The NHL regular season ends April 13th, and most playoff positions have been established, albeit the races for the wild card spots in both Conferences will continue to garner attention down the stretch.
Of note, there isn’t a lot of drama in the race for the major individual awards. Scoring leader Sidney Crosby is a “shoe-in” for the Hart (MVP), Alex Ovechkin will capture the Rocket Richard goal scoring title, Tuukka Rask is a lock for the Vezina (Top Goalie), Patrick Roy has a commanding lead for the Adams (Top Coach) and Nathan MacKinnon appears set to earn the Calder (Rookie of the Year). The Norris (Top Defenceman) is debatable, although it’s hard to argue against Duncan Keith. By the way, Ovechkin is poised for another 50-goal season but his league worst -36 highlights his defensive deficiencies.
Now here are 10 (team) observations which awards will not be granted:
Team to beat: Boston. The Bruins top the league in goal differential and have the fewest weaknesses. They also have an ace goalie that can bail the team out on rare off nights.
Team to avoid: Los Angeles. The Kings will likely meet Anaheim or San Jose in the first round. L.A. reminds me of Boston. The Kings may not have as much firepower as the Bruins, but they are well rounded with a top notch goalie, a standout defenceman and an understanding of how to win at the most important time of the year.
Team with the most to prove: St Louis. The Blues did not acquire goalie Ryan Miller to place second. St. Louis has the record, the stats, the personnel and the coaching to capture the Stanley Cup, but do they have the intestinal fortitude to win four rounds against gruelling competition? I doubt it. For what it is worth, the Blues could not beat the Vancouver Canucks in three regular season meetings.
Team under the radar: Philadelphia. The Flyers were heavily criticized for firing coach Peter Laviolette just three games (all losses) into the season. They promoted Craig Berube from assistant and after a transition period, Philly has soared. With the Flyers on the verge of a playoff spot, Berube has reaped respect for doing a credible job while on the hot seat.
Team with the biggest enigma (goalie): Pittsburgh. The Penguins are obviously loaded with skill, but their talent won’t matter unless Marc Andre Fleury shows the form that helped the team win the Cup in 2009. Fleury’s last two playoffs were horrendous. This season his save pct. and GAA numbers are not in the top 10. I am not sure there is another player that will be more scrutinized once the post-season begins.
Team that needs shootout lessons: New Jersey. The Devils are likely not going to the playoffs and they can look squarely at their hideous shootout record (0-11).
Team stuck in no man’s land: Winnipeg. Once again, the Jets aren’t good enough to make the playoffs but not bad enough to secure one of the top five draft picks unless they win the lottery. With a roster filled with average players, the Jets are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Team not equipped to deal with pressure: Toronto. The Leafs had a near lock on a post-season spot, and then they unravelled during a recent 8 game losing skid. Toronto is last in the entire league in shots against per game.
Team that underachieved the most: Edmonton. The Oilers continue to be in disarray. Coach Dallas Eakins could not connect with his players and the goaltending carousel became laughable. Teams like Buffalo, Florida and Calgary did not have the talent to compete for a playoff spot, an excuse Edmonton is not able to use.
Team with the brightest future: Vancouver. Okay, I accomplished my goal of grabbing your attention and finishing with a chuckle. There’s just five games left for the Canucks and many of their fans would agree the end cannot come soon enough.
It’s difficult to describe in one word what the 2013-14 Canucks season will be most remembered most. The leading candidate appears to be Dysfunctional.
From the Quote Rack:
There were riots in Tucson after the University of Arizona’s men’s basketball team lost in the Elite 8. So have Arizona students been named honorary Vancouver Canucks fans?
Now we know the MLB season has really started. Jose Reyes is back on the DL.
Contributor Janice Hough of Palo Alto, Californiawww.leftcoastsportsbabe.com
A new application will allow NFL fans to order cheerleaders to their seats during games. One cheerleader resigned in protest, saying that she’s going back to her former, safer occupation—at the
strip club.
A.J. McCarron and Katherine Webb are engaged–Brent Musberger is said to be taking it well.
Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California
There are plans to make a movie based on the life of Kurt Warner. Because Warner was an NFL player who didn’t drink or chase women and was never arrested, it will be considered a science-fiction film.
Brad Dickson of the Omaha World-Herald
I just learned Danica Patrick’s boyfriend and fellow NASCAR driver, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., is five years younger than her. Finally, a racer she can stay ahead of.
A U.S. scientist claims she has developed a perfume that can repel zombies. Who’d she test it on? The 76ers?
Comedy writer RJ Curriewww.Sportsdeke.com
And in case you missed it:
Mayor Rob Ford does not plan to use “Get Crackin” as a slogan for his election campaign.
Comedy writer TC Chong of Vancouver (http://alwaysfunny.com/)
Hartley Miller is the sports director for radio station 94X. His column appears Fridays on hqprincegeorge.com. Send along a quote, note, or anecdote to [email protected].
Follow him on twitter: @Hartley_Miller