NHL Columns: Pro Sports Daily

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November 7

Denver Post

columnist Dave Krieger

"What if they put on a hockey game and nobody came? No, it's not that bad yet. And yes, the people who remember Rockie hockey could tell you what happens when it gets that bad. But still, the Avalanche is facing what seems like a contradictory confluence of events. After finishing last season as the worst team in the NHL's Western Conference, the Avs surprised most everyone in the hockey world by sprinting to the top of the standings this season. Yet their attendance has continued the downward trajectory of the past three seasons, slipping below 15,000 fans a game through their first six home games. The obvious explanation is the economy, but the Nuggets' attendance is holding steady. In ..."

Sabres left behind in trying to step up

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November 7

Buffalo News

columnist Jerry Sullivan

"Lindy Ruff didn't bother addressing his team after this one. The Sabres were outplayed, outworked and outclassed in Friday night's 5-2 loss to the Flyers. Ruff let them talk it out among themselves. Evidently, Mike Grier did most of the talking. "It's a little disappointing," Grier said. "Good thing we have a game [tonight] to bounce back. I told the guys we've got a good record and everyone knows it. The league is going to watch how we do in these games. Teams are going to try to push us out of games. We've got to show we won't back down." Translation: When you're on top, expect to get teams' best shot. If you're going to pose as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, you ought to act like ..."

Don't panic, Wings fans: Early bumps will get fixed

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November 7

Detroit Free Press

columnist Michael Rosenberg

"The Red Wings have been great for so long that when they stumble, it's like the king is fidgeting in his throne. Is he OK? Did he wince? What next? This has inspired panic at the most ridiculous times, from the strangest places, but this week it reached a new level. Longtime team executive Jim Devellano told Larry Lage of the Associated Press that "we're going to have to fight just to make the playoffs and it's going to be a grind ... to get home-ice advantage would be a miracle." This begs the question: miracle? In hockey, "miracle" means a bunch of American kids beating Russian superstars in Lake Placid. If the Wings actually do pull off the "miracle" and get home-ice advantage, will ..."

Identity crisis has Wild losing face

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November 6

St. Paul Pioneer Press

columnist Tom Powers

"The problem right now is that the Wild aren't sure who or what they are. They know what they used to be. We all know that. They used to be a hard-working, airtight defensive hockey club. Ask anybody around the league, and that's what he will tell you: "Oh, man, the Wild don't give you much." That was then. Now, the Wild are stuck in the fifth dimension. They aren't anything. In between coaches and systems, they have yet to establish an identity. There is no collective personality. And it shows. Their 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night dropped them to 5-10. "Yes, I would say we're still looking for an identity," coach Todd Richards said. "I have a good idea what that ..."

New GM Fletcher knew what he was getting himself into

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November 6

Minneapolis Star Tribune

columnist Jim Souhan

"Here in the State of Hokey, the Wild will invite just about anyone to yell, "Let's Play Hockey." If they need help finding "celebrities" to fire up the "Team of 18,000," I am here to help. Next game, they should bring back Doug Risebrough. That way Risebrough could get the fans riled, and then the Wild would get to fire him all over again. Thursday night at the X, it was hard to tell if there were more empty seats or empty Wild jerseys, as the Fighting Christmas Trees played pathetically while losing 5-2 to the beat-up Canucks. There are four prime figures you could blame for the Wild's lousy play so far: Risebrough, new GM Chuck Fletcher, old coach Jacques Lemaire or new coach Todd ..."

Compelling case for Killer

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November 6

Toronto Sun

columnist Steve Simmons

"The Hall of Fame case for Doug Gilmour is much like the player himself. It darts back and forth, is statistical yet empirical, creative but contradictory, and, in the end, absolutely convincing. No matter what criteria is chosen by the Hockey Hall of Fame committee -- Gilmour doesn't just meet the standards, he exceeds them. How best to measure a Hall of Fame player? A Hall of Famer must be exceptional, even if there are too many hockey examples to the contrary. A Hall of Famer must have a playoff resume. A Hall of Famer must make his teams and his teammates better. A Hall of Famer must be a player you can't take your eyes off and must be at his best when it matters most. THE PLAYOFF ..."

The battle for 29th

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November 6

Toronto Sun

columnist Mike Zeisberger

"The basement door is open, with a sliver of light peeking through the crack. The Maple Leafs can see it. An escape from the NHL outhouse is there for the taking. All that is needed is a victory tonight over the Carolina Hurricanes at the RBC Center in Raleigh and the Leafs will find themselves in 29th spot in a 30-team league. Hey, folks, you have to learn how to crawl before you walk. And for the Leafs, mired at the bottom of the standings since the beginning of the season, any step up is monumental right now. If you want to nit-pick, the Leafs, tied at seven points with the free-falling Hurricanes, technically are ahead of Paul Maurice's club because Toronto holds a game in hand. ..."

