Big Leagues

Hello everyone! Thanks for reading this site and for all the support you’ve given Rick and I.

We’ve decided to move up in the world and have actually bought our own domain name. Exciting. Unfortunately, 5minutesforfighting was already owned. I made an offer for $20, but fell well short below the asking price of $8000.

So, instead of robbing a bank we decided to buy www.fiveminutesforfighting.com for a mere $7. Unfortunately, we couldn’t just import the blog, so we’ve lost all your insightful comments.

So update your bookmarks and join us as we get the call up (maybe that’s a bad analogy, more like we paid our way onto some team).

The Sidney Crosby Defense

Alexander Ovechkin is undoubtedly the most electric player in the NHL. He is a legitimate 70 goal threat and can score from anywhere on the ice, including his back. He strikes fear in opponents and fans like no other player today. He plays with a reckless abandon and exuberance that resonates with fans. And despite being a sniper he still plays an intense physical game. He’s even funny! There’s nothing to dislike about him.

Sidney Crosby is a more polarizing figure. He is intensely hated by many. He was hated seemingly before he even entered the NHL. I supposed that’s a product of the Canadian hype machine that proclaimed him the next Gretzky before he was 16. Now he’s called a whiner, a cry-baby, soft, over-rated, and robotic. Worst of all, he grows atrocious facial hair. When your beard growing abilities are worse than the rat’s nest on Ovechkin’s face then you are truly in trouble. There are even whispers that Crosby can no longer be compared with Ovechkin. His critics argue Ovechkin has surpassed him by miles.

I once casually flirted with the idea of hating Sidney Crosby. I didn’t really have any reason, but I found him extremely hateable when he played against the Leafs (the first sign I should hate a player). This was mainly because he burned them with such regularity, but that’s usually why I start hating a player. That and bad haircuts (Hartnell for instance). I felt this way about Crosby until the 2008 playoffs. The sheer determination and will of Crosby was unbelievable. It was at this moment that I first noticed how extremely hard he works. Just watch him play. He wants the puck more than anybody else. He wants the game on his stick; he wants to win. Hockey matters to him. Intensely. Maybe because I am so maniacally into hockey I’d like that my favourite hockey players be too. The game should matter a little too much to them. They should feel upset after each loss.

My growing Crosboner amplified in the 2009 playoffs when it seemed that nothing would stop him from hoisting his first Stanley Cup. The man could not be stopped. It showed in his demeanour. He elevated his game against Ovechkin and the Capitals and proved why the Penguins are superior to the Capitals. Then the Stanley Cup Final was a real life revenge thriller starring Crosby and Malkin.

One stat that reveals Crosby’s work ethic is his face-off percentage. During Crosby’s rookie year he was pretty poor at taking draws. That year Crosby was 85^th in the league with a disastrous 45.5% efficiency. This was a weakness to his game that he addressed and worked very hard at improving. This year Crosby ranks 8^th in the league at 58%, which is close to a 7% improvement from last season. What’s more impressive is that he’s maintained this rate while taking more face-offs than anyone except for Paul Stasny (whose rate is below 50%). According to CBC’s Elliotte Friedman, Crosby has improved by understanding the strategy of other centres he’s facing, using his wingers more effectively, and practicing against bigger players like Jordan Staal and Mike Rupp.

Crosby is also proving this year that he is more than just a playmaker. Everyone knows that the Kid has an unhealthy on-ice vision, but he’s finding the back of the net with increased regularity this season. With a struggling Evgeni Malkin (by his lofty standards), there is an increased onus on Crosby to provide a greater share of the offense for the champion Penguins. Especially when the rest of the forwards not named Malkin are the likes of Bill Guerin, Ruslan Fedotenko, Chris Kunitz, and Jordan Staal (who is good, but more of a solid two-way type player). While Crosby has never been really considered a goal-scorer he has only scored fewer than 30 goals only once and that was during an injury filled campaign where he only played in only 53 games, yet still scored 24 goals. However, this year he’s looking more Ovechkin than Thornton. He’s on pace to score over 50 goals and is a legitimate threat to win the Rocket Richard Trophy.

The Penguins acquisition of Gary Roberts at the 2007 trade deadline was another pivotal moment in Crosby’s development as a complete player. The veteran presence of Roberts showed Crosby and the rest of the Penguins the type of sacrifice and determination that it takes for a team to win in the playoffs. Although his arrival didn’t necessarily bring immediate results (since the Pens lost in the first round), it certainly had a long-lasting impact on the players and Crosby. The results were evident in the last two playoffs. Maybe Mike Knuble will provide the Capitals with a similar improvement.

But enough of the accolades, this isn’t a Crosby fan-site. The people who hate Sidney Crosby do so in spite of his talents as a hockey player. The cry-baby labels were certainly justifiable during his first few years in the league. Crosby barked at the refs for seemingly every slight against him. Maybe he believed his own hype and thought of himself above the game. I doubt that, but he certainly acted like it. It got to the point that Don Cherry reprimanded the Kid on Coach’s Corner. I think this played a large role in Crosby’s development as a complete hockey player. He realized what he was doing was embarrassing and for the most part he’s stopped. Sure, occasionally he gives the refs an incredulous look, but it’s no different from the reaction that every player gives when they’ve been sentenced to the penalty box. People deride Crosby because they have already made up their minds about him. He’s a whiner and so he shall always be. To think someone would actually have to admit they were wrong and change their opinion on something. I’m guilty of this as well. It’s hard to change your opinion on things when you’ve defended them vehemently in the past. My prime example is hating on Marc Savard as a fake player. During his tenure in Atlanta I wrongfully assumed his points were a result of playing between Hossa and Kovalchuk. How wrong of me. I’ve admitted my mistake and focus my energies on labelling Rich Peverley a fake player.

The Vancouver Olympics will be the setting for Crosby’s great transformation in the eyes of many hockey fans. Many people already know they will love Crosby during the Olympics as he plays for Canada. They will then proceed to return to their loathing ways afterwards, but I don’t know if it will be so easy after they see him play in a different light.

