Reckless justice

"I don't think it does the game any good to have Alex suspended."

-Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau

He's the two-time reigning Hart Trophy winner and captain of his club. He's the most exciting player in the game, and arguably the best hockey player in the NHL. Is Alexander Ovechkin earning his name another title - a dirty player?

For the third time this season he was given a misconduct, ejected, and assessed a major penalty for a hit on an opponent. He's straddling the fine line between playing hard and being reckless.

• On November 25 he ran Buffalo's Patrick Kaleta into the boards, leaving him bloodied as Ovechkin was assessed a five minute boarding major and a a game misconduct. Certainly a penalty, perhaps a major, debatably a game misconduct.

• Just two games later against Carolina on December 2, Ovechkin initiated a dangerous knee-on-knee hit to Tim Gleason, with Ovechkin himself agonizingly limping off the ice. He was rightly given a kneeing major and a tossed with a misconduct. A two-game suspension followed.

• Most recently, March 14 in Chicago, Ovechkin boarded Brian Campbell into the end boards. Another major-misconduct-ejection, and Campbell looks to be sidelined two months with a broken collarbone. This is a significant blow to the Blackhawks, who, like Ovechkin's Capitals, have spent the season atop the standings. Ovechkin was again suspended two games for the hit.

• Going back to last year's playoff series against the eventual Cup champion Penguins, Ovechkin ended comrade Sergei Gonchar's playoffs via a careless check. Ovechkin lunged at Gonchar in an attempt for the big hit; Gonchar saw this and tried getting out of the way, causing the hit to be knee-on-knee. Neither an ejection nor a suspension came from the hit, but it was nonetheless reckless.

• Even a few years ago, back when the Capitals were having a uniform crisis early in the Ovechkin era, he was given five minutes and sent to the showers for boarding Buffalo's Daniel Briere. That hit was eerily similar to the infamous Claude Lemieux-Kris Draper hit that sparked the Avs-Wings rivalry of the late 1990s.

I've heard the argument that Ovechkin should not have been suspended because the NHL recently decided not to discipline Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke for a nasty hit to the head of Marc Savard. This was because Mike Richards had not been suspended for his similar hit on David Booth earlier in the season. In these cases, the in-game penalties were allegedly sufficient. While I completely disagree with the NHL's decision on Cooke (and believe the Richards inactivity was a dangerous precedent), the league must look at each incident individually.

Following his star player's suspension, Washington coach Bruce Boudreau offered the opening quote. He would never admit to this, but with his quote he suggests Ovechkin is bigger than the game. He suggests that it will hurt the game to have one of the league's best, most exciting, and most popular players (on one of the league's best, most exciting teams) suspended for two games. Maybe he's right: the NHL doesn't need anyone suspended, and certainly not an ambassador of the game like Ovechkin. Boudreau goes so far as to try and blame Campbell for being injured on the hit:

"Brian Campbell is one of the best skaters in the National Hockey League. If he thought danger was coming, and he saw Alex right behind him, he would have moved. I think he was trying to spin away and the spin didn't work, and he got caught in the ice and he fell into the boards."

Since Boudreau clearly is about as narrow-minded as the elected politicians working across town from him, we'll let the league continue to determine disciplinary actions. I'm sure the Blackhawks believe it should have been a longer suspension, since they are now the ones who will go to the playoffs without one of their top defensemen.

No, Alexander Ovechkin is not a dirty player. He did not, in any of his questionable hits, intend to injure his opponent. But he is now a repeat offender and must be punished accordingly. (Matt Cooke is a repeat offender and a dirty player.) Ovechkin is deservedly praised for his hustle and emotion, and how he is not afraid to hit and finish his checks - rare among the league's finesse players. But he needs to play with more discretion and less irresponsibility, and stop short of crossing the border to recklessness.

Feasting on the NHL's trade deadline

Just days after ending a two week hiatus for the Winter Olympic Hockey Tournament, the dust is has settled on the busiest day of the NHL's season.

Every hockey column or blog on a day like this has to hand out team grades, or at least compile winners and losers categories. Rather than filing this post in with the garden variety, I'll equate each team's status post-trade deadline with some sort of food. Coincidentally, I skipped lunch.

