Taylor Hall's First Goal and Six Degrees of Separation

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Written on 10/29/2010 by Jim Cerny

For the record Taylor Hall, the first overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft, recorded his first National Hockey League goal last night. The goal came at 9:57 of the third period and helped Hall's Edmonton Oilers pull even with the host Columbus Blue Jackets 2-2, in a game Edmonton would eventually lose 3-2 in a shootout.

For the record, Steve Mason surrendered the first of what should be many goals for Hall, who had seemingly been carrying the weight of the hockey world on his shoulders after going his first seven games without lighting the lamp.

Hall seemed extremely relieved and happy to finally have scored his first goal when interviewed on Rogers following the game. He laughed when he estimated that he easily had answered the "So Taylor, when are you finally going to score a goal?" question at least a million times already this season.

The bottom line, though, is that Hall is an 18 year-old kid playing on a mediocre team. First overall pick or not, this year is going to be an uphill battle for the extremely talented youngster. Think of Steven Stamkos' rookie campiagn two years ago, and then you have a good comparison for Hall.

Last year John Tavares, already 19 by time training camp started, was the first overall pick by the Islanders. Extremely mature so as to be put in on-ice situations that Hall will not see just yet, Tavares scored 24 goals and notched 54 points while playing all 82 games. While I think Hall will steadily improve as the year progresses I don't expect him to match Tavares' numbers as a rookie.

But he's going to be a player, make no bones about it. And along with fellow youngsters Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paajarvi, Hall is poised to help turn this organization around. The future is brighter in Edmonton, for sure.

Interesting that on the night Hall nets his first goal, Tyler Seguin---with whom Hall will always be linked, with Seguin selected second overall in the '10 draft---scored his second of the season in Boston's 2-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. And who plays for Toronto? Why Phil Kessel, of course---whose trade from Boston last year included a first-round pick heading to the Bruins that ended up turning into none other than Seguin.

Gotta' love that six degrees of separation in the National Hockey League.

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Claude Julien Unplugged

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Written on 10/23/2010 by Jim Cerny

Though you wouldn't know it from this picture, Bruins head coach Claude Julien is one of the nicest, most personable, and affable coaches in the entire National Hockey League.

It's always a treat to catch up with Julien and hear his often verbose takes on various topics related to his team or the NHL.

Here in Boston where tonight the 4-1-0 Bruins host the 2-2-1 Rangers I was able to get Julien's take on several interesting topics.

Claude Julien Unplugged:

On the Poise of Rookie Tyler Seguin

"I think he had a lot of practice with that before he even got here because of the attention he had received before the draft. At the same tyime, off the ice our veterans have done a real good job of helping him through it, involving him with everything. I think that's been a great asset for him. He's a good kid to start with, and being surrounded by some great vets it makes everything a lot smoother. On ice, he's been good for us (1-2-3 in 5 games). You give him an opportunity and he's a pretty explosive player. He does the best with what you give him. What I like about him, so far, is that he wants to learn, and the fact that every game he plays he just keeps getting better and more comfortable."

On Early-Season Winning Streak, Now at Four Games

"I think you want to make it a habit, simple as that. You start winning games, you get hungry, and hopefully you get in the situation that you hate losing so much that when you lose a game here and there you want to get back to your winning ways. It's one of those things where you have to have the right mental approach. As a coach you can't go in there like they're playoff games and say that every game is the most important game. These guys have to be focused and say, you knw what, this is game day and we need to be ready to do our best and go out there and compete hard. You make that a habit."

On Lightly-Regarded Rangers

"It's always a hard-fought game and it's physcical against the Rangers. They are a team that likes to crash the net, which makes for a physical game around the net area. They are also a team that doesn't get enough credit for how well they play in their D zone. They really front pucks well, and play well in front of their crease area. Plus they have a great goaltender in (Henrik) Lundqvist. So with that great D zone coverage, they are tough to score goals on."

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Decisions, Headaches, and Bad Breaks

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Written on 9/21/2010 by Jim Cerny

The first nine pre-season games get underway today---including Vancouver hosting Calgary and Calgary hosting Vancouver in "split-squad" contests---so let's recap and update the biggest stories so far from training camps around the NHL.

