Goalie: A Breed Apart

I was approached today by a fan of the site, one puck buddy Bob, and asked if I would do a post listing some crazy goalies. I have decided since no one has ever asked me specifically to do a post on something I better do it!

Here is some personal background. A couple Sundays ago I played a men's league game. I'm a goalie. The team I played for decided it might be fun to never take the man in front, and not play defence but just watch as the opposing team was given scoring chance after scoring chance. I knew the only way I was going to get any help that night was to help myself. So in the spirit of Billy Smith and Ron Hextall and other greats I played a chippy game. I was whacking guys, slashing guys, hell I even thought about hip checking a guy when he came in on a breakaway! I got a couple texts after the game from friends on the opposing team. I even ran into one at a gala event this past Sunday. "You slashed me pretty good there." he said, and my response "I sure did."

Now I'm riled up. Lets take a quick trip down memory lane. Aw hell, lets just make this story number 8 in my list of Crazy Goalies. Not really in a particular order. I tried not to include the cliches, hence the top 8 list. I don't need to tell you how insane Billy Smith and Ron Hextall are.

#10 Dan Moser

Never one to shy away from contact Dan Moser has always been a goalie who would much rather take things into his own hands than have a skater on his team intervene. In his first game playing roller hockey in Edmonton as a 17-year-old the first shot of the game was a routine glove save. As the player who shot the puck skated by Moser the player gave him a slash, not a hard one mind you, to his outstretched catching hand. A harmless play to most, but this rookie net-minder decided this was his time to set a precedent in the league, he was not a goalie to be messed with. Moser threw the puck from his catcher, followed the skater to the corner and gave him a nice two-hander to the back of the leg. A fracas broke out as players paired up and was the dust was settled offsetting penalties were announced and Moser received 2 minutes for slashing, and surprisingly was allowed to remain in the game, which his team went on to win. Needless to say, Moser's point had been made and his crease was avoided by opposing players for the rest of the season.

This particular slash has been named the Mos-Axe by Moser's teammates and to this day you can hear calls from his team's bench yelling: "Give him the Mos-Axe Mo!

#9 Jamie McLennen


After surrendering 5 goals in a playoff game against the Detroit Red Wings, Calgary Flames Goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff needed a break, enter backup goalie Jamie McLennen. His first touch of the puck was a wild attempt to play the puck behind his net and then for some reason he decided to give Johan Franzen a nice hard slash to the midsection, a place where padding can be limited. McLennen was ejected from the game and given a slashing penalty, and Kiprusoff was forced to reenter the game to clean up. A rather stupid gesture from a guy whose only job was to let Kipper rest every now and then. What was his intention? To hurt a Wing for the next game in the series? Perhaps he was just letting us know that his time in the NHL was up. I do not believe McLennen played another game.

#8 Mike Smith


Long before he was a Dan Ellis problem (from the famous twitter meme: #DanEllisProblems) Mike Smith was an Aaron Voros problem. In this clip Smith takes a hard whack to Voros' knee (a personal favorite of mine) before giving him two shots from behind with the blocker and then covering the puck. He then procedes to feed Voros a catcher shot and then drops the gloves and goes with him for a bit. A classic case of a goalie deciding he needed to stand up for himself because no one else was getting the job done. Neither one of these guys plays very much in the NHL anymore.

#7 Dwayne Roloson


A goaltender whose stick work is a little underrated, probably because this cagey veteran knows how to get away with a slash or two. In this clip with the play seemingly dead Columbus Blue Jacket tough guy Boll falls right on top of Roloson. He immediately lets Boll know he is in the wrong by jumping on him and exploding in a fury of punches, before doing the enforcer a favour by not finishing him off with his blocker. After the rough stuff passes Roloson decides to stay in Boll's face and let him know exactly what he did wrong, and what he should be ready to expect if he comes close again.

#6 Jack


Who Jack is, I don't know. What level he plays at, I have no clue. Where he is now, beats me. All I know is I like this kid's swagger. Remember kids, when the puck is covered, it's covered.

#5 Sean Burke/Garth Snow


This really has more to do with one Matthew Barnaby, who is a squid in his own right. Above he goes right after Sean Burke and proceeds to get his face punched in by the goaltender. Bellow Barnaby fakes an injury, has the training staff come out to the ice, and then jumps goalie Garth Snow, who is now the General Manager of the New York Islanders. On the plus side, Barnaby recently said he was going to donate his brain to science (a "no brainer" he said, I wonder if he got the word play?) so one day maybe we will know what exactly he was thinking then he jumped these to tendys who have never been shy to fight.


#4 Justin Pogge


Pogge, Pogge, ring any bells? He won the World Juniors for Canada, wore his hat sideways for the celebration. He was so good in fact that the Toronto Maple Leafs decided to trade Tuukka Rask to the Boston Bruins for a bag a pucks. Good move...... Anyway Pogge clearly did not like the goal that was scored on him. He pushes a player out of the way, screams at the ref, gets kicked out of the game, knocks the net over, and smashes his stick. Say what you want about Pogge's skill (he will never be an NHL goaltender) but the guy knows how to throw a tempter tantrum. That must be why the Leafs traded Rask, no way he can top that......right? Right?

