Wild Winter Wednesday at Olympics

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Written on 2/25/2010 by Jim Cerny

I know Gary Bettman has more things to consider than just the games themselves when he decides his stance on whether or not there will be NHL participation in the 2014 Winter Olympics.

But I'd be hard-pressed to say that what we saw yesterday on the ice---four exciting and truly compelling Quarterfinal ice hockey matches---can not be anything but good for the sport of hockey, in general, and the National Hockey League, in particular.

I will leave the business side to Mr. Bettman. He prefers it that way anyway. I'll focus on what I know better, and that is the game of hockey; and yesterday was a great day for the sport on the grand stage of the Winter Games.

Following are some notes and thoughts from each of yesterday's four Quarterfinal contests, or at least as best I remember them! My head is still somewhat numb from a day that included covering the Rangers return to practice at the MSG Training Center, Tweeting and reporting on all four Olympic games, writing a Rangers' feature on the team's official site, and having spirited back-and-forth about all things Olympic hockey with you great readers and Tweeps over at Twitter.

That's pretty much starting work Wednesday morning and plowing through non-stop until Slovakia (pictured above) finally ousted defending champion Sweden at around 2:30 Thursday morning! But you know what, I have always said this beats working a real job any day!

United States 2 - Switzerland 0 :

*Swiss goalie Jonas Hiller was best player on ice for either team, and he had a remarkable tournament
*Credit U.S. goalie Ryan Miller for remaining focused even with so little work in his end; when called upon, especially early in third period of scoreless game, he came up huge for the Americans
*It flashed through my head when the U.S. lost an apparent goal with 0.0 remaining on clock in second period that Hiller and the Swiss really could steal this game, and I thought back to the 1980 upset authored by the United States over Russia; this would not have been as big an upset, but would've been close
*Often times your best player needs to step forward and win a game for you; Zach Parise did just that for the U.S., scoring twice in the third period; many would say Patrick Kane or Phil Kessel might be the best player on Team USA; in my book it's Zach Parise
*Was so impressed with the qulity chances produced by U.S. captain Jamie Langenbrunner, who worked feverishly in offensive zone all night
*Ryan Suter has really emerged into an outstanding two-way defenseman; he has elevated his game on this grand stage
*We all wondered why Chris Drury, in the midst of another down year with the Rangers, was chosen to play for Team USA; watch the tape of yesterday's game again, Drury was out there in every key situation, excelling defensively and in winning one big faceoff after another; he blocked five or six shots, plus generated some offense; he has been terrific all throughout the tournament, among the best for Team USA

Canada 7 - Russia 3 :

*Shocked; I was utterly shocked watching this game unfold, not because Canada played so well and with so much passion---I expected them to be at their best---but moreso because Russia was so far from their best and didn't adjust at all, I thought, to Canada's aggressive play; plus Russia did not meet Canada's intensity and fire on any level whatsoever
*Many people are focusing on Canada's seven goals---and rightfully so, it was an explosion of offense against an elite opponent---but what caught my attention was how well Canada played defensively; they controlled the neutral zone and manned their blueline like a fortress; it was an impressive commitment by the whole team; they generated so much offense off Russian turnovers
*Canada was a beast on the forecheck, and I loved how physical a game they played; they also sent wave after wave of forwards to the net; it had to be dizzying for the Russian defense, which certainly played as if dazed and confused
*Not a second guess, I swear: I was very surprised that Evgeni Nabokov started the second period in goal for Russia after allowing a four-spot in the first; they weren't all his fault, but it looked clear that Nabby was not on top of his game; plus it was an elimination game AND you had Ilya Bryzgalov---in the midst of a career year with Phoenix---ready to replace Nabokov; poor coaching decision
*Corey Perry sort of flys under the radar for Team Canada; nice to see him break out with two-goal game against Russia
*I know he allowed three goals, but when he had to come up big, Roberto Luongo did just that; he really took the final life out of Russians in third period when he stoned Evgeni Malkin on a breakaway, and then moments later on the doorstep
*OK, the big late-game issue that Tweeps and I debated far into the night last night: I did not have a problem with Alexander Semin's crunching hit on Dan Boyle in the final minutes, but I had a huge problem with Boyle's retaliatory slew-foot; and c'mon JR on TV constantly saying "You just don't do that to Dan Boyle...he's too much a competitor"...he slew-footed him JR! That's not being a competitor, that's being downright dirty

