Long time no blog--Olympic edition

Canada's international hockey supremacy seems to go through peaks and troughs, much like my blogging tendencies.

Prior to 2002, the men's Olympic team hadn't won a gold medal for fifty years. After that, the tournament titles and medals seemed to come with ease once again: the world cup in 2004, five straight world junior championship titles, world championship titles, world under-eighteens, women's world championships, the Spengler Cup--you name it, Canada won it. That all changed about two years ago, however. Canada lost back-to-back world championships to the Russians and women's world championships to the United States, and then there was this year's loss to the Americans in the gold medal game at the world juniors and other tournaments like the world under-eighteens in which Canada did not meet expectations.

Now, Canada finds themselves in sixth place at the Olympic tournament, on home ice, after falling to the Americans last night in a back-and-forth affair where mistakes proved to be too many and too costly. Despite out-shooting and out-chancing the Americans almost 2-1, uncharacteristic gaffes by veteran goaltender Martin Brodeur and defencemen Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer cost Canada the game, combined with Ryan Miller's other-worldly performance in the U.S. net. The stars seemed to be aligned for the United States: fifty years since they had last beaten Canada at the Olympics, and thirty years since the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" team won the country's only gold medal in men's hockey.

Canada is now left searching for answers after going 1-1-1-0 and accumulating just five of a possible nine points in the preliminary round. Much like four years ago in Turin, and eight years ago in Salt Lake City. Who plays with Crosby? Who starts in goal? What's wrong with the powerplay? We should've chosen Green/Bouwmeester/St. Louis/Lecavalier/Jordan Staal/Stamkos/Smyth/Insert-name-of-Canadian NHL-player-here!

Sure it can be argued that Canada was the victim of some bad bounces last night against the Americans, maybe even that they were subject to some questionable officiating, but for two games now their defensive game has looked shaky and they have been consistently out-worked in their own zone. It's nice to see Doughty, Keith, and Seabrook, and Weber rise to the occasion when Pronger and Niedermayer, and to some extent, Boyle, struggle, but it would be even nicer to have them all on their game, all on the same page.

Today's practice supposedly focused primarily on defence and special teams, an area of this team's game that has irked me, specifically the power play. In the final minutes of the game against Switzerland, Canada had a golden opportunity to take the lead and win the game on the powerplay, but Babcock deployed the "Sharks unit" instead of putting Crosby, arguably his best player, on the ice.

The Shark line and the powerplay unit made up of Heatley, Marleau, Thornton, and Boyle has been largely ineffective with the exception of Heatley's four goals and Marleau's one. Thornton has zero, and just one shot on goal in 48:38 of ice time. The purpose of all three of these players making the team was the supposed "instant chemistry" that is purportedly essential in a short tournament like the Olympics. Why not go back to the Getzlaf-Heatley-Nash line that has been so effective in the world championships? This line does not have to be kept together.

Another qualm I have with the line combinations is the constant rotation of wingers on Crosby's line, partially because it makes me feel like I'm watching a Flames game but also because I fail to see any real faults with the original combination of Nash-Crosby-Iginla. Iginla had a hat trick in the first game they played together while registering under ten minutes of ice time, and Nash has been one of Canada's best players through three games. Why change that? Kent points out the futility of chemistry in these games and in the sport altogether over at Five Hole Fanatics, so can we assume that there are just too many players on this team not playing well enough to create chances and score goals? Canada's highly-touted depth has not yet been much of a factor in this tournament, and it remains to be seen if it ever will be.

Finally, we have the goaltending conundrum that seems to have emerged after Brodeur's shaky performance in goal. During the game against Switzerland, he was the victim of a perfect shot and a deflection off of a teammate's skate, and was unbeatable the rest of the way; there was no question that he would start the game versus the Americans. Sunday night was the complete opposite.

Brodeur created the bad bounces for himself by making bad decisions with the puck and finding himself out of position on more than one occasion, and now the job falls to Luongo who, although not tested against Norway, looked solid in the Canadian goal while the rest of the team struggled to find their legs. I'm usually the last person to support Roberto Luongo given my NHL allegiances, but Brodeur's performance last night in such an important game was unacceptable, and Luongo deserves an opportunity to better him; we all know he is more than capable, especially based on his stats leading up to the Olympic break versus Brodeur's numbers.

If Canada is to medal in men's hockey at these games, they have certainly taken the hard road there. This tournament was supposed to be about redemption. Canada was supposed to come into Vancouver, on home ice, and avenge a seventh place finish four years ago in Torino, and it'll likely be nothing short of a miracle if they manage a better result this time around. I don't know what it is going to take to get this team and this country back on top. They have the talent, without question, as do other countries in this tournament, but the desire and commitment seems to come in fits and starts, which perhaps explains the perplexing problem of Canada's wavering dominance at the international level.

