Under Further Review – Douglas Smith with Editor Bill Morphy. Special thanks to our regular contributors including Jordan Moss, Ian MacPhee, Dave Kittle, Ted Tait, Frank Sullivan, Peter Hucul, Glen and Bill Myles, Howard Steiss, Rob Wagner and Iqbal Grewall.

Spanning the digital ether to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat… the human drama of athletic competition… This is Under Further Review.

Battle Royale – It was nine seconds that will live in hockey infamy. Everyone knew Saturday night’s epic clash between Canada and the U.S. was going to be supercharged. Set in the cauldron of the Bell Centre in Montreal behind the backdrop of the U.S. tariff war. Canadian hockey fans bursting with anger and national pride. But no one saw three fights in nine seconds to start the game. Not even Mad Dog Vachon and Killer Kowalski could stir up that much mayhem at the old Montreal Forum.

According to the U.S. protagonists, J.T. Miller and the Tkachuk Brothers, it was all preordained during an afternoon Facetime chat. It certainly caught a whole nation off guard. Was it a factor in the U.S. victory? Not likely, but it sure set the tone. It signaled a new era in hockey and the U.S. won’t be backing down anytime soon. Canada needs to be prepared after suffering the first loss in a best-on-best competition since the preliminary round of the 2010 Olympics.

For Canadian fans, the big question was whether goaltending would prove to be Canada’s Achilles heel. Entering the tournament, Adin Hill ranked 30th in the NHL in save percentage (.900). Sam Montembault was 36th. (.897) Starter Jordan Binnington was 39th. (.896) It didn’t exactly instill confidence.

After only two games, the panic alarm is sounding. Binnington has let in soft goals in both games. Four have gone by him through the middle of the net. The margins are so thin, you can’t mask sub-par goaltending. Should Canada switch to Adin Hill for Monday’s must-win game vs. Finland? I would. Without hesitation.

It certainly hurt to face the U.S. without Cale Makar, Canada’s top defenceman. The U.S. could say the same thing with Quinn Hughes sidelined for the entire tournament. Without Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore as well, Canada is missing three of the team’s top four blueliners. How can it not be a factor? Kudos to Thomas Harley and Travis Sanheim for stepping in and acquitting themselves so well.

Putting everything aside, the tournament has definitely delivered. It’s been eleven years since the last best-on-best hockey competition. The Four Nations Face-Off is welcome and long overdue. The U.S. has unseated Russia as Canada’s biggest hockey rival. Recent events have only magnified the rivalry. Up until now, it’s been mostly friendly. Not anymore. At least not to Canadian hockey fans. Our pride is hurting. The only way to soothe the unrest would be a Canadian victory in Thursday’s final. For that to happen, Canada must beat Finland in regulation time, or win in overtime or a shootout and hope Sweden is unable to upset the U.S. in regulation.

Thanks to another pounding from Old Man Winter, Team Canada wisely changed plans and flew out of Montreal immediately following the game on Saturday night. However, the team didn’t arrive at their hotel in Boston until 6:00am and chose not to practice on Sunday afternoon.

You have to feel sorry for Finland. Only three of the seven defencemen originally named to the team were available once the tournament started. Losing blueliner Miro Heiskanen was crushing. The Finns also erred in starting Juuse Saros. He’s had a terrible season in Nashville. Kevin Lankinen will start vs. Canada.

Regardless of the outcome, it’s good to have hockey back at the highest level. All four teams in the tournament should benefit from this competition as a dress rehearsal for next year’s Winter Olympics. Our appetite has been whetted. Bring on more!

Here’s the upcoming schedule as the tournament moves to Boston.

At TD Garden, Boston

Monday, Feb. 17
Canada vs. Finland, 10 a.m. Pacific, Sportsnet
Sweden vs. United States, 5 p.m. Pacific, Sportsnet

Thursday, Feb. 20
Championship game, 5 p.m. Pacific, Sportsnet

Captain Canada – The U.S. is icing the youngest team in the tournament. Canada focused on veterans with Stanley Cup pedigree. Selecting legacy players like Sidney Crosby, Brad Marchand and Drew Doughty was nice on the surface but perhaps not so wise once the puck drops. According to reports, Crosby is “playing with one arm.” Well, why select him if he’s seriously injured and incapable of playing at the highest level? Marchand and Doughty are near the end. It’s time to pass the baton.

