WEEK#2 REVIEW

With 2 weeks gone in the NHL season, let's take a look at the Thumbs Up and Down thus far:

THUMBS UP - FABIAN BRUNNSTROM - Dallas Stars

We said it in our season preview close to a month ago. This kid is the real deal. In Brunnstrom's first NHL game on October 15, the 23 year old rookie sensation scored not one goal, not two goals, but completed a hat trick to help the Stars prevail 6-4 over Nashville. With 6 games under his belt to date, Brunnstrom has 4 goals and 1 assist for 5 points, making his presence known for Rookie of the year, as opposed to Steven Stamkos of the Lightning who has yet to record a point in 6 outings.

THUMBS DOWN - RON WILSON - Coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs

Clearly Coach Wilson is not trying to win any popularity contests in Toronto, and I don't blame him with the goonies that he has to work with, but when your team fights back from a 2-0 deficit against the Anaheim ducks to send the game into a shootout, why on earth would a coach remove Vesa Toskala, who at that point had played the entire game, for veteran Oldballs Curtis Joseph who had been on the bench freezing his ass off for the last 2 and a half hours? Wilson claims, "I had nothing to lose", but didn't he have "the game" to lose? Wilson's bright idea to shake things up backfired, and Toronto lost in the shootout. Now's not the time to be creative Ron. Get yo god damn head on straight.


THUMBS UP - THOMAS VANEK - Buffalo Sabres

One of the most exciting players in the game, this Austrian sensation has been a breath of fresh air for coach Lindy Ruff, and he is earning every bit of that huge contract he signed last Summer. Maybe being an Oilers fan, I wish the Sabres hadn't matched the massive offer from Edmonton, but Vanek fits well in Buffalo too I suppose. In his 4th year in the league, this young star has made a name for himself in Buffalo, leading the league in goals with 8 and tied for 2nd in points with 11, in only 7 games. He is currently on pace for 93 goals and 35 assists for this season. I know it may be ridiculous to suggest that he could put up Gretzky numbers for goals, but if Vanek can manage to notch half of this pace, which he his fully capable of doing, Vanek could very well flirt with a 100 point season, and launch the Sabres back on top in the Northeast division.

THUMBS UP - Hockey Canada

We could praise Hockey Canada for many things, but a few things need to be addressed and Bob Nicholson needs a pat on the back for a job well done. First and foremost, the appointment of Yzerman as Executive director of the 2010 Canadian Olympic team was the right choice. If they would have appointed Gretzky again, we would have been furious. Don't get me wrong, Gretzky is the man, but just because you are a one of a kind player, does not mean that your talents always transfer to coaching or building a team. in 2006's disappointing effort in Turin, Italy, Canada was a team of all-stars, and not necessarily a team. We were outplayed by an underdog Swiss team, and we didn't come to win. With Yzerman, we all hope that the lesson was learned, and with help from directors Kevin Lowe and Ken Holland, who are among the best Canadian GMs in the league, I have faith in the direction this team is going.

Another thumbs up is due for Hockey Canada, who have brought the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships back to the prairie provinces in the next few years. In 2010, the cities of Regina and Saskatoon have been granted the hosting privelages for this prestigious tournament, and Edmonton/Calgary will host in 2012. Along with this tournament being hosted by Ottawa this year, Canada has a special opportunity to continue its Gold Medal streak to 5 straight titles on home turf this year, and continue the tradition at home in 2 out of the following 3 years.



Well that's all for now from the PrairiePuck. Enjoy Saturday with all 30 teams in action.



THE PRAIRIEPUCK