Coming off of a Silver Medal effort at Vancouver in the 2010 Olympics, the American Men's Hockey team will be looking for another solid showing in Russia this coming February. To make that possible, many familiar faces will return with a few additions.
Here is my 2014 USA Men's Hockey Team:
Forwards:
Zach Parise*(A) - David Backes (C) - Patrick Kane
This top line has a little bit of everything. Kane has some of the best hands in the world, Parise has the skill to match his never ending work ethic and Backes has the two way game that can match up with other top centers in the league while not holding back his own skilled wingers. Parise is struggling with a foot injury and could be in jeopardy of missing the games.
James vanRiemsdyk - Joe Pavelski - Phil Kessel
My second line has a Maple Leaf flavor as I keep Kessel and JVR together since they do so well with virtually nothing at center during the NHL season maybe they can be a dominant line with a good (sometimes great) two way center in Joe Pavelski who has a flare for the dramatic.
Max Pacioretty - Ryan Kesler - Bobby Ryan
When I made notes on the possible roster in the summer I did not have Pacioretty even as an extra, but he has had a very solid NHL campaign and has the speed and size that plays well on European ice. Kesler and Ryan are returnees from 2010 who are both solid two way guys. Kesler is finally healthy again and could be a big factor in match ups vs other countries top centers.
Dustin Brown - Derek Stepan - Ryan Callahan*
My fourth line has two NHL Captains and a sneaky scoring center. Brown and Stepan haven't played as well as the are capable of and Callahan has been hit by he injury bug this year and might be in danger of missing the games. Brown might be on the bubble but his past experiences and leadership keeps him in.
Reserve Forwards:
Brandon Saad - Jason Pominville* - Paul Stastny
Saad has proven able to play with top players and could find himself on a line with Patrick Kane if an injury occurs. No one really is sure about Jason Pominville's Olympic eligibility. He has not played internationally for the USA in the past but I have heard him mentioned as someone who could play for the Red While and Blue in Russia. If he is eligible, then I would strongly consider sliding him into Callahan's spot. If Pominville is not eligible then Stastny slides in as a reserve.
Defense:
Ryan Suter (A) - Erik Johnson
Paul Martin - Keith Yandle
Kevin Shattenkirk- Jack Johnson
This defense corps is very mobile and can log lots of minutes if need be. Suter will log as many minutes as anyone else in the tournament, while Erik Johnson has started to showcase the skill set that led to him be picked 1st overall a few years back. Martin and Yandle are a solid puck moving pair. Shattenkirk and Jack Johnson could be a danger in their own end but could also be major assest on the PP.
I'll bring along two young kids in Fowler and Jones to gain experience and if need be fill in.
Reserve Defensemen:
Cam Fowler, Seth Jones
Goaltenders:
Starter- Ryan Miller
The team in front of him might be terrible but it is not because of him that the Sabres are in last place. For those who get to see him on a nightly basis, this choice is a no brainer. Also, don't forget his efforts in Vancouver.
Back-up - Jonathan Quick
A long term injury has kept Quick off the ice for most the the NHL season. He can be a lightning hot goaltender who wins games 1-0 night after night as we saw when LA won the cup but he played a lot of games during that stretch and might not have time to do so before Russia.
3rd Goalie- Cory Schneider
I listen to a couple of podcasts who have "goalie gurus" on to talk goal tending. Many of them agree that because Miller and Quick are "aggressive goalies" who play high in the crease and challenge shooters, the 3rd goalie for the Americans needs to be someone who stays back in his crease and isn't as aggressive, in case the other two have trouble adjusting to the larger ice surface. Schneider isn't having a great season in New Jersey but he is someone who is used to not playing for multiple games and then hitting the ground running. Let's be honest though, if the U.S. has to use three goalies they won't be playing for a medal.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Thursday, October 3, 2013
#ThruwayPuck NHL Preview Podcast
In their first podcast since last seasons wrap-up show, Dan and Otto take a look at what they think will happen around the league this year. Some things may surprise you others maybe not so much. Be sure to share your thoughts on what you think the outcome will be. @barrelofsports @oisen25 @dpron1
For easier reference the picks are outlined below.
Dan's Picks:
| Atlantic | Metropolitan | Central | Pacific |
| Detroit* | Pittsburgh* | Chicago* | Los Angeles* |
| Boston* | NY Rangers* | St Louis* | San Jose* |
| Ottawa* | Philadelphia* | Minnesota* | Vancouver* |
| Toronto | NY Islanders | Dallas | Anaheim* |
| Montreal | Carolina | Winnipeg | Phoenix* |
| Buffalo | Columbus | Nashville | Edmonton |
| Florida | Washington | Colorado | Calgary |
| Tampa Bay | New Jersey |
Picks for the cup:East Representative:
Dan - Pittsburgh
Otto - Pittsburgh
West Representative:
Dan - St. Louis
Otto - Los Angeles
2013-14 Stanley Cup Champions:
Dan - St. Louis
Otto - Los Angeles
Saturday, July 13, 2013
#ThruwayPuck Episode 11
| In this episode, Dan and Otto finally get their season recap done. They take a look back at the draft and the free agent frenzy. A few side notes and a look ahead to an in person podcast next week! Subscribe to the podcast on ITunes and give the guys a follow on twitter. @dpron1 @oisen25 and @barrrelofsports |
Sunday, June 23, 2013
#ThruwayPuck - Episode 10
In this episode, Dan and and Otto welcome the AHL back to Utica with the Utica Comets. An AHL wrap up and an update in the Bruins and Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals. Other topics hit on this Sunday morning episode include coaching moves, the Olympics, the draft among other things. Subscribe the the podcast on Itunes by searching Thruway Puck.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Watch out for these "Compliance" Buyouts....(Save the teams from these awful contracts clause)
While we await the winner of the Stanley Cup Final I would like to look forward to next year when the cap drops to $64.3 million and the teams get a life preserver called the "compliance buyout"
Here's a list of guys each team should consider buying out before the 2013-2014 season.
