Indulge My Homerism and Some Snap NHL Judgments

by Colin Donohue

As I wrote in an earlier post, Justin has this NBA thing on lock. So I’ll try to focus some of my attention on NHL matters. I know hockey isn’t necessarily the sport of choice for many of our readers, but I’m banking on the fact that some folks out there, however small a group, may have some passing interest in the game involving a circular puck and a sheet of ice. For my money, nothing’s like playoff hockey, specifically, because your heart turns with every goal that’s scored. You never know if that one goal is going to make the difference, so you’re always caught in rapt attention for 60 minutes. It’s exhilarating and stressful and just plain ol’ fun all at once. I bring this up because this year I didn’t get the NHL Center Ice package through digital cable, which, for me, means I won’t get to watch the Washington Capitals play on a close-to-nightly basis. Of the 82 games the played last year, I probably viewed 75. It was fantastic. (Alyssa probably wouldn’t agree with that statement.) Well, this year, the NHL package was no dice because Alyssa and I are spending our money, instead, on buying a home. I would say in the final calculus of NHL Center Ice vs. house, the proper outcome is the house. Still, that doesn’t mean a small part of me clamors for my nightly dosage of sweet skating, speed shooting, hard hitting hockey.

You have to understand, I’m a Capitals fan, which means the team I root for suits up probably the best player in the entire world–Alex Ovechkin. I’m a fan of the Redskins, Capitals, Wizards and Orioles, so I’ve experienced hard times and watched nobodies play every kind of professional sport. It’s rare when any of my teams ever field an internationally elite talent. The Caps do in Ovechkin, 24. In hockey, a player’s prime happens early and it ends quickly. Ovechkin probably has another three years of being a dynamo, freak of nature player. He’ll be a productive, elite NHL player for many more years, of course. But if we’re talking about the small window when a player can establish himself as the best, well, Ovechkin in its view right now. If he’s ever going to score 75+ goals, it’s going to have to happen within the next couple of years. He was on pace, too, having scored 14 goals and totaling 23 points in just 14 games. But he’s missed the last two because of injury and he could be out another week still. Despite missing from game action, the two-time Hart Trophy winner still leads the league in goals and is second in points.

But because I don’t get the league pass, I miss all the amazing stuff he can do. Look at this goal against Phoenix, arguably his most famous tally:

Or how about this goal against the Montreal Canadiens last year:

I’ll miss a lot of those fabulous in-season goals. At least I’ll still get the playoffs, where I’ll be treated to goals like these:

Anyway, here are five snap judgments of the young NHL season:

1. The Penguins, Capitals, Devils, Rangers and Flyers are the class of the Eastern Conference. The Sharks, Kings,  Flames and, yes, Blackhawks are the class of the Western Conference. The EC picture is much clearer at this point in the season. It’s easy to see who the dominant teams will be. The Penguins and Caps are tops with 24 points, and both are coping despite injuries to big-name players. The West is a little muddled because the ‘Hawks are not playing up to their potential yet (goaltending issues) and because the Avalanche are making a surprise early run. I think Colorado falters more as the season progresses, and I think you’re left with the Sharks and Blackhawks.
2. Speaking of those Avalance, what’s going on there? Colorado is a young team with loads of potential and talent. And right now, they’ve accumulated 26 points, tied with San Jose for most in the league. They’ve got 12 regulation wins, and while their defense is solid, if not spectacular, their offense is lighting up opponents behind the young Paul Stastny (14 helpers) and Wojtek Wolski (eight goals). This team may fall off a little bit, but they’re stacked with an immense amount of young talent. This is a team of the future.
3. And on the other end of the spectrum sit the Carolina Hurricanes. They are the dregs of the NHL, having won two games  and having netted just seven points. Sure, Eric Staal’s been out, but this team usually relies on its grit, intelligence, sound positioning and strong goaltending to win games. They’ve really gotten nothing going offensively, and on the blueline, they’ve been shoddy, which has left Cam Ward alone on an island. The ‘Canes usually come on late in the season, but they’ve really dug a hole. They’re 17 points behind the Caps in the Southeast already, and Ward is going to be out for a month. Yes, it’s early. But the Hurricanes are done. Time to think about the 2010-2011 season.
4. The Phoenix Coyotes are a heartwarming story. The franchise may not survive in Phoenix after this season. There’s no telling if they’ll be relocated or contracted entirely from the league. But they’re sitting at sixth in the Western Conference, and you have to hope they squeak into the playoffs. Give the franchise one last shot in the arm before it’s torn asunder.
5. I’m still sticking with my preseason Stanley Cup pick: Caps beat Blackhawks. Washington has looked suspect defensively still (no surprise), and Chicago is off to a slow start. But I haven’t seen anything yet to force me to rethink my prediction.

So, as for some more of my homerism, I have to post this video from former Redskins and Hall of Fame running back John Riggins, who lights into the Redskins, or more specifically head coach Jim Zorn, owner Dan Snyder and GM Vinny Cerrato. The Skins are the joke of the NFL right now because of Snyder’s awful ownership and leadership. Perhaps that’s a discussion for another day. And if you want to read about all the protests Skins fans are considering, travel on over to the D.C. Sports Bog on the Washington Post Web site. But if you want a quick summary of what’s going wrong with the Skins, watch Riggo: