After a nice summer break, The Good Old Hockey Show is back with a vengenace!

Our good friend and excellent guest Michael Petrella,  from Red Wings based blog The Production Line,  extended me an invitation to write some Red Wings related content for TPL.

As the big Red Wings’ fan that I am, I gladly accepted the opportunity to do a little biased writing about my favorite team. My first — and hopefully not last — post at TPL is up for the reading pleasure of hockey fans everywhere.

Make sure to check it out and check out the rest of their site too. They do a great job over there!

Over the coming weeks, The Production Line will be publishing guest posts from our very favorite readers, commenters, and Tweeps — those that don’t have a Wings blog to call their own, and might appreciate a place to vent, praise, bitch, or jailsex it up. We’re proud to offer up this space to some good friends, great writers, and incredible hockey fans.

For today’s installment, we’re proud to present Jeff Hancock of The Good Old Hockey Show – a kickass program that has had me on as a guest twice. Though he has to be fairly impartial co-hosting such a show, Jeff makes no secret that he’s a Michigan boy and a Red Wings fan. And with that, his post:

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I might be in the minority here…but the kids are alright.

With the real possibility of Mike Modano (who went to the same elementary and middle school as me; we both had Miss Bowman [no relation to Scotty] for Language Arts as 6th graders. Not at the same time of course. He’s 40 and I’m 22. Different high schools though. His family moved to Livonia, but this is all beside the point)

Where was I? Oh yeah…

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For me, that moment came when the New York Rangers decided to give 19-year-old Michael Del Zotto a chance to dress for the Original Six club this past season. Seeing this fresh-faced kid skate circles around some of the league’s top players and watching him do things with the puck I can only dream of was the final nail in the coffin for me. Which in its own way is something I kind of look back on fondly.

But that’s neither here nor there. Back to the draft. We all know the big question that’s going to be on everyone’s mind when Edmonton Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini walks to the podium at the Staples Center on Friday: Taylor or Tyler?

I am of course referring to prospects Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin, the consensus top two prospects heading into the draft. Really, Tambellini can’t go wrong with either player. It’s simply a matter of determining who will have a greater impact on his team’s future.

Which, at the end of the day, is the job of the scouting and management brain trust of every NHL club.

I present to you my in-depth predictions for the top ten picks in this year’s draft, along with the rest of the first round. Bear in mind, many of these draft picks can change hands before and during the Friday extravaganza.

1) Edmonton Oilers: Taylor Hall – LW, Windsor, OHL

Back-to-back Memorial Cup MVPs will certainly get the attention of teams; Hall’s been on scouts’ radars long before then. This kid has been fast tracked for superstardom in the NHL. Drawing many comparisons to legendary sniper Alexander Mogilny, Hall is going to be a boon for an Oilers team that is starved for on ice success.

2) Boston Bruins (From TOR): Tyler Seguin – C, Plymouth, OHL

The one thing Seguin does have over Hall is his performance during the draft combine – Hall elected to not partake in the fitness portion of the combine after a grueling season. Seguin, meanwhile, blew most people away. Arguably the best playmaker in the draft, Seguin can also put the puck in the net; his 48 goals were more than Hall put up.

3) Florida Panthers: Erik Gudbranson – D, Kingston, OHL

Panthers GM Dale Tallon has a chance to restore the almost extinct Panthers the same way he helped rebuild the once dismal Blackhawks into Cup champs. He may not have been in the organization when the Hawks clinched Lord Stanley earlier this month, but his fingerprints were all over that team. Selecting Gubrandson, a rock-solid defender in the mold of Norris winner Duncan Keith will be a key stepping stone for Florida.

4) Columbus Blue Jackets: Cam Fowler – D, Windsor, OHL

Scott Howson’s going to have his hands full. A year after making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, the Blue Jackets suffered an incredible collapse. Fowler will be an offensive specialist from the point for many years to come. He could easily go to Florida, but there are many who feel that he needs to work on his play away from the puck.

5) New York Islanders: Brett Connolly – RW, Prince George, WHL

There are many unanswered questions about Connolly, and rightfully so: when you’re limited to 16 games during your draft year, you’re going to get a lot of questions. That being said, Connolly is a gifted goal scorer who will fit in just fine alongside the Islanders’ John Tavares and Kyle Okposo.

