Category: Colby’s Corner

Welcome to Colby’s Corner, where the next best thing we could afford (we actually don’t pay him at all), Colby Kephart, pretends to be Don Cherry and presents his thoughts on various tidbits in hockey. While he currently doesn’t have any flashy suits- we’re working on that- he does have a flashy style, short and to the point.

Check out every Colby’s Corner in existence below and, while you’re at it, let us know if you want him to address something in the future. Tweet to @DtFrozenRiver and use the hashtag #ColbysCornerDTFR to join the conversation or you can always send an email to downthefrozenriver@gmail.com and hope for the best.

Colby’s Corner World Cup of Hockey Predictions

This year the World Cup of Hockey makes its long-awaited return and it has many excited. It’s an eight-team spectacle and show of nationalism on a different platform than the usual tournaments.

The eight teams are Russia, Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic, USA, Canada, Team Europe and Team North America. Team Europe is made up of all of the best players from Europe, who don’t have teams represented in the tournament. Team North America is made up of American- and Canadian-born players under the age of 23.

All of these teams played three exhibition games against the other teams. Most of the teams finished with a record of two and one, except for team Finland, team Russia and Team Europe, as all three teams went 1-2.

With all of this being said, I am here to share my final four teams and who I think the favorite is to win it all.

My first semi-finalist isn’t a big surprise as I have Canada.

Canada is the powerhouse in all of the national tournaments and will be in the semis, and I don’t think anyone will argue with me on this point. Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Toews all on one team. These are three of the best leaders in the league and they are all one team.

Not to mention the best goaltending issue ever, they have Braden Holtby, Corey Crawford and Carey Price. I think I wouldn’t mind any of these goalies being my number one goalie. However Canada is not my favorite to win it all. Sorry Canada!

My second finalist is kind of surprise as I’m backing the young guns with Team North America.

North America is going to surprise a lot of people when they make the semis of this tournament. Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Dylan Larkin and others have a point to prove as the youth movement is coming and they can compete with these vets. They are extremely fast and I think will blow the doors off some of these aging teams.

They have Aaron Ekblad, a kid who plays like 10-year veteran. They also have the hottest goalie in the NHL in Matt Murray. I don’t think he’ll have any issues in this tourney, but again, North America isn’t my favorite to win it all.

My third finalist, and my favorite to win it all, is team Sweden

Sweden is my favorite to win it all strictly because they are the best-rounded team in my opinion. They have Henrik Lundqvist in goal, and we know how good he is at the start of the year. They have the strongest defense core with Victor Hedman and Erik Karlsson looking to lead the way.

Let’s not forget the Vancouver 1^st line with the Sedin twins (Daniel and Henrik) and Loui Eriksson. I think this will be the best line of the tournament and you will see them in the end with the highest point totals. Sweden will win the tournament and they will get back on the top of the world.

My fourth finalist was the hardest to pick, however, I’ll take team USA.

I choose USA based off of heart and grit… No I am not Don Sweeney! I chose USA because they have a point to prove. They aren’t the biggest underdog, but many people don’t think USA will have a good showing in this tournament.

The best part of team USA is John Tortorella. He is a quote machine and makes a good tournament from a media perspective. A lot of team USA’s hope will rely on Patrick Kane, and after a 100-plus point season, I am interested in finding out if he can do it again.

September 17, 2016
Colby’s Corner Sabres’ Swords In the Playoffs

If you have been following the blog at all or just me personally you know I am a huge Buffalo Sabres fan. With this being said, it has been a year since I have written an article about them, so it’s about time for the Sabres update.

The Sabres roster looks a little different going into this season as Chad Johnson, David Legwand and Carlo Colaiacovo’s contracts have expired and they are no longer with the team.

At the 2016 draft, Tim Murray made another trade as the Sabres acquired a top four defenseman Dmitry Kulikov for Mark Pysyk. Another trade at the draft was a 3^rd round pick for the negotiating rights of Jimmy Vesey. Jimmy Vesey was due to become a UFA on August 15^th when Murray acquired him. This gave the Sabres a few weeks to talk with Vesey before that date. In the end, Vesey decided to become a UFA and eventually chose the New York Rangers as his new team.

