Around the league – Jan 14, 2010

Ice women of the week

Random thoughts

• I believe that Stephane Auger said something close to what Alexandre Burrows accused him of, but I’m more interested in what the league, or more importantly director of officiating Terry Gregson, said to Auger. I doubt we will ever know, but when the playoff assignments are handed out if Auger is there I’d be stunned. This was a case of he said he said, so it would have been impossible to convict Auger, but I doubt Burrows’ fabricated the entire story, so the league can quietly punish Auger by not giving him any playoff games. We’ll find out in April.
• Blues new head coach, Davis Payne, seemed like a surprise choice until you looked at his resume. In seven seasons in the ECHL he compiled an impressive 289-142-45 record. He won a Kelly Cup Championship in 2006, and became only the second coach in ECHL history to get his team to the final four in three consecutive seasons. He’s paid his dues. And under the “did you know file”: The Oilers drafted him 140th overall in 1989. He ended up playing 22 games for Bruins over two seasons and registered one assist.
• The Flames have scored more than three goals only once in their last 21 games. I don’t see them going anywhere in the playoffs if they can’t score. Only Phoenix has scored fewer goals amongst western playoff teams. I know the Flames rely on the defensive zone coverage and goaltending to win, but if they can’t score they won’t be able to shut down Chicago or San Jose and the Avalanche own them. Darryl Sutter has to be looking for some offence in the next six weeks, and if he wants a true scorer he might have to dangle Phaneuf or Regehr.
• Currently Carolina is the only Eastern organization that has never had a first overall pick in the NHL entry draft. But Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, San Jose, Anaheim, Minnesota and Nashville have yet to have the first pick. The Oilers could become the first western Canadian team to have the first pick this summer.
• Colorado, Phoenix, Dallas and New Jersey haven’t had the first pick in their current city but the Nordiques, Jets, North Stars and Rockies did.
• The Kings have had one first overall pick and he was a bust. They chose Rick Pagnutti in 1967, and he never played a game in the NHL.
• In the last 20 years the only first picks that became busts were Alexandre Daigle (1993) and Patrick Stefan (1999). Some might argue that Rick DiPietro is a bust, but injuries have been his demise.
• Henrik Sedin is the leading candidate to win the Hart trophy and that could be the biggest surprise of the season. If you asked any hockey fan, media member, player, coach or GM to submit a list of their ten favourites to win at the start of the season I doubt he would have been on anyone’s list. Up until this season it was always Henrik and Daniel, rarely did you talk about one without the other. But Henrik’s play has everyone’s attention and I’m stunned how well he has played.
• The Anaheim Ducks have inquired about Ethan Moreau. They have won five straight and are only four points behind the 8th place Kings. The Ducks have room to add Moreau’s salary which today would roughly be an $860,000 cap hit. It isn’t imminent but the Ducks have made some calls.

Leader through the season

Final Points