Week 3 Review

NWT 6-2 Branson

Pekka Rinne finally showed why the Moose selected him 5th overall in this year's draft, posting a steady 2 W, 1 SO, 1.68 GAA week to lead the Moose to their second win in as many weeks. The Moose offense was led by a pair of unexpected heroes, as Kimmo Timonen busted out for 7 DEF points, and Jordan Eberle chipped in with 3 G and 2 A. NWT finished with 33 points for the week, second only to the Alberta Bears (34). It was an uncharacterstically bad week for King Henrik in net for the Bull Frogs, with a GAA hovering near 4.00. NWT is the league's last remaining unbeaten, with 2 wins and a tie in their first three affairs. Standouts: Kimmo Timonen (NWT) 7 A, 7 DEF---Danny Briere (BRAN) 2 G, 3  A

Sandusky 5-2 Vancouver

In a rematch of last year's semi-finals, Tron Ries and the Slanderers enacted a bit of revenge on the defending champion Villains. The loss was Vancouver's first of the year. Though Sandusky wasn't spectacular offensively (11 G, 12 A), they continue to put the puck in the net at an impressive rate (38 G leads the league). Thomas Vanek continued his tear this week, with 2 G and 3 A. Vanek now has 15 points in 10 games. The Villains were absolutely dreadful in net, with a 3.94 GAA and .873 SV% for the week. After leading the league in GAA a season ago, the Villains now find themselves in dead last in both GAA and SV% three weeks into the season. Standouts: Antti Niemi (SAN) 2 W, 1.50 GAA, .942 SV%---Marian Gaborik (VAN) 1 G, 3 A

Istan 5-3 Alberta

Marc-Andre Fleury has made quite the impression since arriving in Istan a few weeks ago. How about this for consistency...Fleury's stats in his Buls debut last week: 2 W, 2 GA, 50 SV, 1.00 GAA, .962 SV%. And this week: 2 W, 2 GA, 1 SO, 50 SV, 0.96 GAA, .962 SV%. Fleury's steady presence, along with the return to form of Carey Price has suddenly returned the Istan Buls to one of the premiere goaltending clubs in the game. Meanwhile, Sean Slevin's "offense first" mentality is becoming all too obvious this year, as his Bears have struggled to a 1-9-2 record in the Goaltending categories, while enjoying a 10-4-1 mark on offense. His 95 points for the year ranks the Bears #1 in Princes of Hockey, but because of the goaltending woes, Slevin would find himself outside of the playoff picture if the season ended today. Standouts: Jaromir Jagr (IST) 5 G, 2 A, 17 SOG---Claude Giroux (ALB) 2 G, 5 A

Latvia 6-2 Winnipeg

Yes, I think it's time we face reality on this one: The Latvia Lipsuckers are here to stay. They have recorded impressive results against both Sandusky and Winnipeg over the past two weeks, and stayed close with Vancouver in the opening week. After this latest victory, Travis Todd finds himself in a very unfamiliar position...sitting in first place and looking down at the rest of the league below. It didn't take long for goaltender Brian Elliott to reward Todd for picking him up, as the Blues new starting netminder posted a shutout just hours after joining the Latvia roster. This Lipsuckers squad is difficult to beat, because not only do they have an outstanding crop of skaters, they now seem to have a goaltending trio that warrants respect. They are here to stay. Standouts: Teemu Selanne (LAT) 1 G, 5 A, 3 PPP---Joe Pavelski (WINN) 3 G, 2 A

Newfoundland 5-2 Lake Erie

The steady demise of the Lake Erie Shtonsters continues. Meanwhile, the surprising NorthStars are trying to prove all their doubters wrong, and find themselves in the thick of things after three weeks. Let's be fair and call this one what it was, a battle between two statistically unimpressive squads. The two squads finished in the bottom three in terms of G, A, PPP, and DEF this week. The goaltending wasn't much better, as Ewing's 2.64 GAA (good for 7th in the league this week) got the job done. But a win's a win, and for the rebuilding NorthStars, they'll take what they can get. Standouts: Phil Kessel (NEWF) 2 G, 2 A, 13 SOG---Mike Richards (LE) 1 G, 3 A

