Scruffy’s This N That

1 – HERE WE GO AGAIN: The World Junior Hockey Championship is over for another year.  It was disappointing for the host Americans as they didn’t medal, and crowds were dismal which was surprising considering Minnesota is a hockey hotbed in the U-S.  However, for Canada it was like Groundhog Day as they were eliminated for the 3^rd straight year by a very good Czech team. 

We have had some days to digest what happened, but what it comes down to as far as I’m concerned are three things:

1. The Czechs were better. It amazes me how every year the pundits look at the Canadians, Americans and Swedes, but they don’t talk about Czechia.  Did Craig Button have them in the final four when he made his predictions before the event?  If he did, good on him because many others didn’t with Canada, US, the Finns and Swedes leading the way for many.
2. The Canadian Hockey League keeps helping Czechia out by allowing their best players to come to the best developmental league in the world.  10 members of that team dot Western Hockey League rosters and there are a few that play in the Ontario and Quebec League as well. Canada is helping these players become the best they can be which is fine, but if they are going to do that, they can’t sit there and say there is something wrong with the overall product when they continue to allow Euros to come over — which I am fine with for what its worth.
3. Once again, Canada did not have the roster it would have liked.  Matthew Schaefer could have played, Macklin Celebrini could have played, Ben Kindel could have played.  They didn’t because their NHL teams would not let them go. Why would they when all are contributing to their teams? It would have been insane for the Sharks and Islanders to let Celebrini and Schaefer leave. Zayne Parekh and Michael Misa were freed up to go and they were two of Canada’s best players. Would Canada even have gotten to the semi without those guys?

As I have stated before, the world has caught up to Canada at this event. Gold is not a guarantee anymore and some of that is because of what I have said above. In the meantime, the ego of the Canadian hockey fan has taken another hit even though the reality is that Canada lost ONE game at the tournament. We move on! Everyone wants to dissect everything from minor hockey all the way up. I don’t think we need to, but I think there are more that want to for whatever reason.  A pair of gold medals in Italy will throw cold water on that discussion—at least I hope it does.

2 – GAVIN MCKENNA: Going into the tournament, all the talk was on Gavin McKenna to see where his game was at after his much-publicized decision to leave Medicine Hat for Penn State.  While McKenna did finish the tournament with a four-point effort in the bronze medal game to give him 14 points in seven games placing him 2^nd in tournament scoring, many will say including me that he didn’t dominate the way he was expected to. 

I heard one scout say that McKenna may have shown in he is not in that Connor Bedard stratosphere and that if he is taken number one overall, you could expect someone like a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or a Nico Hischier. Another pundit on NHL Radio said he would make a Patrick Kane comparison.   

I would expect that when the next rankings come out that a guy like Ivan Stenberg from Sweden will be in the number one spot and US defenceman Chase Reid will be in the top 5 as will Canadian defenceman Keaton Verhoeff, but how far will McKenna slip and where will he be at come draft time.  With Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver all in a lottery spot right now, I would think all three if they get the opportunity would take McKenna at number one, but who knows. 

3 – WHAT HAPPENED WINNIPEG?:  How in the h-e-double-hockey-sticks have the Winnipeg Jets gone from the President’s Trophy winner last year to being the worst team in the NHL this season? It’s not like their roster was decimated.  Yes, Connor Hellebuyck’s injury was a tough one, but Kyle Connor is still there, Mark Scheifele is still there, Josh Morrissey is still there and so are many of the guys that helped get that team to the number one position in the regular season last year.  Sorry, but I refuse to believe that the loss of Nikolai Ehlers is the reason for the fall.  They only have four regulation wins in their last 23 and broke and 11 game losing streak against LA on Friday night. GM Kevin Cheldayoff is taking heat for what has happened, but do Jets fans not realize if it wasn’t for Cheveldayoff, the core members of this team that are signed long-term probably wouldn’t be around meaning the talent pool would be extremely diminished?  The reality is they have not drafted well and in trying to make the team stronger at the deadline the past couple of years, they have drained their talent pool.  Cheveldayoff will get calls from teams at the deadline, but is he willing to move a guy like Alex Iafallo, Cole Perfetti or Logan Stanley?  One has to think Luke Schenn won’t end the year in Winnipeg, but what can Cheveldayoff get for guys that still have term. I don’t think you need to blow it up, but some tough decisions need to be made.  What could you get in return for Jonathan Toews? Where is Brendan Yager?

4 – NHL PARITY:  The NHL season hit the halfway mark with the end of last Sunday’s games. The league put out some interesting numbers this week showing just how competitive a season it has been and how hard it is to pick a winner. Take this for example. 

