Week 10 Picks!

1) Its already week 10 of the 2009-2010 NHL season. There are 14 games on the line this afternoon/evening. We bring our 9 week total of 75-43 on the season, or a .636 winning %.



Vancouver at Carolina: Canucks

Edmonton at Dallas: Stars

St. Louis at Los Angeles: Kings

Toronto at Boston: Bruins (Lock of The Week)

NY Rangers at Buffalo: Sabres

Detroit at New Jersey: Red Wings

Washington at Philadelphia: Flyers

Atlanta at Florida: Thrashers

Colorado at Columbus: Avalanche

Chicago at Pittsburgh: Penguins

NY Islanders at Tampa Bay: Islanders

Minnesota at Nashville: Predators

Calgary at San Jose: Flames

Ottawa at Phoenix: Coyotes

Not A Mis-Print?

1) As we perused the NHL standings we were struck with several items with what we saw in the Eastern Conference. One, the top 8, after almost 30% of the NHL season has been completed, consisted of 3 NE division teams. Not a huge shocker (we saw 2) really, but most didn't think that the Senators would be one of them. As bad as things have been in Beantown they have hung in there and as of this point have a playoff position. Buffalo is not a shock as we at Fauxrumors believed that a healthy Ryan Miller would put them back into contention, and thus far his heroics have been a huge factor in their early success.

2) The thing about the top 8 that struck us the most was the fact that there are 3 SE Division teams there and only two Atlantic division team currently in playoff position. We felt before the season that the Atlantic was the best division in the East. Regular readers may recall how we lambasted the SE division in late October, http://newfaux.blogspot.com/2009/10/south-least-division.html No shocker that the Washington Capitals are in the top 8, but surprisingly, the team we believed had the best chance of joining them the Carolina Hurricanes are the conferences worst team!

3) Meanwhile the Lightning and Thrashers are having very nice starts. Look out DC, the Thrashers are only 7 points behind you with 3 games in hand! So who else is not getting it done? Well, the Flyers and Rangers are two teams we felt pretty confident would be playoff teams. The Flyers a Cup contender in our pre season predictions have played very poorly the past few weeks placing them on the outside of the top 8. The Blue Shirts, after a nice start have folded their tent and looked like a bottom 5 team the past 3 weeks, going a horrendous 3-7 in their last 10 games!

4) Yes, we can already hear some of you saying, 'its early Faux'. Of course, but its not the first week of the season anymore. These trends are significant now. We feel that teams like the Lightning and Thrashers, barring serious injury woes, will hang in there and make it a fight to the end for a playoff spot. Something both of those beleaguered markets desperately need! We also can't see the Flyers staying where they are. At some point they will put together a nice streak and be right back in the top of the Atlantic race. Additionally, really only two teams can be counted out as of now. The aforementioned Hurricanes who appear lost, and the Maple Leafs. Everyone else is within a good weekend of games of getting back into the top 8. As it has been the last few seasons it will likely go down to the final day before we know who will be there and who will need to book a mid April tee time.

'Around The Horn'- First Edition

1) We at Fauxrumors had been discussing for a while the possibility of doing a semi-regular discussion/response to the Sunday hockey columnists. As many might already know the Sunday paper is where most of the better known hockey columnists do a regular column discussing various aspects of their home teams and the NHL in general. We read these folks for both insight and for humor (unintended sometimes). We sometimes agree and sometimes very much disagree with their respective takes, but at the very least many times its good fodder for blog discussion. Some of the aforementioned writers include but are NOT limited to:

• Larry Brooks- NY Post



• Kevin Dupont - Boston Globe



• Bruce Garrioch - Ottawa Sun



• Dave Molinari - Pittsburgh Post gazette



• Steve Simmons- Toronto Sun



• James Mirtle- Toronto Globe



• Adrian Dater- Denver Post

2) The story this past week that got our interest was Larry Brooks' story concerning the shoot out. Or as we like to call the 'demonstration' that takes place AFTER the real game. We have been on record from the start against the silly way of determining the outcome of games. WE felt back when it was first instituted (after the last Bettman lockout) that based upon seeing the shoot out in minor league games that it was an anti climatic exercise after a good hockey game. Brooks apparently has not only come to that conclusion but gone a step further in saying that the silly way of deciding games is ruining the NHL. He mentions stats that show that the number of games going to the extra- extra session has been steadily climbing. Its risen to what it is now: An astounding 18% of ALL games are decided by this method!! Not hockey, but by a skills competition that has much to do with actual hockey as a home run contest does with a baseball game

3) It seems coaches (trying to keep the regulation losses to a minimum) have understandably instituted a conservative approach that has resulted in an amazing 27% of ALL games going to OT (where most end up in the SO). As most, including us, surmised years ago, coaches will adapt to the rules and in an attempt to keep their jobs try what means they can employ to minimize the damage, thus defensive first schemes that result in fewer and fewer games decided in 60 minutes. Not only are teams playing for regulation draws to get the guaranteed point, they do it more often late in the season, when playoff positions are on the line! So get ready, its gonna get worse! So in essence, when games are supposed to get more competitive, they actually get less competitive. Teams naturally do what the system encourages them to do: play for the guaranteed point, then take their chances during the brief overtime period that follows the real game.

