L-OIL-ty

No doubt I'm late to the party here regarding the whole Oilers/Blogging gong show (for more details check out these two posts or click on any of the fine Oilers blogs on my sidebar) but I must say I had a few general thoughts that haven't totally been covered.

Obviously the whole morality of the incident has been discussed ad nauseum but what's really sad is this horrible feeling of cognitive dissonance that has slaped us all in the face. The bottom line is that I (and probably anyone that bothers to read this amateur's writing) is a pretty big hockey fan. I love hockey in just about all instances - road hockey, shinny, league games, out door rink, on rollerblades, hell, I've even watched some sled hockey and while I hate the sport I've even watched field hockey, because really, who among us can resist watching girls running around in short skirts waving giant sticks and chasing balls?

Hockey is fantastic.

I'm very passionate about the game, and while I'm not the type of guy who goes to a game and starts chanting, I wanted to cry watching two game sevens in two years and losing both of them. I love the Oilers, I love the Flames, and I really love watching Canada.

But there are just some ugly things about the game that are hard to ignore.

The lockout pissed me off to no end. I know a lot of people felt that the owners pleading for a system that made them more money was an insult, but I can't imagine the players themselves could have looked any worse. Day after day we had to listen to Glen Healy and Nick Kypreos make absolutely inane comments about the labour stoppage which at best were idiotic and at worst offensive. Even Jarome Iginla, Mr. All Canadian, the most honest to goodness 'aw shucks' guy that has possibly ever played the game, said something during the lockout that just made me think 'shut the fuck up Jarome.'

It's hard to cheer for someone that presents themselves in such a bad light.

I'm actually a little surprised Flames fans aren't experiencing a little dissonance themselves. Way back when Bertuzzi pounded Moore's brains out, almost literally, I had some mixed feelings. Obviously what Bertuzzi did is pretty indefensible, but I tended to feel that there was some unfortunate circumstances; I've seen a whole lot of really dangerous plays in which someone probably should have been hurt, but for whatever reason, they escaped unscathed. Bertuzzi wasn't the worst one I've seen, it just had the worst result.

For that, rightly or wrongly (I'm not here to judge) Bertuzzi was crucified - none more so than by Flames fans. The pure hatred by Flames fans that I've talked to over the years, as well as the chorus of boos inflicted on Bertuzzi at the 'dome is proof positive of Calgary's general disgust for Bertuzzi. But what's this?

Bertuzzi is now playing arguably the best hockey since the Moore 'incident' and Flames fans have not exactly bit their tongue at his success. The level of embracement of Bertuzzi cannot be overstated, and there's really only one reason - he's helping the Flames win.

I am being a bit unfair here lumping all Flames fans together - I know Kent has taken a fairly dispassionate approach at evaluating Bertuzzi's affect on the game.

In the same sense though I too am just as guilty as Flames fans of the same crime. I have to ignore or forget that lockout and the things that transpired if I am to enjoy the game. Hopefully one day Dave at CinO can forget what was done to him as well so he can go back to enjoying the game. And it is a great fucking game.

Oh, and sorry for the title of this post.

I Saw Alexandre Despatie Last Night

After watching Bertuzzi for a couple games I've truly come to believe that he has been targeted by the refs. While in the overall scheme of karma that makes a lot of sense it also as a principle doesn't really work. Bertuzzi may have been guilty of a very legitimate penalty several years ago but that doesn't mean that he's guilty of some other act.

This point brings me to last night. You can check the play over at CiO (i couldn't find the clip at youtube and I don't know how to steal mikew's great work at saving and uploading that file) and while I think Bertuzzi walked a fine line there I don't think he did anything other than compete for the puck and actually let up a bit at the end.

Johnson on the other hand defies many laws of physics that would be implied with a forward momentum push and drops as if he has literally been shot in the back.

I'm not one of those people who can't reconcile two penalties (the initial call + the dive call) in one play - just because a player dives doesn't mean the initial infraction never happened, so I could've lived with a boarding penalty to Bertuzzi if the unsportsmanlike call had gone against Ryan Johnson.