Up Next: Canada takes on Germany in the qualification game on Tuesday, and will face Russia in the quarter-final on Wednesday, should they advance. I'll be over here crying into my pillow if you need me.

Go Canada.

First rule of pessimism: Prepare for the worst and you'll never be disappointed

I didn't see any of the Flames' last game in Phoenix (thanks, Sportsnet...kissing the NFL's ass) but it doesn't seem like I missed much. This game sounds like it was almost an exact replica of the one played between the two clubs last time they met at the 'Dome in mid-November, only the Flames came out on the losing end of things this time around when Taylor Pyatt danced around Mark Giordano and put the winning goal five-hole on a confused Kiprusoff in the dying minutes of the game. Perhaps all that praise was a little premature. We still love you Gio. Everyone's alllowed one fuck-up, that was yours. Losing to the Coyotes doesn't carry the same stigma as it once did, but the loss still stings after this team looked so good in their rout of the Predators earlier in the week.

Bourque led the team in shots on goal with four in his return from injury, which speaks volumes of the Flames' offensive effort on Thursday. His linemates Iginla and Jokinen registered one and three shots, respectively. Given the heroics of Kiprusoff in this game, the Flames probably deserved a better fate, but it's in the past now so let's suck it up and prepare to get blown out of the water by the Sharks.

First rule of pessimism: prepare for the worst and you'll never be disappointed.

Thinking about this game, against the best team in the league, in their building, against the best line in hockey, makes me feel physically sick. Memories of last season's January victory at the Shark Tank, San Jose's first home regulation loss of the season, which artificially cemented the Flames' status as a Western Conference elite come to mind. That might have also been the last time I was so nervous about a regular season game. I will be more than satisfied with an overtime loss, if the Flames are lucky enough to push the game into extra time.

Needless to say they will have to get off to a good start and capitalize on their opportunities; playing catch-up against a team of the Sharks' calibre on the road is not advisable. Kiprusoff and the Flames defence will surely be tested often, and need to be at the top of their respective games. The Flames held an optional skate this morning so it will be interesting to see if Sutter adjusts the defence pairings for the purpose of tonight's match-up. The forward lines appear unchanged.

One stat that jumps out when comparing these two teams is faceoff percentage. I have been whining about the Flames' ineptitude in the faceoff circle for quite some time now, and it doesn't seem to be improving--in fact, they now sit dead last in the league in faceoff percentage at 46.8% while the Sharks are first with a 56.3% success rate. The Flames' best option on the dot is Dustin Boyd--operating at 50.5%. While Sutter, a go-to faceoff man in his day, claims the team is working on faceoff strategies, this is quite the fall from grace for a squad that ranked eighth in the league in the same category last season.

By the way, Joe Thornton is on a ten-game point streak. Kill me now.

Game time is 8PM on CBC. Heatley is a game-time decision with flu-like symptoms.

Go Flames Go.

The announcement(s) you've all been waiting for

When news of the Heatley trade broke early Saturday afternoon, it was only second nature for many writers to double-check the news after multiple false alarms throughout the summer. It's official, folks. The Senators organization and the city of Ottawa let out a collective sigh of relief as Heatley packed his bags and headed for the Shark Tank, citing the always trusty "personal reasons" for his discontent in the Nation's capital. I am now taking bets as to what those reasons may have been: knocked up a local TV personality? Slept with a teammate's significant other? General case of dressing room cancer? The list could go on and on.

I am not going to waste my time analyzing Murray's return in the deal, as he had to significantly lower his asking price for the two-time fifty goal scorer as the summer wore on and no prospective takers emerged. According to the Heatley camp, San Jose had been the desired destination from the start, and with their well-documented cap issues, it's a miracle Murray managed to swing a deal. A change of scenery may very well work wonders for former Rocket Richard winner Jonathan Cheechoo, who managed just twenty-nine points in an injury-riddled 2008-09 campaign, and underachieving Milan Michalek, who never fails to disappoint me in my playoff pool, but I digress.

In Flames-related news, training camp officially began yesterday with the veterans reporting to fitness training at 7 AM (yikes), the most notable addition being none other than former Flame Theoren Fleury, who received an invite to Flames camp Friday after being reinstated by the NHL on Thursday. Fleury had nothing but good things to say about Darryl Sutter and the Flames organization, stating, "I am just super happy, first of all, that I got cleared and, second of all, to earn a tryout with the team that I’ve had tattooed on my heart since my Moose Jaw days.” That's enough to give any Flames fan the warm fuzzies.

