Stan Fischler: Bringing you Bluelines Each Friday Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk1MTQwMDAyOTk1MzE2NDUw/usatsi_19749990.jpg] SIX POINTS: 1. The NHL's answer to "It's A Wonderful Life" would be no coaches fired this season. 2. The NHL's answer to "It's NOT A Wonderful Life" would be Connor McDavid leading in every conceivable scoring category but Edmonton missing the playoffs. 3. This could happen: About 4,000 trade rumors later, Jakob Chychrun could celebrate his 35th birthday as captain of the Coyotes. 4. Right about now, Ondrej Palat should be making the Devils an even better team. 5. Nu? I'm still waiting for the Players' Association to produce its successor to Donald Fehr. 6. It's about time we got around to applauding Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon for his swell job rehabbing the Golden Knights. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXCLUSIVE: A CONVERSATION WITH LEAH HEXTALL (PART 2) ESPN play-by-play voice Leah Hextall recently spoke with our Glenn Dreyfuss [https://thehockeynews.com/news/fischler-report-why-returning-to-juniors-is-right-for-wright] about several NHL topics. In the second half of their conversation, Hextall discusses the Big-League game and women's pro hockey. Glenn Dreyfuss: The NHL has great individual stories this year. Leah Hextall: "I feel very privileged just as a hockey fan, let alone a broadcaster. I grew up watching Wayne Gretzky, and I never thought his record would come close to being touched with Ovechkin. I just called the game McDavid played and scored five points, and he is out of this world. I feel like every year the game gets faster." GD: What do you see regarding the evolution of the women's pro game? LH: "I look at what the WNBA has been able to do, how well known the players are, broadcast deals, shoe deals. There is such an ability in the women's game to have the same success. It breaks my heart that there doesn't seem to be any traction on that." GD: Why do you think that is? LH: "The commissioner (Gary Bettman) has said that as long as there's a league for women, the NHL doesn't want to come in and be 'the bully.' I can appreciate that, but the NHL owners need to say, 'It's time for women to have a league,' just like the WNBA, where they (owners) all put money into it. Women are fighting so hard for opportunities to play and need sustainability and infrastructure like the NHL. It takes money and resources, so it's not just a three-year league that folds." GD: It seems like within the women's game, there's been an inability to speak with a unified voice. LH: "I don't think that's an unfair criticism, but it's two groups that are extremely passionate about finding women a proper place to play that's sustainable, and that they can make a living playing off of. I understand the PWHPA (Professional Women's Hockey Players Association) saying, 'The NHL says as long as there's a women's league, they won't get involved.' But you can't ask the PHF (Premier Hockey Federation) to just fold, because what if the NHL doesn't come in? "I believe there's a way to get it done if the 32 NHL owners said, 'It's time for a women's league.' We want that for little girls growing up." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE WORLD'S FIRST LONG ISLAND ALL-STAR TEAM Long Island's foremost hockey historian, Joltin' Joe Dionisio, has followed the growth of stickhandlers in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. It moved him to the following neat X-Ray of the best. Remember, you don't have to be a Long Islander to like Joltin' Joe's picks, although, historically speaking, he's been right 99 44/100th percent of the time. And if you don't believe it – then ask him! Tage Thompson's meteoric rise has me wondering — might he go down as the top Long Island hockey product in NHL history? For anyone who mistakenly thinks Ronkonkoma is a type of sushi — and not an LIRR railroad station — this debate might seem trivial. After all, there are scads of famed skaters from New York State, like Patrick Kane, Joey Mullen or Dustin Brown. But for my fellow Long Islanders, who grew up skating at rinks in Kings Park, Long Beach, New Hyde Park and Great Neck, the title of "Greatest Long Island NHLer" is as revered as Montauk Point's lighthouse. To solve this argument, I compiled my top 10 most notable players either born or raised on America's most overpopulated island. This explains why comedian Alan King famously coined the Long Island Expressway "The world's largest parking lot." Sure, Thompson was born in Arizona, but the son of Islanders' minor-league coach, Brent Thompson, learned his craft with the Long Island Royals and P.A.L. Junior Islanders. (Honorable mention goes to Richie Hansen, the first LIer to play for the Islanders, Kevin Labanc because, yes, Brooklyn is on Long Island, Shane Pinto, twins Chris and Peter Ferraro and Erik Nystrom.) 