November 20th Column

I hate the Cold-fx Mark Messier leadership award. Funny you should ask my opinion. The award really serves no purpose if you give it out to a guy who's been on a team for what, two months? Brendan Shanahan, as great as he is, is no way as deserving of this award. If anything, you have a guy like Marty Brodeur in there to give it to. He's more of a captain to ANY team in the NHL right now, more than any other player in the league. Did we hear Patrik Elias speak out about the third period collapse in a mere 90 seconds last Tuesday?

Also, I really don't need half the second period interrupted for an interview. Living in the New York area, there is nothing new I can learn about Mark Messier.

Speaking of things that will take up half of a Versus broadcast, check out tonight's Colorado-Dallas game. They will be using an innovation called a rail-cam, a camera that hangs above the glass and follows the game on one side of the ice. Many hockey people, including some fancy book author who occasionally writes on this site, are big fans of the rail-cam and think it could truly revolutionize the telecast of a game. It's not hard for a sport that, as John Buccigross said, has actually gotten worse on television the past 20 years. If this works out well, expect to see it on the All-Star game, coincidentally held in the same arena.



Here's my Official Corporate Holiday jersey wish list:

A Sidney Crosby #87 (With an A on the right) Black Penguins Jersey

An Alexander Ovechkin #8 Retro (Red/White/Blue) Capitals Jersey

A Cam Janssen #25 Red Devils Jersey

A Maxim Afinogenov #61 Blue Retro Sabres Jersey

A Scott Niedermayer #27 (C Included) White Ducks Jersey

And of course, the gift I always want, yet never get, an authentic Johnstown Chiefs jersey.

I've decided the Washington Capitals are two players away from contending for the Cup. Definitely a #1 defenseman is in order (Hmmm, isn't Ed Jovanovski available after the 'Yotes 6-13 start?), while a second center to play with either Semin or Ovechkin would fit right (Craig Conroy would look nice). They are so much fun to watch, because 1. They work hard. 2. They seem to genuinely enjoy the game and know that they are starting to be taken seriously and 3. Ovechkin, Ovechkin, Ovechkin. Plus, they are light years from the cap, so while Ted Leonsis may speak of patience on his blog until the cows come home and begin to talk to each other on AIM, two marquee players are easily within the Capitals budget.

Nashville and Detroit (52) have more combined points than Chicago, St. Louis and Columbus (50). The beauty part? The Wings and Predators have only played the Jackets, 'Hawks and Blues a combined 7 out of 24 times this season. That means another 17 points for both teams to run up on their division rivals.

It's good to see the people of Atlanta FINALLY respond to a good team. The Thrashers have averaged over 15,000 a game so far this season and have sold out their last two home games (One against the Stars, when most Eastern teams can't draw flies when a Western club comes in). It's interesting that hockey is drawing 15,000 regularly in cities like Atlanta, Carolina and Tampa Bay (Who draws 19,000 a night) while the Islanders, Devils and Penguins can't get 15,000 on a good night. Plus, couldn't you just spend three hours watching Ilya Kovalchuk blast pucks from the blueline?

Say what I may about the Devils' home attendance, and it has been bad on some nights, the Devils have the best home record in all of hockey's Eastern Conference, at 8-1-1. Only Minnesota matches that mark. Makes you worry what'll happen when it turns to January and the Meadowlands draws 16,000 on a regular basis. What no one is realizing about the Devils predicament is that they have faced some unmarketable opponents. Florida twice and the three aforementioned Central Division pushovers plus only two total games against Atlantic Division rivals (None against the Rangers) aren't exactly what rakes 'em in at the 'ol CAA.

-SFM-