All About Kovie
Ilya Kovalchuk's contract saga and battle with the league over term, amount, and structure of said contract with New Jersey was the biggest story of the off-season. Now his mere presence in Devils camp is the biggest story, so far, early in the pre-season. Choose your angle, because either is a major story. First, carrying Kovie's cap-heavy pact is going to force the Devils to unload some salary, meaning that someone (or more likely, more than one player) sweating alongside Kovalchuk while skating suicides in camp will be gone by time New Jersey drops the puck for real on October 8. Makes for a bit of an uncomfotable situation, wouldn't you say? Kovie's presence clearly makes New Jersey a better team. But they will lose valuable depth if a Bryce Salvador and/or Dainius Zubrus is purged to make room for that hefty cap hit. The second big story is Kovie switching to right wing at coach John Maclean's behest to skate on an imposing top line with Zach Parise on left wing and Travis Zajac at center. What Maclean is doing here is creating options. If Kovie is comfortable on the right side, this threesome could form the most explosive line in the NHL, whether they stay together every shift, only play that way on the power play, or are used together as an option late in close games. Good aggressive thinking by the new bench boss in Jersey.

Savard's Concussion Rocks Bruins
There was much talk all summer about Marc Savard, most of it centering on his big contract, whether it could be voided a-la Ilya Kovalchuk, or whether the Bruins might be seeking to trade the veteran to create some salary cap space. Not much of the news involved speculation as to whether or not Savard had fully recovered from the concussion he suffered last March when Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke viciously elbowed him in the head. Yet Savard showed up at B's camp unable to play, complaining of concussion-like symptoms, leaving a gaping hole atop the depth chart at center. You could argue that the Bruins were preparing for playing without Savard anyway if they were considering dealing him during the summer. But a deal involving Savard would have come with a plan---receiving another center in return, make another trade, sign a free agent. There was no back-up plan for Savard arrving at camp unable to play. 18 year-old Tyler Seguin one day might be a star NHL player, but he is not going to be a top-line, or second-line, center for a Cup-contending team, as Boston is, this season. It's easier to fill that role on a rebuilding team, like the situation top pick Taylor Hall finds himself in with the Edmonton Oilers. So can David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron carry the load as the top two centers? That's somewhat of a leap of faith, especially because Bergeron has never approached his back-to-back 70+ point seasons in '05-'06 and '06-'07 after being injured the following season. Not to be crass, but the one positive, from a business point of view, is that Savard's salary will not count against the cap if he lands on Injured Reserve. Small consolation.

Injuries
Rangers captain Chris Drury broke his left index finger; Senators defenseman Filip Kuba broke his right leg; Blue Jackets defenseman Kris Russel sprained his right knee. And those are just the most major injuries to the bigger names so far in training camp. Of the three, Kuba's injury is the most severe, and he will miss 5-6 weeks of action, leaving a fairly sizeable hole on the Sens blueline in the process. Of course Ottawa learned to play a bit without Kuba in the lineup last year, too. But his is a big loss to start the season considering that he eats up 23 minutes of ice-time a night. Depending upon how long he is out the lineup, Russel's injury could increase the number of Sheldon Souray-to-Columbus trade rumors that have been flying about of late. His loss is frustrating because the Blue Jackets were very eager to get an early look to see if the 23 year-old was going to break-out a bit offensively in this, his fourth NHL season. As for Drury, his broken finger should sideline him 3-4 weeks. Since the Rangers have a very light schedule to open up the season, he may miss only a game or two or three. "Knowing him, I bet he'll be back by the start of the season," said teammate Tim Kennedy. I wouldn't bet against that either. Remember how he played with that broken hand against the Caps in the playoffs two years ago? Drury will do whatever it takes to be on the ice opening night in Buffalo. And his absence in the pre-season will afford several players who are battling for roster spots the opportunity to play a bit more in scrimmages and games, giving the coaches more of a look. "It's not like I have to go away for three weeks and stay out of the building," said Drury. "I'll be here every day and certainly won't miss a beat. It is what it is and I'll do whatever I can to get back."

Pre-season games start this evening, and new stories will develop by the day.

Stay tuned....

Follow me on Twitter at: @jimcerny and @thenyrangers

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Monday Musings on the Avs, Bruins, and More

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Written on 10/19/2009 by Jim Cerny




As we turn the corner and head into the third full week of the 2009-10 season, I realize that I have put the whammy already on quite a few individuals and teams.

First I pick Vancouver as my Western Conference team this season, and they proceed to stumble out of the gate at 3-4-0, surrendering bad goals at an alarming rate despite having, arguably, the best goaltender in the league.

