hockey
We talk pucks and objects of that kind. We yell, complain, and analyze in the language of hockey fandom. Gretzky can do no wrong.
Are There Any Reasons for Optimism Regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs?
The Toronto Maple Leafs are having another good season so far. They are in the Atlantic Division's Top 3, going toe-to-to with the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning, the latter being the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup Champions. They have the fifth-best record in the entire league; other than the Florida teams, only the Colorado Avalanche and the Carolina Hurricanes have better records. Speaking of the top five, the Leafs are in that group in a lot of categories: they are third in GFA (Goals For Average) with 3.65, they have the top Power Play in the entire league at 30%, and they Penalty Kill percentage is 4th overall at 85%. With all of that, I ask, "Are there any reasons for optimism for this team?"
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
A Historic Quest Disguises the Washington Capitals' Many Problems
The Washington Capitals are a fascinating team. For decades, the team was snake bit. I still remember their Stanley Cup Final appearance in 1998, but it resulted in zero games won, and they were desperately looking to get back there. Then the 2005 draft happened, and that's when he joined the fray. Alexander Ovechkin. Talk about hitting the jackpot. Both he and Sidney Crosby were part of that same draft, but while Ovechkin was looked at as more of a star between the two, Crosby was the one racking up the hardware--winning three Stanley Cups while Ovechkin couldn't get past the second round of the playoffs.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Inferno: The Rise of the Calgary Flames
It's ironic; the Pacific Division is clearly the worst out of the four divisions this season, yet it has the most intriguing storylines. The up-and-down play of the Edmonton Oilers, as well as their signing of Evander Kane. The Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks becoming playoff contenders. The Vegas Golden Knights struggling, the Vancouver Canucks staying in the race, and the Seattle Kraken's first season. The biggest story, without question, is the Calgary Flames suddenly going on a winning tear and taking the lead in the Pacific Division.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
The Phenomenal Career of Tuukka Rask
This week, longtime Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask called it a career; he announced his retirement from the National Hockey League. Rask's career had been an amazing one, as his stellar goaltending put the Bruins back on the map for the first time in decades. He definitely made a lot of waves in his career, with his first one coming even before he started in the NHL.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
NHL 2021-22 Western Conference 1st Half Recap
The picture in the NHL's Western Conference has been a very intriguing (and crowded) one, to say the least. While it appears that the Eastern Conference may have their playoff teams set in stone, the Western Conference has a lot of pieces on the board entering the All-Star break. The potential for a thrilling second half and home stretch is right in front of us, but before we look at the possibilities, let's look at where the West teams stand.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
NHL 2021-22 Eastern Conference 1st Half Recap
It was rocky, but the NHL made it to the All-Star Break, the midpoint of the season. The second half will begin sooner than planned, as the 95 games that were postponed due to the outbreak of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, will all be played during the NHL's originally scheduled Olympic break during the heart of February. But that's the second half. This is about the first half of the season, and it was quite interesting in the NHL's Eastern Conference. Here's how things stand in the East entering the break.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
An Avalanche of Goals and Wins
I have been a fan of the Colorado Avalanche since the team's final two seasons as the Quebec Nordiques. Since the move, the Avalanche have won two Stanley Cups, but it has been a long road back to the prominence this team had back in the late 1990s/early 2000s. The resurrection surprisingly began with a three team trade on November 5, 2017, and just like that, the Avalanche became a playoff team. Here it is, barely over four years later, and now, I am happy to say, the Avalanche we remember from yesteryear, are back.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Recapping the 1st Half of the Seattle Kraken's Inaugural Season
There was a lot of buzz and hype around the National Hockey League's 32nd franchise, even before the team found their new home. The buzz increased when it was officially announced that team #32 would play in Seattle, and the progression of the countdown to Seattle's debut included a new arena, jerseys, and the official name: Kraken. The Seattle Kraken made their anticipated debut this season, and they have played 41 games--putting them halfway into their inaugural season.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Oil Spill: Analyzing the Edmonton Oilers' Skid
It always seems to be something with the Edmonton Oilers, especially in this current era. The Oilers are coming off finishing 2nd in the makeshift North Division last season, but it saw them swept out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs' opening round by the Winnipeg Jets, adding to their recent list of playoff disappointments. In what proved to be another blow against the "North Division sucks" narrative that plagued the previous season, the Oilers got off to a strong start, going 16-5-0 in their first 21 games, leaving many to suddenly believe that the team could contend for a Stanley Cup this season.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Is There No End to the Vancouver Canucks' Freefall?
One of the many things that stood out to me during the "bubble" Stanley Cup Playoffs of 2020 was how well the Vancouver Canucks did. The Canucks entered the 2019-20 season still looking for something, anything that would spark them to a possible Stanley Cup in the near future. Of course, that season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Canucks would get their chance in the modified playoffs that took place in the late summer and early fall of 2020. What we saw from the Canucks was an amazing run the likes of which we have never seen since they fell one win short of the Stanley Cup in 2011.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
NHL 2021-22 Pacific Division Preview
The Pacific Division is fascinating for many reasons, with one of them being that it took the least effort to form in the 2013-14 season. How was it formed? Simple. The remnants of the five team iteration--the California teams (Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks) and the Arizona Coyotes)--were put together with the Northwest Division's Canadian teams (Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks. That's it. The Vegas Golden Knights became the Pacific's eighth team when they began play in the 2017-18 season, and the Seattle Kraken (the NHL's newest franchise) replaced the outgoing Coyotes in the Pacific, due to the Coyotes moving to the Central Division. It is the only division not to feature a team who switched conferences, and it is the only one to not have an Original Six franchise.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
NHL 2021-22 Central Division Preview
When news of the NHL realigning their divisions broke eight years ago, I was wondering how they would look. Not surprisingly, I was immensely happy with the look of the four divisions, but the one I couldn't help but gush over the most was the Central Division. I literally salivated over this; it looked like it was going to be a very, very fun division to watch.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