#3 Tuukka Rask 


The shootout, in this case the goalie's nightmare. Rask, who currently plays for the Bruins, and quite well I might add did not like the calls made on the shootout goals he surrendered this night. Say what you will about the Leafs scouting/drafting, but man do they like some crazy when it comes to young goaltenders!

The first one should have been called dead, and the second one Rask believes went of the post. Rask screams at the ref, attempts to destroy his stick and trips before kicking in the doorway he enters. The piece de resistance comes when Rask leaves and then hurls a milk crate on the ice, which begs the question: what the hell is a milk crate doing in the pathway from the ice to the baby Bruins dressing room?

Just to clarify, the list stops at 3 because Billy Smith and Ron Hextall took crazy to a whole new level. I suggest checking out some of their clips if you have a chance. These guys were leg breakers!

So who did I miss? What events should I have included?

The Official Oiler Spill Podcast: Episode Al Hamilton

ANNNNNNNNNND welcome to the next edition of the Official Oiler Spill Podcast

My guest in this edition is Edmonton Oilers super fan Lee Tappenden.

Lee is a rarity right now on the internet, he is a fan who speaks about the team he loves without cynicism. The guy truly just wants to see the team win, and to be honest it is refreshing to hear him talk about the team.

We discuss all aspects of the Oilers including trade rumours (Spoiler alert: I recently spoke to someone connected to the Thrashers franchise and Mr. Zach Bogosian is not going anywhere anytime soon!) and even the Oilers Octane cheer team, and how I offended one of them. Go figure! What else? The Oilers powerplay situation, most impressive player on the team, most disappointing. We talk Oilers coaches, hell we even give predictions for the coming week of Oilers hockey!



Once again, I hope you enjoyed the show, leave some comments either below this or via Twitter: @TheRealDanMoser or even send in an e-mail: dmoser2@gmail.com.

We are always looking for suggestions and new ideas.

See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya!

The Official Oiler Spill Podcast: Episode One

Welcome to the Oiler Spill Podcast!

In this episode I interview Montreal Canadiens' Insider Etai Handman. We discuss leadership, Saku Koivu, Brian Gionta, P.K. Subban, injury woes, and problems on defence.



Hope you enjoy it, my first shot at hosting, leave some comments and tell me what you think.
Episode Two will be coming at you next week.
Email me at dmoser2@gmail.com if you have any topics you want discussed or hit me up on Twitter.

The Chosen Podcast Ep. 3

Welcome to episode three. Some of the bigs have been worked out, length etc. Should be an enjoyable listen.

Lawrence Dushenski (@LD10) and I discuss the NHL All Star Game, have a little mock draft for fun, talk Oilers (of course), including a personal response to what I found to be a silly blog posting by one Jonathan Willis and Nabokov! WOWZA!




Post comments, tell me what you like/hate, it's the only way it will get better!

The Chosen Podcast Episode Two

Here it is for your enjoyment, the acclaimed Chosen Podcast.
If you don't listen I fear you won't know what to talk about around the water cooler tomorrow.
In other news, water coolers still exist?

The Value of the Draft Pt. 6 The Finale

Welcome to Part Six. The graphs are done, this is all about analysis ladies and gents. That's right, this is the good stuff, you read this part, you can act like you read the whole thing. You can ramble off stats from this project to your buddies in the bar during hockey highlights, but if I find you did without giving me the proper credit there will be hell to pay. You have been warned!

Enjoy Part Six: The Finale!

Click here for Part One.

Click here for Part Two.

Click here for Part Three.

Click here for Part Four.

Click here for Part Five.

Conclusions

The analysis of top scoring forwards in the post-lockout NHL had proven that higher drafted forwards have a statistically better chance of performing at an elite level, especially if selected in the first 5 picks of the NHL Entry Draft. The prominence of high draft choices in the presented Tables proves the value of first round picks. Although drafting in the first round may not guarantee a team an elite scoring forward, it is the cheapest and for some teams the most viable option for obtaining one.

First round picks hold an immense amount of value. This is especially true in the case of first overall picks who have led the league in goal scoring or point scoring in each year following the lockout. It is not wise for teams in any situation to trade their first round picks unless of course they receive a player in return who is already an elite level talent. It is likely however that a returning player will not be as economically friendly as a young drafted player due to the contraints put on entry level NHL salaries. The introduction of the salary cap has made finding inexpensive talent a top priority for all NHL teams and the cheapest way to do so is through the draft. The analysis shows that teams are becoming aware of this as well. Since the lockout ended the average draft pick used to produce a top 20 scoring forward had gone from 41.85 for 10.58.

There is another lockout related theory behind the difference in average pick. Teams are capped in the amount they can spend on individual players and their teams as a whole, but the same cannot be said for staff. If correct this would mean that since the lockout, teams have been allocating extra money to scouting and development staff meaning that drafting a low performance player in the first round in less likely, and young players become ready sooner to make the just to the NHL level of play.

Recommendations

The analysis in this project raises new questions and opportunities for  further research. Examining defencemen in a similar way is the next logical step. There are half as many defencemen on a team as forwards so it makes sense to research draft pedigree of the top 10 scoring defencemen for each year.

If a proper quantifiable statistic can be proved, analyzing other positions in a similar matter could also provide interesting results. Positions can include: stay at home defencemen, power forwards, shutdown players, and goaltenders.

