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[hockeygod]

Proteau: Will the real Ovechkin return after Boudreau's firing?

Adam Proteau, The Hockey News, 2011-11-28

Alex Ovechkin made a commercial last year that involved his disconnected head in various locations, including the top of a high school gym locker and the inside of a bowling ball bag. And now that his uninspired play has resulted in the professional decapitation of Bruce Boudreau, he’s squarely under the gun to turn around both his individual season and the state of a Capitals team clearly waiting for him to do so.

Washington GM George McPhee fired Boudreau Monday morning after a tailspin that saw them drop six of their past eight games. The capper was a 5-1 drubbing Saturday at the hands of a Sabres team without nine regulars, but the whispers had been there long before. Indeed, once the Caps were swept by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the 2011 playoffs, rumor mills churned suggesting nothing less than a slump-free regular season and post-season run at least to the Eastern Conference final would prevent Boudreau from being cashiered.

So here Boudreau is, unemployed (although not for long – either another NHL team or TV network will snap him up before the year is out) and replaced by former Capitals star player Dale Hunter. Boudreau went 201-88-40 in the regular season with the Capitals, won four straight division titles and 2008 coach of the year honors. But because he was only 17-20 in the playoffs, he needed everything to go right to avoid McPhee looking for a different voice in the dressing room.

With his indifferent play of late, Ovechkin almost singlehandedly ensured that wasn’t going to be Boudreau’s fate. On Nov. 19 in Toronto, the Capitals’ captain was listless and looked twice as old as the charismatic dynamo that won so many of us over six seasons ago. With eight goals and 17 points in 22 games, he’s on pace to score 30 goals and 63 points – by far the lowest numbers of his career and 22 points below his career worst of 85 last season.

You can chalk some of that up to the improved commitment to defense Boudreau was demanding to see since the start of last season. But there’s no denying there’s an absence of joy and energy in Ovechkin’s game, one that’s grown into ugly single-game performances by him that overshadow whatever good is done by the rest of his teammates.

That, combined with the storybook return of his rival Sidney Crosby, made Ovechkin’s slump all the more pronounced. Since few GMs in their right mind would pony up prospects and/or picks for The Legend Of Alexander Semin (I call him that now because I hear and remember great things, but can’t observe a trace of them anymore) and because McPhee isn’t trading Ovechkin or Backstrom, Boudreau was sacrificed.

In Hunter, Ovechkin & Co. will get a much edgier personality than the good-natured Boudreau. They still have as much pure talent as anyone in the league – The Hockey News didn’t make them the pre-season Stanley Cup pick simply because of Boudreau’s presence. However, it is now on Ovechkin and Semin in particular to embrace Hunter’s game plan and produce positive results, particularly after mid-April.

By the way, Ovechkin made that disembodied head commercial for Reebok-CCM, but has since switched his endorsement of hockey companies to Nike Bauer. Ovechkin also has changed agents (from the powerful Don Meehan and Newport Sports to his parents) and now seen three head coaches (the other being Boudreau’s predecessor Glen Hanlon). Sooner or later, whether he sees it or not, the problem becomes him.

If he continues his play of late, it’ll be much sooner.

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

Campbell: Five days on the road with Boudreau and Capitals sheds light on firing

Ken Campbell, The Hockey News, 2011-11-28

When George McPhee fired his coach and replaced him with an inexperienced NHL commodity three years ago around American Thanksgiving, it turned the fortunes of the Washington Capitals around. With much more at stake this time, he’s obviously hoping for the same result.

On Firing Line Monday in the NHL, Boudreau was relieved of his duties with the Capitals and Paul Maurice was canned by the Carolina Hurricanes. In both cases, the organizations were fiercely loyal to their men. Boudreau was McPhee’s diamond in the rough and a damn good coach. Maurice, in his second tour of duty with the Hurricanes, goes back to their days as the Hartford Whalers. But when a team plays as badly as the Capitals and Hurricanes have performed lately, loyalty to the man behind the bench means jack-squat.

All of which should have Randy Carlyle, who helped the Anaheim Ducks win their only Stanley Cup just a little more than four years ago, very, very nervous at the moment. He should also be concerned that both Boudreau and Maurice took the fall for their star players, Alex Ovechkin and Eric Staal, having terrible seasons, especially with Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan coughing up a fur ball so far in 2011-12.

We do know that in the case of the Washington, there is an enormous amount of desperation in the air. You can bet that Capitals legend Dale Hunter didn’t come cheaply. As head coach and part owner of the obscenely profitable London Knights, Hunter was making more money – it has been speculated – than he ever made as a player, and you’d have to believe he didn’t leave that situation to take a pay cut. Just as a point of reference, Hunter maxed out as a player at $1 million a season.

What they’ll presumably get in Hunter is a guy who will make it crystal clear to them that the work ethic and approach to the game they’ve displayed is unacceptable. And for that, each and every one of the players in that dressing room should feel an enormous amount of shame.

As this corner has expressed before, it never fails to boggle the mind how players can grow complacent and underachieve when a so-called “players’ coach” treats them like adults and asks and expects them to simply put forth the maximum effort they’re able to in games and practices.

I just spent the better part of a week with the Capitals for a cover story in The Hockey News magazine, a three-game stretch on the road that probably went a long way to sealing Boudreau’s fate. The Capitals were outscored 14-3 and defeated by the Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs.

I’m not going to pretend I was privy to everything that went on during that road trip, but I was in on all the pre-game and pre-practice meetings and had unfettered access to the dressing room. And I can say with 100 percent certainty that I did not see a team that was playing to have its coach fired. I did not see a team that was at odds with its coach or a team that gave any indication it felt things would get better with someone else in charge behind the bench. I saw no hint of residual resentment over Boudreau’s benching of Alex Ovechkin, nor did I see a coach who even once pointed a finger at any one of his players individually to call him out for his poor play. And when you went through the video of those games there were plenty of candidates, right from No. 8 through the fourth-liners. If the Capitals were so keen on having Boudreau fired, how exactly do you explain them getting out of the gate with a 7-0-0 record?

At one point during the trip, Boudreau basically told his team to figure it out. I asked him after that very short meeting if that meant he was throwing his arms up with the group and he gave me a very interesting response.

“I’ve always based a lot of my coaching on parenting,” Boudreau said. “I berated them last night (during a 4-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets Nov. 17) between periods pretty emphatically. We’ve bag skated them and when we lost against Nashville (3-1 Nov. 15) I praised them. But when they keep making mistakes, it’s like a parent telling them, ‘Go clean your room, go clean your room,’ it goes in one ear and out the other. You have to figure it out yourself and when you do that, it sticks with you.”

Evidently, the veteran-laden Capitals never did figure it out on their own and a good man paid for it with his job. Early in his career with the Capitals, Boudreau leaned far too much on his star players, as any new coach would, and they ultimately betrayed him. He got tough with them and they didn’t respond. He stopped telling them to clean their room and instead of taking the initiative to do it themselves, they continued to be content to live among their own squalor.

