Winter Classic Thrills Boston Crowd

By Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter… After spending two days taking in the sites and sounds of Fenway Park, the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers outdoor practice and numerous players and management interviews, I headed to Fenway knowing that today was the day, today the Bruins and Flyers would square off in front of over 38,000 fans. As the saying goes, “game on!!!”

On my way to the ballpark, I took in the atmosphere of the crowd, which was both playful and boisterous. Bruins and Flyers fans shared the streets outside Fenway, playfully bantering as they themselves took it all in.

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino proclaimed declared Friday, January 1, 2010 as NHL Winter Classic Day. Players, media members and fans alike celebrated the day with much vigor as they paid tribute to two great franchises and the game of hockey in it’s purest form, outdoor pond hockey.

Heading into the game both teams tried to play down the event, but the smiles on their faces could not disguise their utter excitement to play in the Winter Classic as, for many players, the honor of playing in the classic was a dream come true.

The ceremonies before the drop of the puck included the singing of both the Canadian and American national anthems, during which, both Canada’s and The U.S. flag were draped over the green monster.

A stealth bomber flew over Fenway shortly thereafter. It was a sight to see, even if you could barely hear it in the skies.

Finally, after so much hype and dedicated media attention, the Players readied themselves to drop the puck. Hall of Famers Bobby Clarke (Flyers) and Bobby Orr (Bruins) were selected as honorary Captains for their former clubs, a nice touch that didn’t escape the players, media or the fans.

For the Philadelphia Flyers to be successful at Friday’s Bridgestone Winter Classic, many analysts thought they would have to weather the storm of a amped up Boston Bruins crowd.

After a rather elementary first period by both clubs, the Flyers came out of the first intermission on fire. They hit everything that moved and dominated the seemingly slow Bruins.

The Flyers kept the puck in their opponents end for most of the period which paid off when Bruins goaltender misplayed the puck, leading to Flyers defense man scoring his first NHL goal of his career at 4:42 of the second period.

When the period was over, the Flyers looked every bit the better team and the scoreboard proved it as the Flyers would enter the third period up 1-0 on the Bruins.

By all accounts, the Flyers played a perfect road game for the first two periods. They didn’t take unnecessary penalties, they didn’t take unnecessary chances they kept the Bruins in check and they scored the first goal.

After the game, I had a chance to ask Bruins head coach about the Flyers dominance in the second period and what he told his troops, to which he replied: “We weren’t shooting pucks, we were trying to make those extra plays and those extra plays were being broken up and they would turn around and get a scoring chance off those turnovers or broken plays. They were bringing everything to the net. They were doing a much better job than we were. I wasn’t very happy.”

Clearly, after such a lack luster second period the Bruins needed to dig deep and find the fire in their bellies. The Bruins played a more disciplined third period, but were not be rewarded.

Then, at 16:08 of the third period, Flyers defense man Kimmo Timonen took a tripping penalty and, just like that, you could sense the momentum was about to change, destiny seemed to be rearing it’s head and the pendulum was about to turn in the Bruins favor.

With a crowd of players surrounding him, Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton, who had been very good throughout the game, watched as Bruins veteran NHL forward Mark Recchi tipped in a puck at 17:42 of the third period.

The Boston crowd, which had been eerily quiet up to that point, sprung out of their seats and erupted into cheers. Houston, we have a game…

With the game now tied and the Bruins now back in the game, Danny Briere inexplicably took a tripping call at 19:14 of the third, causing Bruins fans to once again leave their seats in excitement and anticipation of the power play to come.

The third period would end with no winner decided, which meant, this game was headed to overtime.

With the Bruins still on the power play, they came out with guns a blazing, quickly penetrating the Flyers defensive zone and attacking everything in orange and black.

Sadly, for Bruins fans, the power play ended without incident as the Bruins failed to score, the game was still tied.

With the shootout looming, fans seemed married to the fact that they would have to endure the cold for a bit longer. Then, with the puck already deep within the Flyers blue line, Bruins forward and Team Canada Olympic member Patrice Bergeron threw the puck at the net, which Germany’s Marco Sturm tipped in for the game winner.

Sturm’s goal capped off a remarkable comeback for the Bruins, one which will go down in history. Clearly, Strums goal was one of the biggest of his career. When asked about the goal Strum responded: “I just tried to go to the net. I think he (Bergeron) had Z (Zdeno Chara) open, too, a little bit, but he made a nice play for a tip-in”.