10. Rob Scuderi, Kings — Two-time Cup-winner 9. Val James, Sabres — Excluding MSG emergency netminder Joe Schaefer, James became the first Long Islander to reach the NHL in 1981. He's also the first U.S.-born Black NHLer. 8. Keith Kinkaid, Devils — Winningest LI goalkeeper, with 70 victories. 7. Mike Komisarek, Canadiens — Rugged blueliner notched 679 PIMs in 551 games. 6. Sonny Milano, Capitals — Co-star of Trevor Zegras' legendary flip pass. 5. Chris Higgins, Canadiens — Three-time 20-goal scorer for Habs. 4. Kyle Palmieri, Islanders —2019 NHL all-star. 3. Charlie McAvoy, Bruins — 2022 second-team NHL all-star… and nephew of my former hockey teammate, Mike McAvoy. 2. Tage Thompson, Sabres — His 18-month explosion is too small a sample size, so I'm not prepared to place him atop this list… yet. But I predict when we "Gauge the Tage" in 20 years, he'll surpass Mr. Fox as Long Island's greatest. 1. Adam Fox, Rangers — Norris Trophy winner at age 23. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'M JUST SAYIN' * Sam Ersson didn't even make the Flyers' three-goal depth chart in training camp, and now, he's the Flyers' best goalie. (4-0-0). * Meanwhile, Martin Jones was the third man on Seattle's goalie depth chart at camp and could be No. 1 if Phil Grubauer goes sour. * This was supposed to be a step-up season for Blue Jackets goalkeeper Elvis Merzlikins. Sorry, but it's been a step back. Pretty big step at that. * Speaking of disappointments, Seth Jones never evolved into a Norris Trophy-winner as some thought could happen. Perhaps he would have been better off remaining one more year in the juniors with Portland rather than leaving the Winterhawks so soon. * This is the time of year when the defending champion Avs should be making their move. Watch for more up-tempo play, and remember what our Gus Vic says: "It wouldn't shock me to see them back in the conference final." * Judging by the Kraken's bite, Ron Francis must get plenty of GM-of-the-year votes. * Sergei Bobrovsky had one heck of a season in 2021-22, but he's been a shade of his last year's performance. Hence, now's the time for Spencer Knight to live up to his early glorious notices. * Team Canada's gold medal OT goal-scorer, Dylan Guenther, will be a compelling study from here to the finish line. Arizona's rookie right wing has shown a natural scoring touch and high-end skill. The sky's the limit for this ace. * Pardon the comparison, but Jack Hughes looks more like a latter-day Patrik Elias. There never was a Devil forward better than the crafty Czech. * The new NHL catchword – along with "structure" and "detail" – is "foundation." * Asked about the Jets' successful penalty kill recently, coach Rick Bowness shot back: "The most important thing is the foundation." * Maybe he means he's got one of the best goalies in the league. * Beyond starry Jack Hughes, New Jersey has more goodies. Nico Hischier is every bit as sharp as Jumpin' Jack. * Then there's Jesper Bratt, Dawson Mercer, Miles Wood, Yegor Sharangovich and just back, Ondrej Palat. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE FOUR ALL-TIME BEST EUROPEAN PLAYERS Historian Alan Greenberg has completed his research. See if you agree, and check out the fifth-to-eighth best here [https://thehockeynews.com/news/bluelines-mike-emrick-on-sidney-crosbys-greatness] and the ninth-to-12th best here [https://thehockeynews.com/news/fischler-report-new-years-resolutions-across-the-nhl]. 4. Teemu Selanne – 'The Finnish Flash' averaged more than a point a game over a 22-year, 1,451-game NHL career. He scored 76 goals as a rookie with Winnipeg. He has a Stanley Cup to his credit and four Olympic and two World Cup medals. 