There are so many versions of Christmas music out there, I decided to list my favorite songs as well as my favorite versions. I like the upbeat, happy Christmas songs over the overwrought melodramatic/somber/sad ones.
In no particular order.....
All I Want For Christmas - Mariah Carey
Overplayed? Yes. Bubblegum pop-y? Yep. Do I care? Nope.
White Christmas - Bing Crosby
Classic version from such a fantastic crooner.
The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole
And I don't even like chestnuts all that much.
Something About Christmas Time - Bryan Adams
Might be my favorite contemporary Christmas pop song.
Santa Claus is Comin' To Town - Bruce Springsteen
Practice real hard so Santa can bring you a brand new saxophone.
Merry Christmas Baby - Bruce Springsteen
I'm really not that into Bruce, but this song makes me sort of get it.
Jingle Bell Rock - Hall & Oates
Might have more to do with their cheesy music video, but I love their version the best.
Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Peggy Lee
Fun fact: I always thought it sounded like "later we'll have some f***ing pie". Took me several years to listen to that without laughing
Sleigh Ride - Harry Connick Jr
I dig the swing-y style of this version over the doo wap-ish Rondelles version.
Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer - Harry Connick Jr
Harry's first Christmas album was a true gem. This version is so much fun.
Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney
Not sure why this song gets so much hate. I have always loved this song.
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - John Mellencamp
Johnny brings the folksy twang. The violin/fiddle is a welcomed addition. Could do without the children singing at the end, but what are you gonna do?
Do They Know It's Christmas? - Band Aid
All Star lineup singing about Christmas and helping the less fortunate with an 80s sound like nothing else. Sign me up.
A Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives
I have a theory that Burl Ives was actually Santa Claus for a few years, because Burl was more Christmas-y.
Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses
New Wave Christmas music. Once the horns kick in, this song is tough to beat.
I'll Be Home For Christmas - Bing Crosby
Another classic
Its The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year - Andy Williams
Because IT IS! A few dated references and jargon might get a little cringy, but Andy mellow voice smooths over any rough edges.
Step Into Christmas - Elton John
Upbeat, fun, catchy, and dedicated to having the Christmas spirit. A big win for Sir Elton.
Christmas Time is Here - Vince Guaraldi
One of my few somber Christmas favorites. This song's eternal connection to Charlie Brown and the Peanuts is perfect.
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas - Johnny Mathis
I sing this song to myself every year while putting up the Christmas lights. No, really.
Mele Kalikimaka - Bing Crosby
Best Hawaiian Christmas song ever.
Here Comes Santa Claus - Elvis Presley
The King knew his way around a Christmas album. Just ahead of Blue Christmas for me.
Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano
Getting dangerously close to being overplayed for me since the local radio station makes sure they play it once every hour.
Let It Snow - Dean Martin
You're right, this isn't really a Christmas song, but I'll allow it.
Last Christmas - Wham!
George Michael knows how to sing a hit song no matter the season.
Christmas in Hollis - Run DMC
Helps make Die Hard a great Christmas movie
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Sunday, November 12, 2017
Handicapping NHL94, Take 2
Same basic format as the last time I did this, but a little stricter on the ceiling for overall ratings. The cutoff for forwards is 70 overall (instead of 75), while defensemen have a cutoff at 60. Belfour and Roy will stay off the ice as the only forbidden goalies, but might need to switch to the back up if a team with goalies in the next tier (BUF, PHI, PIT, STL, TOR, WPG) have a few too many shutouts. I will not be as lenient this time around. Lose in the 1st round? Move on to the next team. Hat trick gets you benched for rest of the game, but not the entire playoffs. Been trying not to use turbo in my own zone to catch up to breakaways, but that is not necessarily a hard and fast rule.
Playing with these limitations has changed my playing style. Fewer big hits and more poke checks on D. Try to bump the puck carrier just outside of the goal instead of checking. Much more patient on offense, always looking for someone cutting to the middle for a one timer. Most shots are from in close to the net, unless its a one-timer. I have to work SO much harder for every advantage. Winning the Cup with these teams will feel like a real accomplishment. Only teams that did not win 4 games: BUF, DAL, HFD, QUE
Anaheim:
Semonov-Loach-Loney, Ladoucer-Hill
No lineup changes. They have the lowest average player rating as a team. Surprisingly, I could still find ways to score. Loney scored a hat trick vs VAN (Rd 1). Semenov with a hatty and a GWG in 2OT vs LAK(Rd 3). Loach with 3Gs in the Final. King was the sub. D played well. Surprisingly balanced team all around. Missed the individual goal totals, but assume it was Loach leading with about 5 goals.
4 games, 4 wins. 15 GF, 7 GA (4 games)
Boston:
Donato-Ruzicka-Kvartalnov, Murphy-Featherstone
Best and fastest team in this format. Could not get in a goal scoring rhythm in Game 1, or else the total goals would have been even higher. Murphy added a goal scoring D to the mix, which is now rare. Lost Joey Juneau from the first time around, but this team was so stacked he wasn't missed. Ruzicka, 9Gs
4 Games, 4 wins. 25 GF, 4 GA
Buffalo:
Khmylev-Audette-Erry, Ledyard-Smehlik
This team was slow the last time around, but benching Hawerchuk for Audette kept this team in 1st gear. DH cleared the way for the offense the last time around, so without him there was less space. Audette plays strong around the net for rebounds, but doesn't push the play. Both wingers disappeared. Scoring was already a chore, but getting pucks past Roy was too much for this squad. 2nd round loss to MTL, 1-2.
Audette, 3G.
2 Games, 1 win. 4 GF, 2 GA
Calgary:
Ashton-Ranheim-Skrudland, Musil-Johansson
Thought this team would take a beating after changing the overall skill limit from 75 to 70. So wrong. Ranheim and Otto are both perfect for this format, and Otto doesn't even start. Any goal scored by anyone else is a bonus. The team has the fiercest forecheck overall. They can hem the opponent in their own zone and suffocate them. Although the Flames bogged down vs DAL in round 2 for some reason.
Ranheim, 10G.
4 Games, 4 wins. 24 GF, 2 GA
Chicago:
Goulet-Graham-Noonan, Russell-Marchment, Waite (G)
Above average team. They can score, but in small doses. Don't have to work as hard as the Ducks, but goals don't come as easy as the Flames. D is able to slow down the opponents, mainly by acting like speed bumps. Marchment can make things happen with his passes. But no question about it: Goulet is the scorer. If Graham was a little more accurate, he would dominate (or be benched for being too good)
Goulet, 8G
4 Games, 4 wins. 21 GF, 6 GA
Dallas:
Gilchrist-Broten-Craig, Sjodin-Johnson
Team passing is their strength. Scoring goals off of well timed passes. Nothing individual here. Sjodin is so tempting to use on offense, but he consistently misses the net....by several feet. McPhee subs in well to keep the same dynamic, but this is ultimately the Neil Broten show. Too bad Stevie Y one timed his way to victory in Game 3.
Broten, 4G
3 Games, 2 wins. 9 GF, 3 GA
Detroit:
Sheppard-Kozlov-Gallant, Racine-Konstantinov
Scoring started off as a chore until they figured out the one-timer. Sheppard parks in the crease and knocks everything in. Gallant tried to do the same, but from a little further out on the wing. Cashed in on several opponent turnovers to generate their offense. Kozlov padded his stats with a couple of breakaways in garbage time.
Kozlov, 7G
4 Games, 4 wins. 22 GF, 2 GA
Edmonton:
Elik-Todd-Ciger, Smith-Benning
Ranford(G) has a strange knack to give up the "Forsburg Goal", where the puck slides in on the opposite side of where the skater goes. Elik forces the action when he drives to the net. The other forwards will sort of pitch in. Weight was a pleasant surprise off the bench. Defense likes to guard the boards instead of the net, so that's a problem. Offense was hot and cold, but at least its balanced across the front line.
Elik, 8G (including OT GWG in the semis vs VAN)
4 Games, 4 wins. 16 GF, 6 GA
Florida:
Hough-Lomakin-Berlanger, Richer-Cirella
No updates needed for this trash heap since they are still below the thresholds I set. Hough seemed to find the scoring touch with slot crossing backhanders, which turned into the foundation of the offense. Then after making sure Richer rarely touches the puck, things started to click. The non-Hough forwards started to contribute once they didn't have any expectations to meet.
Belanger, 6G
4 Games, 4 wins. 17 GF, 6 GA
Hartford:
Nylander-Cassels-Kron, Pederson-Ladouceur
Feast or Famine. This team put up 8, 6, 2 and 2 goals. Nylander has the speed/agility to be a decent player, but shots are spotty. Cassels scores goals, but is prone to miss open nets. Kron had zero expectations, but scored 5 goals. I refuse to talk about the defense. Yake was the first sub, but I can't remember why he wasn't in the starting line up, but didn't change it. Lost to VAN in the finals in OT, 3-2.