Eastern Conference

Washington Capitals: I like all the moves, acquiring Joe Corvo, Scott Walker, Eric Belanger, and reacquiring Milan Jurcina. And though I'm not crazy about the two-headed manatee of Jose Theodore and Ernie Varlamov for the playoffs, I don't think there were any better quality goaltenders available who were not too expensive in terms of what you'd have to trade away for them (Tomas Vokoun) or in terms of his salary (Marty Turco). Martin Biron/Dwayne Roloson would not have been an improvement. I wonder if they thought to go after former Cap Cristobal Huet?

Food: roasted tilapia with zucchini and rice (tastes good, but will it be enough?)

New Jersey Devils: They got the biggest name available a month ago in Ilya Kovalchuk - the man who was Alexander Ovechkin before Alexander Ovechkin was Alexander Ovechkin. They had to pay a decent price for him, but Martin Brodeur now has two elite scorers (with Zach Parise) to go with the typically dependable blue line.

Food: liquor-filled chocolates (you don't need many to be satisfied)

Pittsburgh Penguins: They added Maple Leaf castoff Alexei Ponikarovsky, a decent forward who gives them some depth up front. That's it. The holders must be pretty confident in their squad as they defend the Cup.

Food: Grandma's spaghetti sauce (doing too much too it wouldn't be wise)

Ottawa Senators: Andy Sutton addsa big veteran to their defensive corps. They also picked up Matt Cullen before the break, a player I love who should help this team. But heading toward the playoffs, their goaltending is more suspect than Ben Affleck; bringing in a veteran netminder may have helped.

Food: black jellybeans (I like them, but they're not for everyone)

Buffalo Sabres: Raffi Torres? That's the big name to boost you in the playoffs?

Food: those buttered popcorn flavor jellybeans (go find me someone who likes them)

Philadelphia Flyers: Though in the thick of the playoff picture, apparently they forgot Wednesday was indeed the trade deadline. They need a goaltender, especially with No. 1 Ray Emery - just a good No. 2 on most NHL teams - now done for the year through injury.

Food: canned beets that have been in the pantry since you moved in

Montreal Canadiens: They made one minor trade, hanging on to both goalies for the stretch. They need a lot of help elsewhere, but it would be hard trading away either of the young, capable goaltenders they have in Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak.

Food: a plain, two day old baguette

Boston Bruins: Just shipped out one defenseman (Derek Morris) for another (Dennis Seidenberg). This team is cooked.

Food: dry, crispy bacon (to the point that it damn near vaporizes upon dental contact)

New York Rangers: They got Olli Jokinen before the break, a player who only a few years ago was a top-line center. Now: he's a player who was a top-line center a few years ago. Perhaps he'll add some much needed scoring to an inept offense.

Food: peanut butter and jelly sandwich (good, but its satisfaction is questionable)

Atlanta Thrashers: Years ago, this team's future was in Kovalchuk and Kari Lehtonen. After trading both before the Olympics, this team now has no future.

Food: canned tuna (it wasn't good, you changed it, and it's still not that good)

Tampa Bay Lightning: A team that is being sold, they should have done the same with some of their players as they are headed nowhere, even if they can spit at the eighth playoff spot.

Food: 7-11 taquitos

New York Islanders: A quiet day, but not much was expected. This team won't be in the playoffs and has a lot of young players on the roster. Perhaps Rick DiPietro's newest injury prompted them to hang on to both Biron and Roloson.

Food: artichoke dip as an appetizer (pretty boring, but it will do for now)

Florida Panthers: They sold a piece or two and are looking at next year, though they didn't move Vokoun - a top goaltender who surely could have helped a playoff-bound club. They probably asked for too much for him, like a new third jersey or new logo. No one bit.

Food: Noodles and Company (ok, but could have been a lot better. After eating there, never have I thought "I'm glad I just ate Noodles and Company")

Carolina Hurricanes: Speaking of selling, this team worked harder than the Sham-Wow guy. Too bad they couldn't get something for Ray Whitney, a veteran forward who any team would love to have.

Food: Dippin Dots (the ice cream of the future)

Toronto Maple Leafs: I liked adding Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Dion Phaneuf before the break. Throw in some draft picks at the deadline, and not bad heading into next season. Again for the Leafs: there's always next season...

