Star Gazing

Dallas Stars Report Card Halfway Through the Season

2010-01-06T00:08:00.015-06:00

At times, the 2009-2010 version of the Dallas Stars have been a spectacular success. Joe Nieuwendyk's faster, younger squad have exhibited flashes of brilliance flying down the ice at a dizzying pace lighting up the goal lamp.

At other times however, like last night's game against the New Jersey Devils, they have been a much different team. They look slow, turn pucks over, miss scoring opportunities, and fail to prevent the opposing team's power play from having an impact.

It is indeed the best of times and worst of times to be a Stars fan this year. The inconsistency this team has shown in the first half has many wondering on a nightly basis which version of the 09-10 Stars will show up...

Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?

Jamie Benn: B+
The rookie winger has adjusted very well to NHL style competition. He has registered 8 goals, and 20 points his first half season. For most of the season he has played on one of the top two lines and has been productive.

Fabian Brunnstrom: F
After lighting up 17 goals last season, many expected the young Swede to continue improving. Unfortunately, Brunnstrom has gone through a sophomore slump scoring only one goal in 23 games thus far. Plagued by injuries, Brunnstrom is having difficulty finding consistency in his game. If he wants to improve for the second half, he will have to start winning more puck battles and showing more fire in his game.

Loui Eriksson: A
After having a breakout season last year, many wondered what Eriksson would do for an encore. All he has done is register 17 goals and 23 assists through the first half. Add to that the fact that he is a +3 player... and some would argue that he could be a viable Selke candidate at the end of the season.

Jere Lehtinen: C+
For much of the last three seasons, Star's lifer Jere Lehtinen has been plagued by various injuries, which have prevented him from regaining his Selke form. This season is no exception. Although his offensive contributions have waned, his leadership has been vital in a team filled with young players. On most nights, Lehtinen is still able to be a valuable shut-down guy, and still passes the puck well.

Mike Modano: B-
Now in the twilight of his career, Modano is increasingly having a difficult time finding a role in the organization he helped grow. With the revelation of Wandell as a viable center, Modano is often relegated as a fourth line center. However, Modano is still the Stars go-to-guy on the faceoff dot, and his superior conditioning has allowed him to continue to skate with the young guns in the league. Needless to say, he is still the face of the franchise and a vital part of the Dallas Stars.

Brenden Morrow: B-
Many fans would agree that having Morrow back in the lineup after an injury filled 08-09 campaign has been a good thing. His hard-nosed, grinding style of play has been essential in the first half of the season, as he has scored 13 goals this half. But he can do better, especially in the assist department where he only has 13.

James Neal: A+
Halfway through this season 22 year old James Neal is only 6 goals away from equaling the 24 goals he had all of last season. He has been a gem in an otherwise dull season, and a guy who the organization could choose to build around is they decide to go in that direction.

Steve Ott: B
Last season Steve Ott surprised everyone, including himself, when he put up 19 goals. He's a little off that pace this season, but it does not matter. It is not his role to score goals, his role is to be the agitator, and boy is he good at it.

Toby Petersen: C+
To be honest, Petersen is not the most noticeable player on the ice.He does not have a lot of flash or sizzle, but who can when you are habitually put on the bottom two lines. He's been a spare part who has shown a propensity to be able to check well. That is never a bad thing.

Mike Ribeiro: C-
Perhaps no player has struggled more under the new Crawford system than Mike Ribeiro. "Ribs" is a guy who likes to slow things down, and show a little razzle-dazzle through the offensive zone. The Stars need him to be better in the second half if they have a shot at making the playoffs. That being said, Ribeiro is still on a 20 goal pace, and has shown to be rather crafty at times.

Brad Richards: A+
In a season of such inconsistency for the Stars... Brad Richards has consistently been the best player night in and night out.

Tom Wandell: B-
The kid can skate, and has supplanted Mike Modano as the #3 center. Now that he is getting more playing time, I would like to see him put up more goals. In the month of December he only had one. That has to change.

Trevor Daley: C
The new system the Stars operate under is perfectly suited for Daley's skill set. Unfortunately, he has yet to take full advantage of this and has failed to play to his potential.

Mark Fistric: B
He's been reliable on the back-end leading the Stars in the plus/minus category with a +8 rating.

Nicklas Grossman: B+
Grossman has benefited greatly from being paired up with Robidas for most of the first half. He is second on the team in plus/minus with a +6 rating, despite the fact that he often goes up against the best players in the league.

Matt Niskanen: F
Once a promising young defenseman, Niskanen has taken a downward spiral and suffered from a bankruptcy in confidence. Opposing teams have little trouble skating by him on most nights, and the pace at which he turns the puck over is dizzying. Get him off the team.

Stephane Robidas: B+
He's been the best Stars defenseman this half season, and was probably the best last season as well. And that's exactly the problem.

Karlis Skrastins: C+
His biggest problem might be the fact that he's often paired up with Daley.

Alex Auld: B
After not having a reliable backup last season, the Stars went out and got Alex Auld. What they received was big goalie, who has played exceptionally well on most nights. I guess that's all you can ask from your back-up right?

Marty Turco: C-
Much like the Stars, he's either really good, or really bad. It has been perplexing to see Turco steal a goal from an opposing player one shot... and let in an Egyptian cotton soft goal the next shot. His sudden struggles in the shootout have been problematic... Out of any player, the Stars need Turco to play his best. A playoff berth depends on it.

Dallas Stars: C-
There is no question that this win-one, lose-one version of the Dallas Stars have been a disappointment to watch for much of the first half. The new Crawford system has attempted to change the very DNA of the franchise, by instituting a more wide open, dynamic style of play. So while Dallas has often gotten to three goals, they also tend to give up four or more goals on many nights.

You can't win if the other team scores more goals than you... I've always said that.

That's exactly why as of today, the Stars sit in the 10th spot in the Western Conference- six points behind the Nashville Predators for the 8th and final playoff spot.

If the Stars hope to have a surge in the second half of the season, they will have to do several things:

1) Marty Turco has to regain his form. In his last 7 starts, he has given up three of more goals 6 times. Many of the goals being of the "soft" variety. He has to be better.

2) Pay attention to the details of the game. Things like getting out of your own zone, finishing checks, getting to the front of the net, which have been staples of Stars hockey have been noticeably absent in the first half.

3) Acquire a #1 defenseman. Look, I like Robidas as much as the next guy... but when he is considered your #1 defenseman you have a big problem. The Stars need a big, fast defenseman who can move the puck well and shut down the opposing teams best players. This is unlikely to happen however because of the financial fiasco Tom Hicks is currently in.

4) Improve the penalty kill. Dallas has the fifth worst penalty killing team...

5) Get on a run. There is a belief that if this team can just get on a winning streak of more than two games, they can start making waves in the Western Conference.

The bar in Dallas is always set high... the fans expect at the very least a playoff berth. That may or may not be fair, but it is the situation the Stars find themselves in. It is my belief that the next ten games will likely determine whether the Stars have the mettle to compete for a playoff spot, and show what kind of character this team really has..

Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?

OH CANADA!

2009-12-30T13:33:00.003-06:00

They don't hand out gold medals before the Olympic games are actually played, but a case can be made to just hand Canada the gold medal in hockey right now.

That's because team Canada announced their team today.

Take a look at this roster:

Forwards:

Patrice Bergeron (Boston Bruins)

Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim Ducks)

Dany Heatley (San Jose Sharks)

Jarome Iginla (Calgary Flames)

Patrick Marleau (San Jose Sharks)

Brenden Morrow (Dallas Stars)

Rick Nash (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Mike Richards (Philadelphia Flyers)

Corey Perry (Anaheim Ducks)

Eric Staal (Carolina Hurricanes)

Joe Thornton (San Jose Sharks)

Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks)

Defense:

Dan Boyle (San Jose Sharks)

Drew Doughty (L.A. Kings)

Duncan Keith (Chicago Blackhawks)

Scott Niedermayer (Anaheim Ducks)

Chris Pronger (Philadelphia Flyers)

Brent Seabrook (Chicago Blackhawks)

Shea Weber (Nashville Predators)

Goalies:

Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils)

Roberto Luongo (Vancouver Canucks)

Marc-Andre Fleury (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Yikes...

This team is the deepest, most talented collection of players I have seen in Olympic competition.

Team USA announces their team New Year's day during the Winter Classic.

Hicks asks MLB for bailout

2009-07-02T23:36:00.010-05:00

It appears as if the Texas Rangers, and by extension, the Dallas Stars are in a financial pickle.

It was reported on Yahoo News earlier today that Rangers' owner Tom Hicks had to borrow $15 million from Major League Baseball to, "meet financial obligations."

Neither Hicks or any front- office personnel would comment on the Rangers financial woes, but a MLB source speaking on the condition of anonymity said that, "He [Tom Hicks] won't be running the team much longer."

The surprise announcement comes a few months after it was revealed that Hicks Sports Group defaulted on a $525 million loan, and thus an announcement was made by Hicks that he was looking to sell his baseball club.

So what does this mean for the Rangers and the Stars?

