Hockey Books, Part 2

So way back when, I promised a part 2 to my brief thoughts on a few hockey books.  Maybe I should follow up on that!

Journeyman - Sean Pronger
Here's a pretty fun book by Chris's older brother.  It's hard to keep track of Sean's career, from being a 2nd round pick in 1991, to playing for 7 NHL teams, and also appearing in AHL, IHL, ECHL and DEL.  Sean has the kind of sense of humor I appreciate, pretty dry and sarcastic, which make the book enjoyable.  I knew I needed to read this book when I saw a Q&A he was doing on the internet to promote the book, and to the question "what is your favorite hockey memento from your career?", he responded "the puck my brother stole in the Stanley Cup finals against Chicago."  It's interesting to journey with Sean across all his career stops, remembering his highs (getting his first one-way NHL contract, secondary assist on series clinching goal in game 7 in the first round of the NHL playoffs), and lows (too many to list or remember).  There is also a little Forrest Gump factor to things, like hearing him conclude his career with a season in Germany and playing with Doug Weight (my favorite player) there during the NHL lockout.

The Final Call - Kerry Fraser
If I'm reading player books, I had to read one by a referee.  First, it was remarkable to read from Fraser's perspective.  Reading this book, I definitely got the image of him being a hockey Ned Flanders.  Perfectly (impossibly?) polite, wholesome, fair minded, religious, and with a brood of children like the Brady Brunch.  From a higher level perspective, it's also interesting to hear how officials approach their job.  The physical training they do, the idea of managing a game and participants rather than just calling penalties as they happen, and having good and bad games.  To that end, Fraser also laments taking names off referee shirts, and how that harmed communication between the players and referees.  Fans don't see that side of things in a thankless job.

This is Russia - Life in the KHL - Bernd Bruckler
Bruckler is a former Flyers prospect, and a book about the bizarre world of the KHL was a temptation I couldn't resist.  "This is Russia," is a fitting title, as that's a recurring theme is this book when bizarre or ghetto things happen, and even Russian veterans just shrug and say, "hey, this is Russia."  Part of this book for me was confirming suspicions I had about the sketchy nature of the KHL (ghetto transportation, greased palms of police officers, going into a room of strangers and receiving wads of cash in a garbage bag after late paychecks, etc...).  I also learned new things, like bazas, which are basically "bases" teams require players to stay at as a relic of the Soviet era control over life and people, complete with shoddy, spartan facilities.  The writing isn't particularly vivid, which is what you get with a book written in English by an Austrian player and a Finnish hockey-writer, but it wasn't a hindrance either.

I dare not promise Hockey Books part 3 at this time, as there's not anything I'm too anxious to read.  I may eventually read books like Jonesy by Keith Jones, Gordie Howe's Son by Mark Howe, or find some others.

5 Out of 6 Ain't Bad

The Flyers knew they faced a key point in the season.  A March homestand (plus a home/home against Pittsburgh) while the Flyers fought to keep their heads above water in tight standings would have a major effect on the Flyers season's fortunes, directly and pyschologically.  Recall last March, when the Flyers faced a pivotal "Rivalry Week" with games against Pittsburgh, Boston and New York, and came away with 0 points.

For the most part, the Flyers aced this test.  The Flyers knocked around a beat-up and dispirited Pens team, and took 2 of 3 from NHL elites like the Hawks, Kings and Blues.  I'm not sure you could ask for much more.

All season long I've been assuring myself that the Flyers truthfully are just a fringe playoff team, staring at a one-and-done playoff trip (assuming they even got that far).  Now I'm relenting and beginning to reconsider.  Surely the Flyers do not have the horses on defense to be considered a favorite, but they are a team that refuses to lose.  They're never out of the game, and that makes any opponent nervous.

Maybe it's more accurate to simply forget about the Flyers awful start to the season.  Different coach, different Giroux, different system.  Just throw it all out, and pretend the season started on November 1.

A quick look at some NHL standings since that date.
Boston - 60 games, 88 points (1.47/gm)
St. Louis - 61 games, 87 points (1.43/gm)
Pittsburgh - 59 games, 79 points (1.34/gm)
Chicago - 59 games, 78 points (1.32/gm)
Philadelphia - 60 games, 77 points (1.28/gm)
Anaheim - 57 games, 68 points (1.19/gm)
San Jose - 60 games, 69 points (1.15/gm)

Seems about right with what I've been watching the last few weeks.  The Flyers are not up to snuff with the title favorites, but maybe they really have elevated themselves into the second tier of flawed but dangerous NHL teams.

Out of Hibernation

Yes, the time has come to bring this blog out of hibernation.  The Olympics are over, the trade deadline looms, and the stretch run beckons.  A good a time as any to start again!

Soooo, to begin with Flyers talk.  It was a productive weekend for the Flyers, taking 4 points from division opponents.  They are currently in second place, but it's all so tight, that doesn't mean much.  A bad week or so and they could easily fall several spots.

I don't have much new to say about the team really, but it does appear the team will go as far as Voracek, Giroux and Mason can take them.  Those are the real make-or-break players for me.

Also, this is old news, but let's take a minute to marvel at the Flyers' third period excellence.  With the win yesterday, the Flyers extended their franchise record of 12 wins in a season when trailing in the 3rd period.  Simply setting the record is impressive (it was held by the powerful 1997 Lindros Stanley Cup finals team), but more impressive is where they came from.

Last year, the Flyers were -15 in the 3rd period, 28th in the league.  When Laviolette was fired this year, they were being outscored 6-1 in the 3rd period.  Now the Flyers comeback like crazy, are 2nd in the league in 3rd period goals, and are +9 overall in the 3rd.  Where did this come from?  It's hard to say.  I'll just enjoy it for what it is.

Trade Deadline
The NHL trade deadline is Wednesday at 3pm.  I don't expect (nor do I want) the Flyers to be buyers at the deadline this year.  They are missing too many pieces to make a rental worthwhile, and lack disposable pieces to trade away.  Still, the trade deadline could be pretty interesting league-wide.

The Blues have already made a big move getting Ott and Miller from Buffalo.  They look primed right now. 

Kesler wants out in Vancouver, and reportedly Pittsburgh has already made a big offer (please Flyers stay out of this---there is no room for him on this roster).

The Islanders are almost surely trading Thomas Vanek and Andrew MacDonald.

The Rangers may trade their captain if they can't get Callahan signed, and Marty St. Louis is another captain that wants to be traded (a ridiculous story overall).

Moulson?  Ehrhoff?  Edler?

There's a lot to chew on.  Granted, trade deadlines are a lot of talk and a little action the last few years, but the cap is going up next year, and teams can trade salary so maybe we'll see some action.

Regarding the Flyers, the only trades acceptable to me are for long-term investments on defense.  I personally believe the Flyers must rebuild their defense from scratch, so any youth or quality is welcome.  By the same token, Mezo may intrigue some playoff teams looking for depth at the back end of their defensive corps, so he may be heading the other way from Philadelphia.