charlio lemieux
12-05-05, 4:01 PM
This could possibly degenerate into Trash Talk. But maybe not. Here goes....
3:28 PM EST, 12/05/2005
Canada's teams haven't all qualified for NHL playoffs since 1986
(CP) - Ottawa is first overall, and Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Toronto and Edmonton would also qualify for the playoffs if post-season play began today.
There is a long way to go - we're only one-third into the schedule - but prospects of having all of Canada's teams in the playoffs for the first time since 1986 look good.
General managers John Muckler of the Senators, Dave Nonis of the Canucks, Darryl Sutter of the Flames, Bob Gainey of the Canadiens, John Ferguson of the Maple Leafs and Kevin Lowe of the Oilers have to be happy about what's gone down so far this season.
Ottawa was 20-4-0 going into its road game Monday night against the Florida Panthers. The Senators led the league in goals scored (109) and had allowed the fewest (49), giving them an incredible plus-60 differential. The closest any other team was in that department as of Monday was Detroit, which was plus-30.
Ottawa had the league's leading point-getter in Jason Spezza with 11 goals and 32 assists, and Daniel Alfredsson (20-20) and Dany Heatley (19-21) were tied for third. Heatley was a league-best plus-24 on the plus-minus scale, Spezza was second at plus-22 and Alfredsson was third at plus-21.
Dominik Hasek had the league's best goals-against average, 1.94, a sparkling .933 save percentage, and three shutouts.
After returning from Florida, the Senators go west for games Friday in Vancouver, Saturday in Calgary and Monday in Denver.
The Canucks are 17-9-2 and have league's best home record, 12-1-0. They have a well-balanced offence. Production is coming from most of the lines.
Markus Naslund (15-18) is having another productive season, and Todd Bertuzzi (8-16) and Henrik Sedin (7-17) are tied for second in club scoring. Brendan Morrison's plus-10 is the best plus-minus on the team.
Injuries have limited first-string goalie Dan Cloutier to 13 games, but Alex Auld has been a capable replacement with a .906 save percentage.
Vancouver's only game this week is the Friday date with the Senators.
Calgary, 16-9-3, is winning most of its home games but is 6-7-1 on the road.
The offence has been lukewarm at best. With only 69 goals, the Flames are 12th among the Western Conference's 15 teams in offence. Shean Donovan has scored only one goal.
Jarome Iginla leads the team with 24 points (11-13) and Daymond Langkow (7-12) and Tony Amonte (7-10) are next. Chuck Kobasew has 10 goals. Marcus Nilson is a team-best plus-12.
Miikka Kiprusoff has a .911 save percentage and is tied for the league lead in shutouts with three. Calgary's 2.29 GAA is sixth best in the league.
Sutter continues to try and spark the offence by juggling his lineup, and former Kristian Huselius is his latest reclamation project. The former Panther assisted on all three goals in a 3-2 win in Pittsburgh on Saturday.
The Flames hope to improve their mediocre road record at Philadelphia on Tuesday and at New Jersey on Wednesday.
Montreal, 15-7-5, has won only three of its last 10 games. The slump began just after Alexei Kovalev had knee surgery. The Canadiens have the same problem as Calgary - not enough scoring. They are tied for 12th among Eastern Conference teams in offence. Radek Bonk hasn't scored a goal.
Only one player, Michael Ryder has a double-digit goals total, 11. He's also a team-worst minus-7. Saku Koivu leads in points (8-18). Tomas Plekanec's plus-5 is a team best.
Jose Theodore's save percentage is only .891, and he'll have to start stealing some games to keep the Habs on their lofty perch.
The only game Montreal plays this week is at home Saturday against Anaheim.
Toronto, 15-10-3, can be maddingly inconsistent. Defensive breakdowns are usually blamed for losses.
Bryan McCabe leads all NHL defencemen with 35 points (10-25). Jason Allison is the top point-getter among the forwards (6-22). Darcy Tucker has scored 12 goals and Jeff O'Neill and Eric Lindros have 11 each.
O'Neill's plus-minus rating of minus-11 is worst on the team. Mats Sundin has scored only four goals in the 16 games he's played.
Ed Belfour has a .896 save percentage, and Toronto's 3.26 GAA is highest among the six Canadian teams.
The Leafs stay at home to play Los Angeles on Tuesday, Dallas on Saturday and Anaheim next Monday.
Edmonton, 15-11-2, is getting lots of production from its top forward line of Shawn Horcoff (4-23), Ales Hemsky (6-18) and Ryan Smith (13-9). Jarret Stoll (10-14) and Raffi Torres (12-9) also have more than 20 points.
Fernando Pisani's plus-8 is tops on the team. Mike Peca has scored only two goals. Jussi Markkanen's save percentage is the same as that of Theodore, .891.
The Oilers head east for games Thursday at Philadelphia, Saturday at the New York Islanders and Tuesday at New Jersey.
