Mikko Koivu quietly becomes one of the most reliable centers in the NHL

Mikko Koivu, one of the few mainstays in the Minnesota Wild lineup, has proven now more than ever why he is one of the best centers in the National Hockey League. Coming off the best year of his short NHL career, Koivu is the epitome of what a center needs to be, even if he doesn't get the recognition he deserves. After a regular season in which he tallied 11 goals and 31 assists, he has already collected two goals and one assist in the Wild's current playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche. In recent years in the NHL, it has become increasingly important to have a good core of centers due to the rule changes that came about after the lockout, especially on a team like the Wild, where coach Jacques Lemaire preaches two-way hockey from his centers. Although currently a little shaky at that position, the Wild are in great shape for the future with Mikko Koivu leading the way.

Koivu has never been one to garner attention; heck, he didn't even start out as a scoring center in the early stages of his career. When the Wild drafted him with their first pick in the 2001 draft, they drafted based on what they saw in the future, not the stats he had accumulated so far. From 1999 to 2004, Koivu collected just 32 goals while playing in Finland, and 11 of those goals came in the 2000-2001 campaign. It wasn't until the Wild finally signed Koivu and assigned him to the Houston Aeros that he blossomed into a real scoring threat. In his first season with the Aeros in 2004-2005, Koivu scored 20 goals to go along with 28 assists, the first time he showed that he had any real scoring threat. That next season, Koivu made it out of camp and on to the Minnesota Wild roster. That year, Koivu played in 64 games and had 6 goals and 15 assists to go along with a +/- rating of -9. Although he showed good signs of progress, the Wild were counting on him to be their number one center, and with numbers like those, that wasn't what he was showing. When the 2006-2007 season rolled around, Koivu looked like he was ready to shed his scoring demons and get on the right track. Koivu had 20 goals and 34 assists that year to go along with a very important +6 rating. Koivu also had his first career NHL playoff goal that season, and proved that he can be a scoring threat as well as a shut-down center. Although Koivu had made good strides during the 06-07 season, it was his most recent season, 07-08, that had the rest of the NHL buzzing.

This season, Koivu totaled 11 goals and 31 assists with a career high +13 rating, but those numbers came in only 57 games. On November 17th in a game against the Vancouver Canucks, Koivu tried to skate past Vancouver's Mattias Ohlund in the neutral zone. Koivu brought his arm up in a bid to get around Ohlund, but Ohlund thought it was a blatant elbow to the head. Ohlund quickly reacted and took a brutal two-handed swing at Koivu's leg, breaking a bone in it and sidelining him for 24 games. With Koivu primed for a breakout season, this injury was a huge blow to the Wild. Luckily, the Wild recovered and Koivu came back and continued his scoring to propel the Wild to their first Northwest Division title. Although it is easy to look at stats and put all your eggs in that basket in terms of importance, it is the intangibles that Koivu brings to the table that make him among the great centers in the game right now.

Jacques Lemaire is all about defense. Although most teams and coaches around the league believe it slows the game down, Lemaire's style led the Wild to a division championship. His system is one that focuses on shutting down opposing offenses before worrying about scoring your own goals. The defense is taught to clamp back and cut off the forecheck, while the forwards are taught to find space and take a shot if they have one (unfortunately the Wild could still use some help in that department). This leaves the center to take on both roles, yet all within the top of both ends faceoff circles. While the centers in Lemaire's system are told to focus more on defense, when they get into the offensive zone, they are supposed to stay behind the top of the faceoff circles in order to be able to transition more fluently. That is exactly what makes Koivu so good at what he does. Although largely unnoticed, Koivu has become one of the best two-way centers in the game, creating a myriad of scoring chances as well as playing a brilliant neutral zone game and having a great backcheck. Koivu is usually playing on the Wild's checking line beside forwards Stephane Veilleux and Branko Radivojevic, and there is no question as to what his job is: shut down the other teams top line. The beauty of Koivu's game is that he can do that all while being able to rush up the ice and score on his own, or get the puck in the opposing zone so that the next line can create chances. It can't be an easy thing to do as a center, having your main job be defense. But Koivu knows his role and has shown vast improvement the last couple of seasons, a big relief to a team that is a little weak at center. This season, with the way Koivu has been playing, Lemaire has been inserting him into both the checking line and the top line, sometimes playing him alongside Marian Gaborik. When playing alongside a playmaker like Gaborik or playing on the checking line that doesn't get a whole lot of recognition, it's unfortunate that Koivu doesn't get the attention he deserves.