So, you can keep your negative opinion of Sidney Crosby. Maybe in your mind he’s still the whiny, little 18-year old your contrarian self refused to appreciate, but you’re missing out on marvelling in one of the best hockey players of this generation. Plus, he’s Canada’s ace-in-the-hole against the Big Red Machine.

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Northern (Over)Exposure

I’m tired of hockey. Yeah, I said it. Personally, I (Rick Lafontaine) have not written a piece for this site in weeks (But now I’m back with my disjointed thoughts). This can be attributed to a number of things that have recently disrupted my normal life: health issues, the holiday season, a minor pornography problem etc. However to lay the blame solely on these factors would be untruthful. The truth is that I am fed up with being force-fed a massive helping of hockey every day by the Canadian sports networks, specifically TSN. The coverage is wall to wall. Basketball, NFL football, Baseball, and everything else take back seat. Quite frankly, this bombardment is making me sick of hockey.

As of the moment I began this piece, there are 9 headlines on the TSN.ca homepage relating to hockey. Apparently Mike Danton is going to University. File that under “Who gives a fuck?” I realise that Danton was involved in a sensational story but at this point he is very far removed from pro hockey. If this story needs to be covered, why is it that no network (aside from CBC) is doing investigative reporting on the alleged dirt bag David Frost and his exploits? And if we’re going to write about sensational stories involving lower-end NHLers, why hasn’t anyone located Chad Kilger?! I don’t know about who is scratched from the Atlanta Thrashers blue-line (actual NHL players), let alone what Mike Danton is up to.

TSN’s coverage of the World Junior Hockey Championships illustrated the worst of the network’s over-analysis. Every play, player, and moment was subjected to scrutiny. This one done to draw massive ratings and promote a tournament that no one outside of Canada cares about. Not surprisingly, the real issues that competitions like these raise were not discussed. For instance, why are Canadians allowing children to be placed under ridiculous pressure, while playing as amateurs in a sport that 80% of them will not be playing professionally. Don’t get me wrong, I love the WJHC. I’ve been watching it since I was a child. But I don’ think that such intense coverage adds to the tourney. In fact I think it takes away from it. I recall that the tournament had a sense of innocence. The players were treated as children, not as men on a mission. Despite the bullshit, I do enjoy the human interest pieces. We learned that the father of a certain Leaf’s 1st round pick could not afford to play hockey as a young immigrant. And more importantly, that his mom is hot.

TSN’s hockey coverage is almost like CNN’s news coverage: suffocating. Some stories are interesting, but the constant bombardment is unbearable. And of course, everyone takes themselves too seriously.  Let’s check out the breakdown of the offenders:

Bob McKenzie = Wolf Blitzer

Think white hair makes them wise Attempt to induce mass hysteria with their “major stories” about rural school bus fires and fourth line shuffles.

Pierre McGuire = Jack Cafferty

Why should we care about their opinions and insights?                                                                                     Why are they yelling at me?

James Duthie = Anderson Cooper

Somewhat charming and moderately entertaining hosts. Probably can get a lot of women, but might like dudes. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that)

Dave Hodge = Fareed Zakaria

The same shitty news from the week, only in a more serious tone, and on Sundays!

I like sports to be covered in depth and examining them sociologically. For example I am a big fan of ESPN’s Bill Simmons, as well as programs like Pardon the Interruption. The hosts and guests of these shows dissect sports news stories with incredible insight, while maintaining an “it’s only sports” demeanour. The only times they stray from this approach is when the stories truly transcend sports. For example, this fool:

Now I realize that one cannot compare these free-flowing shows to rigid reporting and sports news shows like Sportscentre. Nonetheless, there is no rule saying that TSN’s Sportscentre has to be so hockey oriented. I have watched ESPN’s Sportscentre a number of times this year and noticed how incredibly balanced their coverage is. Hockey coverage is slightly more limited, but the NFL, NBA, MLB, college sports, and other interests are covered very evenly. Even British sports coverage includes more variety! Obviously both Sky Sports and BBC Sports report heavily on soccer, as we do on hockey. But on nearly every broadcast they also quickly run down the NHL, NBA, NFL, and MLB. There is no equal coverage given to European sports on TSN. Perhaps one Premiership game on the weekend or a Champions League game midweek. They do not however, run through the Premiership, La Liga, the Bundisliga, Serie A, or Euroleague basketball.

So there it is onscreen. My frustration has been released for all to read. Maybe if I avoid hockey for a few weeks, I’ll regain my interest. If not that quickly, perhaps I will in time to watch the summer hockey coverage that relegates the Jays to an afterthought.

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MLSGreed

When you don’t start work until noon you get to enjoy a leisurely morning. Sleeping in on Monday is great. It also gives me a chance to actually read the newspaper, rather than blaze through breakfast while casually skimming boxscores. So, with my excess time today I actually read some of the newspaper. Well, the sports section because proroguing parliament doesn’t hold my interest like a good Leafs talk does (total philistine here). Two articles caught my attention and both primarily concerned MLSE’s greed and its consequences.

In the comments section of both articles (because I read the newspaper online for this specific reason) there were copious amounts of fans complaining about the Leafs lack of success and how they shouldn’t pay to see a shitty product on the ice. The solution that many fans suggest is boycotting the team. They point to the perception that MLSE is only concerned with making money. I agree that MLSE is gluttonous in their quest for money, but I no longer think this is at the expense of the Leafs.

I would still be furious with MLSE if the Leafs continued to pay for veterans every off-season in a deluded attempt the make the playoffs (the Jason Blake special). That isn’t what’s happening anymore. This is a team focused on rebuilding. Rebuilding teams are bad. If they were supposed to win then they wouldn’t be rebuilding. Fans who bemoan the Leafs losing ways should realize it isn’t going to quickly turnaround for the Leafs. Just because they spent money in the offseason and brought in Phil Kessel doesn’t mean they are instantly contenders. This is a team that is better than last year’s team, but not by much. A proper rebuilding takes a long time. The Blackhawks were a basement team for nearly an entire decade. I’m hoping the Leafs become contenders in less time, but I’m not convinced.

