Five for Fighting

Brodeur collects No. 552

Yes, kids, I know this has absolutely nothing to do with the Stars. But I'm watching the Versus live look-in to the Devils-Blackhawks game, and Martin Brodeur has just collected his 552nd goaltending victory. The guy grabbed a pair of scissors and started cutting the net right off the posts. Think I saw Jamie Langenbrunner finishing the job.

I've always been a believer in things happening for a reason, be it life, work, etc. So think about this: His injury kept him out for months. He comes back and continues his pursuit of Patrick Roy's all-time victories record. So how does it happen?

He ties the record in Montreal, with Roy in attendance.
He breaks the record tonight at the Prudential Center in front of the home fans.

How's that for storybook? Congratulations to him.

-- Tracey Myers

Renney out... Tortorella in?

The New York Rangers fired Tom Renney this afternoon, one day after the Rangers lost 3-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime. It was their 10th loss in 12 games, as the Rangers continue to spiral out of control.

But now here's the other side of this: According to a TSN.ca story, the Rangers are working on a deal that will make John Tortorella their next coach. Hmmm, Mr. Tortorella is known to whip teams/players/goaltenders into shape. OK, quick side note... could you imagine him coaching Sean Avery?

Anyway, is this the right move for the Rangers, or is it just a salve on a gaping wound?

-- Tracey Myers

Tra's topic: Rivalries

I was just reading my NBC Sports e-mail previewing the Rangers-Flyers game this weekend and noticed Mike Milbury's quote: "These teams hate each other and always will."

Aah, that's what we love about rivalries, right? The hatred, the venom, the way teams bring out the best and worst of each other. The Flyers and Rangers, hate each other first because Philadelphians and New Yorkers just love to hate each other, but throw in some saucy games, especially in the postseason, and boom, you've got fabulous theater.

Now the NHL wanted to develop rivalries with their post-lockout schedule featuring all those inter-division games. My opinion, that's no fun. Great rivalries develop on their own, they're not forceably created. Take the Avalanche-Wings rivalry, born in the 1996 postseason when Claude Lemieux rearranged Kris Draper's face with the help of the boards. Ooh, it was all nasty, and it lasted for many a year and postseason. (shameless plug: My good friend Adrian Dater of the Denver Post wrote a book about it a few years ago called Blood Feud)

So let's discuss, kids: What makes a good rivalry to you, and what are your favorites, old or new?

Olympics question

Hey folks,

OK, I have to throw out my "duh" moment of the day: I wrote today about the 2010 Olympics, but missed the glaring point that, in these Olympics, hockey will be played on NHL-sized ice at GM Place. My apologies for my dumb error.

I believe this marks the first Olympics in which the European-sized ice surface will not be used. The construction would've been too great to make the necessary changes, so here we have it.

Now that brings me to my question, one that John from Arlington brought up to me in an e-mail: Do U.S. and Canadian teams gain an advantage with this change?

Jagr an Oiler?

It's conflicting-report day when it comes to Jaromir Jagr. The Edmonton Journal, citing a source close to Jagr, reports Jagr is close to joining the Edmonton Oilers for the rest of this season. The Oilers, meanwhile, are denying the report. So we'll see what shakes out there.

But I'll digress for a quick rant: Have we learned nothing, nothing at all, about the mid-season (or beyond) signing? Come on, folks, this thing just hasn't worked much the past two seasons. Well, it at least hasn't worked for the immediate future in which these guys came back.

Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer both returned midway through last season; they were supposed to bolster the Ducks' chances at repeating for the Stanley Cup. The Stars knocked them out in the first round.

Mats Sundin joined the Vancouver Canucks in January. The problems of that team run deeper than anything one man can solve, but still it just isn't shaking right for the Canucks.

Ah well, I'm tired of trying to solve the world's problems. Time to get into basketball mode. Feel free to visit me on the Full Court Press blog tonight during the Mavericks game... if you dare. (I've always wanted to say that.)

To fight or not to fight

Reading a story in the Canadian Press this morning about fighting. An expert panel dealing with concussions recommends that fighting be eliminated from all levels of hockey. Obviously there are some good points raised, and there's a chance of severe injury every time players put up their dukes. Then again, it's hard to imagine hockey without it.

The article also talks about the The Concussion Summit of mid-January, and of four former players on the panel. Three of them, Eric Lindros, Jeff Beukeboom and Alyn McCauley, all suffered severe concussion problems that forced them out of the game. Lindros had at least eight concussions, most sustained in hits. Beukeboom dealt with post-concussion symptoms two years after he retired; a Matt Johnson sucker punch was the biggest culprit in his injury.

It's a big topic right now in the NHL. So what's your opinion: Should fighting stay or go?

--Tracey Myers

Brodeur nearing return

Just reading the NHL.com story on New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur, who was out taking a few shots and is raring to get back to action since a torn tendon has kept him out since Nov. 1.

Now Brodeur hasn't set a return date yet, but this has got to make Eastern Conference teams feel real good. And yes, I'm being very, very sarcastic. In Brodeur's absence the Devils have just kept on going; they won again this evening, a 3-0  victory over the same Rangers team the Stars dismantled 10-2 on Friday. They're still atop the Atlantic, with a six-point edge over the Philadelphia Flyers.That's just a reminder of how strong the Devils are, and how they are not just one man.

But that one man is pretty freaking good. I, personally, can't wait to see him back. I've always loved watching Brodeur, he's so smooth in goal, and he still has two great milestones in his reach (seven victories shy of tying Patrick Roy's record 551, and five shutouts away from equaling Terry Sawchuk's 103).

The rest of the East just got a big headache.

-- Tracey Myers

Melrose out already

Barry Melrose is already out as head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Already. Gotta be kiddin'. Associate head coach Rick Tocchet, is the interim head coach.

OK, part of me wants to just laugh like I've never laughed before at this. The Lightning did more movement than anyone this summer, be it their new owners, their new GM, their host of new players, all of it. Keep in mind that the Bolts were the worst team in the league last season, and they were starting anew this season. Apparently, starting anew means starting as close to perfect as possible. That was the expectations of a team with eight players who are 25 years or younger.

Hello, quick trigger.

Blackhawks fire Savard

The Chicago Blackhawks fired coach Denis Savard today, and are replacing him with former Blues/Avalanche coach Joel Quenneville. Um, uh, er, what the... OK, I've only read the bare essentials of this news, and there's a press conference later this afternoon, but I'm absolutely stupefied by this. Savard was bringing this young, promising team right along, had everyone in Chicago thinking beautiful thoughts entering this season... and then Boom, he's gone. I don't get it. I know the 'Hawks started out a bit slow (just got their first victory last night, and are now 1-2-1). But was this still necessary?

Ah, well, I'm just glimpsing this from the outside so who am I to say. Maybe there's something going on in the deep, dark recesses of the 'Hawks organization that led to this. We'll find out enough when we watch the team's response in the following games, weeks, etc.

A sad story

Just read an ESPN story on the death of Alexei Cherepanov, a 19-year-old prospect of the New York Rangers. The young man apparently died of a heart attack during a game in Russia on Monday.

There's just something very wrong about a teenager's heart giving out. Very sad.