Alex Ovechkin

OH SOMEWHERE IN THIS FAVORED LAND THE SUN IS SHINING BRIGHT…
THE BAND IS PLAYING SOMEWHERE…
AND SOMEWHERE HEARTS ARE LIGHT…
AND SOMEWHERE MEN ARE LAUGHING AND SOMEWHERE CHILDREN SHOUT…
BUT THERE IS NO JOY IN WASHINGTON…
THE MIGHTY O.V. HAS STRUCK OUT…
FOLLOWING MONTREAL’S 2-1 VICTORY LASTNIGHT…
ALEXANDER OVECHKIN SAT IN THE CAPITALS LOCKER ROOM WITH HIS HEAD DOWN…
AND SIMPLY SAID…”I’M IN SHOCK RIGHT NOW”…
HE WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE…
THE OWNER OF THE CAPITALS TED LEONIS WROTE THIS IN BLOG THIS MORNING…
“LASTNITE’S LOSS WAS DEEPLY PERSONAL AND DEEPLY AGONIZING TO ME”…
ALTHOUGH LEONIS INSISTS…HE WILL NOT DO ANYTHING RASH…
THE MESSAGE WAS CLEAR…
THERE WILL BE CHANGES IN THE OFF SEASON…
BUT THE GAME LASTNIGHT…AND THIS SERIES…SPEAK TO A MUCH LARGER QUESTION…
IS OVECHKIN A WINNER???
HIS TALENT IS NOT AN ISSUE…HOW CAN IT BE???
OVECHKIN IS THE MOST EXCITING PLAYER IN THE GAME…
AND HIS TROPHY CASE IS PROOF OF THAT…
BUT THOSE AWARDS ARE PERSONAL…
NOW TAKE A LOOK AT THE TROPHY CASE OF SIDNEY CROSBY…WHICH ALSO HAS A HART…AN ART ROSS…AND A ROCKET RICHARD…
BUT IT ALSO HAS A WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP…AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL…AND A STANLEY CUP…
IN EVERY SPORT THERE HAVE BEEN GREAT ATHLETES…WHO WERE UNABLE TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP…
THE LIST INCLUDES…
1) DAN MARINO…
2) STEVE NASH…
3) MARCEL DIONNE
4) CARL YASTRZEMSKI…
5) AND WARREN MOON…

THE DIFFERENCE FOR OVECHKIN IS THAT HE IS STILL YOUNG…HE DOES NOT TURN 25 UNTIL SEPTEMBER…
BUT AN ATHLETE ONLY GETS SO MANY CHANCES…
AND LASTNIGHT OVECHKIN AND THE CAPITALS WASTED ANOTHER ONE…
AS A RESULT…TODAY THERE IS NO JOY IN WASHINGTON…
BUT THERE’S PLENTY OF IT IN PITTSBURGH…

Chicago Blackhawks

MAY THE 11TH 2009…LEST WE FORGET…
IT HAS NOW BEEN ALMOST A YEAR SINCE GAME 6 IN CHICAGO…
THAT’S EXACTLY…350 DAYS…84 HUNDRED HOURS…50 THOUSAND 4 HUNDRED MINUTES…
BUT WHO’S COUNTING???
FOR HOCKEY FANS IN THIS CITY…IT SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY…
IT’S ALL COMING BACK…LIKE SOME KIND OF A BAD DREAM…