Finland 2 Czech Republic 0 :

*Hmmmm, how can I say this? OK, Miikka Kiprusoff, Miikka Kiprusoff, Miikka Kiprusoff...well, you get the idea; the Finnish goaltender was ridiculously outstanding---and had to be because his Czech counterpart, Tomas Vokoun, was simply terrifc yet again; I mean RIDICULOUSLY outstanding OK? I have said this for years, but when he is at his best, Kipper is the closest anyone comes to replicating Dominik Hasek with his Gumby-like saves
*If the Finns could just get their power play going, they'd have a much easier time of it; but even with their struggles on the PP, Finland is two wins from the Gold
*I'm sorry, facing one Ruutu is plenty, but having the snarling Jarrko and Tuomo in your face all night has got to be a bitch to play against
*Couldn't help but thinking when I saw Esa Tikkanen---an uber-pest, for sure, back in the day---on the TV screen that he must love the style his Finns play: nasty, gritty, in-your-face; trust me the Ruutus and their like only aspire to be like Tikk
*Great job by NBC getting the Canadian broadcast of this game; I just think Ray Ferraro is a great analyst, and he proved it when he immediately explained that Finland's first goal happened largely because Czech defenseman Pavel Kubina had to chase after his helmet---which had been knocked off---and put it on as per IIHF rules; Kubina thus was not in position to block the shot, whereas---as Ferraro pointed out---he would have been in an NHL game, which does not share this particular rule with the IIHF; great catch, and quick explanation
*Back when I first was covering hockey locker rooms, Ferraro was known as "Radio Ray" because he was always the go-to quote 
*Ferraro on Martin Havlat: "He's been a ghost throughout this tournament!" Great Stuff!
*Sad to see Jaromir Jagr go out there not nearly 100% healhty; he had very little to give the Czechs last night

Slovakia 4 - Sweden 3 :

*Fourth straight Olympics that defending champion has been eliminated in Quarterfinals
*Henrik Lundqvist establishes modern-day Olympic record for consecutive shutout minutes, then allows 2 goals in 37 seconds and four goals total as Sweden is sent home
*How about Sweden tying game with two goals of their own, also in 37-second span; and then in third period Slovakia scores and 38 seconds later Sweden nets one of their own?! Two goals in 37 seconds twice, and in 38 seconds once!! Odds on that were......
*Just when I thought I was going to write about the shame of Peter Forsberg being a shadow of his former self, he steps up big-time for Swedes
*Speaking of stepping up how about Marian Hossa's all-around effort for Slovakia, as well as Pavol Demitra's perfectly-placed---and incredibly timely---goal?
*Must admit, I kept thinking Swedes were going to come back, tie this one again, and somehow win it; that's not disrespecting Slovakia---who I believe has been vastly underrated---but more a credit to Sweden; but credit the Slovaks, they did not let it happen
*How about Jaroslav Halak proving himself big-time in nets for Slovakia? Carey Who in Montreal?
*Nice catch by cameras after game, Rangers' teammates Marian Gaborik of Slovakia and Sweden's Lundqvist in a sincere hug on the handshake line

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Thinking Olympics

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Written on 2/20/2010 by Jim Cerny

Sorry, didn't get my men's ice hockey Olympic predictions in before the games actually started, but let me play a little catch up here on a few fronts.

Players I am Most Excited to See Play in the Olympics:
Jaromir Jagr, Sergei Fedorov, and Zigmund Palffy.

