Faceoff Factor

Hump-day Hater Report 1-7-09

Mike Wilson | National Hockey League

Jan 7, 01:19 AM | Hype this story!

That’s right folks…the holidays are over, it’s hump-day, and there’s a schmorgusboard of hating inside this week’s edition of the HH Report.

Jamie Heward hates Alex Ovechkin

Heward, a former teammate of Ovechkin and the Caps, was the recipient of an unusually hard hit from Alexander the Cheap. After Washington’s 7-4 defeat of Tampa Bay in the Verizon Center New Years’ Day, the NHL’s top goal scorer and second–leading point getter was waiting outside the visitor’s locker room awaiting word on Heward’s condition.

Heward’s back was turned during Ovechkin’s hit. Afterward, he was laying face-down and motionless and remained unconscious for a minute and a half.

“I didn’t know what to think,” the Russian star said. “I saw him and he turned around and . . . I didn’t mean to hit him. Sure, you’re concerned. I want to know how he is.”

To answer your question Mr. Ovechkin (even though he probably already knows and I’m doubtful he reads FF anyway), Heward sustained a severe concussion. He was released the following day but remained sidelined from action.

Ty Conklin hates playing inside

As about as experienced in these situations as any goaltender can be (yet alone a back-up), Ty Conklin played in his third outdoor game on New Years’ Day during the 2009 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.

He started his outdoor endeavors as an Oiler in the NHL Heritage Classic between the Oilers and Canadiens, which was played on November 22, 2003 in Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium. Edmonton lost 4-3. Last year, as the Penguins’ back-up to injured Marc-Andre Fleury, Conklin earned a win in the 2008 Amp Energy NHL Winter Classic in Orchard Park, New York.

Which brings us up to this year…Mike Babcock would have been a clown not to have started Conks as the Red Wings defeated the Blackhawks with ease at Wrigley. Keep in mind, Conklin is a native of Alaska…and although I can’t think of anything funny to follow that, it has to mean something.

The Rangers, Islanders, Flyers, and Penguins hate Scott Clemmensen

With Marty Brodeur on the shelf for most of the season so far, the rest of the Atlantic Division was planning on making short work of the New Jersey Devils, who have relied on their long-time goalie to hold those small leads they carry over teams so frequently. However, enter Scott Clemmensen.

The Devils’ back-up is an impressive 15-6-1 with a .924 save percentage and a 2.21 GAA. Upon reading this statistic, I had to look twice and make sure it wasn’t actually Marty Brodeur in net with another jersey on…but it wasn’t. Clemmensen is 5-2 against the Atlantic Division, with only yet to face the New York Islanders…in other words, he hasn’t played anyone easy yet.

In his two divisional losses, both of which to Pittsburgh, he only allowed four combined goals.

Last season saw the above mentioned Ty Conklin as the most notable back-up, but I think this year’s performance is equally, if not more important in lieu of one of the league’s most notable goalies. So New Jersey, you can give a hearty “thank you” to Scott Clemmensen for saving your season and keeping the rest of the division at bay.

Marc-Andre Fleury hates Carey Price

I must be on goaltender rapid-fire. This is a classic case of “so close, yet so far away.” At one point, Fleury was only 1,000 votes behind Price and could sniff the lead. Then some big slump happened (or so I hear) and the Pens, along with Fleury, went spiraling downward. Price got the final nod with a 30,000 vote margin and will be starting between the pipes in Montreal on January 25. Speaking of All-Star Game…

The rest Eastern Conference hate the Habs and Pens

The top of the line-up for the Eastern Conference All-Stars is loaded with Pens and Habs. Starting the game will be Crosby and Malkin from Pittsburgh and Alexei Kovalev, Andrei Markov, Mike Komisarek, and Carey Price from Montreal.

Some of you might be thinking, “Well the Ducks and the Blackhawks dominated the starting line-up for the West. So what’s the big deal?” And if you aren’t thinking that, you can skip the next paragraph.

