Lasting First Impressions

Of 2007-08 Hockey Ratings

By Glenn Guzzo

At first glance, we see some trends in the 2007-08 hockey ratings. More forwards who are tough defensively (Defense-5) and physically (high Intimidation ratings). More teams who are both a threat to score shorthanded and a threat to be scored upon (very few Defense-4 players shorthanded).

ANAHEIM. The ’74 Broad Street Bullies have nothing on these Ducks. Seven regularly carded players have intimidation ratings of 10 or higher (’74 Philadelphia has two), led by ugliest duckling George Parros (an I-13 and AA penalty after 183 penalty minutes and one goal in 69 games). I-4 is as low as it gets for the Anaheim regulars … Redemption: Six Ducks have shorthanded breakaway chances.

ATLANTA. The Thrashers are punchless, both offensively and physically. Only three of 27 skaters are Offense-4 or Breakaway/Penetration-4. Of the 16 regulars, only one (fourth-liner Eric Boulton) is rated A for penalties and only two more are rated B.

BOSTON. LD Zdeno Chara is one of the most valuable players in the set. He can do everything offensively (Offense-4, Bwy/Pen-4, Passing L, 17 goals) and defensively (D-5, Int-14 with only Penalty-C and penalty-kill skating of 14-1).

BUFFALO. Even after the loss of high-scoring leaders Daniel Briere and Chris Drury, the Sabres are an offense-first finesse team. Seven skaters are Offense-4, while only five are either Defense-4 or Defense-3. Only two forwards are better than Defense-2. However, five players have penalty-kill skating ratings of 14.

CALGARY. 50-goal man Jarome Iginla is one of five skaters rated Defense-4 or better. Blue-line pair Robyn Regehr and Cory Sarich are Defense-5 and Defense-4, respectively. High-scoring defenseman Dion Phaneuf is Defense-4.

CAROLINA. A rarity: A team with three forwards (Matt Cullen, Jeff Hamilton, Eric Staal) who have double-asterisks for playing the point on the power-play – despite also having a pair of defensemen who combined for 10 power-play goals.

CHICAGO. The Blackhawks finally are respectable again. Although only Patrick Sharp scored more than 24 goals, eight Blackhawk forwards are Offense-4. 36-goal man Sharp also is Defense-5 and has a penalty-killing skate rating of 14(2). Both he and LW Rene Bourque have two chances for shorthanded breakaways.

COLORADO. If you don’t regulate games played, this team will gain more than most. Only three of the Avalanche’s eight Offense-4 skaters played more than 70 games. The same is true for five of the team’s 10 Defense-4 and Defense-3 skaters.

DALLAS. C Mike Modano and RW Jere Lehtinen are still productive after all these years, but LW Brenden Morrow’s ratings show he is the heart and soul of this team: Offense-4, Defense-4, L-passing, Int-12, Skating-12(1). He led the Stars with 32 goals.

DETROIT. There have been seasons when only one winger in the whole NHL earned a Defense-5. Detroit has two of them – although Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg play center as well. Add perpetual Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Niklas Lidstrom to the Defense-5 group … Half of the Red Wings regulars are L-level passers … No surprise for the Stanley Cup champs who also had the best regular-season record, but this team will be tough to beat.

EDMONTON. The penalty-killing is as good as it gets: Three 14-rated skaters and four 12-rated skaters.

FLORIDA. Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester is the only Panther who plays physically and with finesse. Alas, none of the Florida blue-liners is better than a K-rated passer, Bouwmeester included.

LOS ANGELES. Checking-line C Michal Handzus is the only Defense-4 on the team and one of only three men in the NHL with three breakaway chances while killing penalties.

MINNESOTA. There’s 42-goal scorer Marian Gaborik and 5-rated defenseman Nick Schultz, but the Wild’s most versatile player is third-line C Mikko Koivu: Offense-4, Defense-4, L-passing, +2 faceoff, skating-14.

MONTREAL. Counting extra player Josh Gorges, the Canadiens have four defensemen rated Defense-4 or better. That includes 5-rated Mike Komisarek.

NEW JERSEY. With 12 of 16 regulars D-rated for penalties, and with top goalie Martin Brodeur playing 77 games with a .920 save percentage (only one rebound chance), the Devils won’t beat themselves often.

NY ISLANDERS. Though the Islanders have three Defense-4 skaters, they also have 12 of 16 regulars rated Defense-1 or Defense-2. And only two skaters (C Mike Comrie and RW Trent Hunter) are L-level passers.

NY RANGERS. Chris Drury gets the most out of his 58-point season: He’s rated for C, RW and power-play point with Offense-4, Bwy/Pen-4, Defense-5, L-level passing, +3 faceoff, skating-14 and a strong power-play shooting card (12 of his 25 goals came with the man advantage).

OTTAWA. Linemate wingers Daniel Alfredsson and Dany Heatley have two of the most lethal shooting cards in the set. They scored 81 goals while missing 19 games between them. With top playmaking C Jason Spezza also between them, they should scare any opponent.

PHILADELPHIA. A high-octane team, with 10 carded skaters at Offense-4 and seven carded skaters as Penalty-B or worse. Modern Bully Riley Cote (202 penalty minutes, 1 goal, 4 points) played only 70 games, but “understudy” Jesse Boulerice picked up 29 PIM in 5 games (with 0 points) to equal Cote’s AA penalty grade as fourth-line wingers rated Offense-1 and Defense-1.

PHOENIX. It will be a challenge to reproduce the Coyotes’ 38 wins with one capable scoring line (LW Radim Vrbata-C Peter Mueller –RW Shane Doan) and one reliable defensive pair (Ed Jovanovski-Zbynek Michalek). It may be even harder to replicate Winger Daniel Carcillo’s 324 PIM in 57 games.

PITTSBURGH. With 17 power-play tallies among his 47 goals, Evgeny Malkin has a slightly better power-play scoring card than Washington’s 65-goal man Alexander Ovechkin (who had 22 power-play goals) and ever-so-slightly inferior to Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg.

SAN JOSE. Maybe as surprising as first-line RW Jonathan Cheechoo’s drop to 23 goals and 37 points is second-line RW Mike Grier’s elevation from Defense-3 last year to Defense-5 this time.

ST. LOUIS. Weak skating ratings and no 4-rated defenders while shorthanded will make it tough for the Blues to kill penalties often enough.

TAMPA BAY. Vinny Lecavalier’s terrific scoring card (and Defense-4) is the bright spot on a team where the second, third and fourth lines have NO L-rated passers, where 12 of the 16 regular skaters are Defense-1 or Defense-2 and where the goaltending is weak.

TORONTO. Defensemen Tomas Kaberle, Pavel Kubina and Bryan McCabe all become deadly sharp-shooters on the power play. Top scorers Mats Sundin and Nik Antropov also improve on the power-play, and even fourth-line C Kyle Wellwood becomes a threat with the man advantage.

VANCOUVER. The extra carded skaters and computer-only skaters account for 510 penalty minutes, including two AA-rated players, three As and two Bs. That leaves only one A and two Bs among the 16 regulars.

WASHINGTON. As great as Alexander Ovechkin’s shooting card is – he’s lethal at all ranges – it’s undoubtedly less than it might have been because six of his teammates are L-rated passers, including his two linemates and defensemen Mike Green and Tom Poti.