3. Niklas Lidstrom – Twenty seasons with the Red Wings and 1,564 NHL games. Four Stanley Cups and was the first European to captain a Cup-winner. Seven Norris Trophies and a 12-time all-star. It doesn't get much better than that. 2. Jaromir Jagr – He deserves recognition for longevity alone. The most NHL games for a European player (1,733). His NHL stats are staggering. Among his accomplishments are two Stanley Cups, five NHL scoring titles, one MVP and seven first-team all-star selections. He is the highest-scoring European player, second only to Wayne Gretzky in all-time NHL scoring. 1. Alex Ovechkin – Almost a no-brainer. By the time he hangs them up, he will likely be the NHL's all-time goal leader. He has a Stanley Cup, an Art Ross Trophy, eight Rocket Richard Trophies, three Hart Trophies and eight first all-star nominations. He has the added quality of being a (very) heavy hitter, not normally found in top scorers. Enough said. Al Greenberg's note to readers: I'm sure there will be a disagreement with my choices, so I offer honorable mentions to some of the other European greats: Jarri Kurri, Peter Forsberg, Igor Larionov, Peter Stastny, Mats Sundin and Daniel Alfredsson, among many others." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BIG QUESTION: Will the Rangers dare trade disappointing former top draft pick, Alexis Lafreniere? BIG ANSWER: No way! For one thing, the high command wouldn't look too good if the left wing was moved, and for another, the kid still could mature into a big winner. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NCAA PROSPECT TRENDING DOWN The Canadian 18-year-old center Adam Fantilli is dominating the NCAA league, ranking second in points per game with 1.63. But he was underwhelming in the world juniors considering the expecations put on him. The 6-foot-2 power forward was originally thought to be a second-overall pick in this year's Draft. But not with five points in seven games. Throughout the tournament, he displayed physicality and high-end puck skills but seemed out of place compared to others. He will still be a relatively high draft pick, but he's not quite NHL-ready at this time. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS: MONDAY: Kings look like a playoff team with a 6-3 win over the Oil Cans. McDavid, one goal and a minus-1. TUESDAY: Devils beating – seemingly the unbeatable – Canes 5-3 in Raleigh makes a point. Minus oft-injured Fred Andersen, Carolina has to worry about goaltending. WEDNESDAY: John Tortorella's Flyers rebuild is taking shape faster than some thought. Ask the formerly hot Caps who got slapped down. THURSDAY: The No-Joking-Around Kraken have become serious Cup contenders. The 3-0 win over the formerly tough Bruins in Boston says it all. FRIDAY: Game to watch: Jets at Penguins. Winnipeg is for real, while Pittsburgh is impossible to figure out. It will be a compelling match. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOTSHOT AUTHOR PICKS HIS FIVE ALL-TIME FAVORITE GOALS Goalie-Author Jerry 'Red Light' Hack knows all about goals. After all, in his long career, he's given up a ton. But here, he describes his five favorite goals of all-time. See if you agree. And if you haven't read it yet, get a copy of his superb book, Memoir Of A Hockey Nobody. You'll love it! 5. May 18, 1971. Stanley Cup Final, Game 7, between the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago Stadium. Dennis Hull and Danny O'Shea had scored to put Chicago up 2-0. I was nine years old, and my sister Marlene (R.I.P.) introduced me to hockey on television that year. We were rooting for Montreal as we viewed the series as Canada versus USA. Late in the second period, as we were sure Montreal would never be able to overcome the deficit, Jacques Lemaire took a drop pass from Jacques Laperriere (I loved that name) deep in his own end and skated the puck up the ice. As he crossed center, he wound up for a slap shot and scored on a surprised Tony Esposito. At that moment, we knew the Canadiens could come back and win, and they did. 4. Nov. 26, 2005. Madison Square Garden, New York. It was the first season that the shootout was introduced to break ties in the NHL. After 13 rounds of penalty shots, journeyman defenseman Bryan Muir scored for the Washington Capitals on Henrik Lundqvist at the start of round 14. Jason Strudwick was tasked with keeping the Rangers alive and snuck one past Capitals goalie Olaf Kolzig. When