NFL Culture Issues

By Mike Rifkin & Bill Murphy

On Monday night, October 11th, 2021, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden resigned. Gruden was in his fourth season of a ten-year contract. His resignation comes as the New York Times uncovered Emails Gruden had sent using homophobic and misogynistic language. 

Gruden released a statement Monday saying, “ I have resigned as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction. Thank you to all the players, coaches, staff, and fans of Raider Nation. I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone.” Gruden was in the fourth season of a ten-year contract. He went 22-31 in those three-plus seasons.  The emails were sent to Bruce Allen, the former president of the Washington Football Team, while Gruden worked for ESPN as an analyst on Monday Night Football from 2009 to 2017.  

In one of the emails, Gruden called NFL commissioner Roger Goodell a “ Faggot” and a “clueless anti-football p***y,” saying Goodell shouldn’t have pressured Jeff Fisher, the then head coach of the Rams, to select “Queers” in reference to Michael Sam who was the first openly gay player ever drafted. This offseason Carl Nassib of the Las Vegas Raiders was the first active NFL player to say he was gay. On Wednesday, Raiders general manager Mike Mayock said that Nassib had requested a personal day. Nassib told Mayock, “ This is a lot to process.” 

Gruden also sent emails about Demaurice Smith, the NFLPA executive saying, “Dumboriss Smith has lips the size of Michelin tires.”  Other emails include Gruden saying safety Eric Reid, a player who knelt during the National Anthem, that he should be fired. He criticized many owners, Goodell, coaches, and journalists throughout the league. 

Gruden also sent emails denouncing women as referees. He was also a part of an email chain with Bruce Allen and others that included photos of women only in bikini bottoms, two of which were Washington team cheerleaders. Washington has been dealing with a toxic work environment for years which was revealed in last summer’s report from the Washington Post that 15 former female employees came out with sexual harassment and verbal abuse from 2004-2019. Claims included Richard Mann, the second assistant director of player personnel, asking a woman if her breasts were “real or fake” and that this employee wanted to “squeeze her butt.” Will Hobson, the reporter who broke this story, said, “ The sales staff were encouraged to wear low cut blouses, tight skirts, and heels.” Larry Michaels, the Senior Vice President of the team, asked employees to make a video for owner Daniel Snyder that included partially nude photos of cheerleaders from a 2008 swimsuit calendar. With all of this information, the league decided to fine Washington 10 million dollars. In light of the Gruden situation, the NFLPA is asking the league to release more findings, and the league is not complying.

Both situations are awful looks for the NFL, but this is not just an NFL issue, Raider issue, or a Washington issue. The issue here has now become a cultural issue in our society. The fact that people in power believe they can do or say whatever they want is a problem. We cannot let people degrade others based on their sexual orientation or the color of their skin. Also, we cannot allow men in power to degrade women this way the Washington Football team did. 

The real reason the NFL will not release the findings into the Washington Football team are the owners will not turn on one of their own and because it makes you wonder how many front offices think this way, not just in sports but in companies all across the world. Jon Gruden will never coach in the NFL again, and Bruce Allen will not be back as an executive. What will happen to Daniel Snyder? Pressure is on Roger Goodell to release the findings and see what the court of public opinion says. 

Dallas vs Pats Postgame

Dallas finally wins in Foxborough 

Record 5-1

By Mark Halpern

The Dallas Cowboys played the one team they have never beat and did just that. They went into the land of Belichick and beat the master and his disciples. 

    The Cowboys came out hot on offense but were having significant trouble scoring in the one place they shouldn’t, and that’s the red zone. Dallas failed 3 times while in that area but was able to score outside the RedZone with ease. Zeke Elliot didn’t have the best running game of his season, amounting to only 69 yards but he did chip in 7 receptions for 50 yards which helped move the chains on many vital drives. Tony Pollard helped with 40 yards on the ground and 3 receptions of his own for 22 yards making him and Zeke the most lethal running back duo in football.

    Dak had a great day passing for 445 yards and 3td’s and an unlucky interception in the endzone on a pass to Dalton Schultz. The wide receivers were very busy as the Pats were able to hold the run game. Cee Dee Lamb had 9 receptions for 149 yards and 2 td’s including the game-winning one in Over Time. The reception of the day was made by Cedrick Wilson on a diving catch in the second half in my opinion. Amari Cooper caught 5 passes for 55, and Schultz had 5 receptions for 79 yards. Schultz has exceeded expectations this season as he turns out to have excellent performance week to week.

   The defense had trouble in the game, giving up long runs and many passes. Mac Jones looked the best he has all season, even though it was his lowest amount of passing yards since week 2. However, with under 2.5 minutes to go, Jones threw a pass over the middle, and Treyvon Diggs picked off and took it to the house for a touchdown giving him 7 interceptions on the year. This was a massive blow to New England as Dallas looked like they would win this game with just about 2.15 minutes left. However, Mac Jones threw a perfect strike to Kendrick Bourne on a double move on the next play and threaded the needle for a 75-yard touchdown. However, there was still plenty of time, and Dallas drove down the field and tied the game on a field goal by Greg Zuerlein, sending the game into overtime.

   In overtime, the Pats received the ball and were forced to punt, Dallas drove down the field, and Prescot hit Lamb to win on a nice crossing route. This was a massive win for the Cowboys as they keep showing the league that they are no joke. With this win, the Cowboys are now 5-1 joining the Packers, Ravens, Buccaneers, Rams, and the only undefeated team is the Cardinals at 6-0.

      The Cowboys are on a bye next week and will travel to Minnesota in week 8 to face the 3-3 Vikings.

