Absurd Goalie Monday: Michel Belhumeur

When players have seasons to forget, it's mostly because they were underachieving. This week's AGM had a season he and many others would want to forget-- being a part of the worst team in NHL history. This week, the profile of Michel Belhumeur.

Belhumeur started off in the Quebec Junior League with Sorel Eperviers and played in only 11 games over a three seasons span between 1964 until 1967 and would go 3-8-0 in those games. Also in the 1966-67 season, Belhumeur spend time with the St. Jerome Alouettes in the Montreal Midget League, then was on Sorel's roster for the 1967-68 season, but no games were given. During the 1968-69 season, Belhumeur would play with the Drummondville Rangers and play for 34 games.

Despite the lack of play, the Philadelphia Flyers picked Belhumeur in the 1969 Draft in the fourth round. and the Flyers would send Belhumeur to the AHL's Quebec Aces for two games in the 1969-70 season and then in the Eastern League for 14 games for the Charlotte Checkers. During the 1970-71 season, Belhumeur would play in 37 games with the Aces in the AHL and finish with a 12-15-8, the lose his only playoff appearance. The Flyers would move their affiliation to the Richmond Robins, where Belhumeur would end up for the 1971-72 season posting a 20-17-8 record in 45 appearances and was named to the AHL's Second All-Star Team.

Belhumeur would get a chance with the Flyers during the 1972-73 season, playing in 9-7-3 in 23 appearances, while also playing in 12 games with Richmond (no record). For the 1973-74 season, back in Richmond, Belhumeur would compile a 13-23-7 record, then go 1-2 in three playoff appearances.

The Washington Capitals would pluck Belhumeur in the Expansion Draft, which would prove to be rough for all parties involved. During that 1974-75 season, Belhumeur played in 35 games and wouldn't win a game, posting a 0-24-3 record with the only saving grace being the assist Belhumeur recorded-- the first goalie in Caps history to do so. Belhumeur would play in seven games in the 1975-76 season, going 0-5-1 before being sent back down to Richmond to play in the AHL; playing in 45 games and holding a 19-24-2 record and then 2-1 in the playoffs.

As the 1976-77 season rolled around, Belhumeur moved to the Central League with the Tulsa Oilers, finishing that first year with a 17-12-3 in 34 games, then losing his only playoff appearance. The second year with Tulsa in the 1977-78 season, Belhumeur played in 24 games and finished with a 8-14-0 record and then 2-3 in five games.

Starting in the 1978-79 season, Belhumeur moved to the North East League for the Utica Mohawks for 24 games, then to the New Jersey-Hampton Aces in the 1979-80 season for 11 games before retiring from the game.

Belhumeur started his professional hockey with a team called the Aces and ended it with a team called the Aces. With all the craziness that was sandwiched between them is something many would want to forget, especially going winless in a season playing more than 10 games.

We Hardly Knew Ye, South(L)east Division

Regarded as one of the worst divisions in the history of hockey, if not sports, is now finished. The elimination of the Washington Capitals closed the chapter of the Southeast Division, something that many celebrated for being dead because most of the time these teams were only in the playoffs because they got at least one spot for actually winning the division, putting them in the 3rd spot (at least), many times points behind the 4th finisher.

But was that division as horrific as many people thought it was?? Since the division came about in the 1998-99 season, the Southeast Division sent two teams to the playoffs in eight of the 14 seasons it was around, it yielded only one President's Trophy winner (2009-10 Capitals) and two Stanley Cup Champions (2004 Lightning, 2006 Hurricanes). The Capitals, who were the only team not to move from their original location or be an expansion team, was the division winner seven times, Hurricanes three times, Lightning twice, with Panthers and Thrashers/Jets winning it once.

Now, to look how it looked in every year against the rest of the Conference for the Playoffs:

1998-99: Carolina Hurricanes: Seeded 3rd (Ranked 8th), Lost in First Round
1999-00: Washington Capitals: 2nd, Lost in First Round
                Florida Panthers: 5th, Lost in First Round
2000-01: Washington Capitals: 3rd (Ranked 6th), Lost in First Round
               Carolina Hurricanes: 8th, Lost in First Round
2001-02: Carolina Hurricanes: 3rd (Ranked 7th), Lost in Stanley Cup Finals
2002-03: Tampa Bay Lightning: 3rd (Ranked 5th), Lost in Second Round
               Washington Capitals: 6th, Lost in First Round
2003-04: Tampa Bay Lightning: 1st, Won Stanley Cup
2005-06: Carolina Hurricanes: 2nd, Won Stanley Cup
               Tampa Bay Lightning: 8th, Lost in First Round
2006-07: Atlanta Thrashers: 3rd (Ranked 5th), Lost in First Round
               Tampa Bay Lightning: 7th, Lost in First Round
2007-08: Washington Capitals: 3rd (Ranked T-7th), Lost in First Round
2008-09: Washington Capitals: 2nd, Lost in Second Round
               Carolina Hurricanes: 6th, Lost in Conference Finals
2009-10: Washington Capitals: 1st, Lost in First Round
2010-11: Washington Capitals: 1st, Lost in Second Round
                Tampa Bay Lightning: 5th, Lost in Conference Finals
2011-12: Florida Panthers: 3rd (Ranked 6th), Lost in First Round
               Washington Capitals: 7th, Lost in Second Round
2012-13: Washington Capitals: 3rd (Ranked T-4th), Lost in First Round

In summation: 13 times were lost in the first round, four times in the second round, five times in the Conference Finals, three times to the Stanley Cup, twice winning it. It's very ugly considering the differential that many of the seeded and rankings shows us. Most cases, all the teams would seemingly shoot for is to win the division in order to get to the playoffs rather than shoot for the 8th spot. While you had both in the sights, the easier thing was to hope for a collapse of your division rivals, which at times happened.

It wasn't the prettiest of divisions, it wasn't the most notable, it didn't provide too much excitement outside of who could come up with a better punchline for it. We're all probably better off with the realignment, but it did provide some kind of head scratching goodness come playoff stretch time. While it's not like they actually had a non-playoff team make the playoffs in that 3rd spot, it wasn't as if they deserved that high ranking-- even though they did lose more often than not when given that.

Thanks For Coming Out, 2013 Washington Capitals

In a season that looked like it was lost in the first half of it, the Washington Capitals came back with a vengeance and should have been on pace for a strong Cup run. However, the scouting report of getting in front of the shots is something the New York Rangers took to heart and in almost a repeat of the 2009 series against the Penguins; a close played series ended with the Capitals being blown out in Game Seven.

