THN Looks at Pacific Division

Last week Adam Proteau of The Hockey News looked at the Pacific Division and made some interesting choices. It's hard to see him place MY Stars 4th in the division, but it's hard to make preseason rankings too.

As expected the Ducks & Sharks are listed as 1 & 2 respectively, and the 'yotes are in 5th place, what may (or may not) suprise some of you is he ranked the Kings as 3rd with playoff hopes and the stars as 4th without.

Really thinking about it though, The Kings & Sharks made decent moves to show hockey prognosticators that they mean business this year, and the Stars did not. However, I don't agree with the suggestion that the Stars aren't already set up for a stellar year. I said it over and over, Scott said it time and again, and we're here to tell you again, our biggest problem with scoring was injuries. We have the very same roster that started the season with the Stars' best season start to date - and as long as Modano doesn't pull his groin and Morrow doesn't put his wrist under another skate ... we're set for another great opening stretch.

Yes, some of our biggest rivals look to have made some very serious moves in the off season, but so did we: we got healthy. Check out the article, what do you think? Are you putting the stars out of playoff contention this year? Do you think the Ducks are going to get 2 straight division titles? Let us know before the next cast and we'll include your thoughts in the show!

Past, Present & the Future

So we swept the Kings this year, going to only give up one game to the Coyotes as long as we play our game, three to the Sharks and hopefully no more than three to the Ducks. So after picking up all those points in our own division, why are we only in third place? The answer - it doesn't matter! The Stars are a top team in the NHL and I don't care what people said about them before the season started or what they are saying now about where we are and what chances we have in the playoffs. I know for a fact that the Stars players' mindset is not only making the playoffs but making it through the first round. Do I think they are thinking about where they are at in the standings, absolutely! But more importantly they are thinking about what it is going to take to win the next game more than who their opponent will be in the first round.

So here are my predictions for the eight spots in the West. Not going to touch the East until the final week. Number one will be Nashville. I don't like picking Nashville but I don't want the Dead Wings in first again. Second place will go to the Sharks. They are playing solid hockey night after night and nothing seems to faze them. Third will be held by Vancouver. They have been the strongest team in the Northwest despite the Wild making a late season rush. Fourth will go to the Dead Wings because they aren't strong enough to beat out the Preds but are strong enough to beat out Anaheim. The Ducks will sit in 5th and will beat out the Dead Wings in the first round. Sitting sixth will be Dallas and will take out the Canucks in a long drawn out first round. Seventh will be the Wild and will get beat by the Sharks in the first round. Finally and more surprisingly in eighth will be Colorado. Since they fought so hard to gain a playoff spot, they will continue that run past the first round of the playoffs and defeat the Predators.

That is it, my predictions. Give me your thoughts, arguments, support and your predictions!

NHL Ads, New Players and what goalie controversy?

I haven't had time the past 3 weeks to really post as much as I've wanted to. I've had plenty of ideas, but the job that pays the bills has had me too busy to actually make the posts. So here I am with a quick summary of what's been going on in my mind.

NHL Ads
This year the NHL has been pushing their "Just like you, and really good at hockey" campaign. In their troubles they've really come up with some comical ads - here's a couple of the recent ones that have made me laugh (one even includes Marty):

New Player(s)
I say this in the plural form because between contract extensions, injuries & actual new players the team seems to be growing. First and foremost, we obviously have a few guys off injury, namely Modano, making a difference. Second we got a great contract extension, 2 years worth $2m for Mike Smith. Smitty has been great when he's played this year, and now that he's healthy again as well we'll be seeing more of him. I'm glad to see next year we go into the season knowing who our goalies are. Lastly, and certainly not least, we had a trade.

Tippett and Hicks showed their hands early this year, as they have done in the past, and made a trade for the Playoffs ... Mathias Tjarnqvist has played well in the few games he was up in Dallas and shown that he's going to be a worthy player in the NHL. However, it won't be for us. Tjarnqvist was traded to division foe Phoenix for an offensive player who, on his new line with Modano & Lehtinen, is sure to help us get more goals ... and seeing Dallas Sunday with 7 goals? Yeah, I have confidence in the playoffs this year. For those of you concerned, this was the right move for Tjarnqvist too. I don't think he had his heart set to be in Dallas, so I don't think there is any love lost, and in Phoenix he has the chance to become one of the stars on a (going to be) young and growing team. As for the concerns over Nagy, and there are many of them, I say screw it. He has the history of being a +20 goal scorer twice in his career, and with the right team can be again. Jere & Mo are a great combination, and with another goal scorer by their side this line is going to be very dangerous.

Goalie controversy
Bugger off. This is a media story, and only a media story. Marty has a history with this team of being a strong player ... one of the best honestly. He just played 23 straight games before Smitty rescued him in 2 of these last 3 games (some would argue he rescued him in all 3). 23 straight games of 80 to 100 mile an hour pucks flying at his head. We're lucky he took it as well as he did. Yes, Smith has a LOT of promise, but he's still a rookie. He will be here until Marty retires, and then he'll be here after that. This isn't about who is the starter, as Tippett has said, if the playoffs started today against Detroit Turco would be in goal. So big media, stop pestering our boys with your headline news that means nothing. Let them concentrate on playing the game. Cover them, but don't pester them. Goalie controversy ... bah!