So exactly when does this fall at the feet of the players? Or at the feet of the management and ownership team that thought offering a guy who had three outstanding years a 13-year contract worth $124 million was a good idea? (With the template established by the new NBA deal, thankfully these ridiculous deals will likely become a thing of the past in the next collective bargaining agreement.)

That time would be right now. The Capitals are about to find out what it’s like to get a kick in the pants and they deserve it. Whether it will be enough to transform the Capitals again into the serious Stanley Cup contender they were prior to the season remains to be seen.

The Capitals simply have to be better. Their superstars (with the exception of Nicklas Backstrom) have to be a lot better. The goaltender who is trying to prove he’s worth big money has to be a lot better. Their young defensemen have to wake up and start playing to their potential. And their veterans have to step up and provide an example that has been sorely lacking.

Can Dale Hunter make all that happen? Not sure, but if the Capitals want to know what it’s like when their new coach is angry, they should ask Pierre Turgeon…and perhaps check out this clip.

http:// http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=Xte-Vtxg-m8

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

Hockey U at University of Calgary?

Eric Francis ,Calgary Sun, November 27, 2011

AROUND THE HORN

One of the items on the NHL Board of Governors’ agenda next week is a proposal to start an executive MBA program at the University of Calgary for hockey administration to groom future hockey executives. Call it Hockey U. Spearheaded by agent Rich Winter, the concept has GM Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs on board along with the support of Hockey Canada and the Players’ Association. The hope is that all teams and the league will back it as well by using the first-of-it’s-kind program to develop “first-round executives” much like teams do on the ice.

When told of the program Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman said he liked the idea so much he’d be interested in taking the two-year correspondence program, which will be designed for people who already have jobs inside or outside the hockey world. As the league tries hard to expand globally, compete with other major sports league and effectively use new media it will take bright minds for the NHL to continue growing its brand, making Hockey U a brilliant option …

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

Balls bounce back after Toronto school ban

CBC News, Nov 29, 2011

Sports balls are making a rebound at an elementary school in the city's east end following parental outrage over a controversial all-out ban.

The decision to lift the temporary moratorium on soft sports equipment such as tennis balls, Nerf balls and basketballs came out of a parent-teacher meeting Monday night at Earl Beatty Public School.

While a ban on hard balls had been in place at the school for more than a decade due to the small size of the schoolyard, staff only began to enforce the rule earlier this month.

An incident involving a parent who suffered a concussion earlier in the month after being struck in the head by a soccer ball triggered the ban.

Under the revised rules, softer balls will be permitted on school grounds during school hours.

Toronto District School Board trustee Sheila Cary-Meaghar was astounded by the level of fuss the ban had caused, saying it seemed to make the "the earth tremble" and even made international news.
Safety a 'double-edged word'

"This is one of the biggest tempest in the teapot I've ever had the pleasure of working with," she said.

Among those who disputed the Code of Conduct that restricted sports balls was Chris Stateski, a parent of a student at the school.

"Safety is a double-edged word here, because safety to what extreme?" Stateski said.

Parents and teachers spoke on Monday about solutions for schoolyard safety, including staggering recess and lunch breaks.

Maureen Hall, a mother of a student at Earl Beatty, attended Monday's talks and said there were wide-ranging opinions on the topic.

"Listening to these conversations, there are some very extreme responses to this, so this is a first step," she said.

The challenge, according to school officials, was to create a playground that would be safe for all age groups, as some 350 children ranging from junior kindergarten to Grade 8 currently share the space.

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

Campbell: NHL should move the Coyotes temporarily to Hamilton
Neither the NHL nor the city of Glendale will continue to pump money into the floundering Phoenix Coyotes.

Ken Campbell, The Hockey News, 2011-11-29

If the group that hopes to build a 20,000-seat arena in suburban Toronto can get its shovels in the ground by this spring, it would provide the NHL a lifeline to get out of Phoenix and into a viable hockey market.

Depending upon who is making the predictions, the Phoenix Coyotes are playing their last season in the desert. That’s because the NHL has no intention of continuing to prop the team up and the City of Glendale has even less interest in continuing to write checks to keep a team few people want to see and one it knows will ultimately leave anyway.

Oh yeah, and there’s the tiny matter of not being able to find anyone in his or her right mind who would be willing to both buy the team and pledge to keep it in Arizona for the long term. Something about rich guys not wanting to have to stroke checks for $30 million of their own money a year to cover their losses.

So this is where Graeme Roustan and his group potentially come into the picture. If they can get the approval of the Town of Markham to start building – which apparently is a formality at this point – that will give the NHL a viable spot to land the Coyotes in two years when the arena will conceivably be ready.

But instead of having to suffer two more years in the desert while the Toronto arena is being built, the NHL could and should put the team in Hamilton for two years with absolutely no illusion to the good people of that city it would be a permanent arrangement. Fair? No, but Hamilton’s chances of ever getting a team are declining with every passing year. You see, putting another team in Toronto is good for business in the NHL. Putting a team in the geographical territory owned by the Buffalo Sabres would be bad for business and it would betray and enrage billionaire Terry Pegula, who is well on his way to saving that franchise from peril.

So what the league could do is put the Coyotes in Hamilton for two years, where they would share Copps Coliseum with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American League. (Or have it all to themselves if those predicting the Bulldogs are primed to leave Hamilton after this season are correct.) In order to pacify Pegula and the Sabres, the league could make it clear this is a temporary arrangement and the Coyotes would ensure they would never play a home game on the same night as the Sabres and would try to cluster their home dates around Sabres road trips. To mitigate the effect on the Sabres, the Coyotes could be one of the teams to start the season in Europe the next two years, which would subtract two home dates right there. And perhaps they could even play 10 home games at the John Labatt Centre in London. That would leave the Coyotes with 29 regular season games at Copps each of the next two seasons.

This would force the Coyotes to undoubtedly operate at a loss, but if Mr. Roustan and his associates want to be in the club badly enough, the NHL would be in a position to tell them to absorb the cost.

The NHL could wait until the suburban Toronto arena is completed and get the Coyotes millstone out from around its neck. By the time the NHL has to make a decision on Phoenix, at the very least the Markham arena will be under construction, so the league could even award the franchise to Toronto this summer if it chose to do that, then begin playing in the new building for the 2014-15 season.

After all, there is ample precedent for the NHL doing such things. When Peter Karmanos decided to move the Hartford Whalers to North Carolina after the 1996-97 season, the newly minted Hurricanes played 80 miles away in Greensboro for two seasons while they waited for their new arena to be built. The San Jose Sharks played their first two seasons at the Cow Palace in San Francisco and the Ottawa Senators played their first three-and-a-half years at the Civic Center before moving to their massive rink in the suburbs.

And if, for whatever reason, something goes awry with the second Toronto rink or the league deems Roustan and his group to not be suitable owners, it would still provide ample time for the league to find another permanent landing place for the Coyotes. Chances of that happening, though, are slim since the league’s head office knows Roustan well from his previous negotiations to purchase the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning. If this Roustan fellow were not able to pass the league’s smell test, it would have been made clear to him by now.