This Week In Wrestling II

By Jeff Knap

Welcome to TWIW, and the 1st thing I’d like to do, and this is a little late. Still, I’d like to congratulate Alex Hammerstone in winning the MLW World Heavyweight Champion by defeating Jacob Fatu. He held the title for just over two years, which is almost unheard of in today’s wrestling industry. I still remember the old MLW on the Sunshine Network right around 2002. Satoshi Kojima was the champion. That’s where I 1st heard of CM Punk.

WWE RAW
This past Monday, the WWE started to finalize everything for this coming Sunday’s Crown Jewel PPV. We will get to see WWE Champion Big E. defend his championship against former champion Drew McIntyre. Xavier Woods and Jinder Mahal advance to the King of the Ring tournament semi-finals, where they will wrestle this Monday to see who wrestles Finn Balor at Crown Jewel in the KOTR finals. We also saw Shayna Baszler and Doudrop advance to the semi-finals, and that winner will face Zelina Vega in the Queen’s Crown finals at Crown Jewel.

NXT
Isaiah Swerve Scott and the rest of Hit Row are getting ready to move over to Smackdown because of the draft, and Scott planned on taking the North American Championship with him. Santos Escobar planned on winning the championship and keeping it in NXT, but Swerve had other plans and ended up defeating Escobar. That’s when Carmelo Hayes cashed in his breakout star contract and defeated Scott, and became the NEW NXT North American champion.

Although NXT has its fair share of things that irritate me, I’m intrigued by Joe Gacy and his relationship with Harland. I love the Joe Gacy character and its plan on the way certain groups of people are feeling and acting at the current time…snowflakes, lol.
The thing that gets me is the need for them to push Von Wagner. I have zero interest in him, and I just don’t get excited by his in-ring work. I find it boring and uninspiring. I’m sorry to body shame. His forehead is HUGE, and I can’t stop staring at it.

Why does Ikemen Jiro have to wear that jacket to the ring? Is there a reason? I could understand if he was a heel, and it was loaded with a foreign object that helped him pick up a victory. Lash Legend is a beautiful woman, but her Lashing Out show does nothing for me, and when it’s on, I usually head to the bathroom or fast forward if I’m taping it.

The match featuring Duke Hudson and Grayson Weller wasn’t horrible. It’s just I’m just trying to figure out why I should care about these two men? I understand they are both up and comers, but give me some back story or a reason to care about them.

WWE – Smackdown
Anytime you put Sami Zayn and Finn Balor in the ring, you will produce magic, and this past Friday was no different. I knew that Sami would lose since it’s well known that he would never be going to Saudi Arabia.
After Crown Jewel, I’m excited to see where the story of Carmella and Liv Morgan goes. I’ve been pulling for Liv Morgan to get some spotlight for some time now, and I hope this is the start of it.
In my opinion, the Seth Rollins promo heading into Hell in a Cell was not just a home run but a grand slam. Besides Brock vs. Roman, if that promo didn’t make you want to tune in on Thursday, nothing will.

Impact
We found out that one of my favorites from NJPW will be making his Impact debut, and that’s Minoru Suzuki and the lineup for next Sunday’s Bound For Glory PPV, which sadly starts at 10 pm, is rounding out. The main event alone is worth the price of admission, with Impact Champion Christian Cage taking on the MVP of Impact, Josh Alexander. This past week Rohit Raju, Willie Mack, who I’m a massive fan of, and El Phantasmo battled out to see who will be the third man for the three-way X-Division match at bound for glory. We saw El Phantasmo pick up the victory and will now face Steve Maclin and Trey Miguel. We now have found out who will be in the three-way for the X-Division match.

To end the night, we saw W. Morrisey win the 20 man battle royal and enter last in the Call Your Shot Gauntlet match, with Chris Sabin, the 1st entrant. On a sad note for those fans of this segment, but Impact bid a sad farewell to the Swinger’s Palace.

I will have to make up for AEW since the night changed, and I was on dad duty during that time.

DALLAS vs PATS

The Dak Attack is back Jack

By Mark Halpern

This upcoming weekend the 4-1 Cowboys travel to Foxborough to take on the 2-3 Patriots. A couple of years ago, I would have been worried, but this isn’t the same dynasty as it was. Dak and the Cowboys have proven they are a force to be reckoned with. Dak Prescott has the Cowboys rolling this season with impressive outing after outing. Their only loss came from where Brady is currently, and that is Tampa. Playing on the road is never easy, especially when you are going against one of the greatest head coaches ever in Belichick. The Pats defense is strong, and beating them at home won’t be easy but, the Cowboys are up for the task.

      This week’s game will rely on play calling. The Cowboys need to run the ball, and they need to run it a lot. The Pats passing defense is in the top five in the NFL, and establishing the run game will be key. Zeke Elliot and Tony Pollard are well up to this task. Next to Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, they are the best running back duo in the NFL. Establishing the run will enable this high-powered Dallas offense to use play-action more than have this season. You can’t stack the box against this Dallas team because their wide receiver core is top 3 in the league. As I said, the big key here will be play-calling, and Kellen more has said, “The offense won’t be the same each week.” I haven’t seen this powerful of an offense since the early 1990’s. This is a well-balanced Dallas offense and can run rings around you. The offensive line has been stronger than last year’s injury-riddled line, and protecting Dak is a must.

    Now The Pats have this guy Mac and Cheese, Big Mac oh wait Mac Jones. He has had some success this year, but this Dallas defense is getting better. The secondary lead by Treyvon “The New Prime-Time” Diggs is ready to try and collect his 7th interception of the season, and the rest of the secondary has been following his lead. Dallas already has more interceptions than half the league, and Diggs has 6. The defensive line has been getting better and starting to get pressure. Rookies Micha Parsons and Jabril Cox have been doing an excellent job with Vander-Esch in the linebacking group. They have been stopping the run and forcing quarterbacks to throw to the “No Fly Zone.” 

    This game isn’t easy, and the defense will be challenging, but I expect the Cowboys to be well up to the task and come out with their 5th straight win of the season by a score of 27-10.

DALLAS vs GIANTS

Big D destroys the Little Giants

Record 4-1

By Mark Halpern

The Dallas Cowboys faced off against their division rivals, the New York Giants, this past Sunday in Arlington and destroyed them. At the start of the game, the Cowboys looked like they had a fog over their eyes. They were barely moving the ball, and Prescott threw a ball towards Zeke {that if he catches, he has the whole sideline to himself} but it was tipped at the line and intercepted. The Giant’s offense couldn’t move the ball either and missed an easy field goal. The Cowboys fog was disappearing over the next few drives, Zeke was gaining chunks of yards, and Dak was completing passes. However, the Cowboys could only muster a field goal in the first quarter. That score didn’t last long because in the first few minutes of the second quarter Dak threw a perfect bomb to Cee Dee Lamb for a 49-yard touchdown making the score 10-0. The Giants did manage to score ten unanswered points of their own but things were about to change. In the waning minutes of the second quarter, Dak hit Armani Cooper for a 24-yard score, and at the half, Dallas led 17-10. 

     The second half was all Cowboys and Zeke Elliot. Elliot ran for a 14-yard score and caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Prescott, and Greg Zuerlein added another field goal. We saw Anthony Brown pick off a nice pass in the fourth quarter and take it to the house for another score. Dallas was the victor and, by a landslide winning 44-20. 

     Now that I have explained the offense let’s talk about the defense. Trevon “I am the new Deion” Diggs Picked off his 6 pass in his fifth game. He is on a fantastic run. He is considered one of the top 3 cover corners in the league. The Cowboy’s defense didn’t record a sack, and that must change in a game like this. They had several pass deflections, many qb pressures, and hits and stopped the run game altogether.

    The Giants were not so lucky. Star Running back Saquon Barkley sprained his ankle and is currently considered week to week but will most likely miss anywhere from 4-6 weeks. Daniel Jones tried a quarterback reverse to try a score and was met by Micah Parsons, and Jones lowered his head {kids please don’t do this} and collided with the front of Parsons helmet, and he was knocked silly. It was terrifying to see him staggering around, and he had to be carted off. It was listed as a grade 1 concussion and will probably miss a few weeks. Wide receiver Kenny Golladay also left this contest early with a knee injury, and his status is considered week to week. In this one game, the Giants lost 6 of their starting offensive players.

    This game was all Cowboys and very little Giants. Dak Prescot led the way for Dallas, who threw for 301 yards with 3td and 1int, Zeke Elliot with 21 carries for 110 yards and 2 total td’s, and Cee Dee Lamb 4 receptions for 4 yards and a td. Honorable mentions to Dalton Schultz with 6 receptions for yards and Tony Pollard with 14 carries for 75 yards. Altogether, the Dallas offense put up a total of 515 yards on the day.

     Next Week the Cowboys Travel to Foxborough to battle the Brady-less Patriots in a Sunday afternoon matchup.

2021 Pacific Division Preview

By Michael Rifkin

In 2020 we saw some realignment due to Covid, but as we prepare for the 2021 NHL season, we are going back to the regular divisions. However, there is a twist in the Pacific as the Arizona Coyotes are now in the Central division, and the Seattle Kraken will debut. So let’s get specific in the Pacific.

2019 standings: 1) Flames, 2) Sharks, 3) Golden Knights, 4) Coyotes, 5) Canucks, 6) Ducks, 7) Oilers, 8) Kings.

Anaheim Ducks: ( 2020: 17-30-9) Anaheim’s most significant move this offseason was resigning their captain Ryan Getzlaf to a one-year contract as their rebuild continues. Last season Getzlaf had five goals and 17 points in 48 games in 2020. Last season the Ducks had the worst power play in the NHL. Anaheim is hoping that infusing young players Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale can help them. Both players posted three goals in 24 games played. The Ducks will be interesting to watch the trade deadline as winger Rickard Rickell and defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson are unrestricted free agents after 2021.

 X-Factor: Sam Steel. He had 12 points in 42 games (6 goals, six assists) and 18 games in 129 games in his career without the former first-round pick taking a step forward in Anaheim’s rebuild. 

Calgary Flames ( 2020: 26-27-3) In March, the Calgary Flames made a coaching change. Out was Geoff Ward, and they brought in Darryl Sutter for his second stint as Flames head coach. Last offseason, the Flames made a splash by signing goalie Jacob Markstrom to a six-year 36 million dollar contract. Markstrom, in year one, went 22-19-2 with a 2.68 goals-against average, a .904 save percentage, and three shutouts. The Flames made another splash this offseason, signing two-time Stanley Cup champion Blake Coleman to a six-year contract worth 29.4 million dollars. Add Coleman to the core of Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau, and Matthew Tkachuk. Calgary’s defense took a hit when the Kraken selected Captain Mark Giordano in the expansion draft. 

X-Factor: Noah Hanifin, with the loss of Giordano, puts a little more pressure on the former fifth overall pick, who had 15 points in 47 games. 

Edmonton Oilers ( 2020: 35-19-2) In a 56 game season, the Oilers had the top two scorers across the NHL as captain Connor McDavid posted 105 points and Leon Draisaitl posted 84 points. With all of that, the Oilers were swept in the first round by the Winnipeg Jets. This offseason, Ken Holland was signing Zach Hyman from the Maple Leafs to a seven-year 38.5 million dollar contract, re-signed former number one overall pick Ryan Nugent Hopkins to an eight-year 41 million dollar contract traded for former Norris winner Duncan Keith. The Oilers didn’t do upgrade goaltending and will roll with a Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen duo. 