Anahiem- Now that The Ducks have signed Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry to long term heavy $ contracts the Ducks are getting tight to the cap. That being said, I would buyout Sheldon Souray or Francois Beauchimen. Both played extremely well in the shortened season but both are set to earn over $3.5 mill through the 14-15 season, as well as getting older and slower. Not that they aren't NHL caliber d-men but they are not worth that money. The Ducks also have Jonas Hiller and Bobby Ryan inked to long term high dollar deals so look for one if not both of them to be on the trade block.
Boston- The Bruins went on a spending spree right before the lockout began and locked up Milan Lucic, Tyler Seguin, and Brad Marchand to long term deals, placing them right up next to the $ 70 million cap. Their buyouts are pretty obvious. Marc Savard ($4 mill) who is retired, but his contract still counts against the cap. But the one I would seriously look into buying out is Zedeno Chara. Think about it, he is now 35 years old, and has a contract through the 2017-18 season that is worth $6.9 million now and changes to $ 4 million in 17-18. Yes, he is presently one of the best defensemen in the NHL but will he continue to be that at age 37, 38, 39 and 40? It might hurt now but could be a huge benefit to have that 6 million dollars in cap space down the road.
Buffalo- The Sabres have a couple of options, some that will be popular with fans and some not so popular. I'll start with the popular choice.... Ville Leino. $4.5 million a year through 2016-17 for a 2nd/3rd line winger (not center) is way to much to be shelling out.
The not so popular choices are Thomas Vanek $7mill next season, Drew Stafford who makes $4 million for the next 2 seasons. Both of these guys are over paid for what they actually bring to the team.
I highly doubt that they buyout Erhoff or Meyers. Both are young and are solid point producers from the back end. GM Darcy Regier said publicly that he has not decided on whether to use a buyout on any players.
Calgary- The Flames are quite possibly the worst at giving out these terrible contracts. So take your pick from Dennis Wideman, Matt Stajan, Mark Giordano, Curtis Glenncross, Alex Tanguay. My picks for the buyouts are Wideman and Stajan. Both of these guys are way over paid and overrated. Stajan has never been worth the money he's gotten and Wideman is an offensive d-man who forgets that he's a d-man.
Carolina- The Canes have a ton of cap space going forward and do not need to use the buyout, but if they did...... Tuomo Ruutu ($4.75mill through 2015-16) and Tim Gleason $4 million for the same time span. Again both are solid players but are they worth that money?
Chicago- Rusty Olesz is getting paid $2.2 mill in the minors so he's an obvious pick. The other has to be Marian Hossa who is injury prone and has a contract that goes on forever.
Colorado- The Avs also have loads of cap space and really don't have anyone that would be worth a buy out. Paul Stastny? Maybe, he does collect $6 million and didn't produce at that level but he is their top line center and again they are not in cap trouble. Patrick Roy is in control so who knows what will happen
Columbus- Though the Blue Jackets have a lot of cap space, it doesn't mean they don't have some bad contracts Fedor Tyutin is getting paid $4.5 million through 2018. Really? They also have James Wisniewski getting $5.5 million through 2017. They could also look into Nick Folingo at $3 million and RJ Umberger at $4.6 million through 2017.
Dallas- The Stars have over $16 million in cap space so they also do not have to use the buyout option. But if they did I would pick Alex Goligoski and his $4.6 million dollar hit.
Detroit- The Wings have about $8 million in cap pace now but over $20 million next year so they don't have to use it but if they did.....I would think about Johan Franzen and his $3.9 million through 2019.
Edmonton- The Oilers have a very young nucleus so it's kinda tough to pick two buyout options but the first is very easy. Shawn Horcoff made it big by signing a $5.5 million dollar contract after a big playoff run back in 2006. He hasn't done much since other than be injured and on the DL.
Florida- The Panthers could look into buying out Brian Campbell and Ed Jovanoski. Campbell is still in his prime but not worth $7 mill and Jovanoski is often injured and older for over $4million.
Los Angeles The Kings have a lot of decisions to make when it comes to RFA's and UFA's but none really when it comes to buyouts. The kings have good contracts with their core for the future.
Minnesota- The Wild went crazy signing Ryan Suter and Zach Parise to mega deals last summer but other than those two and Jason Pominville, the team is young and relatively cheap so they have limited choices when it comes to buyouts other than Dany Heatley. Heatley is no longer a $7million player and possibly never was. Clearing him off the cap and the bench will allow the Wild to give younger players more opportunities.
Montreal- The Habs already used one of their buyouts on Scott Gomez who is pretty much the poster boy of this clause. Now that he's gone they don't really need to use the other.
Nashville- The Preds lost Suter but kept Weber and Rinne. They still have a lot of cap space, so they don't need to use a buyout but they could send Paul Gaustad on his way. He's a nice player but is he really worth 3.25 mill?
New Jersey- According to Capgeek.com the Devils are already going to use their buyouts on Eric Boulton and Trent Hunter.
New York Islanders- Be honest, who remembered that the Islanders still had Rick DiPietro and Alexi Yashin on their roster? Yeah.... didn't think so. Well those two will be bought out and things won't change on the island.
New York Rangers- Brad Richards, Brad Richards, Brad Richards. Can the Rangers really risk keeping him on for the remainder of that contract? Maybe a new coach in Alain Vingault will help him out but he looked slow this postseason.
Ottawa- The Sens are a young and relitively cheap team, so there really aren't many options for a buyout.
Philadelphia- The Flyers have already made their plans clear. They will buyout Danny Briere this season and give Ilya Bryzgalov a season to prove his worth, if he doesn't he will be bought out after next season.
