So deadline day was fun. From trying to figure out just why Montreal accepted so little for Cristobal Huet, to trying to figure out how Pittsburgh got so badly-fleeced in the Marian Hossa trade, to linking Mats Sundin and Wade Redden for refusing to do the right thing, and waive their no-movement clauses. Riotous, all.
Then there was much speculation about winners, losers and in-betweens on deadline day, which led to speculation about which head coaches and general managers were running out of time with their current teams.
There was quite a bit of speculation during TSN’s broadcast Tuesday that Senators head coach John Paddock wouldn’t make it to the weekend with a job. Over here, we couldn’t see it happening.
Which leads us to this week’s biggest over-reaction: the Senators have indeed fired their first-year head coach after a mere 64 games.
Former head coach and current GM Bryan Murray will step back behind the Ottawa bench-- since he was so successful there last June.
The word is that Paddock lost the Sens’ dressing room, that the players weren’t willing to play for him anymore. And yes, Paddock allowed the goaltending situation to become the goaltending controversy, which probably has more to do with Ottawa’s struggles than anything, but Murray sewed the seeds.
All in all, the move reminds me of two things: a year ago, when the Habs were struggling, and underachieving, and everyone thought Guy Carbonneau had lost the room. New rumours popped up every day about Carbo’s impending axing, which never materialized, and now the Habs are nipping at the Sens’ heels. Alternately, it reminds me of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns making a move to get the rapidly aging and declining Shaquille O’Neal, sensing their championship window is slamming shut. Does the Sens’ brass feel the same way about their own championship window?
Either way, the smart money says the Senators are regretting this decision sooner than they’re celebrating it.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Deadline madness
I think it’s safe to say Tuesday’s trading deadline saw more than a flurry of activity. More like a blizzard. Let’s see how each team fared.
Anaheim made out pretty well, picking up a reliable backup goaltender in J-S Aubin from Los Angeles, and defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron from the Islanders-- for only a pair of draft picks. While it’s generally accepted that Bergeron has no idea where his own blue line is, he provides a great point man for the Ducks’ power play. Bergeron lets the Ducks use Scott Neidermayer more sparingly, and lets Francois Beauchemin get back to doing what he does best: playing big, mean, physical defense. In other moves, the Ducks moved Brandon Bochenski to Nashville for futures, and sent Brandon Segal and a pick to the Lightning for Jay Leach.
Atlanta scored huge in the Marian Hossa sweepstakes, despite losing Hossa and Pascal Dupuis. Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen can step right into the Thrashers’ top six, though neither player addresses the biggest problem Atlanta has had for years: the Thrashers still don’t have anyone to play with Ilya Kovalchuk. Maybe Angelo Esposito can become that player, but he probably has another full season before he’s NHL-ready. Maybe they’ll hit a home run with the first-round pick they got in the deal. In a minor move, the Thrashers sent Alex Giroux to Washington for Joe Motzko.
Boston stayed out of the fray, and will likely be better off for having done so.
Buffalo finally traded a soon-to-be free agent. In moving Brian Campbell to San Jose, the Sabres’ defense corps suffered a huge blow (is Jaro Spacek their new number one?), but the Sabres got good value in return. Not just a roster player in Steve Bernier, but a guy that can ride shotgun with Tom Vanek for several years to come. Bernier is off the pace many expected from him, but he’s a big body, with a big shot, and a big arsenal of moves.
Calgary had no assets to move, and they’ll stay the course this season. Should be an interesting summer…
Carolina’s big move was the Stillman-Corvo trade, but their small move to acquire Tuomo Ruutu from Chicago for Andrew Ladd was a good one for both teams. Both players are still young, and still have a lot of potential. The change of scenery could be a boon for both.
Chicago, as noted, made a nice deal to get Andrew Ladd from Carolina. It’s hard to believe they only got a sixth-round pick for Marty Lapointe though.
