Puck This!

2008-10-28T22:20:00.003-04:00

*yawn*

It's been so long since I've been here (and anybody else for that matter), that I feel like a teenager who has slept in late into the afternoon and is now wiping the crud from his eyes.

I really wish I had time to blog about hockey. I have so much to spew, but so little time.

This is just a quick hello to anyone who may accidentally find themselves here and a reminder (below) of why the Red Wings are favoured to win the Cup this season.

Tiger and His Knee

2008-06-19T08:05:00.004-04:00

So, Mike Milbury was legitimately upset after Tiger dissed hockey and, as you see in the clip below, called him Tiger Wuss for taking so long to recover from simple arthroscopic knee surgery.

But...

Much like in hockey, it seems Tiger was hiding some much more serious damage to his "lower body". Tiger revealed yesterday that "he has been playing for at least 10 months with a torn ligament in his left knee, and that he suffered a double stress fracture in his left leg two weeks before the U.S. Open. He said he will have season-ending surgery."

I don't care how much or how little respect someone has for the sport of Golf, but everyone has to recognize that these are serious injuries. To be able to precisely swing a club at the speed that Tiger does for 5 straight days withe pressure of playing a major championship tournament is nothing short of amazing.

We now know that this was a display of toughness and tenacity at a level that is rare in any sport.

All that needs to be done now is to tell Tiger to use his time off to learn more about hockey and its players. They are, as a whole, the toughest athletes in sports.

"Maybe there's more than one way to kiss the Cup"

2008-06-12T22:16:00.003-04:00

I don't know why The Onion suddenly seems to have an interest in hockey, but I like it. "Chris Osgood Gets To Third Base With Stanley Cup" is hilarious.

"Okay, now, I'm not saying there isn't—it's a powerful feeling, when you win the Cup, and sometimes that leads to other feelings that are just as powerful," Osgood continued. "Things happen, but you and the Cup both want them to happen, and you go back to the hotel and ask it to watch Dirty Dancing, and eventually maybe you get into some up and over, or there's some up and down and underneath, or maybe—I'm not saying this happened, but you know—maybe there's more than one way to kiss the Cup."

Blogged with the Flock Browser

La ville est hockey

2008-06-03T23:22:00.005-04:00

Here in Montreal, most hockey fans are confident in their claim that this is, in fact, Hockey Town. It certainly isn't Detroit.

After living here for eight years, I tend to agree. When the Habs are playing, or even better, in the hunt for La Coupe, this city is insane. I do find it odd, however, that since the Canadiens have been ousted from the second season, hockey has taken a serious back seat in the news.

Last night, many of us stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to watch one of the most exciting games in a long time. We are in the very heart of the Stanley Cup Finals. This is it, folks. It doesn't get any better than this.

It came as a surprise then, that the game story was on page 5 of today's sports section. I understand that the game finished really late, but if they had time to print a story, why put it in the middle of the section.

Maybe this city is only a Habs Hockey Town.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Final Fantasy (or is that the other way around)

2008-05-24T20:38:00.004-04:00

This year's Stanley Cup Final matchup is not only what the NHL dreamed of all season, but it's also what most fans wished for as well.

These are the two best teams in the league and, after watching 10 minutes of game 1, it's clear that this will be a better final than any in recent memory.

The question I've been struggling with all week is this one: How do these two team stack up against each other? Let's do this using hands:

On the one hand, Detroit, IMHO, has a slight edge in primary scoring (Datsyuk/Zetterberg vs Crosby/Malkin).

On the other hand, Pittsburgh has the edge in secondary scoring (Hossa/Sykora vs all other Detroit forwards).

On the one hand, Detroit has the edge on D.

On the other hand, Pittsburgh has a slight edge in nets.

On the one hand, Detroit has the edge behind the bench.

On the other hand, Pittsburgh has the edge on the PP.

On the one hand, Detroit has home ice advantage.

On the other hand...

I'm all out of hands.

Detroit in 7

Final Four

2008-05-08T10:03:00.004-04:00

Given the fact that most of the people who post here are Habs fans or Flames fans, there was a lull in the action since those teams were eliminated.

Enough sulking! (I'll save that for a post on the Habs' season later on.) It's time to look at what the final four teams have to offer and to predict who will make it to the final.

EASTERN FINAL

Pittsburgh v. Philadelphia

Even if I still don't fully understand how the Flyers made mincemeat out of the Habs, I have to give them credit. They have a team filled with good, young, talent (Richards, Carter, Umberger, Biron) who are really coming into their own. Biron has been a puck magnet and Umberger is, along with Johan Franzen, a front runner for the John Druce award for most unlikely playoff hero. We can't forget Daniel Brière either. He was great in Round 1.

They key to their success has been their apportunistic goal scoring. In most of the games against Montreal, they were out-shot and out-chanced, sometimes badly. Yet, they kept finding the back of the net whenever they had the chance.

The Penguins, for their part, bring an explosive offense to the table. With all due respect to my beloved Habs, the Flyers D-men and Biron have yet to see an offense like this one. As the Senators and Rangers have learned, even if you can hold on long enough to keep Malkin and Sykora at bay, you then have to face Hossa and Crosby. Ryan Malone has also been great so far.

With all of the firepower that the Penguins have, I still believe that the key to their playoff success has been the stellar play of Marc-André Fleury. It seems we've been waiting a long time for Fleury to mature, but he seems to finally be the goalie that he was touted to be when he was drafted.

Unless Fleury has a total breakdown (which I doubt), I think Pittsburgh should take this series. They won't, however, come out of it without paying a significant physical price.

Penguins in 6

WESTERN FINAL

Detroit v. Dallas

When the Stars got Brad Richards at the traded deadline, I was convinced that they were going to be a team to reckon with in the West. Then, they had a horrible end to the season. As a result, I picked them to lose in both the first and the second round of the playoffs.

Dallas has shown great grit and their top line has been one of the best, if not THE best, in this year's playoffs. Even if it pains me to say it, Mike Ribeiro has been great. I still can't stand him. Look at him! He's got a face only a mother could love. And I don't mean his mother, but rather Mother Teresa.

Over in Detroit, it seems to be business as usual. This is a team that, when they're on fire, play such a dominant game that it's hard for other teams to even get possession of the puck. In the past few years, they seem to have had great seasons but poor playoff performance. It seems that many of their lesser-known players have benefited from a few years experience and are now better payoff performers.

The only question mark for Detroit is, as always, goaltending. Osgood has been good, but not nearly as good as his counterpart, Turco. Detroit has also faced weaker teams that had goaltending issues of their own. They have proven however, that their puck possession has been a very effective way of keeping puck away from their net.

All that being said, I'm going to bet against Dallas for the third straight time. Here's to hopeing that, much like a stopped clock, I'll eventually be right.

Red Wings in 7

Don't Forget!

2008-05-02T10:31:00.002-04:00

The Montreal press can be so fucking racist/protectionist:

Je connais assez bien les Russes pour savoir que ce sont des êtres susceptibles, fiers et qu'ils n'aiment pas, mais pas du tout, faire rire d'eux. Ils veulent bien forcer les Russes; ils veulent bien en donner plus, les Russes, mais quand ils voient à côté d'eux des coéquipiers qui, par égoïsme, par paresse ou par simple manque de discipline, se plaisent à mettre l'équipe dans le pétrin, ils n'hésitent plus, les Russes, ils débarquent du train.

Shorter Michel Blanchard: If Lapierre stinks, it's actually Kovalev's fault.

My Thoughts on Martin Biron

2008-05-01T11:43:00.002-04:00

Fuck you, you stupid fucking cockface.

What the fuck bring back Ryder already shit!

2008-05-01T11:16:00.002-04:00

So, if you were not going to re-sign Michael Ryder, but wanted his veteran-y presence down the stretch, I'd say go for it (though you could make the same argument for Huet - but I won't). Why not - they guy has good hands and has evolved into a decent, if low-profile, two-way winger. As inelegant as it looks, Ryder's ability to propel himself and the puck along the right wing boards despite a lack of space between said boards and a defenceman could be useful to a team that cannot seem to enter the offensive zone with a man advantage. So, yeah, hang on to him at the deadline. Nice work!

Now to bench the guy for (a) Matthieu "I'm Old!" Dandenaut, (b) Guillaume "the Tender Marshmallow" Latendresse, (c) Maxime "Mohawkdouche" Lapierre and (d) Sergei
I May Only Pass to my Brother" Kostitsyn" in a series marked by a dearth of scoring is a waste of time, money and talent. I guess there are (apocraphyl) issues about Ryder's work ethic and his brains, but the man has a knack for clutch scoring almost despite himself. He is the anti-Higgins, and man have we needed him.

So before you hand over the Jack Adams trophy from Don Cherry's cold, dead hands to Guy "I Don't Coach I Wear Ties" Carbonneau, consider the Newfie in the press gallery.

Might as well laugh

2008-04-29T09:22:00.003-04:00

So, after last night's Habs - Flyers tilt, I'm in no mood to reminisce, so I figure that it's better to laugh than to cry. This video is hilarious.

NHL Star Called Up To Big Leagues To Play For NFL Team

(h/t Covered in Oil)

The Zubov Factor

2008-04-27T23:00:00.004-04:00

So, I'm watching Game 2 of the Dallas - San Jose series and I just witnesses a brilliant pass by Sergei Zubov. It was pretty sick.

The play made me think of a comment I made to my colleague, Mozzarella Slim, the day after I made my Round 2 predictions. As is documented on this site, I predicted that the Sharks would eliminate the Stars. That, however, was before I realized that Zubov was going to return to the lineup sooner than expected.

I read the news in the paper the morning after I made my picks and immediately knew that the return of Zubov would be huge. I said so to Mozza.

Now, I won't change my pick, but I'll just say this: Go Stars!

Note: In this game, I also saw Mickey Ribs score and give a few hits. That wasn't sick, but it made me sick. Burp.

Game 1: Not a Total Disaster

2008-04-25T12:39:00.002-04:00

As a result of living overseas for four years and the Avs missing the post-season last year, until last night it had been six years since I saw a play-off game involving Colorado. That particular game was none other than the worst day in the history of the franchise—a Game Seven 7-0 pasting by the Red Wings, a miserable spectacle which neither I nor Phoff, who had joined me for the occasion, bothered to sit through to the bitter end.

For a while last night, it seemed like I had gone back in time. It was Joe Louis Arena again, it was Super Joe and Footer and Osgood and Draper and McCarthy again, and the Avs were awful again. When Franzen scored his second of the night to chase Theodore (who also seemed to have gone back in time, becoming once again the Jose Theodore of his first year and a half with the Avs), I was getting ready to find something more enjoyable to do, like prying off my fingernails with a toothpick.

But it turned out this game was different after all. Six years ago, the Avs didn’t show up at all. Last night, perhaps confused by the time difference, they simply showed up late—about an hour after the Red Wings, by which point it was too late, but at least they salvaged some dignity with their performance in the remainder of the game.

For the first period and a few minutes of the second, the Avs put on a clinic on how not to play Detroit. They were sloppy with the puck, they failed to clear the zone on numerous occasions, they let the Wings skate untouched through the neutral zone. Detroit looked like they could score on every rush up the ice.

A lot of this was due to the Avs’ defensive ineptitude, but credit goes to the Wings too—they are incredibly strong on the puck, they are great at creating space, they make smart, quick decisions, and they jumped all over every mistake the Avs made. They’re a great hockey team, no question.

But then Theodore was pulled, Osgood gave up a soft goal, and the momentum of the game gradually shifted. Smyth, Stastny, and Hejduk combined for the prettiest goal of the night to make it a one-goal game, and in the third period, despite only putting six shots on net, the Avs were all over the Wings, finishing their checks, keeping the puck in along the boards, and generating several good chances. After looking dangerous on every shift in the first period and change, the Wings barely got a look at Budaj’s goal for the remainder of the game, as the Avs got sticks and bodies in the way and stopped them from getting any kind of sustained pressure.

As one-sided as it had seemed early on, Cleary’s fluky first-period goal and Osgood’s big saves in the third, on Sakic and Liles in particular, ended up being the difference between the teams. That’s encouraging. If they put in the kind of effort they showed for the second half of yesterday’s game, and if Foppa returns and they get more from Joe Sakic and a very disappointing Andrew Brunette, there’s no question the Avs can compete with the Red Wings. The question is: Can they beat them? We’ll know more on Saturday.

T. K.O.

2008-04-25T10:59:00.000-04:00

(Period 2) 9:44 EV MTL 46 A.KOstitsyn
(Period 2) 16:03 SH MTL 27 A.KOvalev
(Period 3) 19:31 PP MTL 27 A. KOvalev
(Period 4) 0:48 EV MTL 6 T.KOstopoulos

With so many players whose last names begin with KO (6), it’s no surprise that the Habs have KO’ed their opponents more often than not over the course of the season.

What a game! Some say the Habs stole one, but I disagree. Both teams seemed nervous and turnovers were the order of the day. Neither team really played well, but I thought the Habs had the better chances, even after being down 2 – 0 after the 1st. They seemed to have more quality chances (2 posts) in both the 1st and 2nd periods.

They can still be better, especially when it comes to defensive zone coverage. Also, Price was simply human. We know he can be better.

OT rocks...when we win. Go Greek Lightning!

Round 2 Prognosticating

2008-04-23T21:18:00.006-04:00

Man, do I ever love the playoffs. It feels like there's hockey on TV 24/7. Tonight is the first night in 2 weeks with no hockey. That gives me time to wrap up Round 1 and make my Round 2 predictions.

The first round was exciting and what I loved the most, I think, was discovering how exciting it was to watch the Washington Capitals play. I was truly saddened when they lost last night. If they sign a good goalie for next season, they will be a team to watch.

As far as my predicting abilities go, I seem to have lost a step. Last year, I was perfect until the final, but so far, I'm at 75%. If 2 out of 3 wasn't so bad for Meatloaf, I suppose 3 out of 4 is fine for me.

In the West, I expected Anaheim to move past Dallas, but I have to say that I'm very happy to see that idiot Pronger and his lads hit the links. As for the East, I really hoped the Caps would beat the hated Flyers, but alas, it was not to be.

So, what's on tap for Round 2? Let's see...

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

San Jose v. Dallas

I was glad that Dallas got rid of Burkie's boys and I would have loved to see the Flames upset the Sharks. I should, then, be rooting for Dallas.

The Sharks, however, might just give Mickey Ribs and his posse all they can handle. San Jose's big forwards, (Thornton, Cheechoo, Marleau) will not have to face hard hitting D-men like Phaneuf and Regehr, so they may have more space. This could mean trouble for Dallas.

I also think that the Sharks have the edge in nets.

Sharks in 7

Detroit v. Colorado

This will be the series to watch in the West (I hope). Sure, we're not in 1996 anymore, but there is some serious bad blood between these two teams.

In theory, the Wings should be the clear winners, but I don't think it will be that easy. Detroit has goaltending issues and the Avalanche have benefited from a reborn Jose Theodore. If I were the Wings, I would start inviting Paris Hilton to the games.

While the Avs have shown that they're for real, there is a world of difference between the Wild offence and the Wings' firepower up-front.

Theo will be good, but he can't do it all.

Wings in 6

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

New York v. Pittsburgh

If the Wings and Avs series is the one to watch in the West, this is the one the entire NHL fan base will want to watch. Crosby, Jagr, Malkin, Drury, Hossa, Gomez...This is a series made for Broadway.

Pittsburgh seemed dominant in their sweep of the Senators, but they did face the worst team to qualify for the 2008 playoffs. I'm pretty sure that the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins could have done away with this version of the Sens.

The Rangers are, clearly, not the Sens. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say that the Rangers are the team to beat in the East. They have an incredibly strong lineup and can come at anyone in waves. Needless to say, they have a rock in goal.

This will be a great series and experience will win it in the end.

Rangers in 7

Montreal v. Philadelphia

Although I wanted the Caps to beat the Flyers, I have to admit that this scenario favours the Habs.

Philly did a good job beating one of the hottest teams down the stretch and it'll help that Brière has found his touch. Biron was also surprisingly strong.

The Habs, as we all know, had their hands full with the pesky B's and, finally, showed their mettle in Game 7. Montreal's forwards are fast and pesky and can make the opposing defenders skate in circles.

Since Philly's D-men are not as strong as the B's and that, as a team, the Flyers are not as well-coached as Boston. Hopefully, the Canadiens will know how to exploit that.

Canadiens in 6

Game 7, or "Character"

2008-04-23T00:50:00.003-04:00

Ah shoot. It was a tough one. The Flames had a run of bad luck, bad bounces, bad calls and bad legs, falling to San Jose in an exciting -- but ultimately doomed -- series finale, 5-3.

Notes about the game:

The Jim Vandemeer experiment was a nice idea, and it didn't hurt in game 6, but the guy is a great defenseman and a slow, slow winger, and Keenan should have put him on the blueline the first time Anders Eriksson made a bad pinch. Or the second time. Or the third time ...
The refs had an affect again. Why the hell they would call an interference penalty on Conroy when he was taking the man with the puck in front of the net is beyond me, but that penalty resulted in a game-tying PP goal which led to the Sharks' 4-goal second period. I've said it before, the refs don't lose games for you, but they can have an affect on the outcome, and that's unconscionable.
Just to show I'm not completely partisan on this, even more egregious was the high sticking call on Rissmiller, who was 15 feet away from Daymond Langkow when the Flames centre was hit in the head by Jim Vandemeer. However, by this time the result of the game was no longer in doubt.
Yes, I know Kiprusoff had 30 shots by the midpoint of the game, but he was letting bad rebounds out, resulting in more shots than necessary, and he let in a really bad goal at an even worse time. His head needs work, stat.
Roenick? Jeremy Roenick? 4 points? Jeez.
Where was Iginla? He played well, but his hands were tied too often.

After all is said and done, the Sharks were the better team, though not by much. They had to earn that win, and earn it they did. They played 4 solid lines, had incredible goaltending, and showed enough character to impress even this cynical old soul. A great team, no doubt, and I'm thinking that this first test might be enough to propel them to the finals.

As for coaching, I thought Ron Wilson had a brain fart when he kept Devin Setogucci out of the lineup for the first few games, but at least he came to his senses. Tonight, he earned his paycheque, however. The team was in trouble but he seemed to keep them composed throughout, and they did him proud.

Boo.

Why Is This Night Different?

2008-04-21T11:40:00.003-04:00

It seems like every hockey blog has got some Pesach content this year, so why not PuckThis!?

This post chronicles the email thread Tim and I had on Saturday. While I obssessed over my PDA in the corner of the kids' table as the Seder went on, Tim diligently emailed in his assessment of game six. As becomes apparent, following the Pesach dinner, the Jews migrated to the den to watch a miracle performance turn into a plague from a vengeful god.

Meanwhile, the over-rated Habs Inside Out blog reports that Carbonneau has come to his senses and ~~benched Matthieu Dandenault~~ decided to wear his lucky tie. Now all he has to do is decide to order his team to actually forecheck (two men in deep, none of this 1-4 junk) and defend their blue line and he'll be 2-0 in the decision department.

Subject: Saku! Francis! ... Mark?

Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 12:40 PM
To:
Beeg
So who do you think gets benched? O'Byrne, probably, but maybe Gorges. Up front, Dandenault finally? I don't think they bench SK, he might score, Could be Ryder again, which would be a fucking shame. Also, do you think Kovalev will be extra determined and thus a) play well and effectively or b) hog the puck until he gives up a scoring opportunity (ies). Finally, if an unfit Koivu can't play more than say, 15 min, who picks up the extra slack? Plek? Lapierre? I see them using Smolinski on the PP, so...

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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 1:47 PM
To: Tim
Dandy and O’Byrne should sit.
If Koivu is weak, I would lean to Smoke but it depends on the rhythm of the game. I fear Ryder is done for the playoffs. Koivu's presence should ease the pressure on Kovalev if Chara has to cover both of them. I think Markov is injured.
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 7:16 PM
To: Beeg
Koivu not ready
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 7:17 PM
To: Tim
elaborate
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 7:21 PM
To: Beeg
not skating, just standing around watching. Only been a couple of shifts, but not his feisty self. 73, 84, 3 out.
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 7:22 PM
To: Tim
Dandy must have photos of Carbo with a butt plug.
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 7:25 PM
To: Beeg
Streit creates shorthanded breakaway. Streit slow, but apparently more useful than Ryder.
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 7:27 PM
To: Beeg
Higgins scores!
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 7:28 PM
To: Beeg
great fucking goal!
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 7:28 PM
To: Beeg
the coincidental penalty strategy works
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 7:47 PM
To: Beeg
Ok 1st period. 1-0 Mtl.
21-11-74 doing OK, but passes being picked off and creating Boston chances. If they stay focused, they'll be OK. Joyeux Pacques, btw.
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 8:07 PM
To: Beeg
Kessel, awesome goal
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 8:13 PM
To: Tim
Motherfuck. What the hell?
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 8:16 PM
To: Beeg
Goal was good play. Boston playing much better since, mtl has to respond. Higgins best game that I’ve seen
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 8:17 PM
To: Beeg
Plek! out of penalty box!
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 8:30 PM
To: Tim
I love those goals. Best of the year though was Komi's breakaway in OT SH against Leafs
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 8:46 PM
To: Beeg
end of 2nd 2-1 Mtl. Boston putting on a lot of pressure end of 2nd. Price lucky a couple of times.
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:07 PM
To: Beeg
Fuck. 2-2
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:07 PM
To: Tim
FUCK OFFSIDE
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:09 PM
To: Beeg
so you're watching?
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:09 PM
To: Tim
Huge PP coming up
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:12 PM
To: Beeg
foolish optimism
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:12 PM
To: Tim
Yeah. SHOOT THE FUCKIN PUCK.
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:17 PM
To: Beeg
Versus people are insisting that it was not offside, and that the linesmen are amazing because "to the naked eye, that might be offside" Seriously, they said that
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:19 PM
To: Tim
UGH Pierre and Yvon have a different perspective.
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:22 PM
To: Beeg
Also, the replay THEY WERE SHOWING
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:23 PM
To: Tim
The Jews rejoice.
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:23 PM
To: Beeg
explains much about totalitarianism-people are easy to deceive, depending on initial inclinations
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:26 PM
To: Tim
The Jews are saddened. Once again...
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:31 PM
To: Tim
SKost is driving me crazy.
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:35 PM
To: Beeg
Excellent, now Boston will become overconfident
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:36 PM
To: Tim
horseshit
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:36 PM
To: Beeg
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:36 PM
To: Beeg
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:37 PM
To: Beeg
see? apologies for computer issues
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:38 PM
To: Tim
Well done.
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:40 PM
To: Beeg
I can't believe these teams had a 1-0 game
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:42 PM
To: Tim
So much for tight playoff games.
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:42 PM
To: Beeg
why is Streit out there?
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:44 PM
To: Beeg
Well, it was a different game than I had expected
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:44 PM
To: Tim
Holy crap is the press gonna go nuts. Fuck.
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:46 PM
To: Beeg
there or here?
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:48 PM
To: Tim
Here. What a finish.
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 9:52 PM
To: Beeg
Right. Monday will be interesting.
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Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 11:06 PM
To: Beeg
If they lose, the thing i'd hate most is that all these asinine meathead commentators down here will think they're right.
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Mon, Apr 21, 2008 at 11:21 AM
To: Tim
I think I am gonna post this thread to PT. It's pretty amusing when you red it all in one shot. Let me know if that's cool. Only one reference to butt plugs, and it's by me.

Game 6

2008-04-20T22:44:00.003-04:00

Great game tonight in the sixth tilt of the Flames/Sharks first-round series. There is a steady momentum being established during these past few games. Despite the end-results of games 4 and 5, the Flames were generally the better team for most of the game, with the Sharks capitalizing on mistakes more than generating chances of their own, and the boys from Cowtown rode their increasingly confident play to the end in tonight's big 2-0 victory over San Jose.

A few notes:

Is the officiating in all the other series just as bad as what I've been witnessing? Atrocious is not a strong enough word to describe the performance of all on-ice officials. From phantom calls, inconsistent rulings, failures to stop play on covered pucks, blown icings, sketchy off-sides --- I am no longer getting outraged by the antics of the Four Blind Mice, but rather am more shocked between those rare intervals when bad calls do not occur. In a seven game series, a team will win or lose on its own merit, despite the blown rulings; however, there have been times this series when the officiating has had an affect on the game, and that is completely unacceptable.
Kipper scored his first shut-out of the series, in what was perhaps his easiest performance. It isn't a revelation to know that a very good goaltender can rack up terrific numbers when he has a team playing defense in front of him. If they can keep this up, the Flames have a better-than-even chance of moving on.
The Juice is loose: Kristian Huselius has found his game again. Despite a poor, offensive-zone penalty in the second period, he put in far and away his best performance of the playoffs, including putting in a shift on the power-play for the first time in the post-season. To say that the Flames could really use some more production from their second-leading scorer in the regular season is an understatement. His emergence has added a second dimension to the Flames attack.
It is far too early to talk about the Conn Smythe Trophy yet (though Preds tender Dan Ellis deserves a mention), but Jarome Iginla, who had just finished the best season of his career, is taking charge of his team reminiscent of the 2004 run. He is the best player in the league right now, and he is a leader on par with Messier, Yzerman, and the rest.