Thrashers Loss To CBJs Is Like Déjà vu All Over Again

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November 6

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

columnist Bill Tiller

"Ever get that strange and unexplainable feeling that you seen this before? Thrashers playing at home…come out of the locker room in the red third jerseys…get down by two or three goals…mount a comeback…end the game with a final furious rally in front of the visitor's goal…but fall just short. Now, was that the Thrashers last game I just described? Was it last Thursday versus Washington? Maybe it was the Thursday before that against, again, Washington? Or was it the Saturday game against San Jose in between the two Capitals game?"

Biron-Sabres reunion would fit like a glove

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November 5

Buffalo News

columnist Jerry Sullivan

"Last July, after Martin Biron became a free agent, he drove his wife, Anne Marie, and three children from Philadelphia to Buffalo. Biron got off Interstate 90 at the Pembroke exit so he could take a nice, leisurely drive through the country roads. "We drove down Main Street and got to our house in Clarence," Biron said Wednesday before the Islanders lost to the Sabres, 3-0, at HSBC Arena. Biron made 36 saves. "We told each other it felt like we were coming home." Biron has never really left Buffalo, not in his heart. Maybe that's why the former Sabres goalie got that standing ovation here last month. Fans know he's one of them, a Buffalo guy, an NHL player who came of age here and grew to ..."

Let's not see visors made mandatory

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November 5

Denver Post

columnist Adrian Dater

"Oh, no, not another one of those columns about how a hockey player really should wear a protective visor. You know, for his own good. Because, you know, it would be so much better if they did, so that any and all risk was taken out of the sport. No, not this time. If players such as the Avs' Cody McLeod want to go back to having no protection in front of their eyes and maybe lose one from an errant high stick - as what almost happened recently - that's his choice. One of hockey's numerous "codes" is: If you're going to be a fighter and an agitator and have a really big mouth, you can't hide behind a shield. Of course, that never stopped Claude Lemieux or Kirk Maltby, but anyway . . . ..."

Maybe Russia, but not Flyers, for Forsberg

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November 5

Philadelphia Daily News

columnist Frank Servalli

"IT'S HARD TO TELL what's more annoying: the Peter Forsberg saga in Europe or the attention that "Jon and Kate Plus 8" is still getting.Both Forsberg and the Gosselins need to go away for a long, long time.Forsberg's name now has run through the hockey-rumor washing machine so many times that people are numb to it. That's sad. Some actually believe that Forsberg's nagging, never-right foot and ankle injury is healed. That's sadder.On Tuesday, news that Forsberg was considering signing with Ak Bars Kazan of the Russian Kontinental League flew to the hockey world faster than a Chris Pronger slap shot.Forsberg, who is skating for Sweden in Helsinki, Finland, this week in the Karjala Cup, ..."

Patience is a virtue regarding young players

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November 5

Dallas Morning News

columnist Mike Heika

"As a lesson for all of us who are impatient with young players, I offer up today the curious case of Matt Carle. Drafted in the fourth round by San Jose in 2003, Carle went through the U.S. National Development program and three years at the University of Denver before being moved up to the NHL. He played on the Sharks for three seasons, and simply wasn't that good when given top-level responsibility. He's a skilled player who can lug the puck, but he had breakdowns in his own end, and proved a source of frustration for fans and coaches alike. So, the Sharks moved him to Tampa Bay in 2008 with Ty Wishart and a first-round pick for Dan Boyle and Brad Lukowich. Carle was clearly a big part ..."

Casino could cast cloud over Arena District

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November 5

Columbus Dispatch

columnist Michael Arace

"Neither Franklin County nor Columbus wanted a casino, but here it comes. The Arena District -- Nationwide Arena and the Blue Jackets, bars, restaurants and business owners, Huntington Park and the Clippers -- are bracing for the impact. I'm not antigambling. If I were king, I'd save the racetracks and give them slots and blackjack tables. Are there not jobs there to save and create? I do not care for the present development. It worries me. The casino owners drew up the ballot issue and structured it so as to remove any real form of government control. If the casino owners so choose, they can build a 100-story hotel with 30 restaurants, a 10,000-seat theater and a vast gambling parlor. For ..."

Ailing Canucks return at practice

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November 5

Vancouver Sun

columnist Iain Macintyre

"The Vancouver Canucks are finally getting some injury relief. Ryan Johnson (concussion) and Jannik Hansen (hand) are practising this morning with teammates and Johnson, at least, is expected to play tonight against the Minnesota Wild. It also appears top-four defenceman Kevin Bieksa will not only play a second straight game at forward, but he'll be elevated to the Canucks' top line alongside Henrik Sedin and Alex Burrows. First-line winger Steve Bernier did not practise and coach Alain Vigneault said the player "was not feeling well." No one on the Canucks is saying if Bernier has the flu, but he remains with the team for now."

