Glendale, Arizona – Hockey isn’t something that one expects to find in the deserts of Arizona this time of year. The Phoenix Coyotes have never been beyond the first round of the playoffs in their organization’s history, but this year, things seem to be different.

After dispatching the Chicago Blackhawks in six games in the first round, the Coyotes were in territory they had never been before. Despite the unfamiliarity of their surroundings, they looked completely at ease against the Nashville Predators, ending their postseason in a five game series that was just about as one sided as you can get in the NHL playoffs.

They have run into a buzzsaw, however, in the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference Final. The Kings have outplayed Phoenix in every key area, whether it be scoring goals, winning board battles, or their forechecking and backchecking, which are both superb. Add to that the fact that goaltender Jonathan Quick has not been playing his best hockey, and you pretty much can see why Phoenix is headed to the city of angels down 2-0 in the series.

Whether they will be able to turn things around will be seen tomorrow night at the Staples Center when the series resumes, but matters of discipline are threatening to undermine the team.

As Game 2 wore on, several Coyotes players let the fact they were down in the game and series get the best of their judgment skills, and several of them were the subject of controversy afterwards. Captain Shane Doan got things started when he boarded LA’s Trevor Lewis in the second period. Doan received a five minute misconduct and was given the gate as well. Goaltender Mike Smith followed that up with a vicious hack at the legs of Kings captain Dustin Brown and was given a two minute penalty for that (which Brown was also penalized for in a laughable affirmation of his reputation for diving).

As if those things weren’t enough, you had defenseman Derek Morris tripping Rob Scuderi by sticking his knee out in what was definitely a dangerous play. Before that in the period, center Martin Hanzal got into the action, boarding Brown in the corner in what was universally (and correctly) decried as an incredibly dangerous hit.

All of those things were reviewed by the NHL, and the disciplinary decisions have been handed out in each case. Which ones did Brendan Shanahan get right? Which ones did he get wrong. Here’s the case-by-case breakdown:

Shane Doan: No Suspension, No Fine

Doan’s play was the bloodiest out of all of the action that occurred Tuesday night at Jobing.com Arena. Lewis was very shaken up after the play, and the sight of blood pouring from the bridge of his nose certainly had an impact on the decision to kick Doan out of the game.

Shanahan looked at the play, and decided that Doan shouldn’t be suspended despite his status as a repeat offender. The reason for this was likely that video evidence suggested that Lewis put himself into a vulnerable position against the boards despite knowing that Doan was coming, and that has usually been a reason for Shanahan not to lay the ban down on anyone.

The fact of the matter is that Lewis putting himself in a vulnerable position was his own fault, and Doan didn’t really have time to ease up on the hit before it took place. It was wrong to kick him out of the game, albeit understandable due to the speed at which everything happened, so Shanahan did make the right call in not dropping the hammer on Mr. Doan.

Mike Smith: No Suspension, No Fine

Smith has gained quite a bit of notoriety in these playoffs, including a play where he was hit by Chicago’s Andrew Shaw behind the net and writhed around in pain for a while afterwards. He was fine after that play, but Shaw was still suspended for three games for the incident. He has also made it a pattern to stick his blocker and stick out in efforts to draw goaltender interference penalties, which we saw in Tuesday’s game when Dwight King was nailed for an infraction that was at best questionable.

Mike Smith (Ric Tapia/Icon SMI)

Smith continued to show his penchant for violently defending his crease in the game when he hacked at Brown’s legs, but it didn’t even warrant a review by the league, which is completely wrong. If nothing else, the league should have reprimanded officials for idiotically citing Brown for diving when he clearly did not do so.

As for Smith himself, he should have been fined for this play. There is no reason in the world why a goalie should be able to get away unscathed with a slash, especially one in a blatant attempt to injure a player. A suspension wouldn’t have been completely outrageous either, but being that it’s the playoffs and goaltenders are such an integral part of the game, a fine and a strong reprimand would have sufficed in this situation.