Food: whiskey (gets better with age)

Western Conference

Chicago Blackhawks: Chicago was mostly silent on deadline day, trusting in the young lineup that has them atop the conference. Like Washington, goaltending can be questioned: they go toward the playoffs with an expensive, underachieving veteran (Cristobal Huet) and a promising, untested youngster (Antii Niemi).

Food: pork tenderloin (it's good, but there's no applesauce)

San Jose Sharks: Much like the Blackhawks, San Jose seems content with their potent lineup, just adding playoff overtime stud Niclas Wallin to the blue line. They also shipped enforcer Jody Shelley to New York for a draft pick; so with that they got better by subtraction.

Food: cheesecake (best in moderation)

Vancouver Canucks: Make it 3-for-3, as the Canucks likewise won't try to fix what's not broken.

Food: Jägermeister (best straight-up)

Los Angeles Kings: Bringing in Fredrik Modin and Jeff Halpern adds some veteran characters to a young, unproven team. Don't worry, the west's more exciting trade deadline teams are upcoming.

Food: boiled hot dogs (not bad, but they're much better on the barbecue or at the ballpark)

Phoenix Coyotes: Possibly some collusion by the NHL-run Coyotes after making about 65 trades. The added young offensive forward Wojtek Wolski and veterans Mathieu Schneider, Lee Stempniak, and Derek Morris, all of whom should all help this team come playoff time. They also added some minor league pieces to complete the near roster overhaul of an overachieving team that doesn't know what the playoffs look like. If history has taught me anything, this franchise will quickly fold in the first round.

Food: raw cookie dough (tastes good and it's easy to gorge on it, but at a point it's too much)

Colorado Avalanche: Colorado shipped the inconsistent Wolski to Phoenix for the equally disappointing Peter Mueller, hoping a change of scenery might do both former first-rounders well in the end. Another young overachieving team, the Avalanche didn't want to give up the future for this year's unexpected playoff push. They did also add Stephane Yelle, who twice won Lord Stanley's Cup in Denver. The Reunion Tour is on, like two years ago when the Avs reacquired past stars Adam Foote and Peter Forsberg at the deadline.

Food: cotton candy (sure it tastes good, but you really don't get much from it)

Nashville Predators: They added Denis Grebeshkov from Edmonton, who promptly scored against his former team in his first game with his new one. Aside from that, Nashville didn't do much and really should have. They've been fading for a while and could have gotten something for out of favor backup goalie Dan Ellis.

Food: a cold bowl of porridge

Detroit Red Wings: They did nothing. Being in a fight for the playoffs, perhaps they didn't know what to do since they're so used to being on top at this point in the season. It'd be nice for them if all their stars started playing like they have in recent seasons to get them back on track. Actually I like the thought of a playoffs without Detroit, so here's hoping they continue to lay eggs.

Food: overcooked eggs

Calgary Flames: This team did most of their dealing before the Olympic break, casting away Dion Phaneuf and Olli Jokinen for some far less exciting names. They also swapped backup goaltenders (sending Colorado College product Curtis McElhinney to Anaheim), perhaps hoping countryman Vesa Toskala does a better job holding Mikka Kiprusoff's jock as they cling to dwindling playoff hopes.

Food: house salad with ranch dressing (at the time it's ok, but soon enough you forget about it)

Dallas Stars: The only move this team made was for goaltender Kari Lehtonen, hoping he'll live up to being the #2 pick years ago. I was glad to see this deal, because I believe both he and the Stars are overrated.

Food: a bunch of green bananas (hoping they'll soon ripen and you get use from them before they go bad)

Anaheim Ducks: Much needed defensive help comes in Lubomir Visnovsky and Aaron Ward. Throw in some draft picks and the Ducks are all set for next year.

Food: British water biscuits (not too bad, but mostly unfulfilling)

Saint Louis Blues: Knowing they'll go nowhere this season, the Blues swapped a handful of fringe role players. They couldn't even deal veterans Keith Tkachuk and Paul Kariya; both on

paper would be a good veteran add for a contending team, but in reality they're both way too washed up and tied into hefty contracts.

Food: a microwaved frozen burrito (not that you expect much, but nonetheless disappointing)

Minnesota Wild: They too smartly looked beyond this season, adding a second-round pick from Washington for Belanger and swapping veteran defenseman Kim Johnsson for youth in Chicago's Cam Barker. And without much to deal, the deadline in Minnesota was uneventful as expected.