MLSE is also using their money more effectively now. Yes, the ticket and concession prices are ridiculous. I don’t agree with them, but MLSE is at least funneling a lot of that revenue back into the team. The company isn’t just filling up a room with a pile of money to swim in. The Leafs have spent a considerable amount of money on improving the scouting staff; they hired both Brian Burke and Ron Wilson, while not the best GM and coach in the league, certainly the best available at the time; they also spent close to $45 million on a new training facility that is the best in the league; the Leafs will always spend close to the cap. Thankfully there’s a salary cap in place ensuring they don’t try and give Bobby Holik $8 million. It’s comforting to know they don’t have to worry about losing their young stars (when they get some) for financial reasons.

While I’m still on the topic of ticket and concession prices I couldn’t believe the ignorance being displayed in the comments section. Nose bleed tickets are expensive, but nowhere near the $200 people claimed. You can see a game at the ACC for $50. Expensive, yes. Entirely outlandish? Possibly. Will I still go? Yes. Concession prices are pretty much equal to prices of other venues in the city. If you are buying dinner at a sporting event you will be gouged. It’s a reality. Whether it’s at the ACC or the Rogers Centre or even a movie theater. There are an abundance of restaurants surrounding the ACC that would happily serve you. Or you can spend your money at one of the many fast-food joints inside Union station for far cheaper than what they’re selling inside the arena. And if you are that concerned with drinking at the game then maybe you should just pre-drink. You don’t have to spend $500 at a Leafs game.

The notion of boycotting the team annoys me. First, if the fans actually made a concentrated effort to boycott the team and it actually had an impact don’t you think MLSE would make every effort to secure an immediate winner at the expense of the team’s long-term future. Don’t you think that would be their rationale? Win now to bring back the fans. Isn’t that the exact opposite of what the fans want? Although, I think a more accurate assessment is that most “fans” want a winning team now because they don’t want so support a losing team. In reality, the majority of people support a winner and aren’t concerned with “their” team otherwise.

Also, Toronto sports fans are dumb no matter what they do. When close to 10,000 fans showed up to watch a bad Blue Jays team play a meaningless game against the Minnesota Twins in late September the fans are lambasted for being fair-weather. When the Leafs routinely sell out despite an awful product they are mindless sheep, too dumb to realize their own ignorance. I am happy Leafs fans are like this because there are far too many teams in the league who have been on the verge of bankruptcy. Oh, fans in Buffalo and Edmonton are truly the best fans in the game? Where were they when their teams were close to folding? You can add Ottawa to that list as well. Maybe if more fans were like Leafs fans the league would still have both Winnipeg and Quebec.

Additionally, thinking that a boycott will make MLSE realize they need to build a contender is ludicrous. A deep run in the playoffs will make a ton of money. A few years ago I recall hearing that the Leafs made $1 million profit per home game in the playoffs. I can’t exactly quote an accurate figure, but just know that it’s a lot. Plus, this doesn’t include the revenue generated from merchandise sales outside the arena. MLSE wants to win a Stanley Cup because they know the amount of fans purchasing Stanley Cup paraphernalia would be enormous. Personally, I would go on a post-Cup merchandise binge the likes of which has never been seen. 2013 Leafs Cup Champions Snuggie? Sure! It’ll go perfectly with my Leafs championship underwear and beer coozie.

I don’t really take many things in my life seriously, but maybe sports are the one thing I take a little too seriously.

Am I off the mark with my assessment of the team and its fans? What do you think?

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I Love You, McCabe

I’m a hater. Big time. It’s already well documented in the brief history of this website. I also hate pickles, incorrect use of there/their/they’re, and tennis. I do not hate Bryan McCabe. Neither should you. Booing McCabe’s returns to Toronto is ignorant.

Here’s a man who did everything he possibly could have as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs and is now hated unconditionally. Cheering the return of Darcy Tucker, while simultaneously condemning McCabe’s is hypocritical.

Hating on Bryan McCabe by Leafs fans is reminiscent to the treatment former Leaf Larry Murphy received during his brief tenure in Toronto. Murphy was booed mercilessly. He was unfortunate enough to be the highest paid Leaf player on a bad team. The boos were unjustified because the man scored 61 points and was only a -2 in his first year as a Leaf and then scored 39 points his second year before being traded to the Red Wings after 69 games. What made Leafs Nation’s decision to boo Murphy even worse was that the future Hall-of-Famer became an integral part of two consecutive Detroit championship teams. Murphy was basically a scapegoat for the Leafs dismal play, much like McCabe would become ten years later.

Bryan McCabe was not a bad player when he played for the Leafs and he is certainly proving in Florida that he is not a bad player now. Unfortunately for McCabe, he was perceived by fans as the major problem of the JFJ era. This isn’t correct. He certainly was a part of the problem, but that’s not really his fault. Bryan McCabe personified MLSE’s control over the team and received hatred as a consequence, even if fans didn’t realize that’s why they were booing him.

Sure he scored on his own goal against Buffalo and fans jumped all over him without hesitation, but if this was done by Tomas Kaberle he would be immediately forgiven. For the most part McCabe’s career with Toronto was a success. First, his pre-lockout stats are unexpected. Really. McCabe’s first four years in Toronto were impressive. 44 goals, 105 assists (149 points), and a + 63. In 2003-2004 McCabe scored 16 goals, 53 points and was + 22. + 22! He wasn’t necessarily a number one defenceman, but his numbers suggest he was worthy of being a top-pairing player. An actual defenceman!  McCabe was physical and even fought on occasion (before Chara killed him – a video I will never link to). Of course the pre-lockout allowed McCabe to get away with his patented can-opener. Upon my father’s suggestion I utilized this manoeuvre for one memorable game that I mainly watched from the penalty box. I guess house league refs were ahead of their time.

After the lockout McCabe proved that he was still an able defenceman. He hovered around 0 +/- but scored 68 points the first year after the work stoppage and 57 points in the first year of his massively inflated deal. That’s when the real problems started.

