Pang's Top 5 Shut Down D Pairings in the West
Panger’s Top 5 Shut down Units in the Western Conference
Match-ups are everything this time of year in the NHL. Every game is like a play-off game with the urgency and desperation needed on every single shift.
You have to have players that have the character and compete level to out will the other team’s best players. It is a job that doesn’t get a lot of recognition outside the locker room, but inside it is a different story, as the players there know exactly which players pay the price to get the job done. They have the ice bags going every time they get the equipment off, with the training staff working non stop to get them ready for the next battle.
I am going to stick with the Western Conference in evaluating my top 5, as this is the Conference that I see more of than the East. These are pairings that PLAY together in all situations. There are many defenseman out there that get paired in situations to defend, but these tandems that I have selected are together at all times. There is such great chemistry, with the LA unit having the least amount of experience together.
NHL and Olympics in 2014? Nope. Something new
Saturday, 06 March 2010 00:22 | Written by Chris Kerber |
An Old Idea with A New Twist!! -Chris Kerber For hockey in North America, the Gold Medal Olympic game was as good as it gets, and having Canada vs. US was the best possible finish. Will it impact viewers and the overall awareness of the NHL long term? That remains to be seen, and the gold medal game from Salt Lake in 2002 might lead you to think the impact will be minimal. Throughout the games, the big topic dodged by Gary Bettman and most team management personnel was whether or not the NHL will participate in the 2014 Sochi games. Frankly, the question became tiresome and the answers the same. There are plenty of risks by participating and the biggest benefit is exposure, but in North America, the question is this. What would the exposure had been like had Finland and the Czech Republic played for the gold medal, or two teams not US or Canada? How many people here remember the gold medal game from Torino four years ago Here’s what’s known. The fact it was the US and Canada was a ratings monster in both countries, and an absolute winner for hockey in North America. Despite the time zone issues, if you could ensure a rematch of US and Canada at the Sochi games, NHL participation is a no brainer. But you can’t and that is the gamble. Here’s the solution. Last Updated (Saturday, 06 March 2010 22:40) Buyers, Sellers, or What are You??
Wednesday, 17 February 2010 02:21 | Written by Chris Kerber |
Buyers, Sellers, or What? -Chris Kerber Is your team is a “Buyer” or “Seller”? That is the big question come the trade deadline, and it’s no longer an easy question to answer. Yet it appears to be the question analysts and fans try to answer from the first month of the season, Having watched the St. Louis Blues rebuild a franchise over the last four seasons, and as that process continues, the black and white definition of buyers or sellers becomes much more gray. Buyers and sellers are defined in what types of trades you make. If you are salary dumping, or moving assets to acquire draft picks, you’re a seller. If you’re acquiring a rental player for a cup run, you’re a buyer. Everything else is in between.
Last Updated (Wednesday, 17 February 2010 02:24) |
10 Observations as Olympic Hockey goes to Medal Round
Thursday, 25 February 2010 23:18 | Written by Chris Kerber |
10 OBSERVATIONS AS OLYMPIC HOCKEY GOES TO MEDAL ROUND (TOP thing NHL can take from the games too) -Chris Kerber As the medal round is about to begin for hockey in the Olympics, it’s time for some general thoughts on what we have seen so far as well as what I think is the single most important thing the NHL can learn from these games moving forward (see #10). Here we go:
Last Updated (Thursday, 25 February 2010 23:25) |
