April 2012 - Page 8 of 10 - Last Word On Sports

Sutter will not be back in Calgary

Posted on April 12, 2012November 4, 2021 by Ben Kerr

After their third straight season of failing to make the playoffs, the Calgary Flames have parted ways with head coach Brent Sutter. They also announced that the contract of assistant coach Dave Lowry will not be renewed.

The Flames are terming this as a mutual agreement to part company, and that is true in theory as Sutter and Lowry’s contracts expired this season, but make no mistake, the reality is this is an NHL Team deciding to discontinue the employment of their Head Coach and his Top Assistant based on the teams poor performance on the ice. This may not technically and legally be a “firing”, but its as close as possible to one that you’ll find.

Today’s move marks a significant change in the mindset of the Flames Organization. Where do they go from here. Do they re-load, yet again, and make another push for the playoffs in 2013? Do they finally tear their team down and rebuild? Are Jarome Iginla, Mikka Kiprusoff and other long time Flames now on the traded block? Will Olli Jokinen and the other key free agents be back.

Stay Tuned as this story unfolds.

… and thats the Last Word.

NHL Draft Prospect Profile #7: Jacob Trouba

Posted on April 12, 2012November 4, 2021 by Ben Kerr

Edit: Drafted 9th overall by Winnipeg Jets

Today we profile Jacob Trouba, a big mobile defenceman, and the captain of the US National Team Development Program and the Current Under 18 Group. Trouba is committed to play NCAA hockey for the Michigan Wolverines where he will be a teammate of Phil Di Giuseppe. Trouba leads an impressive D group on the USNTDP including top 2013 prospect Seth Jones, and fellow 2012 prospects Brady Skjei and Nicolas Kerdiles.

Defense – Shoots Right
Born Feb 26 1994 — Rochester, Michigan
Height 6.02 — Weight 194 Lbs

2010-11	U.S. National Development Team	USHL	31	3	4	7	31	-2
2011-12	U.S. National Development Team	USHL	22	4	14	18	35	8

Trouba is yet another in a long line of good young American defence prospects. At 6’2″ 194 lbs and still growing, Trouba possesses very good size. He’s shown himself to be willing to use that size, as he is an effective hitter who separates incoming forwards from the puck. Trouba has excellent defensive instincts and is very safe and solid in his own end. He was one of the better defencemen for Team USA in this years World Junior Championships despite playing in the tournament when he was only 17 years old. Trouba is a willing shot-blocker, and has excellent hockey IQ. He makes a good first pass in his own zone, and is very calm and poised with the puck on his stick. He’s a polished defender who rarely makes a mistake.

Trouba has offensive potential as well. He has a great shot from the point and often plays on the US NTDP Power Play. He has good vision and makes smart passes in the offensive zone. He’s also very good at finding the right time to join the rush and add to his team’s offensive attack. He has good offensive potential, however he doesn’t possess the absolute high-end potential of fellow draft class members Matt Dumba and Morgan Rielly. He could stand to improve his stickhandling and his finishing ability if he wants to be a true top end offensive defenceman. However, as it stands we see him as an effective second wave PP defenceman in the NHL.

Trouba is generally a very good skater. He’s strong on his skates, has good stops and starts, has good edge work, and is agile and able to pivot and change directions quickly and efficiently. However, he could stand to work on his top-end speed as it is the weakest part of his skating ability.

Trouba, like many young players, could also stand to add some muscle to his tall frame. We do believe this will come with time.

Trouba should be an effective two-way defenceman at the NHL level, however it may be a year or two before he is NHL ready. We would compare Trouba and his maximum potential to become similar to Brent Seabrook of the Chicago Blackhawks.

…and that is the Last Word.

Stunned! -Stanley Cup Favorites Lose Game One

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Grant Alexander

“Stunned!”

