Amidst the greatness of the MLB playoffs, the ending of the NBA lockout, the NFL season, college basketball and now the Super Bowl, the NHL has been wrongly overlooked this season, a season that is, arguably, one of the best since the lockout year in 2004.

While the NFL had what I thought was a very below-average season, the NHL has been the complete opposite. Of course teams like Detroit, Vancouver, Boston, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia are all playing well, but teams, such as Nashville, St. Louis, Ottawa, New Jersey, and even Winnipeg, are becoming more and more competitive, creating a sense of insecurity among many of the top teams.

Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Kane stole the All-Star skills contest with his "SuperKane" costume.

Take the Central Division in the Western Conference as an example. Four of the five teams in the division are in the top six places in the Western Conference, and all are within a game or two of each other. The Eastern Conference has a similar story in the Atlantic Division. Four of the five teams in that division are all currently in a playoff spot.

Inner-division games often have a lot more energy and are usually just better games than teams who don’t play as often, so I am predicting a very hard-fought NHL playoffs, which I am looking forward to.

Despite a 66% increase in sponsorship and advertising revenue in 2010, the 2010 Stanley Cup Final having its largest audience ever, NHL merchandise sales up 22%, and a deal with Comcast/NBC to air more games for the next 10 years, why does it still feel like the NHL is receiving the back-burner?

Hockey should be a lot more popular in the United States. It’s fast-paced, only lasts 2.5 hours(and would be shorter if the ice didn’t have to be re-surfaced between periods), has checking, has legal fighting, and features just as many “top plays” as any other sport. The majority of Americans like all of these things.

The answer to why the NHL isn’t as popular or gets as much as coverage is simple: $$$. The NHL just doesn’t bring in as much money as the NBA, MLB, or the NFL does, but I think this is about to change.

Ratings among popular events such as the All-Star Game, the Winter Classic, and the playoffs are all increasing year after year. These are all going up along with, like I stated before, merchandise and sponsorship revenues. If this trend continues(and there’s nothing to say it won’t), the media and other companies might start investing more in the NHL, increasing exposure and hopefully popularity.

So even though the mainstream media basically ignores the NHL, there’s reason to be optimistic. Sooner or later people will begin to realize what they’re missing.

The point is, athletes will do anything and everything to gain a competitive advantage.

Including flop.

In stark contrast to the four examples above, all of which show the risks athletes will accept for the potential reward of victory, there are flops.

Whether you love it or hate it (surely the latter), flopping will never go away because it is one more way athletes can gain a competitive advantage. And when you’re a professional athlete, your job is to win. Even if that means deceiving the referees, and perhaps even the spirit of the rules and fair competition, you do it…”professionally.”

I was reminded of this a few minutes ago when I came across this GIF on Reddit:

And then in the comment section, I found this gem:

(Side note: Click this link and just start scrolling down. It’s the web’s random, ridiculous sense of humor at its best.)

Frankly, this is why many Americans hate soccer…or at least why they criticize it. But that’s a pretty myopic viewpoint to take. Sure, some soccer flopping – especially the video above – is egregious, oftentimes hilariously so, but flopping is hardly exclusive to soccer.

Consider this moment from the NFL earlier this year – the sport that is supposed to be America’s new national pastime that pits gladiator against gladiator on the gridiron.

Umm…I don’t know about you, but I didn’t see any Giants’ opponents anywhere near Deon Grant or the other fella who went tumbling to the turf without provocation. Hey, at least the soccer guy above was clever about it. Deon Grant’s flop – an obvious attempt to slow down the offense – was frankly just silly, especially knowing that there are multitudes of cameras rolling to catch everything happens.

Grant’s flop actually caused an outrage when it happened because we aren’t so used to seeing football players flop so blatantly and unabashedly. We are, however, used to it in the NBA, where guys like Manu Ginobili and Reggie Miller turned it into an art form.

Depending on your perspective, Chris Bosh either took the art of basketball flopping to another level of genius and theater…or committed one of the most reprehensible acts in the reprehensible history of flopping.

He sure did sell it. But since Chris Bosh is kind of a tool (though a nice, well-meaning one) he doesn’t get a pass just because he induced the charge call. Reprehensible it is.

But it’s not just tools who flop.

In the history of sports, there is perhaps no man for whom the pejorative use of the word “tool” is a less appropriate descriptor than Derek Jeter. He is confident, smooth, consistent, regal, urbane, and he provides gift baskets with autographed baseballs to his coital conquests. It is absolutely impossible to at once be a tool and someone who provides gift baskets to the women you bed. Impossible. So say what you will about Derek Jeter, but you can never, ever, ever call him a tool.

You can, however, call him a flopper. Watch this video for proof.

If Jeter didn’t flop there (he did), then that sound which was ostensibly ball hitting bat was ball hitting bone, and that’s just nasty. But it’s clear from the vid that Jeter did flop, sold it Chris Bosh-style, and was then awarded first base. There is no word on if Jeter left a gift basket for the umpire.

So there you have it. Four of the most notoriously awful flops in the history of professional sport–what’s that you say? Why did I leave out hockey? Well, that’s pretty easy.

Because, as pointed out in the original Reddit thread that inspired this post, hockey is a sport played by men like Steve Stamkos – all of 21 years old – who take pucks to the face, bleed, lose chunks of their nose…and then return to action several minutes later.

No flopping there. In fact, if you just watched the reactions, you might think that Bosh and Jeter had been injured worse than Stamkos, who skates off rather calmly.

I’m sure flopping goes on in hockey at some level, though I don’t watch enough of it to know; but when men like Steve Stamkos are playing it, I can’t imagine it happens very often.

Now the question for you, dear reader, is which of the four flops above – each representative of the worst kind of flopping in its respective sport – do you consider to be the most egregious?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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And once you’ve answered the poll question, hop down to the comment section and remind us of other classic sports flops. There are tons of them. Let’s compile the best of the best (or worst of the worst, as the case may be) here.

The shootout format has been longed criticized. Many do not like the fact that, after regulation, there’s only a five minute, four-on-four overtime and then a best two-out-of-three shootout. Some people, like myself, would like to see the NHL change to a sudden death 20-minute period, like they do in the playoffs. Games might turn out to be longer, but there’s not much more exciting than sudden death hockey.