I would later press Sturm for more details, asking him if he scooped up the puck or of the NHL had it. “I don’t know anything, but I hope so (smiling), Strum responded. “You know, it;s just like I said before, it’s just one of those memories that is always going to be probably– for right now, on top of my list”.

And for many Bruins fans as well, Mr. Sturm!

For the Flyers, Sturm’s goal marked the end of an otherwise well played game. That said, their Flyers undisciplined penalties near the end of the third period cost them the game which left players and head coach Peter Laviolette reeling.

When asked about the Bruins tough play in the third period Laviolette, who was noticeably down, replied: “You know, it was probably their (Bruins) best period. I still think we were in pretty good shape going down the stretch. Yeah, I think that was probably their (Bruins) best period.

I asked Laviolette about the Flyers strong start and the teams ability to take the Bruins crowd out of the game, to which he responded: “We play a pretty good on the road. I think that’s why we found some success. We have been limiting chances. Again, they got some better looks in the third and on the power play. defensively it’s been pretty tight. It’s a good thing, when you’re playing wide open and it goes the other way, it can snowball in a different direction. It was good that we were tight”.

But not when it counted most, which, for Flyers’ fans, is a shame, as, in my opinion, the Flyers deserved a better fate then they got tonight.

I’ll have more on the Winter Classic in the coming days. For now, I’d like to say thank you to the B/R and the NHL for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime of covering the Winter Classic. It was a privileged and, on a personal note, I think I have grown tremendously as a writer, which we can all capitalize on.

Until next time,

Peace!

Top 10 Most Important Games Remaining for the Maple Leafs

If You Could Turn Back Time: 30 Players the Leafs Could Have Drafted, but Didn’t…Since 1979

By Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter…

Hindsight. It’s a word that oozes possibilities and, in the case of Toronto Maple Leaf fans, a word that haunts them in their sleep like an evil Gremlin.

Over the years the Leafs have had the misfortune of drafting in some very admirable positions. That said, many of the Leafs’ draft picks have not panned out, in fact, the Leafs have the reputation of leaving talent on the table.

With that in mind, it is interesting to note the top pick’s the Leafs left on the table at the draft. In part one, we will take a look at draft years 1979-1989. Which players could the Leafs have drafted but chose to pass on the offer.

Let’s take a closer look…

Bryan Berard - The Forgotten Franchise Player

By Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter… “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do”.
-John Wooden

There is no better quote on the planet that could describe the career of former NHL defenseman Bryan Berard.

Bryan Berard was originally drafted first overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 1995 NHL entry draft. Shortly thereafter, Berard, who had scored 31 goals and 58 assists as a member of the OHL Detroit Whalers prior to the draft, informed the Senators that he would not report to the team.

As a result of his refusal to join the Senators, Berard, along with Martin Straka, was traded to the New York Islanders for defenseman Wade Redden and goaltender Don Beaupre.

With the scandal of his refusal to play for the Senators behind him, Berard entered the 1996-97 NHL season as a member of the upstart New York Islanders.

Berard did not disappoint, scoring 8 goals and adding 40 assists, while posting 86 penalty minutes. His poise with the puck while in the offensive zone was well documented and his skating ability was off the charts, clearly Berard came as advertised, a legitimate top tier defenseman, a legitimate franchise player, or was he?

Berard was rewarded for his strong first year effort by being awarded the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year. His 48 points would be the most he would score in his 11 year NHL career; curious that a player with so much potential would peak in his first full NHL season.

The following season, 1997-98, Berard would score 14 times and added 32 assists, good enough for 46 points. Offensively, Berard was quickly establishing himself as one of the NHL’s premier defensmen, but he struggled in his own zone and his discipline and decision making in his own zone was often questioned.

The following season, 1998-99, Berard would fall out of favor in New York. The Islanders, who had a reputation for having very little patience with their younger players, decided to trade Berard to the Toronto Maple Leafs for veteran netminder Felix “The Cat” Potvin.

The arrival of goaltender Curtis Joseph to Toronto had made Potvin expendable. The  question was, what made the Islanders give up on a young talented defenseman, regardless of his minor shortcomings? Fact is, giving up on Berard was a complete mystery to many in NHL circles. Sure, Berard had his faults, but at just 22 years of age, and with huge upside and untapped potential, were the Islanders giving up on Berard too soon?

