Stuff Worth Seeing
As of November 6th, 2012, these predictions make perfect sense!
| Player | Goals | Assists | Points |
| Sidney Crosby | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Claude Giroux | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steve Stamkos | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Evgeni Malkin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Ovechkin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Phil Kessel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| John Tavares | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Henrik Sedin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Erik Karlsson | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kris Letang | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: HockeyPoolExpert.com
Hockey pool fans, playoff season is just around the corner. ‘Tis the time of year to plot how to win our fantasy drafts!
Which teams will make it to the 3rd round? Which assist-machine defenseman will only play 5 games? Which unsung #3 LW will end up scoring 15 goals? Which so-so goalie will end up playing 25 games? Soon we will find out!
“It’s the most … wonderful tiiiiime, of the year!”
Yes – it’s nearly time for triple OT’s, 5-game upsets, undisclosed injuries, and a gut-check that only Lord Stanley can inspire!
And yes, it’s time for Sneezl’s 2012 pool picks…
Note – since this was written with 5-7 games left in the regular season, it includes players from the following teams:
East: Rangers, Bruins, Panthers, Penguins, Flyers, Devils, Senators, Capitals, Sabres, Jets, Lightning
West: Blues, Canucks, Sharks, Red Wings, Predators, Blackhawks, Stars, Coyotes, Kings, Avalanche, Flames
On the bubble:
Picking a player based on which team you think will advance furthest is a good strategy in playoff hockey. Often, it’s even more important than picking a player on their own merit.
On the bubble:
On the bubble:
On the bubble:
Whose team will win at least 3 series? That’s what we all wish we knew.
Out West, the concussion to Daniel Sedin is the biggest variable. If he’s healthy, Vancouver is in great shape to once again emerge as the last team standing. St. Louis doesn’t seem like a Cup champ and neither does San Jose, plus Detroit is struggling down the stretch. Chicago again seems to be the top alternative to the Canucks, assuming that there’s no Cinderella team lurking in the lower grouping. Of the Cinderella prospects, LA would have the best chances IF they can play to their potential.
In the East, this is an interesting season. With the return of Captain Crosby, the Penguins have been crushing every team they meet, making them the instant #1 favourite. Philadelphia still misses Pronger, but made key deadline acquisitions that (along with the improvement of Bryzgalov of late) also make them favourites. If that wasn’t enough, the Rangers are playing great hockey too. The defending champs Boston aren’t clicking on all cylinders, but still have the potential to emerge from the field as well. Plus, Dale Hunter’s Caps are 6-2-2 in their last 10, so they’re back in the mix too, but this year they have Vokoun instead of AHL prospects. In short, it’s a marquee logjam. The chances of a Cinderella winning the East are tinier than an ant’s rear end.
Sneezl is picking the Penguins to come out of the East, based purely on their complete and total thrashing of all opponents down the stretch. They are simply too good to not pick as the #1 favourite.
Sneezl is picking the West champion with a big asterisk… * IF Daniel Sedin bounces back from concussion quickly, THEN the Canucks get will emerge from the conference even though I can’t stand the way they play. They’ve had trouble scoring since the all-star break, but no-one is better at using other teams’ mistakes to eek out a 2-1 victory. They play ugly hockey, but they’re darn good at what they do.
However, IF Sedin is not able to play full-time, THEN Chicago is getting the Sneeze pick. Chicago is 7-3-1 in their last 10 plus their best player (Jon Toews) is better than any other team’s best player.
As for the Cup final, this gets easier to predict again. Sneezl is calling for a decisive Penguin’s victory over either Vancouver or Chicago.
There are plenty of caveats that could be added, but why make this post any longer? Enjoy your playoff pools and hopefully your picks are even better than these!
(Remember: have fun and don’t gamble!)
A seven year old boy was the center of attention when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him.
The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge awarded custody to his aunt. The boy confirmed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and refused to live there. When the judge suggested that he live with his grandparents the boy cried out that they beat him more than anyone.
