Season Review: St. Louis Blues

Well, now that people are talking playoffs, I will be reviewing the seasons of teams as they're either eliminated from the playoffs or eliminated from playoff contention before the end of the season. Obviously, the last team reviewed will be the one that wins the Cup.

Now the next team to be eliminated from playoff contention: The St. Louis Blues.

Season expectations: These guys were the Cinderella team of the Western Conference last season. No one expected them to do much (especially since blue-chip prospect Erik Johnson had a freak accident while golfing) but they ended up crashing the playoff party, where they were dispatched in the opening round. No they weren't spectacular, but they seemed to find a system that suited them. Still, they still didn't seem to have "it" so if they were to make the playoffs, they'd have to work harder than everyone else.

My prediction: I figured they would finish fourth in the Central Division and ninth overall in the Western Conference.

The truth: They were eliminated last night with the Colorado Avalanche victory over the Vancouver Canucks and will likely finish fourth and tenth, respectively.

What went wrong?: You mean besides having the worst home record in the NHL?

One thing is true, you can't blame the fans! 17 consecutive sellouts for a non-playoff team in a struggling midwestern market goes to show that despite the terrible home record, these people love their team. Hopefully the young guys realize that and use that as ammunition to terrorize one of the toughest divisions in hockey next season.

Really though, there wasn't much wrong with the team; just not enough to get them over the hump. There wasn't enough offense from their defense and not enough defense from their their offense. Yet for a team who scores by committee, they're definitely doing it right. The goaltending was very solid and given their depth at that position; they'll be good even if Chris Mason takes off during free agency. Coach Andy Murray seemed to be rubbing players the wrong way and was canned halfway through for Davis Payne, who's earned a 22-14-3 so far with the club.

So what's next?: It's not uncommon for such a young team to experience a setback like that. They weren't blown out of the water; they just didn't have enough stuff. A good off-season can change that quickly though, even though Keith Tkachuk is figuring to retire, so a good veteran signing could make a difference for the developing players.

Season Review: Anaheim Ducks

Well, now that people are talking playoffs, I will be reviewing the seasons of teams as they're either eliminated from the playoffs or eliminated from playoff contention before the end of the season. Obviously, the last team reviewed will be the one that wins the Cup.

Now the next team to be eliminated from playoff contention: The Anaheim Ducks.

Season expectations: The Stanley Cup Champions in 2007, the Ducks were looking to go into the season with an explosive group of forwards and an exceptional pair of goaltenders. Sure the defense was a little thin but Scott Niedermeyer could do the work of 2 men and their young guys like Ryan Whitney and James Wisniewski could step in an make a difference offensively. These guys were looking to at least compete for a playoff spot if not go deep into the playoffs.

My prediction: I picked them for first in the Pacific Division and second overall in the Western Conference.

The truth: The Ducks were eliminated last night thanks to both losing in overtime to the Los Angeles Kings and with the Colorado Avalanche's victory over the Vancouver Canucks.

What went wrong?: You mean besides being the most penalized team in the NHL?

Well, the platoon couldn't quite platoon after all. J-S Giguere ended up performing poorly for the Ducks and was eventually shipped to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Vesa Toskala, who then traded to the Calgary Flames for Curtis McElhinney (and considering McElhinney's success in Anaheim and Toskala's success in Calgary, one wonders how the teams would have fared had a three-way trade been completed sooner.) Jonas Hiller performed admirably for both his NHL and National Team this season, but now he's down with injuries and out of the playoffs, which is such an undeserving end for a goaltender who's been a warrior all season.

The defense didn't work out the way the team hoped as well. Whitney was eventually traded for Lubonmir Vishnovsky, Wisniewski was effective whenever he wasn't serving a suspension, and there never seemed to be the "Number 4" guy for people to have on the team; just a top-3/bottom 4 defensive group. Not to disrespect the efforts of Sheldon Brookbank (who made the Nick Boynton signing seem redundant) but there just had to be that one extra guy who could make the Top 3 the Top 4. It just didn't happen.

To an effect, I was also not a fan as to how the scoring forwards were set up. I mean, it's cool to have the youth on one line and the experience on another, but is that really the best way to develop a winning chemistry? Why not have Bobby Ryan skate with Saku Koivu and get the Finnish Flash himself (Teemu Selanne in case you don't know) to act as a deft compliment to Ryan Getzlaf? The defensive forwards weren't necessarily ideal but definitely adequate so I think more could have been done to address scoring (though in fairness, Joffery Lupul's injury didn't help things.)

So what's next?: Well, there needs to be some well thought-out additions made in the off-season to work within their cap and plans. I'm also not certain coach Randy Carlyle will be back next season given the team's issues with discipline now coupled with a lost season. They've got a competitive team though, so they shouldn't have to blow it up to make it work.

Season Review: Atlanta Thrashers

Well, now that people are talking playoffs, I will be reviewing the seasons of teams as they're either eliminated from the playoffs or eliminated from playoff contention before the end of the season. Obviously, the last team reviewed will be the one that wins the Cup.

Now the next team to be eliminated from playoff contention: The Atlanta Thrashers.

Season expectations: Everyone knew going into the season that this was Ilya Kovalchuk's walk-year. GM Don Waddell, the only constant since the Thrashers' inception into the league, did what he could to sign a group of players to compliment Kovalchuk and most those were of the Russian/Eastern European variety. Nevertheless, Rich Peverly was emerging as a great playmaker while Brian Little was emerging as a great scoring forward. The defense had some great production from younger players like Tobias Enstrom and the goaltending looked solid besides Kari Lehtonen's fat ass getting in the way. This was the season the Thrashers had to go for the gusto and win.

My prediction: I figured they would be third in their division and eighth in the Eastern Conference.