Canucks seek H1N1 vaccine in U.S. as winger Bernier gets flu-like symptoms

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November 5

Vancouver Sun

columnist Iain Macintyre

"Vancouver Canuck winger Steve Bernier has flu-like symptoms and been isolated from teammates, but the National Hockey League team doesn't yet know if it's a case of swine flu. Bernier, absent from the Canucks' morning skate ahead of tonight's NHL game against the Minnesota Wild, has been given his own hotel room and will return to Vancouver on Friday, general manager Mike Gillis told The Vancouver Sun. "There are other types of flu, too," Gillis said, aware of the hysteria over H1N1. "We won't know until he has a throat swab and a full examination." The Canucks have been playing without as many as eight players due to injury — the expected return tonight of checking centre Ryan Johnson ..."

Welcome back, wow factor

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November 4

Toronto Sun

columnist Mike Zeisberger

"Now that the all the hype and hoopla are over, here are 10 things we learned about Phil Kessel last night from his Maple Leafs debut -- one for every shot he had on net. 1. In recent weeks there have been suggestions that the deal to bring Kessel to the Maple Leafs for two first-rounders and a second-round pick might be one of the worst in franchise history. After Phil The Thrill's electrifying performance last night, can we put a temporary gag order on such talk please? It is far too early to make such claims. And, after watching Kessel oozing his raw offensive skills last night, you can see why general manager Brian Burke paid such a heavy price to land this talented kid, who has yet ..."

Top unit looks for 3rd skater

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November 3

New York Post

columnist Larry Brooks

"The most coveted spot in the Rangers' lineup is the opening on the first line, which features Marian Gaborik on right wing and Vinny Prospal either in the middle or on left wing. Tonight, when the Blueshirts face the Canucks in the opener of the three-game tour through western Canada, Chris Higgins, who has yet to score a goal in 14 games and who has been bounced from one line to another (and to the bench), is likely to get first crack at filling it, playing left wing while Prospal skates in the middle. "I don't think you ever find three guys who fit together perfectly," said coach John Tortorella, who previously has turned to Brandon Dubinsky (at center) and Enver Lisin (on the wing) to ..."

Toronto can't lose this contest

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November 3

Toronto Sun

columnist Gary Loewen

"Finally, a win for Toronto. With the city's half-dozen professional sports teams in a wee bit of a slump, T.O. clearly has earned the title of Loserville, Canada. But is Toronto in contention to be Loserville, North America? The folks at the Washington Post suggest that their city would put up stiff competition. "As sports towns go, Washington has become Loserville, U.S.A.," Paul Farhi writes. "None of Washington's franchises in the three most popular team sports - football, baseball and basketball - leads in anything except futility.""

Penguins keep marching strong

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November 3

Los Angeles Times

columnist Helene Elliott

"Players roared and pumped their fists as the puck crossed the goal line, happily gathering at center ice to celebrate a hard-fought victory. Were the Pittsburgh Penguins reenacting the final moments of their Stanley Cup triumph last June? Hardly. The outburst was triggered by the outcome of a shootout drill Monday at Anaheim Ice. Clearly, Coach Dan Bylsma is having no difficulty motivating his players to maintain the drive and excellence that propelled them past the Detroit Red Wings in last spring's riveting finals. "I feel like we've been pushing harder as players than we were last year. There isn't a sign of complacency," Bylsma said. "If anything, it's there needs to be maybe a little ..."

Improving Leafs prove a point

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November 2

Toronto Star

columnist Damien Cox

"It's a good thing for the Maple Leafs the NHL isn't just about winning. No, that ended some time ago. Now it's about getting points, something a team can do by winning, yes, but by losing as well. Theoretically, 12 regulation wins would be enough to get an NHL team into the post-season. Yes sir, a snappy 12-0-70 record would accumulate 94 points under the modern NHL system, a total that would be enough to claim that eighth and final playoff berth in either conference most years."

Canadians get it: Surprising Avalanche play is big news

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November 2

Denver Post

columnist Terry Frei

"Last week, when I covered Avalanche games in Edmonton and Calgary, and I noticed the swarms of media members posing questions to Colorado coach Joe Sacco and the players, it hit me: The Avs' shockingly fast start was a bigger story in Canada than it was in Denver. Granted, I've visited Canada for more than 30 years to cover the NHL. I long ago learned that the guy who usually takes the faceoffs is the centre; that Tim Hortons is where you go for an apple fritter and coffee; that walking a kilometer in minus 10-degree Celsius weather can be difficult; that Canadian sitcoms generally are better than ours; and that, most of all, hockey is king. So I understand that there always has been ..."