A big part of this was how Alex Ovechkin, who was up and down with his own scoring, was shut down and really ineffective in most aspects. That's not to say he didn't show his worth, throwing his body around-- but that's not his job and regardless of what is to be said-- he didn't show up. Nicklas Backstrom said that his performance was embarrassing and when Joel Ward is the leading scorer in the playoffs-- you can say that the rest of the offense needs to heed this as a big wake-up call.

With Mike Green being injured and still being able to produce is a good sign for him personally, while John Carlson is still growing and a great asset, especially paired with Karl Alzner. Alzner is a RFA and if the Caps want to have a stalwart stay-at-home guy; they'd be wise to sign him before an offer sheet can happen. That money could come with Jeff Schultz's falling out with the organization and probably getting him amnestied out of his last year of his contract.

Goaltending should be a great duel, as Michel Neuvirth and Braden Holtby will be doing battle and considering they are both in DC for the next two years, it could be a great tandem or just a battleground for controversy. Not to mention, Philipp Grubauer coming up the pipeline, the Caps goaltending stockade is solid-- but is it enough to give them a solid Kolzig-esque presence??

If the Caps were to get a full year out of Adam Oates's system, it could be a solid year from start to finish for the Caps, should they all buy in. You could see how they bought in during the season and it worked wonders. It's a matter now of whether or not the Caps can actually get it done in the playoffs, something they haven't truly done since 1998.

Absurd Goalie Monday: John Adams

Many goalies crave for the chance to actually get to the championships, but to do it for four straight seasons is amazing-- more amazing that a guy would go 0-for-4 in those appearances. Even so, the small-town guy was able to get his chance in the NHL and would bounce around from minors to minors. This week, the profile of John Adams.

Adams stayed close to home while starting his journey, playing for the hometown Port Arthur North Stars in the Thunder Bay Junior League in the 1963-64 season, helping them to the Memorial Cup tournament and went 3-3 in six games at the Memorial Cup. In the 1964-65 season, Adams went 13-8-1 in 22 games, against going to the Memorial Cup tournament and going 1-3 in five games. The 1965-66 season saw Adams play the regular season with Port Arthur and compile a 18-6-2 record in 26 game, but was loaned out to the Port William Canadiens for another Memorial Cup, but go 6-4 in 11 games played.

The North Stars changed their name to the Marrs, where Adams would play in the 1966-67 season, having a 20-8-2 record in 30 games, then 4-1 in five playoff games-- going to yet another Memorial Cup, as Port Arthur would lose in the Finals in five games, but Adams would go 11-8 in 19 tournament games. Adams is one of the few players to reach the Memorial Cup for four consecutive tournaments.

During the summer of 1967, Adams signed with the Boston Bruins, but would be assigned to the Dayton Gems of the IHL for the 1967-68 season for 45 games and for 32 games in the 1968-69 season (no records given), though Adams did share the James Norris Memorial Trophy for the fewest goals against with Pat Rupp.

In the 1969-70 season, Adams went to the Central League to play for the Oklahoma City Blazers and would go 18-26-7 in 51 games with five shutouts. Adams was also called up for the Bruins Stanley Cup run and despite not playing a game, his name is engraved on the Stanley Cup-- being one of the few players to have their name on the Cup before playing a NHL game.

Adams returned to Oklahoma City for the 1970-71 season and play 57 games and finish with a 25-22-10 record and 1-4 playoff record, while in the 1971-72 season; Adams went 15-15-3 in 41 games, being named to the CHL First All-Star Team and letting in the fewest goals against in the CHL.

The Bruins would use the services of Adams 14 games in the 1972-73 season, as he would post a 9-3-1 record, but he would be sent to the AHL's Boston Braves after that for 23 games (no record) and eight playoff games (4-4).

In the summer of 1973, Adams would be sent to the WHL's San Diego Gulls as the player to be named later in the Ken Broderick trade that happened in March of 1973. In the 1973-74 season with the Gulls, Adams would post a 38-26-4 record in his 69 appearances, then 0-4 in the playoffs.

The Gulls would trade Adams to the Washington Capitals in the summer of 1974 for cash, while Adams would go 0-7-0 for the first-year franchise in Washington. The Caps would send Adams to the AHL's Richmond Robins where he would play in 28 games and post a 7-13-3 record.

Adams would leave the pros to be a player/coach for the Thunder Bay Twins in the Ontario Senior League and would play from the 1975-76 season until the 1979-80 season before retiring. It was almost a decade before Adams got back into the hockey landscape, becoming an assistant coach for the Colonial Hockey League's Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks in 1991.

Adams has stepped out of the big limelight for hockey, but still gets around the Thunder Bay area. In fact, Adams still keeps in touch with the Bruins organzation, even talking to Tim Thomas when he was in a slump and lost his starting job.

Though he was able to get to the championships for four straight seasons-- it was the season he didn't play a game in which he would be forever remembered for. After that, it was a lot of shuffling and a lot of bad opportunities before Adams would finally go where his heart was-- home.

Stamkos, Reimer, Bryzgalov Highlight Early Saturday Games

Drew Stafford celebrates his game winner

1st Star: Drew Stafford, BUF: Game-winning goal, 1 assist
2nd Star: Chris Kunitz, PGH: 2 goals
3rd Star: Steve Ott, BUF: 1 goal

Drew Stafford goal three minute into over time helped the Sabres win their opening night tilt. While M-A Fleury had a 38 save night, it was not enough for the Penguins.

1st Star: James Reimer, TOR: 30 saves
2nd Star: Matt Frattin, TOR: 2 goals
3rd Star: Mikhail Grabovski, TOR: 1 goal, 1 assist

James Reimer put the summer goalie coach quarrel behind him and put up a 30 save performance while Matt Frattin took over the game early for the Leafs, helping take down their long-time rival.

1st Star: Marcus Johansson, WSH: 2 goals
2nd Star: Kyle Turris, OTT: 1 goal, 1 assist
3rd Star: Sergei Gonchar, OTT: 2 assists

Daniel Alfredsson's goal late in the third helped the Senators get past the Capitals and Braden Holtby. Though Marcus Johansson had a great game for the Caps, Craig Anderson was too much for the rest of the Caps, stopping the other 30 shots he faced.

1st Star: Tyler Seguin, BOS: 1 goal
2nd Star: Ilya Kovalchuk, NJ: 2 goals
3rd Star: Patrice Bergeron, BOS: 1 goal

A highlight goal from Rich Perverley and Patrice Bergeron helped the Bruins beat the Devils. Tuukka Rask stopped 25 shots in the winning effort, while Ilya Kovalchuk's offense was the bright spot for the Devils in the game.

