Amazing, eh?
Not to be too Canadian about it, but let's take a look at this whole situation. It would appear that the NHL took too much flak for allowing viable financial franchises to leave their cities and relocated too easily. I, for one, am delighted to see Bettman rushing around the continent to protect these unstable franchises and to be fighting for them. It's necessary. Hartford should still exist, as should Quebec City, and hockey in Canada should be so much stronger and better represented than it is.
Considering the sheer number of Canadian players in the National Hockey League, not to mention the financial windfall created by the strength of the Canadian markets (Toronto and Montreal specifically) in the overall profit sharing and escrow situation the new CBA contains, the league should have a few more teams in Canada.
As a matter of fact there are several other places that have been mooted as possible destinations for relocated teams, and another several that haven't been mentioned and could be interesting.
First of all, there should be another team in Quebec City. I think everyone knows that. It's just about a given. There should be a second team in Southwestern Ontario, whether that's in Hamilton or London/KW area. It would easily be viable and financially stable.
Other places they have discussed included Kansas City, where apparently an ownership group has already created an NHL-ready stadium that could hold a large crowd. All that is missing is an NBA or NHL franchise. The issue would arise when most of the Missourians that I know utter, "what the heck is NHL hockey?" Most of them would likely go to one game and then turn around and say, "wow, crazy."
I know several people from Missouri, and they live in either St. Louis or KC, and they both couldn't give a rats ass about hockey. Not only that, when we talk about it they say, "wow, cool," but without any real interest.
Las Vegas is a potential spot for the NHL. Lots of Canadians vacation there and could be interested in attending games. Lots of people from all over the United States are drawn there on vacations and would likely plan around their home team visiting the desert. The only issue is that it may draw people away from Phoenix even more.
What about Wisconsin? There are a couple of great cities there, like Madison, Milwaukee and Green Bay. There is lots of minor hockey being played there, and with their close proximity to Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois, surely there would be people drawn to the games? not to mention loads of Ontarians and Manitobans that can't make it to either a Winnipeg or Leafs game.
Just a thought.
I just got back from a short jaunt through Halifax, and I have to say that they're hockey crazy over there. With a population just under 400,000 -- similar to London, ON, and several other open, smaller markets with a penchant for traveling around like Prince Edward Island, Moncton, St. John, and of course the rest of the Maritime provinces, you wonder why they haven't seriously considered relocating a team to the east coast.
I'm sure with overall economics not looking good, and the GDP of some of those provinces relying solely on fisheries and natural resources that aren't always booming.
Anyway, that's that. There is a big series beginning tonight and we are all going to witness some history made.
I'll review most of the games, late at night on my night shift so that you can read it first thing in the morning.
I'll also preview some spots where hockey could probably settle down and live for awhile.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
I'm a tad late, I recognize...
So with the conference semi-finals already in the books, and the conference finals in the books too, I realize that it's almost a bit late to go through predictions and ratings, and all that jazz.
So what I will do is go with a gut feeling on what I feel had to happen from the beginning, and what happened in the end.
First of all, the Vancouver Canucks are beginning to prove that winning the President's trophy isn't a curse -- it is in fact a statement of intent to the rest of the league that they need to be taken seriously throughout the playoffs. Their barn is loud, too. Kesler has been a dominant force and can be seriously considered for the Conn Smythe up until today at least. Luongo has been decent, and in the last few games really shut down the Sharks.
The Sharks had problems from the get-go, trying to overcome the emotion of their win over Detroit. Just think about where we'd be today had the Sharks overcome the Wings in five, or six? If they hadn't let that energy-sapping series go on for so long, they would have had a few more days to relax and gain perspective ahead of what could have been the most important series in their club's history. Big changes could be ahead. If I'm Doug Wilson, I have to look at the forwards I'm paying and wonder where I'd be if Dany Heatley had shown up for the playoffs in consecutive games, or even for a whole series at a time. I wonder what's the deal with Joe Thornton's health, as it would appear that he's either injured or unsure of what to do when crunch time rolls around.
