I'll admit I nearly fell out of my chair when Howson selected someone that was not a defenseman with offensive skill. While I thought it was an interesting thought on Michael Arace's part when he mentioned Ryan Johansen in a recent commentary in the Dispatch, I was convinced the Jackets would take Gormley or Fowler. That said, the Jackets organization needs a play making center, and that is what Howson got. Aaron Portzline reports that Howson did try to trade down with the idea of taking Johansen in the 7-8-9 area, but couldn't make it happen. That he took the player he wanted with the pick he had says a lot about how highly the organization regarded Johansen.
The editors here at JR will do an Around the Boards feature in the next couple of days to get everyone's opinion on the entire draft, but for now here is an interview with Johansen moments after being drafted. Carry the Flag.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Afternoon Scrum 6/2/10
Just a few nuggets I came across today I thought I'd share. Have a good one.
- Nothing really new here, but Howson says a decision is "Getting Closer".
- If you are capable of flushing a toilet, the Pittsburgh Penguins would like to speak with you.
- Ever wonder why hockey players and hot girls go hand-in-hand? The Daily Beast thinks they know why.
- I'm a died-in-the-wool CBJ fan, but the 'Hawks are at the top of my 2nd tier. Check out this playoffs video... nobody sings it like Ol' Blue Eyes. Enjoy game 3 tonight!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Coaching Update
TSN is reporting that Howson has asked for, and been granted permission by the Montreal Canadiens to speak with Guy Boucher. Won't be long now!
Have a nice Memorial Day.
Have a nice Memorial Day.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Around the Boards 5/28/10
Hawks vs Flyers to raise Lord Stanley's Cup. Who ya got?Stick on the Ice:
I think Chicago will be winning the Cup this year. And that really is saying a lot, because they not only have to defeat a physical Flyers team, but they also have to contend with the Curse of Hossa and any lingering Karmic debt from that horrendous mural of Toews with the Islan
d of Dr. Moreau nosejob. However, they simply have too much talent up front for Philly to contain. Hats off to Leighton -- he has been rock solid and certainly outperformed any reasonable expectations. But he's not going to stop Kane, Toews, Sharp, Hossa and all the other threats that Chicago cycles in. It's not as though Chicago is only limited to a solid scoring punch -- they have the best blueline in the NHL right now, and Seabrook, Keith, etc. have already proven that they could shut down the most productive forward line in the league during the Western Conference Finals. Richards, Leino and Briere are really going to have trouble finding much space. And when you have a role player like Big Buff pounding in goals almost nightly, you know that they have all the intangibles clicking too. Not to be too biased towards the West, but if nothing else, I have a really hard time believing that the 7th seed from the East is going to take down Chicago. I call Chicago in five...maybe six.Swaindog:
"We have no response, that was perfect."
Top Shelf:
'Hawks in 6. At this point, we can forget the "on paper" matchups. Forget that Philly was a 7 seed in the East and that Chicago was a 2 in the West. What we have now is two Conference champions playing a
best-of-seven series for the prize that all of these players have dreamed about since they were kids. I want the Blackhawks to win, and believe they will win, but Philly quite obviously has their Broad Street Mojo working and they will put up a helluva fight. Flyers G Brian Boucher (remember him Jackets fans?) wants back in the line up after recovering from injury. It will be interesting to see if this leads to some kind of goalie carousel for Philly. If it does, that does not bode well for the Flyers.Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Around the Boards 5/19/10
And then there were four... okay, three.
TopShelf: I am tempted to put this in the slam dunk category for Kevin Dineen.
The only thing that keeps me being completly convinced it is ol' number 11 is that Jackets GM Scott Howson is wise enough to keep an open mind and allow all the candidates to make their case, and then make an informed decision. Make no mistake, Dineen is a legit coach who will be assuming the helm of an NHL team much sooner than later, but any sentimentality fans and CBJ supporters may have for Dineen will not play into Howson's decision. If either Arniel or Boucher seem a better fit, they will get the job.