Cassels, 6G
4 Games, 3 wins. 18 GF, 7 GA
Los Angeles:
Millen-Donnelly-Loach, Sydor-Huddy
The new skill cutoffs brings this team back down to Earth. Donnelly is still everywhere, but he needs help and is not getting it. Loach is dull but Millen was a decent contributor, who ended up getting goals from Donnelly's wheeling/dealing. Solid D keeps them in games by not giving up dumb goals. Sydor had a few goals for his efforts. This team has the best PP. Lots of crisp passing (but only on PP)
Millen, 5G
4 Games, 4 wins. 15 GF, 3 GA
Montreal:
Leeman-Keane-Carbonneau/Dionne, Daigneault-Brisebois
Uphill climb for the offense. The talent is there, but most shots are easily blocked/saved. Cue Daigneault to come in to save the day. His slapper actually finds the net on occasion, plus he carries the puck better than some wingers (looking at you, Carbonneau). Dionne subbed in substantially and scored some goals that #21 couldn't. The whole team had to keep an eye on their own net since they have Racicot back there, not Roy. Total goals is misleading after a 9-0 win over ANH. Only 4 goal scorers in 4 games.
Keane, 8G
4 Games, 4 wins. 22 GF, 5 GA
New Jersey:
Zelepukin-MacLean-Nicholls, Neidermayer-Albelin
Lost Driver at the last minute due to the new cut off, which significantly made the D worse.
Borderline player Zelepukin has good speed and decent moves around the net to get some good goals, but had to sit for the finals for being too dominant. Stastny is a welcome addition off the bench, but can't quite break into the starting lineup. Neids was a disappointment with the puck, but held his own in front of their goalie (who gives up a lot of softies). Entire team has good chemistry, with some pinpoint passing, completely opposite of the last time. This team hung 11 on HFD.
Zelepukin/MacLean, 9 G each
4 Games, 4 wins. 31 GF, 7 GA
New York Islanders:
King-Ferraro-Volek, Kurvers-Norton
Patient full backs that methodically bull their way to the net. A few wrist shots/slap shots/one timers, but this team works best when they take it straight to you. All skaters are relatively the same, so any of them can pull out a hatty. Volek had a hat trick in the first 3 mins of the semis vs QUE. Dmen are fast enough and agile enough to make handing the puck not a chore.
Volek, 8G
4 Games, 4 wins. 27 GF, 6 GA
New York Rangers:
Kovalev-Amonte-Olczyk, Zubov-Cirella
Tony Amonte is driving and Eddie Olczyk is riding shotgun. Everyone else get out of the way. Kovalev was a ghost, barely scratching the score sheet in the first 2 games, then became a beast in games 3&4. The D is slow, but smart. Zubov can make things happen with the puck. Forgot about Graves and Turcotte completely. They still qualify in this format, but I just didn't use them. Could have broke 30 goals with this team with #8 & #9.
Amonte, 8G
4 Games, 4 wins. 22 GF, 6 GA
Ottawa:
Baker-Kudelski-Smail, Shaw-Hammond
Well rounded team that could use some shot accuracy. Mostly grinders. Defense was spotty and goal tending was good enough. Used RW as a platoon position between Smail and Lamb for offense/defense situations. Although both did well enough with their opposite specialty. Kudelski led the goal scoring, but I believe that anyone playing C would have done the same. Baker disappointed a bit.
Kudelski, 5G
4 Games, 4 wins. 13 GF, 5 GA
Philadelphia:
Acton-Lomakin-Beranek, Hawgood-Galley
Oh man, these new rules really stick it to the Flyers. Big drop off in talent. Goals had to be one-timers or they weren't going in. Felt like an expansion team. Had to play through a second time after losing what I typed. Only forward goal scoring with Acton leading the way. Beranek with the OT GWG in the Finals vs VAN. Almost had 4 shutouts, which wasn't close to happening the first time. Go figure.
Acton, 4G
4 Games, 4 wins. 9 GF, 1 GA
Pittsburgh:
Tocchet-McEachern-Straka, K.Samuelsson-Stanton
I loved playing with Straka. He seemed to have a 6th sense about the puck, always in the right place. Too bad that didn't translate to as much scoring as I expected. Tocchet was a damn sniper. McEachern filled the middle lanes better than he carried the puck, so it was a balance. D was non-existent, chipping in only a couple assists and cleaning up after Barrasso's rebounds.
Tocchet, 9G
4 Games, 4 wins. 20 GF, 4 GA
Quebec:
Lapointe-Young-Rucinsky, Foote-Tatarinov
Score a ton against mediocre/bad D, but struggle against decent/good D. Feast or famine, like the Whalers. Young and Lapointe are both on the cusp of being good, but both fall short. Mostly interchangeable forwards but they have a bit of a scoring touch. Foote can make some things happen, but has a terrible shot. Huge upset in the semis, with HFD winning a defensive battle, 1-0.
Young, 5G
3 Games, 2 wins. 15 GF, 4 GA
San Jose:
Falloon-Berezan-Gaudreau, Ozolinsh-Wilkinson
Is there another player as frustrating as Falloon? Good speed/agility can create shots, but will miss the water if he fell out of a boat. All goals had to be in close. The D have some speed to make things happen on the offensive end, especially Ozolinsh. Scores were low and had to grind out victories. Irbe was....not good. Highest GAA for a goalie in this format.
Falloon, 6G
4 Games, 4 wins. 16 GF, 8 GA
St Louis:
Miller-Sutter-Bassen, Crossman-Butcher
Mostly a one man show with Sutter. Team goes as Sutter goes, but Bassen can hang with him to chip in. Miller is no slouch with some goals to show for his efforts. D is passable, but far from game changing.
Bassen, 6G
4 Games, 4 wins. 18 GF, 5 GA
Tampa Bay:
Andersson-Kontos-Kasper, Hamrlik-Bergevin
Goals were initially tough to come by, but things opened up in later rounds. Andersson has some jam, but Kontos has the touch. Between them they make one good player. Kasper is a prototype grinder, without much skill. Bureau was awesome off the bench for a couple goals. D is just meh.
Kontos, 9G
4 Games, 4 wins. 21 GF, 5 GA
Toronto:
Krushelski-Cullen-Zezel, Macoun-Gill
This is a great overall team considering the restrictions. All Fs are in the 60s and all the D are in the 50s. However, the D were consistently out of position, but they were able to unleash a few slapshots from outside that actually resulted in goals, so I could overlook it. The Sabres gave them everything they could handle in the finals, but the Leafs gutted out their only close game 3-2 behind Zezel's hat trick. The 3 starting forwards ended up with 11 points each.
Zezel, 8G
4 Games, 4 wins. 23 GF, 3 GA
Vancouver:
Semenov-Momesso-Craven/Nedved, Lidster-Plavsic/Diduck
What a struggle for a team that was supposed to be one of the better teams! I even put Nedved in, hoping his high shot accuracy could generate some offense, but his concrete filled skates kept him from scoring much. Could never quite figure this team out. Probably the most underperforming team. Had to remove Plavsic since he takes SO many penalties, like one per period. A 6-0 blowout in the finals skewed the stats a bit.
Semenov, 5G
4 Games, 4 wins. 17 GF, 6 GA
Washington:
Carpenter-Miller-Pivonka, Cavallini-Woolley
Carpenter and Miller are all over the ice. Great speed and control. Pivonka fills in nicely. But none of the forwards are much of a marksman. The defensemen are fine as long as they don't have to play defense. This front line made playing this game fun again.
Miller, 7G
4 Games, 4 wins. 19 GF, 6 GA
Winnipeg:
Davydov-Eagles-Tkachuk, Bautin-Ulanov
Plenty of goals to go around. Multiple hat tricks and even Kris King chipped in off the bench. Davydov probably shouldn't be eligible, but this is the last team in this experiment, so I wanted to leave on a high note. Assumed Tkachuk would make a difference, but he would be dominant in one game and disappear in the next. Bautin was a huge surprise, looking skilled enough to play F.
Tkachuk, 7G
4 Games, 4 wins. 21 GF, 4 GA.
Playing with these limitations has changed my playing style. Fewer big hits and more poke checks on D. Try to bump the puck carrier just outside of the goal instead of checking. Much more patient on offense, always looking for someone cutting to the middle for a one timer. Most shots are from in close to the net, unless its a one-timer. I have to work SO much harder for every advantage. Winning the Cup with these teams will feel like a real accomplishment. Only teams that did not win 4 games: BUF, DAL, HFD, QUE
Anaheim:
Semonov-Loach-Loney, Ladoucer-Hill
No lineup changes. They have the lowest average player rating as a team. Surprisingly, I could still find ways to score. Loney scored a hat trick vs VAN (Rd 1). Semenov with a hatty and a GWG in 2OT vs LAK(Rd 3). Loach with 3Gs in the Final. King was the sub. D played well. Surprisingly balanced team all around. Missed the individual goal totals, but assume it was Loach leading with about 5 goals.
4 games, 4 wins. 15 GF, 7 GA (4 games)
Boston:
Donato-Ruzicka-Kvartalnov, Murphy-Featherstone
Best and fastest team in this format. Could not get in a goal scoring rhythm in Game 1, or else the total goals would have been even higher. Murphy added a goal scoring D to the mix, which is now rare. Lost Joey Juneau from the first time around, but this team was so stacked he wasn't missed. Ruzicka, 9Gs
4 Games, 4 wins. 25 GF, 4 GA
Buffalo:
Khmylev-Audette-Erry, Ledyard-Smehlik
This team was slow the last time around, but benching Hawerchuk for Audette kept this team in 1st gear. DH cleared the way for the offense the last time around, so without him there was less space. Audette plays strong around the net for rebounds, but doesn't push the play. Both wingers disappeared. Scoring was already a chore, but getting pucks past Roy was too much for this squad. 2nd round loss to MTL, 1-2.
