MIDSEASON ROUNDUP

I know I know. Another hockey post? Well I promise, we'll switch it up soon! But for now, with the NHL's All-Star festivities coming up, and the season already past the midway point (41 games), let's look at where we are in the various award races. Keep in mind, these are only our predictions, feel free to disagree.

Hart Trophy (MVP): Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
The former first overall pick is quickly becoming the face of the league, and has the Caps battling it out for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Other Candidates: Evgeni Malkin, Joe Thornton

Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year): Steve Mason, Columbus Blue Jackets
Mason has come out of nowhere to emerge as a serious candidate for the Vezina Trophy as the League's top goalie. As a rookie, his stellar play is all the more impressive. Other Candidates: Blake Wheeler, Kris Versteeg

Norris Trophy (Top Defenseman): Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins
The Captain of the best team in the Eastern Conference (and for now the NHL), Chara is the heart and soul of the League's top rated defense. Other Candidates: Mike Green, Nicklas Lidstrom

Vezina Trophy (Top Goalie): Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins
18-4-3 with a 2.04 goals against average, Thomas has (literally) stood on his head for this team. His play is one of the main reasons why they are in such good position. Other Candidates: Steve Mason, Nicklas Backstrom

Selke Trophy (Best Defensive Forward): Mike Richards, Philadelphia Flyers
Richards is near the top of the league in blocked shots and takeaways. His play on the penalty kill has been tremendous for Philly as well. Other Candidates: Pavel Datsyuk

Adams Award (Coach of the Year): Claude Julien, Boston Bruins
That's right, another Boston award. Deal with it! Nobody expected this from the B's this season, after finishing eighth in the Conference a year ago. Boston is 32-7-4 through 43 games this year. Other Candidates: Todd McLellan

TOUGH BREAK FOR BRUINS

Just as everything was coming together for the Bruins, their top scorer gets shelved. Phil Kessel, Boston's 21-year-old superstar was placed on IR today with mono, and will miss anywhere from two weeks to a month. Kessel, who was one of the biggest All-Star snubs of the season, has had a breakout campaign so far this year, netting 24 goals and 17 assists for the East leading Bruins.

The timing of the sickness is the main issue for Claude Julien's club. The B's five games leading into the All-Star break include a showdown with arch rival Montreal, and a trip to the Nation's Capital to see Alexander Ovechkin and the red hot Washington Capitals. The Caps had won 12 of their last 13 games, including a 3-1 victory over Boston, before losing two straight. The Habs have won seven of their last eight, and four in a row overall.

It's fairly amazing that Boston has been able to sustain it's early season pace, given the absence of some big time players. Patrice Bergeron, who missed 72 games (plus seven playoff games) a year ago, has been out since December 20 after suffering another concussion. And Marco Sturm, a 27 goal scorer last season, has barely played this year, and will almost certainly miss the rest of this season.

So far, the Bruins have been able to plug in pieces and still get the job done. But with an extended absence from Kessel, who knows what will happen? B's fans shouldn't worry too much though. As long as Savard, Krejci, and especially Ryder continue to light the lamp (the B's are 14-0 in games when Ryder scores a goal), they will remain the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.

IS NFL OVERTIME WORTH FIXING?

Going into their playoff matchup last week, most people expected the Indianapolis Colts, winners of nine straight, to roll over 8-8 San Diego. The Chargers had other ideas however, and behind running back Darren Sproles' spectacular effort, had the game knotted at 17 as the fourth quarter clock ticked down to 0:00. San Diego won the coin toss and never gave up the ball, eventually winning on Sproles' 22-yard scamper some three and a half minutes into the extra frame. So Indianapolis, who breezed through the second half of the season, was eliminated after picking incorrectly on the most basic question: heads or tails? While the simple answer is to play better defense, it's not always that easy. There is something that is just unfair about overtime in the NFL and that needs to be fixed.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, 44% of the overtime games since 2006 have been won on the first drive by the team that won the coin toss. All in all, 64% of OT games have been won by the team that gets the ball first. That's a really startling statistic, suggesting that NFL overtime, in it's current incarnation, really isn't fair for both teams. So, can anything be done to even the playing field? I don't think the College Football OT rules would translate well in the professional ranks. Another idea, as suggested by ESPN.com's Bill Simmons, says a team should essentially be able to match a field goal with a possession of their own. But this one comes across as confusing and gimmicky, something the NFL doesn't want or need.

One interesting suggestion is to leave overtime in the regular season alone, but change it in the playoffs to one full quarter of action. The coin toss would still determine which club would get the ball first, but the first possession wouldn't determine the outcome. It would be similar to the system used in the NHL, where five minutes of overtime (and, if necessary, a shootout) are played in the regular season, but the playoffs see continuous action until a team wins. Of course, now the football OT wouldn't be sudden death, but it would mean the outcomes would be decided by the players 100% of the time.

The Colts, of course, are still sitting at home watching the playoffs on TV (for the record, I'm happy about that). With any luck though, teams in that situation in the future will at least get a shot of their own. And who knows? Maybe Bill Polian will demand changes...again.


**For the record it was my dad that came up with the new playoff OT idea. Thanks Pops.

CHIARELLI DESERVES CREDIT FOR MUCH OF B'S SUCCESS

Peter Chiarelli has a plan. That was all we heard when the Bruins hired Ottawa's Assistant GM to become their new General Manager in May, 2006. After a tough 2007 season, the B's improved drastically under new head coach Claude Julien a year ago. And now, less than two years since the hiring of Chiarelli, Boston has one of the best teams in all of hockey. After the club's 5-1 thrashing of Carolina earlier today at TD Banknorth Garden, the Bruins improved to 31-7-4, good for 66 points and a 12 point lead over the rival Canadiens in the Northeast Division. Much of the credit for the leaps and bounds this franchise has made in the past couple of years should go to their third year GM.

Since taking over for Mike O'Connell, Chiarelli has built a team ripe with young talent. Phil Kessel, the team's leading scorer, is only 21 and already one of the top forwards in all of hockey. Matt Hunwick, 22, Milan Lucic, 21, and David Krejci, 22, are all young talents coming into their own this season as well. Throw in free agent singing Blake Wheeler, the fifth overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, and the Bruins are stocked with cheap young players that bring fun and energy to the rink every night.

Additionally, Chiarelli has signed some big name free agents to bolster the roster and provide veteran leadership. 6'9 defenseman Zdeno Chara signed a five year, $37.5 million contract in July, 2006, and has been an All-Star selection each of the past two seasons. The heart and soul of Boston's league leading defensive unit, Chara has averaged well over 20 minutes per game in each season with the club. Chiarelli signed Marc Savard that same offseason, and "Savvy" has been a whiz in the offensive end during his stint in Black and Gold. Savard, who makes $5.5 million annually, has 38 assists so far this season, good for second in the entire NHL in that category.

Chiarelli has also made some key trades to improve the team as well. The GM was harshly criticized for trading fan favorite Brad Boyes to St. Louis for puck moving defenseman Dennis Wideman, but that trade has largely worked out for Boston. The offensive minded Wideman has been tremendous for the Bruins with 27 points (third most among Eastern Conference defenseman), and is a plus-24, trailing only teammates Savard (plus-28) and Wheeler (plus-25) on the season.

Other Chiarelli pickups include Aaron Ward, Andrew Ference, Chuck Kobasew, and Stephane Yelle, with each playing key supporting roles in the Bruins' current run to the top of the standings. Only time will tell how far this team can go, but they certainly have the depth to make a run. Call-ups Byron Bitz, Martins Karsums, Martin St. Pierre, and Vladimir Sobotka have all made appearances with the big club in 2008-09, and all have held their own while wearing the Spoked-B. Regular season wins may not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but Chiarelli's boys appear to be in it for the long haul. A master plan indeed.

HOW IS PHIL KESSEL NOT AN ALL-STAR?

Really? There are actually 12 better forwards in the Eastern Conference right now than Phil Kessel? I can understand Boston's 21-year-old forward not starting for the East squad, but missing the team entirely? Come on.

Kessel currently ranks fourth in the conference with 24 goals, only three behind the triumvirate of Ovechkin, Carter, and Vanek, all All-Stars themselves. He had a stretch of 18 consecutive games with at least one point earlier this season, and is currently a plus-17, good for seventh best in the league, despite playing only 16:46 per night, ranking him 68th among Eastern Conference forwards.

Compare Kessel's numbers to those of Carolina centerman Eric Staal (who did make the team), for example:

Kessel: 24 goals, 17 assists, 41 points, 143 shots, 16:46 average time on ice
Staal: 18 goals, 14 assists, 32 points, 176 shots, 21:20 average time on ice

Of course, the B's leading goal scorer was left off because the fans voted Alexei Kovalev into the game as a starter for the East. Nevermind the fact that his 11 goals have him tied for 48th in the conference, or that his 31 points put him in 32nd. The voting for All-Star starters is a lot like the race for class president in middle school. It's all about who is more popular, and unfortunately for Kessel, Kovalev won that battle.

There are plenty of other snubs and ridiculous selections for this year's game, but Kessel, along with Caps defenseman Mike Green, appear to be the biggest mistakes. Oh well, there will be plenty of other Bruins to root for on All-Star weekend. Tim Thomas, Marc Savard, and Zdeno Chara will be representing the East in the game, and Milan Lucic and Blake Wheeler will be facing off in the Young Stars Game.

TIME TO TRADE BUCHHOLZ?

This offseason has been insane. Starting with the Phillies/Rays matchup that nobody saw coming, baseball has been on a roller coaster ride for the past three plus months. Twists and turns have swept up all 30 teams, and we have seen some ridiculous changes.

