For their first win, the Devils knocked off Buffalo in overtime. The game winning goal came off a one timer from the stick of Ilya Kovalchuk.
A month later, the Devils again emerged victorious from another overtime victory, and again, the winner came off the stick of Kovalchuk.
Two nights ago, Dainius Zubrus netted the equalizing goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs early in the 3rd period. The Devils seemed to break free from the funk which had surrounded them for most of the game but couldn’t net the go ahead goal to give them a regulation win.
To overtime they would go, and cue Mr. Kovalchuk. Starting from behind his own net, he carried the puck across center ice, eluding two Maple Leaf defenders, finding himself open on the right wing. Kovalchuk did not hesitate to fire a shot on net that beat goaltender James Reimer stick side for yet another winner.
Finally, last night, after a Travis Zajac faceoff win in the San Jose zone, Kovalchuk picked up the loose puck and ripped a shot to the stick side of Anti Niemi for his 19th goal of the season and second winner in as many nights. Granted this winner was not in overtime, it was yet another winner for the Devils and another game winning goal for the $100 million man.
The team is completely on fire right now, having won 12 out of their previous 15 games. In the games which they have not won, they have earned points in two of three. 26 points out of a possible 30 have brought the Devils from lottery pick favorites, to dark horses with an outside chance of making the playoffs.
It is no secret the team’s mentality has changed to focus on one game at a time. They have to, it’s to save their sanity, and remove doubt. They’re openly saying they’re leaving the scoreboard watching to the reporters and the fans. It’s a perfect mentality for a team that at one point this year looked dead to rights.
Entering the action tonight, the Devils sit a mere 12 points back of the 8th place Atlanta Thrashers, 14 back of the 7th place [and rival] New York Rangers. 6 critical points sit for the taking next week as the Devils will face 9th place Carolina twice and the Rangers once.
It will undoubtedly be a tall order for the team, especially without Martin Brodeur and defencemen Anton Volchenkov for at least the Wednesday game at home versus Carolina.
However, on the shoulders of Johan Hedberg and of course, the scoring machine Ilya Kovalchuk, victories against even the best teams in the NHL can be earned.
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Saturday, February 12, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Better Hold on Tight
Two months ago, a game like last nights would have been over midway through the second period.
If those Devils would have somehow found a way to net the equalizer, as Matias Tedenby did, then surely the final dagger would have been Jeff Skinner's second power play goal with under 10 minutes to go in the third period.
These Devils, however, didn't roll over they way they would have during the first half of the season.
These Devils battled. And it paid off.
With under three minutes remaining. Ilya Kovalchuk started up ice from his own end. I had even said aloud to my friend sitting next to me in section 230, "It's time for Kovy to do something." A pair of moves through Hurricane defenders put the crowd on the edge of their seats, some even being frustrated that this rush could end in the same fashion they had seen before with a turnover, only it didn't.
Kovalchuk got to the right wing boards, drawing two defenders, and fired a shot seemingly harmless on net. The catch was that Cam Ward bad been giving up rebounds like they were the packets of cards every fan got at the game Friday night. Nick Palmieri jumped on the loose rebound and used the vacated space to lift a shot over Ward's right shoulder and in for the equalizer.
I firmly believe the Prudential Center had not erupted into such an ovation all season long.
In a game that they had to win, the Devils had overcome two power play goals by Jeff Skinner, and killed off a third penalty by Anton Volchenkov, without earring a power play of their own.
It a tense game to watch as a fan, but when the Palmieri goal hit the back of the net, fans knew they still not only had hope, but could steal this one back before regulation expired.
Just a few minutes later, Patrik Elias nearly made that hope come true as he found himself wide open in front of Cam Ward after a feed from Brian Rolston. Elias tried to drive the shot home before Ward recovered, but he toed the shot and the puck slid harmlessly into Ward's butterfly. Following the whistle, all Elias could do was look to the rafters in disbelief.
If the Palmieri goal had the crowd on fire, the Elias near miss had them believing this was the Devils' night. The buzz between regulation and overtime was amazing, people talking about playoffs (insert Jim Mora sound byte here). Others making friendly bets who will get the winner, none even wagering on any Canes. The confidence the team has shown on the ice has undoubtedly reached their loyal fans.
Even with the overtime being pretty evenly matched, there were no talks of doubt, no talks of this is the end. People are believing and the players know and feel it.
Travis Zajac broke into the Carolina zone, drew two defenders as he left a drop pass for Mattias Tedenby, late in overtime. Tedenby coolly took the pass and follow Zajac, who now assumed the role of lead blocker, into the slot and ripped a wrist shot off Ward's right arm and in, sending the 13,000+ in attendance into a frenzy of jubilation.
