UKRAINIAN PRO HOCKEY UPDATE (07/02/06)

UKRAINIAN PRO HOCKEY UPDATE

by Ihor Stelmach

Twenty-three Ukrainians in 'new NHL'

It is very obvious, with one year of "the new NHL" on the books, there still is no absolute model for building a championship team. Having said that, several specific conclusions have been reached, especially by the organizations who enjoyed success by adapting their philosophies to the league's new style of play.

In are speed, discipline and intelligence. Out are toughness, brawn and physical intimidation. Today's game has shifted from the head to the feet. Skating is now the name of the game. Before it was about thinking and what you could get away with by bending the rules.

The two most common denominators for winning today are team speed and reliable goaltending. Gone are the days of neutralizing speed by cheating. Naturally, no matter how the players skate, or how the game is refereed, a strong last line of defense is mandatory. How far would the upstart Edmonton Oilers have gone without trade deadline goalie acquisition Dwayne Roloson?

We saw it the first week of the season, back in October: small, quick skaters would have much more latitude than ever to drive to the net. Before, defensemen were allowed to grab an opponent, jab him with their sticks or interfere with his forward progress. Now these defenders have to worry about their own positioning and their own foot speed.

Since forwards are no longer being maligned as they skate into the opponent's zone, they are utilizing their speed and offensive skills. This translates into more end-to-end action and higher scoring games. We saw it the last weeks of the season when quick-skating, skilled teams like Carolina, Buffalo, Edmonton and Anaheim battled for the Stanley Cup.

Below is a capsulized team-by-team recap of the recently completed 2005-2006 NHL season. Teams are listed by final ranking (best to worst) based on performance for the year. Particular attention is devoted to the contributions of 23 players of Ukrainian descent who saw action in the "new NHL."

(1) CAROLINA

The second-best regular season record in Eastern Conference spurred the Canes' storm into the Stanley Cup finals. Captain Rod Brind' Amour leads by example in the weight room or on the ice, on offense and on defense. Surrounded by the talented Eric Staal, Cory Stillman and Doug Weight, among others, the Hurricanes were hoping this was their year. OLEG TVERDOVSKY (72-3-20-23-37) was OK after a year playing in Russia. Trade acquisition ANTON BABCHUK (39-5-5-10-22) will be a future blueline force.

(2) EDMONTON

The defining moment of the season came on deadline day. Forever dumpers of salaries and makers of cost-efficient, low-impact deals at the trade deadline, the economies of the new NHL finally allowed the Oilers to be players. They got their badly needed goalie (Dwayne Roloson) and second-line scorer (Sergei Samsonov) to go with late season additions Jaroslav Spacek and Dick Tarnstrom on defense. Led by Chris Pronger and Michael Peca, Edmonton challenged Carolina for Lord Stanley's Cup. Youngster KYLE BRODZIAK (10-0-0-0-4) had a brief cup of coffee.

(3) BUFFALO

The small, slick-skating Sabres were seemingly built for the new NHL. The Sabres went very deep into playoffs, losing to the Hurricanes in the seventh game of the conference finals. Co-captains Chris Drury and Daniel Briere led a bunch of no-names further than anyone ever expected. Young goalie Ryan Miller elbowed the competition aside in the net. The team needs an infusion of talent on the blueline.

(4) ANAHEIM

A mix of new ownership, new management and new coaching staff led to a very Ducky season and a surprising trip to the Western Conference finals. Captain Scott Neidermayer was invaluable on a team featuring 11 players making their playoff debuts. Two key Ukrainian contributors: rock-solid defenseman VITALY VISHNEVSKI (82-1-7-8-91) and first-line winger/bodyguard TODD FEDORUK (76-4-19-23-174). ZENON KONOPKA (23-4-3-7-48) was a capable injury replacement call-up from Portland (AHL), where he was a major offensive cog.

(5) OTTAWA

Picked by many as a Cup favorite, the Senators were one of league's top three teams from week one. The offensive firepower of Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson with the rest of the forwards was second to none. Zdeno Chara, Wade Redden and Chris Phillips were the top defense trio anywhere. Perhaps if goalie Dominik Hasek had not gotten hurt, the Sens would have bested Buffalo in the second round and made those prognosticators wisemen.

(6) SAN JOSE

The trade for Joe Thornton spurred the Sharks to go from four games under .500 and nine points out of a playoff spot to becoming a dominant force down the stretch in the West, fifth conference seed. Jonathan Cheechoo became a fifty-goal scorer once Thornton began centering his line. Captain Patrick Marleau gives the Sharks two franchise players.

(7) NEW YORK RANGERS

Much-maligned GM Glen Sather and new coach Tom Renney surrounded All-World Jaromir Jagr with a bunch of Czechs and hard-working Hartford Wolfpack graduates, with the result being a surprising playoff appearance. Rookie goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is a keeper (no pun intended). Unfortunately, the Blueshirts were swept by their New Jersey neighbors in the first round, this following five straight losses to end the regular season.