And yes, I left Claude Noel out of that sentence intentionally. If Howson thought he was
the man for the job he would have hired him weeks ago and forgone the protracted search. I wish him well, and fear his return to the Predators organization. All signs are that the Jackets are looking to continue the recent NHL trend of hiring a head coach who embraces the concept of playing and winning with a large dose of young talent. The inability of Ken Hitchcock to do this was what led to the need for a new coach in the first place. Dineen, Arniel and Boucher have proven that they are capable of winning with youth, albeit at a level of hockey where all the players are young. But it is the way they have managed to lead those young players that is the key. Further bolstering Dineen's "kid-cred" is that before proving himself behind the bench, the Jackets organization thought enough of his ability to relate to young players that they made him their Director of Player Development. Dude just flat out knows how to relate to young players. And that is the name of the game in this coaching search.
Swaindog:
Stick on the Ice:
First off, I was a little surprised by MacLean not making it to the second round of interviews. I'm sure that Howson has great reasons, but I'm eager to uncover the reasoning. In my opinion, MacLean was solidly in my Top 3 and probably in my Top 2. He knows the Central very well, he's been part of Cup wins in two Western Conference markets and he was a solid NHL player. Further, he played at least some role in Detroit developing its young talent as successfully as it has. I thought that he, moreso than any of the other candidates, would have brought the most immediate cache behind the bench. I'm not saying he was the best candidate, but I was just surprised to see him out of the running so early. I'm sure he'll be a little saucy the next time we face the Wings. I know this isn't much of a reach, but I do think it's going to be Dineen. With MacLean out of it, it comes down to the interim coach and several AHL coaches. I like Noel a great deal -- and I do believe that he's a capable NHL caliber coach -- but I just see the organization going with some new blood. So, if you buy into that theory, the decision comes down to one of several AHL coaches. Any coac
h that meets with consistent AHL coaching success has to know how to develop young talent and natural potential -- all the candidates have proven that. But Dineen has some intangibles that really complement his natural gifts as a coach and put him ahead of the pack. For starters, he is a known commodity within the organization and has already received the vocal - if not yet public - support of the locker room. He played the game at a very high level for nearly 19 years in the NHL -- I think that will bring a unique perspective to the locker room. Plenty of people in Nationwide Arena saw him punch opposing players in the face and score goals. He scored more than 350 goals and had more than 2200 penalty minutes. That is impressive. It's already been proven to the organization that the guy has heart and a real will to win. And he has a standing
relationship with Tyler Wright, as the two played together 2000-2002. With all the young talent that Columbus has to develop, I see the relationship between Tyler Wright and the new head coach as critically important. Dineen also served as a development coach for the Jackets, so he has great insight on the intricacies of that job -- which I see as another positive. Last -- it was just reported on Puck Rakers (http://blog.dispatch.com/cbj/) that Dineen was the first to get a second interview. It could be due to scheduling logistics, but that cadence seems tellling. And Boucher really has some ground to make up since he's yet to even have his first interview. And if Arniel gets an offer from Atlanta, I don't see the Jackets getting into a bidding war.
With Paul MacLean out of the running to take the reigns in Columbus, the coaching search is rumored to be down to 4 candidates: Kevin Dineen, Guy Boucher, Claude Noel and Scott Arniel. The team at Jackets Required weighs in on who the next Head Coach should be, and why. Finally.
TopShelf: I am tempted to put this in the slam dunk category for Kevin Dineen.
- Proven ability to work with young talent? Check.
- Demonstrated record of finding success early? Check.
- Hockey career/pedigree that current players (ie: young) can remember? Check.
- Create some buzz among the few fans who are still paying attention? Check, more or less. At least more so than any other candidate.
The only thing that keeps me being completly convinced it is ol' number 11 is that Jackets GM Scott Howson is wise enough to keep an open mind and allow all the candidates to make their case, and then make an informed decision. Make no mistake, Dineen is a legit coach who will be assuming the helm of an NHL team much sooner than later, but any sentimentality fans and CBJ supporters may have for Dineen will not play into Howson's decision. If either Arniel or Boucher seem a better fit, they will get the job.