This was the reaction of the hockey world as they watched both of the Stanley Cup favorites lose their opening games. Pittsburgh, who is a 4-1 favorite to win the Cup, squandered a 3-0 lead to eventually lose a heartbreaking game in overtime. And the defending Western Conference champions, the Vancouver Canucks, who are a 6-1 favorite to win the Cup, lose a close game of their own in front of their hometown crowd.

The Penguins dominated their game right out of the gate. They were aggressive on the forecheck, put lots of shots on net, and jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Then there was a controversial play. Briere scored for the Flyers after going blatantly offside to receive the pass. The goal counted, and the Flyers comeback was queued. They added two more, and then another one in overtime to leave the Pittsburgh crowd speechless. It seemed that after the big lead, the Penguins sat back on their heels, and their big players never got back on track. Bryzgalov was also able to regain control and close the door after the first three goals against, despite the bears surrounding him in the stands (which he said in an interview was the only thing he was afraid of). There was a lack of fisticuffs, but no lack of intensity. This series is the real deal, and hopefully game two proves to be just as entertaining. I cant wait.

I think the Canucks would like a mulligan on their game. I’m not sure what their game plan was, but it seemed like they were trying to agitate, and intimidate the Kings, with big hits, and bodies in the crease. Which is very confusing, because isn’t that the Kings game plan? The Kings are the underdogs that should be trying to rattle the other team, not the Canucks. They are the favorite here, the top seed, the high scoring Canucks. They should be moving the puck around and out-skating their opponents. Using their skill and avoiding the post whistle antics. But they came out and did the opposite, engaging the Kings as often as possible, and resulting in 27 minutes in penalties and 2 powerplay goals against. I’m not sure if missing Daniel Sedin really changed their mentality and affected their gameplay? Or if they were trying to mirror the Boston Bruins, who ultimately beat them for the Cup last season? The awful trade they made for Kassian would indicate the latter. But whatever the reason, they better get refocused for game two, because despite their best efforts to play the game with 4 skaters, the other reason they lost was the goaltender at the other end of the rink, as Jonathon Quick, was simply lights out!

The other series that was in action on the first day of the Stanley Cup playoffs was the Detroit Red Wings vs. the Nashville Predators. This was an exciting game that came down to the wire, but eventually saw the Preds take the game 3-2 and the series lead 1-0. This wasn’t a real shocker considering the Preds are a slight favorite to win the series, and also since Detroit is favored to win their games on home ice. That being said it is a tight series, and I could see either team winning and advancing to the next round. One thing of note is the potential fallout from Shea Weber putting Zetterburg’s face into the glass.

All in all it was a pretty exciting and entertaining start to the playoffs. I live for this time of year, and I cant wait to see what tomorrow night brings…

…and that is the last word.

Alistair Overeem: The Fall-Out

Posted on April 12, 2012November 5, 2021 by Mark Modeski

It has been billed as the “Biggest UFC Event in History”. UFC 146, an all heavyweight main card, stacked with the top fighters in the division. Some years ago the proposition of a card that was built upon the heavyweight division would’ve been less than inspiring; however, this division has become one of the most exciting in recent years. The main event of this card is/was meant to be crowned by a tilt between newly minted champ Junior Dos Santos, and former Strikeforce Champion, Alistair Overeem. However, an all too familiar scenario has left a stain on this card, with a positive steroid result from Overeem.

While there has not yet been a definitive cancellation of the main event yet, given that technically Overeem is not a licensed fighter, there is much speculation as to whether or not the main event will proceed as scheduled.

One thing is clear – there will be a title fight at UFC 146, and Junior Do Santos will be the defending champion in that fight… but, who will be on the other end? Below is a list of potential contenders:

Frank Mir: I think this is the fighter that most are defaulting too right now as substitute, given his recent string of victories, he’s already bearing co-main event status, and I think there are a lot of people out there that want to see Frank with the title again.
Cain Velasquez: The first match-up between Cain and Dos Santos was underwhelmingly fast, and there were a lot of people who were disappointed in Cain’s performance. Many want to see this re-match in the hopes that Cain can pull it back together.
Rodrigo Nogueira: There are still those of us out there with a soft spot for Nog, and would like to see him with the strap around his waste again. Maybe a swan song fight?
Dan Henderson: Hear me out on this one. Hendo has recently fought (and beat) Fedor at HW, and I don’t think anyone can deny that Henderson has tools necessary to win this fight – and when have you ever seen Henderson turn away from a challenge.
Randy Couture: You never know. As a last minute surprise replacement, maybe Randy will come back to ring… I doubt it, but nothing Randy does surprises me.

