CLASH OF THE TITANS

The Western Conference showdown between Detroit and San Jose is just minutes away and I can't help but feel that this could be the game of the season. The Boston Bruins will have to excuse me. This is the game most hockey fans have been waiting for since a while back. The Sharks have been devestatingly good so far while the Wings, even though they they aren't far behind in the standings, still have some work to do.

How will it turn out? My gut says Detroit, Henrik Zetterberg scores the winner.

Here we go!


______________________________________________________________________

AVERY NO LONGER A STAR

The six-game suspension of Sean Avery is over, but the forward will not be returning to the Dallas Stars. In an interview, co-general manager, Brett Hull said, "Sean needs to focus on his own well-being while the Stars hockey team must focus on playing hockey and competing for a playoff spot."

Is it just me or does that sound like Avery is recovering from a serious injury or illness rather than just coming to terms with having been a bad boy? I can totally understand that the Stars don't want the controvertial player back in their line-up, but don't make it sound like you're doing this for his sake.

Until now I thought Avery was just a victim of his own mouth being to quick to unleash uglies for his own good, but now I'm not so sure. Could it actually be that he wasn't happy in Texas, and when he suddenly realized trading his flashy Manhattan life style for more money wasn't such a great idea after all, and that he needed to do something to get him the heck out of there.

Now you probably say, "but who could possibly think a little speech about your "sloppy seconds" would get you thrown out of the organization?" Well, either this little press conference of his was just part of a bigger plan, or Sean Avery is savvier than we give him credit for. Perhaps Avery knew this was just enough fuel for the Stars to cut him loose. Perhaps he also knew that the double standard of the NHL would surface and condemn him hard enough for all everyone to join in their choir, stating it's ok to say anything you want on the ice, close enough for all kids whose parents happened to score rink-side seats, as long as you don't say it on TV.

I would not be surprised if the New York Rangers, only because they know what he can bring when he is happy with his situation, will take him back. And if not the Rangers, than surely some other team will take a chance on the guy. Either way, I am sure all hockey fans will follow the Sean Avery show with anticipation for the same reason that both fans and non-fans followed the Howard Stern show, just to see what he'd do next.

UNCLASSY MELROSE

I like Barry Melrose as much as the next guy, and I also think he was a great coach, but perhaps he should never have come out of retirement in the first place. The comments he made about his former team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, suggest to me that he is back where he belongs, on ESPN radio, that is.

I'm not saying Melrose is wrong about Steven Stamkos not being ready for the NHL, I agree. However, I don't think it's a matter of size. Look at what Patrick Kane did in his rookie season in Chicago. Kane is certainly not a big guy but he is skilled and, more importantly, he is mentally strong, at least his extremely mature game suggests he is. This may be Stamkos biggest problem. He will be a good NHL player one day, he's just not there yet.

Hoping the team wouldn't win another game all season, that's just not a very classy comment and not one I expected from a guy like Melrose.

Now, is Barry Melrose to blame for the Lightning's lame start to this season? Perhaps. As the coach he is, at the very least, responsible for the team's results. Also, when looking for scapegoats, it is certainly easier to sack the coach rather than the whole team. Ultimately, it the players who have to perform to win and they haven't. The Tampa Bay roster is still full of players who are good enough to take them to the play-offs, but they aren't playing at the level they should be.

The very questionable former management traded this team to pieces getting rid of Brad Richards and Dan Boyle among others, but they really have to get over it and move forward. Focus on what you have rather than on what you use to have.

Buffalos and Penguins

The Buffalo Sabres are hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. With 11:32 left of the second period the score is 1-1.

Dave Andreychuck was a great player and it was nice to see the Buffalo Sabres honor him tonight.

Another great Sabre, Maxim Afinogenov, will likely never see his number retired, and I must say this guy is an enigma. There are few players who can skates as well as the 29-year old Russian, and he a a great hockey sense, yet his point production has always been sub par. Anyone who saw him play for Russia a few years ago would agree it is a mystery how he hasn't been the Sabres top point-scorer the last couple of seasons. So far tonight, he has been Buffalo's best player and he had a fantastic assist of the first goal. I hope he can keep this up throughout the season.

The old Buffalo jersey is among the most classic and best looking. So why, when they bring it back as a third jersey, do they ruin it by putting some stupid vertical line along the front and some ugly grey armpit on it? Who are designing jerseys nowadays? And Pittsburgh... they once fought the Bruins for the right to wear black, white and gold. Now they wear some sun-faded, sorry exuse for gold and it looks... sad.

Hated/Loved Lemieux Returns

Well, Mats Sundin can't seem to make up his mind but at least someone is making a comeback. Former Conn Smythe winner, Claude Lemieux is, acording to himself, in the form of his life and is, at 43, ready to return to the league he left five years ago. While the news of his return will excite very few, it should come as a pleasant surprise to anyone trying to pick this seasons Stanley Cup winner as Lemieux, who has over 1,200 career games, seemed almost incapable of playing for a team not going all the way. He is one of only eight players to win the Stanley Cup with three different teams.

After hoisting the cup -and the Conn Smythe- with the Devils in 1995, Lemieux was traded to the New York Islanders, only to shipped off to Colorado, where he he wasted no time winning another (his third) cup. A few years later he returned to New Jersey where he won his forth cup and second as a Devil.

Acording to Lemieux, a few teams are interested in his services. And to be honest, if I were the GM for a cup-contending team I would definately sign him. I know the Dallas Stars did just that back in 2002 and it didn't pay off, but still. I hope he finds a team because I would like to see how this turns out. And seriously, who wouldn't like to see him return to Detroit ... with the Avs!

***

I wonder if it will take Sundin five years to make up his mind.

New Mark Zet

Last year's play off MVP, Henrik Zetterberg, has his goal set for this season, he wants to be the second player after Håkan Loob to reach 50 goals. The classic mark should be within his reach, considering he notched 43 last season eventhough he missed 8 games because of injury.

What is remarkable, however, is the fact that only one Swedish player in history has ever reached the 50 goals mark! A few have been close, like Kent Nilsson, who in the 1980-81 season had 49 tallies with ten games to go. What happened? He just couldn't score one more. Peter Forsberg, Mats Sundin, Markus Näslund, Thomas Sandström, Mats Näslund, Daniel Alfredsson... the list could go on forever. Let's hope Zetterberg is the chosen one. I believe he could be.

Off to a late start

I am well aware of my late start here, and those who followed - or just casually read my blog once or twice - the blog during last season probably though I had given it up by now. But, here we are, a few games into the new season and I couldn't resist it. I have decided to not write so much game commentary as I did before, you can all read those at tsn.ca or espn.com. I will instead try to just give you my personal thoughts on different stuff happening around the NHL.