Question of the Week:

Are the Lake Erie Shtonsters giving up on the 2011-12 season with their latest trade with the Vancouver Villains. Tynan shipped his entire set of offensive keepers (Thornton, Hossa, Iginla) to Vancouver in exchange for Henrik Sedin and a couple toss-in players. Yes, the Shtonsters received the best player in the deal. Yes, the duo of Henrik Sedin and Evgeni Malkin looks good (should Malkin regain health in his surgically repaired knee). But did Tynan give up too much, too early? The Lake Erie offense is going to lack depth behind Malkin and Sedin, and the goaltending is shaky to say the least now that they shipped Fleury to Istan in order to acquire Malkin. And how about the other side of the trade, where Vancouver loses it's best player behind Sid the Kid, but bolsters the overall depth of their offense, which has struggled at points this year. With names like Crosby, Gaborik, Thornton, Iginla, Hossa, Sharp, Franzen to go along with the best defensive corps in the league (Letang, Weber, Green, Johnson)...this team became a real force offensively in the blink of an eye.

League Leaders

Goals-Sandusky (38)

Assists-Alberta (60)

PPP-Alberta (42)

SOG-Istan (347)

DEF-Winnipeg (28)

Wins-Newfoundland/Istan (14)

Shutouts-Winnipeg (4)

GAA-Latvia (1.958)

SV%-Latvia (.934)

Week 4 Match Ups

Istan @ Sandusky

Branson @ Latvia

NWT @ Newfoundland

Vancouver @ Winnipeg

Alberta @ Lake Erie

Week 2 Review

Alberta 3-5 Vancouver

After two weeks, the defending champion Vancouver Villains are the only team in the league with wins in both match ups. Svitak seems to have patched up his goaltending situation for the time being, adding Mathieu Garon on Saturday night just in time to enjoy his shut out performance against Buffalo. Jason Spezza poured in 3 G and 4 A in only three games this week, helping Slevin and the Bears keep this one respectable. Keith Yandle's 1 G, 1 A Sunday night performace tied the goals category, and gave the Bears an 8-7 edge in DEF points to narrow the margin of defeat significantly. Standouts: Jason Spezza (ALB) 3 G, 4 A, 3 PPP---Mike Green (VAN) 2 G, 2 A, 4 DEF

Winnipeg 4-4 Branson

Despite three shutouts Jonathan Quick, the Branson Bull Frogs were able to win 3 out of 4 goaltending categories from Winnipeg in this one. Quick's second shut out of the week came on the Wasps bench, as Joel Hafnor elected to give Varlamov and Bryzgalov each the nod on Thursday night. The decision likely changed the outcome of this match up significantly. Most would say that's just bad managing by Joel Hafnor. Others might say he should be fired. Nicklas Backstrom appears to be returning to form for the Wasps, tallying a 5-point week in this one. Brian Campbell had a 4-assist night on Monday for Branson, and then wasn't heard from again. Standouts: Jonathan Quick 3 W, 3 SO, 0.00 GAA, 1.000 SV%---Henrik Lundqvist (BRAN) 2 W, 1 SO, 1.38 GAA, .960 SV%

Lake Erie 3-5 NWT

The Moose edged division opponent Lake Erie thanks in large part to the offensive efforts of superstars Daniel Sedin and Alex Ovechkin. The two combined for 4 G and 6 A in the week, and are undoubtedly the most feared tandem in the league at this point. Despite the offensive prowess of the Moose, there still appear to be some issues in net, made evident by this weeks ugly 3.72 GAA and .874 SV% clip. The big news in Lake Erie this week was the acquisition of Evgeni Malkin, who still has yet to make his Shtonsters debut, but nonetheless has people talking about the team again. The Shtonsters could certainly use the big man, as they now sit at 4-13-1 on the season. Standouts: Marian Hossa (LE) 3 G, 9 SOG---Daniel Sedin (NWT) 2 G, 3 A, 4 PPP, 11 SOG

