FanHouse Radek Bonk

It's officially the offseason, meaning the time is right to look into the future. We continue our division-by-division preview of the potential wheeling and dealing with the Central Division.

The Chicago Blackhawks are trying to build off a magical season. Columbus got its first taste of playoff hockey, while St. Louis returned to the playoffs after a far-too-long absence. Meanwhile, Nashville is trying to rebound after just missing the cut for the Western Conference playoffs.

Capitals 5, Devils 2: The Washington Capitals took advantage of their three power play chances on Tuesday night, converting on all of them on their way to a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils. Mike Green and Brooks Laich scored a pair of goals with the man advantage just three minutes apart in the first period, while Michael Nylander picked up his second goal of the game at the 10:59 mark of the third period.

Jose Theodore stopped 32-of-34 shots in net for Washington, including 16-of-17 in the third period. The loss for New Jersey snaps its eight game winning streak, despite receiving another goal another Jamie Langenbrunner, who has now picked up seven goals in his past four games.

It was a great night of rivalries in the NHL on Tuesday, including a classic original six tilt in Boston, where the Bruins pulled out a 3-1 win over Montreal.

Tim Thomas stopped 34-of-35 shots, and even inserted himself into the rough stuff when he clobbered Montreal's Andrei Kostitsyn just moments after he sent Aaron Ward into the boards.

Kostitsyn gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead early in the second period, until Zdeno Chara added a pair of power play goals later in the period. David Krejci put the game out of reach late in the third period, scoring 17th goal of the season, helping lead the Bruins to their third straight win. Montreal had won four in a row, and eight of its past nine entering the game.

Alexei Yashin, who cashed in on the Islanders buying out his bloated albatross of a contract, is looking for a new sucker to pay him big bucks to rack up some empty offensive points.

His prime choice? Apparently, it's Montreal!

Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette reports on rumors that Yashin is training with Saku Koivu, and would love to join Alexei Kovalev and his other homeys with the Habs next season.

Given the problems that the Canadiens had with their Russian vodka headaches last season (especially Sergei Samsonov), would the Habs really want to sign a guy like Yashin?

The Habs are in desperate need of a centre with size, and the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Yashin appears to be the kind of player that's worth a gamble. That's the case for Yashin, but the argument against bringing him here seems stronger.

While the Canadiens talk about revving up the offense, the team's system is built on defense first. That's one of the reasons why it was a surprise that Samsonov, last summer's free-agent prize, didn't work because he has been a plus player over his career.

With Radek Bonk UFA's status, the Habs are quite small down the middle with guys like Koivu, Tomas Plekanec, and Chris Higgins. Adding a tall centerman would certainly make some sense.

Now, the Habs had the league's best Power Play last season. Yes, they may lose UFA blaster master Sheldon Souray to another team, but the Habs don't appear to need help with the man-advantage other than getting Souray back, or signing another point-man replacement.

The Habs' total offense was just middle-of-the-road, suggesting that the Habs are weak at even strength. Given how Yashin is strongest on the Power Play, he wouldn't really help in this area, either.

Then, we come back to the style of play the Habs play. Samsonov and Alexei Kovalev whined all year about being restricted offensively. How can a guy like Yashin expect to flourish in such a system?

If I were the Canadiens GM, I'd see if I could sign Yashin for quite cheap. If not, then I'd focus on getting a big 2-way or defensive center ... or bring Radek Bonk back. What the Habs need more of it grit, not another Russian headache.

In the game against Buffalo, the Habs played a very solid, spirited 60 minutes of hockey while the Sabres took most of the second period off which cost them the game eventually. They certainly deserved their 2 points. What is noteworthy from this game is the sheer amount of clutching, grabbing, and interference allowed by the guys with the orange armbands, who, frankly I thought had left the ice to grab a brew for most of the game. This is what I call the Guy NHL, named after that great defensive forward and current Head Coach of the Habs, Guy Carbonneau. Watch Gary Bettman's nose grow the next time he says that the standard of what is and what is not a penalty has 'not slipped a bit.,' even though Director of Officiating Stephen Walkom admitted that the standard had changed to Sportsnet's Jim Kelley last week. Playing in Montreal on a Saturday night is like playing the game in quicksand and a time-warp to the late-90's all at the same time. If the Habs are fighting for a playoff spot, one can forget their team getting anything close to a fair game called.

The officiating was so bad and so non-existent in this game that one of the referees missed a blatant high-stick on Ales Kotalik by Francis Bouillon less than 10 feet away from him that dropped Kotalik to the ice for 20 seconds in the 3rd period with the score 4-2. I'm sure the Canadiens fans and the referee in question thought he took a dive, because you know, the Sabres are nothing but a pack of virulent divers. The Canadiens second goal was helped along by Chris Higgins riding Kotalik out of the play without the puck, thereby negating the back-check and leaving the Ty Conklin helpless to face down Radek Bonk. If it wasn't so predictable, it would almost be sad.... well, nearly as sad as the referees refusal to even talk with Lindy Ruff after the goal was scored while Ruff fumed on the bench.

The 'crackdown' on diving in this league has morphed into an opportunity for the referees to turn a blind-eye to the rule changes they never wanted to enforce in the first place. Count me as one of those who wouldn't mind the ticky-tac hooking call go the way of the dodo, but keep the restrictions on hitting guys without the puck on the back/fore/smite-them-hip-and-thighcheck. Defensemen are being run while set to receive a pass without ever receiving said pass. At a minimum that play is interference, at a maximum it's roughing or boarding. There are multiple rules that could be applied which are not.

That game was an object lesson as to why the NHL is ultimately a bush league. It's impossible to know what is and what is not a penalty. Until that changes, until the League realizes that the inconsistent standard of rules enforcement is the biggest obstacle to the casual observer understanding the game, the marginal status of the NHL that so many believe to be a problem will continue. When I have to explain to someone that well, it's hard to get a call in Montreal because it's, well, you know... Mon-Tre-al, and they look at my like I have 4 heads and speak with a lisp it's embarrassing when I don't have an answer for their saying that's insanely stupid and all I can do is shrug and agree with them.

During games like this one I have to wonder why the NHL doesn't just dispense with the 7 game Stanley Cup Finals and play one game of Last Man Standing, like in the Jimmy Caan classic of anti-authoritarian 70's cinema.

Ta,