October Report Cards, Part 1

Note: Records are prior to games on November 1st.

Anaheim Ducks (10-3-1)
Grade: B+
It's nothing short of a miracle that Anaheim has notched 21 of a possible 28 points with their special teams being this bad. They cannot sustain this streak if the power play and penalty kill continue to falter. I don't care how good their other metrics are, when you don't punish teams for committing penalties and don't bail yourself out when shorthanded, you're not going to see long-term success.

Boston Bruins (8-4-0)
Grade: B+
An uncharacteristically sloppy penalty kill is the story here. Boston is getting enough goal scoring and playing stellar defense as usual, but that PK needs a boost. Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand are off to slow starts, but the slack has been picked up by David Krejci (11 assists) and Milan Lucic (12 points) thus far. They suffered a tough loss to Pittsburgh the other night but rebounded nicely in a shootout win over Anaheim.

Buffalo Sabres (2-12-1)
Grade: F
I really didn't want to give this team an F simply because this is a rebuilding year and many correctly pegged this team to be the worst in hockey, but after scanning their stats I couldn't justify giving them a better score. If the PK were in the top ten I probably would've bumped them to a D- on the grounds that they were doing something right. However, 82%, while serviceable, isn't anything to celebrate. Trading Thomas Vanek for Matt Moulson was a complete fleece job by Darcy Regier as he continues to stockpile picks.

Calgary Flames (5-5-2)
Grade: B-
Was going to give them a higher grade until I saw the defense and special teams. Make no mistake, their record is still a surprise to me (hence the probably inflated B-), but it's a far cry from their hot start in the first few games. Sean Monahan has been the catalyst for this group, though he's disappeared a bit in their last few outings. They need to get him going again. They also need to figure out the goaltending situation, because the committee so far hasn't gotten it done.

Carolina Hurricanes (4-5-3)
Grade: D+
They should thank the rest of the Metropolitan Division (sans Pittsburgh) for being so putrid this season, because somehow the 4-5-3 Hurricanes are in second place. Nobody has reached double digit points yet and only four players have a plus rating. The goaltending has quite literally been a three-ring circus, with Cam Ward and Justin Peters faltering while Anton Khudobin has been sharp. Khudobin's on IR now though, so Ward and Peters have to play better... Ward especially, since he's the starter.

Chicago Blackhawks (8-2-3)
Grade: B+
They're scoring, they're converting on the power play, and they're getting a lot of pucks to the net. Defense has been an adventure so far, though, with the NHL's worst PK not helping matters. You can only mask bad defense with good offense for so long, but if the Hawks are driving possession and applying a solid forecheck, the penalty kill numbers will come up some.

Colorado Avalanche (10-1-0)
Grade: A
This team was doing everything right until Semyon Varlamov turned himself in to police amid charges of kidnapping and domestic violence. Backup Jean-Sebastien Giguere has been great so far, so it looks like the Avs will be alright for the time being in net. Who would've thought they'd be 10-1 through the first month and that it would be the defense that got them there? The trade that brought in Max Talbot will only help them continue to be solid in their own end.

Columbus Blue Jackets (5-6-0)
Grade: C
The Blue Jackets look like a team that is just trying to stem the tide right now. They're still without Nathan Horton for the foreseeable future so they will be missing a major offensive weapon going forward, but even at 5-6 they're right in the thick of it in the Metropolitan Division, where they sit in 4th place. They have to improve the special teams and find some more scoring, but if they're above .500 when Horton comes back, look out.

Dallas Stars (5-6-1)
Grade: D+
Given the fact that the Central Division has delivered in terms of being iffy in the middle, the last-place Stars don't deserve any better of a grade. They're 1-2-1 against their division rivals thus far and that will not get it done. They've been the model of mediocrity to this point in the NHL and have to improve in all areas of the game if they want to climb up the mountain. I believe it's an issue of depth with this team, as they simply don't have enough on the wings or on defense.