Most people that know of Mikko Koivu most likely know of him because of his brother: Saku Koivu, the captain of the Montreal Canadiens. But there is no doubt that soon enough Mikko will gain the spotlight from his older brother. Although largely unnoticed by the rest of the league, you would think that such an important player would be more known throughout Minnesota, a state that lives and breathes hockey, but unfortunately that isn't the case. Even in his home arena, Koivu is rarely recognized as one of the three stars of the game unless he had a couple goals or a couple of assists, but what Koivu brings to this team is so much more to that. Watching Koivu all year, I have seen two main points that stand out in his game: He doesn't make mistakes (ever); and he has some of the best moves you will ever see. Most goaltenders in the Western Conference can attest to the fact that Koivu has one of the sickest penalty shots around. His moves during games may not be the ones that end up as top plays like Alex Ovechkin's or Sidney Crosby's, but his are just as effective as anybody elses. Koivu has never been one to seek out attention. He seems content to be playing on a team that has more recognizable players such as Gaborik, Brian Rolston, and Pavol Demitra. But as his game continues to get better and better, there is no doubt that one day he will garner the attention that he deserves in the form of All-Star selections and Hart trophys.

All stats courtesy of TSN

Wild continue to fight through injuries

The Wild has officially been bitten by the injury bug at the absolute worst possible time of the season. With Nick Schultz (appendectomy) and Kurtis Foster (broken femur) already out for the rest of the series with Colorado (Schultz is slated to appear sometime during the second round, assuming the Wild get that far), the Wild are lucky to be tied at one game a piece heading into the games in Denver.

The injury list seems to be growing day by day, although the most recent injuries are not preventing players from sitting...yet. Martin Skoula has been playing on a bum leg for the last couple games, making our defensive corps even weaker, and Branko Radivojevic is said to be nursing a leg injury of his own. Radio's injury, although kept under wraps pretty good, seems to be the most serious. He is actually in jeopardy of sitting for game 3. Wild coach Jacques Lemaire seems adamant that Radio will be sitting on Monday, but General Manager Doug Risebrough is in disagreement stating he is "day-to-day." It wouldn't be beneficial to lose a forward like Radivojevic, but at least the Wild could adjust accordingly. If Radio were to sit, it would open up a spot for Chris Simon, who I think should have been in the first two games anyway (3 Stanley Cup appearances and 1 ring? That experience should be out there). On defense, it's a whole different story. Already being two defensemen down, it is imperative that our defense stays intact from now on.

Since Schultz went down with his appendectomy, many beat writers around hockey have been writing the Wild off (including Minnesota's own Michael Russo) and saying that the series is now Colorado's to win. Obviously being a huge fan of the Wild, I disagree. My prediction of course has something to do with how much I root for Minnesota, but I also approach the series realistically. Losing Schultz is huge, no doubt, but the Wild have enough adversity to get through it. Since he went down, guys like Brent Burns, Kim Johnsson, and Keith Carney have all stepped up and filled their roles just like they should. The Wild have plenty of experience on the blueline, and although guys will have to log more than 30 minutes of ice time, defensemen Petteri Nummelin put it best: "It's the playoffs, you never get tired." If the Wild can get off to a good start in Denver, there chances of advancing are greatly improved, and if they advance and get Schultz back healthy, there's no limit as to just how far they can go.

NHL Playoff predictions

Sorry for the long hiatus, I've been busy with work recently and am just now getting time to write anything.

With the NHL playoffs starting tonight, I figured I'd post my predictions on who I think will advance and who I think will be bounced. I'm not going to get into too much explanation with the series, just a couple of reasons why I think each team will move on.

Western Conference:

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (8) Nashville Predators-This really isn't a true playoff series in my opinion. I do enjoy watching the Preds every so often when the Wild face them, but against the Wings, they have zero chance of moving on. Detroit is powerful on all sides of the puck and they have the experience needed to zip past Nashville and move on without a hitch.

Prediction: Detroit in 5 games

(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (7) Calgary Flames-This is a very interesting matchup to start the playoffs. The Sharks are an absolute beast of a team and after watching them manhandle the Wild all season long, I like the way they're built. But Calgary is not a team that will succumb under the Sharks enormous firepower. With a guy like Jarome Iginla scoring goals and Miikka Kiprusoff preventing goals, this will be more of a challenge for San Jose than I believe they think it will be.

Prediction: San Jose in 7 games

(3) Minnesota Wild vs. (6) Colorado Avalanche-The Wild are coming into the postseason on a hot streak, and I don't see it ending anytime soon. Even with the loss of our most consistent defensemen in Nick Schultz, the team will be able to rally together and run through Colorado without much of a problem.

