Wow. Who is running this thing?

6:36pm: After much confusion, Brian Campbell and Shawn Horcoff face-off in fastest skater. CBC shows the time as 0.00 seconds. Someone explain to me what is going on here. I would have preferred the traditional fastest skater, and compare to former all stars such as Petr Bondra and Mike Gartner. I really had no idea what was going on there.

6:27pm: Evegni Malkin just screwed up on the stickhanlding. If Nelson Muntz was here he'd say Ha Ha!

6:25pm: If the first time wasn't exciting enough, they are doing this course again. Alright!

6:20pm: Obstacle course relay, this is new. Great hands displayed by Spezza and Henrik Sedin. This is a nice change from guys skating through pylons.

6:17pm: Sidney Crosby wasn't available to play in the competition tonight, but he is featured playing with children in Tim Hortons commercials. What a role model.

6:07pm: Here's the most exciting part of the night, the player introductions. Is it just me, or does Mike Ribero look like a starving fetus?

6:00pm: I just got back from dominating the cowbell, lets get this thing started.

5:00pm: I have gone to practice with my Rock Band, Estimated Tongue. I am quite the shredder on lead guitar (Medium Difficulty), I'll be back around 5:45 with updates.

Fantasy Watch: Goalie Starts

Jan 28th – Feb 3rd

Anaheim Ducks (3) – Giguere should be well rested for back-to-back games this week.

Atlanta Thrashers (3) – Hedberg may steal a start due to back-to-back games.

Boston Bruins (3) – Look for Thomas to start all three games this week.

Buffalo Sabres (3) – Miller should be ready to go for all three games.

Carolina Hurricanes (3) – Ward will be looking to get back on track after the all-star break.

Calgary Flames (2) – Kiprusoff will get a much needed rest and should be back between the pipes for both games this week.

Chicago Blackhawks (2) – The Blackhawks haven't fully given Lalime the starting job, but if Khabibulin keeps struggling expect him to be out of the picture sooner than later.

Columbus Blue Jackets (3) – Leclaire has been stellar all year and should start all three games this week.

Colorado Avalanche (3) – Theodore recently took over the #1 position and should continue to hold onto it after the all-star break.

Dallas Stars (3) – Smith may steal a start due to back-to-back games this week.

Detroit Red Wings (3) – Look for a split between Osgood and Hasek.

Edmonton Oilers (2) – Garon should get both starts this week.

Florida Panthers (3) – Expect Vokoun to start all three games this week.

Los Angeles Kings (3) – LaBarbera hasn't been great but is still the starter in L.A.

Minnesota Wild (2) – Backstrom should get both starts this week.

Montreal Canadiens (4) – Huet will have a busy week with four games on the schedule.

Nashville Predators (3) – Look for Ellis to steal a start this week.

New Jersey Devils (3) – Brodeur will be busy during all-star week but should be ready to go for all three games this week.

New York Islanders (3) – Expect DiPietro to receive all the starts this week.

New York Rangers (4) – Lundqvist should be well rested for four games this week.

Ottawa Senators (3) – Gerber and Emery have both struggled as of late and will be looking to regain their early season form.

Philadelphia Flyers (3) – Nittymaki has been playing well this month and should steal a start this week.

Phoenix Coyotes (3) – Newly resigned Bryzgalov should receive all three starts this week.

Pittsburgh Penguins (3) – Conklin and Sabourin will continue to receive the starts while Fleury remains on the IR.

San Jose Sharks (3) – Nabokov has started all but one game for San Jose and should be ready to go post all-star break.

St. Louis Blues (3) – Legace struggled to close out the first half, but will be looking to get back on track after the break.

Tampa Bay Lightining (3) – Holmqvist will be looking to continue his hot-streak post all-star break.

Toronto Maple Leafs (3) – Toskala has won four of his last five games and should start all three games this week.

Vancouver Canucks (3) – After skipping the all-star game, Luongo should be ready to go for all three games this week.

Washington Capitals (3) – Look for Kolzig to start all three games this week.


For Illegal Curve, I'm Jonny Remis

NHL Morning Papers (Friday Edition)

Note: With All-Star weekend upon us, I will not be posting on Saturday or Sunday. The usual NHL Morning Papers will return bright and early Monday morning.