Detroit Red Wings (7-4-2)
Grade: C+
Let me put it this way: this team is not trending in the right direction. The offense has not produced, they've gotten almost nothing from Stephen Weiss so far, and the special teams have been meh. Defensively, they've been good enough to have a winning record, but again the scoring isn't there. Detroit has just 20 points from its defensemen so far, led by Niklas Kronwall with eight. They need more from the backend.

Edmonton Oilers (3-9-2)
Grade: F
This team has been a complete trainwreck after such high hopes to begin the year. Taylor Hall is hurt, Nail Yakupov has been nonexistent, the defense has continued to suck as only they can, and the special teams continue to not produce. This squad is doing nothing well right now. Mark Arcobello is off to a nice start with 10 assists, but when he's tied for your team's lead in scoring, there are serious issues that need to be addressed.

Florida Panthers (3-7-2)
Grade: F
This grade is another case of me wanting to be soft on a team that everyone knew was bad preseason but being unable to justify it. The Panthers have been absolutely brutal so far. Tim Thomas has not been healthy and it's been clear that his body isn't in playing shape yet. Brad Boyes has slowed down, Jonathan Huberdeau hasn't gotten untracked yet and Shawn Matthias is struggling. They need more from their best players.

Los Angeles Kings (9-5-0)
Grade: B
They're currently sitting in fifth place in the stacked Pacific Division, but that's no reason to count the Kings out. Aside from their goal scoring, they've been solid overall. Anze Kopitar is off to a great start and the defense has both kept them in and won games. They'd like to see an increase across the board; these are not the numbers of a Stanley Cup contender. However, they don't need to be yet, that can wait until the playoffs.

Minnesota Wild (6-4-3)
Grade: B-
I can't figure this team out. They aren't scoring, but have a great power play. The defense has been stingy, but the penalty kill has been a sieve. Josh Harding has played admirably in net so far, but this team needs Nicklas Backstrom to be healthy and playing his best hockey if they're going to improve upon their success from a season ago. Also, where has Dany Heatley been? Has anyone seen him?

Montreal Canadiens (8-5-0)
Grade: B+
With the statistics that they've put up across the board, Montreal should probably have a better record than they do. They're trending in the right direction, but they need to get more pucks to the net. It's going to be tough to maintain such a low goals against average, so the more they can help out the goaltending by driving possession, the better off they'll be.

Parting Shots - Week 2

We've got some things to discuss this week, so let's get right to it.

- What the hell is wrong with the Rangers? A 1-4-0 start to the season has seen them allow the most goals per game (5, and yes, you're reading that right) in the NHL while only scoring nine total. There have been injuries, namely Carl Hagelin missing all action thus far and Rick Nash's recent concussion, but this is still a mess. The new coach and system aren't getting through to the team just yet, as there are players constantly out of position and failing to execute. GM Glen Sather tried to shake things up today by placing Arron Asham and Martin Biron on waivers, but I'm not sure that's the answer and either way, those aren't the guys who should be buried in the minors. Brian Boyle and Taylor Pyatt are much more deserving of that fate. With four games still to go on the Rangers' nine-game road trip, they'll do well to finish strong and open up the home slate on a win streak.

- Suspensions abound this week. Brad Stuart got three games for concussing Nash, Alex Edler got three games for a high hit on Tomas Hertl (the crown jewel of my fantasy team), and Patrick Kaleta picked up two games (and potentially more) for his high hit on Jack Johnson. In my estimation, the punishments fit the crimes, but at some point we need to find a better way to legislate these headshots out of the game. If an official feels that the head was targeted in a hit, I think there should be no less than a ten-minute misconduct, in addition to whatever Shanahan and the league office want to do about it.

- Another week in the books, and we're down to four teams that are either undefeated or have no regulation losses, all of them in the Western Conference. Colorado and San Jose (each 5-0-0) lead the way in their respective divisions, with St. Louis (4-0-0) and Calgary (3-0-2) not far behind. I don't think anyone's surprised that the Sharks and Blues are on hot streaks to start the year, but the Avs and Flames are a different story. I picked them to finish in last place in their divisions, yet here they are two weeks in and playing great hockey. If you can believe it, Colorado has been winning with defense. They have yet to allow multiple goals in a game and have conceded just four so far this season. Calgary, a team I thought would have trouble scoring, has been playing very well offensively. They've tallied at least three goals in each of their five outings this season, and have scored 18 total.

