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Rink rats Posted: Friday December 07, 2001 5:18 PM
Every time I check the NHL standings I feel like I'm back in the 1980s. And that's not just because I tend to have Quiet Riot blasting in the background. The first-place Rangers and the second-place Islanders -- who will face off on Dec. 21, and twice more in January -- have breathed some serious intensity back into their rivalry. Three thousand miles away in Alberta the same thing is happening between the first-place Oilers and the second-place Flames, who'll meet on Boxing Day (look out!) and New Year's Eve. It's nice that in this ever-changing and gigantic NHL world, there are still some old things you can count on. You folks sent some fine missives this week, as usual. Let's get to them ... I am way past frustrated. I believe the Kings have talent but consistently
play well below their potential. They have the fourth fewest points in the
league. This is exactly the situation and quality of play they had just before
the Rob Blake trade last year and I, for one, consider it unacceptable. Does
Andy Murray have what it takes? He coached the Kings to the playoffs the past
two seasons and had a very hot run last year, but the consistency and quality
are just not in line with the personnel. Bottom line, should the Kings look for
another coach or trust that Murray knows what he is doing?
You're overestimating the Kings personnel a bit, Scott. They've had injuries to their best players this year -- Ziggy Palffy and Mathieu Schneider are currently on the shelf; Adam Deadmarsh was down with a broken hand -- and they don't have a lot of depth to compensate for that. They overachieved last year and a lot of that is traceable to Murray's determined demeanor. This year Murray's job has been complicated by some significant roster changes, especially the loss of Glen Murray (a popular man in the locker room) and Jozef Stumpel. The acquisition of Jason Allison in the Murray/Stumpel trade should eventually help the Kings, but it has taken the team time to get accustomed to Allison's unique style of play. The Kings have a lousy record and could tumble out of the playoff picture before too long, but they're not that far from having won several more games. As of Dec. 7 they've only scored three fewer goals than they've allowed, a better proportion than teams such as the Devils, Capitals, Penguins and Wild, all of whom have much better records than L.A. That shows Murray is keeping his team competitive and in games. They've lost because they haven't gotten timely goals and because the goaltending just hasn't been there, especially early in the season. I see no reason to make a coaching change at this time. What is your assessment of Don Waddell's tenure as Thrashers' GM? He failed
to address the team's goaltending situation in the offseason and let a couple of
established players (Donald Audette, Andrew Brunette) leave in order to make
room for younger players who aren't getting it done. Now comes the mess with
Petr Buzek and his suspension. What's going on here?
Waddell's inability to put out a competitive team is disheartening. His honeymoon grace period is coming to a close. He showed good instincts by landing veteran Europeans to solidify his backline, and the pair of Ilya Kovalchuk and Dany Heatley is the envy of many front-office folk. But Waddell has not done enough to solidify this team in crucial spots. Having Tony Hrkac, Ray Ferraro and Pascal Rheaume as your top three centers just is not going to cut it in this league. Waddell has been undermined primarily by two things. First, Patrik Stefan has failed thus far to develop into a serviceable center. He's only 21 and may yet come around (and back from the bushes) but Atlanta needs Stefan to play large in the middle to be formidable at all. And two, the Thrashers didn't put enough emphasis on improving their situation in goal. Strong goaltending is largely behind the Minnesota Wild's rapid rise to respectability. Waddell and his staff put too much faith in Damian Rhodes. And while Milan Hlincka is unquestionably talented, he hasn't shown the ability to make the crucial saves. Given the Red Wings' age, the wear and tear of the regular season, the fact
that a lot of the players are going to play in the Olympics, and the grind of
four rounds of playoffs, do you feel Detroit has what it takes to win it all? I
think this team may end up like last year's Dallas Stars, lots of talent but too
beat up to go very far.
Yes, I think they have what it takes to go all the way. I also expect something of a swoon from these guys as the regular season wears on. There's no way they can keep winning the way they are, nor can they keep their intensity level at such a high pitch all year. Come playoff time, though, this team will be ready and, knowing Scotty Bowman, rested. Bowman will ration ice and practice times carefully down the stretch, especially for his many older players. The Red Wings are indeed aging, as you say, and many of them will have some added work in the Olympics (and the All-Star weekend for that matter) but the team is so deep up front. If they can win the first round quickly (and I think they will), they should keep their legs fresh deep into the playoffs. Over the summer when Adam Oates demanded to be traded, the Caps stripped him
of his C . This was not unwarranted. But now Oates is now the assists
leader for our boys at the MCI Center. Why the heck does Brendan Witt (one
point) wear the C on his sweater? Because he's a tough guy? We have
Jaromir Jagr and Peter Bondra both wearing the A and they both
contribute more than Witt. I have Steve Konowalchuk wearing C , with
Oates and Bondra as alternates. Witt? I see him over in the corner, with his
long hair and seemingly menacing scowl, doing television spots for Blimpie's
like Enrico Ciccione used to do when he wore a letter in Tampa.
Gary, I've given your home address to Brendan. He'll be visiting you soon. Oates never cottoned to the notion of being captain. He's a fabulous passer and is dedicated to the game, but he's not the consummate team guy you want with the C . You don't just give the C to your best player. Witt is a little bit of an odd choice, though I can see him with an A because of the game he plays. Jagr and Bondra deserve the alternates as well. If I were boss in Washington, I'd make Jeff Halpern my captain. Immediately. If the All-Star Game kept its old format of East vs. West, who do you think
would win? With the major hockey powers being in the Western Conference
(Detroit, Dallas, Colorado), I think it would be a great show, but the West is
still the West. Yes, there are the likes of both New York teams and Toronto, but
even the up-and-coming teams are in the Western Conference (Calgary, Chicago).
It's hard to predict which side would win because the game is an exhibition that has little bearing on the way games are actually played in the NHL. Still, it would be fun to find out. A lot of fans would have a good time debating East vs. West, which is one of the main reasons the NHL should go back to that format and abandon this silly, senseless North America vs. the World format. What's the deal with the Leafs and Curtis Joseph? Do they not realize that he is
the team? Why am I hearing that he may not be signed? Is Pat Quinn crazy?
No, Quinn isn't crazy. Cujo makes the Leafs' system possible. What you're hearing is mostly white noise. Cujo may want to see what the market can bring him and it's always possible that some other team could make him a ridiculous offer that lures him away, but I doubt that. Expect him to re-sign with Toronto. Sports Illustrated senior writer Kostya Kennedy covers the NHL for the
magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com. To send a question to his
Mailbag, click here.
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