Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers - This is consistent hockey !!!

Many times you turn on ESPN or TSN and you see stories on the Penguins, the Capitals, and the Bruins.  Hockey fans love the Ovie vs Crosby story and the turnaround in Bean Town.  However, some teams are playing great hockey and have yet to receive the media attention they deserve.  We think the Chicago Blackhawks and the New York Rangers are two consistent NHL teams that should be getting more coverage.  

The Blackhawks and the Rangers near the top of the league standings with Chicago in 3rd  and New York in 4th. Both teams have strong home records and they know how to win games based on their strengths.  Chicago has the benefit of a more powerful offense with 91 goals while New York lives and dies with complete hockey. The Rangers have a plus/minus of +18 vs the Blackhawks who come in with a plus/minus of +6.  The Rangers have four games in hand over the  Blackhawks so they could switch spots a few times before the regular season wraps up.

The Blackhawks are a fun team to watch with Hossa, Toews, and Kane lightning  the lamp on a regular basis.  We think they are back in the zone which made them Stanley Cup champions; two years ago.  They are as deep as they were during that season and they have to be counted as a serious threat to the Bruins. The rivalry with the Canucks is still strong and the inter-divisional play will keep the Blackhawks sharp all season.  Toews is near the top of the table in terms of scoring and we expect that to remain the same as we near mid-season.

The Rangers are also a treat to watch in action.  They are more balanced than Chicago but the question is will they have the juice to keep up with the big boys come post season.  This question could be answered by Fodotenko and Richards if they come alive in the playoffs.  New York is consistent like a clock and we think they will stay close or the near the top of the standings till the end of the year. 

Make sure you catch the Blackhawks and Rangers in action when they come to play for your team.  If you are a Blackhawks or Rangers fan; good for you. Both teams are excellent and good luck with the rest of the season.  

Remember that Brad Richards Trade to the Stars a Few Years ago? How's it Working out for the Lightning?

Not so hot, considering Jussi Jokinen no longer plays for Tampa Bay, ditto for Jeff Halpern, and goalie Mike Smith will likely be relegated to a back-up role before this season is all said and done (a .869 save perecentage and a 3.63 goals-against average through nine games will do that... or buy you a one-way ticket to the ECHL where you just might end up being good enough to become a goaltending coach to teach your charges what not to do in order to actually make it).

In any case, like I need to say it, that trade worked out pretty well for the Stars (who also gave up a fourth-round pick; no word yet on whether Kyle Bigos will turn out to be the superstar that will make the Stars regret the day they ever tangled with Oren Koules). Richards? He now has 50 goals and 121 assists in 164 games with Dallas. That includes his 200th career goal, which came last night against the Anaheim Ducks.

So, why bring up the trade now? Well, Richards's career milestone aside, now's as good a time as any to bring up the fact that he's due to become a free agent next off-season. With the team's ownership situation pretty up in the air (remind you of any one team in particular?), the Stars should probably look into not making the same mistakes the Lightning did way back when, i.e.

1) Not treating your team like you're in a fantasy league

2) Not give out big-money contracts like the world is ending and it won't even matter in a few years anyway.

3) And, mainly, not trading away your actual best player for nothing more than a few temporary band-aids to cover up your own incompetence.

I guess another reason to bring up the trade two-and-a-half years later: it's always cool to slam the Lightning and their past troubles, especially when it looks like the organization is on its way up again. Okay, maybe not, but Koules and Len Barrie were just that bad as owners.