As the Leafs missed the playoffs for the second straight year people began to blame McCabe and his high-priced contract (the highest on the team). Does this sound familiar?

Anyone who has ever disparaged Bryan McCabe should look at one stat: the Leafs record with and without Bryan McCabe in the line-up. Since the lockout the Leafs are a combined 106-77-26 with McCabe (.507 winning percentage) and 11-22-4 without McCabe (.297 winning percentage). I think those numbers reflect his importance to the team. These numbers become even more interesting if we look year by year. In 2005-2006 the Leafs miss the playoffs by 2 points. Bryan McCabe is injured in Edmonton during the middle of the season and the Leafs go 1-7-1 without him (which includes 8 losses in a row). With McCabe in the line-up the Leafs were on pace for 97 points and the seventh seed in the Eastern conference. McCabe plays the entire 2006-2007 season and the Leafs miss the playoffs by one point (fuck you Wade Dubielewicz!). 2007-2008 (tank nation slowly developing) saw the Leafs skate to a fairly impressive (for a shitty team) 26-20-8 record with McCabe playing and a brutal 10-15-3 record without. The Leafs missed the playoffs by 11 points, but the projected point total with McCabe playing would have the Leafs miss by only 4. And that was the worst team of all three and it didn’t even have Jason Allison! It was terrible!

Was Bryan McCabe worth $5.75 million per year? Obviously not. The Leafs should have traded him at the deadline of his 68 point season, but MLSE would have had a conniption. JFJ wasn’t allowed to re-build the Leafs and was forced by ownership into a series of dumb moves that set the franchise back considerably. MLSE didn’t trade Tukka Rask for Andrew Raycroft (that was all JFJ’s stupidity), but they didn’t really give him many options. Because MLSE’s insistence on creating an immediate winner (impossible you idiots – stick to building condos) JFJ needed to keep McCabe and that meant signing that ridiculous deal. Do you think JFJ just said yes to the first offer he received? Did McCabe’s agent send out an offer to get a sense of the Leafs expectations and then found out it was readily accepted. Did Jason Blake even need an agent to get his ridiculous contract? Will JFJ ever find peace of mind? These things keep me up at night.

Although McCabe is overpaid he is still providing Florida with reasonable production and valuable leadership. He also finds sticking it to Toronto particularly refreshing (3 goals 2 assists in 6 games).

If nothing I have said compels you to reduce your hate for Bryan McCabe then you should remember that he was the only member of the Muskoka Five that actually waived his no trade clause (eventually). Also, remember that the Leafs hosed the Black Hawks in the Bryan McCabe trade. Alexander Karpovtsev and a 4^th for McCabe. Remember when Leafs GMs actually won trades?

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Mad Mike Milbury

As you may know, I love CBC’s coverage of hockey every Saturday night. The one aspect of the show that needs to be changed is Mike Milbury’s presence. I understand they have him there to say stupid things and create fodder for the rest of the pundits, but enough. This man is colossally stupid. Even worse, when Al Strachan is on the hot stove, it’s like watching two retards debate the feasibility of time-travel. There’s a reason Milbury beat a man with his loafers, he’s certifiably bat-shit crazy.

First, how a man can ever get a job speaking to millions after going into the crowd during a game and beating a man with his shoe is beyond me. Amazingly, that isn’t even how he acquired the nickname “Mad Mike”. Yes, beating someone with their own shoe isn’t the craziest thing this man has done.

In 1998, Milbury thought the woeful Islanders needed a good solid veteran on the decline, rather than promising youngsters, so he traded both Bryan McCabe and Todd Bertuzzi (plus a 3^rd round pick) to the Canucks for Trevor Linden.

He is also the man who not only drafted Rick DiPietro first overall in 2000 ahead of both Dany Heatley and Marian Gaborik, but decided after one good year that Rick was worthy of a 15-year extension. DiPietro isn’t necessarily a horrible pick, but it prompted Milbury to trade Roberto Luongo to the Panthers. Mad Mike decided Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha were worth so much that not only did he trade Roberto Luongo to the Panthers for them, but he decided to throw in Olli Jokinen as well.

This whole scenario is nonsensical. Why draft a goalie number 1 when you already posses a franchise goalie? Luongo was drafted fourth overall in 1997, played one more year in junior and then joined the Islanders AHL affiliate in 1999. He played 26 games in the AHL, posting a .906 save percentage and 2.93 GAA. He was promoted to the Islanders later that year and played 24 games with a .904 save percentage and 3.25 goals against on a brutal Islanders team whose leading scorer was the Polish Prince, Mariusz Czerkawski. Then they draft DiPietro and trade Luongo! It’s not like Luongo toiled in the minors making absolutely not progress. He made the NHL at 20 years old! Why not use the first overall pick to grab a sniper like Heatley, which would actually complement the areas the team is already set in (like goal). This obviously made too much sense. Milbury defended the move by saying, “as dangerous as this may be, we think Mad Mike maybe has something going for him.” You know you’re crazy when you refer to yourself by your crazy nickname in the third person. Then, almost as baffling, he says, “Roberto Luongo is going to be an excellent goaltender in this league. He is a class act and a kid I know we would have been happy to ride with. But hell, I’ve gotta send him off.” I don’t really understand, but then I wouldn’t beat someone with my shoe.

Islanders’ fans can weep now because at this point in time, without Milbury’s stupidity, the Islanders would have employed an impressive core consisting of Roberto Luongo, Tim Connolly, Kenny Jonsson, Olli Jokinen, Zdeno Chara, Eric Brewer, plus whoever they drafted with the number 1 pick in 2000 (either Heatley or Gaborik, the consensus top picks). Unfortunately, only Kenny Jonsson would start the 2001 season with the Islanders as Milbury sacrificed the team’s future for brief short-term success.