San Jose has also been through several veteran defensement and is now stuck with only Dan Boyle in the 'high quality' category, as they've seen the backs of Rivet, Blake et al through the last couple of seasons. Niemi has also played a lot of hockey in the last calendar year, especially for a guy who was really in his first big season of hockey last year, culminating in the big deal and move to Northern California.
In the end, the better team won. Not only that, they're getting healthier. Kesler may have taken a knock but Malhotra coming back is a fearsome prospect for the Sharks, especially with his face off prowess. It'll be interesting to see the contest between Bergeron and Malhotra, should it ever come to that.
That, of course, is my segue into the Boston Bruins winning the Eastern Conference. I'll be honest, I did pick them to go all the way once I knew that they'd be playing the Lightning. I didn't expect that series to go to 7 games, but with Roloson playing the way he does in the playoffs, and with St. Louis and Lecavalier as senior, proven playoff performers in the team, you couldn't bet against them in the end.
Boston proved to be very difficult to play against, but there are several interesting story lines going into this final series.
First of all, Tim Thomas. He allowed far more goals in this series than I expected. I didn't think he'd stop everything, get four shutouts and then move on to the second round: the Lightning offense is far too good to allow that to happen. I did expect him to keep them to less than 2 goals per game, or to keep a 2.00-2.15 GAA over the course of a seven game series. Look at the record this series:
Game 1 -- allowed 5 goals.
Game 2 -- allowed 5 goals.
Game 3 -- shutout.
Game 4 -- Allowed 5 goals.
Game 5 -- Allowed 1 goal.
Game 6 -- Allowed 5 goals.
Game 7 -- shutout.
Sorry, but just because you get two shutouts it doesn't mean that you stood on your head. Polar opposites aren't a good thing when you're a goaltender playing at the highest level. Allowing 5 goals in 4 out of 7 games, is usually complete suicide and yet somehow, Thomas is at the top or near the top of every goaltending category there is. He is also top among all active goalies this time of the playoffs (which is only two, I know, but there were four just a few days ago).
Okay, so the winner of the Stanley Cup? Well it's easy to go with the Canucks. They will be the front runner and they will most certainly play well at home. Luongo has been good, and their defensemen have been good, and they have a deep forward corps that have been clicking lately. Their defensive forwards have been excellent, and the likes of Kesler and Burrows have been providing, with Torres hitting everyone in sight.
Then there's the Bruins. So maybe Thomas had a bad series, he's still a terrific goalie that can stop just about anything on his day. Truly, the opposite of Luongo, without a prescribed style and without the size and presence in the crease that the Canucks netminder has.
I'd have to give the goaltending advantage to the Canucks, however.
In terms of defense, Vancouver has the deepest group and that's not up for argument. Even when they've got an injury or two, the depth they have to draw from is immense and could single-handedly win the cup if it comes down to injuries.
The Bruins have the immovable object in Zdeno Chara, who will need to watch his temper and his petulant reactions because he's going to have a few pests to deal with in this series. If he allows the Canucks to get under his skin, he's going to find himself in the box and without a Stanley Cup ring, really quickly. Having said that, there is no question mark over his play at the moment, and that goes for Andrew Ference too, who assisted on the series-winning goal last night.
Kaberle? Well, that's another story. Interesting to see his statistics at the moment, with 8 assists and no goals, and a plus 7 rating. The biggest thing is, he's only averaging 12-14 minutes on the ice per night, and for someone who is supposed to be a stud defenseman, to move the puck and calmly set up your powerplay...well those aren't the type of numbers you'd expect.
So he's been a bust, up until now, and you can expect there will be a massive question mark hanging over his head all the way through until the final buzzer sounds on this series. All he can do is score a few points, take advantage of his shifts and hopefully come on the winning end of it all.
Up front, well this is where things might be a bit of a wash. Both teams boast depth at the forward positions and where the Bruins might edge it is their scoring lines. Even without the likes of Marc Savard, the Bruins are clicking on all cylinders.
Patrice Bergeron has 15 points in 16 games. David Krejci has 17 points in 18 games, Nathan Horton has identical numbers. Brad Marchand has 12 points in 18 games, and both Chris Kelly and Michael Ryder have 11 apiece. Vancouver can counter with the Sedins, Kesler and Burrows, but in the top 30 scorers in these playoffs, there are 6 Bruins and 5 Canucks. It evens out the farther down you go, but in the end the two teams with the best offense made the finals.