For the Rangers who are already in the bottom third of player salaries, it likely means that they will not make any major moves to bring in a big ticket player before the trade deadline, thus making it harder to compete for a long awaited playoff berth.

Another year of the Rangers looking outside the playoff bubble will continue to erode the Rangers' fan base, which is already fed up with Hicks.

Bottom line... this could do some serious damage to the organization in the long run if they don't get sold quickly.

As for the Dallas Stars...

Well, they are in the unusual spot of not spending up to the cap as they have in previous years, and it is widely reported that the Stars have set an internal budget of $46 million.

After the second day of free agency, the Stars watched other teams pick up some marquee names, while Dallas made a small move picking up veteran d-man, Karlis Skrastins, and resigning Stars' lifer Jere Lehtinen to an incentive laden one year deal. They are still waiting on a decision on whether or not Swedish goalie Jonas Gustavvsson will sign with them, or go to Toronto.

With such a tight budget, it is difficult to imagine that the Stars will be able to re-sign Sergei Zubov.

_____________________________________________
Texas Rangers by the numbers according to Forbes:

Texas had the 15th highest revenue in the MLB in 2008, raking in $176 million in revenue.

Current team value: $405 million (Hicks purchased the team in 1998 for $250 million)

Operating Inc: $17.4 million

Player Expenses: $91 million

Gate Receipts: $36 million

All values/graphics according to Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/33/baseball-values-09_Texas-Rangers_337656.html

Meet the Press' David Gregory Talks Hockey

2009-05-04T11:32:00.003-05:00

I found a great interview courtesy of the New York Times with David Gregory, who of course is the new moderator of Meet the Press, and his found passion for the Washington Capitals and hockey in general...here is the interview:

30 Seconds With David Gregory, Newly Minted Capitals Fan

By JOSHUA ROBINSON

After a decade of covering Washington and almost five months as host of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” David Gregory knows his way around the capital. But more recently, with the help of his 6-year-old son, Max, Gregory is getting to know the Washington Capitals, who are in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It is a pleasant distraction, he said, from the daily talk of bailouts, lobbyists and Supreme Court justices.

Q: How did you come to be a Capitals fan?

Gregory: I have to be totally honest about this. I’m from Los Angeles, what do I know about hockey? But I have a 6-year-old boy who has become a fanatic. I mean, the Caps have been great the last couple of years and it’s been so fun to watch, but he has really led me into this. I remember seeing Gretzky with the Kings growing up in L.A. So I was into it a little bit, but nothing like now. Just to hear my boy rattle off these guys’ names and get so excited.

He was watching the other night when they won Game 7. He was dancing around and he said, ‘You know, I could cry.’ So he’s into, I’m into it. It’s a lot of fun.

The other thing that cracks me up is that my son is learning about this and learning all these Russian names. He’s rattling off all these names and mangling the pronunciation, but really being into it. My mother came into town yesterday and the whole ride back from the airport, he’s going down the lines, like ‘Yeah, Brashear’s the enforcer, he fights all the time.’

Q: What do you do to keep up with your son?

Gregory: I watch, I go, I try to learn. I have a couple of buddies that I go with who know a lot more about it than I do. And I’ve picked it up. I have to say, seeing hockey in person is awesome. I have an appreciation for the explosiveness and speed and control of Ovechkin. It’s something that I almost immediately identified and have been able to appreciate.

I also think the experience of being at a Caps game is great. The fans are great. It can get a little rough around the edges when you’ve got kids there, but not as bad as football.

Q: That’s what a lot of people say once they actually go to a game. did it change your perspective at all?

Gregory: I actually liked watching it on TV — I think H.D. helps a lot. But yeah, we’re watching it on TV, we’re going in person, and I’m actually trying to get clearance from my wife to see if we can go on Monday.

Q: There’s never been a better time to be a hockey fan in D.C., right?

Gregory: No better time. When you’ve got a guy like Ovechkin. There’s a lot of upfront stars between Semin and Green, it’s a great group. But Ovechkin, even to somebody like me who doesn’t know the sport very well, it doesn’t take long to appreciate his skill and his artistry on the ice. It’s no mystery why this guy has caught the imagination of so many people.

Q: If hockey is a new passion for you, what did you watch before?

Gregory: I’m a big baseball fan. I grew up in L.A. as a big Dodger fan — still a big Dodger fan. I love my Nationals as well and we have seats. We go out there all the time. Baseball has always been my thing.

Q: It must easier to watch the Capitals than the Nationals these days.
Gregory: Well, they’re in rebuilding mode, but they’re still fun to watch. But the other day I said, ‘Son, do you want to go to the baseball game?’ And he just said back, ‘Dad, that’s really nice, but the Caps are going to be on.’ So of course, we figured out a way to keep an eye on the Caps at the baseball game.

Q: Do you ever think how life might be different if Sunday mornings you were hosting “Meet the N.H.L.?”

Gregory: Life would be very different. I don’t think I’d be qualified for that. You know, it is fun, and I’ve had a little more occasion to talk analytically about sports. And it’s great, I don’t have to worry about being down the middle about that. I can be a fan, I can be totally partisan about sports and nobody’s going to say a thing. It’s very, very liberating. In a time when there’s so much going on in the country and there are such big problems, it’s great to worry about sports.

Q: Just how much do you worry?

Gregory: When I was a kid, I used to really worry about Steve Garvey and how well he did. And that would be a source of some stress or distress or happiness throughout the day. But now I can’t be sent into a tailspin if a team loses. For me, it’s at the point of just being a terrific distraction.

Q: Do you see any parallels between the sports you follow and the politics you cover?

Gregory: You know, in politics and in sports, we tend to be drawn to personalities, drawn to the people. That’s what we find most animating. And you have these outsize personalities that sort of transcend the teams.

Q: Political coverage is so infused with sports jargon. Why is that?

Gregory: First of all, so many people who cover politics also really like sports. And the infrastructure of electoral politics is so much like sports: you’ve got different sides, superstars and standout personalities. And what’s the difference between running a political campaign and making the starting lineup for a baseball team? You start calibrating your message differently, you start shifting up your batting order.

Q: And what’s election night but the championship game? One winner, one loser and a score.

Gregory: Exactly. That’s the big night from all the angles.

Ice-chips: Sharks, Caps have to dig deep.

2009-04-20T10:25:00.002-05:00

Shark-bait
I think now would be an appropriate time for Capital and Shark fans to panic.

These are two teams that were heavily favored not just to win their opening round match-up, but also to make it to the Stanley Cup finals.

For the Capitals, losing to the New York Rangers in the first round would not be cause for major concern. There is a belief that the team is still a year or two away from being serious contenders, and right now the fan-base is content with just making the playoffs. The Sharks however must figure out a way to dig deep and beat the Ducks... or risk becoming irrelevant in California.

If Anaheim upsets San Jose heads will roll in the offseason. There is only one thing worse than not making the playoffs in the NHL... and that is being considered playoff chokers. Last year Ron Wilson lost his job because of their playoff ineptitude. This year you could see management blow the whole thing up and start from scratch.

Canucks impress in opening series
Is it just me, or do the Canucks all of the sudden look like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender? Luongo really is the x-factor in the series, as Vancouver runs over St.Louis. I predicted the Blues would win the series but you may have to take out the brooms and give the series to Vancouver.

Theodore

2009-04-19T23:52:00.003-05:00

This picture makes me happy that photoshop exists

Western Conference Playoff Preview (Round One)

2009-04-14T23:40:00.015-05:00

Offense:
San Jose ranked top ten in goals for, and have the most consistent scoring team in the NHL. They are deep down the middle with guys like Thornton, Marleau, Pavelski, and have a great supporting cast with the emergence of Setoguchi, Michalek and Clowe. They play fast hockey and are able to develop their offense off the rush. Anaheim ranked 14th in goals per game this year, and have their own list of impressive forwards. At the end of the day though San Jose's speed gives them the decided advantage.
Edge: San Jose

Defense:
The Sharks are not only a great scoring team, they have a terrific defense as well. They finished top three in the NHL in least goals given up (behind Boston and Minnesota) and have extremely talented defenseman who can move the puck around quickly. Not to be outdone the ducks have great size in their d-corp. However Anaheim's defensive studs (Pronger, Rob & Scott Niedermayer) are a combined -25. Not good enough.
Edge: San Jose

Special Teams:
Both teams rank top 5 on the powerplay, but vary greatly when it comes to penalty kill. Anaheim has been atrocious this year killing off just 79% of powerplays, while San Jose has been less charitable ranking top 5 in penalty kill %.
Edge: San Jose

Goaltending:
Giguere has battled personal problems this season and will not be in the pipes for the playoffs, giving Jonas Hiller the nod in goal. He has impressive numbers, but he has never been in a playoff series. Nabokov is ready to reclaim the brilliance he had in last years post season and make a run for the cup.
Edge: San Jose