***CLIP OF KANE GOAL****

THE HAWKS SCORED 3 GOALS IN THE LAST 7 MINUTES OF THE GAME…TO CLINCH THE SERIES…
AND BRING THE CANUCKS SEASON TO AN END…
PATRICK KANE COLLECTED HIS FIRST CAREER HAT TRICK…
SOMETHING THAT HAS NOT BEEN OST ON ROBERTO LUONGO…
AFTER THE GOLD MEDAL GAME…BOTH THE CANADIANS AND AMERICANS LINED UP FOR THE TRADITIONAL HAND SHAKE…
WHEN LUONGO GOT TO KANE…HE SIMPLY SAID…
“I’LL SEE YOU IN THE PLAYOFFS”…
SHOULD THE HAWKS WIN TONIGHT IN NASHVILLE…LUONGO WILL GET HIS WISH…
AND THAT WILL INCLUDE A RETURN ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN HIMSELF AND DUSTIN BYFUGLIEN…
THE TRUTH IS…
THERE IS “NOT” A LOT OF PLAYOFF HISTORY BETWEEN THESE TWO TEAMS…
LAST YEAR WAS ONLY THE THIRD MEETING…
BUT LAST YEARS SHOWDOWN WAS A NASTY AFFAIR…
AND THEN IN OCTOBER IN CHICAGO…WILLIE MITCHEL THREW A LITTLE MORE GAS ON THE FIRE…WITH A DEVESTATING HIT ON TOEWS…
THEN OF COURSE…THERE’S 1982…
IT WAS ROGER NIELSON…AND THE BIRTH OF THE WHITE TOWEL…
ALL OF WHICH WILL BE THROWN INTO THE HYPE GOING INTO THE SERIES…
NOW IT MAY SEEM…AS IF WE ARE GETTING A HEAD OF OURSELVES…
AFTER ALL…CHICAGO STILL MUST GET BY NASHVILLE…
AND THE PREDATORS HAVE CLEARLY GOT THEIR OWN IDEAS ABOUT THEIR ROLE IN THESE PLAYOFFS…
BUT…WITH LASTNIGHTS WIN BY THE CANUCKS…A RE-MATCH BETWEEN VANCOUVER AND CHICAGO IS JUST ONE WIN AWAY…
A RE-MATCH…FANS IN THIS CITY HAVE WANTED FOR ALMOST A YEAR…
BUT LIKE THE MAN SAID…“BECAREFUL THOSE THINGS YOU WISH FOR”…

Defining Moments

A DEFINING MOMENT…
IT’S WHAT WE ALL LOOK FOR…
IT’S WHAT SIDNEY CROSBY DELIVERED IN THE GOLD MEDAL GAME…
IT’S WHAT BRETT FARVE FAILED TO DELIVER…IN THE NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME…
WHEN YOU THINK OF BOBBY ORR…WHAT IMAGE COMES TO MIND…
NOW THINK OF BILL BUCKNER…
LASTNIGHT IN THE THIRD PERIOD OF GAME 4…
HOCKEY FANS IN THIS CITY WITNESSED NOT ONE…BUT TWO DEFINING MOMENTS…
THE FIRST CAME EARLY IN THE PERIOD…WITH THE KINGS LEADING 3-2…
ALEXANDER FROLOV WALKED IN ON A BREAKAWAY…
ROBERTO LUONGO MADE A GAME SAVING…PERHAPS…SERIES SAVING…STOP…
AND THAT SET THE STAGE FOR HENRIK SEDIN…
WHO SCORED THE WINNER WITH LESS THAN 3 MINUTES LEFT IN THE GAME…
HEADING INTO THESE PLAYOFFS…THERE WERE STILL QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE SEDINS AND LUONGO COULD DELIVER AT THIS TIME OF YEAR…
IN 53 PLAYOFF GAMES…HENRIK HAD JUST 30 POINTS…DANIEL…JUST 28…
AS FOR LUONGO…IN 22 PLAYOFF GAMES…HE HAD PRODUCED A MERE 11 WINS…
AND OF COURSE THERE IS STILL THE MEMORY OF…GAME 6 IN CHICAGO…
BUT WHAT WE WITNESSED LASTNIGHT IS PROOF…THAT THE 3 HIGHEST PAID PLAYERS ON THIS TEAM…ARE CAPABLE OF MUCH MORE…
WITH THE SEASON ON THE LINE…THE BEST PLAYERS ON THE CANUCKS…PLAYED LIKE THE BEST PLAYERS…
NOW COMES THE TOUGH PART…
DOING IT AGAIN TOMORROW NIGHT IN GAME 5…AND AGAIN SUNDAY IN LOS ANGELES…
THIS SEASON WILL NOT GOING TO BE JUDGED BY THE REGULAR SEASON…
THE WINNER OF A DIVISIONAL TITLE…IS THE ANSWER TO A TRIVIA QUESTION…
IT HAS BEEN 16 LONG YEARS SINCE THE LAST TIME THE CANUCKS MADE IT PAST THE SECOND ROUND…
AND ON PAPER…THIS TEAM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DO THAT…AND A LOT MORE…
BUT FOR THAT TO HAPPEN…IT WILL TAKE THE KIND OF EFFORT…WE SAW IN THE THIRD PERIOD LASTNIGHT…
AND A FEW MORE…”DEFINING MOMENTS”…

oh Canada!