The win put the Devils 15 points back of the Hurricanes for 8th in the Eastern Conference. More importantly, they climbed above both the Islanders and the Senators, thus beginning their climb back to the chase.
If those Devils would have somehow found a way to net the equalizer, as Matias Tedenby did, then surely the final dagger would have been Jeff Skinner's second power play goal with under 10 minutes to go in the third period.
These Devils, however, didn't roll over they way they would have during the first half of the season.
These Devils battled. And it paid off.
With under three minutes remaining. Ilya Kovalchuk started up ice from his own end. I had even said aloud to my friend sitting next to me in section 230, "It's time for Kovy to do something." A pair of moves through Hurricane defenders put the crowd on the edge of their seats, some even being frustrated that this rush could end in the same fashion they had seen before with a turnover, only it didn't.
Kovalchuk got to the right wing boards, drawing two defenders, and fired a shot seemingly harmless on net. The catch was that Cam Ward bad been giving up rebounds like they were the packets of cards every fan got at the game Friday night. Nick Palmieri jumped on the loose rebound and used the vacated space to lift a shot over Ward's right shoulder and in for the equalizer.
I firmly believe the Prudential Center had not erupted into such an ovation all season long.
In a game that they had to win, the Devils had overcome two power play goals by Jeff Skinner, and killed off a third penalty by Anton Volchenkov, without earring a power play of their own.
It a tense game to watch as a fan, but when the Palmieri goal hit the back of the net, fans knew they still not only had hope, but could steal this one back before regulation expired.
Just a few minutes later, Patrik Elias nearly made that hope come true as he found himself wide open in front of Cam Ward after a feed from Brian Rolston. Elias tried to drive the shot home before Ward recovered, but he toed the shot and the puck slid harmlessly into Ward's butterfly. Following the whistle, all Elias could do was look to the rafters in disbelief.
If the Palmieri goal had the crowd on fire, the Elias near miss had them believing this was the Devils' night. The buzz between regulation and overtime was amazing, people talking about playoffs (insert Jim Mora sound byte here). Others making friendly bets who will get the winner, none even wagering on any Canes. The confidence the team has shown on the ice has undoubtedly reached their loyal fans.
Even with the overtime being pretty evenly matched, there were no talks of doubt, no talks of this is the end. People are believing and the players know and feel it.
Travis Zajac broke into the Carolina zone, drew two defenders as he left a drop pass for Mattias Tedenby, late in overtime. Tedenby coolly took the pass and follow Zajac, who now assumed the role of lead blocker, into the slot and ripped a wrist shot off Ward's right arm and in, sending the 13,000+ in attendance into a frenzy of jubilation.
The win put the Devils 15 points back of the Hurricanes for 8th in the Eastern Conference. More importantly, they climbed above both the Islanders and the Senators, thus beginning their climb back to the chase.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Game 54 - Pregame Write Up
If you’re a Devils fan, you’re trying to look for the positives in anything regarding the team, especially in a point-counterpoint system.
Point: The Devils are on pace for X number of points for the season.
Counterpoint: They’re only 16 back of the 8th and final playoff spot.
Point: Brodeur went down hurt, again, on Sunday
Counterpoint: Hedberg is coming off 2 periods of relief where his only blemish deflected off Kovalchuk.
Etc.
When the Devils take to the ice Tuesday night, it will be in a critical game for their playoff lives.
Yes, it is true that from here on out, every game is considered critical, however, this game and two more within the next 12 days, come against the team holding on [more like clinging] to the coveted 8th spot.
If the Devils win all 3 in regulation, they can trim the gap by 6 points without taking into account any of the games in between. Overtime wins earns them a 3 point advantage on their proverbial rabbits. Anything less will severly hurt their chances. The thought alone of the magnitude of these games could drive any person understandably to near panic.
Luckily for us, the players’ current mindset is one at a time, and they leave the insanity and madness to the fans.
Since the All Star Break, the Devils have amassed a 3-0-1 record, earning 7 out of a possible 8 points with the only loss coming to Florida in overtime last Friday night.
If you’re a fan who enjoys trying to find trends or patterns in a season and believes they’ll be repeated, you’ll be happy to note that the last time the Panthers stopped a potential Devils’ winning streak, they did so in overtime and gave the Devils enough motivation to then turn around and rattle off 4 straight wins.
On Sunday, New Jersey took another step towards repeating the past by jumping out to an early lead against the Montreal Canadiens, and then playing terrific shut-down defense following Brodeur’s injury en route to a 4-1 victory. The Devils were rewarded for their effort by climbing in the standings to 13th place, tied with Ottawa and 7 points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs follow play Monday night.