1st Star: Ilya Bryzgalov, PHI: 32 saves
2nd Star: Wayne Simmonds, PHI: 1 goal
3rd Star: Danny Briere, PHI: 1 goal

Even without much goal support, Ilya Bryzgalov came up big to help the Flyers win their first two games of the season, getting a good showing from his defense, as well. Newcomer Brad Boyes had the lone tally for the Islanders.

1st Star: Steven Stamkos, TB: 2 goals

2nd Star: Stephen Weiss, FLA: 1 goal
3rd Star: Vincent Lecavalier, TB: 1 goal

With a new goalie in net, the Lightning broke open the scoresheet with Steven Stamkos getting his scoring touch back with two goals, including an open net. Anders Lindback faced 32 shots and saved 30 of them for his first win with his new team.

Nabby Knocks Off Pens, Chimera Hurrah, Datsyuk Dazzles

Evgeni Malkin injured in the 3rd period

1st Star: Evgeni Nabokov, NYI: 36 saves

2nd Star: John Tavares, NYI: 1 goal, 1 assist

3rd Star: P-A Parenteau, NYI: Game-winning goal

The semi-rivalry met up for opening night, but the Isles got the best of this round as John Tavares and P-A Parenteau netted the goals for the Islanders, helping Evgeni Nabokov-- who had 36 saves in the winning effort. Brandon Sutter got the lone goal for the Pens, who had to play without Evgeni Malkin for the third period after getting his legs tangled up in a scrum. 

1st Star: Jason Chimera, WSH: 1 goal, 1 assist

2nd Star: Adam Henrique, NJ: 1 goal, 2 assists
3rd Star: Mike Ribeiro, WSH: 2 goals

Jason Chimera celebrates his OT winner

Without Zach Parise, the Devils faired well, but were downed by Jason Chimera's overtime winner for the Capitals. Newcomer Mike Ribeiro score two in his Washington debut, while Michal Neuvirth stopped 48 the start. Martin Brodeur showed his true stopper side with 47 saves of his own, as the Devils got three points from Adam Henrique.

1st Star: Pavel Datsyuk, DET: 2 goals
2nd Star: Mike Fisher, NSH: 1 goal, 1 assist
3rd Star: Todd Bertuzzi, DET: 1 goal, 1 assist

Pavel Datsyuk scored two goals, while Todd Bertuzzi had a goal and an assist in the Red Wings win. The Predators had to swap goalies after the first period as Pekka Rinne only stopped seven of the 10 shots he faced. Mike Fisher was the lone bright spot for the Preds with a goal and assist.

Pavel Datsyuk's first of two goals

Neuvirth's Big Talk Needs Big Results

It wouldn't be a summer without a controversy with the Washington Capitals and their goaltending. This time, it could have been preventative and maybe it's just the inability for the one party to curve how they really feel....but they are screwed because they are cursed for not having a true personality and then when they slip-up, they are condemned for it.

In any case, Michal Neuvirth gave an interview to a Czech website in regards to this coming season and there's many interesting points, mostly about Braden Holtby being his "weakest competition yet" and him advising Tomas Vokoun to go to Pittsburgh rather than Russia. You can check out the rest of the stuff thanks to the folks at Russian Machine Never Breaks who have a great translation of it.

While many people believe this is Neuvirth's mouth writing a cheque his play can't cash, especially against Holtby, he could have a point and maybe the style of hockey that has been played-- as the lovely and talented Greg Wyshynski points out-- could have helped out Holtby's stat-line. Granted, Holtby does have a regular season record of 14-4-3, this could also be chalked up to the fact that the NHL level players hadn't figured him out. His time with the Hershey Bears last season was a decline of the 2010-11 season, but it could also be due to the jet-lag he had because of shuttling from AHL to NHL. Even so, it seems that he can get figured out if players and coaches have enough game-tape of him.

Neuvirth small nagging injuries have plagued Neuvirth for the past two seasons, mostly lower-body injuries, but it makes you wonder if he would be able to actually go a full season without actually missing any time on the IR. Personally, that alone would make me wonder about his spot as the starting role, as well as his decline over the past couple of seasons-- which could be chalked up to the injuries or what Holtby will discover in a stat-line decline because of players figuring his style out.

However, I think this is something that I wonder if the Capitals are slowly creeping up to the Philadelphia Flyers range when it comes to goaltending. Since Olaf Kolzig unceremoniously left-- Neuvirth, Holtby, Vokoun, Jose Theodore, and Semyon Varlamov, have tried their hand in net, leaving coaches and fans wondering why they're in there over another.

At the end of the day, you have to wonder what's going to happen with this and whether or not stability can be found in either of these two for the long-term with the Caps. Especially with Philipp Grubauer coming up through the ranks-- they could get even more pressure. Yet, with the goalies bickering amongst themselves, it could be an issue when the season starts and the attention put forth could be unneeded pressure on Neuvirth when he didn't need to actually go that way when questioned.

For Neuvirth's sake, I hope that he's healthy enough to actually perform the way he thinks he can-- because it could be a huge bonus for the Caps. Though, if he can't-- the heat he may/will get over his comments will be immense. More over-- this has to be bulletin board material for Holtby, motivating him to be better than before to show how "weak" he can be.

Will Past Players Cure Caps' Present Woes??

First, it was Dale Hunter. He left and then Adam Oates stepped in. In addition, Calle Johansson just got hired there to assist Oates. Add in Olaf Kolzig to the mix; you've got yourself a nice roster from the 1998 Washington Capitals Eastern Conference Championship team. However, this has been the coaches for the Capitals in the past 12 months (though Kolzig has been there longer as the associate goalie coach).

Is this a good step for the Caps?? It's great for the fans, as the nostalgia keeps on coming from the olden days when the Caps were all about hype, but never having the playoff success for the long-term. While reliving the olden times is something that may be good to some, this whole thing could be a smokescreen for the re-tooling and tinkering that the Caps have been going through for the past couple of seasons.

The fact that Oates is the fifth straight first-time NHL coach for the Caps could be a cause for alarm, regardless of how highly touted he is for the job. That said, there wasn't too many coaches out there on the open market that would have fit what the Caps needed; therefore it seems that Oates was the best candidate with what has out there...at least, that's what most fans are hoping.

While Johansson did assistant coach in Sweden for a season, that was over five seasons ago and may not translate into the NHL game as well as many would hope. The good part about him coming, however, is the learning experience that the Caps defensemen will be able to get it. The guys that could get the most out of it may be the pairing of Karl Alzner and John Carlson-- though Alzner more than Carlson since his game is a more stay-at-home, which Johansson is renowned for in the Capitals folklore.

