There are plenty of reasons why pre-season hockey beats the heck out of a mid-April game.
There are some who think the NHL's pre-season is a complete and utter waste of time.
Not me.
Sure enough, there's no comparison to the playoffs, but many of the exhibition games played leading up to the start of another campaign beat the heck out of a mid-April game between the 30th and 26th place teams that have no chance of securing a playoff spot.
At least this time of year you have some players fighting for their lives to make a team.
For some, it is a time of heartbreak. Who would have dreamed when Wade Redden signed his monster contract with the New York Rangers two years ago that he would be put on waivers with the distinct possibility of playing the next four years in the minors to get his ridiculous salary ($23 million over the next four years) off the books? Jonathan Cheechoo, by all accounts, looked okay playing with the Dallas Stars on a tryout, but he was cut. The player who led the NHL in goal-scoring in 2005-06 suddenly finds himself out of work. Nazem Kadri was a hero in Toronto at this time last season, but with a couple of mediocre games, he suddenly finds himself under a microscope and possibly one more bad outing away from being sent to the minors. Carey Price, the goalie the Montreal Canadiens chose ahead of playoff hero Jaroslav Halak, has been shaky and has many tongues wagging that the Habs blew it by letting Halak go.
Again, good performances in the pre-season don't mean squat when the real games start, but there have been some solid performances thus far that have been cause for encouragement.
Consider:
* Patrick O'Sullivan has two goals and three points in three games with the Carolina Hurricanes. O'Sullivan and the Canes are both hoping to have comeback seasons. If he can find his scoring touch, he'll be a big help to Carolina.
* Corey Perry scores four goals in two games for the once mighty Ducks. He was a secondary player when the Ducks won the Stanley Cup in 2006-07, but if the Ducks hope to win it again he'll have to lead the way along with linemate Ryan Getzlaf.
* Nathan Horton scores twice in two games with the Bruins while Tyler Seguin, the No. 2 pick in the draft, has a goal and an assist in two outings. Both of these newcomers will be asked to make up for some of the loss in offence created by the ongoing concussion problems of No. 1 centre Marc Savard.
* Bryan Little manages a goal and an assist in two games for Atlanta. Little took a step back last season, but will play a big role in the Thrashers creating a new identity. Finding his scoring touch is paramount in the team having a successful year.
* Fernando Pisani draws three assists in two games with Chicago. The former Oiler has had health issues the past few years that have contributed to his decrease in playing time and offensive output. With the Hawks doing a huge salary cap-related makeover after winning the Cup last season, a veteran like Pisani could make the transition easier.
* Magnus Paajarvi scores three goals and four points in his pre-season debut while Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall each record three points in two games for Edmonton. These are the Oilers of the future and all three could make an impact this season. There is reason to smile about the future of the Oilers.
* David Booth scores two goals in his first game of the year for Florida. After a season in which he suffered two concussions, Booth hopes to stay injury free and get back to being a consistent scoring threat for a team desperately in need of offence.
* Martin Havlat has a goal and two points in two games for Minnesota. The Wild go absolutely nowhere this year unless Havlat gets back to being an exciting and productive goal-scorer.
* Ilya Kovalchuk scores two goals and four points for the New Jersey Devils. After a soap opera summer in which he signed two giant contracts with the Devils, a move that could potentially hurt the team in the long run because of its salary cap implications, it has to be comforting to fans of the club that at least he has been able to do what he does best - produce.
* Jason Spezza scores twice and draws an assist in one game with Ottawa. Spezza hopes to get back in the good books with the locals who booed him last season and scoring is certainly one way to do it.
* Simon Gagne scores two goals and four points in two games for Tampa Bay. Both the Lightning and Gagne are hoping for bounce-back years.
