Lou-ser

I'm never one to say I told you so, but after watching Game Three between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New Jersey Devils last night, it has become apparent that Lou Lamoriello cannot out-coach John Tortorella. Ruler-Of-All-Things-Devils Lou has now lost two games in a row to a much faster, much quicker, much more offensively-talented team, both by 3-2 scores. While I concede that there is no urgency to push the panic button yet in this series, there is some room for concern regarding the Devils, and Coach Lou needs to address this.

The Devils cannot run-and-gun with Tampa Bay. If they do, Tampa Bay's highly-gifted offensive unit will make short work of the Devils. What the Devils need to do in Game Four is come out the exact same way they did in Game One: score early, and forecheck hard. The Devils need to exercise their psychological advantage of wearing a team down when they are trailing. That is what they do best, and that is where they've had the most success in the playoffs. Score early, play defence hard, capitalize on mistakes, and run out the clock. That's Devil hockey to a tee.

They also cannot let Tampa Bay's forwards of Andre Roy and Nick Tarnasky hammer them into the boards all night like they did last night. They need to be able to absorb a few hits, and get right back into defensive position. Roy had four big hits on one shift last night alone, including one on Patrik Elias. No one skated by Roy and warned him that any contact on a star would result in repercussions. And so Roy continued to hammer away on guys. Someone needs to step up and send a message to Tampa Bay that the Devils are not going to be pushed around.

Lastly, the Devils need to start getting in Johan Holmqvist's face. John Madden's weak floater that scored on Holmqvist last night was a direct result of Jay Pandolfo's excellent screen. Is it any wonder that a young goalie, such as Holmqvist, would try to look around the left side of Pandolfo as Madden approached, only to be scored on under his right arm? Go to the net, plant yourself there, and just be a screen. It has worked for the Devils before. Why abandon that concept now?

My prediction of New Jersey losing in 6 games will come true. Tampa Bay will win on home ice tomorrow, and then Jersey will win in New Jersey on Friday. After that, it's back to Tampa Bay where the Lightning will close out the series.

Thanks for coming to the dance, Lou. Too bad you're going to be watching the Stanley Cup Finals from your armchair again. I had hoped that the Devils would be the anti-Barney Rubble Hairpieces where they would show everyone how defensive hockey in the new NHL is played. The problem is that they have forgotten that you need some offence to win games.

As an aside, the third installment of "You're Wearing That?" will be available sometime tomorrow. This one is huge as well. It has more jerseys than either of the first two, so be prepared. Until next time, keep your stick on the ice!

When You're Known For Something

Every year, teams develop a personality, and it shows over and over again in the playoffs in different situations. Whether it be a plucky team who just won't say die, or a team who scores immediately after being scored on, there is always an identity created for a team. The Calgary Flames, since Darryl Sutter has take over, have always shown a high-level of tenacity and intensity, not to mention a lot of attention paid to the defensive side of the game. Having watched Games One and Two of this opening round of the playoffs, my only question is "what the hell has happened to the Flames".

Look, I'm not blaming one guy here. It's not Iginla's fault or Conroy's fault or Kiprusoff's fault. I am blaming the team. There's no backcheck, there's no solid forecheck, there's no break-out from the defensive zone, and this is leading to Detroit's domination of the first two games. There have been too many two-on-ones and too many bad penalties. There hasn't been the upstart, hard-skating team that showed up in the 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Flames.

I don't believe that guys like Martin Gelinas, Ville Niemenen, and Darren McCarty were the reason for the 2004 playoff success. They helped, but they weren't on the ice as much as guys like Conroy, Iginla, and Regehr. They battled hard, forechecked hard, and played their role well, but it seems that this year's version of the Flames are missing that edge. Maybe it's Jim Playfair's coaching style or maybe Detroit is simply that good, but it appears that the Wings are set to sweep the Flames in Calgary this week.

All I know is that the Flames have been outshot 97-35 in two games, and outscored 7-2. They've looked disoreinted and confused. My advice, if I were coaching, would be simple: skate hard, shoot the puck on net, and skate hard. If the Flames don't start creating their own chances, they won't get any. And that's where the problem lies so far.

How It's Made - Part Two

Thanks to reader Will Radie, he informed me of another "How It's Made" video. This time, the item in question are goalie pads. This one is quite informative, much like the video about the hockey gloves. Check it out.

How Goalie Pads Are Made

I also went digging for some more goalie-related info that could be used by some of the players out there that read this blog. I found a good video that explains how to relace your trapper.

How To Relace Your Glove

I also went looking for other informative videos. The video below, talking about Easton's composite sticks, is a wealth of knowledge.