Verdict:
All the pressure is on San Jose to win the cup this year. They have the most talented group of players in the league and can play in any style of game that comes their way. Will they wilt under the pressure to succeed as they have in the past? Only time will tell. But this series reminds me of the Oilers/Stars opening round match-up in 1999. It will be a grueling hard, hard hitting contest that will take its toll on whatever team advances.
San Jose wins in five games

Offense:
Detroit's offense flows like diarrhea compared to the constipated offensive numbers Columbus puts up. The Red Wing offense led by Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Hossa put up almost 70 more goals than Columbus in 08-09 (good for #1 overall). This one is no contest.
Edge: Detroit

Defense:
Any Ken Hitchcock coached team is going to be good defensively, and this group is no different. If they can clog up the middle, and frustrate Detroit's militaristic offense they have a very good shot at winning the series. Detroit may have Lidstrom but they also were in the bottom 3rd in the leauge in goals allowed.
Edge: Columbus

Special Teams:
The best powerplay in the league (Detroit) will be on showcase against the worst (Columbus). Both Columbus and Detroit have unimpressive penalty kill numbers, but given how efficient the Red Wing powerplay is, you'd think Detroit has a huge advantage, especially in a league where special teams are so important.
Edge: Detroit

Goaltending:
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Osgood is the most overrated goalie in hockey. He was mediocre again this year especially when you consider how good his opponent has been. Columbus's Steve Mason has been a revelation this season. The rookie netminder is the primary reason the Blue Jackets are making their first trip to the playoffs posting earth-shattering 10 shut-outs this season. He will HAVE to be a difference maker in the series.
Edge: Columbus

Verdict:
On paper, there is no way Columbus should win this series. They are a team that is making their first trip to the playoffs, trying to fend off the defending Stanley Cup champions. If Columbus has any designs on winning it will have to come down to two things. (1)- Hitchcock has to make the team believe they can win. (2) Mason HAS to be spectacular. There is little room for error for the young Blue Jackets, unfortunately Detroit is Detroit.
Detroit wins in six games

Offense:
Vancouver not only has better numbers than St Louis in this category, but their players have much more experience in playoff hockey. The Sundin twins should skate circles around the scrappy Blues. The Canucks are just too deep and talented to be outdone here.
Edge: Vancouver

Defense:
It would appear as if both teams have been fairly good defensively as they each rank in the top half in goals against, but a closer look at the numbers shows a bit of a different story. Vancouver has five minus players on their roster, while St.Louis has 19! Now obviously the Blues have had injury problems all season long, but having 19 players with a minus rating does not bode well, especially going into the playoffs.
Edge: Vancouver

Special Teams:
St.Louis has better penalty kill and powerplay numbers than Vancouver.
Edge: St.Louis

Goaltending:
Luongo is the Canucks' x-factor. His big frame, and impressive skill allows him to make timely saves and make Vanouver a victor on most nights. Chris Mason is a young promising goaltender, but walking into a Canadian playoff building can mess with your mind. The pressure will be high on both backstops in this series.

Verdict:
To say that the Blues have been red hot lately would be an understatement. For much of the season they were in the Western conference basement only to shock everyone with a playoff berth. They had points in 9 of their last 10 games and look like a dangerous squad right now. However, since Sundin landed in Vancouver they have been a different team. They look hungry, and will be under a mountain of pressure from their fans. I'm predicting the first major upset of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs.
St.Louis wins in 6 games

Offense:
Depth down the middle is Calgary's strength. Just look at these names and the numbers they have put up, Iginla (35 goals), Cammalleri (39 goals), Jokinen (29 goals),Langkow (21 goals). Not bad. The Blackhawks will be led by young Toews, Kane who will be making their first foray into the post season. I was compelled to not give anyone the edge here, but if you look at the season series between the two teams, the numbers are too hard to ignore. Chicago outscored Calgary 19-7 in the four games they played this year.
Edge: Chicago

Defense:
Calgary has a lot of injuries on the blue-line and they are facing the likes of Cambell, Keith and Barker. Additionally, Calgary will be leaning on Aucoin, Phaneuf and Leopold on the back end who are a combined -34. Chicago also managed to rank top 5 in goals against despite platooning goalies.
Edge: Chicago

Special Teams:
Lately, Calgary's powerplay has flamed out going 0 for their last 42 powerplay chances. Chicago boasts one of the best puck moving defenseman in Cambell, who will be able to quarter back their effort. However, Calgary also owns a top 5 penalty kill, so it will depend how many penalties Calgary takes.
Edge: Even

Goaltending:
Khabibulin has been very good this year platooning with Huet in net. Unfortunately Kiprusoff has been inconsistent at stretches this year. If he gets going though, he will be a force to deal with.
Edge: Chicago

Verdict:
Can the young, upstart Blackhawks making their first trip to the postseason in ages beat the experienced talented Flames? Can Kane.Toews carry the Hawks to the second round? Can Joel Quenneville and his "Q-Stache" outcoach the empirical Mike Keenan? Plenty if solid story lines to salivate over.
Chicago wins in 7 games.

Eastern Conference Playoff Preview (Round One)

2009-04-14T15:08:00.009-05:00

(1) Boston Bruins VS (8) Montreal Canadiens

Offense:
Boston was an offensive juggernaut this year registering the second most goals in the entire NHL (behind Detroit) with 270 goals. Montreal had a statistically average offensive season scoring 242( good for 13th in the league). Additionally, Boston has nine players that have 15 goals or more with seven of those players having 20 or more. Although Montreal has 7 players with 15 or more goals, they are still not as deep as Boston.
Edge: Boston

Defense:
This is where the series will most likely be decided. No team allowed less goals this season than Boston (fueled largely by Tim Thomas), Montreal was 21st overall. Not good enough. Chara is a Norris trophy worthy defenseman, who often dominates games. If he gets going, it is game over for Montreal.
Edge: Boston

Special Teams:
Boston's powerplay scores 23% of the time, everytime... That's good for a top five power-play. Montreal finished with a powerplay around 19%, good for 13th. On the penaly kill, both teams were statistically even killing off 82% of the oppositions powerplays. However Montreal was shorthanded over 20 more times than Boston. That number breaks the special teams tie.
Edge: Boston

Goaltending:
One of the great stories of the NHL has been the rise of Tim Thomas. Statistically, there was not a better goalie than him this year. He posted a mind boggling .933 save percentage and a goals against average of 2.10. The question for Thomas will be whether he can translate that regular season success into playoff success. For Montreal, Price has been unimpressive and inconsistent. He ended 08-09 with a baneful .909 save percentage, and a GAA in the stratosphere (2.83 GAA). You can blame the inconsistency on his age, but he is still not good enough to win this seven game series.
Edge: Boston

Verdict:
The battle between two original six teams should provide for some provocative story lines, but nothing else. Montreal can win if they get a herculean effort out of Price or Halak, and if they can manage to keep the powerful Boston offense at bay. That's not likely to happen given the instability in Montreal (remember when Gainey fired his coach?) This is no contest, especially when you look at the season series between these two teams... Boston took 5 of 6.
Boston wins in four games

(2) Washington Capitals VS (7) New York Rangers

Offense:
When it comes to who has the edge offensively it's not even close. Washington scored almost 70 more goals in the regular season than New York. The Rangers are the only playoff team that ranks in the bottom 8 offensively. That has to be a huge disappointment considering some of the big names in the city that never sleeps.
Edge: Washington

Defense:
This is where there is a glimmer of hope for New York. They might not score many goals, but they don't give many up either. They ranked top ten in least goals allowed, as opposed to the Capitals who officially #11 for most goals allowed. Washington might have their stud Greene, but New York has pretty good defense.
Edge: New York

Special Teams:
It's a tale of two cities when it comes to power-play production for these two teams. Only Detroit has a better powerplay than Washington, and only Columbus has a worse powerplay than New York. so atleast on the powerplay, Washington has the decided edge. However, New York has the best penalty kill where as the Capitals rank in the bottom half in that category.
Edge: Even

Goaltending:
Despite playing for a good team,Capitals goalie Jose Theodore has been unimpressive this season posting a less than stellar 2.87 GAA and a .900 save percentage. His counterpart Henrik Lundqvist has been much better than him boasting a .919 save percentage and 2.43 GAA. Barring a miracle from Theodore, Lundqvist outplays him severely.
Edge: New York

Verdict:
A 2 versus 7 matchup should be no contest, Washington should win. That being said the two most important components to winning a playoff series are special teams and goaltending. No one really has the edge on special teams, and New York has a much better goalie than Washington. So in the end, the fate of the Capitals rests on the shoulders on superstar Alex Ovechkin. If he can carry his team, then they will win, but New York will give them fits.
Washington wins in seven games.