Look on the bright side - it could be worse

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November 2

Vancouver Sun

columnist Iain MacIntyre

"The Vancouver Canucks needed a month to get back to where they started. For this, they deserve not derision but the Order of Canada. It's remarkable this motley crew crawled a game above .500 with Sunday's 3-0 win against the Colorado Avalanche after starting the National Hockey League season 0-3. And it's not merely that they're treading water despite missing up to eight skaters that is impressive — seven were out Sunday — but that they're afloat despite so few of their healthy ones playing well. Quick, name five Canucks who are having a good season. Mikael Samuelsson, Ryan Kesler, Willie Mitchell. Maybe Christian Ehrhoff. Maybe Andrew Raycroft if you count three starts and two relief ..."

Tambellini traces roots to Colorado

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November 1

Denver Post

columnist Terry Frei

"I've heard similar remembrances from former Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies hockey players of the 1970s and '80s. "We lived off Arapahoe Road," Edmonton Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini said at Rexall Place. "There was one other development past us, and that was like the end of the city, right?" Right. In March 1981, Tambellini was a 22-year-old center when the New York Islanders traded him, plus goaltender Glenn "Chico" Resch, to the Rockies for defenseman Mike McEwen and goalie Jari Kaarela. I met Tambellini's flight to Denver, and although he said all the right things, I got the impression he was trying to convince himself that going from the defending Stanley Cup champions ..."

In a bumpy road to win, Miller is rock solid

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November 1

Buffalo News

columnist Bucky Gleason

"Ryan Miller knew long before the season began that not all of them would be pretty. The Sabres would have nights when their legs would become heavy and their game would flat-line for reasons not entirely clear. It's bound to happen over the course of an 82-game schedule in the NHL. For most of Friday night, the Sabres weren't the Sabres. They were the Sabres from last season. Their effort was satisfactory but not particularly overwhelming like it had been during their 7-1-1 start. It was if they lost their mojo after two victories in Florida and another in New Jersey. Maybe it was the flu bug that infiltrated their team. Gone was their crisp passing and steady defense, replaced by sloppy ..."

Masks mark milestone

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November 1

Buffalo News

columnist Bucky Gleason

"Never mind the one-piece sticks with the trampoline effect, goalie pads that look like basement doors, Herman Munster shoulder pads and anything else that contributed to the evolution of hockey. Nothing changed the face of the NHL, quite literally, over the past half century more than the goalie mask. Fifty years ago today, Jacques Plante insisted on wearing a homemade fiberglass jobber (see: Jason, Friday the 13th Part III) on a regular basis after he grew tired of having his face rearranged. The clincher for the late, great Canadiens stopper was taking one in the mush on an Andy Bathgate backhander that required seven stitches. It happened Nov. 1, 1959. Plante had practiced but never ..."

Boudreau has quite a story

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November 1

Washington Post

columnist Mike Wise

"The day of his first signing, Bruce Boudreau is already learning today's unfortunate truth about pushing books -- and newspapers, for that matter: Our crawl-line culture is so averse to spending time with the printed word that we end up glomming onto the most titillating item while sailing straight past the journey. Even before 400 copies of "Gabby: Confessions of a Hockey Lifer," sold quickly at Kettler Capitals Iceplex on Saturday afternoon, as the long autograph line for the Capitals coach and his co-author, Tim Leone, snaked inside the team's practice facility, the buzz wasn't about the incredible tale of how a career minor leaguer ended up coaching the game's most breathtaking player ..."

Improved play makes tough loss easier to handle

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October 31

Columbus Dispatch

columnist Bob Hunter

"After a 5-1 start, Ken Hitchcock was starting to get a little grumpy. "The minute you start winning, you're just setting up losing," the Blue Jackets coach said. After giving up 26 goals and losing four of five games, Hitchcock seemed pretty chipper yesterday morning. "It's not that I'm happy," he said. He grinned. "I think you look at it as a teaching opportunity," he said. "The longer you're in the business, the more you're looking for ears and eyes wide open. So when you get that, then you've got to hammer it. You don't get many opportunities in professional sports when ears and eyes are wide open." Ears and eyes wide open ranks just below, or maybe it's above, a win in Hitchcock's ..."

Concussions no business of the state

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October 30

Montreal Gazette

columnist Pat Hickey

"Separation of church and state is one of the founding principles in American society and now it's time to have separation of sport and state. At a time when the United States is dealing with an economic crisis, unpopular wars and a debate over its health-care system, the No. 1 story on cable news networks was a Congressional inquiry into the longterm effects of concussions on former National Football League players. I'm not going to suggest this isn't an important topic, but it impacts on a relative handful of individuals and should be dealt with by the NFL and its players' association. The hearings reminded me of the earlier Congressional probes into the use of performance-enhancing drugs ..."

Writing the book on Sharks' characters

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October 30

San Francisco Chronicle

columnist Ray Rotto

"The Sharks have already navigated nearly a sixth of their season, another example of how time flies when you're never at home. Point is, they've whizzed through 13 games and are still at the relatively annoying character development stage that most people cite as the main reason they don't read books anymore. They tend to pick up a book so that they can get to the finish - they want to know who killed who, where and with what, and claim not to have time to find out who anybody actually was. It's the reason why Andre Agassi's new book has already leaked every meaningful detail of his life (hated tennis, hated dad, liked crystal meth) even before the release date. Nobody would care that much ..."

Oilers edge Red Wings in shootout

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October 30

Edmonton Journal

columnist Jim Matheson

"At his regular morning media scrum Thursday, Edmonton Oilers head coach Pat Quinn was asked if moving struggling centre Shawn Horcoff back with Ales Hemsky and Dustin Penner might rein in the big horses. A negative vortex field, was how a media fellow cleverly put it, as he waded in to question whether some of Horcoff's troubles would rub off on the other two productive wingers, even though Quinn basically said he was basically playing bingo because Mike Comrie's flu necessitated gambling for Thursday night's game against the Detroit Red Wings. Comrie, Quinn said, was going to play with Horcoff on a second line but when he didn't make it to the rink Thursday morning, he decided to shake up ..."

Gretzky deserves better from NHL

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October 30

Arizona Republic

columnist Paola Boivin

"Not even the instincts that made Wayne Gretzky one of hockey's greatest players could have predicted the off-season hits his once-impeccable reputation would take. Now, his relationship with the NHL has taken an ugly turn, just days away from a ruling on the league's proposed purchase of the Coyotes. Shame on you, NHL. It is clear after examining court documents and interviewing parties close to the situation that the league has done a shoddy job of reaching out and communicating with one of the sport's best representatives. Say what you will about Gretzky's performance as a coach or executive - he clearly made mistakes - but his track record as an ambassador of the game demands better. ..."

Going 10 for 10

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October 30

Toronto Sun

columnist Gary Loewen

"Ten observations of the Maple Leafs, 10 games into the season: Phil Kessel: Based on the play of the past week, the Leafs are one Kessel away from being a reasonably adequate team. Colton Orr: Averaging one fight every two games, the rugged winger seems to have overdeveloped malebeast tissue. Jonas Gustavsson: Rookie JoGus at least gives the team a chance to get to overtime instead of losing 5-3 in regulation. Vesa Toskala: Don't you get the feeling this guy would be really good at dodgeball? Lee Stempniak: A capable point man on the power play ... who knew? The Frat Pack: A sharp-looking line during pre-season, Viktor Stalberg, Tyler Bozak and Christian Hanson have been reunited ... with ..."

Patrice Bergeron finds old self

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October 30

Boston Herald

columnist Steve Buckley

"After watching Patrice Bergeron score a first-period goal in the Bruins' 2-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils last night at the Garden, an NHL scout in attendance began taking down notes. "He's skating . . . he's strong on the puck," wrote Tom Fitzgerald, a former teammate of Bergeron's and now an assistant general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins. "He's hunting down the puck . . . he gets physical . . . he scores goals." And then, sounding more like the former teammate and less like the scout, Fitzgerald smiled and said, "He's the old Bergie." Yes, he is. We are 11 games into the 2009-2010 season, and to watch Bergeron on the ice you'd swear he never suffered an injury any more serious ..."

Crosby sticks with new approach

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October 30

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

columnist Joe Starkey

"Sidney Crosby, goal scorer. We are all witnessing the evolution. With nine goals in 12 games, Crosby is off to the best start of his five-year career. He has 24 goals in his past 36 games, including the playoffs. He is on pace to score 62 this season, though it's a bit early for projections. Some people want to attribute Crosby's hot start solely to his new, one-piece stick. Crosby is not one of them, although he acknowledges that the stick, at the very least, is symbolic of his budding scorer's mentality. For his first four seasons, Crosby used a wooden blade, while nearly all other NHL players were using one-piece composite sticks -- made mostly of graphite -- that they believe allow for ..."

Kings and Kopitar hit on winning combination

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October 28

Los Angeles Times

columnist Helene Elliott

"It's too early in the season to dream too big and these are the Kings, after all, masters of selling hope, if nothing else. But it's impossible not to be impressed that they are leading the Pacific Division and that center Anze Kopitar is leading the NHL in scoring, and neither of those feats would be possible without the other. Kopitar, in his fourth season and still awaiting his first playoff experience, has 10 goals and 21 points in 12 games. Drawn away from the fringes and into the action by linemate Ryan Smyth, who has made a living creating and potting rebounds in the trenches around the net, Kopitar has produced grand results. The 22-year-old Slovenian has been held scoreless only ..."

Tomas Kaberle's future anything but certain

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October 28

Toronto Star

columnist Damien Cox

"Considering they don't meet very often, the Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars have been locked in fierce competition a fair bit in recent times. The focus of that competition, oddly enough, has been free agent Swedes. Two summers ago, the two clubs were finalists for the services of forward Fabian Brunnstrom and the Stars, for better or worse, won that particular derby."