Here are the national morning papers:

• Brian Burke is happy in Anaheim, so you can take his name off the list of candidates for the Maple Leafs' GM position.
• With the trade deadline fast approaching, Mark Spector of the National Post says it is time to separate the buyers from the sellers.
• Mike Brehm of USA Today previews this weekend's All-Star Game.
• The breakaway challenge has quite the cast of participants and should be more than entertaining, writes Kevin Allen of USA Today.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Thrashers lost to the Rangers 2-1 in a shootout last night, and the team has not won a game since January 15th.
• The Bruins rebounded from their 8-2 loss to Montreal, with a strong 4-1 victory last night over the Islanders. Meanwhile, injured Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron enjoyed his time in Aruba because it allowed to him to get away from all the attention he has received due to his concussion and just relax.
• The Sabres ended their road winless streak at eight games with a 2-1 victory at Dallas. Sabres defenseman Jaroslav Spacek admits that wearing the "C" has made him do things he normally wouldn't do.
• The Hurricanes are currently leading the Southeast Division but still think they need to win 20 of their last 30 games to make the playoffs.
• The Panthers blew a two-goal lead with under two minutes remaining in the third period and eventually lost 4-3 in a shootout to the young Oilers. "We were in control of the game. . . . We have to pick ourselves up. We have a busy month, and hopefully we get some guys back after the break," said Panthers coach Jacques Martin who chose not to dwell on the tough defeat.
• The Habs showed some resilience by coming back from a 2-0 deficit at New Jersey to defeat Brent Sutter and his troops 4-3.
• "To be quite honest, I was disappointed in the whole team tonight. Our commitment to win, our commitment to our system and our commitment to playing like you're supposed to play was brutal," said an angry Brent Sutter after his team blew a 3-1 third period lead to fall 4-3 to the visiting Canadiens. Sutter was so angry after the game that the players are lucky the CBA doesn't allow for practices over the All-Star break.
• It was a touching night at MSG on Thursday as the Rangers raised Brian Leetch's number 2 to the rafters. The Rangers played last night's game versus Atlanta without Marek Malik who was benched for not shaking coach Tom Renney's hand after Tuesday's 4-0 victory over the same Thrashers. As for last night's game, the Rangers came out pretty flat but ended up pulling the game out with a 2-1 shootout victory.
• "Maybe the guys were thinking about the break before the break started," said an angry Ted Nolan after his team's 4-1 loss to the Bruins. Islanders forward Richard Park has been the team's unsung hero this season, writes Greg Logan of Newsday.
• The Senators rode the back of Daniel Alfredsson's seven point night to an 8-4 victory over the defenseless Lightning.
• The Flyers were happy to head into the break with a 4-3 victory over division-rival Pittsburgh, writes Ed Moran of the Philadelphia Inquirer. When the Penguins and Flyers meet there is nothing but bad blood, writes Rich Hofmann of Philadelphia Daily News.
• While they lost 4-3 to Philadelphia last night, the Penguins are happy to go into the break trailing first place in the Atlantic Division by only a single point. In other Penguins news, they will open the 2008/09 season in Sweden versus the Senators.
• The Lightning enter the break on a sour note after getting dominated 8-4 by the Senators on Thursday night. One positive that came from last night's game for the Lightning was the surprise return of defenseman Dan Boyle.
• Not only did the Leafs lose 2-1 at Washington last night, but they lost two of their better players in Alexander Steen and Alexei Ponikarovsky to injuries. New GM Cliff Fletcher is lucky he didn't have to watch last night's game in person, as he stayed behind in Toronto to conduct meetings.
• The Capitals continued to move towards first place in the Southeast Division with a 2-1 home victory over Toronto last night.

The Western Conference morning papers were lost to a computer problem. Thank you Microsoft Vista! I apologize for this omission. The regular format will return on Monday.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Numbers Game: Maple Leafs Winning %

The Toronto Maple Leafs have hardly been in the news these days. It seems as though the hockey media has forgotten about them, so I have decided to write yet another Numbers Game on the beloved Leafs. In all seriousness, I recognize that this is the third consecutive Numbers Game article on the Leafs and I have promised Illegal Curve’s editor, Richard Pollock, that this will be the last for a while.

In today’s Numbers Game, I decided to look at a relatively meaningless stat; the winning percentage of the Maple Leafs when each player on the Leafs scores. It’s even more meaningless for a Leaf’s team that is near the bottom of the NHL in wins.

But did you know that the Leafs never lose when Wade Belak scores? Perfect, Maurice can stop his search for a winger to fill in for Ponikarovski on one of the top lines. #23 out, #3 in. That’s right, the same #3 that stars on Leaf’s TV’s “Wade a Minute”. Belak’s versatility is clearly underrated.

Unfortunately for the Leafs, Belak has only scored one goal. The Leafs, however, do have an impressive .750 winning percentage with Alex Steen scores (he has 10 goals on the year). 8 of Stajan’s 11 goals were scored in Leafs’ victories, while 5 of Tucker’s unimpressive season total of 6 goals were scored in losses. Never mind Sundin, it’s time to start the “trade Tucker” campaign. The Leafs just can’t seem to win when he scores. It appears that Tucker might not be doing such a disservice after all: it’s a good a thing he never scores!

