News: News

A Take on Captaincy in The NHL and in Virtual Hockey (Part 1/2)

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 11:46:00 +0000

In this first part we'll be diving in to captaincy itself and analyzing the captains of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League. In the second part we will be focusing on the Eastern Conference and captaincy in virtual hockey.

The NHL season recently kicked off, so far we've had around 50 games played, over 200 goals scored and a bunch of NHL firsts. Be it first points, first goals or first games. We're living an exciting time of year and it's simply wonderful that the greatest league in sports is back with some action.

The term captain derives from the Greek word katepánō, which roughly translates to ” placed at the top”. That defines a captain rather well, a captain is the Top-Dog, the Alpha-male, the one who steers the ship. Your ship could be the fastest, biggest or the most expensive in the world, but it's useless without a good captain. The same very much goes for ice hockey teams. Without a proper captain, your ship sails where the current takes it. You need a captain with the passion, vision, fire and will to win - then you can even sail against the wind. A hockey match is a battle where questioning your choices might very well mean defeat. That’s where the captain comes into play. He makes sure that everybody goes by the plan and that everybody does their part on the ice. That is what differentiates a good captain from the average or bad ones. A good captain gets the whole team to stand by him no matter what and if the plan needs to be changed he can communicate it to the team and he will lead by example.

Let’s take a closer look at all NHL-teams and their captains. I'll give you my opinion and analysis about them.

Western conference:

Pacific Division:

Anaheim Ducks – Ryan Getzlaf

Getzlaf is the best player in his team season after another. Point production and playing intensity can vary depending on the mood of Ryan, but even on the off nights he is a force to be reckoned with. When he is in the zone, nothing can stop him. He is a big player with a good shot, but prefers assisting. Getzy also defends well and has no real weaknesses to his game. Has also won a Cup with the Ducks in '07. Truly a franchise player. One of the most underrated players in the NHL.

Arizona Coyotes – Oliver Ekman-Larsson

OEL claimed the captaincy out in the desert this summer. Arizona has been adrift for quite some years and the hockey culture in over in the Phoenix-Glendale area has suffered immensely, partly due to the lack of success. The Swede is turning into the face of the franchise very much needed after the era of Shane Doan has passed. We'll have to wait and see what kind of captain OEL will turn out to be, in a recent interview he stated that he will let his play do the talking and let his assistants be more vocal in the locker room.

Calgary Flames – Mark Giordano

Solid defender with a flame in his heart. Has always represented Calgary at the NHL level and I think he will stay there till the end of his career. No major achievements in his career and that is the biggest problem. I think a good captain needs to have that winning mentality and culture, which sorry to say - Mark simply doesn't possess. I doubt the Flames will make a cup run with Giordano as captain. There is no big flaws in his game but on the other side there aren’t any superb ups in his game either. History won’t remember him as a great leader, but history will remember him as a loyal and solid Flames defenseman.

Edmonton Oilers – Connor McDavid

Does this player even need an introduction or any explanation on why he is the captain? Best player of the NHL right now. McDavid as captain was set in stone from the moment he was drafted. I believe he will turn the franchise around and do good things with them.

Los Angeles Kings – Anze Kopitar

Anze is going into his third season as a captain. His first captaincy season was his worst in the NHL. He had to prove that he can be a leader both on and off the ice and that he did in the 17/18 season as he put up an amazing tally of 92 points. Has two cups already, so he knows what it takes to be the top dog and communicate it to the team, boosting others to make the whole team better. Will the high flying of this Slovenian magician carry on and will rest of the team catch some air time too? It all remains to be seen, but I wouldn't count them out as contenders in 18/19.

San Jose Sharks – Joe Pavelski

”Captain America” or ”Big Joe” took the Sharks leadership after another great in leader Joe Thornton. I recall some minor controversy when the captaincy was transferred to the younger Joe. However, the passing of the torch went well and Pavelski has led the San Jose team efficiently. They even went head to head with the Penguins for the cup in 15/16 but ended up on the losing side. Even though Pavelski has proven himself as playmaker, passer and scorer he still need to prove himself as winner. His only notable win outside of juniors is an Olympic silver medal and with that you won’t go down in history as a great captain.