Players to watch are the goalies. Last season the 39-year-old Smith was 21-6-2 with a 2.31 goals-against average, .923 save percentage, and three shutouts. Koskinen went 13-13 with a 3.17 goals-against average, and a .899 save percentage. If the Oilers want to contend and make a deep playoff run, it’s on the goalies because they have enough talent to score.  

Los Angeles Kings (2020: 21-28-7) After a third straight season of missing the playoffs, star defenseman Drew Doughty said, “As a team, we need to be better and get better.” “ That’s not just on the players.” General manager Rob Blake listened as the Kings traded for Nashville Predators winger Viktor Arvidsson to add a top 6 winger. Last season Arvidsson had ten goals, and 25 points in 50 games played last season. In his career, Arvidsson has 127 goals and 239 points in 385 games. Blake also signed center Phillip Danault to a six-year 33 million dollar contract. The signing of Danault takes a lot of pressure off of captain Anze Kopitar, one of the top two-way centers in the NHL. Danault had five goals and 24 points in 53 games played. In his career, he has had 55 goals and 199 points. Danault played a vital role in the Montreal Canadiens run to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Kings also have an influx of young talent on their roster. If the Kings will go anywhere, it’s on goalie Jonathan Quick who went 11-9-2 with a 2.86 goals-against average, .898 save percentage, and two shutouts. 

Player to watch: Adrian Kempe last season 14 goals and 29 points in 56 games last season expect Kempe to score 20-25 goals this season. 

San Jose Sharks (2020: 21-28-7) It’s an exciting time in San Jose because the Sharks have many bad contracts and are trying to incorporate young players into their lineup. One of the central questions the Sharks had to answer was goaltending. They bought out goaltender Martin Jones who struggled. They added Adin Hill from the Coyotes, who has only played in 49 games and started in 41 of those going 19-21-4 with a 2.79 goals-against average, .909 save percentage, and three shutouts. Tomas Hertl had 19 goals and 43 points in 50 games played is an unrestricted free agent after this season, so if San Jose falls out, Hertl will be an exciting name going into the trade deadline. San Jose has a cap problem. Logan Couture makes 8 million dollars a season, Evander Kane makes 7 million dollars, Timo Meier makes 6 million. Erik Karlsson makes 11.5 million on the defensive side, Brent Burns makes 8 million, and Marc -Edouard Vlasic makes 7 million dollars a season. 

Players to watch: Has to be the goaltending as well. Adin Hill has never been a number one goalie, and there is pressure to win for a team with so many players with large-cap hits. 

Seattle Kraken (2020: NA) In 2021, Seattle will Krak the NHL. General Manager Ron Francis shocked the hockey world when he hired former Flyers coach Dave Hakstol as the team’s inaugural head coach. The expansion draft saw them grab some highly talented forwards in two-time Stanley Cup Champion Yanni Gourde from the Lightning, Jordan Eberle from the Islanders, and Joonas Donskoi from the Avalanche. Former Flames captain Mark Giordano will lead the defense. The Kraken also went big in free agency, signing Jaden Schwartz from the Blues to a five-year 27.5 million contract. Schwartz is coming off an eight-goal 21 point season in 40 games for the Blues. The bigger splash was signing Vezina finalist Philipp Grubauer to a six-year 35.4 million dollar contract. Last year, the Avalanche Grubauer went 30-9-1 with a 1.95 goals-against average, .922 save percentage, and seven shutouts. Seattle also got Chris Driedger from the Panthers to be the backup. Coming off of his best season Driedger went 14-6-3 with a 2.07 goals-against average, .927 save percentage, and three shutouts.

Players to watch Mason Appleton and Colin Blackwell. Appleton last season posted 12 goals and 25 points in all 56 games for the Jets. Blackwell last season had 12 goals and 22 points for the Rangers. Blackwell played everywhere for the Rangers in the top 6, bottom 6, power play, and penalty kill. 

Vancouver Canucks (2020: 23-29-4) Right now, the biggest story out of Vancouver is the contract negotiations for Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson; both are restricted, free agents. In the bubble a couple of seasons ago, this is a team that gave the Vegas Golden Knights all they could handle, but 2020 was a difficult season. They made a big trade with the Arizona Coyotes, acquiring defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and winger Conor Garland in exchange for Jay Beagle, Louis Eriksson, Antoine Roussel, 2021 first-round, 2021 seventh-round pick, and a 2022 second-round pick. 

Player to watch: Nils Hoglander, who in 2020 had 13 goals and 27 points in all 56 games. Expect him to take a step forward if Vancouver is going to make some noise. 

Vegas Golden Knights: (2020: 40-14-2) Since their inaugural season, where they went to the Stanley Cup Finals, those have been the expectations in Vegas. Before being upset by the Montreal Canadiens, they went through a seven-game battle with the Wild and another grueling series against the Avalanche in the playoffs. Vegas made a shocking move this offseason as they traded Vezina winner Marc-Andre Fleury to the Chicago Blackhawks. Last season Fleury went 26-10-0 with a 1.98 goals-against average, .928 save percentage, and six shutouts. Luckily for Vegas, they have had the luxury of having two outstanding starting goalies Robin Lehner will take over. As usual, it is Stanley Cup or bust for the Knights. 

The player to watch is Nolan Patrick. Vegas acquired the former second overall pick in a deal that sent Cody Glass to Nashville in July. In his career, Patrick has 30 goals and 70 points in 197 games played. He also missed all of the 19-20 due to migraines, but maybe a change of scenery will help him succeed.