But I return to the smokescreen reference. It's almost as if the Caps are just parading out the old stars from happier times to lessen the blow when it comes to the performance of the team. While that could just be a wild thought process I'm having-- the excuse of, "Oh, it's a first year coach in his first job and he still has to work out the kinks to his players working in his system" is built in and may be more than some Caps fans to bear if there's a disappointing end to next season.

If this were all work out, it would be a great thing for the organization and the fans; but it's hard to get over the fact that the Caps have been on the cusp of something big-- but something just hasn't been able to get over that last hurdle. The inclusion of first-time coach after first-time coach may not be the thing that gets the team over the top. There's a time for rebuilding and tinkering around with a team's philosophy and to try out new thing. It's not typically the right route for a team who is only a few years removed from being the top of their conference and a President's Trophy winner.

Thanks For Coming Out, Washington Capitals

As a fan of this team since 1988, this is a heartbreaking one for me to write, but the 7th seed had their magical season ended by the top-seed in the East. While they did find a new goalie for the future, the fact that the offense is the question mark is a real head scratcher, but the Capitals will need to see how they can readjust and find a balance to be successful.

The best part about the playoff run is that, by injury happenstance, Braden Holtby became the defacto #1 goalie for the Caps. With Tomas Vokoun's flop of a season and Michal Neuvirth mounting injuries; Holtby came in and gave an outstanding performance to keep the Caps in many of the games and being the deciding factor in their wins. Should he keep his usual mantra in the net, Holtby could be the guy to take over the carousel that has surrounded the Caps since Olie Kolzig left.

Yet, the strongest point for the Caps in the past seasons was the one that many question-- the offense. Though you can look at Nicklas Backstrom being injured to stifle the offense for a bit there, but with Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin there; it should be no problem. You can say the defensive scheme hindered them-- and it may have-- but big time goal-scorers find a way to score in the situations when they present themselves. Ovechkin and Semin didn't find those situations and thus, their production was hindered. It's the last we could see of Semin in North America.

Another thing that could hinder the Caps is too many character players. You can always say that you can't have too many-- but when you have over two lines of grinders more than skill players, you limit your chances of actually sustaining much of an attack. Even though they are good for the room and you see the speed that guys like Jason Chimera, Brooks Laich, and the hands of Matt Hendricks have-- the fact they don't translate too much into big scoring chances will hurt in the long run.

The shutdown pair of Karl Alzner and John Carlson really showed their maturity this year, with Alzner really stepping up as a stay-at-home stalwart. That said-- the task on what to do with Mike Green and Dennis Wideman will be seen. Green has been homegrown, but also injury proned. Wideman was a trade-deadline pick-up and hasn't played awful, but can you keep both or do you have to chose one?? It could all come down to dollars and cents to decide that fate.

As a whole, the Caps season was more successful than many thought going into the playoffs. With the limbo of Dale Hunter's status as head coach next year up in the air, it's something that need to be decided before you look at changing anything around. If he gets a full season, Hunter could make this team better.....or frustrated. Always a crapshoot with the Caps.

Ups and Downs of Defense First

Once John Carlson scored the go-ahead goal for the Capitals in Game Five against the Rangers, the CBC crew wondered how much more time Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin, and Nicklas Backstrom would get the rest of the game, as the Caps have been know to go into full defense mode after taking a lead.

Almost on cue, the Caps started playing the grind players more and seemingly playing a 0-1-4 scheme on the forecheck; something I'm sure not done before in recorded history.

Yet, that's what "Hunter Hockey" seems to be for the Caps and coach Dale Hunter, get the lead and start to play more defensively responsible, which is good when people buy into it. It seems that the Caps have done that, with even Ovechkin getting into the blocked shots category and putting the team before himself, almost learning maturity on the fly for the often criticized captain.

And while the Caps were able to create some odd-man rushes in the third period, including a Backstrom shot off the post; the fact the Caps keep collapsing into their goalie when they have the opponents seem to be crashing on Braden Holtby would do more harm that good. Even so, the style the Caps have could have lead to the game-winning goal with the style of blocking the Caps do-- Tebow-esque, as I would call it.

Sure, the Caps actually learning a defense-first thing is solid, but there's still kinks it and the transition game could be a little stronger; but it's a learning process. It may not be the best time to keep learning during the playoffs-- but that's another story for another time.

But back to the point about their blocking style-- which teams will figure out, especially if you're playing a team in a best-of-seven series. Much like a new goalie, at the start-- they'll be fantastic and shooters won't know what to do because there's no scouting report, but in time; teams will figure it out. It seems the Rangers are doing that right now, which could be the demise of Capitals.

(And yes, the Joel Ward double-minor didn't help, but that adds to the adaptation needed.)

While there's still Game Six and maybe Game Seven to go, the fact that the book on the Caps is pretty cut-and-dried about their blocking style and how they go into a shell after a lead; even if they do get to the next round...they'll be pretty worse for wear in the Conference Finals.

Predictions For Round Two

So after the 16 overtimes in the first round, a record, the second round really has to bring something special to the table in order to actually top its opening act. While there's plenty of chess-matches out west, the east is very wild in their match-ups, harkening back to the olden days of the Patrick Division. Now, how to pick them-- especially after the 5-3 record in the first round, no exactas either.

EASTERN CONFERENCE


(1) NEW YORK RANGERS vs. (7) WASHINGTON CAPITALS

This is the third time in four playoffs these two teams will face off, the Caps winning each series. And while the roles are reversed in terms of seeding, the main players are still the same. Henrik Lundqvist is always going to be the determining factor in most of the Rangers' games, while Alex Ovechkin will be piping mad from the first round and may want to prove the pundits wrong on the world's biggest stage at Madison Square Garden.

With what the Caps showed in Round One, this series could be a grind-fest of a series with things won or lost on the boards. Dale Hunter and John Tortorella could set a record for least amount of time spent on a podium in hopes they don't get fined.

PREDICTION: Capitals in Six. They showed a lot of moxy against the Stanley Cup champions and may have gotten a swagger back enough to take the Rangers for a third time in four years.

(5) PHILADELPHIA FLYERS vs. (6) NEW JERSEY DEVILS

Two Atlantic Division foes taking on each other will help with the no love loss in the playoffs thing. However, with Claude Giroux's explosion in Round One and the Flyers getting help from all aspects of the offense, it could make a rough series for Martin Brodeur and the Devils. Yet, the Devils are always up for the challenge, hoping to get more out of Adam Henrique and keep Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk going. With the issues Ilya Bryzgalov has had in the playoffs, one domino may be all that's needed for the Devils.

It could be a tighter game for the Flyers, especially since they know how defensive the Devils can be, so seeing their wide-open game could be just a first-round-mirage, but the rest time could be what they need to adapt.

PREDICTION: Flyers in Five. Despite the long lay-off, the Devils will be tired out and with their goaltending being on the older age scale, it could be a task for them to actually be competitive.

WESTERN CONFERENCE


(2) ST. LOUIS BLUES vs. (8) LOS ANGELES KINGS

Well, this could be.....a long series. Emotionally and mentally draining. Not so much for fast game play, but for the chess match that will be going along with it all. The battle between Jonathan Quick and Brian Elliott will be something that keeps these games to 0-0 for the longest times. This could be a closer series than the Bruins/Capitals and the defense will be something to behold. It will be exciting even without the scoring, I'm sure.

Both squads will need their best players to keep going-- Dustin Brown may not be enough for the Kings, as Mike Richards and Jeff Carter need to get off the snide. The Blues will need to get more from TJ Oshie and David Perron, though Andy McDonald's eight points in five games could be a great start for his Conn Smythe bid.

PREDICTION: Blues in Six. While I like the Kings set-up and how they're able to keep things going-- the fact remains the Blues seem more of a complete team to me and will breakdown the Kings defense better than the Canucks did.

(3) PHOENIX COYOTES vs. (4) NASHVILLE PREDATORS

A battle between the last two teams that Jim Balsillie tried to buy, this other Western match-up will be a battle of the dueling goalies-- Pekka Rinne, who is a solid Vezina contender, and Mike Smith, the best statistical goalie since March. While Rinne has the advantage in terms of experience, we have seen that experience doesn't count for much in the playoffs this year.

At the end of the day, the dynamics that the Predators have, especially with Alexander Radulov coming on in a big way, the Coyotes may need to hope their luck from the first round keeps going and that their top players don't have the bumps and bruises they got against the Hawks.

PREDICTION: Predators in Five. With the scoring coming from unlikely sources and goaltending being solid, the Predators are a team that really want to get over the hump they have been dealing with for years.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Bernie Wolfe

While we usually do players with unusually short careers, this week's AGM is very unusually short. Coming from utter obscurity to splitting duties for one of the worse teams in the league to retiring to trying to be signed again for an expansion draft to financial planner. With the revelation that Bruins captain Zdeno Chara is now a certified financial planner, this guy could add him him to his stable if need be. This week, the profile of Bernie Wolfe.

Playing for Sir George Williams Univeristy in the Quebec University Athletic Association, Wolfe would garner First-Team All-Star honors in the 1971-72 season and 1973-74 season, while earning First-Team All-Star honors for all of the Canaidan Interuniversity Athletic Union in the 1973-74 season

Wolfe moved onto the pro ranks, being signed by the expansion Washington Capitals in October of 1974, but would be playing in the North American League for the Maine Nordiques, going 19-17-1 in 40 games. At the tail-end of the 1974-75 season, Wolfe would be called up to the Richmond Robins of the AHL, finishing with a 6-7-2 record in 17 games, the going 3-4 in the playoffs.

The 1975-76 season saw Wolfe play only three games in Richmond (2-0-0) before getting a call up to the Capitals, where he would play 40 games and compile a 5-23-7 record on the hapless Caps. A viral infection hampered the start of Wolfe's 1976-77 season, but when he was better-- Wolfe only went 7-15-9 in 37 appearances.

Wolfe would start the 1977-78 season with the AHL's Hershey Bears, winning all three games he appeared in. He would get the call-up to the Caps and would appear in 25 games for Washington, but only record a dismal 4-14-4 record. The 1978-79 season, Wolfe took one last kick at the can for the Caps, but after going 4-9-1 in 18 games-- Wolfe decided to move on from his hockey career and into something else.

The good thing about Wolfe is that he planned out his future well. He started his own financial planning practice in the Washington DC area and earned his Certified Financial Planner designation in 1981. As he continues to run Bernard R. Wolfe and Associates in Chevy Chase, Maryland; Wolfe has been able to create a very successful life after hockey. His firm was recognized by the Washingtonian Magazine in 2009 and 2010 as one of the top financial firms in the area, which was voted amongst his peers.

An interesting note, however, is that Wolfe had a short, short "comeback." The Capitals had to release one of their goalies for the 1992 Expansion Draft, but didn't feel like it. They scrambled to find a dispensable goalie in order to keep the ones they had. The Caps tried to sign Wolfe, but the NHL had denied it as Wolfe had been retired for over a decade at that point. One of the owners of the expansion teams, Phil Esposito of the Tampa Bay Lightning, had this great quote about Wolfe, saying: "I didn't just pay $50 million for Bernie Wolfe. He wasn't any good when I played against him." The Caps then signed Steve Weeks just to release him.

While he only played 120 games, Wolfe had the wherewithal to actually keep his mind going and look to the future beyond hockey. Lucky for him, it worked out amazingly and he's got himself a stellar life going for himself now. Maybe he could teach Chara a thing or two when he needs a helping hand.

Woes in Washington For the Best??

For the Washington Capitals, this is another test for this team-- trying to get the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference and hope that they have enough steam to make a respectable first round showing should they get in. However, there's really one thing that is needed for the Caps in order for them to learn from this season.

Not make the playoffs.

There's really no way around it, the Caps need to not make the playoffs for them to actually get a wake-up call. Firing Bruce Boudreau and hiring Caps' legend Dale Hunter wasn't enough of a wake-up call. Losing their top center didn't do much in order for them to step-up and become the cohesive team unit to be able to win games with just a gritty performance. Heck, they can't even show up for games that they have against the team they're fighting with for that last spot (losing 5-1 to the Sabres last week) and then keeping a non-playoff team into a game, allowing them to win in the last minute (4-2 loss to Tampa).

If the Caps were to make the playoffs, it would be a bad reinforcement for the team, as they would be rewarded for putting up a "good enough" effort and basically back-door their way into the playoffs, which is great on one side of things-- but it will not give the team the motivation at all to actually put forth an effort because they got by enough to make the playoffs-- so if that's good enough, that's what they'll stick by.

Maybe what Matt Bradley said over the summer was correct, as the performance of the Caps this year hasn't really dismissed his comments about the culture of the team being very nonchalant and the team not being prepared for practices in the right way. While many would say Bradley was just a scorned player not asked to be back-- this year is something that is proving his comments to be plausible--as if many didn't see that during the Caps/Pens 24/7 Series on HBO.

To miss the playoffs may force the hand of owner Ted Leonsis to change the landscape of the team-- maybe resulting in the man who built this team, George McPhee, and overhauling the whole team logic. When push comes to shove-- the high hopes being dashed without a playoff appearance could be the straw that breaks the camel's back and would be a wake-up call for the entire organization.