Food: white rice (all stuck together in a pot next to the sink)

Columbus Blue Jackets: All this team did was add a lot of future considerations and conditional draft picks. Somehow they also got a roster player AND a second-rounder for Raffi Torres. GM of the year.

Food: tofu (who knows, maybe it can be morphed into something good and useful)

Edmonton Oilers: They dealt what they could in Grebeshkov and Visnovsky, but this team is just terrible. Sheldon Souray would have netted them a decent return, until he broke his hand in a fight with Jarome Iginla before the Olympic break. Perhaps that's their season in a nutshell... Just kidding, they had no hope to begin the season.

Food: brussel sprouts (I'm told some people like them and they used to be more of a staple, but man are they bad)

I love hockey. Who's hungry?

Hats off to America's Hat

I'd like to congratulate Canada on hosting a wonderful Olympic Games - opening and closing ceremonies notwithstanding.

I'd also like to congratulate them on winning hockey gold in a thrilling overtime match against the United States. (This is for The Doob.) Many a proud American closed the games with egg on their face after proclaiming hockey dominance over the Canadians on their turf following the Americans' resounding victory in the preliminary round. With gold in their own sport, it was perhaps a fitting end to an Olympiad that was overall won by the Mounties.

True, the United States won the final medal count with 37 total medals (nine gold); Germany even finished ahead of Canada for second with 30 medals (ten gold), while the hosts retained 26 (14 gold) for third. So if you go by the number of times a nation finished on the podium, had their flag raised, and received some color medal, the Yanks were indeed first. But the true victors should be judged by who won the most events, received the most gold medals, and had their flag raised higher than those of their silver- and bronze-laden competitors.

O Canada was played five more times than The Star Spangled Banner at medal ceremonies in Vancouver.

I make this argument as an American, proud that our athletes had to take extra time passing through security at the Vancouver airport on account of the bling. I say this disappointed that the US Hockey team had to settle for silver - the constant reminder that you were second best in the championship game, especially since that's twice in three Winter Games that Canada took the gold and left us with silver after Joe Sakic and company won on US soil in 2002.

Medalling at the Olympic games is a true accomplishment, and no athlete should feel ashamed if they 'only' received silver or bronze. But we all know that gold is the color you want, the medal you dream of. And besides, this is the Olympics, not little league where every kid gets a ribbon.

So to you, America's Hat, I tip my cap. Thanks for a great Olympics and a tremendous hockey tournament. You can keep Avril Lavigne, Alanis Morissette, KD Lang, and mimes, as well as the opening ceremony's tap-dancing bar flies. And assuming you plan on deporting Nickelback, we don't want them.

ROCK THE RED!!!!

Rocks on the Board

Great game tonight and hopefully a taste of things to come for the rest of the season.  I like seeing the team rebound on the road, come out with solid defense - strong starting pitching and good relief.  Street picks up the save and I love the late inning rally to pad things a bit for the bullpen.

I still miss Holliday, and think that Helton is past his prime - but I have good feelings about this time for this year.

Side note - totally different sport, but the New York Islanders get my WTF Call-Out for the night.  Obviously pretty miserable to be outscored 9-0, but how about outshot 57-12 especially after the shots were only 10-6 in favor of Carolina in the first period???  I do not envy the team drawing Carolina in the first round since they've won 13 of the last 16 and those two loses were shootouts.

Crazy Goal - Sweden v Switzerland shootout

Pretty sweet goal...

Puck and Playoff Predictions

If you haven't been paying much attention to the NHL, I'll fill you in on some intriguing storylines rather than rebuke you. Then I'll make some playoff predictions.

Two of the Eastern Conference's better teams for much of the first half of the season canned their head coaches following strings of poor play and descents in the standings. The Pittsburgh Penguins dropped the axe on Michel Therien - who led the team to the Stanley Cup Finals just last year - after the team dropped out of the playoff standings altogether, despite having the league's top two scorers at the time in Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. He's been replaced by Dan Bylsma, a guy most known for being slow and unskilled on NHL video games of the late 1990s.

