I hate to say it, but I think we Canadians are becoming whiny bitches when it comes to the non-traditional market teams in the U.S. Everywhere you turn, there's some piece on how 'non-tradtional' markets just aren't working, and the NHL should return to its roots.
Nobody complains about the Dallas Stars, Carolina or any of the three California teams. *ALL* of those are non-traditional markets. It's not really about 'tradition' at all. After all, even teams in 'traditional' markets have struggled or currently are. Edmonton, Buffalo, Ottawa and the New York Islanders come to mind here.
This chatter has only been heightened with the woes of the Coyotes franchise, of which there are several factors involved, including the location of the arena in relation to population distribution, the actual product on the ice, and the financial mismanagement from ownership to this point.
Look, the owners aren't stupid (not many stupid people can earn the multi-millions it takes to purchase and maintain any professional sports franchise). They know they'll make a boatload of money in Hamilton, but why not get the expansion fee as well? That's all they're waiting for. That's the cherry on top. It's not that they don't want more teams in Canada, they just want to maximize their profit from it.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Enough With The 'Non-Traditional' Tag
Mike and Justin Q&A Discussion
The following is based on entertainment purposes only. This is a collective Q&A between Micheal Aldred and Justin Traviss over several matters involving the NHL, the 2009 Entry Draft, and finally "Justin's Random Unheard Of".
Justin: If you were Leafs general manager Brian Burke, who would you concentrate on signing if they don’t trade up for the draft?
Mike: Mike Komisarek. I think the possibility of having him and Schenn on a line together is far too intriguing to pass on. Almost like having a vintage Foote and Blake together again.
Justin: Colorado has a top 3 pick, think they'll move it?
Mike: I think the Avs are crossing their fingers on landing Matt Duchene to replace Sakic in the future, so I don't think it's the right decision to make. If Duchene is the player people believe he could be, then it's hard to trade that pick and call it an even deal. What are your thoughts on Colorado’s situation?
Justin: Chara. The Avalanche should get Chara.
Mike: haha THE Chara?
Justin: Yes. I like Chara. Colorado should trade some bum for Chara. They should trade Sakic for Chara and then Sakic will retire, or what they could do is put Wolski and Svatos on the first line and in a few years they will both be 99 overall. I did it in NHL08!
Mike: What about Colorado’s situation?
Justin: On what? Duchene? Colorado? Trading Sakic for Chara?
Mike: The draft, and the Avs pick.
Justin: As much as I personally would prefer Duchene or Tavares, I think Hedman would be a lot better for them then either of those two, since I think Stastny can hopefully fill in for Sakic down the road.
Mike: Well there’s a ton of speculation coming out that the Avalanche are shopping Ryan Smyth, Scott Hannan and J.M. Liles, do you think they would try to trade up to secure Hedman’s services?
Justin: I can see the Avalanche trading Hannan and Smyth, as both have been somewhat disappointing since arriving in Colorado, but all in all, Liles is a guy to keep around. He’s a quarterback on the back end for their powerplay, no need to move him.
Mike: The lightning lack that one defensive prospect on the back end, do you think they would sacrifice a chance at Hedman to trade down with the Avs in order to gain Liles and go with Tavares/Duchene?
Justin: I think they could consider doing that, though their salary cap would have to see additional figures head the Avs way as well. They should then either trade that pick (3rd overall) and/or a player to another team that needs the offense for an established defenseman, a 25 to 28 year old to lead the team on the back end. It really depends on what the current market value of the top picks are.
Mike: How about the hiring of Joe Sacco?
Justin: Thumbs Way Down, Mike.
Mike: It caught me by surprise as well. I’m not exactly sold on having Sacco and Tocchet leading the team on the bench, not to mention the clashing in the ownership. That franchise is on a dark road for now.
Justin: If you were the Leafs, what would be the most you’d give up for the 1st overall pick?
Mike: In order for the Leafs to land the top pick from the Isles, it would have to be along the lines of Kaberle, the Leafs 7th and maybe Stajan heading to New York and even then I'm not certain the Isles would commit to that deal. Some might consider that overpaying for Tavares, others might consider it nowhere near enough.
Justin: Is that the most you would give up?
Mike: No, but it's a deal I would consider. Unless they are desperate to land the top pick, which I don't think is the case considering there are a ton of talented players in the top 10 this year, the Leafs could probably trade this year's first (7th overall) next year's 1st, and Kaberle for the 1st overall pick. And considering the type of player Tavares is/can be, that's not exactly a steep price to pay. If I were the Leafs, I'd hand over anything other than Schenn to land Tavares.
