It has been a long, long time since I published anything on this blog.
That is not because there's been nothing happening I want to comment on, it's just been that time has eluded me and my priorities have been elsewhere. But these itchy fingers can go only so long before they start typing, even if it's just to get the voices out of my head, so here I am again. And although I plan hope to write about weightier matters as this year anno Domini 2020 unfolds, right now I am going back to a favorite topic that is sheer fun for me -- or at least it's sheer fun up until the Tampa Bay Lightning do something I don't like.
I am talking, of course, about hockey. The mathematical midway point of the 2019-20 season is already several games in the past and the psychological midway point is coming up in a little more than a week, when All-Star Weekend plays out in St. Louis. With that in mind, here are some thoughts and observations about hockey happenings up to now:
The Silent Streak
On March 22, 2009, Keith Yandle was in his second full season in the NHL, playing for the Phoenix Coyotes, when he got healthy-scratched by a head coach who happened to be Wayne Gretzky. Yandle watched from the press box as his Coyotes got curb-stomped 6-2 by Anaheim.
Four nights later he returned to the lineup and logged 14:32 in a 3-2 victory over Edmonton. And in the nearly 11 years that have passed since that night, he has not missed a single game for any reason whatsoever. In a brutal sport where almost everybody misses stretches of time due to injuries, this 33-year-old blueliner from Milton, Mass. has achieved iron man status and 'tis not like he's done it without being hurt: Earlier this season Yandle lost nine teeth after taking a puck to the face during a Saturday night tilt, and less than 24 hours later was back on the ice for another game on Sunday night.
Now playing for the Florida Panthers, he has put this incredible streak together without receiving much fanfare for it. With knocked-on wood and some playoffs thrown in, he could surpass the NHL's all-time consecutive games record by the end of next season. That record is held by Doug Jarvis, whose 964-game run ended in the fall of 1987. Keith Yandle's streak is currently at 842 and should be getting the same kind of attention that Cal Ripken, Jr.'s pursuit of Lou Gehrig received in the 1990's. Too bad it's not.
The Silent Star
On Sunday night Jonathan Huberdeau became the Panthers' all-time scoring leader, by virtue of a goal and assist against Toronto that counted as the 419th and 420th points of his career. So far this season he has racked up 61 points (18, 43) in 45 games.
Since the beginning of last season, the list of NHL stars who have tallied fewer points than Huberdeau includes -- just to name a few -- Alexander Ovechkin, David Pastrnak, Steven Stamkos, Mark Schiefele, Blake Wheeler, Jack Eichel, Johnny Gaudreau, and Evgeny Kuznetsov.
Across that span Huberdeau has scored 37 more points than Claude Giroux, despite playing one game less than him; and he has scored 25 more points than John Tavares, and 23 more than Auston Matthews; and his points-per-game average has exceeded that of Mitch Marner, Evgeni Malkin, Brayden Point, Elias Pettersson, Phil Kessel, and Vladimir Tarasenko.
Yet how many casual hockey fans have ever heard his name? And of those who have, how many could tell you who he plays for and what position he plays? Maybe there is just something about playing for the Florida Panthers that causes the broader hockey media to gift you with a crazy amount of anonymity.
All I know is that this 26-year-old winger from the outskirts of Montreal, already in his seventh season, is one of the best players on Earth and deserves far more attention than he is getting.
The head-scratcher
Two seasons ago Gerard Gallant coached the expansion Vegas Golden Knights all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, and was the runaway winner of the Jack Adams Award for NHL Coach of the Year. Last season he had them back in the playoffs, and this year they are very much in the running for another post-season appearance.
Currently the Knights are one win -- yes, one -- away from second place in the Pacific, and as you know, being in second place at season's end would equal an automatic playoff spot plus home ice advantage for at least the first round. The Knights' team shooting percentage is an uncharacteristically low 8.9 right now, but that is the sort of thing that is beyond coaching and would be expected to self-correct upwards by season's end, as long as they, with all their skill, keep firing the rubber on net. And of course, an increase in shooting percentage would be expected to deposit extra games into their win column.
So my jaw hit the floor yesterday when I heard that the Knights had canned Gerard Gallant, especially when the explanation given by GM Kelly McCrimmon focused solely on the team's performance but gave nothing concrete. McCrimmon said "we feel we've underperformed a bit" and "sometimes you have a feeling that something isn't the way you need it to be." He then added "it's hard to put into words" and "it's more just the feeling that you have that a change might be needed." (emphasis mine)
Come again? Gallant was slated to coach the Pacific Division All-Stars next weekend, for Chrissakes! Sure, the Knights expected to be a bit higher in the standings than they are at this specific moment, but they still have 33 games left to play! Like I said above, they are just one win away from taking over second place -- but that's not all, for they are just two wins away from first place. Is this what "go for it all" looks like, this firing? I hope not because it is as bad a firing as I've ever seen.