I miss all three of these former NHL stars and am enjoying seeing them play on the Olympic stage immensely. I miss Jagr's tremendous skill and oversized personality. I miss Fedorov's grace and still-breathtaking skating. And I miss Ziggy because he was a buddy of mine when I broadcasted for the Islanders, a guy with a great heart and sense of humor to go along with an underrated skill set offensively. Good to see all three of these players again.

Favorite Olympic Game, So Far: Slovakia 2, Russia 1.

I was tempted to go with Canada's 3-2 shootout win over Switzerland, a game in which Jonas Hiller nearly backstopped one of the biggest upsets in recent Olympic history. Instead I chose Slovakia's 2-1 shootout victory over Russia, a game in which the Slovaks played solid defense and received excellent goaltending from Jaroslav Halak to set the stage for the upset, which was cemented on Pavol Demitra's shootout score. Huge win for Slovakia, too, coming off tourny-opening loss to Czech Republic.

Most Anticipated Game to Come: Sweden vs. Finland (tomorrow).

Yes, of course I am looking forward to the United States-Canada matchup tomorrow night, and I fully expect it to be an intense tilt. But Sweden and Finland, great natural rivals just like USA-Canada, in a rematch of the 2006 Gold Medal Game should be the better contest. The Finns likely will bring out the best in Sweden, which looked sluggish in a 4-2 win yesterday over Belarus. Tell you what, great hockey day tomorrow all the way around: Russia-Czech Republic at 3:00, USA-Canada at 7:40, and Sweden-Finland at 12 midnight. Should be the best hockey day of the tournament.

Can the U.S. Win a Medal?

Yes, the United States can win a medal, but the better question is will they? So far I have seen a hard-working team with flashes of brilliance offensively (David Backes take a bow on both accounts) that has received tremendous goaltending so far from Ryan Miller. Sunday will be a huge test because Canada will be amped up to take out the US on home ice, and will have the extra motivation of trying to finish ahead of the United States in Group A's preliminary round. Add in to the mix that Canada feels the need to show they can play much better than they have done, so far. A US win tomorrow would go a long way to boosting the team's self confidence heading into the medal round. Still when it's said and done, I think the US is on the outside looking in at the medal ceremony. Miller is the one player who can change that, however.

Team That Could Spoil Russia-Canada Final: Finland.

OK, I am like most of you: I expect Russia and Canada---despite uneven starts to the Winter Games---to play for the Gold Medal a week from tomorrow. Sweden, the Czech Republic, the United States, even Slovakia are all capable of derailing that final depending upon equal amounts of good fortune and stellar play. But it is Finland that could be the most likely party poopers in the tourny. My reasoning--other than the Finns awesome goaltending, solid chemistry, and excellent talent level---has much to do with history. It seems each Olympics Finland is overlooked, and then when all is said and done, there they are on the medal stand. No gold just yet, but a silver and a bronze from the past three Winter Games. There's just something about the Finns.

Shameless Rangers Radio Plug: Interview with Craig Patrick.

If you remember exactly where you were when The Miracle on Ice happened---as I do---or you were not born yet and want to learn more about the amazing journey of the 1980 Gold Medal-winning US Olympic Hockey Team, then check out the fascinating interview Steve Gelbs and I did with one of the architects of that team ---assistant coach Craig Patrick--- on Rangers Radio this week.

Patrick---who went on to become the GM and Coach of two NHL clubs, the Rangers and Penguins, as well as a two-time Stanley Cup winner--- provides so much background insight and information into what is, arguably, the greatest sports story ever in the United States. Perhaps most interesting, Patrick tells us that there was no miracle involved, he believed this team would medal in Lake Placid.

"Don't forget that even though we didn't have NHL or professional players on that team at that time, we had a team full of players who would go on to play big roles in the National Hockey League after the Olympics," stated Patrick. "The talent was there, and we knew it."

Tune in. Patrick provides some really good stuff on this, the 30th, anniversary of The Miracle on Ice.  