(3) New Jersey Devils VS (6) Carolina Hurricanes

Offense:
These two teams are close when it comes to offense. How close? New Jersey only scored two more goals in the regular season than Carolina. Both teams are fairly even when it comes to talent down the middle.
Edge: Even

Defense:
Again, it's very close. Both teams are top ten in least goals allowed, despite having defensemen that aren't well known.
Edge: Even

Special teams:
Stop me if you have heard this before... It's very close. Both teams rank somewhere around midpack when it comes to powerplay and penalty kill, with no one really having a huge edge.
Edge: Even

Goaltending.
If you ask any GM in the NHL who they would pick to be in goal for their team for a playoff series I guarantee you they would pick Brodeur. He is like Pizza Hut, he delivers. He alone has the ability to completelly steal a series, that is something you cannot say about any other goalie besides maybe Lundqvist. This season he has again been very good, and he will be well rested, which is a scary thought. Statistically these two goalies are dead even. Both Brodeur and Ward have a .916 save percentage and the goals against average only varies by .03. But Brodeur is Brodeur, and he's healthy and well rested.
Edge: New Jersey (Barely)

Verdict:
Picking who is going to win this series is more difficult than trying to open a CD (am I right or what?) I can envision every game going to 2 or 3 overtimes. In the season series, Carolina had the edge winning three of four, but looking at the goal differential it looks like they barely won those three. Carolina has been hot lately winning 8 of their last 10, but I think home ice, and having Brodeur is the tie breaker.
New Jersey wins in seven games.

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins VS (5)Philadelphia Flyers

Offense:
This looks to be another close series like the Devils Canes duel. Both teams have scored about the same amount of goals, and have talented forwards. However you cannot ignore the fact that Pittsburgh has been scoring at a torrid pace lately. Since mid March Pittsburgh has scored six goals in a single game five times! The Flyers have not been bad either, but a hot scoring touch + Malkin and Crosby give Pittsburgh a slight edge.
Edge: Pittsburgh

Defense:
Just one goal seperates these two teams in the goals against column, so it is very close. The Penguins outsize the Flyers on the back end though.
Edge: Pittsburgh

Special Teams:
The Flyers have a better powerplay and penalty kill than the Penguins, and quicker defense to move the puck around. Philadelphia has to make sure they don't let Malkin and Crosby run them over on the powerplay.
Edge: Philadelphia

Goaltending:
Neither of these goalies have been spectacular this season. Biron and Fleury have been pedestrian at best, but Fleury did make it to the cup finals last year.
Edge: Even

Verdict:
This should be the best of any of the playoff series. Two hated in-state rivals duking it out to advance to the next round. Keep Crosby and Malkin in check, and Philly wins... but if not the march of the Penguins will move to the second round of the playoffs.
Pittsburgh wins in seven games.

North Texas Basket Ball Game

2009-03-05T20:27:00.004-06:00

I had a chance to catch some UNT hoops last night. It was the exciting playoff matchup featuring the North Texas Eagles, and the Florida Atlantic Owls.

Some pics:

It was a rater sparse crowd...

Supporters of the progressive movement would be ashamed. Look at at that child labor taking place!

Anyway, NT won... that's me with my eagle talon

Some Lollitics to bring in the new year

2008-12-31T14:25:00.003-06:00

I found this gem on ONTD political earlier today. Obviously a reference to the scene in the Lion King when Mufasa is telling his sun Simba how far their kingdom stretches.

Anyway, Stars have a big New Year's Eve tilt against the Devils. The Stars in past years have had memorable New Years games (Hullenium, Happy Nieuwyear)

My prediction for tonight...
Modano gets a hat trick, the game is then dubbed "OH 9!"

Falling Stars/Warmth we can believe in?

2008-12-11T12:19:00.004-06:00

STARS LICKING WOUNDS AFTER LOSS TO COYOTES
Dallas lost again last night this time at the hands of Wayne Gretzky's Phoenix Coyotes. Early on it looked like Dallas was going to have a strong showing, but then a lucky goal in the last minute of the second period tied the game up at 3 a piece. The game winning goal for Phoenix came after an egregious turnover by Trevor Daley.

It seems like it's two steps forward and three steps back for this team. They lack a certain cohesion and confidence they had last season. I can sit here and make a bunch of excuses for why they are playing so poorly... Injuries to key players, awful team chemistry thanks to Sean Avery, and a goalie who looks like he should be in the minors. Regardless,this team should not be this bad.

WARMTH WE CAN BELIEVE IN
Even I thought this was a bit much when I checked my e-mail this morning:

With a $25 donation to the DNC, they give you the scarf.They really know how to whore things up at the Obama transition team.

December update

2008-12-10T14:06:00.004-06:00

I've decided to start writing here again... A lot has happened in the world of politics and hockey since I last left you... Here is where we are today:

BARACK OBAMA WINS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Barack Obama's historic victory over John McCain is probably the greatest thing to ever happen to humanity. I say this of course in a bit of a joking way, but considering all the racial injustice that has plagued this country since it's inception... it's a great day.

I'm happy my guy won. He ran a tremendous campaign, and he showed himself to be a thoughtful, wise leader... but even I recognize all of our problems will not be solved by his election into office. Still, it was hard not to walk with an heir of pomposity on the morning of November 5th. For a short while, it felt like everything was going be better.

HILLARY CLINTON NOMINATED FOR SECRETARY OF STATE
After the long bitter primary campaign, where Hillary & Bill accused Senator Obama of being an unpatriotic, borderline terrorist Barack Obama rewarded her by naming her Secretary of State. Nice one Barack.

There was a funny political cartoon in Newsweek a few weeks back that had a depiction of Obama's new cabinet. Hillary, McCain, Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, George Bush were all sitting around a table with Barack Obama when Joe Biden leans over to someone's ear and he says, "I think he's taking this team of rivals thing too seriously."

Anyway, it was funny.

as for hockey....

AS OF TODAY, THE STARS RANK DEAD LAST IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE
I think Stars fans feel like they are getting their own version of the Dallas Stars "sloppy seconds" this season. They have played better this December, I will try to perform a biopsy on this space a little later in the week.

How to Beat John McCain and Sarah Palin in November

2008-08-30T14:49:00.029-05:00

So imagine for a second that you are Barack Obama. You are feeling good because you just put on a political spectacle in front of 38 million people. The speech you gave the night before was widely acclaimed as the "turning point" of the election. You are going about your morning with an heir of pomposity when you feel your Blackberry buzzing. It's a text message from a news outlet. It reads, "John McCain has chosen Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (pronounced Payh-lynn) as his running mate."

Your first reaction is, "Who is Sarah Palin, and what has she done?"So, you turn on CNN to see what the story is about. All of the sudden you feel deflated... you've been watching various news outlets for and hour now, and no one is talking about your speech. What's worse is that you come to the realization that you are now going to have to run against a prisoner of war... and a woman.

This is where this already interesting campaign gets more compelling, and maybe even more confusing.

John McCain's choice of a running mate is a bit perplexing, and an incredible risk even for a self professed "maverick" like McCain. He chose a woman who has governed one of the smallest populated states in the union for less than two years to be a heart beat away from being the leader of the free world. To put this in perspective, the mayor of Austin, Texas represents more people than Sarah Palin does for her entire state!

His VP choice is risky because he has taken his most important characteristic, which is experience, and pretty much thrown it out the window. Anytime somebody questions Senator Obama's readiness, they are going to point the finger right at Sarah Palin and say exactly the same thing. The Republicans are going to try to spin it and say how Palin has more "executive" experience than Obama. That may be true, but it can also be argued that the mayor of Dallas has more executive experience than Obama, hell even the president of a high school student council has more executive experience. That does not mean however that they are qualified to be potentially the President of the United States.

But his choice to have Palin be his running mate is not all bad, in fact he may even win the election because of it. It re-enforces McCain’s image as a "maverick."By brining someone from outside Washington, he can argue that his administration is best suited to change Washington. It's smart because McCain realized is that this election is not about experience. It's about change. Barack Obama's campaign has been so successful this election cycle because of his ability to capitalize on the mounting anger against the Bush administration, and use that as fuel to frame himself as the only person who can bring change to Washington.

John McCain saw the enthusiasm, the big crowds, the electrified Democratic base and said, "Why can't I do this?" ... In a sense, he realized that he was not running against a person, he's running against a movement. So the decision had to be made as to whether or not jump on the train, or stay off of it. He had been pivoting the last couple of weeks from his message of experience, to the trendy message of change and picked a woman to be his VP. A woman who agrees almost completely with John McCain on every major issue. But that is not important... what is important is the visual, or the appearance of change.

Now what would it say to the voters had John McCain chosen an old, rich white guy to run with him on a message of change? It would be completely laughable.

And that's why McCain changed the complexion of the election.

It is one of the great political stand-offs of our time, to see which political party can "out-change" the other side. It should be interesting to see how these two political machines duke it out.

But think about this for a second.... Had John McCain chosen a man with similar credentials as Palin, this would not be considered a good pick at all. But by picking a woman, it becomes more difficult for the Obama campaign and the media to point out her flaws without being accused of sexism. And if they are accused of being sexist, then that will most certainly mean that the former Clinton supporters would move on over to the McCain side. So the McCain camp can continue to attack Barack Obama (because they know he will never use the race card) in the ferocity they have, and still be able to pull out not just the P.O.W. card, but also the sexism card.

Sounds brilliant doesn’t it?