What about Sundin who has been the subject of many trade rumours? The Leafs lose half the games that he scores in.

I would not focus on these stats at all. They really don’t mean anything. No one is going to suggest that Tucker shouldn’t score, as easy as that would be for him. Obviously, the more goals your team scores, the more likely you are to win. The issue is not really who is scoring and when, but rather who is not scoring enough. The Leafs brought in Jason Blake, a 40-goal scorer last year, to help ignite the offense. He currently sits at 9 goals on the year. Darcy Tucker scored an impressive 24 goals in 56 games last year and a career-high 28 goals in 2005-2006. After 42 games this season, he has 6 goals. If the Leafs want to turn around their season, then everyone has to step up, especially Tucker and Blake.

For Illegal Curve, I am Adam Gutkin.

NHL Morning Papers (Thursday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• Alan Maki of the Globe & Mail tells readers that there are a lot of positives that could come along with being GM of the Maple Leafs.
• William Houston of the Globe & Mail wonders if Cliff Fletcher is just a puppet for Richard Peddie.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today has a great article on the success of the Detroit Red Wings since the salary-cap was introduced.
• Brett Hull is enjoying his role as co-GM in Dallas, writes Kevin Allen.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Ilya Kovalchuk has been suspended one game by the NHL for his hit-from-behind on
  Michael Roszival and, as a result, the superstar forward will sit out tonight's rematch versus the Rangers at MSG.
• Coming off of an 8-2 drubbing at the hands of the Habs, the Bruins are looking to rebound tonight versus the Islanders. In other Bruins news, Glen Murray has hit a speed-bump in his road to recovery and his return date is still unknown.
• The Sabres still don't have a timetable for the returns of both Maxim Afinogenov and Tim Connolly, writes John Vogl of the Buffalo News. With the Sabres visiting the Stars tonight, coach Lindy Ruff wants his team to be cognizant of Marty Turco's ability to handle the puck.
• Both Sergei Samsonov and the Hurricanes are happy to have each other, writes Rachel Carter of the News Observer.
• Dave Hyde of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel says that South Florida is desperate for a winning team; so, now is the time for the Panthers to create a buzz. Nathan Horton hasn't scored a goal in the three weeks, but he has a contributed to the team in a variety of different ways.
• In Montreal, Mathieu Dandenault is not very happy sitting on the sidelines as a healthy scratch. Meanwhile, before the Habs go on vacation over the All-Star break, the team will attempt to solve Martin Brodeur and company at the Prudential Center tonight.
• Michael Fensom of the Newark Star-Ledger details the progress made this season by Devils youngster David Clarkson. The Devils are looking forward to getting a break over the weekend before the playoff-run ramps up.
• Jaromir Jagr hopes to remain a Ranger through this season and beyond, writes Larry Brooks of the NY Post. Jay Greenberg salutes Brian Leetch whose number being raised to the MSG rafters tonight.
• Mike Sillinger says that the Islanders just need to maintain their focus on the teams ahead of them in the standings.
• Eugene Melnyk had breakfast with John Paddock and Bryan Murray yesterday to discuss the current state of the Senators, writes Chris Stevenson of the Ottawa Sun. John Paddock was also busy doing other things on Wednesday as he threw out a challenge to both of his netminders, with the promise that whomever wins will continue starting.
• Flyers coach John Stevens wants his team's penalty-killing to improve.
• Ron Musselman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette discusses the unexpected success of Penguins netminder Ty Conklin. The Penguins head into tonight's game versus Philadelphia with the early-season blowout loss to the Flyers on their minds.
• The Lightning have three star players who are not afraid to lay it on the line and lead by example.
• Damien Cox of the Toronto Star discusses the circus that is the new Leafs GM situation. With all the distractions in Toronto, the Leafs relied, as they usually do, on Mats Sundin and the big captain didn't disappoint by scoring with less than one minute remaining in regulation to give the Leafs a 3-2 victory over Washington.
• "We definitely didn't play our best game," Capitals forward Matt Pettinger said after his team's 3-2 loss at Toronto.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Wings got a little bit of payback last night, when they caught a break on the game-winning goal and defeated the Ducks 2-1 at the Honda Center. "They're the best team in the league for a reason," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle about the Red Wings.