Justin: If given the opportunity, would you deal Schenn straight up for a shot a Tavares?
Mike: Absolutely not. Not at this point. Schenn has proven he can handle first line minutes against the top opposition in the league, these players haven't done so as of yet, and looking back at the 08 draft, it's difficult to say that as of today the top two players that came out of that draft is not Doughty and Schenn in that order.
Mike: What’s your opinion on the Coyotes ruling?
Justin: I’m not surprised. They'll probably stay in Phoenix until they go bankrupt (more so) and get undersold to Kansas, who will also flake out, and until Bettman and the current NHL brass suck it up a little bit and accept that there is a SERIOUS market in Canada (which means more revenue for the NHL - morons), then Canada is basically doomed. The NHL is FINE with Canadian teams flocking to the states...to non-markets no less.
Mike: A lot of reporters and sports analysts have claimed that Southern Ontario is a serviced market in that they can go and see several American teams who are right across the border. Do you feel that is a legitimate opinion?
Justin: Of course. Just as it is a legitimate option for us to move the whole fucking NHL to Canada and say the 7 hockey fans in Florida can fly up to Nunavut to watch NHL hockey. Even then, seats would be sold out because there are more hockey fans in Nunavut than fricken Florida. Only old, retired Canadians are panther fans. I might also say no on the grounds of why in the living, breathing hell should Canadians take Canadian money and travel to another country and give them our money to watch our players on their team? If we banned Canadians from going to cross-border games, those teams would probably be bankrupt too. Their logic is this - why have soccer in Canada when we can go to Brazil and watch it? Also, (you've kind of opened some flood gates here), with current passport and BS terrorist lock down crap, its going to get harder and harder to get across that border to continue to support the American teams with Canadian money. So I'd be interested to see how that affects the American-border hockey markets as well. I bet it’s a noticeable dip.
Mike: Just so I understand what you just said, you believe the crack-downs of border entry between the two nations will affect the amount of Canadians attending the games in the United States because of the terrorists?
Justin: First of all, I certainly want to be clear that I don't think there are terrorists, and no, I think it will affect the Canadians at American games because of the crackdown at the border regarding passports. People who don’t want/have the money for passports need them now, whereas before they could just go, watch the game and come back. This "attack on terrorist" with the CAN-USA border crack down is accomplishing nothing and it will make it a lot harder to have a quick night over to Buffalo or Detroit for hockey. At the same time, it’s also another valid reason Hamilton could absolutely support a team and now is the right time.
Mike: I think it’s safe to say whoever gets a 7th team in Canada is striking an absolute gold mine. So who is this Q&A’s “Justin’s Random Unheard Of”?
Justin: Mike, this week it is Raymond Macias, a player who I feel will be an effective top 4 defenseman in a few years time. He played 6 games with the Avs last year, finishing with 1 assist an Even on the +/- and one of the few Avs players to do so. He is a 6’2” 195 lbs 22 year old with a ton of potential, but he is a bit on the injury-prone side. Drafted in the 4th round (124th overall) of the 2005 Entry Draft, and is a strong skater who loves to clear out the front of the net and is not afraid to get physical in the corners.
Mike: Be sure to check out future Q&A’s here on CheckingFromBehind.com
Micheal Aldred
michealaldred@hotmail.com
Justin Traviss
rigadori@hotmail.com
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Entry Draft Rumblings
It's certainly gettig interesting in Montreal over the case of "who will be the number 1 pick?" The Islanders are hearing a lot of rumblings over the type of leadership qualities on behalf of Matt Duchene and they seem to have interest in him as well. But the Lightning are almost content with whoever they land, and it's one of the reasons why there is speculation that they will move down in the draft, but not necessarily to the Leafs.
It seems the Avalanche and Thrashers are also interested in breaking into the top 2. While Brayden Schenn is an interesting selection, more people are interested in the style of play Duchene and even Jared Cowen bring to the table. Evander Kane is starting to look like the sleeper pick as the attention has not be focussed on the fouth rated selection.