Still, there are times when the shootout does give a lot of entertainment. Here is Kane’s amazing shootout goal, plus four others that will blow you away.

1. Patrick Kane’s Many Moves Against the Wild

Patrick Kane has always been a flashy scorer. Some guys like to score with brute force. Not Kane.

He wants to score, and he wants to do it with a little bit of showmanship, and when Kane succeeds in doing that, boy, does it look pretty.

2. Pavel Datsyuk’s Tease Goal Against the Blackhawks

Being a Chicago Blackhawks fan, I can honestly say that while I hate the Detroit Red Wings there is one guy whose level of talent is so damn good that even a rivalry can’t get in the way of the respect I have for him as a player. That guy is Pavel Datsyuk.

You can’t find anyone who won’t admit that Pavel Datsyuk is one hell of a hockey player and one of the best two-way forwards in the game, so when he scored this goal against my Blackhawks, I was angry but not surprised.

3. Nazem Kadri’s Insane Backhand Goal Against Tim Thomas

Nazem Kadri has some of the sickest shootout goals I’ve ever seen, whether it be this absolutely insane forehand to backhand to the top shelf of the net or backhand to forehand. This kid has some of the best hands in the league today, and it shows.

4. Mikhail Grabovski’s Fake Backhand Goal

The level of balance and precision to make this shot is unbelievable.

Keep in mind, in a shootout, the player always have to be moving  forward. The instant he  stops, the shot is over. So players, if they want to be flashy, have to be extremely quick and precise about it. If you don’t think this goal is amazing just watch Grabovski’s stick and how quickly he moves the puck back to his forehand and shoots it.

5. Mike Riberio’s Between the Legs, One-Handed Goal

Take into account what I said earlier about the player having to continue its forward progress, and then add the fact that Riberio had to move the puck between his legs, stop on a dime, and guide the puck around the goaltender with one hand.

There’s a reason why you only see a few players attempt this shot. It’s too risky, but if you can pull it off, you will score a goal.

The captain of the Chicago Blackhawks has always been loved and praised throughout his five year career, whether it be being nominated for Rookie of the Year back in 2008, Toews becoming (at the age of 20) the third youngest captain in the NHL, or winning a gold medal in the 2010 Olympics — an Olympics in which he also won the award for “Best Forward.”

Toews has never had a “bad year.” Instead he’s only become better as the years go on and on; and this season Toews has really stepped it up. He’s currently second in goals scored this season(18), has garnered 16 assists, and has a +/- rating of 12.

He’s most certainly been one of the major reasons why the Blackhawks sit second in the Western Conference, below only the Minnesota Wild, and he is the reason why the ‘Hawks continue to be one of the most talked about teams in the NHL.

The ‘Hawks have been pretty good so far. They have more depth than last season, though they’re not quite up to par with the Stanley Cup team. They have a great set of goaltenders with Ray Emery, who’s been getting all the starts recently, and Corey Crawford.

But defensive inconsistency still troubles the ‘Hawks. Despite having eight defensemen on the active roster (a considerably high number), the ‘Hawks have yet to find a balance that works without kinks.

The pairing of Nick Leddy and Niklas Hlajlmarsson hasn’t worked, which was proven more in Wednesday’s game against the Wild when the pair had a team-worst +/- rating of -2. Steve Montador has been nothing special, and Sami Lepisto has virtually been non-existent. The “veteran” additions to the defense don’t seem to be working out the way the ‘Hawks intended them too, and it’s been the only lasting stain that continues to last as this ‘Hawks season progresses.

The reason the ‘Hawks have been able to stay atop the Western Conference is because of the consistent production of the core players, especially Toews. Even when he doesn’t find himself on the scoresheet, he still has a major effect on the game via face-off wins, a much overlooked and underrated statistic in hockey.

Toews, though still young, has already become one of Chicago’s most talented and most important athletes. He is THE epitome of what every captain should do for his team.

Talks about making changes to the six-division format really heated up when the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg this offseason. With two options on the table – one dramatic, one simple – the NHL picked the more drastic realignment approach.

While the ideas were voted on and will be implemented, there are some dissenting voices, as there always are, and there is probably going to be some debate when the NHLPA brings the idea to the union chief, Donald Fehr. The idea doesn’t need the unions’ approval, however.

This how the four realigned conferences will look:

Basically, the NHL has decided to break up the teams into four separate conferences named A, B, C, and D (I know right? Not the most creative, but they’re not the official names) and promised to have more “home-and-home series” between all teams.

Overall the travel will increase for teams, especially in the Eastern Conference, but travel among teams within the conference will be far less. The latter fact was reported as playing a major factor in the decision.

The top four teams in each conference will make the playoffs, and the first two playoff rounds will consist of intraconference matchups.

Some say the plan could be implemented as soon as next season. If that’s the case, I am excited to see how the new format will work and whether it’s going to be a success. Some rivalries are going to be broken, but some might just get started because of the guaranteed intraconference matchups in the playoffs.

I can understand where the problems lie and why some teams aren’t going to be in favor of this realignment. Even from reading the quotes, some of the members on the NHLPA loved the six division format, but knew change had to happen because of the Winnipeg move.

The drastic nature of this move comes as a huge surprise to me, but I am optimistic about the potential rivalries and great matchups we could see early on in the playoffs. Change always takes some time getting used to, but for a NHL season that has already had a lot of pleasant surprises (Minnesota and Edmonton ignored the fact that they’re not supposed to be this good) this news only adds to that.

Just guarantee me hockey, and I’ll be fine.

I watch when I can, but when Sidney Crosby is on the ice, I make more of a point to tune in.

And after dealing with the effects of a concussion since January 5th, Crosby will finally be back on the ice tonight.

Image credit: Keith Srakocic/AP via Camel Clutch Blog

Via USAToday’s article posted just hours about Crosby’s return to the ice:

More than 250 members of the media are credentialed to watch all of Crosby’s minutes Monday night against the New York Islanders (7, Versus) in what is probably the most eagerly anticipated comeback since Mario Lemieux came out of retirement of Dec. 27, 2000.

“It’s an excitement around here that you can’t compare to anything else,” said former Penguins player Phil Bourque, now an analyst on Pittsburgh radio broadcasts. “It’s like a Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Final. That kind of buzz.”