Age and salary are other elements which can be expanded upon further. It would be interesting to see who provides the most scoring for the smallest amount of money over a number of years and how that relates to their draft status. NHL teams are now interested in bringing in more young talent because they are the most cost effective but this could negatively affect players' careers. In their twilight years players who are drafted early and play right away may be pushed out of the league for monetary reasons. Also playing elite level hockey at such a young age may effect how long a player can stay in the prime of his career.

Another interesting draft related statistical correlation may exist between Stanley Cup Championship teams and he average draft selection ised to create them. Examining the losing team and comparing them to the winning team could as well point to statistical indicators of why each team fared a certain way. A list of the leading playoff scorers for each of the last five championship teams and where they were drafted would impact the meaningfulness of the draft. A study analyzing Stanley Cup Championship teams would examine similar statistics from a team perspective gauging organizational success rather that just individual.

Well that does it, I hope you enjoyed reading my research. If you plan on using some, part or any of my project for your own work I would appreciate it if you let me know first either via email or twitter. I'm pretty easy going but you gotta give credit where it is due. If you enjoyed reading this and would like to see more again let me know via email or twitter. If you are a member of a media outlet (looks like someone thinks quite highly of themselves) etc and want to talk to me about this work email or twitter.

Redundancy rules, peace.

Click here for Part One.

Click here for Part Two.

Click here for Part Three.

Click here for Part Four.

Click here for Part Five.

The Value of the Draft Pt. 5

Part 5 boys and girls we are getting serious here. This is the year 2006, the first year after the NHL Lockout. The year the Edmonton Oilers made the Stanley Cup Final. The year the Edmonton Oilers lost a defenceman and were never able to fully recover.

Lets do it!

Click here for Part One.

Click here for Part Two.

Click here for Part Three.

Click here for Part Four.

Click here for Part Six.

Like he said.

2006 Leading Scorers

2006 was the first year after the NHL lockout and cancelled season of 2004/05. This season signified a change in the way NHL hockey was to be played, and an increase in elite level scoring followed when five players were able to score 50 or more goals compared to the 2003/04 season which featured zero 50 goal scorers. All were first round draft picks except for the leader with 56 goals, Jonathan Cheechoo who was taken early in the second round.

The percentage of first rounders found in Table 9 drops again to 75% and this Table includes players from the obscure fifth, sixth and seventh rounds. Their prominence lowers the average draft pick to 32.35 despite there being four first overall picks and three second overall picks present.

10 of the 15 first round picks were selected in the top 5 with only one of the remaining five being selected outside the top 15.

Jonathan Cheechoo's inclusion on this list is somewhat mysterious when taken at face value. He is the only post lockout player to lead the league in goal scoring without being selected first in this draft year. Though this seems bizarre and there was little to no evidence prediction this occurrence, examining the following table explains how this was possible.

The name at the top of Table 10 explains how Cheechoo was able to lead the league in goals despite not being a first overal pick. Joe Thornton, who led the league in points, played on a line with Cheehoo and was drafted first overall. Clearly based on the 96 assists he accumulated it is safe to say that Thornton is a player who prefers to pass the puck.

Seven players that appear on this table were not drafted in the first round. This is the highest amount of the five years examined. 65% is still high for first round presence but is low in comparison to the 80% and 85% seen earlier. It is not surprising that the average draft pick fell to its lowest at 41.85 entrenching the pick in the second round.







Coming up tomorrow we have the big finale. Conclusions, recommendations, etc. No more graphs people, tomorrow its all about the words, yeeeeeeehaw!

Click here for Part One.

Click here for Part Two.

Click here for Part Three.

Click here for Part Four.

Click here for Part Six.

The Value of the Draft Pt. 4

Okay you know the drill, this is Part 4.

Click here for Part One.

Click here for Part Two.

Click here for Part Three.

Click here for Part Five.

Click here for Part Six.

My groundbreaking interview with the Pope

2007 Leading Scorers


Other than a reduction by one non-first rounder and the inclusion of a new undrafted player, the 2007 leading goal scorer list is statistically similar to 2008.

Once again, Table 7 is dominated by first round draft selections. 80% of the players were drafted in the first round and Jonathan Cheechoo was taken 29th overall which during some draft years would have made him a first rounder as well. 9 of the 16 first rounders were top 5 picks with five of the remaining six first rounders being selected in the first half. The average pick for goal scorers in 2007 was 11.72 which is a much higher draft selection than in 2009. The reason for this is the replacement of low drafted forwards from the sixth and seventh rounds by undrafted players, who must be removed from the calculation due to their unquantifiable status.

Dany Heatley is also just the second 50 goal scorer to not be selected first overall. To be fair though, he was taken using the second pick behind a goaltender so he as the first forward selected in his draft year.

Similar to goal scorers, 80% of the top point scorers in 2007, shown in Table 8, were selected in the first round. This is the first of the analyzed years that contains a 100 point scoring forward that was not a first round pick and two other 100 point scoring forwards that were not top 4 draft picks. St. Louis is the undrafted player and so far the only non-first rounder to crack the 100 point barrier. Marian Hossa and Joe Sakic were drafted in the first round, though not in the top 4. They were selected 12 and 15 respectively.

Even though there are only four non-first rounders in this top 20 as opposed to 2008, the fact that the sixth round is the second most represented round is bizarre. Despite the two sixth round payers, the average pick is 25.89 which remains in the first round. This is likely due to the fact that all but one of the first rounders were selected in the top 15. In addition, the top 20 leading point scorers from 2007 shown in Table 8 included four first overall picks, and three second overall. Over half of the players listed were selected by using the top five picks in their draft years.



Get ready for Part Five coming at you tomorrow!

Click here for Part One.

Click here for Part Two.

Click here for Part Three.

Click here for Part Five.

Click here for Part Six.

The Value of the Draft Pt. 3

Hey there sports fans, welcome to Part Three. On the off chance that you haven't been following along (yeah right), we are looking at a basic statistical analysis of player performance as it relates to draft pedigree in the NHL from the years 2006 to 2010.

Click here to review Part One.

Click here to review Part Two.

Click here for Part Four.

Click here for Part Five.

Click here for Part Six.

Continue reading to enjoy Part Three!

2008 Leading Scorers

In the preceding year depicted in Table 5, an increase in the number of non-first round draft picks again occurred though this time in the top goal scorers list.

With the inclusion of no undrafted players and two players drafted in later rounds, the average pick jumps to 31.35; for the first time in the analysis the average takes place outside the first round. Again though, it must be stressed that 75% of the players listed in Table 5 were first round picks and a consistent 11 were selected using top 5 picks. The rarity of a sixth or seventh round player performing at an elite level makes them statistically interchangeable with undrafted forwards. Examining the leading point scorers in Table 6 leads to another increase in non-first round players.

Also of note, Jarome Iginla is the first leading goal scorer listed, who scored 50 or more goals in a season but was not a first overall draft pick. This is astonishing and clearly demonstrates the value associated with owning the first pick in any given NHL Entry Draft. While he was not selected first, Iginla was expected to perform at an elite level as he was drafted eleventh overall.

Another 10% drop in first round players brings the total to 65% for point scorers in 2008, as seen in Table 6. Oddly enough the sixth round is the third most represented round with two players, Alfredsson and Datsyuk. More statistical drops are evident in Table 6 with only 10 players selected in the top 5 picks and 12 in the first half of the first round. It is no surprise that the average draft selection drops to 37.2 putting the average solidly in the second round. Table 6 includes fewer first round draft picks an further analysis shows that the age of individual players may be a factor. The 2008 table is populated by many more late-20s early-30s players and less players younger that 25. This is especially prevalent in the non-first rounder outliers.

Seventh rounder Zetterberg was 28, sixth rounders Datsyuk and Alfredsson were 30 and 36 respectively and the undrafted St. Louis was 33 years old. With younger players dominating much of the scoring in 2009 and 2010 it can be said that there is evidence that points to a youth movement in elite forwards in the NHL. Much of this has to do with the lockout and subsequent implementation of a salary cap which will be discussed further in the concluding arguments.

That is it for Part 3 y'all. Hope you enjoyed it, stay tuned for Part Four AKA The year 2007.

Click here for Part One.

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Click here for Part Four.

Click here for Part Five.

Click here for Part Six.

The Value of the Draft Pt. 2

By Dan Moser


Before we get started here lets do a quick recap. In Part One the actual topic and aims of the project were outlined. The aim is to prove a relationship between on-ice performance and draft pedigree in the NHL. This is done by analyzing the top 20 scorers in each year following the lockout. 2010 was also examined and initial discoveries were made.

Was that recap not good enough? Then click here to check out Part One. I'd recommend clicking it no matter what, it will open in a new window and will make my stats look awesome. This will also take you there.

Part Two is a little heavier on the chart side, you have been warned. HERE. WE. GO!

Let's get ready to rumble!!!

2009 Leading Scorers

Again the analysis will begin with the top 20 goal scorers from the 2009 NHL season. In Table 3, of the 17 first round draftees, 14 were selected in the first half of the first round with 11 of the players drafted in the top 5. Of the top goal scorers that are liste din Table 3, 55% were selected using the first five draft picks. The 85% rate of first rounder to non-first rounder players is consistent with the analysis of 2010.

Similar to 2010, there are three non-first rounders present in the top 20 although all were drafted players. Of the three, Loui Eriksson and Michael Cammallari, were selected in the second round, while Johan Franzen was the lone third rounder. Despite the lack of undrafted players, the average pick used to select a top 20 goal scoring forward was higher in 2009 at 14.5, which would be the midway point in the first round. In total points however there is a slight spike in non-first round picks.

Of the top 20 point scoring forwards listed in Table 4, five were not first round selections. Cammalleri is present again but this time he is joined by second rounder Patrik Elias, fourth rounder Marc Savard, sixth rounder Pavel Datsyuk, and undrafted forward Martin St. Louis. Being drafted so late and having such a large impact, Datsyuk is an anomaly in the NHL. The same can be said for St. Louis who has made his second appearance so far.

The average draft choice for total points is much lower at 24.89 but still in the first round albeit at the bottom. Although this is the average, it is important to note that all 15 first round picks were selected before pick number 25; the average is skewed by the lower picks of Datsyuk and Savard. A higher percentage of first rounders were selected in the top 5 as well at 60%.

Although the percentage of players drafted in the first round drops by 10% to 75% it is still such a large majority of players that it can be said that 2009 is consistant with 2010 in that a significant portion of the top players were drafted in the first round.