Almost everyone agrees the Coyotes are ultimately not going to survive. And a lot of people who aren’t affiliated with the Maple Leafs think it’s only a matter of time before there is a second, revenue-generating team in the largest hockey market in the world.

The prospect of taking care of both of those eventualities in one tidy package should appeal to the NHL. At the very least, it should give the board of governors grist for the mill when they assemble for their meetings in Palm Beach next week. This way they could actually do something about realigning the league knowing the fate of the Coyotes.

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

Gretzky's daughter shuts down Twitter account

QMI Agency, Nov 29 2011

Paulina Gretzky, the lingerie-wearing, nightclubbing, poolside-prancing daughter of Wayne, took down her racy Twitter account over the weekend – and it might have been at least partially Daddy's doing.

The busty, blond 22-year-old is a model, an actress and a singer with a song (Collecting Dust) that was featured on the MTV show Laguna Beach.

The dozens of provocative pics she posted on Twitter show a cleavage – and leg-baring Gretzky in short-shorts, tight tank tops and barely-there bikinis. COED Magazine put up a gallery last month of the 77 sexiest shots.

http: //coedmagazine. com/2011/10/24/hot-sexy-paulina-gretzky-twitpics-wayne-gretzky-daughter-photos/

A website called theCHIVE had the same idea earlier this month, posting 34 of her photos.

http: //thechive. com/2011/11/08/paulina-gretzky-is-using-the-twitter-machine-properly-34-photos/

Soon after tweeting she was sitting down to dinner and a chat with her dad about social media, she reportedly followed with a tweet Saturday saying she was taking a break from Twitter. As of Tuesday, her account was still unavailable.

The account purporting to be Wayne's – @OfficialGretzky – has been silent on the matter.

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

Iginla denies wanting out
Captain wants to win with Flames

By RANDY SPORTAK, QMI Agency, Nov 30 2011

CALGARY – If Jarome Iginla is indeed thinking about asking for a trade or even open to that option should the Calgary Flames approach him, he’s not saying.

The long-time Calgary Flames captain and face of the franchise insists he believes the Stampede City is the best situation for him.

“I want to win here and believe we can be a good team here. That’s really where my thoughts are,” Iginla said after Tuesday’s morning skate in anticipation of facing the Nashville Predators.

“It’s 60 games left, a lot of season. It’s a lot of time for us to make our way back.”

Until the Flames can put themselves in a solid playoff spot, the chatter regarding Iginla will continue to be hot and heavy.

Both team president Ken King and GM Jay Feaster recently reiterated trading away Iginla isn’t in the plans.

The Flames all-time leading goal-scorer (491 goals) and point-producer (1,017) has a no-movement clause on his deal worth US$7 million per season through the 2012-13 campaign.

With the club struggling and their trajectory headed toward a third straight season without making the playoffs, Iginla’s future will remain a hot-button issue.

At age 34, he likely doesn’t have time to go through a rebuilding process in Calgary.

Therefore, the common-sense approach would be for Iginla to be traded to a contender and net a return that could help the Flames in the future.

Thus, all the speculation, rumours and pundits saying Iginla should move on.

“It's all part of it. It’s not new,” Iginla shrugged. “You’re asked the same questions at different times, but the focus is on the fact we have 60 games left. It’s a lot of hockey.

“There’s going to be a lot of changes over the next 60 games in the standings, and we believe we’re going to be moving up.

“Nobody in here has given up. We still believe we can be a good club and make the playoffs. That’s where the focus is.

“It’s just the way it works, the way media is, as far as Internet and how easy it is to just run with a story,” he continued. “It’s not always accurate, that’s for sure, but that’s fine. I’m not blaming anybody, but there are things you read that aren’t accurate and you just move on.

“The best way to stop a story is to win games and climb in the standings.”

It wouldn’t hurt if Iginla started producing, too.

Heading into Tuesday’s clash, he had just seven goals and 11 points in 22 outings and was separated from Alex Tanguay onto a line with Olli Jokinen and Curtis Glencross prior to Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Wild.

“It wasn’t just doing it for Jarome,” said coach Brent Sutter of the lineup shuffle.

“It’s about the team and what’s right for the team. I want to make that very, very clear. I wasn’t just concerned with Jarome. My concern is the group. We’d lost three games in a row, and I felt that line in particular was fighting it offensively and I wanted to change things up and do what was right for the group and the team.

“It wasn’t about one individual at all. That’s not what we’re about.”

Still, Iginla’s status will always be in the forefront, therefore the never-ending speculation with his future with the Flames.

“My focus is totally on believing we can make the playoffs here, climb back and start putting together a streak here. That is how I’m feeling and that’s where I’m at,” Iginla said.

“I do believe it is possible and will happen.”

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

HODGEMAIL: 'WHO SHOULD BE THE NEXT NHL COACH FIRED?'

TSN.ca Staff, Nov 30, 2011

TSN's Dave Hodge sounds off on all the hockey issues of the day in a new segment this season called Hodgemail. Write in to answer Dave's weekly question and watch the NHL on TSN tonight to see if he reads your response.

Three are down…and how many more to go?

We're just over the quarter mark of the NHL season and three head coaches have already been axed.

In St. Louis, the Blues' sluggish 6-7 start was enough to ship Davis Payne out to bring in Ken Hitchcock. The 40-year-old Payne was the second-youngest coach in the NHL but got only one full season with St. Louis after being hired in January 2010.

Then that number tripled on Monday.

First came news that the Capitals had cut ties with Bruce Boudreau, who just became the fastest head coach to reach 200 wins in modern NHL history. A blazing 7-0 start to the year faded into a struggle and the team had lost six of their last eight games. The Capitals are now a point back of the last playoff spot in the East and Dale Hunter will try to turn the fortunes around in Washington.

As that news was being digested, the Hurricanes then announced that Paul Maurice had been relieved of his head coaching duties in Carolina for the second time in his career.
The Hurricanes – who had just eight wins in 25 games to start their campaign and are 14th in the Eastern Conference – hope that Kirk Muller can right the ship in his first chance behind the bench in the NHL.

With so much time left in the regular season, it could just be a matter of time before another team decides they need to shake things up.

So here's Dave's question to you: "Who should be the next NHL coach fired?"

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

Grinding out a niche
Philippe Dupuis finished last season with 17 points in 74 games played.

Mike Brophy, The Hockey News, November 29, 2011

Nobody grows up aiming to win the Selke Trophy as the NHL's best defensive forward. Nobody.

The goal-scorers get the big money, the notoriety and the ice time.

Defensive players get splinters.

So you'd think with no goals and no points in 22 games this season, Philippe Dupuis would be beside himself; constantly looking over his shoulder for a replacement who can chip in on offence.

If that's the case, then he's the world's greatest liar. Ask Dupuis about his season and he's all smiles.

"I love it," Dupuis said. "I'm part of a winning team now. We have good chemistry and the boys are having fun. I couldn't be happier."

Among Leafs regulars, there are six players that have not scored a goal this season – and three of those are goalies. Dupuis and defencemen Jake Gardiner and Carl Gunnarsson are the skaters that have no goals.