Later the New York Rangers gave Tom Renney his marching orders with the team also dropping, while struggling mightily to put the puck in the net. They've scored fewer goals than most Eastern Conference teams, though somehow the Ottawa Senators have scored the fewest. Two years ago that would have been like saying the Tampa Bay Devil Rays would someday be a respected baseball club. Renney's replacement is Stanley Cup winner John Tortorella, who himself was supplanted as Tampa Bay Lightning head coach by Barry Melrose after last season.

Speaking of the Lightning, has anyone seen their 'Bolts' third jersey? They've embraced a plural nickname without actually changing their official nickname. This jersey is, however, a huge step up from the team's first try at an alternate uniform. After the league shelved them a few years ago, third jerseys are back for some teams - including the lazy one concocted by the Ottawa Senators.

These are examples of why the alternate jersey was initially banned, though they pale in comparison to what were paraded around in the 1990s. That Wayne Gretzky was ever caught in this L.A. Kings piece of garbage is a crying shame. The mid-90s New York Islanders did not go with a third jersey, but rather an entirely new logo of a crusty old fisherman. After the players were getting seasick from looking at the back of the uniform, the team wisely reverted back to their classic logo. At least the Saint Louis Blues came to their senses and nixed their foray into a third jersey before it got to the locker room.

I'll segue from on-the-ice to off-the-ice threads. Renowned Canadian Don Cherry recently criticized Alexander Ovechkin (the object of The Doob's every desire) for his goal celebrations. He said the Russian acts like a soccer player when he scores. Ovechkin's celebrating is purely out of excitement, and is not premeditated like the soccer celebrations to which Cherry was referring. But if he thinks Ovechkin goes over the top when he scores, how does he explain his suits?

Ovechkin's Washington teammate and countryman Alexander Semin recently scored a goal that would make Ovie jealous, stickhandling and putting the puck away from his knees. He should keep doing stuff like that and not dropping the gloves.

Mats Sundin enjoyed a stunning homecoming in his return to Toronto as a member of the Vancouver Canucks. He received a lengthy standing ovation at the start of the game, then finished it off with a shootout winner.

The Detroit Red Wings recently surrendered eight goals twice in four games. The holders of The Cup were blanked 8-0 by Nashville, then gave the same punishment to Saint Louis 5-0, beat Colorado 3-2, and then lost to Columbus 8-2. While astounding, something tells me the organization will distribute goods equally to all members of the team and they'll be fine for the postseason. That's how communism works. Their victory over the Avalanche was a first this season. After going 8-0 against Colorado in all competition last season, the Wings were 0-3 against the bottom-dwelling Avs this year until the 3-2 win. So somehow Colorado won and almost swept the season series against Detroit, but were themselves swept by the traditionally woeful Blue Jackets.

One would think that the New Jersey Devils would be fighting just to make the playoffs after losing Martin Brodeur for much of the season to a torn biceps. All backups Scott Clemmensen and Kevin Weekes did was backstop the team to first place in the division in Brodeur's stead. Clemmensen, the number one goaltender in Brodeur's absense, was rewarded with a demotion to the AHL. Upon his return, Brodeur earned shutouts in two of his first three outings. He'll soon pass Patrick Roy on the all-time wins list and Terry Sawchuk in shutouts.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are the antithesis of the Devils when it comes to the postseason. New Jersey hasn't missed the playoffs since 1996 and has won three Stanley Cups since 1995. Columbus still awaits their first postseason appearance in their short existence. Even the Thrashers have been once. The Atlanta Thrashers - yes, an actual NHL team. If they get in (and it's a significant 'if'), the Blue Coats want to at least win a game, which would be exactly one more than Atlanta has in their history.

On the topic of the postseason, name one team that will not be participating:
If you answered the New York Islanders, you are obviously correct. But another acceptable answer would be the Colorado Avalanche. They've realized that you actually need good goaltending to compete in the NHL. While long term injuries to Joe Sakic and Paul Stastny - their top two centers - has hurt, I have to admit they're just a bad team. Here's hoping their ping pong balls take some lucky bounces for the lottery.

Like most teams, the Avalanche didn't do a whole lot at the trade deadline, only shipping Jordan Leopold back to Calgary for a new skate sharpener. Calgary's other move was certainly the biggest of the day, acquiring Olli Jokinen from Phoenix. There were immediate dividends for the Flames: Jokinen (drafted #3 overall in 1997) netted a brace in his debut, while Leopold added one on his return.


