Puck Daddy chats with Nikolai Khabibulin about great start, Oilers? young stars, old NHL goalies, Winnipeg and Phoenix

Has there been a more surprising resurgence in the NHL this season than that of Nikolai Khabibulin?

Last year saw the Edmonton Oilers goaltender playing in the shadow of his DUI charges from Feb. 2010, for which he'd eventually spend 15 days in an Arizona detention facility. He played 47 games for the Oilers in 2010-11, going 10-32-4 with an .890 save percentage in an injury-plagued year.

Before this season, it appeared the 38-year-old goalie's status as a No. 1 goaltender was at an end, with 25-year-old former first-rounder Devan Dubnyk ready to take over. But The Bulin Wall has been sturdy in the opening month of the 2011-12 season: He's 4-0-2 with a great 0.97 goals against average and a .965 save percentage, leading the NHL in both numbers after Thursday night's win over the Washington Capitals.

"Going into the season I don't think we had a clear distinction who the No. 1 goaltender would be and who the No. 2 would be," Khabibulin told Puck Daddy this week, prior to the Capitals game. "We both knew there would be enough chances to play. I thought that whoever plays best and the team keeps winning, that goaltender would be the starter. The coaches would play whoever is winning. I think this system will continue throughout the season."

Coming up, Nikolai Khabibulin on the Oilers' young stars, including Ryan Nugent-Hopkins; Edmonton as a desirable place to play; the future of the Phoenix Coyotes; the return of the Winnipeg Jets; old goalies like Tim Thomas; and whether the NHL protects its netminders.

Q. You were a starter for a very long time. Did it feel strange that you would have to prove yourself a lot again?

KHABIBULIN: I think as a goaltender, as a player, you always have to prove yourself. And of course in this situation it was a little bit difficult because Dubnyk is a pretty good goaltender and he will only get better. But at the same time I am not trying to prove anything to anyone, I am just trying to play my game, show my game and enjoy it. I am trying to play my best game every time and if it turns out great, then it's good. If not, then at least I know that I gave it all I had.

The Oilers has to be one of the youngest teams in the League. What is it like for an older player to be amongst so many young players? Is it difficult to find something in common with them?

The age difference is not a big deal at all.

Also this offseason we added more veterans like Ryan Smyth, Andy Sutton, Eric Belanger. But yes, we didn't have that many veterans last year. It was like a kindergarten in a good way [laughing]. But this year there are more of us, older guys, but it's always easy to find something in common with the younger players. I think they look up to us more but we are all learning from each other.

At the same time when you have so many young players on your team, you just feel rejuvenated, you feel a lot of energy by playing with them. We try to help them as much as we can, and they are helping us whether they know it or not.

Is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for real? A lot of Canadian media paint him as the next Messiah.

I think he is still getting used to the NHL and there will be more things he will have to get used to. It is very difficult to play in the NHL as a 18 or 19 year old. Of course, if he has a consistent season it will only be great. But I think it is difficult to count on that.

What he has shown in the few games that he has played, and a lot of players who are drafted high usually are very, very good, he surprised me a lot, and he is still surprising me, speaking as a defensive player being a goaltender, he is so good in the defensive zone and playing defense. You can really rely on him in the defensive zone, whereas usually young forwards need to learn how to play in their own zone. He pays a lot of attention to his defensive game, and it is great.

You played on a young Tampa Bay Lightning team that won the Cup. You then played on a young Chicago team that also won the Cup shortly after you left. How is this young Edmonton team compared to the Cup winning Tampa and Chicago teams?

I think you can compare our Edmonton team to the teams you mentioned to some degree. You have to remember that all teams are different. I think the Oilers will have a really strong offense within the next couple of years. We already have a lot of young forwards who are very good, and I know of a few other forwards in our farm club who are also very good and who will play for the first team sooner than we know.

It is similar to what we had in Tampa when I was there ? we had good young forwards. It was the same story in Chicago ? young offense. So, you can certainly compare our current team to Tampa and Chicago teams I played for in this aspect.

That means that the Oilers are on track to win the Stanley Cup soon.

I think that if everything goes according to plan, if everything is exactly how the organization is envisioning things, then of course there is a great chance to have a good Cup run in the near future.

Why does Edmonton have this notoriety as the city where no one wants to play?

I think this is simply a personal opinion of each individual. Maybe Edmonton is not as big as Los Angeles or New York. Maybe the weather is not the best. Maybe the city doesn't have the biggest selection of places where you can go to have dinner. But on the other hand, when you come to the arena to play, it is always packed, it is always loud. It was this way before I came here and it will be this way after me. The fans are great.