How Easton Composite Sticks Are Made

That's all for now! Enjoy the Women's World Hockey Championship tonight, and gear up for the NHL Playoffs on Wednesday! Until next time, keep your stick on the ice!

The Same Dance Partners

Two familiar foes will square off in Winnipeg tonight in the Women's World Hockey Championship Final at the MTS Centre. Team USA plays Team Canada for the 10th time in the championship in tournament history. Canada has won eight gold medals, while Team USA won the last Women's World Championship in 2005 in Linkoping, Sweden. The Canadian women won the Olympic gold medal last year in place of the World Championship, and that is still fresh in the minds of the Americans who lost 5-4 in a shootout this past Saturday. However, US captain Krissy Wendell also remembers the feeling of her first World Championship win with Team USA.

"I always remember lining up at the blue line and being able to watch our flag go up and actually sing, because I'd heard 'O Canada' a few too many times," said Wendell. The 25-year-old US hockey veteran from Minnesota is playing in her sixth world championship.

The Canadians and Americans are very evenly-matched, and both sides know that the team that wins will be the team that capitalizes on the other's mistakes. The American forecheck gave Canada problems getting out of its own end early Saturday, and Canada twice had to come from behind to tie the game before winning it in penalty shots.

"We've got to clean up in our end and take care of the little things in our end and help each other out," Team Canada star Hayley Wickenheiser said. "With the new rules, you are holding back not wanting to take a penalty, but tomorrow night I think we're going to be able to play a little more physical than we have in the tournament."

The players who lost two years for Team Canada in Sweden don't want to see a repeat of the 2005 World Championships on home soil.

"Not something to dwell on, but remember in the back of your mind," veteran Canadian forward Vicky Sunohara said. "We want to win for ourselves, we want to win for the country. The Americans want to win it too, so we need to come out hard and keep the crowd on our side and keep them in the game because that's huge.

"We need to use that playing in Canada."

Both teams are expecting the sold-out MTS Centre to be energetic for the Canadian women, and the Americans will be ready.

"Canada-U.S., it's the best game you can watch in women's hockey," Wendell said after practice Monday. "There's not a hatred. When you play on a great team, you want to go and play another great team."

In other games Monday, Sweden beat Switzerland 3-0 and will play in Tuesday's bronze-medal game against Finland, who lost to the Canadians 5-0 and the Americans 4-0. Russia defeated Germany 4-0 in the relegation round. Kazakhstan finished last in the tournament, and will be relegated to the World-B Championship. Japan won promotion to the 2008 Women's World Championship in China on Sunday.

The Championship game can be viewed on TSN Broadband, and is available here.

Final Standings
1. To be determined (Canada or USA)
2. To be determined (Canada or USA)
3. To be determined (Finland or Sweden)
4. To be determined (Finland or Sweden)
5. Switzerland
6. China
7. Russia
8. Germany
9. Kazakhstan (relegated; replaced by Japan in 2008)

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice!

Teebz's Playoff Predictions

The quest for the Silver Chalice starts on Wednesday, so I'm going to give you the earliest playoff preview in history. TSN will be carrying their playoff preview and fantasy hockey show on Tuesday, so you know that I am jumping the gun here by a few days. Hockey's Holy Grail has seen 30 teams battle through 6 months of games with 16 teams making the playoffs. 16 teams will play for the right to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup, and the right to take it home with them for a few days. There will be triumph, tears, blood, lots of sweat, and celebrations. Let's take a look a Round One of the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

#1 vs. #8

The Hairpieces and the Islanders met four times this season: October 26 - Buffalo wins 3-0 in New York (Miller vs. Dipietro); January 1 - Buffalo wins 3-1 in Buffalo (Miller vs. Dipietro); January 27 - New York wins 5-3 in New York (Miller vs. Dipietro); and March 30 - Buffalo wins 6-4 in Buffalo (Miller vs. Dunham).

Honestly, I can't see this series going past four games without Dipietro. Dunham and Dubielewicz simply aren't good enough to win four games in this series. Buffalo had the best road record in the NHL season, posting a 25-11-4 mark this season, and playing well on the road goes a long way in the playoffs. Sure, New York won at home against the Hairpieces, but with Dipietro gone, that opportunity will disappear. Look for another David Copperfield act to show up in the Islander dressing room as Yashin will undoubtedly disappear for the playoffs as he has done much of the regular season.

Prediction: Buffalo Sabres advance in four games.