And yes, I left Claude Noel out of that sentence intentionally. If Howson thought he was
the man for the job he would have hired him weeks ago and forgone the protracted search. I wish him well, and fear his return to the Predators organization. All signs are that the Jackets are looking to continue the recent NHL trend of hiring a head coach who embraces the concept of playing and winning with a large dose of young talent. The inability of Ken Hitchcock to do this was what led to the need for a new coach in the first place. Dineen, Arniel and Boucher have proven that they are capable of winning with youth, albeit at a level of hockey where all the players are young. But it is the way they have managed to lead those young players that is the key. Further bolstering Dineen's "kid-cred" is that before proving himself behind the bench, the Jackets organization thought enough of his ability to relate to young players that they made him their Director of Player Development. Dude just flat out knows how to relate to young players. And that is the name of the game in this coaching search.Swaindog:
Kevin Dineen.
If it wasn't to be Paul MacLean, which I firmly believe would have been the right choice of the known candidates, then I think it will be the former Blue Jacket (and blessed Hartford Whaler). And, if Aaron Portzline is correct, Dineen just completed his second interview with Jackets brass at Double Eagle (posted on his Twitter feed around 9:15pm). Knowing Double Eagle is akin to the McConnell family's compound really makes me believe it'll be Dineen. I think that if it were going to be interim coach Claude Noel, he wou
ld have already been awarded the job. That said, I'm not a big fan of Kevin Dineen as a head coach. Why the Blue Jackets need to settle for a guy without NHL coaching experience or escapes me when you have a highly qualified, seasoned NHL assistant with just as much minor head coaching experience as Dineen, just three hours away in Detroit. MacLean is a guy who has been exposed to the right way to do things in the league. This strikes me as something the Jackets have never seemed to have, or at least show, even with Ken Hitchcock at the helm. But, if I could have chosen anyone, I would have brought back the Jackets' first ever head coach and current Phoenix Coyotes assistant, Dave King. King would have provided the right mix of hockey theory and tactics with a proven ability to deal with young players.The job he and Dave Tippett did this year with the Coyotes was impressive. Plus, King just seems to get it. He has a great demeanor and would have provided the daily stability this club seems to lack. Never too high or low, King's work with Hockey Canada, the European leagues, the Coyotes, Flames and the Blue Jackets is a great mix of experience that I believe would have been perfect for this club.
ld have already been awarded the job. That said, I'm not a big fan of Kevin Dineen as a head coach. Why the Blue Jackets need to settle for a guy without NHL coaching experience or escapes me when you have a highly qualified, seasoned NHL assistant with just as much minor head coaching experience as Dineen, just three hours away in Detroit. MacLean is a guy who has been exposed to the right way to do things in the league. This strikes me as something the Jackets have never seemed to have, or at least show, even with Ken Hitchcock at the helm. But, if I could have chosen anyone, I would have brought back the Jackets' first ever head coach and current Phoenix Coyotes assistant, Dave King. King would have provided the right mix of hockey theory and tactics with a proven ability to deal with young players.The job he and Dave Tippett did this year with the Coyotes was impressive. Plus, King just seems to get it. He has a great demeanor and would have provided the daily stability this club seems to lack. Never too high or low, King's work with Hockey Canada, the European leagues, the Coyotes, Flames and the Blue Jackets is a great mix of experience that I believe would have been perfect for this club. Stick on the Ice:
First off, I was a little surprised by MacLean not making it to the second round of interviews. I'm sure that Howson has great reasons, but I'm eager to uncover the reasoning. In my opinion, MacLean was solidly in my Top 3 and probably in my Top 2. He knows the Central very well, he's been part of Cup wins in two Western Conference markets and he was a solid NHL player. Further, he played at least some role in Detroit developing its young talent as successfully as it has. I thought that he, moreso than any of the other candidates, would have brought the most immediate cache behind the bench. I'm not saying he was the best candidate, but I was just surprised to see him out of the running so early. I'm sure he'll be a little saucy the next time we face the Wings. I know this isn't much of a reach, but I do think it's going to be Dineen. With MacLean out of it, it comes down to the interim coach and several AHL coaches. I like Noel a great deal -- and I do believe that he's a capable NHL caliber coach -- but I just see the organization going with some new blood. So, if you buy into that theory, the decision comes down to one of several AHL coaches. Any coac
