At end of the first third of the 2008-09 NHL season, it's time to take a look at a couple of rookies. I've chosen Kris Versteeg of the Chicago Blackhawks and Blake Wheeler of the Boston Bruins.
Kris Versteeg - Rookie Leader Most Points: 26
Blake Wheeler - Goals By A Rookie: 13
Kris Versteeg - Assists By A Rookie: 17
Blake Wheeler - Rookie Plus-Minus Leader: +21
Boston Bruins: The Bruins are at the top of their game so far this season. With their 56 points they are 2 points out of first overall in the NHL league wide. With the number one offensive team, Wheeler is in an eviable position. Breaking in as a rookie on a young team on the rise in the NHL.
Chicago Blackhawks: Sit in 6th overall position in the league, but are slowing making their way up the ranks due to their recent 10 game streak where they have not lost a game. The youngest team in the league, Versteeg is one of their youngest rookies, but leading all rookies in points scoring.
Versteeg, a 22 native of Lethridge Alberta, played 13 games with the Blackhawks last season, recording 2 goals and 2 assists along with 4 penalty minutes. So far this season Versteeg has 17 assists. Versteeg was traded by the Bruins in exchange for Brandon Bochenski, and is tied for the lead in the Western Conference with a plus-twelve rating. The team has won 10 straight games and haven't lost a game during regulation that they trailed after the first period. That shows a team that will not quit. Versteeg is 3rd in team scoring trailing Patrick Kane's 41 points and Patrick Sharp's 30.
Wheeler, also 22, is from Robbinsdale, Minnesota and is sixth in Bruins scoring with 13 goals, 9 assists for 22 points in 35 games. He leads all NHL rookies in goal scoring, and is in 4th spot league-wide in the rookie points scoring race, 4 points behind Versteeg. He has 4 goals in his last 3 games. The Bruins are in the middle of another winning streak, and are currently 9-1 in their last ten games.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
The Winter Classic: NHL Hockey At Wrigley's
It is now 4 days until the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Detroit Red Wings in the 2008-09 Winter Classic. An NHL hockey game played outside. At Wrigley Field in Chicago. It will be played January 1, at 1pm eastern time.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
The End Of The Mats Sundin Saga
Well, Mats Sundin has finally found a home with the Vancouver Canucks after sitting out the pre-season and the first 30-odd games of the 2008-09 NHL season. It became pretty obvious that the big guy wasn't going to be returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs when he sold his house in Toronto earlier this year. How do you think he'll do with the Canucks over the course of the final 50 games? Will he be the "missing ingredient" the Canucks need to get their mitts on Lord Stanley's Mug? Will he be the same sort of lucky charm that Ray Bourque was for the Colorado Avalanche way back in 2000-01? I really don't know.
I know Sundin can be a force unto himself. Other times he becomes the Invisible Swede. He could get injured again, so he should probably ease into the lineup rather than be thrown in for 25 minutes a game. Sure he will be fine for a number of games, but even with the best training and practice, having missed 30 games to date, he is not ready to take a regular shift. The Canucks are currently 2nd in the Northeast Division, only one point behind the Calgary Flames, and they are 5 points up on 3rd place Minnesota, but the Wild have 2 games in hand.
And what of the die-hard Maple Leaf fans? The Leafs are doing better than expected, but when the chips are down no one expects them to compete seriously for a playoff spot, let alone the Cup itself. The Leafs let Sundin go without getting anything back except room in their salary cap. He refused to be traded last season which would have put the Leafs in a somewhat better position, but I don't think he should be faulted for not falling on his sword by accepting a trade. Sundin will do fine with Vancouver. I don't think they will get past the San Jose Sharks, even if the Canucks get that far in the playoffs. Sundin will be a great asset for the team, but all in all, I don't think this story will play out much when we get down to the nitty-gritty in the spring. If I'm wrong, what do you think? Feel free to comment, especially if you are a Sundin fan.
I know Sundin can be a force unto himself. Other times he becomes the Invisible Swede. He could get injured again, so he should probably ease into the lineup rather than be thrown in for 25 minutes a game. Sure he will be fine for a number of games, but even with the best training and practice, having missed 30 games to date, he is not ready to take a regular shift. The Canucks are currently 2nd in the Northeast Division, only one point behind the Calgary Flames, and they are 5 points up on 3rd place Minnesota, but the Wild have 2 games in hand.
