Bluelines: Mike Emrick on Sidney Crosby's Greatness

SIX PUCK POINTS FOR POSTERITY

1. At the rate the Kraken are winning – 5-1 over Leafs last night – ultra-low-key Dave Hakstol is the coach of the year.

2. Kudos to the Canadians for their gold medal, and a tip of the hat to the Czechs for their comeback. Too bad overtime wasn’t 5-on-5.

3. Alex Ovechkin has redefined amazing. And then redefined it again.

4. Always overflowing with class, Wayne Gretzky does it again, wishing Alex Ovechkin well in his quest to break the Great One’s record.

6. The Winter Classic at Fenway Park was too good to be true, but it was true. That’s how good it was.

EXCLUSIVE: MIKE ‘DOC’ EMRICK ON THE RECORD

In his concluding interview with our editor Irad Chen, the dean of North American hockey announcers, Doc Emrick, offers fascinating opinions and compelling facts. Listen up, and you’ll be transfixed.

TODAY’S GAME COMPARED TO YESTERYEAR

“As much as the guys from 50 years ago – those heart-beating guys who didn’t have many teeth – will say it’s a different kind of commitment. Yeah, it was, but the game is so much faster now. I’m not one of those grumpy old guys who think the game is not better today – I think that the athletes are in so much better condition and are bigger and stronger, and it takes a different kind of skill set to play in today’s game. But there are great things to say about both eras. I have great admiration for the guys who sacrificed their life and limbs to play in the 1970s when games sometimes would go three to three-and-a-half hours, and there would be bench clears and all of that. There was a gallantry of being a gladiator at that time. That’s the game I grew up watching. I once talked to Barry Trotz about this subject and he told me: ‘It still takes courage to play the game, but it’s a different kind, and now, you have to have courage to drive to the net, to block shots. The courage that you needed back in the days was to survive the night. It’s a different kind of courage, but you still have to have it.’”

BOLD PREDICTION FOR THE SEASON

“It always seemed like I was dodging making predictions. But I would never make predictions for the playoffs for at least two weeks after the trade deadline because it would take a little while to see how the acquisitions had settled in. Even at that point, I don’t think that two weeks is enough to determine whether they would be successful or not. Only once did I actually get lucky and come up with the winner, it was in 1988. It was very easy to pick the Oilers to win since they probably were the best team I’d ever watched with all of the Hall of Famers on that team.”

INSIDE SIDNEY CROSBY’S GREATNESS:

“I just marvel over what Sid’s doing right now. It’s just remarkable being among the league’s 5-on-5 points leaders at the age of 35 when he’s supposed to be in the twilight of his career, but he’s certainly not. Peter McNab told me that one of the things his dad always said, is that if you look at high offensive players in their late 20s, then that is when they are most productive. Counter to this here is Sid at 35 (and Ovi at 36) and look how productive they have been and continue to be. So that either means that they are just superhumans or that philosophy isn’t relevant anymore. The thing about him is his work ethic, and he had that from the very beginning. One of the things that Mike Sullivan used to say about Sid is how he would always find things in his game to work on that he could be better at.”

SPECIAL MEMORY ABOUT WORKING WITH THE MAVEN

“Stan’s jokes were so stark and so good that they were the highlight of our production meetings. The jokes originated in 1995 when we did games in the AHL during the lockout. Stan was our host, and Peter McNab and I did the games in Albany. Stan would lead off the games with his jokes until he felt he had run out of encores. Whenever I would see Stan from time to time, all I would do was just give the punchline, then we would laugh because I heard the jokes before (sometimes he repeated them). He knew I appreciated the joke itself and I remembered it so well that all I had to do was to give the punchline.”

I’M JUST SAYIN’

* The Kraken has a potential Norris Trophy candidate – though certainly not a winner – in Adam Larsson. He’s finally looking like being a high draft pick was no Devils mistake.

* If there’s one guy – more than any other – who can propel Ottawa into a playoff berth – it’s Tim Stutzle.

* Florida’s crumbling Panthers have a surprise issue – the goaltending is subpar – if not just terrible.

* Or, as Al Greenberg says, “the Panthers have the most costly and least effective goaltending duo in the league.”

* If there’s good news in Sunrise, it’s Matty Tkachuk’s superior play.

* The Devils always have dreamed of having another Scott Niedermayer.

* He’s on his way – only this time – the magician’s name is Luke Hughes.