Make no mistake, what Sidney Crosby has accomplished as captain of Canada’s national teams is truly remarkable. Before losing on Saturday night, Sid was unbeaten in his last 26 games with Team Canada. As team captain, Crosby is now 23-1. No one was better in the opening game when Sid chipped in with three primary assists. Crosby is the absolute model of a Canadian hockey player. We couldn’t have a better player and person carrying the Canadian banner. You could make a strong argument that no player in history has represented Canada better than Sidney Crosby. But at 37, it’s time to let the next generation take over.

Home Sweet Home – In light of the political atmosphere, you can understand why Canadians would boo the U.S. national anthem. Hockey players live in a bubble for the most part but you would have to be living in a cave not to have some awareness of the angst and upset Canadians are feeling.

Let’s not forget, once the tournament is over, American-born players will be returning to Canadian cities to continue their NHL careers. How will Cole Caufield feel returning to Montreal? Brady Tkachuk must go back to Ottawa. Auston Matthews to Toronto. Connor Hellebuyck and Kyle Connor to Winnipeg. In Vancouver, the Canucks have nine Americans on the team and that’s without J.T. Miller.

Does the average American really understand the nerve that’s been struck among Canadians? How will the wives and girlfriends of U.S.-born players feel about living in Canada? Having their kids in schools here? Imagine being in line at a grocery store and listening to Canadians talking about boycotting American-made products. It wouldn’t be very comfortable but this is where we stand. Can’t imagine any American-born free agents signing with a Canadian team this summer.

2010 Revisited – Call it second-guessing but the Team Canada management team made a big mistake with some of this year’s roster selections. The forward group is too small. We count six forwards who are under six feel tall – Marner, Marchand, Crosby, Konecny, Jarvis, Point.

Zach Hyman should be riding shotgun with Connor McDavid. The continuity alone was good enough reason to select Hyman. No question McDavid and MacKinnon would benefit from more muscle on the wing. How about a fourth line with Tom Wilson, Sam Bennett and Mark Scheifele? The U.S. has a big size advantage up front.

When Canada captured gold at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the team had a towering group of forwards. The roster included Nash, Perry, Getzlaf, Iginla, Marleau, Thornton, Heatley and Eric Staal. That’s not including the two best defensive centres of that era in Patrice Bergeron and Jonathan Toews, neither of whom are small. When your defense starts with Pronger, Weber and Niedermayer, you are already in the driver’s seat. Oh, and you had a goalie named Price.

In the quarter-final matchup with Russia, Canada stormed to a 3-0 lead by the 13- minute mark and won going away 7-3. By the time backup goalie Ilya Bryzgalov hit the ice, Russia was down 6-1. When asked about how Canada started the game, Bryzgalov replied, “they came out like gorillas released from a cage.”

If Canada learns anything from the Four Nations tournament, it’s that big teams win big games. Plain and simple. Full stop.

Mind Made Up – Let’s cut to the chase. If you are waiting for a turnaround from Elias Pettersson, think again. It’s not happening, folks! We’re done with all the excuses and false hopes. If a trade is available, pull the trigger.

In trying to explain away his drop in performance, we’ve now heard enough. First, it was the contract negotiations. “He’ll be better once he signs a new contract.” Then, it was the playoff struggles and reported knee tendonitis. “He’ll be better once he’s had a summer to recover and prepare for the season.” Then it was the feud with J.T. Miller. “Once Miller is shipped out, Pettersson will get back to his previous form.” And finally, Petey will really benefit from playing with Sweden in the Four Nations Face-Off. “He’ll come back from the tournament a better player.”

Well, we’ve got news for you. None of it has happened. His next point will be his first in the Four Nations tournament. Pettersson has been supplanted by Joel Eriksson Ek as Sweden’s number two centre. Do you really think he’s going to return to Vancouver and suddenly become a 100-point player again?

Pettersson to Buffalo for Dylan Couzens and a second-round pick? If that type of deal is actually available, don’t hesitate.

Canucks Notebook – The Canucks hit the Four Nations break on a 6-1-1 roll in their last eight games. The team seems completely refreshed by all the new faces in the lineup. Add in D-Petey on defence and that’s a pretty significant mid-season makeover.