Phoenix- The NHL owns the teams so there is no way that they use a buyout. No way they spend extra money to pay someone not to play for them.
Pittsburgh- The Pens have already signed Malkin, Crosby and Neal to long term deals. The two options I see on their roster are Paul Martin $5mill and Marc-Andre Fleury $5mill. After watching this postseason, both are an option.
San Jose- The Sharks should look into buying out Martin Havlat. At $5mill he is not worth it, especially being so injury prone and enigmatic.
St. Louis- The Blues have plenty of space because their best players are still young and pretty cheap. There really aren't any options for buyouts.
Tampa Bay- The Bolts have plenty of options for this because they have over paid players all over the place. Vinny Lecavalier has a lot of term left at $7.7 and just doesn't produce enough. Mattias Ohlund at $3.6 and Matt Carle at $5.5 are overpriced on the back end.
Toronto- The Leafs have already listed on capgeek.com that they will use their buyouts on Darcy Tucker (isn't he retired?) and Colby Armstrong. Keep in mind they have Mike Komisarek in the minors making $3.25mill
Vancouver- The Canucks have a couple options if they are unable to move contracts during the trading period. Roberto Luongo told the world that his "contract sucks" at the trade deadline, and looks like a prime suspect for a buyout. The other is injury prone LW David Booth who at $4.25mill is stealing money from the team.
Washington- The Caps have a lot of room under the cap, but if they were to use a buyout the choice might be Brooks Laich. Laich is a solid two way center and leader but at $4.5 mill he might be overpriced.
Winnipeg- The Jets have a ton of space so a buyout is not needed financially. However, the team might be growing tired of Dustin Byfuglien being out of shape and lazy with his conditioning. Dropping his 300+ lbs and $5.2 mill contract could help out more ways than one.
Here's a list of guys each team should consider buying out before the 2013-2014 season.
Anahiem- Now that The Ducks have signed Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry to long term heavy $ contracts the Ducks are getting tight to the cap. That being said, I would buyout Sheldon Souray or Francois Beauchimen. Both played extremely well in the shortened season but both are set to earn over $3.5 mill through the 14-15 season, as well as getting older and slower. Not that they aren't NHL caliber d-men but they are not worth that money. The Ducks also have Jonas Hiller and Bobby Ryan inked to long term high dollar deals so look for one if not both of them to be on the trade block.
Boston- The Bruins went on a spending spree right before the lockout began and locked up Milan Lucic, Tyler Seguin, and Brad Marchand to long term deals, placing them right up next to the $ 70 million cap. Their buyouts are pretty obvious. Marc Savard ($4 mill) who is retired, but his contract still counts against the cap. But the one I would seriously look into buying out is Zedeno Chara. Think about it, he is now 35 years old, and has a contract through the 2017-18 season that is worth $6.9 million now and changes to $ 4 million in 17-18. Yes, he is presently one of the best defensemen in the NHL but will he continue to be that at age 37, 38, 39 and 40? It might hurt now but could be a huge benefit to have that 6 million dollars in cap space down the road.
Buffalo- The Sabres have a couple of options, some that will be popular with fans and some not so popular. I'll start with the popular choice.... Ville Leino. $4.5 million a year through 2016-17 for a 2nd/3rd line winger (not center) is way to much to be shelling out.
The not so popular choices are Thomas Vanek $7mill next season, Drew Stafford who makes $4 million for the next 2 seasons. Both of these guys are over paid for what they actually bring to the team.
I highly doubt that they buyout Erhoff or Meyers. Both are young and are solid point producers from the back end. GM Darcy Regier said publicly that he has not decided on whether to use a buyout on any players.
Calgary- The Flames are quite possibly the worst at giving out these terrible contracts. So take your pick from Dennis Wideman, Matt Stajan, Mark Giordano, Curtis Glenncross, Alex Tanguay. My picks for the buyouts are Wideman and Stajan. Both of these guys are way over paid and overrated. Stajan has never been worth the money he's gotten and Wideman is an offensive d-man who forgets that he's a d-man.
Carolina- The Canes have a ton of cap space going forward and do not need to use the buyout, but if they did...... Tuomo Ruutu ($4.75mill through 2015-16) and Tim Gleason $4 million for the same time span. Again both are solid players but are they worth that money?
Chicago- Rusty Olesz is getting paid $2.2 mill in the minors so he's an obvious pick. The other has to be Marian Hossa who is injury prone and has a contract that goes on forever.
Colorado- The Avs also have loads of cap space and really don't have anyone that would be worth a buy out. Paul Stastny? Maybe, he does collect $6 million and didn't produce at that level but he is their top line center and again they are not in cap trouble. Patrick Roy is in control so who knows what will happen
Columbus- Though the Blue Jackets have a lot of cap space, it doesn't mean they don't have some bad contracts Fedor Tyutin is getting paid $4.5 million through 2018. Really? They also have James Wisniewski getting $5.5 million through 2017. They could also look into Nick Folingo at $3 million and RJ Umberger at $4.6 million through 2017.
Dallas- The Stars have over $16 million in cap space so they also do not have to use the buyout option. But if they did I would pick Alex Goligoski and his $4.6 million dollar hit.
Detroit- The Wings have about $8 million in cap pace now but over $20 million next year so they don't have to use it but if they did.....I would think about Johan Franzen and his $3.9 million through 2019.
Edmonton- The Oilers have a very young nucleus so it's kinda tough to pick two buyout options but the first is very easy. Shawn Horcoff made it big by signing a $5.5 million dollar contract after a big playoff run back in 2006. He hasn't done much since other than be injured and on the DL.
Florida- The Panthers could look into buying out Brian Campbell and Ed Jovanoski. Campbell is still in his prime but not worth $7 mill and Jovanoski is often injured and older for over $4million.
Los Angeles The Kings have a lot of decisions to make when it comes to RFA's and UFA's but none really when it comes to buyouts. The kings have good contracts with their core for the future.