Craig Conroy, never one to be short on words, sang Fleury's praises in the Calgary Herald, saying, "He looks good. Everything looks good. He's working hard, came in here in great shape. He's been doing everything you could possibly do to get in shape. He looks ready to go. He can still score goals, if Westside is any indication." TSN's Calgary correspondent Jermaine Franklin even joked with Jarome Iginla that Fleury was back to reclaim his scoring records. Jarome laughed it off, but I think he's a little nervous. While Fleury will probably spend most of the season in Abbotsford if he does make the cut, he's quick to point out that he has no expectations for how his comeback bid will pan out, and doesn't want to regret not going for it while he had the opportunity.

The most encouraging news to come out of Day 1 of training camp was that new head coach Brent Sutter plans to cut Kiprusoff's workload, as he was quoted saying, "At this point in time, I certainly wouldn't expect him to play as many games as he has. You need your goaltenders to play well for you and it's got to be both guys." As I said before, I like this guy already. According to the Flames Insider, Kipper hired a personal trainer in the off-season and followed a workout routine given to him by Flames strength and conditioning coach Rich Hesketh.

Does this mean we will see a fitter, more inspired Kiprusoff when the puck drops for real on October 1st? Flames goaltending coach and former teammate Jamie McLennan attributes the goalie's "slow starts" to simply adjusting to the new players on the roster and the time it takes to develop chemistry, and believes that he "takes the brunt" of the team's lack of cohesion early in the season. With a new bench boss at the helm, hopefully we will see this disturbing trend come to a halt and the Flames will come charging out of the gate, ruthlessly demolishing the opposition. Hopefully.

In honour of Fleury's possible return, I rustled up this famous clip from Game 6 of the Oilers series in 1991:

Welcome back Theo.

The Tweet heard around the World

ESPN's John Buccigross has become an internet sensation in a matter of hours, all thanks to an innocent twitter update pertaining to a pending trade involving Dany Heatley (who else?) He wouldn't be the first to set blogger's tongues wagging on the topic, and certainly won't be the last. Mere hours after the news broke, the general managers of all three teams involved were in full-fledged damage control, with responses ranging from Dean Lombardi's eloquent and well-versed "complete bull," to Murray's quick-and-to-the-point "it's simply not true," to Wilson's highly dramatic "it's an absolute fabrication."

While it is unlikely this deal will actually come to fruition, the Senators later added fuel to the fire by announcing that Heatley will not be attending a team golf tournament on Friday, encouraging speculation that the much maligned winger will indeed be dealt by tomorrow. Another evening spent chasing details on a rumour that turned out to be false...such is the life of a hockey blogger. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. When will we learn not to trust ESPN's "sources" for hockey news and rumours?

Lost amidst all the Heatley trade talk, former Flame Theoren Fleury was reinstated by the NHL today after a meeting with Gary Bettman and Bill Daly. Six years after Fleury was forced into retirement due to violation of the league's substance abuse policy, the NHL has opened its doors to the fiesty 41-year-old, who has now been sober for four years. While this is a great feel-good story and certainly a welcome distraction from the Bettman vs. Balsille courtroom drama, the fragile state of the NHLPA, and Heatley's next possible trade destination, the question remains: will any GM actually take a chance on the pint-sized pest?

Fleury says he has received interest from teams, but "doesn't want to name the cities without their consent." With only a few days remaining until training camp opens for most teams, there is still a chance Fleury could receive an invitation. Who knows, he just may be the Bill Guerin to your Penguins, the Joe Nieuwendyk to your Dallas Stars or...I don't really know where I'm going with this, but what I mean to say is he could turn out to be that missing piece that pushes the team that signs him over the hump.

Unlikely, but possible. Then again, hasn't that been the story of Fleury's NHL career to this day?

Thursday's rumour roundup: Comrie returns to Oil Country, for real this time

Just over a week after Comrie's return to Edmonton seemed improbable, the Oilers appear to have had a change of heart as they announced the signing of the hometown centre to a one-year, $1.25 million deal earlier today. Darryl Katz, a good friend of the Comries, somehow managed to convince clueless GM Steve Tambellini that this signing was a good idea, after all, Edmonton had to wrap up a relatively dull summer with SOMETHING, right? Six years after Comrie's messy departure from Oil Country, he and Kevin Lowe have both matured, and admitted that they should have handled the situation differently. I suppose time really does heal all wounds.

I have nothing against giving players second chances, everyone knows Sutter Sr. is an expert at bringing in embattled NHLers like Todd Bertuzzi and Brian McGrattan (wait till he gets his hands on Theo Fleury) and giving them a shot at redemption, but shouldn't the player in question at least fill said team's needs? What, you say? McGrattan's ability to throw a mean right hook doesn't exactly translate into more pucks in the net? That may be, but his role on the team is relatively unique to him, whereas Comrie is a dime a dozen within the confines of Rexall Place.

This sentiment is echoed over at Oilers Nation and The Edmonton Journal, where it is being suggested that the addition of Comrie could mean that Robert Nilsson or Marc Pouliot may be on their way out of town. While Comrie does add veteran presence and his return has supposedly received endorsement from the likes of Shawn Horcoff, Ales Hemsky, and Ethan Moreau, the question of where he will fit into the Oilers lineup still remains.