Now I'll tell you who makes the playoffs:

East:
1) Boston - does this city really need another first place team?
2) New Jersey - a healthy Brodeur behind a potent offense makes them again dangerous
3) Washington - Jose Theodore and the blue line can't keep pace with the offense
4) Montreal - no centennial Coupe Stanley for Les Habitantes
5) Philadelphia - goaltending slightly better than Colorado
6) NY Rangers - offensive woes will continue
7) Pittsburgh - did anyone really think dealing for Chris Kunitz would return them to the finals?
8) Florida - don't worry, they won't make it out of the first round
Conference finals: New Jersey over Washington

West:
1) San Jose - Claude Lemieux is still younger than Chris Chelios
2) Detroit - how has this team stayed under the cap and been so good year after year? It's an egalitarian team where the proletariat and the elite are not divided into classes. Damn Soviets.
3) Calgary - no one wants this team in the playoffs
4) Chicago - playing in Detroit's division doesn't help
5) Vancouver - a healthy Roberto Luongo (drafted #4 in 1997) isn't enough
6) Dallas - as you already know, they won't want Calgary in the playoffs
7) Nashville - see Florida, above
8) Minnesota - they need more than Marian Gaborik to score, and he's hurt more than Ken Griffey, Jr
And it looks like Columbus misses out yet again. That drought is too good to end now.
Conference finals: San Jose over Detroit

Stanley Cup Finals: San Jose over New Jersey

I don't want to see it any more than you, but the Cup goes to San Jose, California. The team is way too good to disappoint. They have one of the league's best goaltenders in Evgeni Nabokov, one of the better center tandems in the league in Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau (drafted #1 and #2 overall respectively in 1997), and they added veteran skilled blue-liners Rob Blake and Dan Boyle in the offseason. Even 43 year-old Claude Lemieux (back after a five year hockey hiatus) will have an impact, though he won't contribute on the ice much. He's got four Cups and a Conn Smyth trophy, and is exactly what the team needs for a two month journey to win the Drink. They also have Jonathan Cheechoo, my biggest fantasy sports disappointment since drafting Matt Leinart.

Recap of the NHL All-Star Game

Moving past the immediate issue that fan voting - while seemingly noble is not representative of the quality of the players voted for starting positions (i.e. Ovechkin not being named a starter yet he's the best player in the world right now), it was at least fitting to see him secure the shootout win for the East.  There seems to be concern that the All Star game is searching for relevance.   Burnside makes some good points about how players are getting there, hopefully the league can work that out. Moving on, here were the highlights from the evening:

• Kovalev wins the MVP award in front of the Montreal fans
  
• Video montage of Top 10 plays of the year so far (ESPN had Ovie's goal against Buffalo at 10 though Vs had it at #4)
  
• Tim Thomas (don't like Boston, but apparently he's gotten past his lack of conditioning from his Vermont days, he was pretty amazing)
  
• Lundqvist getting shelled, yet he's still better than Al Montoya
  

That being said, if no one's going to play defense - which is fine...and this game is just for fun and to showcase ridiculous things (read: Malkin's between the legs goal), then why not just play it 4 v 4, so there's more open ice?  The YoungStars game is ridiculous at 3 v 3, but is a bit like Wayne Gretzkey's 3D Hockey (for N64).  Why not take out icing while you're at it, and goalies can't freeze the puck?  Then you pretty much have a total "pick-up" game of the best players in the world doing the most absurd things that will make every kid want to immediately go play street hockey so he can try and make that same move.

On a side note - that was a BS call that gave the decision to the judges for the Cerrone/ Varner fight.  At the very least, the Colorado guys on this blog can say that they we knew Cerrone back in the day - and I truthfully never saw this coming.  Good for him, it's better than prison I guess (in the words of Lanier).

Soviet Hockey

If you haven't yet heard, Russia's Continental Hockey League (KHL) - also comprised of teams from Belarus, Latvia, and Kazakhstan - will hold their inaugural All-Star game outdoors. Top leagues holding special outdoor games has become wildly popular in recent years, with enormous crowds braving the elements to bear witness.

