Standings Prediction for 2014-2015

Here are my predictions on how the teams will finish in the standings for the 2014-2015 season:

Eastern Conference:
1. Boston Bruins
2. Pittsburgh Penguins
3. Tampa Bay Lightning
4. Montreal Canadiens
5. New York Rangers
6. New Jersey Devils
7. Washington Capitals
8. Columbus Blue Jackets
9. Philadelphia Flyers
10. Detroit Red Wings
11. New York Islanders
12. Toronto Maple Leafs
13. Ottawa Senators
14. Florida Panthers
15. Buffalo Sabres
16. Carolina Hurricanes

With more consistent goaltending, look for the New Jersey Devils to reenter the post-season for the first time since they lost in the Finals to the Kings in 2012. Also, the Capitals will make the playoffs after missing last year under the guidance of new coach Barry Trotz. With inconsistent goaltending and terrible defense, the Flyers will barely miss the post-season and the Detroit Red Wings will simply be too old to sustain their playoff streak.

Western Conference:
1. LA Kings
2. St. Louis Blues
3. Chicago Blackhawks
4. Anaheim Ducks
5. Dallas Stars
6. Minnesota Wild
7. Colorado Avalanche
8. Vancouver Canucks
9. San Jose Sharks
10. Edmonton Oilers
11. Arizona Coyotes
12. Nashville Predators
13. Winnipeg Jets
14. Calgary Flames

The Canucks will barely edge out the Sharks for the last playoff spot in the West. The Sharks terrible handling of Joe Thornton and the captaincy will cost them a playoff spot.

Retaliation Is Dumb

This past weekend, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Arizona Diamondbacks engaged in a four-game series. In the second game of the series, Pirates relief pitcher accidentally hit Diamondbacks star and best player Paul Goldschmidt. The D-Bags D-Backs were not happy and decided the next night to hit Pirates star and MVP candidate Andrew McCutchen with a 95mph pitch in the back right near the spine. This was an incredibly gutless and cowardly act. Why not bean McCutchen in the first inning when he was expecting it? Why wait until the ninth inning when losing by five to hit him? To make matters worse, the D-Backs pitcher missed with the first pitch and then threw a slider down and away to get McCutchen to relax. It now seems that McCutchen will be out at least a month as he heads to the 15 day DL.

What purpose was served by this beaning? It doesn't bring Goldschmidt back to the team and only heightens the bad blood between the teams. It's juvenile is what it is. It's the same in hockey. Fighting is a terrible aspect of the sport. For example, in 2011, the New York Islanders decided to get revenge on the Penguins for this fight between back-up goaltender Brent Johnson and Islanders first overall bust Rick DiPietro. The Islanders are a dumpster fire of a team, and this only served to prove their middle school mentality.

What good do these fights and retaliations serve when showing the children that watch the games how to deal with problems. It shows them that violence is the only solution.  Hopefully the MLB will step up and appropriately suspend the pitcher and Kirk Gibson for the actions against the Pirates. Until then, it will be difficult to take the MLB seriously.

Tomahawks Clinch Playoff Spot

Wow, didn't realize I hadn't updated in awhile.

Last night the Johnstown Tomahawks clinched their second straight playoff appearance when the Springfield Jr. Blues lost to the Soo Eagles. Hopefully their playoff campaign goes better than last year's when they choked away the lead at the end of the third and lost in OT.

LET'S GO HAWKS

NAHL Plays of the Week

Here's a video of the Top NAHL Plays for the past week. Johnstown's Joe Drabin is the second goal in the video. It was also the game winning goal against the Wenatchee Wild.

Here's the video

Worst Goal Songs

Over the past week I gave you what, in my opinion, were the best and worst goal horns in the NHL. This post will showcase what I believe to be the worst goal songs in the league.

5. Crowd Chant-Joe Satriani
Teams that use it: Minnesota Wild and the New York Islanders

ohhhhhhhOHHHHHohohohoh...yeah, that's the song. I like to call this "the Minor League hockey song" because everytime I go to a minor league game, this is always the goal song, no matter what teams are playing. So not only is it uncreative, it's also extremely overused.