Vancouver Canucks – Vacant

The age after the Sedins begin. Vancouver is in a huge crisis right now. Their defense is mediocre, goalies are mediocre and offense is mediocre. No captain and basically no playoff expectations. They really need to start building their team for the long term in hopes of making the playoffs in the next 5 years. The Canucks have some young assets in Elias Petterson(who's been looking like a stud in his first strides on the NHL ice!) and Brock Boeser, who went almost a point-per-game in his first full NHL season.

Vegas Golden Knights - vacant

As you know, the Golden Knights are team who has done tremendously well without a captain. I think that this is a unique situation in the history of the NHL. There is some kind of a magical atmosphere within the team and everybody does their best to chip in. I think that stems from the fact that all players were starting from 0 in a new team that has no burdens of history. I certainly thought they'd have to pick a captain for this season as the ”honey moon” is over and some of the first season magic will fade.

Central Division:

Chicago Blackhawks – Jonathan Toews

No drawback found here. Toews is an all-round package in a playing field with some of the best hockey senses ever both on defense and offense. It's a huge reason why the Blackhawks have won three titles during his tenure. He has also won two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup. This guy really knows how to win and every team in NHL would be lucky to have such a great leader in their team.

Colorado Avalanche – Gabriel Landeskog

Had a bad season in 16/17 and had a lot prove in 17/18. Gabriel ended up delivering an excellent effort along Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. Solid overall player who is leading by example both on the ice and in the dressing room. Still young at the age of 25 and really excellent choice for a captain albeit the criticism that has earlier surrounded him. Can be the leader for coming years and is a good piece to start slowly building a true Cup contender team. Also notable that he has been the team captain for almost 6 years already.

Dallas Stars – Jamie Benn

Still relatively young at age 29 and he has been a captain since 13/14. Has proven himself as goal scorer and a true offensive threat. He is a natural winner and has a U20 gold medal, a WHL championship and an Olympic Gold medal to back that up. In my opinion, Dallas as a team doesn't currently have what it takes to win a cup, but if they can improve some areas such as goaltending I predict that Benn has the qualities to lead the Stars to a Cup.

Minnesota Wild – Mikko Koivu

Koivu has had a bit too big of a hill to climb when has been the sole leader of Minnesota. Since the acquisition of Eric Staal in 16/17 they have a second big leader in the dressing room and Minnesota has bounced back nicely. Also notable is that Mikko's older brother Saku was the captain of the Montreal Canadiens for 10 years so the leadership gene sure runs in the family. Both have also been captains of team Finland and both are gold medalists in the IIHF World Championships, however neither one has won Stanley Cup. Still remains to be seen if the Koivu family will get a taste of the Cup.

Nashville Predators – Roman Josi

Roman Josi has had a great start to his captaincy. Nashville lost to a strong Winnipeg team after a struggle the Playoffs last year, mostly simply due to how good their opposition was. The Preds defense backstopped by "Betoni-Pekka" Rinne is one of the best in league. Josi himself is a superb defender who is never in a rush whether it’s in the attacking zone or in front of the own net. His team can rely on him every night and even if there is a hiccup Mr. Rinne will handle the rest. I'd be surprised if Josi wouldn't lead his team to at least a legitimate cup run in the next three seasons.

St. Louis Blues – Alex Pietrangelo

Reliable. That is the term that defines Pietrangelo. He won’t be the top scorer or top passer, but you can bet on him to be on the ice when the game is in its closing moments and it's time to play the hard minutes. Chasing the 3-gold club as he has an Olympic gold and World Cup gold. Still needs a Stanley Cup and has at least 6-7 seasons left to get it. He knows how to win and what makes a winning team. Now he just needs the material around him to be good enough and he will lead them to glory.

Winnipeg Jets – Blake Wheeler

Blake Wheeler is a machine of a human being. Huge presence on the ice. He is big, he is fast and has the scoring and passing ability. The epitome of a power forward who can be on the ice on powerplays and on the PK. Wheeler doesn't have any big team achievements or major personal trophies in his career so far. The argument could be made: does he have enough passion and fire for winning to achieve greatness as the Jets captain? Winnipeg has a good group of guys put together and it remains to be seen if Wheeler is the locomotive that can haul the rest of the team all the way to a Cup. Inked a fresh five year deal, I predict at least a Cup final run within these five years.

What are your thoughts so far? Who is you favorite captain in the West? Who should be named captain to take one of the vacant spots? Let me know in the comments and stay tuned for the second part in which we'll take a look at the Eastern conference and dive in to what captaincy means in virtual hockey.

NHLGamer at Jokerit - CSKA game 4

Fri, 23 Mar 2018 10:15:00 +0000

Hey NHLGamers,

We recently had a competition to win tickets to see Jokerit and CSKA play in the KHL Playoffs at the Hartwall Arena in Helsinki and I was lucky enough to join the winners to this game on Tuesday. After CSKA goalie Ilja Sorokin and his defence leaving Jokerit scoreless twice in Moscow, Jokerit had finally managed to squeeze a couple in and won the first game in Helsinki 2-1 in OT. Going into Tuesday's game CSKA had a 2-1 series lead.

The seats were good and close to the action

After a scoreless first period that was slightly dominated by home team Jokerit, CSKA shocked the home audience with an early goal in the second. Jokerit bounced back quite quickly with a deflection goal that tied the game up and the game went into the 3rd period tied at 1-1.

The game was starting to feel like another overtime game, until Sergei Andronov fought his way around the net and tried to make a cross crease pass - a pass that eventually would bounce off the skate of an unlucky Jokerit defenceman and into his own net. Jokerit had some quality chances to tie the game up on the power play towards the end, but got into penalty trouble themselves in the last minute and the comeback never happened.

Our lucky winners who travelled quite a bit to be there. Thanks for the company!

The final result: 1-2 for CSKA and a decisive looking 3-1 series lead. You can watch the highlights of the game here.

The games continued last night in Moscow and Jokerit managed to win the game - which turned out to be the longest game in KHL history - in the 5th overtime period! The shots were 84-48 in CSKA's favor, but Karri Rämö only let in one goal and forced the series into game 6, which will be played in Helsinki on Saturday the 24th of March. You can watch the highlights of game 5 here and if you're interested in getting tickets for game 6 in Helsinki, they are available here. Be sure to clear your calendar, just to be safe, in case these two teams decide to break some new records on Saturday night. If you're in the Nordics, but can't make it to Helsinki for the game, you can also watch the game with a Viaplay subscription.

We would like to thank our guests for the good company at Tuesdays game and a big thank you to Jokerit for cooperation in this competition. Let's hope this series gets a deserved game 7.

For NHLGamer.com

Win tickets to see Jokerit - CSKA Moscow game #4

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 16:33:00 +0000

Hey NHLGamers,

We're excited to announce that we are cooperating with the Helsinki based KHL team Jokerit in bringing you the opportunity for you and your friend to win tickets to see the best hockey played here in Europe when Jokerit and CSKA Moscow meet for game #4 in Helsinki on Tuesday the 20th of March.

EDIT: THE COMPETITION HAS ENDED

How do I participate?

There are two ways to participate and you can double your chances by doing both:

#1: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nhlgamerofficial/

You can participate by checking out our Instagram and commenting on it with your guess on the final score for game #1 (played in Moscow on Friday the 16th of March) and by tagging your friend who you want to take to the game. Also be sure to follow our Instagram to stay on top of our content there.
All entries must be entered before the game starts in order to be entered into the competition. One entry per person. If the winner is unable to make it, the prize will be re-drawn.
#2: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NHLGamer/

All entries must be entered before the game starts in order to be entered into the competition. One entry per person. If the winner is unable to make it, the prize will be re-drawn.

What's the prize?