King has earned admirers wherever he's been

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October 29

Columbus Dispatch

columnist Michael Arace

"The Blue Jackets descended into a period of darkness on Jan. 7, 2003, the day Dave King was fired. Once this experienced, intelligent and worldly coach was out of the way, wild passions and misguided power went unchecked. The point here is not to bash former team president Doug MacLean. His managerial epitaph stands: He was an energetic promoter who got the franchise up and running. But lest we forget: From the day King cleaned out his desk in Nationwide Arena through Nov. 22, 2006 -- the day Ken Hitchcock was hired, against MacLean's recommendation -- the Jackets went 80-123-18-5. Those were supposed to be years of growth and flower, not drought and wither. King was not the problem. He ..."

Pogge watches, waits

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October 27

Toronto Sun

columnist Mike Zeisberger

"About 160 kilometres north of the bright lights and soupy smog of Los Angeles is the sleepy city of Bakersfield, home of the East Coast Hockey League's Condors. And Justin Pogge. In just a handful of months, the kid once called the Maple Leafs "goalie of the future" has gone from the hotbed of Toronto to this hockey hinterland, where the sport, while supported at the ECHL level, is hardly woven into the community's cultural fabric. In Toronto, Pogge couldn't walk to his car without being recognized. In Bakersfield, he can stride into any 7-Eleven and be just another customer eyeing the Big Gulp machine. Pogge's exit from Toronto came in August when general manager Brian Burke shipped ..."

Leafs end nightmare with Monster win

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October 27

Toronto Star

columnist Damien Cox

"Hours before game time, Ron Wilson gave his explanation on how improved goaltending could, somewhat counter intuitively, help his club's anemic offence. "It goes together," he explained Monday morning. "If you believe you're going to get some saves, you're not as edgy with the puck and the offence will come." Well, rookie netminder Jonas (The Monster) Gustavsson didn't deliver a dazzling shutout or an acrobatic 40-save effort against the Anaheim Ducks Monday night."

Super Mario is a Super Dad and Bantam coach, too

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October 26

Buffalo News

columnist Bucky Gleason

"If you didn't know any better, the man behind the bench was a nameless, faceless youth hockey coach on a Saturday afternoon rather than one of the greatest players in NHL history. That's how Mario Lemieux operates these days in his continuous battle to remain under the radar. Lemieux is a hockey superhero and owner of the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. He's 6-foot-4, has GQ looks and could be the most respected sports figure in a city that includes Sidney Crosby and Ben Roethlisberger, yet he carries himself like he's the utility infielder for the Pirates. Super Mario is quietly coaching his son's Bantam Minor (1996 birth year) team in the Empire West Amateur Hockey League. In ..."

In defense of ... Jacques

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October 25

Minneapolis Star Tribune

columnist Michael Russo

"E-mail after e-mail has come in the past few weeks from Wild fans reminding me of my one-on-one with Jacques Lemaire before draft weekend in Montreal. "He called it," said one reader. These readers have great memories, and to rehash what they're talking about, Lemaire gave Wild coach Todd Richards a matter of weeks, maybe a month, into this season before he'd be forced to pull back the reins on the more aggressive, more up-tempo Wild. Lemaire reminded me of the Wild's early-season sweep in Atlanta, Florida and Tampa Bay last season and how all three of those new coaches were also pimping their more aggressive systems. "I said, 'They're going to have a hard time if they keep playing that ..."

Rest, drink plenty of fluids and read this

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October 25

Toronto Star

columnist Garth Woolsey

"Shades of 1919. Ninety years ago it was the Spanish Influenza that swept the globe. Today it is H1N1 flu. Back then, hockey fever was a psychological antidote. It remains so today. The current pandemic, though alarming, has a long way to go to match the devastating effects of the viral rampage of 1918-19, which came on the heels of World War I and claimed more than 20 million lives worldwide, possibly many more."

Wolski's consistency comes into question

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October 25

Denver Post

columnist Terri Frei

"The Avalanche's season so far has featured surprises, rejuvenations, more surprises - and the Mysterious Case of Wojtek Wolski. Going into the Avalanche's home game Saturday against Detroit, the 23-year-old Wol- ski was Colorado's leading scorer, with 10 points on five goals and five assists, while playing left wing. Yet it's clear that his occasional lack of fire, sustained effort and grit, and even his decision-making with the puck, have exasperated first-year coach Joe Sacco. Joel Quenneville and Tony Granato, Sacco's predecessors, were similarly frustrated with Wolski in his previous four seasons. In 2008-09, Wolski was terrific in his first few games at his natural position, center, ..."