Who do I think the best substitute would be? I personally think Mir would be the best replacement, and make for the best fight. Cain needs to re-build some credibility, Nog needs to retire and Dos Santos wouldn’t likely fight his mentor, Hendo is positioned for a title bout at 205lbs… and Randy, it’s just not going to happen.

What do I think is going to happen? I am about 90% sure that Overeem is still going to fight. There’s still a lot of mystery surrounding the failed drug test in which testosterone levels were at a level of 14:1, above the accepted 6:1. However, Overeem is still moving forward with his license application, so he must have some reasoning in his bag of tricks to explain why he failed his test.

For the record, Dana White has said that Mir will not be moving up to the main event, leading me to believe that he believes that Overeem will continue to fight.

I hope we see Overeem fight. He is a monster, and I think a fight between him and Dos Santos would be legendary. In the interim, I’ll be siting on the edge of my seat, hoping that Alistair has some solid legal counsel and a great excuse.

… and that is the last word.

NHL Playoffs First Round Predictions

Posted on April 11, 2012November 4, 2021 by Grant Alexander

Eastern Conference

#1 New York Rangers vs. #8 Ottawa Senators

Believe it or not, Ottawa won the season series 3-1, and stands a better chance than most people think. That being said, the Rangers are the overwhelming favorite here. Defense reigns supreme in the playoffs, and the Rangers are built from the back-end out. They have the best goaltender in the league, and one of the leagues best defensive units. Ottawa’s best chance will be to pour on the offense and simply hope to outscore their opponent. With Karlsson dictating the pace on the blue line this is a possibility, as they do have the guns to be in this fight. However keeping the puck out of their own net might prove to be difficult.

New York wins in 5

#2 Boston Bruins vs. #7 Washington Capitals

I think this series will be closer than it appears on paper. With Backstrom back and feeding a hungry Ovechkin, Chara will have his work cut out for him. Also, missing Horton is a huge hole that Boston just won’t be able to fill. I think one of the keys to success for the Bruins is to bring back that “playoff grit” that worked so well for them last year. Well that, and they need Thomas to return to his Vezina Trophy winning form. But for me the game-breaker in this series is Tyler Seguin. He really has an opportunity here to step up and carry this team offensively. If he can do that, this team has a chance to go deep again.

Boston wins in 7

#3 Florida Panthers vs. #6 New Jersey Devils

Jersey won six straight games to end the regular season, and Kovalchuk was on a tear during the second half. Look for them to continue that solid play into the playoffs and take 3 of the first 4 games. Florida isn’t a pushover, and had to play well down the stretch to hold on to their coveted division title, but I don’t think they will have an answer for New Jersey’s fast paced offense. Momentum is a huge factor in the playoffs, and Jersey has it.

New Jersey wins in 6

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Philadelphia Flyers

If all things were considered equal to start this matchup, I would say that it would be a coin flip to see who wins, or maybe even give the edge to Philly. But all things are not equal. Philly is, and has been without one of their best players. No I’m not talking about Briere, although he is a big piece of the puzzle too, I’m talking about Chris Pronger. This guy is/was their captain on and off the ice, and is sorely missed in the playoffs where he plays his best hockey. Besides Pronger and Briere, they are also missing JVR who was on fire for them in the playoffs last year, and Andrej Meszaros who is a big part of their defensive unit. And then we look at the Penguins, who would probably be in 1st and playing the Sens if it wasn’t for Crosby and Letang going on the IR for lengthy stints this season. And unlike Philly, Pittsburgh has all of its’ stars back healthy, and hungry. Forget the rough stuff, and the Jedi mind tricks, this is Pittsburgh’s series to lose.