I'm not going to blame the referee here; it's a fast game. The ref sees 'BERTUZZI' stalking a guy going to the corner, the guy goes flying pretty close to the boards and he looks hurt - it's going to happen.

What I do see as disappointing, is as far as I can tell, there is not going to be any formal review of the issue by the NHL. I want to be very clear about this; I am not a bitter fan railing against losing the game, this call perhaps didn't even affect the outcome. I am just a disappointed fan who hates to see diving, regardless of the perpetrator. Ryan Johnson serves as an example only.

Here, via the NHL website, is the rule on diving:

Rule 64 - Diving / Embellishment

64.1 Diving / Embellishment – Any player or goalkeeper who blatantly dives, embellishes a fall or a reaction, or who feigns an injury shall be penalized with a minor penalty under this rule.

A goalkeeper who deliberately initiates contact with an attacking player other than to establish position in the crease, or who otherwise acts to create the appearance of other than incidental contact with an attacking player, is subject to the assessment of a minor penalty for diving / embellishment.

64.2 Minor Penalty - A minor penalty shall be imposed on a player or goalkeeper who attempts to draw a penalty by his actions (“diving / embellishment”).

64.3 Fines and Suspensions - Regardless if a minor penalty for diving / embellishment is called, Hockey Operations will review game videos and assess fines to players or goalkeepers who dive or embellish a fall or a reaction, or who feign injury. See also Rule 29 – Supplementary Discipline. The call on the ice by the Referee is totally independent of supplementary discipline.

The first such incident during the season will result in a warning letter being sent to the player or goalkeeper. The second such incident will result in a one thousand dollar ($1,000) fine. For a third such incident in the season, the player shall be suspended for one game, pending a telephone conversation with the Director of Hockey Operations. For subsequent violations in the same season, the player’s suspension shall double (i.e. first suspension – one game, second suspension – two games, third suspension – four games, etc.) See also Rule 29 – Supplementary Discipline. (Source)

I think we can clearly establish that Johnson violated Rule 64.1 yet escaped on ice punishment. However, we can see that whether the on-ice officials called a dive or not they are eligible for review by Hockey Operations. So while I cannot place a high level of culpability on the on ice officials, I certainly can do so to Hockey Operations; I don't think there's any other way to say this other than stating 'if this play is not reviewed they clearly aren't doing their job.'

Another issue I have with Rule 64.1 is the harshness of the penalty. First offence is a letter, second offence is a $1000 fine, third is a one game suspension. If that doesn't sound like a joke to you then you must be humourless. On the off chance Hockey Operations reviews the play, and decides it was a dive, they have to do that 2 more times for there to be any in game consequences.

Here's my proposition: For any infraction, first, third, eighteenth, the player receives a one game suspension.

The one game suspension though will not be much of a deterrent; you give Ryan Johnson a one game suspension and how much are the Canucks going to miss him?

For a while the league had some sort of Scarlett letter diving thing, but as far as I can tell that plan fell to the wayside.

If it were up to me I would not simply fine the player, I would fine every member of the team, including coaches. They would all be fined at the nominal fee of $1000 which means that it wouldn't really be hurting their pocketbooks all that much, but it would create an extra incentive to not be hated by your team - it makes the whole organization accountable for the transgression of each individual player. It would hopefully create a self policing system between players. The team should be embarrassed when one of their players embellishes to such an obvious extent.

You might argue that in cases where Hockey Operations gets it wrong upon review, this is an overly harsh punishment, but I would bet the psychological effect of being wrongfully prosecuted (persecuted) would actually have a positive fortifying effect on the team.

Is there something I'm missing here?

When Bob McKenzie Speaks, I Listen

Popped onto my computer tonight after watching Entourage to write my piece about David Moss and I got a little distracted watching Bob McKenzie's '6 Cities in 6 Days' Calgary Flames 'evaluation.' I pretty much idolize McKenzie, he seems to me to be the far and away best hockey columnist in the world and I think when he says something about your team it pays to pay attention because it's more than likely he heard it from the horses mouth.