Carolina enters Tuesday’s contest winning 5 games out of their last 10, including their overtime win against the struggling Atlanta Thrashers which halted a 2 game skid. Eric Cole netted the game winner after Carolina had a horrendous defensive third period in which they squandered two leads.
Recent head to head history gives the edge to Carolina as they have had the better of the two clubs including a memorable come from behind victory in Game 7, in Newark, during the 2009 Eastern Conference Quarter Finals where the Devils blew a late 3rd period lead of their own, and the surrendered the game winner with under 2 minutes to go in regulation.
This Devils team, however, is much different than the one the Hurricanes embarrassed in 2009. First, they have Ilya Kovalchuk who is finally settling in and finding his groove with the team he has been with for just over a year, and will be with for the next 14. Kovalchuk had two goals on Sunday, added an assist on Friday and has been on fire offensively as of late. He also has been contributing regularly on defense, including some aggressive back checking against Florida.
Dainius Zubrus has also been a bright spot for the Devils’ offense as he netted his 10th Sunday afternoon.
The climb is steep, the task feels almost impossible, but the Devils need to remain focused on just one game at a time.
A team that once seemed destined for the first overall pick in the draft has now given itself a new lease on life, and its fans a reason to have some grounded hope that the season can be saved, and the playoffs, just maybe, with some luck and some favorable breaks, could be made.
One way or another, if the Devils team which has emerged recently continues to come out for the remaining 29 games, fans can be guaranteed it will be one hell of a ride to the finish line.
Point: The Devils are on pace for X number of points for the season.
Counterpoint: They’re only 16 back of the 8th and final playoff spot.
Point: Brodeur went down hurt, again, on Sunday
Counterpoint: Hedberg is coming off 2 periods of relief where his only blemish deflected off Kovalchuk.
Etc.
When the Devils take to the ice Tuesday night, it will be in a critical game for their playoff lives.
Yes, it is true that from here on out, every game is considered critical, however, this game and two more within the next 12 days, come against the team holding on [more like clinging] to the coveted 8th spot.
If the Devils win all 3 in regulation, they can trim the gap by 6 points without taking into account any of the games in between. Overtime wins earns them a 3 point advantage on their proverbial rabbits. Anything less will severly hurt their chances. The thought alone of the magnitude of these games could drive any person understandably to near panic.
Luckily for us, the players’ current mindset is one at a time, and they leave the insanity and madness to the fans.
Since the All Star Break, the Devils have amassed a 3-0-1 record, earning 7 out of a possible 8 points with the only loss coming to Florida in overtime last Friday night.
If you’re a fan who enjoys trying to find trends or patterns in a season and believes they’ll be repeated, you’ll be happy to note that the last time the Panthers stopped a potential Devils’ winning streak, they did so in overtime and gave the Devils enough motivation to then turn around and rattle off 4 straight wins.
On Sunday, New Jersey took another step towards repeating the past by jumping out to an early lead against the Montreal Canadiens, and then playing terrific shut-down defense following Brodeur’s injury en route to a 4-1 victory. The Devils were rewarded for their effort by climbing in the standings to 13th place, tied with Ottawa and 7 points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs follow play Monday night.
Carolina enters Tuesday’s contest winning 5 games out of their last 10, including their overtime win against the struggling Atlanta Thrashers which halted a 2 game skid. Eric Cole netted the game winner after Carolina had a horrendous defensive third period in which they squandered two leads.
Recent head to head history gives the edge to Carolina as they have had the better of the two clubs including a memorable come from behind victory in Game 7, in Newark, during the 2009 Eastern Conference Quarter Finals where the Devils blew a late 3rd period lead of their own, and the surrendered the game winner with under 2 minutes to go in regulation.
This Devils team, however, is much different than the one the Hurricanes embarrassed in 2009. First, they have Ilya Kovalchuk who is finally settling in and finding his groove with the team he has been with for just over a year, and will be with for the next 14. Kovalchuk had two goals on Sunday, added an assist on Friday and has been on fire offensively as of late. He also has been contributing regularly on defense, including some aggressive back checking against Florida.
Dainius Zubrus has also been a bright spot for the Devils’ offense as he netted his 10th Sunday afternoon.
The climb is steep, the task feels almost impossible, but the Devils need to remain focused on just one game at a time.
A team that once seemed destined for the first overall pick in the draft has now given itself a new lease on life, and its fans a reason to have some grounded hope that the season can be saved, and the playoffs, just maybe, with some luck and some favorable breaks, could be made.