There will be two winners (one on Instagram and one of Facebook) of two tickets to the Jokerit - CSKA Moscow game on Tuesday the 20th of March. I will personally be joining the winners at this spectacle of an event. These are some good seats close to the action, so we will definitely have a great time at the game! If several people guess the correct score, we will randomly pick two winners. The winners will be selected and contacted on Saturday 17th of March.

Can I still buy tickets for the game(s)?

There are still tickets available for both game #3 (Monday 19th of March) and #4 (Tuesday 20th of March). You can buy them here: https://www.ticketmaster.fi/artist/jokerit-tickets/973335?language=en-us

But I'm too far from Helsinki!

If you don't want to make the trip and you live in the Nordics, the games can be viewed on Viaplay with a subscription.

Hope to see you at the game!

Las Vegas Golden Knights - roster analysis and predictions

Sat, 01 Jul 2017 09:51:49 +0000

Now that the expansion draft and rookie drafts have passed it's time to sit down and see what and who Las Vegas Golden Knights have acquired. Here is my analysis of the players that currently are in the roster. After each player analysis you can find the current NHL 17 overall rating and my prediction of where the overall rating will be when NHL 18 is released.

Goalies:

Marc-André Fleury:

Three-time Stanley Cup winner, Olympic Gold medalist. First pick off 2003. Everyone who watches NHL knows this guy. He is a winning goalie and still not even that old at age 32. I predict four good seasons for Fleury. Coach Gallant can rest easy his team won’t stumble in the goalie department. Simply put, Vegas got a jackpot with Marc-André.

Overall in NHL 17: 88

Prediction for NHL 18: 87

Calvin Pickard:

Pickard had an ok season with Colorado starting 50 games and getting a 90,4% save percentage. Has a cap hit of 1.0 mil so he is a good back-up for the price. Don’t really see potential in him will robbing the starting goalie position from Fleury but still a solid back-up.

Overall in NHL 17: 82

Prediction for NHL 18: 84

Defense:

Deryk Engelland:

Seasoned pro with a decent size. Your basic third pair defender and trustworthy near own net. Not getting any younger at age 35. Will not make or break the team.

Overall in NHL 17: 81

Prediction for NHL 18: 82

Jason Garrison:

Highish cap hit at 4,6 mil. Not a point making defender either. Can play full seasons but movement is a problem. Jason is clocking the scales at over 100 kg although he is 188 cm. His last two seasons has been -4 and -8 playing for Tampa Bay.

Overall in NHL 17: 84

Prediction for NHL 18: 82

Brayden McNabb

Good sized defender of 193 cm and 94 kg. Moves well on the ice considering his size. His last three seasons with the Kings were +11, +11 and +1. Not high on points but at a cap hit of 1.7 mil and the age of 26, you can't go wrong with this guy. McNabb also has good point tallies in the AHL, so there might be some potential bubbling under.

Overall in NHL 17: 85

Prediction for NHL 18: 85

Jon Merril

Bad version of McNabb. Good size, but awful +/- stats for last the four seasons. -3, -14, -15, -9. Not in the first six defenders in my books.

Overall in NHL 17: 84

Prediction for NHL 18: 82

Colin Miller

One full season in the books for this guy. Did not shine, but also did not disappoint. Has some point potential and is still young at the age of 24.

Overall in NHL 17: 80

Prediction for NHL 18: 82

Lucas Sbisa

Good two-way defenseman with a good shot. Has good scoring potential and is very usable on the powerplay. Sbisa is a bit wonky on defense at times and passing is so-so, but he can compensate with some good puck handling.

Overall in NHL 17: 83

Prediction for NHL 18: 85

Clayton Stoner

Defensive defenseman with a physical presence. Stoner suffered from injuries last season and only played in 17 games. Don’t expect anything spectacular from Clayton and you might be surprised, most likely you won't, though.

Overall in NHL 17: 81

Prediction for NHL 18: 80

Shea Theodore

At age 21, Theodore is a bit young for a defenseman and it shows when he gets the call to the NHL. He has an ok size but is quite penalty prone. Has potential to be a point leading defender for his team but it’s still a few years in the future. I think he will spend half of the season in the AHL.