To build off the success of the 2000 draft, Milbury decided his draft luck couldn’t be any better, so why bother even selecting. He traded the number two pick (Jason Spezza) along with Zdeno Chara for team-cancer Alexei Yashin. This is the same Alexei Yashin who demanded a new contract three separate times during his brief five-year stint in Ottawa; the same Yashin who the Senators rather allow sit out an entire season than damage the team anymore; the same Alexei Yashin who promised to donate a million dollars to a Ottawa art museum, only to renege after they wouldn’t pay his parents a $400,000 consulting fee. This is the player Milbury thought would turn his team around? Instead of resting on his mad ways, Mike thought it’d be better to up the insanity by signing Yashin to a 10-year, $87.5 million deal. Why assure a player with major commitment and effort issues such a monstrous deal? Well, because your name is Mad Mike and your reputation is at stake (only one mad move in one whole year!). Yashin was bought out in 2007 and will not be off the Islander’s cap until 2015.

Amazingly, the deals Milbury made actually worked (for one brief year). Yashin, Mike Peca (acquired for Tim Connolly), and Roman Hamrlik (acquired for Eric Brewer) propelled the Islanders to an amazing 44 point turnaround that placed the Isles 5^th in the Eastern conference. Unfortunately, the Islanders faced the Leafs in the first round and lost in 7 tough games (it was basically a street fight). Looking back the Islanders probably win the series if Gary Roberts doesn’t run Kenny Jonsson from behind, injuring him, and if Darcy Tucker doesn’t take out Mike Peca’s legs in a hit that becomes dirtier with time. As a Leafs fan I was happy those things happened. When your team hasn’t won in 40+ years you’ll accept advancing a round by any means.

Obviously the success didn’t last (because we’re talking about Alexei freakin’ Yashin here) and the Islanders went back to their losing ways.

Somehow after all these horrendous moves Milbury kept his role as GM until 2006, even as Luongo and Jokinen became stars; even as Bertuzzi developed into a dominant power-forward in Vancouver; even as Eric Brewer played for Team Canada at the Salt Lake Olympics; even as the Alexei Yashin trade single-handedly turned the Senators into a powerhouse.

How can a man make so many stupid decisions in his hockey career and actually be allowed to voice his opinions on hockey? Mike Milbury makes JFJ look like a mutant hybrid of Ken Holland and Lou Lamoriello.

We should end this cautionary tale with the man’s own words. “It’s unbelievable that after more than 30 years in the game, pummeling a guy with his loafer will be my legacy. But I guess it’s better than having no legacy at all.” Or maybe we can just check google.

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Top-10 Moments from the Past Decade

The end of the decade has everyone trying to wrap up the previous 10 years in convenient top-10 lists.

The NHL’s previous ten years were tumultuous. The first half of the decade may well be the league’s nadir, while the latter portion of the decade saw the NHL slowly rise from its ashes (unfortunately that doesn’t include the Hamilton Coyotes rising from the ashes of the Phoenix Coyotes). Hopefully, the last five years in the NHL are a harbinger for a successful 2010s. Remember, this is a league that less than 15 years ago was infinitely cooler than the NBA. Gary Bettman ruined it and, unfortunately, that’s reflected in a lot of this list.

Here are the top moments that defined the decade.

10. The Return of Mario Lemieux and Saku Koivu

Mario returned to the NHL on December 27, 2000 after being retired since 1997 and scored 76 points in only 43 games. Anytime one of the top-3 greatest players comes back to the league it is a momentous occasion. There was an energy to the league after Mario’s return and it helped save the Pittsburgh franchise from imminent doom. Although, the team didn’t fully recover until Sindey Crosby completed the rescue five years later.

The return of Saku Koivu was even more impressive since he battled back from Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (Mario recovered from Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the 90s). Koivu was diagnosed in September, 2001 and missed nearly the entire 2001-2002 season. Miraculously, Koivu returned on April 9, 2002 and received a large standing ovation from the Montreal fans. It was a truly remarkable event and even drew a smile from a Montreal hater like me.

9. Gaborik scores 5 goals in one game

On December 20, 2007 Marian Gaborik is the first player since Sergei Fedorov a decade earlier to score 5 goals in one game. This offensive explosion represents the direction the league is taking after the boring trap-style NHL became chic after the Devils 1995 Stanley Cup win. Today’s game does not necessarily have more dynamic scorers than it did 10 years ago, but it does finally allow them to flourish without fighting through 15 hooks and 3 elbows. The game is much more exciting because of the rule changes and Gaborik’s 5 goals reflects this.

8. Bertuzzi-Moore

The Bertuzzi-Moore incident is easily the ugliest event of the decade. Todd Bertuzzi at the time was one of the game’s premier power forwards and Steve Moore was a 4^th line checker who laid out Canucks captain Markus Naslund. No penalty was called on the play and the league deemed it clean. The Canucks thought otherwise and sought revenge against Moore the next time the teams played. On March 8, 2004 Steve Moore fought Matt Cooke in the first period which should have been the end of it. Unfortunately, Moore won the fight and the Avalanche were cruising to a 8-2 victory before Bertuzzi followed Moore down the ice and punched him in the back of the head. As Moore fell to the ice Bertuzzi and other Canuck players fell on top of Moore. Moore suffered three fractured vertebrae in his neck, a grade three concussion, vertebral ligament damage, stretching of the brachial plexus nerves, and facial cuts. To date, Moore has not appeared in another professional hockey game and the issue has yet to be resolved in civil court. The league’s image was already battered and this didn’t help. Everyone chimed in with their opinions, even the hens on The View. It was ugly.

7. Stevens on Lindros

It’s one of the most infamous checks of all-time and a cautionary reminder for players of all ages to never cross the middle of the ice with your head down. Lindros returned to the Flyer line-up for game 7 of the 2000 Eastern Conference Final after missing 10 weeks with a series of concussions. He was certainly rushed back as the 3-1 Flyer lead in the series was quickly evaporating. Lindros would never be the same player again after the hit. Injuries were already derailing the career of a player who was once the most feared player in the league, but the Stevens hit effectively ended his reign. Lindros never really recovered and his point totals dropped in each of his next seasons until his retirement. The hit is relevant now as the league debates the issues of head shots. While I believe it was a clean hit, it is still hard to watch, especially in slow-motion. It’s like those animal videos where the unsuspecting deer is devoured by the waiting crocodile, except even a deer would see this hit coming.