h that meets with consistent AHL coaching success has to know how to develop young talent and natural potential -- all the candidates have proven that. But Dineen has some intangibles that really complement his natural gifts as a coach and put him ahead of the pack. For starters, he is a known commodity within the organization and has already received the vocal - if not yet public - support of the locker room. He played the game at a very high level for nearly 19 years in the NHL -- I think that will bring a unique perspective to the locker room. Plenty of people in Nationwide Arena saw him punch opposing players in the face and score goals. He scored more than 350 goals and had more than 2200 penalty minutes. That is impressive. It's already been proven to the organization that the guy has heart and a real will to win. And he has a standing
relationship with Tyler Wright, as the two played together 2000-2002. With all the young talent that Columbus has to develop, I see the relationship between Tyler Wright and the new head coach as critically important. Dineen also served as a development coach for the Jackets, so he has great insight on the intricacies of that job -- which I see as another positive. Last -- it was just reported on Puck Rakers (http://blog.dispatch.com/cbj/) that Dineen was the first to get a second interview. It could be due to scheduling logistics, but that cadence seems tellling. And Boucher really has some ground to make up since he's yet to even have his first interview. And if Arniel gets an offer from Atlanta, I don't see the Jackets getting into a bidding war.Monday, April 26, 2010
Jarod Palmer signs with Wild
Miami's Palmer signs free agent deal with Minnesota
A few weeks ago, Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson mentioned that he was looking at one college free agent as a potential signee. I was hoping it was going to be Miami's Jarod Palmer who had 18-27-45 this year for the RedHawks. Aside from possessing blistering speed, Palmer has everything you'd want. Decent size, great hands, a penchant for penalty-killing. Sound like someone the Jackets could use? You betcha. Plus, he's 24 years old and would have the maturity the team sometimes lacks.
Alas, the Wild scooped up the Minnesota native and signed him to a 1-year, $700,000 deal.
Here's the Star Tribune's coverage.
And, perhaps the Wild were swayed by THIS from last year's developmental camp. Nasty.
Best of luck to Jarod in the future. He was a great player at Miami for four years.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
This is Our Time!
Miami prepares to take on Boston College at Ford Field
Well, its come down to this.
The Miami RedHawks, last year's national runners-up, ranked #1 for the majority of this season, the runaway winners of the CCHA regular season title, champions of the NCAA Midwest Regional and the NCAA Tournament's top overall seed are back in the Frozen Four. Standing in their way in tomorrow night's national semifinal, however, is a name all too familiar to Miami hockey fans, players and alumni, Boston.
Whether it's followed by "University," as it was in last year's national championship game, or "College," as it was in 2006, 2007 and 2008, it has meant the same thing - loss. In some cases as in 2008 and 2009, it meant heartbreaking loss.
As Miami's program has continued to improve, the past six years have returned remarkable success. Consider:
In 2006, Miami captured just its second ever CCHA regular season title and was ranked number one during the regular season for the first time in school history. However, they would fall in the CCHA Championship game dropping the RedHawks from a #1 to a #2 seed setting up the first of three consecutive meetings with the Eagles. This one coming in the first round. A broken stick and two empty net goals led BC to a 5-0 blanking of Miami. BC earned a trip to the Frozen Four, but lost in the national championship game to Wisconsin.
In 2007, Miami eeked out an at-large berth and #4 seed drawing New Hampshire in the first round. Led by junior captain Ryan Jones and classmate Nathan Davis, the RedHawks upset UNH earning the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament victory. Awaiting in the regional final? BC. Once again, the Eagles shut out the RedHawks breaking open a close game late and winning 4-0. With the victory over Miami, BC earned another trip to the Frozen Four, but fell in the national title game to Michigan State.
In 2008, Miami finished the regular season and CCHA Tournament 32-7-1 garnering a #1 seed in the national tournament. In the first round, Miami found themselves in a dogfight with all-world netminder Andrew Volkening and Air Force. After defeating the Falcons in overtime, they found themselves face to face with nemesis Boston College. Again. This time, Miami would take a 2-0 lead in the second period, but on the strength of three quick, consecutive goals, BC led 3-2 entering the final period. Senior captain Ryan Jones tied the game at three, but a fluke goal during overtime by current BC junior Joe Whitney sent the Eagles to their third consecutive Frozen Four. This time, they would not be denied winning the national title by defeating upstart Notre Dame in the final.