What’s more in the East is that the top runners-up are all from either Pittsburgh or Montreal as well. Saku Koivu and Alex Tanguay finished fourth and fifth as forwards and Sergei Gonchar (who isn’t even eligible due to not playing all season) and Ryan Whitney finished third and fourth as defensemen. Marc-Andre Fleury, as mentioned above, took second to Price.

Sorry conference…

What the heck is a schmorgusboard anyway?

Schmorgusboard- A Swedish buffet consisting of a large variety of foods.

Sorry to disappoint, but there is no abundance of Swedish food in here. If you clicked the link expecting such, I apologize.

Sweden hates Canada

As reliably reported on here at FF by Alex Kirshner, we saw the outcome of the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship. Team Canada, led by coach Pat Quinn and MVP center John Tavares, defeated Sweden 5-1 in the championship game Monday night in Ottawa.

Weight makes number eight

With an assist to Richard Park in Phoenix last Friday, Doug Weight became the eighth American-born player to record 1,000 points. What makes this piece special is that he is on pace to pass at least three of the seven players who preceded him…including nearest record holder and current slumping St. Louis Blue, Keith Tkachuk.

Weight, now at 1,001 points, is in position to pass at least Tkuchuk (1,010), Pat LaFontaine (1,013), and Brian Leetch (1,028).

Weight was held to no points in Monday’s loss in Edmonton; however the Isles travel to Calgary tomorrow night for a shot at the Flames.

I hate Brian Engblom’s new hair

I can’t believe I’m saying this…I liked the mullet better.

I’d hate to ruin the optimism

So I won’t. In place of this paragraph, I had some pretty ugly words for a team that got embarrassed yet again in prime time Monday night. But you know what, the offense was good, the defense was good, the special teams were decent, and the Pens won a game. Let’s just be happy for now.

Claude Giroux hates Corey Perry

The Flyers’ forward was the recipient of an elbow courtesy of the Ducks’ forward when Philadelphia traveled to Anaheim Friday night. Perry was suspended, without pay, for four games. His nearly $115,000 paycheck from those four games will be given to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. So it’s all for a good cause right Corey?

Versus hates correcting themselves

During yet another prime-time embarrassment in Madison Square Garden Monday, the Penguins weren’t the only ones who made mistakes that weren’t fixed. No Versus (and I know this might be hard to believe) made some mistakes as well.

On at least two occasions, Joe Beninati sent the wrong message to viewers. He declared a penalty called on Colton Orr during the first period when it was actually on Dubinsky. Then, as the end of the first period approached, Beninati’s glasses malfunctioned again when he said the Penguins would be shorthanded for the remainder of the first and into the second. In actuality it was a roughing call on the Rangers.

Neither call was corrected.

Now I’m not faulting him for not getting the right calls. After all, he wasn’t on ice level. But once you realize you’ve made the wrong call, you fix it. That’s lesson one in sports broadcasting school. I want Doc back.

Old friend, new enemy

Colby Armstrong came into Mellon Arena with a vengeance. He wanted to show the Pens what they had traded away. And I guess he kind of showed it…but not really. He blindsided Crosby once, took advantage of Fedotenko being defenseless on the ice and cross-checked Letang in the face.

On the reverse, Colby got his very first chin complements of Ruslan (even though it will go down in about a day) and got slue-footed by Malkin. Yeah, he did some yapping, but that’s his job. All in all it was the same old Colby, just on another team.

The bitter sweetness

Fedotenko and Dupuis played great games at their positions last night. As role players, they stepped up when called upon and also made some great passes and picked some pockets. But they were both absent by the midway mark of the second period.

Feds left after his right fist got better acquainted with Colby Armstrong’s chin and Dupuis left mysteriously in the second period. I think it’s agreed that these two guys have been among the few who have stayed consistent in weeks past. Best of healing to ya, boys.

It’s good to be back folks, but, with that, I’ll conclude this week’s edition of the HH Report. Now, some might have noticed that I’ve cut back using the word “hate.” No, the FCC hasn’t stepped in or anything, and it’s certainly not because there’s a lack of it in the league. I just want to mix it up a bit and leave the monotony behind. But one thing that will never change…

As always, keep an eye out for more haters in hump-days to come.

Happy hating!