Colorado shuffled their blue line, sending Karlis Skrastins (a SWS favourite) and a pick to Florida for Ruslan Salei (another SWS favourite). Both teams get a good defenseman that may still have some game left. The Avs also sent a pile of conditional picks to Columbus for Adam Foote. Now if only they can lure Mike Ricci, Adam Deadmarsh and Patrick Roy out of retirement…
Columbus has faded from the Western playoff race a little, and moving Sergei Fedorov and Adam Foote just made sense. The conditional pick for Foote, and prospect Ted Ruth for Fedorov are both nice acquisitions heading into a potentially big summer for the Jackets.
Dallas landed one of the most coveted fish in the trade waters: former Conn Smythe winner Brad Richards. Richards becomes the likely successor to Mike Modano’s throne in Dallas, and should thrive in the Stars’ defensive system. The Stars also got Johan Holmqvist in the deal to back up Marty Turco. The Stars did send three roster players to Tampa, goalie Mike Smith, forwards Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern, and a fourth-round pick.
Detroit scored Brad Stuart from Los Angeles for a pair of draft picks. Stuart is a slick puck-mover, and provides an extra offensive bump from the blue line while Nik Lidstrom is sidelined. Also, the last time Detroit got a defenseman from LA, it worked out pretty well (Mathieu Schneider). A good move for the Wings that adds some flexibility to their power play.
Edmonton is screwed.
Florida picked up Karlis Skrastins in the Ruslan Salei deal, and grabbed a pair of Maple Leafs for draft picks. Wade Belak and Chad Kilger may prove more valuable than the last pair of Leafs the Panthers picked up (Gary Roberts and Joe Nieuwendyk).
Los Angeles was expected to hold a more comprehensive firesale, but did well to add three draft picks for a backup goalie (J-S Aubin) and a defenseman that just wasn’t working out (Brad Stuart).
Minnesota decided Derek Boogaard just isn’t intimidating enough, so they sent a sixth-round pick to the Islanders for Chris Simon. If Simon has his act together, he will be a very valuable player in the post-season.
Montreal inexplicably traded Cristobal Huet to Washington for a second-round pick without acquiring a veteran backup. I’ve been trying to wrap my head around this trade since it broke, and I don’t think I’ll ever understand it.
Nashville scored perennial underachievers Brandon Bochenski from Nasvhille and Jan Hlavac from Tampa Bay for a pick and futures. The Predators are one of the teams on the Western Conference playoff bubble, and it’s hard to believe they didn’t make a more significant move (unless the team is trying to get out of their lease by icing the most unwatchable team in league history).
New Jersey made the first deal of the day, sending Cam Janssen (a SWS favourite) to St. Louis for Bryce Salvador. Any time you can send a borderline third-line forward out for a bona fide third defenseman, you’ve gotta make that deal. Very good deal for the Devils, whose back end is looking a lot more solid today.
The New York Islanders did well to pick up Rob Davison from San Jose for a pick. The Bay was never the right place for Davison, who is a young and serviceable defender with tremendous upside. The Isles also added draft picks from the Wild for Chris Simon and from Anaheim for Marc-Andre Bergeron. Even with Bergeron, the Isles had the league’s 26th-ranked power play. Moving him for any kind of an asset makes sense.
The New York Rangers completed the trifecta of five-player deals sending goaltending prospect Al Montoya and Marcel Hossa to Phoenix for Josh Gratton, Freddy Sjostrom, goaltending prospect David LeNeveu and a conditional pick. None of whom solve any of the Rangers’ problems. At absolute best, this was a lateral move by the Rangers. The Rangers did replace the seemingly black-listed Marek Malik by acquiring Christian Backman from St. Louis. Backman is yet to play a full season, but seems due to break out offensively at any time.