The team continued to get better as they landed a top free agent in Kyle Okposo for a 7-year, $42 million contract. This figures out to be a six million dollar average annual value (per year cap hit). The Sabres added a few AHL players for Rochester in free agency, the biggest name being Justin Falk, who will fight to be the depth guy in Buffalo. Most of the Sabres offseason was trying to re-sign their current players.

The Sabres gave one-year deals to Zemgus Girgensons, Marcus Foligno, Daniel Catenacci, Cole Schneider and Johan Larsson. Jason Kasdorf, Casey Nelson and Nicolas Deslauriers got 2-year deals. Jake McCabe got a 3-year deal with $1.6M average annual value. There is only one RFA left and that is Rasmus Ristolainen. Not to worry, though, he is expected to sign a big long-term deal keeping him with the Sabres for a while. (As for why Murray is waiting, I have no clue and I am as frustrated as you are.)

So with all of these moves plus adding a top six winger and top four defenseman, what does this mean for the Sabres this upcoming season?

Here are my thoughts on the subject. The Sabres need to be playoff-bound this year for a few reasons:

First, the Atlantic division is completely up for grabs this year. Looking at the division, there isn’t one clear winner like years past. Boston and Montreal have questions defensively to figure out. The Florida Panthers have a lot of new faces, but will they all fit and work together right? Tampa might be the strongest team in the division after keeping Steven Stamkos.

Photo Credit: Bill Wippert

Second, if the Sabres don’t make the playoffs, it could be the end of Dan Bylsma in Buffalo. Bylsma wasn’t Murray first choice to be coach of this team, and if the team doesn’t improve at the rate Murray wants them to, there could be big changes and Bylsma could be one of them.

Finally, do it for Marcus and Zemgus. Folgino and Girgensons had a few question asked of them about production last season. If the team doesn’t make the playoffs this season, these are two guys who could be playing their last season in Buffalo unless their production jumps up dramatically. You may call me crazy for this thought, but it really does hurt me knowing that my favorite player (Girgensons) may be traded at some point.

September 8, 2016
Colby’s Corner Divisional MVP’s –Pacific

Colby’s Corner meets Connor for divisional MVP’s. It will be a four part series, where Connor Keith and I (Colby) will pick, by division, the MVP of the forwards, defensemen and a goalies. This week, the two of us will discuss the Pacific division.

Connor: Forward- Joe Pavelski

Of the three Pacific Division teams to qualify for the playoffs, only San Jose plays an offensive game. Who better to lead that charge than Captain Pavelski, the Pacific forward MVP. This guy does absolutely everything. He’s the leading goal scorer in the division, successful on 17% of attempts, and takes second in points. Oh yeah, on the other end, he also has 67 blocks to his credit (leads San Jose forwards), not to mention his 147 hits.

His closest competition for the honor was actually line-mate Joe Thornton, who leads the division in assists and points. Since they are on the same line, the Joes have the same +25, but the reason Thornton falls off for me is his only taking half the shots Pavelski does while still having a shooting percentage over 15.7%. I know he’s north of 35-years-old, but I feel like Thornton still has a lot to give and could benefit by being on his own line, but that hasn’t happened since the 2013-’14 season if I’m not mistaken.

Colby: Joe Thornton

I like Pavelski, but I had to go with big Jumbo Joe on this one. This year he had 63 assists and 82 points. I have to give it to the man who has been setting up Pavelski all year long. The two of them couldn’t stop connecting all year long and now we are seeing them connect in the playoffs. Both Pavelski and Thornton would be deserving of the reward, I just wanted the assist king to get some love, so I picked big Joe.

Connor: Defender- Brent Burns

Was there much doubt here? This is another man that does everything for the Sharks. He’s scored the second most goals and assists for his entire team to rank third in points, and all of those totals are tops in the division for defensemen. While being a threat to score, he also maintains his blue line presence, having the most blocks on his squad.

Burns’ main detractor is the exact same as Erik Karlsson, an offensive D-man cut from the same cloth. Neither players have positive +/-, which is a price they pay for being more involved on the opposite end of the ice. When it works like it has been this season for the Sharks to get into a playoff spot, it is certainly an issue they can deal with.

Colby: Brent Burns

I can’t argue Brent Burns at all; this man and his beard are both amazing. Burns is a defenseman that the other team has to keep their eye on at all times. He played all 82 games this year and put up 75 points. That means he had a point in 91% of his games. Teams couldn’t stop him or keep him off the scoresheet. If the Sharks have a deep run it’s because of the 3 players we have mentioned so far this year. A nice honorable mention will go to Drew Doughty who put up 51 points and had a plus minus of +24 tops in the top 10 Defenseman by points.

Connor: Goaltender- Jonathan Quick

Quick has some of the strongest numbers in the league, much less the division, and has led his team to barely missing out on their second division title. He leads the division in wins and fell one short of tying for shutouts. Going along with that, he also has 38 quality starts and a .559 quality start rate, which leads those stats of both the remaining goaltenders for the other division qualifiers.

I toyed with choosing Martin Jones for a minute, based simply on how much more work he has to do compared to Quick and John Gibson due to the defense in front of him, but decided against it since save percentage and goals against average were the lowest of the three netminders.

Colby: John Gibson

This one may be a shock but if you look at save percentage and goals against average, John Gibson actually beats Jonathan Quick. Quick was second in the league for wins, however, as he had a .918 save percentage and 2.22 goals against average. Gibson had .920 save percentage and 2.07 GAA, thus edging out Quick. Now I also look at the games Gibson played, but the thing to remember is he didn’t start the year with Anaheim. He was in the AHL and earned a spot on the team and during the run at the end of the year he was the number one goalie. Gibson needs some credit for Anaheim’s huge comeback this season.

April 22, 2016
Colby’s Corner Divisional MVP’s -Metropolitan

Colby’s Corner meets Connor for divisional MVP’s. It will be a four part series, where Connor Keith and I (Colby) will pick, by division, the MVP of the forwards, defensemen and goalies. This week, the two of us will discuss the Metropolitan division.

Connor: Forward – Sid the Kid or Ovi? Sid the Kid or Ovi? Who to choose as the Metro forward MVP?

Personally, I’m leaning towards Crosby. I know, go figure, the Pens fan leans that way. But here’s the thing: Crosby led the Metro in points with his 85, which is 14 more than the Alex Ovechkin. Sure, Ovi has the goals lead by over a dozen, and Crosby doesn’t have the division assists lead (that one actually belongs to Evgeny Kuznetsov). But, the fact that Crosby is a versatile player is what sets him apart. He has the second most goals in the division, and the same is true of assists – hence the points lead. That unpredictability of not knowing whether he’s going to take the shot or dump it off makes him an invaluable weapon.

Colby: Alex Ovechkin

I have to agree with Connor on this one, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby were the best two forwards in this division. Although I’m giving advantage to Ovechkin because Crosby had a horrible start to the season and only really turned it on the final few months of the season. I understand that’s a great time to be hot, but I can’t give a season MVP to a player who didn’t do much in the first half of the year.

Not to mention what Ovechkin did this year: he had a 50 goal season and 70 point year also. Yes, he was on the best team in the league, but a lot of the reasons players like Justin Williams and TJ Oshie are successful is because other teams are trying to focus on Ovechkin. This man had a strong season and ended on a hat-trick in his final few games.

Connor: Defender – Ryan McDonagh

I’m not picking him just because he was a star for my fantasy team this season (But seriously though, he was. Like, fifth highest scorer all season, good for the team that won our league’s President’s Trophy.). Of the three candidates I had for this title, he far and away had the best season. His main competition was Olli Maatta, as Maatta had a +27 on the year to McDonagh’s +26. The thing is though, not only does the Blueshirt lead the Penguin in blocks – in my opinion the primary way of gauging a true defenseman’s efforts – but he also helped himself out by scoring 34 points, including nine goals. Even better than that, not only did he take more shots, but he also connected on 1.7% more of those attempts. What a stud.

