Withering 'Canes?

May 5th, 2008

For What it’s Worth: $67.14-It’s too early to bury the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the WHL Finals.

Mamma said there would be days like these…

Let’s get the bad news out of the way. The Lethbridge Hurricanes find themselves down 2-0 in the WHL finals to the Spokane Chiefs. Give the Western Conference Champions full marks for their series lead, the Chiefs have dictated the tempo, played the more physical style and have cashed their scoring chances. That said, the ‘Canes have a lot left to give, starting in Game 3 Tuesday.

Michael Dyck’s crew has looked tentative so far in the finals, especially in Game 1. It wasn’t a huge surprise. The Hurricanes were coming off an 8-day lay-off after sweeping Calgary in the Eastern Conference Finals. So rink rust was a definite factor.

Nearly a third of the roster had never played in the Spokane Arena. It’s an intimidating building. The crowd, while short of a sell-out each night, was loud, cheering everything—and I mean everything—every shot on goal, every save, every hit.

Then there’s the bizarre switching of ends. Unlike every other hockey team on the face of the earth, the Chiefs opt to have the long change in the first and third periods. I’ve never heard of this, never seen it. That’s got to take some time to get used to.

So there were lots of challenges for the Hurricanes to overcome. Throw in Spokane scoring early in the first period of both games; the locals were fighting an uphill battle this past weekend.

Yet the ‘Canes showed signs of life in Game 2. After Spokane’s fast start, the ‘Bridge turned things around in the second half of the first period. Zach Boychuk scored twice, one goal was allowed, the other wasn’t (and it did look like Boychuk kicked the puck into the net). The Chiefs were on their heels a bit. However, the home side had an answer every time the Hurricanes got close, and that’s why Spokane took a 2-0 lead.

The ‘Canes have to stay optimistic. The team has yet to show their best in the series. But it’s going to take a total team effort to come up with the necessary wins at home. I’m sure the Chiefs aren’t going to lay back.

So what do the Hurricanes need to do? I believe they need to remember their effort against Brandon in the first round. The Wheat Kings played a similar style to the Chiefs. Brandon attacked with an aggressive forecheck and tried to pound the Hurricanes into submission. The ‘Canes found a way to break out of their own end against the Wheaties, often with a long outlet pass and then a chip from the neutral zone into the offensive end. Lethbridge also surpassed Brandon physically, out-hitting the Wheat Kings.

So, the Boys from the ‘Bridge must dig deep. Play together like we’ve seen for most of the playoffs thus far, with contributions from everyone in the line-up. Play the game at its highest level because that’s what’s required in May hockey.

Anything less and a fine season will end short of the ultimate goal.

Spare Change

Covering Games 1 and 2 gave me the opportunity to visit Spokane for the first time. The area downtown around the river is very pleasant. The Spokane Arena is first rate with a nice wide concourse, a big screen with video replay and lovely blooming trees around the exterior.

The press box had plenty of room as well, but there was a lack of water, which left the visiting press corps somewhat dehydrated.

If (when?) the Hurricanes head back to the Arena I highly recommend ‘Canes fans getting together for a fun road trip to cheer the team on!

As far as dining choices, I highly recommend the Italian Kitchen on Bernard Street. I had the homemade ravioli and it was magnifico!

I also walked around Gonzaga University. It’s a fine looking campus, lots of green space with a blend of new and classic architecture. Found the Bulldogs store and I attacked the sales rack for some sweet G-U gear.

Here’s hoping I get a return trip…

Oh 1997.....it's so Nintendo 64.

April 16^th, 2008

For What It’s Worth: $87.78-The Lethbridge Hurricanes are the team to beat in the WHL’s Eastern Conference Finals.

Why stop now? For the first time since Jerry McGuire and Jamiroquai were hip, the Lethbridge Hurricanes are playing in the WHL’s Eastern Conference Finals. 1997 was a grand year for the franchise, as the ‘Canes won their only Dub Championship (other great things from ’97: Jewel-did she move back to Alaska or what? Dolly-why can’t I clone things yet? and Deep Blue-take that chess master!). Now, the “Boys from the ‘Bridge” are just four wins away from taking another stab at winning the Ed Chynoweth Cup (formerly the President’s Trophy). Only Calgary stands in Lethbridge’s way. And while the Hitmen are a very good team, there’s no reason why the ‘Canes shouldn’t be favoured in their best-of-7 series.

On paper, the Hitmen and Hurricanes are very close. Calgary led the Eastern Conference with 259 regular season goals; Lethbridge was third with 245. The Hitmen allowed just 166 lamp-lighters (1^st in the East); the ‘Canes gave up 175 (2^nd).

Special teams? In the post season, both teams have similar numbers. Lethbridge’s power play is successful 22.2% of the time; Calgary is at 25.0%. The ‘Canes have the slight edge on the penalty kill at 87.5%; the Hitmen are at 78.1%

Lethbridge has had a somewhat “easier” path to the East Finals, defeating Brandon in 6 games and Kootenay in 5. Calgary needed 6 games to take out both Moose Jaw and Swift Current.

Perhaps the Hitmen can look back at past playoff success. Kelly Kisio’s squad lost in the conference championship a year ago (to Medicine Hat). Also, Calgary has won both its previous post-season series versus the ‘Canes: in 5 games in 2004 (a tour de force performance by Ryan Getzlaf) and in 6 games in 2005 (only Justin Leclerc’s great goaltending kept it close).

One concern for Calgary might be in net. Incumbent Daniel Spence has a playoff goals against average of 2.98 and a save percentage at .886. Back-up Martin Jones replaced Spence in game 5 against Swift Current in the East Semifinals and then started the clincher one day later. Jones’ numbers are much better (1.80GAA, .924sv%, although in just 167 minutes). Goaltending controversy? Perhaps, or maybe it’s nice to have two options at this time of year.

All the stats are very close, so where’s the advantage? It’s the head-to-head series. The Hurricanes won 5 of 6 meetings between the two sides this past regular season. Plus, Michael Dyck’s crew loves playing at the Saddledome. The locals last lost on the NHL-sized sheet of ice in October of 2006, a span of 6 games.