Ottawa’s lone deal was to acquire Marty Lapointe for a sixth-round pick. I really thought they’d try to move one of their goalies. This may be one of those incredibly astute moves that pays huge dividends in June. But then again, it may just be one of those deals where a contender picks up an aging vet that doesn’t really help at all.
Philadelphia made their move the night before the deadline, giving up way too much for Vinny Prospal. In 774 career games, Prospal has scored 175 goals and 540 points. Pretty good numbers at first glance. A closer look though, reveals Vinny loves playing in Tampa. In 386 games with the Lightning, Prospal has 108 goals and 326 points compared to just 67 goals and 214 points in 388 games with Philly, Ottawa, Florida and Anaheim. The Flyers sent a pick, and a very promising defensive prospect to Tampa, and got fleeced (probably payback for making Kevin Lowe look so bad in the Jason Smith trade).
Phoenix made just the big trade with the Rangers, and the future looks bright in the blue paint with Ilya Bryzgalov now, and Al Montoya in the future. Marcel Hossa probably won’t ever do anything in the desert, but neither did the three guys going the other way in this trade (Josh Gratton, Freddy Sjostrom, David Leneveu).
Pittsburgh gave up a lot in Erik Christensen, Colby Armstrong, Angelo Esposito and three draft picks to land Marian Hossa, Pascal Dupuis and Hal Gill, but the dividends should start rolling in soon. Gill is on his way back to being underrated, and beside Mark Eaton makes a nice pair of towering defensemen in Pittsburgh. Dupuis has never really found his stride, and Hossa is one of the game’s elite scorers. So for those keeping track at home, the Penguins now boast Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Hossa.
San Jose’s deal to get Brian Campbell is among the best trades ever. They paid a pretty steep price in Steve Bernier and a first-rounder, but Campbell is a very good defenseman with nearly limitless potential. Playing alongside Craig Rivet will team Campbell how to grow proper hockey hair, which is clearly the next step in his evolution as one of the league’s best blue liners. Also like Rivet, it will do Campbell a lot of good to get out of a tough hockey market, and into a fun-in-the-sun, we-love-everything-our-team-does market like San Jose. In the Rob Davison trade, the Sharks picked up their second seventh-round pick of the 2008 draft.
St. Louis unloaded defensemen Christian Backman and Bryce Salvador for a pick and Cam Janssen. The Blues’ defense has not been good for quite some time now, and it’s pretty amazing their defensemen always draw so much attention at the deadline. Look for the Blues to inch closer to the lottery with each passing day for the rest of this season.
Tampa Bay is also looking forward to the lottery. I have no idea what Jay Feaster is doing, and despite the 2004 Stanley Cup win, I don’t think he knows what he’s doing either. That said, getting Mike Smith from Dallas was a great move, and getting Jeff Halpern (finally someone to play defense) and Jussi Jokinen thrown into the deal for Brad Richards and Johan Holmqvist was equally good. Smith should stabilize the goaltending, Halpern will help the penalty kill, and Jokinen could really break out playing with a Vinny Lecavalier, but it’s still tough to see the Bolts going anywhere.
Toronto can thank Mats Sundin for their lackluster day. That said, hats off to Cliff Fletcher for getting four draft picks for Wade Belak, Chad Kilger and Hal Gill. Dear Mats: next time the Leafs are trying to move a bunch of guys with no-movement clauses, keep it to yourself that you’re not waiving yours so maybe Darcy or Bryan will waive theirs.
Vancouver made a minor move with Washington, swapping third liners Matt Cooke and Matt Pettinger. Pettinger doesn’t do much for Vancouver that their 15 other third liners aren’t.
Washington gets SWS’s nod as the official winner of deadline day. The Capitals picked up an all-star goalie in Cristobal Huet-- for a second-round pick, Sergei Fedorov for a prospect, and upgraded one of their third-liners. Huet is good enough to carry just about any team to the playoffs, and automatically gives Washington the best goaltending in the Southeast. Fedorov should find qualities playing beside Alex Ovechkin that resemble those offered by a fountain of youth. And Matt Cooke allows the Caps to stop sending Donald Brashear onto the ice. Despite their current five-point deficit (with two games in hand), the Caps will win the Southeast.
