After reading Zack’s entirely petty rankings from last week, I was struck by the words of the great late 20th-century philosopher Rocky Balboa. Because if I can change, and you can change, everybody can change. I’m not going to retaliate against Zack’s absurd list of best team names in the Central Division in hopes that we can end this Cold War between basic pettiness and outright disdain. I am going to be the bigger man, I tell you!!
Read MoreA good name can do you wonders. If your name is, let's say, Mason Masters, people assume you're ruggedly handsome and very talented. On the other hand, a name can give people pretty lackluster expectations. If you're named Bruce Bourdreau, for example, people assume you're going to flame out of the playoffs every April. So having a good name as a franchise is important. It not only sets a tone but can influence the future of your team for years to come. The Central has some great ones, but it also has some real stinkers. So here's Mason Masters' ruggedly handsome list of best team names in the Central Division.
Read MoreAhhh... it's finally here. You were good all year and now Hockey Claus has brought you the Stanley Cup Playoffs! Only problem is, for fans of 15 NHL teams out there, they didn't get a team this playoffmas. Luckily your old pal Zack is here to help you with some reasons to root for and root against all 16 of this years playoff teams!
Read MoreWe only have a handful of games left in the season and for those of you who root for teams who don’t hail from Dallas & Chicago, congratulations! You’re still playing meaningful hockey. The Central is stacked and five teams are currently angling to make it through the last week of play unscathed. For the teams that do make it through, they’ll not only receive a shiny new patch on their chest but renewed hopes of Stanley Cup glory. Each team has a path that can get them to the promised land. Each team has demons within that can spell disaster for their season. Let's take a look at what has to go right, and what can go very, very wrong for these contenders if they make it to the season's after-party.
Read MoreWe are three months into the NHL's 100th season so far, every team, except for Minnesota, has led the Central Division for at least a night. Even Colorado, who is objectively awful, continue to have moments of inspired play. This wide-open division might be the cream of the crop in the NHL, & justly has millions of eyes on its teams week in & week out. Obviously, one pair of those eyes belong to Santa himself. The jolly bringer of gifts from the frozen north is an avid hockey fan & he has been tweaking his naughty & nice list since the offseason. So here it is folks, a Central Divided exclusive from St. Nick himself, directly from the North Pole:
Read More