All I know is that this 26-year-old winger from the outskirts of Montreal, already in his seventh season, is one of the best players on Earth and deserves far more attention than he is getting.
The head-scratcher
Two seasons ago Gerard Gallant coached the expansion Vegas Golden Knights all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, and was the runaway winner of the Jack Adams Award for NHL Coach of the Year. Last season he had them back in the playoffs, and this year they are very much in the running for another post-season appearance.
Currently the Knights are one win -- yes, one -- away from second place in the Pacific, and as you know, being in second place at season's end would equal an automatic playoff spot plus home ice advantage for at least the first round. The Knights' team shooting percentage is an uncharacteristically low 8.9 right now, but that is the sort of thing that is beyond coaching and would be expected to self-correct upwards by season's end, as long as they, with all their skill, keep firing the rubber on net. And of course, an increase in shooting percentage would be expected to deposit extra games into their win column.
So my jaw hit the floor yesterday when I heard that the Knights had canned Gerard Gallant, especially when the explanation given by GM Kelly McCrimmon focused solely on the team's performance but gave nothing concrete. McCrimmon said "we feel we've underperformed a bit" and "sometimes you have a feeling that something isn't the way you need it to be." He then added "it's hard to put into words" and "it's more just the feeling that you have that a change might be needed." (emphasis mine)
Come again? Gallant was slated to coach the Pacific Division All-Stars next weekend, for Chrissakes! Sure, the Knights expected to be a bit higher in the standings than they are at this specific moment, but they still have 33 games left to play! Like I said above, they are just one win away from taking over second place -- but that's not all, for they are just two wins away from first place. Is this what "go for it all" looks like, this firing? I hope not because it is as bad a firing as I've ever seen.
Crease Clutter
In NFL circles, it has long been said the most popular player on each team is its backup quarterback. The same can sometimes be said about backup goalies in the NHL, and in many cases it's even more true with them than with QB's. This is because backup QB's seldom play unless the starter is injured, whereas the length of the hockey season means backup goaltenders usually get 20+ starts per year... and therefore your average hockey fan's opinion is more apt to be based on his knowledge of how the backup does play at the professional level than on his hopes of how the backup would play.
This year some fan bases are in the enviable position of knowing that their teams have "too many" good goalies on their roster, and that something will have to give due to salary cap concerns, needs at other positions, etc. That is a good problem to have, but a problem nonetheless, and it makes for interesting speculation.
In Pittsburgh, Matt Murray is only 25 years old and already has two Stanley Cups to his name, and is unquestionably a #1 netminder. However, he has had issues with injuries and this year his numbers have sagged (.896 SV%, 2.91 GAA in 25 games)... And on top of that, backup Tristan Jarry is a year younger than Murray and has noticeably outplayed him this year (.930, 2.12, 23 games)... And on top of that the Penguins have other needs. They are again searching for defensive depth, and they could certainly stand to bring some promising young pivots into their stable in order to be ready whenever the day arrives that Crosby and Malkin go into decline.
So do they dangle one of their netminders as trade bait? Especially Murray, when you consider that his salary is already more than $3 million greater than Jarry's and he is likely to command an even bigger raise in 2021 (when his contract runs out) than Jarry will when his ELC expires this summer?
And meanwhile over in Manhattan, Henrik Lundqvist remains ensconced as the NY Rangers' starter and franchise face, with another year to go at a cap hit of $8.5 million... However that team is in rebuild mode, and for the past season and a half 23-year-old Alexandar Georgiev has performed well enough to take an increasing number of starts away from the 37-year-old Lundqvist. In fact, Georgiev has played well enough that there is reason to believe he could be a #1 right now... But then again, the Rangers also count 24-year-old Igor Shesterkin as being under contract, and he has for some time been considered one of the best young goaltenders in the world. After spending three years starring for KHL powerhouse SKA Saint Petersburg in his native Russia, Shesterkin moved to the United States and inked an ELC with the Rangers on May 3, 2019 -- and last week made his NHL debut by backstopping them to a victory over Cup contender Colorado.
So what should the Rangers do? Do they do the unthinkable and ask Lundqvist if he would be agreeable to being dealt to a contender, rather than end his career in New York while the Rangers focus on the future instead of the present? Do they trade either Georgiev or Shesterkin because they know either would already bring a solid return, whereas keeping them both on one roster is likely to eventually result in a goaltender controversy that ends with one of them leaving anyway?
If the Pens or Rangers decide to deal one of their netminders, who would they deal them to? Carolina needs one to boost its chances of winning it all, but surely neither the Pens nor Rangers would want to trade such a good goalie to a division rival, would they?
While Ottawa and Montreal both need a good young goalie, would either club be willing to hand over what they need to hand over to obtain one? And would either the Pens or Rangers be foolish enough to take Carey Price and his albatross of a contract off of Montreal's hands, if that is what the Habs require to consummate a trade?
