Melrose Out In Tampa

It is just 16 games into the NHL season but already the have the first coaching casualty of the year. Tampa Bay Lightning first year head coach Barry Melrose was fired Friday after seeing his team get out to a 5-7-4 start, good for 4th place in the Southeast Division. The Lightning, who signed several big name veterans over the offseason on top of drafting Steve Stamkos #1 overall in the 2008 draft, had very high expectations coming into the season. Just 14 points in 16 games is not exactly living up to the hype.

Its too bad to see something like this happen to one of the good guys in sports. Melrose was a very well known, well respected analyst for ESPN prior to the Tampa job. With any luck that position will still be his for the taking now that he is unemployed. The bottom line is that while Melrose is well liked and probably did not get a fair chance to turn the team around, something needed to be done to shake things up and unfortunately it was Melrose who fell victim to the chopping block. It will be interesting to see how the Lightning respond to the move. Rick Tocchet will take over as head coach, for the time being.

Game Of the Year!

Ok, maybe labeling this the game of the year already is a little extreme, but those of you who missed the Detroit Red Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins game last night missed one of the more exciting hockey games you will see all season.

There were plenty of story lines going into last night's match up. It was the first time these two teams faced off since last year's Stanley Cup Final (won by Detroit 4 games to 2). It was also the first time that former Penguin Marian Hossa, who played a vital role in Pittsburgh's playoff run a year ago, would be playing against his former team since leaving via free agency during the off season.

The game started out just as many of last season's finals game had; the Penguins committed several early penalties and the Red Wings capitalized on their mistakes. Detroit took leads of 3-1, 5-2 and 6-4, but Pittsburgh battled back in the third period. Thanks to a hat trick by Jordan Staal the Penguins were able to tie it late in the third and force overtime. After weathering shot after shot from an early Penguins power play, it appeared that the Red Wings were going to regain the momentum in the final frame. That all changed however as an errant Pavel Datsyuk pass was picked off by Staal who thread the the needle to Ruslan Fedotenko for a beautiful goal to end the game.

It was a very gutsy win for a Penguins team that was without their top two defensemen: Sergi Gongar and Ryan Whitney. Both are expected to be out until January due to injuries. Hossa recorded a pair of assist in a losing effort against his former team. The star filled lineups did not disappoint on this night as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, among others, all scored.

The two teams will meet one more time this season on February 8th, this time in Pittsburgh. Circle that date on your calenders; its bound to be one heck of a game.

Devils Lose Brodeur, Season Too?

The New Jersey Devils have taken quite possibly the one blow they cannot afford as star goaltender Martin Brodeur will miss the next three to four months due to an elbow injury. The four-time Vezina Trophy winner will undergo surgery Thursday to repair the distal bicep in his left elbow.

Brodeur, who is considered by many to be the best goalie ever to play the game, was closing in on two records that would have cemented his status as the game's elite; Patrick Roy's career wins record and Terry Sawchuk's career shutout record. It appears that both will now be put on hold until next season.

This is a huge blow to any playoff chances the Devils may have had. New Jersey is a defense first team, but they just lost the backbone of that defense. It could be a short season in New Jersey.

NHL Season Preview

Thursday marks the opening night (on US soil) for the National Hockey League. While we realize hockey may not be the most popular of sports, here at WAY Back Sports we never leave a sport behind...unless its Nascar (you will NEVER see a Nascar post on this site).

Anyway, heres a look at how we think the season will finish:

Eastern Conference:

1. Pittsburgh Penguins - The defending Eastern Conference champions have two of the top five best players in the the NHL (Sidney Crosby & Evgeni Malkin) and enough firepower along side them to make it back to the finals. They will have to weather the storm the first two months without top defensemen Sergi Gongar and Ryan Whitney but they have enough good young talent to hold the fort until they return.
2. Montreal Canadiens - Last season the Canadiens finished with the best record during the regular season before being bounced in the first round by the Flyers. The offseason saw the departure of RW Micheal Ryder and D Mark Streit but a little offensive fire power was brought in to replace them in LW Alex Tanguay and C Robert Lang. This season also marks the first full season for goaltender Carey Price as starter. If he has a strong sophomore season the Canadiens will be contenders in the East.
3. Washington Capitals - Third only by virtue of winning the Southeast, not necessarily the third best record. The Capitals have arguably the most exciting player in hockey in reigning MVP Alexander Ovechkin. They have a good mix of veterans (Sergi Federov, Chris Clark) and rising stars (Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin) to make for a good supporting cast for Ovechkin. The big question mark will be in goal. The Capitals will only go as far as Jose Theodore takes them.
4. Philadelphia Flyers - Having a healthy Simon Gagne back will do wonders for a team that was not that far away from having a big year last season. In the 07/08 playoffs they knocked off the #1 ranked Montreal Canadiens before falling to the Penguins in the Conference finals. The offseason saw the departure of promising young star R.J. Umberger which will sting, but I would think they Flyers would rather have Gagne than Umberger anyday.
5. Boston Bruins - Picking the Bruins to finish 5th may surprise some people but Boston is a gritty team who, with the guidance of coach Claude Julien, will win a lot of close games. The biggest difference this season for Boston will be the return of all star forward Patrice Bergeron who missed all but ten games last season following a career threatening concussion. The addition of Bergeron and the signing of free agent forward Michael Ryder will make the Bruins a team to watch out for in the East.
6. New York Rangers - The Rangers suffered some major losses over the offseason seeing forwards Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shannahan, and Martin Straka all announce their retirement from the NHL. Perhaps the player they will miss the most is not one listed above but instead agitator Steve Avery who signed with Dallas. They were able to bring in decent replacements in Markus Naslund and Nikolai Zherdev, add that to a group that already includes Scott Gomez and Chris Drury and you have a team who will be a strong playoff contender.
7. New Jersey Devils - The Devils are a playoff team for one reason: Martin Brodeur. In Brodeur's 14 seasons as the Devils' goaltender New Jersey has made the playoffs 13 times. Coincidence? I think not.
8. Ottawa Senators - It seems that the Senators and Penguins meet in the playoffs every year, so why change that this season. Ottawa boasts the best line in hockey in Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, and Dany Heatley. Aside from that there isn't a whole lot to be dangerous.
9. Tampa Bay Lightning - Most improved team in hockey, but still not quite enough.
10. Carolina Hurricanes - Loss of Eric Cole means loss of playoff contention.
11. Buffalo Sabers - Ryan Miller will keep them in a lot of games, but he is just one man.
12. Florida Panthers - Good defense, not so good offense.
13. Atlanta Thrashers - They have Ilya Kovalchuk and um...who else?
14. Toronto Maple Leafs - Poor Leafs fans. Its gonna be a long season.
15. New York Islanders - They will battle the Leafs for the basement all year.

Western Conference:

1. Detroit Red Wings - The addition of Marian Hossa make the defending Stanley Cup Champions even that much better. There is no reason why the Red Wings will not go back-to-back.
2. Dallas Stars - Like the rest of the Western Conference, the Stars are just playing for second place. The addition of Sean Avery will add an element of grit to Dallas which will go a long way. Any team with that likes of Brenden Morrow, Brad Richards, Mike Ribeiro, and Marty Turco will be a team that contends.
3. Calgary Flames - The Flames made perhaps the most underrated move of the offseason picking up LW Mike Cammalleri from the LA Kings. Cammalleri will likely be paired with super star Jerome Iginla on the top line making for a nice 1-2 punch. If Miikka Kipprusoff can regain his elite status between the pipes the Flames could be dangerous this season.
4. San Jose Sharks - San Jose has become a perennial powerhouse in the Western Conference and that will likely continue this season. Led by center Joe Thornton and the emergence of Evgeni Nabokov the Sharks will be right in the mix in the West. The addition of D Dan Boyle could be another overlooked acquisition.
5. Anaheim Ducks - Like the Sharks, the Ducks are another team you can count on to be in the mix in the West each season. The young stud first line of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Chris Kunitz will power Anaheim to another strong season.
6. Chicago Blackhawks - In the Eastern Conference the Blackhawks might be the second best team. Unfortunately, they play in the stacked Western Conference where they will be in the middle of the pack. Chicago is just loaded with young talent and made some nice offseason acquisitions in D Brain Campbell and G Cristobal Huet. It would not be a surprise to see Chicago make some noise in the West this season.
7. Edmonton Oilers - The additions of Erik Cole and Lubomir Visnosky are big ones for the Oilers. Expect LW Dustin Penner to have a bounce back year this season after a slow first season in Edmonton. The Oilers are a solid team who will fight for one of the final playoff spots.
8. Minnesota Wild - The Wild will be as good as Marian Gaborik is healthy. They added a few nice role players in LW Andrew Brunette, RW Owen Nolan, and D Marek Zidlicky. If Gaborik plays 65 games the Wild are a playoff team.
9. Phoenix Coyotes - Young and improved, but still a year or two away.
10. Colorado Avalanche - Could sneak into the playoffs if Peter Forsberg returns.
11. Nashville Predators - Why is there hockey in Nashville?
12. Columbus Blue Jackets - Could be a sleeper team in the West.
13. Vancouver Canucks - If they got Roberto Luongo some help they could make some noise.
14. St. Louis Blues - Some good young pieces, but not enough.
15. Los Angeles Kings - Very young. Still two or three years from being a contender.