Funny thing is, when Dupuis was drafted 104th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2003, he was a fairly productive player with the Hull Olympics of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Two years later he fired 32 goals and 108 points with the QMJHL's Moncton Wildcats.

In his mind, Dupuis' future in the NHL included lots and lots of goals. Not everyone saw it that way, though.

"When I was drafted by Columbus, the team's coaching staff told me that if I want to play in the NHL I'm going to be a third- or fourth-liner," Dupuis said. "I was 18 at the time and it was like, 'I'm not sure about that.' But once you turn pro you realize how good the guys are and how much skill it takes to be on the top two lines. I realized I don't have enough skills to score goals. At the junior level I was fine, but when I turned pro I realized they were right and this was the right way to go."

Dupuis didn't step immediately into the NHL after his five-year junior career ended. Rather, he played the majority of his first four years of pro in the American Hockey League. That, he said, is where the transformation in his game took place.

"I'm used to it now, but when I made the transition two years ago in the minors, playing in Erie with David Quinn as my coach, it was a little hard on my ego," Dupuis said. "He slowly turned me into a two-way guy, a defensive specialist and a penalty-killer. It was tough for me to get my head around at first, but now I am so glad I did it. I'm really happy about my role and I take a lot of pride in it."

The Leafs penalty-killing has been a sore spot for the club the past few years, and currently ranks 27th. However, it has been getting better and Dupuis has been a big reason for the recent success.

"You look at (the improvement in) our penalty-killing over the last dozen or 15 games and he's a big part of that," said coach Ron Wilson. "He's usually the first forward to go out on the penalty kill so we have a lot of confidence in him. He's not out for goals against. I feel comfortable that he can go out and we won't be in danger when he's on the ice. We may not score, but you need players who can shut down the opposition or have a smart shift when we have possession of the puck in the offensive zone."

Added captain Dion Phaneuf: "I think he's done a really good job coming in here and identifying his role. For teams to have success you look at a guy like Dupes and he does a lot of little things well. He doesn't get rewarded on the score sheet every night, but at the end of the night you look at his faceoffs and his blocked shots and you realize he's doing a good job."

As a player who averages an average of 11:21 ice time per game, Dupuis said it is paramount that he keep his head in the game.

"You can't really black out or think about other things," Dupuis said. "You always have to be focused on the game. Things can change quickly. In the Carolina game, I didn't play for seven or eight minutes and then suddenly I had to go out and kill a penalty. You have to be quick on your feet. It's hard sometimes to stay focused, but you have to do it. That's part of being a pro hockey player."

Last year, in his first full season in the NHL, Dupuis managed six goals and 17 points in 74 games. He distinctly remembers his last goal since it came in the final game of the season against the Edmonton Oilers. Now his stats show zeroes across the board and he's not losing sleep over it.

"I don't really look at it," Dupuis said. "If I had three or four points now, what would that change? We're having a good year and for me to have three or four points wouldn't change what I do or what my role with the team is. Obviously, like everyone else I'd like to score my first goal of the season. I'm not going to lie; I'd like to get the first one out of the way. But if, at the end of the year I have eight, 10, 12 points; it doesn't really matter. That's not my job. I'm trying to focus on the right things and that is to make sure I play good defensively."

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

Kelley honoured in Buffalo

Sportsnet Staff, November 30, 2011

The city of Buffalo honoured Jim Kelley on Tuesday by naming a section of the downtown core after the late hockey columnist.

Jim Kelley Way is now a one-block section of Washington Street between First Niagara Center and The Buffalo News, where Kelley spent most of his journalism career.

Kelley began reporting on the NHL in 1981 for The Buffalo News and went on to cover the Stanley Cup final for 23 straight years.

In 2004, Kelley received the prestigious Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for honour in journalism and hockey. Later the same year he would be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Kelley had been a columnist for sportsnet.ca and a regular broadcaster on Sportsnet 590 The Fan for the last several years before his death.

Only ours before his passing last November, Kelley filed a column evaluating the two-year reign of Leafs general manager Brian Burke in Toronto called 'All part of the process'.

Kelley died at age 61 following a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

Muller promotes positivity

Chris Nichols, Sportsnet.ca, November 30, 2011

Hockey Hearsay runs weekdays, 12 months a year; mixing NHL stories, quotes and fantasy takes.

MULLER CHANGES ATMOSPHERE

The Raleigh News & Observer believes that hours before he made his debut as head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, long before the puck dropped on Tuesday night's 3-1 loss to the Florida Panthers, Kirk Muller already accomplished something that hadn't been seen in a while in these parts.

He gathered the team around him at the end of the morning skate and laid down his expectations for the night: Play hard, have fun. And he told them something else: There were about 100 million people in the world who had no idea they were playing hockey tonight, so don't take it too seriously.

Something strange happened when he was finished. Players skated away with smiles on their faces – some chuckling, a few even out-and-out laughing.

"It was a good feeling," Hurricanes forward Chad LaRose acknowledged afterward.

Good feelings. Smiles. Laughter. Wins. Those four commodities have been in short supply for the Hurricanes for too long. Muller took care of the first three in less than a half hour. The fourth is going to take some time.

"He has to be patient," said former Montreal Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau, who gave Muller his first NHL coaching job in 2006. "You don't turn teams like that on a dime. It takes a little time. They may go on a tear for five or 10 days, but it may not last. He just has to be patient, be himself."

Tuesday, it was simple stuff. Play hard, have fun and worry about the rest later. Which is exactly what former Hurricanes forward Ray Whitney, a close friend and ex-teammate of Muller's now playing for the Phoenix Coyotes, expected to see from the new coach.

"He's got a pretty good idea of the league, especially the Eastern Conference," Whitney said. "They're going to play a fun game. My feeling, talking to him, is that he's learned over the years that if you have the right goalie, you can build around that. Cam Ward, in my mind, is one of the top three or four in the league. Kirk will build around him. …

"He thinks it's a privilege to play in the NHL and he wants his guys to work hard, just like he did. He was a good player, put up some points, had an all-around game, but more than that he enjoyed his time in the NHL, and he wants his players to enjoy the game and have fun."

The Hurricanes didn't have much fun Tuesday night, but in a mere 24 hours, Muller's arrival has turned a grim, dour atmosphere into one that suddenly feels bathed in bright light. Smiles are a start. The wins will have to come next.

BOUDREAU: NOTHING WAS WORKING

The Washington Post describes how when Bruce Boudreau was fired by the Capitals on Monday morning, he decided to temporarily decline most interview requests because the former coach didn’t want his comments to overshadow Dale Hunter’s debut on Tuesday night.

Wednesday morning, though, Boudreau opened up about the most difficult day of his professional career and the events that led up to it.

“When nothing happened Sunday, I thought, ‘Okay, we’re playing St. Louis and Pittsburgh and maybe that’s going to be the telltale,’’ Boudreau said in the living room of his Potomac home. “But I was driving to work at 6:10 on Monday and I got a text. It was George. He said, call me when you wake up. I said, ‘Uh oh, that’s not good.’ He told me to come to his house.”