Audette, 3G.
2 Games, 1 win. 4 GF, 2 GA
Calgary:
Ashton-Ranheim-Skrudland, Musil-Johansson
Thought this team would take a beating after changing the overall skill limit from 75 to 70. So wrong. Ranheim and Otto are both perfect for this format, and Otto doesn't even start. Any goal scored by anyone else is a bonus. The team has the fiercest forecheck overall. They can hem the opponent in their own zone and suffocate them. Although the Flames bogged down vs DAL in round 2 for some reason.
Ranheim, 10G.
4 Games, 4 wins. 24 GF, 2 GA
Chicago:
Goulet-Graham-Noonan, Russell-Marchment, Waite (G)
Above average team. They can score, but in small doses. Don't have to work as hard as the Ducks, but goals don't come as easy as the Flames. D is able to slow down the opponents, mainly by acting like speed bumps. Marchment can make things happen with his passes. But no question about it: Goulet is the scorer. If Graham was a little more accurate, he would dominate (or be benched for being too good)
Goulet, 8G
4 Games, 4 wins. 21 GF, 6 GA
Dallas:
Gilchrist-Broten-Craig, Sjodin-Johnson
Team passing is their strength. Scoring goals off of well timed passes. Nothing individual here. Sjodin is so tempting to use on offense, but he consistently misses the net....by several feet. McPhee subs in well to keep the same dynamic, but this is ultimately the Neil Broten show. Too bad Stevie Y one timed his way to victory in Game 3.
Broten, 4G
3 Games, 2 wins. 9 GF, 3 GA
Detroit:
Sheppard-Kozlov-Gallant, Racine-Konstantinov
Scoring started off as a chore until they figured out the one-timer. Sheppard parks in the crease and knocks everything in. Gallant tried to do the same, but from a little further out on the wing. Cashed in on several opponent turnovers to generate their offense. Kozlov padded his stats with a couple of breakaways in garbage time.
Kozlov, 7G
4 Games, 4 wins. 22 GF, 2 GA
Edmonton:
Elik-Todd-Ciger, Smith-Benning
Ranford(G) has a strange knack to give up the "Forsburg Goal", where the puck slides in on the opposite side of where the skater goes. Elik forces the action when he drives to the net. The other forwards will sort of pitch in. Weight was a pleasant surprise off the bench. Defense likes to guard the boards instead of the net, so that's a problem. Offense was hot and cold, but at least its balanced across the front line.
Elik, 8G (including OT GWG in the semis vs VAN)
4 Games, 4 wins. 16 GF, 6 GA
Florida:
Hough-Lomakin-Berlanger, Richer-Cirella
No updates needed for this trash heap since they are still below the thresholds I set. Hough seemed to find the scoring touch with slot crossing backhanders, which turned into the foundation of the offense. Then after making sure Richer rarely touches the puck, things started to click. The non-Hough forwards started to contribute once they didn't have any expectations to meet.
Belanger, 6G
4 Games, 4 wins. 17 GF, 6 GA
Hartford:
Nylander-Cassels-Kron, Pederson-Ladouceur
Feast or Famine. This team put up 8, 6, 2 and 2 goals. Nylander has the speed/agility to be a decent player, but shots are spotty. Cassels scores goals, but is prone to miss open nets. Kron had zero expectations, but scored 5 goals. I refuse to talk about the defense. Yake was the first sub, but I can't remember why he wasn't in the starting line up, but didn't change it. Lost to VAN in the finals in OT, 3-2.
Cassels, 6G
4 Games, 3 wins. 18 GF, 7 GA
Los Angeles:
Millen-Donnelly-Loach, Sydor-Huddy
The new skill cutoffs brings this team back down to Earth. Donnelly is still everywhere, but he needs help and is not getting it. Loach is dull but Millen was a decent contributor, who ended up getting goals from Donnelly's wheeling/dealing. Solid D keeps them in games by not giving up dumb goals. Sydor had a few goals for his efforts. This team has the best PP. Lots of crisp passing (but only on PP)
Millen, 5G
4 Games, 4 wins. 15 GF, 3 GA
Montreal:
Leeman-Keane-Carbonneau/Dionne, Daigneault-Brisebois
Uphill climb for the offense. The talent is there, but most shots are easily blocked/saved. Cue Daigneault to come in to save the day. His slapper actually finds the net on occasion, plus he carries the puck better than some wingers (looking at you, Carbonneau). Dionne subbed in substantially and scored some goals that #21 couldn't. The whole team had to keep an eye on their own net since they have Racicot back there, not Roy. Total goals is misleading after a 9-0 win over ANH. Only 4 goal scorers in 4 games.
Keane, 8G
4 Games, 4 wins. 22 GF, 5 GA
New Jersey:
Zelepukin-MacLean-Nicholls, Neidermayer-Albelin
Lost Driver at the last minute due to the new cut off, which significantly made the D worse.
Borderline player Zelepukin has good speed and decent moves around the net to get some good goals, but had to sit for the finals for being too dominant. Stastny is a welcome addition off the bench, but can't quite break into the starting lineup. Neids was a disappointment with the puck, but held his own in front of their goalie (who gives up a lot of softies). Entire team has good chemistry, with some pinpoint passing, completely opposite of the last time. This team hung 11 on HFD.
Zelepukin/MacLean, 9 G each
4 Games, 4 wins. 31 GF, 7 GA
New York Islanders:
King-Ferraro-Volek, Kurvers-Norton
Patient full backs that methodically bull their way to the net. A few wrist shots/slap shots/one timers, but this team works best when they take it straight to you. All skaters are relatively the same, so any of them can pull out a hatty. Volek had a hat trick in the first 3 mins of the semis vs QUE. Dmen are fast enough and agile enough to make handing the puck not a chore.
Volek, 8G
4 Games, 4 wins. 27 GF, 6 GA
New York Rangers:
Kovalev-Amonte-Olczyk, Zubov-Cirella
Tony Amonte is driving and Eddie Olczyk is riding shotgun. Everyone else get out of the way. Kovalev was a ghost, barely scratching the score sheet in the first 2 games, then became a beast in games 3&4. The D is slow, but smart. Zubov can make things happen with the puck. Forgot about Graves and Turcotte completely. They still qualify in this format, but I just didn't use them. Could have broke 30 goals with this team with #8 & #9.
Amonte, 8G
4 Games, 4 wins. 22 GF, 6 GA
Ottawa:
Baker-Kudelski-Smail, Shaw-Hammond
Well rounded team that could use some shot accuracy. Mostly grinders. Defense was spotty and goal tending was good enough. Used RW as a platoon position between Smail and Lamb for offense/defense situations. Although both did well enough with their opposite specialty. Kudelski led the goal scoring, but I believe that anyone playing C would have done the same. Baker disappointed a bit.
Kudelski, 5G
4 Games, 4 wins. 13 GF, 5 GA
Philadelphia:
Acton-Lomakin-Beranek, Hawgood-Galley
Oh man, these new rules really stick it to the Flyers. Big drop off in talent. Goals had to be one-timers or they weren't going in. Felt like an expansion team. Had to play through a second time after losing what I typed. Only forward goal scoring with Acton leading the way. Beranek with the OT GWG in the Finals vs VAN. Almost had 4 shutouts, which wasn't close to happening the first time. Go figure.
Acton, 4G
4 Games, 4 wins. 9 GF, 1 GA
Pittsburgh:
Tocchet-McEachern-Straka, K.Samuelsson-Stanton
I loved playing with Straka. He seemed to have a 6th sense about the puck, always in the right place. Too bad that didn't translate to as much scoring as I expected. Tocchet was a damn sniper. McEachern filled the middle lanes better than he carried the puck, so it was a balance. D was non-existent, chipping in only a couple assists and cleaning up after Barrasso's rebounds.
Tocchet, 9G
4 Games, 4 wins. 20 GF, 4 GA
Quebec:
Lapointe-Young-Rucinsky, Foote-Tatarinov
Score a ton against mediocre/bad D, but struggle against decent/good D. Feast or famine, like the Whalers. Young and Lapointe are both on the cusp of being good, but both fall short. Mostly interchangeable forwards but they have a bit of a scoring touch. Foote can make some things happen, but has a terrible shot. Huge upset in the semis, with HFD winning a defensive battle, 1-0.
Young, 5G
3 Games, 2 wins. 15 GF, 4 GA
San Jose:
Falloon-Berezan-Gaudreau, Ozolinsh-Wilkinson
Is there another player as frustrating as Falloon? Good speed/agility can create shots, but will miss the water if he fell out of a boat. All goals had to be in close. The D have some speed to make things happen on the offensive end, especially Ozolinsh. Scores were low and had to grind out victories. Irbe was....not good. Highest GAA for a goalie in this format.
Falloon, 6G
4 Games, 4 wins. 16 GF, 8 GA
St Louis:
Miller-Sutter-Bassen, Crossman-Butcher
Mostly a one man show with Sutter. Team goes as Sutter goes, but Bassen can hang with him to chip in. Miller is no slouch with some goals to show for his efforts. D is passable, but far from game changing.
Bassen, 6G
4 Games, 4 wins. 18 GF, 5 GA
Tampa Bay:
Andersson-Kontos-Kasper, Hamrlik-Bergevin
Goals were initially tough to come by, but things opened up in later rounds. Andersson has some jam, but Kontos has the touch. Between them they make one good player. Kasper is a prototype grinder, without much skill. Bureau was awesome off the bench for a couple goals. D is just meh.
