Friday, July 31, 2015
Thursday, July 30, 2015
2015-2016 Toronto Maple Leafs...
what is the difference between the first year of Mike Babcock as head coach of the Red Wings,and this season of him being the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs,this season??? answer:TALENT!!!! that is as blunt as i can be... i look at the current main roster of the Maple Leafs,and i do see talent on the roster,but honestly,the current roster has done very little over the past decade,except lose games,and collapse at the end of recent seasons... Babcock is a very good coach,but he has a major reconstruction,and reclamation project on his plate,in the Maple Leafs... two major positive areas on the team are the goaltending,and the farm system(the Toronto Marlies)... James Reimer reminds me of a young Jimmy Howard... he has that type of talent,but only has shown streaks of inconsistency,in goal,so far,in his NHL career... captain Dion Phaneuf may be the team's best player,but the quality of overall play drops off quickly,on the main roster,unless you want to play it tough with the Maple Leafs... expect improvement,simply because Babcock will not accept losing,period... one thing that i know about Babcock,his team system will work in Toronto,but the overall talent definitely has to improve to make a run at the Stanley Cup playoffs... unfortunately,this will not be the year that they will make a run at the Stanley Cup playoffs,unless two or three teams simply implode from within,and in the Eastern Conference,that will not happen,at least,this year....
2015-2016 Arizona Coyotes...
the teams at the bottom of the NHL standings have similar deficits,last season... the Arizona Coyotes finished dead last in the Western Conference(by six points),last season... the Coyotes were one of only two teams in the NHL last season to allow more than 100 goals(102)than they scored(the Buffalo Sabres were the other team),so the goaltending really stunk most of the season... Mike Smith has to improve in goal,and the main roster has to improve... they do have talent(some very good talent),but the overall talent on the main roster is rather weak... Oliver Ekman-Larsson is the team's best player,but unfortunately,he is a defenseman... captain Shane Doan is nearing his 20th NHL season,and is the last original Winnipeg Jets' player,when the franchise moved to the Valley of the Sun,in 1995... in fact,he is the last original Winnipeg Jets' player,in the entire NHL... will the Coyotes improve,this season??? this is easy to predict... i am sorry,Coyotes' fans(if you can find one),i say no... with the arena lease,and the situation in Glendale(with a very hostile city council)crumbling,the fans in Arizona do not seem to care for a 82 game season,and that is a shame...
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
comments...
the next NHL team previews will be the Toronto Maple Leafs,and the Arizona Coyotes,who actually finished dead last,in the Western Conference,behind the Edmonton Oilers(by six points)... the reason i took Edmonton first was simply,because they had the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft... i will do Arizona first,possibly tonight,or tomorrow,and then Toronto tomorrow night... note:i still feel iffy,but am getting better...
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
2015-2016 Edmonton Oilers...
expect the Edmonton Oilers to improve,but how much is the $64,000 question??? they have two very good goaltenders(Ben Scrivens,and Cam Talbot)to fight for the starting spot... they have four number one overall draft picks,including this year's "next Gretzky"(my opinion,ha ha),in Connor McDavid,and a new head coach in Todd McLellan(formerly of the San Jose Sharks)...McDavid has skills like Gretzky(wide vision on the ice,sees everyone on the ice,and is a brilliant passer),but is the rest of the team like the team in Gretzky's heyday??? simply,no,but it should take some time to jel their chemistry,together... unfortunately,the Oilers have been at,or near the bottom,of the NHL standings for years,so much so that they have received four number one overall NHL draft picks in the past decade,so what will change??? simply,who knows??? they have much talent on this team,but folks,it is time to be a complete team,isn't it,Oilers???
blog statement...
i am not feeling well(nothing serious),so i will delay the Edmonton Oilers' preview one day,because i have stomach cramps when i sit in a chair... hopefully,i may do it tonight... need rest,but not too much... "Idaho Spud" time...
Monday, July 27, 2015
blog statement...
folks,i have to deeply apologize to you... i have not done much on this blog over the summer,so far... most of the blame goes to me,but honestly,the NHL has not helped too much,either... there has been very few things to talk about,but things will pick up going forward... this upcoming season,i will note the Red Wings.the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffiths,and the KHL'S Lokomotiv Jaroslavl(there may be even a preview of the team,too),more in detail,along with a preview of every team in the NHL,for the 2015-2016 NHL season... unfortunately,i do not read Russian too well,or that would change,too... however,i will comment on players in the KHL that i do know about,and i know quite a few... you may get live reports(scores) from the KHL,because there is a time difference in Russia,and the KHL starts in early September,so this blog will improve over the next few months...
2015-2016 Buffalo Sabres....
the Buffalo Sabres were the worst team in the NHL,last season,not by a small margin,but by a wide margin... they were 23-51-8,with 15 regulation/overtime wins(the New York Rangers,the President's Trophy winner-best in the NHL-had 49 regulation/overtime wins),and they scored 113 less goals than they allowed other teams,and then they lost the first overall draft pick,in the 2015 NHL Draft lottery to the Edmonton Oilers(they picked second in the NHL Draft)... the only thing they did good last season was the shootout(they were second in wins with eight shootout wins,in the Eastern Conference,behind the Columbus Blue Jackets,who had nine shootout wins),but being good in the shootout is like kissing your sister... they have talent on the team,but after 23 wins,in a 82 game season,and scoring 113 fewer goals than their opponents,last season,not even their franchise second overall 2015 draft pick(Jack Eichel)will help much... first of all,remember that name-Jack Eichel-he has skills,and will be a star.period... they have two goaltenders in their farm system who may be very good-Andrey Makarov,and Linus Ullmark,but the goaltending,on the Sabres has to really improve to make a difference,in the NHL... Eichel will start opening day,and will probably win the Calder Trophy(he is that good),but one piece does not make a team,unless you have skills like a superstar(Eichel does),but the rest of the team has to improve greatly,to make a dent in a very tough Eastern Conference... there are very few players that i would honestly pay to see play,and both Edmonton's Connor McDavid(more on him tomorrow),and Buffalo's Jack Eichel are in that category,period... expect improvement,this season,but it will come down to goaltending,and how Eichel plays,in the NHL... if he plays well,Buffalo will be a tough team to play... if not,the Sabres will be in the same position next off-season... do not expect that,but who knows???
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Saturday, July 25, 2015
note to Logan...
in an interview with NBC,San Jose Sharks' player Logan Couture said of the Sharks' potential success this season,"we have the core to win"... note to Logan,and to the Sharks:words are very empty,but actions mean everything... your team came in 12th in the Western Conference,LAST SEASON,and you believe that having the same core of players for years,is going to take you to the promised land... by the way,you missed the playoffs by a wide margin... right now,words are empty... remember that,Logan... PROVE IT!!!!!!
comments...
revving for the 2015-2016 NHL season... it starts October 7th,with four games;one being the San Jose Sharks/Los Angeles Kings... let us see very early,if both teams have improved over the off-season...
Friday, July 24, 2015
comments...
i will start previewing the NHL on Monday... starting with the Buffalo Sabres,and Edmonton Oilers on Monday,and Tuesday... will do one team a day...
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
blog statement...
day off... "Idaho Spud" time... note:i will be doing research on the NHL and all teams' previews throughout the week...
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
blog statement...
before you get upset with me about blog content lately,blame the NHL basically,because the Red Wings have not signed a free agent,since July 15th(their own),and only one free agent has signed with another team in days (Shane O'Brien with Anaheim,from Florida)... the NHL are talking about expansion,but one city(Quebec City needs a new arena,and it is the same reason why the NHL left the city,once before)... so,blah blah blah!!!!!!!!
Monday, July 20, 2015
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Red Wings' news...
Pavel Datsyuk said in an interview,in Yekaterinburg,Russia(his hometown),that he will be there,October 9th,when the Red Wings play the Toronto Maple Leafs,but because of tendon rupture repair surgery(4-5 month recovery time),he will not be ready for the start of the 2015-2016 NHL season,and will miss miss some time at beginning of season... the Red Wings expect him to play sometime in November...
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Friday, July 17, 2015
Thursday, July 16, 2015
fascinating statistic...
winners this season,in terms of airline mileage:Detroit Red Wings:33,487 miles in the 2015-2016 NHL season... losers this season in terms of airline mileage:San Jose Sharks(for the second time,in three seasons):50,362 miles... in terms that you can grasp:the Sharks will fly 16,875 more miles than the Detroit Red Wings,in the 2015-2016 NHL season... what a tired bunch of Sharks there will be,folks...
comments about NHL preview of all 30 teams...
i am doing research on the NHL's 30 teams to do my preview of every team... it will take a few days to get up to speed to do a very good job on every team's preview... so,stay tuned...