In an unprecedented court ruling, the judge dramatically allowed the boy to choose who should have custody of him. Custody was granted to the Montreal Canadiens hockey team this morning, as the boy firmly believes that they are not capable of beating anyone…
đ
Once again it’s time for hockey pool fans to make their annual fantasy hockey draft preparations…
Given potential injuries to the game’s top player, who would you take if you get the #1 overall pick? Is an east-coast free agent acquisition this year’s #1 goalie? Can the 2011 playoff’s defensive scoring machine from San Jose keep up that pace over 82 games?
While no one can make a perfect hockey draft list, Sneezl will once again give it a try…
Other than Vancouver Canucks #1 Luongo, there is uncertainty up and down this list. Will injuries hurt the Pens’ goal support? Will Vokoun & the Caps fulfill expectations? Will the Sabres match the play of their A+ goaltender? And, of course, how many games will Tim Thomas play, or can he even get close to last year’s acrobatics?
Gone are the days of automatically picking Brodeur, Kiprusoff (still a great player, but the Flames may not win much this year…), or whoever dresses for the Red Wings!
Question marks also surround the #1 pivot, since Washington’s Mike Green could realistically produce 90 points or just 25. Oiler Ryan Whitney could rebound with a healthy season and improved forwards, also conceivably averaging an assist per game if all goes well.Â
Real questions surrounding Markov, Gonchar, Streit, and Wisniewski will keep poolies guessing this year. Don’t be surprised if John Carlson emerges as a premier blueline point producer this year either.
Assuming Crosby picks up where he left off before injury (a big assumption, but why not be optimistic?), this is an automatic first overall choice. But what about potential lingering injuries??
Corey Perry was red hot down the stretch last season, while Steve Stamkos started the year on fire. If either of these players can sustain the heat through 82 games, they’re a safe alternative to the Crosby lottery.
Similarly, depending on whether the Caps of ’09 or ’10 show up, Ovi & Nic are either superb or so-so picks. It could go either way.
Pick a Sedin and you’re likely still going to get a top 5 scorer, regardless of what else happens in the league.
In short, this year’s top picks all come with a set of pro’s and and con’s.
Konopka is a near lock for the #1 PIM (penalties in minutes) ranking this year. He was last year’s champ by a mile (307 PIM with 25 majors), plus is now a member of the rebuilding Ottawa Senators, who will be dressing young players and likely losing a lot of games.Â
Ben Eager and Darcy Hordichuk will be interesting to watch in Edmonton too with the loss of Stortini and heavyweight MacIntyre. Neither is a traditional 200 PIM guy, but someone on that team is going to rack up PIMs and these are both candidates.
Schenn is as close to a sure thing as a rookie ever is. He’s not 18, is a scoring machine, and will play with top wingers in Philly. Ryan Ellis is defensive scoring machine and also certain to quarterback the powerplay for years.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins may not even make the team this year, so that’s a gamble if we’ve ever seen one.
Remember – pools are for fun, not gambling! Don’t be dumb!
Rumours of a conversation between NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Kitchener-Waterloo businessman Jim Balsillie just got interesting again.
According to reports, an NHL franchise in southern Ontario is an option for Balsillie if he plays according to NHL rules and doesnât turn things into a media circus before a purchase and franchise move is made.
More realistically, the NHL is looking at its dead-end loser USA franchises like Phoenix (an almost guaranteed loss of $25 million for Arizona tax payers) and comparing them to Canadian markets like Winnipeg (which sold out season tickets before you can say, âHockey is Canadaâs gameâ) and thinking, âweâre going to be moving more franchises north before we know it, so weâd better start finding places for them to go, NOW.â
In the past, Balsillie has tried to get a team according to his rules. The NHL didnât like that, so blocked the attempts. But times change.
Now that the NHL has less and less choice, they will be returning to their prime Canadian buyers and seeing what the options are. A 2nd NHL franchise in southwestern Ontario is a big part of this, as is Balsillie. Itâs either move a franchise to southwestern Ontario or let a team lose millions in the desert.