Derek Morris: No Suspension, No Fine

Morris also got away unscathed for his trip on Scuderi in the third period, and truthfully, it’s difficult to see why. It was a pretty blatant attempt at a knee-on-knee hit, which is simply foolish to do in this day and age. The attempt to injure was there, and Shanahan failing to suspend on the hit was the incorrect call. Morris should have been given a game for this one. We’ll let you judge the video for yourself:

Martin Hanzal: 1 Game Suspension

Out of all the nonsense to occur in Glendale on Tuesday, it was the hit by Hanzal that was the most scrutinized and the one that every hockey pundit seemed to agree would elicit punishment.

It was, after all, the third different incident involving Dustin Brown to occur in the game, and so the officials had to have looked at it as a blatant attempt to injure the Kings’ leader, and apparently Shanahan agreed, suspending Hanzal for a game.

The question, then, is whether or not the suspension was long enough. After all, Hanzal doesn’t exactly have a track record for doing this sort of thing, and Brown wasn’t injured on the play, and even stayed in the game. So, was one game enough?

Before we get to that, it seems appropriate to once again call for something to be done about the league’s concussion protocols. It was pretty apparent that Brown took a nice lick to the head on this one, but he was allowed to stay in the game in spite of that. It was eerily reminiscent of Smith when he was clocked by Shaw in the Chicago series staying in the game despite an apparent head injury. The league is supposedly taking the head injury issue more seriously, but we have seen in several occasions when it comes to this team that there is still work to be done in this area.

Back to the hit itself, it is one that the league has got to do a better job of legislating against this type of hit on a vulnerable player. Brown didn’t turn into the hit late, and Hanzal hit him with the full intention of sending a message by drilling him face-first into the boards. The intent to injure was there, the argument that it was simply a hockey play holds no water, and about the only thing missing was an injury to Brown.

That should be completely irrelevant to the situation, but it isn’t. Shanahan and his crew have made it a point to legislate based on injury, and in few situations has it been as stupidly applied as in this one. These types of hits have the potential to seriously injure or even end the careers of players, and Brown is frankly lucky that this one didn’t. Just because he avoided a date with the hockey reaper does not change the fact that this hit could very well cause serious damage to a player in the future, so Shanahan missed an opportunity to send a message that these types of plays are unacceptable.

Is it going to take a player getting carted off on a stretcher and returning in a wheelchair before the league starts taking these idiotic blindside hits from behind more seriously? Let’s hope not, but we shouldn’t hold our breath hoping that common sense will prevail.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

The Rangers led blocked shots, 26-15, in large part to the stalwart defense of Dan Girardi and Marc Staal who both had a game-high of five blocked shots each. Girardi improved his league-leading tally of blocked shots to 52 in the postseason.

Wearing the Broadway Hat, veteran defenseman Dan Girardi was indispensable notching the first goal of the series in the third period setting the stage for the win. With a 25:11 game-high of ice time, Girardi added a power-play assist, and a plus-two rating. In the last six games, Girardi has accrued five points (one goal, four assists. Girardi and fellow Blueshirt Michael Del Zotto both have nine points in postseason play, and are tied for the NHL lead among defensemen in playoff scoring.

Offensive scoring has been the swing the defense needed in New York. Led by Michael Del Zotto, he set a career-high, six shots on goal with an assist on the game-winning-goal in Game 1. He lit eight points (two goals, six assists) in the last 10 games, including three points (one goal, two assists) in the last two games. In a pre-game interview Del Zotto credited New York’s physical play as their strength against the New Jersey Devils. Taking four hits in 22:41 of ice time, Del Zotto reference “banging bodies” as the game-winning tactic needed to divert the Devils.

Ryan McDonagh (Rich Kane/Icon SMI)

Most valuable body banger in Game 1 would have to be Ryan McDonagh, who saved the day more than once denying Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk scoring opportunities in the first period. Hitting and grinding in the passing lanes, McDonagh has fit into the defensive demeanor of a Rangers D-man.

Henrik Lundqvist said of Ryan McDonagh:
“…he’s such a great skater, he can be aggressive in his game. It means a lot to the forwards because he can join the rush, but he also is really quick to recover if something happens.”

Blanking the New Jersey Devils Monday night at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers look to goaltender Henrik  Lundqvist to put  his roadblock in net. Monday night was Lundqvist’s 42nd shutout. When posting a shutout in Game 1, New York is 8-3 in playoff series. Lundqvist has been the story many times in the postseason, but in this series the defenders may take New York to the next level.