So here we are, on the cusp of making history. Either Vancouver will end their cup hoodoo, leaving Toronto as one of the longest, or Boston will end theirs and Bobby Orr will be in the stands. I'd love to see that, if I'm honest.
So what I will do is go with a gut feeling on what I feel had to happen from the beginning, and what happened in the end.
First of all, the Vancouver Canucks are beginning to prove that winning the President's trophy isn't a curse -- it is in fact a statement of intent to the rest of the league that they need to be taken seriously throughout the playoffs. Their barn is loud, too. Kesler has been a dominant force and can be seriously considered for the Conn Smythe up until today at least. Luongo has been decent, and in the last few games really shut down the Sharks.
The Sharks had problems from the get-go, trying to overcome the emotion of their win over Detroit. Just think about where we'd be today had the Sharks overcome the Wings in five, or six? If they hadn't let that energy-sapping series go on for so long, they would have had a few more days to relax and gain perspective ahead of what could have been the most important series in their club's history. Big changes could be ahead. If I'm Doug Wilson, I have to look at the forwards I'm paying and wonder where I'd be if Dany Heatley had shown up for the playoffs in consecutive games, or even for a whole series at a time. I wonder what's the deal with Joe Thornton's health, as it would appear that he's either injured or unsure of what to do when crunch time rolls around.
San Jose has also been through several veteran defensement and is now stuck with only Dan Boyle in the 'high quality' category, as they've seen the backs of Rivet, Blake et al through the last couple of seasons. Niemi has also played a lot of hockey in the last calendar year, especially for a guy who was really in his first big season of hockey last year, culminating in the big deal and move to Northern California.
In the end, the better team won. Not only that, they're getting healthier. Kesler may have taken a knock but Malhotra coming back is a fearsome prospect for the Sharks, especially with his face off prowess. It'll be interesting to see the contest between Bergeron and Malhotra, should it ever come to that.
That, of course, is my segue into the Boston Bruins winning the Eastern Conference. I'll be honest, I did pick them to go all the way once I knew that they'd be playing the Lightning. I didn't expect that series to go to 7 games, but with Roloson playing the way he does in the playoffs, and with St. Louis and Lecavalier as senior, proven playoff performers in the team, you couldn't bet against them in the end.
Boston proved to be very difficult to play against, but there are several interesting story lines going into this final series.
First of all, Tim Thomas. He allowed far more goals in this series than I expected. I didn't think he'd stop everything, get four shutouts and then move on to the second round: the Lightning offense is far too good to allow that to happen. I did expect him to keep them to less than 2 goals per game, or to keep a 2.00-2.15 GAA over the course of a seven game series. Look at the record this series:
Game 1 -- allowed 5 goals.
Game 2 -- allowed 5 goals.
Game 3 -- shutout.
Game 4 -- Allowed 5 goals.
Game 5 -- Allowed 1 goal.
Game 6 -- Allowed 5 goals.
Game 7 -- shutout.
Sorry, but just because you get two shutouts it doesn't mean that you stood on your head. Polar opposites aren't a good thing when you're a goaltender playing at the highest level. Allowing 5 goals in 4 out of 7 games, is usually complete suicide and yet somehow, Thomas is at the top or near the top of every goaltending category there is. He is also top among all active goalies this time of the playoffs (which is only two, I know, but there were four just a few days ago).
Okay, so the winner of the Stanley Cup? Well it's easy to go with the Canucks. They will be the front runner and they will most certainly play well at home. Luongo has been good, and their defensemen have been good, and they have a deep forward corps that have been clicking lately. Their defensive forwards have been excellent, and the likes of Kesler and Burrows have been providing, with Torres hitting everyone in sight.
Then there's the Bruins. So maybe Thomas had a bad series, he's still a terrific goalie that can stop just about anything on his day. Truly, the opposite of Luongo, without a prescribed style and without the size and presence in the crease that the Canucks netminder has.
I'd have to give the goaltending advantage to the Canucks, however.
In terms of defense, Vancouver has the deepest group and that's not up for argument. Even when they've got an injury or two, the depth they have to draw from is immense and could single-handedly win the cup if it comes down to injuries.
