O Canada: Seven questions for the Great White North's seven NHL teams
The first quarter of the 2014-15 regular season has provided some answers, but there are still some things we don't know. Here are seven questions for Canada's seven NHL teams:
The Calgary Flames question: Can they keep it up?
Not many people were picking the Flames to make it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Why would you? They’re young, they lack depth, they rolled the dice on Jonas Hiller as their No. 1 goalie after he ended up No. 3 in Anaheim by the end of last season. Yet here they are, holding their own against the best in the West. Faced with a daunting six-game road trip at the start of the season, Calgary went 4-2-0. The Flames have lost two games in a row just once (and they picked up a “loser point” for good measure). Mark Giordano is the NHL’s leading Norris Trophy candidate and if he keeps it up he deserves support for the Hart Trophy, too. T.J. Brodie is making his own case for the Norris, while defenceman Dennis Wideman has eight goals. And it turns out they’ve got depth all over the place. Jiri Hudler leads the way with 10 goals and eight other Flames have scored at least five times – and that doesn’t include rookie Johnny ‘Hockey’ Gaudreau (three goals), tied for fourth in team scoring with fellow Flames star-in-the-making Sean Monahan (15 points). At three goals per game, Calgary is the fifth-highest scoring team in the league. The Flames’ hot start has gone on far too long to be a streak, but the question is, can they keep it up? We still have doubts but the answer is … yes (as long as Giordano and Brodie stay healthy).
The Edmonton Oilers question: Will they ever win a game against a team in the West?
Yes. Of course they will, it’s inevitable. In fact, if you’re reading this on the weekend, they might have won one already after playing the St. Louis Blues on Friday night. (Note: This column was written on Friday afternoon.) However, with the Oilers playing the second game of a road back-to-back in St. Louis after a gut-punch 1-0 overtime loss in Nashville on Thursday, we’re going to go ahead and assume Edmonton has lost 14 consecutive contests against the Western Conference to open the 2014-15 season. That’s not good, not good at all. In fact, it’s shockingly bad even for a team that has missed the playoffs eight straight seasons. As a result of their inability to compete with the clubs in their own conference, the Oilers find themselves in last place in the West (again) and down in the league basement (again) with Buffalo, Carolina and Columbus. If there’s a silver lining – and let’s hope there is, for sanity’s sake in the ‘City of Champions’ – the Oilers have some winnable West games on the horizon. Edmonton hosts the Coyotes, visits the Jets and then has a home-and-home against the floundering Sharks. Surely there’s a win in there somewhere. Heck, maybe two…
The Montreal Canadiens question: Can they win the Stanley Cup?
A Canadian team hasn’t won the Cup since the Canadiens in 1993. The Habs, at the very least, have the best shot among Canada’s seven NHL teams. They have an all-world goalie in Carey Price. They have a Norris-calibre defenceman in PK Subban. They have a scoring power forward (Max Pacioretty), a more-or-less top-line center (Tomas Plekanec), a burgeoning offensive talent (Alex Galchenyuk) and a sparkplug (Brendan Gallagher). They have depth, more at forward than on defence, but their top two ‘D’ pairs are solid enough. They play in the East, with the chance of relatively beatable first-round opponent (Ottawa? Toronto?) before they’d have to go through two of the likes of Tampa Bay (still inexperienced), Pittsburgh (Price vs. Marc-Andre Fleury), Boston (Habs have ruled the rivalry recently), and/or the New York teams (upstart Isles, aging Rangers). Then they’d meet the weary survivor of the West gauntlet in the Cup final, and the rest is history. Granted, this is a best-case scenario.
The Ottawa Senators question: Who are these guys?
It’s Year 2 of the post-Alfredsson era in Ottawa, with the former captain set to officially retire in front of Sens fans on Dec. 4. Ottawa missed the playoffs last year in their first season without Alfie, and they’re a young team that’s still figuring itself out. Paul MacLean, a longtime lieutenant in Detroit, is a good person to have barking directions behind the bench as the Sens discover their true selves. On the ice, it obviously starts with quarterback defenceman Erik Karlsson, and the new captain gets leadership help from veteran blue liner Chris Phillips. If Jared Cowen can get back on track, if Cody Ceci can continue to develop, Ottawa has a solid foundation on the back end. For now, Bobby Ryan is the headliner up front, with Clarke MacArthur, Kyle Turris and Milan Michalek pitching in to shoulder the offensive load. Chris Neil, as always, is there to provide snarl and heart. But really it’s all about the kids in Ottawa, from been-around-the-block-once-or-twice types like Mika Zibanejad and Alex Chiasson to rookies Curtis Lazar, Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone. Lest we forget, goalie Robin Lehner is biding his time behind starter Craig Anderson. So, who are these guys? They’re a good present, maybe even a postseason team, but with a little luck a much brighter future.
The Toronto Maple Leafs question: Will they find love?
You’ve probably never heard this before, but the Leafs haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1967. (It’s true, we looked it up.) Not only have they not won a Cup in 47 years and counting, they haven’t even made it back to the final since Johnny Bower was their starting goalie. (Related: Johnny Bower turned 90 a couple weeks ago.) And believe it or not, that lack of championship success is starting to wear on the Original Six team’s fan base. Save for the odd blip – a conference final here, a 100-point season there – the Leafs have not given their loyal supporters much reason to cheer. Most recently, they’ve missed the playoffs in eight of nine seasons, and the one year they did make it … well, don’t ask a Leafs fan how it ended. There’s angst in Toronto, with skeptical fans, a cynical media and 20-plus players trying to make up for nearly a half-century of professional failure. It’s a toxic mix; just ask Twitter. So, love? In this time of cholera? Nope. The Leafs have to win something first, and they’re not close at the moment.
The Vancouver Canucks question: Are they for real?
Quite a roller-coaster for the Canucks the past few years. They won five straight division titles, with a Cup final appearance in the middle of that run in 2011. Then the wheels came off last season, John Tortorella didn’t work out, Ryan Kesler wanted out, Roberto Luongo finally got out, and GM Mike Gillis was put out. Lots of new faces, from GM Jim Benning to coach Willie Desjardins to goalie Ryan Miller to wingers Radim Vrbata and Nick Bonino. Still, the core was much the same, from the Sedins and Alex Burrows up front to Kevin Bieksa and Dan Hamhuis and Alex Edler on defence. Not an old core, but an aging one and a bunch of players with a bunch of hard miles. And after last season, questions arose as to whether this version of the Canucks had peaked. The short answer is yes, but this version of the Canucks can make it to the postseason, and once they get there … hey, you never know. They’re a veteran team who has played deep into the spring before, and Miller’s desperate for a playoff run. Are they real, real good? Nah. But are they for real? Yeah.
The Winnipeg Jets question: Will they make the playoffs?
The Jets have been a nice surprise this season, perhaps a bit of a backhanded compliment considering they’re sitting in the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. They don’t have a lot of star power, they don’t score much, and the doubters will come calling if starter Ondrej Pavelec has a couple of bad games. On the other hand, the Jets have bought into coach Paul Maurice’s defensive game plan, and backup Michael Hutchinson has been great when given the chance. There’s a long way to go, and Evander Kane and Bryan Little, two of the team’s top offensive talents, need to provide more scoring punch on a game-in and game-out basis because it’s too tough to win 2-1 every night. Winnipeg fans would go through the roof if the Jets make the playoffs for the first time since returning to the city. That first home game would be an epic, electric event. Will it happen? Sorry to be a downer, but the answer is … no, not this year.
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