It sure looks like captain Quinn Hughes put the Canucks first with his decision to pull out of the competition. Hughes will have a couple of weeks to recover from an oblique injury that cost him three games before the break. If the Canucks hope to grab a playoff spot, they will need Hughes in top form. He leads all Canuck scorers by 25 points. The Canucks are set to open a five-city road trip in Vegas once the Four Nations is over.

The Canucks are expected to target another centre at the trade deadline. Short of a major deal involving Pettersson, the Canucks will be looking at some depth options.  Nashville centre Colton Sissons would be a nice addition. He grew up in North Van and was very effective in last year’s playoff series against the Canucks. Sissons is a right shot centre and excellent in the faceoff circle. He’s not going to supply a ton of offence but the Canucks could use his grit and compete. The 31-year-old is signed through next season with a cap hit of $2.8 million.

The Canucks got another scare when Thatcher Demko left the final game against the Leafs with what’s believed to be a minor injury. The two-week break should give him enough time to recover. Demko’s availability down the stretch is critical. He’s looked in top form recently which may be the best news the Canucks have received all season.

Cross-Canada Check-up – It’s a good time to take a trip across the country and check out how Canada’s other six teams are faring as we head into the final six weeks of the NHL season.

The Edmonton Oilers remain an odds-on favourite to win the Stanley Cup but it probably won’t happen without a couple of reinforcements at the trade deadline. Jeff Skinner hasn’t worked out. The Oilers could use a depth addition both up front and along the blueline. Do they have the assets to make it happen?

The Calgary Flames dropped four of five heading into the break and sit three points out of a playoff spot. Like Vancouver, the Flames may be looking to both add and subtract at the deadline. Dan Vladar could be on the move with the emergence of Dustin Wolf.

What’s not to like in Winnipeg where the Jets sit atop the NHL standings. The Jets lead the league in both goals scored and goals against. They also boast the number one power-play. The problem has been what happens when the playoffs begin. Connor Hellebuyck, a rock in goal during the regular season, has struggled when the puck drops in the post-season. In the 2023 playoffs, Hellebuyck had a GAA of 3.44 and a save percentage of .886. The numbers dropped to 5.23 and .870 last year. That needs to change if the Jets are going to go on a long playoff run.

In Toronto, the Maple Leafs big issue is depth scoring. The Leafs blueline ranks second last in points with 91. Only San Jose with 90 is worse. Colorado defencemen lead the league with a total of 142 points. Tampa is second with 137. Washington is third with 134. The Canucks defence group has put up 120 points. Good teams get offence from the back end and that’s not happening in Toronto. Not only do the Leafs need to add a 3C at the deadline, they must add a puck-moving defenceman, preferably someone who can also operate a power-play.

Health is a big issue in Ottawa where the Senators limped into break with three straight losses and a growing injury list. Getting Shane Pinto and Josh Norris back is essential. The Sens are on the lookout for help up front. Before the break, Matthew Highmore was playing on the top line with Tim Stutzle. What does that tell you? The Sens have a tentative hold on a wildcard playoff spot but help is needed and quickly.

In Montreal, the Canadiens are sinking fast. The Habs dropped three straight leading into the break to fall six back of a playoff spot. A deadline sell-off is likely which may include Jake Evans, Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia and defenceman David Savard.

NHL Notebook – Not surprisingly, Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews have failed to distinguish themselves at the Four Nations Face-Off. For Leaf fans, it’s just more of what they’ve seen in the playoffs over the past eight years. In eight elimination games, Matthews has just one goal. Marner has failed to score a single goal. Matthews has three assists. Marner has two. Matthews had his ice time cut against Canada. Marner was dropped from the top line. Sound familiar?

Four of the top ten scorers in the NHL are not playing in the Four Nations Face-Off. It would be five if Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild had not been injured. It’s unfortunate more teams are not playing in the tournament.

Canada sure missed the boat not naming Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson to the team. Thompson has been light’s out for the Caps. He has only one regulation loss all season.

In Todd McLellan’s first 20 games behind the bench, the Detroit Red Wings played at a 127-point pace. We’ll see if they cool off but it’s a pretty good argument for making an in-season coaching change.

Mikko Rantanen has two points since joining the Carolina Hurricanes. Martin Necas has four goals and five assists since being acquired by the Colorado Avalanche. Just saying.

The last time three players with the same last name combined to score a goal in the NHL was January, 1985 when the three Stastny Brothers combined on a goal for the Quebec Nordiques. Could the three Pettersson’s on the Canucks also turn the trick?