In 38 games with the Leafs Berard scored five goals and 14 assists, good enough for 19 points. His impact was bigger than the stats suggested. Berard gave the Leafs a huge boost, his ability to start the rush was of enormous value and his offensive ability made the Leafs power play better. Berard seemed to be the final piece of the puzzle.

Berard would play 17 playoff games with the Leafs that season, scoring one goal and adding 8 assists for 9 points. Again, the stats do not suggest Berard had a huge impact on the team, but those who watched the Leafs playoff run know Berard was an integral part of that team.

Thinking back, Berard added to an already very talented Leafs defensive corps, one that could have been amongst the NHL’s best for years to come. Danil Markov, Tomas Kaberle, Sylvain Cote, Alexander Karpotsev, made up one heck of a defensive corps. Can you imagine if the Leafs had kept Jason Smith? I digress, back to the story…

Besides Berard’s impact on the ice he was well liked by his teammates. Berard was often spotted out in the local nightclubs with the likes of Mats Sundin, Tie Domi, Todd Warriner, Darby Hendrickson, Glen Healy and others. How do I know? I was there with them a few times…The Shark Club at Yonge and Eglington comes to mind.

To the dismay of Leaf fans everywhere, the Leafs playoff run would end in defeat, losing to the hated Buffalo Sabres in the Conference Finals. Yeah, I was in Buffalo for game three, a 4-2 loss for Toronto, can’t tell you how much fun that was!

It seemed as if Berard had found a home in Toronto. His potential was endless and he was surrounded by a good mixture of veterans to keep him in line and offer experience. Great teammates, close friendships, playing in the hotbed of hockey, clearly, Berard could be a star in Toronto.

Sadly, it was not to be.

On March 11, 2000, Bryan Berard’s life and hockey career would change forever. During a regular season game, ironically against the Ottawa Senators, Berard was high-sticked by Marian Hossa. Hossa, who had a reputation for playing with an active stick, clipped Berard’s right eye, resulting in a retinal tear and a detached retina.

The result of the injury was that Doctors felt Berard would eventually lose his eye. Berard reportedly told anyone that would listen that he would play hockey again and, to his credit, after seven tough operations in 1999-2000 he improved his vision to 20/600.

Unfortunately, 20/600 did not meet the NHL’s minimum vision requirement of 20/400, so Berard eventually settled on having a lens implanted into his eye, which brought his vision up to NHL minimum standards of 20/400.

During his time away from the game Berard was awarded a $6.5 million insurance settlement. Through it all Berard remained defiantly confident that he would emerge from his surgeries and play hockey again.

True to his words, after trying out for the New York Rangers in 2002-03, Berard made the roster and signed a one year, $2 million contract. As a result of said contract Berard was forced to give up his $6.5 million insurance settlement, a gutsy move for a player with Berard’s limited visual acuity, clearly Berard’s love of the game outweighed any handicap.

Berard played in all 82 games for the Rangers, netting two goals and adding 21 assists, good enough for 23 points. Not bad for a guy that could barely see out of his right eye!

2002-03 saw Berard sign with the Boston Bruins. In 80 games Berard scored ten goals, added 28 assists, for a total of 38 points, clearly, Berard was back!

Berard switched uniforms again in 2003-2004, signing with the Chicago Blackhawks. In just 58 games Berard scored 13 goals and added 34 assists. His 47 point effort was the most he had scored since his rookie year when he netted 48 points as a member of the Islanders.

Berard would round out his 11 year NHL career as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he played just 55 games over two seasons.

In early 2006, the results of a November 2005 drug test revealed Berard had tested positive for an anabolic steroid. The NHL did not suspend Berard, but he was suspended from international competition for two years. At the time of the test results, Berard said of the incident, “I made a mistake that resulted in suspension and, while unintentional, I take full responsibility…I am disappointed in myself.”

These days, Berard patrols the blueline for Vityaz Chekhov of the Kontinental Hockey League. In 2008-09, in just 25 games, Berard scored 17 points.

Bryan Berard had the potential to be one of the NHL’s best defensemen. Sadly, due to injury and circumstance, we will never know just how good he could have been. His heart and determination was enough for him to score 47 points in in 58 games, all with just one good eye.

To me, with that kind of heart, the sky was the limit for Berard, it’s a shame we never got the opportunity to see Berard at his best.

Until next time,

Peace!

Phil Oreskovic- Toronto’s Future Fierce Friendly Giant

By Louis “King of Roncesvalles” Pisano… After his ten game stint up in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the name on the lips of every fan is that of the rugged stay at home defenseman Phil Oreskovic. This Brampton native played the majority of his OHL career with the Brampton Battalion and was drafted in the 3rd round 82nd overall in 2005 by the Toronto Maple Leafs. This 6’3 217 lbs gentle giant, off the ice, can be seen after games signing autographs for kids, and always wearing the big smile that was on his face the first time I had the pleasure of interviewing him. It was February 18th, and although I had been watching him from the press box during numerous games previously, I had never interviewed him, he was leading the Toronto Marlies in the plus/minus category, registering a plus four that game which moved him up to plus twenty on the season. When he came out to talk to me about the game he reached a huge hand forward shaking mine with vigour, saying with a huge grin “Hi my names Phil!” I asked him about being the best plus minus guy on the team, and asked him if he thought he had a chance of going up to the NHL and he said “Uh ya know I take every day, day by day, and just come to the rink, and if it’s for the Marlies or for the Leafs, I’m giving a hundred percent either way, just take it day by day, you know I’d like to contribute, to wherever I’m playing.” After this I told him, I think he should be up there getting a shot!

Fast forward to the present, he’s now been there and done that, and I wanted to know, now that he’s back with the Marlies, what the experience was like…“It was definitely a great experience, exciting for me and my family, you know home town kid, it was definitely real good, a little overwhelming ya know, it was nice to have all that opportunity, and I got pretty good ice time, it was definitely a great feeling”. I asked him about his three fights, first against Tim Jackman… “Jackman, yeah it was a good one, he’s a tough guy” and then Andre Roy, and last night, (Saturday 28thvs Boston) Milan Lucic, I said to him you look no worse for wear, he replied “Yeah, yeah, you know I’m still smiling which is the most important thing, they’re tough guys, and that’s part of my game, and you know I like to think I’m a player as well, so if I can play, and bring a tough guy role as well, and if that’s what they’re happy with, and move the puck well and just do my job.” He scored his first goal against Washington and Jose Theodore he said of this, “It was real exciting, yeah definitely!” and “It was definitely exciting to get that first goal, like I said for family and friends everyone, and I was getting text messages and phone calls and messages so, it was exciting, and it was a big relief.”

His smile is a constant, and this guy is just a pleasure to be around, in my eyes he has a bright future in the NHL. I know Toronto fans are excited about having him up there next year, and we will all be rooting for good Canadian kid! Good luck Phil, buddy Toronto loves ya man!

Thanks for the Memories, Joe: Hockey Loses a Giant

Why The NHL Draft Needs To Change

By Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter…

Failure, for the most part anyways, is not rewarded, unless of course you are a professional sports team and it’s draft time, then you are rewarded.

The NHL draft has long been the subject of great debate, some feel the current system of the draft lottery (Heavily weighted towards rewarding the bottom 5 teams) is the fairest way of establishing which team will get the coveted first overall pick; others liked the old way of awarding the worst team in the League with the first overall pick, plain and simple, yet still ineffective in my mind. In each case the bottom feeders of the League are being rewarded for mediocrity and failure, is this the right way to do it? It says here, no!

The NHL draft lottery is in need of change, the current system still does not address the issue of teams “Tanking” in order to position themselves to be in consideration for the top draft picks. Sometimes, a team has a bad year and ends up on the bottom- key player injuries, bad luck, poor Free Agent signings and poor coaching can conspire to handcuff a team from competing, “Stuff” happens, and I am “Ok” with that. The problem I have is that we often see a string of 4-5 years where a team continually finishes in the bottom five selling their fans with dreams of “A bright future”, the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins are a prime example of this. Consider this for a moment, if not for the rewards of a top draft pick, where would these two franchises be? Nowhere, that’s where, and in the case of the Pittsburgh Penguins, they would likely be in Hamilton. Why should either one of these franchises be in the position they are now when they essentially gave up? Why were these teams rewarded for being bad?

Herein lies the problem with the bottom feeders. Most of these teams do not spend anywhere near the top of the Salary Cap, most of these teams spend very little money on free agents, so from the NHLPA side of things, these teams actually bring the value of it’s membership down. Also, many of these teams bury players in the minors that otherwise deserve a shot in NHL, why bring a player up late in the year if he is going to catapult your club out of the basement, right?

Well, I have a solution. Instead of rewarding mediocrity, why not make the draft lottery a far less biased lottery? In my draft, teams that spend to the limit, develop their young players and make great managerial decisions (Builders) will be rewarded for a job well done, not slighted. My draft would feature a more balanced approach, designed to reward all teams with a very marginal greater chance of getting a top pick if your team falters, fair is fair, right? My draft would accomplish a few things, first, it would ensure that all clubs would strive to be as competitive as possible, no tanking- thus we would have a better product/more competitive product on the ice, which is better for the NHL and it’s fans alike. Second, teams would be forced to spend more on Free Agents, which is good for the players and fans. Third, it would put an end to teams being unfairly rewarded for poor play, poor management and poor coaching, essentially making each and every NHL team accountable for their results, no passengers here, just hard working franchises on and off the ice.

The thought of being exempt from consideration for a top draft pick would likely serve as a wake-up call for many of the NHL’s troubled franchises. If you force NHL clubs to be accountable for their actions or lack-thereof, you are sending the right message, essentially, “Get your S*it together”, nobody is feeling sorry for you, pick it up, or shove off, end of story….. There are consequences in everyday life for mediocrity, it’s about time it transferred into the NHL.

Without further adieu, here is a look at a more balanced, realistic draft. In order to make the draft completely void of teams “Tanking” I took into consideration how the current system rewards the bottom feeders and took that away from them. The first thing I would do is make the draft lottery a pure “Lottery”- essentially each team would have a pre-determined amount of balls put into a barrel, the first ball picked would receive the 30th overall pick, the second ball picked would receive the 29th overall pick, and so on until there was only one team left, that team would get the coveted number one pick, essentially the NHL draft would turn into Survivor! Sounds a little like the current draft, doesn’t it? Well, there is a twist (You knew it was coming, didn’t you?) My draft would be limited to a total of 100 balls, If a team finishes in the bottom 5 (26th-30th) they will receive 4 balls, thus they would have a 4% chance of getting the coveted #1 pick, the teams that finish 6th-25th would receive 3 balls, thus they will have a 3% chance of winning the number one pick, the teams that finish 1st-5th would receive 4 balls, giving the teams at the top the same chance (4%) as the bottom feeders, essentially they are rewarded for a job well done.

If the NHL adopted this draft teams would be focused on winning, not trying to ensure a better draft position. The difference in reward is so marginal that all NHL teams will be forced to be better, every move would be of the utmost importance, there would be a sense of accountability, no longer could your franchise sit in the weeds in hopes of landing the next Sidney Crosby or Steven Stamkos, essentially all franchises would have a realistic shot at bettering their teams, and deservedly so.

The NHL draft is in dire need of a shakeup, and the sooner the better. Let’s hope the powers that be see the value in instituting a draft like this, after all, it’s only fair to reward the franchises that do a great job, they are the ones the NHL markets itself around, rewarding failure just doesn’t make sense.

Until next time,

Peace!

Paul To The Hall: Paul Henderson Should Be Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame

By Mike Allder…  “Here’s a shot…Henderson made a wild stab for it and fell.  Here’s another shot right in front…they score! Henderson has scored for Canada! Henderson, right in front of the net!” Foster Hewitt, September 28, 1972

The highlight is as vivid today as it was that sunny afternoon.

Sure it was only eight games but it was the most important eight games ever played in Canadian hockey history.

It has almost been four decades since “The Goal” by Paul Henderson sent Canada into a delirious state of euphoria—yet to this day, Henderson is still not inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Why?

Canada as a nation immortalized Paul by minting a silver coin and having a postage stamp commemorating that historic goal on the twenty fifth anniversary in 1997. Whoop dee do.

Frankly, it is sad.

A true immortalization from Canada the world’s greatest hockey country would be to have Paul honoured in the place where all great hockey players along with great hockey moments are frozen in time, defrosted back to life with a simple visit to the museum of hockey—the Hockey Hall of Fame.

True, the Hockey Hall of Fame was created to acknowledge hockey’s greatest players, a place where the greats could forever sit perched above the not so great, the goods, and the downright lousy players. The place the superstars forever could be placed upon their rightful and well deserved pedestals forever appreciated never to be forgotten.