Yes, the weather is cold, but so what? I really like it here in Edmonton.

Don't you miss the playoffs?

Of course I miss the playoffs. Postseason for any athlete, for any player is the time when you always try to prove to yourself, try to prove to others what you and your team are made of. There is nothing better. Playoffs is the most fun part of it all. You are involved in games where every game matters. I do miss the playoffs.

Were you surprised that the NHL came back to Winnipeg? That city has to mean something special to you.

I was not really surprised because the talk was that the city getting a team were going on for a long time. Hockey is always popular in Canada. But still, look at all of the arenas in Canada. They are all full.

I also think that the exchange rate between American and Canadian dollar is also helping Canadian teams, and it will help Winnipeg a lot. They already have enough people, enough fans to support the team. But it will also help. They really like hockey in Winnipeg. I still remember that.

What can you say about Phoenix? You are connected to the city and Arizona. Is it true that hockey is dying there?� Or there may still be a chance to revive it?

It's a difficult situation that's been going on for some time. I think it is difficult to make people go games, difficult to make people become fans if no one knows if the team will be there next year. And this has been going on not for a few days, but a few years now. And it's not like there is a certainty the team will remain there for 3 or 5 years at least. It's always 'Will the team be there next summer?'

It is difficult to gain support in a situation like this. And also, the area where the arena is located is not helping things and makes things even more difficult. It is located on the outskirts and most of the fans who attended games in downtown Phoenix they live in a different part of town. So the club has to do a lot of work to attract people. At the same time I believe the team can certainly strive there.

As an older goaltender, are you inspired by Tim Thomas' play?� Does he give hope to other older goaltenders?

Of course, when you see an older player, and not necessarily a goaltender like in my case, when you look at other players like Mark Recchi and the way he played for Boston, you look at these guys and think to yourself 'If these guys can do it, why couldn't it be me? Of course I can still do it!' They do inspire.

Are you surprised that lately a lot of goaltenders are run over by forwards? Do you feel the League is doing enough to protect goaltenders?

It doesn't really surprise me because this is the type of hockey being played now, because the quality of goaltending in the League is going up all the time. That's why forwards have to find new creative ways of scoring goals. That's why I know that in most clubs, including ours, the concentration is on shooting the puck and driving the net for the rebound.

When you are driving the net in search of a rebound, or you are parked in front of the net blocking goaltender's view, and all of these things happen very close to the net, a contact with a goaltender is almost a certainty even if you try your best to avoid it.

Do you agree that the position of "Franchise Goaltender" is dying out?

I wouldn't agree with that. If you take Tim Thomas, for example, he played most of the games during the regular season and the playoffs. It's not like the Bruins were rotating their goaltenders every game or every other game. I think that in most cases when teams have a clearly good goaltender, that team will still have an advantage in any case. Of course there are different scenarios possible, but in most cases a team with such a goaltender would have an advantage.

Do you think the League and the NHLPA will be able to agree on the new CBA to avoid a lockout? And what are players expecting from the new CBA?

It is very difficult to say anything on this topic at this time. I haven't really heard anything on what the League may ask for or what we may ask for. It's tough to say. I haven't looked so far ahead. And I haven't heard enough to form an opinion.

How much gas is left in your tanks to keep playing?

The time came this year when I decided not to look too far ahead. I am really trying to enjoy every moment, every day realizing that I am playing in the NHL. I am trying to play the best I can. And we will see what happens then. I am not making any plans as far as what happens when my contract runs out. I am trying not to look too far ahead, I am trying to focus on the present, on today, on tomorrow, but not that much further ahead.

You mentioned that the Oilers have a great chance for a Cup run in the next few years if everything goes according to plan. Do you think you will see it happen playing for the Oilers?

I think it will depend on how we are going to grow as a team. And I am not talking about rookies or second year players and how they will progress individually. I am talking about us growing together as a team. Let's see what happens. But we are certainly on the right track. Let's see what happens this year and if we can make the playoffs and it will be great. I don't know how realistic it is. But we are certainly trying to do everything to achieve that.

I think it is obvious to anyone how everyone on the team is trying to play their best. But I don't know if I am going to be with the team when everything happens. I don't know how long it is all going to take. But I am sure we have the players who can reach that goal. Maybe not now, but in two or three years.

Did you consider finishing your career where you started it in Russia?