Prediction: Minnesota in 6 games

(4) Anaheim Ducks vs. (5) Dallas Stars-This is another series that will be entertaining to watch. The Ducks are a very physical team and are the defending Stanley Cup champions, but the Stars have plenty of talent on their team too. If guys like Matt Niskanen and Marty Turco can come up big, I can see the Stars easily handling the Ducks. Although I would love to see the Ducks advance so that the Wild could get a chance to play them, I just don't see them doing much.

Prediction: Dallas in 6 games


Eastern Conference:

(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (8) Boston Bruins-This is truly a 1 vs. 8 matchup. The Canadiens have dominated the Bruins all season and are the best team in the East right now. The Bruins are just not experienced enough to get past a tough Montreal team that consists of guys like Alexei Kovalev and Saku Koivu.

Prediction: Montreal in 4 games

(2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (7) Ottawa Senators-Just like the Bruins/Canadiens matchup, this won't be much of a series at all. The Senators started the season 15-2, one of the best starts in NHL history, and barely held on to a playoff berth. The Penguins on the other hand have many young guys looking to make a huge impression on the league by guiding this team to the Cup. With the right mix of young guns and experienced veterans, the Penguins are one of the teams to beat in the East.

Prediction: Pittsburgh in 5 games

(3) Washington Capitals vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers-This is a really hard series to predict. The Capitals captured the division crown on the last day of the season pitting them against a tough, gritty Flyers team. Although I love what Alex Ovechkin has done this season, I do think that the physical play of Philly can shut him down enough to do what they need to. I'm not a fan of the Flyers by any means, but I have to go with my gut.

Prediction: Philadelphia in 7 games

(4) New Jersey Devils vs. (5) New York Rangers-Both of these teams are solid, but I like the scoring punch of the Devils more. Zach Parise will come up huge in the playoffs, and Martin Brodeur will shine like always as the Devils take this series fairly easily.

Prediction: New Jersey in 6 games

Western Conference Semifinals:

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (5) Dallas Stars

Prediction: Detroit in 6 games

(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (3) Minnesota Wild

Prediction: Minnesota in 7 games


Eastern Conference Semifinals:

(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers

Prediction: Montreal in 6 games

(2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (4) New Jersey Devils

Prediction: Pittsburgh in 6 games


Western Conference Finals:

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (3) Minnesota Wild

Prediction: Minnesota Wild in 6 games


Eastern Conference Finals:

(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (2) Pittsburgh Penguins

Prediction: Montreal Candiens in 6 games


STANLEY CUP FINALS:

(3) Minnesota Wild vs. (1) Montreal Canadiens

Prediction: Minnesota Wild in 6 games



I'm sure it was quite predictable that I would choose the Wild to win it all, but I can't go against my hometown team. I honestly believe they have the stuff this year to make a huge run, as long as they can band together and beat the teams like San Jose and Detroit.

NHL Awards (Predictions) 2007-2008 season

As the NHL regular season starts to come to a close, I'm going to take a look back on this season and predict (hopefully fairly accurately) who will win what award for this year. Some will be fairly obvious, some will be a toss-up, and some will be complete guesses, but here are my predictions (with the occasional commentary):

1) The Stanley Cup: Dallas Stars-I hate to vote against my hometown team from Minnesota, but I have to be realistic. The Wild are playing terribly right now, so there is no way in hell I can confidently say I think they have a shot at winning it all. The Stars on the other hand are up there at the top of the conference. Although they are only 6-4 in their last 10 games, the Stars definitely have the firepower to go far in the playoffs. At 89 points they are in first place in their division (although San Jose is creeping up really fast) and second only to Detroit in the conference. With the acquisition of Brad Richards at the trade deadline, look for the Stars to go deep into the postseason.

2) Presidents Trophy (Best overall record): Detroit Red Wings-This one is pretty obvious because, hey, they're the almighty Red Wings. Even though they have stumbled recently (4-5-1 in their last 10), they have the players that will be able to right the ship and take home the trophy for the best overall record.

3) Prince of Wales Trophy (Eastern Conference Champion): Pittsburgh Penguins-This is a very tough choice, I like the Devils and the Canadiens as possibilities for this too, but the Penguins became the front runner as soon as they got Marian Hossa from the Thrashers. With Sid the Kid back on the ice and Evgeni Malkin collecting points like they're pennies, this team is going to be unstoppable, at least until they meet the mighty Western Conference in the Stanley Cup.

4) Clarence S. Campbell Bowl (Western Conference Champion): Dallas Stars-I already chose them to win the Cup, so by default they win this too.

5) Art Ross Trophy (Most Individual Points Scored): Alexander Ovechkin-I love how Malkin has come onto the scene in his sophomore year and lit the lamp, but there is no way I'm going to vote against a guy that will most likely hit 60 goals and has a shot as 70.