#2 vs. #7

The Devils and Lightning met four times this season: January 18 - Tampa Bay wins 3-2 in a shootout in New Jersey (Brodeur vs. Holmqvist); January 26 - New Jersey wins 2-0 in Tampa Bay (Brodeur vs. Holmqvist); February 11 - Tampa Bay wins 4-1 in New Jersey (Brodeur vs. Holmqvist); and March 22 - Tampa Bay wins 3-1 in Tampa Bay (Brodeur vs. Denis).

This series is all about Martin vs. Martin and Vinny. Tampa Bay's dynamic duo of Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier have caused problems all season for Martin Brodeur. Tampa Bay also has Vaclav Prospel and Brad Richards contributing, and this gives them two potent lines, not unlike their 2004 championship run. The Devils seem to be stuck in an offensive holding pattern, scoring less and less while relying on Martin Brodeur to hold down the fort. Dismissing Claude Julien will come back to hurt the Devils in this series since Lamoriello is running Julien's system. If the Devils get behind, can they find the offence fast enough without exposing themselves to the Lightning's impressive goal-scoring? Elias, Gionta, Madden, Langenbrunner, and Gomez have to start scoring at a regular pace if they want to go deep. Tampa Bay must protect its goalies from being peppered with shots.

Prediction: Tampa Bay Lightning advance in six games.

#3 vs. #6

The Thrashers and Rangers met four times this season: November 10 - New York wins 5-2 in Atlanta (Lehtonen vs. Lundqvist); November 28 - Atlanta wins 5-4 in overtime in New York (Lehtonen vs. Lundqvist); January 20 - Atlanta wins 3-1 in New York (Lehtonen vs. Lundqvist); and March 16 - Atlanta wins 2-1 in overtime in Atlanta (Hedberg vs. Lundqvist).

The New York Rangers have not played up to potential all season, and this series will be no different. If it weren't for Henrik Lundqvist, the Rangers could have missed the playoffs. Lundqvist will factor into a game, but not four games. The Thrashers have been solid all season with Kari Lehtonen providing the foundation for their first playoff appearance. The additions of Keith Tkachuk and Alexei Zhitnik will pay dividends in the first round as both will be used a lot by Bob Hartley. Marian Hossa, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Slava Kozlov will continue their strong regular season play. The only place of weakness on the Thrashers is their defensive unit who will have fits with Jagr and his Euro-circus of forwards. However, after learning their methods, the Thrashers will adapt and win. Sean Avery will NOT be the second-coming of any playoff hero. He'll end up with a goal and two assists in one playoff round.

Prediction: Atlanta Thrashers win in five games.

#4 vs. #5

The Senators and Penguins met four times this season: November 10 - Ottawa wins 6-3 in Pittsburgh (Gerber vs. Fleury); March 6 - Pittsburgh wins 5-4 in a shootout in Pittsburgh (Emery vs. Thibault); March 18 - Pittsburgh wins 4-3 in a shootout in Ottawa (Emery vs. Fleury); and April 5 - Pittsburgh wins 3-2 in Ottawa (Emery vs. Fleury).

This series could be the best of the first-round series. These teams showed in their April 5th game that they do not like each other. While it appears that the Penguins have Ray Emery's number, the story could be the play of the back-ups. Is Gerber as good as his $3 million salary says? Can Thibault continue his strong play? The Senators boast Dany Heatley's 50 goals this season, and Daniel Alfredsson's +42 rating says that the Ottawa first-line is as good in their own zone as they are in the offensive zone. Ottawa also tied for the league-lead in shorthanded goals with 17. Pittsburgh boasts the Art Ross Trophy winner in Sidney Crosby, rookie scoring leader Evgeni Malkin, and shorthanded goal leader Jordan Staal. For those of you looking for the Gary Roberts diatribe about his history against Ottawa, save it. I am not a member of the Toronto media, and don't believe for a second that he will be the final nail in the Senators' coffin. He will play a factor, as will guys like Mark Recchi, Maxime Talbot, Colby Armstrong, and Erik Christensen. I don't see Ottawa's supporting cast being as dynamic as Pittsburgh, and having a guy like Mike Comrie disappear will hurt Ottawa badly.

Prediction: Pittsburgh Penguins advance in six games.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

#1 vs. #8

The Red Wings and Flames met four times this season: November 1 - Detroit wins 3-2 in Detroit (Hasek vs. Kiprusoff); November 17 - Calgary wins 4-1 in Calgary (Hasek vs. Kiprusoff); February 11 - Detroit wins 7-4 in Detroit (McLennan vs. MacDonald); and March 20 - Calgary wins 2-1 in Calgary (Hasek vs. Kiprusoff).

