Meaningless Math

It's interesting to see how some people have grown up after being quite famous at a younger age. Take the lady to the left, for example. That's Danica McKellar, formerly known as Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years starring Fred Savage from 1988 until 1993. Today, the 35 year-old holds her mathematics degree from UCLA, having graduated summa cum laude, and writes books on math for middle-school girls to help them gain an appreciation for the subject. However, this isn't a Teebz's Book Club feature, so you're probably wondering why I'm talking about Danica McKellar and math. There's a perfectly good reason why.

Last year in June, I proposed a way to evaluate a defenceman's value in comparison to other defencemen around the league based upon team stats and personal stats. Admittedly, it's not a scientific evaluation of a player's value to his team, but it does give a numerical value to a player based on team and personal success. As a general manager, that's something that would be important to me as an evaluation tool.

This season, I decided to run the top ten defenceman in scoring through this tool, as well as adding a few other names for comparison purposes. Surprisingly, one player stands heads and shoulders above everyone else, and was better than Dennis Wideman's value of 4.28 last season.

Here is this season's look at Defenceman-Metrics. All defencemen below played a minimum of 41 games this season.

• Mike Green of the Washington Capitals led all defencemen in scoring this season, and he leads the way in terms of his numerical value as well. Thanks to Washington's excellent season, Green checked in with an amazing 6.47 value!
• Green's defensive partner, Jeff Schultz, didn't score as many points as Green, but he played the steady defensive role that the offensive Capitals needed. While Green was chipping in points, Schultz was piling up pluses. As a result, Schultz was valued at 4.40.
• One of last season's worst player in terms of his value was New York Islander Brendan Witt. His -0.759 rating was the second-worst in the NHL, and he didn't do much to improve his standing this season. Witt scored a value of -0.55 this season, putting him in the bottom five of the league once again.
• The New York Rangers had the worst-valued defenceman last season in Thomas Pock. Pock scored a league-low -0.78 in value. Pock didn't play in the NHL this past season, so there would be a new player crowned as the worst value in the league. That player would be Calgary Flame Steve Staios in terms of all the numbers I've run thus far. Staios came in with a value of -0.59, worst in the NHL.
• While some people may think Nicklas Lidstrom had an unusually poor season, I'd argue that while his offensive production dropped off, but his value remained high. While Lidstrom scored a 3.76 last season, he still posted a 2.61 value this season. That would rank him fifth in terms of the top ten in scoring this season. Not bad at all, I'd say.
• While Brendan Witt showed the ugly side of the Islanders' blueline, Mark Streit continues to show that his contributions to his team are high. Streit scored a solid 1.62 last season, and followed it up with a 1.53 this season. The worst team in the league has one of the top offensive defencemen. I'd love to see how good Streit's numbers would be if he played with Washington, Chicago, or San Jose.
• Speaking about Chicago, Duncan Keith turned in another solid campaign. Last season, Keith turned in a 3.29, and this season saw him improve with a 3.94 value. While there's no doubt that Keith is a valued member of his team, it goes to show that he is still approaching his potential as an NHL player. Keith deserves a little recognition for that.
• Drew Doughty, in his first season as an NHL regular, scored a very impressive 3.28 value with the Los Angeles Kings. Doughty had a superb season, so there was no doubt that his value will be high. I was impressed with just how high his value was.
• There was talk early last season of Michael Del Zotto's impressive start with the Rangers, but this measuring tool is all about consistency. Unfortunately, Del Zotto couldn't continue his hot start, and his value suffered because of it. Del Zotto ended the season with a surprising 0.78 value.
• Tyler Myers, however, showed exactly what consistency is all about as he had am impressive campaign with the Buffalo Sabres. Myers earned himself a Calder Trophy nomination, and I have to agree with that nomination after seeing him come in with a 2.51 value. Just to put that in perspective, Nicklas Lidstrom finished the season just 0.10 higher than Tyler Myers.
• While a lot of people poked fun at the Toronto Maple Leafs this season for their on-ice struggles, perhaps no one personified that better than Tomas Kaberle. Kaberle finished tenth in scoring for defencemen this season, but only finished the season with a 1.03 value. His brutal plus/minus stat really killed his offensive production, and that's what this mathematical value is all about: showing you both sides of the ice.
• One of the more surprising players to come out of this math was Christian Ehrhoff. Ehrhoff got little press outside of Vancouver about how good he was on both sides of the ice. Ehrhoff's middle-of-the-pack stats combined with his high plus/minus value put him at a value of 3.73! That's higher than Dan Boyle (2.67), Chris Pronger (2.59), Drew Doughty (3.28), and Nick Lidstrom (2.61), and all four of those players were in the top ten for defenceman scoring!
• For as good as Pronger was for Philadelphia, Ryan Parent was not. Parent had a bad season in terms of points and plus/minus, and his -0.56 value showed. Parent has to be better if he wants to ever make Pronger money.
• Another player I was pleasantly surprised with was former Manitoba Moose and current Dallas Star Marc Fistric. Fistric is more of a defensive defenceman, so plus/minus is the stat that will carry him in the player values, and he ended the season at a value of 1.81. You read that correctly as that value puts him higher than Mark Streit (1.53), Tobias Enstrom (1.66), and just behind Sergei Gonchar (1.84). As you can see, this equation gives equal weight to preventing goals as it does generating them.
• We'll close this look at math in the same fashion as last season. Brian Campbell of the Blackhawks, whose reputation takes a beating due to his apparent lack of defensive contributions, posted a 2.80 last season. This season? Fairly similar in his 2.69 value. There's no doubt that Campbell brings offence to the game, but his defensive awareness isn't as bad as some make it out to be.