Now, McKenzie is saying that as of now, Bertuzzi is going to be accompanying Iginla and Langkow on the top line, while Lombardi will be flanked by Cammalleri and Bourque. It's the placement of three (Lombardi, Cammalleri, Bertuzzi) players out of that six that really interests me.

We know that both Cammalleri and Bertuzzi are used to playing soft opposition at EV, and we know that Cammalleri faired poorly even with top linemates while Bertuzzi did well but with top linemates (going by last year, of course). Judging by McKenzie's remarks, it looks like Keenan will give one (Cammalleri as of now) the soft opposition, while the other guy will get good linemates (Bertuzzi).

Happily, it looks like Lombardi might get a chance with decent linemates, something I think a lot of Flames fans have been waiting for for a long time.

The lines, as of today, look like this:

Bertuzzi - Langkow - Iginla
Cammalleri - Lombardi - Bourque

There is a third option though:

Conroy/Bourque - Langkow - Iginla
Cammalleri - Lombardi - Bertuzzi

Now, the Flames are pretty center heavy, and besides Iginla, there are no wingers who are going to most often outplay the top EV opposition - Bertuzzi and Bourque or Cammalleri could be pretty interchangeable there (except for potentially the offence they bring). On the other hand, Conroy for instance, is used to playing the other team's top opposition - he's playing off position but with so many centermen on this team it's pretty much bound to happen at some point anyway.

The beauty of this lineup is that Keenan can throw the 2nd line over the boards against the other team's muckers and with any luck they should be able to dominate. The skill level at least is overwhelming and Lombardi for sure has some defensive presence of mind in case things get really bad. This line could operate somewhat like whatever line MacTavish throws Gagner and Nilsson on; they play the weaker opposition and ya, sometimes they get caught with their pants down but on average they're probably going to come out on top.

Plus, this gives Boyd a spot on the third line to develop and get his sea legs while Primeau can hang around on the 4th. You could also argue this opens up a spot for Backlund to compete for: that third line one. If Boyd doesn't carpe diem Backlund might be able to get in there - he might also be able to go for the Primeau position but I don't think that would be the best for his development.

The drawbacks? Well I've already mentioned that during road games that second line could get caught out there. Secondly there isn't a lot of players on that line looking to take care of business in their own end - it could get seriously ugly at times. Finally, how hard does this hinder the first line? I would argue the effects of having Bourque out there instead of Cammalleri or Bertuzzi will be perceived to be much bigger than they actually are, but they could nonetheless exist.

Thoughts?

Beggars Just Can't Be Choosers

I said over in the comments at MG's a while back that Bertuzzi was probably an ok choice for the Flames depending on the cost, and since he's been signed, I would say the price is right.

I think there are basically three schools of thought on Bertuzzi:

1. Bertuzzi is simply an evil person who committed an atrocious act and there's nothing about him that's redeeming.
2. Bertuzzi is a huge victim who made a mistake and have paid his dues
3. Bertuzzi is an ass and probably not a good person but only bad luck has separated him from other heinous acts that have been committed on the ice.

Now, MG seems pretty upset, I would obviously put him in the first category. I think I can categorize the people in the picture in the top of the page as being more in the 2nd category, although probably stupider. I would place myself more in the third category, but I think Matt really expressed my sentiment the best:

"ONE. I don't hate Todd Bertuzzi. Don't think I ever have, though I certainly have no love for the guy. If he was likable at all to we the fan, I would have eventually felt bad for the guy in about 2005, when he was still being portrayed as uniquely evil for committing an act that -- while not commonplace -- is equaled on the Senseless Violence Scale about 5 or 10 times an NHL season, and is surpassed on the Tragic Consequences Scale every so often too." (source)

I've been watching hockey for a long time, and while I won't exactly defend Bertuzzi I'll say I've definitely seen worse. I see something worse probably once a season.

I've never seen worse consequences.