Whadda’ Dud – For those of us of a certain vintage, we are old enough to remember when the Super Bowl was often referred to as the Super Bore. There have been more than a few duds over the years. Welcome to Super Bowl LIX. It was over before halftime. So much for the Kansas City Chiefs three-peat.

The Chiefs had 23 total yards in the first half and one first down. They had three yards rushing. Pat Mahomes had a 10.2 passer rating in the opening half. The Chiefs were unable to get past the midfield mark until late in the third quarter. The Chiefs habit of slow starts caught up to them. Mahomes was under siege. Without needing to bring extra defenders, the Eagles piled up six sacks, 18 pressures and a 40.9 percent pressure rate. Two Mahomes interceptions resulted in 14 points.

You can’t blame the Chiefs defense. They held Saquon Barkley to 56 yards on 25 carries. The story was the Eagles dominant D. With Rashee Rice on injured reserve, the Chiefs tried to make it work with aging veterans Hollywood Brown, DeAndre Hopkins and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Rookie Xavier Worthy stepped up but the three vets combined for only 12 catches for 155 yards and one TD during the entire postseason. All are free agents and doubtful to return next season.

The one-sided defeat closes the Chiefs dynasty, at least for now. The Eagles could take the mantle.  All of their key players are signed for next season. Philly will have every opportunity to repeat. Don’t be surprised if their stiffest challenge comes from within their own conference.

Meanwhile, two women were shot during the Eagles Super Bowl parade. General Manager Howie Roseman had his forehead split open when struck by a flying beer can. That’s the City of Brotherly Love for you. Last year, one person was killed and 22 others injured during the Chiefs Super Bowl parade. Just a little normal, everyday gunplay in the U.S.

Good Riddance – Can you believe the New York Jets not wanting to bring back Aaron Rodgers? Who wouldn’t want a washed-up, narcissistic, 41-year-old quarterback?

It’s going to cost the woeful Jets dearly for parting ways with Rodgers. By designating him a post-June 1 release, the Jets will be hit with a $14 million dollar dead-cap penalty in 2025 and $35 million in 2026. Thanks to Rodgers, the Jets acquired receivers Davante Adams and Allan Lazard, two of his former Packer teammates. Releasing Adams will cost the Jets an $8.3 million dead cap penalty. Releasing Lazard will result in a $6.5 million dead cap hit. So, let’s review. In his two seasons in New York, the Jets went 12-22. Rodgers is now directly responsible for a total of $63.8 million in dead money. Nice legacy Aaron!

Crunch Time – As spring training gets set to open for the Blue Jays on Tuesday, a huge cloud hangs over the team. The Jays have a Monday deadline to extend Vladdy Guerrero Jr. to a lucrative new contract. Otherwise, he plans to head to free agency next fall.

Any contract offer is sure to far exceed anything the team has ever offered. We’re probably talking $400 million plus. What happens if the team is out of contention by the trade deadline? The Jays would have no option but to field offers. What happens if Vladdy is having an off-year? You then have a diminished asset.

Might the Jays simply hang onto Vladdy, let him hit the open market, then still try to outbid other teams for his services? Yes, that could happen. It worked for the Yankees with Aaron Judge when he hit free agency. However, that somehow seems unlikely. It would be disastrous if the Jays held onto Guerrero and were left with nothing but a compensatory draft pick after the fourth round.

As of right now, unless an eleventh-hour deal is made, it appears as though Vladdy is as good as gone. Start picturing the once franchise cornerstone in another uniform and goodbye to any competitive window.

Spring Training Notebook – From 2004 until 2020, the Boston Red Sox had a top five payroll in baseball. Since then, the Red Sox have been downright miserly, much to the chagrin of diehard fans. Red Sox ownership finally opened the wallet and signed third baseman Alex Bregman to a three-year, $140 million dollar deal, a signal that Boston is again acting like a baseball colossal.

A series of bad contracts left the organization gun-shy. The Sox gave David Price seven years and $217 million. It cost Mookie Betts just to get rid of him. Shortstop Trevor Story signed for six years and $140 million and has barely played due to a string of injuries. Chris Sale got a five-year deal for $145 million and was constantly injured. He was eventually traded to Atlanta where he promptly won a Cy Young award. After losing Betts and Xander Bogaerts, the Sox panicked and signed Rafael Devers to a 10-year extension for $313.5 million, the biggest contract in club history. With the signing of Bregman, Devers may end up as the primary DH. That would be a ton of money for a designated hitter. This is how it goes in the world of baseball free agency. The stakes can be very costly. No team knows that more than the Red Sox.