So, seeing Boston College on the docket standing between Miami and a return trip to the national championship game isn't all that surprising. The Eagles started slowly but have gone 17-4-1 over their last 22 games finishing 27-10-3 and are currently riding an 11 game unbeaten streak. But, BC has been incredibly lax defensively surrendering 14 goals over the past three games which will be a killer against a Miami team that is number one in the nation in team defense and ranked in the top 10 offensively. On the flip side, the Eagles can score. They rank second nationally in team offense and have potted 19 goals over those past three games winning each of them including a wild 9-7 win over Yale in the Northeast Region final.
Boston College appears to be a small team, compared to Miami, with one line that encompasses nearly 40% of their scoring. The Eagles are led by the line of Cam Atkinson (27 goals), Brian Gibbons (16) and Joe Whitney (16). However, none of the three are taller than 5'8" and Whitney is just 5'6". What does that mean? It means Miami's big, and mobile, defense should have a field day clearing pucks, punishing BC forwards and should dominate this game. You have to believe the CCHA's Defensive Player of the Year and CBJ draft pick, Will Weber (6'4", 225) is licking his chops considering the size differential. Weber and his defense partner, Joe Hartman (6'4", 200), comprise Miami's top defensive pairing. And, with Vincent LoVerde likely still out of the lineup due to injury, you can expect this pair plus Cameron Schilling (6'2", 185) and Steve Spinell (6'1", 200) to see quite a bit of ice time versus the diminutive, but speedy, Eagles.
In net, Miami and BC have experienced netminders to choose from. BC's John Muse backstopped the Eagles to the national title in 2008, and of course, Miami's Cody Reichard took the RedHawks to within a heartbeat of the title last year while Connor Knapp made 55 saves in the 3-2 double overtime Midwest Regional final victory over Michigan just under two weeks ago. But, I'll take either of the Miami pair over Muse who has been, frankly, awful of late.
After a review of the stats, schedules and rosters, I think Miami will find a way to win this game. BC's defense and goaltending have been abysmal, and you can't count on scoring five goals in a game like this. Defense and goaltending win championships and I think Miami has a distinct advantage in both categories.
Like the Michigan game, Miami must defeat a team that's become their nemesis. If they want to become a truly elite program, these are the teams, in these situations, that the RedHawks must knock off to exorcise their past failures. In a sense it's a revenge game for Miami. Considering BC has beaten them three consecutive times in the tournament, you'd think Miami will be more than up for this game and playing with something to prove. They desperately want to beat a team with the word "Boston" on the front of their sweaters.
Should Miami be fortunate enough to advance, they would play the winner of the RIT/Wisconsin semifinal at 7pm Saturday night on ESPN.
Reset
What: Frozen Four National Semifinals
Who: #4 RIT (28-11-1) v. #1 Wisconsin (27-10-4) - 5pm ESPN2 (Thursday, April 8)
#1 Boston College (27-10-3) v. #1 Miami (29-7-7) - 8:30pm ESPN2 (Thursday, April 8)
Where: Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
National Championship Game
7pm ESPN (Saturday, April 10)
The Miami RedHawks, last year's national runners-up, ranked #1 for the majority of this season, the runaway winners of the CCHA regular season title, champions of the NCAA Midwest Regional and the NCAA Tournament's top overall seed are back in the Frozen Four. Standing in their way in tomorrow night's national semifinal, however, is a name all too familiar to Miami hockey fans, players and alumni, Boston.
Whether it's followed by "University," as it was in last year's national championship game, or "College," as it was in 2006, 2007 and 2008, it has meant the same thing - loss. In some cases as in 2008 and 2009, it meant heartbreaking loss.
As Miami's program has continued to improve, the past six years have returned remarkable success. Consider:
- Miami has the best winning percentage in college hockey since 2005-06.
- Since 2007-08, Miami has spent more time atop the college hockey polls than any other school.
In 2006, Miami captured just its second ever CCHA regular season title and was ranked number one during the regular season for the first time in school history. However, they would fall in the CCHA Championship game dropping the RedHawks from a #1 to a #2 seed setting up the first of three consecutive meetings with the Eagles. This one coming in the first round. A broken stick and two empty net goals led BC to a 5-0 blanking of Miami. BC earned a trip to the Frozen Four, but lost in the national championship game to Wisconsin.