Minnesota- The Wild went crazy signing Ryan Suter and Zach Parise to mega deals last summer but other than those two and Jason Pominville, the team is young and relatively cheap so they have limited choices when it comes to buyouts other than Dany Heatley. Heatley is no longer a $7million player and possibly never was. Clearing him off the cap and the bench will allow the Wild to give younger players more opportunities.
Montreal- The Habs already used one of their buyouts on Scott Gomez who is pretty much the poster boy of this clause. Now that he's gone they don't really need to use the other.
Nashville- The Preds lost Suter but kept Weber and Rinne. They still have a lot of cap space, so they don't need to use a buyout but they could send Paul Gaustad on his way. He's a nice player but is he really worth 3.25 mill?
New Jersey- According to Capgeek.com the Devils are already going to use their buyouts on Eric Boulton and Trent Hunter.
New York Islanders- Be honest, who remembered that the Islanders still had Rick DiPietro and Alexi Yashin on their roster? Yeah.... didn't think so. Well those two will be bought out and things won't change on the island.
New York Rangers- Brad Richards, Brad Richards, Brad Richards. Can the Rangers really risk keeping him on for the remainder of that contract? Maybe a new coach in Alain Vingault will help him out but he looked slow this postseason.
Ottawa- The Sens are a young and relitively cheap team, so there really aren't many options for a buyout.
Philadelphia- The Flyers have already made their plans clear. They will buyout Danny Briere this season and give Ilya Bryzgalov a season to prove his worth, if he doesn't he will be bought out after next season.
Phoenix- The NHL owns the teams so there is no way that they use a buyout. No way they spend extra money to pay someone not to play for them.
Pittsburgh- The Pens have already signed Malkin, Crosby and Neal to long term deals. The two options I see on their roster are Paul Martin $5mill and Marc-Andre Fleury $5mill. After watching this postseason, both are an option.
San Jose- The Sharks should look into buying out Martin Havlat. At $5mill he is not worth it, especially being so injury prone and enigmatic.
St. Louis- The Blues have plenty of space because their best players are still young and pretty cheap. There really aren't any options for buyouts.
Tampa Bay- The Bolts have plenty of options for this because they have over paid players all over the place. Vinny Lecavalier has a lot of term left at $7.7 and just doesn't produce enough. Mattias Ohlund at $3.6 and Matt Carle at $5.5 are overpriced on the back end.
Toronto- The Leafs have already listed on capgeek.com that they will use their buyouts on Darcy Tucker (isn't he retired?) and Colby Armstrong. Keep in mind they have Mike Komisarek in the minors making $3.25mill
Vancouver- The Canucks have a couple options if they are unable to move contracts during the trading period. Roberto Luongo told the world that his "contract sucks" at the trade deadline, and looks like a prime suspect for a buyout. The other is injury prone LW David Booth who at $4.25mill is stealing money from the team.
Washington- The Caps have a lot of room under the cap, but if they were to use a buyout the choice might be Brooks Laich. Laich is a solid two way center and leader but at $4.5 mill he might be overpriced.
Winnipeg- The Jets have a ton of space so a buyout is not needed financially. However, the team might be growing tired of Dustin Byfuglien being out of shape and lazy with his conditioning. Dropping his 300+ lbs and $5.2 mill contract could help out more ways than one.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
#ThruwayPuck Episode 9
After a week off due to busy schedules the guys return to the Podcast. In this episode, Dan and Otto get fired up about a couple topics they are passionate about. Other hits include coaching vacancies and hires from around the league and stories from the conference championships. The podcast is closed out with updated pick standings from the AHL and NHL playoffs as well as picks and pucks for the Championship round. Be sure to check out the blog at barrelofsports.blogspot.com and subscribe on ITunes by searching Thruway Puck.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
#ThruwayPuck Calder Cup Finals Predictions
As Syracuse rolled into the finals and Grand Rapids held off a pesky Oklahoma City team, the two match up in what should be a very entertaining series. Here are the guys picks and the standings as they currently sit.
Dan - Syracuse in 6 - As much as it hurts to say, they are too deep and just know how to win.
Jay - Syracuse in 6. Final score of game 6, 5-2
Otto - Syracuse in 5 - The Crunch are an experienced team who knows what it takes to win, and simply put, they are on a roll. They get even more of an advantage from taking care of W/B Scranton in 5 while Grand Rapids played the full 7 against OKC.
Standings:
Dan - Total (3 gained in the conference finals)
Otto - Total (1 gained in the conference finals)
Jay - Total (4 gained in the conference finals)
Dan - Syracuse in 6 - As much as it hurts to say, they are too deep and just know how to win.
Jay - Syracuse in 6. Final score of game 6, 5-2
Otto - Syracuse in 5 - The Crunch are an experienced team who knows what it takes to win, and simply put, they are on a roll. They get even more of an advantage from taking care of W/B Scranton in 5 while Grand Rapids played the full 7 against OKC.
Standings:
Dan - Total (3 gained in the conference finals)
Otto - Total (1 gained in the conference finals)
Jay - Total (4 gained in the conference finals)
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
#ThruwayPuck - Episode 8
Dan and Otto take a look back at both the AHL and NHL playoffs, as well as a look forward to make picks in the next round of both levels. The current standings for their picks are discussed as well as coaching vacancies and the possibility of Ryan Miller to the Avs. Find out more my following them on twitter, @oisen25, @dpron1, and @barrelofsports. Also subscribe to the podcast on ITunes by searching Thruway Puck.
Friday, May 24, 2013
AHL 3rd Round Picks
Here are the guys picks for the 3rd round of the AHL playoffs. Join us next week for the recap of the 2nd round picks (or listen to episode 6 of #ThruwayPuck).