The truth: They were statistically eliminated from playoff contention following a 3-0 shutout loss to the New Jersey Devils this evening.

What went wrong?: You mean besides the fact that Waddell is still their GM and that their ownership situation is a joke?

Essentially, that's it. There's a great group of capable players on the team but now really superstar to fire it up. Sure, Waddell played it safe by getting a return on his investment but the team was doing far better with him in the lineup than they were once he was gone. Will the pieces he acquired really mean much for the future? None of it has yet, and that's why they've only been to the playoffs once.

I will say this though, there looks to be a lot of players on that club who are allergic to playing defense. I know that some players should play within their limitations but backchecking is essential if you wanna win games.

So what's next?: If Kovalchuk actually manages to come back next season, then it wasn't a complete and total loss. If not, then Atlanta Spirit LLC either needs to hire a new GM or do the city of Atlanta a favor and sell the team to someone who'll make the team successful but not relocate the team. Yes attendance there is at an all-time low but how can you attract fans in a non-traditional market when the team spends 10 of its 11 seasons in existence as a team that doesn't qualify for the playoffs?

Season Review: New York Islanders

Well, now that people are talking playoffs, I will be reviewing the seasons of teams as they're either eliminated from the playoffs or eliminated from playoff contention before the end of the season. Obviously, the last team reviewed will be the one that wins the Cup.

Now the next team to be eliminated from playoff contention: The New York Islanders.

Season expectations: There wasn't much to expect from the team going into the season. Just the hope that some of their younger guys would gain another year of pro experience while newcomer John Tavares would step in and get used to the major leagues. They had a decent goaltending tandem going into the season but even optimists had to see the lack of overall depth and expect that it would be too much for them to overcome.

My prediction: I figured they'd be last in the division and last in the Eastern Conference.

The truth: They were the fifth team to be eliminated from playoff contention in the Eastern Conference.

What went wrong?: You mean besides the contracts with Rick DiPietro and Alexei Yashin that still have them in bondage?

Long story short, these guys are still in full-rebuild mode. Add a penny pinching owner who hired a brown-nosing yes-man as his GM and you've got a plethora of young forwards with no veteran scoring presence that isn't past their prime (sorry Doug Weight.) Sure Tavares and Kyle Okposo have immense upside. Sure Matt Moulson is having an exceptional season. After them it just kinda drops off and for a team that needs scoring by committee, that's kinda a problem. The defense is paper-thin and while Mark Streit has been excellent for the team, they need more reinforcements to help with the production from the blue line. The goaltending was good, but should be considered a stop-gap solution at best if/when Rick DiPietro ever returns to regular NHL duty. If he doesn't then that's just going to be another piece of the puzzle the Islanders will have to figure out.

So what's next?: They need reinforcements but they don't have to blow the bank to make that happen. If Charles Wang will let Garth Snow build a better team, then these guys can start to make noise next season. If they're going to try and ice the cheapest team possible, however, then they may as well start getting the moving trucks ready for Kansas City.

So TSN Ran A Poll and Asked...

This poll indicates that 2.2% of the respondents are functionally retarded. Also, 47% were too blinded by their own Calgary bashing to realize that Anaheim was lower seeded and stood a far less chance to make the playoffs.

This Just In...

Despite the Philadelphia Flyers' best efforts, the Detroit Red Wings clinched their playoff spot today with the Calgary Flames' loss to the Chicago Blackhawks...

Take that Carcillo!

Season Review: Dallas Stars

Well, now that people are talking playoffs, I will be reviewing the seasons of teams as they're either eliminated from the playoffs or eliminated from playoff contention before the end of the season. Obviously, the last team reviewed will be the one that wins the Cup.

Now the next team to be eliminated from playoff contention: The Dallas Stars.

Season expectations: After reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2008, the team completely missed the postseason the following year. Much of that had been blamed on the Sean Avery "sloppy seconds" controversy when it actuality it was the play of Marty Turco that was hurting the squad. To be completely fair, the team let go of both Dan Ellis and Mike Smith and gave the backup job to a guy who now plays in his native Switzerland. Now, Brett Hull stepped down as GM and new GM Joe Nieuwendyk stepped in and was set to make the team better...

... but he made the decision to fire coach Dave Tippett in favor of Marc Crawford. Ask the Phoenix Coyotes how that's working out for them.

My prediction: I figured the team would be fourth in their division and 11th Overall in the Western Conference.

The truth: They became the fourth team in the Western Conference to be eliminated from playoff contention, so I wasn't far off the mark.

What went wrong?: You mean besides letting go of a coach who's now being considered for the Jack Adams trophy?

Too much firepower, not enough defense.

Case in point? Brad Richards has 90 points. He also has a -11 rating. Overall, there will be six players on the team who break the 40 point barrier (seven if Jamie Benn can get a point within the next few games) but those same guys couldn't be counted on to play defense as all but Benn will likely end up minus players at seasons' end. The same goes for the offensive d-men on the team too, as there wasn't much defensive firepower above Stephane Robidas' production. In the end, it was Mark Fistric's incredible +24 rating and the solid defensive play of their depth forwards that helped give Turco a shot at having a respectable season.

On a smaller level, any team that employs Steve Ott tends to get more penalties than other teams. I'm just saying...

It wasn't all doom-and gloom though, as Turco did bounce back despite the eventual end to the season. The team did bring in Kari Lehtonen as a new option and he's doing about as well as Turco is. If Turco and Lehtonen re-sign with Dallas in the off-season, then at least their goaltending will be properly addressed heading into next season.

So what's next?: Well, they could probably use another offensive d-man for next season, but really, they just need to have their scoring forwards to commit to playing a higher level of defense than they do already. Just make some smarter signings in the off-season and maybe they can do better than they did this season, though that's going to be very difficult in what's currently the NHL's best division.