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.
Which Pekka Rinne Are We Going to See Tonight?
My colleague Kyle Vandenberg posed an interesting query to finish his profile of Nashville’s starting goaltender before Game 5: which Pekka Rinne were we going to see that night? (Okay, he specifically said Thursday night, but you get the picture.)
By Steve Smith8 years ago in Unbalanced
City of Pittsburgh is Soft as Hell for Their Handling of Catfish Thrower
In Nashville, they throw catfish. In Detroit, the originator of this bizarre and frankly gross tradition, they throw octopuses (yes, octopuses, not octopi, look it up ya peons). In Pittsburgh, they apparently throw nothing.
By Steve Smith8 years ago in Unbalanced
Niskanen’s Hit on Crosby and Why We Need to Stop Discussing “Intent”
Early in the first period of Game 3 between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins, Sidney Crosby was knocked out of the game after contact was made with his head in the form of a slash from Alex Ovechkin and then, as he was falling, a cross-check from Matt Niskanen. Making matters worse, as Crosby and Niskanen crashed into each other, Crosby’s left knee gave out and twisted awkwardly.
By Steve Smith8 years ago in Unbalanced
Predicting the First Round of the NHL Playoffs
Ah, it’s that wonderful time once again. Yes, the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin tonight when the puck drops for the Bruins-Senators series in Ottawa, and the Rangers-Canadiens series in Montreal, at 7:00 p.m, the first two of five games on the docket for the opening night of the postseason. What a splendid time to be alive.
By Steve Smith8 years ago in Unbalanced
Mocking Up Some of Vegas’s Expansion Selections
Wednesday will be the unveiling of Vegas’s initial team roster, as comprised of the 30 selections they make, one from each team. Though the trade freeze went into effect on Saturday, it only applied to the existing 30 teams making deals with each other. The Golden Knights were allowed to make and field offers with each of the 30 teams to specifically take or not take specific players, as well as lining up future deals for another team to acquire a player they selected in expansion.
By Steve Smith8 years ago in Unbalanced
Coach Swap: Examining the Effects of Coaching Changes
We’ve all heard the old cliché: you can’t fire the players, so first you fire the coach. Sometimes, teams need a shake-up and swapping out the guy behind the bench is a reasonable place to start. Often, the team will then go on a nice run, due in large part to the smell coming from the fire burning under their collective asses. They recognize that they’re next if things don’t change. It’s human nature.
By Steve Smith8 years ago in Unbalanced
Predicting the Top 10 Picks in the NHL Draft
What a crazy off-season this has already turned out to be. The NHL’s newest franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights, selected players from each of the other 30 teams in the league, and have put together a competitive roster. Trades and free agent signings are right around the corner, and on Friday, a whole new crop of players will enter the NHL. So which young talents will each team take? Let’s take a look at who might be going in the top ten this Friday night.
By Kyle Vandenberg8 years ago in Unbalanced
Summing Up the First Round, Picking the Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs
Well folks, the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs concluded Sunday with the elimination of the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Second Round of the playoffs has been set and commences on Wednesday out west. It was a bit of a weird First Round: there was not a single Game 7, but it was still very close, as 18 of the games went to overtime. Overtime, in general, is a coin flip, so the games truly could have gone either way.
By Steve Smith8 years ago in Unbalanced
Three Players Who MUST Go at the Deadline
The NHL trade deadline is a little over a month away. Between this weekend’s All-Star Game in Los Angeles and the deadline on March 1, teams will be wheeling and dealing to get ready for the stretch run. There have been rumors galore, but which players are definitely on the move?
By Kyle Vandenberg8 years ago in Unbalanced
Why Brad Marchand Was Suspended for His Spear and Sidney Crosby Was Not
Some folks are pretty upset at the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. And I mean, how could you not be as a general rule? It is the departmental equivalent of a backed-up toilet and almost always has been, save for maybe Brendan Shanahan’s brief stint at the helm. They have hardly enforced the rules surrounding illegal hits/contact, and when they do, they lack any sort of consistency — their authority with the players is minimal, and you just have to look at how some of its players continually endanger each other. Many usually don’t have anything to fear in terms of discipline.
By Steve Smith8 years ago in Unbalanced
Should The Devils Trade Cory Schneider?
This season started with a lot of hope for the New Jersey Devils. But after a difficult month during December, they find themselves near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with just 51 points to end January. Another disappointing year in what has become a lengthy rebuild has many asking questions about the future.
By Kyle Vandenberg8 years ago in Unbalanced
These NHL Coaches Deserved Better
It’s that time of year. Teams are making adjustments and trying to put themselves in position to make the playoffs. All too common in pro sports is the idea that when a team is under-performing, it’s the coach’s fault. As a result, good coaches have been let go from their positions despite the fact that the teams that dismissed them are still just flat out bad.
By Kyle Vandenberg8 years ago in Unbalanced