The Bruins have the immovable object in Zdeno Chara, who will need to watch his temper and his petulant reactions because he's going to have a few pests to deal with in this series. If he allows the Canucks to get under his skin, he's going to find himself in the box and without a Stanley Cup ring, really quickly. Having said that, there is no question mark over his play at the moment, and that goes for Andrew Ference too, who assisted on the series-winning goal last night.
Kaberle? Well, that's another story. Interesting to see his statistics at the moment, with 8 assists and no goals, and a plus 7 rating. The biggest thing is, he's only averaging 12-14 minutes on the ice per night, and for someone who is supposed to be a stud defenseman, to move the puck and calmly set up your powerplay...well those aren't the type of numbers you'd expect.
So he's been a bust, up until now, and you can expect there will be a massive question mark hanging over his head all the way through until the final buzzer sounds on this series. All he can do is score a few points, take advantage of his shifts and hopefully come on the winning end of it all.
Up front, well this is where things might be a bit of a wash. Both teams boast depth at the forward positions and where the Bruins might edge it is their scoring lines. Even without the likes of Marc Savard, the Bruins are clicking on all cylinders.
Patrice Bergeron has 15 points in 16 games. David Krejci has 17 points in 18 games, Nathan Horton has identical numbers. Brad Marchand has 12 points in 18 games, and both Chris Kelly and Michael Ryder have 11 apiece. Vancouver can counter with the Sedins, Kesler and Burrows, but in the top 30 scorers in these playoffs, there are 6 Bruins and 5 Canucks. It evens out the farther down you go, but in the end the two teams with the best offense made the finals.
So here we are, on the cusp of making history. Either Vancouver will end their cup hoodoo, leaving Toronto as one of the longest, or Boston will end theirs and Bobby Orr will be in the stands. I'd love to see that, if I'm honest.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Has the tide turned?
If I'm a San Jose Sharks supporter, I might be thinking a little bit about what the phrase 'choke artist' means.
If there has ever been a truer display of choking, then someone should get the video over to the HP Pavilion pronto, because these finned fish are displaying some of the smallest balls I've ever seen in hockey.
With an older, more tired, far more bearded Detroit team on the ropes after 3 matches, San Jose should have had the wherewithal in the last 2 games to put them away once and for all. I think that with Chicago's poor season, Columbus terrible play and St. Louis self-distruction, Detroit was awarded the 3rd seed for being just above average, and one of the most overrated teams in the whole dance.
San Jose made a note of that and came in on all cylinders. You can point to 'close games' if you'd like, but this is a true depiction of what a winning team is. It's not close if you're losing in a best of seven series 3-0.
The swing game in Detroit is going to be a loss for the Red Wings. I don't see the Sharks truly throwing themselves under the bus. They are too experienced and hungry for that.
In the other series, I can't say enough about Nashville. You want to know what hard work will get you in hockey? Check out the Predators. Doesn't matter where they play. They'll smash and bang you all night long, and skate off with the ugly victory.
Ugly hockey doesn't matter, because it could earn you the most beautiful trophy in the world.
If there has ever been a truer display of choking, then someone should get the video over to the HP Pavilion pronto, because these finned fish are displaying some of the smallest balls I've ever seen in hockey.
With an older, more tired, far more bearded Detroit team on the ropes after 3 matches, San Jose should have had the wherewithal in the last 2 games to put them away once and for all. I think that with Chicago's poor season, Columbus terrible play and St. Louis self-distruction, Detroit was awarded the 3rd seed for being just above average, and one of the most overrated teams in the whole dance.
San Jose made a note of that and came in on all cylinders. You can point to 'close games' if you'd like, but this is a true depiction of what a winning team is. It's not close if you're losing in a best of seven series 3-0.
The swing game in Detroit is going to be a loss for the Red Wings. I don't see the Sharks truly throwing themselves under the bus. They are too experienced and hungry for that.
In the other series, I can't say enough about Nashville. You want to know what hard work will get you in hockey? Check out the Predators. Doesn't matter where they play. They'll smash and bang you all night long, and skate off with the ugly victory.