If this is the McCain strategy, then he has grossly underestimated the Obama campaign. They forget that Barack Obama ran against one of the most accomplished women in global politics, Hillary Clinton. And they did it all without being accused of being sexist. (MSNBC on the other hand... is another story)

So... how do you run, and beat the McCain-Palin ticket? This is what Obama has to do to win in November.

1) Clearly spell out the policy differences between the two sides to re-enforce the message of change.

On ideology, McCain/Palin/Bush are very similar... Obama has to make the American people understand what is at stake if the last eight years look like the next four. His acceptance speech the other night was vital to driving this message home.

To gather the disaffected Hillary supporters (who may be the dumbest people on the planet) Obama has to make sure Hillary's supporters understand that John McCain and Sarah Palin do NOT support a woman's right to choose even in extreme cases such as rape and incest.

2) Have Obama surrogates paint Palin as inexperienced

Barack Obama may not be able to paint Governor Palin as an inexperienced leader, but his surrogates certainly can. People have been wondering what role Hillary Clinton would have in the Obama campaign... I think McCain just gave it to them.

Having Hillary be the "attack dog" against Palin does two things. One, it keeps the Hillary supporters from crossing over, and two it eliminates any argument about sexism.

Additionally, the Obama camp could turn to Palin's own party to stir the conversation. Many top Alaskan Republicans are reportedly perplexed about the pick. According to the Anchorage Daily, two Alaskan Republican officials told the paper that, "She's not prepared to be governor, so how can she be prepared to be Vice President, or even President?" Another Republican said, "She's old enough, she's a U.S. citizen."

They may not even have to look outside Palin's family to prove she is not qualified. Her own mother in law said, "I'm not sure what she brings to the ticket, other than she's a woman and a conservative."

Ouch... that type of endorsement from her own family may hurt her and McCain.

3) Question the judgment and temperament of McCain/Palin

Barack did a good job at this during his speech the other night when he brought up the fact that McCain had voted with Bush 90% of the time, saying, "what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right 90% of the time?"

Bringing up judgment gives Obama a chance to tout his opposition to the Iraq war.

Questioning McCain's temper also re-introduces the belief that McCain is an old, angry, stubborn man.

As for Sarah Palin...
It has only been a couple of days, and already there is an abundance of information about this woman.

For example, when asked by the Politico last month about what she thought about the possibility of becoming McCain's running mate, she said, "what is it exactly that a VP does?"
How can you claim you have the experience judgment and temperament to be the Vice President when you don't even know what a VP does? Obama has to POUNCE on this.

Also...
Despite being credited with cleaning up political corruption in Alaska, Palin herself is being investigated. Palin allegedly fired her Public Safety Commissioner after his refusal to fire her former brother in-law who was in a bitter custody battle with Palin's own sister.

This again brings up the question of temperament and judgment. All fair game.

4) Do well in the debates... and get specific

If the Saddleback forum was any indication of how future debates will go, then Barack Obama has some work to do to compete with John McCain face-to-face.
McCain had the appearance that he did better at the forum because he gave short specific answers. Obama gave long complicated answers.

Fact is... most American's don't understand some of the concepts Obama is throwing around. Never was this more evident at Saddleback than when Pastor Rick Warren asked him about abortion, or when he believes life begins.

John McCain very bluntly said..."life begins at conception." and followed that up by saying he would nominate supreme court justices who would overturn Roe V. Wade.

Obama said it was "above his pay grade" to make that kind of decision, and followed that up by saying we need to stop the number of unwanted pregnancies, and provide more support for single moms. Now I understand what he was trying to say... He was saying that it really is not up to him to decide when life begins, and that he would try to figure out why so many unwanted pregnancies were happening in the first place. I can see why most Americans would think Obama is wishy washy.

Solution... dumb down your message with short specific words. This is tough because a lot of issues are complicated and require a rational explanation before trying to put forth a real solution. Most Americans are not really going to watch the debates... after all, we are living in the 24 hour-cable news soundbite era. Any answer that is longer than 10-15 seconds will sound confusing. So Barack... I know it's hard, but keep it simple and specific at the same time.

As for Joe Biden...

It's up to him to pick apart Sarah Palin on national television without looking too aggressive or sounding too condescending.

5) Make it look like McCain and Palin just don't get it.

The houses gaffe by John McCain is the gift that keeps on giving. It allows Obama to paint McCain as "out of touch" and also gives him an opening for his own economic agenda.

Palin's lack of experience on the national stage should providea gaffe or two.

So if Obama is able to do these things... he will win in November.

Is John McCain using the P.O.W. card too much?

2008-08-26T18:44:00.018-05:00

If John McCain maxed out his credit cards as much as he has maxed out his P.O.W card this election, then John McCain is threatening to financially and morally bankrupt the American democratic process.

In case you missed it last night, John McCain was asked as a joke on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno about how many houses he owns (he had previously said he was not sure). His answer was this: (actual video under quote)

“You know, could I just mention to you, Jay, and a moment of seriousness. I spent five and a half years in a prison cell, without-I didn’t have a house, I didn’t have a kitchen table, I didn’t have a table, I didn’t have a chair. And I spent those five and a half years, because-not because I wanted to get a house when I got out.”

To borrow (and tweak) a phrase from Delaware Senator Joe Biden, it seems like these days there are only three things that come out of John McCain's mouth. A noun, a verb, and P.OW.

Now I have no problem with John McCain talking about his experiences as a prisoner of war. His story shows a tremendous amount about his character and strength as a person. But it says even more about his character when he is willing to take those experiences, and use them for political expediency.

The sad thing is is that this is not the first time he has used the P.O.W card:

In McCain's first Congressional race in Arizona, his opponent questioned his ability to lead a state he had lived in for less than a year (a valid point). He responded by saying he was sorry he had not had a chance to live in Arizona very long because the longest he had spent in one place was six years... in Hanoi

When Elizabeth Edwards challenged him on the issue of healthcare he used the P.O.W card to circumvent the question, and instead acted offended and said Edwards took a "cheap shot" at him.

When it was revealed that John McCain was not in a "cone of silence" during the Saddleback forum earlier this month, and therefore may have had the questions in advance, his campaign responded with this statement:

“The insinuation from the Obama campaign that John McCain, a former prisoner of war, cheated is outrageous.”

I honor and respect Senator McCain's service to our country, like I said... I have no problem with him telling his personal story in the context of him saying how he can better lead America. And From the beggining, McCain has said he wants to have a serious dialogue with the American people about the direction of this country. But when he takes his experience as a prisoner of war and hides behind it to deflect questions that the voters are asking, he makes it clear that he does not care about having a serious discussion about the issues.

John McCain likes to talk romantically about honor, patriotism, and character. If those words really mean so much to him... I implore Senator McCain to start running a campaign that is in alignment with his ideas and words. Otherwise, the American people will "max out" and reject what should be, and remain, a compelling story about a man who put country first.

Now Playing on my iPOD...

2008-06-12T19:32:00.005-05:00

1. One Man Wrecking Machine by Guster
2. Give it up by The Format
3. Viva la Vida by Coldplay
4. Nineteen by The Old 97's
5. Hiphopopotamus VS. Rhymenocerous by Flight of the Conchords
6. Strange Condition by Pete Yorn
7. Question by The Old 97's
8. Dog Problems by The Format
9. Sunshine by Matt Costa
10. Dallas, Texas by the David Ramirez Band
11. Annie Waits by Ben Folds
12. Sundress by Ben Kweller
13. Sandollars by Why?
14. Amsterdam by Guster
15. Landed by Ben Folds

Relentless

2008-06-04T22:24:00.005-05:00

First off, congratulations to the Detroit Red Wings on an extraordinary season. Their execution was relentless and it showed.

Pittsburgh should be really proud of what they accomplished as well. This won't be the last time that this team makes it to the Stanley Cup finals.

McCain's take on his differences with Obama

2008-06-04T18:25:00.007-05:00

Got an interesting e-mail from the John McCain camp today promoting their new section of their website called, "Decision Center"

In the site the McCain camp details the differences between the two candidates.

This was a good opportunity for John McCain to really start a dialog about the differences between him and Obama, unfortunatelly many of the references made in this site are extremely vague.

My favorite section is the one about energy.

"John McCain will break from the past to lead a great national campaign to put us on a course for energy independence."

Really? How?

"Obama voted for the same policies that created the problem."
What policies?

"This is our moment. This is our time." -Barack Obama, June 3rd 2008

2008-06-03T18:01:00.022-05:00

For the first time in the history of the United States of America, an African American is one step away from being the leader of the free world. Barack Obama secured the democratic nomination Tuesday night, ending one of the most contentious primaries in American history.

In front of a frenzied Xcel Energy Center, Senator Obama lifted the 19,000 faithful by announcing his presumptive nomination. "Tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another — a journey that will bring a new and better day to America." And what a journey it has been.

After shocking the political world by winning the Iowa Caucuses in early January, his momentum carried through most of February and March, and made winning the nomination a daunting task for Hillary Clinton. His theme of "change" tapped into America's thirst for something different, and proved to be a winning strategy.