Down to the wire.

Life in Exile

2008-04-20T10:35:00.007-04:00

Say what you will about the senility of Bob Cole or the Habs-centered worldview of Pierre et Yvon, at least they understand the central principal of hockey: the team which (legally) puts the most pucks into its opponent’s net, wins. Down in the States, however, this point is poorly understood.

First off, is this obsession with violence. The Flyers' slogan, and entertainment theme at their home games, is "Vengeance." Vengeance for what, you might ask? The many years of Bobby Clark-imposed suckiness? The fact that they have to live in Philly? Now, I've never played organized hockey, so I'm not too sure what coaches say in dressing rooms, but I've always had the impression that they usually tell their players to avoid seeking revenge, and taking the dumb penalties that go with it, in favour of scoring goals. But, apparently, not in Philly. The TV commentators also seem to think that the most significant aspects of games are not goals, shots, scoring chances or puck possession, but hits. Apart from the fact that hits are probably the most subjective statistic in hockey, there is no acknowledgement of the fact that a player may take a hit, retain the puck, and score. Or that making a big hit may take a player out of position, thus leading to a goal. These matters are irrelevant. Particularly baffling is that this viewpoint is especially pushed by the colour commentator for the local Boston coverage, Rick Middleton. As a former Lady Byng winner, you'd think he'd have a different perspective. I guess living in Boston for twenty years does something to you.

Not, of course, that the commentators’ focus on non-goal related issues is confined to violence. Immediately following Saturday's Caps-Flyers game, in which the Caps put on a pretty strong effort to stay alive, the NBC commentators stressed not the Caps victory or defence in the last two, tense minutes, but the Flyers remarkable puck control in the game's dying seconds. Apart from the utter lack of class in not focusing on the winners, the obvious point seems to be: the Flyers, even with the extra attacker, didn't score. Thus, no matter how much the commentators liked their puck control, it failed in its most basic objective, which is to SCORE A FUCKING GOAL! Props, at least, to Pierre McGuire for trying to teach the commentators how to pronounce "Martin Biron" correctly. Needless to say, he failed and they quickly reverted to "Marty."

All this to lead up to my main source of astonishment: the Sobotka goal in last night's Montreal-Boston game. While showing a slow-motion replay that, to my eyes, clearly showed two Bruins to be offside, the Versus commentators had this contribution: "Wow, what a great call! That just shows you how sharp the linesmen are, because to the naked eye that play looks offside." (I'm trying to remember a game that on the whole I'd rather the forget, but I'm pretty sure that quote is essentially accurate. I will swear to the naked-eye part.) Now, I won't take a position on the offsideness of the goal itself. Maybe a different camera angle would demonstrate something different. But the point is, the one the broadcasters were using most definitely did not. And yet, they refused to believe the visual evidence right in front of them, perceived by their own eyes. I'm sure George Orwell had something to say about people who do that.

Well, That Sucked

2008-04-17T21:59:00.004-04:00

No, I'm not referring to the awful intro before the first game of the Pens - Sens series in Ottawa. Rather, I'm referring to the awfulness that was the Bruins - Habs game tonight. Awful, for a Habs fan.

It wasn't so much the score that was ugly, but it was the way the Bruins played and won. They are playing "ugly" hockey. It's also very efficient hockey.

Claude Julien is a very good coach. Bob Gainey said so. After he fired him.

Julien knows that his team cannot match the Habs' firepower or speed. Their strategy, therefore, has been to play great positional hockey and a very tight checking style. The Habs players usually have a Bruin draped all over them the instant they get control of the puck. With so little time and space, Montreal's speed and creativity (the main reason they were the top scoring team in the NHL) is shut down.

The Habs had been playing patient hockey until tonight and it had served the well. Tonight, they seemed to be overwhelmed by the tight checking and lost focus. A clear sign of frustration on the part of Markov shows that the team was unraveling.

Panic?

I don't think so.

There is a good amount of leadership on the team, most notably behind the bench. I have a feeling that the likes of Carbonneau and Jarvis, who know a thing or two about tight, defensive hockey, should be able to find a way to ply through it.

Then again, I'm the guy who wrote that "this may be over sooner than I thought" four days ago.

The money shot

2008-04-15T11:59:00.003-04:00

Hockey broadcasters, much like those of other sports, are well-known for their liberal use of sports euphemisms while calling the game. However, they may be more right than they know when they refer to a slapshot from the blueline as "a bullet from the point".

With specific reference to the most famous testicle in the NHL (at least, since Phil Kessel's courageous comeback), an Oilers blogger with a hitherto unknown scrotum fetish compares taking a slapshot to taking a bullet.

(h/t)

Game 3, or "Character"

2008-04-14T14:46:00.006-04:00

Due to the certain vortexes in the space-time continuum, whereby a good friend scored tickets for last night's game at the Saddledome, coupled with his pregnant wife feeling under the weather, in addition to my own being available at short notice, I was able to be in attendance at the greatest second season showing in Cowtown since the Flames knocked off Detroit in Game 6 of the second round of their 2004 run.

The performance I witnessed included an outstanding, character-driven comeback from a 3-0 deficit from less than 4 minutes into the game into a thrilling 4-3 victory, putting Calgary ahead of San Jose 2-1 in this opening round series. My larynx is swollen, my body tired, but I wouldn't trade that experience for almost anything.

Except, perhaps, my marriage.

And, I suppose, the birth of my future children.

A few notes:

Has there even been a more brutal yet clean hit in the playoffs since Brian Campbell coined the term "to be umbergered" in that Buffalo-Philadelphia tilt a few years back? Patrick Marleau has been terrific so far, and he's tough as they come. But after getting plastered by Phaneuf and then completely demolished by Sarich, the man was stepping a lot more lightly for the rest of the game and, perhaps, for the rest of the series.
Even superstars have a rough night, and kudos to Mike Keenan for getting the team composed after their dreadful start. He was right to pull Kiprusoff, and by showing confidence in his entire team.
The most impressive late-season acquisition in this series (so far) is not Campbell coming to California, but Curtis Joseph. He's old, he handles the puck like an off-colour joke at a church social, but he's got experience and leadership enough to calm the team in front of him. I don't think he deserved the first star last night (Sarich should have gotten it for his wrecking job on Marleau), and he didn't have to make any Hollywood moves in the crease; still, he's making Darryl Sutter look like a genius again.
While I don't necessarily disagree with Matt at Battle of Alberta that Thornton is not a "gutless, soft wuss", though I do disagree with him that there are qualities which prevent him from being a big-time player. It has to do with style and flair: Thornton is smooth, quiet and dangerous; yet big games call for someone who don't merely wrack up points, but do it in an inspiring fashion. A team can be lifted by a monster hit (like last night), an unbelievable save, a big fight, or a spectacular scoring rush. Think Ovechkin, Iginla, Phaneuf, Crosby, Kovalev, Pronger or even Marleau. They are exciting players with a penchant for the dramatic. Thorton has never really grasped this, and until he does, he will continue to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune.
As I noted earlier, Nabokov doesn't win games for his team, and last night was the obvious example. He was terrific in goal, but he had a 3-0 lead for the entire game and lost it in the end. He team failed in front of him, of course, and there were a few lucky bounces, but the greatest goaltenders find a way to hang on when it matters most, and Nabokov ultimately was responsible.
Every line fielded by the Flames outplayed every line of the Sharks for the final 55 minutes. Case in point: with the game tied in the third period, Keenan had Eric Goddard and the 4th unit going against Thornton & co. Why? Because they were doing their job, clogging up the middle, disrupting lead passes, and supporting Regehr, Sarich and Joseph in their own zone effectively. When a team is firing on all cylinders, it shows the power of good coaching over any individual player, no matter how talented.

It's a long series and San Jose will be back with a vengeance. However, you got to think that any team which blows such a fine start must have their confidence shaken horribly.

2nd Base

2008-04-13T15:41:00.007-04:00

"Although George Michael had only got to second base, he’d gone in head first, like Pete Rose."

Well, the Habs have quickly arrived to second base in their first round series and the second win was a lot tougher to earn than the first. Many in the MSM and in the blogosphere have referred to last night's win as an undeserved robbery.

I'm not in total agreement with that statement.

Although the Bruins did play much better and the Habs were a little off their game, I wouldn't say that Montreal was listless or even that they were lucky to get away with a win.

Boston did get a lot of shots on net, but mainly from the point on the PP and, although Price did make some great saves, the scoring chances were not overwhelmingly in Boston's favour.

What has rarely been mentioned in today's writeups is how Tiny Tim Thomas was the one who made more game saving stops. Many seem to have forgotten the two thwarted breakaways by none other than AK27 and Big Tits. And what about Breezer slapshot off the post with o.o1 seconds left in the third?

Boston did outplay Montreal, but the Habs were not completely dominated. I think this is the best Boston can give and Montreal can surely play better. Andrei Markov, for one, was not in All-Star shape last night and the top line has yet to show its teeth.

This may be over sooner than I thought.

Nut Job

2008-04-12T21:22:00.007-04:00

I hate the Flyers. I really, really do. I almost hate them as much as I hate the Leafs. Almost.

That's why I wanted to jump into Alexander the Gr8's arms last night as he literally stole the show in Washington. He is a special player and a treat to watch.

Much of the talk, however, was not about Ovechkin, but about Patrick Thoresen's balls. That's right, his testicles (well, one of them at least).

During a Capitals PP, Thoresen was hit in the groin by a slap shot and quickly went down like Divine Brown on Hugh Grant. He was a clear pain, but the whistle never blew (no pun intended). As if it were scripted, the same guy who hit him in the groin scored a few seconds later.

The call (or non call) by the officials was, in my estimation, the right one. This wasn't a Trent McLeary shot to the throat or even, to use a more recent example, an Anton Volchenkov shot to the face. He was not in any immediate peril.

Of course, to try to make it seems as if the play deserved a call, the Flyers GM had this to say shortly after the game:

"He's going to the hospital to get an ultrasound done on his testicles. It's bad enough they may have to remove one. Right now, we're not sure how serious it is, but there's a chance he may need surgery."

Really?

This is what they said today:

"General Manager Paul Holmgren told TSN that the winger was going to be fine and may even be in the lineup Sunday for Game 2 against the Caps."

GM's in Philly have always had more balls than brains.

Come on!

What I'm Thinking Right Now...

2008-04-12T20:31:00.005-04:00

Three things that come to mind as I watch the Habs - Bruins tilt:

AK27 may be able to beat the Bruins with one hand tied behind his back
My playoff beard is better than Breezer's, but I have to admit he hasn't been horrible so far
I am beginning to agree with Lubelly. Carey Price is, indeed, a Jedi

More thoughts later...

Update @ 9:20:

I think that AK27 could help lose the game with two hands on his stick.

Update @ 10:05:

Now that's what I call redemption! AK27 wins it with two hands and a bullet in the top shelf. Good 'ol Don Cherry is surely already screaming.

Game 2

2008-04-11T15:04:00.003-04:00

Boo!
The Flames did a decent first period, allowing plenty of shots, which were mostly of the low-percentage variety, and nabbed a couple very decent scoring chances of their own. In short, it was a continuation of last game.

It was the second period which troubles me. 6 straight penalties, some of which were earned, others which were utter bullshit. It was typical Ron Wilson hockey -- if you can't beat 'em on the scoreboard, at least start diving and get on the powerplay. The Flames were valiant, though, keeping the Sharks to merely one PP score in ten chances.

That's right; the Flames had 10 penalties during the course of the game, which speaks to discipline, of course.

Yet it speaks to something more, that being the officiating had an effect on the game.

Hence, the 'boo!'

Game three's on Sunday at the Dome. Having relinquished my game pack for next season, this will be the first time since the 2004 drive that I won't be making my presence felt in the post-season. 'Tis a shame, because this will be a tight one. As the Flames failed to take both opening games in the Jose, they will be in tight to return to the Tank at an advantage. The series is going to at least 6, if not the distance.

A quick note, if you haven't been watching (it's a late start for those of you in the center of the universe), this is a goaltenders battle for the ages. While Kiprusoff is doing anything and everything to keep the biscuit from the basket, Nabokov is keeping his team in the game with a few key saves of his own. It is phenomenal.

Game 1

2008-04-10T14:17:00.003-04:00

It might have surprised some people, but not this cat. The Sharks and Flames fought a close battle last night at the Tank, closer than the shot clock might indicate. In fact, while Kiprusoff turned aside 37 shots in the Flames' 3-2 victory in Game 1 of the opening round, the scoring opportunities were much closer.

The Sharks were pretty good, particularly Patrick Marleau, though they were sporadic in their attack. The Flames also played an excellent road game, keeping the normally ballistic San Jose crowd out of the match from the get-go.

A couple of notes:

1) The weaknesses of Brian Campbell were evident last night. For one, the Flames defenders were not only watching for his Savardian Spin-o-Rama, they were waiting for it. He tried it a couple of times and was met head-on. Seems as if the ice got a lot smaller one when the regular season becomes a memory. For another, he was utterly incapable of winning a one-on-one battle with Iginla, as evidenced by what turned out to be the game-winning goal. He's a great player, he can handle the puck and he is going to get his share of points, but it will take more than Campbell's slick moves to get the Sharks a championship, let alone out of the first round.

2) Kipper's better than Nabokov. There is no question. I like Nabokov, he's a great goaltender, and he will rightly take home the Vezina. He can keep his team in the game and has a stable, cool head on his shoulders. However, I cannot remember an incidence where he had to win a game on his own. Of course, this might have more to do with the quality of teammates in front of him, but Kipper wins games almost all by himself on a regular basis. There are up to six games to go, but this difference might be all the difference needed to settle this series.

3) The Flames won this game more than the Sharks lost it. I thought the Teal played solid and tough and had plenty of chances. Their powerplay looked lethal, even if they didn't get to capitalize. The Flames, on the other hand, still made a few mistakes and had to be bailed out by their goaltender. One might see this and suggest that the Sharks are the better team; I see this as the Flames won the game and still have room for improvement.

4) It was good to get Game 1 out of the way, but before this series started, I thought Game 2 was even more important. If the Flames had lost, then they would have needed to get back in the series; but if they'd won Game 1, the Sharks are almost guaranteed to take at least one game back in the Saddledome. San Jose has the best road record in the league and will be certainly looking to shut the crowd down like Calgary did last night. If the Flames want to win this series, I do believe that winning Game 2 is a must.

Other notes:

The Sens still suck, but the Pens were sloppy with their sticks and started playing Ottawa's chippy game. If they want to win in 4 games, they will have to smarten up. Keep in mind, next round will be considerably more difficult for that young team.
Marty Brodeur is mortal after all. Look for him to rebound (with few rebounds) in Game 2.
Congrats on Joe Sakic on his extending his OT goal-scoring record to 8. I've always liked him, and I've never liked Minnesota. So I'm happy.

Bumf's Playoff Prognosticatin'

2008-04-09T13:13:00.008-04:00

Move over, amateurs -- if you are wanting to know the real scoop, if you feel the need for intrigue, if you are a-haverin' for a waverin' (whatever that means), you've come to the right place.

Call your bookies -- The 2007-08 NHL Playoff Results can be seen here first.

Round 1

The BEASTS of the EASTS

Montreal (1) v. Boston (8)

The Habs beat the Beez like a red-headed step-child this year, and they appear to keep the tradition alive and well come post-season. Their power-play ranked number one in the league, and their offensive output was outstanding. They also have a hot-shot rookie 'tender between the pipes, harking back memories to a Liberal Member of Parliament and a certain nut-job of a head coach who sends his son off on hit missions.

Still, not all is as seems. Five-on-five, the Bruins had an identical GF/GA ratio, and they ranked a mere 23rd in total number of penalties. They've also been without Patrice Bergeron for most of the season, a problem which will be soon remedied, and leading scorer Marc Savard will also be back. They have some solid role players, including former Flame Chuck Kobasew, who has made a name for himself on the third line, and the always dependable Zdeno Chara will be playing 75 minutes a night (approx.)

The wild card here is Timmy "the Tank Engine" Thomas, who holds one of the best save percentages in the league, not to mention he is one of most unpredictable freaks behind a mask since Jason Voorhees. If he continues to stand on the head, the series will be much closer than analysts are predicting.

Key Phrase: "You give me 8-0 in the regular season and I'll show you a potentially huge first-round upset."

Habs in 6.

Pittsburgh (2) v. Ottawa (7)

... and what's the deal with the Sens? They are complaining that a team will throw a game just to meet them in the post-season, and then sit their captain and top power forward for the entire series? What's the deal with that? [use your best Seinfeld impersonation for full effect]

Seriously, though, the Sens suck. As for Pittsburgh, ever since Marc Andre-Fleury changed his pads from the snot-gold hue to a enamel white, the guy has been fantastic. Sergei Gonchar is playing the best defense in his life, and the top two lines are lighting it up like their own 4th of July celebration. And this is without Marian Hossa and whatsisname from Cole Harbour in the lineup.

Key Phrase: Time to refurbish the nettings behind Gerber.

Pens in 5.

Washington (3) v. Philadelphia (6)

Ovechkin is this year's Crosby; he's the darling of the media, he's revived a franchise, and he's going to have his ass handed to him in the post-season. True, the guy's big, he's fast, he can shoot and he's a force to be reckoned with. To imagine him being left off the scoresheet is unimaginable. Fact: he is going to score.

Big deal? Not really. The Caps are a chippy team, chippy because they aren't really that good. The problem for them is that Philly is also a chippy team, except they are better at it. They might not be able to completely shut down Ovechkin, but they are more than capable of shutting down those who get the puck to him. Namely, Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom will have to keep their heads on a swivel if they don't want to etch their facial features into the Wachovia Center sideboards.

Key Phrase: "Keep Ovechkin to a goal-a-game or less, and the series is done."

Flyers in 6.

New Jersey (4) v. New York (5)

The Rangers dominated the Devils during the regular season, but they are also facing one of the greatest playoff goaltenders in history in a seven-game series. The problem for the Devils? The Rangers have a goalie who is just as good.

The Devils do have strong coaching and some offensive ability, but it seems as if the Rangers have built a team specifically to beat New Jersey. They have added toughness and a defensive attitude, and with the arrival of Gomez, Drury and super-pest Avery, they are hoping to go the distance.

Key Phrase: "As Luke Skywalker said a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, This is going to be close!"

Rangers in 6.

The CHESTS of the WEST

Detroit (1) v. Nashville (8)

Not much to say here. Nashville has been heroic in their comeback and Ellis might win a game or two, but they simply cannot match-up.

Key Phrase: "What was that?"

Wings in 5.

San Jose (2) v. Calgary (7)

Yeah, yeah, I know. 18-0-2. Big deal. When's the last time a team went 18-0-2 in the post-season? Never, that's when.

The Sharks gave themselves a big push with the addition of offensive d-whiz Brian Campbell at the trading deadline and it has certainly paid dividends. They also have the top goalie in the regular season backing them up, plus Big Joe Thornton leading the offensive charge. It seems like nothing can stop them.

Nothing, except a team which was built for the post-season, including a roster full of savvy veterans, a proven playoff goaltender, and a no-nonsense coach who has been there before. Iginla and Phaneuf both know that they have something to prove after the past two post-seasons, and believe me, they are not going to take this series lightly. Kipper has really come on the past couple of months, as has Matthew "Winged Lightning" Lombardi. Don't be surprised to see Lombo line up between Huselius and Nolan, giving the second line a turbo injection against the Marleau unit, while Craig Conroy will be able to solely concentrate on shutting down Thornton along with Stephane Yelle and Wayne Primeau.

Key Phrase: "What has Thornton ever won?"

Key Phrase II: "And what will be his excuse this time?"

Flames in 6.

Minnesota (3) v. Colorado (6)

Damn, that Gaborik looks fantastic as of late. Scoring key goals in key games, skating around like the superstar he was always meant to be. It is very likely that he will be retaining the 'C' on his heart throughout the post-season, as he has finally taken control of his enigmatic team.

Colorado, with the addition of Adam Foote and Peter Forsburg, and with the resurgence of Jose Theodore, look unstoppable. Too bad this isn't 2002. Forsburg is looking terrific and well-rested, and can only help an anemic power-play and the face of their offensive problems, Ryan Smyth. The Wild are a truly great team and have earned their seed, but it might come down between a perennial no-show in Minny versus one freakishly abnormal Swedish foot.

Key Phrase: "Hey! You're lacing them too tight!"

Lanche in 7.

Anaheim (4) v. Dallas (5)

Ooh! Scary! The big, bad Ducks are back and looking for more. The problem is, no one told the Stars. Marty Turco, despite his reputation, actually played well in last year's playoffs and there is no reason why he cannot continue his winning ways. Dallas has a very well-rounded team, albeit with limited scoring, but their style is more than capable of squeezing out a victory every night.

The primary factor for the South Stars, however, will be the lack of grit by Mike Ribeiro, who notched more than a point-per-game this season, but was surprisingly quiet in the second half. Brad Richards, meanwhile, might still break out of his three-year funk, and he is a proven clutch performer. That might not be enough, though, especially when matched up against an increasingly terrifying Ryan Getzlaf attack.

Key Phrase: "I need me one more win before I ride off to the ACC sunset" -- Brian Burke.

Ducks in 7.

Round 2

Montreal (1) v. Flyers (6)

Montreal's too damn good.

Key Phrase: "What do you mean? We have to play an actual NHL team this round?"

Habs in 5.

Pittsburgh (2) v. New York (5)

The Pens powerful offense gets blindsided by Tom Renney's defensive coverage, Lunqvist's goal acrobatics, and the Rangers' veteran leadership.

Key Phrase: "NHL Poster Boy out 4 months due to sprained playoff run."

Blueshirts in 6.

Detroit (1) v. Calgary (7)

Is it 2004 all over again? Nope. This time, it will take Calgary the full seven games to knock off the Wings. (I can dream, can't I?)

Key Phrase: "Ouch, my hip!"

Flames in 7.

Anaheim (4) v. Colorado (6)

The Ducks are too big and mean for li'l ol' Colorado, who spent too much energy ridding the Wild. They're toast.

Key Phrase: "Forsburg's foot? Meet Pronger's skate."

Ducks in 5.

Round 3

Montreal (1) v. New York (5)

The best match-up of the playoffs so far. Two well-coached, well-balanced squads facing off in front of two terrific young goalies in the two greatest cities in the NHL. Montreal's fantastic, but the Rangers' defensive play will rule in the end.

Key Phrase: "Toronto? Never heard of the place."

Blueshirts in 7.

Anaheim (4) v. Calgary (7)

The two toughest, most playoff-oriented teams meet again in a rematch of 2006. That time, the Ducks were the underdogs while the Flames choked under the pressure of game 7. It's redemption time.

Key Phrase: "Iginla continues his Conn Smythean assault."

Flames in 6.

The Stanley Cup Finals

New York (5) v. Calgary (7)

Why not?

Key Phrase: "Ovechkin can have his Hart. Iggy's got Stanley."

Flames in 5.

Yah. Baby.

(P.S. Check out my regular season wrap-up at BumfOnline)

The View from Japan

2008-04-09T09:38:00.005-04:00

Here in Tokyo, spring is in the air, and the cherry blossoms are drifting down softly from the trees, evoking the pathos of transient things immortalized in so much Japanese art. This can only mean one thing--I'm in the wrong freaking country if I want to see some play-off hockey. (Unless, of course, I'm in the mood for a thrilling encounter between the Nikko Ice Bucks and the Seibu Prince Rabbits).

While I'll be back in hockey-viewing territory in a couple of weeks, that two weeks could be just enough time for my beloved Colorado Avalanche to get bored onto the golf course by the Minnesota Wild. If so, that would mean I'll go at least seven years without seeing a meaningful game involving my favourite team.

Ah well, on with my predictions, which I'm afraid are rehashing Phoff's picks for the most part.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Detroit vs. Nashville

Detroit has a habit of choking against unfancied opposition at this time of the year, and Nashville are certainly as unfancied as they come. But logic dictates that the Red Wings are superior to Nashville in all areas, on and off the ice, and that it's going to be a short series. I remember watching the Wings brush aside the Flames with ease last year, and last year's Flames were, I think, a better team than this year's Predators, while the Wings are much the same, except for a few more gray hairs, so...

