NHL Faceoff: Tough divisions, Olympics, clutch goalie
CBS.SportsLine.com's Wes Goldstein and Greg Cimilluca provide analysis on three weekly topics.
| Which is the NHL's most competitive division? | |
| Wes Goldstein | Greg Cimilluca |
Teams play division foes eight times each this year, which makes
intra-divisional play critical and puts lots of points up for
grabs. The thing is, those points are tougher to get in some
places than others. The Atlantic Division has three teams that are
playing very well right now, with the Philadelphia Flyers and New
Jersey Devils coming on strong in the past six weeks and the
surprising New York Rangers sputtering at times, but holding on to
most of the momentum they created with a great start. In the
Northeast, Central and Pacific Divisions, the races have
effectively boiled down to two teams each, while in the Southeast,
the upstart Carolina Hurricanes are running away with things. That
won't happen in Northwest Division -- clearly the most competitive
-- where the top four teams are separated by only seven points and
all are in the playoff picture. The Calgary Flames have been
clinging to the top spot most of the year, but the talented
Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks have stayed close
throughout despite repeated bouts of inconsistency. And if the
Edmonton Oilers could upgrade their goaltending, they could run
right past the pack as well. Even the Minnesota Wild, which has an
excellent tandem between the pipes, aren't far enough away to be
considered out of things. This division's lead should turn over
several times before the season ends and may not be decided until
the last weekend.
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It would be easy to just look at the standings and see which
division has the tightest packaging -- from first to last in
points -- to answer this question. It just so happens that "easy"
is also right in this instance. The Northwest Division is set for
a great second half. While the Atlantic Division has a nice race
going (the Philadelphia Flyers with the "picked-to-be-last" New
York Rangers and 2006's best team, the New Jersey Devils), and the
Pacific Division boasts a decent top-to-bottom spread, the
Northwest is poised to put the most teams in the playoffs-and for
good reason. The Vancouver Canucks, Colorado Avalanche and
Edmonton Oilers are jammed in the middle, separated by a mere five
points (and division-leading Calgary only has a two point lead
over Vancouver). The Minnesota Wild currently sits 11 points
behind Calgary. That is good enough for last in the Northwest and
only four points out of the last playoff spot (which Edmonton
currently holds). While being 11 points out of first means the
divisional gap is slim, it doesn't always mean the teams are good.
That is not the case here, as last place Minnesota has a solid
team with goaltending depth and a coach that knows how to get the
most from his guys. Divisional depth like that means a lot of
great hockey in the Northwest from here on out.
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| Is it worth the NHL to shut down for the Olympics? | |
| Wes Goldstein | Greg Cimilluca |
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It's all about marketing and growing revenues for the NHL, and
nothing does more to help that process than widespread positive
exposure. As far as the league is concerned, it doesn't get any
better than the Olympics, which brings its best athletes to center
stage not only in the U.S. but in Europe, where there are lots of
television rights deals to work out in the future. The Olympics
just happen to provide a great hockey tournament as well, a boon
to the purists and something always worth watching, and if the
American team does well, it could dramatically increase the impact
on potential audiences. But that's not guaranteed with this year's
questionable U.S. squad. More important, participation does come
with a cost, particularly for those fans who couldn't care less
about international exhibitions because they have their own teams
to root for. The NHL's growth back home requires putting on the
best product possible, and while several rule changes have made
the game a lot more entertaining in the aftermath of the lockout,
taking part in the Olympics offsets things to an extent. The
quadrennial event puts a tremendous strain on the athletes by
condensing the schedule, forcing a lot of teams to play three
games in four nights or four in six. And it makes the playoffs run
deep into June, not exactly a time when everybody is thinking
about hockey. At the very least, compressed schedules reduce the
effectiveness of some players and have the potential of causing
injuries for others. So ultimately, not everyone will have the
same response when asked if it was worth it.
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There are several reasons for the answer to this question to be
"yes," and they are debatable. But in its simplest form, if you
are a fan of hockey, the answer must be "yes." If you have ever
watched your favorite NHL team in the playoffs -- where every shot
forces you to move two feet closer to the television -- your
answer must be "yes." In the Olympics, every game is a
playoff-like atmosphere and every shot has medal implications.
It's the grandstand of all grandstands for the sport, and it is a
time to show the world what the NHL has to offer. Following the
lockout, the last thing the NHL wants or needs is another
stoppage, but the Olympics should provide a positive shot in the
arm for the league. It also serves as the perfect segue to the NHL
playoffs. While there is no more "1980 Miracle On Ice" potential
with professionals being used (tell that to Belarus), the flip
side gives us the NHL's best, all in one venue. Yes, it taxes the
players, and they then have to gear up for the rest of the season
when they return. But there seems to be a different excitement, a
different pride in playing for one's country that even seems to
trump that of playing for the Stanley Cup. Count me in as one of
those who will be a foot away from the television come the third
period.
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| Based on play this year, which goalie would you want for a Stanley Cup Final Game 7? | |
| Wes Goldstein | Greg Cimilluca |
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The Hockey News recently polled NHL players asking who
was the best goalie this year and Ottawa's Dominik Hasek got the
nod. Based on his numbers, his experience in the playoffs and
international competitions and, most important, his Stanley Cup
win with Detroit in 2002, it's hard to argue. My choice, though,
would be Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff, who nearly stole a Game 7 win
on the road against a very good Tampa Bay two years ago and has
been every bit as good this year. Hasek will be 41 at playoff
time, and the grind of postseason action, which affords him fewer
days off than the regular season, is more likely to hinder him in
a long run more than Kiprusoff. But it's the style of play in the
playoffs that tells me things will be better suited to the Flames
goalie better. Stats can be deceiving, and while Hasek hasn't
earned his with smoke and mirrors this season, he has had a lot of
help from an Ottawa team that has been overpowering this year. The
Senators have given him big offensive cushions to work with, and
they play very good defense. Calgary is one of the league's best
defensive teams as well but just doesn't score. Their goal
differential has often been below 10 this season, which doesn't
leave a goalie much margin for error. In other words, Kiprusoff
has had to play an inordinate amount of tight games, the kind you
get during the playoffs, and the Flames are in first place, so he
obviously handles that kind of situation very well.
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I struggled with this at first as there are a lot of goalies that
are really winning games for their teams this year. Henrik
Lundqvist of the New York Rangers and Ryan Miller of the Buffalo
Sabres, two rookies, battled last night as if it was a game 7.
Both have played well enough this year to warrant some attention.
Next, and more realistic, would be Dominik Hasek, who is enjoying
some incredible play as an Ottawa Senator this year. Near the top
of the league in most goalie categories, his Stanley Cup pedigree
and a stud offense in front of him give him a clear shot as the
choice. Miika Kiprusoff of the Calgary Flames is another good
choice and a favorite of mine (Fantasy hockey). He is solid in net
and piggybacked the Flames to the Stanley Cup finals the last time
it was played. Darn near won it, too. Then there is Marty. Martin
Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils has always put up great numbers,
but that was before the new rules were put into place (or, the old
ones were finally being called). After some early season
struggles, Brodeur and the Devils are the hottest team right now.
And when Marty is hot, his team wins -- plain and simple. The
Devils began 2006 9-0, and Brodeur was between the pipes for all
nine wins. If Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals was tonight? Ladies
and gentlemen, starting in goal, Martin Brodeur.
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