After a lacklustre regular season, here's hoping the playoffs can save the NHL's season.
Can the Stanley Cup playoffs save the 2010-11 National Hockey League season?
Let’s hope so.
If we’re being honest, it was not exactly one of the most thrilling or stimulating years in recent memory, but it wasn’t a total write-off.
The playoff races in both conferences were great. Daniel Sedin possibly duplicating his brother Henrik’s Art Ross and Hart Trophy-winning performance also added some intrigue to the year.
Daniel may get the vote as the NHL’s MVP for that very reason, not that he wouldn’t be a worthy winner anywa.
Eighteen-year-old rookie Jeff Skinner’s remarkable year is also worthy of note. The kid with the biggest grin in the league brought smiles to the faces of many. At the other end of the spectrum, old geezers Teemu Selanne and Nicklas Lidstrom proved they could still run with – and dominate –the kids.
Still, there was more to not like – or at least be concerned about – regarding this season.
What the heck is up with serious injuries? We know, we know, injuries are part of the game, but this season it was off the charts.
Start with Sidney Crosby – the undisputed best player in the world. Crosby was well on his way to a magical year–on pace for 66 goals and 132 points—when he was struck down with a concussion following two devastating hits to the head. When his head made unfortunate contact with the elbow of Washington’s David Steckel and a few days later he was drilled into the end glass by Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman, his year came crashing to a halt.
Crosby is back skating with his Penguins teammates and fingers are crossed that he’ll play again this season, but he has yet to be cleared for physical contact.
Sid the Kid wasn’t the only major loss through injury.
The Montreal Canadiens’ hopes for a successful spring took a real beating when their No. 1 player, defenceman Andrei Markov, suffered a serious knee injury in the opening game of the year.
Boston Bruins star centre Marc Savard may be forced to retire because of recurring concussion issues.
Max Pacioretty is out for who-knows-how-long after being driven head-first into a stanchion at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Derek Roy missed a big chunk of the Sabres year with a quadriceps injury.
Peter Mueller of the Avalanche missed the year with a concussion.
The Los Angeles Kings’ season took a massive hit when their No. 1 offensive star, Anze Kopitar, injured his ankle.
The same could be said for the Vancouver Canucks chances when checking centre Manny Malhotra suffered a serious eye injury.
Could the Devils have made the playoffs had Zach Parise not missed most of the year with a knee injury?
Chris Pronger has faced numerous injuries this season that have impacted the Philadelphia Flyers year.
The list goes on and on and on. Injuries placed a huge damper on the year.
The loss of Crosby also made for a boring scoring race. Daniel Sedin won it, but he was the only 100-point scorer in the NHL.
When the NHL returned following the lockout with its crackdown on obstruction in an effort to open the game up and make it easier for the sport’s most skilled players to work their magic, it was supposed to drive scoring up.
And it did…for a while.
There were seven players with 100 or more points in 2005-06 and in 2006-07. There were four last season and now we’re down to one.
Boring!
In an effort to go deeper into the playoffs, the Washington Capitals put a greater emphasis on team defence, but in the process they sucked the life out of Alexander Ovechkin’s game. Ovie went from being the most electrifying player in the game to being a rather pedestrian 85-point scorer.
Yikes!
Aside from injuries that occur as part of the game, hockey at all levels is under attack for being too dangerous and the NHL most certainly sets the bar in terms of what is and is not acceptable. Head shots and blindside hits in particular are a major concern, but it goes beyond that.
More and more there seems to be a win-at-all-costs attitude that is putting player safety at risk. Serial offenders Matt Cooke and Trevor Gillies were both dinged with huge suspension for their indiscretions, but the NHL must continue to crack down hard on players who purposely try to injure opponents while also continuing to make player safety a top priority.
The NHL held two outdoor games this season; one in Pittsburgh and the second in Calgary. Both drew lots of attention, but one was played in the rain and the other in bitter coldness. And both were dull. The league will continue with these cash cows even if the product suffers.
Attendance in many NHL cities continues to be an issue, as is ownership in certain markets such as Phoenix, Dallas and Atlanta to name a few.
In fact the Phoenix saga has become a black mark on the league.
The regular season has concluded – thank heavens.
Let’s hope the playoffs can salvage the year.