My pick: Red Wings in 5.

San Jose vs. Calgary

The hottest team in hockey and a strong Cup contender against the enigmatic Flames, who gave up a ridiculous number of goals this season despite having an elite goalie and some top-notch defensemen and decent defensive forwards. I expected Calgary to step it up in the post-season last year, and they didn't. Mike Keenan or not, I don't see that much has changed this year, so it could be another quick exit for Jarome and the gang. Nabokov's been much better than Kiprusoff this season, the likes of Huselius and Tanguay will find it tough against the physical Sharks, and the Sharks are less dependent on Thornton for offense than the Flames are on Iginla.

My pick: Sharks in 5.

Minnesota vs. Colorado

Phoff doesn't know what kind of character the Avalanche have, having not seen much of them this year. Well, I've followed them closely all year long, and I don't really know either. This is one unpredictable team. From one period to the next, never mind one game to the next, you never know what they're going to give you. They did a great job getting into the play-offs after a slew of injuries, and the much-maligned Theodore can make a strong case for being the team MVP after carrying them in January and February, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions:

Can Theodore keep it up in the post-season?
Can Forsberg's groin/foot/appendix/whatever hold up to the rigors of play-off hockey?
Will Ryan Smyth rediscover his goalscoring touch?
Will the Avs' Hall-of-Fame roster of forwards turn around the 28th-ranked PP in the NHL?
Can they overcome their bad habit of giving up the first goal in almost every game?

If the answer to all these questions is yes, the Avs could win the Cup. If not, the Wild's superior coaching, tight defensive play, youth, and ability to protect a lead will see them off in round one.

I hate to say it, but my pick: Wild in 6.

Anaheim vs. Dallas

Underwhelming post-season play has become the Stars' specialty, now that they no longer have Oil to beat on every year in the first round. Against a Ducks team that came on strong in the second half of the season and has all its ducks in a row, so to speak (with the exception of Corey Perry), another lame first-year exit is on the cards for Marty Turco and co. Scoring could be a concern for Anaheim further down the road, but with their goaltending and defense, they shouldn't need to score too many in this series. Dallas's offensive limitations were painfully evident last year against Vancouver, and Brad Richards isn't enough to take them to the next level.

My pick: Ducks in 6.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Montreal vs. Boston

Youth, speed, offense, great special teams, a promising young goalie, and a system that the players have bought into--the Habs have a lot going for them. Meanwhile, I'm not sure how Boston even made it to the play-offs, given their negative goal-difference, injuries, lack of depth, and mediocre goaltending. Everything, including Montreal's 8-0 record in the regular season, favours le Tricolore. But I have a sneaking suspicion that the fact that Boston has nothing to lose while the overachieving Habs will be under intense pressure from the Montreal media could make this into a series. And, as other talented young teams getting their first taste of the post-season such as the 1995 Nordiques or last year's Penguins found out, the play-offs are a whole different ball game, and a painful first-round exit is often part of the learning curve for potential future champions.

So my official pick is: Habs in 4

But a little voice in the back of my head says: Bruins in 7.

Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa

Everyone's saying the same thing about this series, and I don't have anything new to add. The Senators have been awful in the second half of the season, their goaltending situation is a mess, and now they have some key injuries. The Penguins got some valuable play-off experience last year and should be better prepared this time round, and having dealt with the absence of Crosby, they've demonstrated some strength in depth. The only real question mark is defense. I don't think the Penguins are good enough in goal or at the blue line to win the Cup, but they should dispose of the Senators.

My pick: Pens in 6.

Washington vs. Philadelphia

The Flyers are another team that started strong and have come apart a bit in the second half. And while Robert Esche might no longer be around, goaltending still figures to be a concern. The Caps, on the other hand, pulled off a deadline coup in getting Huet for almost nothing. He should be solid for them, and with momentum and Ovechkin on their side, they're ready for a good play-off run.

My pick: Caps in 6.

New Jersey vs. New York

It's always tough to write off the Devils, with Brodeur in goal and their history of play-off success. But when I look at their roster, I just don't see a whole lot going on--it's a workman-like bunch of players who will be tough to beat, but who pale in comparison to the likes of Jagr, Gomez, and Chris Drury, whose true worth becomes evident in the post-season. As long as Lundqvist holds his own against Brodeur, the Rangers should have enough to win this one.

My pick: Rangers in 7.

Let's Get It On

2008-04-08T22:31:00.007-04:00

(shuffle-shuffle-shuffle)

(tap-tap)

Is this thing on? Yeah? Okay.

(burp)

So, the regular season is done and, tomorrow, the 2008 race to Lord Stanley's Cup begins. If that fact doesn't make you positively giddy, then the return of Puck This! will surely make you rejoice. As always, this space is dusted off and taken of the shelf during the NHL's second season.

The first order of business, apart from apologizing for the ragged look & feel (I've lost the old template), is to make predictions for the first round.

Before getting to it, however, I want to remind my fellow contributors that I had a near perfect run in my predictions last year. This year, I will only accept perfection. Here we go...

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

Detroit v. Nashville

I was really happy to see the Preds make it to the post-season. I think Barry Trotz, along with Guy Carbonneau, is a lock to be nominated for the Jack Adams trophy. This lineup has virtually no big names and, yet, they persevere.

That being said, the Wings have too much firepower up front for the Preds to upset them. Detroit's goaltending is shaky, but should hold up for one round. All bets are off after that, however.

Wings in 6

San Jose v. Calgary

The Sharks have been that favored team since opening day and they have had a great regular season. And, if you trust the simulation of EA Sports' NHL '08, they should make it all the way.

San Jose has a very well balanced team and seem to be firing on all cylinders at the right time. They also have a reputation for underachieving in the playoffs and a captain that usually goes MIA at this point in the year.

Calgary had a strong finish and will come at the Sharks with a lot of toughness. This will be a war in the trenches. In the end, the only thing that can save the Flames is Kipper and I don't think he's at his best.

It will be close.

Sharks in 7

Colorado v. Minnesota

I don't think there are two teams in the league that I have seen less of in the past year. Not knowing the character of a team makes predicting difficult.

The Wild have a team that is well-coached and is also tough. They play a great system and stick to it. The Avs, on the other hand, have tons of experience and a rejuvenated Theo.

I have a feeling that the likes of Sakic, Smyth and Forsberg will rise to the occasion and lead the way.

Avalanche in 6

Anaheim v. Dallas

This season, the Ducks were more like sharks. Not like their rivals to the South, but rather like pool sharks. I really get the feeling that they coasted through the regular season while waiting patiently for Selanne and Scott Niedermayer to return (and also to wait for Pronger's suspensions to be over). Then they went on a tear.

For their part, Dallas made a big move at the trade deadline in the hopes of getting to the level of the Sharks and Ducks. The payoff has yet to come. Brad Richards, however, always plays his best in the playoffs.

This is a tough one, but I think the Dirty Ducks will pound their way through this one.

Ducks in 7

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

Montreal v. Boston

It will be tough for the surprising Habs to take the Bruins seriously. Even if the entire organization is talking about being prudent, it's tough not be be confident when many players on the roster don't remember a time when Boston beat them.

Boston will come out hitting hard in the hopes of thwarting Montreal speed. They will also focus on Kovalev, especially in game 1.

The key to this series, however, will be officiating. If the referees call the games as they did in the regular season, then the Habs will have enough powerplay chances to nail the Bruins' coffin quickly. If they "let them play" (barf!), then the Habs will have to get creative.

I think the refs will suck, but that Les Glorieux will easily beat Boston's weak goaltending.

Canadiens in 5

Pittsburgh v. Ottawa

I don't care what anybody says, the Pens totally threw that last game in order to play the Sens in the first round. Why wouldn't you?

The Sens have been one of the worst teams in the league since the half way point of the season and they've just lost Alfredsson and Fischer. Their goaltending is bad and, apparently, there are huge issues in the dressing room.

They won't go quietly, though.

The Pens will need Fleury to stay on his hot streak in order to win. As has been the case in the final stretch, Pittsburgh has struggled when Sidney returned to the lineup. There will be an adjustment period, but nothing that will stop them from going through.

Penguins in 6

Washington v. Philadelphia

This is a series that I really want to watch.

Washington has been on fire since they acquired Huet and Fedorov. Ovechkin has been nothing short of amazing and has pretty much given himself the Hart trophy (Malkin's snub of the Calder makes him a long shot).

Philly has a great cast of characters, but can't seem to follow a script. They seem lost out there and can't generate any offence. For a team that has a weak defense, that's a problem.

Also a problem for Philly, the players let their wives hang out with Beeg. WTF is up with that?

Capitals in 6

New York v. New Jersey

This will be a goaltending battle.

The Rangers have been good of late and Jagr seems to have come out of his funk. They have a great core of verterans and some good young guys as well. Lost of scoring to go around.

The Devils, on the other hand, have had a terrible time putting the puck in the net and Brodeur has seemed human on some nights. They will need him to be in top shape in order to take this series.

I don't think that will happen. Sean Avery will crash Brodeur's net with impunity and will succeed in getting the future hall of famer to lose it.

New York in 4

A Tale of Two Defencemen I Don't Like...

2007-12-10T15:15:00.002-05:00

A quick post today to mention things about two defencemen for whom I have strong dislike.

First, my Habs fan friends must be absolutely joyous at the news that for tonight's Oilers-Stars game, Sheldon Souray will once again not be in the line-up. It is December 10 today and Souray has managed to play in 6 games for the Oil since they signed as a free agent in July. Nearly every Habs fan knew that Souray was a complete and utter waste of a roster spot 5-on-5 and now they also know that their powerplay can live without his howtizer from the point. Let's take this holiday season to think kind thoughts about Kevin Lowe's family who will likely be without an income from the old veteran GM sometime next summer. (My own personal bit of happiness stems from the fact that Martin Havlat is a point-per-game player, but he will probably never play more than 65 games in a season in his career.)

Second, Scott Niedermayer is back. Or will be soon. He says he's coming back to the Ducks for the remainder of the season as soon as he can get himself in game shape. He also says that this will be the end of his run...which I believe has been Roger Clemens' line the last couple of years too. Now, I admit that I may still be bitter about Anaheim beating out Ottawa for the Stanley Cup last year, but I'm also pretty sick and tired of athletes taking what amounts to extended summer vacation and then expecting a hero's welcome on their return. Anaheim can certainly use a defenceman of Niedermayer's skill level and no doubt his teammates will be happy to see him in uniform, but frankly, I don't know how they can't feel a little bit betrayed that while they were in the trenches struggling to defend their crown Niedermayer was...well, what was he doing? Contemplating whether or not to cash in the rest of his contract with the Ducks, I guess.

Then there's the issue of how paying Niedermayer for the rest of the season will play out on the rest of the Duck's roster moves, including signing Corey Perry to an extension. And, as has long been speculated, what if Teemu Selanne decides he wants back in now that his good buddy Scotty is back? All that having been said, I kind of like the idea that Brian Burke is in a bit of jam.

Anyway, a little bit of "schadenfraude" (sp?) never hurts, especially around the holidays. Right?

The Great Michael Ryder Debate of '07

2007-12-06T19:36:00.000-05:00

The following exchange occurred earlier today between Phoff, myself and possible future PT! blogger Timaeus (currently of Philadelphia). The exchange is in response to one of the most thought-provoking posts of the year, courtesy of Jeff at Sisu Hockey, so read that and then come on back for the

Timaeus:

Fascinating. I haven't seen Ryder play, obviously, but it does sound like he's putting in the effort, then got freaked by the pressure and started chocking on his chances. What have you seen? It does seem like he's this year's subject for the Samsonov treatment, which is not only a shame but detrimental. Is Ryder a first-line player? Probably not on a good team, but like Koivu, his role says more about the team than it does about him.

Speaking of Koivu, I can't help but think that, injuries aside, he was a much more effective player when the Habs had Damphousse as their other center. Who'd we ever get with that draft pick, anyways?

And I agree with Sisu (nice to see he's back) that Carbo's the one losing his grip here. Too bad Claude Julien and Alain Vigneault both have jobs. Wonder how Pat Burns's health is. When a team screws up in a team effort the way they've being doing recently, it's not something a trade or two will fix, it's in the way the whole team is run. You can't tell me that player-wise, Montreal is much different from Buffalo, even last year's Buffalo. The difference is in he team strategy and approach, which the coach's responsibility, This team really doesn't have an identity-are they offensive, defensive, hard-working, opportunistic, fast, physical, what? They need an identity, a system, a style of play that will allow the players to be more than the sum of their parts. Carbo won't give them that.

Phoff:

I read that and, although I tend to agree, all the math in the world can't hide the fact that the guy is lost on the ice and can't seem to keep up with the play. It goes way beyond stats at this point.

Anyone who has watched the Habs play knows that Ryder is not, like his linemate Higgins, "snakebit". The poor Newfie is not even getting quality chances, can't hold on to a pass and can't find the handle on most nights.

Stats, shmats.

Beeg:

I think you're both right, actually.

Here's the thing. When Ryder stopped scoring, it wasn't for a lack of effort. In fact, in the first couple of weeks of his slump, he was one of the hardest working players on the ice - shooting like mad (not great quality shots, but not terrible ones either), skating hard, trying to embellish his one move (where he fakes a deke on the defenceman at the opposing blue line and then bull-heads up the boards, exposing his ribs to the occasional vicious bodycheck), etc. Sensible Carbonneau (as opposed to Hothead Carbonneau, to whom we will return in a moment) encouraged his team's "natural" goal-scorer and kept him on the "top" line (that discussion is for another day).

Then the Habs started to lose, and suddenly Hothead Carbonneau took over. Truthfully, the Habs' play didn't change all that much - they were still consistently outshot and careless with the puck in both ends, with their poor play peaking at the start and end of each game. So Hothead Carbo picks up the Manual for Inexperienced Coaches and decides to try something new each game. Juggle the lines in practice. Juggle them again before game time. Juggle them some more in the third. Ryder lost the reassuring support of his coach and wound up pseudo-benched, hovering on the "third" and "fourth" lines. Of course, a sharp observer would note that he'd never produce playing with Dandenault/Chipchura/Kostopolous/Smolinski/Begin/Streit, and his mediocre skating and iffy transition play would just poison the team's "checking" line. All of which has happened.

So the situation has gone from "slumping player ups the effort" to "dumbass coach ensures top scorer will never break out of his slump (and ruin the cockamamie 'defensive' system)." You might think I'm agreeing only with Timaeus here, but Phoff is right too. Because of the miserable way in which Carbonneau has dealt with Ryder, he's lost whatever was left of his fragile sense of self-worth, and is now floating out there. As you wrote, he's "lost on the ice and can't seem to keep up with the play." His slump has turned into a condition and will now only be corrected by some over-priced sports psychologist who deals only in cliché.

When he grew frustrated with Ryder, Carbo should have benched him and then brought him back. Instead he's jerked him around and perhaps even ruined his career. Ballzov is convinced he'll be out of the league in two years. He may be right. The alternative is a trade to Philly where he'll become a 50-goal scorer.

My money's on Gainey returning behind the bench by year's end. Carbo has lost his team.

For what it's worth, Ballzov told me at the Bell Centre on Saturday that Ryder'd be out of the league within two years.

Come on!

2007-07-20T12:36:00.000-04:00

The CBC has announced today that they have signed the veteran team of play-by-play "commentator" Bob Cole and "analyst" Harry Neale to two-year contracts. I think this news may have ruined my vacation.

These two are no closer to being commentators or analysts than I am at being an astrophysicist. Bob Cole can't remember any of the player names (except for the Leafs' top two lines) and Harry Neale's idea of analysis is limited to old, overused and idiotic catch phrases such as "I bet he wished he could have that one back" or "the Ottawa player beat the goalie, but he couldn't beat the post".

Anyone who knows hockey knows that these two cannot follow the flow of the game anymore and they cannot properly convey to the viewer how the game is unfolding. This should be obvious by simply reading that "Cole, 74, has been a fixture on HNIC since 1973...". Neale is young buck of the duo at age 70.

Now, before I am accused of agism, I want to go on record as saying that there are many people who are able to work well into their 8th and 9th decades. Bob Cole and Harry Neale, however, are not part of this group.

I guess this means that I'll be watching more games on RDS and NBC this winter.

10 Reasons why I’m glad the word ‘Ducks’ is on the Stanley Cup

2007-06-07T20:28:00.000-04:00

10. All-Canadian boys

Anaheim GM Brian Burke assembled a tough, no-nonsense crew of Canadian-style players overflowing with character and toughness. It gives hope to Flames fans that Darryl Sutter has the right idea in developing a team in the same fashion — solid drafts, impeccible development, similar backgrounds, etc — that could pay dividends in the future.

9. Greasy Perry

The kid is earning a reputation of getting under an opponent’s skin, but Corey Perry has also earned the reputation of a winner. Perry captained his London Knights to a Memorial Cup title in 2005, he was a key element in winning the World Juniors that same season, and now has a Stanley Cup ring. A pain-in-the-ass he might be, but he’s one of the few players who could tattoo the word “champ” to his forehead and get away with it.

8. Go Jets Go!

Randy Carlyle is a bastard, and now can be considered one of the best coaches in the National Hockey league.

7. Giving slackers hope

When Ryan Getzlaf played for the Calgary Hitmen, a bodyslam by Bret Hart himself wouldn’t wake the kid up. Now, one WJC and Stanley Cup later, the Regina native is beginning to be known as a Big Game Player. The scary part is, the best is yet to come.

6. Will Doug Maclean get a ring too?

How about Francois Beauchemin? Here’s a young defenseman — almost an afterthought when the Ducks got rid of Sergei Fedorov to Maclean’s Columus Blue Jackets — who plays beside two perennial Norris Trophy candidates, and looking like he’s been doing it for years. If it was anyone other than Brian Burke, this would have been the steal of the year. Alas, it’s just one of many great moves the Ducks have made since Burke moved to OC.

5. I don’t have a #5.

4. Go Jets Go! the sequel

Fourteen seasons into his career, Teemu Selanne has finally earned a one-way ticket to the Hall of Fame. There is no reason he couldn’t play several seasons more, but to have started and finished a career in his fashion, there might not be a better way to go.

And it couldn’t happen to a better guy.

3. Brothers Niedermayer

Who couldn’t find satisfaction in seeing Scott Niedermayer hand the Stanley Cup to his brother. Rob was the primary reason the two played together these past two years, and stories of their strong relationship during that time offer a touching piece of humanity to an increasingly distant sports league.

2. Conn Smythe Job

Arguments for the Smythe could be made for Ryan Getzlaf, Andy McDonald and even Chris Pronger, but the most support for the MVP was probably in favour of goaltender J-S Giguere. However, the biggest issue I have against Giggy is that he has already been a recipient and to get another one puts him in the same category as Bobby Orr, Bernie Parent, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Patrick Roy. Clearly, while Giguere is a terrific number one ‘tender in the league, he is no superstar HoFer, and to place him in that strata would be an insult to the name.

Meanwhile, while he was not the most dominant player on the ice, Niedermayer is a solid representative of his team, a steady leader and classy performer who has earned his place among the hockey pantheon. His selection echoes back to that of his former teammate, Scott Stevens, who was chosen because he was the leader of a great, balaced hockey team.

1. The Pronger Family

Given the acrimony in Edmonton after the 2006 final over why Chris Pronger left, it was sweet justice to see him enjoy a beautiful family vignette on national television. I don’t like Pronger, I hate the Oilers.

Over

2007-06-07T07:18:00.000-04:00

In the end, the Ducks were too much. Too much size, too much speed, too much forecheck, too much goalie equipment (and talent, I'll give Giguere that much), too much on defense. Just too much for the Sens to handle.

I think that despite some of the close scores that Game 5 was more reflective of the series. (I'm glad I wasn't in a position to watch the game. I think I would have vomitted upon seeing the Phillips goal.) Anaheim dominated Ottawa pretty thoroughly in three of the five games, yet despite that, Ottawa could have stolen Game 2 and should have taken Game 4. Congratulations to the Ducks. You broke my Sens loving heart you bastards, but I admit, you deserve it.

Where to go from here is an interesting question for Ottawa. It's a decent core, but the Finals exposed flaws that were there for a while.
- After the big line things get dicey and while it's clear that Alfredsson can do some damage when he's away from Heatley and Spezza, Murray never found a complimentary piece for those two among the other forwards.
- Redden and Meszaros were terrible, both in general and together, and while Meszaros cann chalk it up to being 21 and in his second season, Redden has no such luxury. He's soft and not so swift afoot these days.
- There were too many passengers on board, including Little Mikey Comrie and Peter Schaefer. Comrie is an unrestricted free agent and I'm hoping Muckler thanks him for this contribution and let's him ride off into the sunset, maybe back to Phoenix. We're stuck with Schaefer.
- Martin Gerber is the third highest paid Senator (or something similarly silly).
- Also, UFA's this summer, Dean McAmmond and Tom Preissing. Before getting too close to the too tall Chris Pronger I would have started a "Bring back Deaner" website, but now you have to wait and see how his head is doing. I like Preissing a lot. Don't know if they can afford him considering what's committed to Gerber, Alfie, Spezza, Redden, Corvo, etc and the need to have money in the near future for Heatley and Emery.

So an off-season of questions for the Sens as they try to prepare to get back to the precipice of greatness. I guess everybody gets to rest up and concentrate on baseball now. Congratulations again to Anaheim, even though I hate almost all of your players now...at the end of the day it was still worth buying the Alfredsson jersey.

Snapping suspenders

2007-06-05T10:06:00.000-04:00

I now understand the difference between Chris Pronger, who pushed off and elbowed Dean McAmmond in the head while defending a rush, and Daniel
Alfredsson, who had the entire ice to shoot the puck and but somehow caught Anaheim captain Scott Niedermayer: Pronger has a "past history", and the Ottawa captain doesn't.

Not that I'm complaining--I've never liked Pronger and have a grudging respect for Alfredsson, but I can't, for the life of me, understand why the one lightning-quick play became a suspensionable offense while the other action, in which Alfredsson had more than a few seconds to contemplate its course, is being brushed off by the Canadian media.

An interesting comment during the Calgary Flames Alumni golf tournament yesterday came from former Flames enforcer Ronnie Stern, who was asked whether there is a growing depletion of respect in the league. Stern's answer? There's more and more players in the league from abroad, there's more teams with the same amount of games, therefore players are less familiar with each other.

What's significant about this was that players knew where they could tread. He said that Mark Messier always threw elbows so he avoided them whenever possible. In other words, players would more often than not, use their brains out there.

Not that this excuses every cheap shot ever made in the history of the league, but it does explain the respect given to the likes of Messier, Gordie Howe and Billy Smith by their opponents. It also lays responsibility on the play maker as well as the defender. For instance, when Scott Stevens effectively finished Eric Lindros as a superstar in the NHL, today's "head shot Stasi" would rightly be on his case, but if they were honest with themselves, every objective hockey commentator could also say that Lindy should not have crossed the blueline with his head down while Stevens was on the ice.

In this light, Pronger deserved an elbowing call and 2 minutes which four on-ice officials inexplicably missed; however, perennial concussion candidate McAmmond ought to have recognized the dangers of pushing his head within the vicinity of an elbow attached to a 6'5" behemoth with a reputation of playing rough.

Compare that to the play of Chris Neil in the same game, who intended to add the outline of Andy MacDonald's face to the Scotiabank Place sideboards by leading a blatant charge with his elbows, but was thwarted by the diminutive centre who turtled from the assault.

The Ducks were correct in asserting that had their player been hurt and McAmmond walked away, there would be no controversy, but that's the way things work in the new NHL.

And if Alfredsson does not receive retribution from the league for his "incidental" slap shot at Scotty Niedermayer, while Pronger is continued to be vilified, then we'll all know to which side the league's thumb rests on the scale of justice.

Game Four

2007-06-04T23:04:00.000-04:00

Call it.

11:02 pm (ET).

Flatline.

Senators' season = over.

This was really a tough game to watch. I really thought Ottawa was going to come out on fire tonight. They did, of course, but it only lasted 20 minutes. How can you not give it a full 60 minute effort in the Stanley Cup finals when your season is on the line? I don't get it.

I can't say that all of the Senators were out to lunch, but I think that some of them deserve to be benched (I know, it will never happen). Comrie was his usual useless self and Redden was, as he's been all through this final series, looking like someone who is completely lost. You'd think he somehow caught Dean McCammond's concussion. Seriously, what in the hell was he doing skating against the current on the winning goal? Where was he going? What game was he watching?

I know that players on an NHL are a tight bunch, but I can't imagine that someone like Mike Fisher doesn't want to beat the snot out of someone like Mike Comrie. As I've said before, Fisher has been the best Senator skater by far and he's shown an impressive combination of toughness and skill. Comrie, on the other hand, has been invisible and got physically involved in the series for the firs time in the last quarter of the 3rd period. And I think that was accidental. I'm not quite sure that he intended to deliver a body check.