He has been called the next Wayne Gretzky and rightly so. His skill is unmatched and he plays with a certain finesse and style that hockey has been missing since the Great One himself left. When I was a kid, I grew up with the Red Wings of Sergei Federov, Steve Yzerman and Nick Lidstrom. I loved watching those guys play, but Crosby is a once in a generation type player.

This is what the NHL needs; drama. A little bit of hype can go a long way, especially with the NBA on hiatus. If the NHL can create more hype over the next few games that Crosby plays, they may attract the casual sports fan who is in search of something to fill the void on a weeknight.

Crosby’s return will be good for the sport and will hopefully ignite an interest for the NHL. I know I am interested and will take solace in excellent hockey instead of the NBA for now.

Watch Crosby’s return on Versus tonight at 7:00 ET.

While I was never a big fan of the NBA, I feel for the fans who may now go through a single year without their favorite team and players play. I also assume that many of those fans are looking for some kind of alternative.

Sure, you could turn to college basketball, a close counterpart, but where’s the fun in that? There’s also the NFL, but I am guessing most of you guys watch that already.

So I am here to propose you to turn your eyes to the NHL.

The NHL is actually similar to the NBA. There are five guys on the ice for each team (excluding the goaltender), the game is very fast-paced, the insane goals are the equal of a crazy dunk, there’s 82 games in the season, and you’d even be able to relate with other NHL fans who went through a full year (2004-05) without hockey due to a lockout. We’d be glad to talk to you about how much it sucks.

What the NHL has over the NBA is the quality of their fans. No offense, but going to watch an NBA, even a Chicago Bulls game, was very boring. The game wasn’t boring. It was the fans. I saw no excitement whatsoever from them, which was very strange since there’s always something going on in those 48 minutes of play.

I like to think that the greatness of a live sporting event is determined not just by the game itself but also the people in the stands you share that experience with.

For some reason hockey brings out that craziness in people. Not the insane type, but the way they react to happenings of the game. I am lucky to be able to see and experience some of the greatest fans who take shelter at the “Madhouse on Madison,” but I have been to other arenas, such as St. Louis*,  and their fans (as you might guess) are ardent hockey fans who are eager and honest about the positives and negatives of their team

*I’ve never been to a better sports city than St. Louis. The fans there are the most respectable and die-hard fans I’ve ever seen.

So, while I am not trying to get you to completely ditch the NBA, I just want you to give a chance to the sport that has brought me happiness. I think, if you watch it with an open mind, you will fall in love with hockey and continue to watch it even after the NBA begins again.

Granted, average attendance numbers are the product of many factors, including the size of the stadium or arena, the cost of tickets, and the number of home games.

The Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Hornets play in arenas that don’t even seat 17,319 people, let alone 17,872. Five NHL arenas have a capacity that is less than the league’s average attendance. The largest NBA arena, the Palace of Auburn Hills, seats 22,076; the largest NHL arena, Montreal’s Bell Centre seats 21,273. All but 4 MLS teams play in stadiums with a capacity of 20,000 or greater.

20,000 Portland Timbers fans fill the stands at Jeld-Wen field. (Wikipedia)

The MLS plays fewer games than the NBA and NHL (34 compared to 82), and most of its games are on weekends. Soccer tickets also tend to be significantly less expensive than basketball and hockey tickets.

Still, this is good news for Major League Soccer, which continues to grow and is positioning itself as the fifth major pro sports league in the United States and Canada (sixth if you count the CFL).

Tonight Sporting Kansas City hosts the Colorado Rapids in the second leg of their Eastern Conference semi-final; and the Seattle Sounders host Real Salt Lake in the second leg of their Western Conference semi. You can catch the Seattle-Salt Lake game at 9:00 CT/10:00 ET on ESPN2.

I mean, you could just do something else, but you won’t. So kick back, relax and enjoy the conclusion of the MSF NHL Preview. (View Part 1 here: Eastern Conference Preview and Predictions.)

Now let’s make like Ice Cube and “Rep That West”

Western Conference Team-by-Team Analysis

1. Vancouver Canucks

2010-11: 54-19-9, 117 points, first in Northwest

The Vancouver Canucks were the best team in all of hockey last season. Yes, they came up short against the Boston Bruins and Tim Thomas, but make no mistake, Vancouver was the toast of the league last year. They also have the benefit of losing only one truly key player in Christian Ehrhoff (Buffalo). There is no reason to think they aren’t the favorite in the West and potentially the 2012 Stanley Cup Champions.

I think 2012 will spell an end to the Sedin twin’s two-year reign as NHL scoring champions. But I’m sure they’d gladly make the exchange for the a couple of rings.

I don’t believe athlete’s as good as Roberto Luongo actually “choke”. Yes, same deal with Tony Romo. Sometimes circumstances unfold that are beyond control. Vancouver was simply beaten by Boston last year. It does not mean it will happen again

2. San Jose Sharks

2010-11: 48-25-9, 105 points, first in Pacific

If the Sharks don’t hurry up and win a Stanley Cup, they are going to go down as one of the great also-rans in sport. IT seems every year they are among the class of the NHL throughout the season before someone inevitably eliminates them from the postseason. I’m sure they’re thinking “this is their year” but they say that every year. And it never is.

The Sharks continue to tinker with an outstanding team. Gone is the newest Shark scapegoat, Dany Heatley (Minnesota), and joining the team are Brent Burns (Minnesota), Michal Handzus (Los Angeles) and Martin Havlat (Minnesota). All three of these players are potential game changers for the Sharks who will once again be a threat to win the President’s Trophy.

After saying all that, they still don’t feel like a threat to win the Stanley Cup. By all rights they should be, but they aren’t. The Sharks are remarkably consistent.

3. Detroit Red Wings

2010-11: 47-25-10, 104 points, first in Central

The best hockey franchise of my lifetime is finally slowing down. The whole team is a year older, they haven’t gotten past the second round of the playoffs for two straight seasons, and they lost four players to retirement (Modano, Rafalski, Osgood and Draper) and yet, they could still make a run at the Cup.

Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Nick Lidstrom are all a little older yet I would never bet against any of them. Jimmy Howard proved last season that he’s got the chops to handle the net in Detroit. Daniel Cleary looks to step up and could well provide 70+ points.