The Blueshirts have opened six of their last nine playoff series with a win in Game 1, and have posted a 32-11 series record when winning Game 1. This is the sixth time overall and the third time in seven years, the Rangers and Devils have met in the playoffs. In 2008, the two teams met in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, with the Rangers winning the series, 4-1.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Tomas Vokoun not likely to return to the Caps next season (Icon SMI)

The Write Offs:

All signs suggest Tomas Vokoun will be withdrawing his name from contract renegotiations with GM George McPhee. It is heavily rumoured that Vokoun will be joining the KHL’s new Lokomotiv squad next season. The speculation adds up as Vokoun was close friends with former NHLer Josef Vasicek who died in the Yaroslavl tragedy this September. Vokoun said to The Washington Post “for me, it was never my intention to be here more than a year.” Vokoun added “I was looking at it as a one-year thing and I’m sure that’s how it’s gonna be.” Well there you have it, looks like the Caps organization is again in a goalie debate having lost Vokoun, but can rest assured that they have a solid plan B in Braden Holtby and Michal Neuvirth. More will be known about Vokoun’s aspirations this coming season as we creep closer to the July 1^st deadline.

Alex Semin, pending UFA, was unhappy with the way he was utilized this season. (Andy Martin Jr)

Other than Zach Parise, Alexander Semin is this season’s most alluring UFA. And interest is peaking as it increasingly looks more and more like Alex Semin has played his last game as a Capital. Earlier this week Semin’s agent Mark Gandler suggested Semin wasn’t fitting into the Caps’ system and wouldn’t re-sign. “There’s no question, he likes Washington and the organization,” Gandler said. “He does not like the way he’s being used. He does not like the role he has under the [Capitals'] new direction.” Could this be and inkling to the Caps’ new identity as a defense-first hockey team? A system under which Semin didn’t exactly flourish with just 54 points in 77 games playing “Hunter Hockey”. Semin’s ice time was diminished in the playoffs and not unduly so after all Semin was a minus four with four points in 14 playoff games. You can begin to understand why Semin is steamin’.

The Hopefuls:

Three days after the July 1^st deadline Mike Knuble will turn 40, but he’s not done yet.

“I feel good; my body feels good and I’ve got nothing nagging me. No nagging injuries or anything like that and that can be the case when you get into your upper 30s that you’ve got some chronic things going on. Mentally too, I still enjoy playing the game and I still enjoy coming out to the rink every day and I enjoy being around the other players and I think that that’s half the battle – wanting to be there –  as you get older.” –Mike Knuble

Knuble’s role on the team was altered this year falling from a top six forward to a bottom six grinder. His ice time diminished and was even a healthy scratch for periods of the season, including the first three games of the playoffs. However after Backstrom’s Game Four suspension Knuble got a shot. From Game Four of the first round onward Knuble was in every game and recorded an assist on Joel Ward’s series-winning goal in Game 7.

Mike Knuble hopes to return to the Caps next season (clydeorama/Flickr)

Knuble has served as an alternate captain for the team and offers leadership and experience where maybe age may begin to weigh into other facets of his game.  Knuble acknowledges that he isn’t top priority in the coming months – “Well, there are a lot of people to be taken care of before me,” said Knuble. “That stuff will shake itself out in the next week or two. But as a player, it’s a great place to play.

In the boat with Knuble is Jeff Halpern who is approaching retirement at the age of 36. Halpern, like Knuble, saw a decreased role this season. Halpern sat out most of the playoffs until being inserted into the final two games of round two. “The team was doing well, but as far as for my own personal career and future, you hope that there’s a lot of other opinions out there. I just prepare the same way.” Aside from the personal disappointments Halpern asserts that he wants to play next year, but it will be up to McPhee whether that will be in Washington or elsewhere.

After the playoffs he had it’s hard to believe Dennis Wideman was the only all-star candidate representing the Washington Capitals this year. Wideman had three points and  the team’s worst plus/minus record with minus seven. Wideman is 29 and is at the end of his four-year $15.7 M contract, despite Wideman’s post-season flop, he won’t come cheap and still has a lot of good hockey ahead of him.

