22 Quick Thoughts

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LOS ANGELES – We are past the quarter pole in the NHL. We are past American Thanksgiving. Here are 22 quick thoughts on a rainy day in Los Angeles.

  1. David Pasternak is my vote for the Hart Trophy (MVP). He is the best player on the best team in hockey. He is not just an elite scorer and also a great play maker. Pasta’s overtime assist to David Krejci vs the New York Rangers was sublime.
  2. Brian Dumoulin is the Penguin’s best defenseman. He’s a leader and anchors their defense. He can partner with anyone. He’s always on the right side of the puck. Dumoulin’s offense and physicality are both underrated. Every game Dumoulin has missed due to injury the Penguins defense has looked lost.
  3. Vancouver Canucks rookie defenseman Quinn Hughes is better than his brother number one overall pick New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes
  4. Quinn Hughes would be the talk of the NHL if Colorado rookie Cale Makar was not ridiculous. He is as smooth as Paul Coffey with an even more wicked shot. Only Hall of Fame defenseman Larry Murphy in 1980 got off to a better start on the blueline in history.
  5. Paul Maurice is doing a fantastic job in Winnipeg this year. Funny how good of a job a coach does when he gets goaltending. Connor Hellebuyck has had a fine bounce back season.
  6. Patrick Laine has started playing a 200-foot game but Kyle Conner is a better overall player.
  7. The Arizona Coyotes are the New York Islanders West. The Desert Dogs don’t have superstars up front but they are talented forwards and have bought into the system. The defensemen move the puck and the fine goalie tandem of Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper stop it.
  8. The Kings are finally playing younger players. What took this organization so long to realize the widow closed.
  9. The Blackhawks window closed years ago but Patrick Kane is still worth the price of admission. Kane is the best American born player ever.
  10. Dino Ciccarelli and Jeremy Roenick are not in the Hall of Fame. Ludicrous!!
  11. It sickens Penguin fans to watch Derick Brassard try on the ice.
  12. Mike Babcock has been made to look bad the last few weeks but Leafs GM Kyle Dubas has looked worse. He should have fire Babcock at the end of last season. He didn’t. Team President Brendan Shanahan flew to Arizona to do it last week. Dubas looked like he brought his dad to work at the press conference.
  13. The Islander’s announcer AJ Mleczko is great. If the national networks want a woman in the booth or between they should hire her.
  14. I never like to see a man lose his job but Red Wings Head Coach Jeff Blashill needs to go. You just can’t endure this much losing as a franchise. Dan Blysma is a capable interim coach.
  15. PK Subban has no points in 15 games. Lindsey Vonn is the NHL’s Kloe Kardashian
  16. Patrick Marleau on Toronto seems like it never happened.
  17. Sharks are recovered from their horrific start greased by the heavy handed three game suspension of Evander Kane.
  18. Ron MacLean should have left with Don Cherry.
  19. Akim Aliu, the Bill Peter’s whistleblower has Colin Kaepernick ‘s lawyers. He’s not going away but what’s his end game?
  20. The Florida Panthers are in the playoffs at American Thanksgiving. We knew all the needed was leadership and goaltending. They got Vezina goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and 3 time Stanley Cup winning Hall of Fame Head Coach Joel Quenneville.
  21. 5 of my favorite NHL Players to watch who maybe under your radar : Bryan Rust – Faster than almost anyone. Hunts pucks with a fervor. Hands are catching up to skates. So clutch his nickname is Mr. Elimination. Adam Lowry- Big, physical center who is scoring more. Always tougher than a 3 dollar steak. He beat the heavyweight champ Ryan Reaves on my scorecard in November.  JG Pageau- I thought he’d be the ultimate 3rd line center pick up at the deadline but now he’s playing so well Ottawa can’t trade him. Conor Garland- Score pretty goals. Scores greasy goals. He’s not big but he always puts himself in harm’s warm. He’s Jake Guentzal of the desert. Anthony Cirelli – Big kid with great hockey sense. He does everything.
  22. The two teams in the playoffs at American Thanksgiving most likely not to make it are Pittsburgh and Vancouver.