Experience can only take a team so far, and really Lethbridge has gained plenty already in this run. This ‘Canes squad got their first taste of post-season success out muscling a physical Brandon side in the first round. Against Kootenay in round two, the locals shook off two third period blown leads on home ice to crush the Ice in Cranbrook. About a month ago the Hurricanes were a pretty green group. Now it’s a team with two series wins and hungry for more.

I’m not going to make a prediction, thanks to the Baceda Kiss of Death*. Look for a close hard-fought series. A little confidence is a scary thing, and the Hurricanes are no longer playoff newbies. All I know is, I’d like to put 1997 to rest even though Jacques Villeneuve would disagree.

*Check the FWIW archives

WHL Playoff Manifesto

March 28^th, 2008

For What it's Worth: $88.90-This year's WHL playoffs will be one for the ages, so get involved already.

First off, I apologize for the delay between posts. But it's been mad crazy at Global Lethbridge Sports. March always brings the close of the WHL season, high school basketball zone and provincial tournaments, minor hockey playoffs, and various other events. It's the perfect storm of activity here in Southern Alberta. I'm always surprised our huge (2-man) department covers as much as it does. However, here at Global Sports, our theme song is BTO's Takin' Care of Business.

Heading into the WHL playoffs, it seemed like there were 8 or 9 teams with a legit shot at winning the title. And now a week into post season, I have no reason to think it's not the case. In the Western Conference, Tri-City, Vancouver and Spokane all look like their dominant selves in the first round. It'll be interesting to see who survives the second round, with the Giants most likely matching up against the Chiefs. While the Americans get to face the winner of the 4-5 match-up, Kelowna or Seattle. A big edge to the Amerks. Tri-City will probably have a much easier road to the conference final while Vancouver and Spokane will battle, in what should be a 6 or 7 game series.

In the Eastern Conference, it was conceivable that every quarterfinal series could see an upset. Remember, after the regular season, only 11 points separated the top seed from the 8^th. However, Calgary, Lethbridge and Kootenay have all ran out to big leads in their respective best-of-7's. Only Regina and Swift Current were tied at two wins apiece after four games.

Still, I wouldn't count out Moose Jaw, Brandon or Medicine Hat on making a big come back and taking a series in 7 games, doubtful, but the Boston Red Sox, circa 2004, gives everybody hope.

As for the Hurricanes, they're trying to win their first playoff round in 11 years. In a decade's worth of post-season failure, the club has mostly limped into a first round match up against one of the Dub's top teams, and then lost in four or five games. However, it's different this time around. The organization is on the rise, looking like a contender not just for this year, but the years to come.

Matching up against Brandon, the ‘Canes shook off some nerves in the first period of Game 1, and rallied for the victory. In their 3 wins over the Wheat Kings, Michael Dyck's crew won the special teams battle. The club's power play looks vastly improved from the regular campaign, and the penalty kill came up clutch against the Wheaties.

While the sweep was on the table, it was never really in the cards. Brandon is a good side, a nice blend of experience and youth, and an impressive 15 games over .500 at home. Plus, in their 3 defeats, the Wheaties had a lead in each one, before losing by one goal.

From the start, I thought this series would go 6 or 7 games, and if the Hurricanes can close things out in 5, more power to them. But Brandon now has some life, with the next game at the Keystone Centre. It certainly won't be a shock to see both teams return to the ‘Bridge for game 6. If that happens, the ‘Canes must keep their composure, remembering it's a tough match-up all along.

And then it's up to the city to get on board. I understand that many Lethbridge hockey fans are wary to get excited about the WHL playoffs, 11 years of ineptness will do that. But to have a thousand less people at the Enmax Centre for Game 1 against Brandon, than the biggest crowd of the regular season, is disappointing.

Everyone loves a winner. So, the way I see it, there's no excuse not to pack the "Old Sportsplex." Why? That's easy. You can root for this year's edition of the Hurricanes, whether they advance to the second round or not because these kids are winners. A fine group of young men, solid citizens in the community, that just so happen to be ranked 10^th in the Canadian Hockey League. If you can't cheer on this team, then it's simple, junior hockey isn't for you.

Les Anti-Leafs

February 21st, 2008

For What it’s Worth: $92.70-The Montreal Canadiens have built a Stanley Cup contender the old-fashioned way…by drafting well.

It’s down right depressing how hockey is covered in Canada. Since our major sports networks are all based in the “Centre of the Universe,” i.e. Toronto, we’re constantly hammered with Maple Leafs mania. Win, lose or draw, the Buds get top billing more often than not. Granted, the club has the most fans here in the Great White North, and there must be some sort of constant thirst for all things Leaf. However, our nation’s other teams often get short changed media wise. It probably explains how the Montreal Canadiens snuck up on Canadian NHL fans outside of Quebec (and I’m guessing, in reality, the majority of La Belle Provence).

Heading into late February, the Canadiens are vying for first place in the Eastern Conference. A year after missing the NHL’s playoffs, and many seasons of mediocrity, Les Habitants have emerged into a power. How has Montreal become a contender? It’s simple--great scouting. Of the 23 players currently on the Canadiens roster, the club drafted 14 of them.

Here’s the breakdown: (player, round and draft year).

Forwards

Chris Higgins-1^st Round 2002.

Saku Koivu-1^st Round 1993

Andrei Kostitsyn-1^st Round 2003

Sergei Kostitsyn-7^th Round 2005

Maxim Lapierre-2^nd Round 2003

Guillaume Latendresse-2^nd Round

Tomas Plekanec-3^rd Round 2001

Michael Ryder-8^th Round 1998

Steve Begin-Waivers

Tom Kostopolous-Free Agent

Alexei Kovalev-Trade

Bryan Smolinski-Free Agent

Defence

Patrice Briesbois-2^nd Round 1989

Mike Komisarek-1^st Round 2001

Andrei Markov-6^th Round 1998

Ryan O’Byrne-3^rd Round 2004

Mark Streit-9^th Round 2004

Francis Bouillon-Waivers

Mathieu Dandeneault-Free Agent

Josh Gorges-Trade

Roman Hamrlik-Free Agent

Goaltender

Carey Price-1^st Round 2005

Christobal Huet-Trade

Also, Kyle Chipchura (1^st Round 2004) has played 35 games this season in Montreal. There’s just something better about homegrown talent (or vegetables).

