The NHL All-Star Game shouldn't be played in places like Columbus

The NHL All-Star Game isn't exciting to watch. Almost no checking, absolutely no defense, and puck battles that are more polite than ferocious. The game mood is more like afternoon tea, than the hot wings and beer feeling you normally get from a hard fought hockey game. It might be the worst all-star game of the 4 major sports. I'm sure the goalies would agree with me there.

While the game itself is of little entertainment value, the game's presence in a city can be like a religious revival. The Church of Hockey comes to town, bringing with it the game's most enthralling and invigorating preachers. And the fans in the host city get to bask in the game they love.

The problem is, too often the host city doesn't love the game. So they're not interested in basking. Like this year in Columbus. Or 2016's game in Nashville. In fact, 6 of 9 NHL All-Star Games will have been played in markets that aren't very interested in hockey: Nashville, Columbus, Carolina in 2011, Atlanta in 2008, Dallas in 2007, Florida in 2003.

Why does the NHL choose to go to these cities where hockey is a sideshow, instead of bringing the All-Star Game to markets that care about the game, where hockey is a main event?

Look at the last time Original Six teams hosted the All-Star Game: Montreal in 2009, Toronto in 2000, Boston in 1996, New York in 1994. Yes, it's been over 20 years since America's biggest city has hosted the All-Star Game. Chicago last hosted in 1991.

And when did Detroit - a.k.a. Hockeytown, USA - last host the game? Do you believe in miracles? Yes! It was 1980! It's been 35 years since Detroit hosted the NHL All-Star Game. Jaromir Jagr was 7. Gordie Howe had an assist! So did Phil Esposito. It was Wayne Gretzky's first All-Star appearance.

And outside the Original Six, Philly hasn't hosted since 1992, Pittsburgh since 1990, Edmonton since '89, Calgary in '85, Buffalo in '78. Places where people like to watch hockey, where people like to play hockey, where the All-Stars actually come from, don't get to host All-Star Games. But Columbus, and Nashville, and Raleigh do.

I get that the NHL wants to grow in these markets. But where they see the potential for growth, I see markets indifferent to the game. The NHL trying to grow hockey in these cities is like trying to grow corn in Alaska instead of Iowa. You make money by focusing on growing your strongest brands in your most fruitful markets. You take the All-Star Game to New York, to Chicago, to Toronto, to Calgary. You energize the cities that love the game.

There are about 20 markets where people truly enjoy hockey. The All-Star Game should go to these markets. The preachers of the game should focus on energizing the faithful in Detroit and Calgary, not on trying to convert the heathen non-believers in Nashville and Columbus.

Bruins Sign Iginla, Salary Cap Threatens NHL Success

The Bruins finally got Jarome Iginla. They had been pursuing Daniel Alfredsson, but the Red Wings secured the Swede for a 1-year $5.5 million bounty. So just like Jaromir Jagr was the silver medal when Peter Chiarelli failed to get Iginla at the deadline, Iginla is now the silver medal after pursuing Alfredsson.

Iginla will have a base salary of $1.8 million, with up to $4.2 million more incentives. It's a 1-year deal. Similar to Alfredsson, Iginla is a veteran that is looking for a Cup.

The guy has scored 30+ goals for 11 straight seasons. And with the departure of Horton and Seguin, the Bruins desperately need wingers. Wingers who can score.

The Bruins have 6 legitimate top-6 forwards. Krejci and Bergeron are excellent centers, you hang on to Lucic and Marchand, you add Eriksson and Iginla. It isn't a bad top-6 at all.

There's been a lot of movement in the NHL, thanks to the salary cap. Which means that while this off-season has been more interesting, it also means that fans must re-learn their teams rosters once the regular season starts. It also means that successful big market teams like Boston and Chicago can't retain the talent that they've developed. And that's bad for the NHL. The TV ratings were great for the 2013 Finals because two big markets that cared about hockey were involved.

Seguin and Horton were both popular players in Boston. Local stars. People bought their t-shirts, both from the Pro Shop and from street vendors.

Who in Dallas will care about whether Tyler Seguin scores or not? Who in Columbus will care about how physical Nathan Horton is playing?

Location, location, location. Seguin and Horton were stars in Boston. But because of the cap they need to be shipped elsewhere, where teams do poorly and nobody cares about hockey.

The salary cap is intended to prevent big market teams from overspending and pricing out medium/small market teams, making it difficult for the big teams to buy success. But in the NHL there are a handful of micro markets, like Phoenix and Miami, that lower the cap number for everyone, and also absorb talented NHL players that would draw a crowd (and TV ratings) in hockey-interested markets.

The NHL's biggest strength since the '04-'05 lockout has been the success of teams in big markets and in hockey-interested markets. LA, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Toronto, New York. However, the NHL has developed a system that focuses on putting dying franchises on life support, in markets that cannot support them, at the expense of teams that succeed.