As a Caps fan for a long time, it's hard to want your team to not make the playoffs when they're this close and this deep into the battle for the last spot; but after the quick start, there really hasn't been much to call home about in terms of the season. Alex Ovechkin hasn't been himself, Tomas Vokoun and Michal Neuvirth have been very streaky, and the team itself doesn't have the swagger it once had just a few seasons ago.

For a team that was in the discussion for the Stanley Cup Finals, for a team that was supposed to have their core of players ready to create some kind of dynasty, for all the hype and all the publicity that the superstars have gotten-- it has crash and burned in a Hindenburg-esque fashion. While they can still make the playoffs by the skin of their teeth and face the only team they've beaten in the playoffs since the 2006-07; they could have the motivation to be the underdogs and shock the world.....but with the way things are going, it won't happen any time soon.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Wayne Stephenson

Despite being in the shadows for most his NHL, the trek this week's AGM took to get into the NHL was something unique, as he went about playing for his country. With that under his belt, he got international recognition and then moved that onto the NHL game itself. This week, the profile of Wayne Stephenson. 

When Stephenson first stepped onto the scene, he was playing for the Winnipeg Braves in the Manitoba Junior League starting in the 1963-64, going 11-15-3 in 29 games. Returning to the Braves in the 1964-65 season, Stephenson would go 26-12-5 in 43 games, then 4-0 in four playoff games, helping win the league championship.After the season, Stephenson was MJHL MVP, top goalie, and on the first-team all-star squad. Stephenson was picked by the Edmonton Oil Kings to participate in the 1965 Memorial Cup, where he would go 1-4 in five games

Post-junior career, Stephenson chose to join the Canadian National team under the tutelage of Father David Bauer. Stephenson played with the Canadian National team from the 1966-67 season until the 1970-71 season. In that time, Stephenson played in two World Championships (1967, 1969) and one Olympics in 1968, where he would go 2-0-0 in three appearances, helping the Canadians win a Bronze medal. Stephenson also played 15 games for the Winnipeg Nationals in the 1967-68 in the Western Canada Senior League.

For the 1971-72 season, Stephenson would get signed on in January with the St. Louis Blues and spend most of the season in the Central League with the Kansas City Blues, going 5-11-4 in 21 games; then going 0-1-0 in two games with St. Louis. Stephenson spent the entire 1972-73 season with St. Louis, playing in 45 games and finishing with a 18-15-7 record, then going 1-2 in three playoff games. Returning to St. Louis in 1973-74 season, Stephenson went 13-21-5 in 40 games. 

Before the 1974-75 season, Stephenson was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers, where he would be behind Bernie Parent on the depth chart; playing only 12 games and going 7-2-1, then 2-0 in two playoff games, helping the Flyers win the Stanley Cup. In the 1975-76 season, Stephenson got most of the games in for the Flyers, as Parent was injured-- going 40-10-13 in 66 games, then 4-4 in eight playoff games. With Parent back in 1976-77, Stephenson was resigned to the bench again, playing in only 21 games, going 12-3-2 and 4-3 in nine playoff games. Stephenson got more games in during the 1977-78 season, playing in 26 games and finished with a 14-10-1 record. During the 1978-79 season, Parent suffered a career-ending eye injury, resulting in Stephenson seeing more time, compiling a 20-10-5 record in 40 games, then 0-3 in four playoff games that season. 

During the summer of 1979, Stephenson was traded to the Washington Capitals, where he would play 56 games in the 1979-80 season, posting an 18-24-10 record. For the 1980-81 season, Stephenson would be back to the Capitals, playing only 20 games with a 4-7-5 record, which would lead to his retirement after the season. 

Post playing career, Stephenson got into the financial industry, working banks in Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Cape Cod. However, he would be diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and would pass away on August 22, 2010. 

Though he didn't have one of the most straight tracks to the NHL, he was able to get to the show and succeed as much as he could in his short time there. He had a great team in front of him, which helped showed off what he could do with the right team in front of him. 

Where Will Wilson Land??

With his firing, Ron Wilson becomes the belle of the coaching ball and there's plenty of upcoming suitors that will be going after his services. Yet the big onus could be on putting him into the right position in order to have success with any team. Even with that, the playoff success is one that is another question-- especially for a team who may or may not want to actually want to advance further than they have. Wilson has been to the Cup Finals once and Conference Finals once, but other than that-- if his team makes the playoffs, it all ends after round two; which for some teams, won't be enough.

One place that has been under fire for coaching has been the Washington Capitals, a team that Wilson has coached before and took to the Stanley Cup. While Dale Hunter is still learning the ropes as a NHL coach, the demand from the fans and upper management may not fit what Hunter has to offer-- even if given a full off-season to get a game plan going. I tweeted a tongue-in-cheek line about the Caps bringing an old coach back; but apparently-- a buddy of mine at the 5-0 Caps loss to the Devils, said that there was a "We Want Wilson" chant in the Verizon Center.

Now, I don't know if it was in frustration or in jest from the many fans who remember Wilson's tenure-- or just hatred of Hunter's tenure-- but a return to Washington may not be a bad idea in the front, but the playoff issues are of a concern. That said, if Wilson would let the stars of the team be as free-wheeling as they were before the huge system change under Bruce Boudreau-- the odds of being successful could very well be fantastic for the Caps. However, that also buries Hunter and his legacy in DC, making everyone in the situation look horrible.

If not DC, then the other option would possibly be Columbus and the Blue Jackets. While Todd Richards has done a respectable job in the interim as coach, the ability to seize someone like Wilson and help him guide a team like the Blue Jackets may be fantastic for the organization and possible coax Rick Nash to want to stay. Though, Columbus may not be the best fit for Wilson and he may not want to actually be in that market with so many question attached to their future and ability to get players onto the team via free agency.

Two Canadian teams that could go after Wilson may be Montreal and Edmonton. The thing that hinders Wilson for the Canadiens is his possible lack of French, which would make people rise-up in an uproar, despite being the best candidate for the job. Edmonton may be a little more realistic, as Tom Renney could be on his last legs there. The fact that Wilson would inherit a great young core of forwards, he may fit in well with the pick-up of some defensive assets. One final destination could be the New York Islanders, but it seems Charles Wang and Garth Snow could be keen on keeping Jack Capuano behind the bench for the long-term.

While the reality of the situation is that maybe two of these teams would be very interested in having Wilson as a coach, odds are he may not be out on the open market for long. With his coaching abilities and decent track record overall, added to his technological advances behind the bench-- it could be great for a younger team that is on the cusp. Yet, with his inability to get the Maple Leafs over the hump could show that a once great coach could have let the game pass him by and he may not be a fit for any team, regardless of the history that he has.

Capital Punished

While it may be throwing the baby out with the bath water after another loss against a top tier team and their back-up (Thomas Greiss' Sharks won 5-3), you have to wonder how much time the Capitals have with Dale Hunter behind the bench and George McPhee as the GM. Sure, it's not been a good year all around and you could blame injuries, but it's proving that the Caps are not adjusting as well as many thought they would.

The Dale Hunter ideal is an interesting one because you have to wonder if owner Ted Leonsis will give him a full off-season to work with in order to get his schemes down and to pass along to the players. He acquired Bruce Boudreau's team and really hasn't had that much time to adjust the players to his system. If he gets a full off-season, he could be able to turn the team around.

With GMGM, you have to think that he's out unless it shows that Leonsis is too loyal and too proud to actually let him go. GMGM has been through the rough times and built a winner-- even though in the playoffs-- not much came from it. He was able to get the Caps relevant again, but in an off-season where many thought McPhee stole Tomas Vokoun away from everyone-- he hasn't has much to show from it. If the Caps fail to make the playoffs, he'd be the first to go.

One also has to wonder why they would throw Braden Holtby to the wolves, calling him up in the morning, waiting until he gets to Washington in the afternoon to tell him he's starting. Vokoun being sick is one thing to call him up, but is Michal Neuvirth not good enough to start back-to-back games?? That should speak volumes in confidence of the goalies right now.

That said, the Caps still have about one-third of a season to go and do have a history of making late-season runs to the playoffs-- most notably the run in 2006-07, winning down the stretch to knock off the Carolina Hurricanes to win the Southeast and get into the playoffs. We'll have to see if this team has something left in them and if they get the confidence and awareness to actually show and play the last 20+ games in the season.

Why Eric Francis Enrages Me, Volume 3,452

Eric Francis' douchebaggery knows no bounds. I've been saying it since 2005 and it seems people are cluing into it.

This time, the morning zoo jock at JACK-FM in Calgary had a little piece about the Russian junior's captain and Washington Capitals' prospect Evgeni Kuznetsov. To his point, Francis went on and on about how much of a selfish player he is and how he will fit into the "selfish-Russian mold" the Capitals have seemed to build. Because, as we all know.....Francis has been following the Caps beat for as long as anyone can remember.

Forget the fact Kuznetsov has seven assists this tournament. Forget the fact as a captain, Kuznetsov should be the one to be "selfish" on the ice and want to be the one to have the spotlight. Forget the fact that if Jaden Schwartz or any other Canadian would have done it, he would have been touted as a great leader-- the fact remains that this is just another point of Eric Francis ignorance and the fact him being a columnist is a bit of a joke, especially considering he took the time out to focus on the bad side of Kuznetsov's game rather than the Canadians melting down as they did.

Kuznetsov may be a little wet behind the ears-- sure, but at the same time; he did what any captain should do and make the heat and take the heat one way or another. He backed up his comment about looking forward to facing the Canadians and did what he needed to in order to get his team ahead (read: jawing/consoling Boone Jenner).

While Francis says that Kuznetsov is not much of a teammate, how does he know that?? Has he watched him this whole tournament-- because I know I haven't seen him in the media scrums in the mixed zone while I'm down there. Plus, if being selfish gets the job done, what does it matter how he is on the ice in terms of "being a teammate"?? Francis isn't in the room, he hasn't talked to the players, he hasn't done the leg work to get the actual beef of this story to see if Kuznetsov is actually a team player or only in it for himself. It's pure assumption, which is something I expect out of Francis-- who will get to spout this off on Hockey Night in Canada before getting put in his place by Mike Milbury and/or Elliotte Friedman.

For a guy like Francis, who seems to want to have all players controlled like his NHL12 team that he plays on his XBox, to question any player or coach's integrity-- much like he did with Darryl Sutter before his hiring in Los Angeles-- is absurd. You can't be a serious hockey reporter, while giving away Coldplay tickets to the ninth caller who gives the "phrase that pays." Sure, the CBC does pay some of his bills, so his nationalism is something that is expected, but to use the broad stroke brush he did is not only childish, but really lazy reporting-- which I guess is something we have become accustom to when speaking of Francis. 

There is no love/hate for Eric Francis-- it's mostly hate. Not only from me, but from most of the people who watch him, most of the people who read him, and whoever decides to listen to him-- if only to get those advance screening passes for the next crappy movie out. Yet, he proves that if you kiss enough ass; you'll go places in the business.

Southeast Shuffle

In a span of two hours, Guy Boucher became the longest tenured coach in the Southeast Division. Both Bruce Boudreau of the Washington Capitals and Paul Maurice of the Carolina Hurricanes were fired. Replacing them were Dale Hunter and Kirk Muller (rumored) respectively.

First, for the Capitals-- I guess if you give the people what they want, like old colors, jerseys, and players-- then you let the prisoners run the asylum. That said, if there's a hard-ass guy to get the team to pay attention and give effort-- it's Dale Hunter.

That said, Bruce Boudreau probably wasn't the guy to get the Caps over the hump after four seasons of trying. He lost the room and wasn't getting the effort from the guys that he needed to. When you have your star player who's signed long-term and your coach at odds-- the coach always loses out. Though Boudreau's tenure yielded the revitalization of the Capitals, he just never seemed to have the killer instinct needed. Going 201-88-40 will only give you so much reputation before the dismal playoff record comes up. Best of luck to Boudreau, who did a lot of the Caps in the long-run.

When it comes to the new coach, Dale Hunter is a legend in the Caps history. He's a guy who was a hard-nosed player and will probably be a hard-nosed coach. Yet, it's going to be a learning curve for a guy who hasn't coached a NHL game before. Sure, he was the fastest coach to win 300 and 400 games in the OHL and is only 49 away from 500; but it's two different dynamics. That said, I think he'll bring a different message to the room; holding more guys accountable and really laying into them because his number is hanging in the rafter and seems to care a lot about the franchise. We'll see how it goes.

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As far the Hurricanes are concerned-- fool Jim Rutherford once, shame on you; but if you fool him twice, shame on him. It seems that the second tenure of Paul Maurice ended as fouly as the first....but like every jokester on Twitter noted-- he'll be back for a third.

Though it won't be confirmed until later, replacing him with Kirk Muller should be a good idea, as he seemed to be groomed to take over the Canadiens coaching position, but then went to the Nashville Predators organization to coach the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals, who are 10-6-1 this season. Muller is a guy who seems to have a great grasp of the game behind the bench and should be able to take over the Hurricanes pretty easily; whom are second to last in the Eastern Conference at 8-13-4. Muller will have a lot of younger guys who have some experience due to their runs in the playoffs-- but getting the most out of them on a nightly basis will be the key.