The Canadiens are one of the NHL’s highest scoring clubs, in the top 5 in goals for. Of the team’s top 10 scorers, only Kovalev (it’s not even my contract season…eat that naysayers!) and Hamrlik weren’t drafted.

Most of the credit goes to Bob Gainey. Since taking over the Habs General Manager duties in 2003, 7 of his draft picks (Kostitsyn x2, Lapierre, Latendress, O’Byrne, Streit, Price, 8 if you’d like to include Chipchura) are on the roster. Andre Savard (2000-2003), Gainey’s predecessor selected 3 current Canadiens (Higgins, Plekanec, Komisarek). Rejean Houle (1995-2000), the GM before Savard has 2 of his picks still around (Ryder and Markov). And here’s a shout out to Serge Savard, the long-time head honcho who preceded Houle, still has two guys he picked wearing le blue, blanc et rouge (Brisebois, Koivu).

Contrast how Montreal has built its roster with Toronto. The Maple Leafs have just a handful of drafted players on its current roster, with only Tomas Kaberle, a top NHLer. If the Buds are lucky, they’ll earnestly start a rebuilding process before the 100^th anniversary of the club’s last Stanley Cup victory. Even then, the Leafs are years away from contending.

Meanwhile, Montreal is the here and now. Most hockey publications before the season had the Canadiens missing the playoffs. Perhaps the experts should have forecasted the side’s rise sooner. Hamilton, the Habs’ AHL affiliate, has been a strong club in recent years. The Bulldogs won the Calder Cup a year ago and were runner-ups in 2003.

It will be interesting to see how the Habs approach Tuesday’s NHL trade deadline. There’s always pressure to win in the City of Saints. The team does have the assets to move to acquire a rental player or two; however, even without any major moves, it’s set up to win for years to come.

15 years have passed since Les Canadiens last won le Coupe Stanley. There’s no assurance this year’s squad will end the drought. But for the first time in a long time, there’s real hope for this storied franchise.

Spare Change

February 14th, 2008

A lot of things have happened in sports since I last wrote (I was felled by illness last week, I'm guessing SARS), so I'm offering up a grab bag of thoughts, musings and rants.

For What it's Worth: $93.45-The Lethbridge Hurricanes are getting down right offensive...but not in a Howard Stern or Oprah Winfrey kind of way.

We all make New Year's resolutions, and I'm guessing the Hurricanes resolved to keep goal judges busy around the Western Hockey League. Since the start of 2008, Michael Dyck's crew has played 17 games, going 12-2-1-2. The club has piled up 70 goals over that span. In their last 9 contests, the ‘Canes have had two 9 goal games, one 8 goal effort and most recently spanked Kootenay 7-1.

The team is up to 195 goals on the season, now fourth in the WHL's Eastern Conference. The Hurricanes have a balanced attack, with four players on pace for 30+ goals: Mitch Fadden (28), Dwight King (26), Zach Boychuk (25), and Colton Sceviour (24). 1997 was the last time the team boasted four or more 30-goal men, Shane Willis (56), Byron Ritchie (50), Travis Brigley (43), Kirby Law (39), and Mike Josephson (32). That club just happened to win the ‘Canes first and only WHL Championship.

Another good sign is the Hurricanes power play has come to life. Mired among the bottom third in the Dub for most of the season, the team is 16-63 in its last 10 games with the man advantage, a sparkling 25.4% clip.

Heading into the 2007-'08 campaign, many believed the ‘Canes would be one of the WHL's top scoring teams. In the first half the club wasn't bad offensively, but now it's firing on all cylinders. Combining with a strong defensive game, the Hurricanes are dominating on both ends of the rink.

FWIW: $76.89-Cliff Fletcher was a bad choice by the Toronto Maple Leafs to lead their rebuilding project.

A couple of weeks have passed since the Toronto Maple Leafs fired John Ferguson Jr. as General Manager, replacing him, on an interim basis, with the "Silver Fox" Cliff Fletcher. Leafs Nation looks back on Fletcher's first run as GM with the club fondly. The high point came in losing back-to-back Western Conference finals in 1993 and '94 (if losing in the conference championship finals is really a highlight).

So it's back to the future for the Buds, handing the reins over to Fletcher once again. Toronto is in need of a massive rebuild, and I'm stupefied that Fletcher was tabbed to begin the task. Make no mistake, the Hall of Famer was--was--a fine GM. But his legacy with the Leafs is actually part of the organization's problem today.

Fletcher began his first run in T.O. in 1991. He then left the club six seasons later. While the 72 year old is most remembered for fleecing Calgary in a trade for Doug Gilmour (seriously Doug Risebrough, Gary Leeman????), his drafts were down right horrible. The Leafs should have at least a few impact players still on the roster from the lotteries Fletcher led. However, that's simply not the case.

Thanks to Hockeydb.com here's a look at the Leafs' drafts under Fletcher. The number in parentheses is the player's draft position. (Cliff was hired on July 2^nd, 1991, a couple weeks after the '91 draft-which sucked as well).

1992: Brandon Convery (8), Grant Marshall (23), Nikolai Borchevsky (77), Mark Raiter (95), Janne Gronvall (101), Chris DeRuiter (106), Mikael Hakansson (125), Patrik Augusta (149), Ryan VandenBussche (173), Wayne Clarke (197), Sergei Simonov (221), Nathan Dempsey (245)

1993: Kenny Jonsson (12), Landon Wilson (19), Zdenek Nedved (123), Paul Vincent (149), Jeff Andrews (175), David Brumby (201), Kyle Ferguson (253), Mikhail Lapin (279)

1994: Eric Fichaud (16), Sean Haggarty (48), Fredrik Modin (64), Mark Deyell (126), Kam White (152), Tomi Rajamaki (178), Rob Butler (204), Sergei Berezin (254), Doug Nolan (282)

1995: Jeff Ware (15), Ryan Pepperall (54), Doug Bonner (139), Yannick Tremblay (145), Marek Melenovsky (171), Mark Murphy (197), Danil Markov (223)

1996: Marek Posmyk (36), Francis Larivee (50), Mike Lankshear (66), Konstatin Kalmikov (68), Jason Sessa (86), Vladimir Antipov (103), Peter Cava (110), Brandon Sugden (111), Dmitry Yakushin (140), Chris Bogas (148), Lucio DiMartinis (151), Reggie Berg (178), Tomas Kaberle (204), Jared Hope 230

There's just one all-star in 50 picks (Tomas Kaberle) over 5 drafts. In fact, only 12 of these guys actually played over 100 NHL games (most just barely). There's 3, 30-goal scorers (Borchevsky, Modin-with Tampa Bay, and Berezin). How about the first rounders? Brandon Convery, Grant Marshall, Kenny Jonsson, Eric Fichaud, and Jeff Ware. I guess Jonsson was above average in his 10 NHL seasons. Marshall was a nice 3^rd liner in Dallas, Columbus and New Jersey in his 12 big-league campaigns.

