NHLPLF.lge
NHLPLF.tms
Farm Stats Leaders
Farm Category Leaders
Farm Team Scoring
GM Editor
NHL.ros
NHL.lge
NHL.tms
LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE! Tampa Bay Takes Series in Four.
It seemed the Canucks had finally found a way to beat the
ECHL4 juggernaut Tampa Bay Lightning after jumping to a quick two-goal lead within the first 6:09 of game 4 tonight, but Mark Maranzan's crew had a different idea. Anchored
by a stunning defensive performance that saw only 12 shots allowed through the final two periods, and a solid Bulin wall, the Bolts delivered five unanswered goals to sweep
the Western Champions in four straight, becoming the ECHL's first two-time Stanley Cup Champs.
The defense wasn't only stopping goals, they were scoring them as well. Robin Regehr was the hero of the day with two goals on four shots, including the game winner, and the first star for the Cup winning game. But veteran forward Steve Sullivan, with two assists on the game, would take home the Conn Smythe after potting 14 goals and 13 assists for a playoff leading 27 points and stunning +21 throughout the ECHL4 playoff run. Forgoing the regular champagne, GM Mark Maranzan was doused in Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA when our reporter caught him celebrating. "This season truly was unbelievable. After a disappointing loss in last season's playoffs it was hard to say if our guys would rebound. I can't say enough about the work ethic of our veterans," Maranzan remarked. "They really took control and ran with it this season. Sullivan continued to be not only a constant rock, but a true leader with our youth and Robbie (Regehr) is a just a rock on our blueline."
The Tampa Bay story was a stunning one, and after a record-setting 132-point season, it only seemed right that Maranzan's marauders would take home the hardware to cap it off. But what exactly were the secrets to his success in a season he dominated from the opening faceoff? "My key to success?", Maranzan pondered. "Well, hard work, dedication, strong leadership, and plenty of planning." Maranzan took another sip from the Cup before remembering perhaps the biggest success secret: "... and of course I have my secret weapon, I like to make sure I spend at least an hour a day in my thinkin' chair."
As the Lightning prepared to make haste to the team jet for a confidently pre-scheduled dinner at the famous Bern's Steakhouse in downtown Tampa Bay Maranzan was asked what the future held, and if the Lightning could become the first repeat Champions in ECHL history? "As far as the future for our team? Well, we will certainly have some questions that will have to be answered this off season, most notably a new contract for Glen (Murray) and Nikolai (Khabibulin), but those are questions that we will look at this off season. For now we want to focus on giving all the guys they credit they deserve. This win belongs to them." With that Maranzan found himself on the receiving end of a Murray-delivered IPA bath, marking the perfect end to a near perfect season.
Friday, October 3, 2008
"The Boston Bruins are dead," snickered Colorado Avalanche GM KP Wee as soon as he stepped into the TD Banknorth Garden for the defending ECHL champions' morning skate as the B's prepared for Game Three of their series with the NY Islanders.
"The Bruins outshot and outplayed New York in the first two games. But the Isles won where it mattered--on the scoreboard. And the Isles owned the third periods. It's like Ryan McCullough and his boys are just toying with the B's."
What has been alarming is the fact Boston, now in a deep 0-2 hole, scored first in both games--and lost both.
The Bruins led 3-2 in both, and choked in both.
"There was some discussion about Marc Denis before. Guess (Evan) Carter was right; Denis sucks. I think the Islanders had what, 8 shots in the third period, and he let in 2? And in the opener he gave up three goals in the last 5 minutes, like 4 goals on 8 shots..."
"I seriously think Denis and the rest of the team are like their GM Rick Jessup. Too old, not well rested. Some of them probably need a rocking chair or wheelchair in their dressing room, for crying out loud!"
When asked about the Isles' tandem in goal, Tuukka Rask and Justin Pogge, who have both outplayed Denis in the series, Wee commented: "Brilliant idea by McCullough, rotating his goalies. Keeps them fresh. Unlike Denis. And the results are clear, especially in the last 20 minutes in both games."
And the controversey between Denis and Jessup?
"Denis clearly hates his GM, the way all of Carter's boys hate him down in Nashville. When a Stanley Cup-winning goalie (Denis) gets pulled like that, with no time left (in Game One) in favor of the backup, what does that say? Denis probably feels humiliated and has given up on the season."
Friday, September 26, 2008
This was submitted this past Saturday, prior to the playoffs starting. Somehow we missed it, and run it now two games late.
Colorado GM KP Wee's season might be over, but he's keenly interested in what the ECHL4 playoffs might bring.
Asked to comment on each of the first round series in the West, Wee instead chose to talk about a matchup in the East between two of the oldest franchises in hockey history.
"Intriguing matchup between the Bruins and Rangers," Wee said as the reporters gathered in his office for the final time this year. "Boston New York. Wow. It doesn't get any better than that."
"I remember their backup, Raycroft, stoned us when we went into MSG one night and we had chances after chances but we were totally robbed of a point there," Wee said about the Avalanche's 1-1 tie in New York during ECHL4.
Does Wee actually think the Rangers have a shot against the defending champs from Boston?
"The Rangers are a fine young hockey club. Roman Cechmanek is one of the best goalies in the league and Andrew Raycroft is an awesome backup. Didn't Roman win something like 35 games? Incredible. Goaltending is going to be huge in this series, and I'm sure Cech's gonna stone the Bruins at least four times."
"And when you have guys up front like (Mats) Sundin or (Brian) Rolston and a (Jason) Blake, and the kid (Michel) Ouellet, these guys getting close to 30 goals, that's great production. How on earth is Boston going to stop them?"
When informed about the 13-point gap between the No. 3 seed B's and No. 6 Rangers, Wee only snickered.
"The Rangers' defense is vastly underrated, but I tell ya, John-Michael Liles and Dave Tanabe are great. And you've got Jiri Fischer anchoring the blueline with his size, Boston's in big big trouble."
But what about the fact the Rangers almost missed the playoffs, and only clinched a berth in the final few games?
"New York's a great second-half team. They came into our barn in the second half and took it to us. Alex Edler and Mike Danton and Mike Grier, they all played real well. We couldn't stop these blueshirts. Even (Colorado goalie Garth) Snowy was amazed that night by their team speed and tremendous passing abilities. And don't forget, the lower seeds have always had tremendous success in this league. Just as Boston last year, when they almost missed the postseason themselves."
But aren't the Bruins the defending champs, after all?
"Boston's in big trouble. They don't have anyone scoring more than a point per game, and even Joe Thornton had a mediocre season, by his own standards. I'm hearing Miro Satain and Michael Ryder are kind of banged up too."
What about the fact Bruins GM Rick Jessup has actually built a championship team before?
"I tell you guys. Jessup's a fluke. He got lucky. But you look at the Rangers. Mr. John House is probably one of the best GMs since Sam Pollock. That deal he made with Pittsburgh to get Cechmanek and hot sauce was classic. And Mr. House doesn't make trades just for the sake of it; he just gets guys he knows will help out his hockey club.
"Take that Cechmanek. He stoned the Bruins in Boston one night and was like, first star of the game. That was one of the most outstanding netminding performances in the entire season this year. They can't possibly lose with goaltending like that."
The final word?
"Rangers in six."
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
ECHL Scout Picks the Playoffs
This series will almost certainly be dominated by Tampa Bay. Playoffs are always a different story, but Tampa Bay is only one year removed from their last Cup and they’ve improved on their regular season record considerably since then. Pittsburgh netminder Jose Theodore is going to have to play like an old Belfour if he’s going to carry his team past Tampa. Nikolai Khabibulin put up some of the best numbers of his career and he’s already been well proven throughout playoffs. This series will end in a 4-0 sweep for Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh probably won’t be able to keep up in any of the games let alone the series.
After Deadline:
- Tampa Bay had a stunning 17-3-4 record after the deadline.
- Pittsburgh had good 14-9-1 record after the deadline.
Who to watch out for:
- TB = Glen Murray
- PIT = Jose Theodore
Regular Season Games:
Tampa Bay 5 Pittsburgh 1
Pittsburgh 1 Tampa Bay 3
NY Islanders have been the most underrated team in the East, leading their division and beating strong teams over and over again, but the playoffs could be a hard road for this team. Montreal’s physical game could be a strong factor in this series as Andrew Ladd and Keith Tkachuk combined for nearly 600 hits, but the team’s overall offense is questionable. Montreal’s Thibault has also had a poor season while the Islanders’ young goalies Justin Pogge and Tuukka Rask have put up more respectable numbers fighting for the starting position. The younger and lower rated Rask is expected to start in the playoffs after putting up almost Vezina-winning numbers. Islanders win in 6.
After Deadline:
- NYI had an impressive 14-8-2 record after the deadline.
- Montreal had a disappointing 9-12-2 record after the deadline.
Who to watch out for:
- NYI = Pavol Demitra
- MON = Keith Tkachuk
Regular Season Games:
NY Islanders 3 Montreal 1
Montreal 1 NY Islanders 5
Defending Cup champions will host the Rangers in what is sure to be a fast paced and exciting series, but expect the puck to be controlled mostly by Boston. Mats Sundin and Brian Rolston will be the only real threat the Rangers have, but goalies could also become a major factor as Roman Cechmanek posted considerably better stats than Marc Denis this year. Boston wins in 6.
After Deadline:
- Boston had a decent 10-8-3 record after the deadline.
- New York had a disappointing 9-12-1 record after the deadline.
Who to watch out for:
- BOS = Joe Thornton
- NYR = Mats Sundin
Regular Season Games:
Rangers 2 Boston 1
Boston 5 Rangers 3
This will be an interesting series as middle ranking series always are, a seven game series seems likely here. Jaromir Jagr and his effective play could single-handedly change the story of the series, but others like Scott Hartnell and Saku Koivu can be expected to chip in. Buffalo has to rely on the team play of first liners Milan Hejduk, Alexei Yashin and Tuomo Ruutu. Not much should be expected from Buffalo rookies Steve Downie and Devan Dubnyk or veteran goalie Brian Boucher who are all untested in playoffs. Toronto goaltender Dwayne Roloson, however, has proven himself more than capable. Toronto wins in 7.
After Deadline:
- Buffalo had a decent 12-8-2 record after the deadline
- Toronto had a decent 11-8-3 record after the deadline
Who to watch out for:
- TOR = Jaromir Jagr
- BUF = Milan Hejduk
Regular Season Games:
Toronto 3 Buffalo 2
Toronto 3 Buffalo 1
Buffalo 1 Toronto 0
Buffalo 4 Toronto 5
Buffalo 5 Toronto 4
Toronto 1 Buffalo 4
Nashville will dominate Calgary the whole series with the strong play of Ilya Kovalchuk and Dany Heatley, but don’t be surprised to see Sergei Gonchar leading Nashville either. Calgary will have to focus their scattered offense with Daniel Alfredsson as he’s the most likely player to give Calgary a chance in any of these games. Calgary looks to be completely outclassed in every category except goaltenders, where both goalies are expected to perform fairly well in each game. Nashville wins in 4.
After Deadline:
- Nashville had a stunning 18-5-1 record after the deadline
- Calgary had a decent 11-9-4 record after the deadline
Who to watch out for:
- NAS = Dany Heatley
- CAL = Daniel Alfredsson
Regular Season Games:
Calgary 3 Nashville 4
Nashville 4 Calgary 0
This could be an interesting series, Minnesota’s defense has been extremely shaky since dealing Wade Redden for Marek Zidlicky and San Jose has been underperforming all season. Can new acquisition Todd Bertuzzi power the offensively challenged Wild? Can Palffy perform without playmaker Vaclav Prospal? This series will come down to the goalies, and Minnesota has San Jose dominated with last year’s Vezina winner and this year’s Vezina nominee Marty Turco. Minnesota wins in 6.
After Deadline:
- Minnesota had a dismal 8-11-5 record after the deadline
- San Jose had a dismal 9-13-2 record after the deadline
Who to watch out for:
- MIN = Marty Turco
- SAN = Zigmund Palffy
Regular Season Games:
San Jose 0 Minnesota 1
Minnesota 3 San Jose 2
Chicago has consistently been the most threatening playoff team in ECHL history. With two Western conference trophies and a Stanley Cup, this team is obviously built for the playoffs. Phoenix, however, is coming into this post-season with a vastly different roster than they had last year. Gone are ex-superstar Ed Belfour and two-way centre Kyle Chipchura in favor of super-veterans Martin Brodeur and Joe Sakic. This is probably the hardest series to determine, especially with the outstanding play this year from second line centre Doug Weight and veteran defenseman Al Macinnis while Chicago’s secondary scoring has been exceptionally weak this year. Phoenix wins in 7.