OH…CANADA!!!
AS IN…OH CANADA…NOT AGAIN!!!
IT HAS BEEN 17 YEARS…SINCE THE LAST TIME A CANADIAN TEAM WON THE STANLEY CUP…
AND THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING TO SUGGEST THAT DROUGHT IS ABOUT TO END ANY TIME SOON…
BY FRIDAY NIGHT…IT IS POSSIBLE…ALL 3 CANADAIN TEAMS COULD BE ELIMINATED…
TONIGHT BOTH VANCOUVER AND MONTREAL ARE FACING A “MUST WIN” SITUATION…
AND TOMORROW…PITTSBURGH COULD KNOCK OUT OTTAWA…
THE LAST TIME THERE WERE NO CANADIAN TEAMS IN THE SECOND ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS WAS 1996…
TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF JUST HOW LONG THAT’S BEEN…
THE JETS WERE STILL IN WINNIPEG…
THIS IS A MAJOR CONCERN FOR THE FOLKS OVER AT CBC…
THESE DAYS THE NETWORK SPEND $100 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR…JUST FOR THE BROADCAST RIGHTS…
AND EVERY YEAR…A BIG CHUNK OF THAT MONEY IS EXPECTED TO BE RECOVERED IN THE PLAYOFFS…
UNFORTUNATELY…NO CANADIAN TEAMS…MEANS LOW RATINGS…WHICH MEANS A LOT LESS MONEY…
AND THAT MEANS…YOU AND I…”THE CANADIAN TAX PAYERS”…GET STUCK WITH THE BILL…
NOW COMPARE THAT TO THE NBC DEAL…IN WHICH THE NHL IS GUARENTEED NO MONEY…
THE LEAGUE AND THE NETWORK SIMPLY SHARE THE REVENUE…
WHICH MEANS…IT IS MUCH MORE PROFITABLE FOR THE LEAGUE…IF AMERICAN TEAMS ADVANCE DEEP INTO THE PLAYOFFS…
JUST SOMETHING…FOR THOSE STILL LOOKING FOR A CONSPIRACY THEORY…
FORTUNATLEY THE TRUTH IS NOT SO COMPLICATED…
IT REALLY GETS DOWN TO SIMPLE MATH…
THERE ARE 24 AMERICAN TEAMS AND JUST 6 CANADAIN…
UNTIL THAT RATIO CHANGES…THE ODDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE AGAINST CANADAIN TEAMS…
THERE IS ALSO THE PRESSURE TO WIN…
WASHINGTON…PITTSBURGH…CHICAGO…AND LOS ANGELES WERE VERY BAD…FOR A VERY LONG TIME…
AND THAT ALLOWED THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO DRAFT THE LIKES OF OVECHKIN…CROSBY…KANE AND DOUGHTY…
IN JUNE…THE EDMONTON OILERS WILL BECOME THE FIRST “CANADAIN” TEAM TO DRAFT FIRST OVER ALL…IN 14 YEARS…
BUT LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE…
AT LEAST “THIS” SUMMER…CANADIAN HOCKEY FANS WILL HAVE AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL…TO SOOTHE OUR PAIN…

