2013 NHL thread

[WestCoastJoe]

Mark Spector | February 14, 2013, 12:02 pm

Twitter @SportsnetSpec

What do you do with a Matt Cooke?

He'll never win an individual trophy, or entertain us in a shadow of the way that Erik Karlsson does. You'll never plunk down $100 for a National Hockey League ticket and say, "Can't wait to see Matt Cooke play," the way you do for Karlsson.

But you can't deny him the right to play in the NHL if he can make the Pittsburgh Penguins. In fact, Pittsburgh couldn't be happier with their transformed checker this season, and surely lots of other teams would have him.

Cooke has by all accounts remade his image. Those who have spoken with him about the lengths he has gone to make sure he doesn't blow up opponents the way he used to are convinced he is genuine.

And who doesn't love a story like that?

In Phoenix, they're writing the same things about Raffi Torres, and he's saying all the same things. New Raffi, the changed man, reached out to Marian Hossa. Next stop, the soup kitchen at the homeless shelter, and helping injured puppies at the SPCA.

Good for Raffi and Matt -- seriously. The game is a better place without those two menaces selectively eliminating star players from its ranks.

But lest we forget, both have come to this point in their career as exceptionally selfish players. Men who gave us the quote: "If I can't finish my check, I can't stay in the league."

Or this old favorite: "I have to play my game out there."

Break that down a bit, and you have a player saying, "I don't care if I cost someone else his health, or another organization a star player. Or if Marc Savard or Marian Hossa never walk again. My pay cheque is the most important thing.

"My game is the most important thing."

That's why they've both transformed, right? Because the pay cheques would stop if they didn't change -- plain and simple.

It's the same way the old newspaper man now carries a video camera, files audio, pens two blogs in the afternoon, tweets and works Facebook. They don't necessarily want the extra work. They do it because that's what it takes to make a living in the industry now, and either you're in, or you're out.

So we'd all agree that the game is a better place without the old Cooke. It was also a better place with the new Cooke, until Wednesday night.

Why does he execute an everyday rub out in the corner with one foot in the air?

Why are hockey fans without one of the game's stars this morning?

Not because Cooke was malicious, or attempted to injure Karlsson. But because he was irresponsible, reckless, and not in control of his skate.

It was "a complete accident," Cooke said, post-game. "I feel terrible. I'm not trying to do that, obviously. It's happened a few times over the past few years. It's scary.

"I was trying to hit him. Not like that."

Nobody is saying the play was intentional. No matter how dearly Penguins fans want to read that, you won't find it in this column.

IT WAS NOT INTENTIONAL, alright?

But Cooke is that lousy driver who never intends to cause an accident, yet makes the roads a more dangerous place. He swears he'll stop dialing while driving, but never gets around to buying a Bluetooth.

Now, here's the reality: A player who is worth the price of admission is done for the season, with the possibility that he will never quite be the same.

You couldn't make a worse trade for hockey fans across the NHL.

"Obviously, the way he's playing and how much he means for us, for our team, it feels terrible," Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson told reporters in Pittsburgh. "And I feel really bad for him.

"I don't know its intent to injure, but I don't know why you would hit somebody like that in that situation."

Because Cooke, remake or no remake, is an inherently selfish player.

It was always all about him, and if you think he is remaking his reputation for anyone else but himself, you're kidding yourself.

[TheLionKing]

No doubt Cookie had a checkered past, but seemed to have cleaned up his act last season.

[TheLionKing]

Some good and bad news for the Canucks. The good: Ryan Kessler is due to return to action. The bad: Malhotra may have played his last game with the Canucks due to an eye injury suffered couple of years ago.

[TheLionKing]

Kesler makes his return to the Vancouver Canucks lineup tonight and assisted on their 2nd goal. 2-1 Canucks in the 2nd period.

[TheLionKing]

Too bad Henrik Sedin's record setting night ended in defeat.

[TheLionKing]

Lindy Ruff fired as coach of the Buffalo Sabres. He was with the team for 15 years, a rarity in sports these days. Barry Trotz is now the longest serving head coach in the NHL

[TheLionKing]

Ryan Kesler broke his foot blocking a shot and will be out for 4-6 weeks. He's becoming the next Sammy Salo with his list of injuries.

[TheLionKing]

Florida Panther's Jose Theodore lost for the season. Canucks looking to trade Luongo. Florida is Luongo's home. Can there a deal in the making ?

[notahomer]

The Canucks are the ONLY NHL games I will watch and even they are not a priority. I have taken in pieces of a few games recently. They really seem to be missing an edge that I think they need to obtain. The Canucks seem to be getting pushed around and having liberties taken (this is NOT a rant on officiating). Based on the pieces of games I saw tonight (Wild) and against the Blue Jackets, I'm baffled. Part of it, IMO, is the current losses of Kevin B and Kesler. They are more of that fiestiness that I'm think is missing. All I know, is if I think its a problem now, in the regular season, I'm sure I'll see more of it once the rules change for the playoffs.

I guess my favourite description of what I'm talking about is what I refer to as my Mark Messier highlight as a Canuck. One team had taken some liberties. So, Messier gets set to take a face-off. As the puck leaves the officials hand, Messier flings his gloves off and just POUNDS the basically innocent center taking the draw. Message he was sending the other team/coach 'fine if its cheap garbage you want, its going to be anyone anytime'. IIRC, the cheap crap going on in that particular game came to an end pretty quickly........

[TheLionKing]

Another no show tonight. No longer in 1st place in their conference. Some changes need to be made.

[KnowItAll]

after the goalies and the sedins, the canucks are just a bunch of no names, underacheivers, and rookies.

[TheLionKing]

I'm surprised that he tried it in a real game. You would expect to see that in an all star game.

[notahomer]

From what I saw the Canuckleheads did look better with KBieksa back in the lineup. I know correlation does not mean causation but I think he brings an edge (one of the Provinces hockeybloggers said the same thing) that the Canucks just don't have when hes out. The Canucks need more of that chippiness.

[TheLionKing]

I was surprised that Henrik Sedin actually shot on the penalty shot.

[KnowItAll]

From what I saw the Canuckleheads did look better with KBieksa back in the lineup. I know correlation does not mean causation but I think he brings an edge (one of the Provinces hockeybloggers said the same thing) that the Canucks just don't have when hes out. The Canucks need more of that chippiness.

I am sorry, I am a little hard of hearing. Did you say the Canucks need more chippendales?