And what of the die-hard Maple Leaf fans? The Leafs are doing better than expected, but when the chips are down no one expects them to compete seriously for a playoff spot, let alone the Cup itself. The Leafs let Sundin go without getting anything back except room in their salary cap. He refused to be traded last season which would have put the Leafs in a somewhat better position, but I don't think he should be faulted for not falling on his sword by accepting a trade. Sundin will do fine with Vancouver. I don't think they will get past the San Jose Sharks, even if the Canucks get that far in the playoffs. Sundin will be a great asset for the team, but all in all, I don't think this story will play out much when we get down to the nitty-gritty in the spring. If I'm wrong, what do you think? Feel free to comment, especially if you are a Sundin fan.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Bruins Are The Surprise Of The First Half
The Boston Bruins are being lauded far and wide as the surprise team so far in the 2008-09 season. The Bruins have re-structured themselves from the team it was just a few seasons ago. So far this season, the Boston squad has won 18 games out of 26 and lost only 4 times. They lead the Eastern conference. They've even appeared to have shaken off the Montreal Canadiens who had won 12 of the teams' previous 12 straight games. Boston has won the last 2 games over the Habs and they have also beaten Detroit, Philadelphia, Buffalo and others who have done well against the Bruins over the last few seasons. They are more mobile, solid in net and with that toughness that Bruins' teams of the past were renowned for.
Only the San Jose Sharks (14-0-2) and the Washington Capitals (10-1-1) have better home records than Boston has this season and the Bruins own the best road record in the Eastern conference at 9-3-3. Both the Bruins and the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings sport identical 18-4-4 records which trail only the red-hot Sharks who are 22-3-2 after 27 games. What in the world is up with the Bruins?
The Bruins are at the summit of the NHL standings because they have an overall solid team that comes to play every night. Center Marc Savard is having another great year. He's potted his 600th career point earlier this year and is in the top ten for points league-wide. Rookie Blake Wheeler is second in team goalscoring with 9 so far and 2nd league-wide for goals by a rookie behind Toronto's Mikhail Grabovski who has ten. Tough guy Milan Lucic is making a name for himself both with his fists and with his touch around the net. He has 6 goals and 10 assists for 16 points, but it's his willingness to drop the mitts that is exciting longtime Bruins fans. He already has 53 penalty minutes stemming from the numerous fights he's had. But it's the Bruins' goaltending that is getting a lot of notice.
Anchored by rock-solid goaltending with Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez, the Bruins are currently tied with the Minnesota Wild in having the lowest goals against at a stingy 56 goals in 26 games for a tiny 2.15 goals against avg. Thomas has 2 shutouts and Fernandez just posted his first shutout of the season the other night with a 4-0 win over the Florida Panthers.
With the league-best tandem in goal, solid goalscoring (they're 3rd overall in team goalscoring averaging 3.5 a game), four solid lines, good coaching, the Bruins look like they may go deep in the playoffs this year. Sure, it's easy to predict now and the wheels could fall off, but the Bruins appear rejuvenated and ready to play just about any game their opposites throw at them. When you usually outscore the opposition, outplay their goaltenders, and play physical when needed, you can usually win the game. It's a simple formula for success and the Bruins have it all this year.
Only the San Jose Sharks (14-0-2) and the Washington Capitals (10-1-1) have better home records than Boston has this season and the Bruins own the best road record in the Eastern conference at 9-3-3. Both the Bruins and the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings sport identical 18-4-4 records which trail only the red-hot Sharks who are 22-3-2 after 27 games. What in the world is up with the Bruins?
The Bruins are at the summit of the NHL standings because they have an overall solid team that comes to play every night. Center Marc Savard is having another great year. He's potted his 600th career point earlier this year and is in the top ten for points league-wide. Rookie Blake Wheeler is second in team goalscoring with 9 so far and 2nd league-wide for goals by a rookie behind Toronto's Mikhail Grabovski who has ten. Tough guy Milan Lucic is making a name for himself both with his fists and with his touch around the net. He has 6 goals and 10 assists for 16 points, but it's his willingness to drop the mitts that is exciting longtime Bruins fans. He already has 53 penalty minutes stemming from the numerous fights he's had. But it's the Bruins' goaltending that is getting a lot of notice.
Anchored by rock-solid goaltending with Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez, the Bruins are currently tied with the Minnesota Wild in having the lowest goals against at a stingy 56 goals in 26 games for a tiny 2.15 goals against avg. Thomas has 2 shutouts and Fernandez just posted his first shutout of the season the other night with a 4-0 win over the Florida Panthers.
With the league-best tandem in goal, solid goalscoring (they're 3rd overall in team goalscoring averaging 3.5 a game), four solid lines, good coaching, the Bruins look like they may go deep in the playoffs this year. Sure, it's easy to predict now and the wheels could fall off, but the Bruins appear rejuvenated and ready to play just about any game their opposites throw at them. When you usually outscore the opposition, outplay their goaltenders, and play physical when needed, you can usually win the game. It's a simple formula for success and the Bruins have it all this year.
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