Latvia 5-1 Sandusky

This one was an upset special, as Travis Todd's Lipsuckers uprooted a Prince's Pot favorite in Sandusky. Latvia netminder Tomas Vokoun was nothing short of sensational this week, stopping nearly 97% of the shots he faced and winning all three games for the week. The Slanderers lit the lamp more than any team in POH this week, but failed to fill the stat sheet other than that. His 4 PPP effort simply won't do the trick. An encouraging start to the season for Latvia, who stuck with a very good Vancouver squad, and now has a solid win against last season's Fleury Division champion. Standouts: Tomas Vokoun (LAT) 3 W, 1 SO, 1.00 GAA, .968 SV%---Lubomir Visnovsky (SAN) 1 G, 3 A, 4 DEF

Newfoundland 5-3 Istan

Another eyebrow raiser in this one, as the Newfoundland NorthStars knocked off Istan, last season's runner-up. It appears Nick Ewing pulled the trigger on Phil Kessel at the perfect moment, as the sniper appears to be putting it all together for the first time this season. Through eight games, Kessel has 8 G and 6 A. The goaltending was phenomenal for the NorthStars this week, with Ryan Miller and Kari Lehtonen each collecting 2 W's, with GAA's below 2.00 and SV%'s higher than .960! The Buls' newest addition Marc-Andre Fleury was steady in his first two games with the club, posting a 1.00 GAA and a .962 SV%. Standouts: Phil Kessel (NEWF) 3 G, 3 A, 14 SOG---Dion Phaneuf (IST) 1 G, 5 A, 6 DEF

 

Question of the Week:

Just a season removed from expansion, both Latvia and Newfoundland find themselves with decent records in the early going. Do either club have what it takes to remain competitive, or is this success a blip on the radar?

League Leaders

Goals-Sandusky (27)

Assists-Branson (39)

PPP-Vancouver/Alberta (28)

SOG-Sandusky (245)

DEF-Vancouver (19)

Wins-Newfoundland (11)

Shutouts-Winnipeg (4)

GAA-Winnipeg (1.843)

SV%-Newfoundland (.937)

Week 3 Match Ups

NWT @ Branson

Sandusky @ Vancouver

Istan @ Alberta

Latvia @ Winnipeg

Newfoundland @ Lake Erie

Week 1 Review

Lake Erie 1-8 Winnipeg

Led by a terrific goaltending trio of Ilya Bryzgalov, Jonathan Quick and Semyon Varlamov, the Wasps started their POH6 campaign on an impressive note. Varlamov, who the Wasps selected to be the team's No. 3 goaltender, posted an impressive 2-win, 1.30 GAA, .960 SV% in Week 1. Winnipeg won 4-of-5 offensive categories, and nearly won the DEF category despite fielding just two eligible defensemen for most of the week.  Standouts: Patrick Kane (WINN) 2 G, 4 A, 17 SOG---Jack Johnson (LE) 2 G, 2 A, 4 DEF, 11 SOG

Vancouver 5-3 Latvia

The defending champion Villains began their title defense with a slim 5-3 victory over the Lipsuckers. Vancouver was firing on all cylinders offensively, piling up a league-best 49 points in Week 1. The goaltending effort was a poor one, however, leading to a less than stellar 5-3 result. Dwayne Roloson finished the week with a 4.35 GAA, while third year Villain Roberto Luongo struggled to the tune of a 3.60 GAA. Henrik Sedin had 7 points to lead the way for Svitak.   Standouts: Kris Letang (VAN) 1 G, 5 A, 6 DEF, 15 SOG---John Tavares (LAT) 5 G, 3 A, 12 SOG