Will it happen this year?
Or, will one or more teams miss the playoffs?
3:28 PM EST, 12/05/2005
Canada's teams haven't all qualified for NHL playoffs since 1986
(CP) - Ottawa is first overall, and Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Toronto and Edmonton would also qualify for the playoffs if post-season play began today.
There is a long way to go - we're only one-third into the schedule - but prospects of having all of Canada's teams in the playoffs for the first time since 1986 look good.
General managers John Muckler of the Senators, Dave Nonis of the Canucks, Darryl Sutter of the Flames, Bob Gainey of the Canadiens, John Ferguson of the Maple Leafs and Kevin Lowe of the Oilers have to be happy about what's gone down so far this season.
Ottawa was 20-4-0 going into its road game Monday night against the Florida Panthers. The Senators led the league in goals scored (109) and had allowed the fewest (49), giving them an incredible plus-60 differential. The closest any other team was in that department as of Monday was Detroit, which was plus-30.
Ottawa had the league's leading point-getter in Jason Spezza with 11 goals and 32 assists, and Daniel Alfredsson (20-20) and Dany Heatley (19-21) were tied for third. Heatley was a league-best plus-24 on the plus-minus scale, Spezza was second at plus-22 and Alfredsson was third at plus-21.
Dominik Hasek had the league's best goals-against average, 1.94, a sparkling .933 save percentage, and three shutouts.
After returning from Florida, the Senators go west for games Friday in Vancouver, Saturday in Calgary and Monday in Denver.
The Canucks are 17-9-2 and have league's best home record, 12-1-0. They have a well-balanced offence. Production is coming from most of the lines.
Markus Naslund (15-18) is having another productive season, and Todd Bertuzzi (8-16) and Henrik Sedin (7-17) are tied for second in club scoring. Brendan Morrison's plus-10 is the best plus-minus on the team.
Injuries have limited first-string goalie Dan Cloutier to 13 games, but Alex Auld has been a capable replacement with a .906 save percentage.
Vancouver's only game this week is the Friday date with the Senators.
Calgary, 16-9-3, is winning most of its home games but is 6-7-1 on the road.
The offence has been lukewarm at best. With only 69 goals, the Flames are 12th among the Western Conference's 15 teams in offence. Shean Donovan has scored only one goal.
Jarome Iginla leads the team with 24 points (11-13) and Daymond Langkow (7-12) and Tony Amonte (7-10) are next. Chuck Kobasew has 10 goals. Marcus Nilson is a team-best plus-12.
Miikka Kiprusoff has a .911 save percentage and is tied for the league lead in shutouts with three. Calgary's 2.29 GAA is sixth best in the league.
Sutter continues to try and spark the offence by juggling his lineup, and former Kristian Huselius is his latest reclamation project. The former Panther assisted on all three goals in a 3-2 win in Pittsburgh on Saturday.
The Flames hope to improve their mediocre road record at Philadelphia on Tuesday and at New Jersey on Wednesday.
Montreal, 15-7-5, has won only three of its last 10 games. The slump began just after Alexei Kovalev had knee surgery. The Canadiens have the same problem as Calgary - not enough scoring. They are tied for 12th among Eastern Conference teams in offence. Radek Bonk hasn't scored a goal.
Only one player, Michael Ryder has a double-digit goals total, 11. He's also a team-worst minus-7. Saku Koivu leads in points (8-18). Tomas Plekanec's plus-5 is a team best.
Jose Theodore's save percentage is only .891, and he'll have to start stealing some games to keep the Habs on their lofty perch.
The only game Montreal plays this week is at home Saturday against Anaheim.
Toronto, 15-10-3, can be maddingly inconsistent. Defensive breakdowns are usually blamed for losses.
Bryan McCabe leads all NHL defencemen with 35 points (10-25). Jason Allison is the top point-getter among the forwards (6-22). Darcy Tucker has scored 12 goals and Jeff O'Neill and Eric Lindros have 11 each.
O'Neill's plus-minus rating of minus-11 is worst on the team. Mats Sundin has scored only four goals in the 16 games he's played.
Ed Belfour has a .896 save percentage, and Toronto's 3.26 GAA is highest among the six Canadian teams.
The Leafs stay at home to play Los Angeles on Tuesday, Dallas on Saturday and Anaheim next Monday.
Edmonton, 15-11-2, is getting lots of production from its top forward line of Shawn Horcoff (4-23), Ales Hemsky (6-18) and Ryan Smith (13-9). Jarret Stoll (10-14) and Raffi Torres (12-9) also have more than 20 points.
Fernando Pisani's plus-8 is tops on the team. Mike Peca has scored only two goals. Jussi Markkanen's save percentage is the same as that of Theodore, .891.
The Oilers head east for games Thursday at Philadelphia, Saturday at the New York Islanders and Tuesday at New Jersey.
Will it happen this year?
Or, will one or more teams miss the playoffs?