There's a little Thursday night math for everyone. My brain needs a break, so I'm kicking out of here for a few hours.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Wednesday's Web Walking

There are a pile of things that I've wanted to touch on over the past week, but I simply haven't had time with all the major stories going on in the hockey world. I still owe the Vernon Vipers an article, and I have not forgotten about it, but I'm still doing some research on their amazing run of success, so I'll publish that this week. However, there have been a pile of stories that have emerged in hockey over this past week that need to be examined, and I'll touch on as many as possible. Lots of links will be included, and I'll try to throw some photos up as well to break up all the reading. Get your walking shoes on, readers. We have a pile of sites to wander through, so let's get those feet moving!

• Let's start with a good news story, and one that I will undoubtedly expand on at a later date. As you may be aware, I'm a big supporter of NHL players and their respective charities as I believe that the NHLPA and the players are some of the best examples of athletes that give back. In saying that, I have nothing but respect for Maple Leafs' GM Brian Burke and his efforts in helping MyGSA.ca, a site that helps children in school escape bullying due to their sexual orientation. Burke also pledged during the announcement that he would march in Toronto's Pride Parade this year in honour of his late son, Brendan. Brendan, as you may know, came out this season as a gay man while working with the University of Miami-Ohio men's hockey team, and had his life tragically cut short in a traffic accident. Well done, Mr. Burke, and you have my full respect for making Brendan's fight your own. His legacy will never be forgotten because of your efforts.
• At the Memorial Cup in Brandon, the Windsor Spitfires await the winner of the Calgary Hitmen-Brandon Wheat Kings semi-final game to see who gets to hoist the Memorial Cup. The QMJHL Champion Moncton Wildcats are out of the tournament after losing all three round-robin games, finishing fourth. Calgary defeated Brandon in the final round-robin game by a 5-1 score, so there's a lot on the line for both teams when they meet again. The defending champs await the WHL semi-final winner!
• The Edmonton Oilers have named their new AHL franchise based in Oklahoma City. Ladies and gentlemen, here are your Oklahoma City Barons! Ok, the name leaves a lot to be desired considering the long history that Cleveland has had with that name in the AHL. And there was also that Cleveland-based NHL team of the same name. Could the Oilers not come up with something better? Thumbs-down to the name.
• This year's leader in penalty minutes in the AHL was Zack FitzGerald. Note how his name is spelled in Carolina Hurricanes' font. That's key because he actually spells his name with a capital "G" in FitzGerald. His previous team, the Manitoba Moose, correctly displayed his name on his jersey. The Albany River Rats, however, did not. There's a lot to be said for details, especially when it comes to names.
• Light The Lamp brings to light a ton of media coverage on the recent upwards trend in NHL ratings on Versus, and how ESPN has remained tight-lipped on the entire situation. This is a longer article, but it's worth the time. LTL does its homework well!
• Larry Brooks of the New York Post scribes a very good and very intelligent article about the New York Islanders, and how the fans and players deserve better in terms of where the Islanders franchise will be located in the near future. I'm not a Brooks fan by any means, but this is one of his best hockey articles ever.
• Raw Charge takes a look at the rumours swirling around the Lightning's vacant GM seat, and how Pierre McGuire fits into those plans. Or, rather, shouldn't be considered for any position above usher. Pro: he's no longer on Canadian hockey broadcasts. Con: he's still associated with the NHL. Personally, I wouldn't even have him drop off the mail, but that's just me. Mr. Vinik can decide who he wants running his team for himself.
• Some interesting news out of Grand Rapids as Griffins goaltender Daniel Larsson signed a two-year deal with HV-71 of the Swedish Elite League. I've seen enough of Larsson over the last two years to know he has enough talent to be a back-up in the NHL, but it appears that he got tired of riding the bus in the AHL. Larsson will earn significantly more in Sweden than he would have had he re-signed with Detroit and been assigned to Grand Rapids, but he still feels this is a good way to reach the NHL. Whether it will be with the Winged Wheels or not is a question that should be answered in time.