Cup Finals: Detroit Red Wings over Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

Staal Signs Extension

ESPN.com is reporting that Carolina Hurricanes Center, Eric Staal, has signed a long-term contract believed to be worth over 8 million dollars a season for the next 7 years. The 23-year-old Staal ended last season with 38 goals and 44 assists. As the NHL looks to increase its appeal and ratings in non-traditional hockey markets, having a player of Staal's caliber sign long-term to a team like Carolina can only help in what seems like a bright future for the NHL.

Bruins Discuss Possible Outdoor Game at Fenway

Bruin's owner Charlie Jacobs has mentioned the idea of possibly hosting an outdoor game as a part of the NHL's "Winter Classic" series, sometime in the future. Potential locations for the game are Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium, and the Boston Common. After the success of the New Year's day game in buffalo this past year, many teams have been interested in hosting an outdoor game. Traditionally a popular sport in cold weather areas, the NHL is increasing their popularity with every outdoor event that they host. The NHL should explore Boston as an opportunity to host an outdoor game given the recent success of cult-like sports franchises like the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots.

Chelios Returns for a 25th Season

The Detroit Red Wings have signed 46-year-old Defenseman Chris Chelios to a one-year deal worth $750,000. The 2008-2009 season will be Chelios' 25th NHL season and 9th season with the Red Wings. He is currently the oldest active player in the NHL. Placing things in perspective, Chelios entered his 3rd season in the NHL the year Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby was born.

NHL Odds and Ends

While many of the NHL’s big offseason questions have been answered, the past few weeks have brought significant news for the league next season. For the second straight year the NHL will open its season in Europe with a total of four games scheduled on October 4th and 5th. The Pittsburgh Penguins will face off against the Ottawa Senators for two games in Stockholm, while the Tampa Bay Lightning face the New York Rangers in Prague.

The NHL also announced an outdoor New Year’s Day game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field.

Other News of Note:

Penguins and Head Coach Michel Therrien agree to a new 3-year contract

Sabers signed Goaltender Ryan Miller to a 5-year extension

Blackhawks 20-year-old center, Jonathan Toews was names captain of the team

Thrashers signed young prospect Angelo Esposito to a multi-year contract

Joffrey Lupul signs 4-year extension with the Flyers

Mats Sundin is still a Free Agent; however, a deal with some NHL team seems eminent.

Thoughts:

Mat Sundin, despite his age can add immense value to a team that is willing to take the risk. It seems that the real holdup in negotiations is Sundin’s desire for a multi-year contract, something not even Edmonton’s GM Kevin Lowe would agree to.

Esposito, Miller, and Lupul were all great decisions as they represent the core players of the ‘new’ NHL.

Jonathan Toews appointment to Captain is a great thing for the Chicago Blackhawks’ organization and the NHL. He joins Sidney Crosby as the two youngest Captains in the NHL and sets the table for a bright future