6) Tampa Bay Lightning: Ryan Johansen – C, Portland, WHL

Often recognized as a poor man’s Eric Staal, Johansen will eventually fit in as the no. 2 center behind Steven Stamkos on the Lightning depth chart. A tall and lanky center at 6-3 and 194 lbs., Johansen will be given plenty of time to fill out his frame.

7) Carolina Hurricanes: Derek Forbort – D, U.S. NTDP, USHL

Raw is a perfect adjective used to describe Forbort, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. He’s got all the tools to develop into a solid two-way defender, and scouts observe that he has tremendous upside.

8 ) Atlanta Thrashers: Jeffrey Skinner – C, Kitchener, OHL

Skinner may not have the skating ability of Taylor Hall, but he’s certainly got the goal-scoring pedigree (50 goals this year). A bit on the slight side, Skinner will have to bulk up, but he should have no problem as he returns to the Rangers for at least one more season.

9) Minnesota Wild: Mikael Granlund – LW, HIFK, Fin.

The comparisons to Saku Koivu will continue to dog Granlund for some time as he develops: a supremely gifted center with a drive to succeed; he will also be criticized for being undersized, as Koivu is.

10) New York Rangers: Nino Niederreiter – LW, Portland, WHL

The Swiss sniper dazzled at the World Juniors and showed that he has an offensive flair to him that includes timely and clutch goals – something that the Rangers need. A future power forward, Neiderreiter has shown he has the drive by deciding to ignore the big money offers in his homeland to play and accelerate his game in the ‘Dub.

11) Dallas Stars: Brandon Gormely – D, Moncton, QMJHL
12) Anaheim Ducks: Jack Campbell – G, U.S. NTDP, USHL
13) Phoenix Coyotes (from CGY): Calvin Pickard – G, Seattle, WHL
14) St. Louis Blues: Brock Nelson – C, Warroad, USHS
15) Florida Panthers (from BOS): Alex Burmistrov – C, Barrie, OHL
16) Ottawa Senators: Austin Watson – RW, Peterborough, OHL
17) Colorado Avalanche: Evgeni Kuznetsov – LW, Chelyabinsk Traktor, KHL
18) Nashville Predators: Calle Jarnkrok – C, Brynas, Swe.
19) Los Angeles Kings: Emerson Etem – C, Medicine Hat, WHL
20) Pittsburgh Penguins: Nick Bjugstad – C, Blaine, USHS
21) Detroit Red Wings: Jarred Tinordi – D, U.S. NDTP, USHL
22) Phoenix Coyotes: John McFarland – C, Sudbury, OHL
23) Buffalo Sabres: Charlie Coyle – RW, South Shore, EJHL
24) Chicago Blackhawks (from NJ): Riley Sheahan – C, Notre Dame, CCHA
25) Vancouver Canucks: Mark Pysyk – D, Edmonton, WHL
26) Washington Capitals: Vladimir Tarasenko – RW, Novosibirsk, KHL
27) Montréal Canadiens: Quentin Howden – LW, Moose Jaw, WHL
28) San Jose Sharks: Alex Petrovic – D, Red Deer, WHL
29) Anaheim Ducks (from PHI): Jon Merril – D, U.S. NDTP, USHL
30) Chicago Blackhawks: Ryan Spooner – C, Peterborough, OHL

Our interview with Michael Petrella from The Production Line is now up.   Petrella joined us to talk a little Red Wings offseason action. Click here to download the segment or listen online.

We’ll be talking about the Flyers’ historic comeback (or the Bruins’ historic choke…depends how you want to look at it) and Montreal’s improbable run (I picked the Canadiens in 7). We’ll preview the conference finals — San Jose vs. Chicago and Philadelphia vs. Montreal — and give our predictions. Plus, has the Eastern Conference officially reach joke status?

At 2pm we will be joined by Michael Petrella from The Production Line officially lay the Red Wings “transition season”…”season from hell”…”injury plagued season”…whatever you want to call it…we’ll lay it to rest.