After Deadline:
- Phoenix had an impressive 14-8-2 record after the deadline
- Chicago had a mediocre 11-10-3 record after the deadline
Who to watch out for:
- PHO = Martin Brodeur
- CHI = Marian Gaborik
Regular Season Games:
Phoenix 3 Chicago 2
Chicago 4 Phoenix 5
A tight series between these two but with Dan Cloutier out for the first two games it could just let us say that the series is over. Jason Arnott and Radim Vrbata is the scoring power for the Canunks. Columbus after many seasons with out a goalie, they have finally goten a goalie to add with there power defense with Chris Pronger and Zheno Chara in the line up not many shots will be allowed also with there whole team being balanced nobody knows how much Vancouver can take. Columbus in 5.
After Deadline:
- Columbus had an decent 13-8-2 record after the deadline
- Vancouver had an impressive 14-6-4 record after the deadline
Who to watch out for:
- CBJ = Chris Pronger
- VAN = Dan Cloutier
Regular Season Games:
Vancouver 2 Columbus 0
Columbus 2 Vancouver 3
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Hammy's All-Star Teams
Hammy 1st Team All-Stars
G—Roberto Luongo (Nashville)
D—Alexei Zhitnik (Montreal)
D—Al MacInnis (Phoenix)
RW—Glen Murray (Tampa Bay)
C—Alex Tanguay (St. Louis)
LW—Todd Marchant (Toronto)
Hammy 2nd Team All-Stars
G—Dan Cloutier (Vancouver)
D—Sergei Gonchar (Nashville)
D—Chris Pronger (Columbus)
RW—Pavol Demitra (New York Islanders)
C—Joe Thornton (Boston)
LW—Todd Bertuzzi (Minnesota)
Sunday, September 21, 2008
ECHL Beat Reporter's ECHL4 Playoff Preview
This has all the makings of a David vs. Goliath match-up. The Penguins squeaked into the playoffs in the last few weeks of the season. The Lightning ran over the rest of the league during the regular season. The Penguins will try. The Lightning will not budge. The end result will be a Lightning victory in five games.
This series will be a bit of a mystery. The Islanders have been a consistent team throughout the season, and Montreal has quietly snuck into the playoffs with very little attention. On paper, both teams appear fairly even, but the money is on the Islanders. Islanders in six games.
Boston comes in as the defending Stanley Cup champions. They are the team with the bullz-eye on their jerseys instead of their traditional ‘B’. The Rangers would like nothing better than to dethrone the champs. It has all the ingredients for a classic series. The numbers favor the Bruins, which will take this series in seven games.
This is a bit of a dark horse match-up. Both the Sabres and Maple Leafs have put together solid season with very little separating them. The Leafs come in as the team that eliminated the President’s Trophy winners from Tampa Bay last season, so they have a reputation as giant killers. Toronto in six games.
The Predators have a lot to prove. They are consistent in both the regular and post seasons…regular season Western Conference champions, post season train wrecks. Calgary has a young team, and is not on the same skill level as Nashville. The Preds will eliminate the Flames in five games.
The Wild have trouble scoring goals. The Sharks are proficient at preventing them. This match-up will be interesting to watch as it unfolds. The Wild rely on Turco to outlast their opponents. The Sharks have a few weapons on their roster that could make Turco’s life miserable. Prediction: Sharks in seven games.
The Coyotes have all the talents and tools to go a long way, but face a steady opponent in the Blackhawks. Both teams carry some high firepower, but the series will be decided by goaltending. Phoenix holds the edge over Chicago in that regard. The Coyotes will defeat the Blackhawks in six games.
This would have been a solid match-up if not for the ill-timed injury to star netminder Dan Cloutier. This leaves the Canucks in a bind. Columbus will exploit this weakness and dispatch the Canucks. Blue Jackets in five games.