This team only has a few more good years before it’ll be time to make some major moves, but just because there’s snow on the roof, doesn’t mean there’s not fire in the furnace.

4. LA Kings

2010-11: 46-30-6, 98 points, fourth in Pacific

Drew Doughty is back, Anzie Kopitar is back and Mike Richards (Philadelphia) is now in town to possibly push LA over the hump into the elite teams in the West.

The Kings remind me a lot of the Chicago Blackhawks a couple seasons ago. They have a great, young foundation and are rounding their roster out with top notch players like Richards. This is a team that I think will surprise many this season and they really have the potential to make a deep run in the postseason.

It bares mentioning that they have one of the strongest and most underrated goaltending tandems in the league in Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier.

5. Anaheim Ducks

2010-11: 47-30-5, 99 points, second in Pacific Division

The Ducks are one of those classic stories of a team that always faces adversity but somehow finds a way to succeed in the end. First it was their come from behind victory to defeat the Hawks in their innagural season under Coach Bombay, then they took to the international stage to upset Iceland (despite Gunner Staal claiming Coach Wolf Stansson “lost it for himself”)

Wait… I’m getting real-life and Emilio Estevez movies confused again.

Plus, you can’t deny the unstoppable power of the triple deke.

6. Nashville Predators

2010-11: 44-27-11, 99 points, second in Central

Mark my words here. If Ryan Ellis gets 70+ games this season, he will be the NHL rookie of the year. He is the scoring punch this team hasn’t had in recent years and will, one day, be the difference maker for them.

The Predators are on their way up in the West. Last year they won their first playoff series before falling to the Canucks. And it was no fluke. Pekka Rinne is the best goalie you’ve never heard of, and Shea Weber and Ryan Suter form one of the most formidable defensive tandems in all of hockey.

If the offense ever gets the jolt it needs, watch out.

7. St. Louis Blues

2010-11: 38-33-11, 87 points, fourth in Central

David Backes and Chris Stewart are two of hockey’s best kept secrets. Together they form the backbone of this team’s offense. Jason Arnott (Washington) and Jamie Langenbrunner (Dallas) are two additions that could very well usher this club from being “this close” to being eliminated in the first round.

It’s progress. Just not dramatic progress.

8. Columbus Blue Jackets

2010-11: 34-35-13 81 points, fifth in Central

I actually feel eighth seed may be selling this team short. I LOVE the changes Columbus has made. They finally got Rick Nash a centreman in Jeff Carter (Philadelphia) and also added Vinny Prospal (NY Rangers) and James Wisniewski (Montreal). Both of whom are big upgrades to a team that was already looking much better towards the end of last year.

I believe Steve Mason will bounce back to his rookie season form and along with Blue Jacket talents like RJ Umberger, Grant Clitsome, Nash and Ryan Johansen I really see this team coming “out of nowhere” and surprising the Western Conference.

Anaheim proved last season that a team can make the playoffs with one major line, and a strong goalie. I could easily see the Jackets being Anaheim lite.

9. Chicago Blackhawks

2010-11: 44-29-9-94 points, second in Central

I think I’m the only person on earth that does not believe in the Chicago Blackhawks. Outside of the addition of Andrew Brunette (Minnesota), this team is no better (I would venture to say they are worse) than the team that backdoored its way into the postseason on an 82nd game loss by the Dallas Stars.

That’s right, Chicago didn’t even win to get in.

Yet, some people have picked them to not only make the playoffs, but to go far. I refuse to believe it until I’m proven wrong. Corey Crawford was good, but not great last year. The team is missing quite a few of the key players from two years ago, and while the core is still there, the core is not good enough, as we saw last year, to be better than very good.

I’m going to really go against the grain and say that the Blackhawks don’t even make the playoffs in 2012.

Vince Vaughn isn’t impressed with this preview. I wasn’t impressed with “Couple’s Retreat”. We’re even.

10. Phoenix Coyotes

2010-11: 43-26-13, 99 points, fourth in Pacific Division

Without Ilya Bryzgalov (Philadelphia), this team goes from possible playoff darkhorse to aggressively mediocre. The most interesting thing about this team is their captain, Shane Doan, was the last first round pick ever made by the Winnipeg Jets. He has played his entire career for the same organization and this year will play against the Winnipeg Jets.

Only in the NHL.

Wake me up when they finally sell this team and end the nightmare.

11. Edmonton Oilers

2010-11: 25-45-12, 62 points, fifth in Northwest

The team that owns the nicest jerseys in all of sports sure sport an ugly team. However, this is a team that I feel is on the upswing. Only the 1989-91 Quebec Nordiques have finished with the number 1 draft pick for three consecutive years. While Edmonton definitely has a chance to join that company, I think they’re just a little bit too good to do so. Besides, they may be bad, but they aren’t close to Colorado or Ottawa bad.

Edmonton gives it’s fans two very big reasons to be excited: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall. These two should form a dynamite one-two punch and, along with Jordan Eberle, could potentially help the Oilers, once again, forge a dynasty

12. Dallas Stars

2010-11: 42-29-11, 95 points, fifth in Pacific Division

They came oh so close last season. Dallas just missed out on the playoffs on the final day of the season. It will be a few years until they get that close again. Gone is their franchise player, Brad Richards (NY Rangers), and their longest tenured forward, Jamie Langenbrunner (St. Louis), leaving Brenden Morrow (not the Jays pitcher), Loui Eriksson and Mike Ribeiro to carry the load.

They cannot carry the load.

When your big replacement for the biggest free agent of the summer is Boston’s dead weight (Michael Ryder), you are in a heap of trouble.

At least GM Joe Nieuwendyk can tell his team what the playoffs are like.

13. Calgary Flames

2010-11: 41-29-12, 94 points, second in Northwest

This is a very difficult team to read. The Flames were absolutely awful for most of last season, then, not unlike the Leafs, turned things around in the second half going 27-11-9 and almost reaching the playoffs. Now, if you read my Eastern Conference preview, you know I picked the Leafs to finish eighth in the East on the heels of their big second half. The Flames however, fail to give me that same confidence.

This team will undoubtedly miss Daymond Langkow (Phoenix) and Robyn Regehr (Buffalo) and while they have some promising youth (TJ Brodie and Rene Bourque) to accompany Jarome Iginla, this is a team that’s very thin on talent, though the talent they do have is very good.