• Jarome Iginla will aim to end his seven game goalless drought when the Flames resume play on Tuesday. Jean Lefebvre of the Calgary Herald provides readers with candid comments from Flames GM Darryl Sutter.
• Martin Lapointe is champing at the bit to get back into action for the Blackhawks having missed four straight games with a bruised kidney.
• Whichever team wins tonight's Wild/Avalanche contest will be in first place in the Northwest Division heading into the All-Star break. Terry Frei correctly points out in this morning's Denver Post that the Avalanche are playing some boring hockey as of late.
• The Blue Jackets have to rely on their veteran players to keep them emotionally in check heading into the chase for a playoff spot, writes Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. Blue Jackets rookie Kris Russell was happy to get his first NHL goal out of the way. Here are the Jackets' projected lines for tonight's tilt versus Chicago.
• The Stars will be happy to welcome back Jussi Jokinen to the line up tonight versus the Sabres after the Finnish winger missed the last thirteen games with a knee injury.
• The Wings did not back down from the physically imposing Ducks and defeated Anaheim 2-1 last night.
• According to a University of Alberta business professor, the Oilers have a 1% chance of making the playoffs. (Writer's note: I'm no professor, but I am pegging their chances at 0%.) John MacKinnon of the Edmonton Journal thinks the time is right for Daryl Katz to be the new owner of the Edmonton Oilers.
• After playing the Red Wings on Tuesday, the Kings' road to the All-Star break doesn't get any easier with a tough contest versus the Ducks tonight.
• Wild rookie James Sheppard has been trying emulate the play of teammate Mikko Koivu and it has served him well, writes Michael Russo of the Star Tribune.
• Jason Arnott of the Predators is from your quintessential hockey family, writes John Glennon of the Tennessean.
• The San Jose Mercury News takes a look at the dangers that come with blocking shots.
• Blues coach Andy Murray was very happy with his team's effort in their 3-2 shootout loss at Vancouver.
• The slumping Canucks were relieved to get a victory heading into the All-Star break after last night's 3-2 shootout win over visiting St. Louis.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. The IIHF will go to a 4-official system at the World Championships.
2. The Flames and h ave assigned Eric Nystrom to the AHL and Patrice Bergeron has returned from vacationing in Aruba.
3. Doug Gilmour said to be confused over his role with the Leafs. Also confusing Gilmour, the statutory age of consent.
4. Blah, blah, blah, blah, Leafs, blah, blah, blah.
5. The St. John's Fog Devils will relocate to Quebec.
6. Tom Glavine still wonders if he could have made it in the NHL.
7. Something about a Wang that enjoys growing...
8. Magnus Wernblom is closing in on the scoring record in the SEL.
9. This year's CHL Prospects game will be defense heavy.
10. A primer on how to coach an All-Star Game.
11. Spector says that Hossa might stay in Atlanta now that the playoffs are a possibility.
12. Interesting take on the lack of action in getting more NHL teams in Canada.
13. A pretty hilarious photoshop contest over at Pensblog. The Flyers are the natural target.
14. A story on the Gamebreaker video system from the Prince George Citizen.
15. My least favourite hockey analyst and least favourite newspaper have joined forces to create a plethora of suck.
16. Worst hockey mom ever. Note to all the studly 16 year old hockey players out there: If your next conquest could be mistaken for your hockey bag, don't hit it.
17. John Ferguson Jr. ponders his future. If he just waits a few years the Leafs will hire him back.
18. Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star tells us the goal of Leafs' Nation is to find their "Bryan Colangelo". No wonder they can't play hockey. Too many scouts looking for 6'8 guards and mobile swingmen.
19. A faction of the Edmonton Investors' Group is attempting to match Daryl Katz' offer. Smells like a bidding war to me.
20. Not sure why this story is getting so much attention, but the Pens Tyler Kennedy is out with mono.
21. The final instaalment of the Staal brothers will take the ice at the CHL Prospects game tonight.
22. Jyri Niemi of the Saskatoon Blades won the hardest shot competition at the CHL Prospects game with a 97 mph blast.
23. The Hockey News, apparently addled from being in Toronto for too long, attempts to give the Cy Young Award to 10 NHL'ers.
24. Catching up with Gilbert Dionne.
25. Mike Milbury has his own blog. I am going to see if I can acquire it from him for a blog to be named later.