Colorado wants Matt Duchene. There is no question about it. A player is believed to be the next Joe Sakic and Colorado is the team that wants to try and have "the next Joe Sakic" play a season with "Joe Sakic", but it might cost their team. The Lightning know the Avalanche are interested in this youngster, so they want to force the Avs hand a little. They'll likely swap picks, 2nd and 3rd, and could involve also swapping players up front. It's believed the Avs would send their 3rd pick and Marek Svatos to the Lightning for the 2nd overall pick and Steve Downie.
Another interesting case is the Islanders having more interest in Matt Duchene than they do in Hedman or Tavares. If that is the case, we could potentially see a top 3 selection of 1. Duchene, 2. Hedman, 3. Tavares. The Avalanche are apparently "content with settling with Tavares". Settle? Tavares? I'd call that a steal, but then again I'm just one of those who didn't believe the rumblings back in 2005 that Crosby wasn't going to be an elite player. Oh yeah, 4 years later, Stanley Cup.
There are also rumblings, most notably brought forward from Alec Brownscombe of Maple Leafs Hot Stove, that would see Burke moving Pavel Kubina and the 7th overall pick to the Thrashers for the 4th overall pick and a roster player - potentially Colby Armstrong. The Leafs would then have a decision to make. Evander Kane - who is believed to be an incredible two way player with a knack for the net, or Brayden Schenn, younger brother of Luke Schenn, who is regarded as the next Wendel Clark. It's a decision I am glad I am not faced with.
Needless to say, this year's entry draft could be the most interesting of the last decade. No one knows who will go first, and for that matter, no one knows who will and will not be in the top 5. The Kings are noted for selecting off the board, so don't be surprised if they make a bizarre pick.
Micheal A. Aldred
michealaldred@hotmail.com
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Gary Bettman's Folly
It's lost $300 million since leaving Winnipeg, having never turned a profit, but NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is dead set on keeping the Phoenix Coyotes in Glendale. A hearing scheduled for Tuesday in the bankruptcy case may determine the future of the franchise (barring the appeals that will likely come from all sides involved).
The irony in all of this is that the team was relocated from Winnipeg in order to stem the losses being incurred by the ownership at the time. As the NHL expanded heavily into the U.S., it took a toll on the smaller Canadian teams. The NHL conducts business in U.S. currency, and at the time the Canadian dollar was worth $0.73 U.S.
The question that has never been fully answered is why Bettman is so insistent. Some point to southern expansion as Bettman's legacy to the NHL. Now, to be fair, NHL expansion wasn't started by Bettman. Prior to his arrival the NHL added San Jose, Tampa Bay and Ottawa and had already announced teams in Florida and Anaheim. And the owners did bring Bettman in for the sole purpose of selling the game in the U.S. and to complete the expansion. He did so by adding Nashville, Atlanta, Minnesota and Columbus, while the original Minnesota team relocated to Dallas, Hartford to North Carolina, Quebec to Colorado and of course Winnipeg.
But why fight so hard for Phoenix now? The only group that seems to argue that the Coyotes can be turned around is the city of Glendale, who stand to lose hundreds of millions if the team leaves. Is it really so dire for the NHL to have another team in the southwest? Sure, alignment gets a bit more tricky, but that's not a show-stopper. If anything, the Coyotes have been hit hard by the 2005 lockout and the subsequent increases of the salary cap floor...a common lament among most of the smaller-market teams that are struggling to spend up to the floor (currently about $40 million).
Bettman is easy to hate, especially for Canadians who feel he has an anti-Canada position, as he put in far less effort to save Winnipeg and Quebec than he has with Pittsburgh, Nashville and Phoenix. He's also been through two lockouts, the second resulting in the salary cap finally being instituted. I don't think the NHL owners look at him in the same way. Under his watch, league revenue has gone from $400 million to $2.2 billion as well as given most of the owners cost certainty.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Killing Me Softly With Your Non-Calls
I'll be the first to admit that I like it better when the referees put their whistles away late in a playoff game. I'd rather that the players decide the outcome, especially if it's a close, hard-fought game. But this season, it's almost gone overboard. Too many penalties are either ignored, or the refs just aren't watching.
In fact, this is the least penalized final matchup in 64 years. And it's not like Detroit and Pittsburgh are penalty-free teams. In the regular season, Pittsburgh was 20th in PIM, Detroit 11th. In the playoffs, Detroit is 12th and Pittsburgh 14th. Even taking away the paltry minutes so far (in four games, the teams have combined for 62 penalty minutes...the bulk coming in the last 20 seconds of game two), both teams would be in the bottom half.
But there have been a lot of plays gone uncalled. Pittsburgh playing nearly 20 seconds with too many men on the ice in game three. Pucks cleared out of the defensive end and over the glass with no penalty called. Marian Hossa breaking Pascal Dupuis stick with a slash that was never called. I'm sure plenty of fans on both sides have more examples.
I get that the NHL loves for the action to continue and is always worried about people thinking the refs had a hand in deciding the game. But the rules are there for a reason. They do have to be enforced when broken. I don't care if it's a game in November between Florida and Columbus or game seven of the Stanley Cup final. And I'm talking the outrageous non-call stuff. I'm glad they put the whistle away for the crappy little stick check penalties. When you see a guy get cross-check viciously, and the refs are yelling to play on...well, that's not right. And it will ultimately hurt the game.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Conn Smythe Watch
The Detroit Red Wings are two wins away from once again hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup. In the process, they've kept perfect their record when leading after two periods intact (now 11-0). With the Finals close to being over, it's time to start looking at the potential playoff MVPs for both teams.
Detroit Red Wings
Favourite: Chris Osgood has been simply phenomenal. After his poorest regular season in a Red Wings jersey, Osgood has been unflappable. And with back to back one goal games in the Finals, he's been the best Wing on the ice.
Johan Franzen leads the team in goals scored and points in the playoffs. In the past 34 playoff games, he's scored 24 times, including the winner in game one and has been a constant presence every shift.
Henrik Zetterberg has been Detroit's most complete player. In two games so far, he's averaged 23 minutes of ice time while shadowing and shutting down Sidney Crosby...a big reason the Wings are up 2-0. He's also second on the team in goals (9) and points (19).
Noted: Niklas Lidstrom, Valterri Filppula
Pittsburgh Penguins
Favourite: Even though Sidney Crosby has been shut out in the first two games of the Finals (the first time this has happened since last year's final), he has been hands down the best Penguin on the ice. What's hurting him is the sudden lack of ice time and the constant attention from Detroit's top players.
Evgeni Malkin has had a hand in the only two goals that the Penguins have scored so far, and leads the league in playoff points with 30. He's been less of a focus of the Wings defensive coverage, and he could take more advantage of that.
Marc-Andre Fleury may not have the best numbers in the playoffs, but he's a big reason the Penguins are back in the Finals. Even with a couple of bad bounces, he needs to come up big (the Abdelkader goal in game two was just bad) for his team to get back in this.
Noted: Bill Guerin, Sergei Gonchar
Friday, May 29, 2009
Mike's Take: NHL Combine
Featured on this week's edition of Mike's Take, the NHL Combine has begun for the top 100 prospects of the upcoming Entry Draft, and there's a few interesting tales to be told thus far. This is a detailed assessment of the tests and some of the results of the future NHLers who took part in the gauntlet.
Hello everyone, and welcome to a new edition of Mike's Take. This year's NHL Combine features the likes of OHL superstar John Tavares, and his counterpart, Victor Hedman, who looks to improve his ranking after the weekend's gauntlet. For those who are unsure what the combine is, it's essentially a legal way to drive these draft eligible players into a series of physical and stressful situations while interviewing them to get a good sense of their body capabilities and personality while under pressure.
The Tests:
- Psychological Evaluation
"It included a long series of questions about the prospect's personality (including mental toughness and coachability), and went on to a more grueling mental efficiency test, which measured spatial awareness, decision speed, decision accuracy, concentration, and rates of mental fatigue. The potential draftees took the supervised test in a quiet room set up exclusively for that purpose. An abbreviated version of the mental efficiency portion of the test was then given a second time to each prospect immediately after he completed his fitness testing. The scores under the two conditions were then compared to determine the how much the individual player's reactions decline under stress and fatigue" - Hockey's Future.
- Medical Evaluation
"The medical portion of the testing, which took about a half an hour, included the filling out of a medical form, questions and examination by doctors, photographs of the player, an eye test, and two hand/eye coordination tasks" - Hockey's Future.
- Fitness Testing
The fitness test is the most grueling segment of the entire combine. Each player goes through 18 tests in total, and one test that is considerably stressful on the players is called the "Windgate". What happens is the player has his feet taped to the pedals on a stationary bike. He is then told, in a loud/screaming sort of way, to pedal as fast as he can for 30 seconds. The computer then accurately reads and processes the information on the measurement of explosive speed and fatigue effects of the athlete. Many GMs gather around to watch the screen and record the stats.