Alberta 5-3 Newfoundland

Another match up featuring an offensive sweep for one team (Alberta) and a near sweep in the goaltending statistics (Newfoundland). The Bears peppered the net with shots, racking up 144 in the 10-day opening week. Claude Giroux impressed in his first week with Alberta, scoring 5 points (3 on the PP). Many sources close to the Alberta franchise say Sean Slevin is expecting Giroux to be in a Bears uniform for quite some time. The NorthStars, who came out this week with a "three-year plan" to rebuild the organization, held their own against the high powered Bears offense. Phil Kessel had an impressive 5 G, 3 A week, though his final effort of the week was executed on the bench. Kari Lehtonen provided the spark in net, with only 6 GA in 4 games (all wins). Standouts: Ray Whitney (ALB) 2 G, 2 A, 10 SOG---Kari Lehtonen (NEWF) 4 W, 1.48 GAA, .955 SV%

Branson 2-6 Sandusky

The Slanderers may have had the strongest all-around performance in Week 1, tallying 35 points on offense while posting a sub-2.00 GAA and a pair of shutouts. The defending Fleury Division champs had a league-best 154 SOG, including three players with more than 20(!) in the week (Neal, Vanek, Carter). Thomas Vanek was just silly, with 3 G, 4 A, and 20 SOG. Neal took an early lead in the Richard Trophy race with his 5 goals. The Bull Frogs had a league-best 24 A, including 4 from Shane Doan. Sandusky swept all 4 goaltending stats despite playing the entire week without Antti Niemi. Standouts: Jeff Skinner (SAN) 2 G, 4 A, 14 SOG---Mike Smith (BRAN) 1 W, 0.96 GAA, .955 SV%

NWT 3-3 Istan

With the return of POH4's 9-category system comes the infamous 3-3-3 tie. In a game that could have future implications for the Rathje Division crown, nothing was settled as the Buls received 2 assists on Sunday from Ryan Getzlaf to secure the tie. Perhaps the biggest news in this one is the wavering health of third year keeper Evgeni Malkin, and GM Nick Lake's public attempts to trade the former Art Ross Trophy winner. Istan controlled the offense for the most part, with a 3-1-1 mark in those categories. Rick Nash led the way with his 2 G, 3 A week. The Buls also received steady production from Gabriel Landeskog (2 G-1A), who was officially shipped to Newfoundland as of Saturday evening.  Jared Stewart benched Alexander Ovechkin twice, missing both games the Russian sensation collected any points. Only giving more ammunition to those who contest that the third-year manager lacks the dedication to win a Prince's Pot. Standouts: Daniel Sedin (NWT) 2 G, 5 A, 4 PPP, 17 SOG---Rick Nash (IST) 2 G, 3 A, 14 SOG

Question of the Week:

How much longer does Evgeni Malkin have in an Istan Buls uniform? It seems only a matter of time that a willing general manager in the Princes of Hockey will roll the dice on the oft-injured Russian. And if, like we expect, Malkin is dealt...what will Lake get in return? Certainly this seems to be the most glaring storyline heading into Week 2 action.

League Leaders

Goals-Vancouver (16)

Assists-Branson (24)

PPP-Winnipeg/Alberta (17)

SOG-Sandusky (154)

DEF-Vancouver/Lake Erie (12)

Wins-Winnipeg (7)

Shutouts-Winnipeg/Sandusky (2)

GAA-Winnipeg (1.656)

SV%-Winnipeg (.9446)

Week 2 Match Ups

Alberta @ Vancouver

Winnipeg @ Branson

Lake Erie @ NWT

Latvia @ Sandusky

Newfoundland @ Istan

Relations crumble between Semin, Newfoundland

by Richard Patterson

Management of the Newfoundland NorthStars met on Thursday morning to discuss the future of left winger Alexander Semin, days after the Russian superstar left midway through a team meeting. According to head coach Nick Ewing, the consensus throughout the organization was to move in a different direction.

"We can't have guys picking up cell phone calls in the middle of meetings and walking out," said Ewing, entering his third full season in POH. "Every day he drove away from team headquarters with a middle finger held out his window. That kind of behavior simply can't be tolerated."

It was not difficult to find suitors for Semin, who has scored better than a point-per-game twice in his NHL career. Ewing didn't wait long, fearing that a further disconnect between Semin and the organization could be a distraction moving forward. Nick Lake, general manager and head coach of the Istan Buls, was the first to pick up the phone regarding Semin's services....and was happy to welcome the talented left wing.