Pittsburgh wins in 6

Western Conference

#1 Vancouver Canucks vs. #8 Los Angeles Kings

Yes Vancouver won the presidents trophy, again. But is that really a surprise to anyone considering the division they play in? They have by far the worst division in hockey, and this season they were the only team in their division to crack 90 points! I’m not saying they are a bad team, I’m just saying that they aren’t as good as their record, or point total would indicate. I also think L.A. is better than they appear in the standings, especially with the addition of Carter. They are a great defensive team, and on paper should have enough offense to blow any team out of the water, but they have had trouble gelling this year. Which has led to a big loss in production. If they can get on the same page, which it looks like they were starting to do down the stretch, than we could possibly see a big upset here. I know the consensus favorite is Vancouver, but I’m going to go with my gut here and take the underdog.

Los Angeles wins in 7

#2 St. Louis Blues vs. #7 San Jose Sharks

The Sharks were a real disappointment to a lot of people this year. Expectations were high after two straight trips to the Conference finals, and four straight division titles. This year though they fell below the 100-point mark, and barely qualified for the playoffs. They are still built as a team that can make some noise in the playoffs, but their low seed is really going to cost them. Of all the teams they could have played, they are matched up with the one team that owned them all season. St. Louis swept the season series 4-0. I don’t think this series will be a sweep, but I do see the Blues coming out on top. With their dedication to team defense, and their speedy counterattack, they will prove to tough for this mediocre Sharks team.

St. Louis wins in 6

#3 Phoenix Coyotes vs. #6 Chicago Blackhawks

Similar to the 3 vs. 6 matchup in the East, this series features the 6th seed as the favorite, who subsequently finished with more points. Which is one of the reasons I don’t like the division winners being given a top three seed. They should be guaranteed a playoff spot, but then seeded appropriately based on their total points. Anyway, back to the matchup. I think Chicago is by far the better team here, and if they get their captain back healthy, there is no reason they shouldn’t win this series. Phoenix is no pushover though, and they did actually win the season series 3-1. Their best chance of winning this series is to get on Crawford early and often. Lots of shots, lots of traffic, and make him stop the puck. They did this during the regular season, and it proved effective. Goaltending is the one and only thing stopping Chicago from going deep. If they can get Crawford to play the way Niemi did a couple of years ago, then there’s no reason they can’t go all the way.

Chicago wins in 6

#4 Nashville Predators vs. #5 Detroit Red Wings

This series is as close a series as you are going to see in the playoffs. They are division rivals, they finished within a few points of each other, and they split the season series 3-3. Detroit has one of the league’s best offenses, whereas Nashville has one of the leagues best defenses. The tiebreaker for me is home ice advantage. If Detroit had it, they would be the clear favorite, and should still dominate at home in the early going. I think as the series wears on, things start to shift in Nashville’s favour, and with them having the home ice advantage, that’s just one more game that leans in their direction. Also I think the game breaker in this series is Alexander Radulov. I don’t know why he came back when he did, but I would speculate that it has something to do with wanting to make the big bucks now that his entry-level contract is expiring. And if that’s the case, look for him to showcase what he’s worth, and earn those extra zeros.

Nashville wins in 7

…and that’s the last word.

NHL Draft Prospect Profile #6: Filip Forsberg

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Ben Kerr

Drafted #11 Overall by the Washington Capitals

Today we look at our first our first European based prospect, Filip Forsberg of Leksands in the Swedish Allsvenskan. Forsberg is the first of the three Swedish “bergs” we have ranked as first round picks, joining Sebastian Collberg, and Pontus Aberg.