Jordan Schroeder, ranked #5 for the draft, vomited right after performing this test. "Everyone will say the bikes are definitely the hardest. You're a little dizzy afterwards", said Schroeder. "A little bit came up - I have to admit, a little bit came up."
The most intense segment of the combine is always the last test for the athletes, and it's known as the VO2 Max test. "VO2 max, or maximal oxygen uptake, is one factor that can determine an athlete's capacity to perform sustained exercise and is linked to aerobic endurance. VO2 max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilize during intense or maximal exercise. It is measured as milliliters of oxygen used in one minute per kilogram of body weight" - Sports Medicine. This is all performed on the bike.
While it is a draining exercise, all of the performers quickly regained their composure afterward. John Tavares, who did not do any upper-body tests due to a speculated shoulder injury, did very well on the cycling tests. Brayden Schenn is also believed to have an upper body injury.
Evander Kane, currently ranked #3 for the forwards, matched the day's high with 17 bench presses and 47 push-ups - which was far and away the highest total of the day.
Ryan Bourque, son of NHL hall of famer Ray Bourque, performed excellently on the agility tests in which the athletes jumped around a hexagonal mat.
Ryan Ellis showed up but then was granted permission to leave the testing due to unknown circumstances.
Victor Hedman showed up, and boy is he big. He measured in at 6'7", while Jared Cowen came in at 6'5", both are huge bodied individuals. Hedman was asked, "if you weren't a hockey player, what would you be?" He quickly responded "a pilot", much to the surprise of man around him.
"It's the last week to make an impression", said Hedman. "I'm looking forward to it...I've tried these tests before and I'm never going to quit." Something everyone wants to hear from a future prospect.
Brian Burke was met at the Combine and was asked of his desire to move up in the draft. "I got nowhere with it so far," said Burke. "I didn't think I would so early. There's no progress to report, but I'm not discouraged yet. So far I got nothing to report and no reason to feel positive or encouraged in any way, but that's how it is. The two times I've done this was on the floor. I'm not surprised there's no progress yet. We've got a month. If we have to stay and pick at seven we're content to do that. We're going to try to move up but we're not going to overpay to do it. We think we can get a good player at seven. We're going to try to hit it out of the park like we always do. The fact that we've put a few top prospects in the system doesn't change the desperation that I think you have to have when you go to the draft. Your mentality has to be we have to be successful here. The fact that we added Bozak, Christian … doesn't change that. It doesn't change that hunger you have to have gong into the draft. We have to get better today."
For more information of the process, read Central Scouting's NHL Combine Protocol.
Micheal A. Aldred
michealaldred@hotmail.com
Friday, May 22, 2009
Knee To Knee Hits On The Rise
The NHL playoffs have delivered some of the most exciting action in recent years. Great goals, amazing passing, and some pretty incredible goaltending.
One negative that has seen an increase this year are the number of knee to knee hits occuring on the ice. The most obvious example would be Alexander Ovechkin's hit on Sergei Gonchar in the second round matchup between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins. Ovechkin was given a two minute minor for kneeing, while Gonchar was helped off the ice and missed two games, but is probably now playing through the injury.
So far in the Eastern final between Pittsburgh and the Carolina Hurricanes, there have been at least three instances of knee to knee contact. Matt Cooke hit Erik Cole in game one after Cole had taken a shot. No penalty again, but Cooke clearly went out of his way to make sure he caught part of Cole. In game two, Denis Seidenberg and Craig Adams had a collision at center ice. Again, no penalty. Adams appeared to try and avoid the body check and Seidenberg was determined to get a piece of Adams. And later in that game, Walker took a questionable run at Evgeni Malkin, hitting him low.
Since the lockout, the NHL has cracked down hard on stick infractions, especially through the neutral zone in an effort to speed up the game by reducing the amount of interference occuring during games. Because of this effort, players are more often trying their hardest to try and hit players coming with speed. The unfortunate result (in most cases, it's not the intention to injure) is that more knee to knee hits have occured.
Unfortunately, the NHL's response to these types of hits has been mixed, to the point that many feel that there is preferential treatment depending on who hit whom. The league needs to be consistent and concrete in handing out punishment for these types of hits, even if it's the playoffs, and one of the premeire players gets suspended. Otherwise, it's a matter of time before someone's career is ended by one of these hits.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Coyotes Mess: Nobody's Talking
Could the NHL and RIM CEO Jim Balsillie resolve their differences, and come to an amicable solution? It seems highly doubtful considering Balsillie's underhandedness in trying to gain a franchise with the singular goal of relocating it to Southern Ontario, but there has to be some compromising ground.