The NHL's inaugural Winter Classic was held last season on January 1 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo, with Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby defeating the Sabres with a shootout goal in a thrilling, frigid, snowy game in front of over 70,000 spectators. (The BD Blog's namesakes can give first-hand accounts from the historic event.) This New Year's Day, the Winter Classic will take place at Wrigley Field between old time rivals Chicago and Detroit. I for one hope the NHL continues to hold one outdoor game each year, a New Year's Day tradition of the Winter Classic. The game can be in a new location each year (except for Phoenix, Dallas, Tampa Bay, or any warm-weather city - the game must have the possibility of a blizzard). The game doesn't even have to be played in an NHL city. A rumored future Winter Classic may be played at Penn State University between the Penguins and Flyers, a neutral site for Pennsylvania bragging rights.

This, however, was not the NHL's first outdoor game this century. More than 57,000 watched Montreal defeat Edmonton in the Heritage Classic in November 2003, played at 18 degrees below zero in Edmonton.

The recent outdoor hockey trend started in October 2001 with a college game between rivals Michigan State and Michigan at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing before a world record crowd of 74,544 (the match ended in a 3-3 draw). Then in February 2006, Wisconsin hosted Ohio State at Lambeau Field in front of over 40,000.

The KHL won't even be the first European league to hold an outdoor game. Swiss rivals SC Bern and SC Langnau played their 100th game in January 2007 before over 30,000 fans at one of Switzerland's largest soccer stadiums. The game was so popular that it sold out just two days after tickets went on sale.

So welcome aboard, Russia. But their All-Star game may be the most historic and breathtaking game of any. The location: Moscow's Red Square. This is where Soviet/Russian military parades of past and current generations have been held. Beneath the shadows of Saint Basil's Cathedral (what a beaut), The Kremlin, and Lenin's Mausoleum, Team Yashin (led by Alexei "The Turtleneck" Yashin, comprised of Russian players) will take on Team Jagr (a team of non-Russian players led by Jaromir "Check Out My Flow" Jagr). The two former NHL superstars give the new KHL a decent amount of credibility, especially since the league has poached young star Alexander Radulov from the NHL and brought him back home - sparking a bitter contract dispute between the two leagues.

The KHL has quickly reached deep into their pockets and could become a potentially legitimate rival to the NHL for world-class young European talent (Jagr and Yashin, though still NHL-calibre, are at the ends of their careers). The league could make NHL brass nervous, especially with the departure Nashville's Radulov. However, rumors are that both Jagr and Radulov would like to return to the NHL. Yashin, on the other hand, would be lynched both in Ottawa (where he held out an entire season for more money) and on Long Island (where the Senators ultimately traded him for Zdeno Chara and the Jason Spezza pick) if he returned. The KHL even has plans to expand from 24 teams to 30 and possibly more, with the league potentially expanding to Finland, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Ukraine, and the Czech Republic.

Regardless of any friction with or the potential competition from our Russian counterparts, I'm excited for their All-Star game. I'm just hoping it's picked up by Versus or ESPN Deportes.

NHL Thoughts

For most teams it's five games down, 77 more to go in the NHL season.  While football is in full swing, we've been a little lacking on hockey coverage so to remedy that situation I'm going to provide some early personal reflections on the new season:

NHL Math

• Vancouver = Luongo + 2(Sedin) and following that logic Vancouver = finishing just out of the playoffs 
  
• $6.75 million+ $5.625 million = overpriced goaltending in Chicago with not much to show 
• Washington > Pittsburgh
• 32+ = average age of the Red Wings, every year this number goes up and yet there is no drop off in wins
• 552-542 = number of wins until Brodeur is the all time winningest goalie (Roy's record is 551)
  

Predictions

• Atlantic: NY Rangers
• Northeast: Montreal (sorry Sabres fans - still not a believer)
• Southeast: Washington
• Central: Detroit
• Northwest: Minnesota
• Pacific: San Jose
• Eastern Conference: NY Rangers (though if Washington slips in here, I'd be ok with that)
• Western Conference: Detroit
• Stanley Cup: Detroit

While we're on the topic of predictions, ND will win dominate the Frozen Four this spring and win it's first hockey national championship too.  I also predict that Blozar will lose a bit more of his sanity everyday that Brady is not the QB1 for the Browns.