Ok, that's all I have for today. Lots of stuff coming up on this blog, including the Vernon Vipes information, updates to the HBIC Playoff Pool, and some World Championship news. All of that will happen before the Canadian Memorial Day on Monday, so be prepared.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Growth Comes From Within

There's a lot that can be said about building a good team. Smart trades and key free agent signings do wonders for hockey teams, but the best teams all have one thing going for them: they have built from within. They have drafted good young players after doing their homework, worked hand-in-hand with their AHL affiliate to develop players within similar systems, and have allowed those players to grow without NHL pressures. Because these teams have hitched their wagons to this theory and allowed their good young players to grow, they have seen a ton of success.

The same goes for communities in their development and growth. Communities face many of the same plights that hockey teams do. They try to attract talented free agents (businesses) with lucrative monetary deals (tax breaks), they work to grow their homegrown talent by providing them with opportunities, and they trade assets for assets in the form of goods and services. Good communities, like good hockey teams, lay the foundation for success with their internal growth.

Why am I writing about this? There was an article written by Mr. Randy Turner in today's Winnipeg Free Press. As you may know from reading this site, I hold Mr. Turner in high esteem for his mostly-objective writing and his ability to call it as he sees it. Good, honest reporters call a spade "a spade" when they see one, and Mr. Turner does that in nearly all his articles. Needless to say, I am a fan of his writing and reporting.

In the article published today, Mr. Turner brings to light some of the issues that the city of Glendale, its community, the Coyotes, and the fans of the Coyotes face. I want to address a few points that he makes on a case-by-case basis.

For the people from Arizona who may be reading this, I'll try to weed through some of the misconceptions about both Winnipeg and Glendale. To do this, I've recruited a very good writer in Jordan, who has his own excellent Coyotes-based blog called Five For Howling. Thanks for helping me out with an Arizona-based perspective, Jordan.

For the people in Winnipeg who may be reading this, I'm not going to soften the blow here: this is reality. But I do have some interesting information at the end.

To everyone else, please read through and try to see the light on both ends. Phoenix and Winnipeg aren't very different in terms of its values, economics, and ideals when you clear away all the extraneous fluff like palm trees, mosquitoes, and two cities fighting for the same franchise.
Here we go. Mr. Turner's writing is italicized, while I add Jordan's and my commentary in regular font below his paragraphs.

"Hockey fans in Arizona look at Winnipeggers as vultures just waiting to swoop down on the Phoenix Coyotes' carcass.

"For the most part, they're right. Why deny the obvious?"