At the other end of the ice, I have a feeling that Ray Emery might want to go at it with Wade Redden. The cameras showed Emery yelling at someone after the winning goal and I wonder if it was Redden.

In any case, I'm pretty sure that the Sens will soon have a lot of time to air their grievances and kiss and make up.

I hope I'm wrong on this one.

Game Three

2007-06-03T13:09:00.000-04:00

So, a reversal of roles turns out to cause a reversal of fortune for the Ottawa Senators.

In the first two games, the skaters (except for Mike Fisher) didn't show up and Ray Emery was the only player that competed with the Ducks. Last night, Emery was not at his best, but the skaters (except for Mike Comrie) all showed up to play.

IMHO, Fisher is making a case for himself as a Conne Smythe candidate. It's a stretch (especially given the fact that the Sens would actually have to win the Cup), but it's not out of the realm of possibility.

Fisher has been all over the Ducks since Game 1 and he has been contributing in all facets of the game. His defensive game is what gets noticed and his goal last night will get him some press, but he's also been great in the faceoff circle and his takedown of Getzlaf just brought a smile to my face.

As for the Ducks, they weren't much worse than in the first two games, but they did have more trouble staying out of the box. They are definitely a team that thrives on straddling the line of what is legal and what is not. Given the sub par refereeing in the NHL (as compared to other North American professional sports), this means that there are nights when the calls are going to go in their favour, but there are other nights where the calls will do them in. Last night, they were almost always on the losing end.

Obviously, everyone will be be talking about the non-call on the Pronger elbow, which was just ridiculous, but I thought that the Ducks got the shaft on a few borderline calls. The Getzlaf "holding" call (WTF???) and the May "tripping" penalty were very debatable. Of course, these calls came AFTER the Pronger elbow, so the refs may have been trying to make up for their temporary insanity.

The other important factor in the Sens win was the play of Giguère. As in the case of Emery, he was far from being at his best. Whatever the Sens are doing to get him moving (clearly his weakness), they have to keep doing.

*********

Now, the big question is: "If the Sens keep playing this well, can they truly challenge the Ducks?"

Unfortunately, I don't think so. I actually think that they have to be better. I also happen to think they can be better, most notably in goal.

If Emery can return to form AND the Sens can play this aggressively, then they'll be able to challenge the Ducks. Also, it would certainly help if Giguère were to continue his struggles.

Onward.

Kanata Home Cookin

2007-06-01T23:01:00.000-04:00

What is the over / under on how long it will take CBC to show a "Cup Belongs in Canada" sign during tomorrow's game?

I say 9 minutes.

Bonus question - Will either Baldwin or Moi be holding said sign??

Game Two

2007-05-30T22:45:00.000-04:00

I feel really bad for Ray Emery. He was virtually perfect tonight, but the guys in front of him just can't keep up.

Most hockey pundits opined that it would be almost impossible for the Sens to play as bad as they did on Monday, but they worked hard to prove everybody wrong.

They weren't quite as bad, but it was abundantly clear that Anaheim was playing at a much higher level than Ottawa. The points in the game where the Sens actually looked threatening were very few and far between. They seem to be completely mystified. By what, I am not entirely sure.

As Ballzov said in his comment after game 1, the Sens can take solace in the fact that, even if they've been bad, they still had a chance to win both games. Had Mike Comrie been able to pull the trigger on the 5-on-3, we might have an even series at this point.

I guess that reasoning still applies, but time is running out.

Fast.

Game One

2007-05-28T23:19:00.000-04:00

Well, it's in the books and it's not good news for both my ability to predict outcomes and for Ottawa fans. Anaheim has taken the first game and some would say they did it in a very convincing manner.

The Sens had brushed off any potential impact the long layoff would have on them, but they were clearly not in "game shape" tonight. By the third period, the Sens lacked energy and they had the classic "rubber legs" that typify teams that are not prepared.

That being said, I don't think the Sens could have done anything different. They disposed of the Sabres as fast as possible, which is what all teams try to do.

The Ducks, for their part, came out flying and they were clearly energized by the home crowd. They played well enough to win, but they weren't at their best either. There were lots of turnovers on both sides, but the Ducks were the ones keeping the constant pressure in the Sens' zone. In the end, that made the difference.

What does this mean? Well, it means that, if Ottawa is actually the "different" team that everybody has been raving about, they have to show their mettle in game two. In order to do that, they have to do 2 things. First, they need to keep a steady and strong forecheck and, second, they have to trust each other.

After the Ducks' winning goal, Redden (who had a bad game), glared at the young Mezaros and raised his hands in frustration as if to say "where were you on that play". If that was actually the case, the issue needs to be addressed immediately. Redden was far from having an error-free game and he needs to realize that pointing fingers is NOT the solution.

Onward.

Freakish

2007-05-24T21:09:00.000-04:00

OK. So far, there have been 14 series played in the 2007 NHL playoffs. I have successfully predicted the victor in every single one of those series.

It's official. I am a freak.

That being said, I have not yet been approached by any major broadcasters. I'm sure, however, that they are simply taking their time to draft the right offer. I'm thinking DiPietro-land here folks.

What happens now?

Well, since the new American Idol was crowned last night (you were robbed, Blake! You beat-boxed your way into America's hearts, though), it's time to move on to the Stanley Cup Final.

I've maintained from the very beginning that Ottawa was a different team this year. They have already done better than ever before and some might think that they've peaked. Some might also think that reaching the final is enough of a success and that the long layoff will hurt them. I heard someone say today that they won't be able to handle Anaheim's toughness.

That's crap.

If Ottawa loses, it won't be for any of those reasons. It will be because Anaheim played better. More specifically, it will be because Jean- Sébastien Giguère is a human wall. On the other hand, if Ottawa wins, it will be because the referees and the entire Canadian population hates Chris Pronger.

This is how, in my humble opinion, these two teams match up.

Ottawa has the edge up front. They have more skill and grit through all four lines than Anaheim has. Ottawa also has better overall team defense. Anaheim, though, has the edge on defense and in nets. As good as Neiderpronger may be, Giguère will make the biggest difference in this series.

The other determining factor, however, will be team discipline. Regardless of the pure horseshit that is coming from the likes of Pronger and Selanne, the Ducks have issues with discipline. The whining will only hinder their cause.

In the end, I think Ottawa's big guns will put a few past Giguère (on the PP, mostly) and that Anaheim will struggle with the Sens' close checking style. That will lead to many Anaheim penalties.

So, as I climb onto the bandwagon and nestle up to Rob, I will say this:

Senators in 7.

The Gretzky Cup

2007-05-23T22:48:00.001-04:00

You can thank The Great One[tm] for this: When Anaheim squeaked a 4-3 victory over Detroit at the Honda Center last night, it marked the first time two post-Bruce McNall expansion franchises would meet each other to battle in the Stanley Cup finals.

Bruce McNall, of course, is the man who brought Wayne Gretzky to Los Angeles and as a consequence ushered in a new age in which the NHL seized the attention of a captive American audience. It was a match made in hockey heaven: Gretzky had just wed a (B-)movie star, he hosted Saturday Night Live, he had endorsements, and celebrities flocked to his games like the trendy fad-junkies they are. Indeed, he was a legitimate star on par, in some minds, with the likes of Joe Montana, Michael Jordan and Bo Jackson.

The NHL, having a stable roster of franchises since the immolation of the WHA in 1979, recognized the burgeoning interest in their product and created a cross-state rival to the Kings by awarding the brothers Gund, former owners of the Minnesota North Stars, a franchise in San Jose. Two more franchises were awarded to Ottawa and Tampa Bay in 1992. Corporate America got involved the following year as Blockbuster owner Wayne Huizenga was awarded a franchise in Miami, while Disney successfully bidded for a team in Anaheim which was stupidly named after one of their hit movies.

It should be noted that four out of these five new franchises were set in Florida and California. Ottawa was the odd-man out, and was created primarily to satiate the Canadian fan base in a time of the Americanization of the national sport.

Five years later, four additional franchises--Nashville, Atlanta, St Paul and Columbus--were created under Commissioner Gary Bettman, and three out of the four WHA franchises had changed addresses to points south. In these expansion decisions, Wayne Gretzky was a much smaller factor--due to his diminishing skills, not to mention McNall's incarceration--and the potential of television markets was the primary concern.

Even so, fans of the Sharks, Sens, Ducks, Bolts and Panthers all have Wayne Gretzky to thank for their success to date. While not all are ideal franchise locations, and while all have had varying degrees of on- and off-ice success, their very presence in the league today is a direct result to the lasting impact the man continues to have on the game.

In another curious twist of fate, these playoffs are relevant in a different sort of way: While last season saw the first title fought between former WHA franchises, not one of the four WHA carry-overs were able to muster their way into this post-season, marking the first time any WHA franchise has not been able to compete for their league championship since 1972.

Of course, Wayne Gretzky is related to this: the man not only began his illustrious career in the WHA, as an NHL head coach he bears some responsibility for the dismal regular season results of the Phoenix Coytoes--formerly the WHA's Winnipeg Jets.

Go Sens.

Beauty!!

2007-05-20T12:30:00.000-04:00

When that fluky Alfie wrist shot beat Ryan Miller the Bank Street bar I was in erupted. High fives were given and received. Chants of "Alfie, Alfie, Alfie" went up at high decibles. Toasts were made. Somewhere, no doubt, babies were named. Finally, the Sens are going to the Stanley Cup final. (Later that night on Elgin Street, the newly minted "Sens mile" because every Canadian city where a franchise reaches the final now needs a street where people can act like idiots with impunity, I heard some people singing O Canada, which seemed weird and out of place, but somehow endearing in the capital. Also, the guy leading the sing-a-long was pretty hammered.)

It took fifteen years and many tough periods - from the early years of near-record futility, to bankruptcy (anyone remember that?), to creating one of the enviable franchises in the NHL only to watch playoff failure after playoff failure - to finally reach the cusp of winning it all. There will be no easy road to the Cup despite the way Sens are playing right now. The Western opponent will be formidable. But today, after slaying the demons of Roberts, Brodeur, and Buffalo (ironically the three biggest tormentors after Toronto) it feels like the big one is within reach. I'll savour this for a day or two and wait for Game #1 of the final. I'll also enjoy my brand new Alfredsson #11 jersey, which I promised myself I'd buy if the Sens ever reached the final. Look for pictures of it from Prague after I find a bar carrying the game starting at 1 a.m. Shouldn't be too hard.

Go Sens Go!

Party on Sparks Street...

2007-05-19T18:42:00.001-04:00

...ladies keep your shirts on and everyone home by 5 PM.

Who needs Chara?

Go Sens Go.

Blame Canada

2007-05-19T18:41:00.001-04:00

The Canadian media are apparently the rule makers at NHL headoffice. If that is the case why am I forced to watch the Senators stop the Sabres at 2 PM on fantastic May Saturday afternoon.

Pronger is an absolute loser.

Wow

2007-05-15T20:21:00.000-04:00

OK, I know it’s all been said. Who could have predicted that Ottawa would win the first three games from Buffalo? Where has Buffalo’s offense gone? Wasn’t this billed as the best, and tightest, series of the 2007 playoffs?

Listen, it’s clear that nobody had predicted this. I guess, then, the only real question is why and how this has happened? Is it Ottawa’s stellar team defense or the fact that Buffalo hasn’t really shown up?

It’s hard to tell, especially after the Sabres’ horrible 14 shot performance in game 3, but this humble blogger thinks that the current state of the series is due to Ottawa’s strong play in all facets of the game.

As I was watching the game last night, I couldn’t get over how much this Senators team is different than previous editions. It’s clear that the early season difficulties were just part of the learning process and that all of the players have bought into the system. The commitment to team defense is nothing short of spectacular. When the likes of Alfredsson, Heatly and Spezza are regularly blocking shots and breaking up odd-man rushes by back checking, it’s a clear sign that the buy-in is for real.

I’ve been watching the Detroit – Anaheim series and I’ve followed these two teams since round 1. So far, I don’t think any of those teams can beat Ottawa. Not if the Senators play like they’ve played so far. Add to the fact that I think the Western series will go to the wire and that the teams are going to beat the crap out of each other and the Senators’ chances are looking even better.

Moi and Balzov have been steady Sens fans since I’ve known them. Am I now jumping on the ‘ol bandwagon?

Maybe.

We’ll see when we get to the final.

My picks actually were perfect

2007-05-09T21:30:00.000-04:00

Sure, Rob, I believe you. Soon, we’ll change the name of the site to Huck This!

Well, Shaky and I are perfect through the first two rounds, so the standoff has to end now. Whoever is reading this (Hi Dad!) will have to read further to find out what my predictions are, but I can tell you that they’re not the same as Shaky’s.

Here we go.

Anaheim v. Detroit

Instead of this being the Western Conference final, it could simply be the Norris Trophy final. It’s going to be a treat to watch forwards on both teams trying to get to the nets. So far, Lidstrom has been the best of the big three, with Niedermayer not far behind. Pronger has been very good at times, but has shown signs of fatigue or injury. Nevertheless, the Ducks have 2 Norris nominees and the Wings just one. Not to mention that the Wings have lots Mathieu Schneider for the rest of the playoffs.

So far, the Wings have not shown any signs of their age, but I think that will change in round 3. Lidstrom will not miss a beat, but the rest of the Detroit “D” is not strong enough to make it through a long series against a very well balanced Anaheim offence.

Ducks in 7

Buffalo v. Ottawa

In this series, it’s really tough to make a distinction between who I want to win and who, in theory, should win. On paper, everything points to a Buffalo win. Trouble is, it seems too easy to pick them and, inexplicably, I can’t picture them winning.

I know the playoff history between these two teams and that doesn’t make Ottawa look any stronger, but I see a totally different Senators team in 2007.

The personnel is not incredibly different, but some players are unrecognizable. The two that seem to have changed the most are Spezza and Alfredsson. Spezza’s transformation may be more obvious (blocking shots, defensive responsibility), but Alfie has been the clear leader of the new look Sens. He’s been leading them in the physical department and has put up some consistently decent offensive numbers.

Finally, there’s Ray Emery. In the series against Jersey, Brodeur was so good that Emery was made to look “OK”. In any other series, however, his performance would have been considered outstanding.

I’m going out on a limb here.

Senators in 6

I swear, my picks were perfect

2007-05-09T19:23:00.000-04:00

Sorry about the lack of posts in the second round. Not that it's worth anything right now, but I was going to pick Ottawa, Buffalo, Detroit and Anaheim. Just like everyone else.

I heard plenty of talk that San Jose was going to walk all over Detroit, but not this cat. I saw the Wings utterly annihilate Calgary in the first round. I'd never seen such great hockey played in a long, long time. True, the Sharks blew the lead in three out of their four losses, but that has as much to do with every Wing being confident in their system as well as with the guy sitting across in the dressing room as it does with Ron Wilson and Thornton living up to their 'choke' reputation.

Regardless of the reasons involved, both conferences are now left with their respective two best teams from the regular season. Which, I suppose, is how it should be. Both series are too tough to call, but I'll do my best nonetheless.

Buffalo v. Ottawa

Got to go with Ottawa here. They look hungry and ready. Ray Emery is having a heck of a post-season run and he has that fine mixture of confidence and cockiness that every winning goalie needs. It's not that Ryan Miller is a slouch in comparison, but Emery's been training at Apollo Creed's hometown gym and appears to be sporting the Eye of the Tiger.

Sens in 7

Detroit v. Anaheim

As with my East prediction, I'm picking the lower-ranked team to come through. While I like Detroit's chances, the Wings are getting a bit banged up for their liking. I'm waiting for Hasek to pull something -- either a groin or a mindless stunt -- and the rest of the team might follow suit. The Ducks got some meaty forwards ready to bang Lidstrom, Chelios et al and J-S Giguere is back in Conn Smythe form. Nine Norris trophies will be represented in this series in, including the last six title holders, so it may come down to who has the best leadership on the blueline. While I wouldn't be surprised if Detroit manages to squeak by, I'm putting my money on Niederpronger.

Ducks in 6.

Buffalo Soldiers

2007-05-08T17:14:00.000-04:00

So far I have called all the victors. Next up the real challenge, standing by my picks of Buffalo and Anaheim in the Cup. My heart says Ottawa, but I am staying with my first reaction.

F'n yeah!

2007-05-05T22:47:00.000-04:00

It's about damned time the Senators won more than one stinking series.

Bring on the next round! Hopefully it won't be the Sabres.

Genius Is As Genius Does

2007-04-26T09:53:00.000-04:00

Congrats due to Phoff for picking all the first round winners. I am sure we'll still be hearing about this in September when he makes his picks for the 2007-08 regular season. Hell, presuming we still work in the same office (big if), I'm sure we'll be hearing about it before the 2010-11 regular season.

I'm going to file this under "better late than never," but here are my picks for Round 2 (PS- I'm satisfied with going 6 of 8 in Round 1).

First, the series where I'm truly late in pronouncing my picks:

Anaheim v. Vancouver = Anaheim

The difference between a good team and a team with a good goalie and system was on display in this one, wasn't it? The Vancouver Luongos couldn't stop the Mighty McDonalds and couldn't score with them either. I only saw the highlights of the 5-1 beating, but the grand total of Vancouver's "good" chances didn't amount to the grand total of Anaheim's goals. Also, the Sedins first date with Chris Pronger did not go well, which doesn't bode well for the 'Nucks.

Buffalo v. NY Rangers = Buffalo

I would have picked them before last night's game, but Buffalo showed last night why they'll give any team remaining in the playoffs fits. They're fast, skilled, disciplined, have a very good goalie, and are well coached. The Rangers D looked like they should be playing in a 35+ rec league at a local rink against Briere, Vanek, et al. The only chance NY has is for Jagr to strap this team to his back, and he looked good last night even without putting up any points, but his history of responding well to adversity is sketchy at best.

Now the series that haven't started (and where I, thus, don't have a one game advantage with my picks).

Detroit v. San Jose = Detroit

I think that this series will be very entertaining because both of these teams are well put together from top to bottom (a little too inside, I know). Either team is capable of taking the series and while I don't predict games, I think this one will go the distance. That said, I think Detroit is deeper than San Jose, I think they have the better goalie (if his groin withstands the pressure - that's the weirdest thing I've ever typed), they have more players who know how to do the little things to win a Cup, and Datsuyk seems to have learned what Zetterberg already knew, namely how to bring it in the playoffs. On the otherhand, if Thornton, Cheechoo, Marleau, and Michalek light it up I won't choke on my beer.

Ottawa v. New Jersey = Ottawa

I've been feeling queasy all morning knowing that this one gets going tonight. The Sens looked very good in Round 1 in getting the Gary Roberts monkey off their back (second weirdest thing I've ever typed). They can go toe-to-toe offensively with anyone, but as they showed against a much better offensive team in Pittsburgh, they can shut their opponent down pretty well too. Here's the issue for the Sens, Ray Emery can't outplay Martin Brodeur, it's an impossibility, so Ottawa is going to have to figure out a way to score on New Jersey, which is no easy task. On the other hand, as noted with Datsyuk above, when your best players from the regular season are your best players in the playoffs, it bodes well. Ottawa's top three scorers in Round 1: Alfredsson, Spezza, Heatley...perfect. Two notes to look out for: will Zach Parise keep giving NJ some scoring punch from a line other than the stupidly named EGG line, and will Redden and Meszaros stop giving the puck away low in the defensive end now that they're not being tormented by Roberts in the corners every night. Jay Pandolfo is much less scary.

Word.

Foresight & Hindsight

2007-04-25T18:53:00.000-04:00

I cannot make Phoff's claims to genius, after going a barely respectable 5 for 8 in my first-round predictions, but will nevertheless forge boldly ahead with my thoughts on the second round. In the first round, I was guilty of seriously underestimating the Senators, Red Wings, and Rangers. I was also surprised that the series in the West were not tighter - three of the four ended up being fairly one-sided, with the top four teams all going through; it was far from the crapshoot that many predicted.

In the case of Ottawa and Detroit, I wrote them off based on their habit of having great regular seasons only to make early exits to inferior teams come play-off time. Both have put a stop to that trend, at least for now. The Senators were particularly impressive in disposing of the potent Penguins with relative ease; perhaps all those years of choking will actually prove to be a blessing this time around - despite how good they look on paper, it's hard to take them seriously given their history, which could help relieve the burden of expectations and allow them to play with less pressure. Detroit were impressive, too, but Calgary's awful performances away from the Saddledome didn't exactly make it difficult for them.

One of the intriguing storylines of the play-offs is usually which goalies will go on a hot streak and carry their team, but this year there was no Cam Ward or Dwayne Roloson to propel a weaker team into the later rounds. This time around we are getting to see how some highly touted younger goalies - Luongo, Lundqvist, Miller - will fare against proven play-off veterans like Hasek, Brodeur, and Giguere. It will be interesting to see if one of these younger players will seize the occasion this year to establish their dominance, or if the old guard still has enough left for now. (On the subject of goalies, I'd like to take this moment to honour Mikka Kiprusoff and Marty Turco with the Ron Tugnutt Award for Valiant Effort on Behalf of Losers.* Both of them deserved a much better fate; if goaltending really was everything, their teams would still be alive.)

Another interesting subplot is the performance of players whose ability to lead a team in the play-offs has been questioned in the past. As the spotlight grows more intense, how will Joe Thornton, post-Pittsburgh Jagr, the Senators' big guns, and Pavel Datsyuk perform? So far they've looked good, but it takes more than one round to prove yourself. With most of the NHL's top regular-season scorers already on the golf course, the play of the few remaining offensive superstars could go a long way to deciding who wins the Cup.

On to my predictions:

Sharks vs. Red Wings
Both these teams turned in outstanding first-round performances and look like they have reached peak performance level at the right time. Nevertheless, one of them has to lose, and I continue to believe that the aging Red Wings backline will be their Achilles' heel. The Sharks' speedy, physical forwards won't find it as easy as it was against the Predators, but over the course of the series they'll have edge. My pick: Sharks in 7.

Ducks vs. Canucks
Vancouver is basically Minnsota with a better goalie - they play good team defense and are pretty disciplined, but are short on attacking threat. The Ducks are superior in every aspect of their game, and while it would be nice for my newly acquired hometown team to go deep in the post-season, I can't see it happening; the Ducks will dispose of the Canucks with almost as much ease as they dispatched the Wild. Markus Naslund and the Vancouver power-play were inept in round one, and that won't change against the Ducks' grade-A D. My pick: Ducks in 6 (only because Luongo might steal a couple of games for Vancouver).

Sens vs. Devils
This one seems like the toughest to call in the second round. The Senators looked awfully good against Pittsburgh, but the Penguin's massive inexperience and lack of a money goaltender have to be taken into account. The Devils, on the other hand, have oodles of experience and possibly the best money goalie in the history of the game. Tampa Bay got to him in the early games, but Brodeur found his focus when it was needed and figures to be ready for this series. The Senators' have explosive players on offense, but the Devils are the type of team that can neutralize them, and defensively New Jersey probably has an edge. Which is why I pick: Devils in 6.

Sabres vs. Rangers
The Rangers surprised me with their first-round dominance, but again the weakness of the opposition has to be taken into account. The Sabres are one of the strongest teams in the NHL and have the depth, speed, intensity, and discipline that it takes to win it all. The Rangers don't strike me as a genuine contender, although a massive performance by Jagr could tip the balance in their favour. The match-up of two of the game's best young goalies will be interesting. My pick: Sabres in 6.

*In honour of his 70-save performance in a regular season game for the abject Nordiques at Boston Garden way back when.

I’m a genius. Let’s move on to round 2

2007-04-24T23:09:00.000-04:00

Who knew? It seems that I’m an NHL playoff prediction machine. 8 for 8. 100%. El Perfecto. I didn’t get the number of games right, but that’s just a detail.

Now, some of you will say that Shaky was also perfect in his predictions, but, since he posted after me, it’s clear that he simply copied me. Or, maybe he and I were separated at birth.

Now, bragging time is over. It’s time to move on to round 2. Regardless of my superb predicting talent, I have to admit that the 2nd round will be difficult to predict. I will, however, give it a shot.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Detroit v. San Jose

The Wings may have had a relatively easy time in the first round, they have a much bigger challenge ahead of them. San Jose is one of the only teams that has really benefited from their trade deadline acquisitions (Guerin and Rivet). They really impressed me in the first round and play a tough, physical, game.

Detroit, on the other, may be the best “system” team in the 2007 playoffs, By that, I mean that all four lines play their respective roles to perfection and they can easily shut down the opposing offense.

The wild card element in this series is Hasek. If he stays healthy and on his game, Detroit has a great chance to win. If his groin lets him down, the Wings will go down. I think he’ll be fine.

Wings in 7

Anaheim v. Vancouver

Last night, I was really happy that the Sedin sisters woke up in time for game 7 and it was great to see good ‘ol Linden come through in the clutch. Also, the win made me 8 for 8 for my first round predictions (did I say that already?).

Although the Canucks played a great game and closed out the series on a high note, I think things will go downhill from here. Unfortunately, they are not producing enough offense to move on past the second round. The fact that Markus Naslund has disappeared doesn’t help. At this stage, they could replace him with Mats and things would improve.

As for Anaheim, I do think that they peaked earlier in the season, but they are still a better balanced team that Vancouver right now. They are strong up front and have the best defense in the world (on paper, at least).

Luongo can only save the Canucks for so long.

Ducks in 6

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Buffalo v. New York Rangers

This, for me, will be a great series to watch. As I said in my first round post, I really think that the Rangers are a better team than their regular season record indicates. Oddly enough, they seem to have been re-energized by the presence of Sean Avery, aka The Mouth.

For Buffalo, this will be a “make it or break it” series. The Rangers are going to come out hitting, hard. Last year, Buffalo lost most of their better players to injury and they have to prove that they can take the heat in the playoffs. If they can’t deal with the physical aspect of the game, they will not make it through this series.

I think that they learned from last year.

Sabres in 6

New Jersey v. Ottawa

In my first round post, I said this: “I think the Sens will actually break the curse this year.” After what I saw in the first round, I am more confident than ever in that prediction.

IMHO, the Sens were probably the most impressive team in the first round. They came out really hard and never let up for even one period. Unlike last year, they show absolutely no signs of a meltdown.

Now, I don’t want to discount the Devils. Any team with Martin Brodeur is almost automatically a contender. He may have seemed semi-human in the first two games of the first series, but he later showed that he is still a freak that is only built to stop pucks.

In the end, this will be an incredibly tight series. The outcome will depend on Ottawa’s ability to get to Brodeur and for Ray Emery to stay solid. They will and he will.

Senators in 7

Canucks

2007-04-24T09:24:00.000-04:00

You want depth, see Debido. You want the short story about how the Canucks made it through, here it is: Mike Ribeiro is a big fucking loser.

Go Canucks Go!

2007-04-24T01:19:00.000-04:00

The Senators won't be the only Canadian flag-bearer in the second round of the play-offs, after Vancouver advanced thanks to a deserved 4-1 victory at GM Place. It wasn't one for the ages, but it was a tense, hard-fought, absorbing game down to the wire.

The Stars played a perfect Game-7-on-the-road first period, keeping the Canucks on the back foot with aggressive forechecking and smothering, physical defense in their own end, and were good for their one-goal lead. But credit goes to Vancouver for elevating their game and dominating the second and third periods. The Sedins in particular were very impressive - they worked hard along the boards and generated most of the Canucks' chances. After being taken out of the series in games 2 through 6, they responded in the best way possible, with heart and clutch goals. Trevor Linden also delivered a big effort; as Markus Naslund continued his invisible-man impression, Linden was promoted to the first unit on the powerplay and came through when it mattered with the sixth Game 7 goal of his career, which says a lot about his leadership and character.

The Canucks also got a big assist from Rob Schick and co., who gave them the benefit of a lot of marginal calls. I'm not a big fan of refs putting the whistle in their pockets just because it's Game 7, but if they are going to call everything, they should at least show a little consistency and fairness. They seemed to be swayed by the frenzied, towel-waving GM Place crowd into giving all the borderline calls in the Canucks' favour, which changed the course of the game - once Vancouver got a string of powerplays in the second and gained some momentum, they never looked back.

Roberto Luongo came out victorious in the much-ballyhooed battle of the goalies, but Marty Turco deserves nothing but praise for the way he answered his critics. He gave his team three shut-outs and kept them in every game, and turned in another solid effort. Luongo made a big stop on Stu Barnes in the third and got lucky when Mike Modano hit the crossbar, but didn't have too much to do in the second and third period; Turco, on the other hand, was under constant pressure and raised his game to match it. The Stars lost, but their goalie is the last person on the team to whom the finger should be pointed; against a lesser goalie, this would never have gone to Game 7. Luongo, meanwhile, has earned his stripes as a first-rank goalie in this series - he has the calm, unflappable, domineering demeanor of a Martin Brodeur, and looks capable of winning a game or a series almost single-handedly.

Watching this game, it wasn't hard to see why the Stars have bowed out in the first round three years running - they have an excellent group of veteran defensemen, but they're severely lacking in offensive depth. Their forwards are able to stifle other teams with their forechecking, they win a lot of face-offs, they're positionally sound, and they block shots ... all fine when you want to stop the other team from scoring, but once they fell behind in this one there didn't seem to be anyone who looked like stepping up to make the big play to get them a goal. Mike Modano is a great player, but not the force he once was, and the likes of post-concussion Lindros and Mike Ribeiro are not game winners. It takes something special to beat Luongo, and no one on the Stars has that something; they are a team which will continue to win plenty of games in the regular season, but unless they add some firepower, they won't be winning a Stanley Cup any time soon.

As for the Canucks, for all the positives that came out of this game, there is plenty to be concerned about. Markus Naslund was a non-factor, as he was through much of the regular season, and he's not the kind of player who contributes even when he's not getting points. The Sedins had a couple of big games, but they were silenced for much of the series by the Stars' D, and it's only going to get tougher against Mssrs. Pronger and Niedermayer. And the rest of the Canucks' forwards really didn't make much of an impression - there is a serious lack of offensive depth and talent. They only looked likely to score on the PP or when the Sedin line was on the ice; that isn't likely to be good enough against the Ducks, although with Luongo in goal they will always have a chance.

Farkin' Double A

2007-04-20T16:10:00.001-04:00

Anyone want to revise their predictions made after Game 2? The Flames made the series interesting last night at the Dome with a convincing, yet contentious, 3-2 victory over the Wings. More importantly, I was able to partake in the festivities and am only now enough over my hangover to relate a few points on the match-up.

As is becoming increasingly aware, Calgary coach Jim Playfair has been reading my keen insights on the series as he has followed my recommendations to a T. For one, it is clear that Playfair has gotten on the officiating enough so as to now have the refs calling chintzy penalties against Detroit rather than the good guys, resulting in numerous successful powerplay opportunities. For another, the Flames have finally realized that they might as well use their speed against the experienced yet considerably less fleet-of-foot (fleet-of-feet?) Red Wing defense corps. The team has also gotten its collective head out of its collective ass and stopped playing in the on-ice manner of the Keystone Kops. Rather, they are playing with an increased awareness that making tape-to-tape passes and performing the break-outs that they learned in midget hockey can be effective from time to time.

Dominik Hasek is starting to lose his marbles, to the Wings' detriment, and his confidence is beginning to shake. Detroit GM Ken Holland must be thinking that getting a perennial head-case to backstop their Stanley Cup run might have been a mistake.

I agree with Matt that the Flames are more of a top-heavy bunch than most commentators realize, and that while their defense is still prone to bungling, their forecheck more than makes up for the liabilities of their blueline.

Credit ought to go to Andrei Zyuzin for earning a regular roster rotation during the past two games, and the acquisition of Brad Stuart is looking to be the steal of the trade deadline. Meanwhile, Miikka Kiprusoff continues his MVP-like performance, and the rest of the team is finally following his lead.

The big question is, of course, can the Flames continue their run on the road? It's difficult to say; the hometown crowd is certainly the seventh man for the club, and the line match-ups are going in Playfair's favour. However, one must take into account that only one team has played progressively better in each successive game, and momentum and confidence are worth their weight in gold.

Moreover, while both the Flames and Red Wings have impeccable home records this season, neither one was absolutely perfect. Odds are that at least one or the other will pick up a road win before the series is out, and which ever team is able to do that will move on to the second round.

Therefore, I'm guessing that the series will be over in six and, so, I'm sticking with my original prediction: The Flames will steal one at the Joe and take the series at the Saddle on Sunday.

Anyone think otherwise?

Farkin' A

2007-04-18T10:18:00.001-04:00

The Calgary Flames climbed back into the thick of things last night at the 'Dome in resounding fashion. They won their battles, they stayed quasi-disciplined, they got their shots, and they walked away with a convincing 3-2 victory over Detroit. They now trail the Wings 2 games to 1 in the best-of-seven conference quarter-finals.

Factors:

The home town crowd did seem to help jump-start the club. Why they need fans cheering for them to do well is beyond me but I'll take it for the moment;
The Flames forwards utilized their speed at several key moments, including Lombardi's goal and Iginla's burning past a pinching Lidstrom resulting in the game-winner;
Persistence for the puck was evident, as was clogging up the middle when they didn't control the play;
After a couple of bone-headed penalties (though Lord knows why Hamrlik of all people was called in the scrum early in the first), the Flames relaxed and maintained their discipline. Plus, Detroit was getting called for the cheap hooks and holds which were so prevalent to the Flames in games 1 & 2.
Iginla decided to show up.

The last point is especially relevant when you consider colour man Drew Remenda's comments regarding the key match-up last night. Instead of worrying about Nicklas Lidstrom covering Iginla, it was the opposite -- Iginla bashed and worked over the star Detroit defender and had him so rattled that he was a contributing factor in two of the three Flames markers. Lidstrom didn't do anything stupid, but he was off his game and any time you can get an opponent down from the pedestal of perfection to being a mere mortal, it is a huge victory for your side. Lidstrom will bounce back, but his confidence was shaken somewhat.

Good stuff. Next game is tomorrow night at the Saddle. Look for me there; I'll be the one wearing the red jersey.

Double Zut!

2007-04-16T13:08:00.000-04:00

It was better, like raising your math grade from 37% to a resounding 42%. The Flames played a reasonable second, controlling the play for a considerable amount of time, even though they only had a paltry three shots and one goal to show for it. In the end, however, it was not enough as the Detroit Red Wings extended their lead in the opening round series, 2 games to nil, with a 3-1 win at the Joe.

Several factors abound in this lop-sided series which have worked against the Flames. Number one is the lack of discipline which results in not only short-handed situations but, more importantly, a loss of momentum. They got to stay out of the box.

With that, Jim Playfair has got to get the refs' attention about the continual mauling of Jarome Iginla by Draper & co. Detroit's good but they're not so good as to keep the guy from getting a single decent chance at a goal in two straight games. Little tugs and grabs have been missed or glanced over by the officiating staff. That has got to change, and Playfair must call them out on it.

An overall lack of consistent effort is also hurting the club. When one line is going, the others sit back, and they take their turns at leading the club. There is no single person or line doing it for any continuous length of time.

Speed kills, but most especially when you're not using it. The Wings are completely blocking the middling with their trap. This means that there is room along the boards to move the puck up. Playfair ought to keep Lombardi on the wing and pair him up with Tanguay and Iginla. Take it up the outside and blow past Schneider and Chelios, and work it to the net. They got to have more confidence in their wheels.

Miikka Kiprusoff continues to make the case for the first Conn Smyth winner whose team is swept out of the first round, but he has got to use his head a bit. While it is difficult to lay any blame on a goaltender who has made 90 saves in 2 games, that third goal was a result of his being too far out of the crease and letting a bad rebound go to the streaking Detroit winger. It is but one flaw in an otherwise outstanding performance.

The final factor which cannot be overlooked is the near-perfection of the Red Wings so far. They have played as close to flawless hockey which I have ever seen and even if the Flames were playing well, they would be hard-pressed to win. There are too many positives going on in Motown to single any person or aspect out, but the guys are on top of their game and have the confidence to show for it.

Game 3 goes tomorrow night in the Saddle.

51 -15

2007-04-15T21:25:00.000-04:00

To those who didn’t watch the Detroit – Calgary game this afternoon, it may seem as if the title is a simple inversion of digits. Alas, no. Those are the actual shots on goal in favour of the Red Wings.

The score ended up being 4 – 1, bit it doesn’t really reflect the outcome of the game. If Calgary’s goalie was an actual human being, the score would have been 9 – 1. To say that Kipper was amazing is an understatement. He was unbelievably amazing.

On the NBC broadcast, Brett Hull said that Kiprusoff should sue his teammates for lack of support and, as cheesy as that comment is, I have to agree. His ‘mates simply left him hanging for 60 minutes and, quite frankly, I hope some of them apologized to him after the game.

Now, does this mean that the Flames are dead? Most might say so, but I don’t think that’s necessarily true. As bad as the Flames have been on the road this season, they have been great at home. It is perfectly conceivable that they win the next two games in Calgary, What that means, then, is that they only have one more chance to try to take home ice from the wings.

If they want a chance to do that, they really have to start showing some energy and some grit. The Red Wings are steamrolling over them and, given that they are supposed to be a finesse team, that seems kinda wrong.

Zut!

2007-04-13T08:56:00.001-04:00

Buoyed by positivity, lubricated by spirit (of the Alberta rye variety) and ready to go, it didn't go quite as well for me as I had hoped as the Calgary Flames were trounced by the Detroit Red Wings, 4-1 in round 1, game 1 action.

As any observer could tell you, it could have been plenty worse had it not been for the heroics of Miikka Kiprusoff, who stopped 42 off 46 shots, sometimes in spectacular fashion. 180 feet down ice, Dominik Hasek was good as he had to be -- but not much better -- as he faced only 20 shots his own way.

But let's not kid ourselves; the goaltenders were not the story -- the complete domination of the once-proud franchise known as the Flames is. Detroit outskated, outshot, outhit and outperformed the Cowtown Flarin' Horse Head Nostrils so completely, one might have been excused for thinking Darryl Sutter sent the Calgary Flames Midget 'AA' squad in their stead. Pavel Datsyuk (who will be henceforth known at "Gadzooks") was incredible in all areas of the ice, while the rest of the team followed his leadership and performed above and beyond expectations. They were awesome.

As for their opposition, aside from the occasional shots on goal -- which were most likely unintentional -- there was no reason to suspect that the men with the Flaming C in their chests could be considered anything near professional athletes.

A side-bar to the match was the gad-awful officiating. Once again, your friend and mine, Mick Magoo (he prefers "Michael") was a dreadful-looking sight throughout the game, making call after terrible call while trying to keep his helmet fastened securely to that gargantuan, thick-framed melon which someone, somewhere must call a head.

I just don't mean he was just bad for the Flames (though they got more than their fair share of ridiculous penalties), but he and his partner, who must have been infected by the contagious stupidity abounding in the officials' locker room, did everything in their power to confuse the players and disrupt the flow of their game with their inconsistent, asinine calls. It was nothing to start a fund-raiser over or anything, but the man ought to be taken out to the back and whipped until he comes up with some sort of reasonable explanation as to why he continues to be such a goddamn idiot. He could be set up at the whipping post next to the one holding the dipshit who hired him.

Game 2 will be played at 1 pm, local time, this Sunday at Joe Louis Arena. I only mention that because I hope someone from the Flames organization reads this and actually remembers to get the team to the rink this time.

Maybe it was the bus driver's fault ...

All along the watchtower

2007-04-12T20:41:00.000-04:00

My fearless NHL playoff predictions which are often not worth the keys they are typed on.

Eastern Conference

Buffalo v New York Islanders

Buffalo in 5

New Jersey v Tampa Bay

New Jersey in 6

Atlanta v NY Rangers

NY Rangers in 6

Ottawa v Pittsburgh

Ottawa in 5

Semis

Buffalo v NY Rangers

Buffalo in 6

New Jersey v Ottawa

Ottawa in 6

Final

Buffalo v Ottawa

Buffalo in 6

Western Conference

Detroit v Calgary

Detroit in 6

Anaheim v Minnesota

Anaheim in 5

Vancouver v Dallas

Vancouver in 6

Nashville v San Jose

San Jose in 6

Semis

Detroit v San Jose

Detroit in 5

Anaheim v Vancouver

Anaheim in 6

Final

Detroit v Anaheim

Anaheim in 7

Cup Final

Buffalo v Anaheim

Buffalo in 6

Out of my ass

2007-04-11T19:29:00.001-04:00

Step aside, pretenders. The only predictions which will have any weight come June are found below in this post. Sit back and gaze into the crystal ball that is Bumf.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Buffalo v. Long Island

Kudos to the Isles for making a valiant run at the post-season. Battling through injuries, ridicule, and the looming spectre of trading away their number 1 goalie whose contract will be up in a mere 14 years, the team defied the odds and became the biggest beneficiary yet of the Shoot-Out Era. However, unless the Dubinator goes down and their GM puts on the gear to win the day, this will get bloody.

SABRES IN 4

New Jersey v. Tampa Bay

Two of the most recent possessors of Lord Stanley set to battle in two of the biggest hockey markets in North America (the series will be featured in TO and Montreal on HNIC). Jersey's got the 'tender and the Bolts got the firepower, creating the makings of an epic clash the likes the world has not seen since ABC took "Full House" off regular rotation. The series will be tightly fought and the betting houses can be assured of only one constant -- both rinks will sit half-empty throughout.

DEVILS IN 7

Atlanta v. New York

The forgotten series. Atlanta surprised many with their stunning start and shocked even more by hanging on to capture the Southeast, the division which spawned the past two Stanley Cup champs. Meanwhile, the Blueshirts played under the radar during the entire regular season and did nothing but perform with consistency and character throughout. I like Shanahan and Jagr, and Henrik "the Squeegee Slasher" Lundqvist is one of the best young 'tenders in the league. But the Thrashers have Bob Hartley as a coach, and Bob Hartley cheats.

THRASHERS IN 6

Ottawa v. Pittsburgh

Not only does "Sens-Pens" have a nice ring to it, these are the two most exciting young teams in the league. Both feature high-flying, offensive-minded forwards, not to mention overacheiving defense, goalies with something to prove, and experienced coaching. Eventual Hart Trophy winner Sydney Crosby and most of his young bretheren will be experiencing the playoffs for the very first time while many on the Ottawa roster wish they had never had the pleasure to begin with. The pressures on the Sens.

SENATORS IN 7

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Detroit v. Calgary

Tighter than one might think. The Flames possess one of the most talented lineups in the league and revel in the role as underdogs. With Matthew Lombardi purportedly moving to the wing on the Langkow-Huselius unit, they now have a potent 2nd line to open behind Iggy & co. The Wings offense, meanwhile, is vulnerable to a hard-hitting forecheck and a disrespectful defense, and Hasek is going to suffer a nasty injury of some undisclosed variety. Coaching may be a factor, though Mike Babcock's claim to post-season fame so far is a combination of riding oversized goaltender pads to the final coupled with an awful first-round choke. Besides, as the Flames are facing far too many UFAs at the end of 2008, this might be the last time in a few years it could be conceivable to pick them for any success.

FLAMES IN 6

Anaheim v. Minnesota

It's Chris Pronger and a bevy of talent versus a hot backup 'tender and a record skewed by OTs and SOs. The playoffs are not the best format for a team to play for a tie; there are no more shoot-outs for 2 points, and the overtime is played 5-on-5. No contest here.

DUCKS IN 5

Vancouver v. Dallas

The Canucks are this year's version of last year's Flames; sensational goaltending, a couple of stars and a complete lack of offense. A goaltender can stop another team from winning, but he cannot win games on his own. Marty Turco has something to prove, and he has a very complete -- albeit underrated -- roster in front of him.

STARS IN 6

Nashville v. San Jose

When was the last time Joe Thornton led a team to win anything of importance?

PREDATORS IN 5

CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS

Ottawa over Buffalo in 6

New Jersey over Atlanta in 5

Calgary over Anaheim in 7

Nashville over Dallas in 7

CONFERENCE FINALS

Ottawa over New Jersey in 7

Calgary over Nashville in 7

STANLEY CUP

Calgary over Ottawa in 5

Beat the Monkey!!

2007-04-11T11:56:00.000-04:00

Peace from Russia.

I was going to call this post, "Spank the Monkey," but I know that Beeg wouldn't have been able to handle it without giggling like a schoolgirl.

Normally, calling me out on a blog doesn't work, but when it's coupled with Phoff's outrageous predictions, or when coupled with his attempt claim that picking Vinny Lecavalier for the Richard trophy is a "new" pick, well I feel compelled to defend reason, honour, and english (that's in advance of Shaky's post).

Since the stupid ass monkey on TSN is allowed to make picks, but not call the number of games I've decided that I deserve the same rights as a monkey (up yours, Dr. Zaius!) and will do the same. Calling games is for fools and Oilers, Flames, and Avs fans. Not me though and not the legion of Sens fans who don't want to guess how many games it will be until Jason Spezza wilts, Ray Emery fights someone and the team falls apart. I will however reserve the right to editorialize.

Without further ado, starting in the West...

1-Detroit vs 8-Calgary = Detroit

- I'd love to pick the Flames, I really would, but I just don't think they are playing consistently enough to beat a Detroit team that doesn't get enough credit for being very good. However, if Hasek hurts himself (likely) or Iginla comes out and starts drilling Red Wings all over the ice, I could see the series swinging. And PS- for all the talk of Calgary's great defensive game Detroit had a better team goals against for the year.

2-Anahiem vs 7-Minnesota = Minnesota

- It seems to me that every year in the West there is a big upset and I'm going to take a flyer and say this is it for 2007. I took a look at this Backstrom kid they've got in the pipes and FYI - he's good. Backstrom led the league in GAA and SV%. Also, one other thing that I've noticed the last few years is that the team that's hot coming in can make a run. The Wild made a run at Vancouver right until the end and is coming in on a 7-2-1 run, while the Ducks are riding a 5-3-2 record in their last ten. I think the Ducks peaked in December and that Lemaire and the boys are going hunting to bag themselves an upset in round 1.

3-Vancouver vs 6-Dallas = Vancouver

- I had a tough time calling this one because frankly I didn't know that the Sedins had led the Canucks in scoring by such a wide margin or that Henrik put up 70+ points with only 10 goals. The margins between these teams are very small. I agree that it's a problem when Rebeiro is your leading scorer, but I think it's a bigger problem when your next two highest scorers are defensemen (Zubov and Boucher) and the guy keeping pucks out at the other end has a legit argument to be league MVP.

4-Nashville vs 5-San Jose = Sharks

- So the Predators acquire one of the better players of the last decade (when healthy) and play worse. So the Sharks push Anaheim for the first part of the season, but Thornton and Cheechoo aren't clicking and they fall off, but Thornton in particular gets it together to push for the scoring title. So the Sharks come into the playoffs on a 7-1-2 run and have the same goal differential as the Preds. Hmmm, it sounds tough to call, but I'm taking the Sharks because I think the Preds rolled the dice on Forsberg and messed up their chemistry.

Onto the East...

1-Buffalo vs 8-NY Islanders = Buffalo

- Debido says the Isles "have no business" being in the playoffs. Well, okay, but Scoreboard being all that matters in sports and since as Bill Parcells once said, you are what the standings say you are, over 82 games Carolina, Montreal, Toronto, and Boston had no more business being in the playoffs that the Isles. That having been said, Buffalo is going to smoke the Isles, especially since it looks like they'll have the Dubester in between the pipes. PS- Is everyone aware that Tom Vanek scored 43 goals and led the league in +/-...Tom "Freaking" Vanek!!

2-New Jersey vs 7-Tampa Bay = New Jersey

- You know, mid-February, when T-Bay was pushing and passing Atlanta in the Southeast division I would've probably picked this differently, but I think we have to acknowledge what John Tortorella won't - despite three excellent forwards and a couple of decent defensement, this team's goaltending is just too poor. They let in more goals than they scored, which is a recipe for disaster. The Devils step it up in the playoffs, especially when their coach gets fired right before they start.

3-Atlanta vs 6-NY Rangers = Atlanta

- I have a vision...Jaromir Jagr is skating toward an opponent who's carrying the puck...he reaches out to hit him, arm first, and suddenly is grimacing in pain after contact...oh, whoa, that wasn't a dream it was Jagr's stupid assed approach to hitting in the playoffs. After a lackluster season in which he only seemed to care in the last month or so I can't see him putting this team on his back and carrying them to a round 1 win. Lundquist and Shanny are important too, but the Thrashers have played well since their deperate trade deadline moves (payoff and job kept for Don Waddell!!) and they have a legit backstop in Kari Lehtonen. They'll get a reprieve until they prove why they may be the 13th best team in the playoffs.

4-Ottawa vs 5-Pittsburgh = Ottawa

- Sigh...this one is torture. As a Sens fan, I like this year's team. I think that there are lots of good, rational reasons that they should beat Pittsburgh and are better than any team in the East other than Buffalo (and they're not far behind them at this point, considering their second half play). Ottawa was 3rd in goals for (between Buffalo and Pittsburgh), 10th in goals against, and 1st in goal differential. They were decent on the PP (14th overall at 17.9%) and tied for the league lead in SHG with 17. They can get scoring from four lines, but have the three superstars who could step up and lead. Their D is deep and healthy, including the underrated Tom Preissing, and they just locked up Chris Phillips for another four years, which should make him a happy kid. But this is Ottawa, and let's be honest, that counts for something too. There are three reasons that Pittsburgh could win this series and no one would be surprised:

1) Sid the Kid and his two "wingers" - Crosby is legitimately the best player in the NHL and at any moment can transcend a situation to make an impact and win a game. When coupled with Staal and Malkin these kids don't "know" that they're not yet ready for primetime and could get in such a zone, so unconscious, that they just light the Sens on fire.

2) Gary Roberts - I wouldn't have taken Roberts in a hockey pool for the last five years; he's been that far below average in the regular season. However, he seems to take extreme pleasure in torturing Ottawa in the playoffs. If he does it again this year I think that John Muckler may get lynched for not acquiring him at the deadline, if only to keep him away from the opposition.

3) Karma - I think that Ottawa is still living down the Daigle pick, not to mention Bonk and Phillips (good guy, solid D-man, not a #1). Some day when pig men roam free we will be able to win a Cup. Until then, let's all raise a glass to Frank Finnigan and hope to hell that Ray Emery has enough aggression built up to beat up Crosby and push the Sens through.

Get your puck on!

2007-04-11T10:32:00.000-04:00

So, Puck This! Was born a year ago and has enjoyed its most productive period during the second season. On the start of the first round of the 2007 playoffs, I hope that there is a flurry of activity on PT this spring.

As you have surely noticed, we have a new member of the team. I’m happy to welcome Debido, an Avs fan recently returned to Western Canada from the Land of the rising sun. From his first two posts, I think it’s fair to say that he’ll be pushing the rest of the team to write more.

That being said, I’m confident Huck and Shaky will contribute, but I’m calling out Ballzov and Beeg. Much like Alex Kovalev in Montreal, they need to step up.

To follow in Debido’s footsteps, here are my predictions for the 2007 edition of the NHL playoffs:

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

Detroit v. Calgary

The West is a crapshoot. I can’t say that enough. That being said, picks need to be made.

In this series, goaltending and injuries will play an important role. Kipper has been hot and cold and so have the Flames. He needs to be hot for the Flames to have a shot. Hasek, needs to stay healthy for the Wings to have a shot. Also, Zetterberg may not be fully recovered and Bertuzzi is out. On the Flames side, it looks like they Regehr won’t suit up start the series.

All this will make for an interesting series, but in the end, given that the Flames can’t win on the road, the Wings will take it.

Wings in 6

Anaheim v. Minnesota

Even if these teams are technically closer in the standings, I think the series will be more one-sided than the Detroit-Calgary series.

Although I love what Jacques Lemaire has done with team, I don’t think that they have the grit or the intensity to compete here. Also, as impressive as the young Niklas Backstrom has been, he lacks experience and that will show in the 2nd season. Anaheim has better defense and a more experienced roster.

The only aspect that may make me regret my pick is that the Wild are strong up front and can be quite explosive offensively.

Ducks in 5

Vancouver v. Dallas

This will be a great series to watch. I predict a fast pace and great goaltending at both ends.

Although I didn’t call the Canucks’ resurgence, I am happy that they had such a great season. I do think they’re for real and, clearly Luongo is the main reason. Now that the Sedin sisters have matured, they are a force to be reckoned with. I also foresee that Naslund will have his own resurgence in the playoffs.

I can’t bring myself to think that any team that depends on Lindros and Ribeiro for offence is doomed in my view.

Canucks in 6

Nashville v. San Jose

This will, no doubt, be one of the series that will go down to the wire.

The Predators did all they could to get ready for the post-season and, with the addition of Forsberg, they seem to have it all. I don’t, however, think they do. Their defence is still quite young and they are a little less explosive up front. San Jose, on the other hand, is just revving up and they’ve been hot of late.

In the end, Forsberg’s experience is not a replacement for his diminished skills.

Sharks in 7

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

Buffalo v. New York Islanders

If the 1 v. 8 series is a crapshoot in the West, it will be the exact opposite in the East. This will be a cakewalk for the Sabres.

I was a happy man when the Islanders made sure the Leafs would miss the playoffs, but in the end, they only won the right to be swept by Buffalo. Last year was a great learning experience for the Sabres and they may just use that experience to propel them tot the championship. I’m not making that call just yet, but let’s just say that I wouldn’t be surprised to see them win it all.

Sabres in 4

New Jersey v. Tampa Bay

For some reason, I have a feeling that this series will be boring as hell. I have great respect for the Devils organization, but man, their style of play puts me to sleep.

In this series, the Lightning have the edge on offence. Vinny and the gang can light it up with the best of ‘em, but I don’t think that’ll cut it here. New Jersey’s strong team defense and superior goaltending is no match for Tampa Bay’s one-two punch of Lecavalier and St. Louis. In addition, Tampa Bay’s goaltending is less than stellar.

Devils in 6

Atlanta v. New York Rangers

As I said in my post yesterday, I really thought the Rangers would be a powerhouse this year. Deep down, I still think they can play better than their rank indicates.

Admittedly, I don’t know much about the Thrashers and I don’t have much interest. Obviously, with Hossa, Kozlov and Kovalchuk up front, they can make you pay for any defensive lapses. On the back end, Lehtonen has been strong all year and there is no reason to think he can’t be good enough to win them a series or two.

The Rangers, on the other hand, may have the hottest goalie in the league right now and bring a combination of grit and firepower that, on paper, should give them a good shot. If Renney can pull it all together and if Jagr can stay healthy, I think they have a shot at upsetting the Thrashers.

Rangers in 7

Ottawa v. Pittsburgh

This is the series everybody wants to watch. These are two truly gifted offensive teams that showed give us a great show.

The Pens have been one of the most exciting teams to watch this season and they have played much better than everyone expected them to. Some might say that they’re punching above their weight, but I think that we’re witnessing the start of something special.

For their part, Ottawa is not the heavy favourite this year and there is less talk of them being Cup contenders. Let’s not be fooled by Brian Murray’s asinine comments, there is a tonne of pressure on the Senators organization to move past the second round. IMHO, his head will roll if they have an early exit in ’07. All that being said, I think the Sens will actually break the curse this year.

Senators in 6

Prognosticating the East

2007-04-11T02:45:00.000-04:00

Unlike the West, where I wouldn't be surprised if any of the teams made it to the finals, there are several teams in the East that are just along for the ride. Being in the play-offs will be reward enough for the Islanders, who only made it in due to the self-destructiveness of the Leafs and the Habs, the Lightning, Rangers, and Thrashers. Whichever team makes it out of the West is going to have been through three very tough series, whereas a team like New Jersey or Buffalo could, with a bit of luck, have two relatively easy series along the road to the final. Which is why I like Buffalo's chances of winning it all. But let's not get too far ahead ...

Sabres vs. Islanders

No contest. Everything you need to now about this match up you can figure out by comparing the captains: Chris Drury (a tough, clutch performer who consistently punches above his weight) vs. Alexei Yashin (overpaid and over-rated player who coasts on his talent and had never proven that he can deliver when it counts). The Sabres are a strong team - emphasis on team - who play consistently good hockey and have shown they know how to win play-off series. The Islanders have no business being in the post-season. The only way they have a chance is if their goalie, DiPietro or otherwise, pulls a Cam Ward and someone rips the 'C' off Yashin's jersey and sticks it on that of Ryan Smyth. My pick: Sabres in 4.

Devils vs. Lightning

Goaltending is all you need to know here. Martin Brodeur vs. whoever John Tortorella is least afraid of sticking in net on any give night. Apart from the Brodeur factor, the Devils' depth and experience and play-off savvy should make this one pretty short, despite Tampa Bay's offensive guns. I have a suspicion that Lamoriello's decision to fire his coach a week before the post-season is going to backfire, but not in the first round. My pick: Devils in 5.

Thrashers vs. Rangers

I don't rate either of these teams all that highly in terms of Cup aspirations, but one of them will still end up in the conference semi-finals, and I suspect it will be the Thrashers. Shanahan is a good leader, but perhaps too old to make a major on-ice impact, and Jagr is too temperamental - has he ever been dominant in the post-season when he wasn't playing with Lemieux? The Thrashers, on the other hand, have a good mix of stars, exciting youngsters, and canny veterans like Holik, Tkachuk, and Mellanby. I also think Bob Hartley is an excellent play-off coach who gets the most out of his players. As long as Lehtonin holds his own against Lundqvist, the Thrashers should be in fine shape. My pick: Thrashers in 6.

Senators vs. Penguins

With two offensive powerhouses with suspect goaltending going head to head, I reckon this one will be a shoot-out and the most entertaining series of the first round. The key here may be that the Senators have all the pressure - the Penguins have already surpassed all expectations this year, and any progress they make in the play-offs will be a bonus. The Senators, on the other hand, are expected to do well, and we all know what happens when the Senators are supposed to win - they lose. The Penguins are young and hungry and loose, and they have the best player in the game, which should trump the Sens superior defense and play-off experience. My pick: Penguins in 7.

Prognosticating the West

2007-04-11T02:13:00.000-04:00

A year after the offer was originally made, I am at last taking Phoff up on the invitation to add my two cents to this blog. I'll wade right in with my first-round predictions. Despite the absence of my beloved Avs, this year's play-offs promise to be intriguing, especially in the Western Conference, where I will begin.

Red Wings vs. Flames

The Red Wings have made a habit in recent years of flaming out (so to speak) in the first round against supposedly weaker opposition, most recently the Oilers. I don't think they'll be taking the Flames as lightly as they may have taken the Oil, but they still have to contend with the aging population problem among their goalie and defensemen. Their forward group has gotten younger, but not necessarily better, now that Yzerman and Shanahan are gone, but is that enough? The Flames, on the other hand, are, I think, much better than their eighth-place finish suggests. They have the goalie, the D, the grit, the experience, and the superstar necessary to go deep in the play-offs. The big questions are can they win on the road - recent form suggests yes - and will Tanguay turn in the kind of performance that won Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final against the Devils or will he fade from view, as he has a bad habit of doing? My pick: Flames in 7.

Ducks vs. Wild

The Wild are a tough team to break down, and unlike past years have a bit of offensive punch in Gaborik and Demitra, but I just don't see them getting past the Ducks, who showed their play-off mettle last year and should be even better this year. The Ducks have the edge over the Wild in every aspect of their game. Provided the Ducks get the goaltending from Giguere, and Pronger and Niedermayer are injury free, they are serious Cup contenders. My pick: Ducks in 6.

Canucks vs. Stars

This one figures to be a pretty low-scoring affair, with two solid defensive teams and excellent goalies ... at least in the regular season. Goaltending - the Canuck's Achille's heel in play-offs past - is likely to be decide this one, and I'd put my money on Luongo to outperform Turco, who flatters to deceive around this time of year. I've seen a few Canucks games recently, and their D and overall team system seem to be extremely solid, and when they do make the occasional mistake, Luongo slams the door. I don't see that changing in the play-offs; the question marks are the form of Naslund, who's been lousy of late, and whether the Sedin girls - uh, twins - can be dominant in the play-offs. I have my doubts, but still think Vancouver will win this one before going out in the next round. My pick: Canucks in 6.

Predators vs. San Jose

That a series like this is happening in the first round proves how strong the Western Conference is. Both of these teams are legitimate Cup contenders, although I like the Sharks' chances better. They're big and tough, with excellent depth in attack and a goalie who can carry the team. I think the Sharks have too much firepower up front and that they will outmuscle and wear down the Predators' smaller forwards. And I think Nabokov is a better money goalie than Vokoun. There's one wild card in this series, though: the Foppa factor. Years of watching the Avalanche have shown me time and again that Forsberg can single-handedly make the difference in a game, if he's healthy. If he outplays Thornton, then the Preds have a chance. My pick: Sharks in 7.

I'm no Kreskin

2007-04-10T21:24:00.000-04:00

Well, Bumf put himself out there and showed us how unpredictable the NHL can be. These were my predictions and below is how badly I fared in the prognosticating business (my picks in brackets):

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Buffalo Sabres (1)
2. New Jersey Devils (5)
3. Atlanta Thrashers (9)
4. Ottawa Senators (3)
5. Pittsburgh Penguins (12)
6. New York Rangers (2)
7. Tampa Bay Lightning (7)
8. New York Islanders (14)
9. Toronto Maple Leafs (11)
10. Montreal Canadiens (10)
11. Carolina Hurricanes (4)
12. Florida Panthers (13)
13. Boston Bruins (8)
14. Washington Capitals (15)
15. Philadelphia Flyers (6)

So, I didn’t get much right except for the easy ones, like Buffalo. Much like Bumf, I don’t think anyone could have predicted the rise of the Pens and the fall of the Flyers. The same could be said of the Hurricanes. I took a conscious leap with the Rangers because I was sure that they would battle for the top spot and that Shanny would make a huge difference. I was wrong (but it wasn’t Shanny’s fault).

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Detroit Red Wings (5)
2. Anaheim Ducks (3)
3. Vancouver Canucks (11)
4. Nashville Predators (1)
5. San Jose Sharks (4)
6. Dallas Stars (7)
7. Minnesota Wild (6)
8. Calgary Flames (2)
9. Colorado Avalanche (13)
10. St Louis Blues (14)
11. Columbus Blue Jackets (9)
12. Edmonton Oilers (8)
13. Chicago Blackhawks (15)
14. Los Angeles Kings (10)
15. Phoenix Coyotes (12)

Not much better here. In my mind, I felt that Detroit had lost too much (Yzerman & Shanny). Also, I really didn’t see the Flames battling for the last playoff spot and Vancouver being so strong. Shows what I know. As for the other teams, the West is so tight that I don’t really think I could have done much better.

Here are my (new) picks for individual award winners (old picks in brackets):

Hart: Crosby, PIT (Miikka Kiprusoff CAL)
Ross: Crosby, PIT (Sidney Crosby PIT)
Richard: Lecavalier, TB (Alexander Ovechkin WAS)
Norris: Lidstrom, DET (Niklas Lidstrom DET)
Vezina: Brodeur, NJ (Miikka Kiprusoff CAL)
Calder: Malkin, PIT (Evgeni Malkin PIT)
Selke: Pandolfo, NJ (Michael Peca TOR)
Byng: Fischer, OTT (Mike Fisher OTT)
Adams: Michel Therrien, PIT (Barry Trotz NAS)

Next up, my predictions for the 2007 playoffs. Let the (real) games begin…

Regular Season Recap

2007-04-10T11:00:00.000-04:00

Surprises, shocks and horrors ... and even a little bit of fun! The 2006-07 NHL regular season was full of all of this and more.

I just won't be covering any of it here.

Let's look at the regular season standings, with Bumf picks in brackets:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Buffalo Sabres (1)
2. New Jersey Devils (5)
3. Atlanta Thrashers (8)
4. Ottawa Senators (4)
5. Pittsburgh Penguins (12)
6. New York Rangers (7)
7. Tampa Bay Lightning (10)
8. New York Islanders (11)
9. Toronto Maple Leafs (13)
10. Montreal Canadiens (6)
11. Carolina Hurricanes (2)
12. Florida Panthers (15)
13. Boston Bruins (9)
14. Washington Capitals (14)
15. Philadelphia Flyers (3)

I missed the boat on most of these, but most especially between the two Pennsylvania squads. I don't think anyone was going to predict the absolute demise of the Flyers in such spectacular fashion, while I was pleasantly surprised by the upstart Pens. The Panthers also made a big move in the second half of the season while Carolina was a big disappointment.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Detroit Red Wings (4)
2. Anaheim Ducks (5)
3. Vancouver Canucks (13)
4. Nashville Predators (1)
5. San Jose Sharks (2)
6. Dallas Stars (9)
7. Minnesota Wild (7)
8. Calgary Flames (3)
9. Colorado Avalanche (10)
10. St Louis Blues (14)
11. Columbus Blue Jackets (8)
12. Edmonton Oilers (11)
13. Chicago Blackhawks (12)
14. Los Angeles Kings (6)
15. Phoenix Coyotes (15)

Didn't call the Flames quite right, as the team was plenty of more inconsistent than I would have suspected. I called the top two in both the Pacific and Central Divisions, though in the wrong order. I thought Columbus would have done better but I can be forgiven for Andy Murray's terrific turn-around in St Louis (which might also have something to do with the awful call on the Kings.) The Oilers, Hawks and Coyotes played perfect to form.

My picks for the inidividual award winners (with previous picks in brackets):

HART: Sidney Crosby PIT (Crosby PIT)
ART ROSS: Crosby PIT (Crosby PIT)
RICHARD: Vincent Lecavalier TB (Erik Cole CAR ?????)
NORRIS: Nicklas Lidstrom DET (Scott Niedermayer ANA)
VEZINA: Roberto Luongo VAN (Miikka Kiprusoff CAL)
CALDER: Paul Stasny COL (Evgeni Malkin PIT)
SELKE: Daymond Langkow CAL (Stephane Yelle CAL)
BYNG: Martin St Louis TB (Daniel Alfredsson OTT)
MASTERTON: Joe Sakic COL (Eric Lindros DAL)
ADAMS: Barry Trotz NAS (Trotz NAS)
PEARSON: Crosby PIT (Crosby PIT)

1st Team All Stars

CENTRE: Crosby PIT
RIGHT WING: Dany Heatley OTT
LEFT WING: Thomas Vanek BUF
DEFENSE: Lidstrom DET
DEFENSE: Dan Boyle TB
GOAL: Luongo VAN

2nd Team All Stars

CENTRE: Joe Thornton SJ
RIGHT WING: Jarome Iginla CAL
LEFT WING: Daniel Sedin VAN
DEFENSE: Niedermayer ANA
DEFENSE: Chris Pronger ANA
GOAL: Martin Brodeur NJ

Class, personified

2007-04-09T13:35:00.000-04:00

I'll get to the post-season wrap-up and playoff predictions in short order, but I wanted to say a few words about one of the greatest players in the history of hockey. With three points last night, Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic managed to reach the 100-point plateau for the sixth time in his career, and, at the age of 37, became the second-oldest player to reach such heights. (Gordie Howe managed the same feat at the age of 42.) It is to my chagrin, though not entirely at my displeasure, 20 of those points came at the expense of your Calgary Flames.

Moreover, Sakic had led his team to an incredible 15-2-2 run at the 8th-place Calgary Flames until the end of the season, and gave his adopted hometown something to cheer about in an otherwise average season.

He may not win any major awards and he has missed out on the playoffs for the first time since 1992, but the man continues to impress at his advanced age. As he sits one point back of Phil Esposito for eight place in all-time regular season points, Joe Sakic has done nothing but inch his way higher among hockey's pantheon of greats as each season passes.

One More Reason

2007-03-28T09:05:00.000-04:00

... to loathe the Leafs.

Cross posted at Moldy.

Which will suck more?

2007-03-13T19:48:00.000-04:00

HABS WIN HABS WIN HABS WIN

Finally! They win by more than one non-empty net goal! And they do it on the strength of a team effort! Plex, Higgins, Kostitsyn, Komi, Markov, Ryder and above all, Latendresse. Go Kim-Chee!
***
What a pass! Shadow gets his chicken wings! And the honourary Korean, Kim Moi Park, says "For the record, the second fucking moron is the guy who plugs Paul Simon in the middle of a liveblog of a hockey game/leadership debate." True enough.
***
WOWWWWW! What a pass! Kostitytns!!!
***
How many times must Sheldon Souray shoot, before he hits the net? The answer, my friend, is blowing by you at 110 miles per hour.
***
For the record, "Tenderness," the second cut on Paul Simon's seminal "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" album, is an underrated gem. Slow, steady, working to a great peak. Check it out.
***
Now this is the new NHL, where obvious calls are ignored and little shit is heavily penalized. Regardless, Plekanec is all-tough out there.
***
Plekanec is hooked by three guys and doesn't get a call. Fucking NHL. Refs are losers. You heard it here first. That means you, Ron Maclean.
***
That Francis Bouillon. So intense. Takes out Aebischer. Doesn't matter.
***
Shadow says that Dunham is the new Dumont. That makes Huet the new Aebischer and Halak the new Boisclair. Jack Layton is the new Mike Richter and Mike Richter is the new Stockwell Day.
***
HIGGINS HIGGINS HIGGINS YOU SUCK ISLES! GO KOSITYTYUTSN! HIGGINS
***
Comments are off because Blogger sucks. Go WordPress!
***
Shadow Stevens writes in:

"If the Canadiens make the playoffs, I'll vote for the ADQ."

Dumont might just have picked up a vote tonight. He lost about a million, though, so, not a great night. Not exactly Guillaume latenDress out there, you know? More like Jaaannee Niiniimiaaaiiiaa.

***
So if you swat a puck from your own end way over the boards, it's not a penalty. Why? Because you swatted it.
***
The referees have just invented a signal. Brilliant.
***
Sure you don't want to replay that once more? Geez.
***
Why does this have to take so long? Fucking A.
***
That is such a goal.
***
THE TENDERNESS! What? No goal? Groan.
***
These fucking robot dodge cartoon/live action ads are just the worst thing ever.
***
Apparently, all the posts are there and I am a moron. Thanks for the newsflash, Phoff.
***
Question: Why does Pizza Pizza advertise at the Bell Centre? Can you even get Pizza Pizza in Quebec (off McGill campus)?
***
Did the Internets swallow Moi's comment (and my post)? Or was Phoff running things? America, you decide.
***
Comment from Moi:

The only fucking moron is the idiot who censored Laksa

Phoff, you deserve to be Bertuzzied

***
Thanks, Ottawa!
***
Oh, man, is this boring. Seriously, it's freaking dull.
***
Ah, yes, the tuition debate. Boisclair is about to call Charest a liar. Beautiful.
***
What's with DeadWood's PQ lapel pin? That's lame. Couldn't he find a fleur-de-lys? Or at least something to match his green tie? You think he's secretly working for the Green Party? Maybe that's why his campaign is in the toilet. Louigi and Andy are going at it over schools. I'd love to see these two tiptoe around the Jewish schools issue (remember that mess? Funny how we've all gotten past the dark days of this government).
***
Back to the action. Phoff sayd Dumont has been cheating with notes. Doesn't appear to be helping.
***
If Kostitsyn can ever find the net, he'll score thirty goals and I'll learn to spell his last name. Until then, get off the freaking power play.
***
Koivu gets manhandled, and no call. Fucking refs. Such goobers.
***
Koivu = robbed of a goal when Richard Park runs into the net before Saku can put it in. Two minutes for cock-blocking.
***
Why did Luc Robitaille try to lure the Penguins to Kansas City? Seriously, why KC? Why Lucky Luc, why?
***
Phoff sucks. Vote for Saku!
***
WTF is with the mod deleting my posts about Ryder's goal, the linesman's face and Laksa? CENSORSHIP!
***

Phoff here :

You suck the most, Beeg. Yes, you're a moron.

In case you forgot, this is a hockey blog. Leave Deadwood, Sade and Dupont out of here.

Oh yeah, tell Lubelly I'm going to win the bet.

***

Philosophy time. If you liveblog a hockey game and nobody reads it, are you a fucking moron?
***
Sounds like DiPietro could be out for a while. Meanwhile, Komisarek has the coolest injury ever - the slice near his right eye has left a jagged trail of blood down the side of his face. I think the Aaron Downey fan club president might have a new hero. Meanwhile, Ryder and The Tenderest Tendrell almost hook up again.
***
Coolest t-shirt ever: a larger-than-life caricature of Aaron Downey. Beautiful.
***
Wow. Michael Ryder manages to do both his moves (the bull along the boards move and the toe drag) before setting up The Tenderness who pops it in top shelf. Canadiens fans everywhere vote for him.
***
Yikes. Ted Nolan could take a lesson in buying ties from André Boisclair. Looks like Ballzov out there. You heard me right, Ballzov. I'm calling you out too.
***
Was it Ryan Smyth? Did he cry after? Also, "attaque massive" is an awesome way of describing a power play.
***
What the fuck?!? Who scored? WHAT THE FUCK!!! Ugh.
***
Best part of the debate? The many, many shots of the "reverse angle" camera. Awesome. That is SO delaghetto.
***
This liveblog, by the way, is brought to you by Laksa. Mmmmm, laksa.
***
8:35 p.m.: Somebody finally references a page of the other guy's campaign book. Debate cliché #1, you are crossed off the list.
***
Where else but Quebec could two out of three potential jurisdiction heads debate the merits of something Greenpeace said?
***
I think JC and the Sunshine Band is promising to be first among Canadians in continuing to ignore the Kyoto Accord.
***

Mario Dumont, fighting the environemnt.
***
Mario Dumont, Eco-Warrior.
***
I think this is the part of the debate where Quebecers get all smug because we can be eco-friendly (what with all our waterfalls). You suck, Alberta!
***
André the Giant has figured out that the best way to get elected is to talk about how badly the province sucks. My fellow Quebecers, we're dead last. Vote for me!
***
This is awesome. Char-ay and Clearwood are bickering about numbers. Go democracy!
***
André brings the stats. Charazr refuses to look at him. Brilliant. Sadly, his jacket is too big. Prime Minister Lubelly, everyone.
***
Period ends with 1:01 left in the Ryan Smyth double-minor. Hmmm. 101, eh? Better flip to Radio-Canada. Jean Charest is dressed like he's going to a Mob funeral. He's going to go after old people or something. How can someone as young as Mario Dumont have been around forever? I think J.C. cut his hair for this debate. That's kind of sweet. Dumont's got a serious number eleven going.