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These were changes that were going to be made sooner or later and I guess they let their coaches give thanks and then can them like so much cranberries. Now, it's time to put these new coaches under the microscope and observe every movement.

Ovechkin/Crosby Post #3,297 of the Day

When Greg Wyshynski revealed that Alex Ovechkin was asked what he thought about Sidney Crosby's triumphant return, then it found its way on Twitter-- you could hear the collective grinding of teeth from Caps fans at the audacity of the question.

That's something I could understand, the Caps had just broke a four-game losing streak with a gritty win over a tough Western team and yet still-- the Ovechkin-Crosby debate raged on, I'm sure to many people's dismay.

While Crosby coming back was a notable thing, the fact in 48 hours people were already sick of it and wanted it to end. Crosby looked like he had never left from the ice, though the team he played against had a rookie making his first NHL start in net and aren't that good to begin with....but what better way to actually build his confidence over a team that's not going to pose too much of a threat-- as the two goal, two assist night would show you.

Yet, back to the question asked of Ovechkin-- it seems a little bit of a craptastic thing to talk about, especially since the Caps didn't play the Penguins and Ovechkin was on the ice playing his own game as the hype in Pittsburgh reigned on. Maybe to give Ovechkin a bit of time to watch the highlights from the night and then ask at practice today-- then it could actually be a legit question and get a better answer than "good for him."

That's my only complaint about it. Sure, Ovechkin has mired in a slump and Caps fans are getting restless with the team's lack of production and the attention their superstar has been getting because of his slump-- but the Ovechkin/Crosby thing will live on until one of them retired. They'll be forever linked and it's something that the fans on both sides will have to live with.

And is that such a bad thing?? Sure, it's gets annoying at times, but so do each of the team's fanbases when it comes to defending their superstar. I'm sure every team gets that way, but these two particular teams have fans that go over the rationality line. In any case, Ovechkin and Crosby being pitted against each other will step their games up accordingly, I'm sure. While the magnifying glass will be even bigger around both of them and will annoy everyone else-- it's good for the game to have these two prolific players put to the forefront, though one of them is off his game and the other is coming back from a serious injury-- as the games go on, you have to hope they'll both pick up their games throughout the rest of the season.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Ron Low

It must be a difficult task to go from a Memorial Cup team to the worst team in modern NHL history, but that's what this week's AGM had to endure. If nothing else, it got him prepared for not getting much support from his teammates and very lean years during his NHL time. Yet, it got him a coaching gig at the end of his career-- so he did something right. This week, the profile of Ron Low.

While Low came onto the scene in the 1967-68 season with the West Coast Junior League's Winnipeg Jets for sixteen games, he would spend the rest of that season with the Dauphin Kings of the Manitoba Junior League. Low would spend the 1968-69 and 1969-70 season with the Dauphin Kings, winning the Manitoba Junior championship each year and attending the Memorial Cup both seasons, but never winning it.

The Toronto Maple Leafs drafted Low 103rd overall in the 1970 Draft, but Low would play in the Eastern League's Jacksonville Rockets for 46 games and then four games with the Tulsa Oilers of the Central League for the 1970-71 season. The 1971-72 season had Low spend it mostly in Tulsa again, going 21-18-2 in 43 games, then winning his only appearance with the Richmond Robins of the AHL. The 1972-73 season saw Low get the call to the Maple Leafs, playing in 42 games and finishing 12-24-4 for the season. That make the Leafs send him back to Tulsa for the 1973-74 season, where Low would compile a 23-23-8 record in 56 appearances.

Low was left unprotected by the Leafs during the expansion Draft, which left him open to be picked by the Washington Capitals. Low had the job of being on the worst team in modern NHL history, as he went 8-36-2 in 48 games with the Caps, actually winning all the games the Caps did that season. It fared no better for Low in the 1975-76 campaign, going 6-31-2 in 43 outings for the Caps, though the 1976-77 season was better for Low, finishing up with a 16-27-5 record

The rights to Low were traded to the Detroit Red Wings for the 1977-78 season, where he would play 32 games in Detroit, finishing with a 9-12-9 record in the regular season, then 1-3 in four playoff games. Low was sent to the Central League's Kansas City Red Wings for the 1978-79 season, where he'd finish up his 63 game season with a 33-28-2 record; then 1-4 in five playoff games.

Crazily enough, Low was left unprotected and picked up during the Expansion Draft by the Quebec Nordiques for the 1979-80 season, where he'd go 5-7-2 in 15 games before being sent to the Syracuse Firebirds of the AHL, playing 15 games and finishing up with a 5-9-1 record.

Low was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in March of 1980, and would play 11 games with the Oilers and finish with an 8-2-1 record. While he spent two games with the Central League's Wichita Wind (0-2-0), Low spent most of the 1980-81 season with the Oilers, going 5-13-3 in 24 games. Low played 29 games for the Oilers in the 1981-82 season, finishing with 17-7-1 record. The 1982-83 season had Low play only three games for the Oilers (0-1-0) before being sent to the AHL's Moncton Alpines for six games, though no record is available.

Low was eventually traded to the New Jersey Devils at the end of the season, playing in 11 games with a 2-7-1 record. Low stuck with New Jersey for the 1983-84 season, but would only post an 8-25-4 record in 44 games, while the 1984-85 season yielded only 26 games with a 6-11-4 record to show for it.

Low would spend the 1985-86 season with the Nova Scotia Oilers, but he would go 1-5-0 in six games before he would retire in his playing career.

After he retired, Nova Scotia immediately made him an assistant coach, before he was promoted to the assistant in Edmonton before becoming the head coach of the now Cape Breton Oilers in 1989. He would then be promoted again to Edmonton's assistant coach, the became head coach of the Oilers in 1995, where he stayed for four seasons before moving to the Houston Aeros head coaching position. In 2000, Low was named head coach of the New York Rangers and spend two season behind the bench before being relieved of his coaching duties and put in the scouting position. Low then moved to the Ottawa Senators as a goalie coach and scout, then assistant coach before being fired. Low is the only NHL goalie to head coach two different teams, as well as winning two Stanley Cups as an assistant in Edmonton in 1987 and 1990.

Low had a scary moment in March of 2010, when he was in Calgary and got mugged after seeing former teammate Dave Hunter. He made it to his hotel after the attack and called an ambulance to get him, which also required him to get surgery on his damaged organs. He has since gotten better.

He had to overcome getting squeezed out of positions, dealing with bad expansion teams, and then trying to find magic when he did play-- but he learned enough to move over to the coaching side and have a successful run there.