But now there seem to be more questions than answers. Among the top questions will be who Obama will pick as his running mate for the general election. Obama will be pressured by the nearly 18 million citizens that voted for Clinton, to pick her as his running mate. Only time will tell if this, "dream ticket," comes to fruition.

No matter who Senator Obama picks as his VP one thing is certainly clear. The gloves are off, and the battle for the presidency will be much tougher.

NHL Scores on NBC

2008-06-03T17:58:00.001-05:00

Nielsen Ratings June 2, 2008: 5.8 Million Watched Hockey

OK, so more people watched reruns of Bones, House, Big Bang Theory (and everything else on CBS), but the NHL Stanley Cup game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings reeled in almost 6 million, definitely the most watched Stanley Cup Finals game in a good long while.

Moreover, the game led NBC to a tie for first place in the 18-49 demo with CBS so even though NBC was fourth for the night in total viewers, it was number one with the viewers who seem to matter most.

FOX had the most average viewers with repeats of Bones and House. House had very strong performance for a rerun, as did CBS’ Two and a Half Men, and you could probably include the repeats of CBS’ Rules of Engagement and CSI:Miami as performing well, too.

While there was more interest in ABC’s The Bachelorette than the hockey game, there wasn’t much more interest and although it had more viewers with 6.45mm, it only had a 2.1/6 in the 18-49 demo. That’s better than the debut of The Mole which averaged 4.73m and a 2.0/6 in the 18-49 year old demographic. Looks like both the mole, and its viewers are in hiding.

Third Time's a Charm

2008-06-03T00:26:00.005-05:00

It took three overtimes, and three powerplays in the extra frame to push the series to a game six, but the Pittsburgh Penguins will live to fight another day thanks to the heroics of Petr Sykora and Maxime Talbot.

The Pens started strong with an early 2-0 lead courtesy of Marrian Hossa, and Adam Hall. But Detroit found a way to get back in the game to cut Pittsburgh's lead in half before the start of the second intermission.

What transpired in the third period was a showcase of the "new" NHL as Detroit tied the game, then took the 3-2 lead.

However it all fell apart when less than a minute away from capturing their 11th Stanley Cup, amidst the frenzied crowd at Joe Louis Arena, Maxime Talbot shocked the Red Wing faithful by tying the game at three a piece in the game's final minute.

Despite dominating most of the three overtimes, Pittsburgh's Petr Sykora stunned the capacity crowd and sent the series back to Pittsburgh for a tilt tomorrow night (7 p.m. CST on NBC) at Mellon Arena.

USA Today article:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/2008-06-03-penguins-wings_N.htm

Mission Not Yet Accomplished for Stars

2008-05-02T12:37:00.004-05:00

The Stars could learn something about George Bush. And, no, I'm not talking about a way to deal with low ratings.

Five years ago yesterday was the anniversary of the US's end of major combat operations in Iraq. Making a dramatic and powerful statement, George Bush arrived to the U.S. warship on a F-18 fighter jet. Later, he stepped off the jet, and proclaimed under the now famous, "Mission Accomplished," banner that the United States had successfully overthrown the oppressive Iraqi government, and declared that reconstruction of the country could begin.

That was five years ago... or 1,828 days ago. Can anyone honestly say with a straight face that the mission was, "accomplished?"

No, and here is where the Dallas Stars can learn their lesson.

Up 3-0 in a best of seven series against the San Jose Sharks, Dallas had an opportunity to close the series out on Wednesday after playing on back to back nights against a mentally fragile Shark team.

They didin't close out the series, and now the Stars have to go back to San Jose tonight to end the Sharks season. If they can.

You can say all you want about the statistics (believe me I looked it up)Just three teams in the American professional sports have come back from a 3-0 best of seven series deficit. The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1975 New York Islander and most recently, the 2004 Boston Red Sox. Although it would be a Herculean task for San Jose to come back...there is still a chance. And that's why the Stars MUST win tonight in San Jose.

Consider for a second that the Sharks win tonight. All of the sudden the series shifts back to Dallas, where the pressure will be entirely on the Stars to close it out at home. The Sharks have been one of the best road teams in the NHL this season, so I'm not sure if the Stars want to play Russian Roulette with this team.

To win tonight, Dallas is going to have to set the tone early. They are going to have to get key contributions from guys like Marty Turco, Brad Richards, Mike Modano, and especially Brenden Morrow. The first ten minutes should tell us all we need to know about this game.

Above all, if Dallas is to win tonight, they must live by their playoff motto of, "lock it down," and not listen to their native Texan's motto of, "mission accomplished."

Round Two Preview: The West

2008-04-23T12:54:00.009-05:00

So in round one... I got 6 of the 8 picks correct (75%) Not bad considering that trying to pick teams to win at this time of the year is like trying to nail jello to a tree. All you can really do is look at the stats, the history, and your intuition, and hope that you are not completely full of shit. So here we go! Round Two Preview..

Let's start with the West:

(1) Detroit Red Wings VS (6) Colorado Avalanche:

Key Match-up:
Niklas Lidstrom VS Joe Sakic
The best defensman in the NHL against one of the best offensive players this era. This should be a great match-up to see if Lidstrom can shut down Sakic.

Offense:
Detroit's top two lines are pretty damn good (Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Draper, Holmstrom) So many Swedes! They were top 3 in the NHL in the regular season in goals/game, compared to Colorado's #15 ranking. However both teams have been fairly even in the post-season in scoring. Colorado also has an impressive line-up featuring Joe Sakic, Ryan Smyth, Marek Svatos, and lets not forget Peter Forsberg. I believe Colorado has underachieved this year when it comes to their offense considering all the fire-power they have. Detroit is too deep down the middle.
Edge: Detroit

Defense:
Detroit had the lowest goals against average in the regular season, while Colorado has been stalwart in the playoffs. Anytime your defensive depth chart reads: Niklas Lidstrom, you can't go against him or his team.
Edge: Detroit

Special Teams:
Detroit's powerplay wasn't very good against Nashville, but there's no reason to believe that they can't rebound considering their history of consistency. Colorado got clutch power-play goals at key times against Minnesota, and has a penalty kill in the post season that kills off 85% of power-plays. Too bad Detroit kills off 91%.
Edge: EVEN

Goaltending:
It's still uncertain as to who will start for the Red Wings in the second round, after Hasek struggled against the Predators. Osgood mopped up, and got the series win. On the Avalanche side, Theodore has been great, and is out to prove his Vezina status. It's a battle of has-beens, for two teams that have always enjoyed good goaltending. Detroit's uncertain situation in goal is the final straw.
Edge: Colorado

X- Factor:
Jose Theodore will have to prove he's no fluke if Colorado has any designs on beating the mighty red machine

Verdict:
This is a great rivalry between two perennial Stanley Cup contenders, and a match-up we usually don't see until the West finals. However, Colorado was lucky to make it to the playoffs, and even luckier to make it past the Wild. The Swedes will pick apart the Avs.
Detroit wins in five games

(2) San Jose Sharks VS (5) Dallas Stars

Key Match-Up:
Evgeni Nabokov VS Marty Turco
Both of these goalies are trying to stare down playoff demons, and prove they can win.

Offense:
Dallas beat Anaheim because they were able to roll four lines, and get contributions from unexpected places. Eriksson and Lundqvist were both revelations in the first round series, and will be expected to contribute against the Sharks. San Jose has size, and more skill in their line-up. This should help them to win puck-battles along the boards (which is HUGE in playoff hockey), and get scoring chances. Joe Thorntons line will have to be huge against Dallas.
Edge: San Jose

Defense:
I keep waiting for the young Dallas defensemen to dissapoint me, but they don't. Niskanen, Fistric, and Grossman outplayed a GREAT Anaheim d-corp, and Robidas is easily the MVP for the Stars this post season. It looks like Zubov will play, which is an elephantine addition for the Stars. San Jose has one good puck moving defenseman in Brian Cambell, but Dallas has many.
Edge: Dallas

Special Teams:
The power-play has been huge for the Stars this entire year. The efficiency has helped them to win games they probably shouldn't. Of the remaining teams in the playoffs, Dallas has the best power-play, which offsets their mediocre penalty kill. San Jose had an average power-play against Calgary, and an absolutely atrocious penalty kill (worst in the post season at 72%) On paper, Dallas should pick apart the San Jose penalty kill.
Edge: Dallas (in a big way)

Goaltending:
Both of these goalies have so much pressure to garner post-season success, it should be interesting to see if the pressure gets to any of them. The real question is... after playing over 80 games so far this season, is Nabokov too tired?
Edge: Even

X-Factor:
Steve Ott was able to get Thronton off his game several times during the regular season. Can he do it again when it matters most?

Verdict:
Dallas was able to beat Anaheim in part because the Ducks were so arrogant, and had problems on offense. San Jose knows Dallas can beat them, so I don't anticipate the Sharks to be caught off guard like the Ducks. However, San Jose might be fatigued after playing a grueling seven game series against the Calgary Flames. Dallas will be well rested and ready to go. Like any other series, game one will be crucial, and will probably decide the winner. Dallas had the edge in the regular season, winning the season series. They don't get intimidated at the Shark Tank, which is important. However, I'm going against my better judgement, and my intuition in part because it worked in round one. Sorry Stars, I just don't believe.
San Jose wins in six

East preview comes tommorow

Discuss...

