Alexandr Ovechkin scored five goals in two games last week to blow right by the fifty goal plateau. At 54 goals he's on course to become the first 60 goal scorer in the NHL in twelve years. Up to and including 1996 there were 35 players who had reached 60 goals including a member of the Washington Capitals; the forgotten Dennis Maruk. Maruk had the misfortune of scoring his 60 goals the same year Wayne Gretzky scored 92.
The question is, "Why has it taken 12 years to produce another 60 goal scorer?"
Part of the problem was that dreadful era of hooking and holding that preceded the lockout.
The goaltender equipment issue is reaching critical mass and will be addressed again by the league this summer. The "trap" employed especially by some of the less-talented teams has become a choke point for offenses in the league.
Still, in my opinion the quality of hockey in the NHL has never been better.
In recent years we've witnessed the advent of the 40-second shift and the all-out skating that it has produced. Players simply can't afford to coast even a single shift in today's game.
All things considered, reaching 60 goals is an incredible feat. It is another reason why it is insanity to try to compare statistical accomplishments from era to era. Rocket Richard was the king-of-hockey with 50-in-50 in 1945. Esposito shook the establishment with 76 goals in 1971.
Gretzky with his incredible 92 goal season in 1992. All of them would have been great goalscorers if through some sort of time warp they could be transplanted to 2008. And in all likelihood they would be battling Alexandr Ovechkin for the goalscoring lead at somewhere around 60 goals. Great players remain great players. Only the times and the context change.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Friday, March 7, 2008
March 1 2008
Friday night at the Bell Centre Lucien Bute defended his IBF World Super-Middleweight championship against an aging William Joppy. I don't want to diminish the considerable skills of Bute but being champion in the International Boxing Federation carries about as much weight as a dieting supermodel.
As we've said before, the only true rankings in boxing are carried by Ring Magazine. Joppy, who had a fair amount of success a few years ago was not included in their top 10 contenders.
That said; Bute went into last night's fight ranked as the third in his division behind one of the greatest champions of all time, Joe Calzaghe and Denmark's Mikkel Kessler.
But this is not about Bute. This is about this city, a city that has showcased in the past the likes of Johnny Greco, Yvon Durelle, Donato Paduano and the Hilton Brothers and has resurfaced as North America's boxing mecca. You can mention Las Vegas and Atlantic City where championship cards draw big crowds. But everything in the ring in those cities is imported.
Montreal consistantly puts locally developed boxers in the ring in front of major crowds. Not only do we have Bute and Joachim Alcine high up in the world rankings, but in the pipeline is a farm system of young boxers ready to tgake their place.
It is said that Montreal is an "event city". The 14 thousand at the Bell Centre Friday night tells us that Montrealers consider boxing to be a "big event".
As we've said before, the only true rankings in boxing are carried by Ring Magazine. Joppy, who had a fair amount of success a few years ago was not included in their top 10 contenders.
That said; Bute went into last night's fight ranked as the third in his division behind one of the greatest champions of all time, Joe Calzaghe and Denmark's Mikkel Kessler.
But this is not about Bute. This is about this city, a city that has showcased in the past the likes of Johnny Greco, Yvon Durelle, Donato Paduano and the Hilton Brothers and has resurfaced as North America's boxing mecca. You can mention Las Vegas and Atlantic City where championship cards draw big crowds. But everything in the ring in those cities is imported.
Montreal consistantly puts locally developed boxers in the ring in front of major crowds. Not only do we have Bute and Joachim Alcine high up in the world rankings, but in the pipeline is a farm system of young boxers ready to tgake their place.
It is said that Montreal is an "event city". The 14 thousand at the Bell Centre Friday night tells us that Montrealers consider boxing to be a "big event".
February 29 2008
Timelines seem to be all the rage right now. Permit me to give you an Ottawa Senators nine-month timeline.
Last June the general manager of the Senators was John Muckler. Under Muckler's leadership the Senators reached the Stanley Cup final. A month after their elimination at the hands of Anaheim the owner of the Senators Eugene Melnyk, apparently dissatisfied with the near miss,, fired Muckler and promoted head coach Bryan Murray to the job.
Murray then decided that a veteran team didn't require a veteran coach and promoted assistant John Paddock to the job.
The Senators then started the season 15-2. the entire front office was wearing itself out patting themselves on the back. The Senators came into Montreal on November 19th and beat the Canadiens 4-2. It seemed clear that the Senators were capable of being runaway winners of the Eastern Conference. From Montreal the Senators went to Buffalo and things began to fall apart. They lost in Buffalo. They lost 7 games in a row and the team has not recovered. Systems set in place by the former coach now turned general manager disintegrated. In panic mode the new coach started to overuse his key players. Goaltender Ray Emery's lack of respect for team
rules went mostly unaddressed. They became a team-divided. Last week the rookie coach was mercifly fired. Friday night the Senators lost first place in their division to the Canadiens.
Many think with team captain Daniel Alfredsson 35 years of age that the Senators may have blown their last shot at a Stanley Cup.
to every action there is a reaction. The domino effect of an owner firing a general manager who had engineered the Dany Heatley trade; drafted Chris Kelly and Andre Meszeros; signed free agent Brian McGratton and hired head coach Bryan Murray to coach a team that reached the Stanley cup final has been a disaster.
Montreal fans will recognize history repeated. Ron Corey, like Senators owner Melnyk was a non-hockey person with just enough information to royally screw things up. It's taken nearly a decade to recover from Ron Corey in Montreal. The fallout from the last nine months in Ottawa probably will have the same longterm effect.
Last June the general manager of the Senators was John Muckler. Under Muckler's leadership the Senators reached the Stanley Cup final. A month after their elimination at the hands of Anaheim the owner of the Senators Eugene Melnyk, apparently dissatisfied with the near miss,, fired Muckler and promoted head coach Bryan Murray to the job.
Murray then decided that a veteran team didn't require a veteran coach and promoted assistant John Paddock to the job.
The Senators then started the season 15-2. the entire front office was wearing itself out patting themselves on the back. The Senators came into Montreal on November 19th and beat the Canadiens 4-2. It seemed clear that the Senators were capable of being runaway winners of the Eastern Conference. From Montreal the Senators went to Buffalo and things began to fall apart. They lost in Buffalo. They lost 7 games in a row and the team has not recovered. Systems set in place by the former coach now turned general manager disintegrated. In panic mode the new coach started to overuse his key players. Goaltender Ray Emery's lack of respect for team
rules went mostly unaddressed. They became a team-divided. Last week the rookie coach was mercifly fired. Friday night the Senators lost first place in their division to the Canadiens.
Many think with team captain Daniel Alfredsson 35 years of age that the Senators may have blown their last shot at a Stanley Cup.
to every action there is a reaction. The domino effect of an owner firing a general manager who had engineered the Dany Heatley trade; drafted Chris Kelly and Andre Meszeros; signed free agent Brian McGratton and hired head coach Bryan Murray to coach a team that reached the Stanley cup final has been a disaster.
Montreal fans will recognize history repeated. Ron Corey, like Senators owner Melnyk was a non-hockey person with just enough information to royally screw things up. It's taken nearly a decade to recover from Ron Corey in Montreal. The fallout from the last nine months in Ottawa probably will have the same longterm effect.
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