Call us at 617.824.8100 or email us at HockeyShowETIN@gmail.com with your questions and comments for us or Petrella.

So tune in and join us live from 1-3pm on Emerson’s Talk and Information Network.

Let’s go back to the start: March 7, 2010 — The Boston Bruins, playing on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins, lose their first line center Marc Savard after a questionable hit from Penguins grinder Matt Cooke.

Savard had just taken a shot from above the circles when Cooke raised his shoulder and struck Savard in the head. Savard was on the ice for several minutes, being attended to by a Penguins team doctor, before being carried off. He would be diagnosed with a Grade 2 concussion.

The Bruins were livid.

“A guy like that has to be suspended,” Bruins head coach Claude Julien said. “That’s the way I see it because it’s an elbow to the head from the blind side, and that’s exactly the example they show, what we’ve got to get out of this game.”

No suspension came, and for a while, Boston was up in arms.

Flash-forward to Saturday, May 1 — Savard, after weeks of rehabilitation, finally makes his triumphant return to the ice, scoring the game-winner in the Bruins’ 5-4 overtime thriller against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Sounds like a storybook ending. But the sad truth is that this is more of the exception, rather than the rule. Far too often the NHL has seen some of its premier talents have their careers ended abruptly due to concussion problems. Players such as Pat LaFontaine, Eric Lindros and Keith Primeau all saw their time in hockey cut short because of concussions in what would have otherwise been long and productive careers.

The reality is that concussions will more than likely always be part of the game. But what’s curious is that there had been an overwhelming spike of blind-side hits and concussions this season; so much so that it finally prompted the NHL to enact a new rule prohibiting “a lateral, back-pressure or blind-side hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principal point of contact.”

In addition to Cooke’s hit on Savard, this season, the following hits had left players with concussions or other injuries and left others clamoring for rule changes:

• Oct. 21, 2009: Vancouver Canucks’ Willie Mitchell steps out of the penalty box and sees Chicago captain Jonathan Toews skating up ice, looking the other way to accept a pass. Just as the puck arrives, so does Mitchell, and he catches Toews from his blind side, shoulder to shoulder. Toews misses just over two weeks with a concussion.

• Oct. 24, 2009: Florida’s David Booth misses 45 games after Flyers captain Mike Richards catches Booth high with his shoulder. Booth is taken off the ice on a stretcher. This was arguably the most devastating hit of the season.

• Mar. 17, 2010: Blackhawks’ defenseman Brent Seabrook is rammed into the boards by Anaheim defender James Wisniewski. Seabrook hovers for a bit, before collapsing to the ice. This seems to have been the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back and snapped the NHL governors out of their slumber.

The hits were plays that were legal at the time, but will no longer be tolerated under the league’s new policy.

Just what exactly was the cause for the up-tick in these devastating blind-side hits? What could have possibly changed? The rink hasn’t changed in size, but what has changed over the years is the size and speed of the players on the rink, as well as the equipment. Some pieces of hockey equipment are reinforced with materials you typically find on members of a SWAT team.

NHL Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell has even said that he wouldn’t even be able to fit today’s shoulder pads into the equipment bags from his playing days.

“The equipment has gotten much larger and we’re to the point now where it’s like goalie equipment; when does it protect and when does it injure, or with goalie equipment when does it protect and when does it increase stopping?” Campbell said. “Those are some of the issues with the head hits, but the other issue is when you play 1,400 games a year with playoffs and exhibition combined with a season you’re going to have a couple of these things with the size of our players and the speed of the game now. You try to make the game safe, but you can’t totally get rid of hitting.”

Part of the reason the number of blind-side hits may have escalated lately is an unintended side-effect of the league’s desire to open up the game following the lockout in 2005. With the neutral zone no longer a black hole of clutching, grabbing and hooking, players now have the freedom to create offense and generate speed. But instead of defending players keeping pace with the north-south game, they are simply resorting to coming in from the side, usually ending with brutal results.

It’s simply a matter of physics. When two bodies collide, they don’t bounce off each other; the kinetic energy is transferred to bones, tissues and organs, and the player with the least stored energy often will receive the brunt of the damage from the hit.