• 167 games have needed overtime.  That is 2nd behind only 2003-2004 when there were 171.
• 78 percent of games have been decided by one goal or two goals with that second one being an empty-net goal. That is the highest percentage of games at the midway mark with the old record being last season at 75 percent
• There have been 76 game-tying goals in the final five minutes of regulation.  Of those 76, 12 have been scored in the final 60 seconds. 

It translates to the parity we are seeing in the league this season. One only has to look at the standings to see how tight both conferences are and how a three-game win streak can really improve your look while a three game losing streak can diminish playoff chances.  It sets up for what will be a great sprint to the finish once the Olympics are over.

5 – MR. GOALIE: Imagine a goaltender playing 500 straight games. Imagine that goalie doing with it with no mask and phonebook goal pads. Imagine that goalie admitting that he threw up before every start.  That was the legendary Glenn Hall.  Yes, the game today is different than what it was when Hall was guarding the goal, but in a day where we talk about records that will never be broken, it is hard to think that in our lifetime we will see a goaltender start 500 straight games.  I don’t even know what goalie would lead the way right now in consecutive starts made. Whoever it is, I am guessing it is less than 10. 

When I worked for the SJHL, I had the pleasure of meeting him and hearing many stories as he was inducted into the league’s Hall of Fame.  He was not shy when talking about the goalies of today and the game compared to his day. They were stories and time that I cherished.

Take nothing away from what guys like Esposito, Dryden, Roy, Brodeur, Price and Hellebuyck but there may be no better goalie in hockey history than the man known as Mr. Goalie.

6 – ON TO CINCINNATI: I mentioned during the CFL season that I would be shocked if Riders receiver Dohnte Meyers didn’t get an NFL look. He signed a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals this week.  I am not sure if that is the right spot for him considering the Bengals have Jamarr Chase, Tee Higgins, Andrei Iosivas and Mitchell Tinsley already on the roster, but the Bengals must feel there could be a spot for him and he must think there is a fit or else he wouldn’t be there. 

When it comes to the Riders, this means getting Keesean Johnson back under a contract is a must. You are set with Sam Emilus on the strong side and Johnson would more than make up for the loss of Meyers—and it’s a sizable one.  One has to also ask what this will mean for Joe Robustelli as well as he is certainly a guy who you would think has a future here.  

7 – COACH MICAH:  As I said on Twitter when the announcement was made, the Riders DL got worse when Micah Johnson announced his retirement, but it got better when the team said he was going to serve as the defensive line coach.  What a great move! The big man will be a fantastic addition to the coaching staff. The experience he can give will be so beneficial. I wonder where his coaching train will end. We have all seen how successful a former defensive lineman can be at the head coaching level. 

8 – THE PLAYOFF ROAD BEGINS:  14 teams are still alive in the battle for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. We will find out over the next couple of weekends who will be playing at Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara with arguments being made for 13 of the 14 teams (sorry Carolina) for being there.  Here are some notes going into Wild-Card weekend. 

• The Houston Texans have won nine straight games, and the Jacksonville Jaguars are on an eight-game win streak. Since 1970, 26 teams have entered the playoffs on a win streak of at least eight games. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders in 1976 both entered the playoffs with win streaks of at least nine. Nine of the 26 have lost their first playoff game. 
• The Panthers scored 19 points or fewer in ten games this season, which was second most behind three teams. Carolina lost eight of the ten games.
• The Green Bay Packers have won 13 of their last 15 games in Chicago. 
• Buffalo has allowed 221 points in the first half, which is 23rd in the league, and played a significant role in the Bills having a -11-point differential in the first 30 minutes. After halftime, the Bills have allowed the second fewest points (144) in the NFL.

9 – RANDOM THOUGHTS:

• International hockey needs to ditch 3 on 3 and a shootout when it comes to playoff games. 3 on 3’s and shootouts end once the Stanley Cup playoffs begin and it needs to be that way at the WJ’s and other IIHF competitions as well. I hope we don’t see it in Italy.
• Where would Lamar Jackson be had Zay Flowers not fumbled at the goal-line in the 2023 AFC Championship, if Mark Andrews had caught the game-tying two point convert against Buffalo in the 2024 playoffs and if Tyler Loop makes a field goal in the 2025 season finale.  We might be talking about him more than Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. Will we be talking about him in Baltimore next year? 
• You’re making a bet to win the Stanley Cup –Colorado or the field. What are you taking?
• Congrats to Jordan Eberle for hitting 1100 NHL games.  Keep it going! 

That’s all I got.  Have a great week!