2021 Pacific Division Projections

  1. Vegas Golden Knights
  2. Seattle Kraken
  3. Vancouver Canucks
  4. Edmonton Oilers
  5. Los Angeles Kings
  6. Calgary Flames
  7. San Jose Sharks
  8. Anaheim Ducks 

Because of how strong the Central is, I think only three teams out of the Pacific make the playoffs. To me, the only guarantee in this division is the Golden Knights, everything else is up for grabs. 

2021 Central Divison Preview

By Michael Rifkin

In 2020 we saw some realignment due to Covid, but as we prepare for the 2021 NHL season, we are going back to the regular divisions. Due to the Seattle Kraken coming into the NHL, the Arizona Coyotes will be moving to the Central Division.

2019 Central Division Standings: 1) Blues, 2) Avalanche, 3) Stars, 4) Predators, 5) Jets, 6) Wild, 7) Blackhawks

Arizona Coyotes (2020: 24-26-6) The 2020 Arizona Coyotes were competing for a playoff spot deep into the season but fell short. After the season, they fired Rick Tocchet and hired Andre Tourigny, coaching the Ottawa 67s of the OHL. The Coyotes decided they would take on some players with a big cap hit to accumulate draft picks. The biggest deal was with the Canucks that sent former captain Oliver Ekma- Larsson and Conor Garland to Vancouver for Loui Eriksson, Antoine Roussel, Jay Beagle, the 9th overall pick in the draft (Dylan Guenther), a 2022 second-round pick, and a 2023 seventh-round pick. All three goalies the Coyotes had played for them in 2020 are not with the team. Antti Rantaa signed with the Hurricanes, and Darcy Kuemper was traded to the Avalanche, and Adin Hill was traded to the Sharks. The team signed veteran Carter Hutton to be the team teams starting goalie. Player to watch: Shayne Gostisbehere, traded from the Flyers, had nine goals and 20 points in 41 games last season. In 2015-16 Ghost had his best season with 17 goals and 46 points in 64 games. It’s been a struggle since. Maybe a change of scenery will help him.

Chicago Blackhawks (2020: 24-25-7) The Blackhawks made arguably the two biggest splashes this offseason. They acquired defenseman Seth Jones from the Blue Jackets and Vezina trophy winner and future Hall of Famer Marc Andre- Fleury from the Vegas Golden Knights. But the essential addition to the Blackhawks might be the return of captain Jonathon Toews who did not play in 2020. Toews had 18 goals and 60 points in 70 games played in 2019-20. Player to watch: Kirby Dach, who as a rookie had eight goals and 23 points in 64 games in 2019-20. Last season Dach was limited to 18 games due to a fractured wrist. In those 18 games, Dach had two goals and 10 points.

Colorado Avalanche (2020: 39-13-4) Going to state the obvious that the Colorado Avalanche is a big-time Stanley Cup contender. They were led by one of the best lines in hockey with Nathan Mackinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog, who they re-signed to an eight-year 64 million dollar contract. They also signed stud defenseman Cale Makar to a six-year 54 million dollar contract. The Avs did lose Vezina nominated goalie Phillip Grubauer to the Seattle Kraken. To replace him, the Avs traded a first-round pick and defenseman Connor Timmins to the Coyotes for Darcy Kuemper. Last season Kuemper went 10-11-3 with a 2.56 GAA,907 save percentage, and two shutouts. The Avs will need Kuemper to be healthy throughout the season. Player to watch: Bowen Byram, the 2019 first-round pick who had two assists in 19 games last season, might get a real opportunity to play after Ryan Graves was traded to the Devils.

Dallas Stars ( 2020: 23-19-14) The team most affected in the 56 game season was the Dallas Stars. Their season started late due to a Covid outbreak, and later in the year, they couldn’t play due to the ice storms in Texas. This was after a magical run to the Stanley Cup Final and lost to the Lightning. Tyler Seguin was limited to 3 games due to hip surgery but scored two goals in those three games. The player to watch is Joel Kiviranta, who had six goals and 11 points in 26 games last season. Kiviranta had a hat trick in game seven against the Avalanche in the playoffs a few seasons ago.

Minnesota Wild (2020: 35-16-5) Last season, the Wild shocked people not just because they made the playoffs but also because they took the Vegas Golden Knights to a seven-game series. Calder Trophy winner Kirill Kaprizov who just signed a five-year 45 million dollar contract. Kaprizov had 27 goals and 51 points in 55 games. Joel Eriksson Ek had a breakout season with 19 goals and 30 points in 56 games. The Wild bought out the contracts of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, so there is a changing of the guard in Minnesota. Jordan Greenway, who had six goals and 32 points in 56 games played last season, is the player to watch. In his career, Greenway has 26 goals and 85 points in 210 games played.

Nashville Predators (2020: 31-23-2) Speaking of a changing of the guard for the first time since 2005, Pekka Rinne will not be in a Predators uniform as Rinne retired after 2020. Just Saros carried the Preds down the stretch to reach the playoffs. Also out is defenseman Ryan Ellis who they traded to the Flyers as a part of a three-team deal that saw Nashville acquire Cody Glass from Vegas and Phil Myers from the Flyers. Player to watch: Eeli Tolvanen had 11 goals and 22 points in 40 games last season. If Tolvanen takes a step up, watch what the Preds do with impending free agent Filip Forsberg at the trade deadline.

St. Louis Blues (2020: 27-20-9) The Blues this offseason wanted to add to their top 6 and compete with the firepower of teams like the Avalanche and Golden Knights. They traded for Pavel Buchnevich from the Rangers and signed a five-year contract with former Avalanche and Blackhawk Brandon Saad. The biggest news out of St. Louis was that star winger Vladimir Tarasenko requested a trade due to lingering issues with his shoulder. Player to watch Robert Thomas. One reason is he has the same name as the lead singer of Matchbox 20. Thomas had three goals and 12 points last season. If coach Craig Berube wants more out of the 22-year-old, pairing him with Saad might help his offensive game.