I thought you were going to say in Winnipeg! I don't know. I haven't thought about it yet. As I mentioned before, I am not looking that far ahead. When the contract runs out then we will see. But I don't know right now.

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Raffi Torres was Jay-Z for Halloween, dark skin included

On Sunday night, the Phoenix Coyotes held their annual Halloween Party, and winger/Internet godsend Paul Bissonnette posted a few photos on his popular Twitter feed ? including one of BizNasty as WWF legend "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, complete with 2x4 but without the old-man flab.

Oh, and also this one above of winger Raffi Torres covered in brown makeup as Jay-Z.

Wait ? what?!

Yes indeed, Coyotes forward Raffi Torres attended this holiday soir�e as Jiggaman, while his wife dressed up as Beyonce (complete with baby bump).

To the surprise of absolutely no one in 2011, Torres was immediately criticized and demonized for using "blackface" for comedic effect.

Bissonnette, catching the whiff of outrage, later tweeted:

As far as everyone trying to call "Racism" because Raffi dressed up like Jay-Z can simmer down. He's a huge Jay-Z fan.

(Incidentally, these guys were also huge fans of PK Subban.)

So Raffi Torres has 99 problems and having half the hockey world calling him a racist is one. Thomas Drance of Canucks Army writes:

Seriously people, don't do it, don't wear black-face on Halloween, or ever. It's stupid, it's ignorant, and it just doesn't fly. [...]

Even if Raffi's halloween costume bears little resemblance to the blackface of minstrel shows, the subject is too loaded to be a source of humour. It's off limits.

But before attacking Torres for this costume, understand a few things about him and about hockey players dressing as black men on Halloween. Because he isn't the first.

First off, despite looking so white as to be translucent during his career, Torres is actually the NHL's first player of Mexican and Peruvian descent.

He dealt with racial insensitivity while playing youth hockey in the Greater Toronto Area ? his mother once being told that Raffi "should be selling tacos" and his father tackling another hockey parent because of taunts, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

This isn't meant to exonerate Torres from any racial insensitivity, but rather lend some context.

More context: All of this has happened before, and will happen again. Just ask Adam Burish of the Dallas Stars and Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks.

In 2009, they attended a Halloween party dressed as Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls, with darkened skin for effect.

An image from the party stirred considerable debate and a backlash, but with some media outlets also claiming the criticism was overblown, such as from Big League Screw:

The offensive nature of "blackface" is rooted in its representation of a racist archetype. Clearly, the Blackhawks players were dressed and made up as real people rather than a stereotype manifested through exaggerated appearance. Other than the color of their skin, there's nothing stereotypical or embellished about their appearance as black men. It could be argued that their skin tone is as relevant as the jersey or fake tattoos.

Neither Burish nor Kane offered a public apology for the costumes. They shouldn't have, and neither should Torres.

Granted, there is a movement afoot to demonize costumes that deal with stereotypes. The Ohio University Group has an ad campaign this year dealing with costumes that focus on different cultures, like a Native American or an African-American rapper.

But again: It's a costume on Halloween. It's a character. It's Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder" or Eddie Murphy going undercover as a white guy on SNL. It doesn't matter if Torres was doing this for a laugh or as a tribute -- there's nothing patently offensive about this image. (In fact, let's be honest: This was probably her idea. Couples costumes usually are.) The only racial insensitivity here is on the part of the critics.

But what do I know? I'm a pudgy white guy from the Jersey suburbs. Who, incidentally, is dressing like a Japanese ninja for Halloween. No photos, please.

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UFC 142: Rumble Johnson To Move Up to Middleweight, Face Vitor Belfort

Ever since coming into the UFC in 2007, Anthony "Rumble" Johnson has struggled to make weight.

The 27-year-old has been through demanding training camps that required him to shed a considerable amount of weight—to the point where he's had to be carried up to the scale at weigh-ins, almost passing out at times.

On more than one occasion, Johnson has missed weight and forced the UFC to make fights at catchweight.

President Dana White has suggested several times that Johnson should move up in weight class to make his training camps easier on his body—but Johnson has refused.

When Johnson does make weight, he enters the octagon as one of the strongest welterweights in the division. He uses his incredible strength and wrestling skills to dominate fighters on the ground—like he did to Dan Hardy back in March of this year.

However, it was announced today by UFC.com that after careful consideration, Johnson has agreed to move up to the middleweight division and to face former champion Vitor Belfort at UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in his first fight.

This is a very intriguing matchup, as both fighters are known for their knockout power.

