5+Game with Danny Boome 19 /10/09
5+ Game with Danny Boome is the new Article and Blog for Powerplay magazine. The article will cover the 5 main events of the week – games, trades, players, coaches – and anything else that affects the NHL community.
To join 5+Game’s online community, go to 5+Game on Facebook or follow 5+GAME on twitter. Your views are welcome! The 5+Game Blog will also have daily updates and film clips of the NHL week as it unravels.
9th Edition: 5+Game
19/10/09
Danny Boome
The Leafs are in the toilet, surprise teams come out of the gate in the 1st 8! Charlie Wang plays political chess to get his new arena, OV is on for 50 in 50, and the Class of 2009 is making their mark!! Yes it’s this week’s 5+Game!
1. Leafs in Despair: What seemed to be a new dawn rising over the Toronto Maple Leafs has quickly become their worst start to a season in 90 years. They’ve only scored 1 point in the first 8 games, their best and most committed player is their 9th choice defenseman, and big Ron and Burkey don’t seem to have any answers
In the preseason, the Leafs were on fire, winning 8 of 9 in 12 days. Now, their remodeled defense appears slow, clumsy and lost. And the offense, well, 14 goals in 8 games says it all. So what’s the problem? Coach Ron Wilson says it’s confidence. Spark, youth and fresh thinking says Boomer!
2. 8 down, 74 to go: The New York Rangers surprised everyone and are sitting pretty at the top of the League with a 7-1 record. The pundits didn’t predict it – nor did they see the top 10 teams including Colorado (3rd), Columbus (6th) and Phoenix (7th). Other teams gaining momentum are Atlanta (14th), LA (16th) and St. Louis (17th). With Detroit, Boston and Montreal sitting in the bottom 12, this season is showing a shift in club development and a huge gap in points for post season regulars to make the play-offs!
3. Islanders Owner wants out & Quebec’s Mayor wants in: Breaking news out of Long Island (Wednesday). Citing a source, the Long Island Press is reporting that New York Islanders owner Charles Wang has decided to walk away from the Lighthouse Project, the development that would overhaul Nassau Coliseum and the area surrounding it. Wang had set October 3rd as a date he wanted a yes or no answer to the project from Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray before he began exploring all other options. In the 11 days since, Wang and his staff have kept quiet, waiting for an answer that has yet to come. This latest move could seem like doom and gloom for the Islanders future at Nassau Coliseum, yet it could also be another move in the game of political chess that Wang has been playing with the Town of Hempstead for the past five years.
Interesting twist following that story: Quebec City has announced its intention to build a new arena in the hopes of bringing back an NHL team and one day hosting the Winter Olympics. Mayor Regis Labeaume said on Friday that he’s hired engineering firm SNC Lavalin to conduct a feasibility study. He hopes to see the arena built from 2010 to 2012.
Quebec lost the Nordiques in 1995, when they left to become the Colorado Avalanche. The aging Colisee arena has been cited as the main reason for the city’s inability to attract another NHL team. Could this be a proposed new home for the Islanders?
4. Is 50 in 50 possible? Will Alex Ovechkin hit 50 goals in 50 games? The Capitals forward is in the hunt to do what Cam Neely did over a decade ago, having already notched 7 goals in as many games. Ovechkin scored 2 goals on 13 shots in a 4-1 victory against San Jose Thursday after being held without a goal the previous three games. His pair against the Sharks, coming 28 seconds apart in the second period, was the fastest back-to-back goals of his career, and now he has scored a goal against every team in the League. The Caps, in fact, are 24-0-2 in Ovechkin’s last 26 multiple-goal games. The most goals Alex Ovechkin has posted in a single season occurred in 2007-08, when he scored 65 goals in 82 games.
OV’s Best Goals 2005-06
The Best Goal of Last Season!
5. The Kids are all right! The Rookie class of 2009 is doing quite well. No 1 draft pick (LW) John Tavares opened his account with the Islanders with 7 points (3+4) in his first 6 games, No 2 draft pick (D) Victor Hedman leads all rookies in average ice time per game (24:38), and No 3 draft pick (C) Matt Duchene has played an instrumental part of the Ave’s great start, scoring 1 goal and 4 points in 8 games. No 4 draft pick, Atlanta’s Evander Kane is making a great case to be a permanent fixture on the Thrashers roster this season with 2 goals and 3 points in 5games.
JT’s 1st
Getting to know big Vic
Matt “The Spark” Duchene
GAME
GAME ON: The New York Rangers’ 7-1-0 record matches the best start through eight games in franchise history (1983-84). They have the fastest transition in the league and have outscored opponents 11-1 in the 3rd period. Can they keep it going?
Do Rangers have a shot this season!
WHOS GOT GAME: NYR’s rookie defenseman, 19-year old Michael Del Zotto, is quarterbacking the Rangers power play and leads all rookies and defensemen in scoring with 8 points (3 goals, 5 assists) in 8 games. An honorable mention goes to Toronto’s defenseman Ian White, who’s made more saves than all 3 of the Leafs’ goalies!
Delzotto’s First, and there will be many!
Whites Shut Out
WHOS NOT GOT GAME: The Leafs must stop this early decline before it’s too late. It’s time for A) Brian Burke to admit he’s made some wrong choices, B) the acceleration of the club’s youth to inject some spark into the offense or C) admitting that with the current talent, it will take a while to bounce back. The only thing they can’t do is get shot of Coach Ron Wilson, because he will get it right eventually!
Words from big Ron after getting Spanked 7-2!!Ideas? Anyone, Ideas?
GAME OF THE WEEK: After allowing 5 goals in a span of 5:29 during the first period, the Chicago Blackhawks roared back with 6 unanswered tallies — capped by Brent Seabrook’s winner 26 seconds into overtime — for a wild 6-5 victory against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 12. It was the biggest comeback in Blackhawks history and tied the NHL record for the biggest deficit overcome.
What a Come Back!!
WHAT GAME ARE YOU PLAYING @? Is it time for the league to look at moving Nashville, Phoenix or the Islanders to better market area or facilities? There are bigger towns and investors wanting to throw cash at franchises, so what’s the story Gary? Is it your ego, the business plan, or is it that the investors want too much control of their own product?
Check out this week’s Video Clips and News in the 5+Game Blog on www.dannyboome.tv
The information statistics and subject matter of articles is sourced from the official NHL web site NHL.com and it’s archives. The Hockey News.com, Yahoo Sports.com and ESPN.com. Research and quotations can at times come from other independent associated press.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