One way or another, if the Devils team which has emerged recently continues to come out for the remaining 29 games, fans can be guaranteed it will be one hell of a ride to the finish line.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Step 1
42 days ago, the Devils hit rock bottom. They had the worst record in the NHL, they had the second fewest points in team history and were dead last by a considerable margin.
Today, they wake up knowing that, finally, another team is behind them.
With their dramatic (and nearly heartbreaking) win over the rival Rangers last night, the Devils earned points 38 and 39. The latter helped them vault over the Edmonton Oilers who now sit alone at the bottom of the league. With the win, the Devils also pulled into a virtual tie with the Islanders for last in the East, but with more wins in regulation and overtime (fewest shootout wins is the tiebreaker, remember) the Devils are "ahead."
Recently, the Devils have been, for lack of a better term, rolling. Going into last night, they had won 7 of their last 9, earning points in 8 of 9, and with teams throughout the conference stagnating, their opportunity is now to play catch up. Two nights ago they picked up where the left off with a win at home versus Ottawa, while last night the journey took them to MSG versus the Rangers.
Just under two minutes into the game, on their first shot of the game, Ilya Kovalchuk fired a drive from the right wing boards, beating Henrik Lundqvist high short side for his 15th of the year.
Today, they wake up knowing that, finally, another team is behind them.
With their dramatic (and nearly heartbreaking) win over the rival Rangers last night, the Devils earned points 38 and 39. The latter helped them vault over the Edmonton Oilers who now sit alone at the bottom of the league. With the win, the Devils also pulled into a virtual tie with the Islanders for last in the East, but with more wins in regulation and overtime (fewest shootout wins is the tiebreaker, remember) the Devils are "ahead."
Recently, the Devils have been, for lack of a better term, rolling. Going into last night, they had won 7 of their last 9, earning points in 8 of 9, and with teams throughout the conference stagnating, their opportunity is now to play catch up. Two nights ago they picked up where the left off with a win at home versus Ottawa, while last night the journey took them to MSG versus the Rangers.
Just under two minutes into the game, on their first shot of the game, Ilya Kovalchuk fired a drive from the right wing boards, beating Henrik Lundqvist high short side for his 15th of the year.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
The Climb Continues
To call it a climb puts what the Devils have in front of them kindly. Their feat would be like trying to climb Mount Everest in a bathing suit, with no oxygen and no stopping for sleep or rest. What's at the summit for them? A chance to sniff a playoff berth and salvage what remains of their tattered season.
Two nights ago, the Devils began their final push versus the Ottawa Senators. While the Devils controlled most of the play save for some tense moments during the first parts of the third period, the score made the game seem a lot closer. Dainus Zubrus scored off a deflection which crawled over the Senators goaltender and in for the go ahead late in the third. It was their eighth win in their last ten games, earning them their 17th point out of a possible 20.
While the fans see the nearly impossible feat for what it is, the team seems to have the right mentality to prevent psychosis and hopelessness.
In an interview with Tom Giulitti of NJ.com, head coach Jacques Lemaire said, "I'm not thinking about tomorrow's game yet. Right now my focus is on the Rangers." His players have echoed similar mentalities with their various interviews since their recent hot streak began.
If the Devils can pull out another victory tonight, they will pull the Islanders into a tie in last overall by virtue of points.
Taking it one team at a time will, again, be critical if the Devils hope to keep their spirits up during their trek. The good news is the the teams ahead of them have stagnated and hit rough patches of their own, so the Devils need to make the most of the opportunities game in and game out. Being 20 points back of the Atlanta Thrashers seems like an overwhelming deficit, but they do have games in hand over the Thrashers as well as the aforementioned streaks and skids.
The journey continues tonight at MSG, two big points are on the table in this very challenging match-up.
Two nights ago, the Devils began their final push versus the Ottawa Senators. While the Devils controlled most of the play save for some tense moments during the first parts of the third period, the score made the game seem a lot closer. Dainus Zubrus scored off a deflection which crawled over the Senators goaltender and in for the go ahead late in the third. It was their eighth win in their last ten games, earning them their 17th point out of a possible 20.
While the fans see the nearly impossible feat for what it is, the team seems to have the right mentality to prevent psychosis and hopelessness.
In an interview with Tom Giulitti of NJ.com, head coach Jacques Lemaire said, "I'm not thinking about tomorrow's game yet. Right now my focus is on the Rangers." His players have echoed similar mentalities with their various interviews since their recent hot streak began.
If the Devils can pull out another victory tonight, they will pull the Islanders into a tie in last overall by virtue of points.