Ugly hockey doesn't matter, because it could earn you the most beautiful trophy in the world.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Are you bored, too?
I wouldn't necessarily say that I'm bored, but from what I've been reading it would appear that the Stanley Cup playoffs have been lacking substance, for some.
I'm watching these second round series, or should I say, "Conference Semi-finals" with a keen eye because I have a few players in my 'favourites' group (not unlike Don Cherry) that I would like to see hoist the trophy.
I can understand why there are fans that are feeling a little disenfranchised with this round, and not just because there are two teams on the brink of a sweep, and one that has just suffered that fate.
One of the most popular and well-known teams, the Washington Capitals were expected to run deep into the post-season, and probably would have had two of their star players not gone AWOL for the entire second series, and most of the first one. The Capitals are stacked with talent, that's without question. The main problem is that they just aren't playoff performers. Add to that, the loss of a star defenseman for whom the Capitals traded at the trade deadline, and suddenly you're looking pretty grim. Notice I haven't even touched the goaltending issue?
Another very popular and historically dominant team is the Philadelphia Flyers. They are on the brink of an exit too, and that's not good for a team that had designs on a return to the Cup Final and bettering their runner-up position.
In the East, two of the most popular and well-known teams are out/on the verge of being out. It isn't good for the NHL and it isn't good for ratings, when most people who tune in won't care if their team is out.
However, an original six franchise in the Boston Bruins making it deep will certainly help, and the Tampa Bay Lightning have garnered some notoriety after their Cup win in 2006, so that's got at least Florida excited.
In the West, we're looking at Vancouver (who happens to have a long Stanley Cup drought going on, looking at 41 years?) and San Jose Sharks -- both probably entrants into the Conference Final. Losing Detroit and Nashville will have some people crying, (especially Red Wings fans who happen to think that their team should be in the Final, every year and winning it every other in the very least).
Regardless, the quick nature of these series is going to make most people lose interest for the near future because it's just about academic at this point. So far, only one series is poised to go to 5 games (Vancouver/Nashville) and the remaining two series are both notched at 3-0 leads for the team with home ice advantage.
I am enjoying the hockey, and I am enjoying being around for these playoffs after missing the last two. I just wish the series could all go to seven games so that the tournament would last forever and I could watch hockey up until June 30th.
As it is, the quickness of these series will have an awkward week or so break, unless one of them turns around and begins a long and rare run to a 7th game.
Let's hope it isn't for the Boston Bruins.
I'm looking at some statistics on the NHL website, and I'd like to comment on a few players.
First, Ryan Kesler. He's a great player and becoming a bonafide NHL star. His performance last season, all the way and up until the gold medal game was something to behold, and if he continues to play well the United States is going to be seriously stacked for some time to come -- something I never thought I'd admit.
He's done some terrific two-way play for the Canucks and they're going to need him to continue checking and back-checking against some of the classiest players in the league -- should they meet the San Jose Sharks, he'll have his hands full, not to mention either of the Lightning or Bruins.
Roberto Luongo has sure turned it up a notch from the all-out seizure and disappearance of the first round. He has started to see the puck very well, which means that the San Jose Sharks are going to have to be very, very good to get more than 2 per night past him.
Martin St. Louis is going to have something to talk about when these playoffs are over, regarding how many errant sticks he has taken in the craw. He's had at least two bloody mouths and lost as many as 3 teeth during the course of these playoffs, and he's only played 11 games. He continually skates back to his bench with a look of incredulity on his face. Referees just aren't seeing the calls, and if they are, they aren't even making up for them later on with a phantom call.
Dwayne Roloson. Stand up, son. This guy is amazing, and when bloggers claim to have seen "that look in his eye" they aren't joking. He looks possessed and is seeing the puck as well or better than Luongo. He doesn't flop around and he doesn't have size, he's just determined. And old. This guy has no business playing like this, and you get the feeling that even if he doesn't win the Cup this year, he may never be back. So he's playing like this is his last shot. Good for him. Lots of Canadian players on the Lightning, including a Canadian captain and I happen to favour that when the business end of the playoffs arrives.