Winnipeg Jets (2020: 30-23-3) The Jets are ready for takeoff. In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Winnipeg swept the Oilers and then lost to the Canadiens. But with Connor Hellebuyck and one of the best forward groups in the NHL. They added Nate Schmidt from the Canucks and Brendon Dillion from the Capitals to solidify the Blue line. Expect Pierre Luc-Dubois to have a bounce back after being traded from Columbus. Player to watch: Ville Heinola, a 20-year-old defenseman who has a goal in 13 career games in his career. With guys like Neal Pionk and Josh Morrisey, coach Paul Maurice can let Heinola develop at his own pace. If he makes the roster pairing him with one of the veterans in Dillon or Schmidt can help with that.

I do think five teams make it out of the Central division. Predictions: 1) Avalanche, 2) Stars, 3) Jets, 4) Blackhawks(WC), 5) Blues (WC) 6) Wild, 7) Predators, 8) Coyotes.

It is that stacked. I want to see the Wild do it again before I guarantee them a playoff spot.

Noah: 1. Avs 2. Jets 3. Wild 4. Stars (WC) 5. Blackhawks (WC) 6. Preds 7. Blues 8. Coyotes

2021 Metropolitan Division Preview

By Michael Rifkin

In 2020 we saw some realignment due to Covid, but as we prepare for the 2021 NHL season, we are going back to the regular divisions. The Metropolitan division, top to bottom, might be the most competitive division in the NHL. The Metropolitan division has a nice mix of teams that can win now and teams with an incredibly bright future.

2019-20 standings: 1) Capitals 2) Flyers 3) Penguins 4) Hurricanes 5) Islanders 6) Blue Jackets 7) Rangers 8) Devils

Hurricanes (2020: 36-12-8) Carolina won the Central Division last season before losing to the Lightning in 6 games in the second round. But this is a different Hurricanes team; they lost defenseman Dougie Hamilton, goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, etc. They did bring in Goalies Freddie Anderson and Antti Raanta. Their most significant move this offseason was they extended head coach Rod Brind’Amour. A team led by forwards Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov as the future of this team, Carolina is going in the right direction. Martin Necas, who had 14 goals and 41 points in 53 games played last season, is the player to watch.

Blue Jackets (2020: 18-26-12) Opposite Carolina, Columbus finished last in the Central in 2020. They did not renew the contract of head coach John Tortorella and hired assistant Brad Larsen to be the head coach. Columbus made an interesting decision this offseason, trading star winger Cam Atkinson to the Flyers for former Blue Jacket Jakub Voracek. They were also able to re-sign winger Patrik Laine who they acquired from the Jets during the season. Laine last season had ten goals in 45 games for Columbus. They traded star defenseman Seth Jones to the Blackhawks. Player to watch: Jack Roslovic, the other piece in the Laine deal, had 12 goals and 34 points in 48 games last season. If Brad Larsen wants one extensive line, putting Roslovic with Laine and Voracek can be the answer.

Devils (2020: 19-30-7) The Devils have a good group of young forwards led by Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. They spent this offseason upgrading their defense by acquiring Ryan Graves from the Avalanche and signing Dougie Hamilton from the Hurricanes to a massive contract. Adding these two, along with P.K. Subban and Ty Smith, who had a tremendous rookie season, the Devil’s future looks bright. Mackenzie Blackwood is an excellent goalie. Player to watch: Yegor Sharangovich, not just because the name is fun to say. Sharangovich had 16 goals and 30 points in 54 games last season. Watch for him to get in that 20-25 range this season.

Islanders (32-17-7) For the second consecutive season, the Islanders lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Conference Finals. But leave it to Lou Lamoriello to keep all of his free agents this offseason to keep this group together. Under the guidance of Lamoriello and Barry Trotz, the Islanders will be a force to be reckoned with this season. Anders Lee will return for the Islanders after tearing his ACL last season. They did lose Jordan Eberle in the expansion draft, but bringing back Kyle Palmieri and Anthony Beauvillier can soften the loss. Player to watch Oliver Wahlstrom, who scored 12 goals and 21 points in 44 games last season. With the absence of Eberle, maybe Wahlstrom can take advantage of that wicked shot he has. If he does, Oliver and Company could be on their way to the promised land.

Rangers (2020: 27-23-6) The New York Rangers just missed the playoffs last season, and with that, so did dynamics… John Davidson left as President of Hockey Ops, Jeff Gorton fired as G.M., and David Quinn fired as head coach. Fans can point to a few reasons they missed the playoffs: Artemi Panarin missed nine games due to personal issues, Mika Zibanejad got off to a slow start as he recovered from Covid, etc.… In my opinion, the Rangers were not a playoff team anyway. Stepping into the roles of G.M. and coach are former Ranger captain Chris Drury and Gerard Gallant, who last coached the Vegas Golden Knights. Chris Drury had a goal this offseason, and that was to make the Rangers a more challenging team to play against. He did just that by signing Barclay Goodrow from the Lightning, trading Pavel Buchnevich for Sammie Blais from the Blues, Trading for Ryan Reaves. This Ranger team carries enough skill with Panarin, Zibanejad, and Norris winner Adam Fox. Player to watch: Filip Chytil had eight goals and 22 points in 42 games last season. Chytil was off to a great start last season before breaking his collarbone. If he continues to progress, that will benefit the Rangers.