There are trade options out West for either Murray or Jarry or Georgiev or Shesterkin, but could they pan out? The Colorado Avalanche seem like a good bet, because they are set up to win now and for the foreseeable future but their crease looks like their weak link. Oh, and they have cap space to use!
And speaking of Colorado's cap space: Does its existence, combined with the "now" part of that phrase "set up to win now and for the foreseeable future," mean they might be willing to take on Carey Price's contract for the sake of chasing the Cup while he still has a few years to go before he turns 35?
Or, more realistically, might that combination of "now" and "cap space" make the Avs eager to trade for Lundqvist? You know, seeing as how the commitment is not as daunting with his salary being $2 million less than Price's and his contract only having one year remaining compared to Price having six years left on his?
Who knows the answers to any of these questions? I don't, and I don't know why I like thinking about them, but for some reason I do.
My Lightning Indulgence
I have a lot I want to say about my Tampa Bay Lightning, but I'll spare you. This post has already gone too long, so I will wait until next time to opine about the Bolts. Take care!
This year some fan bases are in the enviable position of knowing that their teams have "too many" good goalies on their roster, and that something will have to give due to salary cap concerns, needs at other positions, etc. That is a good problem to have, but a problem nonetheless, and it makes for interesting speculation.
In Pittsburgh, Matt Murray is only 25 years old and already has two Stanley Cups to his name, and is unquestionably a #1 netminder. However, he has had issues with injuries and this year his numbers have sagged (.896 SV%, 2.91 GAA in 25 games)... And on top of that, backup Tristan Jarry is a year younger than Murray and has noticeably outplayed him this year (.930, 2.12, 23 games)... And on top of that the Penguins have other needs. They are again searching for defensive depth, and they could certainly stand to bring some promising young pivots into their stable in order to be ready whenever the day arrives that Crosby and Malkin go into decline.
So do they dangle one of their netminders as trade bait? Especially Murray, when you consider that his salary is already more than $3 million greater than Jarry's and he is likely to command an even bigger raise in 2021 (when his contract runs out) than Jarry will when his ELC expires this summer?
And meanwhile over in Manhattan, Henrik Lundqvist remains ensconced as the NY Rangers' starter and franchise face, with another year to go at a cap hit of $8.5 million... However that team is in rebuild mode, and for the past season and a half 23-year-old Alexandar Georgiev has performed well enough to take an increasing number of starts away from the 37-year-old Lundqvist. In fact, Georgiev has played well enough that there is reason to believe he could be a #1 right now... But then again, the Rangers also count 24-year-old Igor Shesterkin as being under contract, and he has for some time been considered one of the best young goaltenders in the world. After spending three years starring for KHL powerhouse SKA Saint Petersburg in his native Russia, Shesterkin moved to the United States and inked an ELC with the Rangers on May 3, 2019 -- and last week made his NHL debut by backstopping them to a victory over Cup contender Colorado.
So what should the Rangers do? Do they do the unthinkable and ask Lundqvist if he would be agreeable to being dealt to a contender, rather than end his career in New York while the Rangers focus on the future instead of the present? Do they trade either Georgiev or Shesterkin because they know either would already bring a solid return, whereas keeping them both on one roster is likely to eventually result in a goaltender controversy that ends with one of them leaving anyway?
If the Pens or Rangers decide to deal one of their netminders, who would they deal them to? Carolina needs one to boost its chances of winning it all, but surely neither the Pens nor Rangers would want to trade such a good goalie to a division rival, would they?
While Ottawa and Montreal both need a good young goalie, would either club be willing to hand over what they need to hand over to obtain one? And would either the Pens or Rangers be foolish enough to take Carey Price and his albatross of a contract off of Montreal's hands, if that is what the Habs require to consummate a trade?
There are trade options out West for either Murray or Jarry or Georgiev or Shesterkin, but could they pan out? The Colorado Avalanche seem like a good bet, because they are set up to win now and for the foreseeable future but their crease looks like their weak link. Oh, and they have cap space to use!
And speaking of Colorado's cap space: Does its existence, combined with the "now" part of that phrase "set up to win now and for the foreseeable future," mean they might be willing to take on Carey Price's contract for the sake of chasing the Cup while he still has a few years to go before he turns 35?
Or, more realistically, might that combination of "now" and "cap space" make the Avs eager to trade for Lundqvist? You know, seeing as how the commitment is not as daunting with his salary being $2 million less than Price's and his contract only having one year remaining compared to Price having six years left on his?
Who knows the answers to any of these questions? I don't, and I don't know why I like thinking about them, but for some reason I do.
My Lightning Indulgence
I have a lot I want to say about my Tampa Bay Lightning, but I'll spare you. This post has already gone too long, so I will wait until next time to opine about the Bolts. Take care!
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