An additional note on Roloson, I remember an interview with him when he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 2006. He came from Minnesota and had been fairly well-traveled up to that point. He explained to his kids that he'd been traded, and his kids were hoping that it was to the Tampa Bay Lightning. "Nope" he said, and ended up playing them in that fateful Final.
Lastly, a gripe. That call against Shea Weber in the third game in Nashville when he was adjudged to have hooked Ryan Kesler was one of the worst calls I can remember. Not as bad as missing the Calgary Flames winning the Stanley Cup with a goal that crossed the line and didn't get counted, but somewhere in that region.
That penalty was the result of some tricky play and gamesmanship by Kesler -- which he will one day have to admit -- and a wrong--place, wrong-time situation for Weber. It shouldn't have been a call, shouldn't have been a PP and Vancouver may not have won the game. For those of you who want to dispute the importance of that goal, hear this: what are the optics on that series if overtime continues and the Predators win, making the series 2-1 for them, going into game 4 at home in Smashville?
Yeah. That's what I thought, too.
I'm watching these second round series, or should I say, "Conference Semi-finals" with a keen eye because I have a few players in my 'favourites' group (not unlike Don Cherry) that I would like to see hoist the trophy.
I can understand why there are fans that are feeling a little disenfranchised with this round, and not just because there are two teams on the brink of a sweep, and one that has just suffered that fate.
One of the most popular and well-known teams, the Washington Capitals were expected to run deep into the post-season, and probably would have had two of their star players not gone AWOL for the entire second series, and most of the first one. The Capitals are stacked with talent, that's without question. The main problem is that they just aren't playoff performers. Add to that, the loss of a star defenseman for whom the Capitals traded at the trade deadline, and suddenly you're looking pretty grim. Notice I haven't even touched the goaltending issue?
Another very popular and historically dominant team is the Philadelphia Flyers. They are on the brink of an exit too, and that's not good for a team that had designs on a return to the Cup Final and bettering their runner-up position.
In the East, two of the most popular and well-known teams are out/on the verge of being out. It isn't good for the NHL and it isn't good for ratings, when most people who tune in won't care if their team is out.
However, an original six franchise in the Boston Bruins making it deep will certainly help, and the Tampa Bay Lightning have garnered some notoriety after their Cup win in 2006, so that's got at least Florida excited.
In the West, we're looking at Vancouver (who happens to have a long Stanley Cup drought going on, looking at 41 years?) and San Jose Sharks -- both probably entrants into the Conference Final. Losing Detroit and Nashville will have some people crying, (especially Red Wings fans who happen to think that their team should be in the Final, every year and winning it every other in the very least).
Regardless, the quick nature of these series is going to make most people lose interest for the near future because it's just about academic at this point. So far, only one series is poised to go to 5 games (Vancouver/Nashville) and the remaining two series are both notched at 3-0 leads for the team with home ice advantage.
I am enjoying the hockey, and I am enjoying being around for these playoffs after missing the last two. I just wish the series could all go to seven games so that the tournament would last forever and I could watch hockey up until June 30th.
As it is, the quickness of these series will have an awkward week or so break, unless one of them turns around and begins a long and rare run to a 7th game.
Let's hope it isn't for the Boston Bruins.
I'm looking at some statistics on the NHL website, and I'd like to comment on a few players.
First, Ryan Kesler. He's a great player and becoming a bonafide NHL star. His performance last season, all the way and up until the gold medal game was something to behold, and if he continues to play well the United States is going to be seriously stacked for some time to come -- something I never thought I'd admit.
He's done some terrific two-way play for the Canucks and they're going to need him to continue checking and back-checking against some of the classiest players in the league -- should they meet the San Jose Sharks, he'll have his hands full, not to mention either of the Lightning or Bruins.
Roberto Luongo has sure turned it up a notch from the all-out seizure and disappearance of the first round. He has started to see the puck very well, which means that the San Jose Sharks are going to have to be very, very good to get more than 2 per night past him.
Martin St. Louis is going to have something to talk about when these playoffs are over, regarding how many errant sticks he has taken in the craw. He's had at least two bloody mouths and lost as many as 3 teeth during the course of these playoffs, and he's only played 11 games. He continually skates back to his bench with a look of incredulity on his face. Referees just aren't seeing the calls, and if they are, they aren't even making up for them later on with a phantom call.