* As one scout puts it, “Luke skates and passes like ‘Nieder.’”

* Columbus is a bust for a team projected to finish fourth in the Metro.

* Not that anyone really cares, but Zach Hyman is a better post-game interview than his captain.

* Doesn’t matter who’s in goal for the Wild; Minny means business, and that means a hot homestretch run in the Central Division.

* Juuse Saros’ team-record 64 saves win over the Canes last night is almost enough for us to forget he’s succeeded the one and only Pekka Rinne.

* Speaking of “forgetting,” the incomparable Alex Ovechkin also could make us forget that there’s a T.J. Oshie around to save the odd game for the Caps – last night versus Columbus – every once in a while.

WHY THE WINTER CLASSIC REMAINS AS VIBRANT AS EVER

Peripatetic George Falkowski knows Boston like he knows his left thumb. Although he’s witnessed many Winter Classics, the latest Fenway event really touched his sensitive bone. Here’s why in Georgie’s own words:

It wasn’t too many years ago that the hockey world began to hear some whispers about the annual Winter Classic. Some began to call it a “gimmick.” Others said its unique quality had run its course. Sure, hockey fans remembered, and with great clarity, the amazing first game at Buffalo, the giant crowd at Michigan and the first visits to Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

But how many could recall last year’s game? Or the one the year before that? Had the novelty finally worn off?

Following Monday’s magnificent show at Fenway Park – there’s no doubt – the Classic is here to stay.

I worked for the New England Sports Network (NESN) from 1985 to ’95 and attended countless Red Sox and Bruins games. This year’s game got me “right in the feels” and was perfect from start to finish.

It began with the Bruins and Penguins arriving wearing 1930s baseball uniforms honoring the Red Sox and Pirates.

(Fittingly and perhaps lost in all the grandeur of the day, the Boston Americans beat the Pirates in the first World Series – in 1903.)

The pregame ceremonies were flawless, capped when the greatest Bruin of them all, Bobby Orr, fired the “first puck” at former Red Sox catcher and World Series champ, Jason Varitek. The old ballpark was dressed to the nines, the weather (and ice) was perfect and the neatest part of the day was the game’s timing. It began with sunshine breaking through, warming the crowd, and ending with Fenway’s bright lights glowing on Boston’s winning goal late in the third period.

Fans and viewers got to enjoy a day game AND a night game – all within a few hours.

The broadcast and newer technology (the use of drones, specifically) also brought the game home as never before.

It was a day to celebrate the greatness of hockey, two of its premiere franchises, the history of Boston sports and at one of North America’s few remaining sporting cathedrals.

In a word, perfect!

HOCKEY SUPPORTING DAMAR HAMLIN

Rallying behind the prayers and hopes for his recovery, football player Damar Hamlin, the hockey world is helping out. In Buffalo, our Max Borsuk adds the following:

Coming into an important Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the sports world stood still for a far more important reason after Buffalo Bills safety, Damar Hamlin, suffered a cardiac arrest on the field before needing CPR and hospitalization to save his life.

Whether you are a football fan, a hockey fan or not even a sports fan, the world came together to support a young man fighting for his life.

From many worldwide expressing their support on social media to people donating nearly $7 million to a GoFundMe for Hamlin’s “The Chasing M’s Foundation” community Toy Drive – either way – thoughts and prayers for Hamlin were on the country’s mind Monday night.

In the hockey world, the Sabres showed their support for Hamlin by wearing shirts saying “Love for 3” before their game against the Washington Capitals.

NHL Hall of Famer, Chris Pronger, who suffered a similar incident, showed his love and support for Hamlin. Pronger was hit with a slapshot in the chest during the 1998 Stanley Cup Playoffs before collapsing to the ice and needing CPR to regain consciousness.

“Prayers that Damar Hamlin can have the same outcome that I was fortunate to have with my incident,” Pronger said in a tweet. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Damar, his family, teammates and the greater NFL community during this incredibly scary time.”

Growing up in Western New York my entire life and seeing the support for Hamlin when he truly needs it, I am proud to be a Buffalonian and pray for a full recovery for Hamlin.

#PrayforDamar

YAYS AND BOOS

YAY TO JIM NILL for recognizing Joe Pavelski’s value to the Stars and gifting him with a year’s extension worth $3.5 million.

YAY TO JOE PAVELSKI for his warmly sincere response to his new pact. It’s refreshing to hear an honest pro utter the three little words: “I am grateful.”

