Category: NHL (Page 7 of 44)

      Decade Debate: 8 Greatest Comebacks

      December 11, 2009 /

      The word comeback is defined as “a return to a former position or condition (as of success or prosperity).” In the world of sports it refers to the act of wrenching victory from the jaws of defeat. As part of our ongoing Decade Debate series, here are the top eight comebacks of the last ten years. Keep in mind that, to us, the actual size of the comeback isn’t quite as important as the size of the stage. In other words, the “greatest” comebacks happened in big games.

      8. Capriati over Hingis at 2002 Australian Open

      Jennifer Capriati and Martina Hingis led very similar careers. Both set several “youngest-ever” records before a combination of drug charges and nagging injuries challenged their potential. While Hingis chose to bow out at the height of her turmoil, Capriati soldiered onward. In 1994, Capriati was busted for marijuana possession. After a feeble return to the game, she retreated for 15 months. But never say die. By February of 1996, she finally meant business. Over the next two years, Capriati would earn three Grand Slam championships, blossoming into a dominant player during a particularly competitive era in women’s tennis. Of those wins, her match against Martina Hingis in the 2002 Australian Open final is a shoe-in for any list of ultimate comebacks. Down 6-4, 4-0, Capriati miraculously saved four match points, a Grand Slam record. The merciless sun blaring, Capriati kept fighting and fighting. As her opponent wavered, Capriati capitalized, eventually winning the match 4–6, 7–6, 6–2. – Christopher Glotfelty

      7. Kings over Red Wings in 2001 Stanley Cup Playoffs

      This was a great series comeback as well (Detroit led, 2-0), but the Kings’ rally in Game 4 was one for the ages. Trailing in the series, 2-1, and down 3-0 with just six minutes to play in the third period, the 7th-seeded Kings didn’t look long for the playoffs. But goals by Scott Thomas and Jozef Stumpel trimmed the Red Wings’ lead to one, and Bryan Smolinski’s game-tying goal with 0:53 remaining sent the Staples Center into a frenzy and the game into overtime. There, the rookie Eric Belanger capped off the “Stunner at Staples” with the game-winning goal. The Kings went on to win the series, 4-2. – John Paulsen

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      College Basketball, College Football, March Madness, MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, Soccer, Tennis

      Who is the most productive NHL player?

      December 7, 2009 /

      We’ve partnered with the fine folks at On Goal Analysis to provide our readers with some good NHL content this season. Here’s the intro to a recent post by Michael Pryor:

      What is the measure of a hockey skater’s contribution to his team? Plenty of statistics define goaltenders and their contributions. But what about the players who skate in front of them? While highly knowledgeable Hockey fans will say such enlightened comments as ‘it depends on their position and how they play it,’ many others will tell you it’s how many points they rack up.

      At On Goal Analysis, we have a tradition of looking at things with a different twist. While we like to key on points, sometimes they are misleading because theoretically speaking the leading point scorer in the NHL still might play on a team that does not even make the Playoffs. And yet, maybe points themselves just need a slightly different emphasis to make their true significance understood.

      That’s why we are recommending for your consideration Points Per Shift – PPS – as a new statistic to use when analyzing who is the most productive player on the ice. PPS analyzes how many Points Per Game (PPG) each player provides divided by the average number of shifts he takes in order to tell you what he brings to the Great Game each and every time he goes over the boards. It also makes Shifts Per Game (SPG) more relevant to the average fan of the game.

      Read the rest after the jump…


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      NHL

      Are the NY Rangers a one-trick pony?

      December 5, 2009 /

      In a word, YES. One third of the way through the season, the New York Rangers find themselves 10th in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 13-13-1. They’re scoring a respectable 2.89 goals/game (tied with Edmonton for 13th in the NHL), but giving up a disturbing 3.11 goals/game (24th). The Blueshirts’ bloated GAA can be traced in part to backup goalie Stephen Valiquette, who has a save pct. of .852 and a GAA of 3.74 in six appearances this season. Valiquette was waived Wednesday, and will try to rediscover his game in Hartford if he clears waivers. New York’s biggest problem, however, lies at the other end of the ice.

      Off-season acquisition Marian Gaborik has been both outstanding and (mostly) healthy so far this season, and he’s the reason the Rangers are at .500 today. Gaby has 21-16-37 in 25 games. How huge is that? Without Gaborik’s 21 goals, the Rangers would be averaging a pitiful 2.19 G/gm – good for 29th in the league (and just .01 ahead of Carolina). Gaborik is not the problem: Almost every other Ranger forward is.

      Read the rest of this post at On Goal Analysis…


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      NHL

      Decade Debate: 6 Greatest Sports Rivalries

      November 23, 2009 /

      The word rivalry is defined as “competition for the same objective or superiority in the same field.” Rivalries exist in all facets of life, but they are no more apparent than in the world of sport. With the end of the decade looming, here are the six most intense rivalries of the last ten years.

      6. Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson

      Competition between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson may not produce the mystique that Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus once did, but their rivalry has been exciting nonetheless. Without Tiger Woods, professional golf’s popularity would be a mere morsel of what it is today. The man has won 14 majors, holds his own tournament (the AT&T National), designed two beautiful courses, is the only golfer with his own video game, and garners public intrigue on the same level as world leaders. Still, his status as figurehead of professional golf wouldn’t have any merit without some stiff competition. Enter Phil Mickelson, Tiger’s only adversary with any staying power. When Mickelson won the 2000 Buick Invitational, he also officially ended Tiger’s streak of consecutive tournament wins at six. Over the years, Mickelson would hire Butch Harmon, Tiger’s former coach, and joke about Tiger’s use of “inferior equipment.” Still, their rivalry always remained amicable, even as Phil won his first major in ’04 (The Masters), the PGA Championship in ’05 another Green Jacket in ’06. During this year’s Masters, Tiger and Mickelson were finally paired together in a major event. Trudging down the final back nine at Augusta, the two golfers put on a show that thankfully lived up to the hype. –- Christopher Glotfelty

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      Barstool Debates, College Basketball, Golf, MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, Tennis

      NHL News and Notes (10/28)

      October 28, 2009 /

      We’ve partnered with On Goal Analysis to provide in-depth NHL coverage this season. For more analysis, be sure to check out the On Goal Analysis website and the OGA Blog.

      Submitted by Michael Pryor

      There are two things to report on for The Scores Report submission this week. First is a quick analysis of players skating in all games for a team versus their standings points – is there a connection? And the other is the latest results for On Goal Analysis’ Playoff Qualifying Curve.

      Players In All Games Versus Standings Points

      If I was back in a college science class, I would properly begin a study with a hypothesis. So I offer here that I believe the more players who skate for every scheduled game, the better the overall team performance. Said another way, injuries are likely to adversely affect a team’s ability to earn the “W.”

      There is no doubt the loss of an Ovechkin, Gaborik, or Kopitar with what they are providing their teams right now should produce a drop off in overall team production and ability to win games. True, teams often rise to the occasion, playing above their heads and sucking it up for their fallen comrade. The New Jersey Devils losing Martin Brodeur for most of last season is a good example. But more often than not, you are likely to see the kind of play Vancouver offered with the loss of Roberto Luongo last winter.

      They used to say in that science class ‘…It is just as important to disprove a theory as it is to show you were right….’ So without further ado here are the mixed results of the comparison through games ending Sunday night, 25 October:

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      NHL

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