All in all, it's a poor performance. And I doubt Fletcher's better now nearly 20 years later. Maybe he can move Mats Sundin and Bryan McCabe (ha!) for a boatload of prospects and get the organization headed in the right direction. All I know is if I'm a Leafs fan I'm less than thrilled with the direction of the team. But it's not like Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment is getting any smarter...

FWIW: $92.10-The NBA...its' Trade-tastic!!

What's going on in the National Basketball Association? In a league not known for trades in recent times, there's more wheeling and dealing going on than the ol' church flea market.

It started in the off-season when Boston acquired Kevin Garnett from Minnesota and Ray Allen from Seattle. Those moves were an obvious response to New York trading for Zach Randolph from Portland (yes, I was giggling while writing that).

Now the Western Conference is getting in on the act this week. The Los Angeles Lakers stole Pau Gasol from Memphis for pretty much nothing. Phoenix goes off the deep end acquiring the player formerly known as Shaquille O'Neal from Miami for Shawn Marion. Now it's reported Dallas is scooping Jason Kidd from New Jersey for Devin Harris and others.

By my count, that's 4 or 5 hall-of-famers on the move. A lot of big name all-star types finding themselves in new colours. It's great for NBA fans to dissect these trades, and there's a lot of second-guessing going on outside of Boston and Los Angeles. While it makes for big headlines, in the end, only one of these clubs will lift the Larry O'Brien trophy in June.

Well that's all for now...try not to get the SARS, or the Avian Flu, or the mumps, or the malaria...there's a lot of it going around.

Shark Bites

With the Lethbridge Hurricanes on the road this week, I also took the time to head out. I went to Calgary this week for the Flames game against San Jose. This was a working trip, however, no time for touristy fun like going to the Calgary Tower or visiting the Calgary Zoo.

For What it’s Worth: $46.78-The San Jose Sharks are going to continue to disappoint come NHL playoff.

As an objective journalist (are there any left?) I wouldn’t mind seeing the Sharks make a long playoff run. The club features a pair of good ol’ Southern Albertan boys (thanks Don!), Taber’s Devin Setoguchi and Coaldale’s Kyle McLaren. They have one of the league’s most dynamic players in Joe Thornton. There’s plenty of speed and skill, and the Sharks have to be the biggest team in the NHL (the club weighs in at 5992 pounds, 214 per man. Even their goalies, Evgeni Nabokov and Thomas (I Never See the Ice) Greiss are 200 lbs!).

Yet, for me, there’s something missing. I think it comes down to Thornton and Sharks captain Patrick Marleau. Looking at their playoff statistics, the duo average well under a point per game (Thornton 57 playoff games-38 points, Marleau 73 playoff games-51pts). But the pair’s style is not really conducive to the post-season. When things get physical, both can disappear.

Marleau is tremendously fast with a great touch (until this year, 9 goals in 51 games???). The Aneroid, Saskatchewan native, most famously in these parts, was completely neutralized in the 1997 WHL Finals by a fierce Lethbridge Hurricanes side. Heading into the best of 7, Marleau had 22 points in 11 games as his Seattle Thunderbirds waltzed through the Western Conference bracket. But against the ‘Bridge, Marleau had just one assist as his Thunderbirds were swept by the Hurricanes.

As for Thornton, his ability to win in the post-season was the biggest reason he was traded from Boston to San Jose. And with the Sharks, he’s yet to lead the club out of the second round.

Perhaps moving Marleau for a grittier forward can give the club the boost it needs. The Sharks could probably use another top tour blue-liner as well. Still, there’s a lot to like from this team and perhaps it gets over the hump to play for the Stanley Cup in June. Maybe, Marleau and Thornton dig deep and become as well known for their playoff performance as their regular season production.

Spare Change

In other Sharks news, Setoguchi made quite the impression on the Flames. The former Saskatoon Blade and Prince George Cougar took a run at Calgary Captain Jarome Iginla in the first period. Iggy was none too pleased, asking Seto for a spot of fisticuffs. Devin politely declined. Setoguchi was then in another spat with Dion Phaneuf, with the Flames defenceman picking up an extra roughing minor. The Taber product was playing in front of 100 family and friends, and even though Setoguchi was held off the score sheet, he made his mark.

Setoguchi’s made the trip from San Jose to Worchester, Massachusetts (the Sharks AHL affiliate) a few times this campaign. He says it’s a learning experience and it’s not the team that sends a player to the minors, but the player’s performance, or lack thereof, that does. Devin is settling in well in Silicon Valley, rooming with teammate Torrey Mitchell. The only drawback is neither can cook very well, so they’re eating out a lot.

Talking with San Jose assistant coach Rob Zettler, he says the rookie is going through the typical ups and downs. After a strong training camp, Setoguchi was hurt to start the NHL season. After getting healthy, he made his debut in the big show, scoring twice, the only Shark to ever accomplish the feat. Then a four game goal streak in November was followed by a dry spell, and a trip to the minors. Since Seto’s recall in the middle of this month, Zetter believes the winger is using his speed well, playing a responsible brand, and helping the Sharks defensively.

As for McLaren, he’s trying to come back from a knee injury. I played basketball against his brother Dean in high school (well my team played his, CCH versus Kate Anrdrews, I watched a lot from the bench). Kyle was a bit introspective after I called him a veteran player. In the NHL at the age of 18, the former Tacoma Rocket, has 12 big-league seasons under his belt. It seems he’s truly appreciative of getting paid (handsomely) to play the game he loves.

So if the Flames can’t make another long Stanley Cup run, maybe I’ll get on the Sharks bandwagon, after all, Jeremy Roenick always keeps things interesting.

Super Bowl XLII

I’ll keep it brief since there’s enough Super Bowl coverage to keep a person entertained, or nauseous, or both.

I earlier wrote New England was somewhat flawed, but since my pick, Indianapolis decided to tank in the AFC semifinals, I can’t see the Patriots losing. As game as the New York Giants are, the Pats have to finish this dream season off, perfect don’t they? The G-men’s secondary is highly suspect, and New England QB Tom Brady should be able to exploit it.

The recipe for New York: no turnovers, get huge pressure on Brady from the defensive line, and run the ball well to control the clock. I’ll put the odds at 10-1 for New York to win. Not bad, but look for the best team in NFL history talk to include the 2007 New England Patriots in the years and decades to come.

The East is a Beast

January 22nd, 2008

For What it’s Worth: $95.99-The WHL’s Eastern Conference playoff race will be one for the ages.

It’s said, “West is Best,” but in the Western Hockey League this season, the East is a beast. With just two months left in the regular season, the Dub’s Eastern Conference playoff chase is shaping up to be a pier-six brawl (forget those pansy brawls on piers one-through-five). As of this writing, the east’s top 8 teams are all above the break-even mark. The last time the Eastern Conference had all of it’s playoff qualifiers at .500 or better was 1997. Perhaps a good omen for the Lethbridge Hurricanes (Byron Ritchie rulez!!).

The top seed right now, Calgary, is powered by one of the league’s top offences. The Hitmen already have 9 players with at least 10 goals, and should have a couple more join the double-digit ranks. As an added bonus, Kelly Kisio’s club has also allowed the least amount of goals in the conference. Still, Kiss had yet to smile this season.

Regina leads the East Division. The Pats loaded up for a post-season drive, adding veterans JD Watt, Ryan Bender and Ryan DePape among others. Currently rolling, on a 6-game win streak, Regina is a gritty group, seemingly built for spring hockey.

After the division leaders, comes a whack of clubs, including Lethbridge, which can contend in the end. Kootenay has most of its team back that racked up 104 points and second in the conference a year ago. Moose Jaw made the biggest splash at the trade deadline, acquiring Ty Wishart from Prince George. Wishart joins Keaton Ellerby as a pair of NHL first round picks on the Warriors blue-line. Brandon lacks star-power, yet the Wheat Kings are tied with Calgary with 170 goals for and boast the conference’s second best goal differential at plus 41. Medicine Hat, while not quite as dangerous as last year, is still the defending WHL champ. Swift Current, currently in 8^th, is the third highest scoring team in the east, with an opportunistic blue-line and a goalie in Travis Yonkman who’s can steal a hockey game. Better bring something extra, like a steel chair or some brass knucks to this fight.

Then there are the Hurricanes. The team has changed its identity as the season has progressed. While offence was thought to be the strength of the club heading into 2007-‘08, team defence has emerged. The ‘Canes are second in the conference in goals allowed (just one more than Calgary). Since the start of the New Year, Michael Dyck’s crew has allowed a measly 9 goals in 7 games. The addition of overager Jeff May has bolstered the blue-line (although it looks like the ‘Canes must make do without Jesse Craige for a while. The 19-year-old rearguard was injured Saturday against Tri-City, and is out indefinitely with a knee injury). Better defence? Sounds like a recipe for a long playoff run.

Right now, just 9 points separate the Eastern Conference’s top 7 teams. We pretty much know who’s making the post-season, but predicting seeding is fruitless. These contenders better bring their best for the next 8 weeks. All I know is it’s going to make for fantastic hockey, with a playoff-like intensity in most barns on most nights from here on out. And as a fan, that’s all I can ask for.

Deadline Daze

January 14^th, 2008

For What it’s Worth: $67.92-The Lethbridge Hurricanes did enough at the WHL trade deadline.

The Western Hockey League’s trade deadline has come and gone. The Lethbridge Hurricanes were fairly quiet, making just one swap. The team added 20-year-old defenceman Jeff May from Prince Albert in exchange for two prospects and a 2008 2^nd round bantam pick (the ‘Bridge had an extra 2^nd rounder thanks to the Justin LeClerc deal with Kamloops before the season). While other teams were making some big splashes, the ‘Canes kept the water in their pool. And really, I’m okay with that.

The Hurricanes completed their big trade back in November, a 7-player swap with Portland. Coming east, were Colton Sceviour, Nick Hotson and Lucas Alexiuk. Sceviour’s proved to be streaky (he’s played 25 games in the ‘Bridge, held off the scoresheet in 14 of them, meaning he has 21 points in 11 other games). The 18-year-old is a plus-13 in his time with the ‘Canes, and will be around for at least another season. Hotson missed a month with an injury; however, the 20-year-old does have some offensive touch (he ended up as the ‘Hawks leading scorer last season) and size. Alexiuk is a depth defenceman, and at 18, he too will be around next season.

What’s nice for the ‘Canes, is the trio was acquired 3 months ago, allowing for some chemistry to develop. While making a deadline deal gives players less time to adjust to new surroundings.

Moose Jaw picked up Ty Wishart...ooh! Regina added JD Watt…ahh! Calgary brought in Brock Nixon…yippee! Spokane welcomes Justin McCrae…wow! Sure, all these teams think they’re better than they were before the deadline, but in the end, only one team will go to the Memorial Cup. The prices paid this year were high; it was really a sellers market. So for all the wheeling and dealing, just one club is truly going to be satisfied with the end result.

The Hurricanes pretty much stayed the course. There’s nothing to suggest this team can’t compete for a WHL title this season. They have enough scoring, one of the deepest blue-lines in the league and a stable goaltending tandem. A better power play would sure help things. The team was middle of the pack at the end of November: 9^th overall. Now the ‘Canes are 18^th in the Dub with the man advantage (conversely the penalty kill is improving, ranked 19^th heading into December, it’s now 14^th).