A concussion occurs when the brain makes contact with the side of the skull. Regardless of how much padding a player has, if there’s enough force present, the brain is going to get rattled. Perhaps the most terrifying thing about a concussion is that there is no streamlined way of dealing with it because everybody recovers differently.

This is no longer a matter of coaches telling players to keep their heads up. There were moments during Savard’s recovery when reporters were seriously asking Savard if he was considering retirement as an option. I don’t doubt for a second that it didn’t cross his mind at least once. Not all hockey players have received post-secondary education, but most of them are smart enough to know that there comes a time when hanging up the skates in favor of being wheeled around for the rest of their life is a much better career choice.

On the other side of the coin, there is an understanding that there is an element of physicality associated with the NHL, and to remove that would be borderline sacrilege. The ability to make a clean, open-ice hit is a highly sought-after commodity on the open market. It’s why Anton Volchenkov, a player who this year set a career-high four goals is expected to command top dollar if he chooses to pursue unrestricted free agency this summer.

Players and owners alike both need to realize that the purpose of bodychecking is done with the purpose of separating the puck from the puck-carrier, not to injure. If a day comes when that role changes, then the NHL will have committed a serious error.

Since the rule changes went into effect, there have been 135 regular season games played under the new system, plus the ongoing playoffs. It will be interesting to see how the NHL uses these games as a litmus test going forward into next year. Under the new rules Campbell has the power to suspend players for blind-side hits. One playoff game is typically worth four or five in the regular season when it comes to suspensions. Many are anxiously waiting to see how Campbell will react to the first blind-side head shot incident.

People seem to forget that the NHL is an entertainment industry. But that entertainment should not come at the expense of its employees’ well-being. After all, at the end of the day, it’s just a game.

Jesse Liebman

The opportunity for the rivalry between these two Western Conference juggernauts to grow is tantalizing. Chicago’s head coach Joel Quenneville’s decision to shift hulking behemoth Dustin Byfuglien back to forward should get under the skin of a number of Canucks, including goalie and captain Robertlo Luongo. If Louie loses his cool, expect to see him get yanked. I suggested before the playoffs started that Pat Kane and Jonathan Toews might have to take a step backwards before they can truly reach greatness, and they’ve done nothing but prove me wrong.

Chicago in 6

Jeff Hancock

This one is simple to me: Sedin + Sedin + Samuelsson vs. Niemi (or Huet) = Canucks win.

Vancouver in 6

Brandon Fox

Score at will!  At least that’s what the Canucks are saying.  Led by the Sedin twins and Mikael Samuelsson, the Canucks skated past the Kings because of balanced goal scoring.  The Chicago Blackhawks rallied past the Nashville Predators and their goaltending was less than spectacular.  The Blackhawks could have a tough time with the Canucks, especially if Roberto Luongo stays hot.  Prepare to see a lot of goals in this series.  Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are going to have to carry the load for the Blackhawks against the speedy Canucks.

Vancouver in 6

Jesse Liebman

Brian Boucher may have had some success against the lowly offense of New Jersey, but with the anticipated return of Marc Savard to the Bruins’ lineup, Boston now has a key cog to drive their offense. Tuukka Rask has been just as good as Boucher. Still, this should be a good mixture of punch and panache between both teams.

Boston in 7

Jeff Hancock

Crazy that the 6th seed in the East has home ice advantage. This series is dependent on whether Brian Boucher can keep up his great play from round one and if the Bruins can continue to find ways to get timely scoring. End of the day, I think the Flyers will beat up the B’s a little too much. Longer the series goes, the more it favors the Flyers.

Philadelphia in 7

Brandon Fox

The Bruins, minus their undisciplined play in game five, seemed at ease against the Buffalo Sabres. Tuukka Rask was brilliant in goal and the Bruins offense was solid, especially considering they had the worst offense in the regular season. Add Marc Savard and the team could find its offensive chemistry and get the extra goals that it will need to get by the Flyers. The Flyers will bring a physical presence to the game that the Bruins could easily match. Brian Boucher was terrific in goal for the Broad Street Bullies in their five game victory over the Devils. The Flyers will be missing Jeff Carter, Ian Lappariere and Simon Gagne are all out-huge holes for the Flyers to fill. Originally I thought the Flyers looked better going into this series, but looking closer, it’s the Bruins that should advance.