Kontos, 9G
4 Games, 4 wins. 21 GF, 5 GA
Toronto:
Krushelski-Cullen-Zezel, Macoun-Gill
This is a great overall team considering the restrictions. All Fs are in the 60s and all the D are in the 50s. However, the D were consistently out of position, but they were able to unleash a few slapshots from outside that actually resulted in goals, so I could overlook it. The Sabres gave them everything they could handle in the finals, but the Leafs gutted out their only close game 3-2 behind Zezel's hat trick. The 3 starting forwards ended up with 11 points each.
Zezel, 8G
4 Games, 4 wins. 23 GF, 3 GA
Vancouver:
Semenov-Momesso-Craven/Nedved, Lidster-Plavsic/Diduck
What a struggle for a team that was supposed to be one of the better teams! I even put Nedved in, hoping his high shot accuracy could generate some offense, but his concrete filled skates kept him from scoring much. Could never quite figure this team out. Probably the most underperforming team. Had to remove Plavsic since he takes SO many penalties, like one per period. A 6-0 blowout in the finals skewed the stats a bit.
Semenov, 5G
4 Games, 4 wins. 17 GF, 6 GA
Washington:
Carpenter-Miller-Pivonka, Cavallini-Woolley
Carpenter and Miller are all over the ice. Great speed and control. Pivonka fills in nicely. But none of the forwards are much of a marksman. The defensemen are fine as long as they don't have to play defense. This front line made playing this game fun again.
Miller, 7G
4 Games, 4 wins. 19 GF, 6 GA
Winnipeg:
Davydov-Eagles-Tkachuk, Bautin-Ulanov
Plenty of goals to go around. Multiple hat tricks and even Kris King chipped in off the bench. Davydov probably shouldn't be eligible, but this is the last team in this experiment, so I wanted to leave on a high note. Assumed Tkachuk would make a difference, but he would be dominant in one game and disappear in the next. Bautin was a huge surprise, looking skilled enough to play F.
Tkachuk, 7G
4 Games, 4 wins. 21 GF, 4 GA.
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Handicapping NHL94
I have been playing NHL94 since it originally came out on Sega Genesis. In college, all my friends had their own team assignment when we played (I was either MTL or VAN). Fast forward 23 years, and you will learn that I have been playing NHL94 on a Sega Genesis emulator ever since I retired my Sega Genesis. I have done my best to keep the game interesting. I have won the Stanley Cup with every team. There are a few teams I can even use to win the Stanley Cup without a goalie. I have even tried playing other NHL94 enthusiasts online. Those online leagues require a level of dedication that I do not possess. Although I enjoy playing NHL94 alone and playing NHL94 against the computer AI is fairly easy for me, I decided to make it more difficult. I'm not an elite NHL94, but I am very experienced and probably rank above average as a player.
Initially, I thought I would play with non-starters across the board. However, removing all starters left me with empty husks rather than a toned down team, especially with the expansion teams. Goalies were the toughest to change, so changes to goalies were used sparingly. Instead, I decided to arbitrarily create a skill level ceiling for all non-goalie players. I could only use players that were rated 75 or below. This method left a few teams still too powerful, so some additional modifications were needed. The defense had to be modified as well, so I decided that at a minimum, teams had to lose their best forward AND their best defenseman. It was difficult to create uniform rules that worked for each team, so some player removals were done by feel (see Dallas Stars). You can see all of the full original rosters here. I ran through each team once, but can see myself doing this again soon with minor updates.
Overview:
Rules:
-No players rated over 75 overall
-Every team must bench their best forward and their best defenseman
-No dominant goal scorers even if the player's overall rating is below 75. Call this the Kamensky Rule
-If a player scored a hat trick, the player must be substituted for the remainder of that game. Removal from the rest of the playoffs is optional, but encouraged.
Format:
Stanley Cup playoffs, Single game series
5 min periods
Penalties On/No Offsides
Line Changes Off
Team by Team Analysis/Summary:
Anaheim
Forbidden Players - Yake, Kasatonov
Modified starters - Semenov-Loach-Loney, Ladoucer-Hill
Notes - Yake is the non-obvious straw that stirs the drink. His absence is palpable. Semenov had to shoulder a lion's share of offense, which is a lot to ask of him. Loney has a knack to score the greasy goals, which certainly helped. The D just had to not screw up, which at times was a tough hill to climb.
Result - Squeaked my way to the Cup, with a couple OTWs.
Boston
Forbidden Players - Bourque, Oates, Neely
Modified Starters - Donato-Juneau-Kvartalnov, Sweeney-Wesley
Notes - Barely noticed Bourque was gone since the remaining D were both ranked 71. Easily the best D with these modifications. (Might have to restrict Sweeney next time) The offense flowed through a stellar backline pushing the play. Juneau had plenty of sniping chances to lead in goals.
Result - Easy road to Cup
Buffalo
Forbidden Players - Mogilny, LaFontaine, Svoboda
Modified Starters - Khmylev-Hawerchuk-Erry, Ledyard-Smehlik
Notes - An opposite experience than I had with Boston since the D was sluggish, resulting in the forwards having to do everything. Khmylev was a pleasant surprise, racking up several goals without much effort. Proved to be a true diamond in the rough hidden on the bench. Hawerchuck was his expected tank-like self controlling the play and Erry was a solid contributor.
Result - Higher than expected goal scoring, so the Cup was not difficult to win. Poor D made it interesting at times.
Calgary
Forbidden Players - Fleury, Roberts, Suter
Modified Starters - Ranheim-Nieuwendyk-Makarov, MacInnis-Johannson
Notes - The Flames are blessed with above average talent throughout their roster, so missing a few top tier players does not hurt much. Reichel could have been used, but I like Ranheim better. Might have to replay and reset the overall skill level ceiling to 70, which removes half of their forwards.
Result - They walked to the Cup. Very easy.
Chicago
Forbidden Players - Roenick, Larmer, Chelios, Belfour
Modified Starters - Goulet-Ruuttu-Murphy, Smith-Marchment, Waite (G)
Notes - No way the 98 skilled Belfour could make the cut here, so he was the first forbidden goalie. Waite is a mostly terrible goalie, so the Hawks had their work cut out for them. Smith surprised me taking over Chelios's duties. Murphy was a sleeper that crashes the net well. The others only had to prevent big plays, which they did for the most part.
Result - Some Jeckyl/Hyde scenarios and some spotty goaltending, but gutted out enough wins to lift the Cup.
Dallas
Forbidden Players - Modano, Gagner, Courtnall*, Tinordi
Modified Starters - Broten-Dahlen-Craig, Sjodin-Johnson
Notes - Courtnall originally made the cut with his 73 skill, but his world class speed had him carrying this team and scoring in bunches. Restarted with Craig subbing for Courtnall which balanced things out well. Turned the Stars into a grinding team instead of a run-and-gun Showtime on ice. Broten steps up here with his blue collar workhorse style. The D is solid, but limited on offense.
Result - Most games were dead heats, with bursts at the end for some reason. Most goals scored in the last 2 minutes of each game to pull away to victory. I think all 4 games were something like 4-1 after being tied most of regulation.
Detroit
Forbidden Players - Yzerman, Federov, Ciccarelli, Drake* Coffey
Modified Starters - Sheppard-Ysebaert-Kozlov, Lidstrom-Konstantinov
Notes - Dallas Drake got an early pull from the lineup after scoring 3 in the 1st period of the 1st game, despite being "eligible". Ysebaert had to fill in that void, but he became more of a playmaker instead of goal scorer. Kozlov proved more nimble with the puck and switched to C on occasion. Shep just had to knock in rebounds. That D is still rock solid, so I was never challenged.
Result - DET is so good that I took away most of the team and it was still better than most. Consistent, fairly easy wins.
Edmonton
Forbidden Players - Klima, Manson, Simpson*
Modified Starters - Elik-Todd-Cigar, Smith-Kravchuk
Notes - Simpson was sniping goals left and right, so he had to go. Elik is the real surprise, as a grinder with a nose for the puck and the goal. Todd and Cigar were better than expected, but nothing special. Kravchuk moves with the puck so well, that he generated a good bit of offense.
Result - Only real challenge was against CHI. I'm learning that a good, solid defense will erase most deficiencies and EDM was no exception. 4 wins, nothing elaborate.
Florida
Forbidden Players - Skrudland, Murphy
Modified Starters - Hough-Lomakin-Berlanger, Richer-Cirella
Notes - What a steaming pile of $@#&! Hough can score goals, but thats it. Cirella pushed the puck for some offense, but Richer doing impressions of a traffic cone kept that from happening much. Offense was tough to come by.
Result - Surprised myself and lucked into the Finals. Forced OT, but a bad turnover kept the Panthers from victory. First loss with the modified teams.
Hartford
Forbidden Players: Verbeek, Sanderson, Yake*, Zalapski
Modified Starters: Nylander-Cassels-Kron, Burt-Weinrich
Notes: Cassels leads the charge here, but has difficulty hitting the net. Nylander proved rather nifty around the goal. Kron had all the makings of a solid player, but I celebrated the most when he finally scored his only goal of 4 games. The D made things easy when they handled the puck, but their shots would routinely end up in the next zip code.
Result: Overall skill allowed them to overpower all of their opponents. Unfortunately, these rules takes the fun out of this team.