Playoff Preview: The East

2008-04-08T17:28:00.000-05:00

This analysis won't be as comprehensive as the Wests because I don't know enough about the conference to make an in-depth analysis. But i'll do my best:

(1) Montreal Canadiens VS (8) Boston Bruins
Bob Gainey is a master architect when it comes to building a hockey team, so to go against one of his teams is a tough task. Boston is the second lowest scoring team in the NHL and are going up against an offense that flows like diarrhea (Montreal has scored more goals than anyone else). Both teams have questionable goaltending heading into the playoffs, with Montreal relying on 20 year old Carey Price. Tim Thomas is the likely starter for the Briuns. This is a guy who has never started an NHL playoff game. Montreal is too good to be taken down in the first roud. Montreal wins in 4

(2)Pittsburgh Penguins VS (7) Ottawa Senators
What a difference a year makes for these two clubs. Less than a year after attending the big dance Ottawa is facing questions from the fans and the media about whether they are a viable contender. They were lucky to make the playoffs, especially when you consider the mess they have in goal. Gerber has been given every chance to be the #1 guy but has not stepped up. Don't even get me started on what a distraction Emery has been. Ottawa bounced the Penguins out of the first round last year, this year Crosby, Malkin, and Hossa are going to have to step up and lead their team to the semi-finals. The only question for Pittsburgh is their goaltending. Pittsburgh in 6

(3) Washington Capitals VS (6) Philadelphia Flyers
Ovechkin will dominate, but a weak Southeast division could spell doom for the Caps Flyers win in 7

(4) New Jersey Devils VS (5) New York Rangers
This is a selfish pick, I just want to see the NHL get good ratings. New York can deliver that. Rangers win in 6

Playoff Preview: The West

2008-04-07T17:24:00.003-05:00

(1)Detroit Red Wings VS (8) Nashville Predators

Why the Red Wings Will Win:

Simply put… they are the better team. Detroit has been one of the best teams in the NHL this season. They are 26 games over .500 (by far the best of any team). They are deeper at almost every position (besides goaltending), and they have a tough coach who knows how to win. Having the best defenseman in the NHL doesn’t hurt either.

Why the Red Wings will Lose:

They are relying on a tandem of a 40+ year old goaltender in Hasek, and a has-been, over-rated goalie in Osgood. Both goalies have been very good in the regular season, but the playoffs are a different animal. Detroit has also been bounced out of the playoffs early in the last few years despite being the overwhelming favorites to win (Calgary anyone?)

Why the Predators will win:

I’m giving Nashville the edge in goal, despite Hasek and Osgood having a Stanley Cup Ring. There is not much debate that it’s harder to be a goalie in Nashville than it is in Detroit. Nashville has also had a playoff mentality since March, and had to go on a bit of a run to make the playoffs, so that could help them to upset a suddenly playoff-fragile Red Wing team.

Why the Predators will lose:

They weren’t even supposed to make the playoffs with the garage sale of players last summer. So to say they are overachieving would be an understatement. They don’t have the depth or experience that Detroit has.

The bottom line:

This match-up is all about will VS skill. If Nashville can shock Detroit and take a few early games, they may be able to upset them. Unfortunately, I don’t see this happening. Detroit in 5

(2) San Jose Sharks VS (7) Calgary Flames

Why the Sharks will win:

This team has been so hot lately. How hot? By the end of February, they were in third place in the Pacific Division, they went on a run, and overtook the Ducks and the Stars to be the division champions. Over their past 22 games, they have only lost twice in regulation. This team is clicking at a scary time. Thornton and Cheechoo have been outstanding since the All-Star break, and Vezina candidate Evgeni Nabokov has been nothing short of sensational despite playing nearly every game this season.

Why the Sharks will lose:

The Stanley Cup is not awarded in March or April, so once the playoffs start, it doesn’t matter how many games they won in the latter part of the season. As good as Nabokov has been, it will be interesting to see if fatigue sets in. He started in 77 of the 82 games in the season. That’s a lot of rubber! This is also a tough match-up for the Sharks, as these two teams play similar styles.

Why the Flames will win:

They have two of the best players in the league in Iginla and Kipurssoff, and recently went to the Stanley Cup finals. They are a solid defensive team with players like Regehr, Aucoin and Warrener, despite being in the middle of the pack in goals against. Calgary also has one of the best playoff atmosphere’s with their “Sea of Red.”

Why the Flames will lose:

Calgary has been disappointing since their trip to the Cup finals in 2004. They underachieved in the past, and it’s uncertain whether fiery Mike Keenan can spark his team to make a long run.

The bottom line:

San Jose is really good. The trade for Cambell was easily the best move at the deadline, as it has payed dividends for the Sharks since then. Calgary has played poorly at home, and mediocre on the road, so finding a win will be hard. This series could come down to special teams, and if that’s the case it could be a problem for Calgary, they rank in the bottom 3^rd of both their power-play and penalty kill, while San Jose has the best penalty kill, and a top ten power-play. However, you can never count out the Flames while they have Iginla and Kippursoff. That being said, Sharks win in 6.

(3) Minnesota Wild VS (6) Colorado Avalanche

Why the Wild will win:

They managed to win the most competitive division in hockey, which is an achievement in itself. They did it on the backs of Marian Gaborik (who has over 40 goals), Brian Rolston (over 30 goals), and their new back-stopper Niklas Backstrom (top 10 in GAA, SV % and wins), who has been sensational as his first full season as the number one goalie. Add to that, that they play in front of rowdy fans at Xcel Energy Center, and have a shrewd, Stanley Cup Champion coach who knows what it takes to win.

Why the Wild will lose:

The seasonal fatigue of competing in the Northwest division could take its toll. Demitra has underachieved, and has been injury prone, so Gaborik is going to have to carry this team. Backstrom has played in five games in the playoffs, and only came away with one win last season, despite posting good numbers.

Why the Avalanche will win:

Can you ever really bet against Sakic and Forseberg? These players know how to raise their level of play when it really matters. Jose Theodore’s resurgence as an elite goaltender is GREAT sign for Colorado. They have the 3^rd most home wins, so they have to take all 3 home games at Pepsi Center to stand a chance.

Why the Avalanche will lose:

This team is getting old, despite rising stars like Wolski and Svatos. Theodore has played well recently, butI’m still skeptical about his abilities come playoff time.

The bottom line:

This series could come down to what most series come down to. Special teams and goaltending. If this is the case then Minnesota will win the series. Colorado has the 3^rd worst power-play, and are 20^th on the penalty kill. Minnesota ranks top ten in both categories. If Colorado can find a way to score first in every game, they have a shot. They have the second best record, only bested by Detroit. In the end though, Minnesota is the better, more balanced team. Verdict: Minnesota in 6

(4) Anaheim Ducks VS (5) Dallas Stars

Why the Ducks will win:

Until someone takes it away from them, they are the defending Stanley Cup Champions. The return of Niedermayer and Selanne has fueled this team to an 8-2-2 run in their final 10 games of the season.They are deep, experienced, and well coached. They are top 10 in nearly every statistical category and have a Conn-Smythe trophy winning goalie in Giguere.

Why the Ducks will lose:

They are arrogant, and play that way. If the Stars find a way to capitalize on their arrogance, it could spell trouble for the Ducks. Anaheim also has to hope that they can flip the “playoff switch” to get to the level they were at last post-season. If they can’t do that, this series could go to seven games in favor of Dallas.

Why the Stars will win:

The players have bought into the, “score by committee” mentality, and most are having career seasons. The ability to roll four lines that can score is definitely an edge that Dallas has over ANY opponent. Consequently, they have significantly improved their offense this season, and have one of the best squads to get into a special teams battle.

Why the Stars will lose:

Dallas has played poorly down the stretch are limped into the playoffs. They managed to win two games in March, after peaking in February. Turco has played poorly this month, and Richards has not contributed like he was expected to. The Stars will be without their best player, Sergei Zubov, for atleast the first round of the playoffs, which means Dallas will be dressing 3 rookie defenseman, against one of the best blue lines in NHL history.

The bottom line:

Whoever wins game one will win the series. If Dallas has any designs on beating the defending Stanley Cup Champs, they have to win game one and get their confidence back. Steve Ott (who I think is the Stars MVP) has to be an x-factor in the series and get the Ducks off their game. Richards, Modano, Lehtinen, Morrow, and Turco will have to stand out and play their best. The young defensemen have to step up and play like veterans. If Dallas does all this… they will win the series in 7 games. However, previous history suggests the Stars won’t do this, hopefully I am proven wrong. Verdict: Ducks in 5

Re-cap:

Detroit in 5

San Jose in 6

Minnesota in 6

Anaheim in 5

Eastern Conference preview will come tomorrow.

Destiny vs Dynasty... Who Will Win Texas?