Since neither of these teams wanted to win on the road, let's just throw out the regular-season record. The Red Wings have been playing well recently, while the Flames backed into the playoffs with losses in their last three games. While I honestly believe that Kiprusoff is a better goalie this season than Domink Hasek, Detroit's team play is far better than Calgary's has been. Conroy, Langkow, Iginla, and Huselius cannot carry the offence for the entire series against guys like Datsyuk, Lidstrom, Holmstrom, and Lang. Defensively, Detroit's six are superior, and that is where this series will be won. Detroit also had the best home record in the NHL this season, posting a 29-4-8 record. That fact cannot be overlooked. The Wings dominate at Joe Louis Arena.

Prediction: Detroit Red Wings advance in six games.

#2 vs. #7

The Ducks and Wild met four times this season: October 20 - Anaheim wins 2-1 in Anaheim (Giguere vs. Fernandez); October 27 - Minnesota wins 3-2 in a shootout in Minnesota (Giguere vs. Fernandez); November 12 - Anaheim wins 3-2 in Anaheim (Giguere vs. Backstrom); December 31 - Minnesota wins 4-3 in Minnesota (Wall vs. Fernandez).

Again, another set of regular season games where the home team wins. The big story here is that these team haven't played one another since the last day of 2006. Since the return of Gaborik from injury, the Wild have been on an incredible tear. Manny Fernandez has been playing MVP-style hockey the last few weeks, and Pavol Demitra has been solid. Brian Rolston and Wes Walz provide the leadership that the young Wild need in a playoff run. Anaheim is loaded with great talent and good, young players. Dustin Penner, last season's playoff surprise, should be a factor for the Ducks in this year's playoffs as well. Teemu Selanne led the league in powerplay goals with 25, a factor not overlooked by this writer as the playoffs can be won and lost on special teams. With Niedermayer and Pronger platooning on the blueline, the Ducks look formidable. Their only question mark is their goaltending. Will the real Giguere show up?

Prediction: Anaheim Ducks advance in six games.

#3 vs. #6

The Canucks and Stars met four times this season: October 23 - Dallas wins 2-1 in Dallas (Luongo vs. Turco); November 6 - Vancouver wins 2-1 in Vancouver (Luongo vs. Smith); January 3 - Vancouver wins 2-1 in a shootout in Vancouver (Luongo vs. Turco); February 25 - Dallas wins 2-1 in a shootout in Dallas (Luongo vs. Turco).

Yet another series of regular season games where the home team won. In any case, this series might be all about the goalies. Roberto Luongo has played well enough to be considered for both the Hart and Vezina Trophies, and has allowed his team to win games they have no business winning. Marty Turco has allowed soft goals at times, and has been replaced in several games after playing poorly. The problem is that both these teams have a problem scoring goals. Dallas has only scored 223 goals, while Vancouver has only scored 221 goals, but their defences and goaltending have been the difference throughout the season. Neither team allowed more than 200 goals this season. Defensive hockey? You better believe it. Overtime in every game? Not unlikely. Vancouver has the league's best penalty-killing at 87.2%, and that's where this series will be decided: on the powerplay.

Prediction: Vancouver Canucks advance in seven games.

#4 vs. #5

The Predators and Sharks met four times this season: October 26 - Nashville wins 4-3 in Nashville (Vokoun vs. Toskala); December 9 - San Jose wins 3-1 in San Jose (Mason vs. Nabokov); February 14 - Nashville wins 5-0 in Nashville (Vokoun vs. Toskala); and February 28 - Nashville wins 4-3 in a shootout in San Jose (Vokoun vs. Toskala).

With all due respect to San Jose's offence, if Vokoun gets the start in this series, I'm calling it to be short. Joe Thornton is a great set-up man, but Jonathan Cheechoo hasn't been the same player as last season. Patrick Marleau is having a fine season, but he needs some help. The Bill Guerin experiment hasn't gone as well as had hoped. If the Sharks are going to beat the Predators, they need to put someone in Vokoun's face for the entire series: powerplay, even-strength, shorthanded, while Vokoun eats, while Vokoun sleeps, while Vokoun brushes his teeth. Mike Grier's and Bill Guerin's butts are all that Vokoun should see day and night. Otherwise, the deep and talented Predators, with their agile yet tough defensive unit, will run roughshod over the Sharks. Nashville only gave up two shorthanded goals all season, so that should tell you that you need to dump the puck if you're playing with a man down. If not, Nabokov and Toskala will be fishing it out of the net behind them.

Prediction: Nashville Predators advance in five games.

Ok, so those are my first-round predictions. Am I right? Probably not. Maggie the monkey on TSN will probably guess more correctly, but, like James Duthie, it won't stop me from guessing some more. Comments are appreciated below, and I will read and respond. Until next time, keep your stick on the ice!