(8) DETROIT

Pre-season predictions forecast challenges for the Wings in adapting to the new rules of the new NHL. They were too long in the tooth and suspect in goal. Well, they ended 2005-2006 as the top seed in the West, despite key injuries to promising defenders Jiri Fischer and Niklas Kronwall. Perhaps their weaknesses caught up with them in their first-round battle with Edmonton.

(9) DALLAS

Top star Mike Modano enjoyed a nice comeback from his worst season ever in 2003-2004. Brenden Morrow, Jere Lehtinen and Sergei Zubov added reliable production and performance. Goaltender Marty Turco notched a team-record 41 wins for a playoff team that had a franchise record of 53 victories.

(10) PHILADELPHIA

Career years from Simon Gagne and Mike Knuble were not enough to overcome serious injuries to centermen Peter Forsberg and captain Keith Primeau. Way too many Philly Phantoms thrust into their parent Flyers' line-up when icing healthy manpower became an issue. The Flyers made the post-season as the East's fifth seed, but were eliminated by the upstart Sabres early in the playoffs.

(11) COLORADO

The Avalanche made the playoffs as sixth best team in the Western Conference, going as far as bouncing Dallas in first round, before going up against the Ducks. Captain Joe Sakic and snipers Milan Hejduk and Alex Tanguay led this strong offensive squad. The avalanche truly missed the inspirational grittiness of STEVE KONOWALCHUK (21-6-9-15-40) for the last four months of the season and most of the playoffs.

(12) CALGARY

The Flames pretty much controlled their own destiny and made the most of it, earning their first division title since 1995. After a subpar 35-goal season, captain Jarome Iginla elevated his game and wasn't the reason his Flames were extinguished in the first round of the playoffs by pesky Anaheim.

(13) NEW JERSEY

The Devils finished the regular season with 11 straight wins, including a dramatic comeback victory in Montreal on the final night of the season, which gave them the Atlantic Division title. Higher seeded Carolina knocked the Devils out in round No. 2. Brian Gionta (48 goals) and a healthy Patrik Elias led the offense, while the venerable Martin Brodeur proved he's the top goalie in the world. RICHARD MATVICHUK (62-1-10-11-40) was a defensive stalwart; late-season pick-up BRAD LUKOWICH (75-2-19-21-40) averaged 22 minutes of ice time in The Playoffs. TRAVIS ZAJAC makes the team next season.

(14) MONTREAL

The word in Quebec was that the Canadiens couldn't recover from the leadership loss of captain Saku Koivu in their East quarterfinal playoff series against Carolina. This after dispatching #l goaltender Jose Theodore to Colorado and betting the farm on Cristobal Huet as the team's new No. 1. Huet backstopped his club into the playoffs with seven shutouts in only 36 games with a 2.20 goals against average.

(15) NASHVILLE

Free agent arrival Paul Kariya on offense with Marek Zidlicky on the blueline and Tomas Vokoun between the pipes was a solid nucleus for the Predators. Had the latter two most important Preds not suffered late-season injuries, Nashville would have gone further than the first round of the playoffs. Tough guy DARCY HORDICHUK (74-7-613-163) served a vital role, while JORDIN TOOTOO (34-4-6-10-55) reportedly made the big club for good upon his last promotion from the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL).

(16) TAMPA BAY

The defending Stanley Cup champions barely squeezed into the playoffs and lasted only five games in their first-round match-up against Ottawa. The Bolts had a bevy of scorers in Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis, four strong forward lines and ample defense. Lacking? Only a top-notch goaltender, and this deficiency cost the Lightning big time. Veteran DAVE ANREYCHUK (42-6-12-18-16) was forced into retirement midway through the season. RUSLAN FEDOTENKO (80-26-1541-44) proved 2003-2004 was no fluke. Daryl Sydor (80-4-19-23-30) was a key component of the efficient blueline.

(17) VANCOUVER

Arguably the top point producing No.1 line in all the league prior to the lockout, the Canucks imploded drastically this past season. The troika of Brendan Morrison between Markus Naslund and Todd Bertuzzi was on the ice for more goals against than goals for. Their attitude and play were often indifferent. Combined with blueline injuries to Ed Jovanoski, Sami Salo and Mattias Ohlund, the Canucks finished out of the playoffs and are looking for a new bench boss.

(18) ATLANTA

Goaltending was the fatal flaw, as the top two goalies played in only 55 games due to groin injuries. The poor start was somewhat nullified by the late season (almost) playoff run. PETER BONDRA (60-21-1839-40) proved he can still skate and score at age 38. Ilya Kovalchuk and Marc Savard were two of the league's top scorers.