That's probably enough for today, lets drag this baby out! Stay tuned for Part Three tomorrow!

Click here for Part One.

Click here for Part Three.

Click here for Part Four.

Click here for Part Five.

Click here for Part Six.

The Value of the Draft Pt. 1

By Dan Moser


Hello, Canada, and hockey fans in the United States and Newfoundland. Thanks to the advice from my dentist I've decided to take things in a different direction for a little bit. That's right ninjas I'm going academic up in this bitch. For the next few days I will be posting in parts a paper I recently wrote on the value of the NHL draft from a statistical perspective. I have removed some of the academically required content such as an abstract, summary, and recommendations. These sections, although excellently written, are redundant of themselves and the actual body of the paper.

Don't worry no Corsi numbers or anything like that, we are talking basic stats here like goals and points. Anyway I hope you enjoy part one, and come back for part two.

The Value of the Draft:

A statistical analysis of National Hockey League as it relates to draft pedigree

Each year following the completion of the National Hockey League season, the league executives take part in the annual distribution of young hockey talent provided by the NHL Entry Draft. Players aged 18 - 20 are selected by NHL teams and officially become the playing properties of said teams. Throughout the season, teams have the option of keeping their draft picks or trading them away for talent from other teams they believe will help them succeed in the near future. Typically teams that believe they are close to being championship caliber will trade their picks away and young developing teams accumulate picks in the hopes of finding the next superstar to one day lead them to a championship. This is not an easy decision and in many cases the wrong decision is made.

Through a basic statistical analysis of draft pedigree as it is related to on-ice performance from an individual perspective, this paper will aim to prove that the value of a first round draft pick is too high to trade away. This is especially the case because only one team can be a champion each year.

Analysis will take place ased on tables providing the top 20 goal scoring forwards and top 20 point scoring forwards from each of the seasons following the NHL lockout of 2004/05. Preliminary research indicates that while a first round forward may not be guaranteed to be an elite level player, the majority of top scoring forwards were in fact first round draft picks in their respective draft years. 

Analysis

2010 Leading Scorers

In its most simplistic form hockey is all about goals. The team with the most goals always wins the game; therefore it is fair to deduce that goals are the most important statistic in hockey. In order to analyze the on-ice performance of individual players the top 20 goal scoring forwards will be examined in Table 1.

At first glance it is quite clear that there is a correlation between draft round and goal scoring ability. The relationship is so strong that over half of the players listed on Table 1 were not only drafted in the first round but in fact in the first five picks of their respective draft years. It appears as though the higher a forward is drafted the more likely they are to become an elite scoring player.

Once the undrafted players are removed (because their draft status cannot be properly quantified) the evidence is even greater. The average draft pick used to select a top goal scoring forward in 2010 is 16.56 which is just over the half way point of the first round of the draft. With the exception of Jussi Jokinen, all of the drafted forwards listed were selected in the first round, with all but two being selected before the half way point of the first round. 

Of the top 20 goal scorers in 2010, only three were not drafted in the first round, Alexandre Burrows, Dustin Penner, and Jussi Jokinen. Burrows and Penner are part of a very small group in today's NHL. Advancements in scouting have made it so very few elite level players are undrafted. Penner was discovered while playing American college hockey for the University of Maine while Burrows had a stranger route as an undrafted Canadian junior hockey player playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The third exception, Jokinen was selected in the 6th round of the NHL Entry Draft by the Dallas Stars. He was never expected to make such a large impact but rose in prominence due to his level of success in the newly instituted NHL shootout. 

Although games are won and lost based on goals, to correctly analyze a player's offensive production their total point, the accumulation of goals and assists, must be analyzed. From a team standpoint goals are more important but typically a player is ranked by his points. The 2010 NHL leading point scorers are shown in Table 2.

Including assists in the rankings eliminates all three outliers from the previous Table. However, a similar correlation is evident in Table 2. Again 17 of the top 20 players were drafted in the first round. Of the point leaders, 13 were drafted in the top five of their draft class including the top five point scorers for this season, while 15 were selected in the first half of the first round. In Table 2, the average draft pick used to select a top 20 point scoring forward was 10.58. Essentially the only way to have a top 20 forward in the year 2010 was to have been lucky enough to draft a forward within the first eleven picks of an Entry Draft.

This time other than Martin St. Louis, who was not drafted at all, a second round player, Paul Stastny, and a third round player, Brad Richards, are listed. Given that both player were still drafted high considering the length of the draft, a certain level of offensive output should be expected though perhaps not at this level.

End of Part One. Please check back soon for Part Two so we may continue to explore the NHL Entry Draft and player performance together. Hooray! 


Click here for Part Two.

Click here for Part Three.

Click here for Part Four.

Click here for Part Five.

Click here for Part Six.

My New Favourite Twitter Meme

By Dan Moser

So if you have been on Twitter you may have noticed people like to put a # before a string of words occasionally. Sometimes, "hash tagging" a phrase can become so popular that it spawns a terrible television program. Sometimes they fizzle out quickly or never gain a following at all. Recently for example my writing partner and I have been trying to jump start a #SpidermanPSA meme. It has not caught on, probably because I have less than 200 followers and about the same celebrity pull as the homeless guy cleaning the windows of the downtown Toronto coffee shop I'm writing in (ivory tower).