Taking it one team at a time will, again, be critical if the Devils hope to keep their spirits up during their trek. The good news is the the teams ahead of them have stagnated and hit rough patches of their own, so the Devils need to make the most of the opportunities game in and game out. Being 20 points back of the Atlanta Thrashers seems like an overwhelming deficit, but they do have games in hand over the Thrashers as well as the aforementioned streaks and skids.
The journey continues tonight at MSG, two big points are on the table in this very challenging match-up.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
NHL All Star Superskills Competition
Success vs. Failure
Event #1 – Fastest Skater
Round 1 -Having guys skate backwards is a true test of skill, speed, balance and endurance. Success
Rounds 2, 4–6 - Traditional “who’s faster” event, with head to head competition.
Round 3 – Goalies…. Yeah, not for nothing but there’s a reason why these guys never have to skate too much other than to the bench on delayed penalties or for the extra attacker at the end of the game, Tim Thomas proved why this heat received a FAIL
Overall - Fastest Skater is a tried, but true event for the skills competition, needs to stay and deserves to, just take out the goalie heats, could be a disaster. PASS
Winner: Michael Grabner, NYI
Event #2 – Breakway Challenge
Yeah, its really cool to get the fans a part of the event and allow them a chance to decide something other than the starters. But this is not the NBA, and we should be proud of that. During this competition, the announcers were wondering who was going to break out “props” to help their style score. It was a cool idea when it first came out, but [someone correct me if I am wrong] the winner should at least net one goal during his routine.
Overall: Some creative stunts [Subban switching uniforms with Skinner to try and get some support from Skinner’s home fans, Perry with the lacrosse moves, Ovechki’s cue-ball attempt], otherwise, not really thrilling and uneventful. FAIL
Winner: Alex Ovechkin, WAS
Event #3 – Accuracy Shooting
This was another event which has been around forever and deservedly so. Watching players go head to head was awesome. Biggest issue were the mistakes by the organizers in allowing the referees decide when to start. The beginning of the event [i.e. when the players begin shooting at the targets] should be signaled by the arena horn sounding after both refs make sure the shooters are ready. Had this actually decided something critical, I’m sure more attention would be paid, but they’re lucky Toews was looking up when the whistle went off, otherwise he could have easily taken his first feed and hit the crew member fixing his target.
Overall: another event which deserves to stay thanks to the head to head modification as well as the overall tradition and excitement surrounding it. Work out the kinks for next year. PASS
Winner: Daniel Sedin, VAN
Event #4 – Skills Challenge Relay
I personally felt this was the best event of the competition. Cross ice one-timers were awesome to watch, from all three angles. The passing accuracy was also a very well thought out part of the event. Stick handling around the Gatorade Bottles was also a traditional exercise typically done during practice, but tonight put 4 players in showcase (Tyler Ennis dominated, IMO). The only part I wasn’t too interested in was the weaving between the red pucks, seemed to be more of a recycled idea from the stick handling, finally they closed out with the accuracy drill.
Overall: Resounding success
Winner: Team Lidstrom 2 [Nicklas Lidstrom DET, Brad Richards DAL, Loui Eriksson DAL, Oliver Ekman-Larsson PHX, Henrik Sedin VAN, Martin St. Louis TBL, Matt Duchene COL, Jonathan Toews CHI]
Event #5 – Hardest Shot
This event has been a success for the past two All Star Weekends due simply to the fact that one participant has come close, and then broke, a record which had at the time stood for over a decade. Zdeno Chara has proven to have the hardest shot in the league, and ever for that matter. His record shot of 105.6 MPH two years ago broke Al Iafrate’s record which he set at Madison Square Garden in 1994. Two years ago, Shea Webber emerged as Chara’s biggest threat to his repeat run as Hardest Shooter in the NHL. Last night, going into the final shot, Webber had a 2 MPH advantage until Big Z unleashed a slap shot that not only topped Webber’s mark, but his own mark set in Montreal with 105.9 MPH.
Surprises of the night were Dustin Byfuglien’s 102.4 and Steven Stamkos breaking the century mark as well with a 101.8 blast of his own.
Overall: Success all around except for Ovechkin’s CCM sticks failing, switching to Easton and the radar gun failing not once, but twice on only his shots.
Winner: Chara, BOS with 105.9
Event #6 – Elimination Shootout
A glorified shootout closed out the evening. Some players seemed to approach it as “oh my god just get me out of here” while others seemed to genuinely try to score and give the crowd a rise. In the end, Corey Perry outlasted Martin St. Louis for the overall title, connecting on all three of his attempts.
Overall: A good way to close out the night, but again some players seemed disinterested. Still a success though.