Advantage Balsillie.
The only question marks around Balsillie getting a team in southwestern Ontario now are:
Regardless of how these three questions play out, the larger picture is clear: several US franchises are failing, Canadians are ravenously buying season tickets faster than theyâre made available, and at some point the NHL will catch up with simple fact that 2-3 US franchises need to move to Canada if the NHLâs best interests are to be served.
The release of the recent rumour that Bettman has had conversations with Balsillie certainly does not give anyone a roadmap to the future, but it does corroborate the theory that hockey is moving back to Canada over the next few years one way or another.
If the NHLâs wishes come true, Balsillie will still be a willing buyer by the time the NHL figures out that hockey belongs in Kitchener/Waterloo/Cambridge/Guelph/London.
Now that the NHL is back in Winnipeg, trade rumors will be flying around Winnipeg like never before. Many fans expect a flurry of player movements over the next few months.
Here is a list of potential moves straight from Sneezl that the Winnipeg team could consider:
Whatever this team ends up being called, today is a good day to chant “Go Jets Go!”
Say what you will about the NHL having franchises in the Southern USA and how those teams are doomed to perpetual mediocrity, fine.
One thing that no-one can criticize is the way that two Ontario boys performed for their San Jose team in this yearâs playoffs. Â They carried their team as far as any two players can carry a bag of pucks, but eventually their team lost to a Vancouver bunch that simply wanted to win the series more.
By the time the Sharks were eliminated in the Conference final, Dan Boyle led all defensemen in points in these playoffs by a mile. Â With 16 points in 18 games, the next closest defenseman for any team has only 11 points. Â Aside from the points, he was a constant presence and everything youâd hope for in a #1 blueliner.
Jumbo Joe Thornton led all Sharks in points with 17, played through injuries, and generally carried the team. Â Could he win a series all by himself? Â No. Â But since hockey is team game, that is not surprising. Â Regardless, blame for San Joseâs loss canât be pinned on their #1 pivot.
Other Canadians like Ryan Clowe from NFLD and rookie Logan Couture from Guelph also did a great job for their team. Â Cheers for these Canadians who gave their all for their team, even though their team happens to be far from Canadian soil.
Imagine if these four were playing on a team North of 49âŚ
Oilers fans concerned over the size of potential #1 2011 draft pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (RNH) should put things into perspective.
RNH would be drafted to be a top scorer, not a fighter, plumber, or goaltender. Yes, he would need to be defensively responsible to get ice time, be a good teammate, yada yada yada, but his main function would be to score. If RNH were being drafted to be an enforcer, a shutdown defenseman, or a mechanic for the team bus, the size requirements might be different. He might need to be huge and heavy. But as a #1 pick center, his function would be to score and size would only be a secondary issue.
But just for fun, how big are the NHLâs current top scorers? Wouldnât that be the best way to answer the question about RNHâs size? To see if concerns about his size really match up against the players currently leading the league in scoring?
Here are the NHLâs top 10 scorers from the 2010-2011 season along with their height and weight:
* â has won a Stanley Cup
For the record, RNHâs current size #âs are 6-1 164 as an 18 year old. At 6-1, he is already taller than St. Louis (a Hart finalist), Selanne (proof that skill and attitude pay off over a career), Zetterberg (premier 2-way player on a premier team), and Richards (2011?s most coveted UFA).
His weight is low, yes, but he is 18 and thatâs pretty normal. If he really does have âthe best on-ice vision since #99?, who really cares what his weight is anyway?
As an aside, Crosby is 5-11 200, Gretzky 6-0 185, and Datsyuk 5-11 194. If these guys arenât proof that âlittle guysâ can really play, then who is?
Whether or not RNH earns his way into the company of the other players listed in this post is yet to be seen, but there is no doubt that size is not a barrier to it happening.
Oilers fans: if RNH ends up in the fold, youâve got a potential top-10 scorer for years.