Here are some highlights from The Post's 20-minute talk:

*On his reaction to the firing: “I told George this on Monday: I tried every trick that I knew in 18 years and nothing was working.” Boudreau said. “I told him, ‘You’re doing what you have to do.’ I thought I was going to be here forever, but this was something I thought that had to be done. Am I disappointed? Absolutely.”

*On the moment he knew his message had been tuned out and that his time was coming to an end: “There was the game in Winnipeg,” he said. “With this team, I always would say something profound in between periods. We may not win, but we would give it the old college try. But we had five shots on net in the third period and we were down 4-1.”

“Then,” Boudreau added, “in the Buffalo game, we didn’t have a scoring chance in the third period.”

*On team captain Alex Ovechkin’s struggles and how much a role that played in his dismissal: “He called me Monday and I didn’t feel like talking,” Boudreau said. “I answered the phone [Tuesday] and he was really gracious. He said he really enjoyed working with me and I said, ‘I loved every minute of it.”

Asked why it appeared over the past season that he was trying to get Ovechkin to play one way, and the team captain didn’t change his ways, Boudreau said: “He might have been doing his own thing, but the good was outweighing the bad by a long shot. Now there’s more scrutiny now because he’s not scoring at the rate he was and people are more willing to criticize. …We play different than we did three years ago.

“I don’t think it was him rebelling against me,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “I’ll never want to believe that.”

*On whether the team quit on him in the final days: “I’m so naive, I never thought that could happen until people started bringing it up to me in the last day or two,” he said. “I have to go back and look at the games because I can’t imagine that. When I played, I would always play for the guy next to me, not the coach.”

Boudreau also said he hasn’t decided what he’s going to do just yet.

He’s weighing some offers to do television. But, ultimately, he wants to get back behind an NHL bench. (He has the remainder of this season and next remaining on his contract and will continue to be paid unless he accepts another NHL job.)

YZERMAN DEFENDS IGINLA

The Calgary Sun suggests that Steve Yzerman is well aware of the obvious parallels drawn between his career and that of Jarome Iginla’s.

Both longtime captains and snipers played for just one organization and are local icons who will reside close to one another in the Hockey Hall of Fame soon after Iginla retires.

The Detroit Red Wings legend also knows they are further linked by the fact Iginla was on the ice in Motown the day Yzerman’s career was ended by a puck to the face, as well as by the assist Iginla had on the Golden Goal that gave Yzerman’s Canadian team Olympic glory in 2010.

What he can’t understand is how the two are being lumped together with regards to Yzerman’s shift in focus from offence to defence.

“Jarome Iginla has always been a good two-way player. Why, all of a sudden, is there any question of him not being able to play both ends of the rink?” asked the Tampa Bay Lightning GM when contacted by the Calgary Sun.

“He’s a smart, all-around player. I think he can play any style.”

Yzerman certainly saw that capability in Vancouver, where Iginla was more than happy to play any role the Olympic team GM asked him to assume.

However, Flames coach Brent Sutter doesn’t feel he’s seen a similar buy-in, and said as much last week when he reiterated that if his club is to have any success this year, it will come only if every player follows the team-first concept.

Without naming his captain, it was evident Sutter feels Iginla needs to play a greater role defensively.

The article notes it immediately brought to mind the role change Yzermen underwent in the mid-90s, when Scotty Bowman asked No. 19 to focus more on his two-way play, despite six straight 100-point seasons.

Citing the fact that after years of losing in Detroit, his only focus was on winning a Stanley Cup, Yzerman bought in. His motivation was strengthened by trade rumours at the time — a move he didn’t want.

What followed were Cup wins in 1997, 1998 and 2002 and a Selke Trophy for top defensive forward in 2000.

Calling the new role re-energizing for his career, he still scored with regularity, while his repertoire expanded to include shot-blocking, chipping the puck out and staying high to prevent odd-man rushes.

From afar, Yzerman doesn’t think Iginla needs to make major concessions to his game defensively.

Iginla seems to agree, which is just one more thing the two have in common.

RYAN KNOWS HE COULD BE DEALT

The Orange County Register reports that Bobby Ryan is fully aware that he is front and center in the trade rumor mill as the Ducks try to keep their season from going down the drain.

As speculation intensifies that he could be included in a possible blockbuster deal, the perennial 30-goal scorer said that he would not be shocked if the Ducks were to move him.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Ryan told the Register on Tuesday. "That's all I'll say about that."

The Ducks are 6-13-4 and have lost 16 of their past 18 games to fall to 14th place in the Western Conference. A trade of Ryan, who has 112 goals in three-plus seasons, would present a major shake-up for a disappointing, stagnant team.

Canada-based Sportsnet reported that the Ducks are shopping Ryan while the New York Post reported the New York Rangers are among many teams that have either shown interest or are actively making offers.

Asked if Ryan is on the trade market, Ducks general manager Bob Murray would only say "at any time if we get offered a deal on any player that makes this team better, we would have to take a long, hard look at that."

Ryan told The Register he has talked a few times with Murray but hasn't received any indication from him that he has been shopped.

When asked if he would welcome a trade, Ryan said "in a perfect world, you get drafted and you stay with a team for your career and you win (Stanley) Cups," and added that he's not looking to be moved and wants to remain with the team.

"At the same time, it's the business side of things that all comes back to. If they feel like it's got to be the right move for the team, then I'd certainly welcome it.

"If they feel like the Ducks are going to get better and I'm going to get chance to play somewhere else, I guess I would. But I'm certainly not thinking about it day in and day out."

Ryan has just seven goals and four assists in 23 games.

QUOTABLE

"I have the utmost respect for players in this age that stay with the same organization because so many today are following the money or looking for better opportunities somewhere else,'' Lightning head coach Guy Boucher told The Tampa Tribune for a story drawing parallels Steve Yzerman's storied career with the Detroit Red Wings and both Vincent Lecavalier (13th season) and Martin St. Louis (11th season) being with Tampa Bay for so long. "I just think people who dedicate themselves to one organization have a lot of integrity, and that's not to say others don't, but Steve Yzerman is an incredible example of that. Marty St. Louis and Vinny are guys that dedicated themselves to the Lightning.

"It's a consistency that you can rely on and it's an example for all the youngsters that pass through here to see how consistent they are, even being around the same place for so long. I wish my kids could see those guys every day and see how much they put into it. It would be easy to get bored, slow down or relax, but they want more all the time and I'm real impressed by that.''

ELIAS HAPPY IN THE MIDDLE

What started out as a move of necessity is now a no-brainer for the Devils, according to Fire & Ice.

Even when Travis Zajac returns from a torn left Achilles tendon, which will likely be some time before Christmas, Patrik Elias will remain at center. Right now, he’s their No. 1 center and, as head coach Pete DeBoer said today, their “most reliable player.”

“The way he’s playing now, I don’t want to mess with that,” Devils coach Pete DeBoer said after the team’s practice today at Pepsi Center. “It’s a long year, but I don’t anticipate that change.”

