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2007-08 Midseason Report
by Dave Palmieri
Here is Part 2 of my midseason report, focusing on the Western Conference.
CENTRAL DIVISION
St. Louis Slashers (1st in
division, 1st in conference)
22-9-0-5 (49 points)
No one was really sure what to expect of Commish Sorochen's team before the
season started. All the Slashers have done so far is lead the Western
Conference in points since the beginning of the season. 1st round pick Jason
Spezza leads St. Louis in scoring with 37 points in 25 games played. Veteran
Bill Guerin leads the team with 17 goals. St. Louis sports an outstanding 8-3
division record, as well as an even more impressive 11-3 road record. Despite a
few losses recently, St. Louis has built a substantial lead in the Central and
should have no problem finishing 1st in the division. If they can get more
production from Kovalev and Prospal, as well as a better second half from goalie
Tim Thomas, St. Louis has an excellent shot at the Cup. Interesting stat for
St. Louis: zero shorthanded goals in 36 games.
TEAM MVP: Jason Spezza
Chicago Cougars (2nd in division,
8th in conference)
15-11-0-3 (33 points)
Chicago was part of the biggest trade so far in SPIHL this year, bringing in
Chris Pronger, Pavel Datsyuk and Sergei Gonchar, among others. Only time will
tell as to who got the better of the deal. Datsyuk seems to still be adjusting
to his new teammates, but will no doubt get on track. The Cougars are just 2-4
against division opponents. Chicago has only given up 86 goals (2nd overall),
but has only scored 79 goals (2nd from bottom). Winger Patrick Elias, who was
drafted for his goal-scoring prowess, only has 9 goals. Center Joe Thornton has
29 points in 29 games. If Datsyuk and Elias can help Thornton, Chicago will
make the playoffs.
TEAM MVP: Joe Thornton
Nashville Stallions (3rd in
division, 9th in conference)
13-14-0-6 (32 points)
Balogh's Stallions sit just 1 point out of the final playoff spot. Nashville
sports an impressive 7-2 division record, having beaten St. Louis more than once
already. Young Anze Kopitar leads the team with 40 points. Sniper Dany Heatley,
despite trade rumors, leads the team with 19 goals and is always a threat to
score. The biggest weakness for Nashville is the penalty kill. At 68% they are
last in the league. #1 goalie Chris Mason's numbers have suffered due to this.
Nashville has the fire power to make a push for the playoffs. Veteran wingers
Tomas Holmstrom and Slava Kozlov round off the top 2 lines and provide excellent
depth.
TEAM MVP: Dany Heatley
Detroit Winged Wheelers (4th in
division, 12th in conference)
11-18-0-2
Detroit currently sits in last place in the conference, as well as SPIHL. Milan
Hejduk has had an impressive season thus far and is among the goal scoring
leaders with 21. Left wing Simon Gagne has 29 points in 31 games. Detroit
is just 1-8 against the other teams in this division. Netminder Ray Emery has
struggled this year, posting just a 5-13 record. Corey Perry, Marco Sturm
and Phil Kessel all must have a better second half in order for Detroit to make
up ground. The Winged Wheelers are a much younger team than many in SPIHL.
While this may not be their year, Detroit's future looks bright.
TEAM MVP: Milan Hejduk
NORTHWEST DIVISION
Edmonton Golden Bears (1st in
division, 2nd in conference)
23-12-0-1 (47 points)
After a slow start, the Bears have been atop the Northwest for most of the
season. Aside from Martin St. Louis (19 goals), Edmonton has a lineup of
players known mostly for their 2-way play rather than scoring tons of goals.
Wingers Henrik Zetterberg and Glen Murray, now both healthy, will look to
balance the scoring in the second half. So far, Edmonton has done what Tom
Vinacci stated they needed to do to win.....minimize their opponents' scoring
chances. The Golden Bears rely both on a tight-checking, defensive game from
start to finish as well as capitalizing on the few chances they do get
offensively. Goalie Peter Budaj has been better than expected with 18 wins,
while backup Sean Burke has stepped up when called on. Edmonton has given up
the 6th fewest goals against in the league. The Bears must improve on their 4-6
division record and get more scoring from other players to do well in the
playoffs. Although I am supposed to be unbiased in my reporting, I do hope
Edmonton does well in the playoffs.
TEAM MVP: Martin St. Louis
Minnesota Wolves (2nd in division,
4th in conference)
23-14-0-1 (47 points)
Before the season started, it was predicted that Minnesota would not have a
great inaugural season. They have proven the league wrong, and in a big way.
Minnesota has challenged Edmonton for first place in the Northwest all season.
Incredibly, the Wolves have 5 players on pace to score 30+ goals. Patrice
Bergeron leads the team with 19 goals. Milan Mihalek, Jarret Stoll, Steve
Bernier and veteran Gary Roberts are all having great seasons so far. Goalie
Ryan Miller is among the statistical leaders in all categories. Minnesota is
first in the league in power play %. They are also second in the league in
goals scored. The Wolves are 6-3 so far in division play, which could come into
play later in the season. If the Golden Bears struggle in the second half,
Minnesota wins the division and could do a lot of damage in the playoffs.