Paul Henderson would not be classed as a great player—but he was not a lousy player either. Paul was a good player, a speedy right winger who played a dozen years in the NHL, scoring over twenty goals in seven seasons and playing in two All-Star games.  Including a stint of five seasons in the WHA, Paul ended his pro career with 1,067 games played and a total of 760 points—hardly Hall of Fame numbers in any hockey fans book.

But—and it is a big but.

Consider if Paul had not been the sharpest shooter during that ‘72 series, scoring on an astounding twenty-five percent of his shots on Russian goalie Vladislav Tretiak (who just so happens to be inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame).  Paul scored seven goals on a total of twenty eight shots—and the last three goals were all game winners, all clutch goals. When Team Canada needed three wins, Paul delivered.

Consider what might of been had Team Canada not come away from the Luzhniki Sports Palace victorious.  I could not imagine how we has a nation would have dealt with losing to the Big Bad Russians. After all, so much was expected, so much was demanded—and thanks to Paul Henderson scoring with thirty-four seconds left in the final Game Eight, so much was delivered.

Thank you, Mr Henderson. Whew, that was close.

As I glance at my framed Team Canada ’72 picture on my den wall, I count a total of fourteen players who played in that series have been inducted into The Hockey Hall of Fame. (Fifteen players if you count Bobby Orr, who did not play due to injury.) Harry Sinden, who coached the team, was inducted in the builders category.

Disgraced hockey czar Alan Eagleson was head of the NHLPA at the time.  He was the most instrumental in the birth of the Summit Series, but resigned his post in 1998 after the Hall of Fame had threatened to expel him.  He had also been inducted in the builders category.

So the Hockey Hall of Fame had sixteen total inductees from Team Canada ‘72, but now only fifteen plaques appear in the Great Hall. I am proposing that Paul Henderson be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and bring the total inductees from Team Canada ‘72 back to sixteen honoured members.

Team Canada ‘72 was one of the greatest moments in the history of Canada, let alone the history of hockey. It is a shame that the one player who if not for his timely, clutch goals, Team Canada ‘72 would of been long forgotten decades ago. I mean does anyone ever talk about Team Canada and the Summit Series ‘74?

It is now the time for Paul Garnet Henderson to have his rightful place amongst hockey’s greatest all-time heroes. It is now time for Paul Garnet Henderson to be inducted into The Hockey Hall of Fame.

My Hall includes Paul.

The NHL Instigator Rule, And What The League Needs To Do With It

by Derek Harmsworth…

First, a confession, I hate the instigator rule.

I don’t hate it because it discourages retaliation, or late game fights.  I don’t hate it because in some cases it allows the league’s pest to hide behind the rule while running amok on the ice.

No, there is a completely different reason I hate the NHL’s instigator rule.

With all due respect to the league’s officials, they simply have no idea how to use it properly, which seriously puts a dent into its credibility and raises questions to its mere existence.

All of this would be a moot point if it weren’t for a recent trend that has developed this season: players who throw clean hits, and then have to answer the bell in terms of a fight.

While this trend is not the biggest issue in hockey right now, it is becoming an annoyance. Furthermore, I think if you look back to all those instances in which a player had to defend himself in a fight following a clean hit, you will find one similarity. There likely was not an instigator rule handed out in any of the cases.

By definition, and I will be paraphrasing here, a player instigates a fight when he drops the gloves first, or grabs another player, and begins throwing punches without the other player having a say in the matter.

Saturday night’s game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Pittsburgh Penguins is another example in the latest saga of instigator misuse.

After Leafs’ defenseman Luke Schenn delivered a solid, yet perfectly legal, hit on Evgeni Malkin, Tyler Kennedy, who had come off the bench in the midst of a post-whistle line change, grabbed Schenn and began a shoving match, which escalated into a fight.

Coming off the bench, grabbing a player, and getting into a fight breaks a few rules, but apparently the instigator rule is not one of them.

For the record, Kennedy has been suspended for one game by the NHL for coming off the bench and engaging in a fight.

And while I hope people don’t look at this as pro-Leafs banter, the time is now for the NHL to decide where to go with the instigator rule.

Do they keep it? And if they do, will they finally begin to enforce it properly?

While it seems to be on the agenda at every general managers meeting, the time may finally come for the league to take a serious look at the rule, and whether it serves a purpose in today’s NHL.

All of this will surely be a double-edged sword considering the talk of banning fighting all together.

Playoff Overtime, Like It Or Not, It’s Here To Stay…..

By Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter…

There is nothing more exciting than NHL playoffs, the hard hits, the great saves, the late period heroics, the heart the players exude, the sacrifice the players make, the importance of every minute, every shift, every play, add it all up and you have the recipe for great hockey. NHL playoff hockey is (As they say) the “Shizzle my nizzle”, it drips with intensity and passion, you can’t beat it…or can you? Well, there is one way, throw in a little overtime and you have yourself the ultimate in a playoff game, “Sudden death” (As it is also known) adds a whole other dramatic dimension to an already tense affair, and I for one hope they never change it.

Recently, there has been some debate as to weather or not the NHL should “Tweak” their overtime policy in the playoffs. The argument is that while many NHL fans love the dramatic finishes overtime brings about, they would like the finish to be quicker. Some have proposed the NHL should go to 5 on 5 overtime for the first overtime period, 4 on 4 for the second and 3 on 3 for the third overtime. The rationale is that games that go to double or triple overtime are just too long and ultimately take away from the strong play that got the teams to this point. Fans don’t want to spend 4+ hours watching hockey, especially when it happens during a late West Coast tilt. If the games were settled in a more timely manner the level of play would be greater and the fans would be more apt to stay awake and watch the match until the finish. What? Who’s coming out with this crap? Why the heck would you want to ruin the great thing that IS overtime in the playoffs? If you ask me, the people that are suggesting this (Probably full-time hockey helmet wearers who took short buses to school) ought to have their collective heads examined,

Overtime has been a part of the NHL playoffs since Heinz started making ketchup, there is nothing wrong with the ketchup and there is nothing wrong with endless overtimes in the playoffs. If you can’t stay awake to watch the game use your PVR and record the game. Don’t have a PVR? Get out the old VCR, record the game and watch it in the :Am, or better still, rest up the night before “Sally”, this is the NHL playoffs, there is no time like overtime and there is no time for sleep, get your priorities straight, will ya?

Why is it the non-traditionalists are always trying to take away the best parts of our game? Changing the foundation of what has always been a part of the games heritage would be an act of stupidity and should be vigorously fought. Have you ever seen the players smile more than in the grips of double overtime? Have you ever heard a louder crowd than game seven of a playoff series that goes to OT? Have you ever seen an empty house when a playoff game goes to OT? The answer is “No” all around, fans and players alike love overtime, it is a part of the game and in my mind the fairest way to decide a game. It is what the players play for, that rare opportunity to be the hero and win the game/series while every hockey fan is gripped to their TV, there is nothing like it in all of sports, overtime separates the men form the boys, and it needs to stay.

The whole argument for change is bogus. Ultimately it is the players that pay the price in overtime, so why the heck should the fans sleep, or lack-thereof, come into the conversation? Having the Stanley Cup playoffs decided in a 4 on 4 format or 3 on 3 format would be an act of stupidity, the scenario rarely comes up in the regular season so why would you  allow it to enter the conversation when it comes to the playoffs? I liken the scenario to deciding the World Championships and Olympics via the shoot-out, I have never understood why these tournaments are ever decided this way. Sure it’s great when Canada wins it in the shoot out, but what about the alternative when they lose? It makes me crazy to think that a World Championship can be decided by a skills competition, I mean, what’s the hurry anyhow? Each time Canada has been on the losing end I am left pretty pissed off, there is nothing worse than taking the heart, passion and physical play out of the game in order to get a decision, let them play all night for all I care, it’s better than watching a shoot-out or 4 on 4 for that matter, isn’t it?

The playoffs is a time for players to showcase their talent, it is a time for heros to be born and for the unknown to be “Known”. If you take away or change the format of playoff overtime you are messing with the very fabric of the game, I for one hope sanity prevails and the NHL leaves well enough alone. Mr. Bettman, Fans, give your heads a shake, why would you take the most exciting part of the playoffs out of the game? Some of the best playoff games of all-time have been played well into double overtime, there is no substitute for “Sudden death”. Should the NHL facilitate some changes? Hell no! The NHL should leave well enough alone, Change is not necessary, and if you do make changes, you’re an idiot!

Until next time,

Peace!

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