2008-03-03T23:05:00.001-06:00

Today, voters in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island will finally get a chance to vote for the person they see can best run this country. While the Republican nomination is pretty much set with John McCain, the democratic primary has heated up for an old-fashioned Texas shoot-out. With Barack Obama ahead in both the delegate and popular vote count, the candidates are deadlocked in the lone star-state, and are looking to eek out a victory in the delegate rich state.

So with few policy differences between them it really comes down to one thing...

Will you vote for the candidate of Destiny, or Dynasty?

With all of the momentum in the world, and his message of change resonating with people of all ages, races and religions Barack Obama seems to believe that he's the candidate of destiny. That notion is incredible despite the obstacles and barriers he has had to overcome since childhood.
Nevertheless, Obama came out of nowhere to shock the Clintons, and has staged one of the biggest political upsets in recent memory. So how did he do it, and what does he have to do to win Texas?

Obama has run a seamlessly efficient campaign that would surprise most pundits. He has raised more money than any other candidate targeting a wide audience. To date, over one million people have donated to his campaign.

He has also appealed to people's emotions, with his powerful speeches. Wherever Obama goes, he draws huge crowds, filling up 20,000 seat arenas. That kind of energy seems to be contagious and has changed the democratic electorate to a younger demographic.

His vehement opposition to the war, has also propelled his argument, that he has better judgment than his rivals.

In order to win Texas, Obama has to hope for a huge turnout in large cities like Dallas and Houston. Combined, these two cities send more delegates to the convention than any other city in Texas combined. Over the past month, Obama has tried to get more specific, hoping to attract the older voters, and the all important undecided voters.

However, Obama's close ties to Tony Rezko, who is undergoing federal charges of extortion, money laundering, and fraud, could hurt him in the long run. When Obama purchased his house in Chicago, the real-estate agent insisted that he buy the piece of land next to it. He declined to purchase it, but Rezko bought the land at the same time Barack closed the deal on his house. Later on Rezko sold a portion of the land back to Obama, it's easy to see why people are raising their eye-brows over the deal. Obama called his handling of the purchase of his home, "a mistake," additionally he has said,

"With respect to the purchase of my home, I am confident that everything was handled ethically and above board. But I regret that while I tried to pay close attention to the specific requirements of ethical conduct, I misgauged the appearance presented by my purchase of the additional land from Mr. Rezko,"

We'll see tonight if this developing story stops Obama's momentum of 11 straight victories.

On the other side of the democratic race is Hillary Clinton, the candidate of dynasty:

Hillary Clinton has had an equally impressive campaign. For the better part of the 80's and 90's the Clintons built a powerful political machine that has stood the test of time. Since 1988, there has never been a point where there wasn't either a Bush or a Clinton elected in the White House. You can make up your own mind if that's a bad thing.

Hillary Clinton has always been a fighter, which is partly the reason why she is the first viable female presidential candidate. Although, she under-estimated Barack Obama, she has still run a fairly competitive campaign, heading into tonights contest. She has appealed to rural, blue collar-type workers, mainly because of that "fighter" mentality.

Having served the country for 8 years as first lady has also helped her campaign and her message of experience. There's no question that Clinton is the most experienced candidate in the democratic field, however Hillary has failed to tap into the imaginations' of the voters and inspire them like Obama has. She has also taken more money from federal lobbyists than anyone else running for president, fueling the argument that she will do anything to win. Even if it means sacrificing her own values. So now the question is, how long will he stay in the race?

That all depends on what happens here tonight. If Clinton looses in both Texas and Ohio, people have suggested that she may drop out of the race. However if she wins either Texas or Ohio, she will continue her fight to the primary in Pennsylvania on April 22nd. Wherever she wins, she has to win by big margins to be able to catch up to Obama's delegate lead.

Personally, I have already voted (for Obama) and plan to caucus later on tonight. No matter who you are leaning towards voting for, I sincerely hope that you do go out and vote. To check your polling place go to DallasNews.com there is a link there where you can put in your zip, and find your nearst place to vote.

Good luck, and good voting

Michigan Coach Goes Crazy

2008-03-02T14:40:00.001-06:00

Thanks to the miracle of YouTube, I found this clip of the Michigan basketball coach going crazy. Enjoy:

Did someone say anger management?

Funny SNL Sketches

2008-02-25T19:00:00.000-06:00

In case you missed this weeks new episode of Saturday Night Live, you picked a bad show to skip out on. The SNL staff picked on Barack Obama, and the media's love appeal with his campaign. Here are a few of the highlights from this weeks show:

A parody of last weeks debate:

Tina Fey admits Hillary is a bitch
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/#mea=221773

This next clip isin't from last week, nonetheless it's hilarious:

Change We Can Believe In

2008-02-21T10:10:00.000-06:00

Captivating, Insipring, moving, These are just a few words to describe the unique, and historic Barack Obama rally yesterday at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas.With a crowd of well over 20,000 which waited in lines that stretched as far back as the eye could see, Obama did not dissapoint, presenting his powerful message of hope to an audience of all ages, races, and religions.

The speech itself was eloquent, well delivered, and concise on the solutions that this country needs. He talked about his health care plan, his proposed $4,000 credit to help college students pay for school, his eagerness to stop letting lobbyists control Washington, and then excused himself because he had to blow his nose(he had a cold). A friend of mine pointed out later that she found herself nodding her head, saying, "it was so hard not to do," talking about the problems, and solutions Senator Obama raised. However, arguably the most memorable line of the afternoon, came when Obama said "We're sending George Bush back to Texas." All 20,000 stood up in unison and made the building tremble with noise.

For me, the rally was an exciting opportunity to be a part of history. Part of the reason why I like Obama so much, is because of his ability to bring people together, and make them enthusiastic about wanting something more. He is personable, charming, trustworthy, and most importatnly, extremelly intelligent. People say that Obama supporters don't know or understand the issues, however the people that I talked to had a great deal of knowledge about his campaign, as well as Senator Clinton's and Senator McCain's.

After winning the Wisconsin primary Tuesday night, John McCain said in his victory speech, that voters should gravitate towards experience, and that they shouldn't be deceived by an, "eloquent but empty call for change." I don't know about the rest of you that went to that rally, but that stadium seemed pretty full to me, and EVERYONE was calling for change.

This video doesen't do justice to the energy and passion that was in the building, but it still shows all the people that went.
Before hand we went to the JFK memorial.
Look at that line!

Ron Paul visits University of North Texas

2008-02-18T20:31:00.000-06:00

Republican hopeful Ron Paul visited the UNT campus today, and spoke to a capacity crowd at the Eagle Suite in the University Union. I got a chance to go to the event, and take some pictures:

Look a the the guy they got to inspire the crowd before Mr.Paul's visit. Yeah, that's a ten year old.
Here's the other guy they got... Look at his Beard!

Ron Paul at UNT!
Some of the good Ron Paul Supporters!^ The guy in the middle wanted to conceal his identity
Some random guy was dressed up, naturally we had to take a picture with him
I was THAT close to him. He's such a frail old man... I thought he was going to die right then and there.

Me and Ron.... sort of

This was my first time at a political rally, so it was a good experience. Ron seems to be a smart guy, but like I mentioned before, he looks so frail and old. He certainly cannot work a crowd very well, or inspire, but he appears to be a fine person.

Obama rally Wednesday. You can bet I'm skipping class for that.

Obama Officially Announces Rally Plans in Dallas...

2008-02-18T20:11:00.000-06:00

Presidential candidate Barack Obama will be holding a rally at Reunion Arena in Dallas, at 10:30 a.m.

The event is free, no advance tickets are needed, however entry is first come-first serve.

Get fired up! This is going to be a neat day.

Stars Shut-out Red Wings

2008-02-17T21:29:00.000-06:00

Dallas played really well tonight, especially early when Detroit was bombarding them with shots. Here are my thoughts on tonights game:

-Turco played REALLY well (28 saves). This might have been his best game this season. It's the first time he has beaten Detroit in regulation, so it's a big deal that he not only won, but got the shutout.

- This was the first time that Dallas beat Detroit at home in regulation since January 16, 2002. Belfour was in goal that game, and Niewendyk got 2 goals. So it was a long time ago.

-Dallas' last shutout against Detroit came in November of 2000. You think that's a long time, here's the kicker... this was the first time since 1973 that the Stars franchise shut Detroit out at home.
That's a span of...
34 years, 2 months, and 9 days
1,784 weeks
299,736 hours
17,984,160 minutes
1,079,049,600 seconds

So yeah...it's a big deal.

One last thing...
I met a young man from Scotland today, who go his own paper-route a couple of years ago, and saved his money to come see the Stars right here in Dallas. He was a big fan of the team, as well as our broadcasters. The ten-year old, came into the booth and got to meet, and talk to Ralph and Razor. It was pretty neat.

Obama to hold rally in Dallas on Wednesday...

2008-02-16T22:02:00.000-06:00

Presidential Candidate Barack Obama will hold a rally in Dallas on Wednesday.

Sources close to the Obama campaign have said the event will take place either at American Airlines Center or FairPark around noon.

More details to come as they become available....