YAY TO BOBBY ORR and the other notable Bruins who made the opening Winter Classic ceremonies so much more awe-inspiring.

AN OFT-OVERLOOKED FACTOR COULD MEAN A PLAYOFF BERTH

The turn of the calendar means the annual flurry of trade deadline speculation and deals is fast approaching. Glenn Dreyfuss says that’s not the only place teams will be looking for reinforcements.

By the evening of March 3, we’ll know which GMs have fortified their rosters with trades for a potential playoff run. But if you don’t want to wait, check out the long-term injured reserve (LTIR) lists.

Getting your player back from injury can be as good as someone else’s rental. Consider these examples. Winnipeg winger, Nikolaj Ehlers, played two games this season before succumbing to sports hernia surgery. Toronto defenseman, Jake Muzzin, lasted four games before a neck injury felled him. Knee injuries have sidelined Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog and Washington winger Tom Wilson all season.

There’s no telling if Ehlers, Muzzin, Landeskog and Wilson will return to their former form or how long it will take. The Jets, Leafs, Avalanche and Capitals would sure like to find out.

Meanwhile, connecting team performance to man-games lost is inexact – it depends greatly on the value of the players on LTIR, and how well their replacements back-fill in their absence. Still, it’s surprising how little can be predicted from the raw numbers.

For instance, through Dec. 28, Washington has lost a league-high 248 man-games, according to nhlinjuryviz.blogspot.com. Yet the Capitals recorded two five-game winning streaks in December. Colorado (191 man-games lost), Vegas (152) and Toronto (151) have also held their own (although Colorado began to slip lately) while missing many of their own.

To be sure, conference leaders Dallas (14) and Boston (62) have benefited from sparkling health. But it’s no guarantee; the Rangers (26) and Flames (30) have sputtered. And deep bites of the injury bug have been painful to the Flyers (203), Red Wings (190) and Blue Jackets (188).

ANOTHER BATCH OF THE BEST ALL-TIME EUROPEANS

Our Al Greenberg is getting closer to The Big Three. But the following stickhandlers belong with the best. Read on and see for yourself.

8. Borje Salming – The first Swedish player to become a true NHL star. He added the physical element not previously associated with European players. He spent 16 seasons with Toronto, becoming the highest-scoring defenseman in their history. A six-time all-star and a Hall of Famer.

7. Dominik Hasek – The Dominator is probably the best European goalie to ever play in the NHL. Six Vezina Trophies, two Hart Trophies, two Stanley Cups with Detroit and Olympic gold for Czechoslovakia. A career .922 save percentage and 2.20 goals-against average in 735 NHL regular season games.

6. Slava Fetisov – His best years were in the Soviet Union. His NHL career was relatively short, but he won two Stanley Cups as a member of Detroit’s Russian Five unit and 13 gold medals in international play. He was a hard-nosed defender, a leader and an innovator on and off the ice.

5. Sergei Fedorov – Three Stanley Cups with Detroit, two Selke Trophies and one Hart. He averaged close to a point per game in the regular season and playoffs in 18 NHL seasons. He’s third in all-time points for a Russian player and a Hall of Famer.

(Next Monday: The big four, all-time best Europeans.)

WHO SAID IT? “Well, he’d better learn how to yodel!” (ANSWER BELOW.)

BIG QUESTION: Can the Avalanche repeat as Stanley Cup champs?

BIG ANSWER: Not a chance. What you see is what you’ll get. Over and out.

THAT WAS THE WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS:

MONDAY: Boston’s 2-1 Winter Classic victory over Pittsburgh makes one wonder when – make that if – the Bruins bubble will burst.

TUESDAY: McDavid scores, McDavid is minus-1. But Seattle wins 5-2 and stays ahead of the Oil Cans.

WEDNESDAY: New Jersey’s 5-1 win over the Wings signals an end to the Devils’ down-slide. They’ll stay high if surprise star goalie, Vitek Vanecek, stays healthy.

THURSDAY: The Canucks aren’t dead yet. The 4-2 win last night over Colorado tells me that the Avs – among other things – miss Nazem Kadri.

FRIDAY: Game to watch – Tampa Bay at Winnipeg. A pair of elite teams trying to remain elite. Plus a fine battle of first-rate goaltenders.

WHY IT SEEMS AS IF NHL COACHES HAVE TAKEN ‘NO-FIRING ME’ PILLS

Remember at the season’s start when certain seers had prepared a short list of coaches to be fired. How right they were not. A half-season has almost elapsed, and even Cousin Brucie Boudreau still has his gig. Our Sean McCaffrey, as always, is probing the causes.

GMs are showing a historic display of patience, which was not the case during the past two years. So, what’s going on?

At first glance, it may seem as if the pandemic – and the losses that NHL owners incurred – would be the easy explanation.

However, following the 2021-22 campaign events, 10 different teams entered the 2022-23 season with new bench bosses. Both big and small market teams alike made changes.

With 32 NHL teams, nearly a third of the league switched coaches this past summer.

Furthermore, and aside from these 10 coaching changes, the 2021-22 campaign saw six other teams look for new suits behind their benches – the Rangers (Gerard Gallant), Canadiens (Martin St-Louis), Canucks (Bruce Boudreau), Oilers (Jay Woodcroft), Coyotes (Andre Tourigny) and Blue Jackets (Brad Larsen).

More numbers for you? The NHL features 16 teams in the playoffs – one team for every coaching change made during this recent time span.

Coincidence? Correlation? You be the judge!

Judging by how the Maple Leafs climbed to the league’s top five teams, you have to think that Sheldon Keefe is immune from a pink slip. Think again.

Should his club continue its epic “streak” during the first round of the playoffs – then I wouldn’t answer the phone if I was Sheldon Keefe!

WHITBY DUNLOPS’ HALL OF FAME CAPTAIN

Hall of Famer Harry Sinden, for 28 years GM of the Bruins, is the subject of Glenn Dreyfuss’ final entry in a series about the rivalry between Russian squads and a Canadian senior team. They spoke on a recent Hockey Time Machine program.

Two of Harry Sinden’s three top hockey memories are easy to guess. The first is coaching the Bruins in 1970 to their first Stanley Cup in 29 years, winning series against the Rangers, Blackhawks and Blues.

“We had Bobby Orr and they didn’t,” Harry said with a grin.

The second, after leaving the Bruins, was coaching Team Canada to victory in the 1972 Summit Series.

“As I said at the time, I was the only one available who might fit that role,” said Sinden, still smiling. “Everyone else was at training camp with their teams.”

Harry’s other greatest memory likely will surprise you: serving as captain and star defenseman for the Whitby Dunlops OHA senior team. With Sinden, Whitby in 1957 and 1958 won back-to-back Allan Cups, symbolic of the best team in senior hockey.

“Senior hockey was a tremendous brand. Today, we have 700 players in the NHL. In a six-team league at the time, there would be 110. A lot of good players didn’t even leave home to begin a minor league career, with hopes of getting to the NHL. They got a job and stayed home. All the guys worked during the daytime, sometimes had to go to work the next day after playing.”

Sinden and the Dunlops hosted the first game ever played by a Russian team in Canada.

“Everything was so mysterious about the Russian team, how they played, what they looked like, their equipment.”

The key to Whitby’s 7-2 victory at Maple Leaf Gardens, after quickly falling behind 2-0, was a change in style.

“We had to be more checking-conscious, and not let them have so much time and space.”

Several months later, his Dunnies captured the 1958 World Championship for Canada in Oslo, Norway. Mostly, they steamrolled opponents – until the gold medal rematch with Russia. Tied 2-2 after two periods, Whitby pulled out a hard-fought 4-2 victory.

Newspapers all over Canada carried the photo of Sinden kissing the championship trophy.

“That was one of the proudest moments I’ve ever had. A goodly number of Canadian soldiers had made their way up from Germany for that game. The fact the soldiers were there made it a special time.”

Sadly, Canadian senior hockey was in decline – the Dunlops folded in 1960.

“The NHL started the EPHL, a developmental league. That spelled the end of senior hockey at that level.”

Oddly enough, while commuting to play in that same EPHL, Sinden fortuitously shared train rides with Bruins GM Lynn Patrick.

“He was scouting the NHL playoffs,” Harry recalled. “I was working at General Motors. On those trips after a game, we talked a lot about hockey. He got the idea I’d be interested in coaching. Boston’s team in the EPHL was Kingston. After those associations on the train, that started my coaching career as a player-coach with Kingston.”

ANSWER TO WHO SAID IT? Bruins GM Harry Sinden’s reaction to Joe Juneau’s threat to play in Switzerland rather than Boston.