The problem is that neither side has ever negotiated in good faith with the other. Balsillie's bent on moving a franchise, while the NHL is steadfast in keeping all existing teams where they currently are. It's been to his own detriment for Balsillie not to at least be open to the NHL Board of Governors stipulation of trying to make a team work in its existing location as a condition of ownership transfer.
The fact that Balsillie has gone out of his way to slap the NHL in the face by currying the favor of the Canadian fan base also hurts himself and the league. It's a direct shot at the Board of Governors, basically stating that he feels he doesn't need to follow their rules...that corporate law supercedes any actions the NHL can take internally. This action alone has grave consequences for all of pro sports, and it's the main reason the NBA, NFL and MLB have all written statements imploring Judge Baum to strongly consider the NHL's right to determine both team ownership and relocation issues.
In following live reports from the hearing today, the judge has stated previous cases do support the NHL's stand on relocation, but it won't be determined today who is rightfully in control of the team. The judge has stated that Balsillie's groups should have worked with the NHL instead of jumping the gun, and has wondered about current owner Jerry Moyes also working out a better deal with the league.
One thing is for certain. None of the parties involved seem to want to talk to each other, and that has caused a lot of the dysfunction in this case. Given the history, it's understandable that Balsillie would have doubts to the NHL negotiating with him in good faith. What's surprising is that the NHL seems more interested in taking over the franchise altogether, rather than sitting down with Moyes to discuss the future, possibly including the supposed deal from White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf.
Monday, May 11, 2009
The NHL's Broad Appeal
Gary Bettman has been on a mission to make hockey work throughout the United States. Allowing a team to relocate to Phoenix, and adding expansion franchises in Nashville, Florida and Atlanta (who originally had the Flames) was part of his mission to bring hockey to the masses. Unfortunately, at times it's been an exercise in futility.
Now, that's not to say that these areas have passionate fans. Far from it. But when three of these clubs are in the bottom five in terms of attendance, and the Coyotes are on the brink of economic collapse, it's time to reassess the plan.
For starters, there's no viable national network putting forth the product. I know Versus is 'national', but when most cable companies require you to have their top tier of programming to get it, you have cut off a huge portion of the population. In fact, it's been touted that Versus ratings are up 10% for the playoffs, but in terms of television ratings, they're only getting a 0.4 share (which works out to about 465000 viewers). NBC (whenever they decide a game is worthy enough to play...there were no playoff games this weekend) manages to averag about a 1.5 share (1.6 million viewers).
To be fair, there have been some successes. The Dallas Stars have been a successful transplant, as well as the Carolina Hurricanes. The three California teams have all been big, as well. But when the league is lending millions of dollars to prop up a failing franchise, and there's now word that a group from Vancouver wants to purchase and relocate the Atlanta Thrashers, the experiment is over.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Home Ice Advantage?
In sports, especially during the playoffs, everyone invariably talks about the mythical 'home advantage'. The boost from the home fans and familiar settings all lead to some advantage in a best of seven series against another team. Most teams make it their goal in the regular season to earn this advantage for as long as they can. After all, it's better to have four games at home than three. But how much does this 'advantage' really come into play?
If you take the teams as a whole, right now the home teams have a 27-24 (.529) record. In the second round alone so far, the home teams are 4-3. To get a historical perspective on what the numbers mean, the records of the home teams since the 2000-2001 season were calculated.
2000-01: 43-45 (.489)
2001-02: 47-43 (.522)
2002-03: 49-40 (.551)
2003-04: 52-37 (.584)
2005-06: 44-39 (.530)
2006-07: 45-36 (.556)
2007-08: 50-35 (.588)
From a statistical standpoint, there is definitely an advantage to the home team (although usually slight). The trend indicates that the home teams have gained in their advantage over the past nine years, although without further analysis 2000-01 could be an anomylous year where the road teams actually had the upper hand (which makes some sense...finalist New Jersey was 8-4 on the road that year in the playoffs, and champion Colorado was 7-3).
The most interesting deviation occurs when only game sevens are observed. In the same period as above, the home team is 20-9 (.690) in game seven. In other words, having home ice advantage is nice during a series, but it's one of the most important factors when a series goes the distance.
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