Some News & Thoughts of Recent Hockey Happenings

 

• Head Shots- NHL continues to try to eliminate 'hits to the head' and 'blind side hits' that have potential to leave players concussed.  Joe Thornton & Shane Doan have both been suspended under the new guidelines.  The players are more aware, but what about the coaches?  Should they take some of the responsibility of their players actions too?  

 

• Guy Boucher- Patrick Roy, now coach of the QMJHL's Quebec Ramparts, takes a verbal jab at Guy Boucher, now head coach in Tampa, stating that he 'did nothing to help our league advance'.  Roy is referring to Boucher's defensive style that has 3 players converge on the puck in their own zone, and eliminate the transitional flow of the play.  Boucher has been successful using this system in junior, the AHL, and now in Tampa.  He may be onto something.  Hockey has always evolved with new ideas.

 

• All-Star Game- The NHL All-Star game will now be selected by 2 team captains, likely Sid & Ovy.  Love that the NHL is trying to make the game of hockey more fun for the fans.  It has already created a lot of buzz over the web.  Love the idea of 'throwing the sticks in the middle'.  Something all hockey players have done at one point.

 

• Carey Price- On fire in Montreal, and stepped out of the Halak shadow.  He is 10-5-1, with 2 shut-outs and has been the Habs best player on most nights.

 

• Injuries to Star Players- Early in this 10/11 campaign there have been a number of significant injuries.  Parise, Doughty, Lecavalier, Rafalski, Brodeur, Miller, Foote, Suter, Markov, Streit, Volchenkov, Galiardi, Phaneuf, Gaborik, Hossa, Staal(Pit), Anderson, Spezza, Mueller, Gagne, Pominville, Campbell have all spent extended time on the disabled list.  In the salary cap era, it is difficult for teams to replace star players.  It becomes a true challenge to their team depth and system to stay at a high competitive level.

 

• Goaltending-  NHL goalies have been shuffled around.  The two starting Goalies in last years Stanley Cup Finals, Niemi & Leighton, are now back ups on their respective teams.  Marc Andre Fleury has been aweful.  Tuuka Rask has been superceded by Tim Thomas in Boston.  Even Luongo, Miller & Brodeur have had their issues already this year.  In order for teams to be successful in todays NHL, they must get good consistent goaltending.

 

• Messier-  Mark Messier makes the inevitable transition to coaching, and leads team Canada into the Deutchland Cup (Munich), and Spengler Cup (Davos)

 

• Poll Results-  iHockeyTrainer.com users voted as follows for Who they Think will be 'The Best Canadian NHL Team this Season':

  

1)  Toronto Maple Leafs         48%

2)  Vancouver Canucks         16%

3)  Edmonton Oilers               14%

4)  Montreal Canadiens        11% 

5)  Calgary Flames                  7%

6)  Ottawa Senators                 4%

 

Yes, most of you come from Leafland and are picking with your hearts.  Vancouver has the best chance to win the Cup as they are deep in all positions.  Edmonton & Toronto will be in draft lottery positions, and Calgary, Ottawa & Montreal will be fighting till the last game of the year to make the playoffs.

Thanks to all that participated, and stay tuned for our next Poll 'What is the hardest skill to improve?'

For our next Poll click here.

Continue to use the site...make sure that as players, you are getting at least 1-2 hours every week of direct skill development...use the drills to improve

 

Good Luck,  iHockeyTrainer 

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