Fantasy Watch: Buy/Sell

BUY

F Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks
Marleau has been awful this year, but appears to be turning a corner in the New Year, scoring in four of his last five games. He has also been producing on San Jose's power-play unit, registering four assists in his last five games. Although this could just be a tease, a player with Marleau's talent is worth to take a gamble on. You don't lose the ability to become an 80 point player in the NHL overnight, and even though Marleau won't put up anything close the 78 points he did last year, the forward could still be in for a pleasant second half.

F Cory Stillman, Carolina Hurricanes
Stillman started the season on fire, scoring 31 points in his first 23 games but has struggled to keep up that astonishing pace and is currently enduring his worst month of the season. With only two points in his last eight games, Stillman's value has plummeted and may be in the trading block in your league. His recent scoring slump does bring a cause for concern, but with a potent Carolina lineup featuring three other 40+ point players, Stillman's slump should end in no time. If you can get Stillman for below market value, then do so now as he could heat up at any moment.

SELL

F Todd Bertuzzi, Anaheim Ducks
After enduring two unsuccessful stints with both Florida and Detroit, no one was sure how Bertuzzi would perform in his first year with the Ducks. Scoring only two points in his first seven games with Anaheim, Bertuzzi's miserable start was put to an end early after suffering yet another concussion. Unsure if Bertuzzi would ever step foot back on the ice, owners acted quickly and dropped the forward in favor of other options. Returning over a month later, Bertuzzi got off to another slow start but has since picked it up, scoring 13 points in his last 10 games. Due to his rugged style of play, Bertuzzi puts himself at an extreme risk of another serious injury that could end his season prematurely. With his value as high as it might be all season, it's advised to ship Bertuzzi off for other options.

F Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Minnesota Wild
Bouchard has been extremely streaky this year, often going several games without registering a point only to bounce back and post the odd multi point game, making owners shrug off his inconsistency.
After scoring only three points in his last seven games, Bouchard bounced back and posted his first four point night, much to the dismay of owners who probably had him on their bench after his awful week beforehand. My advice? Trade Bouchard to another team, avoid his scoreless nights and the headaches that come with debating whether or not to start him for the week.


For Illegal Curve, I'm Jonny Remis

NHL Morning Papers (Wednesday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• Dave Shoalts of the Globe & Mail says that most of what John Ferguson Jr. did during his stint in Toronto was unsuccessful.
• Cliff Fletcher does not have very much time before the trade deadline arrives, writes Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail.
• The NHL and Versus have agreed to extend their television contract for another three years.
• Mark Spector of the National Post tells readers that Cliff Fletcher has a big mess to clean up.
• Mike Brehm of USA Today providers readers with some news and notes from around the NHL.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Ilya Kovalchuk was ejected late in the first period as the Thrashers went on to lose their fourth straight game last night with a 4-0 loss to the Rangers. Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the details behind the confusing Thrashers and Hawks ownership situation.
• The Bruins were defeated 8-2 by the Canadiens last night, making that six losses to the Habs this season. Even with the drubbing handed to them by the Habs, the Bruins did get some good news on Tuesday with the announcement that Tim Thomas had been named to the All-Star team. Also, injured center Patrice Bergeron has returned from a club-ordered vacation to Aruba.
• Sabres coach Lindy Ruff accepts responsibility for his club's recent struggles, writes John Vogl of the Buffalo News.
• The Hurricanes gave up a shocking three short-handed goals yesterday in their 6-3 home loss to the Islanders, writes Luke Decock of the News Observer.
• With last night's 5-3 victory over the Senators, the Panthers moved within four points of the Southeast Division lead.
• The Canadiens were about as impressive as you can get last night in their dominant 8-2 victory over the division-rival Bruins.
• The Devils tied a franchise record with five power play goals last night in their 7-3 victory at Philadelphia yesterday. Meanwhile, both Martin Brodeur and Brent Sutter have pulled out of All-Star weekend.
• The Rangers finally looked like the team that everyone expected in the off-season, with a 4-0 dominating performance over the Thrashers last night. "We were a relentless team tonight," said coach Tom Renney after last night's game.
• The Islanders were 3 for 8 last night scoring on Carolina's power play, as they defeated the Hurricanes 6-3 at the RBC Center last night.
• The Senators were defeated 5-3 at Florida last night, and have only 15 wins registered in their last 32 games played. The return of Daniel Alfredsson to the Senators line up didn't help the team keep the puck out of their own net, which seems to be their biggest problem as of late.
• "We had a total letdown," Flyers coach John Stevens said after his team's embarrassing 7-3 home loss to the Devils. Sam Donnellon of the Philadelphia Daily News wonders if the Flyers fear the Devils.
• The Lightning recorded a 4-3 victory over visiting Edmonton yesterday to make it three straight wins, which has vaulted the Bolts back into playoff consideration. Bolts coach John Tortorella has been very impressed with the play of his team's fourth line.
• David Templeton of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette looks at the positive side of things when it comes to Sidney Crosby's ankle.
• Damien Cox of the Toronto Star wonders if Cliff Fletcher can save the Maple Leafs. Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun lists possible GM candidates for the Leafs. It shouldn't take John Ferguson Jr. too long to find work, writes Mike Zeisberger of the Sun.
• Bruce Boudreau will be making his first coaching experience in his home-town Toronto tonight as the Capitals visit the Leafs.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Both Corey Perry and Scott Niedermayer have been named to the All-Star team, writes Dan Wood of the Orange County Register. (Writer's note: How can anyone take the game seriously when Niedermayer is named to the team? While he is one of the top three defensemen in the game today, he has hardly played this season! C'mon NHL, give someone else the opportunity.)
• The Flames are now in first place in the Northwest Division, for the time being, after defeating division-rival Minnesota last night in a closely contested 2-1 game.
• The Blackhawks had their four-game winning streak snapped last night as they lost 3-2 in San Jose, writes Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune. (Injury news: Jonathan Toews is expected to be out for three more weeks.)
• "The desperation wasn't there for us tonight. Right from the get-go, you could tell," said Avalanche winger Ian Lapperierre after last night's 4-0 loss at home to Nashville. Meanwhile, Woody Paige of the Denver Post thinks that Colorado should host an outdoor game. For those who love rumors, both the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs have had scouts following the Avalanche.
• "To win a game like this, down and coming back with such a big effort by so many guys, it's a turning point for our organization," said an excited Ken Hitchcock after his Blue Jackets came back from a third period deficit to defeat the Stars 4-2. Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch provides readers with the details of the minor swap between Colorado and Columbus. (Writer's note: Ken Hitchcock and Scott Howson have this club moving in the right direction. They may not generate much attention from the casual fan, but the Jackets should not be overlooked.)
• The Stars feel like they let two point slip away last night versus the Blue Jackets, writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.
• Chris Osgood started his first game since being pulled from a game last week by coach Mike Babcock and was tremendous shutting out the Kings by a score of 3-0. Red Wings star Henrik Zetterberg has decided to take a week off to rest his ailing back.
• "Every single game is vital for us moving forward," said Oilers forward Marty Reasoner after his team's 4-3 loss at Tampa Bay last night. Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun wonders how the Oilers can expect to make the playoffs by losing games to the 29th and 30th ranked teams in the NHL.
• The best in the West defeated the worst in the West last night, as the Kings were beaten 3-0 by the powerful Red Wings.
• The Wild suffered a letdown last night after their inspiring victory over Vancouver on Monday and were defeated 2-1 by the Flames at the Saddledome. The Wild top forwards asked Jacques Lemaire for more ice-time and their wish has been granted, writes Michael Russo of the Star Tribune.
• The Predators separated themselves from the Avalanche at the beginning of the third period last night and cruised to a 4-0 victory. In the process, J.P. Dumont extended his point streak to thirteen games.
• Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic provides readers with the details behind the Ilya Brygalov contract extension.
• The Sharks ended their four-game winless streak last night with a 3-2 home victory over the Blackhawks.
• "We haven't paid as much attention to detail," said Blues coach Andy Murray in reference to his team's current five-game losing streak.
• In Vancouver, coach Alain Vigneault has challenged Roberto Luongo to play better. The Canucks have lost Kris Beech on waivers to the Capitals.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Numbers Game: Ferguson by the numbers

Hats off to Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment for finally recognizing that they made a huge mistake by bringing in John Ferguson Jr. to “run the show” for the Leafs. I use the term “run the show” very loosely of course. Ferguson was merely a puppet for the MLSE board which is compromised of prominent real estate developers, lawyers and pension fund directors who in addition to being extremely successful businessmen also possess brilliant hockey minds?

With Ferguson fired, the Leafs have handed the GM position to former Leafs’ GM Cliff Fletcher accompanied by a promise by the MLSE board to give him full control over the hockey operations. This model has certainly worked well for the Raptors and under the guidance of a hockey version of Bryan Colangelo, it will certainly serve the best interests of the Leafs. However, the question remains: Is Fletcher the right guy for the job?

Fletcher has certainly demonstrated the willingness to pull off the big trade and the foresight to recognize the potential contributions of players. He was responsible for bringing Doug Gilmour and Mats Sundin to Toronto. He will have to utilize the same foresight and willingness in the next month when he is faced with the pressure to, ironically, trade Sundin.

In response to today’s firing, I looked at the success of the Leafs under their last 4 general managers dating back to when Fletcher took over in 1991. The list includes:
Cliff Fletcher (1991-1997)
Ken Dryden (1997-1999)
Pat Quinn (1999-2003)
John Ferguson Jr. (2003-2008)

For the analysis, I recognize that team points are now scored differently than they were in the 90’s. Since 1999, teams received a point for losing a game in overtime and, of course, shootouts were brought into the game to break ties in 2005. As well, the league has expanded since the early 90’s from a 22-team league to the 30-team league that we have today.

Click on image to enlarge:

The Leafs were most successful under Pat Quinn. They enjoyed their highest winning percentage (.589) and on, average, ranked 5th in the conference and 2nd in their division, while qualifying for the playoffs every season. Quinn’s teams also consistently ranked in the top 10 in the league in goals scored and were above the league average in goals against. They narrowly missed the Stanley Cup finals losing to the Hurricanes in 2001 and were generally regarded as contenders in the East every season.