In Johnson's last fight, he controlled underdog Charlie Brenneman before ending the fight with a head kick. Brenneman argued that the fight was called early, but the referee actually helped Brenneman, who might have soon been unconscious.

Johnson is currently on a two-fight win streak after losing to Josh Koscheck back in 2009.

2011 has had its ups and downs for Vitor Belfort, as he challenged for the title against Anderson Silva back on Super Bowl Weekend last February, but lost via a brutal front kick from Silva.

The Brazilian returned against Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133 in Philadelphia. It didn't take long to rebound from the title loss, as Belfort ended the fight less than two minutes into the first round.

After the fight, Belfort challenged middleweight contender Chael Sonnen to a fight. Earlier this week, it was thought that fight might happen, as Sonnen accepted the challenge.

However, now Belfort has a much different opponent who is looking to quickly throw himself into the title picture. Luckily for "The Phenom," he will have his fellow countrymen behind him, cheering him on.

This will no doubt be an exciting matchup—and could likely end in spectacular fashion.

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Puck Headlines: Kane denies trade request; hazing; Fake Zetterberg

Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

? Is there something wrong with your screen settings? Does Jay Beagle actually bleed purple? No, silly, it's the Pittsburgh Penguins' special purple practice jerseys which will be auctioned off as part of Hockey Fights Cancer. [Penguins]

? It's official the 2012 NHL Draft will be in Pittsburgh which is, incidentally, a short drive from Columbus. [Penguins]

? Jersey Fouls on Friday, Friday, Jersey Fouls on Friday.

? Does James Reimer have a concussion? One Toronto Maple Leafs player says yes; everyone associated with the team that wears a suit is trying to downplay it. Sigh ... Brian Gionta ? the Matt Cooke of Lilliput! [NatPost]

? If you've not read this story about hazing in Manitoba ? water bottle carriers tied to scrotums and such ? it's a disturbing one. [Y! Sports]

? Say, would you like to end the practices of hazing? Call the cops. [Buzzing]

? Kyle Turris's agent joined NHL XM Home Ice to declare it's not about money, and "I think if you saw the way how the season played out last year, it doesn't take a rockets scientist to see it's not a fit." He also dabbles in a conspiracy theory about the NHL owning the Coyotes and therefore it's the League imprisoning his client. �[XM Radio]

? Evander Kane wanted to make it clear the he hasn't asked for a trade from the Winnipeg Jets: "I haven't asked for a trade, I'm happy where I am and I expect to be here for a long time. ? I guess people in social media come out with stories and spread rumours. I stay away from that kind of stuff." [QMI]

? Brayden Schenn is out with a broken foot. Well, good thing no one went out and picked him up for their fantasy ? crap. [CSN Philly]

? Max Pacioretty faces the Boston Bruins for the first time this week since the Chara affair. Said Coach Claude Julien: "I can tell you honestly the one thing we're happy about and that would be for anybody else is that he's healthy. As a player in the league, you don't want to see somebody in the league end his career on an unfortunate accident but what you want to see is a player come back and be healthy. As far as that's concerned, he's healthy, we've turned the page and now it's time to move on." [ESPN Boston]

? Welcome back Adam McQuaid from his neck injury. [Bruins Blog]

? Why Alex Ovechkin is now the second best left wing in the NHL. [Cubeta]

? We may revisit this later, but Gary Bettman has teased a Minnesota Winter Classic, with this caveat: "An important element of doing the Winter Classic is obviously the national TV ratings, so we have to be comfortable that whatever matchup we're going to do will do a good number." So get ready for "HBO 24/7 Penguins/Flyers: Road To The Winter Classic at Target Field." [Russo]

? Congrats to Erik Gudbranson for sticking with the Florida Panthers. [On Frozen Pond]

? Wild Puck Banter has traced the source of the Minnesota Wild's problems in the postseason, and she's blonde. [WPB]

? Michael Farber on Ilya Bryzgalov: "Like wide receivers in Chicago, Philadelphia just hasn't been able to get this goaltending thing right, at least not since the early days of combative Ron Hextall in the late 1980s." [SI]

? Barry Melrose can stop handing out his Mullets of the Week now. He's given one to Jaromir Jagr. The universe has been set back in order.

? Chicago Blackhawks goalie Ray Emery gave his mask artist a "no boxers" mandate, which obviously didn't cover Chief Jay Strongbow. [In Goal, via Justin S.]