This team will revert back to their first half showing from 2010-11 but remain there for the duration of the season. It’s time to rebuild.

14. Minnesota Wild

2010-11: 39-35-8, 86 points, third in Northwest

The good people in Minnesota have had a rough year. The Twins came back to earth in dramatic fashion. The Vikings’ one bright hope is the fact they remain a frontrunner to procure Andrew Luck in next year’s NFL draft and the Wild? They sure aren’t as good as the North Stars were. Heck, they aren’t as good as older incarnations of the Wild were. Forget Marion Gaborik, this team longs for Richard Park and Cliff Ronning.

Actually, I bet if Cliff Ronning came back he’d be one of the best players on the Wild. Someone get his number.

Minnesota has now missed the playoffs three years running, and ranked 26th last season by scoring only 2.48 goals per-game. The solution for this is obviously the paragon of virtue that is Dany Heatley. I can not see Heatley adding anything to this team since he’s a player that requires a supporting cast to be anywhere close to competent on the ice. I would have no problem calling them the worst team in the West if it weren’t for…

15. Colorado Avalanche

2010-11: 30-44-8, 68 points, fourth in Northwest

The Avalanche just have not had things go their way since their dynasty came to a crashing halt. They are in the process of getting better, but there is really nowhere to go but up in this case. Semyon Varlamov (Washington) looks promising as the Avs goaltender of the future. But the future is a long way away.

On the bright side, if you cheer for a team in the West, I encourage you to see them play the Avs so you can walk away from the rink with a spring in your step and a song in your heart once your team thrashes them.

Postseason

Round 1

• Vancouver (1) def. Columbus (8)
• San Jose (2) def. St. Louis (7)
• Nashville (6) def. Detroit (3)
• LA (4) def. Anaheim (5)

Round 2

• Vancouver (1) def. Nashville (6)
• LA (4) def. San Jose (2)

Round 3

• Vancouver (1) def. LA (4)

As the resident Canadian of MSF, I was born with a Rainman-like talent for projecting hockey results. So in a rare moment where I’m not completely focused on the MLB postseason, I’m here to tell you how I see this upcoming NHL season unfolding.

In the interest of keeping these previews in reasonably digestible chunks I’m separating this preview into two parts, much like the NHL does with their league. Let’s start things off with the Eastern Conference (because that’s what Mid West Sports Fans is obviously all about).

(Read Part 2 here: Western Conference Preview and Predictions.)

Eastern Conference Team-by-Team Analysis

1. Washington Capitals

2010-11: 48-23-11, 107 points, first in Southeast

There are two stories to follow with the Capitals:

1. Will the best player in the world (Alex Ovechkin) and his line-mates (Backstrom and Semin) be able to return to form?
2. And will the addition of Tomas Vokoun (Florida) be the difference to make one of the best teams in hockey into THE best team in hockey?

I see no reason why Ovechkin and Co won’t return to form atop the NHL’s offensive leaders, and Vokoun is a phenomenal goaltender and the first one Washington has had that could allow them to make a deep run in the playoffs. I think the Caps will be the East’s best team in the regular season, but, for the first time, I think they could be the best team in the postseason as well.

2. Buffalo Sabres

2010-11: 43-29-10, 96 points, third in Northeast

Buffalo over Boston? Am I serious? Completely.

The Sabres had, in my view, the best offseason of any NHL franchise. Apparently, they came fairly close to wooing Brad Richards, which would have jumped them to my Stanley Cup favorite had they done so. Despite losing out to Broadway, the Sabres added Christian Ehrhoff (Vancouver), Robyn Regehr (Calgary) and Ville Leino (Philadelphia) while losing very little in Rob Niedermayer and Toronto’s new Faberge egg Tim Connolly.

With a souped up defense, a moderately talented offense, and one of hockey’s elite netminders in Ryan Miller, Buffalo will be a force in 2012. In fact, I have the feeling Miller will go on a springtime run of amazing goaltending leading Buffalo straight to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Insert "Miller Time" joke here.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins

2010-11: 49-25-8, 106 points, second in Atlantic

The Penguins shocked the hockey world last season by finishing as the number 4 seed in the East without their top two players and, arguably, two of the top five players in the world. Not to mention Jordan Staal’s injury. They will have Evgeni Malkin and Staal back, which bodes very well for an already strong team.

Sidney Crosby will be a question mark until he finally returns, if he ever returns. Really, Crosby has achieved all you can in hockey: Gold Medal, Stanley Cup, MVP, so I wouldn’t blame him if he wanted to be hockey’s Sandy Koufax and hang ‘em up while he is still capable of rapid cognition. Hockey could lose it’s franchise face, but Crosby’s stakes are much much higher.

With or without Crosby, I don’t see this team making a big run. I don’t trust Marc Andre-Fleury against the elite goalies of the NHL. They will be one of the best in the regular season, but their ceiling is 89 games between the season and the playoffs.

4. Boston Bruins

2010-11: 46-25-11, 103 points, first in Northeast

Boston could very well repeat as Stanley Cup champions. While many of their players played over their heads last season, they get to sing a similar song as Vancouver in that they lost very few assets in the offseason. Only three key losses will afflict the Bruins: Tomas Kaberle (Carolina), Mark Recchi (retired) and Michael Ryder (Dallas) have all moved on, but they really did not form the true core of Boston’s run.

I don’t expect Boston to be as good as last year in the regular season, but they don’t have to be. With their core group and Thomas and Rask in the net, they are built for another run.

5. Montreal Canadiens

2010-11: 44-30-8, 96 points, second in Northeast

The losses of Roman Hamrlik (Washington) and James Wisniewski (Columbus) hurt, but the additions of Peter Budaj (Colorado) and Erik Cole (Carolina) more than make up for it. Montreal has quietly built a very exciting young franchise. PK Subban is the next superstar defenseman of the NHL and Carey Price has temporarily silenced the critics in Montreal. To put things in perspective, being a goaltender in Montreal is the Canadian equivalent of being the Quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. There is so much pressure and such high expectations that few can thrive. Price seems to have the make-up to deal with it.

This team is not a Stanley Cup contender for 2012. But they will have their chance in the next few seasons. Expect them to move forward this year.