The other man that had his hat in the ring was Karl Alzner. I sort of hinted at it before, but I like blocks. A lot. Alzner fits that bill, as he has over 60 more than McDonagh, and even scored more points and assists than Maatta, but you simply can’t look past his +14 rating. I know, what a terrible stat. What some teams wouldn’t give to have that consistency. But, it pales to McDonagh and Maatta’s efforts, eliminating him from contention.

Colby: Kris Letang

I am really surprised Connor didn’t pick this Penguin, so I will. Kris Letang may not be my favorite person but he had a solid year. Letang had 51 assists and 67 points on the year. We also can point out he is 3^rd in points by a defenseman. Among those top 3 defensemen, he had the best plus minus of +9. If we gave Erik Karlsson an MVP in Atlantic, we have to consider Letang for Metro. There, I reached my quota for nice comments about the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Connor: Goaltender – Braden Holtby

This one should be a lot easier than I made it, but I think I’m going to have to go with Holtby. I started out with a tough list of five goaltenders to choose from (Marc-Andre Fleury, Thomas Greiss, Holtby, Michal Neuvirth and Cory Schneider), all goaltenders I consider to be very good. Yes, I’m fully aware I did not include Henrik Lundqvist, but I think it’s safe to say that this was not the best season of his incredible career, as the Rangers had 217 goals against, barely below the league average.

Anyways, back to Holtby. There’s obviously the 48 wins to his credit, although with an offense like Washington’s, I don’t think that’s where you fully gauge him. What really sets him apart from Schneider in this instance is his nine losses. Yes, nine, after taking the decision in 64 games. Schneider? 25 losses, only two fewer than his wins (which, just like Holtby, can be partially attributed to New Jersey’s poor offense).

To close things out, I’m most impressed by Holtby’s success given his age. Whether or not you buy into the theory that goaltenders typically peak around the same age, I think it’s safe to assume that experience will improve your game. Schneider is showing that at the ripe age of 29. Holtby is only 26. If he continues improving until that point, God save the Metropolitan Division. Martin Brodeur to Lundqvist to Holtby is definitely not what those teams were hoping for.

Colby: Braden Holtby

I don’t think this is even a question at this point, when you tie the record for most wins in single season and your name is now with Martin Brodeur, you deserve a trophy. He is a big reason the Caps are as good as they are. I think this was a break out year for him and I think after this season you have to consider him an elite goalie in the NHL. He was the best goalie in the whole league and at this point I hope it just translates to the playoffs.

April 16, 2016
Colby’s Corner Divisional MVP’s- part 2

Colby’s Corner meets Connor for Divisional MVP’s. It will be a four part series, where Connor Keith and I (Colby) will pick, by division, the MVP of the forwards, defensemen and a goalies. This week, the two of us will discuss the Atlantic Division.

Forward

Connor– Patrick Kane

I’m sure this was unexpected. You know, it was a stretch with his league leading 103 points, composed of the second most goals (44) and third most assists. It’s too bad the Hawks don’t have anyone else on their team… Right… These Blackhawks are really good, which almost makes Kane’s incredible numbers even better since he has such competition.

Colby– Patrick Kane

I don’t think it’s a question that this has to be given to Patty Kane. This man knew that this year he had to step up after losing Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad, well he sure did that. This man is one of the first Americans to ever hit 100 points in a single season. The game he hit 100 points in against the Bruins was pure destruction. He finished with 3 goals and an assist. This man can’t be stopped, only slowed down. Hopefully this continues in the World Cup of Hockey, so the United States stands a good chance in it.

Defender

Connor– Colton Parayko

I know, leave it to the Blues fan to pick Parayko. Hear me out, though. I’m usually against picking rookies for these sorts of things, just because I think a few years of experience gives us a better gauge of what to expect. That being said, this kid has a +29 on the entire season. Think about that. That doesn’t just lead his entire team, or even just all Central defenders, but is best in the division, regardless of position. He’s gotten to that position by scoring 33 points and blocking 115 shots. If he can continue this success, he could quickly become one of the top defensemen in the entire NHL.