? What is the New York Rangers FanCam? "What is the FanCam? This high definition image will capture Madison Square Garden in its entirety, and fans will be able to "step inside" the 360 degree gigapixel image and look around during this frozen moment of time. The resolution of 20 billion pixels is so high that fans will be able to zoom in to find themselves or their friends, "tag" themselves in the photo, and share via email, Facebook, and Twitter. Fans can even cruise around Madison Square Garden to see who else was present at the game." [Rangers]

? "Islanders' 1993 Division Playoff Banner Lives in a Fan's Attic." In an odd twist of fate, Rich Pilon is living up there, too. [Botta]

? Watch Nathan Horton of the Boston Bruins sprays his dirty water all over New England. [Eye on Hockey]

? Where Ryan Carter and Steve Bernier fit in the New Jersey Devils organization. [Devils Advocate]

? More debate about visors from Blades of Teal: "So how could the NHL and NHLPA take a hard stance and get everyone on board with using a visor? The answer seems simple enough for me: hit players in the wallet. That usually gets them to listen." [BoT]

? Stephane Da Costa gets his moment to shine for the Ottawa Senators, skating with Daniel Alfredsson. [Sens]

? Still no Drew Doughty for the Los Angeles Kings, but Johnny Quick's between the pipes. [LA Kings Insider]

? Say, maybe using the bankruptcy courts to hasten the sale of NHL teams is just not worth the trouble. [Globe & Mail]

? Losses and gains for the Dallas Stars in the offseason that produced the winning hockey team we see today. [Pegasus News]

? Do the Dallas Stars play boring hockey, and if so zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzdroolzzzzzzzzzzz [Defending Big D]

? A brief conversation between a panda and a Hello Kitty type about the Columbus Blue Jackets. [Dark Blue Jacket]

? Finally, the first webisode of Fake Henrik Zetterberg is here. There's a lot of setup in this one, but the idea of the Detroit Red Wings star in "Office Space" is intriguing.

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Legion of Doom reunion off? Mikael Renberg can?t get off work

On Wednesday, Eric Lindros formally declared that he'll appear in the Philadelphia Flyers' 2012 Winter Classic alumni game against the New York Rangers on Dec. 31, expecting to reform the fabled Legion of Doom line with John LeClair and Mikael Renberg.

Lindros cautioned that no one had yet spoken to Renberg about the reunion; but someone has, in fact, spoken on Renberg's behalf ? his employer, SVT state television in Sweden.

Renberg is a hockey commentator for the network, and calls national junior team games. On Dec. 31, the day of the alumni game in the NHL, Sweden plays Russia in the 2012 World Junior Championship tournament in Alberta. Which, as you might imagine, is a pretty big game.

Renberg told Aftonbladet (translated) that, "I'm not sure if I can join the reunion, I monitor JVM for SVT at the same time." Via Bill Meltzer, from SVT.se, Renberg said: "Of course it would be nice to meet up with Eric and John but now I have a contract with SVT and have to do my job."

(Worse yet: He has to watch the Quick Stop that day and can't make it to the street hockey game with Randal.)

His producer, Max Bursell, wrote on Twitter this morning (rough translation): "Open letter to Eric Lindros: Sorry, but Renberg has another [job] for himself that day."

Is "booooooooooo!" translated as "booooooooo!" in Swedish? Or should we be whistling right now?

Oh well ? maybe Lindros can hook up with Mark Recchi and Brent Fedyk for a Crazy 8s Line reunion instead.

Big thanks to our friend in Sweden, H�kan On�ng, for the tip.

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calcutta consciousness

from the outside, in — one man’s journey to the heart of India
by Ashwin Warrior
I came to Calcutta on a whim. Time off from school, traveling and volunteering in India?one version of the American collegiate dream. I chose Calcutta, the sprawling metropolis of over fifteen million people, on the recommendation of a friend.�He said the [...]

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New Podcast: Our Big News and USMNT

Jared and I aren't doing the American Soccer Show anymore, but that doesn't mean we don't feel the need to give you something involving our voices between the old show and the new one.

Entitled "Free on a Bosman" because Jared thought that was clever, this show is partly an update about our future and partly about the USMNT.

We beg of you to please help spread the word on this pod; people who just waited for the American Soccer Show iTunes feed will have no idea this show exists without everyone pitching in to spread the news as wide as possible. Hit the "play" button below to listen.

Download it directly

Again, please use the handy social sharing buttons at the bottom of the post to post this on every social network you're on - the better to let everyone that listened to us on The American Soccer Show know about it. Make sure you follow both myself and Jared on Twitter to get updates on where and when we'll be landing in our new permanent home.

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