Anaheim made out pretty well, picking up a reliable backup goaltender in J-S Aubin from Los Angeles, and defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron from the Islanders-- for only a pair of draft picks. While it’s generally accepted that Bergeron has no idea where his own blue line is, he provides a great point man for the Ducks’ power play. Bergeron lets the Ducks use Scott Neidermayer more sparingly, and lets Francois Beauchemin get back to doing what he does best: playing big, mean, physical defense. In other moves, the Ducks moved Brandon Bochenski to Nashville for futures, and sent Brandon Segal and a pick to the Lightning for Jay Leach.
Atlanta scored huge in the Marian Hossa sweepstakes, despite losing Hossa and Pascal Dupuis. Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen can step right into the Thrashers’ top six, though neither player addresses the biggest problem Atlanta has had for years: the Thrashers still don’t have anyone to play with Ilya Kovalchuk. Maybe Angelo Esposito can become that player, but he probably has another full season before he’s NHL-ready. Maybe they’ll hit a home run with the first-round pick they got in the deal. In a minor move, the Thrashers sent Alex Giroux to Washington for Joe Motzko.
Boston stayed out of the fray, and will likely be better off for having done so.
Buffalo finally traded a soon-to-be free agent. In moving Brian Campbell to San Jose, the Sabres’ defense corps suffered a huge blow (is Jaro Spacek their new number one?), but the Sabres got good value in return. Not just a roster player in Steve Bernier, but a guy that can ride shotgun with Tom Vanek for several years to come. Bernier is off the pace many expected from him, but he’s a big body, with a big shot, and a big arsenal of moves.
Calgary had no assets to move, and they’ll stay the course this season. Should be an interesting summer…
Carolina’s big move was the Stillman-Corvo trade, but their small move to acquire Tuomo Ruutu from Chicago for Andrew Ladd was a good one for both teams. Both players are still young, and still have a lot of potential. The change of scenery could be a boon for both.
Chicago, as noted, made a nice deal to get Andrew Ladd from Carolina. It’s hard to believe they only got a sixth-round pick for Marty Lapointe though.
Colorado shuffled their blue line, sending Karlis Skrastins (a SWS favourite) and a pick to Florida for Ruslan Salei (another SWS favourite). Both teams get a good defenseman that may still have some game left. The Avs also sent a pile of conditional picks to Columbus for Adam Foote. Now if only they can lure Mike Ricci, Adam Deadmarsh and Patrick Roy out of retirement…
Columbus has faded from the Western playoff race a little, and moving Sergei Fedorov and Adam Foote just made sense. The conditional pick for Foote, and prospect Ted Ruth for Fedorov are both nice acquisitions heading into a potentially big summer for the Jackets.
Dallas landed one of the most coveted fish in the trade waters: former Conn Smythe winner Brad Richards. Richards becomes the likely successor to Mike Modano’s throne in Dallas, and should thrive in the Stars’ defensive system. The Stars also got Johan Holmqvist in the deal to back up Marty Turco. The Stars did send three roster players to Tampa, goalie Mike Smith, forwards Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern, and a fourth-round pick.
Detroit scored Brad Stuart from Los Angeles for a pair of draft picks. Stuart is a slick puck-mover, and provides an extra offensive bump from the blue line while Nik Lidstrom is sidelined. Also, the last time Detroit got a defenseman from LA, it worked out pretty well (Mathieu Schneider). A good move for the Wings that adds some flexibility to their power play.
Edmonton is screwed.
Florida picked up Karlis Skrastins in the Ruslan Salei deal, and grabbed a pair of Maple Leafs for draft picks. Wade Belak and Chad Kilger may prove more valuable than the last pair of Leafs the Panthers picked up (Gary Roberts and Joe Nieuwendyk).
Los Angeles was expected to hold a more comprehensive firesale, but did well to add three draft picks for a backup goalie (J-S Aubin) and a defenseman that just wasn’t working out (Brad Stuart).
Minnesota decided Derek Boogaard just isn’t intimidating enough, so they sent a sixth-round pick to the Islanders for Chris Simon. If Simon has his act together, he will be a very valuable player in the post-season.
Montreal inexplicably traded Cristobal Huet to Washington for a second-round pick without acquiring a veteran backup. I’ve been trying to wrap my head around this trade since it broke, and I don’t think I’ll ever understand it.
Nashville scored perennial underachievers Brandon Bochenski from Nasvhille and Jan Hlavac from Tampa Bay for a pick and futures. The Predators are one of the teams on the Western Conference playoff bubble, and it’s hard to believe they didn’t make a more significant move (unless the team is trying to get out of their lease by icing the most unwatchable team in league history).
New Jersey made the first deal of the day, sending Cam Janssen (a SWS favourite) to St. Louis for Bryce Salvador. Any time you can send a borderline third-line forward out for a bona fide third defenseman, you’ve gotta make that deal. Very good deal for the Devils, whose back end is looking a lot more solid today.
The New York Islanders did well to pick up Rob Davison from San Jose for a pick. The Bay was never the right place for Davison, who is a young and serviceable defender with tremendous upside. The Isles also added draft picks from the Wild for Chris Simon and from Anaheim for Marc-Andre Bergeron. Even with Bergeron, the Isles had the league’s 26th-ranked power play. Moving him for any kind of an asset makes sense.
The New York Rangers completed the trifecta of five-player deals sending goaltending prospect Al Montoya and Marcel Hossa to Phoenix for Josh Gratton, Freddy Sjostrom, goaltending prospect David LeNeveu and a conditional pick. None of whom solve any of the Rangers’ problems. At absolute best, this was a lateral move by the Rangers. The Rangers did replace the seemingly black-listed Marek Malik by acquiring Christian Backman from St. Louis. Backman is yet to play a full season, but seems due to break out offensively at any time.
Ottawa’s lone deal was to acquire Marty Lapointe for a sixth-round pick. I really thought they’d try to move one of their goalies. This may be one of those incredibly astute moves that pays huge dividends in June. But then again, it may just be one of those deals where a contender picks up an aging vet that doesn’t really help at all.
Philadelphia made their move the night before the deadline, giving up way too much for Vinny Prospal. In 774 career games, Prospal has scored 175 goals and 540 points. Pretty good numbers at first glance. A closer look though, reveals Vinny loves playing in Tampa. In 386 games with the Lightning, Prospal has 108 goals and 326 points compared to just 67 goals and 214 points in 388 games with Philly, Ottawa, Florida and Anaheim. The Flyers sent a pick, and a very promising defensive prospect to Tampa, and got fleeced (probably payback for making Kevin Lowe look so bad in the Jason Smith trade).
Phoenix made just the big trade with the Rangers, and the future looks bright in the blue paint with Ilya Bryzgalov now, and Al Montoya in the future. Marcel Hossa probably won’t ever do anything in the desert, but neither did the three guys going the other way in this trade (Josh Gratton, Freddy Sjostrom, David Leneveu).
Pittsburgh gave up a lot in Erik Christensen, Colby Armstrong, Angelo Esposito and three draft picks to land Marian Hossa, Pascal Dupuis and Hal Gill, but the dividends should start rolling in soon. Gill is on his way back to being underrated, and beside Mark Eaton makes a nice pair of towering defensemen in Pittsburgh. Dupuis has never really found his stride, and Hossa is one of the game’s elite scorers. So for those keeping track at home, the Penguins now boast Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Hossa.
San Jose’s deal to get Brian Campbell is among the best trades ever. They paid a pretty steep price in Steve Bernier and a first-rounder, but Campbell is a very good defenseman with nearly limitless potential. Playing alongside Craig Rivet will team Campbell how to grow proper hockey hair, which is clearly the next step in his evolution as one of the league’s best blue liners. Also like Rivet, it will do Campbell a lot of good to get out of a tough hockey market, and into a fun-in-the-sun, we-love-everything-our-team-does market like San Jose. In the Rob Davison trade, the Sharks picked up their second seventh-round pick of the 2008 draft.
St. Louis unloaded defensemen Christian Backman and Bryce Salvador for a pick and Cam Janssen. The Blues’ defense has not been good for quite some time now, and it’s pretty amazing their defensemen always draw so much attention at the deadline. Look for the Blues to inch closer to the lottery with each passing day for the rest of this season.
Tampa Bay is also looking forward to the lottery. I have no idea what Jay Feaster is doing, and despite the 2004 Stanley Cup win, I don’t think he knows what he’s doing either. That said, getting Mike Smith from Dallas was a great move, and getting Jeff Halpern (finally someone to play defense) and Jussi Jokinen thrown into the deal for Brad Richards and Johan Holmqvist was equally good. Smith should stabilize the goaltending, Halpern will help the penalty kill, and Jokinen could really break out playing with a Vinny Lecavalier, but it’s still tough to see the Bolts going anywhere.
Toronto can thank Mats Sundin for their lackluster day. That said, hats off to Cliff Fletcher for getting four draft picks for Wade Belak, Chad Kilger and Hal Gill. Dear Mats: next time the Leafs are trying to move a bunch of guys with no-movement clauses, keep it to yourself that you’re not waiving yours so maybe Darcy or Bryan will waive theirs.
Vancouver made a minor move with Washington, swapping third liners Matt Cooke and Matt Pettinger. Pettinger doesn’t do much for Vancouver that their 15 other third liners aren’t.
Washington gets SWS’s nod as the official winner of deadline day. The Capitals picked up an all-star goalie in Cristobal Huet-- for a second-round pick, Sergei Fedorov for a prospect, and upgraded one of their third-liners. Huet is good enough to carry just about any team to the playoffs, and automatically gives Washington the best goaltending in the Southeast. Fedorov should find qualities playing beside Alex Ovechkin that resemble those offered by a fountain of youth. And Matt Cooke allows the Caps to stop sending Donald Brashear onto the ice. Despite their current five-point deficit (with two games in hand), the Caps will win the Southeast.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Tuesday evening grab-bag
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Way to go, New York. Who needs a 5-0 lead anyway?
Sorry, had to get that out of the way. Three things today:
The 2009 World Baseball Classic has confirmed all 16 participating teams, including Canada. That’s good-enough news. Even better is the rumour the Rogers Centre in Toronto will host preliminary-round games!
While Major League Baseball’s February-to-November schedule (including spring training and the World Series) is not particularly accommodating to a major-league level international tournament, it’s nice to see the Major Leagues seem to be committed to making the Classic work. I got a real kick out of it the first time around, and I’ll be sure to enjoy it again next spring. If some of the games are going to be in Toronto, I know I’d like to be there too.
It’s going to be great for baseball in Canada. Grassroots baseball in this country took a big hit with the strike in 1994. Coming off back-to-back titles by exciting and likeable Blue Jays teams, and with a bright future in Montreal, the rug got yanked out from under baseball in Canada. But we’ve produced some very talented players in recent years: enough, even, to field a competitive team at the World Baseball Classic. A strong season from the managerially-crippled Blue Jays in 2008, coupled with a strong showing by the Canadian side in Toronto next spring, just may help baseball find its way back to the spotlight in this country, and that’s a good thing.