6) Calder Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the Year): Niklas Backstrom-Patrick Kane is probably the most talented rookie this year, but I think that Backstrom will overtake Kane in the points department and take home the trophy. Peter Mueller is also a very talented rookie, and Kane skates along side Jonathan Toews, but Backstrom will end up with this one.

7) Hart Memorial Trophy (Most Valuable Player): Alexander Ovechkin-No question about this one. If he hits 60 goals, it's already a lock, and since he's on pace for 70, this is the only clear-cut choice.

8) Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year): John Stevens (Philadelphia Flyers)-I'm going to be honest and say I really can't stand the Flyers as a team. After a rash of suspensions for the team at the beginning of the season, the only thing I saw them as was a team of thugs. But being realistic, this team has made a dramatic turnaround from last season. At this point this season, the Flyers are already 22 points ahead of where they finished last year with 56 points and in dead last in the Eastern Conference. With 13 games left to go, the Flyers should have no problem passing the 90 point mark and making it into the postseason.

9) James Norris Memorial Trophy (Top Defenseman): Nicklas Lidstrom-This is definitely a no-brainer. Lidstrom has shown year in and year out that he is the premier defenseman in this league, and this season is no exception. Lidstrom has 7 goals and 52 assists this year to go along with a 38 +/- rating. Those numbers scream Norris Trophy.

10) Maurice Richard Trophy (Top Goal Scorer): Alexander Ovechkin-I've said quite enough about this guy in this post.

11) Vezina Trophy (Top Goaltender): Martin Brodeur-Evgeni Nabokov has shown that he is one of the best goalies in the league, but I believe the voters will give this trophy to Marty. The Devils are leading the Eastern Conference and Brodeur's 2.12 goals against average shows where much of the credit goes to. Although Nabokov has his team near the top of the West, I think Brodeur will get the benefit of the doubt due to reputation.

It's always hard to predict trophies and awards with 13 or so games remaining in a season, but based on how the season has gone so far, this is what I see happening. I'm still holding out hope that the Wild can bust out of their major slump and start scoring goals, but until that happens, I'm just going to hope that Mike Modano can bring the trophy home for the Stars.

Wild run out of gas, fall to the Red Wings

The curse of the Red Wings hits the Wild again.

After flying out of the gate Tuesday versus Detroit, the Wild looked like they were on their way to a rare victory over the conference leading Red Wings, but it seems fate was working against them yet again. After jumping out to a 2-1 lead, the Wild gave up the tying goal with less than 2 minutes to play, and eventually fell in overtime. After getting blown out by the Red Wings in their two meetings earlier this season, the Wild finally stole a shootout victory over them back on January 10th, and they were hoping to shift some of that momentum to this game. The Wild played what turned out to be their best two periods of the season until ultimately running out of gas in the third. Niklas Backstrom played a strong game between the pipes, and Brent Burns handled the puck well at the blueline, but at the end of the night, it wasn't enough to take down the goliath that is Detroit.

The first period started out very promising as the Wild promptly took control of the game and fired shot after shot on Dominik Hasek, but Hasek held strong until his team caught the Wild offguard when Johan Franzen fired home a wristshot at the 9:58 mark of the first to put the Red Wings ahead 1-0. The Wild were playing strong, though, and it didn't take long for them to respond with a goal of their own. Brian Rolston took the puck behind Hasek and, without anybody challenging him, walked up in front of the net and danced around Hasek and banked a shot behind the goalie to tie the game. The Wild continued to play a strong period and ended up out-shooting the Red Wings 13-6.

After the break, the Wild remained the dominant team and once again was outplaying Detroit in every aspect of the game. The normal finesse game of the Red Wings was being broken up by good defensive plays and hard hits. The Wild finally pulled ahead when Pavol Demitra got behind the Detroit blue-liners and fired a slapshot from just outside the left faceoff circle 5:30 into the period. Things got a little testy in the second when at the 9:48 mark Aaron Voros got clocked into the Detroit bench and quickly retaliated with a punch that resulted in two roughing calls. The Wild promptly went to work with a brilliant penalty kill that gave them all the confidence they needed heading into the locker room after the second.

All season the Wild had been lights-out heading into the third with a lead, but when it's a one goal lead versus the best team in the NHL, nothing is a gurantee. The third started out completely different from the first two periods; the Wild were on the defense most of the period right from the get-go. After getting lucky on numerous occasions, the Wild finally let their lead slip with just 1:20 left in the game. Daniel Cleary crashed the Wild net and threw the puck at Backstrom, who blocked the puck easily but then made the mistake of pushing the puck into the corner. Cleary again took control of the puck and took a bad-angle shot that just slipped through the outstretched Backstrom. That quickly took the energy out of the Xcel as well as out of the Wild. The home team limped through the remaining minute and took the game into overtime where they were guranteed at least one point. It didn't take long for the Red Wings to take advantage of the depleted Wild, and Brent Lebda connected on a beautiful pass from Henrik Zetterberg just 1:37 into the fourth frame to give the extra point to Detroit.

This loss was especially hard to swallow considering how well the Wild played the first 40 minutes. This was easily the best I've seen the Wild play Detroit for many years, and I hope they can look at this game and take a little bit of confidence out of it. They played well, and this loss was nobody's fault in particular, the team just collectively ran out of gas. The Wild have a tough stretch coming up next, so let's hope they can continue to build on their success they've had the last handful of games. The Wild will be taking on the Dallas Stars and the New York Islanders at home and then going on the road for the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks. Hopefully the Wild can take some positive out of this game against Detroit and continue on their road to the playoffs.

Too little, too late?

Teemu Selanne, after taking 53 games off to "ponder retirement," has decided to return to the Anaheim Ducks to play the remaining 29 games in the regular season. But should he be allowed back this season after such a long break? Of course, all Ducks fans will say yes, and I would expect nothing less. Selanne, who is 37 years of age, recorded 48 goals and 46 assists last year while on the Stanley Cup winning Ducks. The fact that I hail from Minnesota and have had a chronic feeling of hatred for the Ducks since last years playoffs has no bearing on the stance I am taking here. I griped about the fact that Wes Walz took an enormous amount of time off from the Wild barely into the season to figure out that he wanted to retire, and if players are going to take forever to figure out if they want to return or not, they should have it figured out before the season starts (of course if some sort of emergency comes up with a player, that's a different story). The Ducks have now had two guys, Selanne and defensemen Scott Neidermayer, that have taken a ton of time off to think about whether they wanted to retire or not. Selanne says that he was on the brink of retiring until he got back to going to games and being with the team.

"If Brian Burke had told me he needed a deadline in training camp or November, I wouldn't be here today," Selanne says.

That deadline that Teemu speaks of is exactly what needs to be implemented to prevent guys from coming in halfway through the season. I know there is already some sort of date that is set for players to return, but that date needs to be moved way up for it to have any effect. Allowing Selanne to join the team now robs a player who has been working hard all season to either get sent down, waived, or traded, all because a veteran decided 53 games into the season he can't step away from the game. I understand how hard it is for these older guys to have to even think about retiring, but seriously, these guys are grown men and they ultimately know what they want to do. Even teams that make it to the Stanley Cup have a couple months to ponder what they want to do regarding playing. Why was it so hard for Selanne and Neidermayer to figure that out in the offseason? The fact that Selanne is deciding to rejoin the team now just looks like he is taking the easy way out. I can just imagine him thinking "Wow, I'm not even playing half of the season yet I can rejoin the team, make millions, and have a shot at another Cup." I believe that if a guy wants to win the Stanley Cup, he should have to go through training camp like the rest of the players on the team and not take the easy way out just because he can. Yes, Selanne's wife just had a baby seven weeks ago, and yes I understand that changes his entire life, but what needs to happen then is for him to sit out the entire season and then think about coming back next year. Now I've never been a big fan of Commissioner Gary Bettman, and I know he won't think anything of this whole situation, but the fact of the matter is there needs to be an earlier deadline set for players to return to action. I would say they have up until the first game of the season to sign a contract. If you haven't signed a contract with a team by the drop of the first puck, then you should have to miss out on the season. Both Selanne and Neidermayer need to show some respect to their organization. I know that GM Brian Burke welcomed both of them back with open arms, but somewhere in the crazy mind of his he's got to be thinking that it's a hell of an inconvienence for these guys to show up when they did. It will be interesting to see if Selanne's return to the Ducks, who are currently in 5th place in the conference, will be positive or negative. I'm sure players and teammates are glad to see him back. Who wouldn't want a 40 goal scorer to rejoin their team? But I also have to believe there are those few players on the team that resent the fact that Selanne was given all that time and now he gets a free pass based on his resume.

Wild win, move back into first

After a disappointing loss to the Flames just two nights ago, the Wild were looking for a game to show them they still belonged at the top of the Conference. In their last game before the All-Star break, the Wild outlasted the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in a win that put them back into first place in the Northwest Division. Pavol Demitra scored his 10th goal of the season and Niklas Backstrom made 28 saves to pace the Wild against a depleted Avalanche lineup. Without stars Joe Sakic, Ryan Smyth, and Paul Statsny, Colorado kept the game close, but in the end it was the healthy team that took home the W.

Todd Fedoruk got the Wild on the board first as he scored on a nice tip-in from a pass right down the middle from Demitra just five and a half minutes into the contest. After escaping defenders in the neutral zone, Demitra skated down the left boards and shot a pass across the ice to Fedoruk, who was streaking down the middle waiting for the tip. Just 8 minutes later, the Wild doubled their lead when Marian Gaborik found Brian Rolston sneaking up the middle of Colorado's zone. Rolston held the puck for a second, and then blasted a patented Rolston slapper past Jose Theodore, who was just hoping to get a piece of the puck. The Wild thought that they would be able to close out the first with a two-goal lead, but former Wild forward Andrew Brunette connected on a wrist shot to get the Avalanche back within one with 28 seconds remaining in the period.

The second period opened quickly when Marek Svatos found Wojtek Wolski with a wide-open net to put Colorado back even with the Wild just two and a half minutes into the frame. Both teams had their chances after that goal, but Theodore and Backstrom held strong for their teams. The Wild finally cashed in at the 13:41 mark of the second when Demitra caught a pass from defensemen Kurtis Foster and scored the eventual game-winner on a wrist-shot from just inside the slot. The rest of the game featured shots back and forth, but nothing to show for it, leaving the Wild with the edge 3-2.

This was a huge win for the Wild, going into the All-Star break beating Vancouver and Colorado within 4 days is big at any point in the season, especially now. It is imperative the Wild figure out what they need to work on and fix it going into the home stretch of the season. Every game from here on out can decide whether the Wild end up with the 3rd seed in the playoffs or if they miss the post-season completely. Hopefully the Wild can use the momentum they picked up with this recent road trip and use it to their advantage. Most of the Wild now get a few days off to recuperate and be with their family. Gaborik will be traveling to Atlanta to partake in the All-Star Game festivities (he is slated to be part of the inaugural Breakaway Challenge). After the break, the Wild get right back to work taking on the Anaheim Ducks at home before traveling to Columbus and then coming right back home to take on the Red Wings, Stars, and Islanders.

My Three Stars for game #50 in Colorado:

1) Pavol Demitra

2) Wojtek Wolski

3) Todd Fedoruk

The Great Sport of Hockey

So I just got done reading an "article" written by Damien Cox on ESPN that outlines the topic of fighting in Hockey. I just want to start off by saying that Damien Cox needs to get a new job. Reading his take on Hockey makes me kind of ashamed that I actually listen to and follow ESPN. He is so misinformed and all of his articles have been equally terrible. With that being said, this particular article discussing fighting in Hockey is an argument that is brought up way more often than it should be.
Hockey has survived in it's original form since 1875, when the first documented game of Ice Hockey was played in Montreal, Canada. From the time of the first game up until the games taking place now, the one constant in Hockey has been fighting. The purpose of fighting is Hockey is simple to understand: Sticking up for your teammates. When a guy that is 6'2" takes a run at your best player who's 5'10", I'm pretty sure that the 5'10" guy isn't going to try to take on the bigger guy. That is where an enforcer does his job. I'm sure most people have heard the expression "pick on someone your own size," and that applies in Hockey. Most fights aren't one big guy and one little guy going at it. If someone picks on your guy, it is necessary to stick up for your teammate and show the other team that they can't mess with him.
When people try to compare the violence in Hockey to the hitting in other sports, it almost comes across as comical. So you take away fighting in Hockey. What will you do next, make Football two-hand touch? There are certain aspects of the game that cannot be changed. Hockey players have been fighting since before the NFL even came about. People aren't dying on the ice from fights, the purpose of a fight is to teach a guy a lesson like a real man. It's great when people say "Well in Basketball if you even throw a punch, you're out for 5 games, yet in Hockey it's pretty much encouraged that you fight." First of all, that is wrong. By allowing fighting to happen, that in no way is encouraging people to fight. It's simply giving grown men an option to settle their differences in a way that is fair to everyone. There are more brawls in Baseball then there are in Hockey, so why do we think that fighting is such a bad thing? It gives people a reason to not act inappropriately by having to create a brawl in order to get their point across.
When guys are caught up in the heat of the game and all of their emotions are running high, would you rather have a guy attempt to take out someone by hitting them with their stick or by engaging in a civilized fight that leaves a clear winner and loser? Fighting may look dangerous on the surface, and it definitely is dangerous, but without fighting, the only way that guys would be able to stand up for their teammates would be to commit more illegal and dirty hits. Everyone knows the risk of a fight going into it, so it's no surprise to anyone when someone gets their cheekbone shattered (warning: Pretty graphic video) or when both guys come out of a fight unscathed.
Looking at the otherside of the argument, I do see why some people disapprove of the fighting in Hockey. I know that mothers do not want their kids to watch a Hockey game, see Derek Boogaard beat up Todd Fedoruk, and have their kid try to emulate that during their Hockey game. For a person that doesn't know much about Hockey, it is reasonable for them to say that all fighting does is encourage violence and promote harm. But fighting in Hockey is much more than that. Grown men have the right to decide how they police themselves on the ice. Dirty hits are going to happen, cheap shots are going to take place, but without fighting, those will be the only ways to get back at someone. I know that revenge is something that is not taught to most young kids, but it's important that people don't just sit back and take crap from people when they don't have to. Fighting is an intrical part of Hockey and people need to learn to accept that. If you don't like the fighting, then stay out of the rink.