And if the ‘Canes come up short this spring, next year the organization will field another competitive team. Zach Boychuk, Dwight King, Sceviour, Carter Bancks, Jesse Craige, and Juha Metsola will lead a strong crop of 19-year-olds. The likes of Carter Ashton, Luca Sbisa and Cam Braes will come back for their second year in the league. Who knows who might return as overagers, but with the right trio of 20-year-olds, this roster is nearly complete.

Remember, Roy Stasiuk and company are committed to building a team that’s competitive on a yearly basis. In junior hockey it’s almost impossible. With the yearly turnover, teams have small windows of opportunity to win championships. The London Knights were unstoppable 3 years ago; now the OHL club is closer to missing the playoffs than it is to contending for top spot in its conference. It’s all about stability, building a list of players that can give a team a shot more often than not.

Certainly, making a lot of moves around the trade deadline will help a team win its share of headlines. But, championships banners are raised as the result of a long-term planning, executed 365 days a year.

Spare Change-Thoughts from a busy weekend watching sports.

FWIW $75.00-Win the turnover battle, win in the NFL playoffs.

Simply put, keep a hold of the football! New England, San Diego and the New York Giants all won the turnover battle in their conference semifinals this weekend (Patriots +2, Chargers +2, Giants +1) and they won their games.

Green Bay bucked the trend; overcoming two Ryan Grant fumbles in the first 5 minutes of the game against Seattle, and the Packers pasted the Seahawks by 22 points. Winning the turnover battle means little if you have no heart.

So book it, New England versus Green Bay in Super Bowl XLI*. (Remember the Baceda Kiss of Death, BKD for short. Consult the archives for more info).

FWIW: $99.90-American Idol promotion is bad for my brain.

It was bad enough watching Indianapolis lose in the NFL Conference Semis this weekend (yet another prediction up in smoke, although I did predict San Diego to win the Super Bowl before the season started…no I really did…ask Rob!), but who’s the advertising genius who came up with those American Idol promos? Seriously, how did this concept come about? It’s bad enough they were appallingly annoying. But (some other Canadian TeleVision network) ran them 78 times a game. Does (some other Canadian TeleVision network) really think NFL fans are the target audience they’re missing to watch some glorified karaoke?

And really, I think there should be more commercials during an NFL game. I love it when a team punts, then there’s a break, then the other team scores on it’s first play from scrimmage, then there’s a break, then there’s a kick-off, then there’s a break, then a play is run as the quarter ends, then there’s a break, then a guy gets hurt on second down, then there’s a break…

FWIW: $88.53-Bob Cole must retire… in there…he’s dangerous…he wants to score Harry!

I think when it comes to the “voice” of Hockey Night in Canada, either you love Bob Cole or you hate him. I really don’t have any animosity towards Cole, since I don’t know him. But, his voice is reaching a new level of shrillness that’s hard for a human to listen to, never mind a dog.

I really think Bob will go when Mats Sundin either calls it quits or is traded from Toronto (and I don’t mean retire…).

And when Bob retires you just know Peter Loubardias is taking his place.

FWIW: $71.90-Celtics kryptonite? Just Wiz on them.

In NBA action, Saturday night I watched Boston blow a fourth quarter lead to Washington, the Wizards eventually coming up with a 7 point win in D.C. The Wiz completely dominated the boards in an ugly street-fight of a game. Now, the C’s have lost two straight for the first time this season, blowing another 4^th quarter lead to Washington, dropping an 88-83 loss tonight. Gilbert Arenas? Who needs him? As for the Celtics, the defence is great (leading the NBA) but the offence is struggling (for them anyways) a bit. Ray Allen’s shooting just 41 per cent from the field, and why the hell does Kendrick Perkins need to touch the ball so much in the half-court offence? Quibbles for a 30-6 club.

That’s all for now kids…play safe!

FWIW's Crystal Ball

January 3^th, 2008

The FWIW Crystal Ball

Happy New Year everyone! I know it’s a time for resolutions (mine include making money and continuing my strong track record of breathing properly). It’s also a time for predictions. And you know ‘For What it’s Worth’ is getting in on the fun. So, I’ve dug out the crystal ball from Aunt Mae’s root cellar and peered into it for a few hours.

For What it’s Worth: $71.19-The Lethbridge Hurricanes make a long playoff run.

Despite a shaky end to December, the ‘Canes should finally win their first playoff series since 1997; the year the team won the WHL championship. The Boys From the ‘Bridge are fighting for first in the Central Division and Eastern Conference. The team has a differential of plus 19 in goals for and goals against, 6^th in the league as of this writing.

If the playoffs started today, the Hurricanes would play Kootenay. The Ice are currently on top of the season series 4-0. However, the ‘Canes are probably just employing the old rope-a-dope strategy, baiting their Cranbrook rivals into over-confidence.

Making it out of the first round will give the local side a great deal of confidence, which will carry it past it’s second round opponent. And if things play out according to form (and that always happens!), a match-up with Calgary in the conference final bodes well for the Hurricanes, who have beat the Hitmen 6 of their last 8 meetings.

FWIW: $6.89-A player punches Glen Healy or Pierre McGuire.

Both broadcasters provide their “analysis” from between the benches during TSN’s NHL coverage. I’ve got to believe players are overhearing what these two are saying during a game. And I’ve also got to believe their “analysis” is going to push someone’s buttons (Sean Avery’s the obvious choice) and an NHLer will take a swing at one of them.

FWIW: $55.16-Jarome Iginla wins the Hart Trophy.

The Calgary Flames captain is making his case as the NHL’s top player. While I expect Sidney Crosby to have a huge second half surge, Iginla is throwing together his best professional season. The 30-year-old is on pace for 58 goals and 110 points. Iggy’s had a number of line-mates so far this season, Daymond Langkow, Kristian Huselius, Alex Tanguay, and Craig Conroy. All of them are much more effective when number 12’s on the ice than when they’re on another line. Seriously, could you imagine if Iginla ever played a full season with a true top NHL centre? Put him on a line with Joe Thornton and he would top 70 goals!

This season, Iginla may not win the Rocket Richard Trophy (Atlanta’s Ilya Kovalchuk gets to face easier competition and should take the goals race) or the Art Ross Trophy (I still expect Sid the Kid to come out on top, just 5 points off the pace right now); the Flames will make the playoffs fighting for the Northwest Division crown. While the other top suspects (Kovalchuk, Crosby, Vincent Lecavalier) will all fight for tee times this spring. The biggest rivals to Iginla for this award are Henrik Zetterberg (the top player, on the top regular season team-Detroit) and Dany Heatley (the best player on the second best regular season team-Ottawa).