West:
(3) Grand Rapids vs (5) Oklahoma City Barrons
Dan: OKC in 6
Jay: GR in 6 "I think OKC's run stops here in a high scoring series"
Otto: OKC in 5
East:
(3) Syracuse vs (5) W/B Scranton
Dan: Syracuse in 5
Jay: Syracuse in 5 "But all very tight, very low scoring games"
Otto: Syracuse in 6
West:
(3) Grand Rapids vs (5) Oklahoma City Barrons
Dan: OKC in 6
Jay: GR in 6 "I think OKC's run stops here in a high scoring series"
Otto: OKC in 5
East:
(3) Syracuse vs (5) W/B Scranton
Dan: Syracuse in 5
Jay: Syracuse in 5 "But all very tight, very low scoring games"
Otto: Syracuse in 6
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
#ThruwayPuck - Episode 7
| In this storm shortened episode, Dan and Otto recap where the AHL and NHL playoffs stand. An IIHF summary, a discussion about "toughness," and changing up lines, amongst other topics fill up the episode. Subscribe to the podcast on ITunes by searching Thurway Puck, follow us on twitter at @oisen25, @dpron1, and @barrelofsports |
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
#ThruwayPuck - Episode 6
Dan and Otto recap an exciting 1st round of the NHL playoffs along with making picks for round 2. A new addition is the breakdown of a series by "pucks." Other topics for the podcast include the AHL playoffs, team USA at the IIHF tournament, the Minnesota Wild year end press conference, and other tidbits from around the hockey world. Subscribe to the podcast on ITunes by searching Thruway Puck. Leave your thoughts or suggestions in the comments here.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
AHL Playoffs Round 1 Results, Round 2 Picks
Round 1 of the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs is now complete, and with it 8 teams are now scheduling tee times at their local country clubs.
Jay, Otto and I made picks for round 1 and here are the results and scoring breakdown.
3 Points for picking the winning team and the correct number of games
1 Point for picking the series winner
0 points for picking the losing team
Jay ended round 1 in 3rd place getting 7 out of a possible 24 points. (3 pointer for the Syracuse Sweep) (1point each for picking Springfield, Wilkes-Barre, Texas and Toronto)
Dan ends round 1 in 2nd getting 8 out of 24 points. (3pts for Springfield, and Syracuse) (1pt for Wilkes-Barre, and Texas)
Otto leads after the first round getting 10 out of 24 points. (3pts for Springfield and Texas) (1pt for Providence, Syracuse, Toronto and Oklahoma City)
Picks for Round 2
Providence vs Wilkes-Barre Scranton
Jay- Providence 6
Dan- Providence 6
Otto- WBS 6
Springfield vs Syracuse
Jay- Syr 7
Dan- Syr 6
Otto- Syr 5
Texas vs Oklahoma City
Jay- OKC 6
Dan- Tex 6
Otto- Tex 5
Toronto vs Grand Rapids
Jay- Tor 5
Dan- Tor 5
Otto- Tor 6
Feel free to pick along with us by posing in the comment section.
-Dan
Jay, Otto and I made picks for round 1 and here are the results and scoring breakdown.
3 Points for picking the winning team and the correct number of games
1 Point for picking the series winner
0 points for picking the losing team
Jay ended round 1 in 3rd place getting 7 out of a possible 24 points. (3 pointer for the Syracuse Sweep) (1point each for picking Springfield, Wilkes-Barre, Texas and Toronto)
Dan ends round 1 in 2nd getting 8 out of 24 points. (3pts for Springfield, and Syracuse) (1pt for Wilkes-Barre, and Texas)
Otto leads after the first round getting 10 out of 24 points. (3pts for Springfield and Texas) (1pt for Providence, Syracuse, Toronto and Oklahoma City)
Picks for Round 2
Providence vs Wilkes-Barre Scranton
Jay- Providence 6
Dan- Providence 6
Otto- WBS 6
Springfield vs Syracuse
Jay- Syr 7
Dan- Syr 6
Otto- Syr 5
Texas vs Oklahoma City
Jay- OKC 6
Dan- Tex 6
Otto- Tex 5
Toronto vs Grand Rapids
Jay- Tor 5
Dan- Tor 5
Otto- Tor 6
Feel free to pick along with us by posing in the comment section.
-Dan
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
#ThruwayPuck Episode 5
Dan and Otto recap the 1st round of the AHL playoffs as well as a prediction for the 2nd round. NHL playoff series updates, IIHF championship updates, Sabres coaching update, Calder and Norris trophy finalist and more. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on ITunes, search Thruway Puck.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
#ThruwayPuck Episode 4: NHL Playoff Picks
In this episode, Dan and Otto take their best shots at all 8 playoff match-ups. Be sure to post your picks in the comments below the blog. Don't forget misery loves company. Also in the episode, they take a look at the AHL playoffs thus far, the NHL Draft lottery, Coaching and GM moves, the Sabres end of year press conference, and a quick look at the USA IIHF roster.
The link for the Sabres presser referenced is: http://audio.wgr550.com/a/74119983/sabres-end-of-year-presser.htm?pageid=28473
The link for the Sabres presser referenced is: http://audio.wgr550.com/a/74119983/sabres-end-of-year-presser.htm?pageid=28473
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Keys to an Amerks Upset
As the Rochester Americans head north to take on the Toronto Marlies in a Western Conference quarterfinal matchup I thought I would jot down a couple things that will be keys for an Amerks upset.
- Slowing Down the Marlies Transition Game
in the previous matchups the Marlies have created a majority of their scoring chances off the rush by being able to get around the Amerks not so fast/not so big defense. If the Amerks' D men can keep the Marlies wingers to the outside and prevent/limit odd man rushes, goalie and team MVP David Leggio will stop a lot of pucks. It is the 3rd and 4th skater into the zone that the Marlies bring to the net that tend to pick up rebound goals and create those chances.