Haunted by ghosts of failures past

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October 24

Vancouver Sun

columnist Cam Cole

"With apologies to Jerry Maguire, Brian Burke had them at "Hello." Or at least he had the audience at the Vancouver Board of Trade in the palm of his hand as soon as he opened with: "It's a pleasure to be here today — it's a pleasure to be anywhere outside Toronto today." Firing a pre-emptive strike at the start of an hour-long speech and question-and-answer session Friday, the president and general manager of the embattled 0-6-1 Toronto Maple Leafs — the only winless team in the National Hockey League — painted a target on his own forehead and let fly. "For those of you who don't follow these things, we've had an absolutely horsebleep start to the season," said the long gone but still ..."

Targeting triumphs

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October 24

Toronto Sun

columnist Lance Hornby

"To the list of expensive film flops such as Heaven's Gate, Waterworld and The Adventures of Pluto Nash, you can include the badly directed and poorly acted first three weeks of the Maple Leafs season. But that is why the NHL gods make it a six-month schedule, toss in a week-long break for mondo practices and video sessions, allow six coaches to be on the ice and provide five games out of town to punch up the show. When the Leafs next poke their heads out the tunnel at the Air Canada Centre on Nov. 3 to take the crowd's temperature, they presumably will have re-invented themselves. NO CHOICE They really have no choice, at least if they're still counting on an appearance in the playoff race. ..."

Leafs need to exercise caution in Kessel's return

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October 24

Toronto Star

columnist Damien Cox

"If there's strength in numbers, the Maple Leafs should be in prime position to notch victory No. 1 of this NHL season Saturday night. They have, after all, lots of bodies on this western road trip. On the ice yesterday at Thunderbird Arena on the stunning University of British Columbia campus, a rink that will host sledge hockey at the Winter Olympics in less than four months, the Leafs had 31 bodies on the ice, comprised of 15 forwards, seven defencemen, four goalies and five coaches. Among the quartet of netminders, Joey MacDonald was designated to be the puckstopper who will go head-to-head against Vancouver's Olympic hopeful Roberto Luongo in a game that is actually a 4 p.m. local ..."

State of the Leafs Nation

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October 23

Toronto Sun

columnist Gary Loewen

"Is it time for the rest of the country to separate from Leafs Nation? Or is Leafs Nation really just a little principality ... a Leafs Liechtenstein, as it were? CBC will consider bumping Leafs games off the national Saturday night telecast if the team continues its malodorous play, Sun Media's Rob Longley reported yesterday. But what are the options, really, for the early game on Hockey Night in Canada? The Montreal Canadiens, with only three wins entering last night - two in overtime and one in a shootout? Big whoop. The Habs are led by a couple of fine gentlemen in Bob Gainey and Jacques Martin, but they're about as exciting as contestants in a spelling bee. And the Senators will never ..."

When Crosby speaks, NHLPA listens

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October 23

Toronto Star

columnist Damien Cox

"When Sidney Crosby spoke up, the world changed for the embattled NHL Players' Association. It was the 22-year-old Crosby, arguably the highest-profile player in the sport today, who raised his voice last Sunday on a union conference call and firmly told interim executive director Ian Penny to hang up the phone because union members wanted to have a players-only discussion. Penny, who had first been rebuffed in his efforts to have baseball union leader Donald Fehr speak to the NHLPA team representatives, finally had to relent and get off the line. It was a bad moment for Penny, whose future with the association after leading a coup that dethroned former executive director Paul Kelly in late ..."

Wild create 18,000 puzzled viewers

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October 22

St. Paul Pioneer Press

columnist Tom Powers

"Mikko Koivu struck a blow for his own captaincy Wednesday night. With the Wild on the verge of yet another loss, Koivu was on the verge of being lumped in with a couple of other captains: Edward J. Smith and Max Pruss. Messrs. Smith and Pruss were captains of the Titanic and Hindenburg, respectively. This has been a very messy start for the Wild and their team of 18,000, which is holding firm but looking rather shaky over the long haul. So far, the Wild have taken to Todd Richards' new system about as well as Russians take to tobacco rationing. But Koivu scored the only goal during the shootout and the Wild escaped 3-2. Afterward, they were thrilled with the result, even though they ..."

Tippett fuels Coyotes 'Miracle'

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October 22

East Valley Tribune

columnist Scott Bordow

"When Phoenix Coyotes general manager Don Maloney went to the grocery store this summer, the checkout aisle took on a whole new meaning. "You'd have a Coyotes shirt on and people are saying, 'You guys are leaving, right?' " Maloney said Wednesday. "I was surprised so many people thought we already had left town and packed our bags." Nope. The Coyotes are still here. Not only that, they've won three straight games and, at 5-2, are the early-season surprise of the NHL heading into Thursday's game against the Detroit Red Wings at Jobing.com Arena. Will it last? Who knows. But given the chaos and uncertainty that still engulfs this franchise, Phoenix's success the first two weeks of the season ..."