Los Angeles
Forbidden Players: Gretzky, Robitaille, Sandstrom, Carson, Blake
Modified Starters: Granato-Kurri-Donnelly, Zhitnik-Sydor
Notes: This team was flying! Donnelly seemed to come out of nowhere on every play. Granato's speed is quite an asset. Kurri rarely missed his chances (he may need to move to the Forbidden Players list). Zhitnik is a solid D on both ends of the ice.
Result: 4 Easy wins. And the most fun I had with any of the modified teams.
Montreal:
Forbidden Players: Muller, Savard, Lebeau, Bellows, Damphousse, Desjardins, Roy (G)
Modified Starters: Leeman-Carbonneau-Keane, Brisebois-Daigneault
Notes: Whew! After gutting this team, there's not much left. Carbonneau tries to be a leader but has too many shortcomings. Daigneault's big time slap shot would have helped if he could have put it on net once in a while.
Result: 2-1 victories were the norm. Felt like they were trying NOT to score at times. However, once I switched Carbonneau/Keene, things started to click. Unfortunately, that didn't happen until the Final.
New Jersey:
Forbidden Players: Semak, Richer, Stevens,
Modified Starters: Zelepukin-Statsny-Nicholls, Driver-Neidermayer
Notes: Turns out this is a fairly balanced team. Tried Z at C for a few games to get some more skill up the middle, but these guys are mostly interchangeable. Something they all have in common though, is that they can't pass for squat. More off target passes than any other team.
Result: Scores were kept low, but usually kept a lead. Secondary transition were the best ways to score. Neids picked up lots of loose pucks to get the offense going. Nichols put the most pucks in the net, but Statsny led the scoring with a majority of the team's assists.
New York Islanders:
Forbidden Players: Turgeon, Hogue, Malakhov
Modified Starters: Thomas-Ferraro-Volek, Kurvers-Norton
Notes: Originally thought Thomas would center with Ferraro on the wing, but switched that up when the offense stalled. Chicken Parm could bull his way through the middle a little easier. Still a grinding team. The D was....fine, I guess. Out of position a little too much, but the real pain was in goal. WOW, these goalies are terrible.
Results: Ferraro proved to be a good leader, but Kurvers pulled out a much needed hat trick in the finals to insure the championship.
New York Rangers:
Forbidden Players: Messier, Gartner, Tikkanen, Leech, Patrick*
Modified Starters: Turcotte-Amonte-Graves, Lowe-Zubov
Notes: Turcotte has the speed so it was assumed he would lead, but he's more of a complementary player. Graves is the difference maker. Lowe keeps the puck alive, while Zubov is a little too quiet. This team gives up more one timers than any other team I've played with in this format. Be careful, Bieser (G) gives up a LOT of juicy rebounds.
Results: Again the secondary break proves beneficial. Feeding a cutting Turcotte in the middle does the trick. Zubov picked up by the finals, but he still can't create his own shot. Eddie Olczyk had to step in when Gravey got injured and did surprisingly well. Good overall team wins it all.
Ottawa:
Forbidden Players: Turgeon, Maciver
Modified Starters: Baker-Kudelski-Smail, Shaw-Luongo
Notes: Coin flip between Turgeon/Kudelski on who to sit. Either would play on a better team in this format, but the Sens could not handle losing both. Zero offense from the D, but they clean up plays nicely and are not terrible with the puck. The offense is solid, believe it or not, but no stars/game changers. VERY susceptible to one-timers. Kirk Muller ate their lunch by hanging 5 goals on them in a game.
Results: Lost 1st round vs the Habs (and Muller's 5), but I restarted since one game didn't seem like enough. Turned the 3 forwards into some pesky forecheckers to prevent the big boys from doing too much damage and it worked. Not as many assists as I would like. Too many one man shows. Won in the Finals on the 2nd try after losing in the 1st round on the 1st try. Odd that I ended up playing more games with this team (5 total) than any other.
Philadelphia:
Forbidden Players: Lindros, Recchi, Yushkevich, Dineen*
Modified Starters: Actin-Brind'Amour-Lomakin, Hawgood-Galley
Notes: Brind'Amour and Dineen sure do shine when the step out the shadow of the star Flyer players. Dineen so much so, I had to bench him for being too good. Rod still put up impressive numbers, but was watered down without Dineen riding shotgun. The remaining forwards were serviceable. The D over achieved. The real story was the high turnover rate of Soderstrom (G). Every bad outlet pass equaled a puck in his net. Made the games closer than they needed to be.
Results: Injuries and penalties were tough on the Flyers. Actin scored one goal on a redirect off the other team's face. Brindy carried the team to the Cup despite some spotty goaltending.
Pittsburgh:
Forbidden Players: Lemieux, Jagr, Stevens, Murphy, Ulf Samuelsson*
Modified Starters: McEachern-Francis-Mullen, Kjell Samelsson-Stanton
Notes: Decided to bench Ulf to make it more interesting since he was borderline anyway. The forwards were scoring goals galore! Decided to implement a hat trick benching policy. Score a hat trick and you are done for the game. Had to do it for all 3 forwards at least once each, although subs Toccett and Loney did jack squat when they came in.
Results: Francis led the way as to be expected. The forwards were solid. Forgot about the D since they didn't score but also forgot about them since they did their job in their own end. Forgettable Cup win.
Quebec:
Forbidden Players: Sakic, Sundin, Duchesne, Leschyshyn*, Kamensky*, Kovalenko*
Modified Starters: Nolan-Ricci-Lapointe, Foote-Guserov
Notes: Leschyshyn was going to get benched anyway. I know I can score at will with Kamensky, so he gets the boot. Kovalenko proved in game 1 that he was too good. Nolan was the prototype tweener; somewhere between too good and not good enough. Guserov picked up some loose change to score around the net and Foote was too boring to notice. Expected much more out of Ricci, who dealt some assists, but couldn't find the net often enough.
Results: Nolan was dominant but his poor accuracy left many goals unscored. Some strange characteristics for this team. First, they had several doorstep one timers. They also had several goals in the last 5 seconds of a period. Odd. Easy wins.
San Jose:
Forbidden Players: Kisio, Wilson
Modified Starters: Falloon-Berezan-Gaudreau, Ozolinsh-Wilkinson
Notes: Goals were tough to come by. Falloon has a big time shot, with small time aim. The other forwards are good grinders, but no creativity. Ozolinsh has good wheels for a Dman and generates some good offense. Wilkinson is no slouch.
Results: Berezan distributes the puck well. Most goals were cheap or break aways. Everything close. Gaudreau was a big disappointment....until the Finals, where he scored 4 goals. Overall tallies made it look like a balanced offence, but it wasn't.
St. Louis
Forbidden Players: Hull, Shanahan, Brown
Modified Starters: Emerson-Janney-Miller, Crossman-Butcher
Notes: AJ's recommendation was Bassen or Sutter. I chose Kevin Miller instead and he did not disappoint. I knew Janney couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat, so his shots were limited to one timers and breakaways. Still put up good numbers. Emerson was the enigma. Was injured in one game, forcing me to use Sutter, who scored a goal right away. But Emerson could never find his groove. The D just sucks. A few bust out offensive moments, but it was common to see more opponents near Cujo (G) than my own Dmen.
Result: Surprisingly balanced on the front line and not a noticeable drop off with the subs. QUE took it to them in the Finals for their first real challenge, but the Blues pulled it out with an opportunistic PP in the last minutes. Miller proved to be "Mr. PP" for some unknown reason.
Tampa Bay
Forbidden Players: Bradley, Beers
Modified Starters: Andersson-Kontos-Kasper, Hamrlik-Bergevin
Notes: What a boring team. Low speed and no creativity/puck skills. Andersson is the only bright spot, but that is only because everything is pitch black.
Result: Lost in the 2nd round, 5-1 to the one-timer happy Islanders. Such a mismatch. Hated playing with this team so much that I didn't give them a 2nd chance like I did with Ottawa.
Toronto
Forbidden Players: Gilmour, Ellet, Clark*
Modified Starters: Anderson-Cullen-Borshevsky, Macoun-Gill
Notes: The Leafs were a breath of fresh air after playing with the putrid Bradley-less Bolts. 2 easy goals in the first minute of the first game put Clark on the bench for good. No breakout stars on this team, but everyone can score goals. They are a little too loose on the defensive end, but good luck keeping up with their goal scoring. Seemed like everyone chipped in. Something called Bob Rouse even had a few assists.
Result: Big scare vs VAN, which with a Macoun breakaway GWG in OT. Cullen came up big, but not in an overly dominant way. Felt like Cullen was within the confines of what I envisioned with this experiment. Probably just took the scoring that disappointing Borshevsky left on the table.
Vancouver
Forbidden Players: Bure, Lindon, Ronning, Lumme, Courtnall*
Modified Starters: Adams-Craven-Semenov, Lidster-Plavsic
Notes: And I thought the Leafs could score! The front line is basically the same player x3. Each with just enough skating and shot that they can score when given the chance. Not impressed with the D, but nothing specific to complain about.
Result: Total goals in each game, 7-8-9-6. I even subbed in super slug Nedved when someone scored a hat trick. I think each of the modified starting forwards had a hatty. Much like Calgary, this team had evenly distributed goal scoring instead of a dominant star. Completely balanced, yet powerful. Might be the best overall team in this format.
