Don't look now everyone, but the Toronto Maple Leafs are just six points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Seems the addition of Phil Kessel has added some scoring punch.
Kessel, who fired two goals against the Columbus Blue Jackets has found his game and the club appears to have bought into Coach Ron Wilson's defensive system where they pounce on loose pucks and force turnovers in the offensive zone.
While the Leafs aren't anywhere close to being a contender, this club is beginning to gel and shouldn't be considered an easy two points from here on in.
They now have their playoff destiny in their own hands after crawling up from out of the cellar and if you had asked them earlier this season, that's all they wanted.
The rest is up to them.

The hockey world is a unique community. You get to hear all kinds of rumors and things that can't be printed if you are interested in running a credible publication. That being said, hockey journalists aren't unlike a group of women gossiping at times.
Personally I like it a lot.
There's nothing more fun than running into scouts or other journalists who have been covering the game for a lot longer than I have. We all have our roles within the game. The trick is to not think that your role is the most important one and to be a part of rather than the focus of what's going on.
There are handshakes a plenty in the press box. The other night I ran into former Moose Head Coach Stan Smyl. He's a great guy but if memory serves Stan tore a strip off of me a couple of times back in the day. That's part of covering hockey.
You have to remember that coaches are human beings too and asking probing questions after a tough loss or a stretch of tough losses comes with a risk.
Since I've only covered pro hockey writing for a monthly I took advantage of getting to know scouts and other interesting people involved in the game. I'm glad I did because my knowledge of what they're looking for has grown in that time.
I've also watched a lot of officials as well and am happy to tell you that because of knowing guys like Dan McCourt who works with officials under contract to the NHL, I can tell you that he's responsible for shaping the game you're going to be watching for the next twenty years.
The game is much like life itself in that most people are only interested in the here and now. A perceived bad call which results in a goal being scored is an emotional thing depending on your vested interest in the outcome.
If you're a GM or coach then you're really not happy.
The long term outcome is something that you're really not interested in.
But tune in a few years down the road and you may see that official working in the NHL or Olympic games.
Just a thought or a few this morning.
All I can say is that I'm glad I've put my whistle away, it's a tough job at the best of times.

From the Toronto/Montreal game...the crowd sang O'Canada acapella. Nice. Very patriotic and on national television no less. It actually distracted me from what I was doing. Ok. I was at Hooters for a birthday party.
Colton Orr drops the gloves with Georges Laraque just minutes in for what we feel was the first tilt of the season. Nice bout that ended with Laraque on top of Orr. The Metis from Winnipeg left the ice smiling.
Ulkatcho First Nation product Carey Price made 43 saves as the Habs won in OT.
Good opener for HNIC.

Calgary/Vancouver was a good ole Western Conference get together in Cowtown. After having watched Jay Bouwmeester skate the puck out of Calgary's end, control the puck in the neutral zone etc...I think the Flames will make out like bandits with this signing. It frees up Phaneuf to be Phaneuf as he no longer has to be 'The Man" in Calgary and gives all kind of breathing room for Mikka Kiprusoff when he's on the ice-which will be often.
This definitely makes Calgary a contender in the West.
Remember, Vancouver lost Ohlund and didn't replace him.  Come to think of it they never replaced 'Special Ed' Jovanovski after letting him sign with Phoenix. The Canucks lack a star defenceman and Calgary now has two of them.

One more thing, 'Burnaby' Joe Sakic's number 19 was retired by the Colorado Avalanche last night as well. Classy move by the organization. Sakic was a world class player in his time and a first class guy. He spent his entire career with the Nordiques/Avalanche organization after being their second choice 15th overall in the 1987 NHL entry draft.
Who was their first choice? Defenceman Bryan Fogarty who they chose 9th overall.
Little bit of trivia for you to start your day.

Have a good one folks.

If anyone bothered watching the welcoming media conference online hosted by the San Jose Sharks you would have seen Sharks GM Doug Wilson crowing about Heatley's patriotism.  About how he never said no to an opportunity to represent Canada on the international hockey stage.
In terms of straight fact, he's right.
But let's get something straight here. The only reason he's been able to do that is because Heatley's teams have almost never been involved in the playoffs beyond round one.
I love good communications staffers, if only for their ability to spin something in a positive light, though the need to spin usually only happens in corporations and politics.
Most communications people I've dealt with covering sports are good folk.
Now where was I?
Oh yeah, Heatley.
I'm not knocking him for saying no to Edmonton or even asking to be traded from Ottawa.
The first time he was traded from Atlanta, I'll give him that one.
But a coach pulls him off the number one PP unit and he wants out?
There's got to be something more to it here.
Yes he's selfish and probably not the best teammate but we've seen these guys before. I seem to recall a frustrated Trevor Kidd telling the media that Pavel Bure brought one thing to any team-GOALS. He shut his game down if he didn't figure his team had a chance to win on any given night.
Who created this monster? (I use this term loosely-I'm thinking of the Just for Laughs Monster.)
If there is any blame at all to be laid then it has to be put at the feet of Ottawa GM Bryan Murray who not only signed him to a deal most teams wouldn't take on in the salary cap era but gave him a no trade clause to boot!!
Dany Heatley was as much as his GM gave him, and he excercised that and we shouldn't blame him for it, we should blame Murray.
Who won the trade?
If you go by the best player then San Jose did initially because he's going to get his forty plus goals easily.
But it's hard to say for sure who won the trade because it may be years before we see what if anything the draft picks turn into.
Michalek will be a solid, physical thirty goal scorer for Ottawa and not disrupt the dressing room.
And while other media outlets have all but written off the pride of the Moose Factory Cree Nation, paired properly 40 goals is a possibility. I'm thinking Kovalev because Cheechoo needs a guy who will get him the puck.
That and Cheechoo doesn't upset a dressing room. In fact, he's probably one of the better athlete/role models in the NHL, never mind the fact he's Native.
Ottawa did better on this deal the most people thought.

Hello,

It's been a long journey to bring us here today but I'm glad to say we're online.
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Philip Paul-Martin
Native Hockey News