Colby– Roman Josi

Okay Connor, you are nuts with this one. Parayko isn’t even going to be a finalist for Calder. I am not picking him for this division. I have to give it to Roman Josi. This man is 4^th in points of defenseman with 61 points. Connor, that’s 28 points ahead of your man up there. He may be a minus on the season, but the difference is the team he has with him. James Neal isn’t Vladimir Tarasenko and it’s ultimately him and Weber out there playing defense. Josi is also 1o^th in goals scored by defenseman. This was a good break out season, but I am taking Josi for my pick.

Goaltender

Connor– Brian Elliott

This one is tough, as there is such a disparity in games played between the top two goaltenders in this division. That being said, Brian Elliott, who has played in 37 games for a 21-7-6 record, is deserving of this honor. With four shutout victories, he has a 93.2% save percentage and a 2.00 GAA, both tops in the league, for 24 quality starts (.706 QS%)

Corey Crawford actually leads Elliott in a few stats, including wins and winning percentage, shutouts, and quality starts, but he also has 20 more games played to his advantage. Elliott has had to fight both injuries and Jake Allen for the starting job, which makes his efforts even more special.

Colby– Corey Crawford

It’s funny you mention Crawford because he is my pick for the goaltender MVP of this division. Just like you said, he edges Elliott including wins with Crawford having 35 wins thus far on the season. You look at it as fewer games giving Elliott an advantage, I disagree. Part of the NHL is staying healthy and Elliott couldn’t do that, just like he can’t keep the number one job there in St. Louis. Jake Allen and Elliott have split time and that proves he’s not good enough to keep the number one slot. If you want to bring Crawford’s backup Darling in this, remember Darling won Chicago a playoff, something neither goalie in St. Louis has done yet. Sorry Connor. Rant over.

April 8, 2016
Colby’s Corner Meets Connor- Part 1: Atlantic

Colby’s Corner Meets Connor will be a four part series, where Connor Keith and I (Colby) will pick, by division, the MVP of the forwards, defensemen and a goalies. This week, the two of us will discuss the Atlantic Division.

Forwards

Connor: Steven Stamkos

Stamkos is my choice for top forward in the division, based almost solely on his goals scored. As of the time of my writing this, he has 36 goals, tying him for fourth in the league and first in the division. Although that is only one more tally than Brad Marchand, Stamkos’ 64 points is eight clear of Marchand’s efforts.

What also separates the two is the expectations placed upon each. Boston is not 100% dependent on the success of Marchand. They have Patrice Bergeron and Loui Eriksson, who combine to score 56 goals before Marchand adds his 35 tallies. In Tampa Bay, the only other skater with more than 15 goals is Nikita Kucherov, meaning that Stamkos’ efforts are even more vital on the offensive end for his club.

Colby: Jaromir Jagr

This may surprise some people, but I think the ageless wonder needs a lot of credit for where these young Florida Panthers are. The 44-year-old legend has another 60 plus points this season. Jagr is top 25 in the league in points this season and he is a huge part of one of the strongest lines in the league this year – that line being Jagr, Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. I wouldn’t say his numbers are what makes him an MVP; his experience and age are why I am handing him the MVP of the division. It’s also hard to argue with Stamkos’s numbers as Connor pointed out. But if we went by players’ actions, Stamkos’ contract issues and the fact he may leave, I will take my leader in Jagr.

Defender

Colby: Erik Karlsson

I don’t think there is much question here. Erik Karlsson is by far the best defenseman in this division and the reason there is no argument is because of 63: the number of assists this beast has this year. However, the only issue I have with him is the horrible plus minus he has, a measly plus 2. This reminds me of Alex Ovechkin from a few seasons ago, who led the league for worst plus minus.

Ottawa has an issue to solve, as they still haven’t found a good partner for Karlsson in their organization. If Ottawa can find that player, the Senators would probably have the 3^rd division spot this year. Instead, they and the rest of the Canadian teams are golfing. Or maybe curling; isn’t there still snow and ice up there?