The 35-year-old Elias hopes to stay put. Other than the 2007-08 season, when Brent Sutter first tried him at center, Elias had played left wing for most of his 14-year NHL career.

The last two seasons, however, he’s been mostly a center and he really enjoys playing in the middle now.

“I think I’m doing a pretty good job,” said Elias, who leads the team in goals (eight), assists (12) and points (20). “I think we’ll have more of a balance when Travis comes back. We’ll have Travis in the middle, me and Adam (Henrique) and then we’ll worry about it when Jake (Jacob Josefson) comes back because that’s another centerman. But I think it’s a little early still to think about that. I like playing the position. I think I’m doing a good job at it and they know it. But, on the other hand, they also know I can play any position and that’s a good thing.”

Elias and linemates Petr Sykora and Dainius Zubrus have become an asset for DeBoer for more than their offensive production. He’s been using them head to head against the opposition’s top line as well.

“They’re all responsible guys in their own end and at the same time you don’t want to overwhelm an Adam Henrique or a (Tim) Sestito or a (Ryan) Carter or the other guys we’ve got in the middle right now,” DeBoer said. “He’s our most experienced, most reliable player, Patrik, and it’s a natural match-up until you get a Zajac back.”

Elias, Sykora and Zubrus seem to relish the challenge, too.

“I think for the most part, we’ve been doing a pretty good job. We feel like it, at least,” Elias said. “For the majority of the games, it’s not easy to get scoring chances because we do play against the top lines. I think all three of us like it. We’re confident enough that we can play against anybody, but at the same time you’ve got to be responsible. You’ve got to be cautious always.”

CROSBY TELLS STAAL NOT TO RUSH

The New York Post writes that if there’s anyone who knows what Rangers defenseman Marc Staal is going through right now, it’s Penguins star Sidney Crosby.

“There are days when you feel really good, and there are days you don’t," Crosby said Tuesday. "So you look at those good days and those little victories. But I wouldn’t come back until he gets better. That’s my advice. However long it takes, it’s worth the wait.”

Staal, who has not played all year while feeling the effects a concussion he suffered in February, was with the Rangers in training camp, but headaches caused the team to place him on injured reserve on Oct. 5 prior to the first game of the season.

Staal had not stepped on the ice since Oct. 1 until he began skating Monday.

“I think [Marc] has to be patient. That is the most important thing. It’s a hard time,” Crosby said after the morning skate yesterday.

Staal was hit by his brother Eric when the Rangers played the Hurricanes last February. Unlike Crosby, Staal played in most of the Rangers’ games after the hit, missing three with a knee injury and two for undisclosed reasons (which later was revealed was due to post-concussion syndrome).

When the season ended, Marc Staal began feeling fatigued and suffered headaches, which caused him to be sidelined.

Younger brother Jordan Staal, a center for the Penguins, has been caught in the middle of the family drama.

“There’s no bad blood or anything like that. It’s not a great thing that it happened that way,” Jordan Staal said. “You never want to see your brother out for a long period like that, and you don’t really want your own brother to hurt him, but it definitely hasn’t changed anything.”

According to Jordan Staal, his brother is starting to feel better, an encouraging sign for the Rangers.

"I saw him yesterday. He looked like he was feeling better," Staal said. "For the most part I think the headaches are a little better. I’m sure he’ll be a strong guy and persevere his way through it.”

LINE CHANGES COMING FOR SHARKS?

The San Jose Mercury News points out that Ryane Clowe hasn't found the back of the net for 10 games. Logan Couture has one goal in eight. Marty Havlat has only one goal all season, but he had been averaging an assist per game through the first month. In the past nine games, Havlat has one assist.

The three found early success this season on the same line, but when things cooled off, coach Todd McLellan split them up. Now he may put them back together for Thursday night's matchup with the Montreal Canadiens at HP Pavilion.

"There is a temptation to reunite them," said McLellan, who did just that in the final period of Monday night's 2-0 loss in Los Angeles. "We'll skate tomorrow, and we'll have a good idea in the morning who's healthy and who's fresh."

While it might seem an obvious move, the Sharks have been better defensively since the threesome split up, which allowed McLellan to use Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton on separate lines. So there are trade-offs if Marleau moves back to Thornton's left wing.

NHL players know that coaches are quick to try new forward combinations when things stall. And most are like Couture, saying it doesn't matter whom they skate alongside.

"Whoever I get to play with, they're good players," Couture said. "I've got to find a way to score and produce points."

But Clowe did say that he is more comfortable playing with Couture as his center.

"I know it's only his second year, but we've had a lot of success playing together," Clowe said. "With Cooch, you like to play with someone you feel you've got chemistry with, and there's some chemistry there."

Each of the three players put the burden on himself for getting back on track.

"It's just personally not going the way I want it to right now," said Havlat, who has spent time on the third line with Michal Handzus. "Just have to battle through that and find ways to get on the board and help the team a little more."

Said Clowe: "I guess you could always say 'I feel good and the puck's not going in' or 'the goalie's making good saves,' but it's all about production. That's what matters, finding a way. You've got to bear down. Execution's not just passing and taking care of the puck and all that. It's about finishing."

Clowe also talked about the need to keep frustration off the ice.

"For me right now, I feel frustrated in that I'm not scoring and I like to produce more," he said. "But during a game you can't let that get to you if you miss a chance or have the goalie stop you. That moment can ruin a game if you let it affect you like that."

READER SUBMISSION

John in Chitown: "Hi Chris. Help, please, with a tough decision for a standard one-year Yahoo league: E.Kane or JVR? I figure Kane should be a more reliable source of SOG and especially PIM, but any Flyer should best any Jet in plus-minus, and Kane has no chance of riding shotgun with anyone like Giroux. Thanks."

Chris: I'd agree John, although strangely Kane has found a way to have a decent +/- that's actually slightly ahead of JVR at the moment. Byfuglien is really the only regular fantasy contributor for the Jets who has a bad +/-, although you're right that on average it should be the Flyers who are ahead there. Pronger's absence won't help things though, but still…

Kane's been hot lately and I like him a lot. Over the course of the season, I can't disagree with your assessment of JVR though. If you absolutely can't have them both, try JVR.

READER SUBMISSION

A fellow Chris in Halifax: "Hi Chris, I'm in a points-only keeper league, am a formerly happy Mike Green owner but he's been driving me nuts all last year and this year.

Do you know when he's expected back in the lineup? Should I be patient, or cut my losses and try to trade him for a solid young d-man (Keith if I can get him, if not maybe Shattenkirk plus a decent pick)? I remember his 70 point days very fondly and if he is going to get back there obviously keeping him is a good idea, but with Washington's implosion should I sell him now before he loses more value as a big name?

What's your take? Thanks!"

Chris: I'd keep him Chris. He said this morning there is still no timetable for his return and I realize the injuries have been frustrating. That's one thing we really can't predict going forward.

But he was producing again this season before being hurt and I fully expect him to drive this team's offence when he comes back, obviously allowing for some time to get back up to speed.

He's an elite talent. The Caps, even with a new coach, are fully aware of Green's abilities and he'll be a central part of this team again. IMO, he's too good to deal away in a keeper league.

Email: chris.nichols@sportsnet.rogers.com

Submit your brief fantasy hockey question for a Hockey Hearsay blog via email. One per person, please and include your first name and hometown to represent!

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

Rumor Focus: Anaheim Ducks

Lyle Richardson, The Hockey News, 2011-11-29

When the season began, most observers had good reason to consider the Anaheim Ducks a playoff contender.

Their offense was led by young star forwards Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry, the reigning league MVP. Ageless right winger Teemu Selanne decided to return for one more season to provide additional scoring punch and leadership. Their defense was anchored by the foursome of Lubomir Visnovsky, Toni Lydman, Francois Beauchemin and budding star Cam Fowler. And goaltender Jonas Hiller had recovered from the vertigo-like symptoms that sidelined him for the second half of last season.

It was expected the Ducks would be better than the team that rode a strong second-half performance into the 2011 post-season only to be dispatched in the Western Conference quarterfinal in six games by the Nashville Predators.

Barely two months into the season, however, the Ducks are in real danger of seeing their playoff chances written off by New Year's Day.

The Ducks went a pathetic 6-13-4 in their first 23 games. Only the sad-sack Columbus Blue Jackets had a worse record over the same number of games (6-14-3).

Approaching Nov. 30, the Ducks had won only one game this month, 4-3 over the Vancouver Canucks. They're mired in a seven-game losing skid (0-6-1) and, prior to that win over the Canucks, had gone winless in six (0-4-2).

As a team, the Ducks have performed terribly, ranking 29th in the NHL with 2.13 goals per game. They’re also 25th in goals-against per game (3.17) and 25th in shots allowed per game (31.5).

The lone bright spot is their special teams. Their power play is middle of the pack at 16th overall, while their penalty kill is eighth-best.

But most of the performances from their best players have left much to be desired.

Perry, Getzlaf and Ryan have not played up to expectations this season and are currently well off the pace of their offensive production from a year ago.

Hiller, usually reliable between the pipes, has a 5-10-4 record, a bloated 3.22 GAA and a save percentage of .897.

Visnovsky, whose performance last season placed him fourth in voting for the Norris Trophy, got off to a slow start, then was sidelined Nov. 12 by a broken finger. Lydman, who last season was among the league's leaders in plus-minus at plus-32, is now among the worst with a woeful minus-11.

Fowler remains a promising gem of a defenseman, but it's far too early in his young career to expect him to lead the blueline corps.

Only the 41-year-old Selanne, with 22 points in 23 games, has been above criticism.

As November draws to a close, the local media wonder what management will do, if anything, to save the season before it slips out of reach.

Ducks GM Bob Murray has stood by coach Randy Carlyle and it remains to be seen if Murray can bring himself to move one of his top forwards, though he's reportedly had offers.

Budget concerns could also be a reason for the loyalty to Carlyle, as he's signed through 2013-14. The Ducks have around $3.6 million in available cap space, but as CBC's Elliotte Friedman observed, their budget is stretched to the limit, so much that Murray had to wait for left winger Niklas Hagman to go on re-entry waivers to claim him from the Calgary Flames.

Friedman also suggested budget constraints are why Murray passed on New York Islanders left winger Blake Comeau, as his salary would've cost Anaheim a pro-rated $2.5 million.

Shopping stars such as Ryan or Getzlaf, as some fans and pundits have suggested, would certainly attract considerable interest and net a quality return if the dollars fit under the cap.

That might seem like an extreme measure, but such moves can work, as the Philadelphia Flyers demonstrated by shipping out centers Jeff Carter and Mike Richards last summer.

Similar deals would be trickier at this point in the season as it's usually difficult to find the right fit cap-wise, let alone the right deal to improve the Ducks, but they’re not impossible.

If Murray won't – or can't – fire his coach and the Ducks fail to make significant improvement over the next couple weeks, trading one of their big stars could be the only way to save this season before it sinks out of sight.

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

Tyler Seguin on the verge of stardom after becoming a standout for Bruins

The Canadian Press, 2011-11-30

TORONTO – The door opens for the dressing room of the NHL's hottest team and all of the cameras immediately gravitate to one player: Tyler Seguin.

It's just another morning availability in a road arena for the Boston Bruins forward, who appears to be on the verge of becoming the league's next big thing. Not only is Seguin piling up the points—he needed just 20 games to surpass his rookie total of a year ago—but he's started to draw a big crowd wherever he goes.

In fact, teammate Chris Kelly dropped the word "superstar" when answering a question about Seguin on Wednesday morning at Air Canada Centre. Wait … superstar?

"Yeah, I think so," said Kelly. "He's 19 years old. Most 19-year-old guys are playing junior hockey getting $50 a week. They're not being a consistent point producer in the NHL on a good hockey team (who) won a Stanley Cup.

"The sky's the limit for him. I think it's in his hands how far he wants to go."

For his part, Seguin makes no secret of where he expects to end up. He carries the confidence of a big-time scorer—he had 106 points for Plymouth in his last of junior—and has been among the NHL leaders all season. He plans to remain there for years to come.

"I look at it as somewhere I want to be for sure," said Seguin.

Adding to the teenager's star appeal is a flair for the dramatic that all special players seem to enjoy. Recall Seguin's two-goal, four-point performance in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final against Tampa Bay last spring after he'd been a healthy scratch through the first two rounds. Or even that he registered his first career NHL hat trick on "Hockey Night in Canada" during Boston's visit to Toronto on Nov. 5.

Seguin is also bound to be followed closely because of the manner in which he entered the NHL. A debate raged for months about whether he or Taylor Hall should be selected No. 1 in the 2010 draft—and the fact he ended up going second overall with a pick Boston acquired from the Maple Leafs for Phil Kessel only added to the interest.

On Wednesday morning, he expressed relief after getting through a media scrum in Toronto without being asked about Kessel.

"That is definitely a record," said Seguin. "I cannot believe it. That's why I want to get out right now."

Just as important as the 23 points he carried into play Wednesday was the league-leading plus-19 rating he'd earned through 22 games. Kelly says the Bruins have seen a more consistent effort from Seguin at both ends of the ice this season.

Another change has started to come from opponents.

"I think right now being the leading scorer on our team, there's no doubt other teams are going to pay more attention to him," said coach Claude Julien. "Now he's got to overcome that challenge of teams playing harder than they did maybe at the beginning of the season when they probably didn't respect him as much as they do now. That's another area he's going to have to grow in.

"I have confidence in his personality and his demeanour and all that stuff that he can overcome that."

If he does, the amount of attention he receives will only grow. Some teammates are already growing weary of questions about Seguin, but they better get used to it.

"Everywhere you go you're hearing about Tyler," said Bruins forward Brad Marchand. "He's obviously a hot topic right now."