Back to the beef of this "story." The other night I stumbled upon a fantastic hockey related hockey meme: #ECHLMarketingIdeas. Who started this? I have no idea, all I know is that it is hilarious. I assume it came from the same minds that brought us #NHLCupCakes.

Background info: I realize some of my readers (like my family, my primary readers) probably don't get the joke at face value. The ECHL is a feeder league for the AHL which feeds into the NHL. The ECHL is professional AA hockey, it's a league with some hilarious team names, jersey concepts, and team locations. It is actually a lot like Canadian Junior Hockey buy way funnier because it's not teenagers riding the bus across country, it's professional athletes.

My favourite contributions to the meme:

hockeenight Score during shoot-the-puck and you dress for the 3rd #ECHLmarketingideas

Ozman51 #ECHLMarketingIdeas slightly less fighting than the central hockey league. 


TheRealDanMoser At least our website isn't http://www.theechl.com #ECHLMarketingIdeas
(The AHL's website is www.theahl.com. I always thought that was silly)

TheRealDanMoser Is this the year I don't need to get a summer job? #ECHLMarketingIdeas  

TheRealDanMoser ECHL players are just like me and you. Plus they're.....well they are just like me and you. #ECHLMarketingIdeas  

ECHLMarketing Most leagues say "2010-11 season", we say "2010-?" because who knows how sustainable we'll be in a few months. #ECHLmarketingideas 

chrissampang #ECHLMarketingIdeas It's Kazoo Night at the coliseum...because we need a goal song. 

Ozman51 We Use East Kinda Liberally These Days. #ECHLMarketingIdeas  
(There are an awful lot of West coast teams!)

Ozman51 Bubble Hockey ain't got nothin on us. #ECHLMarketingIdeas  

Hockette #ECHLmarketingideas We don't know who we are either.  

ECHLMarketing Don't let any of these tweets fool you, we don't actually have any #ECHLMarketingIdeas  

Real_PeterEvans Even bloggers don't write about us. #ECHLmarketingideas  

HockeyJoePHT It's like beer league hockey except... Actually, it's exactly like beer league hockey. #ECHLMarketingIdeas 

HockeyJoePHT If you thought the Islanders fisherman jersey was bad, you ain't seen nothing yet. #ECHLMarketingIdeas 

Ozman51 Bring your Arena Football stub in for a free fountain drink. #ECHLMarketingIdeas 

HockeyJoePHT Helping you discover rural America one burned out factory town at a time. #ECHLMarketingIdeas 

thelinear #ECHLmarketingideas "Eklund E5 Rumor Alert: There's going to be an awesome @ECHL game this season"  

HockeyJoePHT Looking for all of Doug Risebrough's favorite prospects? We got 'em. #ECHLMarketingIdeas 

thelinear #ECHLmarketingideas: Your-kid-draws-our-logo night http://www.logoserver.com/ECHL.html  

HockeyJoePHT Where mediocrity happens. #ECHLMarketingIdeas 

DownGoesSpezza Wade Redden's NEXT home #ECHLmarketingideas 


So, which were your favourite? Did I miss any good ones? Can you come up with any better ones? 


In all seriousness I can't stop typing in italics, the button is not working. Also, I wish I was playing in the ECHL.
 

The Oilers Flames Game From My Perspective

By Dan Moser


I'd like to start by saying first of all I don't normally do this. I'm no fan of post game blog postings. The primary reason is that I don't enjoy reading them on other sites. I tend to disagree with what bloggers see in the games and to be honest, so much of watching hockey games on television is subjective, the game can be different for everyone. Some might say that a goal was huge, other a save, others a giveaway, others a blown offside call. Honestly, if I miss a game, I'd much rather call a friend up and ask what I missed than check out some anonymous guy's blog. Also it's been a while since I wrote anything. My third and final point is that this is not really a post game review, this is a story about my experience viewing the game.

Unrelated, but I needed a picture here and I like this one.

 BACKGROUND INFORMATION: I am currently living in Toronto. Don't hate me. The house I am currently living in does not have a sports package that allows for easy viewing of all NHL games. The Internet connection in said house can be sketchy. The feed I was watching the game on was also sketchy. I purchased a Proline ticket for the night's games but did not bet on the Oilers game, that's bad luck. I work part-time as an overnight valet in a classy downtown Toronto condo, Drake has a place there, NBD, from 11:00-7:00 EST.

ONWARDS TO THE STORY: My night began at 6:00 PM EST. I awoke from my pregame nap (that's a nice way of saying I was sleeping during the day) and decided it might be fun to put some money on the games tonight. I'm usually pretty terrible, I don't think I've won since I had a friend buy me my first ticket when I was in grade 10 from the the Westmount Shopping Centre across the street from my High School. Anyway I quickly ate a light pregame dinner, got some gas, bought my ticket all before games started at 7:00 (impressed?).

Now, I watch hockey games like a lot of people watch football. I have a game or two on TV and then open the rest of them streaming on my laptop along with stattracker for my pools. This is not a recommended way of watching hockey, especially concerning whistles, I am always confused as to which game the whistle took place in, why players are stopping, and why some seem to be playing through the whistle.

I won't bore you with the details of the early games, (I made the mistake of betting on the Coyotes to win by at least 2 goals. Idiot.) let's get to the important action.