Well, aside from a few hundred people who show up at mock "Bring Back the Jets" rallies, I wouldn't say a lot of us are "vultures" at this point. Would Winnipeg like to join the country club again? Sure. There are lots of cities who would love the opportunity, and Winnipeg is no different. There are a large number of Winnipeggers who want the Jets back. We just don't fly off the handle like those shown by the media.

I believe the reason everyone thinks we're so ravenous in our pursuit of the desert-based NHL club is because of the media. No one ever interviews the people in Winnipeg who are content with the AHL Moose. No one ever interviews the people who would like to see the Jets come back without selling the city's soul. Instead, all the interviews go to the "hockey-mad citizens" of Winnipeg.

Which is a lie. They're NHL-mad citizens and have never embraced the Moose. All they want are the bright lights and big names of the NHL. And they get the airtime to make the rest of us - the large majority of Winnipeggers - look like we're just as idiotic.

Again, Winnipeg and Phoenix aren't so different. They're passionate about their team. We're passionate about our team. It just so happens that we're passionate about the same team.

"According to the [Glendale]'s own documents, property tax revenue is 'plummeting.' Hence the desperate need for any revenue generated by Jobing.com to pay off the original construction debt -- with the cost foisted on users (through sales tax) and local area businesses (through a special tax district).

It's not just about the arena, however. The city's grand plan to be a 'sports and entertainment hub' involves not only a city-funded ballpark complex that hosts the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers for spring training, but also the University of Phoenix Stadium (for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals) and the Westgate City Center.

The city is expected to pay around $115 million for the Camelback Ranch ballpark for the Dodgers and White Sox and another $37 million for the surrounding 'infrastructure.'

Meanwhile, Westgate developers had big dreams for a sprawling eight-million-square-foot entertainment/business wonderland that would feed off a projected 22 million visitors a year when completed. Tens of thousands of those visitors were expected to be Coyotes hockey fans.

To date, however, Westgate has only developed about 500,000 sq. ft. and the Coyotes continue to lose tens of millions of dollars a year playing before thousands of empty seats a night.

Instead of reaping tax revenue, the city is being forced to prop up the Coyotes because it's not about just a hockey team, but the millions of tax dollars already invested in a vision of creating a sports and entertainment oasis."

I'm no W.P. Kinsella, but it is almost true that "if you build it, he will come". While Mr. Turner spoke about the thousands of empty seats that the Coyotes played to, I'm almost certain that he's using average NHL attendance figures to reach that conclusion.

Jordan also comes to this conclusion: "I did an article about this about a month ago. Yes, at the beginning of the season, there were some abysmal attendance numbers. And it was fairly understandable considering the prior 8 years of 'success' on the ice and the summer from hell that the fans had been put through. Add to that complete lack of any marketing or ability to sell season tickets, and it was not surprising that the crowds were not there. But it turned around pretty nicely, as you can see. And finishing the season with 8 consecutive sell-outs was a very encouraging sign."

For as much as there were terrible numbers to start the season, the Coyotes finished strong. Much like Gary Bettman has been saying in media reports, fans in places like Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Ottawa, and Edmonton are returning to the rink to support their NHL teams after enduring some pitiful seasons while ownership drove the team into the ground by cutting costs. However, with recent successes, fans in those cities are filling those arenas once again. The fans in Phoenix are doing the same, although it is taking a little longer than perhaps one may like to see.

Clearly, the fans are there. The market is big enough to support the Coyotes. With a winning team, the fans began to return to Jobing.com Arena in droves. But there's the catch: ownership mismanagement and a lack of qualified hockey people in the front office led to a decade of despair in Glendale. When a team is a perennial loser, the casual fans stop going because it's no fun losing every night. And this is why Phoenix, despite having some very vocal season ticket holders, appeared to play in front of empty sections.

Taking into account the economic hardships that a lot of people faced over the last few years, and it's easy to see why tickets to hockey games were not being bought in Phoenix. Entertainment is always one of the first things to be sacrificed when people are faced with a shortage of cash, and NHL hockey relies on ticket sales more than any other sport. No tickets being sold means losing fistfuls of cash, and, without selling tickets, the arena looks empty.

