Some musings for your dining and dancing pleasure, with only one more sleep to go until the games start meaning something:
• The New York Islanders icing split squads for the preseason is an abomination of the highest order. This is a team that has barely enough talent to put together one competitive NHL team. We know exhibition games are a joke and little more than a money grab, but when a team is preparing for the season, it wants to face something replicating an NHL roster, not a bunch of minor leaguers and fringe NHLers the way the Montreal Canadiens did Saturday.
The Islanders played just one preseason game at home this fall, which tells us one of two things: the organization bleeds money every time it opens its doors, or those who run the team didn’t want the locals to see how bad they would be any earlier than necessary.
• It was sad to see the way Darcy Tucker’s career deteriorated the past couple of seasons largely because of injury, but during his prime there wasn’t a player who punched above his weight class more than Tucker.
During his best seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tucker could play on any one of four lines, killed penalties and could play the power play. Perhaps because he often made himself the center of attention for the wrong reasons, Tucker never received enough credit for being a skilled player. He was a tremendous passer, had wonderful vision of the ice and was good at handling the puck in tight quarters.
But it's his give-no-quarter/take-no-quarter approach that will define his NHL career. Tucker was willing to take on all comers both on and off the ice. I remember once going nose to nose with Tucker (a feat not possible with most others in the NHL due to my stature) in the visitors’ dressing room at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island after a morning skate.
After we had patched up our differences, Tucker laughed and said, “I’ve had worse arguments with my wife.”
• The more I watch Kris Versteeg play, the more I like Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke’s acquisition of the former Chicago Blackhawk. He may not be a first-liner for most teams, but given the chance to be one in Toronto, he has produced results. And you just know that Versteeg isn’t going to be one of those players who light it up during the preseason then disappear when the games get more difficult.
So, the question is: Is this the year Burke’s incessant remodeling finally produces some respectability in "The Center of the Hockey Universe?" The Leafs simply cannot be worse on special teams and in their defensive play than last season, and their goaltending is bound to be better. And it’s difficult to envision this team winning just one of its first 13 games again.
• Reason No. 4,376 to completely dismiss anything that happens in the preseason: The Calgary Flames were 7-0-0 and Ales Kotalik had three goals and five points in four games.
• Whether you agree with what TSN analyst Michael Peca said about how soft Jay Bouwmeester is — and not only do I agree, I’ve also been saying the same thing for years — you have to admire his courage. Too many athletes who go into broadcasting are afraid to speak their minds or tell anyone where the bodies are buried for fear of reprisal from their former peers.
The Flames, of course, rushed to Bouwmeester’s defense as they should have. But let’s hope Peca continues to analyze the game with the same kind of insightful candor even after he creates a firestorm.
• No team has produced back-to-back winners of the Calder Trophy since Bobby Orr (1967) and Derek Sanderson (1968) of the Boston Bruins, but could the Buffalo Sabres turn the trick this season?
Actually, they could, with back-to-back Tylers, "Big Tyler" and "Little Tyler." There are certainly sexier choices for rookie of the year, but it would be folly to count out 5-foot-9 Tyler Ennis of the Buffalo Sabres, who has done nothing but score since he turned pro last season. He was close to being a point-per-game player as a rookie in the American League last season and had an impressive three goals and nine points in 10 call-up games for the Sabres.
Ennis, who turns 21 in two days, possesses outstanding hockey sense and offensive instincts and knows he has to use his speed to overcome a lack of stature. Although he can play both center and the wing, he’ll likely start the season with the Sabres playing the left side of a line with Derek Roy and Drew Stafford.
Ken Campbell, author of the book Habs Heroes, is a senior writer for The Hockey News and a regular contributor to THN.com. His blog will appear every Monday throughout the season.
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