Scorers try a little 3-on-3 to break slump

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October 22

Toronto Sun

columnist Rob Longley

"Now this is something different: Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson taking advice from a broadcaster to help his team snap out of its seven-game losing streak. Former Leaf Bob McGill -- an analyst on Leafs TV -- suggested to the coach recently that a little 3-on-3 hockey on a pair of suburban "mini" rinks might be a nice change of pace for the struggling team. So, when the players showed up yesterday at the Mastercard Centre, their regular practice venue in Etobicoke, they were told to get in their gear and board a bus for a trip up to the National Training Rinks facility in Richmond Hill. Owned in part by another former Leaf, Mike Gartner, the rinks themselves are roughly three-quarters the ..."

Best laid plans of ice 'n men

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October 22

Toronto Sun

columnist Mike Zeisberger

"When it came to writing a game plan for the future of his Maple Leafs, Brian Burke was not using invisible ink in his pen. Keep that in mind, oh ye who are planning to march to the foot of Bay St., tar and feathers in hand, expecting the team's el presidente to simply erase his vision because of a horrific 0-6-1 start. It's not going to happen. Not yet, anyway. "We're not ripping up our blueprint," Burke vowed yesterday. "No business plan is ripped up even after 90 days and our season isn't even 30 days old yet. "If I could do it all over again, I'd do all the same things." Before explaining why he isn't ready to blow up the entire roster in a puffy blue-and-white mushroom cloud, the ..."

Lost a step? Don't you believe it about Cheli

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October 22

Chicago Sun-Times

columnist Adam L. Jahns

"Of all the photos T.R. Goodman has of Chris Chelios, his favorite is of the defenseman on hands and knees, gasping after a workout. ''I felt good,'' Goodman said with a laugh. ''I was off to the side smiling when it was taken.'' Why the smile? Because of all the pro athletes Goodman, a notable trainer based in California, has worked with, Chelios is by far the most determined and challenging. ''He kind of gives my life as a trainer meaning and purpose,'' Goodman said. ''He constantly pushes me to come up with things that are difficult and challenging for him.'' So Goodman wasn't too surprised when Chelios, 47, opted to put off retirement for at least one more year by signing with the ..."

Blueshirts have priorities in order

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October 21

New York Post

columnist Larry Brooks

"The power play is snappy and the lineup is filled with kids in prominent roles, but the most striking difference between this Rangers squad and the scores of teams preceding it is that drama only comes in the games. There is no doubt the Blueshirts have deficiencies. There is no down payment with the jewelers. They go back to work today in order to correct the fatal flaws that were on display in Monday's 7-3 lashing by the Sharks, which put an emphatic end to their seven-game winning streak. They go back to work. An era is over at the Garden. The Rangers no longer operate as a cult that revolves around a particular star's personality. The Blueshirt play up-tempo hockey that by nature is ..."

Red Wings are lost in transition

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October 21

Detroit News

columnist Chris McCosky

"It's not an excuse for giving away games. It's not the reason the Red Wings are off to a 3-3-1 start. Nobody is crying about it. Truth is, the only time it comes up is when the media asks about it. But make no mistake, the Wings are in a transitional phase. Most likely, with eight unrestricted free agents hitting the market after the season, they're in the first of a two-year roster makeover. "Every night we play with six forwards who didn't play for us last year," coach Mike Babcock said. "It's a bit of a change. But if you look around the league, it's the same for everybody else." It's the way of the new cap-strapped NHL, but it hasn't been the Wings' way for a lot of years. The Wings ..."

Viewers lose out in DirecTV, Versus spat

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October 21

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

columnist Rob Rossi

"Regional DirecTV subscribers were crying the blues Tuesday night because the national broadcast of the Penguins' game against St. Louis was not available on their televisions. Versus, the national cable rights holder for NHL games remains unavailable on DirecTV due to a dispute over licensing fees. DirecTV and Versus, which is owned by Comcast, are engaged in negotiations to resume a working relationship, which ceased at midnight Sept. 1, when terms on a new deal were not reached. "It's very simple: DirecTV claims we are asking for a 20 percent increase," Versus president Jamie Davis said. "We've made an offer at the exact same terms in price and distribution as we've had in the past. They ..."

Pavelec, Armstrong help provide point for Thrashers

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October 21

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

columnist Bill Tiller

"Just gotta be honest with ya, the Thrashers can thank their lucky stars they got out of Montreal with a point…those stars, of course, being Ondrej Pavelec and Colby Armstrong on this night. For most of the game they just seemed out of sync, not the same type of energy and drive they possessed in the previous five. This is especially true on the power play where they were able to produce one whole shot on goal during 6 power play tries…thank you Evander Kane. But, sometimes a team has to find a way to be successful when they are not at their best and the Thrashers worked their way through it to bring home a point via a 2-1 shootout loss to Montreal. That point brings the total to 7 earned ..."