Fast forward to 9:00. I am already feeling a little dejected because of the epic fail that was the Ottawa Senators actually putting the puck in the net. I began watching the once coveted and interesting Battle of Alberta albeit with the volume low because Peter Loubardias's voice gives me a headache, I also hate it when the Flames' crew use players first names only during game action.

The first stream I am using is not great, so I try using a different stream. Once the second stream, of lower visual quality begins to work I immediately notice that the score is 1-0 for the Flames. Goal 1, missed.

It is announced the Oilers will be on the powerplay and guess what? My computer says it must close down my browser to properly install a lovely Windows update. I figure sure why not? This update will surely just make my computer a more powerful learning machine. Besides, watching an Oilers powerplay usually just makes me notice that no defenceman on the team can carry the puck at all through the neutral zone. Goal 2, missed.

With a minute to go and the Flames going on the PP again I am sure another goal is coming so I go to the washroom. Goal 3, missed. Of the whole first period that I saw, I don't think I saw the Oilers have one scoring chance, its reminiscent of the last Battle of Alberta where Telus got me so drunk I don't remember much of the game.

The intermission is a perfect time for me to take a closer look at the games that are on my ticket. Everything seems to be in order, except for that the Coyotes at this point will need to score 5 goals to make me a winner. Also, may as well play with the stream again, is wanting to watch a game illegally in great quality a crime? Don't answer that. When I get a working stream, poor quality, I am greeted by the screeching noise of Glencross scores! Goal 4, missed.

See where this is going?

Now the second frame started around 10:00, I need to get ready for work around 10:20 so I can make it in by 10:50 and ask the guy I am relieving if he minds staying a couple minutes longer so I can grab some Timmys.

If you can think of a better or healthier way to stay awake from 11-7 I'm all ears.

Once I get to work this happens:

Co-worker who drives a motorcycle (CDM): I completely forgot about the Leafs game, did you watch it?

Me: Yeah, Leafs won.

CDM: Score? How did they play? Was it good?

Me: It was a Leafs game man. They won 3-1 I think.

CDM: Uhhh how did they play?

Me: I dunno man they were playing Florida.

CDM: What does that mean?

Me: Florida is awful. The Leafs were the Leafs, Colby Armstrong left the game in the first, they were lucky Pete DeBoer didn't get the to score of Giguere you just need to make him move a little.

CDM: Who is that?

Me: DeBoer? He is the Panther's coach.

CDM: What are you watching now? Is that the Vancouver game?

Me: No. Oilers Flames. It's a s***** one though, I think the Flames are up 3-1.

CDM: Buddy, the Flames are in trouble this year.

Me: What? 4-3 when the f*** did that happen?

Goals 5, 6, 7, missed.

Just as I am getting comfortable and done being in amazement that the Oilers are in this game, a car pulls up. The only car of the night. I have to leave my post and go park said car in the deepest darkest regions of the lot. I return. Goal 8, missed.

At least it was a nice car

 Overtime was overtime. For some reason the Oilers chose not to select their statistically strongest shootout player as one of the three shooters. Oilers lose, but salvage a point they probably didn't deserve. Flames win but will likely have a wonderful puke filled no puck practice tomorrow. Happy Birthday Mikka Kiprusoff.

Hope you enjoyed this brief window into the life of an Oilers blogger. See, we don't all live in our parent's basements.

Yeah, I'm Going to Calgary

By Dan Moser

Be jealous. Last Thursday I went to the Edmonton Oilers season opener versus the Calgary Flames. There were something like 16,000 people there, you might even be one, so I understand you might not be jealous yet. I was sitting up in the press catwalk of luxurious Rexall Place. If you have the means to do so, I really suggest it. It is the best way to watch the game. You get a perfect bird's eye view of the game and you're surrounded by media "celebrities."

From Russia with glove. God I wish I came up with that

But I digress, I'm going to Calgary. I have no pull with the Flames, really it's there loss. I'll be up in the 300s (though to be perfectly honest I think there is a chance I will have MUCH nicer seats. I'll take Glen Beck's advice and pray on it and I'll update this if I get them). The nice thing about going to a game in Calgary though is I really have a good time no matter where I'm sitting.

It's not that every seat in the Pengrowth  Canadian Airlines Olympic Scotiabank Saddledome is a great seat, not by a long shot. The fact of the matter is I'm an Oilers fan and there is something about cheering for the road team in hostile territory that I love. Oh I know what it is, it's that I get to be a jerk if my team wins, and this year my team has a decent chance. I don't even have to say anything, just being in the building during a win makes me a jerk.

This cele would look much better in blue and orange

Now you're saying: "Okay Dan, what happens if the Oilers lose? Then what do you do you cocky piece of crap?" The answer is easy, despite what you may have read, I'm a hockey snob. I guarantee I can out hockey talk anyone in the Saddledome any night, and that includes those in the press box and certain members of the Flames management.

Have I riled you up yet Flames fans? Are you even still cheering for the Flames?

Anyway, I'm expecting a great game, just like the one I enjoyed on Thursday. Neither team is looking THAT strong right now, but one guy who is looking great is Oiler goaltender Nik Khabibulin. According to weird fringe stats, he is one of the best goalies in the league right now. In addition to goaltending this is one year where the Oilers actually look to be offensively more dangerous than the Flames. Needless to say, I'm excited for Saturday night.