6. New York Rangers

2010-11: 44-33-5, 93 points, third in Atlantic

The Rangers, who have never shied away from spending, went out this past offseason and got the best available player in Brad Richards. And despite the fact that Richards was all the hockey world wanted to talk about for a portion of the summer, he is still criminally underrated. He makes everyone he plays with much better. He’s the Ron Francis of this century, and an absolute necessity in jump starting Marion Gaborik.

Brad Richards can now walk his investments to Wallstreet.

Gaborik toiled away in Minnesota as another of hockey’s most overlooked players. No longer. He’s healthy, and finally has the offensive support a sniper like Gaborik needs to truly reach the next level. Expect this duo to really turn some heads and be able to put up some goals for Hendrik Lundqvist (one of the top 5 goaltenders in the world).

The Rangers will be good enough to make the playoffs, but more importantly, with Richards, Gaborik, Lundqvist and, new captain, Ryan Callahan, are built to be a real darkhorse once they get there.

7. New Jersey Devils

2010-11: 38-39-5, 81 points, fourth in Atlantic

The Devils finished nearly .500 last season despite missing their two most important players, Zach Parise and Martin Brodeur. With those two, this team is playoff bound once again. Parise is one of the best two-way players in hockey and a real spark plug for the Devils. Without him, the Devils lost their identity. Now that he’s back, so will the classic Devils.

Martin Brodeur is the greatest goalie of all-time and no one has really noticed. Voting against his success is like betting against Mariano Rivera. If goaltenders are artists, everyone else is still using finger paints while Brodeur finishes his Sistine Chapel career.

Like their rivals, the Rangers, the Devils are a team that could thrive in the NHL’s playoff atmosphere. They are due for a comeback. Big time.

8. Toronto Maple Leafs

2010-11: 37-34-11, 85 points, fourth in Northeast

Oh the Leafs. While many teams in the NHL go completely forgotten, the Leafs’ fourth-line center sneezing is front page news in Toronto (don’t be surprised to see “Steckel’s Sniffles” as a legitimate headline). No fanbase in hockey has had to deal with as much frustration as fans in TO. The good news is, this team is improving. Are they good? No. But they sure may be good enough with 16 of 30 teams making the playoffs.

Brian Burke has built a strong defensive unit to hopefully provide James Reimer with some breathing room. Needless to say, the entire Leafs season hinges on Reimer’s continued success. He is the focal point of this franchise right now, and either he becomes Jim Carey 2.0 or he proves himself as the real deal. Only time will tell.

I see TO backdooring their way into the postseason on the final weekend of the season. They won’t do anything there, but just making the playoffs will be a huge step forward.

9. Tampa Bay Lightning

2010-11: 46-25-11, 103 points, second in Southeast

Tampa Bay had one of the craziest seasons in hockey last year. They lead the Southeast Division for much of the season before the Capitals overtook them, then surprised the Capitals in the playoffs before coming within one goal of going to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Now, can they do it again? While the Capitals are waiting for the playoffs to prove that they’ve improved, the Lightning face the challenge of proving that last season wasn’t a fluke. The problem is though, I feel it was a fluke.

While Steve Stamoks is the face of the franchise at only 21, the other keys players are all getting up in years. A bet almost no one reading this article knew Martin St. Louis was 36. Dwayne Roloson is one of the most underrated goalies in the NHL of the past decade-plus. But, he’s been around forever and he’s no Martin Brodeur.

The Bolts and Buds are interchangeable for the number eight seed in the East. But I think it’s more fun to go against the Lightning full boar here.

10. Philadelphia Flyers

2010-11: 47-23-12, 106 points, first in Atlantic

The Flyers hit the self-destruct button after once again failing to capture the Stanley Cup. They traded their top two forwards, Jeff Carter (Columbus) and Mike Richards (LA), signed Ilya Bryzgalov (Phoenix) and reached back into the attic of Pennsylvania to dust off Jaromir Jagr for this upcoming season.

A lot of people believe in these “new” Philadelphia Flyers. I, however, refuse to drink the Kool-Aid even if it means a June meal of crow. This team looks much worse to me without their top two players. Yes, they still have Briere, Hartnell, and Jagr will turn the clock back like the true superstars tend to do, but it will not be enough. That being said, I can’t wait to watch Jagr outmaneuver players less than half his age with vim and vigour.

The mullet is gone, does the talent remain?

Philadelphia is in for a rough year once the Phillies fail to win the World Series again, the Eagle go down as the best 7-9 team OF ALL TIME and the Flyers fail to even make the playoffs. At least the 76ers won’t have a chance to let the city down.

11. Winnipeg Jets

2010-11: 34-36-12, 80 points, fourth in Southeast

Only in the completely logical world of the National Hockey League can a team in Manitoba, Canada play in the Southeast Division. Think about it too long and your ear will start to bleed.

The Jets will be better than the Thrashers. It’s a young team on the rise and they will go from having virtually no local support to already being sold out for the next three seasons. That being said, this team looks almost exactly the same as last year, minus so fancier jerseys. Look for the Jets to be a threat in a couple years. Maybe even 2012-13. If you think they will be any sooner, you’re living in a delusion.

12. Carolina Hurricanes

2010-11: 40-31-11, 91 points, third in Southeast

I really like the Hurricanes. They are a fun team to watch. Cam Ward is an exceptional goaltender. Jeff Skinner is coming off winning the Calder Trophy (rookie of the year) and the team has all sorts of motivation after missing out on the playoffs on the last day of the season last year.

That being said, I think they take a step back in 2012. Ward probably won’t be 2011 good again and the team will really miss Erik Cole (Montreal).

13. New York Islanders

2010-11: 30-39-13, 73 points, fifth in Atlantic

It feels wrong to rank to Islanders this high. They are that bad. However, Ottawa and Florida are much worse.

The goaltending situation is an absolute gong show. Rick DiPietro could stand as the prime cautionary tale of signing players to obscenely long contracts (he signed for 15 years back in 2006. Since then, he’s played two full seasons and been injured for three). Al Montoya sounds like a pro wrestler from the early 90s, and plays like one too. So Long Island decided to throw good money after bad and bring in Evgeni Nabokov (KHL) in the hopes he can turn the clock back. He can’t.