Then I hail Carey Price in another Rink Rap entry for his monster effort in an Opening Night shootout victory, only to see his goals-against skyrocket to 3.36 and his save percentage shrink to .886 over the first two weeks of the season as his Canadiens are currently mired in a five-game losing skid.

My run continued by writing about how good I believe the LA Kings will be this season, right as they are in the midst of a three-game slide. I am standing behind this belief, though. The Kings are going to be just fine, and they will be one of the eight teams coming out of the West in the spring.

Unless I just put the whammy on them by saying that, of course.

To my credit, not all of my entries have brought doom and gloom to those being written about. The Rangers are still rolling at 7-1-0, and the teenagers---John Tavares, Matt Duchene, Ryan O'Reilly, and Michael Del Zotto---I featured in another piece are still all contributing nicely to their respective clubs.

In fact, Duchene and O'Reilly have played major roles to the fast start the Colorado Avalanche have enjoyed this year. Duchene recored his first NHL point---an assist---in his NHL debut, and netted his first goal on Saturday night in a win over the Red Wings.

Duchene, the 18 year-old 3rd overall pick by the Avs in June's draft, has notched three points in his last four games, and is 1-3-4 overall to date. He is one of the many nice stories on an Avalanche squad that has shocked most by starting the season on a 6-1-1 run, best in the Northwest Division.

Not surprisingly, Adrien Dater at the Denver Post is reporting that Duchene is not going to be returned to his major junior club in Brampton and  instead will remain in Colorado all season. He is playing on the second line, receiving plenty of power play time, and has logged some major minutes already this season. Duchene is a fixture this year, and for many years to come.

O'Reilly, the Avs 18 year-old second round pick this past June, has also played well, but whether or not he remains with the big club is still a question mark. O'Reilly netted his first NHL goal last week against the Canadiens---and it was big one as it tied the contest. He is also riding a four-game point-scoring streak, and has outproduced Duchene, so far, with 1-5-6 numbers.

It's very rare to see an NHL club carry one 18 year-old on the roster, much less two. But the Avs might just break that mold this season.

Heck, what's another surprise for a team that lacks star power, but which has been terrific in all three zones of play so far this season en-route to a fast start out of the gate? The Avs may not have gotten the high-profile coach they wanted this past summer in Patrick Roy, but give Joe Sacco---the man who did eventually get the nod---a lot of credit for having this team prepared to outwork the opposition on a nightly basis.

And let's not forget goaltender Craig Anderson, who right now ranks up there with the Rangers' Marian Gaborik as the best free-agent pick up this past summer. After two seasons splitting time and playing well for the Florida Panthers, Anderson has established himself as the Avs true No. 1 netminder, starting all eight games this season and posting a 2.09 goals-against average. The question will be how he holds up over the long haul. Last year's 31 appearances are the most he has ever made in a single season.

Great start, and a great story, so far in Colorado.

A few other musings on this Monday morning:

*You must check out the 100 facts to know about the first 100 games over at nhl.com. Greg Inglis, who has long worked on the PR side with the league did a fantastic job compiling this list, which is just awesome reading if you are a hockey junkie.

*I am very curious to see the San Jose Sharks in person this evening. Having followed them online, and seen them a couple of times in action on the tube, I want to study their chemistry in person. Only 4-3-1 to start the season, the Sharks have so much talent, and I am waiting for it to fully jell.

*Similar to the news about Matt Duchene, it is not surprising that Rangers head coach John Tortorella told me yesterday that 19 year-old defenseman Michael Del Zotto (3-5-8 in 8 games) is not returning to junior this year. In fact, Torts said it was never a question in his mind that Del Zotto would spend the whole season on Broadway.

*Funny moment yesterday when Larry Brooks of The New York Post jokingly said to Tortorella, "I guess this means you won't let Del Zotto play for Canada at the World Juniors?" Torts' response: "Uh,...no" Of course, Canada has bypassed Del Zotto each of the last two year's anyway...

*Keep an eye on the Bruins. They picked up another second round pick in yesterday's deal that sent Chuck Kobasew to Minnesota. They now have multiple first and second round picks. Kind of makes it easier to swing a bigger deal down the road, doesn't it? The only hitch is cap space. Trading Kobasew saved some money, but the Bruins would need to shed more if they have any plans to land a needed big-time scorer at some point.