These hard economic times also affect business development. The reason that some of those promised developments haven't materialized? The same reason why those fans aren't in the seats at Jobing.com Arena - a tightening of the pinch on the pennies.

Mr. Turner even emphasizes how closely the Coyotes' and Citibank's situations are in terms of their importance: "That's because the Coyotes are to Glendale what Citibank was to the U.S. government: Too big to fail".

Citibank failed when their risks in giving out mortgages below prime to attract a lot of new consumer business bit them in the rear when people couldn't pay for the higher interest rates once the sub-prime mortgage market nose-dived. The Coyotes failed when their risks in putting out a non-competitive team to save money and improve their bottom line bit them in the rear when people decided to stop going to games due to their lack of competitiveness and a bad economical time after seeing their banks claim failure.

In essence, the Phoenix Coyotes' situation was a microcosm of the hard economical times in the United States of America. Both the Coyotes and Citibank took poorly-calculated risks to make their bottom lines look better, and, in both cases, it came back to shake them to their foundations.

Let's review. Here is what the Coyotes situation looked like, and what it could potentially be if the current management continues making good moves for itself and its community.

• Perennially bad team + lack of fans coming to arena and surrounding areas = lack of money for both team and surrounding businesses.
• Lack of money for development of team and businesses + lack of fans = team and area in serious financial despair.
• Bad team in serious financial despair + lack of fans + lack of surrounding businesses + bad economical times = hockey team and area drowning in red ink.
• Hockey team drowing in red ink + $25 million safety net provided by taxpayers = buying time to potentially save team and area.
• Buying time + economical improvement + competitive team = increase in fans.
• Increase in fans + competitive team = improved outlook for businesses in area + new businesses popping up.
• Increased money for development of teams and businesses + lots of fans = team and area in good financial situation.
• Perennially competitive team + lots of fans coming to the arena and surrounding areas = lots of money for both team and surrounding businesses.

And now you see where the title of this article comes from: growth comes from within. Good hockey teams build from within, developing star players and having those players become a part of the aura to which fans cling.

Look at the Blackhawks: Kane, Toews, Keith, and Seabrook are all household names in Chicago. Throw in Patrick Sharp, and you have yourself a pretty good first unit developed entirely within Chicago's system. Phoenix has begun to draft fairly well, and have added some excellent young players at the most recent deadline. Let them develop, and they will flourish.

Do you want to know why the Original Six teams have such a strong following? Originally, they began as a team in a region who would select players from that region to stock their teams. Montreal, as a part of that deal, had the entire Quebec area to select from, and it's one of the reasons why they were so good. They developed talent from within their borders, grabbing French-Canadian players such as Maurice Richard, Henri Richard, Jean Beliveau, Yvon Cournoyer, Jacques Plante, and so on. The players were a part of the community they came from, and the fans had a strong bond to these homegrown players. The growth, and success, of the Original Six teams came from within their own team and community, and the fans had players they knew very well, both personally and regionally, building a sense of community with the team. Fans were vitally important to each team as they built their brands.

Cities and, more importantly, fans are still vitally important to the health of NHL franchises. As I stated above, the NHL relies heavily on ticket sales in this day and age in terms of revenue per team. Having a good team will result in fans filling the arena, and Phoenix saw this happen in the latter stages of this past season. Eight straight games of sell-outs shows that the market in Phoenix is strong, and that the Coyotes - if they continue on this path of success - might be able to make a go of it on the ice in the desert.

Winnipeg, this is where your ears should start burning. 11,000 fans may have been fine in the old NHL days, but not any longer. Phoenix, Nashville, and Atlanta have all shown that averaging less than 11,000 fans is the fastest way to financial doom in the NHL. When the NHL left Winnipeg, they averaged slightly more than 11,000 fans per game in a season where the Jets leaving the city was already announced.

There's a good chance that the NHL will consider Winnipeg as a viable option if and when a team is available to be moved. It could still be Phoenix, but it could also be a couple of other teams who are currently in some sort of trouble. But the NHL isn't going to give a team to an owner where getting fans out to games is like pulling teeth.