As seen above, Semin was known to have a cigarette or ten before and after every intermission. Part of the behavior that got him traded to Istan on Thursday.

"Anytime you can add a guy with the immense talent of an Alex Semin, I think you owe it to your fans to do so," Lake said. "We understand that he and Mr. Ewing haven't always gotten along, but we have a veteran group of guys over here in Istan and are confident that he'll fit right in."

Newfoundland received blue chip prospect Gabriel Landeskog in the deal, along with Canucks forward Alexandre Burrows. The move makes sense for both sides, as Newfoundland continues to build for the future with young talent, while Istan gears up for another run at a Rathje Division crown.

Semin has played in 70+ games just one time in the past four seasons, having been riddled with injury for the better part of his NHL career. His best season came in '09-'10 when he tallied 40 goals and 44 assists in 73 games.

After conducting a 45-minute long interview with Ewing on Thursday evening, he closed the conversation with a rather shocking, borderline criminal statement.

"Make sure to put this in print," Ewing sneered. "Fuck Alexander Semin. If he ever shows his face in Newfoundland again, and that includes when Istan comes up here to play on Dec. 12, I'll personally cut his fucking throat with a dull butter knife."

Bold words from a bold coach.

Pre-Season Preview: #1 Vancouver Villains

Coach: Brandon Svitak

Trophy Case: POH5 Champions---POH4 Fleury Division Winner---POH4 Associate's Cup Winner---POH4 Manager of the Year

 POH5 Regular Season Finish: 3rd

Postseason Finish: POH Champions

Pre-Season Rank
Forwards: 3rd

Defensemen: 1st

Goaltenders: 2nd

Coaching Pedigree: 2nd

Overall: 1st

Projected Win Total: 102

Keepers:
C Sidney Crosby (3rd Year in Vancouver)
C Henrik Sedin (3rd Year)

RW Marian Gaborik (3rd Year)
D Mike Green  (3rd Year)
G Roberto Luongo (3rd Year)

Outlook
What can you say about Brandon Svitak? Since joining the league prior to the POH4 season, the guy has dominated the entire landscape of the league. He obliterated through the POH4 season at 119-40 before losing in the semi-finals to the eventual champion Winnipeg Wasps. He came back in POH5, weathered a season ending concussion to his best player Sidney Crosby, and still won the league. Svitak lives up to his team's name, as nobody in the league would ever really consider grabbing a beer with the guy, but few could dismiss his accomplished two-year run as mere luck. The defending champions come back with another strong club. The first thing about this group that catches your eye is the defensive corps, which figures to be the best in the league. Mike Green, Shea Weber and Kris Letang are all No. 1-type blue liners, and Vancouver possesses all three. You will be quite lucky to steal that category from the Villains all season. The goaltending isn't what it was in POH5, and that has to be cause for concern in Vancouver. Yes, Luongo returns and should be as steady as always, but Corey Crawford and Dwayne Roloson are nowhere near the Fleury-Quick duo of a year ago. Questions still circle Sidney Crosby, who has begun the year on the injured reserved, but can be activated at any time because he ended last year on the IR. Svitak figures to be in the playoffs with or without Crosby, and the addition of Sid the Kid will only make the Villains more dangerous. Svitak could be in for another big year, as his decorated trophy case continues to grow.

Players to Watch:

G-Corey Crawford
Crawford excelled last season after wrestling the No. 1 job away from Marty Turco in Chicago. He is now expected to anchor the net for what should be a very, very good Blackhawks team this season. Will the sudden expectations be too much for this kid to handle, or will he continue where he left off in 2010-11? The Villains will certainly be hoping for the latter, as a second reliable goaltending option will be necessary for a repeat.