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
commentary...
i am very,very sorry that i have not had much to say on this blog,since the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs,but there is very little to comment on since then,folks... i will crank up things with my team previews,in the next few days... i will start with the Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers,by next week,and end with the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks,about thirty days later... i will try to be objective in my previews of every team,including the preview of the Red Wings,which should come along about fifteen days into the team previews... one other option that i have is to do non-playoff teams first,then do playoff teams later on... who knows,right now??? however,i will preview every team before the start of 2015-2016 NHL season...
Monday, July 13, 2015
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Friday, July 10, 2015
Red Wings' news...
Red Wings and Gustav Nyquist agree to a four year,$19 million contract extension...
Monday, July 6, 2015
blog statement...
on vacation today... will try to blog a couple times,while on vacation,but am not guaranteeing anything...
Sunday, July 5, 2015
to a great player...
one of the toughest players in the NHL just retired... 5'8",180 pounds,and a fireplug on the ice,there was always one player that i looked up to,on the Tampa Bay Lightning,when they won the Stanley Cup in 2004(beating the Calgary Flames,in seven games),and later on,with the New York Rangers... he was a true gentleman on and off the ice,but showed his teammates the way to play balls-out hockey,in the way that he played his sixteen years,in the NHL... Martin St. Louis was an inspiration to all his teammates... even though,i was not a fan of the Lightning,during his time with the team(and still am not a fan),i wondered throughout that time,if he would play every game that i saw the team play,he did,played amazingly tough,his play on the Lightning power play was simply great(passing the puck,and his shot was greatly underrated,as a player,but his foot(skate)speed was amazing)... when the Lightning had new players,everyone would just tell them,"play like Marty"... my opinion:to an amazing player,i say simply that it was a great honor and joy to see you play NHL hockey,Marty... may you be happy for the rest of your life... note:if Marty is not a Hall of Fame member,when eligible,i will be definitely upset,because Martin St. Louis was a great player,period!!!!
blog statement...
day off... "Idaho Spud" time... note:vacation is coming up very shortly,this week,so i will take a few days off from blogging...
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Friday, July 3, 2015
commentary...
normally,i do not mention the Red Wings over the off-season too often,but i have something to say about next season's team,their makeup,their new head coach,and the way that they intend to extend their current 24 season playoff streak... even though,i respect Mike Babcock,it was time for him to go on to another team(hated to see him to go to the Toronto Maple Leafs,because of history,and team nastiness),because it appeared to me that he was losing the locker room,and the fact that the last two teams that he coached for the Red Wings did make the Stanley Cup playoffs,but exited in five games,in a bulldozing by the Boston Bruins(scoring six goals,in five games-winning one game 1-0,and then getting bulldozed,by a(i hate to say it)better team,in 2013-2014,and then letting the Tampa Bay Lightning off the proverbial hook,in losing in seven games,and scoring only two goals in game six and seven,last season)... both series losses were in first round... the hiring of Jeff Blashill may be the best hiring of a new head coach(not including Babcock),in the NHL,this off-season,because of pure pedigree:college(NCAA tournament team,at Western Michigan),junior hockey(titles,in two different leagues(USHL,and AHL),and being a NHL assistant coach,under Babcock,for a season-priceless)... the signing of Mike Green,and Brad Richards strengthened the blue line defense,on a team that may be a little tougher to play next season... Blashill knows the young core of players having coached most of the players to an American Hockey League championship,two seasons ago... the one weakness may be in goal,but honestly,it also could be a strength,depending on Jimmy Howard's play,next season,but to tell you the truth,Howard's play,after recovering from an injury,was very sub-par,in the last half of the season... i hope he returns to his All-Star form(he was an All-Star,before he injured his groin),but having Petr Mrazek did help,and will help,if Howard does recover his All-Star form... General Manager Ken Holland has said that there will be more changes coming up for the Red Wings,before training camp,or the season... it should be very interesting,next season,in Motown...
Thursday, July 2, 2015
blog statement...
am taking today off... will catch on breaking news,tomorrow... "Idaho Spud" time...
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Red Wings' news...
Red Wings signed two free agent defensemen:Mike Green,from the Washington Capitals(2014-15 team),and Brad Richards,from the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks(2014 -2015 team)... Green had fifth most points among defensemen,during his ten years,with the Capitals... Richards has won two Stanley Cups(2003-2004,with the Tampa Bay Lightning(the only team,in NHL history not to defend their title,in the next season,due to onerous/grueling strike/lockout-lost 2004-2005 season)*,and last season,with the Blackhawks)... two veterans who will help with experience,in the young Red Wings' locker room... *my opinion:i am still steamed over that lockout...
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