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Good Weekend for Kessel and Dubinsky

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Written on 9/21/2009 by Jim Cerny



A couple of NHL mini-dramas came to a close this weekend as the Boston Bruins finally traded free agent winger Phil Kessel, and center Brandon Dubinsky ended his holdout with the New York Rangers. Now  if there could only be some end-game with the Phoenix Coyotes situation, the NHL would be soap opera-free, and we could move straight ahead and begin opining about where the Atlanta Thrashers are going to deal Ilya Kovalchuk by the trade deadline.

Dany Heatley traded? Check. Phil Kessel traded and signed to new long-term deal? Check. Brandon Dubinsky holdout ended with new multi-year contract? Check. Francis Bouillon free agency courtship ended with one-year deal in Nashville? Well, yes, check.  But let's not get off-track here.

After Heatley was traded by the Seantors to the Sharks, even more focus was placed on Kessel's saga in Boston. A 21 year-old with one outstanding season among three in the National Hockey League, Kessel was poised to break the bank after his 36-goal campaign a year ago. With the Bruins up against the cap, it was a foregone conclusion that Kessel would be dealt, and, in fact, he was on Friday to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Sounds like a neat and tidy story, yes?

Well hold on a minute. Watching and listening to Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli during a press conference on Saturday, it was easy to see that there was more than a little bad blood built up. This whole process was a bit more complicated that a neat and tidy inevitable transaction.

"We want players who want to be here," Chiarelli stated, insinuating, of course, that Kessel had no interest in remaining a Bruin, at any price.

"This is not about frugality," he continued. "There was little to no attempt to negotiate from the other side."

Meanwhile at his press conference in Toronto, with the glow of a new five-year, $27 million contract emanating from him, Kessel showed none of the anger Chiarelli did. Similar to Heatley, he had gotten pretty much everything he wanted, so no reason to fight back, other than to state that he never asked to be traded by the Bruins.

Damian Cox at The Toronto Star has more on the he said/he said between Kessel and Chiarelli, and the bad feelings that remain.

More important now for the Leafs is how soon can Kessel get back on the ice after off-season surgery on both shoulders, and when back playing, how dynamic can he be without a star #1 center to work with? There is no Marc Savard playing pivot in Toronto like there was in Boston.

Interestingly, one of the names that cropped up in previous Kessel trade rumors was that of Dubinsky, who agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the Rangers on Saturday afternoon after a weeklong holdout.

Now I am of the mind that no player really ENJOYS holding out because of the possible damaged relationships with management, teammates, coaches, and fans, not to mention falling behind in camp. But I truly believe that Dubinsky---while still very much thinking he was doing the right thing---really HATED to holdout.

Dubinsky is, plain and simple, a really good kid. He is hard-working, passionate about the game, and very loyal to his teammates and the Rangers organization. He understands quite well, thank you, just how lucky he is to be playing in the National Hockey League, and for an Original Six franchise in a great city like New York. It is part of the reason why he has so endeared himself to his teammates, and to head coach John Tortorella.

Though Torts called Dubinsky's holdout "stupid", that was more a case of a coach wanting one of his important players in place right from the start of training camp more than anything else. Rangers fans should not worry about anyone involved---and that includes the uber-passionate Tortorella---holding any grudges here. Dubinsky will play catch up and be an integral part of this team moving forward, while remaining a popular presence within the organization.

Torts, who said this morning that he expects Dubinsky to make his pre-season debut on Thursday at home against the Washington Capitals, often speaks of the Rangers building a foundation based on youth. Dubinsky, along with Ryan Callahan, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Matt Gilroy, Michael Del Zotto, and Evgeny Grachev, is a major part of that foundation.

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Resolution on Horizon for Kessel

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Written on 9/17/2009 by Jim Cerny

I've got a couple of quick hits while in a brief lull here at the Rangers training facility. I'll be back with another post later this afternoon about the Rangers cutting roster to 30 players, as well as the latest on Marian Gaborik's health and first scrimmage.

But first....as I speculated yesterday, Boston GM Peter Chiarelli and his Toronto counterpart Brian Burke did meet face to face to discuss a potential Phil Kessel trade. Pierre Lebrun over at ESPN.com is reporting that the two met for about an hour yesterday since Chiarelli's Bruins were in town to face Burke's Maple Leafs. Lebrun says that a deal could be struck by the weekend or the middle of next week.