***
The Tenderness sloooowly falls into the boards. What a surprise.
***
Smelldon hits the post. Go Smelldon!
***
Four-minute power play. Only the Montreal Canadiens (circa 2007) could fuck this up. Any bets?
***
Fuck! Why is Dunham good? What the hell?!
***
Seriously, between me and Mike Boone, you wouldn't expect him to be the one using the expression, "That is so bush," would you?
***
I just wanna go on record here: Mike Boone, I am calling you out, bitch.
***
I'd totally vote for Jean Charest if he took out some Quebec Solidaire guy at the blue line. Hardcore.
***
Rick DiPietro, the most fun goalie in the league to watch, is a reckless moron.
***
Hey Ballzov, WTF?!? Would it kill your Sens to beat the Rangers? Geez.

***
Why do they record these people (I'm talking about the debates here) in an echo chamber? It sounds like Mario "Lemieux" Dumont is debating himself. I think Andre Boisclair and I have the same tie.

***

The Quebec leaders' debate or Sheldon Souray's defence?

Welts & Suspensions

2007-03-11T21:58:00.000-04:00

So, first, I want to thank Rob and Shaky for keeping this site alive over the past few months. I wanted this site to become more than just a blog for the playoffs, but I haven't been keeping up my end of the bargain. As we approach the second season, it seems that I have more to say about the goings on in the NHL.

Today, for example, we found out that Chris Simon was handed a hefty suspension (25 games plus the playoffs) for his vicious chop to the face of Ranger Ryan Hollweg. This, in my view, is fair. What I don't get, however, is how Cam Janssen of the Devils got away with only 3 games for an act that I consider as just as vicious on Toronto's Tomas Kaberle.

Now, many will argue to the contrary. After all, as I've heard it already, the Jansen hit was just a late bodycheck. He, according to some, simply took the concept of "finishing his check" a little too far and the results were disastrous. Bullshit.

I've watched and played hockey for 30 years and the concept of "finishing a check" is well known to me. It's a fairly simple concept. If a player has already begun the motion of checking an opposing player, he is allowed to follow through even after the opposing player has gotten rid of the puck. There is, of course, a timing element to the concept. The "motion" cannot last for more than 2 or 3 seconds.

In the case of the Janssen hit, he clearly pursued Kaberle for quite some time after the Toronto player had passed the puck. Janssen had the intention of chasing Kaberle down regardless of the fact that he had the puck or not. To me, this is an intent to injure and it is just as vicious as the Chris Simon slash.

I understand, however, that the length of the Simon suspension is based on the fact that he has a record of suspensions and that Colin Cambell took this fact into consideration. Nevertheless, 3 games for the Janssen hit is, in my view, not enough.

What, no pass to Tim Kerr?

2007-03-11T19:22:00.000-04:00

Former Philly Flyer Brian Propp is running for the New Jersey Assembly

Despite his status as a left-winger for the Flyers, Propp is running as a Republican. Not a good year to be playing on your Flyer credentials.

Cry me a river

2007-03-01T12:08:00.001-05:00

I don't want to harp on the Ryan Smyth trade more than I have to, but I am compelled to comment. Like I said earlier, I believe most of the blame should fall on the shoulders of Oilers GM Kevin Lowe for sending mixed messages to Smyth (he overpays Pisani for one single playoff run, he will not overpay his top scorer for twelve years of loyal service).

That being said, I was somewhat disturbed by Ryan Smyth's emotional breakdown while talking to the media before heading out to Long Island. While I enjoyed making fun of him, and while I have always cheered against him when he wore any jersey without a Maple Leaf emblazoned on it, I have never despised Smyth as I had for some of his predecessors in Oil Drop garb; however, I found his sniffling in front of the cameras to be a bit degrading. Yes, he loved being in Edmonton and, yes, he played a high-stakes gamble and lost, but the man was offered $5 million to stay and play a game and he turned it down, and then cried about it? It was a trade, for crying out loud. It was a business decision. There was no one holding a gun to his head, his family is well-taken care of, and he's playing the game he loved. If both parties weren't so stubborn, Smyth would have realized he was asking for too much, and Lowe would have realized that he ought to have paid for the mistakes he had made since the Cup run.

I can feel for the fans, but Smyth cannot ask me for feeling sorry for his "broken heart", not after he had some control over his own fate and screwed it up himself. There is simply too much pain and suffering in this world to pay any heed to the tears of a millionaire hockey player.

UPDATE: Bruce Dowbiggin has more on tear-dropped Oil Drops:

Now I know why they call him Mess. Could Mark Messier cry a little more? Tell him the Oilers already have a Zamboni for flooding the rink. Sheesh. What happens when he sees an abandoned kitten? That must start a new tributary of the North Saskatchewan.

Stating the obvious

2007-02-28T11:54:00.000-05:00

When you plan to retire a player's jersey, do not do it on the same day as the trading deadline.

Beyond that relevating piece of awe, however, the Ryan Smyth trade had plenty of flaws beyond the players directly involved in the deal. It may be that Ryan O'Marra and Robert Nilsson might pan out to be solid NHLers, and that the team grabs a gem in their acquired 1st-round pick, or all three assets may turn out to be a collective dud. It doesn't matter; Oilers GM Kevin Lowe couldn't risk losing Smyth at the trade deadline and had to move in the end. I disagree with Matt; this deal did take cojones and kudos to Lowe for doing so.

The kudos end there, however; The reason they had to trade Smytty is because (as Matt also suggested) Lowe had been such a chickenshit GM in the past year and now his hand was forced. Take Fernando Pisani, please. Here's a guy who had a hell of a post-season run, exceeding all expectations, and was rewarded for his efforts with a big contract to stay in his hometown. How's that deal paying out now?

People may have already forgotten, but a similar situation happened a few hundred klicks south and a couple years earlier. A fleet-of-foot winger with hands of stone surprised everyone by scoring the second-highest amount of goals in the season and by playing a key role in a hard-fought bid for the Stanley Cup. Yet, the GM let him go, despite the the player's popularity with fans and teammates alike. Why was he let go? Because Shean Donovan was on a rare hot streak which would be unlikely to occur again, even if he did nab a big raise.

That's the difference between the Flames and the Oilers: Darryl Sutter has never been afraid to upset the home crowd; Lowe trusts in his fans' instincts until he has no choice than to make a tough deal.

Obviously, things will be different next year, with the amount of high-calibre Flames up for free agency. There may very well be a fire-sale, and fans will be pissed off no matter what Sutter does. However, the man trusts his own instincts and, though every deal will not be a great one, there should be no doubt that Darryl will do what Darryl thinks is best for Darryl's team.

If I were a managing partner in the Oilers organization, I might give Kevin Lowe exactly one more opportunity, that being getting Ryan Smyth back. If he can do that, he essentially grabbed three decent prospects in exchange for missing the playoffs one season, which isn't such a bad deal.

Then again, considering how much time Kevin Lowe has had to put his mark on the team, and considering the almost complete lack of team identity left on the roster, I'd fire that guy in a heartbeat and bring in an experienced soul tout de suite.

Maybe Bobby Clarke misses the northern lights.

A doorknob, a giant donkey and a skull missing half its brain matter ... "What are three apt descriptions for Eric Francis?"

2007-02-26T14:15:00.001-05:00

Remember my prediction last week that if the Flames lost to the Coyotes, fair-weather commentators would be calling for Jim Playfair's head? I present Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun:

But while speculation swirls the Flames first year coach could pay the price for a dismal road record, Sutter refused yesterday to clarify his stance on the debate.

"I don't even want to publicly comment," said Sutter yesterday, between phone calls from GMs around the league.

"It's about winning now and we think on paper we have the personnel.

Some will suggest Sutter just isn't the type to hand out public votes of confidence and simply believes he has no duty to keep the public abreast of his thoughts.

Yeah, that or maybe Sutter thinks the question is a stupid one as the Flames are currently sitting in a playoff spot with a legitimate opportunity to win the division.

Speaking of predictions, Eric Francis, it should be noted, declared after 9 games into the season that the Flames were not going to make the post-season and should think about selling off some of their top talent.

What a useless tit.

Predictions are like arseholes

2007-02-20T18:39:00.001-05:00

Sports predictions, when made by anyone other than myself, are about as useful as a butthole on the elbow (though, in retrospect, having that sort of medical condition could be incredibly useful in certain circumstances, especially if one finds herself in a terrible hurry during a crazed attempt to track down a the alleged lover of a space shuttle pilot). Still, nothing this side of David Suzuki drives me up the wall with more intensity and passion than sports prognosticators who treat every single match-up as the definitive moment to divine the eventual success of a particular team in any given season.

For instance, Flames lose 7-5 to the Avs on Thursday night, and the team can't hold on to a lead; The Flames take the Avs 7-3 on Saturday night, and you got yourself a credible contender.

Thus, as tonight is the third of the Flames-Avs miniseries, Bumf will make a bold prediction: If the Flames win, they have accumulated the most talented roster in a decade and are the team to beat; if they lose, a fire-sale is in order and Jim Playfair is lucky if he can get away with being run out of town whilst his head firmly attached to his neck.

We'll see how accurate my prediction turns out tonight.

Goin' for it

2007-02-15T23:06:00.001-05:00

The Calgary Flames' chances of getting to the Stanley Cup final got a wee bit smaller:

The Nashville Predators have added a big weapon for the stretch run.

The Predators traded winger Scottie Upshall, defenceman Ryan Parent, a first round pick and a third round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for Peter Forsberg.

[...]

The 33-year-old centre adds some much needed playoff experience to the Predators. In fact Forsberg has more career playoff points (162) than the rest of the Predators lineup (155).

Forsberg joins an already potent line-up which includes Paul Kariya and instantly becomes the favorite to win the Cup this spring.

Then again, this isn't the first time Forsberg was hooked up with Kariya on a stacked team, and we all know how well that went.

Ironic and not in going down in a theatre way

2007-02-15T00:20:00.000-05:00

SI.com Columist Steve Hofstetter writes that the NHL shouldn't be using sex to the sell tickets on the same day that his employer releases the SI Swimsuit Issue.

The headline for SI.com columnist latest piece is, "Desperate Kings Using Sex To Sell Tickets." Hofstetter writes that the Kings have put up billboards around L.A. "that simply say ‘Kings Hockey’ with a picture of an attractive blonde in a Kings uniform." Hofstetter claims that hot blondes are not bad , they just shouldn’t embody Kings hockey."

Hofstetter's commentary comes the same day that Sports Illustrated rolls out its famous swimsuit issue (and the accompanying tens of thousands of subscription cancellations).

And one week after internet "model" Jenn Sterger started her second official SI.com journalistic stint, which features her as a video reporter for Time, Inc., website.

It's a theory

2007-02-14T16:05:00.000-05:00

Matt has his Peplinksi Underwear Theory on the Andrew Ference trade; I have my own. Brad Stuart, the well sought-after defenseman who came over with Wayne Primeau in exchange for Ference and Chuck Kobasew, played a team-leading 23 minutes, 12 seconds in the Flames commanding 4-1 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers. Stuart was physical, smart and an overwhelming presence. It is a no-brainer that he will be paired with Robyn Regehr, who has been underperforming this season without the sleek-footed Jordan Leopold carrying the puck out of the zone. Stuart also seemed comfortable on the second PP unit with Mike Giordano.

Speaking of physicality, one could not imagine Andrew Ference laying out the likes of Jim Slater the way Stuart was able to do early in the first period. Forget the issue with leadership; Simply put, he adds height, weight, talent and confidence to an already deep blueline.

As for Wayne Primeau, there is no comparison between him and Chuck Kobasew. He's just as fast, just as skilled with the stick, he adds three inches and 40 pounds, and can take faceoffs.

Sitting behind the Thrashers' bench last night for the first -- and last -- time in my spectating career, it became truly obvious. The Flames are a much, much better team after the trade.

Joe Sports, RIP

2007-02-14T15:40:00.001-05:00

Collin Smith, a.k.a. "Joe Sports", the ubiquitous sports guy here in Calgary, has succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was well-known in the community for his charity and affable humour, and he knew his stuff on the playing fields.

My favorite Joe Sports story happened during a Rider game at McMahon several years back (when the Green are in town, it's a Rider game, not a Stamps one). My university buddies were all painted up and liquored to the max and generally making complete asses of (themselves (er, ourselves). Sitting a few rows ahead of us, it was eventually discovered, was Joe Sports himself. And his pre-teen son.

My good friend, Paddington, one of the best guys I know and one of the most sour drunks you can come across, was pissed about the score and proceeded to take it out on Joe Sports. He began to chant: "Jo-o-o-oe Sports! Jo-o-o-oe Sports! JO-O-O-OE SPORTS!".

He did this for the entire 4th quarter.

Being the kind of guy he is, Joe Sports took it until the game was almost over. He walked up with his son, smiled, shook our hands, and told us to have a great time. Then they left.

Paddy didn't say anything; he just sat there with a crooked frown, staring off at nothing. He brought his near-empty beer can to his lips, sipped his last, and muttered under his breath: "What an asshole."

I was a fan ever since.

Rest in peace, Joe. May you drink from Stanley's heavenly mug, and may all your Sunday picks come true.

It's now or never

2007-02-12T12:16:00.000-05:00

When Calgary Flames GM Darryl Sutter traded away the popular Chuck Kobasew and Andrew Ference to the Boston Bruins for soon-to-be unrestricted free agents Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau, the sweatiest palms in the NHL might possibly belong to Edmonton Oilers' GM Kevin Lowe. The Oil has been almost pathetic on the blueline this year, one season removed from when d-men Chris Pronger and Jaroslav Spacek backed their team to a credible run at the Stanley Cup. Marc-Andre Bergeron, he of "let's run the opponent into the crease and take out our number one goalie in the Stanley Cup finals" fame, is the team's leading scorer on the point with 7 goals and 24 points. Not much to be proud of.

Meanwhile, the Flames, having an abundance of depth in front of goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff, merely added a proven presence while clearing room for up-and-comers Mike Giordano and Ritchie Regehr. The same goes for Wayne Primeau, who adds a confident and disciplined 6'4" demeanor on either the wing or as pivot. Primeau is also a noted face-off specialist, an aesthetic clearly coveted by Sutter.

Yesterday's humiliating loss to the Detroit Red Wing, while understandably a let-down after Saturday's difficult loss to the Sabres, was not indicative of the near future of the team. There is no doubt that the team has added to, rather than lost from, the current roster. Whether or not they can gel before season end is another story.

What is certain, however, is that the Flames are gearing up for what could possibly be their last major chance at Lord Stanley for the next three years or so.

We'll see in June whether this was a good deal or no.

Havlat has at Cowtown

2007-02-07T12:45:00.001-05:00

Aside from cringing at the complete lack of elocution from the team's governor, the Calgary Flames organization did a wonderful job in raising Mike Vernon's number 30 to the Saddledome rafters. It was a classy display and I especially enjoyed Vernon's acceptance speech, finding that it was delivered remarkably well. It's too bad the rest of the team didn't put on quite as exciting a show afterward, losing 3-2 to the Chicago Blackhawks in a shootout which shouldn't have happened.

After sitting on the bench for an hour before, I can give the boys a bit of slack for missing that bit of jump in the first period. Even Dion Phaneuf'smauling of Chicago's Brent Seabrook, they of epic WHL battles past, was not effective in waking the team from their ceremony-induced slumber. However, throughout the entire game, there was very little to get the Saddle rockin'. It's not like the fans didn't want to cheer; hell, even little dump-outs into the neutral zone were eliciting hoots and hollers from the crowd. Nothing could get the team get its collective head out of its collective ass.

To the Blackhawks' benefit, they played an excellent road game. They were tight, didn't lose control in their own zone, and relied on their goaltender. Martin Havlat, in particular, was the best skater on the ice. He didn't piss around with the puck and cost his team defensively, and showed tremendous leadership on the ice. He impressed me so well that, in fact, it wouldn't surprise me that if in a year the man will be the odds-on favorite for the Hart Trophy. He took advantage of a pair of boneheaded penalties late in the third to tie the Flames and gave his team a chance to win. Martin Havlat is an excellent, excellent hockey player.

As for the Flames, I didn't notice anything remarkable about anything they did, although Matthew Lombardi impressed me a few times. The young centre is beginning to use his speed more strategically. By that, I mean he is becoming more comfortable in recognizing the proper time and place to explode with the puck, catching the opposition on a line change and while the defense pairing is a touch askew. When he turns on the afterburners, the entire play shifts down-ice and the Flames gather momentum. It is almost as if he's developed an entire year in these past two months, and Playfair might want to consider putting some more speed on his line. It's too bad Chuck Kobasew is on the IR, but there is no excuse for keeping Alex Tanguay off the Lombardi wing for very long.

But that was just a recurring thought during an otherwise unengaging affair. That's not to say the Flames were awful and that now is time to jump off the bandwagon, a la Calgary sports commentators after a late-game collapse. Remember, the boys still were able to snag a point to stay ahead of the Canucks in the race for first. For the moment, I'll give them a pass; hopefully they learned a little something about themselves, mainly that there is no such thing as a sure win, and that it takes more than a run of a few games to get your jersey number raised to the roof.

Give me two shots of CC on ice

2007-01-31T13:09:00.001-05:00

He didn't disappoint. Craig Conroy made a memorable return to Calgary last night as he scored twice in the Flames' 4-1 victory over his old Los Angeles Kings.

While Conroy won't be scoring twice a game from here until the end of the playoffs -- he only has 7 goals on the season in total -- he clearly showed why he was brought back to Calgary in the first place. For one, he adds depth to the organization, as witnessed by an appreciable amount of ice time while the top two leading scorers on the team were out of the game (Daymond Langkow left the game early due to an apparent shoulder injury). He also provides leadership on the ice, having been Calgary's most prolific forward throughout the game.

Mostly, however, Conroy brings excitement to the game; he's a fan favorite and it is impossible for his teammates to not love him. While he was never the #1 centre Jarome Iginla needed in order to succeed on the ice, he will be an invaluable tool in the dressing room when Iginla needs the support to get the team riled up and ready to win.

Like almost everyone in Cowtown who does not feel nauseous at the sight of blue and bronze, I'm pretty pumped to have Conroy back.

Gentleman George

2007-01-18T23:11:00.001-05:00

This fight between (6'3", 243-pound) Georges Laraque of Phoenix and (6'4", 263-pound) Raitis Ivanans of LA is not the best except for the fact that Laraque is miked up.

Here's what he has to say (calmly, mind you) to Ivanans as the two enforcers await the drop of the puck:

"You want to? Okay. We're up? Okay. Good luck then."

Classic.

All-Star Deceptions

2007-01-14T21:03:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the CBC's Hockey Day in Canada and, from all accounts, it was a success.

For Canadian hockey fans, they got the chance to watch all six Canadian-based teams go head-to-head in three back-to-back games (what's the record for hyphenated words in one sentence?). For half of those fans, the day was a dissappointment. What can you do? Since ties have benn eliminated, it means three teams have to lose. In the case of the Habs and Leafs, their fans were sent home with their tails between their legs.

Now, I don't know if this was planned, but the NHL chose the same day to announce the full lineups for the 2007 NHL All-Star game. As is the case every year, hockey pundits will over-analyse the selections and point out the major oversights. Given the talent in the NHL, the league could put together four teams and some great players would still be left out.

Here in Montreal, there is always something brewing about the selections. Since the announcment, the fans and journalist were excited that Huet was selected to attend the game. Turst me, they were really pissed that he was nowhere to be found on the All-Star ballot and now, all is fine. They have, however, pointed out one oversight: Guillaume Latendresse was (apparently) left off the Young Stars roster (I write apparently because I can't semm to find an official copy of the roster).

I have to say, without being too much of a "homer", I can't quite understand why he won't be there. As of today, Gui is tied for 9th in rookie scoring. He's three points ahead of Jordan Staal, who will be playing in the game.

Sure, some might say that Latendresse plays on a better team, but Staal gets quite a bit more ice time in Pittsburgh.

Either way, Staal does deserve to be there, but, IMHO, so does Latendresse.

I hope the Montreal media is wrong on this one and that he's actually been selected.

All Star Weekend

2007-01-14T11:13:00.000-05:00

The hockey gods have spoken and there will be no Rory Fitzpatrick in the game. The email, internet and website campaign to elect the warm body to the National Hockey League All Star Game in Dallas later this month has failed. It was a nice gimmick and one felt sorry for Fitzpatrick over the course of the event.

He has been a healthy scratch in Vancouver several times already this year and barely clings to a NHL paycheque. He will get some time away from the rink over the break unless Fox News hires him to file reports from the game.

Two quick things. It is time to drop the one player per team rule. It is a slap in the face to the real all-stars. Two, it is time to move the game to after the season and put in a non-NHL location.

The real line-ups are in and it is time to compare choices - MP in parenthesis.

WEST

Roberto Luongo (x)
Miikka Kiprusoff (x)
Marty Turco (Chris Mason)

Scott Niedermayer (x)

Nicklas Lidstrom (x)

Philippe Boucher (x)
Dion Phaneuf (x)
Kimmo Timonen (x)
Lubomir Visnovsky (x)

Joe Thornton (x)

Jonathon Cheechoo (Daymond Langkow)

Joe Sakic (x)
Bill Guerin (Henrik Sedin)
Martin Havlat (x)
Patrick Marleau (x)
Rick Nash (Daniel Sedin)
Yanic Perreault (x)
Brian Rolston (x)
Teemu Selanne (x)
Ryan Smyth (Paul Kariya)
Henrik Zetterberg (x)

EAST

Ryan Miller (x)
Martin Brodeur (x)
Cristobal Huet (x)

Brian Campbell (x)

Sheldon Souray (x)

Jay Bouwmeester (x)
Zdeno Chara (x)
Tomas Kaberle (Andrei Markov)
Brian Rafalski (Dan Boyle)

Sidney Crosby (x)
Alexander Oveckin (x)

Daniel Briere (x)

Jason Blake (Jaromir Jagr)
Simon Gagne (Marc Savard)
Dany Heatley (x)
Marian Hossa (x)
Vincent Lecavalier (x)
Martin St. Louis (x)
Brendan Shanahan (x)
Eric Staal (Thomas Vanek)
Justin Williams (Rod Brind'Amour)

Jarome who?

2007-01-12T12:07:00.001-05:00

How does a hockey team which ranks 27th league's penalty-killing standings stand up to another team whose power play ranks 6th overall? You do your best to almost match them goal-for-goal and then use your dominating five-on-five presence to walk away with a 7-3 road victory. That's how.

While all of Colorado's 3 goals were scored on the man-advantage, two of the Flames' markers were also put away during the same situation. The Stampede City Firey, Flarin' Horse Nostrils, tired of opponents taking advantage of their woeful PK, have come up with a much more fun solution -- score while short-handed. They've now scored 11 goals while 4-on-5, the most in the NHL, which is probably the most demoralizing turn of events which could ever occur in the game. Leading the charge in the short-handed stats is the swift-footed Matthew Lambardi, who ranks second in the league with 4 goals and first with 5 points, and Kristian Huselius, who has 2 goals and 4 points of his own.

Last night's victory was more important, yet almost without mention, due to Jarome Iginla's absence. Including the game against Florida against whom Iginla was injured, the Flames have now won 4 games in a row, and have outscored their opponents 19-9, and nabbed one shutout. Granted, these games weren't against Anaheim or San Jose, but neither were they against Philly or St Louis. The tough Dallas Stars and two divisional rivals were all taken to the cleaners by the Iggy-less Flames.