That's the only difference to me.

Not that it's any consolation to Steve Moore.

But in my opinion, this wasn't a bad signing.

I'll agree with Matt on this one. There isn't a lot of risk in a 1 year $1.95 deal. For one, if Bertuzzi plays terrible, both the Flames and the Big Bert can walk away from this amicably. It's already better than Amonte for two years. Secondly, he's not getting paid all that much. Sure, he's the 4th highest paid forward, but he's 10th on the team, and he's only about $500k more than say, Wayne Primeau.

Best case scenario? The guy scores 25 or so goals and draws some of the attention away from Iginla.

The other thing to note about this trade is, as stated before, the Flames absolutely needed someone on the 2nd line. Lombardi is almost a sure bet to be there, but that's about it. Take a look at this chart I made:

Those are the behindthenet.ca numbers for the Flames forward from the preceding season. Obviously it's not a perfect comparison because Bourque, Cammalleri and Bertuzzi were on different teams last year but it at least gives us an idea of where Bertuzzi slots in on the team. In all but two categories, quality of competition and goals/60, Bertuzzi was within the top 6 guys on the Flames. We needed a top 6 guy. Voila.

OK, he was sheltered. Very sheltered. It's not a perfect solution. But it was probably one of the only ones the Flames had left.

I'm no coach, but there has got to be some way to take advantage of this guy's skills.

IMO, this Flames season is shaping up to be a lost cause. There is no reason to hope or expect the Flames to compete for a Cup this spring, and the idea of a playoff spot seems pretty untenable right now. There are too many contracts signed through this year that will anchor this team and too few prospects ready to inject some new blood. It's not a rebuilding season, it's not a bloodletting season. It's a run out the clock season.

Just keep repeating to yourself, it will all (Bertuzzi, Aucoin, Eriksson, Warrener, Nilson, Cammalleri) be over soon.

Calgary Flames vs. Detroit Red Wings - Pre Series Analysis cont

Forwards
Calgary
For the first time since Doug Gilmour, Joe Nieuwendyk, Gary Roberts, Theo Fleury and Lanny MacDonald played together, the forward group is Calgary's true strong point. From top to bottom, Calgary only has one or two real weaknesses (which I will get to later) while they have many many strengths. On the top line, Jarome Iginla is on his best PP/G season, and in my opinion, is playing the most effective hockey of his career. With him is his best buddy Craig Conroy, who has been somewhat of a revelation since he returned from La La Land. He's been very steady (that gaffe in SJ aside) and is on a near point a game pace. On the other side is the sublime Alex Tanguay, who reminds me a lot of Ales Hemsky. Sometimes you want to scream at him to shoot the puck, but most of the time he's just making really superb offensive decisions. Tanguay's biggest problem is that he's a bit prone to taking bad penalties, so the first year Flame will have to stay disciplined.

On the second line we have Daymond Langkow at centre. While early on in the year Daymond couldn't score to save his life, he came alive in November and continued on a torrid pace until now, netting 33 in the process. His winger is Kristian Huselius who is arguably the best puckhandler and pure goal scorer in the NHL (19.65 shooting percentage). Watching him is dizzying - he single handidly runs Calgary's PP, freezing opposition players with his moves and then drilling the puck in. MG mentions Huselius' PP prowess in his pre-series analysis as well, and I think it's a point the Detroit coaches will need to take home to shut down Calgary. The third member of this potent second line has varied from Matthew Lombardi to David Moss. They both play nice complimentary roles: Lombardi provides the line with top notch speed and a devastating forecheck, while David Moss is a true grinder. He goes into the ugly areas to get the puck and he loves scoring the ugly goal.

Calgary's third line has come alive in the last 10 games. Defensive specialists Stephane Yelle (king of blocking shots) and Marcus Nilson (who Calgary sorely missed in last year's playoffs) have been paired with Jeff Friesen or Tony Amonte. It's hard to say who has been the bigger disappointment for Calgary, but have had very low expectations, and both have actually played below expectations. But for whatever reason, Jeff Friesen's play has been steadily improving since late December-early January, and now is a positive force on the team. Tony Amonte is probably Calgary's worst player - he's mediocre defensively and he's lost any touch he ever had around the net. A friend of mine has coined a statistic that applies only to Amonte - SAG (shots at goal). This refers to the fact Amonte almost always misses the net.