It's like having a popular, successful restaurant in downtown Boston, then not allowing them to pay their best cooks and servers, and sending those quality employees to some crappy diner nobody goes to in north Texas or central Ohio.

B's Get W From CBJ's

It wasn't a boring game, that's for sure. Physical. Fast. The winning team pulled its goalie. Joe Corvo scored 2 goals (2 more than he's scored in his last 31 games). Lucic was maybe the Bruins' worst player in the 1st, then their best in the 2nd. Fights. Breakaway goals. It was just a weird, wild game.

The Bruins came out on top though, in the latest example of how difficult it is to keep them pinned once they've been knocked down. Columbus was up 2-0, and the Bruins scored twice within a 45 second span to tie it. It was the 10th time this season that the B's have scored multiple goals within a minute.

Thomas got pulled for the 3rd period. He wasn't awful in the first 2, but he did seem disheviled. His movements were more frantic than usual. The breakaway goal he allowed to Umberger was very soft. His first soft goal of the season. Rask came in and was excellent. He stopped all 11 shots he faced.

Joe Corvo finally scored. His offensive contributions have been few and far between this year. And while his defense hasn't been bad, he was brought here to contribute on offense too. He's finally on the board with 2 goals.

Chara also scored. Then he hurt his leg. Word is that he'll miss three games. He's only missed 12 in the 5+ seasons he's been a Bruin. I'm very glad it doesn't seem very serious because he's the team's most valuable skater (6 goals, 13 assists, +18 against the opponents' top lines).

Bruins host the LA Kings Tuesday night.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

#7 For Bruins

This was a potential trap game. The Bruins had just won a hard fought battle with the Devils. They knew they'd be facing a weaker opponent. Columbus, on the other hand, would be desperate and hungry.

And that's how things went in the game too. The Bruins didn't make many glaring mistakes, but they weren't playing with the same ferocity and intensity as they did against New Jersey. Understandably so. But as the 3rd period clock ticked away, the Bruins' effort level surged. They applied all the pressure in the 3rd and OT.

Tuukka Rask played great. He made some huge stops and kept the B's in the game when they weren't playing at their absolute best. He was brilliant in the shootout. The one goal he allowed was a point-blank downward deflection that was almost impossible to stop.

He didn't score a goal, not even in the shootout, but Tyler Seguin's confidence levels are unreal. He ran the overtime Power Play. He's a completely different player from last season. I've said it before, I'll say it now, and I'm sure I'll say it again: Last year Seguin had to adjust to the League, this year the League has to adjust to him.

The Bruins have won 7 straight and all 5 in their homestand. They've climbed from last in the Eastern Conference to 9th. They're only 5 points behind the Flyers atop the Conference, and 2 behind Buffalo in the Division.

They travel to Long Island on Saturday before starting an important stretch of games next week (Montreal, Buffalo, and Detroit).

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

ESCAPE FROM OHIO

The good news is that the Bruins left Columbus with 2 points, ending their season long 4 game losing streak. The not so good news is that they barely did it. If not for some heart-attack saves by Rask, the Bruins would have once again found themselves outworked, and outscored by a significantly inferior opponent.

Even if the B's had dominated and won 7-0, I wouldn't be happy. This team has "turned it around" too many times in the past for me to invest any more faith in them. And ultimately, it's Columbus. Who gauges where a team is at by its performance in Columbus?

Krejci technically got the Bruins on the board in the 2nd, but it was a point shot by Chara, set-up by Lucic winning a battle along the boards. The deflection was actually due to Krejci being boxed out of the crease, losing a battle, but finding himself "guided" by a Blue Jacket to the right place at the right time.

The second Bruins goal was from Peverley, who's played solidly since arriving, but has yet to properly demonstrate his skills. I think that's because he hasn't been lined up with a very talented supporting cast. Sort of like putting Edward Norton in a serious cop movie, but casting him alongside Jimmy Fallon and Charles Barkley.

The problem is, who would Peverley play with? Bergeron and Marchand are mired in slumps. The 4th line hasn't scored since Marchand left it (I actually think Marchand should return to them and focus on playing, not scoring. The goals will then come). I actually wouldn't mind seeing Peverly centering the 1st line with Lucic and Horton, because he can score, and Krejci cannot.

Anyway, the offense has to come from the defensemen for now.

And thank the hockey gods above, Michael Ryder was a healthy scratch. That's actually what Ryder means in the native tongue of Newfoundland. "He who is healthy, but unworthy of a roster spot."

In the end, though, Rask won this game with some acrobatics. His teammates occasionally bailed him out, but they also occasionally put him in bad situations. He got lost on Columbus' 2nd goal, but the play should have never happened. This team still struggles with breaking out of its own zone. Such a childish thing for an NHL team to struggle with.

Bruins visit another hockey hotbed on Thursday as they play the Predators in Nashville.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo