The Hockey Stop

The concussion crisis in professional ice hockey continued today with the sobering news that Nashville Predators star forward Shea Weber is out indefinitely with a concussion.

The news regarding Weber is the latest blow to the NHL and its efforts at limiting hits to the head and promoting the sport to a wider audience. Sidney Crosby, Claude Giroux, Mike Richards, Jeff Skinner, Joni Pitkanen, Kris Letang, Chris Pronger, Zbynek Michalek, Marc Staal, Robert Bortuzzo, Jay Beagle, Milan Michalek, Brayden Schenn, Radek Martinek, Marek Zidlicky, Nathan Gerbe, Nino Niederreiter, Peter Mueller, Marc Savard, Ian Laperriere and Mike Green. These are some of the victims but the list is even longer. One of these players with concussion symptoms is unacceptable. This many is a crisis that must be dealt with.

Some analysts say the increased speed of the game following new rules implemented after the lockout are to blame for the increase. Did removing the red line cause more neutral zone crashes between opposing players? Perhaps. Others argue that the increase in concussions is a result of improved detection and treatment by the league. Would a bigger ice surface help avoid collisions? Would stronger helmets with more padding protect the players from head injuries in the event of a collision? Maybe.

There are many possible reasons behind the increase in concussions and many possible solutions. They should all be on the table and should be the number one topic of discussion in the NHL until there is a noticeable decrease in head injuries.

Otherwise, there is the very real possibility NHL players could take legal action similar to what 21 former NFL players recently did in suing the NFL over "severe and permanent brain damage they say is linked to concussions suffered on the job." According to the USA Today story, the lawsuit "accuses the NFL of deliberately omitting or concealing years of evidence linking concussions to long-term neurological problems."

Yes, football and hockey are violent sports. But that doesn't mean the leagues, players and fans should accept concussions as part of the job risks these athletes signed up for. If legal action is the only avenue players have to protect their precious noggins than more power to them.

It seems like a decade ago Tim Thomas and the Boston Bruins raised the Stanley Cup after winning Game 7 against the Canucks in Vancouver. The off-season has been tragic. The headlines have been filled with one untimely death after another. So this season comes with more anticipation than most because of the simply awful summer hockey fans had to endure.

So as I play the newly unwrapped EA Sports NHL 12 for Xbox 360 and watch the Toronto Maple Leafs play the Ottawa Senators in the second preseason game of the year on NHL Network (the Predators beat the Panthers earlier today), it feels different than past seasons. It feels great.

Tuesday night the Washington Capitals face off against Nashville in the inaugural Baltimore Hockey Classic at 1st Mariner Arena. The Caps have a lot of fans in Balmore so it is nice to see owner Ted Leonsis and the team paying respect to their fan base in Charm City with this preseason game. Plus, the Preds are a potential new Southeast Division rival next season because the former Atlanta Thrashers and now Winnipeg Jets will likely be moved to the Central Division in 2012-2013, leaving a spot open in the Southeast. And geographically and culturally Nashville makes the most sense to replace Atlanta/Winnipeg in the division, although the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings are two other teams that could switch from the Central to the Southeast.

There is so much parity in the National Hockey League that any team can beat any other team on any night. That is what makes professional ice hockey in North America so exciting.

There are also new rules in place thanks to NHL Senior Vice President of Player Safety and Hockey Operations Brendan Shanahan and NHLPA Special Advisor Mathieu Schneider. The two biggest rule changes concern Rule 48 -- illegal checks to the head and Rule 41 - boarding. Also, spring-loaded curved glass will be in place next to the team benches instead of the padded stanchions that were in place during Zdeno Chara's hit on Max Pacioretty last season. Other minor changes include testing shallower nets in preseason games and implementing a new policy on social media outlets like Twitter. Here is the video explanation of the rules changes:



Here's to a great season no matter what team you are rooting for.

Game on!

Jay Mohr did another bang-up job hosting the NHL Awards in Las Vegas tonight. The highlight of the night was his hilarious parody of HBO's "NHL 24/7 Caps-Pens."

In case you missed the opening segment here it is.



In all seriousness, here are the real winners from tonight's ceremony.

Norris (Outstanding Defenseman): Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings

Art Ross (Regular-Season Scoring Leader): Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks

Mark Messier Leadership Award: Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins

Selke (Outstanding Defensive Forward): Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks

Jack Adams (Coach of the Year): Dan Bylsma, Pittsburgh Penguins

Calder (Top Rookie): Jeff Skinner, Carolina Hurricanes

Jennings (Fewest Goals Allowed): Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider, Vancouver Canucks

General Manager: Mike Gillis, Vancouver Canucks

Rocket Richard (Most Regular-Season Goals): Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks

Ted Lindsay (MVP as Voted by Players): Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks

Masterton (Perseverance and Dedication to Hockey): Ian Laperriere, Philadelphia Flyers

King Clancy (Leadership and Humanitarian Contributions): Doug Weight, New York Islanders

Lady Byng (Skillful and Gentlemanly Play): Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning

Vezina (Top Goaltender): Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins

Hart (MVP): Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks

This is what I wrote last year after the then run-and-gun Washington Capitals became the first No. 1 seed in NHL history to blow a 3-1 series lead and lose to a No. 8 seed, the Montreal Canadiens, in the first round:

"What do I hope the high-flying Caps learn from this Game 7 loss, and last year's Game 7 loss to Pittsburgh, and the year before when they lost in Game 7 to the Flyers?

DEFENSE WINS STANLEY CUPS."

Lesson learned. On Saturday afternoon the road to redemption took a big step in the right direction as the Caps dispatched the New York Rangers in five games. It took three years of painful playoff exits and a 7-0 regular season thrashing by the very same Rangers this year to get the Caps to make the necessary changes to become a playoff team.

They changed their entire system from offense first to a tight-checking defensive style suited for the grind-it-out playoffs. They added a shutdown defenseman in Scott Hannan, a veteran Stanley Cup-winning second line center in Jason Arnott and two more battle-hardened veterans in Marco Sturm and Dennis Wideman. They also went with a young goaltender named Michal Neuvirth who has won two Calder Cup trophies with the minor league Hershey Bears and is cool as a cucumber between the pipes.

But despite all those necessary changes, the biggest question mark going into Saturday's game was whether the Caps could close out a series in five games. Well, by beating the Rangers 3-1 to end the series, the Caps not only threw that big monkey (more like a gorilla) off their backs but sent it into space.

This team found their inner killer instinct and is a dangerous team going forward. For the first time as a Caps fan, WE are the dangerous team no one wants to play. Change has come to Washington. Onward.

Other Notes:

• Congratulations to the Nashville Predators for winning their first playoff series in franchise history by beating the Anaheim Ducks 4-2.

• Could it be the curse of the President's Cup? The Vancouver Canucks are on the brink of making the wrong kind of history as the Chicago Blackhawks forced a Game 7 after trailing 3-0 to the Sedin twins and their mates. The biggest question mark going into Game 7 is between the pipes for Vancouver. Cory Schneider was injured on the tying penalty shot in Game 6 and Roberto Luongo has been very shaky in this series, including flailing around and giving up a bad rebound goal by Ben Smith in overtime last night. It should be a great game on Tuesday.

• What an exciting Round One! The Sharks came back from 4-0 down in Game 3 to shock the Kings and the Caps came back from 3-0 down at MSG in Game 4 to stun the Rangers. And all the overtimes have been great for fans. It is safe to say in these playoffs that no lead is safe and that the games will be most likely settled in the extra session.

The NHL announced today that it has renewed its television deal with NBC and Versus for another 10 years. The deal is reportedly worth $2 billion and is the first big media rights pact since Comcast acquired NBC Universal. Also, the Toronto Globe & Mail is reporting that Versus will be renamed NBC Sports Channel.

The big loser is ESPN, who reportedly stayed in the bidding process until the end. Some have argued that the NHL should have gone back to ESPN because it would guarantee more coverage. But with the power of NBC Universal and Comcast now behind Versus, the niche sports channel could grow by leaps and bounds to threaten the dominance of ESPN. There is also a desire to promote the NHL across all the NBCU/Comcast channels, which include USA Network, MSNBC, CNBC, SyFy, A&E, Bravo and E!.

Here is the full press release from NHL.com:

In a deal that brings more nationally televised hockey to American fans than ever before, the National Hockey League and the NBC Sports Group have reached agreement on a record 10-year television and media rights deal, taking the partnership through the 2020-21 season.

NBC remains the exclusive network home and Versus the exclusive cable home of the NHL in the United States. It marks the first-ever national distribution of all Stanley Cup Playoffs games, including, for the first time, exclusive coverage starting with the conference semifinals. The agreement also calls for the NBC Sports Group to televise 100 regular season games per year and introduces a national NBC broadcast on Thanksgiving Friday. The announcement was made today by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Sports Group.

In the regular season, NBC will continue to broadcast a national "Game of the Week," along with its coverage of the NHL Winter Classic and "Hockey Day in America." Versus will telecast an exclusive national "Game of the Week," plus NHL Premiere Games, NHL Faceoff, the NHL All-Star Game and any future NHL Heritage Classic outdoor games in Canada. NBC and Versus remain the exclusive home of the Stanley Cup Final.

The NBC Sports Group's commitment includes building a new studio for NHL Network at its existing facility in Stamford, Conn.

"This is the most significant U.S. media rights partnership in the League's history," said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. "NBC Universal / Comcast is one of the most important, connected and 'wired' media companies in the U.S., and as the potential of the NBC Sports Group is realized, the importance of our relationship will become more apparent to hockey fans and our business partners.

"NBC Sports and Comcast have been fantastic partners. They have provided incredible coverage of our sport and have teamed with us to deliver the best TV viewership figures in three decades. It is a credit to our players, our great game and our outstanding fans that Brian Roberts, Steve Burke, Dick Ebersol and their teams would make a commitment of this scale. We also know the best is yet to come."

The National Hockey League's second season is about to begin and while many of the match-ups are repeats of previous playoff battles, there are some intriguing stories heading into the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs that will drop the puck this Wednesday night at 7:30 on Versus with the No. 1 seed Washington Capitals versus the No. 8 seed New York Rangers.

• For the first time all three California teams made the playoffs at the same time. That means there will be more teams competing in the postseason from the Golden State then the entire country of Canada. The No. 4 seed Anaheim Ducks will take on the No. 5 seed Nashville Predators, while cross-state rivals the No. 2 seed San Jose Sharks will face off against the No. 7 seed Los Angeles Kings.

• The No. 4 seed Pittsburgh Penguins and the No. 5 seed Tampa Bay Lightning will see each other in the playoffs for the first time. In an interesting turn of events for the Pens, the biggest stars won't be on their side because of injuries to Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. Instead, they will have to hold off the Lightning's Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier.

• Caps fans are anxious to see if their team's major mid-season adjustment from a high flying, offense first style to a more defensive, playoff-style structure will pay dividends after three straight painful years of Game 7 exits, including last year's heartbreaking first-round loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Ironically, the system change was instituted after a 7-0 thrashing by the Rangers at MSG that was caught by the HBO cameras for the reality series "24/7."

• Another big question mark is whether the Presidents Trophy winners, the No. 1 seed Vancouver Canucks, can translate their regular-season success to a Stanley Cup victory. Their first big test will be the defending champion No. 8 seed Chicago Blackhawks, who needed the Dallas Stars to lose their finale in order for them to sneak into the playoffs only a year removed from hoisting the Cup.

Here is the full schedule courtesy of NHL.com.

2011 EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

SERIES A

#1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 New York Rangers

Wednesday, April 13 at Washington, 7:30 p.m. TSN, VERSUS (JIP)

Friday, April 15 at Washington, 7:30 p.m. TSN, VERSUS

Sunday, April 17 at New York, 3:00 p.m. NBC (HD), TSN

Wednesday, April 20 at New York, 7:00 p.m. TSN, VERSUS

*Saturday, April 23 at Washington, 3:00 p.m. TSN, NBC (HD)

*Monday, April 25 at New York, TBD TSN

*Wednesday, April 27 at Washington, TBD TSN

SERIES B

#2 Philadelphia Flyers vs. #7 Buffalo Sabres

Thursday, April 14 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m. TSN, VERSUS-JIP

Saturday, April 16 at Philadelphia, 5:00 p.m. TSN

Monday, April 18 at Buffalo, 7:00 p.m. TSN, VERSUS

Wednesday, April 20 at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. TSN, VERSUS

*Friday, April 22 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m. TSN, VERSUS (JIP)

*Sunday, April 24 at Buffalo, 3:00 p.m. NBC (HD), TSN

*Tuesday, April 26 at Philadelphia, TBD TSN

SERIES C

#3 Boston Bruins vs. #6 Montreal Canadiens

Thursday, April 14 at Boston, 7:00 p.m. CBC (HD), RDS, VERSUS

Saturday, April 16 at Boston, 7:00 p.m. CBC (HD), RDS, VERSUS

Monday, April 18 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m. CBC (HD), RDS

Thursday, April 21 at Montreal, 7:00 p.m. CBC (HD), RDS, VERSUS

*Saturday, April 23 at Boston, 7:00 p.m. CBC (HD), RDS, VERSUS

*Tuesday, April 26 at Montreal, TBD CBC (HD), RDS

*Wednesday, April 27 at Boston, TBD CBC (HD), RDS

SERIES D

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Tampa Bay Lightning

Wednesday, April 13 at Pittsburgh, 7:00 p.m. CBC (HD)

Friday, April 15 at Pittsburgh, 7:00 p.m. CBC (HD)

Monday, April 18 at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. CBC (HD), VERSUS (JIP)

Wednesday, April 20 at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. CBC (HD)

*Saturday, April 23 at Pittsburgh, TBD CBC (HD), VERSUS (JIP)

*Monday, April 25 at Tampa Bay, TBD CBC (HD)

*Wednesday, April 27 at Pittsburgh, TBD CBC (HD)

2011 WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

SERIES E

#1 Vancouver Canucks vs. #8 Chicago Blackhawks

Wednesday, April 13 at Vancouver, 10:00 p.m. CBC (HD), VERSUS

Friday, April 15 at Vancouver, 10:00 p.m. CBC (HD), VERSUS

Sunday, April 17 at Chicago, 8:00 p.m. CBC (HD), VERSUS

Tuesday, April 19 at Chicago, 8:00 p.m. CBC (HD), VERSUS

*Thursday, April 21 at Vancouver, 10:00 p.m. CBC (HD), VERSUS

*Sunday, April 24 at Chicago, 8:00 p.m. CBC (HD)

*Tuesday, April 26 at Vancouver, TBD CBC (HD)

SERIES F

#2 San Jose Sharks vs. #7 Los Angeles Kings

Thursday, April 14 at San Jose, 10:00 p.m. TSN, VERSUS

Saturday, April 16 at San Jose, 10:00 p.m. TSN, VERSUS

Tuesday, April 19 at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m. TSN, VERSUS

Thursday, April 21 at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m. TSN

*Saturday, April 23 at San Jose, 10:30 p.m. TSN, VERSUS

*Monday, April 25 at Los Angeles, TBD TSN

*Wednesday, April 27 at San Jose, TBD TSN

SERIES G

#3 Detroit Red Wings vs. #6 Phoenix Coyotes

Wednesday, April 13 at Detroit, 7:00 p.m. CBC (HD), VERSUS

Saturday, April 16 at Detroit, 1:00 p.m. NBC (HD), CBC (HD)

Monday, April 18 at Phoenix, 10:30 p.m. CBC (HD), VERSUS

Wednesday, April 20 at Phoenix, 10:30 p.m. CBC (HD), VERSUS

*Friday, April 22 at Detroit, 7:00 p.m. CBC (HD), VERSUS

*Sunday, April 24 at Phoenix, TBD CBC (HD)

*Wednesday, April 27 at Detroit, TBD CBC (HD)

SERIES H

#4 Anaheim Ducks vs. #5 Nashville Predators

Wednesday, April 13 at Anaheim, 10:30 p.m. TSN

Friday, April 15 at Anaheim, 10:30 p.m. TSN

Sunday, April 17 at Nashville, TBD TSN

Wednesday, April 20 at Nashville, TBD TSN

*Friday, April 22 at Anaheim, 10:00 p.m. TSN

*Sunday, April 24 at Nashville, TBD TSN

*Tuesday, April 26 at Anaheim, TBD TSN



- * denotes if necessary

- All Times are Eastern Standard Time

Forget football. Spring is the best season for sports fans. We just wrapped up the most exciting March Madness in recent memory (thanks VCU and Butler) and now we have the NHL and NBA playoffs to look forward to. Plus, MLB baseball and MLS soccer have started up.