Connor: Victor Hedman

It’s another Bolt for my defensive pick. Colby and I both agree that Erik Karlsson is the best in the division, but I want to bring a different look to the situation than simply both of us agreeing here. I think Victor Hedman is a valid choice to complete the pair with Karlsson. His 36 assists lead his squad, and he has the third most points (44) for a +23 on the year. On the other end, his 130 blocks lead the Lightning by a solid margin.

Goaltenders

Connor: Ben Bishop

I hate to pick all Lightning, but Bishop is probably the easiest of these three choices. He ranks second best in the league in both GAA (2.02) and save percentage (.928), giving him 33 wins (tied for sixth most), six of which were shutouts (tied for second most). After falling in the Stanley Cup Finals a year ago, he is one of, if not the reason Tampa has no tee times scheduled anytime soon.

Colby: Roberto Luongo

I am selecting another Florida goalie, however this one is from the Panthers. I think Bishop is a strong candidate for this position, but Luongo is another goalie whose numbers are very similar. Luongo has 32 wins in the season and a .921 save percentage. Both of these goalies are tops in the league; I think handing out an MVP to either one would be fair. I think the numbers from earlier in the year would give the advantage to Luongo. However, late in the season, he is slowing down as he grows another year older, which is affecting his play.

April 2, 2016
Colby’s Corner: I Believe I Can Flyer

By: Colby Kephart

Whether you like the title or not, in this article I will be discussing the last wildcard spot in both the Eastern and Western conferences. Most teams are down to the final 10 or so games in the season and it’s make-or-break time.

The Eastern Conference is up first, and there are four teams who are playing this thing down to the end. These teams are: Pittsburgh Penguins, 82 pts; Detroit Red Wings 81pts; Philadelphia Flyers, 80 pts, and Carolina Hurricanes 75 pts. The two Pennsylvania teams are my pick to hold these wildcard spots until the end. I don’t think the Penguins will play that badly down the stretch to have to really worry. Even though Detroit has a one point ahead of the Flyers, I see the Flyers taking and not giving up that last spot.

The Flyers have been playing really good hockey at the moment: they are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games. They are doing all this without a key member of their team, Jakub Voracek, who has missed the team’s last 9 games. They have been able to do this because of a great play from Brayden Schenn, Michael Raffl and stellar rookie Shayne Gostisbehere. Schenn is having a career year with 24 goals and 24 assists, for a 48-pt total, including a huge goal Wednesday, March 16^th versus the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Carolina Hurricanes are a far stretch, but it is still possible for them. Overall, I think both Carolina and Detroit will be on the outside looking in as the season concludes, ending Detroit’s playoff streak.

The Western Conference is much clearer to me as two teams, the Minnesota Wild and the Colorado Avalanche, are battling out for the final wildcard. The Avalanche have 76 pts and the Wild have 75 pts. These two teams will battle to the wire, I feel.

I am going to pick Colorado on this side, I feel they added better at the deadline and I think it will pay off in the long run. I think Colorado would also be in a much better position if all their goalies weren’t hurt every other game this season.

Even though I picked Colorado, I think Minnesota is playing better hockey at the moment. Ever since they fired Mike Yeo, the team stormed out the gate and put them in position to battle for this spot. I picked Colorado at the beginning of the season and I am sticking with them. I think Minnesota will regret not firing Yeo sooner, and I think they will join him in spending the offseason golfing while Colorado is still playing hockey.

March 18, 2016
Colby’s Corner: World Takeover

By: Hannah Mixer

Colby’s Corner has been taken over this week! Since boys have no fashion sense, they invited a girl to write their fashion article on the World Cup of Hockey. My first opinion is that I find it interesting that we have a North American team in addition to the US and Canada. Seems silly to me, but not my place. On to the more interesting opinion: the fashion!

Canada’s jerseys are classically Canadian. The red and white are simple and classy, and the sleeves have the shape of the maple leaf (if you didn’t notice). For someone with little knowledge of hockey, Canada’s jersey was easy to identify. Grade: A.

Next is the Czech Republic. They incorporated their history by using the lion from their coat of arms, which originally symbolized Bohemia when they became the Republic. The red and white colors symbolize Moravia, and the final color, navy, also appears on their coat of arms, though I am not sure that it symbolizes anything. I like this jersey because of its historical content, plus the simple colors and design make it appealing to the eyes. Grade: A

The European jersey is not one of my favorites. My favorite color is a turquoise blue. The colors in this jersey should be appealing to me, but the design makes them less so. I do not like the color blocking that goes vertically down the middle of the jersey. I like the use of the hockey stick to create an E in the logo. Overall, I give it the grade of ‘ehh’. (But really, Grade: C)

Finland’s jerseys are slightly more appealing. Though I know I said I liked the horizontal blocking in the Czech Republic, this one, not so much. The colors are perfectly appealing, I just do not like the structure, personally. Suomi means “Our Land” in Finnish, and I think the use of this on the jersey is lovely. They also incorporate their crest, which I like. Grade: B+.

North America’s jersey is…interesting. It is very dark and very plain. The large NA makes it simple to identify. I like black and gray, and wear a lot of it myself, but I do not expect a hockey jersey to be so dark with hardly any accents. The Penguins and the Bruins have black jerseys, but they accent it with bright colors. Even the C on North America’s jersey is a dark, dull red. North America is such a bright and lovely place, their jersey should reflect that! Grade: B.

Russia’s jersey is a nice change from the previous three. Not my favorite, but I at least like it. A simple white with blue and red stripes on the arms. Again, use of a historical crest, and the shoulder stripe. Their C is sharply demarcated, whereas I prefer the softer, curved C. The only downside to this jersey is that blood stains white a whole lot easier than the darker colors. Let’s hope there are no fights! Grade: A-.

Sweden’s jersey is Colby’s favorite. Personally, I don’t think it’s bad, though Canada is still my favorite. I like the blue and gold, and the three crowns are the national emblem of Sweden. You know by now how I feel about incorporating history. This is the only jersey whose accented color on the sleeve ends at the wrist. I like this because the accent isn’t too large, like the Czech Republic, but more subtle. It feels more like an accent. The thin gold piping around the neck is lovely also. The perfect touch on the second best jersey. Grade: A.

Finally, we have the US jersey. I know that as an American, this jersey should automatically top my list, but sadly it does not. I expected more from us. Red, white, and blue are our colors, though the blue is not the same blue as is on our flag. In addition, the USA symbol is not at all historical or symbolic of us, besides the lettering. The red blocks in the elbow are nice enough, but again, just ehh. I’ll be nice and give it a B.

If you like the feminine perspective, give me a shout and I’d be happy to pop in from time to time and take over Colby’s Corner. Hannah out.

March 9, 2016
Colby’s Corner: Deadline Day Confessions

The NHL trade deadline is one of my favorite times of the year. At the start of the season it’s the most important date to locate during the season. It’s where all the rumors and speculation either comes true or proves to be fake. To me, as a Sabres fan, it was also saying goodbye to players and hello to draft picks. But this year was supposed to be different…or so I thought.

There were so many rumors and sagas going on, I felt any team could make a hockey deal and add players. With names out there like Jonathan Drouin, Cam Fowler and Brandon Pirri, people thought that they could move. I was excited knowing that these young players could join Buffalo and make them a better team.

But it wasn’t just me who was excited, as Boston fans sat around waiting to see what was going to happen with Loui Eriksson. Loui was one of the biggest unrestricted free agents who could’ve gotten moved at the deadline. Bruins fans were following ‘will Loui sign an extension,’ ‘will they flip him for a big move and bring in defensive help’ or ‘will they treat him like a rental’.

Finally, we had Vancouver and Dan Hamhuis, arguably the biggest defenseman who could’ve been on the move. Everyone kept wondering if Vancouver would sell or do they still think they have a chance for playoffs.

Well, with all of these stories leading into the deadline, I expected a lot big moves. I don’t know if I got my hopes up too much or I read too much into the rumors, but this trade deadline was a complete bust. This trade deadline coverage was ridiculous; I felt bad for TSN and Sportsnet, they had to tell stories just to fill air time. The Deadline Day saw 19 deals and 34 players moved, highlighted by the move of Kris Russell to the Dallas Stars.

