Rosie's Rebounds: 11/20/09

And we are back after a weekend in Chicago. Actually not quite yet…



…Okay thanks to a performance by Boston (RIP Brad Delp), now we are officially back.

Get ready for another edition of Rosie’s Rebounds.

Brendan Shanahan Calls it a Day

After 21 seasons in the NHL, Brendan Shanahan announced his retirement this past week from the sport.

A native of Mimico, Ontario, Shanahan had two seasons with 50 or more goals while playing with the St. Louis Blues in 1992-93 and 1993-94, and four more seasons with 40 or more goals with the Detroit Red Wings. A former second overall pick in the 1987 NHL Draft of the New Jersey Devils, Shanahan played in 1,524 regular season games, tallying 1,354 points (656 G, 698 A). He was also part of the Red Wings dynasty that won three Stanley Cups, including back-to-back wins in 1997 and 1998, and one more in 2002.

Ironically, Shanahan only had one season with 100+ points. However, his career stands for itself, and he should definitely be a Hall of Famer.


Here’s a quick little clip from an playoff commercial, back when the game was on ESPN.



For more on the career of Brendan Shanahan, Inside Hockey’s own Michelle Kenneth is running a series on her blog, in which she is chronicling his 21-year career, in her 21 Days of Shanahan series.

Controversy in Stars-Red Wings

There is no doubt that the referring in the sports world during the second half of 2009 has been horrendous. And that could be an understatement if you ask baseball writers during this year's playoffs, and the SEC football media.

Well, as some of us hockey pundits know, hockey has its share of bad calls too. The no-goal call in the Stars-Red Wings game at Joe Louis Arena is proof.

Take a look at this, and tell me you heard the whistle after the goal was scored.



How can the refs not overturn this goal, especially when this is also
being reviewed in Toronto? Especially since the replay official in the building probably told the ref on the phone that he had seen the puck cross the line. Nevertheless, Stars goaltender Alex Auld got lucky, and Wings forward Brad May got robbed.

Quarter of the Way Done

While the NHL season is still young, the standings are often very entertaining to look at. That is still the case this year.

Here are the top eight teams in each conference (as of last night, 11/19). We’ll start with the East.

1. Washington
2. New Jersey
3. Buffalo
4. Pittsburgh
5. Philadelphia
6. New York Rangers
7. New York Islanders
8. Tampa Bay

During the pre-season, many hockey pundits believed that Washington, Pittsburgh and Philly would be the class of the East. Currently they make up three of the top five teams. New Jersey is a little surprising, but not shocking.

While the Isles and Tampa are surprising everyone early on, the most surprising aspect in the top eight isn’t a team. But two things: 1.) All five teams in the Atlantic Division would make the playoffs and 2.) Only one team from the Northeast Division is in the top eight (Buffalo).

Now let’s look at the West:

1. San Jose
2. Colorado
3. Chicago
4. Los Angeles
5. Calgary
6. Columbus
7. Dallas
8. Phoenix

It is nice to see Phoenix in the top eight, especially with the uncertainty of the team during the summer. Colorado has been a pleasant surprise, and the resurgent LA Kings are in the top four.

While it is expected that Detroit and Vancouver will bounce back, I am quite surprised that the Anaheim Ducks are dead last in the West.

The top eight in each conference might not look the same, but they are always entertaining to look at.

Rebounds of the Week

Without Further Ado, here are your rebounds of the week for November 20th, 2009.

Player: Patrick Marleau F San Jose Sharks – The No. 2 pick of the 1997 Draft, Marleau has seen his fair share of roller coaster rides. He had a nice year last season with 38 goals, but he was stripped of his captaincy in the off-season. His response? So far this year he has 25 points (13 G, 12 A) in 21 games. This response has him seventh in the league in scoring.

Team: Phoenix Coyotes – See above.

Game: Boston University vs. New Hampshire (Friday, Saturday). Both of these Hockey East powers have struggled early on. Coming off a National Championship year, BU has started 3-6 in their first nine games, thanks to inconsistency. UNH is 3-6-2 in their first eleven contests, and have also been plagued by inconsistency. This will also be the first matchup since the Northeast Regional Finals, where UNH lost the game in heartbreaking fashion.

Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving. See you next week!