Hockey30 thoughts: Jeering, cheering and why GMs love Brian Burke

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Sorry, ladies and gentlemen, that this has been delayed. I’m just going to post the 30 thoughts, because I’m trying to get something else done.

Hope you enjoy:

1. First and foremost, the best thing I saw all week was Ben Fanelli, normal teenager. If you didn’t know he’d been seriously injured, you wouldn’t have thought anything was wrong. His family was smiling and at ease. Good for them, hope it continues.

2. When Jay Bouwmeester was traded to Calgary, he phoned former teammate Jamie McLennan, now the Flames goaltending coach. He wanted to play with a goalie on the level of Roberto Luongo, and, because he didn’t see Miikka Kiprusoff too much in the East, needed to be convinced.

3. One of the things McLennan told Bouwmeester is that Kiprusoff and Luongo are very similar when in comes to handling dump-ins. Luongo is very vocal (Panthers teammates called him “The General”) and Kiprusoff is similar. He may be quiet off the ice, but on it, he’s constantly yelling directions to his defenceman. Bouwmeester loved that.

4. One more Kiprusoff story: As he began to make big money, he tried to buy his dad a car. His dad said, “What’s wrong with my car now?” Kiprusoff said nothing, so his dad told him to save his money. Same thing with a bigger condominium. Finally, the goalie remembered how much his father loved a cottage out in the country, and bought it for him without asking.

5. Bouwmeester says he has absolutely no regrets about not testing free agency. First, he says he found a spot that makes him happy. Second, he didn’t want the aggravation of eight teams calling him at the same time and demanding an immediate answer.

6. People who know a lot more about goaltending than I do always say you can tell a successful one by how little he moves. If a goalie is “busy” (i.e., Marc-Andre Fleury early in his career), that’s not a good sign. Using that as a standard, I have never seen a more confident-looking netminder than Ryan Miller right now.

7. Miller said he focused on his hips this summer to increase movement. Guess it helped.

8. One example of how Lindy Ruff is doing things a little different this year: Before a two-game trip to Florida in October, players asked for an extra day in the Sunshine State for some team bonding. Ruff agreed. “He never would have done that before,” one player said. The Sabres rewarded his faith with two victories.

9. Darryl Sutter really likes Tyler Myers.

10. Thing I Hated Most About Last Week: Columbus fans jeering Steve Mason. Look, I understand you’re sick of losing to Detroit. I understand you don’t deserve to witness 9-1 beating with your hard-earned money. But, why take it out on a 21-year-old who got you into the playoffs last year?

11. One GM on Brian Burke: “His biggest challenge now is to get a first-rounder in a trade.” (In case you’re living with Bin Laden, you know he doesn’t have one this year.) However, there are only two (Kessel, Schenn), maybe three (Gustavsson) players on his roster who could get one. And, does dealing any of them for a pick improve Toronto in the long run?

12. Why some GMs love Burke: They used the huge scrums around him to escape the meetings undetected last week.

13. Another executive on trade discussions: “Dead.” Why? Because of all the players on Long-Term Injury (LTI). For example, take a cap team like Philly. The Flyers have Simon Gagne on LTI, which means his $5.25 million US salary doesn’t count. But, when he comes back, it will. So, if Philly wants to make a deal, it has to be aware that, at some point, Gagne will be on the cap, too. It’s brutal.

14. There is approximately $180 million worth of players injured right now. (I’m talking either LTI or just out for a few games. That’s more than 10 per cent of each team’s available cap space.)

15. Why NHL GMs are now more serious about head shots: Colin Campbell has a son in the league. So does Steve Tambellini. Darryl Sutter’s is close, and his nephew (Brent’s son) was seriously injured last year. George McPhee has a young boy playing hockey. It’s always different when it’s your child.

16. Another reason: Imagine you’re the Florida Panthers. You’ve committed $25.5 million to David Booth. He may never play again. Tell that to your owner.

17. Nothing but the best for Jose Theodore. He’s been through enough.

18. Pittsburgh’s defence Opening Night: Gonchar, Orpik, Letang, Goligoski, Eaton, McKee. Pittsburgh’s defence Monday night: Eaton, McKee, Engelland, Guenin, Lovejoy, Skoula. Bit of a difference.

19. One assessment of Boston Bruins: “Boy do they work hard, but they have no finish.”

20. Remember Burke once saying – affectionately – that Randy Carlyle is “a grouch.” That’s OK when things are going well, but it’s tough when they’re going badly. Do believe Bob Murray when he says his coach isn’t going anywhere, though.

21. What does this say for Chris Pronger? Traded from St. Louis in 2005, the Blues need three years to get back to the playoffs. Traded from Edmonton in 2006, Oilers are 0-for-3. Now, Anaheim’s in trouble.

22. Lost in the disappointment that is Edmonton’s season: Ladislav Smid (traded for Pronger) is turning into a very good defenceman.

23. Why does anyone think Toronto would trade for J-S Giguere? It makes no sense.

24. Ugh Award: Joe Sacco calling Colorado’s game Saturday against Vancouver a “must-win.” They lost 8-2. John Madden (the football one) HATED that term. He would always ask, “Well, what do you do if you lose?”

25. Great quote: PA Parenteau, on being selected to score what would be the shootout winner against Ottawa: “Torts asked me if I was doing well in the minors in the shootout and I said, ‘I do pretty well, decent,' so he gave me a shot.” I wonder if Tortorella actually checked after the game.

26. Cory Clouston, another victim of Alex Kovalev.

27. Interesting that NHL.com broke the story of Brendan Shanahan’s retirement. Wonder if that means he’ll be the league’s newest employee.

28. Some of Luke Schenn’s slump has to do with the fact the Leafs’ coaching staff believes a defenceman should always use two hands on the stick in their own zone. Schenn never played that way before, and there are still moments he has to stop himself from doing it instinctively.

29. Moment I: Josh Gorges game-winning goal in the season opener. Moment II: Alex Ovechkin’s first-minute goal two nights later. There are others, but those stand out.

30. Strangeness: On the night David Perron scored the first hat trick of his NHL career (against Vancouver), Andy Murray benched him for taking a dumb penalty. That’s like Petr Klima’s overtime winner in 1990 (Cup Final, Edmonton vs. Boston) after picking splinters from his tush all night.

Have a question for Elliotte? Send an email to: CBCHockeyOnline@cbc.ca

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