Flyers (2020: 25-23-8) Chuck Fletcher was very busy this offseason after the Flyers missed the playoffs last season. He added Ryan Ellis from the Predators, Rasmus Ristolainen from the Sabres, and Keith Yandle from the Panthers on the blue line. Shayne Ghostisbehere, Phil Myers, and Robert Hagg are gone. Fletcher also moved on the core, trading Jakub Voracek to the Blue Jackets for Cam Atkinson. Atkinson will provide Philly with a bonafide goal scorer. Carter Hart, who had a 3.67 GAA and a .877 save percentage last season, is the player to watch. Head coach Alain Vigneault sometimes threw Hart under the bus, but Hart can rebound with a new group of defensemen.

Penguins (2020: 37-16-3) The Pittsburgh Penguins won the East division last season before losing to the Islanders in 6 games in the first round. As long as the Penguins have Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang on their roster, they are in win now mode. They will miss Malkin for the first two months after knee surgery, Crosby had surgery on his right wrist and may miss the start of the season, and as of a few days ago, Jake Guentzel scored 23 goals last season tested positive for covid. That is 3 of the Penguin’s top 6 that they might not have early on in the season. Player to watch: Jason Zucker, who had nine goals and 18 points in 38 games played in 2020. With the early-season injuries, the Penguins need Zucker to produce offensively.

Capitals (2020: 36-15-5) The Washington Capitals’ significant move this offseason was resigning captain Alex Ovechkin to a five-year contract. The Caps have kept most of the same group that won the Stanley Cup in 2018. The Caps will look to rebound after losing to the Boston Bruins in 5 games. Watch for goalies Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek to take a step forward also. Player to watch: Anthony Mantha had four goals and 8 points in 14 games after coming over from the Detroit Red Wings at the trade deadline. The 27-year-old gives the Caps another dangerous weapon, especially on their deadly power play.

Predictions: 1) Islanders 2) Capitals 3) Hurricanes 4) Flyers (W.C.) 5) Rangers (W.C.) 6) Penguins 7) Devils 8) Blue Jackets
I think 4-8 are interchangeable, but this is the best division in the NHL.

2021 Atlantic Division Preview

By Michael Rifkin

In 2020 we saw some realignment due to Covid, but as we prepare for the 2021 NHL season, we are going back to the regular divisions. The Atlantic Division is the home of the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning. It is also home to some teams that are under a lot of pressure to win.

2019 Standings 1) Bruins 2)Lightning 3) Maple Leafs 4) Panthers 5) Canadiens 6) Sabres 7) Senators 8) Red Wings

Bruins (2020: 33-16-7) The Boston Bruins have a great mix of veterans and young players. They have not missed the playoffs since 2016. Last season they defeated the Capitals in 5 games and lost to the Islanders in 6 games. They are led by the dynamic line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak. They were able to re-sign Left Winger Taylor Hall after acquiring him from Buffalo at the trade deadline. The question is who will play with him because David Krejci retired. The Bruins will have a change in goal to start the season as Tuukka Rask underwent hip surgery and is not available. They signed Linus Ullmark, who last season with the Sabres went 9-6-3 with a 2.63 GAA and a .917 save percentage. The player to watch is Jack Studnika, who will have a big opportunity in the absence of Krejci. He has one goal and 4 points in 22 career games.

Sabres (2020: 15-34-7): This is a total rebuild. They traded Sam Reinhart, one of their most consistent players, to Florida for a first-round pick and goaltending prospect. There is the whole Jack Eichel situation which has become a mess. The two bright spots were trading Rasmus Ristolainen for a first-round pick and hiring Don Granato as the head coach. After the change, the Sabres played much better. Player to watch: Dylan Cozens had four goals and 13 points in 41 years of his rookie. Expect with an increase in ice time that production will also increase.

Red Wings (2020: 19-27-10) Detroit is an exciting team. They are in the midst of a rebuild and on the cusp of something that can bring them back to the postseason. They made a great move at the trade deadline, trading Anthony Mantha to the Capitals for Jakub Vrana, who was tremendous after the deal. He led the Red Wings in goals. He is going to miss some time due to shoulder surgery. This offseason, they struck again, adding Calder finalist Alex Nedeljkovic from the Hurricanes to be the goalie. For the Hurricanes, Nedeljkovic went 15-5-3 with a 1.90 GAA, a .932 save percentage, and three shutouts. The player to watch is Pius Suter, another addition this offseason. Suter posted 14 goals and 27 points in 55 games last season with the Blackhawks.

Panthers (2020: 37-14-5) The battle of Florida was a tremendous series that saw the Panthers lose to the Lightning in 6 games. But it was a sign to the rest of the league that the Panthers are a hazardous team heading into this season led by future Hall Of Fame coach Joel Quenneville. With the addition of Joe Thornton, the Panthers now have the best facial hair on their roster. Aleksander Barkov and Jonathon Huberdeau lead the Panthers. Pressure is on goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to win now. Player to watch: Spencer Knight, the former first-round pick, will back up Bob to start the season, but he went 4-0 last season and even started two playoff games. If Bob struggles, Spencer will be knighted in the net in Florida.

Canadiens: (24-21-11) The Montreal Canadiens entered the playoffs last season with the fewest points, but that didn’t stop their magical run to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to the Lightning in 5 games. They came back from 3-1 to beat rival Toronto Maple Leafs, swept the Winnipeg Jets, and defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in 6 games. Carey Price was sensational during the run posting a 2.28 GAA, and a .924 save percentage. It was also a coming-out party for some young players. Cole Caufield got his first taste of NHL action and will be in the Calder conversation, and Nick Suzuki was tremendous leading Montreal in scoring during the playoffs. Defensively this team will take a hit as captain Shea Weber will miss all of the season. The player to watch is Cole Caufield. Easy choice, the kid was dynamic in the playoffs. Adding his speed to the lineup will benefit the Canadiens.