No chance of the playoffs. Not for a long, long time.

14. Florida Panthers

2010-11: 30-40-12, 72 points, fifth in Southeast

Jose Theodore (Minnesota), Kris Versteeg (Philadelphia) and Ed Jovanovski (Phoenix) will all help this team… not finish last. They won’t see the playoffs for a long time. And nobody reading this cares about the Panthers. Nobody cares about the Panthers.

15. Ottawa Senators

2010-11: 32-40-10, 74 points, fifth in Northeast

This team is UGLY. No other way to put it. When a city is getting excited about Alex Auld (Montreal) there are real problems.

This team is my pick to finish dead last in the league. Which is good for them. Their AHL team won the Calder Cup last year, so the farm is brimming with future talent. High draft picks will only augment that as Ottawa waits to get rid of the albatross contracts they are still carrying.

Just avoid any Ottawa media this year as they continue to pretend Mike Fisher is relevant and Carrie Underwood is a jezebel who should be burned at the stake.

Postseason Predictions

Round 1

• Washington (1) def. Toronto (8)
• Buffalo (2) def. New Jersey (7)
• New York (6) def. Pittsburgh (3)
• Boston (4) def. Montreal (5)

Even in my dream world they play in Round 1. The Macho Man is also there obviously.

Round 2

• New York (6) def. Washington (1)
• Buffalo (2) def. Boston (4)

Round 3

• Buffalo (2) def. New York (6)

Stay tuned for the Western Conference Preview this afternoon…

**********

* – Ryan Miller photo credit: NHL.com
* – Brad Richards photo credit: NY Daily News
* – Jaromir Jagr photo credit: Roto Rob
* – Habs vs. Bruins photo credit: Funny Or Die

And if you don’t know about the Vancouver/Chicago rivalry by now, you need to…ASAP.
The Canucks and Blackhawks have never really liked each other, but recently the two teams have seemed to face eachother every year in the playoffs. These constant meetings have had the two teams at eachother’s throats for the past three years. Everything from calling out and making fun of Vancouver’s goaltender, Roberto Luongo, to cheap shots and fan fights.

If you want to see dirty, exciting hockey, just turn on the TV when these two teams play.

Or just check out @One4theDagger‘s Twitter feed. Yesterday she went crazy with the “You know you’re a Canucks fan if…” Here are some examples.

If you thought that was rough, check out her other ones.

I knew there was a reason that I loved Twitter. If it’s good for anything, it’s good for fans of every sport to try to one-up each other. We should probably be doing something more productive, but every once in awhile it’s OK to relax and have some fun

The bashing didn’t stop at just text. Oh no. It went to multimedia as well.

Here are some of the videos that found themselves apart of the bashing.

I am huge fan of these kinds of bashing, as long as it doesn’t get personal, and it hasn’t yet. Another thing I find peculiar is Vancouver fans haven’t been able to establish a substantial counterattack, or if they have then I haven’t seen it.

But then again, they have as many bragging rights as the Cubs do.

#IsitOctoberyet?

1. Decorate your desktop wallpaper with the Blackhawks

Every season the people working on the Blackhawks website create new wallpapers for you to set as your desktop background. There are player-only ones, one of the ice girls, the players standing for the anthem, a Stanley Cup ring wallpaper, various different logos, and a newly added Joel Quenneville wallpaper.

Once the season begins I like to change my wallpaper every month to the ‘schedule wallpaper’ that has a different featured player along with the all the games that the ‘Hawks will be playing that month. All of the wallpapers look very sharp and are sure to make you want to leave your computer on so people can see how much you love your ‘Hawks.

2. A Chicago Blackhawk Fathead

Now that you have your computer all decked out with a Blackhawk desktop wallpaper, you can now move onto your living room, garage, or wherever you watch the ‘Hawks. I know the Fatheads are kinda on the expensive side ($90) for the Blackhawks logo, but they are definitely worth it.

I know that because I own one. They’re very easy to put up, and they’re very high quality.  There’s nothing better than having the best-looking logo in sports on your wall for everyone to see and compliment you on.

3. Buy A ‘Toothless’ Duncan Keith Shirt

Duncan Keith cemented himself into the Badass Hall of Fame when he lost seven teeth during Game 4 of the 2010 Western Conference Finals against the San Jose Sharks, left the game only to come right back out minutes later to help finish off the four-game sweep, leading his team to the Stanley Cup playoffs, which the ‘Hawks would eventually win.

It quickly became Chicago lore and won Keith many respect from fellow teammates and Blackhawk fans.

4. Re-watch some of Pat Foley’s best on-air calls

Chicago Blackhawks fans are not only blessed to have a great logo and team but also great announcers to go along with all of it. One of those announcers is the great Pat Foley. He was brought back to the Chicago Blackhawks TV booth after a short stint with the Chicago Wolves.

I am really glad that Foley is back in the booth. It makes watching the ‘Hawks on TV a whole lot better. As irrelevant to the game as announcers are, it’s really hard to tolerate bad commentators.

I am looking at you Bob Brenly and Len Kasper.

He did not delay attacking rival Vancouver, and not just the team but specific players, naming Max Lapierre to be on the top of his list. Carcillo has a long history of trash-talking that goes along with his dirty play.

He’s no stranger to suspensions and pay cuts. In fact, Carcillo is suspended for the first two regular season games because of an in-between periods incident with officials last playoffs.

“The way I play I’m bound to miss a few games every year,” Carcillo said. “It comes with the territory. I don’t like being suspended or the pay cuts, but the way I play it’s tough to stay out of the principal’s office.”

But all of this toughness and dirty attitude is exactly what GM Stan Bowman wanted to bring to the ‘Hawks this season. Jamal Meyers and Steve Montador, along with Carcillo, complement the ‘Hawks’ desire to add toughness to the team.

But some criticize the move to bring in Carcillo, who they claim has too big of a mouth and not enough skill to counter it; they compare Carcillo to Carlos Zambrano, and part of that is true. Carcillo has never been a very productive forward. He’s an infamous tweeter, though he no longer has an account, and he only amassed a total of six points last season in 57 games (but being moved onto the fourth line will have that affect on your stats).