> > Update: 2012 Hockey Playoffs HERE < <
Hockey pool fans, the season is near. Soon we will be surrounded by 7-game series, unexpected playoff heroes, and dark horse teams pushing conference champs deep into overtime.
And we get to win our fantasy drafts, collecting bevy money based on correctly guessing which teams will win 10+ games and which players will head to the World Championships after a first round sweep!
So who do you plan to take as your #1 centerman? Who will be your sleeper pick? Which goalie has the best chance of winning 16 games? These are the questions that NHL fans will be pondering RIGHT ABOUT NOW!
Pulling off a flawless hockey playoff draft is nearly impossible, but what’s the fun in being a hockey fan if you don’t go out on a limb every once in a while?
So without further ado…
Picking the top center of the team you think will advance furthest is a good strategy here, even if the player isn’t a top 5 scorer. For instance, if you think the Wings will keep winning series, take Datsyuk over Sedin any day. Playoff pool drafts are all about taking the best players from the TEAMS you think will play the most games.
Again, it’s all about picking a winning team. Or, if you’re feeling risky, wait until the 8th place teams settle into place and pick 100% off their rosters.
Lubomir Visnovsky would be one of the top picks if you liked the Ducks’ chances of winning games, but those are pretty slim odds.
Who will win 16 games? That’s the big question.
This is an intriguing year in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins have key injuries in Crosby and Malkin, the Flyers have struggled of late, the Caps have goaltending questions, and there are several hot goalies in the lower seeded teams that could steal series all by themselves. The Bruins are the clear #1 pick for the Eastern Conference because they constantly outmatch their opponents in goal and defense. Their scoring is just good enough, plus deep throughout the lineup, making them the odds-on favourite to emerge out of the East. If you believe in odds when it comes to playoffs, that is…
The West is more of a question mark. Yes, the Canucks are #1 and seem relentless, but do they have the passion to win games 5, 6 and 7? Really?
The Sharks are highly motivated, led by former Captain Marleau who has once again proven why he was chosen Captain in the first place. Of all the Western teams, their desire to win it all may be the highest.
The Red Wings are always good, so barring major injuries, they could easily again emerge as the Cup finalist.
The remaining teams all have pros and cons. Pekka Rinne could win the playoffs all by himself, and the defending champ Blackhawks might not even show up for the party.
Sneezl is predicting a final series between the San Jose Sharks and the Boston Bruins, with the Sharks winning the series in 7 games. I sure don’t like the Sharks, but their chances to win are as good as anyone’s!
(Remember: have fun and don’t gamble!)
Good luck with your drafts!
> > Update: 2012 Hockey Playoffs HERE < <
For hockey pool fans who come to their fantasy drafts prepared, ’tis the season for pre-draft homework.
Who would you take if you get the #1 pick? Who will be your #3 defenseman? Who’s the top available goalie?
Since every pool has its own scoring system and guessing the future is impossible, we can’t give a perfect picklist. But, that won’t stop Sneezl from trying anywayâŚ
People will sit around and debate the order of this list more than any other, but Ovechkin has to be near the top of nearly everyone’s list. Rather than debate it here, just be happy if you get any 3 of these guys on your team.
With the offensive powerhouse in Washington, Mike Green again should go #1 among D-men.
Goaltending skill is not the right question when picking a fantasy draft goalie – its all about the # of games they’re going to play and how many games the team will win. Not many goalies regularly play over 65 games, and not all of them are on teams that win 65% of their games.
As a dark horse to win this category, Zack Stortini of Edmonton will have the most work to do protecting 3 rookies at once. He may not be the biggest heavyweight, but he’ll have to drop the gloves every night if no-one else on the Oilers does.
Aside from being highly talented, the reason 3 Oilers top this list is that they’ll all be getting powerplay opportunity and top-6 forward minutes. The only real question is, “which will finish 1-2-3?”
John Carlson could score 50 points if Washington’s goalies play well enough that they can gamble on his untested defensive abilities.