4. The Whip-Locksley

Teams that use it: Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Dallas Stars

Another "chant song" as I like to call them. Not much to say about this one, it's just another generic song that encourages the crowd to chant along. 

3. Hey Hey Hockeytown

Team that uses it: Detroit Red Wings

One word: why? Nothing screams entitlement like having a goal song written especially for you. Speaking of which...

2. New York Rangers Song

Teams that use it: the New York Rangers

Another song written specifically for a team, and yes it's another chant song. The goal horn is tied into the same recording as the song as well. It's a very annoying song, but not as bad as...

1. Don't Stop the Party-Pitbull

Teams that use it: Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers

Pitbull is absolutely terrible, and it's no surprise that a song of his is the worst song in the league. Fitting that two of the worst teams in the league use a terrible song. 

Honorable mentions: Le But and Turbulence

Worst NHL Goal Horns

Last week I gave you the top five horns in the NHL, so here are the worst horns in the NHL, in my opinion.

Worst 5 NHL Goal Horns

5. Montreal Canadiens

The horn is an Airchime KH3 in which only the two highest pitched bells go off while the lower one is fouled. I am not a fan of most of the higher pitched horns in the league, and this is no exception. It is high enough that it is hard to hear at times. It is a horn that is as annoying as the Montreal fans themselves. 

4. Anaheim Ducks

The horn itself is a Ibuki 200 diaphone fog horn. It is easily the lowest horn in the league. Similar to the Montreal horn, this horn is very hard to hear due to its pitch. It is also accompanied by a police siren that gets annoying very quickly. 

3. New York Rangers

The horn is a recording of an unknown horn. Before the 1990's, it was a real horn, but the creation of the Godawful goal song led to the recording of the horn being used, as the horn is in the same recording of the song itself. Another horn that incorporates an annoying siren as well. This all leads to a horn that is as bad as Sean Avery. 

2. Carolina Hurricanes

The horn is similar to a Kahlenberg Model Q-4 Horn. It is the same horn the Whalers used before moving. Easily one of the most disgusting sounding horns in the league. There are a ton of sounds that also accompany the horn during the game, easily making this horn annoying very quickly. 

1. Washington Capitals

The horn is a Kahlenberg F-3. By this time, you know that I hate sirens mixed in with the actual horns. This one takes the cake in obnoxiousness. The siren is left over from the Caps' days at the US Air Arena. Ted Leonsis introduced the horn when he bought the team. It is an obnoxious sound that perfectly demonstrates the Capitals' tendency to over celebrate things. Easily the worst horn in the league. 

The Best NHL Goal Horns

You hear them every time the home team scores. They sound the crowd into a frenzy. They are the goal horns of the NHL. Each team has one that is sounded whenever the team scores or wins the game. The Chicago Blackhawks were the first team to utilize a goal horn, starting in the 70's.

Top 5 NHL Goal Horns

5. Los Angeles Kings

This horn is an Airchime K3, Canadian Voiced set of bells. It is reminiscent of a train horn. I'm not a huge fan of the higher pitched horns, but this is pretty well. When the Kings score, it sounds like an out-of-control train that won't be stopping anytime soon.

4. Chicago Blackhawks

The horn is a Kahlenberg Q3. Perhaps one of the more obnoxious horns, but I like it, primarily because it fits in with the atmosphere at the United Center so perfectly. It is loud, just like the Blackhawks faithful. Combined with Chelsea Dagger (the goal song) it gets into the opponents head, and is known to aggravate some players.

3. New York Islanders

The horn is a Kahlenberg T2. It is a very loud, simple horn. It gets the jobs done. It is unknown if the horn will travel with the team to the Barclays Center, or if they'll change when they move. Here's to hoping it travels with them. 

2. Dallas Stars

The horn is a Kahlenberg KDT-123. This is horn is very nice sounding. It mixes very nice harmonically. The Stars also sound the horn for as many goals as the team has scored for the game, which is a technique that I love. 

1. Pittsburgh Penguins

The horn is an Airchime KMJ. It is the musically prettiest horn in the league, which is primarily why it is number one. It followed the Penguins from the Igloo to CEC. It is fitting that the best player in the world gets the best horn in the league. 

The top 5 worst horns in the league will be coming at sometime in the near future.