How could the injury of a potential Hart Trophy candidate work out for the better? I put it down to good coaching on the Flames' part, difficulty in putting together an adjusted game plan due to Iginla's absence on the opponents' part, and the Flames players finally stepping up and contributing something on their own behalf. Most obvious have been the timely scoring by Byron Ritchie and omaha call-up David Moss. It has been fortunate that both Lombardi and Huselius are finally playing up to their potential, and that Daymond Langkow has shown that he wasn't riding any man's coattails this season so far. Also, as was noted in last night's telecast, Dion Phaneuf has been given more responsibility in shutting down the top lines of the opposition and has done an admirable job in that department (to note, Milan Hedjuk was a -5 last night and registered but a single assist).

But mostly, I believe, the Flames are starting to get sick of being stuck in the Northwest quagmire and understand the need to gain a few points on their divisional rivals. They are the most talented and best-coached team of their peers and should be making a push ahead of the pack before the All Star Game. If they can come away with a +.600 record by the time Iginla returns to the lineup, the division is their's.

Obviously, that's speculation. What isn't speculation is that the Flames are a more confident team and they know they can dominate when they stick to the game plan. It's easy to say, but then again, I'm not an NHLer.

Go Flames.

Mid-Year Review

2007-01-10T13:21:00.000-05:00

NHL Standings as of January 10 (with my original picks in brackets):

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Buffalo Sabres (1)
2. Atlanta Thrashers (8)
3. New Jersey Devils (5)
4. Monteal Canadiens (6)
5. Ottawa Senators (4)
6. Carolina Hurricanes (2)
7. NY Rangers (7)
8. Washington Capitals (14)
9. Tampa Bay Lightning (10)
10. Toronto Maple Leafs (13)
11. Boston Bruins (9)
12. Pittsburgh Penguins (12)
13. NY Islanders (11)
14. Florida Panthers (15)
15. Philadelphia Flyers (3)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Anaheim Ducks (5)
2. Nashville Predators (1)
3. Vancouver Canucks (13)
4. Detroit Red Wings (4)
5. San Jose Sharks (2)
6. Dallas Stars (9)
7. Calgary Flames (3)
8. Colorado Avalanche (10)
9. Minnesota Wild (7)
10. Edmonton Oilers (11)
11. Phoenix Coytoes (15)
12. Chicago Blackhawks (12)
13. Los Angeles Kings (6)
14. Columbus Blue Jackets (8)
15. St Louis Blues (14)

Excuses:

First of all, keep in mind that not all teams have played the same amount of games, thus total points and standings isn't a precise measuring tool. Also, you might want to consider the time-tested principle that you shouldn't judge a whole season based on the first quarter success or failure -- the second quarter is much more indicative of a team's final result than anything.

I called the East not too bad. The big surprises were Atlanta finally coming into their own and, of course, the massive Philly collapse. Washington too has performed much better than expected, and I'm glad to see it.

As for the West, well, I didn't do quite as well. I'll disregard the Northwest Division for now, considering how tight they all are. I thought San Jose would be slightly better than the Ducks and I didn't think Dallas would continue their winning ways, Phoenix has been making a surge and perhaps they aren't the worst team in the conference, but I wouldn't hold out too much hope for them. As for Los Angeles and Columbus, I didn't take into account how powerful the rest of the Pacific Division was going to be, and I thought Columbus was set to make a move. Instead, the Kings are going to miss the playoffs and Atlanta is the big mover of its expansion cohort. C'est la vie.

The future:

In the East, I don't see Montreal keeping u their winning ways; I'm thinking borderline playoffs right now. I wouldn't be surprised if Boston overtakes them, but I'll probably be wrong. Toronto will continue their slow climb to the bottom, though they won't be as bad as Philly, a team which has all but given up for the season. Look to Pittsburgh to challenge for a playoff spot.

Out West, Calgary is going to pick up some more and take the lead of the division for good. Minnesota might do a bit better than they are now (they currently have the fewest wins in regulation in the conference and their road game is abysmal) with the return of Gaborik. San Jose will do a late-season charge and will do their best to capitalize on Pronger's injury in OC. Edmonton will falter and likely miss the post-season and Nashville will win the top seed.

In the post-season, the Canucks will play the giant-killers but they won't get by the Flames in the Conference final.

Ray Emery will turn it on and hand Buffalo another close-but-no-dice playoff ouster. But Emery has nothing next to Kiprusoff and the Flames, and Iginla, after receiving the Conn Smyth, will hoist Lord Stanley's mug.

Or not.

Potty Pencil

2007-01-08T22:13:00.000-05:00

Many of the Habs players have been suffering of late. Not necessarily because they've lost 6 of their last 8 games, but also because an intestinal flu has been making the rounds of the dressing room.

Of course, this is major news here in Montreal. Tonight, RDS is reporting that the Canadiens' dressing room has been disinfected.

Never missing a beat, my favourite editorial cartoonist captured the mood of the city brilliantly in the image above. This guy is top notch and some of his best work revolves around hockey. For those who may have missed it, check out this earlier post when he tackled the Théodore - Hilton affair.

Too funny!

Mid-term Review

2007-01-07T20:49:00.000-05:00

I really should blog more about hockey. This wasn’t one of my New Year’s resolutions, but it should have been. The entire World Juniors went flying by and I didn’t say a word. In any case, what more can be said about another perfect performance by Canada’s junior phenoms.They were just fantastic.

Meanwhile, in the big leagues, we have reached mid-season in the NHL. That means it’s (unfortunately) time to see how my pre-season predictions look at this point in the year. Somehow, I have a feeling this isn’t going to be pretty.

EASTERN CONFERENCE (My predictions in brackets)

1. Buffalo (1)
2. Atlanta (9)
3. New Jersey (5)
4. Montreal (10)
5. NY Rangers (2)
6. Carolina (4)
7. Ottawa (3)
8. Toronto (11)
9. Boston (8)
10. Washington (15)
11. Pittsburgh (12)
12. NY Islanders (14)
13. Tampa Bay (7)
14. Florida (13)
15. Philadelphia (6)

OK, so while not many people predicted Montreal’s strong start, I really don’t know why I had Atlanta in 9th. In retrospect, that was pretty stupid. The other two major errors on my part seem are Ottawa and Philly. Although I think Ottawa will right the ship ( i twill have absolutely nothing to do with the acquisition of Mike Comerie), I’m fairly certain that Philly will remain at the bottom. This makes me happy to no end.

I had predicted that the Rangers would finish in second and I still think they’ll end up higher than where they are now. From what I’ve seen, they are playing better than their record indicates.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Anaheim (3)
2. Nashville (1)
3. Vancouver (11)
4. San Jose (4)
5. Detroit (5)
6. Dallas (7)
7. Calgary (2)
8. Minnesota (6)
9. Colorado (13)
10. Edmonton (8)
11. Chicago (15)
12. Phoenix (12)
13. Los Angeles (10)
14. Columbus (9)
15. St. Louis (14)

So the big shock in this end of the continent is, obviously, the Canucks. They’re playing really well and it seems like they’re for real. Although I don’t think they’ll fall down as low as 11th, they could drop down the list significantly as the parity in their division is unrivaled. A few losses and they could be fighting for a playoff spot. Their current position is quite misleading.

The same applies to the Flames. A slight surge by Calgary could easily hoist them up the standings lickity-split.

Apart from that, I think my predictions will be better in the West than in the East.

That’s all for now. As you were.

Four minutes for looking so ugly

2007-01-03T14:42:00.000-05:00

Last night's debacle at the 'dome did little to diminish my love of the "new" NHL, considering that the awful refereeing did not get in the way of what proved to be an exciting divisional match-up. At the same time, while I am an adamant believer that officiating does not win or lose games for teams, they can certainly make a fan leave the rink with a bad aftertaste in the mouth. Case in point: I have never heard a louder chorus of boos than the ones which resounded the rink during the defeat of the Flames at the hands of the Canucks in their first tilt of the new year. It wasn't anything to start a fundraiser over but it was definitely worth commentary.

The referees in question, Brad Watson and (of course) Mick McGeough, are probably the two worst in the league and should never be paired together again. An example of their artful display would be an incident in the first period, where Canucks' d-man Wille Mitchell looks as if he'd like to spread butter over the entire body of Flames' winger Kristian Huselius with his stick. Mitchell is rightfully called for the hook. Strangely, however, Huselius, who was already off-balance when Mitchell illegally checked him, was also called for the dive where no such dive occurred.

What made matters worse (though not for Flames' fans) was during the second period when Huselius was sweeping in on a forecheck and, as he approached the Vancouver crease, he incidentally caught the foot of goaltender Roberto Luongo and performs perhaps the sweetest impersonation of Greg Louganis I've ever seen. Watson hesitates, hears the thunderous booing from above and calls the penalty -- on Luongo. It was embarrassing to see a man crack so easily.

But it got even worse: missed holds, arbitrarily picking out the wrong man in a scrum, completely missing obvious infractions in front of the net -- McGeough and Watson made a mockery of the game.

As George Johnson put it: "McGeough and Watson couldn’t have been more conspicuous if they’d skated out onto the ice in the buff."

There is one instance where I will give them credit, and that occurred following Matthew Lombardi's first goal of the evening, when Canuck's d-man Kevin Bieksa gave a pitchfork to a Flames player. Calgary d-man Andrew Ference came into the fray and started a fight with the larger Bieksa (call it a draw) and was assessed a four-minute penalty for as the instigator (Bieksa, who was burned bad on the play, got the slashing call). Fans were livid; After getting the shaft all game and after a big goal which could have swung the momentum in their favour, why was Ference receiving the extra two minutes? How the hell does a player get four minutes for instigating?

The answer: a recent rule change has it now that, "If a player penalized as an instigator of an altercation is wearing a face shield, he shall be assessed an additional Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty." Ference, who wears a visor, fell under this ruling, as seen in the game sheet. So, even though I don't like the instigator rule in general, in this case, McGeough and Watson got it right, and I take back all the nasty things I said about them at the time of the call, and I should also apologize to those kids sitting in front and to the right of me. (The little gaffers probably don't know what a douche-slurper is anyways).

Like I said, the officiating wasn't anything to start a fundraiser over, but the NHL has got to begin to demand more consistency in their on-ice officials. The linesmen are generally wonderful, and the refs are generally good, but once you get a pair of substandard refs out on the ice, it diminishes the experience of all the fans (save for the dipshit wearing the Bertuzzi jersey sitting behind us; that guy was in asshole heaven).

I get to go to about one game a month, and this is at considerable expense, and I don't need to be leaving the game pissed off at the refs. Let the other team do it for me instead.

Live from Leksand!

2007-01-03T06:33:00.000-05:00

I'm going to start by warning everyone that it is tough to blog from Leksand, Sweden when the only internet spot in town is in the library and they enforce a ten minute rule.

Last night's quarterfinal between Sweden and the Czechs wasn't much of a game, but the atmosphere was great despite the building being only half full. The swedes brought out drums and cheerleaders for the match and by the time it was 4-1 the mood was pretty light.

Met some good Canadians up from a military base in Germany. Lots of Canadian jerseys, hats, shirts, etc. Canada-US semi-final is at 4. I'll try to write again after that.

BTW, Ejendals Arena is a great facility, if that doesn't come across on the broadcasts.

Peace from Sweden (where I really am this time).

Yuletide magic

2006-12-25T16:33:00.000-05:00

Happy holidays to all!

I'm pumped about the World Juniors and really hope that Ballzov can post from the WJC in Sweden. He's one lucky bastard.

In the meantime, check out 13-year-old Kevin Roy from Québec City. This young man is unbelievable.

Going for Gold!

2006-12-19T11:32:00.000-05:00

Peace from Russia.

I hope that despite my low level of dedication to the whole blogging thing that this will not be my last post on this topic. I'm headed off on vacation after Christmas and bound for Sweden (among other places) during the time of the 2007 World Junior tournament taking place in Leksand, Sweden. Today I have been able to confirm my purchase of tickets for the playoff round of the tournament. Needless to say, I'm pumped.

Remarkably (if you're a Canadian) it was very easy to get tickets. (Well, I should say that there were plenty of good seats available, it wasn't actually easy trying to coordinate with a country six hours ahead whose version of Ticketmaster won't let you purchase on-line if you're outside the country.) Nevertheless, tickets to one quarterfinal game, both semis, the bronze medal and gold medal games cost me approximately $140 CDN.

I'm excited. This is one of my favourite hockey events every year. I have vivid memories from past tourneys - John Slaney's game winner and my first distinct impression of Jerome Iginla being a transcendent player skilled in every facet of the game. Canada should stand a good chance of winning gold again this year and I would never, ever be able to see it back home. (Incidentally, the 2009 WJC are in Ottawa and there are ads in the Ottawa Citizen for tickets right now...advertising some packages of tickets for more than $1,000.) I'll do my best to blog this sucker regularly from over there. It will be contingent on having a place to stay with internet access - my next mission in time zones!

Talk to you from Sweden...

Cross posted at Attempting To Land Gracefully.

Gretzky family: Not a hockey culture

2006-12-18T20:53:00.000-05:00

I had a good chuckle when my Dad sent me the link to an article on Ty Gretzky and how he's adjusting to life at his new digs. The eldest son of the Great one and the Gambler is currently enjoying life at Shattuck St. Mary's School, the small boarding school in rural Minnesota that is now famous for its most famous alumn, a kid named Sid.

Gretzky (the young one), who had previously only played two seasons of organized hockey, is playing as a third line centre and is "learning" the game at one of the best schools in the land. According to J.P. Parise, the father of Zach Parise of the New Jersey Devils, Ty has come a longway since he "almost died" after being skated into the ground during training camp.

The funniest bit, however, comes from Tom Ward, the school's director of hockey, who says that "if he had been in more of a hockey culture, he would be further along." I pretty much burst our laughing at this point.

More of a hockey culture? Although I do understand what Ward means (Ty has seen more surfboards than left wing locks in his life), the phrase comes out all crooked. He is, after all, the son of the most prolific hockey player of all-time.

If we can take anything away from the article, it's that Ty's hockey career might resemble more that of his uncles Keith and Brent rather than that of his famous father.

Who knows, he may become a lacrosse star.

The Crosby Show

2006-12-13T23:00:00.000-05:00

Pardon the overused pun in the title, but what I watched tonight was quite a show. Or, rather, a display of skill at a level that is very rarely matched.

Tonight, Sidney Crosby tallied 6 points (1g, 5a) and led his Penguins to an 8 – 4 victory over their rivals from Philly. Darryl was on fire. This was a treat for me for two reasons. First, I am a great fan of dominating athletes. For some reason, I am fascinated by what drives someone to surpass themselves night in and night out. Second, I really hate the Flyers.

In order to eliminate profanity from this post, I’ll stick to my first point (I still can’t believe Bob F**king Clarke still has anything to do with hockey).

In all the years I’ve watched hockey, I have always focused on the players that excel and I’ve tried to figure out why. The obvious answer is skill, but, to me, that’s only part of the equation. Apart from Mario Lemieux, Alex Kovalev is probably the most skilled player to lace up skates (I’m talking pure skill here folks, not hockey sense). He is a great skater and has the hands of a God. He can shoot as hard and as accurately as anyone I’ve ever seen and he can make great feather passes and deflections. He’s the full package. Why then, can’t he put up “star” numbers? The simple answer is lack of “desire” or “passion”.

So, in essence, the perfect combination of skill and passion should create the optimal player. With players like Crosby, their skill and passion ratings are off the charts. I’ve watched Sid play many games and I have yet to see him take even part of a shift “off”. It doesn’t matter that he’s surrounded, mostly, by guys who would have trouble making it to the 4th line on most teams, he is driven to win and will pull no punches.

Now, watching the game on TSN, it was made very clear that Pierre Maguire has a huge man crush for Crosby (maybe because of this). He declared, unequivocally, that Crosby is the best player in the league.

It’s hard to argue with him. Crosby just took over the scoring lead and he has at least three games in hand on most of the guys in the top 5.

That being said, Maguire’s broadcast partner, Gord Miller, brought Pierre back to earth when he said that some people in the west might claim that Jarome Iginla is considered by many to be the best in the business right now.

Now, there’s a debate for the ages (well, not really, but an interesting one nonetheless). Both players are currently carrying the team on their backs and both are amazing players. Iggy is the most complete player and Crosby is the most offensively gifted player.

I guess it comes down to the age old question: If you were to build a team around one of these two players, which one would you pick?

To tell you the truth, I don’t have a clue. The only thing I want to think of right now is when those two represent Canada on the international stage (2008 World Cup of Hockey?). Iggy as Captain and Crosby as the offensive dynamo. Now that will be a show worth seeing.

Home is where the heart is

2006-12-11T17:54:00.000-05:00

The Teal have slipped under the radar as the Niederpronger juggernaut in Anaheim has run away from the Western Conference pack so far this season. The Sharks (21-9-0, 30 GP, 42 pts) trail the Ducks (23-3-0, 32 GP, 52 pts) for the lead in both the conference and the Pacific Division but are far from being left behind.

One factor may be that Joe Thornton and Jonathan Cheechoo have been performing as mere mortals a season removed from winning major individual titles, but another factor is the team's schedule which has forced them to play more games on the road (17) than they have at the Tank (10). Their 11-6-0 road record is satisfactory enough for most teams and is nothing to sneeze at, but considering their proficiency at home (10-3-0), the next month or so has certainly been circled on the calendars of the Brothers-from-a-different-mother Wilson for some time now. Look for the Sharks, who will play 10 of their next 11 on the friendly surface of HP Pavilion, to make some gains against Anaheim.

But San Jose isn't the only city which has blessed its ice icons with a better record in its presence than when its heroes invade a foreign power: Most of the teams in either conference who are currently playoff-bound have a significantly better record in front of friendly crowds than on the road, at least when one does not consider losses in OT or shoot-outs. The only exceptions are Atlanta (10-4-3 on the road, 8-4-2 away); Ottawa (9-8-1 vs 6-7-0); and the Rangers (9-5-1 vs 7-5-3).

The Calgary Flames, as it has been noted ad nauseam in the local media, have been on a 9 game winning streak at home and, as a result, have all but caught up to the Northwest Division leaders in the standings. The team, however, is about to embark on a tough 6 game road trip -- with stops in Vancouver, Phoenix, Anaheim, LA, Colorado and San Jose -- following tomorrow's home tilt against the Wild, and will need to improve their road record considerably if they wish to stick around the playoff hunt (not to mention save us all from dismal commentary from the weathervane sports'perts in the aforementioned media). However, it is clear that a successful home record is absolutely essential for a team's elegibility for playing in late April, and if the Flames, for one, can come out with a .500+ road record this month, they'll be laughing their way for a Chance to Dance with Stan's.

(Er, I mean, " with the Stanley Cup".)

The question remains, however, why a team in this day and age is able to compete better at home than abroad. The playing dimensions are now all equal: Boston Garden have been replaced with a facility which inexplicably chose to replicate the same colouring for its seats as Montreal's Big Owe; the Aud and its tiny surface in Buffalo have been razed to the ground; and a trip to Chicago is no longer a colder version of a Battle Royale, though considering the brutal play of the Blackhawks, you wouldn't know it. The hometown crowd might be a factor in possessing an excellent home record, but this certainly isn't the case in Anaheim, Phoenix, Nashville or New Jersey. Ditto for the ice conditions, which only matters when one team has appreciably more speed than the other and that has more to do with player development than choosing between an Olympia or Zamboni.

The only factor left which might have any difference is real-time coaching decisions. A coach can devise strategies and systems all they want but once the puck drops, they have to rely on the players themselves to enact the game plan. At that moment, the coach is limited essentally to matching lines.

Still, this situation gives the home team the overwhelming advantage in any given home game. As I noted earlier, a top line can often be rendered impotent if he uses the right combination successfully.

Not that I'm complaining. I'm a regular attendee at Flames games and nothing gets me in a pissy mood faster than seeing them lose after spending a hundred bucks in fees and beer and 50/50s. I appreciate the unfair advantage.

However, if the NHL owners (who also enjoy victories at home, for obvious reasons) wanted to make the game more interesting, perhaps they would change the home-team-last-change rule such that the team who causes the previous stoppage of play would lose the advantage of changing last: If your team goes offside, the other team benefits; If you get a penalty, the other team gets even more advantage; Icings, shooting the puck in the stands, the goaltender covering the puck -- the consequences of these stoppages could actually mean more than they do now.

And if there is ambiguity as to which team caused the stoppage, then the home team gets the benefit of the doubt.

Would this have a significant impact on the game? Perhaps, perhaps not. It would make things a little more interesting, however, and you'll soon discover which coaches are earning their paycheques and which ones should stick to selling Fords.

Until then, however, I'll just bask in the glow of the Flames' streak and enjoy it while it lasts.

Canes battered, Flames flattered

2006-12-06T12:47:00.000-05:00

Miikka Kiprusoff had yet another fantastic game last night for the Flames. He won the opening face-off, he put pressure on the defense, he caused a turnover and sniped a big-time goal, all within 30 seconds. He later slammed a bullet for another goal, not before he laid Eric Staal to the ice with a hard-ass body check, and he ended it off with an empty-netter for his 14th tally of the season. Indeed, it was all Kipper, all the time.

(Sorry. I spent most of the third period in the Saddledome Whisky lounge making fun of an Oiler fan who insists of making that oh-so-original argument that the Flames would be nothing without the Kipper between the pipes. What a maroon.)

I wanted to see first-hand how a Selke Trophy winner takes on one of the hottest lines in the NHL and was treated to just that as I witnessed Rod Brind'Amour led his Carolina Hurricanes visiting Jarome Igina and his Calgary Flames.

Clearly, it was a match-up that was underwhelming from the get-go. Iginla won the first face-off, the Flames got the puck in the Carolina end, Rhett Warrener forced a turnover, and Daymond Langkow dribbled a loose puck past a inexplicably awful, sprawling John Grahame. And it got worse for the Hurricanes, who limped into the first intermission with a 16-5 shot deficit and down two goals. Iginla sniped an empty-netter and the Flames beat the defending Stanley Cup champs in fine form.

But you can read about that here or here.

What you won't read about elsewhere is that the game featured arguably the two most complete hockey players in the game, the aforementioned Brinds and Iggy, and the latter certainly proved his mettle over the former. Jim Playfair kept Iginla & co. on the ice whenever last year's proclaimed best defensive forward was on the ice, and it was no contest. Alex Tanguay, Langkow and Iginla did whatever they wanted, moving the puck around, keeping the pressure on, getting near-perfect breakouts from their own zone. As with most of the season already, the only thing wrong with that line was the attempt to make the pretty play, though plenty a pretty play went performed, to be sure.

Meanwhile, Brind'Amour, skating between Ray Whitney and Justin Williams, couldn't get anything going. The veteran centre who is known for his prowress in the face-off circle, couldn't even win most of his draws, at least not the ones which mattered. He looked flustered and without poise. In contrast, Iggy and friends looked as if they designed the Saddledome ice surface for their legs only.

Not that I'm down on Rod the Bod; I've been following his career since he was drafted #9 overall to St Louis after winning a national Junior A championship with the Notre Dame Hounds, and think he's the bee's knees. He's always been one of my favorite players and I have nothing of respect for him. Having said that, if that performance was even minutely indicative of how a prototypical defensive forward plays, then I take back my recommendation of Stephane Yelle as a perennial candidate of the Selke (though, due to a devastating ankle injury, not this year).

Until last night, I had always thought that a good defensive forward is someone who is able, game in and game out, to frustrate the opponents' top lines. Apparently, I was wong. That being said, if anything, Iginla has shown that he is far more deserving of that award than almost anyone else in the league; last night, he dominated his own zone, he kept control of the puck, and, most importantly, he kept the top line off the scoresheet.

Maybe this explains the stellar home record for the Flames, especially as of late. While on the road, it is much more difficult for Playfair to get the match-ups he wants, that being Iginla's line paired against the opposing #1; at home, Iginla gets against the top line and because of his excellent two-way play, the opposing superstars rarely get an opportunty to break out in multiple point games.

In other words, the Flames are more than a nice set of limbs between the pipes.

No more 30 in Cowtown

2006-11-29T16:03:00.000-05:00

Goaltender Mike Vernon will have his number 30 retired by the Calgary Flames on Feburary 6, 2007, in a pre-game ceremony. The announcement is being made at the Saddledome as I write this.

Vernon played 17 years in the NHL, 13 of them with the Flames. He holds Flames goaltending records in career games played and career wins, He set the individual mark for playoff wins in one playoff year (one more than Kiprusoff, natch) when he backstopped the Flames to their one and only Stanley Cup. Vernon also won a Conn Smythe trophy when he won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings.

There is no doubt that Vernon was one of the elite goaltenders while in his prime. He may not make the Hall of Fame any time soon but his work was notable and contributed greatly to the benefit of the Flames and the league as a whole.

Vernon's number 30 will go beside Lanny MacDonald's number 9 in the Saddledome rafter. Look for Al MacInnis' number 2 to follow shortly.

(Notice I didn't say "Shorty".)

Congratulations, Mike. You deserved it.