With the Yankees sweeping up all the top free agents, apparently trying to form some sort of fantasy baseball team, the Red Sox have struggled to counter. CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Mark Teixeira are all huge additions in the Big Apple, and in the view of many an "expert", have propelled the Yankees ahead of the Sox and Rays as the favorites to win the AL East this season. But in the words of Lee Corso, not so fast my friends! The Red Sox keep adding players, and will have a very formidable rotation come the regular season. But there is one more thing Boston should do to keep pace with New York: trade Clay Buchholz.

Having signed John Smoltz and Brady Penny, there is no room for Buchholz in the rotation this year. The club already is having issues finding a spot for young gun Justin Masterson, and Buchholz's shaky mechanics have no use in the bullpen. Should injuries occur, as they always seem to, Michael Bowden is ready to step up and take the hill for the big club.

Furthermore, Buchholz could be a centerpiece in a deal for a catcher or big bat for the lineup. Since the Sox missed out on Mark Teixeira, they are still looking for a big bat to replace the loss of Manny Ramirez, and Buchholz could be a big part of finding that missing piece. If Boston can use their young pitcher to land a catcher, like Texas' Jarrod Saltalamacchia, that would help immensely as well, for a roster that has only Josh Bard behind the plate.

A lineup of Ellsbury (CF), Pedroia (2B), Ortiz (DH), Lowell (3B), Youkilis (1B), Drew (RF), Bay (LF), Saltalamacchia (C), and Lowery (SS) would be quite formidable. With a rotation of Beckett, Matsuzaka, Lester, Penny, and Smoltz, the Sox would be one of the top teams in the AL this season.

All we know now though, is that this roller coaster will have gut-wrenching action right up until the end.

MY 5 FAVORITE BRUINS OF ALL-TIME

The recent book Black and Gold: Four Decades of the Boston Bruins in Photographs is amazing. Photographer Steve Babineau has shot the B's for the past forty years or so, and has snapped some of the most memorable and transcendent pictures in hockey history. The book has reminded me countless times of my own past with the team. My first game, back in January, 1993 was between the Bruins and the fledgling San Jose Sharks. I remember the distinct smell of the old Boston Garden, an odd combination of age, cigarettes, and popcorn; and then B's forward Joey Juneau's collision with a Shark, causing his stick to fly straight up high into the air. As I grew up, I continued to follow the Bruins. I saw the Garden torn down and replaced by the new building, the third jerseys turn an ugly mustard yellow, and hall of fame worthy players come and go on numerous occasions. So, with that said, I think it's time for me to look back at five of my favorite players that I distinctly remember watching don the spoked B. This eliminates Bruins greats like Orr, Esposito, and O'Reilly, but those guys were all a little before my time. Here goes...

5. SERGEI SAMSONOV
The eighth overall pick of the 1997 draft, Samsonov is still lacing 'em up, now for the Carolina Hurricanes. The 5'8 winger was an incredibly gifted stickhandler, often confusing opponents with ridiculous dekes and drags. Just a couple years ago, Sammy scored a jaw dropping goal by taking a feed and wristing the puck between his legs and over the shoulder of the Philadelphia goalie. An immensely talented player.

4. JOE THORNTON
Sticking with Bruins first round picks in 1997, we come to Joe Thornton, the top overall selection that year. Thornton was a much maligned figure in Boston for some reason, as media members and fans jumped on his back for not winning the big one right away, and not deserving the captain's C. What I remember though, is one of the most talented, strong, tough players I've ever seen. He's one of the best passers in NHL history, and someone who was extremely fun to watch. Since his trade to San Jose, Thornton has thrived, helping the Sharks to one of the best starts in NHL history this season.

3. ANDY MOOG
One of my first memories as a Bruins fan was watching Andy Moog make some tremendous glove saves. My friends and I would imitate him playing hockey in my basement, always taking turns to see who could make the best save with the glove, just like Moog. He only played in Boston from 1988-93, but was great in that span, helping lead the B's to two Stanley Cup Finals appearances, both losses to his old team, the Edmonton Oilers.

2. CAM NEELY
Current Bruins President Cam Neely ranks number two on this list, as he was one of the most iconic and skilled Bruins ever. Neely played thirteen NHL seasons, the last 10 with Boston, but was forced to retire young because of knee and hip problems, largely because of cheap shots by Ulf Samuelsson over the years. But while he was on the ice, Neely was pretty much unstoppable. One of my favorite memories of Neely is him deking through the entire Ottawa Senators team, including the goalie, for an easy tally. Neely pretty much revolutionized the "power forward" position in the NHL as well.

1. RAY BOURQUE
Bourque was the reason I wore number 77 in my first year in hockey. His early years were before my time, but as I grew up, he remained one of the best players in league history. His offensive prowess was amazing for a defenseman, as he scored 410 goals in his illustrious career. Who can forget an aging Bourque, playing in the 1996 All-Star Game in front of him hometown fans at the Fleet Center, scoring in the final minute to give the East a 5-4 win and taking MVP honors to boot? Bourque was one of the best players to ever wear the spoked B, and that's why he ranks first on my all-time list.