Overall in NHL 17: 80

Prediction for NHL 18: 80

Alexei Emelin

A leading defender for Vegas. Aggressive player with a superb slapshot. Not huge on points but a defender you can trust and put on the ice in every situation. 31 years old so has a few good seasons still ahead. Vegas can’t go wrong with this guy.

Overall in NHL 17: 85

Prediction for NHL 18: 85

Overall defense

The defense seems to be lacking in players that will score points. Sbisa is the only one who can consistently score and get points. Theodore will be up there in few years, but in the meantime, there needs to be someone else. The rumored Vatanen trade would be a blessing. The team could use one more seasoned leading defender as Marc Methot was traded away. Emelin by himself is not enough for a whole season of penalty kills.

Offense:

Pierre-Édouard Bellemare

Workhorse for the 4th line with a low low cap hit of $712 500. Low risk, low reward player. You know what you get and cannot be disappointed. At the age of 32 now, was a late bloomer and currently playing the best hockey of his career. Still two or three seasons left in the NHL and then I expect him to play in Europe.

Overall in NHL 17: 80

Prediction for NHL 18: 80

William Carrier

41 games for the Buffalo Sabres, resulting in 8 points, 21 penalty minutes and a –1. Those stats tell me one thing and one thing only: This guy plays in the AHL next season. Aged 22 so he can still grow as a player and cement his position as an NHL player. I just don’t see it happening this upcoming season.

Overall in NHL 17: 76

Prediction for NHL 18: 78

David Clarkson

33-year-old. Cap hit at 5.25 mil. Not a single game played during the last season due to injury and may not ever play in the NHL again. Clarkson's contract ends in the 19/20 season and even if he could play I don’t see David as an asset for the team. One good season for the Devils in his whole career, otherwise kind of a so-so third-line player. Even at full health the cap hit is too high in my opinion.

Overall in NHL 17: 80

Prediction for NHL 18: 80

Cody Eakin

Cody Eakin is an stablished NHL player and is still quite young at the age of 26. He has had a few 30+ point seasons and one 40-point season. Second line center for sure. I really think Eakin could bloom in Vegas after a rougher season in Dallas. Good playmaking abilities and plays well in his teams own end. Put a decent sniper to his side and I would almost guarantee a career high in points during next season. Eakin also provides some crucial “secondary scoring” for the team.

Overall in NHL 17: 84

Prediction for NHL 18: 83

Mikhail Grabovski

Another “Mr. Injury”. Did not play last season. If he can play he is a huge asset to any team. One of the best hands in the business, can do anything with the puck, also shoots well and is a superb passer. Only minuses are lack of physicality and Mikhail can sometimes “forget” to defend. Hugely entertaining player whenever he is on the ice.

Overall in NHL 17: 82

Prediction for NHL 18: 82

Erik Haula

Solid defensive forward with an ok ability to pass and shoot. Not a spectacular player but will get the job done. Can play penalty kills. Combine this with the age of 26 and a cap hit of 2.75 mil and we have a superb deal. Still has potential to grow and become an even better player, as his role in Minnesota was mainly in the lower lines.

Overall in NHL 17: 83

Prediction for NHL 18: 82

William Karlsson

Where to even start with this youngster. Awesome hands, superb speed, good shot and nice passing ability. You have the whole package here. Hopefully he will take the next step playing for Vegas and becomes the point machine that he has the potential to be. I predict over 50 points this upcoming season and superstar status in coming years for this guy!

Overall in NHL 17: 80

Prediction for NHL 18: 82

Jonathan Marchessault

“Poor man’s Gaudreau”. Nice hands, good speed and nifty moves. Lacks the size and strength but will make that up with everything else. Last season Marchessault had 51 points in Florida and I don’t see why that can’t happen again. Needs good two-way forward on his side because defending is not one of his strengths.

Overall in NHL 17: 83

Prediction for NHL 18: 85

James Neal

Aged 29 and starting his 10th season in the NHL, Neal has one 80+ point season under his belt playing for the Penguins, otherwise solid 40-60 point seasons. Definitely a 1st line guy and possible potential for team captain. Could even become the face of the franchise for the next 10ish years.