6. The 2005 Draft Lottery

The Sidney Crosby lottery. Following the lockout there was confusion on how the year’s draft would work. Since no one actually played during the year the league would have to find a new means of allotting draft picks. They eventually settled on a system where teams were assigned 1 to 3 balls based on their playoff appearances and first overall draft picks from the past three years. The draft was held on July 30, 2005 and was pretty exciting. I was convinced that even if the Leafs won the lottery the league would throw away the ball as if it never happened. In my mind that’s what happened as the Penguins grabbed the number one pick and in a somewhat surprising move selected Sidney Crosby. Bobby Ryan went second to the Anaheim Ducks and Brian Burke quipped, “I can’t believe he was still available.”

5. Ovechkin scores 60

On March 21, 2008 Alexander Ovechkin becomes the first person since Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr 12 years previous to score 60 goals in one season. Ovechkin eventually scored 65 goals and 112 points in a dominant regular season. Ovechkin’s season demolished any lasting remnants of the dead-puck era in the minds of fans and made it seem possible for a man to reach 70 goals again (not done since both Alexander Mogilny and Teemu Selanne hit 76 in 1992-1993).

4. Canada Ends 50-year Olympic Gold Drought

I debated putting this on here at the risk of sounding like a homer, but you know what, I am a homer, so it stays. This was big. Canada started off terribly with a 5-2 loss to Sweden and only managed to defeat Germany 3-2. I recall tons of people at school blasting the team and basically renouncing their Canadian citizenship. Wayne Gretzky gave an impassioned speech, an ‘us against the world’ battle cry, that rallied the team to reach the Gold medal game against the United States, playing on home ice in Salt Lake. Canada dominated the finals and made the nation proud, while exorcising demons from 1998. This was the event where Jarome Iginla solidified himself as one of the NHL’s best players and both Mario Lemieux and Joe Sakic added to their already illustrious careers in distinct style. The game was also the highest rated hockey game in the U.S. since the Miracle on Ice in 1980. Also, 2006 never happened.

3. The Winter Classic Part I and II

Although the second winter classic may have had a bigger impact in the United States, the first one was the one that started it all. It’s true that this wasn’t the first outdoor game played by the NHL (that belongs to Edmonton-Montreal), but it was the first played on New Year’s Day featuring two American teams. The game was played in Buffalo’s Ralph Wilson Stadium and marked the first time since the early 90s that two real sports teams actually played there (heyo! take that Bills fans). Essentially, the game promotes hockey to the United States. If sports was like Full House, then the NHL is Kimmie Gibbler in the eyes of the U.S. sports fans. Like Gibbler, the NHL desperately wants their acceptance and maybe a little action from Stamos. Thankfully, the players have yet to disappoint and the first Winter-Classic was no exception. The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the home-town Buffalo Sabres 2-1 in a shoot-out. The shoot-out winner was scored by the face of hockey himself, Sidney Crosby. It even snowed. Perfect.

The second annual Winter Classic took place in historic Wrigley Field. It featured the old-guard versus the new-guard. The veteran laded Detroit Red Wings versus the young, dynamic Chicago Blackhawks. The Red Wings eventually won the game 6-4 after falling to the Hawks 3-1 early in the game. The game drew an average of 4.4 million viewers on NBC, making it the most watched NHL game for the network since early 1975. The game was a tremendous success and certainly solidified its position as an annual event. The two Winter Classics are a major reason for the quiet resurgence of hockey in the U.S. Hockey is back in both Chicago and Boston, two fantastic sport cities, and the Winter Classic is one of the reasons (apart from two young and exciting teams).

2. Crosby-Ovechkin Quarter-Finals

Easily the best playoff series of the decade and it wasn’t even the finals. The series featured the NHL’s two premier players (and heated rivals), plus a handful of the league’s best (Malkin, Green, Semin, Backstrom, Gonchar, Fleury). The series lasted 7 games and went back and forth for an incredibly exciting series. Both players dominated the series, scoring 8 goals each and Game 2 on May 4, 2009 featured a hat-trick by both Ovechkin and Crosby. Ovechkin’s third goal electrified the Washington crowd as it was the eventual winner in a 4-3 game. The series was a NHL wet-dream and hopefully repeats itself in the years to come. I’m sure Gary Bettman prays for a Washington-Pittsburgh conference final, followed by the winner playing Chicago in the finals.

1.  The Lockout

On February 16, 2005 Gary Bettman cancels the 2004-2005 season. The prospect of a season at this point was bleak, but everyone still held hope for even a shortened season. After the announcement that there would be no hockey Canada was lost and turned to televised poker (I still don’t understand why) and America’s waning interest in hockey all but disappeared. The lockout was the most important moment of the decade because it enabled the league to implement a salary cap linked to league revenues. It also allowed the league to make a number of rule changes that greatly benefitted the game (crack down on obstruction, no-change icing, quicker games) and resulted in a faster and more fan-friendly sport. Unfortunately, it killed interest in the sport in America, thanks in large part to ESPN opting out of their coverage. However, the league is stronger because of it and there are quiet rumblings that suggest ESPN will come back to broadcasting hockey once the current Versus deal expires.

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Point/Counterpoint: The Red Threat

It’s time to introduce a new segment here at 5 Minutes For Fighting. We’re calling this Point/Counterpoint (What? 60 Minutes already has that? Who cares about that two-bit operation, it’ll never catch on). We’ll have a debate on certain subjects. Sometimes the debate will be between Rick and I (hopefully these don’t descend into me calling him stupid for all my counterpoints) and other times we’ll have special guests on to give their opinions. This time the point/counter-point will feature only myself. This is because I’m having an internal battle over one topic of importance: Russia’s vast superiority at the 2010 Olympics. One side of me is examining their team rationally and finding overwhelming evidence to suggest they will cake-walk to the gold medal. The other side of me is desperately grasping at any sort of counter argument to this. My Canadian patriotism is taking over. I’m about ready to go Joseph McCarthy on everybody’s ass. Ring the bell.