Senators (23-28-5): The story right now in Ottawa is what Brady Tkachuk’s new contract will look like. Since coming into the league, Tkachuk has had 125 points in 198 games. General Manager Pierre Dorion said, “the rebuild is done.” I like part of the Sens roster, especially after acquiring Matt Murray from Pittsburgh the last offseason, but several players still have to be evaluated. Player to watch: Tim Stuzle, the third overall pick from last season, had 12 goals and 29 points in 53 games. He got more comfortable as the season went along, so expect him to take a step forward.

Lightning (2020 36-17-3) We can talk about the back-to-back Champs’ stars, but let’s focus on underrated players. They lost the entire line of Yanni Gourde, Barclay Goodrow, and Blake Coleman. Coleman left as a free agent to Calgary, Yanni Gourde was selected by the Kraken in the expansion draft, and Goodrow was traded to the Rangers. Into the lineup replacing them are Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Corey Perry. They also traded the contract of Tyler Johnson to Chicago. Since being swept by the Blue Jackets a few seasons back, Jon Cooper’s team has been on a mission. The player to watch is Ross Colton. If you had Ross Colton scoring the Cup-clinching goal before game 5, give yourself a round of applause. The 25-year-old played in 30 games last season, scoring nine goals and 12 points. With the Gourde line’s departure, watch for Colton to get more ice time. Also, Stamkos, Kucherov, Hedman, Killorn, Mcdonagh, and Vasilevskiy are very good. ( I mentioned the stars)

Maple Leafs (2020: 35-14-7) I don’t think there is a team with more pressure to win than the Toronto Maple Leafs. They let goaltender Freddie Anderson go to Carolina and replaced him with former Hurricane goalie Petr Mrazek. So Mrazek and Jack Campbell will handle the net. The major question will be if this core fails again in the playoffs, who will stay and who will go. After the season, defenseman Morgan Reilly will be a free agent, but the pressure is on General Manager Kyle Dubas to get the job done soon. Player to watch: Nick Ritchie, who signed in the offseason from Boston, had 15 goals and 26 points in 56 games last season. He gives Toronto some size and grit. Ritchie could be the replacement for Zach Hyman, who left for Edmonton.

Predictions: 1) Panthers 2) Lightning 3) Bruins 4) Canadiens 5) Maple Leafs 6) Red Wings 7) Senators 8) Sabres. Note: 4-7 is interchangeable. I think only 3 out of the Atlantic make the playoffs.

61 In 61 60 Years Later

By Bill Murphy

One of the greatest battles in sports history was the star of the New York Yankees Mickey Mantle and the kid from North Dakota Roger Maris going at it to beat Babe Ruth’s 1927 home run record.  Mantle was seen as the heir apparent to the Yankee legacy  (Ruth, Gehrig, and Dimaggio ), and Maris was the underdog. The 1961 season was seen as a slugfest between two Yankees. 

Roger Maris came to the Yankees in 1960, while Mantle had already been there for nine years. Mantle led the American League with 40  Home Runs in that season, and Maris had 39 home runs, with 112 RBI” S, and won a Gold Glove. In an upset, Maris won the MVP for the season with 72% of the vote, and Mantle finished in a close second with 71% of the vote. By the end of June 1961, it looked like  Maris and Mantle competed to break Babe Ruth’s 1927 record of 60 home runs. Mantle had 31 home runs, and Maris had 27 home runs by this time. 

Everything was on track for the record to be broken until July 17th, 1961, when Commissioner Ford Frick( who was a friend of Babe Ruth )  made a ruling that any record that would be broken in over 154 games (1961 was the first season that teams played 162 games )would be counted as a separate record.  This gave the race a whole new meaning, for, at this point, there were only two months to break the record for the 154th game in September.

During the race, the fans were on one side, and it was Mantle’s, every time Maris hit a home run, he would be booed and cursed at while running the bases. It even got to the point that Maris and his family were receiving death threats, and an NYPD detective had to be hired to look after him. The stress started taking a toll on Maris as he broke out into hives and even started losing his hair. 

Aside from the Shenanigans from the league and the fans, in August of 1961, Maris pulled ahead of Mantle, being the first player to hit 50 home runs in  August.  Due to an infection caused by a hip injury, Mantle was out for the year.  On September 20th, 1961, the 154th game of the year In Baltimore, Maris came in with 58 home runs and realized that he had hit three home runs to break the record. Under pressure, Maris volunteered to take himself out of the game, but Ralph Houk told him to stay in. Maris hit only one home run that night, giving him number 59, so the chance of Maris breaking the record in 154 games was gone.  Six days later, Maris hit number 60. On October 1st,1961, in front of a crowd of 23,000 at Yankee Stadium against the Yankee’s arch-rival, the Boston Red Sox, Maris had done it, Hitting number 61 putting Ruth’s record in the dust. 

 In the years following  Maris hitting the home run, there was a rumor of an Asterik next to his record because it was considered a separate record. In reality, there was no asterisk. It was based on a comment by sports columnist Dick Young. All of the records that were released listed Maris as the single-season home run record. It was considered a separate record until 1991, when MLB commissioner Fray Vincent abolished separate records. Unfortunately, Maris passed away six years prior.

Now, should Maris’s record be considered separate? The answer to this question is no. Frick’s logic was that since there were eight different games than Ruth, he thought It would give  Maris and Mantle an unfair advantage. In reality, Ruth hit the 60 home runs in 689 plate appearances, while Maris broke the record in five fewer plate appearances in 684 plate appearances. So, in reality, it was just a ridiculous rule. 

Maris held the record for 37 years until Mark Mcguire broke it in 1998. Barry Bonds later broke it in 2001. After 60 years, we remember Maris’s quest to obtain greatness while the odds stacked against him.