Conversely, under Ferguson, the Leafs have failed to qualify for the playoffs since the lockout and are likely going to fall short again this year. They did tally 103 points in his first season (2003), but how much of that can be attributed to Ferguson instead of Quinn, his predecessor? Since the lockout the Leafs have ranked, on average, 10th in the East and 4th in their 5-team division.

Ironically, Fletcher did have a lower winning % than Ferguson. However, the Leafs in the mid 90’s, when Gilmour was in his prime, were a much better team than now, and they would have arguably had a much higher winning percentage should the shootout have been in place. As well, the Leafs almost reached 100 points in 1992-1993 and 1993-1994 en route to conference finals appearances without receiving points for overtime losses. For 4 consecutive seasons starting in 1992, the Leafs finished at worst 5th in their conference.

Under Fletcher, the Leafs appeared to have difficulty scoring, finishing, at best, 13th in the league in goals for. However, the Leafs did rank above league average in goals against during Fletcher’s tenure with the exception of his final season. In the last 2 seasons, the Leafs have finished 21st and 25th overall in goals against and currently have the 4th worst goals against to date.

Ferguson had his chance with the Leafs. His track record certainly supports MLSE’s decision to fire him today. Whether Fletcher was the right guy remains to be seen. Granted, while he will only retain the GM title until the end of the season, what Fletcher does in the next few months will certainly go a long way in molding the Leafs potential success over the next few years. Here is to hoping that they don’t continue along the path that Ferguson has currently steered them on.

For Illegal Curve, I am Adam Gutkin.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Kalamazoo wins a game in the IHL when they score with 0.1 seconds left on the clock. Big deal. I can score and cuddle in 0.1 seconds.
2. A decision is expected today on the fate of John Ferguson Jr. Update: JFJ fired.
3. Hockey Hearsay reports that Ottawa almost made a trade. Big news day in Ottawa. I almost won the lottery, too.
4. The weekly release from the USHL.
5. Evanka Osmak of Sportsnet does some deep thinking on the All-Star Game. Save yourself the trouble and instead spend 30 seconds checking out her pictures.
6. Just like Regina girls, this guy loves the wood.
7. The Coyotes have inked Ilya "The Human Alphabet" Bryzgalov to a 3 year extension.
8. Evgeni Malkin will replace Sidney Crosby at the All-Star Game in Atlanta.
9. In an effort to make up for yesterday's worst fight ever, please enjoy this goalie fight featuring Illegal Curve favorite, David Reekie. The video is shakier than bigfoot footage, but you get the idea.
10. This week's ECHL update looks at Peder Skinner of the Phoenix Roadrunners. I think Peder Skinner ranks right up there with Corey Pecker as worst hockey name.
11. The Junior Report says that Belleville is the team to beat in the OHL and notes that David Reekie has helped turn around Lincoln's season in the USHL.
12. Cherie Piper has rejoined the Canadian Women's Team after a year-long battle with knee problems.
13. Tyler Cuma of the Ottawa 67's is looking to make an impact at the CHL Prospects game.
14. The Everett Herald examines the consequences for the WHL should Canadian schools join the NCAA.
15. Here is a review on the new documentary following the Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the QMJHL.
16. Ken Campbell notes that internal divisions with the Leafs' braintrust may have cost them Fabian Brunstrom.
17. Good story on Jonathan Morrison, an official in the USHL.
18. Spector provides a list of NHL'ers who may be moved at the deadline.
19. The London Free Press with a story on Yvon Cournoyer. Also check out this video of The Roadrunner. You're welcome Mad Dog.
20. Things are getting testy in NYC.
21. The Hot Prospects list from the Hockey News.
22. Adam Proteau's vision of how the NHL should run.
23. An update on Montreal's prospects in the NCAA system from Hockey's Future.
24. Scott Wraight of SI gives some early predictions for the playoffs.
25. Finally, an article from the CBC not blaming W. for global warming, hangnails and papercuts.

NHL Morning Papers (Tuesday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• Reports indicate that the Leafs are finally going to put John Ferguson Jr. out of his misery today. (Update: JFJ has been fired with Cliff Fletcher being named interim GM.)
• William Houston of the Globe & Mail providers readers with all the details behind the NHL's television deal with TSN.
• With Sidney Crosby lost to the Penguins for at least a month, Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail says it is Evgeni Malkin's time to shine.
• Even with all the mistreatment he has received, executives around the league know that John Ferguson Jr. will be around the game of hockey for a long time, writes Michael Traikos of the National Post.
• Dave Staples of the National Post says Canadian franchises are generating lots of interest from potential purchasers.
• Nicklas Backstrom has been playing very well as of late, and should now be considered among the favorites for the Calder Trophy, writes Kevin Allen of USA Today.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Craig Custance of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tells us about Joel Kwiatkowski's love for the guitar.
• Bruins forward Pascal Pelletier is beyond excited to play in his home province of Quebec tonight when the Bruins face-off against the Habs. Meanwhile, Glen Murray practiced with his teammates yesterday and should be ready to return to the line up post All-Star break.
• After an embarrassing 6-2 loss at Phoenix on Monday, the Sabres called a players-only meeting. Here are some notes about the Sabres provided by John Vogl of the Buffalo News.
• The Hurricanes defeated the Islanders 3-2 in overtime on Monday to win back-to-back games for the first time in one month. Rachel Carter of the News Observer provides readers with news and notes about the Hurricanes.
• Panthers owner Alan Cohen has told Olli Jokinen he won't be traded. "I like this place. This is home. I don't believe the grass is any greener on the other side . . . I want to win here and hopefully we make some moves here," said Jokinen.
• Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette has a nice article on Habs equipment manager Pierre Gervais.
• After being bitten by Derian Hatcher, Travis Zajac has been on fire for the Devils, writes Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger. According to Mark Everson of the NY Post, Lou Lamoriello has ramped up his efforts to acquire a top-four defenseman and a scoring forward.
• Rangers coach Tom Renney doesn't believe his team needs to make any changes heading into the stretch drive for the playoffs. John Dellapina of the NY Daily News tells readers that Renney is inspired by the Giants run to the Super Bowl and is hoping his team can make the same run.
• The Islanders blew a two-goal third period lead yesterday, making it two games in a row that they have blow such a lead, and were defeated by the Hurricanes 3-2 in overtime.
• Senators GM Brian Murray thought he had a couple deals done last week only to have the other GM back-off at the last minute, writes Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun.
• The Flyers have lost four straight games to the Devils and will be looking to make a statement tonight against their division-rivals at the Wachovia Center.
• Sidney Crosby is now expected to miss six-eight weeks of action, instead of four weeks which was originally reported. Without Crosby in the line up last night, Alexander Ovechkin took over and led the Capitals to a 5-4 shootout victory over the Penguins. Crosby isn't the only Penguins player who is injured, writes Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• With Johan Holmqvist regaining his confidence, the Lightning will ride the Swedish netminder as far as they can.
• As Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun tells us, John Ferguson Jr. believes he will have a job in hockey for years to come. Damien Cox of the Toronto Star says MLSE does not care about Leafs fans.
• Alexander Ovechkin exhibited last night why he is considered a superstar, writes Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Flames are asking for more goals from their bottom-six forwards to help alleviate the pressure on their top players, writes Steve Macfarlane of the Calgary Sun. Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald has the Flames' defensemen's opinion on battling in front of their own net.
• Currently in the midst of an eighteen game goalless drought, Blackhawks forward Tuomo Ruutu knows he has to be better.
• The Avalanche aren't sitting around feeling sorry for themselves because of all team's injuries, instead, they are coming together and replacing skill with grit and determination.
• Blue Jackets rookie Derek Brassard has been promoted to the team's number one line and will play alongside Rick Nash and Fredrik Modin tonight in Dallas. In other Jackets news, the organization has decided to leave Gilbert Brule in the AHL for the time being. Here are the Jackets' projected lines for tonight's contest.
• Stephane Robidas plays far bigger than his size, writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.
• It appears that Henrik Zetterberg's back is acting up again and the Swedish star may be out of the line up for his team's next two games and possibly the All-Star Game.
• The Oilers' "kid-line" is coming together, writes Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal. Here are some notes about the Oilers and Lightning heading into tonight's contest in Tampa.
• Kings youngster Teddy Purcell has impressed the Kings brass since his call-up from the AHL, writes Dan Arritt of the L.A. Times.
• The Wild rode Pierre-Marc Bouchard's four point effort to a 4-2 road victory at Vancouver. Michael Russo of the Star Tribune examines whether the second game of back-to-back games is really that bad. (Writer's note: Great article by Russo.)
• The Predators defeated the Blues 6-3 on Monday and took over second place in the Central Division. However, it wasn't all good news last night, as David Legwand will be lost to the Predators for at least the next two games with a lower-leg injury.
• The Coyotes continued to prove the pre-season pundits wrong last night with an impressive 6-2 victory at home over the Sabers.
• "I probably shouldn't say it, but I will: The Anaheim game had a little bit of a carry-over that bothers me," said Sharks GM Doug Wilson about the Sharks' recent skid.
• The Blues lost their fifth straight game yesterday and their playoff hopes will become more remote if they don't turn it around soon. Meanwhile, Blues defenseman Christian Backman has been told that the coaching staff expects more from him.
• The Canucks have not won one game this season in which they were trailing going into the third period and that trend continued last night in their 4-2 loss to the Wild. The Canucks are going the way of the stock market right now, writes Brad Ziemer of the Vancouver Sun.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.