Point: The Russian team has the most dynamic offense in the tournament. Their top-6 feature Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Ilya Kovalchuck, Pavel Datsyuk, Alexander Semin, and Maxim Afinagenov.

Counter-point: Yes, Ovechkin, Malkin, and Kovalchuck are a terrifying combination, but there’s only one puck. How do you expect both Ovechkin and Kovalchuck to share one puck? Each player holds onto the puck for an inordinate amount of time, which will draw the ire of the other player.

Point: It seems to work fine when Ovechkin and Semin play together. Speaking of Ovechkin and Semin, there’s nothing to suggest they won’t play together with either Malkin or Datsyuk as the centre. You’re just assuming the three most dynamic offensive players will play together, but I’m sure the Russians are smart enough to balance their lines.

Counter-point: I can’t understand you; you’re speaking too logically for a commie. The Russian defence is weak. The top two defencemen who can actually play defensively are Andrei Markov and Anton Volechenkov. After that the calibre drops dramatically. Sure, they have Sergei Gonchar, but he can’t actually play defence. Canada is dynamic offensively as well and aside from Ovechkin they are much more physical. The Russian defence will be hammered so hard that they will weakly move the puck forward and compromise their attack. Plus, do you really think Sergei Gonchar is capable of handling someone as strong as Jarome Iginla or Ryan Getzlaf when the puck is down low?

Point: This is international hockey; the slightest Canadian infraction will result in a penalty. If Canada runs around playing like Bobby Clarke in ’72 then Russia will burn them on the power-play. If the Canadians play short-handed against the Russians then it won’t matter how good their defence and goaltending are, allowing Ovechkin, Malkin and Kovalchuck that much time and space will be lethal. Oh, and they also have someone named Sergei Gonchar who is known as somewhat of an offensive catalyst.

Counter-point: The games are not being played on Olympic style ice. The smaller ice surface favours Canada; it will benefit Canada’s physical style and will limit the room for Russian creativity. The smaller ice will benefit Canadian checkers and allow them to keep the gaps between them and the Russian snipers close. Plus, Canada will (hopefully) devote one line to solely shutting down the top Russian line. Let’s see how Ovechkin likes being shadowed by a hound-like Brendan Morrow. And when he crosses the blueline Pronger will be waiting.

Point: Penalties?

Counter-point: Don’t you understand I’m glossing over that subject? Even if Canada is weaker offensively than the Russians they certainly are superior in the coaching department. Mike Babcock is easily the best coach in the NHL and I’m sure the Canadians will be defensively prepared for the Russian attack. Who is coaching the Russians anyways? Pavel Bure? Isn’t he better off banging busty chicks and Candace Cameron?

Point: First, it was Valeri, not Pavel that married Candace Cameron. Second, the coach’s name is Vyacheslav Bykov. A quick Wikipedia tells me that he won a bronze coaching Russia at the 2007 World Championships and gold in 2008 and 2009. He also won gold as a player at the Olympics in 1988 and 1992. I know nothing else about him, but he said “even if we can rely on great forwards, we need to be able to count on that on both sides of the rink.” So, it looks like he knows a little about hockey. Also, does coaching even matter in such a short period of time? The tournament lasts less than two weeks. What sort of system can Babcock implement in this time?

Counter-point: He sounds like some type of vodka; I can only assume he’s placing the Russians on the Eddie Belfour diet. Plus, the world championships don’t count, Canada hardly even played the best defenceman of all-time last year (Luke Schenn), so that speaks to its prestige. Furthermore, Canada has the home town advantage. GM Place will be shaking. If the Russian defence are afraid of the Canadian forecheckers (and they will be), then they’re going to refuse to even go in the corners after the rafters erupt upon Canada’s first check. The atmosphere will be daunting.

Point: Joe Thornton is a selection. Having the Olympics in Canada after the disaster of 2006 will create an atmosphere of nauseating intensity. The pressure will be enormous. Pressure. Joe Thornton.

Counter-point: We’re doomed.

Note: I am on this Canada bandwagon so hard, even if Joe Thornton is too. In fact, I wish Joe all the success. I hope he proves me wrong. If Joe plays well then I’ll retract any negative comments I’ve ever made about him. Say YES to Joe in 2010!

Plus, I’m not even going to think about Canada’s potential weaknesses. In my blind eyes this is the most fantastic team ever assembled. Nothing can go wrong…unless somehow Todd Bertuzzi plays

Also, I fully realize that the tournament isn’t composed solely of Russia and Canada. Sweden is the defending champion for a reason. There are potentially six teams with a legitimate shot at gold. That said, fuck ‘em. C-A-N-A-D-A! CANADA!

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Sidney’s Seniors

Sidney Crosby owns an impressive resume. He’s a three-time all-star, winner of the Art Ross, Lester B. Pearson, and Hart trophies, Stanley Cup champion, youngest captain in league history, not to mention recipient of the Order of Nova Scotia! Plus he’s carried the Olympic torch and will soon own a 2010 Olympic gold medal (fuck you Russia). But there is one aspect of Sidney’s resume that should be emphasized: prolonging the careers of the game’s elder statesmen. Let’s examine.

A 36-year-old John LeClair miraculously scores 51 points, 22 of which are goals, after sitting out an entire year during the lock-out. Players who opted not to play any hockey during the lockout started the season in a daze. They gradually only sucked wind and eventually realized the game passed them (Dave Andreychuk) or they found their legs again (Mats Sundin). The changes that occurred to the NHL after the lockout did not benefit LeClair. LeClair was a pre-lockout machine, when his size and strength compensated for his lack of speed, but he was out of place when obstruction was outlawed. Riding shotgun with Sidney Crosby prolonged LeClair’s career by one year, however, even Sidney could not save LeClair’s eroding body from breaking the following year. He only lasted 21 games in 2006-2007 before being waived by the Pens. John LeClair should have sent Sidney Crosby a gift basket for allowing him to play 94 more games in the NHL.