Another good thing: the return of Indy cars! Today, the Indy Racing League and Champ Car World Series announced a tentative agreement to merge. Years ago, there was just one circuit, then open-wheel racing split into the crappy IRL, and crappier Champ Car series (which, seemingly, has had as many names in the span as Britney Spears has had mental breakdowns in the last six months). I’m not a big fan of auto racing, but open-wheel racing is pretty bad-ass. And one marginally-good circuit is better for fans, than two crappy circuits.
And lastly, the first big trade of the NHL trading season came down last week when Ottawa picked up Cory Stillman from Carolina. I don’t have much to say about that trade as it seems to have been a lateral move for Ottawa. I will offer some thoughts on Tuesday’s trade between Los Angeles and Philadelphia. This was a good deal for Philly. Kimmo Timonen has not been the guy the Flyers thought they were getting, but having the slick, puck-moving Jaro Modry to back him up in a fourth-d role should help both guys. Modry’s lost a step by any measure, and is not particularly effective in his own end anymore. But he still makes a good first pass, and is a nice addition to the Flyers’ ailing defense corps, for a relatively small price (a third-round pick). Good move by the Flyers today.
Tuesday saw a bunch of big wins for fans of the Montreal Canadiens, international and Canadian baseball, open-wheel auto racing, and the Philadelphia Flyers (save for that OT loss to Ottawa that stretched their losing skid to eight games).
From here on out, full trade deadline coverage is in full effect.
Sorry, had to get that out of the way. Three things today:
The 2009 World Baseball Classic has confirmed all 16 participating teams, including Canada. That’s good-enough news. Even better is the rumour the Rogers Centre in Toronto will host preliminary-round games!
While Major League Baseball’s February-to-November schedule (including spring training and the World Series) is not particularly accommodating to a major-league level international tournament, it’s nice to see the Major Leagues seem to be committed to making the Classic work. I got a real kick out of it the first time around, and I’ll be sure to enjoy it again next spring. If some of the games are going to be in Toronto, I know I’d like to be there too.
It’s going to be great for baseball in Canada. Grassroots baseball in this country took a big hit with the strike in 1994. Coming off back-to-back titles by exciting and likeable Blue Jays teams, and with a bright future in Montreal, the rug got yanked out from under baseball in Canada. But we’ve produced some very talented players in recent years: enough, even, to field a competitive team at the World Baseball Classic. A strong season from the managerially-crippled Blue Jays in 2008, coupled with a strong showing by the Canadian side in Toronto next spring, just may help baseball find its way back to the spotlight in this country, and that’s a good thing.
Another good thing: the return of Indy cars! Today, the Indy Racing League and Champ Car World Series announced a tentative agreement to merge. Years ago, there was just one circuit, then open-wheel racing split into the crappy IRL, and crappier Champ Car series (which, seemingly, has had as many names in the span as Britney Spears has had mental breakdowns in the last six months). I’m not a big fan of auto racing, but open-wheel racing is pretty bad-ass. And one marginally-good circuit is better for fans, than two crappy circuits.
And lastly, the first big trade of the NHL trading season came down last week when Ottawa picked up Cory Stillman from Carolina. I don’t have much to say about that trade as it seems to have been a lateral move for Ottawa. I will offer some thoughts on Tuesday’s trade between Los Angeles and Philadelphia. This was a good deal for Philly. Kimmo Timonen has not been the guy the Flyers thought they were getting, but having the slick, puck-moving Jaro Modry to back him up in a fourth-d role should help both guys. Modry’s lost a step by any measure, and is not particularly effective in his own end anymore. But he still makes a good first pass, and is a nice addition to the Flyers’ ailing defense corps, for a relatively small price (a third-round pick). Good move by the Flyers today.
Tuesday saw a bunch of big wins for fans of the Montreal Canadiens, international and Canadian baseball, open-wheel auto racing, and the Philadelphia Flyers (save for that OT loss to Ottawa that stretched their losing skid to eight games).
From here on out, full trade deadline coverage is in full effect.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Most Valuable Prettyboy??
I’m all for quarterback worship, and I’m all for just giving the Super Bowl-winning quarterback the MVP award from an aesthetic position. Typically, a team’s quarterback is their most visible and recognizable player, so it makes sense.
But Sunday night, it did not make sense to name Eli Manning the Super Bowl MVP, unless the P suddenly stands for “prettyboy.” And Super Bowl XLII was not, as NFL.com’s Vic Carucci called it, Eli’s “coronation.”
Yes, Eli threw for eight yards more than Peyton Manning did as last year’s Super Bowl MVP (255-to-247); and yes, he crushed Tom Brady’s 145-yard performance as Super Bowl XXXVI MVP; but his 19/34, and two touchdowns matches up well against Brett Favre’s 14/27 for 246 yards and two majors in Super Bowl XXXI-- and Favre lost out to a kick returner!
So why didn’t the voters give some love to the Giants’ defensive line, and defensive front seven?
They got to Brady for five sacks, and another dozen-and-a-half knockdowns and hurries. Brady, not exactly nimble, hadn’t been sacked five times in a game since September of 2003. En route to placing three offensive linemen in the Pro Bowl, the Patriots allowed Brady to be sacked just 24 times in their first 18 games this season.
The Giants held the Patriots to a mere 45 rushing yards, including three Pats rushes that were stopped for a loss. New England averaged 119 rushing yards per game heading into the Super Bowl, including 147 yards per game in their first two playoff games.
And of course, the Patriots were the overall offensive leaders in 2007, setting a single-season points record, as well as Brady and Randy Moss setting new individual touchdown records.
This was one of the most dominant offenses the NFL has ever seen, and the MVP voters couldn’t find one defensive player worthy of the honour? Even after the Giants came up with the game-sealing sack? A sack that seemed almost impossible to consider given the Pats’ play this season.
The Super Bowl MVP voters screwed this up worse than the Academy screwed up giving Sean Penn the best actor award for Mystic River (Johnny Depp’s first effort as Jack Sparrow should have won).
Oh well, one more reason to dislike the NFL.
But Sunday night, it did not make sense to name Eli Manning the Super Bowl MVP, unless the P suddenly stands for “prettyboy.” And Super Bowl XLII was not, as NFL.com’s Vic Carucci called it, Eli’s “coronation.”
Yes, Eli threw for eight yards more than Peyton Manning did as last year’s Super Bowl MVP (255-to-247); and yes, he crushed Tom Brady’s 145-yard performance as Super Bowl XXXVI MVP; but his 19/34, and two touchdowns matches up well against Brett Favre’s 14/27 for 246 yards and two majors in Super Bowl XXXI-- and Favre lost out to a kick returner!
So why didn’t the voters give some love to the Giants’ defensive line, and defensive front seven?
They got to Brady for five sacks, and another dozen-and-a-half knockdowns and hurries. Brady, not exactly nimble, hadn’t been sacked five times in a game since September of 2003. En route to placing three offensive linemen in the Pro Bowl, the Patriots allowed Brady to be sacked just 24 times in their first 18 games this season.
The Giants held the Patriots to a mere 45 rushing yards, including three Pats rushes that were stopped for a loss. New England averaged 119 rushing yards per game heading into the Super Bowl, including 147 yards per game in their first two playoff games.
And of course, the Patriots were the overall offensive leaders in 2007, setting a single-season points record, as well as Brady and Randy Moss setting new individual touchdown records.
This was one of the most dominant offenses the NFL has ever seen, and the MVP voters couldn’t find one defensive player worthy of the honour? Even after the Giants came up with the game-sealing sack? A sack that seemed almost impossible to consider given the Pats’ play this season.
The Super Bowl MVP voters screwed this up worse than the Academy screwed up giving Sean Penn the best actor award for Mystic River (Johnny Depp’s first effort as Jack Sparrow should have won).
Oh well, one more reason to dislike the NFL.
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