Right Wing/Left Wing
Born Aug 13 1994; Ostervala, Sweden
Height 6.02 — Weight 176 — Shoots R

2010-11	Leksands IF	Swe-1	10	1	0	1	0	-1
2011-12	Leksands IF	Swe-1	43	8	9	17	33	3

Lets start by clearing up a few misconceptions about Filip. First he is not related to Swedish NHL Legend and Olympic Gold Medalist Peter Forsberg. Second he is playing for Leksands in the Swedish Allsvenskan, not the Swedish Elite League. Some think that the Allsvenskan is like the Swedish version of the AHL, this is not the case. With the way Sweden’s pro hockey leagues are set up, we need to remember that they are set up like European Football (Soccer) leagues. The Allsvenskan is basically the equivalent of the Italian Serie “B” to the Elite League’s Serie “A”, or like the Championship League instead of the Barclay’s Premier League. Forsberg is not stuck in the Allvenskan by any fault of his own, but rather by Leksands’ poor performance prior to him joining the team as they were relegated. He’s long been committed to Leksands as he came up through the Leksands developmental system.

Forsberg is a versatile forward, capable of playing either wing position. Some scouts say he’s a power forward in the making, and he certainly tries to play that style of game. He’s willing to hit opponents, throw his body around, and drive the net. The problem is that Forsberg is not very physically mature. He’s very skinny for his height. As such his power game is not as effective as it could be. He will definitely need to add some muscle to his frame before he’s ready for the rigors of the NHL.

Forsberg is not all power though, as he is also extremely skilled. He’s got an excellent shot wigh a very quick and deceptive release that often fools goalies. He’s also a very talented passer and is able to complete a number of difficult passes, threading the needle through sticks and skates, and making crafty saucer passes at times. Forsberg is a talented stickhandler and adept at using his body to protect the puck.

Forsberg is a hardworking, willing backchecker. He’s got good defensive awareness and is effective in all three zones on the ice. He understands defensive positioning and is a willing shot blocker and is able to effectively cut down passing lanes as well as an opponent’s time and space.

One area we’d like to see Forsberg improve is his patience and decision making. We often see that he presses at times, and develops a sort of tunnel vision. He begins to shoot everything at the net, instead of waiting a second to create a better scoring chance with a nice pass or slick move with the puck. We are also a little concerned by Filip’s lack of high end production in the Allsvenskan. However one must remember that he’s a 17 year old playing in a men’s league on the third line and with little PP time, so its probably not something to be too concerned about, as we definitely think Forsberg has all the tools to be a scorer in the NHL. However it does raise some questions about his future ceiling.

With an August 1994 Birthday, Forsberg is one of the youngest players in this draft so he has plenty of time to mature, and develop physically, before he’s ready for the NHL. We would not be surprised if he spends at least one more year in Sweden before coming to the NHL in time for the 2013-14 season. We’d compare Forsberg’s maximum potential to become a player similar to Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators.

….And thats the last word.

Manchester United's Only Option

Posted on April 11, 2012November 4, 2021 by Jack Stone

Manchester United’s poor form in Europe has left them with no choice but to win the EPL, to make fans remain calm in the off season, and avoid riots across the city.

United entered the Champions League groups stage as heavy favourites to win easily, however, Benefica and Basel were all but obliging. Next, they were slapped in the face again as they were ousted from Europe’s second-tier tournament, the Europa League. Being eliminated from the world’s biggest club tournaments early does have its advantages. First, it has allowed them to put as competitive a squad as they could muster each week. Had they moved on to the knock-out stage, they would most certainly have been forced to choose games in which to rest some of their best talent. Inevitably they would have dropped points, and would not hold the all-but insurmountable lead they hold over rivals Manchester City today.

While they have the BPL title race close to being locked up, the final test will come from Manchester City on Monday, April 30, from the Etihad Stadium. Certainly the match is a must-win situation for City.

My thoughts are that United has too big of a lead and too much experience down the stretch for City to match. The recent form shows ManU with 11 wins and 1 draw during their last 12 premiership games, while their cross-town rivals have two draws and a loss in their last three matches.

Manchester United will escape the tragedy of losing out early in the Champions League by winning their 20th league title.

…and that is the last word.