So, while the NFL heads to court tomorrow, there are so many reminders of how blessed we are as Americans to be able to enjoy so many other professional sports that aren't currently going through a labor dispute. Here in Washington, the city is buzzing about the Capitals' chance at playoff redemption. In Baltimore they are going batty over the undefeated Orioles. In Denver they love their defending MLS champion Colorado Rapids. And in Los Angeles they are dreaming of another NBA championship for their Lakers.

The trees are blooming. The weather is warmer. The grass is greener. And we have hockey, basketball, baseball and soccer all at the same time. Sorry, football, but we are moving on.

The National Hockey League and every other professional sports league that has played second fiddle to the National Football League will benefit from a canceled season. In addition to the NHL, other leagues that will surely gain more media and fan attention will be Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association (although they have lockout concerns of their own coming up), Major League Soccer and NASCAR.

There are also many fans who will simply give up the couch on Sundays and discover other activities like going for a bike ride, visiting a museum or attending church.

I believe I've seen a preview of this already here in Washington. There are still many misguided people who cling to the Washington football franchise (I will not publish what I believe to be the racist name of the team) and will probably still be wearing Burgundy and Gold hats and jackets even if the season is lost. However, I've seen an increase in Washington football team fans at the Verizon Center cheering on the Capitals this season. Expect attendance and TV ratings to increase at hockey arenas across the country as disgruntled football fans discover other ways to spend their hard-earned money.

While all other sports will benefit from an NFL work stoppage, the NHL in particular is poised to bring in a lot of new fans. That's because hockey most closely matches the team physicality of the NFL. Those fans missing QB sacks and hard-nosed tackles will enjoy the intense body checks and fighting in hockey.

And as far as the economic factor is concerned, the money not spent at NFL stadiums and on NFL merchandise will be redistributed to other sectors of the economy.

So for all those Washington football team fans, ditch the R******s and instead Rock the Red at a Caps game!

Reports have been swirling the past couple of days that Google is in talks with the NBA and NHL about streaming live games on its popular YouTube viral video service. Even though the NHL is denying negotiations with Google about this, and the NBA is saying this would only be for their Asian market, this is still big news and it is a near certainty that at some point in the future professional sports games will be available on YouTube.

This move could be a game changer because it would pose a direct threat to lucrative cable television contracts the leagues have -- the NHL with Versus and the NBA with TNT and ESPN. With the integration of the PC and TV getting closer to reality all the time, there is a real chance showing live streaming games on YouTube could siphon viewers -- and ad revenue -- away from traditional cable channels, especially if your Internet is hooked up to a big flat screen TV and is streamed in HD quality.

Also, streaming live games on YouTube could make blackout rules in media markets irrelevant. Your home team's game might be blacked out on Versus because Comcast has exclusive rights, but then you can just surf over to the YouTube website and watch the game there instead of paying extra for Comcast. However, it is possible to black out local games on the Internet, as the NHL's online subscription package Gamecenter Live and the NBA's League Pass both do.

Regardless, this developing story is yet another example of the couch and the computer coming together. Stay tuned as the Internet revolution continues its invasion of living rooms around the world.

Friday night the NHL officially took a radically different direction with their All-Star Game format by holding a Fantasy Draft in Raleigh, North Carolina, the site of Sunday's matchup between Team Staal and Team Lidstrom.

Overall I think the league did an excellent job with the draft. But there were some awkward moments and at times it did tow the line between respectable television and reality series cheese.

So here is the good and bad.

The Good

-- Seeing the stars in street clothes without their uniforms and equipment on and not in the usual locker room setting provided a different and positive perspective of the players.

-- Having the enthusiastic Caniacs (Carolina Hurricanes fans) and other fans right up near the stage was a great idea. And the reactions were positive. There were even chants of "Ovie! Ovie!" right before the Caps star was chosen No. 3 in the draft.

-- Toronto Maple Leaf Phil Kessel's good-natured reaction to being chosen last by Team Lidstrom. This was the most nerve-racking and awkward part of the festivities and Kessel handled it like a true gentleman. Kudos to Kessel for being a good sport. And the NHL seemed to have anticipated the awkwardness and hurt feelings of being chosen last, because they donated $20,000 to charity on behalf of Kessel and handed him the keys to a brand new car. I'm sure all the other players wished they had been the last chosen after seeing what Kessel got!

-- Splitting up the Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik, was awesome to see. This of course is something that could never happen in the traditional East-West format because they both play on the Vancouver Canucks. It will be fun to see these two play against each other on Sunday.

The Bad

-- 'Canes Captain Eric Staal selecting his teammate, netminder Cam Ward, No. 1. I understand he wanted to please the hometown fans, but how can you not select Stamkos or Ovechkin first?

-- The TSN host interviewing the players on stage was just plain awkward. Next year cut the on-stage antics. The players didn't seem to like it and it came across really bad on TV. When Ovie was chosen after Stamkos the host said some ridiculous statement about Ovie's goal scoring being down this year and then asked Ovie to comment. It was really awkward.

-- Team Lidstrom and co-captain Patrick Kane picking his Blackhawks teammate Duncan Keith over Jonathan Toews. It was a real head scratcher. But what made it worse was Toews' reaction being interviewed and feigning being pissed off and then the camera showing a somewhat uneasy expression on Kane's face. Another awkward moment.

So the fantasy draft was a mixed bag. But it made for great entertainment. And that is really the point isn't it? Hopefully the game, which is being broadcast on Versus at 4 p.m. this Sunday, will be as exciting as the draft.

I just witnessed the Washington Capitals suffer perhaps their worst loss in the Alex Ovechkin era with a 7-0 thrashing by the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on a cold, rainy December night in Manhattan. The defeat extended the Caps' losing streak to six games and will inevitably lead to hand wringing by the media and soul searching from the top to bottom in the organization. As a Caps fan, I have not felt this deflated since the Game 7 loss to the Montreal Canadiens after blowing a 3-1 lead in the first round of last year's Stanley Cup playoffs.

Maybe the biggest question this organization has to answer is a structural one. When owner Ted Leonsis and General Manager George McPhee decided to blow up the team and rebuild, they drafted, picked up in free agency and traded for high-flying, offense-first players -- Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, just to name a few. And when the Caps are cruising through the regular season in the weak Southeast Division and goals are coming easy, then the offense first structure looks brilliant. But when the playoffs roll around and offense is at a premium and defense is emphasized, then the house of cards collapses and the Capitals are simply awful. That was evident the past three years in seven-game losses to the Flyers, Penguins and Canadiens. This season, McPhee acknowledged the defensive deficiency when he traded offensive-minded forward Tomas Fleischmann for stay-at-home defenseman Scott Hannan.

Even with Hannan however, the perhaps fatal flaw in the structure of the Capitals is being exposed by an improved Southeast Division. The Atlanta Thrashers and Tampa Bay Lightning are now right on the tail of the Caps in the standings and are threatening to leave the Caps in the dust if the slump continues. And the game tonight against the Rangers exposed every weakness the Caps have been criticized for -- too young, too much offense, not enough defense, not mentally strong, no heart, no killer instinct, no identity, no discipline.

So as the Winter Classic date of January 1st quickly comes up, the Caps are a team in turmoil. It is gut check time to say the least for the team that won the Presidents Trophy last year and has received so much hype and given so much hope to long-suffering Caps fans who have poured their hard-earned money and their hearts out for this team by rocking the red at the Verizon Center every game night after years of disappointment.

We will soon find out the true character of this team at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

And the team they will face is red-hot, having won 12 straight games. And their Captain Sidney Crosby has an 18-game point streak. With their most recent win at Buffalo, the Pens matched a franchise-best by winning their seventh consecutive road game. And Pittsburgh is pulling away from the pack atop the standings with a record of 21-8-2 for 44 points.

It should also be noted that Crosby and the Penguins have already proven themselves by getting to the Stanley Cup Finals three years ago and winning the Cup two years ago. On that magical Cup run they also beat the Caps in a thrilling seven-game series which ended with a 6-2 blowout at Verizon Center (see above for all the reasons why that happened).

So needless to say, as these two proud franchises clash outdoors in front of 65,000 fans and millions watching around the world, it really shouldn't be a contest. The Pens should blow out the Caps. But then again, when these two teams get together you can just throw out win streaks or losing streaks and get ready for one of the fiercest rivalries in all of sports.

NBC's Crosby-Ovechkin Winter Classic preview:

Image Credit: NHL.com

The National Hockey League is as tech-savvy as any professional sports organization in the world. This is evident in the NHL's latest promotional campaign for its popular NHL GameCenter Live Internet subscription package.

Whereas before fans could only watch the games on their home PC monitor or laptop screen, now viewers can take advantage of the increasing number of mobile devices streaming live video and the connecting devices that play streaming video from the PC on the large living room flat screen TV.

NHL GameCenter Live is now available on the PlayStation 3 video game console in HD quality by simply purchasing the app for $9.99 from the PS3 store (PlayStation Plus members can download the app for free). A PS3 console can be found for as low as $250. NHL games are also available on the Roku streaming player, which offers HD-quality games on your TV with built in Wi-Fi for access virtually anywhere the TV set is plugged in. The Roku box is less than 5 inches wide and 1 inch tall and it only costs $59.99. The Boxee is another Internet-connected device that allows you to watch thousands of TV shows, movies and live sporting events from the Internet to your television set. The Boxee retails at $199. There are no additional subscription costs to use NHL GameCenter Live on Roku or Boxee.

Lastly, soon NHL GameCenter Live will be available on iPad via an iTunes app. So from now on, no matter where you are, there really are no excuses not to watch the fastest sport in the world.

Click here for the link to sign up to watch games on one of the Internet-connected devices. The cost to see up to 40 out-of market games a week on NHL GameCenter Live is either a single charge of $169 or monthly installments of $20.99.

Hopefully the NHL will expand GameCenter Live to also include the Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Apple TV and other Internet-connected devices.

Credit: Grant Burke at http://www.grantburkeart.com

Perhaps the NHL should change its name to the Dynamic Hockey League. While Major League Baseball made the mistake of placing too much weight on its All-Star Game by having it decide home field advantage in the playoffs, NHL Vice President of Hockey and Business Development Brendan Shanahan decided this year to shun any seriousness and instead turn the game on its head by transforming Raleigh, North Carolina's RBC Center into a pond hockey pickup game on the last weekend of January, 2011.

The Western vs. Eastern Conference format has been scrapped for a player draft in which the two captains will choose their teammates. Fans will still get to vote to send their favorite players to the game via an online ballot. Click here to vote for your favorite players. The voting started on Nov. 15 and goes until Jan. 3.

But this is where it gets interesting. Two captains will be chosen by the players. It will be fascinating to see who they select. Will it be Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin? Or maybe a surprise pick such as Zdeno Chara or Jonathan Toews or Joe Thornton?

And then comes the real fun. On the Friday before the game, a fantasy draft will take place with all 54 NHL players during which the captains will select the remainder of the team. Will they load up on defense or offense or try to find a combination of both? Will they play favorites by choosing their teammates or not choose their teammates because they don't want to appear to be playing favorites? Will they choose a young team or a veteran team or a combination of youth and experience?

Already this new format is creating buzz around hockey circles. It instantly creates excitement for an event that frankly was becoming a bit stale, what with the annual Winter Classic the past few years becoming the marquee event on the NHL schedule after the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Kudos to the NHL for not being afraid of change when it makes sense. And this change, as crazy as it sounds, make a whole lot of sense.

The NHL's Southeast Division until as recently as last season was considered the weakest division in hockey. Except for the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals, the Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning, Atlanta Thrashers and Florida Panthers were awful compared to the rest of the league.

But ten games into this young season there have been noticeable improvements in every team, most notably the Lightning, who as of October 31st have the second best record in the league at 7-2-1 for 15 points -- one point behind the Los Angeles Kings.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING:



New General Manager Steve Yzerman has brought his wealth of experience and winning ways from the Detroit Red Wings to this franchise and has started to put the pieces together to rebuild the Bolts into a championship-caliber team that will challenge the Caps for Southeast supremacy.

In the offseason, Yzerman resigned Martin St. Louis; signed defensemen Pavel Kubina, Brett Clark and goaltender Dan Ellis; and brought in Simon Gagne via trade. Those acquisitions added to an already potent lineup that includes Vincent Lecavalier and reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner and goal-scoring machine Steven Stamkos. Last season Stamkos finished with 51 goals and 44 assists for 91 points.

ATLANTA THRASHERS:



The Thrashers, or Chicago South, made a bunch of big moves in the offseason. It started with the organization deciding not to renew the contract of Head Coach Jon Anderson and his coaching staff. Former General Manager Don Waddell was promoted to President of Hockey Operations, Rick Dudley former Assistant GM was promoted to General Manager.

The first move was a major nine-player trade with the Chicago Blackhawks that brought Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eager, Brent Sopel and Akim Aliu to Atlanta. Later the Thrashers also traded for Blackhawk Andrew Ladd. The next day the team named Craig Ramsay as the new head coach, along with new staff in other key positions within the organization.

The Thrashers currently sit in third place in the Southeast division with a record of 5-4-2 for 12 points.

CAROLINA HURRICANES:

After an atrocious start to last season, one in which they finished with only 35 wins, the Canes are rebuilding with a youth movement and a veteran goaltender to back them up. So far in this young season former Vezina Award winner Cam Ward has been playing brilliantly.

Carolina has a mix of proven veterans like Ward, Captain Eric Staal, Tuomo Ruttu and Erik Cole and young talent like Jeff Skinner, Brandon Sutter, and eventually, when they are called up, Jon Matsumoto and Bobby Sanguinetti.

The Canes are currently sitting at 5-5-0 with 10 points.

FLORIDA PANTHERS:



The Panthers still have a ways to go until they become an elite team in the NHL. But they are making progress. And they might just be able to avoid the distinction of being the first city with ten consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs, although they are probably too soon in their rebuild to make the postseason.

Like the Hurricanes, the Panthers at least have a rock-solid goaltender in Thomas Vokoun, who has the ability to keep them in every game. And new General Manager Dale Tallon is beginning to put his imprint upon the organization. Tallon built the Blackhawks to the current Stanley Cup championship team so the Panthers are in good hands.

Some of the players Tallon nabbed in the offseason were blueliner Dennis Wideman and forward Steve Bernier. Tallon also added Christopher Higgins, Marty Reasoner, Mike Santorelli and Mike Weaver.

The new-look Panthers are currently 4-5-0 with eight points.

A tougher Southeast Division is good for professional hockey because it makes more games competitive and means that there will be more of a fight for every playoff spot. Also, the Capitals are finding out that they won't be able to cruise through the regular season like they have in past years, and the rest of the league is starting to figure out that they can't take any Southeast Division opponent for granted.

The Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center held a summit in Rochester, Minnesota this week titled "Ice Hockey Summit: Action on Concussion." The event was bound to garner media attention given the recent crackdown by both the NFL and NHL on hits to the head after a slew of incredibly violent incidents.

The general conclusion? Helmets aren't the answer. The league must ban all hits to the head. Period.

So the bottom line in hockey and football seems to be that if they are really serious about eliminating serious brain injuries then everyone from the parents to the players to the referees to the executives to the fans must relearn what is considered a proper part of the body to make physical contact with. And just as a player would never think of whacking an opponent in the groin area, with new tough rules in place never again will we have to see a player carted off the ice or the football field on a stretcher because of a hit to the head.

Here is an excellent video report on head shots in hockey from a local Vancouver news station.