Seguin is far from the only young NHL player turning heads this season. Here's a look at three more players on the verge of stardom:

Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers: One of the NHL's leading scorers is also one of its most complete players. Giroux does it all for the Flyers: In addition to scoring 13 goals and 29 points in 23 games, he's also logged significant minutes on the penalty kill. Giroux first broke out during Philadelphia's run to the 2010 Stanley Cup final and appears to have hit a new gear this season while playing alongside Jaromir Jagr. Adding to the 23-year-old's appeal is his small-town charm and fluency in both English and French.

—

Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators: Downright dynamic with the puck, the third-year NHLer led all defencemen in scoring heading into Wednesday's games. While occasionally a risk defensively, the smooth-skating Swede is a treat to watch. As a budding star in a Canadian market, he'll get more exposure than most as the season progresses, particularly with the all-star game scheduled to be played at Ottawa's Scotiabank Place at the end of January.

—

Jeff Skinner, Carolina Hurricanes: Already a rock star in Raleigh, the reigning rookie of the year is poised to start getting even more attention around the league. He's demonstrated no signs of a sophomore slump and remains on pace for another 30-goal season. Skinner is also as polite and humble as they come, making him an ideal spokesman for the league.

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

BOUDREAU DOESN'T BLAME OVECHKIN, WASN'T SURPRISED BY FIRING

ASSOCIATED PRESS, 11/30/2011

ARLINGTON, Va. – Bruce Boudreau thinks the Washington Capitals made the "right decision" in firing him — and he's not blaming his newfound unemployment on Alex Ovechkin.

And, yes, he watched the Capitals' first game without him, a 2-1 loss under new coach Dale Hunter.

"I was nervous," Boudreau said. "You can be fired, but it doesn't mean you don't have feelings for the players, and all of the players there you get to know so well, you want them to do well. I still think they're a great team and they're going to do well, and Dale's going to do well. He's a good man. You're nervous for them because you want to see them succeed."

Having had two days to digest the fact that the boss no longer wants him, Boudreau made his first public comments in a round of interviews Wednesday. Even though he made the Capitals a perennial success over four years — winning 200 games faster than any coach in NHL history — he found his team in a tailspin and was dismissed Monday morning by general manager George McPhee, who said the players "were no longer responding" to their coach.

"It's like George said, sometimes you need a different voice, and for whatever reason it didn't work out in the end," Boudreau said. "And I think they made a decision that was the right decision at the time, and we'll just move on."

Boudreau led the Capitals to four consecutive division titles but couldn't find sustained success in the playoffs, failing to advance beyond the second round. His attempt to instil more accountability this season backfired — Washington was not only losing, the losses were becoming humiliating. Change was all but inevitable.

"Gee, every time we lost two in a row for the last year, people were saying it was going to be coming," Boudreau said. "You never think it was going to be coming, but we lost some games in the recent weeks by scores that we were not accustomed to. That hadn't happened to us ever before, so I didn't know where we were at or what was going to happen, but it wasn't fun."

Boudreau's approach failed to reinvigorate team captain Ovechkin, who was coming off a career-worst season and was off to a slow start this fall. The two-time league MVP was benched in the crucial final shifts of regulation in a game against the Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 1, although both coach and player quickly downplayed any kind of rift.

"I don't believe Alex was ever a problem," Boudreau said Wednesday. "I think he worked as hard and tried as hard as he could. I think it just didn't go well statistically for him, and when things don't go well statistically people try to put two and two together and they usually end up with five."

Boudreau said he "never once" brought up the idea of removing Ovechkin as captain.

Boudreau is the epitome of a hockey lifer. He joked that other than visiting his mother, he didn't know what to do with himself. He'll almost certainly be behind the bench in some capacity in the not-to-far future.

"Hey, we're all big boys," he said. "We all know what we're getting into, and we know what the shelf life is, we know what can happen, and it's not like we don't think (getting fired) can happen. You don't want it to happen, but it happens."

Despite the disappointing results in the post-season, Boudreau's tenure has to be judged as a success, but he considers it more so because of the growth of the fan base than the won-loss record.

"The success part is the growing of hockey in the D.C. area from 5,000 people a game when I got here to the team getting good and this becoming a hockey town and having a waiting list for season tickets," he said. "All of those things really is the successful part and the most important part. I think the growth of hockey is what I'm really happy about."

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[hockeygod]

THN.com Top 10: Worst NHL clichés

Adam Proteau, The Hockey News, 2011-11-30

Hockey players normally don’t have the most exuberant personalities in the sports world, a fact reflected in their boring nicknames and tired expressions. What are the worst clichés used by NHLers? That’s the focus of this week’s THN.com Top 10.

10. A two-goal lead is the hardest to protect

Somehow, and I know this might sound hard to believe to the untrained ear, a one-goal lead – which can be erased with, you guessed it, one goal – is easier to protect than a two-goal advantage. All this time the NHL had goals that count as double-and-triple-scores and nobody told me.

9. We didn’t play a full 60 minutes

Are there teams out there leaving the game en masse midway through the third period, or taking a brief sabbatical 15 minutes into the first? Of course not. Fellas, you all play at least a full 60 minutes every night. You just don’t play those minutes well sometimes. Be more specific.

8. That’s a goal-scorer’s goal

Fact: any goal scored is, by definition, a goal-scorer’s goal. Before I die, I would love to see an assist-notcher’s goal, a defensive defenseman’s goal or a coach’s goal, but I suspect that isn’t going to happen.

7. 110 percent

Approximately 140 percent of all mathematicians hate this jibba-jabba with white-hot passion. And more than 8,000 percent of all people think people who say this should have to apologize each time they do.

6. Dirty areas

Meant to describe the most competitive, physical zones on the ice, this phrase has a different, adult-only meaning to me. First time I heard the phrase used, I thought somebody was talking about the neighborhoods where Lindsay Lohan and Gene Simmons reside.

5. We have to take it one game at a time

Believe you me, when it’s the middle of February and teams are so defense-minded they allow 5-10 shots a game, nobody wishes games could be played two at a time more than I do. Alas, that’s not the case, so quit pretending someone is asking you to do so, guys.

4. Obviously/Like I said

If I had a quarter for each time a player used “obviously” and/or “like I said” in an interview, I’d be the frontrunner to buy the Phoenix Coyotes. Players will drop one of those lines constantly – a fact that becomes especially frustrating when they’re saying something they haven’t previously said, or when their point isn’t obvious. Obviously, I wish they were less willing to use this crutch.

3. Moving/going forward

The trans-fat of the sports cliché world, moving/going forward can be removed from any sentence and the sentence will be better for it. Next time anyone you know says this, you have my permission to berate them into a bloody mess. Going forward, that is. If you’re going/moving backward in time, feel free to use going forward whenever you want.

2. At the end of the day

If I’m sure of one thing, it’s this: at the end of the day, it’s the beginning of another day. Don’t get me wrong – I liked the movie The Remains Of The Day and usually inquire about the soup of the day, but at the end of the day, this nonsense is superfluous in the extreme.

1. It is what it is

The Queen Mother of banal, empty, curiosity-killing, conversation-ending clichés. If the Flat Earth Society told that to Galileo and he accepted them at their word, where would civilization be today? When someone discovers something that isn’t what it is, I’m happy to hear about it.:roll:

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."

[Author]

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