FWIW: $36.79-The Boston Celtics take the NBA Championship.

Celtic pride is finally back! Off-season trades by C’s General Manager Danny Ainge have proved, as always, whoever gets the best player, wins the deal. Swapping 18 players for Kevin Garnett from Minnesota was a masterstroke. Acquiring Ray Allen from Seattle for 3 others was important as well. With just 3 losses in their first 30 games, the Celtics look like a runaway train. While Garnett, Allen, and Paul Pierce (Big 3 Redux?) get all the press, Boston has some fine role players. Eddie House and James Posey provide big sparks off the bench, the former for his instant offence, the latter for his defensive tenacity and 3-point touch.

The key is sophomore point guard Rajon Rondo. The ex-Kentucky Wildcat is showing he can play with the big boys, averaging a shade under 10 points per game, while shooting 52% from the field. Rondo also keeps his turnovers down, a big improvement over his rookie campaign.

Sure, there are some other great teams out there (San Antonio, Detroit, Phoenix) but the C’s have Garnett’s burning desire leading them. Piecre, Allen and Garnett are all playoff battle tested, losing in conference championship series. And the Celtics are hoping it up like the Spurs (last year’s champs), playing the best defence in the NBA right now, and scoring efficiently on the offensive end, a winning combination. Who knew it would take 12 years for title number 17?

FWIW: $4.12-Roger Clemens or Barry Bonds explode.

Allegedly (hahahaha!), these two baseball superstars took boatloads of performance enhancing drugs to pile up Hall-of-Fame totals. I think one, or both, will actually explode from all the crap they’ve (allegedly…hahahahaha!) put in their bodies.

FWIW: $95.01-This year’s Super Bowl will be the biggest of all-time.

Ratings will go through the roof as the top two teams in the AFC, New England and Indianapolis and the top two teams in the NFC, Dallas and Green Bay, have huge North American fan bases. If the Patriots make it, it’s no contest. A team going for a perfect 19-0 season? Last year’s game, Super Bowl XLI, between Indy and Chicago drew over 93 million viewers States-side, the largest crowd to date. MASH’s 1983 finale is the most watched U.S. programme in history, with over 105 million tuning in. Expect more if the Pats are playing in Glendale in February (Jacksonville-Washington on the other hand….)

FWIW: $100.00 Global Lethbridge continues to provide great coverage of Southern Alberta sports.

Just a plug for the work Paul Kingsmith and myself do around here. Tune in at 6:00 and 11:00, 7 days a week on Global Lethbridge for ‘real’ Southern Alberta TV sports coverage. Or if you have the satellite, remember you can watch on-line at www.globallethbridge.com”

All the best for ’08….I’ve got a cast to do….

Perplexing Perfection

December 28^th, 2007

Just a bit of a preamble before I get into some thoughts about the end of the NFL regular season. I’m going to scale back the dollar values in my “For What it’s Worth” blog entries. I’m not going to exceed $100. Just so there’s some sort of scale that better represents what I really think what my rants are worth. So, from this point onward, the top of the scale is $100, the bottom .01 cent (of course, I reserve the right to break this rule at any time, and remember, FWIW’s are in Canadian Dollars, unless otherwise specified).

For What it’s Worth: $54.18

The New England Patriots are one game away from writing a new chapter in the NFL history books. As of this writing Bill Belichick and company are one victory shy of a perfect 16-0 regular season. And despite this tremendous accomplishment, I’m not awed by the Pats like many football fans are.

As we all know, the 1972 Miami Dolphins is the only team to win all its game in a campaign, going 14-0 in the regular season. The ‘Phins then won all 3 of their playoff match-ups, beating Washington 14-7 in Super Bowl VII. This was before my time, so I can’t really say if this club is the greatest team in NFL history, but due to it’s accomplishments, it’s in the conversation (although I’m sure I’d have loved to cheer on Larry Czonka, Mercury Morris and Nick Buoniconti…what a set of names!).

There’s no question, this edition of the Patriots is a great side. The incomparable Tom Brady leads the offence. Randy Moss has re-established himself as the league’s greatest deep threat at wide receiver. The offensive line is amazing, allowing Brady the time to throw deep balls, and still opening up holes for the run game that’s averaging 4.2 yards per attempt (tied for 9^th in the NFL-not bad for a club that’s not know for it’s run game).

The defence has its playmakers. Asante Samuel is one of the top corners in the league. Mike Vrabel has 12.5 sacks to lead a veteran linebacking crew. The Pats are fourth in the NFL in team defence, allowing 286.5 yards per game, and are tied with Tampa Bay giving up a league low 15.9 points per contest.

Yet, I believe the Patriots will lose somewhere in the NFL playoffs. And despite running the regular season table (I’m giving New England a Week 17 win over the New York Giants-the G-Men can’t improve their playoff standing with a victory and will sit their starters for most of this game, while the Pats are going for 16-0 baby!), the Pats story will be the ultimate tale of peaking too early.

New England’s resume includes its share of impressive victories. A come-from-behind victory over the defending Super Bowl champs, Indianapolis in November, a 48-27 pummelling of NFC regular-season titlists Dallas in October. Plus, w’s against playoff bound Pittsburgh and San Diego.

However, the Pats got fat on the rest of their schedule: two wins apiece over Miami (1-14), the New York Jets (3-12) and Buffalo (7-8) in the AFC Least. In fact, the Pats 15-0 mark has come against opponents a combined 23 games under .500.

New England’s looked pretty mortal in the past 5 weeks. Narrow victories over Philadelphia (led by back-up quarterback A-J Feely, who threw a fatal late game interception) and Baltimore (Brady’s last second TD, helped by a controversial penalty on fourth down, keeping the Pats last drive alive) had plenty of red flags.