Boston in 7

Jesse Liebman

This is going to be a big matchup between the defending champions and a ragtag group playing for hockey’s most storied franchise. I expect a bigger role from Jordan Staal in this series. Sidney Crosby can take care of the rest. Jaroslav Halak proved he’s no slouch, but the Habs simply won’t be able to match Pittsburgh’s firepower.

Pittsburgh in 5

Jeff Hancock

Many people are calling for the Pens to dominate this one. Well…many people were calling for the Caps to do the same. I was impressed as hell by Jaroslav Halak. He was out of his mind in games 6 and 7. He has some amazing confidence right now and he is going to continue to roll with that confidence in the second round.

Montreal was able to shut down the best offensive team in the NHL season. They can do it again against the defending Stanley Cup champions. Much like Dwayne Roloson in 2006 with the Oilers or Jean-Sabastian Giguiere in 2003 with the Ducks, a hot goalie can take a team all the way to the finals…and we will see it again this year. The 8th seeded Montreal Canadiens will upset the #4 Pittsburgh Penguins and move on to the Eastern Conference finals.

Montreal in 7

Brandon Fox

The Canadiens, the 8th seed, came back against the best team in hockey, the Washington Capitals, from 2 games down to win in seven games. Jaroslav Halak was absolutely brilliant for the Canadiens, who got help from key players at key times. Their defense was almost impeccable. The Caps were only 1 for 33 on the power play. On the other side, the Penguins got past the Ottawa Senators in six games. What more could I say about the Penguins. They have the scoring power, good defense, and an equally good goalie in Marc-Andre Fleury. The Penguins should win…but you never know.

Pittsburgh in 6

Jesse Liebman

For a brief moment in each team’s quarterfinal matchups, there were moments where it seemed neither team had enough gas to make it into the second round. Yet they got over their initial stumbling and ultimately ended up taking control.

This series is going to be all about control — who can control the tempo of play, who can control the puck on special teams and which goalie will contol the net.

San Jose in 7

Jeff Hancock

This match-up is huge for the Sharks. The Red Wings represent everything that San Jose is not and wishes it was. The Sharks have been a dominant force in the Western Conference for the past decade, but really don’t have anything but a few Presidents’ Trophies to show for it.  That’s not going to cut it. NHL success for the top teams is defined by Stanley Cups and deep playoff runs. The Sharks have neither.

Both Detroit and San Jose struggled at times in their opening match-up. The Sharks ultimately took control of their series against the Avs and won…like they should have. Detroit had trouble with Phoenix. I don’t like the idea that the Red Wings should have steam rolled them. The Coyotes had the fourth most points of any team in the league this season. They’re a damn good team and they showed it. You don’t get 107 points by accident. Props to Phoenix for pushing it seven games, but bigger props to Detroit for winning some big road games.

The Wings’ domination in game seven and the Sharks’ reputation of choking have a lot of people picking Detroit. I’m picking Detroit too, but not because the Sharks’ will choke, but because the Wings are the better team when healthy. This is going to be a very long, close, tough series for both teams. Evgeni Nabokov struggles against Detroit and Jimmy Howard is still a rookie. Bottom line, specialty teams will determine this series. The Wings’ power play and penalty kill were all systems go in game seven in Phoenix. I expect that trend to continue.

Detroit in 7

Brandon Fox

The Red Wings were in usual form in their first-round series against the Phoenix Coyotes. They dominated game seven, winning 6-1. The Sharks struggled in the first few games in their quarterfinal matchup with the Avalanche before their offense stepped up and got them through in six games. Both teams have a lot of fire power and strong defenses. This series should feature a lot of close games. This series may very well come down to goaltending. In that case, I’m going with Jimmy Howard. Evgeni Nabokov has been shakey in goal. If the Red Wings make him uncomfortable, they should have smooth sailing into the Western final.

Detroit in 6

Hancock answered the viewers question in this week’s mailbag segment.

Special thanks to Joel from Milford, MI, Andy from Oslo, Norway (and from Fight Night at the Joe) , and Greg from Guelph, Ontario, Canada.