Vancouver Canucks

THE NHL PLAYOFFS SHOULD COME WITH THIS WARNING…
OBJECTS MAY APPEAR LARGER THAN THEY ARE!!!
HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND…HOCKEY FANS IN THIS CITY WERE “GIDY WITH EXCITEMENT”…
WHY NOT???
THE CANUCKS HAD JUST WON THE OPENING GAME OF THE PLAYOFFS…
THEN ON SATURDAY NIGHT…A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO GM PLACE…
THE L.A. KINGS SHOWED UP…
SUDDENLY ALL THAT “GIDDY” HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A SENSE OF “PANIC”…
NOW LET’S ALL TAKE A STEP BACK…TAKE A DEEP BREATH…AND CHILL OUT…
FOR THE RECORD…EVERY TEAM IN THESE PLAYOFFS…INCLUDING WASHINGTON AND CHICAGO HAVE LOST AT LEAST ONE GAME…
SO THERE’S THAT…
YES…THE SERIES IS NOW TIED AT 1 GAME A PIECE…
AND YES…THE CANUCKS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOMETHING THEY HAVE NOT DONE VERY WELL THIS SEASON…
WIN ON THE ROAD…
BUT LET’S KEEP ALL THIS IN PERSPECTIVE…
TO START WITH…THIS IS ALSO THE SAME TEAM THAT BEFORE AND AFTER THE OLYMPICS WEATHERED A 14 GAME ROAD TRIP…
SECONDLY…TONIGHT THE PRESSURE IS ON THE HOME TEAM…
THE KINGS HAVE NOT HOSTED A PLAYOFF GAME IN 8 YEARS…
AND FINALLY…THE CANUCKS HAVE ADRESSED THEIR TWO MAJOR ISSUES…
THE FIRST IS PENALITES…
ANDREW ALBERTS HAS BEEN BENCHED…
ALBERTS LEADS THIS SERIES WITH 23 MINUTES IN PENALITES…
AND THE KINGS HAVE GONE 4 FOR 9 ON THE POWER PLAY…
ADD TO THAT…HEAD COACH ALAIN VIGNEAULT HAS DROPPED PAVOL DEMITRA TO THE 4TH LINE…
DEMITRA HAS BEEN THE INVISIBLE MAN…
THE SECOND LINE WILL NOW BE KESLER BETWEEN SAMMUELSON AND MASON RAYMOND…
THESE ARE THE LITTLE THINGS THAT WOULD GO UNNOTICED IN THE REGULAR SEASON…
BUT AT THIS TIME OF YEAR MAKE HEADLINES…
THE KEY GOING INTO THIS SERIES WAS ROBERTO LUONGO…AND THAT HAS NOT CHANGED…
SO FAR LUONGO HAS BEEN SOLID…
AS LONG AS THAT DOES NOT CHANGE…THE END OF THE SEASON IS NOT AS CLOSE…AS IT MAY APPEAR…

Playoff Predictions

"PREDICTIONS ARE FOR GYPSIES”…
THE GREAT TOE BLAKE SAID THAT 50 YEARS AGO…AND IT’S STILL TRUE…
4 PLAYOFF GAMES…4 UPSETS…
IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE WHICH WAS THE BIGGEST…
ON PAPER…IT WOULD HAVE TO BE COLORADO OVER SAN JOSE…
BUT…ARE WE REALLY SURPRISED???
AFTER ALL…IN THE LAST 4 YEARS…THE SHARKS HAVE OPENED THE PLAYOFF AT HOME…AND ARE NOW A PERFECT 0 FOR 4…
THEN THERE’S PHOENIX OVER DETROIT…
THE WINGS WENT INTO THE GAME AS THE HOTTEST TEAM IN THE NHL…
BUT…THE COYOTES HAVE SPENT ALL SEASON SUPRISING PEOPLE…
AND BECAUSE OF THAT…WON 50 GAMES…A FRANCHISE RECORD…
THEN THERE’S OTTAWA OVER PITTSBURGH…
BUT…MARC ANDRE FLEURY HAS STRUGGLED ALL SEASON…
HIS GOAL AGAINST AVERAGE WAS 22ND…AND HIS SAVE PERCENTAGE WAS 31ST …
LAST NIGHT FLEURY GAVE UP 5 GOALS ON JUST 26 SHOTS…
SURPRISE!!!...SURPRISE!!!
AND THEN THERE’S PHILADELPHIA OVER NEW JERSEY…
BUT…DURING THE REGULAR SEASON…THE FLYERS TOOK 5 OF 6 FROM THE DEVILS…
WHICH GETS US TO GAME 1 TONIGHT…BETWEEN THE CANUCKS AND THE KINGS…
ON PAPER…THE CANUCKS SHOULD WIN…
THEY HAVE HOME ICE ADVANTAGE…
THEY HAVE THE ART ROSS TROPHY WINNER…
AND THEY ALL THAT PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE…
BUT…IN THE REGULAR SEASON…THE KINGS FINISHED JUST 2 POINTS BACK OF THE CANUCKS…
AND OUTSIDE OF THE OLYMPICS…THIS SEASON GOALTENDER ROBERT LUONGO HAS NOT LOOKED LIKE…WELL… ROBERTO LUONGO…
HE’S BEEN PULLED 7 TIMES…A CAREER HIGH…
HIS GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE IN THE REGULAR SEASON WAS 27TH IN THE NHL…
AND SINCE THE OLYMPICS…HIS GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE IS A MERE….”892”…
AND THAT INCLUDES THE 8 GOALS HE GAVE UP 2 WEEKS AGO AGAINST THESE VERY SAME L.A. KINGS…
SO…
IF THE AMERICANS CAN PULL OFF A MIRACLE…AND BEAT THE SOVIETS…
IF THE JETS CAN BEAT THE COLTS IN SUPER BOWL 3…
AND IF “BUSTER DOUGLAS” CAN KNOCK OUT “MIKE TYSON”…
THEN CANUCK FANS HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE NERVOUS…
UNLESS OF COURSE…THEY HAPPEN TO BE…”GYPIES”…