With all that to his name, it puts fans in a tough spot deciding whether signing Carcillo is worth all the extra ‘baggage’ he brings with him. NHL fans love tough players, but having a big mouth and using it a lot without backing it up is a very fast way to make enemies, even if they’re your fans.

The direction Bowman wants to go with these new players isn’t entirely new, but the trash talking is. The ‘Hawks had tough guys before in Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien, but those guys complimented their grittiness with offensive skills, and they rarely ever called players out directly in interviews.

There is no doubt Carcillo can play the gritty part, but offensive production is an uncertainty. Carcillo has gotten better when it comes to staying out of the penalty box and he did have a somewhat decent offensive season in 2009-10, so there’s reason to be somewhat optimistic.

Carcillo insists that, given a fresh start, he can prove he’s worth the risk.

“Everybody always (says) that I can fight, that I’m tough and I can hit, but I pride myself on my game, as well,” Carcillo said. “I never want to be that fourth-line guy and that’s kind of what I turned into last year. That’s what they wanted me to be and I had a really, really hard time with it.”

Carcillo’s exact spot on the roster isn’t known yet, but I assume it’ll mostly be decided by the way he plays on the ice and if he can live up to his own words. Either way, it’s a risk for the ‘Hawks that could end up hurting the team or prove to be an important factor in winning this season.

It all depends on how you look at it.

The ‘Hawks did lose a lot when they traded both Brouwer and Campbell, but what Stan Bowman gave the team in return was a good batch of role players. They’re not going to outshine or produce as much as Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, or Jonathan Toews, but they will distract attention from them.

Role players affect every single sport because you can’t have the best 12 (or however many) players out there on the ice/field at one time. Sport teams are like puzzles. Everyone has a spot. They key is to pick out the right person for the open spot.

While you can only speculate how things will go, there is one very important aspect that a lot of fans are omitting as they look forward to next season: the performance of Corey Crawford.

The Blackhawks’ goaltender played absolutely stellar last season, and for the season to start off on the best possible foot Crawford is going to have to keep up that stellar play.

The ‘Hawks recently have gone through goaltenders like the Chicago Bears go through quarterbacks. And the ‘Hawks have something I like to call “First String Syndrome.” Every goaltender that starts the season as a starter always finds himself out-shined, out-loved, and, eventually, ousted by the guy behind him.

Just like Bears fans hope Jay Cutler can be that franchise guy, Blackhawk fans are praying that stability comes to the goaltender position.

Crawford could be that guy.  Chicago’s defense last season was below average (to put nicely,) and still Crawford put up a 2.30 GAA, a .917 save percentage, and a 33-18-6 record all in his rookie season.

If there’s any way the ‘Hawks, or any NHL team for that matter, is going to be successful, it starts with their goaltender. Sure, the flashy goal-scorers are nice, but their play doesn’t always impact the game because there are other players around them that can pick up the slack. Goaltenders’ performance directly impacts every 82 games played.

Just look at the two teams that played in this year’s Stanley Cup. Both Vancouver and Boston have elite goaltenders that were one of, if not the, main reason they made it that far. If the ‘Hawks are ever going to return to the Stanley Cup it’s going to have to start at the goaltending position. A championship team only happens because they have an elite goaltender.

Crawford faced a lot more shots than he should have last season because of the weakness of the defense. The added toughness, veteran presence, and the likelihood of Ducan Keith going back to the play that earned him a Norris trophy (he’s too good of a defenseman to not) should hopefully reduce that shot count, relieving a lot of pressure Crawford had to deal with for most of the season as well as the seven games in the playoffs.

If there should be any doubts surrounding the Blackhawks, it should be focused on Crawford because I think the ‘Hawks have a better defense when it comes to players who can stop the player before he gets a shot off.

Their defense isn’t perfect, and time will only tell, but the season will really go downhill if Crawford suffers from “First String Syndrome.”

There’s always Alexander Salak though.

Read over the teams again. See anything missing?

There’s no Detroit in that list.

The man who might have “let the cat out of the bag” is Minnesota’s owner Craig Leopold, who, on Minneapolis’s KFAN radio, told the interviewer about the NHL’s supposed realignment that could take affect at the start of the 2012-13 season.

“Our division would include the Winnipeg Jets, us, the Blues, the Nashville Predators, the Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, and maybe the Columbus Blue Jackets… maybe not depending on if they go east or west. I am all in favor of that. I think that is a grand slam, home run, hat trick for our team.

We’re all Central Division now. All of our teams, except for Columbus, all of our teams will be Central Division. We’ll play less teams in Canada. We will play every team home and away at least one time.”

It has also been widely reported that Detroit would be leaving the Western Conference and joining the Eastern Conference, leaving the ‘Hawks the only Original Six team in the Western Conference.

Of course none of this is actually set in stone, but the tone in which Leopold spoke, and the fact that Detroit management has its “fingers and toes crossed”  for a switch to happen because it would cut travel time and allow them to play more Original Six teams, gives this scenario some credibility.

So, if this does happen, will this be a good or bad thing for the Blackhawks?

My answer would be both yes and no.

First off, the importance of the Detroit/Chicago rivalry would be severely hindered. Logically, it’s a good thing since the ‘Hawks have a career 270-354-84-7 record against the Red Wings, but it would end a tradition that started all the way back to the 1926-27 season. The rivalry is one of, if not the most entertaining and intense rivalry in the NHL, and ending such tradition (at least in the division) doesn’t sit well with a lot of fans.

But, on the other side, it could be a very positive change for the Blackhawks in terms of less competition within their division. There has only been one time in the past 12 years that the Red Wings didn’t find themselves on top of the Central Division, losing the title to the Blackhawks in the 2009-10 season.

If the standings for last season were based on what Leopold said the divisions could be moving forward, then the Central Division standings would have looked like this: Nashville (99 points), Chicago (97 points), Dallas (95 points), St. Louis (87 points), Columbus (81 points), and Winnipeg (80 points).

The ‘Hawks wouldn’t be division leaders, but it’s hard to not suggest that the ‘Hawks would have a better chance to be more successful in the Central Division with these changes. They would have an easier schedule with such a division setup.

Like I said before, nothing is set in stone because the NHL hasn’t officially announced anything yet, but if such a deal like this should be done I think it would benefit the Blackhawks despite losing a much-loved and respected rivalry.