- Can we all agree now that the Flyers aren't a good team and injuries were not the sole reason for their playoff miss last year? They're 1-5-0 through six games and have scored eight goals. They have all their top players in the lineup, and they're healthy, yet the production still isn't there. The team defense has been below average as well. An average of 31.3 shots against per game (20th in the NHL) is not going to get it done when the offense isn't scoring. Their 7.4% power play (28th) isn't helping matters, either. They've already fired their head coach, but they should've fired the GM. Maybe now that wheel will start turning in the front office.

- Obligatory mention that the Sharks are outshooting their opponents by nearly 20 shots per game. I'll let that sink in for you readers and leave it there.

- And now for the fantasy league update. The hometown teams are both 2-0, with my team still leading the league in scoring and George in 2nd. Four other teams are unbeaten, with no guarantees that the number will shrink as none of the 2-0 teams face each other this week. Should be an interesting week of hockey, looking forward to enjoying it!

Parting Shots - Week 1

Every week, I'm going to bring you my thoughts and observations from the NHL action. I can't commit to a set number per week (though I'm going to aim for at least five), but I will say that quality over quantity will be the order of the day.

Without further ado, here's what I noticed this week:

- Going to start off with the big story today, the Flyers firing head coach Peter Laviolette and replacing him, at least on the interim, with assistant coach Craig Berube. The Flyers have stumbled out of the gate to an 0-3-0 start and have played poorly in doing so. They dropped their home opener to Toronto, then getting shelled at Montreal and last night losing to a rebuilding Carolina team. They have been outscored 9-3 in their outings this season and have been unable to sustain offensive pressure. The Flyers did hold the Hurricanes to two goals last night, but Carolina pretty much did whatever they wanted, outshooting Philadelphia 34-18 in the win. Neither Steve Mason nor Ray Emery has impressed in net so far, though there are still 79 games to go for the Flyers. Perhaps the coaching change is what they need to get fired up, we'll see tomorrow night when they host Florida.

- Two surprises in the Western Conference in the first week, with Colorado and Calgary getting through without a regulation loss. The Avs have looked impressive so far, spanking Anaheim and then playing a sound fundamental game in their win against Nashville. Both tilts were at home, so I can't be too sure until I've seen them play a good team on the road. The Flames are arguably the bigger surprise, picking up four points and sitting in a four-way tie for first in the Pacific Division. They went on the road and beat Columbus in a good game, and their two losses have come against Washington and Vancouver by way of shootout and overtime, respectively. The troubling situation with the Flames, however, is that they have not been able to hold leads. They blew a 3-0 lead against the Caps and a 3-1 lead against the Canucks, but luckily were still able to salvage a point from each.

- I know that Toronto's 3-0-0 start probably isn't what everyone expected considering the teams they beat (Montreal, Philadelphia, Ottawa), but I'm here to tell you that you shouldn't be surprised; this is a good hockey team. They've had the right mixture of scoring, toughness, and timely goaltending thus far and I have to think that it'll only improve once David Clarkson returns from his suspension. Mark Fraser is going to be out for a while with a knee injury and now we should see the NHL debut of Morgan Rielly. I'm interested to see how he fits into the dynamic of this team and what skills he brings to the table.

- I feel like I'm the only one who looks at the Oilers' 0-2-0 start, in which they've allowed 11 goals, and says "par for the course." I didn't jump on the bandwagon before the season started, and I haven't been given a reason to change my mind yet. Quick, who leads Edmonton in goals? If you guessed Boyd Gordon, you're correct, and you've either watched their first two games or you're a hell of a guesser. Gordon's a good player, don't get me wrong, but he isn't a goal scorer. He's a third or fourth line center who provides tough minutes, excellent faceoff skills, and shot blocking. Having him lead your team in goals is not a sustainable system. It's also a problem when your fourth line is the only one with a +/- above zero. Edmonton has continued to be terrible defensively (against Winnipeg and the John Tortorella-led Canucks, no less) and they're going to make their home at the bottom of the standings until that changes.

- Has any team looked more impressive than the St. Louis Blues so far? I say no. They chased Pekka Rinne in the opener against Nashville with three first period goals en route to a 4-2 win, and then shellacked the Panthers 7-0. Everyone is doing their part for the Blues. The forwards are driving possession, they're getting contributions from the backend on the scoresheet, and Jaroslav Halak has been solid in net. I think the key for St. Louis is that no one player is carrying the group; this is a team effort, through and through. Just look at the stats that the Blues' players have put up in their first two games. They're also 3-for-8 on the man advantage so far and their penalty kill has been perfect.

- I'd be remiss if I didn't include some notes from the Pucks for Schmucks fantasy league. We here at PfS are proud to say that the two writers on this blog won this past week, and we went 1-2 in points as well. I wasn't very happy with the team I got at the draft (which I missed because I was at work), but thanks to strong play on the waiver wire I've constructed a roster that I feel much more confident in. George's team got a big week from Marc-Andre Fleury, who has allowed only one goal so far for the Penguins. You can view our league here.

30 Teams, 30 Days - Calgary Flames

They'll never admit it, but the Calgary Flames are very clearly taking a page from the playbook of their fiercest rival, the Edmonton Oilers. The Flames have finally decided that the old guard couldn't get it done, and they have now blown some of it up and look to rebuild through the draft. They got younger at the deadline, sending Jarome Iginla to Pittsburgh for two college prospects and the #28 pick in the recent draft, which became Morgan Klimchuk, who plays for the Regina Pats. The more intriguing pick they made was at the top of the board, selecting Sean Monahan 6th overall. He scored 78 points in 58 games last year for the Ottawa 67's of the OHL and appears to be an NHL-ready prospect. The Flames again went with younger skaters during the offseason, trading Alex Tanguay and Cory Sarich to Colorado for David Jones and Shane O'Brien. They also brought in Kris Russell to help on defense and T.J. Galiardi for added wing depth. The main question for this season is life without longtime starting goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff. Karri Ramo will get the first crack at replacing him and should see the lion's share of the work.

Projected Forward Lines:

Curtis Glencross - Mikael Backlund - Mike Cammalleri
Sven Baertschi - Sean Monahan - David Jones
Jiri Hudler - Matt Stajan - Lee Stempniak
T.J. Galiardi - Roman Horak - Brian McGrattan
Corban Knight - Tim Jackman

One thing that jumps out at you with this forward group is speed. Aside from Jones, this is a fast top six, and that speed continues down to the third and checking lines. Speed (usually) kills in hockey, so the Flames can get into up and down games with teams if they choose. Most of the veteran players here are defensively responsible and will allow the burners like Baertschi and Hudler to take chances. I expect the depth chart to change frequently, possibly on a game-by-game basis or even with some line juggling in-game by head coach Bob Hartley. A general lack of NHL-proven depth is an issue for this team, especially down the middle. Stajan led the team in +/- last year but the remaining centers on the roster have not yet produced the way the front office thinks they can and should. How this group is playing at the end of the season will be telling, as it will show progress made towards the future.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Mark Giordano - Chris Butler
Dennis Wideman - T.J. Brodie
Shane O'Brien - Kris Russell
Mark Cundari

The Flames are younger and more offensively skilled on the blueline this season. Giordano and Wideman have been producers from the point in recent seasons, and the addition of Russell should aid the power play. He was nearly a point per game player overseas during the lockout, putting up 14 points in 15 games for Turku TPS in Finland's SM-liiga. Every defenseman in the top six has had at least one season of 20+ points, so the potential is there for this group to be a considerable contributor on offense. However, with a new starter in net for the first time in ten years, they would do well to play a more stay-at-home game in the early going; they did not do well in the turnover battle and ranked 27th in the NHL in hits. This group has to play better on the road as well, as the team was outscored by 29 goals on the road last year. O'Brien gives them size and responsibility, which never hurt on defense.

