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April 17, 2007
The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.
Dallas look good thanks to Big ‘D’
Read Adam’s blog daily on thehockeynews.com WHEN IT CAME TIME to select my Cinderella team for The Hockey News playoff preview, I was a little hesitant. The reason? The well-documented parity among teams, which makes the line separating post-season favorite from underdog thinner than the odds Alex Kovalev shows up to play all 82 games of a regular season. Attempting to choose a dark horse for the post-lockout post-season is like the lunacy that is judging Miss Universe contestants – everyone is well qualified to be there and you’re better to sit back and admire the view, rather than picking nits and making mountains of moles. However, if you’re talking about a Cinderella team in terms of total transformation, in terms of the chores and hard work that precede the glass slipper and…
Stepping out out the shadows
MINNESOTA JUNIOR Alex Goligoski wasn’t the most publicized defenseman in the WCHA this season. He didn’t even have that distinction on his own team. That designation was reserved for Gophers freshman Erik Johnson, who was chosen first overall by St. Louis in the 2006 NHL draft. But when it came time to identify the best defenseman in the WCHA, Goligoski was the overwhelming choice. He was a first-team selection and became the second Minnesota player to be named defensive player of the year since the award was established in 1991, joining two-time winner Jordan Leopold (2000, 2002). Goligoski also was one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the best player in U.S. college hockey. It’s appropriate Goligoski, Pittsburgh’s second round pick in 2004, was overlooked in the publicity department…
AHL PROFILE WITH Brett Engelhardt
Engelhardt exam time It’s time for a Brett Engelhardt multiple choice quiz. If the Toronto Marlies third-year right winger is going to play in the NHL, who will make it happen? a) Maple Leafs GM John Ferguson Jr. b) Leafs coach Paul Maurice c) Marlies coach Greg Gilbert d) Engelhardt himself If you answered “d”, you’re correct. “It’s all up to Brett,” Gilbert said. “He’s physical and the sky can be the limit, but he has to continue to read the game. He has to learn to use his assets.” The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Engelhardt was signed to an American League contract as a free agent by the Leafs midway through 2004-05 out of the ECHL. He has played the past two-and-a-half seasons in the AHL, improving his numbers and his game. As the final weeks approached, the Michigan Tech product…
Parity on, dudes
There is one phrase I promise you I will not use on the air during these Stanley Cup playoffs. “Stunning upset.” (Actually there are probably a few phrases I won’t use: “Bob, that’s a fetching fur boa you’re wearing today,” likely won’t happen either, but you never know.) When eighthseeded Edmonton knocked off Detroit, the No. 1 seed in the West, in the first round last spring, it was, numerically, the greatest upset of our era. No One had never fallen to an Eight. But was it really “stunning?” Let’s see. The Oilers had a hot veteran goalie in Dwayne Roloson, a minute monster in Chris Pronger and were oozing grit. The Wings had an unproven playoff goalie in Manny Legace, a wounded Steve Yzerman and their two top scorers (Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel…
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