TEAM MVP: Patrice Bergeron
Colorado Chaos (3rd in division,
10th in conference)
14-14-0-1 (29 points)
As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how Colorado's second
half plays out. Jarome Iginla, who has missed time with injuries, still leads
the team in goals scored. This could be good and bad. The Chaos have only
scored 86 goals, 5th worst in the league. This is yet another example of a team
having a ton of potential to play better than their record if the scorers can
score. Brian Rolston has also put up impressive numbers but Jordan Staal,
Nikolai Zherdev and Wojtek Wolski must improve on their numbers for Colorado to
have a chance. Colorado has had a revolving door in net but Martin Gerber could
emerge as the team's #1 goalie. Despite the lack of goal scoring, Colorado's
power play is clicking at 27%, third in the league. The penalty kill is not as
effective...just 74%, fourth worst in the league. Colorado isn't out of it
yet. The playoffs are a possibility, if they want it.
TEAM MVP: Jarome Iginla
Vancouver Blizzard (4th in
division, 11th in conference)
13-15-0-3 (29 points)
Jason Blake and Ray Whitney have led the team in scoring most of the season.
Eric Staal has also had an impressive year so far. Vancouver is in a similar
situation as Colorado. The Blizzard have several things going for them, but
just as many going against. This team can score. In 2 different games
Vancouver has scored 6 goals against defensive-minded Edmonton. The penalty
kill is 2nd overall in the league at 82%. But the power play is 3rd worst
overall. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has been average so far. Vancouver put a
lot of pressure on Fleury by drafting him in the 1st round. The young goalie
has been up and down all season. If he can steady his play, he could carry this
team up the standings. The Blizzard must also play better at home, going just
6-8 so far.
TEAM MVP: Eric Staal
PACIFIC DIVISION
Los Angeles 66'ers (1st in
division, 3rd in conference)
21-15-0-3 (45 points)
With the exception of just a couple of weeks, L.A. has maintained its hold on
first place for the majority of the first half of the season. All-World goalie
Martin Brodeur has been the catalyst for the 66'ers success. L.A. drafted
solid, two-way forwards that can backcheck as well as score. Brad Richards
leads the way with 17 goals. Blueliner Mathieu Schneider is among the leaders
with 13 goals. The 66'ers lead SPIHL with an 85% penalty killing percentage.
If the team can improve on their power play percentage, between the scoring and Brodeur,
Los Angeles will be a considerable threat to the rest of the Western Conference
come playoff time.
TEAM MVP: Martin Brodeur
San Jose Thunder (2nd in division,
5th in conference)
19-18-0-1 (39 points)
San Jose is another team that has had an up and down season. As of late they
have been playing better and are within striking distance of L.A. As with the
66'ers, goalie Roberto Luongo is the backbone of this team. He has
singlehandedly won games for The Thunder. All good playoff teams have
exceptional goaltending. Alexander Frolov and Mikko Koivu lead the team in
scoring. Despite this, San Jose has the 4th lowest goal total in the league,
just 83 goals for. Also, San Jose is playing .500 hockey at home. The Thunder
must make adjustments and make it less inviting for visiting teams to play them
at home. If Luongo equals his first half, San Jose has a chance in the
playoffs.
TEAM MVP: Roberto Luongo
Phoenix Fire Ants (3rd in
division, 6th in conference)
16-17-0-3 (35 points)
GM Willy "Philly" Miller has kept his team competitive all season. Although not
as deep as San Jose or Los Angeles, The Ants have been on the heels of both
teams all season. It's no surprise that veteran Teemu Selanne leads the team in
goals with 14. What is surprising is that he shares that lead with Stephen
Weiss. Weiss has been overacheiving all season and has been rewarded with
increased ice time as the season progresses. Daniel Alfredsson, with just 9
goals, must have a better second half. A big factor in determining the Fire
Ants' final place in the standings at seasons' end will be what happens with
Selanne. Miller has had several closed door meetings with the veteran sniper,
and while there has been tension, both seem to be on the same page now. Another
big question mark is Marian Gaborik. Gaborik has been on the injured reserve
list for a majority of the first half. If he can remain healthy, he is a potent
offensive threat, capable of changing the course of any game he plays in.
Phoenix gives a lot of goals, 118 (3rd worst in the league). The power play has
struggled, converting in just 16% of their chances, tied for last overall. Kari
Lehtonen has been very good in net, posting 16 wins. The next 2 blocks or so
will most likely determine The Fire Ants' season.
TEAM MVP: Stephen Weiss
Dallas Otters (4th in division,
7th in conference)
16-14-0-3 (35 points)
Dallas remains a mystery of sorts. Olaf Kolzig has put up respectable numbers.
Jonathan Cheechoo has scored 15 goals. Dallas has given up just 94 goals, good
for 5th best. The Otters are killing off penalties at an 80% rate. Yet the
team is in last place in the division, although they do have games in hand. So
far, Dallas' coaching philosophy has been to let the players do most of the
decision-making. If GM Greg Czoch, who once was credited with scoring a goal
himself when I took a slap shot, bounced it off a defenders' skate, the ball
bounced off Czoch's helmet, popped up in the air, bounced, caught some wicked
backspin and ended up flying past the goalie, can start matching lines and
tweaking his lineup, Dallas has the raw scoring talent to match up with any team
in the league. Alexander Semin has scored 32 points in 33 games so far. David
Legwand must improve on his 6 goals. Ultimately, it's up to the coach and upper
management as to how far this team can go. Dallas has a ton of potential and
enough proven scorers to make a difference against other teams.
TEAM MVP: Alexander Semin
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