Friday Incompletions

Mats Sundin isn’t wrong to wonder why divisional winners are automatically granted one of the top three seeds in the each conference, or whether that’s a fair system. It isn't. Divisional winners should be guaranteed a playoff spot, not a high seed. That said, two points to consider. Sundin’s Maple Leafs benefited from weird systems themselves in years past, making the playoffs as the fourth Norris Division team in the 1980s with point totals of 52 and 57. As well, the Southeast is a better division that some would think, with both the Central and Pacific sporting two doormats. . .Dale Hawerchuk never played a game in Phoenix and was gone from Winnipeg 17 years ago, yet they’re retiring his number in the desert. Nice gesture, but makes no real sense. Why not have a night for Lars-Erik Sjoberg or Joe Daley while they’re at it?. .Agree or disagree; Joey Graham is MLSE’s basketball version of Nik Antropov. . . .The Masters is still a few days away and already I feel like throwing up over the utter pomposity of the event. . .Roger Federer is suddenly showing some vulnerability. In case you didn’t notice, the great Swiss has been dispatched in two consecutive tournaments by Guillermo Canas, a former Canadian Open winner. . .The NHL’s silly way of dealing with injuries was exposed over the past few days by the way in which the New York Islanders were permitted to pretend to the hockey world that goalie Rick DiPietro didn’t have a concussion but now has post-concussion syndrome. The league’s pledge to be more forthcoming on injuries will be seen in due course as no improvement at all. What they don't understand is the "upper body" and "lower body" just makes a mockery of their own game . .Serge Savard tore a strip off Gary Bettman this week for his lack of leadership in dealing with the issue of fighting in hockey. “Bettman comes out this week and says fighting is part of the game,” said Savard. “Well that depends (on) what you want to do with your game. We’re the only sport that allows it.” Savard’s complaint was that the league was years behind in dealing with the problem of hooking and interfererence in the game, denying forever there was a problem, and now is doing the very same thing all over again with the hot button fighting issue. Hard to argue with that analysis. But who's Serge Savard, right? Or Ken Dryden. Or Mike Bossy. . .’Twas strange that the CFL called a 3 p.m. press conference on Wednesday to announce the hiring of Mark Cohon as its new commissioner. Was the league embarrassed? Did it not want people to notice?. . .We’ll see how forceful Cohon plans to be as a leader when faced with the first team charged with salary cap violations, particularly if that team is Montreal or B.C.. . .Having another Summit Series isn’t the worst idea, but it’s a notion from another time. Moreover, with the Olympics, world championships and world junior championships, not to mention the temporarily mothballed World Cup, there’s just no room for another international shinny event to have any meaning. . .It’s interesting that the NHLPA now seems quite content to let suspended Ted Saskin sit at home and go without any formal leadership while it sorts a few things out. This approach would have worked much better if applied at the end of the lockout before Saskin was quickly inserted into the job of executive director. . .Interesting to see the Pittsburgh Penguins referred to as the “Pengs” in the summaries of Canada’s national newspaper today. Never seen that before, sort of a cross between the “Pens” and the “’Peg”, once speculated upon as a possible home for that hockey club . .How awful have the Philadelphia Flyers been this season? The Phoenix Coyotes have been in freefall for a month and are still 10 points clear of the Broad St. Patsies. . .The best argument for the NHL not to expand its current playoff format is the race in the East Conference. Allowing more teams in would mean this amazing race wouldn’t be generating the attention it is because all the teams would have qualified. . .Jack Johnson played almost 19 minutes in his L.A. debut on Thursday against Vancouver, going a minus-1 with one shot while wearing No. 33. He was on the ice for two of the four Canucks goals, one shorthanded. He, rookie Anze Kopitar and forward Mike Cammalleri are decent building blocks for the Kings to work with. Goaltending remains the big problem . . Amazing news out of New York. Now that the Rangers are winning again, suddenly there are reports from certain quarters that the NHL game is at its best since the lockout. Funny how that works.

Comments

[A.D.B. "Not Vijay" Singh]

Regarding your dread of the Masters, just wait til you hear that "fade to commercial" flute music playing with the leaderboard being shown (with Tiger's name, whether in contention or not, wedged on it somewhere) while in the background is a combination of Hogan Bridge, with blooming azaeleas partly blocking the camera as it rises up among the foliage to show the famous 12th green, the sun setting above the trees, while Jim Nantz makes up some ridiculous phrase like, "Another historic and remarkable day winds down at Augusta, much like the windows on the '38 Desoto driven by the ghosts of Sam Snead and Byron Nelson as they mingle among the shadows of the patrons along the galleries at Amen Corner. We'll be right back!"
You may need an extra barf-bag!

[Jody Mattie]

Damien,
Great call on Joey Graham. As an Oiler fan and Raptor season ticket holder I see it as a Joey vs. Raffi Torres....

He looked great in Washington last night though.... I find it ironic that the Raptors missing piece, a tough, rebounding forward, is an underacheiver on the current roster....

[Moe Green]

The seems the pro-fighting argument centers on one of three arguments. First, that fighting is there to protect skill players. Isn't that what the league commissioner is there for? It's kinda like saying the mafia should take care of street crime. Second, without fighting, there would be more stick infractions. Again, commissioner's responsibility. It took the league too many years to finally crack down on "obstruction" or "interference" or as the coaches called it: "finishing your check." Thing is, they went too far. Now most games are filled with nearly arbitrary (they miss as many as they call) robotic penalty calls (like "delay of game" or the ludicrous "diving" penalty) that are regularly determining the outcome of games. Though I don't have the stats to back it up, I would say that the ratio of BOGUS CALLS MADE to LEGITIMATE CALLS MISSED during your average hockey game is about even. That is intolerable. The final pro fighting argument is that the fans love it. That is probably true. The fans might also enjoy swordplay or pole-dancers between periods - but that doesn't mean they belong in the game. Probably the easiest way to illustrate the weakness of the pro-fighting case is this: Ask yourself how you would distinguish between using violence to right a wrong on the hockey rink versus in the street, a shopping mall or a school playground to your daughter or son. Good luck.

[Doogie2K]

Dale Hawerchuk never played a game in Phoenix and was gone from Winnipeg 17 years ago, yet they’re retiring his number in the desert. Nice gesture, but makes no real sense.

I think it's great that the Coyotes at least acknowledge their past, unlike the Whalercanes and the Avalanche, who won't acknowledge the retired numbers of their past incarnations.

Speaking of failed freefalls, how about them Oilers? Three points and only 20 goals scored in 18 games and they still can't seem to hit lottery range. I'm not sure if I should be disappointed or what.