Playoff Hockey

KEEP IT SIMPLE…STUPID…
HOCKEY…EVEN NHL PLAYOFF HOCKEY…IS NOT BRAIN SURGERY…
AND THERE IS NO MYSTERY WHY THIS SERIES BETWEEN VANCOUVER AND CHICAGO IS NOW TIED AT…A GAME A PIECE…
ON MONDAY THEY WENT 1 FOR 6 ON THE POWER PLAY…AND THEN IN 3RD PERIOD…SURRENDERED A SHORT HANDED GOAL TO PATRICK SHARP…
AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE 2 GOAL POSTS…THAT WERE HIT BY KEVIN BEIKSA AND SAMI SALO…
YOU DO NOT NEED STEPHEN HAWKING TO DO THE MATH…
HEAD COACH ALAIN VIGNEAULT PUT IT THIS WAY…
“IT WAS JUST ABOUT EXECUTION”…
SOMETHING THE CANUCKS HAVE BEEN GOOD AT ALL SEASON…
IT’S WHY HENRIK SEDIN WON THE ART ROSS TROPHY…
IT’S WHY THIS TEAM HAD THE BEST HOME RECORD IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE…
AND IT’S WHY THE CANUCKS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME FROM BEHIND IN THE 3RD PERIOD A TOTAL OF 13 TIMES…
THE MOST BY ANY TEAM IN THE ENTIRE NHL…
YES…IT’S ONLY NATURAL FOR FANS IN THIS CITY TO GET NERVOUS AND DRAW COMPARISONS TO THE LAST YEARS MATCH UP WITH THE HAWKS…
VANCOUVER SPLIT THE FIRST 2 GAMES AND LOST THE SERIES IN 6…
BUT HENRIK SEDIN DOES NOT BUY THAT…
IN HIS WORDS…”LAST YEAR WE GOT RATTLED ABOUT EVERYTHING”…
“THIS YEAR WE STICK TO OUR GAME PLAN”…
WHICH SETS THE STAGE FOR GAME 3…TONIGHT AT GM PLACE…
THE BIGGEST CONCERN FOR THE CANUCKS IS…HOW THEY…AND ESPECIALLY ROBERTO LUONGO…HAVE BEEN PUSHED AROUND BY THE HAWKS…
TO COUNTER THAT…TONIGHT DARCY HORDICHUK AND RYAN JOHNSON ARE EXPECTED TO THE BE IN THE LINE UP…
BUT THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN…PUSHING BACK…AND LOSING CONTROL…
THE TRUTH IS…THE HAWKS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO TAKE PENALTIES…AND THE CANUCKS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GET OPPORTUNITIES…
SO WINNING TONIGHT IS ONLY A MATTER OF…CASHING IN…
AND HOW SIMPLE IS THAT???

Roberto Luongo

LIKE THE MAN SAID…
“DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR”…
IN GAME 1...ON SATURDAY NIGHT…THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS EMBARASSED THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS IN THEIR OWN BUILDING…
FINAL SCORE…5-1…
THE LAST TIME THE CANUCKS WERE IN A PLAYOFF GAME IN THAT CITY…
THE HAWKS ENDED THEIR SEASON AS ROBERTO LUONGO GAVE UP 7 GOALS ON JUST 30 SHOTS…
INCLUDING 3 GOALS…IN THE LAST 7 MINUTES OF THE 3RD PERIOD…
AFTER GAME…LUONGO WAS SO UPSET…HE COULD NOT HOLD BACK THE TEARS…
AND LIKE SACK OF BRICKS…HE HAS CARRIED THAT GAME WITH HIM FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR…
NOT EVEN AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL…COULD LIFT THAT WEIGHT…
IT EXPLAINS WHY HE TOLD PATRICK KANE…DURING THE HAND SHAKE…
”WE’LL SEE YOU IN THE PLAYOFFS”…
AFTER SATURDAY NIGHTS WIN…RYAN JOHNSON…ONE OF LUONGO’S CLOSEST FRIENDS ON THE CANUCKS…TOLD THIS STORY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AFTER LAST YEARS LOST IN GAME IN 6…
IN HIS WORDS:
‘I’LL NEVER FORGET ON THE PLANE LAST YEAR…HE CAME BACK WHERE I SIT AND HE JUST SAID “SORRY” TO ME…I JUST FELT AWFUL FOR HIM”…
FAST FORWARD TO THE FIRST PERIOD OF GAME 1…SATURDAY NIGHT…
LUONGO WAS BRILLIANT…
HE STOPPED ALL 17 SHOTS FIRED HIS WAY…AND 36 OF 37…TO GIVE THE CANUCKS A ONE GAME TO NONE LEAD IN THIS SERIES…
WHEN ASKED ABOUT…WHAT IT MEANT FOR HIMSELF PERSONALLY…TO RETURN TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME AND EXORCISE THOSE DEMONS???
LUONGO PLAYED IT SMART…QUOTE…”NOTHING”…
“IT DOESN’T MEAN NOTHING TO ME”…
“WE’RE HERE TO WIN 4 GAMES”…
“THERE’S NO SATISFACTION FOR ME PERSONALLY OR FOR THIS TEAM”…
IT’S NOT TRUE…BUT IT SOUNDS GOOD…
KEEP IN MIND…THE CANUCKS OPENED LAST YEARS SERIES WITH CHICAGO WITH A 6-3 VICTORY…AND WHO REMEMBERS THAT???
TONIGHT LUONGO CAN ONCE AGAIN SILENCE THE CROWD IN CHICAGO…
RIGHT NOW FOR THE CANUCKS…THAT IS THE “SWEETEST SOUND”…

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…