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The Importance of Number Two

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Written on 10/12/2009 by Jim Cerny


Taking in yesterday's Rangers-Ducks contest from the press box at The Garden I got to thinking about the importance of back-up goaltenders as I watched New York's Steve Valiquette get the better of Anaheim's J.S. Giguere in a 3-0 Rangers victory.

Interestingly, Valiquette and Giguere are back-ups in distinctly different positions for their respective teams.

On Broadway, Henrik Lundqvist is the King. There is no disputing that Lundqvist is the Rangers' No. 1 goaltender and that Valiquette is No. 2. Yesterday's start was Valiquette's first of the season, and only his 23rd in the past three seasons. Even with John Tortorella's plan to spell Lundqvist more frequently than in the past, it would be hard to imagine the 32 year-old Valiquette starting more than 15 games this year.

And that works because Valiquette has accepted his role on the team, and thrives in it. Yesterday's shutout was his fourth over those 23 starts, a pretty impressive stat.

"He played very well," Tortorella said of Valiquette's performance last night, before adding, "If (we) want to get to where (we) want to be, he's going to have play well for us."

Valiquette is an easy guy to root for. I was there as team broadcaster when he was summoned by the Islanders as an extremely green 22 year-old---fourth or fifth on the organizational depth chart---pressed into NHL duty by a rash of injuries. He won both of his starts during that 1999-2000 call-up, posting a 1.87 goals against average and .949 save percentage over six appearances. His first NHL win in Ottawa that April saw him stop 45 of 46 shots.

It'd be another four years before he saw the NHL again, and not until 2007-08 that he established himself as an NHL goalie, albeit a backup to Lundqvist.

In between, there were thousands of miles on minor league buses, a standout season playing in Russia, and the career-saving tutelege from Rangers goaltending coach Benoit Allaire.

"I owe so much to Benny," Valiquette told me. "From the mental part of the game to on-ice drills and skills, he has been a God-send for my career."

Where Valiquette is today, in my opinion, is right at the top of the list of back-up goaltenders in the National Hockey League.

Surprising to many is that Anaheim's Giguere is on that list, too. Surprising because we are talking about a Stanley Cup-winning, Conn Smythe Trophy-winning goalie here.

But last spring Jonas Hiller emerged as the favored starting goalie in Anaheim, as Giguere's goals against rose to 3.10, a full goal higher than the previous season. And so far this season head coach Randy Carlyle has turned to Hiller as his No. 1, with the 32 year-old Giguere trying to make the most of his starts.

To his credit, Giguere---who likely would have been dealt this past off-season if not for his cumbersome contract---played extremely well last night, making 35 saves as the Ducks were thoroughly outplayed by their hosts. But unlike Valiquette, Giguere has not accepted his No. 2 status, and, in fact, he is more a No. 1a. It is hard to imagine that he would not start at least 30 games this season, if not more, in pushing Hiller constantly for more and more playing time.

As Carlyle told The Los Angeles Times last month, "Both players have been informed that it's not a given here. You have to go out and earn it."

Don't forget that Giguere had to deal with important off-ice issues last year with the death of his father. Perhaps with a more clear head this season, he could reclaim his No. 1 spot in Anaheim. But for now he ranks at the top of the NHL back-ups list with Valiquette.

Who else is on that list? Here's my Top Five of back-up goaltenders in the National Hockey League:

1. J.S. Giguere, Anaheim Ducks
2. Steve Valiquette, NY Rangers
3. Mathieu Garon, Columbus Blue Jackets
4. Ty Conklin, St. Louis Blues
5. Brian Boucher, Philadelphia Flyers

I didn't list any of the two (really three with Rick DiPietro included) Islanders goalies because really there is no clear back-up or starter between Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron. And until Washington clears up who is No. 1, I can't place either Jose Theodore or Semyon Varlamov on this list, either.

What do you think of the list? Let me know your thoughts.

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