Top 10 American-born NHL players

After Mike Modano scored two goals in the first 5 minutes of the Dallas Stars November 7th game to break Phil Housley's record of points by an American-born player, it got me thinking: "Is Mike Modano the best ever from America?" Here is a run-down of my Top 10 American bred players to ever lace up the skates:

10) Mike Richter (Retired, Goaltender): Was selected 28th overall in the 1985 entry draft by the New York Rangers. Finished with a career mark of 301-258-73 and a GAA of 2.89. Selected to the 1992, 1994, and 2000 NHL All-Star team (winning MVP in 1994). Won the Gold medal at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey (named MVP). Won the Silver medal at the 2002 winter olympics. Helped Rangers win the Stanley Cup in 1994. Holds 5 Rangers team records including career games played (666) and career wins (301).

9) Keith Tkachuk (Active, Center): Was selected 19th overall in the 1990 entry draft by the Winnipeg Jets. Has 478* goals and 461* assists. Was seleted to Hockey East all-rookie team in 1991. Was an all-star in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2004. First American-born player to lead the NHL in goals (52 in 1996-1997 season). Holds Phoenix Coyotes records in most game-winning goals (40) and career penalty minutes (1,508). Currently plays for St. Louis Blues.

8) Neil Broten (Retired, Center): Was selected in the 2nd round (42nd overall) of the 1979 entry draft by the Minnesota North Stars. Has 289 goals and 634 assists. Won Hobey Baker award in 1981 while at University of Minnesota. Was on 1979 National champion Minnesota Gophers hockey team. Won a Gold Medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics as part of Team USA. Won Stanley Cup in 1995 with New Jersey Devils. Played in two NHL All-Star games (1983 and 1986). Won the Lester Patrick award in 1998 for his contributions to the NHL off the ice. Had his #7 jersey retired by the Minnesota/Dallas organization in 1998.

7) Jeremy Roenick (Active, Center): Was drafted 8th overall in the 1988 NHL entry draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. Has 499* goals and 679* assists. Won a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics as part of Team USA. Posted over 100 points in three consecutive NHL seasons (1992, 1993, 1994). Made 9* All-Star teams (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2004). Currently plays for the San Jose Sharks.

6) Chris Chelios (Active, Defense): Was drafted 2nd round (40th overall) in 1981 NHL entry draft by the Montreal Canadiens. Has 183* goals and 756* assists. Was part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison 1983 National Championship team and named to All-Tournament team. Won a Silver medal at the 2002 Olympics with Team USA. Made All-Star team 11* times in career (1985, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2002). Won James Norris trophy for leagues best defensemen three times (1989, 1993, and 1996). Led the league in Plus/Minus in 2002. Won a Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1986 and another Cup with Detroit in 2002. Currently plays for the Detroit Red Wings.

5) Brian Leetch (Retired, Defense): Was selected 9th overall in the 1986 NHL entry draft by the New York Rangers. Has 247 goals and 781 assists. Scored a rookie defensemen record 23 goals in 1987. Won the Calder Trophy (top rookie) in 1987 and was selected to the All-Rookie team the same year. Two-time Norris Trophy winner for the leagues top defensemen (1992 and 1997). Only American-born player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy (Stanley Cup MVP) as part of the Stanley Cup winning 1994 New York Rangers. Played in 9 NHL All-Star games (1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, and 2002). Won Silver medal at 2002 Olympics with Team USA.

4) Pat LaFontaine (Retired, Center): Was selected 3rd overall in the 1983 NHL entry draft by the New York Islanders. Collected 468 goals and 545 assists in only 865 games due to post-concussion syndrome. Set record for points in a season by an American-born player with 148 in 1993. Was awarded the Bill Masterson trophy (dedication) in 1995. Made NHL All-Star team in 1992-1993 season.

3) Joe Mullen (Retired, Forward): Signed a free agent contract with the St. Louis Blues in 1980. Has 502 goals and 561 assists. Two-time recipient of the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship (1987 and 1989). Played in three NHL All-Star games (1989, 1990, and 1994). Was awarded the Lester Patrick award in 1995. Was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000.