Goaltending:

Karri Ramo
Joey MacDonald

Ramo will get the call on opening night for the Flames, and my has he been impressive in the KHL the last few seasons. It's taken him a few years to find his game, but whatever the coaches in Omsk did while he was there, it worked. In four KHL seasons, Ramo posted a 99-48-22 record, with a 2.01 GAA and a .923 save percentage to go along with 18 shutouts. In 50 playoff games in Russia, he is 25-23, with a 1.91 GAA, .924 save percentage, and three shutouts. He hasn't fared nearly that well in his short stints with Tampa Bay, but I expect his numbers to be closer to his KHL totals than what he posted back then. Joey MacDonald was solid after being claimed off waivers by the Flames, going 8-5-1 with a 2.16 GAA and .912 save percentage. He'll begin the season as the backup, but if Ramo struggles expect to see more of him. The Flames also have an interesting prospect on the way up in Reto Berra, who has played in his native Switzerland for his entire career. Berra will likely start the year with the Abbotsford Heat, Calgary's AHL affiliate.

Special Teams:

Calgary's power play was good enough last year to make teams wary of taking penalties, finishing 9th in the NHL at 20%. Cammalleri and Hudler tied for the team lead with five power play goals apiece, and Cammalleri added ten assists to lead the team with 15 power play points. The backend made its presence known with the man advantage as well. Wideman was second on the team with 13 power play points, Brodie chipped in six, and Giordano added three. Expect those three to take the extra minutes of ice time on the power play, along with Russell. The added pieces up front mean that the Flames can mix and match the power play units. They now have a guy who can clog the net area in Jones, as well as the young Monahan to distribute the puck to the scorers. They'll be an exciting team to watch when a man up. The penalty kill was also pretty good, coming in at 14th with an 81.5% success rate. They'd like to see that number increase a bit, and the offseason moves should help. Galiardi saw some time on the PK for the Sharks and he's going to fill holes on the shorthanded units left by guys like Blake Comeau (now with Columbus), Steve Begin (AHL), and Tanguay (Colorado). Stajan and Stempniak will remain on the top unit, with Galiardi and either Jones or Glencross pulling second-team duties.

X-Factor:

The million dollar question for Calgary is whether or not Ramo can replicate his KHL success at the NHL level. He's going to be tested frequently by the talented offenses in the Pacific Division and the Flames did not play well defensively last year (28th overall, 29th at 5 on 5). Again, he won't post the exact same statline that he did in Russia; that just isn't feasible. This is a league with greater talent in all areas of the ice and it may take him some time to readjust to the NHL pace. If he proves to be a serviceable to good starter this season, he'll be a fixture in Calgary for the next few years. He won't make people forget about Kiprusoff, but the fanbase won't be calling for his head, either.

The Flames will make the playoffs if...

... everything comes together perfectly; the younger players put up nice numbers a year or two ahead of schedule, Monahan proves that he's not only NHL-ready but capable of being the 1C of the future, the offseason moves pay big dividends and Ramo has a stellar year. The Flames are definitely a team in transition right now and their playoff chances appear dim, but then again, anything can happen in this league. There are a lot of factors and variables at play for this team and come October 1st, they have just as good a chance as anyone to make the postseason because everybody starts with a 0-0-0 record.

The Flames will miss the playoffs if...

... nothing overly unexpected happens. This team is being picked to finish last in the Pacific by just about everybody this year, and it's almost by process of elimination now that the Oilers are suddenly a trendy choice to make the playoffs and the Coyotes have retooled their roster for another deep run. It's going to be fun watching the position battles play out over the course of training camp and the early part of the season. They'll even be enjoyable while the special teams are on the ice. However, this roster as it is currently constructed is not a playoff team. I expect some trades in-season to stockpile picks and prospects. Calgary is a few years away from playoff contention.