Calgary's fourth line is a bit of a jumble right now. Wayne Primeau has been the oft-centreman of this line, and his physicality is something this team sorely needs up front. He's been joined by a bunch of wingers: Tony Amonte (spoken about already) whose true place IS on the 4th line, Byron Ritchie, who has had a very respectable season and who probably deserves more ice time (but who many speculate is hurt). Darren McCarty, the former Red Wing (and Wing fan favourite) has been hurt with a 'groin' problem for most of the season, but last year saved his best for the playoffs. He appears to be ready to go and could be a nice energy guy on this line. Eric Godard is Calgary's enforcer, and while he has limited hockey skills, he KO'd Derek Booguard, and if utilized will keep Detroit's players guessing.

In terms of weaknesses, Calgary has two, both of which I have touched upon already. Tony Amonte is one, and Calgary's best chance is to hide him on the 4th line. Calgary's lack of physical forwards is #2. While Primeau has been consistent, the rest of the Calgary forwards have been pretty much MIA. If Calgary is to beat Detroit, this trend must be reversed. Jarome has to throw his weight around, same goes for Langkow and Moss. The third line doesn't have to hit, but they must pester. Finally, Darren McCarty and Wayne Primeau can only play one way to be effective, and that way is physical.

Detroit
I can't analyze the Detroit forward with the same depth as the Flames forwards simply because I'm not as familiar with them. However, there are some key players who I think will be difference makers in the series. This list starts first and foremost with Henrik Zetterberg. In my opinion he was the most consistent Red Wing in the playoffs last year, he lead the team in goals this year and will have to be a top 3 player for Detroit to win. His health is questionable though, and although it sounds as if he will start on Thursday, one has to wonder if he is truly game shape ready. Second on the list is Pavel Datsyuk, the best regular season player Detroit has. I say regular season for the well publicized fact that Datsyuk has so far not been able to keep his game together in the playoffs. He has the reputation of being soft, and if Detroit is going to win this series, Datsyuk must be a positive factor.

On the second line, Robert Lang only had a so so season, and Todd Bertuzzi has been shuttled in to help get that second line going. Whether you love or hate Bertuzzi, he has been a Flame killer in the past. There have been many a game against Vancouver in the past that Bertuzzi has used to mesmorize Flames defence with his strength and puck handling skills and almost singlehandidly beat us. Bertuzzi's health is a question mark as well though, and although he won't be expected to carry the team as he was in Vancouver, every game that he doesn't perform he will be put even further under the microscope. The pressure could definately get to him. As always, Tomas Holmstrom will be standing in front of Kipper tipping pucks past him. He will score in this series, its only a matter of time.

When Daniel (Danny) Cleary played for Edmonton my friends and I would joke that he would only get going if the stadium music guy played some Celtic jig music, but the fact is that Cleary has been a nice little rescue project for the Red Wings. His second half has been extremely mediocre, but he could provide some secondary scoring for Detroit in this series. Kyle Calder has had a statistically terrible season, but he looked alright last year in the World Championships. I wouldn't expect a lot out of him though.

Of course we are going to see Maltby pestering anyone he can get his hands on, his stickwork matched only by his mouth. As always Kris Draper will be killing penalties, dishing out hits, and occasionally, scoring.

A couple of notables that are question marks to me are Mikael Samuelsson who got off to a roaring start last season but has cooled off considerably since, and Johan Franzen, a guy who Detroit blogs have been raving about.

Edge: Calgary
The Flames in my opinion have more depth and more proven guys, including the best forward in the series: Jarome Iginla. The Red Wings, although potentially very dangerous, have a lot of question marks. If those question marks are answered, Detroit could regain the edge.