Weekly TV Viewer Guide - Week of 1/24/11

Monday - NY Rangers @ Washington Capitals - 7:30PM - Versus

It's always a tight and physical game whenever the Capitals (5th in the East) and Rangers  (7th in the East) meet. The Capitals are coming home after a three game road trip with two wins and an overtime loss and are 5-3-2 in their last 10. Alexander Ovechkin scored a hat trick in Saturday night's 4-1 win at Toronto. The Rangers are 6-4-0 in their last 10 and are coming off a 3-2 shootout win in Atlanta. The teams have split the two meetings at Madison Square Garden and this is the first of two meetings at the Verizon Center. Each have one game after this (NYR - Tues vs. Florida / WAS - Wed @ Atlanta) before the All-Star break.

 

Things are always close when Philadelphia and Montreal get together

Tuesday - Montreal Canadiens @ Philadelphia Flyers - 7 :30PM - Versus

The Philadelphia Flyers have a league-best 69 points going in to Tuesday's game against Montreal. Montreal is in 6th place in the East with 59 points and is 6-1-3 in 2011. Philadelphia is even hotter, going 9-2-0 since we've changed calendars, and exacted revenge on the defending champion Blackhawks in Chicago yesterday. This will be their 4th and final match-up of the season. Philly is 2-1 against the Habs this season, but Montreal played it close 3-2 in their November meeting at Wells Fargo. For both, this is their last game before the All-Star break.

Wednesday - New Jersey Devils @ Detroit Red Wings - 7:30PM - Versus 

While this season has been an abomination for the Devils, the tide is starting to turn in Newark. The Devils have won four in a row and six of their past seven after shutting down the Panthers at the Prudential Center yesterday. Detroit is 5-4-1 in the new year and received some bad news when the Islanders stole G Evgeni Nabokov from them in the waiver process. This will be their 2nd and final meeting of the season before both head in to the All-Star break. Detroit won 4-1 in New Jersey back in December.

Thursday - NO HOCKEY - NHL ALL STAR BREAK

 

Friday - NHL All-Star Game Fantasy Draft - 8PM - Versus

Team Lidstrom: Captain - Red Wings D Nicklas Lidstrom; Alternate Captains - Blackhawks RW Patrick Kane and Lightning RW Martin St. Louis

Team Staal: Captain - Hurricanes C Eric Staal; Alternate Captains - Capitals D Mike Green and Cancuks C Ryan Kesler

Coaches: Peter Laviolette of the Flyers and Joel Quenneville of the Blackhawks (Stanley Cup coaches from last year)

Here is the remaining pool of players they will be picking from;
http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=66980

Saturday - Honda NHL All-Star Game Superskills Competition - 7PM - Versus
The competitions and the rules, participants TBD:
http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=67157

Sunday - 2011 NHL All Star Game - 4PM - Versus

I can't really preview something when I don't know what the rosters are yet. That being said, this new format should lead to a fun, exciting game to watch. The NHL is finally starting to get things right. First the Winter Classic, now this. For the first time in a long time, the NHL All-Star game has a little bit of juice.

Random Musings

Saku Comes Home

Big props to the Montreal Canadiens fans for their warm welcome of Ducks C Saku Koivu. Koivu spent 13 seasons in Montreal, nine of them as team captain (who happens to be tied with Jean Bealiveau for longest-tenured captain), consistently produced, played with a blue-collar ethic, was a true leader, and was fan-friendly. There has never been a more popular, non native-Canadian Habs player ever.  The feeling is more than mutual. Koivu was admittedly nervous before this game, and described the plane's decent in to Montreal as if felt like he was coming home.  It's nice to see when a fan base truly appreciates what a player did for the team.

 

Evgeni Nabokov Waiver Wildness

While some people may see this is as an athlete being a baby, it really isn't. The Red Wings signed him for cheap (a very smart decision by GM Ken Holland, one of the best in sports) and had the back-up goalie Detroit needed for a the remainder of the season. The problem is he had to clear waivers first. The New York Islanders, who have  major goaltending issues themselves, are ahead of the Red Wings and claimed him. Nabokov can decline to report, and that's what he did. On the surface, this is a case of "Beggars being Choosers". The Islanders have the 3rd worst record in the league, the Red Wings are a top team in the West. Of course Nabokov is going to be disappointed. But why should he report to a team who will only play him when Rick DiPietro can't play (although that could be often), while the Red Wings would play him about 20 times down the stretch, in meaningful games, as Jimmy Howard gets back to top form. The Isles did send a private jet to pick him up in Oakland, so it's not like they aren't trying.

 

Marc Savard Heading Home

Marc Savard has only 2 goals and 8 assists this season. The reason is because he's only played in 25 games. Savard suffered ANOTHER head injury in yesterday's win over the Avalanche. Savard was hit into the corner boards by Avalanche D Matt Hunwick at the 3:19 mark, causing his head to snap into the glass. He was bleeding from the face as he was helped to the team's locker room. Savard missed 23 games this season already due to post-concussion syndrome and had just returned early last month. He's had numerous head injuries in the past, and at some point, he has to think about retiring before long-term damage is done (if it hasn't happened already).

 Peter Forsberg returning?

Ahh yes, the somewhat frequent Peter Forsberg quest back to the NHL. Although with Forsberg, it's much less annoying than when Brett Favre or Mats Sundin does it. You get the feeling he's doing it for all the right reasons. Forsberg would be a perfect veteran presence on a young team. Forsberg is a hockey icon in Denver and it would be a great PR move, too. Forsberg joining the team in February means you'll get his best 3-4 months in one spurt. In a tight Western Conference, he could be the difference in playing in to May.

 

 Will the real Alexander Ovechkin please stand up?

It's only one hat trick, and it's against the awful Maple Leafs, but has Alex Ovechkin finally woken up? It was his first multi-goal game since October 30th. While Ovie has delivered in the assists department (32 for the season - good for 13th in the league) at his usual numbers, his goal total leaves a lot to be desired (19 - good for a tie for 17th in the league). He manages to tie for 8th in points at 51, but he's paid to score goals. Maybe his performance at the Air Canada Center gets him going at the right time in the season for the Caps.

Random Trend

Take a look at the standings in each conference. Among non-playoff teams, the only two that are positive in the goal differential are Los Angeles (+16, makes sense) and the Florida Panthers (+3)...yes the Panthers. While there won't be any playoff games in Sunrise, FL this season, they are a young bunch that's starting to gel on the ice.  G Tomas Vokoun's five shutouts ranks 3rd in the league and keeps them in every game. They're a tough out every night. Florida is a game above .500 while only being 8 points out of 8th in the East.

The current playoff teams that are a negative in goal differential: (Tampa Bay -8; Atlanta -9; Anaheim -7)