Washington
Forbidden Players: Bondra, Khristich, Iafrate, Ridley*
Modified Starters: Carpenter-Miller-Pivonka, Cote-Johansson
Notes: Ridley got his hatty in Game 1 and was done. He was borderline, but I thought it was best that he got pulled. This team has some snipers, even without Bondra/Khristich. Lots of upper corner snipes. Miller was in that Nolan type tweener stage. D is great. This is the defensive tandem I play with anyway, Johansson might have to take a seat next time around.
Results: 12 goals in Game 1. 3 players with hat tricks. Probably had more to do with playing against Healy (NYI Goalie, 47 rating), since in Game 2 they only scored 3. Miller led the way, until the Finals when Carpenter caught fire with a hat trick.
Winnipeg
Forbidden Players: Selanne, Zhamnov, Housley
Modified Starters: Davydov-Eagles-Steen, Numminen-Olausson
Notes: Wasn't sure about Eagles in the middle...until he scored a hat trick in game 1. Dude just posts up in front of the net and puts pucks in nets. Davydov has some jets (pun only partially unintended), which he translates to many scoring opps for himself and teammates. Tkachuk subbed in nicely. Steen was either awesome or terrible. No in between. D was good, but contributed very little offensively.
Results: Balanced scoring was a bit unexpected, since it felt like Davydov shouldered much of the load. Eagles was a true dark horse, who quietly led the way behind the flashiness of Davydov. Were there D men on this team? I didn't notice.
Initially, I thought I would play with non-starters across the board. However, removing all starters left me with empty husks rather than a toned down team, especially with the expansion teams. Goalies were the toughest to change, so changes to goalies were used sparingly. Instead, I decided to arbitrarily create a skill level ceiling for all non-goalie players. I could only use players that were rated 75 or below. This method left a few teams still too powerful, so some additional modifications were needed. The defense had to be modified as well, so I decided that at a minimum, teams had to lose their best forward AND their best defenseman. It was difficult to create uniform rules that worked for each team, so some player removals were done by feel (see Dallas Stars). You can see all of the full original rosters here. I ran through each team once, but can see myself doing this again soon with minor updates.
Overview:
Rules:
-No players rated over 75 overall
-Every team must bench their best forward and their best defenseman
-No dominant goal scorers even if the player's overall rating is below 75. Call this the Kamensky Rule
-If a player scored a hat trick, the player must be substituted for the remainder of that game. Removal from the rest of the playoffs is optional, but encouraged.
Format:
Stanley Cup playoffs, Single game series
5 min periods
Penalties On/No Offsides
Line Changes Off
Team by Team Analysis/Summary:
Anaheim
Forbidden Players - Yake, Kasatonov
Modified starters - Semenov-Loach-Loney, Ladoucer-Hill
Notes - Yake is the non-obvious straw that stirs the drink. His absence is palpable. Semenov had to shoulder a lion's share of offense, which is a lot to ask of him. Loney has a knack to score the greasy goals, which certainly helped. The D just had to not screw up, which at times was a tough hill to climb.
Result - Squeaked my way to the Cup, with a couple OTWs.
Boston
Forbidden Players - Bourque, Oates, Neely
Modified Starters - Donato-Juneau-Kvartalnov, Sweeney-Wesley
Notes - Barely noticed Bourque was gone since the remaining D were both ranked 71. Easily the best D with these modifications. (Might have to restrict Sweeney next time) The offense flowed through a stellar backline pushing the play. Juneau had plenty of sniping chances to lead in goals.
Result - Easy road to Cup
Buffalo
Forbidden Players - Mogilny, LaFontaine, Svoboda
Modified Starters - Khmylev-Hawerchuk-Erry, Ledyard-Smehlik
Notes - An opposite experience than I had with Boston since the D was sluggish, resulting in the forwards having to do everything. Khmylev was a pleasant surprise, racking up several goals without much effort. Proved to be a true diamond in the rough hidden on the bench. Hawerchuck was his expected tank-like self controlling the play and Erry was a solid contributor.
Result - Higher than expected goal scoring, so the Cup was not difficult to win. Poor D made it interesting at times.
Calgary
Forbidden Players - Fleury, Roberts, Suter
Modified Starters - Ranheim-Nieuwendyk-Makarov, MacInnis-Johannson
Notes - The Flames are blessed with above average talent throughout their roster, so missing a few top tier players does not hurt much. Reichel could have been used, but I like Ranheim better. Might have to replay and reset the overall skill level ceiling to 70, which removes half of their forwards.
Result - They walked to the Cup. Very easy.
Chicago
Forbidden Players - Roenick, Larmer, Chelios, Belfour
Modified Starters - Goulet-Ruuttu-Murphy, Smith-Marchment, Waite (G)
Notes - No way the 98 skilled Belfour could make the cut here, so he was the first forbidden goalie. Waite is a mostly terrible goalie, so the Hawks had their work cut out for them. Smith surprised me taking over Chelios's duties. Murphy was a sleeper that crashes the net well. The others only had to prevent big plays, which they did for the most part.
Result - Some Jeckyl/Hyde scenarios and some spotty goaltending, but gutted out enough wins to lift the Cup.
Dallas
Forbidden Players - Modano, Gagner, Courtnall*, Tinordi
Modified Starters - Broten-Dahlen-Craig, Sjodin-Johnson
Notes - Courtnall originally made the cut with his 73 skill, but his world class speed had him carrying this team and scoring in bunches. Restarted with Craig subbing for Courtnall which balanced things out well. Turned the Stars into a grinding team instead of a run-and-gun Showtime on ice. Broten steps up here with his blue collar workhorse style. The D is solid, but limited on offense.
Result - Most games were dead heats, with bursts at the end for some reason. Most goals scored in the last 2 minutes of each game to pull away to victory. I think all 4 games were something like 4-1 after being tied most of regulation.
Detroit
Forbidden Players - Yzerman, Federov, Ciccarelli, Drake* Coffey
Modified Starters - Sheppard-Ysebaert-Kozlov, Lidstrom-Konstantinov
Notes - Dallas Drake got an early pull from the lineup after scoring 3 in the 1st period of the 1st game, despite being "eligible". Ysebaert had to fill in that void, but he became more of a playmaker instead of goal scorer. Kozlov proved more nimble with the puck and switched to C on occasion. Shep just had to knock in rebounds. That D is still rock solid, so I was never challenged.
Result - DET is so good that I took away most of the team and it was still better than most. Consistent, fairly easy wins.
Edmonton
Forbidden Players - Klima, Manson, Simpson*
Modified Starters - Elik-Todd-Cigar, Smith-Kravchuk
Notes - Simpson was sniping goals left and right, so he had to go. Elik is the real surprise, as a grinder with a nose for the puck and the goal. Todd and Cigar were better than expected, but nothing special. Kravchuk moves with the puck so well, that he generated a good bit of offense.
Result - Only real challenge was against CHI. I'm learning that a good, solid defense will erase most deficiencies and EDM was no exception. 4 wins, nothing elaborate.
Florida
Forbidden Players - Skrudland, Murphy
Modified Starters - Hough-Lomakin-Berlanger, Richer-Cirella
Notes - What a steaming pile of $@#&! Hough can score goals, but thats it. Cirella pushed the puck for some offense, but Richer doing impressions of a traffic cone kept that from happening much. Offense was tough to come by.
Result - Surprised myself and lucked into the Finals. Forced OT, but a bad turnover kept the Panthers from victory. First loss with the modified teams.
Hartford
Forbidden Players: Verbeek, Sanderson, Yake*, Zalapski
Modified Starters: Nylander-Cassels-Kron, Burt-Weinrich
Notes: Cassels leads the charge here, but has difficulty hitting the net. Nylander proved rather nifty around the goal. Kron had all the makings of a solid player, but I celebrated the most when he finally scored his only goal of 4 games. The D made things easy when they handled the puck, but their shots would routinely end up in the next zip code.
Result: Overall skill allowed them to overpower all of their opponents. Unfortunately, these rules takes the fun out of this team.
Los Angeles
Forbidden Players: Gretzky, Robitaille, Sandstrom, Carson, Blake
Modified Starters: Granato-Kurri-Donnelly, Zhitnik-Sydor
Notes: This team was flying! Donnelly seemed to come out of nowhere on every play. Granato's speed is quite an asset. Kurri rarely missed his chances (he may need to move to the Forbidden Players list). Zhitnik is a solid D on both ends of the ice.
Result: 4 Easy wins. And the most fun I had with any of the modified teams.
Montreal:
Forbidden Players: Muller, Savard, Lebeau, Bellows, Damphousse, Desjardins, Roy (G)
Modified Starters: Leeman-Carbonneau-Keane, Brisebois-Daigneault
Notes: Whew! After gutting this team, there's not much left. Carbonneau tries to be a leader but has too many shortcomings. Daigneault's big time slap shot would have helped if he could have put it on net once in a while.
Result: 2-1 victories were the norm. Felt like they were trying NOT to score at times. However, once I switched Carbonneau/Keene, things started to click. Unfortunately, that didn't happen until the Final.
New Jersey:
Forbidden Players: Semak, Richer, Stevens,
Modified Starters: Zelepukin-Statsny-Nicholls, Driver-Neidermayer
Notes: Turns out this is a fairly balanced team. Tried Z at C for a few games to get some more skill up the middle, but these guys are mostly interchangeable. Something they all have in common though, is that they can't pass for squat. More off target passes than any other team.