Here’s the crux of the matter, the Patriots have a fatal flaw. The team has difficulty stopping the run. Look at the stats, and New England’s ranked 9^th against the run, allowing less than 100 yards per game. Very respectable. However, most teams early in the campaign abandoned running the ball against the Pats because they were behind by 20 before the kick-off. In the last month, teams have averaged 125 yards per game. In the near-loss to Baltimore, the Ravens gashed the Patriots for 166 yards on the ground.

It all comes down to the match-ups in the post-season. Looking at the AFC draw, I believe the Pats would have no trouble trouncing the Steelers (who have defensive issues), Chargers (who have coaching and quarterbacking issues), and whoever grabs the final wild-card berth-Titans/Browns (who each have not-enough-talent issues).

However, Jacksonville can give the Patriots a game. Knowing New England’s weakness, the Jaguars can exploit it. Dynamic duo of Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor (who should combine for over 2000 yards of rushing goodness) can pound the rock with the best of them. But if the Jags quickly fall behind the Pats, there’s no way David Garrard will lead them back throwing the football.

The best bet (still) is Indianapolis. Is Tony Dungy’s crew the least appreciated Super Bowl champ of all-time? The Pats pursuit of perfection has completely overshadowed Indy’s 13-2 campaign. The Colts are getting healthy at the right time. Indianapolis’ 3^rd ranked offence welcomes back Marvin Harrison. The all-pro wide out is recovering from a knee injury, which has sidelined him for 10 games. As impressive as the Colts offence is, the defence is becoming one of the NFL’s best. It’s ranked third in the league as well, despite losing top pass rusher Dwight Freeney to a season-ending foot injury.

I see Indy heading to Foxboro late next month and pulling out a close victory thanks to a healthy dose of Joseph Addai and the ability to stonewall any Patriot running attack. Call it 31-28 Colts in the AFC Championship game.*

So, a 16-0 regular season is great…but an undefeated post-season is much, much better.

*A word of caution, I’ve rarely predicted anything correctly. It’s known as the B.K.D. (Baceda Kiss of Death). So don’t go and bet the mortgage on the Colts winning the Super Bowl. In fact, the Patriots will probably win in a walk.

Bandwagon Anybody?

FWIW: $5756.93

It’s time for Southern Alberta to jump on the Lethbridge Hurricanes bandwagon. Often a stigma is attached to bandwagon jumping…in this case….get over it. If you like hockey, then it’s easy to like these ‘Canes.

This year Michael Dyck’s crew has accomplished plenty in the Western Hockey League’s first half. There’s nothing like a streak of points in 14 straight games (a 13-0-0-1 run to boot!) to get people talking. Scouts have noticed, giving the ‘Canes props, ranking them in the Canadian Hockey League’s top ten briefly this month.

If you like offence, the Hurricanes have enough firepower to satisfy. Gifted players like Mitch Fadden and Zach Boychuk look great on the highlights (as seen on Global Lethbridge Sports @ 6&11, or watch on-line @ www.globallethbridge.com, for those of you who have a “satellite”), but to see their moves in person is even better. Sure, the ‘Canes are only 7^th in the ‘Dub’ in scoring, but they don’t get to pad their stats by playing Portland 9 times a year.

If you like defence, the ‘Canes are vastly improved in keeping the puck out of their net. The club is giving up just over 2.6 goals a game, and share a pair of netminders, Michael Maniago and Juha Metsola who are 9^th and 10^th in GAA in the WHL respectively. The blue-line is anchored by their captain, Foremost’s Ben Wright (c’mon support a local-ish kid), 17 year-old rookie Luca Sbisa (who’s playing for Switzerland at the U20 World Championships starting boxing day in the Czech Republic) and 18 year-old Jesse Craige (who’s quietly putting together a fine campaign, leading the ‘Canes in plus-minus).

There’s plenty of grit to this ‘Canes squad as well. While they don’t have anybody matching Mike Reich’s douchbaggery (thank the hockey gods), Mitch Versteeg, Luke Weins, and Mike Wuchterl aren’t afraid to chuck some knucks.

The best reason to watch the Hurricanes is that more often than not, the club gives an honest effort. These kids are trying hard, trying to get better, trying to improve, trying to become a force in the ‘Dub.’

Make no mistake, the ‘Canes have a great amount of local support. However, there’s plenty of room at the Enmax Centre for about a thousand more fans. The team is averaging just over 3600 fans for their first 22 home games; the capacity of the old Sportsplex is nearly 4800. A game against Calgary on December 12^th, with first place in the Central Division and Eastern Conference on the line, drew just 3200. That’s pretty disappointing.

So Southern Alberta, it’s time to support major junior hockey again. Start now. Buy some tickets; check out the Hurricanes for one or two (or all) of their 14 home games left. Get to know the team. Become a fan again. It’s more fun than you probably remember. And as for the decade plus since the Hurricanes won a playoff series, forget about it. There was a time (not too long ago) when Medicine Hat was the WHL’s laughing stock. Now you can’t get a seat at the Arena. And the way the Hurricanes are shaping up for this season, and the future, the balance of power just might be shifting down Highway 3. Remember, it’s always best to get on the bandwagon early….than too late, or even worse, not at all.

For What it's Worth

December 19, 2007

“And ye shall bloggeth the truth.” Anonymous

I see a lot of potential in the ‘blog,’ (short for the Latin phrase ‘weblog,’) so I’m diving in with my own, “For What it’s Worth,” (I really like to get in on a trend in it’s early stages). On a semi-frequent basis, I plan to cover a wide range of topics. Expect to find a lot of thoughts on Southern Albertan sports (the Lethbridge Hurricanes, high school athletics, toupee chasing) and whatever else fuels my muse (the NHL Draft, Leeds United football, George Parros’ mustache).

And because I want to give any readers full value, I’ll include a price tag (For What it’s Worth-FWIW, get it?) to my thoughts. The higher the price, the more I’m inclined to believe in what I’ve written.

For example:

FWIW: $1500.00-The New England Patriots are a good football team.

FWIW: $138.90-Roger Clemens used steroids as much as Barry Bonds did.

FWIW: $.06-Chris Simon will win the NHL Lady Byng award.

Some entries will be long, insightful (*fingers crossed*) and thought provoking. Others will be shorter, amusing (*fingers crossed*) quick hits.

So stay tuned, jump on the FWIW bandwagon while there’s plenty of good seats and warn your friends.