I am hearing---and Lebrun is also reporting---that the Nashville Predators are also in the mix for Kessel, and have offered an NHL player or two along with draft picks. Reportedly, the Leafs offer has included only draft picks, though featuring a pair of first rounders.

The Preds really could use Kessel to add juice to their offense up front, which falls off considerably after Jason Arnott. Having Steve Sullivan healthy again is great for Nashville, but he can't be counted on to be a go-to offensive threat. And Martin Erat, David Legwand, and JP Dumont are nice complimentary players, with Colin Wilson an intriguing prospect. Phil Kessel, though, would be the star forward the Preds do not have.

But Toronto needs Keesel, too. Burke has rebuilt his club in the off-season, but the emphasis has been more on grit and size, not so much on skill. Plus the best players brought in by Burke---Mike Komisarek and Francois Beauchemin---are defensemen. Kessel is a 21 year-old stud forward. And the Leafs need him just as much as the Preds---as do many other teams in the NHL, for that matter.

BTW, in their quest to beef up the offense, the Maple Leafs have 34 year-old Jason Allison in camp on a tryout. Allison---a two-time 30-goal scorer---has not played since the 2005-06 season, so this is a reach, for sure. Certainly not a bigger reach than Theo Fleury in camp with the Flames, but really every team has one or two of these veteran invites in camp, looking to catch lightning in a bottle.

Nonetheless, Allison did play last night against one of his former clubs, the Bruins. I didn't see the game---was at The Rock in Newark for Rangers-Devils instead---but the stat sheet reveals a fairly nondescript night for him: a bit more than 14 minutes of ice-time with nearly 4 minutes on the power play, zero shots, zero points, 2 hits, lost 7 of 10 draws.

Speaking of the 41-year-old Fleury, he will suit  up tonight against the Islanders, his first NHL action of any kind in six years. Fleury told the Calgary Sun, "The hardest part for me is leading up to the game. Once the puck's dropped, I know what to do."

Fleury also revealed that he will four years sober tomorrow. Good for him. And good luck to him on his long-shot comeback. May he enjoy it no matter how long or short it lasts.

Back later on with Rangers news and quotes....

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Bruins Visit to Toronto Sparks Kessel Trade Talk

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Written on 9/16/2009 by Jim Cerny

The Phil Kessel rumor mill will be in full swing tonight when the Bruins travel up to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs in pre-season action.

Kessel, of course, is the Bruins coveted RFA who is priced out of cap-stressed Boston, and who is awaiting either an offer sheet from, or more likely a trade to, another team.

That other team---whether it be through offer sheet or trade---has long rumored to be the Toronto Maple Leafs. That, of course, is based largely on the comments from Leafs GM Brian Burke, who has openly expressed his desire to acquire Kessel, the 21 year-old who potted 36 goals a year ago.

"We know we would like this player," Burke said yesterday. "We'll see what happens."

Over at Kukla's Korner, Elliotte Friedman of CBC Sports is quoted as reporting that the Leafs are offering at least a pair of first rounders to Boston as part of a packge for Kessel, even though the talented wing is out until at least November following off-season surgery on both of his shoulders.

With the B's, and GM Peter Chiarelli, in town today, the hockey-mad media in Toronto will be frothing at the mouth in anticipation of Chiarelli and Burke getting together face to face to discuss a possible deal. Don't expect any quick resolution, however, no matter how badly Burke longs to see Kessel in the blue and white this season.

Speaking of the Bruins, Chiarelli had to be happy to see Marco Sturm skating freely, bouncing back from some tough hits, and picking up an assist in last night's 2-1 pre-season victory over the Rangers. With Kessel's departure considered a given, the Bruins need Sturm to have a strong season, coming back from January knee surgery.

Sturm told Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald, "I'm really happy with the game. I had no pain at all. Overall I didn't think very much at all about my knee."

Chiarelli also had to be pleased with Tuukka Rask's first outing of the pre-season between the pipes. The 22 year-old Rask stopped 31 of 32 shots, and seemed to be in perfect position all night long.

With Manny Fernandez no longer serving as Tim Thomas' partner in Boston, Rask needs to beat out Dany Sabourin to claim the #2 spot with the Bruins. I think that Rask not only claims that role, but will start 20-25 games this season, and will play a big part in Boston's success. The kid is that good. And the more work he gets, the fresher Thomas---who turns 36 in April---will be come playoff time.

By the way, the game tonight in Toronto---featuring free tickets to those attending---will be televised by the NHL Network.

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