This vet clearly watches too much Jersey Shore. Deadly fist pump though

Have I offended you? If so take this blog posting as a challenge. When you see the Oilers fan wearing the nicest jersey in the Saddledome, (1978 Wayne Gretzky Oilers jersey, dark, orange logo, no captain C) approach him and get ready to talk some hockey, and if you're impressed buy him a beer (freelance writing is not as profitable as you would think.).

Cheers and I hope you all enjoy the game as much as I'm sure I will!
Oh yeah, and follow me on Twitter, it could get fun. Check out Oiler Spill too if you have some spare time, but if you're reading this on Oiler Spill, check out PST Free Hockey, an equally awesome site.

EDIT: I got my wish, never doubt the pwer of prayer. I'm sitting in a box for the battle of Alberta in Calgary wearing an Oilers jersey. Yeah.

A "Wild" Post, Because You Asked

By Dan Moser

So, okay, I know what you, my loyal reader is thinking. "Dan, what gives? I thought this blog was supposed to make me laugh be on the Edmonton Oilers, why are you putting up a post on the Minnesota Wild? I know for a fact you can't even spell Minnesota correctly without spellcheck!"

First of all reader, you're only half right. I didn't use spellcheck, I used Google. Second of all (if I still have your attention) let me explain myself. I am 24, male, obsessed with hockey, I once created a Facebook account for this guy, and I'm new to this game but I guess I am a "blogger" who "blogs" exclusively on hockey. It goes without saying that I do not come in contact with many girls, let alone girls that are interested in hockey, therefore when a girl asks me to write a piece on the Minnesota Wild I don't really have much of a choice. The moral to this story is ask me to do something, and I'll probably say yes (that line assumes that you are a girl reading this blog). So with the explanation out of the way, I hope you enjoy this post, it's for you.

Sure

Last Season

There was a lot of optimism surrounding the Wild last season, well at least there was from my point of view. Every season for the past decade I have been forced to watch at least six games a year featuring the Wild and the Oilers and it's a guarantee every season that those games will be the most boring of the season. Last season was the first year the Wild were without original team Head Coach Jacques Lemaire. Lemaire, as a coach, is not a fan of offence in hockey. He prefers to have him team turn the fastest game on ice into a game of battleship. So a lack of Lemaire (that would make a great Wild blog name) should have automatically infused the team with offensive drive and made them entertaining. Think again.

Ways to make your hockey team more difficult to watch:

1. Let Marian Gaborik leave
2. Replace him with Martain Havlat (I always thought he would make a better soccer player anyway with the way he dives and kicks)
3. Make sure your next best offensive weapon is small and gets hurt easily (Pierre-Marc Bouchard)
4. Once Bouchard gets hurt (and he will) the next offensive weapon should be a player who has bounced around expansion teams his whole career (Andrew Brunette)
5. Play Derek Boogaard
6. When in doubt revert to old tendencies and TRAP TRAP TRAP

So which of these were the Wild guilty of last season (38-36-8, 84 points; fourth in the Northwest; 13th in the Western Conference)? I'll let you figure that one out.

 

2000-2010 Minnesota Wild Power Play

2010/11 - A Second Chance!
That's right, a second chance, that is the way Wild fans and team management should be viewing the coming season. This time hopefully they will shed the Lemairesq defensive game and make their games worth watching. Based on what they have done this offseason though, I wouldn't bet on it. 

In addition to the above list, the Wild have let Derek Boogaard and his bash brother "Big" John Scott go, allow the ageless wonder Owen Nolan to leave, signed Captain Saku Mikko Koivu to a silly contract, and signed some bit players to go along with an already unimpressive core of bit players and cast-offs from other teams. Stop me when you think the team has actually gotten better this offseason.

So for humour's (yeah Leah that's how it's spelt) sake and to fill space lets look at the Wild's offseason acquisitions. I ask that while you read this you keep in mind the Wild are trying to move away from a defence first game. First on the docket, John Madden. Hmmm where have I heard of this guy? Oh yeah he is the defensive specialist who scored a single goal in the playoffs with the Blackhawks.

Okay, well how about Matt Cullen then? During the NHL lock-out he led the Italian League in scoring with 27 goals and 33 assists. Hmm well you could ask Ottawa Senator fans (yes they are real) about his offensive production......ah hell it will take you too long to track down a Sens fan, the guy scored 4 goals in his 21 Senator games and was known primarily for, get this, his defensive game.

I'd talk about Eric Nystrom but I don't want to waste your time. This is the biggest impact he has had on hockey. The guy is a fourth liner, not known for his offensive skill. Needless to say, Minnesota Wild fan's should be excited. 

No words

Things I like about the Wild
Okay, that was mean. There are a couple things I do actually like about the Minnesota Wild. I like their third jersey, even if it is a complete rip off of the Michigan State Spartans Jersey. 

Cal Buttercup wearing a nice jersey on my copy of NHL10

I just think it's a classy looking jersey, nice and simple, and much much nicer than their Christmas Jerseys. The player featured above is the other reason I like the Wild. Cal Clutterbuck may not be much of a hockey player, but he hits everything that moves. It's not even that he is a great hitter, he is just always hitting and I find that entertaining, and I can respect that. Also, his ability to grow facial hair rivals my own.