The next player lucky enough to be transported to a younger age is Mark Recchi, who is somehow still playing in the NHL at the age of 41. Like LeClair, Recchi also sat out the entire lockout after posting a productive 75 points and +18 rating with Philadelphia in 2003-2004. By the start of the season Recchi was 37. By playing for the Pens, Recchi scored 57 points in 63 games. These gaudy offensive numbers are belied by his atrocious -28 rating for the Pens. Plus, after being shipped to the Hurricanes at the deadline his point total dropped precipitously to 7 points in 20 games. He also had a -8 rating during his mere 20 game stint with the Canes. Knowing a good opportunity when it’s presented, Recchi re-upped with the Pens realizing he could play with both Crosby and Malkin and guarantee at least 10-15 tap in goals. That year Recchi scored an astonishing 68 points (24 goals). However, the Pens thought his old body was slipping and waived him 19 games into the 2007-2008 season after a scant 2 goals. Recchi has somehow kicked around on three other teams since then and is still playing. He’s not terrible, but his time with Sidney must have deluded him into thinking he can be the next Chris Chelios.

The latest old man who owes Sidney a portion of his pay cheque is 39-year-old Bill Guerin. Before being acquired by the Pens at last season’s trade deadline Guerin had 16 goals and 20 assists in 61 games with the lowly Islanders. After the trade, Guerin scored 5 goals and 7 assists in 12 games, largely because the efforts of Sidney Crosby. This year Guerin has 11 goals and 15 assists in 38 games, which puts him on pace to tie his highest offensive campaign since 2006-2007. Coincidently, that year Guerin’s played with assist-master Thornton during the stretch run after a trade with the San Jose Sharks.

I don’t mean to discredit the value that Guerin brings to the Penguins, since his acquisition, combined with the trade for Chris Kunitz and the firing of Michel Therrien, catapulted the Penguins to their first Stanley Cup championship since the early 1990s. I just want to highlight the restorative abilities of Crosby. Obama should use him as a part of his new health care bill.

I’m not suggesting that both Mark Recchi and Bill Guerin have no business in the league anymore, rather, I’m arguing that playing with Crosby allows them to easily produce numbers they would be hard pressed to duplicate otherwise. You’re telling me a 39-year-old Bill Guerin has any business scoring more than 40 points in a season.

The common theme among these three players, aside from their age, is their lack of speed. Recchi at one point was fast, but Guerin and LeClair were slow when they were young. Playing with Crosby means this isn’t a problem. Don’t want to skate very much? Don’t worry, Sid will thread the puck through two defenders and you can tap it in. To play with Sidney all you really have to do is keep your stick on the ice and clear his way.

Since the Penguins have both Crosby and Malkin, they will always be a favourable destination for the game’s older players. A year or two with these players is a chance to pad your stats and ensure an extra month or more of hockey in the spring. It’s also a great chance to play with two of the best players in the NHL and show their kids they are actually able to score at the NHL level; their tales of 40 goal seasons aren’t just wild lies.

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Dear Santa…

Well, it’s almost Christmas and that means I’ll be taking a brief hiatus to focus on family party time. That means lots of food, lots of beer, a little gambling, and most importantly, lots of sports. Since Christmas falls on a Friday this year we get the gift of sports from Santa Claus. The weekend is full of football, which even includes a NFL game on Christmas Day. However, I live in Canada and in Canada Boxing Day isn’t just a day for fighting with old ladies over marginally discounted goods. Boxing Day means the World Juniors.

The World Junior Hockey Championship kicks off at 2pm on Boxing Day with the Czech Republic taking on Sweden, followed by Canada beginning their title defence against Latvia at 3pm.

The World Juniors has become a Canadian staple during the holiday season. It is a period of two weeks where the whole nation rallies around a group of under-20s and expects nothing short of success. Canada is riding a streak of five consecutive gold medals, which has somewhat spoiled us fans. I expect them to win every year, however, before this five-year streak Canada went a span of seven years without a gold medal. That was a period of time when people considered the decline of Canadian hockey and were generally worried about the future of Canadian hockey. Was the Canadian game broke? How do we fix it? Is this all Joe Thornton’s fault? Okay, so I added the last one. Five gold medals have thankfully erased people’s memories of this dark time.

The World Juniors is so special because it is one of the most exciting hockey tournaments in the world. It is far superior to the men’s World Championships and may even rival the Olympics for national pride. It’s exciting to see the NHL’s future superstars battle for hockey supremacy. While some of the game’s biggest stars have carried their country to gold, it also provides an introduction to less heralded players.

The intense passion these players play with makes this some of the most fun hockey to watch. For many of these players this will be the apex of their hockey careers. Although almost all of the players are drafted, not all of them will make the NHL. For many of the players this is their Stanley Cup final. They play extremely hard for the entire game and their exuberance is easy to see. The look like they’re having fun, which resonates with the fans. Combine this with the national pride that is at stake and you have some great hockey.

Some may disparage these tournaments because they may lack the name power of the NHL’s current rookie crop (like Tavares and Stamkos), but this allows new heroes to emerge and the formation of new memories. Next year we will lament the loss of Taylor Hall or (hopefully) Nazem Kadri, but by tournaments end there will be new stars of Canadian hockey, at least for one year. Even if Jordan Eberle never becomes an NHL star I will always remember his thrilling game-tying goal in the dying seconds during last year’ semi-final matchup against Russia. That goal was one of the most electric plays I have ever seen. It looked bleak for Canada and almost everyone was losing hope, but the puck miraculously found Eberle’s stick and ended up in the back of the net. Extraordinary. I was jumping up and down. This memory will live with me as I’m sure everyone old enough will not only remember the Punch-up in Piestany, but have it burned into their memory. Hell, even watching clips of it is enough to sear an indelible imagine into my mind.

If the beginning of the World Juniors wasn’t enough the weekend’s main event takes place Saturday night. Almost every NHL team is in action Saturday night, most notably the Montreal Canadiens at the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7:00 pm, followed by the Edmonton Oilers at the Vancouver Canucks at 10pm. I’ll be watching these games in a primarily Hab-centric house, so I imagine wagers will fly and verbal jabs will be incesent. What a day for hockey.

Thanks for the sports, Santa.

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