At the age of 33 Keith Aucoin is has still yet to seriously crack an NHL lineup. He’s a six time AHL all-star and two-time Calder Cup winner. Aucoin played in just 27 NHL games this year spending the rest of the season with the Capitals’ AHL affiliate Hershey Bears, but Aucoin did play in all 14 playoff games for the Caps. A sign of a re-signing?

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

We all battle for our "Stanley Cup" of Fantasy Hockey but without someone like Angela Lewis, you may not get that advice you need. (cr: mastermaq@flickr)

As we move onward, here is the fourth installment in our series of Women In Fantasy Hockey. Today or interview is with Angela Lewis, who does some excellent freelance writing for The Sports Forecaster Magazine. Angela has a different angle with fantasy hockey so we asked her a half dozen very simple questions.

It is often interesting when writers get into this because their answers are either long or they are simply blunt and to the point. Here are her answers.

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The most efficient ways to evaluate players and their talent has for sure been a learning experience. I’m still learning, and I think everyone always continues to learn how to analyze it.

I’m gonna pump my own tires and say that it was rather satisfying to see a lot of my expectations for players come to be true. A few surprises occurred eg. Caps players. But overall, I made some pretty accurate projections

I’ve started to include some advanced stats and other forms of empirical evidence in my evaluation of players. I still base a lot of my evaluation on what I’ve gathered from pure observation, but I’m certainly more open to adding “fancy stats” to my analysis. Example: Alex Semin.

Not necessarily. Competitiveness differs from person to person, even among men. It’s more of the drive that a person has that serves them well over intuition. You can have a woman’s intuition but it depends on if you act on it or

That is funny considering my time is quite limited. If I make the guides for folks, though, that fulfills my need to join a league.

Have fun with it!

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Next week on the series, we will be profiling a first time fantasy hockey entrant who is now a champion. What is the significance of this? That answer is plenty. As we continue to reach out, the goal is to find more and more Women In Fantasy Hockey that not only love the fantasy game and game but also willing to talk about it.

If there are any women that our readers would like to be interviewed, we would like to hear from you. Thanks again for reading.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

It is always easy to determine the winner and loser of a trade long after the fact.  The Chicago Blackhawks have made some awful trades that looked like mistakes the very moment they made them. Here are the five worst trades in franchise history.

5. October 25, 1991 – Blackhawks trade away offense to get better defensively

Coach and General Manager Mike Keenan shook up the ‘Hawks roster after their 1st round exit in the 1991 playoffs. The one trade he made that impacted the Blackhawks most negatively that year was when he sent center Adam Creighton and winger Steve Thomas to the New York Islanders for center Brent Sutter and winger Brad Lauer. Sutter was very good defensively; the problem was that the ‘Hawks had to give up too much offense in return.

Creighton was on a roll at the start of the season, scoring 12 points in 11 games. Thomas was a solid second-line player who netted 40 goals in 1989-90 and 19 goals in an injury-shortened 1990-91 season. Both of these players could have been the difference when the Blackhawks met the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1992 Stanley Cup Finals. The Penguins swept the ‘Hawks in 4 games. Three of the losses were by 1-goal margins.  A 6’5″ center like Creighton might have been able to slow down Mario Lemieux – Sutter sure didn’t. Thomas’ speed and goal scoring could have been the extra punch the ‘Hawks sorely needed.

4. March 23, 1999 – Blackhawks trade legend so they don’t have to re-sign him

Acquiring  Chris Chelios in 1990 was one of the best deals the Blackhawks ever made. Trading him to the Detroit Red Wings 9 seasons later was one of the worst. Chelios had a remarkable career for the Blackhawks but was slowing down as all players eventually do.  Chelios wanted to play 2 more years, then retire as a ‘Hawk, but Chicago had no intention of re-signing him. Instead, they traded him to the Detroit Red Wings for Anders Eriksson and two first round draft picks – a horrible trade on many levels.

