New Jersey Devils = most disappointing team midway of the season

I watched Red Wings vs Devils game earlier and it ended with 3-1 Red Wings win. The lost left Devils with a 16-30-3 record last in the eastern conference going into All-Star weekend. Midway through the season they are a big disappointment. When the team finally signed Kolvachuk to a big 15-year, $100 million contract it was thought to be the missing puzzle for a long playoff run. Instead team went backwards with them likely being out of playoff contention. The amount of money paid to players such as Ilya Kolvachuk, Patrick Elias, and Zach Parise they haven't gotten much in return. Kolvachuk, while currently leading the team in goals, haven't stepped up in scoring. Only three players have scored double digits in goals so far (Kolvachuk, Elias, and Jason Arnott). Parise and Travis Zajac are having a down year. Brian Rolston been a signing disappointment as he hasn't reach the numbers when was playing for the Bruins and Wild. The team already fired long-time Devils player turned coach John McLean with Jacques Lemaire going back behind the bench. It hasn't helped much as the offense has been the weakness this year. Goalie Martin Brodeur is the only bright spot as he can still go, but haven't gotten goal support. He is not going to save the team all by himself. Another note he is getting there with age and on pace to likely finish the season with under .500 win-loss record. One of problems the team have gotten older while its needed to younger. Only 10 of the players on the roster are 25 or under while they have 9 players that are 30 or over. For the team to contend for the playoffs in the future they need to get younger rebuilding through drafts and trades. Slowly phase out the veterans in few years and dump off bad contracts. What their disappointing season showed how bad they regressed and a must need to rebuild not for next season but the future. Devils are rolling down the slope to their "Mickey Mouse" seasons.

Blackhawks rise to the Stanley Cup

Chicago Blackhawks finally won the Stanley Cup breaking the current longest championship drought of the NHL. It was impressive rise to the Cup for a team that was left to rot around a decade ago. Best word to describe the Blackhawks in the late 90s and early 2000 seasons was mediocrity. After making the playoffs in 28 straight years they missed the playoffs in 9 out of 10 seasons starting with 97-98 season. They suffered in free agency market with frugality of late team president Bill Wirtz. The Blackhawks dark period was so bad that AHL team Chicago Wolves, playing at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, would outdrew them at games often. Team drafted very poorly between 1998 and 2004 as Brent Seabrook (1st round; 14th overall; 2003) was one of few picks to remain with the team currently. What turned the team around? You have to look at the post 2004-05 NHL lockout. The first seed was planted in 2006 draft when the Blackhawks drafted Jonathan Toews with third overall pick. Another key person was then-GM Dan Tallon, who was hired at the time, made moves signing and trading players to get a few key players of the current team despite some didn't work out. In 2007 the entire team got a makeover. Bill Wirtz passed away leaving his son, Rocky, taking the reigns as team president. He immediately toss away his father's policies and made partnerships and bringing back team legends that refused to do anything when his late father was still alive and running the team. The second seed planted when Blackhawks, with first overall pick, selected Patrick Kane. Immediately both hit it off as 1-2 combo on ice. Their first season (2007-08) together they finished 40-34-8 with 88 points. More seeds planted as the team signed Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet along bringing coaching legend Scotty Bowman in the front office with Joel Queeneville as scout. Team started 2008-09 season in a struggle that they replaced Denis Savard with Queeneville as coach. Together they became one of best teams in the league that season making the playoffs for first time since 2001-02 season with a record 46-24-12 with 104 points. They made it all the way to NHL Western Conference finals before losing the series to the Red Wings in 5 games. Before the playoffs and near the end of the regular season they signed another goalie who turn out to be key for this season: Antti Niemi. This season continued with more changes as then GM Dan Tallon was demoted/fired after free agent "glitch" as Stan Bowman was promoted to GM. Despite the drama they continue to impress with Kane taking charged along with Toews, Patrick Sharp, Mariana Hossa (who signed a big 12-year contract before the season), and Kris Versteeg on scoring goals. Defensemen Campbell and Duncan Keith doing their job defending against the opponent's offense and assisting goals. Huet and Niemi both impressive in goal and sharing duty. Team finished on top of central division with 52-22-8 with 112 points and the no. 2 seed in the playoffs. They battled past Nashville Predators (4-2), Vancouver Canucks (4-2), and San Jose Sharks (4-0) to reach to the finals taking on no. 7 yet dangerous Philadelphia Flyers who are continued on their momentum including coming back 0-3 to win the series against Boston Bruins. Blackhawks took the first two games of the series at home winning by a goal (6-5; 2-1), but two straight (4-3; 5-3) on the road tying up the series. Back at home, Blackhawks got through and hit both Flyers goalies hard winning 7-4. Now back on the road to Philly the Flyers are on a hot streak winning 20 straight playoff games at home. Both teams battled passed regulation still tied 3-3 going into overtime. Blackhawks end up taking it with a tricky shot at goal from an angle. Guess who scored the goal? It was Patrick Kane, one key young players that sow the seeds of the Blackhawks future. Blackhawks took the series ending the Flyers home playoff winning streak and most importantly Stanley Cup drought who last won it in 1961. What a great way to end the NHL season. Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks for the winning the Cup. They deserved it after 49 long years. Somewhere in the northside of Chicago some are crying on the diamond for their 101 years and counting of futility while a team on the southside and the Blackhawks broke their championship drought during this time.

Team Canada Comeback

After last week 3-2 survival win against Switzerland and 5-3 loss to Team USA in the preliminaries Team Canada was at a crossroads. The giant Olympic gold medal favorites was struggling in their own sport in their own country. Having placed 8th in the bracket they must win three games to reach to the gold medal game while Team USA have to win two. They immediately corrected a problem in goal replacing aging legend Martin Brodeur who struggled against Switzerland and USA with Robert Luongo who was in goal when the team shutout Norway 8-0. It became the team's game changing move. They quickly dispatched Germany 8-2 to face a tough Russia team who were seeded no. 4 in the quarterfinals. In shocking fashion Canada sent Russia out of the medal round with a 7-3 win. They faced a challenge against Slovakia holding them 3-2 in the semifinals to reach the gold medal game facing off against USA in a rematch. The game became important for Canada as they seek redemption, glory, and gold medal in their home country. In the game Canada quickly got 2-0 lead before USA scored to put it 2-1 going into third period. With 25 seconds to go, USA tied the game when Zach Parise shot past Luongo thus going into overtime. Could this be heartbreak for Canada? Not this time as Sidney Crosby shoots the game winner past goalie Ryan Miller, who was unstoppable and USA game saver the entire Olympic games, four minutes and twenty seconds into overtime to win it. Comeback complete for Team Canada as entire country rejoiced for a gold medal celebration. On that day legends and heroes are born and etched into minds of every Canadian as the gold medals wrapped around the necks of Canada hockey team. The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics ends with a bang with Canada hockey team coming back from struggles to put on a performance on the medal brackets to win the gold medal.