Matt Bradley was stopped by Lundqvist, it set the stage for the most unlikely event. Marek Malik, a defensive defenseman who scored six goals in the three years he played for the Rangers, was up next. When your spot in the shootout is behind Jason Strudwick, you know nobody in the free world expects you to score. Malik skated in on Kolzig, dropped the puck, stuck his stick between his legs, put the puck on his forehand behind him and ripped a trick-shot top corner on a stunned Kolzig. It is my all-time favorite shootout goal, and I was a diehard Ranger fan for that one night. Malik simply looked into the crowd and raised one hand like he had scored a thousand goals. The reaction of the commentators puts the cherry on top. 3. Jan. 17, 2008. Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio. With Columbus leading 3-2, Rick Nash took a high-sticking penalty, allowing the Phoenix Coyotes to tie the game. With less than 30 seconds remaining in the third period, Mike Peca got possession of the puck. He fed it up ice to Nash, who found himself up against Coyotes defensemen Derek Morris and Keith Ballard. After doing a "double-dangle" on Morris, he twisted Ballard into a pretzel before going around him. Phoenix goalie Mikael Tellqvist reached out with the paddle of his stick on the ice and knocked the puck away from Nash, but it bounced up and hit him on the shinpad. Nash spun around, found the puck sitting in the crease, and slammed it into the open net. In this play, Nash displayed an unrivalled level of determination and skill. Whenever I feel defeated, I remember this goal and Nash's "never give up" attitude. 2. April 30, 1994. Calgary Saddledome. As a lifelong, diehard Vancouver Canucks fan, I am obliged to list this goal as one of my favorites. In the 1994 playoffs, my beloved Canucks were down to the Flames 3-1. They came back to tie the series 3-3, with both games being decided in overtime. In Game 7, the Canucks and Flames again went to the extra time. Nothing was decided in the first overtime, but Canucks netminder Kirk McLean made possibly the greatest save in Canucks history. He robbed Robert Reichel with a "two-pad-stack" save that barely kept the puck from crossing the goal line and keeping the Canucks' hopes alive. In the second overtime, Canucks defenseman Jeff Brown took a cross-ice pass from Dave Babych on his own blueline and spotted Canucks superstar Pavel Bure streaking toward the Calgary zone. He made a picture-perfect pass, and Bure was alone on Flames goalie Mike Vernon. With his blazing speed, Bure caught Vernon a little flat-footed and deked to his forehand, depositing the puck into the open side. I was at a local watering hole with about 100 other Canuck fans. When Bure went in on the breakaway, we all rushed to the screen. It was sheer pandemonium for about five minutes and party time for the rest of the night. I don't know if I've ever been that happy. 1. Sept. 28, 1972. Luzhniki Ice Palace, Moscow, USSR. "Henderson has scored for Canada!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHO SAID IT? "I didn't play in the NHL, because I wanted to walk away a winner." (ANSWER BELOW) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTkzMTg4NTI3Njk1OTk2NTc1/image-1.jpg] YAYS AND BOOS: YAY TO TSN for delivering at least 10 NCAA hockey games during January, including four women's contests. YAY TO THE MONTREAL CANADIENS for providing their players with a French teacher for those who expressed a desire to learn the language. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOW THE MASTER-BLASTER PUT THE DEVILS ON THE MAP (PART 2) The original Devils' play-by-play announcer Larry Hirsch – to put it mildly – was electrifying. His broadcasts won him a wide audience – so wide that one author-fan, Larry Berger, suggests that a Master Blaster banner adorn The Rock's ceiling. Here's why. This may seem crazy. Since when would a team raise a banner for Larry Hirsch, a former play-by-play announcer? But this is the New Jersey Devils' 40th anniversary, and one broadcaster helped put the Garden State skaters on the map back in the 1982-83 season. It was Larry Hirsch, alias 'The Master Blaster.' Larry Berger, a video production veteran of Chestnut Ridge, N.Y., remembers when Hirsch's dulcet tones on radio station WMCA brought the baby franchise to life with vim, vigor and