Winner: Corey Perry, ANH
Overall Winner: Team Staal (33) over Team Lidstrom (22)
Event #1 – Fastest Skater
Round 1 -Having guys skate backwards is a true test of skill, speed, balance and endurance. Success
Rounds 2, 4–6 - Traditional “who’s faster” event, with head to head competition.
Round 3 – Goalies…. Yeah, not for nothing but there’s a reason why these guys never have to skate too much other than to the bench on delayed penalties or for the extra attacker at the end of the game, Tim Thomas proved why this heat received a FAIL
Overall - Fastest Skater is a tried, but true event for the skills competition, needs to stay and deserves to, just take out the goalie heats, could be a disaster. PASS
Winner: Michael Grabner, NYI
Event #2 – Breakway Challenge
Yeah, its really cool to get the fans a part of the event and allow them a chance to decide something other than the starters. But this is not the NBA, and we should be proud of that. During this competition, the announcers were wondering who was going to break out “props” to help their style score. It was a cool idea when it first came out, but [someone correct me if I am wrong] the winner should at least net one goal during his routine.
Overall: Some creative stunts [Subban switching uniforms with Skinner to try and get some support from Skinner’s home fans, Perry with the lacrosse moves, Ovechki’s cue-ball attempt], otherwise, not really thrilling and uneventful. FAIL
Winner: Alex Ovechkin, WAS
Event #3 – Accuracy Shooting
This was another event which has been around forever and deservedly so. Watching players go head to head was awesome. Biggest issue were the mistakes by the organizers in allowing the referees decide when to start. The beginning of the event [i.e. when the players begin shooting at the targets] should be signaled by the arena horn sounding after both refs make sure the shooters are ready. Had this actually decided something critical, I’m sure more attention would be paid, but they’re lucky Toews was looking up when the whistle went off, otherwise he could have easily taken his first feed and hit the crew member fixing his target.
Overall: another event which deserves to stay thanks to the head to head modification as well as the overall tradition and excitement surrounding it. Work out the kinks for next year. PASS
Winner: Daniel Sedin, VAN
Event #4 – Skills Challenge Relay
I personally felt this was the best event of the competition. Cross ice one-timers were awesome to watch, from all three angles. The passing accuracy was also a very well thought out part of the event. Stick handling around the Gatorade Bottles was also a traditional exercise typically done during practice, but tonight put 4 players in showcase (Tyler Ennis dominated, IMO). The only part I wasn’t too interested in was the weaving between the red pucks, seemed to be more of a recycled idea from the stick handling, finally they closed out with the accuracy drill.
Overall: Resounding success
Winner: Team Lidstrom 2 [Nicklas Lidstrom DET, Brad Richards DAL, Loui Eriksson DAL, Oliver Ekman-Larsson PHX, Henrik Sedin VAN, Martin St. Louis TBL, Matt Duchene COL, Jonathan Toews CHI]
Event #5 – Hardest Shot
This event has been a success for the past two All Star Weekends due simply to the fact that one participant has come close, and then broke, a record which had at the time stood for over a decade. Zdeno Chara has proven to have the hardest shot in the league, and ever for that matter. His record shot of 105.6 MPH two years ago broke Al Iafrate’s record which he set at Madison Square Garden in 1994. Two years ago, Shea Webber emerged as Chara’s biggest threat to his repeat run as Hardest Shooter in the NHL. Last night, going into the final shot, Webber had a 2 MPH advantage until Big Z unleashed a slap shot that not only topped Webber’s mark, but his own mark set in Montreal with 105.9 MPH.
Surprises of the night were Dustin Byfuglien’s 102.4 and Steven Stamkos breaking the century mark as well with a 101.8 blast of his own.
Overall: Success all around except for Ovechkin’s CCM sticks failing, switching to Easton and the radar gun failing not once, but twice on only his shots.
Winner: Chara, BOS with 105.9
Event #6 – Elimination Shootout
A glorified shootout closed out the evening. Some players seemed to approach it as “oh my god just get me out of here” while others seemed to genuinely try to score and give the crowd a rise. In the end, Corey Perry outlasted Martin St. Louis for the overall title, connecting on all three of his attempts.
Overall: A good way to close out the night, but again some players seemed disinterested. Still a success though.
Winner: Corey Perry, ANH
Overall Winner: Team Staal (33) over Team Lidstrom (22)
Saturday, January 29, 2011
The Individual vs The Team Player
Maybe a better title would be “The Individualistic Person versus the Athlete Who Actually Cares About Their Sport,” but let’s be honest, that just doesn’t flow as easily as the current one.