-Capitalizing on the Power Play
the Amerks have one of the league's top power play units and will need to cash in on those opportunities in what should prove to be a physical series just like last season.
-Create pressure on the fore check and finish your checks
the Amerks have a huge advantage on the physical side of this match up. Nick Tarnasky, Max Legault, and Cody McCormick all can throw their weight around on the fore check and which should cause some turnovers or sloppy breakouts from the Marlies' defense. As a team the Amerks cannot back down in any area especially against this young arrogant team that the Marlies possess.
-Leggio must continue to be the better goalie
David Leggio has been the team MVP two seasons in a row. The man he will look at across the ice is the same man he changed next to last season. Coming into the 2011-2012 season the Amerks signed Drew MacIntyre to be the #1 guy in Rochester, but a slow start by him and a fast one by Leggio proved costly as Leggio ran away with the job and never looked back. MacIntyre has since made a nice rebound this season joining the Marlies after the lockout and looking very much like the guy who belongs in the playoffs.
-4 Lines Deep
The Marlies have a lot of young talent and some skilled veterans which gives them four solid lines that can create some match up problems for opponents. However, the Amerks are getting reinforcements from the Sabres in the form of Mikhail Grigorenko, Brian Flynn and Mark Pysyk. Those three all saw significant time in the NHL this season to varying degrees of success. With their arrival, the Amerks now how an abundance of top 6 talent at the AHL level and will need all of it to get by the Marlies.
- No NHL hangover
Flynn, Pysyk and Grigorenko cannot have the what I like to call the "NHL Hangover." This is when a player who has been up in the NHL gets sent back down and instead of continuing to play at a high level, they seem disenchanted and uninterested in being back down in the AHL. This is compounded by the fact that they usually come down and play on the top line or PP unit which then brings down the entire team. Now, this might not happen since these guys are going from a non playoff team in Buffalo to a playoff series for Rochester and should be jacked up to play but we shall see.
-Prediction
As I said on the #Thruwaypuck podcast, I believe that the Amerks can take this series from Toronto in 5 games. The key will be taking one of the first two in Toronto. If they comeback down 2-0 in they will have a very tough hill to climb.
Otto has the Marlies in 4
Jay has the Marlies in 4
Let the beards grow!
- Slowing Down the Marlies Transition Game
in the previous matchups the Marlies have created a majority of their scoring chances off the rush by being able to get around the Amerks not so fast/not so big defense. If the Amerks' D men can keep the Marlies wingers to the outside and prevent/limit odd man rushes, goalie and team MVP David Leggio will stop a lot of pucks. It is the 3rd and 4th skater into the zone that the Marlies bring to the net that tend to pick up rebound goals and create those chances.
-Capitalizing on the Power Play
the Amerks have one of the league's top power play units and will need to cash in on those opportunities in what should prove to be a physical series just like last season.
-Create pressure on the fore check and finish your checks
the Amerks have a huge advantage on the physical side of this match up. Nick Tarnasky, Max Legault, and Cody McCormick all can throw their weight around on the fore check and which should cause some turnovers or sloppy breakouts from the Marlies' defense. As a team the Amerks cannot back down in any area especially against this young arrogant team that the Marlies possess.
-Leggio must continue to be the better goalie
David Leggio has been the team MVP two seasons in a row. The man he will look at across the ice is the same man he changed next to last season. Coming into the 2011-2012 season the Amerks signed Drew MacIntyre to be the #1 guy in Rochester, but a slow start by him and a fast one by Leggio proved costly as Leggio ran away with the job and never looked back. MacIntyre has since made a nice rebound this season joining the Marlies after the lockout and looking very much like the guy who belongs in the playoffs.
-4 Lines Deep
The Marlies have a lot of young talent and some skilled veterans which gives them four solid lines that can create some match up problems for opponents. However, the Amerks are getting reinforcements from the Sabres in the form of Mikhail Grigorenko, Brian Flynn and Mark Pysyk. Those three all saw significant time in the NHL this season to varying degrees of success. With their arrival, the Amerks now how an abundance of top 6 talent at the AHL level and will need all of it to get by the Marlies.
- No NHL hangover
Flynn, Pysyk and Grigorenko cannot have the what I like to call the "NHL Hangover." This is when a player who has been up in the NHL gets sent back down and instead of continuing to play at a high level, they seem disenchanted and uninterested in being back down in the AHL. This is compounded by the fact that they usually come down and play on the top line or PP unit which then brings down the entire team. Now, this might not happen since these guys are going from a non playoff team in Buffalo to a playoff series for Rochester and should be jacked up to play but we shall see.
-Prediction
As I said on the #Thruwaypuck podcast, I believe that the Amerks can take this series from Toronto in 5 games. The key will be taking one of the first two in Toronto. If they comeback down 2-0 in they will have a very tough hill to climb.
Otto has the Marlies in 4
Jay has the Marlies in 4
Let the beards grow!
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Ryan Miller at the IIHF?
The question Dan and I raised today is the following: could a Ryan Miller appearance on Team USA at the IIHF tournament be beneficial to both he and the Sabres? The premise is the following:
Team USA needs a goalie. After the initial roster announcement (announcing 15 players), Ben Bishop as the starter with Cal Heeter, of the Adirondack Phantoms, as his backup. Nothing against Bishop, but he hasn't established himself as a number one in the NHL yet, never mind an international event. The talk had been that Jimmy Howard could be available if the Wings missed the playoffs, but it is slowly looking like they are going to make it in. With the Sabres being out, Miller has picked up a couple extra days off and could be a nice choice for the American roster. Miller is in line to make $6.25 million in the last season of his contract, his cap hit is the same. While this isn't a huge number, the Sabres could use the extra money to help build up their roster. Miller has been rumored to be devaluing a little bit, but I am a firm believer that it is the result of his surroundings. Between the lack of scoring help, as well as support in the defensive end, Miller as been relied upon year after year to carry the Sabres into playoff contention. If Ryan Miller goes to Finland to play, he could showcase his talents again to build his stock value back up. If he does improve, the Sabres will have a strengthened bargaining chip. The goal tending market hasn't been very active, but after the playoffs, things can change drastically. The only other true number one on the market is Roberto Luongo out of Vancouver. Miller would be a much more appealing option given the opportunity to trade and sign instead of taking on an 8 year contract. By playing for the USA, Miller can prove that he is worth his current salary and then some, just imagine if he can backstop the team to a medal(especially a gold).