(19) FLORIDA

These Cats almost eeked into the playoffs after a strong final six weeks of the season. Veterans Joe Nieuwendyk and Gary Roberts provided the leadership in the room, while Olli Jokinen and Nathan Horton provided the firepower. Franchise savior Roberto Luongo must be re-signed if the Panthers hope to improve in 2006-2007.

(20) TORONTO

An eight-game losing streak in mid-January dropped the Leafs from sixth in the East to out of the playoffs for good. This very old team has more holes than Swiss cheese. Long-time coach Pat Quinn is now unemployed. Two Ukrainians shone brightly through Maple Leafs' season of darkness: ALEXEI PONIKAROVSKY (81-21-17-38-68) broke the 20-goal plateau, while Sophomore MATT STAJAN (80-15-12-27-50) opened some eyes with his offensive prowess. He's a potential second-line centerman.

(21) LOS ANGELES

Jeremy Roenick and his $4.9 miilion salary was a waste. The goaltending tandem of Mathieu Garon and Jason LaBarbera was inadequate. Late-season injuries to scorers Alexander Frolov and Pavol Demitra could not be overcome. Result: Coach Andy Murray and GM Dave Taylor are unemployed.

(22) MINNESOTA

Perhaps the most loyal hockey fans anywhere are beginning to raise their expectation level. This hard-luck, inexperienced Wild squad sustained 29 defeats after leading or being tied after two periods of play. The Wild have missed the playoffs four out of five seasons. Young Marian Gaborik and free agent signee Brian Rolston are super scorers.

(23) BOSTON

Management failed badly with its post-lockout personnel plan. This was compounded by decisions to trade away their two marketable stars (captain Joe Thornton and Sergei Samsonov). The disastrous season wound up costing GM Mike O'Connell his job. Young Patrice Bergeron is on the doorstep of stardom.

(24) NEW YORK ISLANDERS

The club cleaned out some dead wood at the trade deadline, but the big question is what to do with five years/$34.5 million owed to Alexei Yashin. Mike Milbury is finally out as GM after years of ridiculous trades and drafts. The team is also looking to hire a new coach. The Isles do have a good crop of young forwards and goalie RICK DIPIETRO is only 24. ALEXEI ZHITNIK (59-5-24-29-88) was good on the point, but took way too many penalties.

(25) PHOENIX

FIrst-Year Coach WAYNE GRETZKY struggled through his inaugural campaign. It started with the adjustment of being a head coach, then to overcoming a few key injuries, a gambling scandal too close to home (Assistant Coach Rick Tocchet and Wayne's wife, Janet), a long losing streak and, finally, a purge of veterans in an effort to go with even more youth. Year No. 2 will have to be easier for the "Great One" as a coach of the Coyotes.

(26) COLUMBUS

The Blue Jackets suffered through Rick Nash's season defined and derailed by injuries. These injuries spread to other key players Adam Foote, Rostislav Klesla and Bryan Bedard. Lacking depth to offset the hurts, the Jackets started 9-25-1 and never recovered; top Ukrainian scorer NIKOLAI ZHERDEV (73-27-27-54-50) wised up after a brief demotion to the minors. JOE MOTZKO (2-0-0-0-0) posted solid numbers in Syracuse (AHL).

(27) ST. LOUIS

The downhill slide to a horrendous 2005-2006 began last August when the team traded standout Chris Pronger to Edmonton. The Blues were already up for sale and the decision to let Pronger go signaled that St. Louis was in cost-cutting mode to make the team easier to sell. KEITH KATCHUK (41-15-21-36-46) overcame two curious injuries to post strong numbers and warrant another year on his contract. Youngsters LEE STEMPNIAK (57-14-13-27-22) and JEFF WOYWITKA (26-0-2-2-25) are definite Blues heading into next season.

(28) CHICAGO

The Hawks' nest got empty as the team stopped playing meaningful games around Christmas when a 10-game losing streak effectively ended their season. This organization needs help everywhere but defense, where several prospects appear ready to make the jump to the show. Should not have given up on Anton Babchuk so soon.

(29) PITTSBURGH

A rebuilding year saw EDDIE OLCZYK fired, Mario Lemieux retired and Penguins fans everywhere get "Crosby inspired." Yes, "Sid the Kid" was the talk of the league, tallied 100 points in his rookie season, and, along with goalie Marc-Andre Fleury plus prospect Evgeni Malkin, is a building block of a strong Pittsburgh future.

(30) WASHINGTON

It was the Alexander Ovechkin show as the rookie scored twice in the season opener, setting the stage for the left winger to climb toward stardom while his teammates and the hockey world watched in awe. "Alex the Great" scored 52 times and totalled 106 points. Had special teams performed better, a more respectable finish than 27th overall was possible.

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