RW-Marian Gaborik
Gaborik was limited by injury last season, as he posted just 48 points in 62 games. Svitak chose to bring the Czech sniper back for another go thanks in large part to the addition of professional set up man Brad Richards in New York. Gaborik figures to return to his familiar 40-goal form. Gaborik will provide the finishing touch in Vancouver, while teammate Henrik Sedin should rack up the assists. Whichever way you look at it, the Villain offense figures to be quite potent.

C-Sidney Crosby

The Kid was exceptional last season, scoring 34 goals and 66 points before his season ended after just 41 games played. The Penguins are opting to be especially careful with their most prized possession. For many fantasy clubs around the country, this is probably cause for concern. But for GM Brandon Svitak, the absence of Crosby won't be keeping the Villains out of contention. Remember, this team won the championship without Crosby, so to count them out for a No. 1 seed or a Fleury division title would be foolish. But watch for the return or Crosby, because when that day comes all bets are off...the Villains will be a wrecking ball.

Pre-Season Preview: #2 NWT Moose

 

Coach: Jared Stewart

Trophy Case: Nothing
POH5 Regular Season Finish: 6th

Postseason Finish: First Round Loss

Pre-Season Rank
Forwards: 1st

Defensemen: 4th
Goaltenders: 8th

Coaching Pedigree: 6th

Overall: 2nd

Projected Win Total: 95

Keepers:
C Brad Richards (2nd Year in NWT)
LW Alexander Ovechkin (3rd Year)

LW Daniel Sedin (3rd Year)
D Nicklas Lidstrom (2nd Year)
G Jonas Hiller (2nd Year)

Outlook
Of the five managers in Princes of Hockey who have yet to win a Prince's Pot Championship, it is GM Jared Stewart who most suspect will be next in line to hoist the trophy. Entering his third season, Stewart has built an intimidating nucleus in the Northwest Territories, including Daniel Sedin, Alexander Ovechkin, Brad Richards and Nicklas Lidstrom. The Moose, who have had issues in net for each the past two seasons, addressed the problem by spending their first round pick this season on young Pekka Rinne, who figures to be the goaltender of the future in NWT. Offensively, the Moose built around Sedin, Ovechkin and Richards by adding talented forwards Mikko Koivu, David Krejci, Alex Tanguay and Tomas Plekanec. On defense, Tobias Enstrom could be a future keeper with Lidstrom knocking on the door of retirement. With the return of Jonas Hiller after his vertigo issues last year, the team will have a formidable 1-2 punch of Rinne-Hiller. Jonathan Bernier is the teams No. 3 goaltender, and it will be interesting to see whether Stewart elects to find a less talented starter, or stick with Bernier, who likely won't start more than 30 times this year. The talent is certainly in place for Stewart and NWT to contend not only for a Rathje Division crown, but perhaps a Prince's Pot when all is said and done.

Players to Watch:

G-Pekka Rinne

Stewart was thrilled to see Rinne fall to No. 5 at this year's draft. Rinne is a Vezina favorite, and gives the Moose immediate respectability in the goaltending department after struggling in POH5. In the final year of his contract in Nashville, Rinne will be fighting hard to prove he deserves a monster contract. If Rinne has a big year, it will finally make NWT a well-rounded organization.

 

D-Nicklas Lidstrom
Lidstrom has been a cornerstone of the NWT franchise since the league switched to its keeper format in POH4. But with the seven-time Norris Trophy winner turning 42 in the spring, many wonder how much longer we'll be seeing No. 5 patrolling Hockeytown. He can tie Bobby Orr for the all-time Norris Trophies won this season, so there is little doubt Lidstrom will be motivated enough to produce at an all-star level. The question is, what does Stewart plan to do about replacing this legend should he walk away at season's end? Look for the Moose to pursue potential keepers as the season progresses.

C-Brad Richards
Richards was the most coveted free agent of the offseason, and after being pursued heavily by several clubs he chose the bright lights of Madison Square Garden. Now Richards will play alongside all-star Marian Gaborik, who has the  finishing touch Richards is looking for. Once these two start clicking, it's going to be a thing of beauty. Don't be surprised if Richards surpasses the 70-assist plateau in his first season with the Rangers.