If the Sabres can resign Miller at a decent price I would agree with the decision, but my thoughts are that they will either have to overpay to do so, costing them the opportunity to strengthen other parts of their roster, or will lose him at the end of the season with no return. The Sabres need a few offensive threats and a defensive upgrade before they will be ready to truly make a move in the playoffs. Moving Miller could get a first liner, a few solid prospects, or some draft picks, any of which the Sabres could use to help their rebuild. The Sabres have Jonas Enroth as their backup currently who has shown some signs of stardom in his time as well as recently acquired Matt Hackett, who spent some time as the backup in Minnesota. Either could have a bright future as a starter if given the chance. A rebuild needs to happen why not get it out of the way now.
I believe that Ryan Miller in the IIHF tournament would help not only he and the Sabres, but Team USA as well, what say you?
Team USA needs a goalie. After the initial roster announcement (announcing 15 players), Ben Bishop as the starter with Cal Heeter, of the Adirondack Phantoms, as his backup. Nothing against Bishop, but he hasn't established himself as a number one in the NHL yet, never mind an international event. The talk had been that Jimmy Howard could be available if the Wings missed the playoffs, but it is slowly looking like they are going to make it in. With the Sabres being out, Miller has picked up a couple extra days off and could be a nice choice for the American roster. Miller is in line to make $6.25 million in the last season of his contract, his cap hit is the same. While this isn't a huge number, the Sabres could use the extra money to help build up their roster. Miller has been rumored to be devaluing a little bit, but I am a firm believer that it is the result of his surroundings. Between the lack of scoring help, as well as support in the defensive end, Miller as been relied upon year after year to carry the Sabres into playoff contention. If Ryan Miller goes to Finland to play, he could showcase his talents again to build his stock value back up. If he does improve, the Sabres will have a strengthened bargaining chip. The goal tending market hasn't been very active, but after the playoffs, things can change drastically. The only other true number one on the market is Roberto Luongo out of Vancouver. Miller would be a much more appealing option given the opportunity to trade and sign instead of taking on an 8 year contract. By playing for the USA, Miller can prove that he is worth his current salary and then some, just imagine if he can backstop the team to a medal(especially a gold).
If the Sabres can resign Miller at a decent price I would agree with the decision, but my thoughts are that they will either have to overpay to do so, costing them the opportunity to strengthen other parts of their roster, or will lose him at the end of the season with no return. The Sabres need a few offensive threats and a defensive upgrade before they will be ready to truly make a move in the playoffs. Moving Miller could get a first liner, a few solid prospects, or some draft picks, any of which the Sabres could use to help their rebuild. The Sabres have Jonas Enroth as their backup currently who has shown some signs of stardom in his time as well as recently acquired Matt Hackett, who spent some time as the backup in Minnesota. Either could have a bright future as a starter if given the chance. A rebuild needs to happen why not get it out of the way now.
I believe that Ryan Miller in the IIHF tournament would help not only he and the Sabres, but Team USA as well, what say you?
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
#ThruwayPuck Episode 3
Dan and Otto are joined by Jay to preview the AHL playoffs. A look at the most current standings and the handling of Mikhail Grigorenko by the Buffalo Sabres. Find the podcast on ITunes and subscribe. Be sure to add your thoughts on the topics or suggest something for the next episode!
Thursday, April 18, 2013
#ThruwayPuck Episode 2
In the second episode(2 makes it official right?) Dan and Otto pay respects to those impacted by the tragedies in Boston and Texas. Then move on to the current NHL standings, AHL standings, the playoff picture, potential of an AHL team in Utica, and many other topics. Be sure to take a listen on ITunes and subscribe to be notified of any updates automatically!
Saturday, April 13, 2013
#ThruwayPuck - Episode 1
In the premier episode of the Thruway Puck podcast, Dan and Otto hit on many subjects including and intro of who they are, some rule changes the, playoff picture, and more.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Exciting Times for Atlanta Braves' Fans
It's an exciting time to be a fan of the Atlanta Braves! While the team didn't send retiring franchise cornerstone Chipper Jones off into the sunset with a Championship banner after losing in the joke of a "one game playoff", they did adjust (improve) their roster during the winter. The most obvious and most talked about additions to the roster were the signing of B.J. Upton and then trading for his younger brother Justin from the Arizona Diamondbacks. While BJ is not a franchise player (though his contract is the largest in franchise history) he is what the team needed at the time. A right handed OF who could hit in between the left handed hitters that made up the middle of the order. But what the signing also did, was give the team an even better reason to go after Justin. Now I'm not saying that GM Frank Wren wouldn't have made the trade for Justin without signing BJ first, but I am saying that it probably made it impossible for him to resist pursuing it.
What could be the biggest addition not necessarily for this season but for the future is the emergence of Evan Gattis. With a story similar to Josh Hamilton's (drug abuse, rehab, out of baseball, etc..) he has gone from 25 year old no name camp invitee, to (at least while All-Star Brian McCann is on the DL) starting catcher and middle of the order bat. In my opinion, his emergence if it can be sustained might allow the Braves to part ways with McCann when he is set to become a free agent this winter. As a McCann jersey owner, I don't really want this to happen but with everything being about money and it being somewhat scarce in ATL I can see the Braves letting McCann go and using the money to keep it's young stars like hitters Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman, Andrelton Simmons, Justin Upton, and closer Craig Kimbrel. All of them are going to be due for raises if things go well, and keeping Gattis on the cheap could go a long way in making that possible.