Phoenix Coyotes

IT’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN GLENDALE…
TONIGHT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 8 YEARS…FANS IN THAT CITY WILL SEE A PLAYOFF GAME…
AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER A YEAR...THOSE SAME FANS…HAVE AT LEAST “SOME HOPE”…THIS FRANCHISE ACTUALLY HAS A FUTURE…
LET’S START WITH THE TEAM…
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FRANCHISE HISTORY…THE COYOTES MANAGED TO WIN 50 GAMES IN A SEASON…
AND FINISHED JUST 4 POINTS BACK OF SAN JOSE FOR THE BEST RECORD IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE…
SO…NO MATTER WHO WINS THE PHOENIX DETROIT SERIES…
ON THE ICE…THE COYOTES SEASON HAS ALREADY BEEN A MAJOR SUCCESS…
OFF THE ICE???…WELL…THAT’S A DIFFERENT STORY…
LASTNIGHT THE CITY COUNCIL IN GLENDALE APPROVED A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH JERRY REINSDORF…
THE DEAL IS EXPECTED TO PAVE THE WAY FOR THE SALE OF THE TEAM…
BUT IT DOES LITTLE…TO GUARENTEE ANY LONG TERM COMMITMENT TO THAT CITY…
REINSDORF HAS AN OUT CLAUSE THAT ALLOWS HIM TO LEAVE IN 5 YEARS…
SHOULD THAT HAPPEN…HE IS GUARENTEED TO WALK AWAY WITH 100 PERCENT OF THE $103 MILLION HE PLANS TO INVEST TO BUY THE TEAM…
NO WAIT…IT GETS WORSE…MUCH WORSE…
THE CITY OF GLENDALE IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR ANOTHER $65 MILLION TO BE PAID TO THE NHL OVER THE NEXT 3 YEARS…
THAT ALONG WITH THE $103 FROM RIENSDORF GETS NHL COMMISSIONER GARY BETTMAN OFF THE HOOK…
AND THERE’S MORE…
TO HELP REINSDORF COVER ANY LOSES…
THE CITY WILL HAVE TO COVER UP TO $25 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR…TO A MAXIMUM OF $100 MILLION…
TO PAY FOR IT ALL…THE CITY OF GLENDALE PLANS TO CREATE…WHAT IT CALLS…A “COMMUNITY FACILITIES DISTRICT”…AROUND THE ARENA…
IN OTHER WORDS A TAX ZONE...
IN THE END THE TAX PAYERS OF THE CITY OF GLENDALE…COULD WIND UP WITH A BILL FOR…GET THIS…$268 MILLION DOLLARS…
LET’S HOPE THE HOCKEY FANS IN ARIZONA ENJOY THESE PLAYOFFS…
BECAUSE THEY ARE CERTAINLY…ABOUT TO PAY FOR THEM…