Result: Scores were kept low, but usually kept a lead. Secondary transition were the best ways to score. Neids picked up lots of loose pucks to get the offense going. Nichols put the most pucks in the net, but Statsny led the scoring with a majority of the team's assists.
New York Islanders:
Forbidden Players: Turgeon, Hogue, Malakhov
Modified Starters: Thomas-Ferraro-Volek, Kurvers-Norton
Notes: Originally thought Thomas would center with Ferraro on the wing, but switched that up when the offense stalled. Chicken Parm could bull his way through the middle a little easier. Still a grinding team. The D was....fine, I guess. Out of position a little too much, but the real pain was in goal. WOW, these goalies are terrible.
Results: Ferraro proved to be a good leader, but Kurvers pulled out a much needed hat trick in the finals to insure the championship.
New York Rangers:
Forbidden Players: Messier, Gartner, Tikkanen, Leech, Patrick*
Modified Starters: Turcotte-Amonte-Graves, Lowe-Zubov
Notes: Turcotte has the speed so it was assumed he would lead, but he's more of a complementary player. Graves is the difference maker. Lowe keeps the puck alive, while Zubov is a little too quiet. This team gives up more one timers than any other team I've played with in this format. Be careful, Bieser (G) gives up a LOT of juicy rebounds.
Results: Again the secondary break proves beneficial. Feeding a cutting Turcotte in the middle does the trick. Zubov picked up by the finals, but he still can't create his own shot. Eddie Olczyk had to step in when Gravey got injured and did surprisingly well. Good overall team wins it all.
Ottawa:
Forbidden Players: Turgeon, Maciver
Modified Starters: Baker-Kudelski-Smail, Shaw-Luongo
Notes: Coin flip between Turgeon/Kudelski on who to sit. Either would play on a better team in this format, but the Sens could not handle losing both. Zero offense from the D, but they clean up plays nicely and are not terrible with the puck. The offense is solid, believe it or not, but no stars/game changers. VERY susceptible to one-timers. Kirk Muller ate their lunch by hanging 5 goals on them in a game.
Results: Lost 1st round vs the Habs (and Muller's 5), but I restarted since one game didn't seem like enough. Turned the 3 forwards into some pesky forecheckers to prevent the big boys from doing too much damage and it worked. Not as many assists as I would like. Too many one man shows. Won in the Finals on the 2nd try after losing in the 1st round on the 1st try. Odd that I ended up playing more games with this team (5 total) than any other.
Philadelphia:
Forbidden Players: Lindros, Recchi, Yushkevich, Dineen*
Modified Starters: Actin-Brind'Amour-Lomakin, Hawgood-Galley
Notes: Brind'Amour and Dineen sure do shine when the step out the shadow of the star Flyer players. Dineen so much so, I had to bench him for being too good. Rod still put up impressive numbers, but was watered down without Dineen riding shotgun. The remaining forwards were serviceable. The D over achieved. The real story was the high turnover rate of Soderstrom (G). Every bad outlet pass equaled a puck in his net. Made the games closer than they needed to be.
Results: Injuries and penalties were tough on the Flyers. Actin scored one goal on a redirect off the other team's face. Brindy carried the team to the Cup despite some spotty goaltending.
Pittsburgh:
Forbidden Players: Lemieux, Jagr, Stevens, Murphy, Ulf Samuelsson*
Modified Starters: McEachern-Francis-Mullen, Kjell Samelsson-Stanton
Notes: Decided to bench Ulf to make it more interesting since he was borderline anyway. The forwards were scoring goals galore! Decided to implement a hat trick benching policy. Score a hat trick and you are done for the game. Had to do it for all 3 forwards at least once each, although subs Toccett and Loney did jack squat when they came in.
Results: Francis led the way as to be expected. The forwards were solid. Forgot about the D since they didn't score but also forgot about them since they did their job in their own end. Forgettable Cup win.
Quebec:
Forbidden Players: Sakic, Sundin, Duchesne, Leschyshyn*, Kamensky*, Kovalenko*
Modified Starters: Nolan-Ricci-Lapointe, Foote-Guserov
Notes: Leschyshyn was going to get benched anyway. I know I can score at will with Kamensky, so he gets the boot. Kovalenko proved in game 1 that he was too good. Nolan was the prototype tweener; somewhere between too good and not good enough. Guserov picked up some loose change to score around the net and Foote was too boring to notice. Expected much more out of Ricci, who dealt some assists, but couldn't find the net often enough.
Results: Nolan was dominant but his poor accuracy left many goals unscored. Some strange characteristics for this team. First, they had several doorstep one timers. They also had several goals in the last 5 seconds of a period. Odd. Easy wins.
San Jose:
Forbidden Players: Kisio, Wilson
Modified Starters: Falloon-Berezan-Gaudreau, Ozolinsh-Wilkinson
Notes: Goals were tough to come by. Falloon has a big time shot, with small time aim. The other forwards are good grinders, but no creativity. Ozolinsh has good wheels for a Dman and generates some good offense. Wilkinson is no slouch.
Results: Berezan distributes the puck well. Most goals were cheap or break aways. Everything close. Gaudreau was a big disappointment....until the Finals, where he scored 4 goals. Overall tallies made it look like a balanced offence, but it wasn't.
St. Louis
Forbidden Players: Hull, Shanahan, Brown
Modified Starters: Emerson-Janney-Miller, Crossman-Butcher
Notes: AJ's recommendation was Bassen or Sutter. I chose Kevin Miller instead and he did not disappoint. I knew Janney couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat, so his shots were limited to one timers and breakaways. Still put up good numbers. Emerson was the enigma. Was injured in one game, forcing me to use Sutter, who scored a goal right away. But Emerson could never find his groove. The D just sucks. A few bust out offensive moments, but it was common to see more opponents near Cujo (G) than my own Dmen.
Result: Surprisingly balanced on the front line and not a noticeable drop off with the subs. QUE took it to them in the Finals for their first real challenge, but the Blues pulled it out with an opportunistic PP in the last minutes. Miller proved to be "Mr. PP" for some unknown reason.
Tampa Bay
Forbidden Players: Bradley, Beers
Modified Starters: Andersson-Kontos-Kasper, Hamrlik-Bergevin
Notes: What a boring team. Low speed and no creativity/puck skills. Andersson is the only bright spot, but that is only because everything is pitch black.
Result: Lost in the 2nd round, 5-1 to the one-timer happy Islanders. Such a mismatch. Hated playing with this team so much that I didn't give them a 2nd chance like I did with Ottawa.
Toronto
Forbidden Players: Gilmour, Ellet, Clark*
Modified Starters: Anderson-Cullen-Borshevsky, Macoun-Gill
Notes: The Leafs were a breath of fresh air after playing with the putrid Bradley-less Bolts. 2 easy goals in the first minute of the first game put Clark on the bench for good. No breakout stars on this team, but everyone can score goals. They are a little too loose on the defensive end, but good luck keeping up with their goal scoring. Seemed like everyone chipped in. Something called Bob Rouse even had a few assists.
Result: Big scare vs VAN, which with a Macoun breakaway GWG in OT. Cullen came up big, but not in an overly dominant way. Felt like Cullen was within the confines of what I envisioned with this experiment. Probably just took the scoring that disappointing Borshevsky left on the table.
Vancouver
Forbidden Players: Bure, Lindon, Ronning, Lumme, Courtnall*
Modified Starters: Adams-Craven-Semenov, Lidster-Plavsic
Notes: And I thought the Leafs could score! The front line is basically the same player x3. Each with just enough skating and shot that they can score when given the chance. Not impressed with the D, but nothing specific to complain about.
Result: Total goals in each game, 7-8-9-6. I even subbed in super slug Nedved when someone scored a hat trick. I think each of the modified starting forwards had a hatty. Much like Calgary, this team had evenly distributed goal scoring instead of a dominant star. Completely balanced, yet powerful. Might be the best overall team in this format.
Washington
Forbidden Players: Bondra, Khristich, Iafrate, Ridley*
Modified Starters: Carpenter-Miller-Pivonka, Cote-Johansson
Notes: Ridley got his hatty in Game 1 and was done. He was borderline, but I thought it was best that he got pulled. This team has some snipers, even without Bondra/Khristich. Lots of upper corner snipes. Miller was in that Nolan type tweener stage. D is great. This is the defensive tandem I play with anyway, Johansson might have to take a seat next time around.
Results: 12 goals in Game 1. 3 players with hat tricks. Probably had more to do with playing against Healy (NYI Goalie, 47 rating), since in Game 2 they only scored 3. Miller led the way, until the Finals when Carpenter caught fire with a hat trick.
Winnipeg
Forbidden Players: Selanne, Zhamnov, Housley
Modified Starters: Davydov-Eagles-Steen, Numminen-Olausson
Notes: Wasn't sure about Eagles in the middle...until he scored a hat trick in game 1. Dude just posts up in front of the net and puts pucks in nets. Davydov has some jets (pun only partially unintended), which he translates to many scoring opps for himself and teammates. Tkachuk subbed in nicely. Steen was either awesome or terrible. No in between. D was good, but contributed very little offensively.
Results: Balanced scoring was a bit unexpected, since it felt like Davydov shouldered much of the load. Eagles was a true dark horse, who quietly led the way behind the flashiness of Davydov. Were there D men on this team? I didn't notice.