Overall in NHL 17: 88

Prediction for NHL 18: 88

Tomas Nosek

Good sized player but is still a complete mystery if this guy is good enough for the NHL. 17 games spanning two seasons in Detroit. Starting in the AHL and despite his size still needs to gather strength and be more aggressive on the ice.

Overall in NHL 17: 72

Prediction for NHL 18: 74

David Perron

David Perron seems to be getting the hang of the game again after scruffy seasons in 14-15 and 15-16. Last season he played for St. Louis and racked up 46 points. Two over 50-point seasons overall and is at the golden age of 29. Vegas is getting the best years from Perron and hopefully he will deliver. Cap hit is also reasonable at 3.75 mil, however the contract is just for the 17/18 season, so a good season could potentially bump it up to ~5 mil.

Overall in NHL 17: 84

Prediction for NHL 18: 85

Reilly Smith

26-year-old with a long contract spanning to 21/22 season. Cap hit at 3.425 mil. Good offensively oriented player with high scoring potential. Still need work with all-around playing and needs to gather more strength. +/- stat was -13 last season and that cannot happen again. Smith is still relatively young, so he can still work on the shortcomings and spark that star status in Vegas.

Overall in NHL 17: 85

Prediction for NHL 18: 83

Alex Tuch

Huge power-forward, clocking the scales at 100 kg and 193 cm tall. Just six NHL games under the belt, but decent stats in the AHL. He is just 21 years old, so sky is the limit with this guy - just don’t expect that he will reach the sky next season.

Overall in NHL 17: 73

Prediction for NHL 18: 76

Vadim Shipachyov

The Russian wonder finally decides to come to the NHL. Not a physical player, but moves so fluidly on the ice. Really loves the puck and lives or dies with it. Great passer and awesome shot. The only question mark is how well Vadim settles into Vegas, as he has never played outside of Russia before. In the NHL he is not automatically “the star” that he is in Russia and sometimes the Russian star players haven't been a good fit for the faster and more physical play style of the NHL. I had same doubts about Radulov last season and he proved me wrong. If the same happens with Shipachyov, the Golden Knights has a golden nugget in their hands.

Overall in NHL17: 78 (World Cup player)

Prediction for NHL18: 85

Overall Offense:

Considering that this is first season for the Golden Knights, the offense is looking decent on paper. If Grabovski can play he will bring a lot to the table, but we need to be realistic as he most likely won't be able to play. Vegas needs at least one star status player who can bring a solid scoring ability to the team. Otherwise the youngsters need to step up their game with huge leaps if they want to go to Stanley Cup playoffs.

Overall thoughts of the team:

The first season is always hard. There are some seasoned pro's on the coaching bench and at the back office. But most of these players haven’t played together, so there are no established dynamic duos or existing chemistry between players. No tradition of a playing style, no rivalries between the Kinghts and other NHL teams. All these things start from a zero and coaches, players and even fans will have to work double-time to make these things happen. Vegas is a different kind of city compared to anywhere else on the planet, so there wont be a shortage of viewers on the game nights, but how easy it is to build fanbase on such a tourist-heavy city? And will the tourists cheer for Vegas or are they there for "just" the show? In other words: will there even be a proper home audience?

The possible problems aside, overall it has the potential of being a decent team and a good addition to the Pacific Division, but if they want to truly compete for a playoff spot, they need two or three spot-on trades. At least one point-oriented defender and one solid sniper on offense are the minimum requirement for the team. Even if they get these additions it’s not an easy road to clinch the playoff spot. I don’t think that Vegas has problems being ahead of Vancouver or Arizona, but Los Angeles and Calgary are a different story. San Jose, Anaheim and Edmonton are in different category than the rest of the Pacific, so all points from them are a plus.

My prediction with the current knowledge and roster: 5th in Pacific division

If they can get the rest of the puzzle pieces to the roster: First round of playoffs, but they lose to Edmonton.

Do you agree or disagree with my analysis and predictions? Let me know in the comment section. I would love the know what you guys think!