First, the ‘Hawks traded away their team captain – the heart and soul of the franchise – to the arch-rival Red Wings, making the Wings a better team in the process. Secondly, Eriksson – the warm body the ‘Hawks got in return – was no prospect. Drafted by Detroit in 1993, the Wings long figured out that he was a dud. And the first round draft picks didn’t really help either – partially because the Red Wings were solid contenders and never got high picks and partially because Chicago’ scouting leaves much to be desired. Finally, trading away a fan favorite to a hated rival is never a good way to win back fans, especially those still mad about the team trading away Jeremy Roenick in 1996.

Eriksson went on to be a fringe player, as did the two guys they drafted (Adam Munro and Steve McCarthy). Chelios went on to play another TEN seasons, help Detroit win two Stanley Cups, captain the U.S. Olympic team to a silver medal and be named a First Team All-Star in 2002. His accomplishments in his 40s were better than the combined careers of the guys he was traded for.

3. August 16, 1996 – Blackhawks trade franchise star to save $5 million

By 1996, Jeremy Roenick had cemented his status as an elite NHL center. Unfortunately, the Blackhawks organization did not want to pay him like one. Roenick was a restricted free agent and wanted a 5-year contract worth $4 million per year. Instead, the ‘Hawks decided to send him to the Phoenix Coyotes for Alexei Zhamnov, Craig Mills and a 1st round pick. Zhamnov was projected to be the next Sergei Fedorov, and the Blackhawks were sure they could sign him for far less money than Roenick.

Phoenix had no problem coming to terms with Roenick.  Meanwhile, Chicago could not work out a deal with Zhamnov before the season started. Eight games into the 1996-97 season, with no Roenick, no player who could replace him and looking to save face, the ‘Hawks relented and signed Zhamnov to a 5-year, $15 million dollar deal. The Blackhawks saved $5 million but lost a lot of fans in the process.

2. May 15, 1967 – Blackhawks dump top center due to big mouth, finesse play

The Blackhawks had a ton of talent in the mid-1960s: Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Pierre Pilote, Glenn Hall and a young Phil Esposito. In his first three full seasons with the club, Espo finished 4th or higher in team scoring, centering a line with Hull and Chico Maki. At a team party after the 1966-67 season, a drunken Esposito  told coach Billy Reay and GM Tommy Ivan “We’ve got a great team here, you could almost have a dynasty, but you two are gonna screw it up.” **

Ultimately it was team owner Jim Norris who didn’t like Esposito’s finesse style of play, wanting the big centerman to be more physical. Of course, telling off Reay and Ivan didn’t help his case either. The day before the expansion draft, Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield were shipped out to Boston for Gilles Marotte, Pit Martin and Jack Norris.

After the trade, Esposito would go on to rewrite the record books for goals and points, win the Art Ross Trophy 5 times, be named to the All-Star Team 8 times and lead Boston to two Stanley Cups. Ken Hodge didn’t do too shabby either, reaching the 100-point plateau twice. And Esposito was right:  by trading Esposito, the  Blackhawks – losers in two Cup finals -  did screw up on becoming a dynasty.

1. August 7, 1992 – Blackhawks trade away the best goalie of the 1990s

‘Hawks GM Mike Keenan must have really liked Christian Ruuttu – because the Blackhawks made their worst  trade in team history when they sent future goaltending legend Dominik Hasek to the Buffalo Sabres for Stephane Beauregard (and a 4th round pick), then traded Beauregard to the Winnipeg Jets for Ruuttu three days later.

Was Keenan oblivious to the fact that Hasek won goaltender of the year honors in Czechoslovakia for five straight seasons? Or was named player of the year in his home country three times? Or did he somehow forget that Hasek was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 1992, despite playing in a scant 20 games? Keenan was also the Blackhawks coach, so he should have remembered the last one.

The ‘Hawks didn’t need to move Hasek. A daring GM might have traded the team’s then-top goalie – Ed Belfour – for a premier scorer and bank on Hasek’s future potential.  But Keenan never made daring trades – just bad ones, which explains why he was fired soon after this error in judgment.

Ruuttu would do next-to-nothing as a Blackahwk; 90 points in 158 games. Meanwhile, Hasek had a Hall of Fame career while playing for the Sabres. Much like his tenure in the Czech league, Hasek won league MVP honors twice and top goaltending honors 6 times, setting an NHL record.

** – Source: Thunder and Lightning by Phil Esposito and Peter Golenbock, pages 51-52

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Mr. Tallon needs to look no further than Alexander Semin.

Alex Semin (Anna Armstrong)

Recently, Semin’s agent Mark Gandler stated that his client no longer fit in with the Caps and would be hitting the open market, telling ESPN The Magazine, “Alex doesn’t fit into that system obviously. It just doesn’t make any sense to him. He plays, he did the best he could under the circumstances and he earned his right to be a free agent.”

Gandler also made it clear that Semin desires to play in all situations and was disappointed in the role the Capitals had placed him in. During the season, Semin only averaged 16:47 of ice time, which was his lowest since his rookie campaign.

However, Semin wasn’t willing to confirm his agent’s comments. As he arrived at the World Championships to play for Team Russia, the Capitals’ winger was reluctant to make a statement either way, but made it clear it wasn’t something he wanted to discuss.

No matter whom you choose to believe, Semin will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and the Panthers shouldn’t shy away from offering him a deal.

With the Florida Panthers, Semin can finally find the role he is looking for. If he were to sign with the Cats, the enigmatic Russian would instantly become the most gifted offensive player on the team. Semin would no doubt find himself on the top line, likely with Stephen Weiss and Kris Versteeg.

By Semin’s standards, he had a down year this season, “only” scoring 54 points. On the Panthers, however, that point total would’ve tied him for third on the team with Versteeg. With his increased role, there’s no doubt his point totals would increase.

For those that would argue this point, let’s look at the cases of Tomas Fleischmann and Sean Bergenheim. Both players were finally given the opportunity to play top six forward minutes for the first time in their careers with the Panthers. As a result, both set career highs; Bergenheim in goals (17) and Fleischmann in goals (27), assists (34), and points (61). There’s no reason to think that a player like Semin, who is more talented than either Bergenheim or Fleischmann, would be unable to get similar results.

If he bought into Kevin Dineen’s system, Semin could certainly play in all situations. He would more than likely play on the top line and the top power play unit. Whether or not he would play on the penalty kill, as his agent wishes, remains to be seen. Semin has always been criticized for his lack of commitment on defense, but he clearly has the skill set to do so if he puts his mind to it.

While it would be a risk to sign the notoriously moody Semin, adding a player of his caliber might just be worth it. Semin could be the superstar the franchise has lacked since another mercurial Russian, Pavel Bure, put on the Florida Panthers sweater. Number 28 would fill so many needs for the Panthers: a natural goal scorer, a top line winger, a possible superstar, that it will be hard for Dale Tallon to pass on, at the very least, making an offer once the free agent period starts.

Tallon has a chance to turn the Panthers into a serious contender this offseason. If Tallon were able to sign Semin, he should then turn his attention to the addition of a possible power forward, another area the Panthers need to address. Both Dustin Penner and Jaromir Jagr will be free agents this offseason. If the Cats could somehow convince either of those two to sign, the Panthers would suddenly have an extremely formidable lineup.

Realistically, though, signing both Semin and Jagr or Penner is a pipe dream. However, adding Semin really isn’t that far-fetched.

Jason Garrison (Robin Alam/Icon SMI)

As hard as it will be to do so, the Panthers need to let Jason Garrison go. Other teams will be able to offer much more money and the Cats will simply be unable to match those offers. While it will be difficult to lose Garrison, the Panthers have a number of talented defensive prospects coming up through the system that will soon be ready to play in the NHL. Room must be made for them sooner or later.

Even if the Panthers had the excess money, it would be a risky decision to commit so much of it to Garrison. No one knows yet whether Garrison is simply a late bloomer or if he benefited significantly from having Brian Campbell around. This columnist is willing to bet that Garrison won’t have the same success without Campbell dishing him the puck. The Panthers can’t afford to find out.

Instead of spending money on an area that was a strength of the team, Tallon must use it to address a weakness, which, for the Panthers, is their goal scoring.

Semin is looking to land somewhere where he can have an increased role. Florida needs a top six forward that is a threat to score every night.

It will certainly be a risk, but that hasn’t stopped Tallon before.

It shouldn’t stop him now.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.