At the other end of the spectrum, you have the Pittsburgh Pirates who have not signed a single free agent to a multi-year contract since December of 2016. Why overpay when you don’t have to? Someone should tell that to the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Happy Malingerer – Meet Ben Simmons. The NBA’s Happy Malingerer. No player in sports history has earned more and delivered less. Simmons has played 80 games in the last four seasons combined without a single playoff appearance, all the while earning $40 million per season. In the last three seasons, Simmons has averaged 6.2, 6.1 and 6.9 points per game. The Brooklyn Nets finally threw in the towel and bought him out. Why the L.A. Clippers would sign this loaf is a complete mystery? In eight seasons in the NBA, Simmons has earned over $203 million. In the last six seasons, he’s played 57, 58, 0, 42, 15 and 33 games. Why would you want this guy in your lineup? You would be better off with Richard Simmons.

Meanwhile, only in the NBA would a brooding whiner like Jimmy Butler get traded and end up with a new two-year contract worth more than $60 million per season. The Toronto Raptors gifted newly-acquired Brandon Ingram a new, three-year $120 million dollar extension. This, for a guy, who is rarely in the lineup.

In his first game in a Dallas Mavericks uniform after the blockbuster deal with the Lakers, Anthony Davis injured an abductor and is expected to miss several weeks. Glad to see Davis is living up to his nickname Street Clothes.

Think maybe the inmates are running the asylum?

The Grape One – We had a ton of response to our comments last week on Wayne Gretzky. It did not go unnoticed that it was Mario Lemieux who received the loudest ovation when honoured prior to the opening game of the Four Nations Face-Off. Chants of “Mario! Mario!” echoed throughout the Bell Centre. Meanwhile, the response to Gretzky has been markedly the opposite. The Great One’s chumminess with Donald Trump has not gone unnoticed amongst Canadian hockey fans and the online backlash was predictable.

“I would rather see Wayne Gretzky stand up for Canada when his friend Trump talks about taking our country over. And I’m a lifelong Oilers fan. Never been so disappointed with the ‘Great’ One. He has forgotten his Brantford roots,” one fan wrote on social media.

“I don’t think Gretzky should comment on anything about Canada or national pride. Too busy hanging out with Trump who wants him to be the governor of the 51st state. Sellout!” another added.

Interesting how someone’s image can change so quickly when national pride is on the line. A friend and associate made a good point recently when he said, “Jean Beliveau would never have shilled for BetMGM and promoted a gambling site.”

Many fans reacting online referenced Gretzky’s reported drinking problem. Who knows? That’s been out there for a long time. Just because he owns a winery doesn’t make him an alcoholic. Still, we are considering changing his nickname to the ‘Grape One’.

Feature Artist of the Week – For decades, the BBC has been showcasing live music featuring the greatest artists of our time. You could spend all day punching up YouTube videos of BBC broadcasts of artists you love.

Here’s Bryan Ferry performing his classic cover of Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” at LSO St. Luke’s, London, England — February 10, 2007.

https://youtu.be/BZ1DhC3xn54?si=fl5gBAr-yYGMFXXv

One of our favourite albums of all-time is Bryan Ferry’s ode to Bob Dylan “Dylanesque.” Check out “All Along the Watchtower” from that same 2007 concert.

https://youtu.be/Vqg4V4BmJj0?si=d66pJQ36wwCEh-wf

Imelda May is an outstanding British vocalist. She’s been featured on the BBC many times. In 2017, she performed with Jeff Beck on a show honouring Les Paul, singing “Remember Walking in the Sand” and Please Mr. Jailor.”

https://youtu.be/xu1ZaXB2SMA

For several years, the Imelda May Show aired on Sunday nights on RTÉ One, Ireland’s national public service media. Here she is performing “Boogie Woogie Session” with Jools Holland.

https://youtu.be/yJlWZ42RYH8?si=ri_sIQ5ZzA9jhhPW

We hope you are enjoying Under Further Review. If you have friends or family members who enjoy sports, please take a moment and direct them to the website at https://underfurtherreview.ca/ and encourage them to subscribe at no cost.