At least we already know Hilary Duff likes Edmonton.

Sticking with our provincial rivals, Craig MacTavish is employed. Coaching Team Canada. At the Spengler Cup.

*Yawn*...rumours of another three-way deal involving Dany Heatley surfaced again today, this time between the Senators, Sharks, and the L.A. Kings. This proposed deal would see Heatley land in San Jose, Stoll and Frolov headed to the Nation's capital, and Marleau, if he chooses to waive his no-trade, end up in L.A. Other sources say that Heatley could be a Shark as soon as tonight.

Could it be? Tanguay finally chooses a team and Saturday's rumour roundup

Is summer over yet? You know I'm getting desperate when I start posting pictures of Mats Sundin's wedding, courtesy of the Toronto Sun:

Tie Domi and Peter Forsberg. I'm guessing that's not Belinda Stronach 

Daniel Sedin with his wife and agent. Henrik wasn't invited. 

Mats and bride Josephine Johansson. Good to see he's finally settling down with a nice Swedish gal

Hallelujah! After fielding offers from what seemed like all 30 NHL teams, Alex Tanguay has finally decided on a destination (and you thought Heatley was picky). After almost two months of toiling on the free-agent market, RDS is reporting that Tanguay has signed a 1-year deal with the Lightning which will see him earn around $2 million, pending a physical. 

Fellow Quebecers Martin St-Louis and Vincent Lecavalier helped lure the velvet-handed winger to the Sunshine State, where he accepted a significant pay cut after two seasons marred by injuries and decreased production. If Tampa gets consistent goaltending from Mike Smith and its squabbling owners agree to an amicable separation, they may be able to pull one over on a few Eastern squads this season. 

Now that that's over and done with, we can all turn our attention to Heatley and his possible trade to the LA Kings, the ongoing Coyotes debacle, and Peter Forsberg's pending comeback. 

NHL Countdown: 33 days 

Because it's a rainy August afternoon

Dear Dany Heatley,

Please stay out of the Northwest Division. If you could avoid the Western conference altogether, that would be great too. I know you're supposedly head-over-heels for some girl out here, but if she feels the same I'm sure she'll make the trip to Ottawa or New York or wherever you end up. 

Yours truly,

Hayley xoxo

The Canucks have reportedly rescinded their interest in Heatley because the asking price was too high. Now, in a bizzare twist of fate, the Minnesota Wild are supposedly preparing to take a stab at landing the star winger. The only Northwest Division teams that haven't been in on the Heatley bidding wars are the Flames and Avs. 

Now onto the daily Tanguay Report: he has apparently narrowed his list down to the Lightning and the Coyotes. Excellent choices, Alex. The decision making process must be taking so long because he is unable to determine which franchise is losing less money.  I can't imagine what is more attractive to a player--bankruptcy or internal squabbling? Looks like Mr. Tanguay likes a little drama with his hockey. 

Reading The Hockey News' Ultimate Fantasy Pool Guide has got me motivated to do much better in my playoff pool this season. The Ultimate Guide to Skaters has projected both Phaneuf and Bouwmeester to enjoy bounce-back seasons with 61 and 51 points respectively.  Interestingly enough, their goalie projections have McBackup earning 7 wins this season; not sure if this will be due to improved defensive play, improved coaching, or more opportunity (unlikely). 

NHL Countdown: 48 days 

Canucks interested in Heatley?

Being in the Northwest Division, it's hard not to pay attention to the off-season happenings of our rivals. After a relatively quiet summer, the Canucks seem to be saving their best for last as rumblings of the team's interest in disgruntled winger Dany Heatley arise. As of now, there are no details of just what the package to acquire Heatley would include, but Bryan Murray will no doubt ensure that he gets fair market value for his 50-goal scorer. Would the Canucks be willing to part with WJHC darling Cody Hodgson and/or 2009 1st round selection Jordan Schroeder? Vancouver will have to be confident that Heatley won't come down with a sudden onset of Sundin syndrome if they are to pull the trigger, because he definitely won't come cheap.

 The three-way deal between Ottawa, Montreal, and San Jose rumoured earlier this month included big name Sharks Marleau and Cheechoo, and the Senators will surely want at least one proven roster player in return to fill the hole left by Heatley. Now that Edmonton is out of the running in the Heatley Sweepstakes and he supposedly wants to play out West, San Jose and Vancouver seem like the most likely destinations, but both will need to clear cap space to accommodate his super-sized contract, especially if the Canucks are to get a long-term deal with Luongo done sometime this season. Regardless of who ends up acquiring the talented Calgarian, overpaying for Heatley could have dire long-term consequences. Just ask the Ottawa Senators. 

NHL Countdown: 49 days