2) Phil Housley (Retired, Defense): Was selected 6th overall in the 1982 NHL entry draft by the Buffalo Sabres. Has 338 goals and 894 assists. Won a Silver medal at the 2002 winter olympics as part of Team USA. Was selected to the 1983 All-Rookie team. Played in a total 0f 7 All-Star games (1984, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, and 2000). Holds the record for most games played by an American-born player with 1,495. Also holds record for most assists by an American-born player with 894.

1) Mike Modano (Active, Center): Was selected 1st overall in the 1988 NHL entry draft by the Minnesota North Stars. Has 511* goals and 722* assists. Holds the record for most points by an American-born player with 1233. Was named to the 1990 NHL All-Rookie team. Has appeared in 7 NHL All-Star games (1993, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, and 2007). Won a Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999. Holds several Minnesota/Dallas organization records including career goals (511*), career playoff games (156*), and career playoff points (133*).

*-Number subject to change

Let's Play Hockey

So the Wild are officially back on track after a 5-2 victory over the currently hopeless Edmonton Oilers. With Gaborik and Demitra out, and Dominic Moore not quite ready to take the ice, the Wild were forced to shift defensemen Petteri Nummelin up to a forward position. Although the shift wasn't ideal, it couldn't have worked out any better. Moving Nummelin up quickly paid dividends when he shot a perfect pass across Edmontons zone setting up Mark Parrish's first goal of the night just 5 minutes into the game. From there, the Wild powerplay just picked apart the Edmonton penalty kill scoring a total of 3 power play goals in just the first period. Although Niklas Backstrom was not tested very often in net at the beginning, he made the saves needed to give the team confidence going into the locker room.

The Wild came out in the second period even faster than they did in the first, scoring just 3:21 into the period. The Wild and Oilers finished the period switching goals, and at the end of the second period the score was 5-2. With the game already in hand, all the Wild needed to do was prevent any scoring opportunities in the third period, and that is exactly what they did. Shutting down the Oilers in the final frame led to the Wild coming out with a victory. Parrish ended up with two power-play goals, Nummelin ended up with two big assists, and Kurtis Foster chipped in a goal and an assist. All around it was a game the Wild desperately needed.

So now to an article I caught on espn.com this morning. Todd Bertuzzi, who to me is a guy who should never have stepped back onto the ice after his incident with Steve Moore back in 2004, apparently offered to settle the $15 million lawsuit brought on by Moore by paying him $350,000. Seriously, that number isn't a joke. He wanted to give the guy who's career he ruined not even 1% of what he's asking for. I don't know if he was purposely trying to insult Moore, but whatever his intent was, it made him look like even less of a man. What he did back in '04 was totally dirty and should not have happened, and the punishment handed down to him was just a slap on the wrist. Thirteen games and the playoffs for ending a 23 year-olds fairly promising career? You have go to be kidding me. When I read this article today, I just kept thinking that I couldn't wait for the Ducks to come to town so Boogey can beat the crap out of him on the ice. If you want to read the article, here's the link for you:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3096818

Also going on last night was Monday Night Football. The Steelers and Ravens were supposed to be playing a Football game, but it looked more like the Steelers were playing a team of kids. The Ravens commited 4 turnovers on the night, including 3 fumbles in the first quarter, en route to a 38-7 pounding by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger looked unstoppable in the first half, tying a Steelers record by throwing 5 touchdown passes in the half. Big Ben finished the game with 209 yards and 5 touchdown passes with no interceptions and a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3. The Steelers defense also looked unstoppable, especially James Harrison, an undrafted free agent signed by the Steelers after they released pro-bowl linebacker Joey Porter. Harrison finished the night with 2 1/2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and an interception. Those numbers are wicked for an entire defense, much less one player. Even though it was a blowout, it was a good game to tune into during the breaks of the Wild game.

The only thing really that I can think of that is going on tonight is the Timberwolves host the Orlando Magic. Everybody's been hating on the Wolves this year, thinking they won't be able to recover from the departure of KG and the arrival of a lot of young guys, but I think that we should reserve judgement until we get a good look at these guys. Sure they have started 0-2, but like I said, they're a young team and they need some time to adjust to eachother. Plus, Randy Foye isn't even playing, and he is one of our top guys. I'm not saying the Wolves are gonna win 50+ games this year, but I do think they will exceed most peoples expectations.

Unfortunately with all the games going on last night I had to miss a new episode of Heroes, so I will have to catch that online some time today. I'm hoping it answers more questions than last weeks episode, I really thought they were going to clarify some things and it turned out to just be more questions. Either way, it is still one of the best shows on TV right now and I hope the writers end their strike soon so that the season doesn't have to end prematurely at the beginning of December.