Edmonton wins the Draft Lottery

Posted on April 10, 2012November 4, 2021 by Ben Kerr

For the third straight year the Edmonton Oilers will have the first overall pick in the NHL Draft.

However, this year there is a twist; for the first time of the three years the Oilers didn’t finish last in the NHL. Having had the second best shot at getting the first overall pick, the moved up and won the lottery. The Oilers had the lottery balls fall their way, and now have the opportunity to draft Nail Yakupov, or a prospect of their choosing.

With all the wingers in the Edmonton system will they trade the pick? Will they go with one of the two top defencemen in Murray or Dumba?

Here are our early picks:

5. Toronto Maple Leafs – Alex Galchenyuk or Mikhail Grigorenko

4. New York Islanders – Murray (likely n/a), Filip Forsberg or Matt Dumba

3. Montreal Canadiens – Mikhail Grigorenko unless Columbus takes him. In that case Galchenyuk.

2. Columbus Blue Jackets – Ryan Murray or Mikhail Grigorenko

1. Edmonton Oilers – Nail Yakupov or Ryan Murray

Be sure to check out our Draft Profiles in our NHL Draft 2012 Headquarters. Who will your team take?

….and that’s the last word.

NHL Draft Prospect Profile #5: Matt Dumba

Posted on April 10, 2012November 4, 2021 by Ben Kerr

Drafted #7 Overall by Minnesota Wild

We continue through the lottery picks with our #5 ranked prospect, Mathew Dumba of the Red Deer Rebels. Dumba is currently playing with Team Canada at the Under 18 World Championships taking place in the cities of Brno and Znojmo in the Czech Republic.

Defense

Born Jul 25 1994 — Calgary, ALTA

Height 6.00 — Weight 173 — Shoots R

2009-10	Red Deer Rebels	WHL	6	0	2	2	4	-1	2	0	0	0	4
2010-11	Red Deer Rebels	WHL	62	15	11	26	83	23	9	2	0	2	20
2011-12	Red Deer Rebels	WHL	69	20	37	57	67	-6

Matt Dumba is a very talented, but very raw defence prospect for this year’s draft. He’s a classic high risk/high reward prospect. Offensively talented, Dumba has great skating, a tremendous slapshot, smart offensive instincts, makes great passes, and is clearly not afraid to join the rush or take offensive chances. With 20 goals and 57 points this year, Dumba has shown that he can use these skills and translate them into being an offensive weapon. Dumba is also a big hitter. He loves to see a forward coming down his side of the ice with his head down, and will not hesitate to throw a hard, heavy hit, if he gets the opportunity. He’s usually able to do so with great timing and deliver his big shots legally.

However, Dumba can definitely use some work in his own end of the ice. He sometimes takes too many offensive chances or gets himself out of position looking for that big hit and his defensive game can sometimes suffer as a result. He also needs to bulk up as he’s listed at 6’0 173 lbs. He’s got decent enough height, but he certainly needs to add muscle to that frame if he expects to be able to continue to throw those hits at the next level. More size and strength will also help him to contain the bigger forwards he’ll face in the pros. He could also use some more time learning at the junior level, as his defensive positioning and decision making could stand to be improved.

As a July birthdate, Dumba is one of the younger players eligible in the draft. For example he is 10 months younger than Ryan Murray who is our number 3 prospect. For this reason we do believe that Dumba has the time to gain the bulk and defensive skills he will need to transition to the NHL. He’s definitely got some maturing to do, both physically, and in polishing his game. We do however think it is very likely he will play another season in the WHL, as we don’t think he will be NHL ready in time for the 2012-13 season. That said, we do think he’s got a ton of potential to be a very good defenceman down the road. If you are looking for an NHL comparable, we think that Dumba reminds us of another former Red Deer Rebels star defenceman, Dion Phaneuf now of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Update: Matt Dumba continues to impress as he is putting together an absolutely brilliant tournament in the World U18 Championships. He was the leading point getter in the tournament finishing with 5 goals and 12 points.