When you look at nearly every All Star Competition out there, there is an overwhelming focus on the individual to perform better than his peers. In baseball, you have the Home Run Derby, basketball you have the slam dunk contest, 3 point contest, and a handful of other drills which are combined for an overall team score, yet it is all where the focus is on the individual.
Even outside of the so called All Star “Game,” watching any highlight show, you see the most mundane of accomplishments being glorified. In the day and age of preaching “teamwork” and “being team players,” people are flooded with images of individual achievements and plays.
As hockey blogger, Eklund pointed out “ESPN Sportscenter isn't about sports teams, it's about athletes. There may be no "I" in team, but if you watch ESPN you quickly realize you can't spell team without "ME." From Barry Bonds, to Alex Rodrigez...Peyton Manning to Tiger Woods...ESPN covers individuals and their respective, corresponding soap operas.”
How long did the nation get wrapped up in the Tiger Woods scandal? Weeks, months? I’m sure we all know more about his former wife, Elin, swinging a 9 iron at the rear windshield and his infidelities which led to that memorable event.
How about the Lebron James embarrassment? For a month, Sportscenter not only covered, but GLORIFIED his gold digging and attention seeking. Then, to top it all off, they devoted an hour, yes, the most boring hour in sports history, to give him the national spotlight in which to further prove he never cared about any team as much as the money.
For you James defenders, if it was only about winning, why did he need a max contract in order to sign in South Beach? He never was about the team nor loyalty, otherwise he would have stayed in Cleveland, close to the town that supported him throughout his rise to fame and continued to support him even when the team struggled, even after they barely showed up in the finals the one time they made it.
Hockey is not exempt from lengthy contract disputes, as we saw last summer with the Ilya Kovalchuk saga. Yet, when he did sign his deals, there were no hour long specials devoted to just him, there were no high-school esc pep rallies at the Prudential Center to “introduce” him the fans. He signed on the dotted line, held a press conference [just like EVERY sport] then walked around some landmarks in Newark for photos to promote the team.
Even after their respective games, hockey players’ true colors come out continuously. Win or lose, players will make an effort to not only meet their fans, but to communicate with them and even sign autographs. Not every player stops outside the arena after games, but at some point during the year, they do. They appreciate the fans and their commitment and it shows. Through the autographs, public appearances, and even through social media outlets such as Twitter, players try to reach out to their fans. They seldom utilize the players only parking areas which are completely separated from any fan contact, and rarely ignore those who are appreciative of them, like other athletes.
Sportcenter continuously shows athletes and their individual accomplishments throughout their “Top 10” segment. Plays which require team efforts (deep touchdown passes, blocks which spring their running backs for touchdowns, alley-oops, 6-4-3 double plays) rarely beat out breakaway slam dunks or dunks in which another player is embarrassed. Individual over the team is in the forefront time and time again.
Hockey is barely shown on the network or its highlight shows. Why bother cover a sport in which its players, let’s face it, are pretty normal. Out of all the “major sports” the players are most like their fans. Even when certain players seem to break away from the pack, nights like last night show them in a different light, the same light they once stood. Even with larger salaries, nearly every player still holds that same energy, that same attitude, they love their jobs, they love their sport, they love simply being a hockey player.
Rarely do you see such jubilation in other leagues when their players get selected for their respective games, let alone at the events themselves. In other sports, the players weigh collecting their bonuses versus having time off. Understandable considering how much time they spend away from their families, but rather than fulfill their obligations to the fans who voted them in, they’d put themselves before the league and bail out.
In hockey, the players who did not attend the weekend have legitimate concerns. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are out with significant injuries, while Jarome Iginla requested to be given leave from the events to be with an ailing family member. You don’t hear anyone worrying about getting hurt, even though it’s a prominent risk [see: Mike Richter and his knees]. Veterans and rookies alike are excited to not only have the chance to play against their idols, but to be a part of something so unique.
The fantasy draft saw rivals selecting one another, families literally split up, everyone having a phenomenal time. Patrik Elias and Henrik Lundqvist were seen multiple times talking and kidding around, Nicklas Lidstrom selected Duncan Keith, the Sedin twins [Henrik and Daniel] were split up for the first time probably ever. From Cam War to the last Phil Kessel, everyone had a smile on their face and were excited to be there.
Hopefully, this trend will find its way into other sports, but with so many conflicting personalities and various egos to play down to, I highly doubt it will.
So tonight if you have a chance, hockey fan or not, tune to Versus, TSN, CBC or whatever your preferred hockey network is to just watch a group of grown men reminding us all that some players care more about the love of the game than their own paycheck.
When you look at nearly every All Star Competition out there, there is an overwhelming focus on the individual to perform better than his peers. In baseball, you have the Home Run Derby, basketball you have the slam dunk contest, 3 point contest, and a handful of other drills which are combined for an overall team score, yet it is all where the focus is on the individual.
Even outside of the so called All Star “Game,” watching any highlight show, you see the most mundane of accomplishments being glorified. In the day and age of preaching “teamwork” and “being team players,” people are flooded with images of individual achievements and plays.
As hockey blogger, Eklund pointed out “ESPN Sportscenter isn't about sports teams, it's about athletes. There may be no "I" in team, but if you watch ESPN you quickly realize you can't spell team without "ME." From Barry Bonds, to Alex Rodrigez...Peyton Manning to Tiger Woods...ESPN covers individuals and their respective, corresponding soap operas.”
How long did the nation get wrapped up in the Tiger Woods scandal? Weeks, months? I’m sure we all know more about his former wife, Elin, swinging a 9 iron at the rear windshield and his infidelities which led to that memorable event.
How about the Lebron James embarrassment? For a month, Sportscenter not only covered, but GLORIFIED his gold digging and attention seeking. Then, to top it all off, they devoted an hour, yes, the most boring hour in sports history, to give him the national spotlight in which to further prove he never cared about any team as much as the money.
For you James defenders, if it was only about winning, why did he need a max contract in order to sign in South Beach? He never was about the team nor loyalty, otherwise he would have stayed in Cleveland, close to the town that supported him throughout his rise to fame and continued to support him even when the team struggled, even after they barely showed up in the finals the one time they made it.
Hockey is not exempt from lengthy contract disputes, as we saw last summer with the Ilya Kovalchuk saga. Yet, when he did sign his deals, there were no hour long specials devoted to just him, there were no high-school esc pep rallies at the Prudential Center to “introduce” him the fans. He signed on the dotted line, held a press conference [just like EVERY sport] then walked around some landmarks in Newark for photos to promote the team.
Even after their respective games, hockey players’ true colors come out continuously. Win or lose, players will make an effort to not only meet their fans, but to communicate with them and even sign autographs. Not every player stops outside the arena after games, but at some point during the year, they do. They appreciate the fans and their commitment and it shows. Through the autographs, public appearances, and even through social media outlets such as Twitter, players try to reach out to their fans. They seldom utilize the players only parking areas which are completely separated from any fan contact, and rarely ignore those who are appreciative of them, like other athletes.
Sportcenter continuously shows athletes and their individual accomplishments throughout their “Top 10” segment. Plays which require team efforts (deep touchdown passes, blocks which spring their running backs for touchdowns, alley-oops, 6-4-3 double plays) rarely beat out breakaway slam dunks or dunks in which another player is embarrassed. Individual over the team is in the forefront time and time again.
Hockey is barely shown on the network or its highlight shows. Why bother cover a sport in which its players, let’s face it, are pretty normal. Out of all the “major sports” the players are most like their fans. Even when certain players seem to break away from the pack, nights like last night show them in a different light, the same light they once stood. Even with larger salaries, nearly every player still holds that same energy, that same attitude, they love their jobs, they love their sport, they love simply being a hockey player.
Rarely do you see such jubilation in other leagues when their players get selected for their respective games, let alone at the events themselves. In other sports, the players weigh collecting their bonuses versus having time off. Understandable considering how much time they spend away from their families, but rather than fulfill their obligations to the fans who voted them in, they’d put themselves before the league and bail out.
In hockey, the players who did not attend the weekend have legitimate concerns. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are out with significant injuries, while Jarome Iginla requested to be given leave from the events to be with an ailing family member. You don’t hear anyone worrying about getting hurt, even though it’s a prominent risk [see: Mike Richter and his knees]. Veterans and rookies alike are excited to not only have the chance to play against their idols, but to be a part of something so unique.
The fantasy draft saw rivals selecting one another, families literally split up, everyone having a phenomenal time. Patrik Elias and Henrik Lundqvist were seen multiple times talking and kidding around, Nicklas Lidstrom selected Duncan Keith, the Sedin twins [Henrik and Daniel] were split up for the first time probably ever. From Cam War to the last Phil Kessel, everyone had a smile on their face and were excited to be there.
Hopefully, this trend will find its way into other sports, but with so many conflicting personalities and various egos to play down to, I highly doubt it will.
So tonight if you have a chance, hockey fan or not, tune to Versus, TSN, CBC or whatever your preferred hockey network is to just watch a group of grown men reminding us all that some players care more about the love of the game than their own paycheck.
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