Thursday, July 20, 2017
Odd Office Bathroom Behavior
I work in an office with over 1000 people working in it. With so many people, there's a continuous flow of people in and out of each bathroom. One cannot help but notice some odd behavior, so I have decided to detail a couple.
-Camping out. On multiple occasions, I have seen grown men wait to use a specific urinal when there were 2 open urinals available for use. I cannot for the life of me think of a reason when I would have to use a specific urinal.
-TP Blinds. People in the stalls will hang toilet paper to block the 1/4" space between the door and the wall. Do they think that someone will want to look in on them?
-Talking on the phone. Full conversation no matter what other activities are going on. If I even heard a flush while talking to someone that would end the conversation.
-Wetting hands. Its only called washing hands if you use soap. Otherwise, you are just getting your hands wet.
I doubt these behaviors are unique to my workplace, but none of them are acceptable.
Monday, June 05, 2017
Heroes....that are super. In movies.
Took my daughter to see Wonder Woman over the weekend. We both loved it. The best part was looking over and seeing my daughter completely immersed in the story. She was literally sitting on the edge of her seat. The worst part was constantly getting interrupted by my daughter to ask questions about what was going on, which was a small price to pay so that she could maintain her attention throughout this movie.
Seeing my daughter idolize the Amazon on the big screen felt significant, maybe even heavy. Until now, she had compartmentalized movies in the super hero genre as something for boys. There have been super hero movies she has liked (The Avengers, for example) but undercutting every viewing was the idea that girls were allowed to tag along, as opposed to being the true target for the movie. That all changed with Wonder Woman. WW was not a female version of a superhero movie. It truly WAS a super hero movie. The hero just happened to be a woman.
DC certainly stumbled out of the gates with their recent movie offerings, but it looks like they can right the ship now that they have Wonder Woman to anchor them. Marvel needed Iron Man to be the launching pad for the next wave of character movies (Thor, Captain America). DC was a little too impatient with their approach, hoping to crank out a few origin stories, then follow it up with Justice League. It doesn't work that way. You need us to care about these heroes. Wonder Woman accomplishes this, so keep creating movies that way and DC can compete head-to-head against Marvel on the movie screen.
Seeing my daughter idolize the Amazon on the big screen felt significant, maybe even heavy. Until now, she had compartmentalized movies in the super hero genre as something for boys. There have been super hero movies she has liked (The Avengers, for example) but undercutting every viewing was the idea that girls were allowed to tag along, as opposed to being the true target for the movie. That all changed with Wonder Woman. WW was not a female version of a superhero movie. It truly WAS a super hero movie. The hero just happened to be a woman.
DC certainly stumbled out of the gates with their recent movie offerings, but it looks like they can right the ship now that they have Wonder Woman to anchor them. Marvel needed Iron Man to be the launching pad for the next wave of character movies (Thor, Captain America). DC was a little too impatient with their approach, hoping to crank out a few origin stories, then follow it up with Justice League. It doesn't work that way. You need us to care about these heroes. Wonder Woman accomplishes this, so keep creating movies that way and DC can compete head-to-head against Marvel on the movie screen.
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
NFL Minor League, part 2
In case you missed it, we are now ready to tackle an NFL Minor League. In my previous post, I laid out all the cities that would represent each NFL team. Now I need to decide how the league and divisions will play out. Since this is a minor league, travel costs need to kept to a minimum, so teams should be grouped regionally. When I reviewed the minor league cities, it dawned on me that the current NFC/AFC configuration does not make sense to these new cities. I decided on 6 divisions: Pacific, Southwest, North, Central, Southeast, and Atlantic. But wait, how will 32 teams divide evenly across 6 divisions? They don't. When you create 4 divisions, geography would work against you. The other balanced option was 8 divisions, but I think we can agree that would be way too many. As long as there are more people on the East Coast, there are going to be more teams in the East. Any attempt to keep balanced divisions across the country will be difficult. Just ask the NHL.
Here's how I have the minor league cities distributed across the new divisions:
Pacific: Portland, Sacramento, Fresno, San Jose, San Diego
Southwest: San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Las Vegas, Wichita, Albuqurque
North: Milwaukee, Grand Rapids, Des Moines, St. Louis, Louisville
Central: Toronto, Harrisburg, Dayton, Columbus, Memphis
Southeast: West Palm, Savannah, Orlando, Birmingham, Mobile, Greenville
Atlantic: Providence, Albany, Wilkes-Barre, Hartford, Wilmington, Norfolk
That would create a situation where the 6 division winners make the playoffs. 2 teams get byes? Or add 2 wild card teams to make a 8 team playoff. There's some flexibility here.
How would this work if we applied these same ideas back to the NFL cities? Pretty well actually. Get rid of the ancient, geographically unfriendly connections between teams (Washington/Dallas, Buffalo/Miami) and divisions start making sense again.
Pacific: Seattle, Oakland, LA Rams, SF, LA Chargers
Southwest: Houston, Dallas, Denver, KC, Arizona
North: Green Bay, Detroit, Minnesota, Chicago, Indianapolis
Central: Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Tennessee
Southeast: Miami, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, New Orleans, Carolina
Northeast: New England, NY Giants, NY Jets, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington
The only thing left is to come up with nicknames/mascots for the new NFL Minor League teams.
Thursday, May 18, 2017
NFL Minor League?
I have always found it odd that the NFL, being one of the most profitable sports leagues, does not have a minor league system. The NHL and MLB have decent minor league systems in place. Using those as template could work for the NFL too. Of course, the NFL has no reason to create a minor league as long as they can use the NCAA as their farm system. That is a discussion for another time. That being said, I still like to imagine how minor league football would play out. Since this is my fantasy, I get to make the rules. So let's get started...
I think each NFL team should have a minor league team that is located near the NFL city. It makes no sense having a minor league squad located in a different time zone from its parent NFL team. In addition, those locations should be decided based on media outlets. This isn't a charity. We gotta make some money. Let's take a look at the largest media markets that do not already have an NFL team AND is located somewhat near existing NFL locations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_television_stations_in_North_America_by_media_market
Based on this information, I will match up existing NFL cities with potential minor league cities:
I think each NFL team should have a minor league team that is located near the NFL city. It makes no sense having a minor league squad located in a different time zone from its parent NFL team. In addition, those locations should be decided based on media outlets. This isn't a charity. We gotta make some money. Let's take a look at the largest media markets that do not already have an NFL team AND is located somewhat near existing NFL locations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_television_stations_in_North_America_by_media_market
Based on this information, I will match up existing NFL cities with potential minor league cities:
| NFL City | Minor City |
| Seattle | Portland |
| Oakland* | Sacramento |
| Los Angeles | Fresno |
| San Francisco | San Jose |
| Los Angeles | San Diego |
| Houston | San Antonio |
| Dallas | Oklahoma City |
| Phoenix | Tuscon |
| Kansas City | Wichita |
| Denver | Albuquerque |
| Green Bay | Milwaukee |
| Detroit | Grand Rapids |
| Minneapolis | Des Moines |
| Chicago** | St Louis |
| Indianapolis | Louisville |
| Buffalo | Toronto |
| Pittsburgh | Harrisburgh |
| Cincinnati | Dayton |
| Cleveland | Columbus |
| Nashville | Memphis |
| Miami | West Palm |
| Jacksonville | Savannah |
| Tampa | Orlando |
| Atlanta | Birmingham |
| New Orleans | Mobile |
| Charlotte | Greenville |
| Boston | Providence |
| New York City | Albany |
| Philadelphia | Wilkes Barre |
| New York City | Hartford |
| Baltimore | Wilmington |
| Washington | Norfolk |
*You may notice that Las Vegas is absent. The Raiders are moving there, so I thought it was unfair to list Las Vegas as another NFL city's minor league location. Sacramento can still be the minor league location for Las Vegas whether the Raiders are in Oakland or Las Vegas. Maybe Oakland can be the Las Vegas minor league city like I did with LA/San Diego.
**The NFC North teams were tough to balance. Making St. Louis the minor league city for Chicago seems unnatural thanks to the Cubs/Cardinal baseball rivalry. Might need to shuffle some of the "NFC North" associations with their minor league cities. For this exercise, these cities will have to exist in a vacuum, so St. Louis - Chicago stays.
There were some other geographical gymnastics required to make this work. For example, the Mountain region does not have a lot of people, so it has fewer large media markets. The Denver-Albuquerque connection is the biggest stretch, but the rest seem to fall into place. It actually makes sense for the most part. Not sure if there is even a football appetite in each of the minor league cities I have chosen.
Would the minor cities build a stadium? Who cares? I assume if they are large enough to make the media market list, they would already have a stadium or be able to build one. Besides, how large would an NFL Minor League team stadium need to be? I honestly have no idea.
In the next post, I will cover how these teams will interact by creating conferences/divisions.
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Finding a creative outlet again
It has been a very long time since I have written a blog. Giving up on Facebook has left a vacancy in my cathartic activities, so I thought dusting off this antique would be good for my mental well being. A few months ago, I realized that Facebook was not providing any value so it has become dormant in my life. To be honest, I still lurk on Facebook a bit, but it no longer provides what I need. Twitter has emerged as a valid social media outlet, but I consume Twitter more than I create. Random thoughts limited to 140 characters does not a true outlet make. That brings me back to a blog. I wrote a blog fairly consistently back in the aughts, so I think I can recapture that magic and get the creative juices flowing again.
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