Dwayne Roloson. Stand up, son. This guy is amazing, and when bloggers claim to have seen "that look in his eye" they aren't joking. He looks possessed and is seeing the puck as well or better than Luongo. He doesn't flop around and he doesn't have size, he's just determined. And old. This guy has no business playing like this, and you get the feeling that even if he doesn't win the Cup this year, he may never be back. So he's playing like this is his last shot. Good for him. Lots of Canadian players on the Lightning, including a Canadian captain and I happen to favour that when the business end of the playoffs arrives.
An additional note on Roloson, I remember an interview with him when he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 2006. He came from Minnesota and had been fairly well-traveled up to that point. He explained to his kids that he'd been traded, and his kids were hoping that it was to the Tampa Bay Lightning. "Nope" he said, and ended up playing them in that fateful Final.
Lastly, a gripe. That call against Shea Weber in the third game in Nashville when he was adjudged to have hooked Ryan Kesler was one of the worst calls I can remember. Not as bad as missing the Calgary Flames winning the Stanley Cup with a goal that crossed the line and didn't get counted, but somewhere in that region.
That penalty was the result of some tricky play and gamesmanship by Kesler -- which he will one day have to admit -- and a wrong--place, wrong-time situation for Weber. It shouldn't have been a call, shouldn't have been a PP and Vancouver may not have won the game. For those of you who want to dispute the importance of that goal, hear this: what are the optics on that series if overtime continues and the Predators win, making the series 2-1 for them, going into game 4 at home in Smashville?
Yeah. That's what I thought, too.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Expect the unexpected!
I did not expect the Washington Capitals to lose the first two games of this series to an inferior team. Everything seems to be going well for the Tampa Bay Lightning right now, and that's good for a team that literally has been poor and below average for several years since winning the Stanley Cup.
I did not expect the Boston Bruins to win the first two games of their series on the road in Philadelphia, a louder building now that they have managed to navigate the first round. Regardless, the Bruins have had clutch scoring and better goaltending. The Flyers have some serious decisions to make going forward. It is very clear that they are stuck with Boucher being the least-likely to leave them hanging out of the three goalies that they have. However, Boucher doesn't inspire confidence. They would have been better off going after Giguere, Roloson, or someone of that calibre. It's obviously paying dividends for the Lightning.
The Western Conference is another story. I expected it to be a tight, hard battle between Vancouver and Nashville. With two games coming up in Tennessee, it's likely to be a bloody and hard-hitting couple of nights.
San Jose has proven to be a major contender. If they can steal one in the Motor City, they're going to be home and dry within a week. If they don't, it's a series again. You'd bet on San Jose beating just about anyone at the moment, wouldn't you?
So that's that. We're already looking at three 2-0 series leads and it's going to take some major pushing from the teams who are looking up from that hole to make any of those series long. Philadelphia has the talent and personnel to do it, as does Detroit. Washington should be able to, but I don't know if they've learned their lessons just yet.
Enjoy the action tonight.
I did not expect the Boston Bruins to win the first two games of their series on the road in Philadelphia, a louder building now that they have managed to navigate the first round. Regardless, the Bruins have had clutch scoring and better goaltending. The Flyers have some serious decisions to make going forward. It is very clear that they are stuck with Boucher being the least-likely to leave them hanging out of the three goalies that they have. However, Boucher doesn't inspire confidence. They would have been better off going after Giguere, Roloson, or someone of that calibre. It's obviously paying dividends for the Lightning.
The Western Conference is another story. I expected it to be a tight, hard battle between Vancouver and Nashville. With two games coming up in Tennessee, it's likely to be a bloody and hard-hitting couple of nights.
San Jose has proven to be a major contender. If they can steal one in the Motor City, they're going to be home and dry within a week. If they don't, it's a series again. You'd bet on San Jose beating just about anyone at the moment, wouldn't you?
So that's that. We're already looking at three 2-0 series leads and it's going to take some major pushing from the teams who are looking up from that hole to make any of those series long. Philadelphia has the talent and personnel to do it, as does Detroit. Washington should be able to, but I don't know if they've learned their lessons just yet.
Enjoy the action tonight.
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