The equation for keeping a team in your city is very simple: it starts and ends with that franchise's fans. For Phoenix, it means that they have to start going back to the arena now that their economic woes are beginning to let up. For Winnipeg, it means that any team that is awarded to the city must have an extremely high number of season tickets sold for the team to do well. For all other cities, the fans have to continue to show up.

Being a fan means you're married to your team. That means you're with that team through thick and thin, through sorrow and joy, and through sickness and health. Phoenix is stuck in sickness right now. It's up to the fans to nurse them through this.

Marriage, hockey, and community all have one thing in common: they're all teams in way or another. With some nurturing and support, all teams make their way through tough times. The city of Glendale bought you some time, Phoenicians. Now it's up to you to make this marriage, this team, and this community work. And Winnipeg, perhaps its time to start learning these lessons before you get all "hockey-mad" about an NHL team. It just doesn't work if all parties aren't involved.

If you're a fan of an NHL hockey team, it's time for you to go out and prove it. Go to as many games as you can. Demand that your GM develop from within the organization. And be prepared for the ups and downs in your relationship with the team. Things will go bad, and good things will happen. That's life in general. But it's your reaction and perservence in these relationships that will temper the highest highs and the lowest lows.

That's what being a good teammate is all about, and, as fans, we're all teammates in the business of hockey. After all, that's where the seeds for the love of hockey are planted. We need to cultivate that seed to see it grow into something incredible. Whether it be a seed, a marriage, a team, a community, or a country, successful entities always realize that growth always comes from within.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Panthers Find Hawks' Tallon

Recognize this guy? If you say no, that's ok. He just got a new job after being "reassigned" to a position with another club that limited his abilities. If you're wondering who this mystery man is, his name is Dale Tallon. You may know him due to his recent success at the draft table, on trade day, and on free agency day in rebuilding the Chicago Blackhawks into a high-octane, well-oiled machine. While Dale has been filling the office of "senior advisor of hockey operations" in Chicago, you could almost sense that he missed the work he had done as general manager. According to reports, one team has noticed his recent success and wants to offer him the position of general manager. Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to Dale Tallon, General Manager of the Florida Panthers hockey club.

Reportedly, the Panthers will announce the hiring of Tallon to be their GM on Tuesday at a press conference, and you'd have to think that Tallon would be excited with the talent that Florida has already amassed both in Miami and in Rochester. Players like David Booth, Nathan Horton, Stephen Weiss, Shawn Matthias, Keith Ballard, Dmitri Kulikov, and Rostislav Olesz are the perfect building blocks with which to start a youth movement. And, unlike in Chicago, Florida has two pretty solid goaltenders in Tomas Vokoun and Scott Clemmensen.

Of course, the Panthers do have a few needs in this off-season, and there's no doubt that Tallon may find himself overpaying for free agents in order to attract them to come to South Florida. However, some players might make the jump to play on an up-and-coming team for a pay raise.

Current Chicago Blackhawk Adam Burish is a player that Tallon knows quite well, and is available this summer. A player like Burish won't put the Panthers over the top by any means, but Burish would be the kind of sandpaper player that Tallon loves and that teams desperately want to sign. Burish is also 26 years young, meaning he'd fit right into the youthful core of players that Florida has built.

While I could sit here and speculate on what Tallon may do as GM, there is no doubt that he brings a air of respect, credibility, and a demonstrated tireless work effort to make his team better on the ice. He took a risk on Patrick Sharp, and it paid off in spades. He took a risk on Martin Havlat, and it paid off for the better part of Havlat's time in Chicago. If there's one thing that Tallon seems to have, he and his staff in Chicago could recognize emerging talent. Whether or not he has the same success in Florida will remain to be seen, but there's no reason to doubt him at this point. Your 2009-10 Chicago Blackhawks are proof of that.

All in all, I really like this hiring. Ownership should be cautious in throwing bags of money at him to attract free agents, though, as Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet would be considered misses in Tallon's era in Chi-town. Long contracts with high price tags are dangerous for a team, and here's hoping that Tallon learned the dangers in those previous signings.

However, players like Kane, Toews, Seabrook, Keith, and Niemi would lead me to believe that Tallon did his homework in drafting these players. With this in mind, I feel confident in saying that the Panthers will make the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs within the next three years.

Panther fans, he's no Messiah, but he should conceivably set you down the right path. And that's exactly what every good team needs: someone at the top steering the ship in the right direction.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

How'd You Do In Round Two?

I'm here to tell you that UFC ring girl Edith Labelle does not work for HBIC in any way, shape, or form. In fact, she probably wouldn't appear here if not for a quick Interwebs search for someone holding a "Round Two" sign, but I digress. Much like what we saw after the first round of the HBIC Playoff Pool, I want to highlight those entrants who performed extremely well in the second round. The four series, especially those in the Eastern Conference, threw a bunch of people for a loop, but there were some poolies who decided that statistics and favorites be damned. Those people, as we'll see below, had themselves quite a solid second round in the HBIC Playoff Pool.

San Jose vs. Detroit: There was only one entrant who called all five games correctly in this series, and even added a goal-scorer just for good measure. Konrad W. decided to be clairvoyant for this Western Conference matchup as he called all five games for an easy five points. He tossed in Johan Franzen with the winner in Game Four for an additional two points. And because he called the correct team in San Jose in the correct number of games, that's an additional five points. All said, Konrad W. picked up 12 points in this series.

Congratulations, Konrad, and well done!

Chicago vs. Vancouver: For the first time in this pool this season, we've had a repeat winner as the top-earning entrant for a series. Konrad W. did it again, dominating the Western Conference in the second round as he came up with the best predictions for the Chicago-Vancouver series. Konrad correctly called the winning team in Games Two, Four, Five, and Six for four points. He correctly called the Kris Versteeg game-winner in Game Six for an additional two points. And he called Chicago to win in six games, earning him another five points. His 11 points in this series was tops of all the entrants.

Congratulations once again, Konrad, and keep up the amazing work!

Pittsburgh vs. Montreal: A few people had the insight to believe in Montreal. If you had asked me, I wouldn't have scored very high in this series, but one person did: Mari N. Mari called the winning team in Games One, Two, Four, Five, and Seven for five points. She also correctly called the game-winner in three games: Mike Cammalleri in Game Two, Brian Gionta in Game Four, and Mike Cammalleri in Game Seven. That's another six points. And considering that she called the correct winning team in Game Seven, she correctly predicted a Montreal series win, adding another five points to his total. After all that, Mari had earned an incredible 16 points in this series!

Congratulations, Mari, and keep on believing in Les Habitants!

Boston vs. Philadelphia: This series really threw a lot of people in terms of the total points earned thanks to Boston's historical collapse. However, one person scored a total of 11 points, and that man is your current HBIC Playoff Pool leader, Ben T. He correctly predicted the winning team in Games Two, Four, Six, and Seven for four points. He picked up another two points in predicting Daniel Briere's game-winner in Game Six. And because he called the Flyers in seven games, he picked up another five points. That's 11 more points for Ben in his quest to win the pool.

Congratulations, Ben! Your lead remains intact after two rounds!

Second Round Top-Earner: We all know Ben T. was the leader after the first round simply by checking the leaderboard. That was the easy one. However, there was a lot of movement in this round by entrants, and the result was that one man ended up earning a total of 30 points in the second round. You already know his name well as he's appeared twice in this posting.

Konrad W. picked up 12 points in the San Jose-Detroit series, 11 points in the Chicago-Vancouver series, and slowed down in the Eastern Conference as he earned just four points in the Pittsburgh-Montreal series, and only three points in the Boston-Philadelphia series. However, those 23 points in the Western Conference gave him a big advantage, and it carried him to the best increase in the second round with 30 points.

Congratulations, Konrad, on a superb round!

Round Three starts today, and I'm hoping everyone has their entries in. I apologize if I didn't email you a reminder, but I have been extremely busy over this weekend, so it was pushed to the back-burner. However, email me here if you haven't got them in yet. I can't give you any points for today's games, but you still have a chance to add to your total!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!