In 2007, Miami eeked out an at-large berth and #4 seed drawing New Hampshire in the first round. Led by junior captain Ryan Jones and classmate Nathan Davis, the RedHawks upset UNH earning the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament victory. Awaiting in the regional final? BC. Once again, the Eagles shut out the RedHawks breaking open a close game late and winning 4-0. With the victory over Miami, BC earned another trip to the Frozen Four, but fell in the national title game to Michigan State.
In 2008, Miami finished the regular season and CCHA Tournament 32-7-1 garnering a #1 seed in the national tournament. In the first round, Miami found themselves in a dogfight with all-world netminder Andrew Volkening and Air Force. After defeating the Falcons in overtime, they found themselves face to face with nemesis Boston College. Again. This time, Miami would take a 2-0 lead in the second period, but on the strength of three quick, consecutive goals, BC led 3-2 entering the final period. Senior captain Ryan Jones tied the game at three, but a fluke goal during overtime by current BC junior Joe Whitney sent the Eagles to their third consecutive Frozen Four. This time, they would not be denied winning the national title by defeating upstart Notre Dame in the final.
So, seeing Boston College on the docket standing between Miami and a return trip to the national championship game isn't all that surprising. The Eagles started slowly but have gone 17-4-1 over their last 22 games finishing 27-10-3 and are currently riding an 11 game unbeaten streak. But, BC has been incredibly lax defensively surrendering 14 goals over the past three games which will be a killer against a Miami team that is number one in the nation in team defense and ranked in the top 10 offensively. On the flip side, the Eagles can score. They rank second nationally in team offense and have potted 19 goals over those past three games winning each of them including a wild 9-7 win over Yale in the Northeast Region final.
Boston College appears to be a small team, compared to Miami, with one line that encompasses nearly 40% of their scoring. The Eagles are led by the line of Cam Atkinson (27 goals), Brian Gibbons (16) and Joe Whitney (16). However, none of the three are taller than 5'8" and Whitney is just 5'6". What does that mean? It means Miami's big, and mobile, defense should have a field day clearing pucks, punishing BC forwards and should dominate this game. You have to believe the CCHA's Defensive Player of the Year and CBJ draft pick, Will Weber (6'4", 225) is licking his chops considering the size differential. Weber and his defense partner, Joe Hartman (6'4", 200), comprise Miami's top defensive pairing. And, with Vincent LoVerde likely still out of the lineup due to injury, you can expect this pair plus Cameron Schilling (6'2", 185) and Steve Spinell (6'1", 200) to see quite a bit of ice time versus the diminutive, but speedy, Eagles.
In net, Miami and BC have experienced netminders to choose from. BC's John Muse backstopped the Eagles to the national title in 2008, and of course, Miami's Cody Reichard took the RedHawks to within a heartbeat of the title last year while Connor Knapp made 55 saves in the 3-2 double overtime Midwest Regional final victory over Michigan just under two weeks ago. But, I'll take either of the Miami pair over Muse who has been, frankly, awful of late.
After a review of the stats, schedules and rosters, I think Miami will find a way to win this game. BC's defense and goaltending have been abysmal, and you can't count on scoring five goals in a game like this. Defense and goaltending win championships and I think Miami has a distinct advantage in both categories.
Like the Michigan game, Miami must defeat a team that's become their nemesis. If they want to become a truly elite program, these are the teams, in these situations, that the RedHawks must knock off to exorcise their past failures. In a sense it's a revenge game for Miami. Considering BC has beaten them three consecutive times in the tournament, you'd think Miami will be more than up for this game and playing with something to prove. They desperately want to beat a team with the word "Boston" on the front of their sweaters.
Should Miami be fortunate enough to advance, they would play the winner of the RIT/Wisconsin semifinal at 7pm Saturday night on ESPN.
Reset
What: Frozen Four National Semifinals
Who: #4 RIT (28-11-1) v. #1 Wisconsin (27-10-4) - 5pm ESPN2 (Thursday, April 8)
#1 Boston College (27-10-3) v. #1 Miami (29-7-7) - 8:30pm ESPN2 (Thursday, April 8)
Where: Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
National Championship Game
7pm ESPN (Saturday, April 10)
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