After all the rumors about Eriksson and Drouin, nothing changed for either of them. Loui is still looking for a contract extension and Drouin is still not playing hockey, sitting out because he refuses to play in the AHL.

The general manager of Buffalo, Tim Murray, described the deadline as ridiculous. He went on to complain how everyone waited until the final hour before they started trying to make moves. He compared it to a bunch of high schoolers waiting till right before the deadline to try and get their work done.

This deadline had huge potential for a lot of hockey trades that could benefit both teams, and the trigger was never pulled. This was a deadline highlighted by rental players and small ones at that. Andrew Ladd was traded to Chicago before deadline day, so excluding him for not being on deadline day. The big names moved on deadline day were Kris Russell to Dallas, Mikhail Boedker to Colorado, and Jamie McGinn to Anaheim.

If you think of past years names like Marian Gaborik, Rick Nash and Marian Hossa were all added to teams and improved them dramatically, and in most cases lead them to the Stanley Cup Finals. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Russell, McGinn and Boedker aren’t going to help their new teams. I just think when playoffs come around these players aren’t impact players; they aren’t going to put huge points up and score the important goals for the teams.

With all this being said, I think when draft comes around, we could see more moves. But if you ask me, I am not buying these rumors and I will sit back until the deals are actually made.

March 5, 2016
Colby’s Corner: No, McDavid Can’t Win the Calder
Hockey Hall of Fame

I hope everyone is ready for a rant, as I have been reading speculation around the Calder Memorial Trophy this year. The Calder is given to the rookie of the year, and with the high level of talent from the rookies this year, the race will go to the end of the season. If I were to rank the top five rookies today, they would go as followed.
1. CHI Artemi Panarin G 22 A 35 GP 60
2. DET Dylan Larkin G 19 A 20 GP 57
3. PHL Shayne Gotisbehere G 12 A 22 GP 40
4. AIZ Max Domi G 17 A 24 GP 58
5. BUF Jack Eichel G 17 A 24 GP 60
DNQ: Connor McDavid G 10 A 17 GP 23

Artemi Panarin deserves to win the Calder this year; this man has 57 points thus far this season. At his current points-per-game pace, it has him around the high 70’s this season for a rookie. Yes, I understand that he is on the best team out of all of the rookies and he plays with Patrick Kane, but you can’t argue with the point total. The second closest players in points are Max Domi and Jack Eichel with 41.

Dylan Larkin is second because of the impact he has for Detroit. This team has rallied around him in hopes of keeping the playoff streak alive. Another reason is because of his phenomenal plus-minus stat: plus 21 on the season. This is incredible and shows how dynamic his game is, both offensively and defensively.

Another name that might surprise a few (and shouldn’t) would be Shayne Gotisbehere of the Flyers. He makes my list at number three because of his 16-game point streak and his 34 points by a defenseman in just 40 games played. He has been a great change for Philly and I think the longer his game streak continues, I could see him jumping past Larkin at the number two spot.

Max Domi and Jack Eichel round out my final five as they are both tied on points. I placed Domi above Eichel because he has the same amount of points in two fewer games. Sorry Sabres fans, don’t hurt me.

Now for the rant section. Connor McDavid did not qualify in my book and it is not his fault at all. When he broke his collarbone and missed all those games, I wrote him off as all of you should have, but most didn’t. I understand the kid was the first overall pick and he is very talented, but you can’t give a rookie of the year to a player who can only play 45 games on the season. He has great numbers with 27 points in 23 games played, but the Oilers only have 22 games left.

Unless McDavid can put up 60 points in 45 games, I don’t see how you can reward a player who didn’t play most of the schedule. Players like Eichel and Panarin who haven’t missed a game deserve to be rewarded for that. Injuries are part of the game and the challenge is staying healthy all year long. If McDavid had only missed 10-15 games I would allow him in the race, but he missed 30 plus games and that doesn’t deserve the Calder. Sorry, kid.

I think my ranking from 2-5 will change, but I don’t see Panarin losing the top spot, as he has a 16 point lead over everyone. If you disagree and want to tell me why, shoot me a message or comment.
February 22, 2016