4) So, what to do now? We can't see the NHL changing the shoot out. Its here to stay folks. In fact as we wrote 2 1/2 years ago don't be shocked to see it start to seep into consideration in the post season! http://newfaux.blogspot.com/2007/04/ot-nonsense.html In our opinion the number one flaw is that a victory in regulation is considered the same as a victory in overtime or shootout. That needs to change. Incentive to win in 60 minutes needs to be reclaimed. We'd prefer a 2 point system. You win in regulation you get 2, you win in the OT/SO, you get 1. You lose, you get ZERO regardless. That way no incentive to play for a 'tie' , and no gain for losing. Of course critics abound for that way of thinking so we'd be OK (although not enamoured) with the 3 point system. In that a regulation win would be elevated to a 3 point gain, and a OT/SO win 2 points. The loser point would remain unfortunately. At least that method incentivizes a team to win in regulation and the loser of an OT game comes away with something. One thing is clear, the current system is broken!

Week 9- Results

1) For the third consecutive week, we at Fauxrumors managed to go a very solid, if not impressive, 9-4 with our weekly picks. This brings our 9 week total to 75-43 on the season, or a .636 winning %. We also got our Lock of The Week correct to bring that stat to 7-2 on the year.

2) We will be back at the picks next Saturday when a whopping 14 games will be played. Also we are preparing a post about new Jersey. We should have it out later this week. As always keep it here for all the latest!

Weekly Picks- 9 Who Would Rick Pick?

1) Its week 9. So we figured we'd have (in spirit only) Rick Tochett make the picks for this week. So far this season we at fauxrumors are an impressive 66-39 for a .629 winning %.

NY Islanders at New Jersey: Devils

Ottawa at Boston: Bruins

Carolina at Buffalo: Sabres (Lock of The Week)

Washington at Montreal: Capitals

Philadelphia at Atlanta: Flyers

Calgary at Columbus: Blue Jackets

NY Rangers at Pittsburgh: Penguins

Detroit at St. Louis: Blues

Florida at Nashville: Predators

Tampa Bay at Dallas: Stars

Minnesota at Colorado: Avalanche

Edmonton at Vancouver: Canucks

Chicago at Los Angeles: Kings

Happy Thanks Giving!

1) On the Thanks Giving holiday here in the States we wanted to wish all our readers a great holiday and continue to thank God for all the many blessings bestowed upon us

(NOT) The Next Great One?

1) It came to us as we watched last evening's version of The NHL network's "On The Fly" when they were discussing their winners for Trophies based upon the first quarter of the season. Now, of course we got a chuckle out of the fact that we did that last week and mentioned how silly it is. However, forgetting the inaness of mentioning such a list what struck us as one of the ass clowns(that could mean any of the panelists there) mentioned their winner of Hart Trophy (based upon the first 1/4 of the season) was Sidney Crosby. We said huh? The other panelist also went, Huh? Then it really hit us, when the guy in favour of giving the league MVP award to Crosby mentioned he was 25th in scoring!! Not that this alone would disqualify him, but it was a real shocker that the player we thought of as the next great NHL player, and the one who we felt had the best possible chance of being the next Wayne Gretzky was that far behind the leaders.

2) Now, before the insults/hate mail from Penguin/Sidney fans starts streaming in we want to first put his career in proper perspective. We have been staunch defenders of his since he entered the league, now 5 years ago. He's had detractors from day 1 looking to take 'the kid' apart due to his overwhelming publicity even before he played an NHL game. He became the face of the league following the most recent Bettman lock out. He was going to be the game's saviour. A lot to ask of an 18 year old for sure! If taken into proper perspective he's had a very good start of his career. In fact it can be argued successfully that he has had one of the best possible starts one could ask for. If his name were other than Sidney Crosby that is. How many players even are playing regularly in the NHL by age 22? In his case he's now played over 300 games and has an impressive 419 points. Additionally he can add a Hart, Ross and Pearson Trophies to his resume, in addition to being a vital cog in helping his team win a Stanley Cup. All accomplishments worthy of Hall of Fame consideration, and all before his 22nd birthday!

3) However, when put into the perspective of how does he compare with Wayne Gretzky, The Great One(TGO), how does The Next One(TNO) hold out? Yes, we understand different eras, but still it would make for a proper comparison. Through his first 4 seasons TGO had 709 points, and didn't slow down from there with several more 200+ point seasons yet to come. By this time he had 3 Hart Trophies in his soon to be massive trophy case. The significant difference is that it took TGO an additional season to win his first Cup (First of 4). TGO had an astounding 11 consecutive seasons with 100 or more assists! Meanwhile Crosby after seeming to appear to be on his way to at least coming close to that kind of production with a 100 point rookie season followed by an impressive 120 point campaign as a 19 yr old. Then he seemed to hit the cruise control, unable to get tothe next level that Gretzky was able to. Injuries, something unknown by TGO in his first 15 or so seasons, hampered Crosby in his next 2 years when he totaled an impressive, but hardly Gretzky-esque 175 points total in those combined 2 seasons.

4) Which brings us to today. Through 23 games Crosby has a decent total of 22 points. Good for 25th in league scoring and a projected total of 78 points. Yes, his team has had some injuries, but if he is supposed to be 'The Guy' he should be making the players around him better? He seems to have leveled off and become just another one of about 10 or so players who are ones to watch, but certainly nothing 'generational' in his talent by any stretch. Yes, he will probably be a first ballet Hall of Famer when all is said and done, but it doesn't appear we will be talking about Sidney Crosby a decade after he retires like we do about Wayne Gretzky. Unfair perhaps on some levels, but when you're elevated to the lofty perch of being the game's saviour you have little place to go but down.