Faceoff Factor

No Major Transactions, But a Chance to Ramble

Michael Farkas | National Hockey League

Mar 24, 09:18 PM | Hype this story!

Now that the trade deadline is long beyond us, there really isn’t too much for me to do. There was a rumor about Jason Smith potentially signing with New Jersey this offseason for some reason, I’m not sure why that was released in March, a whole three months’ worth of time before it would become relevant. So, I guess, I’m resigned to writing column-esque pieces until a championship parade takes place down the main strip of a lucky town.

For starters, on Saturday night I was in attendance for a Philadelphia Phantoms and Hershey Bears AHL contest out at the Giant Center in Hershey. I’ll give Pennsylvania’s version of the Bible Belt credit for putting
about 10,000 people in that arena on the night before Easter Sunday.

I purchased a program to keep notes in on the players I watched, and while the players I really wanted to see were scratched (Josef Boumedienne, Sami Lepisto, Oskars Bartulis, Fredrik Cabana and Sasha Pokulok among others), it was still quite entertaining. Phantoms goaltender Scott Munroe was injured in the first period after getting fallen on while dropping into the butterfly (sometimes I forget how unforgiving a beer-wielding, befuddled minor league crowd can be to an injured opponent) and was replaced by (former?) Michigan Tech goaltender Michael Teslak. Neither goaltender was particularly impressive, in fact, they were quite woeful.

Frederic Cassivi, Hershey’s goaltender, was quite impressive, and was the best player on the ice all night. For the first time, while I was in attendance, I saw a goalie take a shot for an empty net, but it was cut off by a generic Phantom at center. Former Edmonton Oiler Danny Syvret was the best skater on the ice that night in my opinion, playing an excellent two-way game but was not recognized with a star of the game.

Anywho, back to the big leagues.

Paul Maurice’s speech to his Maple Leafs at the start of next season should be, “Guys, get out there and tank!” look at the results it’s yielded. All of sudden, the Leafs are four points out of a playoff spot after the season was given up on.

The Edmonton Oilers are really sticking it to Brian Burke right now aren’t they? Their sudden late season surge that has consisted of decidedly less shootout wins and more “actual” wins, has lofted the makeshift misfits all the way to tenth in the West. Burke’s Ducks went all the way from owning a top five pick with potential to be first overall to perhaps a top 15 pick. Earlier on, I said, the irony would be if Edmonton finished last this year and the Ducks picked first because the Oilers obsession with Dustin Penner, of all players (who has six games to get the two points necessary to surpass his total from last season). Now, I suppose, the super irony, if you will, is if the Oilers sneak into the playoffs and eliminate the Ducks thus giving the Oilers the better pick in the draft (Oilers own Anaheim’s first from the Pronger deal). Frankly, I’m torn between the two.

All of sudden, Philadelphia’s goaltenders are the reason they’ll make the playoffs. Tuesday night, Atlanta was down 3 to 2 to Philadelphia and had an extra skater on to make it 6 on 5 in Atlanta’s favor. Philadelphia obviously can’t cover all six with their miniscule five, so they leave one go: in the slot, Ilya Kovalchuk. Kovalchuk didn’t quite get all of it, but Niittymaki still made an incredible save that left Kovalchuk, face-in-gloves, on the ice. Fast forward to Sunday night, Martin Biron had an answer for everything that didn’t hit Braydon Coburn and go in. Some crucial points for Philadelphia, a city quite familiar with late-season implosions, that lost 16 of 21 before a three-game winning streak.

I’m just going to come out and say it, I hate Chris Pronger. How does he get zero games, followed by eight games, when sideshow Simon ended up with 30. It’s not like Pronger doesn’t have any priors. He just doesn’t get suspended for his actions like other players. The complicated theory of “Pronger Physics” must be taught at all the referee clinics, it basically states that because Pronger is so tall, he has no choice but to elbow passers-by in the head in every playoff series.

While I’m on the subject of Anaheim, fun fact: Jean-Sebastien Giguere was 26th in GAA and 28th in save pct. before Scott Niedermayer returned. He is now, 2nd in GAA (behind Osgood and his 40 games) and 2nd in save pct. (behind Conklin and his 33 games), definitely a coincidence though. We need better rules on goalie
equipment so bad.

“...[T]here’s a good probability he’ll be back.” Wings GM Ken Holland on 46 year old defenseman Chris Chelios.

How about Patrick Roy’s son, a chip off the ol’ block, eh? Fantasy Hockey playoffs are underway, and right this very moment, Niklas Backstrom has given up 3 goals on 4 shots in five minutes, if you have Backstrom, you have lost. Roberto Luongo has left his team to be with his wife for the birth of their child, Pascal Dupuis of Pittsburgh missed the game against the Islanders on Monday for that same reason, congratulations and best wishes to their respective families.

My mindless ramblings are now over.