Finally, and probably the most important thing for me personally is that the trade for Justin Upton was in my opinion a swing for the fences. Sure, it has/had the possibility to backfire in their faces, one or more of the prospects they gave up could turn out to be All-Stars for the D-Backs (Otto sure hopes so) and Upton could fail to produce at the level he has the potential to. But at the same time (and so far this season) it could be the move that puts the Braves in contention for years to come. Upton has started the season on a tear and has carried them to a 7-1 start. Wren could have stayed put and possibly made the playoffs as a wild card here and there with the team he had but this move goes for the gusto and says that "simply making the playoffs isn't enough." As a fan here in WNY who suffers through year after year of the Bills and Sabres accepting mediocrity and just going with the flow it was very refreshing.
I know that it is early and that the baseball season is 162 games long with a lots of twists and turns, but as of right now I am officially excited to be a Braves' fan.
What could be the biggest addition not necessarily for this season but for the future is the emergence of Evan Gattis. With a story similar to Josh Hamilton's (drug abuse, rehab, out of baseball, etc..) he has gone from 25 year old no name camp invitee, to (at least while All-Star Brian McCann is on the DL) starting catcher and middle of the order bat. In my opinion, his emergence if it can be sustained might allow the Braves to part ways with McCann when he is set to become a free agent this winter. As a McCann jersey owner, I don't really want this to happen but with everything being about money and it being somewhat scarce in ATL I can see the Braves letting McCann go and using the money to keep it's young stars like hitters Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman, Andrelton Simmons, Justin Upton, and closer Craig Kimbrel. All of them are going to be due for raises if things go well, and keeping Gattis on the cheap could go a long way in making that possible.
Finally, and probably the most important thing for me personally is that the trade for Justin Upton was in my opinion a swing for the fences. Sure, it has/had the possibility to backfire in their faces, one or more of the prospects they gave up could turn out to be All-Stars for the D-Backs (Otto sure hopes so) and Upton could fail to produce at the level he has the potential to. But at the same time (and so far this season) it could be the move that puts the Braves in contention for years to come. Upton has started the season on a tear and has carried them to a 7-1 start. Wren could have stayed put and possibly made the playoffs as a wild card here and there with the team he had but this move goes for the gusto and says that "simply making the playoffs isn't enough." As a fan here in WNY who suffers through year after year of the Bills and Sabres accepting mediocrity and just going with the flow it was very refreshing.
I know that it is early and that the baseball season is 162 games long with a lots of twists and turns, but as of right now I am officially excited to be a Braves' fan.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
A vent 2+ years in the making...
Just to be clear before I start, I never want to see a player get hurt in a hockey game and do believe there needs to be more respect within the game itself to prevent injuries from happening.
That being said...
With all of the suspensions and injuries resulting from boarding/checking from behind in recent years, I fully believe that the guy being hit needs to take on some of this responsibility. Every one of these guys in the NHL knows the game they play, playing for twenty years prior to making it to the the show tends to do this.
My biggest complaint is on plays that typically occur when a defensive player is flowing behind his net with a fore checker in pursuit. The guy will check over his shoulder to see where the pressure is and then, even after seeing it, inexplicably try to turn toward the boards to change direction. The speed of today's game leaves the pursuer no where to go except into the back of the guy with the puck. 99% of the time the guy with the puck goes into the boards head first, and the opponent goes to the box or locker room for an extended period.
While it will never happen for in game situations, I would like to see the actions of the guy being hit taken into account on the call. The change is happening when it comes to suspensions, hits where the blame is equally shared tend to lead to lesser suspensions. This certainly helps, especially since the game is too fast for officials to determine what happened, they have to err on the side of caution and make the call for five even if its not entirely the fault of the guy throwing the check.
There are plenty of situations where the checker is the one to blame, just type in a search for hit from behind, you'll find hundreds of examples. But, there is no excuse for why plays like the above mentioned need to happen. The player puts their own safety in jeopardy in order to give their team an advantage. All it takes is two more strides and a pass or chip off the glass and play continues without any issues. I have a hard time feeling bad for you if you line yourself up to be hit on purpose and end up being hurt as a result. Be smart, help avoid the danger, make the smart play and clean up the game.
That being said...
With all of the suspensions and injuries resulting from boarding/checking from behind in recent years, I fully believe that the guy being hit needs to take on some of this responsibility. Every one of these guys in the NHL knows the game they play, playing for twenty years prior to making it to the the show tends to do this.
My biggest complaint is on plays that typically occur when a defensive player is flowing behind his net with a fore checker in pursuit. The guy will check over his shoulder to see where the pressure is and then, even after seeing it, inexplicably try to turn toward the boards to change direction. The speed of today's game leaves the pursuer no where to go except into the back of the guy with the puck. 99% of the time the guy with the puck goes into the boards head first, and the opponent goes to the box or locker room for an extended period.
While it will never happen for in game situations, I would like to see the actions of the guy being hit taken into account on the call. The change is happening when it comes to suspensions, hits where the blame is equally shared tend to lead to lesser suspensions. This certainly helps, especially since the game is too fast for officials to determine what happened, they have to err on the side of caution and make the call for five even if its not entirely the fault of the guy throwing the check.
There are plenty of situations where the checker is the one to blame, just type in a search for hit from behind, you'll find hundreds of examples. But, there is no excuse for why plays like the above mentioned need to happen. The player puts their own safety in jeopardy in order to give their team an advantage. All it takes is two more strides and a pass or chip off the glass and play continues without any issues. I have a hard time feeling bad for you if you line yourself up to be hit on purpose and end up being hurt as a result. Be smart, help avoid the danger, make the smart play and clean up the game.
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