vitality. So passionate is – and was – Berger about the Devils somehow honoring Hirsch that he wrote a story in the Bergen (New Jersey) record on Larry and his qualifications for such an honor. "His exuberance and sheer volume in which he called Devils games during the mid-1980s," wrote Berger, "earned him the moniker, 'The Master Blaster.' " Hirsch was so emotionally involved in his broadcasts that he almost accidentally killed himself falling off a table while announcing. And suppose you're wondering what he was doing on a table while a game was nearing a climax. In that case, I'll let him tell you as he told Matthew Blittner in the latter's fine oral history, Unforgettable NJ Devils. The game took place on Nov. 2, 1985, at the Meadowlands. We pick up with the Rangers leading 5-2 in the third period. Then, the Devils rallied and tied the game, 5-5, sending it to the climactic extra session. Hirsch: "In overtime, they dropped the puck, and Devils' forward Peter McNab gave the puck to Mel Bridgman from the right circle. Bingo! 6-5, game over! At that point, I was in such a lather. I was at such a peak when I called the goal I climbed up on the table in the press box. My hands were spread out, and I was pumping my fist. "It was a moment of insanity, but it was one of those moments in hockey where you just let it all out. And when I got home that night, I turned on the TV and sportscaster Warner Wolf was showing me standing on the table." The fact is that Hirsch could have killed himself, falling backward and hitting his head on the concrete floor. But he was lucky that his engineer Carl Infantino intervened and grabbed Larry by the legs to prevent a disaster. "It was just unbelievable," Infantino recalled. "But that was Larry. The passion was in his play by play. You could tell the love he had for the team and the growing number of fans. The bottom line was that Larry was a showman. He made people enjoy the game." Added Hirsch: "The fans loved it because I became one of the fans. I did the play by play as if I was playing the game myself. And in this case, it was one of the few times in my life when time stopped." Nor was it easy on Hirsch's nervous system. A frantic game between the Devils and Buffalo Sabres once nearly did him in. At the final buzzer, all the radio listeners heard was Larry groaning, "...I am drained!" He once was challenged by a visiting, veteran play-by-play announcer who objected to Hirsch's effusive antics, especially doing stand-up broadcasts. "The guy came up to me and asked if I stand for every game and I said yes," Hirsch said. "Well, he said he objected to me being my animated self." Later, a heated post-game conversation took place in the Devils' press room. Larry's critic upped his IQ (Insult Quotient), and the Master Blaster returned serve with enthusiasm. "I told him to get out of my face," Larry remembered, "and then he came at me, flexing his muscle to engage – before people stepped between us. In my 30 years of broadcasting, that was the only time I came close to blows with a play-by-play guy." (He later told me he was sorry the entire confrontation took place and is not proud of it.) Meanwhile, Hirsch-admirer Larry Berger envisions a banner from the ceiling with an image of Larry's radio headset. Berger believes it would be an appropriate way to honor the Master Blaster. Now 73 and a longtime resident of Tampa Bay, Hirsch has been invited to speak at an upcoming Devils Fan Club meeting. One question he'll certainly be asked will be his reaction to Larry Berger's banner-hoisting idea. "The history of the franchise cannot be fully and accurately told without the contributions of one of its pioneers and most important figures during its formative years," Berger said. "Hirsch brought to life the muckers and grinders like Merlin Malinowski and Tapio Levo through vivid and colorful descriptions. Oh, that voice. He was a screamer, but not a homer. The way he called the games was infectious." Then, a pause and a final memory: "Oh, that voice!" (Part 3, Monday. Hirsch Picks his five all-time favorite announcers and what it was like to broadcast the NHL Cleveland Barons games.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWER TO WHO SAID IT? Gold Medal Team USA captain Mike Eruzione on deciding not to join many of his 1980 Olympic teammates in the NHL.
